title: Omega SA

text: In the 2008 movie "Quantum of Solace", Craig wears the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean with a black face and steel bracelet (42mm version). Another limited edition was released featuring the checkered "PPK grip" face with the "Quantum of Solace" logo. The third limited edition release from Omega came in 2012, based on the Planet Ocean Ref: 232.30.42.21.01.004. It featured a textured dial with the 007 logo at the 7 o'clock position and a 007 decorated rotor visible through the case-back.


title: Omega SA

text: In 2015 two commemorative models were produced for the 24th Bond film, "Spectre": the Omega Seamaster 300m master co-axial Ref: 233.32.41.21.01.001. 7007 units were produced and came with a NATO strap, as well as the standard bracelet. The watch featured a bi-directional bezel with a world timing scale, rather than the diving scale present on the standard 300m. The second timepiece, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m master co-axial Ref: 231.10.42.21.03.004, was decorated with a textured dial based on the Bond family coat of arms and a rotor resembling a bullet and gun barrel with "James Bond" inscribed.


title: Omega SA

text: Omega has frequently been the official timekeeper for the Olympics, beginning with the 1932 Summer Olympics. It was the official timekeeper for the 2006 Winter Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, and 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2008, Omega released an Olympic edition watch with the Olympics logo on the second hand. Olympic swimmer and multiple gold medalist Michael Phelps is an Omega Ambassador and wears the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. In 2014 Omega became the official timekeeper of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The brand was a Worldwide Olympic Partner at the 2016 Summer Olympics. After the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed due to COVID-19, the Tokyo Station's Olympic countdown clock, made by Omega, which was displaying the number of days until the Games, and a local tourist attraction, was halted and switched to show the current date and time. This partnership will continue at least until 2032.


title: Omega SA

text: Omega constructed and maintained a monochrome video scoreboard for Milwaukee's County Stadium, the former home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers, which was in use from the board's construction in 1980 until the stadium's closure in 2000.


title: Omega SA

text: Providing support to Emirates Team New Zealand and representing the team's official watch, in 2007 Omega introduced the Seamaster NZL-32 chronograph, named after the boat that won America's Cup in 1995. The watch was developed in cooperation with Dean Barker, skipper of Team New Zealand and Omega Ambassador.


title: Omega SA

text: On July 1, 2011, Omega became official timekeeper of PGA of America and signed a five-year agreement through 2016. The brand also sponsors the Dubai Desert Classic and the Omega European Masters.


title: Omega SA

text: In December 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released a report assigning environmental ratings to 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in Switzerland. Omega was given the lowest environmental rating as "Latecomers/Non-transparent", suggesting the manufacturer has taken few actions addressing the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment and climate change.


title: Omega SA

text: Omega faced activist pressure to withdraw from being the official timekeepers of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after numerous governments adopted diplomatic boycotts. After the International Olympic Committee selected Beijing to host the Olympics, numerous governments enacted diplomatic boycotts over human rights violations (in particular China's repression of Uyghurs and other minorities which some countries have designated as a genocide). Omega defended its continued role as official time keeper of the Olympics by stating its policy to "not to get involved in certain political issues because it would not advance the cause of sport in which our commitment lies." Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932 including the controversial 1936 and 1980 Olympics, which also saw widespread boycotts over human rights concerns.


title: Bindusara

text: Bindusara (), also Amitraghāta or Amitrakhāda (Sanskrit: अमित्रघात, "slayer of enemies" or "devourer of enemies") or Amitrochates (Greek: Ἀμιτροχάτης) (Strabo calls him Allitrochades (Ἀλλιτροχάδης)) was the second Mauryan emperor of India. He was the son of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta and the father of its most famous ruler Ashoka. Bindusara's life is not documented as well as the lives of these two emperors: much of the information about him comes from legendary accounts written several hundred years after his death.


title: Bindusara

text: Bindusara consolidated the empire created by his father. The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha credits his administration with extensive territorial conquests in southern India, but some historians doubt the historical authenticity of this claim.


title: Bindusara

text: Ancient and medieval sources have not documented Bindusara's life in detail. Much of the information about him comes from Jain legends focused on Chandragupta and the Buddhist legends focused on Ashoka. The Jain legends, such as Hemachandra's "Parishishta-Parvan" were written more than a thousand years after his death. Most of the Buddhist legends about Ashoka's early life also appear to have been composed by Buddhist writers who lived several hundred years after Ashoka's death, and are of little historical value. While these legends can be used to make several inferences about Bindusara's reign, they are not entirely reliable because of the close association between Ashoka and Buddhism.


title: Bindusara

text: Buddhist sources that provide information about Bindusara include "Divyavadana" (including "Ashokavadana" and "Pamsupradanavadana"), "Dipavamsa", "Mahavamsa", "Vamsatthappakasini" (also known as "Mahvamsa Tika" or "Mahavamsa commentary"), "Samantapasadika", and the 16th century writings of Taranatha. The Jain sources include the 12th century "Parishishta-Parvan" by Hemachandra and the 19th century "Rajavali-Katha" by Devachandra. The Hindu Puranas also mention Bindusara in their genealogies of Mauryan rulers. Some Greek sources also mention him by the name "Amitrochates" or its variations.


title: Bindusara

text: Bindusara was born to Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan Empire. This is attested by several sources, including the various Puranas and the "Mahavamsa". The "Dipavamsa", on the other hand, names Bindusara as the son of the king Shushunaga. The prose version of "Ashokavadana" states that Bindusara was the son of Nanda and a 10th-generation descendant of Bimbisara. Like "Dipavamsa", it omits Chandragupta's name altogether. The metrical version of "Ashokavadana" contains a similar genealogy with some variations.


title: Bindusara

text: Chandragupta had a marriage alliance with the Seleucids, which has led to speculation that Bindusara's mother might have been Greek or Macedonian. However, there is no evidence of this. According to the 12th century Jain writer Hemachandra's "Parishishta-Parvan", the name of Bindusara's mother was Durdhara.


title: Bindusara

text: The name "Bindusara", with slight variations, is attested by the Buddhist texts such as "Dipavamsa" and "Mahavamsa" ("Bindusaro"); the Jain texts such as "Parishishta-Parvan"; as well as the Hindu texts such as "Vishnu Purana" ("Vindusara"). Other Puranas give different names for Chandragupta's successor; these appear to be clerical errors. For example, the various recensions of "Bhagavata Purana" mention him as Varisara or Varikara. The different versions of "Vayu Purana" call him Bhadrasara or Nandasara.


title: Bindusara

text: The "Mahabhashya" names Chandragupta's successor as "Amitra-ghata" (Sanskrit for "slayer of enemies"). The Greek writers Strabo and Athenaeus call him Allitrochades and Amitrochates respectively; these names are probably derived from the Sanskrit title. In addition, Bindusara was given the title "Devanampriya" ("The Beloved of the Gods"), which was also applied to his successor Ashoka. The Jain work "Rajavali-Katha" states that his birth name was Simhasena.


title: Bindusara

text: Both Buddhist and Jain texts mention a legend about how Bindusara got his name. Both accounts state that Chandragupta's minister Chanakya used to mix small doses of poison in the emperor's food to build his immunity against possible poisoning attempts. One day, Chandragupta, not knowing about the poison, shared his food with his pregnant wife. According to the Buddhist legends ("Mahavamsa" and "Mahavamsa Tikka"), the queen was seven days away from delivery at this time. Chanakya arrived just as the queen ate the poisoned morsel. Realizing that she was going to die, he decided to save the unborn child. He cut off the queen's head and cut open her belly with a sword to take out the foetus. Over the next seven days, he placed the foetus in the belly of a goat freshly killed each day. After seven days, Chandragupta's son was "born". He was named Bindusara, because his body was spotted with drops (""bindu"") of goat's blood. The Jain text "Parishishta-Parvan" names the queen as Durdhara, and states that Chanakya entered the room the very moment she collapsed. To save the child, he cut open the dead queen's womb and took the baby out. By this time, a drop (""bindu"") of poison had already reached the baby and touched its head. Therefore, Chanakya named him Bindusara, meaning "the strength of the drop".


title: Bindusara

text: The prose version of "Ashokavadana" names three sons of Bindusara: Sushima, Ashoka and Vigatashoka. The mother of Ashoka and Vigatashoka was a woman named Subhadrangi, the daughter of a Brahmin of the Champa city. When she was born, an astrologer named Pingalwatsa predicted that one of her sons would be a king, and the other a religious man. When she grew up, her father took her to Bindusara's palace in Pataliputra. Bindusara's wives, jealous of her beauty, trained her as the royal barber. Once, when the Emperor was pleased with her hairdressing skills, she expressed her desire to be a queen. Bindusara was initially apprehensive about her low class, but made her the chief queen after learning about her Brahmin descent. The couple had two sons: Ashoka and Vigatashoka. Bindusara did not like Ashoka because his "limbs were hard to the touch".


title: Bindusara

text: Another legend in "Divyavadana" names Ashoka's mother as Janapadakalyani. According to the "Vamsatthappakasini" ("Mahavamsa Tika"), the name of Ashoka's mother was Dhamma. The "Mahavamsa" states that Bindusara had 101 sons from 16 women. The eldest of these was Sumana, and the youngest was Tishya (or Tissa). Ashoka and Tishya were born to the same mother.


title: Bindusara

text: The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha states that Chanakya, one of Bindusara's "great lords", destroyed the nobles and kings of 16 towns and made him master of all the territory between the western and the eastern seas (Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal). According to some historians, this implies conquest of Deccan by Bindusara, while others believe that this only refers to suppression of revolts.


title: Bindusara

text: Sailendra Nath Sen notes that the Mauryan empire already extended from the western sea (beside Saurashtra) to the eastern sea (beside Bengal) during Chandragupta's reign. Besides, Ashoka's inscriptions found in southern India do not mention anything about Bindusara's conquest of Deccan (southern India). Based on this, Sen concludes that Bindusara did not extend the Mauryan empire, but managed to retain the territories he inherited from Chandragupta.


title: Bindusara

text: K. Krishna Reddy, on the other hand, argues that Ashoka's inscriptions would have boasted about his conquest of southern India, had he captured Deccan. Reddy, therefore, believes that the Mauryan empire extended up to Mysore during Bindusara's reign. According to him, the southernmost kingdoms were not a part of the Mauryan empire, but probably acknowledged its suzerainty.


title: Bindusara

text: Alain Daniélou believes that Bindusara inherited an empire that included the Deccan region, and made no territorial additions to the empire. Daniélou, however, believes that Bindusara brought the southern territories of the Cheras, the Cholas and the Satyaputras under nominal Mauryan control, although he could not overcome their armies. His theory is based on the fact that the ancient Tamil literature alludes to "Vamba Moriyar" (Mauryan conquest), although it does not provide any details about the Mauryan expeditions. According to Daniélou, Bindusara's main achievement was organization and consolidation of the empire he inherited from Chandragupta.


title: Bindusara

text: The "Mahavamsa" suggests that Bindusara appointed his son Ashoka as the viceroy of Ujjayini. "Ashokavadana" states that Bindusara sent Ashoka to lay siege to Takshashila. The Emperor refused to provide any weapons or chariots for Ashoka's expedition. The devatas (deities) then miraculously brought him soldiers and weapons. When his army reached Takshashila, the residents of the city approached him. They told him that they only opposed Bindusara's oppressive ministers; they had no problem with the Emperor or the prince. Ashoka then entered the city without opposition, and the devatas declared that he would rule the entire earth one day. Shortly before Bindusara's death, there was a second revolt in Takshashila. This time, Sushima was sent to quell the rebellion, but he failed in the task.


title: Bindusara

text: The "Rajavali-Katha" states that Chandragupta's chief advisor (or chief minister) Chanakya accompanied him to the forest for retirement, after handing over the administration to Bindusara. However, the "Parishishta-Parvan" states that Chanakya continued to be Bindusara's prime minister. It mentions a legend about Chanakya's death: Chanakya asked the emperor to appoint a man named Subandhu as one of his ministers. However, Subandhu wanted to become a higher minister and grew jealous of Chanakya. So, he told Bindusara that Chanakya had cut open the belly of his mother. After confirming the story with the nurses, Bindusara started hating Chanakya. As a result, Chanakya, who was already a very old man by this time, retired and decided to starve himself to death. Meanwhile, Bindusara learned of the detailed circumstances of his birth, and implored Chanakya to resume his ministerial duties. When Chanakya refused to oblige, the Emperor ordered Subandhu to pacify him. Subandhu, while pretending to appease Chanakya, burned him to death. Shortly after this, Subandhu himself had to retire and become a monk due to Chanakya's curse.


title: Bindusara

text: "Ashokavadana" suggests that Bindusara had 500 royal councillors. It names two officials – Khallataka and Radhagupta – who helped his son Ashoka became the emperor after his death.


title: Bindusara

text: Bindusara maintained friendly diplomatic relations with the Greeks. Deimachos of Plateia was the ambassador of Seleucid emperor Antiochus I at Bindusara's court. Deimachos seems to have written a treatise entitled "On Piety" ("Peri Eusebeias"). The 3rd century Greek writer Athenaeus, in his "Deipnosophistae", mentions an incident that he learned from Hegesander's writings: Bindusara requested Antiochus to send him sweet wine, dried figs and a sophist. Antiochus replied that he would send the wine and the figs, but the Greek laws forbade him to sell a sophist. Bindusara's request for a sophist probably reflects his intention to learn about the Greek philosophy.


title: Bindusara

text: Diodorus states that the king of Palibothra (Pataliputra, the Mauryan capital) welcomed a Greek author, Iambulus. This king is usually identified as Bindusara. Pliny states that the Egyptian king Philadelphus sent an envoy named Dionysius to India. According to Sailendra Nath Sen, this appears to have happened during Bindusara's reign.


title: Bindusara

text: The Buddhist texts "Samantapasadika" and "Mahavamsa" suggest that Bindusara followed Brahmanism, calling him a ""Brahmana bhatto"" ("votary of the Brahmanas"). Jain sources are silent on Bindusara's faith. A fragmentary inscription at Sanchi, in the ruins of the 3rd century BCE , perhaps refers to Bindusara, which might suggest his connection with the Buddhist order at Sanchi.


title: Bindusara

text: Some Buddhist texts mention that an Ajivika astrologer or priest at Bindusara's court prophesied the future greatness of the prince Ashoka. The "Pamsupradanavadana" (part of "Divyavadana") names this man as Pingalavatsa. The "Vamsatthappakasini" (the "Mahavamsa" commentary) names this man as Janasana, based on a commentary on "Majjhima Nikaya".


title: Bindusara

text: The "Divyavadana" version states that Pingalavatsa was an Ajivika "parivrajaka" (wandering teacher). Bindusara asked him to assess the ability of the princes to be the next emperor, as the two watched the princes play. Pingalavatsa recognized Ashoka as the most suitable prince, but did not give a definitive answer to the Emperor, since Ashoka was not Bindusara's favourite son. He, however, told Queen Subhadrangi of Ashoka's future greatness. The Queen requested him to leave the kingdom before the Emperor forced him to provide an answer. Pingalavatsa returned to the court after Bindusara's death.


title: Bindusara

text: The "Mahavamsa" commentary states that Janasana (also Jarasona or Jarasana) was the Queen's "kulupaga" (ascetic of the royal household). He had been born as a python during the period of Kassapa Buddha, and had become very wise after listening to the discussions of the bhikkhus. Based on his observations of the Queen's pregnancy, he prophesied Ashoka's future greatness. He appears to have left the court for unknown reasons. When Ashoka grew up, the Queen told him that Janasana had forecast his greatness. Ashoka then sent a carriage to bring back Janasana, who was residing at an unnamed place far from the capital, Pataliputra. On the way back to Pataliputra, he was converted to Buddhism by one Assagutta.


title: Bindusara

text: Based on these legends, scholars such as A. L. Basham conclude that Bindusara patronized the Ajivikas.


title: Bindusara

text: Historical evidence suggests that Bindusara died in the 270s BCE. According to Upinder Singh, Bindusara died around 273 BCE. Alain Daniélou believes that he died around 274 BCE. Sailendra Nath Sen believes that he died around 273-272 BCE, and that his death was followed by a four-year struggle of succession, after which his son Ashoka became the emperor in 269-268 BCE.


title: Bindusara

text: According to the "Mahavamsa", Bindusara reigned for 28 years, while according to the Puranas, he ruled for 25 years. The Buddhist text "Manjushri-Mula-Kalpa" claims that he ruled for 70 years, which is not historically accurate.


title: Bindusara

text: All sources agree that Bindusara was succeeded by his son Ashoka, although they provide varying descriptions of the circumstances of this succession. According to the "Mahavamsa", Ashoka had been appointed as the viceroy of Ujjain. On hearing about his father's fatal illness, he rushed to the capital, Pataliputra. There, he killed his 99 brothers (leaving only Tishya), and became the new emperor.


title: Bindusara

text: According to the prose version of "Ashokavadana", Bindusara's favourite son Sushima once playfully threw his gauntlet at the prime minister, Khallataka. The minister thought that Sushima was unworthy of being an emperor. Therefore, he approached the 500 royal councillors, and suggested appointing Ashoka as the emperor after Bindusara's death, pointing out that the devatas had predicted his rise as the universal ruler. Sometime later, Bindusara fell sick and decided to hand over the administration to his successor. He asked his ministers to appoint Sushima as the emperor, and Ashoka as the governor of Takshashila. However, by this time, Sushima had been sent to Takshashila, where he was unsuccessfully trying to quell a rebellion. When the Emperor was on his deathbed, the ministers suggested appointing Ashoka as the temporary emperor, and re-appointing Sushima as the emperor after his return from Takshashila. However, Bindusara became angry when he heard this suggestion. Ashoka then declared that if he was meant to be Bindusara's successor, the devatas would appoint him as the emperor. The devatas then miraculously placed the royal crown on his head, while Bindusara died. When Sushima heard this news, he advanced towards Pataliputra to claim the throne. However, he died after being tricked into a pit of burning charcoal by Ashoka's well-wisher Radhagupta.


title: Level 42

text: Level 42 are an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s.


title: Level 42

text: Their highest-charting single in the UK was "Lessons in Love", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and number 12 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, upon its release in 1986. An earlier single, "Something About You", was their most successful chart-wise in the United States, reaching number 7 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart.


title: Level 42

text: After much success as a live and studio band in the 1980s, Level 42's commercial profile diminished during the early 1990s following a series of personnel changes and musical shifts. Disbanding in 1994, the band reformed in 2001.


title: Level 42

text: Mark King and the Gould brothers (Phil and Rowland, the latter generally known by his nickname Boon) were all brought up on the Isle of Wight and played together in various bands during their teenage years. Phil Gould went on to study at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he met keyboard player Mike Lindup in a percussion course. Both musicians found that they had the same feelings about musical heroes: Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett and Jan Hammer.


title: Level 42

text: By 1979, Phil Gould and Mark King were both based in London and became involved in Robin Scott's pop project M. While working with M, they became acquainted with Afro-French keyboard player Wally Badarou, who played synthesizer on M's US number one single "Pop Muzik". In late 1979, Phil Gould introduced Mark King and Mike Lindup to each other, and all of them began playing together in loose rehearsal sessions, developing their own jazz-funk fusion style. The developing band's original guitarist was Dominic Miller (later to find fame playing with Sting), but he was replaced by Boon Gould on the latter's return from working in the United States.


title: Level 42

text: Initially, instrumental roles were flexible, with Boon Gould also playing bass guitar and saxophone and Lindup doubling on keyboards and drums. Mark King was primarily a drummer (although he also played guitar) but had recently sold his drum kit to pay for transport back to the UK after an ill-fated European venture. With Phil Gould and Boon Gould established (respectively) as the most accomplished drummer and guitarist in the quartet, King opted to learn bass guitar instead. At the time, King was working in a London music store. A notably flexible musician and quick learner, he had observed visiting American funk players demonstrating the thumb-slap bass guitar technique and developed his own take on the style in a matter of weeks.


title: Level 42

text: The developing band (at this point, entirely an instrumental act) took the name Level 42 and settled on a working line-up of King (bass guitar, percussion), Lindup (keyboards, percussion), Boon Gould (guitar, saxophone) and Phil Gould (drums). The name of the band is a reference to the novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, in which "42" is the answer to "the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything." Having maintained their links with Wally Badarou, Phil Gould and Mark King invited him to work with Level 42. Although he never formally joined the band, Badarou would become a fifth member in all but name: co-writing songs, playing keyboards and synthesizers in the studio and co-producing the records.


title: Level 42

text: After they were seen jamming together, Level 42 were invited to sign to Elite Records (a small independent label) in 1980. They were also encouraged to branch out into vocal music. Having considered recruiting a singer, the band eventually settled on giving King and Lindup the vocal role. The two men developed a complementary style, with Lindup's falsetto frequently used for harmonies and choruses while King's deep tenor led the verses (although Lindup would also sing entire songs on his own). Lyrics were generally written by the Gould brothers while King, Badarou and Lindup concentrated on Level 42's music.


title: Level 42

text: The Elite Records single "Love Meeting Love" brought the band to the attention of Polydor Records, with whom they signed their second recording contract. In 1981, they released their first Polydor single, "Love Games", which became a Top 40 hit. They then cut their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which was an immediate success throughout Europe.


title: Level 42

text: The band quickly established themselves as concert favourites on the budding British and European jazz-funk scene, taking advantage of the musical expertise and performance skills of all four members. Polydor capitalised on the band's success by releasing a second album, "The Early Tapes" later in the same year. This was a compilation of material from the Elite Records period (and is also known by an alternate name, "Strategy").


title: Level 42

text: In 1982, Level 42 released their third album "The Pursuit of Accidents". This was a further development of the Level 42 formula, maintaining their instrumental jazz-funk skills and styling but also experimenting further with pop songs. Both of the singles from the album — "Weave Your Spell" and "The Chinese Way" — charted. The latter, in particular, rose high in the charts and gained the band a much wider audience than before.


title: Level 42

text: A fourth album, "Standing in the Light", was released in 1983. Produced by Larry Dunn and Verdine White (of Earth, Wind & Fire), this album began a new era for the band, being less experimental and less jazzy than previous releases. It provided them with their first UK Top Ten hit, "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)". Notably, the album featured no instrumental tracks, with the band now focusing heavily on songs. (The band would not release another instrumental on an album until 1988's "Staring at the Sun").


title: Level 42

text: The 1984 album "True Colours" continued the band's development away from primarily jazz-funk based music, switching between funk, power pop, mid-tempo rock and moody ballads. It yielded the singles "The Chant Has Begun" and "Hot Water". The latter was a Top 20 hit in Britain and a Top 5 hit in the Netherlands where the band became popular (the song reached also No. 7 in Belgium). During the same year, Mark King released his first solo album "Influences" on which he played the majority of the instruments (with a guest appearance by Aswad's Drummie Zeb, and with Lindup guesting on additional keyboards).


title: Level 42

text: Level 42 became known for their power as a live band (as showcased on the 1985 double live album "A Physical Presence"). For live gigs the band added saxophonist Krys Mach, who toured with the group from 1984 to 1988 and contributed to some album recordings.


title: Level 42

text: By this time, the band were well established in their mainstream pop/rock sound, as evidenced on their next studio album, "World Machine", released later in 1985. King's dextrous bass playing and Lindup and Badarou's chugging keyboards acted as templates for pop songs such as "Something About You" and "Leaving Me Now", which were both UK Top 20 hits (Top 40 hits in the Netherlands).


title: Level 42

text: Significantly, "Something About You" was also their first (and only) US Top 10 the following year; also reaching the Top 5 in Canada and the Top 20 in Italy and New Zealand. "Leaving Me Now" was the second hit from this album, peaking at No. 15 in the United Kingdom but proving less successful in Europe. Elements of Level 42's roots could still be found in the funky "Coup d'État" and "Dream Crazy" on the UK version of the album, as well as a long instrumental track named "Hell," which was also recorded during the "World Machine" sessions (This last track did not see the light of day until the early 2000s as an MP3 download on the original Napster).


title: Level 42

text: "World Machine" gained positive reviews from critics, with AllMusic journalist William Cooper, in a retrospective review, describing it as "one of the finest pop albums of the mid-'80s." During the recording of the album, the first major tensions between Phil Gould and Mark King began to surface over musical direction, production and their personal relationship. This clashing led to Gould leaving the band for a week. Allan Holdsworth's drummer Gary Husband was lined up as a potential replacement, but Gould and King's dispute was subsequently patched up and the group went on to enjoy their most successful year to date.


title: Level 42

text: Released in early 1986 (and initially recorded to keep up the band's European chart momentum while the band was busy touring the United States), "Lessons in Love" was an international hit and became Level 42's biggest selling single. It gave the band their first number one in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and South Africa, increasing the band's popularity considerably. It also placed at No. 2 in Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, No. 3 in the UK and in Ireland, No. 4 in Austria, No. 10 in Norway, No. 12 in the US in 1987, No. 18 in New Zealand and No. 22 in France).


title: Level 42

text: "Lessons in Love" became the lead single on 1987's "Running in the Family" album, recorded to capitalise on the impact. With the band now at the peak of their success, the album added further gloss to Level 42's polished pop sound (despite adding to Phil Gould's disquiet). Further singles from the album continued and built on the band's existing profile: "To Be With You Again" (No. 6 in the Netherlands and in Ireland), the ballad "It's Over" (No. 3 in Ireland and No. 7 in the Netherlands) and "Running In The Family"s title track (No. 1 in Denmark, No. 3 in the Netherlands, No. 4 in Ireland, No. 5 in Switzerland, No. 7 in Norway and No. 9 in New Zealand). The album itself was a major international success, reaching the Top 10 in numerous countries.


title: Level 42

text: By now a leading British pop band, Level 42 played at the Prince's Trust concert in June 1987, with Eric Clapton standing in on lead guitar for a performance of "Running in the Family". King and Lindup also performed with artists including Ben E. King on "Stand By Me" and George Harrison and Ringo Starr on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".


title: Level 42

text: Despite the success, Level 42 were on the brink of splitting up. Although Phil Gould was the most visibly dissatisfied member, it was Boon Gould who was the first to leave, departing in late 1987, following a support slot on a Madonna tour. The quietest member of the band, Boon surprised both King and Lindup with his sudden departure. However, he had been suffering from nervous exhaustion and also wanted to leave the lifestyle of a constantly touring musician in order to settle down and spend more time with his wife and children. Boon's relationship with the band remained amicable and, although he would not return to Level 42 as a performing or recording member, he continued to write lyrics for the band following his departure. He was temporarily replaced by Paul Gendler (an experienced session player who had previously been the guitarist for Modern Romance) for a six-week headlining tour and for further support slots with Tina Turner.


title: Level 42

text: In December 1987, midway through the tour, Phil Gould left Level 42 permanently. Like his brother, he was suffering from exhaustion, but his relationship with King had broken down once again and they now found it difficult to work together. Phil was also reportedly dissatisfied with the band's direction in terms of their newer "pop" sound, and King and Lindup failed to convince him to stay. To complete the tour dates, the band hired Prefab Sprout drummer Neil Conti to fill in.


title: Level 42

text: Following the tour, Level 42 recruited Gary Husband as the band's new full-time drummer. He in turn recommended Steve Topping as a replacement guitarist. However, Topping and King's personalities clashed and Topping eventually left the band in early 1988 after initial writing and rehearsing sessions in Dublin. Most of the next Level 42 album, "Staring at the Sun", was recorded without a permanent guitarist. Rhythm guitar on the studio recordings was handled either by the band's old friend Dominic Miller or by an uncredited Mark King. In April 1988, towards the end of the sessions, the band recruited lead guitarist Alan Murphy (a session guitarist who had worked extensively with Kate Bush and had also been a member of Go West).


title: Level 42

text: "Staring at the Sun" was released in 1988, reaching number 2 in the UK and the top ten in several European charts. It included the hit-single "Heaven in My Hands" (number 12 in the UK and also top twenty in the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland). Boon Gould had co-written many of the tracks with King, Lindup and Badarou, while Gary Husband was credited with his first co-write with King on "Tracie" (a tribute to King's childhood sweetheart). To promote the album, Level 42 embarked on a four-month European tour, culminating in six sell-out nights at Wembley Arena. These latter dates were recorded for what would become the band's second live album, "Live At Wembley" (eventually released in 1996).


title: Level 42

text: Although the band seemed to have maintained their momentum and recovered well from the split of the original lineup, they were about to be hit by a serious tragedy. Unknown to the rest of Level 42, guitarist Alan Murphy was suffering from AIDS, something which he himself may have been aware of before joining the band. At the time, his previous band Go West had been stalled by internal disagreements, and one of Murphy's reasons for joining Level 42 was to ensure that he spent his last days playing the music that he loved. During 1989, Murphy contracted pneumonia: weakened by his existing condition, his decline was rapid and he died on 19 October 1989.


title: Level 42

text: Devastated, Level 42 took a year off to regroup and rethink. To cover the gap and to fulfil the band's contract with Polydor Records, "Level Best" (a greatest hits compilation) was released at the end of 1989; also marking a decade since the band's beginnings. During the break, Mike Lindup also recorded and released his debut solo album, "Changes" (featuring Dominic Miller, Pino Palladino on bass and Manu Katché on drums).


title: Level 42

text: The band signed a new contract with RCA Records in 1990, for whom they produced their next album, "Guaranteed". Although most of the rhythm guitar work was once again handled by Dominic Miller, Gary Husband asked Allan Holdsworth to provide some guitar work (notably on "A Kinder Eye"). As well as drumming, Husband also played keyboards and increased his songwriting role, co-writing many tracks with King, Lindup and Badarou. The album features the only track entirely written by Husband – "If You Were Mine" – which also featured on the "Guaranteed" single release. Mark King also collaborated with lyricists Drew Barfield and George Green to expand the songwriting. "Guaranteed" was well received by American music critics. However, the album did not get good reviews in the UK (despite reaching No. 3 in the UK charts while the title track reached No. 17 in the singles charts) and was ultimately less commercially successful than previous efforts.


title: Level 42

text: In December 1990, Level 42 returned to play a record run of concerts at Hammersmith Odeon, London, in part fulfilling booking obligations preceding the band's recent hiatus. The concerts featured Allan Holdsworth (whom Husband had asked to play as a favour while the band searched for a permanent guitarist) plus four additional players: Lyndon Connah (ex-64 Spoons) on additional keyboards and percussion and sharing backing vocals with Annie McCaig, plus the horn section from the "Guaranteed" album (John Thirkell and Gary Barnacle).


title: Level 42

text: After the recording of "Guaranteed" and a week-long promotional tour, Level 42 were in need of a permanent guitarist. Mark King assumed (erroneously) that Allan Holdsworth would not be interested in taking the position. Instead the band recruited well-respected art-pop guitarist, session player and sometime solo artist Jakko Jakszyk: the former frontman for 64 Spoons, he'd also collaborated with Tom Robinson, Sam Brown and Stewart/Gaskin among others. Although he did not play on "Guaranteed", Jakszyk appeared on the album's cover photo and took part in promotional duties and the tour for the album, as well as playing on two B-sides from this era ("At This Great Distance" and "As Years Go By"). Unlike Husband, Jakszyk never became a full legal member of the band (apparently due to "record company politics").


title: Level 42

text: Following the end of promotion for "Guaranteed", the King-Lindup-Husband-Jakszyk line-up began writing and recording new material together, with at least two songs ("Fire" and "Free Your Soul") completed. Following the next development in the band's history, this work was shelved and remains unreleased.


title: Level 42

text: In early 1993, Gary Husband left Level 42, leading to the return of group founder member Phil Gould as Level 42's drummer (and principal lyricist) for 1994's "Forever Now" album. Further changes to the band were evident in that Jakko Jakszyk did not play on the album: all guitars were performed by the American session guitarist Danny Blume (erroneously credited as "Danny Bloom").


title: Level 42

text: Although "Forever Now" was a critical success, the reunion of Gould and the group was short-lived. When Level 42 began to promote the new album (with Jakszyk returning to the live band for concerts and TV appearances), Gould played only one promotional gig and did not go on the road for the "Forever Now" tour. He was replaced as live drummer by Jakszyk's friend and frequent collaborator Gavin Harrison (who later played drums for both Porcupine Tree and King Crimson).


title: Level 42

text: It was announced halfway through the "Forever Now" tour, on the day of the Manchester Apollo gig, that the band would be disbanding permanently following their concert commitments. Level 42 played their last gig at the Albert Hall in London on 14 October 1994. According to Jakszyk, the band recorded tapes for a live album during the final 1994 shows at the Albert Hall and the Brighton Dome which "sounded fantastic", but the album was never released.


title: Level 42

text: In 1996, Mark King signed to Virgin Records and released a solo single "Bitter Moon" (with Lyndon Connah playing keyboards). This was followed up by his second solo album, "One Man", featuring lyrics by Boon Gould. The album was not commercially successful.


title: Level 42

text: King later toured as a solo act, playing both his own new compositions and some Level 42 songs. In 1999, he played some shows at The Jazz Café in London under the name of "The Mark King Group" with a band including Husband, Jakszyk and Lyndon Connah. Jakszyk left the band after the Jazz Café shows, to be replaced on guitar by Nathan King (Mark King's younger brother). King continued to tour with this band, now renamed "Grupo Mark King", over the next couple of years, augmenting the line-up with saxophone player Sean Freeman.


title: Level 42

text: In August 1999, three-quarters of the original Level 42 line-up reunited for a private show. Phil Gould invited some musician friends to play at a party, including his brother Boon and Mike Lindup. In 2001, Mark King, Mike Lindup and Phil Gould played together at Lindup's wedding for the first time in ten years.


title: Level 42

text: Although Mark King released two solo albums, his previous band's music proved to be persistently popular and he found that he was playing more and more old Level 42 tracks at live shows.


title: Level 42

text: In late 2001, King came to a business agreement with Mike Lindup and bought the rights to the name Level 42. Although Lindup agreed to play on future albums, he did not want to tour. King announced the return of Level 42 with a new line-up which also happened to be the musicians from his current live band: himself, Husband, Connah, Freeman and Nathan King. On 12 July 2002, the first official Level 42 concert for six years was played at The Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex. While not recording any new material, for the next few years the band settled into a regular pattern of touring and playing old hits.


title: Level 42

text: On 13 February 2005 there was a brief one-night reunion with Mike Lindup (who joined the band onstage for a date at The Forum in London) and over the course of the year there was a burst of reissue activity. Two Rockpalast shows from 1983 and 1984 were released on DVD, followed by two CD releases: "The River Sessions" (a live show from 1983 recorded in Scotland) and a new compilation called "The Ultimate Collection II". The latter included a new song called "Genius Of Love", which was a Level 42 tribute/collaboration by the Italian-American dance producer Hardage, featuring Mark King on vocals and incorporating a sample of the Level 42 track "I Want Eyes".


title: Level 42

text: In February 2006, after twelve years without releasing a new studio album, Level 42 announced the release of "Retroglide". While billed as a band album, it was chiefly recorded and produced by King at his home studio, with Gary Husband, Lyndon Connah, Sean Freeman and Nathan King all contributing.


title: Level 42

text: "Retroglide" also featured input from two previous Level 42 members. Erstwhile guitarist Boon Gould provided the album's lyrics (as well as contributing a guitar solo on "Ship") and the band was effectively expanded to a six-piece via extensive guest performances by Mike Lindup, who added prominent keyboard parts and vocals to many tracks. Although Phil Gould was uncredited on the album, the track "Ship" is the first song since 1986 worked on by all four original members, as Phil originally arranged the track with his brother Boon. However, "Retroglide" was also the first Level 42 album not to feature any contributions from Wally Badarou.


title: Level 42

text: In May 2006, Level 42 announced that Mike Lindup would return full-time to replace Lyndon Connah on keyboards.


title: Level 42

text: "Retroglide" was promoted via a supporting tour throughout the UK, Netherlands, Germany and several other European countries during October 2006. On 26 August 2007, Level 42 played an outdoor gig at the Arundel Festival in West Sussex: the band's only UK show of the year. In 2008, Level 42 played a twenty-date UK tour.


title: Level 42

text: In 2010, Husband stepped down as Level 42's drummer for the second time, due to prior commitments with John McLaughlin. He was replaced by Pete Ray Biggin.


title: Level 42

text: In 2012, Level 42 toured the UK and mainland Europe, in celebration of the 25th anniversary since the release of "Running In The Family", by playing the whole album, with a whole array of other hits. Also included in the shows was an acoustic set, with Mike Lindup playing the accordion. In October 2012, on Mark King's birthday during a gig in Bristol, Boon Gould joined the band on stage.


title: Level 42

text: On 20 and 21 September 2013, Level 42 (joined by an expanded brass section), performed three new songs at London's Indigo O2 Arena – "Where's Yo' Head At", "Too Much Time", and "Sirens". All of these appeared on the band's first new release for seven years, the six-song studio EP "Sirens" (released on 31 October 2013, and the first output from the band's new self-owned label Level 42 Records). Mixed by the American DJ John Morales, the EP also contained "Mind On You", "My Independence Day" and "Build Myself a Rocket" (with King's daughter Marlee providing the backing vocals on the last of these tracks). Musically, it built on the production approach of "Retroglide" while allying the band with contemporary developments in R&B and dance electronica.


title: Level 42

text: On 3 December 2013, the band announced 'The Sirens Tour' – a 30 date tour, starting in October 2014 and taking in the UK, Netherlands, Germany and Italy. In the summer of 2014, the band performed at a number of festivals across Europe including headline performances at Let's Rock Bristol and Rochester Castle. They also played at Rewind festivals. At a performance in Bournemouth, ex-drummer Gary Husband returned due to Pete Ray Biggin being unavailable.


title: Level 42

text: In 2015, the band appeared at a number of UK and European festivals headlining at 'Let's Rock The Moor' and 'Carfest' concerts. They also played two nights at the Indigo2 in London where the band once again featured a larger brass section consisting of Dan Carpenter (trumpet) and Nicol Thomson (trombone) as well as regular saxophonist Sean Freeman.


title: Level 42

text: In 2016, Level 42 performed at a number of festivals across the UK and Europe as well as in Curaçao, Chile and Argentina before embarking on a UK, Netherlands and Scandinavian tour in order to promote the "Sirens II" EP.


title: Level 42

text: On 1 May 2019, it was announced that Boon Gould had been found dead at his home in Dorset. He was 64.


title: Level 42

text: On 4 July 2019, Level 42 made a rare North American incursion, being the band to perform the first concert to launch the week long Festival d'été de Québec (Quebec City Summer Festival).


title: Charles Roven

text: Charles Roven (born August 2, 1949) is an American film producer and the president and co-founder of Atlas Entertainment. He is known for producing the superhero films "The Dark Knight Trilogy", "Suicide Squad", "Man of Steel", "" and more.


title: Charles Roven

text: His film "American Hustle" was nominated for a "Best Picture" Academy Award in 2014, as well as in 9 other categories. In January 2018, Roven received the David O. Selznick Achievement Award for his body of work from the Producers Guild of America.


title: Charles Roven

text: He was married to producer Dawn Steel from 1985 until her death in 1997. The two had a daughter, Rebecca, born in March 1987. Roven later married restaurateur Stephanie Haymes, the daughter of entertainers Dick Haymes and Fran Jeffries.


title: Charles Roven

text: He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted. Roven was also producer of the ill-fated "Atuk" with comedian Sam Kinison as the lead. The film was shut down in its first week of production.


title: Dixiecrat

text: The States' Rights Democratic Party (whose members are often called the Dixiecrats) was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States, active primarily in the South. It arose due to a Southern regional split in opposition to the Democratic Party. After President Harry S. Truman, a member of the Democratic Party, ordered integration of the military in 1948 and other actions to address civil rights of African Americans, many Southern conservative white politicians who objected to this course organized themselves as a breakaway faction. The Dixiecrats wished to protect Southern states' rights to maintain racial segregation.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Supporters assumed control of the state Democratic parties in part or in full in several Southern states. The Party opposed racial integration and wanted to retain Jim Crow laws and white supremacy in the face of possible federal intervention. Its members were referred to as "Dixiecrats", a portmanteau of "Dixie", referring to the Southern United States, and "Democrat".


title: Dixiecrat

text: Despite the Dixiecrats' success in several states, Truman was narrowly re-elected. After the 1948 election, its leaders generally returned to the Democratic Party. The Dixiecrats' presidential candidate, Strom Thurmond, became a Republican in 1964. The Dixiecrats represented the weakening of the "Solid South". (This referred to the Southern Democratic Party's control of presidential elections in the South and most seats in Congress, partly through decades of disfranchisement of blacks entrenched by Southern state legislatures between 1890 and 1908. Blacks had formerly been aligned with the Republican Party before being excluded from politics in the region, but during the Great Migration African Americans had found the Democratic Party in the North and West more suited to their interests.)


title: Dixiecrat

text: Since the beginning of Reconstruction, Southern white voters supported the Democratic Party by overwhelming margins in both local and national elections, (the few exceptions include minor pockets of Republican electoral strength in Appalachia, East Tennessee in particular, Gillespie and Kendall Counties of central Texas) forming what was known as the "Solid South". Even during the last years of Reconstruction, Democrats used paramilitary insurgents and other activists to disrupt and intimidate Republican freedman voters, including fraud at the polls and attacks on their leaders. The electoral violence culminated in the Democrats regaining control of the state legislatures and passing new constitutions and laws from 1890 to 1908 to disenfranchise most blacks and many poor whites. They also imposed Jim Crow, a combination of legal and informal segregation acts that made blacks second-class citizens, confirming their lack of political power through most of the southern United States. The social and economic systems of the Solid South were based on this structure, although the white Democrats retained all the Congressional seats apportioned for the total population of their states.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Three-time Democratic Party presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan opposed a highly controversial resolution at the 1924 Democratic National Convention condemning the Ku Klux Klan, expecting the organization would soon fold. Bryan disliked the Klan but never publicly attacked it.


title: Dixiecrat

text: In the 1930s, a political realignment occurred largely due to the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. While many Democrats in the South had shifted toward favoring economic intervention, civil rights for African Americans was not specifically incorporated within the New Deal agenda, due in part to Southern control over many key positions of power within the U.S. Congress.


title: Dixiecrat

text: With the entry of the United States into the Second World War, Jim Crow was indirectly challenged. More than one and a half million black Americans served in the U.S. military during World War II, where they received equal pay while serving within segregated units, and were equally entitled to receive veterans' benefits after the war. Tens of thousands of black civilians at home were recruited in the labor-starved war industries across many urban centers in the country, mainly due to the promotion of Executive Order 8802, which required defense industries not to discriminate based on ethnicity or race.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Members of the Republican Party (which nominated Governor of New York Thomas E. Dewey in 1944 and 1948), along with many Democrats from the northern and western states, supported civil rights legislation that the Deep South Democrats in Congress almost unanimously opposed. In 2004, Pulitzer prize winning American journalist Les Payne, wrote that Dixiecrats were affiliated with the KKK and opposed Martin Luther King Jr. In 2016, David Neiwert wrote an article for the SPLC saying that "When the members of the Klan were Democrats, as in the 1920s, as well as in the '40s when they called themselves "Dixiecrats," they were conservative Democrats." According to John S. Huntington Ph.D., Southern Democrats formed a far-right faction, the States’ Rights Democratic Party, better known as the Dixiecrats, which became a third-party vehicle for opposing President Harry S. Truman, integration and modern liberalism.


title: Dixiecrat

text: After Roosevelt died, the new president Harry S. Truman established a highly visible President's Committee on Civil Rights and issued Executive Order 9981 to end discrimination in the military in 1948. A group of Southern governors, including Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Fielding L. Wright of Mississippi, met to consider the place of Southerners within the Democratic Party. After a tense meeting with Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman and Truman confidant J. Howard McGrath, the Southern governors agreed to convene their own convention in Birmingham, Alabama if Truman and civil rights supporters emerged victorious at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. In July, the convention nominated Truman to run for a full term and adopted a plank proposed by Northern liberals led by Hubert Humphrey calling for civil rights; 35 Southern delegates walked out. The move was on to remove Truman's name from the ballot in the southern United States. This political maneuvering required the organization of a new and distinct political party, which the Southern defectors from the Democratic Party chose to brand as the States' Rights Democratic Party.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Just days after the 1948 Democratic National Convention, the States' Rights Democrats held their own convention at Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham, on July 17. While several leaders from the Deep South such as Strom Thurmond and James Eastland attended, most major Southern Democrats did not attend the conference. Among those absent were Georgia Senator Richard Russell Jr., who had finished with the second-most delegates in the Democratic presidential ballot.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Prior to their own States' Rights Democratic Party convention, it was not clear whether the Dixiecrats would seek to field their own candidate or simply try to prevent Southern electors from voting for Truman. Many in the press predicted that if the Dixiecrats did nominate a ticket, Arkansas Governor Benjamin Travis Laney would be the presidential nominee, and South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond or Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright the vice presidential nominee. Laney traveled to Birmingham during the convention, but he ultimately decided that he did not want to join a third party and remained in his hotel during the convention. Thurmond himself had doubts about a third-party bid, but party organizers convinced him to accept the party's nomination, with Fielding Wright as his running mate. Wright's supporters had hoped that Wright would lead the ticket, but Wright deferred to Thurmond, who had greater national stature. The selection of Thurmond received fairly positive reviews from the national press, as Thurmond had pursued relatively moderate policies on civil rights and did not employ the fiery rhetoric used by other segregationist leaders.


title: Dixiecrat

text: The States' Rights Democrats did not formally declare themselves as being a new third party, but rather said that they were only "recommending" that state Democratic Parties vote for the Thurmond–Wright ticket. The goal of the party was to win the 127 electoral votes of the Solid South, in the hopes of denying Truman–Barkley or Dewey–Warren an overall majority of electoral votes, and thus throwing the presidential election to the United States House of Representatives and the vice presidential election to the United States Senate. Once in the House and Senate, the Dixiecrats hoped to throw their support to whichever party would agree to their segregationist demands. Even if the Republican ticket won an outright majority of electoral votes (as many expected in 1948), the Dixiecrats hoped that their third-party run would help the South retake its dominant position in the Democratic Party. In implementing their strategy, the States' Rights Democrats faced a complicated set of state election laws, with different states having different processes for choosing presidential electors. The States' Rights Democrats eventually succeeded in making the Thurmond–Wright ticket the official Democratic ticket in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. In other states, they were forced to run as a third-party ticket.


title: Dixiecrat

text: In numbers greater than the 6,000 that attended the first, the States' Rights Democrats held a boisterous second convention in Oklahoma City, on August 14, 1948, where they adopted their party platform which stated:


title: Dixiecrat

text: In Arkansas, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sid McMath vigorously supported Truman in speeches across the state, much to the consternation of the sitting governor, Benjamin Travis Laney, an ardent Thurmond supporter. Laney later used McMath's pro-Truman stance against him in the 1950 gubernatorial election, but McMath won re-election handily.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Efforts by States' Rights Democrats to paint other Truman loyalists as turncoats generally failed, although the seeds of discontent were planted which in years to come took their toll on Southern moderates.


title: Dixiecrat

text: On election day in 1948, the Thurmond–Wright ticket carried the previously solidly Democratic states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, receiving 1,169,021 popular votes and 39 electoral votes. Progressive Party presidential nominee Henry A. Wallace drew off a nearly equal number of popular votes (1,157,172) from the Democrats' left wing, although he did not carry any states. The splits in the Democratic Party in the 1948 election had been expected to produce a victory by GOP presidential nominee Dewey, but Truman defeated Dewey in an upset victory.


title: Dixiecrat

text: The States' Rights Democratic Party dissolved after the 1948 election, as Truman, the Democratic National Committee, and the New Deal Southern Democrats acted to ensure that the Dixiecrat movement would not return in the 1952 presidential election. Some Southern diehards, such as Leander Perez of Louisiana, attempted to keep it in existence in their districts. Former Dixiecrats received some backlash at the 1952 Democratic National Convention, but all Southern delegations were seated after agreeing to a party loyalty pledge. Moderate Alabama Senator John Sparkman was selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1952, helping to boost party loyalty in the South.


title: Dixiecrat

text: Regardless of the power struggle within the Democratic Party concerning segregation policy, the South remained a strongly Democratic voting bloc for local, state, and federal Congressional elections, but increasingly not in presidential elections. Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won several Southern states in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections. In the 1956 election, former Commissioner of Internal Revenue T. Coleman Andrews received just under 0.2 percent of the popular vote running as the presidential nominee of the States' Rights Party. In the 1960 presidential election, Republican Richard Nixon won several Southern states, and Senator Harry F. Byrd of Virginia received the votes of several unpledged electors from Alabama and Mississippi. In the 1964 presidential election, Republican Barry Goldwater won all four states that Thurmond had carried in 1948. In the 1968 presidential election, Republican Richard Nixon or third party candidate George Wallace won every former Confederate state except Texas. Thurmond eventually left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party in 1964, charging the Democrats with having "abandoned the people" and having repudiated the U.S. Constitution; he subsequently worked on the presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The Franchi SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun manufactured by Italian firearms company Franchi from 1979 to 2000. The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, adjustable for semi-automatic or pump-action operation. The SPAS-12 was sold to military and police users worldwide, as well as on the civilian market, and has been featured in many films, TV shows, and video games.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The appearance and intended purpose of the SPAS-12 initially led to its "military" designation as a combat shotgun. The SPAS-12 was designed from the ground up as a rugged military shotgun, and it was named the Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun. In 1990, Franchi renamed the shotgun the Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun, which allowed continued sales to the United States as a limited-magazine-capacity, fixed-stock model until 1994. Following the United States Federal Assault Weapons Ban, imports of SPAS-12 shotguns to the United States were stopped. In September 2004 the ban expired, but Franchi had ended production of the SPAS-12 in 2000 to focus on the manufacturing of the SPAS-15 model. The SPAS-12's factory retail price in its final year was 1,500 averaged for its final sales outside the United States to non-restricted countries.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The SPAS-12 was designed to function primarily in semi-automatic mode, with the pump-action mode used to reliably fire low-pressure ammunition such as tear gas rounds or less-lethal bean bags. The firing mode is switched by depressing the button under the fore-grip and also sliding it forwards or backwards until it clicks into position allowing the rotating sleeve to open or close the two gas ports.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The semi-automatic mode functions with a short-stroke gas piston system. When a shell is fired, the pressure makes the bolt moves rearward but it stops before opening as it deploys a single top locking lug. The gas vents into the barrel and the gas port located towards the end of the barrel. From the gas port, the gas vents downwards into the gas block where it pushes the piston rearward. Because of the presence of the magazine tube and to avoid the use of a top mounted gas system, the gas block and the piston are annular, along with the piston spring they enclose the magazine tube. Once operated, the piston drives 2 symmetrical thin springed operating rods located in the corners formed by the barrel and the magazine tube. Those rods push the bolt carrier rearward, it disengages the locking lug and drives the bolt rearward, allowing the system to cycle.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The SPAS-12 has a magazine cut-off feature, which prevents the magazine from releasing a new round when the action is cycled. This permits the operator load a different type of round into the chamber without first unloading the chambered round, and the second that would otherwise subsequently be released from the magazine.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: A unique feature of the folding-stock variants is the butt hook. With the stock extended, the hook can be pushed in and turned 90 degrees to the left or right, to fit under the user's forearm. This is to enable the shotgun to be fired with one hand; e.g. while abseiling/rappelling, or from a vehicle window while driving. The hook can be released from the buttplate completely by turning through 180 degrees.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: SPAS-12 models feature two safeties: (i) a lever style or push button style safety, and (ii) a "quick employment safety". Lever safeties were recalled by Franchi and were replaced through the importer American Arms in the early 1990s. There are two types of push-button safeties. The earliest version would release the hammer on safe up to 1/4in. of travel when the trigger was depressed; this would cause a lockup of the action that would require the user to re-lock the bolt assembly to the rear to reset the hammer and then reload the chamber. The later version installed a detent and machined hole in the trigger group frame to prevent an action lock; the detent would prevent the hammer from engaging when the trigger was depressed and would prevent an action lock from occurring. The quick employment safety, which is on the left side of the trigger guard, disconnects the trigger when put into safe mode. The quick employment safety can be disengaged with the trigger finger when ready to fire and is intended for competition or tactical use. A third safety type, a pistol grip safety similar to the later-developed SPAS-15, is known to have been developed by Franchi for the SPAS-12, however the pistol grip safety was not offered for sale to the general public.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: A B-Square rail mount for optics was available for a short time in the 1990s as an aftermarket accessory.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The barrel of the SPAS-12 was externally threaded to accept a variety of attachments. The barrel is cylinder bored and spreads a normal shot charge to about 900mm at 40 meters.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: Many choke types original and aftermarket exist for the SPAS-12. A 44mm grenade launcher used by France was used for explosive grenades capable of a range of 150 meters. A factory shot diverter that spreads shot vertically or horizontally was originally included with earlier model SPAS-12's, There are many known reproduction diverters.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: Four different stock styles exist. The first version of the SPAS-12 manufactured with the wooden detachable stock with the standard grip. Models were later available with the folding metal stock with hook. After the United States imposed import restrictions on the SPAS-12 in 1989, a version was released in 1990 with the synthetic hollow fixed stock and a six-shell capacity to comply with federal regulations for sporting purposes.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The Franchi SPAS-12 came equipped with a non-adjustable circular aperture rear sight and a large, non-adjustable blade foresight integrated into the barrel. The LAW-12 was a semi-automatic only and the SAS-12 was a pump action only. These three "sister" shotguns accepted all SPAS-12 components, notably trigger groups, barrel threaded attachments and stocks. The various magazine extension tubes of the LAW-12 and SAS-12 were never designed to be interchangeable with the SPAS-12 as this would cause issues with the gas selector switch moving from Auto to Pump action on the SPAS-12 model. The extensions have been known to spin off the front of the SPAS-12 during cycling if the extension was not tapered for the SPAS-12 retaining pin.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The pump-action Franchi SAS-12 could accept 3" shells but it did not have a bolt handle cut in the bolt body. The SPAS and LAW could only accept 2" shells. The SAS-12 has a barrel length of 21.5", an overall length of 41.5", a weight of 7 lbs. 4 oz. and a capacity of 8 rounds in the magazine + 1 in the chamber.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The semi-automatic only Franchi LAW-12 Model was also restricted by importation in 1989 and banned in 1994 with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The LAW-12 has a barrel length of 21.5" a weight of 7 lbs. 4 oz. and a capacity of 8 rounds in the magazine + 1 in the chamber. The model was known to have imported with all stock styles used on the Franchi SPAS-12. The LAW-12 models were more common with police sales as an alternative to the more expensive SPAS-12 for departments throughout the United States. The LAW-12 model was notably lighter " 1.35 lbs. " than the SPAS-12 and still maintained the same tube capacity of 8+1 shells. Note Law-12 gas pistons were designed as two piece unlike the one piece design of the SPAS-12, they are not interchangeable. The LAW-12 was discontinued by Franchi shortly before the SPAS-12 discontinued in 2000.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: In the United States, there were two importers of SPAS-12 shotguns. Importation of the SPAS-12 into the United States began in 1982 and ended in 1989 under F.I.E. Corp. In 1989, F.I.E suffered from major losses of sales due to the president's importation ban, which was a reinterpretation of 18 U.S.C. 925(d)(3) that required firearms to have a "sporting purpose" in order to be imported.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: In 1990 American Arms incorporated purchased all remaining inventories of parts and SPAS-12 shotguns from the now bankrupt F.I.E Corp and began the re-importation of the Franchi SPAS-12 as the (Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun) under newly approved restrictions until 1994. The ATF allowed importation of a SPAS-12 variant from American Arms because its size, weight, bulk and modified configuration were such that it was particularly suitable for traditional shooting sports.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The SPAS-12 was tested by the U.S. Coast Guard and showed promising results but again was not considered cost-effective for a contract over other available suppliers. The Assault Weapons Ban of September 1994 caused American Arms to stop the importation of the SPAS-12 with major losses of sales due to the legal restrictions invoked by the U.S. Assault Weapons Ban.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: Both importers placed numerous additional orders for the SPAS-12 that were never completely filled due to U.S. restrictions throughout importation. This was the reason for such few numbers of shotguns imported into the United States.


title: Franchi SPAS-12

text: The 1994 federal "Crime Bill", signed into law by President Clinton on Sept. 13, 1994, included the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The Act included provisions amending the Gun Control Act (GCA, 1968) to make it a federal crime for a private individual to possess or transfer (sell, give, etc.) an "assault weapon" manufactured after that date. [18 U.S.C. 922(v)]. "Assault weapons" manufactured on or before that date are "grandfathered," meaning that the law does not prohibit their possession or transfer. The law requires that "assault weapons" manufactured after September 13, 1994 be stamped with their date of manufacture or serial number to identify with factory date of manufacturing. SPAS-12 and LAW-12 shotguns are listed illegal for possession in states that hold a "military assault weapon style" law that identifies the shotguns by name on each state's individual ban. The states may have had a registration timeline that would allow it to be grandfathered before each state's individual ban. U.S. States and territories listed that ban the Franchi SPAS-12 and LAW-12 currently from future individual civilian possession are, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 at the 2020 census. The estimated population in 2021 had decreased to 93,928. The Erie metropolitan area, equivalent to all of Erie County, consists of 266,096 residents. The Erie-Meadville combined statistical area had a population of 369,331 at the 2010 census.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is roughly equidistant from Buffalo and Cleveland, each being about 100 miles (160 kilometers) away. Erie's manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy, though insurance, healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism are emerging as significant economic drivers. As with the other Great Lakes port cities, Erie is accessible to the oceans via the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River network in Canada. The local climate is humid, four-seasonal and snowy but retains moderated winters thanks to the lakeside location.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The city was named for the Native American Erie people who lived in the area until the mid-17th century. It is known as the "Flagship City" because of its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship "Niagara". It is also known as the "Gem City" because of the lake's sparkling appearance caused by the daylight. Erie won the All-America City Award in 1972. In 2012, Erie hosted the Perry 200, a commemoration celebrating 200 years of peace between Britain, America, and Canada following the War of 1812 and Battle of Lake Erie.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Indigenous peoples occupied the shoreline and bluffs in this area for thousands of years, taking advantage of the rich resources. The Sommerheim Park Archaeological District in Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania west of the city, includes artifacts from the Archaic period in the Americas, as well as from the Early and Middle Woodland Period, roughly a span from 8,000 BCE to 500 CE.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Europeans first arrived as settlers in the region when the French constructed Fort Presque Isle near present-day Erie in 1753, as part of their effort to defend New France against the encroaching British colonists. The name of the fort refers to the peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, now protected as Presque Isle State Park. The French term "presque-isle" means peninsula (from the Latin "paene" and "insula", both literally, "almost an island"). When the French abandoned the fort in 1760 during the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), it was the last post they held west of Niagara. The British established a garrison at the fort at Presque Isle that same year, three years before the end of the French and Indian War.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is in what was the disputed Erie Triangle, a tract of land comprising 202,187 acres in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania fronting Lake Erie that was claimed after the American Revolutionary War by the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut (as part of its Western Reserve), and Massachusetts. The Iroquois claimed ownership first, so a conference was arranged for on January 9, 1789, wherein representatives from the Iroquois signed a deed relinquishing their ownership of the land. The price for it was $2,000 from Pennsylvania and $1,200 from the federal government. The Seneca Nation separately settled land claims against Pennsylvania in February 1791 for the sum of $800. It became a part of Pennsylvania on March 3, 1792, after Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York relinquished their rights to the land and sold the land to Pennsylvania for 75 cents per acre or a total of $151,640.25 in continental certificates.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The General Assembly of Pennsylvania commissioned the surveying of land near Presque Isle through an act passed on April 18, 1795. Andrew Ellicott, who completed Pierre Charles L'Enfant's survey of Washington, D.C. and helped resolve the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York, arrived to begin the survey and lay out the plan for the city in June 1795. Initial settlement of the area began that year. Lt. Colonel Seth Reed and his family moved to the Erie area from Geneva, New York; they were Yankees from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. They became the first European-American settlers of Erie, at what became known as "Presque Isle".


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: President James Madison began the construction of a naval fleet during the War of 1812 to gain control of the Great Lakes from the British. Daniel Dobbins of Erie and Noah Brown of Boston were notable shipbuilders who led construction of four schooner−rigged gunboats and two brigs. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry arrived from Rhode Island and led the squadron to success in the historic Battle of Lake Erie.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie was an important shipbuilding, fishing, and railroad hub during the mid-19th century. The city was the site where three sets of track gauges met. While the delays engendered cargo troubles for commerce and travel, they provided much-needed local jobs in Erie. When a national standardized gauge was proposed, those jobs, and the importance of the rail hub itself, were put in jeopardy. In an event known as the Erie Gauge War, the citizens of Erie, led by the mayor, set fire to bridges, ripped up track, and rioted to try to stop the standardization.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: On August 3, 1915, the Mill Creek flooded downtown Erie. A culvert, or a tunnel, was blocked by debris, and collapsed. A four-block reservoir, caused by torrential downpours, had formed behind it. The resulting deluge destroyed 225 houses and killed 36 people. After the flood, Mayor Miles Brown Kitts had the Mill Creek directed into another, larger culvert, constructed under more than 2 miles of city, before emptying into Presque Isle Bay on the city's lower east side.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Downtown Erie continued to grow for most of the 20th century, based on its manufacturing base. The city attracted numerous waves of European immigrants for industrial jobs. Erie was considered a wet city during the Prohibition Era in the United States. The city's economy began to suffer in the latter part of the 20th century as industrial restructuring took place and jobs moved out of the area, as it was considered part of the Rust Belt. The importance of American manufacturing, US steel and coal production, and commercial fishing began to gradually decline, resulting in a major population downturn in the 1970s.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: With the advent of the automobile age after World War II and government subsidies for highway construction, thousands of residents left Erie for suburbs such as Millcreek Township, which now has 55,000 residents. This caused a decline in retail businesses, some of which followed to the suburbs. Reflecting this perceived decline, Erie is occasionally referred to by residents as "The Mistake on the Lake" or "Dreary Erie".


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is situated in Northwestern Pennsylvania at (42.114507, -80.076213), on the southern shore of Lake Erie across from the Canadian province of Ontario. It is northeast of Cleveland, Ohio, southwest of Buffalo, New York, and north of Pittsburgh. Erie's bedrock is Devonian shale and siltstone, overlain by glacial tills and stratified drift. Stream drainage in the city flows northward into Lake Erie, then through Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River, and out to the Atlantic Ocean. South of Erie is a drainage divide, beyond which most of the streams in western Pennsylvania flow south into the Allegheny or Ohio Rivers. Lake Erie is about above sea level, while the city of Erie is about above sea level.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , with being land and the remaining , or 1.03%, being water. Presque Isle State Park (known to the locals as "The Peninsula"), juts into Lake Erie just north of the city limits and has of public beaches, wetlands, and fishing sites.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is laid out in a grid surrounding Perry Square in the downtown area. The downtown buildings are separated from the waterfront by the Bayfront Parkway. The tallest structure in Erie is St. Peter Cathedral at , and the tallest building is Renaissance Centre at . Erie has generally small ethnic neighborhoods, including a Little Italy. South of 38th Street, the grid gives way to curvilinear roads of post-1970 suburban development. Millcreek Township and upper Peach Street in Summit Township include the Erie metropolitan area's newer developments.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Most of the cityscape includes renovated and refurbished factory buildings, midrise housing, single-family homes, and office buildings. Erie's waterfront includes the Burger King Amphitheater and surrounding parkland, which hosts numerous festivals. The Bayfront Convention Center is on Sassafras Pier next to Dobbins Landing. The Bicentennial Tower is centrally located in the skyline when viewed from Presque Isle State Park, with the high-rise and midrise buildings flanking the higher ground behind and to the east and west sides. On the east end of the waterfront, the Erie Maritime Museum and the city's main library, and third-largest in Pennsylvania, host the USS "Niagara". Docks and marinas fill the freshwater shoreline in between.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Under the Köppen climate classification, Erie falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate ("Dfa") if the isotherm is used or a humid subtropical climate ("Cfa") if the isotherm is used. It is located in the snow belt that stretches from Cleveland to Syracuse and Watertown; winters are moderately cold, with heavy lake-effect snow, but also with occasional stretches of mild weather that cause accumulated snow to melt. The city experiences a full range of weather events, including snow, ice, rain, thunderstorms, and fog. The city's lakeside location helps to temper summer heat, with an average of 4 days of + highs annually, and the highest temperature ever recorded was on June 25, 1988. An average of 3 days have lows of or colder annually, and the lowest temperature ever recorded was on January 19, 1994, and February 16, 2015.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is third on "The Daily Beast"s list of snowiest places in the United States, averaging ; however, the 1981–2010 normal seasonal snowfall is . Average annual snowfall in the decade 2010-2019 was . The adverse winter conditions caused USAir Flight 499 to overrun the runway at Erie International Airport on February 21, 1986, and caused whiteouts that were responsible for a 50-car pile-up on Interstate 90 on January 25, 2007.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The coldest maximum temperature on record was in 1994 and the average coldest maximum between 1991 and 2020 was . The warmest overnight low on record was once in 1918 and another time during the 1936 North American heat wave. On average, the warmest low of the year is a quite muggy .


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: On December 24 and 25, 2017, Erie received of snowfall, breaking a record for the largest two-day snowfall anywhere in Pennsylvania. By the close of the 2017–2018 snow season, Erie had recorded of snow, its snowiest season on record, breaking the previous record of inches set in 2000–2001 by a large margin.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: As of the 2010 United States Census, 101,786 people, 40,913 households, and 22,915 families were residing in the city. Its 44,790 housing units averaged a vacancy rate of 8%. Erie has long been declining in population due to the departure of factories and dependent businesses. The city has lost about 40,000 people since the early 1960s, allowing Allentown to claim the position as Pennsylvania's third-largest city behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie's population was spread evenly among all age groups, with the median being 34. About 13% of families and 19% of the population were below the poverty line. Most of the people who reside in Erie are of European descent.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Since the 1980s, the International Institute of Erie (IIE), founded in 1919, has helped with the resettlement of refugees from Bosnia, Eritrea, Ghana, Iraq, Kosovo, Liberia, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Romania, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. The inclusion of refugees in Erie's community augments religious diversity and prompts community events such as cultural festivals.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: In the early 20th century, Erie had a significant Russian immigrant community, many members of which worked in the shipbuilding plants along the bayfront. Unusual for a Great Lakes city, a substantial number of these Russian immigrants were priestless ("Bespopovtsy") Old Believers. In 1983, most of this community united with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and Father Pimen Simon became an Old Ritualist priest within the canonical Eastern Orthodox Church. Even today, the gold-domed Church of the Nativity, on the bayfront near the former heart of the Russian community, is an Old Ritualist church and home parish to the famed iconographer Fr. Theodore Jurewicz.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The Erie Jewish community is over 150 years old. Temple Anshe Hesed, a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, is served by its spiritual leader, Rabbi Robert Morais. Congregation Brith Sholom (Jewish Center) is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Rabbi Leonard Lifshen has been its spiritual leader since 1989.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, covering 13 counties—at , it is the largest in the state in area. Its diocesan seat is Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie, which has a central tower flanked by two towers. Since October 1, 2012, Lawrence T. Persico has been the bishop of Erie; Donald Trautman is the bishop emeritus of the diocese.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, Erie County had a total population of 280,843 people in 2000, of which 103,333 claimed affiliation with the Catholic Church, 40,301 with mainline Protestant houses of worship, and 12,980 with evangelical Protestant churches.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's primary access point to Lake Erie, the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The city emerged as a maritime center after the American Revolution, then as a railroad hub during the great American westward expansion. Erie became an important city for iron and steel manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution and thrived well into the 20th century with firms such as Griswold Manufacturing, once the leader in cast-iron cookware.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Since the decline of the large manufacturers in the later 20th century, a more diverse mix of midsized industries has emerged. This broader economic base includes not only smaller and more agile steel and plastic plants (with about 10% of tooling and molding located in the tristate area), but also vigorous service sectors: health, insurance, and tourism. The zip code 16501 covering some of the downtown areas is considered one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is the corporate headquarters of the Erie Insurance Group and Marquette Savings Bank. Lord Corporation was founded and has major operations in Erie. Along with GE and Erie Insurance, major employers in the county include the county, state, and federal governments, as well as the Erie City School District.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Over 10% of the USA's plastics are manufactured or finished in Erie-based plastics plants. Erie is an emerging center for biofuels and environmental research, producing over 45 million U.S. gallons of biofuel a year. Tourism plays an increasingly important role in the local economy with over 4 million people visiting Presque Isle State Park and other attractions. Shoppers from Ohio, New York, and the Canadian province of Ontario frequent the Millcreek Mall and Peach Street stores and attractions as a result of Pennsylvania's tax exemption on clothing.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Both UPMC Hamot and Saint Vincent Health System are also major employers in Erie. Although both of these hospitals had been stand-alone Erie entities, Hamot merged with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2011 and Saint Vincent, which affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic in 2012, merged with Highmark's Allegheny Health Network in 2013. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs operates the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center on East 38th Street. The Shriners International has operated Shriners Hospital for Children in Erie since 1927.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is a fast-growing educator and provider of quality healthcare in the city. LECOM provides stakeholders and assets to the community as part of its mission. LECOM is located both in the city and adjacent Millcreek Township.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is home to several professional and amateur performing-arts groups. The most significant is the Erie Philharmonic, in continuous existence since 1913 (with the exception of an interregnum during World War II). This group of professional musicians also has a full chorus and a junior philharmonic division that tours the area. The Lake Erie Ballet is a professional company that performs well-known programs throughout the year. The Erie Civic Music Association attracts, sponsors, and books performances by professional musicians, singers, entertainers, and ensembles from around the world.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The Erie Art Museum is the city's main art gallery, located in the Old Customshouse on State Street. Its collection has an emphasis on folk art and modern art and it hosts a popular blues and jazz concert series. The Erie Art Museum also works on public art projects in an effort to revitalize and improve the city. In 2000, the Erie Art Museum created a project entitled GoFish, similar to CowParade; 95 fiberglass fish were decorated by Erie artists and placed throughout the city. Patrons paid $3,000 for a fish and the proceeds went to Gannon University's scholarship fund and the Erie Public Art endowment fund. The Erie Art Museum created a similar public art project in 2004 that involved frogs rather than fish. In 2012, the Erie Art Museum began a project to create 40 artistic and functional bike racks, designed and created by local artists. The museum's intentions are to add color and interest to downtown Erie and to promote bicycling, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide environmental awareness.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Downtown Erie's historic and ornate Warner Theatre hosts a range of performances. Renovated in the 1980s and again in 2007, the Warner is the hub of Erie's Civic Center. The downtown area is the home of the Erie Playhouse, one of the leading community theaters in the country, and the third-oldest community theater in the U.S. Erie is also home to several other community theatres, including Dramashop, PACA, and All an Act Theatre. In addition to regular performances, Erie has many festivals including motorcycle rallies. Since 2007, the annual Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally has taken place in Erie, although in 2019, it moved to the Lake Erie Speedway.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Along West 6th Street is Millionaires Row, a collection of 19th-century Victorian mansions. The John Hill House is one of the notable residences. First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, a well-known landmark, is also located here. The Watson-Curtze Mansion, one of the most notable residences on this street, is also home to the Erie County Historical Society. Permanent and rotating exhibits showcase the life of some of Erie's influential founders and the development of Erie.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The Erie Land Light stands at the foot of Lighthouse Street. The lighthouse was built in 1818 and replaced in 1867.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The Bicentennial Tower, on Dobbins Landing at the foot of State Street, was built in 1995−96 to celebrate the city's bicentennial. It is tall and gives a panoramic view of Lake Erie and downtown. The Blasco Library and Erie Maritime Museum are its neighbors to the east. Presque Isle Downs opened on February 28, 2007, and was the fourth slots parlor in the state and the first in Western Pennsylvania. Table games opened at the casino on July 8, 2010.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie has been the location for many movies, including the hometown for fictional band The Wonders in "That Thing You Do!" featuring Tom Hanks. It is mentioned in the film "Wall Street" as the location of the fictional company Anacott Steel. Erie is the hometown of Train lead singer, Patrick Monahan. Erie is also the hometown of Marc Brown, the author and illustrator of "Arthur" books and TV series.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: There are five branches of the Erie County library system in Erie, and a bookmobile. The Main Library opened in 1996, and is the third-largest library in Pennsylvania. It is connected to the Erie Maritime Museum, and has waterfront views of the Presque Isle Bay. The Main Library contains an art collection, and provides internet access to patrons. The four remaining libraries are the Edinboro Branch Library, Iroquois Avenue Branch Library, Lincoln Community Center Branch Library, and Millcreek Branch Library.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie plays host to a number of semiprofessional and professional sports teams. The Erie SeaWolves play AA baseball in the Eastern League as an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The Erie Otters play hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. Hockey games are played at Erie Insurance Arena, while Minor League Baseball games are held at UPMC Park.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Edinboro University, and Penn State Behrend have active NCAA collegiate sports programs. The local high schools compete in PIAA District 10 sporting events. Additionally, Cathedral Preparatory School hosts the annual high-school basketball tournament featuring top national teams, called the Burger King Classic since 2010. Scholastic and intramural sports are held at school and park facilities around the city. The Mercyhurst Ice Center, JMC Ice Arena, Erie Sports Park, and Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium are many sports arenas and stadiums available in and around the city.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Downtown Erie is surrounded by Presque Isle State Park, a National Natural Landmark. The Seaway Trail runs through downtown Erie along the lakefront. The Tom Ridge Environmental Center, at the foot of Presque Isle, features of exhibit space.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Other tourist destinations include the Bayfront Convention Center; the Bicentennial Tower that overlooks Lake Erie; Dobbins Landing, a pier in downtown Erie; the Erie Land Light, and the Erie Maritime Museum, the home port of the "Niagara". The Millcreek Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the United States, is located on Peach Street in nearby Millcreek Township. The indoor waterpark Splash Lagoon, in Summit Township, is the largest indoor waterpark on the East Coast and third-largest in the United States. Waldameer Park, located at the base of Presque Isle, is the fourth-oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, and the 10th-oldest in the US.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The city of Erie is incorporated as a third-class city under Pennsylvania law. Incorporated under an "optional charter", the city is governed by a mayor–council government. The government consists of a mayor, treasurer, and controller, and a seven-member city council. They are elected to four-year terms, with the terms of the council designed to be overlapping. The mayor is chief executive and the city council prepares legislation and conducts oversight. The city council meets in Mario S. Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall. Joseph Schember (D) is the mayor of the city of Erie and was first elected in 2017. , the Erie City Council consists of:


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is the largest city in Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district and is currently represented in Congress by Republican Mike Kelly, who was elected in 2010. Republican Dan Laughlin of the 49th District represents Erie in the Pennsylvania State Senate. The city of Erie is split by the 1st and 2nd Districts of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is represented by Democrats Patrick Harkins and Robert E. Merski, respectively.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie Public Schools enroll 12,527 students in primary and secondary grades. The district has 23 public schools including elementary, middle, and high schools, with one charter school. Other than public schools, the city is home to more than 40 private schools and academies. Erie public schools are under frequent criticism for education quality, school rankings, and abnormally high teacher salary.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The City of Erie is served by two public high schools, Erie High School and Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, plus three Catholic high schools: Cathedral Preparatory School, Mercyhurst Preparatory School, and Villa Maria Academy.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is home to several colleges and universities, including Gannon University located in downtown Erie, and Mercyhurst University in the southeast part of the city. Other notable colleges in the Erie area include Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM, a large medical school), and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is also home of the Barber National Institute and its Elizabeth Lee Black School, which provides services and education for children and adults with mental disabilities. Erie is home to its main campus, and it provides services in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Achievement Center also serves the needs of children from birth to age 21 with physical and mental health disabilities.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: After years of advocacy on the issue, Erie County Council approved sponsorship of the Erie County Community College on June 28, 2017. Council Chairman Jay Breneman and colleagues Andre Horton, Kathy Fatica, and Fiore Leone voted in favor of sponsoring the community college, which was later signed by County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper. The county executive's administration took the lead in presenting the proposal to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education for approval, supported by a cross-section of business, civic, labor, and community leaders.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is served by "Erie Times-News", the city's daily newspaper, as well as "Erie Reader", an alternative weekly newspaper.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: The Nielsen Company ranks Erie as 152 out of the 210 largest television markets in the United States, as of the 2019−2020 report. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks, including WICU-TV 12 (NBC), WJET-TV 24 (ABC), WFXP 66 (FOX), WSEE-TV 35 (CBS), and WSEE-DT2 35.2 (CW). WQLN 54 is a member station of PBS and also broadcasts in London, Ontario. Cable companies available for Erie include Charter Spectrum, DirecTV, and Dish Network.


title: Erie, Pennsylvania

text: Erie is served by several AM and FM radio stations based in the city, and dozens of other nearby station broadcasts can be heard.