title: Wake Island

text: On June 24, 1972, the United States Air Force assumed responsibility for the civil administration of Wake Island pursuant to an agreement between the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Air Force.


title: Wake Island

text: The civil administration authority at Wake Island has been delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force to the General Counsel of the Air Force under U.S. federal law known as the "Wake Island Code". The general counsel provides civil, legal and judicial authority and can appoint one or more judges to serve on the Wake Island Court and the Wake Island Court of Appeals.


title: Wake Island

text: Certain authorities have been re-delegated by the general counsel to the Commander, Wake Island, a position currently held by Commander, Detachment 1, Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center. The commander may issue permits or registrations, appoint peace officers, impose quarantines, issue traffic regulations, commission notaries public, direct evacuations and inspections and carry out other duties, powers, and functions as the agent of the general counsel on Wake.


title: Wake Island

text: Since Wake Island is an active Air Force airfield, the commander is also the senior officer in charge of all activities on the island.


title: Wake Island

text: Air transportation facilities at Wake are operated by the United States Air Force at Wake Island Airfield in support of trans-Pacific military operations, western Pacific military contingency operations and missile launch activities. The runway on Wake is also available to provide services for military and commercial in-flight emergencies. Although there is only one flight scheduled every other week to transport passengers and cargo to Wake, approximately 600 aircraft per year use Wake Island Airfield.


title: Wake Island

text: Although Wake Island is supplied by sea-going barges and ships, the island's only harbor between Wilkes and Wake is too narrow and shallow for sea-going vessels to enter. The Base Operations Support (BOS) contractor maintains three small landing barges for transferring material from ships moored offshore to the dockyard in the harbor. Off-load hydrants are also used to pump gasoline and JP-5 fuels to the storage tanks on Wilkes. The landing barges and recreational offshore sportfishing boats are docked in the marina.


title: Wake Island

text: Transportation on Wake Island is provided by contractors or government-owned vehicles. The primary road is a two-lane paved road extending the length of Wake Island to the causeway between Wake Island and Wilkes Island. The causeway was rehabilitated in 2003 and is capable of supporting heavy equipment. A bridge connecting Wake and Peale Islands burned down in December 2002. A combination of paved and coral gravel roads serves the marina area. Paved access to Wilkes Island ends at the petroleum tank farm, where a road constructed of crushed coral provides access to the western point of Wilkes Island. A portion of the road, near the unfinished WWII submarine channel, is flooded nearly every year by high seas. The launch sites are accessed from the main paved road on Wake Island by paved and coral roads. Generally, the road network is suitable for low-speed, light-duty use only. Wake Island's paved roadway network has been adequately maintained to move materials, services, and personnel from the airfield on the southern end to the personnel support area on the northern end. Modes of transportation include walking, bicycles, light utility carts, automobiles, vans and larger trucks and equipment.


title: Wake Island

text: The Republic of the Marshall Islands has claimed Wake Island, which it calls Ānen Kio (new orthography) or Enen-kio (old orthography). In 1973, Marshallese lawmakers meeting in Saipan at the Congress of Micronesia, the legislative body for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, asserted that "Enen-kio is and always has been the property of the people of the Marshall Islands". Their claim was based on oral legends and songs, passed down through generations, describing ancient Marshallese voyages to Wake to gather food and a sacred bird's wing bone used in traditional tattooing ceremonies. In 1990, legislation in the U.S. Congress proposed including Wake Island within the boundaries of the U.S. territory of Guam. In response, Marshallese President Amata Kabua reasserted his nation's claim to Wake, declaring that Enen-kio was a site of great importance to the traditional chiefly rituals of the Marshall Islands.


title: Wake Island

text: The self-declared Kingdom of EnenKio has also claimed Wake Island as a separate sovereign nation and has issued passports. The Kingdom of EnenKio is not recognized in any international forum as a sovereign state, nor does any internationally recognized state recognize it. The Kingdom of EnenKio is characterized as a scam by anti-fraud website Quatloos!. In 2000, Robert Moore, who claimed to be the head of state, was prevented by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from fraudulently issuing bonds for the non-existent nation. On April 23, 1998, the Marshall Islands government notified all countries with which it has diplomatic ties that the claims of the Kingdom of EnenKio are fraudulent.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The Fifth Republic () is France's current republican system of government. It was established on 4 October 1958 by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the Fourth Republic, replacing the former parliamentary republic with a semi-presidential (or dual-executive) system that split powers between a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. De Gaulle, who was the first French president elected under the Fifth Republic in December 1958, believed in a strong head of state, which he described as embodying ("the spirit of the nation").


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The Fifth Republic is France's third-longest-lasting political regime, after the hereditary and feudal monarchies of the Ancien Régime (Late Middle Ages – 1792) and the parliamentary Third Republic (1870–1940). The Fifth Republic will overtake the Third Republic as the second-longest-lasting regime and the longest-lasting French republic on 11 August 2028 if it remains in place.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The trigger for the collapse of the Fourth French Republic was the Algiers crisis of 1958. France was still a colonial power, although conflict and revolt had begun the process of decolonization. French West Africa, French Indochina, and French Algeria still sent representatives to the French parliament under systems of limited suffrage in the French Union. Algeria in particular, despite being the colony with the largest French population, saw rising pressure for separation from Metropolitan France. The situation was complicated by those in Algeria, such as European settlers, native Jews, and Harkis (native Muslims who were loyal to France) who wanted to maintain the union with France. The Algerian War was not just a separatist movement but had elements of a civil war. Further complications came when a section of the French Army rebelled and openly backed the movement to defeat separation. Charles de Gaulle, who had retired from politics a decade before, placed himself in the midst of the crisis, calling on the nation to suspend the government and create a new constitutional system. De Gaulle was carried to power by the inability of the parliament to choose a government, popular protest, and the last parliament of the Fourth Republic voting for their dissolution and the convening of a constitutional convention.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The Fourth Republic suffered from a lack of political consensus, a weak executive, and governments forming and falling in quick succession since 1946. With no party or coalition able to sustain a parliamentary majority, prime ministers found themselves unable to risk their political position with unpopular reforms.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: De Gaulle and his supporters proposed a system of strong presidents elected for seven-year terms. The president, under the proposed constitution, would have executive powers to run the country in consultation with a prime minister whom he would appoint. On 1 June 1958, Charles de Gaulle was appointed head of the government; on 3 June 1958, a constitutional law empowered the new government to draft a new constitution of France, and another law granted Charles de Gaulle and his cabinet the power to rule by decree for up to six months, except on certain matters related to the basic rights of citizens (criminal law, etc.). These plans were approved by more than 80% of those who voted in the referendum of 28 September 1958. The new constitution was signed into law on 4 October 1958. Since each new constitution established a new republic, France moved from the Fourth to the Fifth Republic.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The new constitution contained transitional clauses (articles 90–92) extending the period of rule by decree until the new institutions were operating. René Coty remained president of the Republic until the new president was proclaimed. On 21 December 1958, Charles de Gaulle was elected president of France by an electoral college. The provisional constitutional commission, acting in lieu of the constitutional council, proclaimed the results of the election on 9 January 1959. The new president began his office on that date, appointing Michel Debré as prime minister.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The 1958 constitution also replaced the French Union with the French Community, which allowed fourteen member territories (excluding Algeria) to assert their independence. 1960 became known as the "Year of Africa" because of this wave of newly independent states. Algeria became independent on 5 July 1962.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The president was initially elected by an electoral college but in 1962 de Gaulle proposed that the president be directly elected by the citizens and held a referendum on the change. Although the method and intent of de Gaulle in that referendum were contested by most political groups except for the Gaullists, the change was approved by the French electorate. The Constitutional Council declined to rule on the constitutionality of the referendum.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: The president is now elected every five years, changed from seven by a constitutional referendum in 2000, to reduce the probability of cohabitation due to former differences in the length of terms for the National Assembly and presidency. The president is elected in one or two rounds of voting: if one candidate gets a majority of votes in the first round that person is president-elect; if no one gets a majority in the first round, the two candidates with the greatest number of votes go to a second round.


title: French Fifth Republic

text: Two major changes occurred in the 1970s regarding constitutional checks and balances. Traditionally, France operated according to parliamentary supremacy: no authority was empowered to rule on whether statutes passed by Parliament respected the constitutional rights of the citizens. In 1971, however, the Constitutional Council, arguing that the preamble of the constitution referenced the rights defined in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the preamble of the 1946 constitution, concluded that statutes must respect these rights and so declared partially unconstitutional a statute because it violated freedom of association. Only the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, or the president of either house of Parliament could ask for a constitutional review a statute was signed into law—which greatly reduces the likelihood of such a review if all these officeholders happened to be from the same side of politics, which was the case at the time. Then in 1974, a widened this prerogative to 60 members of the National Assembly or 60 members of the senate. From that date, the opposition has been able to have controversial new statutes examined for constitutionality.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The Boxer is a medium to large, short-haired breed of mastiff-type dog, developed in Germany. The coat is smooth and tight-fitting; colors are fawn, brindled, or white, with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic (they have broad, short skulls), have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism (an underbite), very strong jaws, and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the Old English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser, which became extinct by crossbreeding rather than by a decadence of the breed. The Boxer is a member of both The Kennel Club and American Kennel Club (AKC) Working Group.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The first Boxer club was founded in 1895, with Boxers being first exhibited in a dog show for St. Bernards in Munich the next year. Based on 2013 AKC statistics, Boxers held steady as the seventh-most popular breed of dog in the United States for the fourth consecutive year. According to the AKC's website, though, the boxer is now the 11th-most popular dog breed in the United States.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer. The breed standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to the body and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be placed on the muzzle being of correct form and in absolute proportion to the skull. The length of the muzzle to the whole of the head should be a ratio of 1:3. Folds are always present from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muzzle, and the tip of the nose should lie somewhat higher than the root of the muzzle. In addition, a Boxer should be slightly prognathous, i.e., the lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards in what is commonly called an underbite or "undershot bite".


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers were originally a docked and cropped breed, and this is still done in some countries, but due to pressure from veterinary associations, animal rights groups, and the general public, both cropping of the ears and docking of the tail have been prohibited in many countries around the world, and is not recognised by the breed standard laid down by The Kennel Club of the UK. The American Kennel club still permits cropped ears. A line of naturally short-tailed (bobtail) Boxers was developed in the United Kingdom in anticipation of a tail-docking ban there; after several generations of controlled breeding, these dogs were accepted in the Kennel Club (UK) registry in 1998, and today representatives of the bobtail line can be found in many countries. In 2008, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) added a "naturally stumpy tail" as a disqualifying fault in their breed standard, meaning those Boxers born with a bobtail can no longer be shown in FCI member countries. In the United States and Canada as of 2012, cropped ears are still more common in show dogs, though the practice of cosmetic cropping is currently opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association. In March 2005, the AKC breed standard was changed to include a description of the uncropped ear, but to severely penalize an undocked tail. The tail of a boxer is typically docked before the cartilage is fully formed, from 3–5 days old. The procedure does not require any sutures when performed at this young age, and anesthesia is not used. The docking of the tail is not permitted under the breed standard of The Kennel Club UK.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The Boxer is a short-haired breed, with a smooth coat that lies tight to the body. The recognized colors are fawn and brindle, frequently with a white underbelly and white on the feet. These white markings, called "flash", often extend onto the neck or face, and dogs that have these markings are known as "flashy". "Fawn" denotes a range of colors, the tones of which may be described variously as light tan or yellow, reddish tan, mahogany, or stag/deer red, and dark honey-blonde. In the UK and Europe, fawn Boxers are typically rich in color and are often called "red". "Brindle" refers to a dog with black stripes on a fawn background. Some brindle Boxers are so heavily striped that they give the appearance of "reverse brindling", fawn stripes on a black body; these dogs are conventionally called "reverse brindles", but that is actually a misnomer—they are still fawn dogs with black stripes. In addition, the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly contrast with or show through the brindling.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The Boxer does not carry the gene for a solid black coat color, so purebred black Boxers do not exist. Boxers that appear black are actually heavily brindled, where the fawn color is completely sealed out by the black striping. These are often referred to as "sealed" Boxers, and are not an AKC recognized coloring.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat – conventionally called "white" Boxers – are neither albino nor rare; about 20–25% of all Boxers born are white. Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than darker Boxers. The extreme piebald gene, which is responsible for white markings in Boxers, is linked to congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs. An estimated 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears, though Boxer rescue organizations see about double that number.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth. A 1998 study of Boxers in the Netherlands showed that 17% of Boxer pups were euthanized because they were white. Previously, the American Boxer Club "unofficially recommended euthanasia for these animals." Reasons for euthanizing white pups include the view that selling a dog with "faults" is unethical, which is in stark contrast to the AKC preference for docked tails. Additionally the perception that white Boxers are at higher risk of ending up abandoned in rescues. Today, breeders are increasingly reluctant to euthanize healthy pups, and may choose to neuter and place them in pet homes, instead.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers are a bright, energetic, and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. They are patient and spirited with children, but also protective, making them a popular choice for families. They are active, strong dogs that require adequate exercise to prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing, digging, or licking. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong", which can be related to inappropriate obedience training. Owing to their intelligence and working-breed characteristics, training based on corrections often has limited usefulness. Boxers, like other animals, typically respond better to positive reinforcement techniques such as clicker training, an approach based on operant conditioning and behaviorism, which offers the dog an opportunity to think independently and to problem-solve. Stanley Coren's survey of obedience trainers, summarized in his book "The Intelligence of Dogs", ranked Boxers at number 48 – average working/obedience intelligence. Many who have worked with Boxers disagree quite strongly with Coren's survey results, and maintain that a skilled trainer who uses reward-based methods will find Boxers have far above-average intelligence and working ability.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed. It is an instinctive guardian and can become very attached to its family. Like all dogs, it requires proper socialization. Boxers are generally patient with smaller dogs and puppies, but difficulties with larger adult dogs, especially those of the same sex, may occur. Boxers are generally more comfortable with companionship, in either human or canine form. They are very patient and are great to adopt as family dogs because they are good with children and people of all kinds.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The Boxer is a hunting mastiff developed in Germany in the late 19th century from the now extinct Bullenbeisser, a dog of Mastiff descent, and Bulldogs brought in from Great Britain. The Bullenbeisser had been working as a hunting dog for centuries, employed in the pursuit of bear, wild boar, and deer. Its task was to seize the prey and hold it until the hunters arrived. In later years, faster dogs were favored and a smaller Bullenbeisser was bred in Brabant, in northern Belgium. The Brabanter Bullenbeisser is generally accepted as being a direct ancestor of today's Boxer.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: In 1894, three Germans, Friedrich Robert, Elard König, and R. Höpner, decided to stabilize the breed and put it on exhibition at a dog show. This was done in Munich in 1896, and the year before they founded the first Boxer Club, the Deutscher Boxer Club. The club went on to publish the first Boxer breed standard in 1904, a detailed document that has not been changed much since.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The breed was introduced to other parts of Europe in the late 19th century and to the United States around the turn of the 20th century. The AKC registered the first Boxer in 1904, and recognized the first Boxer champion, Dampf vom Dom, in 1915. During World War I, the Boxer was co-opted for military work, acting as a valuable messenger dog, pack carrier, attack dog, and guard dog. The Boxer did not become popular around the world until after World War II. Taken home by returning soldiers, the dog was introduced to a wider audience and soon became a favorite as a companion, a show dog, and a guard dog.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: German citizen George Alt, a Munich resident, mated a brindle-colored female dog imported from France named Flora with a local dog of unknown ancestry, known simply as "Boxer", resulting in a fawn-and-white male, named Lechner's Box after its owner.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: This dog was mated with his own dam, Flora, and one of his offspring was a female called Alt's Schecken. George Alt mated Schecken with a Bulldog named Dr. Toneissen's Tom to produce the historically significant dog Mühlbauer's Flocki. Flocki was the first Boxer to enter the German Stud Book after winning the aforementioned show for St. Bernards in Munich 1896, which was the first event to have a class specific for Boxers.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The white female dog Ch. Blanka von Angertor, Flocki's sister, was even more influential when mated with Piccolo von Angertor (Lechner's Box grandson) to produce the predominantly white (particolored) female dog Meta von der Passage, which, even bearing little resemblance with the modern Boxer standard (early photographs depict her as too long, weak-backed, and down-faced), is considered the mother of the breed. John Wagner, in "The Boxer" (first published in 1939) said the following regarding this female dog:


title: Boxer (dog)

text: The name "Boxer" is supposedly derived from the breed's tendency to play by standing on its hind legs and "boxing" with its front paws. According to Andrew H. Brace's "Pet Owner's Guide to the Boxer", this theory is the least plausible explanation. He claims, "it's unlikely that a nation so permeated with nationalism would give to one of its most famous breeds a name so obviously anglicised".


title: Boxer (dog)

text: German linguistic and historical evidence finds the earliest written source for the word Boxer in the 18th century, where it is found in a text in the "Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch" ("The German Dictionary of Foreign Words"), which cites an author named Musäus of 1782 writing . At that time, the spelling "baxer" equalled "boxer". Both the verb ("boxen" [English "to box, to punch, to jab"]) and the noun ("Boxer") were common German words as early as the late 18th century. The term "Boxl", also written "Buxn" or "Buchsen" in the Bavarian dialect, means "short (leather) trousers" or "underwear". The very similar-sounding term "Boxerl", also from the Bavarian dialect, is an endearing term for "Boxer". More in line with historical facts, Brace states that many other theories may explain the origin of the breed name, from which he favors the one claiming the smaller Bullenbeisser (Brabanter) dogs were also known as "Boxl" and that Boxer is just a corruption of that word.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: In the same vein runs a theory based on the fact that a group of dogs was known as "Bierboxer" in Munich by the time of the breed's development. These dogs were the result from mixes of Bullenbeisser and other similar breeds. "Bier" (beer) probably refers to the "Biergarten", the typical Munich beer garden, an open-air restaurant where people used to take their dogs along. The nickname "Deutscher Boxer" was derived from "Bierboxer" and Boxer could also be a corruption of the former or a contraction of the latter.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxer is also the name of a dog owned by John Peerybingle, the main character in the best-selling 1845 book "The Cricket on the Hearth" by Charles Dickens, which is evidence that "Boxer" was commonly used as a dog name by the early 19th century, before the establishment of the breed by the end of that same century.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Leading health issues to which Boxers are prone include cancers, heart conditions such as aortic stenosis and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (the so-called "Boxer cardiomyopathy"), hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy and epilepsy; other conditions that may be seen are gastric dilatation volvulus (also known as bloat), intestinal problems, and allergies (although these may be more related to diet than breed). Entropion, a malformation of the eyelid requiring surgical correction, is occasionally seen, and some lines have a tendency toward spondylosis deformans, a fusing of the spine, or dystocia. Other conditions that are less common but occur more often in Boxers than other breeds are hystiocytic ulcerative colitis (sometimes called Boxer colitis), an invasive "E. coli" infection, and indolent corneal ulcers, often called Boxer eye ulcers.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: An emerging health concern among boxers is Boxer Juvenile Kidney Disease (JKD), where the kidneys do not develop normally during gestation and leads to chronic renal failure. JKD is most frequently diagnosed in dogs under the age of 3, and often much earlier than this in puppies before the age of 12 months. There is strong evidence to suggest JKD is an with research being undertaken by the University of Ohio to determine the gene mutation, as well as other work separately by the UK Boxer Breeder Council.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: About 22% of puppies die before reaching seven weeks of age. Stillbirth is the most frequent cause of death, followed by infection. Mortality due to infection increases significantly with increases in inbreeding.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: According to a UK Kennel Club health survey, cancer accounts for 38.5% of Boxer deaths, followed by old age (21.5%), cardiac (6.9%) and gastrointestinal (6.9%) related issues. The breed is particularly predisposed to mast cell tumours, a cancer of the immune system. Median lifespan was 10.25 years. Responsible breeders use available tests to screen their breeding stock before breeding, and in some cases throughout the life of the dog, in an attempt to minimize the occurrence of these diseases in future generations.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: As an athletic breed, proper exercise and conditioning is important for the continued health and longevity of the Boxer. Care must be taken not to overexercise young dogs, as this may damage growing bones, but once mature, Boxers can be excellent jogging or running companions. Because of their brachycephalic heads, they do not do well with high heat or humidity, and common sense should prevail when exercising a Boxer in these conditions.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers need plenty of exercise, which means their diet should be high in quality calories. The main source of these calories should be lean animal protein, which include lean chicken, turkey, lamb, and fish. While on a high calorie diet, owners should be thoughtful of the amount of treats given as this tends to cause obesity. Owners should be mindful of the food to snack ratio being consumed by the Boxer when determining how many treats are acceptable. Some healthy snacks include raw fruits and vegetables.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers are also prone to dental problems, increasing their susceptibility for bad breath; dry dog food that is large and difficult for them to chew improves the likelihood for plaque removal. Plaque can also be removed by crude fiber in kibble, which has a flexible structure that increases chewing time. Polyphosphates are often coated on the outside of dry dog food, which further reduce plaque buildup by preventing calcium production in saliva. Odor production from the boxer's mouth is likely to be reduced if its teeth and oral cavity are kept in healthy conditions.


title: Boxer (dog)

text: Boxers are friendly, lively companions that are popular as family dogs. Their suspicion of strangers, alertness, agility, and strength make them formidable guard dogs. They sometimes appear at dog agility or dog obedience trials and flyball events. These strong and intelligent animals have also been used as service dogs, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs, police dogs in K9 units, and occasionally herding cattle or sheep. The versatility of Boxers was recognized early on by the military, which has used them as valuable messenger dogs, pack carriers, and attack and guard dogs in times of war.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western Ohio. At age 15, she won a shooting contest against an experienced marksman, Frank E. Butler, whom she later married in 1876. The pair joined Buffalo Bill in 1885, performing in Europe before royalty and other heads of state. Audiences were astounded to see her shooting out a cigar from her husband's hand or splitting a playing-card edge-on at 30 paces. She earned more than anyone except Buffalo Bill himself.


title: Annie Oakley

text: After a bad rail accident in 1901, she had to settle for a less taxing routine, and toured in a play written about her career. She also instructed women in marksmanship, believing strongly in female self-defense. Her stage acts were filmed for one of Thomas Edison's earliest Kinetoscopes in 1894. Since her death, her story has been adapted for stage musicals and films, including "Annie Get Your Gun".


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann (Annie) Mosey on August 13, 1860, in a log cabin less than northwest of Woodland, now Willowdell, in Darke County, Ohio, a rural county along the state's border with Indiana. Her birthplace is about east of North Star. There is a stone-mounted plaque in the vicinity of the site, which was placed by the Annie Oakley Committee in 1981, 121 years after her birth.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie's parents were Quakers of English descent from Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania: Susan Wise, born 1830, and Jacob Mosey, born 1799, married in 1848. They moved to a rented farm (later purchased with a mortgage) in Patterson Township, Darke County, Ohio, sometime around 1855.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Born in 1860, Annie was the sixth of Jacob and Susan's nine children, and the fifth of the seven surviving. Her siblings were Mary Jane (1851–1867), Lydia (1852–1882), Elizabeth (1855–1881), Sarah Ellen (1857–1939), Catherine (1859–1859), John (1861–1949), Hulda (1864–1934) and a stillborn infant brother in 1865. Annie's father, who had fought in the War of 1812, was 61 years old at the time of Annie's birth and became invalid from hypothermia during a blizzard in late 1865 and died of pneumonia in early 1866 at age 66. Her mother later married Daniel Brumbaugh, had another daughter, Emily (1868–1937), and was widowed once again.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Because of poverty following her father's death, Annie did not regularly attend school as a child, although she did attend later in childhood and in adulthood. On March 15, 1870, at age nine, she was admitted to the Darke County Infirmary along with her sister Sarah Ellen. According to her autobiography, she was put in the care of the infirmary's superintendent, Samuel Crawford Edington, and his wife Nancy, who taught her to sew and decorate. Beginning in the spring of 1870, she was "bound out" to a local family to help care for their infant son, on the false promise of fifty cents per week () and an education. The couple had originally wanted someone who could pump water, cook, and who was bigger. She spent about two years in near slavery to them, enduring mental and physical abuse. One time, the wife put Annie out in the freezing cold without shoes, as a punishment because she had fallen asleep over some darning. Annie referred to them as "the wolves". Even in her autobiography, she never revealed the couple's real names.


title: Annie Oakley

text: According to biographer Glenda Riley, "the wolves" could have been the Studabaker family, but the 1870 U.S. Census suggests they were the Abram Boose family of neighboring Preble County. Around the spring of 1872, Annie ran away from "the wolves". According to biographer Shirl Kasper, it was only at this point that Annie met and lived with the Edingtons, returning to her mother's home around the age of 15.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie began trapping before the age of seven, and shooting and hunting by age eight, to support her siblings and her widowed mother. She sold the hunted game to locals in Greenville, such as shopkeepers Charles and G. Anthony Katzenberger, who shipped it to hotels in Cincinnati and other cities. She also sold the game to restaurants and hotels in northern Ohio. Her skill paid off the mortgage on her mother's farm when Annie was 15.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie soon became well known throughout the region. On Thanksgiving Day 1875, the Baughman & Butler shooting act was being performed in Cincinnati. Traveling show marksman and former dog trainer Frank E. Butler (1847–1926), an Irish immigrant, placed a $100 bet per side () with Cincinnati hotel owner Jack Frost that Butler could beat any local fancy shooter. The hotelier arranged a shooting match between Butler and the 15-year-old Annie, saying, "The last opponent Butler expected was a 15-year-old girl named Annie." After missing on his 25th shot, Butler lost the match and the bet. Another account says that Butler hit on his last shot, but the bird fell dead about beyond the boundary line. He soon began courting Annie and they married. They did not have children.


title: Annie Oakley

text: According to a modern-day account in "The Cincinnati Enquirer", it is possible that the shooting match took place in 1881 and not 1875. It appears the time of the event was never recorded. Biographer Shirl Kasper states the shooting match took place in the spring of 1881 near Greenville, possibly in North Star as mentioned by Butler during interviews in 1903 and 1924. Other sources seem to coincide with the North Fairmount location near Cincinnati if the event occurred in 1881. The Annie Oakley Center Foundation mentions Oakley visiting her married sister Lydia Stein at her home near Cincinnati in 1875. That information is incorrect as Lydia did not marry Joseph C. Stein until March 19, 1877. Although speculation, it is most likely that Oakley and her mother visited Lydia in 1881 as she was seriously ill from tuberculosis. The Bevis House hotel was still being operated by Martin Bevis and W. H. Ridenour in 1875. It opened around 1860 after the building was previously used as a pork packaging facility. Jack Frost did not obtain management of the hotel until 1879. The Baughman & Butler shooting act first appeared on the pages of "The Cincinnati Enquirer" in 1880. They signed with Sells Brothers Circus in 1881 and made an appearance at the Coliseum Opera House later that year.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Regardless of the actual date of the shooting match, Oakley and Butler were married a year afterward. A certificate on file with the Archives of Ontario, Registration Number 49594, reports that Butler and Oakley were wed on June 20, 1882, in Windsor, Ontario. Many sources say the marriage took place on August 23, 1876, in Cincinnati, but no recorded certificate validates that date. A possible reason for the contradictory dates is that Butler's divorce from his first wife, Henrietta Saunders, was not yet final in 1876. An 1880 U.S. Federal Census record shows Saunders as married. Sources mentioning Butler's first wife as Elizabeth are inaccurate; Elizabeth was his granddaughter, her father being Edward F. Butler. Throughout Oakley's show-business career, the public was often led to believe that she was five to six years younger than she was. The later marriage date would have better supported her fictional age.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Annie and Frank Butler lived in Cincinnati for a time. Oakley, the stage name she adopted when she and Frank began performing together, is believed to have been taken from the city's neighborhood of Oakley, where they resided. Some people believe she took on the name because that was the name of the man who had paid her train fare when she was a child.


title: Annie Oakley

text: They joined "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" in 1885. At five feet tall, Oakley was given the nickname of "Watanya Cicilla" by fellow performer Sitting Bull, rendered "Little Sure Shot" in the public advertisements.


title: Annie Oakley

text: During her first engagement with the Buffalo Bill show, Oakley experienced a tense professional rivalry with rifle sharpshooter Lillian Smith. Smith was eleven years younger than Oakley, age 15 at the time she joined the show in 1886, which may have been a primary reason for Oakley to alter her actual age in later years due to Smith's press coverage becoming as favorable as hers. Oakley temporarily left the Buffalo Bill show but returned two years later, after Smith departed, in time for the Paris Exposition of 1889. This three-year tour only cemented Oakley as America's first female star. She earned more than any other performer in the show, except for Buffalo Bill himself. She also performed in many shows on the side for extra income.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In Europe, she performed for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, King Umberto I of Italy, President Marie François Sadi Carnot of France and other crowned heads of state. Oakley supposedly shot the ashes off a cigarette held by the newly crowned German Kaiser Wilhelm II at his request.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley promoted the service of women in combat operations for the United States armed forces. She wrote a letter to President William McKinley on April 5, 1898, "offering the government the services of a company of 50 'lady sharpshooters' who would provide their own arms and ammunition should the U.S. go to war with Spain."


title: Annie Oakley

text: The Spanish–American War did occur, but Oakley's offer was not accepted. Theodore Roosevelt, did, however, name his volunteer cavalry the "Rough Riders" after the "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World" where Oakley was a major star.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In 1901 (the same year as McKinley's assassination), Oakley was badly injured in a train accident but recovered after temporary paralysis and five spinal operations. She left the Buffalo Bill show and in 1902 began a less taxing acting career in a stage play written especially for her, "The Western Girl". Oakley played the role of Nancy Berry who used a pistol, a rifle and rope to outsmart a group of outlaws.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Throughout her career, it is believed that Oakley taught more than 15,000 women how to use a gun. Oakley believed strongly that it was crucial for women to learn how to use a gun, as not only a form of physical and mental exercise, but also to defend themselves. She said: "I would like to see every woman know how to handle guns, as naturally as they know how to handle babies."


title: Annie Oakley

text: Buffalo Bill was friends with Thomas Edison, and Edison built the world's largest electrical power plant at the time for the "Wild West Show". Buffalo Bill and 15 of his show Indians appeared in two Kinetoscopes filmed September 24, 1894.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In 1894, Oakley and Butler performed in Edison's Kinetoscope film ""Little Sure Shot" of the "Wild West"", an exhibition of rifle shooting at stationary and moving objects, which was filmed November 1, 1894, in Edison's Black Maria studio by William Heise. It lasted 21 seconds at 30 frames and 39 feet. It was the eleventh film made after commercial showings began on April 14, 1894.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Biographers, such as Shirl Kasper, repeat Oakley's own story about her very first shot at the age of eight. "I saw a squirrel run down over the grass in front of the house, through the orchard and stop on a fence to get a hickory nut." Taking a rifle from the house, she fired at the squirrel, writing later that, "It was a wonderful shot, going right through the head from side to side".


title: Annie Oakley

text: The "Encyclopædia Britannica" notes that:Oakley never failed to delight her audiences, and her feats of marksmanship were truly incredible. At 30 paces she could split a playing card held edge-on, she hit dimes tossed into the air, she shot cigarettes from her husband's lips, and, a playing card being thrown into the air, she riddled it before it touched the ground.


title: Annie Oakley

text: R. A. Koestler-Grack reports that, on March 19, 1884, she was being watched by Chief Sitting Bull when:Oakley playfully skipped on stage, lifted her rifle, and aimed the barrel at a burning candle. In one shot, she snuffed out the flame with a whizzing bullet. Sitting Bull watched her knock corks off of bottles and slice through a cigar Butler held in his teeth.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley and Sitting Bull purportedly met and bonded while working together on a Buffalo Bill show in Minnesota. Sitting Bull joined with Buffalo Bill after being paroled, having led the last major Indian uprising against the federal government; his status as a great warrior and leader was legendary worldwide by the time he and Oakley met. The former Indian Chief was so impressed with Oakley's skills that he offered $65 (equal to $ today) for a photograph of him and her together. According to Oakley, the admiration and respect was mutual and only increased as they spent more time together. Sitting Bull felt Oakley must be "gifted" by supernatural means, in order to shoot so accurately with both hands. As a result of his esteem, Sitting Bull symbolically "adopted" Oakley as his daughter in 1884, naming her "Little Sure Shot" – a title that Oakley went on to use throughout her career.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In 1904, sensational cocaine prohibition stories were selling well. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst published a false story that Oakley had been arrested for stealing to support a cocaine habit. The woman actually arrested was a burlesque performer who told Chicago police that her name was Annie Oakley.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Most of the newspapers that printed the story had relied on the Hearst article, and they immediately retracted it with apologies upon learning of the libelous error. Hearst, however, tried to avoid paying the anticipated court judgments of $20,000 () by sending an investigator to Darke County, Ohio, with the intent of collecting reputation-smearing gossip from Oakley's past. The investigator found nothing.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley spent much of the next six years winning all but one of her 55 libel lawsuits against newspapers. She collected less in judgments than the total of her legal expenses.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In 1913, the Butlers built a brick bungalow style home in Cambridge, Maryland. It is known as the Annie Oakley House and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. In 1917, they moved to North Carolina and returned to public life.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley continued to set records into her sixties and also engaged in extensive philanthropy for women's rights and other causes, including the support of young women she knew. She embarked on a comeback and intended to star in a feature-length silent movie. She hit 100 clay targets in a row from at age 62 in a 1922 shooting contest in Pinehurst, North Carolina.


title: Annie Oakley

text: In late 1922, the couple were in a car accident that forced Oakley to wear a steel brace on her right leg. She eventually performed again after more than a year of recovery, and she set records in 1924.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley's health declined in 1925 and she died of pernicious anemia in Greenville, Ohio, at the age of 66 on November 3, 1926. She was cremated and her ashes buried at Brock Cemetery, near Greenville.


title: Annie Oakley

text: According to B. Haugen, Butler was so grieved by Oakley's death that he stopped eating and died 18 days later in Michigan; he was buried next to her ashes. Kasper reports that Butler's death certificate gave "senility" as the cause of death. One rumor claims that Oakley's ashes were placed in one of her trophies and placed with Butler's body in his coffin prior. Both body and ashes were interred in the cemetery on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1926.


title: Annie Oakley

text: After her death, her incomplete autobiography was given to stage comedian Fred Stone, and it was discovered that her entire fortune had been spent on her family and her charities.


title: Annie Oakley

text: A vast collection of Oakley's personal possessions, performance memorabilia, and firearms are on permanent exhibit in the Garst Museum and the National Annie Oakley Center in Greenville, Ohio. She has been inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, the National Women's Hall of Fame, the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey Hall of Fame.


title: Annie Oakley

text: There are a number of variations given for Oakley's family name, Mosey. Many biographers and other references give the name as "Moses". Although the 1860 U.S. Census shows the family name as "Mauzy", this is considered an error introduced by the census taker. Oakley's name appears as "Ann Mosey" in the 1870 U.S. Census and "Mosey" is engraved on her father's headstone and appears in his military record; "Mosey" is the official spelling by the Annie Oakley Foundation, maintained by her living relatives. The spelling "Mosie" has also appeared.


title: Annie Oakley

text: According to Kasper, Oakley insisted that her family name be spelled "Mozee", leading to arguments with her brother John. Kasper speculates that Oakley may have considered "Mozee" to be a more phonetic spelling. There is also popular speculation that young Oakley had been teased about her name by other children.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Prior to their double wedding in March 1884, both Oakley's brother John and one of her sisters, Hulda, changed their surnames to "Moses".


title: Annie Oakley

text: During her lifetime, the theatre business began referring to complimentary tickets as "Annie Oakleys". Such tickets traditionally have holes punched into them (to prevent them from being resold), reminiscent of the playing cards Oakley shot through during her sharpshooting act.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley's worldwide stardom as a sharpshooter enabled her to earn more money than most of the other performers in the Buffalo Bill show. She did not forget her roots after gaining financial and economic power. She and Butler together often donated to charitable organizations for orphans. Beyond her monetary influence, she proved to be a great influence on women.


title: Annie Oakley

text: Oakley urged that women serve in war, though President William McKinley rejected her offer of woman sharpshooters for service in the Spanish–American War. Beyond this offer to the president, Oakley believed that women should learn to use a gun for the empowering image that it gave. Laura Browder discusses how Oakley's stardom gave hope to women and youth in "Her Best Shot: Women and Guns In America". Oakley pressed for women to be independent and educated. She was a key influence in the creation of the image of the American cowgirl. Through this image, she provided substantial evidence that women are as capable as men when offered the opportunity to prove themselves.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Tenitra Michelle Williams (born July 23, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in the 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 60 million records, of which more than 35 million copies sold with the trio lineup that included Williams. During her time in the group she earned several accolades including a Grammy Award and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: During the group's two-year hiatus, 2001–2003, Williams released her debut solo album "Heart to Yours" (2002) which topped the US gospel album chart and became the best-selling gospel release of the year. That same year, "Billboard" named Williams the fifth best-charting gospel artist of the year and she received a MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act". Following this, she released her second solo album "Do You Know" (2004). After Destiny's Child's disbandment in 2006, Williams released her first pop album, "Unexpected" (2008), which spawned the singles "We Break the Dawn" and the US Dance number-one "The Greatest". Her fourth studio album, "Journey to Freedom" (2014), received positive reviews and became her highest-charting album in the US; it includes the singles "If We Had Your Eyes", and "Say Yes" which topped the US Hot Gospel Songs chart for seven weeks, and won the Stellar Award for Music Video of the Year.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams has found success as a television, Broadway and West End theatre actress, gaining a nomination for "Best Lead Female – Equity" in 2008 at the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards. Making her acting debut on Broadway in "Aida" (2003), she has since starred in the sitcom series "Half & Half" (2006) and the musical productions "The Color Purple" (2007), "Chicago" (2009–10), "What My Husband Doesn't Know" (2011) and "Fela!" (2013). She was a featured judge on "MTV's Top Pop Group", a contestant on season 8 of "Strictly Come Dancing" in the United Kingdom, and starred in the Oxygen reality television series "Fix My Choir". She has also appeared on the American, British, and Australian versions of "The Masked Singer".


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Tenitra Michelle Williams was born in Rockford, Illinois, on July 23, 1979, to Anita Williams (née Washington) and Dennis Williams III (1952–2020). She has three siblings: elder brother Erron, who is also a musician, elder sister Cameron, and younger sister Danielle. Williams made her musical debut at the age of seven, performing a rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance" at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. She later sang in the gospel groups United Harmony and Chosen Expression.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams graduated from Rockford Auburn High School in 1997. Shortly after graduating, she pursued a degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University, doubtful of her ability to make a career as a professional singer. However, after two years of college, she left to pursue a music career, as a backing vocalist for other artists such as Monica. In late 1999, 20-year-old Williams met Destiny's Child band members Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland in the lobby of an Atlanta hotel. Several months later, a choreographer acquaintance of Williams who knew the group connected Williams to the Knowles family and Rowland, as they were vetting potential new group members.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: After the much-publicized turmoil, Williams, alongside Farrah Franklin, officially joined the group in early 2000, replacing LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson without notice. Buoyed by the group's breakout success, Luckett and Roberson had both attempted to split with the group's manager Mathew Knowles in late 1999, claiming that he kept a disproportionate share of the band's profits and unfairly favored Knowles and Rowland. The issue was heightened after Williams and Franklin appeared in the video of "Say My Name", implying that the original band members were already replaced. Franklin, however, faded from the group after five months, as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. Franklin attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife. After settling on this final lineup, the trio released "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film "Charlie's Angels". It became their best-charting single yet, topping the official US singles chart for eleven consecutive weeks; the success cemented the new lineup and skyrocketed them to fame.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In May 2001, Destiny's Child released the group's third studio album "Survivor". It debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 with sales of 663,000 copies. "Survivor" has sold over twelve million copies worldwide, 4.1 million of which were sold in the US alone. The album's other number-one hits are "Bootylicious" and the title track "Survivor", the latter earning the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In October 2001, Destiny's Child released their holiday album, "8 Days of Christmas". Before releasing the 2002 compilation album, "This Is the Remix", the group announced their temporary break-up to pursue solo projects.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: While Williams was still with Destiny's Child, she intensified work on her debut solo album "Heart to Yours". The album material included collaborations with singers Carl Thomas, Shirley Caesar and the Mary Mary duo, taking the singer's work further into urban contemporary gospel and Christian music. "Some people will do gospel when their career fails, but I chose to do it at the height of the popularity of Destiny's Child", Williams explained during the album's release. "And I didn't want to do it because it was a fad. I wanted to do it because it's in me. It's in my heart." Released on April 16, 2002, in North America to much critical acclaim, Williams became the first member of Destiny's Child to release solo material with "Heart to Yours". The album sold 20,000 copies in its first week, placing it at number fifty-seven on the "Billboard" 200 and number two on the "Billboard" Gospel Albums chart, where it later rose to number one. It became the year's best-selling gospel album, selling more than 220,000 units in the US, as of 2008. A music video for the album's first and only single, "Heard a Word", was produced by film director Sylvain White. "Heart to Yours" won Williams a MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act" along with a raft of nominations including a Stellar Award nomination for "New Artist of the Year", a GMWA Excellence Award nomination for "Female Vocalist of the Year Urban Contemporary" and a GMA Dove Award nomination for "Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year" for her collaboration with Shirley Caesar on "Steal Away To Jesus" which was first featured on Caesar's "Hymns" album. "Billboard" listed Williams as the fifth Top Gospel Artist of 2002.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In August 2002, Williams embarked on her first tour as a solo artist in promotion of her debut album. Sponsored by Burger King, the 19-date BK Got Music Summer Soul Tour also featured Luther Vandross, Angie Stone and Gerald Levert. Following the release and promotion of "Heart to Yours", Williams made her on-stage acting debut in 2003, replacing fellow singer Toni Braxton in the title role of "Aida", the hit Broadway musical with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. She was the first and remains the only Destiny's Child member to have acted on Broadway.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: During the release of her fellow Destiny's Child members' debut albums, Williams spent time in the studio, recording her second album. The album saw her generally re-teaming with the majority of the producers and songwriters from her previous effort, also including Solange Knowles, Dawkins & Dawkins, and brother Erron Williams. However, released on January 26, 2004, in the United States, "Do You Know" reached a disappointing number one-hundred-and-twenty on the "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 10,000 copies in its first week despite a warm reception from critics who lent praise to Williams' songwriting ability. Once again, Williams scored more success on the component charts, where the album debuted at number two on the Top Gospel Albums chart and number three on the top Christian Albums tally. The album was later re-released, including previously unreleased songs, to find greater success but did not re-chart; its same-titled lead single also failed to chart. As of March 2008, "Do You Know" has sold 78,000 copies in the US.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: After a three-year hiatus, Destiny's Child reunited for "Destiny Fulfilled", released in November 2004. The album hit number two on the "Billboard" 200, and spawned the singles "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl" and "Cater 2 U". In support of the album, Destiny's Child embarked on a 2005 "Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It" world tour, which started in April to September of the same year. On the Barcelona, Spain visit, the group announced their disbandment after their final North American leg would end. In October 2005, the group released a greatest hits compilation album, titled "#1's", including their most successful singles alongside three new tracks, including the band's final single "Stand Up for Love", penned by David Foster. Destiny's Child was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. They were also recognized as the world's best-selling female group of all time.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Following Destiny's Child's disbandment in early 2006, Williams made her television debut in the UPN comedy "Half & Half", where she played the role of Naomi, a record company executive who is HIV positive. Later that year, she appeared as one of the celebrity singers on the FOX reality television show "Celebrity Duets", duetting with actors Alfonso Ribeiro and Jai Rodriguez. In April 2006, Williams performed "America the Beautiful" at World Wrestling Entertainment's event WrestleMania 22, which was in her hometown of Chicago. Beginning in April 2007, Williams joined Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based cast of the hit Broadway musical "The Color Purple" for its national tour, starting with an extended run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Williams described the opportunity as "a dream come true", playing the part of blues singer Shug Avery, which earned her positive reception.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In March 2008, Williams announced the release of her third studio album "Unexpected" on October 7, 2008. A breakaway from the gospel music on her first two solo albums to secular pop/R&B, the album, her first release since the disbanding of Destiny's Child, involves production by Stargate, Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, and Soulshock and Karlin, among others. In June 2008, Williams released lead single "We Break the Dawn" to universal acclaim from critics who hailed it as "a terrific fusion of European disco and American R&B". The song became her most successful single yet, peaking at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, topping the US Hot Dance Airplay chart and reaching the top 50 in the UK and top 40 in Hungary — where it also placed on the 2009 year-end chart. In September 2008, "The Greatest" was issued as the second single release to mainstream radio, while "Hello Heartbreak" was catered to dance clubs. "The Greatest" became Williams' second hit on the "Billboard" dance charts when it peaked at number-one the US Hot Dance Club Songs. Gaining favorable reviews from critics, in October 2008 "Unexpected" debuted on the US "Billboard" 200 albums chart at number 42 and number 11 on the US "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first week sales of 14,618 units. The album also charted internationally, in the UK and Japan.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: On July 13, 2009, Williams began a limited six-week engagement at the Cambridge Theatre in "Chicago", making her the first African-American to be cast in the West End production of the musical. Her run was extended and Williams continued appearing for three additional weeks for an extended engagement starting August 23 through September 12. On January 12, 2010, it was announced that Michelle had parted ways with her manager Mathew Knowles and Music World Entertainment. On February 8, Williams made a return to Broadway by commencing a seven-week limited engagement in "Chicago" at the Ambassador Theatre, replacing Ashlee Simpson. In April, it was announced that Williams would extend her limited engagement in "Chicago".


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In August 2010, it was reported that Williams would be participating on season 8 of the British television dance competition show "Strictly Come Dancing", the originator of the global "Dancing with the Stars" franchise. On the launch show, it was revealed that Williams had been paired with Brendan Cole. They remained in the competition for seven weeks with variable results; on October 23, Ian Waite stood in as her professional partner when Brendan was unable to do so. Williams was eliminated on November 14. In December 2010, Williams joined DJ Martin Jay to become a co-host on Choice FM's "Breakfast Show" in London for the month, replacing Lucy Ambache who was on maternity leave. On December 15, Williams released the song "Stay for a Minute", a leftover from "Unexpected" for free digital download via Twitter to celebrate gaining over 100,000 followers.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In January 2011, Williams appeared on BBC's popular comedy panel game show "Never Mind the Buzzcocks". On February 4, 2011, Williams began a 28-city tour starring in the David E. Talbert stage-play "What My Husband Doesn't Know" along with Brian J. White, Ann Nesby and Clifton Davis, playing the lead role of Lena Summer. On July 6, 2011, Williams released a buzz single titled "Love Gun", to precede the release of her upcoming fourth solo album, on which she had begun work in 2010. In August, Electronic Giant Beatz released a press release, cover art and a music video teaser for a song featuring Williams titled "On the Run". The song was released in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2011. Furthermore, in December, Ultra Naté released a joint collaboration with Williams titled "Waiting on You" which rose to number eleven on the "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Songs chart.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: On June 7, 2012, it was announced that Williams had been signed to Light Records and was due to release her fourth studio album in 2013. On January 3, 2013, it was announced that Williams would play Sandra in the national tour of the Tony-nominated musical "Fela!", beginning January 29 in Washington, D.C. and playing in a total of 16 cities. Destiny's Child released a compilation album titled "Love Songs" on January 29, which featured the newly recorded song "Nuclear", co-written by Williams.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: On February 3, 2013, during Beyoncé's performance at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Rowland and Williams joined Knowles on the stage, where the trio performed excerpts from "Bootylicious", "Independent Women", and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Rowland and Williams then exited the stage and Knowles ended her performance. On February 21, it was announced that Williams would be starring in her own reality television show, titled "My Sister's Keeper" produced by E1 Television, to coincide with the release of her fourth studio album.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In December 2013, Beyoncé released her self-titled fifth studio album in which Williams appeared alongside Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland on the song and music video "Superpower". In 2014, Williams became the spokesperson for a Playtex campaign titled "Play On Playbook". In April, it was announced that Williams would join the 50-city North American arena tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" as Mary Magdalene alongside "Superstar" winner Ben Forster and other recording artists such as Brandon Boyd and JC Chasez. In May 2014, the tour was cancelled before its launch in New Orleans due to poor ticket sales. Furthermore, it was announced that Williams would star as a mentor in an Oxygen reality television competition titled "Fix My Choir", alongside fellow contemporary gospel recording artists Deitrick Haddon and Tye Tribbett.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In June 2013, Williams released the lead single from her inspirational fourth album "Journey to Freedom", titled "If We Had Your Eyes". The single became her first release to appear on the US "Billboard" Adult R&B Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts, peaking at nineteen and twenty-two respectively. Williams reunited with her former Destiny's Child bandmates for the single "Say Yes", which was released a year later and became Williams' first number-one on the US Hot Gospel Songs; additionally charting internationally in the UK, France and Belgium. "Say Yes" spent seven weeks at number one on the Hot Gospel Songs chart and received a nomination for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song at the 2014 Soul Train Music Awards. In September 2014, "Journey to Freedom" debuted at number twenty-nine on the US "Billboard" 200, also reaching number seven on the Independent Albums. It also became aa top 10 success on the UK Christian & Gospel Albums chart where it debuted at number 6. "Journey to Freedom" was nominated for Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary) at the 46th NAACP Image Awards, while "Say Yes" won Music Video of the Year at the 30th Stellar Awards, where Williams received a total of four nominations and reunited with Knowles and Rowland for a live performance of the song.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: On April 14, 2015, Williams sang for president Barack Obama at the White House. The program titled, "The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House" was broadcast on June 26, 2015, on PBS stations and simulcast on TV One. In August 2015, Williams reprised the title role in "Aida", presented at the St. Louis venue. The following month, she premiered her "Believe at Home" bedding collection on the EVINE network. In 2016, Williams sang again for Obama at the White House; alongside Yolanda Adams and Kierra Sheard in the program titled "".


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In April 2018, Williams reunited with Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland during Beyoncé's headlining set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In late 2018, Williams starred alongside her then-fiancé, Chad Johnson in the OWN reality show, "Chad Loves Michelle". Williams also returned to Broadway as Erzulie in the Tony Award-winning revival of "Once On This Island" on November 30, 2018, leaving in December on doctor's orders. On December 7, 2018, Williams released the pop single "Fearless" on Radiance Music Group. On December 21, it was announced by "Deadline Hollywood" that Williams would guest star as Diana Ross in an episode of the BET period drama series "American Soul", which aired in February 2019. In April 2019, the singer was involved in Beyoncé's documentary "Homecoming" and album. Later that year, Williams competed as "Butterfly" in the second season of "The Masked Singer". In December 2019, she came back to the stage starring as the Evil Queen for the 10th anniversary of "A Snow White Christmas" at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Jared Gertner.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In November 2020, Williams announced her memoir, "Checking In: How Getting Real About Depression Saved My Life–and Can Save Yours", which was released in May 2021. The accompanying podcast, "Checking In with Michelle Williams", premiered on streaming services in December 2020, and was nomintated at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast. On October 29, 2021, Williams costarred in Hallmark's holiday themed TV movie, "Christmas in Harmony". In 2022, Williams competed as "Rockhopper" in the third series of the British version of "The Masked Singer". She later competed as "Microphone" in the fourth season of The Masked Singer Australia, making her the first celebrity to compete in three versions of the show. Williams also starred in the Lifetime movie, "Wrath: A Seven Deadly Sins Story", which aired on April 16, 2022.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams can be identified as a soprano. William Ruhlmann of "AllMusic" commented that she has a "warm, kittenish voice" with the ability to "transform" from "kitten to tiger", belting "with absolute conviction". "GospelMusicCity.com" praised her "delicate vocals" and described her "sopralto stylings" as "inimitable", writing that on "Heard a Word" she "demonstrates further versatility in Ella-like fashion". Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" also compared her to other singers writing; "Williams's warm vocal recalls both the playful wisps of her R&B contemporaries (Jill Scott, Erykah Badu) and the breathy timbre of Diana Ross" while Emily Sogn of "PopMatters" wrote "Williams singing style is pleasingly slow paced...that owes a lot to her pop contemporaries like Ashanti and Janet Jackson." Similarly, Mike Rimmer of "Cross Rhythms" described her voice as "soulful" and Caroline Sullivan of "The Guardian" wrote that "Williams's strength is a shimmery jazz lilt".


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams has earned an array of awards and honors as a solo artist and a member of Destiny's Child. These include: one Grammy Award and one MOBO Award. "Billboard" ranked Williams as the fifth Top Gospel Artist of 2002 due to the success of her debut release "Heart to Yours" which was one of the best-selling gospel releases of the year. In 2013, Williams was honored in her hometown of Rockford, Illinois at the 2013 "I Love Gospel Music" honors luncheon, which featured musical tributes, including one by "Sunday Best" winner Amber Bullock.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams reportedly began dating pastor and professional sports chaplain Chad Johnson in July 2017. Williams and Johnson announced their engagement via "People" on April 19, 2018. In September 2018, the couple revealed plans to film a television series, showcasing their relationship as they navigate the road from engagement to marriage. On November 3, 2018, the reality show "Chad Loves Michelle" began airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network. In December 2018, Williams announced that she and Johnson had both called off their engagement.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams has a history of depression, saying that she has "been suffering since the ages of 13 and 15". During her time with Destiny's Child, she says that she told their then manager Mathew Knowles about her feelings, but that he did not really understand. He replied to her concerns by trying to point out the good side of their new-found fame, "You all just signed a multi-millionaire dollar deal, you're about to go on tour, what have you got to be depressed about?" She said that she had difficulty understanding her own feelings until later in life, around her thirties, stating that "I didn't know until I was in my 30s what was going on, I just thought it was growing pains, I just thought I'm turning into a woman." She also felt that Knowles intended no malice, and only had her best interests at heart, "Bless his heart... I think he wanted me to be grateful, which I was, but I was still sad."


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: Williams again felt helpless after she and her fiancé, Chad Johnson, split up in late 2018. She said the breakup left her "shattered and ... fighting suicidal thoughts." She said that she felt "so angry. The rage built up in me. I did not attempt suicide, but I was questioning [life]". Williams suffered a nervous breakdown just after opening day for a Broadway production of "Once on This Island" and was advised to leave the show by her doctor. By April 2020 she had returned to better health, saying that "I am in a better place now. I am not perfect. I'm not preaching ... When people say it gets better, it does. It just takes time. The days do get brighter".


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In November 2020, Williams announced plans to release a memoir "revealing her entire truth including a deeper dive into where her anxiety and depression came from." She stated, "I'm ready to share, I've been a very transparent person and now I'm ready to share the good, bad, and ugly parts of my journey—the concerning part of my journey. ... I really go into the specifics, I really go into the first time I was diagnosed, I go into assessing the first time I had anxiety in a romantic relationship and what it did to that relationship and then subsequently what it did to the next one." Williams said she hoped to "really help heal through my story" and "let people know what I do on a daily, what I do on a monthly–whatever it takes to get people whole and get people where they can maybe start seeing some better results in their own life."


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: The book titled "Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life—and Can Save Yours" was published on May 25, 2021.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In 2001, Williams made a "bountiful" donation of $148,900 to her church, St. Paul Church of God in Christ in Rockford, Illinois – of which she has been a member since birth – to finish construction of the church's school, St. Paul Academy. The church is pastored by her uncle, Bishop James E. Washington.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In 2005, music producer David Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love", which would serve as the anthem of World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program. In this role, Knowles, Rowland and Williams visited Ronald McDonald Houses around the world during their "Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It" World Tour and donated a portion of their North American ticket sales to Ronald McDonald House Charities.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: On September 19, 2006, Williams jump-started the Chicago PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T. – which stands for five simple steps that encourage active living and better food choices – program to promote active, healthy lifestyles by building a new "Smart Spot" playground in Chicago. Williams, along with friend Lance Bass, was on hand to sing to and greet kids at the opening of Camp Heartland, a camp dedicated to helping kids suffering from HIV/AIDS enjoy life and take their mind off their illness. Furthermore, in 2006, the Chicago Sky, a team in the Women's National Basketball Association, announced that Williams, along with Mathew Knowles, is part of a group of minority shareholder owners in the team.


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In 2012, she became an ambassador for the American Heart Association's "Power to End Stroke" campaign. In speaking of her role she said "I am honored to partner with the campaign ... my father had a stroke in 2005 due to smoking, diabetes and an unhealthy diet, and my grandmother was diagnosed with having a stroke in 2006 when she went to her doctor for a simple outpatient procedure. I am bringing awareness to people so that strokes can be prevented. Let's take care of ourselves...the first step is knowledge about your health."


title: Michelle Williams (singer)

text: In 2014, Williams partnered with Hyundai's non-profit organization, Hope on Wheels, "committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer"; which has raised over $74,000,000 for the cause since its inception in 1998.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Matilda Elizabeth Ramsay (born 8 November 2001) is an English television presenter, chef and social media influencer best known for presenting the BBC cooking show "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch" on CBBC alongside her family. Ramsay has made numerous television appearances including "This Morning", "Blue Peter", "MasterChef Junior", "Friday Night Jazz", and "The Late Late Show with James Corden." Her parents are Tana Ramsay, a cook book author, and Gordon Ramsay, a celebrity chef. She resides in both the United Kingdom and the United States with her family and was a contestant on the nineteenth series of "Strictly Come Dancing". Ramsay was also a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef Australia where she reached the final.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Before Ramsay started presenting "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch" on CBBC, she made several appearances on her father's TV shows "MasterChef Junior" and "Hell's Kitchen" from 2010 to 2015.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: In 2015, it was announced that Ramsay would host her own cooking and entertainment show on CBBC. "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch", which is aimed at the younger audience, stars all the members of the Ramsay family as they go on their summer holidays. The first series was aired on 14 April 2015, with the second series airing 6 May 2016 and the third series airing on 5 May 2017. Each series is made up of 15 episodes.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Ramsay grew up in London, but divides her time between South West London and Los Angeles for her father's television career. She has been a keen cook from a young age.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Her sister, Megan Ramsay, ran the London Marathon in 2017 in memory of her baby brother Rocky, after her mother suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy in June 2016.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: It was announced in June 2017 that Ramsay's CBBC show "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch" had been renewed for a fourth series to air in 2018. The fourth series began on 24 April 2018.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: From September 2018, Ramsay, alongside her father, appears on the ITV show "This Morning" in a regular cooking segment titled "Big Chef Little Chef" which will see the Ramsays cook foods and try and help children get into cooking.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Ramsay made an appearance on Season 18 of "Hell's Kitchen" as a special guest in the eighth episode, where the dinner service was centred around her Sweet 16 birthday party.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: Ramsay lends her voice to the All3Media-owned company One Potato Two Potato, originally a joint venture between Optomen and her father, where she says the company name in a singalong style.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: In 2021, Ramsay competed in the nineteenth series of "Strictly Come Dancing" and was partnered with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. On 28 November 2021, she became the ninth celebrity to be eliminated from the competition.


title: Tilly Ramsay

text: In March 2015, Ramsay announced that she had written her first cookery book based on the CBBC show of the same name. The book was released on 4 May 2017.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Steven Quincy Urkel is a fictional character on the American ABC/CBS sitcom "Family Matters", portrayed by Jaleel White. Originally slated to be a one-time-only character on the show, he broke out to be its most popular character and gradually became its protagonist. Due to the Urkel character's off-putting characteristics and the way he would stir up events and underscore the plot or even move it along, he is considered a nuisance by the original protagonist's family, the Winslows, though they come to accept him over time.


title: Steve Urkel

text: The character is the epitome of a geek or nerd of the era, due to traits such as large, thick eyeglasses, flood pants held up by suspenders, multi-colored cardigan sweaters, saddle shoes, and a high-pitched voice. He professes love for his neighbor Laura Winslow, who is a character in the main family of the series, but this love of his is written as an accent on or trigger for events and crises and is therefore unrequited until the end of the series.


title: Steve Urkel

text: From the Urkel character's debut through the rest of the series' run, he is central to many of its running gags, primarily property damage and/or personal injury as a result of his inventions going awry or his outright clumsiness. He becomes known by viewers and characters alike for several catchphrases uttered after some humorous misfortune occurs, including "I've fallen and I can't get up!" "I don't have to take this. I'm going home." "Did I do that?" "Whoa, Mama!" and "Look what you did!" (on occasions when someone else caused the damage, though usually the accident was indirectly caused by Urkel).


title: Steve Urkel

text: In syndication, Steve Urkel first appeared on the 4th episode of the first season, "Rachel's First Date" (as the show staff wanted to more naturally introduce him to audiences upon repeated viewings). In the 12th episode of the first season, "Laura's First Date", he reappears as a nerdy young boy who takes Laura Winslow out on a date. While he is madly in love with her, Laura finds Steve grating and doesn't return his affection. While intended as a minor character, Urkel became very popular for his oddball antics. He soon became a recurring character, and joined the main cast beginning with the season-two premiere "Rachel's Place".


title: Steve Urkel

text: "Family Matters" co-creator Michael Warren named the character after his friend, writer, and director Steve Erkel. Due to the show and the character's tremendous popularity during the early 1990s, Erkel encountered difficulties using his own name; he received many prank phone calls from "Laura" asking for "Steve", and businesses found his name to be suspicious. Warren stated that had he known that the character would reappear for years he would not have named him after his friend.


title: Steve Urkel

text: An archetypal nerd, Steve Urkel is characterized as a kind and well-meaning but bungling meddler. Despite his high intelligence, he is portrayed as something of a nitwit. He is fiercely protective of and obsessed with his unrequited love Laura Winslow, and this admiration extends to the rest of the Winslow family. However, Steve is comically clumsy and inept and his attempts to help the Winslows usually go awry. This puts him at odds with the family patriarch Carl, who routinely throws Urkel out of his house. He has shown to take responsibility for his own mistakes and reimburses the Winslows for the damages he's done. Steve is close to Harriette Winslow, who is delighted each time he comes over, much to Carl's chagrin.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Later episodes suggest that Steve's attachment to the Winslows stems from his bad relationship with his own family. Urkel often hints that most of his relatives, including his (unseen) parents, despise him and refuse to associate with him. This culminates in the two moving to Russia without him, whereupon he moves in with the Winslows. The show has also revealed that Steve has at least four relatives who care about him who are Uncle Ernie who owns a horse trailer; Uncle Cecil who, despite his gambling problems, visits the Urkel home to keep an eye on him; Aunt Oona from Altoona who is like a mother to him; and cousin Myrtle.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Urkel dresses unfashionably for someone his age (he is most commonly seen wearing suspenders, brightly colored shirts, and high water pants) and has a number of hobbies and interests, including polka dancing and accordion playing. His motor vehicle of choice is the small three-wheeled Isetta. Unlike his friends, he has little interest in popular culture and athletic endeavors. This has caused Myra to be attracted to Urkel himself due to them not being interested in pop culture. However, Steve has shown little interest in her mainly due to her stalker behavior.


title: Steve Urkel

text: While he is unpopular with his schoolmates, Urkel is a brilliant student and is on a first-name basis with his teachers. He is a genius inventor as well, and his fantastical but unreliable gadgets (including a transformation device and a time machine) are central to many "Family Matters" plots and gags.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Urkel also has an adept sense of lawbreaking that involves peer pressure. This was explored four times, mainly with Eddie, since he often has to learn his lesson the hard way when he finds himself in situations outside of his control.


title: Steve Urkel

text: During the episode "Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool", in a takeoff on The Nutty Professor films, Urkel devises a plan to win Laura's heart: transforming his DNA using a serum, which suppresses his "nerd genes" and brings out his "cool" genes. This results in the alter ego known as Stefan Urquelle, played by Jaleel White in more casual attire. Initially, Laura is enamored with the smoother Stefan, but asks that he turn back into Steve when Stefan's self-centeredness makes itself apparent.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Steve improves the formula in the season five episode "Stefan Returns" to reduce its negative effects on his personality, and invents a "transformation chamber" allowing him to become Stefan at will. He would change into Stefan several times – even while dating Myra – but some circumstance would force Steve to turn into his normal self again. With his narcissistic tendencies toned down, Laura falls deeply in love with Steve's alter-ego.


title: Steve Urkel

text: In the seventh-season finale "Send in the Clones", Steve creates a cloning machine and winds up creating a perfect duplicate of himself. Myra is initially excited, but eventually realizes that two Steves are just too much. To clear up the situation, Laura proposes that one of the Steves be permanently turned into Stefan, so that she and Myra can both be with the one they love. This Stefan becomes a recurring character and eventually proposes to Laura in the ninth season. After weighing her choices in the episode "Pop Goes the Question", Laura chooses Steve over Stefan. Stefan departs and is not seen again.


title: Steve Urkel

text: In 2010, Westside Middle School in Memphis, Tennessee, outlined its dress code policy on sagging pants, asking students to pull them up or get "Urkeled", a reference to the character. In this practice, teachers would forcibly pull students' pants up and attach them to their waist using zip ties. Students would also have their photo taken and posted on a board in the hallway, for all of their classmates to view. In an interview with NBC affiliate WMC-TV, Principal Bobby White stated that the general idea is to fight pop culture with pop culture. One teacher at the school claimed to have "Urkeled" up to 80 students per week, although after five weeks the number dropped to 18.


title: Steve Urkel

text: In syndication, Steve is incorporated into the teaser scene of "Rachel's First Date"; his first appearance in the original broadcasts is in the 1989 episode "Laura's First Date", in which Carl and Eddie separately set up dates for Laura for a dance or party (both terms are used in the episode), and the first thing known about him is that he allegedly ate a mouse, and he later makes reference to a mouse when speaking to Carl, implying that it might be true. Prior to Steve Urkel's introduction, the show was on the brink of cancellation due to mediocre ratings. After Urkel was introduced, several scripts had to be hastily rewritten to accommodate the character, while several first-season episodes that had been completed had new opening gag sequences filmed featuring Steve trying to push open the Winslows' front door while the family holds it shut. The addition of Steve immediately helped the show boost its modest ratings. White was credited as a guest star in the first season and became a regular member of the cast in season two.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Jo Marie Payton, who played Harriette Winslow, admitted that she felt the Urkel character had hogged much of the show's attention and disrupted the close family relationship she had formed with the rest of the cast. Payton took particular umbrage when youngest sibling Judy Winslow was dismissed as a disposable character and her portrayer, Jaimee Foxworth, was fired to make room for more Urkel stories, because she felt particularly close to Foxworth as the baby of the cast. Payton experienced increasing burnout over the course of the show, became increasingly upset over the production staff allowing White free rein to misbehave, and felt that the overbearing focus on Urkel had made the show jump the shark; she very nearly quit when the show moved to CBS but agreed to stay for the first several episodes while a new actress, Judyann Elder, was cast as Harriet. In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight", Payton recalled an instance where White insisted upon inserting something that would have violated Broadcast Standards and Practices, to the point where he and Payton nearly came to physical blows with each other. White is one of the few living members of the cast with whom Payton no longer speaks regularly. She nevertheless speaks well of her experiences and appreciates the effect that Urkel had on the show's popularity and thus the residuals everyone receives from the show. Reginald VelJohnson, in a 2022 interview with "Entertainment Tonight", acknowledged that White could be difficult to work with on set but attributed the difficulties to White's young age and being surrounded by other teenagers, which VelJohnson (who himself never had children) found overwhelming. On the whole, VelJohnson had "nothing but good memories" of working with White.


title: Steve Urkel

text: The Urkel Dance was a novelty dance that originated in the season two episode, "Life of the Party". It was based around the character of Steve Urkel and essentially incorporated movements that made the dancer's posture more like his.


title: Steve Urkel

text: The dance was popular enough to appear on another show, "Step by Step", when the Steve Urkel character appeared in a crossover in the season one episode, "The Dance".


title: Steve Urkel

text: Jaleel White also performed the song, in character as Steve Urkel, on the 5th Annual American Comedy Awards. Bea Arthur (from "Maude" & "The Golden Girls") joined him on stage to "Do The Urkel", after which she said, "Hey, MC Hammer, try and touch that!"


title: Steve Urkel

text: A promotional cassette single of the song that accompanies the dance was produced and distributed in limited numbers. A T-shirt was also produced featuring lyrics and Urkel's likeness.


title: Steve Urkel

text: Rick Sanchez pays some form of homage to The Urkel Dance with "The Rick Dance" in the "Rick and Morty" episode "Ricksy Business".


title: Steve Urkel

text: At the height of his popularity, Urkel's name was branded to several products including a short-lived fruit flavored cereal known as Urkel-Os and a Steve Urkel pull string doll, which were both released in 1991. There was also a T-shirt line that was created in 2002, but was discontinued shortly after its inception. In 2021 White launched his own cannabis brand that featured a strain called "Purple Urkle", and reprised his role in live action for the first time since 1998 in a commercial with Snoop Dogg.


title: Steve Urkel

text: In 1999, "TV Guide" ranked Urkel #27 on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time". In 2004, he was listed at #98 in Bravo's "100 Greatest TV Characters".


title: Child

text: A child (: children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority. Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are classed as unable to make serious decisions.


title: Child

text: "Child" may also describe a relationship with a parent (such as sons and daughters of any age) or, metaphorically, an authority figure, or signify group membership in a clan, tribe, or religion; it can also signify being strongly affected by a specific time, place, or circumstance, as in "a child of nature" or "a child of the Sixties."


title: Child

text: In the biological sciences, a child is usually defined as a person between birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. Legally, the term "child" may refer to anyone below the age of majority or some other age limit.


title: Child

text: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines "child" as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries. The term "child" may also refer to someone below another legally defined age limit unconnected to the age of majority. In Singapore, for example, a "child" is legally defined as someone under the age of 14 under the "Children and Young Persons Act" whereas the age of majority is 21. In U.S. Immigration Law, a child refers to anyone who is under the age of 21.


title: Child

text: Some English definitions of the word "child" include the fetus (sometimes termed "the unborn"). In many cultures, a child is considered an adult after undergoing a rite of passage, which may or may not correspond to the time of puberty. Judaism holds one of the youngest ages for this milestone, with the historical age of the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremony being 13 for boys and 12 for girls respectively.


title: Child

text: Children generally have fewer rights than adults and are classed as unable to make serious decisions, and legally must always be under the care of a responsible adult or child custody, whether their parents divorce or not.


title: Child

text: Early childhood follows the infancy stage and begins with toddlerhood when the child begins speaking or taking steps independently. While toddlerhood ends around age 3 when the child becomes less dependent on parental assistance for basic needs, early childhood continues approximately until the age of 6 or 7. However, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, early childhood also includes infancy. At this stage children are learning through observing, experimenting and communicating with others. Adults supervise and support the development process of the child, which then will lead to the child's autonomy. Also during this stage, a strong emotional bond is created between the child and the care providers. The children also start preschool and kindergarten at this age: and hence their social lives.


title: Child

text: Middle childhood begins at around age 6, approximating primary school age. It ends at around age 9 or 10. In this period, children develop socially and mentally. They are at a stage where they make new friends and gain new skills, which will enable them to become more independent and enhance their individuality.


title: Child

text: During middle childhood, children enter the school years, where they are presented with a different setting than they are used to. This new setting creates new challenges and faces for children. Upon the entrance of school, mental disorders that would normally not be noticed come to light. Many of these disorders include: autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Special education, least restrictive environment, response to intervention and individualized education plans are all specialized plans to help children with disabilities.


title: Child

text: Middle childhood is the time when children begin to understand responsibility and are beginning to be shaped by their peers and parents. Chores and more responsible decisions come at this time, and so does social comparison. Along with social comparison comes social play. With social play comes learning and teaching. During social play, children learn from and teach each other, often through observation.


title: Child

text: Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and preceding adolescence. Preadolescence is commonly defined as ages 9–12, ending with the major onset of puberty, with markers such as menarche, spermarche, and the peak of height velocity occurring. These changes usually occur between ages 11-14. It may also be defined as the 2-year period before the major onset of puberty. Preadolescence can bring its own challenges and anxieties. Preadolescent children have a different view of the world from younger children in many significant ways. Typically, theirs is a more realistic view of life than the intense, fantasy-oriented world of earliest childhood. Preadolescents have more mature, sensible, realistic thoughts and actions: 'the most "sensible" stage of development...the child is a much "less emotional being" now.' Preadolescents may well view human relationships differently (e.g. they may notice the flawed, human side of authority figures). Alongside that, they may begin to develop a sense of self-identity, and to have increased feelings of independence: 'may feel an individual, no longer "just one of the family."'