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The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy. The carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (Martedì Grasso or Mardi Gras), which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The festival is world-famous for its elaborate costumes and masks. The carnival traces its origins to the Middle Ages, existing for several centuries until it was abolished in 1797. The tradition was revived in 1979, and the modern event now attracts approximately 3 million visitors annually. HISTORY According to legend, the Carnival of Venice began after the military victory of the Venetian Republic over the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven in the year 1162. In honour of this victory, the people started to dance and gather in St Mark's Square. Apparently, this festival started in that period and became official during the Renaissance. In the 17th century, the Baroque carnival preserved the prestigious image of Venice in the world. It was very famous during the 18th century. It encouraged licence and pleasure, but it was also used to protect Venetians from present and future anguish. However, under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor and later Emperor of Austria, Francis II, the festival was outlawed entirely in 1797 and the use of masks became strictly forbidden. It reappeared gradually in the 19th century, but only for short periods and above all for private feasts, where it became an occasion for artistic creations. After a long absence, the Carnival returned in 1979. The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centrepiece of its efforts. The redevelopment of the masks began as the pursuit of some Venetian college students for the tourist trade. Since then, approximately 3 million visitors have been coming to Venice every year for the Carnival. One of the most important events is the contest for la maschera più bella ("the most beautiful mask"), which is judged by a panel of international costume and fashion designers. In February 2020, the Governor of Veneto Luca Zaia announced the decision to call off the Carnival celebrations in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. CARNIVAL MASKS Masks have always been an important feature of the Venetian carnival. Traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) and the end of the carnival season at midnight of Shrove Tuesday (movable, but during February or early March). As masks were also allowed on Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise. Maskmakers (mascherari) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild, with their own statute dated 10 April 1436. Mascherari belonged to the fringe of painters and were helped in their task by sign-painters who drew faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes and paying extreme attention to detail. Venetian masks can be made of leather or porcelain, or by using the original glass technique. The original masks were rather simple in design, decoration, and often had a symbolic and practical function. Nowadays, most Italian masks are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf and are hand-painted using natural feathers and gems to decorate. However, this makes them rather expensive when compared to the widespread, low-quality masks produced mainly by American factories. This competition accelerates the decline of this historical craftsmanship peculiar to the city of Venice. Several distinct styles of mask are worn in the Venice Carnival, some with identifying names. People with different occupations wore different masks. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Venice TAGS: Carnival of Venice, Festivals established in 1268, Annual events in Italy, Recurring events established in 1268, Carnivals in Italy, Festivals in Venice #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #CarnivalofVenice

The Gion Festival is one of the largest and most famous festivals in Japan, taking place annually during the month of July in Kyoto. Many events take place in central Kyoto and at the Yasaka Shrine, the festival's patron shrine, located in Kyoto's famous Gion district, which gives the festival its name. It is formally a Shinto festival, and its original purposes were purification and pacification of disease-causing entities. There are many ceremonies held during the festival, but it is best known for its two Yamaboko Junkō processions of floats, which take place on July 17 and 24. The three nights leading up to each day of a procession are sequentially called yoiyoiyoiyama, yoiyoiyama, and yoiyama. During these yoiyama evenings, Kyoto's downtown area is reserved for pedestrian traffic, and some traditional private houses near the floats open their entryways to the public, exhibiting family heirlooms in a custom known as the Folding Screen Festival, Byōbu Matsuri). Additionally, the streets are lined with night stalls selling food such as yakitori (barbecued chicken on skewers), taiyaki, takoyaki (fried octopus balls), okonomiyaki, traditional Japanese sweets, and many other culinary delights. HISTORY ANCIENT YEARS The Gion Festival originated during an epidemic as part of a purification ritual (goryo-e) to appease the gods thought to cause fire, floods, and earthquakes. In 869, when people were suffering from a plague attributed to vengeful spirits, Emperor Seiwa ordered prayers to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the god of the Yasaka Shrine. Sixty-six stylized and decorated halberds, one for each of the traditional provinces of Japan, were prepared and erected at Shinsen-en, a garden in the south of the imperial palace, along with mikoshi ( 'portable shrines') from Yasaka Shrine. This practice was repeated wherever an outbreak of plague occurred. By the year 1000, the festival became an annual event and it has since seldom failed to take place. During the civil Onin War (under the Ashikaga shogunate), central Kyoto was devastated, and the festival was halted for three decades in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Later in the 16th century, it was revived by the shogun Oda Nobunaga. Over the centuries, some floats have been destroyed or otherwise lost, and in recent years several have been restored. Float neighborhood associations sometimes purchase antique tapestries to replace worn or destroyed ones, or commission replicas from industrial weavers in Kyoto, or design and commission new ones from the weavers of Kyoto's famous traditional Nishijin weaving district. When they are not in use, the floats and regalia are kept in special storehouses throughout the central district of Kyoto, or at Yasaka Shrine. The festival serves as an important setting in Yasunari Kawabata's novel, The Old Capital, in which he describes the Gion Festival as one of "the 'three great festivals' of the old capital", along with the Festival of Ages and the Aoi Festival. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri TAGS: Gion Matsuri, Gion faith, 9th-century establishments in Japan, Summer events in Japan, 1530s in Japan, 970 establishments, 869 establishments, Cultural festivals in Japan, Tourist attractions in Kyoto, Shinto in Kyoto, Shinto festivals, Festivals in Kyoto, Religious festivals in Japan #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #GionMatsuri

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first full week of October, and has over 500 hot air balloons each year far from its beginnings of merely 13 balloons in 1972. The event is the largest balloon festival in the world, followed by the Grand Est Mondial Air in France, and the León International Balloon Festival in Mexico. HISTORY The Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 as the highlight of a 50th birthday celebration for 770 KOB Radio. Radio station manager Dick McKee asked Sid Cutter, owner of Cutter Flying Service and the first person to own a hot air balloon in New Mexico, if KOB could use his new hot-air balloon as part of the festivities. The two began discussing ballooning, along with conversation and help from Oscar Kratz, and McKee asked what the largest gathering of hot air balloons to date had been (which had been 19 balloons in England). Kratz asked "Can we get 19 here?" Cutter agreed to try. He got commitments from 21 pilots, but bad weather kept some of them from arriving in time. The first fiesta ended up as a gathering of 13 balloons on April 8, 1972, sponsored by KOB. The first event was located in the parking lot of the Coronado Center Shopping Mall with 20,000 spectators and with balloonists from Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas taking part. McKee, Cutter, and Kratz are the three men who had originally started the balloon races. The first fiesta incorporated a "Roadrunner-Coyote Balloon Race" with 1 balloon being the "Roadrunner" and the others being "Coyote" balloons (the "Roadrunner" balloon was actually emblazoned with likenesses of both Warner Bros. characters). The winner of the race - the "Coyote" that landed closest to the Roadrunner - was Don Piccard, flying a balloon of his company's design and construction (his wife also placed in the race). This race has continued as part of the Balloon Fiesta today. The next year Albuquerque hosted the first World Hot-Air Balloon Championships in February and the fiesta became an international event. In 1975 Albuquerque was looking at hosting the World Championships again, but the event was scheduled for October. So the fiesta was moved to correspond with the championships. To maintain interest in Albuquerque's bid to host the championships, a balloon rally was held in February of that year. Autumn being a far better flying time than February, the event has remained in early October to the present day. The Balloon Fiesta grew each year for decades, and today is the largest balloon convention in the world. The number of registered balloons reached a peak of 1,019 in 2000, prompting the Balloon Fiesta Board to limit the number to 750 starting in 2001, citing a desire for "quality over quantity". The limit was changed to 600 in 2009 –; citing recent growth in the city and a loss of landing zones. On any given day during the festival, up to 100,000 spectators may be on the launch field where they are provided the rare opportunity to observe inflation and take off procedures. Countless more people gather at landing sites all over the city to watch incoming balloons. The limit was increased to 1,000 in 2011. The Balloon Fiesta 49th Edition, like most public gatherings in 2020, was postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed the next year. EVENTS LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta TAGS: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Sports festivals in the United States, Festivals in New Mexico, Festivals established in 1972, Tourist attractions in Albuquerque New Mexico, Culture of Albuquerque New Mexico, Hot air balloon festivals in the United States #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #AlbuquerqueInternationalBalloonFiesta

The Boryeong Mud Festival is an annual festival which takes place during the summer in Boryeong, a town around 200 km south of Seoul, South Korea. The first Mud Festival was staged in 1998 and, by 2007, the festival attracted 2.2 million visitors to Boryeong. The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats, and trucked to the Daecheon beach area, where it is used as the centrepiece of the 'Mud Experience Land'. The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics. The festival was originally conceived as a marketing vehicle for Boryeong mud cosmetics. Although the festival takes place over a period of around two weeks, it is most famous for its final weekend, which is popular with Korea's western population. The final weekend of the festival is normally on the second weekend in July. HISTORY In 1997 a range of cosmetics was produced using mud from the Boryeong mud flats. The clothes were said to be full of minerals, bentonites, and germaniums, all of which occur naturally in the mud from the area. In order to promote these cosmetics, the Boryeong Mud Festival was conceived. Through this festival, it was hoped people would learn more about the mud and the cosmetics. ATTRACTIONS For the period of the festival several large attractions are erected in the seafront area of Daecheon. These include a mud pool, mud slides, mud prison and mud skiing competitions. This is a ticketed event and the tickets can be purchased online or at the venue. Colored mud is also produced for body painting. A large stage is erected on the beach, which is used for live music, competitions and various other visual attractions. A small market runs along the seafront selling cosmetics made using the mud from Boryeong. Various health and beauty clinics offer massages, acupuncture and other treatments utilising the medicinal qualities of the mud. The festival is closed with a large firework display. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boryeong_Mud_Festival TAGS: Boryeong Mud Festival, Annual events in South Korea, Boryeong, Festivals in South Korea, Recurring events established in 1998, Tourist attractions in South Chungcheong Province #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #BoryeongMudFestival

The Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or late-September to around the first Sunday in October, with more than six million international and national visitors attending the event. Locally, it is called d’Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event. During the event, large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed. For example, during the 16-day festival in 2014, 7.7 million litres (2,000,000 US gal) were served, making it the year where the most beer was consumed at the Oktoberfest. Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, such as amusement rides, sidestalls, and games. There is also a wide variety of traditional foods available. The Munich Oktoberfest originally took place in the 16-day period leading up to the first Sunday in October. In 1994, this longstanding schedule was modified in response to German reunification. As a result, if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or the 2nd, then the festival would run until 3 October (German Unity Day). Thus, the festival now runs for 17 days when the first Sunday is 2 October and 18 days when it is 1 October. In 2010, the festival lasted until the first Monday in October (4 October), to mark the event's bicentennial. HISTORY Kronprinz Ludwig (1786 to 1868), later King Ludwig I (reign: 1825 to 1848), married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event. The fields were named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's Meadow") in honour of the Crown Princess, and have kept that name ever since, although the locals have abbreviated the name simply to Wiesn. Horse races, in the tradition of the 15th-century Scharlachrennen (Scarlet Race at Karlstor), were held on 18 October to honor the newlyweds. It is widely believed that Andreas Michael Dall'Armi, a major in the National Guard, proposed the idea. However, the origins of the horse races, and Oktoberfest itself, may have stemmed from proposals offered by Franz Baumgartner, a coachman and sergeant in the National Guard. The precise origins of the festival and horse races remain a matter of controversy. However, the decision to repeat the horse races, spectacle, and celebrations in 1811 launched what is now the annual Oktoberfest tradition. The fairground, once outside the city, was chosen due to its natural suitability, which it still holds today. The Sendlinger Hill (today Theresienhohe) was used as a grandstand for 40,000 race spectators. The festival grounds remained undeveloped, except for the king's tent. The tastings of "Traiteurs" and other wine and beer took place above the visitors in the stands on the hill. Before the race started, a performance was held in homage of the bridegroom and of the royal family in the form of a train of 16 pairs of children dressed in Wittelsbach costumes, and costumes from the nine Bavarian townships and other regions. This was followed by the punishing race with 30 horses on a 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) long racetrack, and concluded with the singing of a student choir. The first horse to cross the finish line belonged to Franz Baumgartner (one of the purported festival initiators). Horse racing champion and Minister of State Maximilian von Montgelas presented Baumgartner with his gold medal. TRANSFORMATION INTO A PUBLIC FESTIVAL LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest TAGS: Oktoberfest, COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Festivals established in 1810, Tourist attractions in Munich, September events, October events, German folklore, Festivals in Munich, Beer festivals in Germany, Autumn festivals, Annual events in Munich, 1810 establishments in Bavaria, Oktoberfest #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #Oktoberfest

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, especially amongst Irish diaspora. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. However, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people. SAINT PATRICK Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and Bishop in Ireland. Much of what is known about Saint Patrick comes from the Declaration, which was allegedly written by Patrick himself. It is believed that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. According to the Declaration, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and that during this time he found God. The Declaration says that God told Patrick to flee to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home. After making his way home, Patrick went on to become a priest. According to tradition, Patrick returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. The Declaration says that he spent many years evangelising in the northern half of Ireland and converted thousands. Patrick's efforts were eventually turned into an allegory in which he drove "snakes", heathen practices, out of Ireland, despite the fact that actual snakes were not known to inhabit the region. Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland's foremost saint. CELEBRATION AND TRADITIONS Today's Saint Patrick's Day celebrations have been greatly influenced by those that developed among the Irish diaspora, especially in North America. Until the late 20th century, Saint Patrick's Day was often a bigger celebration among the diaspora than it was in Ireland. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, Irish traditional music sessions (céilithe), and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. There are also formal gatherings such as banquets and dances, although these were more common in the past. Saint Patrick's Day parades began in North America in the 18th century... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day TAGS: Saint Patrick's Day, Patronal festivals in Ireland, British flag flying days, Anglican saints, Spring (season) events in the Republic of Ireland, Public holidays in the United States, Saints days, Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland, Public holidays in Mexico, Public holidays in Canada, Parades, Observances in Australia, National days, March observances, Irish-New Zealand culture, Irish-Canadian culture, Irish-Australian culture, Irish-American culture, Irish folklore, Irish culture, Festivals in Ireland, Catholic Church in the United States, Catholic holy days, 1903 establishments in Ireland, 1783 establishments in Ireland, Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #SaintPatrick'sDay

Koningsdag or King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27th is a Sunday), the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. When the Dutch monarch is female, the holiday is known as Koninginnedag or Queen's Day and, under Queen Beatrix until 2013, was celebrated on 30 April. The holiday was initially observed on 31 August 1885 as Prinsessedag or Princess's Day, the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, then heir presumptive to the Dutch throne. On her accession in November 1890 the holiday acquired the name Koninginnedag, first celebrated on 31 August 1891. In September 1948, Wilhelmina's daughter Juliana ascended to the throne and the holiday was moved to her birthday, 30 April. The holiday was celebrated on this date from 1949. Juliana's daughter, Beatrix, retained the celebration on 30 April after she ascended the throne in 1980, though her birthday was on 31 January. Beatrix altered her mother's custom of receiving a floral parade at Soestdijk Palace, instead choosing to visit different Dutch towns each year and join in the festivities with her children. In 2009, the Queen was celebrating Queen's Day in the city of Apeldoorn when a man attempted to attack her by trying to ram the royal family's bus with his car; instead he drove into a crowd of people and crashed into a monument: seven people in the crowd were killed, as was the driver. Queen Beatrix abdicated on Koninginnedag 2013, and her son, Willem-Alexander, ascended the throne (the first king since the observance of the national holiday). As a result, the holiday became known as Koningsdag from 2014 on, and the celebration was moved three days ahead to 27 April, his actual birthday. Koningsdag is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt ("free market"), at which the Dutch sell their used items. It is also an opportunity for "orange madness" or oranjegekte, a kind of frenzy named for the national colour. HISTORY WILHELMINA (1885–1948) Faced with an unpopular monarchy, in the 1880s the liberals in Dutch government sought a means of promoting national unity. King William III was disliked, but his four-year-old daughter Princess Wilhelmina was not. A holiday honouring King William had been intermittently held on his birthday, and J. W. R. Gerlach, editor of the newspaper Utrechts Provinciaal en Stedelijk Dagblad, proposed that the princess's birthday be observed as an opportunity for patriotic celebration and national reconciliation. Prinsessedag or Princess's Day was first celebrated in the Netherlands on 31 August 1885, Wilhelmina's fifth birthday. The young princess was paraded through the streets, waving to the crowds. The first observance occurred only in Utrecht, but other municipalities quickly began to observe it, organizing activities for children. Further processions were held in the following years, and when Wilhelmina inherited the throne in 1890, Prinsessedag was renamed Koninginnedag, or Queen's Day. By then almost every Dutch town and city was marking the holiday. The celebration proved popular, and when the Queen came of age in 1898, her inauguration was postponed six days to 6 September so as not to interfere with Koninginnedag. The annual holiday fell on the final day of school summer vacation, which made it popular among schoolchildren. It is uncertain how much Wilhelmina enjoyed the festivities; although writer Mike Peek, in a 2011 magazine article about Koninginnedag, suggests she was enthusiastic, there is a story of Wilhelmina, after a tired return from one of these birthday processions, making her doll bow until the toy's hair was dishevelled, and telling it, "Now you shall sit in a carriage and bow until your back aches, and see how much you like being a Queen!" Koninginnedag... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koningsdag TAGS: Koningsdag, Annual events in the Netherlands, Articles containing video clips, Birthdays of heads of state, National holidays, National days, Dutch words and phrases, Public holidays in the Netherlands, Dutch monarchy, April observances #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #Koningsdag

The festival of San Fermín is a weeklong, historically rooted celebration held annually in the city of Pamplona, Navarre, in northern Spain. The celebrations start at noon on July 6 and continue until midnight on July 14. A firework starts off the celebrations and the popular song Pobre de mí is sung at the end. The most famous event is the running of the bulls, which begins at 8 in the morning from July 7 to 14, but the festival involves many other traditional and folkloric events. It is known locally as Sanfermines and is held in honour of Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarre. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, which brought it to the general attention of the English-speaking world. It has become probably the most internationally renowned festival in Spain with over a million people coming to participate. HISTORY SAINT FERMÍN Fermín is said to have been the son of a Roman of senatorial rank in Pamplona in the 3rd century, who was converted to Christianity by Saint Honestus, a disciple of Saint Saturninus. According to tradition, he was baptised by Saturninus (in Navarre also known as Saint Cernin) at the spot now known as the "Small Well of Saint Cernin" Fermín was ordained a priest in Toulouse, and returned to Pamplona as its first bishop. On a later preaching voyage, Fermín was dragged to death; and is now considered a martyr in the Catholic Church. It is believed he died on September 25, AD 303. There is no written record of veneration of the Saint in Pamplona until the 12th century. Saint Fermín, as well as Saint Francis Xavier, are now the two patrons of Navarre. In Pamplona, Saint Fermín is now sometimes said to have met his end by being dragged through the streets with angry bulls running after him, hence the tradition. The celebration of the festival has its origin in the combination of two different medieval events. Commercial secular fairs were held at the beginning of the summer. As cattle merchants came into town with their animals, eventually bullfighting came to be organised as a part of the tradition. Specifically, they were first documented in the 14th century. On the other hand, religious ceremonies honouring the saint were held on October 10. However, in 1591 they were transferred to July 7 to take place at the same time as the fair, when Pamplona's weather is better. This is considered to be the beginning of the Sanfermines. During medieval times acts included an opening speech, musicians, tournaments, theatre, bullfights, dances or even fireworks. Bullrunning appears in 17th and 18th century chronicles together with the presence of foreigners and the first concerns about the excessive drinking and dissolute behaviour during the event. Finally, the Parade of Giants was created in the mid-19th century. The first official bullring was constructed in 1844. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_San_Fermín TAGS: Festival of San Fermín, Tourist attractions in Navarre, Navarre culture, July events, Patronal festivals in Spain #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #FestivalofSanFermín

La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in the east of Spain 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Since 1945 it has been held on the last Wednesday of August, during a week of festivities in Buñol. HISTORY La Tomatina Festival started the last Wednesday of August in 1945 when some young people spent time in the town square to attend the Giants and Big-Heads figures parade. The young people decided to take part in a parade with musicians, Giants and Big-Heads figures. One participant's Big-head fell off, as a result of the festivities. The participant flew into a fit of rage, and began hitting everything in their path. There was a market stall of vegetables that fell victim to the fury of the crowd, as people started to pelt each other with tomatoes until the local forces ended the fruit battle. The following year, some young people engaged in a pre-planned quarrel and brought their own tomatoes from home. Although the local forces broke it up, this began the yearly tradition. In the following years, the boys' example was followed by thousands of people. La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950s by Francisco Franco due to the festival's lack of religious importance, however, this did not stop the participants, who were arrested. The people protested the prohibition and the festival was again allowed with more participants. The festivity was again canceled until 1957 when, as a sign of protest, a tomato burial was held. It was a demonstration in which the residents carried a coffin with a huge tomato inside. The parade was accompanied by a music band that played funeral marches. The protest was successful, and La Tomatina Festival was finally permitted and became an official festival. As a result of the report of Javier Basilio, a broadcaster from the Spanish television program called Informe Semanal, the festival started to be known throughout the rest of Spain. Since then, the number of participants increased year after year as well as the excitement about La Tomatina Festival. In 2002, La Tomatina of Buñol was declared a Festivity of International Tourist Interest by the Secretary Department of Tourism due to its popularity. The 2020 event, which was to be its 75th anniversary, was cancelled in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. It had only been cancelled once before, in 1957, for political reasons. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 event was also cancelled. DESCRIPTION Events during the days before the fight include a paella contest near the town’s square, tomato fireworks, and different music bands and parades around the medieval city center. On Wednesday morning, the first event before the tomato battle is the “Palo Jabón”, centered on a long greased pole with a piece of ham at its top. The goal is for participants to climb the pole and make the ham drop, which requires them to climb on each other. During this effort, other celebrants sing and dance in circles, and all participants are doused with water from hoses. Once the ham falls, the tomato battle commences. Usually, the fight lasts for about one hour, after which the town square is covered with tomato debris. Fire trucks then hose down the streets and participants often use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomatoes from their bodies. Some participants go to the Los Peñones pool to wash. The citric acid in the tomatoes leads to the washed surfaces in the town becoming very clean. Since 2013 participation in the event has been restricted to the 20,000 holders of paid tickets. In 2015, it was estimated that almost 145,000 kg (320,000 lb) of tomatoes were thrown. The city council prescribes a short list of... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Tomatina TAGS: La Tomatina, Tomatoes, Valencian culture, Food and drink festivals in Spain, Festivals in Spain, August events #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #LaTomatina

The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the Western Christian tradition). Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, but the season actually begins on King’s Day (12th Night), January 6th, and extends until midnight before Ash Wednesday. Club, or Krewe, balls start soon after, though most are extremely private, with their Kings and Queens coming from wealthy old families and their courts consisting of the season’s debutantes. Most of the high society Krewes do not stage parades. As Fat Tuesday gets nearer, the parades start in earnest. Usually there is one major parade each day (weather permitting); many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the Mardi Gras season. In the final week, many events occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities, including parades and balls (some of them masquerade balls). The parades in New Orleans are organized by social clubs known as krewes; most follow the same parade schedule and route each year. The earliest-established krewes were the Mistick Krewe of Comus, the earliest, Rex, the Knights of Momus and the Krewe of Proteus. Several modern "super krewes" are well known for holding large parades and events (often featuring celebrity guests), such as the Krewe of Endymion, the Krewe of Bacchus, as well as the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club—a predominantly African American krewe. Float riders traditionally toss throws into the crowds. The most common throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons, decorated plastic "throw cups", and small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year. While many tourists center their Carnival season activities on Bourbon Street, major parades originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter. Walking parades - most notably the Krewe du Vieux and 'tit Rex - also take place downtown in the Faubourg Marigny and French Quarter in the weekends preceding Mardi Gras Day. Mardi Gras Day traditionally concludes with the "Meeting of the Courts" between Rex and Comus. HISTORY EARLY HISTORY The first record of Mardi Gras being celebrated in Louisiana was at the mouth of the Mississippi River in what is now lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on March 2, 1699. Iberville, Bienville, and their men celebrated it as part of an observance of Catholic practice. The date of the first celebration of the festivities in New Orleans is unknown. A 1730 account by Marc-Antoine Caillot celebrating with music and dance, masking and costuming (including cross-dressing). An account from 1743 that the custom of Carnival balls was already established. Processions and wearing of masks in the streets on Mardi Gras took place. They were sometimes prohibited by law, and were quickly renewed whenever such restrictions were lifted or enforcement waned. In 1833, Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a rich plantation owner of French descent raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration. James R. Creecy in his book Scenes in the South, and Other Miscellaneous Pieces describes New Orleans Mardi Gras in 1835: Shrove Tuesday is a day to be remembered by strangers in New Orleans, for that is the day for fun, frolic, and comic masquerading. All of the mischief of the city is alive and wide awake in active operation. Men and boys, women and girls, bond and free, white and black, yellow and brown, exert themselves to invent and appear in grotesque, quizzical, diabolic, horrible,... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_in_New_Orleans TAGS: Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnivals in the United States, Tourist attractions in New Orleans, Festivals in New Orleans, Economy of New Orleans, Mardi Gras in New Orleans #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #MardiGrasinNewOrleans

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important festivals in Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with conflagrations between good and evil entities. Diwali is a post-harvest festival celebrating the bounty following the arrival of the monsoon in the subcontinent. It is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) and Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). In Hinduism it generally lasts five or six days. Diwali is connected to various religious mythical events or personalities. The day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon Ravana. Birth of Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity). Ganesha (god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles). Other regional traditions connects the holiday to Sita and Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, Durga, Shiva, Kali, Hanuman, Kubera, Yama, Yami, Dhanvantari, or Vishvakarman. During the festival, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs illuminate their homes, temples and workspaces with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns Hindus, in particular, have a ritual oil bath at dawn on each day of the festival. Diwali is also marked with fireworks and the decoration of floors with rangoli designs, and other parts of the house with jhalars. Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai. The festival is an annual homecoming and bonding period not only for families, but also for communities and associations, particularly those in urban areas, which will organise activities, events and gatherings. Many towns organise community parades and fairs with parades or music and dance performances in parks. Some Hindus, Jains and Sikhs will send Diwali greeting cards to family near and far during the festive season, occasionally with boxes of Indian confectionery. Another aspect of the festival is remembering the ancestors. Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali is now also celebrated by other faiths. The Jains observe their own Diwali which marks the final liberation of Mahavira, the Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas to mark the release of Guru Hargobind from a Mughal prison. Newar Buddhists, unlike other Buddhists, celebrate Diwali by worshipping Lakshmi, while the Hindus of Eastern India and Bangladesh generally celebrate Diwali by worshipping the goddess Kali. Diwali is also a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora. The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. ETYMOLOGY Diwali —also known as Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali —comes from the Sanskrit dīpāvali meaning "row or series of lights". The term is derived from the Sanskrit words dīpa, "lamp, light, lantern, candle, that which glows, shines, illuminates or knowledge" and āvali, "a row, range, continuous line, series". DATES The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest. It coincides with the new moon (amāvasyā) and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The festivities begin two days before amāvasyā, on Dhanteras, and extend two days after, until the second (or 17th) day of the month of Kartik. (According to Indologist Constance Jones, this night ends the lunar month of Ashwin and starts the month of Kartik – but see this note and Amanta and Purnima systems.) The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival climax is on... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali TAGS: Diwali, Public holidays in Myanmar, Traditions involving fire, Sikh festivals, Religious festivals in India, Public holidays in Trinidad and Tobago, Public holidays in Sri Lanka, Public holidays in Singapore, Public holidays in Nepal, Public holidays in Mauritius, Public holidays in Malaysia, Public holidays in India, Public holidays in Fiji, Festivals in Jharkhand, Hindu festivals in India, October observances, November observances, Jain festivals, Hindu festivals, Harvest festivals in India, Fireworks events in Asia, Festivals in Nepal, Festivals in India, Autumn festivals, Diwali #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #Diwali

The Day of the Dead (or as it's known in Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage. Although related to the simultaneous Christian remembrances for Hallowtide, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration rather than mourning. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and to remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed. Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras and marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased. The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, to share traditional pan de muerto with family and friends, and to write light-hearted and often irreverent verses in the form of mock epitaphs dedicated to living friends and acquaintances, a literary form known as calaveras literarias. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. ORIGINS, HISTORY, AND SIMILARITIES TO OTHER FESTIVITIES Mexican academics are divided on whether the festivity has genuine indigenous pre-Hispanic roots or whether it is a 20th-century rebranded version of a Spanish tradition developed during the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas to encourage Mexican nationalism through an "Aztec" identity. The festivity has become a national symbol in recent decades and it is taught in the nation's school system asserting a native origin. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Views differ on whether the festivity has indigenous pre-Hispanic roots, whether it is a more modern adaptation of an existing European tradition, or a combination of both as a manifestation of syncretism. Similar traditions can be traced back to Medieval Europe, where celebrations like All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are observed on the same days in places like Spain and Southern Europe. Critics of the native American origin claim that even though pre-Columbian Mexico had traditions that honored the dead, current depictions of the festivity have more in common with European traditions of Danse macabre and their allegories of life and death personified in the human skeleton to remind us the ephemeral nature of life. Over the past decades, however, Mexican academia has increasingly questioned the validity of this assumption, even going as far as calling it a politically motivated fabrication. Historian Elsa Malvido, researcher for the Mexican INAH and founder of the institute's Taller de Estudios sobre la Muerte, was the first to do so in the context of her wider research into Mexican attitudes to death and disease across the centuries. Malvido completely discards a native or even syncretic origin arguing that the tradition can be fully traced to Medieval Europe. She highlights the existence of similar traditions on the same day, not just in Spain, but in the rest of Catholic Southern Europe and Latin America such as altars for the dead, sweets in the shape of skulls and bread in the shape of bones. Agustin Sanchez Gonzalez has a similar view in his article published in the INAH's bi-monthly journal... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead TAGS: Day of the Dead, Allhallowtide, Festivals in El Salvador, Parades in Mexico, Religious festivals in Mexico, Observances honoring the dead, October observances, Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Mexican folklore, November observances, Latin American folklore, Latin American culture, Mexican-American culture, Mexican culture, Religious holidays, Folk festivals in Mexico, Day of the Dead #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #DayoftheDead

Obon or just Bon is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon Odori. The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however, its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, the localities in Japan responded differently, which resulted in three different times of Obon. Shichigatsu Bon (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around the 15th of July in eastern Japan (Kantō region such as Tokyo, Yokohama and the Tōhoku region), coinciding with Chūgen. Hachigatsu Bon (Bon in August), based on the lunar calendar, is celebrated around the 15th of August and is the most commonly celebrated time. Kyū Bon (Old Bon) is celebrated on the 15th day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, and so differs each year, which appears between August 8 and September 7. Exceptions occurred in 2008 and 2019, when the solar and lunar calendar matched, and so Hachigatsu Bon and Kyū Bon were celebrated on the same day. Kyū Bon is celebrated in areas such as the northern part of the Kantō region, Chūgoku region, Shikoku, and Okinawa Prefecture. These three festival days are not listed as public holidays, but it is customary for people to be given leave. HISTORY OF BON MATSURI The Japanese Bon Festival originated from the Ghost Festival of China, which is itself a combination of the Buddhist Yúlánpén Festival and the Taoist Zhongyuan Festival. The Buddhist tradition originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother only to discover she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Mokuren did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the sacrifices she had made for him during her lifetime. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release from suffering and grateful for her many kindnesses, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes the Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time during which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated. See also: Ullambana Sutra. As Obon occurs in the heat of the summer, participants traditionally wear yukata, a kind of light cotton kimono. Many Obon celebrations include a huge carnival with rides, games, and summer festival foods. During the festival, families traditionally sent their ancestors' spirits back to their permanent dwelling place under the guidance of fire in a ritual known as Okuribi ("sending fire"), or, in a larger scale, the Burning of the Character Big in the mountain. Fire also marks the commencement (Mukaebi) as well as the closing of the festival. Another significant ritual practiced during the Obon festival in Japan is to craft a cucumber horse and eggplant cow, known as shōryō uma ("spirit horse") or ushi uma ("cow horse"), that act as a vessel for the ancestors to come back home and return, respectively. ETYMOLOGY The Japanese word obon is composed of the honorific prefix o- and the word bon.... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_(festival) TAGS: Bon (festival), Buddhism and death, September observances, Observances set by the traditional Japanese calendar, Articles containing video clips, August observances, July observances, Buddhist holidays, Buddhist festivals in Japan, Observances honoring the dead #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #Bon(festival)

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a festival held every year before Lent; it is considered the biggest carnival in the world, with two million people per day on the streets. The first Carnival festival in Rio occurred in 1723. The typical Rio carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and adornments from numerous samba schools which are located in Rio (more than 200 approximately, divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is composed of a collaboration of local neighbours that want to attend the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background. There is a special order that every school has to follow with their parade entries. Each school begins with the "comissão de frente" (meaning "Front Commission"), that is the group of people from the school that appear first. Made of ten to fifteen people, the comissão de frente introduces the school and sets the mood and style of their presentation. These people have choreographed dances in elaborate costumes that usually tell a short story. Following the "comissão de frente" is the first float of the samba school, called "abre-alas" ("Opening Wing"). These are followed by the Mestre-sala and Porta-Bandeira ("Master of Ceremonies and Flag Bearer"), with one to four pairs, one active and three reserve, to lead the dancers, which include the old guard veterans and the "ala das baianas", with the drum line battery at the rear and sometimes a brass section and guitars. HISTORY The Rio Carnival celebration dates back to the 1650s. During that time, elaborate feasts were organized to give honor to the Greek wine gods. The Romans used to worship Bacchus, the god of the grape-harvest. The festival ‘Entrudo’ was introduced by the Portuguese and this inspired the birth of the Carnival in Brazil. In 1840, the very first Rio masquerade took place, and polka and waltz took center stage. Africans subsequently influenced the Carnival with the introduction of Samba music in 1917, which is now considered a traditional Brazilian form. There was no carnival in 1915 to 18 or 1940–45. Once more it was canceled with strict warnings against clandestine celebrations in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and was postponed in 2022 for similar reasons. It returned in 2023. SAMBA SCHOOL PARADE The first Samba school parades were held in Praça Onze region, now the neighborhood of Cidade Nova, also known as “Big Africa”, the birthplace of the Carioca Carnival parade as it is known today, where a huge number of Afro-Brazilians had have a presence since the 1890s and the beginning of the Republic. The pre-existing traditions of ranches and Cordão carnavalesco that dated from the Empire among the free African communities, which would be combined into carnival blocks by the 1920s, would evolve into their ultimate form - the Rio samba school. Future Estácio de Sá, together with Portela and Estação Primeira de Mangueira paraded for the first time in the city in 1929. All three were former carnival blocks which transformed into schools with professional staffing and city support. In 1930, seven schools were already active in the city. With the works of in Avenida Presidente Vargas, the parade moved there, and from 1942 to 1945 the parade was held in São Januário. From 1952 temporary stands for the public were annually assembled, and in 1961 paid tickets made their debut to take advantage of the rising international and national interest and the increasing tourist arrivals. In 1974, due to the works of the subway, the parade was held on Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, from where it was also broadcast for the first time in color television. In 1978, the parade was transferred to the Marquês de Sapucaí Avenue, where it remains up to this day. In 1983, the then... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Carnival TAGS: Rio Carnival #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #RioCarnival

Joseph Patrick Bamford, better known by his ring name Jock McAvoy, was a British boxer who fought from 1927 to 1945. He held the British Empire Middleweight Championship from 1933 to 1939, and took the British Empire Light Heavyweight Title in April 1937 by knocking out Eddie Phillips. EARLY LIFE Bamford was born in Burnley, Lancashire, but was billed as being from Rochdale. BOXING CAREER Bamford adopted the name Jock McAvoy so that his mother did not realize he was boxing. Initially discovered, trained and managed by Joseph Tolley at Tolley's famous Rochdale Boxing Club, he was known as the Rochdale thunder bolt. During his career he held the British and Commonwealth middleweight and light heavyweight titles. McAvoy's bid to capture the European middleweight crown was derailed when he lost a unanimous decision to future world middleweight champion Marcel Thil of France in Paris on 15 January 1935. On 10 August 1931 McAvoy officially held the BBBofC Northern Area Middleweight Title when he defeated Joe Lowthner at King's Hall in Manchester, England. Lowthner's corner through in the towel, ending the bout in eight of fifteen rounds. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_McAvoy TAGS: Jock McAvoy, Drug-related suicides in England, English male boxers, Sportspeople from Rochdale, Light-heavyweight boxers, 1971 suicides #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #JockMcAvoy

Bobby Chacon was an American professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1988. He held titles in two weight classes, including the WBC featherweight title from September 1974 to June 1975 and the WBC super featherweight title from December 1982 to June 1983. BIOGRAPHY EARLY CAREER Born in Pacoima, in the San Fernando Valley, Chacon, who was of Mexican descent, graduated from San Fernando High School and turned professional in 1972 while a student at California State University, Northridge, leading to the nickname "Schoolboy". He trained under Joe Ponce and won his first 19 fights, including a win against former champion Jesus Castillo. Fourteen months into his professional career, Chacon faced world champion Rubén Olivares but lost the bout when Olivares scored a ninth-round knock out. After suffering his first defeat against Olivares, Chacon won his next four bouts, then faced off against cross-town rival and future champion Danny Lopez. Chacon outboxed Lopez and stopped him in the ninth round in an exciting fight. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Chacon TAGS: Bobby Chacon, People with dementia, Super-featherweight boxers, American male boxers, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, San Fernando High School alumni, People from Pacoima Los Angeles, World boxing champions, Boxers from California, American boxers of Mexican descent #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #BobbyChacon

Jens Ingemar "Ingo" Johansson was a Swedish professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1963. He held the world heavyweight title from 1959 to 1960, and was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside the United States. Johansson won the title by defeating Floyd Patterson via third-round stoppage, after flooring him seven times in that round. For this achievement, Johansson was awarded the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year—the only non-American in its entire 27-year first run—and was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Johansson also held the European heavyweight title twice, from 1956 to 1958 and from 1962 to 1963. As an amateur he won a silver medal in the heavyweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He affectionately named his right fist "toonder and lightning" for its concussive power (it was also called "Ingo's bingo" and the "Hammer of Thor"), and in 2003 he was ranked at No. 99 on The Ring magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. PROFESSIONAL CAREER EARLY YEARS Johansson's introduction to the top rank of the sport was inauspicious. At age nineteen he was disqualified for passivity at the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics in the heavyweight competition in a fight against eventual Olympic gold medalist Ed Sanders. Johansson maintained he was not evading Sanders (who also got a warning for passivity), but rather was trying to tire his opponent. Johansson said he had been limited to a 10-day training camp, had only trained with newcomers, and had been told by his coach to let Sanders be the aggressor. Nevertheless, his silver medal was withheld for poor performance and only presented to him in 1982. Johansson had earned his spot in the Olympics by winning the Swedish National Championship earlier the same year, 1952, after he knocked out his opponent in the first round of the final. After the Olympics Johansson went into seclusion for six months and considered quitting boxing. However, he returned to the ring and turned professional under the guidance of the Swedish publisher and boxing promoter Edwin Ahlquist, subsequently winning his first 21 professional fights. He won the Scandinavian pro title by knocking down and outscoring the Dane Erik Jensen (breaking his right hand in the process). A broken hand and a one-year military service kept him out of the ring until late 1954. In August 1955, in his twelfth professional fight, Johansson knocked out former European Heavyweight Champion Hein ten Hoff in the first round. He took the Scandinavian heavyweight title in 1953 and, on 30 September 1956, he won the European Heavyweight Championship by scoring a 13th-round KO over Italy's Franco Cavicchi in Milan. Johansson successfully defended his European crown against ranked heavyweights Henry Cooper (fifth-round KO on 19 May 1957) and Joe Erskine, with a TKO in round 13 on 21 February 1958. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingemar_Johansson TAGS: Ingemar Johansson, Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics, Swedish male boxers, European Boxing Union champions, Olympic medalists in boxing, Deaths from pneumonia in Sweden, World heavyweight boxing champions, World Boxing Association champions, Sportspeople from Gothenburg, Olympic silver medalists for Sweden, Olympic boxers of Sweden, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Heavyweight boxers, Boxers at the 1952 Summer Olympics #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #IngemarJohansson

Humberto González is a Mexican former professional boxing champion. He held the WBC three times, IBF and Lineal Jr. Flyweight titles. He was nicknamed Chiquita. PROFESSIONAL CAREER Gonzalez made his professional boxing debut on September 1, 1984 in Mexico City with a four round decision win over Jorge Ortega Perez. Little over three months later, he had his first knockout win, as he beat Narciso Perez in the first round. The win over Perez began a streak of 18 knockout wins in a row for Gonzalez, mostly against little known Mexican opposition. The streak lasted until September 26, 1987, when he outpointed Mexican Jr. Flyweight champion Jorge Cano over 12 rounds to win the national title in Cancún. In 1988, he won four fights, all by knockout. He retained the national belt against Jose Luis Zepeda in six rounds at Tijuana, and Javier Vazquez, beaten in five at Mexico City. His next fight, on June 25, 1989, brought two firsts to his career: Celebrated in Chonju, South Korea, it was his first fight abroad. Being for the WBC world Jr. Flyweight championship, it was also his first world title try. Gonzalez outpointed world champion Yul-Woo Lee over 12 rounds to crown himself world champion. On December 9, he again fought in South Korea, retaining his world championship against former champion and future hall of fame member Jung-Koo Chang by a decision in 12. Chang had previously defended the same title a then division record 15 times before vacating it following a brief retirement the year prior. In 1990, Gonzalez retained the title four times, including a win against future champion Francisco Tejedor, but on December 19, he suffered a shocking defeat to Rolando Pascua, a boxer who was unknown to most boxing experts, in Inglewood. The knockout in round six suffered by Gonzalez that night cost him the world title. After a win in 1991, Gonzalez recovered the world title, by defeating the man who had taken the world championship away from Pascua: Melchor Cob Castro. Gonzalez and Castro met on June 3 at Las Vegas, and Gonzalez won a 12 round decision. In 1992, he retained the title four times, beating Castro in a rematch, reigning Olympic flyweight gold medalist Kim Kwang-sun, Domingo Sosa and former world champion Napa Kiatwanchai. By then, talks about a superfight between him and IBF world champion Michael Carbajal were common among boxing fans. The fight, which came on March 13, 1993, was the first million-dollar fight in Jr. Flyweight boxing history (both fighters were guaranteed one million dollars in earnings) and also the first Jr. Flyweight fight in history to head a Pay Per View boxing card. In front of many Hollywood stars and thousands of fans at the arena, Gonzalez dropped Carbajal in rounds two and five, but Carbajal recovered to knock Gonzalez out in round seven. He finished the year with two ten round decision wins, including one against Pablo Tiznado, a boxer who also fought against Alex Sanchez. Carbajal and Gonzalez met in a rematch February 19, 1994 at Inglewood, and the second time around, Gonzalez became a three time world Jr. Flyweight champion by beating Carbajal by decision in 12. With that win, he joined an exclusive group of boxers who have been world champions three times or more in the same division, alongside such others as Muhammad Ali, Carlos De León, Evander Holyfield and Sugar Ray Robinson. Gonzalez won two more fights, one a non-title bout, and the other a title defense versus Juan Domingo Córdoba. Then, on November 12 of the same year, he and Carbajal had a rubber match, this time in Mexico City. Gonzalez again prevailed, on points over 12 rounds. After retaining the title once in 1995, on July 15 of that year, he fought for the last time. Again, he dropped his rival, Saman Sorjaturong, a... LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_González TAGS: Humberto González, World boxing champions, World light-flyweight boxing champions, World Boxing Council champions, Mexican businesspeople, Boxers from the State of Mexico, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Living people, International Boxing Federation champions, People from Nezahualcóyotl #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #HumbertoGonzález

Fred Tobias Fulton, nicknamed "The Rochester Plasterer", was an American heavyweight professional boxer. BIOGRAPHY He was born in Blue Rapids, Kansas on April 19, 1891. Fulton made his professional debut in 1913 and did not retire from boxing until 1933. Fulton began his boxing career in the early twentieth century. His final record was 83 wins (72 by KO), 17 losses and 4 draws. In 2003 he was named to Ring magazine's' list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Fulton, although possessing a strong punch, had a checkered career against the other fighters of the era, and never landed a title fight. He did defeat Gunboat Smith, considered the best of the heavyweight contenders, on two occasions; by TKO on November 27, 1917, and by 2-round KO on April 7, 1920. He also defeated Carl Morris by disqualification on September 3, 1917, by 4-round KO on November 22, 1921 and by 4-round TKO on December 18, 1922; and Fireman Jim Flynn by 2-round KO March 17, 1916. Fulton was defeated by Carl Morris, by disqualification on April 3, 1914 and April 4, 1917, Al Palzer by 4-round KO on May 22, 1914; and Arthur Pelkey by 5-round KO on October 28, 1915. Fulton's dreams of obtaining a title fight were dashed when he was KO'd by Jack Dempsey in 18.6 seconds of the first round on July 27, 1918, and by Harry Wills in 3 rounds on July 26, 1920. At the time of his retirement Fulton had compiled a professional record of 84–19–4, with 70 wins coming by knockout. He died in Park Rapids, Minnesota on July 7, 1973. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Fulton TAGS: Fred Fulton, Heavyweight boxers, Boxers from Minnesota, American male boxers, People from Marshall County Minnesota, People from Park Rapids Minnesota #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #FredFulton

Charley White who was born Charles Anchowitz on 25 March 1891 in Liverpool, England was considered one of the best boxers of his era. White fought from 1906 until 1923. He made one ill-fated comeback attempt in 1930, but was ignominiously TKOed by Henry Perlick, a nondescript fighter who would not have stood a chance against White in his prime. White boxed in the United States for his entire career making his home in Chicago at the age of seven. Under current rules, his championship bouts with Willie Ritchie and Freddie Welsh, where he dealt more blows would have had him winning the bouts on points and taking the world lightweight championship, but when he fought only a knockout would have allowed him to win the match and the title. In 1958, Nat Fleischer, publisher of The Ring magazine rated Charley White the tenth greatest lightweight of all time. BIOGRAPHY In a nineteen year career, White fought the top contenders and champions in each of three weight classes: Abe Attell, Johnny Kilbane, and Johnny Dundee in the featherweight division; Ad Walgast, Willie Ritchie, Freddie Welsh, Benny Leonard and Rocky Kansas in the lightweight division; and Jack Britton, and Ted Kid Lewis in the welterweight division, for a total of ten champion opponents. EARLY LIFE AND CAREER Charles Anchowitz was born in Liverpool England to Jewish parents who brought him to America at the age of seven. His father, a struggling tailor from Russia, settled the family in the Jewish Ghetto on Chicago's West Side, the home of many great Jewish boxers including Barney Ross and Harry Harris. At thirteen, Charles contracted tuberculosis, a not uncommon illness in the Chicago ghetto, and sustained damage to one of his lungs. His father sent him to Chicago's O'Connell's Sports Club to build up his strength. After gaining weight and working out, Charles took up boxing at the club and within eighteen months was diagnosed free from tuberculosis. At fifteen, Anchowitz changed his name to White and began his professional boxing career. His brothers Jack White and Billy Wagner were also professional boxers. Impressively, in his career, White fought world champions a total of twenty-two times. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_White TAGS: Charley White, Lightweight boxers, Featherweight boxers, English male boxers, Boxers from Illinois, Jewish boxers, English Jews #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #CharleyWhite

Paul Berlenbach was the world light heavyweight boxing champion from May 30, 1925, when he wrested the crown from Mike McTigue, until July 16, 1926, when he was defeated by his nemesis Jack Delaney. The Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer rated him as the #10 best light heavyweight of all-time. Berlenbach was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1971 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. PROFESSIONAL CAREER WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Known as the "Astoria Assassin", Berlenbach was known for his punching power. The New York City-born Berlenbach was an AAU champion wrestler before turning to professional boxing in 1923. Eventually he scored a 10th-round TKO over former champion "Battling Siki" to earn a title shot against champion Mike McTigue. Described by writer Paul Gallico as "untutored, unlettered, slow-witted, slow-moving, and wholly lacking in animation or imagination", Berlenbach was, nevertheless, a formidable fighter. As Gallico noted, he possessed "a numbing, paralyzing body punch that caused his opponents suddenly to crumple up" as though shot. His weaknesses were his non-existent defense, and slow movements which enabled sharp shooting opponents, such as Jack Delaney, to hit him at will. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Berlenbach TAGS: Paul Berlenbach, Light-heavyweight boxers, Boxers from New York City #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #PaulBerlenbach

Isiah "Ike" Williams was a lightweight world boxing champion. He took the World Lightweight Championship in April 1945 and made eight successful defenses of the title against six different fighters prior to losing the championship to Jimmy Carter in 1951. Williams was known for his great right hand, and was named to The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time as well as The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year for 1948. Williams was The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year for 1948, was inducted into The Ring Boxing Hall of Fame (disbanded in 1987), and was an inaugural 1990 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. EARLY LIFE Williams was born in Brunswick, Georgia on August 2, 1923. He did not turn professional until 1940 when he began boxing in Trenton, New Jersey. According to boxing lore, Williams worked as a newsboy after his family's move to Trenton, and first began boxing using his fists to defend the corner where he sold his papers. PROFESSIONAL CAREER During his career, Williams faced and defeated former lightweight champions Sammy Angott, Bob Montgomery, and Beau Jack. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ike_Williams TAGS: Ike Williams, African Americans in World War II, African-American boxers, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, United States Army personnel of World War II, American male boxers, People from Brunswick Georgia, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, World lightweight boxing champions, Lightweight boxers, Boxers from Georgia (U.S. state) #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #IkeWilliams

Eduardo Jorge Lausse was an Argentinian middleweight contender, known for his knockout punch, who boxed from 1947 to 1960. He was a southpaw who fought mainly in South America. His career record was 75 wins (63 by KO), 10 losses and 2 draws. He fought former welterweight champion Kid Gavilan on September 13, 1952, dropping a ten round decision, but defeated Gavilan in a rematch on September 3, 1955. Lausse, nicknamed El Zurdo, also fought and outpointed future middleweight champion Gene Fullmer, but never fought for the crown. In 2003 Lausse made the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Lausse TAGS: Eduardo Lausse, Argentine male boxers, Place of birth missing, Middleweight boxers #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #EduardoLausse

Andrew (Andy) "Hawaiian Punch" Ganigan was an American former lightweight boxer of Filipino descent. He was renowned for his punching ability, being named #97 in The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Ganigan fought from 1972 to 1983, ending his career with an overall record of 34 wins (30 by KO) and 5 losses. He was a southpaw. BIOGRAPHY Ganigan was born September 3, 1952, in Waipahu, Hawaii. Ganigan captured the NABF lightweight title by scoring a TKO in 8 rounds over Vicente Mijares on March 28, 1978. He lost that title to Johnny Lira on a 6-round KO on August 1, 1978, but recaptured the crown from Mijares on March 27, 1979, by winning a unanimous 12-round decision. Ganigan also won the World Athletic Association (WAA) lightweight crown by scoring a KO in 2 rounds over Sean O'Grady on October 31, 1981. Ganigan then challenged legendary boxer Alexis Argüello on May 22, 1982, for the WBC lightweight crown. Ganigan knocked Arguello down in the first round, but was KOed in round 5. Ganigan's last fight was an unsuccessful attempt to take the USBA lightweight crown from Jimmy Paul on June 6, 1983. Paul stopped Ganigan on a 6-round TKO. He was inducted in to the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. An attack in 2010 left him severely injured, and he never fully recovered. Ganigan died of liver cancer in Las Vegas on May 2, 2012. LINK TO ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Ganigan TAGS: Andrew Ganigan, Lightweight boxers, Boxers from Hawaii #GeneralKnowledge #AudibleWikiFactory #Audible #Wikipedia #AndrewGanigan