document_title: List of How I Met Your Mother characters

question_text: how i met your mother front desk guy

question_tokens: how i met your mother front desk guy

text: List of How I Met Your Mother characters

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Season
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9

Character
Main Characters

Ted Mosby
Josh Radnor

Robin Scherbatsky
Cobie Smulders

Barney Stinson
Neil Patrick Harris

Lily Aldrin
Alyson Hannigan

Marshall Eriksen
Jason Segel

Tracy McConnell1

Cristin Milioti2

Future Ted
Bob Saget (voice, credited)

Character
Secondary characters

Arthur Hobbs

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk

Becky

Laura Bell Bundy

Laura Bell Bundy

Bilson
Bryan Callen

Bryan Callen

Brad Morris

Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello

The Captain

Kyle MacLachlan

Kyle MacLachlan

Carl MacLaren
Joe Nieves

Joe Nieves

Claudia Bowers
Virginia Williams

Virginia Williams

Virginia Williams

Virginia Williams

Curtis

Roger Bart

Daphne

Sherri Shepherd

Don Frank

Benjamin Koldyke

Doug Martin
Will Sasso

Will Sasso

Will Sasso

Gary Blauman
Taran Killam

Taran Killam

Taran Killam

James Stinson

Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady

Jeanette Peterson

Abby Elliott

Judy Eriksen
Suzie Plakson

Suzie Plakson

Suzie Plakson

Kevin Venkataraghavan

Kal Penn

Kal Penn

Linus

Robert Belushi

Loretta Stinson

Megan Mullally

Frances Conroy

Frances Conroy

Lucy Zinman

Darcy Rose Byrnes

Luke Mosby
David Henrie3

Marcus Eriksen
Ned Rolsma

Ned Rolsma
Gibson Sjobek (young)

Marvin W. Eriksen4

Uncredited
Jake Elliott
August Maturo
Spencer Ralston

Marvin Eriksen
Bill Fagerbakke

Bill Fagerbakke

Mickey Aldrin

Chris Elliott

Nick Podarutti

Michael Trucco

Michael Trucco

Nora

Nazanin Boniadi

Nazanin Boniadi

Patrice

Ellen D. Williams

Penny Mosby
Lyndsy Fonseca3

Quinn Garvey

Becki Newton

Robin Scherbatsky Sr.

Eric Braeden

Ray Wise

Ranjit Singh
Marshall Manesh

Sandy Rivers
Alexis Denisof

Alexis Denisof

Scooter
David Burtka

David Burtka

David Burtka

Stella Zinman

Sarah Chalke

Sarah Chalke

Stuart Bowers
Matt Boren

Matt Boren

Matt Boren

Matt Boren

Victoria
Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams

Virginia Mosby

Cristine Rose

Cristine Rose

Cristine Rose

Wendy the Waitress
Charlene Amoia

Zoey Pierson

Jennifer Morrison

Jennifer Morrison

tag: table

text: Notes:

text:
^1 "The Mother" was played by various stunt actresses (including Jennifer Birmingham and the show's director, Pamela Fryman) throughout the series until Cristin Milioti assumed the role for the season 8 finale.
^2 Cristin Milioti was promoted to series regular in season 9 after a brief guest appearance in season 8.
^3 Scenes featuring David Henrie and Lyndsy Fonseca were recycled footage beginning with season 3, although unreleased footage filmed in 2006 was used in season 9.[1]
^4 Marvin W. Eriksen has been played by several actors, some uncredited, at different ages varying from babyhood to adulthood.

tag: ul

text: Main characters[edit]

text: Ted Mosby[edit]

text: Portrayed by Josh Radnor, Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby (born on April 25, 1978) is a romantic, originally searching for "The One" and often discussing destiny and "The Universe" controlling things. Ted grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio with parents Virginia Mosby? Alfred Mosby, and sister Heather Mosby. He is an architect who graduated from Wesleyan University, where he met Marshall and Lily. Ted also serves as the show's narrator from the future, voiced by Bob Saget, as he tells his children a detailed story, with the premise of explaining how he met their mother. A brief history of Ted includes being left at the altar, taking a job as an architecture professor and designing the new headquarters for Goliath National Bank.

text: Ted has dated many people and been in several long-term relationships. Ted has an on-again, off-again relationship with Robin. Ted also dated Victoria, Stella, Zoey and Jeanette. Ted finally gets to meet his wife-to-be, Tracy, on the day of Barney and Robin's wedding, after accidentally teaching one of her college classes, owning her yellow umbrella for a short time, and dating her roommate. When he ran into Tracy's roommate (Cindy), it led to Tracy's band performing at Barney and Robin's wedding.

text: In the finale, it is discovered his wife died six years earlier. His children claim his story was not about their mother but about Robin; they urge him to get back together with her and he does, bringing the iconic blue French horn with him.

text: Robin Scherbatsky[edit]

text: Portrayed by Cobie Smulders, Robin (born on July 23, 1980) works as a news reporter for various stations, ending up at World Wide News. She is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia and is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. Robin was named after her father, who she has some issues with as he wanted a male child. She and Ted have an on-again, off-again relationship there was some sexual tension between them throughout the third season, most obviously when Robin brought home her boyfriend Gael from a trip to Argentina. The subject of four episodes, Robin was a teen pop singer named Robin Sparkles. Her first boyfriend was Simon, who starred in her second music video. In season 4, Robin moves in with Ted after leaving her short-lived job in Japan. During "The Leap", she and Barney pursue a relationship, but it soon ends.

text: Robin is frequently made fun of for her tendency to laugh while lying, as well as her references to places and history exclusive to Canada, such as Mount Waddington or Danby's. Though she has stated explicitly that she does not like children, Future Ted mentioned that she eventually grew to like them and even became close to Ted's children. After being unemployed for a while, Robin found out that she would be deported from America if she did not get a job. Barney helped her land a job for an early morning show in "The Possimpible". Soon after she started she got a co-host named Don whom she originally disliked. However, she grew to like him and they dated for a while. In "False Positive", Robin worked as a researcher for World Wide News and eventually moved up to co-anchor after hosting a New Year's Eve show. It is revealed in the season 7 finale that Robin married Barney. They divorce after three years of marriage. In 2030, Robin is shown to be living with her dogs in New York when she gets asked out by Ted, a six-year widower by then.

text: Barney Stinson[edit]

text: Portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, Barnabus "Barney" Stinson is a former womanizer. He is known for wearing suits, playing laser tag, performing magic tricks, and overusing catchphrases such as "Suit up!", "Legend-wait-for-it-dary" and "Challenge accepted!". Barney is the writer of the Bro Code and the Playbook, documenting rules for best friends ("bros") and his favorite moves to use on women.

text: Barney was raised by a single mother, Loretta, along with his older brother James. He spent very little time with his father as a child. In season 6, Barney's father Jerome returns to his life hoping to make amends for abandoning him as a child. As a young adult, Barney was a long-haired hippie with plans to join the Peace Corps. Soon after his rejection, he saw a flier for a sale on suits, thus beginning his suit addiction. Shortly after, he met Ted Mosby at a urinal and announced that he would "teach [Ted] how to live", thus beginning his life with Ted's group of friends.

text: In season 4, Barney falls in love with Robin and spends the next season hiding it from her. The two get together in season 5, but the relationship is short-lived. After their breakup, Barney returns to one-night stands, but sometimes shows regret in ending his relationship with Robin. In "Desperation Day", Robin introduces him to her friend Nora. Barney and Nora have a brief relationship, but it ends because Barney is unwilling to let himself be honest with her about his feelings. Later, they get back together but Barney cheats on Nora with Robin. In "Challenge Accepted", it is revealed that Barney gets married at some point in the future; in "The Magician's Code", the bride is revealed to be Robin. However, Barney and Robin get divorced in 2016. Barney goes back to having one-night stands, and eventually impregnates a woman. The birth of his daughter, Ellie, effectively causes him to change his ways for good.

text: Lily Aldrin[edit]

text: Portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, Lily is a kindergarten teacher. She is married to Marshall and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Like Ted and Marshall, she is a graduate of Wesleyan University and dreams of being an artist; she has painted naked paintings of Marshall and Barney. Lily has a huge debt problem because of her impulsive shopping; she is able to hide this from Marshall until they apply for a mortgage in "Dowisetrepla". She is very manipulative, having caused several of Ted's relationships to end when she disliked his date. It has been shown many times that she cannot keep a secret, with a few exceptions: she hides her second pregnancy and keeps Ted's move to Chicago a secret from everyone but Marshall. Another ongoing joke in the show is her implied bisexuality.

text: Prior to college, Lily dated Scooter. At college, she met Ted and started dating Marshall. She and Marshall were together for 9 years and engaged for almost a year before Lily broke up with Marshall to move to San Francisco for a summer to concentrate on her art. Marshall was so hurt that they stayed separated for a few months after she returned to New York. They eventually get married at the end of season 2. They move into an apartment in "Dowisetrepla"; previously, they had been living with Ted. They consider children for years before feeling "ready". Lily announces in the season 6 finale that she is pregnant and their first child was revealed to be male in "Mystery vs. History". In the episode "Good Crazy", Lily goes into labor five weeks early and in the episode "The Magician's Code – Part 1", gives birth to Marvin. In season eight, Lily accepts a job as The Captain's art consultant. The Captain later asks her to move to Italy to search for and purchase artwork for his collection; she and Marshall agree to move there. However, this is the cause of disagreement between the couple for most of the season when Marshall accepts an offer to be a judge without consulting Lily. Lily is revealed to be pregnant with a second child in "Daisy", followed by third child a few years later in "Last Forever".

text: Marshall Eriksen[edit]

text: Portrayed by Jason Segel, Marshall (born in 1978) met Ted and Lily during their freshman year at Wesleyan University. He and Lily began dating during college and got married at the end of season 2. Marshall is a Columbia Law School graduate originally from Minnesota. Even though he stands at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), he is the shortest male member of his family. Marshall became a lawyer because he was interested in environmental protection laws. He accepts a job at a corporate law firm, before joining the legal team at Goliath National Bank, where Barney also works. Marshall is also very good at various games and believes in the paranormal, specifically Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. It is revealed in "Last Cigarette Ever" that in the future, he and Lily have a son. In early 2011, after being told Marshall and Lily are capable of having a baby, Marshall's dad has a fatal heart attack and dies. For several months after this, he is upset and his friends make an effort to be nicer to him. His first son, born in the episode "The Magician's Code – Part 1" is named Marvin, after Marshall's father. Marshall was able to arrive just in time to witness the birth.

text: Marshall eventually is accepted to his dream job, being a judge, after committing to move to Italy with Lily. This leads to constant strife between the couple through most of the final season. However, throughout the first half of the last season, Marshall is on a car ride from Minnesota to Long Island after missing his flight to Barney and Robin's wedding. In this process, Marshall meets The Mother.

text: The Mother (Tracy McConnell)[edit]

text: Portrayed by Cristin Milioti, the Mother is the title character of the series; Ted's narration of the series is based around how he met her. While several clues about the Mother are revealed throughout the series (including the story of the yellow umbrella), she is not fully seen until the season-eight finale, "Something New". Season 9 reveals more about the Mother through several flashforwards throughout the season and the 200th episode, "How Your Mother Met Me", which shows the years 2005 through 2013 from her perspective. In that episode, it is revealed that her boyfriend Max died on her 21st birthday and that she refrained from dating in the years following; her first boyfriend after Max, Louis, proposed to her the night before Barney and Robin's wedding, but she rejected, allowing herself to move on. It is the highest rated episode of the series on IMDb.

text: Ted is shown meeting The Mother in the series finale at the Farhampton train station following Barney and Robin's wedding. They date, get engaged, and have two children called Luke and Penny. In the original ending of the show, The Mother is shown to have been deceased in 2024. Many fans of the show had become emotionally attached to The Mother.[2] In many scenes throughout the show, it was shown how incredibly perfect Ted and Tracy were for each other and how nice she was to everyone. Her death in the series finale was met with considerable dissatisfaction by many viewers. [3][4]

text: A petition was started, aiming to rewrite and reshoot the finale. The petition received over 20,000 signatures and considerable online news coverage.[5][6] An alternate ending was released in the ninth season DVD.[7] In the alternate ending, Tracy Mosby is still living when Ted is telling the story in 2030.[8] In the video, future Ted is heard saying, "...When I think how lucky I am to wake up next to your mom every morning, I can't help but be amazed how easy it all really was...", indirectly stating that The Mother is alive. The video ends right after the train passes at Farhampton station and credits start rolling, implying that Ted never went back to Robin as he lived a successful married life with Tracy Mosby. [9][10]

text: Secondary characters[edit]

text: Penny and Luke Mosby[edit]

text: Penny and Luke are Ted's children, teenagers in 2030 as Ted narrates the story of how he met their mother. Penny is portrayed by Lyndsy Fonseca while Luke is portrayed by David Henrie. Georgina Bays, the daughter of Carter Bays, has portrayed Ted's daughter as an infant. Penny and Luke as young children are portrayed by Katie Silverman and Dexter Cross in "Rally".

text: The names of Ted's children were unknown until "Unpause". Before he had met their mother, Ted had repeatedly expressed the desire to name them Luke and Leia. The children initially appear only in the framing narrative, though Penny appears as an infant in "Trilogy Time", "Lobster Crawl" and "Unpause". Both Penny and Luke appear as young children in "Rally", when they greet their parents on New Year's Day in 2022.

text: Since the actors playing Ted's children were going to age quickly, stock footage of them was shot in 2006, to be used in later episodes. Additionally, footage for the series finale was shot and the actors were made to sign non-disclosure agreements;[11] Fonseca said in 2013 that she did not "remember what the secret was", although Henrie thought he remembered.[12] A season nine promotional video was filmed with the same actors, now adults, joking that they have been listening to Ted tell the story for eight years, and was first shown at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con.[13]

text: Marvin W. Eriksen[edit]

text: Marvin Wait-for-it Eriksen[14] is the son of Lily and Marshall. In "Challenge Accepted", Lily discovers she is pregnant after a long-running storyline of Marshall and Lily trying to have kids. Marvin is born in "The Magician's Code – Part 1"; Marshall arrives just in time for the birth. Barney helped Marshall arrive in the hospital, in return for choosing the middle name of the baby: "Wait-for-it". Marvin appears in many episodes after that, usually causing Marshall and Lily to become stressed and sleep deprived. In "Who Wants to be a Godparent?", Ted, Barney and Robin all become godparents of Marvin. "Bedtime Stories" is based around Marvin going to sleep.

text: Marvin has been played by twins,[15] and several actors have been credited as playing him; Jake Elliott, August Maturo and Spencer Ralston have played the part of Marvin during various flashforwards. Craig Thomas said that they were "tending to the fact that [Marshall and Lily] have a baby more than other shows have", although Marvin "doesn't take over the show."[15]

text: Ranjit Singh[edit]

text: Played by Marshall Manesh, Ranjit is a cab driver from Bangladesh. He drives the main characters around during several significant moments of their lives; for instance, he drives Marshall and Lily in a limo shortly after they are married and helps Ted with a "two-minute date" in "Ten Sessions". In "The Sexless Innkeeper", he and his wife Falguni go on a double date with Marshall and Lily, although they do not enjoy it. He also appears in episodes such as "The Limo", "Rabbit or Duck", "The Goat" and "Three Days of Snow". In "Gary Blauman", Future Ted reveals that Ranjit became rich through investments and bought a limo service.

text: Ranjit is the only recurring character to appear in all nine seasons.

text: Carl MacLaren[edit]

text: Played by Joe Nieves, Carl is the bartender at MacLaren's, which is frequented by the main characters. Carl's last name is MacLaren and he owns the bar.[16] Carl eventually has a son who helps him at MacLaren's.

text: Joe Nieves received the part after the scene he was supposed to be in was cut from the pilot but no one had told him, and he turned up on set in a police officer costume. As no one wanted to tell him that they had cut his scene, they gave him the role of Carl.[16] Carl is named after one of the assistants to the producers.[17]

text: Wendy[edit]

text: Played by Charlene Amoia, Wendy is a waitress from MacLaren's bar. Characterized as sweet and somewhat naive, she is well liked by the main characters. Barney once had a brief relationship with her.[18] It is also revealed in "Garbage Island" that Wendy the Waitress falls in love and is later married to Marshall's ex-co worker Meeker (Daniel G. O'Brien) who found out at the time they both hate Marshall after his "Go Green" fiasco. She and Meeker have three kids.

text: Victoria[edit]

text: Played by Ashley Williams. A baker at The Buttercup Bakery, Victoria meets Ted in "The Wedding" at the wedding reception of Ted's friends, for whom Victoria had baked the wedding cake. They agree to spend the evening together anonymously in order to preserve the memory of the night, despite their attraction to one another. However, Ted quickly finds her and they begin an intense romantic relationship. The relationship is complicated when Victoria is offered a cooking fellowship in Germany and they attempt to remain together in a long-distance relationship. However, Ted kisses Robin and they break up.

text: Victoria reappears in Ted's life seven years later, when she is catering the Architect's Ball that Ted is attending at the end of "The Naked Truth". During their reunion, Ted apologizes for cheating on her and she accepts his apology. However, he becomes upset when he learns that she began dating Klaus, whom she met not long after arriving in Germany, almost immediately after they broke up. During their ensuing argument, they begin to remember what they loved about their relationship together and end up kissing. Victoria responds to the kiss with the revelation that Klaus intends to propose to her soon and she and Ted part on amicable terms, though she also warns Ted that his existing relationships with Robin and Barney are stopping him from finding his true love.

text: In "The Magician's Code", Ted, having recently reconciled with Robin, follows her suggestion to contact Victoria in hopes of learning if she ever got married. When they meet, Ted is stunned to see that Victoria has secretly run away from her wedding to Klaus. Recalling his own experience at being left at the altar by Stella, Ted attempts to have Victoria return to her wedding to at least inform Klaus that she has run away, but they learn that Klaus has also run away from the wedding, as he has realized that he and Victoria are not meant to be together. Ted and Victoria's renewed relationship is short-lived; when Ted proposes to her, she presents an ultimatum: he must end his friendship with Robin to be with her. Unwilling to give up his friendship with Robin, Victoria breaks up with him. She is later revealed to have returned to Germany and sends him Robin's locket, which she had taken with her.

text: Bays and Thomas planned to have Victoria as a backup Mother in case CBS decided to cancel the series after season 2.[19][20] Another possible storyline was Williams wearing a fat suit to portray Victoria having become, according to Bays, "enormously fat" because of her baking career.[21] Victoria was described as Ted's best girlfriend by People magazine.[22]

text: Judy Eriksen[edit]

text: Played by Suzie Plakson, Judy Eriksen is the mother of Marshall. Married to the late Marvin Eriksen, she has three children: Marvin, Marcus and Marshall. She lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota and is known to have a tense, sometimes adversarial relationship with Lily, leaving Marshall torn as he loves Lily, but has trouble understanding how she could dislike his mother. In "The Over-Correction," she begins a sexual relationship with Lily's father, Mickey.

text: James Stinson[edit]

text: Played by Wayne Brady, James is Barney's gay African-American half-brother; they are very alike and act as each other's "wingmen". This changes when James meets Tom, his future husband. Barney tries to stop his brother from marrying but changes his mind when he learns that they are adopting a baby. James marries Tom and they have a son named Eli.[23] In the season 6 episode "Cleaning House," James finds out his father is Sam Gibbs after he and Barney discover an unsent letter that their mother Loretta addressed to him. At the end of "The Rebound Girl", it is revealed that James and Tom have adopted an infant daughter named Sadie. In "Coming Back", James announces that he is getting a divorce after Tom discovered him cheating. Robin wins James' wedding ring in "The Poker Game" and refuses to give it back because James has been saying that she and Barney should not get married. Barney initially stands by his brother, but then realizes that James' selfishness is what caused his own marriage to fail. James reveals that Gary Blauman was one of the guys that he cheated on Tom with in "Gary Blauman". Future Ted explains to his children that James and Tom did eventually get back together, and raised Eli and Sadie as a happy family.

text: Zoey Pierson[edit]

text: Played by Jennifer Morrison. One of Ted's girlfriends. Ted first meets Zoey when she was an activist protesting the destruction of a historic New York building, in "Architect of Destruction". At first Ted is attracted to her, even though he is the architect responsible for the building's demolition. However, when she discovers this fact, she turns on him, and the two develop a mutually antagonistic relationship. In "Natural History", Ted meets her rich husband, who calls himself The Captain, at a black-tie event at a museum. Zoey spends Thanksgiving hanging out with the gang in "Blitzgiving" because her husband is spending it with his daughter; surprisingly, it is Ted who convinces the group to let her do so, after deducing that she is hurting by her stepdaughter's rejection of her. Zoey is (by marriage) a van Smoot, whose family is shown to have owned the mansion in which Marshall and Lily were married,[24] and an apartment in the Alberta building.[25] In "Oh Honey", Zoey divorces the Captain and Zoey gets together with Ted. However, they break up in "Landmarks" due to tensions caused by the Arcadian. She appears in "Challenge Accepted", where she unsuccessfully tries reuniting with Ted. In "Gary Blauman", Future Ted reveals that Zoey continued campaigning for various causes.

text: Patrice[edit]

text: Played by Ellen D. Williams, Patrice is a World Wide News employee, often shouted down by Robin who is annoyed by her efforts to be best friends. In season 8, Patrice joins Barney's "The Robin" play by pretending to date him. In "Gary Blauman", it is shown that Patrice later moves on to becoming a radio talk show host.

text: Marvin Eriksen[edit]

text: Played by Bill Fagerbakke, Marvin Eriksen is: Judy's husband; the father of Marvin, Marcus and Marshall; father-in-law of Lily; grandfather of Marshall and Lily's three children and Marcus and Sarah's children, Marcus Jr. and Martin. He was very close to Marshall and the rest of his family prior to his passing in early 2011. After "Last Words", set at Marvin's funeral, Carter Bays stated that they intended to bring back Bill Fagerbakke as Marshall's father in future episodes during flashbacks.[26][27] He later appeared in five episodes as a "ghost" imagined by Marshall.[note 1]

text: Nora[edit]

text: Played by Nazanin Boniadi, Nora is an English co-worker of Robin's who meets Barney the day before Valentine's Day. Though he is interested in her, Barney is reluctant to admit it, despite Robin's encouragement. During his first formal date with Nora, she reveals her wishes to eventually marry and settle down and invites him to meet her parents, both of which Barney accepts as things he wants. At the end of their date, however, he tells her that his words were a lie and criticizes Nora's dreams, which seemingly ends the relationship. Though Barney is convinced that he was lying to her, he later realizes that he does want to marry and settle down. He gets a second chance with Nora, when he convinces her that he will be honest in their relationship. They start dating but break up in "Tick Tick Tick" after Barney confesses to cheating on her with Robin.

text: Mickey Aldrin[edit]

text: Played by Chris Elliott, Mickey Aldrin is Lily's father. Obsessed with attempting to launch Aldrin Games, his unsuccessful board game creator business, he was frequently absent, distant, and unreliable throughout her childhood. He and Lily did not have a close relationship during the first few seasons. As the series progressed he gradually redeems himself. He eventually moves in with Marshall and Lily at Lily's grandparents' home in Long Island. Once there he refuses to leave his childhood home, despite being unwelcome; he does eventually agree to leave at Lily and Marshall's insistence, although they let him stay after he makes pancakes for them. From then on his hobbies make him an occasional nuisance in the household, eventually accidentally burning the house down after Marshall and Lily had returned to the apartment. This leads to him joining them in Manhattan and despite Lily's expectations, he proves very helpful in looking after his grandson Marvin W. Eriksen. He reveals that he had taken much better care of Lily prior to her going to school; only when she started kindergarten and he found himself at loose ends did he go to the racetrack on a whim, where he developed a gambling addiction.

text: Linus[edit]

text: Played by Robert Belushi, Linus is a bartender at the Farhampton Inn. Lily pays him $100 to make sure she always has a drink in her hand during the weekend of Barney and Robin's wedding. Throughout season 9, he is constantly seen handing her drinks followed by Lily saying "Thank you, Linus". It is revealed in "Daisy" that these drinks are non-alcoholic as Lily is pregnant.

text: Stella Zinman[edit]

text: Played by Sarah Chalke, Stella is Ted's dermatologist, who removes his ill-advised butterfly tattoo. He attempts to convince her to date him over the course of the episode "Ten Sessions". Stella initially refuses, wanting to focus on her daughter Lucy, but eventually agrees to go on a two-minute lunch date. They start dating soon after. In the last episode of season three, Ted proposes to Stella, and in the season-four premiere, she accepts. In "Shelter Island", after her sister's wedding falls apart, Ted and she agree to take over the wedding. She ends up leaving Ted at the altar and getting back together with Tony, her ex-boyfriend and father of Lucy. She later appears in "Right Place Right Time", where she is still with Tony.

text: Kevin Venkataraghavan[edit]

text: Played by Kal Penn, Kevin is originally introduced as Robin's therapist but later becomes her boyfriend. She cheats on him with Barney, although he never discovers this. He proposed to Robin before she told him of her infertility. He still wanted to marry her, suggesting they could adopt or use a surrogate but when Robin made it clear to him that she did not want to have any children, they broke up. In "Gary Blauman", Future Ted says that Kevin ended up with Jeanette.

text: Quinn Garvey[edit]

text: Played by Becki Newton, Quinn is a romantic interest for Barney in season 7, as she has a scheming personality similar to him. Barney becomes interested in her without realizing she is a stripper at the Lusty Leopard, despite being a frequent patron. Quinn initially scams Barney out of a large amount of money, but gives Barney a chance. Due to Barney's insecurity, she quits her job as a stripper and accommodates most of his demands regarding his apartment when she moves in with him. Barney proposes to her in "The Magician's Code". However, due to their inability to trust one another, they break up in "The Pre-Nup". Quinn makes a brief return in "The Bro Mitzvah" as a stripper hired for Barney's bachelor party, much to his chagrin.

text: Sandy Rivers[edit]

text: Played by Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan's real life husband, Sandy is a narcissistic lecherous anchorman. He debuts as Robin's colleague at Metro News One and spares no opportunity to ask her out. Ted and Marshall make fun of him during his segments. He resigns from the network to take up a job at CNN but recommends Robin to succeed him as lead anchor. Sandy and Robin cross paths again in season 6 as colleagues at World Wide News, where he is often seen hitting on young female interns. Sandy's inappropriate behavior ruins his career in the US and he does not change his ways even as he anchors a news show in Russia.

text: Marcus Eriksen[edit]

text: Marcus Eriksen is one of Marshall's brothers, known for pranking Marshall. He and the rest of his brothers often played roughly with each other. In "Who Wants to be a Godparent?", Marcus left his wife and two children for his dream job of being a bartender. Marcus is often seen at family events such as his father's funeral.

text: Loretta Stinson[edit]

text: Played by Frances Conroy, Loretta is Barney's mother. Prior to her first proper appearance, she appeared from the neck down voiced by Megan Mullally in "Single Stamina" and "Showdown". Loretta had a very promiscuous lifestyle and neither Barney nor James know who their real fathers are until they are adults. She also tends to tell ridiculous lies to her sons to cover up bad news, such as saying Barney's father is Bob Barker. So that his mother would not worry about him, Barney hired actors to pretend to be his family; when he is forced to reveal the truth in "The Stinsons", Loretta is not upset. She returns in "Cleaning House": the gang go to her home as she is planning to move. Though she had hidden the identities of James and Barney's fathers so that she could be both mother and father to them, she eventually discloses who both of their fathers are.

text: Arthur Hobbs[edit]

text: Played by Bob Odenkirk, Arthur is a boss at Goliath National Bank and was also Marshall's boss at Nicholson, Hewitt & West. Due to his habit of screaming at his employees, he is nicknamed "Artillery Arthur." He has a dog named Tugboat.

text: Virginia Mosby[edit]

text: Played by Cristine Rose. Virginia is Ted's mother, married to Alfred for 30 years before they get divorced. She marries Clint in "Home Wreckers". Barney jokes on several occasions that he had sex with Virginia, although it is revealed in "Unpause" that they only shared a kiss.

text: Alfred Mosby[edit]

text: Played by Michael Gross. Alfred is Ted's father, married to Virginia for 30 years before they get divorced. He shares similar views on romance to Ted, being described as a "head-in-the-clouds romantic" by Virginia.

text: Daphne[edit]

text: Played by Sherri Shepherd. When she, Marshall and Marvin get kicked off a plane, they spend the first half of season 9 travelling together. Marshall gets to know Daphne through the journey; she has a daughter and is worried that she is not a good mother.

text: Brad Morris[edit]

text: Played by Joe Manganiello, Brad is a friend of Marshall from law school. Brad and Marshall begin to hang out after they both discover they are single, following breakups with their respective girlfriends, Kara and Lily. The bromance between Brad and Marshall becomes increasingly awkward after they go to brunch and a musical together. Eventually, Brad gets back together with his girlfriend. He attends Marshall's bachelor party and wedding and gets punched in the face by Barney when he tries to kiss Robin, although he bears no hard feelings. He appears in "The Stamp Tramp", claiming to be in need of help but later revealing that he is the opposition lawyer in a big court case, putting Marshall's job at risk. The trial takes place in "Twelve Horny Women" and Gruber Pharmaceuticals are found guilty but only have to pay $25,000, because the judge is biased due to his attraction to Brad; this leads to Marshall becoming a judge, as he realizes that is the position from which to effect the most change. His image appears in a flash forward in "Rally" when a news report shows him leading in exit polls over Marshall for New York State Supreme Court Judge in 2020.

text: The Captain[edit]

text: Played by Kyle MacLachlan, George van Smoot (known by his nickname "The Captain") is introduced as Zoey Pierson's husband at a gala at the Natural History Museum. He is obsessed with boats, an interest that Zoey does not share. Despite the Captain's frightening demeanor, such as the murderous look he has in his eyes, he proves to be generous, if rather strange; he is also seen to be somewhat shy because of the apparent age gap between him and most of Zoey's peers. While he comes to like Ted, Ted's fear of the Captain is exacerbated by the fact that Ted and Zoey are attracted to one another. Zoey eventually divorces the Captain and leaves him for Ted. A year after Ted breaks up with Zoey, the Captain unexpectedly runs into Ted, Robin and Lily at a gallery show. He reveals that he holds no hard feelings for Ted regarding his divorce with Zoey. During the gallery show, Lily's advice about artwork, while initially dismissed by the Captain, proves to be invaluable and the Captain ends up hiring Lily as his new art consultant in "The Ashtray". He announces his intention to move to Rome for a year and asks for Lily and her family to accompany him; following a fight between Marshall and Lily, they do live in Italy for a year. The Captain has three Olympic gold medals in fencing and ends up engaged to Becky.

text: Nick Podarutti[edit]

text: Played by Michael Trucco, Nick is a love interest of Robin. They originally met in a clothes shop and later came face-to-face in a bar called "Hopeless". Each had a crush on the other. Although Nick was supposed to be a recurring character in season 7, Michael Trucco could not return as he was playing Justin Patrick in the second season of Fairly Legal. Instead, he began dating Robin in season 8. Nick is characterized as overly emotional and unintelligent, and in "Splitsville", Robin begins to get annoyed by these traits (Nick's groin injury prevents the two from having sex, so she begins to notice his personality more). They break up in the same episode, after Barney makes an impassioned speech about being in love with Robin; although he tells her that he was lying, it is later revealed he was telling the truth.

text: Robin Sr.[edit]

text: Played by Eric Braeden in "Happily Ever After" and Ray Wise in all other appearances, Robin Charles Scherbatsky Sr. is an overbearing father who wanted a son. When the baby (Robin) turned out to be a girl, he raises her as a son, teaching her stereotypically male activities such as hunting. Robin Sr expresses his disappointment of his daughter over the years; he has very little contact with her, becoming married without telling her. The two eventually reconcile.

text: Bilson[edit]

text: Played by Bryan Callen. He works for Goliath National Bank as Barney and Marshall's co-worker and fires Ted when he designed an Employee Termination Room that was too "inspired".

text: Scooter[edit]

text: Played by David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris' real life husband, Scooter is Lily's old high-school boyfriend and is obsessed with her. They broke up during their high-school prom after being in a relationship for a long time. Scooter appears over several seasons, during which he fails to win back Lily at her wedding, works as a waiter in a fine-dining restaurant and as a cafeteria server at her school. A flashback shows that Lily intimidated Scooter into hanging out with her during her days as a bully in 1994. Scooter eventually marries Lily's doppelganger, Jasmine the stripper.

text: Gary Blauman[edit]

text: Played by Taran Killam, Cobie Smulders' real life husband, Gary was Barney and Marshall's coworker until he quit. In "The Chain of Screaming", Barney claims his life went downhill after being fired and that he eventually died. However, Blauman appears in later episodes; he inexplicably starts hanging out with Bilson when the two of them start working for Goliath National Bank. In "Gary Blauman", it is revealed that he slept with Barney's brother James, in an affair leading to Tom and James nearly getting divorced.

text: Don Frank[edit]

text: Played by Benjamin Koldyke, Don is Robin's boyfriend and co-anchor in season 5, despite Robin originally disliking him. Robin decides to move into his apartment in "Twin Beds". She is offered a job in Chicago but decides to stay for him. When offered the same job, Don accepts. In "Unfinished", a drunken Robin is shown calling him, leaving death threats as she never got over their breakup.

text: Doug Martin[edit]

text: Played by Will Sasso, Doug is an angry, violent bartender who beats up three men for sitting in the gang's booth. Although he appears in the background of several significant events, he is only pointed out by Future Ted in "The Fight".

text: Jeanette Peterson[edit]

text: Played by Abby Elliott, Jeanette is the last person Ted dates before The Mother. A New York Police Department officer who stalks Ted for roughly a year and a half after he was featured in a magazine, Jeanette is described by the gang as "crazy" after she messes up Ted's apartment, destroys Barney's Playbook and throws Robin's locket off a bridge. It is revealed in "Gary Blauman" that she ended up with Kevin the psychiatrist.

text: Becky[edit]

text: Played by Laura Bell Bundy, Becky is Robin's replacement co-anchor for Don Frank at the morning talk show Come On, Get Up New York!, and starts to eclipse Robin in the show. Her hyperactivity and cheerfulness wins over the production staff, but Robin dislikes her as she fails to remain professional on camera. In "Canning Randy", she does a commercial about boats, giving her the nickname "Boats Boats Boats". She marries The Captain.

text: Curtis[edit]

text: Played by Roger Bart. He is the front desk clerk at the Farhampton Inn, who works there until at least 2024.[28] He is unintentionally condescending to Ted upon learning he is single. When The Mother shows up at the inn in the middle of the night, he gives her a key to Robin's mother's empty room.

text: Claudia and Stuart Bowers[edit]

text: Claudia and Stuart are played by Virginia Williams and Matt Boren. Claudia and Stuart are about to get married when they make their first appearance. While Stuart is an easy-going, sensitive, and plain-looking man, Claudia is an attractive, blunt and somewhat high-strung woman; despite their differences, they have a good relationship. As their wedding approaches, Claudia becomes increasingly stressed and refuses to allow Ted to bring Robin as a last-minute date to the wedding. Ted persuades Stuart, behind Claudia's back, to allow him to bring Robin. Claudia and Stuart argue over this and break up before the wedding, although Marshall manages to convince them to get back together. However, as the show progresses, it's shown that Stuart and Claudia have a toxic and unstable relationship.

text: The couple make minor recurring appearances afterward. Stuart attends Marshall's bachelor party in "Bachelor Party", where it's suggested he regrets marrying Claudia. He also briefly appears in "Intervention". In "Baby Talk", he and Claudia are seen to have a daughter named Esther. Stuart makes another appearance in "The Over-Correction", where Ted blames him for failing to return Ted's red cowboy boots. In "The Poker Game", Stuart claims to have given Marshall and Lily a coffeemaker for their wedding, when it was really Ted's present. In that episode it is also revealed that Stuart has been cheating on Claudia.

text: The Doppelgängers[edit]

text: In "Double Date", Ted mentions that the group has seen people who look exactly like them. This theme of five doppelgängers, one for each of the main characters (excluding The Mother), continues throughout several episodes.

text: The first three doppelgängers are seen in "Double Date". "Moustache Marshall" appears on an advert on the side of a bus, and is spotted by Barney in MacLaren's. "Lesbian Robin" is seen in the streets of New York. "Stripper Lily" (known by the name "Jasmine") works at the Lusty Leopard and also appears in "46 Minutes" and "Gary Blauman", eventually marrying Scooter. "Mexican Wrestler Ted" is discovered in "Robots Versus Wrestlers".

text: Barney's doppelgänger is the most significant; Lily and Marshall want a sign from "the universe" that they are ready to have children, and agree to start trying once they see Barney's double. In "Doppelgangers", Marshall meets a cab driver who he thinks is Barney's doppelgänger, but who turns out to be Barney in disguise. Lily then sees a pretzel vendor and thinks he is the double; in reality, the vendor looks nothing like Barney but they begin to try to have children as Marshall claims it means that Lily is subconsciously ready to have kids. Barney's real doppelgänger, Doctor John Stangel, is revealed in "Bad News". He is a fertility doctor, making Lily uncomfortable as she is convinced he is Barney in disguise.

text: Guest stars[edit]

text:
Maury Povich in "Subway Wars": a recurring joke in the episode is that the gang see Maury Povich everywhere and he appears in many scenes that occur simultaneously.[29]
Regis Philbin, along with Marshall, tries to track down "The Best Burger in New York". He also hosts the fictional show Million Dollar Heads or Tails.[30]
Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, Marissa Miller, Miranda Kerr and Adrianna Lima of Victoria's Secret appear in "The Yips".[31][32]
Marshall imagines a conversation between him and pictures of Kim Kardashian, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag on the front page of his magazine in "Benefits". Scenes were shot on November 12, 2008.[33]
Boyz II Men (Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman) sing "You Just Got Slapped" at the end of "Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra". Their appearance was described as "a decent surprise" by one critic;[34] another said their cameo "didn't make sense";[35] a third described it as "way random".[36]
"Weird Al" Yankovic reads a fan letter from Ted in "Noretta".[37]
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka appear in "The Bro Mitzvah" as a surprise at Barney's bachelor party;[38] William Zabka also appears in 6 other episodes from "The Broken Code" to "The End of the Aisle", attending Barney's wedding.[39]
Emmit Smith guest stars in "Monday Night Football": Barney meets him when he tries to find out the Super Bowl result. One critic said his "60-second bit was not funny".[40]
Jim Nantz appears in "Perfect Week" and "Last Forever – Part 2"; in both episodes, Barney imagines being interviewed by him. In "Perfect Week", his appearance was complimented by Donna Bowman from The A.V. Club.[41]
Frank Viola phones Marshall, who is unable to speak to him because of a jinx, in "The Final Page – Part 1".[42]
Nick Swisher, a former New York Yankee, walks into MacLaren's during "Perfect Week". This attracts the attention of the girl Barney was trying to pick up. His appearance on the show was first announced in December 2009; his episode aired in February 2010.[43][44]
Funk musician George Clinton appears in "Where Were We?", in a scene imagined by Marshall. Robin Pierson said Clinton's scene was "pure silliness" and Marshall's imaginings were "just a stupid excuse to give Clinton a part on the show".[45]
Game show host Bob Barker appears in "Showdown", hosting The Price is Right in which Barney competes. Barney claims Bob Barker is his father, a lie told by his mother. Staci Krause said "Barney's emotional closing words to Bob Barker almost brought tears to [her] eyes".[46] Pierson said "the writers handled [Barney's storyline] beautifully".[47]
Tim Gunn appears in 5 episodes from "Girls Versus Suits" to "The End of the Aisle". First appearing in the 100th episode of the show,[48] he is Barney's tailor and in season 9, goes to Farhampton during Barney's wedding weekend. Tim Gunn designs Barney's wedding tux;[49] they play poker together in "The Poker Game" and in "Sunrise", a drunk Barney takes Justin and Kyle to Tim Gunn to be fitted for suits. Brian Zoromski said Gunn "seemed a little bit stilted in his delivery";[50] however, Hannigan said he was "more popular than Britney Spears" and that she "[wanted] him back in every episode".[51] He was third in a list of best guest stars in the show by Bustle.[52]
Alex Trebek appears in "False Positive" and "P.S. I Love You". In the former, a Christmas special,[53] he hosts the fictional game show Million Dollar Heads or Tails; it was announced Trebek would appear in the show on December 13 by TV Guide on November 17, 2014.[54][55] Later, Trebek appeared alongside a number of Canadian guest stars in "P.S. I Love You" in an episode centered around "Robin Sparkles".[56][57][58]
Alan Thicke appears in 5 episodes from "Sandcastles in the Sand" to "The Rehearsal Dinner". In the Robin Sparkles music video "Sandcastles in the Sand," he was cast as Sparkles' dad.[59] In "The Rough Patch", he was hired by Lily to help with a plan to break Robin and Barney up; one critic said about the episode "anything Alan Thicke-related was funny"[60] while another said the highlight of the episode was Thicke telling Barney that he and Robin once worked together on a Canadian variety show.[61] It was revealed in "Glitter" that Thicke worked with Robin and Jessica Glitter in the variety show "Space Teens".[62] Thicke appeared in "P.S. I Love You", where he beats Barney easily in a fight, after Barney mistakenly thinks Robin had a crush on Thicke as a teenager.[63] Thicke's final appearance on the show was in "The Rehearsal Dinner", where he sings a Crash Test Dummies song.[64][65] However, Thicke also appeared on a website made specifically for the show, CanadianSexActs.org, featured in the episode "Old King Clancy".[66][67]
Jason Priestley, Paul Schaeffer, Geddy Lee, Dave Coulier, k.d. Lang, Luc Robitaille and Steven Page appear in a fictional documentary during "P.S. I Love You"; it was announced these Canadian guest stars would appear in a Robin Sparkles-related episode on January 7, 2013, roughly a month before the episode aired.[56][57][58]

text: Other characters[edit]

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ Marvin appeared in "Desperation Day", "Noretta", "Tailgate", "The Pre-Nup" and "Sunrise".

tag: ol


document_title: American History X

question_text: who dies at the end of american history x

root

text: American History X

text: Plot[edit]

text: High school student Danny Vinyard receives an assignment from his history teacher Mr. Murray to write a paper on "any book which relates to the struggle for human rights." Knowing Murray is Jewish, Danny writes his paper on Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Murray attempts to get Danny expelled for doing this, but African-American Principal Dr. Bob Sweeney refuses, instead informing Danny that he will study history and current events under Sweeney, and that the class will be called "American History X." Danny's first assignment is to prepare a paper on his brother Derek, a former neo-Nazi leader.

tag: p

text: A few years earlier, Danny and Derek's father Dennis Vinyard was murdered by black drug dealers after being sent on a call to fight a fire in a drug den. In a television interview conducted after Dennis's death, Derek erupts in a long racist tirade. Shortly thereafter, Cameron Alexander and Derek form a white supremacist gang called the Disciples of Christ (D.O.C.). As a skilled basketball player, Derek is reluctantly dragged into a 3-on-3 game against several members of the Crips in which the prize is control of the recreation center basketball courts. After winning with his friends, Derek leads a large gang of skinheads to attack a supermarket owned by a Korean that included African-American and Latino workers. Derek's mother Doris invites Murray, whom she is dating, home for dinner, which turns into a full-blown argument between Derek and Murray, causing them to leave. That night, as Danny hears people attempting to steal Dennis' truck, Derek shoots and kills one of the thieves and curb stomps another, before being arrested. He is sentenced to three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

text: Derek is given a job in the prison laundry and assigned to be the partner of Lamont, a black man who is serving six years for assaulting a police officer. The pair later develop a rapport over their shared love of basketball. Derek joins the Aryan Brotherhood, but after about a year, he becomes disillusioned because some members have ties to other prison gangs who are of different ethnicities. As punishment, he is beaten and sodomized in the shower by the Aryan Brotherhood members; Derek recovers and is visited by Sweeney, whom he asks for help to be paroled. Sweeney informs him of Danny's involvement with neo-Nazis, and warns that he is on the same path as Derek. Derek further distances himself from the Aryan Brotherhood and spends the remainder of his time in prison alone, reading books that Sweeney sends him. Finally realizing the error of his ways, Derek leaves prison a changed man. Upon arriving home, he finds that Danny has a D.O.C. tattoo and tries to persuade him to leave the gang. They subsequently go to a neo-Nazi party, where Derek tells Cameron that he and Danny will no longer associate with the movement; this causes Cameron, Derek's girlfriend, and all the other neo-Nazis to turn on him. After leaving the party, Derek tells Danny about his experience in prison, which seems to prompt a change in Danny.

text: The next morning, Danny finishes his paper, which reflects on why he had adopted Nazi values and why they were deeply flawed. Derek walks Danny to school, and on their way they stop at a diner. Sweeney and a police officer tell Derek that his friend Seth and Cameron were attacked the previous night. At school, Danny is ambushed and killed in the bathroom by a young black student named Little Henry. Derek arrives at the school and mourns for Danny.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong as Danny Vinyard
Beverly D'Angelo as Doris Vinyard
Jennifer Lien as Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee as Seth Ryan
Fairuza Balk as Stacey
Avery Brooks as Dr. Bob Sweeney
Elliott Gould as Murray
Stacy Keach as Cameron Alexander
William Russ as Dennis Vinyard
Guy Torry as Lamont
Joseph Cortese as Rasmussen
Antonio David Lyons as Lawrence
Keram Malicki-Sánchez as Chris
Giuseppe Andrews as Jason
Christopher Masterson as Daryl Dawson
Paul Le Mat as McMahon

text: Production[edit]

text: Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California.[3] With some suggestions from New Line, director Tony Kaye made a second heavily shortened cut, which New Line rejected as it bore little resemblance to the first. Film editor Jerry Greenberg was brought in to cut a third version with Edward Norton.

text: Kaye disowned the third version as the final cut of the film, as he did not approve of its quality.[4] He tried and failed to have his name removed from the credits,[5][6] openly telling some interviewers he tried to invoke the Alan Smithee pseudonym which the Directors Guild of America used to reserve for such cases. When his request was denied, Kaye tried "Humpty Dumpty" as an alternative name.

text: Joaquin Phoenix was offered the role of Derek Vinyard but turned it down.[7]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: All music composed by Anne Dudley.

text:
No.
Title
Length

1.
"American History X"
4:46

2.
"The Assignment"
2:36

3.
"Venice Beach"
1:28

4.
"Playing to Win"
3:49

5.
"People Look at Me and See My Brother"
1:41

6.
"If I Had Testified"
4:05

7.
"A Stranger at My Table"
3:31

8.
"Putting Up a Flag"
2:06

9.
"Raiders"
3:02

10.
"Complications"
1:38

11.
"Starting to Remind Me of You"
1:43

12.
"The Right Questions"
3:24

13.
"The Path to Redemption"
2:56

14.
"We Are Not Enemies"
2:05

15.
"Two Brothers"
2:31

16.
"Storm Clouds Gathering"
2:04

17.
"Benedictus"
3:35

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: American History X was released on October 30, 1998 and grossed $156,076 in seventeen theaters during its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $6,719,864 from 513 theaters in the United States, and a total of $23,875,127 worldwide.[1]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film received positive reviews upon release with many critics directing particular praise towards Edward Norton's performance. Based on the reviews of 82 critics collected on Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.3/10; the website's consensus reads: "A compelling and provocative story led by an excellent performance by Edward Norton."[8] By comparison, on Metacritic, the film holds a 62/100 average rating based on 32 reviews of top mainstream critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]

text: Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, awarding American History X four stars out of four, described it as "a shockingly powerful screed against racism that also manages to be so well performed and directed that it is entertaining as well" and stated that it was "also effective at demonstrating how hate is taught from one generation to another." Siskel singled out Norton's performance and called him "the immediate front-runner" for an Oscar.[10] Todd McCarthy, writing for Variety, gave the film a positive review stating, "This jolting, superbly acted film will draw serious-minded upscale viewers interested in cutting-edge fare." He gave special praise to Norton's performance, saying "His Derek mesmerizes even as he repels, and the actor fully exposes the human being behind the tough poses and attitudinizing."[11] The New York Times's Janet Maslin wrote, "Though its story elements are all too easily reduced to a simple outline, American History X has enough fiery acting and provocative bombast to make its impact felt. For one thing, its willingness to take on ugly political realities gives it a substantial raison d'être. For another, it has been directed with a mixture of handsome photo-realism and visceral punch."[12] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, stating that it was "always interesting and sometimes compelling, and it contains more actual provocative thought than any American film on race since Do the Right Thing." He was critical though of the film's underdeveloped areas, stating that "the movie never convincingly charts Derek's path to race hatred" and noting that "in trying to resolve the events of four years in one day, it leaves its shortcuts showing". Nevertheless, Ebert concluded, "This is a good and powerful film. If I am dissatisfied, it is because it contains the promise of being more than it is."[13]

text: Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle expressed disappointment at the film, though he did praise Norton's performance as Derek, commenting that he "is perfect for the role". LaSalle felt that while the film succeeded in portraying Derek's descent into neo-Nazism, it failed to portray his renouncement of his past beliefs: "We had to watch him think his way in. We should see him think his way out." LaSalle also noted other problems: "In some places the dialogue is surprisingly stilted. Far worse, the ending is a misfire."[14] Stephen Hunter, writing for The Washington Post, was highly critical of the film and gave it a negative review. He called it "a mousy little nothing of a picture, an old melodramatic formula hidden under pretentious TV-commercial-slick photography, postmodernist narrative stylings and violations of various laws of probability."[15]

text: Awards and honors[edit]

text: Norton was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Derek Vinyard, but lost to Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful.

text: Norton's performance was ranked by Total Film as the 72nd greatest film performance of all time.[16] Norton's Academy Award loss was also included on Empire list of "22 Incredibly Shocking Oscars Injustices".[17]

text:
Award
Category
Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
Result
Ref.

Academy Awards
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Nominated
[18]

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Nominated
[19]

Golden Reel Awards
Best Sound Editing: Music Score in a Feature Film
Richard Ford
Nominated
[20]

Golden Satellite Awards
Best Original Screenplay
David McKenna
Nominated
[21]

Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Edward Norton
Won

Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Beverly D'Angelo
Nominated

Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Nominated
[22]

Political Film Society Awards
Peace
—
Nominated
[23]

Saturn Awards
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Nominated
[24]

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Won
[25]

Taormina International Film Festival
Best Actor
Edward Norton
Won
[26]

Youth in Film Awards
Best Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film
Edward Furlong
Nominated
[27]

text: The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

text: 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated[28]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released on VHS by New Line Home Entertainment on August 24, 1999.[29] The film was later released on DVD in both 2002[30] and 2008[31] and on Blu-ray on April 7, 2009.[32]


document_title: List of most-viewed YouTube videos

question_text: what's the video with the most views on youtube

question_tokens: what 's the video with the most views on youtube

text: List of most-viewed YouTube videos

text: Top videos

text: The following table lists the top 100 most viewed videos on YouTube, with each total rounded to the nearest 10 million views, as well as the creator and date of publication to YouTube.[B]

text:
Top 100 most-viewed YouTube videos[14][15]

#

Video name

Uploader / artist

Views (billions)

Upload date

Note

1.
"Despacito"[16]
Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee
5.65
January 12, 2017
[C]

2.
"Shape of You"[21]
Ed Sheeran
3.87
January 30, 2017
[D]

3.
"See You Again"[22]
Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
3.84
April 6, 2015
[E]

4.
"Uptown Funk"[29]
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
3.31
November 19, 2014
[F]

5.
"Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster"[30]
Get Movies
3.30
January 31, 2012
[G]

6.
"Gangnam Style"[31]
Psy
3.23
July 15, 2012
[H]

7.
"Sorry"[36]
Justin Bieber
3.03
October 22, 2015
[I]

8.
"Sugar"[37]
Maroon 5
2.79
January 14, 2015

9.
"Shake It Off"[38]
Taylor Swift
2.67
August 18, 2014

10.
"Roar"[39]
Katy Perry
2.65
September 5, 2013

11.
"Bailando"[40]
Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona
2.62
April 11, 2014

12.
"Thinking Out Loud"[41]
Ed Sheeran
2.52
October 7, 2014

13.
"Counting Stars"[42]
OneRepublic
2.49
May 31, 2013

14.
"Dark Horse"[43]
Katy Perry featuring Juicy J
2.45
February 20, 2014

15.
"Lean On"[44]
Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ
2.42
March 22, 2015

16.
"Hello"[45]
Adele
2.42
October 22, 2015
[J]

17.
"Blank Space"[47]
Taylor Swift
2.36
November 10, 2014

18.
"Chantaje"[48]
Shakira featuring Maluma
2.27
November 18, 2016

19.
"All About That Bass"[49]
Meghan Trainor
2.23
June 11, 2014

20.
"Closer (Lyric video)"[50]
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
2.19
July 29, 2016
[K]

21.
"Wheels on the Bus"[51]
LittleBabyBum
2.16
August 9, 2014

22.
"Let Her Go"[52]
Passenger
2.13
July 25, 2012

23.
"This Is What You Came For"[53]
Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
2.12
June 16, 2016

24.
"Mi Gente"[54]
J Balvin and Willy William
2.09
June 29, 2017

25.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"[55]
Shakira featuring Freshlyground
2.08
June 4, 2010

26.
"Faded"[56]
Alan Walker
2.04
December 3, 2015

27.
"Baby"[57]
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
2.00
February 19, 2010
[L]

28.
"We Don't Talk Anymore"[60]
Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez
1.96
August 2, 2016

29.
"Rockabye"[61]
Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie
1.96
October 21, 2016

30.
"What Do You Mean?"[62]
Justin Bieber
1.95
August 30, 2015

31.
"Work from Home"[63]
Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
1.94
February 26, 2016

32.
"Chandelier"[64]
Sia
1.93
May 6, 2014

33.
"Baby Shark Dance"[65]
Pinkfong! Kids' Songs & Stories
1.88
June 17, 2016

34.
"Love Me Like You Do"[66]
Ellie Goulding
1.82
January 22, 2015

35.
"Wake Me Up"[67]
Avicii
1.70
July 29, 2013

36.
"Échame la Culpa"[68]
Luis Fonsi and Demi Lovato
1.65
November 16, 2017

37.
"Love the Way You Lie"[69]
Eminem featuring Rihanna
1.63
August 5, 2010

38.
"Worth It"[70]
Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink
1.63
March 28, 2015

39.
"Treat You Better"[71]
Shawn Mendes
1.62
July 12, 2016

40.
"Criminal"[72]
Natti Natasha and Ozuna
1.61
August 18, 2017

41.
"Let It Go"[73]
Idina Menzel
1.60
January 30, 2014
[M]

42.
"Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge"[75]
Ryan ToysReview
1.59
April 13, 2016

43.
"Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)"[76]
Silentó
1.58
June 25, 2015

44.
"Johny Johny Yes Papa" (compilation)[77]
ChuChu TV
1.56
November 14, 2014
[N]

45.
"Rude"[79]
Magic!
1.56
December 5, 2013

46.
"Party Rock Anthem"[80]
LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
1.56
March 8, 2011

47.
"Stressed Out"[81]
Twenty One Pilots
1.54
April 27, 2015

48.
"Ay Vamos"[82]
J Balvin
1.52
August 29, 2014

49.
"Perfect"[83]
Ed Sheeran
1.52
November 9, 2017

50.
"The Gummy Bear Song"[84]
icanrockyourworld
1.52
October 9, 2007
[O]

51.
"New Rules"[85]
Dua Lipa
1.51
July 7, 2017

52.
"The Lazy Song"[86]
Bruno Mars
1.49
April 15, 2011

53.
"Vente Pa' Ca"[87]
Ricky Martin featuring Maluma
1.45
September 22, 2016

54.
"Hotline Bling"[88]
Drake
1.45
October 26, 2015

55.
"Axel F"[89]
Crazy Frog
1.44
June 16, 2009

56.
"Felices los 4"[90]
Maluma
1.42
April 21, 2017

57.
"Rolling in the Deep"[91]
Adele
1.42
November 30, 2010

58.
"Love Yourself"[92]
Justin Bieber
1.42
November 14, 2015

59.
"Side to Side"[93]
Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
1.42
August 29, 2016

60.
"Starboy"[94]
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
1.42
September 28, 2016

61.
"Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)"[95]
CNCO
1.41
October 7, 2016

62.
"Propuesta Indecente"[96]
Romeo Santos
1.40
September 9, 2013

63.
"Something Just like This (Lyric video)"[97]
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
1.38
February 22, 2017

64.
"Havana (Audio)"[98]
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
1.38
August 3, 2017

65.
"All of Me"[99]
John Legend
1.38
October 2, 2013

66.
"Mayores"[100]
Becky G and Bad Bunny
1.37
July 13, 2017

67.
"That's What I Like"[101]
Bruno Mars
1.35
March 2, 2017

68.
"Hasta el Amanecer"[102]
Nicky Jam
1.35
January 14, 2016

69.
"Te Boté (Remix)"[103]
Nio Garcia, Darell and Casper Magico featuring Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam and Ozuna
1.34
April 11, 2018

70.
"X"[104]
Nicky Jam and J Balvin
1.34
March 1, 2018

71.
"Johny Johny Yes Papa"[105]
LooLoo Kids
1.33
October 8, 2016

72.
"Andas en Mi Cabeza"[106]
Chino & Nacho featuring Daddy Yankee
1.31
April 20, 2016

73.
"Burn"[107]
Ellie Goulding
1.28
July 7, 2013

74.
"On the Floor"[108]
Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
1.28
March 3, 2011

75.
"The Hills"[109]
The Weeknd
1.27
May 27, 2015

76.
"Shaky Shaky"[110]
Daddy Yankee
1.27
July 14, 2016

77.
"Corazón"[111]
Maluma featuring Nego do Borel
1.24
December 8, 2017

78.
"How Deep Is Your Love"[112]
Calvin Harris featuring Disciples
1.24
August 6, 2015

79.
"Diamonds"[113]
Rihanna
1.24
November 8, 2012

80.
"Bad Blood"[114]
Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar
1.24
May 17, 2015

81.
"Summer"[115]
Calvin Harris
1.24
April 6, 2014

82.
"Hey Mama"[116]
David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack
1.24
May 19, 2015

83.
"Thrift Shop"[117]
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
1.24
August 29, 2012

84.
"Bang Bang"[118]
Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
1.24
August 25, 2014

85.
"Just the Way You Are"[119]
Bruno Mars
1.23
September 8, 2010

86.
"Me Rehúso (Audio)"[120]
Danny Ocean
1.22
September 18, 2016

87.
"Animals"[121]
Martin Garrix
1.22
June 17, 2013

88.
"La Bicicleta"[122]
Carlos Vives and Shakira
1.21
July 8, 2016

89.
"Swalla"[123]
Jason Derulo featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign
1.21
March 17, 2017

90.
"Picky"[124]
Joey Montana
1.21
June 29, 2015

91.
"El Pollito Pio"[125]
Pulcino Pio
1.21
November 29, 2012

92.
"Cheap Thrills (Lyric video)"[126]
Sia featuring Sean Paul
1.20
February 11, 2016

93.
"Someone like You"[127]
Adele
1.20
September 29, 2011

94.
"Gentleman"[128]
Psy
1.20
April 13, 2013

95.
"El Perdón"[129]
Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias
1.18
March 23, 2015

96.
"Déjala Que Vuelva"[130]
Piso 21 featuring Manuel Turizo
1.18
October 19, 2017

97.
"Masha and the Bear: Bon appétit!"[131]
Get Movies
1.17
September 21, 2012

98.
"Don't Let Me Down"[132]
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
1.17
April 29, 2016

99.
"Girls Like You"[133]
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
1.17
May 30, 2018

100.
"Not Afraid"[134]
Eminem
1.17
June 4, 2010

As of October 29, 2018

text: By year of release

text: The following table lists the current top 5 most viewed YouTube videos uploaded in each year, with each total rounded to the nearest ten million views, as well as the uploader and date of publication to YouTube.[P]

text: As of  October 2018[update], Katy Perry and Adele have the most appearances on the list with three each. Only Linkin Park (2007), icanrockyourworld (2007) and Luis Fonsi (2017) have two videos in the top 5 of a single year, with both the English and French versions of Gummibär's The Gummy Bear Song being in the top five videos of 2007. Only three videos on the list are not music videos.

text:
Top 5 most-viewed YouTube videos each year

Year

Video name

Uploader

Views (billions)

Upload date

Notes

2005

"Life Goes On"[135]
fhearnoiz
0.11
September 22, 2005

"Tarzan Boy"[136]
nailofgilead
0.10
November 2, 2005

"guitar"[137]
guitar90
0.09
December 20, 2005

"Hurt"[138]
beachbuggy
0.09
December 12, 2005

"Bohemian Rhapsody"[139]
Frozentoast
0.06
September 18, 2005

Combined views (2005)

0.45

[140][141]

2006  [Q]

"Galinha Pintadinha - videoclip infantil animado"[142]
Galinha Pintadinha
0.53
December 28, 2006

"Ella y Yo"[143]
JosephIngma
0.39
April 27, 2006

"Evolution of Dance"[144]
Judson Laipply
0.30
April 6, 2006
[R]

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"[145]
Fueled By Ramen
0.25
July 18, 2006

"If you are happy"[146]
Alicia Kids!
0.18
September 5, 2006

Combined views (2006)

1.65

[147][148]

2007  [S]

"The Gummy Bear Song"[84]
icanrockyourworld
1.52
October 9, 2007

"Numb"[149]
Linkin Park
0.98
March 4, 2007

"Charlie Bit My Finger"[150]
HDCYT
0.86
May 22, 2007
[T]

"Je m'appelle Funny Bear"[151]
icanrockyourworld
0.37
October 15, 2007

"What I've Done"[152]
Linkin Park
0.36
April 3, 2007

Combined views (2007)

4.09

[147][148]

2008

"Hot n Cold"[153]
Katy Perry
0.85
October 13, 2008

"Bohemian Rhapsody"[154]
Queen Official
0.65
August 1, 2008

"Pintinho Amarelinho - DVD Galena Pintadinha"[155]
Galinha Pintadinha
0.61
September 15, 2008

"Viva la Vida"[156]
Coldplay
0.52
August 4, 2008

"Colgando en tus manos"[157]
Carlos Baute
0.44
October 29, 2008

Combined views (2008)

3.07

[147]

2009

"Axel F"[89]
Crazy Frog
1.44
June 16, 2009

"November Rain"[158]
Guns N' Roses
1.04
December 24, 2009

"Bad Romance"[159]
Lady Gaga
0.97
November 23, 2009
[U]

"You Belong with Me"[160]
Taylor Swift
0.88
June 16, 2009

"Zombie"[161]
The Cranberries
0.79
June 16, 2009

Combined views (2009)

5.12

[147]

2010

"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"[55]
Shakira
2.08
June 4, 2010

"Baby"[57]
Justin Bieber
2.00
February 19, 2010
[V]

"Love the Way You Lie"[69]
Eminem
1.63
August 5, 2010

"Rolling in the Deep"[91]
Adele
1.42
November 30, 2010

"Just the Way You Are"[119]
Bruno Mars
1.23
September 8, 2010

Combined views (2010)

8.36

[147]

2011

"Party Rock Anthem"[80]
LMFAO
1.56
March 8, 2011

"The Lazy Song"[86]
Bruno Mars
1.49
April 15, 2011

"On the Floor"[108]
Jennifer Lopez
1.28
March 3, 2011

"Someone like You"[127]
Adele
1.20
September 29, 2011

"Somebody That I Used to Know"[162]
Gotye
1.13
July 5, 2011

Combined views (2011)

6.66

[147]

2012

"Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster"[30]
Get Movies
3.30
January 31, 2012

"Gangnam Style"[31]
Psy
3.23
July 15, 2012
[W]

"Let Her Go"[52]
Passenger
2.13
July 25, 2012

"Diamonds"[113]
Rihanna
1.24
November 8, 2012

"Thrift Shop"[117]
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
1.24
August 29, 2012

Combined views (2012)

11.14

[147]

2013

"Roar"[39]
Katy Perry
2.65
September 5, 2013

"Counting Stars"[42]
OneRepublic
2.49
May 31, 2013

"Wake Me Up"[67]
Avicii
1.70
July 29, 2013

"Rude"[79]
Magic!
1.56
December 5, 2013

"Propuesta Indecente"[96]
Romeo Santos
1.40
September 9, 2013

Combined views (2013)

9.80

[147]

2014

"Uptown Funk"[29]
Mark Ronson
3.31
November 19, 2014

"Shake It Off"[38]
Taylor Swift
2.67
August 18, 2014

"Bailando"[40]
Enrique Iglesias
2.62
April 11, 2014

"Thinking Out Loud"[41]
Ed Sheeran
2.52
October 7, 2014

"Dark Horse"[43]
Katy Perry
2.45
February 20, 2014

Combined views (2014)

13.57

[147]

2015

"See You Again"[22]
Wiz Khalifa
3.84
April 6, 2015
[X]

"Sorry"[36]
Justin Bieber
3.03
October 22, 2015

"Sugar"[37]
Maroon 5
2.79
January 14, 2015

"Lean On"[44]
Major Lazer
2.42
March 22, 2015

"Hello"[45]
Adele
2.42
October 22, 2015

Combined views (2015)

14.50

[147]

2016

"Chantaje"[48]
Shakira
2.27
November 18, 2016

"Closer (Lyric video)"[50]
The Chainsmokers
2.19
July 29, 2016

"This Is What You Came For"[53]
Calvin Harris
2.12
June 16, 2016

"We Don't Talk Anymore"[60]
Charlie Puth
1.96
August 2, 2016

"Rockabye"[61]
Clean Bandit
1.96
October 21, 2016

Combined views (2016)

10.50

[147]

2017

"Despacito"[16]
Luis Fonsi
5.65
January 12, 2017
[Y]

"Shape of You"[21]
Ed Sheeran
3.87
January 30, 2017

"Mi Gente"[54]
J Balvin
2.09
June 29, 2017

"Échame la Culpa"[68]
Luis Fonsi
1.65
November 16, 2017

"Criminal"[72]
Pina Records
1.61
August 18, 2017

Combined views (2017)

14.87

[147]

2018

"Te Boté (Remix)"[103]
Flow La Movie
1.34
April 11, 2018

"X"[104]
Nicky Jam
1.34
March 1, 2018

"Girls Like You"[133]
Maroon 5
1.17
May 30, 2018

"Dura"[163]
Daddy Yankee
1.14
January 18, 2018

"El Farsante (Remix)"[164]
Ozuna
1.06
January 30, 2018

Combined views (2018)

6.05

[147]

As of October 12, 2018

text: Historical most viewed videos

text: The following table lists the last 15 videos to become YouTube's most viewed video, from October 2005 to the present.

text:
Progression of the most-viewed video on YouTube

Video name

Uploader

Views*

Upload date

Date achieved

Days held

Ref(s)

Notes

"Despacito"[16]
Luis Fonsi
2,993,700,000
Jan 12, 2017
Aug 04, 2017
452
[165]
[Z]

"See You Again"[22]
Wiz Khalifa
2,894,000,000
Apr 06, 2015
Jul 10, 2017
25
[167]

"Gangnam Style"[31]
Psy
803,700,000
Jul 15, 2012
Nov 24, 2012
1,689
[32]
[AA]

"Baby"[57]
Justin Bieber
245,400,000
Feb 19, 2010
Jul 16, 2010
862
[58]
[AB]

"Bad Romance"[159]
Lady Gaga
178,400,000
Nov 23, 2009
Apr 14, 2010
93
[171]
[AC]

"Charlie Bit My Finger"[150]
HDCYT
128,900,000
May 22, 2007
Oct 25, 2009
171
[174]

"Evolution of Dance"[144]
Judson Laipply
118,900,000
Apr 06, 2006
May 2, 2009
176
[175]

"Girlfriend"[176][177]
RCA Records
92,600,000
Feb 27, 2007
Jul 17, 2008
289
[178]

"Evolution of Dance"[144]
Judson Laipply
78,400,000
Apr 06, 2006
Mar 15, 2008
124
[179]

"Music Is My Hot Hot Sex"[180]
CLARUSBARTEL72
76,600,000
Apr 09, 2007
Mar 1, 2008
14
[181]
[AD]

"Evolution of Dance"[144]
Judson Laipply
10,600,000
Apr 06, 2006
May 19, 2006
652
[184]
[AE]

"Pokemon Theme Music Video"[185]
Smosh
4,300,000
Nov 28, 2005
Mar 12, 2006
68
[186]
[AF]

"Myspace – The Movie"[189][190]
eggtea
2,700,000
Jan 31, 2006
Feb 18, 2006
22
[191]

"Phony Photo Booth"[192]
mugenized
3,400,000
Dec 01, 2005
Jan 21, 2006
28
[193]
[AG]

"The Chronic of Narnia Rap"[194]
youtubedude
2,300,000
Dec 18, 2005
Jan 09, 2006
12
[195]

"Ronaldinho: Touch of Gold"[196]
Nikesoccer
255,000
Oct 21, 2005
Oct 31, 2005
70
[197]
[AH]

"I/O Brush"[200]
larfus
247,000
Oct 05, 2005
Oct 29, 2005
2
[201]

As of October 30, 2018

text: *The approximate number of views each video had when it became YouTube's most viewed video.

text: Timeline of most viewed videos (Oct 2005 - Oct 2018)

text: № 1 most viewed video (Oct 2005 - Jun 2006)

text: № 1 most viewed video (Apr 2006 - Jan 2010)

text: № 1 most viewed video (Oct 2009 - Jan 2013)

text: № 1 most viewed video (Jan 2012 - Oct 2018)


document_title: Snowy owl

question_text: do snowy owls live in the northern or southern hemisphere

text: Snowy owl

text: Taxonomy[edit]

text: The snowy owl was one of the many bird species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, where it was given the binomial name of Strix scandiaca.[2] The genus name Bubo is Latin for the Eurasian eagle-owl and scandiaca is New Latin for Scandinavia.[3]

text: Until recently, the snowy owl was regarded as the sole member of a distinct genus, as Nyctea scandiaca, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data (Olsen et al. 2002) shows that it is very closely related to the horned owls in the genus Bubo. However, some authorities debate this classification, still preferring Nyctea.[4]

text: Description[edit]

text: This yellow-eyed, black-beaked white bird is easily recognisable. It is 52–71 cm (20–28 in) long, with a 125–150 cm (49–59 in) wingspan. Also, these owls can weigh anywhere from 1.6 to 3 kg (3.5 to 6.6 lb). The average lifespan in the wild is ten years.[5] It is one of the largest species of owl and, in North America, is on average the heaviest owl species. The adult male is virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark spots; the young are heavily barred, and dark spotting may even predominate. Its thick plumage, heavily feathered taloned feet, and colouration render the snowy owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle.

text: Snowy owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee or prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gahw. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak.

text: Distribution and habitat[edit]

text: The snowy owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home north of latitude 60° north. However, it is a particularly nomadic bird, and because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate, it has been known to breed at more southerly latitudes. During the last glacial period, there was a Central European subspecies, Bubo scandiacus gallicus, but no modern subspecies are recognized.

text: Snowy owls nest in the Arctic tundra of the northernmost stretches of Alaska, Northern Canada, and Eurasia. They winter south through Canada and northern Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. Snowy owls are attracted to open areas like coastal dunes and prairies that appear somewhat similar to tundra. During irruption years when they are found in the Northeastern US, juveniles frequent developed areas, as well as the expected grassland/agricultural areas that older birds primarily utilize. All ages spend a fair amount of their time over water in the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean, mostly on ice floes.[6] They have been reported as far south as the American Gulf Coast states, Hawaii, southernmost Russia, and northern China.

text: In the Late Pleistocene the range expanded southward to Bulgaria (80,000–16,000 years, Kozarnika Cave, W Bulgaria),[7] and much of the Italian Peninsula.[8]

text: In February 1886, a snowy owl landed on the rigging of the Nova Scotia steamship Ulunda on the edge of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, over 600 km (370 mi) from the nearest land. It was captured and later preserved at the Nova Scotia Museum.[9]

text: Between 1967 and 1975, snowy owls bred on the remote island of Fetlar in the Shetland Isles north of Scotland. Females summered as recently as 1993, but their status in the British Isles is now that of a rare winter visitor to Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms.[10]

text: In January 2009, a snowy owl appeared in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the first reported sighting in the state since 1987.[11] Also notable is the mass southern migration in the winter of 2011/2012, when thousands of snowy owls were spotted in various locations across the United States.[12] This was then followed by an even larger mass southern migration in 2013/2014 with the first snowy owls seen in Florida for decades.[13][14]

text: Behaviour[edit]

text: When perched Snowy owls often face the sun, which has been suggested to represent a visual display across long distances in open habitats. However, snowy owls appear to orient themselves into the sun or wind depending on prevailing weather conditions, therefore it is likely that wind and sun-orientating are associated with thermoregulation.[15]

text: Breeding[edit]

text: This species of owl nests on the ground, building a scrape on top of a mound or boulder. A site with good visibility is chosen, such as the top of a mound with ready access to hunting areas and a lack of snow. Gravel bars and abandoned eagle nests may be used. The female scrapes a small hollow before laying the eggs. Breeding occurs in May to June, and depending on the amount of prey available, clutch sizes range from 3 to 11 eggs, which are laid singly, approximately every other day over the course of several days. Hatching takes place approximately five weeks after laying, and the pure white young are cared for by both parents. Although the young hatch asynchronously, with the largest in the brood sometimes 10 to 15 times as heavy as the smallest, there is little sibling conflict and no evidence of siblicide. Both the male and the female defend the nest and their young from predators, sometimes by distraction displays. Males may mate with two females that may nest about a kilometre apart.[16] Some individuals stay on the breeding grounds while others migrate.

text: Hunting and diet[edit]

text: This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other small rodents for food during the breeding season, but at times of low prey density, or during the ptarmigan nesting period, they may switch to favoring juvenile ptarmigan. They are opportunistic hunters and prey species may vary considerably, especially in winter. They feed on a wide variety of small mammals such as meadow voles and deer mice, but will take advantage of larger prey, frequently following traplines to find food. Some of the larger mammal prey includes hares, muskrats, marmots, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, prairie dogs, rats, moles and entrapped furbearers. Birds preyed upon include ptarmigan, ducks, geese, shorebirds, pheasants, grouse, coots, grebes, gulls, songbirds, and even other raptors, including other owl species. Most of the owls' hunting is done in the "sit and wait" style; prey may be captured on the ground or in the air, or fish may be snatched off the surface of bodies of water using their sharp talons. Each bird must capture roughly 7 to 12 mice per day to meet its food requirement and can eat more than 1,600 lemmings per year. Unlike most owls that hunt at night, snowy owls are also diurnal and hunt during the day and night.[17]

text: Snowy owls, like other carnivorous birds, swallow their small prey whole. Strong stomach juices digest the flesh, while the indigestible bones, teeth, fur, and feathers are compacted into oval pellets that the bird regurgitates 18 to 24 hours after feeding. Regurgitation often takes place at regular perches, where dozens of pellets may be found. Biologists frequently examine these pellets to determine the quantity and types of prey the birds have eaten. When large prey are eaten in small pieces, pellets will not be produced.[18]

text: Natural threats[edit]

text: Although snowy owls have few predators, the adults are very watchful and are equipped to defend against any kind of threat towards them or their offspring. During the nesting season, the owls regularly defend their nests against Arctic foxes, corvids and swift-flying jaegers; as well as dogs, gray wolves, and avian predators. Males defend the nest by standing guard nearby while the female incubates the eggs and broods the young. Both sexes attack approaching predators, dive-bombing them and engaging in distraction displays to draw the predator away from a nest.[citation needed]

text: They also compete directly for lemmings and other prey with several predators, including rough-legged hawks, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, jaegers, glaucous gulls, short-eared owls, great horned owls, Eurasian eagle-owls, common ravens, wolves, Arctic foxes, and ermine. They are normally dominant over other raptors although may (sometimes fatally) lose in conflicts to large raptors such as other Bubo owls, golden eagles and the smaller but much faster peregrine falcons. Some species nesting near snowy owl nests, such as the snow goose, seem to benefit from the incidental protection of snowy owls that drive competing predators out of the area.[19]

text: Hybrids[edit]

text: Snowy owls are not known to interbreed with other owl species in the wild, and accordingly no hybrids of snowy owls and other owl species have yet been sighted in the wild. However, a hobby falconer in Kollnburg, Germany, managed to successfully breed hybrids from a male snowy owl and a female Eurasian eagle-owl in 2013.[20]  The two resulting male hybrid owls possessed the prominent ear tufts (generally absent in snowy owls), general size, orange eyes, and the same pattern of black markings on their plumage from their Eurasian eagle-owl mother, while retaining the generally black-and-white plumage colours from their snowy owl father. The hybrids were dubbed "Schnuhus", a portmanteau of the German words for snowy owl and Eurasian eagle-owl (Schnee-Eule and Uhu, respectively). As of 2014, the hybrids had grown to maturity and were healthy.

text: Conservation[edit]

text: After being considered of least concern by the IUCN since 1988, the snowy owl was upgraded to a conservation status of vulnerable in 2017. Previous population estimates of about 200,000 individuals are now regarded as substantially overestimated, and a total population size of 28,000 individuals is thought to be more realistic.[1]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text:
The Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling, and subsequent films of the same name, feature a female snowy owl named Hedwig.[21]
The EADS Harfang, drone aircraft developed by the French Air Force, is named in French for the snowy owl (Harfang des neiges).