title: Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

text: However, the sharknado they summon instead teleports them to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, where they find hieroglyphs indicating that the Egyptians also knew of the shark god and the vortex, which is inside the Earth's core. Fin and April discover an ancient mechanism that causes the pyramids to open up and absorb the energy of the vortex upon its activation, seemingly ending the outbreak. Just as everything seems to be back to normal, however, the mechanism reverses and the vortex energy erupts from the Earth, triggering a global sharknado that consumes the entire world, killing Gemini who is still in Tokyo. Unable to shut down the device, Fin and April rush outside to discover a sharknado and tsunami heading towards them. While Fin protects their position using the staff he found in the pyramid, April uses her ability to absorb energy to absorb the entire planetary vortex, sacrificing herself to end the global sharknado. Her actions stop the storm but cause her body to explode, and Fin is left as seemingly the last human on Earth, with all life having seemingly been wiped out.


title: Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

text: Fin collects April's head in a bag attached to the staff and begins wandering the ruined planet in a desperate but fruitless search for other survivors. Sometime later, a truck emerges from a bright light and approaches him, driven by a greatly aged Gil, who still possesses his flight insignia and the helmet that protected him from the sharks. When Sharkzilla exploded, it caused a reaction that sent him back in time, and Gil spent all the time since then developing a way to use the sharknado as a time machine. Reunited, Fin and Gil set off into the past in order to defeat the sharknados once and for all and save their family and friends.


title: Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

text: A fifth "Sharknado" film was confirmed in October 2016, and was released on August 6, 2017. The title was going to be "Sharknado 5... Earth 0", but on June 1, 2017, the title was unveiled to be "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming" with the tagline "Make America Bait Again." The tagline and title were selected via fan submission and voting. The tagline "Make America Bait Again" was submitted by James Guill, a freelance poker writer. His tagline was a parody to the popular slogan "Make America Great Again" by Donald Trump.


title: Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

text: Les Chappell of "The A.V. Club" gave the film a grade A, and wrote: "Somehow, "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming" pulls the franchise back from the brink and returns it to what it's supposed to be: fun to watch."


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: Thylane Léna-Rose Loubry Blondeau (born 2001) is a French model. Blondeau started modeling at a very young age, and in 2007, was titled "Most Beautiful Girl in The World." She has modeled for many designers, including Dolce & Gabbana, L'Oréal and Versace.


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: In 2018, she founded her own clothing brand, Heaven May, and topped TC Candler's "100 Most Beautiful Faces."


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: Thylane Blondeau was born in 2001, in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is the daughter of Patrick Blondeau, a footballer, and , an actress and television presenter. She has a younger brother, Ayrton Blondeau, and their parents Véronika and Patrick, married in 2002 and divorced in 2016.


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: Blondeau began modelling at the age of 4, walking on the runway for French designer Jean Paul Gaultier and later for famous designers like Dolce & Gabbana, babylos, and L'Oréal. She had her first photoshoot at seven years old with photographer Dani Brubaker. She represented the French modelling agency "success kids" between 2005 and 2016.


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: When she was 10, Blondeau was involved in a controversy over the sexualisation of children in advertising and the media when she appeared in adult clothing and make-up for the "Vogue Paris" supplement "Vogue Enfants".


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: In 2017, she became a brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. She starred alongside Zendaya, Lucky Blue Smith and Presley Gerber in the Dolce & Gabbana millennial-themed spring/summer 2017 campaign.


title: Thylane Blondeau

text: In December 2018, Thylane placed first in the annual "Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2018". It was her fifth consecutive appearance on the prestigious global list, having been 84th in 2014, 28th in 2015, fifth in 2016, second in 2017, and fourth in 2019.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter (or Revelation of Peter) is an early Christian text of the 2nd century and an example of apocalyptic literature with Hellenistic overtones. It is not included in the standard canon of the New Testament, but is mentioned in the Muratorian fragment, the oldest surviving list of New Testament books, which also states that some authorities would not have it read in church. The text is extant in two incomplete versions of a lost Greek original, a later Greek version and an Ethiopic version, which diverge considerably. The work is classed as part of New Testament apocrypha.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter is purportedly written by the disciple Peter and describes a divine vision by Christ. After inquiring for signs of the Second Coming of Jesus ("parousia"), the work delves into a katabasis (vision of the afterlife), and details both heavenly bliss for the saved and infernal punishments for the damned. In particular, the punishments are graphically described in a physical sense, and loosely correspond to "lex talonis" ("an eye for an eye"): blasphemers are hung by their tongues, liars who bear false witness have their lips cut off; callous rich people are made to wear rags and be pierced by sharp fiery stones as would beggars; and so on. It is an early example of the same genre of the more famous "Divine Comedy" of Dante, wherein the protagonist takes a tour of the realms of the afterlife.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: Before 1886, the Apocalypse of Peter had been known only through quotations and references in early Christian writings. In addition, some common lost source had been necessary to account for closely parallel passages in such apocalyptic Christian literature as the Apocalypse of Esdras, the Apocalypse of Paul, and the Passion of Saint Perpetua, although identification of this lost source with the Apocalypse of Peter was not known.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: A fragmented Koine Greek manuscript was discovered during excavations initiated by Gaston Maspéro during the 1886–87 season in a desert necropolis at Akhmim in Upper Egypt. The fragment consisted of parchment leaves of the Greek version that was claimed to be deposited in the grave of a Christian monk of the 8th or 9th century. The manuscript is in the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo. From 1907–1910, a large set of documents of Clementine literature in Ethiopic were published along with translations into French. M. R. James realized in 1910 that there was a strong correspondence with the Akhmim Apocalypse of Peter, and that these were Ethiopic versions of the same work. Further Ethiopic copies have been discovered since. These Ethiopic versions appear to have been translated from Arabic, which itself was translated from the lost Greek original. Two other short Greek fragments of the work have been discovered: a 5th-century fragment at the Bodleian that had been discovered in Egypt in 1895, and the Rainer fragment at the which perhaps comes from the 3rd or 4th century. These fragments offer significant variations from the other versions.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: As compiled by William MacComber and others, the number of Ethiopic manuscripts of this same work continue to grow. The Ethiopic work is of colossal size and post-conciliar provenance, and many variations exist. In many Ethiopic manuscripts, the Apocalypse of Peter forms the first part of new combined works; two notable ones are "The Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the Dead" and "The Mystery of the Judgment of Sinners."


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: In general, most scholars believe that the Ethiopic versions we have today are closer to the original manuscript, while the Greek manuscript discovered at Akhmim is a later and edited version. This is for a number of reasons: the Akhmim version is shorter, while the Ethiopic matches the claimed line count from the Stichometry of Nicephorus; patristic references and quotes seem to match the Ethiopic version better; the Ethiopic matches better with the Rainer and Bodleian Greek fragments; and the Akhmim version seems to be attempting to integrate the Apocalypse with the Gospel of Peter (also in the Akhmim manuscript), which would naturally result in revisions.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter seems to have been written between 100 AD and 150 AD. The "terminus post quem"—the point after which we know the Apocalypse of Peter must have been written—is shown by its use (in Chapter 3) of 4 Esdras, which was written about 100 AD. If the Apocalypse was used by Clement or the author of the Sibylline Oracles, then it must have been in existence by 150 AD.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Muratorian fragment is the earliest existing list of canonical sacred writings of what would eventually be called the New Testament. The fragment is generally dated to the last quarter of the 2nd century (c. 175–200). It gives a list of works read in the Christian churches that is similar to the modern accepted canon; however, it also includes the Apocalypse of Peter. The Muratorian fragment states: "the Apocalypses also of John and Peter only do we receive, which some among us would not have read in church." (The existence of other, non "received" Apocalypses is implied, for several early apocryphal ones are known: see Apocalyptic literature.) The scholars Oscar Skarsaune and Richard Bauckham makes a case for dating the composition to the Bar Kochba revolt (132–136).


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter is framed as a discourse of the Risen Christ to his faithful. In the Ethiopic version, a vision of hell granted to Peter is discussed followed by a vision of heaven; in the Akhmim fragment, the order is reversed. In the form of a Greek "katabasis" or "nekyia", it goes into elaborate detail about the punishment in hell for each type of crime and the pleasures given in heaven for each virtue.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: In the opening, the disciples ask for signs of the Second Coming ("parousia") while on Mount Zion. The Gospel parables of the budding fig tree and the barren fig tree, partly selected from the "Little Apocalypse" of Matthew 24, appear only in the Ethiopic version (ch. 2). The two parables are joined, and the setting "in the summer" has been transferred to "the end of the world", in a detailed allegory in which the tree becomes Israel and the flourishing shoots become Jews who have adopted Jesus as Messiah and achieve martyrdom. It is possible this was edited out of the Greek version due to incipient anti-Jewish tensions in the church; a depiction of Jews converting and Israel being especially blessed may not have fit the mood in the 4th and 5th centuries of the Church as some Christians strongly repudiated Judaism.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The punishments in the vision closely correspond to the past sinful actions, often with a correspondence between the body part that sinned and the body part that is tortured. It is a loose version of the Jewish notion of an eye for an eye, that the punishment may fit the crime. The phrase "each according to his deed" appears five times in the Ethiopic version to explain the punishments. Many of the punishments are overseen by Ezrael the Angel of Wrath (most likely the angel Azrael, although it is possibly a corrupt reference to the angel Sariel); the angel Uriel is also involved as well, largely in the process of resurrecting the dead into their new bodies. Punishments in hell according to the vision include:


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The vision of heaven is shorter than the depiction of hell. In heaven, people have pure milky white skin, curly hair, and are generally beautiful. The earth blooms with everlasting flowers and spices. People wear shiny clothes made of light, like the angels. Everyone sings in choral prayer.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: In the Ethiopic version, the account closes with an account of the Ascension of Jesus on the mountain from chapters 15–17. As the Akhmim version moved the Apocalypse earlier, to when Jesus was still alive, it is not in the Akhmim version.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: One theological issue of note appears only in the version of the text in the 3rd century Rainer Fragment, the earliest fragment of the text. Its chapter 14 describes the salvation of condemned sinners for whom the righteous pray:


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: While not found in later manuscripts, this reading was likely original to the text, as it agrees with a quotation in the Sibylline Oracles:


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: Other 2nd century parallel passages possibly influenced by this are found in the Epistle of the Apostles, the Coptic Apocalypse of Elijah, and possibly the Acts of Paul.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The passage also makes literary sense, as it is a follow up to a passage in Chapter 3 where Jesus initially rebukes Peter who expresses horror at the suffering in hell; Richard Bauckham suggests that this is because it must be the victims who were harmed that request mercy, not Peter. While not directly endorsing universal salvation, it does suggest that salvation will eventually reach as far as the compassion of the elect. Some of the Ethiopic manuscripts written in the 9th century and beyond include new extensions that also describe a great act of divine mercy to come that will rescue (some? all?) sinners from hell.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: Much of the original scholarship on the Apocalypse was on determining its predecessor influences. The first studies generally emphasized its Hellenistic philosophy roots in Greek traditions, such as those by Albrecht Dieterich in 1893, who on the basis of the Akhmim manuscript alone postulated a general Orphic cultural context in the attention focused on the house of the dead. Later scholarship by Martha Himmelfarb and others has emphasized the strong Jewish roots of the Apocalypse of Peter as well; it seems that apocalypses were a popular genre among Jews after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. Much of the Apocalypse of Peter may be based on or influenced by these lost Jewish apocalypses. The book directly cites 4 Esdras. The author also appears to be familiar with the Gospel of Matthew and no other; a line in Chapter 16 has Peter realizing the meaning of the Beatitude quote that "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The opening setting of the resurrected Jesus giving further insights to the Apostles, usually on a mountain, followed by an account of Jesus's ascension, appears to have been a popular setting in 2nd century Christian works. The genre is sometimes called a "dialogue Gospel", and is seen in works such as the Epistle of the Apostles, the Questions of Bartholomew, and various Gnostic works such as the Pistis Sophia.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter also fits into the same genre as Clementine literature that was popular in Alexandria, despite Clement not appearing directly. The Ethiopic manuscripts that Grébaut found the Ethiopic manuscripts of were mixed in with other Clementine literature, which usually featured Peter prominently.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: Among work that was eventually canonized in the New Testament, the Apocalypse of Peter shows a close resemblance in ideas with the Second Epistle of Peter, to the extent that many scholars believe one had copied passages from the other due to the number of close parallels. Conversely, the Apocalypse of Peter differs from the Apocalypse of John in putting far more stress on the afterlife and divine rewards and punishments than Revelation's focus on a cosmic battle between good and evil.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Sibylline Oracles, popular among Roman Christians, seems to directly quote the Apocalypse of Peter. The Acts of Perpetua and the visions narrated in the Acts of Thomas also appear to quote or reference the Apocalypse of Peter.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter is one of the earliest examples of a Christian-Jewish katabasis, a genre of explicit depictions of heaven and hell. Later works inspired by it include the Apocalypse of Thomas in the 2nd–4th century, and more importantly, the Apocalypse of Paul in the 4th century. Despite a lack of "official" approval, the Apocalypse of Paul would go on to be popular for centuries, possibly due to its popularity among the medieval monks that copied and preserved manuscripts in the turbulent centuries following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Most famously, Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" would become extremely popular and celebrated in the 14th century and beyond. Directly or indirectly, the Apocalypse of Peter was the parent and grandparent of these influential visions of the afterlife.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: 19th and 20th century scholars consider the work rather intellectually simple and naive; dramatic and gripping, but not necessarily a coherent story. Still, the Apocalypse of Peter was popular and seemed to have a wide audience in its time. M. R. James remarked that his impression was that educated Christians of the later Roman period "realized it was a gross and vulgar book" which might have partially explained a lack of elite enthusiasm for canonizing it later.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: The Apocalypse of Peter was ultimately not included in the New Testament, but appears to have been one of the borderline works that came closest to being included, along with the Shepherd of Hermas. As discussed in dating the Apocalypse of Peter, the Muratorian fragment mentions the Apocalypse, but also states that "some among us would not have read in church." Both the Apocalypse of Peter and Apocalypse of John appear to have been controversial, with some churches of the 2nd and 3rd centuries using them and others not. Clement of Alexandria appears to have considered the Apocalypse of Peter to be holy scripture. Eusebius personally found the work dubious, but his book "Church History" describes a lost work of Clement's, the "Hypotyposes" (Outlines), that gave "abbreviated discussions of the whole of the registered divine writings, without passing over the disputed [writings] — I mean Jude and the rest of the general letters, and the Letter of Barnabas, and the so-called Apocalypse of Peter." The Stichometry of Nicephorus also lists it as a used if disputed book. Although the numerous references to it attest that it was in wide circulation in the 2nd century, the Apocalypse of Peter was ultimately not accepted into the Christian canon. The reason why is not entirely clear, although considering the reservations various church authors had on the Apocalypse of John (that is, the Book of Revelation), likely similar considerations were in play. As late as the 5th century, Sozomen indicates that some churches in Palestine used it in his time, but by then, it seems to have been considered inauthentic by most Christians.


title: Apocalypse of Peter

text: One hypothesis for why the Apocalypse of Peter failed to gain enough support to be canonized, propounded by Bart Ehrman, is that its view on the afterlife was too close to endorsing Christian universalism. The passage in the Rainer Fragment that dead saints, seeing the torment of sinners and heretics from heaven, could ask God for mercy, and these damned souls could be retroactively baptized and saved, had significant theological implications. Presumably, all of hell could eventually be emptied in such a manner; M. R. James suggested that the original Apocalypse of Peter may well have suggested universal salvation after a period of cleansing suffering in hell. This ran against the stance of many Church theologians of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries who strongly felt that salvation and damnation were eternal and strictly based on actions and beliefs while alive. Augustine of Hippo, in his work "City of God", specifically advocates against arguments based on similar logic to what is seen in the Rainer passage. Such a system, where saints could at least pray their friends and family out of hell, and possibly any damned soul, would have been considered incorrect at best, and heretical at worst to these views. Ehrman agrees with James and proposes that the Rainer fragment reading was the original one; and that this passage was not copied by later scribes who felt it was in error, hence not appearing in later manuscripts. He believes that the damage to the book's reputation was already done, however. The Origenist Controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries retroactively condemned much of the thought of Origen, particularly his belief in universal salvation, and this anti-Origen movement was at least part of why the book was not included in later canon lists.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Jordan Luke Rhodes (born 5 February 1990) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championship club Huddersfield Town and the Scottish national team.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: He started his career at Ipswich Town and after loan spells at Oxford United, Rochdale and Brentford he joined Huddersfield Town. In the 2011–12 season, he was the top scorer in England with 36 league goals, breaking Huddersfield's club record for most league goals scored in a season.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: In August 2012, he became English football's most expensive player outside the top flight when he joined Blackburn Rovers for an £8 million fee, equalling Blackburn's record transfer fee. In 2016, Rhodes joined Middlesbrough, briefly featuring in the Premier League. The following year he signed for Sheffield Wednesday. His season-long loan with Norwich City began in July 2018. After being released by Sheffield Wednesday in May 2021, he re-signed for former club Huddersfield Town.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Born in England, Rhodes opted to play for Scotland, for whom he had become eligible through school attendance while his father Andy Rhodes played as a goalkeeper for Scottish football clubs. Rhodes has represented Scotland at both U-21 level and as a full international.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, while his father, English footballer Andy Rhodes, was playing for Oldham Athletic. Rhodes senior moved to Scotland later that year when he joined Dunfermline Athletic and stayed in Scotland until 1998 also playing for St Johnstone and Airdrieonians.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Andy Rhodes joined Ipswich Town as a coach in 2004. Jordan Rhodes attended Kesgrave High School in Ipswich through his secondary school years where he was scouted and recruited by Ipswich Town in 2004.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes joined Ipswich Town in March 2005 when his father joined the club as a goalkeeping coach. He was selected by the England under-17s team, but withdrew due to injury.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: At the start of the 2006–07 season Rhodes suffered numerous injuries including a dislocated shoulder and being knocked unconscious. He signed his first professional contract in August 2007, and made his debut for Ipswich in the 2007–08 season, coming on as a late substitute against Burnley on 22 December.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 9 April 2008, Rhodes scored his first league goal in the 73rd minute against Cardiff City and was the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw, after coming into the game as a half time substitute.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: He joined Oxford United in the Conference Premier on a one-month loan deal on 10 October 2007. He failed to score in his four league appearances and he was recalled from his loan spell on 6 November by Ipswich as he was required for their FA Youth Cup.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: With his playing time at Ipswich being limited, Rhodes joined League Two club Rochdale on 12 September 2008 to get more first team opportunities.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 23 January 2009, he joined Brentford on a one-month loan deal, and made his debut the following day in a 2–0 defeat away at Macclesfield Town in a League Two fixture. He scored his first Brentford goal on his home debut in the 3–0 win at home to Aldershot Town. Rhodes scored his first hat-trick in 29 minutes of the first half in the 3–1 away win at Shrewsbury Town on 31 January, also making him the youngest Brentford player to score a hat-trick in the club's history, five days short of his 19th birthday. On 26 February, having scored six goals in seven matches, his loan was extended for "a further two months", with the addition of a 24-hour recall clause. On 17 March, Rhodes suffered a broken metatarsal in a match against Chesterfield, ending his season. Even though Rhodes was sidelined for nearly half of March, he was named as March's PFA League Two Fans' Player of the Month.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Despite only playing for Brentford for three months, Rhodes was awarded the PFA Fans' Player of the Year accolade for League Two, in 2009.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 31 July 2009, Rhodes signed for Huddersfield Town on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee believed to be £350,000 plus a sell-on fee, becoming manager Lee Clark's sixth signing of the season. Rhodes started the season well scoring six goals in his first six games at the club. He made his debut coming off the bench in the 2–2 draw against Southend United at Roots Hall on 8 August 2009, where he scored Town's equaliser. He scored two goals on his home debut against Stockport County in the League Cup three days later. In his next game on 15 August he added a further two goals to his tally in a 3–1 win over Southampton. and then in Huddersfield's 4–3 away loss to Newcastle United in the League Cup second round.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 10 October, he scored a hat-trick of headers within eight minutes in a 4–0 victory over Exeter City, which beat the previous record set by Dixie Dean in the 1930s. Rhodes finished the season as Huddersfield's top scorer with 23 goals in all competitions. He was again their top scorer in 2010–11, despite limited appearances, Rhodes scored 22 in total.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes began the 2011–12 season with 13 goals in his first 13 games in all competitions. He was also the first Huddersfield player to score back to back hat-tricks since the 1920s, the two coming against Exeter City on 15 October 2011 in a 4–0 away victory and then in the 3–1 home win over Preston North End on 22 October 2011. On 17 December, he scored all four of Huddersfield's goals in an away fixture which ended 4–4 against Sheffield Wednesday. Rhodes scored five times in a 6–0 win against Wycombe Wanderers, equalling the record for goals scored by a Huddersfield Town player in a match set by Dave Mangnall and Alf Lythgoe in the 1930s. On 11 March 2012, Rhodes was named League One Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, ahead of Charlton Athletic's Johnnie Jackson and Sheffield United's Ched Evans. On 3 April 2012, in a match against Leyton Orient, he surpassed Sam Taylor and George Brown's jointly held goalscoring record for the club with his 36th league goal of the season, as part of his sixth hat-trick of the season. Rhodes finished the 2011–12 season as both the club's and the league's top scorer with 36 league goals during the campaign.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes joined Blackburn Rovers on 30 August 2012, for a then club record £8 million fee. After being unveiled as a Rovers player the following morning, Rhodes said of his move to the Lancashire club: "I'm delighted, it's great to be here and to be part of a prestigious club."


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes made his Blackburn Rovers debut on 1 September 2012 in a 3–3 draw with Leeds United. On 15 September, he scored twice in a 5–3 away win against Bristol City. On 6 November, he scored a goal on his return to Huddersfield Town in a 2–2 draw. On 17 November, he scored his first Blackburn Rovers hat-trick against Peterborough United in a 4–1 victory for Rovers. Rhodes was named Blackburn's player of the season and he received his trophy at Ewood Park on 27 April 2013, before Blackburn's 1–1 draw at home to Crystal Palace. Rhodes celebrated this achievement with his 26th league goal of the season, a deft lob from an acute angle over Palace goalkeeper Julián Speroni.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: He began the 2013–14 season in fine form, scoring consecutive braces against Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers to take his tally to nine goals after seven games in the season. By the turn of the year Rhodes had 15 league goals in 24 games, and scored the opener in a 2–1 away win at Leeds United. On 15 March 2014, Rhodes scored a hat-trick against his former club Huddersfield Town in a 4–2 away win.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 10 July 2014, Rhodes extended his contract with Blackburn Rovers to 2019. He said of the contract extension: "I'm very happy. It is a fantastic football club and I'm very lucky to be here." On 19 April 2015, Rhodes was selected in The Football Manager Team of the Decade at the Football League Awards. On 24 July 2015, Rhodes expressed his displeasure after Blackburn rejected an offer for him in excess of £10 million from Middlesbrough.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 1 February 2016, Rhodes signed for Championship club Middlesbrough, on a four-and-a-half-year deal, for an undisclosed fee. At the club, he was linked up with his uncle, assistant manager Steve Agnew. The signing of Rhodes led to the departure of fellow striker, Kike, as the latter player felt that he would not be able to make as much first team appearances, due to the fact with the club having Rhodes and David Nugent as strikers. He was given the number 9 shirt, previously worn by Kike.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes made his debut on 6 February 2016, against his previous club Blackburn Rovers, which ended in a 1–1 home draw. He would go on to score his first league goal for the club in the following match, which would result in a 1–1 away draw against Milton Keynes Dons. Rhodes recorded his final goal of the season in the second-from-last league match on 29 April 2016, which would result in a 2–2 away draw to Birmingham City.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: At the end of the 2015–16 season, Rhodes recorded 6 goals in 18 league appearances. Middlesbrough also secured promotion to the 2016–17 Premier League, finishing as runners-up behind champions Burnley, and determining their promotion on the final day of the season, in a 1–1 home draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, taking place on 7 May 2016.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Following the signing of Álvaro Negredo on loan from Valencia, Rhodes' future with the club did not look certain, creating extra pressure for him to be in the first-team squad. He managed to play six league games for the 2016–17 season, but was unable to score a goal.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 1 February 2017, it was announced that Rhodes had signed for Sheffield Wednesday, on loan for the rest of the season. He made his debut for the club on 3 February 2017, in a 1–0 away victory to Wigan Athletic.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: A successful loan spell led to the club to finish in fourth place for the 2016–17 EFL Championship season, qualifying for the play-offs, in an attempt to receive promotion to the 2017–18 Premier League season. After a 1–1 aggregate score, Wednesday lost 3–4 on penalties to Huddersfield Town, thus confirming their stay in the second level of English football for the 2017–18 EFL Championship season.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: He joined Sheffield Wednesday on a permanent basis on 1 July 2017, as agreed at the time of the loan deal.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 20 May 2021 it was announced that he would leave Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: On 21 May 2021, a day after it was announced he was to leave Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town announced Rhodes had agreed to re-sign for them, nine years after he left to sign for Blackburn Rovers. He signed a three year contract with his contract starting on 1 July 2021.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes became eligible to play for Scotland because he attended school there for more than five years while his English father Andy Rhodes played for Scottish clubs. In July 2010, it was reported by "The Scotsman" newspaper that Rhodes was being considered for selection by the Scotland national under-21 football team. He received his first call-up to the Scotland under-21 squad in November 2010, but was immediately withdrawn because Huddersfield were due to play an FA Cup replay against Cambridge United on the day before the under-21 match.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes eventually made his debut for Scotland under-21s on 24 March 2011, in a 1–0 loss to Belgium in Deinze. He made his home debut on 10 August 2011, in the 3–0 win over Norway at St Mirren Park. He scored his first goals for Scotland with a hat-trick in a 5–1 win against Luxembourg at Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City on 6 October 2011. Four days later, Rhodes scored both of the Scotland goals in a 2–2 draw against Austria. He also scored in Scotland's 2–1 victory over Netherlands in an U21 qualifier for the 2013 U21 European Championships. After scoring two goals against Bulgaria in only his eighth appearance for the team, he became the all-time leading scorer for the Scottish U21s.


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes was included in the full Scotland squad for their match against Cyprus at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca on 11 November 2011, as a reward for his October form for Huddersfield and the under-21s. He was an 87th-minute substitute for Jamie Mackie and had a stinging shot parried by the Cyprus goalkeeper in injury time. Scotland won the match 2–1. Rhodes said to the press after the game, "It was never in doubt I would be sticking with Scotland. I'm Scottish through and through. I had all the jerseys as a kid and grew up watching Scotland."


title: Jordan Rhodes

text: Rhodes made his first start for the Scots in the friendly against Australia at Easter Road. He marked the occasion with a goal, a superb header to draw Scotland level, after Mark Bresciano opened the scoring for the Australians. Scotland went on to win 3–1 with an own goal from Jason Davidson and a third from Ross McCormack.


title: .22 TCM

text: The .22 TCM or 22TCM (.22 Tuason Craig Micromagnum) is a proprietary bottle-necked cartridge created from a 5.56 NATO cartridge developed by custom gunsmith Fred Craig and Rock Island Armory (RIA) for semi-automatic pistols and the Rock Island M22 TCM bolt-action rifle. Before the cartridge was commercialized, it was called the 22 Micro-Mag. Similar conceptually to other bottle-necked pistol cartridges such as the larger-caliber .357 SIG, the .22 TCM trades bullet mass for increased velocity and lowered recoil.


title: .22 TCM

text: Based on the 5.56×45mm NATO case and shortened so that the shoulder is at approximately the same length as a .38 Super cartridge, the .22 TCM is somewhat longer than the ubiquitous 9×19mm Parabellum and designed to be fired from a RIA line of firearms (which also included 9mm barrel swaps) fed by Para-Ordnance-style double-column .38 Super magazines. A sub-variant, the 22 TCM 9R, with a shorter, more deeply-seated bullet, is designed for use in Glock magazines limited to standard-length 9mm cartridges. Standard factory loads are 40-grain jacketed soft hollow point, 39-grain for "9R".


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Emily Chang (born August 3, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for playing the "Ba-zing!" girl in a 2012 commercial for Ruffles and the character Ivy in the television series "The Vampire Diaries".


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and raised in Randolph, New Jersey. Her parents immigrated to America from Taiwan. Chang attended the University of Chicago and New York University.


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang was a founding member of the Asian-American spoken word group I Was Born with Two Tongues, along with Denizen Kane. She worked as a host and spokesperson for ImaginAsian Entertainment, hosting the television series "The Lounge" from 2004 to 2007. She starred as Kay Ho in the independent film "Colin Hearts Kay," which won the Audience Award in 2010 at both the Brooklyn Film Festival and The New York United Film Festival, where it also won Best Narrative Feature. In 2010, Chang won a New York Emmy Award for the documentary series "On the Frontlines: Doing Business in China", along with her co-host James Fallows, of The Atlantic Monthly.


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang has appeared in numerous commercials, including spots for Cablevision, WebMD, Carmax, Harrah's, Verizon, Honda, and Huntington Bank. Chang became best known as "Katie" ("the ba-zing girl") in a 2012 Ruffles Ultimate commercial, landing a spot in "Complex" magazine's "10 Hottest Women from Commercials."


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang's television appearances include a recurring role on "The Vampire Diaries" plus guest roles on "How I Met Your Mother", "Brothers & Sisters", "90210", "Ringer", and "Community". She also played Phyllis Moss on "NCIS" and had a recurring role as Kathy Baker on "The Young and the Restless". In "Total Recall," Chang appeared as newscaster Lien Nguyen.


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang has also written, produced, and starred in several short films, including "The Humberville Poetry Slam," which was a finalist for the Golden Reel Award and the Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Chang's short film "Mouthbreather," directed by "Rules of Engagement" writer/producer Gloria Calderon Kellett, was an official selection of the 2012 L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival and the 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival.


title: Emily Chang (actress)

text: Chang won the Best Actress Award at the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project Film Festival, for her role as Suzy in the short film "One Mistake". She completed the short film "Parachute Girls" in 2016, which she wrote, produced and starred in alongside Lynn Chen and Drew Powell.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: Patrick Michael LaFontaine (born February 22, 1965) is an American former ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and spent his entire playing career with the league's New York State-based teams.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine played for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York Rangers from 1997 until his retirement in 1998, scoring 468 goals and 1,013 points along the way before his career was ended by concussions. His 1.17 points per game (1,013 points over 865 games) is the best among American-born ice hockey players, active or retired. In 2017, LaFontaine was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. LaFontaine served as an executive of the Buffalo Sabres as the President of Hockey Operations until March 2014.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: Although he was born in St. Louis, LaFontaine grew up in Waterford, Michigan. His father moved the family to the Detroit area in 1972. As a youth, LaFontaine played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Waterford. He graduated from Waterford Kettering High School. LaFontaine began his junior career with the Verdun Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the 1982–83 season. In his only season in the QMJHL, LaFontaine contributed 104 goals and 130 assists for Verdun. LaFontaine's 234 points was tops in the league and he was awarded the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the top scorer, out-dueling future NHL icon Mario Lemieux. His rookie season broke many records, including Guy Lafleur's 40-game point-scoring streak and Mike Bossy's 70 goals by a rookie. Other awards LaFontaine received after the season were the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the regular season, the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, the Michel Bergeron Trophy as the Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Mike Bossy Trophy as the best professional prospect, and the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player. Lafontaine was also chosen as the CHL Player of the Year.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: On October 1, 1981, the New York Islanders traded Bob Lorimer and Dave Cameron to the Colorado Rockies for the Rockies' (later market rival New Jersey Devils') first-round draft pick in 1983; LaFontaine was selected by the Islanders in the first round as the third pick overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft with that pick. After representing the United States in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, LaFontaine joined the Islanders in time for the Stanley Cup Finals. His arrival was concurrent with the beginning of the end of the Islanders' dynasty, as the team was steeped deep in aging veterans. The Islanders lost the finals that year to the Edmonton Oilers, ending the team's run of consecutive Stanley Cup championships at four. LaFontaine had a strong performance, scoring two third-period goals during the Islanders' 5–2 loss to the Oilers in the fifth and deciding game of the series.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, LaFontaine scored the winning goal in the fourth overtime period of the seventh and decisive game between the Islanders and Washington Capitals, known as the "Easter Epic". The game was started on Saturday, April 18, and concluded just before 2 a.m. on the 19th, Easter Sunday. "It was the most memorable moment in my hockey life," he later recalled. "Even today, wherever I go, people come up to me and start telling me where they were during the Easter Epic."


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: The Islanders continued to struggle and in 1989, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1974. In the first game of the Islanders' next playoff series, in 1990, LaFontaine suffered the first of many concussions, after a controversial, open-ice hit by James Patrick of the New York Rangers. He fell on his head and was unconscious while being taken off the ice on a stretcher. The ambulance he took was delayed en route to the hospital by Ranger fans who rocked and pounded it as it left Madison Square Garden. He was lost for the remainder of the series.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: The 1990–91 season was a successful season for LaFontaine, but not the Islanders, who finished with a record of 25–45–10. LaFontaine, frustrated with his situation on Long Island, turned down a four-year, $6 million contract offer and refused to report to the Islanders for the start of the 1991–92 NHL season. Three weeks into the season, on October 25, 1991, LaFontaine was traded, along with Randy Wood, to the Buffalo Sabres for four players, including former first overall pick Pierre Turgeon. In only 57 games in 1991–92, LaFontaine scored 46 goals and 93 points.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: The following season, LaFontaine recorded a personal-best and team-record 148 points (53 goals and 95 assists). The 148 points are also the most points scored by an American-born player in one season. His play-making ability helped his linemate Alexander Mogilny set a team season record with 76 goals (as of 2020, both LaFontaine's 95 assists, 148 points and Mogilny's 76 goals still stand as the Sabres' team records for a single season). LaFontaine finished as runner-up to Mario Lemieux in the scoring race and earned a spot on the postseason NHL All-Star second team. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player. In 1994–95 he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplified the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine is one of five players in NHL history to skate for all three teams based in the state of New York. The others were Mike Donnelly, Jason Dawe, Martin Biron, and Taylor Pyatt. Unique amongst them, LaFontaine played his entire career in the state of New York while Donnelly, Pyatt, Biron and Dawe all played for additional teams outside the state in their careers. LaFontaine once joked about it, saying "I think I'm the only player in history who has been traded twice and hasn't had to change his license plate."


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine was selected to play for the United States national team in the 1984 Winter Olympics. LaFontaine scored five goals and three assists as the US finished in seventh place. He also played in the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he scored one goal and one assist as the US finished sixth.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In the 1989 Ice Hockey World Championships, LaFontaine scored five goals and three assists as the US finished in sixth place.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine played in the Canada Cup tournament twice, first in 1987 and then 1991, where he helped the US reach the finals but lost to Canada.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, LaFontaine scored two goals and two assists as the US beat Canada 5–2 in the final, earning him his first international championship win.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: The 1996–97 season was the beginning of the end of his career. In a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, LaFontaine was hammered by François Leroux with a high hit to the head, knocking him out with a concussion, and resulted in post-concussion syndrome. He was determined to return, even though the doctors advised against such an attempt. Sabres management, in conjunction with team doctors and specialists, refused to clear LaFontaine to return, and recommended he retire. LaFontaine, still believing he could play, was traded to the New York Rangers in a cost-cutting measure for a second round draft choice in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and future considerations on September 29, 1997. During his one season with the Rangers, he tied for the team lead in goals scored, and recorded his 1,000th career NHL point.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In a game against the Ottawa Senators on March 16, 1998, LaFontaine accidentally collided with teammate Mike Keane and suffered another concussion. LaFontaine missed the remainder of the season and all of the next season, announcing his retirement formally on October 12, 1999.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: Announced in 2001, the Pat LaFontaine Trophy was awarded to the winner of the Rangers-Islanders season series, with money paid by the losing team to the charity of LaFontaine's choice. It is unclear whether the trophy is still awarded or acknowledged by either team.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 3, 2003. "I am truly thrilled to receive this tremendous honor," said LaFontaine upon receiving the news. "Growing up in St. Louis, I always played for the love of the game and never dreamed this could ever lead to my being a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame." He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in that same year.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: On March 3, 2006, the Buffalo Sabres retired LaFontaine's number 16. He was also inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2004. LaFontaine was voted the 3rd greatest Buffalo Sabre in the team's 40-year history.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In 1997, LaFontaine founded the Companions in Courage Foundation, an organization that builds interactive game rooms in children's hospitals throughout North America.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In 2000, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society bestowed the Patriot Award on LaFontaine in recognition of his contribution to military morale throughout his career. In 2002, LaFontaine was given an honorary Goal! Award, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, for having overcome depression and lived in the community through volunteer work. In 1998 he was honored with the Public Leadership in Neurology Award for his work in Public Awareness of Concussion In Sports.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In April 2003, LaFontaine was recognized with the International Humanitarian Award by the Gift of Life Foundation, an organization promoting the cure and treatment of children suffering from heart disease in third world countries.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In March 2004, LaFontaine was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Detroit. In March 2005, he was named recipient of the James Keller Award by The Christophers organization. Since 1987, the Award has recognized individuals who have contributed in a meaningful way to the well-being of young people.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: The Heisman Trophy Trust recognized LaFontaine with their Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2008. The hockey star joked that he never played football, and he never even went to college. But the Trust recognized him as an exemplary selfless individual, who gives of himself to improve the plight of those less fortunate or afflicted.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In November 2008, Pat participated in his sixth career Ironman Triathlon event in Panama City, Florida. He swam 2.4 miles, rode a bike 112 miles and then ran a 26-mile marathon as a fundraiser for his charity. In March 2012, LaFontaine coached his son and a group of teenagers from Long Island, to the U-16 National Championship in Buffalo, New York. The Long Island Royals became just the second youth hockey team from Long Island to ever win a national championship. Their exploits were followed throughout the season by the NHL.com series, "Making of a Royal".


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine was recognized with a national Jefferson Award at a ceremony in Washington D.C. in June 2012. The Jefferson Awards (www.jeffersonawards.org) are a prestigious national recognition honoring community service in America. He was recognized for his work with the Companions in Courage Foundation. The 40th Annual Jefferson National Ceremony took place at Constitution Hall in Washington DC. Additional 2012 winners included General David Petraeus, musicians Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and Indy race driver Charlie Kimball.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: LaFontaine was invited to the Vatican and participated in Sport at the Service of Humanity: The First Global Conference on Faith & Sport as a guest of Pope Francis in October 2016.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: On June 7, 2006, the Islanders announced that Pat LaFontaine would return to the Islanders as Senior Advisor to the Owner. This was short-lived, however, as LaFontaine resigned in protest only six weeks later on July 18, the same day that Neil Smith was fired by the Islanders.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: In March 2006, Pat LaFontaine's #16 was retired by the Buffalo Sabres and raised to the rafters of the First Niagara Center (formerly HSBC Arena), joining other Sabre legends Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert (a.k.a. The French Connection), Tim Horton and Danny Gare.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: During the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, LaFontaine appeared in an NHL cross-promotional commercial for Honda, featuring Neal Broten, Mike Richter constructing a pond hockey rink and playing a pick-up game with neighborhood children.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: On November 13, 2013, LaFontaine was announced to be the new President of Hockey Operations for the Buffalo Sabres. On March 1, 2014, Pat LaFontaine resigned his position as President of Hockey Operations with the club on Saturday after just over three months on the job to resume his previous role with the National Hockey League.


title: Pat LaFontaine

text: "Note: Ramsey resigned his captaincy during the 1992–93 NHL season, in favor of LaFontaine. Mogilny served as captain during most of the 1993–94 NHL season, while LaFontaine was injured and out of the line-up."


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the Emperor Concerto in English-speaking countries, is a concerto composed by Ludwig van Beethoven for piano and orchestra. Beethoven composed the concerto in 1809 under salary in Vienna, and he dedicated it to Archduke Rudolf, who was his patron, friend, and pupil. Its public premiere was on 28 November 1811 in Leipzig, with Friedrich Schneider as the soloist and Johann Philipp Christian Schulz conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Beethoven, usually the soloist, could not perform due to declining hearing.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The work's military aspects and symbolism characterize its heroic style. Beethoven used novel approaches with the piece, such as beginning the solo entrance without orchestral introduction, lengthening the concerto, and creating a new relationship between piano and orchestra. The first of its three movements, Allegro, is in sonata form and is longer than any opening movement of Beethoven's earlier piano concertos. The second movement, Adagio un poco mosso, is a nocturne that directly builds into the third movement. The last movement, Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo, is in seven-part rondo form. The concerto is approximately forty minutes.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The origin of the epithet "Emperor" is uncertain; it may have been coined by Johann Baptist Cramer, the English publisher of the concerto. The concerto has no association with any emperor, and according to Donald Tovey and Betsy Schwarm, Beethoven would have disliked it due to his disapproval of Napoleon's conquest. As part of his repertoire, Franz Liszt frequently performed the concerto throughout his life. Since 1912, it has been recorded numerous times by classical pianists.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Beethoven's return to Vienna from Heiligenstadt in 1802 marked a change in musical style and is now often designated as the start of his middle or "heroic" period characterized by many original works composed on a grand scale. In the autumn of 1808, after being rejected for a position at the Royal Theatre, Beethoven received an offer from Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte, the king of Westphalia, for a well-paid position as Kapellmeister at the court in Cassel. To persuade him to stay in Vienna, Archduke Rudolf, Prince Kinsky, and Prince Lobkowitz pledged to pay him a pension of 4000 florins a year. Archduke Rudolf paid his share of the salary on the agreed date. Kinsky, immediately called to military duty, did not contribute and died in November 1812 after falling from his horse. When the Austrian currency destabilized in 1811, Lobkowitz went bankrupt. To benefit from the agreement, Beethoven had to obtain recourse from the law, which in 1815 brought him some payment.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Beethoven felt the Napoleonic Wars reaching Vienna in early 1809 and completed writing the piano concerto in April while Vienna was under siege by Napoleon's armies. He wrote to his publisher in July 1809 that there was "nothing but drums, cannons, men, misery of all sorts" around him. To save his hearing, he fled to his brother's cellar and covered his ears with pillows. The work's heroic style reflects the war-ridden era in its military topics and heroic tone. Beethoven experimented with new techniques, such as the piano entrance beginning earlier than typical and with a cadenza.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The concerto's public premiere was on 28 November 1811 in Leipzig, with Friedrich Schneider as the soloist. Beethoven's hearing loss did not prevent him from composing music, but it made playing at concerts increasingly difficult. The concerto debuted in Vienna on 12 February 1812, with Carl Czerny, Beethoven's pupil, as the soloist. The English premiere was on 8 May 1820 with Charles Neate as soloist. Felix Mendelssohn gave an English performance on 24 June 1829. Archduke Rudolf of Austria was Beethoven's aristocratic patron, and in 1803 or 1804, Rudolf began studying piano and composition with Beethoven. They became friends, and their meetings continued until 1824. Beethoven dedicated many pieces to him, including this concerto.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The origins of the concerto's epithet, "Emperor", are obscure and no consensus exists on its origin. An unlikely and unauthenticated story says that at the first Vienna performance, a French officer said, "C'est l'Empereur!" Other sources say that Johann Baptist Cramer coined it. According to Donald Tovey and Betsy Schwarm, Beethoven would have disliked the epithet due to his disapproval of Napoleon's conquest. Beethoven had previously reconsidered the dedication of his third symphony; initially dedicated to Napoleon, Beethoven changed it after Napoleon assumed the title of emperor in 1804. According to Yan Shen, musicologists agree that the concerto has no connection to an emperor.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The concerto is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B (clarinet 1 playing in A in movement 2), two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani in E and B, and strings. In the second movement, the 2nd flute, 2nd clarinet, trumpets, and timpani are tacet. The concerto is divided into the following three movements:


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Beethoven began innovating the piano concerto genre with his third piano concerto and continued through his fifth piano concerto. While Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concertos consisted of the piano and orchestra working in tandem, in Beethoven's last two piano concertos, the pianist was the "hero," the dominant and directional soloist. Also, in Mozart's concertos, the soloist was a virtuoso and more important than the composer; in Beethoven's, the pianist is a vector for the composer. Beethoven created the tradition of linking movements in concertos, especially the middle and the last. Subsequent composers connected and transitioned through all movements in an attempt to create unity in a piece.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The first movement is longer than any that Beethoven had previously composed in the piano concerto genre. Beethoven adhered to the traditional sonata form but significantly redefined the interaction between piano and orchestra. The opening cadenza precedes orchestral exposition, solo exposition, development, recapitulation, written cadenza, and a coda. Beethoven explicitly forbids the soloist from performing their own cadenza, a shift from previous piano concertos. Stephan Lindeman and William Kinderman have speculated that Beethoven wanted to control all aspects of the piece since he could not personally perform it or create a better flow without a virtuosic interruption. Following this piece, composers wrote cadenzas instead of leaving them to the performer.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The concerto opens with the orchestra offering three sonorous chords. The solo piano responds to each chord with flourishes of arpeggios, trills, and scales. This opening was new in classical concertos, and the flourishes almost became thematic.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The propulsive first theme follows, and the expository material repeats with variations, virtuoso figurations, and modified harmonies. The second theme, a march, appears first in B minor form in the strings, then thematically shifts to C-flat major by the horns. Throughout the movement, Beethoven transforms these themes into a range of keys, moods, and figurations. Following the opening, the movement follows Beethoven's three-theme sonata structure for a concerto. The orchestral exposition is a two-theme sonata exposition. The second exposition with the piano introduces a triumphant, virtuosic third theme that belongs solely to the solo instrument, a trademark of Beethoven's concertos. The coda elaborates upon the open-ended first theme, building intensity before finishing with a final climactic arrival at the tonic E major.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The second movement in B major forms a quiet nocturne for the solo piano, muted strings, and wind instruments that converse with the solo piano. The movement briefly changes to D major, a very remote key from the concerto's E♭ major. The third movement begins without interruption when a lone bassoon note B drops a semitone to B, the dominant of the tonic key E. The end of the second movement builds directly into the third.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Beethoven uses B major as a “surprise” key for abrupt distant key relationships. This resolves to B in the transition to the last movement.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Like the Appassionata sonata and the Violin Concerto, the score is notated with "attacca" to indicate little to no break with the previous movement which did not end with complete closure.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The final movement of the concerto is a seven-part rondo form (ABACABA). The solo piano introduces the main theme before the orchestra affirms the soloist's statement. The rondo's B-section begins with piano scales before the orchestra again responds. The C-section is much longer, presenting the theme from the A-section in three different keys before the piano performs a passage of arpeggios. Rather than finishing with a strong entrance from the orchestra, the trill ending the cadenza dies away until the introductory theme reappears, played first by the piano and then the orchestra. In the last section, the theme undergoes variation before the concerto ends with a short cadenza and robust orchestral response.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: Contemporary reception was positive, with reviews praising its originality and beauty. One review said: Criticism fell on the concerto's length, saying that its duration took away from its beauty.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: According to Betsy Schwarm, the piece was a favorite of Franz Liszt. Liszt frequently performed the concerto throughout his life, including at an 1841 performance with Hector Berlioz conducting, at the unveiling of the Beethoven Monument in 1845, and at an 1877 all-Beethoven concert with Ferruccio Busoni in attendance. At the 1877 concert, Liszt played with nine fingers because of an injury to his left hand. Eleven-year-old Busoni was "bitterly disappointed" at his performance but was the only one who noticed.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: The musicologist Alfred Einstein described the concerto as "the apotheosis of the military concept." He believed it was the sister work of Eroica because it evokes imagery of an emperor such as Napoleon. Alfred Brendel said it has "a grand and radiant vision, a noble vision of freedom." In the 1860 edition of his biography of Beethoven, Anton Schindler wrote that the concerto was "the summit of all concerto music ever written." Joseph Kerman stated it was a "triumph". , it was the most performed piano concerto at Carnegie Hall, with 215 performances.


title: Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)

text: On 2 October 1912, Frank La Forge recorded the adagio movement with a studio orchestra for the Victor Talking Machine Company; the recording was issued as Victor 55030-A. In 1922, Frederic Lamond made the first complete recording with the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra under Eugene Goossens. In 1945, Walter Gieseking made a stereophonic tape recording for German radio with the Grosses Funkorcheser under Artur Rother. It is one of the earliest stereo recordings and one of about 300 such recordings made during the war, of which five survived. During the quiet passages, anti-aircraft weapons can be heard. As part of complete recordings of Beethoven's piano concertos, Piano Concerto No. 5 was recorded by Claudio Arrau in 1958, Wilhelm Kempff in 1961, Vladimir Ashkenazy in 1972, Alicia de Larrocha in 1983, Hélène Grimaud in 2006, and Glenn Gould. Other recordings were done by Alfred Brendel in 1976, Friedrich Gulda in 1971, and Murray Perahia in 1986.


title: Honda XR series

text: The Honda XR series is a range of four-stroke off-road motorcycles that were designed in Japan but assembled all over the world.


title: Honda XR series

text: Some of the XR series came in two versions: R and L. The R version bikes were enduro machines designed for off-road competitive riding. They were fitted with knobby off-road tires and were not always street legal. The L version models were dual-sport trailbikes, fitted with lights, indicators, horn, and street-legal tires.


title: Honda XR series

text: Small XR models include the XR50R, XR70R, XR75R, XR80R and XR100R. They are much smaller in size in comparison to the other bikes in the series, and are designed for children, smaller riders, as pit bikes, or for recreational fun.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR80R was used in the film , ridden by a young John Connor ( Edward Furlong ). In some scenes the taller XR100R is used as Furlong's stunt double was an adult man. The sound effects are that of a two-stroke engine for dramatic effect.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR50 is a small four-stroke child's entry level motorcycle, introduced in 1969 and still in production as the CRF50 in 2021. Originally it was called the Z-50, then Trail-50, the XR 50, CRF 50, and the mini dirt bike.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR100R was first introduced with the R designation in 1985, four years after the XR100 was brought to market. A major difference between the two was a major rear suspension upgrade to a more race-like single coil-over design (monoshock) and a new swingarm over the traditional dual real coil-over systems on the XR100. This suspension system was known as the Pro-Link system on Hondas.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 125 was released in 2003. The engine generates at 4,500&;rpm, Only the 2010 XR125L has a kick starter.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 125 Shares the same engine as the Honda CG125 and produces a Max torque of 7 ft-lb, the top speed in real world conditions is between 55-60 mph with a fuel consumption of about 60 mpg.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR200, a development of the XL185 trail bike, was produced from 1980 until 1984. The XR200 had a modestly enlarged ohc 2-valve 6-speed air-cooled engine with kick-start only. Suspension was conventional, like the XL185s, but with better quality components and more travel. Although the XR200 power output was modest, the bike was small and light and it suited less experienced riders. Due to its lightness, easy handling and good ground clearance, the XR200 was competitive as a clubman's enduro machine. Drum brakes were fitted front and rear. Having neither battery nor electric start, the driving lights shone only when the engine was running.


title: Honda XR series

text: The Honda XR 200R had the same engine of its predecessor, the XR200. This oversquare two-valve engine had a 10:1 compression ratio. A major advance over the XR200, the XR200R had Pro-Link rear suspension, and heavier duty frame and forks, and was a tougher enduro machine.


title: Honda XR series

text: For the 1984-85 model years, the XR200 had a smaller version of the same 4 valve RFVC engine as the other XRs in the line up. The 200cc RFVC engine shared many parts with the 250cc RFVC engine. For the 1986 model year, Honda reverted to the 2 valve engine that had powered the XR200R before 1984 and variations of the 2 valve engine continued to power the XR200R until the model was dropped altogether.The 1991 model was the best performance wise.


title: Honda XR series

text: Brazilian versions of the XR 200R were introduced in 1992 and remained on production until 2001 for the domestic market and at least until 2015 for export, always fitted with the 2-valve engine, electric start and front disc brake. At least in Australia, the Brazilian-made model was rebadged CTX200 and fitted with a "cheater sprocket" to get an overall lower gear ratio more suitable to the needs of agricultural operators and was not roadworthy as supplied.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR250R was introduced pre 1981 and was originally equipped with a variation of the engine that had powered the XL250S since 1978. For 1983 the model was dropped from Honda's line-up, but came back in 1984 with a completely new engine dubbed the "Radial Four Valve Chamber" (RFVC) engine. The original RFVC engine had a bore and stroke of , but in 1986 this was changed to . 1986 also saw the adoption of a large, single carburetor rather than the dual progressively opening carburetors of the 84-85 models. In 1996 the engine of the XR 250R, the mainstay of the XR range, was updated and now produced at 8100 rpm. Changes included a new crankcase with better engine mounts (which incorporated the swingarm pivot) for a stiffer chassis, smaller exhaust valves to address a problem with cracking cylinder heads, and an improved automatic decompressor for easier starting. Although the XR250R was always quite heavy compared to its 2 stroke competition and both front and rear suspension were rather basic, it proved reliable and likable and was successful as an entry-level off-road machine. The XR250R was discontinued after 2004.


title: Honda XR series

text: This street version of the XR250R was built to conform to USA Department of Transportation regulations for street legal motorcycles, but was sold worldwide. It had road legal lights and tires, a steel fuel tank, keyed ignition/steering lock, lower seat height and other minor changes. Some heavier, it had reduced off-road ability. It shared the XR250R's RFVC engine, but with a different carburetor and smaller exhaust headers to meet emissions requirements. It was manufactured from 1991-2007.


title: Honda XR series

text: There was a Brazilian equivalent named XR 250 Tornado made from 2001 to 2009 (until 2012 for export) for the local market and regional exports to other South American countries but also available in Mexico and Central America. Its engine was the same 4-valve DOHC air-cooled single fitted to the CBX 250 Twister/CBF 250, but the exhaust was dimensioned to improve low-end torque with the sacrifice of 1hp resulting in a 23hp rating.


title: Honda XR series

text: An electric start street version of the XR250R was sold in Asia as the XR250 and Australia as the XR250L. The Honda model designator for it is MD30. It's based on the 1996-2004 model XR250R but with different suspension, fuel tank, rear subframe, electrical system, carburettor, cam shaft and most significantly the addition of electric start. There were two variants of the bike a single headlight version that looks more like the standard XR250R and a dual headlight "Baja" version.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 350R was introduced for the 1983 model year and discontinued after the 1985 model year. The 1983 and 1984 models were wet sump engines with a bore and stroke of and a displacement of . The 1985 engine had a dry sump, a stroke of 63.8 mm and displacement of . The wrist pin diameter was reduced from 21 mm to 19 mm and the dual progressive carburetors of the 83-84 models were replaced by a single large carburetor.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 400R was introduced in 1996. Its frame, plastics and suspension components were similar to those of the XR250R, and it had a similar air-cooled engine with RFVC cylinder head technology. The XR400R had more suspension travel and a longer wheelbase than the XR250R of the same year. Many XR400Rs were heavily modified and raced. The 400 was perhaps the most versatile of the XR line-up; many were raced in amateur motocross and enduro events. Equipped with street-legal lighting it also worked reasonably well as a dual purpose bike. It was simple, reliable and long lasting. Hard to break and easy to fix. In 2004 Honda discontinued the XR400R.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 400M was introduced in 2005, and whilst having a similar engine to the XR 400R, the exhaust diameter is smaller and has a slightly lower power output. It was sold as a factory motard, with road wheels and tyres, electric start, and updated faux radiator fairings.


title: Honda XR series

text: Introduced in 1979, the twin-shock Honda XR 500 was the first "XR" model. The engine was a four-stroke, four-valve OHC, "Pentroof" engine. The bike had a conventional 18" rear wheel but an unusual 23" front wheel which was supposed to be better for riding over potholes and ruts. The 23" size proved unpopular and did not catch on as the wheel/tyre assembly was heavy, and there was little choice of replacement 23" tyres.


title: Honda XR series

text: In 1981 Honda introduced 'Pro-Link’ models, with rising-rate single-shock rear suspension, a 17" rear wheel and a 21" front wheel. Unusual for a four-stroke with its typical intake and exhaust valves, the 1981 and 1982 XR-500 utilized a six-petal reed valve set-up between the carburetor and the intake valves. This was intended to provide better low-end performance while still allowing a large carburetor to be used. The 1982 XR 500RC was very similar to the 1981 RB apart from decal and trim changes.


title: Honda XR series

text: The 1983 XR500R was thoroughly revised with a new dry-sump RFVC 5-speed engine which was lighter and more powerful than the older engine. Induction was by 2 carburetors, the first in use until 1/4 throttle, whereupon the second started to take effect. Power was 41hp @6000 rpm, torque was 4.7 kg-m (34 lb-ft) at 5500 rpm, and dry weight was 266.7lbs. The frame was entirely revised, and suspension was updated with 43mm air-adjustable forks with 11" of suspension travel both front and rear. Wheels were 21" front and 17" rear. The fuel tank had a 12 litre capacity, the front brake was a single hydraulic disc, and the handlebars sported plastic ‘bark-buster’ hand protectors.


title: Honda XR series

text: The XR 600R was used in Baja races. It was introduced in 1985, and was updated in 1988 when the original dual progressively opening carburetors were replaced with a larger single carburetor and the rear brake was updated to a disc. The "600" was updated again in 1992. The XR won many desert races in the hands of Johnny Campbell and GNCC races in the hands of Scott Summers. Its engine was very similar to the XR 400 and XR 250 engines, (though larger and heavier). 600's responded well to modification. A common modification was to bore the cylinder to 100mm thereby increasing displacement to 628cc. HRC produced a "Power Up" kit that included a billet 100mm piston, a revised primary gear ratio (identical to that used later in the XR650L) and a hotter camshaft. XR600R's so modified were used by the Honda race team in Baja, as well as by many other desert racers.


title: Honda XR series

text: Introduced in 2000, the XR 650R was not just an update to the XR 600—it was a totally new bike. An all-new , liquid-cooled, SOHC engine was mated to an aluminum box frame. At dry, it weighed more than the XR600R which it replaced, but was built very strong and the engine was immensely powerful. Honda was obviously aiming squarely at the long range desert racing market with this bike. . Team Honda and the XR650R posted many definitive Baja 1000 wins during its production cycle, and many other desert race wins with Scott Summers and Johnny Campbell at the helm. Cancelled for the 2008 production year, the 'Big Red Pig (BRP)' enjoys a loyal following among Honda fans today, and remains one of the most competitive, open class 4-stroke enduro motorcycles available.


title: Honda XR series

text: The Honda XR650L is a street/trail bike that is more similar to the XR 600R than to the XR 650R. It has a steel tube frame as opposed to an aluminum spar frame like in the XR 650R. It also has an air-cooled SOHC dry-sump single-cylinder four-stroke engine similar except for an increased displacement to the XR 600R, unlike the totally redesigned XR 650R that has a liquid-cooled SOHC dry-sump single-cylinder four-stroke engine.


title: Honda XR series

text: The engine first appeared in the NX650 Dominator in 1988 which makes it the longest produced RFVC engine made by Honda. With a headlight, taillight, turn signals, mirrors, smog system, revised exhaust system and a 2.8 gallon gas tank with 0.6 gal reserve, the 650L has a wet weight.


title: Honda XR series

text: The Honda XR650L is one of the longest running unchanged production models in the history of motorcycling and is still available today exactly as the 1992 model specifications.


title: Honda XR series

text: The Honda XRV650 (produced from 1988 to 1989) was the second twin cylinder production trail bike by Honda, the first one being the Honda XLV750R produced from 1983 to 1986. It was the first twin cylinder model in the XR series and as such started the XRV series, but it was soon replaced by the Honda XRV750 in 1990. The "650cc" model was built in Japan by Honda Racing Corporation and is arguably a better built bike than following versions of XRVs, which were standard production models. It came as both single and double headlight variations, and featured a slightly tuned 650cc engine similar to the Honda Transalp (XL600V and XL650V) and high specification chassis components, leading to its rather brief production run. With an aftermarket larger capacity tank and very few other modifications the bike was entered in the marathon class of the Paris Dakar Rally, revealing its surprisingly good off-road abilities - despite its 200 kg weight, hence it belongs firmly to the XR range. It is the most sought after model of the Africa Twin XRV range and is fast becoming a collector's item, especially in Europe.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Leptospermum scoparium, commonly called mānuka, () mānuka myrtle, New Zealand teatree, broom tea-tree, or just tea tree, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) and south-east Australia. Its nectar produces Mānuka honey.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Mānuka is a prolific shrub-type tree and is often one of the first species to regenerate on cleared land. It is typically a shrub growing to tall, but can grow into a moderately sized tree, up to or so in height. It is evergreen, with dense branching and small leaves long and broad, with a short spine tip. The flowers are white, occasionally pink, – rarely up to – in diameter, with five petals. The wood is tough and hard.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Mānuka is often confused with the related species kānuka ("Kunzea ericoides") – the easiest way to tell the difference between the two species in the field is to feel their foliage – mānuka leaves are prickly, while kānuka leaves are soft. Alternatively, the seed capsules of mānuka are large ( in diameter) and often remain on the plant year round, whereas the seed capsules of kānuka are much smaller ( in diameter) and are not present for much of the year.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: The Latin specific epithet "scoparium" means "like broom", referring to Northern Hemisphere genera such as "Genista" and "Cytisus" which it superficially resembles, but to which it is only distantly related.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Evidence suggests that "L. scoparium" originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity, and moved as a result of long-distance dispersal events to New Zealand from eastern Australia sometime during the last 20 million years. Cyclones and other wind activity are most likely responsible for transporting seeds long distances. Supporters of this claim cite evidence that the genus "Leptospermum" arose under conditions where frequent forest fires were common (i.e. in Australia, and not temperate New Zealand), because they possess fire-adaptive traits like serotiny and storage lignotubers. It has been postulated that on arrival in New Zealand, "L. scoparium" became established in limited edaphically suitable areas until the arrival of the Polynesian people, whose fire and forest-clearing brought about the low-nutrient-status soils for which it was preadapted in its homeland. It is now more common in New Zealand than it is in Australia. It is found throughout New Zealand, but is particularly common on the drier east coasts of the North and South Islands, and in Australia in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Various pollinators are known to visit "L. scoparium", some examples include "Melangyna novaezelandiae", "Hylaeus", and Honeybees.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: "Leptospermum scoparium" is in the process of evolutionary differentiation as a result of its isolation from fellow members of the "Leptospermum" genus. New studies demonstrate a loss of lignotubers among populations of "Leptospermum scoparium" located in relatively fire-free zones of New Zealand's South Island, while Australian and Tasmanian populations retain their lignotubers along with stronger manifestations of serotiny. Australian populations of "Leptospermum scoparium" are shown to be chemically distinct from their New Zealand counterparts, with significantly higher levels of cinteole and monoterpines. Chemotypical variations also exist between different populations within New Zealand, leading some to suggest that "L. scoparium" be divided into three subspecies: those with high pinenes, high triketones, and high sesquiterpenes. Recently, however, new research suggests that plant-to-plant variation far outstrips the variation seen between geographically isolated manuka sites, at least with regard to nectar chemistry.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Mānuka, tea tree and "" are common names for this species. "Jelly bush" is also used in Australia to describe similar honey from "Leptospermum polygalifolium". Tea tree arose because Captain Cook used the leaves to make a 'tea' drink.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: The name "mānuka" is from Māori spoken in New Zealand. It comes from Proto-Polynesian *"nukanuka" or *"nuka" which refers to "Decaspermum fructicosum" due to its similar small white flowers; it is a doublet of the aforementioned "kānuka" (referring to not only "Kunzea ericoides" but also "K. robusta").


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Many more cultivars are available in New Zealand but often the plant performs better in cultivation overseas. This is because in its homeland it is subject to attack by scale insects that secrete a honeydew on which grows a sooty mould that eventually debilitates the plant. Because of this, attempts have been made, with limited commercial success, to cross the showy New Zealand cultivars with mould-resistant Australian "Leptospermum" species.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: The wood was often used for tool handles. Mānuka sawdust imparts a delicious flavour when used for smoking meats and fish. It is cultivated in Australia and New Zealand for mānuka honey, produced when honeybees gather the nectar from its flowers, and for the pharmaceutical industry. It is also used for carving. An essential oil, for which many medicinal claims are made, is produced by steam distillation of its leaves. Mānuka, as it is called by most New Zealanders, was used in pre-European times by Māori, and still is. A decoction of the leaves was drunk for urinary complaints and as a febrifuge (an agent for reducing fever). The steam from leaves boiled in water was inhaled for head colds. A decoction was prepared from the leaves and bark and the warm liquid was rubbed on stiff muscles and aching joints. The emollient white gum, called "pai mānuka", was given to nursing babies and also used to treat scalds and burns. Chewing the bark is said to have a relaxing effect and it enhances sleep.


title: Leptospermum scoparium

text: Kākāriki parakeets ("Cyanoramphus") use the leaves and bark of mānuka and kānuka to rid themselves of parasites. Apart from ingesting the material, they also chew it, mix it with preen gland oil and apply it to their feathers.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Hong Kong independence is a political movement that advocates the establishment of Hong Kong as an independent sovereign state. Hong Kong is one of two Special administrative regions of China (SAR) which enjoys a certain degree of autonomy as a part of the People's Republic of China, which is guaranteed under Article 2 of Hong Kong Basic Law as ratified under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Since the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the PRC in 1997, a growing number of Hongkongers have become concerned about what they see as Beijing's encroachment on the territory's freedoms and the failure of the Hong Kong government to deliver "genuine democracy".


title: Hong Kong independence

text: The current independence movement gained significant support after the 2014–15 Hong Kong electoral reform which deeply divided the territory, as it would have allowed Hongkongers to have universal suffrage conditional upon Beijing having the authority to screen prospective candidates for the Chief Executive of Hong Kong (CE), the head of the government of the territory. It sparked the 79-day massive occupation protests dubbed as the "Umbrella Revolution". After the protests, many new political groups advocating independence or self-determination were established, as they deemed the "One Country, Two Systems" principle to have failed.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: According to a number of opinion polls conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI), and Reuters, a majority of Hongkongers do not support Hong Kong independence. However, support for independence is higher amongst young Hongkongers. In a CUHK survey of 1,010 Cantonese speaking Hong Kong residents in July 2016, nearly 40% of respondents aged 15 to 24 supported the territory becoming an independent country, whereas 17.4% of the respondents overall supported independence, despite only 3.6% stating that they thought it was "possible". A majority of respondents, 69.6%, supported maintaining "One Country, Two Systems", while slightly over 13% of respondents supported direct governance by China.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Hong Kong Island was first occupied by British in 1841. The island was officially ceded as a crown colony to the United Kingdom from the Qing Empire in 1842 after the First Opium War under the terms in the Treaty of Nanking. The other parts of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories were ceded permanently and leased for 99 years to Britain in 1860 under the Convention of Peking and in 1898 under the Second Convention of Peking respectively. Although the Chinese government, governed by the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek initially intended to take back the territory, Britain resumed control of Hong Kong in 1945 after the Second World War, in which Hong Kong was occupied by Japan for three years and eight months. There were few advocates for decolonisation of Hong Kong from the British rule during the post-war period, notably Ma Man-fai and the Democratic Self-Government Party of Hong Kong in the 1960s but the fruitless movement ceased to exist without substantial support from the public.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: In the last years of the 1970s into the early 1980s, the question of Hong Kong sovereignty emerged on Hong Kong's political scene as the end of the New Territories lease was approaching. Hong Kong and Macau were both removed from the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, in which territories on the list would have the right to be independent, on 2 November 1972 by request of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Although there were advocates of Hong Kong independence, the majority of the Hong Kong population, many of whom were political, economic or war refugees from the Chinese Civil War and the Communist regime on the mainland China, wished to maintain the status quo. The request for a Hong Kong representative in the Sino-British negotiation was rejected by Beijing. In 1984, the British and Chinese governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration which stated that the sovereignty of Hong Kong should be transferred to the PRC on 1 July 1997, and Hong Kong should enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: From 1983 to 1997, Hong Kong saw an exodus of emigrants to overseas countries, especially in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, when more than a million Hongkongers showed up on the streets to support student protesters in Beijing. The Tiananmen massacre of 1989 strengthened anti-Beijing sentiments and also led to the emergence of the local democracy movement, which demanded a faster pace of democratisation before and after 1997.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Since 1997, the implementation of the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 45 and Article 68, which states that the Chief Executive (CE) and the Legislative Council (LegCo) should be chosen by universal suffrage, has dominated the political agenda in Hong Kong. The pro-democracy camp, one of the two largest political alignments in the territory, has called for the early implementation of the universal suffrage since the 1980s. After more than 500,000 people protested against the legislation of national security law as stipulated in the Basic Law Article 23 on 1 July 2003, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) in April 2004 ruled out universal suffrage before 2012.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Since 2003, Beijing's growing encroachment has led Hong Kong to become increasingly integrated as part of China. Hong Kong's freedoms and core values were perceived to have been eroded as a result. In 2009 and 2010, the construction of the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou (XRL) escalated to a series of massive protests. Many protesters accused of the Hong Kong government spending HK$69.9 billion (US$9 billion) for an unnecessary railway just to please Beijing. Some also feared it was for the benefit of the People's Liberation Army in order to mobilise its troops quicker. In 2012, the government's plan to carry out moral and national education sparked controversy as it was accused of praising the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese nationalist ideology while condemning democracy and "western values". The anti-moral and national education led by student group Scholarism headed by Joshua Wong successfully attracted high turnout of people attending assemblies which led to the government backing down.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: In 2011, there was an emergence of localist sentiments, of which some took the anti-immigration nativist stance, fearing mainland Chinese new immigrants, tourists and parallel traders would threaten the established institutions and social customs of Hong Kong. Chin Wan's "On the Hong Kong City-State", published in 2011, arguing for a "localist" perspective and to abandon the "Chinese nationalist sentiment", triggered fierce public debate and was popular among the young generation. Chin Wan theory had a strong influence on the younger activists, who held a strong resentment against the mild Chinese nationalistic pan-democrats and its organisation of the annual memorials for the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 which had a "Chinese nationalistic theme" as they perceived. Many of them also promoted nostalgic sentiments for British rule and waved colonial flags at public assemblies.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: The "Undergrad", the official publication of the Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU), from February 2014, published a few articles on the subject of a Hong Kong nation including "The Hong Kong nation deciding its own fate" and "Democracy and Independence for Hong Kong". Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying used his 2015 New Year's policy address to direct harsh criticism at the magazine for promoting Hong Kong independence, which in fact had little traction up to that point, fanning both the debate and sales of the book "Hong Kong Nationalism" which featured the articles.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: On 31 August 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) set restriction on the electoral method of the Chief Executive, in which any candidate should be screened through by a Beijing-controlled nominating committee before standing in the election. The 2014 NPCSC decision triggered a historic 79-day protest which was dubbed as the "Umbrella Revolution". The failure of the campaign for a free and genuine democratic process strengthened the pro-independence discourse, as it was viewed as a failure of the "One Country, Two Systems" and an independent state would be the only way out. Localist political groups led by youngsters mushroomed after the protests. As some of them such as Youngspiration took the parliamentary path by participating in the 2015 District Council elections, other such as Hong Kong Indigenous took the "street action" by targeting the mainland tourists and parallel traders with a militant style of protesting.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: On 8 February during the 2016 Chinese New Year holidays, the Mong Kok civil unrest broke out between police and protesters following the government's crackdown on unlicensed street hawkers. Batons and pepper spray were used by the police and two warning shots were fired into the air, while protesters threw glass bottles, bricks, flower pots and trash bins toward the police and set fires in the streets. The main participant in the event, Hong Kong Indigenous, a political group with pro-independence tendencies, was branded by Director of the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong Zhang Xiaoming as "radical separatists" who were "inclined toward terrorism." The People's Liberation Army also released a statement holding "individual local radical separatist organisation(s)" responsible for the riot as well as criticising western media for "beautifying the unrest" in its early reports. Edward Leung, leader of the Hong Kong Indigenous who was heavily involved in the civil unrest, scored a better-than-expected result in the New Territories East by-election later in the month by taking 15 per cent of the vote. After the result, Leung claimed localism had gained a foothold as the third most important power in local politics, standing side by side with the pan-democracy and pro-Beijing camps.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Hong Kong National Party, the first party openly advocating for Hong Kong independence and a Republic of Hong Kong was established on 28 March 2016, drawing attacks from the Beijing and SAR governments. The State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office issued a statement condemning the party, saying it "has harmed the country's sovereignty, security, endangered the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and the core interests of Hong Kong..." The Hong Kong government issued a statement after the formation of the party, stating that "any suggestion that Hong Kong should be independent or any movement to advocate such 'independence' is against the Basic Law, and will undermine the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and impair the interest of the general public... The SAR Government will take action according to the law."


title: Hong Kong independence

text: Demosistō, a political party mainly led by the former student leaders such as Joshua Wong and Nathan Law in the 2014 Occupy protests established on 10 April 2016, advocated a referendum to determine Hong Kong's sovereignty after 2047, when the "One Country, Two Systems" principle as promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law is supposed to expire. Demosistō formed electoral alliance with other like-minded, and stresses the notion "democratic self-determination" as opposed to the right-wing pro-independence groups' "national self-determination". Due to its advocacy for "referendum", the Company Registry and police delayed their registration as a company or society. The party was also unable to set up its own bank account to raise funds.


title: Hong Kong independence

text: The "Undergrad" again published an article in March 2016 headed "Hong Kong Youth's Declaration" argues for Hong Kong independence on expiry of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 2047. It demands a democratic government be set up after 2047 and for the public to draw up the Hong Kong constitution. It also denounces the Hong Kong government for becoming a "puppet" of the Communist regime, "weakening" the territory's autonomy. Leung Chun-ying dismissed the claim, insisting that "Hong Kong has been a part of China since ancient times, and this is a fact that will not change after 2047."


title: Hong Kong independence

text: In the 2016 Legislative Council election, six pro-independence activists were disqualified, including Hong Kong Indigenous' Edward Leung and Hong Kong National Party's Chan Ho-tin, by the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), in which the government argued that their pro-independence stances did not comply with the Basic Law Article 1 which stated that Hong Kong being an inalienable part of China and which required all candidates to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. On 5 August, the Hong Kong pro-independence activists launched a rally which was dubbed "first pro-independence rally in Hong Kong" and drew about 2,500 people. The localists who successfully entered the race, together took away 19 per cent of the total vote share in the general elections under different banners and slogans advocating "self-determination".