document_title: List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

question_text: who holds the record for the most olympic medals

text: List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

text: List of most Olympic gold medals over career[edit]

text: This is a partial list of multiple Olympic gold medalists, listing people who have won four or more Olympic gold medals. Medals won in the 1906 Intercalated Games are not included. (If they were, Ray Ewry would be second on the list with 10 gold). It includes top-three placings in 1896 and 1900, before medals were awarded for top-three placings. For simplicity, when an athlete has won medals for more than one nation, only the last nation he or she represented is mentioned here. The Olympics listed for each athlete only include games in which they won medals. See the particular article on the athlete for more details on when and for what nation an athlete competed. More medals are available in some events than others, and the number of events in which medals are available overall has changed over time.

text:
No.
Athlete
Nation
Sport
Years
Games
Gender
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total

1
Phelps, MichaelMichael Phelps
 United States
Swimming
2004–2016
Summer
M
23
3
2
28

2
Latynina, LarisaLarisa Latynina
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1956–1964
Summer
F
9
5
4
18

3
Nurmi, PaavoPaavo Nurmi
 Finland
Athletics
1920–1928
Summer
M
9
3
0
12

4
Spitz, MarkMark Spitz
 United States
Swimming
1968–1972
Summer
M
9
1
1
11

5
Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis
 United States
Athletics
1984–1996
Summer
M
9
1
0
10

6
Bjørgen, MaritMarit Bjørgen
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
2002–2018
Winter
F
8
4
3
15

7
Bjørndalen, Ole EinarOle Einar Bjørndalen
 Norway
Biathlon
1998–2014
Winter
M
8
4
1
13

8
Dæhlie, BjørnBjørn Dæhlie
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
1992–1998
Winter
M
8
4
0
12

Fischer, BirgitBirgit Fischer
 East Germany
 Germany
Canoeing
1980–2004
Summer
F
8
4
0
12

10
Kato, SawaoSawao Kato
 Japan
Gymnastics
1968–1976
Summer
M
8
3
1
12

Thompson, JennyJenny Thompson
 United States
Swimming
1992–2004
Summer
F
8
3
1
12

12
Biondi, MattMatt Biondi
 United States
Swimming
1984–1992
Summer
M
8
2
1
11

13
Bolt, UsainUsain Bolt
 Jamaica
Athletics
2008–2016
Summer
M
8
0
0
8

Ewry, RayRay Ewry
 United States
Athletics
1900–1908
Summer
M
8
0
0
8

15
Andrianov, NikolaiNikolai Andrianov
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1972–1980
Summer
M
7
5
3
15

16
Shakhlin, BorisBoris Shakhlin
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1956–1964
Summer
M
7
4
2
13

17
Čáslavská, VěraVěra Čáslavská
 Czechoslovakia
Gymnastics
1960–1968
Summer
F
7
4
0
11

18
Chukarin, ViktorViktor Chukarin
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1952–1956
Summer
M
7
3
1
11

19
Gerevich, AladárAladár Gerevich
 Hungary
Fencing
1932–1960
Summer
M
7
1
2
10

20
Mangiarotti, EdoardoEdoardo Mangiarotti
 Italy
Fencing
1936–1960
Summer
M
6
5
2
13

21
Werth, IsabellIsabell Werth
 Germany
Equestrian
1992–2016
Summer
F
6
4
0
10

22
Lochte, RyanRyan Lochte
 United States
Swimming
2004–2016
Summer
M
6
3
3
12

23
Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix
 United States
Athletics
2004–2016
Summer
F
6
3
0
9

Van Innis, HubertHubert Van Innis
 Belgium
Archery
1900–1920
Summer
M
6
3
0
9

Yegorova, LyubovLyubov Yegorova
 Unified Team
 Russia
Cross-country skiing
1992–1994
Winter
F
6
3
0
9

26
Nakayama, AkinoriAkinori Nakayama
 Japan
Gymnastics
1968–1972
Summer
M
6
2
2
10

27
Vezzali, ValentinaValentina Vezzali
 Italy
Fencing
1996–2012
Summer
F
6
1
2
9

28
Fredriksson, GertGert Fredriksson
 Sweden
Canoeing
1948–1960
Summer
M
6
1
1
8

29
Hoy, ChrisChris Hoy
 Great Britain
Cycling
2000–2012
Summer
M
6
1
0
7

Kenny, JasonJason Kenny
 Great Britain
Cycling
2008–2016
Summer
M
6
1
0
7

31
Scherbo, VitalyVitaly Scherbo
 Unified Team
 Belarus
Gymnastics
1992–1996
Summer
M
6
0
4
10

32
Ahn Hyun-Soo
Viktor Ahn
 South Korea
 Russia
Short track speed skating
2006–2014
Winter
M
6
0
2
8

Klimke, ReinerReiner Klimke
 United Team of Germany
 West Germany
Equestrian
1964–1988
Summer
M
6
0
2
8

34
Kovács, PálPál Kovács
 Hungary
Fencing
1936–1960
Summer
M
6
0
1
7

35
Kárpáti, RudolfRudolf Kárpáti
 Hungary
Fencing
1948–1960
Summer
M
6
0
0
6

Nadi, NedoNedo Nadi
 Italy
Fencing
1912–1920
Summer
M
6
0
0
6

Otto, KristinKristin Otto
 East Germany
Swimming
1988
Summer
F
6
0
0
6

Skoblikova, LidiaLidia Skoblikova
 Soviet Union
Speed skating
1960–1964
Winter
F
6
0
0
6

Van Dyken, AmyAmy Van Dyken
 United States
Swimming
1996–2000
Summer
F
6
0
0
6

40
Wüst, IreenIreen Wüst
 Netherlands
Speed skating
2006–2018
Winter
F
5
5
1
11

41
Ono, TakashiTakashi Ono
 Japan
Gymnastics
1952–1964
Summer
M
5
4
4
13

42
Osburn, CarlCarl Osburn
 United States
Shooting
1912–1924
Summer
M
5
4
2
11

43
Hall, Jr., GaryGary Hall, Jr.
 United States
Swimming
1996–2004
Summer
M
5
3
2
10

Keleti, ÁgnesÁgnes Keleti
 Hungary
Gymnastics
1952–1956
Summer
F
5
3
2
10

45
Comăneci, NadiaNadia Comăneci
 Romania
Gymnastics
1976–1980
Summer
F
5
3
1
9

Thorpe, IanIan Thorpe
 Australia
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
M
5
3
1
9

47
Ritola, VilleVille Ritola
 Finland
Athletics
1924–1928
Summer
M
5
3
0
8

48
Astakhova, PolinaPolina Astakhova
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1956–1964
Summer
F
5
2
3
10

49
Pechstein, ClaudiaClaudia Pechstein
 Germany
Speed skating
1992–2006
Winter
F
5
2
2
9

50
Lipă, ElisabetaElisabeta Lipă
 Romania
Rowing
1984–2004
Summer
F
5
2
1
8

51
Endo, YukioYukio Endo
 Japan
Gymnastics
1960–1968
Summer
M
5
2
0
7

Fourcade, MartinMartin Fourcade
 France
Biathlon
2014–2018
Winter
M
5
2
0
7

Peirsol, AaronAaron Peirsol
 United States
Swimming
2000–2008
Summer
M
5
2
0
7

54
Tsukahara, MitsuoMitsuo Tsukahara
 Japan
Gymnastics
1968–1976
Summer
M
5
1
3
9

55
Adrian, NathanNathan Adrian
 United States
Swimming
2008–2016
Summer
M
5
1
2
8

Wiggins, BradleyBradley Wiggins
 Great Britain
Cycling
2000–2016
Summer
M
5
1
2
8

57
Egerszegi, KrisztinaKrisztina Egerszegi
 Hungary
Swimming
1988–1996
Summer
F
5
1
1
7

Jager, TomTom Jager
 United States
Swimming
1984–1992
Summer
M
5
1
1
7

Lazutina, LarisaLarisa Lazutina
 Unified Team
 Russia
Cross-country skiing
1992–1998
Winter
F
5
1
1
7

Lee, Willis A.Willis A. Lee
 United States
Shooting
1920
Summer
M
5
1
1
7

Thunberg, ClasClas Thunberg
 Finland
Speed skating
1924–1928
Winter
M
5
1
1
7

Vollmer, DanaDana Vollmer
 United States
Swimming
2004–2016
Summer
F
5
1
1
7

Winkler, Hans GünterHans Günter Winkler
 United Team of Germany
 West Germany
Equestrian
1956–1976
Summer
M
5
1
1
7

Wu Minxia
 China
Diving
2004–2016
Summer
F
5
1
1
7

65
Alsgaard, ThomasThomas Alsgaard
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
1994–2002
Winter
M
5
1
0
6

Heida, AntonAnton Heida
 United States
Gymnastics
1904
Summer
M
5
1
0
6

Kim, NellieNellie Kim
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1976–1980
Summer
F
5
1
0
6

Kozák, DanutaDanuta Kozák
 Hungary
Canoeing
2008–2016
Summer
F
5
1
0
6

Ledecky, KatieKatie Ledecky
 United States
Swimming
2012–2016
Summer
F
5
1
0
6

Lilloe-Olsen, OleOle Lilloe-Olsen
 Norway
Shooting
1920–1924
Summer
M
5
1
0
6

Schollander, DonDon Schollander
 United States
Swimming
1964–1968
Summer
M
5
1
0
6

72
Blair, BonnieBonnie Blair
 United States
Speed skating
1988–1994
Winter
F
5
0
1
6

Damian, GeorgetaGeorgeta Damian
 Romania
Rowing
2000–2008
Summer
F
5
0
1
6

Franklin, MissyMissy Franklin
 United States
Swimming
2012–2016
Summer
F
5
0
1
6

Lane, AlfredAlfred Lane
 United States
Shooting
1912–1920
Summer
M
5
0
1
6

Redgrave, SteveSteve Redgrave
 Great Britain
Rowing
1984–2000
Summer
M
5
0
1
6

Weissmuller, JohnnyJohnny Weissmuller
 United States
Swimming, Water polo
1924–1928
Summer
M
5
0
1
6

Zou Kai
 China
Gymnastics
2008–2012
Summer
M
5
0
1
6

79
Chen Ruolin
 China
Diving
2008–2016
Summer
F
5
0
0
5

Davydova, AnastasiaAnastasia Davydova
 Russia
Synchronized swimming
2004–2012
Summer
F
5
0
0
5

Fisher, MorrisMorris Fisher
 United States
Shooting
1920–1924
Summer
M
5
0
0
5

Heiden, EricEric Heiden
 United States
Speed skating
1980
Winter
M
5
0
0
5

Ishchenko, NataliaNatalia Ishchenko
 Russia
Synchronized swimming
2008–2016
Summer
F
5
0
0
5

Romashina, SvetlanaSvetlana Romashina
 Russia
Synchronized swimming
2008–2016
Summer
F
5
0
0
5

85
Smetanina, RaisaRaisa Smetanina
 Soviet Union
 Unified Team
Cross-country skiing
1976–1992
Winter
F
4
5
1
10

86
Popov, AlexanderAlexander Popov
 Unified Team
 Russia
Swimming
1992–2000
Summer
M
4
5
0
9

87
Torres, DaraDara Torres
 United States
Swimming
1984–2008
Summer
F
4
4
4
12

88
Ender, KorneliaKornelia Ender
 East Germany
Swimming
1972–1976
Summer
F
4
4
0
8

Fraser, DawnDawn Fraser
 Australia
Swimming
1956–1964
Summer
F
4
4
0
8

90
Jernberg, SixtenSixten Jernberg
 Sweden
Cross-country skiing
1956–1964
Winter
M
4
3
2
9

Tourischeva, LudmillaLudmilla Tourischeva
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1968–1976
Summer
F
4
3
2
9

92
Groß, RiccoRicco Groß
 Germany
Biathlon
1992–2006
Winter
M
4
3
1
8

Miez, GeorgesGeorges Miez
 Switzerland
Gymnastics
1924–1936
Summer
M
4
3
1
8

Olsen, OttoOtto Olsen
 Norway
Shooting
1920–1924
Summer
M
4
3
1
8

Svendsen, Emil HegleEmil Hegle Svendsen
 Norway
Biathlon
2010–2018
Winter
M
4
3
1
8

96
Patzaichin, IvanIvan Patzaichin
 Romania
Canoeing
1968–1984
Summer
M
4
3
0
7

97
Nemov, AlexeiAlexei Nemov
 Russia
Gymnastics
1996–2000
Summer
M
4
2
6
12

98
Kramer, SvenSven Kramer
 Netherlands
Speed skating
2006–2018
Winter
M
4
2
3
9

99
Aamodt, Kjetil AndréKjetil André Aamodt
 Norway
Alpine skiing
1992–2006
Winter
M
4
2
2
8

de Bruijn, IngeInge de Bruijn
 Netherlands
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
2
2
8

Fischer, SvenSven Fischer
 Germany
Biathlon
1994–2006
Winter
M
4
2
2
8

Kulakova, GalinaGalina Kulakova
 Soviet Union
Cross-country skiing
1972–1980
Winter
F
4
2
2
8

Lezak, JasonJason Lezak
 United States
Swimming
2000–2012
Summer
M
4
2
2
8

Matthes, RolandRoland Matthes
 East Germany
Swimming
1968–1976
Summer
M
4
2
2
8

Schmitt, AllisonAllison Schmitt
 United States
Swimming
2008–2016
Summer
F
4
2
2
8

106
Ballangrud, IvarIvar Ballangrud
 Norway
Speed skating
1928–1936
Winter
M
4
2
1
7

Liberg, EinarEinar Liberg
 Norway
Shooting
1908–1924
Summer
M
4
2
1
7

108
Delfino, GiuseppeGiuseppe Delfino
 Italy
Fencing
1952–1964
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

d'Oriola, ChristianChristian d'Oriola
 France
Fencing
1948–1956
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

Gaudin, LucienLucien Gaudin
 France
Fencing
1920–1928
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

Grevers, MattMatt Grevers
 United States
Swimming
2008–2012
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

Guo Jingjing
 China
Diving
2000–2008
Summer
F
4
2
0
6

Jong-oh, JinJin Jong-oh
 South Korea
Shooting
2004–2016
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

Korbut, OlgaOlga Korbut
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1972–1976
Summer
F
4
2
0
6

Kostelić, JanicaJanica Kostelić
 Croatia
Alpine skiing
2002–2006
Winter
F
4
2
0
6

Kuske, KevinKevin Kuske
 Germany
Bobsleigh
2002–2018
Winter
M
4
2
0
6

117
Trillini, GiovannaGiovanna Trillini
 Italy
Fencing
1992–2008
Summer
F
4
1
3
8

118
Daniels, CharlesCharles Daniels
 United States
Swimming
1904–1908
Summer
M
4
1
2
7

Kitajima, KosukeKosuke Kitajima
 Japan
Swimming
2004–2012
Summer
M
4
1
2
7

Spooner, LloydLloyd Spooner
 United States
Shooting
1920
Summer
M
4
1
2
7

Trickett, LibbyLibby Trickett
 Australia
Swimming
2004–2012
Summer
F
4
1
2
7

122
Domracheva, DaryaDarya Domracheva
 Belarus
Biathlon
2010–2018
Winter
F
4
1
1
6

Ignat, DoinaDoina Ignat
 Romania
Rowing
1992–2008
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Kim Soo-Nyung
 South Korea
Archery
1988–2000
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Novikova-Belova, ElenaElena Novikova-Belova
 Soviet Union
Fencing
1968–1976
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Rose, MurrayMurray Rose
 Australia
Swimming
1956–1960
Summer
M
4
1
1
6

Sidyak, ViktorViktor Sidyak
 Soviet Union
Fencing
1968–1980
Summer
M
4
1
1
6

Svan, GundeGunde Svan
 Sweden
Cross-country skiing
1984–1988
Winter
M
4
1
1
6

van Moorsel, LeontienLeontien van Moorsel
 Netherlands
Cycling
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Wagner-Augustin, KatrinKatrin Wagner-Augustin
 Germany
Canoeing
2000–2012
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Wang Meng
 China
Short track speed skating
2006–2010
Winter
F
4
1
1
6

132
Ainslie, BenBen Ainslie
 Great Britain
Sailing
1996–2012
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Artemov, VladimirVladimir Artemov
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1988
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Ashford, EvelynEvelyn Ashford
 United States
Athletics
1984–1992
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Evans, JanetJanet Evans
 United States
Swimming
1988–1992
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Ferguson, IanIan Ferguson
 New Zealand
Canoeing
1984–1988
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Fonst, RamónRamón Fonst
 Cuba
Fencing
1900–1904
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Fu Mingxia
 China
Diving
1992–2000
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Grishin, YevgenyYevgeny Grishin
 Soviet Union
Speed skating
1956–1964
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Hefford, JaynaJayna Hefford
 Canada
Ice hockey
1998–2014
Winter
F
4
1
0
5

Klochkova, YanaYana Klochkova
 Ukraine
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Kolehmainen, HannesHannes Kolehmainen
 Finland
Athletics
1912–1920
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Koss, Johann OlavJohann Olav Koss
 Norway
Speed skating
1992–1994
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Lange, AndréAndré Lange
 Germany
Bobsleigh
2002–2010
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Louganis, GregGreg Louganis
 United States
Diving
1976–1988
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Muratov, ValentinValentin Muratov
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1952–1956
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Naber, JohnJohn Naber
 United States
Swimming
1976
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Nykänen, MattiMatti Nykänen
 Finland
Ski jumping
1984–1988
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Pahud de Mortanges, CharlesCharles Pahud de Mortanges
 Netherlands
Equestrian
1924–1936
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Sheppard, MelMel Sheppard
 United States
Athletics
1908–1912
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Szabo, EcaterinaEcaterina Szabo
 Romania
Gymnastics
1984
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Tikhonov, AlexanderAlexander Tikhonov
 Soviet Union
Biathlon
1968–1980
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Wang Nan
 China
Table tennis
2000–2008
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Wickenheiser, HayleyHayley Wickenheiser
 Canada
Ice hockey
1998–2014
Winter
F
4
1
0
5

Williams, VenusVenus Williams
 United States
Tennis
2000–2016
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Zátopek, EmilEmil Zátopek
 Czechoslovakia
Athletics
1948–1952
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Zimyatov, NikolayNikolay Zimyatov
 Soviet Union
Cross-country skiing
1980–1984
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

158
Kulcsár, GyőzőGyőző Kulcsár
 Hungary
Fencing
1964–1976
Summer
M
4
0
2
6

159
Beerbaum, LudgerLudger Beerbaum
 West Germany
 Germany
Equestrian
1988–2016
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Biles, SimoneSimone Biles
 United States
Gymnastics
2016
Summer
F
4
0
1
5

Boron, KathrinKathrin Boron
 Germany
Rowing
1992–2008
Summer
F
4
0
1
5

Chun Lee-Kyung
 South Korea
Short track speed skating
1994–1998
Winter
F
4
0
1
5

Edwards, TeresaTeresa Edwards
 United States
Basketball
1984–2000
Summer
F
4
0
1
5

Geisenberger, NatalieNatalie Geisenberger
 Germany
Luge
2010–2018
Winter
F
4
0
1
5

Hurley, MarcusMarcus Hurley
 United States
Cycling
1904
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Li Xiaopeng
 China
Gymnastics
2000–2008
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Olsen, JonJon Olsen
 United States
Swimming
1992–1996
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Pozdnyakov, StanislavStanislav Pozdnyakov
 Unified Team
 Russia
Fencing
1992–2004
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Richards-Ross, SanyaSanya Richards-Ross
 United States
Athletics
2004–2012
Summer
F
4
0
1
5

Susanu, VioricaViorica Susanu
 Romania
Rowing
2000–2008
Summer
F
4
0
1
5

Zampori, GiorgioGiorgio Zampori
 Italy
Gymnastics
1912–1924
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

172
Ammann, SimonSimon Ammann
 Switzerland
Ski jumping
2002–2010
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Arlt, TobiasTobias Arlt
 Germany
Luge
2014–2018
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Bird, SueSue Bird
 United States
Basketball
2004–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Blankers-Koen, FannyFanny Blankers-Koen
 Netherlands
Athletics
1948
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Catchings, TamikaTamika Catchings
 United States
Basketball
2004–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Cologna, DarioDario Cologna
 Switzerland
Cross-country skiing
2010–2018
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Cuthbert, BettyBetty Cuthbert
 Australia
Athletics
1956–1964
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Darnyi, TamásTamás Darnyi
 Hungary
Swimming
1988–1992
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Deng Yaping
 China
Table tennis
1992–1996
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Dillard, HarrisonHarrison Dillard
 United States
Athletics
1948–1952
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Elvstrøm, Paul BertPaul Bert Elvstrøm
 Denmark
Sailing
1948–1960
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Ermakova, AnastasiaAnastasia Ermakova
 Russia
Synchronized swimming
2004–2008
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Farah, MohamedMohamed Farah
 Great Britain
Athletics
2012–2016
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Fuchs, JenőJenő Fuchs
 Hungary
Fencing
1908–1912
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Icho, KaoriKaori Icho
 Japan
Wrestling
2004–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson
 United States
Athletics
1992–2000
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Korzeniowski, RobertRobert Korzeniowski
 Poland
Athletics
1996–2004
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Kraenzlein, AlvinAlvin Kraenzlein
 United States
Athletics
1900
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Krayzelburg, LennyLenny Krayzelburg
 United States
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Krovopuskov, ViktorViktor Krovopuskov
 Soviet Union
Fencing
1976–1980
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Leslie, LisaLisa Leslie
 United States
Basketball
1996–2008
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

McCormick, PatPat McCormick
 United States
Diving
1952–1956
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Oerter, AlAl Oerter
 United States
Athletics
1956–1968
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Ouellette, CarolineCaroline Ouellette
 Canada
Ice hockey
2002–2014
Winter
F
4
0
0
4

Owens, JesseJesse Owens
 United States
Athletics
1936
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Pavesi, CarloCarlo Pavesi
 Italy
Fencing
1952–1960
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Pinsent, MatthewMatthew Pinsent
 Great Britain
Rowing
1992–2004
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Radmilovic, PauloPaulo Radmilovic
 Great Britain
Water polo, Swimming
1908–1920
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Saint Cyr, HenriHenri Saint Cyr
 Sweden
Equestrian
1952–1956
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Salnikov, VladimirVladimir Salnikov
 Soviet Union
Swimming
1980–1988
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Schuhmann, CarlCarl Schuhmann
 Germany
Gymnastics, Wrestling
1896
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Taurasi, DianaDiana Taurasi
 United States
Basketball
2004–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Trott, LauraLaura Trott
 Great Britain
Cycling
2012–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Uphoff, NicoleNicole Uphoff
 West Germany
 Germany
Equestrian
1988–1992
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Virén, LasseLasse Virén
 Finland
Athletics
1972–1976
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Wassberg, ThomasThomas Wassberg
 Sweden
Cross-country skiing
1980–1988
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Wendl, TobiasTobias Wendl
 Germany
Luge
2014–2018
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Williams, SerenaSerena Williams
 United States
Tennis
2000–2012
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Wöckel, BärbelBärbel Wöckel
 East Germany
Athletics
1976–1980
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Yining, ZhangZhang Yining
 China
Table tennis
2004–2008
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

text: Timeline[edit]

text: This is a progressive list of Olympians that have held the record for most titles won. It includes titles won in 1896 and 1900, before gold medals were awarded for first place. All record-holders have competed at Summer Games rather than Winter Games.

text:
Gold medals
Date
Athlete
Nation
Sport
Record gold-medal event
Earlier gold-medal events
Gender

1[1]
1896-04-06
James Connolly
 United States
Athletics
Triple jump
—
M

Robert Garrett
 United States
Athletics
Discus
M

1896-04-07
Ellery Clark
 United States
Athletics
Long jump
M

Thomas Burke
 United States
Athletics
400 metres
M

2[1]
Robert Garrett
 United States
Athletics
Shot put
see above
M

1896-04-09
Edwin Flack
 Australia
Athletics
800 metres
1896 - 1
M

Fritz Hofmann, Konrad Böcker, Alfred Flatow, Gustav Flatow, Georg Hilmar, Fritz Manteuffel, Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav Schuft, Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingärtner
 Germany
Gymnastics
Team horizontal bar
1896 - 1
M

3[1]
Carl Schuhmann
 Germany
Gymnastics
Vault
see previous
M

Hermann Weingärtner
 Germany
Gymnastics
Horizontal bar
see above
M

1896-04-10
Alfred Flatow
 Germany
Gymnastics
Parallel bars
see above
M

4
1896-04-11[1]
Carl Schuhmann
 Germany
Wrestling
Greco-Roman
see above
M

1900-07-16
Alvin Kraenzlein
 United States
Athletics
200 metre hurdles
1900 - 1, 2, 3
M

1904-08-05
Marcus Hurley
 United States
Cycling
1 mile
1904 - 1, 2, 3
M

1904-08-29
Ray Ewry
 United States
Athletics
Standing long jump
1900 - 1, 2, 3
M

5
1904-08-31
Standing high jump

6
1904-09-03
Standing triple jump

7
1908-07-20
Athletics
Standing long jump

8
1908-07-23
Standing high jump

1924-07-13
Paavo Nurmi
 Finland
Athletics
Team cross-country
1920 - 1, 2, 3
1924 - 4, 5, 6, 7
M

9
1928-07-29
Athletics
10000 metres

1964-10-23
Larisa Latynina
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
Floor exercise
1956 - 1, 2, 3, 4
1960 - 5, 6, 7
1964 - 8
F

1972-09-04
Mark Spitz
 United States
Swimming
4 × 100 metre medley relay
1968 - 1, 2
1972 - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
M

1996-07-29
Carl Lewis
 United States
Athletics
Long jump
1984 - 1, 2, 3, 4
1988 - 5, 6
1992 - 7, 8
M

2008-08-12
Michael Phelps
 United States
Swimming
200 metre freestyle
2004 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
2008 - 7, 8
M

10
2008-08-13
200 metre butterfly

11
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay

12
2008-08-15
200 metre individual medley

13
2008-08-16
100 metre butterfly

14
2008-08-17
4 × 100 metre medley relay

15
2012-07-31
Swimming
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay

16
2012-08-02
200 metre individual medley

17
2012-08-03
100 metre butterfly

18
2012-08-04
4 × 100 metre medley relay

19
2016-08-07
Swimming
4 × 100 metre freestyle relay

20
2016-08-09
200 metre butterfly

21
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay

22
2016-08-11
200 metre individual medley

23
2016-08-13
4 × 100 metre medley relay

text: List of most career gold medals in individual events[edit]

text: This list currently includes all Olympians with three or more gold medals won as individuals (not as part of a team of two or more).

text:
No.
Athlete
Nation
Sport
Years
Games
Gender
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total

1
Phelps, MichaelMichael Phelps
 United States
Swimming
2004–2016
Summer
M
13
2
1
16

2
Ewry, RayRay Ewry
 United States
Athletics
1900–1908
Summer
M
8
0
0
8

3
Čáslavská, VěraVěra Čáslavská
 Czechoslovakia
Gymnastics
1964–1968
Summer
F
7
1
0
8

Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis
 United States
Athletics
1984–1996
Summer
M
7
1
0
8

5
Latynina, LarisaLarisa Latynina
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1956–1964
Summer
F
6
5
3
14

6
Andrianov, NikolaiNikolai Andrianov
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1972–1980
Summer
M
6
3
3
12

7
Dæhlie, BjørnBjørn Dæhlie
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
1992–1998
Winter
M
6
3
0
9

Nurmi, PaavoPaavo Nurmi
 Finland
Athletics
1920–1928
Summer
M
6
3
0
9

9
Shakhlin, BorisBoris Shakhlin
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1956–1964
Summer
M
6
2
2
10

10
Bolt, UsainUsain Bolt
 Jamaica
Athletics
2008–2016
Summer
M
6
0
0
6

Skoblikova, LidiaLidia Skoblikova
 Soviet Union
Speed skating
1960–1964
Winter
F
6
0
0
6

12
Bjørgen, MaritMarit Bjørgen
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
2002–2018
Winter
F
5
3
2
10

13
Bjørndalen, Ole EinarOle Einar Bjørndalen
 Norway
Biathlon
1998–2014
Winter
M
5
3
1
9

Chukarin, ViktorViktor Chukarin
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1952–1956
Summer
M
5
3
1
9

Kato, SawaoSawao Kato
 Japan
Gymnastics
1968–1976
Summer
M
5
3
1
9

16
Comăneci, NadiaNadia Comăneci
 Romania
Gymnastics
1976–1980
Summer
F
5
1
1
7

Egerszegi, KrisztinaKrisztina Egerszegi
 Hungary
Swimming
1988–1996
Summer
F
5
1
1
7

Fredriksson, GertGert Fredriksson
 Sweden
Canoeing
1948–1960
Summer
M
5
1
1
7

Thunberg, ClasClas Thunberg
 Finland
Speed skating
1924–1928
Winter
M
5
1
1
7

20
Scherbo, VitalyVitaly Scherbo
 Unified Team
 Belarus
Gymnastics
1992–1996
Summer
M
5
0
4
9

21
Blair, BonnieBonnie Blair
 United States
Speed skating
1988–1994
Winter
F
5
0
1
6

22
Heiden, EricEric Heiden
 United States
Speed skating
1980
Winter
M
5
0
0
5

23
Wüst, IreenIreen Wüst
 Netherlands
Speed skating
2006–2018
Winter
F
4
4
1
9

24
Yegorova, LyubovLyubov Yegorova
 Unified Team
 Russia
Cross-country skiing
1992–1994
Winter
F
4
3
0
7

25
Aamodt, Kjetil AndréKjetil André Aamodt
 Norway
Alpine skiing
1992–2006
Winter
M
4
2
2
8

Nakayama, AkinoriAkinori Nakayama
 Japan
Gymnastics
1968–1972
Summer
M
4
2
2
8

Pechstein, ClaudiaClaudia Pechstein
 Germany
Speed skating
1992–2006
Winter
F
4
2
2
8

28
Ballangrud, IvarIvar Ballangrud
 Norway
Speed skating
1928–1936
Winter
M
4
2
1
7

29
Fourcade, MartinMartin Fourcade
 France
Biathlon
2010–2018
Winter
M
4
2
0
6

Jin Jong-oh
 South Korea
Shooting
2004–2016
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

Kostelić, JanicaJanica Kostelić
 Croatia
Alpine skiing
2002–2006
Winter
F
4
2
0
6

Van Innis, HubertHubert Van Innis
 Belgium
Archery
1900–1920
Summer
M
4
2
0
6

33
de Bruijn, IngeInge de Bruijn
 Netherlands
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Keleti, ÁgnesÁgnes Keleti
 Hungary
Gymnastics
1952–1956
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

Spitz, MarkMark Spitz
 United States
Swimming
1968–1972
Summer
M
4
1
1
6

van Moorsel, LeontienLeontien van Moorsel
 Netherlands
Cycling
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
1
1
6

37
Ainslie, BenBen Ainslie
 Great Britain
Sailing
1996–2012
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Evans, JanetJanet Evans
 United States
Swimming
1988–1992
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Grishin, YevgenyYevgeny Grishin
 Soviet Union
Speed skating
1956–1964
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Heida, AntonAnton Heida
 United States
Gymnastics
1904
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Klochkova, YanaYana Klochkova
 Ukraine
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
F
4
1
0
5

Koss, Johann OlavJohann Olav Koss
 Norway
Speed skating
1992–1994
Winter
M
4
1
0
5

Louganis, GregGreg Louganis
 United States
Diving
1976–1988
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Popov, AlexanderAlexander Popov
 Unified Team
 Russia
Swimming
1992–2000
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

Zátopek, EmilEmil Zátopek
 Czechoslovakia
Athletics
1948–1952
Summer
M
4
1
0
5

46
Ahn Hyun-Soo
Viktor Ahn
 South Korea
 Russia
Short track speed skating
2006–2014
Winter
M
4
0
2
6

47
Hurley, MarcusMarcus Hurley
 United States
Cycling
1904
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

Matthes, RolandRoland Matthes
 East Germany
Swimming
1968–1976
Summer
M
4
0
1
5

49
Ammann, SimonSimon Ammann
 Switzerland
Ski jumping
2002–2010
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Cologna, DarioDario Cologna
 Switzerland
Cross-country skiing
2010–2018
Winter
M
4
0
0
4

Darnyi, TamásTamás Darnyi
 Hungary
Swimming
1988–1992
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Elvstrøm, Paul BertPaul Bert Elvstrøm
 Denmark
Sailing
1948–1960
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Farah, MohamedMohamed Farah
 Great Britain
Athletics
2012–2016
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Fu Mingxia
 China
Diving
1992–2000
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Hoy, ChrisChris Hoy
 Great Britain
Cycling
2004–2012
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Icho, KaoriKaori Icho
 Japan
Wrestling
2004–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Kitajima, KosukeKosuke Kitajima
 Japan
Swimming
2004–2008
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Kolehmainen, HannesHannes Kolehmainen
 Finland
Athletics
1912–1920
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Korzeniowski, RobertRobert Korzeniowski
 Poland
Athletics
1996–2004
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Kraenzlein, AlvinAlvin Kraenzlein
 United States
Athletics
1900
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Ledecky, KatieKatie Ledecky
 United States
Swimming
2012–2016
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

McCormick, PatPat McCormick
 United States
Diving
1952–1956
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Oerter, AlAl Oerter
 United States
Athletics
1956–1968
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

Otto, KristinKristin Otto
 East Germany
Swimming
1988
Summer
F
4
0
0
4

Virén, LasseLasse Virén
 Finland
Athletics
1972–1976
Summer
M
4
0
0
4

66
Enke, KarinKarin Enke
 East Germany
Speed skating
1980–1988
Winter
F
3
4
1
8

Niemann-Stirnemann, GundaGunda Niemann-Stirnemann
 Germany
Speed skating
1992–1998
Winter
F
3
4
1
8

68
Ono, TakashiTakashi Ono
 Japan
Gymnastics
1952–1960
Summer
M
3
3
4
10

69
Jernberg, SixtenSixten Jernberg
 Sweden
Cross-country skiing
1956–1964
Winter
M
3
3
1
7

70
Kuzmina, AnastasiyaAnastasiya Kuzmina
 Slovakia
Biathlon
2010–2018
Winter
F
3
3
0
6

Ritola, VilleVille Ritola
 Finland
Athletics
1924–1928
Summer
M
3
3
0
6

72
Nemov, AlexeiAlexei Nemov
 Russia
Gymnastics
1996–2000
Summer
M
3
2
5
10

73
Eyser, GeorgeGeorge Eyser
 United States
Gymnastics
1904
Summer
M
3
2
1
6

Holmann, KnutKnut Holmann
 Norway
Canoeing
1992–2000
Summer
M
3
2
1
6

Rose, RalphRalph Rose
 United States
Athletics
1904–1912
Summer
M
3
2
1
6

Sáblíková, MartinaMartina Sáblíková
 Czech Republic
Speed skating
2010–2018
Winter
F
3
2
1
6

77
Dibiasi, KlausKlaus Dibiasi
 Italy
Diving
1964–1976
Summer
M
3
2
0
5

Hackl, GeorgGeorg Hackl
 West Germany
 Germany
Luge
1988–2002
Winter
M
3
2
0
5

Kramer, SvenSven Kramer
 Netherlands
Speed skating
2006–2018
Winter
M
3
2
0
5

Miez, GeorgesGeorges Miez
 Switzerland
Gymnastics
1928–1936
Summer
M
3
2
0
5

Peirsol, AaronAaron Peirsol
 United States
Swimming
2000–2008
Summer
M
3
2
0
5

Schumann, RalfRalf Schumann
 East Germany
 Germany
Shooting
1988–2008
Summer
M
3
2
0
5

Yang, SunSun Yang
 China
Swimming
2012–2016
Summer
M
3
2
0
5

Tomba, AlbertoAlberto Tomba
 Italy
Alpine skiing
1988–1994
Winter
M
3
2
0
5

85
Grøttumsbråten, JohanJohan Grøttumsbråten
 Norway
Nordic combined, Cross-country skiing
1924–1932
Winter
M
3
1
2
6

Joyner-Kersee, JackieJackie Joyner-Kersee
 United States
Athletics
1984–1996
Summer
F
3
1
2
6

Rhode, KimKim Rhode
 United States
Shooting
1996–2016
Summer
F
3
1
2
6

88
Daniels, CharlesCharles Daniels
 United States
Swimming
1904–1908
Summer
M
3
1
1
5

Domracheva, DaryaDarya Domracheva
 Belarus
Biathlon
2010–2018
Winter
F
3
1
1
5

Gould, ShaneShane Gould
 Australia
Swimming
1972
Summer
F
3
1
1
5

Li Ning
 China
Gymnastics
1984
Summer
M
3
1
1
5

Schneider, VreniVreni Schneider
 Switzerland
Alpine skiing
1988–1994
Winter
F
3
1
1
5

Silivaş, DanielaDaniela Silivaş
 Romania
Gymnastics
1988
Summer
F
3
1
1
5

Štukelj, LeonLeon Štukelj
 Yugoslavia
Gymnastics
1924–1936
Summer
M
3
1
1
5

Thorpe, IanIan Thorpe
 Australia
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
M
3
1
1
5

van den Hoogenband, PieterPieter van den Hoogenband
 Netherlands
Swimming
2000–2004
Summer
M
3
1
1
5

Vezzali, ValentinaValentina Vezzali
 Italy
Fencing
1996–2012
Summer
F
3
1
1
5

Wang Meng
 China
Short track speed skating
2006–2010
Winter
F
3
1
1
5

99
Artemov, VladimirVladimir Artemov
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1988
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Bekele, KenenisaKenenisa Bekele
 Ethiopia
Athletics
2004–2008
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Campriani, NiccolòNiccolò Campriani
 Italy
Shooting
2012–2016
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Compagnoni, DeborahDeborah Compagnoni
 Italy
Alpine skiing
1992–1998
Winter
F
3
1
0
4

Ender, KorneliaKornelia Ender
 East Germany
Swimming
1972–1976
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan
 United States
Athletics
1900–1908
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Fonst, RamónRamón Fonst
 Cuba
Fencing
1900–1904
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Fraser, DawnDawn Fraser
 Australia
Swimming
1956–1964
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Grafström, GillisGillis Grafström
 Sweden
Figure skating
1920–1932
Both
M
3
1
0
4

Groß, MichaelMichael Groß
 West Germany
Swimming
1984–1988
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Gustafson, TomasTomas Gustafson
 Sweden
Speed skating
1984–1988
Winter
M
3
1
0
4

Hillman, HarryHarry Hillman
 United States
Athletics
1904–1908
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Höfl-Riesch, MariaMaria Höfl-Riesch
 Germany
Alpine skiing
2010–2014
Winter
F
3
1
0
4

Hosszú, KatinkaKatinka Hosszú
 Hungary
Swimming
2016
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Karelin, AlexanderAlexander Karelin
 Soviet Union
 Unified Team
 Russia
Wrestling
1988–2000
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Kenny, JasonJason Kenny
 Great Britain
Cycling
2008–2016
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Kim, NellieNellie Kim
 Soviet Union
Gymnastics
1976–1980
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Krämer, IngridIngrid Krämer
 United Team of Germany
Diving
1960–1964
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Nykänen, MattiMatti Nykänen
 Finland
Ski jumping
1984–1988
Winter
M
3
1
0
4

Press, TamaraTamara Press
 Soviet Union
Athletics
1960–1964
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Prinstein, MyerMyer Prinstein
 United States
Athletics
1900–1904
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Rose, MurrayMurray Rose
 Australia
Swimming
1956–1960
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Saneyev, ViktorViktor Saneyev
 Soviet Union
Athletics
1968–1980
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

Schenk, ArdArd Schenk
 Netherlands
Speed skating
1968–1972
Winter
M
3
1
0
4

Szabo, EcaterinaEcaterina Szabo
 Romania
Gymnastics
1984
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

van Grunsven, AnkyAnky van Grunsven
 Netherlands
Equestrian
1996–2008
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Yoshida, SaoriSaori Yoshida
 Japan
Wrestling
2004–2016
Summer
F
3
1
0
4

Zelezny, JanJan Železný
 Czechoslovakia
 Czech Republic
Athletics
1988–2000
Summer
M
3
1
0
4

127
Dibaba, TiruneshTirunesh Dibaba
 Ethiopia
Athletics
2004–2016
Summer
F
3
0
3
6

128
Kirvesniemi, Marja-LiisaMarja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
 Finland
Cross-country skiing
1984–1994
Winter
F
3
0
2
5

Seizinger, KatjaKatja Seizinger
 Germany
Alpine skiing
1992–1998
Winter
F
3
0
2
5

130
Biles, SimoneSimone Biles
 United States
Gymnastics
2016
Summer
F
3
0
1
4

Dimas, PyrrosPyrros Dimas
 Greece
Weightlifting
1992–2004
Summer
M
3
0
1
4

Frigerio, UgoUgo Frigerio
 Italy
Athletics
1920–1932
Summer
M
3
0
1
4

Sheridan, MartinMartin Sheridan
 United States
Athletics
1904–1908
Summer
M
3
0
1
4

Smith, MichelleMichelle Smith
 Ireland
Swimming
1996
Summer
F
3
0
1
4

Zou Kai
 China
Gymnastics
2008–2012
Summer
M
3
0
1
4

136
Alsgaard, ThomasThomas Alsgaard
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
1994–2002
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Andersen, HjalmarHjalmar Andersen
 Norway
Speed skating
1952
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Armstrong, KristinKristin Armstrong
 United States
Cycling
2008–2016
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Ballanger, FéliciaFélicia Ballanger
 France
Cycling
1996–2000
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Bennett, BrookeBrooke Bennett
 United States
Swimming
1996–2000
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Blankers-Koen, FannyFanny Blankers-Koen
 Netherlands
Athletics
1948
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Burton, MikeMike Burton
 United States
Swimming
1968–1972
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Cuthbert, BettyBetty Cuthbert
 Australia
Athletics
1956–1964
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Estanguet, TonyTony Estanguet
 France
Canoeing
2000–2012
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Hahn, ArchieArchie Hahn
 United States
Athletics
1904
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Haug, ThorleifThorleif Haug
 Norway
Cross-country skiing
1924
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Henie, SonjaSonja Henie
 Norway
Figure skating
1928–1936
Winter
F
3
0
0
3

Houser, BudBud Houser
 United States
Athletics
1924–1928
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Ivanov, VyacheslavVyacheslav Ivanov
 Soviet Union
Rowing
1956–1964
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Johansson, IvarIvar Johansson
 Sweden
Wrestling
1932–1936
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson
 United States
Athletics
1992–2000
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Kakhiashvili, KakhiKakhi Kakhiashvili
Kakiasvilis, AkakiosAkakios Kakiasvilis
 Unified Team
 Greece
Weightlifting
1992–2000
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Karppinen, PerttiPertti Karppinen
 Finland
Rowing
1976–1984
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Kazankina, TatyanaTatyana Kazankina
 Soviet Union
Athletics
1976–1980
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Killy, Jean-ClaudeJean-Claude Killy
 France
Alpine skiing
1968
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Lemming, EricEric Lemming
 Sweden
Athletics
1908–1912
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Lightbody, JamesJames Lightbody
 United States
Athletics
1904
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

López, MijaínMijaín López
 Cuba
Wrestling
2008–2016
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Masson, PaulPaul Masson
 France
Cycling
1896
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Medved, AlexanderAlexander Medved
 Soviet Union
Wrestling
1964–1972
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Meyer, DebbieDebbie Meyer
 United States
Swimming
1968
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Mutlu, HalilHalil Mutlu
 Turkey
Weightlifting
1996–2004
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Nadi, NedoNedo Nadi
 Italy
Fencing
1912–1920
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Nomura, TadahiroTadahiro Nomura
 Japan
Judo
1996–2004
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Owens, JesseJesse Owens
 United States
Athletics
1936
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Papp, LászlóLászló Papp
 Hungary
Boxing
1948–1956
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Pérec, Marie-JoséMarie-José Pérec
 France
Athletics
1992–1996
Summer
F
3
0
0
3

Sailer, ToniToni Sailer
 Austria
Alpine skiing
1956
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Saitiev, BuvaisarBuvaisar Saitiev
 Russia
Wrestling
1996–2008
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Salnikov, VladimirVladimir Salnikov
 Soviet Union
Swimming
1980–1988
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Savón, FélixFélix Savón
 Cuba
Boxing
1992–2000
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Snell, PeterPeter Snell
 New Zealand
Athletics
1960–1964
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Stevenson, TeófiloTeófilo Stevenson
 Cuba
Boxing
1972–1980
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Stoch, KamilKamil Stoch
 Poland
Ski jumping
2014–2018
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Süleymanoğlu, NaimNaim Süleymanoğlu
 Turkey
Weightlifting
1988–1996
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Timmer, MarianneMarianne Timmer
 Netherlands
Speed skating
1998–2006
Winter
F
3
0
0
3

van Gennip, YvonneYvonne van Gennip
 Netherlands
Speed skating
1988
Winter
F
3
0
0
3

Wehling, UlrichUlrich Wehling
 East Germany
Nordic combined
1972–1980
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Weissmuller, JohnnyJohnny Weissmuller
 United States
Swimming
1924–1928
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Westergren, CarlCarl Westergren
 Sweden
Wrestling
1920–1932
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

White, ShaunShaun White
 United States
Snowboarding
2006–2018
Winter
M
3
0
0
3

Wiggins, BradleyBradley Wiggins
 Great Britain
Cycling
2004–2012
Summer
M
3
0
0
3

Zimyatov, NikolayNikolay Zimyatov
 Soviet Union
Cross-country skiing
1980–1984
Winter
M
3
0
0
3


document_title: Don't Give Up on Me

question_text: who wrote the song don't give up on me

question_tokens: who wrote the song do n 't give up on me

root

text: Don't Give Up on Me

text: This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text:
Don't Give Up on Me

Studio album by Solomon Burke

Released
July 23, 2002

Recorded
Feb 25–28, 2002

Genre
Soul blues, gospel blues, R&B

Length
51:35

Label

Fat Possum
ANTI-

Producer
Joe Henry

Solomon Burke chronology

Soulman
(2002)Soulman2002
Don't Give Up on Me
(2002)
The Incredible Solomon Burke at His Best
(2002)The Incredible Solomon Burke at His Best2002

text:
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating

Allmusic
 link

The Guardian
 link

Rolling Stone
 link

text: Don't Give Up on Me is a studio album by R&B/Soul singer Solomon Burke, recorded and released in 2002 on Fat Possum Records. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. It is noteworthy for the contributions of original and previously unreleased compositions by top-rank songwriters, the effect of which placed Burke back in the public eye for a time. Guest stars are Daniel Lanois, who plays electric guitar on "Stepchild", and The Blind Boys of Alabama, who feature on backing vocals for "None of Us Are Free". "None of Us Are Free" was also featured at the end of the sixth episode (Spin) of the second season of House. "Fast Train" was featured during the ending montage of the season three finale of The Wire.

tag: p

text: The title track, written by the team of Dan Penn and Carson Whitsett with Hoy Lindsey, gained popularity (and introduced Burke to a new generation) when it was used several times on the popular primetime teen soap opera The O.C. as one of the signature song of adult couple Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, played by Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan. It became a staple of Burke's live performances and has been covered by Joe Cocker, as well as Peter Gallagher, who also performed the song on The O.C.

text: Track listing[edit]

text:
"Don't Give Up on Me" (Dan Penn, Carson Whitsett, Hoy Lindsey) – 3:45
"Fast Train" (Van Morrison) – 5:43
"Diamond in Your Mind" (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan) – 4:24
"Flesh and Blood" (Joe Henry) – 6:07
"Soul Searchin'" (Brian Wilson, Andy Paley) – 3:59
"Only a Dream" (Van Morrison) – 5:09
"The Judgment" (Elvis Costello, Cait O'Riordan) – 3:30
"Stepchild" (Bob Dylan) – 5:10
"The Other Side of the Coin" (Nick Lowe) – 3:46
"None of Us Are Free" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Brenda Russell) – 5:29
"Sit This One Out" (Pick Purnell) – 4:33

tag: ol

text: Personnel[edit]

text:
Solomon Burke – vocals, piano, electric guitar
Chris Bruce – electric guitar
David Palmer – piano, keyboard
David Piltch – bass guitar
Jay Bellerose – drums, percussion
Bennie Wallace – tenor saxophone
Niki Harris – backing vocals
Jean McClain – backing vocals
Rudy Copeland – organ
Daniel Lanois – electric guitar
Clarence Fountain – backing vocals
Jimmy Carter – backing vocals
Bishop Billy Bowers – backing vocals
Ben Moore – backing vocals
Eric McKinnie – backing vocals
Caleb Butler – backing vocals
Joey Williams – backing vocals
Tracy Pierce – backing vocals

tag: ul

text: 2002 albumsSolomon Burke albumsAlbums produced by Joe HenryGrammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues AlbumFat Possum Records albumsANTI- albums

text: Articles lacking sources from July 2016All articles lacking sourcesArticles with hAudio microformatsMusic infoboxes with deprecated parameters


document_title: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show)

question_text: where is who wants to be a millionaire located

question_tokens: where is who wants to be a millionaire located

text: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show)

text: Gameplay[edit]

text: Core rules[edit]

text: At its core, the game is a quiz competition in which the goal is to correctly answer a series of fourteen (originally fifteen) consecutive multiple-choice questions. The questions are of increasing difficulty,[2] except in the 2010–15 format overhaul, where the contestants were faced with a round of ten questions of random difficulty, followed by a round of four questions of increasing difficulty.[3] Each question is worth a specified amount of money; the amounts are cumulative in the first round, but not in the second. If the contestant gives a wrong answer to any question, their game is over and their winnings are reduced (or increased, in the first two questions) to $1,000 for tier-one questions, $5,000 for tier-two questions, and $50,000 for tier-three questions. However, the contestant has the option of "walking away" without giving an answer after being presented with a question, in which case the game ends and the contestant is guaranteed to walk away with all the money they have previously received.[3] With the exception of the shuffle format, upon correctly answering questions five and ten, contestants are guaranteed at least the amount of prize money associated with that level. If the contestant gives an incorrect answer, their winnings drop down to the last milestone achieved. Since 2015, if the contestant answers a question incorrectly before reaching question five, he or she leaves with $1,000, even on the first question that is worth only $500. For celebrities, the minimum guarantee for their nominated charities is $10,000. Prior to the shuffle format, a contestant left with nothing if (s)he answered a question incorrectly before reaching the first milestone. In the shuffle format era, contestants who incorrectly answered a question had their winnings reduced to $1,000 in round one and $25,000 in round two.[4]

text: Format history[edit]

text: On the ABC versions, ten contestants competed in a preliminary "Fastest Finger" round for the right to play the main game on each episode.[5] The contestants were presented with a question and a list of four answers which needed to be put in a specific order. Using keys on their podiums, each of the contestants attempted to enter the correct order in the shortest amount of time, with a maximum time limit of 20 seconds. If the main game ended and there was still time available for another game, the remaining contestants played another Fastest Finger round for a chance to play the main game. In the event of a tie between two or more contestants, those contestants played an additional Fastest Finger question to break the tie. If all contestants answered the question incorrectly, the round was repeated with another question.[6] Fastest Finger was eliminated from the gameplay when the syndicated version premiered in 2002.[7]

text: From 2008 to 2010, time limits were used for each question.[8] Contestants were given up to 15 seconds each for questions one through five, 30 seconds each for questions six through ten, and 45 seconds each for questions eleven through fourteen. Unused time was banked, and if the contestant reached question fifteen, he or she was given 45 seconds plus the amount of time previously banked. If the clock reached zero before a contestant could provide a final answer, the contestant was forced to walk away with the winnings they had at that point. During the clock format era, a "Millionaire Menu" was introduced, in which categories are revealed for each question at the beginning of the game, and are made visible to the contestant for their future reference. Some prize levels also changed at the start of season eight. Most of the episodes in season eight (from the "Million Dollar Tournament of Ten" onward) featured special "Celebrity Questions" that were mid-level in monetary value, and were provided by notable individuals whose identities were not revealed until the contestant reached their special questions.[9]

text: When the ninth syndicated season began on September 13, 2010, the format was overhauled. Ten questions were asked in round one, each assigned one of ten different money amounts which were randomized at the beginning of the game, as were the questions themselves. The difficulty of the questions was not tied to the dollar value. The dollar values for each question remained hidden until a contestant either provided a correct answer or chose to "jump" the question. The value of each question answered correctly was added to the contestant's bank, for a maximum total of $68,600. A contestant who completed the round successfully could walk at any subsequent point with all the money in their bank, or could walk without completing the round with half that amount (e.g., a contestant who banked $30,000 would leave with $15,000).[4] After completing round one, the contestant moved on to a second round of gameplay (the "Classic Millionaire" round), in which four non-categorized questions were played for set non-cumulative values and a correct answer augmented the contestant's winnings to that point, as in the older formats.[4] The shuffle format changes, including the randomization and double-round distribution of questions, were reverted for the fourteenth syndicated season.

text: From 2011 to 2014, certain weeks of the show were designated as "Double Your Money" weeks. In those, a pre-selected question in round one was designated the "Double Money Question." When a contestant answered such a question correctly, the monetary value behind the question was doubled and added to his or her bank, giving him or her the possibility of adding up to $50,000 to his or her bank on a single question; under these special rules, it was possible for a contestant to finish round one with a maximum total of $93,600 in their bank. However, when a contestant "jumped" the question, they forfeited the doubled money.[3]

text: In the event that a contestant leaves and very little time remains (in the final part of an episode), a randomly selected audience member is given one chance to win $1,000 by answering the next question intended for the previous contestant (or $2,000 if the next question was on a Double Money episode). Regardless of the outcome, the audience member receives a special prize. In seasons nine and ten, the prize was a copy of the Millionaire video game; as of season eleven, audience members now receive 20 free playings for a Facebook game based on the show's format. In season thirteen, which gave this game the name "Thousandaire", the question the audience player faced did not come from the previous player's stack, but was instead a separate question. Two additional audience games were also introduced and played in season thirteen: "Team Millionaire", where two audience members are both presented with a single question and lock in their individual answers separately for the chance to win $500 and a bonus question with which they can double their money; and "Fastest Feet", a variation of Fastest Finger which four audience members play for the chance to split $1,000.[10]

text: Payout structure[edit]

text: Five different ladders have been used for a season or more over the course of the series.

text:
Question
number
Question value

1999–2004
2004–09
2009–10
2010–15[4]
2015–present

1
$100
$500
Random value
($100, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, $15,000, and $25,000)

The value of each correct response accumulated through the first 10 questions, for a potential maximum of $68,600.
$500

2
$200
$1,000
$1,000

3
$300
$2,000
$2,000

4
$500
$3,000
$3,000

5
$1,000
$5,000
$5,000

6
$2,000
$7,500
$7,000

7
$4,000
$10,000
$10,000

8
$8,000
$12,500
$20,000

9
$16,000
$15,000
$30,000

10
$32,000
$25,000
$50,000

11
$64,000
$50,000
$100,000

12
$125,000
$100,000
$250,000

13
$250,000
$500,000

14
$500,000
$1,000,000

15
$1,000,000

text: The original primetime payment structure was also used for the first two seasons of the syndicated version. The third syndicated season saw a reduction in the values for questions ten through twelve. In the eighth syndicated season, the lower question values were adjusted to raise the first safe haven to $5,000.[11] When the "shuffle format" was used, the first ten questions had random amounts from $100 to $25,000, as listed above. In addition, the number of questions needed to win the million was reduced to 14, removing the $50,000 level; the last four values remained the same for round two.[4] When the shuffle format ended at the start of the 2015–16 season, the switch to 14 questions was retained; the first safe haven was kept at $5,000, but the second was raised to $50,000.

text: The $500,000 and $1,000,000 prizes were initially lump-sum payments, but were changed to annuities in September 2002 when the series moved to syndication. Contestants winning either of these prizes receive $250,000 thirty days after their show broadcasts and the remainder paid in equal annual payments. The $500,000 prize consists of $25,000 per year for 10 years, while the $1,000,000 prize consists of $37,500 per year for 20 years.[3]

text: Any contestant who answers one of the first five questions incorrectly still receives a $1,000 consolation prize, contrary to what the home audience is told.[12] This is in contrast to the old format, in which contestants who answered one of the first five questions incorrectly actually left with nothing at all.

text: Lifelines[edit]

text: Contestants are given a series of lifelines to aid them with difficult questions. They can use as many lifelines as desired per question, but each lifeline can only be used once per game. Three lifelines are available from the start of the game. Depending on the format of the show, additional lifelines may become available after the contestant correctly answers the fifth or tenth question. In the clock format, usage of lifelines temporarily paused the clock while the lifelines were played.

text: The show's original three lifelines were "50:50", in which the computer eliminates two of the incorrect answers; "Phone-a-Friend", which allowed the contestant to make a 30-second call to one of a number of friends (who provided their phone numbers in advance) and read them the question and answer choices, after which the friend provided input; and "Ask the Audience", in which audience members use touch pads to designate what they believe the correct answer to be, after which the percentage of the audience choosing each specific option is displayed to the contestant. 50:50 was eliminated at the end of the show's sixth syndicated season, only to be restored in season fourteen. Phone-a-Friend was removed on the episode aired January 11, 2010, after it was determined that there was an increasing trend of contestants' friends using search engines and other Internet resources, unfairly privileging individuals who had computer access over those who did not, and that it was contrary to the original intent of the lifeline where friends were supposed to provide assistance based on what they already knew.[13] From 2004 to 2008, there was a fourth lifeline called "Switch the Question",[8] earned upon answering question ten, in which the computer replaced, at the contestant's request, one question with another of the same monetary value; however, any lifelines used on the original question were not reinstated for the new question. Switch the Question returned as "Cut the Question" on a special week of shows with child contestants aired in 2014.

text: During the Super Millionaire spin-off, two new lifelines were introduced: "Double Dip", which allowed the contestant to make two guesses at a question, but required them to play out the question, forbidding them to walk away or use any further lifelines; and "Three Wise Men", in which the contestant was allowed to ask a sequestered panel of three people chosen by the producers, appearing via face-to-face audio and video feeds, which answer they believed was correct, within a time limit of 30 seconds. When the clock format was implemented, Double Dip replaced 50:50,[8] and the show introduced a new lifeline called "Ask the Expert", which was like Three Wise Men but had one person (usually a celebrity or a former Millionaire contestant) functioning as an expert instead of a panel of three people, lacked the time limit of its predecessor, and allowed the contestant and expert to discuss the question. Ask the Expert was originally available after the fifth question,[14] but was moved to the beginning of the game after Phone-a-Friend was removed.

text: The show's lifelines sometimes used corporate sponsorship. The Phone-a-Friend lifeline was sponsored by the original AT&T throughout the run of the ABC primetime show and in the first season of the syndicated version, then by the current AT&T for the 2009 primetime episodes. From 2004 to 2006, Ask the Audience was sponsored by AOL, which allowed users of its Instant Messenger to add the screen name MillionaireIM to their buddy list and receive an instant message with the question and the four possible answers, to which the users replied with their choices.[15] In addition, the Ask the Expert lifeline was sponsored by Skype for its live audio and video feeds.[14]

text: During the shuffle format era, the show introduced a new lifeline, "Jump the Question", which was able to be used twice in a single game for seasons nine through twelve. At any point prior to selecting a final answer, a contestant could use Jump the Question to skip the current question and move on to the next one, thus reducing the number of questions they had to correctly answer. However, if the contestant used Jump the Question, they did not gain any money from the question they chose to skip (for example, a contestant would not gain the typical $100,000 if they jumped to the $250,000 question). This lifeline could not be used on the $1 million question, since it is the final question in the game. The "Plus One" lifeline, introduced in season thirteen, allows a contestant to bring a companion with him or her to the podium for help in answering a question.[3] The introduction of this lifeline reduced the number of Jump the Question lifelines available from two to one. On occasional specially designated weeks, starting with a Halloween-themed week that aired from October 29 to November 2, 2012, the shuffle format used a special lifeline called "Crystal Ball", which allows the contestant to see the money value of a round one question prior to giving an answer.[16] Jump the Question was removed at the end of the show's thirteenth syndicated season. For the show's fourteenth season, during a special week of college shows, players got another lifeline called "Extra Help", played similarly to "Plus One" and allowing for another companion to help the player; however, it could only be used after "Plus One" was used.[17]

text: Top prize winners[edit]

text: The first contestant to correctly answer all 15 questions and win the top prize of $1,000,000 was John Carpenter, on the episode aired November 19, 1999.[18][19] In 2000, the million dollar top prize was awarded five times: to Dan Blonsky on the episode aired January 18, to Joe Trela on March 23, to Bob House on June 13, to Kim Hunt on July 6, and to David Goodman on July 11.[19]

text: In January 2001, when no contestant had won $1 million in any show that aired over a period of five months, the top prize was then changed from a flat $1 million to an accumulating jackpot that increased by $10,000 for each episode where the top prize was not won. On April 10, 2001, Kevin Olmstead correctly answered the final question and won $2,180,000, making him the biggest winner in television history at the time.[20] The top prize for correctly answering the final question returned to $1 million following Olmstead's win and has remained unchanged since; just five days after Olmstead's win, the standard $1 million prize was awarded to Bernie Cullen.[21] The last top prize winner on the original network version was Ed Toutant, on the episode aired September 7, 2001;[22] he had previously appeared on the episode aired January 31, 2001 when the jackpot was $1,860,000, where he was ruled to have answered his $16,000 question incorrectly, but when it was discovered that there was a mistake in that question, Toutant was invited back[23] and won the $1,860,000 jackpot.[22] On the Super Millionaire spin-off, Robert Essig won $1,000,000 after answering the twelfth question and then walked away, not reaching the final question for $10,000,000.[24]

text: On the syndicated version's first season, two contestants correctly answered all 15 questions and won the top prize of $1,000,000: Kevin Smith on February 18, 2003, and Nancy Christy on May 8 of the same year.[25] During the Million Dollar Tournament of Ten which aired in November 2009, Sam Murray, who had previously supplied correct responses for eleven questions, risked his winnings on a special $1,000,000 question; he was the only contestant to answer his question correctly.[26]

text: Personnel[edit]

text: Hosts[edit]

text: The original network version of the U.S. Millionaire and the subsequent primetime specials were hosted by Regis Philbin.[27] When the syndicated version was being developed, the production team felt that it was not feasible for Philbin to continue hosting, as the show recorded four episodes in a single day, and that the team was looking for qualities in a new host: it had to be somebody who would love the contestants and be willing to root for them.[1] Rosie O'Donnell was initially offered a hosting position on this new edition, but declined the opportunity almost immediately.[28] Eventually Meredith Vieira, who had previously competed in a celebrity charity event on the original network version, was named host of the new syndicated edition.[29]

text: ABC originally offered Vieira hosting duties on the syndicated Millionaire to sweeten one of her re-negotiations for the network's daytime talk show The View, which she was moderating at the time.[30] When the show was honored by GSN on its Gameshow Hall of Fame special, Vieira herself further explained her motivation for hosting the syndicated version as follows:

text:
“
I did the show because I fell in love with the show, and really, first and foremost, as a parent, [I feel that] there aren't that many shows on television that you can watch as a family. And when Michael Davies approached me and said, "Would you be interested in hosting the syndicated version?", I said, "Just point me toward the contract! I am so there!"[1]
”

text: From 2007 to 2011, when Vieira was concurrently working as a co-host of Today, guest hosts appeared in the second half of each season of the syndicated version. Guest hosts who filled in for Vieira included Philbin,[31] Al Roker,[32] Tom Bergeron,[33] Tim Vincent,[34] Dave Price,[35] Billy Bush,[36] Leeza Gibbons,[36] Cat Deeley,[37] Samantha Harris,[38] Shaun Robinson,[39] Steve Harvey,[40] John Henson,[41] Sherri Shepherd,[42] Tim Gunn,[43] and D. L. Hughley.[44]

text: On January 10, 2013, Vieira announced that after eleven seasons with the syndicated Millionaire, she would be leaving the show as part of an effort to focus on other projects in her career. She finalized taping of her last episodes with the show in November 2012.[30][45] Her successor as host of the syndicated Millionaire, Cedric the Entertainer, was introduced to the show when season twelve premiered on September 2, 2013.[46][47] On April 30, 2014, Deadline announced that Cedric had decided to leave the show in order to lighten his workload,[48] resulting in him being succeeded by Terry Crews for the 2014–15 season.[49] Crews was succeeded by Chris Harrison, host of The Bachelor and its spin-offs, when season 14 premiered on September 14, 2015.[50]

text: Production staff[edit]

text: The original executive producers of the U.S. Millionaire were British television producers Michael Davies and Paul Smith,[51] the latter of whom undertook the responsibility of licensing Millionaire to American airwaves as part of his effort to transform the UK program into a global franchise.[52] Smith served until 2007 and Davies until 2010; additionally, Leigh Hampton (previously co-executive producer in the later days of the network version and in the syndicated version's first two seasons) served as an executive producer from 2004 to 2010. Rich Sirop, who was previously a supervising producer, became the executive producer in 2010 and held that position until 2014, when he left Millionaire to hold the same position with Vieira's newly launched syndicated talk show,[53] and was replaced by James Rowley. Vincent Rubino, who had previously been the syndicated Millionaire's supervising producer for its first two seasons,[51] served as that version's co-executive producer for the 2004–05 season,[54] after which he was succeeded by Vieira herself, who continued to hold the title until her departure in 2013 (sharing her position with Sirop for the 2009–10 season).[51]

text: Producers of the network version included Hampton, Rubino, Leslie Fuller, Nikki Webber, and Terrence McDonnell. For its first two seasons the syndicated version had Deirdre Cossman for its managing producer, then Dennis F. McMahon became producer for the next two seasons (joined by Dominique Bruballa as his line producer), after which Jennifer Weeks produced the next four seasons of syndicated Millionaire shows, initially accompanied by Amanda Zucker as her line producer, but later joined for the 2008–09 season by Tommy Cody (who became sole producer in the 2009–10 season). The first 65 shuffle format episodes were produced by McPaul Smith, and as of 2011, the title of producer is held by Bryan Lasseter. The network version had Ann Miller and Tiffany Trigg for its supervising producers; they were joined by Wendy Roth in the first two seasons, and by Michael Binkow in the third and final season. After Rubino's promotion to co-executive producer, the syndicated version's later supervising producers included Sirop (2004–09), Geena Gintzig (2009–10), Brent Burnette (2010–12), Geoff Rosen (2012–14), and Liz Harris (2014–16), who currently serves as the co-executive producer.[51]

text: The original network version of Millionaire was directed by Mark Gentile, who later served as the syndicated version's consulting producer for its first two seasons, and then as the director of Duel, which ran on ABC from December 2007 to July 2008. The syndicated version was directed by Matthew Cohen from 2002 to 2010, by Rob George from 2010 to 2013, and by Brian McAloon in the 2013–14 season. Former Price Is Right director Rich DiPirro became Millionaire's director in 2014.[51]

text: Production[edit]

text: The U.S. version of Millionaire is a co-production of 2waytraffic, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Valleycrest Productions, a division of The Walt Disney Company. 2waytraffic purchased Millionaire's original production company Celador in 2008,[55][56] while Valleycrest has produced the series since its beginning,[57] and holds the copyright on all U.S. Millionaire episodes to date. The show is distributed by Valleycrest's corporate sibling Disney-ABC Home Entertainment & Television Distribution (previously known as Buena Vista Television).

text: The U.S. Millionaire was taped at ABC's Television Center East studio on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York from 1999 to 2012. Tapings were moved to NEP Broadcasting's Metropolis Studios in East Harlem in 2013,[58] and production moved to studios located in Stamford, Connecticut the following year.[59] For the 2016–17 season, production relocated to Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. [60] Episodes of the syndicated version are produced from June to December.[3] The show originally taped four episodes in a single day,[1] but that number has since been changed to five.

text: Origins[edit]

text: When the U.S. version of Millionaire was first conceived in 1998, Michael Davies was a young television producer who was serving as the head of ABC's little-noticed reality programming division (at a time when reality television had not yet become a phenomenon in America).[1] At that time, ABC was lingering in third place in the ratings indexes among U.S. broadcast networks, and was on the verge of losing its status as one of the "Big Three" networks.[61] Meanwhile, the popularity of game shows was at an all-time nadir, as with the exception of The Price Is Right, the genre was absent from networks' daytime lineups at that point. Having earlier created Debt for Lifetime Television and participated with Al Burton and Donnie Brainard in the creation of Win Ben Stein's Money for Comedy Central,[1] Davies decided to create a primetime game show that would save the network from collapse and revive interest in game shows.[1]

text: Davies originally considered reviving CBS's long-lost quiz show The $64,000 Question for a new era, with a new home on ABC.[62] However, this effort's development was limited as when the producer heard that the British Millionaire was about to make its debut, he got his friends and family members in the UK to record the show, and subsequently ended up receiving about eight FedEx packages from different family members, each containing a copy of Millionaire's first episode. Davies was so captivated by everything that he had seen and heard, from host Chris Tarrant's intimate involvement with the contestant to the show's lighting system and music tracks, that he chose to abandon his work on the $64,000 Question revival in favor of introducing Millionaire to American airwaves, convinced that it would become extraordinarily popular.[1]

text: When Davies presented his ideas for the U.S. Millionaire to ABC, the network's executives initially rejected them, so he resigned his position there and became an independent producer.[1] Determined to bring his idea for the show to fruition, Davies decided that he was betting his whole career on Millionaire's production, and the first move that he made was planning to attach a celebrity host to the show. Along with Philbin, a number of other popular television personalities were considered for hosting positions on the U.S. Millionaire during its development, including Peter Jennings,[1] Bob Costas, Phil Donahue, and Montel Williams, but among those considered, it was Philbin who wanted the job the most, and when he saw an episode of the British Millionaire and was blown away by his content, Davies and his team ultimately settled on having him host the American show.[61] When Davies approached ABC again after having hired Philbin, the network finally agreed to accept the U.S. Millionaire.[1] With production now ready to begin, the team had only five months to finish developing the show and get it launched, with Davies demanding perfection in every element of Millionaire's production.[1]

text: Audition process[edit]

text: With few exceptions, any legal resident of the United States who is 18 years of age or older has the potential of becoming a contestant through Millionaire's audition process. Those ineligible include employees, immediate family or household members, and close acquaintances of SPE, Disney, or any of their respective affiliates or subsidiaries; television stations that broadcast the syndicated version; or any advertising agency or other firm or entity engaged in the production, administration, or judging of the show. Also ineligible are current candidates for political office and individuals who have appeared on a different game show outside of cable that has been broadcast within the past year, is intended to be broadcast within the next year, or played the main game on any of the U.S. versions of Millionaire itself.[3]

text: Potential contestants of the original primetime version had to compete in a telephone contest which had them dial a toll-free number and answer three questions by putting objects or events in order. Callers had ten seconds to enter the order on a keypad, with any incorrect answer ending the game/call. The 10,000 to 20,000 candidates who answered all three questions correctly were selected into a random drawing in which approximately 300 contestants competed for ten spots on the show using the same phone quiz method.[note 2] Accommodations for contestants outside the New York City area included round trip airfare (or other transportation) and hotel accommodations.

text: The syndicated version's potential contestants, depending on tryouts, are required to pass an electronically scored test[63] comprising a set of thirty questions which must be answered within a 10-minute time limit. Contestants who fail the test are eliminated, while those who pass are interviewed for an audition by the production staff,[64] and those who impress the staff the most are then notified by postal mail that they have been placed into a pool for possible selection as contestants. At the producers' discretion, contestants from said pool are selected to appear on actual episodes of the syndicated program; these contestants are given a phone call from staff and asked to confirm the information on their initial application form and verify that they meet all eligibility requirements. Afterwards, they are given a date to travel to the show's taping facilities to participate in a scheduled episode of the show.[63] Unlike its ABC counterpart, the syndicated version does not offer transportation or hotel accommodations to contestants at the production company's expense; that version's contestants are instead required to provide transportation and accommodations of their own.[3]

text: The syndicated Millionaire also conducts open casting calls in various locations across the United States to search for potential contestants. These are held in late spring or early summer, with all dates and locations posted on the show's official website. The producers make no guarantee on how many applicants will be tested at each particular venue;[63] however, the show will not test any more than 2,500 individuals per audition day.[3]

text: In cases when the show features themed episodes with two people playing as a team, auditions for these episodes' contestants are announced on the show's website. Both members of the team must pass the written test and the audition interview successfully in order to be considered for selection. If only one member of the team passes, he or she is placed into the contestant pool alone and must continue the audition process as an individual in order to proceed.[63]

text: Music[edit]

text: Originally, the U.S. Millionaire carried over the musical score from the British version, composed by father-and-son duo Keith and Matthew Strachan. Unlike older game show musical scores, Millionaire's musical score was created to feature music playing almost throughout the entire show. The Strachans' main Millionaire theme song took some inspiration from the "Mars" movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets,[65] and their question cues from the $2,000 to the $32,000/$25,000 level, and then from the $64,000/$50,000 level onwards, took the pitch up a semitone for each subsequent question, in order to increase tension as the contestant progressed through the game.[65] On GSN's Gameshow Hall of Fame special, the narrator described the Strachan tracks as "mimicking the sound of a beating heart," and stated that as the contestant worked their way up the money ladder, the music was "perfectly in tune with their ever-increasing pulse."[1]

text: The original Millionaire musical score holds the distinction of being the only game show soundtrack to be acknowledged by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, as the Strachans were honored with numerous ASCAP awards for their work, the earliest of them awarded in 2000.[65] The original music cues were given minor rearrangements for the clock format in 2008; for example, the question cues were synced to the "ticking" sounds of the game clock. Even later, the Strachan score was removed from the U.S. version altogether for the introduction of the shuffle format in 2010, in favor of a new musical score with cues written by Jeff Lippencott and Mark T. Williams, co-founders of the Los Angeles-based company Ah2 Music.[66]

text: Set[edit]

text: The U.S. Millionaire's basic set is a direct adaptation of the British version's set design, which was conceived by Andy Walmsley. Paul Smith's original licensing agreement for the U.S. Millionaire required that the show's set design, along with all other elements of the show's on-air presentation (musical score, lighting system, host's wardrobe, etc.), adhere faithfully to the way in which they were presented in the British version; this same licensing agreement applied to all other international versions of the show, making Walmsley's Millionaire set design the most reproduced scenic design in television history.[52] The original version of the U.S. Millionaire's set cost $200,000 to construct.[1] The U.S. Millionaire's production design is handled by George Allison, whose predecessors have included David Weller and Jim Fenhagen.[51]

text: Unlike older game shows whose sets are or were designed to make the contestant(s) feel at ease, Millionaire's set was designed to make the contestant feel uncomfortable, so that the program feels more like a movie thriller than a typical quiz show.[1] The floor is made of Plexiglas[52] beneath which lies a huge dish covered in mirror paper.[1] Before the shuffle format was implemented in 2010, the main game had the contestant and host sit in chairs in the center of the stage, known as "Hot Seats"; these measured 3 feet (0.91 m) high, were modeled after chairs typically found in hair salons,[1] and each seat featured a computer monitor directly facing it to display questions and other pertinent information. Shortly after the shuffle format was introduced to Millionaire, Vieira stated in an interview with her Millionaire predecessor on his morning talk show that the Hot Seat was removed because it was decided that the seat, which was originally intended to make the contestant feel nervous, actually ended up having contestants feel so comfortable in it that it did not service the production team any longer.[67]

text: The lighting system is programmed to darken the set as the contestant progresses further into the game. There are also spotlights situated at the bottom of the set area that zoom down on the contestant when they answer a major question; to increase the visibility of the light beams emitted by such spotlights, oil is vaporized, creating a haze effect. Media scholar Dr. Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University, stated that the show's lighting system made the contestant feel as though they were outside of prison when an escape was in progress.[1]

text: When the shuffle format was introduced, the Hot Seats and corresponding monitors were replaced with a single podium, and as a result, the contestant and host stand throughout the game and are also able to walk around the stage.[67] Also, two video screens were installed–one that displays the current question in play, and another that displays the contestant's cumulative total and progress during the game. In September 2012, the redesigned set was improved with a modernized look and feel, in order to take into account the show's transition to high-definition broadcasting, which had just come about the previous year. The two video screens were replaced with two larger ones, having twice as many projectors as the previous screens had; the previous contestant podium was replaced with a new one; and light-emitting diode (LED) technology was integrated into the lighting system to give the lights more vivid colors and the set and gameplay experience a more intimate feel.[68]

text: Broadcast history[edit]

text: ABC[edit]

text: The U.S. version of Millionaire was launched by ABC as a half-hour primetime program on August 16, 1999.[69] When it premiered, it became the first U.S. network game show to offer a million-dollar top prize to contestants.[1] After airing thirteen episodes and reaching an audience of 15 million viewers by the end of the show's first week on the air, the program expanded to an hour-long format when it returned in November.[70] The series, of which episodes were originally shown only a day after their initial taping, was promoted to regular status on January 18, 2000[71] and, at the height of its popularity, was airing on ABC five nights a week.[72] The show was so popular during its original primetime run that rival networks created or re-incarnated game shows of their own (e.g., Greed, Twenty One, etc.), as well as importing various game shows of British and Australian origin to America (such as Winning Lines, Weakest Link, and It's Your Chance of a Lifetime).

text: The nighttime version initially drew in up to 30 million viewers a day three times a week, an unheard-of number in modern network television. In the 1999–2000 season, it averaged No. 1 in the ratings against all other television shows,[73] with 28,848,000 viewers. In the next season (2000–01), three nights out of the five weekly episodes placed in the top 10.[74] However, the show's ratings began to fall during the 2000–01 season, so that at the start of the 2001–02 season, the ratings were only a fraction of what they had been one year before, and by season's end, the show was no longer even ranked among the top 20.[75] ABC's reliance on the show's popularity led the network to fall quickly from its former spot as the nation's most watched network.

text: As ABC's overexposure of the primetime Millionaire led the public to tire of the show, there was speculation that the show would not survive beyond the 2001–02 season. The staff planned on switching it to a format that would emphasize comedy more than the game and feature a host other than Philbin,[76] but in the end, the primetime show was canceled, with its final episode airing on June 27, 2002.[77]

text: Syndication[edit]

text: In 2001, Millionaire producers began work on a half-hour daily syndicated version of the show, with the idea being that it would serve as an accompaniment to the network series which was still in production. ABC's cancellation of the network Millionaire ended that idea; however, the syndicated Millionaire still had enough interest to be greenlit and BVT sold the series to local stations for the 2002–03 season.[29][77] The syndicated series nearly met the same fate as its predecessor, however, due in part to worries that stemmed from a decision made by one of its affiliates.

text: In the New York media market, BVT sold the syndicated Millionaire to CBS's flagship station, WCBS-TV. In the season that had passed, WCBS' mid-afternoon schedule included the syndicated edition of NBC's Weakest Link,[78] which aired at 4 pm from its January 2002 premiere. Joining Millionaire as a new syndicated series was a spinoff of The Oprah Winfrey Show hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw.[79] WCBS picked up both series for 2002–03, with Dr. Phil serving as lead-in for the syndicated Millionaire, which was plugged into the time slot that Weakest Link had been occupying.

text: At mid-season, WCBS announced that for the 2003–04 season it had acquired the broadcast rights to The People's Court[80] after WNBC, which had been airing the revived series since its 1997 debut, dropped it from its lineup. WCBS announced plans to move The People's Court into the time slot that was occupied by Millionaire and the still-airing 4:30 pm local newscast once it joined the station's lineup in September 2003. This led to speculation that the syndicated Millionaire would not be returning for a second season, and BVT's concerns over losing its New York affiliate were compounded by the fact that there were not many time slots available for the show in New York outside of the undesirable late-night slots that syndicators try to avoid.[80]

text: In June 2003, a shakeup at one of BVT's corporate siblings provided the series with an opening.[80] ABC announced that it would be returning the 12:30 pm network time slot to its affiliates in October of that year following the cancellation of the soap opera Port Charles. ABC's flagship, WABC-TV, was thus in need of a program to fill the slot and BVT went to them asking if the station would pick up Millionaire. WABC agreed to do this and when the new season launched that fall, the station began airing Millionaire at 12:30 pm.[81] Millionaire continued to air on WABC in the afternoon until the end of the 2014–15 season, when it acquired the broadcast rights to FABLife for the 2015–16 season. To make room for FABLife, the afternoon airing of Millionaire was moved to independent station WLNY-TV; however, FABLife was canceled in January 2016, and as a result, Millionaire moved back to WABC for the 2016–17 season.[82]

text: According to e-mails released in the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack, Millionaire narrowly avoided cancellation after the 2014–15 season. The show's declining ratings prompted DADT to demand a dramatically reduced licensing fee for renewal, which SPE was hesitant to accept. The series was nonetheless renewed for the 2015–16 season, with various cuts to the show's production budget and a return to the original format (but with only 14 questions).[83] Had the show not been renewed, SPE would have placed the show on extended hiatus for three years, reclaimed full rights to the show (without the innovations and format added in the syndicated run, to which DADT owns intellectual property rights), and shopped the revived show to another network or syndicator.[84] In January 2017, it was announced that Millionaire has been renewed through 2018.[85]

text: GSN[edit]

text: GSN acquired the rerun rights to the U.S. Millionaire in August 2003.[86] The network initially aired only episodes from the three seasons of the original prime-time run; however, additional episodes were later added. These included the Super Millionaire spin-off,[87] which aired on GSN from May 2005 to January 2007, and the first two seasons of the syndicated version, which began airing on November 10, 2008.[88]

text: Special editions[edit]

text: Various special editions and tournaments have been conducted which feature celebrities playing the game and donating winnings to charities of their choice. During celebrity editions on the original ABC version, contestants were allowed to receive help from their fellow contestants during the first ten questions. The most successful celebrity contestants throughout the show's run have included Drew Carey,[77] Rosie O'Donnell,[77] Norm Macdonald,[77] and Chip Esten,[89] all of whom won $500,000 for their respective charities. The episode featuring O'Donnell's $500,000 win averaged 36.1 million viewers, the highest number for a single episode of the show.[90]

text: There have also been special weeks featuring two or three family members or couples competing as a team, a "Champions Edition" where former big winners returned and split their winnings with their favorite charities, a "Zero Dollar Winner Edition" featuring contestants who previously missed one of the first-tier questions and left with nothing, and a "Tax-Free Edition" in which H&R Block calculated the taxes of winnings to allow contestants to earn stated winnings after taxes, and various theme weeks featuring college students, teachers, brides-to-be, etc. as contestants.[91] Additionally, the syndicated version once featured an annual "Walk In & Win Week" with contestants who were randomly selected from the audience without having to take the audition test.[92]

text: Special weeks have also included shows featuring questions concerning specific topics, such as professional football, celebrity gossip, movies, and pop culture. During a week of episodes in November 2007, to celebrate the 1,000th episode of the syndicated Millionaire, all contestants that week started with $1,000 so that they could not leave empty-handed, and only had to answer ten questions to win $1,000,000. During that week, twenty home viewers per day also won $1,000 each.[93]

text: Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire[edit]

text: In 2004, Philbin returned to host 12 episodes of a spin-off program titled Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire in which contestants could potentially win $10,000,000.[24] ABC aired five episodes of this spin-off during the week of February 22, 2004, and an additional seven episodes later that year in May. As usual, contestants had to answer a series of 15 multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty, but the dollar values rose substantially. The first five questions for Super Millionaire were worth $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000 (the first safe haven), the remaining ten questions were worth $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $100,000 (the second safe haven), $500,000, $1,000,000, $2,500,000, $5,000,000, and $10,000,000.

text: Contestants were given the standard three lifelines in place at the time (50:50, Ask the Audience, and Phone-a-Friend) at the beginning of the game. However, after correctly answering the $100,000 question, the contestant earned two additional lifelines: Three Wise Men and Double Dip.[24] The Three Wise Men lifeline involved a panel of three experts, one of whom was always a former Millionaire contestant and at least one of whom was female. When this lifeline was used, the contestant and panel had 30 seconds to discuss the question and choices before the audio and video feeds were dropped. Double Dip gave a contestant two chances to answer a question. Once used, no further lifelines could be used; moreover, if the "first final answer" was incorrect, the contestant could not walk away. If the "second final answer" was also wrong, the contestant left with $100,000.

text: 10th Anniversary Celebration[edit]

text: To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Millionaire's U.S. debut, the show returned to ABC primetime for an eleven-night event hosted by Philbin, which aired August 9–23, 2009.[94] The Academy Award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and the 2008 economic crisis helped boost interest of renewal of the game show.[77]

text: The episodes featured game play based on the previous rule set of the syndicated version (including the rule changes implemented in season seven) but used the Fastest Finger round to select contestants. Various celebrities also made special guest appearances at the end of every episode; each guest played one question for a chance at $50,000 for a charity of their choice, being allowed to use any one of the four lifelines in place at the time (Phone-a-Friend, Ask the Audience, Double Dip, and Ask the Expert), but still earned a minimum of $25,000 for the charity if they answered the question incorrectly.[94]

text: On August 18, 2009, New York City resident Nik Bonaddio appeared on the program, winning $100,000 with the help of the audience and later, Gwen Ifill as his lifelines.[95] Bonaddio then used the proceeds to start the sports analytics firm numberFire,[96] which was sold in September 2015 to FanDuel, a fantasy sports platform.

text: The finale of the tenth anniversary special, which aired on August 23, 2009, featured Ken Basin, an entertainment lawyer, Harvard Law graduate, and former Jeopardy! contestant, who went on to become the first contestant to play a $1,000,000 question in the "clock format" era. With a time of 4:39 (45 seconds + 3:54 banked time), Basin was given a question involving President Lyndon Baines Johnson's fondness for Fresca. Using his one remaining lifeline, Basin asked the audience, which supported his own hunch of Yoo-hoo rather than the correct answer. He decided to answer the question and lost $475,000, becoming the first contestant in the U.S. version to answer a $1,000,000 question incorrectly. After Basin finished his run, Vieira appeared on-camera and announced that all remaining Fastest Finger contestants would play with her on the first week of the syndicated version's eighth season.[97] After this, the million dollar question was not played again on a standard episode until September 25, 2013,[58] when Josina Reaves became the second U.S. Millionaire contestant to incorrectly answer her $1,000,000 question, but only lost $75,000 as she used her Jump the Question lifelines on her $250,000 and $500,000 questions.[98]

text: Million Dollar Tournament of Ten[edit]

text: Although the syndicated Millionaire had produced two millionaires in its first season, Nancy Christy's May 2003 win was still standing as the most recent when the program began its eighth season in fall of 2009. Deciding that six-plus years had been too long since someone had won the top prize, producers conducted a tournament to find a third million dollar winner.[99] For the first nine weeks of the 2009–10 season, each episode saw contestants attempt to qualify for what was referred to as the "Tournament of Ten". Contestants were seeded based on how much money they had won, with the biggest winner ranked first and the lowest ranked tenth. Ties were broken based on how much time a contestant had banked when they had walked away from the game.[100]

text: The tournament began on the episode aired November 9, 2009, and playing in order from the lowest to the highest seed, tournament contestants played one at a time at the end of that episode and the next nine. The rules were exactly the same as they were for a normal million dollar question under the clock format introduced the season before, except here, the contestants had no lifelines at their disposal. Each contestant received a base time of 45 seconds. For each question they had answered before walking away, the contestants received any unused seconds that were left when they gave their answers. The accumulated total of those unused seconds was then added to the base time to give the contestants their final question time limit.[100]

text: Each contestant had the same decision facing them as before, which was whether to attempt to answer the question or walk away with their pre-tournament total intact. Attempting the question and answering incorrectly incurred the same penalty as in regular play, with a reduction of their pre-tournament winnings to $25,000. If the question was answered correctly, the player that did so became the tournament leader. If another player after him/her answered correctly, that player assumed the lead and the previous leader kept their pre-tournament winnings. The highest remaining seed to have attempted and correctly answered their question at the end of the tournament on November 20, 2009 would be declared the winner and become the syndicated series' third millionaire.[100]

text: The first contestant to attempt to answer the million dollar question was Sam Murray, the tournament's eighth-seeded qualifier. On November 11, Murray was asked approximately how many people had lived on Earth in its history and correctly guessed 100 billion. Murray was still atop the leaderboard entering the November 20 finale as he remained the only contestant to even attempt to answer his or her question. The only person who could defeat him was top seed and $250,000 winner Jehan Shamsid-Deen, who was asked a question regarding the Blorenge, cited as "a rare example of a word that rhymes with orange". Shamsid-Deen considered taking the risk, believing (correctly) that the name belonged to a mountain in Wales. However, she decided that the potential of losing $225,000 did not justify the risk and elected to walk away from the question, giving Murray the win and the million dollar prize.[26]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Since its introduction to the United States, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire has been credited with not only single-handedly reviving the game show genre, but also breaking new ground for it.[1] The series revolutionized the look and feel of game shows with its unique lighting system, dramatic music cues, and futuristic set. The show also became one of the highest-rated and most popular game shows in U.S. television history, and has been credited with paving the way for the rise of the reality TV phenomenon to prominence throughout the 2000s.[1]

text: The U.S. Millionaire also made catchphrases out of various lines used on the show. In particular, "Is that your final answer?", asked by Millionaire's hosts whenever a contestant's answer needs to be verified, was popularized by Philbin during his tenure as host,[77] and was also included on TV Land's special "100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catch Phrases", which aired in 2006.[101] Meanwhile, during his tenure as host, Cedric signed off shows with a catchphrase of his own, "Watch yo' wallet!"[48]

text: The original primetime version of the U.S. Millionaire won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show in 2000 and 2001. Philbin was honored with a Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host in 2001, while Vieira received one in 2005, and another in 2009.[102] TV Guide ranked the U.S. Millionaire #7 on its 2001 list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time,[103] and later ranked it #6 on its 2013 "60 Greatest Game Shows" list.[104] GSN ranked Millionaire #5 on its August 2006 list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time,[105] and later honored the show in January 2007 on its only Gameshow Hall of Fame special.[1]

text: Other media[edit]

text: Merchandise[edit]

text: In 2000, Pressman released two board game adaptions of Millionaire[106][107] as well as a junior edition recommended for younger players.[108] Several video games based on the varying gameplay formats of Millionaire have also been released throughout the course of the show's U.S. history.

text: Between 1999 and 2001, Jellyvision produced five video game adaptations based upon the original primetime series for personal computers and Sony's PlayStation console, all of them featuring Philbin's likeness and voice. The first of these adaptations was published by Disney Interactive, while the later four were published by Buena Vista Interactive which had just been spun off from DI when it reestablished itself in attempts to diversify its portfolio. Of the five games, three featured general trivia questions,[109][110][111] one was sports-themed,[112] and another was a "Kids Edition" featuring easier questions.[113] In 2008, Imagination Games released a DVD version of the show, based on the 2004–08 format and coming complete with Vieira's likeness and voice,[114] as well as a quiz book[115] and a 2009 desktop calendar.[116] Additionally, two Millionaire video games were released by Ludia in conjunction with Ubisoft in 2010 and 2011; the first of these was a game for Nintendo's Wii console and DS handheld system based on the clock format,[117] while the second, for Microsoft's Xbox 360, was based on the shuffle format.[118]

text: Ludia has also created a Facebook game based on Millionaire, which debuted on March 21, 2011. This game features an altered version of the shuffle format, condensing the number of questions to twelve—eight in round one, and four in round two. A contestant can compete against eight other Millionaire fans in round one, and play round two alone if they make it into the top three. There is no "final answer" rule; the contestant's responses are automatically locked in. Answering a question correctly earns a contestant the value of that question, multiplied by the number of people who responded incorrectly. Contestants are allowed to use two of their Facebook friends as Jump the Question lifelines in round one, and to use the Ask the Audience lifeline in round two to invite up to 50 such friends of theirs to answer a question for a portion of the prize money of the current question.[119]

text: Disney Parks attraction[edit]

text: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! was an attraction at the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park (when it was known as Disney-MGM Studios) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. Both the Florida and California Play It! attractions opened in 2001; the California version closed in 2004,[120] and the Florida version closed in 2006 and was replaced by Toy Story Midway Mania!

text: The format in the Play It! attraction was very similar to that of the television show that inspired it. When a show started, a "Fastest Finger" question was given, and the audience was asked to put the four answers in order; the person with the fastest time was the first contestant in the Hot Seat for that show. However, the main game had some differences: for example, contestants competed for points rather than dollars, the questions were set to time limits, and the Phone-a-Friend lifeline became Phone a Complete Stranger which connected the contestant to a Disney cast member outside the attraction's theater who would find a guest to help. After the contestant's game was over, they were awarded anything from a collectible pin, to clothing, to a Millionaire CD game, to a 3-night Disney Cruise.[121]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ The simplified title is often used by hosts and in promotional materials.
Jump up ^ To qualify for 2004's Super Millionaire spin-off, potential contestants were required to answer five questions. Each person who successfully answered all five questions chose one tape date, and the contestants for that tape date were drawn from that pool.


document_title: Flag of Jamaica

question_text: what does the color of jamaican flag mean

text: Flag of Jamaica

text: Design and symbolism[edit]

text: The present design emerged from those sent in by the public in a national competition. It was originally designed with horizontal stripes, but this was considered too similar to the flag of Tanganyika (as it was in 1962, only the yellow stripes are thinner), and so the saltire was substituted.

text: An earlier interpretation of the colours was, "hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth" as stated in the government Ministry Paper 28 - National Flag dated 22 May 1962. Gold recalls the shining sun, black reflects hardships, and green represents the land. It was changed in 1996 to black representing the strength and creativity of the people which has allowed them to overcome the odds, yellow for the wealth of the country and the golden sunshine, and green for the lush vegetation of the island. The change was made on the recommendation of The Committee to Examine National Symbols and National Observances appointed by the then Prime Minister the Hon P. J. Patterson and chaired by the Hon. Prof. Milton "Rex" Nettleford. The flag is blazoned: Per saltire vert and sable, a saltire Or.

text: Etiquette[edit]

text: Standard etiquette applies in Jamaica to use of the national flag, primarily ensuring it is always the primary flag flown and is in good condition. The National Flag Code (a set of rules that owners of a flag should follow) was instituted by the government.

text: Jamaica's state ensign is a Blue Ensign with the Jamaican national flag in the canton; it is normally only used by the Jamaican Government. Jamaica's naval ensign is a White Ensign with a Saint George's Cross and the Jamaican national flag in the canton, although due to the island's lack of a navy, it is normally only used by the Jamaican Coast Guard. It mimics the naval ensigns of other Commonwealth countries such as Bahamas, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.

text: Historical flags[edit]

text:
1875–1906

 1906–1957

 1957–1962

 1962