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Vincent Astor

William Vincent Astor (November 15, 1891 – February 3, 1959) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and member of the prominent Astor family.

Early life
Called Vincent, he was born in New York City on November 15, 1891. Astor was the elder child of John Jacob Astor IV, a wealthy businessman and inventor, and his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, an heiress from Philadelphia.

He graduated in 1910 from St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island, and attended Harvard College from 1911 to 1912, leaving school without graduating. In 1912 Vincent Astor's father, John Jacob Astor IV died on the Titanic and left him the biggest fortune at that time and made Vincent Astor one of the richest people in the world.

Interests
Like his father, Astor belonged to the New York Society of Colonial Wars. Having joined the U.S. Naval Reserve Force prior to America's entry to the First World War, he was called to active duty on April 7, 1917, and was later promoted to Lieutenant. As executive officer aboard the armed yacht USS Aphrodite he saw service escorting convoys and was aboard when she struck a mine on January 10, 1919. Subsequently, Astor was made commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1928 to 1930.

Astor was interested in trains. In the early 1930s, he established an estate in Bermuda which included a private narrow-gauge railway and union station with the Bermuda Railway. The estate is now divided among several private owners, none of whom are part of the Astor family. As recently as 1992, the remains of some of his rolling stock were visible.

In 1937, Astor became the chairman and chief stockholder of Newsweek magazine. From 1940 to 1959, the magazine was headquartered at the Knickerbocker Building, built by his father. Astor remained the principal owner until his 1959 death. Two years later, The Washington Post Company purchased a controlling stake (59%) of Newsweek magazine from the Vincent Astor Foundation for $8 million.

Philanthropy
Vincent Astor was, according to family biographer Derek Wilson, "a hitherto unknown phenomenon in America: an Astor with a highly developed social conscience." He was 20 when his father died in the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic and, having inherited a massive fortune, he dropped out of Harvard University. He set out to change the family's image from that of miserly, aloof slum landlords who enjoyed the good life at the expense of others.

Over time, he sold off the family's New York City slum housing and reinvested in reputable enterprises, while spending a great deal of time and energy helping others. He was responsible for the construction of a large housing complex in the Bronx that included sufficient land for a large children's playground, and in Harlem, he transformed a valuable piece of real estate into another playground for children.

Astor appeared at No. 12 on the first list of America's richest people, compiled by Forbes magazine. His net worth at the time was estimated at $75 million.

He also inherited Ferncliff, the Astor family's 2800 acre estate in Rhinebeck, New York, where his father had been born. However, Vincent Astor would be the last Astor family member to own the estate as well as the final Astor to occupy the "Ferncliff Casino", a Stanford White-designed 1904 Beaux-Arts style 40000 sqft building, which was inspired by the Grand Trianon at Versailles.

On his death in 1959, Astor bequeathed a main house at Ferncliff to the Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, New York. His widow, Brooke, later donated the "Ferncliff Casino" to the Catholic Archdiocese of New York and sold off many parcels of the estate. In 1963, Homer Staley, a retired businessman in the area, asked Brooke Astor to preserve the remaining natural acreage of woodlands from development. She donated the woodlands to the Rotary Club of Rhinebeck, and the land became the Ferncliff Forest Game Refuge and Forest Preserve.

The Sinclair-Astor Letters
Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle, wrote Astor an open letter, which he describes in The Brass Check and he also sent to over half a dozen newspapers, requesting that he support the Socialist cause and help the poor, at a time when Sinclair claims Astor was erecting a million dollar estate, without benefiting the rest of society; the only newspaper to publish his letter was a Socialist newspaper, the New York Call. Vincent Astor replied to this letter, and also sent a copy out to over half a dozen newspapers, and according to Sinclair, all of them published his reply in full, including the New York Call. Sinclair claimed this was what he considered a scientific demonstration of bias of the media in favor of the wealthy because they gave Astor complete coverage, often on the front page, and, except for the Call, they declined to publish his first letter, and only three of the traditional newspapers published a small portion of his reply to Astor's letter, without featuring it as prominently.

Marriages
Astor married Helen Dinsmore Huntington on April 30, 1914. At the ceremony, he was stricken with the mumps, a disease that made him sterile; as for the bride, her friend Glenway Wescott, the novelist, admiringly described her in his unpublished diaries as "a grand, old-fashioned lesbian." The couple divorced in 1940. A year later, Helen became the second wife of Lytle Hull (1882–1958), a real-estate broker who was a friend and business associate of her former husband.

Shortly after his divorce, Astor married Mary Benedict Cushing, the eldest daughter of Dr. Harvey Williams Cushing and Katharine Stone Crowell. Mary's sisters—the trio were collectively known as the "Cushing Sisters"—were Betsey Maria Cushing and Barbara "Babe" Cushing. Astor and Cushing divorced in September 1953, and the following month, Cushing wed James Whitney Fosburgh, a painter who worked as an art lecturer at the Frick Museum.

On October 8, 1953, several weeks after divorcing his second wife, Astor married the once-divorced, once-widowed Roberta Brooke Russell. According to an often-told story in society circles, Astor agreed to divorce his second wife only after she had found him a replacement spouse. Her first suggestion was Janet Newbold Ryan Stewart Bush, the newly divorced wife of James Smith Bush II, who turned Astor down with startling candor, saying, "I don't even like you." Astor proceeded to tell her that he was not well and, though only in his early 60s, he could not be expected to live for very long, whereupon she would inherit his millions. At that, Janet Bush reportedly replied, "What if you do live?" Mary Cushing then proposed Brooke. Together, Vincent and Brooke developed the Vincent Astor Foundation, a foundation that was designed to give back to New York City. Brooke died in 2007 at the age of 105.

World War I
Astor joined the Naval Reserve shortly after it was founded and was commissioned as an ensign on December 28, 1915. He was called to active duty as part of the New York Naval Militia in February 1917 by order of Governor Charles S. Whitman to help guard bridges and aqueducts against possible German sabotage. Astor was assigned to help guard the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Following the declaration of war against Germany, Astor took advice from his friend and future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt and volunteered for active duty with the Navy on April 7, 1917. He went overseas on June 9 on the USS Noma (Astor's own yacht which had been acquired as a patrol ship by the Navy). He was later assigned to the armed yacht USS Aphrodite.

He was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on January 1, 1918, and to lieutenant on July 1, 1918. He was joined in France by his wife, who did charity work with the YMCA at the naval base in Bordeaux, while he served as Port Officer at Royan.

His last assignment was as an officer on the captured German minelaying submarine U-117 during her voyage to the United States. Astor returned to the United States on the U-117 on April 25, 1919, and was discharged on May 24.

After the war, Astor became a companion of the Naval Order of the United States.

World War II
In the quiet before the war, Astor sailed the Nourmahal in 1938 to Japan on a secret civilian mission for President Franklin D. Roosevelt to gather intelligence on the Japanese naval operations around the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. As he had done with the Noma in the First World War, he lent his yacht Nourmahal to the Coast Guard for service in the Second World War.

In World War II, Astor again served on active duty with the Navy. He was called to active duty with the rank of commander and given assignment as Area Controller for New York. In this position he coordinated merchant convoys leaving the city and provided informal intelligence work for President Roosevelt.

Perhaps Astor's longer lasting contributions were his weekly reports from the Chase Bank, where his inside access included USSR account balances. On December 13, 1940, Astor began reporting to the US Treasury the Soviet weekly balances in an unbroken sequence (made by occasional substitutes) up through at least 1945.

During the early months of 1942, Astor suggested equipping fishing boats with radios so they could report U-boat sightings. One boat so equipped was Ernest Hemingway's fishing yacht Pilar.

In June 1943, he was promoted to the rank of captain (with date of rank June 18, 1942).

For his service in the Navy, Captain Astor was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, Naval Reserve Medal with star, World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.

Death
Vincent Astor died on February 3, 1959, of a heart attack in his apartment at 120 East End Avenue in Manhattan. He left all of his money to the Vincent Astor foundation, with Brooke surprising many. She continued his philanthropic work.

Astor was first interred at his "Ferncliff Casino" estate ("Astor Courts") along the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York. The home included an indoor tennis pavilion, two squash courts, and the country's first indoor heated pool. When his widow, Brooke Astor, later disposed of the property, he was reinterred in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Brooke is buried next to him.

His half-brother John Jacob Astor VI, known as "Jakey", felt cheated and resentfully stated that Vincent "had the legal, not the moral right to keep all the money". Jakey sued Brooke to inherit his money. He was certain that Vincent was "mentally incompetent" when signing his last will in June 1958 due to frequent smoking and alcoholism, although Brooke insisted otherwise. While Vincent was hospitalized, Brooke often brought him liquor. Jakey accused her of using the liquor to influence the will in her favor. Jakey ended up settling for $250,000. The rest of the money remained with the Vincent Astor foundation and Brooke.

Mount Astor
A mountain in Antarctica bears Astor's name. Rising to a height of 3,710 m, Mount Astor is located in the Hays Mountains of the Queen Maud Range, and was named by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd on his November 1929 expedition flight to the South Pole. Astor had been a contributing philanthropist to the expedition.

title: Vincent Astor


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Worshipful Company of Shipwrights

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London.

Although the Shipwrights' Company is no longer a shipbuilding trade association representing solely London-based industry, through its membership it retains strong links with global trade, and maritime and shipping professions.

The Company ranks fifty-ninth in the City livery order of precedence and is based at Ironmongers' Hall, where it cohabits with the Ironmongers' Company.

Its motto is "Within The Ark Safe For Ever".

History of establishment
The Shipwrights' Company, unlike other livery companies, has not received a Royal Charter because maritime trade by definition was never confined within the boundaries of the Square Mile; instead a corporate body of London shipwrights grew over time, their first recorded reference being in the twelfth century; thus the Company's status is considered as being incorporated "by prescription".

By contrast a Royal Charter was issued in 1612 to the "Master, Wardens, and Commonalty of the Art or Mystery of Shipwrights of Redriff (ie. Rotherhithe) in the County of Surrey". This led to a dispute about jurisdiction between the two companies, being resolved in 1684 when the Rotherhithe charter was cancelled.

The Shipwrights' Company received confirmation of its City of London livery status in 1782.

Membership
Ever since Queen Victoria's reign the Company continues to enjoy a special connection with the Royal Family, several of whom are liverymen today; Prince Charles was installed on 10 May 2011 as Prime Warden for 2011–12 before succeeding his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, as Permanent Master Shipwright on 16 February 2012, and becoming its Patron upon acceding to the throne.

Whilst sons and daughters of members can join as freemen of the Company, only those with a professional maritime background (military or commercial) may become liverymen. The Company supports maritime research, numerous charities, as well as the work of the Lord Mayor of London, the City of London Corporation and the Sheriffs of the City of London. The Company is also involved in charitable educational activities, which includes the support of the London Nautical School and George Green's School in London.

The current Clerk to the Shipwrights' Company is Lt-Col Richard Cole-Mackintosh, whose role combines that of executive officer as well as supporting the Prime Warden: Simon Beale (for 2024/25).

The Company's Honorary Chaplain is the Revd. Canon Bill Christianson.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Worshipful Company of Shipwrights


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Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, UK.

The company was founded by a Royal Charter of Charles I in 1629 AD; it was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1809. The company was empowered to set regulations and standards for optical devices; this was eroded by the Industrial Revolution, after which mechanical advancements made trade restrictions difficult to enforce.

F.S.M.C. credential
The company acquired the right, however, to set examinations that opticians had to pass before practising. The opticians that passed the examinations were designated F.S.M.C. and this credential stood for Fellowship in Optometry of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers.

British College of Ophthalmic Opticians
This power was surrendered to the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (now titled the College of Optometrists) in 1979, who took over the examination of optometrists, and in 1986 power of examination for dispensing opticians was surrendered to the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO).

Association of British Dispensing Opticians
In 1986, the power of examination for dispensing opticians was surrendered to the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO).

Now, the Spectacle Makers' Company is a thriving membership organisation working across vision care and sight loss. There are over 900 members in 17 different countries. The Spectacle Makers' Charity (registered Charity in England and Wales no.1186122 supports charities improving the quality of life for people with impaired vision, as well as research in the field of optics and bursaries for aspiring optical technicians, orthoptists, optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmic nurses and optical imaging professionals. The Spectacle Makers' Company ranks sixtieth in the order of precedence for Livery Companies.

title: Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers


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Worshipful Company of Clockmakers

The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers was established under a Royal Charter granted by King Charles I in 1631. It ranks sixty-first among the livery companies of the City of London, and comes under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council. The company established a library and its museum in 1813, which is the oldest specific collection of clocks and watches worldwide. This is administered by the company's affiliated charity, the Clockmakers' Charity, and is presently housed on the second floor of London's Science Museum. The modern aims of the company and its museum are charitable and educational, in particular to promote and preserve clockmaking and watchmaking, which as of 2019 were added to the HCA Red List of Endangered Crafts.

The Clockmakers' Museum, comprising a collection of clocks, watches, portraits and ephemera is housed in a new gallery provided by the Science Museum, officially opened by Princess Anne on 22 October 2015. The museum was first established in 1813, and was housed at London's Guildhall from 1874 to 2014. It claims to be the oldest collection specifically of watches and clocks in the world. Though the collection is now housed in the Clockmakers' Museum in South Kensington, the company's archive and library are however still kept at Guildhall Library. The museum collection includes John Harrison's sea watch H5, once personally tested by King George III.

Motto
The company's motto, Tempus Rerum Imperator, can be translated as ‘Time, the Ruler of All Things’. It appears as an epitaph on the tombstone of former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, a liveryman of the company.

History
Prior to the seventeenth century, clockmaking by native English craftsmen was mostly confined to the production of turret clocks. Domestic clocks and watches were mostly imported or the work of immigrants from the European continent. Because turret clock making involved working in ferrous metal, clockmakers within the City of London tended to be freemen of the Blacksmiths’ Company, though some were members of other livery companies, notably the Clothworkers.

After the loss of many London clock and watchmakers in the plagues of 1598 and 1603, the trade consolidated and began to grow. The continued influx of newcomers led to resentment from those who had become established in London towards outsiders who came to set up in or near the City and who threatened their market. From 1620 onwards, groups of clockmakers attempted to set up their own guild. The Blacksmiths initially succeeded in opposing these moves. Eventually, however, with the king issuing charters as a means of raising much needed finance at a time when he had prorogued Parliament, the clockmakers succeeded in securing a royal charter, on 22 August 1631, to the distress of the Blacksmiths, who could naturally expect to lose members, and therefore income.

The charter gave regulatory authority to the Clockmakers to control the horological trade in the City of London and for a radius of ten miles around. It incorporated a controlling body which should have ‘continuance for ever under the style and name of The Master, Wardens and Fellowship of the Art and Mystery of Clockmaking’. It provided that the fellowship should be governed by a master, three wardens and ten or more assistants who would form the Court. The first master was David Ramsay, a Scot, who had been appointed watchmaker to James VI of Scotland, later James I of England. The noted clockmaker Edward East also formed part of the first court.

The original charter is still in the company's possession and is housed with the rest of its library and archive in the Guildhall Library. The company obtained a grant of arms from the College of Arms in January 1672. In 1766, the Court of Aldermen granted the company its livery. The number of liverymen was originally limited at sixty but has been increased in number over the years by approval of the City of London Corporation and currently stands at a maximum of three hundred.

Horological Training and Awards for Excellence
The company bestows three awards for excellence: the Tompion Medal for outstanding achievements in horology, the Harrison Medal for the propagation of horological knowledge and its appreciation, and the Derek Pratt Prize for innovation, ingenuity, elegance, and the highest standards of workmanship and precision performance in the craft and science of time and timekeeping. The company also closely co-operates with the trustees of the George Daniels Educational Trust in supporting education in horology.

Affiliations
The Clockmakers Company is formally affiliated with the Antiquarian Horological Society, the UCL Observatory, HMS Protector, the Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Ship, HMS Archer, a P264 Class University Royal Naval Unit based in Edinburgh, and XIII Squadron RAF.

Masters
Those who have been Master of the company include the following:

 * 1631, David Ramsay
 * 1636, Elias Allen
 * 1645, 1652 Edward East
 * 1699, Henry Thornton
 * 1700, Charles Gretton
 * 1702, Joseph Windmills
 * 1703, Thomas Tompion
 * 1708, Daniel Quare
 * 1717 Nathaniel Chamberlain
 * 1718, Thomas Windmills
 * 1795, 1812 Harry Potter
 * 1810, 1811 Paul Philipp Barraud
 * 1817, John Roger Arnold
 * 1821, 1823, 1825, 1827, 1847 Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy
 * 1855, 1862 Charles Frodsham
 * 1893, 1894 Revd. Henry Leonard Nelthropp
 * 1902, 1914 William Henry Mahoney Christie KCB FRS
 * 1922, 1931 Sir Frank Watson Dyson KBE FRS FRSE
 * 1926, Hugh Rotherham
 * 1932 Sir Francis Newbolt KC FCS
 * 1946, Lord Iliffe of Yattendon GBE
 * 1949, 1954 Sir Harold Spencer Jones KBE FRS FRSE PRAS
 * 1950, William Hamilton Shortt FBHI
 * 1959, Viscount Falmouth
 * 1960, Lord Harris
 * 1969, Sir Richard van der Riet Woolley OBE FRS
 * 1974, Sir Frank Chalton Francis KCB
 * 1976, Sir Hugh Wontner GBE CVO
 * 1980, George Daniels CBE DSc FBHI FSA AHCI
 * 1986, Viscount Falmouth
 * 1989, Lord Murton of Lindisfarne OBE TD PC
 * 2000, Alexander Boksenberg CBE FRS
 * 2001, Sir George White, Bt, FSA
 * 2002, Michael Monro Smith
 * 2003, Christopher John Hurrion
 * 2004, Philip John Willoughby
 * 2005, Diana Muriel Uff
 * 2006, Maj Gen David Anthony Somerset Pennefather CB OBE
 * 2007, David John Poole MBE FBHI
 * 2008, Dr Michael David Sanderson PhD
 * 2009, Cdr Peter John Linstead-Smith OBE RN
 * 2010, Howard Carl Newman FBHI
 * 2011, Andrew Charles Henry Crisford FSA
 * 2012, Mark Westcombe Elliott FCA
 * 2013, Prof Paul Eugene Marcus Jarrett FRCS
 * 2014, Jonathan Daniel Betts MBE FSA FBHI
 * 2015, Philip William Tennant Whyte, Hon FBHI
 * 2016, Robert Michael Justice Stewart
 * 2017, Roy Charles Harris, FBHI
 * 2018, Andrew Lewis James, FRSA, Hon MBHI
 * 2019, Jonathan Edward Hills
 * 2020, Joanna Migdal (Lady White)
 * 2021, Mark H Levy
 * 2022, Dr James Nye, FSA
 * 2023, Jane Pedler
 * 2024, Keith Scobie-Youngs, FBHI, ACR

Company Chaplains and Church

 * Father Tim Handley
 * St James Garlickhythe

title: Worshipful Company of Clockmakers


text:
Naczelnik

Naczelnik is a Polish word meaning 'leader' or 'chief' (from na czele 'at the forefront'). It may refer to:

 * the title used by Tadeusz Kościuszko as the leader of the Kościuszko Uprising, 1794
 * Naczelnik Państwa (Chief of State), the title used by Józef Piłsudski as a provisional head of state, 1918–1922
 * Naczelnik ZHP, the title used by Chief Scouts of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association

title: Naczelnik


text:
Disc tumbler lock

A disc tumbler or disc detainer lock is a lock composed of slotted rotating detainer discs. The lock was invented by Finnish founder of Abloy, Emil Henriksson (1886–1959) in 1907 and first manufactured under the Abloy brand in 1918.

Design
Disc tumbler locks are composed of slotted rotating detainer discs. A specially cut key rotates these discs like the tumblers of a safe to align the slots, allowing the sidebar to drop into the slots, thus opening the lock. Unlike a wafer tumbler lock or a pin tumbler lock, this mechanism does not use springs. Because they do not contain springs, they are better suited for areas with harsh conditions and are often used at outdoor locations like railroad and public utility installations.

The original Abloy Classic design consists of a notched semi-cylindrical key, and a lock with detainer discs with holes ranging from a semicircle (180°) to a 3/4 circle (270°). The key is inserted and rotated 90°. Notches, machined to an angle, correspond to complementary angles in the holes of the discs. Thus, the misalignment of the slots is "corrected" by a rotation to the correct angle. For example, if the hole is 270°, the key is 180°, and if the hole is 240° (270° minus 30°), the key is 150° (180° with 30° notch) of the circle. In addition, there is a notch in the perimeter of each disc. A sidebar inside an opening in the lock cylinder around the discs and an edge in the casing obstruct the movement of the cylinder beyond the 90°.

When a correct key is inserted and turned, all the discs will rotate so that notches in the perimeters line up. This allows a sidebar to drop from the cylinder into the groove made by the lined-up notches in the discs, so that it does not obstruct the cylinder, allowing the cylinder to rotate and open the lock. If a key with one wrong notch is used, one disc will be rotated to an incorrect angle, thus its notch will not line up with the rest, and the lock cannot be unlocked.

The lock is locked again by rotating it into the other direction, sliding the sidebar back into the cylinder opening and allowing the straight edge of the key to return the discs to the scrambled "zero" position.

The mechanism makes it easy to construct locks that can be opened with multiple different keys: "blank" discs with a circular hole are used, and only notches shared by the keys are employed in the lock mechanism. This is commonly used for locks of common areas such as garages in apartment houses.

Lock picking
Disc tumblers tend to be more difficult to pick than competitively priced pin tumbler locks, and are often sold as "high security" locks for that reason. Picking the lock is not impossible but typically requires dedicated tools. They may also require more time to pick. They are similar in difficulty to pick as curtained 5-lever locks. The disc tumbler lock cannot be bumped. This level of difficulty tends to drive attention to alternative methods of gaining entry. More expensive locks have false gates which are similar to security pins on pin tumbler locks; catching the sidebar making one think they have picked a disc when in fact they have not.

The locking mechanism can be disabled destructively by drilling into the lock to destroy the sidebar. Anti-drilling plates can be installed to prevent this.

Alternatively, for cheaper locks, the discs can be bypassed by inserting a screwdriver or similar device to apply torque, causing the retaining clip to pop off and the core of the lock to spill out. The same effect can be created by turning a torque tool in the lock until the end cap pops off. After this, cheap plastic locks can be turned by hand, pulled out with pliers, or deformed by heating, causing the lock to open, or completely fall apart. More expensive disc tumbler locks use metal parts that can defeat this technique or make it more difficult.

title: Disc tumbler lock


text:
Battle of Mansfield

The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, on April 8, 1864, in Louisiana formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union forces were attempting to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport.

The Confederate commander, Major-General Dick Taylor, chose Mansfield as the place where he would make his stand against the advancing Union army under General Nathaniel Banks. Taylor concentrated his forces at Sabine Crossroads, knowing that reinforcements were nearby. Banks prepared for a fight, though his own army was not fully assembled either. Both sides were reinforced by stages throughout the day.

After a brief resistance, the Union army was routed by the Confederates, consisting mainly of units from Louisiana and Texas, reportedly strengthened by hundreds of men breaking parole. The Battle of Mansfield was followed immediately by the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

Prelude
During the second half of March 1864, a combined force from the Union Army of the Gulf and navy led by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, supported by Admiral David Porter's fleet of gunboats, ascended the Red River with the goal of defeating the Confederate forces in Louisiana and capturing Shreveport. By April 1 Union forces had occupied Grand Ecore and Natchitoches. While the accompanying gunboat fleet with a portion of the infantry continued up the river, the main force followed the road inland toward Mansfield, where Banks knew his opponent was concentrating.

Major General Richard Taylor, in command of the Confederate forces in Louisiana, had retreated up the Red River in order to connect with reinforcements from Texas and Arkansas. Taylor selected a clearing a few miles south of Mansfield as the spot where he would take a stand against the Union forces. Sending his cavalry to harass the Union vanguard as it approached, Taylor called his infantry divisions forward.

The morning of April 8 found Banks's army stretched out along a single road through the woods between Natchitoches and Mansfield. When the cavalry at the front of the column found the Confederates taking a strong position along the edge of a clearing, they stopped and called for infantry support. Riding to the front, Banks decided that he would fight Taylor at that spot, and he ordered all his infantry to hurry up the road. It became a race to see which side could bring its forces to the front first.

Confederate
At the start of the battle, Taylor had approximately 9,000 troops consisting of Brigadier General Alfred Mouton's Louisiana/Texas infantry division, Major General John G. Walker's Texas infantry division, Brigadier General Thomas Green's Texas cavalry division, and Colonel William Vincent's Louisiana cavalry brigade. He had also called on the 5,000 men in the divisions of Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill and Brigadier General Mosby M. Parsons that had been encamped near Keachi, between Mansfield and Shreveport. These troops arrived late in the afternoon, after the battle had commenced.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that there were additional Louisiana men in the ranks. This included paroled soldiers from units that had surrendered at Vicksburg, including many members of company B of the 17th Louisiana Regiment, the Sabine Rebels. Historian Gary Joiner claimed that "there may have been from several hundred to several thousand of them." The Confederate Governor of Louisiana, Henry Watkins Allen, had organized two battalions of the state guard and brought them to Taylor's aid, yet the documentary record is unclear as to what role they played in the battle. Joseph Blessington, a soldier in Walker's division, wrote that, "The Louisiana militia, under command of Governor Allen, was held in reserve, in case of an emergency." In addition, Blessington wrote that, from the surrounding communities, "old men shouldered their muskets and came to our assistance".

Union
At the start of the battle, the Union forces consisted of a cavalry division commanded by Brigadier General Albert L. Lee, consisting of approximately 3,500 men, and the 4th Division of the XIII Corps, commanded by Colonel William J. Landram, consisting of approximately 2,500 men. During the battle, the 3rd Division of the XIII Corps, commanded by General Robert A. Cameron, arrived with approximately 1,500 men. The battle ended when the pursuing Confederates met the 1st Division of the XIX Corps, commanded by Brigadier General William H. Emory, with approximately 5,000 men, including the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, the only regiment from the Keystone State to fight in the Union's 1864 Red River Campaign. Thomas E. G. Ransom commanded the XIII Corps during the engagement, while the XIX Corps was commanded by William B. Franklin.

Battle
During the morning, Taylor positioned Mouton's division on the east side of the clearing. Walker's division arrived in the afternoon and formed on Mouton's right. As Green's cavalry fell back from the advancing Union forces, two brigades moved to Mouton's flank and the third to Walker's flank. The Arkansas division arrived around 3:30 pm but was sent to watch a road to the east. The Missouri division did not arrive until around 6:00 pm, after the battle was fought.

At around noon, the Union cavalry division, supported by one infantry brigade of Landram's division, was deployed across a small hill at the south end of the clearing. Shortly thereafter the other brigade of Landram's division arrived. Cameron's division was on its way, but would not get there until the battle had already begun.

For about two hours the two sides faced each other across the clearing as Banks waited for more of his troops to arrive and Taylor arranged his men. At that point, Taylor enjoyed a numerical advantage over Banks. At about 4:00 pm, the Confederates surged forward. On the east side of the road, Mouton was killed, while several of his regimental commanders were hit as well and the charge of his division was repulsed. However, west of the road, Walker's Texas division wrapped around the Union position, folding it in on itself. Ransom was wounded trying to rally his men and was carried from the field; hundreds of Union troops were captured and the rest retreated in a panic. As the first Union line collapsed, Cameron's division was arriving to form a second line but it too was pushed back by the charging Confederates, with Franklin wounded as well but remaining on the field in command. For several miles the Confederates pursued the retreating Union troops until they encountered a third line formed by Emory's division. The Confederates launched several charges on the Union line but were repulsed, while nightfall ended the battle.

Aftermath
The Union forces had suffered 113 killed, 581 wounded, and 1,541 captured as well as the loss of 20 cannons, 156 wagons, and a thousand horses and mules, killed or captured. More than half of the Union casualties were from four regiments – 77th Illinois, 130th Illinois, 19th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and 48th Ohio. Most of the Union casualties occurred in the XIII Corps, while the XIX Corps lost few men.

Kirby Smith reported that Confederate loss was "about 1,000 killed and wounded" at Mansfield, but precise details of Confederate losses were not recorded. The local town of Keachi converted its women's college into a hospital and morgue on its second floor. One hundred soldiers' remains are marked nearby in Keachi's Confederate Cemetery, maintained by the local Sons of Confederate Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy.

After the Union troops retreated, they fought Confederates again on April 9 at the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

Battlefield preservation
On April 7, 2017, the American Battlefield Trust (then known as The Civil War Trust) announced that it had joined with Cleco, a regional energy company, to preserve 14.5 acre of the Mansfield Battlefield. The property was a donation from Cleco and was the first parcel associated with the battle's final phase that was preserved. Including the 14.5 acres, the Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 455 acre of the battlefield.

title: Battle of Mansfield


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New Zealand Cross (1869)

The New Zealand Cross was introduced in 1869 during the New Zealand Wars in New Zealand. The wars were fought between natives of New Zealand, the Māori, and forces raised by European settlers known as Pākehā assisted by British troops.

Many acts of bravery, gallantry and devotion to duty were recorded among the local militia, armed constabulary and volunteers, but there was one militia Victoria Cross awarded to Charles Heaphy in 1867 for action in 1864.

On 10 March 1869, without checking the facts and under the mistaken impression colonial troops were not eligible for the Victoria Cross unless under command of British troops, the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Bowen, instituted the New Zealand Cross as the highest New Zealand award.

He was widely criticised in England, and accused of usurping the prerogative of Queen Victoria, but she eventually ratified his action.

Only 23 New Zealand Crosses were awarded with first six published in the New Zealand Gazette in 1869. There was one award gazetted in 1870 and the remaining 16 awards gazetted between 1875 and 1910, from six to 44 years after the actions commended.

It has the form of a silver cross pattée. The obverse contains the words 'NEW ZEALAND' in the centre, gilded in gold, which are encircled by a laurel wreath. Each limb of the cross has a six-point star, in gold. The cross is surmounted by a gold Imperial State Crown. The reverse of the medal has two concentric circles with the name of the recipient engraved between the circles, and the date of the action engraved within the inner circle. A crimson ribbon passes through a silver suspender clasp with small gold laurel leaves. For the first 20 medals cast in 1871, the reverse of the suspender clasp contains the cartouche of the goldsmith Messrs Phillips Brothers and Son of Cockspur Street, London; which was omitted from a further five medals cast in 1886.

Recipients
Recipients of the original New Zealand Cross were:

 * Private Thomas Adamson, Corps of Guides, Ahikereru, 1869.
 * Constable Henare Kepa Te Ahururu, 1st Division, Armed Constabulary, Moturoa, 1868.
 * Sergeant Samuel Austin, Wanganui Contingent, Putahi Pa and Keteonetea, 1866.
 * Constable Solomon Black, 1st Division, Armed Constabulary, Ngatapa, 1869.
 * Constable Benjamin Biddle, 1st Division, Armed Constabulary, Ngatapa, 1869.
 * Sergeant Arthur Wakefield Carkeek, Armed Constabulary, Ohinemutu, 1870.
 * Dr Isaac Earl Featherston, Native Contingent, Otapawa Pa, 1866.
 * Sergeant George (Rowley) Hill, 1st Division, Armed Constabulary, Hiruharama Pa, Mohaka, 1869.
 * Trooper William Lingard, Kai Iwi Cavalry Volunteers, Tauranga-ika, 1868, originally from Ruan, County Clare.
 * Captain Francis Joseph (Frank) Mace, Taranaki Militia, Kaitikara River, 1863.
 * Captain Gilbert Mair, NZ Militia, Rotoma, 1870.
 * Sergeant Christopher Louis Maling, Corps of Guides, Tauranga-ika, 1868.
 * Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas McDonnell, NZ Militia, Paparatu, 1863 and Putahi Pa, 1866.
 * Ensign Henry William Northcroft, Patea Rangers, Pungarehu and Tirotiro Moana, 1866.
 * Sub-inspector George Augustus Preece, Armed Constabulary, Ngatapa, 1869.
 * Major Kepa Te Rangihiwinui, NZ Militia (Native Contingent), Moturoa, 1868, and Otauto 1869.
 * Inspector John Mackintosh Roberts, Armed Constabulary, Moturoa, 1868.
 * Trooper Antonio Rodrigues de Sardinha, Taranaki Mounted Volunteers, Poutoko 1863 and Kaitake, 1864.
 * Sergeant Richard Shepherd, Armed Constabulary, Otauto, 1869.
 * Cornet Angus Smith, Bay of Plenty Cavalry Volunteers, Opepe, 1869.
 * Major Ropata Wahawaha, Native Contingent, Ngatapa, 1869.
 * Assistant-Surgeon Samuel Walker, Armed Constabulary, Otauto, 1869.
 * Cornet Harry Charles William Wrigg, Bay of Plenty Cavalry Volunteers, Opotiki, 1867.

One member of the New Zealand colonial forces, Major Charles Heaphy was awarded the VC for his actions in 1864, when he was commanding British troops. See List of New Zealand Victoria Cross recipients and New Zealand Land Wars Victoria Cross recipients.

1999 Medal
In 1999, the New Zealand Cross was re-instituted. The Royal Warrant of 20 September 1999 created four awards for bravery and four for gallantry.

The new New Zealand Cross for Bravery is similar to the 1869 medal with some amendments. The Crown is now the current St Edward's Crown instead of the Victorian Imperial State Crown, and New Zealand fern fronds replace laurel leaves. The ribbon is bright blue, a colour traditionally associated with bravery awards.

There is also a new Victoria Cross for New Zealand for Gallantry, which has the same crimson ribbon and is made to the same design and of the same gunmetal as the British VC.

title: New Zealand Cross (1869)


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Transport in Mumbai

Transport in Mumbai is achieved by both public and private transport. As of 2016, 52% of commuters use public transport. Mumbai has the largest organized bus transport network among major Indian cities.

Mumbai's public transport consists primarily of rapid transit on exclusive suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines serving outlying suburbs, the bus services of the three municipalities making up the metropolitan area, public taxis and auto rickshaws, as well as ferry services. A metro and a monorail system were inaugurated in 2014. A commercial seaplane service was also introduced in 2014.

Sea-links
As of 2024, Mumbai currently has 3 major operational or under construction sea-links:

The Bandra–Worli Sea Link bridge is one of the longest bridges in the country, opened in 2009. It connects the suburbs of Bandra and Worli, and carries around 32,000 vehicles daily as of 2018.

The Trans Harbour Link is the longest bridge in India. It was opened on 12 January 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the bridge. It connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai and is 21.8 kilometers in length. The bridge runs between the localities of Sewri in South Mumbai to Ulwe of Navi Mumbai.

The Coastal Road (officially the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Motorway) is an under construction 8-lane, 29.2-km long expressway that will run along Mumbai's western coastline. It will connect the locality of Marine Lines in the south to Mumbai and Kandivali in the North. It is projected to be used by 130,000 vehicles daily and to reduce travel time between South Mumbai and the Western Suburbs from 2 hours to 40 minutes. Its first phase was inaugurated on 11 March 2024.

Buses

 * Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has a fleet of single, double decker buses and air-conditioned Tata Marcopolo CNG mini buses. BEST runs their buses in Mumbai and its surrounding area.
 * Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) operates air-conditioned Volvo buses from Navi Mumbai to Bandra, Dadar, Mantralaya & Borivali and non A/C buses from Navi Mumbai to Mulund, Kurla, Dadar, Andheri, Dindoshi & Mantralaya.
 * Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) operates buses from Thane to Mulund, Borivali, Mira Road, BKC & Andheri.
 * Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) operates buses from Mira-Bhayandar to Andheri, Thane and Borivali.

Taxis

Taxis arrived in 1911 to complement horse cars. Black and yellow Fiat taxis are an integral part of the city's heritage and have been depicted in numerous Bollywood movies. Metered taxis ply throughout Mumbai and have a monopoly from Bandra to Churchgate on the Western line and Sion to Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus on the Central line. Beyond Sion and Bandra auto rickshaws are not allowed and one has to hire a taxi. However, between Sion to Thane and Bandra to Bhayandar, both Taxis and autorickshaws are available to transport passengers.

 * Silver-Green taxis run by Meru and Yellow-Red by Gold cabs and Black by Mega Cabs
 * Blue and silver air-conditioned metered taxis known as "Cool Cabs"
 * Some private taxi operators provide yellow number plate cars for transportation

Mumbai is served by two intra-city highways: Old Mumbai-Pune Highway and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.

Number of taxis
There are around 58,000 taxis in Greater Mumbai and 98,566 in Mumbai MMR as of 2010.

Classic black and yellow taxi numbers on Greater Mumbai roads had fallen to 20,000 by 2010, as 35,000 new taxis such as Maruti Alto, Wagon R and Omni, Tata Indica and Hyundai Santro had entered service. Recently State Transport Authority of Maharashtra State has also introduced the on-call facility to book these taxis.

Taxi Regulations
Law requires the driver of an unengaged taxi to take a passenger wherever they want to go, regardless of distance or time, if the fare meter of the unengaged rickshaw/taxi is in a 'For Hire' mode. The modes were denoted by older mechanical meters in this manner: a) upright – for hire b) half mast – not doing business c) facing down-currently hired.

Authorities encourage passengers to make complaints, for refusal to convey, excess fare, tampered meters, fake tariff cards, misconduct by drivers by direct email   as well as by a website.

Rickshaws

Auto rickshaws play an important role in public transport in Mumbai. There are 246,458 black and yellow metered auto rickshaws, often simply called autos, in the Mumbai MMR as of 2008. Since 2002, all auto rickshaws have been required to use CNG as fuel. However, not all rickshaws comply. In some areas if a CNG filling facility is not available, the fuel is either petrol or LPG.

Auto rickshaws are not permitted to enter Old Bombay. The southernmost points accessible to them are Bandra Fire Station in Western Mumbai and Sion Bus Depot in Central Mumbai. Auto rickshaws registered in Mumbai are not allowed travel beyond the municipal limits. They have been allowed to travel between Sion to Mulund in the Central Suburbs and up to Mankhurd on the Harbour line. People who wish to travel beyond Mumbai to suburbs like Vashi, Airoli have to catch a suburban rickshaw. In the western suburbs, they are allowed to travel between Bandra and Bhayandar only.

A mechanical meter decides the fare which is proportional to distance traveled. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) updated the auto-rickshaw fares and declared a hike recently that is applied from 1 March 2021. The regulation for auto rickshaws is similar to taxis, and methods of complaining against the auto rickshaws and taxis are available on the Mumbai RTO website.

Survey
In 2021, UK-based car-sharing company Hiyacar has announced in a survey that Mumbai is the most stressful city in the world for driving. Public transportation options are one of the main factors which were observed for the survey.

Mumbai Suburban Railway

The Mumbai Suburban Railway is the oldest commuter rail in Asia, founded in 1853. It is owned by Indian Railways and operated by its Western Railways and Central Railways divisions. Most economical transport subsidized by the government of India via Railway ministry. With a length of 430 km, it has highest passenger density in the world, 7.5 million people daily, more than half of daily capacity of Indian Railways. It has four radial lines:

 * Western between Churchgate and Dahanu Road
 * Central between Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Kasara/Khopoli
 * Harbour, running between CST and Panvel/Goregaon
 * Trans-Harbour, running between Thane and Vashi/Panvel

Mumbai railways offer first class commuter transport. First class fares are approximately 10 times the second class fare and tend to be less crowded in the non-rush hour period. First class compartments also have slightly better seats than second class. While less crowded during non-peak hours, the first class compartments are rather more crowded during the peak hour time, as there is a large supply and demand gap. It is notoriously hard to get into the first class compartment as the coach is overcrowded with people hanging out of the doors.

Since 2017, Mumbai Suburban Rail became the first in India to operate Air-Conditioned rakes in its Western and Central line. These rakes are equipped with automatic doors and are vestibuled in a 12-coach configuration with coaches 1 to 6 vestibuled, motor connection between coaches 6 and 7 and coaches 7 to 12 again vestibuled.

There are also women-only cars (termed 'ladies'), and since 1992, 'Ladies Special' trains with all coaches reserved for women passengers.

Metro

In January 2004, a master transit plan was unveiled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The plan integrated a 146 kilometer-long metro system, of which 32 km would be underground.

In June 2004, government approval was given for a 12-station elevated line between Ghatkopar and Versova. In June 2006, the first phase of the Mumbai Metro project was inaugurated. Construction work began in February 2008. A successful trial run was conducted in May 2013, and the system's first line entered operation in June 2014, although some aspects of the project were afflicted by delays and cost issues. The Mumbai Metro opened on 8 June 2014. On 2 April 2022, Metro line 2A and 7 were inaugurated, these two lines have a combined length of 19,25 km and will reduce the traffic congestion in North Mumbai.

Many more lines are under-construction or planned having a total length of 345 km (215 mi).

Monorail

The Mumbai Monorail is a monorail system for the city of Mumbai. Construction began in January 2009 and the first operational line was inaugurated on 1 February 2014. It is being contracted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and is the first monorail in India.

Four lines were proposed. The first two are 25 km long. Out of the two, Line 1 was opened to the public in 2014. Two lines 10 km long were to be constructed after the first two have opened. Additionally, previously planned Mumbai Metro corridors are also being examined to be made as monorail corridors instead of the metro by MMRDA due to the dense and congested areas these corridors pass through. The corridors are:
 * Initial plans were to build a line running from Malabar Hill to the Bandra-Kurla complex via the Haji Ali Dargah, Jacob Circle, Wadala Road, Sion Hospital and Dharavi. This was planned to have been opened by 2011.
 * A line from Thane to Bhiwandi via Kalyan. A consultant's report to government has recommended that this corridor be served instead by a road-based system for the next 10–15 years using buses and bus rapid transit.
 * Chembur to Jacob Circle via Mahul. This route is planned to have been opened by December 2010. (May get extended to Vashi, Navi Mumbai.)
 * Lokhandwala Complex to Kanjurmarg via Oshiwara.
 * Hutatma Chowk – Ghatkopar – 21.8 km
 * Ghatkopar – Mulund – 12.4 km

Bullet Train
The 650km Mumbai-Ahemdabad Bullet train project is another major high-speed rail project that is supposed to run between Mumbai and Ahemdabad is poised to revolutionize travel time between these two major cities which usually would take about 7 to 8 hours to a meager 2hrs 57mins.This would create demand for real estate in key areas such as Thane, Dombivali and Kalyan.

Trams
Trams were an important form of transport until the mid-1960s. They were introduced in the late 19th century and in their heyday, covered many areas of the city. At their peak, route length grew to more than 47 kilometers. The system closed down in 1964.

Ferry

 * from Vashi (in Navi Mumbai) to the Gateway of India
 * to Elephanta Caves and to nearby places such as Alibaug, Rewas, and Mandwa
 * in northern Mumbai across the Manori Creek. The barges operate at regular intervals across the shallow creek linking Manori to Malad
 * from Versova to Madh Island

Air

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (formerly Sahar International Airport) is the main aviation hub in the city and the second busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic. It handled 30.74 million passengers and 656,369 tonnes of cargo during FY 2011–12.

The new integrated terminal T2 was inaugurated on 10 January 2014 and opened for international operations on 12 February 2014, increasing the capacity of the airport to 40 million passengers annually. A dedicated six lane, elevated road connecting the new terminal with the main arterial Western Express Highway was also opened to the public the same day.

The proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport to be built in the Kopra-Panvel area has been sanctioned by the Indian Government and will help relieve the increasing traffic burden on the existing airport.

The Juhu Aerodrome was India's first airport, and now hosts a flying club and a heliport.

title: Transport in Mumbai


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Ray Crist

Ray Crist (March 8, 1900 – July 23, 2005) was an American chemist who participated in the Manhattan Project. When he retired from teaching at the age of 104 in 2004, Crist is widely believed to have been America's oldest worker at the time.

Biography
Crist was a graduate of the former Messiah School (1916), now known as Messiah University, Dickinson College (B.A., 1920) and Columbia University (Ph.D., 1925). Crist joined the faculty at Columbia University where he was a teacher and researcher from 1925 to 1941. He joined the Manhattan Project in 1941 and was among the leading scientists who developed the critical initial step of the separation of uranium isotopes. He was director of the Manhattan Project, Columbia University Group, 1945-6, after which he joined the Union Carbide Corporation in Charleston, West Virginia, first as Manager of the Coal Hydrogenation Plant, and then as Director of Research of the Olefins Division.

Between 1959 and 1963, he was Director of the Union Carbide Research Institute at Tarrytown, New York. Crist turned to volunteer teaching in 1963, following the death of his beloved wife, Dorothy Lenhart Crist, formerly of New Cumberland. As a voluntary educator, Crist pursued his mission of introducing today's students, especially non-science majors, to the impact of science and technology on culture and the environment.

From 1963-1970, he taught at Dickinson College. There, he taught mostly upper-level chemistry courses. However, his favorite course was on the history of science; it was a course for non-majors where he "helped students to understand some of the basic laws of the natural world around them." In 1970, Crist was forced to resign due to the since repealed mandatory retirement age of 70.

From 1971 until his retirement in 2004, he continued his academic career at Messiah University. He taught mostly environmental chemistry and was a major force behind the development of the Environmental Sciences program. During the final two decades of his work at Messiah, up to the age of 104, he worked on experiments involving adsorption of toxic metals by plant material and the use of living plants for purifying the environment (phytoremediation). The results of these experiments appeared in twenty-seven journal articles and were reported at ten international conferences. Messiah professor of the history of science Edward B. Davis believes that he may have been the oldest publishing research scientist in history.

His academic achievements and his overcoming the challenges of aging were recognized by numerous events and awards such as America's Outstanding Older Worker (2002), the PBS series The Living Century in the episode "A Teacher and Student for Life", and the editorial "Phytoremediation's Centenarian" (International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2002), as well as extensive additional press and television coverage both in the United States and abroad. His memoir - Listening to Nature: My Century in Science (Seaburn Publications) - appeared in 2005. Crist died in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2005, at the age of 105.

title: Ray Crist


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Wellington County, Ontario

Wellington County is a county located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada and is part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The county, made up of two towns and five townships, is predominantly rural in nature. However many of the residents in the southern part of the county commute to urban areas such as Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Hamilton for employment. The northern part of the county (comprising Minto, Mapleton, and Wellington North townships) is made up of mainly rural farming communities, except for a few larger towns such as Mount Forest and Arthur. According to the 2021 census, the population of the county was 241,026.

In 2018, the Warden of the county was Kelly Linton (mayor of Centre Wellington) and there were 14 Councillors. Police services are provided by the Ontario Provincial Police. Schools are operated by the Upper Grand District School Board and by the Wellington Catholic District School Board.

Subdivisions
The county is made up of seven lower-tier municipalities (in order of population):

 * Centre Wellington, Township of (population centres: Fergus, Elora)
 * Guelph/Eramosa, Township of (population centre: Rockwood)
 * Wellington North, Township of (population centres: Mount Forest, Arthur)
 * Erin, Town of (population centre: Erin)
 * Mapleton, Township of (population centre: Drayton)
 * Minto, Town of (population centres: Palmerston, Harriston)
 * Puslinch, Township of

The City of Guelph, although part of the Wellington census division, is a single-tier city, municipally independent of the county. The primary economy outside of the city consists of agriculture and aggregate mining. The county is a major supplier of sand and gravel for the western part of the Greater Toronto Area.

Evolution
In 1837, by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, the District of Wellington was formed and a court house and jail in the town of Guelph were authorized. The District was named after England's Duke of Wellington and its territory formed the County of Waterloo for electoral purposes. The limestone county courthouse and jail in the castellated style was built in 1842-44 and was subsequently expanded.

In 1849, Wellington District was abolished, and Waterloo County remained for municipal and judicial purposes. The territory of the Bruce Peninsula became part of Waterloo in 1849, but was later withdrawn and transferred to Bruce County in 1851.

In January 1852, Waterloo County became the United Counties of Wellington, Waterloo and Grey. The new county of Waterloo was withdrawn in January 1853, and the remainder was renamed the United Counties of Wellington and Grey.

In January 1854, the United Counties was dissolved, and Wellington and Grey were separate counties for all purposes.

Guelph was incorporated as a City in 1879 and withdrawn from the county. Amaranth, East Garafraxa, East Luther and Orangeville were transferred to Dufferin County during the period 1874–1882.

The Wellington County Jail (in Late Gothic Revival Style) and the Governor's Residence (in Georgian style) at 74 Woolwich Street were built in 1911; they were designated by the city for "historic and architectural value" and as a National Historic Site in 1983. The property is now an Ontario Court of Justice.

Historic townships
By 1881, the county had settled into its present form, with the following townships and related towns and villages:

In 1999, seven new municipalities (Townships) were created within Wellington County through amalgamation.

From "poorhouse" to museum
In 1877, the county opened the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, or Poorhouse as it was called, on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora. Over the years, approximately 1500 deserving poor, including those who were destitute, old and infirm or suffering from disabilities were housed here. The sixty bed house for inmates was surrounded by a 30-acre "industrial" farm with a barn for livestock that produced some of the food for the 70 residents and the staff and also provided work for them. Others worked in the House itself. According to a 2009 report by the Toronto Star, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A hospital was added in 1892. A nearby cemetery has 271 plots for those who died. In 1947 the House was converted into the Wellington County Home for the Aged and in 1975 the building reopened as the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

A historic plaque was erected at the museum, indicating that the "government-supported poorhouse" was "the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour".

Demographics
As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wellington County had a population of $241,026$ living in $91,822$ of its $97,287$ total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $222,726$. With a land area of 2665.36 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Community involvement and awards
In October 2008, the County of Wellington was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, the county was recognized as one of Waterloo Area's Top Employers and featured in the Guelph Mercury newspaper.

In 2014, the County of Wellington received Best Health and Wellness Strategy at the Canadian HR Awards. This award recognizes excellence in the area of corporate health and well-being.

In 2013 (Gold), and again in 2014 (Silver), the County of Wellington received Canada's Safest Employer in the Public Sector Award. Canada's Safest Employers Awards recognize organizations from all across Canada with outstanding accomplishments in promoting the health and safety of their workers.

In 2014 (Gold), and again in 2016 (Silver), the County of Wellington received Canada's Psychological Safety Award. Canada's Safest Employer Awards introduced a new Psychological Safety Award in 2014 to recognize organizations that are committed to employee mental health and are working towards implementing the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

The County of Wellington in Ontario, Canada, embarked on the BR+E journey beginning in 2013. Two years later, the county has reaped significant rewards with the candle on the cake represented by two BREI awards at the BREI Annual Conference in 2014.

The County of Wellington proudly received the 2015 Employer of Distinction Award at an Award Ceremony presented by the Guelph and District Human Resources Professionals Association in Guelph.

In early 2018, Alma resident Jim deBock received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for his extensive volunteer work.

Travel Region
Wellington County is part of the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association and Central Counties of Ontario, two tourism related associations.

In addition to the Museum, attractions in the County recommended by users of the Tripadvisor web site include Elora Rapids, Elora Gorge Conservation Area, the Fergus Grand Theatre and the Elora Cataract Railway. Popular parks with lakes for day use include Rockwood Conservation Area and Belwood Lake.

title: Wellington County, Ontario


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Pacific Airlines

Pacific Airlines Joint Stock Aviation Company (Công ty Cổ phần Hàng không Pacific Airlines, operating as Pacific Airlines) is a low-cost airline and ground services provider headquartered in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with its primary operating base at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. From 2008 to 2020, it was known as Jetstar Pacific Airlines (as a subsidiary of Jetstar).

The airline began operations in 1991, flying chartered cargo services. From 1996 to 2005, the airline, along with other local companies, operated under the government-owned Vietnam Airlines Corporation. Having by now operated passenger services, Pacific Airlines then came under the control of the government itself. In 2007, the Vietnamese government sold a 30% shareholding to Qantas, and as such the airline adopted a low-cost operations model and adopted its name (Jetstar Pacific) on 23 May 2008, becoming part of the Jetstar network.

In February 2012, Vietnam Airlines bought a 70% stake in the company. As part of its expansion plan, it was intended that Jetstar Pacific will have up to 15 Airbus A320 aircraft by the end of 2015 and up to 30 aircraft by 2020. In late 2020, Qantas sold its stakes in Jetstar Pacific to Vietnam Airlines and the carrier returned to its old brand name Pacific Airlines.

In March 2024, citing financial difficulties and pressure from lessors, Pacific Airlines has announced that the operator has temporarily suspended all of its services and flights and decommissioned its whole fleet. This wasn't mean bankruptcy or an effective dissolution of the airline, and the company has proposed meaningful restructuring while promised to restart its operations as soon as possible. Currently, the company is still actively providing ground handling services to Bamboo Airways. The airline resumed its nominal operations on 26 June 2024, using a single Vietnam Airlines airplane.

Early operations
Pacific Airlines was established in December 1990 and began operations in April 1991 with a start-up capital of US$2.47 million. It was the first carrier to be established in Vietnam following reforms that permitted foreign investment in the country's airlines. Pacific Airlines operated chartered cargo flights to Thailand, Pakistan and France in cooperation with AOM French Airlines. In 1993, prior to the lifting of the US embargo against Vietnam, the airline signed a deal with United Airlines that would have involved the training of Pacific Airlines' personnel and that had provisions for cooperation on US–Vietnam services.

In 1994, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) proposed plans to the government about the possible trading of minority stakes of Vietnam Airlines, VASCO and Pacific Airlines to investors. With the lifting of the US embargo, the country was looking for funds for aircraft procurements. Such plans did not materialise. However, in 1996, Pacific Airlines was consolidated with several air-service companies, including Vietnam Airlines, to establish Vietnam Airlines Corporation. During the same year, Pacific Airlines wet-leased a Boeing 737-300 from Swiss charter carrier TEA Basel. In addition to its jointly serviced cargo destinations, Pacific had by now opened services to Hanoi, Hong Kong and Taipei.

In 2000, Pacific entered into an agreement with Greek charter airline Galaxy Airways whereby the Vietnamese carrier would operate flights to Taipei on its behalf. In 2001, the airline's revenues totalled US$48 million, having made 3,600 flights using an Airbus A310 and two A321s. From 2001 to 2004, a succession of regional and global events, namely the September 11 attacks, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the SARS outbreak and a rise in oil prices, as well as misguided management decisions, contributed to a cumulative loss of more than US$13 million at the airline. Consequently, Vietnam Airlines Corporation in late 2004 submitted a report about Pacific Airlines to the government, who decreed that all of the carrier's shares belonging to the corporation must be transferred to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). As a result, the MoF assumed control of 86.49% of shares, with Saigon Tourist (13.06%) and Tradevico (0.45%) making up the rest.

The Ministry in January 2005 announced plans to sell all of its shares to increase the available capital by 20 times One prospective investor was Temasek Holdings, who was looking to inject US$50 million to revive the business, which might have entailed launching passenger flights to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Talks with various parties fell through. It was not until January 2007 when rumours circulated about another prospective investor.

Jetstar Pacific
Australian airline Qantas was in talks with the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), who was then managing the government's stake in Pacific Airlines, about a possible investment in the carrier. Three months later, Qantas agreed to a minority stake in Pacific as part of its plan to expand its low-cost operations through Jetstar in Southeast Asia. The deal was finalised in July when Qantas acquired an 18% stake for US$30 million, with provisions to eventually increase the stake to 30%; SCIC held the majority of the remaining shares. The deal would see the carrier, restructure as a low-cost airline and launch flights to the surrounding countries with a fleet of 30 Airbus A320s by 2014. It was renamed Jetstar Pacific Airlines (JPA, alternatively known as Jetstar Pacific) in May 2008.

JPA began its low-cost flights with service to Nha Trang and Da Nang. Due to high fuel costs, Nha Trang service was suspended, and the airline lost $22 million in 2008. Passenger service launches to Bangkok and Siem Reap were deferred, and SCIC stated the airline would need US$35 million to operate in 2009. Jetstar Pacific embarked on its fleet modernisation plan in 2009, as it replaced several Boeing 737-400s with leased A320s. It made its first profit (US$1.1 million) in July that year after long periods of losses. The airline expanded its domestic market share as it transported more than 1.5 million passengers in the first half of 2009. Despite these developments, the airline encountered branding issues when the CAAV in October decreed that it must replace its Jetstar brand and logo with a new identity; the CAAV cited possible consumer confusion with Jetstar Airways and that a foreign airline could potentially exploit the Jetstar Pacific's branding to advertise it products. Later that year, CEO Luong Hoai Nam suddenly quit the airline having served since 2004.

In January 2010, clarifications about Nam surfaced when Vietnamese authorities reportedly detained the former CEO and prevented COO Daniela Masilli and CFO Tristan Freeman from leaving the country. This was part of an investigation into fuel hedging losses, which reportedly had cost the airline US$31 million. Qantas responded to the complication by replacing the two administrators. Due to the investigation into fuel-hedging allegations, growth plans at the airline were stalled.

Funding issues persisted through 2011. In addition to the fuel price fluctuations, compounded by the government-sanctioned fare cap, JPA had to address lease and maintenance fees for its aircraft. During the year, reports indicated that VAC would re-assume control of the carrier; according to Saigon Tiep Thi, the SCIC would transfer 70% of its shares to Vietnam Airlines. However, Jetstar denied such speculation. On 16 January 2012, the Vietnamese government confirmed the allegations by Saigon Tiep Thi by decreeing a transfer of SCIC shares to Vietnam Airlines, which took place in February. The transfer brought forward plans by Vietnam Airlines to have its own LCC by 2014. As part of its current expansion plan, it is intended that Jetstar Pacific will have up to 15 Airbus A320s by the end of 2015. The remaining 30% of Jetstar Pacific was held by Qantas (most likely for naming rights).

Return as Pacific Airlines
In June 2020, Vietnam Airlines announced that it would takeover all Qantas's shares and increase its ownership of Jetstar Pacific to 98%. The airline will no longer be operating under the Jetstar brand, but will revert to its original name Pacific Airlines. The ticketing system will also be migrated from the Qantas-based system used by Jetstar to the Sabre system used by Vietnam Airlines.

Financial issues & restructuring proposal
Approximately one year after the Qantas withdrawal, in June 2021, Vietnam Airlines has declared that the impact of COVID-19 has resulted in the financial situation of Pacific Airlines being "extremely serious", posing the possibilities of insolvency and termination of operations. The Vietnamese state-owned flag carrier is looking for investors in order to restructure Pacific Airlines, however, it was revealed that the investor selection process faced many legal and other obstacles due to the fact that it (both Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines) is a state-owned enterprise, admitting that the situation of Pacific Airlines "would be at risk" if no agreement is reached.

In March 2024, due to serious difficulties, Pacific Airlines has declared pausing its operations, with its parent Vietnam Airlines handling all the affected customers.

The carrier restarted operations by June 2024 with three Airbus A321 from Vietnam Airlines.

Destinations
As of 2020, Pacific Airlines operates more than 40 daily flights to domestic destinations from its main operating base at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Codeshare agreements
Pacific Airlines' only codeshare agreement is with Vietnam Airlines.

Fleet
, Pacific Airlines operates the following aircraft:

title: Pacific Airlines


text:
Cool TV

Cool TV is a Hungarian television channel owned by RTL Group. It was launched as m+ on 15 September 2003, but a year later, it was relaunched as Cool TV on 4 September 2004.

2003–2010
Originally Cool TV had the target audience of urban 15–29-year-olds who love music, externals, clothes, trendy lifestyle and extravagance. The channel was first launched as m+ on 15 September 2003, but a year later, it was relaunched as Cool TV on 4 September 2004, so the channel could be available in 2.5 million households.

The channel broadcast 24 hours a day and aired reruns of series that RTL Klub originally purchased or produced as well as series targeting today's youth. In 2005, the channel has relocated on paper to Romania.

In 2007, Cool TV launched a series of topical shows produced by the channel, such as Cool Live and Cool Night, featuring younger hosts lent to Cool by RTL Klub; the former being a youth lifestyle show, and the latter being an adult show including interviews with Hungarian porn stars and producers, as well as occasionally showing soft-core porn video clips. These talkshows have now been cancelled.

In 2009, Cool TV purchased the airing rights of the successful Hungarian version of Whose line is it anyway?, Beugró.

The channel broadcast 24 hours a day and aired reruns of series that RTL Klub originally purchased or produced, as well as series targeting today's youth. These included: South Park, Married... with Children (Egy rém rendes család), 24, Footballer's Wives (Futbalista feleségek), The L Word (L), Queer as Folk (A fiúk a klubból), The Unit (Az egység), Dead Like Me (Haláli hullák), Weeds (Spangli), Skins (Skins), Desperate Housewives (Született feleségek)

2010–present
From 30 August 2010, Cool TV changed image and was rebranded, aiming for a wider audience. Since then, the channel airs mostly crime procedurals. The move was successful because as of July 2012 Cool TV is the third most watched commercial TV channel, and most watched cable channel in Hungary (target audience 18–49, prime time 19.00-23.00) beating main competitor Viasat 3.

On 1 December 2014 at 09:00, Cool TV got its current image and it was rebranded again. The new logo is similar to the one introduced in 2010, however, the two red dots remained the same, but the previously gray circles turned white and 3D.

Series

 * Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei
 * Bones
 * Cold Case
 * CSI: Miami
 * CSI: New York
 * Criminal Minds
 * God Friended Me
 * Gilmore Girls
 * Just For Laughs Gags
 * Magnum P.I.
 * Medicopter 117 – Jedes Leben zählt
 * Stumptown
 * The Good Doctor
 * The Mentalist
 * Whiskey Cavalier
 * Without a Trace

title: Cool TV