
 = = = Music = = = 

 Thomas Newman 's score was recorded in Santa Monica , California . He mainly used percussion instruments to create the mood and rhythm , the inspiration for which was provided by Mendes . Newman " favored pulse , rhythm , and color over melody " , making for a more minimalist score than he had previously created . He built each cue around " small , endlessly repeating phrases " — often , the only variety through a " thinning of the texture for eight bars " . The percussion instruments included tablas , bongos , cymbals , piano , xylophones , and marimbas ; also featured were guitars , flute , and world music instruments . Newman also used electronic music and on " quirkier " tracks employed more unorthodox methods , such as tapping metal mixing bowls with a finger and using a detuned mandolin . Newman believed the score helped move the film along without disturbing the " moral ambiguity " of the script : " It was a real delicate balancing act in terms of what music worked to preserve [ that ] . " 
 The soundtrack features songs by Newman , Bobby Darin , The Who , Free , Eels , The Guess Who , Bill Withers , Betty Carter , Peggy Lee , The Folk Implosion , Gomez , and Bob Dylan , as well as two cover versions — The Beatles ' " Because " performed by Elliott Smith , and Neil Young 's " Don 't Let It Bring You Down " performed by Annie Lennox . Produced by the film 's music supervisor Chris Douridas , an abridged soundtrack album was released on October 5 , 1999 , and went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album . An album featuring 19 tracks from Newman 's score was released on January 11 , 2000 , and won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album . Filmmaker considered the score to be one of Newman 's best , saying it " [ enabled ] the film 's transcendentalist aspirations " . In 2006 , the magazine chose the score as one of 20 essential soundtracks it believed spoke to the " complex and innovative relationships between music and screen storytelling " . 

 = = Release = = 


 = = = Publicity = = = 

 DreamWorks contracted Amazon.com to create the official website , marking the first time that Amazon had created a special section devoted to a feature film . The website included an overview , a photo gallery , cast and crew filmographies , and exclusive interviews with Spacey and Bening . The film 's tagline — " look closer " — originally came from a cutting pasted on Lester 's workplace cubicle by the set dresser . DreamWorks ran parallel marketing campaigns and trailers — one aimed at adults , the other at teenagers . Both trailers ended with the poster image of a girl holding a rose . Reviewing the posters of several 1999 films , David Hochman of Entertainment Weekly rated American Beauty 's highly , saying it evoked the tagline ; he said , " You return to the poster again and again , thinking , this time you 're gonna find something . " DreamWorks did not want to test screen the film ; according to Mendes , the studio was pleased with it , but he insisted on one where he could question the audience afterward . The studio reluctantly agreed and showed the film to a young audience in San Jose , California . Mendes claimed the screening went very well . 

 = = = Theatrical run = = = 

 The film had its world premiere on September 8 , 1999 , at Grauman 's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles . Three days later , the film appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival . With the filmmakers and cast in attendance , it screened at several American universities , including the University of California at Berkeley , New York University , the University of California at Los Angeles , the University of Texas at Austin , and Northwestern University . 
 On September 15 , 1999 , American Beauty opened to the public in limited release at three theaters in Los Angeles and three in New York . More theaters were added during the limited run , and on October 1 , the film officially entered wide release by screening in 706 theaters across North America . The film grossed $ 8 @,@ 188 @,@ 587 over the weekend , ranking third at the box office . Audiences polled by the market research firm CinemaScore gave American Beauty a " B + " grade on average . The theater count hit a high of 1 @,@ 528 at the end of the month , before a gradual decline . Following American Beauty 's wins at the 57th Golden Globe Awards , DreamWorks re @-@ expanded the theater presence from a low of 7 in mid @-@ February , to a high of 1 @,@ 990 in March . The film ended its North American theatrical run on June 4 , 2000 , having grossed $ 130 @.@ 1 million . 
 American Beauty had its European premiere at the London Film Festival on November 18 , 1999 ; in January 2000 , it began to screen in various territories outside North America . It debuted in Israel to " potent " returns , and limited releases in Germany , Italy , Austria , Switzerland , the Netherlands and Finland followed on January 21 . After January 28 opening weekends in Australia , the United Kingdom , Spain and Norway , American Beauty had earned $ 7 million in 12 countries for a total of $ 12 @.@ 1 million outside North America . On February 4 , American Beauty debuted in France and Belgium . Expanding to 303 theaters in the United Kingdom , the film ranked first at the box office with $ 1 @.@ 7 million . On the weekend of February 18 — following American Beauty 's eight nominations for the 72nd Academy Awards — the film grossed $ 11 @.@ 7 million from 21 territories , for a total of $ 65 @.@ 4 million outside North America . The film had " dazzling " debuts in Hungary , Denmark , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , and New Zealand . 
 As of February 18 , the most successful territories were the United Kingdom ( $ 15 @.@ 2 million ) , Italy ( $ 10 @.@ 8 million ) , Germany ( $ 10 @.@ 5 million ) , Australia ( $ 6 million ) , and France ( $ 5 @.@ 3 million ) . The Academy Award nominations meant strong performances continued across the board ; the following weekend , American Beauty grossed $ 10 @.@ 9 million in 27 countries , with strong debuts in Brazil , Mexico , and South Korea . Other high spots included robust returns in Argentina , Greece , and Turkey . On the weekend of March 3 , 2000 , American Beauty debuted strongly in Hong Kong , Taiwan , and Singapore , markets traditionally " not receptive to this kind of upscale fare " . The impressive South Korean performance continued , with a return of $ 1 @.@ 2 million after nine days . In total , American Beauty grossed $ 130 @.@ 1 million in North America and $ 226 @.@ 2 million internationally , for $ 356 @.@ 3 million worldwide . 

 = = = Home media = = = 

 American Beauty was released on VHS on May 9 , 2000 , and on DVD with the DTS format on October 24 , 2000 . Before the North American rental release on May 9 , Blockbuster Video wanted to purchase hundreds of thousands of extra copies for its " guaranteed title " range , whereby anyone who wanted to rent the film would be guaranteed a copy . Blockbuster and DreamWorks could not agree on a profit @-@ sharing deal , so Blockbuster ordered two @-@ thirds the number of copies it originally intended . DreamWorks made around one million copies available for rental ; Blockbuster 's share would usually have been about 400 @,@ 000 of these . Some Blockbuster stores only displayed 60 copies , and others did not display the film at all , forcing customers to ask for it . The strategy required staff to read a statement to customers explaining the situation ; Blockbuster claimed it was only " [ monitoring ] customer demand " due to the reduced availability . Blockbuster 's strategy leaked before May 9 , leading to a 30 % order increase from other retailers . In its first week of rental release , American Beauty made $ 6 @.@ 8 million . This return was lower than would have been expected had DreamWorks and Blockbuster reached an agreement . In the same year , The Sixth Sense made $ 22 million , while Fight Club made $ 8 @.@ 1 million , though the latter 's North American theatrical performance was just 29 % that of American Beauty . Blockbuster 's strategy also affected rental fees ; American Beauty averaged $ 3 @.@ 12 , compared with $ 3 @.@ 40 for films that Blockbuster fully promoted . Only 53 % of the film 's rentals were from large outlets in the first week , compared with the usual 65 % . 
 The DVD release included a behind @-@ the @-@ scenes featurette , film audio commentary from Mendes and Ball , and a storyboard presentation with discussion from Mendes and Hall . In the film commentary , Mendes refers to deleted scenes he intended to include in the release . However , these scenes are not on the DVD , as he changed his mind after recording the commentary ; Mendes felt that to show scenes he previously chose not to use would detract from the film 's integrity . 
 On September 21 , 2010 , Paramount Home Entertainment released American Beauty on Blu @-@ ray , as part of Paramount 's Sapphire Series . All the extras from the DVD release were present , with the theatrical trailers upgraded to HD . 

 = = Critical reception = = 

 American Beauty was widely considered the best film of 1999 by the American press . It received overwhelming praise , chiefly for Spacey , Mendes and Ball . Variety reported that " no other 1999 movie has benefited from such universal raves . " It was the best @-@ received title at the Toronto International Film Festival ( TIFF ) , where it won the People 's Choice award after a ballot of the festival 's audiences . TIFF 's director , Piers Handling , said , " American Beauty was the buzz of the festival , the film most talked @-@ about . " 
 Writing in Variety , Todd McCarthy said the cast ensemble " could not be better " ; he praised Spacey 's " handling of innuendo , subtle sarcasm , and blunt talk " and the way he imbued Lester with " genuine feeling " . Janet Maslin in The New York Times said Spacey was at his " wittiest and most agile " to date , and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun @-@ Times singled Spacey out for successfully portraying a man who " does reckless and foolish things [ but who ] doesn 't deceive himself " . Kevin Jackson of Sight & Sound said Spacey impressed in ways distinct from his previous performances , the most satisfying aspect being his portrayal of " both sap and hero " . Writing in Film Quarterly , Gary Hentzi praised the actors , but said that characters such as Carolyn and Col. Fitts were stereotypes . Hentzi accused Mendes and Ball of identifying too readily with Jane and Ricky , saying the latter was their " fantasy figure " — a teenaged boy who 's an absurdly wealthy artist able to " finance [ his ] own projects " . Hentzi said Angela was the most believable teenager , in particular with her " painfully familiar " attempts to " live up to an unworthy image of herself " . Maslin agreed that some characters were unoriginal , but said their detailed characterizations made them memorable . Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the actors coped " faultlessly " with what were difficult roles ; he called Spacey 's performance " the energy that drives the film " , saying the actor commanded audience involvement despite Lester not always being sympathetic . " Against considerable odds , we do like [ these characters ] , " Turan concluded . 
 Maslin felt that Mendes directed with " terrific visual flair " , saying his minimalist style balanced " the mordant and bright " and that he evoked the " delicate , eroticized power @-@ playing vignettes " of his theater work . Jackson said Mendes ' theatrical roots rarely showed , and that the " most remarkable " aspect was that Spacey 's performance did not overshadow the film . He said that Mendes worked the script 's intricacies smoothly , to the ensemble 's strengths , and staged the tonal shifts skillfully . McCarthy believed American Beauty a " stunning card of introduction " for film débutantes Mendes and Ball . He said Mendes ' " sure hand " was " as precise and controlled " as his theater work . McCarthy cited Hall 's involvement as fortunate for Mendes , as the cinematographer was " unsurpassed " at conveying the themes of a work . Turan agreed that Mendes ' choice of collaborators was " shrewd " , naming Hall and Newman in particular . Turan suggested that American Beauty may have benefited from Mendes ' inexperience , as his " anything 's possible daring " made him attempt beats that more seasoned directors might have avoided . Turan felt that Mendes ' accomplishment was to " capture and enhance [ the ] duality " of Ball 's script — the simultaneously " caricatured [ ... ] and painfully real " characters . Hentzi , while critical of many of Mendes and Ball 's choices , admitted the film showed off their " considerable talents " . 
 Turan cited Ball 's lack of constraint when writing the film as the reason for its uniqueness , in particular the script 's subtle changes in tone . McCarthy said the script was " as fresh and distinctive " as any of its American film contemporaries , and praised how it analyzed the characters while not compromising narrative pace . He called Ball 's dialogue " tart " and said the characters — Carolyn excepted — were " deeply drawn " . One other flaw , McCarthy said , was the revelation of Col. Fitts ' homosexuality , which he said evoked " hoary Freudianism " . Jackson said the film transcended its clichéd setup to become a " wonderfully resourceful and sombre comedy " . He said that even when the film played for sitcom laughs , it did so with " unexpected nuance " . Hentzi criticized how the film made a mystery of Lester 's murder , believing it manipulative and simply a way of generating suspense . McCarthy cited the production and costume design as pluses , and said the soundtrack was good at creating " ironic counterpoint [ s ] " to the story . Hentzi concluded that American Beauty was " vital but uneven " ; he felt the film 's examination of " the ways which teenagers and adults imagine each other 's lives " was its best point , and that although Lester and Angela 's dynamic was familiar , its romantic irony stood beside " the most enduring literary treatments " of the theme , such as Lolita . Nevertheless , Hentzi believed that the film 's themes of materialism and conformity in American suburbia were " hackneyed " . McCarthy conceded that the setting was familiar , but said it merely provided the film with a " starting point " from which to tell its " subtle and acutely judged tale " . Maslin agreed ; she said that while it " takes aim at targets that are none too fresh " , and that the theme of nonconformity did not surprise , the film had its own " corrosive novelty " . Ebert awarded American Beauty four stars out of four , and Turan said it was layered , subversive , complex , and surprising , concluding it was " a hell of a picture " . 
 A few months after the film 's release , reports of a backlash appeared in the American press , and the years since have seen its critical regard wane . In 2005 , Premiere named American Beauty as one of 20 " most overrated movies of all time " ; Mendes accepted the inevitability of the critical reappraisal , saying , " I thought some of it was entirely justified — it was a little overpraised at the time . " 
 Currently , the film holds an 88 % score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 180 reviews , with an average rating of 8 @.@ 2 / 10 ; the critical consensus reads , " Flawlessly cast and brimming with dark , acid wit , American Beauty is a smart , provocative high point of late ' 90s mainstream Hollywood film . " Metacritic gives the film a score of 86 , based on 33 reviews , indicating " universal acclaim . " 

 = = Accolades = = 

 American Beauty was not considered an immediate favorite to dominate the American awards season . Several other contenders opened at the end of 1999 , and US critics spread their honors among them when compiling their end @-@ of @-@ year lists . The Chicago Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association named the film the best of 1999 , but while the New York Film Critics Circle , the National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association recognized American Beauty , they gave their top awards to other films . By the end of the year , reports of a critical backlash suggested American Beauty was the underdog in the race for Best Picture ; however , at the Golden Globe Awards in January 2000 , American Beauty won Best Film , Best Director and Best Screenplay . 
 As the nominations for the 72nd Academy Awards approached , a frontrunner had not emerged . DreamWorks had launched a major campaign for American Beauty five weeks before ballots were due to be sent to the 5 @,@ 600 Academy Award voters . Its campaign combined traditional advertising and publicity with more focused strategies . Although direct mail campaigning was prohibited , DreamWorks reached voters by promoting the film in " casual , comfortable settings " in voters ' communities . The studio 's candidate for Best Picture the previous year , Saving Private Ryan , lost to Shakespeare in Love , so the studio took a new approach by hiring outsiders to provide input for the campaign . It hired three veteran consultants , who told the studio to " think small " . Nancy Willen encouraged DreamWorks to produce a special about the making of American Beauty , to set up displays of the film in the communities ' bookstores , and to arrange a question @-@ and @-@ answer session with Mendes for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Dale Olson advised the studio to advertise in free publications that circulated in Beverly Hills — home to many voters — in addition to major newspapers . Olson arranged to screen American Beauty to about 1 @,@ 000 members of the Actors Fund of America , as many participating actors were also voters . Bruce Feldman took Ball to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival , where Ball attended a private dinner in honor of Anthony Hopkins , meeting several voters who were in attendance . 
 In February 2000 , American Beauty was nominated for eight Academy Awards ; its closest rivals , The Cider House Rules and The Insider , received seven nominations each . In March 2000 , the major industry labor organizations all awarded their top honors to American Beauty ; perceptions had shifted — the film was now the favorite to dominate the Academy Awards . American Beauty 's closest rival for Best Picture was still The Cider House Rules , from Miramax . Both studios mounted aggressive campaigns ; DreamWorks bought 38 % more advertising space in Variety than Miramax . On March 26 , 2000 , American Beauty won five Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actor ( Spacey ) , Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography . At the 53rd British Academy Film Awards , American Beauty won six of the 14 awards for which it was nominated : Best Film , Best Actor , Best Actress ( Bening ) , Best Cinematography , Best Film Music and Best Editing . In 2000 , the Publicists Guild of America recognized DreamWorks for the best film publicity campaign . In September 2008 , Empire named American Beauty the 96th " Greatest Movie of All Time " after a poll of 10 @,@ 000 readers , 150 filmmakers , and 50 film critics , the fourth @-@ highest ranked movie from 1999 ( behind Fight Club , The Matrix , and Magnolia ) . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America ranked the screenplay number 38 on its list of 101 greatest screenplays . 
 The film was nominated for AFI 's 100 Years ... 100 Movies ( 10th Anniversary Edition ) in 2007 . 


 = Christopher Gore = 

 Christopher Gore ( September 21 , 1758 – March 1 , 1827 ) was a prominent Massachusetts lawyer , Federalist politician , and U.S. diplomat . Born into a family divided by the American Revolution , Gore sided with the victorious Patriots , established a successful law practice in Boston , and built a fortune by purchasing Revolutionary government debts at a discount and receiving full value for them from the government . 
 Gore entered politics in 1788 , serving briefly in the Massachusetts legislature before being appointed U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts . He was then appointed by President George Washington to a diplomatic commission dealing with maritime claims in Great Britain . He returned to Massachusetts in 1804 and reentered state politics , running unsuccessfully for governor several times before winning in 1809 . He served one term , losing to Democratic @-@ Republican Elbridge Gerry in 1810 . He was appointed to the US Senate by Governor Caleb Strong in 1813 , where he led opposition to the War of 1812 . 
 Gore invested his fortune in a variety of businesses , including important infrastructure projects such as the Middlesex Canal and a bridge across the Charles River . He was a major investor in the early textile industry , funding the Boston Manufacturing Company and the Merrimack Manufacturing Company , whose business established the city of Lowell , Massachusetts . Gore was involved in a variety of charitable causes , and was a major benefactor of Harvard College , where the first library was named in his honor . His palatial mansion in Waltham , Massachusetts , now known as Gore Place , is one of the finest extant examples of Federalist architecture , and has been declared a National Historic Landmark . 

 = = Early years = = 

 Christopher Gore was born in Boston on September 21 , 1758 , one of many children of Frances and John Gore , a successful merchant and artisan . He was the youngest of their three sons to survive to adulthood . He attended Boston Latin School , and entered Harvard College at the young ( even for the time ) age of thirteen . At the outset of the American Revolutionary War and the Siege of Boston in 1775 , Harvard 's buildings were occupied by the Continental Army , and Gore temporarily continued his studies in Bradford until Harvard could resume operations in Concord . While at Harvard Gore participated in a speaking club , and formed significant lifelong friendships with Rufus King and John Trumbull . 
 Gore graduated in 1776 , and promptly enlisted in the Continental artillery regiment of his brother @-@ in @-@ law Thomas Crafts , where he served as a clerk until 1778 . The Gore family was divided by the war : Gore 's father was a Loyalist who left Boston when the British Army evacuated the city in March 1776 . Gore was consequently called upon to support his mother and three sisters , who remained in Boston . In 1779 Gore successfully petitioned the state for the remaining family 's share of his father 's seized assets . 

 = = Early legal career = = 

 After his military service Gore studied law with John Lowell , and was admitted to the bar in 1778 after a comparatively brief tutelage . Gore 's law practice flourished , in part because many Loyalist lawyers had fled Massachusetts . Gore 's clients included Loyalists seeking to recover some of their assets , as well as London @-@ based British merchants with claims to pursue . His briefs were generally well @-@ reasoned , and he was seen as a successful trial lawyer . 
 Gore grew his fortune by investing carefully in revolutionary currency and bonds . The securities he purchased were paper that had been given to Continental Army soldiers in lieu of pay , which they often sold at a steep discount . One batch of securities he purchased , for instance , cost him about $ 3 @,@ 700 but had a face value of $ 25 @,@ 000 . In 1785 he married Rebecca Amory Payne , daughter of a wealthy merchant , maritime insurer , and director of the Bank of Massachusetts . The couple were known for their social graces and became prominent members of Boston society . 
 In 1786 Gore became concerned about a rise in anti @-@ lawyer sentiment in Massachusetts . Grievances over harsh policies pursued by Governor James Bowdoin blossomed into Shays ' Rebellion , which required militia action to crush in 1787 . Gore was one of several high @-@ profile lawyers assigned to defend participants in the rebellion ( included in this group were Theodore Sedgwick , Caleb Strong , James Sullivan , Levi Lincoln , Sr. , and Thomas Dawes ) . Although many rebels were ultimately convicted , a large number received amnesty . In 1788 , Gore was elected a delegate to the 1789 Massachusetts convention that ratified the United States Constitution . His election was contested because Boston , where he lived , was at the time more inclined toward state power . Gore nonetheless was strongly Federalist , urging support of the new Constitution . 

 = = Legislator , banker , and speculator = = 

 In 1788 Gore was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives . He took a leading role in adopting the state 's rules for actions required of it by the new federal constitution . By his proposal the legislature decided that presidential electors would be chosen by a joint session . He also proposed that the state House and Senate agree by separate votes on choices for the United States Senate , a process that would significantly reduce popular input to the choice . His choice was ultimately rejected in favor of a process whereby the House selected a slate of candidates , from which the Senate would choose one . In 1789 Gore decided to stand for reelection , but lost , owing to strong anti @-@ nationalist fervor in Boston at the time . He managed to win a seat later , when a special election was held after resignations opened several seats . 
 Gore 's financial speculations in the late 1780s significantly multiplied his wealth . In 1788 he and Andrew Craigie , a Boston businessman who had retained Gore for legal services , entered into a secret agreement to purchase Continental securities with a face value of $ 100 @,@ 000 in a speculative bid that their value would rise . By late October of that year , the pair had met this goal : Gore had purchased $ 90 @,@ 000 worth of paper for about $ 20 @,@ 000 , and encouraged Craigie to purchase more than the $ 11 @,@ 000 he had acquired if his funding would allow for it . Gore also purchased Massachusetts war @-@ related debts , and lobbied Massachusetts Congressmen for the U.S. government to assume those as well . 
 Gore 's windfall was realized when in 1790 the United States Congress , acting on a proposal made by Alexander Hamilton and supported by Gore 's friend Rufus King , passed legislation that exchanged Continental and state paper for new U.S. paper at face value . Not only did Gore win on this exchange , but the paper he received appreciated in value before he sold it . The exact amount he made is unclear from the surviving documents : John Quincy Adams wrote that Gore 's speculations made him the wealthiest lawyer in the country . 
 The success of Gore 's speculations prompted him to enter a partnership with Craigie , William Duer and Daniel Parker in an attempt to acquire U.S. foreign debt obligations on favorable terms . Parker was a business partner of Craigie 's , and Duer was an influential New York businessman and Treasury Department official whose lavish lifestyle impressed Gore . The partnership promoted sales of U.S. lands in Europe , and sought to acquire U.S. obligations to France . Although Gore sank $ 10 @,@ 000 into this venture , it failed : more powerful and experienced Dutch bankers outmaneuvered the Americans . Gore also engaged in other ventures with these partners , but apparently carefully stayed with financial speculations , and avoided the partners ' less successful land ventures . 
 Much of Gore 's financial activity was mediated through the Bank of Massachusetts , where his father @-@ in @-@ law was a director . Gore himself was elected to its board in 1785 , when he also became a shareholder . During his time on the board the bank tightened its regulations on loan repayments , a move that improved the stability of its capital . Gore used the bank for most of his personal deposits , but also drew on lines of credit for as much as several thousand dollars . The bank shares he held paid relatively high dividends until 1791 , when the bank received serious competition from the First Bank of the United States . 
 The Bank of the United States was established by Alexander Hamilton to provide stable banking services on a national scale , and sought to open a branch in Boston . Hamilton recruited heavily in the Bank of Massachusetts , and Gore decided to make the move . He sold his shares in the Massachusetts bank , and became a director of the Boston branch of the U.S. Bank . He also purchased 200 shares in the new bank , a relatively large investment . Gore was influential in making hiring decisions for the branch , and sought to merge state @-@ chartered banks into the organization , arguing that only a nationally chartered bank could provide consistent and stable service . Gore resigned from the board in 1794 , citing the demands of his law practice . 
 Gore 's financial successes enabled him to join the elite society of Boston . In 1789 he purchased a large mansion on fashionable Bowdoin Square , and also bought a country estate in Waltham that grew over time to 300 acres ( 120 ha ) . He had a house built on the estate , most of which he operated as a gentleman farmer . He and other similarly @-@ situated Federalists formed the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture , of which he served as a trustee for several years ; the organization was not seen as significantly contributing to advances in agriculture . 

 = = District attorney and diplomat = = 

 In 1789 President George Washington appointed Gore the first United States Attorney for Massachusetts as a reward for his support . Gore controversially refused to resign from the state legislature , arguing that the state constitution 's prohibitions against holding multiple offices did not apply to federal posts . He eventually resigned the legislative seat under protest because of pressure from his fellow legislators . 
 Gore served as district attorney until 1796 . His principal matter of concern was the enforcement of U.S. neutrality with respect to the French Revolutionary Wars . He attempted several times to prosecute the French consul in Boston , Antoine Duplaine , for arming and operating privateers out of the Port of Boston , but he was stymied by local juries that sympathized with the French . Duplaine was eventually expelled on orders from President George Washington based on evidence provided by Gore . 
 Gore also promoted anti @-@ French sentiment with political writings in Massachusetts newspapers . Writing under the pseudonym " Manlius " , he denounced the formation of " Democratic Societies " formed to oppose Federalist policy and support pro @-@ French positions . He suggested to President Washington that someone be sent to England to negotiate with the British . John Jay traveled to London in 1794 and negotiated the Jay Treaty , whose ratification Gore vocally supported . Although Gore was hostile to French policy , he was on friendly terms with individual Frenchmen : he hosted the future French statesman Talleyrand when he visited the U.S. 
 In 1796 Washington appointed him as a commissioner representing the United States to handle maritime claims under the terms the Jay Treaty . As a result the Gores moved to England that year , establishing a residence in the fashionable Hyde Park area . The commission was established to arbitrate claims emanating from British seizures of American vessels and cargoes , and from British claims relating to violations of American neutrality in the ongoing French Revolutionary Wars . It consisted of three Americans ( Gore , William Pinkney , and John Trumbull ) and two British commissioners ( John Nicoll and Nicholas Astley ) ; Trumbull was chosen by the other four because he was deemed to sufficiently " fair @-@ minded " to cast deciding votes in the event of disagreements . That year he was also elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . 
 Although Gore was well received by the British establishment , the work suffered from what Gore called a " tediousness of process " , and he considered requesting a transfer in 1798 . In 1800 it ground to a halt because another board established by the treaty to resolve outstanding Revolutionary War claims against the United States had not yet met , and the British stopped the claims processing until resolution of the other issues got underway . Gore used this break to briefly return to America and assess the condition of his Waltham estate , where the house had been largely destroyed by fire in 1799 . After his return to London , with the commission work still stopped , he and Rebecca embarked on a tour of Europe . They visited Holland , Belgium , and Switzerland , and spent six months in Paris . During this trip , and later ones in England and Scotland , they took note of the architecture of country estates , and began planning a new house for their Waltham property . 
 The commission resumed its work in early 1802 , and had resolved all outstanding claims by August 1803 . It awarded $ 110 @,@ 000 to British claimants and over $ 6 million to American claimants . The lopsided result is due to the vastly larger number of American claims , but also to some key early decisions that favored American interpretations in the processing of the claims , and by a British administration that sought to remain in America 's good graces . 
 The Gore 's social circle in England revolved around his good friend Rufus King , who was appointed Ambassador to Great Britain in 1796 , along with other Massachusetts expatriates . When King left his post in May 1803 he named Gore to head the London embassy as chargé d 'affaires . Although President Thomas Jefferson never issued a formal appointment , the British government accepted his role for the two @-@ month interval between King 's departure and the arrival of James Monroe as King 's replacement . The Gores sailed for Boston in the spring of 1804 . 
 Rebecca Gore used their exposure to European country estates to design a lavish new building for their Waltham estate during their English sojourn . Designed with the assistance of French architect Joseph @-@ Guillaume Legrand and probably also influenced by the works of English architect Sir John Soane , the house that was built upon their return to the United States in 1804 ( now known as Gore Place ) is one of the finest extant examples of Federalist architecture . 

 = = Lawyer and state legislator = = 

 Soon after his return to the United States , Gore reentered state politics , winning election to the Massachusetts Senate . He was active in the state Federalist Party organization , sitting on its secret central committee . He resumed his law practice , in which he took on as a student Daniel Webster . One of the highest profile cases he took on was the 1807 defense of Thomas Selfridge , accused of murdering Charles Austin . Selfridge , an older Federalist attorney , had been retained to assist in the collection of a debt from Austin 's Republican father . In the politically charged atmosphere of the day in Boston , Selfridge , fearing for his own safety , had armed himself with a dueling pistol . The younger Austin had , apparently on his own initiative , sought to beat Selfridge with a cane , and Selfridge fatally shot him in the encounter . Selfridge was prosecuted by Attorney General ( and future Gore gubernatorial opponent ) James Sullivan , and the defense also included arch @-@ Federalist Harrison Gray Otis . Gore argued Selfridge acted in self @-@ defense ; Selfridge was acquitted of murder by a jury whose foreman was Patriot and Federalist Paul Revere after fifteen minutes ' deliberation . 
 Gore also resumed business activities upon his return . He invested in a wide variety of businesses and infrastructure , spurring economic activity in the state . His investments ranged widely , including maritime insurance ( where is father @-@ in @-@ law had made his fortune ) , bridges , locks , canals , and textiles . He was a major investor in the Middlesex Canal , the Craigie Bridge ( the first to connect Boston to Cambridge ) , and the Boston Manufacturing Company , whose factory proving the single @-@ site production of textiles was in Waltham near his estate . Not all of his ventures panned out : the canal was in the long run a financial failure , as were efforts with other collaborators to develop Lechmere Point , the Cambridge side of the Craigie Bridge . The textile mill , however , was a success , and Gore invested in the Merrimack Manufacturing Company . When it decided to locate in what is now Lowell , Massachusetts , Gore purchased shares in the Proprietors of Locks and Canals , which operated ( and still owns today ) the Lowell canals . 
 In 1806 Gore won election to the State Senate . That year the Republicans were in the majority , and the election for governor was close enough to require a recount . The legislature scrutinized the ballots in a partisan manner ( for example , retaining ballots containing misspelled versions of Republican James Sullivan 's name and discarding similar ballots marked for Federalist Caleb Strong ) . Gore and other Federalists raised a public outcry , and the legislature relented , eventually certifying Strong as the winner . 
 Gore ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Massachusetts in 1807 and 1808 against a rising tide of Republicanism in the state , losing both times to moderate Republican James Sullivan . The Federalists gained control of the state legislature in 1808 in a backlash against Republican economic policies , but Gore was criticized for his failure to aggressively support state protests against the Embargo Act of 1807 , which had a major negative effect on the state 's large merchant fleet . Gore was in 1808 elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives , where he successfully led Federalist efforts to ensure the selection of a Federalist slate of presidential electors . He also spearheaded actions to drive Senator John Quincy Adams from the Federalist Party over his support of Thomas Jefferson 's foreign policy . The legislature elected Adams ' successor nine months early , and gave Adams sufficiently distasteful instructions that he resigned the post and joined with the Republicans . 

 = = Governor = = 

 Gore led the Federalists to victory in 1809 against Sullivan 's successor , Levi Lincoln , Sr. , who had taken over as acting governor upon Sullivan 's death late in 1808 . During Gore 's term the principal domestic issue occupying state politics was a banking crisis stimulated by the federal policy of embargoing trade with Great Britain and France , then embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars . Although the crisis caused a number of bank failures in New England , Massachusetts banks largely escaped unscathed . 
 Foreign policy played a major role in Gore 's administration . The legislature passed resolves opposing the federal government 's hardline policy against trade and diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom ( then embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars ) , and Gore in early 1810 invited Francis James Jackson , who had been rejected as the UK 's ambassador to the US , to visit the state . This pressure may have played a role in President James Madison 's decision to renew relations with the UK and accept Jackson 's credentials . 
 The lessening of the war threat , and the choice by the Republicans of the popular Elbridge Gerry as their candidate brought a challenge to Federalist control of Massachusetts in the 1810 elections . The unostentatious Gerry and Republican partisans criticized Gore for his lavish lifestyle , including his palatial Waltham residence and pompous activities he organized as governor , and highlighted his Loyalist family connections while emphasizing Gerry 's unimpeachable patriotism . Gerry won the election . Jackson did visit Boston , but he was greeted not by Gore , but Gerry . Gore ran against Gerry again in 1811 , but lost in another acrimonious campaign . 
 Gore was granted an honorary law degree from Harvard in 1809 . He served on the college 's Board of Overseers from 1810 to 1815 and as a Fellow from 1816 to 1820 . Harvard 's first library building , a Gothic structure built in 1838 of Quincy granite , was named in his honor , but was demolished when Widener Library was built in its place in 1915 . ( This structure is found on the seal of the city of Cambridge . ) One of the residential Winthrop House 's buildings is called Gore Hall in his honor . 

 = = United States Senator = = 

 In the spring of 1813 , he was appointed by Governor Caleb Strong to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Senator James Lloyd . He served from May 5 , 1813 to May 30 , 1816 , winning reelection to the seat in 1814 . He opposed the ongoing War of 1812 in these years , with his earlier diplomatic experience providing valuable knowledge to Federalist interests . He expressed approval of the 1814 Hartford Convention in which the New England states aired grievances concerning Republican governance of the country and the conduct of the war . 
 Gore assented to the Treaty of Ghent that ended the war , but was unhappy that the nation had not gained anything from the war . He resigned in June 1816 , unhappy with the politics of Washington and suffering from poor health . Although he was no longer active in politics , he continued to express opinions on the subjects of the day , opposing the 1820 Missouri Compromise and bemoaning the " great moderation & mediocrity " of Federalist Governor John Brooks . 

 = = Later years and legacy = = 

 Gore remained active in the administration of Harvard , and was active in a number of organizations , including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Massachusetts Historical Society ( whose president he was from 1806 to 1818 ) . He was also elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1814 . Gore spent most of his later years at his country estate in Waltham , suffering from worsening rheumatoid arthritis that made walking increasingly difficult . His declining health and lack of social scene in Waltham led him in 1822 to return to Boston in the winters . He died on March 1 , 1827 in Boston and is buried in its Granary Burying Ground . 
 Gore 's wife died in 1834 ; the couple had no children . The major beneficiary of the Gore estate was Harvard ( which received an estimated $ 100 @,@ 000 ) , although bequests were also made to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Massachusetts Historical Society . The Waltham estate passed through several hands and was subdivided over time . The mansion was saved from demolition by the Gore Place Society ( established for the purpose of preserving it ) , which now operates it as a museum . It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970 . 


 = Nero = 

 Nero ( / ˈnɪəroʊ / ; Latin : Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ; 15 December 37 AD – 9 June 68 AD ) was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68 , and the last in the Julio @-@ Claudian dynasty . Nero was adopted by his grand @-@ uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor , and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius ' death . 
 Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy , trade and enhancing the cultural life of the empire , but according to the historian Tacitus he was viewed by the Roman people as compulsive and corrupt . He ordered theatres built and promoted athletic games . During his reign , the redoubtable general Corbulo conducted a successful war and negotiated peace with the Parthian Empire . His general Suetonius Paulinus crushed a revolt in Britain . Nero annexed the Bosporan Kingdom to the empire and began the First Jewish – Roman War . 
 In 64 AD , most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome , which many Romans believed Nero himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex , the Domus Aurea . In 68 , the rebellion of Vindex in Gaul and later the acclamation of Galba in Hispania drove Nero from the throne . Facing a false report of being denounced as a public enemy who was to be executed , he committed suicide on 9 June 68 ( the first Roman emperor to do so ) . His death ended the Julio @-@ Claudian dynasty , sparking a brief period of civil wars known as the Year of the Four Emperors . Nero 's rule is often associated with tyranny and extravagance . He is known for many executions , including that of his mother , and the probable murder by poison of his stepbrother Britannicus . 
 Nero was rumored to have had captured Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden at night as a source of light . This view is based on the writings of Tacitus , Suetonius and Cassius Dio , the main surviving sources for Nero 's reign , but a few surviving sources paint Nero in a more favourable light . Some sources , including some mentioned above , portray him as an emperor who was popular with the common Roman people , especially in the East . Some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero 's tyrannical acts . 

 = = Early life = = 


 = = = Family = = = 

 Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus , Nero , was born on 15 December 37 in Antium ( modern Anzio and Nettuno ) , near Rome . He was the only son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger , sister of Emperor Caligula . 
 Nero 's father , Gnaeus , was the son of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus ( consul 16 BC ) and Antonia Major . Gnaeus was thus the grandson of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus ( consul 32 BC ) and probably Aemilia Lepida on his father 's side , and the grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor on his mother 's side . Thus , Nero had as his paternal grandmother Antonia Major , and also claimed more remote descent from Antonia Minor as a great @-@ grandson — later grandson after Claudius adopted him . 
 Through Octavia , Nero was the great @-@ nephew of Caesar Augustus . Nero 's father had been employed as a praetor and was a member of Caligula 's staff when the latter travelled to the East ( some apparently think Suetonius refers to Augustus 's adopted son Gaius Caesar here , but this is not likely ) . 
 Nero 's father was described by Suetonius as a murderer and a cheat who was charged by Emperor Tiberius with treason , adultery and incest . Tiberius died , allowing him to escape these charges . Nero 's father died of edema ( " dropsy " ) in 39 when Nero was two . 
 Nero 's mother was Agrippina the Younger , a great @-@ granddaughter of Caesar Augustus and his wife Scribonia through their daughter Julia the Elder and her husband Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa . Agrippina 's father , Germanicus , was a grandson of Augustus 's wife , Livia , on one side and to Mark Antony and Octavia on the other . Germanicus ' mother Antonia Minor , was a daughter of Octavia Minor and Mark Antony . Octavia was Augustus ' elder sister . Germanicus was also the adopted son of Tiberius . Agrippina poisoned her second husband Passienus Crispus , so many ancient historians also accuse her of murdering her third husband , the emperor Claudius . 

 = = = Ancestry and family = = = 


 = = = Rise to power = = = 

 Nero was not expected to become Emperor because his maternal uncle , Caligula , had begun his reign at the age of 24 with enough time to produce his own heir . Nero 's mother , Agrippina , lost favour with Caligula and was exiled in 39 after her husband 's death . Caligula seized Nero 's inheritance and sent him to be brought up by his less wealthy aunt , Domitia Lepida , who was the mother of Valeria Messalina , Claudius 's third wife . Caligula , his wife Caesonia and their infant daughter Julia Drusilla were murdered on 24 January 41 . These events led Claudius , Caligula 's uncle , to become emperor . Claudius allowed Agrippina to return from exile . 
 Claudius had married twice before marrying Valeria Messalina . His previous marriages produced three children including a son , Drusus , who died at a young age . He had two children with Messalina – Claudia Octavia ( born 40 ) and Britannicus ( born 41 ) . Messalina was executed by Claudius in the year 48 . 
 In 49 AD , Claudius married a fourth time , to Nero 's mother Agrippina , despite her being his niece . To aid Claudius politically , young Nero was adopted in 50 and took the name Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus ( see adoption in Rome ) . Nero was older than his stepbrother Britannicus , and thus became heir to the throne . 
 Nero was proclaimed an adult in 51 at the age of 14 . He was appointed proconsul , entered and first addressed the Senate , made joint public appearances with Claudius , and was featured in coinage . In 53 , he married his stepsister Claudia Octavia . 

 = = Emperor ( 54 – 68 AD ) = = 


 = = = Early rule = = = 

 Claudius died in 54 and Nero , taking the name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , was established as Emperor . Though accounts vary , many ancient historians state Agrippina poisoned Claudius . According to Pliny the Elder , she used poison mushrooms . It is not known how much Nero knew or if he was even involved in the death of Claudius . 
 Suetonius wrote " ... for even if he was not the instigator of the emperor 's death , he was at least privy to it , as he openly admitted ; for he used afterwards to laud mushrooms , the vehicle in which the poison was administered to Claudius , as " the food of the gods , " as the Greek proverb has it . At any rate , after Claudius ' death he vented on him every kind of insult , in act and word , charging him now with folly and now with cruelty ; for it was a favourite joke of his to say that Claudius had ceased " to play the fool " among mortals , lengthening the first syllable of the word morari , and he disregarded many of his decrees and acts as the work of a madman and a dotard . Finally , he neglected to enclose the place where his body was burned except with a low and mean wall . " 
 According to Suetonius ; Nero became Emperor at the age of 17 when the news of Claudius ' death was made known , making him the youngest emperor at that time Although , what Suetonius may have meant is that he was in his seventeenth year as his date of birth , also listed by Suetonius , would have made him 16 at the time of Claudius ' death . Tacitus , in book XIII of his Annals , describes Nero as being ' scarcely out of his boyhood ' at the time he became emperor . Ancient historians describe Nero 's early reign as being strongly influenced by his mother , Agrippina , his tutor Lucius Annaeus Seneca , and the Praetorian Prefect Sextus Afranius Burrus , especially in the first year . Other tutors were less often mentioned , such as Alexander of Aegae . 
 Very early in Nero 's rule , problems arose from competition for influence between Agrippina and Nero 's two main advisers , Seneca and Burrus . Agrippina also attempted to influence the young Nero . Agrippina also is mentioned by ancient sources as " scheming for her son ( Nero ) " . This scheming continued as is evidenced by the coin of the both of them . It is extremely unusual to see a women 's face on a coin in the ancient world . It is because of this position of power Agrippina felt jealous as Seneca in particular rose up in Nero 's court as he offered the advice Nero wanted to hear unlike his mother . 
 In 54 , Agrippina tried to sit down next to Nero while he met with an Armenian envoy , but Seneca stopped her and prevented a scandalous scene ( as it was unimaginable at that time for a woman to be in the same room as men doing official business ) . Nero 's friends also mistrusted Agrippina and told Nero to beware of his mother . 
 Nero was reportedly unsatisfied with his marriage to Octavia and entered into an affair with Claudia Acte , a former slave . In 55 , Agrippina attempted to intervene in favor of Octavia and demanded that her son dismiss Acte . Nero , with the support of Seneca , resisted the intervention of his mother in his personal affairs . 
 With Agrippina 's influence over her son severed , she reportedly began pushing for Britannicus , Nero 's stepbrother , to become emperor . Nearly fourteen @-@ year @-@ old Britannicus , heir @-@ designate prior to Nero 's adoption , was still legally a minor , but was approaching legal adulthood . According to Tacitus , Agrippina hoped that with her support , Britannicus , being the blood son of Claudius , would be seen as the true heir to the throne by the state over Nero . However , the youth died suddenly and suspiciously on 12 February 55 , the very day before his proclamation as an adult had been set . 
 Nero claimed that Britannicus died from an epileptic seizure , but ancient historians all claim Britannicus ' death came from Nero 's poisoning him . Supposedly , he enlisted the services of Locusta , a woman who specialized in the manufacture of poisons . She devised a mixture to kill Britannicus , but after testing it unsuccessfully on a slave , Nero angrily threatened to have her put to death if she did not come up with something usable . Locusta then devised a new concoction that she promised would " kill swifter than a viper . " 
 Her promise was fulfilled after Britannicus consumed it at a dinner party from water used to cool his wine , which had already been tasted , and succumbed within minutes . After the death of Britannicus , Agrippina was accused of slandering Octavia and Nero ordered her out of the imperial residence . 

 = = = Matricide and consolidation of power = = = 

 Over time , Nero became progressively more powerful , freeing himself of his advisers and eliminating rivals to the throne . In 55 , he removed Marcus Antonius Pallas , an ally of Agrippina , from his position in the treasury . Pallas , along with Burrus , was accused of conspiring against the Emperor to bring Faustus Sulla to the throne . Seneca was accused of having relations with Agrippina and embezzlement . Seneca succeeded in having himself , Pallas and Burrus acquitted . According to Cassius Dio , at this time , Seneca and Burrus reduced their role in governing from careful management to mere moderation of Nero . 
 In 58 , Nero became romantically involved with Poppaea Sabina , the wife of his friend and future emperor Otho . Reportedly because a marriage to Poppaea and a divorce from Octavia did not seem politically feasible with Agrippina alive , Nero ordered the murder of his mother in 59 . A number of modern historians find this an unlikely motive as Nero did not marry Poppaea until 62 . 
 Additionally , according to Suetonius , Poppaea did not divorce her husband until after Agrippina 's death , making it unlikely that the already married Poppaea would be pressing Nero for marriage . Some modern historians theorize that Nero 's execution of Agrippina was prompted by her plotting to set Rubellius Plautus on the throne . According to Suetonius , Nero tried to kill his mother through a shipwreck planned by his freedman tutor Anicetus . Instead , it took the life of Agrippina 's friend , Acerronia Polla . When Agrippina survived , he had her executed by Anicetus and framed it as a suicide . The incident is also recorded by Tacitus . 
 In 62 , Nero 's adviser , Burrus , died . Additionally , Seneca was again faced with embezzlement charges . Seneca asked Nero for permission to retire from public affairs . Nero divorced and banished Octavia on grounds of infertility , leaving him free to marry the pregnant Poppaea . After public protests , Nero was forced to allow Octavia to return from exile , but she was executed shortly after her return . 
 Nero also was reported to have kicked Poppaea to death in 65 before she could have his second child . However , modern historians , noting Suetonius , Tacitus and Cassius Dio 's possible bias against Nero and the likelihood that they did not have eyewitness accounts of private events , postulate that Poppaea may have died because of complications of miscarriage or childbirth . 
 Accusations of treason being plotted against Nero and the Senate first appeared in 62 . The Senate ruled that Antistius , a praetor , should be put to death for speaking ill of Nero at a party . Later , Nero ordered the exile of Fabricius Veiento who slandered the Senate in a book . Tacitus writes that the roots of the conspiracy led by Gaius Calpurnius Piso began in this year . To consolidate power , Nero executed a number of people in 62 and 63 including his rivals Pallas , Rubellius Plautus and Faustus Sulla . According to Suetonius , Nero " showed neither discrimination nor moderation in putting to death whomsoever he pleased " during this period . 
 Nero 's consolidation of power also included a slow usurping of authority from the Senate . In 54 , Nero promised to give the Senate powers equivalent to those under Republican rule . By 65 , senators complained that they had no power left and this led to the Pisonian conspiracy . 

 = = = Other relationships = = = 

 When Nero 's wife Poppaea Sabina died in 65 , Nero went into deep mourning . Her body was not cremated , it was stuffed with spices , embalmed and put in the Mausoleum of Augustus . She was given a state funeral . Nero praised her during the funeral eulogy and gave her divine honors . It is said that Nero " burned ten years ' worth of Arabia 's incense production at her funeral . 
 In the beginning of 66 , he married Statilia Messalina . She was already married when she became Nero 's mistress in 65 AD , with Statilia 's husband being driven to suicide in 66 , so Nero could marry Statilia . She was one of the few of Nero 's courtiers who survived the fall of his reign . 
 In 67 , Nero ordered a young freedman , Sporus , to be castrated and then married him . According to Dion Cassius , Sporus bore an uncanny resemblance to Sabina , and Nero even called him by his dead wife 's name . 

 = = = Administrative policies = = = 

 Over the course of his reign , Nero often made rulings that pleased the lower class . Nero was criticized as being obsessed with personal popularity . 
 Nero began his reign in 54 by promising the Senate more autonomy . In this first year , he forbade others to refer to him with regard to enactments , for which he was praised by the Senate . Nero was known for spending his time visiting brothels and taverns during this period . 
 In 55 , Nero began taking on a more active role as an administrator . He was consul four times between 55 and 60 . During this period , some ancient historians speak fairly well of Nero and contrast it with his later rule . 
 Under Nero , restrictions were put on the amount of bail and fines . Also , fees for lawyers were limited . There was a discussion in the Senate on the misconduct of the freedmen class , and a strong demand was made that patrons should have the right of revoking freedom . Nero supported the freedmen and ruled that patrons had no such right . 
 The Senate tried to pass a law in which the crimes of one slave applied to all slaves within a household . Despite riots from the people , Nero supported the Senate on their measure , and deployed troops to organise the execution of 400 slaves affected by the law . However , he vetoed strong measures against the freedmen affected by the case . 
 After tax collectors were accused of being too harsh to the poor , Nero transferred collection authority to lower commissioners . Nero banned any magistrate or procurator from exhibiting public entertainment for fear that the venue was being used as a method to sway the populace . Additionally , there were many impeachments and removals of government officials along with arrests for extortion and corruption . 
 When further complaints arose that the poor were being overly taxed , Nero attempted to repeal all indirect taxes . The Senate convinced him this action would bankrupt the public treasury . As a compromise , taxes were cut from 4 @.@ 5 % to 2 @.@ 5 % . Additionally , secret government tax records were ordered to become public . To lower the cost of food imports , merchant ships were declared tax @-@ exempt . 
 In imitation of the Greeks , Nero built a number of gymnasiums and theatres . Enormous gladiatorial shows were also held . Nero also established the quinquennial Neronia . The festival included games , poetry , and theater . Historians indicate that there was a belief that theatre led to immorality . Others considered that to have performers dressed in Greek clothing was old fashioned . Some questioned the large public expenditure on entertainment . 
 In 64 , Rome burned . Nero enacted a public relief effort as well as significant reconstruction . A number of other major construction projects occurred in Nero 's late reign . Nero had the marshes of Ostia filled with rubble from the fire . He erected the large Domus Aurea . In 67 , Nero attempted to have a canal dug at the Isthmus of Corinth . Ancient historians state that these projects and others exacerbated the drain on the State 's budget . 
 The cost to rebuild Rome was immense , requiring funds the state treasury did not have . Nero devalued the Roman currency for the first time in the Empire 's history . He reduced the weight of the denarius from 84 per Roman pound to 96 ( 3 @.@ 85 grams to 3 @.@ 35 grams ) . He also reduced the silver purity from 99 @.@ 5 % to 93 @.@ 5 % — the silver weight dropping from 3 @.@ 83 grams to 3 @.@ 4 grams . Furthermore , Nero reduced the weight of the aureus from 40 per Roman pound to 45 ( 8 grams to 7 @.@ 2 grams ) . 
 Between 62 and 67 , according to Plinius the Elder and Seneca , Nero promoted an expedition to discover the sources of the Nile River . It was the first exploration of equatorial Africa from Europe in history . However , Nero 's expedition up the Nile failed upon reaching the impenetrable Sudd of present @-@ day South Sudan . 
 The economic policy of Nero is a point of debate among scholars . According to ancient historians , Nero 's construction projects were overly extravagant and the large number of expenditures under Nero left Italy " thoroughly exhausted by contributions of money " with " the provinces ruined . " Modern historians , though , note that the period was riddled with deflation and that it is likely that Nero 's spending came in the form of public works projects and charity intended to ease economic troubles . 

 = = = Great Fire of Rome ( 64 AD ) = = = 

 The Great Fire of Rome erupted on the night of 18 July to 19 July 64 . The fire started at the southeastern end of the Circus Maximus in shops selling flammable goods . 
 The extent of the fire is uncertain . According to Tacitus , who was nine at the time of the fire , it spread quickly and burned for over five days . It destroyed three of fourteen Roman districts and severely damaged seven . The only other historian who lived through the period and mentioned the fire is Pliny the Elder , who wrote about it in passing . Other historians who lived through the period ( including Josephus , Dio Chrysostom , Plutarch and Epictetus ) make no mention of it in what remains of their work . 
 It is uncertain who or what actually caused the fire — whether accident or arson . Suetonius and Cassius Dio favor Nero as the arsonist , so he could build a palatial complex . Tacitus mentions that Christians confessed to the crime , but it is not known whether these confessions were induced by torture . However , accidental fires were common in ancient Rome . In fact , Rome suffered other large fires in 69 and in 80 . 
 It was said by Suetonius and Cassius Dio that Nero sang the " Sack of Ilium " in stage costume while the city burned . Popular legend claims that Nero played the fiddle at the time of the fire , an anachronism based merely on the concept of the lyre , a stringed instrument associated with Nero and his performances . ( The fiddle was not invented until the 10th century . ) Tacitus 's account , however , has Nero in Antium at the time of the fire . Tacitus also said that Nero playing his lyre and singing while the city burned was only rumor . 
 According to Tacitus , upon hearing news of the fire , Nero returned to Rome to organize a relief effort , which he paid for from his own funds . Nero 's contributions to the relief extended to personally taking part in the search for and rescue of victims of the blaze , spending days searching the debris without even his bodyguards . After the fire , Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless , and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors . 
 In the wake of the fire , he made a new urban development plan . Houses after the fire were spaced out , built in brick , and faced by porticos on wide roads . Nero also built a new palace complex known as the Domus Aurea in an area cleared by the fire . This included lush artificial landscapes and a 30 @-@ meter @-@ tall statue of himself , the Colossus of Nero . The size of this complex is debated ( from 100 to 300 acres ) . To find the necessary funds for the reconstruction , tributes were imposed on the provinces of the empire . 
 Tacitus , in one of the earliest non @-@ Christian references to the origins of Christianity , notes that the population searched for a scapegoat and rumors held Nero responsible . To deflect blame , Nero targeted Christians . He ordered Christians to be thrown to dogs , while others were crucified and burned . 

 = = = Public performances = = = 

 Nero enjoyed driving a one @-@ horse chariot , singing to the lyre and poetry . He even composed songs that were performed by other entertainers throughout the empire . At first , Nero only performed for a private audience . 
 In 64 AD . , Nero began singing in public in Neapolis in order to improve his popularity . He also sang at the second quinquennial Neronia in 65 . It was said that Nero craved the attention , but historians also write that Nero was encouraged to sing and perform in public by the Senate , his inner circle and the people . Ancient historians strongly criticize his choice to perform , calling it shameful . 
 Nero was persuaded to participate in the Olympic Games of 67 in order to improve relations with Greece and display Roman dominance . As a competitor , Nero raced a ten @-@ horse chariot and nearly died after being thrown from it . He also performed as an actor and a singer . Though Nero faltered in his racing ( in one case , dropping out entirely before the end ) and acting competitions , he won these crowns nevertheless and paraded them when he returned to Rome . The victories are attributed to Nero bribing the judges and his status as emperor . 

 = = = War and peace with Parthia = = = 

 Shortly after Nero 's accession to the throne in 54 , the Roman vassal kingdom of Armenia overthrew their Iberian prince Rhadamistus and he was replaced with the Parthian prince Tiridates . This was seen as a Parthian invasion of Roman territory . There was concern in Rome over how the young Emperor would handle the situation . Nero reacted by immediately sending the military to the region under the command of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo . The Parthians temporarily relinquished control of Armenia to Rome . 
 The peace did not last and full @-@ scale war broke out in 58 . The Parthian king Vologases I refused to remove his brother Tiridates from Armenia . The Parthians began a full @-@ scale invasion of the Armenian kingdom . Commander Corbulo responded and repelled most of the Parthian army that same year . Tiridates retreated and Rome again controlled most of Armenia . 
 Nero was acclaimed in public for this initial victory . Tigranes , a Cappadocian noble raised in Rome , was installed by Nero as the new ruler of Armenia . Corbulo was appointed governor of Syria as a reward . 
 In 62 , Tigranes invaded the Parthian province of Adiabene . Again , Rome and Parthia were at war and this continued until 63 . Parthia began building up for a strike against the Roman province of Syria . Corbulo tried to convince Nero to continue the war , but Nero opted for a peace deal instead . There was anxiety in Rome about eastern grain supplies and a budget deficit . 
 The result was a deal where Tiridates again became the Armenian king , but was crowned in Rome by Emperor Nero . In the future , the king of Armenia was to be a Parthian prince , but his appointment required approval from the Romans . Tiridates was forced to come to Rome and partake in ceremonies meant to display Roman dominance . 
 This peace deal of 63 was a considerable victory for Nero politically . Nero became very popular in the eastern provinces of Rome and with the Parthians as well . The peace between Parthia and Rome lasted 50 years until Emperor Trajan of Rome invaded Armenia in 114 . 

 = = = Other major power struggles and rebellions = = = 

 The war with Parthia was not Nero 's only major war but he was both criticized and praised for an aversion to battle . Like many emperors , Nero faced a number of rebellions and power struggles within the empire . 
 British Revolt of 60 – 61 ( Boudica 's Uprising ) 
 In 60 , a major rebellion broke out in the province of Britannia . While the governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and his troops were busy capturing the island of Mona ( Anglesey ) from the druids , the tribes of the southeast staged a revolt led by queen Boudica of the Iceni . Boudica and her troops destroyed three cities before the army of Paulinus could return , receive reinforcements , and quell the rebellion in 61 . Fearing Paulinus himself would provoke further rebellion , Nero replaced him with the more passive Publius Petronius Turpilianus . 
 The Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 
 In 65 , Gaius Calpurnius Piso , a Roman statesman , organized a conspiracy against Nero with the help of Subrius Flavus and Sulpicius Asper , a tribune and a centurion of the Praetorian Guard . According to Tacitus , many conspirators wished to " rescue the state " from the emperor and restore the Republic . The freedman Milichus discovered the conspiracy and reported it to Nero 's secretary , Epaphroditos . As a result , the conspiracy failed and its members were executed including Lucan , the poet . Nero 's previous advisor , Seneca was ordered to commit suicide after admitting he discussed the plot with the conspirators . 
 The First Jewish War of 66 – 70 
 In 66 , there was a Jewish revolt in Judea stemming from Greek and Jewish religious tension . In 67 , Nero dispatched Vespasian to restore order . This revolt was eventually put down in 70 , after Nero 's death . This revolt is famous for Romans breaching the walls of Jerusalem and destroying the Second Temple of Jerusalem . 

 = = = The revolt of Vindex and Galba and the death of Nero = = = 

 In March 68 , Gaius Julius Vindex , the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis , rebelled against Nero 's tax policies . Lucius Verginius Rufus , the governor of Germania Superior , was ordered to put down Vindex 's rebellion . In an attempt to gain support from outside his own province , Vindex called upon Servius Sulpicius Galba , the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis , to join the rebellion and further , to declare himself emperor in opposition to Nero . 
 At the Battle of Vesontio in May 68 , Verginius ' forces easily defeated those of Vindex and the latter committed suicide . However , after putting down this one rebel , Verginius ' legions attempted to proclaim their own commander as Emperor . Verginius refused to act against Nero , but the discontent of the legions of Germany and the continued opposition of Galba in Spain did not bode well for him . 
 While Nero had retained some control of the situation , support for Galba increased despite his being officially declared a public enemy . The prefect of the Praetorian Guard , Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus , also abandoned his allegiance to the Emperor and came out in support for Galba . 
 In response , Nero fled Rome with the intention of going to the port of Ostia and , from there , to take a fleet to one of the still @-@ loyal eastern provinces . According to Suetonius , Nero abandoned the idea when some army officers openly refused to obey his commands , responding with a line from Vergil 's Aeneid : " Is it so dreadful a thing then to die ? " Nero then toyed with the idea of fleeing to Parthia , throwing himself upon the mercy of Galba , or to appeal to the people and beg them to pardon him for his past offences " and if he could not soften their hearts , to entreat them at least to allow him the prefecture of Egypt " . Suetonius reports that the text of this speech was later found in Nero 's writing desk , but that he dared not give it from fear of being torn to pieces before he could reach the Forum . 
 Nero returned to Rome and spent the evening in the palace . After sleeping , he awoke at about midnight to find the palace guard had left . Dispatching messages to his friends ' palace chambers for them to come , he received no answers . Upon going to their chambers personally , he found them all abandoned . When he called for a gladiator or anyone else adept with a sword to kill him , no one appeared . He cried , " Have I neither friend nor foe ? " and ran out as if to throw himself into the Tiber . 
 Returning , Nero sought for some place where he could hide and collect his thoughts . An imperial freedman , Phaon , offered his villa , located 4 miles outside the city . Travelling in disguise , Nero and four loyal freedmen , Epaphroditos , Phaon , Neophytus , and Sporus , reached the villa , where Nero ordered them to dig a grave for him . 
 At this time , a courier arrived with a report that the Senate had declared Nero a public enemy and that it was their intention to execute him by beating him to death and that armed men had been sent to apprehend him for the act to take place in the Forum . The Senate actually was still reluctant and deliberating on the right course of action as Nero was the last member of the Julio @-@ Claudian Family . Indeed , most of the senators had served the imperial family all their lives and felt a sense of loyalty to the deified bloodline , if not to Nero himself . The men actually had the goal of returning Nero back to the Senate , where the Senate hoped to work out a compromise with the rebelling governors that would preserve Nero 's life , so that at least a future heir to the dynasty could be produced . 
 Nero , however , did not know this , and at the news brought by the courier , he prepared himself for suicide , pacing up and down muttering " Qualis artifex pereo " which translates to English as " What an artist dies in me . " Losing his nerve , he first begged for one of his companions to set an example by first killing himself . At last , the sound of approaching horsemen drove Nero to face the end . However , he still could not bring himself to take his own life but instead he forced his private secretary , Epaphroditos , to perform the task . 
 When one of the horsemen entered , upon his seeing Nero all but dead he attempted to stop the bleeding in vain . Nero 's final words were " Too late ! This is fidelity ! " He died on 9 June 68 , the anniversary of the death of Octavia , and was buried in the Mausoleum of the Domitii Ahenobarbi , in what is now the Villa Borghese ( Pincian Hill ) area of Rome . 
 With his death , the Julio @-@ Claudian dynasty ended . The Senate , when news of his death reached Rome , posthumously declared Nero a public enemy to appease the coming Galba ( as the Senate had initially declared Galba as a public enemy ) and proclaimed Galba the new emperor . Chaos would ensue in the year of the Four Emperors . 

 = = = Post mortem = = = 

 According to Suetonius and Cassius Dio , the people of Rome celebrated the death of Nero . Tacitus , though , describes a more complicated political environment . Tacitus mentions that Nero 's death was welcomed by Senators , nobility and the upper class . The lower @-@ class , slaves , frequenters of the arena and the theater , and " those who were supported by the famous excesses of Nero " , on the other hand , were upset with the news . Members of the military were said to have mixed feelings , as they had allegiance to Nero , but were bribed to overthrow him . 
 Eastern sources , namely Philostratus II and Apollonius of Tyana , mention that Nero 's death was mourned as he " restored the liberties of Hellas with a wisdom and moderation quite alien to his character " and that he " held our liberties in his hand and respected them . " 
 Modern scholarship generally holds that , while the Senate and more well @-@ off individuals welcomed Nero 's death , the general populace was " loyal to the end and beyond , for Otho and Vitellius both thought it worthwhile to appeal to their nostalgia . " 
 Nero 's name was erased from some monuments , in what Edward Champlin regards as an " outburst of private zeal " . Many portraits of Nero were reworked to represent other figures ; according to Eric R. Varner , over fifty such images survive . This reworking of images is often explained as part of the way in which the memory of disgraced emperors was condemned posthumously ( see damnatio memoriae ) . Champlin , however , doubts that the practice is necessarily negative and notes that some continued to create images of Nero long after his death . 
 The civil war during the year of the Four Emperors was described by ancient historians as a troubling period . According to Tacitus , this instability was rooted in the fact that emperors could no longer rely on the perceived legitimacy of the imperial bloodline , as Nero and those before him could . Galba began his short reign with the execution of many allies of Nero and possible future enemies . One such notable enemy included Nymphidius Sabinus , who claimed to be the son of Emperor Caligula . 
 Otho overthrew Galba . Otho was said to be liked by many soldiers because he had been a friend of Nero 's and resembled him somewhat in temperament . It was said that the common Roman hailed Otho as Nero himself . Otho used " Nero " as a surname and reerected many statues to Nero . Vitellius overthrew Otho . Vitellius began his reign with a large funeral for Nero complete with songs written by Nero . 
 After Nero 's suicide in 68 , there was a widespread belief , especially in the eastern provinces , that he was not dead and somehow would return . This belief came to be known as the Nero Redivivus Legend . 
 The legend of Nero 's return lasted for hundreds of years after Nero 's death . Augustine of Hippo wrote of the legend as a popular belief in 422 . 
 At least three Nero imposters emerged leading rebellions . The first , who sang and played the cithara or lyre and whose face was similar to that of the dead emperor , appeared in 69 during the reign of Vitellius . After persuading some to recognize him , he was captured and executed . Sometime during the reign of Titus ( 79 – 81 ) , another impostor appeared in Asia and sang to the accompaniment of the lyre and looked like Nero but he , too , was killed . Twenty years after Nero 's death , during the reign of Domitian , there was a third pretender . He was supported by the Parthians , who only reluctantly gave him up , and the matter almost came to war . 

 = = Physical appearance = = 

 In his book The Lives of the Twelve Caesars , Suetonius describes Nero as " about the average height , his body marked with spots and malodorous , his hair light blonde , his features regular rather than attractive , his eyes blue and somewhat weak , his neck over thick , his belly prominent , and his legs very slender . " 

 = = Historiography = = 

 The history of Nero 's reign is problematic in that no historical sources survived that were contemporary with Nero . These first histories at one time did exist and were described as biased and fantastical , either overly critical or praising of Nero . The original sources were also said to contradict on a number of events . Nonetheless , these lost primary sources were the basis of surviving secondary and tertiary histories on Nero written by the next generations of historians . A few of the contemporary historians are known by name . Fabius Rusticus , Cluvius Rufus and Pliny the Elder all wrote condemning histories on Nero that are now lost . There were also pro @-@ Nero histories , but it is unknown who wrote them or for what deeds Nero was praised . 
 The bulk of what is known of Nero comes from Tacitus , Suetonius and Cassius Dio , who were all of the senatorial class . Tacitus and Suetonius wrote their histories on Nero over fifty years after his death , while Cassius Dio wrote his history over 150 years after Nero 's death . These sources contradict on a number of events in Nero 's life including the death of Claudius , the death of Agrippina , and the Roman fire of 64 , but they are consistent in their condemnation of Nero . 
 A handful of other sources also add a limited and varying perspective on Nero . Few surviving sources paint Nero in a favourable light . Some sources , though , portray him as a competent emperor who was popular with the Roman people , especially in the east . 
 Cassius Dio 
 Cassius Dio ( c . 155 – 229 ) was the son of Cassius Apronianus , a Roman senator . He passed the greater part of his life in public service . He was a senator under Commodus and governor of Smyrna after the death of Septimius Severus ; and afterwards suffect consul around 205 , and also proconsul in Africa and Pannonia . 
 Books 61 – 63 of Dio 's Roman History describe the reign of Nero . Only fragments of these books remain and what does remain was abridged and altered by John Xiphilinus , an 11th @-@ century monk . 
 Dio Chrysostom 
 Dio Chrysostom ( c . 40 – 120 ) , a Greek philosopher and historian , wrote the Roman people were very happy with Nero and would have allowed him to rule indefinitely . They longed for his rule once he was gone and embraced imposters when they appeared : 
 Indeed the truth about this has not come out even yet ; for so far as the rest of his subjects were concerned , there was nothing to prevent his continuing to be Emperor for all time , seeing that even now everybody wishes he were still alive . And the great majority do believe that he still is , although in a certain sense he has died not once but often along with those who had been firmly convinced that he was still alive . 
 Epictetus 
 Epictetus ( c . 55 – 135 ) was the slave to Nero 's scribe Epaphroditos . He makes a few passing negative comments on Nero 's character in his work , but makes no remarks on the nature of his rule . He describes Nero as a spoiled , angry and unhappy man . 
 Josephus 
 The historian Josephus ( c . 37 – 100 ) , while calling Nero a tyrant , was also the first to mention bias against Nero . Of other historians , he said : 
 But I omit any further discourse about these affairs ; for there have been a great many who have composed the history of Nero ; some of which have departed from the truth of facts out of favour , as having received benefits from him ; while others , out of hatred to him , and the great ill @-@ will which they bore him , have so impudently raved against him with their lies , that they justly deserve to be condemned . Nor do I wonder at such as have told lies of Nero , since they have not in their writings preserved the truth of history as to those facts that were earlier than his time , even when the actors could have no way incurred their hatred , since those writers lived a long time after them . 
 Lucan 
 Though more of a poet than historian , Lucanus ( c . 39 – 65 ) has one of the kindest accounts of Nero 's rule . He writes of peace and prosperity under Nero in contrast to previous war and strife . Ironically , he was later involved in a conspiracy to overthrow Nero and was executed . 
 Philostratus 
 Philostratus II " the Athenian " ( c . 172 – 250 ) spoke of Nero in the Life of Apollonius Tyana ( Books 4 – 5 ) . Though he has a generally bad or dim view of Nero , he speaks of others ' positive reception of Nero in the East . 
 Pliny the Elder 
 The history of Nero by Pliny the Elder ( c . 24 – 79 ) did not survive . Still , there are several references to Nero in Pliny 's Natural Histories . Pliny has one of the worst opinions of Nero and calls him an " enemy of mankind . " 
 Plutarch 
 Plutarch ( c . 46 – 127 ) mentions Nero indirectly in his account of the Life of Galba and the Life of Otho . Nero is portrayed as a tyrant , but those that replace him are not described as better . 
 Seneca the Younger 
 It is not surprising that Seneca ( c . 4 BC – 65 ) , Nero 's teacher and advisor , writes very well of Nero . 
 Suetonius 
 Suetonius ( c . 69 – 130 ) was a member of the equestrian order , and he was the head of the department of the imperial correspondence . While in this position , Suetonius started writing biographies of the emperors , accentuating the anecdotal and sensational aspects . 
 Tacitus 
 The Annals by Tacitus ( c . 56 – 117 ) is the most detailed and comprehensive history on the rule of Nero , despite being incomplete after the year 66 . Tacitus described the rule of the Julio @-@ Claudian emperors as generally unjust . He also thought that existing writing on them was unbalanced : 
 The histories of Tiberius , Caius , Claudius and Nero , while they were in power , were falsified through terror , and after their death were written under the irritation of a recent hatred . 
 Tacitus was the son of a procurator , who married into the elite family of Agricola . He entered his political life as a senator after Nero 's death and , by Tacitus ' own admission , owed much to Nero 's rivals . Realising that this bias may be apparent to others , Tacitus protests that his writing is true . 
 Girolamo Cardano 
 In 1562 Girolamo Cardano published in Basel his Encomium Neronis , which was one of the first historical references of the Modern era to portray Nero in a positive light . 

 = = Nero in Jewish and Christian tradition = = 


 = = = Jewish tradition = = = 

 At the end of 66 , conflict broke out between Greeks and Jews in Jerusalem and Caesarea . According to the Talmud , Nero went to Jerusalem and shot arrows in all four directions . All the arrows landed in the city . He then asked a passing child to repeat the verse he had learned that day . The child responded , " I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel " ( Ez . 25 @,@ 14 ) . Nero became terrified , believing that God wanted the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed , but would punish the one to carry it out . Nero said , " He desires to lay waste His House and to lay the blame on me , " whereupon he fled and converted to Judaism to avoid such retribution . Vespasian was then dispatched to put down the rebellion . 
 The Talmud adds that the sage Reb Meir Baal HaNess , Rabbi Meir or Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes ( Rabbi Meir the miracle maker ) was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishna a prominent supporter of the Bar Kokhba rebellion against Roman rule . He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the third generation ( 139 @-@ 163 ) . According to the Talmud , his father was a descendant of the Roman Emperor Nero who had converted to Judaism . His wife Bruriah is one of the few women cited in the Gemara . He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah . 
 Roman and Greek sources nowhere report Nero 's alleged trip to Jerusalem or his alleged conversion to Judaism . There is also no record of Nero having any offspring who survived infancy : his only recorded child , Claudia Augusta , died aged 4 months . 

 = = = Christian tradition = = = 

 Non @-@ Christian historian Tacitus describes Nero extensively torturing and executing Christians after the fire of 64 . Suetonius also mentions Nero punishing Christians , though he does so because they are " given to a new and mischievous superstition " and does not connect it with the fire . 
 Christian writer Tertullian ( c . 155 – 230 ) was the first to call Nero the first persecutor of Christians . He wrote , " Examine your records . There you will find that Nero was the first that persecuted this doctrine " . Lactantius ( c . 240 – 320 ) also said that Nero " first persecuted the servants of God " . as does Sulpicius Severus . However , Suetonius writes that , " since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus , he [ emperor Claudius ] expelled them from Rome " ( " Iudaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantis Roma expulit " ) . These expelled " Jews " may have been early Christians , although Suetonius is not explicit . Nor is the Bible explicit , calling Aquila of Pontus and his wife , Priscilla , both expelled from Italy at the time , " Jews " . 

 = = = = Martyrdoms of Peter and Paul = = = = 

 The first text to suggest that Nero ordered the execution of an apostle is a letter by Clement to the Corinthians traditional dated to around 96 A.D. The apocryphal Ascension of Isaiah , a Christian writing from the 2nd century says , " the slayer of his mother , who himself ( even ) this king , will persecute the plant which the Twelve Apostles of the Beloved have planted . Of the Twelve one will be delivered into his hands " was interpreted to mean Nero . 
 Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea ( c . 275 – 339 ) was the first to write explicitly that Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero . He states that Nero 's persecution led to Peter and Paul 's deaths , but that Nero did not give any specific orders . However , several other accounts going back to the 1st century have Paul surviving his two years in Rome and travelling to Hispania , before facing trial in Rome again prior to his death . 
 Peter is first said to have been crucified upside @-@ down in Rome during Nero 's reign ( but not by Nero ) in the apocryphal Acts of Peter ( c . 200 ) . The account ends with Paul still alive and Nero abiding by God 's command not to persecute any more Christians . 
 By the 4th century , a number of writers were stating that Nero killed Peter and Paul . 

 = = = = The Antichrist = = = = 

 The Sibylline Oracles , Book 5 and 8 , written in the 2nd century , speak of Nero returning and bringing destruction . Within Christian communities , these writings , along with others , fueled the belief that Nero would return as the Antichrist . In 310 , Lactantius wrote that Nero " suddenly disappeared , and even the burial place of that noxious wild beast was nowhere to be seen . This has led some persons of extravagant imagination to suppose that , having been conveyed to a distant region , he is still reserved alive ; and to him they apply the Sibylline verses " , Lactantius maintains that it is not right to believe this . 
 In 422 , Augustine of Hippo wrote about 2 Thessalonians 2 : 1 – 11 , where he believed Paul mentioned the coming of the Antichrist . Though he rejects the theory , Augustine mentions that many Christians believed that Nero was the Antichrist or would return as the Antichrist . He wrote , " so that in saying , ' For the mystery of iniquity doth already work , ' he alluded to Nero , whose deeds already seemed to be as the deeds of Antichrist . " 
 Some modern biblical scholars such as Delbert Hillers ( Johns Hopkins University ) of the American Schools of Oriental Research and the editors of the Oxford & Harper Collins Study Bibles , contend that the number 666 in the Book of Revelation is a code for Nero , a view that is also supported in Roman Catholic Biblical commentaries . 
 The concept of Nero as the Antichrist is often a central belief of Preterist eschatology . 


 = Manila = 

 Manila ( / məˈnɪl.ə / ) is the capital city of the Philippines , founded on June 24 , 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi . It is one of the oldest cities in the country and was the seat of power for most of the colonial rules of the Philippines . It is situated on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and contains a multitude of landmarks , some of which date back to the 16th century , such as the Spanish colonial era Walled City of Intramuros . 
 Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines after the former capital Quezon City with a population of 1 @,@ 780 @,@ 148 in 2015 . Because of its small land area and huge population , Manila is regarded as one of the most densely populated cities in the world with 42 @,@ 857 people per square kilometer . Manila is one of the sixteen cities and a municipality that make up Metro Manila , the National Capital Region of the Philippines . In 2012 , Globalization and World Cities Research Network listed Manila as a global city . 
 Manila has six representative districts for the lower house of the Philippine Congress . Furthermore , the city is composed of 16 districts , namely : Binondo , Ermita , Intramuros , Malate , Paco , Pandacan , Port Area , Quiapo , Sampaloc , San Andres , San Miguel , San Nicolas , Santa Ana , Santa Cruz , Santa Mesa and Tondo . 
 The Kingdom of Tondo once ruled in the vicinity of Manila before it briefly became a province of the Hindu Majapahit Empire . During the Brunei invasion of the Philippines , Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei captured Seludong ( a village in modern @-@ day Manila ) and renamed it Maynilà , a Tagalog term referring to the presence of the Nila shrub . Maynila was a vassal state of Brunei , established to overpower Tondo . Maynilà had been Indianized since the sixth century CE and earlier . It had become partly Islamic and Hindu @-@ animist by the 15th century CE . 
 In 1571 Spanish Conquistadors arrived from Mexico , from across the Pacific , and founded present @-@ day Manila in what today is Intramuros . Spanish missionaries soon Christianized the city and incorporated Tondo under Manila and then built some of the oldest churches in the country , including San Agustin Church . The Conquistadors renamed the area Nuevo Reino de Castilla ( New Kingdom of Castille ) and shortened the name to Manila . 
 Manila became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila @-@ Acapulco Galleon trade route , linking Spanish America with Asia , one of the earliest examples of globalization . Due to the central location in the Pacific sea trade routes , Manila received the moniker of the " Pearl of the Orient " . Spanish rule of Manila and the entire Philippine archipelago lasted for over three centuries , until 1898 . At different times during the long Spanish period there were local revolts , Chinese insurrections , massive pirate attacks , great earthquakes , Dutch raids and invasion attempts , and a British occupation of the city during their unsuccessful attempt to conquer the Philippines . Order was usually quickly restored and the city returned to the business of trade . In the 19th century Manila was one of the most modern cities in Asia . Before the Spanish – American War , Manila saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution . Under the American rule following the Spanish – American War , the United States changed the official language from Spanish to English and made some changes in education , local laws and urban planning . Towards the end of World War II , during the Battle of Manila most of the city was flattened by intensive aerial bombardment by the United States Air Force . As a result , relatively little remains of Manila 's prewar and colonial architecture , although there are ongoing restoration projects , especially within the old walled city , Intramuros . 

 = = History = = 

 The earliest evidence of human life in and around the area of Manila is the nearby Angono Petroglyphs dated to around 3000 BC . Furthermore , negritos , a class of Australoid peoples , became the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippines . They were found across Luzon before the Malayo @-@ Polynesians migrated in and assimilated them . 
 The Kingdom of Tondo flourished during the latter half of the Ming Dynasty as a result of direct trade relations with China . Tondo district was maintained as the traditional capital of the empire , with its rulers as sovereign kings and not mere chieftains , and were addressed variously as panginuan ln Meranau or panginoón in Tagalog ( " lords " ) ; anák banwa ( " son of heaven " ) ; or lakandula ( " lord of the palace " ) , the Emperor of China considered the Lakans ( rulers of ancient Manila ) " 王 " ( Kings ) . 
 In the 13th century , Manila consisted of a fortified settlement and trading quarter at the shores of the Pasig River , on top of previous older towns . Manila was then settled by the Indianized empire of Majapahit as referenced in the epic eulogy poem Nagarakretagama which inscribed its conquest by Maharaja Hayam Wuruk . Selurong " षेलुरोन ् ग ् " which is a historical name for the city of Manila is listed in Canto 14 alongside Sulot , which is now Sulu , and Kalka . 
 During the reign of Sultan Bolkiah from 1485 to 1521 , the Bruneian Empire invaded , wanting to take advantage of Tondo 's China trade by attacking its environs and establishing " كوتا سلودوڠ Kota Saludong " ( The Kingdom of Maynila ) . They ruled under and gave yearly tribute to the Sultanate of Brunei as its satellite state . They established a new dynasty under the local leader who accepted Islam and became Rajah Salalila or Tariq Sulayman I. He also established a trading challenge to the already rich House of Lakan Dula in Tondo . Islam was further strengthened by the arrival of Muslim traders from the Arab @-@ Indian area and Southeast Asia . Manila was temporarily besieged by the invasion of Chinese pirate @-@ warlord Limahong ( 1574 ) but was thwarted by the local inhabitants , before it became the seat of the colonial government of Spain . 
 On June 24 , 1571 , Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from New Spain ( now Mexico ) , and then exercised rule of the Spanish city of Manila as a territory of New Spain with the establishment of a city council in what today is the district of Intramuros . López de Legazpi had the local royalty executed or exiled , after the failure of the Tondo Conspiracy ; a plot wherein an alliance between Japanese merchants , Luzon 's Huangs with several Datus and Rajahs plus the Bruneian Empire would band together to execute the Spaniards and their Latin @-@ American mercenaries , and Visayan allies . At the conclusion of which , the victorious Spaniards made Manila the capital of the Spanish East Indies and of the Philippines , which the empire would control for the next three centuries , from 1565 to 1898 . 
 Manila then became famous during the Manila @-@ Acapulco Galleon trade which lasted for three centuries and brought goods from Europe , Africa and Latin America across the Pacific Islands to Southeast Asia ( Which was already an entrepot for goods coming from India , Indonesia and China ) and trade also flowed vice versa . Silver that was mined in Mexico and Peru were exchanged for Chinese silk , Indian gems , and the spices of the Southeast Asia , some of which even flowed to Europe . Likewise wines and olives grown from Europe and North Africa were transshipped via Mexico towards Manila . 
 Manila was occupied by British forces for twenty months , from 1762 to 1764 , and used as a base for an unsuccessful attempt to conquer the Philippines during the Seven Years ' War . Eventually , the British withdrew from Manila as per agreements in the 1763 Treaty of Paris . The Chinese were punished for supporting the British invasion , and the small fortress @-@ city of Intramuros , mostly populated by Europeans and Mexicans , kept its cannons pointed at Binondo , the world 's oldest Chinatown . 
 Mexican Independence in 1821 necessitated direct rule from Spain . Under direct Spanish rule , banking , industry and education flourished more than it had in the previous two centuries . The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 facilitated direct trade and communications with Spain . 
 The growing wealth and education attracted indigenous , Chinese , Indians , Latinos , and Europeans from the provinces to Manila , all of whom elected a nascent Filipino citizenship regardless of ethnicity . The developments also facilitated the rise of an illustrado class which espoused liberal ideas , the ideological foundations of the Philippine Revolution which sought independence from Spain . 
 After the Battle of Manila ( 1898 ) , Spain ceded the surrendered city of Manila to the United States . The First Philippine Republic based at nearby Bulacan fought against the Americans for control of the city of Manila . The Americans defeated the First Philippine Republic and captured president Emilio Aguinaldo who announced allegiance to the United States on April 1 , 1901 . 
 Upon drafting a new charter for Manila in June 1901 , the Americans made official what had long been tacit : that the City of Manila was not Intramuros alone but also all its arrabales . The new city charter proclaimed that Manila was composed of eleven municipal districts — presumably Tondo , Binondo , Santa Cruz , Sampaloc , San Miguel , Pandacan , Santa Ana , Paco , Malate , Ermita and Intramuros . In addition to these , the Church recognized five parishes as Manileno — namely , Gagalangin , Trozo , Balic @-@ Balic , Santa Mesa and Singalong . Later times would add two more : Balut and San Andres Bukid . 
 Under American control , a new civilian oriented Insular Government headed by then Governor @-@ General William Howard Taft invited city planner Daniel Burnham for the transformation of Manila , to adapt the old city to changed times and modern needs . The Burnham Plan included development of the road system , the use of waterways for transportation , and beautification of Manila with the improvement of waterfronts , construction of parks , parkways and various building for various activities . 
 The latter included a government center occupying all of Wallace Field , which extends from Luneta to the present Taft Avenue . The Philippine Capitol was to rise at the Taft Avenue end of the field , facing toward the sea , and would form , with the buildings of different government bureaus and departments , a quadrangle , lagoon in the center , and a monument to José Rizal at its Luneta end . Of Burnham 's proposed government center , only three units — the Legislative Building and the building of the Finance and Agricultural departments — were completed when World War II erupted . 
 Due to the Japanese occupation of the Philippines , American soldiers were ordered to withdraw from the city and all military installations were removed on December 24 , 1941 . General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an open city to prevent further death and destruction ; despite this , the Japanese warplanes continued to bomb the city . Manila was occupied by the Japanese forces on January 2 , 1942 . 
 Manila was also the site of the bloodiest battle in the Pacific theater during the Second World War . After falling to the Empire of Japan on January 2 , 1942 , it was recaptured by joint American and Filipino troops from February 3 to March 3 , 1945 . Some 100 @,@ 000 civilians were killed in Manila in February 1945 . It was the second most devastated city in the world after Warsaw during the Second World War . At the end of World War II , almost all of the structures in the city , particularly Intramuros , were destroyed but after the war , reconstruction took place . 
 In 1948 , President Elpidio Quirino moved the seat of government of the Philippines to Quezon City , a new capital city in the suburbs and fields northeast of Manila , created in 1938 by former President Manuel L. Quezon , which was named after him . The move ended any implementation of the Burnham Plan 's intent for the government centre to be at Luneta . 
 With the Visayan @-@ born Arsenio Lacson as its first elected mayor in 1952 ( all mayors were appointed prior to this ) , Manila underwent The Golden Age , once again earning its status as the " Pearl of the Orient " , a moniker it earned before the Second World War . After Lacson 's term in the 1950s , Manila was led by Antonio Villegas for most of the 1960s . Ramon Bagatsing ( an Indian @-@ Filipino ) was mayor for nearly the entire 1970s until the 1986 People Power Revolution . Mayors Lacson , Villegas , and Bagatsing are often collectively considered as the " Big Three of Manila " less for their rather long tenures as the city 's chief executive ( continuously for over three decades , from 1952 – 1986 ) , but more for their indelible contribution to the development and progress of the city and their lasting legacy in uplifting the quality of life and welfare of the people of Manila . 
 During the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos , the region of the Metro Manila was created as an integrated unit with the enactment of Presidential Decree No. 824 on November 7 , 1975 . The area encompassed four cities and thirteen adjoining towns , as a separate regional unit of government . On the 405th anniversary of the city 's foundation on June 24 , 1976 , Manila was reinstated by Marcos as the capital of the Philippines for its historical significance as the seat of government since the Spanish Period . Presidential Decree No. 940 states that Manila has always been to the Filipino people and in the eyes of the world , the premier city of the Philippines being the center of trade , commerce , education and culture . 
 During the martial law era , Manila became a hot @-@ bed of resistance activity as youth and student demonstrators repeatedly clashed with the police and military which were subservient to the Marcos regime . After decades of resistance , the non @-@ violent People Power Revolution ( predecessor to the peaceful @-@ revolutions that toppled the iron @-@ curtain in Europe ) , ousted the authoritarian Marcos from power . 
 In 1992 , Alfredo Lim was elected mayor , the first Chinese @-@ Filipino to hold the office . He was known for his anti @-@ crime crusades . Lim was succeeded by Lito Atienza , who served as his vice @-@ mayor . Atienza was known for his campaign ( and city slogan ) " Buhayin ang Maynila " ( Revive Manila ) , which saw the establishment of several parks and the repair and rehabilitation of the city 's deteriorating facilities . He was the city 's mayor for 3 terms ( 9 years ) before being termed out of office . 
 Alfredo Lim once again ran for mayor and defeated Atienza 's son Ali in the 2007 city election and immediately reversed all of Atienza 's projects claiming Atienza 's projects made little contribution to the improvements of the city . The relationship of both parties turned bitter , with the two pitting again during the 2010 city elections in which Lim won against Atienza . 
 Lim was sued by councilor Dennis Alcoreza on 2008 over human rights , charged with graft over the rehabilitation of public schools , and was heavily criticized for his haphazard resolution of the Rizal Park hostage taking incident , one of the deadliest hostage crisis in the Philippines . Later on , Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and 28 city councilors filed another case against Lim in 2012 , stating that Lim 's statement in a meeting were " life @-@ threatening " to them . On the 2013 elections , former President Joseph Estrada defeated Lim in the mayoral race . During his term , Estrada has paid the city 's over ₱ 5 billion debts , increase revenues by 2 @.@ 35 times from ₱ 6 @.@ 2 billion in 2012 to ₱ 14 @.@ 6 billion by 2016 , spent from 2013 to 2016 an unprecedented ₱ 6 @.@ 76 billion for the city 's infrastructure , built and or renovated seven city public markets , built 22 schools , increased teachers ' incomes , modernized the six city hospitals and bought dialysis machines and magnetic resonance imaging scanners , increased the efficiency of the police force and reduced crime . Manila has become the most competitive city in the Philippines by 2015 , making the city the best place for doing business and for living in . 
 Despite his achievements and unprecedented feat as the Mayor of Manila , however , Estrada was re @-@ elected as Manila mayor in the 2016 election against Lim and Amado Bagatsing , only winning by an infinitesimal 2 @,@ 830 votes . 

 = = Geography = = 

 Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila bay , which rests on the western shores of Luzon . Manila lies 800 miles ( 1 @,@ 300 kilometers ) from mainland Asia . The Pasig River bisects Manila . 
 Almost all of Manila sits on top of centuries of prehistoric alluvial deposits built by the waters of the Pasig and on some land reclaimed from Manila Bay . Manila 's land has been altered substantially by human intervention , with considerable land reclamation along the waterfronts since the American colonial times . Some of the natural variations in topography have been evened out due to the urbanization of the city . As of 2013 , Manila has a total area of 42 @.@ 88 square kilometres ( 16 @.@ 56 sq mi ) . 

 = = = Earthquakes = = = 

 Manila sits astride the Pacific typhoon belt and is criss @-@ crossed by several fault lines . This led to Manila and its metropolitan region to be ranked as the second riskiest capital ( city ) to live in according to Swiss Re . The seismically active Marikina Valley Fault System poses a threat to Manila and the surrounding regions . 
 Manila has endured several deadly earthquakes , notably in 1645 and in 1677 which destroyed the stone and brick medieval city . The Earthquake Baroque style was used by the Colonial architects during the Spanish colonial period in order to adapt to the frequent earthquakes . 

 = = = Climate = = = 

 Under the Köppen climate classification system , Manila features a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ) . Together with the rest of the Philippines , Manila lies entirely within the tropics . Its proximity to the equator means that the temperature range is very small , rarely going below 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ) or above 38 ° C ( 100 ° F ) . Temperature extremes have ranged from 14 @.@ 5 ° C ( 58 @.@ 1 ° F ) on January 11 , 1914 to 38 @.@ 6 ° C ( 101 @.@ 5 ° F ) on May 7 , 1915 . 
 Humidity levels are usually very high all year round . Manila has a distinct dry season from December through May , and a relatively lengthy wet season that covers the remaining period with slightly cooler temperatures . In the rainy season it rarely rains all day but the rainfall is very heavy during short periods . Typhoons usually occur from June to September . 

 = = = Environment = = = 

 Due to industrial waste and automobiles , Manila suffers from air pollution , affecting 98 % of the population . Annually , the air pollution causes more than 4 @,@ 000 deaths . Ermita is Manila 's most air polluted district due to open dump sites and industrial waste . According to a report in 2003 , The Pasig River is one of the most polluted rivers in the world with 150 tons of domestic waste and 75 tons of industrial waste dumped daily . 
 Annually , Manila is hit with 6 to 7 typhoons creating floods . In 2009 , Typhoon Ketsana struck Philippines . In the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana , the lack of infrastructure led to one of the worst floodings in the Philippines and creating a significant amount of pollution . Following the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana , the city began to dredge its rivers and improve its drainage network . The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission is in charge of cleaning up the Pasig River and tributaries for transportation , recreation and tourism purposes . Rehabilitation efforts have resulted in the creation of parks along the riverside , along with stricter pollution controls . 

 = = Cityscape = = 


 = = = Architecture = = = 

 Manila has architecturally significant buildings in a wide range of styles spanning distinct historical and cultural periods . Architectural styles reflect American , Spanish , Chinese , and Malay influences . Prominet Filipino architects such as Antonio Toledo , Felipe Roxas , Juan M. Arellano and Tomás Mapúa have designed significant buildings in Manila such as churches , government offices , theaters , mansions , schools and universities . 
 Manila is known for its distinct Art Deco theaters which are designed by National Artists such as Juan Nakpil and Pablo Antonio . The historic Escolta Street in Binondo features many buildings of neo @-@ classical and beaux @-@ arts architectural style , many of which were designed by prominent Filipino architects during the American Rule in the 1920s to the late 1930s . Many architects , artists , historians and heritage advocacy groups are pushing for the revival of Escolta Street , which was once the premier street of the Philippines . 
 Unfortunately , much of Manila 's prewar and Spanish colonial architecture was destroyed during World War II . Reconstruction took place afterwards , replacing the destroyed historic Spanish @-@ era buildings with modern ones , erasing much of the city 's character . Some buildings destroyed by the war have been reconstructed , such as the Old Legislative Building ( National Museum ) , Ayuntamiento de Manila ( Bureau of the Treasury ) and the currently under construction San Ignacio Church ( Museo de Intramuros ) . Plans have been laid out to rehabilitate several neglected historic buildings and places such as Plaza Del Carmen , San Sebastian Church and the Manila Metropolitan Theater and soon Spanish @-@ era shops and houses in Quiapo , Binondo , and San Nicolas will be restored to its former splendor , as a part of a movement to restore Manila to its former glory . 
 Since Manila is prone to earthquakes , the Spanish colonial architects invented the style called Earthquake Baroque which the churches and government buildings during the Spanish colonial period adopted . As a result , succeeding earthquakes of the 18th and 19th centuries barely affected Manila , although it did periodically level the surrounding area . Modern buildings in and around Manila are designed or have retrofitted to withstand an 8 @.@ 2 magnitude quake in accordance to the country 's building code . 

 = = = Barangays and districts = = = 

 Manila is composed of fourteen districts according to Republic Act No. 409 , otherwise known as the Revised Charter of the City of Manila . Two were later added , which are Santa Mesa ( partitioned off from Sampaloc ) and San Andres ( partitioned off from Santa Ana ) . 
 The city has 896 barangays that are known by sequential numbers instead of names . These barangays are further group into 100 zones for administrative and municipal purposes . 

 = = = Military and national security = = = 

 The headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard is located at the South Harbor in Port Area near Intramuros and Ermita . The Philippine Navy on the other hand has its headquarters in Naval Station Jose Andrada located along Roxas Boulevard in Malate . Furthermore , the AFP Joint Task Force @-@ National Capital Region was created in 2012 to ensure peace and stability in Metro Manila , of which Manila is a part . It bears the same functions of the deactivated National Capital Regional Command , although it operates on a much smaller size than its predecessor . 

 = = = Slums = = = 

 There are an estimated 4 million slum dwellers living in Manila as of 2014 . 

 = = Demographics = = 

 According to the 2015 census , the population of the city was 1 @,@ 780 @,@ 148 , making it the second most populous city in the Philippines . 
 Manila is the most densely populated city in the world with 43 @,@ 079 inhabitants per km2 . District 6 is listed as being the most dense with 68 @,@ 266 inhabitants per km2 , followed by District 1 with 64 @,@ 936 and District 2 with 64 @,@ 710 , respectively . District 5 is the least densely populated area with 19 @,@ 235 . 
 Manila 's population density dwarfs that of Kolkata ( 27 @,@ 774 inhabitants per km2 ) , Mumbai ( 22 @,@ 937 inhabitants per km2 ) , Paris ( 20 @,@ 164 inhabitants per km2 ) , Dhaka ( 19 @,@ 447 inhabitants per km2 ) , Shanghai ( 16 @,@ 364 inhabitants per km2 , with its most dense district , Nanshi , having a density of 56 @,@ 785 inhabitants per km2 ) , and Tokyo ( 10 @,@ 087 inhabitants per km2 ) . 
 The vernacular language is Filipino , based mostly on the Tagalog of surrounding areas , and this Manila form of speaking Tagalog has essentially become the lingua franca of the Philippines , having spread throughout the archipelago through mass media and entertainment . Meanwhile , English is the language most widely used in education , business , and heavily in everyday usage throughout the Metro Manila region and the Philippines itself . 
 A number of older residents can still speak basic Spanish , which used to be a mandatory subject in the curriculum of Philippine universities and colleges , and many children of Japanese Filipino , Indian Filipino , and other migrants or expatriates also speak their parents ' languages at home , aside from English and / or Filipino for everyday use . Minnan Chinese ( known as Lannang @-@ oe ) is spoken by the city 's Chinese @-@ Filipino community . 

 = = Economy = = 

 The city is a major center for commerce , banking and finance , retailing , transportation , tourism , real estate , new media as well as traditional media , advertising , legal services , accountancy , insurance , theater , fashion , and the arts in the Philippines . 
 The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index , published by the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines , ranks the cities , municipalities and provinces of the country according to their economic dynamism , government efficiency and infrastructure . Manila placed third in the Highly Urbanized City ( HUC ) category . Previously , Manila was the country 's most competitive city in 2015 , making it the best place to live in and do business . 
 The Port of Manila is the largest seaport in the Philippines , making it the premier international shipping gateway to the country . The Philippine Ports Authority is government agency responsible to oversee the operation and management of the ports . The International Container Terminal Services Inc. cited by the Asian Development Bank as one of the top five major maritime terminal operators in the world has its headquarters and main operations on the ports of Manila . Another port operator , the Asian Terminal Incorporated , has its corporate office and main operations in the Manila South Harbor and its container depository located in Santa Mesa . 
 Binondo , the oldest and one of the largest Chinatown in the world , was the center of commerce and business activities in the city . Numerous residential and office skyscrapers are found within its medieval streets . Plans to make the Chinatown area into a business process outsourcing ( BPO ) hub progresses and is aggressively pursued by the city government of Manila . 30 buildings are already identified to be converted into BPO offices . These buildings are mostly located along the Escolta Street of Binondo , which are all unoccupied and can be converted into offices . 
 Divisoria in Tondo is dubbed as the " shopping mecca of the Philippines " . Numerous shopping malls are located in this place , which sells products and goods at bargain price . Small vendors occupies several roads that causes pedestrian and vehicular traffic . A famous landmark in Divisoria is the Tutuban Center , a large shopping mall that is a part of the Philippine National Railways ' Main Station . It attracts 1 million people every month , but is expected to add another 400 @,@ 000 people when the LRT @-@ 2 West Extension is constructed , making it Manila 's busiest transfer station . 
 Diverse manufacturers within the city produce industrial @-@ related products such as chemicals , textiles , clothing , and electronic goods . Food and beverages and tobacco products also produced . Local entrepreneurs continue to process primary commodities for export , including rope , plywood , refined sugar , copra , and coconut oil . The food @-@ processing industry is one of the most stable major manufacturing sector in the city . 
 The Pandacan Oil Depot houses the storage facilities and distribution terminals of the three major players in the country 's petroleum industry , namely Caltex Philippines , Pilipinas Shell and Petron Corporation . The oil depot has been a subject of various concerns , including its environmental and health impact to the residents of Manila . The Supreme Court has ordered that the oil depot to be relocated outside the city by July 2015 , but it failed to meet this deadline . It is currently being demolished which is expected to be finished before the year 2016 ends , and plans have been set up to turn this 33 hectare facility into a transport hub or even a food park . 
 Manila is a major publishing center in the Philippines . Manila Bulletin , the Philippines ' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation , is headquartered inside Intramuros . Other major publishing companies in the country like The Manila Times , The Philippine Star and Manila Standard Today are headquartered inside the Port Area . The Chinese Commercial News , the Philippines ' oldest existing Chinese @-@ language newspaper , and the country 's third @-@ oldest existing newspaper is headquartered in Binondo . 
 Manila serves as the headquarters of the Central Bank of the Philippines which is located along Roxas Boulevard . Some universal banks in the Philippines that has its headquarters in the city are the Landbank of the Philippines and Philippine Trust Company . Philam Life Insurance Company , currently the largest life insurance company in the Philippines in terms of assets , net worth , investment and paid @-@ up capital , has its headquarters along United Nations Avenue in Ermita . Unilever Philippines has its corporate office along United Nations Avenue in Paco . Toyota , a company listed in the Forbes Global 2000 also has its regional office along UN Avenue . 

 = = = Tourism = = = 

 Tourism is a vital industry in Manila , and it welcomes approximately over 1 million tourists each year . Major destinations include the walled city of Intramuros , the National Theater at the Cultural Center of the Philippines , Manila Ocean Park , Binondo , Ermita , Malate , Manila Zoo , National Museum of the Philippines and Rizal Park . 
 Rizal Park , also known as Luneta Park , is the national park of the country and has an area of 58 hectares ( 140 acres ) , making it the largest urban park in Asia . In the Tourism Act of 2009 , Rizal Park along with Intramuros are designated as flagship destination to become a tourism enterprise zone . A new attraction called Paseo de Manila is expected to rise in the park . The park was constructed as an honor and dedication to the country 's national hero José Rizal , who was executed by the Spaniards on charges of subversion . The flagpole west of the Rizal Monument is the Kilometer Zero marker for distances to the rest of the country . 
 Intramuros is the historic center of Manila . Originally , it was considered to be Manila itself at the time when the Philippines was under the Spanish Empire colonial rule . Owing to its history and cultural value , Intramuros and Rizal Park are designated as flagship destination to become a tourism enterprise zone in the Tourism Act of 2009 . Intramuros is managed by the Intramuros Administration ( IA ) . 
 The architecture of Intramuros reflects the Spanish colonial style and the American neoclassical architectural style , since the Philippines was a colony of Spain and the United States before it is granted its independence in 1946 . Kalesa is a popular mode of transportation in Intramuros and nearby places such as Binondo , Ermita and the Rizal Park . 
 Popular tourist destinations in Intramuros include the Baluarte de San Diego , Club Intramuros Golf Course , Cuartel de Santa Lucia , Fort Santiago , Manila Cathedral , Palacio Arzobispal , Palacio de Santa Potenciana , Palacio del Gobernador , Plaza Mexico , Plaza de Roma , San Agustin Church and the Ayuntamiento de Manila . 
 Some of the country 's oldest schools are founded in Intramuros , these are the University of Santo Tomas ( 1611 ) , Colegio de San Juan de Letran ( 1620 ) , and Ateneo de Manila University ( 1859 ) . Only Colegio de San Juan de Letran remains at Intramuros ; the University of Santo Tomas transferred to a new campus at Sampaloc in 1927 , and Ateneo left Intramuros for Loyola Heights , Quezon City ( while still retaining " de Manila " in its name ) in 1952 . Other prominent educational institutions include the Manila High School and the University of the City of Manila . 
 The Department of Tourism designates Manila as the pioneer of medical tourism , expecting it to generate $ 1 billion in revenue annually . However , lack of progressive health system , inadequate infrastructure and the unstable political environment are seen as hindrances for its growth . 

 = = = Shopping centers = = = 

 Manila is a well @-@ known shopping hub of the country and it has been named as one of the best shopping destinations in Asia . Major shopping malls , markets and bazaars thrives in Manila . 
 Robinsons Place Manila is the largest shopping mall in the city . The mall was the second and by @-@ far , the largest Robinson Mall ever built by John Gokongwei . SM Supermall maintains presence in the city . One of their shopping mall is the SM City Manila , the first SM Supermall in the city featuring major SM brands like The SM Store , SM Supermarket , SM Cinemas and SM Foodcourt . It is located right beside the Manila City Hall . SM City San Lazaro is the second SM Supermall in Manila . It is located in Santa Cruz . SM City San Lazaro was constructed on the site of the former San Lazaro Hippodrome . The building of the former Manila Royal Hotel in Quiapo which is famed for its revolving restaurant atop is now the SM Clearance Center which was established in 1972 . The site of the first SM Store is located at Carlos Palanca Sr. ( formerly Echague ) Street in San Miguel . 
 Quiapo is referred as the " Old Downtown " where tiangges , markets , botique shops , music and electronics stores are common . C.M. Recto Avenue is where lots of department stores are located . One of Recto Avenue 's famous destination is Divisoria , home to numerous shopping malls in the city . It is also dubbed as the shopping mecca of the Philippines where everything is sold at bargain price . Binondo , the oldest Chinatown in the world , is the city 's center of commerce and trade for all types of businesses run by Filipino @-@ Chinese merchants with a wide variety of Chinese and Filipino shops and restaurants . 

 = = Arts , culture and religion = = 


 = = = Religion = = = 


 = = = = Christianity = = = = 

 As a result of Spanish cultural influence , Manila is a predominantly Christian ( Catholic ) city . As of 2010 , Roman Catholics comprises 83 @.@ 5 % of the population , followed by adherents of the Philippine Independent Church ( 2 @.@ 4 % ) ; Iglesia ni Cristo ( 1 @.@ 9 % ) ; various Protestant churches ( 1 @.@ 8 % ) ; and Buddhists ( 1 @.@ 1 % ) . Members of Islam and other religions comprises the remaining 10 @.@ 4 % of the city 's population . 
 Manila is the site of prominent Catholic churches and institutions . The Manila Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila and the oldest established church in the country . Aside from the Manila Cathedral , there are also three other basilicas in the city : Quiapo Church , Binondo Church , and the Minor Basilica of San Sebastián . The San Agustín Church in Intramuros is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the two fully air @-@ conditioned Catholic churches in the city . Manila also has other parishes located throughout the city , with some of them dating back to the Spanish Colonial Period when the city serves as the base for numerous Catholic missions both within the Philippines and to Asia beyond . 
 Several Mainline Protestant denominations are headquartered in the city . St. Stephen 's Parish pro @-@ cathedral in the Sta . Cruz district is the see of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines ' Diocese of Central Philippines , while align Taft Avenue are the main cathedral and central offices of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente ( also called the Aglipayan Church , a national church that was a product of the Philippine Revolution ) . Other faiths like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter @-@ day Saints maintains a presence in the city . 
 The indigenous Iglesia ni Cristo has several locales ( akin to parishes ) in the city , including its very first chapel ( now a museum ) in Punta , Sta . Ana . Evangelical , Pentecostal and Seventh @-@ day Adventist denominations also thrives within the city . The headquarters of the Philippine Bible Society is in Manila . Also , the main campus of the Cathedral of Praise is located along Taft Avenue . Jesus Is Lord Church also has several branches and campuses in Manila , and celebrates its anniversary yearly at the Burnham Green and Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park . 

 = = = = Other faiths = = = = 

 The city also hosts other religions . There are many Buddhist and Taoist temples serving the Chinese Filipino community . Quiapo is home to a sizable Muslim population which worships at Masjid Al @-@ Dahab . Members of the Indian expatriate population have the option of worshiping at the large Hindu temple in the city , or at the Sikh gurdwara along United Nations Avenue . The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá 'ís of the Philippines , the governing body of the Filipino Bahá 'í community , is headquartered near Manila 's eastern border with Makati . 

 = = = Annual cultural events and religious festivities = = = 

 Manila celebrates civic and national holidays . Manila Day , which celebrates the city 's founding on June 24 , 1571 , was first proclaimed by Herminio A. Astorga ( then Vice Mayor of Manila ) on June 24 , 1962 and has been annually commemorated , under the patronage of John the Baptist . Locally , each of the city 's barangays also have their own festivities guided by their own patron saint . The city is also the host to the Feast of the Black Nazarene , held every January 9 , which draws millions of Catholic devotees . Another religious feasts held in Manila was the Feast of the Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Manila ( Our Lady of the Abandoned ) , the patron saint of Santa Ana and was held every May 12 . Non @-@ religious holidays include the New Year 's Day , National Heroes ' Day , Bonifacio Day and Rizal Day . 

 = = = Museums and art galleries = = = 

 As the cultural center of the Philippines , Manila is the home to a number of museums . The National Museum of the Philippines Complex , which include the National Museum of Fine Arts , Museum of Anthropology and the Museum of Natural History , is located on the northeast part of Rizal Park facing Taft Avenue. proposed national government center during the American time . Museums established by educational institutions include the Mabini Shrine , the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design , UST Museum of Arts and Sciences , and the UP Museum of a History of Ideas . 
 Bahay Tsinoy , one of Manila 's most prominent museums , documents the Chinese lives and contributions in the history of the Philippines . The Intramuros Light and Sound Museum chronicles the Filipinos desire for freedom during the revolution under Rizal 's leadership and other revolutionary leaders . The Metropolitan Museum of Manila exhibits the Filipino arts and culture . 
 Other museums in the city are the Museum of Manila , the city @-@ owned museum that exhibits the city 's culture and history , Museo Pambata , a children 's museum , the Museum of Philippine Political History , which exhibits notable political events in the country , the Parish of the Our Lady of the Abandoned and the San Agustin Church Museum , which houses religious artifacts , and Plaza San Luis , a public museum . 

 = = Sports = = 

 Sports in Manila have a long and distinguished history . The city 's , and in general the country 's main sport is basketball , and most barangays have a makeshift basketball court , with court markings drawn on the streets . Larger barangays have covered courts where interbarangay leagues are held every summer ( April to May ) . 
 The city has several well @-@ known sports venues , such as the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and San Andres Gym , the home of the now defunct Manila Metrostars . The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex houses the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium , the Baseball Stadium , Tennis Courts , Memorial Coliseum and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium ( the latter two are indoor arenas ) . 
 The Rizal complex had hosted several multi @-@ sport events , such as the 1954 Asian Games and the 1934 Far Eastern Games . Whenever the country hosts the Southeast Asian Games , most of the events are held at the complex , but in the 2005 Games , most events were held elsewhere . The 1960 ABC Championship and the 1973 ABC Championship , forerunners of the FIBA Asia Championship , was hosted by the complex , with the national basketball team winning on both tournaments . The 1978 FIBA World Championship was held at the complex although the latter stages were held in the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City , Southeast Asia 's largest indoor arena at that time . 
 Manila also hosts several well @-@ known sports facilities such as the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center and the University of Santo Tomas Sports Complex , both of which are private venues owned by a university ; collegiate sports are also held , with the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball games held at Rizal Memorial Coliseum and Ninoy Aquino Stadium , although basketball events had transferred to San Juan 's Filoil Flying V Arena and the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City . Other collegiate sports are still held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex . Professional basketball also used to play at the city , but the Philippine Basketball Association now holds their games at Araneta Coliseum and Cuneta Astrodome at Pasay ; the now defunct Philippine Basketball League played some of their games at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex . 
 The Manila Storm are the city 's rugby league team training at Rizal Park ( Luneta Park ) and playing their matches at Southern Plains Field , Calamba , Laguna . 
 Previously a widely played sport in the city , Manila is now the home of the only sizable baseball stadium in the country , at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium . The stadium hosts games of Baseball Philippines ; Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth were the first players to score a home run at the stadium at their tour of the country on December 2 , 1934 . 
 Another popular sport in the city are cue sports , and billiard halls are a feature in most barangays . The 2010 World Cup of Pool was held at Robinsons Place Manila . 
 The Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium hosted the first FIFA World Cup qualifier in decades when the Philippines hosted Sri Lanka in July 2011 . The stadium , which was previously unfit for international matches , had undergone a major renovation program prior to the match . The Football Stadium now regularly hosts matches of the United Football League . The stadium also hosted its first rugby test when it hosted the 2012 Asian Five Nations Division I tournaments . 

 = = Government and politics = = 

 The government of Manila is divided into three branches : executive , legislative and judiciary . The judicial branch is administered solely by the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the Metro Manila judicial region . The city government have control of the executive and legislative branch . Manila employs 11 @,@ 919 personnel at the end of 2014 . 
 The current Mayor of Manila is Joseph Estrada , who served as the President of the Philippines from 1998 @-@ 2001 . He is also the head of the executive department of the city . The legislative arm which is composed of six elected city councilors , is headed by the Vice Mayor . Former actor Isko Moreno currently serves as the city 's vice mayor . Altogether they are assisted by the Manila City Council , the local President of the Association of Barangay Captains , and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan . Their offices are located at the Manila City Hall . 

 = = = Finance = = = 

 On September 25 , 2014 , the Commission on Audit released its 2013 Annual Financial Report citing the city 's income at ₱ 10 @.@ 1 billion with an asset worth of ₱ 18 @.@ 6 billion . Its local income stood at ₱ 5 @.@ 41 billion and its national government allocation was ₱ 1 @.@ 74 billion , having an annual regular income ( ARI ) of an estimated ₱ 7 @.@ 15 billion . Manila 's net income stood at ₱ 3 @.@ 54 billion in 2014 . 
 Among the local government units , Manila has the highest budget allocation to health . It was also one of the cities with the highest tax and internal revenue . Tax revenue accounts for 46 % of the city 's income in 2012 . 

 = = = Districts and barangays = = = 

 Manila has six legislative districts that serve as the constituencies for the election of the city 's representatives to the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines and of the regular members to the Sangguniang Panlungsod ( SP ; City Council ) . Each district elects one representative to the House of Representatives and six SP members to the council . The city , along with the rest of the nation , elects 12 senators as one at @-@ large district . 
 Manila is politically divided into 896 barangays , the smallest unit of local government in the Philippines . Each barangay has its own chairperson and councilors . For administrative convenience , all the barangays in Manila are grouped into 100 zones . These zones have no form of local government . 
 The 1st District ( 2015 population : 415 @,@ 906 ) is Manila 's ( and the country 's ) most densely populated congressional district . It covers the western portion of Tondo that lies along Manila Bay . 
 The 2nd District ( 2015 population : 215 @,@ 457 ) covers the eastern inland portion of Tondo , a neighborhood or sub @-@ district known as Gagalangin . 
 The 3rd District ( 2015 population : 197 @,@ 242 ) covers Binondo , Quiapo , San Nicolas and Santa Cruz . 
 The 4th District ( 2015 population : 265 @,@ 046 ) covers Sampaloc . 
 The 5th District ( 2015 population : 366 @,@ 714 ) covers Ermita , Malate , Port Area , Intramuros , San Andres Bukid , and a portion of Paco ( except Zone 90 ) . 
 The 6th District ( 2007 population : 295 @,@ 245 ) covers Paco ( Zone 90 only ) , Pandacan , San Miguel , Santa Ana and Santa Mesa . 
 Manila has the most number of barangays of any city or municipality in the Philippines . Attempts at reducing its number have not prospered despite local legislation — Ordinance 7907 , passed on 23 April 1996 — reducing the number from 897 to 150 by merging existing barangays , because of the failure to hold a plebiscite . 

 = = = National government = = = 

 Manila , being the seat of political power of the Philippines , has several national government offices headquartered at the city . Planning for the development for being the center of government started during the early years of American colonization to the country when they envisioned a well @-@ designed city outside the walls of Intramuros . The strategic location chosen was Bagumbayan , a former town which is now the Rizal Park to become the center of government and a design commission was given to Daniel Burnham to create a master plan for the city patterned after Washington D.C .. These improvements were eventually abandoned under the Commonwealth Government of Manuel L. Quezon . 
 A new government center was to be built on the hills northeast of Manila , or what is now Quezon City . Several government agencies have set up their headquarters in Quezon City but several key government offices still reside in Manila . However , many of the plans were substantially altered after the devastation of Manila during World War II and by subsequent administrations . 
 The city , as the capital , still hosts the Office of the President , as well as the president 's official residence . Aside from these , important institutions such as the Supreme Court , the Court of Appeals , the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas , the Departments of Budget and Management , Finance , Health , Justice , Labor and Employment and Public Works and Highways still call the city home . Manila also hosts important national institutions such as the National Library , National Archives , National Museum and the Philippine General Hospital . 
 Congress previously held office at the Old Congress Building . In 1972 , due to declaration of martial law , Congress was dissolved ; its successor , the unicameral Batasang Pambansa , held office at the new Batasang Pambansa Complex . When a new constitution restored the bicameral Congress , the House of Representatives stayed at the Batasang Pambansa Complex , while the Senate remained at the Old Congress Building . In May 1997 , the Senate transferred to a new building it shares with the Government Service Insurance System at reclaimed land at Pasay . 

 = = Infrastructure = = 


 = = = Utilities = = = 


 = = = = Water and electricity = = = = 

 Water services used to be provided by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System , which served 30 % of the city with most other sewage being directly dumped into storm drains , septic tanks , or open canals . MWSS was privatized in 1997 which split the water concession into the east and west zones . The Maynilad Water Services took over the west zone of which Manila is a part . It now provides the supply and delivery of potable water and sewerage system in Manila , but it does not provide service to the southeastern part of the city which belongs to the east zone that is served by Manila Water . Electric services are provided by Meralco , the sole electric power distributor in Metro Manila . 

 = = = Transportation = = = 

 One of the more famous modes of transportation in Manila is the jeepney . Patterned after U.S. army jeeps , these have been in use since the years immediately following World War II . The Tamaraw FX , the third generation Toyota Kijang , which competed directly with jeepneys and followed fixed routes for a set price , once plied the streets of Manila . 
 On a for @-@ hire basis , the city is served by numerous taxicabs , " tricycles " ( motorcycles with sidecars , the Philippine version of the auto rickshaw ) , and " trisikads " or " sikads " ( bicycles with a sidecars , the Philippine version of pedicabs ) . In some areas , especially in Divisoria , motorized pedicabs are popular . Spanish @-@ era horse @-@ drawn calesas are still a popular tourist attraction and mode of transportation in the streets of Binondo and Intramuros . All types of public road transport are privately owned and operated under government franchise . 
 The city is serviced by the LRT @-@ 1 and LRT @-@ 2 which forms the LRTA system , as distinct from the MRT @-@ 3 which is under the MRTC system that services other parts of Metro Manila . Development of the railway system began in the 1970s under the Marcos administration , making it the first light rail transport in Southeast Asia . These systems are currently undergoing a multibillion @-@ dollar expansion . LRT Line 1 runs along the length of Taft Avenue ( R @-@ 2 ) and Rizal Avenue ( R @-@ 9 ) , and the LRT Line 2 runs along Claro M. Recto Avenue ( C @-@ 1 ) and Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard ( R @-@ 6 ) from Santa Cruz , through Quezon City , up to Santolan in Marikina . 
 The main terminal of the Philippine National Railways lies within the city . One commuter railway within Metro Manila is in operation . The line runs in a general north @-@ south direction from Tutuban ( Tondo ) toward Laguna . The Port of Manila , located in the vicinity of Manila Bay is the chief seaport of the Philippines . The Pasig River Ferry Service which runs on the Pasig River is another form of transportation . The city is also served by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport . 
 In 2006 , Forbes magazine ranked Manila " the world 's most congested city " . Manila has become notorious for its frequent traffic jams and high densities . The government has undertaken several projects to alleviate the traffic in the city . Some of the projects include : the construction of a new flyover at Sampaloc , the construction of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 , the proposed LRT Line 2 ( west ) extension from Recto to Tondo or the Port Area , and the expansion of several national and local roads . However , such projects have yet to make any meaningful impact , and the traffic jams and congestion continue unabated . The urban planning of the Manila and the whole metropolis was based on the Metro Manila Dream Plan , which seeks to address the problems of Metro Manila 's urban planning and transportation . It consists of a list of short term priority projects and medium to long term infrastructure projects that will last up to 2030 . 

 = = Healthcare = = 

 The Manila Health Department is responsible for the planning and implementation of the health care programs provided by the city government . It operates 59 health centers and six city @-@ run hospitals , which are free of charge . The six public city @-@ run hospitals are the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center , Ospital ng Sampaloc , Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center , Ospital ng Tondo , Sta . Ana Hospital , and Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital . Manila is also the site of the Philippine General Hospital , the tertiary state @-@ owned hospital administered and operated by the University of the Philippines Manila . 
 Manila 's healthcare is also provided by private corporations . Private hospitals that operates in the city are the Manila Doctors Hospital , Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center , Dr. José R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center , Metropolitan Medical Center , Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital , and the University of Santo Tomas Hospital . 
 The Department of Health has its main office in Manila . The national health department also operates the San Lazaro Hospital , a special referral tertiary hospital . Manila is also the home to the headquarters of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the World Health Organization Country Office for the Philippines . 

 = = Education = = 

 The center of education since the colonial period , Manila — particularly Intramuros — is home to several Philippine universities and colleges as well as its oldest ones . It served as the home of the University of Santo Tomas ( 1611 ) , Colegio de San Juan de Letran ( 1620 ) , Ateneo de Manila University ( 1859 ) , Lyceum of the Philippines University and the Mapua Institute of Technology . Only Colegio de San Juan de Letran ( 1620 ) remains at Intramuros ; the University of Santo Tomas transferred to a new campus at Sampaloc in 1927 , and Ateneo left Intramuros for Loyola Heights , Quezon City ( while still retaining " de Manila " in its name ) in 1952 . 
 The University of the City of Manila ( Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila ) located at Intramuros , and Universidad de Manila located just outside the walled city , are both owned and operated by the Manila city government . The national government controls the University of the Philippines Manila , the oldest of the University of the Philippines constituent universities and the center of health sciences education in the country . The city is also the site of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines , the largest university in the country in terms of student population . 
 The University Belt refers to the area where there is a high concentration or a cluster of colleges and universities in the city and it is commonly understood as the one where the San Miguel , Quiapo and Sampaloc districts meet . Generally , it includes the western end of España Boulevard , Nicanor Reyes St. ( formerly Morayta St. ) , the eastern end of Claro M. Recto Avenue ( formerly Azcarraga ) , Legarda Avenue , Mendiola Street , and the different side streets . Each of the colleges and universities found here are at a short walking distance of each other . Another cluster of colleges lies along the southern bank of the Pasig River , mostly at the Intramuros and Ermita districts , and still a smaller cluster is found at the southernmost part of Malate near the border with Pasay such as the private co @-@ educational institution of De La Salle University , the largest of all De La Salle University System of schools . 
 The Division of the City Schools of Manila , a branch of the Department of Education , refers to the city 's three @-@ tier public education system . It governs the 71 public elementary schools , 32 public high schools . 
 The city also contains the Manila Science High School , the pilot science high school of the Philippines ; the National Museum , where the Spoliarium of Juan Luna is housed ; the Metropolitan Museum of Manila , a museum of modern and contemporary visual arts ; the Museo Pambata , the Children 's Museum , a place of hands @-@ on discovery and fun learning ; and , the National Library , the repository of the country 's printed and recorded cultural heritage and other literary and information resources . 

 = = Global outreach = = 


 = = = Twin towns – Sister cities = = = 

 Sister cities of Manila 

 = = = = Asia / Pacific Rim = = = = 


 = = = = North America = = = = 



 = Attalea ( palm ) = 

 Attalea is a large genus of palms native to Mexico , the Caribbean , Central and South America . This pinnately leaved , non @-@ spiny genus includes both small palms lacking an aboveground stem and large trees . The genus has a complicated taxonomic history , and has often been split into four or five genera based on differences in the male flowers . Since the genera can only be distinguished on the basis of their male flowers , the existence of intermediate flower types and the existence of hybrids between different genera has been used as an argument for keeping them all in the same genus . This has been supported by a recent molecular phylogeny . 
 Somewhere between 29 and 67 species are recognised in the genus , with estimates of as many as 100 . Incomplete herbarium collections make it difficult to determine whether certain groups represent single species , or groups of similar species . Attalea species have a long history of human use , and include economically important sources of palm oil and fibre . Many species are fire tolerant and thrive in disturbed habitats . Their seeds are animal dispersed , including some which are thought to have been adapted for dispersal by now @-@ extinct Pleistocene megafauna . 

 = = Description = = 

 The genus Attalea has pinnately compound leaves — rows of leaflets emerge on either side of the axis of the leaf in a feather @-@ like or fern @-@ like pattern . Species are also non @-@ spiny palms and includes both large trees with stout stems up to 30 metres ( 98 ft ) tall and acaulescent palms ( one which lack an aboveground stem ) . The number of leaves per individual varies from about three to thirty @-@ five ; larger plants tend to have more and longer leaves . 
 Inflorescences are large , branched and borne among the leaves . The inflorescence consists of a main axis — the peduncle and the rachis — and a series of smaller branches , the rachillae . The rachillae , which bear the flowers , emerge from the rachis . The peduncle is the main stalk , connecting the rachis with the stem . Inflorescences either consist entirely of male flowers , or are predominantly female with a few male flowers . Fruit usually have two or three seeds , although fewer or more are present in some species , and are usually brown , yellow , orange @-@ brown or purple when mature . 
 Four different types of male flowers exist . On the basis of these flower types , the genus has often been split into four genera — a more narrowly defined Attalea , Orbignya , Maximiliana and Scheelea . The species sometimes referred to Orbignya have coiled anthers , while the other groups have straight ones . The petals of those placed in Maximiliana are much shorter than the stamens , while those placed in Scheelea and a more narrowly defined Attalea have petals that are longer than the stamens . Five species do not fit easily into any of these groups ; this fact has been used as an argument in favour of considering this group a single genus . 

 = = Taxonomy = = 

 Attalea has been placed in the subfamily Arecoideae , the tribe Cocoseae and the subtribe Attaleinae , together with the genera Allagoptera , Beccariophoenix , Butia , Cocos , Jubaea , Jubaeopsis , Lytocaryum , Parajubaea , Syagrus and Voanioala . Within this subtribe , Attalea has been found to be a monophyletic group , and sister to the clade containing Allagoptera , Polyandrococos , Parajubaea , Butia and Jubaea . 
 Disagreement exists as to whether Attalea should be considered a single genus , or a group of related genera . In their 1996 Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas , Andrew Henderson , Gloria Galeano and Rodrigo Bernal combined all the species in the subtribe Attaleinae ( as it was then defined ) into a single genus , Attalea . In his 1999 Taxonomic Treatment of Palm Subtribe Attaleinae , American botanist Sidney F. Glassman divided the group into five genera — a more narrowly defined Attalea , Orbignya , Maximiliana , Scheelea and Ynesa . Rafäel Govaerts and John Dransfield recognised a single genus in their 2005 World Checklist of Palms , and Jean @-@ Christophe Pintaud continued this usage in his 2008 review of the genus . 
 The multi @-@ genus approach is based solely on the structure of the male flowers ; no other characters could be consistently associated with one genus or another . Four of the genera — Attalea ( in a narrow sense ) , Orbignya , Maximiliana and Scheelea — correspond to four different types of male flowers found within the genus . However , a few species have flowers that are intermediate between these four types , including A. colenda ( which Glassman placed in its own genus , Ynesa ) and this has been used as an argument for the single @-@ genus approach . In addition , there are several hybrids between species that would be considered different genera under Glassman 's five @-@ genus system , which has also been used as an argument for placing them in a single genus . In 2009 Alan Meerow and colleagues published a molecular phylogeny of the subtribe which found that some species placed in Orbignya were actually more closely related to species placed in Scheelea than they were to other members of that genus ( if the five @-@ genus approach was used ) , while A. crassispatha , placed in Orbignya by Glassman , was actually a sister to both Scheelea and Orbignya . 

 = = = History = = = 

 The genus Attalea was first described Carl Sigismund Kunth in 1816 based on specimens collected by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland , although older , pre @-@ Linnaean descriptions exist , including Charles Plumier 's 1703 description of A. crassispatha . The genus was named for Attalus III Philometor , king of Pergamon , known for his interest in medicinal plants . The type species is A. amygdalina , a Colombian endemic . The genera Maximiliana and Orbignya were described by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius in 1826 and 1837 respectively . Scheelea was described by Hermann Karsten in 1857 , and Ynesa by Orator F. Cook in 1942 . 

 = = = Species = = = 

 Experts disagree about the number of species in the genus Attalea ( broadly defined ) . In 1965 , Dutch taxonomist Jan Gerard Wessels Boer estimated that there may be as many as 100 species in the genus . In their 1996 Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas Andrew Henderson and coauthors recognised 29 species in the genus , while Sidney Glassman recognised 65 species in his 1999 treatment of the group . Largely following Glassman 's lead , Rafaël Govaerts and John Dransfield recognised 67 species in their 2005 World Checklist of Palms . An important element of this disagreement is the decision by Glassman to define species more narrowly than Henderson . As a result , what Henderson interpreted as variation within species , Glassman took as differences between morphologically similar species . This problem is complicated by the fact that many of these species are poorly represented in herbarium collections . The large size of the leaves , inflorescences and fruit of many Attalea species makes them difficult to collect . In addition , many important collections , including type specimen , have been lost or destroyed . Sparse or incomplete collections make it difficult to differentiate variation within a single species from variation between different species . 
 The three recent treatments ( Henderson and coauthors , Glassman , and Govaerts and Dransfield ) recognised a total of 73 species , but only 20 species are accepted by all of them . The remainder account for either nine species or more than 40 . For example , what Andrew Henderson considered a single species , Attalea attaleoides , other authors have considered a species complex consisting of four or five species . Glassman doubted the validity of A. attaleoides as a species , and described four new species from material that had previously been attributed to A. attaleoides — A. camopiensis , A. degranvillei , A. guianensis and A. maripensis . Govaerts and Dransfield accepted both Glassman 's four species and A. attaleoides . However , Jean @-@ Christophe Pintaud was of the opinion that A. guianensis , A. maripensis and A. attaleoides were all very similar , and thought it likely that they all represented the same species . 
 Another species complex in Attalea includes A. speciosa and related species . Henderson ( 1995 ) recognised A. speciosa and A. spectabilis , considering the latter to either be an acaulescent form of A. speciosa or a hybrid between it and A. microcarpa . Govaerts and Dransfield accepted A. spectabilis , but Glassman considered it a dubious taxon . Attalea vitrivir was recognised as a distinct species by Michael Balick and coauthors ; Glassman and Govaerts and Dransfield concurred , but Henderson considered it part of A. speciosa . Glassman also described a fourth member of this group , A. brejinhoensis , and it is accepted by Govaerts and Dransfield . 

 = = Reproduction and growth = = 

 Attalea species are monoecious — male and female flowers are separate , but are borne by the same plant . Various species have been described as being insect @-@ pollinated , including A. phalerata , while pollination in A. colenda and A. speciosa , has been attributed both to insects and wind . 
 Seed germination is remote tubular — during germination , as the cotyledon expands it pushes the young shoot away from the seed . After germination , the stem initially grows downward before turning to grow upward and produce the aboveground stem . This produces a " saxophone shaped " belowground portion of the stem . The fact that the shoot tips of Attalea seedlings are underground it likely to contribute to their fire @-@ tolerance . 

 = = Distribution = = 

 Species range across the Neotropics from Mexico in the north to Bolivia , Paraguay , and southern Brazil in the south . According to Govaerts and coauthors , three species are found in Mexico , four in Central America , and 62 in South America . Three species are present in the Caribbean — two in Trinidad and Tobago , along the southern edge of the region , and one in Haiti . 

 = = Habitat and ecology = = 

 Attalea includes both large trees and small acaulescent palms which occupy a number of different ecological niches . Dense stands of some of the larger species are conspicuous elements on the landscape , while smaller species are found in both in the forest understorey and in savannas . 
 Disturbance has been implicated in the formation of vegetation dominated by large Attalea species . In seasonally dry Amazonian forests the density of large adult A. maripa palms was correlated with canopy openness ; the species also dominates savannas formed by repeated forest fires in Trinidad and Tobago . Attalea speciosa forms pure stands in many parts of Brazil where natural forest vegetation has been cleared . Similarly , stands of A. funifera in Bahia , Brazil ( which are cultivated for piassava fibre ) are managed using fire — the seedlings survive cutting and burning , and are able to dominate burned forest patches . 
 The fruit are dispersed by animals ; fruit which are not dispersed frequently suffer seed predation by bruchid beetles . Certain species of Attalea have been mentioned as examples of " anachronistic " species which are adapted for dispersal by now @-@ extinct Pleistocene megafauna . On Maracá Island , Roraima , in the Brazilian Amazon , Attalea maripa fruit were consumed by tapirs , collared peccaries , deer and primates . Rodents , including agoutis , fed upon the fruit and , as the fruit availability declined , they fed on the seeds . Other dispersers of Attalea fruit include Crested Caracaras which consume the fruit and disperse the seeds of A. phalerata in the Brazilian Pantanal . 

 = = Uses = = 

 Attalea species have a long history of human utilisation . Carbonised Attalea maripa seeds have been found in archaeological sites in Colombia dating back to 9000 BP . A variety of species remain important sources of edible oil , thatch , edible seeds and fibre . The leaves of Attalea butyracea and A. maripa are used extensively for thatching . Several species are oil palms , with A. speciosa among the most important economically . Products extracted from A. speciosa were reported to support over 300 @,@ 000 households in the Brazilian state of Maranhão in 2005 , and in 1985 it was estimated to support over 450 @,@ 000 households throughout the Brazil . Piassava fibres , extracted from the leaf bases of A. funifera , are commercially important , and generated about US $ 20 million in annual income to Brazilian farmers in 1996 . 


 = The Heart of Ezra Greer = 

 The Heart of Ezra Greer is a 1917 American silent drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company and directed by Emile Chautard . The film focuses on Ezra Greer , a successful middle @-@ aged man who searches for his college age daughter , Mary . The wayward Mary was romanced and abandoned by Jack Denbeigh , later bearing his child . Once Ezra becomes broke he finds employment as the valet for Jack Denbeigh . After Jack 's engagement to a cabaret girl , Mary becomes upset and leaves her child at Jack 's home . Contrary to Jack 's wishes , Ezra keeps the child and Jack ultimately reveals that the child is his own . Ezra convinces Jack to make things right and Ezra convinces the cabaret girl to leave Jack . After a carriage accident in which the baby is injured , Ezra and Jack rush to the hospital and find Mary as a nurse crying over the child . The film ends with the marriage of Jack and Mary . The film was released by Pathé on October 7 , 1917 . The film was the final release from Thanhouser and was deemed to be an average film by most reviewers . Criticism for the film hinged on far @-@ fetched coincidences to drive the plot . The film is presumed lost . 

 = = Plot = = 

 The film follows Ezra Greer , a middle @-@ aged man who has worked hard since his youth . He cares deeply for his motherless daughter , Mary , but was unable to attend the annual commencement at her co @-@ educational college . He awaits for her to return from college , but Mary leaves with her romantic interest , Jack Denbeigh . On promise of marriage and wealth , Mary is romanced and gives birth to a fatherless child . Without word from his daughter , Ezra resigns from his job and attempts to seek her out and finds a poor motherless child , Marie . With Ezra 's money exhausted he seeks employment and finds it as the valet of Jack . 
 One day , Mary seeks an announcement of Jack 's engagement to a cabaret girl known as " The Baby Vamp " . Bitter over the prospect of her child 's future , she leaves the child at Jack 's home during his absence with a note . Jack orders Ezra to take the baby to an orphanage , but Marie begs Ezra to keep him . After continually seeing the child , Jack is overcome with remorse and explains to Ezra and seeks his advice . Not knowing he was making the case for his own daughter , Ezra convinces Jack to seek out Mary and forget the Baby Vamp . The Baby Vamp seeks out Jack , but finds Ezra who convinces her to leave Jack . Jack 's son is later injured in a coach accident and is taken to the hospital . Jack and Ezra rush to the hospital and find Mary , as a nurse , crying over the injured child . Ezra is enraged upon learning that his own daughter was mistreated by Jack , but Mary steps between the two men . Jack apologizes and wants to make it right . The film concludes with Jack and Mary . 

 = = Cast = = 

 Frederick Warde as Ezra Greer 
 Leila Frost as Mary 
 George Forth as Jack Denbeigh 
 Thomas A. Curran as Denbeigh 's guardian 
 Lillian Mueller as Amy Devers 
 Carey L. Hastings as Denbeigh 's housekeeper 
 Helen Badgley as the poor little girl 
 Gerald Badgley as the millionaire 's baby 
 W. Ray Johnston 

 = = Production = = 

 The film was the final production and release of the Thanhouser Company and it was to be released through Pathé . Numerous factors would play into the winding down and eventual closing of the Thanhouser Film Corporation with much advance notice by Edwin Thanhouser . Q. David Bowers writes that it was easy to understand Thanhouser 's decision to retire due to numerous aspects including that releases through Pathé were based on their decision to release or discard the work , the New Rochelle studio was 2 @,@ 500 miles from the center of the trade activity and the slump in industry tied to World War I. Weeks before the film was released , Variety told of the winding down of the Thanhouser with the studio 's staff consisting of Edwin Thanhouser and the bookkeeper , Jessie B. Bishop . The article concluded with the announcement that Lloyd F. Lonergan , the scenario writer of the company , had retired from the company . As it wound down , the Thanhouser Company was announced to have no liabilities would close with a positive bank balance . Little is known of the production of this final film , but it was directed by Emile Chautard from a scenario written by Lloyd F. Lonergan . The cameraman was Jacques Bizeul . 

 = = Release and reception = = 

 The five reel film was released through the Pathé Exchange as a Pathé Gold Rooster Play on October 7 , 1917 . Charles E. Wagner of the Exhibitor 's Trade Review found it to be a good film with great direction and photography , but was concerned that the stunt in which the baby appeared to be involved in the accident was too real . Wagner stated the film had sufficient action and pathos without sexual suggestiveness ; which should prove a strong program for the Pathé program . Frances Agnew of The Morning Telegraph found it to be an average picture that was not exceptional for audiences , but it would hold sentimental appeal for the average viewer . A reviewer for the The New York Dramatic Mirror found the film 's excessive use of coincidental meetings to be highly improbable , but found Warde 's performance to be excellent and the rest of the cast give good performances . The reviewer said that Emile Chautard had made the improbable story more plausible . 
 Like many American films of the time , The Heart of Ezra Greer was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards . The Chicago Board of Censors required the cutting in Reel 2 of a letter stating , " I cannot face my father , " etc . , and two closeups of gambling scenes ; and in Reel 5 a change of the intertitle " Because it means her whole future " to " Because she is his wife " . 


 = Free Derry = 

 Free Derry ( Irish : Saor Dhoire ) was a self @-@ declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry , Northern Ireland , that existed between 1969 and 1972 . Its name was taken from a sign painted on a gable wall in the Bogside in January 1969 which read , " You are now entering Free Derry " . The area , which included the Bogside and Creggan neighbourhoods , was secured by community activists for the first time on 5 January 1969 following an incursion into the Bogside by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) . Residents built barricades and carried clubs and similar arms to prevent the RUC from entering . After six days the residents took down the barricades and RUC patrols resumed , but tensions remained high over the following months . 
 Violence reached a peak on 12 August 1969 , culminating in the Battle of the Bogside — a three @-@ day pitched battle between residents and the RUC . On 14 August units of the British Army were deployed at the edge of the Bogside and the RUC were withdrawn . The Derry Citizens Defence Association ( DCDA ) declared their intention to hold the area against both the RUC and the British Army until their demands were met . The British Army made no attempt to enter the area . The situation continued until October 1969 when , following publication of the Hunt Report , military police were allowed in . 
 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) began to re @-@ arm and recruit after August 1969 . In December 1969 it split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA . Both were supported by the people of the Free Derry area . Meanwhile , relations between the British Army and the nationalist community , which were initially good , deteriorated . In July 1971 there was a surge of recruitment into the IRA after two young men were shot and killed by British troops . The government introduced internment on 9 August 1971 , and in response , barricades went up once more in the Bogside and Creggan . This time , Free Derry was a no @-@ go area , defended by armed members of both the Official and Provisional IRA . From within the area they launched attacks on the British Army , and the Provisionals began a bombing campaign in the city centre . As before , unarmed ' auxiliaries ' manned the barricades , and crime was dealt with by a voluntary body known as the Free Derry Police . 
 Support for the IRA increased further after Bloody Sunday in January 1972 , when thirteen unarmed men and boys were shot dead by the British Army 's Parachute Regiment at a march in the Bogside ( a 14th man was wounded and died 4 ½ months later ) . The support began to wane after the killing by the Official IRA of a local youth who was home on leave from the British Army . After a Provisional IRA ceasefire , during which it entered talks with the British government , broke down , the British took the decision to move against the " no @-@ go " areas . Free Derry came to an end on 31 July 1972 , when thousands of British troops moved in with armoured cars and bulldozers to occupy the area . 

 = = Background = = 

 Derry City lies near the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . It has a majority nationalist population , and nationalists won a majority of seats in the 1920 local elections . Despite this , the Ulster Unionist Party controlled the local council , Londonderry Corporation , from 1923 onwards . The Unionists maintained their majority , firstly , by manipulating the constituency boundaries ( gerrymandering ) so that the South Ward , with a nationalist majority , returned eight councillors while the much smaller North Ward and Waterside Ward , with unionist majorities , returned twelve councillors between them ; secondly , by allowing only ratepayers to vote in local elections , rather than one man , one vote , so that a higher number of nationalists , who did not own homes , were disenfranchised ; and thirdly , by denying houses to nationalists outside the South Ward constituency . The result was that there were about 2 @,@ 000 nationalist families , and practically no unionists , on the housing waiting list , and that housing in the nationalist area was crowded and of a very poor condition . The South Ward comprised the Bogside , Brandywell , Creggan , Bishop Street and Foyle Road , and it was this area that would become Free Derry . 
 The Derry Housing Action Committee ( DHAC ) was formed in March 1968 by members of the Derry Branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the James Connolly Republican Club , including Eamonn McCann and Eamon Melaugh . It disrupted a meeting of Londonderry Corporation in March 1968 and in May blocked traffic by placing a caravan that was home to a family of four in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside and staging a sit @-@ down protest at the opening of the second deck of the Craigavon Bridge . After the meeting of Londonderry Corporation was again disrupted in August , Eamon Melaugh telephoned the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) and invited them to hold a march in Derry . The date chosen was 5 October 1968 , an adhoc committee was formed ( although in reality most of the organizing was done by McCann and Melaugh ) and the route was to take the marchers inside the city walls , where nationalists were traditionally not permitted to march . The Minister of Home Affairs , William Craig , made an order on 3 October prohibiting the march on the grounds that the Apprentice Boys of Derry were intending to hold a march on the same day . In the words of Martin Melaugh of CAIN " this particular tactic ... provided the excuse needed to ban the march . " When the marchers attempted to defy the ban on 5 October they were stopped by a Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) cordon . The police drew their batons and struck marchers , including Stormont MP Eddie McAteer and Westminster MP Gerry Fitt . Subsequently the police " broke ranks and used their batons indiscriminately on people in Duke Street " . Marchers trying to escape met another party of police and " these police also used their batons indiscriminately . " Water cannons were also used . The police action caused outrage in the nationalist area of Derry , and at a meeting four days later the Derry Citizens ' Action Committee ( DCAC ) was formed , with John Hume as chairman and Ivan Cooper as vice @-@ chairman . 

 = = The first barricades = = 

 Another group formed as a result of the events of 5 October was People 's Democracy , a group of students in Queen 's University Belfast . They organised a march from Belfast to Derry in support of civil rights , starting out with about forty young people on 1 January 1969 . The march met with violent opposition from loyalist counter @-@ demonstrators at several points along the route . Finally , at Burntollet Bridge , five miles outside Derry , they were attacked by a mob of about two hundred wielding clubs — some of them studded with nails — and stones . Half of the attackers were later identified from press photographs as members of the B @-@ Specials . The police , who were at the scene , chatted to the B @-@ Specials as they prepared their ambush , and then failed to protect the marchers , many of whom ran into the river and were pelted with stones from the bank . Dozens of marchers were taken to hospital . The remainder continued on to Derry where they were attacked once more on their way to Craigavon Bridge before they finally reached Guildhall Square , where they held a rally . Rioting broke out after the rally . Police drove rioters into the Bogside , but did not come after them . In the early hours of the following morning , 5 January , members of the RUC charged into St. Columb 's Wells and Lecky Road in the Bogside , breaking windows and beating residents . In his report on the disturbances , Lord Cameron remarked that " for such conduct among members of a disciplined and well @-@ led force there can be no acceptable justification or excuse " and added that " its effect in rousing passions and inspiring hostility towards the police was regrettably great . " 
 That afternoon over 1 @,@ 500 Bogside residents built barricades , armed themselves with steel bars , wooden clubs and hurleys , and told the police that they would not be allowed into the area . DCAC chairman John Hume told a meeting of residents that they were to defend the area and no @-@ one was to come in . Groups of men wearing armbands patrolled the streets in shifts . John ' Caker ' Casey , a local activist , painted " You are now entering Free Derry " in white paint on the gable wall of a house on the corner of Lecky Road and Fahan Street . That corner , which was a popular venue for meetings , later became known as " Free Derry Corner " . On 7 January , the barricaded area was extended to include the Creggan , another nationalist area on a hill overlooking the Bogside . A clandestine radio station calling itself " Radio Free Derry " began broadcasting to residents , playing rebel songs and encouraging resistance . On a small number of occasions law @-@ breakers attempted crimes , but were dealt with by the patrols . Despite all this , the Irish Times reported that " the infrastructure of revolutionary control in the area has not been developed beyond the maintenance of patrols . " Following some acts of destruction and of violence late in the week , members of the DCAC including Ivan Cooper addressed residents on Friday , 10 January and called on them to dismantle the barricades . The barricades were taken down the following morning . 

 = = April 1969 = = 

 Over the next three months there were violent clashes , with local youths throwing stones at police . Violence came to a head on Saturday , 19 April after a planned march from Burntollet Bridge to the city centre was banned . A protest in the city centre led to clashes with " Paisleyites " — unionists in sympathy with the anti @-@ civil rights stance of Ian Paisley . Police attempting to drive the protesters back into the Bogside were themselves driven back to their barracks . A series of pitched battles followed , and barricades were built , often under the supervision of Bernadette Devlin , newly elected MP for Mid Ulster . Police pursuing rioters broke into a house in William Street and severely beat the occupant , Samuel Devenny , his family and two friends . Devenny was brought to hospital " bleeding profusely from a number of head wounds . " At midnight four hundred RUC men in full riot gear and carrying riot shields occupied the Bogside . Convoys of police vehicles drove through the area with headlights blazing . 
 The following day , several thousand residents , led by the DCAC , withdrew to the Creggan and issued an ultimatum to the RUC — withdraw within two hours or be driven out . With fifteen minutes of the two hours remaining , the police marched out through the Butcher 's Gate , even as the residents were entering from the far side . The barricades were not maintained on this occasion , and routine patrols were not prevented . 
 Samuel Devenny suffered a heart attack four days after his beating . On 17 July he suffered a further heart attack and died . Thousands attended his funeral , and the mood was sufficiently angry that it was clear the annual Apprentice Boys ' parade , scheduled for 12 August , could not take place without causing serious disturbance . 

 = = August – October 1969 = = 

 The Apprentice Boys ' parade is an annual celebration by unionists of the relief of the Siege of Derry in 1689 , which began when thirteen young apprentice boys shut the city 's gates against the army of King James . At that time the parade was held on 12 August each year . Participants from across Northern Ireland and Britain marched along the city walls above the Bogside , and were often openly hostile to the residents . On 30 July 1969 the Derry Citizens Defence Association ( DCDA ) was formed to try to preserve peace during the period of the parade , and to defend the Bogside and Creggan in the event of an attack . The chairman was Seán Keenan , an Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) veteran ; the vice @-@ chairman was Paddy Doherty , a popular local man sometimes known as " Paddy Bogside " and the secretary was Johnnie White , another leading republican and leader of the James Connolly Republican Club . Street committees were formed under the overall command of the DCDA and barricades were built on the night of 11 August . The parade took place as planned on 12 August . As it passed through Waterloo Place , on the edge of the Bogside , hostilities began between supporters and opponents of the parade . Fighting between the two groups continued for two hours , then the police joined in . They charged up William Street against the Bogsiders , followed by the ' Paisleyites ' . They were met with a hail of stones and petrol bombs . The ensuing battle became known as the Battle of the Bogside . Late in the evening , having been driven back repeatedly , the police fired canisters of CS gas into the crowd . Youths on the roof of a high @-@ rise block of flats on Rossville Street threw petrol bombs down on the police . Walkie @-@ talkies were used to maintain contact between different areas of fighting and DCDA headquarters in Paddy Doherty 's house in Westland Street , and first aid stations were operating , staffed by doctors , nurses and volunteers . Women and girls made milk @-@ bottle crates of petrol bombs for supply to the youths in the front line and " Radio Free Derry " broadcast to the fighters and their families . On the third day of fighting , 14 August , the Northern Ireland Government mobilised the Ulster Special Constabulary ( B @-@ Specials ) , a force greatly feared by nationalists in Derry and elsewhere . Before they engaged , however , British troops were deployed at the scene , carrying automatic rifles and sub @-@ machine guns . The RUC and B @-@ Specials withdrew , and the troops took up positions outside the barricaded area . 
 A deputation that included Eamonn McCann met senior army officers and told them that the army would not be allowed in until certain demands were met , including the disarming of the RUC , the disbandment of the B @-@ Specials and the abolition of Stormont ( the Parliament and Government of Northern Ireland ) . The officers agreed that neither troops nor police would enter the Bogside and Creggan districts . A ' peace corps ' was formed to maintain law and order . When the British Home Secretary , Jim Callaghan , visited Northern Ireland and announced his intention to visit the Bogside on 28 August , he was told that he would not be allowed to bring either police or soldiers with him . Callaghan agreed . Accompanied by members of the Defence Committee , he was " swept along by a surging crowd of thousands " up Rossvile Street and into Lecky Road , where he " took refuge " in a local house , and later addressed crowds from an upstairs window . In preparation for Callaghan 's visit the " Free Derry " wall was painted white and the " You are now entering Free Derry " sign was professionally re @-@ painted in black lettering . 
 Following Callaghan 's visit , some barricades were breached , but the majority remained while the people awaited concrete evidence of reform . Still the army made no move to enter the area . Law and order was maintained by a ' peace corps ' — volunteers organised by the DCDA to patrol the streets and man the barricades . There was very little crime . Punishment , in the words of Eamonn McCann , " as often as not consisted of a stern lecture from Seán Keenan on the need for solidarity within the area . " In September the barricades were replaced with a white line painted on the road . 
 The Hunt Report on the future of policing in Northern Ireland was presented to the Stormont cabinet in early October . Jim Callaghan held talks with the cabinet in Belfast on 10 October , following which the report 's recommendations were accepted and made public . They included the recommendation that the RUC should be ' ordinarily ' unarmed , and that the B @-@ Specials should be phased out and replaced by a new force . The new RUC Chief Constable , Arthur Young , an Englishman , was announced , and travelled to Belfast with Callaghan . The same day , Seán Keenan announced that the DCDA was to be dissolved . On 11 October Callaghan and Young visited Free Derry , and on 12 October the first military police entered the Bogside , on foot and unarmed . 

 = = IRA resurgence = = 

 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) had been inactive militarily since the end of the Border Campaign in 1962 . It was low in both personnel and equipment — Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding told Seán Keenan and Paddy Doherty in August 1969 that he " couldn 't defend the Bogside . I haven 't the men nor the guns to do it . " During the 1960s the leadership of the republican movement had moved to the left . Its focus was on class struggle and its aim was to unite the Irish nationalist and unionist working classes in order to overthrow capitalism , both British and Irish . Republican Clubs were formed in Northern Ireland , where Sinn Féin was proscribed . These clubs were involved in the formation of NICRA in 1967 . In Derry , the James Connolly Republican Club worked closely with Labour Party radicals , with whom they set up the Derry Housing Action Committee and Derry Unemployed Action Committee . The Derry Citizens ' Defence Association was formed initially by republicans , who then invited other nationalists to join . Although there were tensions between the younger leaders like Johnnie White and the older , traditional republicans such as Seán Keenan , both sides saw the unrest of 1968 @-@ 69 as a chance to advance republican aims , and the two shared the platform at the Easter Rising commemoration in April 1969 . 
 The events of August 1969 in Derry , and more particularly in Belfast where the IRA was unable to prevent loss of life or protect families burned out of their homes , brought to a head the divisions that had already appeared within the movement between the radicals and the traditionalists , and led to a split in December 1969 into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA . Initially , both armies organised for defensive purposes only , although the Provisionals were planning towards an offensive campaign . In Derry there was far less hostility between the two organisations than elsewhere and householders commonly paid subscriptions to both . When rioters were arrested after the Official 's Easter parade in March 1970 , Officials and Provisionals picketed their trial together . At the start the Officials attracted most of the younger members . Martin McGuinness , who in August 1969 had helped defend the barricades , initially joined the Officials , but a few months later left to join the Provisionals . 
 Relations between the British Army and the residents had steadily decayed since the first appearance of troops in August 1969 . In September , after clashes between nationalist and unionist crowds that led to the death of a Protestant man , William King , the British Army erected a ' peace ring ' to enclose the nationalist population in the area they had previously controlled . Roads into the city centre were closed at night and people were prevented from walking on certain streets . Although some moderate nationalists accepted this as necessary , there was anger among young people . Clashes between youths and troops became more frequent . The riot following the Officials ' Easter parade in March 1970 marked the first time that the army used ' snatch squads ' , who rushed into the Bogside wielding batons to make arrests . The snatch squads soon became a common feature of army arrest operations . There was also a belief that they were arresting people at random , sometimes days after the alleged offence , and based on the identification of people that they had seen from a considerable distance . The rioters were condemned as hooligans by moderates , who saw the riots as hampering attempts to resolve the situation . The Labour radicals and Official republicans , still working together , tried to turn the youth away from rioting and create socialist organizations — one such organization was named the Young Hooligans Association — but to no avail . The Provisionals , while disapproving of riots , viewed them as the inevitable consequence of British occupation . This philosophy was more attractive to rioters , and some of them joined the Provisional IRA . The deaths of two leading Provisionals in a premature explosion in June 1970 resulted in young militants becoming more prominent in the organization . Nevertheless , up to July 1971 the Provisional IRA remained numerically small . 
 Two men , Séamas Cusack and Desmond Beattie , were shot dead in separate incidents in the early morning and afternoon of 8 July 1971 . They were the first people to be killed by the British Army in Derry . In both cases the British Army claimed that the men were attacking them with guns or bombs , while eyewitnesses insisted that both were unarmed . The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP ) , the newly formed party of which John Hume and Ivan Cooper were leading members , withdrew from Stormont in protest , but among residents there was a perception that moderate policies had failed . The result was a surge of support for the IRA . The Provisionals held a meeting the following Sunday at which they called on people to " join the IRA " . Following the meeting , people queued up to join , and there was large @-@ scale rioting . The British Army post at Bligh 's Lane came under sustained attack , and troops there and around the city came under fire from the IRA . 

 = = Internment and the third Free Derry = = 

 The increasing violence in Derry and elsewhere led to increasing speculation that internment without trial would be introduced in Northern Ireland , and on 9 August 1971 hundreds of republicans and nationalists were arrested in dawn raids . In Derry , residents came out onto the streets to resist the arrests , and fewer people were taken there than elsewhere ; nevertheless leading figures including Seán Keenan and Johnnie White were interned . In response , barricades were erected once again and the third Free Derry came into existence . Unlike its predecessors , this Free Derry was marked by a strong IRA presence , both Official and Provisional . It was defended by armed paramilitaries — a no @-@ go area , one in which British security forces were unable to operate . 
 Gun attacks on the British Army increased . Six soldiers were wounded in the first day after internment , and shortly afterwards a soldier was killed — the first to be killed by either IRA in Derry . The army moved in in force on 18 August to dismantle the barricades . A gun battle ensued in which a young Provisional IRA officer , Eamonn Lafferty , was killed . A crowd staging a sit @-@ down protest was hosed down and the protesters , including John Hume and Ivan Cooper , arrested . With barricades re @-@ appearing as quickly as they were removed , the army eventually abandoned their attempt . 
 The Derry Provisionals had little contact with the IRA elsewhere . They had few weapons ( about twenty ) which they used mainly for sniping . At the same time , they launched their bombing campaign in Derry . Unlike in Belfast , they were careful to avoid killing or injuring innocent people . Eamonn McCann wrote that " the Derry Provos , under Martin McGuinness , had managed to bomb the city centre until it looked as if it had been hit from the air without causing any civilian casualties . " 
 Although both IRAs operated openly , neither was in control of Free Derry . The barricades were manned by unarmed ' auxiliaries ' . Crime was dealt with by a volunteer force called the Free Derry Police , which was headed by Tony O 'Doherty , a Derry footballer and Northern Ireland International . 

 = = Bloody Sunday = = 

 An anti @-@ internment protest organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) at Magilligan Camp in January 1972 was met with violence from the 1st Battalion , The Parachute Regiment ( 1 Para ) . NICRA had organised a march from the Creggan to Derry city centre , in defiance of a ban , on the following Sunday , 30 January 1972 . Both IRAs were asked , and agreed , to suspend operations on that day to ensure the march passed off peacefully . The British Army erected barricades around the Free Derry area to prevent marchers from reaching the city centre . On the day , march organisers turned the march away from the barriers and up to Free Derry Corner , but some youths proceeded to the barrier at William Street and stoned soldiers . Troops from 1 Para then moved into Free Derry and opened fire , killing thirteen people , all of whom were subsequently found to be unarmed . A fourteenth shooting victim died four months later in June 1972 . Like the killing of Cusack and Beattie the previous year , Bloody Sunday had the effect of hugely increasing recruitment to the IRA , even among people who previously would have been ' moderates ' . 

 = = February - July 1972 = = 

 Both the Provisional and Official IRA stepped up attacks after Bloody Sunday , with the tacit support of the residents . Local feelings changed , however , with the killing of Ranger William Best by the Official IRA . Best was a 19 @-@ year @-@ old local man who was home on leave from the British Army at his parents ' house in the Creggan . He was abducted , interrogated and shot . The following day 500 women marched to the Republican Club offices in protest . Nine days later , on 29 May , the Official IRA declared a ceasefire . The Provisional IRA initially stated that they would not follow suit , but after informal approaches to the British Government they announced a ceasefire from 26 June . Martin McGuinness was the Derry representative in a party of senior Provisionals who travelled to London for talks with William Whitelaw , the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . The talks were not resumed after the ending of the truce following a violent confrontation in Belfast when troops prevented Catholic families from taking over houses in the Lenadoon estate . 
 Political pressure for the action against the " no @-@ go " areas increased after the events of Bloody Friday in Belfast . A British Army attack was considered inevitable , and the IRA took the decision not to resist it . On 31 July 1972 , Operation Motorman was launched when thousands of British troops , equipped with armoured cars and armoured bulldozers ( AVREs ) , dismantled the barricades and occupied the area . 

 = = Subsequent history = = 

 After Operation Motorman , the British Army controlled the Bogside and Creggan by stationing large numbers of troops within the area , by conducting large @-@ scale ' search ' operations that were in fact undertaken for purposes of intelligence gathering , and by setting up over a dozen covert observation posts . Over the following years IRA violence in the city was contained to the point where it was possible to believe ' the war was over ' in the area , although there were still frequent street riots . Nationalists — even those who did not support the IRA — remained bitterly opposed to the army and to the state . 
 Many of the residents ' original grievances were addressed with the passing of the Local Government ( Northern Ireland ) Act , 1972 , which redrew the electoral boundaries and introduced universal adult suffrage based on the single transferable vote . Elections were held in May 1973 . Nationalists gained a majority on the council for the first time since 1923 . Since then the area has been extensively redeveloped , with modern housing replacing the old houses and flats . The Free Derry era is commemorated by the Free Derry wall , the murals of the Bogside Artists and the Museum of Free Derry . 


 = Come What ( ever ) May = 

 Come What ( ever ) May is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Stone Sour . It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Studio 606 in Los Angeles , California , and was released on August 1 , 2006 , through Roadrunner Records . Writing for the album began as early as 2003 when vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist James Root were writing material for their other band , Slipknot . In January 2006 Stone Sour began recording the follow @-@ up to their 2002 debut album Stone Sour , during which time drummer Joel Ekman left the band due to family constraints . He was eventually replaced by ex @-@ Soulfly drummer Roy Mayorga who played on all but two tracks on the album . 
 Following the release of the album , Stone Sour went on to promote it for over a year ; releasing five singles and touring in several regions , including the United States , Canada , Japan and several countries in Europe . The album received generally positive reviews . It was praised for showing a progression in the band 's song writing ability and musical style . It was also certified Gold in the United States and Canada and the single " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards . On June 26 , 2007 Stone Sour released a special edition version of the album , it included six previously unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD which featured three music videos and a complete live performance of the band in Moscow . It remains their best @-@ selling album to date , mostly due to the success of the single " Through Glass . " 

 = = Production = = 

 In September 2005 , lead singer Corey Taylor announced that Stone Sour would return with a second album . He said that they had written over 30 songs , some during the writing process of Vol . 3 : ( The Subliminal Verses ) , the third album by vocalist Taylor and guitarist James Root 's other band Slipknot , and that they were working on demoing the tracks before entering the studio . Dave Fortman was originally slated to produce the album , however , on January 22 , 2006 Stone Sour began working on the album with producer Nick Raskulinecz at Dave Grohl 's personal studio ( Studio 606 ) , in Los Angeles . Time in the studio began with a week of pre @-@ production , during which guitarist Josh Rand says producer Raskulinecz " pushed [ the band ] to the brink and back " to help fine @-@ tune the songs they had previously written . Though Rand and Taylor wrote most of the music and lyrics for the first album , respectively , writing for Come What ( ever ) May was done by all members . 
 Following this , the band set out to record 18 tracks and work began on recording Joel Ekman 's drum tracks . However , Ekman was forced to leave the studio after four weeks due to his young son 's diagnosis of a brainstem glioma . With the fate of the album in jeopardy , Stone Sour recruited ex @-@ Soulfly member Roy Mayorga as a session drummer . Mayorga recorded drums for all but two tracks on the album , Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin performed on the track " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " and guitarist Root performed drums on the bonus track " The Day I Let Go . " In an interview with Revolver during the recording process vocalist Taylor talked about the differences between this album and their previous album , Stone Sour . He said that pressures from fans and the record label were much larger ; also noting that he " thrives on the pressure , because it gets [ him ] going . " While promising that " the album 's gonna be miles above the first one , " Taylor explained that it is " more melodic and darker " . In late March 2006 , drummer Joel Ekman officially left Stone Sour and the band was talking with a few drummers who could replace him . On April 7 , 2006 the recording sessions for Come What ( ever ) May concluded . A month later session drummer Roy Mayorga joined Stone Sour on a full @-@ time basis . 

 = = Promotion = = 

 It was announced in March 2006 that Stone Sour 's second album , which was tentatively titled " Come What May , " would be released on July 18 , 2006 . However , the release date for the album was pushed back until August 22 . Due to the delay Stone Sour released a music video for the track " Reborn " , which featured footage of the band working on the album in the studio . The cover artwork from the album was released online on May 20 , 2006 . Shortly after , it was confirmed by a representative from the band 's record label Roadrunner that the release date had been brought forward , and the official release date would be August 1 , 2006 . On July 31 , 2006 , the day before its release the album was made available online for streaming in its entirety through AOL . 
 On May 22 , 2006 the first single from the album , " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " , was made available online as a free MP3 download . A music video for the single was shot with director P.R. Brown in Los Angeles , the video received a premier on MTV 's Headbangers Ball on June 3 , 2006 . Prior to the release of the second single from the album , " Through Glass " , radio stations throughout the US showed high support for the song . A music video for the single was shot with director Tony Petrossian and was released on June 9 , 2006 online through Yahoo ! . The third single from the album , " Sillyworld " , began receiving radio airplay in November 2006 . A music video for the single was shot in January 2007 and was released online on March 8 , 2007 . The fourth single from the album , " Made of Scars " , featured a music video which was recorded live on April 7 , 2007 and was posted online on June 5 , 2007 . The fifth and final single from the album , " Zzyzx Rd . " , started receiving radio airplay in Fall 2007 and no music video was made for the single . 
 The band began touring in support of the album prior to its release , initiating touring with several free shows in the US . Followed by multiple appearances at festivals in Europe . They then joined Korn for their 2006 edition of Family Values Tour across the US , which featured 33 dates across 3 months . On August 8 , 2006 Stone Sour made a special guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote and perform their second single " Through Glass . " They also performed at the Japanese festival Summer Sonic midway through the Family Values Tour . Then through November and December 2006 , Stone Sour joined Disturbed for their Music as a Weapon Tour . In January 2007 Stone Sour joined Evanescence for a Canadian tour , followed by a headlining tour of Europe . They then headlined the Spring 2007 Jägermeister Music Tour across the US , followed by headlining tours in Australia and Japan . They then started a tour in Europe playing festivals and select headline shows . They wrapped up touring in support of the album with a headlining tour in the US through August and September in 2007 . 

 = = = Special edition = = = 

 On June 26 , 2007 , Stone Sour released a special edition version of the album with six previously unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD . The DVD featured a full concert performance by the band from October 2006 in Moscow and the music videos for " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 , " " Through Glass , " and " Sillyworld . " When talking about the special edition , vocalist Taylor said , " we really wanted to do something which was really cool , " saying that this shows the band 's different musical elements and them in their live element , which he says " people really gravitate towards . " In addition to this , Stone Sour released a live album of their concert in Moscow exclusively on iTunes , entitled Live in Moscow . 

 = = Musical style = = 

 In an interview with MTV in 2006 , vocalist Corey Taylor said that Come What ( ever ) May was a return to the roots of the band , stating it is " a lot more from the spirit of what the band started with in 1992 . " Noting how some songs were " very atmospheric , " while others maintained " the hard rock and the heavy stuff . " Jon Wiederhorn of MTV said that " for every thrash riff there 's a tunefully grungy passage , for every flailing guitar line there 's a rock @-@ radio hook . " When talking about the track " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " , he said parts are " bludgeoning , barbed and heavy , " while others are " soaring and triumphant , " with the production of Raskulinecz helping balance the album 's heaviness with its radio @-@ accessibility . Come What ( ever ) May 's lyrics include themes of " pain , pleasure , happiness , and grief . " The diversity in subjects is evident throughout the album , songs including " Come What ( ever ) May " were politically influenced while the track " Socio " is about " social anxiety attacks " that vocalist Taylor suffered . " Zzyzx Rd " is a love song written to Taylor 's wife for helping him in his struggles against alcoholism and contemplation of suicide . " I 've never written anything like that before , but it was very important for me to tell the world not only how much she saved me , but how much she means to me , " said Taylor . Taylor said there is a common thread with the lyrics throughout the album , saying that they are " about never forgetting where you came from , who you are and why you do this . " 

 = = Reception = = 

 Come What ( ever ) May was met with generally positive critical reviews . Several reviewers noted on how it helped to further establish Stone Sour . Chad Bower of About.com stated that the band had " progressed a lot since their debut " , noting that the album was " very diverse and [ allows ] the band to show many different sides of their musical personality . " Megan Frye of Allmusic opens her review of the album by distinguishing what sets Stone Sour apart musically , stating " [ it 's their ] ability to create smooth , radio @-@ friendly alternative metal songs while simultaneously not boring the people who have heard way too much from post @-@ grunge groups . " On a similar note , Michael Melchor of 411mania said " the band is much better at the craft of songwriting than many of their peers . " However , in contrast , reviewer William Fry of IGN criticized the album , saying " Stone Sour doesn 't do anything inspired , original , or fresh here " even calling the album " completely misdirected , and stonewalled . " A particular point of interest for reviewers was how Come What ( ever ) May is more melodic than their previous album Stone Sour . Melchor of 411mania said the album is " much more liberal with the balladry and acoustic sounds than its predecessor , " noting on the track " Sillyworld " he said " it sounds like what Nickelback could be if Chad Kroeger could write a good melody " . In his review , Chad Bower labeled Come What ( ever ) May as a " very melodic and accessible album " stating that " it has a little something for everyone . " Similarly , Megan Frye triumphed the album as an " unyielding effort from a promising talent " . 
 Come What ( ever ) May sold over 80 @,@ 000 copies in its first week and debuted at the fourth spot on the Billboard 200 in the United States , and went on to be certified gold in the UK , Canada and the United States . In 2007 , the single " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards . 

 = = Track listing = = 

 All lyrics written by Corey Taylor , all music composed by Stone Sour . 
 On the iTunes deluxe version , the pop version of " Zzyzx Rd . " replaced the original version as the 12th track . 

 = = = Special edition DVD = = = 


 = = Personnel = = 


 = = Chart positions = = 



 = Chad at the 2008 Summer Olympics = 

 Chad sent a delegation of two athletes to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing , China : Moumi Sébergué , who competed in the men 's 100 meters , and Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert , who competed in the women 's 100 meters and also bore the Chadian flag during ceremonies . The appearance of this delegation marked the tenth appearance of Chad at the Summer Olympics , the first been in 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo , Japan , and its seventh appearance since its Olympic hiatus between 1976 and 1980 . Both Sébergué and Ndikert ranked seventh in their respective heats and did not advance past the qualification round . As of the end of the 2012 London Olympics , there have been no medalists from Chad . 

 = = Background = = 

 Chad is a landlocked country in Africa whose northern region lies within the eastern reaches of the Sahara Desert and whose southern region lies within the eastern portion of the Sahel . It borders Libya to the south , Niger to the east , Sudan to the west , and the Central African Republic to the north . Chad was originally part of French West Africa until 1960 , when it declared independence . Some four years later , the former French colony made its début at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo , Japan . For the next three decades , Chad became embroiled in civil war and experienced invasions by Libya and upheavals by Sudanese @-@ backed rebels ; the civil war ended in 1990 , although rebel threats had persisted between then and 2008 . During Chad 's greatest era of instability , athletes from the country did not attend the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal , Canada or the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow , USSR , although delegations were sent to all other games between 1964 and 2008 . 
 The largest Chadian delegation to reach the Olympics appeared in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , South Korea and at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , Spain ; each time , Chad 's National Olympic Committee sent six athletes . During the 1992 games , the NOC sent the nation 's first female Olympian . Since then ( and up to the Beijing games ) , at least one woman has been a part of the Chadian delegation . The smallest contingency of Chadian Olympians occurred during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , when only Kaltouma Nadjina competed on the country 's behalf . The delegation that arrived in Beijing consisted of two athletes — one man ( 30 @-@ year @-@ old Moumi Sébergué ) and one woman ( 15 @-@ year @-@ old Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert ) , both participants in track events . Ndikert was Chad 's flagbearer at the ceremonies . Up to and including the Beijing games , there has yet to have been a medalist from Chad . 

 = = Athletics = = 

 Competitors in athletics events could qualify for the next round of competition in two ways . Qualifying by right was posting a high result in their own heat , and qualifying by result was posting a high result in overall standings . Ranks shown are thus those within each heat , not in overall standings . 
 Moumi Sébergué represented Chad at the Beijing Olympics in the men 's 100 meters dash . Born in 1977 , Sébergué first participated in the Olympics at age 22 when he raced in the men 's 100 meters at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney , Australia , placing seventh in his qualification heat and not progressing to later rounds . He did not attend the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , but returned to the Olympics at Beijing at the age of 30 . During the course of the August 14 , 2008 races in his event , when the qualification round took place , Sébergué competed in the tenth heat against seven other athletes . He finished the race in 11 @.@ 14 seconds , placing seventh in the heat ahead of Tuvalu 's Okinali Tinilau ( 11 @.@ 48 seconds ) and behind Gabon 's Wilfried Bingangoye ( 10 @.@ 87 seconds ) in a heat led by the Netherlands Antilles ' Churandy Martina ( 10 @.@ 35 seconds ) and Japan 's Naoki Tsukahara ( 10 @.@ 39 seconds ) . Of the 80 athletes who participated in the events , the Chadian sprinter ranked 70th . He did not advance to later rounds . 
 Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert competed on Chad 's behalf as the national delegation 's only female athlete at the Beijing games . She participated in the women 's 100 meters dash , and was 15 years old at the time of the competition . Ndikert had not previously competed in any Olympic games . During the qualification round of the event , which took place on August 15 , 2008 , Ndikert competed in the eighth heat against seven other athletes . She finished the race in 12 @.@ 55 seconds , placing seventh ; she defeated the Democratic Republic of the Congo 's Franka Magali ( 12 @.@ 57 seconds ) and fell behind Papua New Guinea 's Mae Koime ( 11 @.@ 68 seconds ) in a heat led by Nigeria 's Damola Osayomi ( 11 @.@ 13 seconds ) and the Bahamas ' Debbie Ferguson @-@ McKenzie ( 11 @.@ 17 seconds ) . Of the event 's 85 competitors , Ndikert finished in 64th place . Therefore , Ndikert did not advance to round two and beyond . 
 Key 
 Note – Ranks given for track events are within the athlete 's heat only 
 Q 
 = Qualified for the next round 
 q = 
 Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or , in field events , by position without achieving the qualifying target 
 NR 
 = National record 
 N / A = 
 Round not applicable for the event 
 Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round 


 = View of the World from 9th Avenue = 

 View of the World from 9th Avenue ( sometimes A Parochial New Yorker 's View of the World , A New Yorker 's View of the World or simply View of the World ) is a 1976 illustration by Saul Steinberg that served as the cover of the March 29 , 1976 , edition of The New Yorker . The work presents the view from Manhattan of the rest of the world showing Manhattan as the center of the world . 
 View of the World has been parodied by Ted Rall , Columbia Pictures , The New Yorker , The Economist and Mad Magazine , among others . The work has been imitated and printed without authorization in a variety of ways . The Columbia parody led to a ruling by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc. in favor of Steinberg because of copyright violations by Columbia Pictures . The work is regarded as one of the greatest magazine covers of recent generations and is studied by art students around the world . 

 = = Background = = 

 Saul Steinberg created 85 covers and 642 internal drawings and illustrations for The New Yorker , including its March 29 , 1976 cover , titled " View of the World from 9th Avenue " . This is regarded as his most famous work . It is considered an example of unintentional fame : Steinberg has noted that the type of fame that resulted from the work has diminished his significance to " the man who did that poster " . The work is sometimes referred to as A Parochial New Yorker 's View of the World or A New Yorker 's View of the World because it depicts a map of the world as seen by self @-@ absorbed New Yorkers . At one point The New Yorker applied for a copyright from the United States Copyright Office for the work . It assigned the copyright to Steinberg and subsequently reproduced posters of the painting . 

 = = Detail = = 

 The illustration is split in two parts , with the bottom half of the image showing Manhattan 's 9th Avenue , 10th Avenue , and the Hudson River ( appropriately labeled ) , and the top half depicting the rest of the world . It is a westward view over 10th Avenue . The rest of the United States is the size of the three New York City blocks and is drawn as a rectangle bounded by North American neighbors Canada and Mexico , with a thin brown strip along the Hudson representing " Jersey " , the names of five cities ( Los Angeles ; Washington , D.C. ; Las Vegas ; Kansas City ; and Chicago ) and three states ( Texas , Utah , and Nebraska ) scattered among a few rocks for the United States beyond New Jersey , which is in bolder font than the rest of the country beyond the Hudson . Washington , D.C. is depicted as a remote location near Mexico . The Pacific Ocean , slightly wider than the Hudson , separates the United States from three flattened land masses labeled China , Japan and Russia . Notably , the image depicts the world with a back turned to Europe , which is absent from the painting . 
 The work is composed in ink , pencil , colored pencil , and watercolor on paper and measures 28 by 19 inches ( 71 cm × 48 cm ) . When exhibiting this work along with alternate versions and sketches , the University of Pennsylvania summarized the work as a " bird 's @-@ eye view of the city from Ninth Avenue in a straight line westward , with space becoming ever more condensed ... " They also described the work as a tongue @-@ in @-@ cheek view of the world . New York interpreted the New York @-@ centric mind 's view of the rest of the world as a set of outer boroughs as iconic . National Post journalist Robert Fulford described the perspective as one in which the entire world is a suburb of Manhattan . 

 = = Parodies = = 

 View of the World has been imitated without authorization in a variety of ways . The work has been imitated in postcard format by numerous municipalities , states and nations . Steinberg had stated that he could have retired on royalties from the many parodies made of the painting , had they been paid , a motivation for his eventual copyright lawsuit for the Moscow on the Hudson use . Fulford , writing in The National Post , noted that the metaphor of the world as a suburb of Manhattan was " understood and borrowed " by the whole world . Local artists , especially poster artists , presented similarly compelling depictions of their own provincial perceptions . Fulford demonstrated the prominence of this work by mentioning that a high school in suburban Ottawa made imitating View of the World an assignment in its graphic arts class . He also noted that the results of this assignment was a worldwide variety of global foci from which the students viewed the world . 
 The illustration — humorously depicting New Yorkers ' self @-@ image of their place in the world , or perhaps outsiders ' view of New Yorkers ' self @-@ image — inspired many similar works , including the poster for the 1984 film Moscow on the Hudson ; that movie poster led to a lawsuit , Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc . , 663 F. Supp . 706 ( S.D.N.Y. 1987 ) , which held that Columbia Pictures violated the copyright Steinberg held on his work . 
 On June 5 , 2003 , during the first term of George W. Bush 's presidency , Ted Rall presented A View of the World from Pennsylvania Avenue as a Parody of View of the World from 9th Avenue in a Universal Press Syndicate editorial cartoon . He replaced the letters representing The New Yorker with The Bushie . 
 The cover was later satirized by Barry Blitt for the cover of The New Yorker on October 6 , 2008 . The cover featured Sarah Palin looking out of her window seeing only Alaska , with Russia in the far background . 
 The March 21 , 2009 The Economist included a story entitled " How China sees the World " that presents a parody that is also an homage to the original image , but depicting the viewpoint from Beijing 's Chang 'an Avenue instead of Manhattan . A caption above the illustration reads " Illustration by Jon Berkeley ( with apologies to steinberg and The New Yorker ) " . It accompanied an article that discussed the burgeoning Chinese economy at the time of the contemporary financial crisis . 
 The October 1 , 2012 cover of Mad Magazine satirized the problems with the September release of Apple Inc . ' s iOS 6 mobile operating system which included Apple Maps , a replacement for Google Maps . The work presents what View of the World might look like if one had relied upon the September 2012 version of Apple Maps to locate various landmarks . 

 = = Critical review = = 

 On October 17 , 2005 , American Society of Magazine Editors unveiled its list of the top 40 magazine covers of the prior 40 years and ranked View of the World from 9th Avenue in fourth place . The listing stated that the work " ... has come to represent Manhattan 's telescoped perception of the country beyond the Hudson River . The cartoon showed the supposed limited mental geography of Manhattanites . " 


 = Bintulu = 

 Bintulu / biːnˈtuːluː / ( Chinese : 民都魯 ; pinyin : Míndūlǔ ; Pe ̍ h @-@ ōe @-@ jī : Bîn @-@ to ͘ -ló ͘ ) is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak , Malaysia . Bintulu is located 610 kilometres ( 380 mi ) northeast of Kuching , 216 kilometres ( 134 mi ) northeast of Sibu , and 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) southwest of Miri . With a population of 114 @,@ 058 as of 2010 , Bintulu is the capital of the Bintulu District of the Bintulu Division of Sarawak , Malaysia . 
 The name of Bintulu was derived from the local native language " Mentu Ulau " ( picking heads ) . Bintulu was a small fishing village when Rajah James Brooke acquired it in 1861 . Brooke later built a fort there in 1862 . In 1867 , the first General Council meeting ( now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) was convened in Bintulu . It is the earliest state legislature system in Malaysia . The construction of the earliest airstrip in Bintulu began in 1934 but was halted in 1938 due to financial difficulties . During World War II , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces . The British later rebuilt the airstrip , and it became fully operational in 1955 . The old airport was replaced by a new airport in 2002 . Bintulu remained a fishing village until 1969 when oil and gas reserves were discovered off the coast . Since then , Bintulu has become the centre of energy intensive industries such as a Malaysia LNG plant , a Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant , and a Bintulu combined cycle power plant . The economy has also expanded into oil palm and forest plantations , palm oil processing , wood @-@ waste processing , and cement manufacturing . The port of Bintulu is the busiest in Sarawak . The town is also a gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park . 
 Among the tourist attractions in Bintulu are Similajau National Park , Tumbina Park , Tanjung Batu beach , Jepak village , Kuan Yin Tong temple , Assyakirin mosque , Council Negri monument , Tamu Bintulu , and Pasar Utama markets . The Borneo International Kite Festival is held annually in the town . 

 = = Etymology = = 

 During the 16th century , Bintulu was named " River de Burulu " by Portuguese cartographers . There are several legends surrounding the name Bintulu . During the Brooke dynasty , the indigenous Iban people practised headhunting to maintain their social status in the community . They threw the heads into the Kemena River , after which the heads had to be collected from the river . The practice of collecting the heads was known as " Mentu Ulau " ( picking heads ) in the local native language . Another story relates that two Iban warriors named Bernik and Jelab built houses along the river . They and their followers frequently carried out preservation of severed heads near a small river stream branching off from Sebezaw River because the river bank was flat and wide . Therefore , the small river stream was named " Mentu Ulau " river . Outsiders who came to Bintulu subsequently pronounced the name as " Mentulau " , and later the name evolved into " Bentulu " and , finally , " Bintulu " . 

 = = History = = 


 = = = Brooke dynasty = = = 

 James Brooke was appointed the White Rajah of Sarawak ( now known as Kuching ) by the Bruneian Empire in 1841 . In 1861 , the Sultanate of Brunei ceded the Bintulu region to Brooke . Bintulu was a small settlement at that time . A wooden fort named Fort Keppel was built in the village , named after Sir Henry Keppel , who was a close friend of the Rajah James and Charles Brooke . Sir Henry Keppel was responsible for crushing the Dayak piracy in the Saribas between 1840 and 1850 . Meanwhile , Charles Brooke was a nephew of James Brooke and would later become the latter 's successor as the second Rajah of Sarawak . Odoardo Beccari , an Italian botanist , visited Bintulu in 1867 . On 4 August , he started his journey on a gunboat named " Heartsease " , which was to send $ 6 @,@ 000 to Brunei for concessions being made to James Brooke in the Mukah and Bintulu regions . He went to Labuan before coming back to Bintulu . He dropped off at Kemena River on 13 August 1867 . His observations of the village were recorded as follows : 
 The fort of Bintulu which was built entirely of wood , was in somewhat ruinous condition . It stood nearly on the sea @-@ shore , and just behind it , at a distance of few paces , the primeval forests commenced ... Some chinamen had settled at the vicinity of the fort and had built a small bazaar ; but the village is chiefly formed by the houses of the Melanau beyond the Chinese kampong ( village ) . These Melanaus used to live further up the river , but since the construction of the fort , and the installation of an officer of the Rajah near the mouth of the river , they came to settle near the sea – a thing they would never have dared to do in former days for fear of the attacks of the Lanun pirates and Dayak pirates . 
 The houses of the Melanau people were built in rows on both sides of the Kemena River , mostly furnished by Nipah and Sago palms . Each house had its own shed projection into the entrance of the river , which was used for the processing of Sago palms . On 8 September 1867 , the first Sarawak General Council meeting ( now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) took place here . It was made up of 21 elected local community members ( five British officers and 16 Malay and Melanau local chiefs ) . The Council was formed by Raja Muda Charles Brooke under orders from Rajah James Brooke . The Council is the oldest state legislative assembly in Malaysia . 

 = = = Japanese occupation = = = 

 During World War II , Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke ordered the construction of airstrips in Kuching , Oya , Mukah , Bintulu , and Miri . Construction of the Bintulu airstrip was started in 1934 under the direction of C. W. Bailey , a Works and Building Inspector for the British Royal Air Force ( RAF ) . All the airstrips were completed except for the Bintulu airstrip , where construction was discontinued in October 1938 due to financial reasons . Japanese forces landed in Miri on 16 December 1941 . Sarawak fell into Japanese hands when they conquered Kuching on 24 December 1941 . When the Japanese invaded Sarawak , Charles Vyner Brooke already left for Sydney ( Australia ) before the attack while his officers were captured by the Japanese and interned at the Batu Lintang camp . During the Japanese occupation , the Japanese used the airstrip for military purposes . However , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces . The British began reconstruction of the airstrip after the war ; during the project many unexploded bombs were unearthed . 
 On 5 September 1942 , Japanese Field Marshal Prince Maida ( 前田利为 ) boarded a plane from Kuching to Labuan to officiate an airport that bears his name . However , he never arrived . One month later , the plane was found to have crashed off the coast of Tanjung Datu , Bintulu . The cause of the plane crash was not known . The Japanese later set up a wooden pole memorial made up of Belian wood in Bintulu . The wooden pole was later taken back to Japan by the family of Prince Maida . 
 Chinese sawmill owners at Sibu and Bintulu were instructed by the Japanese to produce timber for repairs at oil fields and ship building . During the Japanese occupation , sawmills at Bintulu produced a total of 4 @,@ 000 tons of sawn timber . 

 = = = Post @-@ war period = = = 

 In the 1950s , major economic activities in Bintulu were the timber extraction industry , fishing , and Sago processing . In the 1960s , Bintulu was still a small fishing village , with a population of 5 @,@ 000 . No roads were constructed in Bintulu until 1969 when the first untarred road was built to connect Bintulu to Miri . The first bus that serviced the Miri – Bintulu route was owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat ( MARA ) . The MARA bus line was an initiative by the Malaysian federal government to provide public transportation for the people . The Iban villagers paid the bus driver with " vegetables , chickens , bamboo shoots , and other items " . Before 1960 , Bintulu was connected to Kuching by sea through a ship named " Swee Joo " . After 1960 , the ship " Chin Chin " was added to the route . It took around 36 to 48 hours to reach Bintulu from Kuching , depending on the sea conditions . Due to lack of food supplies from Kuching , the villagers had to make do with limited food , and several villagers resorted to hunting in the jungles to supplement the food supply . 
 In 1960 there were only three primary schools in Bintulu . These schools provided classes until Primary 3 level . There were no secondary schools . Villagers could pursue their secondary school studies at either Miri or Kuching by using small boats as there were no roads connecting Bintulu to either Miri or Kuching . Bintulu Government Secondary School was opened in 1964 . In 1967 Bintulu celebrated the first 100 years of the Council Negri meeting ( Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) . A stone monument was built in front of a government rice storeroom to commemorate the event . Bintulu was a sub @-@ district of Miri Division in the 1970s . The sub @-@ district was upgraded into a district in 1987 . 

 = = = Discovery of oil and gas reserves = = = 

 Large reserves of natural gas were discovered off the coast of Bintulu in 1969 . Following this , a feasibility study was done in 1975 , and Tanjung Kidurong was found to be a suitable site for a deep @-@ water port . On 14 June 1978 , Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd ( MLNG Satu ) was established by Petronas , a Malaysian national oil and gas company for Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) processing at Bintulu . On 8 July 1978 , the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) was established by the Sarawak state government for infrastructure development and to promote industrial investment in the area . On 15 August 1981 , the Bintulu Port Authority was established at Tanjung Kidurong , starting operation on 1 January 1983 . Since the establishment of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy ( SCORE ) in 2008 , Bintulu become the gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park , which is located 62 kilometres ( 39 mi ) away from Bintulu . The industrial park is a centre of heavy , energy @-@ intensive industry . Among the companies that started their operations in the industrial park are Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd , Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd , and OM Materials Sdn Bhd . 
 Rural – urban migration is significant in Bintulu because of greater job availability in the town . Since 2007 , new residents have started several squatter areas in Bintulu due to inability to find affordable housing , around Kidurong Industrial estate and Sungai Sebatang . To address the issue , several low @-@ cost housing projects were initiated by BDA and Sarawak state government to relocate the squatters . The state government planned to achieve zero squatters status by the year 2020 . Bintulu also saw the rise in the number of residential and commercial properties such as double @-@ storeyed terraced houses , terraced shopoffices , Kidurong Commercial Centre , and Time Square Shopping Mall . Residential properties has shown a 20 % price increase from 2011 to 2013 . 

 = = Governance = = 

 Bintulu is represented by Bintulu parliamentary seat ( P. 217 ) in the Parliament of Malaysia . The town is also represented by three state assembly seats – Jepak , Kidurong ( later was split by two state assembly namely Tanjung Batu and Samalaju ) , and Kemena – in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly . 

 = = = Local authorities = = = 

 Since 1978 the town of Bintulu has been administered by the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) , with offices located along Jalan Tanjung Kidurong . The town is located within the boundary of Bintulu District , with a population of 183 @,@ 402 and a total area of 7 @,@ 220 @.@ 40 square kilometres ( 2 @,@ 787 @.@ 81 sq mi ) . Bintulu Division was formerly a Bintulu District under the jurisdiction of Miri Division . The former Bintulu District was upgraded to Bintulu Division on 1 January 1987 . At the same time , Bintulu sub @-@ district was upgraded to the present @-@ day Bintulu District . Both the Bintulu Resident and District offices are located inside Wisma Residen , Pisang Keling Street , Bintulu . 

 = = Geography = = 

 Bintulu is located 610 kilometres ( 380 mi ) northeast of Kuching 216 kilometres ( 134 mi ) northeast of Sibu , and 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) southwest of Miri . Bintulu is located near the mouth of the Kemena River , in the coastal region of central Sarawak . Geology of the coastal area was formed during the Pleistocene period ; silt , clay , and gravel can be found here . Geological formation from the Oligocene period is found in the inland area , which contains limestone , siltstone , and sandstone . The soil is generally soft . 

 = = = Climate = = = 

 There are two monsoon seasons in the Bintulu : the northeast moonsoon ( November to March ) and the southwest moonsoon ( May to September ) . The calm period between these two moonsoons is known as the transitional period . In the coastal region , maximum rainfall occurs in the month of January , while minimal rainfall occurs from the period June to August . Rainfall is more evenly distributed in the inland areas . The annual rainfall of the Bintulu region is about 3 @,@ 750 mm ( 148 in ) annually . The mean daily hours of sunshine at Bintulu is about 5 @.@ 0 to 5 @.@ 5 hours . Bintulu receives on average 14 to 15 mJ / m2 of radiation throughout the year . Bintulu 's relative humidity is 85 % . 

 = = Demographics = = 

 The growth of Bintulu 's population is shown below : 
 The issue of gangsters in Bintulu was first raised in 2007 by the member of parliament ( MP ) for Bintulu . The gangsters may have run businesses related to illegal logging , controlling the prices of diesel , eggs , fertiliser and gas cylinders . Bintulu police have been cracking down on gangster activities in the town . Unscrupulous businessmen who seek cheap labour have caused a rise in the number of illegal immigrants in Bintulu . The number may have reached 50 @,@ 000 in 2009 . Bintulu immigration department has performed several operations to deport illegal immigrants back to their home country . 

 = = = Ethnicity = = = 

 As of the 2010 Malaysian census , the population of the town of Bintulu is 114 @,@ 058 . Indigenous people accounted for the largest proportion of the town population ( 61 @.@ 2 % , 69 @,@ 782 ) , followed by Chinese ( 25 @.@ 0 % , 28 @,@ 512 ) , Non @-@ Malaysians ( 13 @.@ 1 % , 14 @,@ 939 ) , and Indians ( 0 @.@ 28 % , 319 ) . Among the indigenous groups , there are Iban ( 32 @,@ 992 ) , Malay ( 14 @,@ 945 ) , Melanau ( 14 @,@ 179 ) , Bidayuh ( 1 @,@ 598 ) , and other indigenous tribes ( 6 @,@ 068 ) . According to government sources , there are 229 Iban longhouses in the Bintulu District . The Ibans moved into Kemena and Tatau basins in the mid @-@ 19th and early 20th century with permission of the Brooke government . Other indigenous tribes that form the minority are Kayan , Kenyah , and Punan . The Chinese in Bintulu are mainly composed of dialect groups such as Hakka , Fuzhou , and Teochews . The Chinese have been living in the town of Tatau since the era of Bruneian Empire . Later , Fuzhou Chinese from Sibu moved in , dominating the timber and plantation businesses in Bintulu . There is also a large number of foreigners working there . Most of them come from Britain , Australia , the Netherlands , Germany , South Africa , New Zealand , Japan , China , the United States , and Indonesia . 

 = = = Languages = = = 

 While Malay is the official language of Sarawak ; English is widely spoken there . Local ethnic languages and Chinese dialects are spoken by the respective ethnic groups . Standard Chinese is also spoken by ethnic Chinese in Bintulu . Bintulu is spoken by communities living along the Kemena River , with 4 @,@ 200 native speakers . These speakers are now recognised as part of the Melanau ethnic group , where their main language is Malay . Bintulu is classified as one of the endangered languages in Sarawak because of the isolated usage of the language in a small community . 

 = = = Religion = = = 

 The majority of the Bintulu population are adherents of Christian denominations due to Christian missionaries operating during the Brooke dynasty ; followed by Islam , Buddhism , and Hinduism . Among the notable places of worship in Bintulu are the Bintulu Mosque ( Masjid Assyakirin ) , Masjid Jepak , Tua Pek Kong Temple , Eng Kwang Methodist Church , and St. Thomas Church . The respective religious groups are free to hold processions in the town . 

 = = Economy = = 

 There are five industrial estates in Bintulu . They are : Kemena Industrial Estate ( for wood @-@ based industries ) , Jepak Industries Estate ( wood @-@ based industries ) , Kidurong Industrial Area ( for medium and light industries ) , Kidurong Light Industrial Estate ( medium and light industries ) , and Bintulu Light Industrial Estate ( light industry ) . 

 = = = Oil and gas = = = 

 Malaysia LNG is a Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) manufacturing complex located in Bintulu that currently contains eight LNG trains with a ninth one currently under construction . The complex was built by the Malaysian national oil and gas company , Petronas . The manufacturing complex has a production capacity of 25 @.@ 7 million tonnes per annum . Petronas is also planning to open Floating LNG ( FLNG ) offshore Bintulu , which is used specifically to harvest natural gas from small and isolated gas fields . Transportation of natural gas from the neighouring state of Kimanis , Sabah , to the LNG complex at Bintulu is facilitated by a 512 @-@ kilometre ( 318 mi ) pipeline known as the " Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline " . Currently , 45 % of Malaysian natural gas is found at Central Luconia off the coast of Bintulu . The largest importers of Malaysia LNG productions are Japan ( 62 % ) , Korea ( 17 % ) , Taiwan ( 12 % ) , and China ( 9 % ) . 
 The Sarawak Shell Bintulu Plant ( SSBP ) , formerly known as Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal ( BCOT ) , was established in 1979 . It consists of three crude oil storage tanks , each with a capacity of 410 @,@ 000 barrels . It has three major areas of operation : Crude Oil Operations , Condensate Stabilisation , and Gas Sales Facilities . Royal Dutch Shell started to establish the world 's first Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant ( Shell MDS ) in 1993 . It is also known as Bintulu Gas @-@ To @-@ Liquid plant ( Bintulu GTL ) . The plant has a production capacity of 14 @,@ 770 barrels per day with a total investment of over US $ 1 billion as of the year 2010 . The plant is staffed with 380 people , of whom 93 % are Malaysians , with 80 % of the staff coming from Sarawak . 

 = = = Wood @-@ based industries and plantations = = = 

 Since the opening up of the Bintulu – Miri road in the 1970s , large @-@ scale plantations of oil palm and cocoa has been developed in rural areas of Bintulu Division . Currently , there are 57 @,@ 740 hectares ( 577 @.@ 4 km2 ( 223 sq mi ) ) of oil palm , 2 @,@ 000 hectares ( 200 km2 ( 77 sq mi ) ) of Rattan , and 815 hectares ( 8 @.@ 15 km2 ( 3 sq mi ) ) of pepper plantations . 
 The first Bintulu palm oil refinery , Bintulu Edible Oil Sdn Bhd , was established in June 1991 . Bintulu currently has four palm oil refineries : Bintulu Edible Oils Sdn Bhd ( operated under PGEO Group , a subsidiary of Wilmar International ) , Sime Darby Austral Edible Oil Sdn Bhd , Kirana Palm Oil Refinery Sdn Bhd , and Sarawak Oil Palm Bhd . However , as of 2015 , Wilmar no longer buys raw palm oil produced from cleared forests and peat swamps in Sarawak because of environmental concerns . 
 The Bintulu Division has been designated as a Planted Forests Zone ( PFZ ) by the Sarawak state government since 1998 . As of 30 June 2011 , a total of 124 @,@ 618 hectares ( 1 @,@ 246 @.@ 18 km2 ( 481 sq mi ) ) has been planted with acacia trees . Other trees that are planned for plantations are kelampayan , engkabang , durian , batai , eucalyptus , and rubber trees . Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd , a company wholly owned by the Sarawak state government , has been granted a license to replant forests for 60 years . However , the company has been suffering financial losses from 2009 to 2011 . 
 There are three mills in Bintulu that process wood @-@ waste products . Two are Medium @-@ density fibreboard ( MDF ) plants and the third is a charcoal briquette plant , with a total installed capacity of 246 @,@ 000 cubic metres ( 8 @,@ 700 @,@ 000 cu ft ) per year . MDF plants utilise wood waste purchased from sawmills and plywood mills in the Bintulu area and occasionally from the Tanjung Manis timber processing zone located at the mouth of the Rajang River . Synthetic resins , which are required to hold wood dust together , constituted 20 % of the total production cost of the wood panel products . MDF plants in Bintulu are operated by Daiken Sarawak Sdn Bhd , which was founded on 15 February 1994 . The briquette plant is operated by Cipta Briquette Sdn Bhd . A glue / adhesive factory in Bintulu is owned by Bintulu Adhesive & Chemicals Sdn Bhd . It produces urea formaldehyde resin and phenol formaldehyde resin for plywood and chipboard manufacturing at Kemena Industrial Estate . Urea precondensate is also produced to supply ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser ( ABF ) plant . 

 = = = Others = = = 

 The Bintulu Port Authority was established in 1981 . It started port operation in 1983 at Tanjung Kidurong . Following a privatisation exercise , Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd ( BPSB ) was founded on 23 December 1992 and commenced operation on 1 January 1993 . BPA is currently responsible for regulatory exercises and security of the port . Meanwhile , BPSB is responsible for cargo handling at the Bintulu International Container Terminal ( BICT ) . The port also provides Vessel traffic service to shipping vessels . The annual total cargo throughput is 45 @.@ 4 million tonnes , consisting of 58 % LNG and 42 % non @-@ LNG products . As of 31 December 2014 , it generated a total revenue of RM 552 @.@ 3 million per year . Bintulu Port is the busiest port in Sarawak . 
 The ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser plant is the anhydrous ammonia and granular plant operated by ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser Sdn Bhd ( ABF ) , which is partly owned by Petronas . The company was formed on 6 December 1980 . The plant started operation on 1 October 1985 . It is also one of the largest granular urea plants in Asia . It is a joint venture by five ASEAN countries : Malaysia ( 63 @.@ 5 % shares ) , Thailand ( 13 % ) , Indonesia ( 13 % ) , the Philippines ( 9 @.@ 5 % ) , and Singapore ( 1 % ) . 
 Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad ( CMSB ) , one of the largest publicly traded companies in Sarawak , set up a cement plant in Bintulu at Kidurong Industrial Estate . The plant , manned by 40 people , produces ordinary Portland cement and Portland blast furnace cement . It currently has a combined production capacity of 2 @.@ 75 million MT ( million tonnes ) . 
 The Bintulu combined cycle power plant was started in early 2010 with a capacity of 317 megawatts . The power plant is registered under the United Nations Clean Development Management ( CDM ) scheme as of 18 September 2010 . The plant is built to ensure efficient use of energy and reduce green house gas emissions . It is the first CDM power plant in Malaysia , currently operated by Sarawak Power Generation Sdn Bhd ( SPG ) , a wholly owned subsidiary of Sarawak Energy . 

 = = Transportation = = 


 = = = Land = = = 

 All roads in Bintulu are maintained by the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) . Bintulu is connected to Miri and Sibu by the Pan Borneo Highway . Bintulu is also connected to Mukah and Samalaju Industrial Park . Kemena Bridge crosses the Kemena River . It is the second bridge in Malaysia built using the incremental launch method . Keppel Road in Bintulu is named after a friend of James Brooke , Sir Henry Keppel . 

 = = = = Public transportation = = = = 

 Bintulu has a long @-@ distance bus station , located at Medan Jaya , 5 km ( 3 mi ) northeast of the town centre . Among the areas served by the bus station are : Miri , Sibu , Kuching , Mukah , Sarikei , Oya , Dalat , Balingian , and Pontianak , Indonesia . The bus companies that serve the station are the Syarikat Baram Sdn . Bhd , MTC , Biaramas , and Suria bus lines . There are also buses that serve the town area . Taxi service is also available . 

 = = = Air = = = 

 The old Bintulu airport was built in 1955 in the town centre . It once held the Guinness World Record of nearest airport to town . On 19 December 2002 , the airport was replaced by a new airport , which is located 23 km ( 14 mi ) away from the town centre . The surroundings of the old airport were developed into commercial and residential projects while the runaway is reserved for Bintulu International Kite Festival . The new airport has a runway measuring 2 @,@ 745 m ( 9 @,@ 006 ft ) , capable of handling planes as large as the Airbus A330 . The airport currently serves three major airlines : Malaysia Airlines ( MAS ) , Air Asia , and MASwings , connecting to domestic destinations such as : Sibu , Miri , Kuching , Kuala Lumpur , and Kota Kinabalu . 

 = = = Water = = = 

 There is a wharf terminal at Bintulu that serves the rural areas of Bintulu Division . Among the destinations that can be reached by express boat from Bintulu are : Sebauh , Pandan , Labang , Tubau , and Binyo . 

 = = Other utilities = = 


 = = = Courts of law and legal enforcement = = = 

 The current court complex is located at Pisang Emas Road . It comprises the High Court , the Sessions Court , and the Magistrate Court . Bintulu also has Syariah Subordinate Court , located at Tanjung Kidurong , whose area of jurisdiction covers Bintulu District and Tatau districts . The Bintulu central police station is located at Tun Hussein Onn Road , with other police stations located at Tanjung Kidurong , Tubau , and Sebauh . There is also a central prison in Bintulu , which doubles as a correctional centre . 

 = = = Healthcare = = = 

 Bintulu Hospital started operation in 1968 . It is located at Nyabau Road , 12 km ( 7 @.@ 5 mi ) from the town centre . Following renovations completed on 21 May 2000 , the hospital is now equipped with 200 beds . As of 2011 , the hospital provides speciality services in seven medical disciplines . Bintulu also has one polyclinic , Polyclinic Bintulu . There are two private hospitals in Bintulu : Columbia Asia Hospital and Bintulu Medical Centre . 

 = = = Education = = = 

 There are about 50 primary and eight secondary schools in Bintulu . All the schools under the National Education System are managed by the Bintulu District Education Office . The oldest primary schools in Miri are St Anthony 's Primary School ( Roman Catholic Mission School ) , Chung Hua Primary School , and the Orang Kaya Mohammad Primary School , which were established in the early 1960s . The Bintulu Government Secondary School was built in 1964 . It is now known as SMK Bintulu , the oldest secondary school in the town . Bintulu also has one Chinese independent school , Kai Dee Middle School ( 开智中学 ) . The Shell Oil Company established the Kidurong International School in 1982 to meet the primary education needs of Shell employees ' children . The school provides English National Curriculum ( ENC ) for literacy and numeracy and International Primary Curriculum ( IPC ) for other subjects . 
 UPM Bintulu Sarawak Campus was started as the National Resource Training Centre , Kuching , in 1974 . The oldest campus in Sarawak , it was relocated to Bintulu in 1987 as a branch campus of the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia ( UPM ) . The campus was closed down in 1992 before reopening in 2001 as Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ) . During this period of closure , the campus was used as the site for Maktab Perguruan Sains Bintulu ( Bintulu Science Teachers ' Training College ) from 1994 to July 1999 when it was moved to Kota Samarahan as Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tun Abdul Razak ( Tun Abdul Razak Teachers ' Training Institute Campus ) . The UPM campus is currently located 13 km ( 8 mi ) away from the town centre , occupying 715 ha ( 1 @,@ 767 acres ) , which can accommodate up to 2 @,@ 200 students . This branch campus currently has only one faculty , the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences , consisting of five academic departments . In 2015 UPM was ranked 41st in the UI @-@ Greenmetric World University rankings . SEDAMAI College , established in November 1999 , offers courses in business , information technology , language , and engineering . 
 There is also a technical school located 15 km ( 9 mi ) away from the town , near Tanjung Kidurong , occupying 20 ha ( 49 acres ) of land . The school was built in 1982 with a maximum capacity of 900 students . Among the courses offered are : automotive , mechanical and civil engineering , commerce , and fashion . Gulf Golden International Flying Academy ( GGIFA ) , the first and only flying academy in Sarawak , was closed in 2012 due to financial difficulties . 

 = = = Libraries = = = 

 The first public library in Bintulu was built in 1971 by Bintulu District Council ( BDC ) . In 1988 the library was demolished to make way for car parks . Books from the library were moved into the former BDC building . On 29 May 2000 , the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) public library was built near the Bintulu Civic Centre , which is 2 km ( 1 @.@ 2 mi ) from the town . The public library has three branches : at Kidurong , Tatau , and Sebauh . 

 = = Culture and leisure = = 


 = = = Attractions and recreational spots = = = 


 = = = = Cultural = = = = 

 Kampung Jepak ( Jepak village ) is a Melanau fishing village in Bintulu located near Kemena River . Among the daily activities in this village are Sago processing , fish drying , and the manufacturing of Belacan , Cencaluk ( salted shrimp ) , Terendak ( Melanau headgear ) , and Tutop ( a type of food cover ) . Kuan Yin Tong temple is located at KM2 Jalan Sultan Iskandar . It has a structural design with a rock garden courtyard , man @-@ made waterfall , and dragon fencing . Assyakirin mosque , meaning " Gratefulness to God " , has a man @-@ made waterfall , a fountain , and a landscape planted with flowers . The Borneo International Kite Festival has been held yearly since 2005 at the old Bintulu airport runway . It usually lasts for four to five days in September . 

 = = = = Historical = = = = 

 In 1987 a clock tower and a fountain were erected at Council Negri Monument . A centenary stone that was erected in 1967 to commemorate the event is kept under the clock tower . The Bintulu Tua Pek Kong temple ( near Tamu Bintulu ) is believed to have been built in the 1890s to purge the town from evil spirits . The temple survived World War II , and was rebuilt after the discovery of oil and gas reserves offshore . 

 = = = = Leisure and conservation areas = = = = 

 Similajau National Park is located 30 km ( 19 mi ) northeast of the town . The park was gazetted in 1976 , covering an area of 8 @,@ 996 ha ( 22 @,@ 230 acres ) ( 89 @.@ 96 km2 ( 35 sq mi ) with sandy beaches , rocky headlands , jungle streams , and forests . Other national parks that can be accessed along the Miri – Bintulu road are the Lambir Hills National Park and Niah National Park . 
 Tanjung Batu beach ( Temasya beach ) is located 3 km ( 1 @.@ 9 mi ) from the town centre . Meanwhile , Taman Tumbina ( Tumbina Park ) is located 4 km ( 2 @.@ 5 mi ) from the town centre . The park has a hornbill aviary , a butterfly garden , and a mini @-@ zoo . 

 = = = = Other attractions = = = = 

 Kidurong Tower is an observation tower located at Tanjung Kidurong . It offers a view of the Bintulu oil and gas facilities shortly after nightfall . Bintulu Promenade is a 3 @-@ kilometre ( 2 mi ) walkway along the Bintulu coastline with the Kemena River mouth as its focal point . It has the observation points offering sunset views . There is also an 18 @-@ hole golf course at Bintulu . 

 = = = = Shopping = = = = 

 There are several shopping malls in Bintulu : ParkCity Mall , City Point , Ngiu Kee Departmental Stores , Farley shopping complex , Sing Kwong Supermarkets , and MDS @-@ Mart . Time Square Mall is currently under development in Bintulu , with Everrise as the anchor tenant . 
 Tamu Bintulu and Pasar Utama are the two main markets in the town . Both places have a unique cone @-@ shaped roof that symbolises the traditional Melanau headgear named Terendak . Tamu Bintulu offers items ranging from jungle produce to native home @-@ made specialties such as Belacan . Meanwhile , Pasar Utama houses both wet market and dry market under one roof , providing fresh vegetables , fruits , fish , and dairy products . The first floor of Pasar Utama offers a variety of fast food such as Laksa , Kolok Mee , Jawa Mee , Pulut Panggang , ais batu campur , cendol , and teh tarik . The Bintulu night market is located on Kampung Dagang road . There are over 150 stalls selling a variety of items such as garments , electric goods , vegetables , fruits , food and drinks . 


 = Zrinski Battalion = 

 The Zrinski Battalion ( Croatian : Bojna Zrinski ) was a special forces unit of the Croatian National Guard ( Zbor narodne garde – ZNG ) and later of the Croatian Army ( Hrvatska vojska – HV ) established in Kumrovec on 18 May 1991 , during the Croatian War of Independence . The unit drew personnel from the special police forces and a former French Foreign Legion troops serving as its core . The battalion was set up and initially commanded by Ante Roso , while Major Miljenko Filipović took over as the commanding officer in August . 
 The Zrinski Battalion trained volunteer troops in Vukovar in June 1991 before it saw action in Hrvatska Kostajnica , the Battle of Gospić and near Slano in 1991 . By the end of 1991 , the unit 's personnel were tasked with setting up an additional special forces unit of the HV . The next year its elements took part in the Battle of Kupres and Operation Tiger aimed at lifting the Siege of Dubrovnik . It also and helped develop and train the Croatian Defence Council ( Hrvatsko vijeće obrane – HVO ) , setting up a training camp in Tomislavgrad . In 1993 , the battalion took part in Operation Maslenica . In February 1994 , the Zrinski Battalion was amalgamated with several other HV special forces units into the 1st Croatian Guards Brigade ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zdrug ) , a component of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zbor ) . 

 = = Background = = 

 In 1990 , following the electoral defeat of the government of the Socialist Republic of Croatia , ethnic tensions between Croats and Croatian Serbs worsened . The Yugoslav People 's Army ( Jugoslavenska narodna armija – JNA ) believed Croatia would use the Croatian Territorial Defence Force 's ( Teritorijalna obrana – TO ) equipment to build its own army and confront the JNA itself . In order to minimize the expected resistance , the JNA confiscated the TO weapons . On 17 August , the tensions escalated into an open revolt of the Croatian Serbs . 
 In the beginning of 1991 , Croatia had no regular army . In an effort to bolster its defence , Croatia doubled the size of its police force to about 20 @,@ 000 . The most effective part of the force was the 3 @,@ 000 @-@ strong special police that were deployed in 12 battalions , adopting military organisation . In addition there were 9 @,@ 000 – 10 @,@ 000 regionally organised reserve police . The reserve police were set up in 16 battalions and 10 companies , but they lacked weapons needed to arm many of the troops . 
 Preparations to set up the Croatian National Guard ( Zbor narodne garde – ZNG ) began on 12 April 1991 . Establishment of the ZNG as a police force with military capabilities was thought necessary by the Croatian authorities following armed clashes in Pakrac and at Plitvice Lakes in March and due to the possibility of further confrontation with the JNA . The ZNG , formally established on 23 April , was tasked with protection of the constitutional order , maintenance of public order , anti @-@ terrorist operations , protection of Croatia 's borders , territory , coast and territorial waters , as well as the protection of high @-@ value structures and high @-@ profile persons . 

 = = Service = = 

 On 18 May 1991 , the Zrinski Battalion was established as a special forces unit of the ZNG . The core of the unit consisted of 27 volunteers drawn from the Kumrovec Special Police Unit ( SPU ) . Initially , it relied on former French Foreign Legion troops . The most senior among the former legionnaires was Ante Roso , previously a Sous @-@ Officier ( non @-@ commissioned officer – NCO ) in the 4th Foreign Regiment . In consequence , Roso was tasked with setting up the unit as its initial commander . Major Miljenko Filipović , likewise a former French Foreign Legion member , was assigned the battalions deputy commander . The unit was based in the village of Kumrovec in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje , on the grounds of the former " Josip Broz Tito " political school . The site , adjacent to the border of Slovenia , was selected to be inaccessible to Yugoslav Air Force raids without violation of Slovene or possibly Austrian airspace . In June 1991 , the Kumrovec SPU was transferred to Sljeme Peak north of Zagreb leaving Kumrovec base to the Zrinski Battalion , as well as the second special forces unit , the Frankopan Battalion . 
 The Zrinski Battalion was deployed for the first time on 15 June . It was stationed in Vukovar , tasked with preparation of city defences and organisation of volunteer troops . In August , Filipović took over command of the battalion from Roso . The same month , the Zrinski Battalion was deployed to the Banovina , where it pushed the Croatian Serb forces out of the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica . In September , the battalion was deployed to Gospić , where it took part in battle to control Gospić against the JNA . Troops assigned to the battalion captured Kaniža barracks in Gospić . During combat in Gospić , 30 troops of the Zrinski Battalion , assisted by Lučko SPU , captured JNA Major General Trajče Krstevski , along with three armoured personnel carriers ( APCs ) and 32 soldiers . The unit was deployed to Metković on 28 October , tasked with recapturing Slano from the JNA . After the deployment to Gospić , a part of the unit personnel left to Bosnia and Herzegovina anticipating further conflict there , while the remainder of the unit returned to Kumrovec . The ZNG was renamed the Croatian Army ( Hrvatska vojska – HV ) on 3 November 1991 . In late 1991 , personnel of the Zrinski Battalion set up another special forces unit of the HV — the Matija Vlačić Battalion based in Opatija . 
 In 1992 , elements of the Zrinski Battalion took part in the Battle of Kupres , before setting up a training camp in the town of Tomislavgrad . There the battalion personnel assisted in setting up and trained the Croatian Defence Council ( Hrvatsko vijeće obrane – HVO ) . Later that year , elements of the battalion took part in Operation Tiger — aimed at lifting of the Siege of Dubrovnik . In 1993 , elements of the Zrinski Battalion took part in Operation Maslenica , fighting in the area of Škabrnja . The Central Intelligence Agency assessed the Zrinski Battalion as one of the best units of the HV . 

 = = Amalgamation = = 

 On 25 February 1994 , the Zrinski Battalion was amalgamated with parts of other special forces units of the HV : Frankopan Battalion , Ban Jelačić Battalion , Matija Vlačić Battalion , Ferdo Sučić Battalion and part of 8th Light Assault Brigade forming the 1st Croatian Guards Brigade ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zdrug ) , a component of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zbor ) , directly subordinated to the Ministry of Defence rather than the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia . 


 = Weevils Wobble But They Don 't Go Down = 

 " Weevils Wobble But They Don 't Go Down " is the nineteenth and penultimate episode of the third season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars , and the 63rd episode overall . Written by Phil Klemmer and directed by Jason Bloom , the episode premiered on The CW on May 22 , 2007 . The series depicts the adventures of Veronica Mars ( Kristen Bell ) as she deals with life as a college student while moonlighting as a private detective . 
 In this episode , Weevil ( Francis Capra ) enlists Veronica 's help in proving his innocence when he is implicated in creating fake student IDs . Meanwhile , Veronica and Piz ( Chris Lowell ) come to terms with Veronica 's FBI internship , and a sex tape of this couple is released on the internet . Logan ( Jason Dohring ) beats up Piz , thinking that he posted it . In addition , Keith ( Enrico Colantoni ) and Vinnie ( Ken Marino ) debate on Piz 's radio show about the upcoming Sheriff 's election in which they are running against each other . 
 " Weevils Wobble But They Don 't Go Down " features the reappearance of Weevil after an absence of five episodes ; during filming of the third season , Capra was undergoing medical treatment . Series creator Rob Thomas pointed out Logan and Piz 's fight scene as one of the highlights of the episode and the season . In its original broadcast , the episode received mostly positive reviews from television critics , with many praising the case @-@ of @-@ the @-@ week . 

 = = Synopsis = = 

 In a checkout line , Veronica and Mac ( Tina Majorino ) discuss her relationship with Piz and what her FBI internship will mean for them . They then see someone getting arrested by the campus police for a fake debit card . Weevil injures himself , but finds himself unable to receive adequate benefits . Veronica gets Piz to accept her leaving for the internship . At the Sheriff ’ s station , Weevil is called out by several students as being the one who gave them the fake cards . Weevil is put in the jail cell , but he tells Veronica that he think they targeted him after he was showcased in the criminology class . She investigates several of the owners of the student IDs , who do seem genuine in accusing Weevil . Weevil gets bail , but Keith informs him that a student ID printing machine was found in the locker next to Weevil ’ s . Veronica and Wallace speak to a mechanical engineering professor , who says that it would be impossible for Weevil to be the culprit . Piz invites Keith to appear on his show in an election special before Keith informs Veronica that Weevil ’ s fingerprints were found all over the investigation . 
 Keith and Vinnie debate on Piz ’ s radio show , and Vinnie gathers some support about his lax underage drinking policy . Wallace notices someone following him , and the student wants to recruit him for a secret society . Vinnie insults Keith ’ s handling of his home life , and Veronica hits him on the head lightly . She helps Weevil retrace his steps and notices one of her criminology classmates , Jenny ( Dianna Agron ) , involved with one of Weevil ’ s clients . Veronica deduces that Jenny and her circle of friends are responsible for creating the fake student IDs , disseminating them , and implicating Weevil . Logan and Dick ( Ryan Hansen ) go surfing , and they run into Veronica , Piz , and Mac helping Wallace ( Percy Daggs III ) with his final project for a class . Veronica learns that one of Jenny ’ s group lives in the same town in Georgia where the student ID machines are made . 
 Veronica is called into a room in the library by Jenny ’ s group , who try to bribe her into not turning them in to the Hearst police . However , she denies and records their conversation as further proof . They are hiding a third ID machine , and Veronica tells Weevil to go and find it . Dick shows Logan a sex tape of Piz and Veronica that has been circulating in an email . Because Logan thinks Piz posted the tape , he attacks Piz and hits him incessantly . Weevil does have a student ID machine , and Logan walks into Mars Investigations with Piz ’ s blood on him . 

 = = Production = = 

 " Weevils Wobble But They Don 't Go Down " was written by Phil Klemmer and directed by Jason Bloom , marking Klemmer 's fifteenth and final writing credit and Bloom 's fourth and final directing credit for Veronica Mars , after " Green @-@ Eyed Monster " , " Nevermind the Buttocks " , and " Charlie Don 't Surf " . The episode features the final appearance of Dianna Agron , famous for her role as Quinn Fabray on Glee , as Jenny Budosh , Veronica ’ s classmate . Agron had previously appeared in the episode “ President Evil ” . The episode prominently features Weevil ( Francis Capra ) , who appears after a five episode hiatus . During the third season , Capra was struggling with a medical condition , and the medication he took for this illness caused his face and neck to swell and break out with acne . 
 Series creator Rob Thomas included the scene in which Logan attacks Piz on his list of highlights from the third season . When Thomas first viewed the scene with his wife , she emitted an audible groan when she saw Logan walking through the cafeteria towards Piz , anticipating the fight that was about to come . Thomas thought that most fight scenes on the show were not well @-@ done , as they are filmed quickly and without a second unit . However , he was pleased with the final cut , stating that there was only one punch that he thought looked fake . 

 = = Reception = = 


 = = = Ratings = = = 

 In its original broadcast , “ Weevils Wobble But They Don ’ t Go Down ” received 1 @.@ 78 million viewers , ranking 77th of 85 in the weekly rankings . This was a decrease from the previous episode , “ I Know What You 'll Do Next Summer ” , which garnered 2 @.@ 10 million watchers . 

 = = = Reviews = = = 

 Eric Goldman , writing for IGN , graded the episode a 9 @.@ 0 out of 10 , indicating that it was “ amazing ” . His very positive review focused on the ambiguous nature of the main plot and the subplots of Dick and Logan . He praised the presence of the majority of the main cast members , also stating that Dick ’ s reaction to dealing with his brother was realistic for him and in character . The reviewer called the conclusion to the case @-@ of @-@ the @-@ week a “ fun and satisfying one ” that highlighted the moral ambiguity of main characters , something “ that the show had been lacking for a while . ” He highlighted this ambiguity in both Weevil in Logan , elaborating that Logan attacking Piz showed an interesting side to his personality that had not been present all season . The reviewer also lauded the cliffhanger ending , stating , “ it was a reminder of how exciting and intense this show can be at its best . ” Television Without Pity did not grant the episode a rating but lauded the characterization of Weevil , stating , “ This is the most consistently written character on the show , bar none . ” 
 Kelly West of Cinema Blend focused primarily on the series finale in her review but referred to this episode as containing a solid case @-@ of @-@ the @-@ week . “ Overall it was a good mystery @-@ of @-@ the @-@ week but seeing as it was the second to last episode , the only thing I cared about was that we finally got more Weevil ! ” Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club gave the episode a mixed review , stating that the case @-@ of @-@ the @-@ week was an oversimplification of the overall themes of Veronica Mars . The reviewer enjoyed the potential for Logan and Dick ’ s character development , although he felt that it was blunted by the knowledge that the series was about to end . “ As fun as this episode is , the lack of the fourth season stops me from fully enjoying it . [ … ] But the knowledge that this might be the last time we see them puts a damper on things . Still , better to go out with good episodes than bad . ” 


 = Temple Beth Israel ( Eugene , Oregon ) = 

 Temple Beth Israel ( Hebrew : בית ישראל ) is a Reconstructionist synagogue located at 1175 East 29th Avenue in Eugene , Oregon . Founded in the early 1930s as a Conservative congregation , Beth Israel was for many decades the only synagogue in Eugene . 
 The congregation initially worshipped in a converted house on West Eighth Street . It constructed its first building on Portland Street in 1952 , and occupied its current LEED @-@ compliant facilities in 2008 . 
 In the early 1990s conflict between feminist and traditional members led to the latter leaving Beth Israel , and forming the Orthodox Congregation Ahavas Torah . Beth Israel came under attack from neo @-@ Nazi members of the Volksfront twice , in 1994 and again in 2002 . In both cases the perpetrators were caught and convicted . 
 Services were lay @-@ led for decades . Marcus Simmons was hired as the congregation 's first rabbi in 1959 , but left in 1961 . After a gap of two years , Louis Neimand became rabbi in 1963 , and served until his death in 1976 . He was followed by Myron Kinberg , who served from 1977 to 1994 , and Kinberg in turn was succeeded by Yitzhak Husbands @-@ Hankin . Maurice Harris joined Husbands @-@ Hankin as associate rabbi in 2003 , and served until 2011 , when he was succeeded by Boris Dolin . As of 2014 , led by Husbands @-@ Hankin and Dolin , Beth Israel had approximately 400 member households , and was the largest synagogue in Eugene . 

 = = Early history = = 

 Small numbers of German Jews began settling in Eugene in the late 19th century , but most moved on . In the early 20th century the first Eastern European Jews settled there , and by the 1920s Eugene 's Jewish community began gathering prayer quorums for holding Friday night and Jewish holiday services in individuals ' homes . Historian Steven Lowenstein writes that " [ a ] fter Hymen Rubenstein 's death in 1933 , his home at 231 West Eighth Street was remodeled and named Temple Beth Israel " . It was a traditional Conservative synagogue , and from that time until the 1990s it was the only synagogue in Eugene . 
 In 1952 , the congregation constructed a one @-@ story synagogue building on an almost 1 acre ( 0 @.@ 40 ha ) property at 2550 Portland Street . Designed by architect and Holocaust @-@ survivor Heinrich Hormuth ( H.H. ) Waechter , the building featured an interior courtyard that provided natural lighting , and " a network of ceiling beams painted with symbols and shapes " by Waechter . 
 Temple Beth Israel 's services and religious functions were lay @-@ led for decades . Its first rabbi was Marcus Simmons . Originally from England , he was a graduate of University of London and Oxford University , and was ordained at the Hebrew Theological Seminary . He emigrated to the United States in 1957 , and joined Beth Israel in 1959 . The members were not , however , agreed that a full @-@ time rabbi was required , and in 1961 , he accepted a rabbinical position in Downey , California . 
 Following a hiatus of two years , Louis Neimand was hired as rabbi in 1963 . Born in New York City in 1912 to immigrant parents , he was a graduate of City University of New York and was ordained at the Jewish Institute of New York . He had previously worked for the United Jewish Appeal , and from 1959 to 1963 was the first Hillel rabbi at Syracuse University . There was some concern about Neimand 's hiring , as he had a police record as a result of his involvement in freedom marches in the African @-@ American Civil Rights Movement ( 1955 – 1968 ) . He served until his death in 1976 . 

 = = Kinberg era = = 

 Myron Kinberg was hired as rabbi in 1977 . Ordained in Reform Judaism , he had previously served as a rabbi in Topeka , Kansas for two years , then lived in Israel for two years , before coming to Eugene . Kinberg was known for his support for minority rights and gay rights , anti @-@ nuclear and anti @-@ war activism , support of reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians , and outreach to non @-@ observant members of Eugene 's Jewish community . 
 Kinberg attempted to revive the Biblical concept of the " ger toshav " in his approach to intermarriage . He was willing to officiate at an intermarriage if the non @-@ Jewish partner , after discussions with the rabbi , agreed of his or her own free will to fulfill a set of commitments , including " a commitment to a Jewish home life , participation in Jewish life and tradition , and raising future children as Jews " . The non @-@ Jewish partner making this commitment became a " ger toshav " , or " non @-@ Jewish member of the Jewish people " . 
 Kinberg 's wife Alice was a strong feminist , and during the 1980s he and his wife supported a number of changes to the liturgy and ritual . These included allowing women to read from the Torah and lead the prayers , and changing prayers to be more gender inclusive - for example , using gender @-@ neutral terms and pronouns for God , and adding references to the Biblical matriarchs in prayers like the Amidah , which traditionally only mentioned the Biblical patriarchs . While most congregation members approved of these changes , a minority resisted them . 

 = = = Schism = = = 

 By the early 1990s serious divisions developed among the members of the congregation over a number of issues , including personal antagonisms , the rabbi 's activism and " advocacy of ' ultra @-@ liberal ' causes " , political differences over the Israeli – Palestinian conflict , and 
 a myriad of additional Jewish cultural / religious issues , such as the acceptance of intermarried couples , adherence to kosher dietary laws , the use of modern language and music during worship services , rewriting of certain prayers such as the Aleynu to make them less ethnocentric , and so on . 
 However , the biggest source of division , which underlay all others , was " the roles and rights of men and women in the synagogue . " 
 In the early 1990s a group of newly observant members began holding more traditional services in a back room of the synagogue , complete with a mechitza , a partition separating men and women . The " more feminist @-@ minded " members strongly objected to having a mechitza anywhere in the Temple Beth Israel building , even if it were not in the services they attended . The latter group eventually circulated a petition which stated that either the mechitza would have to be taken down , or those members who wanted it would have to leave . Kinberg also signed the petition . Faced with this opposition , in 1992 the Orthodox members left , renting new premises and hiring their own rabbi , creating Eugene 's second synagogue , originally called " The Halachic Minyan " , and in 1998 renamed " Congregation Ahavas Torah " . 
 Kinberg held himself responsible , and the schism led to his " reassessment of the needs of Temple Beth Israel and his role as a rabbi " . As a result , he left Beth Israel in 1994 to lead a synagogue on Long Island . During his tenure at Beth Israel , membership rose from 118 to 350 families . Kinberg died two years later at age 51 . 

 = = Husbands @-@ Hankin era = = 

 Yitzhak Husbands @-@ Hankin succeeded Kinberg in 1995 . Husbands @-@ Hankin began his involvement at Temple Beth Israel first as a congregant , then as cantor , and then as an assistant rabbi . He was active in forming the Jewish Renewal movement , and was ordained by its leader Zalman Schachter @-@ Shalomi . 
 The congregation decided to leave the Conservative movement in 1995 , and for a year had no affiliation . In late 1996 , after considering both Reform and Reconstructionist as alternatives , the congregation affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement . By 1999 , membership had grown to around 370 families . 
 Husbands @-@ Hankin was instrumental in developing the concept of " Ethical Kashrut " , the idea that one should only purchase goods that are produced in an ethical way . His essay , " Ethical Kashrut , " was selected for publication in Arthur Kurzweil 's Best Jewish Writing 2003 . A singer , cello and guitar player , he composes and performs Jewish music . 
 Husbands @-@ Hankin has had four assistant or associate rabbis working with him . Shoshana Spergel joined Temple Beth Israel in 1998 as interim rabbi when Husbands @-@ Hankins went on a sabbatical ; Jonathan Seidel was assistant rabbi from 2001 to 2003 . Maurice Harris , a 2003 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College , joined as assistant rabbi in 2003 . He is one of the signators of The Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science From American Rabbis , part of the Clergy Letter Project which " encourages and embraces the teaching of evolution in schools " . In 2011 , Boris Dolin joined the congregation as its newest associate rabbi . 

 = = = Attacks by neo @-@ Nazis = = = 

 On March 20 , 1994 , Chris Lord , an individual associated with the Volksfront and American Front , fired ten rounds with an assault rifle into the temple , damaging the interior . The attacks were prompted by a newspaper article about several members of Eugene 's Jewish community , including a lesbian . Community organizations , including a local gay rights group , responded by standing vigil outside the synagogue during Passover services . Lord and an associate were caught and convicted , and Lord was sentenced to four and a half years in prison . 
 On October 25 , 2002 Jacob Laskey , his brother Gabriel Laskey , Gerald Poundstone , Jesse Baker , and one other man , all members of the Volksfront , drove to Beth Israel with the intent of intimidating the congregants . While a service with 80 members attending was taking place , the men threw rocks etched with Nazi swastikas through the synagogue 's stained glass windows , then sped off . The men were caught , pleaded guilty , and were convicted . They served sentences ranging from a 6 @-@ month work release term and five years probation , to eleven years and three months in federal prison for the ringleader , Jacob Laskey . 

 = = = East 29th Avenue building = = = 

 Originally sized for 75 families , Temple Beth Israel 's Portland Street building had been renovated and enlarged over the years to 7 @,@ 500 square feet ( 700 m2 ) to accommodate 250 families and 150 students . Despite these additions and the loss of members to Congregation Ahavas Torah , the synagogue was not large enough , particularly during the High Holidays , when extra space had to be rented . In 1997 the congregation purchased the property of the University Street Christian Church for $ 500 @,@ 000 ( today $ 740 @,@ 000 ) , and began planning for a new facility . The members considered renovating the existing building on the property , but felt a new building would better suit their requirements , and razed the church . 
 In 2003 the congregation got a permit to begin construction of a new facility on the now @-@ vacant 1 @.@ 37 @-@ acre ( 0 @.@ 55 ha ) plot of land at the northwest corner of East 29th Avenue and University Street . An initial capital campaign raised more than $ 1 @.@ 8 million , which fully paid for the land , and by August 2007 an additional $ 1 @.@ 7 million had been raised towards anticipated overall project costs of $ 5 million . 
 The environmentally sensitive building was designed by Mel Solomon and Associates of Kansas City and local company TBG Architects & Planners , and built by McKenzie Commercial Construction of Eugene . The building used " energy efficient heating , ventilation and lighting " : specific design issues with the building 's energy efficiency included the fact that the largest room in the building , the sanctuary , was also the least @-@ used , and , in accord with Jewish tradition , had to face east ( towards Jerusalem ) . 
 On June 8 , 2008 the congregation dedicated its new building at 1175 East 29th Avenue . At approximately 25 @,@ 000 square feet ( 2 @,@ 300 m2 ) , the facility included a sanctuary , commercial kitchen , banquet facilities , and classrooms , and housed the synagogue , the Lane County Jewish Federation , and the local Jewish Family Service . The project ended up costing $ 6 million , of which $ 4 million had been raised . 
 Made of concrete , steel , and wood , the building achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design compliance " through the integration of stormwater management strategies , high efficiency irrigation , the use of recycled and / or recyclable materials , and drought tolerant plantings . " Completely recyclable materials used in the structure included carpeting and wood beams . 

 = = Recent events = = 

 In 2008 , Temple Beth Israel participated in Banners Across America , an " interfaith witness against torture coordinated by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture , " as part of the Jewish Campaign Against Torture . Organized by Rabbis for Human Rights — North America in honor of Torture Awareness Month , the Jewish campaign included over 25 synagogues which hung banners protesting " the use of abusive interrogation techniques by the American military and intelligence community " . That year , congregational membership reached almost 400 families , and the Talmud Torah and pre @-@ school had about 200 and 40 students respectively . 
 The congregation sold the old synagogue building on Portland Street to Security First ( Portland Street ) Child Development Center for $ 815 @,@ 000 in 2009 , carrying the Center 's financing . The building was converted for use as an educational center , while retaining some of the original architectural elements . Difficult economic conditions forced the Child Development Center to give up the building in 2011 , and Eugene 's Network Charter School planned to move into it in autumn 2011 . 
 Harris announced he would be stepping down as rabbi in 2011 , and the synagogue hired Boris Dolin as his successor . Born and raised in Oregon , Dolin had worked at Temple Beth Israel as a teacher and youth group adviser from 1999 to 2001 . A graduate of the University of Oregon , with a master 's degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary , he was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College . 
 As of 2011 , Temple Beth Israel was the largest synagogue in Eugene . It was a member of the Community of Welcoming Congregations , " an Oregon and SW Washington interfaith ministry and advocacy organization working toward full inclusion and equality for transgender , lesbian , bisexual , gay and questioning persons . " The rabbis were Yitzhak Husbands @-@ Hankin and Boris Dolin . 


 = New York State Route 93 = 

 New York State Route 93 ( NY 93 ) is a 43 @.@ 08 @-@ mile ( 69 @.@ 33 km ) state highway in western New York in the United States . The route begins at an intersection with NY 18F in the village of Youngstown and runs in a general northwest – southeast direction across Niagara and Erie counties to its east end at an intersection with NY 5 in the town of Newstead , just south of the village of Akron . NY 93 serves as a connector between several major arterials , including NY 104 in Cambria , NY 31 just west of the city of Lockport , and NY 78 south of the city . 
 The route was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York . Although it began in Youngstown and ended in Newstead as it does today , the initial routing of NY 93 deviated from the modern path in the vicinity of the city of Lockport . From Cambria to Lockport 's eastern suburbs , the highway originally used NY 425 , Lower Mountain Road , Akron Road , and a series of streets in Lockport . NY 93 was moved onto NY 104 and Junction Road in Cambria in the 1940s , and altered to bypass Lockport to the south on a new highway and Robinson and Dysinger roads in 1991 . In 2006 , NY 93 was realigned west of Lockport to continue south on Junction Road to NY 31 . The change removed NY 93 from Upper Mountain Road , a county @-@ owned highway that had been part of the route since the 1930s . 

 = = Route description = = 


 = = = West of Lockport = = = 

 NY 93 begins at an intersection with NY 18F ( Main Street ; co @-@ designated but not signed as County Route 907 or CR 907 ) in the center of the village of Youngstown . The route proceeds eastward through the village as a two @-@ lane road named Lockport Street , serving two blocks of commercial areas before bending to the northeast and passing into the residential eastern portion of Youngstown . At the eastern village limits , NY 93 briefly widens to four lanes as it enters a partial cloverleaf interchange with the Niagara Scenic Parkway . Past the junction , the highway reverts to a two @-@ lane road and changes names to Youngstown – Lockport Road as it runs across the town of Porter . The residential surroundings continue to the hamlet of Towers Corners , where NY 93 connects to NY 18 ( Creek Road ) . 
 After NY 18 , NY 93 curves to the southeast , serving another residential stretch ahead of a junction with Youngstown – Wilson Road ( CR 36 ) on the eastern edge of Towers Corners . After this intersection , the homes give way to farms as the road heads into rural areas of the town . The route continues on a southeast track through Porter , passing a mixture of rural and residential areas on its way into the hamlet of Porter Center , where NY 93 enters an intersection with Porter Center Road ( CR 57 ) . Another southeastward stretch brings the route across Twelvemile Creek and into the hamlet of Ransomville , where NY 93 becomes the community 's main street . Through Ransomville , NY 93 retains the Youngstown – Lockport Road name , intersecting with Ransomville Road ( CR 17 ) in the hamlet 's business district . 
 Just outside Ransomville , NY 93 leaves the town of Porter for the town of Wilson . It continues generally southeastward across mostly open terrain , meeting Randall Road ( CR 83 ) and Church Street ( CR 56 ) on its way to the town of Cambria . NY 93 becomes North Ridge Road at the town line , and it soon enters the hamlet of North Ridge , a community built up around the route 's intersection with NY 425 ( Cambria – Wilson Road ) . The hamlet 's residential surroundings continue to the adjacent community of Molyneaux Corners , where NY 93 becomes concurrent with NY 104 ( Ridge Road ) . NY 93 and NY 104 proceed northeast across lightly populated areas for 2 miles ( 3 @.@ 2 km ) to the hamlet of Warren Corners , at which point NY 93 splits from NY 104 and heads southward along Town Line Road . It immediately intersects with Stone Road ( CR 19 ) before leaving the hamlet . 
