document_title: Premier League records and statistics

question_text: who scored the most goals in a premier league season

text: Premier League records and statistics

text: League records[edit]

text: Titles[edit]

text:
Most titles: 13, Manchester United[1]
Most consecutive title wins: 3, Manchester United twice (1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09)[1]
Biggest title-winning margin: 18 points, 1999–2000; Manchester United (91 points) over Arsenal (73 points)[2]
Smallest title-winning margin: 0 points and 8 goal difference – 2011–12; Manchester City (+64) over Manchester United (+56). Both finished on 89 points, but Manchester City won the title with a superior goal difference, the only time that goal difference has determined the Premier League.[3]

text: Wins[edit]

text:
Most wins in a season (38 games): 30, Chelsea (2016–17)[4]
Fewest wins in a season (38 games): 1, Derby County (2007–08)[5]
Fewest home wins in a season (19 games): 1, joint record:[5]

Sunderland (2005–06)
Derby County (2007–08)

Most home wins in a season (19 games): 18, joint record:[6]

Chelsea (2005–06)
Manchester United (2010–11)
Manchester City (2011–12)[7]

Most away wins in a season (19 games): 15, Chelsea (2004–05)[8]
Fewest away wins in a season (19/21 games): 0, joint record:[5][9][10]

Leeds United (1992–93)
Coventry City (1999–2000)
Wolverhampton Wanderers (2003–04)
Norwich City (2004–05)
Derby County (2007–08)
Hull City (2009–10)

Most consecutive wins: 14, Arsenal (between 10 February 2002 and 24 August 2002)[5][11][12]
Most consecutive wins in a season (38 games): 13, joint record:[13]

Arsenal (2001–02)
Chelsea (2016–17)

Most consecutive games without a win: 32, Derby County (2007–08)[5]
Most consecutive games without a win from beginning of season: 16, Queens Park Rangers (between 18 August 2012 and 8 December 2012)[14]
Most consecutive home wins: 20, Manchester City (between 5 March 2011 and 21 March 2012)[15]
Most consecutive away wins: 11, Chelsea (between 6 April 2008 and 7 December 2008)[16]

text: Losses[edit]

text:
Fewest losses in a season (38 games): 0, Arsenal (2003–04)[17]
Longest unbeaten run: 49 games, Arsenal (7 May 2003 – 24 October 2004)[18]
Most losses in total: 336, Everton[19]
Fewest home losses in a season (19 games): 0, joint record:

Manchester United (1995–96, 1999–2000, 2010–11)[20][21][22]
Arsenal (1998–99, 2003–04, 2007–08) [23][24][25]
Chelsea (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15)[25][26][27][28][29]
Liverpool (2008–09)[30]
Manchester City (2011–12)[7]
Tottenham Hotspur (2016–17)

Most consecutive losses over more than one season (38 games): 20, Sunderland (2002–03, 2005–06)[31]
Fewest away losses in a season (19 games): 0, Arsenal (2001–02, 2003–04)[24][32]
Most consecutive home games undefeated: 86, Chelsea (20 March 2004 – 26 October 2008)[33]
Most consecutive away games undefeated: 27, Arsenal (5 April 2003 – 25 September 2004)[34]

text: Draws[edit]

text:
Most draws in a season (42 games): 18 – joint record:

Manchester City (1993–94)[35]
Sheffield United (1993–94)[35]
Southampton (1994–95)[35]

Most draws in a season (38 games): 17 – joint record:

Newcastle United (2003–04)[35]
Aston Villa (2006–07 & 2011–12)[35]
Sunderland (2014–15)[35]

Most home draws in a season: 10 – joint record:

Sheffield Wednesday (1996–97)[35]
Leicester City (1997–98 & 2003–04)[35]
Manchester United (2016–17)[35]

Most away draws in a season: 10, Newcastle United (2003–04)[35]
Fewest draws in a season: 3, Chelsea (1997–98 & 2016–17)[35]
Fewest home draws in a season: 0 – joint record:

Manchester City (2008–09)[35]
Manchester United (2012–13)[35]
Chelsea (2016–17)[35]

Fewest away draws in a season: 1 – joint record:

Bolton Wanderers (1995–96)[35]
Queens Park Rangers (1995–96 & 2014–15)[35]
Barnsley (1997–98)[35]
Chelsea (1997–98)[35]
Bradford City (1999–2000)[35]
Everton (2000–01)[35]
Ipswich Town (2000–01)[35]
Portsmouth (2005–06 & 2007–08)[35]
Burnley (2009–10)[35]
Liverpool (2011–12)[35]
Newcastle United (2013–14)[35]
Queens Park Rangers (2014–15)[35]

Most consecutive draws: 7 – joint record:

Norwich City (1993–94)[35]
Southampton (1994–95)[35]
Manchester City (2009–10)[35]

Most draws in total: 277, Everton[19]

text: Attendances[edit]

text:
Highest attendance, single game: 76,069 Manchester United v. Blackburn Rovers (at Old Trafford, 31 March 2007)[36]
Lowest attendance, single game: 3,039, Wimbledon v. Everton (at Selhurst Park, 26 January 1993)[36][37]

text: Goals[edit]

text:
Most goals scored in a season: 103, Chelsea (2009–10)[38]
Fewest goals scored in a season: 20, Derby County (2007–08)[39]
Most goals conceded in a season (42 games): 100, Swindon Town (1993–94)[40]
Most goals conceded in a season (38 games): 89, Derby County (2007–08)[41]
Fewest goals conceded in a season: 15, Chelsea (2004–05)[42]
Best goal difference in a season: 71, Chelsea (2009–10)[42]
Most goals scored in a season by a relegated team: 55, Blackpool (2010–11)[43]
Most goals scored at home in a season: 68, Chelsea (2009–10)[42]
Fewest goals scored at home in a season: 10, Manchester City (2006–07)[44]
Most goals conceded at home in a season (21 games): 45, Swindon Town (1993–94)[45]
Most goals conceded at home in a season (19 games): 43

Derby County (2007–08)[45]
Wolverhampton Wanderers (2011–12)[45]

Fewest goals conceded at home in a season (21 games or 19 games): 4, Manchester United (1994–95)[45]
Most goals scored away in a season: 48, Liverpool (2013–14)[45]
Fewest goals scored away in a season: 8

Middlesbrough (1995–96)[45]
Southampton (1998–99)[45]
Sheffield United (2006–07)[45]
Derby County (2007–08)[45]

Most goals conceded away in a season (21 games): 59, Ipswich Town (1994–95)[45]
Most goals conceded away in a season (19 games): 55, Wigan Athletic (2009–10)[45]
Fewest goals conceded away in a season: 9, Chelsea (2004–05)[45]
Fewest failures to score in a match in a season: 0 (scored in every game), Arsenal (2001–02)[46]
Most goals scored in total: 1,856, Manchester United[19]
Most goals conceded in total: 1,231, Tottenham Hotspur[19]
Largest goal deficit overcome to win: 3

Leeds United 4–3 Derby County (8 November 1997)[47]
West Ham United 3–4 Wimbledon (9 September 1998)[48]
Tottenham Hotspur 3–5 Manchester United (29 September 2001)[49]
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–3 Leicester City (25 October 2003)[50]

Largest goal deficit overcome to draw: 4, Newcastle United 4–4 Arsenal (5 February 2011)[51]

text: Points[edit]

text:
Most points in a season: 95, Chelsea (2004–05)[52]
Fewest points in a season: 11, Derby County (2007–08)[53]
Most points in a season without winning the league: 89, Manchester United (2011–12)[54]
Fewest points in a season while winning the league: 75, Manchester United (1996–97)[55]
Most points in a season while being relegated:

42 games: 49, Crystal Palace (1992–93)[56]
38 games: 42, West Ham United (2002–03)[56]

Fewest points in a season while surviving relegation: 34, West Bromwich Albion (2004–05)[57]

text: Player records[edit]

text: Appearances[edit]

text:
Most Premier League appearances: 633, Gareth Barry (2 May 1998 to 25 September 2017)[58]
Oldest player: John Burridge, 43 years and 162 days (for Manchester City v. Queens Park Rangers, 14 May 1995)[59]
Youngest player: Matthew Briggs, 16 years and 65 days (for Fulham v. Middlesbrough, 13 May 2007)[60]
Most consecutive Premier League appearances: 310, Brad Friedel (14 August 2004 until 7 October 2012)[61]
Most seasons appeared in: 22, Ryan Giggs (every season from 1992–93 to 2013–14)[62]

text: Goals[edit]

text:
First Premier League goal: Brian Deane (for Sheffield United v. Manchester United, 15 August 1992)[63]
Most Premier League goals: Alan Shearer (260)[64]

text:
Most goals scored away from home: Wayne Rooney (91)[citation needed]
Most Premier League goals at one club: Wayne Rooney (183, for Manchester United)[65]
Oldest goalscorer: Teddy Sheringham, 40 years and 268 days (for West Ham United v. Portsmouth, 26 December 2006)[66]
Youngest goalscorer: James Vaughan, 16 years and 271 days (for Everton v. Crystal Palace, 10 April 2005)[67]

text:
Most consecutive Premier League matches scored in: 11, Jamie Vardy (for Leicester City, 29 August to 28 November 2015)[68]
Most seasons scored in: 21, Ryan Giggs (every season from 1992–93 to 2012–13)[69]

text:
Rank
Name
Goals
Games
Goals per game
Playing position
First goal
Last goal

1
 Alan Shearer
260
441
0.59
Forward
1992–93
2005–06

2
 Wayne Rooney
200
463
0.43
Forward
2002–03
2017–18

3
 Andy Cole
187
414
0.45
Forward
1993–94
2006–07

4
 Frank Lampard
177
609
0.29
Midfield
1997–98
2014–15

5
 Thierry Henry
175
258
0.68
Forward
1999–2000
2011–12

6
 Robbie Fowler
163
379
0.43
Forward
1993–94
2006–07

7
 Jermain Defoe
159
474
0.33
Forward
2001–02
2017–18

8
 Michael Owen
150
326
0.46
Forward
1996–97
2012–13

9
 Les Ferdinand
149
351
0.42
Forward
1992–93
2004–05

10
 Teddy Sheringham
146
418
0.35
Forward
1992–93
2006–07

text:
Most goals in a season (42 games): 34, joint record:[71]

Andrew Cole (Newcastle United, 1993–94)
Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1994–95)

text:
Most goals in a season (38 games): 31, joint record:[72]

Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1995–96)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2007–08)
Luis Suárez (Liverpool, 2013–14)

Most Premier League goals in a calendar year: 36, Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1995)[73]
Number of teams scored against in a season: 17, joint record:

20-team league: [74]

Ian Wright (Arsenal, 1996–97)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal, 2011–12)

22-team league:

Andrew Cole (Newcastle United, 1993–94)
Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, 1994–95)

Most goals in a debut season: 30, Kevin Phillips (Sunderland, 1999–2000)[75]
Most Premier League hat-tricks in a season: 5, Alan Shearer (38 games) (Blackburn Rovers, 1995–96)[76]
Most Premier League hat-tricks: 11, Alan Shearer[77]
Most goals in a game: 5, joint record:[78]

Andrew Cole (for Manchester United v. Ipswich Town, 4 March 1995) W 9–0
Alan Shearer (for Newcastle United v. Sheffield Wednesday, 19 September 1999) W 8–0
Jermain Defoe (for Tottenham Hotspur v. Wigan Athletic, 22 November 2009) W 9–1
Dimitar Berbatov (for Manchester United v. Blackburn Rovers, 27 November 2010) W 7–1
Sergio Agüero (for Manchester City v. Newcastle United, 3 October 2015) W 6–1

text:
Most goals in one half: 5, Jermain Defoe (for Tottenham Hotspur v. Wigan Athletic, 22 November 2009) W 9–1[79]
Fastest goal: 10 seconds, Ledley King (for Tottenham Hotspur v. Bradford City, 9 December 2000)[80]
Most goals scored by a substitute in a game: 4, Ole Gunnar Solskjær (for Manchester United v. Nottingham Forest, 6 February 1999)[81]
Most consecutive away league matches scored in: 9, Robin van Persie (for Arsenal, 1 January 2011 to 22 May 2011)[82]
Most consecutive seasons to score at least 30 Goals: 3 (1993–1996), Alan Shearer (all for Blackburn Rovers) [83]
Most consecutive seasons to score at least 25 Goals: 4 (1993–1997), Alan Shearer (1993–1996 for Blackburn Rovers, 1996–1997 for Newcastle United)[84]
Most consecutive seasons to score at least 20 Goals: 5 (2001–2006), Thierry Henry (all for Arsenal)[84]
Most consecutive seasons to score at least 10 Goals: 11 (2004–2015), Wayne Rooney (all for Manchester United)[85]
Most consecutive seasons to score at least 1 Goal: 21 (1992–2013), Ryan Giggs (all for Manchester United)[69]
Fastest Premier League hat-trick: Sadio Mané, 2 minutes 56 seconds (for Southampton v. Aston Villa, 16 May 2015)[86]
Highest number of different clubs to score for: 7:

Craig Bellamy (for Coventry City, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Ham United, Manchester City, Cardiff City)[87]

Most own goals: 10, Richard Dunne[88]
Most own goals in a season: 4, Martin Škrtel (2013–14)[89]
Most Hat-tricks against a single club: 3, Luis Suárez (for Liverpool v. Norwich City)[90]
Most Goals in a calendar month: 10 (December 2013), Luis Suárez (for Liverpool)[91]

text: Assists[edit]

text:
Rank
Player
Assists

Most assists (career)

1
 Ryan Giggs
162

2
 Cesc Fàbregas
107

3
 Frank Lampard
102

4
 Wayne Rooney
101

5
 Dennis Bergkamp
94

6
 Steven Gerrard
92

7
 David Beckham
80

8
 Teddy Sheringham
76

9
 James Milner
75

10
 Thierry Henry
74

text:
Most Premier League assists in a season: 20, Thierry Henry (Arsenal, 2002–03)[93]
Most consecutive Premier League matches assisted in: 7, Mesut Özil (for Arsenal, 26 September to 21 November 2015)[94]
Most assists in a single Premier League match: 4, joint record:[95]

Dennis Bergkamp (for Arsenal v. Leicester City, 20 February 1999)
José Antonio Reyes (for Arsenal v. Middlesbrough, 14 January 2006)
Cesc Fàbregas (for Arsenal v. Blackburn Rovers, 4 October 2009)
Emmanuel Adebayor (for Tottenham Hotspur v. Newcastle United, 11 February 2012)
Santi Cazorla (for Arsenal v. Wigan Athletic, 14 May 2013)
Dušan Tadić (for Southampton v. Sunderland, 18 October 2014)[96]

text: Goalkeepers[edit]

text:
Rank
Player
Clean
sheets

Most clean sheets (career)

1
 Petr Čech
192

2
 David James
169

3
 Mark Schwarzer
152

4
 David Seaman
142

5
 Nigel Martyn
138

6
 Pepe Reina
134

 Edwin van der Sar

8
 Tim Howard
132

 Brad Friedel

10
 Peter Schmeichel
129

text:
Most clean sheets in one season: 21, joint record:

Petr Čech (for Chelsea, 2004–05)[97]
Edwin van der Sar (for Manchester United, 2008–09)[98]

Longest consecutive run without conceding a goal: 14 games (1,311 minutes), Edwin van der Sar (for Manchester United, 2008–09)[99]
Goalscoring goalkeepers (excluding own goals):

Peter Schmeichel (Everton 3–2 Aston Villa, 20 October 2001)[100]
Brad Friedel (Charlton Athletic 3–2 Blackburn Rovers, 21 February 2004)[101]
Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 Watford, 17 March 2007)[102]
Tim Howard (Everton 1–2 Bolton Wanderers, 4 January 2012)[103]
Asmir Begović (Stoke City 1–1 Southampton, 2 November 2013)[104]

text: Disciplinary[edit]

text:
Most red cards: 8, joint record:[58]

Duncan Ferguson
Patrick Vieira
Richard Dunne

Most yellow cards for a player: 103, Gareth Barry[70]
Most yellow cards for a single team in one game: 9 (Tottenham Hotspur v. Chelsea, 2 May 2016)[105]
Fouling record: 782, Kevin Davies (since 2000–01, the first season for which reliable records are available)[106]
Longest ban: 12 matches, Joey Barton. After being dismissed for violent conduct, Barton was found guilty of two further separate counts of violent conduct after his dismissal vs Manchester City, 23 May 2012[107]

text: Youngest players to score[edit]

text: This is a list of the top 10 youngest players to score a goal in the Premier League.[108]

text:
Player
Date
Team
Age
Opposition

1
James Vaughan
10-Apr-2005
Everton
16 years 274 days
Crystal Palace

2
James Milner
26-Dec-2002
Leeds United
16 years 360 days
Sunderland

3
Wayne Rooney
19-Oct-2002
Everton
16 years 364 days
Arsenal

4
Cesc Fabregas
25-Aug-2004
Arsenal
17 years 113 days
Blackburn Rovers

5
Michael Owen
06-May-1997
Liverpool
17 years 148 days
Wimbledon

6
Andy Turner
05-Sep-1992
Tottenham
17 years 166 days
Everton

7
Federico Macheda
05-Apr-2009
Manchester United
17 years 226 days
Aston Villa

8
Raheem Sterling
20-Oct-2012
Liverpool
17 years 312 days
Reading

9
Mikael Forssell
20-Feb-1999
Chelsea
17 years 335 days
Nottingham Forest

10
Danny Cadamarteri
20-Sep-1997
Everton
17 years 338 days
Barnsley

text: Match records[edit]

text: Scorelines[edit]

text:
Biggest home win: 9–0, Manchester United v. Ipswich Town (4 March 1995)[109]
Biggest away win: 1–8, Nottingham Forest v. Manchester United (6 February 1999)[109]
Biggest aggregate win: 12–1, joint record:

Blackburn Rovers 7–0 Nottingham Forest (18 November 1995) & Nottingham Forest 1–5 Blackburn Rovers (13 April 1996)
Tottenham Hotspur 9–1 Wigan Athletic (22 November 2009) & Wigan Athletic 0–3 Tottenham Hotspur (21 February 2010)

Biggest loss by reigning champions: 1–6, joint record:[110]

Manchester United 1–6 Manchester City (23 October 2011), after Manchester United had won the 2010–11 competition
Leicester City 1–6 Tottenham Hotspur (18 May 2017), after Leicester City had won the 2015–16 competition

Highest scoring: 7–4, Portsmouth v. Reading (29 September 2007)[111]
Highest scoring draw: 5–5, West Bromwich Albion v. Manchester United (19 May 2013)[112]
Highest scoring in the first half: 7 goals, joint record:

Blackburn Rovers 3–4 Leeds United (14 September 1997 — final score; 3–4)[113]
Bradford City 4–3 Derby County (21 April 2000 — final score; 4–4)[114]
Reading 3–4 Manchester United (1 December 2012 — final score; 3–4)[115]

Most individual goal scorers in one game: 9, joint record:

Tottenham Hotspur 4–5 Arsenal (13 November 2004)[116]
Portsmouth 7–4 Reading (29 September 2007)[117]

Most individual goal scorers in one game for the same team: 7, joint record:

Chelsea 8–0 Aston Villa (23 December 2012)[118]
Manchester City 7–0 Norwich City (2 November 2013)[119]
Southampton 8–0 Sunderland (18 October 2014)[120]

text: All-time Premier League table[edit]

text: The all-time Premier League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The table that follows is accurate as of the start of the 2017–18 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2017–18 Premier League. Numbers in bold are the record (highest either positive or negative) numbers in each column.[121]

text:
Pos.
Club
Seasons
Pld
Win
Draw
Loss
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Relegated
Avg
Pts
Best
Pos.

1
Manchester United
25
962
604
209
149
1856
847
1009
2021
13
5
3
1

80.84
1

2
Arsenal
25
962
525
247
190
1698
911
787
1822
3
6
5
7

72.88
1

3
Chelsea
25
962
516
241
205
1645
925
720
1789
5
4
4
2

71.56
1

4
Liverpool
25
962
478
243
241
1601
986
615
1677

3
5
6

67.08
2

5
Tottenham Hotspur
25
962
400
247
315
1406
1231
175
1447

1
1
2

57.88
2

6
Everton
25
962
349
277
336
1259
1207
52
1324

1

52.96
4

7
Aston Villa
24
924
316
275
333
1117
1186
−69
1223

1

1
1
50.96
2

8
Newcastle United
22
844
322
217
305
1168
1140
28
1183

2
2
1
2
53.77
2

9
Manchester City
20
772
327
190
255
1173
925
248
1171
2
2
2
1
2
58.55
1

10
West Ham United
21
806
265
209
332
964
1146
−182
1004

2
47.81
5

11
Blackburn Rovers
18
696
262
184
250
927
907
20
970
1
1

1
2
53.89
1

12
Southampton
18
696
222
187
287
855
966
−111
853

1
47.39
6

13
Leeds United
12
468
189
125
154
641
573
68
692

1
2
1
57.67
3

14
Middlesbrough
15
574
165
169
240
648
794
−146
661[122]

4
44.01
7

15
Sunderland
16
608
153
159
296
612
904
−292
618

4
38.63
7

16
Fulham
13
494
150
136
208
570
697
−127
586

1
45.08
7

17
Bolton Wanderers
13
494
149
128
217
575
745
−170
575

3
44.23
6

18
Leicester City
11
422
130
118
174
516
610
−94
508
1

3
46.18
1

19
West Bromwich Albion
11
418
106
115
197
444
640
−196
433

3
39.36
8

20
Stoke City
9
342
109
97
136
363
457
−94
424

47.11
9

21
Coventry City
9
354
99
112
143
387
490
−103
409

1
45.40
11

22
Sheffield Wednesday
8
316
101
89
126
409
453
−44
392

1
49.00
7

23
Wimbledon
8
316
99
94
123
384
472
−88
391

1
48.88
6

24
Charlton Athletic
8
304
93
82
129
342
442
−100
361

2
45.13
7

25
Norwich City
8
316
89
92
135
365
510
−145
359

1

4
44.88
3

26
Crystal Palace
8
312
86
78
148
329
456
−127
336

4
42.00
10

27
Wigan Athletic
8
304
85
76
143
316
482
−166
331

1
41.38
10

28
Queens Park Rangers
7
278
81
65
132
339
431
−92
308

3
44.00
5

29
Birmingham City
7
266
73
82
111
273
360
−87
301

3
43.00
9

30
Portsmouth
7
266
79
65
122
292
380
−88
293[123]

1
41.90
8

31
Swansea City
6
228
74
57
97
278
327
−49
279

46.50
8

32
Derby County
7
266
68
70
128
271
420
−149
274

2
39.10
8

33
Nottingham Forest
5
198
60
59
79
229
287
−58
239

1

3
47.80
3

34
Ipswich Town
5
202
57
53
92
219
312
−93
224

2
44.80
5

35
Hull City
5
190
41
48
101
181
323
−142
171

3
34.20
16

36
Watford
4
152
34
35
83
144
254
−110
137

2
34.25
13

37
Wolverhampton Wanderers
4
152
32
40
80
156
281
−125
136

2
34.00
15

38
Sheffield United
3
122
32
36
54
128
168
−40
132

2
44.00
14

39
Reading
3
114
32
23
59
136
186
−50
119

2
39.67
8

40
Burnley
3
114
26
25
63
109
190
−81
103

2
34.33
16

41
Oldham Athletic
2
84
22
23
39
105
142
−37
89

1
44.50
19

42
Bournemouth
2
76
23
19
34
100
134
−34
88

44.00
9

43
Bradford City
2
76
14
20
42
68
138
−70
62

1
31.00
17

44
Blackpool
1
38
10
9
19
55
78
−23
39

1
39.00
19

45
Barnsley
1
38
10
5
23
37
82
−45
35

1
35.00
19

46
Cardiff City
1
38
7
9
22
32
74
−42
30

1
30.00
20

47
Swindon Town
1
42
5
15
22
47
100
−53
30

1
30.00
22

48
Brighton & Hove Albion
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

00.00

49
Huddersfield Town
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

00.00

text: League or status at 2017–18:

text:
2017–18 Premier League

2017–18 EFL Championship

2017–18 Football League One

2017–18 Football League Two

Defunct: by a 2007 agreement, neither Milton Keynes Dons nor AFC Wimbledon regards itself as custodian of Wimbledon F.C.'s statistics.[124][125]

text: Managers[edit]

text:
Most Premier League winner's medals: 13, Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) – 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
Winner of Premier League Manager of the Month Award: 27, Sir Alex Ferguson
Most consecutive Premier League Manager of the Month Awards: 3, Antonio Conte[126]
Most promotions to the Premier League: 4, Steve Bruce (Birmingham City in 2001–02 and 2006–07 and Hull City in 2012–13 and 2015–16)[127]
Most relegations from the Premier League: 3, Dave Bassett (Sheffield United in 1993–94, Nottingham Forest in 1996–97, and Leicester City in 2001–02)[128]
Longest-serving manager: Sir Alex Ferguson, 21 years (Manchester United, 1 July 1992 to 30 June 2013)[129]
Shortest-serving manager (excluding caretakers): Les Reed, 41 days (Charlton Athletic, 14 November 2006 to 24 December 2006)[130]


document_title: The Lord of the Rings

question_text: when did lord of the rings become popular

question_tokens: when did lord of the rings become popular

root

text: The Lord of the Rings

text: Plot summary[edit]

text: Prologue[edit]

text: Thousands of years before the events of the novel, the Dark Lord Sauron had forged the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power and corrupt those who wore them: the leaders of Men, Elves and Dwarves. Sauron was defeated by an alliance of Elves and Men led by Gil-galad and Elendil, respectively. In the final battle, Isildur, son of Elendil, cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger, causing Sauron to lose his physical form. Isildur claimed the Ring as an heirloom for his line, but when he was later ambushed and killed by the Orcs, the Ring was lost in the River Anduin.

tag: p

text: Over two thousand years later, the Ring was found by one of the river-folk called Déagol. His friend[12] Sméagol fell under the Ring's influence and strangled Déagol to acquire it. Sméagol was banished and hid under the Misty Mountains. The Ring gave him long life and changed him over hundreds of years into a twisted, corrupted creature called Gollum. Gollum lost the Ring, his "precious", and as told in The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins found it. Meanwhile, Sauron assumed a new form and took back his old realm of Mordor. When Gollum set out in search of the Ring, he was captured and tortured by Sauron. Sauron learned from Gollum that "Baggins" of the Shire had taken the Ring. Gollum was set loose. Sauron, who needed the Ring to regain his full power, sent forth his powerful servants, the Nazgûl, to seize it.

text: The Fellowship of the Ring[edit]

text: The story begins in the Shire, where the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits the Ring from Bilbo Baggins, his cousin[note 3] and guardian. Neither hobbit is aware of the Ring's nature, but Gandalf the Grey, a wizard and an old friend of Bilbo, suspects it to be Sauron's Ring. Seventeen years later, after Gandalf confirms his guess, he tells Frodo the history of the Ring and counsels him to take it away from the Shire. Frodo sets out, accompanied by his gardener, servant and friend, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, and two cousins, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took. They are nearly caught by the Black Riders, but shake off their pursuers by cutting through the Old Forest. There they are aided by Tom Bombadil, a strange and merry fellow who lives with his wife Goldberry in the forest.

text: The hobbits reach the town of Bree, where they encounter a Ranger named Strider, whom Gandalf had mentioned in a letter. Strider persuades the hobbits to take him on as their guide and protector. Together, they leave Bree after another close escape from the Black Riders. On the hill of Weathertop, they are again attacked by the Black Riders, who wound Frodo with a cursed blade. Strider fights them off and leads the hobbits towards the Elven refuge of Rivendell. Frodo falls deathly ill from the wound. The Black Riders nearly capture him at the Ford of Bruinen, but flood waters summoned by Elrond, master of Rivendell, rise up and overwhelm them.

text: Frodo recovers in Rivendell under Elrond's care. The Council of Elrond discusses the history of Sauron and the Ring. Strider is revealed to be Aragorn, Isildur's heir. Gandalf reports that Saruman has betrayed them and is now working to become a power in his own right. The Council decides that the Ring must be destroyed, but that can only be done by sending it to the Fire of Mount Doom in Mordor, where it was forged. Frodo takes this task upon himself. Elrond, with the advice of Gandalf, chooses companions for him. The Company of the Ring are nine in number: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, and the Man Boromir, son of Denethor, the Ruling Steward of the land of Gondor.

text: After a failed attempt to cross the Misty Mountains through the Redhorn Pass, the Company are forced to take a perilous path through the Mines of Moria. They are attacked by the Watcher in the Water before the doors of Moria. Inside Moria, they learn of the fate of Balin and his colony of Dwarves. After surviving an attack, they are pursued by Orcs and by an ancient demon called a Balrog. Gandalf faces the Balrog, and both of them fall into the abyss. The others escape and find refuge in the Elven forest of Lothlórien, where they are counselled by its rulers, Galadriel and Celeborn.

text: With boats and gifts from Galadriel, the Company travel down the River Anduin to the hill of Amon Hen. There, Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo, but Frodo puts it on and disappears. Frodo chooses to go alone to Mordor, but Sam guesses what he intends and goes with him.

text: The Two Towers[edit]

text: Orcs sent by Saruman and Sauron kill Boromir and capture Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas debate which pair of hobbits to follow. They decide to pursue the Orcs taking Merry and Pippin to Saruman. In the kingdom of Rohan, the Orcs are slain by a company of Rohirrim. Merry and Pippin escape into Fangorn Forest, where they are befriended by Treebeard, the oldest of the tree-like Ents. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas track the hobbits to Fangorn. There they unexpectedly meet Gandalf. Gandalf explains that he slew the Balrog; darkness took him, but he was sent back to Middle-earth to complete his mission. He is clothed in white and is now Gandalf the White, for he has taken Saruman's place as the chief of the wizards. Gandalf assures his friends that Merry and Pippin are safe. Together they ride to Edoras, capital of Rohan. Gandalf frees Théoden, King of Rohan, from the influence of Saruman's spy Gríma Wormtongue. Théoden musters his fighting strength and rides with his men to the ancient fortress of Helm's Deep, while Gandalf departs to seek help from Treebeard.

text: Meanwhile, the Ents, roused by Merry and Pippin from their peaceful ways, attack Isengard, Saruman's stronghold, and trap the wizard in the tower of Orthanc. Gandalf convinces Treebeard to send an army of Huorns to Théoden's aid. Gandalf brings an army of Rohirrim to Helm's Deep, and they defeat the Orcs, who flee into the "forest" of Huorns, never to be seen again. Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to turn away from evil. When Saruman refuses to listen, Gandalf strips him of his rank and most of his powers. After Saruman crawls back to his prison, Wormtongue drops a sphere to try and kill Gandalf. Pippin picks it up; it is revealed to be a palantír, a seeing-stone that Saruman used to speak with Sauron and through which Saruman was ensnared. Pippin is seen by Sauron. Gandalf rides for Minas Tirith, chief city of Gondor, taking Pippin with him.

text: Frodo and Sam capture Gollum, who has followed them from Moria. They force him to guide them to Mordor. They find that the Black Gate of Mordor is too well guarded, so instead they travel to a secret way Gollum knows. On the way, they encounter Faramir, who, unlike his brother Boromir, resists the temptation to seize the Ring. Gollum – who is torn between his loyalty to Frodo and his desire for the Ring – betrays Frodo by leading him to the great spider Shelob in the tunnels of Cirith Ungol. Frodo falls to Shelob's sting. But with the help of Galadriel's gifts, Sam fights off the spider. Believing Frodo to be dead, Sam takes the Ring to continue the quest alone. Orcs find Frodo; Sam overhears them and learns that Frodo is still alive.

text: The Return of the King[edit]

text: Sauron sends a great army against Gondor. Gandalf arrives at Minas Tirith to warn Denethor of the attack, while Théoden musters the Rohirrim to ride to Gondor's aid. Minas Tirith is besieged. Denethor is deceived by Sauron and falls into despair. He burns himself alive on a pyre, nearly taking his son Faramir with him. Aragorn, accompanied by Legolas, Gimli and the Rangers of the North, takes the Paths of the Dead to recruit the Dead Men of Dunharrow, who are bound by a curse which denies them rest until they fulfil their ancient forsworn oath to fight for the King of Gondor. Following Aragorn, the Army of the Dead strikes terror into the Corsairs of Umbar invading southern Gondor. Aragorn defeats the Corsairs and uses their ships to transport the men of southern Gondor up the Anduin, reaching Minas Tirith just in time to turn the tide of battle. Éowyn, Théoden's niece, slays the Lord of the Nazgûl with help from Merry. Together, Gondor and Rohan defeat Sauron's army in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, though at great cost. Théoden is slain, and Éowyn and Merry are injured.

text: Meanwhile, Sam rescues Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol. They set out across Mordor. Aragorn leads an army of men from Gondor and Rohan to march on the Black Gate to distract Sauron from his true danger. His army is vastly outnumbered by the great might of Sauron. Frodo and Sam reach the edge of the Cracks of Doom, but Frodo cannot resist the Ring any longer. He claims it for himself and puts it on his finger. Gollum suddenly reappears. He struggles with Frodo and bites off Frodo's finger with the Ring still on it. Celebrating wildly, Gollum loses his footing and falls into the Fire, taking the Ring with him. When the Ring is destroyed, Sauron loses his power forever. All he created collapses, the Nazgûl perish, and his armies are thrown into such disarray that Aragorn's forces emerge victorious.

text: Aragorn is crowned Elessar, King of Arnor and Gondor, and weds Arwen, daughter of Elrond. The four hobbits make their way back to the Shire, only to find out that it has been taken over by men led by Sharkey. The hobbits raise a rebellion and liberate the Shire, though 19 hobbits are killed and 30 wounded. Sharkey turns out to be Saruman. Frodo stops the hobbits from killing the wizard after Saruman attempts to stab Frodo, but Gríma turns on Saruman and kills him in front of Bag End, Frodo's home. He is slain in turn by hobbit archers, and the War of the Ring comes to its true end on Frodo's very doorstep.

text: Merry and Pippin are celebrated as heroes. Sam marries Rosie Cotton and uses his gifts from Galadriel to help heal the Shire. But Frodo is still wounded in body and spirit, having borne the Ring for so long. A few years later, in the company of Bilbo and Gandalf, Frodo sails from the Grey Havens west over the Sea to the Undying Lands to find peace.

text: In the appendices, Sam gives his daughter Elanor the Red Book of Westmarch, which contains the story of Bilbo's adventures and the War of the Ring as witnessed by the hobbits. Sam is then said to have crossed west over the Sea himself, the last of the Ring-bearers.

text: Main characters[edit]

text: Some characters in The Lord of the Rings are unequivocal protagonists, and others are absolute antagonists. However despite criticism that the book's characters "are all either black or white", some of the 'good' characters have darker sides that feature in the story, and likewise some of the villains have "good impulses".[13] Therefore the categorization of characters as either 'protagonists' or 'antagonists' below indicates their general role in the story.

text: Protagonists[edit]

text:
The Company of the Ring:
Frodo Baggins, bearer of the One Ring, given to him by Bilbo Baggins
Samwise Gamgee, gardener and friend of the Bagginses
Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), Frodo's cousin and friend
Peregrin Took (Pippin or Pip), Frodo's cousin and friend
Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, leads the Fellowship until his fall in Moria, returns from death as Gandalf the White to lead the armies of the West against Sauron
Aragorn, (aka Strider) descendant of Isildur and rightful heir to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor
Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf prince and son of King Thranduil of the Silvan Elves of Northern Mirkwood
Gimli, son of Glóin, a dwarf
Boromir, the eldest son and heir of Denethor
Denethor, ruling Steward of Gondor and Lord of Minas Tirith
Faramir, younger son of Denethor and brother of Boromir
Galadriel, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, and grandmother of Arwen
Celeborn, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, husband of Galadriel, and grandfather of Arwen
Elrond, Half-elven Lord of Rivendell and father of Arwen
Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, love interest of Aragorn
Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's cousin[note 3]
Théoden, King of Rohan, ally of Gondor
Éomer, the 3rd Marshal of the Mark and Théoden's nephew. Later King of Rohan after Théoden's death.
Éowyn, sister of Éomer, who disguises herself as a male warrior named Dernhelm to fight beside Théoden
Treebeard, oldest of the Ents
Tom Bombadil, lives at the edge of the Old Forest near the barrow-downs, a mysterious character with great powers

tag: ul

text: Antagonists[edit]

text:
Sauron, the Dark Lord and titular Lord of the Rings, a fallen Maia, helped the Elves forge the Rings of Power in the Second Age.
The Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, men enslaved by Sauron when they accepted his treacherous gifts of Rings of Power
The Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl, and Sauron's most powerful servant, who commands Sauron's army
Saruman the White, a wizard who seeks the One Ring for himself. Originally the chief of the order of wizards of which Gandalf is also a member;[14] corrupted by Sauron through the palantír.
Gríma Wormtongue, a secret servant of Saruman and traitor to Rohan, who poisons Théoden's perceptions with well placed "advice"
Gollum, a river hobbit originally named Sméagol and an obsessive previous owner of the One Ring, planning to steal it back.
Shelob, a giant spider who dwells in the passes above Minas Morgul
Durin's Bane, a Balrog dwelling beneath the Mines of Moria
Mouth of Sauron, also known as the Lieutenant of Barad-dûr.  The chief emissary of Sauron, he confronts the Army of the West outside the Black Gate.

text: Concept and creation[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings started as a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's work The Hobbit, published in 1937.[15] The popularity of The Hobbit had led George Allen & Unwin, the publishers, to request a sequel. Tolkien warned them that he wrote quite slowly, and responded with several stories he had already developed. Having rejected his contemporary drafts for The Silmarillion, putting on hold Roverandom, and accepting Farmer Giles of Ham, Allen & Unwin thought more stories about hobbits would be popular.[16] So at the age of 45, Tolkien began writing the story that would become The Lord of the Rings. The story would not be finished until 12 years later, in 1949, and would not be fully published until 1955, when Tolkien was 63 years old.

text: Writing[edit]

text: Persuaded by his publishers, he started "a new Hobbit" in December 1937.[15] After several false starts, the story of the One Ring emerged. The idea for the first chapter ("A Long-Expected Party") arrived fully formed, although the reasons behind Bilbo's disappearance, the significance of the Ring, and the title The Lord of the Rings did not arrive until the spring of 1938.[15] Originally, he planned to write a story in which Bilbo had used up all his treasure and was looking for another adventure to gain more; however, he remembered the Ring and its powers and thought that would be a better focus for the new work.[15] As the story progressed, he also brought in elements from The Silmarillion mythology.[17]

text: Writing was slow, because Tolkien had a full-time academic position, and needed to earn further money as a university examiner.[18] Tolkien abandoned The Lord of the Rings during most of 1943 and only restarted it in April 1944,[15] as a serial for his son Christopher Tolkien, who was sent chapters as they were written while he was serving in South Africa with the Royal Air Force. Tolkien made another concerted effort in 1946, and showed the manuscript to his publishers in 1947.[15] The story was effectively finished the next year, but Tolkien did not complete the revision of earlier parts of the work until 1949.[15] The original manuscripts, which total 9,250 pages, now reside in the J. R. R. Tolkien Collection at Marquette University.[19]

text: Influences[edit]

text: The influence of the Welsh language, which Tolkien had learned, is summarized in his essay English and Welsh: "If I may once more refer to my work. The Lord of the Rings, in evidence: the names of persons and places in this story were mainly composed on patterns deliberately modelled on those of Welsh (closely similar but not identical). This element in the tale has given perhaps more pleasure to more readers than anything else in it."[21]

text: The Lord of the Rings developed as a personal exploration by Tolkien of his interests in philology, religion (particularly Roman Catholicism[22]), fairy tales, Norse and general Germanic mythology,[23][24] and also Celtic,[25][better source needed] Slavic,[26][27][28] Persian,[29] Greek,[30] and Finnish mythology.[31] Tolkien acknowledged, and external critics have verified, the influences of George MacDonald and William Morris[32] and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf.[33] The question of a direct influence of Wagner's The Nibelung's Ring on Tolkien's work is debated by critics.

text: Tolkien included neither any explicit religion nor cult in his work. Rather the themes, moral philosophy, and cosmology of The Lord of the Rings reflect his Catholic worldview. In one of his letters Tolkien states, "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism."[22]

text: Some locations and characters were inspired by Tolkien's childhood in Birmingham, where he first lived near Sarehole Mill, and later near Edgbaston Reservoir.[34] There are also hints of the Black Country, which is within easy reach of north west Edgbaston. This shows in such names as "Underhill", and the description of Saruman's industrialization of Isengard and The Shire. It has also been suggested that The Shire and its surroundings were based on the countryside around Stonyhurst College in Lancashire where Tolkien frequently stayed during the 1940s.[35] The work was influenced by the effects of his military service during World War I, to the point that Frodo has been "diagnosed" as suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or "shell-shock", which was first diagnosed under that name at the Battle of the Somme, at which Tolkien served.[36]

text: Publication history[edit]

text: A dispute with his publisher, George Allen & Unwin, led to the book being offered to Collins in 1950. Tolkien intended The Silmarillion (itself largely unrevised at this point) to be published along with The Lord of the Rings, but A&U were unwilling to do this. After Milton Waldman, his contact at Collins, expressed the belief that The Lord of the Rings itself "urgently wanted cutting", Tolkien eventually demanded that they publish the book in 1952.[37] Collins did not; and so Tolkien wrote to Allen and Unwin, saying, "I would gladly consider the publication of any part of the stuff", fearing his work would never see the light of day.[15]

text: For publication, the book was divided into three volumes to minimize any potential financial loss due to the high cost of type-setting and modest anticipated sales: The Fellowship of the Ring (Books I and II), The Two Towers (Books III and IV), and The Return of the King (Books V and VI plus six appendices).[38] Delays in producing appendices, maps and especially an index led to the volumes being published later than originally hoped – on 29 July 1954, on 11 November 1954 and on 20 October 1955 respectively in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Houghton Mifflin published The Fellowship of the Ring on 21 October 1954, The Two Towers on 21 April 1955, and The Return of the King on 5 January 1956.[39] The Return of the King was especially delayed due to Tolkien revising the ending and preparing appendices (some of which had to be left out because of space constraints). Tolkien did not like the title The Return of the King, believing it gave away too much of the storyline, but deferred to his publisher's preference. He suggested the title The Two Towers in a deliberately ambiguous attempt to link the unconnected books III and IV, and as such the eponymous towers could be either Orthanc and Barad-dûr, or Minas Tirith and Barad-dûr, or Orthanc and Cirith Ungol.

text: Tolkien was initially opposed to titles being given to each two-book volume, preferring instead the use of book titles: e.g. The Lord of the Rings: Vol. 1, The Ring Sets Out and The Ring Goes South; Vol. 2, The Treason of Isengard and The Ring Goes East; Vol. 3, The War of the Ring and The End of the Third Age. However these individual book titles were later scrapped, and after pressure from his publishers, Tolkien initially suggested the titles: Vol. 1, The Shadow Grows; Vol. 2, The Ring in the Shadow; Vol. 3, The War of the Ring or The Return of the King.[40][41]

text: The books were published under a profit-sharing arrangement, whereby Tolkien would not receive an advance or royalties until the books had broken even, after which he would take a large share of the profits.[42] It has ultimately become one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.[1]

text: The book was published in the UK by Allen & Unwin until 1990 when the publisher and its assets were acquired by HarperCollins.[43][44]

text: Editions and revisions[edit]

text: In the early 1960s Donald A. Wollheim, science fiction editor of the paperback publisher Ace Books, claimed that The Lord of the Rings was not protected in the United States under American copyright law because Houghton Mifflin, the US hardcover publisher, had neglected to copyright the work in the United States.[45][46] Then, in 1965, Ace Books proceeded to publish an edition, unauthorized by Tolkien and without paying royalties to him. Tolkien took issue with this and quickly notified his fans of this objection.[47] Grass-roots pressure from these fans became so great that Ace Books withdrew their edition and made a nominal payment to Tolkien.[48][49] Authorized editions followed from Ballantine Books and Houghton Mifflin to tremendous commercial success. Tolkien undertook various textual revisions to produce a version of the book that would be published with his consent and establish an unquestioned US copyright. This text became the Second Edition of The Lord of the Rings, published in 1965.[48] The first Ballantine paperback edition was printed in October that year, and sold a quarter of a million copies within ten months. On September 4, 1966, the novel debuted on New York Times' Paperback Bestsellers list as number three, and was number one by December 4, a position it held for eight weeks.[50] Houghton Mifflin editions after 1994 consolidate variant revisions by Tolkien, and corrections supervised by Christopher Tolkien, which resulted, after some initial glitches, in a computer-based unified text.[51]

text: In 2004, for the 50th Anniversary Edition, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, under supervision from Christopher Tolkien, studied and revised the text to eliminate as many errors and inconsistencies as possible, some of which had been introduced by well-meaning compositors of the first printing in 1954, and never been corrected.[52] The 2005 edition of the book contained further corrections noticed by the editors and submitted by readers. Further corrections were added to the 60th Anniversary Edition in 2014.[53]

text: Several editions, notably the 50th Anniversary Edition, combine all three books into one volume, with the result that pagination varies widely over the various editions.

text: Posthumous publication of drafts[edit]

text: From 1988 to 1992 Christopher Tolkien published the surviving drafts of The Lord of The Rings, chronicling and illuminating with commentary the stages of the text's development, in volumes 6–9 of his History of Middle-earth series. The four volumes carry the titles The Return of the Shadow, The Treason of Isengard, The War of the Ring, and Sauron Defeated.

text: Translations[edit]

text: The novel has been translated, with various degrees of success, into at least 56 languages.[54] Tolkien, an expert in philology, examined many of these translations, and made comments on each that reflect both the translation process and his work. As he was unhappy with some choices made by early translators, such as the Swedish translation by Åke Ohlmarks,[55] Tolkien wrote a "Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings" (1967). Because The Lord of the Rings purports to be a translation of the fictitious Red Book of Westmarch, with the English language representing the Westron of the "original", Tolkien suggested that translators attempt to capture the interplay between English and the invented nomenclature of the English work, and gave several examples along with general guidance.

text: Reception[edit]

text: While early reviews for The Lord of the Rings were mixed, reviews in various media have been, on the whole, highly positive and acknowledge Tolkien's literary achievement as a significant one. The initial review in the Sunday Telegraph described it as "among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century".[56] The Sunday Times echoed this sentiment, stating that "the English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them".[56] The New York Herald Tribune also seemed to have an idea of how popular the books would become, writing in its review that they were "destined to outlast our time".[57] W. H. Auden, an admirer of Tolkien's writings, regarded The Lord of the Rings as a "masterpiece", further stating that in some cases it outdid the achievement of John Milton's Paradise Lost.[58]

text: New York Times reviewer Judith Shulevitz criticized the "pedantry" of Tolkien's literary style, saying that he "formulated a high-minded belief in the importance of his mission as a literary preservationist, which turns out to be death to literature itself".[59] Critic Richard Jenkyns, writing in The New Republic, criticized the work for a lack of psychological depth. Both the characters and the work itself are, according to Jenkyns, "anemic, and lacking in fibre".[60] Even within Tolkien's literary group, The Inklings, reviews were mixed. Hugo Dyson complained loudly at its readings.[61][62] However, another Inkling, C. S. Lewis, had very different feelings, writing, "here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron. Here is a book which will break your heart." Despite these reviews and its lack of paperback printing until the 1960s, The Lord of the Rings initially sold well in hardback.[6]

text: In 1957, The Lord of the Rings was awarded the International Fantasy Award. Despite its numerous detractors, the publication of the Ace Books and Ballantine paperbacks helped The Lord of the Rings become immensely popular in the United States in the 1960s. The book has remained so ever since, ranking as one of the most popular works of fiction of the twentieth century, judged by both sales and reader surveys.[63] In the 2003 "Big Read" survey conducted in Britain by the BBC, The Lord of the Rings was found to be the "Nation's best-loved book". In similar 2004 polls both Germany[64] and Australia[65] also found The Lord of the Rings to be their favourite book. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers, The Lord of the Rings was judged to be their favourite "book of the millennium".[66] The Lord of the Rings was awarded the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award in 2009.

text: Themes[edit]

text: Although The Lord of the Rings was published in the 1950s, Tolkien insisted that the One Ring was not an allegory for the atomic bomb,[67] nor were his works a strict allegory of any kind, but were open to interpretation as the reader saw fit.[68][69]

text: A few critics have found what they consider to be racial elements in the story, generally based upon their views of how Tolkien's imagery depicts good and evil, characters' race (e.g. Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Southron, Númenórean, Orc); and that the character's race is seen as determining their behaviour.[70][71][72] Counter-arguments note that race-focused critiques often omit relevant textual evidence to the contrary,[73][74][75] cite imagery from adaptations rather than the work itself;[76] ignore the absence of evidence of racist attitudes or events in the author's personal life,[73][76][77] and claim that the perception of racism is itself a marginal view.[77]

text: The opinions that pit races against one another are likely to reflect Tolkien's critique on war rather than a racist perspective. In The Two Towers, the character Samwise sees a fallen foe and considers for a moment the humanity of this fallen Southron who, just moments before, is shown to be a man of color.[78] Director Peter Jackson considers Sam this scene in the director's commentary of the scene and argues that Tolkien isn't projecting any negative sentiments towards the individual soldier because of his race, but the evil that's driving them from their authority,[79] These sentiments, Jackson argues, were derived from Tolkien's experience in the Great War and found their way into his writings to show the evils of war itself, not of other races.

text: Critics have also seen social class rather than race as being the determining factor in the portrayal of good and evil.[73] Commentators such as science fiction author David Brin have interpreted the work to hold unquestioning devotion to a traditional elitist social structure.[80] In his essay "Epic Pooh", science fiction and fantasy author Michael Moorcock critiques the world-view displayed by the book as deeply conservative, in both the "paternalism" of the narrative voice and the power-structures in the narrative.[81] Tom Shippey cites the origin of this portrayal of evil as a reflection of the prejudices of European middle-classes during the inter-war years towards the industrial working class.[82]

text: Other observers have cited Christian, specifically Catholic, themes in The Lord of the Rings.[83]

text: The book has been read as fitting the model of Joseph Campbell's "monomyth".[84]

text: Adaptations[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings has been adapted for film, radio and stage.

text: Radio[edit]

text: The book has been adapted for radio four times. In 1955 and 1956, the BBC broadcast The Lord of the Rings, a 13-part radio adaptation of the story. In the 1960s radio station WBAI produced a short radio adaptation. A 1979 dramatization of The Lord of the Rings was broadcast in the United States and subsequently issued on tape and CD. In 1981, the BBC broadcast The Lord of the Rings, a new dramatization in 26 half-hour instalments. This dramatization of The Lord of the Rings has subsequently been made available on both tape and CD both by the BBC and other publishers. For this purpose it is generally edited into 13 one-hour episodes.

text: Film[edit]

text: Following J. R. R. Tolkien's sale of the film rights for The Lord of the Rings to United Artists in 1969, rock band The Beatles considered a corresponding film project and approached Stanley Kubrick as a potential director; however, Kubrick turned down the offer, explaining to John Lennon that he thought the novel could not be adapted into a film due to its immensity.[85][86] The eventual director of the film adaptation Peter Jackson further explained that a major hindrance to the project's progression was Tolkien's opposition to the involvement of the Beatles.[87]

text: Two film adaptations of the book have been made. The first was J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1978), by animator Ralph Bakshi, the first part of what was originally intended to be a two-part adaptation of the story; it covers The Fellowship of the Ring and part of The Two Towers. A three-issue comic book version of the movie was also published in Europe (but not printed in English), with illustrations by Luis Bermejo. When Bakshi's investors shied away of financing the second film that would complete the story, the remainder of the story was covered in an animated television special by Rankin-Bass. Stylistically, the two segments are very different. The second and more commercially successful adaptation was Peter Jackson's live action The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, produced by New Line Cinema and released in three instalments as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). All three parts won multiple Academy Awards, including consecutive Best Picture nominations. The final instalment of this trilogy was the second film to break the one-billion-dollar barrier and won a total of 11 Oscars (something only two other films in history, Ben-Hur and Titanic, have accomplished), including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

text: The Hunt for Gollum, a fan film based on elements of the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, was released on the internet in May 2009 and has been covered in major media.[88] Born of Hope, written by Paula DiSante, directed by Kate Madison, and released in December 2009, is a fan film based upon the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.[89]

text: Television[edit]

text: On 13 November 2017, it was announced that Amazon had acquired the global television rights to The Lord of the Rings, committing to a multi-season television series. The series will not be a direct adaptation of the books, but will instead introduce new stories that are set before The Fellowship of the Ring.[90] Amazon said the deal included potential for spin-off series as well.[91] The press release referred to "previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien's original writings". Amazon will be the producer in conjunction with the Tolkien Estate and the Tolkien Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema.[92] According to a 2018 report, it will be the most expensive TV show ever produced.[93]

text: Stage[edit]

text: In 1990, Recorded Books published an audio version of The Lord of the Rings,[94] with British actor Rob Inglis – who had previously starred in his own one-man stage productions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – reading. A large-scale musical theatre adaptation, The Lord of the Rings was first staged in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2006 and opened in London in May 2007.

text: Legacy[edit]

text: Influence on the fantasy genre[edit]

text:
The enormous popularity of Tolkien's work expanded the demand for fantasy fiction. Largely thanks to The Lord of the Rings, the genre flowered throughout the 1960s, and enjoys popularity to the present day. The opus has spawned many imitators, such as The Sword of Shannara, which Lin Carter called "the single most cold-blooded, complete rip-off of another book that I have ever read".[95]
Dungeons & Dragons, which popularized the role-playing game (RPG) genre in the 1970s, features many races found in The Lord of the Rings, most notably halflings (another term for hobbits), elves (who are distinct from dark elves, following Tolkien's example), dwarves, half-elves, orcs, and dragons. However, Gary Gygax, lead designer of the game, maintained that he was influenced very little by The Lord of the Rings, stating that he included these elements as a marketing move to draw on the popularity the work enjoyed at the time he was developing the game.[96]

text: Because D&D has gone on to influence many popular role-playing video games, the influence of The Lord of the Rings extends to many of them as well, with titles such as Dragon Quest,[97][98] the Ultima series, EverQuest, the Warcraft series, and the Elder Scrolls series of games[99] as well as video games set in Middle-earth itself.

text: Research also suggests that some consumers of fantasy games derive their motivation from trying to create an epic fantasy narrative which is influenced by The Lord of the Rings.[100]

text: Music[edit]

text: In 1965, songwriter Donald Swann, who was best known for his collaboration with Michael Flanders as Flanders & Swann, set six poems from The Lord of the Rings and one from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil ("Errantry") to music. When Swann met with Tolkien to play the songs for his approval, Tolkien suggested for "Namárië" (Galadriel's lament) a setting reminiscent of plain chant, which Swann accepted.[101] The songs were published in 1967 as The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle,[102] and a recording of the songs performed by singer William Elvin with Swann on piano was issued that same year by Caedmon Records as Poems and Songs of Middle Earth.[103]

text: Rock bands of the 1970s were musically and lyrically inspired by the fantasy embracing counter-culture of the time; British 70s rock band Led Zeppelin recorded several songs that contain explicit references to The Lord of the Rings, such as mentioning Gollum in "Ramble On", the Misty Mountains in "Misty Mountain Hop", and Ringwraiths in "The Battle of Evermore". In 1970, the Swedish musician Bo Hansson released an instrumental concept album based on the book titled Sagan om ringen (translated as "The Saga of the Ring", which was the title of the Swedish translation of The Lord of the Rings at the time).[104] The album was subsequently released internationally as Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings in 1972.[104] The songs "Rivendell" and "The Necromancer" by the progressive rock band Rush were inspired by Tolkien. Styx also paid homage to Tolkien on their album Pieces of Eight with the song "Lords of the Ring", while Black Sabbath's song, "The Wizard", which appeared on their debut album, was influenced by Tolkien's hero, Gandalf. The heavy metal bands Cirith Ungol and Amon Amarth took their names from landmarks in Mordor. Progressive rock group Camel paid homage to the text in their lengthy composition "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider", and progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest was inspired by the character Galadriel to write a song by that name, and used "Bombadil", the name of another character, as a pseudonym under which their 1972 single "Breathless"/"When the City Sleeps" was released; there are other references scattered through the BJH oeuvre.

text: Later, from the 1980s to the present day, many heavy metal acts have been influenced by Tolkien. Blind Guardian has written many songs relating to Middle-earth, including the full concept album Nightfall in Middle Earth. Almost the entire discography of Battlelore are Tolkien-themed. Summoning's music is based upon Tolkien and holds the distinction of the being the only artist to have crafted a song entirely in the Black Speech of Mordor. Gorgoroth and Amon Amarth take their names from an area of Mordor, and Burzum take their name from the Black Speech of Mordor. The Finnish metal band Nightwish and the Norwegian metal band Tristania have also incorporated many Tolkien references into their music. American heavy metal band Megadeth released two songs titled "This Day We Fight!" and "How the Story Ends", which were both inspired by The Lord of the Rings.[105] German folk metal band Eichenschild is named for Thorin Oakenshield, a character in The Hobbit, and naturally has a number of Tolkien-themed songs. They are not to be confused with the '70s folk rock band Thorin Eichenschild.

text: In 1988, Dutch composer and trombonist Johan de Meij completed his Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings", which encompassed 5 movements, titled "Gandalf", "Lothlórien", "Gollum", "Journey in the Dark", and "Hobbits". In 1989 the symphony was awarded the Sudler Composition Award, awarded biennially for best wind band composition. The Danish Tolkien Ensemble have released a number of albums that feature the complete poems and songs of The Lord of the Rings set to music, with some featuring recitation by Christopher Lee.

text: Enya wrote an instrumental piece called "Lothlórien" in 1991, and composed two songs for the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—"May It Be" (sung in English and Quenya) and "Aníron" (sung in Sindarin).

text: Impact on popular culture[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings has had a profound and wide-ranging impact on popular culture, beginning with its publication in the 1950s, but especially throughout the 1960s and 1970s, during which time young people embraced it as a countercultural saga.[106] "Frodo Lives!" and "Gandalf for President" were two phrases popular amongst United States Tolkien fans during this time.[107]

text: Parodies like the Harvard Lampoon's Bored of the Rings, the VeggieTales episode "Lord of the Beans", the South Park episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers", the Futurama film Bender's Game, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius episode "Lights! Camera! Danger!", The Big Bang Theory episode "The Precious Fragmentation", and the American Dad! episode "The Return of the Bling" are testimony to the work's continual presence in popular culture.

text:
In 1969, Tolkien sold the merchandising rights to The Lord of The Rings (and The Hobbit) to United Artists under an agreement stipulating a lump sum payment of £10,000[108] plus a 7.5% royalty after costs,[109] payable to Allen & Unwin and the author.[110] In 1976, three years after the author's death, United Artists sold the rights to Saul Zaentz Company, who now trade as Tolkien Enterprises. Since then all "authorized" merchandise has been signed-off by Tolkien Enterprises, although the intellectual property rights of the specific likenesses of characters and other imagery from various adaptations is generally held by the adaptors.[111]
Outside any commercial exploitation from adaptations, from the late 1960s onwards there has been an increasing variety of original licensed merchandise, from posters and calendars created by illustrators such as Pauline Baynes and the Brothers Hildebrandt, to figurines and miniatures to computer, video, tabletop and role-playing games. Recent examples include the Spiel des Jahres award winning (for best use of literature in a game) board game The Lord of the Rings by Reiner Knizia and the Golden Joystick award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar by Turbine, Inc..

text: The Lord of the Rings has been mentioned in numerous songs including The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy, Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop, Over the Hills and Far Away, Ramble On, and The Battle of Evermore, Genesis' song "Stagnation" (from Trespass, 1970) was about Gollum, and Argent included the song "Lothlorien" on the 1971 album Ring of Hands.

text: Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter) of British rock band T. Rex took his name from the hobbit Peregrin Took (better known as Pippin). Took later recorded under the pseudonym 'Shagrat the Vagrant', before forming a band called Shagrat in 1970.


document_title: Willis Tower

question_text: when did the sears tower change to the willis tower

text: Willis Tower

text: History

text: Planning and construction

text: In 1969, Sears, Roebuck & Co. was the largest retailer in the world, with about 350,000 employees.[8] Sears executives decided to consolidate the thousands of employees in offices distributed throughout the Chicago area into one building on the western edge of Chicago's Loop. Sears asked its outside counsel, Arnstein, Gluck, Weitzenfeld & Minow (now known as Arnstein & Lehr, LLP) to suggest a location. The firm consulted with local and federal authorities and the applicable law, then offered Sears two options: the Goose Island area northwest of downtown, and a two-block area bounded by Franklin Street on the east, Jackson Boulevard on the south, Wacker Drive on the west and Adams Street on the north, with Quincy Street running through the middle from east to west.

text: This latter site was decided upon, and preliminary inquiries determined that the necessary permits could be obtained and Quincy Street vacated.[9] The next step was to acquire the property; a team of attorneys from the Arnstein law firm, headed by Andrew Adsit, began buying the property parcel by parcel.[10]  Sears purchased 15 old buildings from 100 owners and paid $2.7 million to the City of Chicago for the portion of Quincy Street that divided the property.[11]

text: Sears, which needed 3,000,000 square feet (280,000 m2) of office space for its planned consolidation and predicted that growth would require yet more, commissioned architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to produce a structure to be one of the largest office buildings in the world. Their team of architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan designed the building as nine square "tubes" (each essentially a separate building), clustered in a 3×3 matrix forming a square base with 225-foot (69 m) sides.[12] All nine tubes would rise up to the 50th floor of the building. At the 50th floor, the northwest and southeast tubes end, and the remaining seven continue up. At the 66th floor, the northeast and the southwest tubes end. At the 90th floor, the north, east, and south tubes end. The remaining west and center tubes continue up to the 108th floor.

text: The Willis Tower was the first building to use Khan's bundled tube structure.[13] This innovative design was structurally efficient and economic: at 1,450 feet, it provided more space and rose higher than the Empire State Building, yet cost much less per unit area.[14] This structural system would prove highly influential in skyscraper construction. It has been used in most supertall buildings since then, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.[15][16] To honor Khan's contributions, the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois commissioned a sculpture of him[17] for the lobby of the Willis Tower.

text: Sears executives decided that the space they would immediately occupy should be efficiently designed to house their Merchandise Group, and that floor space for future growth would be rented out to smaller firms and businesses until Sears could retake it. The latter floor areas had to be designed to a smaller plate, with a high window-space to floor-space ratio, to be attractive and marketable to prospective lessees. Smaller floorplates required a taller structure to yield sufficient square footage. Skidmore architects proposed a tower with large 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m2) floors in the lower part of the building, and gradually tapered areas of floorplates in a series of setbacks, which would give the Sears Tower its distinctive look.

text: As Sears continued to offer optimistic projections for growth, the tower's proposed floor count rapidly increased into the low hundreds, surpassing the height of New York's unfinished World Trade Center to become the world's tallest building. The height was restricted by a limit imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to protect air traffic. The financing of the tower was provided by the Sears company. It was topped with two antennas to permit local television and radio broadcasts. Sears and the City of Chicago approved the design, and the first steel was put in place in April 1971. The structure was completed in May 1973. The construction cost about US$150 million at the time,[18] equivalent to $830 million in 2018.[19] By comparison, Taipei 101, built in 2004 in Taiwan, cost around the equivalent of US$2.21 billion in 2018 dollars.[20]

text: Black bands appear on the tower around the 29th–32nd, 64th–65th, 88th–89th, and 104th–108th floors. These are louvres that allow ventilation for service equipment and obscure the structure's belt trusses. Even though regulations did not require a fire sprinkler system, the building was equipped with one from the beginning. There are around 40,000 sprinkler heads in the building, installed at a cost of $4 million.[21]

text: In February 1982, two television antennas were added to the structure, increasing its total height to 1,707 feet (520.3 m). The western antenna was later extended, bringing the overall height to 1,729 feet (527 m)[2] on June 5, 2000, to improve reception of local NBC station WMAQ-TV.

text: Suits filed to halt construction

text: As the construction of the building neared the 50th floor, lawsuits for an injunction were filed seeking to stop the building from exceeding 67 floors. The suits alleged that above that point television reception would deteriorate and cause property values to plummet. The first suit was filed by the State's Attorney in neighboring Lake County on March 17, 1972. A second suit was filed on March 28 in the Cook County Circuit Court by the Villages of Skokie, Northbrook and Deerfield, Illinois.[22]

text: Sears filed motions to dismiss the Lake County and the Cook County lawsuits and on May 17, 1972, Judge LaVerne Dickson, Chief of the Lake County Circuit Court dismissed the suit, saying, "I find nothing that gives television viewers the right to reception without interference. They will have to find some other means of ensuring reception such as taller antennas."[23] The Lake County State's Attorney filed a Notice of Appeal and the Supreme Court agreed to permit bypassing the appellate court and to hear the matter on an expedited basis. The State's Attorney then asked the Illinois Supreme Court for a temporary injunction to stop the construction and his request was denied.[24] On June 12, Judge Charles R. Barrett granted Sears' motion to dismiss the suit filed by the three Chicago suburbs on the grounds that interference with television reception caused by construction of the Sears building did not violate constitutional rights and that the suburbs involved in the suit do not have any right to undistorted television reception. This decision was also appealed and consolidated with the Lake County appeal with the Supreme Court of Illinois.[25]

text: Meanwhile, an Illinois Citizens' Committee for Broadcasting requested the Federal Communications Commission to halt construction so that the building would not interfere with area television reception. On May 26, 1972, the Commission declined to take action on the grounds that it did not have jurisdiction to do so.

text: On June 30, 1972, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the previous rulings by Lake and Cook County Circuit Courts, by a letter order with a written opinion to follow.[26] On September 8, 1972, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld the decision by the Federal Communications Commission to dismiss the complaint brought by the Illinois Citizens Committee for Broadcasting charging that the building would drastically affect reception in the Chicago market and requesting the FCC to halt construction.[27] The Supreme Court of Illinois written opinion was filed on September 20, 1972. In affirming the judgments of lower courts the Court held, "Considering the foregoing, it is clear to us that absent legislation to the contrary defendant has a propriety right to construct a building to its desired height and that completion of the project would not constitute a nuisance under the circumstances of this case."  [28]

text: Post-opening

text: Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals (like Montgomery Ward) continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Walmart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more cautious.[29] Nor did the Sears Tower draw as many tenants as Sears had hoped. The tower stood half-vacant for a decade as a surplus of office space was erected in Chicago in the 1980s.

text: In 1990, the law firm of Keck, Mahin & Cate decided to move out of its space in the Sears Tower and into a development that would become 77 West Wacker Drive, rebuffing Sears' attempts to entice the firm to stay.[30] Two years later, Sears began moving its own offices out of the Sears Tower.[citation needed]

text: In 1994, Sears sold the building to Boston-based AEW Capital Management, with financing from MetLife. At the time, it was one-third vacant. By 1995, Sears had completely left the building, moving to a new office campus in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.[31]

text: In 1997, Toronto-based TrizecHahn Corporation (the owner of the CN Tower at the time) purchased the building for $110 million, and assumption of $4 million in liabilities, and a $734 million mortgage.[32][33] In 2003, Trizec surrendered the building to lender MetLife.[34]

text: In 2004, MetLife sold the building to a group of investors, including New York-based Joseph Chetrit, Joseph Moinian, Lloyd Goldman, Joseph Cayre and Jeffrey Feil, and Skokie, Illinois-based American Landmark Properties.[35] The quoted price was $840 million, with $825 million held in a mortgage.[36]

text: In June 2006, seven men were arrested by the FBI and charged with plotting to destroy the tower. Deputy FBI Director John Pistole described their plot as "more aspirational than operational".[37][38] The case went to court in October 2007;[39] after three trials, five of the suspects were convicted and two were acquitted.[40] The alleged leader of the group, Narseal Batiste, was sentenced to 13½ years in prison in November 2009.[41]

text: Plans

text: In February 2009, the owners announced they were considering a plan to paint the structure silver; this plan was later dropped. The paint would have "rebranded" the building and highlighted its advances in energy efficiency. The estimated cost was $50 million.[42]

text: Since 2007, the building owners have been considering building a hotel on the north side of Jackson, between Wacker and Franklin, at the plaza that is the entrance to the tower's observation deck. The tower's parking garage is beneath the plaza. Building owners say the second building was considered in the original design. The plan was eventually cancelled as city zoning does not permit construction of such a tall tower there.[43]

text: Although Sears' naming rights expired in 2003, the building continued to be called the Sears Tower for several years. In March 2009, London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings agreed to lease a portion of the building, and obtained the building's naming rights.[44] On July 16, 2009, the building was officially renamed Willis Tower.[45] On August 13, 2012, United Airlines announced it would move its corporate headquarters from 77 West Wacker Drive to Willis Tower.[6]

text: In 2015, the Blackstone Group completed purchase of the tower for a reported $1.3 billion, the highest price ever paid for a U.S. property outside New York City.  The new owners are considering several plans for further site developments.[46]

text: Skydeck

text: The Willis Tower observation deck, called the Skydeck, opened on June 22, 1974. Located on the tower's 103rd floor, it is 1,353 feet (412.4 m) high, making it the highest observation deck in the United States and one of Chicago's most famous tourist attractions. Tourists can experience how the building sways on a windy day. They also can see far over the plains of Illinois and across Lake Michigan to Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin on a clear day. Elevators take tourists to the top in about 60 seconds, and allow tourists to feel the pressure change as they rise up. The Skydeck competes with the John Hancock Center's observation floor a mile and a half away, which is 323 feet (98.5 m) lower. Some 1.7 million tourists visit the Skydeck annually. A second Skydeck on the 99th floor is also used if the 103rd floor is closed. The tourist entrance can be found on the south side of the building along Jackson Boulevard.

text: In January 2009, Willis Tower's owners began a major renovation of the Skydeck, including the installation of retractable glass balconies, which can be extended approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) from the facade of the 103rd floor, overlooking South Wacker Drive. The all-glass boxes, informally dubbed "The Ledge", allow visitors to look through the glass floor to the street 1,353 feet (412 m) below. The boxes, which can bear 5 short tons (4.5 metric tons) of weight, opened to the public on July 2, 2009.[47][48] On May 29, 2014, the laminated glass covering the floor of one of the glass boxes shattered while visitors were sitting on it, but caused no injuries.  The broken glass was replaced within days, and tourist operations resumed as before.[49]

text: Height

text: The Willis Tower remains the second tallest building in the Americas (after One World Trade Center) and the Western Hemisphere. With a pinnacle height of 1,729 feet (527 m), it is the third-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas, as it is 86 feet (26.2 m) shorter than Toronto's CN Tower. Willis Tower is the eighth-tallest freestanding structure in the world by pinnacle height.

text: At 1,482.6 feet (451.9 m) tall, including decorative spires, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, laid claim to replacing the Sears Tower as the tallest building in the world in 1998. Not everyone agreed, and in the ensuing controversy, four different categories of "tallest building" were created.[50] Of these, Petronas was the tallest in the first category (height to top of architectural elements, meaning spires but not antennas), giving it the title of world's tallest building.

text: Taipei 101 in Taiwan claimed the record in three of the four categories in 2004 to become recognized as the tallest building in the world. Taipei 101 surpassed the Petronas Twin Towers in spire height and the Sears Tower in roof height and highest occupied floor. The Sears Tower retained one record: its antenna exceeded Taipei 101's spire in height. In 2008, the Shanghai World Financial Center claimed the records of tallest building by roof and highest occupied floor.

text: On August 12, 2007, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was reported by its developers to have surpassed the Sears Tower in all height categories.[51]

text: Upon completion, One World Trade Center in New York City surpassed the Willis Tower through its structural and pinnacle heights, but not by roof, observation deck elevation, or highest occupied floor.[52]

text: Until 2000, the Sears Tower did not hold the record for being the tallest building by pinnacle height. From 1969 to 1978, this record was held by the John Hancock Center, whose antenna reached a height of 1,500 feet (457.2 m), or 49 feet (14.9 m) taller than the Sears Tower's original height of 1,450 feet (442.1 m). In 1978, One World Trade Center became taller by pinnacle height due to the addition of a 359 feet (109.4 m) antenna, which brought its total height to 1,727 feet (526.4 m). In 1982, two antennas were installed on top of the Sears Tower which brought its total height to 1,707 feet (520.3 m), making it taller than the John Hancock Center but not One World Trade Center. However, the extension of the Sears Tower's western antenna in June 2000 to 1,729 feet (527 m) allowed it to just barely claim the title of tallest building by pinnacle height.

text: Position in Chicago's skyline

text: Climbing

text: On May 25, 1981, Dan Goodwin, wearing a homemade Spider-Man suit while using suction cups, camming devices, and sky hooks, and despite several attempts by the Chicago Fire Department to stop him, made the first successful outside ascent of the Sears Tower. Goodwin was arrested at the top after the seven-hour climb, and he was later charged with trespassing. Goodwin stated that the reason he made the climb was to call attention to shortcomings in high-rise rescue and firefighting techniques. After a lengthy interrogation by Chicago's District Attorney and Fire Commissioner, Goodwin was officially released from prison.[53][54][55]

text: In August 1999, French urban climber Alain "Spiderman" Robert, using only his bare hands and bare feet, scaled the building's exterior glass and steel wall all the way to the top. A thick fog settled in near the end of his climb, making the last 20 stories of the building's glass and steel exterior slippery.[56]

text: Naming rights

text: Although Sears sold the Tower in 1994 and had completely vacated it by 1995, the company retained the naming rights to the building through 2003. The new owners were rebuffed in renaming deals with CDW Corp in 2005 and the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2008. London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, Ltd. leased more than 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) of space on three floors in 2009. A Willis spokesman said the naming rights were obtained as part of the negotiations at no cost to Willis,[57][58][59] and the building was renamed Willis Tower on July 16, 2009.[60]

text: The naming rights are valid for 15 years, so it is possible that the building's name could change again in 2024 or later.[61] The Chicago Tribune joked that the building's new name reminded them of the oft-repeated "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?" catchphrase from the 1980s American television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes[60] and considered the name-change ill-advised in "a city with a deep appreciation of tradition and a healthy ego, where some Chicagoans still mourn the switch from Marshall Field's to Macy's".[62] This feeling was confirmed in a July 16, 2009 CNN article in which some Chicago area residents expressed reluctance to accept the Willis Tower name,[63] and in an article that appeared in the October 2010 issue of Chicago magazine that ranked the building among Chicago's 40 most important, the author pointedly refused to acknowledge the name change and referred to the building as the "Sears Tower".[64] Time magazine called the name change one of the top 10 worst corporate name changes and pointed to negative press coverage by local news outlets and online petitions from angry residents.[65] The naming rights issue continued into 2013, when Eric Zorn noted in the Chicago Tribune that "We're stubborn about such things. This month marked four years since the former Sears Tower was re-christened Willis Tower, and the new name has yet to stick."[66]

text: Figures and statistics

text:
The top of Willis Tower is the highest point in Illinois. The tip of its highest antenna is 1,729 feet (527 m) above street level or 2,325 feet (708.7 m) above sea level, its roof is 1,450 feet 7 inches (442.14 m) above street level or 2,046 feet (623.6 m) above sea level, the 103rd floor observation deck (The Sky deck) is 1,353 feet (412 m) above street level or 1,948 feet (593.8 m) above sea level, the Franklin Street entrance is 595 feet (181.4 m) above sea level. (The highest natural point in Illinois is the Charles Mound, at 1,235 feet (376.4 m) above sea level.)
The building leans about 4 inches (10.2 cm) towards the west due to its slightly asymmetrical design, placing unequal loads on its foundation.[citation needed]
The design for Willis Tower incorporates nine steel-unit square tubes in a 3 tube by 3 tube arrangement, with each tube having the footprint of 75 ft × 75 ft (22.9 m × 22.9 m). Willis Tower was the first building for which this design was used. The design allows future growth of extra height to the tower if wanted or needed.[67]
The restrooms on the 103rd floor, at 1,353 feet (412.4 m) high, are the highest (relative to street level) in the Western Hemisphere.[68]
The design was inspired by an advertisement for a package of cigarettes.[69]
The Franklin Street entrance is the point from which all building heights are measured. The Wacker Drive entrance is six feet higher than the Franklin Street entrance, lower Wacker Drive/Lower Level 1 is approximately 17 feet, 6 inches lower than the Wacker Drive entrance and 11 feet, six inches lower than Franklin Street. The 103rd floor observation deck is 1,354 feet above the Franklin Street entrance. The glass ledges in the Skydeck are on a raised platform 18 inches higher than the rest of the 103rd floor or 1,349 feet, six inches above the Wacker Drive entrance, 1,355 feet, six inches above the Franklin Street entrance and 1,367 feet above lower Wacker Drive/Lower Level 1. The Skydeck elevators rise from Lower Level 2 which gives a total rise of approximately 1,382 feet to the 103rd floor.
The building's total building area stands at 351,846 m2 (3,787,200 sq ft)[70]
It remains the world's tallest steel-construction building. All taller buildings use concrete or composite construction.[71]

text: Broadcasting

text: Many broadcast station transmitters are located at the top of Willis Tower. Each list is ranked by height from the top down. Stations at the same height on the same mast indicate the use of a diplexer into the same shared antenna. Due to its extreme height, FM stations (all class B) are very limited in power output.

text: Radio stations

text:
East mast

482 m:
WLIT FM 93.9 MHz main, 4.0 kW, AMFM
WEBG FM 95.5 backup, 3.1 kW, AMFM
480 m: WBMX FM 104.3 main, 4.1 kW, CBS Radio
476 m: WTMX FM 101.9 main, 4.2 kW, Hubbard
474 m: WBBM FM 96.3 main, 4.2 kW, CBS Radio
472 m:
WKSC FM 103.5 main, 4.3 kW, AMFM
WGCI FM 107.5 main, 3.7 kW, AMFM
470 m: WFMT FM 98.7, 6.0 kW
468 m: WLS FM 94.7 main, 4.4 kW
FCC query[72]

West mast

460 & 451 m:
WFMT FM 98.7 backups
443 m:
WBBM-FM 96.3 backup
WBMX 104.3 backup
unknown: W264BF 100.7 MHz, 2 W, Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa
table of allotments: **WLIT, WLS, WBBM, WTMX, WBMX, WCFS
FCC query[73]

tag: table

text: Also, NOAA Weather Radio station KWO39 transmits off the top of Willis Tower, at 162.550 MHz. KWO39, programmed by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Chicago, is equipped with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), which sets off a siren on specially-programmed weather radios to alert of an impending hazard, such as a tornado or civil emergency.

text: Television stations

text:
East mast

515 m:
WLS-TV 7 analog, 55 kW, ABC Owned Television Stations (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WLS-TV 7 permanent digital, 4.75 kW
510 m:
WCPX-TV 43 digital, 200 kW, Ion Media Networks
WCPX-TV 38 analog, 3630 kW, Ion Media Networks (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WJYS TV 36 digital, 145 kW, Oxford Media Group
WCIU-TV 27 digital, 15.1 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
509 m:
WXFT-TV 59 temporary digital, 200 kW, Univision Communications
WXFT-TV 50 permanent digital, 230 kW, Univision Communications
498 m:
WTTW TV 11 analog, 60.3 kW, Window To the World Communications (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WBBM-TV 12 digital, 8 kW, CBS Television Stations
480 m:
WFLD TV 31 digital backup, 475 kW, Fox Television Stations
WPWR-TV 51 digital backup, 508 kW, Fox Television Stations
478 m: WGN-TV 19 digital backup, 310/229 kW, Tribune Broadcasting
474 m:
WTTW TV 47 digital backup, 150 kW, Window To the World Communications
WLS-TV 52 digital backup, 220 kW, ABC Owned Television Stations
unknown: WESV-LD 40 digital, 37.2 kW, Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana
FCC query[74]

West mast

523 m: WPWR-TV 51 digital, 1000 kW, Fox Television Stations
514 m, WLS-TV 52 temporary digital, 153.6 kW, ABC Owned Television Stations
508 m, WMAQ-TV 29 digital, 350 kW, NBC Owned Television Stations
494 m:
WMAQ-TV 5 analog, 20 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WPWR-TV 50 analog, 5000 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WXFT-TV 60 analog, 5000 kW, (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
475 m: WFLD TV 31 digital, 690/1000 kW, Fox Television Stations
473 m: WCIU-TV 26 analog, 5000 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
472 m:
WCIU-TV 27 digital, 590 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
WSNS-TV 44 analog 5000 kW, NBC Owned Television Stations (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
WSNS-TV 45 digital 467/665 kW, NBC Owned Television Stations
465 m: WTTW TV 47 digital, 300 kW, Window To the World Communications
455 m: WJYS TV 36 digital, 50 kW, Oxford Media Group
453 m: WGN-TV 19 digital, 645 kW, Tribune Broadcasting
unknown:
WWME-CD 39 digital, 4.4 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
WEDE-CD 34 digital, 50 kW, First United
WMEU-CA 48 analog STA, 150 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
WMEU-LD 32 digital, 15 kW
FCC query[75]

text: Cultural depictions

text: Film and television

text: The building has appeared in numerous films and television shows set in Chicago such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where Ferris and company watch the streets of Chicago from the observation deck.[76]  The television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien introduced a character called The Sears Tower Dressed In Sears Clothing when the show visited Chicago in 2006.[77] The building is also featured in History Channel's Life After People, in which it and other human-made landmarks suffer from neglect without humans around, and it collapses two hundred years after people are gone.[78] In an episode of the television series Monk, Adrian Monk tries to conquer his fear of heights by imagining that he is on top of the Sears Tower. Also, in an episode of Kenan and Kel, Kenan Rockmore and Kel Kimble decide to climb to the top of the Sears Tower, so that Kenan can declare his love for a girl.

text: In the movie Category 6: Day of Destruction, the tower is damaged by a tornado.

text: In "1969", a Season 2 episode of the science-fiction series Stargate SG-1, the SG-1 team accidentally travels back in time to the titular year. At one point, the team travels though Chicago and the Sears Tower is shown (erroneously, since construction did not begin on the tower until two years later in 1971).

text: In the 2004 film I, Robot, the tower is shown updated in the year 2035 with new triangular antennas. The tower is shown surpassed in height by the USR (United States Robotics) Building.

text: In the 2008 film The Dark Knight, the tower is part of Gotham City.

text: In the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the tower is featured in a number of scenes. The most notable one is when the N.E.S.T team tries to enter the city using V-22 Osprey helicopters. They use Willis Tower for cover before using wing suits to descend into the city streets. In the movie, the tower is shown to be severely damaged by the Decepticon invasion of the city.

text: In the 2013 film Man of Steel, the tower's interior and parts of its exterior portrayed the offices of the Daily Planet.[79]

text: In the 2014 film Divergent, the tower is shown abandoned and decayed in a future Chicago.

text: In the 2015 film Jupiter Ascending, the tower is featured prominently as the place where Caine and Jupiter await a spaceship to lift them off the planet.

text: In the 2018 film Rampage, the Energyne corporation is headquartered in the building, and uses tower's antenna to broadcast an echolocation signal that would bring three mutated monsters to town. After the antenna is destroyed by the beasts, the entire building topples to the ground.

text: Other

text: Older versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator would begin with the player on the runway of Meigs Field, facing a virtual version of the tower.

text: In Sufjan Stevens' 2005 album Illinois, the tower is referenced in the track "Seer's Tower", whose title is a play on the tower's now-former name, Sears Tower.

text: Image gallery

text:
Sears Tower in 2007

Willis Tower as seen from John Hancock Center observation deck

900 North Michigan, Park Tower, the John Hancock Center, the Trump Tower, and Aon Center (L-R) as seen from Willis Tower Skydeck.

Westward view from Willis Tower

View down to South Wacker Drive from the Skydeck

A view of Willis Tower at dusk

A ground-level view of the multiple balconies at Willis Tower Skydeck

View of Willis Tower from John Hancock Center

The Eisenhower Espressway and Jane Byrne Interchange (looking west from Willis Tower)

View of Lake Michigan from Willis Tower