title: Meh

text: The word may come from the Yiddish language. In Alexander Harkavy's "Yiddish-English-Hebrew Dictionary" of 1898 and at least one later edition, intended for the use of Yiddish-speakers, the English translation offered is merely a bleating or baa sound; by the much-developed 1928 edition, it is translated as an interjection meaning “be as it may”, or the adjective “so-so”. It is more recently defined as "well then; expression of dismissal". "Hooray for Yiddish", by Leo Rosten uses the phonetic spelling ""mnyeh"", capturing its breathy, expressive enunciation by Yiddish-speakers. This pronunciation is echoed by the poet Auden's use of ""mneh"," in a dismissive allusion to the moon landing; Auden was in New York before and after World War Two, and developed a close interest in Jewish conversation and culture.


title: Meh

text: All the above meanings suggest its close linkage with the Jewish shrug, which is both a staple of acceptable humour among Jews, and of anti-Semitic caricature. Thus, as a Yiddish word adopted into (American) English, it stems from the interplay of Jews with Anglo-Saxon culture past and present, an ambivalent expression of indifference, either good-humoured or contemptuous. Perhaps this accounts for its currency in the modern fast-changing multi-cultural world, now the leading English verbal alternative for a (continental) shrug, often directed toward something novel or foreign, newly fashionable, overly familiar or much-hyped.


title: Meh

text: Confusingly, some have speculated that the origin is in the Yiddish "feh", which appears in the 1936 Yiddish song Yidl Mitn Fidl.


title: Meh

text: As early as 1992, "meh" appeared in a Usenet posting in a discussion referring to the television series "Melrose Place".


title: Meh

text: "Meh"s popularity surged after its use on the American animated television series "The Simpsons". It was first used in the 1994 episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts", when a librarian reacts to Lisa's surprise that voting records are not classified. It also appeared later in "Lisa's Wedding" after Marge weaves the words "Hi Bart" on a loom to try to pique her son's interest in weaving, to which he responds "meh". In the 2001 episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer", Lisa spells out the word for emphasis ("M-E-H"), after Homer tries to interest her (Lisa) and Bart into going to the theme park "Blockoland". American lexicographer Benjamin Zimmer wrote in 2006, "Whatever Yiddish origins the interjection might have had, they have been lost in post-"Simpsons" usage." Zimmer contacted "Simpsons" writer John Swartzwelder, who was responsible for "Hungry Hungry Homer", who said "I had originally heard the word from an advertising writer named Howie Krakow back in 1970 or 1971 who insisted it was the funniest word in the world." Zimmer also contacted the writers of the other two episodes but they could not remember where they had heard the word.


title: Meh

text: Lexicographer Grant Barrett wrote about "meh" and "d'oh", another "Simpsons" catchphrase: "I suspect they're both just transcribed versions of oral speech, which has any number of single-syllable sounds that mean a variety of things".


title: Meh

text: Even mainstream publications have adopted usage of "meh". The word's first mainstream print usage occurred in Canadian newspaper the "Edmonton Sun" in 2003: "Ryan Opray got voted off "Survivor". Meh". In December 2009, "meh" was included in the "BBC News Online" list of 20 words which defined the decade. On October 14, 2013, "ABC News" posted on their website under headlines: "US Government Shuts Down, World Says, 'Meh'." "The New York Times"s "The One Page Magazine" now features a "meh" list.


title: Meh

text: Meh.com, a daily deals website from Woot founder Matt Rutledge, debuted on July 9, 2014. Rutledge paid $100,000 for the meh.com domain in June 2014.


title: Meh

text: In November 2008, the word was added to the "Collins English Dictionary", a British publication published by HarperCollins. Cormac McKeown, senior editor for Collins dictionaries, said:


title: Meh

text: "This is a new interjection from the US that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here."


title: Meh

text: "It was actually spelled out in "The Simpsons" when Homer is trying to pry the kids away from the TV with a suggestion for a day trip. They both just reply 'meh' and keep watching TV; he asks again and Lisa says 'We said MEH! M-E-H, meh?!'"


title: Meh

text: Sam Leith, writing in "The Daily Telegraph", described the addition of the word, following suggestions received from the public, as a "gimmick", before concluding it was a "useful" word.


title: Meh

text: When complaints arose over this choice of example, HarperCollins' lexicographer Cormac McKeown, who chose the election reference, insisted that he meant "no slight to Canada".


title: Utility helicopter

text: Many civilian helicopters are made for utility work such as agricultural aircraft. Many police and fire departments maintain and operate utility helicopters to augment their regular forces. In many countries local hospital services operate medevac helicopters for special time-sensitive cases.


title: Utility helicopter

text: A utility military helicopter can fill roles such as ground attack, air assault, military logistics, CASEVAC, medical evacuation, command and control, and troop transport. Some overlap of terminology is inevitable with transport helicopter.


title: Utility helicopter

text: Prominent examples of utility helicopters include the American Bell Huey family, Russian Mil Mi-2 series and the French Aérospatiale Alouette III.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: The Cambridge Apostles (also known as "Conversazione Society") is an intellectual society at the University of Cambridge founded in 1820 by George Tomlinson, a Cambridge student who became the first Bishop of Gibraltar.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: The origin of the Apostles' nickname dates from the number, 12, of their founders. Membership consists largely of undergraduates, but there have been graduate students and members who already have held university and college posts. The society traditionally drew most of its members from Christ's, St John's, Jesus, Trinity and King's Colleges.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: The society is essentially a discussion group. Meetings are held once per week, traditionally on Saturday evenings, during which one member gives a prepared talk on a topic, which is later thrown open for discussion.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: The usual procedure was for members to meet at the rooms of those whose turn it was to present the topic. The host would provide refreshments consisting of coffee and sardines on toast, called "whales". Women first gained acceptance into the society in the 1970s.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: The Apostles retain a leather diary of their membership ("the book") stretching back to its founder, which includes handwritten notes about the topics on which each member has spoken. It is included in the so-called Ark, which is a cedar chest containing collection of papers with some handwritten notes from the group's early days, about the topics members have discussed, and the results of the division in which those present voted on the debate. It was a point of honour that the question voted on should bear only a tangential relationship to the matter debated. The members referred to as the Apostles are the active, usually undergraduate members; former members are called angels. Undergraduates apply to become angels after graduating or being awarded a fellowship. Every few years, amid great secrecy, all the angels are invited to an Apostles' dinner at a Cambridge college. There used to be an annual dinner, usually held in London.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: Undergraduates being considered for membership are called embryos and are invited to embryo parties, where members judge whether the student should be invited to join. The embryos attend these parties without knowing they are being considered for membership. Becoming an Apostle involves taking an oath of secrecy and listening to the reading of a curse, originally written by Apostle Fenton John Anthony Hort, the theologian, in or around 1851.


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: Former members have spoken of the lifelong bond they feel toward one another. Henry Sidgwick, the philosopher, wrote of the Apostles in his memoirs that "the tie of attachment to this society is much the strongest corporate bond which I have known in my life."


title: Cambridge Apostles

text: Alfred Tennyson joined the Apostles in 1829, probably through the invitation of his friend Arthur Hallam. Bertrand Russell and G. E. Moore joined as students, as did John Maynard Keynes, who invited Ludwig Wittgenstein to join. Russell had been worried that Wittgenstein would not appreciate the group's unseriousness and style of humour. He was admitted in 1912 but resigned almost immediately because he could not tolerate the level of the discussion on the Hearth Rug (he also had trouble tolerating the discussions in the Moral Sciences Club). He rejoined in the 1920s when he returned to Cambridge.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Ernie Pantusso (or Pantuso), commonly known as "Coach", is a fictional character on the American television show "Cheers", portrayed by Nicholas Colasanto between 1982 and 1985. Coach is Sam Malone's former baseball coach, who becomes a bartender at Cheers under Sam's ownership. He is not "worldly wise" but has some shred of wit. He also has a daughter, Lisa, who solely appeared in the episode "Coach's Daughter", from his late wife, Angela.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: While he last appeared in the cold opening of "Rescue Me", Colasanto's last filmed appearance as Coach was in the episode "Cheerio, Cheers". When Colasanto died in 1985, Coach was written out as deceased without cause of death stated. Woody Harrelson joined the cast as Colasanto's replacement in the fourth season of "Cheers".


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Former umpire Ron Luciano auditioned for Coach Ernie Pantusso, but he failed to get the part because producers "wanted an experienced actor". Robert Prosky, who later appeared in the eleventh-season episode "Daddy's Little Middle-Aged Girl" (1992) as the character Rebecca Howe's Navy father, was offered the role of Coach, but he turned down the role. John Madden was also offered the role, but he turned it down as well. Therefore, the role was given to Nicholas Colasanto. According to Colasanto, Coach was nearly "child-like" and more of a surrogate "son" than a surrogate "father" to Sam Malone (Ted Danson), while Sam was more of a "father" to Coach for dependency on Sam's "moral support". Moreover, Coach was beloved by everyone and a good "lovable man". According to director and producer James Burrows, the character of Coach was much different from the actor Nick: Coach was slow, while Nick was sharp.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Ernie "Coach" Pantusso was a slow, forgetful bartender with a gravel voice, caring personality, shred of intelligence, and warm heart. Colasanto himself said: "The Coach doesn't have any worldly ambitions—he's very happy to make his paycheck, and drink with the boys,". Moreover, he listened to people and their problems very well. Ernie was nicknamed "Coach" because he was a baseball coach with the Boston Red Sox and other teams, like the minor league baseball team Pawtucket Red Sox (discovered in "The Tortelli Tort," episode 3 [1982]). When Sam succumbed to alcoholism, leading to the end of his baseball career, Sam bought the bar Cheers and hired Coach as a co-bartender. He is still nicknamed "Coach" by everyone, although he has been retired from coaching for years.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: As a young man, Ernie attended Catholic School, but dropped out of high school and joined the Navy. He has a sister and two brothers; the younger brother has a daughter Joyce (Cady McClain), who appears in only "The Godfather, Part III" (episode 117, 1987). As learned in "An American Family" (season 3, episode 9), he served in the Vietnam War.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Coach is a widower since his wife Angela died before the show debuted. They have a daughter, Lisa (Allyce Beasley), who only appears in "Coach's Daughter" (1982). He has numerous love interests, like the widow Irene Blanchard in two-episode "Coach in Love", who breaks off the engagement after winning the lottery and later marries a millionaire. He alongside Sam later earns a high school diploma for passing a geography class in "Teacher's Pet" (1985).


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: In the two-part episode "Rebound" (1984), after Sam and Diane ended their on-and-off relationship, Coach goes to Diane Chambers's (Shelley Long) apartment to inform her about Sam's relapse into alcoholism, so she brings in her love interest, a psychiatrist Frasier Crane, to help Sam cope with his alcoholism. Coach cunningly convinces the trio reasons to rehire Diane as a waitress again, such as preventing Sam's relapse, Diane from losing her mind again, and Sam and Diane from thinking about each other.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Colasanto, who played Coach, had heart disease since the mid-1970s exacerbated by alcoholism. After years of sobriety, during production his heart disease worsened. Castmates noticed his weight loss, although the actor kept the severity of his illness a secret. Shortly after Christmas 1984, Colasanto was admitted to a local hospital with water in his lungs. Co-star Ted Danson later said that the veteran actor had difficulty remembering his lines during production that season. After he was released from the hospital, Colasanto's doctor recommended that he not return to work. Although he appeared in the cold opening of the third-season finale ("Rescue Me"), his last full episode was "Cheerio Cheers" (filmed in late November 1984).


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Following Colasanto's death by heart attack on February 12, 1985, the show's creators decided not to recast Coach's role, so Coach was written out of the show as deceased without explanation and was replaced since "Birth, Death, Love and Rice" (episode 70, 1985) by co-bartender Woody Boyd, portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Apparently Coach and Woody were "Pen Pals" exchanging pens in the mail. Sam explained to Woody that Coach died recently. When Sam visited Diane, she expressed sympathy about Coach's death. Coach has been referenced occasionally thereafter, including Sam's toast dedication "to Coach" in "Thanksgiving Orphans" (1986) and the time that his niece Joyce appears in one episode, "The Godfather, Part III" (1987). In the series finale, "One for the Road", Sam straightens a photograph of Geronimo, used by the late Colasanto as part of his dressing room while he was alive. The photo was hanging at the bar wall of the stage set "as a remembrance."


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Since 1983, Nicholas Colasanto was Emmy-nominated three times as an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role of Coach, including his posthumous award nomination in 1985, but he did not win. On April 19, 1985, Colasanto was awarded posthumously the Best Supporting Actor by Viewers for Quality Television, a defunct non-profit organization that determined what was considered high-quality on television, for this role. Michael Hill from "The Baltimore Evening Sun" called Coach "the brilliant character". Robert Bianco praised Coach as the "heart" of the show, an ensemble's father figure, and Diane Chambers' "dependable ally". Bianco praised Coach for giving heart to the "Sam and Diane" story and for making the show a "classic". He was devastated that the actor and the character himself died, and he was disappointed that the show was not as great without him. Even with Coach's replacement Woody Boyd, Bianco considered Coach irreplaceable.


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Ted Danson, who played Sam Malone on "Cheers", felt that the show lost its "heart and soul" following Colasanto's death. Bill Simmons, previous writer of ESPN, praised Coach for making the show a "show", yet he felt that his death transformed the show into a "sitcom". A writer under a pseudonymous name, Joe Sixpack, from "Philadelphia Daily News", named Coach his second most-favorite "complete professional" bartender with a warm heart to customers, despite his limited range of intelligence. Columnist Amber Lee from the "Bleacher Report" website called Coach one of "25 funniest coaches of film and television".


title: Coach Ernie Pantusso

text: Jeffrey Robinson of the "DVD Talk" website praised Colasanto's performance for executing many dimensions to his character Coach, as opposed to his replacement Woody Boyd, whom he found one-dimensional and clueless. Adam Arseneau disdained the show for, in his view, improperly honoring the memory of Colasanto by poorly handling his character Coach's disappearance in the third season and death in the fourth.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Metropolitan Rapid Transit or MRT is a mass rapid transit system serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region in Thailand. The MRT system comprises two rapid transit lines, with a further three lines (one rapid transit line and two monorail lines) currently under construction and due to open in 2022. The MRT Blue Line, officially the "Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line", between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue was the first to open in 2004 as Bangkok's second metro system. The MRT Blue line is officially known in Thai as "rotfaifa mahanakhon" (รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร) or "metropolitan electric train", but it is more commonly called "rotfai taidin" (รถไฟใต้ดิน), literally, "underground train".


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The second MRT line MRT Purple Line, officially the "Chalong Ratchadham Line", opened on 6 August 2016 and connected Tao Poon with Khlong Bang Phai in Nonthaburi in the northwest of Greater Bangkok. It was the first mass transit line to extend outside Bangkok.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Both the Blue Line and Purple Line are operated by the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) under a concession granted by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) which is the owner of the MRT lines. Along with the BTS Skytrain and the Airport Rail Link, the MRT is part of Bangkok's rail transportation infrastructure. The two MRT lines have 470,000 passengers each day (Blue Line 400,000 and Purple Line 70,000) with 45 operational stations and a combined route length of .


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: From mid 2011, construction began to extend the MRT Blue Line with an extension west from Hua Lamphong via Tha Phra to Lak Song, and in the north from Bang Sue to Tha Phra. After completion in April 2020, the Blue Line has become a quasi loop line (providing interchange with itself at Tha Phra) around the centre of Bangkok. The first section of the MRT Blue Line extension from Hua Lamphong via Tha Phra to Lak Song opened for full operation on 29 September 2019.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Other MRT lines are planned for the future MRT system with the MRT Orange Line, MRT Yellow Line and MRT Pink Line all currently under construction. An extension of the MRT Purple Line south from Tao Poon to Rat Burana was due to be tendered in April 2020 but has been delayed until the end of 2020. In June 2019, the MRT Brown Line was approved by the MRT Board for an integrated design with the N2 Expressway design by EXAT. The MRT Brown Line is planned to be tendered in the first half of 2021 once final designs are completed by October 2020.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The MRT was constructed under a concession framework. For the first MRT line, officially known as Chaloem Ratchamongkhon or informally as the "Blue Line", civil infrastructure was provided by the government sector, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), and handed over to their concessionaire under a 25-year concession agreement. Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) was the only private sector company that won a bid in MRTA's concession contract for the blue line. As MRTA's concessionaire, BEM provides M&E equipment, including electrical trains, signalling systems, SCADA, communication, PSD, etc. for the subway project and fully operates the system. To maintain the system, BEM has subcontracted in 10 years to Siemens which was the M&E system supplier since system opening and 7 years maintenance contract to two local maintenance services for north and south line.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The construction of the first Bangkok Metro line, officially known as Chaloem Ratchamongkhon (Thai สายเฉลิมรัชมงคล) – "Celebration of Royal Auspice" – or informally as the "Blue Line", began on 19 November 1996. The project suffered multiple delays not only because of the 1997 economic crisis, but also due to challenging civil engineering works of constructing massive underground structures deep in the water-logged soil upon which the city is built.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Blue Line was opened for a limited public trial period of several weeks starting on 13 April 2004. On 3 July 2004 the line was officially opened at 19:19 local time by HM King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, who were accompanied by other members of the royal family. Within 30 minutes of its opening, sightseers filled the system to its maximum capacity, but after the initial rush ridership has settled down to around 180,000 riders daily — considerably lower than projections of over 400,000, despite fares being slashed in half from 12 to 38 baht to 10-15 baht per trip. From 2006 until 2008, fares ranged between 14 and 36 baht per trip. The fare was raised to 16-41 Baht on 1 January 2009. Daily ridership in 2014 was 253,000.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: In August 2016, the Purple Line opened for service. In August 2017, the MRT Blue Line was belatedly extended to Tao Poon station allowing interchange with the Purple Lines.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Considering that Bangkok is a low-lying plain which is prone to flooding, all of the Metro's station entrances are raised about one metre above the ground level and are equipped with built-in floodgates in order to avoid water inundating the system. Lifts and ramps are found at all stations, providing easy access for passengers in wheelchairs. Stations have multiple passageways (generally four) which allow passengers to connect to any corner of the adjacent surface intersection. Passageways between exits are very spacious and some are beginning to open as malls. Maps depicting the local area and exit points are posted on the walls on the way out.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Due to safety considerations, platform screen doors are installed. Uniformed security personnel and security cameras are present at all platforms. Currently 19 three-car metro trains, of the Siemens Modular Metro type, are used. Each metro train consists of two motor cars and a centre trailer car.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The ticketing system uses RFID contactless technology with round tokens issued for single trips and a contactless stored value card, the MRT Plus card, for frequent travellers. It is planned that a joint ticketing system will be set up so that passengers can use a single ticket on the MRT as well as on the Skytrain. Multi-storey park & ride facilities are provided at Lat Phrao and Thailand Cultural Centre. Motorists who park their cars at these premises will be issued with additional contactless smartcards and they need to have them electronically stamped at their destination station. The turnstiles accept cards or tokens, both available from a manned booth or automated ticket machines.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Children under 15 or whose height does not exceed 90 cm may ride for free. Reduced fares for older children and half price fares for the elderly also apply when buying a token at the booth.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: From January 2022 MRT start accepting new payment fare type for Blue Line and Purple Line via EMV Contactless (Europay Mastercard and Visa)


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The first line, the Blue Line, opened on 3 July 2004. It runs eastward from Tao Poon Station in Bang Sue District along Kamphaeng Phet, Phahon Yothin and Lat Phrao Roads, then turns south following Ratchadaphisek Road, then west following Rama IV Road to Hua Lamphong Station in Pathum Wan District. The second line, the Purple Line opened on 6 August 2016. The 1.2 km missing link of the Blue Line between Bang Sue and Tao Poon, connecting the two lines opened on 11 August 2017. The first section of the Blue Line extension from Hua Lamphong via Tha Phra to Lak Song opened for full operation on 29 September 2019.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The MRT Blue Line presently runs from Tha Phra to Lak Song and has a carrying capacity of 40,000 people in each direction per hour. Similar to the Skytrain, the Metro uses trains supplied by Siemens which travel up to 80 km/h. Passengers can connect to the Skytrain at Si Lom, Sukhumvit and Chatuchak Park stations. The Blue Line has a large depot located on the large MRTA Headquarters in Huai Khwang district and accessed via a spur line located between Phra Ram 9 and Thailand Cultural Centre stations.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The 48-kilometer-long MRT Blue line will serve as a circle line for Bangkok's metro rail system, providing connections to all other major lines, including the SRT Red Lines and the Airport Rail Link. However the complete track does not form a circle, but rather a figure 6. So to ride the complete circle one has either to start at Tha Phra or change trains there.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The MRT Purple line is divided into two sections, the first 23 kilometer stage from Khlong Bang Phai - Tao Poon which opened on 6 August 2016, and a planned 19.8 kilometer southern extension from Tao Poon - Phra Pradaeng.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Purple line currently serves travel demand between the northwestern suburbs of Bangkok in Nonthaburi Province to the mid north areas of Bangkok where it links with the Blue line. Eventually, the line will link with the southern area of Thonburi in Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan Province with a southern extension. This extension will serve the new Thai parliament construction site at Kiak Kai intersection and will run along Samsen Road, then passing through the historic old quarter of Bangkok Rattanakosin Island and many historical places in Dusit and Phra Nakhon District like the national library, Thewet market, Bang Lamphu, the Democracy Monument, the Golden Mount, Phahurat near Chinatown. It then runs near the Memorial Bridge over the river to Wongwian Yai roundabout before continuing south to Chom Thong and ends in Rat Burana District.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: It is eventually planned that the combined route distance of all MRT lines covering major areas of Bangkok will be total of 171 km. This comprises 94 km for the 3 rapid transit lines and 77 km for the 3 monorail lines.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The planned southern extension from Tao Pun - Rat Burana will run south through Bangkok's old quarter from Tao Pun Junction on a viaduct. It then will go into an underground structure along Sam Sen Road, passing the new Thai parliament site, and transfers to the proposed Red inner-city shortcut commuter at Sanghi intersection. It passes the national library in Dusit District before it reaches Phra Nakhon District at Thewet Market.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The line turns east at Bang Lamphu and goes along the city moat to the south, with transfers possible to the MRT Orange Line at Ratchadamnoen Road near the Democracy Monument. It passes Golden Mount before possible transfers to the extension of the Blue Line at Wang Burapha near Yaowarat Road in Chinatown and the Phahurat textile market.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The line crosses the Chao Phraya River near the Memorial Bridge towards the Wongwian Yai roundabout in Thonburi on the west bank, with possible transfers to the Dark Red Line commuter and to Wongwian Yai. It continues south to Chom Thong, then on an elevated structure for and ends in Rat Burana District, a short distance to the nearby Phra Pradaeng suburban town in Samut Prakan Province. The total length will be about 23.6 km, including ten underground and seven elevated stations.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Thai Cabinet was expected to approve the Purple Line Southern extension in mid 2017 with a tender due by the 2nd half of 2017. On 25 July 2017, the Cabinet approved the 101 billion baht budget and tender for the extension but the tender was delayed until 2018 due to land acquisition issues. There was a further delay to an early 2019 date as the tender was changed to a PPP tender. However, a subsequent delay in finalising the PPP process resulted in a new tender date of April 2020 but this has been further delayed with an expected tender by the end of 2020.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Orange Line will start from Min Buri as elevated structure on Ramkhamhaeng Road (former Suka Phiban III Road) from eastern suburb in Min Buri District and goes underground near Lam Sali intersection in Bang Kapi District, also transfers to MRT Yellow Line. It continues southwest along Ramkhamhaeng Road, passing Hua Mak Stadium and Ramkhamhaeng University. Then it turns to the west and crosses Pradit Manutham Road to the current MRT depot. Then it goes to Thailand Cultural Centre Station, the alignment crosses over and transfers to the current MRT Blue Line. It continues via Din Daeng housing estates and Bangkok City Hall 2 to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Sam Liam Din Daeng Junction. Then turn left into Ratchaprarop Road towards Pratunam and turn right into Phetchaburi Road then interchange with BTS Sukhumvit Line at Ratchathewi Station. It continues along Larn Luang Road and Ratchadamnoen Road. Then it crosses the Chao Phraya River near Phra Pinklao Bridge, passes Siriraj Hospital and goes along Bangkok Noi Rail line and terminates at Bang Khun Non Station, interchanges with MRT Blue Line again. The total length is 35.9 km.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The phase 1 Eastern section began construction in June 2017 with a planned 2024 opening. The Phase 2 Western section extension from Thailand Cultural Centre to Bang Khun Non was released for tender on 3 July 2020 as a Public-Private Partnership project.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: When fully completed, the line will be 35.9-km long, mostly underground, with 29 stations (7 elevated stations for 8.9 km and other 22 underground stations for 27 km).


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The 30.4 km long Yellow line will have 23 stations. It was originally proposed to be an underground and elevated rapid transit line, but that plan has changed; it will now be built as an elevated monorail line.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: In December 2011, the MRTA was instructed by the MOT to divide the Yellow Line into two Phases for tender and construction purposes and to control land appropriation costs. In June 2012, the MRTA contracted consultants to undertake detailed designs of the Yellow Line. In February 2013, OTP stated that the tender for the Yellow line should be ready by late 2013 for tender in early 2014. However, similar to the Pink Line, delays in finalising the technical requirements of the tender in relation to the selection of monorail rolling stock which determines the type of track to be constructed resulted in a significant delay. The subsequent political turmoil of 2014 caused further delay. Thereafter, the coup of May 2014 resulted in a new military administration and the tender being deferred for 2014.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The MRTA tender was subsequently not released until mid-2016. In early December 2016, BSR Joint Venture (comprising BTS Group Holdings which owns 75%, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction - STEC, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding - RATCH), won the bid for the project. The BSR also won the bid the Pink Line project. On 16 June 2017, a contract was signed for the Lat Phrao-Samrong section with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand by a consortium including BTS Group Holdings, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding. Construction of the MRT Yellow Line began in March 2018, it is scheduled to be fully operational in June 2022.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: Once the MRT Yellow Line is complete, a future extension may eventually be built from Samrong across the Chao Praya River to link with the MRT Purple Line at Rat Burana.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The 35.5 km long MRT Pink line will have 30 stations and will be a monorail line. It will run in the northern part of the city from east Bangkok in Minburi District "(also transfers to MRT Orange Line)" along Ram Inthra Road to west Bangkok (Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi Province) Chaeng Watthana Road and Tiwanon Road ending at The Nonthaburi Civic Center which transfer to the MRT Purple Line.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The line will also transfer with the SRT Dark Red Line which is under construction, the planned BTS Sukhumvit Line extension to Lam Lukka, and the BMA Proposed MRT Grey Line in the future.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Pink line was due to be tendered in the 3rd quarter of 2013 with construction due to commence in early 2014. However, delays in preparation of the tender in relation to the selection of monorail rolling stock and subsequent political protests resulting in a snap national election in early February 2014, further delayed the Pink Line tender. A subsequent coup in May 2014 resulted in a new military administration and the tender being deferred for 2014. The MRTA tender was subsequently not released until mid-2016.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: In early December 2016, BSR Joint Venture (comprising BTS Group Holdings which owns 75%, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction - STEC, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding - RATCH), won the bid. The BSR also won the bid for the Yellow Line project. On 16 June 2017, the Pink Line project contracts were signed with the BSR consortium by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand with a scheduled operational date of 2022. Construction of the MRT Pink Line began in late 2017. The line is due to be fully operational by June 2022.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The BSR has proposed a 2.8 km spur monorail route to link to Impact, Muang Thong Thani from Si Rat station which is waiting for approval from the government.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The 20.5 km long Brown line is under study by the OTP. It is proposed to run from Khae Rai, Nonthaburi to Bueng Kum with 21 stations and be a monorail line.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The line was originally proposed as the Gold Line by the Pheu Thai party for the Bangkok Governors election held in March 2013. This was in response to objections by Kasetsart University to long proposed Expressway extensions in the area. The line would essentially have replaced the need to build an elevated Expressway. However, the Pheu Thai candidate did not win the Bangkok Governor election and the Gold Line was dropped with the Deputy Minister of Transport stating that land appropriation costs were too high. Subsequently, OTP has reworked the Gold Line proposal into a new Brown Line following much the same route. As of June 2013, the route was under preliminary study by OTP. Public hearings on the Brown line were held in 2017. The MOT announced that a 14-month feasibility study into the line would be completed in 2018. By August 2018, OTP had completed the feasibility study and conducted public hearings. Although, there was much public support for building the MRT Brown line, public opposition to the N2 expressway remained high. OTP intends to submit the project for Cabinet approval by the end of October 2018. In early June 2019, the MRTA Board approved the investment plan for the Brown Line and integrated design with the N2 Expressway conducted by EXAT. The project is expected to be tendered in late 2021.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: This line should not be confused with the original 2004 13 km MRT Brown Line proposal from Bang Kapi to Min Buri. This was subsequently merged in 2009 into an extended MRT Orange Line.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: On 17 January 2005, just after 09:15, an empty train returning to the depot collided with a peak-hour train filled with passengers at the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT Station. 140 people were hurt, most of whom sustained only minor injuries and the entire Metro network was shut down for two weeks.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: After initial investigations, it was found that the empty train had run into problems shortly before the accident, grinding to a halt on a curve leading to the depot. The driver applied the train brake and was waiting to be towed to the maintenance centre close to the Thailand Cultural Centre station.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: A rescue train was attempting to connect to the stalled train when the driver was told to release the brake even though coupling had not been successful. It was then that the empty train began to roll backwards at a speed of ten metres per second and into the other train, which was carrying passengers. Therefore, it was believed that the incident was caused by negligence due to insufficient training of operation staff. This accident caused damage to both trainsets, with heavily damaged areas limited to the two cars that collided. From the extent of the damage, investigators estimated the collision speed to be around 60 km/h. However, one train, which was rebuilt from the repair of the minor-damaged cars, was already fitted for operation at the end of 2006 and the remaining one was still under heavy repair until mid of 2007; it was released into service in October 2007. The cost resulting from the accident might be a much higher figure than BMCL quoted, and it was expected to be at least 400 million baht, which was totally insured by a local insurance company.


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The Metro resumed full operation on 1 February 2005, and passenger numbers soon rose back to pre-crash levels, partly due to a temporary promotional fare scheme which allowed passengers to travel any distance on the MRT for only ten baht (~US$0.33).


title: MRT (Bangkok)

text: The first few years of operations saw less than forecast ridership, but pax numbers grew gradually over time. After the opening of the Tao Poon interchange station between Blue Line and Purple Line in mid-August 2017, ridership immediately increased especially on the Purple Line. In September 2017, BEM stated that average daily ridership of the Blue Line had increased from 340,000 to 360,000 after the opening. The Purple line ridership significantly increased from 33,000 to nearly 50,000. In August 2018, the MRTA Deputy Governor stated that daily ridership for the Purple Line had increased to 60,000 each weekday. After the opening of the Blue Line extension to Lak Song on 29 September 2019, daily ridership increased to 400,000 for the Blue line and 70,000 for the Purple line.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: Killer Instinct is a fighting video game developed by Rare and published by Midway. It was released as an arcade game in the fall of 1994 and, the following year, ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Game Boy. The game's plot involves an all-powerful corporation organizing a fighting tournament. The story was adapted in a limited comic book series published under the short-lived Acclaim Comics imprint.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: According to Ken Lobb, the groundwork for Killer Instinct started as a Namco fighting game project in the early planning stages titled "Melee" (which itself later became Weaponlord) during his time at Namco. Aspects of "Killer Instinct's" core gameplay were influenced from SNK fighting games, namely both the "World Heroes" series and the "Fatal Fury" series.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" featured more detailed graphics and more diverse characters than any other games of its genre as well as some gameplay elements unique to fighting games of the time. Instead of fighting enemies in best-of-three-rounds bouts, each player has two life bars. The player that depletes the other player's life bars first wins the match. The game also introduced "auto-doubles", a feature which allows players to press a certain sequence of buttons to make characters automatically perform combos on opponents. Also featured in the game are "combo breakers", special defensive moves that can interrupt combos.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: A critical and commercial success, "Killer Instinct" was followed by a sequel, the 1996 arcade game "Killer Instinct 2", later ported to the Nintendo 64 as "Killer Instinct Gold", as well as a new 2013 game rebooting the franchise, serving as a launch title for Xbox One. A port of the original game is included with the 2013 game under the title "Killer Instinct Classic". Retrospective lists by various publications included it among the best fighting games of all time.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" plays like many other fighting games, in which the player controls a character to beat an opponent in a one-on-one encounter. The game borrows the attack set of "Street Fighter" and is also inspired by the finishing moves from "Mortal Kombat". There are also several features that distinguish it from other franchises:


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: Ultratech is a very powerful megacorporation which organizes a tournament called "Killer Instinct". Along with regular participants, experimental creatures created by Ultratech also fight in the tournament so their strength can be tested. Ultratech also discovers a technology to make bridges between dimensions, and releases a two-headed cyclops, satyr-like monster called Eyedol from his dimensional prison in Limbo.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: In addition to the boss Eyedol, the game offers a roster of 10 playable characters: Black Orchid, an agent working to stop Ultratech; Chief Thunder, a Native American chief sent to look for his brother; Cinder, an escaped convict who—due to a failed chemical test—garners a body composed of flame; Fulgore, a cyborg created by Ultratech to stop Jago; Glacius, an alien abducted by Ultratech; Jago, a Tibetan warrior monk guided by the Tiger Spirit; Riptor, a velociraptor cloned by Ultratech; Sabrewulf, a man afflicted by lycanthropy; Spinal, the skeleton of an undead warrior; and T.J. Combo, a heavyweight champion boxer stripped of his title due to methods of brutally finishing his opponents.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: According to "GamePro" in 2010, "Killer Instinct" is "remembered for its colorful cast of combatants [including] a velociraptor, a sword-wielding skeleton, a creature made out of ice, and a host of other memorable characters". In 2012, Topless Robot wrote that it features "one of the most amazing and varied cast of characters ever to grace a fighting game".


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The concept of "Killer Instinct" dates back to early 1993, when game designer Ken Lobb sketched his concept during his time at Namco, dubbing it ""Melee"". He sent his pitch to Namco, but it disapproved of the concept and instead made "Weaponlord" in its place. Lobb took the concept with him to Nintendo of America, where he became head developer. He flew to England and joined Rare, which was planning to rival the success of "Mortal Kombat". Rare founders Tim and Chris Stamper approved of his pitch. In early 1994, Nintendo signed a licensing agreement with WMS Industries, Midway's parent company, which enabled Midway to develop and market games using the early arcade-based version of the Ultra 64 platform (later to become a home console and then be renamed to Nintendo 64) and formed a joint venture company called Williams/Nintendo to market Nintendo-exclusive home conversions of these games. "Killer Instinct" was announced as the first of these games. The announcement came at a time when Nintendo was still known for its stance against violent video games. To avert speculation that "Killer Instinct" would not be as violent as the title suggests, Nintendo's director of marketing George Harrison stated that "Williams would not have entered into this deal if they thought their hands would be tied. We won't restrict them in any way". He added that Nintendo believed that an industry-standard ratings system, which was expected to be in place by the time the home version was released, would make their stance against violent games no longer necessary.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The music was composed by Graeme Norgate and Robin Beanland, their first works for Rare. Beanland and Norgate would later go on to compose the music of "GoldenEye 007" (1997). Initially released in 1994, "Killer Instinct"s arcade-based Ultra 64 hardware is different than the home console version which would be renamed to Nintendo 64 in 1996. The Ultra 64 arcade is a proprietary hardware platform co-developed by Rare and Midway, and created by Chris Stamper and Pete Cox. This hardware uses a 64-bit MIPS CPU and the Nintendo 64 file format for data structure, but not the Nintendo 64 memory media or graphics technology. The game's attract mode advertises plans to be "available for your home in 1995 only on Nintendo Ultra 64". The game was slated to be part of the North American launch lineup for the system. However, the Nintendo 64's release was delayed to December 1996 and the game was converted to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy for 1995 release.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" is the first arcade game to use an internal hard disk drive in addition to the game's ROMs. This allows it to store massive amounts of data thereby giving it the ability to have more detailed graphics than other games of this genre. The game uses pre-rendered sprites and backgrounds, created with Silicon Graphics computers. The backgrounds are stored as a "movie" which adjusts frames based on the players' movements. "Killer Instinct"s R4600 processor is clocked at 100 MHz. Unlike most arcade games of the time, "Killer Instinct" does not display which version number of the game is being played.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: In the SNES port, many of the features found in the arcade version were altered, downgraded, or removed to fit the standard 16 bit format. The graphic detail was vastly reduced and the character sprites are smaller. The stages with a 3D panning camera were simplified into a 2D panning view using parallax scrolling for the background and a raster effect for the ground or arena, thus simulating a pseudo-3D effect. Zooming and scaling were removed. Some of the stages were redesigned. The full motion videos that show the characters after a victory were mostly replaced by still images. Voice samples and sound effects were shortened or removed, and the music's quality is lower. Most of the characters' special moves and danger moves were retained, but some of the special graphical effects were removed. Some other modes were added, including a training mode and a tournament mode (used for multi-player purposes).


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: According to Peter Main, Nintendo's vice president of marketing at the time, the game had a marketing budget of $20 million.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The Europe, Australia, Canada, and US releases of the SNES game have black cartridge casing, instead of the standard grey shell. Nintendo made a large-scale advertising campaign.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: A Game Boy port was also made, but cuts were necessary due to the system's limitations. As a result, neither Cinder nor Riptor are featured and the moves were severely altered due to the more limited controls of the portable. Unlike the original, the Game Boy version received poorer reviews. The game's support for Super Game Boy adds some coloring, and a two player versus match by inserting a second controller.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Cuts", an arranged soundtrack CD featuring original music from "Killer Instinct", was released as a pack-in for the SNES release of the game, included with the first 100,000 copies sold in the US and the first 20,000 copies sold in Canada. The soundtrack was digitally re-released as part of a double-album set with the "Killer Instinct: Season One" soundtrack on October 14, 2014.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: A digital port of the game's arcade version, titled "Killer Instinct Classic", is available as part of the "Season One Ultra Edition" of "Killer Instinct" for the Xbox One. This port was developed by Code Mystics and includes a number of additional features, such as a new training mode, unlockable character sprite galleries and cutscenes, several visual filters, and the ability to play the game in both its original 1.4 revision and its later 1.5D revision. An update in late December 2014 added online multiplayer functionality.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" was a commercial hit. In the United States, "RePlay" reported it to be one of the most-popular arcade games in January 1995. By May 1995, the arcade game had received about plays. It went on to be one of America's top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1995. , the game sold 17,000 arcade units.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" gained critical acclaim. An early 1995 article on the fighting game industry in "Electronic Gaming Monthly" stated that "for now, the undisputed king at the arcades is "Killer Instinct"". "Next Generation" reviewed the arcade version of the game and wrote that "it's not the breakthrough title we're all waiting for — and sooner a new genre has to explode. But for the moment at least, Nintendo's plans for Ultra 64 seem to be progressing smoothly". "Entertainment Weekly" gave the arcade version of the game an A+ rating.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The SNES version of the game was also met with positive reviews upon its release and was commercially successful, selling 3.2 million units, with more than 150,000 copies sold in the US on its release day alone and more than one million copies sold by November 23, 1995.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The game's use of 3D-rendered models attracted acclaim. "VideoGames" reviewer Tyrone Rodriguez gave the game a score of 8 (Great), preferring it over "Mortal Kombat 3" (the other editors' additional scores being 8–6–6). "Entertainment Weekly" gave the SNES version of the game an A and praised the quality of the port. Also, the game was also praised for its combo system, soundtrack and controls. "GamePro" criticized that the SNES version suffers from a lower frame rate than the arcade version and is also missing some of its best sounds and graphical effects, and complained that the combo system makes it too easy for experienced players to defeat newcomers with a single chain of hits. They concluded that "this version of "Killer" isn't flawless, but it is surprisingly addictive and fun to play". The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" were divided, with Andrew Baran commenting that "while it's a nice attempt on the Super NES, it wasn't the same" as the arcade version, whereas the other three declared it "a superb translation" which has lower quality graphics and sound than the arcade version but retains its content, playability, and overall feel. They scored it a 7.75 out of 10. "Computer and Video Games" gave the game a review score of 93%, adding: "Rare weren't lying when they said the home version would play better than the coin-op: no-one realised they were talking about the SNES!" "Next Generation" reviewed the Super NES version of the game: "Nintendo and Rare have managed one very impressive trick: getting the 16-bit Super NES to display 512 colors at once, twice the usual number, which gives the graphics an extra gloss".


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" panned the Game Boy version, unanimously concluding it to be "an arcade translation that should never have been attempted on the Game Boy". They particularly complained of the difficulty in executing moves using only two buttons, the pixelated graphics, and the poor sound. They scored it a 2.5 out of 10. "GamePro", in contrast, declared it to be second only to the Game Boy version of "Street Fighter II" among portable fighting games, arguing that the two-button control is "a little awkward but still masterable" and that the graphics are less than outstanding only when unfairly compared to the SNES version.


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: Retrospectively, "Killer Instinct" was ranked as the 148th best game made on any Nintendo system by "Nintendo Power" in 2006, as well as the 95th on a similar list by "Official Nintendo Magazine" in 2009. In platform-specific retro lists, it was also ranked as the 19th and 38th best SNES game of all time by ScrewAttack and GamesRadar respectively, and as the 13th best arcade game of the 1990s by "Complex".


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: "Killer Instinct" was included on several lists of top fighting games of all time, including by ScrewAttack in 2008 (ranked fifth best), "GamePro" that same year (ranked 18th best), and UGO in 2010 (ranked tenth best). In 2004, "GamesTM" called it possibly "the best combo-heavy fighter ever". In 2009, Virgin Media ranked it as the eighth top fighting game of all time, stating that it was "most famous for having the longest combos in the business". In 2007, it was voted the sixth top 2D fighting game of all time by Crave Online users, and ranked the sixth best 2D fighting game of all time by "Complex" in 2013. IGN listed the game at #82nd on their "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time". In 2018, Complex rated Killer Instinct 53rd in their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time." In 1996, GamesMaster ranked Killer Instinct 94th on it’s "Top 100 Games of All Time." In 1995, Flux magazine rated 45th in its Top 100 Video Games. They lauded the game writing: "Graphically stunning, combo-riffic fighter. At the moment, it rules the arcade."


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: A sequel titled "Killer Instinct 2" was released in 1996. Like the first game, it was ported to a home console, this time to the Nintendo 64 as "Killer Instinct Gold".


title: Killer Instinct (1994 video game)

text: A new "Killer Instinct", published by Microsoft and developed by Double Helix Games and Iron Galaxy Studios with input from Rare, was released as a launch title for the Xbox One in 2013. Certain releases of the game include the "Killer Instinct Classic" port of the original arcade game and its sequel.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: "Avengers Disassembled" is a 2004 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and Thor. The beginning of Brian Michael Bendis's "Avengers" run, it depicts the destruction of the existing traditional roster and the exile of several key members of the team. The storyline includes a number of subplots, some of which take place before and/or after the main events, which include other changes to the status quo: Iron Man once again closeting his secret identity, Spider-Man developing organic web-shooters (as in the contemporary Sam Raimi film trilogy), and the death of Thor and Asgard in one final Ragnarok.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The series would lead to a massive relaunch of the Avengers family of titles: New Avengers, New Thunderbolts, Captain America, and Iron Man; and the launch of Young Avengers.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Jack of Hearts, who had been dead before the storyline, arrives at Avengers Mansion. The zombified hero explodes, damaging the mansion. Scott Lang is killed in the blast. The Vision pilots an Avengers Quinjet into the partially damaged Avengers Mansion, causing more damage.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Elsewhere, Wanda Maximoff arrives at the United Nations, where she speaks with Captain America, who announces that he is ending their fledgling relationship. Tony Stark suddenly becomes drunk and belligerent despite not having imbibed any alcohol at an important UN meeting to decide if the Avengers should have their security clearance revoked following the events of "Secret War". After Tony drunkenly attempts to pick a fight with the Latverian ambassador, the Avengers UN charter is revoked; Iron Man leaves Hank Pym in the lurch to respond to the "Code White" from Avengers Mansion.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Leaving the crashed Quinjet, Vision warns the Avengers of a mysterious plan to destroy the team and then vomits up eggs that spawn Ultron drones that attack the Avengers. She-Hulk becomes consumed with bloodlust, tearing Vision in half, killing him, and brutally assaulting Wasp and Captain America.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: She-Hulk is subdued by Iron Man and Captain America and Hank Pym joins them and rushes Wasp to the hospital. Returning, Hank reveals to Cap and the team of Iron Man's drunken outburst at the UN and the UN's decision to revoke their charter. All past members of the Avengers gather at the mansion, fearing that Ultron may be behind the attack. Suddenly an armada of Kree soldiers appear in the sky and attack Manhattan. In the ensuing battle, Hawkeye's arrows are hit, causing their explosives to go off. In his dying moments, Hawkeye takes out a Kree battleship in the blast after taking flight with a commandeered Kree jet pack.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: In the wake of Hawkeye's death, Doctor Strange appears for the first time since the Dark Dimension invasion several months earlier. He explains to the Avengers that the inexplicable events—Tony's sudden inebriation, She-Hulk and Vision's loss of control, Jack of Heart's resurrection, and the enemies they have encountered—are magical, and that their trail leads to Wanda. A flashback reveals that Wanda has lost her sanity after an errant comment about motherhood from the Wasp triggered a suppressed memory of Wanda's lost twin children, William and Thomas. The children were magical constructs Wanda created in an impossible conception between her and the Vision. They were lost when both children were magically absorbed by the villain Master Pandemonium, and the memory was suppressed by Wanda's mentor, Agatha Harkness, reasoning that the children were unnatural constructs and better for Wanda to forget. The reawakened memory has caused Wanda to lose her sanity and blame the Avengers for the loss of her children. Strange reveals that the abilities previous ascribed to Wanda's "chaos magick" are actually uncontrolled manifestations of her ability to warp reality, and that she must be taken down immediately before she threatens the world in her current mental state.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The Avengers visit the home of Agatha Harkness, and find her long dead, having been killed by Wanda. The Avengers find Wanda, who summons an army of the Avengers' past enemies to destroy them, including a version of Rogue, Red Skull, and a group of SS troops. Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to put Wanda into a coma. Before the Avengers can decide what to do or how to deal with their losses, Magneto arrives to retrieve Wanda from the Avengers, much to Captain America's dismay and horror. Reluctantly, he allows Magneto to take his daughter with him after he vows to help her with the assistance of Charles Xavier.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: In the aftermath, the Avengers disband, but reminisce about their numerous triumphs and memories of one another. Pietro Maximoff arrives and apologizes for Wanda, letting them know that Xavier is attempting to fix Wanda's mind, before speeding away. The remaining members accept their losses, discuss Wanda's history, and struggle with forgiveness. Ultimately, they toast to their fallen comrades, including Wanda. As they leave the destroyed headquarters, they are greeted by a civilian vigil, bearing candles and signs expressing gratitude for the heroes.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: After rescuing Force from the corrupt senators who have been trying to kill Tony Stark since he became U.S. Defense Secretary, Iron Man finds himself targeted by an impostor who murders his longtime love interest Rumiko Fujikawa. Iron Man eventually defeats his impersonator and brings down the ring of corrupt senators who organized the murder and blackmailed Force. Realizing that his loved ones are being targeted by his enemies, Stark gives a press conference where he announces that he is resigning as Defense Secretary and will no longer actively be Iron Man, in favor of returning to "subordinates" filling the role for him.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: A mystic force that is the living embodiment of Ragnarok has begun slaying the Asgardian Gods in rapid succession. Investigating the genocide of his people, Thor discovers that the universe itself is seeking to eliminate the Asgardians for cheating death by surviving countless previous attempts by the universe to fulfill Ragnarok and wipe out the Asgardians. Ultimately Thor allows himself to be destroyed, as all known Asgardians are destroyed.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Captain America and Falcon are in the midst of an international scandal between a naval intelligence operation (ONI) and a Drug Cartel with ties to A.I.M when Cap starts having hallucinations; some of them involving encounters with his fellow Avenger Wanda Maximoff A.K.A. the Scarlet Witch. Meanwhile, Falcon is gifted a new enhanced costume from Wakanda and uses it to escape the feds.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Captain America discusses his past, most notably his guilt from the death of Bucky, with Scarlet Witch and she eases his trouble. While they engage in a romance, Cap cites that he can not give her the normal life she desires due to his own emotional issues. His apparent romance with the Scarlet Witch ceases just prior to the UN meeting to retain their UN Charter. Wanda, oddly tells him she has no recollection of their romance, indicating that Cap hallucinated the whole thing. Cap later believes that due to the events of "Avengers Disassembled", Wanda was responsible for his visions and Falcon's aggressive behavior.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Peter Parker finds himself locked in a desperate battle with Adrianna "Ana" Soria (aka "The Queen"), a mysterious villainess with the ability to control her minions with powerful pheromones. During their first confrontation, a captive Peter is forcefully kissed by the Queen, causing him to mutate into a grotesque human-spider hybrid over the course of many days. As he attempts to return himself to normal, it's ultimately revealed that the Queen's powers are the result of an American military experiment from World War II, and she has returned to seek revenge on the US government for abandoning her after the war.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: In his final confrontation with the Queen, Peter stops her from destroying all human life in New York City with a biological bomb. In the course of the battle, he is fully transformed into a monstrous spider, but the transformation has the unintended side-effect of making him pregnant—allowing him to give birth to a perfect replica of his old human self, with all of his memories fully intact. In his new form, Peter possesses the ability to shoot organic webbing from his wrists, eliminating the need for his homemade "web-shooters".


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: While the Avengers face the destruction of their mansion and the invading Kree armada, Wizard and the Frightful Four launch a surprise attack on the Fantastic Four, defeating the heroes and seizing control over the Baxter Building. The Fantastic Four regroup.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Following the events of "Disassembled", Captain America is naturally depressed and rekindles a relationship with Diamondback (Rachel Leighton). Meanwhile, the Red Skull conspires with a corrupt SHIELD agent to kill Captain America using Diamondback, but his plan backfires. During these events Steve realizes his love for Rachel.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: In the wake of "Avengers Disassembled", two new Avengers series were created. The "New Avengers" title replaced the "Avengers" title (with a new No. 1 in December 2004) which ended with issue No. 503 and "Avengers Finale" (November 2004). This new title continued with the creative team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Finch. The other title, premiering February 2005, was "Young Avengers", which featured teenage heroes, each of whom (excepting Hawkeye) related in some way to the legacy of the Avengers. This series was written by Allan Heinberg, a writer for "The OC", with art by Jim Cheung. The group was revived by its creators in July 2010 with the bimonthly series "" which is a follow-up to "Disassembled" and "House of M".


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The Scarlet Witch's storyline continued in the pages of "Excalibur", where Magneto and Professor X tried helping her, to no avail. This in turn led into the "House of M" mini-series and crossover, also written by Bendis.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The event is now considered by Marvel editors as the first part of a long series of events, which includes "House of M", "Decimation", "Planet Hulk", "Civil War", "", "", "World War Hulk", "", "", "Secret Invasion", "", "Dark Reign", "Messiah War", "Utopia", "" and "Necrosha". All these grim events lead up to "Siege" written by Brian Michael Bendis in 2010, which ushers in a new Heroic Age for Marvel, and "" by Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle, which sees the slow rebirth of Earth's Mutant population.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: As for the Avengers killed during "Disassembled" saga, they have all returned to life in separate events. Hawkeye was rematerialized by Wanda during the House of M story. Ant-Man was rescued by the time-traveling Young Avengers during "The Children's Crusade", as Stature brings him away from the range of Jack of Hearts' explosion. Ant-Man is thus brought to the present along with the Young Avengers. The Vision is successfully rebuilt by Tony Stark after Fear Itself, and Jack of Hearts is restored by a team of scientists of Project Pegasus: during an assault of a pack of zombified clones of Squadron Supreme, a source of zero-point energy aggregates taking the corporeal form of Jack Hart.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Although not bannered as a part of the crossover, the events of "Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill" are a direct sequel to the story in "Thor".


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Although not directly connected with the previous storyline, Bendis's 5th arc on "New Avengers" is titled "New Avengers: Disassembled", a reference to "Avengers Disassembled". It deals with the events of the Civil War (in which superheroes were forced to register with the government or be arrested) on the New Avengers, and how the team's varying opinions have caused them to break apart. The first three issues featured Captain America, Jessica Drew and Luke Cage's opinions on the matter, all who have heavily weighed against the registration. The next two featured the Sentry and Iron Man, both of whom were for registration. ("New Avengers" #21-25)


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Like the 5th arc of Bendis's "New Avengers", the storyline of "" also references "Avengers: Disassembled", complete with a banner reminiscent of the original. Issue No. 21, the first in the "Dark Reign" event, centers on the aftermath of the failed Skrull invasion, and the revelation that the shape-shifting aliens had infiltrated and corrupted the Fifty-State Initiative and Camp Hammond, where the registered heroes were trained. Most disturbingly, Camp Hammond and the were largely under the supervision of the legendary Avenger Henry Pym, but Pym had in fact been replaced by a Skrull years earlier. This is an opportunity for "top cop" Norman Osborn, the newly appointed director of H.A.M.M.E.R. (formerly S.H.I.E.L.D.) to radically redefine how the Initiative will fit into the new order—to his own advantage. Thus, the whole structure (and much of the cast) of "Avengers: The Initiative" is disassembled. (Avengers: The Initiative #21-25)


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Bendis's last Avengers and New Avengers storylines used a red smashed Avengers symbol and a black text box with white text in same font as the Disassembled logo on the front covers of each issue of those stories. (Avengers #31-34, New Avengers #31-34)


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The 6th story arc of the 4th series of The Ultimate Comics series The Ultimates used the Disassembled name complete with the black box white text logo.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: On November 1, 2006, Marvel released a ""What If?"" special showing a different outcome to the storyline. In this alternate reality, the Beast, sensing something wrong, investigates afterward. He and Warbird go to see Dr. Strange who claims to have no knowledge of what occurred. Strange uses his abilities to see the event, claiming that is not really him (""Of course there's chaos magic...I would never use the Eye that way.""). They deduce that Wanda used her magics to make everyone believe Strange had defeated her and Magneto then took her away. The Beast eventually figures out that Captain America, his mind suffering long-term damage from his years in ice, had pushed Wanda to do this, using the deaths to power her. They remake Genosha into a mutant paradise and Magneto fights to defend his daughter from the Avengers and the X-Men, who all end up dead as the Scarlet Witch's spell is interrupted by Rogue. In the end, Wanda and Cap allow themselves to be taken to oblivion to stop any more harm being done. Only Rogue, Ms. Marvel, Beast, Falcon, Cyclops, Iron Man and Doctor Strange are left – they were the ones who were directly confronting Cap and Wanda – and a guilt-ridden Beast, learning from Uatu that Cap would have recovered from his illness and abandoned his manipulative relationship with the Witch as he became leader of a new team of Avengers if Beast had done nothing, realizes that he should have left everything alone.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: In an alternate world, the Avengers were never disassembled, but were subsequently captured by an alien race called the Trellions when the Vision detected the arrival of their agent Titannus, a brainwashed Skrull super-soldier, accompanying him on a mission to rescue his dying lover only to learn that he had been brainwashed with a fake story to lure the Avengers into a trap. The Wasp was quickly killed, Hank Pym - apparently another Hulk in this reality - was announced missing in action, and Captain America was executed to break their spirit, the reserve Avengers taking five years to rescue them and another five to beat back the Trellions sufficiently to stop them trying to re-conquer Earth. At some point, Reed Richards apparently attempted to conquer the world, Iron Man taking on a Doctor-Doom-like apparel to oppose him, killing the Human Torch before Richards sent him to Earth-616 prior to Titannus's arrival on that Earth. This Iron Man has since become the villain Iron Maniac, being kept in stasis in a Helicarrier, while the Titannus of Earth-616 was defeated by a team assembled by Doctor Strange when he detected Titannus's arrival only after Titannus had destroyed most of Tokyo in a rampage, his violent approach leaving the heroes less inclined to trust him than they had been in this world.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: The "GLA" miniseries, "GLA: Misassembled" (2005), written by Dan Slott and pencilled by Paul Pelletier, provided a tongue-in-cheek reference to "Avengers Disassembled". In a move which satirized the comic book deaths in that book, it was announced that a character would die in each "GLA" issue. Dinah Soar, the newcomer Grasshopper, the squirrel Monkey Joe, and Doorman are all killed, and Mr. Immortal commits suicide. However, Doorman was resurrected almost immediately acquiring the powers of Deathurge, Monkey Joe was replaced with an identical squirrel called Tippy Toe and Mr. Immortal stayed dead for only a few seconds. Three other Grasshoppers appeared in later issues of GLA, and were all killed in the space of few pages, continuing the parody.


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: A Bongo Comics Free-For-All (Free Comic Book Day Special) has Comic Book Guy reading, "Archie Disassembled". The following quotes:


title: Avengers Disassembled

text: Deadpool (to Agent X): "Dude, "anyone" wearing a harness rig has a failsafe release to prevent it from catching on fire and forcing you to fly into Kree spaceships and blow up. I mean, "duh", who "doesn't" know that?"


title: Masyaf Castle

text: Masyaf Castle (), also Masyaf Castle, is a medieval structure in the town of Masyaf in Hama Governorate, Syria, situated in the Orontes Valley, approximately 40.03 kilometres to the west of Hama. It served to protect the approach to other Ismaili castles in the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Jabal Ansariya) at a site controlling the trade routes to cities further inland such as Banyas. The castle itself stands on a platform about 20 metres above the surrounding plain. It became famous as the stronghold from which Rashid ad-Din Sinan, known as the Old Man of the Mountain, ruled from 1166-1193. He was a leader of the Syrian branch of the Shia Nizari Isma'ili sect, also known as the Assassins, and a figure in the history of the Crusades.


title: Masyaf Castle

text: Evidence suggests that the lower layers and foundations of the castle are of Byzantine origin. Later levels were added by the Nizari Shia Isma'ilis, Mamluks, and Ottomans, with most of the current remains dating back to Rashid and the Nizari construction phase of the 12th century.


title: Masyaf Castle

text: The castle was captured by the Assassins in 1141 from Sanqur, who had held it on behalf of the Banu Munqidh of Shaizar, and was later refortified by Rashid al-Din Sinan. Masyaf and the surrounding town functioned as the capital of a Nizari emirate from the middle of the 12th century until the end of the 13th century. Saladin besieged it in May 1176, but the siege did not last long and it concluded with a truce. Current research indicates it was held by the Nizari Isma'ilis at that time.


title: Masyaf Castle

text: In 1260, Masyaf and three other Nizari fortresses were surrendered to the Mongols. Later that year in September, the Nizaris allied with the victorious Mamluks to drive the Mongols out from Syria, reclaiming four of their castles, including Masyaf. After a decade, in February 1270, Mamluk sultan Baibars took hold of the castle.


title: Masyaf Castle

text: In 1808, the Nusayris (Alawites) murdered the Ismaili emir of Masyaf and seized the castle, but the Ismailis managed to recover it with the help of the Ottoman authorities. During the 1830s, the troops of the Egyptian governor, Ibrahim Pasha, caused serious damage to the castle.


title: Masyaf Castle

text: Restoration funded by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Historic Cities Support Programme began in 2000.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (also known as Tremors 4 or Tremors: The Legend Begins) is a 2004 direct-to-video horror Western film directed by S. S. Wilson and written by Brent Maddock, Nancy Roberts, and Wilson. It is the fourth film in the "Tremors" series of films and released on DVD on January 2, 2004. As a prequel to the earlier films and television series, it depicts the town of Rejection, which is the location that would later be renamed Perfection, the main setting for the first "Tremors" film. It stars Michael Gross as Hiram Gummer, the great grandfather of the character Burt Gummer, who Gross portrayed in every other "Tremors" film.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: Prim East Coast dandy Hiram Gummer (Gross) arrives in the town of Rejection, Nevada, to investigate a series of strange deaths at the silver mine he owns. Receiving help from local innkeeper Christine Lord (Botsford) and miner Juan Pedilla (Roam), Gummer finds out that gigantic killer worms that can burrow underground are responsible for the miners' deaths. Hiram decides he'd better call in expert gunslinger Black Hand Kelly (Billy Drago) to save the day. However, the worms grow larger and the people of Rejection decide to kill them before they reach Carson City.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: In 1889, the inhabitants of Rejection are completely dependent on the income from a nearby silver mine. One day, a hot spring causes graboid eggs to hatch, resulting in the death of 17 miners. Hiram Gummer, great-grandfather of Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) and the mine's owner, arrives in town to fix the problem. After juvenile graboids that can shoot out of the ground (later dubbed Dirt Dragons) attack his camp one night, he is shocked by their presence. One of his companions, Juan, kills one with a pickaxe, and the pair escapes.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: Inexperienced and not fond of firearms, Hiram calls for a gunfighter, Black Hand Kelly (Billy Drago). Hiram and Kelly do not get along well, though Kelly succeeds in conveying to Hiram some of his attitude towards firearms and life in general. Eventually, Kelly is eaten alive by a now fully grown graboid, but not before discovering that a total of four graboids have hatched. Hiram decides to abandon Rejection and leave the townsfolk to their fates. However, they force him to give them the silver mine, threatening to alert potential buyers to the danger if he sells it out from under them. In Carson City, Hiram receives a telegram revealing that the fully grown graboids have made it through the pass and are headed for the town. Changing his mind, he buys weapons with the last of his valuable belongings, heads back to Rejection to lead a last stand against the graboids, and helps the town ready itself.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: After two graboids are killed, the third one adapts and avoids all of the traps. Hiram tricks it into coming to the surface and then attaches it by the tail to the flywheel of a steam traction engine. The graboid is reeled in and slammed against the front wheels and boiler with such force that it is explosively decapitated on impact. With the creatures dead, the town decides to keep them secret out of fear that no one would settle in the area if their existence were known, and use the proceeds from the mine to pay for their belongings. Hiram settles in Rejection (renamed Perfection), building his home in the same place where his great-grandson Burt's would one day be. He is also given a Colt 1865 Gatling gun and begins target practice, enjoying it.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The Remington Mark III single-shot 10-gauge pistol was the only gun used in the film that was not historically accurate, being manufactured from 1915 to 1918. According to Stampede Entertainment, "S. S. Wilson and Michael Gross loved it so much they decided to use it anyway". The handgun can be seen when Hiram gives it to Lu Wan to use in the final battle. However, Hiram calls it a "derringer". It is used by Lu Wan to blow the head off a tentacle of the graboid that attacks her on the wagon.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The Sharps 1874 buffalo rifle was used by Juan in the final battle. It was .45–70 caliber, but Hiram refers to as a .52 caliber in the film.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The Remington No. 1 rolling block used in the film fired .45–70 blanks, but was called a .45–120 in the film. Pyong Chang fires it from the back of the steam traction engine during the final battle.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The Colt Gatling gun used in the film was a genuine antique pre-1900 .45–70 caliber Colt. It was used by Hiram in the final scene of the movie.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The punt gun used by Hiram in the final battle was designed by prop master Bill Davis, weighing 94 pounds (43 kg) and measuring 8 feet 4 inches (2.54 m) long. The gun had a 2-inch (5.1 cm) bore, which classifies it as an "A gauge". According to Stampede Entertainment, "The entire trigger assembly of the punt gun dropped down to allow the loading of the internal shotgun with triple load 12-gauge black powder blanks." In addition, WD-40 was sprayed into the barrel before firing which would create extra smoke.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: "Tremors 4: The Legend Begins" received mostly mixed reception from fans of the franchise. In a retrospective essay on direct-to-video horror sequels, Gavin Al-Asif for the Houston Chronicle wrote that "[Tremors 4] is noticeably better than [Tremors 3] in certain aspects, but also noticeably worse in others," critiquing the film for its unconvincing effects and hokey acting while praising the film for its fun characters, often clever humor, and western setting.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: A browser game tie-in called "Dirt Dragons" was created to market the film and released on January 2, 2004. The game concept, development, and programming was done by the Stampede Entertainment webmaster Allan Krahl.


title: Tremors 4: The Legend Begins

text: The game starts off with the premise that the town Rejection, Nevada hires an experienced gunman to eliminate Graboids. The player has a selection of guns. The Sharps 1874 Buffalo Rifle, Henry 1860, Colt Peacemaker, and the Punt Gun. The Sharps has the most range and is the second most powerful but has one bullet that takes a small amount of time to reload. The Henry 1860 has 16 bullets, low-moderate damage, and a fast fire rate but takes around 30 seconds to reload. The Peacemaker has poor range and damage but an extremely fast fire rate with six bullets loaded that takes around 30 seconds to reload and is considered a "last resort" weapon. The Punt Gun has the most destructive power but only at close range while taking over a minute to reload a single shot. The objective is to kill advancing graboids that pop up while getting closer and strategize on how to conserve ammo to kill others. As a certain number is killed, the player advances to the next level which increases the amount by one for number of graboids that pop up on-screen, with a total of four levels. If all else fails to kill them, press space. If the player loses, they will be greeted with a Graboid tentacle and be eaten, ending the game.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Sir Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, and the first born outside Europe. His discovery of the malarial parasite in the gastrointestinal tract of a mosquito in 1897 proved that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes, and laid the foundation for the method of combating the disease.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross was a polymath, writing a number of poems, published several novels, and composed songs. He was also an amateur artist and mathematician. He worked in the Indian Medical Service for 25 years. It was during his service that he made the groundbreaking medical discovery. After resigning from his service in India, he joined the faculty of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and continued as Professor and Chairman of Tropical Medicine of the institute for 10 years. In 1926, he became Director-in-Chief of the Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which was established in honour of his works. He remained there until his death.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross was born in Almora, then in the North-Western Provinces of Company-ruled India, north west of Nepal. He was the eldest of ten children of Sir Campbell Claye Grant Ross, a general in the British Indian Army, and Matilda Charlotte Elderton. At age eight, he was sent to England to live with his aunt and uncle on the Isle of Wight. He attended Primary schools at Ryde, and for secondary education he was sent to a boarding school at Springhill, near Southampton, in 1869. From his early childhood, he developed a passion for poetry, music, literature and mathematics. At fourteen years of age he won a prize for mathematics, a book titled "Orbs of Heaven" which sparked his interest in mathematics. In 1873, at sixteen, he secured first position in the Oxford and Cambridge local examination in drawing.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Although Ross wanted to become a writer, his father arranged enrollment at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College in London, in 1874. Not fully committed, he spent most of his time composing music, and writing poems and plays. He left in 1880. In 1879 he had passed the examinations for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and he worked as a ship's surgeon on a transatlantic steamship while studying for the licenciate of the Society of Apothecaries. He qualified on second attempt in 1881, and after a four-month training at Army Medical School, was appointed a surgeon in the Indian Medical Service on 5 April 1881, assigned to the Madras Presidency. Between June 1888 and May 1889 he took study leave to obtain the Diploma in Public Health from the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Surgeons, and took a course in bacteriology under Professor E. E. Klein.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross embarked for India on 22 September 1881 on the troopship "Jumma". Between 1881 and 1894 he was variously posted in Madras, Moulmein (in Burma/Myanmar), Baluchistan, Andaman Islands, Bangalore and Secunderabad. In 1883, he was posted as the Acting Garrison Surgeon at Bangalore during which he noticed the possibility of controlling mosquitoes by limiting their access to water. In March 1894 he had his home leave and went to London with his family. On 10 April 1894 he met Sir Patrick Manson for the first time. Manson who became Ross's mentor, introduced him to the real problems in malaria research. Manson always had a firm belief that India was the best place for the study. Ross returned to India on P&O ship "Ballaarat" on 20 March 1895 and landed in Secunderabad on 24 April. Even before his luggage was cleared in the custom office, he went straight for Bombay Civil Hospital, looking for malarial patients and started making blood films.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross made his first important step in May 1895 when he observed the early stages of malarial parasite inside a mosquito stomach. However, his enthusiasm was interrupted as he was deployed to Bangalore to investigate an outbreak of cholera. Bangalore had no regular cases of malaria. He confided to Manson stating, "I am thrown out of employment and have 'no work to do'." But in April he had a chance to visit Sigur Ghat near the hill station of Ooty, where he noticed a mosquito on the wall in a peculiar posture, and for this he called it "dappled-winged" mosquito, not knowing the species. In May 1896, he was given a short leave that enabled him to visit a malaria-endemic region around Ooty. In spite of his daily quinine prophylaxis, he was down with severe malaria three days after his arrival. In June he was transferred to Secunderabad.


title: Ronald Ross

text: After two years of research failure, in July 1897, Ross managed to culture 20 adult "brown" mosquitoes from collected larvae. He successfully infected the mosquitoes from a patient named Husein Khan for a price of 8 annas (one anna per blood-fed mosquito). After blood-feeding, he dissected the mosquitoes. On 20 August he confirmed the presence of the malarial parasite inside the gut of mosquito, which he originally identified as "dappled-wings" (which turned out to be species of the genus "Anopheles"). The next day, on 21 August, he confirmed the growth of the parasite in the mosquito. This discovery was published on 27 August 1897 in the Indian Medical Gazette and subsequently in the December 1897 issue of "British Medical Journal". In the evening he composed the following poem for his discovery (originally unfinished, sent to his wife on 22 August, and completed a few days later):


title: Ronald Ross

text: In September 1897, Ross was transferred to Bombay, from where he was subsequently sent to a malaria-free Kherwara in Rajputana (now Rajasthan). Frustrated of lack of work he threatened to resign from service as he felt that it was a death blow to his pursuit. It was only on the representation of Patrick Manson, that the government arranged for his continued service in Calcutta on a "special duty". On 17 February 1898 he arrived in Calcutta (now Kolkata), to work in the Presidency General Hospital.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross immediately carried out research in malaria and Visceral leishmaniasis (also known as kala azar), for which he was assigned. He was given the use of Surgeon-Lieutenant-General Cunningham's laboratory for his research. He had no success with malarial patients because they were always immediately given medication. He built a bungalow with a laboratory at Mahanad village, where he would stay from time to time to collect mosquitoes in and around the village. He employed Mahomed (or Muhammed) Bux and Purboona (who deserted him after the first payday). As Calcutta was not a malarious place, Manson persuaded him to use birds, as being used by other scientists such as Vasily Danilewsky in Russia and William George MacCallum in America. Ross complied but with a complaint that he "did not need to be in India to study bird malaria". By March he began to see results on bird parasites, very closely related to the human malarial parasites.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Using more convenient model of birds (infected sparrows), by July 1898 Ross established the importance of culex mosquitoes as intermediate hosts in avian malaria. On 4 July he discovered that the salivary gland was the storage sites of malarial parasites in the mosquito. By 8 July he was convinced that the parasites are released from the salivary gland during biting. He later demonstrated the transmission of malarial parasite from mosquitoes (in this case "Culex" species) to healthy sparrows from an infected one, thus, establishing the complete life cycle of malarial parasite.


title: Ronald Ross

text: In September 1898 he went to southern Assam in (northeast India) to study an epidemic of Visceral leishmaniasis. He was invited to work there by Graham Col Ville Ramsay, the second Medical Officer of the Labac Tea Estate Hospital. (His microscope and medicals tools are still preserved, and his sketches of mosquitoes are still on display at the hospital.) However, he utterly failed as he believed that the kala-azar parasite ("Leishmania donovani", the very scientific name he later gave in 1903) was transmitted by a mosquito, which he refers to as "Anopheles rossi" (scientific name given by G.M. Giles). (It is now known that kala azar is transmitted by sandflies.)


title: Ronald Ross

text: In 1899, Ross resigned from Indian Medical Service and went to England to join the faculty of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine as lecturer. He continued to work on prevention of malaria in different parts of the world, including West Africa, the Suez Canal zone, Greece, Mauritius, Cyprus, and in the areas affected by the First World War. He also initiated organisations, which proved to be well established, for fighting malaria in India and Sri Lanka. In 1902, Ross was awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh. He was appointed as Professor and Chair of Tropical Medicine of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 1902, which he held up to 1912. In 1912 he was appointed Physician for Tropical Diseases at King's College Hospital in London, and simultaneously hold the Chair of Tropical Sanitation in Liverpool. He remained in these posts until 1917 when he became (honorary) Consultant in Malariology in British War Office. He travelled to Thessaloniki and Italy in November to advise and on the way, "in a landlocked bay close to the Leucadian Rock (where Sappho is supposed to have drowned hers)", his ship escaped a torpedo attack. Between 1918 and 1926 he worked as Consultant in Malaria in the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross developed mathematical models for the study of malaria epidemiology, which he initiated in his report on Mauritius in 1908. He elaborated the concept in his book "The Prevention of Malaria" in 1910 (2nd edition in 1911) and further elaborated in a more generalised form in scientific papers published by the Royal Society in 1915 and 1916; some of his epidemiology work was developed with mathematician Hilda Hudson. These papers represented a profound mathematical interest which was not confined to epidemiology, but led him to make material contributions to both pure and applied mathematics.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross was one of the supporters of Sir William Osler in the founding of the History of Medicine Society in 1912, and in 1913 was the history of medicine section's vice-president.


title: Ronald Ross

text: The Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases was founded in 1926 and established at Bath House, a grand house with keeper's lodge and large grounds adjacent to Tibbet's Corner at Putney Heath. The hospital was opened by the then Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII. Ross assumed the post of Director-in-Chief until his death. The institute was later incorporated into the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in Keppel Street. Bath House was later demolished and mansion flats built on the property. In memory of its history and owner the block was named Ross Court. Within the grounds an older dwelling, Ross Cottage, remains.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ronald Ross was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discovery of the life cycle of malarial parasite in birds. He did not build his concept of malarial transmission in humans, but in birds. Ross was the first to show that malarial parasite was transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, in his case the avian "Plasmodium relictum". In 1897, an Italian physician and zoologist Giovanni Battista Grassi, along with his colleagues, had established the developmental stages of malaria parasites in anopheline mosquitoes; and they described the complete life cycles of "P. falciparum", "P. vivax" and "P. malariae" the following year.


title: Ronald Ross

text: When the 1902 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was considered, the Nobel Committee initially intended the prize to be shared between Ross and Grassi, however Ross accused Grassi of deliberate fraud. The weight of favour ultimately fell on Ross, largely due to the influences of Robert Koch, the appointed neutral arbitrator in the committee; as reported, "Koch threw the full weight of his considerable authority in insisting that Grassi did not deserve the honor".


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ronald Ross was noted to be eccentric and egocentric, described as an "impulsive man" or an "impulsive genius." His professional life appeared to be in constant feud with his students, colleagues and fellow scientists. His personal vendetta with G.B. Grassi became a legendary tale in science. He was openly envious of his mentor Patrick Manson's affluence from private practices. His "Memories of Sir Patrick Manson" (1930) was a direct attempt to belittle Manson's influences on his works on malaria. He hardly had good ties with the administration of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, complaining of being underpaid. He resigned twice, and was eventually discharged without any pension.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross was frequently embittered by lack of government support (what he called "administrative barbarism") for scientists in medical research. In 1928 he advertised his papers for sale in the journal "Science Progress in the Twentieth Century" (1919-1933), with a statement that the money was for financial support of his wife and family. Lady Houston bought them for £2000, and offered them to the British Museum, which turned her down for various reasons. The papers are now preserved by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.


title: Ronald Ross

text: In 1889 Ross married Rosa Bessie Bloxam (d.1931). They had two daughters, Dorothy (1891–1947) and Sylvia (1893–1925), and two sons, Ronald Campbell (1895–1914) and Charles Claye (1901–1966). His wife died in 1931. Ronald and Sylvia pre-deceased him too: Ronald was killed at the Battle of Le Cateau on 26 August 1914. Ross died at the hospital of his namesake after a long illness and asthma attack. He was buried at the nearby Putney Vale Cemetery, next to his wife.


title: Ronald Ross

text: A small memorial on the walls of SSKM Hospital, Calcutta commemorates Ross' discovery. The memorial was unveiled by Ross himself, in the presence of Lord Lytton, on 7 January 1927. The laboratory where Ross worked has been transferred into a malaria clinic named after him. There is also a plaque on the outer wall.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Sir Ronald Ross is one of 23 names to feature on the frieze of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, pioneers chosen for their contributions to public health.


title: Ronald Ross

text: A novel, "The Calcutta Chromosome" by Amitav Ghosh, published in 1995 is based on the life of Ross in Calcutta.


title: Ronald Ross

text: Ross was a prolific writer. He habitually wrote poems on most of the important events in his life. His poetic works gained him wide acclaim and they reflect his medical service, travelogue, philosophical and scientific thoughts. Many of his poems are collected in his "Selected Poems" (1928) and "In Exile" (1931). Some of his notable books are "The Child of Ocean" (1899 and 1932), "The Revels of Orsera", "The Spirit of Storm", "Fables and Satires" (1930), "Lyra Modulatu" (1931), and five mathematical works (1929–1931). He also compiled an extensive account "The Prevention of Malaria" in 1910 and another "Studies on Malaria" in 1928. He published his autobiography "Memoirs, with a Full Account of the Great Malaria Problem and its Solution" (547 pages long) in 1923. He carefully saved virtually everything about himself: correspondence, telegrams, newspaper cuttings, drafts of published and unpublished material, and all manner of ephemera.