title: Susannah Constantine

text: Although not formally trained in journalism or in fashion, she has successfully co-written fashion advice books with Woodall, some of which have become best-sellers in the United Kingdom and United States. It is estimated that her various style advice books have sold 2.5 million copies in Britain and the United States. Constantine and Woodall have designed their own clothing range for Littlewoods which made its debut in 2007, followed by the release of their last fashion advice book, "The Body Shape Bible".


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine was born at Hammersmith, and raised at Knipton, a small village in Leicestershire. Her father, Joseph Constantine, was an Old Etonian who served as an officer in the Coldstream Guards. He was of a Yorkshire landed gentry family that traces back to the 1100s. Through her paternal grandmother, Marie Leonie Francoise (née van Haaren), she descends from Dutch prince William the Silent.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine was educated at boarding schools including Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, London and St Mary's School in Wantage, Oxfordshire which was run by Anglican nuns. She was first sent to boarding school at the age of 11 years, and recalls her first night away from home: "I sobbed uncontrollably into my pillow."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In mid-2007, Constantine spoke about how she received a letter from St Mary's School, inviting her to come back to the school to talk about her career and success to current pupils. Constantine immediately declined the offer and wrote "No fucking way" on the letter she had received.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine originally did a year of Montessori training after she had left school but she then moved onto other projects such as studying sculpture in Brussels. She later said of this time that she "lost [her] virginity, went a bit mad." Constantine had taught children for three years, and also worked as a shop girl for Harrods. She wrote a book about present giving, which prompted "The Daily Telegraph" to write an article implying she had never done a day's work in her life, something which deeply upset her. She has stated "I've "always" worked."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: She worked as a shop girl in America for Giorgio Armani. She later came back to London working for designers such as Richard James, Patrick Cox, Alistair Blair and John Galliano which gained her an understanding of fashion. She then started working with the British Brain and Spine Foundation and consequently met the sports editor of "The Daily Telegraph". Whilst doing a piece for "GMTV", he asked Constantine to report the women's World Cup Final in cricket. She proceeded to write about cars and then fashion.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In 1994, she first met Trinny Woodall at a party hosted by David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley. The two women wrote "Ready to Wear", a weekly style guide for "The Daily Telegraph" for seven years. The column promoted affordable high-street fashion and they used themselves to illustrate which clothing suited which figure. Constantine and Woodall became the co-founders of Ready2shop.com, but the business venture failed, and investors lost a reputed £10 million.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine made her television debut when Granada Sky Broadcasting signed her and Woodall to present a daytime shopping show called "Ready to Wear", and they released their first fashion advice book, "Ready 2 Dress" in 2000. The book was unsuccessful and resulted in the pulping of 13,000 copies. Soon after the start of their television career, they secured a frequent makeover slot on the show "Richard & Judy". It ensured that they had further exposure in television and gained attention from Jane Root, controller of BBC Two, who signed them up after their book venture and their internet business had failed badly.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine began co-hosting "What Not to Wear" with Trinny Woodall in 2001, in which they criticised participants' appearances and fashion style. Constantine and Woodall hosted "What Not to Wear" until 2005 and became renowned for their behaviour with the participants, direct advice, and frequently referring to breasts as tits. A notorious moment arose when Constantine spontaneously pulled a female candidate's underwear down during filming as her knicker line was visible. Critics of "What Not to Wear" argued that the duo were too patronising to their subjects, a claim which they strongly disagree with. Constantine insists that their subjects "see we have a genuine love of women. We love women and they can see that. Women just know." She also stated "Ultimately, what we're doing is giving people confidence. We're probably the only people who have an opinion, who care how ordinary people dress. No one at "Vogue" magazine gives a shit. They work with the designers, it's more creative and artistic – they are creating something beautiful. But they don't care about how their readers end up looking – whereas we do!" The show made Constantine and Woodall household names and they are now known together as Trinny and Susannah. One reporter has simply referred to Constantine as "the one with 'big tits'."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine has the belief that "anyone can achieve style. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from." She also says that she finds dressing other women easy, but finds it difficult when dressing herself. Constantine and Woodall share the belief that dressing to flatter body shape is vital, stating "For us, it’s all about shape, and how that is going to cure a bodily defect. We’re like clothing doctors."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: During her time co-hosting "What Not to Wear", she and Woodall won a Royal Television Society Award in 2002 for being the best factual presenters. In 2002, Constantine advised Jeremy Clarkson on a celebrity version of "What Not to Wear". After Clarkson appeared on the show, Nasir Khan stated "I'd rather eat my own hair than shop with these two [Constantine and Woodall] again". The show was nominated for the Features Award at the BAFTAS in both 2002 and 2003. On the show "Big Impression", impressionist Ronni Ancona took to spoofing Constantine's presenting techniques on "What Not to Wear".


title: Susannah Constantine

text: For charity, in 2002 during the BBC's "Children in Need" programme, both Constantine and Woodall performed their own version of Madonna's hit single "Vogue". They became the faces of Nescafé in 2003 in which they were featured in television advertisements promoting the brand of coffee. As part of their contract, Constantine and Woodall gave a Nescafé competition winner a £10,000 makeover.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Following its ratings success, "What Not to Wear" was promoted from BBC Two to BBC One in 2004. The format was changed slightly, to a 60-minute show with two makeovers instead of a 30-minute show with only one makeover and also saw Constantine spending a day as one of her subjects. "What Not to Wear" was also aired in countries such as Spain and Portugal as well as in the American continent.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine appeared on "Children in Need" in 2004, which included a special segment in which she gave the fictional "EastEnders" characters Little Mo and Mo Harris a makeover in the style of "What Not to Wear", commenting on them with her usual "no nonsense" approach. In 2005, Constantine voiced a robot version of herself in the science fiction series, "Doctor Who".


title: Susannah Constantine

text: "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has also seen Constantine and Woodall appearing twice as makeover and style experts. They also did an "Oprah bra and swimsuit intervention". Reflecting on differences in women's style and willingness to submit to makeovers between the UK and America, she stated that although there is not much difference, "The Americans are slightly less adventurous," and that "American women are more open to change and slightly more receptive victims."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In 2006, Constantine and Woodall moved from the BBC to ITV to start a new show, "Trinny & Susannah Undress...", on 3 October. The second series of "Trinny & Susannah Undress..." was transmitted in June 2007, and it maintained the format of series one which saw Constantine and Woodall advising couples who were finding problems within their marriage. Constantine stated in an interview that filming the show was very emotionally draining, and as a result, she often went home crying. The programme did not come without its critics who questioned the depth at which Constantine and Woodall could deal with serious issues raised during the programme. On 16 October 2006, they both appeared on NBC's "The Today Show" and performed makeovers on three women especially for the show.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: The new series on ITV saw a change in format. In one episode exploring the theme of age, Constantine was transformed into a seventy-year-old with the use of prosthetics and makeup. She stated that it took her four days to get over the sight of herself aged so drastically, and compared the feeling to having an "electric shock". Broadcasting was scheduled for 7 November 2007 and the programme is newly entitled "Trinny & Susannah Undress The Nation". On 5 November and 28 December 2007 Constantine and Woodall appeared on "Good Morning America" and performed makeovers on three women for the show and gave style advice according to the women's shapes. They also reported on the fashion at the 80th Academy Awards especially for the show in 2008. Constantine and Woodall have dressed over 5,000 women as of 2007.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In 2015, Constantine took part in the fifteenth series of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!". She was the first campmate to be eliminated from the show.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: On 21 August 2018, it was announced that Constantine would be a contestant on the sixteenth series of "Strictly Come Dancing". Her professional dance partner was Anton du Beke. She and du Beke were the first couple to be eliminated from the competition after scoring the lowest scoring Samba and Foxtrot in the show's history, both which scored just 12 points from the judges.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In 2010, Constantine and Woodall starred in an online mockumentary series called "Trinny and Susannah: What They Did Next".


title: Susannah Constantine

text: An announcement was made that Constantine and Woodall would be touring New Zealand and Australia where they made a series of public appearances at shopping malls owned by the Westfield Group to perform live styling sessions for the company's customers. Their appearances often attracted thousands of spectators. Before the tour, Constantine said "We don't know how New Zealanders dress but we are looking forward to getting over there and finding out."


title: Susannah Constantine

text: With Woodall, Constantine became the face of the home shopping company, Littlewoods Direct, after orders rose by thirty per cent when Littlewoods sponsored their ITV programme "Trinny & Susannah Undress". The pair produced a twelve-page fashion advice section within the Littlewoods catalogue and made a booklet called "The Golden Rules", which was distributed to all Littlewoods customers with fashion advice to suit a range of body shapes. They have also produced online style guidelines for Littlewoods.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: The first series of Littlewoods television advertisements featured Constantine and Woodall as themselves dressed as two agents trying to rob a Littlewoods designer warehouse, which was followed by Christmas adverts in 2007. The £12 million advertising campaign is one of largest ever for a home shopping and internet-based company. When the campaign began, Littlewoods' sales rose by 18 per cent, with brand awareness and customers visiting the website rising as well.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: On 20 September 2007, Constantine and Woodall launched their own Littlewoods women's clothing range which consists of trousers, coats and tops which like their underwear range, are designed to make certain areas appear slimmer. A series of eight dresses, cashmere knitwear, faux fur and sequinned shrugs also feature in the range.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine has co-written several style advice books with her fashion partner Trinny Woodall, which have sold over an estimated 2½ million copies worldwide. The fashion advice books have been number one bestsellers in Britain and the United States, appearing on both the Sunday Times bestseller list and The New York Times best-seller list, and have been translated throughout the world.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Their most successful book to date, "What Not to Wear", was published in 2002 which displayed chapters such as "Big Tits", "No Tits" and "Big Bum" with fashion advice for each category. It became an instant best-seller with total sales reaching 670,000 copies. Before the prime book selling season, their book had sold 250,000 copies in Britain. The book was at one point selling 45,000 copies each week and sold 300,000 copies in just fifteen weeks, eventually making sales worth £8.7 million. Other success with the book includes winning a British Book Award in 2003 for the TV & Film Book of the Year. Despite the book becoming an instant hit, Constantine and Woodall were only given an advance of £10,000. It was then reported that Constantine and Woodall secured a £1 million book deal to write more of their fashion books.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: The pair's latest book, "The Body Shape Bible", was published on 18 September 2007. In the book, women can interpret which body shape they are, and can then be given adequate fashion advice on their own individual shape. A few pages in the book are also devoted to illustrating some of Constantine and Woodall's own fashion disasters.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In January 2020, Constantine launched "My Wardrobe Malfunction", a "revealing podcast about our relationship with the items we wear". Guests were invited to share their 'comfort blanket', 'burial suit' and 'wardrobe malfunction'. The first season featured interviews with eight high-profile guests: Michelle Visage, Tan France, Elizabeth Hurley, Nile Rodgers, Trinny Woodall, Joe Sugg, Kristin Scott Thomas and Stacey Dooley. It continued throughout the year and, by December 2020, there had been five seasons and 40 episodes in total. Season six began on 4 February 2021 with Jane Seymour as the first guest.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: When she was young, Constantine would rely on her father for fashion advice and has commented that any style that she has, she learned from him. He was a talented artist and was offered worldwide art exhibitions, although he was too modest to accept. His death came suddenly and was a milestone for Constantine.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine became a fixture in 1980s British gossip columns and newspapers as the result of her relationship with Princess Margaret's son, David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, which lasted for eight years. Constantine admitted that her relationship with Linley undeniably opened doors for her, but after they broke up, she was keen to put the episode behind her and become well known in her own right. She dated Imran Khan, then a cricketer and playboy, later Prime Minister of Pakistan, in 1992. She also visited Pakistan in the time of the short-lived relationship. Constantine married Danish entrepreneur and businessman Sten Bertelsen, who launched Death cigarettes, with whom she has three children; Joe, Esme and CeCe. Constantine and her family bought a property in Sussex.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Constantine has spoken of the constant pressure to look good in public but affirms "We're as much in the business of dressing ourselves – but more importantly helping other women to do that." Constantine has admitted to a fear of growing older: "I just don't want to get old. Old women are invisible, and I don't want to be invisible," she has said.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In 2002, while on a visit to the Cannes Film Festival, Constantine and Woodall were the victims of gem thieves. The thieves broke into the villa on the French Riviera where they were staying, rendered Constantine and Woodall unconscious with chloroform, and then continued to steal money and jewellery.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: Carol Vorderman was involved in a feud with Constantine and Woodall in 2003. Vorderman commented harshly about the double-act, referring to them as 'Tranny and the Horse', based on their appearance, after they had called her an "overdone Eighties nightmare" and named Vorderman in their list of the 20 worst-dressed celebrities.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In August 2014, Constantine was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian" opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.


title: Susannah Constantine

text: In August 2020, she said she hates cyclists so much that if she saw her own husband out on the road in Lycra, she would run him over. Speaking on the "My Wardrobe Malfunction" podcast, Constantine said “Oh I hate cycling, I won’t cycle. No, I fucking hate cyclists. My husband is a cyclist and if I see him on the road on his bicycle, I’m going to run him over... And the day when I know I’m about to die, I’m going to get in my car, aged 90, and I’m going to drive into cyclists wearing Lycra, kill the lot of them and go and die in Guam.”


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The BMW Z4 (G29) is a two-door roadster produced by German automobile manufacturer BMW. It was introduced in 2018 as a successor to the E89 Z4. As a fifth model in the lineage, the Z4 (G29) marks the return of the soft-top roof to the Z Series sports cars.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: Designed by Australian born Calvin Luk, the car is based on the Z4 Concept unveiled a year earlier, and was developed alongside the fifth-generation Toyota Supra due to BMW's partnership with Toyota. The design was inspired by the Z8. The G29 Z4 is based on the Toyota-BMW joint sports car architecture which also underpins the fifth-generation Supra and has a 50:50 weight distribution with weight savings of up to as compared to its predecessor. The soft-top convertible roof returned on the Z4 (G29) instead of a retractable hardtop of its predecessor. The roof can be raised or lowered in 10 seconds at speeds of up to . The boot is 50% larger than that of its predecessor and has a capacity of . It uses a multi-link rear suspension.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The official launch of the G29 Z4 took place at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October. The car was available for sale in March 2019.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: On March 11th, 2022, Magna Steyr halted production of the BMW Z4 (along with the 5-Series) for two weeks due to the lack of components since the ongoing 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine event. By 2024 the Z4 will end production, being the last Z-car in the BMW Z-series.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The sDrive models are available in a Sport line or the M Sport package. Available driver assistance systems include active cruise control, lane change warning system, a parking assistant, and collision warning with braking intervention.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The Z4 is offered with a 10.25-inch display with the iDrive 7.0. The car is available with BMW ConnectedDrive services which allow for over-the-air updates for the navigation maps and operating system. The digital key feature allows the car to be unlocked and started with a smartphone, and access can be shared with other people. It is also available with a customisable, digital instrument cluster (called BMW Live Cockpit Professional).


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The launch model was the M40i First Edition which has Frozen Orange metallic paintwork and Vernasca leather, 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive dampers, a Harman Kardon surround sound system and a head-up display.


title: BMW Z4 (G29)

text: The Z4 range consists of the sDrive 20i which is only available in Europe, the sDrive 30i and the range topping M40i models. The sDrive models are powered by the 2.0-litre B48 straight-4 engine while the M40i is powered by the B58 straight-6 engine. All engines come with forced induction and are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual transmission was made available for only the sDrive 20i from July 2019.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Bonnet has been used as the name for a wide variety of headgear for both sexes—more often female—from the Middle Ages to the present. As with "hat" and "cap", it is impossible to generalize as to the styles for which the word has been used, but there is for both sexes a tendency to use the word for pop styles in soft material and lacking a brim, or at least one all the way round, rather than just at the front. Yet the term has also been used, for example, for steel helmets. This was from Scotland (in 1505), where the term has long been especially popular.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Headgear tied under the chin with a string was especially likely to be called a bonnet. Other features associated with bonnets as opposed to hats was that the forehead was not covered, and the back of the head often was. The outdoor headgear of female servants and workers was more likely to be called a bonnet. It was often worn outside over a thinner everyday head covering, which was worn at all times. In summary, hats were often stiffer, worn on the top of the head with the crown and brim roughly horizontal, while bonnets were pushed back, covering the back of the head, with any brim often approaching the vertical at the front. Other types of bonnet might otherwise be called "caps", for example the Scottish blue bonnet worn by working-class men and women, a kind of large floppy beret.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: "Bonnet" derives from the same word in French, where it originally indicated a type of material. From the 18th century bonnet forms of headgear, previously mostly only worn by elite women in informal contexts at home, became adopted by high fashion, and until at least the late 19th century, bonnet was the dominant term used for female hats. In the 21st century, only a few kinds of headgear are still called bonnets, most commonly those worn by babies and Scottish soldiers. In addition, types of headgear called bonnets are worn by women as an outer Christian headcovering in some denominations such as the Amish, Mennonite and Brethren churches among the Anabaptist branch of Christianity, and with Conservative Quakers, mainly in the Americas.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Until the late 19th century bonnet seems to have been the preferred term for most types of hats worn by women, while "hat" was more reserved for male headgear, and female styles that resembled them, typically either in much smaller versions perched on top of the head, or versions with very wide brims all the way round. In the mid-17th and 18th century "house bonnets" worn by women and girls were generally brimless headcoverings which were secured by tying under the chin, and which covered no part of the forehead. They were worn both indoors and outdoors, to keep the hair tidy, to keep dust or flour out of the hair while working, and in accordance with the Christian Bible passage 1 Corinthians 11. With society hairstyles becoming increasingly elaborate after 1770, the "calash" was worn outdoors to protect hair from wind and weather: a hood of silk stiffened with whalebone or arched cane battens, collapsible like a fan or the calash top of a carriage, they were fitted with ribbons to allow them to be held secure in a gale.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: From Waterloo, increasingly more structured and fashionable bonnets made by milliners, which rapidly grew larger and less functional, among the upper classes. A plate in "La Belle Assemblée" 1817 showed a


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: This was specified as a "carriage dress", with the understanding that when “taking the air” in an open carriage, the bonnet provided some privacy—such a bonnet was called an "invisible" in Paris—and prevent wind-chapping, with its connotations of countrified “rude” health. Straw was available again after 1815: the best straw bonnets came from Leghorn. As a bonnet developed a peak, it would extend from the entire front of the bonnet, from the chin over the forehead and down the other side of the face. Some styles of bonnets between ca 1817 and 1845 had a large peak which effectively prevented women from looking right or left without turning their heads: a "coal-scuttle" or "poke" bonnet, which served as blinders for women, to keep them looking straight ahead. Others had a wide peak which was angled out to frame the face. In the 1840s it might be crimped at the top to frame the face in a heart shape. As the bonnet became more complicated, under it might be worn a lace "cornette" to hold the hair in place.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: The lack of a clear distinction between hats and bonnets can be seen in these extracts from "Harper's Bazaar" in 1874: (On "Paris Fashions", by Emmeline Raymond, 11 April) "There is no change in bonnets. So long as the hair is piled on top of the head, the little device which takes the place of a dress cap must remain as it is. The brims are generally flattened at the sides, swelling above the front, and turned up behind in order to make room for the hair, which would not find room whereon to lodge if the precaution were not taken, here and there, to punch out what is called a brim of what is called a bonnet. It is said, however, that straw hats of the Pamela shape are in preparation, that is, turned up behind, but shading the forehead. It would be so very sensible to wear a bonnet that would protect the face from the sun that I give this news with due caution. For my part, I can not believe it, as little of practical, functional purpose remains in bonnet design." A week before, ("New York Fashions", 4 April): "Strings are now seldom seen, and this does away with the last distinguishing feature between bonnets and round hats; the same head-covering now serves for each, as it is a bonnet when worn far back on the head, and a hat when tilted forward."


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Bonnets remained one of the most common types of headgear worn by women throughout most of the 19th century. Especially for a widow, a bonnet was "de rigueur". Silk bonnets, elaborately pleated and ruched, were worn outdoors, or in public places like shops, galleries, churches, and during visits to acquaintances. Women would cover their heads with caps simply to keep their hair from getting dirty and perhaps out of female modesty, again, in European society, based upon the historical teaching of the Christian Bible. In addition, women in wedlock would wear caps and bonnets during the day, to further demonstrate their status as married women.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Under the French Second Empire, parasols took the place of headgear for protection from sun, and bonnets became smaller and smaller, until they could only be held on the head with hatpins. As hats came back into style, bonnets were increasingly worn by women who wanted to appear modest in public, with the result that bonnets accumulated connotations of dowager wear and were dropped from fashion, except out on the prairies or country wear.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Most middle-class women in the 19th century would have had at least two bonnets, one suitable for summer weather, often made from straw, and one made from heavier fabric for winter wear. This is where the tradition of an Easter bonnet originated, when women would switch from their winter bonnet to their summer bonnet. Wealthier women would have many bonnets, suitable for different occasions.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Women of some religious groups have continued to wear bonnets for worship or everyday clothing. This is especially the case among Anabaptist Christianity (Old Order Mennonites, Schwarzenau Brethren, River Brethren and the Amish) and other plain people, such as plain-dressing Conservative Friends (Quakers). Bonnets were adopted by the Salvation Army based on 1 Corinthians 11, as part of uniform for women. Initially, Salvation Army bonnets were introduced as symbolic and representative protection for women and were reinforced with black tar to turn them into physical helmets to protect against the projectiles thrown by pagans. Later versions were smaller when there was no longer any need for protection. The bonnet has now been replaced with a bowler hat.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: In France, single women wore elaborate yellow and green bonnets to honor St. Catherine's Day on November 25. The French expression "coiffer Sainte-Catherine" ('don St. Catherine's bonnet'), an idiom that describes an unmarried woman of 25 years or older, derives from this custom.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Slave woman shipped from Africa, who traditionally wore African head dress in their native countries, were given European styles of bonnets. Slaves working household tasks they were often given bonnets of a traditional European maid style, while slaves in the field wore hand-tied sunbonnets. These head bonnets were preferred by the masters for hygiene, while also offering protection from the sun.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: The word "bonnet" for male headgear was generally replaced in English by cap before 1700, except in Scotland, where "bonnet" and the Scots language version "bunnet" remained in use, originally for the widely worn blue bonnet, and now especially for military headgear, like the feather bonnet (not to be confused with those worn by Native Americans, for which "bonnet" was also used), Glengarry, Kilmarnock and Balmoral. The Tudor bonnet remains a term for a component of the academic regalia of some universities, and is not unlike the common male bonnet of the 16th century.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: "Bonnet" is also the term for the puffy velvet fabric inside the coronet of some male ranks of nobility, and "the affair of the bonnets" was a furious controversy in the France of Louis XIV over the mutual courtesies due between the magistrates of the Parliament de Paris and the Dukes of France.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: The Scotch bonnet pepper was named for its resemblance to a bonnet worn by men in Scotland in the past, as it had a pom pom at the top which indicates the difference form the men's bonnet and women's bonnet.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: The most common kind of bonnet worn today is a soft headcovering for babies. Its shape is similar to that of some kinds of bonnets that women used to wear: it covers the hair and ears, but not the forehead.


title: Bonnet (headgear)

text: Bonnets in recent times in the US are more commonly associated with the African-American community. Modern bonnets are often made of silk or satin to preserve one’s hairstyle while asleep or lying down. They maintain a similar shape to bonnets that were popular in the 1960s.


title: Ergotamine

text: Ergotamine, sold under the brand names Cafergot (with caffeine) and Ergomar among others, is an ergopeptine and part of the ergot family of alkaloids; it is structurally and biochemically closely related to ergoline. It possesses structural similarity to several neurotransmitters, and has biological activity as a vasoconstrictor.


title: Ergotamine

text: It is used medicinally for treatment of acute migraine attacks (sometimes in combination with caffeine). Medicinal usage of ergot fungus began in the 16th century to induce childbirth, yet dosage uncertainties discouraged the use. It has been used to prevent post-partum hemorrhage (bleeding after childbirth). It was first isolated from the ergot fungus by Arthur Stoll at Sandoz in 1918 and marketed as Gynergen in 1921.


title: Ergotamine

text: Ergotamine is a secondary metabolite (natural product) and the principal alkaloid produced by the ergot fungus, "Claviceps purpurea", and related fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae. Its biosynthesis in these fungi requires the amino acid -tryptophan and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate. These precursor compounds are the substrates for the enzyme, tryptophan dimethylallyltransferase, catalyzing the first step in ergot alkaloid biosynthesis, i.e., the prenylation of -tryptophan. Further reactions, involving methyltransferase and oxygenase enzymes, yield the ergoline, lysergic acid. Lysergic acid (LA) is the substrate of "lysergyl peptide synthetase", a nonribosomal peptide synthetase, which covalently links LA to the amino acids, -alanine, -proline, and -phenylalanine. Enzyme-catalyzed or spontaneous cyclizations, oxygenations/oxidations, and isomerizations at selected residues precede, and give rise to, formation of ergotamine.


title: Ergotamine

text: In the United States, ergotamine is available as a suppository, a sublingual tablet, and a tablet, sometimes in combination with caffeine. The suppository is available under the brand name Migergot, which contains 2 mg of ergotamine with 100 mg caffeine. The sublingual tablet is available under the brand name Ergomar and contains 2 mg of ergotamine. The combination tablet in combination with caffeine called Cafergot contains 1 mg of ergotamine and 100 mg of caffeine.


title: Ergotamine

text: This preparation may be used immediately following the aura/onset of pain to abort the migraine. For the best results, dosage should start at the first sign of an attack.


title: Ergotamine

text: Contraindications include: atherosclerosis, Buerger's syndrome, coronary artery disease, hepatic disease, pregnancy, pruritus, Raynaud's syndrome, and renal disease.


title: Ergotamine

text: It's also contraindicated if patient is taking macrolide antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin), certain HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, nelfinavir, indinavir), certain azole antifungals (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole) delavirdine, efavirenz, or a 5-HT receptor agonist (e.g., sumatriptan).


title: Ergotamine

text: Side effects of ergotamine include nausea and vomiting. At higher doses, it can cause raised arterial blood pressure, vasoconstriction (including coronary vasospasm) and bradycardia or tachycardia. Severe vasoconstriction may cause symptoms of intermittent claudication.


title: Ergotamine

text: Ergotamine interacts with serotonin, adrenergic, and dopamine receptors. It is an agonist of serotonin receptors including the 5-HT and 5-HT subtypes. Ergotamine is an agonist of the serotonin 5-HT receptor and has been associated with cardiac valvulopathy. Despite acting as a potent 5-HT receptor agonist, ergotamine is said to be non-hallucinogenic similarly to lisuride. This is thought to be due to functional selectivity at the 5-HT receptor.


title: Ergotamine

text: The bioavailability of ergotamine is around 2% orally, 6% rectally, and 100% by intramuscular or intravenous injection. The low oral and rectal bioavailability is due to low gastrointestinal absorption and high first-pass metabolism.


title: Ergotamine

text: Ergotamine is included as a List I precursor in the United States, as it is a commonly used precursor for the production of LSD.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), or frogmen, were amphibious units created by the United States Navy during World War II with specialized non-tactical missions. They were predecessors of the navy's current SEAL teams.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Their primary WWII function began with reconnaissance and underwater demolition of natural or man-made obstacles obstructing amphibious landings. Postwar they transitioned to scuba gear changing their capabilities. With that they came to be considered more elite and tactical during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. UDTs were pioneers in underwater demolition, closed-circuit diving, combat swimming, and midget submarine (dry and wet submersible) operations. They later were tasked with ensuring recovery of space capsules and astronauts after splash down in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space flight programs. Commando training was added making them the forerunner to the United States Navy SEAL program that exists today.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In 1983, after additional SEAL training, the UDTs were re-designated as SEAL Teams or Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Teams (SDVTs). SDVTs have since been re-designated SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The United States Navy studied the problems encountered by the disastrous Allied amphibious landings during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I. This contributed to the development and experimentation of new landing techniques in the mid-1930s. In August 1941, landing trials were performed and one hazardous operation led to Army Second Lieutenant Lloyd E. Peddicord being assigned the task of analyzing the need for a human intelligence (HUMINT) capability.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: When the U.S. entered World War II, the Navy realized that in order to strike at the Axis powers the U.S. forces would need to perform a large number of amphibious attacks. The Navy decided that men would have to go in to reconnoiter the landing beaches, locate obstacles and defenses, as well as guide the landing forces ashore. In August 1942, Peddicord set up a recon school for his new unit, Navy Scouts and Raiders, at the amphibious training base at Little Creek, Virginia.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In 1942, the Army and Navy jointly established the Amphibious Scout and Raider School at Fort Pierce, Florida. Here Lieutenant Commander Phil H. Bucklew, the "Father of Naval Special Warfare", helped organize and train what became the Navy's 'first group' to specialize in amphibious raids and tactics.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The need for intelligence gathering prior to landings became paramount following the amphibious assault at the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943. Although Navy and Marine Corps planners had identified coral as an issue, they incorrectly assumed landing craft would be able to crawl over the coral. Marines were forced to exit their craft in chest deep water a thousand yards from shore, with many men drowning due to the irregularities of the reefs and Japanese gunners inflicting heavy U.S. casualties.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: After that experience, Rear admiral Kelley Turner, Commander of the V Amphibious Corps (VAC), directed Seabee Lt. Crist (CEC) to come up with a means to deal with the coral and the men to do it. Lt. Crist staged 30 officers and 150 enlisted men from the 7th Naval Construction Regiment at Waipio Amphibious Operating Base on Oahu to form the nucleus of a reconnaissance and demolition training program. It is here that the UDTs of the Pacific were born.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Later in war, the Army Engineers passed down demolition jobs to the U.S. Navy. It then became the Navy's responsibility to clear any obstacles and defenses in the near shore area.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: A memorial to the founding of the UDT has been built at Bellows Air Force Station near the original Amphibious Training Base (ATB) in Oahu.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In early May 1943, a two-phase "Naval Demolition Project" was ordered by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) "to meet a present and urgent requirement". The first phase began at Amphibious Training Base (ATB) Solomons, Maryland with the establishment of Operational Naval Demolition Unit No. 1. Six Officers and eighteen enlisted men reported from the Seabees dynamiting and demolition school at Camp Peary for a four-week course. Those Seabees were immediately sent to participate in the invasion of Sicily where they were divided in three groups that landed on the beaches near Licata, Gela and Scoglitti.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Also in May, the Navy created a Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs) tasked with eliminating beach obstructions in advance of amphibious assaults, going ashore in an LCRS inflatable boat. Each NCDU consisted of five enlisted men led by a single, junior (CEC) officer. In early May, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King, picked Lieutenant Commander Draper L. Kauffman to lead the training. The first six classes graduated from "Area E" at the Seabee's Camp Peary between May and mid-July. Training was moved to Fort Pierce,Florida where the first class began mid-July 1943. Despite the move and having the Scouts Raiders base close by, Camp Peary was Kauffman's primary source of recruits. "He would go up to Camp Peary's Dynamite School and assemble the Seabees in the auditorium saying: ""I need volunteers for hazardous, prolonged and distant duty."" Kauffman's other volunteers came from the U.S. Marines, and U.S. Army combat engineers. Training commenced with one grueling week designed to "separate the men from the boys". Some said that "the men had sense enough to quit, leaving Kauffman with the boys." It was and is still considered the first "".


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In early November 1943 NCDU-11 was assigned as the advance NCDU party for Operation Overlord. They would be joined in England by 33 more NCDUs. They trained with the 146th, 277th and 299th Combat Engineers to prepare for the landing. Each Unit had five Combat engineers attached to it. The first 10 NCDUs divided into three groups. The senior officer, by rank, was the commanding officer of Group III, Lieutenant Smith (CEC). He assumed command in an unofficial capacity. His Group III worked on experimental demolitions and developed the Hagensen Pack.(an innovation that used of tetryl placed into rubber tubes that could be twisted around obstacles) As more teams arrived a NCDU Command was created for NCDUs: 11, 22–30, 41–46, 127–8, 130–42


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The Germans had constructed elaborate defenses on the French coast. These included steel posts driven into the beach and topped with explosive charges. Large 3-ton steel barricades called Belgian Gates and hedgehogs were placed throughout the tidal zone. Behind which was a network of reinforced: coastal artillery, mortar and machine gun positions.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The Scouts and Raiders spent weeks gathering information during nightly surveillance missions up and down the French coast. Replicas of the Belgian Gates were constructed on the south coast of England for the NCDUs to practice demolitions on. It was possible to blow a gate to pieces, but that only created a mass of tangled iron creating more of an obstacle. The NCDUs found that the best method was to blast the structural joints of a gate so that it fell down flat.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The NCDU teams (designated Demolitions Gap-Assault teams) would come in at low tide to clear the obstacles. Their mission was to open sixteen wide corridors for the landing at each of the U.S. landing zones (Omaha Beach and Utah Beach).


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Unfortunately, the plans were not executed as laid out. The preparatory air and naval bombardment was ineffective, leaving many German guns to fire on the assault. Also, tidal conditions caused difficulties for the NCDUs. Despite heavy German fire and casualties, the NCDUs charges opened gaps in the defenses.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: used obstacles for cover that had demolition charges on them. The greatest difficulty was on Omaha Beach. By nightfall thirteen of the planned sixteen gaps were open. Of the 175 NCDU men that landed, 31 were killed and 60 were wounded. The attack on Utah Beach was better, four dead and eleven wounded. Overall, NCDUs suffered a 53 percent casualty rate. NCDUs were also assigned to Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, with a few units from Normandy participating there too.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: With Europe invaded Admiral Turner requisitioned all available NCDUs from Fort Pierce for integration into the UDTs for the Pacific. However, the first NCDUs, 1–10, had been staged at Turner City, Florida Island in the Solomon Islands during January 1944. A few were temporarily attached to UDTs. Later NCDUs 1–10 were combined to form Underwater Demolition Team Able. This team was disbanded with NCDUs 2 and 3, plus three others assigned to MacArthur's 7th Amphibious force, and were the only NCDUs remaining at war's end. The other men from Team Able were assigned to numbered UDTs.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The first units designated as Underwater Demolition Teams were formed in the Pacific Theater. Rear Admiral Turner, the Navy's amphibious expert, ordered the formation of Underwater Demolition Teams in response to the assault debacle experienced at Tarawa. Turner recognized that amphibious operations required intelligence of underwater obstacles . The personnel in teams 1-15 were primarily Seabees that had started out in the NCDUs. UDT training was at the Waipio Amphibious Operating Base, under V Amphibious Corps operational and administrative control. Most of the instructors and trainees were graduates of the Fort Pierce NCDU or Scouts and Raiders schools, Seabees, Marines, and Army soldiers.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: When Teams 1 and 2 were formed they were "provisional" and trained by a Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion that had nothing to do with the Fort Pierce program. After a successful mission at Kwajalein, where 2 UDT men stripped down to swim trunks and effectively gathered the intelligence Admiral Turner desired. As a result of their actions the UDT mission model evolved to daylight reconnaissance, wearing swim trunks, fins, and masks. The immediate success of the UDTs made them an indispensable part of all future amphibious landings.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: A UDT was organized with approximately sixteen officers and eighty enlisted. One Marine and one Army officer were liaisons within each team They were deployed in every major amphibious landing after Tarawa with 34 teams eventually being commissioned. Teams 1–21 were the teams that had deployed operationally, with slightly over half of the Officers and enlisted coming from the Seabees in those teams. The remaining teams were not deployed due to the war ending.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Prior to Tarawa, both Naval and Marine Corps planners had identified coral as an issue for amphibious operations. At Tarawa the created draft issues for the Higgins boats (LCVPs) clearing the reef. The Amtracs carrying the first wave crossed the reef successfully. The LCVPs carrying the second wave ran aground, disembarking their Marines several hundred yards to shore in full combat gear, under heavy fire. Many drowned or were killed before making the beach, forced to wade across treacherously uneven coral. The first wave was left fighting without reinforcements and took heavy casualties on the beach.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: This disaster made it clear Admiral Turner that pre-assault intelligence was needed to avoid similar difficulties in future operations. To that end, Turner ordered the formation of underwater demolition teams to do reconnaissance of beach conditions and do removal of submerged obstructions for Amphibious operations. After a thorough review, V Amphibious Corps found that the only people having any applicable experience with the coral were men in the Naval Construction Battalions. The Admiral tasked Lt. Thomas C. Crist (CEC) of CB 10 to develop a method for blasting coral under combat conditions and putting together a team for that purpose. Lt. Crist started by recruiting others he had blasted coral with in CB 10 and by the end November 1943 he had assembled close to 30 officers and 150 enlisted men from the 7th Naval Construction Regiment, at Waipio Amphibious Operating Base on Maui.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The first operation after Tarawa was Operation Flintlock in the Marshall Islands. It began with the island of Kwajalein in January 1944. Admiral Turner wanted the intelligence and to get it, the men that Lt. Crist had staged were used to form Underwater Demolition Teams: UDT 1 and UDT 2. Initially, the team commanders were Cmdr. E. D. Brewster (CEC) and Lt. Crist (CEC). However, Lt. Crist was made Ops officer of Team 2 and Lt. John T. Koehler was made the team Commander. As with all Seabee military training the Marines provided it. A Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion oversaw five weeks further training of the Seabees in UDTs 1 and 2 to prepare for the mission. UDT 1 was tasked with two daylight recons. The men were to follow Marine Corps Recon procedure with each two-man team getting close to the beach in a inflatable boats to make their observations wearing fatigues, boots, helmets, and life-lined to their boats. Team 1 found that the reef kept them from ascertaining conditions both in the water and on the beach as had been anticipated. In keeping with the Seabee traditions of: (1) doing whatever it takes to accomplish the job and (2) not always following military rules to get it done, UDT 1 did both, the fatigues and boots came off.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Ensign Lewis F. Luehrs and Seabee Chief Bill Acheson had anticipated that they would not be able to get the intell Admiral Turner wanted following USMC Recon protocol and had worn swim trunks beneath their fatigues. Stripping down, they swam 45 minutes undetected across the reef returning with sketches of gun emplacements and other intelligence. Still in their trunks, they were taken directly to Rear Admiral Turner's flagship to report. Afterwards, Rear Admiral Turner concluded that the only way to get this kind of information was to do what these men had done as individual swimmers, which is what he relayed to Admiral Nimitz. The planning and decisions of Rear Admiral Turner, Ensign Luehrs and Chief Acheson made Kwajalein a developmental day in UDT history, changing both the mission model and training regimen. Luehrs would make rank and be in UDT 3 until he was made XO of UDT 18. Acheson and three other UDT officers were posted to the 301st CB as blasting officers. The 301st specialized in Harbor dredging. It saved UDT teams from blasting channels and Harbor clearance, but it required its own blasters.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Admiral Turner ordered the formation of nine teams, six for VAC and three for III Amphibious Corps. Seabees made up the majority of the men in teams 1–9, 13 and 15. The officers of those teams were primarily CEC (Seabees). UDT 2 was sent to Roi-Namur where Lt. Crist would earn a Silver Star. UDTs 1 and 2 were decommissioned upon return to Hawaii with most the men transferred to UDTs 3, 4, 5, and 6. Admiral Turner ordered the formation of nine teams, three for III Amphibious Corps and six for V Amphibious Corps(in all teams 3–11). As more NCDUs arrived in the Pacific they were used to form even more teams. UDT 15 was an all NCDU team. In order to implement these changes and grow the UDTs, Koehler was made the commanding officer of the Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base on Maui. Admiral Turner also brought on LCDR Draper Kaufmann as a combat officer.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: It became obvious more men were needed than the NCDUs would supply and Cmdr. Kauffman was no longer recruiting Seabees, so Admiral Nimitz put out a call to the Pacific Fleet for volunteers. They would form three teams; UDT 14 would be the first of them. Recruiting was such an issue that three Lt. Cmdrs were transferred from USN Beach Battalions to command UDTs 11, 12, 13 that had no background in demolition.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Admiral Turner requested the establishment of the Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base at Kihei independent of Fort Pierce, expanding upon what had been learned from UDT 1 at Kwajalein. Operations began in February 1944 with Lt. Crist the first head of training. Most of the procedures from Fort Pierce were changed, replaced with an emphasis on developing swimmers, daylight reconnaissance, and no lifelines. The uniform of the day changed to diving masks, swim trunks, and a Ka-bar, creating the UDT image as "Naked Warriors" (swim-fins were added after UDT 10 introduced them).


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: At Saipan and Tinian UDTs 5, 6, and 7 were given the missions: day time for Saipan and night for Tinian. At Saipan UDT 7 developed a method to recover swimmers on the move without making the recovery vessel a stationary target.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: For Guam UDTs 3, 4, and 6 were the teams assigned. When it was over the Seabee-dominated teams had made naval history. For the Marianas operations Admiral Turner recommended over sixty Silver Stars and over three hundred Bronze Stars with Vs for UDTs 3–7 That was unprecedented in U.S. Naval/Marine Corps history.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: For UDTs 5 and 7, all officers received silver stars and all the enlisted received bronze stars with Vs for Operation Forager (Tinian). For UDTs 3 and 4 all officers received a silver stars and all the enlisted received bronze stars with Vs for Operation Forager (Guam). Admiral Conolly felt the commanders of teams 3 and 4 (Lt. Crist and Lt. W.G. Carberry) should have received Navy Crosses. Teams 4 & 7 also received Naval Unit Commendations.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: UDTs 6, 7, and 10 drew the Peleliu assignment while UDT 8 went to Angaur. The officers were almost all CEC and the enlisted were Seabees.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: At formation UDT 10 was assigned 5 officers and 24 enlisted that had trained as OSS Operational Swimmers.(Maritime Unit: Operational Swimmer Group II) They were led by a Lt. A.O. Chote Jr., who became UDT 10's commanding officer.The men were multi-service: Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. but, the OSS was not allowed to operate in the Pacific Theater. Admiral Nimitz needed swimmers and did approve their transfer from the OSS to his operational and administrative control. Most of their OSS gear was stored as it was not applicable to UDT work however, their swimfins came with them. The other UDTs quickly adopted them.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: UDT 14 was the first all-Navy team (one of three from the Pacific fleet) even though its CO and XO were CEC and some of Team Able was incorporated. In the Philippines Leyte Gulf UDTs 10 & 15 reconnoitered beaches at Luzon, teams 3, 4, 5, & 8 were sent to Dulag and teams 6, 9, & 10 went to Tacloban.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: When UDT 3 returned to Maui the team was made the instructors of the school. Lt Crist was again made Training Officer. Under his direction training was broken into four 2-week blocks with an emphasis on swimming and reconnaissance. There were classes in night operations, unit control, coral and lava blasting in addition to bivouacking, small unit tactics and small arms. Lt Crist would be promoted to Lt Cmdr and the team would remain in Hawaii until April 1945. At that time the Seabees of UDT 3 were transferred to Fort Pierce to be the instructors there. In all they would train teams 12 to 22. Lt. Cmdr. Crist would be sent back to Hawaii.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: D-minus 2 at Iwo Jima UDTs 12, 13, 14, and 15 reconnoitered the beaches from twelve LCI(G) with just one man wounded. They did come under intense heavy fire that sank three of their LCI(G) with the others seriously damaged of disabled. The LCI(G) crews suffered more than the UDTs with the skipper of one boat earning a Medal of Honor. The next day a Japanese bomb hit UDT 15's APD, killing fifteen and wounding 23. It was the largest loss suffered by the UDTs during the war.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: On D-plus 2 the beachmaster requested help. There were so many broached or damaged landing craft and the beach was so clogged with war debris that there was no place for landing craft to get ashore. Lt Cmdr. E. Hochuli of UDT 12 volunteered his team to go deal with the problem and teams 13 and 14 were ordered to go with. Lt Cmdr. Vincent Moranz of UDT 13 was "reluctant, and radioed that his men ... were not salvage-men. It is reported that Capt. (Bull) Hanlon, Underwater Demolition Operations Commanding Officer radioed back that he did not want anything salvaged, he wanted that beach cleared." The difference in attitude between Hochuli and Moranz would be remembered in the unit awards.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The three teams worked for five days clearing the waters edge. While the teams all did the same job under the same conditions the Navy gave them different unit awards: UDT 12 a PUC, UDT 14 a NUC and UDT 13 nothing. The USMC ground commanders felt that every man that set foot on the island during the assault had an award coming. The Navy did not share this point of view, besides UDT 13 not a single USN beach party received a unit award either. On D-plus 2, when the UDTs set foot on beaches that were under a USMC assault, any unit award they received should have come under the USMC award protocol. The USMC Iwo Jima PUC/NUC was a mass award with the PUC going to assault units and the NUC going to support units.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: UDTs also served at Eniwetok, Ulithi, Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, Zambales, Labuan, and Brunei Bay. At Lingayen UDT 9 was aboard the USS Belknap when she was hit by a Kamikaze. It cost the team one officer, 7 enlisted, 3 MIA and 13 wounded.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The largest UDT operation of WWII was the invasion of Okinawa, involving teams 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 18 (nearly 1,000 men). All prior missions had been in warm tropic waters but, the waters around Okinawa were cool enough that long immersion could cause hypothermia and severe cramps. Since thermal protection for swimmers was not available, UDTs were at risk to these hazards working around Okinawa.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Operations included both real reconnaissance and demolition at the landing beaches, and feints to create the illusion of landings in other locations. Pointed poles set into the coral reef protected the beaches on Okinawa. Teams 11 and 16 were sent in to blast the poles. The charges took out all of UDT 11's targets and half of UDT 16's. UDT 16 aborted the operation due to the death of one of their men; hence, their mission was considered a failure. UDT 11 went back the next day and took out the remaining poles after-which the team remained to guide landing-craft to the beach.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: By war's end 34 teams had been formed with teams 1–21 having actually been deployed. The Seabees provided half of the men in the teams that saw service. The U.S. Navy did not publicize the existence of the UDTs until post war and when they did they gave credit to Lt. Commander Kauffman and the Seabees.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: During WWII the Navy did not have a rating for the UDTs nor did they have an insignia. Those men with the CB rating on their uniforms considered themselves Seabees that were doing underwater demolition. They did not call themselves "UDTs" or "Frogmen" but rather "Demolitioneers" which had carried over from the NCDUs and LtCdr Kauffmans recruiting them from the Seabee dynamiting and demolition school. UDTs had to meet the military's standard age guidelines, Seabees older could not volunteer.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In preparation for the invasion of Japan the UDTs created a cold water training center and mid-1945 UDTs had to meet a "new physical standard". UDT 9 lost 70% of the team to this change. The last UDT demolition operation of the war was on 4 July 1945 at Balikpapan, Borneo. The UDTs continued to prepare for the invasion of Japan until VJ Day when the need for their services ceased.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: With the draw-down from the war two half-strength UDTs were retained, one on each coast: UDT Baker and UDT Easy. However, the UDTs were the only special troops that avoided complete disbandment after the war, unlike the OSS Maritime Unit, the VAC Recon Battalion, and several Marine recon missions.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In 1942 the Seabees became a completely new branch of the United States War Department. The Marine Corps provided both training and an organizational model. Something that either was not shared or the Seabees chose to ignore or considered not important was the keeping of logs, journals and records. The Seabees brought this record keeping approach with to the NCDUs and UDTs.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: On 20 August 1945 embarked UDT 21 at Guam as a component of the U.S. occupation force heading for Japan. Nine days later UDT 21 became the first U.S military unit to set foot on Japanese home soil when it reconned the beaches at Futtsu-misaki Point in Tokyo Bay. Their assessment was that the area was well suited for landing U.S. amphibious forces. UDT 21 made a large sign to greet the Marines on the beach. Team 21 was all fleet and the sign said greetings from "USN" UDT 21. The next day "Begor" took UDT 21 to Yokosuka Naval Base. There the team cleared the docks for the first U.S. warship to dock in Japan, . The team remained in Tokyo Bay until 8 Sept when it was tasked with locating remaining Kamikaze and two-man submarines at Katsura Wan, Uchiura Wan at Suruga Bay, Sendai, Onohama Shipyards and Choshi. Orders arrived for "Begor" to return the team to San Diego on 27 September.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: With the war over thousands of Japanese troops remained in China. The issue was given to the Marine's III Marine Amphibious Corps. UDT 9 was assigned to Operation Beleaguer to recon the landings of the 1st Marine Division at Taku and Tsingtao the first two weeks of October 1945. On their way to China the Navy had UDT 8 carry out a mission at Jinaen, Korea 8–27 September 1945. When UDT 9 arrived back in the States it was made one of the two post-War teams and redesignated UDT Baker.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Bikini atoll was chosen for the site of the nuclear tests of Operation Crossroads."In March 1946, Project Y scientists from Los Alamos decided that the analysis of a sample of water from the immediate vicinity of the nuclear detonation was essential if the tests were to be properly evaluated. After consideration of several proposals to accomplish this, it was finally decided to employ drone boats of the type used by Naval Combat Demolition Units in France during the war".


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: UDT Easy, later named UDT 3, was given the designation TU 1.1.3 for the Operation and was assigned the control and maintenance of the drone boats. On 27 April, 7 officers and 51 enlisted men embarked the USS Begor at the Seabee base Port Hueneme, CA, for transit to Bikini. At Bikini the drones were controlled from the Begor . Once a water sample was taken the drone would return to the Begor to be hosed down for decontamination. After a Radiation Safety Officer had taken a Geiger counter reading and the OK given, the UDTs would board with a radiation chemist to retrieve the sample. "Begor" came to have the reputation as the most contaminated boat in the fleet.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: A major issue afterwards was the treatment of the dislocated natives. In November 1948, the Bikinians were relocated to the uninhabited Island of Kili, however that island was located inside a coral reef that had no channel for access to the sea. In the spring of 1949, the Governor of the Trust Territories, Marshall Group requested the U.S. Navy blast a channel to change this. That task was given to the Seabees on Kwajalin whose CO quickly determined this was actually a UDT project. He sent a request to CINCPACFLT who forwarded it to COMPHIBPAC. This ultimately resulted in the sending of UDT 3 on a Civic action program that turned out better than politicians could have hoped. The King of the Bikinians held a send off feast for the UDTs the night before they departed.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Post WWII the UDTs continued to research new techniques for underwater and shallow-water operations. One area was the use of SCUBA equipment. Dr. Chris Lambertsen had developed the Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU), an oxygen rebreather, which was used by the Maritime Unit of the OSS. In October 1943, he demonstrated it to LtCmdr. Kauffman, but was told the device was not applicable to current UDT operations. Dr. Lambertsen and the OSS continued to work on closed-circuit oxygen diving and combat swimming. When the OSS was dissolved in 1945, Lambertsen retained the LARU inventory. He later demonstrated the LARU to Army Engineers, the Coast Guard, and the UDTs. In 1947, he demonstrated the LARU to LtCmdr. Francis "Doug" Fane, then a senior UDT commander.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: LtCmdr. Fane was enthusiastic for new diving techniques. He pushed for the adoption of rebreathers and SCUBA gear for future operations, but the Navy Experimental Diving Unit and the Navy Dive School, which used the old "hard-hat" diving apparatus, declared the new equipment be too dangerous. Nonetheless, LtCmdr. Fane invited Dr. Lambertsen to NAB Little Creek, Virginia in January 1948 to demonstrate and train UDT personnel in SCUBA operations. This was the first-ever SCUBA training for USN divers. Following this training, Lcdr. Fane and Dr. Lambertsen demonstrated new UDT capabilities with a successful lock-out and re-entry from , an underway submarine, to show the Navy's need for this capability. LtCmdr. Fane then started the classified "Submersible Operations" or SUBOPS platoon with men drawn from UDT 2 and 4 under the direction of Lieutenant (junior grade) Bruce Dunning.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: LtCmdr. Fane also brought the conventional "Aqua-lung" open-circuit SCUBA system into use by the UDTs. Open-circuit SCUBA is less useful to combat divers, as the exhausted air produces a tell-tale trail of bubbles. However, in the early 1950s, the UDTs decided they preferred open-circuit SCUBA, and converted entirely to it. The remaining stock of LARUs was supposedly destroyed in a beach-party bonfire. Later on, the UDT reverted to closed-circuit SCUBA, using improved rebreathers developed by Dr. Lambertsen.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: It was at this time that the UDTs, led by LtCmdr. Fane, established training facilities at Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The UDTs also began developing weapons skills and procedures for commando operations on land in coastal regions. The UDTs started experiments with insertion/extraction by helicopter, jumping from a moving helicopter into the water or rappelling like mountain climbers to the ground. Experimentation developed a system for emergency extraction by plane called "Skyhook". Skyhook utilized a large helium balloon and cable rig with harness. A special grabbing device on the nose of a C-130 enabled a pilot to snatch the cable tethered to the balloon and lift a person off the ground. Once airborne, the crew would winch the cable in and retrieve the personnel though the back of the aircraft. Training this technique was discontinued following the death of a SEAL at NAB Coronado during a training exercise. Teams still utilize the Skyhook for equipment extraction and retain the combat capability for personnel if needed.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: During the Korean War, the UDTs operated on the coasts of North Korea, with their efforts initially focused on demolitions and mine disposal. Additionally, the UDT accompanied South Korean commandos on raids in the North to demolish railroad tunnels and bridges. The higher-ranking officers of the UDT frowned upon this activity because it was a non-traditional use of the Naval forces, which took them too far from the water line. Due to the nature of the war, the UDT maintained a low operational profile. Some of the better-known missions include the transport of spies into North Korea, and the destruction of North Korean fishing nets.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: A more traditional role for the UDT was in support of Operation CHROMITE, the amphibious landing at Inchon. UDT 1 and UDT 3 divers went in ahead of the landing craft, scouting mud flats, marking low points in the channel, clearing fouled propellers, and searching for mines. Four UDT personnel acted as wave-guides for the Marine landing.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The UDT assisted in clearing mines in Wonsan harbor, under fire from enemy shore batteries. Two minesweepers were sunk in these operations. A UDT diver dove on the wreck of USS Pledge (AM-277), the first U.S. combat operation using SCUBA gear.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The Korean War was a period of transition for the men of the UDT. They tested their previous limits and defined new parameters for their special style of warfare. These new techniques and expanded horizons positioned the UDT well to assume an even broader role as war began brewing to the south in Vietnam.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Initially, the splashdown of U.S. manned space capsules were unassisted. That changed quickly after the second manned flight. When Mercury 11 hit the water the hatch blew and she sank nearly drowning Gus Grissom. After that all Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules were met by UDTs 11 or 12 upon splashdown. Before the hatch was opened the UDTs would attach a flotation collar to the capsule and liferaft for the astronauts to safely exit the craft.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The Navy entered the Vietnam War in 1958, when the UDTs delivered a small watercraft far up the Mekong River into Laos. In 1961, naval advisers started training South Vietnamese personnel in South Vietnam. The men were called the "Liên Đoàn Người Nhái" (LDNN) or Vietnamese Frogmen, which translates as "Frogmen Team".


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: UDT teams carried out hydrographic surveys in South Vietnam's coastal waters and reconnaissance missions of harbors, beaches and rivers often under hazardous conditions and enemy fire.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: Later, the UDTs supported the Amphibious Ready Groups operating on South Vietnam's rivers. UDTs manned riverine patrol craft and went ashore to demolish obstacles and enemy bunkers. They operated throughout South Vietnam, from the Mekong Delta (Sea Float), the Parrot's Beak and French canal AO's through I Corps and the Song Cui Dai estuary south of Da Nang.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: In the mid-1950s, the Navy saw how the UDT's mission had expanded to a broad range of "unconventional warfare", but also that this clashed with the UDT's traditional focus on swimming and diving operations. It was therefore decided to create a new type of unit that would build on the UDT's elite qualities and water-borne expertise, but would add land combat skills, including parachute training and guerrilla/counterinsurgency operations. These new teams would come to be known as the US Navy SEALs, an acronym for Sea, Air, and Land. Initially there was a lag in the unit's creation until President John F. Kennedy took office. Kennedy recognized the need for unconventional warfare, and supported the use of special operations forces against guerrilla activity. The Navy moved forward to establish its new special operations force and in January 1962 commissioned SEAL Team ONE in NAB Coronado and SEAL Team TWO at NAB Little Creek. UDT-11 & 12 were still active on the west coast and UDT-21 & 22 on the east coast. The SEALs quickly earned a reputation for valor and stealth in Vietnam, where they conducted clandestine raids in perilous territory. In May 1983, the remaining UDT teams were reorganized as SEAL teams. UDT 11 became SEAL Team Five and UDT 12 became Seal Delivery Vehicle Team One. UDT 21 became SEAL Team Four and UDT 22 became Seal Delivery Vehicle Team Two. A new team, SEAL Team Three was established in October 1983. Since then, teams of SEALs have taken on clandestine missions in war-torn regions around the world, tracking high-profile targets such as Panama's Manuel Noriega and Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and playing integral roles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: For those who served in an Underwater Demolition Team, the U.S. Navy authorized the Underwater Demolition operator badge in 1970. However, the UDT badge was phased out in 1971, a few months after it appeared, as was the silver badge for enlisted UDT/SEAL frogmen. After that, SEAL and UDT operators, both officer and enlisted, all wore the same gold Trident, as well as gold Navy jump wings.


title: Underwater Demolition Team

text: The UDTs have received several unit citations and commendations. Members who participated in actions that merited the award are authorized to wear the medal or ribbon associated with the award on their uniform. Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces have different categories, (i.e. Service, Campaign, Unit, and Personal). Unit Citations are distinct from the other decorations.


title: Twice singles discography

text: The singles discography of South Korean girl group Twice consists of thirty-four singles and ten promotional singles.


title: Twice singles discography

text: Formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015 through the survival show "Sixteen", Twice debuted in October 2015 with the release of the single, "Like Ooh-Ahh" becoming their first top ten single on the Gaon Digital Chart. The group would later earn nine consecutive number-ones from 2016 to 2018; "Cheer Up", "TT", "Knock Knock", "Signal", "Likey", "Heart Shaker", "What Is Love?", "Dance the Night Away" and "Yes or Yes". Subsequent singles from 2019 to 2021; "Fancy", "Feel Special", "More & More", "I Can't Stop Me" and "Alcohol-Free", all peaked inside the top ten. Other singles such as "The Best Thing I Ever Did", "Scientist" and "Talk That Talk" all charted at the top forty. "What Is Love?", "Dance the Night Away", "Yes or Yes", and "Fancy" also received platinum certifications from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for achieving 100 million streams.


title: Twice singles discography

text: In Japan, the group's first two Japanese singles, "One More Time" and "Candy Pop", were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). While the third single, "Wake Me Up", became the first physical single by a foreign female artist to earn a double platinum certification. The group's subsequent Japanese singles, "Happy Happy", "Breakthrough", and "Fanfare", also received platinum certifications.


title: Twice singles discography

text: Other feats achieved by the group on the charts include "Likey", which debuted atop the World Digital Song Sales chart. The group's first English single, "The Feels", became their first song to chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.


title: Twice singles discography

text: To date, Twice have earned nine number-one singles in Gaon Digital Chart, six number-one singles on the K-pop Hot 100, four number-one singles in Oricon Singles Chart and five number-one singles on the "Billboard Japan" Hot 100.


title: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II

text: Super Fight II was a non-title boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The second of the three Ali–Frazier bouts, it took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday, January 28, 1974. Ali, a slight favorite to win, was named the victor by a unanimous but controversial decision; during the match, Ali clinched 133 times.


title: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II

text: Held in between their two title bouts, The Fight of the Century in 1971 and The Thrilla in Manila in 1975, this second fight was scheduled for twelve rounds. Promoted as "Super Fight II", it was considered by many fans and experts to be the least interesting and hyped fight of their three fights . One columnist described it as a contest between two "former champions, both beaten, both past their best". Nonetheless, Ali wanted to avenge his loss to Frazier in their first fight, and a world title try at Heavyweight champion George Foreman, who had dethroned Frazier, was at stake. Their first and third fights became part of boxing's lore, but many viewers considered the second fight to be entertaining as well.


title: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II

text: On January 23, 1974 (5 days before the rematch), Ali and Frazier visited the ABC studios in New York City to review their first fight for ABC's "Wide World of Sports". While both fighters were reviewing round 11, Ali began trash talking and calling Frazier "ignorant" for mentioning the hospital as Frazier spent a month in the hospital after the first fight. This enraged Frazier stood up from his seat and squared up to a seated Ali, repeating, "Why you call me ignorant? How am I ignorant?" While Frazier was not looking at Ali as the studio crew and his entourage tried to calm him down, Ali held Frazier by the neck forcing him to sit down which broke out into a fight on the studio floor. Both boxers were subsequently fined for this and the stage was set for their rematch in the ring.


title: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II

text: Also before the match on January 17, Ali and Frazier appeared together (along with British journalist Michael Parkinson) on "The Dick Cavett Show" where there was both humor and obvious tension which included the removing of jackets and mock blows between Ali and Frazier.


title: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II

text: Ali was aggressive right from the start. At the end of round two, Frazier, a notoriously slow starter in fights, was hurt by an Ali right hand and was in significant trouble. Referee Tony Perez stepped in between the two fighters having mistakenly thought he heard the bell. The interruption allowed Frazier precious seconds to recover and he was able to finish the round on his feet when the action resumed. Ali employed markedly different tactics from the first fight. Ali came up with a new tactic, a half-hook half-upper cut coming from both sides. These punches resulted in a higher percentage of punches landed versus straight punches that frequently missed Frazier's bobbing head. As in the first fight, Ali also didn't allow Frazier to work inside, tying up the shorter fighter by holding him behind the neck with his left hand while keeping Frazier's vaunted left tied up with the other. This pattern of Ali punching in flurries followed by clinching dominated most of the fight. Ali won a close but unanimous decision.


title: K. Balachander filmography

text: This following is the list of films to which K. Balachander has contributed. He has written and directed nearly 80 films and has worked in more than 100 films either as director or writer in multiple languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada.


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: Delia Dueñas Smith (July 17, 1966 – May 31, 1985), better known as Pepsi Paloma, was a Filipino-American dancer and actress in the Philippines. She was one of the popular Softdrinks Beauties introduced in the 1980s along with Sarsi Emmanuelle and Coca Nicolas. She was known for films such as "Brown Emanuelle" (1981), "The Victim" (1982), "Krus sa Bawat Punglo" (1982), "Virgin People" (1983), "Snake Sisters" (1983), "Naked Island" (1984), "Matukso kaya ang Anghel?" (1984) and "Room 69" (1985).


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: Born Delia Dueñas Smith, Paloma was the eldest daughter of Lydia Dueñas, a native of Borac, Northern Samar, and an American letter carrier, Kenneth Smith, who abandoned his family when the children were still young. When she was 14 years old, a talent scout named Tita Ester brought Paloma to talent manager Rey dela Cruz in 1980 for a possible film career. In 1981, she made her debut in the movie "Brown Emmanuelle". She was given the stage name Pepsi Paloma and was promoted as one of the members of the so-called “soft drink” beauties together with Coca Nicolas and Sarsi Emmanuelle.


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: After appearing in a handful of films, Paloma was involved in a highly publicized scandal when she accused comedians Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Ricardo "Richie D'Horsie" Reyes of rape. According to Paloma's account, she and fellow actress Guada Guarin were drugged, brought to a room at the Sulô Hotel in Quezon City, and then raped. Actor and senator Tito Sotto, who is also Vic's older brother, soon became involved, compelling Paloma to drop the charges by allegedly intimidating her with a gun. Sotto had drawn up an Affidavit of Desistance and obtained her signature, although some newspaper reports stated that it was Pepsi's mother who signed the document on her behalf. Had the suspects been convicted of the charges, they would have faced the death penalty—execution by electric chair, the same fate that befell three of four convicted rapists in actress Maggie de la Riva's case two decades prior. According to a retracted article by the "Philippine Daily Inquirer", it was also around this time that Paloma was reported missing and was found being held captive by convicted felon Bienvenido "Ben Ulo" Mendoza, a relative of the Sottos. Despite his arrest and confession, there is no record that Ben Ulo was ever charged with any crime connected with the abduction of Paloma.


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: Although the three suspects initially denied Paloma's accusations, they later issued a public apology, on their knees on live TV, and in an article published by the "People's Journal" on October 13, 1982, saying ""We hope that you will not allow the error we have committed against you to stand as a stumbling block to that future which we all look forward to. We, therefore, ask you to find it in your heart to pardon us for the wrong which we have done against you"." Due to the signed Affidavit of Desistance, Paloma did not pursue her complaint and the case did not go to court.


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: On May 31, 1985, Paloma was found dead in her apartment, in an apparent suicide by hanging. According to police investigation, the rape case was one factor of her suicide. A diary, citing monetary problems and anxieties over her relationship with her mother and her boyfriend, was found in her bedroom, although the authenticity of the journal entries have been questioned, especially by her manager Babette "Babe" Corcuerra, who claims she was actually earning well. The mysteries surrounding the case and Paloma's death were alleged to be immortalized in the popular Eraserheads song "Spoliarium". She was buried at Olongapo Memorial Park in Zambales.


title: Pepsi Paloma

text: Despite the suspects' earlier apology, Tito Sotto has maintained his position against any involvement in the whitewashing of the rape case and alleges that the scandal was a gimmick by Paloma's party for publicity. Sotto said that he was not involved as a perpetrator in the rape of Paloma and he denied using his position in government to influence the court decision. Sotto became Vice Mayor in Quezon City in 1988 before being elected as a Senator in 1992. In 2018, the elder Sotto requested "The Philippine Inquirer" to remove published articles available online mentioning the Pepsi Paloma Case damaging to his current reputation as a Senator.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the northern Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Phil Ruffin. Circus Circus includes the largest permanent circus in the world. It features circus and trapeze acts, as well as carnival games, at its Carnival Midway. The resort also includes the Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus was originally owned by Jay Sarno and Stanley Mallin. It opened without a hotel on October 18, 1968. It included a casino on its first floor, while a second floor contained carnival games for children. Circus Circus was the first family-oriented casino in Las Vegas. It struggled financially during its early years, in part because of its lack of a hotel. A 15-story tower, with 409 rooms, was added in 1972. Sarno and Mallin were subsequently investigated for tax code violations and alleged connections with organized crime.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: In 1974, the casino was leased to Bill Bennett and William Pennington, taking over operations from Sarno and Mallin. The property thrived under its new management. Another 15-story tower was added in 1975, followed by an RV park in 1979. A year later, Circus Circus added a series of motel structures, increasing the total room count to 1,610. Bennett and Pennington eventually purchased Circus Circus in 1983, and added a 29-story tower in 1986. The amusement park was added in 1993, and a 35-story tower was completed three years later. The casino contains , while the hotel has 3,767 rooms. The Circus Circus property also includes the small Slots-A-Fun Casino, which Sarno opened in 1971.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The resort was owned through Circus Circus Enterprises, which was renamed Mandalay Resort Group in 1999. The resort was sold to MGM Mirage (later MGM Resorts International) in 2005. MGM intended to renovate and expand Circus Circus, but canceled such plans amid the Great Recession. Fifty years after its opening, Circus Circus remained popular among families. In 2019, MGM sold Circus Circus to Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin. At the time, the resort included the only RV park on the Las Vegas Strip.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus was originally owned by Jay Sarno and Stanley Mallin. Explaining the casino's double name, Sarno said, "At first I planned a Roman circus motif, but changed my mind and decided to build a circus like we are all familiar with – instead of a "Roman" circus, it's a "circus" circus." A circus-themed casino was a departure from Sarno's previous Las Vegas resort, the luxurious Caesars Palace. Sarno called Circus Circus "the most exciting project of my life".


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Planning for Circus Circus was underway at the end of 1967, and the opening was initially planned for August 1, 1968. The Nevada Gaming Control Board gave preliminary approval for Circus Circus, but this was overturned by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which noted that Sarno's group had only 70 percent of the necessary funds to finance the project. Approval was granted after a $1.1 million loan was provided by relatives of Kirk Kerkorian.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus was designed by the California firm of Rissman and Rissman Associates. The general contractor was R. C. Johnson and Associates, of Las Vegas. Circus Circus was built on the Las Vegas Strip, across from the Riviera resort, on property next to the Westward Ho motel. The opening was eventually delayed to October 1, 1968. The Circus Circus owners had $4.2 million to cover the construction costs, and R. C. Johnson estimated the project to cost $3.9 million. However, work was sped up during the final month to get the casino opened sooner, resulting in a higher construction cost. The casino included a circus tent structure, made of steel and concrete. The tent-shaped roof reached 90 feet in the air, and was made of a plexiglass material which was painted white and hot pink.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The $15 million Circus Circus ultimately opened on the night of October 18, 1968. An invitational costume party preceded the public opening. The opening was attended by numerous government officials and film stars, as well as media from across the United States. Nevada governor Paul Laxalt declared a "Circus Circus Premiere Week" to mark the opening.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus had 1,000 employees. Sarno served as the casino's president, and held a 25-percent interest, while Jud McIntosh held 22 percent. The two-story building included an indoor balcony that overlooked the casino floor. Various high wire and trapeze acts took place over the casino, but Sarno said that such acts would not distract the gamblers below. The second floor included a midway with various carnival games for children. Circus Circus was the first family-oriented casino in Las Vegas. The casino featured pink elephants and costumed table dealers and cocktail waitresses. Monkeys were trained to pay out jackpot winnings, and an elephant named Tanya roamed the casino. She was trained to pull slot machine handles and toss dice with her trunk. According to some accounts, a short-lived publicity stunt involved baby elephants that were transported around the casino via an overhead tram, giving the illusion that they were flying.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus attracted 26,000 people within its first eight hours of opening. However, it would struggle financially during its early years. It was mocked and criticized by skeptics, who doubted the idea of a circus-themed casino. Howard Hughes, who owned several Las Vegas casinos, believed that Circus Circus did not fit in with the upscale resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Mallin said Circus Circus was "ahead of its time" and acknowledged that it was not well received in its early years.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: By the end of 1968, Circus Circus owed more than $1 million in construction debt, which led to rumors about its finances. Casino management stated that it was performing satisfactorily, and that the debt was the result of certain construction work being disputed, due to concerns about whether such work was ever authorized. Circus Circus alleged $271,000 in unauthorized construction work by R. C. Johnson. The Nevada Gaming Commission declined to issue a permanent gaming license to Circus Circus until its debt was paid off, giving the casino one month to do so. In addition, Circus Circus charged a $1 admission fee, and the gaming commission determined on short notice that the casino had to pay $30,000 in taxes on the fees. The casino filed a lawsuit against the state to oppose the tax. The admission fee was one reason that Circus Circus struggled, and it was eventually dropped.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The gaming commission granted several extensions, allowing the casino to continue operating on a temporary license. In April 1969, the gaming commission voted to let the Circus Circus gaming license expire at the end of the month, after the discovery of secret loans that were made to the casino but not reported to the state. Hours before the scheduled closure, the commission extended the license for another month. This came after Sarno resigned as president and put his ownership stake into a trust until it could be sold. Mallin was chosen to serve as the new president. A permanent gaming license was granted in May 1969, and planning was underway for more than $500,000 in improvements. In January 1970, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved Sarno to return as the operator of Circus Circus.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The casino was unable to attract high rollers, due to its lack of a hotel. In 1971, the Teamsters' Union pension fund provided a loan to Circus Circus to pay off debts and to add a hotel. A 15-story tower opened in July 1972. As part of the loan arrangement, the Chicago Outfit's enforcer, Anthony Spilotro (under the name of Tony Stuart), was granted a gift shop concession in the hotel. In addition to a government investigation into the organized-crime connections, Sarno and Mallin were also being investigated for tax code violations. The casino's financial problems also continued, and Sarno began discussions to bring in a new casino operator.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: In April 1974, William Bennett and William Pennington were approved by the state as new operators of the casino. They leased Circus Circus from Sarno and Mallin, who remained as landlords for several years. Bennett and Pennington had been searching for a financially challenged Las Vegas casino that they could take over. They originally considered the Landmark, before settling on Circus Circus. Bennett was initially skeptical that a family friendly casino could succeed in Las Vegas. However, he and Pennington quickly turned Circus Circus into a profitable venture. Under their management, the casino contained mostly slot machines, and did not cater to big gamblers. Although the casino was mocked for its theme, it had wide appeal among the middle-class demographic. Various additions were made over the years, including an RV park in 1979, followed by motel structures the following year.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Bennett said in 1981, "I don't believe kids and gambling mix. If I had to start over, I would not use this concept. We end up being babysitters for the town, which is fine, but we have a lot of problems because of all the kids around. We have more security wandering the floors than most hotels." Bennett and Pennington operated the property through Circo Resorts, Inc, which would later become Circus Circus Enterprises. In their lease, they had an option to buy Circus Circus from Sarno, which they eventually did in 1983. By that point, Circus Circus was one of the most successful casinos in the state.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: A 29-story hotel tower was added in 1986, followed by the Adventuredome amusement park in 1993. A 35-story tower was added during renovations in 1996, part of an effort to bring in new customers. Circus Circus officials also hoped to retain the resort's core demographic: young families and retirees searching for bargains.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus Enterprises was renamed as Mandalay Resort Group in 1999. MGM Mirage (later MGM Resorts International) bought out Mandalay Resort Group in 2005. The purchase included Circus Circus, which MGM planned to keep. In 2007, the company planned to build a multibillion-dollar resort on newly acquired property north of Circus Circus, where the El Rancho Vegas once stood. The Circus Circus motel structures and RV park were to be demolished to accommodate the new project, and the remaining structures would be renovated and expanded. However, MGM's plans were canceled due to the financial impact of the Great Recession.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Out of 10 resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, Circus Circus was MGM's most popular property among Hispanic tourists. Fifty years after its opening, Circus Circus remained popular among families, although the aging facility was in need of renovations, including new carpeting and exterior paint. Circus Circus was the oldest Las Vegas property owned by MGM Resorts. Although 50 years is a long lifespan for Las Vegas casinos, the anniversary went uncelebrated.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: In 2019, MGM Resorts International sold Circus Circus to Phil Ruffin, owner of the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, for $825 million. Ruffin began a $30 million renovation project focusing on various parts of the resort. Work is scheduled to continue into 2023.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Early on, Ruffin had planned to build a 2,000-seat theater in front of Circus Circus at a cost of $11 million. He also intended to convert the RV park into a swimming pool complex with a wave machine, sand beaches and a lazy river ride. As of 2022, these features have yet to be built.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Circus Circus has of casino space, and 3,767 hotel rooms. When it opened, the casino originally had 19 blackjack tables, two roulette wheels, eight crap tables, and 686 slot machines.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The front exterior of the casino originally had various features which were eventually removed. A 306-foot-long fountain area marked the front, and some of the fountains could shoot water four stories high, while illuminating the water in a series of colors. Las Vegas artist Montyne was hired to sculpt several statues, which also stood in front of Circus Circus. A carousel was also located in front of the casino.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: In its early years, Circus Circus included the Hippodrome showroom. It hosted the show "Nudes in the Night", which at one point starred Babette Bardot. In 1974, the Guinness Book of World Records named Circus Circus as the world's largest permanent circus, a distinction that it continues to hold.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: Pink coloring is used throughout the resort. Jo Harris was the original interior designer. She had previously designed Caesars Palace, and would later work with Sarno on other projects. The 1972 hotel tower gave the casino 409 rooms. Another 15-story tower was opened in April 1975, adding an additional 400 rooms, and a convention hall. The two original towers are connected, and are known as the Casino Tower. In the 1970s, the hotel included a two-story Royal Suite, which was designed by Harris and included a balcony. A wedding chapel, known as Chapel of the Fountain, also opened in 1975.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: The Circus Circus carousel was removed in 1976, to make room for the resort's new roadside sign, which stands 123 feet. The neon sign depicts a clown character known as Lucky. It was created by YESCO, and is one of the most-photographed signs in Las Vegas. A sportsbook opened In September 1976, but closed seven months later, as management believed that the space could be better utilized through a different purpose.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: In 1977, there were plans for an expansion, which would include a parking garage. The 1,000-space garage was completed in 1978, and the Circusland RV Park was added a year later. Circus Circus Manor, which opened in 1980, consists of five, three-story motel buildings with a total of 810 rooms. This brought the resort's overall total to 1,610 hotel rooms.


title: Circus Circus Las Vegas

text: A monorail, the Circus Sky Shuttle, was added in 1981. It was the first automated transit system in the Las Vegas Valley. The track, located 18 feet above street level, connected the main resort to the Circus Circus Manor rooms. A $7 million renovation and expansion project was underway in 1982, expanding the casino and a video game arcade. A valet parking lot was added in front of the resort, replacing the fountains.