document_title: International Women's Day

question_text: who gave the idea to celebrate international women's day

question_tokens: who gave the idea to celebrate international women 's day

root

text: International Women's Day

text: History[edit]

text: The earliest Women's Day observance, called "National Woman's Day,"[5] was held on February 28, 1909 in New York, organized by the Socialist Party of America[6] at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel.[7] Though there have been claims that the day was commemorating a protest by women garment workers in New York on March 8, 1857, researchers have described this as a myth.[8][9][10]

tag: p

text: In August 1910, an International Socialist Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark.[11] Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual Women's Day and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, supported by Käte Duncker, although no date was specified at that conference.[12][13] Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women.[14] The following year on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.[6] In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations.[12] In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.[12] Women demanded that they be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.[3] The Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.[12]

text: In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Saturday in February (by the Julian calendar then used in Russia).[15]

text: In 1914 International Women's Day was held on March 8, possibly because that day was a Sunday, and now it is always held on March 8 in all countries.[15] The 1914 observance of the Day in Germany was dedicated to women's right to vote, which German women did not win until 1918.[15][16]

text: In London there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women's suffrage on March 8, 1914. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.[17]

text: On March 8, 1917, on the Gregorian calendar, in the capital of the Russian Empire, Petrograd, women textile workers began a demonstration, covering the whole city. This marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution.[18][3] Women in Saint Petersburg went on strike that day for "Bread and Peace" – demanding the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism.[15] Leon Trotsky wrote, "23 February (8th March) was International Woman's Day and meetings and actions were foreseen. But we did not imagine that this 'Women's Day' would inaugurate the revolution. Revolutionary actions were foreseen but without date. But in the morning, despite the orders to the contrary, textile workers left their work in several factories and sent delegates to ask for support of the strike… which led to mass strike... all went out into the streets."[15] Seven days later, the Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.[6]

text: Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai and Vladimir Lenin made it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, but it was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."

text: From its official adoption in Soviet Russia following the Revolution in 1917, the holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist countries and by the communist movement worldwide. It was celebrated by the communists in China from 1922.[12] After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949 the State Council proclaimed on December 23 that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off.[19]

text: Communist leader Dolores Ibárruri led a women's march in Madrid in 1936 on the eve of the Spanish Civil War.[12]

text: The United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in the International Women's Year, 1975. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.[20]

text: IWD 2010[edit]

text: On the occasion of 2010 International Women's Day the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) drew attention to the hardships displaced women endure. The displacement of populations is one of the gravest consequences of today's armed conflicts. It affects women in a host of ways.[21]

text: IWD 2011[edit]

text: Though the celebration in the West was low-key, events took place in more than 100 countries[4] on March 8, 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.[22] In the United States, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be "Women's History Month", calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on "the extraordinary accomplishments of women" in shaping the country's history.[4] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the "100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges", on the eve of IWD.[23] In the run-up to 2011 International Women's Day, the Red Cross called on States and other entities not to relent in their efforts to prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence that harm the lives and dignity of countless women in conflict zones around the world every year.[24]

text: Australia issued an IWD 100th anniversary commemorative 20-cent coin.

text: In Egypt, however, the day was a step back for women. In Egypt's Tahrir Square, hundreds of men came out not in support, but to harass the women who came out to stand up for their rights as the police and military stood by watching the events unfold in front of them, doing nothing to stop the crowds of men. "The women – some in headscarves and flowing robes, others in jeans – had marched to Cairo's central Tahrir Square to celebrate International Women's Day. But crowds of men soon outnumbered them and chased them out", wrote Hadeel Al-Shalchi for The Associated Press (AP).[25]

text: IWD 2012[edit]

text: The UN theme for International Women's Day 2012 was Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.[26] In that year, Oxfam America invited people to celebrate inspiring women in their lives by sending a free International Women's Day e-Card or honoring a woman whose efforts had made a difference in the fight against hunger and poverty with Oxfam's International Women's Day award.[27]

text: On the occasion of International Women's Day 2012, the ICRC called for more action to help the mothers and wives of people who have gone missing during armed conflict. The vast majority of people who go missing in connection with conflict are men. As well as the anguish of not knowing what has happened to the missing husband or son, many of these women face economic and practical difficulties. The ICRC underlined the duty of parties to a conflict to search for the missing and provide information to the families.[28]

text: IWD 2013[edit]

text: The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 was "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women",[29] while International Women's Day 2013 declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.[30]

text: The 2013 International Women's Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) draw attention to the plight of women in prison.[31]

text: IWD 2014[edit]

text: The UN theme for International Women's Day 2014 was "Equality for Women is Progress for All".[32][33]

text: American singer Beyoncé also posted an International Women's Day video to her YouTube account. Throughout the video, her song "***Flawless" plays, which includes a portion of the "We Should All Be Feminists" speech given by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Beyoncé is a feminist.[34]

text: IWD 2015[edit]

text: The UN theme for International Women's Day 2015 was "Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!".[35] Governments and activists around the world will commemorate the 20th anniversary year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, an historic roadmap that sets the agenda for realizing women's rights.[36]

text: IWD 2016[edit]

text: The International Women's Day theme for 2016 was "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality".[37]

text: The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, in his message issued on the eve of International Women's Day said: "On the occasion of International Womens Day, I extend warm greetings and good wishes to the women of India and thank them for their contributions over the years in the building of our nation."[38] The ministry of women and child development announced the setting up of four more one-stop crisis centers on March 8, in addition to the eight already functioning across the country.[39] Ahead of Women's Day, the national carrier Air India operated what it claimed to be the world's longest non-stop flight where the entire flight operations were handled by women, as part of International Women's Day celebrations. The flight, from Delhi to San Francisco, covered a distance of around 14,500 kilometers in around 17 hours.[40]

text: IWD 2017[edit]

text: The theme for International Women's Day 2017 was "Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030".[41]

text: In a message in support of International Women's Day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres commented on how women's rights were being "reduced, restricted and reversed". With men still in leadership positions and a widening economic gender gap, he called for change "by empowering women at all levels, enabling their voices to be heard and giving them control over their own lives and over the future of our world".[42]

text: IWD 2018[edit]

text: The theme for International Women's Day 2018 was'Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives'.[43]

text: Around the world[edit]

text: The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan,[44] Angola, Armenia,[45] Azerbaijan,[46][47] Belarus,[48] Burkina Faso,[49] Cambodia,[50] China (for women only),[51] Cuba,[52] Georgia,[53] Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan,[54] Kyrgyzstan,[55] Laos,[56] Madagascar (for women only),[57] Moldova,[58] Mongolia,[59] Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,[60] Uzbekistan,[61] Vietnam,[62] and Zambia.[63]

text: In some countries, such as Cameroon,[64] Croatia,[65] Romania,[66] Bosnia and Herzegovina,[67] Bulgaria[68] and Chile,[69] the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless. On this day it is customary for men to give the women in their lives – friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc. – flowers and small gifts. In some countries (such as Bulgaria and Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.[66] In Russia, the day has lost all political context through the time, becoming simply a day to honor women and feminine beauty.[70]

text: In the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, huge Soviet-style celebrations were held annually. After the fall of Communism, the holiday, generally considered to be one of the major symbols of the old regime, fell into obscurity. International Women's Day was re-established as an official "important day" by the Parliament of the Czech Republic in 2004[71] on the proposal of the Social Democrats and Communists. This has provoked some controversy as a large part of the public as well as the political right see the holiday as a relic of the nation's Communist past.[71]

text: International Women's Day sparked violence in Tehran, Iran on March 4, 2007, when police beat hundreds of men and women who were planning a rally. (A previous rally for the occasion was held in Tehran in 2003.)[72] Police arrested dozens of women and some were released after several days of solitary confinement and interrogation.[73] Shadi Sadr, Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh and several more community activists were released on March 19, 2007, ending a fifteen-day hunger strike.[74]

text: In Italy, to celebrate the day, men give yellow mimosas to women.[75][76] Communist politician Teresa Mattei chose the mimosa in 1946 as the symbol of IWD in Italy because she felt that the French symbols of the day, violets and lily-of-the-valley, were too scarce and expensive to be used effectively in Italy.[77]

text: In the United States, actress and human rights activist Beata Pozniak worked with the Mayor of Los Angeles and the Governor of California to lobby members of the U.S. Congress to propose official recognition of the holiday. In February 1994, H. J. Res. 316 was introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters, along with 79 cosponsors, in an attempt to officially recognize March 8 of that year as International Women's Day. The bill was subsequently referred to, and remained in, the House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. No vote of either house of Congress was achieved on this piece of legislation.[78]

text: Official UN themes[edit]

text:
Year
UN Theme[79]

1996
Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

1997
Women and the Peace Table

1998
Women and Human Rights

1999
World Free of Violence Against Women

2000
Women Uniting for Peace

2001
Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts

2002
Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities

2003
Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals

2004
Women and HIV/AIDS

2005
Gender Equality Beyond 2005; Building a More Secure Future

2006
Women in Decision-making

2007
Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women and Girls

2008
Investing in Women and Girls

2009
Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls

2010
Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All

2011
Equal Access to Education, Training, and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women

2012
Empower Rural Women, End Poverty and Hunger

2013
A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women

2014
Equality for Women is Progress for All

2015
Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!

2016
Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality

2017
Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030

2018
Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives

tag: table


document_title: Meet the Fockers

question_text: who plays the maid in meet the fockers

question_tokens: who plays the maid in meet the fockers

text: Meet the Fockers

text: Plot[edit]

text: Set two years after the events of the first film, Gaylord "Greg" Focker (Ben Stiller) and his fiancée Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) decide to introduce their parents to each other. They first fly to Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island, to pick up Pam's father, retired CIA operative Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), her mother Dina (Blythe Danner) and one-year-old nephew Little Jack (the son of Bob and Debbie Banks). But rather than going to the airport as planned, Jack decides to drive the family to Miami to meet the Fockers in his new RV.

text: Once they arrive, they are greeted by Greg's eccentric but fun-loving and amiable father, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman), and mother, Roz (Barbra Streisand), who is a sex therapist for elderly couples. Concerned that Jack might be put off by the Fockers' lifestyle, Greg convinces Roz to pretend that she is a yoga instructor for the weekend. However, small cracks begin to form between Jack and the Fockers, due to their contrasting personalities. The meet gets off to a bad start when a chase between the Fockers' sexually active dog, Moses, and the Byrnes's cat, Jinx, culminates with Jinx flushing Moses down the RV's toilet, forcing Bernie to destroy it to save Moses. Later, Bernie accidentally injures Jack's back during a game of football.

text: Meanwhile, Pam informs Greg that she's pregnant, and the two decide to keep it secret from Jack. Jack again becomes suspicious of Greg's character when they are introduced to the Fockers' housekeeper, Isabel Villalobos (Alanna Ubach), with whom Bernie reveals Greg had a sexual affair fifteen years before. Jack later takes the RV to Isabel's 15-year-old son, Jorge (Ray Santiago), to fix the toilet, but is disturbed by Jorge's striking resemblance to Greg, and the fact that Jorge never met his father, and jumps to the conclusion that he might be Greg's son with Isabel. Meanwhile, Roz, Bernie and Dina realize Pam is pregnant, but promise not to tell Jack. Growing envious of Bernie and Roz's active sex life, Dina consults Roz on sex tips in order to seduce Jack, but none of them works.

text: Greg and Jack's relationship is again put to the test when Greg is left alone to babysit Little Jack, whom Jack has been raising via the Ferber method. Despite Jack's strict instructions to leave Little Jack to self-soothe, Greg is unable to stand listening to Little Jack's cries and tends to the boy to cheer him up by hugging him, putting Elmo's World on TV, and acting funny, but inadvertently teaches him the word "asshole." Disaster strikes when Greg answers a brief phone call from Roz, which is long enough for Little Jack to wander out of his playpen (which Jinx had opened), put on Scarface, and glue his hands to a bottle of rum. After a furious argument with the Fockers and his own family (though amends are quickly made), Jack resumes his spying on Greg and sends Greg and Jorge's hair samples for a DNA test, while inviting Jorge to the Fockers' planned engagement party in the hope of getting Greg to admit he is Jorge's father. At the engagement party, Jack, who automatically assumes that Greg knew about Jorge and has deliberately been keeping him a secret from Pam, introduces Greg to Jorge. Later, when Greg denies knowing anything about Jorge, Jack still refuses to believe him and drugs him with truth serum to make him talk. On stage, Greg uncontrollably blurts out that Pam is pregnant and that Jorge is his son in a Darth Vader-esqe matter before immediately losing consciousness.

text: The next morning, Pam questions Greg about Jorge, and Greg does not confirm or deny that he is Jorge's father, but insists that he knew nothing about him before the previous evening. Pam believes him, and is willing to work things out with him. Jack reaches his breaking point with Greg's dishonesty and demands that Pam and Dina leave the island with him. Dina refuses and reveals Jack's actions to everyone. Everyone turns against Jack, with Pam announcing her intent to marry Greg regardless of him having Jorge with Isabel, and Dina admits that they were all aware of Pam's pregnancy. A shocked and hurt Jack leaves with his grandson.

text: Bernie and Greg pursue Jack, but are soon tasered and arrested by an overzealous deputy sheriff, Vern LeFlore (Tim Blake Nelson), for speeding and refusing to remain in their car. Meanwhile, Jack is informed that Greg is not Jorge's father (his real father turns out to be a baseball player who also resembles Greg), and attempts to defend Greg and Bernie, but the overzealous Leflore tasers and arrests him, too. In their cell, Greg, Jack, and Bernie are released by the local judge, Ira (Shelley Berman), who is a client of Roz and a close friend of the Fockers. Before they leave, Greg asks that Jack and Bernie stop their feud. Jack admits that he made a mistake regarding Jorge and reveals his past career in the CIA to Bernie, before apologizing for his actions and making up with the two of them.

text: Greg and Pam are married that weekend by Pam's ex-fiancé, Kevin (Owen Wilson), who is now an ordained interfaith minister. During the party, Jack asks Roz for some sex tips and sneaks into the RV with Dina.

text: During the post-credit scene, Jack watches hidden baby-cam footage of the Fockers giving attention to Little Jack over Jack's previous objections: Roz gives Little Jack chocolate, Bernie advises him to use his crying to disagree with everything Jack says, and Greg pretends to drunkenly tell Little Jack to keep it a secret that he left to smoke pot, not answer the phone, when he left Little Jack unattended and that Pam is not really pregnant and only said it so that Jack would let them get married. Greg then pretends to only just discover the camera but then after making teasing gestures at it, Greg reveals that he knew about it all along and none of the things he said before was true.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes
Ben Stiller as Gaylord "Greg" Focker
Dustin Hoffman as Bernard "Bernie" Focker
Barbra Streisand as Rozalin "Roz" Focker
Teri Polo as Pam Byrnes-Focker
Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes
Spencer and Bradley Pickren as "Little" Jack Banks
Alanna Ubach as Isabel Villalobos
Ray Santiago as Jorge Villalobos
Tim Blake Nelson as Officer Vern LeFlore
Shelley Berman as Judge Ira
Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley
Cedric Yarbrough as Cletus the Prison Guard

tag: ul

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Rotten Tomatoes reported that 39% of 161 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average  rating of 5.2/10. The site's consensus is "Talented cast is wasted as the movie is content with recycling jokes from its predecessor, Meet the Parents."[2] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 with reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 41 based on 34 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[3]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film was a commercial success and is currently the highest-grossing film starring Robert De Niro.[4] The film grossed $46,120,980 on its opening weekend in North America (5,000 screens at 3,518 theaters, averaging $13,110 per theater, or $9,224 per screen).[5] At the end of the film's 149 days of release, it grossed a total of $279,261,160 in North America, and $237,381,779 in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $516,642,939, with an estimated 44 million tickets sold in the US. The film's budget was $80 million.[6]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
2005: Casting Society Of America, USA: Nominated for Best Feature Film Casting: Comedy.
2005: Teen Choice Awards: Nominated for Choice Movie: Blush, Choice Movie Actor: Comedy, Choice Movie Actor: Comedy, Choice Movie: Liar.
2005: MTV Movie Awards Won: Best Comedic Performance.
2005: ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Won Top Box Office Films.
2005: MTV Movie Awards in Mexico: Nominated for Best International Movie.


document_title: List of Prime Ministers of India

question_text: who is the prime minister of india today

text: List of Prime Ministers of India

text: Key[edit]

text:
Colour key for party of the prime ministers

  Bharatiya Janata Party

  Indian National Congress
designated Indian National Congress (I) 1977–1996[3]

  Janata Dal

  Janata Party

  Janata Party (Secular)

  Samajwadi Janata Party

Other key

№: Incumbent number
† Assassinated or died in office
§ Returned to office after a previous term
RES Resigned
NC Resigned following a no-confidence motion

text: Prime Ministers of India[edit]

text:
№
Name
(birth–death); constituency
Portrait
Prior Office
Party
(Alliance)
Elected constituency
Term of office[4]
Elections
(Lok Sabha)
Ministry
Appointed by

1
Jawaharlal Nehru
(1889–1964)

Indian freedom fighter

Indian National Congress
Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh
15 August
1947
27 May
1964[†]
7003613000000000000♠16 years, 286 days
—
Nehru I
Lord Mountbatten

1952 (1st)
Nehru II
Rajendra Prasad

1957 (2nd)
Nehru III

1962 (3rd)
Nehru IV

–
Gulzarilal Nanda (acting)
(1898–1998)

Union Minister of Labour and Employment

Indian National Congress
Sabarkantha, Gujarat
27 May
1964
9 June
1964
13 days
(3rd)
(acting)
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

2
Lal Bahadur Shastri
(1904–1966)

Minister of Home Affairs

Indian National Congress
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
9 June
1964
11 January
1966[†]
7002581000000000000♠1 year, 216 days
(3rd)
Shastri

–
Gulzarilal Nanda (acting)
(1898–1998)

Minister of Home Affairs

Indian National Congress
Sabarkantha, Gujarat
11 January
1966
24 January
1966
13 days
(3rd)
(acting)

3
Indira Gandhi
(1917–1984)

Minister of Information and Broadcasting

Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh
24 January
1966
24 March
1977
7003407700000000000♠11 years, 59 days
(3rd)
I. Gandhi I

Prime Minister
(Re-elected)

Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh
1967 (4th)

Prime Minister
(Re-elected)

1971 (5th)
I. Gandhi II
V. V. Giri

4
Morarji Desai
(1896–1995)

Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of India before he resigned in 1969

Janata Party
Surat, Gujarat
24 March
1977
28 July
1979[RES]
7002856000000000000♠2 years, 126 days
1977 (6th)
Desai
B. D. Jatti
(acting President)

5
Charan Singh
(1902–1987)

Minister of Finance

Janata Party (Secular)
with INC
Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh
28 July
1979
14 January
1980[RES]
170 days
 – (6th)
C. Singh
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy

(3)
Indira Gandhi
(1917–1984)

Former Prime Minister

Indian National Congress (I)
Medak, Andhra Pradesh
14 January
1980[§]
31 October
1984[†]
7003175200000000000♠4 years, 291 days
1980 (7th)
I. Gandhi III

6
Rajiv Gandhi
(1944–1991)

MP for Amethi

Indian National Congress (I)
Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
31 October
1984
2 December
1989
7003185800000000000♠5 years, 32 days
(7th)
R. Gandhi
Zail Singh

Former Prime Minister
(Re-elected)

1984 (8th)

7
V. P. Singh
(1931–2008)

Minister of Defence

Janata Dal
(National Front)
Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh
2 December
1989
10 November
1990[NC]
343 days
1989 (9th)
V. P. Singh
R. Venkataraman

8
Chandra Shekhar
(1927–2007)

MP for Ballia

Samajwadi Janata Party
with INC
Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
10 November
1990
21 June
1991
223 days
 (9th)
Chandra Shekhar

9
P. V. Narasimha Rao
(1921–2004)

Minister of External Affairs

Indian National Congress (I)
Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh
21 June
1991
16 May
1996
7003179100000000000♠4 years, 330 days
1991 (10th)
Rao

10
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(born 1924)

Minister of External Affairs

Bharatiya Janata Party
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
16 May
1996
1 June
1996[RES]
16 days
1996 (11th)
Vajpayee I
Shankar Dayal Sharma

11
H. D. Deve Gowda
(born 1933)

Chief Minister of Karnataka

Janata Dal
(United Front)
Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka
1 June
1996
21 April
1997[RES]
324 days
(11th)
Deve Gowda

12
Inder Kumar Gujral
(1919–2012)

Minister of External Affairs

Janata Dal
(United Front)
Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar
21 April
1997
19 March
1998
332 days
(11th)
Gujral

(10)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(born 1924)

Former Prime Minister

Bharatiya Janata Party
(NDA)
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
19 March
1998[§]
22 May
2004
7003225600000000000♠6 years, 64 days
1998 (12th)
Vajpayee II
K. R. Narayanan

Former Prime Minister
(Re-elected)

1999 (13th)
Vajpayee III

13
Manmohan Singh
(born 1932)

Minister of Finance

Indian National Congress
(UPA)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam
22 May
2004
26 May
2014
7003365600000000000♠10 years, 4 days
2004 (14th)
M. Singh I
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Former Prime Minister
(Re-elected)

2009 (15th)
M. Singh II
Pratibha Patil

14
Narendra Modi
(born 1950)

Chief Minister of Gujarat

Bharatiya Janata Party
(NDA)
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
26 May
2014[5]
Incumbent
7003120800000000000♠3 years, 112 days
2014 (16th)
Modi
Pranab Mukherjee


document_title: The Great British Bake Off

question_text: great british baking show season 1 technical challenges

text: The Great British Bake Off

text: Background[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: The idea of the baking competition was conceived by producer Anna Beattie after she spoke to a friend who had seen 'bake-offs' in America.[6] Beattie was also inspired by the classic English village fête baking competitions; she said: "I loved that idea of village fetes and an old-fashioned baking competition with people who only wanted to bake a good cake."[5] However, Beattie failed to interest any channel in the idea for four years. In early 2009, they pitched the idea to Janice Hadlow, the then controller of BBC Two.[7] The pitch was successful, and Hadlow and the Commissioning Editor Charlotte Moore commissioned the programme,[8][9] which was then developed over the next six months. The development team first selected Mary Berry as a judge, and following an audition Paul Hollywood was also appointed. Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc were approached to be presenters of the show.[7] Reproducing the surroundings of the English village fête, the series is filmed in bunting-draped marquees in scenic gardens.[10]

text: Broadcast and personnel changes[edit]

text: On 17 August 2010, the first episode of The Great British Bake Off was shown on BBC Two.[11] It stayed on BBC Two for four years, grew in popularity and became the most popular programme on that channel. In its fifth series it was moved to BBC One where it stayed for three years. It was the most-watched programme on British television in 2015 and 2016.[12][13] Following extended negotiations, Love Productions announced that the seventh series of the show would be the last broadcast by the BBC. On 12 September 2016, Love agreed to a three-year deal to broadcast the show on Channel 4.[14][2] Giedroyc and Perkins subsequently announced that they would not be returning when the show moves to its new network.[15] On 22 September, Berry announced that she would also be leaving the show when it moved to Channel 4,[16] while Hollywood later announced he would stay.[17] In March 2017, it was announced that Prue Leith would join Hollywood as a judge, while Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig would take over as presenters.[18]

text: Format[edit]

text: The programme operates on a weekly elimination process to find the best all-around baker from the contestants, who are all amateurs.  The applicants to the show are assessed by a researcher, followed by an audition in London with two of their bakes. They then undergo a screen test and an interview with a producer. A second audition involves the applicants baking two recipes for the judges in front of the cameras.[6] Ten contestants were chosen for the first series, twelve for the following two series, thirteen for the fourth, and back to twelve from series five onwards.

text: In each episode, the amateur bakers are given three challenges: a signature bake, a technical challenge, and a show-stopper.[6] The three challenges take place over two days, and the filming takes up to 16 hours a day. The contestants are assessed by the judges who then choose a "Star Baker" for the week (introduced in series 2), and a contestant is also eliminated. In the final round, three bakers are left and a winner is chosen from the three.

text: In the first series, the location of the cast and crew moves from town to town each week, but starting from the second series, the competition is held in one location in a specially constructed marquee. Interspersed in the programme are the background of the contestants as well as video vignettes on the history of baking. What each baker intends to bake during a particular challenge is illustrated using animated graphics. These graphics have been created by illustrator Tom Hovey since the show's inception in 2010.[19][20]

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Series

Episodes

Premiere

Finale

Winner

Runners-up

Average UK viewers(millions)[21][22]

Timeslot

Channel

1

6

17 August 2010

21 September 2010

Edd Kimber

Miranda Gore Browne

2.77

Tuesday8:00 pm

BBC Two

Ruth Clemens

2

8

14 August 2011

4 October 2011

Joanne Wheatley

Holly Bell

4.00

Mary-Anne Boermans

3

10

14 August 2012

16 October 2012

John Whaite

Brendan Lynch

5.00

James Morton

4

10

20 August 2013

22 October 2013

Frances Quinn

Kimberley Wilson

7.35

Ruby Tandoh

5

10

6 August 2014

8 October 2014

Nancy Birtwhistle

Luis Troyano

10.04

Wednesday8:00 pm

BBC One

Richard Burr

6

10

5 August 2015

7 October 2015

Nadiya Hussain

Ian Cumming

12.50

Tamal Ray

7

10

24 August 2016

26 October 2016

Candice Brown

Andrew Smyth

13.85

Jane Beedle

8

10

29 August 2017

31 October 2017

Sophie Faldo

Kate Lyon

9.29

Tuesday8:00 pm

Channel 4

Steven Carter-Bailey

9

10

28 August 2018

30 October 2018

text: Series 1 (2010)[edit]

text: Series 1 of The Great British Bake Off saw ten home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned the Great British Bake Off's best amateur baker. Each week the nationwide tour saw the bakers put through three challenges in a particular discipline. The rounds took place in various locations across the UK, with the final round being held at Fulham Palace, London.

text: The three finalists were Ruth Clemens, Miranda Gore Browne, and Edd Kimber. On 21 September 2010, Edd Kimber was crowned the best amateur baker.[23]

text: Series 2 (2011)[edit]

text: The number of amateur baker contestants increased to twelve for the second series. Unlike Series 1, this year The Great British Bake Off stayed in one location – Valentines Mansion, a 17th-century mansion house in Redbridge, London.

text: All the Series 2 finalists were female: Holly Bell, Mary-Anne Boermans, and the winning contestant Joanne Wheatley.[24]

text: Series 3 (2012)[edit]

text: A third series of The Great British Bake Off began on 14 August 2012.[25] The series was filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.

text: In contrast to Season 2, there was an all-male final. The finalists were Brendan Lynch, James Morton and John Whaite,[26] who won the final in a surprise result.[27]

text: In the U.S., the third series was broadcast as season 5 on PBS.

text: Series 4 (2013)[edit]

text: The fourth series of The Great British Bake Off started on 20 August 2013 on BBC Two. The series was again filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.[28] The all-female final was won by Frances Quinn, with Ruby Tandoh and Kimberley Wilson as runners up.[29]

text: In the U.S., the fourth series was broadcast as season 2 on PBS.

text: Series 5 (2014)[edit]

text: The fifth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 6 August 2014 on BBC One. This series was filmed at Welford Park in Berkshire.[30] There were twelve bakers taking part. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges, whilst Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc continued to present the series. Richard Burr was awarded the largest number of star baker designations of any series so far, but was beaten by Nancy Birtwhistle in the final.

text: A spin-off show The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, hosted by comedian Jo Brand on BBC Two, was also launched as a companion series this year. Each episode was broadcast two days after the main show but later moved to the same night.  The show includes interviews with eliminated contestants.[31]

text: In the U.S., the fifth series was broadcast as season 1 on PBS.

text: Series 6 (2015)[edit]

text: The sixth series began on 5 August 2015[32] on BBC One, again from Welford Park in Berkshire. Spin-off show The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice returned for a second series, with Jo Brand as host. This series was won by Nadiya Hussain, with Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray as runners up.[33]

text: In the U.S., the sixth series was broadcast as season 3 on PBS.

text: Series 7 (2016)[edit]

text: The seventh series began on 24 August 2016 on BBC One, once again from Welford Park in Berkshire, a later than usual start following the BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.[34] This series was won by Candice Brown, with Jane Beedle and Andrew Smyth as runners up.

text: In the U.S., the seventh series was broadcast as season 4 on PBS.

text: Series 8 (2017)[edit]

text: The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 29 August 2017.[35] This is the first series of The Great British Bake Off to be broadcast on Channel 4 following its move from the BBC.[36] The series features new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith along with returning judge Paul Hollywood. This series was won by Sophie Faldo, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey finishing as runners-up.

text: Series 9  (2018)[edit]

text: The ninth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 28 August 2018.[37]

text: Incomplete bakes and other incidents[edit]

text: As of the sixth series, there have been a number of incomplete bakes.

text:
Presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have accidentally interfered with several bakes. In Series 4, Sue leaned on Howard Middleton's English Muffins in the Technical Challenge and in Series 6, she broke Nadiya Hussain's biscuit lid in the Showstopper Challenge. Similarly, Frances Quinn's biscuit tower collapsed as Mel was measuring it with seconds to spare in Series 4.
On several occasions (mostly in technical challenges), contestants haven't met the required quantity of the bake that the judges specified. Several instances of this include Cathryn Dresser presenting forty-six crackers instead of the required forty-eight in Series 3, two of the bakers being unable to present the required twelve custard tarts in Series 4 and Marie Campbell only presenting four of the required eight arlettes in Series 6 after having not set her oven.
In Series 2, Robert Billington accidentally dropped his tiered showstopper while applying finishing touches to the cake. Both judges and presenters came to his aid to salvage the bottom tier of his cake. He was able to present the incomplete showstopper as a single-tiered cake.
In Series 3, John Whaite was unable to complete his bake after he suffered a severe cut to his finger on the food processor. He tried to continue working on his strudel wearing a rubber glove, but the bleeding required medical attention and he therefore had to abandon the last bake. As a result, no one was eliminated that week.[38]
In Series 4, contestant Deborah Manger accidentally used Howard Middleton's custard instead of her own. As a result, Howard was forced to use Deborah's custard, and this was taken into account by the judges, who judged the trifles and custards individually.[39]
In Series 5, during the Baked Alaska challenge, Iain Watters's ice cream melted for reasons that were not entirely clear, although the editing of the show suggested that it had been caused by Diana Beard's actions. He threw his ice cream into the bin in frustration and left the tent. He returned shortly after, and as he had no cake for judging (he produced his bin instead, and the incident was labelled "bingate"), he was eliminated from the competition. The event that led to his departure provoked extreme anger from the viewers.[40]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The early reviews for the first series were mixed. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wondered if "competitive baking [is] a contradiction in terms" and found the proceedings humourless.[41] Iain Hollingshead of The Daily Telegraph was scathing, describing the presenters as "annoying", the judge Paul Hollywood as looking "sinister without being interesting", and that the audience would be so bored that they "could certainly forgive the cameraman if he were to commit  hara-kiri in a giant pool of egg and flour."[42]

text: However, reviews from the later series were more positive. Andrew Collins of The Guardian called it "the nicest show on television" and judged it the best TV programme of 2012.[43][44] Rachel Ward of The Daily Telegraph thought the programme "had just the right consistency of mouth-watering morsels, good humour, and fascinating history",[45] while Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent considered the contest "perfectly baked".[46]

text: Bake Off was moved to Channel 4 in 2017, and reviews of the programme on the channel were largely positive, although a few felt that it did not compare well to the BBC version.[47][48][49] Mark Lawson of The Guardian described the programme on Channel 4 as "both exactly the same but also just subtly different enough", and that "only someone desperate to dislike the re-plated show could argued that [it] has soured, spoiled or binned its recipe".[50] Michael Hogan of The Telegraph thought that "Mary, Mel and Sue might be gone but the show's recipe remains as winning as ever. The four Cs – chemistry, camaraderie, comedy, cakes – were all present and correct."[51] Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman however considered that while the format had been left largely unchanged and the contestants "irresistibly likeable", "every single change to the show has been for the worse".[48]

text: Cultural impact[edit]

text: The show has become a significant part of British culture and is credited with spurring an interest in home baking, with supermarkets and department stores in the UK reporting sharp rises in sales of baking ingredients and accessories.[52][53] It was also credited with reviving the Women's Institute, whose membership reached its highest level since the 1970s.[54] The show also boosted the sales of bakery books and the number of baking clubs, and independent bakeries also showed an increase. According to one analyst, more than three-fifths of adults have baked at home at least once in 2013 compared with only a third in 2011.[55]

text: TV ratings[edit]

text: The first series of The Great British Bake Off premiered in August 2010 with moderate ratings of just over 2 million viewers for its first episode.[56] This was enough to place it in BBC Two's top ten for that week, and over the series the audience grew to over three million, with the semi-final and final both achieving first place in BBC Two's weekly ratings. During the second series, the ratings gradually increased, and it became a surprise hit with nearly 4 million watching each episode.[57] Week two was the last time that the show was out-rated by another BBC Two programme in the same week (it came second to the drama Page Eight); from then until the show's move to BBC One, every competition episode would be the channel's number one rated programme of the week. By its final episode it had averaged 4.56 million viewers, peaking at 5.1 million in its last 15 minutes.[58]

text: The ratings continued to strengthen in the third series, and the show began to beat its competition in its timeslot.[59] The final of the series where John Whaite was crowned the winner saw its highest rating yet, with an average of 6.5 million viewers that peaked at 7.2 million, which made it the second highest-rated BBC Two-originated show after Top Gear since at least 2006.[60][61] The fourth series achieved some of the highest ratings seen on BBC Two. The viewer count for its premiere episode was more than two million higher than that of the previous series,[62] while the final episode was seen by 9.1 million viewers at its peak, more than twice the number of viewers on BBC One and ITV.[63] The final episode is the most-watched show on BBC Two since the present ratings system was introduced in 2002, beating the previous record set by Top Gear.[64] As a result of its high ratings, the show was moved to BBC One.[65]

text: After its move to BBC One, the opening episode was watched by over 7 million viewers according to overnight figures, beating the figure of 5.6 million for the opening episode of the previous year.[66] the Bingate controversy surrounding episode four helped the show gain its biggest ever audience of 10.3 million viewers, with 2 million people who watched it on BBC iPlayer.[67] The final of the show gained an overnight viewing figure of 12.29 million, then the highest viewing figure of the year for a non-sporting event on UK TV.[68] In the following year, the top ten ratings for 2015 was also dominated by The Great British Bake Off, with seven of the year's ten most-watched television programmes being episodes of the show, topped by the final episode with 15.05 million viewers.[69] In the last series on the BBC in 2016, nine of the top ten most-watched programmes of the year were episodes of the show, with 16.03 million viewers watching the finale.[70]

text: The first series broadcast by Channel 4 opened with average viewing figures of 5.8 million, rising to 6.5 million to include those watching on Channel 4+1, and 9.46 million for the 7-day rating.[71]  Although the overnight figure was the lowest for an opening episode since 2013, it was Channel 4's biggest audience since the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics.[72]  This series attracted an average audience of 9 million viewers on Channel 4.[73]

text: Controversies[edit]

text: Product placement sanction[edit]

text: In September 2012, production company Love Productions was sanctioned by the BBC for product placement of Smeg fridges. The issue came to light after a viewer wrote to the Radio Times complaining of "blatant product promotion". After an investigation, the BBC said Love Production's loan agreement with Smeg did not meet editorial guidelines and was being revised for the third series, and that appropriate retrospective hire payments would be made.[74] The BBC asked Smeg to remove a notice from its website promoting its association with the show, which it has since done.[75]

text: Favouritism[edit]

text: During the fourth series, there were accusations of favouritism towards female contestants after the last man Glenn Cosby was eliminated from the show;[76] however, similar claims were not made the previous year over the all-male final, or even the year before, when there was also an all-female quarter-final. The fourth series also suffered allegations of Paul Hollywood's favouritism towards Ruby Tandoh,[77][78] and personal attacks on Tandoh by various people including the chef Raymond Blanc.[79][80][81] Both Paul Hollywood and Ruby Tandoh denied the accusation.[82][83]

text: Baked Alaska controversy ("Bingate")[edit]

text: In the fourth episode of the fifth series, there was controversy around the elimination of contestant Iain Watters. During the final showstopper round contestants were tasked with producing a Baked Alaska. Iain's ice cream was shown as having not set and in a show of frustration he threw his bake in the bin. The editing of the show suggested that another contestant, Diana Beard, had caused the failure by removing the ice cream from a freezer, and the perceived "sabotage" resulted in an uproar on social media networks.[84] However, unseen footage broadcast in the accompanying programme An Extra Slice shows Luis holding the large floor freezer that contained Iain's ice cream open as he piped the sides of his own baked Alaska, while Mel warns him to pipe quickly and close the freezer.  Later in the episode, when Iain removes his ice cream to begin the next step of his dish, it is still quite soft, indicating it went into the freezer he shared with Diana without being completely frozen.  Various members of the cast posted comments in support of Diana[85] and a BBC spokesman later issued a statement that "Diana removing Iain's ice cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure."[86]

text: More than 800 complaints were lodged with the BBC over the incident and some also complained to the communication watchdog Ofcom.[87]

text: Use of innuendo[edit]

text: A number of viewers complained to the BBC feedback show Points of View in the fifth series about the "constant smutty remarks" from the presenters Mel and Sue.[88][89] This series was seen as having more innuendos than previous ones; some reviewers noted the "extra pinch of saucy spice" and "the increasingly filthy-minded hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins",[90][91][92] while the Daily Mail argued that the "smutty" innuendos made the show no longer fit for family entertainment.[93] The series 3 winner John Whaite however argued that innuendo is part of what made the show a success,[94] whilst judge Paul Hollywood described the innuendos as banter in the spirit of the Carry On films and is a part of British culture,[95] a view shared by others.[96][97]

text: Clones, legal challenges and move to Channel 4[edit]

text: The success of The Great British Bake Off led to the BBC commissioning many other series closely following the format from Love Productions for example The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down. However the 2014 series Hair using the same format was produced in house by the BBC, Love Productions responded by making preparations to sue the BBC for infringing their copyright.[98][99] Although the matter was kept quiet, with the BBC settling out of court and compensating Love Productions,[98][99] the matter soured relations between the BBC and Love Productions.[99] In September 2016, it was announced that the BBC had lost the broadcast rights of the show to Channel 4.[100] Channel 4 offered £25 million for the show outbidding the £15 million offered by the BBC.[100] In January 2017 the BBC waived its rights to keep the program off the air until 2018, and wished the programme "well for the future".[101]

text: Accidental revealing of Series 8 winner[edit]

text: On 31 October 2017, judge Prue Leith accidentally revealed the winner of Series 8 on Twitter twelve hours before the finale was due to air. This caused uproar among many fans of the show. She quickly deleted the tweet and apologised to the fans who saw it.[102]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: The Great British Bake Off was nominated for a Rose d'Or in the Lifestyle section of the 2012 competition and won.[103][104] The programme has been nominated a number of times in various categories for the BAFTA awards and won in 2012, 2013, and 2016.[105][106] It also won two 2015 National Television Award for Skills Challenge Show.[107]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient
Results
Ref.

2012

Rose d'Or

Lifestyle

The Great British Bake Off

Won

[108]

BAFTA TV Awards

Features

Anna Beattie, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans, Richard McKerrow

Won

[109]

YouTube Audience Award

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[105]

2013

Features

Anna Beattie, Kieran Smith, Amanda Westwood, Scott Tankard

Won

[110]

Radio Times Audience Award

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[110]

National Television Award

Factual Entertainment

Nominated

[111]

2014

BAFTA TV Awards

Features

Anna Beattie, Amanda Westwood, Samantha Beddoes, Simon Evans

Nominated

[112]

National Television Award

Factual Entertainment

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[113]

2015

BAFTA TV Awards

Features

Anna Beattie, Samantha Beddoes, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans

Nominated

[114]

Radio Times Audience Award

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[115]

National Television Award

Skills Challenge Show

Won

[116]

2016

National Television Award

Challenge Show

Won

[116]

BAFTA

Features

The Great British Bake Off production team

Won

[117]

Radio Times audience award

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[117]

2017

National Television Award

Challenge Show

The Great British Bake Off

Nominated

[118]

TV judge

Mary Berry

Won

[119]

BAFTA

Features

The Great British Bake Off production team

Nominated

[120]

text: International broadcast and versions[edit]

text: The UK version of The Great British Bake Off is broadcast in many countries and it has been sold to 196 territories as of 2015.[121] The format has also been sold to 20 territories by 2015, making it the third most successful BBC format after Dancing with the Stars (Strictly Come Dancing) and The Weakest Link.[122] Many of these shows have been successful.[123][124] The Junior Bake Off format has also been sold to Thailand.[125]

text: Beginning in 2014, the US broadcaster PBS has aired several series of the show under the name The Great British Baking Show.[126] The change of name was necessary due to the fact that "Bake-Off" is a registered trademark of Pillsbury in the United States.  The fifth series was broadcast as Season 1 in Winter 2014–2015;[127] the fourth series was then broadcast as Season 2 in Fall 2015,[128] the sixth series was broadcast as Season 3 in Summer 2016, and the seventh series was broadcast as Season 4 in Summer 2017. After the move from original distributor BBC Worldwide in 2018, PBS chose to air BBC's third series as Season 5 instead of licensing the eighth series from Channel 4. As of 2018, PBS has the rights to air the second BBC series as Season 6 in 2019, and has chosen to not license the Channel 4 series.[129]

text: The CBC began broadcasting The Great British Bake Off in Canada in August 2016, starting with the sixth series and also with the Great British Baking Show title. The seventh series aired the year after.[130]

text: International versions[edit]

text: Current and upcoming versions include:[131]

text:
Legend:
     Airing or in production
     No longer airing

text:
Country
Local title
Host(s)
Judges
Channel
Premiere

 Argentina
Bake Off Argentina, El Gran Pastelero(Bake Off Argentina, The Great Baker)
Paula Chaves[132]
Christophe KrywonisDamián PetularPamela Villar
Telefe[133]
8 April 2018

 Australia
The Great Australian Bake Off
Shane JacobsonAnna Gare[134]
Dan LepardKerry Vincent
Nine Network[135]
9 July 2013

Claire HooperMel Buttle
Maggie BeerMatt Moran[136]
LifeStyle Food
13 October 2015

 Belgium
De MeesterBakker(The Master Baker)
Rani De Coninck
Sofie DumontBernard Proot
vtm
4 April 2012

 Brazil
Bake Off Brasil
Ticiana Villas Boas(2015–16)Carol Fiorentino(2017)Nadja Haddad(2018–present)
Carol Fiorentino(2015–16)Fabrizio Fasano Jr.(2015–17)Beca Milano(2017–present)Olivier Anquier(2018–present)
SBTDiscovery Home & Health
25 July 2015

 Bulgaria
Bake Off: Най-сладкото състезание(Bake Off: The Sweetest Competition)
Aleksandra RaevaRaffi Bohosyan
Julia PandzherovaYuri Baltaliyski
Nova TV
15 November 2016

 Canada
The Great Canadian Baking Show
Dan LevyJulia Chan
Bruno FeldeisenRochelle Adonis
CBC
1 November 2017

 Chile
Bake Off Chile, El Gran Pastelero[137](Bake Off Chile, The Great Baker)
Carolina de Moras
Yann YvinGustavo SáezMillaray Vallejos
Chilevisión
6 August 2018

 Denmark
Den store bagedyst(The Great Baking Contest)
Timm Vladimir
Mette BlomsterbergJan Friis-Mikkelsen
DR1
28 August 2012[138]

 Estonia
Eesti parim pagar[139]
Kristjan Rabi (2015) Indrek Vaheoja (2015) Alari Kivisaar
Angeelika KangAnts Uustalu
TV3
31 August 2015

 Finland
Koko Suomi leipoo[140](The whole of Finland bakes)
Anne Kukkohovi
Mika Parviainen  Sami Granroth
MTV3[141]
24 September 2013

 France
Le Meilleur Pâtissier[142][143](The Best Baker)
Faustine Bollaert (2012–17) Julia Vignali (2017–)
Cyril LignacJacqueline Mercorelli
M6[144]RTL-TVI (Belgium)
26 November 2012

 Germany
Das große Backen(The great Bake)
Britt Hagedorn (2013)Meltem Kaptan (2013)Enie van de Meiklokjes (2014–16)Annika Lau (2017)
Christian HümbsEnie van de Meiklokjes (2013)Andrea Schirmaier-Huber (2013–14)Betty Schliephake-Burchardt (2015–17)
Sat.1
1 December 2013

 Greece
Bake Off Greece
Ioanna Triantafillou
Nikolas StraggasAkis PetretzikisDimitris Xronopoulos
Alpha TV
October 2018

 Hungary
Ide süss! (Az ország nagy cukrászversenye)
Hajós AndrásSass Dániel
Baracskay AngélaSzabadfi Szabolcs
Viasat 3
26 March 2018

 Ireland
The Great Irish Bake Off
Anna Nolan[145]
Biddy White LennonPaul Kelly[146]
TV3
19 September 2013

 Italy
Bake Off Italia – Dolci in forno[147](Bake Off Italy – Sweets in the oven)
Benedetta Parodi
Ernst KnamClelia d'OnofrioDamiano Carrara
Real Time[148]
November 2013

 Israel
בייק אוף ישראל[149](Bake Off Israel)
Paula RosenbergAya Kremerman
Ran ShmueliOded BrennerCarine Goren
Channel 2
9 April 2016

 Netherlands
Heel Holland Bakt(All of Holland bakes)
Martine Bijl[150] (2013–15)André van Duin (2016–present)
Robèrt van BeckhovenJanny van der Heijden
MAX (NPO 1)
5 June 2013[151]

 New Zealand
The Great Kiwi Bake Off
Madeleine SamiHayley Sproull
Dean BrettschneiderSue Fleischl
TVNZ 2
2018 [152][153]

 Norway
Hele Norge baker(All of Norway Bakes)
Line Verndal
Pascal DupuyØyvind Lofthus[154]
TV3[155]
10 March 2013[156]

 Poland
Bake Off – Ale Ciacho!(Bake Off – What A Cake!)
Anna GacekPaulina Mikuła[157]
Krzysztof IlnickiGosia Molska[158]
TVP2
5 September 2016[159]

 Romania
Bake Off Romania[160]
Nicolle Stanese[161]
Alex StanSimona PopeTudor Constantinescu
Pro TV
29 February 2016[162]

 South Africa
The Great South African Bake Off[163]
Anne HirschLentswe Bhengu
Shirley GuyTjaart Walraven
BBC Lifestyle
8 October 2015

 Spain
Bake Off España(Bake Off Spain)
–
–
Telecinco
2018

 Sweden
Hela Sverige bakar[164](All of Sweden Bakes)
Tilde de Paula
Johan SörbergBirgitta Rasmussen
TV4 (Sjuan)
20 September 2012

Hela kändis-Sverige bakar[165](Celebrity All of Sweden Bakes)
11 November 2014

 Turkey
Ver Fırına
Burcu Esmersoy
Arda TürkmenEmel Başdoğan
TV8[166]
20 October 2014[167]

 Ukraine
Великий пекарський турнір(Great Bakers Tournament)
Yuri Gorbunov[168]
Serge MarkovicCatherine AhronikOlga Ganushchak
1+1[169]
1 September 2013[170]

 United States
The American Baking Competition[171][172]
Jeff Foxworthy
Marcela ValladolidPaul Hollywood
CBS[173]
29 May 2013[174]

 United States
The Great American Baking Show
Ayesha CurryAnthony Adams
Johnny IuzziniPaul Hollywood[175]
ABC
30 November 2015(as The Great Holiday Baking Show)[176][177][178][179]

text: The Great Sport Relief Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Sport Relief Bake OffGenre

Cooking
Baking
Presented by

Mel Giedroyc
Jennifer Saunders (2016)
Ed Byrne (2014, 2016)
Sarah Millican (2016)
Sue Perkins (2014)
Jo Brand (2014)
Omid Djalili (2014)
Judges

Mary Berry
Paul Hollywood
Country of origin
United KingdomOriginal language(s)
EnglishNo. of series
3No. of episodes
12ProductionRunning time
60 minutesProduction company(s)
Love ProductionsReleaseOriginal network
BBC Two (2012–2013)  BBC One (2014–2016)Picture format
16:9Original release
10 January 2012 (2012-01-10) – 23 February 2016 (2016-02-23)

text: Episode viewing figures from BARB.[180]

text: Series 1 (2012)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

Traybake

Wholemeal Cheese Scones

Meringue Dessert

Angela Griffin

10 January 2012 (2012-01-10)

3.52

James Wong

Joe Swift

Sarah Hadland

2

Savoury Flan

Banana & Chocolate Chip Loaves

Layered Cake

Arlene Phillips

11 January 2012 (2012-01-11)

2.79

Fi Glover

Gus Casely-Hayford

Saira Khan

3

Classic Crumble

Coffee & Walnut Cake

24 Miniature Tarts

Alex Deakin

12 January 2012 (2012-01-12)

2.56

Alex Langlands

Anita Rani

Pearl Lowe

4

Trio of Baked Biscuits

6 Sausage Rolls

Covered Tiered Occasion Cake

Angela Griffin

13 January 2012 (2012-01-13)

3.43

Anita Rani

Fi Glover

text: Series 2 (2014)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

Sue Perkins

12 Sandwich Biscuits

Tarte Tatin

3D Novelty Cake

Bonnie Wright

13 January 2014 (2014-01-13)

4.37

Johnny Vaughan

Michael Vaughan

Samantha Bond

2

Jo Brand

12 Gingerbread Biscuits

Banoffee Pie

Chocolate Cake

Greg Rutherford

14 January 2014 (2014-01-14)

5.07

Jane Horrocks

Jason Gardiner

Kirsty Young

3

Omid Djalili

Traybake

Iced Ring Dougnuts

Layered Cakes

Emma Freud

15 January 2014 (2014-01-15)

5.02

Jamelia[181]

Michael Ball

Victoria Pendleton

4

Ed Byrne

Pizzas

Eccles Cakes

Tiered Cakes

Alistair McGowan

16 January 2014 (2014-01-16)

4.94

Doon Mackichan

Helen Skelton

Rochelle Humes

text: Series 3 (2016)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

Mel Giedroyc

Canapés

Paris–Brest

Trophy Cake

David James

27 January 2016 (2016-01-27)

6.03

Jason Manford

Maddy Hill

Samantha Cameron

2

Jennifer Saunders

American Muffins

Football Pie

Tiered Cake

Chris Kamara

3 February 2016 (2016-02-03)

7.44

Ed Balls

Kimberley Walsh

Victoria Coren Mitchell

3

Ed Byrne

Savoury tarts

Chocolate and Beetroot Tray Bake

3D Biscuits

Geri Horner

17 February 2016 (2016-02-17)

7.12

Jermaine Jenas

John Simpson

Louise Redknapp

4

Sarah Millican

Open-top Pie

Salmon Roulade

Cupcakes

Ade Edmondson

24 February 2016 (2016-02-24)

6.74

Alison Steadman

Morgana Robinson

Will Young

text: The Great Comic Relief Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Comic Relief Bake OffGenre

Cooking
Baking
Presented by

Mel Giedroyc (2013, 2015)
Sue Perkins (2015)
Jo Brand (2015)
Ed Byrne (2015)
Judges

Mary Berry
Paul Hollywood
Country of origin
United KingdomOriginal language(s)
EnglishNo. of series
2No. of episodes
8ProductionRunning time
60 minutesProduction company(s)
Love ProductionsReleaseOriginal network
BBC Two (2013)BBC One (2015)Picture format
16:9Original release
21 January 2013 (2013-01-21) – 4 March 2015 (2015-03-04)

text: Series 1 (2013)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

Shortbread

Custard Slices

Portrait Cake

Jo Brand

21 January 2013 (2013-01-21)

4.17

Stephen K. Amos

Lorna Watson

Ingrid Oliver

2

Iced Biscuits

Bakewell Tart

Gateaux

Warwick Davis

22 January 2013 (2013-01-22)

4.44

Duncan Bannatyne

Simon Reeve

Andy Akinwolere

3

Scones

Chocolate Eclairs

Novelty Cake

Ellie Simmonds

23 January 2013 (2013-01-23)

4.34

Kirsty Wark

Julia Bradbury

Bob Mortimer

4

Chocolate Biscuits

Lemon Meringue Pie

Comic Relief Birthday Cake

Claudia Winkleman

24 January 2013 (2013-01-24)

4.39

Ed Byrne

Martha Kearney

Helen Glover

text: Series 2 (2015)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

Sue Perkins

Giant Cookie or Biscuit

12 Mini Fruit Tarts

Tiered Chocolate Cake

Dame Edna Everage

11 February 2015 (2015-02-11)

7.75

Joanna Lumley

Jennifer Saunders

Lulu

2

Mel Giedroyc

24 cupcakes

20 profiteroles

Marble "Building" Cake

Jonathan Ross

18 February 2015 (2015-02-18)

8.39

Zoe Sugg

Gok Wan

Abbey Clancy

3

Jo Brand

24 Shortbread

6 Mini Pork Pies

Triple-tiered Pavlova

Sarah Brown

25 February 2015 (2015-02-25)

7.92

David Mitchell

Michael Sheen

Jameela Jamil

4

Ed Byrne

Tray Bake

12 Crumpets

Vegetable Self Portrait Cake

Alexa Chung

4 March 2015 (2015-03-04)

8.21

Victoria Wood

Chris Moyles

Kayvan Novak

text: The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake OffGenre

Cooking
Baking
Presented by

Sandi Toksvig
Noel Fielding
Judges

Prue Leith
Paul Hollywood
Country of origin
United KingdomOriginal language(s)
EnglishNo. of series
1No. of episodes
5Production company(s)
Love ProductionsReleaseOriginal network
Channel 4Picture format
16:9Original release
6 March 2018 – present

text: Series 1 (2018)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers(millions)

1

12 cupcakes

6 crepes suzette

3D biscuit scene

Roisin Conaty

6 March 2018 (2018-03-06)

5.91

Martin Kemp

Harry Hill

Bill Turnbull

2

24 scones

Devil's food cake

Self-portrait croquembouches

Nick Hewer

13 March 2018 (2018-03-13)

5.65

Perri Kiely

Stacey Solomon

Ricky Wilson

3

Loaf cake

8 Tiramisu sandwich biscuits

Meringue towers

Ella Eyre

20 March 2018 (2018-03-20)

5.95

Ruth Davidson

Jamie Laing

Tim Minchin

4

12 blondies

6 fruit turnovers

Secret passion cake

Griff Rhys Jones

27 March 2018 (2018-03-27)

5.48

Joe Lycett

Lee Mack

Melanie Sykes

5

12 muffins

Custard pie

Rainbow dream cake

Aisling Bea

3 April 2018 (2018-04-03)

5.53

Alan Carr

Kadeena Cox

Teri Hatcher


document_title: The Bone Collector

question_text: who is the murderer in the bone collector

text: The Bone Collector

text: Plot[edit]

text: The film begins in late 1999. Tetraplegic forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and a patrol cop, Amelia Donaghy, team up to solve a string of murders connected to a serial killer by his signature: a single shard of bone removed from each of the victims. Rhyme was paralyzed from the neck down in an earlier accident and is bed-bound and completely reliant on machines and his nurse Thelma.

text: The killer poses as a New York City taxi driver and abducts and kills those who get in his taxi. The first victims are a married couple named Alan and Lindsay Rubin who the killer picked up at the airport. Amelia finds Alan's body buried in a Civil War-era railroad bed. She also finds a collection of clues including a pile of piece-ground oyster shells, which eventually leads Amelia—now working with Rhyme—to Alan's wife, and a scrap of paper. The detectives find Mrs. Rubin, too late, at a steam junction in a below-ground services area of a building in the Financial District, secured using old antique handcuffs or shackles at the mouth of a pipe which emits steam. She has been scalded to death from the steam. The killer has also removed a bit of flesh and bone from her arm. Amelia finds another scrap of paper at the scene.

text: The killer then abducts a New York University student, who is taken to a derelict slaughterhouse, where he is tied to a pole. Part of his thigh bone is surgically removed, and he is left for rats to feed on. Amelia and Rhyme, using the clues left by the killer at the scene of Lindsay Rubin's death, find the victim dead. Again, the killer has removed a piece of the victim's bone. Amelia is able to collect the evidence, including another scrap of paper. The pressure of the tense investigation and bureaucratic challenges to Amelia and Rhyme's involvement with the case are having serious impacts on Rhyme's health and stability.

text: After piecing together the message the killer was sending using the scraps of paper, Amelia and Rhyme are led to an old crime novel, whose crimes the killer was replicating. This leads them to his next victims, a grandfather and granddaughter tied to a pier as the tide rises. The girl is the first victim they manage to save, but her grandfather dies. At the scene, Amelia finds another bone, part of an old police badge, and an old subway map. These clues, and some asbestos left by the killer at the scene of Mrs. Rubin's death, lead Amelia to an abandoned subway station, where she sees some numbers which have been tampered with to spell out Rhyme's police badge number—Amelia realizes that the killer is after Rhyme.

text: The killer arrives at Rhyme's house, and after killing Rhyme's nurse, Thelma, and Captain Howard Cheney,  he is revealed to be the medical technician who cares for Rhyme's medical equipment, Richard Thompson. Richard's real name is Marcus Andrews, and he is a former forensics expert who worked in Syracuse.

text: About 8 years ago, Rhyme wrote an article accusing Marcus of planting evidence and sending six innocent people to prison, and one of those people hanged himself. Marcus spent six years in prison, and after getting released, he spent two years trying to find Rhyme. Marcus was often attacked or raped in the prison, and he wants Rhyme to pay for what the article put him through.

text: Rhyme manages to crush Marcus's right hand by suddenly dropping his bed horizontally, and in the struggle to free himself, Marcus pulls Rhyme with him and they both collapse to the floor. Rhyme then manages to bite Marcus in the neck, causing massive bleeding. Marcus once again manages to free himself, grabbing his knife. As Marcus raises the knife for a killing blow, Amelia suddenly arrives at the apartment and shoots Marcus dead.

text: The film ends at a Christmas celebration at Rhyme's apartment. Rhyme, having given up his plans to commit suicide, faces his sister and niece coming to visit him along with Amelia and his other colleagues on Christmas Eve. Rhyme and Amelia are implied to have a relationship.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Denzel Washington as Lincoln Rhyme
Angelina Jolie as Police Officer Amelia Donaghy
Queen Latifah as Nurse Thelma
Michael Rooker as Detective Howard Cheney
Mike McGlone as Detective Kenny Solomon
Luis Guzmán as Detective Eddie Ortiz
John Benjamin Hickey as Dr Barry Lehman
Bobby Cannavale as Detective Steve
Ed O'Neill as Detective Paulie Sellitto
Leland Orser as Richard Thompson/Marcus Andrews

text: Production[edit]

text: Exterior scenes were filmed in New York City. Interior scenes were shot in Montreal.[2]

text: Release[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: Based on 85 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, The Bone Collector has an average approval rating of 28%, with an average score of 4.2/10.[3] By comparison, Metacritic gave the film an average score of 45 based on the 33 reviews that it collected.[4]

text: Eric S. Arnold of Newsweek gives a mainly positive review, stating that "The Bone Collector may be formulaic—but many good recipes are."[5] William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer describes the film as having "the characteristics of a bad slasher movie" in a mainly negative review, calling the plot "ultimately preposterous".[6]


document_title: Elk

question_text: elk specie found along the coast of washington

text: Elk

text: Naming and etymology[edit]

text: Early European explorers in North America, who were familiar with the smaller red deer of Europe, thought that the larger North American animal resembled a moose, and consequently gave it the name elk, which is the common European name for moose. The word elk is related to the Latin alces, Old Norse elgr, Scandinavian elg/älg and German Elch, all of which refer to the animal known in North America as the moose.[9]

text: The name wapiti is from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti, meaning "white rump".[10] This name is used in particular for the Asian subspecies (Altai wapiti, Tian Shan wapiti, Manchurian wapiti and Alashan wapiti), because in Eurasia the name elk continues to be used for the moose.

text: Wapiti is also the preferred name for the species in New Zealand.

text: Asian subspecies are sometimes referred to as the maral, but this name applies primarily to the Caspian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral), a subspecies of red deer. There is a subspecies of elk in Mongolia called the Altai wapiti (Cervus canadensis sibiricus),[11] also known as the Altai maral.

text: Taxonomy[edit]

text: Members of the genus Cervus (and hence early relatives or possible ancestors of the elk) first appear in the fossil record 25 million years ago, during the Oligocene in Eurasia, but do not appear in the North American fossil record until the early Miocene.[12] The extinct Irish elk (Megaloceros) was not a member of the genus Cervus, but rather the largest member of the wider deer family (Cervidae) known from the fossil record.[13]

text: Until recently, red deer and elk were considered to be one species, Cervus elaphus.[11][14] However, mitochondrial DNA studies, conducted on hundreds of samples in 2004 from red deer and elk subspecies as well as other species of the Cervus deer family, strongly indicate that elk, or wapiti, should be a distinct species, namely Cervus canadensis.[6] The previous classification had over a dozen subspecies under the C. elaphus species designation; DNA evidence concludes that elk are more closely related to Thorold's deer and even sika deer than they are to the red deer.[6] Elk and red deer produce fertile offspring in captivity, and the two species have freely inter-bred in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, where the cross-bred animals have all but removed the pure elk blood from the area.[15]

text: Subspecies[edit]

text:
There are numerous subspecies of elk described, with six from North America and four from Asia, although some taxonomists consider them different ecotypes or races of the same species (adapted to local environments through minor changes in appearance and behavior). Populations vary as to antler shape and size, body size, coloration and mating behavior. DNA investigations of the Eurasian subspecies revealed that phenotypic variation in antlers, mane and rump patch development are based on "climatic-related lifestyle factors".[16]
Of the six subspecies of elk known to have inhabited North America in historical times, four remain, including the Roosevelt (C. canadensis roosevelti), Tule (C. canadensis nannodes), Manitoban (C. canadensis manitobensis) and Rocky Mountain (C. canadensis nelsoni).[17] The Eastern elk (C. canadensis canadensis) and Merriam's elk (C. canadensis merriami) subspecies have been extinct for at least a century.[18][19]

text: Four subspecies described in Asia include the Altai wapiti (C. canadensis sibiricus) and the Tianshan wapiti (C. canadensis songaricus). Two distinct subspecies found in China and Korea are the Manchurian wapiti (C. canadensis xanthopygus) and the Alashan wapitis (C. canadensis alashanicus). The Manchurian wapiti is darker and more reddish in coloration than the other populations. The Alashan wapiti of north central China is the smallest of all subspecies, has the lightest coloration and is the least studied.[15] Biologist Valerius Geist, who has written on the world's various deer species, holds that there are only three subspecies of elk. Geist recognizes the Manchurian and Alashan wapiti but places all other elk into C. canadensis canadensis, claiming that classification of the four surviving North American groups as subspecies is driven, at least partly, for political purposes to secure individualized conservation and protective measures for each of the surviving populations.[20]

text: Recent DNA studies suggest that there are no more than three or four subspecies of elk. All American forms, aside from possibly the Tule and Roosevelt elk, seem to belong to one subspecies (Cervus canadensis canadensis). Even the Siberian elk (Cervus canadensis sibiricus) are more or less identical to the American forms and therefore may belong to this subspecies, too. However the Manchurian wapiti (Cervus canadensis xanthopygus) is clearly distinct from the Siberian forms, but not distinguishable from the Alashan wapiti. The Chinese forms MacNeill's deer, Kansu red deer, and Tibetan red deer belong also to the wapitis and were not distinguishable from each other by mitochondrial DNA studies.[6] These Chinese subspecies are sometimes treated as a distinct species, namely the Central Asian red deer (Cervus wallichi), which also includes the Kashmir stag.[21]

text:
Northern and American group
Roosevelt elk (C. c. roosevelti)
Tule elk (C. c. nannodes)
Manitoban elk (C. c. manitobensis)
Rocky Mountain elk (C. c. nelsoni)
Eastern elk (C. c. canadensis; extinct)
Merriam's elk (C. c. merriami; extinct)
Eastern group
Altai wapiti (C. c. sibiricus)
Tian Shan wapiti (C. c. songaricus)
Manchurian wapiti (C. c. xanthopygus)
Alashan wapiti (C. c. alashanicus)
Southern group (Central Asian red deer)
MacNeill's deer (C. c. macneilli)
Kansu red deer (C. c. kansuensis)
Tibetan red deer (C. c. wallichii)
Kashmir stag (C. c. hanglu)

text:
Illustration of eastern elk

Illustration of Altai wapiti

Illustration of Manchurian wapiti

Illustration of Kashmir stag

text: Anatomy[edit]

text: The elk is a large animal of the ungulate order Artiodactyla, possessing an even number of toes on each foot, similar to those of camels, goats and cattle. It is a ruminant species, with a four-chambered stomach, and feeds on grasses, plants, leaves and bark. During the summer, elk eat almost constantly, consuming between 4 and 7 kilograms (8.8 and 15.4 lb) of vegetation daily.[22] In North America, males are called bulls, and females are called cows. In Asia, stag and hind, respectively, are sometimes used instead.

text: Elk are more than twice as heavy as mule deer and have a more reddish hue to their hair coloring, as well as large, buff-colored rump patches and smaller tails. Moose are larger and darker than elk; bulls have distinctively different antlers. Elk gather in herds, while moose are solitary. Elk cows average 225 to 241 kg (496 to 531 lb), stand 1.3 m (4.3 ft) at the shoulder, and are 2.1 m (6.9 ft) from nose to tail. Bulls are some 40% larger than cows at maturity, weighing an average of 320 to 331 kg (705 to 730 lb), standing 1.5 m (4.9 ft) at the shoulder and averaging 2.45 m (8.0 ft) in length.[23][24] The largest of the subspecies is the Roosevelt elk (C. c. roosevelti), found west of the Cascade Range in the U.S. states of California, Oregon and Washington, and in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Roosevelt elk have been reintroduced into Alaska, where the largest males are estimated to weigh up to 600 kg (1,300 lb).[25] More typically, male Roosevelt elk weigh around 300 to 544 kg (661 to 1,199 lb), while females weigh 260 to 285 kg (573 to 628 lb).[26][27] The smallest-bodied subspecies is the tule elk (C. c. nannodes), which weighs from 170 to 250 kg (370 to 550 lb) in both sexes.[26]

text: Only the males have antlers, which start growing in the spring and are shed each winter. The largest antlers may be 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) long and weigh 18 kilograms (40 lb).[28]  Antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) per day. While actively growing, the antlers are covered with and protected by a soft layer of highly vascularised skin known as velvet. The velvet is shed in the summer when the antlers have fully developed. Bull elk may have eight or more tines on each antler; however, the number of tines has little to do with the age or maturity of a particular animal. The Siberian and North American elk carry the largest antlers while the Altai wapiti have the smallest.[15] The formation and retention of antlers is testosterone-driven.[29] After the breeding season in late fall, the level of pheromones released during estrus declines in the environment and the testosterone levels of males drop as a consequence. This drop in testosterone leads to the shedding of antlers, usually in the early winter.

text: During the fall, elk grow a thicker coat of hair, which helps to insulate them during the winter. Males, females and calves of Siberian and North American elk all grow thin neck manes; female and young Manchurian and Alaskan wapitis do not.[20] By early summer, the heavy winter coat has been shed, and elk are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. All elk have small and clearly defined rump patches with short tails. They have different coloration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with gray or lighter coloration prevalent in the winter and a more reddish, darker coat in the summer. Subspecies living in arid climates tend to have lighter colored coats than do those living in forests.[30] Most have lighter yellow-brown to orange-brown coats in contrast to dark brown hair on the head, neck, and legs during the summer. Forest-adapted Manchurian and Alaskan wapitis have darker reddish-brown coats with less contrast between the body coat and the rest of the body during the summer months.[15] Calves are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and they lose their spots by the end of summer. Adult Manchurian wapiti may retain a few orange spots on the back of their summer coats until they are older. This characteristic has also been observed in the forest-adapted European red deer.[15]

text: Behavior[edit]

text:
An American elk bugling

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: Adult elk usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. During the mating period known as the rut, mature bulls compete for the attention of the cow elk and will try to fend off rival bulls from their harem. Rival bulls challenge opponents by bellowing, or bugling, and by paralleling each other, walking back and forth. This allows potential combatants to assess the other's antlers, body size and fighting prowess.[31] If neither bull backs down, they engage in antler wrestling, and bulls sometimes sustain serious injuries. Bulls also dig holes in the ground called wallows, in which they urinate and roll their body.[32] A male elk's urethra points upward so that urine is sprayed almost at a right angle to the penis.[33] The urine soaks into their hair and gives them a distinct smell which attracts cows.[32]

text: Dominant bulls follow groups of cows during the rut, from August into early winter. A bull will defend his harem of 20 cows or more from competing bulls and predators.[34] It is only the mature bulls that usually have large harems, and breeding success peaks at about eight years of age. Bulls between two and four years and over 11 years of age rarely have harems, and spend most of the rut on the periphery of larger harems. Young and old bulls that do acquire a harem usually acquire it later in the breeding season than do bulls in their prime. A bull with a harem rarely feeds, and he may lose up to 20 percent of his body weight during the rut. Bulls that enter the rut in poor condition are less likely to keep their harems through to the peak conception period or have the strength to survive the rigors of the oncoming winter.[31]

text: Bulls have a loud vocalization consisting of screams known as bugling, which can be heard for miles. Bugling is often associated with an adaptation to open environments such as parklands, meadows, and savannas, where sound can travel great distances. Females are attracted to the males that bugle more often and have the loudest call.[35] Bugling is most common early and late in the day and is one of the most distinctive sounds in nature, akin to the howl of the gray wolf.

text: Reproduction and lifecycle[edit]

text: Female elk have a short estrus cycle of only a day or two, and matings usually involve a dozen or more attempts. By the autumn of their second year, females can produce one and, very rarely, two offspring, although reproduction is most common when cows weigh at least 200 kilograms (440 lb).[36] The gestation period is 240 to 262 days and the offspring weigh between 15 and 16 kilograms (33 and 35 lb). When the females are near to giving birth, they tend to isolate themselves from the main herd, and will remain isolated until the calf is large enough to escape predators.[32] Calves are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and they lose their spots by the end of summer. Manchurian wapiti may retain a few orange spots on the back of their summer coats until they are older. After two weeks, calves are able to join the herd, and are fully weaned at two months of age.[37] Elk calves are as large as an adult white-tailed deer by the time they are six months old.[38] The offspring will remain with their mothers for almost a year, leaving about the time that the next season's offspring are produced.[35] The gestation period is the same for all subspecies.

text: Elk live 20 years or more in captivity but average 10 to 13 years in the wild. In some subspecies that suffer less predation, they may live an average of 15 years in the wild.[39]

text: Predators and defensive tactics[edit]

text: In North America, wolf and coyote packs and the solitary cougar are the most likely predators, although brown and black bears also prey on elk.[35] Coyote packs mostly prey on elk calves, though they can sometimes take a winter- or disease-weakened adult.[40] In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem which includes Yellowstone National Park, bears are the most significant predators of calves.[41] Major predators in Asia include the wolf, dhole, brown bear, Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, and snow leopard. Eurasian lynx and wild boar sometimes prey on Asian elk calves.[15] Historically, tigers in the Lake Baikal region fed on Manchurian wapiti, and continue to do so in the Amur region.[42]

text: Male elk retain their antlers for more than half the year and are less likely to group with other males when they have antlers. Antlers provide a means of defense, as does a strong front-leg kick, which is performed by either sex if provoked. Once the antlers have been shed, bulls tend to form bachelor groups which allow them to work cooperatively at fending off predators. Herds tend to employ one or more scouts while the remaining members eat and rest.[35]

text: After the rut, females form large herds of up to 50 individuals. Newborn calves are kept close by a series of vocalizations; larger nurseries have an ongoing and constant chatter during the daytime hours. When approached by predators, the largest and most robust females may make a stand, using their front legs to kick at their attackers. Guttural grunts and posturing effectively deter all but the most determined predators.

text: Wapiti in New Zealand have no natural predators.[43]

text: Migration[edit]

text: As is true for many species of deer, especially those in mountainous regions, elk migrate into areas of higher altitude in the spring, following the retreating snows, and the opposite direction in the fall. Hunting pressure also impacts migration and movements.[44] During the winter, they favor wooded areas and sheltered valleys for protection from the wind and availability of tree bark to eat. Roosevelt elk are generally non-migratory due to less seasonal variability of food sources.[35]

text: The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem elk herd numbers over 200,000 individuals and during the spring and fall, they take part in the longest elk migration in the continental U.S. Elk in the southern regions of Yellowstone National Park and in the surrounding National Forests migrate south towards the town of Jackson, Wyoming, where they winter for up to six months on the National Elk Refuge. Conservationists there ensure the herd is well fed during the harsh winters.[45] Many of the elk that reside in the northern sections of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem migrate to lower altitudes in Montana, mainly to the north and west.

text: Diet[edit]

text: Elk are ruminants and therefore have four-chambered stomachs. Unlike white-tailed deer and moose, which are primarily browsers, elk are similar to cattle in that they are primarily grazers. But like other deer, they also browse.[46][47] Elk have a tendency to do most of their feeding in the mornings and evenings, seeking sheltered areas in between feedings to digest. Their diets vary somewhat depending on the season, with native grasses being a year-round supplement, tree bark being consumed in winter and forbs and tree sprouts during the summer. Elk consume an average of 9.1 kilograms (20 lb) of various vegetation daily.[48] Particularly fond of aspen sprouts which rise in the spring, elk have had some impact on aspen groves which have been declining in some regions where elk exist.[49]

text: Range and wildlife managers conduct surveys of elk pellet groups to monitor populations and resource use.[50][51]

text: Parasites and disease[edit]

text: At least 53 species of protist and animal parasites have been identified in elk.[52]  Most of these parasites seldom lead to significant mortality among wild or captive elk. Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (brainworm or meningeal worm) is a parasitic nematode known to affect the spinal cord and brain tissue of elk and other species, leading to death.[53] The definitive host is the white-tailed deer, in which it normally has no ill effects. Snails and slugs, the intermediate hosts, can be inadvertently consumed by elk during grazing.[9] The liver fluke Fascioloides magna and the nematode Dictyocaulus viviparus are also commonly found parasites that can be fatal to elk.[54] Since infection by either of these parasites can be lethal to some commercial livestock species, their presence in elk herds is of some concern.

text: Chronic wasting disease, transmitted by a misfolded protein known as a prion, affects the brain tissue in elk, and has been detected throughout their range in North America. First documented in the late 1960s in mule deer, the disease has affected elk on game farms and in the wild in a number of regions. Elk that have contracted the disease begin to show weight loss, increased watering needs, disorientation and listlessness, and at an advanced stage the disease leads to death. The disease is similar to but not the same as mad cow disease, and no risks to humans have been documented, nor has the disease been demonstrated to pose a threat to domesticated cattle.[55] In 2002, South Korea banned the importation of elk antler velvet due to concerns about chronic wasting disease.[56]

text: The Gram-negative bacterial disease brucellosis occasionally affects elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the only place in the U.S. where the disease is still known to exist. In domesticated cattle, brucellosis causes infertility, abortions and reduced milk production. It is transmitted to humans as undulant fever, producing flu-like symptoms which may last for years. Though bison are more likely to transmit the disease to other animals, elk inadvertently transmitted brucellosis to horses in Wyoming and cattle in Idaho. Researchers are attempting to eradicate the disease through vaccinations and herd management measures, which are expected to be successful.[57] Nevetheless, research has been ongoing since 2002, and a successful vaccine has yet to be developed as of  2016[update].[58]

text: A recent necropsy study of captive elk in Pennsylvania attributed the cause of death in 33 of 65 cases to either gastrointestinal parasites (21 cases, primarily Eimeria sp. and Ostertagia sp.) or bacterial infections (12 cases, mostly pneumonia).[59]

text: Elk hoof disease was first noticed in the state of Washington in the late 1990s in the Cowlitz River basin, with sporadic reports of deformed hooves. Since then the disease has spread rapidly with increased sightings throughout South West Washington and into Oregon. The disease is characterised by deformed, broken or missing hooves and leads to severe lameness in elk. The primary cause is not known but it is associated with Treponeme bacteria which are known to cause digital dermatitis in commercial livestock. The mode of transmission is also not known but it appears to be highly contagious amongst elk. Studies are being undertaken by government department to determine how to halt or eliminate the disease.[60][61][62]

text: Ecology[edit]

text: Distribution[edit]

text: Modern subspecies are descended from elk that once inhabited Beringia, a steppe region between Asia and North America that connected the two continents during the Pleistocene. Beringia provided a migratory route for numerous mammal species, including brown bear, camel, horse, caribou, and moose, as well as humans.[63]  As the Pleistocene came to an end, ocean levels began to rise; elk migrated southwards into Asia and North America. In North America they adapted to almost all ecosystems except for tundra, true deserts, and the gulf coast of the U.S. The elk of southern Siberia and central Asia were once more widespread but today are restricted to the mountain ranges west of Lake Baikal including the Sayan and Altai Mountains of Mongolia and the Tianshan region that borders Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and China's Xinjiang Province.[1] The habitat of Siberian elk in Asia is similar to that of the Rocky Mountain subspecies in North America.

text: Throughout their range, they live in forest and in forest edge habitat, similar to other deer species. In mountainous regions, they often dwell at higher elevations in summer, migrating down slope for winter. The highly adaptable elk also inhabit semi-deserts in North America, such as the Great Basin. Manchurian and Alashan wapiti are primarily forest dwellers and their smaller antler size is a likely adaptation to a forest environment.

text: Introductions[edit]

text: The Rocky Mountain elk subspecies has been reintroduced by hunter-conservation organizations in the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S., where the now extinct eastern elk once lived.[64] After elk were reintroduced in the states of Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee, they migrated into the neighboring states of Virginia and West Virginia, and have established permanent populations there.[65] In 2017, a male elk, likely from the Smoky Mountains population, was sighted in South Carolina for the first time in nearly 300 years.[66] Elk have also been reintroduced to a number of other states, including Pennsylvania,[67][68] Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri [69] and Etolin and Afognak Islands in Alaska.[70] Reintroduction of the elk into Ontario began in the early 20th century, and is ongoing with limited success.[71] As of 1989, population figures for the Rocky Mountain subspecies were 782,500, and estimated numbers for all North American subspecies exceeded 1 million.[72] Prior to the European colonization of North America, there were an estimated 10 million elk on the continent.[23]

text: Outside their native habitat, elk and other deer species, especially white tails, were introduced in areas that previously had few if any large native ungulates. Brought to these countries for hunting and ranching for meat, hides and antler velvet, they have proven highly adaptable and have often had an adverse impact on local ecosystems. Elk and red deer were introduced to Argentina in the early 20th century.[73] There they are now considered an invasive species, encroaching on Argentinian ecosystems where they compete for food with the indigenous Chilean huemul and other herbivores.[74] This negative impact on native animal species has led the IUCN to identify the elk as one of the world's 100 worst invaders.[75]

text: The introduction of deer to New Zealand began in the middle of the 19th century, and current populations are primarily European red deer, with only 15 percent being elk.[76] There is significant hybridization of elk with the more numerous red deer to the extent that pure elk may no longer exist in the wild in New Zealand. These deer have had an adverse impact on forest regeneration of some plant species, as they consume more palatable species which are replaced with those that are less favored by the elk. The long-term impact will be an alteration of the types of plants and trees found, and in other animal and plant species dependent upon them.[77] As in Chile and Argentina, the IUCN has declared that red deer and elk populations in New Zealand are an invasive species.[75]

text: Cultural references[edit]

text: Elk have played an important role in the cultural history of a number of peoples.  Pictograms and petroglyphs of elk were carved into cliffs thousands of years ago by the Anasazi of the southwestern U.S. More recent Native American tribes, including the Kootenai, Cree, Blackfeet, Ojibwa and Pawnee, produced blankets and robes from elk hides. The elk was of particular importance to the Lakota, and played a spiritual role in their society.[78] At birth, Lakota males were given an elk's tooth to promote a long life since that was seen as the last part of dead elk to rot away. The elk was seen as having strong sexual potency and young Lakota males who had dreamed of elk would have an image of the mythical representation of the elk on their "courting coats" as a sign of sexual prowess. The Lakota believed that the mythical or spiritual elk, not the physical one, was the teacher of men and the embodiment of strength, sexual prowess and courage.

text: Neolithic petroglyphs from Asia depict antler-less female elk, which have been interpreted as symbolizing rebirth and sustenance. By the beginning of the Bronze Age, the elk is depicted less frequently in rock art, coinciding with a cultural transformation away from hunting.[79]

text: The Rocky Mountain elk is the official state animal for Utah.[80]  An image of an elk and a moose appear on the state seal and flag of Michigan.[81] The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) chose the elk as its namesake because a number of its attributes seemed appropriate for cultivation by members of the fraternity.  A representation of the majestic head of the male, with its spreading antlers, was adopted as the first badge of the Order; and is still the most conspicuous element of its copyrighted fraternal emblem.[82] A prized possession of many members of the B.P.O.E. are jewel encrusted, gold mounted elk teeth – which are actually ivory.[83]

text: Commercial uses[edit]

text: Although breakdown figures for each game species are not available in the 2006 National Survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunting of wild elk is most likely the primary economic impact.[84]

text: While elk are not generally harvested for meat production on a large scale, some restaurants offer the meat as a specialty item and it is also available in some grocery stores. The meat has a taste somewhere between beef and venison and is higher in protein and lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork, and chicken.[85] Elk meat is also a good source of iron, phosphorus and zinc.[86]

text: A male elk can produce 10 to 11 kilograms (22 to 24 lb) of antler velvet annually and on ranches in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, this velvet is collected and sold to markets in East Asia, where it is used in medicine. Velvet is also considered by some cultures to be an aphrodisiac.[56] However, consuming velvet from elk in North America may be risky since velvet from animals infected with chronic wasting disease may contain prions that could result in a human getting variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.[87]

text: Antlers are also used in artwork, furniture and other novelty items. All Asian subspecies, along with other deer, have been raised for their antlers in central and eastern Asia by Han Chinese, Turkic peoples, Tungusic peoples, Mongolians, and Koreans. Elk farms are relatively common in North America and New Zealand.[76]

text: Elk hides have been used for thousands of years for tepee covering, blankets, clothing and footwear. Modern uses are more decorative, but elk skin shoes, gloves and belts are not uncommon.[23]

text: Since 1967, the Boy Scouts of America have assisted employees at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming by collecting the antlers which are shed each winter. The antlers are then auctioned with 80% of the proceeds returned to the refuge. In 2010, 2,520 kilograms (5,560 lb) of antlers were auctioned, bringing in over $46,000.[88]