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Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'

The Wych Elm cultivar Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii', commonly known as the Camperdown Elm, was discovered about 1835–1840 (often mis-stated as '1640') as a young contorted elm (a sport) growing in the forest at Camperdown House, in Dundee, Scotland, by the Earl of Camperdown's head forester, David Taylor. The young tree was lifted and replanted within the gardens of Camperdown House where it remains to this day. The original tree, which grows on its own roots, is less than 3 m tall, with a weeping habit and contorted branch structure. The earl's gardener is said to have produced the first of what are commonly recognised as Camperdown elms by grafting a cutting to the trunk of a wych elm (U. glabra).

Henry and Bean record that in early days both 'Camperdownii' and a reportedly similar-looking cultivar called 'Serpentina' were marketed as U. montana pendula nova. Koch had listed an U. serpentina in 1872, and an U. montana serpentina was marketed in the late 19th century and early 20th by the Späth nursery in Berlin, and by the Ulrich nursery in Warsaw. In Späth catalogues between 1902 and 1920, 'Serpentina' appears while 'Camperdownii' is absent; by 1930 'Camperdownii' appears but 'Serpentina' is absent. This suggests that 'Serpentina' may have been a continental name for 'Camperdownii', and that Späth dropped the name 'Serpentina' c.1930 in favour of 'Camperdownii'. Elwes and Henry's failure to mention the serpentining branches of 'Camperdownii' may have contributed to the impression of two different trees. In this omission they were followed by Bean (1925; corrected 1981), Green (1964), Hillier (1972– 2002), Krüssmann (1976), and White (2003), the first four of whom, like Elwes and Henry, list 'Serpentina' as a cultivar distinct from 'Camperdownii'.

Although usually classed as a cultivar of wych elm, the tree was considered a nothomorph of Ulmus × hollandica 'Vegeta' by Green (1964).

The tree is sometimes confused with the 'Horizontalis' (Weeping Wych Elm) owing to both being given the epithet 'Pendula'.

Description
The grafted Camperdown Elm slowly develops a broad, flat head that may eventually build as high as 4 m (13 feet), and a commensurately wide crown with a weeping habit. Its chief diagnostic feature is its contorted branching, what Mitchell (1982) called the "head of furiously twisting branches".

The ultimate size and form of 'Camperdownii' depends on such factors as latitude and location, on what part of the parent tree the cuttings come from, on the 'stock' on which it is grafted, and on possible continuing mutation. Specimens may therefore vary in appearance. Grown in lower latitudes like Victoria, Australia, the tree can attain a height and spread of over 13 m.

Pests and diseases
'Camperdownii' is susceptible to Dutch elm disease, however, there are still many examples to be found in parks and gardens across the British Isles as it often avoids detection by the Scolytae beetle (a major vector of Dutch elm disease) because of its diminutive height. In North America it often escapes infection possibly because the American vectors of the disease do not feed on wych elm, however, its leaves are heavily damaged there by the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola, elm yellows, and disfigured by leaf-mining and leaf-rolling insects, such as the elm casebearer, Coleophora ulmifoliella.

Cultivation
Every 'Camperdownii' is descended (through cuttings) from the original sport and usually grafted on a wych elm trunk. Other grafting stock has been used, including Dutch elm U. × hollandica, Siberian elm U. pumila, and English elm U. minor 'Atinia' (although this ultimately produces suckers).

Camperdown elms satisfied a mid-Victorian passion for curiosities in the 'Gardenesque' gardens then in vogue. Many examples were planted, as 'rarities', in Britain and America. There are many on university campuses, often planted as memorials, such as at the campus of the University of Idaho. Others featured in townscapes such as at the Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle, and Kripalu Yoga Center, Stockbridge, MA.

The tree was also introduced to Australia, where a number still survive, notably in Victoria, where it was marketed from 1873.

Camperdown Elm is cold hardy, suffering more from summer drought than winter cold (to zone 4), although 90% of the University of Minnesota elm trials specimens were lost during the exceptionally severe winter of 2002–2003.

Notable trees
In Dundee, Scotland, there are two well established Camperdownii Elms at the gated entrance to a private residence on Constitution Terrace in the Crescents Conservation Area. Both trees have grown so they intertwine with each other and create the illusion of one tree in the summer months. The trees are likely to have been cultivated around 1850, the same age as the Victorian mansion situated in the grounds which was built around 1850, therefore are among the oldest in Dundee. These trees are the only known 'twin trees' of their kind.

In Prospect Park, Brooklyn, a Camperdown Elm planted in 1872 near the Boat House has developed into a picturesque weatherbeaten specimen, no more than four metres high, like an oversized bonsai. Described by the poet Marianne Moore as "our crowning curio," the Prospect Park tree is considered the outstanding specimen tree in the park. Halifax Public Gardens contains a similar specimen, located next to the Boer War Memorial fountain, which displays the same characteristics as the Prospect Park tree.

The UK TROBI Champion trees are in Scotland, at Baxters Park, Dundee, and at Ayr Cemetery. In France, two grow by the gate at corner of rue de Buzenval and rue de Lagney in the Square Sarah Bernhardt, Paris (20th Arrondissement). NB: Two Corkscrew Willows at the entrance near the corner of rue de Lagny & rue Mounet Sully look the same during winter.

In Gardner, Massachusetts, there is a Camperdown Elm on Parker Street in the front yard of a former store now currently a private residence, towering over the peak of the two-story building with a trunk circumference of over 9 feet. The tree has not been touched for decades and is infested with leaf miners and borers; there is also a significant amount of trunk rot and large missing limbs. As of late June 2010, a local resident, Nate Thibault, has taken action to create a restoration plan for the tree. The tree's age is undetermined but believed to have reached its maturity. [UPDATE: The new owner of this property has unfortunately failed to recognize the historical significance of this tree and had it completely removed!]

There is a Camperdown Elm on the Smith College campus which was planted as part of an arboretum by Frederick Law Olmsted at the turn of the 20th century.

The Post University campus in Waterbury, Connecticut, hosts a Camperdown Elm, which once served as the backdrop for the university's logo.

In Warrenton, Oregon there is a Camperdown Elm on the property of the DK Warren House. This is actually 2 trees that have intertwined together for a spectacular canopy. www.dkwarrenhouse.com, Circa. 1885

In Port Gamble, Washington there is a Camperdown Elm next to the historic Walker-Ames House. Planted in 1875, this individual measures 20 feet tall, with a 26-foot crown and 7-foot trunk circumference.

In Kingston, Washington there is a Camperdown Elm on an old homestead that is now the community center called The Village Green. It was planted in 1885, it measures 20 feet tall, with a 28-foot crown and 7 foot trunk circumference.

In Alfred, NY the “Umbrella Tree” is a beloved landmark on the Alfred University campus. Frequently it's a temporary home to students nestled in its branches or artwork hanging from its limbs. Found in front of the Powell Campus Center it was planted circa 1905. Originally it sat in front of Kenyon Memorial Hall, the first building on this site. It once had a “twin” located just a few yards away that was removed in 1974 due to ill health. A third one was once located next to the School of Theology building (The Gothic), currently the site of Herrick Memorial Library.

In Saint John, New Brunswick, there is a Camperdown Elm on Red Head Road on the front yard of a former farm, currently a private residence. The owner is currently trying to locate the tree's history; its age is undetermined.

In Leamington, Ontario, there is a mature Camperdown Elm on Seacliff Drive in the back yard of a garden center.

In Eastport, Maine, there is a Camperdown Elm at the corner of High Street and Shackford Street. The tree is on the corner near the original Anderson home built circa the 1850s. It is 3 feet in diameter at the widest part of its trunk. Eastport is the easternmost city in the United States.

In Spiers Old School Grounds near Beith, Scotland is a fine specimen dating from the late 1880s planted by the Earl of Eglinton's head gardener on behalf of the Spier's Trust (see photograph).

In Newport, Rhode Island, there is a Camperdown Elm at the Chinese Tea House in the Marble House estate, a historic mansion built by Mr. and Mrs. William Kissam Vanderbilt between 1888 and 1892, which is open to the public.

In Cazenovia, New York, there is a Camperdown Elm planted in the gardens of The Brewster Inn.

Two large trees are situated outside 315 Eureka Street, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, (2014), planted c.1900. Measured in 2011, one (girth 2.7 m) was 13.7 m tall and 14.3 m broad, the other (girth 2.6 m) 13 m tall and 13 m broad.

The largest recorded specimens are located in New Zealand. The cultivar was popular with early settlers and there are several trees with girth measurements over 2.8 metres listed on the New Zealand Tree Register. The largest tree, situated at 8 Harakeke Street, Christchurch has a girth of 3.5 m, is 9.6 m high and has an average canopy spread of 11.4 m (2016).

Synonymy

 * Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'
 * Ulmus montana (: glabra) var. pendula: Kirchner, in Petzold & Kirchner, Arboretum Muscaviense, 565, 1864.
 * Ulmus montana (: glabra) var. pendula camperdownii Hort. : Henry, in Henry & Elwes, Trees of Great Britain & Ireland, 7: 1867, 1913.
 * Ulmus montana (: glabra) pendula nova Hort. : Kirchner, in Petzold & Kirchner, Arboretum Muscaviense 565, 1864, name in synonymy.
 * Ulmus scampstoniensis pendula: Petzold, in Petzold & Kirchner, Arboretum Muscaviense 565, 1864.

North America

 * Arnold Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 352–51.
 * Bartlett Tree Experts, US. Acc. nos. 1375, 2002–221.
 * Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York, US. Acc. no. 240001.
 * Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, US. One tree, in the Parking Lots, listed as U. × vegeta 'Camperdownii'.
 * Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. No acc. details available.
 * Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, Michigan, US. 2 Specimens frame the entranceway.
 * Eisenhower Park, Newport, Rhode Island, US.
 * Filoli Estate & Gardens, Woodside, California, US. No acc. details available.
 * Gilman Park Arboretum, Pierce, Nebraska, US. No acc. details available.
 * Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey, US. One specimen in the Water Garden to the left of the sculpture "Relative"
 * Hoyt Arboretum, Portland, Oregon, US. No acc. details available.
 * Longwood Gardens, US. Acc. no. 2000–1338.
 * New York Botanical Garden, US. Acc. no. 529/89.
 * Scott Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 70–163
 * Smith College, US. Acc. no. 3166PA.
 * University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, US.
 * Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle, US. No acc. details available.
 * Port Gamble, Washington, US.
 * Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, Washington, US. Two specimens facing the Salish Sea behind the main Residence.

Europe

 * Arboretum de La Petite Loiterie, Monthodon, France. No details available
 * Brighton & Hove, UK. National Elm Collection- Scattered throughout the city. Recent additions have occurred at Withdean and Preston Parks.
 * Cambridge Botanic Garden, University of Cambridge, UK. No accession details available.
 * Grange Farm Arboretum, Lincolnshire, UK. Acc. no. 512.
 * Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils, Latvia. Acc. no. 18099.
 * Linnaean Gardens of Uppsala, Sweden. Acc. no. 1976–1049.
 * Newby Hall and Gardens: near Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK. Two examples. No planting dates available.
 * Tallinn Botanic Garden, Estonia. . No accession details available.
 * Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Glos., UK. No planting date or acc. no. available.
 * Wijdemeren City Council, Netherlands. Elm collection. 2 exx. 4 m high at cemeteries Rading, Loosdrecht and Hornhof, Nederhorst den Berg. Planted in 2015.
 * Balintore, Highlands, Scotland. On private land, visible on google streetview. 57.760339, -3.900778

Australasia

 * Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Gisborne, New Zealand. 3 trees, details not known.
 * Morton House, Charles Street, Launceston, Australia. 1 tree.
 * Orange Botanic Gardens, Orange, New South Wales, Australia, 1 tree.

North America
(Widely available)

Europe
(Widely available)

title: Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'


text:
Unchained Melody

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.

In 1955, three versions of the song (by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton) charted in the Billboard top 10 in the United States, and four versions (by Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace) appeared in the top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, a record for any song. The song continued to chart in the 21st century, and it was the only song to reach number one with four different recordings in the United Kingdom until it was joined by "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 2014 with the release of Band Aid 30's version.

Of the hundreds of recordings made, the Righteous Brothers' version, with a solo by Bobby Hatfield, became the jukebox standard after its release. Hatfield changed the melody in the final verse and many subsequent covers of the song are based on his version. The Righteous Brothers recording achieved a second round of great popularity when featured in the film Ghost in 1990. In 2004, it was number 27 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Origin of song
In 1954, Alex North was contracted to compose the score for the prison film Unchained (released in 1955). North had a melody he had written in the 1930s and composed and recorded the score when he was asked to write a song based upon the movie's theme. North asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics. After first refusing, Zaret and North together wrote "Unchained Melody." Zaret refused the producer's request to include the word "unchained" in his lyrics. The song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody" even though the song does not actually include the word "unchained". Instead, Zaret chose to focus on someone who pines for a lover he has not seen in a "long, lonely time". The film centered on a man who contemplates either escaping from prison to live life on the run or completing his sentence and returning to his wife and family. The song has an unusual harmonic device as the bridge ends on the tonic chord rather than the more usual dominant chord.

Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack and performs an abbreviated version in the film. Playing one of the prisoners, he sings it, accompanied by another prisoner on guitar, while other prisoners listen sadly. With Duncan singing the vocals, the song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscars, but the Best Song award went to the hit song "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing".

William Stirrat, an electrical engineer, claimed to have written the lyrics as a teenager in 1936 under the pen name "Hy Zaret" only to have North use the uncredited words in the 1955 original. The case went to court and the dispute was resolved completely in favor of the real Zaret (the one born Hyman Zaritsky) who continued to receive all royalties.

Early versions
Following the movie, there were several charting covers that were released in 1955. Bandleader Les Baxter released a choral version (Capitol Records catalog number 3055) which reached number 1 on the US charts and number 10 in the UK. The words "unchain me" are sung repeatedly at the beginning and the lyrics are sung by a choir. Billboard ranked this version as the No. 5 song of 1955. Al Hibbler followed close behind with a vocal version (Decca Records catalog number 29441), that reached number 3 on the Billboard charts and number 2 in the UK chart listings. Jimmy Young's release (on Decca Records UK catalog number F10502) stayed at number 1 on the British charts for 3 weeks and remained on the UK charts for 19 weeks. Young re-recorded the song in early 1964 and it hit number 43 in the UK. Two weeks after Young's version entered the top 10 of the British charts in June 1955, Liberace scored a number 20 hit (Philips PB 430). Roy Hamilton's version (Epic Records catalog number 9102) reached number 1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and number 6 on the pop chart. June Valli recorded the song on March 15, 1955 (RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-6078) with the flip side "Tomorrow", and took it to number 29 on the Top Pop Records list. Harry Belafonte recorded the song, and sang his version at the 1956 Academy Awards after it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1955.

While the sheet music business was losing its prominence to sound recordings, a sheet music release of the song peaked at number 1 on its tenth week on the Billboard Best Selling Sheet Music chart on the week ending June 18, 1955. It stayed at its peak position for nine weeks until it dropped to number 4 on its twentieth week on the week ending August 27.

The Righteous Brothers versions
The best-known version of "Unchained Melody" was recorded by the duo the Righteous Brothers for Philles Records in 1965. The lead vocal was performed solo by Bobby Hatfield, who later recorded other versions of the song credited solely to him. According to his singing partner Bill Medley, they had agreed to do one solo piece each per album. Both wanted to sing "Unchained Melody" for their fourth album, but Hatfield won the coin toss.

"Unchained Melody" was originally released as the "B" side of the single "Hung On You" as the follow-up single to "Just Once in My Life". However, "Hung On You" failed to interest radio DJs who instead chose to play the 'B' side "Unchained Melody". According to Medley, producer Phil Spector, who would deliberately place a throwaway song that was not meant to be played on the B side, was so incensed by DJs choosing to play the B side that he started to call their radio stations to get them to stop playing "Unchained Melody". However, he failed, and the song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 14 in the UK in 1965. "Unchained Melody" is written in the key of C major.

Recording
As Spector was not especially interested in producing b-sides or album tracks he left the production to Bill Medley, who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles. He brought in a similar 'wall of sound' instrumental track. Medley said: "Phil came to me and asked me to produce the Righteous Brothers albums because he would have taken too long and it would have cost too much money." By Medley's account, Spector only claimed production credit after it supplanted "Hung On You" as the hit. Early copies of the single did not credit a producer for "Unchained Melody" and only credited Spector as producer of the original single "Hung On You". Later pressings of the single credited Spector as the producer, as do album liner notes in the Spector box set Back to Mono (1958–1969).

Hatfield made a change to the song during the recording sessions. The first two takes of the song he performed it in the same style as Roy Hamilton. For a third take, he decided to change the melody for the "I need your love" line in the final verse, and sang it much higher instead. After this recording, Hatfield said he could do another take better, to which Medley replied: "No, you can't." Medley played the Wurlitzer piano on the song and he noted that "if I knew that it was gonna be a hit I certainly would have brought in a better piano player."

Re-recording and re-release
"Unchained Melody" reappeared on the US Billboard charts in 1990 after the Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost. Two versions charted in the US that year – the original and a new recording. According to Medley, he was interested in having the original recording released due to the renewed interest in the song, but was told that there were licensing issues. Although Hatfield's voice was no longer as good as when he first recorded the song, they decided to re-record it for Curb Records. The re-recorded version was released as both a cassette single and a CD single. It received minimal airplay but sold well, peaking at number 19. The re-recorded version was certified Platinum by the RIAA on January 10, 1991, and received a Grammy Award nomination.

The 1965 original Righteous Brothers recording was reissued in 1990 by oldies-reissue label Verve Forecast under licensing from Polygram Records (which had acquired the rights years earlier). The original version received a lot of airplay, and topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart for two weeks in 1990. However, sales for this version were minimal in the US since it was available as only a 45 RPM single and the song peaked at No. 13 based largely on airplay. For eight weeks, both versions were on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously and the Righteous Brothers became the first act to have two versions of the same song in the Top 20 at the same time. This re-released song reached number 1 in the UK where it stayed for four weeks, becoming the UK's top selling single of 1990. As of 2017, it had sold 1.17 million copies in the UK. The 1990 reissue also reached number 1 in Australia, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Due to the success of their re-recording, the Righteous Brothers also re-recorded other songs and released them as part of a budget-priced CD compilation by Curb Records. For the original recordings, Polydor had licensed the CD rights to Rhino Records for a premium-priced 1989 compilation of Righteous Brothers hits from various labels; later in 1990, it issued its own regular-priced Righteous Brothers greatest hits CD that included the recording.

Reception
The Righteous Brothers' cover of "Unchained Melody" is now widely considered the definitive version of the song. Hatfield's vocal in the original recording in particular is highly praised; it has been described as "powerful, full of romantic hunger, yet ethereal," and a "vocal tour de force", although his later re-recording was noted as "fudging only a bit on the highest notes". The production of their original recording has been described as "epic", and that with "Hatfield's emotion-packed tenor soaring to stratospheric heights, it's a record designed to reduce anyone separated from the one they loved to a "pile of mush".

Elvis Presley version
On June 21, 1977, Elvis Presley performed the song at a show in Rapid City, South Dakota. The performance, described by Rolling Stone as "the last great moment of his career", was recorded for his last television special two months before his death in August 1977. A single, based on this recording, was released in March 1978 by RCA Records with "Softly, As I Leave You" as the b-side. The song reached No. 6 in the country charts of both the US and Canada, and was certified Gold by Music Canada on July 10, 1986.

Another live version recorded earlier on April 24, 1977, at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was included in his last album Moody Blue. Both versions had studio overdubs with additional instruments added before they were released.

Robson & Jerome version
The version by Robson & Jerome is notable as the best-selling single of 1995 in the UK. It also launched the singing career of Robson & Jerome, and became the biggest hit in the UK for Simon Cowell, marking his beginning as a significant figure in the music industry.

In November 1994, in an episode of the UK television drama series Soldier Soldier, characters Dave Tucker and Paddy Garvey, portrayed by actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn respectively, performed "Unchained Melody" as an impromptu duo, The Unrighteous Brothers, after the entertainment failed to appear for a friend's wedding. Their performance triggered a strong response from the audience who attempted to find a recording of the song that was then unavailable. Simon Cowell was alerted to the interest shown by the public, and pursued the two reluctant actors for the next four months to record the song, to the extent that Robson Green threatened legal action to stop Cowell harassing them. The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record a Righteous Brothers-type version of the song as a duo. The recording was produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken. It was later revealed by Stock that the vocals were "assisted" and parts of the song were sung by other session singers. It was released as a double A-sided single with "White Cliffs of Dover", a popular song during World War II, included in recognition of the 50th anniversary of VE day, the date of the single release. The video released for "Unchained Melody" also incorporated clips from the 1945 film Brief Encounter.

Their recording immediately reached number 1 in the UK, selling 314,000 copies in its first week, at that time the fastest-selling debut single in UK chart history. It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks. It became the best selling single of 1995, and one of the country's all-time biggest-selling singles (No. 9 in November 2012), with 1.87 million copies sold. The self-titled album they released later in the year also became the best-selling album of 1995. Although the duo decided to quit the following year, they would eventually sell 7 million copies of albums and 5 million copies of the 3 singles released. Simon Cowell, who before this was known largely as a creator of novelty records with television characters such as the puppets Zig and Zag and action characters Power Rangers, then came to the attention of the media for his ability to create hit records.

Certifications

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Gareth Gates version
English singer-songwriter Gareth Gates first performed "Unchained Melody" as a contestant in the quarter-final of the first series of the UK singing competition television show Pop Idol, which included Simon Cowell as one of the judges. Gates reprised the song in the final as his personal choice, but the competition was won by Will Young. Gates was signed by Cowell, and as the runner-up, Gates released the song as his first single three weeks after the winner had released his single, the double A-sided "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen". Gates' cover of "Unchained Melody" was released together with his versions of the same two songs released by Young, which Gates had also performed in the final.

Gates' version of "Unchained Melody" became one of the fastest-selling singles in the UK, selling around 328,000 copies in the first day of release. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release with sales of 850,000 copies, and stayed at the top of the chart for four weeks. It became the second best-selling song in the UK in 2002, as well as that of the decade of 2000s, after the single by the winner Will Young. It has sold 1.35 million copies in the UK as of 2017.

Other notable versions

 * Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers of The Goons recorded a parody of the song, produced by George Martin, on June 29, 1955. It would have been the first single by the Goons but EMI refused to release it, fearing a lawsuit from its music publisher. It prompted Spike Milligan to move to Decca Records which released other works from the Goons. The Goons later released an album titled Unchained Melodies with Decca, but without the actual song. The single was later released in 1990, and the song was then included in the 2007 compilation album titled Unchained Melodies – The Complete Recordings 1955-1978.
 * In 1963, an uptempo doo-wop version by Vito & the Salutations peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100; this version was used in the soundtrack for Goodfellas in 1990.
 * David Garrick released a version which reached No. 14 in the Netherlands in 1968.
 * In 1975, Clem Curtis had a disco version which spent three weeks in the Record Mirror UK Disco Chart, peaking at no. 75.
 * In 1979, George Benson recorded a version for the Warner Bros. Records album Livin' Inside Your Love. The single peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart).
 * In 1981, a live version performed by the band Heart, with lead vocals by Ann Wilson, peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100.
 * In 1986, Leo Sayer released a version of the song with a contemporary reworking of the "wall of sound" production technique that included an unusual electric guitar solo near the climax. The single charted in the UK at No. 54.
 * U2 covered the song as a B-side to their 1989 single, "All I Want Is You", and included in their compilation album The Best of 1980–1990. They have performed the song live many times, including one captured on their 1993 concert film Zoo TV: Live from Sydney. Bono and The Edge also performed the song together with "One" for the charity 46664 Concert in tribute to Nelson Mandela held in Cape Town in 2003.
 * Cyndi Lauper was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal" for her interpretation of the song, which appears on her 2003 studio album At Last.
 * In 2006, singer Barry Manilow covered the song on his album The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and was released as a single. The song reached number 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
 * In 2020, country singers Orville Peck and Paul Cauthen released a cover of the song under the name "The Unrighteous Brothers" along with a cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'".
 * In 2023, Lana Del Rey covered the song live on the "Christmas at Graceland" special.

Country charts
Different versions of the song have made the US Hot Country Songs charts.
 * Joe Stampley (number 41, 1975)
 * Ronnie McDowell (number 26, 1991)
 * LeAnn Rimes (number 3, 1997) LeAnn Rimes' cover was originally released in September 1996 as a B-side track to One Way Ticket (Because I Can) and again in November 1996 on a promotional single "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" that was only available at Target stores on the purchase of her first album Blue. It was also released as a single to radio on December 24, 1996, and included in the compilation album Unchained Melody: The Early Years in 1997. The song reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US, and No. 3 in the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It was ranked No. 64 on the 1997 Year End Country Songs chart in the US, and No. 49 in Canada's Year End Country Tracks chart.

Popularity
"Unchained Melody" was the only song to have reached No. 1 in the UK in four different recordings on the official chart until it was joined by the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in its fourth re-recording in 2014. It is the only song to have sold over a million by three separate acts in the UK – Robson and Jerome (1.87 million), Gareth Gates (1.35 million), the Righteous Brothers (1.17 million). The song has been number 1 on lists of love songs featured on the United Kingdom's Channel 4 and Five.

The song has been covered by many artists; according to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists in multiple languages. Its popularity also meant that the song is one of the highest grossing songs for its copyright holders, estimated in 2012 to be the fifth biggest earners of royalties according to the BBC's list of The Richest Songs in the World at £18 million.

Accolades
The song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscar for best original song from the film Unchained. The re-recorded version by the Righteous Brothers was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991 in the best pop performance by a duo or group category, and their original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. The use of the Righteous Brothers' cover of "Unchained Melody" in the film Ghost resurrected the song's popularity as it was recognized as the "most played" song of 1992 by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). ASCAP also announced it to be one of the 25 most-performed songs and musical works of the 20th century in 1999, and the most-performed love song of the 1950s in 2003.

In 2001, the song was ranked at No. 138 in the list of Songs of the Century released by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the Righteous Brothers version of the song at number 365 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was placed first in Magic 1278's 500 greatest songs of all time. It was also listed in 2004 at No. 27 in the list of the 100 top movie songs of all time in American Film institute's centenary AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of songs in American cinema. In 2007, the Songwriters Hall of Fame honored "Unchained Melody" with a Towering Song award that is presented to creators of a song "that has influenced the culture in a unique way over many years."

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

title: Unchained Melody


text:
Mopsuestia

Mopsuestia and Mopsuhestia (Μοψουεστία and Μόψου ἑστία and Μόψου Mopsou and Μόψου πόλις and Μόψος; Byzantine Greek: Mamista, Manistra, Mampsista; Arabic: al-Maṣṣīṣah; Armenian: Msis, Mises, Mam(u)estia; modern Yakapınar) is an ancient city in Cilicia Campestris on the Pyramus River (now the Ceyhan River) located approximately 20 km east of ancient Antiochia in Cilicia (present-day Adana, southern Turkey). From the city's harbor, the river is navigable to the Mediterranean Sea, a distance of over 40 km (24 mi).

The 1879 book A Latin Dictionary, the 1898 book Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia and the 1920 La Cilicie mention that the city at that time was called Missis or Messis,   but in 1960 the name changed to Yakapınar.

History
The founding of this city is attributed to the seer Mopsus, from whom the city also took its name, who lived before the Trojan war, although it is scarcely mentioned before the Christian era. The name has been glossed as Μόψου ἑστία, "The house (hestia) of Mopsus". Pliny the Elder calls it the free city of Mopsos (Hist. nat., V, 22), but the ordinary name is Mopsuestia, as found in Stephanus of Byzantium and all the Christian geographers and chroniclers. Under the Seleucid Empire, the city took the name of Seleucia on the Pyramus (classical Greek: Σελεύκεια πρὸς τὸν Πύραμον, Seleukeia pros ton Pyramon; Seleucia ad Pyramum), but gave it up at the time of the Roman conquest. Coins and inscriptions show that under Hadrian it was called Hadriana, under Decius Decia, and so forth. Constantius II built there a magnificent bridge over the Pyramus (Malalas, Chronographia, XIII; P.G., XCVII, 488) afterwards restored by Justinian (Procopius, De Edificiis, V. 5) and has been restored again recently.

Near the city a battle between the Antiochus X Eusebes, son of Antiochus IX Cyzicenus, and Seleucus VI Epiphanes was fought. Antiochus won and Seleucus took shelter in Mopsuestia, but the citizens of Mopsuestia killed him. His brothers Antiochus XI and Philip I destroyed Mopsuestia as an act of revenge and their armies fought those of Antiochus X, but they lost.

Christianity seems to have been introduced very early into Mopsuestia, and during the 3rd century, there is mention of a bishop, Theodorus, the adversary of Paul of Samosata. Other famous residents of the early Christian period in the city's history include Saint Auxentius (d. 360), and Theodore, bishop from 392–428, the teacher of Nestorius. The bishopric is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees. Along with much of Cilicia, the region was wrested from Roman control by the Arabs in the late 630s.

In 684 the Emperor Constantine IV recaptured Misis from its small Arab garrison and it remained an imperial possession until 703 (Theophanes, "Chronogr.", A. M. 6178, 6193), when it was recaptured by the Arabs, who rebuilt the fortifications, constructed a mosque, and maintained a permanent garrison. Because of its position on the frontier, the city was repeatedly fought over and was recaptured from time to time by the Byzantines: it was besieged in vain by the Byzantine troops of John I Tzimisces in 964, but was taken the following year after a long and difficult siege by Nicephorus Phocas.

Mopsuestia then numbered 200,000 inhabitants, some of whom were Muslim, and the Byzantines made efforts to re-Christianize the city. In the early 1090s, Turkish forces overran the town, but were expelled in 1097 by Crusader troops under Tancred who took possession of the city and its strategic port, which were annexed to the Principality of Antioch. It suffered much from the internecine war between Crusaders, Armenians, and Greeks who lost it and recaptured it, notably in 1106, 1132, and 1137. Finally, in 1151–1152 the Armenian Baron T'oros II captured the city and defeated the Greek counterattack led by Andronikos I Komnenos. Thereafter it remained a possession of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, but was briefly captured and plundered by the Mamluks in 1266, 1275, and 1322. The Venetians and Genoese were licensed by the Armenians to maintain warehouses near the harbor to store goods brought from India. The Armenians were permanently evicted by the Mamluks in 1347. The city was the site of several church councils and possessed four Armenian churches; the Greek diocese still existed at the beginning of the fourteenth century (Le Quien, Oriens Christianus, II, 1002). In 1432 the Frenchman Bertrandon reported that the city was ruled by the Muslims and was largely destroyed. In 1515 Mopsuestia, and the whole of Cilicia was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Selim I. Since then it has steadily declined and became the small village of Misis. Misis was renamed Yakapınar in the 1960s. Only fragments of the medieval fortifications survive today. However, an etching of the circuit walls and towers was made in the mid-19th century. The Misis Mosaic Museum was founded in 1959 to exhibit the mosaics found in the area, including the famous "Samson Mosaic".

Victor Langlois wrote that he found a beautiful Greek inscription at the city and while he was trying to move it to France, the inscription fell in the Pyramus River.

Notable people

 * Heracleides (Ἡρακλείδης) was a grammarian from Mopsus.
 * Theodore of Mopsuestia, bishop of Mopsuestia
 * Auxentius of Mopsuestia, bishop of Mopsuestia

title: Mopsuestia


text:
Dick Fosbury

Richard Douglas Fosbury (March 6, 1947 – March 12, 2023) was an American high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a "back-first" technique now known as the Fosbury flop. His method was to sprint diagonally towards the bar, then curve and leap backward over the bar, which gave him a much lower center of mass in flight than traditional techniques. Debbie Brill was developing her similar "Brill Bend" around the same time. This approach has seen nearly universal adoption since Fosbury's performance in Mexico. Though he never returned to the Olympics, Fosbury continued to be involved in athletics after retirement and served on the executive board of the World Olympians Association.

In 2014, Fosbury unsuccessfully challenged Steve Miller for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. Fosbury ran for Blaine County Commissioner against incumbent Larry Schoen in 2018, won the seat, and took office in 2019.

High school and the origins of the Fosbury Flop

Born in Portland, Oregon, Fosbury started experimenting with a new high-jumping technique at age 16, while attending Medford High School. Fosbury had difficulty competing using the dominant high-jumping techniques of the period. In his second year, he failed to complete jumps of 5 ft, the qualifying height for many high-school track meets. This dominant technique, the straddle method, was a complex motion where an athlete went over the high-jump bar facing down, and lifted their legs individually over the bar. Fosbury found it difficult to coordinate all the motions involved in the straddle method, so he began to experiment with other ways of doing the high jump.

Fosbury later recalled, "I knew I had to change my body position and that's what started first the revolution, and over the next two years, the evolution." At first, he tried to use a technique known as the upright scissors method. In this method, a jumper runs upright towards the bar, facing forward, and during their jump lifts their straight legs one at a time over the bar. High-jump rules stipulate only that competitors must jump off one foot at takeoff; there is no rule governing how a competitor crosses the bar, so long as they go over it.

As he began to experiment with this technique, he gradually adapted it to make himself more comfortable and to get more height out of it. Nonetheless, it was nowhere near as coordinated as a well-performed straddle method jump, and one historian has referred to Fosbury's early attempts as an "airborne seizure"; however, during the latter part of his second year and the beginning of his junior year, it began to produce results, and he gradually was able to clear higher jumps.

Gradually, Fosbury shifted his positioning during the jump, such that by his senior year he had begun to go over the bar backward, head-first, curving his body over the bar and kicking his legs up in the air at the end of the jump. This required him to land on his back, but, prior to his junior year, his high school had replaced its wood chip landing pit with a softer material, so he was able to land safely.

Luckily for Fosbury, replacement of landing surfaces with foam rubber was becoming common across the United States in the early 1960s. Sawdust, sand, or woodchip surfaces had been usable previously because jumpers using the scissors technique were able to clear the bar while upright and then land on their feet, while those using the Western Roll or Straddle made a three-point landing on their hands and lead leg. In the late 1950s, U.S. colleges began to use bundles of soft foam rubber, usually held together by a mesh net. These bundles were not only much softer but were also elevated about 3 ft off the ground. By the early 1960s, U.S. high schools were following the lead of the colleges in acquiring foam rubber landing pits. With the softer, elevated landing surface, Fosbury was able to land safely.

Fosbury did, however, compress a couple of vertebrae in the mid-1960s because not all high schools could afford the upgraded, foam material. Fosbury recovered from this injury.

Fosbury's coaches at first encouraged him to continue practicing the straddle method, but they abandoned that idea when his marks continued to improve. In his junior year, he broke his high-school record with a 6 ft jump, and the next year took second place in the state with a 6 ft jump.

The technique gained the name the "Fosbury Flop" when in 1964 the Medford Mail-Tribune ran a photo captioned "Fosbury Flops Over Bar," while in an accompanying article a reporter wrote that he looked like "a fish flopping in a boat." Others were even less kind, with one newspaper captioning Fosbury's photograph, "World's Laziest High Jumper".

College
After graduating from Medford High School in 1965, he enrolled at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The school's coach, Berny Wagner, believed that Fosbury would eventually achieve greater results using the western roll and convinced him to continue practicing the old technique through his first year, although he was allowed to use the "flop" in freshman meets. The debate over technique ended during Fosbury's second year, however, when he cleared 6 ft in his first meet of the season, shattering the school record.

Fosbury later recalled: After the meet, Berny came up to me and said, "That's enough." That was the end of Plan A, on to Plan B. He would study what I was doing, film it, and even start to try to experiment and teach it to the younger jumpers.

The national sports media began to take notice of the jumper from Oregon with the unusual style. He was on the cover of Track and Field News's February 1968 issue. Fosbury won the 1968 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title using his new technique—the first of two consecutive titles—as well as the United States Olympic Trials.

Fosbury continued to refine his technique, developing a curved, J-shaped approach run. This allowed him to increase his speed, while the final "curved" steps served to rotate his hips. As his speed increased, so did his elevation. Fosbury made little to no use of his arms at takeoff, failing to "pump" them upwards, keeping them down, close to his body: the next generation of floppers would add an arm pump. Fosbury's key discovery was the need to adjust his point of takeoff as the bar was raised. His flight through the air described a parabola: as the bar went up in height, he needed more "flight time" so that the top of his arc was achieved as his hips passed over the bar. To increase "flight time," Fosbury moved his takeoff farther and farther away from the bar (and the pit). Jumpers have a natural tendency to be drawn in closer to the bar and it requires mental discipline to move out, rather than in. By way of comparison, classic straddle jumpers plant their take-off foot in the same place every time, less than one foot away from a line parallel with the bar. Photographs of Fosbury attempting heights above 7 ft show him taking off nearly 4 ft out from the bar.

In the 1968 outdoor season, Fosbury won the Pac-8 Conference title and went on to win the NCAA championship at Berkeley, California, in mid-June with a jump of 7 ft. He duplicated those wins the following year.

Fosbury at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Fresh off his NCAA win in mid-June, Fosbury went on to win the U.S. Olympic trials two weeks later in Los Angeles with a jump of 2.16m. Despite the win, his place on the Olympic team was not assured because the U.S. Olympic Committee was worried that the results at sea-level Los Angeles might not be replicated at the high altitude in Mexico City. Another competition was held in September at the Olympic camp at Echo Summit near South Lake Tahoe, California. At that competition, Fosbury was one of four men to clear 2.18m, but he was in fourth place because of misses. The bar was raised to 2.20m, a height none of the four had ever cleared. However, Olympic veteran Ed Caruthers, high schooler Reynaldo Brown, and Fosbury all cleared on their first attempts. When the fourth man, John Hartfield, another high schooler who had been leading the competition, missed all three of his attempts, the Olympic team of three jumpers was set.

At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Fosbury took the gold medal and set a new Olympic record at 2.24m, displaying the potential of the new technique. Despite the initial skeptical reactions from the high-jumping community, the "Fosbury Flop" quickly gained acceptance. In the Finals competition, only three jumpers cleared 2.20m, and Fosbury was in the lead by virtue of having cleared every height on his first attempt. At the next height, 2.22m, Fosbury again cleared the bar on his first jump. His teammate, Ed Caruthers, cleared on his second effort, while Valentin Gavrilov of the Soviet Union missed on all three attempts and earned the bronze medal (third place). The bar was raised to 2.24m, which would be new Olympic and United States records. Fosbury missed on his first two attempts, but cleared on his third, while Caruthers missed on all three of his attempts. Having won the gold medal and broken the American record, Fosbury asked the bar to be raised to 2.29m for his final three attempts, hoping to break Valeriy Brumel's five-year-old world record of 2.28m. He took three attempts at 2.29m in an attempt to break the world record, but did not prevail.

Athletic legacy and the dominance of the Flop
At the next Olympics in 1972 at Munich, 28 of the 40 competitors used Fosbury's technique, although gold medalist Jüri Tarmak used the straddle technique. In the woman's event, the winner Ulrike Meyfarth used Fosbury's technique. By 1980, 13 of the 16 Olympic finalists used it. Of the 36 Olympic medalists in the event from 1972 through 2000, 34 used "the Flop", making it the most popular technique in high jumping.

Fosbury was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1981.

In 1988, Fosbury competed in the Masters Outdoor Nike World Games and taught at the jump clinic held during the meet.

In 2013, Fosbury's high jump appeared in a Mazda commercial portraying "Game Changers" and, with Fosbury himself, in an ad for Wuaki TV.

In 2015, Swedish DJ and Producer Avicii released the music video for "Broken Arrows" (with lyrics by Zac Brown) that is loosely based on Fosbury's high-jumping story and personal life.

In 2020, SuperWest Sports included Fosbury in its list of The Greatest Pac-12 Male Track and Field Athletes of All Time, naming him the best-ever at Oregon State University.

Politics
After the national anthem during his Olympic medal ceremony, Fosbury stated that he raised his fist in solidarity with the earlier civil rights protest at the games. After returning to university, Fosbury also stood up for a black football player who was removed from the Oregon State University team after refusing to shave his facial hair.

In fall 2014, Fosbury ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives against incumbent Republican Representative Steve Miller. Miller won the election.

In January 2019, Fosbury succeeded Larry Schoen as Blaine County Commissioner.

Personal life
Fosbury graduated from Oregon State University in 1972 with a degree in civil engineering and was the co-owner of Galena Engineering, Inc. in Ketchum, Idaho, where he lived from 1977.

In March 2008, Fosbury was diagnosed with stage-one lymphoma. He had surgery a month later to remove a cancerous tumor engulfing his lower vertebra. Due to concerns about the tumor's proximity to the spine, it was not completely removed and he was put on a chemotherapy regimen. In March 2009, Fosbury announced that he was in remission. In March 2014 he stated in an interview with the Corvallis Gazette-Times that he was "doing well" and was "clear of cancer."

During the 2008 edition of "Sport Movies & TV – Milano International FICTS Fest" Fosbury was awarded the Excellence Guirlande d'Honneur and entered in the FICTS "Hall of Fame".

Fosbury was a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.

Fosbury, along with fellow Olympians Gary Hall and Anne Cribbs, was a founder of World Fit, a non-profit organization that promotes youth fitness programs and Olympic ideals.

Fosbury died on March 12, 2023, aged 76, after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma; he was survived by his wife Robin.

title: Dick Fosbury


text:
Michael Adams (chess player)

Michael Adams (born 17 November 1971) is an English chess grandmaster and is an eight-time British Chess Champion. His highest ranking is world No. 4, achieved several times from October 2000 to October 2002. His peak Elo rating is 2761, the highest achieved by an English chess player.

Several times a World Championship Candidate, he reached the semifinals in 1997, 1999 and 2000. He reached the final at the 2004 FIDE Championship, narrowly losing out to Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the tie-break games.

Adams won the World Senior Chess Championship (Over-50 category) in 2023.

Early career
Adams was born on 17 November 1971 in Truro, Cornwall, UK. By 1980, his chess talent had been recognised by the British Chess Federation, and he received high-level coaching from former European Junior Champion Shaun Taulbut and coaching from local chess champion Michael Prettejohn. In 1981, aged nine, Adams entered the Cornwall (County) Under-9 Championship and won it. He won the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-18 Championships at the same event. The last two contests clashed for one day, and he had to play them simultaneously, commuting cautiously between different rooms, some thirty metres apart.

In 1987, he took the silver medal at the World Under-16 Championship, held in Innsbruck, behind the Icelandic player Hannes Stefánsson. Later that year, at the age of fifteen, he became the world's youngest International Master (IM).

Two books co-written with his father, Bill Adams, Development of a Grandmaster (1991) and Chess in the Fast Lane (1996), discuss his early chess career. In 1988 a television documentary was screened nationwide featuring Adams and Gary Lane. It is now regularly screened at chess film festivals.

National success
Adams' early endeavours were already beginning to pay dividends at the British Championship of 1987, where he gained his final IM norm and took the best junior prize. He proceeded to win the full Championship title in 1989, at just seventeen years old. He won again in 1997, jointly with Matthew Sadler. Then, after a lengthy break from the event, he returned to claim further titles in 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2023.

His win at the British Chess Championship 2016 with 10/11 tied the record score set by Julian Hodgson in 1992.

Adams also won the British Rapidplay Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1999.

World Championship candidate
Adams has performed strongly in several World Chess Championship tournaments.

In 1993 he finished equal first (with Viswanathan Anand) in the Groningen Interzonal tournament to determine challengers for the PCA World Chess Championship 1995. This took him to the Candidates Tournament matches, where he beat Sergei Tiviakov in the quarter-finals but lost to Anand in the semifinals.

He also qualified for the Candidates Tournament for the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996, losing to Boris Gelfand in the first round of matches.

In 1997, he took part in the 1997–1998 FIDE World Championship, which, for the first time, was a large knockout event, the winner of which would play a match against reigning champion Anatoly Karpov. This tournament included most of the world's top players (Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, and Gata Kamsky were the only notable absentees), and Adams won short matches against Tamaz Giorgadze, Sergei Tiviakov, Peter Svidler, Loek van Wely and Nigel Short, before coming up against Anand in the final round. Their four games at normal time controls were all drawn, as were four rapidplay games at quicker time limits before Anand won the sudden-death game, thereby eliminating Adams from the competition.

The 1999 FIDE World Championship resulted in another semifinal finish for Adams before losing to Vladimir Akopian. Nevertheless, he reached the semifinals of the 2000 FIDE World Championship before losing to eventual winner Anand. In the 2002 FIDE World Championship he won his first three rounds before being knocked out in the 'round of 16' by Peter Svidler.

Adams came closest to claiming a world title at the 2004 FIDE Championship when he reached the final, winning matches against Hussein Asabri, Karen Asrian, Hichem Hamdouchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Vladimir Akopian and Teimour Radjabov. However, he lost to Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the final (3½–4½ after rapidplay tie-breaks, the match having been tied 3–3 after the six standard games).

As runner-up in the 2004 event, Adams was one of eight players invited to the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. He finished in equal sixth–seventh place, with a score of 5½ out of 14.

In May–June 2007, Adams participated in the Candidates Tournament to qualify for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2007. He drew 3–3 with Alexey Shirov in the first round and was beaten 2½–½ in the rapidplay playoff.

Other results
Among his other notable results were first place at Terrassa in 1991, joint first at Dos Hermanas in 1995 (with Kamsky and Karpov), joint first at Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting in 1998 (with Kramnik and Svidler) and clear first at Dos Hermanas in 1999, ahead of Kramnik, Anand, Svidler, Karpov, Veselin Topalov, Judit Polgár and others.

In more recent times, he won the fifth Howard Staunton Memorial Tournament in August 2007, achieving a score of 8½/11 (six wins, five draws), picking up the top purse of £1000. The highest-seeded player in the tournament by 45 Elo points, Adams finished a full point ahead of Dutch Grand Masters Ivan Sokolov and Loek van Wely. The tournament, one of a series held in London, commemorated the life of the nineteenth-century English chess master Howard Staunton. Prior to the start of the tournament, on 4 August, Adams married his longtime girlfriend, the actress Tara MacGowran, at a ceremony in Taunton, close to where they live.

In September 2007, Adams took part in a match between the United Kingdom and China, held in Liverpool, England. Playing alongside Adams was former World Championship challenger GM Nigel Short. This chess event was the first time in almost 15 years that the two GMs had played chess together on British soil. Overall, he scored 3½/6, conceding one loss to GM Zhang Pengxiang (ELO 2649, at the match) in round four. The UK team lost the match to China, who had also defeated a Russian chess team a few weeks before, 20–28.

Adams won the 2nd Ruy Lopez Masters tournament held in Mérida, Spain, 4–13 April 2008, scoring 5½/7 to finish a half-point ahead of Zhang Pengxiang. The tournament was an eight-player round-robin with an average rating of 2616 (FIDE category 15). In August 2008, there was a second successive victory in the Staunton Memorial. Adams finished on 8/11, ahead of Loek van Wely (7½/11) and Jan Smeets (7/11). He followed this with a share of second place at the 4th EU Individual Open Chess Championship in Liverpool, joining Viktor Láznička and Nigel Short on 7½/10 (after winner Jan Werle, 8/10).

After topping a strong open tournament in Gibraltar in 2010, he won the 2010 British Chess Championship, held in Canterbury, with an undefeated score of 9.5/11 and shared second place at the Chicago Open.

Further successes followed in 2011, with a share of first place at the Philadelphia World Open and a clear win at the British Championship in Sheffield. Adams finished outright first at the Los Angeles Metropolitan International and the European Team Championship and was awarded the gold medal for his performance on board one.

In 2012, he shared first place with Nigel Short at the Bunratty International and finished with a share of third place at the London Chess Classic, equal with Hikaru Nakamura and ahead of the world champion Viswanathan Anand and world number two ranked player Levon Aronian.

In the 2013 Alekhine Memorial tournament, held from 20 April to 1 May, Adams finished fourth, with +2−2=5. In March 2013, he came first in the 20th Bunratty Masters tournament.

At the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting in July–August 2013, Adams scored possibly the best result of his career, with a rating performance of 2925. He won the tournament with five wins and four draws (7/9), ahead of a field of 9 other grandmasters whose ratings averaged over 2705, including Fabiano Caruana (2796) and Vladimir Kramnik (2784).

In October of that year, the sixth Grand Slam Chess Masters final was held in Bilbao as a double round-robin with four players. Adams' opponents were Levon Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Adams finished second behind Aronian, scoring +2−1=3 or 9 points according to the "football scoring system" traditionally used in the Grand Slam.

2014 included two notable results; a silver medal for his performance on board 1 at the Tromsø Olympiad and a share of first place at the London Chess Classic Blitz tournament (with Nakamura and Kramnik).

In 2023, Adams played his first World Senior Chess Championship and was the winner in the Over-50 category at Terrasini in Italy.

Now in his 50's, Adams remains one of the top English chess-players and is rated among the top 100 chess players of the world.

Hydra match
In June 2005, Adams took on the chess supercomputer Hydra in a six-game match in London, England, with a prize of $10,000 for each draw and $25,000 for each win. Hydra, housed in Abu Dhabi at the time of the match, consisted of 64 PCs, each running 3.06 GHz Intel Xeon processors. Its designers said that it could, under optimal conditions, analyse up to 200 million positions a second and, in the endgame, calculate up to 40 moves ahead. Adams lost the match, drawing only the second game. The final score was Hydra 5½, Adams ½, with Adams only receiving $10,000 of the $145,000 prize fund.

Personal life
Adams lives in Somerset with his wife, actress Tara MacGowran. His nickname is "Mickey".

He was educated at Truro School.

title: Michael Adams (chess player)


text:
Variance (land use)

A variance is a deviation from the set of rules a municipality applies to land use and land development, typically a zoning ordinance, building code or municipal code. The manner in which variances are employed can differ greatly depending on the municipality. A variance may also be known as a standards variance, referring to the development standards contained in code. A variance is often granted by a Board or Committee of adjustment.

Description
A variance is an administrative exception to land use regulations. The use and application of variances can differ considerably throughout the great number of municipalities worldwide that regulate land use on this model. The issuance of variances may be very common, or nearly unheard-of in a given municipality. This can depend on a municipality's regulations, built environment and development pattern, and even political climate. One city may view variances as a routine matter, while another city may see variances as highly unusual exceptions to the norm. Community attitudes and political climates can change within a city as well, affecting the manner in which variances are granted even when no changes are made to the regulations governing variances.

Typically, in the United States, the process for a variance must be made available to a landowner upon request, or the municipality may be in danger of committing a regulatory taking. The variance process has been described as "a constitutional safety valve" to protect the rights of landowners.

Types
Two broad categories of variances generally are used in the practice of local land use planning: area (or bulk) variances and use variances.

An area variance is the most common type. It can be requested by a builder or landowner when an odd configuration of the land, or sometimes the physical improvements (structures) on the land, requires a relaxation of the applicable regulations to avoid denying the landowner the same rights and use of the property enjoyed by owners of neighboring properties. A textbook example would be a house built on an oddly-shaped lot. If the odd shape of the lot makes it onerous for the landowner or builder to comply with the standard building setbacks specified in the code, a variance could be requested to allow a reduced setback. Another would be a house built on a sloping lot. If the slope of the lot makes it onerous to comply with the height limit—typically due to the way the municipality's code requires height to be measured—then a variance could be requested for a structure of increased height because of the special conditions on the lot.

A use variance is a variance that authorizes a land use not normally permitted by the zoning ordinance. Such a variance has much in common with a special-use permit (sometimes known as a conditional use permit). Some municipalities do not offer this process, opting to handle such situations under special use permits instead. Grant of a use variance also can be similar, in effect, to a zone change. This may, in certain cases, be considered spot zoning, which is prohibited in many jurisdictions.

In either case, the variance request is justified only if special conditions exist on the lot that create a hardship making it too difficult to comply with the code's normal requirements. Likewise, a request for a variance on a normal lot with no special conditions could judiciously be denied. The special conditions or hardship typically must arise from some physical configuration of the lot or its structures. The financial or personal situation of the applicant normally cannot be taken into consideration. Under most codes governing variances, approval of the variance must not result in a public health or safety hazard and must not grant special privilege to the property owner. In other words, when a variance is granted, any other property owner with similar site conditions should be able to obtain a similar variance; this criterion is often addressed by citing precedent.

title: Variance (land use)


text:
Pasay

Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.

Due to its location just south of Manila, Pasay quickly became an urban town during the American colonial period. It is now best known for being the site of most of Ninoy Aquino International Airport and of complexes such as Newport City and the SM Central Business Park.

Etymology
There are possible explanations on the origins of the city's name:
 * A legend suggested that it may have been named after Dayang-dayang Pasay, a princess of the Kingdom of Namayan and daughter of Kingdom of Maynila ruler Rajah Sulayman. She inherited half of her father's lands, which encompasses the present-day city, and founded the present-day city.
 * Another legend suggested that it was named after Pasay, one of the sons of a ruler of Namayan who inherited his territories that also includes the present-day city.
 * There's also a romantic legend where a man named Jose loudly cried out "Paz-ay!" at the grave of his wealthy love interest, Paz, symbolizing their forbidden love and Paz's eventual death due to loneliness. In tribute, Paz's parents named their hacienda Paz-ay or Pasay.
 * Some historians believe that the city is named after the medicinal plant named pasaw (Pseuderanthemum reticulatum) that once grew abundantly there.
 * According to American historian Austin Craig, Pasay was known as Javan Pasar, a corruption of the Arabic word bazar as the town was a marketplace.

Early history

In local folk history about the period before the arrival of Spanish colonizers, Pasay is said to have been part of Namayan (sometimes also called Sapa), a confederation of barangays which supposedly controlled territory stretching from Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay, and which, upon the arrival of the Spanish, eventually became known as Santa Ana de Sapa (modern day Santa Ana, Manila).

Spanish colonial period
On May 19, 1571, Miguel López de Legazpi took formal possession of the Rajahnate of Maynila and its surrounding polities in the name of the Spanish crown.

Of the many religious orders that came, it was the Augustinian Order who would figure predominantly in the evangelisation of Pasay. Having control over Pasay, they converted the area into an extensive agricultural estate known as the Hacienda de Meysapan. The parish of Pasay was governed from the old Namayan capital, since renamed Santa Ana de Sapa, which was under the jurisdiction of the Franciscans. The promise of space in Heaven prompted early native converts to donate their possessions to the Church, with folklore recounting how a baptized Pasay on her deathbed donated her vast estate to the Augustinians. Most of Pasay went to friar's hands either via donation or by purchase; many natives were also forced to divest of their properties to cope with stringent colonial impositions.

In 1727, the Augustinians formally took over Pasay and transferred it from Santa Ana de Sapa to Malate, particularly under the jurisdiction of the Parish of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. In 1815, it was separated from Malate.

In 1862, notable residents of Pasay submitted a petition to handle their political and religious matters independently, proposing to rename the town "Pineda", in honor of Don Cornelio Pineda, a Spanish horticulturist who was their benefactor. On December 2, 1863, with the recommendation of Manila Archbishop Gregorio Melitón Martínez Santa Cruz, Pineda was granted its own municipal charter, and this date is celebrated yearly as the city's official foundation day.

Philippine revolutionary period
Pasay produced numerous heroes during the Philippine Revolution. The Katipunan, the organization founded by Andrés Bonifacio that spearheaded the revolution, had a chapter in Pineda organized by Pascual Villanueva, Jacinto Ignacio, and Valentin Ignacio. Several women also fought for the cause of the Katipunan including Marcela Marcelo. The execution of José Rizal, who authored the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo (considered seditious by the colonial government) on December 30, 1896, fanned the flames of the Revolution.

American colonial period
General Emilio Aguinaldo meanwhile declared the independence of the First Philippine Republic on June 12, 1898, and issued decrees providing political reorganization in the country. With this, Don Catalino became Pasay's first Presidente municipal (equivalent to present-day Mayor).

Pineda was made the command outpost of the Primera Zona de Manila under Gen. Mariano Noriel, but Gen. Wesley Merritt appealed that the Pineda outpost turned over to the Americans so that they could be closer to the Spanish lines. Thinking Americans were allies, Noriel left Pineda on July 29, allowing American General Greene to transfer. When Intramuros was finally captured, the Filipinos were denied entry to the walled city. Since then, tension simmered between Filipino and American troops, with both sides assigned respective zones but neither observed boundary lines. On the night of February 4, 1899, four Filipinos crossed the American line in Santa Mesa, Manila, and shots were exchanged, triggering the Philippine–American War.

On May 19, 1899, General Noriel was given command again of Pineda. In June, Noriel together with General Ricarte almost defeated the American forces had they exploited the exhaustion of the enemy in the Battle of Las Piñas. Instead, their forces were attacked by American reinforcements and bombarded by warships. The assault forced them to abandon Pineda to occupation by American forces.

On June 11, 1901, Pineda was incorporated into the Province of Rizal. Pascual Villanueva was appointed as municipal president. On August 4, 1901, the Pineda municipal council passed a resolution petitioning that the original name of Pasay be returned. On September 6, 1901, the Philippine Commission, acting on the request of the townsfolk, passed Act No. 227 renaming Pineda back to Pasay. Two years later, on October 12, 1903, Act No. 942 merged Pasay with the southern municipality of Malibay, expanding its territory. With a population of 8,100 in 1903, Pasay was placed under the fourth-class category together with 9 other municipalities.

Friar lands, then nationalized, were turned into subdivisions. Soon, the Pasay Real Estate Company offered friar lands as residential lots for sale or for lease to foreign investors. Postal, telegraph, and telephone lines were installed, and branches of Philippine Savings Bank were established. In 1907, a first-class road from Pasay to Camp Nichols was completed. Others were repaired including the old Avenida Mexico, now called the Taft Avenue extension. Transportation services improved. Among the first buses plying routes to Pasay were Pasay Transportation, Raymundo Transportation, Try-tran, and Halili Transit.

By 1908, Meralco tranvia (electric tram car) lines linked Pasay to Intramuros, Escolta, San Miguel, San Sebastian, and San Juan. Automobiles took to the streets, testing their maximum 20 kph speed on Taft Avenue. On April 11, 1914, Cora Wong, a nurse at the Chinese General Hospital, became the first woman in the Philippines to fly as a passenger on a flight with Tom Gunn in a Curtiss seaplane off Pasay Beach.

Much of the bayside area beyond Luneta was swamp but American ex-soldiers were quick to seize the opportunity to develop it for residential purposes. By 1918, Pasay had a population of 18,697 because of the exodus of prominent Filipino families and government officials to this seaside town including future president Manuel L. Quezon. By the 1930s, the former rural town had become a suburb of the capital city.

From the 1900s up to the mid-1930s, Philippine National Railway services reached Pasay thru its Cavite Line.

Japanese occupation
World War II came and on December 26, 1941, General Douglas MacArthur issued a proclamation declaring Manila and its suburbs (Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay) an open city. On New Year's Day 1942, Quezon, while in Corregidor, established the City of Greater Manila, wherein Pasay, along with other nearby towns of Rizal, was merged with Manila and Quezon City. He called his secretary Jorge B. Vargas and appointed him by executive order "the Mayor of Greater Manila". The mayor of Pasay was then Rufino Mateo, who would concurrently serve the vice mayor of the City of Greater Manila for Pasay, governing a town of more than 55,161. During the WWII, many Pasayeños joined in the fight against the Japanese. Jose P. Maibag, born and bred in Pasay, laid out underground networking. Carlos Mendoza, a resident of Barrio San Roque, together with 14 others, formed a mobile broadcasting station called "The Voice of Juan dela Cruz." On July 11, 1942, Japanese military police captured the group. Carling Mendoza, alias Juan de la Cruz" and other members of the group were brought to the old Bilibid Prison and were tortured.

Pasay had to redo the signs all over town, with Filipino was ordered to prevail over English. The national language became a core subject in the secondary school curriculum, while Japanese was taught as well at all levels of education. On October 14, 1943, Japan proclaimed the Second Philippine Republic. In the meantime, food had become so scarce that prices soared. Pasay residents began to move away from the city to the provinces outside. The Japanese occupation forces dissolved the City of Greater Manila in 1944 with the establishment of the Philippine Executive Commission to govern occupied regions in the country, thus separating the consolidated cities and towns, with Pasay returning to the province of Rizal. In the middle of February up to early March 1945, as the combined Allied forces began to converge on the way to the Manila area northwards from the south, Pasay suffered enormous damage during the month-long Battle of Manila, and many residents perished either by the Japanese or friendly fire from the combined Filipino and American forces.

On February 27, 1945, General MacArthur turned over the government to President Sergio Osmeña. One of Osmeña's first acts was to dissolve the Greater Manila Complex. He then appointed Juan Salcedo Jr., born in Pasay in 1904, as Director of Philippine Health, and then as executive officer of the Philippine Rehabilitation Administration in charge of national recovery from the devastation wrought by the Japanese occupation. Osmeña appointed Adolfo Santos as prewar vice mayor of Pasay, in place of incumbent Moises San Juan who died during the war. He also issued an executive order that would dissolve the City of Greater Manila effective August 1, 1945, thus reinstating Pasay's pre-war status as a municipality of Rizal.

Cityhood
Ignacio Santos-Diaz, a congressman from the first district of Rizal, pushed for the conversion of the town into a city and it to be named after Rizal. Republic Act No. 183 was signed into law by President Manuel Roxas on June 21, 1947, officially establishing Rizal City, named after José Rizal, with Mateo Rufino as mayor and a population of 88,738. As of June 1948, the city had revenues of ₱472,835 1948. But the residents could not get themselves to call their city by its new name. After two years, eight months, and twelve days of trying, the force of habit prevailed and Eulogio Rodriguez Jr., Santos-Diaz's successor, filed a bill returning the city to its original name. On June 7, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino, once a resident of Pasay himself, signed into law Republic Act No. 437, which changed the name of Rizal City to Pasay City.

It was also in the 1940s when houses of faith were constructed in different parts of Pasay. Among them was the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Libreria de San Pablo Catholic Women's League, Caritas, the nutrition center, and the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. In 1951, two parishes were established: the Parish of San Isidro Labrador and the Parish of San Rafael. By that time, the city was once more the aviation center of the country when what is now Ninoy Aquino International Airport opened its doors in 1948.

On June 14, 1955, Pasay regained its power to choose its leader. Pablo Cuneta ran against one-time Mayor Adolfo Santos and became the city's first elected mayor. In 1959, he campaigned again and won against his former vice mayor, Ruperto Galvez. On December 30, 1965, Ferdinand Marcos was sworn in as President of the Philippines, with Fernando Lopez, a resident of Pasay, as vice president. From that moment, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the then First Lady, became involved in national affairs. On the northern boundary of Pasay, she started filling the waterfront on Manila Bay to build the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In the later decades she would add three more architectural showpieces on reclaimed land in Pasay: the Folk Arts Theater, Manila Film Center, and the Philippine International Convention Center, and later on the PhilCite Exhibition Hall, the basis of what is now Star City. The city, though, was also being groomed as a television center for the country, for in 1958, ABS-CBN had opened its brand new television studios on what is now Roxas Boulevard with state-of-the-art equipment, the studios, with color-ready equipment and cameras from Japan plus a number of video recording equipment, were handed over in 1969 to the Radio Philippines Network, which used them until a 1973 fire which ruined the studios, as ABS-CBN had moved northward into Quezon City with the opening of its current studios and offices.

In 1967, Jovito Claudio won the city elections as chief executive against Pablo Cuneta. In the following year, an assassination attempt occurred in Pasay when a Bolivian surrealist painter lunged at Pope Paul VI, with a knife grazing his chest. In 1971, Cuneta was re-elected as city mayor of a growing city of almost 90 thousand people.

Martial law era
On December 7, 1972, almost two months after martial law was declared, an assassin tried to kill Imelda Marcos. The event took place in Pasay, on live television, while Mrs. Marcos was distributing prizes to the winners of the National Beautification and Cleanliness contest. She suffered some wounds and broken nails but on the whole, she emerged unscathed from that close encounter. On the second anniversary of martial law, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 557, declaring every barrio in the country as barangays. Not long after the decree had been put into effect, the Metropolitan Manila Commission and the Department of Local Government instructed Pasay to create its own barangays. Mayor Cuneta, in response, ordered the creation of 487 barangays. Upon the firm suggestion of Local Government and Community Development Secretary Jose Roño, the number of barangays was cut down to two hundred, organized into several zones.

On November 7, 1975, Marcos appointed the First Lady, Imelda, as governor of Metro Manila. The federation consolidated 13 towns and 4 cities including Pasay, which was removed from Rizal province.

Pasay was the host city of Miss Universe 1974, the first time this event had been held in the morning and in the Asia Pacific, and thus was in the international spotlight in the leadup to the pageant day. Half a decade later, the city's first family would become famous nationally in the music scene: Sharon, the then young daughter of the mayor, broke out into the spotlight as a singer with the release of the LP DJ's Pet.

On December 22, 1979, along with Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, and other cities in the country, Pasay became a highly urbanized city.

In 1981, LRT Line 1 opened its Pasay stations, including its Baclaran terminal on the Parañaque border, marking a return to rapid urban rail.

EDSA people power
The situation changed in the city in the immediate aftermath of the People Power Revolution. Cuneta left his post to be replaced by two acting mayors, Eduardo Calixto and Norman Urbina, only to be reelected in 1988 and serving for three more terms, before handing over to Jovito Claudio in 1998. Upon the end of his term, he was the city's longest ever city mayor. Claudio, himself replaced by the then vice mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad in 2000, saw the building of the MRT Line 3's southern terminus in the city, linked to the LRT Line 1 along Taft Avenue, and the Pasay City General Hospital and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 were both opened to the public. All these and other projects spurred a new era of growth in the city that continues to this day. The EDSA Entertainment Complex, located just to the city's west along EDSA, just miles from the Baclaran, Parañaque, for many years now is very well known for adult entertainment, including prostitution.

Contemporary
In 2006, the SM Mall of Asia, the largest shopping center overall in the country, was opened, and the area around this mall began to grow into the city's business center in subsequent years that followed, followed by the opening of the city's biggest sports venue, the Mall of Asia Arena. Two years later, the NAIA Terminal 3 opened its doors in July 2008, and within two years, progress blossomed in the vicinity with the opening of yet another residential and entertainment hub, Newport City, strengthened by the construction of the NAIA Expressway in 2016.

In 2007, then-Acting Mayor Allan Panaligan carried a plan to construct a new city hall located at the Central Business Park-I Island A along Macapagal Avenue. However, the plan has not come into fruition until now.

In 2021, Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano announced that the city government was planning to build a new hospital facility in the city. An appropriate location for the new hospital is still to be determined given the city's geographically small area and dense population.

Geography

Pasay covers a total land area of 18.64 km2, making it the third smallest political subdivision in the National Capital Region and fourth in the whole country. It borders the capital city of Manila to the north, Parañaque to the south, Makati to the northeast, Taguig to the east, and Manila Bay to the west. The city can be divided into three distinct areas: the city's urban area with an area of 5.505 km2; the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) complex, which includes Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Villamor Airbase, with an area of 9.5 km2; and the existing reclaimed land from Manila Bay with an area of 4.00 km2. The under-construction Pasay Harbor City and new SM Prime land reclamation projects are expected to add 6.25 km2 to the city's total land area.

Pasay is composed of two districts, subdivided into 20 zones, with a total of 201 barangays. The barangays do not have names but are only designated with sequential numbers. The largest zone, with an area of 5.10 km2, is Zone 19, which covers barangays 178 and 191. The smallest zone with an area of 10 ha is Zone 1, covering Barangays 1 to 3 and 14 to 17.

Table of Barangays

• Apelo Cruz
 * Populated places / barangays in Pasay:

• Baclaran

• Baltao

• Bay City

• Cabrera

• Cartimar

• Cuyegkeng

• Don Carlos Village

• Edang

• F. B. Harrison

• Juan Sumulong

• Kalayaan

• Leveriza

• Libertad

• Malibay

• Manila Bay Reclamation

• Marcela Marcelo

• Maricaban

• M. Dela Cruz

• Newport City

• Nichols

• Padre Burgos

• Pasay Rotonda

• Philippine International Convention Center

• Pildera I

• Pildera II

• Rivera Village

• San Pablo

• San Isidro

• San Jose

• San Rafael

• San Roque

• Santa Clara

• Santo Niño

• Tramo

• Tripa de Gallina

• Ventanilla

• Villamor

Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification system, Pasay features a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw).

Economy
Philippine Airlines is headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center beside the World Trade Center Manila in Pasay. Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, PAL Express, Philippines AirAsia have their headquarters on the grounds of Ninoy Aquino International Airport and in Pasay. Oishi (Liwayway), a snack company, also has its headquarters in Pasay.

National government offices found in Pasay include: Senate of the Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Civil Aeronautics Board, Manila International Airport Authority, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry's export promotions agency – the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) – located in the International Trade Complex's Golden Shell Pavilion, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Office for Transportation Security (OTS). The main office of the Philippine National Bank is located in the city.

LBC Express headquarters is located at the Star Cruises Centre in the Newport Cybertourism Zone of Pasay.

Local government
Pasay is governed primarily by the city mayor, the vice mayor, and the city councilors. The mayor acts as the chief executive of the city while the city councilors act as its legislative body. The vice mayor, besides taking on mayoral responsibilities in case of a temporary vacancy, acts as the presiding officer of the city legislature. The legislative body is composed of 12 regular members (6 per district) and representatives from the barangay and the youth council.

Sports

Pasay is also home to sports venues such as the Cuneta Astrodome, SM Mall of Asia Arena, and Pasay Sports Complex. The SM Mall of Asia Arena also hosted some matches in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The city has also been one of the venues of the 1981, 2005 and 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Some barangays in Pasay have a basketball court (including gymnasiums). Badminton courts and billiard halls are also built in the city.

Pasay was once home to the Manila Polo Club until it was moved to Forbes Park, Makati in 1949.

The city's only professional sports team is the Pasay Voyagers, which competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League since its second season.

Unity Run
On the list of largest running events in the world, based on the number of participants a record 209,000 registered running enthusiasts participated in 2012 Kahit Isang Araw Lang: Unity Run which started and ended at the SM Mall of Asia grounds.

The second edition of the race surpassed the Guinness World record of 116,086 participants posted in the Run for the Pasig River on October 10, 2010.

Airport
The majority of Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex, also known as Nichols Field, is situated in Pasay, with the airport's terminals 2, 3, and 4, falling under the city's jurisdiction; Terminal 1, the international cargo terminal, and the offices of airport ground servicing companies, are under the jurisdiction of neighboring Parañaque. The city is also the home of the Philippine Air Force's headquarters, Villamor Airbase.

Highways and main thoroughfares
Pasay is served by several highways and major thoroughfares. Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA/C-4 Road), Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia Avenue) Roxas Boulevard, and Taft Avenue (R-2 Road) are the city's main thoroughfares. Secondary thoroughfares include Andrews Avenue, Antonio Arnaiz Avenue (formerly known as Libertad Street), Aurora Boulevard, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Domestic Road, Harrison Street, Jose W. Diokno Boulevard, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, and NAIA Road (MIA Road).

Expressways
Four expressways serve Pasay and other parts of Metro Manila and Calabarzon: Skyway, an elevated expressway passing along the Pasay–Taguig boundary; South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), commonly called as SLEX and a component of Asian Highway 26, follows a similar route with Skyway, but runs directly below it, on the ground; NAIA Expressway, an elevated tolled expressway, serves Terminals 1, 2, and 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport; and the CAVITEX–C-5 Link, which connects Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) in Taguig to its extension across SLEX and eventually to the Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX).

Jeepneys
Jeepneys ply the city's arterial roads, and serve the city's populated areas and nearby cities.

Buses
Buses provide city (commuter) and provincial (intercity) operation on Pasay. Provincial bus terminals are mostly found near the Gil Puyat Station.

Rail
This city is served by two railway lines, the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3. LRT Line 1 has four stations in Pasay, namely Gil Puyat (Buendia), Libertad, EDSA, Baclaran, and has a depot located along Andrews Avenue. MRT Line 3 has only one station, named Taft Avenue, which serves as an interchange with LRT Line 1.

Other
Tricycles and pedicabs serve the barangays. Multicab services connect SM Mall of Asia with Baclaran in Parañaque, Buendia Avenue and Pasay Rotonda. Vans, especially UV Express, also provide service throughout the city and to other destinations in and around Metro Manila.

Education
The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Pasay City operates 18 public elementary schools and 8 high schools. Its operations are divided into four districts: Pasay North, Pasay East, Pasay South, and Pasay West. Special education is provided by the Philippine School for the Deaf and Philippine National School for the Blind, Pasay SPED Center, and one Alternative Learning System (ALS) center. Numerous private schools, including Catholic and parochial schools, also operate in the city, like the St. Mary's Academy, operated by nuns of the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

Colleges and universities
• Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasay (City University of Pasay)

• National University - Mall of Asia

• Manila Tytana Colleges

• Asian Institute of Maritime Studies

• Lacson College

• Philippine Law School

• Wesleyan College of Manila

• Arellano University School of Law - Mabini Campus

• Arellano University Jose Abad Santos Campus - Pasay Campus

• Philippine State College of Aeronautics

• Airlink International Aviation College

• Manila Adventist College

• Southeastern College

• STI College Pasay-EDSA

• San Juan de Dios College

• International Electronics and Technical Institute Pasay

High schools
High schools in the city.
 * Pasay City North High School – M. Dela Cruz Campus
 * Pasay City South High School
 * Pasay City East High School
 * Pasay City West High School
 * Pasay City National High School (''formerly called Pasay City North High School – Tramo Campus)
 * Pasay City National Science High School
 * Kalayaan National High School
 * President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino National High School

Diplomatic missions
Countries that have set up permanent diplomatic offices or embassies in the city include:

Local

 * Las Piñas, Metro Manila
 * Parañaque, Metro Manila
 * Tacloban, Leyte

International

 * 🇺🇸 Union City, California, United States
 * 🇺🇸 Sacramento, California, United States
 * 🇰🇷 Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
 * 🇹🇼 Tainan, Taiwan

Notable personalities

 * Marcela Marcelo, Filipina Revolutionary General
 * Francisco Coching, National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts, comic book illustrator and writer
 * Juan Salcedo, Jr., National Scientist of the Philippines for Nutrition and Public Health
 * Ramon Jacinto, businessman, musician, and previous government official
 * Darwin Ramos, Servant of God, Filipino teenager
 * Alejandro D. Aclan, Catholic auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
 * Eli Soriano, Filipino preacher and televangelist
 * Maricel Soriano, actress
 * Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, president and CEO of the Alaska Milk Corporation
 * Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Filipino prima ballerina; in 1984, became the first Filipino and the first foreign soloist to join the Kirov Ballet
 * Anita Linda, Filipino film actress
 * Sharon Cuneta, Filipino singer, actress, and television host
 * Pablo Cuneta, Late ex-politician, father of Sharon Cuneta
 * John Lloyd Cruz, actor
 * Bernard Palanca, actor
 * Josephine Roberto, pop singer
 * Carl Guevara, actor and model
 * Chariz Solomon, Filipina actress and television personality
 * Nina Girado, pop/R&B singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality at ABS-CBN
 * Maricel Laxa, Filipino comedian and actress
 * Vhong Navarro, comedian, dancer, member of Streetboys
 * Wacky Kiray, stand-up comedian and tv host
 * Diego Llorico, actor
 * Junna Tsukii, Filipino-Japanese karateka
 * King Girado, Filipino singer, musician, model, and actor
 * Michael DiGregorio, professional basketball player
 * Mike Cortez, professional basketball player
 * Rodney Brondial, professional basketball player
 * Ryan Araña, professional basketball player
 * Yousef Taha, professional basketball player
 * Silvia Celeste Cortesi, Filipino-Italian model and Miss Universe Philippines 2022
 * Jon Lucas, actor
 * Bong Tolentino, politician, former 2nd District Councilor
 * Fernando Lopez, former 3rd and 7th Vice President of the Philippines
 * Jose Feria, 109th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines

title: Pasay