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Pokémon Gold and Silver

Pokémon Gold Version (ポケットモンスター 金) and Pokémon Silver Version (ポケットモンスター 銀) are 1999 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color, but with backward compatibility for the Game Boy. They are the first installments in the second generation of the Pokémon video game series. They were released in Japan in 1999, Australia and North America in 2000, and Europe in 2001.

The games introduce 100 new species of Pokémon and follow the progress of the player character in their quest to master Pokémon battling. Both games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary to trade between these games and their predecessors in order to fully complete each games' Pokédex. The Johto Saga of the Pokémon anime is based on the new region introduced in the games. A third game in the generation, Pokémon Crystal, was released in 2001.

Pokémon Gold and Silver were critically acclaimed upon release. They are considered by some to be the best games in the entire series,  as well as some of the most significant games of the fifth generation of video game consoles. They continued the enormous success of Pokémon Red and Blue as Pokémon began to form into a multi-billion dollar franchise. The games almost matched the sales of Red and Blue and by 2010 had gone on to sell over 23 million units, making them the best-selling games for the Game Boy Color and the third-best-selling for the Game Boy family of systems.

In 2009, on the 10th anniversary of Gold and Silver, remakes titled Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released for the Nintendo DS.

Gameplay
Like previous installments, Pokémon Gold and Silver are played from a third-person, top-down perspective, with players directly navigating the protagonist around the fictional universe, interacting with objects and people. As the player explores this world, they will encounter different terrains, such as grassy fields, forests, caves, and seas in which different Pokémon species reside. As the player randomly encounters one of these creatures, the field switches to a turn-based "battle scene", where the Pokémon will fight.

There are two main goals within the games: following through the main storyline and defeating the Elite Four and Pokémon Master Lance to become the new Champion, and completing the Pokédex by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain all 251 creatures. A major aspect of this is developing and raising the player's Pokémon by battling other Pokémon, which can be found in the wild or owned by other Trainers. This system of accumulating experience points (EXP) and leveling up, characteristic and integral to all Pokémon video games, controls the physical properties of the Pokémon, such as the battle statistics acquired, and the moves learned.

New features
While Pokémon Gold and Silver retain the basic mechanics of capturing, battling, and evolving introduced in Pokémon Red and Blue, new features were added. A time system was introduced using a real-time internal clock that keeps track of the current time and day of the week. Certain events, including Pokémon appearances, are influenced by this feature. New items were added, with some designed to exploit a new mechanic: Pokémon being able to hold items. A new type of item able to be held was the berry, which comes in varieties and can restore health or cure status effects. Other held items can give boosts to the Pokémon during battle. More specialized Poké Balls were introduced, which make Pokémon catching easier in certain situations. A new item called the Pokégear was introduced, functioning as a watch, map, radio, and phone, allowing the player to call other characters who offer their phone number. Trainers will call for a rematch and others will call about rare Pokémon that can be caught in a certain area.

The games introduce Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, some new types of legendary Pokémon that wander around Johto, changing locations frequently in a process known as Roaming Pokémon. They can be tracked by the Pokédex's habitat feature once encountered, and will always attempt to flee, but will retain HP loss. In addition, there is the possibility of encountering a shiny Pokémon, which have a different coloration than normal Pokémon of their species, and appear very rarely, around 1 in 8192 for games until Pokémon X and Y. Two new Pokémon types were added, the Steel-type and the Dark-type. Steel-type Pokémon are immune to Poison-type moves, and they have very high defense and resistance to other types, while Dark-type Pokémon are immune to Psychic-type moves and are strong against Psychic-type Pokémon (which provides an offensive strategy, formerly absent against Psychic-types), as well as having few weaknesses. In Gold and Silver, new moves were added, but Pokémon knowing these moves are not allowed to be traded to the first generation games. To solve this, a move deleter was introduced, capable of erasing moves known by the Pokémon. Another major change was the splitting of the "Special" stat into "Special Attack" and "Special Defense", which increased aspects of strategy.

With the introduction of Pokémon breeding, Pokémon are assigned to one or two breeding groups. When a male and female Pokémon that share at least one breeding group are left at a Pokémon Daycare, they may produce an egg, which will hatch into a young Pokémon. Do note that Ditto can breed with all but the Pokémon in No Eggs Discovered Group, even if the Pokémon other than Ditto is male. The young Pokémon will inherit the species of its mother, and moves from its father. However, legendary and mythical Pokémon, among certain other species, cannot breed.

Setting

Pokémon Gold and Silver are set in the region of Johto, situated to the west of the Kanto region from the previous Red and Blue games, and three years after the conclusion of the previous games. The design of Johto was inspired by Japan's Kansai and Tōkai regions, with many of the region's temples and more traditional Japanese aesthetics finding their way into Johto.

Story
As with the previous games, the player character receives his first Pokémon, a choice between Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, from the region's local Pokémon scientist, Professor Elm, and then begins his journey to win the eight Gym Badges of the Johto region and then challenge the Elite Four and the Johto Pokémon League Champion to become the new Pokémon Master in the region. Opposing him is his mysterious rival, a boy who stole one of the other Pokémon from Professor Elm and regularly challenges the player to test his strengths. The player also encounters the villainous Team Rocket, having reunited to seek out their previous leader Giovanni to return the group to their former glory. Eventually, the player thwarts Team Rocket once and for all and defeats the Elite Four and the Johto Pokémon League Champion on Indigo Plateau. The player can then travel to the Kanto region from the previous games and challenge the Kanto Gym Leaders there, discovering how much has changed in the three years following the events of Red and Blue. For example, Cinnabar Island has been almost completely taken over by a volcano eruption; only a Pokémon Center remains. After defeating the Gym Leaders of the Kanto Region, the player is allowed to enter the treacherous Mt. Silver area, home to very powerful Pokémon. Deep within Mt. Silver's caves is Red, the protagonist of Red and Blue, whom the player can challenge for the most difficult final battle in the game.

Development
Gold and Silver were first publicly showcased at November 1997, Nintendo Space World Expo in Japan, becoming the most popular exhibit at the program. Unlike the previous game in the series, Pokémon Yellow, the new titles were announced to be more than a small upgrade to Pokémon Red and Blue. Instead, they would feature a new storyline, a new world, and new species of Pokémon. Gold and Silver were designed for the Game Boy Color, allowing them full color support and more detailed sprites. Other additions that were shown included Pokémon breeding, held items, an in-game gadget known as the PokéGear, a real-time internal clock, and backward compatibility with the previous games in the series.

During an ABC News interview, president of Creatures Inc. Tsunekazu Ishihara gave insight into the brainstorming process for developing new Pokémon species. He explained, "The ideas for each of these monsters came from the imagination of the software developers at Game Freak who get these ideas from their childhood experiences, including from reading manga, a style of Japanese comic books. Ideas come from scary experiences they had as kids, catching insects, and so forth. So from these experiences in childhood, these ideas for Pokémon came out". In the same vein as the Pokémon Mew of Red and Blue, the exclusive Pokémon Celebi was included in the Gold and Silver games but is only accessible after attending a Nintendo promotional event. The first official event offering Celebi was Nintendo Space World 2000 in Japan, in which 100,000 attendees would be awarded the rare Pokémon. In order to be selected, players had to send in a postcard to enter a lottery for one of 100,000 certificates of Celebi, allowing them to enter the event and obtain it.

Ishihara stated that Gold and Silver started development right after Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan. The original intention was to release the game in 1998, even synchronizing with the supposed end of the anime's first season. Development issues, worsened by Game Freak being sidetracked with Pokémon Stadium and the localization of the first generation, led the game to be postponed, and the original release slate was taken over by Pokémon Yellow. Programmer Shigeki Morimoto stated that part of why development took three and a half years was due to being a small team of only four programmers. Satoru Iwata, then the president of HAL Laboratory who would later become Nintendo's CEO, helped the team by developing new tools for compressing the Pokémon graphic code.

Junichi Masuda composed the game's music on an Amiga computer, converted it to MIDI data and reconverted again for Game Boy Color.

Unused and cut content
In 2018, ROM images of the early-in-development Japanese-language demo shown during the 1997 Nintendo Space World presentation resurfaced: two debug versions of the games, and two versions that were modified to work on normal Game Boy hardware and most emulators. These ROM images were only rumored to exist until they were anonymously posted on the "Pokémon Reverse Engineering Tools" (PRET) Discord server in May 2018. The demo was quickly shared with members of the website The Cutting Room Floor. The ROMs were analyzed and translated, and The Cutting Room Floor went on to release a spreadsheet containing all the information they had discovered, which includes a list of Pokémon species, Pokémon "moves", items, non-playable characters, maps, and music. The ROMs were first released anonymously onto 4chan's /vp/ board in May, with a formal The Cutting Room Floor release coming later that day. The demo has a larger world map than the final game (which itself is based on the entire Japanese archipelago, unlike the final region, which is based on the Kansai region of Japan), and includes around 100 unused and changed Pokémon designs.

Earlier in May 2018, Pokémon artist Atsuko Nishida revealed that the popular creature Pikachu was originally supposed to have a third evolution, named "Gorochu". Additionally, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri has revealed four unused designs that would have been included in the original Pokémon games.

While cut content is not uncommon in video games, the volume of cut content in the Gold and Silver demo has been described as "overwhelming". Matthew Byrd, writing for Den of Geek, stated that a lot of design work had gone into the Pokémon that were eventually cut, suggesting that Game Freak might have taken them out during the testing phase due to balance issues.

Release
In September 1999, the games were announced for release in Japan on November 21, 1999, and a North American release date was estimated for September 2000. Nintendo announced the release of the Pocket Pikachu Color, a full-color portable digital pet similar to the one released the year before. The unit is compatible with Gold and Silver, allowing the transfer of in-game currency known as "watt points". Pocket Pikachu Color was slated for release in Japan on November 21, 1999, the same day as the release of Gold and Silver. In addition, an officially licensed Pikachu-themed Game Link Cable developed by Kemco was set for release in Japan on November 18, 1999. The product functions like a normal Game Link Cable and consists of a yellow cable with a figure of Pikachu on one end, and a Poké Ball on the other.

Anticipating high sales, Nintendo set its first production shipment for the games in Japan at three million, predicting that eventually more than eight million copies would be sold in the country alone. However, they were soon forced to cut the first shipment number in half following an earthquake in Taiwan, which Nintendo claimed had damaged their cartridge manufacturing facilities. Regardless, speculation arose that Nintendo was instead using the event as an excuse to limit shipment and keep the demand high.

As a precursor to the North American release, Gold and Silver were displayed for audiences to interact with at the 2000 American International Toy Fair in New York City. To further promote the games, Nintendo modified five Chrysler PT Cruisers to resemble the new Pokémon Lugia and had them driven around the United States. The vehicles had fins and tails attached to them and were painted with logos and images of the Pokémon franchise. In addition, they were equipped with a television set hooked up to game consoles which allowed spectators to play Pokémon Puzzle League, Hey You, Pikachu!, and Pokémon Gold and Silver. The television series Pokémon GS, based on the games, was announced to be a part of the fall lineup on Kids' WB. The show features the same protagonist Ash Ketchum in a new region with different Pokémon species from the games. The localized English names of the 100 new Pokémon were kept confidential by Nintendo, with the company releasing names periodically. The domain names 'pokemongold.com' and 'pokemonsilver.com' were registered for this very purpose, and such names released included Chikorita, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Togepi, Hoothoot, and Marill.

In September 1999, Nintendo announced that Gold and Silver would be released in North America in September 2000. In May 2000, Nintendo announced the official North American release date of Gold and Silver would instead be October 16 of that year. The release date was later changed to October 15. In North America, Nintendo started accepting pre-orders for the games in August; a CD-ROM was available as a pre-order bonus that included clips and music from Pokémon the Movie 2000, screenshots from Pokémon Gold and Silver, a Pokémon-themed desktop wallpaper, an offer for a Nintendo Power Player's Guide, and Pokémon-related trivia. The games had record pre-order sales — approximately 600,000 copies of the games were pre-ordered in just two months, compared to 150,000 copies for Pokémon Yellow. As the release date neared and retailers began to receive shipments of the games, some retailers—such as Electronics Boutique—opted to sell them immediately upon receiving the games; first using them to fulfill pre-orders, and then selling the remaining copies to walk-in customers. The games were reportedly obtainable as early as October 11.

The games were released in Australia on October 13, 2000 and in Europe on April 6, 2001.

Pokémon Crystal
Pokémon Crystal Version (ポケットモンスター　クリスタルバージョン) is a third version after Pokémon Gold and Silver, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2000, North America on July 29, 2001, and in Europe on November 2, 2001. The plot and gameplay of Crystal is largely the same as in Gold and Silver, although it includes several new features.

Pokémon Crystal was received well by critics, although many commented that there were just not enough new additions and features to significantly set it apart from Pokémon Gold and Silver. Pokémon Crystal has sold nearly 6.4 million units worldwide.

Nintendo 3DS re-release
In June 2017, The Pokémon Company announced via a Pokémon Direct broadcast that the games would be re-released worldwide via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on September 22, 2017.

Reception
Pokémon Gold and Silver were met with critical acclaim, with many saying that the extended length of gameplay and the new features were valued additions that kept the sequels as interesting as the original games. Craig Harris of IGN gave the games a "masterful" 10 out of 10 rating, stating that: "As awesome as the original Pokémon edition was, Pokémon Gold and Silver blow it away in gameplay elements, features, and goodies. There are so many little additions to the design it's impossible to list them all". There was particular praise given to the innovative internal clock feature, with Frank Povo of GameSpot, noting: "The first major addition to Pokémon GS is the presence of a time element... Although it may sound like a gimmick, the addition of a clock adds quite a bit of variety to the game". Povo went on to give the games an 8.8 rating of "great". Nintendo Power listed Gold and Silver combined as the sixth best Game Boy / Game Boy Color games, praising them for the new Pokémon, features, and full-color graphics.

Overall, Gold and Silver were stated to be solid gaming additions that would please a large audience. "After playing the game dozens of hours, I really can't think of a bad point to make about Pokémon Gold and Silver. Nintendo and Game Freak have tweaked the original and built a sequel that's long, challenging and tremendous fun to play. There's a reason why Pokémon is so popular, and Pokémon Gold and Silver is going to help the series move further into the 21st century", said Harris.

Sales
Pokémon Gold and Silver continued the enormous success of Pokémon Red and Blue, beginning the formation of Pokémon into a multi-billion dollar franchise. Upon its first day of release in Japan, the game sold 1,425,768 units. As of April 2000, roughly 6.5 million copies of the games had been sold in Japan. Silver proved to be the slightly more popular version, edging out Gold by approximately 100,000 copies.

In the U.S., the game generated 1 million pre-sales about three weeks before release. Upon the first week of release in the U.S., the games had eclipsed Pokémon Yellow's previous record sales of a little over 600,000 copies; selling a combined total of 1.4 million copies to become the fastest-selling games ever. The commercial success was expected, as Peter Main, the executive vice president of sales and marketing, stated "There's no question about it; kids love to play Pokémon. So far in 2000 the best-selling game in America for any home console is Pokémon Stadium for Nintendo 64, and the best-selling game for any handheld video game system is Pokémon Yellow for Game Boy Color, but Pokémon Gold and Silver will eclipse even those impressive sales totals. We project sales of 10 million units total of these two games in less than six months time". The game sold 2.9 million copies in the U.S. within a few weeks.

In Germany, Gold and Silver received two Double Platinum awards from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) for sales above 800,000 copies by 2002. In the United Kingdom, Gold and Silver received two Platinum awards for sales above 600,000 copies. By 2010, Gold and Silver had sold 23 million units worldwide.

Remakes
Pokémon HeartGold Version (ポケットモンスター ハートゴールド) and Pokémon SoulSilver Version (ポケットモンスター ソウルシルバー) are enhanced remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released in North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010.

Game director Shigeki Morimoto aimed to respect the feelings of those who played the previous games, while also ensuring that it felt like a new game to those that were introduced to the series in more recent years. Reception to the games was positive, the two being amongst the highest-rated DS games of all time on Metacritic. Commercially, they are among the best-selling Nintendo DS games of all time, with combined sales of 10 million units as of July 2010.

title: Pokémon Gold and Silver


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Giovanni Villani

Giovanni Villani (c. 1276 or 1280 – 1348) was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the Nuova Cronica (New Chronicles) on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman of Florence but later gained an unsavoury reputation and served time in prison as a result of the bankruptcy of a trading and banking company he worked for. His interest in and elaboration of economic details, statistical information, and political and psychological insight mark him as a more modern chronicler of late medieval Europe. His Cronica is viewed as the first introduction of statistics as a positive element in history. However, historian Kenneth R. Bartlett notes that, in contrast to his Renaissance-era successors, "his reliance on such elements as divine providence links Villani closely with the medieval vernacular chronicle tradition." In recurring themes made implicit through significant events described in his Cronica, Villani also emphasized three assumptions about the relationship of sin and morality to historical events, these being that excess brings disaster, that forces of right and wrong are in constant struggle, and that events are directly influenced by the will of God.

Villani was inspired to write his Cronica after attending the jubilee celebration in Rome in 1300 and noting the venerable history of that city. He outlined the events in his Cronica year for year, following a strictly linear narrative format. He provided intricate details on many important historical events of the city of Florence and the wider region of Tuscany, such as construction projects, floods, fires, famines, and plagues.

While continuing work on the Cronica and detailing the enormous loss of life during the Black Death in 1348, Villani died of the same illness. His work on the Cronica was continued by his brother and nephew. Villani's work has received both praise and criticism from modern historians. The criticism is mostly aimed at his emphasis on supernatural guidance of events, his organizational style, and his glorification of the papacy and Florence.

Life and career
Giovanni Villani was born into the Florentine merchant middle class. He was the son of Villano di Stoldi di Bellincione, who came from an old and well-respected arti maggiori family of merchants. Villani was a member of the Arte di Calimala (wool finishers) guild in Florence since 1300, serving on the mercanzia council of eight. During that year he visited Rome during the jubilee celebration. After observing the well-known ancient monuments of Rome and acknowledging its renowned historical personages, he was inspired to write the Cronica, a universal history of Florence in a strictly linear, year-by-year format. During the early years of the 14th century, he gained political perspective by travelling throughout Italy, Switzerland, France and Flanders for the Peruzzi bank, of which he was a shareholder from 1300 to 1308. Traveling abroad as a factor for the company, Villani was paid a regular salary in addition to his shareholding profits. On May 15, 1306, one of the first exchange contracts (cambium) to mention the city of Bruges involved two parties: Giovanni Villani, representing the Peruzzi Company, granting a loan to Tommaso Fini, representing the Gallerani Company of Siena. Villani and his brother Matteo transferred most of their economic activities to the Buonaccorsi firm by 1322. Giovanni Villani was a co-director of Buonaccorsi in 1324. The Buonaccorsi handled banking and commodity trade activities, spreading their influence throughout Italy, France, Flanders, England and several places in the Mediterranean.

Villani returned to Florence in 1307 where he married and settled down for a life of city politics. He became one of the priors of Florence in 1316 and 1317. At the same time, he participated in the crafty diplomatic tactics that resulted in peace with Pisa and Lucca. As head of the mint beginning in 1316, he collected its earlier records and created a register of all the coins struck in Florence. In 1321, he was again chosen prior, and in 1324 was deputed to inspect the rebuilding of the city walls. He went with the Florentine army to fight against Castruccio Castracani, lord of Lucca, and was present at Altopascio during Florence's defeat. In his Cronica, he gave a detailed account of why Florence was unable to acquire Lucca after the death of Castruccio Castracani.

A famine spread across Tuscany in 1328. From 1329 to 1330 Villani was a commune-appointed magistrate of provisioning protecting Florence from the famine's worst effects. In order to mitigate rising levels of starvation and assuage peasant discontent, grain was speedily imported from Sicily through Talamone, 60,000 gold florins were taken from the city purse by the Florentine commune to aid the relief effort, and all the city's bakers had their ovens requisitioned by the government so that loaves of bread could be sold at affordable prices to the riotous and starving poor.

Villani was sent on another diplomatic mission in 1329, this time to Bologna to meet Cardinal Bertrand de Pouget. From 1330 to 1331 he superintended the making of Andrea Pisano's bronze doors for the Baptistry. At the same time, he served as the consul for his guild of the Arte di Calimala and watched over the raising of the campanile of the Badìa. He was also sent with others as a hostage to Ferrara, to ensure that Florence made good on a debt; he resided there for some months in 1341.

Villani often expressed an optimistic viewpoint in his writing; this changed with the short-lived regime of Walter VI of Brienne, a despot invited to Florence and granted signoria. In fact, after experiencing his own financial troubles, a terminated career, and the failure of Florence in international affairs, and witnessing a host of different natural calamities and the onset of the Black Death in Europe, he became convinced that the apocalypse and final judgement was near. The bankruptcy of the Buonaccorsi Company led to Villani's conviction and imprisonment in 1346, as he was a main partner. Other banking companies also went bankrupt, such as the Peruzzi in 1343 and the Compagnia dei Bardi in 1346 (they were allied in a joint venture by 1336); Villani calculated that before their bankruptcy the Peruzzi had lost some 600,000 florins and the Bardi had lost some 900,000 florins. Although Villani attributed the losses to the companies' massive monetary loans to Edward III of England which were never repaid, historian Edwin S. Hunt suggests that the firms simply lacked the resources to have made such loans, which in all probability were much smaller and were not the key reasons for the companies' failures. The Bardi and Peruzzi were just two of many European banks that Edward III accepted loans from, prominent members of the Bardi and other Florentine families were owed only 63,000 Florins by Edward in 1348, and even a mass of small lenders and investors in Florence could not have made the necessary loan to England. The figure Villani asserted of 400,000 Florins owed to the Peruzzi by Edward alone equalled Villani's estimate for the entire payroll of 30,000 workers of the Florentine cloth industry in 1338. Hunt asserts that the failures of the Florentine banks seems closely tied to the expansionist policy of Florence in Tuscany, hoping that newly conquered territory would yield greater security for their trade with northern Europe, but instead resulted in costly campaigns and little profit. In addition to the questionable figures Villani posed for the Peruzzi and Bardi companies, it is also known that several events described in his Cronica surrounding the Buonaccorsi's bankruptcy were written to deliberately obscure the truth about the company's fraudulent behavior; Miller writes that "this is one of the most convincing conclusions" of historian Michele Luzzati's Giovanni Villani e la Compagnia dei Buonaccorsi (1971).

Villani and the Buonaccorsi had gained an unsavory reputation as early as 1331, when Villani was tried (and cleared) for barratry for his part in building the new third circuit of walls around Florence. Charles, Duke of Calabria had granted the Buonaccorsi the right to tax three of the six districts of Florence, which did not help Villani's reputation amongst his fellow citizens. In early June 1342, partners and agents of the Buonaccorsi suddenly fled Florence, Avignon, and Naples, following bankruptcy proceedings by creditors, nearly all of whom had deposits in the Buonaccorsi bank. Like other Florentine bankers and companies having difficulty with bankruptcy at the time, in September 1342 they supported the move to invite Walter VI of Brienne to become the next signor of Florence. Walter later suspended all legal actions taken against the Buonaccorsi and other company partners for nearly a year.

However, the legal case against the company was reopened and resumed in October 1343, after the violent overthrow of Walter VI. It is unclear how long Villani served his prison sentence for alleged misconduct during the economic disaster of 1346. It is known that he was imprisoned in the Carceri delle Stinche. After the overthrow of the Brienne regime and a subsequent but short-lived aristocratic signoria, the novi cives or new families—some even from the lesser guilds—rose up in late September 1343 and established a government that provided them with much greater representation in officialdom. Villani and other chroniclers disdained these rustic non-aristocrats who suddenly rose to power, considering them brazen upstarts incapable of governance. Villani's class was at a constitutional disadvantage, as twenty-one guilds representing twenty-one equal voices in government meant that the oligarchy of higher guildsmen was "helplessly outnumbered" as historian John M. Najemy states. Yet by the 1350s the general attitude towards the novi cives had changed much, as even Villani's brother Matteo depicted them in a heroic light for being united in a coalition with the merchants and artisans to curb oligarchic power. Villani was also a staunch supporter of what he deemed the liberties of the Church, while criticizing the new popular government of the novi cives since they protested against the many legal exemptions the Church enjoyed. However, he did find civic pride in that the whole city—including the novi cives—had joined together in an uprising against Walter VI, whose sins of imposing tyranny were, to Villani, sufficient justification for the violence needed to overthrow him.

Nuova Cronica
Villani's work is an Italian chronicle written from the perspective of the political class of Florence just as the city rose to a rich and powerful position. Only scanty and partly legendary records had preceded his work, and there is little known of events before the death of Countess Matilda in 1115. The Chronica de origine civitatis was composed sometime before 1231, but there is little comparison between this work and Villani's; mid-20th-century historian Nicolai Rubinstein states that the legendary accounts in this earlier chronicle were "arbitrarily selected by a compiler whose learning and critical faculties were considerably below the standard of his age." In contrast, Rubinstein states Villani provided "a mature expression" of Florentine history. Yet Villani still relied upon the Chronica de origine civitatis as the prime source for Florence's early history in his narrative.

In the 36th chapter of Book 8, Villani states that the idea of writing the Cronica was suggested to him during the jubilee of Rome in 1300, under the following circumstances after Pope Boniface VIII made in honor of Christ's nativity a great indulgence; Villani writes:

And being on that blessed pilgrimage in the sacred city of Rome and seeing its great and ancient monuments and reading the great deeds of the Romans as described by Virgil, Sallust, Lucan, Livy, Valerius, Orosius, and other masters of history ... I took my prompting from them although I am a disciple unworthy of such an undertaking. But in view of the fact that our city of Florence, daughter and offspring of Rome, was mounting and pursuing great purposes, while Rome was in its decline, I thought it proper to trace in this chronicle the origins of the city of Florence, so far as I have been able to recover them, and to relate the city's further development at greater length, and at the same time to give a brief account of events throughout the world as long as it please God, in the hope of whose favor I undertook the said enterprise rather than in reliance on my own poor wits. And thus in the year 1300, on my return from Rome, I began to compile this book in the name of God and the blessed John the Baptist and in honor of our city of Florence.

In his writing, Villani states that he considers Florence to be the "daughter and creation of Rome," but asserts Rome's decline and Florence's rise as a great city compelled him to lay out a detailed history of the city. To emphasize the imperial greatness of Florentine history, Villani also asserted that the city was given a second founding when it was rebuilt by Charlemagne (r. 800–814 as Holy Roman Emperor)—which was absent from the Chronica de origine civitatis. Historian J. K. Hyde writes that the idea of Florence being the daughter of Rome would have given the Florentines a sense of destiny, while the second founding by Charlemagne provided historical context for alliance with France, which Hyde calls "the touchstone of Guelphism". Villani's reasoning for Rome's decline was the schisms of the Church and rebellion against the papal institution, while the ascension of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (r. 962–973) allowed for the conditions of Florence's rise against enemies of papal authority, such as Florentine-conquered Fiesole. Villani was certain that the Republic of Florence had experienced a great setback on its path to glory with the defeat of the Guelphs by the Ghibellines at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. Despite this, Villani states that the paramount prosperity and tranquility of the city by 1293 was evidenced by the fact that its gates were no longer locked at night and that indirect taxes such as the gate fee (common in times of war) were not levied. Historian Felicity Ratté states that the validity of this comment should be heavily scrutinized considering the Florence statutes of 1290 that designated employment for individuals in charge of locking the city gates. Villani also contradicts himself by writing of a night attack on Florence in 1323 which clearly demonstrates the fact that the gates were locked at night.

In 1300 or shortly after, Villani began working on the Cronica, which was divided into twelve books; the first six deal with the largely legendary history of Florence, starting at conventionally biblical times with the story of the Tower of Babel up to the year 1264. The second phase, in six books, covered the history from 1264 until his own time, all the way up to 1346. He outlined the events in his Cronica in year-to-year accounts; for this he has gained criticism over the years for writing in an episodic manner lacking a unifying theme or point of view. He wrote his Cronica in the vernacular language rather than Latin, the language of the educated elite. His chronicles are intercut with historical episodes reported just as he heard them, sometimes with little interpretation. This often led to historical inaccuracies in his work, especially in the biographies of historical or contemporary people living outside of Florence (even with well-known monarchs).

Despite numerous mistakes, Villani often displayed an insider's knowledge on many subjects, as a result of his extensive travels and access to both official and private documents. For example, De Vries states that he wrote one of the most accurate accounts of the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War, including information that the archers were placed precariously behind the English and Welsh infantry, not on the flanks as others asserted. While describing detailed events unfolding within the city, Villani would name every individual street, square, bridge, family, and person involved, assuming his readers would have the same intimate knowledge of Florence as he did.

Villani is perhaps unequalled for the value of the statistical data he has preserved. For example, he recorded that in Florence there were 80 banks, 146 bakeries, 80 members in an association of city judges with 600 notaries, 60 physicians and surgical doctors, 100 shops and dealers of spices, 8,000 to 10,000 children attending primary school each year, 550 to 600 students attending 4 different schools for Scholastic knowledge, 13,200 bushels of grain consumed weekly by the city, and 70,000 to 80,000 pieces of cloth produced in the workshops of the Arte della Lana each year, the latter having a total value of 1,200,000 gold florins.

Villani was a Guelph, but his book is much more taken up with an inquiry into what is useful and true than with factional party considerations. In a departure from Guelph politics, he favored republicanism over monarchy, praising the philosopher Brunetto Latini as "the master and initiator in refining the Florentines, in making them skilled in good speaking and in knowing how to guide and rule our republic according to political science." However, Villani admitted in his writing that republicanism bred factional strife, that benevolent rulers like Robert of Naples were sometimes needed to keep order, and republicanism could become tyrannical if it came to represent only one class (such as exclusive favoring of aristocrats, merchants, or artisans). When detailing the construction of the Florence Cathedral and the artist Giotto di Bondone as the designer of the new bell tower, Villani called him "the most sovereign master of painting in his time." Villani's Cronica also provides the first known biography of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), author of the Divine Comedy, who Villani described as haughty, disdainful, and reserved. In his revised Cronica of 1322, Villani shortened Dante's biography and the amount of quotations taken from his Divine Comedy. Villani's actions are explained by Richard H. Lansing and Teodolinda Barolini, who write: "Evidently two decades after the poet's death a conservative writer closely identified with the Florentine state still felt obliged to distance himself from the most outspoken critic of the basis of that state's prestige."

Historian Louis Green writes that the Cronica was written with three general assumptions about morality which shaped the organization of the work, "[channeling] events into recurring patterns of significance." These general assumptions were that excess brings disaster, that history is governed by a struggle between right and wrong, and that there is a direct connection between the events of the natural world and the overriding, supernatural and divine will of God who intercedes in these events. For example, Villani described the story of Count Ugolini of Pisa, who at the height of attaining his ill-gotten wealth and power was overthrown and eventually starved to death along with his sons. Green writes that this story in the Cronica bears a resemblance to the ancient Greek story of Polycrates and his ring in the work of Herodotus. However, Green notes that Villani's "cautionary tales" disembarked from the Classical Greek tradition of the arrogant and haughty rich falling from fortune due to the Greek belief in equalizing forces determining one's unavoidable fate, which Green calls "excessive good fortune having to be balanced by an appropriate measure of sorrow." Villani's adherence to Medieval Christianity allowed him to suggest retribution was delivered because of sin and insult to God. He stressed that those who gained prestige would fall prey to pride; confidence in their position would then lead them to sin, and sin would bring on a stage of decline. Villani wrote:

... it seems that it happens in the lordships and states of earthly dignitaries, that as they are at their highest peak, so presently does their decline and ruin follow, and not without the providence of divine justice, in order to punish sins and so that no one should place his trust in fallacious good fortune.

For Villani, this theory of sin and morality being tied directly with fate and fortune fit well with the ultimate fate of the Capetian dynasty of France. The House of Capet was once the champion of the Church and ally of the papacy. However, Villani correlated Philip the Fair's defiance of Pope Boniface VIII and seizure of the Templar's wealth with later Capetian misfortunes, such as Philip's death in a hunting accident, the adultery of the wives of his three sons, the death of his heirs, and even French defeats in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. Green points out that in Villani's writing there are two significant earthly powers that seem to be exempt or immune from this theory of immorality leading to downfall: Florence and the papacy. The interests of these two powers represent, as Green states, "the kingpin of Villani's scheme of historical interpretation."

Besides Divine Providence, Villani acknowledged other events that he believed were explainable via the supernatural. He wrote of many instances where holy men offered prophetic statements that later proved true, such as Pope Clement IV's prophecy on the outcome for the Battle of Tagliacozzo. He believed that certain events were really omens of what was to come. For instance, when a lion was sent to Florence as a gift by Boniface VIII, a donkey purportedly killed the lion. He interpreted this as an omen that foretold the Pope's beating and untimely death shortly after fighting Philip IV at Anagni; Villani wrote: "when the tamed beast kills the King of Beasts, then the dissolution of the Church will begin." He also believed in astrology and changes in the heavens as indication of political changes, the deaths of rulers and popes, and natural calamities. However, he noted that the movement of the heavens would not always predetermine the actions of men and did not trump the divine plan of God. Marilyn Aronberg Lavin states that Villani was most likely serving as a Peruzzi representative in Flanders when he heard the story of the French Jew who in 1290 tried to destroy Host bread (of the Eucharist) but was unsuccessful as the bread allegedly bled profusely as he stabbed it, and turned into flesh as he attempted to boil it in water. In the original account by the Ghent monk Jean de Thilrode in 1294, the Jew was compelled to convert to Christianity, but Villani's account followed that of the later Chronicles of Saint-Denis (1285–1328) which told that the Jew was burned to death for his crime. Villani's Cronica marks the first appearance in Italian literature of this legend, while "Villani's report includes details which establish an independent Italian branch of the tradition" according to Lavin. St. Antoninus, archbishop of Florence, repeated the story of Villani in his Latin Chronicles, while Villani's illustrated Cronica featured a scene of this French Jew that later appeared in a painting by Paolo Uccello.

Death and continuation of Villani's work
Villani wrote during the bubonic plague: "The priest who confessed the sick and those who nursed them so generally caught the infection that the victims were abandoned and deprived confession, sacrament, medicine, and nursing ... And many lands and cities were made desolate. And this plague lasted till ________"; Villani left the blank in order to record the time in which the plague was to end. Villani was unable to finish the line as he succumbed to the same plague. He was buried in the Church of Santissima Annunziata, Florence. Villani's Cronica was considered an important work at the time, valuable enough for his brother and nephew to continue it. Little is known of Villani's brother, Matteo, save that he was twice married, that he died of the plague in 1363, and that he continued work on the Cronica until his death. Filippo Villani, Matteo's son, flourished in the latter half of the 14th century and ended the Cronica at 1364; his portion includes details of the lives of many Florentine artists and musicians, including Giotto di Bondone and Francesco Landini. Filippo's chronicles were approved by the Chancellor of Florence, Coluccio Salutati, who made corrections to the work and added commentary. The 15th-century Florentine historian Domenico di Leonardo Buoninsegni also featured in the first two chapters of his Istoria Fiorentina a summary of Villani's Cronica.

By the 16th century, more than one edition of the Cronica was available in printed form. There was also an abundance of handwritten illuminated manuscripts, including one from Venice by Bartholomeo Zanetti Casterzagense in 1537 and one from Florence by Lorenzo Torrentino in 1554.

Legacy and criticism
Historian J.K. Hyde states that the Nuova Cronica of Villani is representative of the strong vernacular tradition in Florence, appealing to the people of the time as a narrative that was "easy to read, full of human interest and occasionally spiced with novella-type anecdotes." Hyde also notes that Villani's criticisms of the commune politics in Florence promoted a trend of personal expression amongst later chroniclers that defied official conformity. The Cronica is also an incredibly rich historical record; its greatest value to modern historians is its descriptions of the people, data, and events experienced by Villani during his lifetime. Historian Mark Phillips states that all subsequent Florentine accounts of the tyrannical regime of Walter VI of Brienne—including those by Leonardo Bruni and Niccolò Machiavelli—were based upon the primary source of Villani's Cronica. Villani's written work on Dante Alighieri and the age in which he lived has provided insight into Dante's work, reasoning, and psyche. The reprinting of new editions of Villani's work in the early 20th century provided material for a resurgence in the study of Dante. However, Villani's descriptions of events which preceded him by centuries are riddled with inaccurate traditional accounts, popular legend, and hearsay.

In regard to his own time, Villani provides modern historians with valuable details on Florentine social and living habits, such as the growing trend and craze of wealthy Florentines in building large country homes far outside of the city. However, the early 20th-century historian Philip Wicksteed stated of Villani, "When dealing with his own times, and with events immediately connected with Florence, he is a trustworthy witness, but minute accuracy is never his strong point; and in dealing with distant times and places he is hopelessly unreliable." For example, although Nicolai Rubinstein acknowledged that Villani's chronicles were much more matured and developed than earlier ones, Villani still relied on legend and hearsay to account for the origins of cities such as Fiesole. On Villani's estimation that a third of Antwerp's population died off during the Great Famine of 1315-1317, the early 20th-century historian Henry S. Lucas wrote, "not much faith can be placed in such statistics which are little better than guesses." Louis Green notes Villani's limitation as a chronicler and not a full-fledged historian:

Recording as he did incidents in the order of their occurrence without any of the historian's pretensions to a thematic organization of his material, he could not feed back the lessons of a changing present into a reinterpreted past. Nor did his devotion to the justification and glorification of Florence permit him to see in the altered fortunes of his city a repetition of the pattern of decline he had illustrated in the histories of the great dynasties of his age.

Louis Green asserts that Giovanni's Cronica expressed the outlook of the merchant community in Florence at the time, but also provided valuable indications of "how that outlook was modified in a direction away from characteristically medieval to embryonically modern attitudes." Green writes that Villani's Cronica was one of three types of chronicles found in the 14th century, the type which was largely a universal history. Other types would be chronicles of particular historic episodes such as Dino Compagni's account of the White Guelphs and Black Guelphs or the more domestic chronicle that focused on the fortunes and events of one family, as written by Donato Velluti or Giovanni Morelli.

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

title: Giovanni Villani


text:
Talk:Pikachu

Semi-protected edit request on 23 December 2022
https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/pokemon/23517302/pokemon-ash-ketchum-retired-protagonist-anime-game

Add content on concept section that Pikachu doesnt appear anymore in the 2023 new pokemon season. it isnt that OP 2001:4455:688:5F00:E096:7C6F:D50B:3C3C (talk) 13:19, 23 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done for now: It's unclear what this has to do with the concept section: Perhaps you meant the appearances section? Either way, Ash's Pikachu and the entire Pikachu species are different things, in the fiction.   casualdejekyll  18:43, 24 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Tagging @2001:4455:688:5F00:E096:7C6F:D50B:3C3C casualdejekyll  18:43, 24 December 2022 (UTC)

"P1k@chu" listed at Redirects for discussion
The redirect [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=P1k@chu&redirect=no P1k@chu] has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached. Hey man im josh (talk) 14:29, 11 October 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 April 2024
let people edit. GRDAS (talk) 13:26, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Pikachu


text:
Talk:Battle of Seven Oaks

Can you tell me where exactly does this take place please?
Thank you for the information, Lainie'''

Hmm...I guess that should be in the article! It took place in modern Manitoba, near Winnipeg. Adam Bishop 03:22, 27 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I am from Winnipeg MB and to clarify further Seven Oaks is part of the Greater Winnipeg City.

Took place in Seven Oaks, near the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, in the heart of what is now Winnipeg.

 * The battle took place in the northern part of the city, near where the Seven Oaks Museum now stands. A large log home was built in the area in 1851-53 by a man named John Inkster.  It is now one of the oldest extant residential buildings in Manitoba, and is the home of the museum.  It is located at 115 Rupertsland Blvd.  A lot of that same neighborhood is  known as Seven Oaks, with a number of businesses and an elementary school carrying the name.

 * The junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers (or the Forks) is approximately where Fort Gibralter (the Métis fort) stood, about 2.5 miles south of the battle scene, while Fort Douglas (the Hudson Bay Colony fort) was said to be a short distance north of the battle site, perhaps near Kildonan Park.
 * Couillaud 21:36, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

"Irish Paramilitary" and the Métis Perspective
Book is available from the Louis Riel Institute ,103-150 Henry Ave. Winnipeg, MB,Canada. ISBN 9780980991291 Battle of Seven Oaks, 2010 ISBN 9781927531082 Battle of Seven Oaks: A Metis Perspective Second Edition, 2015 also available at scribd.com/lbarkwell — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.71.176.29 (talk) 12:14, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

Mr. Barkwell's book is not readily available, online or in the U.S.A. Its ISBN doesn't come up on any searches. While I do not doubt its existence (I've been looking for it since seeing an announcement on it), it does not enjoy a great circulation. This is why I said in my edit summary "cannot find evidence of book". I didn't mean it did not exist; I meant that I could not find the book to verify its evidence, and I wrote it out badly.

That said, please do not expect others to find your proof for you; it is your responsibility, an obscure source is difficult for others to find and verify, and sources used here should be readily verifiable. Giving me a Manitoba phone number to call does not fulfill that need. I do intend to purchase a copy for my collection, but it still cannot be fairly used to change accepted fact without providing some very convincing evidence.

It is accepted by both Anglophone and Francophone historians, as well as documented in testimony given to William B. Coltman during his investigation and at the trials at York, Upper Canada in 1818 that the HBC consisted of settlers. Calling the group an "Irish Paramilitary force" is (as Barkwell's title indicates) the Métis perspective. It is a legitimate claim unless disproved by historical fact or rejected by peer review, but it is the minority view in any case. We can make his viewpoint known, but it is not the only viewpoint. Let's list both, until or unless one can be shown to be overwhelmingly true. -- Couillaud 15:09, 3 September 2011 (UTC)

Math Doesn't Add Up
In the "Battle" Section of the article, it states that the casualties were 1--21, yet in the summary box it states that the casualty numbers were 2--22. Clarification is needed. MattFromOntario (talk) 00:16, 19 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Made the correction, official sources give 21-1 as the casualty figures. Couldn't find any other source (verifiable or otherwise) that gives 22-2 as the casaulty numbers. Mediatech492 (talk) 02:50, 19 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Actually, there were two fatalities on the side of the NWC. I will have to look them up, but there are references to a second death, of an unnamed Native American, and I believe it was described as "the Metis" lost only one man", with a peripheral mention of a Native American who may have only been traveling with the company and not actually a member of the NWC.  Since I don't have the data handy at this moment, however, I will not argue for change.  -- Couillaud 16:01, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

Categorization as a "massacre"
Until a few weeks ago this article was categorized in both "Massacres of First Nations" and "Massacres by First Nations". Neither is correct. This conflict was not a "massacre" in the normal sense of that word. Instead it was an confrontation between two armed parties, which escalated to use of those arms by both sides. It was not a slaughter of unarmed parties perpetrated by armed parties. I therefore have removed the remaining categorization, that of "Massacres by First Nations", a category stated to be "for Massacres perpetrated mainly by First Nations, Inuit or Metis peoples". Such a judgment is unsupported by the text here. Kablammo (talk) 14:33, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Aftermath
This section does a good job of outlining the events that followed after the battle, although it is missing some important details. It fails to mention that the Selkirk settlement, morally defeated from the battle, packed up and left the settlement to go back to the provinces of Canada. This section also fails to mention the implications of the winners of the battle. For the North Westerners, their chief opponent was leaving the area, allowing them to flourish in the fur trade. As for the Metis, this was an early instance of the building of a nation - a bond that surpasses that of a company or family.

Justo Mendoza (talk) 02:23, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

 * There is no evidence of this, and your point contaisn a number of factual errors. There was no such mass departure from the Selkirk colony. Also the "provinces of Canada" did not exist at that time, they were the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. They did not become the "Province of Canada" until 1841. Furthermore the Selkirk settlers came from Scotland; therefore they could never have "returned" to the Canadas since they never came from there in the first place. Mediatech492 (talk) 15:14, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

 * From Gerald Friesen's The Canadian Prairies: A History page 80:

 * "On the morrow of the clash, the settlers, broken by the loss of family and friends and by the sight of the mutilated bodies, hastened to collect their belongings and depart. Cuthbert Grant, once more a clerk rather than a war captain, took an inventory of the goods left behind, signed the lists of thousands of items for hours on end, and, then, after two days of these last details, he watched the colonists sail northward, leaving his metis once more in command of the forks."

 * Friesen, Gerald. "Maintaining the Old Order 1805-44." In The Canadian Prairies a History, 80. Student ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1987.

 * I need to edit an article as part of an assignment for my class, so I will be adding this information with the citation. Justo Mendoza (talk) 17:29, 9 February 2015 (UTC)

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Copyrighted image published?
This image has this tag:

Why is it published here? Creuzbourg (talk) 18:26, 14 December 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Battle of Seven Oaks


text:
Talk:Human brain

Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Maths
Please help me on these subject 2A03:2880:20FF:8:0:0:FACE:B00C (talk) 05:34, 30 December 2022 (UTC)

Update of meningeal layers
I've updated the "three" in "The cerebrum, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord are covered by three membranes called meninges" to "four" using this ref from the below item recently featured in 2023 in science:

Scientists report the discovery of an unknown thin membrane meningeal layer in brain anatomy, the SLYM, that likely plays a role in CSF functions and is both a protective barrier and hosting immune cells that monitor the brain for infection and inflammation.

I hope that's okay. There may be more places to add info on/from this study, possibly including in this article and at Cerebrospinal fluid (e.g. in #Regulation). Moreover, it may be good if info on this in Meninges was more detailed or overhauled.

However, somebody else should make any further due updates and quite likely this should wait until there is a review on this(?) If so, please revisit this issue once a review is out; if brief info is due before, please add it.

Prototyperspective (talk) 22:01, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

Pairing
I just added a sentence "Brain structures that are not on the midplane exist in pairs, so there are for example two hippocampi and two amygdalae." Could someone put in some more information on this point? Which organs exist as a pair, and which do not? Also, apparently some parts are single, but symmetrical, such as the thalamus. Eric Kvaalen (talk) 17:12, 31 March 2023 (UTC)
 * It's really more a matter of bilateral symmetry than of pairing. Regions of the cortex are not functionally symmetrical, either. --Tryptofish (talk) 17:42, 31 March 2023 (UTC)

Citation of Kathryn M. Olesko
This essay is a chapter in a book, not a journal article. I don't know how to fix the citation style. LovelyOliveGreen (talk) 20:56, 21 January 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Human brain


text:
William Proudfoot

William Proudfoot, (February 21, 1859 – December 3, 1922) was an Ontario politician and barrister.

He was born in Colborne Township, Huron County, Canada West, the son of Robert Proudfoot, an immigrant from Scotland. He was educated in Goderich, studied law at Osgoode Hall and was called to the bar in 1880. Proudfoot set up practice in Goderich. He married Marion F. Dickson in 1886. In 1902, he was named King's Counsel.

In 1908 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal. He was re-elected in 1911 and 1914. In 1917, he was chosen leader of the Liberal Party and, as such, became Leader of the Opposition in the legislature. Proudfoot was challenged as Liberal leader at the party's first leadership convention in June 1919 and was replaced by Hartley Dewart. The 1919 election saw the Liberals and their allies drop from 30 seats to 27 with Proudfoot himself defeated in his riding of Huron Centre by the Labour candidate. No doubt due to Newton Rowell's influence, he was then appointed to the Senate of Canada where he sat until his death in 1922.

Proudfoot's grandnephew was Spencer Proudfoot Shotter, founder of what became the American Naval Stores Company.

title: William Proudfoot


text:
Highlanders (rugby union)

The Highlanders (Kahupeka; formerly the Otago Highlanders) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.

Their main ground through the 2011 Super Rugby season was Carisbrook in Dunedin, with home games occasionally being played in Invercargill and Queenstown. The Highlanders moved into Carisbrook's replacement, Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza, for the 2012 season; the stadium opened in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but after the Super Rugby season.

They finished the inaugural season eighth, and the following season finished last after winning only three of eleven matches. However, in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons they qualified for semi-finals; hosting the 1999 competition final against fellow South Island team the Crusaders. They lost the match 24–19, and the following year were again knocked out by the Crusaders—this time in their semi-final. In the following fifteen seasons they would only finish in the top four once more, in 2002. But in 2015, they were crowned Super Rugby champions after beating the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium.

Current Highlander, Aaron Smith has played a record 176 games for the Highlanders, and 47 other players have played over 50 games for the team. The Highlanders' highest career points scorer is Lima Sopoaga with 866 points, and highest career try scorer is Waisake Naholo with 45 tries.

History
The Highlanders' franchise was created as one of five New Zealand teams in the Super 12. Originally named the Otago Highlanders, the Highlanders' franchise area encompassed the lower South Island of New Zealand, and was formed from the North Otago, Otago, and Southland provincial rugby unions.

The 1996 team was captained by John Leslie and coached by Gordon Hunter. Their first Super 12 match was against the Queensland Reds at Carisbrook on 3 March 1996, whom they defeated 57–17. After three matches the Highlanders were undefeated and leading the competition. However the following week at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa they were defeated 59–29 by Northern Transvaal. They only won two more games that season, against at Carisbrook and against the Canterbury Crusaders at Lancaster Park, and they finished the season eighth on the table.

1997 was the least successful season ever for the Highlanders. They finished last in the competition, and managed only three wins. They were now coached by Glenn Ross and captained by Taine Randell. Their eight defeats that season included a 75–43 loss to Natal in Durban. The points scored by Natal included 50 points by Gavin Lawless – a competition record. Following their last place in the 1997 season, Tony Gilbert was appointed as coach. Their first game under his guidance was an upset 26–19 win over the Queensland Reds. The Highlanders eventually became the first New Zealand side to defeat all four South African teams in one season. After defeating the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld they needed the Queensland Reds not to defeat the Brumbies by a large margin. Queensland were defeated by the Brumbies 23–16 and the Highlanders finished fourth, thus qualifying for the semi-finals. In the semi-final, they faced defending champions the Auckland Blues at Eden Park. The Blues were leading 20–16 at halftime, and were leading 30–26 before a controversial try to Adrian Cashmore pushed the Blues to a 37–26 lead. Joeli Vidiri had illegally taken out Highlander Stanley off the ball.

The following season in 1999 the Highlanders improved on their 1997 season record by reaching and hosting the tournament final. They opened their season with a 19–13 victory over the Auckland Blues at Carisbrook. This was followed by a victory over the Northern Bulls, the Stormers at Carisbrook, and the Cats, before their first loss of the season to the Sharks. They returned to New Zealand to defeat the Waikato Chiefs and then the Crusaders. After defeating the Reds, the Highlanders lost to the New South Wales Waratahs at Carisbrook. The next week they defeated the Brumbies at the same venue. In their next match, despite leading the Wellington Hurricanes 14–3 at half time, the Highlanders lost when Hurricanes half back Jason Spice scored in the corner to give the Hurricanes a 21–19 victory. Had the Highlanders won they would have finished top of the table and hosted a semi-final at Carisbrook. Instead they then had to travel to South Africa where they defeated the Stormers 33–18. The Highlanders travelled back to Dunedin for the 1999 Super 12 Final, which was against South Island rivals the Canterbury Crusaders, and was billed as "the party at Tony Brown's house" after Highlanders first five-eighth Tony Brown. The Highlanders scored first, and led 14–9 at half time. However the decisive try was to Crusaders wing Afato So'oalo, who chipped the ball then out-sprinted All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson to collect the ball and score. Although the Highlanders scored a try to Isitolo Maka with three minutes remaining, the Crusaders won 24–19.

The Highlanders opened their 2000 season with a 50–13 victory over the Queensland Reds at Carisbrook. They won their next three matches, against the Sharks, Hurricanes and Cats. However they then lost their following three; against the Crusaders, Brumbies, and Blues. They played the Crusaders at Jade Stadium in their semi-final, and were defeated 37–15 after Marika Vunibaka scored two tries for the Crusaders in the last 20 minutes. The next season opened with a 23–8 victory over the Blues. Their 39–20 defeat of the Waratahs at Carisbrook on 7 April was the first defeat of New South Wales by an Otago-based side since the Otago provincial team defeated New South Wales 5–0 in 1901. The Highlanders narrowly lost to the Hurricanes in Napier 35–33 before defeating the Brumbies at Carisbrook on 20 April. Although the Highlanders went undefeated at home for a second consecutive season, they finished fifth with six wins that season.

Laurie Mains had returned from South Africa to coach Otago in the 2001 National Provincial Championship (NPC), and was appointed the Highlanders coach for 2002. Their season started with a narrow 30–28 loss to the Crusaders at Jade Stadium. That year the Highlanders also achieved a win over all four South African teams. The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy was also introduced that season to be contested between the Highlanders and Blues. Gordon Hunter had coached both teams before dying from cancer in 2001. The match was played at Eden Park, and the Highlanders were ahead 15–3 at half time, and eventually won 20–13. Their last home match of the season was against the Reds at Carisbrook. The Highlanders' 40–26 win meant that they had gone three seasons undefeated at Carisbrook. The Highlanders finished fourth and played the Crusaders in Christchurch where they lost 34–23, although Jeff Wilson did score a try in his last match for the franchise.

The 2003 season started with a 29–16 win over the Chiefs in Hamilton. They then defeated the Stormers and Bulls before losing to the Cats in Johannesburg. Their second loss occurred when the Crusaders defeated them 17–16 at Carisbrook. The Highlanders had gone three seasons, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and 16 games unbeaten at Carisbrook before that loss. The Highlanders then defeated the Blues 22–11 to retain the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy. In April that year it was revealed a rift had developed between coach Laurie Mains and some of the senior players in the squad. Anton Oliver was branded the ringleader by Mains, and after their final game of the season Mains resigned and was replaced by his assistant Greg Cooper.

In contrast to their previous season, in 2004 the Highlanders conceded 44 tries, twelve more than in 2003, but scored nine more tries then in 2003. Not only did they have a new head coach, but also thirteen new players in their squad. This all contributed to them finishing the season ninth that season. The Highlanders' 2005 season started with a loss to the Blues at Carisbrook. Following this the side won six games consecutively, the first time the franchise had ever done so. After a draw with the Stormers and a bye, the Highlanders had gone unbeaten for eight weeks. Three weeks from the end of the round robin they were third, but after losing their remaining three matches fell to eighth for the season.

After ten years the Super 12 was expanded to include two extra teams; the Western Force from Australia, and the Cheetahs from South Africa. The expanded competition was renamed the Super 14. The Highlanders continued under Cooper in 2006. After losing their first match of 2006 to the Crusaders, they then won their next three. After only won two of their last six games, they finished the season ranked ninth. The 2007 ended with a similar result to 2006. The Highlanders again finished ninth on the table, and worst of the New Zealand teams. They finished the season with five wins and eight losses from their thirteen matches.

While the fortunes of the franchise had been declining for a few years, they would bottom out with a player exodus following the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The squad's entire All Black front row of Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, and Clarke Dermody left for lucrative contracts in Europe, while star first-five Nick Evans moved north to Auckland to play for the Blues, and hugely talented young lock James Ryan was forced to retire at age 24 due to injury problems. Joining the exodus were several other veteran starters, along with coach Greg Cooper who left the franchise to take up an assistant coaching position with the Blues. The coach for the 2008 season, Glenn Moore, was appointed 28 August 2007.

Moore was left with a weak side of young and inexperienced players which would stumble to a franchise-worst record of only 3 wins against 10 losses during the 2008 Super 14 season, and finished as the lowest-placed New Zealand team on the table. Jimmy Cowan, one of the team's few bright spots through this period, was appointed team captain for 2009, but things would improve little over the following two seasons as the team again limped to the worst record of the New Zealand clubs. When Moore was released as coach following the 2010 season, the franchise had compiled a record of only 10 wins against 29 losses in three seasons under his leadership.

Former All Black Jamie Joseph was hired as coach for the 2011 Super Rugby season, while Jamie Mackintosh replaced Cowan as team captain. The campaign would prove to be the franchise's most successful in several years, as they raced out to a 3–0 start including a monumental away win over the Bulls in Pretoria. They remained in playoff contention for almost the entire season, sitting 8–4 at one juncture, before slumping under an injury cloud at the end of the year to finish 8th on the table.

Highlanders won the 2015 Super Rugby season defeating the Hurricanes 21–14 in Wellington. Phil Gifford called the win the "greatest Super Rugby comeback this century".

In 2017, the Highlanders won over the British & Irish Lions 23–22 at Dunedin, during the Lions tour to New Zealand.

2018 was a season of ups and downs for the Highlanders. They started their season 3–0 including a win over the defending champions Crusaders in Dunedin and finished their season in 6th place. Despite this, they would suffer a shock loss to the Waratahs after leading 23–3 at one point, they lost 30–23 in Sydney.

2019 was another up and down season for the Highlanders. At the end of the overall season the Highlanders had won 6, drawn 3 and lost 7, which somehow put them into 8th for the playoffs. However, they would lose to the Crusaders in that game (38-14)

After 7 rounds of the 2020 Super Rugby season, the Highlanders were 11th overall and 5th in the NZ conference. They were bound to play the Jaguares in round 7 but the COVID-19 pandemic suspended play of that game and cancelled the rest of the tournament. However, domestic Super Rugby competitions started up, and the one in New Zealand was Super Rugby Aotearoa. The Highlanders finished 4th in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 winning only 3 games, 2 of which were against the Chiefs (28–27) and (31-33) and one against the Hurricanes (38-21)

The 2021 season of Super Rugby Aotearoa saw the Highlanders finish 4th again, with 3 wins. They beat the Chiefs (23–39), Crusaders (12–33) and the Blues (35-29). After the season of Super Rugby Aotearoa finished, the Highlanders will partake in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman (competition between the NZ and Australian teams) in which they won all 5 of their games against Australian opposition, and went to the final against the Blues, which they lost 23–15.

2022 was one of the worst years ever for the Highlanders. The Highlanders were winless until Round 8, when they beat Moana Pasifika 37–17. After two more losses, things began to look up for them, beating the Drua 27–24, the Reds (27–19) and the Force (61–10) which put them in quarter-finals contention, since they had many losing bonus points alongside that. However, they lost their last two games of the regular season, and despite the final round loss to the Rebels (31–30) they only just made it into the quarters thanks to their losing bonus point. They ended up getting heavily beaten by the Blues in the quarter finals 35–6, ending the Highlanders worst season ever, with 4 games won from 14 in the regular season.

Name and colours
The name Highlanders was chosen after the early Scottish settlers in the lower South Island. These Scottish settlers were the founders of Dunedin—known as the "Edinburgh of the South", and the city where the Highlanders are based. According to the Highlanders official website: " The name and image of the Highlander conjures up visions of fierce independence, pride in one's roots, loyalty, strength, kinship, honesty, and hard work."

The colours of the Highlanders formerly encompassed the provincial colours of North Otago, Otago, and Southland; yellow, blue and maroon. Blue is also the predominant colour of the Flag of Scotland, and is used by many sports teams in that country.

On 3 June 2011, the Highlanders introduced—controversially—a new predominantly lime green home kit. It was debuted in the Highlanders' final home match of the 2011 Super Rugby season.

Despite the resounding negative feedback from fans, this kit was initially confirmed for the 2012 season. On 6 September 2011, however, the club announced a change of heart—they would be returning to their traditional blue strip for home matches, and using the lime green kit for away matches during the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Franchise area
The Highlanders' franchise area consists of the region controlled by the North Otago, Otago and Southland Rugby Unions. Both Otago and Southland compete in the semi-professional Mitre 10 Cup (formerly the ITM Cup and Air New Zealand Cup), and North Otago in the amateur Heartland Championship.

Stadiums
Starting with the 2012 season, the Highlanders moved into the Forsyth Barr Stadium, opened in August 2011. It was built to replace their original home of Carisbrook, which was no longer suitable for international rugby, or as a venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Carisbrook Stadium Trust was established in 2006 to manage the planning and construction of a new stadium. The new stadium is not on the current Carisbrook site, but instead near the University of Otago and Otago Harbour. It is a roofed, all weather stadium with a rectangular configuration, and permanent seating capacity of 25,000 that could be expanded to 30,748 if necessary.

The Highlanders' original home ground was the 29,000 capacity Carisbrook in Dunedin. Carisbrook is also known as "The Brook", or as "The House of Pain" due to its reputation as a difficult venue to visit. The stadium was also well known for Dunedin's large student population (known as "Scarfies") that occupied the terraces—an uncovered concrete embankment at the eastern end of the ground.

The Highlanders usually play at least one regular season match outside of Dunedin, at either Rugby Park in Invercargill or the Queenstown Events Centre in Queenstown. Prior to 2007 the regular season match was usually played at Rugby Park, however in 2007 they played a match at the Queenstown Events Centre. The Highlanders have also played pre-season matches at Centennial Park in Oamaru and at the Showgrounds in Balclutha.

On 28 March 2009, the Highlanders played a home game at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North against the Bulls. This game attracted a crowd of 10,000; one of the Highlanders' biggest of the 2009 season.

Development team
The Highlanders have fielded a development team in competitions such as the Pacific Rugby Cup and in matches against other representative teams for several seasons. Known as the Highlanders Development XV, the squad is selected from the best emerging rugby talent in the Highlanders catchment area and is composed of Highlanders contracted players, wider training group members, under 20s, and selected club players.

Super Rugby (1996-Present)
2015 1999 2021 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024
 * Champions (1)
 * Runners-up (1)
 * Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Runners-up (1)
 * Playoff Appearances (11)

Season standings
A season-by-season summary of Highlanders regular season results is shown below:
 * {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"

 * align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD|Super 12
 * align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC|Super 14
 * align="center" bgcolor="#FFA6AA"|Super Rugby
 * align="center" bgcolor="#faf884"|Super Rugby Aotearoa
 * align="center" bgcolor="#90EE90"|Super Rugby Trans Tasman
 * align="center" bgcolor="#87D3F8"|Super Rugby Pacific
 * }

 * {| class="wikitable"

! width="20"|Season ! width="20"|Pos ! width="20"|Pld ! width="20"|W ! width="20"|D ! width="20"|L ! width="20"|F ! width="20"|A ! width="25"|+/- ! width="20"|BP ! width="20"|Pts ! width="250"|Notes
 * -border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0

 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 1996                  || 8th  || 11 ||  5 || 0 ||  6 || 329 || 391 ||  −62 ||  6 || 26 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 1997                  || 12th || 11 ||  3 || 0 ||  8 || 299 || 409 || −110 ||  5 || 17 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 1998                  || 4th  || 11 ||  7 || 0 ||  4 || 343 || 279 ||  +64 ||  6 || 34 || align=left | Lost to  in semi-final
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 1999                  || 2nd  || 11 ||  8 || 0 ||  3 || 280 || 203 ||  +77 ||  3 || 35 || align=left | Lost to  in final
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2000                  || 3rd  || 11 ||  6 || 0 ||  5 || 320 || 280 ||  +40 ||  8 || 32 || align=left | Lost to  in semi-final
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2001                  || 5th  || 11 ||  6 || 0 ||  5 || 284 || 295 ||  −11 ||  5 || 29 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2002                  || 4th  || 11 ||  8 || 0 ||  3 || 329 || 207 || +122 ||  6 || 38 || align=left | Lost to  in semi-final
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2003                  || 7th  || 11 ||  6 || 0 ||  5 || 287 || 246 ||  +41 ||  5 || 29 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2004                  || 9th  || 11 ||  4 || 1 ||  6 || 299 || 347 ||  −48 ||  8 || 26 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFE6BD
 * 2005                  || 8th  || 11 ||  6 || 1 ||  4 || 221 || 214 ||   +7 ||  1 || 27 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC
 * 2006                  || 6th  || 13 ||  6 || 0 ||  7 || 228 || 276 ||  −48 ||  3 || 27 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC
 * 2007                  || 9th  || 13 ||  5 || 0 ||  8 || 235 || 301 ||  −66 ||  7 || 27 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC
 * 2008                  || 9th  || 13 ||  3 || 0 || 10 || 257 || 338 ||  −81 ||  7 || 19 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC
 * 2009                  || 11th || 13 ||  4 || 0 ||  9 || 254 || 269 ||  −15 || 10 || 26 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC
 * 2010                  || 12th || 13 ||  3 || 0 || 10 || 297 || 397 || −100 ||  6 || 18 ||
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2011               || 8th  || 16 ||  8 || 0 ||  8 || 296 || 343 ||  −47 ||  5 || 45*|| align=left |
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2012               || 9th  || 16 ||  9 || 0 ||  7 || 359 || 385 ||  −26 ||  6 || 50*|| align=left |
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2013               || 14th || 16 ||  3 || 0 || 13 || 374 || 496 || −122 ||  9 || 29*|| align=left |
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2014               || 6th  || 16 ||  8 || 0 ||  8 || 401 || 442 ||  −41 || 10 || 42 || align=left | Lost to  in qualifier
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2015               || 1st  || 16 || 11 || 0 ||  5 || 450 || 333 || +117 ||  9 || 53 || align=left | Defeated  in final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2016               || 3rd  || 15 || 11 || 0 ||  4 || 422 || 273 || +149 ||  8 || 52 || align=left| Lost to  in semi-final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2017               || 7th  || 15 || 11 || 0 ||  4 || 488 || 308 || +180 ||  7 || 51 || align=left| Lost to  in quarter-final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2018               || 6th  || 16 || 10|| 0 ||  6 || 437 || 445 || −6 ||  4 || 44 || align=left| Lost to  in quarter-final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2019               || 8th  || 16 || 6 || 3 ||  7 || 441 || 392 || +49 || 6 || 36 || align=left| Lost to  in quarter-final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#FFA6AA"
 * 2020               || 11th|| 6  || 1  || 1 || 4 || 91 || 163 || –72  || 1  || 7  || align="left" | Season cancelled due to COVID-19
 * - align=center bgcolor="#faf884"
 * 2020      || 4th|| 8  || 3  || 0 || 5 || 197 || 227 || –30  || 2  || 14|| align="left" | No playoffs, round robin only
 * - align=center bgcolor="#faf884"
 * 2021      || 4th|| 8  || 3  || 0 || 5 || 201 || 226 || –25  || 2  || 14|| align="left" |
 * - align=center bgcolor="#90EE90"
 * 2021              || 2nd|| 5  || 5  || 0 || 0 || 199 || 96  || +103 || 3  || 23|| align="left" | Lost to  in final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#87D3F8"
 * 2022       || 8th|| 14 || 4 || 0 || 10 || 348 || 345 || +3   || 7  || 23|| align="left" | Lost to  in quarter-final
 * - align=center bgcolor="#87D3F8"
 * 2023       || 9th|| 14  || 5  || 0 || 9 || 362 || 459 || –97  || 4  || 24|| align="left" |
 * - align=center bgcolor="#87D3F8"
 * 2024       || 6th|| 14  || 6  || 0 || 8 || 305 || 402 || –97  || 4  || 28|| align="left" | Lost to  in quarter-final
 * }

Results per opposition
Highlanders Super Rugby results vs different opponents Super Rugby Match Results

Team records
The 2014 season set several new records for the team, that had stood since the 1998 and 1999 seasons. They scored their most ever points (425), and most ever tries (42) in a season. Lima Sopoaga set a franchise record for most points in a season with 178, becoming just the third Highlander to score 25 points in a game. The 2000 year saw perhaps their greatest victory ever with their 65–23 win against the Bulls, setting several records; most points in a match, most tries in a match with nine, and largest winning margin of 42.

Former first five-eighth Tony Brown holds the record for most career points with 857. His 857 career points included 144 conversions, 183 penalties, and six drop-goals. The most points in a single match is held by former fullback Ben Blair who scored 28 against the Sharks in 2005. Most career tries is held by former player Jeff Wilson with 35. Wilson and Blair also share the record for most tries in a single match with three along with Israel Dagg, Doug Howlett, Ryan Nicholas, Jeremy Stanley, and To'o Vaega.

Current squad
The squad for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season is:

Wider training squad
The following were named in the Highlanders wider training squad for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season:

 * 🇳🇿 Moana Takataka (Prop)
 * 🇳🇿 Solomone Tukuafu (Prop)
 * 🇳🇿 A-One Lolofie (Hooker)
 * 🇳🇿 Reuben Palmer (Lock)
 * 🇳🇿 Connor McLeod (Halfback)
 * 🇳🇿 Josh Whaanga (Midfielder)

Notable players
Most Games:

 * 181 Aaron Smith
 * 152 Ben Smith
 * 138 Liam Coltman
 * 127 Anton Oliver
 * 124 Daniel Lienert-Brown
 * 108 Jimmy Cowan
 * 107 Chris King
 * 102 Elliot Dixon
 * 100 Ash Dixon
 * 98 Carl Hoeft
 * 91 Tony Brown
 * 89 Lima Sopoaga
 * 85 Tom Franklin
 * 84 Josh Bekhuis
 * 81 Carl Hayman
 * 77 Taine Randell
 * 72 Jeff Wilson
 * 69 James Lentjes
 * 68 Siate Tokolahi
 * 68 Shannon Frizell
 * 67 Adam Thomson
 * 67 Jamie Mackintosh
 * 65 Tom Donnelly
 * 65 Joe Wheeler (rugby union)
 * 65 Malakai Fekitoa
 * 62 Waisake Naholo

Coaches and management
In their first season the Highlanders were coached by Gordon Hunter before he joined the All Blacks selection panel. Glenn Ross took over in 1997, and was not reappointed for the 1998 season. Tony Gilbert was appointed for the 1998 season, and again coached the team in 1999 before being appointed co-coach for the All Blacks. Peter Sloane was appointed Gilbert's successor for the 2000 season, and also coached them in 2001 before moving to coach the Blues. Laurie Mains returned to New Zealand from South Africa to replace Sloane for the 2002 season. Mains resigned following the 2003 season after a rift between him and senior players. Greg Cooper replaced Mains and coached the team from 2003 until 2007, when he left the franchise to take up the assistant coaches position with the Blues. Glenn Moore coached the club from 2008 through until 2010, when he was relieved of his duties after the club posted only 10 wins against 29 losses in his three years in charge. His replacement was former All Black flanker Jamie Joseph, who coached between 2011 and 2016. Tony Brown took over as head coach in 2017 he then left to join Joseph in Japan and was replaced by Aaron Mauger who coached between 2018 and 2020. Tony Brown again took over as head coach for 2021 and 2022.

On 21 June 2022, the Highlanders announced that Clarke Dermody had been appointed as head coach of the franchise for a period of three years (2023–2025).

In July of 2024 it was announced that Jamie Joseph would replace Clarke Dermody as Head Coach with Dermody stepping back to an Assistant Coach role

Notes: Official Super Rugby competition matches only, including finals.

Head coach
 * Jamie Joseph

Assistant coaches
 * Shane Christie
 * Clarke Dermody (forwards)
 * Richard Whiffin (attack)
 * Dave Dillon (defence)
 * Riki Flutey (skills)

title: Highlanders (rugby union)


text:
Sam Kieth

Sam Kieth (born January 11, 1963) is an American comics artist and writer, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.

Comics
Kieth's first published work was "a story in the back of a Comico comic" when he was "about seventeen"; it was "about a killer rabbit named Max the Hare". He came to prominence in 1984 as the inker of Matt Wagner's Mage, and a year later as the inker of Fish Police. In 1989, he penciled the first five issues (the "Preludes & Nocturnes" story arc) of writer Neil Gaiman's celebrated series The Sandman and collaborated with Alan Grant on a Penguin story in Secret Origins Special #1. He illustrated two volumes of writer William Messner-Loebs' Epicurus the Sage, drew an Aliens miniseries for Dark Horse Comics, and drew The Incredible Hulk #368, which led to drawing numerous covers for Marvel Comics Presents.

In 1993, Kieth left Marvel to create the original series The Maxx for fledgling publisher Image Comics. The Maxx ran 35 issues, all of which were plotted and illustrated by Kieth. William Messner-Loebs scripted #1–15 and Alan Moore wrote #21. In 1995, The Maxx was adapted as part of MTV's short-lived animation series MTV's Oddities.

After taking a break from comics to pursue other interests, Kieth created the series Zero Girl for DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint in 2001. He followed that with the drama Four Women later that year and Zero Girl: Full Circle in 2003. In August 2004, he launched the Scratch series featuring a teenage werewolf.

Kieth then wrote and drew the five-issue series Batman: Secrets, featuring the Joker, and Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious, a two-issue miniseries starting in August 2007. This was followed by 2009's Lobo: Highway to Hell, written by Scott Ian of the band Anthrax, and the painted story "Ghosts", which appeared in Batman Confidential #40–43. In 2010, Kieth wrote and illustrated the original hardcover graphic novel Arkham Asylum: Madness, which spent two weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, reaching number five in the category of "Hardcover Graphic Books".

Ojo comprises the first, and My Inner Bimbo the second, in a cycle of original limited series or graphic novels published by Oni Press, which he dubbed "The Trout-a-Verse". The cycle concerned the intertwined lives of Annie (Ojo), Lo (My Inner Bimbo), Dana, Nola, Otto, and others all connected by an encounter with an urban legend known as the Magic Trout.

In the UK, he has contributed to 2000 AD's Judge Dredd and provided several covers for the Nemesis the Warlock reprint title. In 2011, Kieth began drawing IDW Publishing's 30 Days of Night series. IDW released the 48-page The Sam Kieth Sketchbooks: Vol. 1, followed by a second volume in August 2010.

Other media
In addition to co-producing The Maxx animated series for MTV, Kieth co-wrote "No Smoking", the pilot to Cow and Chicken (created by his cousin, David Feiss), and directed the film Take It to the Limit (2000) for Roger Corman's Concorde-New Horizons.

Awards
Sam Kieth received an Inkpot Award at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2013.

AfterShock Comics

 * Eleanor & the Egret (2017)

Comico Comics

 * Primer #5 (writer/artist) (first published art) (1983)
 * Justice Machine #11 (inker) (1987)
 * Mage #10–15 (inker) (1985–1986)

Dark Horse Comics

 * Aliens: Earth War #1–4 (1990)

DC Comics

 * Arkham Asylum: Madness HC (writer/artist) (2010)
 * Batman Confidential #40–43 (writer/artist) (2010)
 * Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious #1–2 (writer/artist) (2007)
 * Batman: Secrets #1–5 (writer/artist) (2006)
 * Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #1 (2018)
 * Batman: Through the Looking Glass HC (2012)
 * Harley Quinn vol. 2 #0 (2014)
 * House of Mystery vol. 2 #23 (2010)
 * Infinity, Inc. #49 (inker) (1988)
 * Lobo: Highway to Hell #1–2 (2010)
 * Manhunter #1–3, 12 (inker) (1988–1989)
 * The Sandman vol. 1 #1–5 (1989)
 * Scratch #1–5 (writer/artist) (2004)
 * Secret Origins Special #1 (1989)
 * T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents vol. 2 #4 (2012)

Piranha Press

 * Epicurus the Sage #1–2 (1989–1991)
 * Fast Forward #3 (1993)

WildStorm

 * Epicurus the Sage TPB (2003)
 * Four Women #1–5 (writer/artist) (2001–2002)
 * Zero Girl #1–5 (writer/artist) (2001)
 * Zero Girl: Full Circle #1–5 (writer/artist) (2003)

Eclipse Comics

 * Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #6–8 (1987)

Fantagraphics Books

 * Critters #7, 11–12, 23 (writer/artist) (1986–1987), #21 (cover art) (1988)

Fishwrap Productions

 * Fish Police #1 (inker and pin-up) (1985)

Image Comics

 * Darker Image #1 (plotter/artist) (1993)
 * Friends of Maxx #1–3 (1996–1997)
 * The Maxx #1–35 (plotter/artist) (1993–1998)
 * Sam Stories: Legs (writer/artist) (1999)

Marvel Comics

 * Clive Barker's Hellraiser #12 (1992)
 * Freddy Krueger's A Nightmare On Elm Street #2 (back cover pin-up) (1989)
 * The Incredible Hulk #368 (artist) (1990)
 * Marvel Age #105 (cover art and interview with reprinted art) (1991)
 * Marvel Comics Presents #85–92, 100, 117–122 (cover and art); #94–99 and 101–111 (cover only) (1991–1993)
 * Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 2 #56–57 (2003)
 * Savage Hulk #1 (1996)
 * Wolverine/Hulk #1–4 (writer/artist) (2002)
 * X-Men Unlimited #9 (2005)

Oni Press

 * Ojo #1–5 (2004–2005)
 * My Inner Bimbo #1–5 (2006–2008)

title: Sam Kieth


text:
Sam Keith

Sam Keith (September 14, 1921 — March 28, 2003) was an American writer. His most notable work was the 1973 best seller One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, in which he edited and expanded on the journals of his friend Richard Proenneke's solo experiences in Alaska to create an Alaskan classic. In 2014, Keith's formerly lost manuscript First Wilderness: My Quest in the Territory of Alaska was published.

Born in Plainfield, New Hampshire, in 1921, Sam Keith was the son of a wildlife artist, Merle Vincent Keith. As a teen, Keith joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and served in Elgin, Oregon, building roads. During World War II, Keith enlisted in the Marines, where he served as a radio gunner. He was shot down over the Pacific. He enrolled at Cornell University after the war on the GI Bill and graduated with a degree in English, with an eye toward being a writer. In 1953, Keith left his Massachusetts home to seek adventure in Alaska. He found a job as a laborer on the Kodiak Naval Base, and there met Richard "Dick" Proenneke, who was working as a diesel mechanic. The two became friends, and during their time in Alaska went on numerous hunting and fishing trips together. After several years, Keith returned to Massachusetts, where he married and became an English teacher, writing on the side. During a trip to visit Dick Proenneke at his cabin in Twin Lakes in 1970, Keith suggested that he take Proenneke's journals describing the time he spent building a cabin on the shores of Twin Lakes, Alaska, and turn them into a book.

Keith wrote One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (1973) based on his lifelong friend's journals and photography. Re-released in 1999, it became a best seller and won a National Outdoor Book Award. Book excerpts and some of Proenneke's 16mm movies were used in the popular documentary "Alone in the Wilderness", which continues to air on PBS. The two remained good friends, trading hundreds of letters over their lifetimes. The men died within a month of each other in 2003.

Ten years later, Keith's son-in-law, children's book author/illustrator Brian Lies, discovered an unpublished manuscript by Keith in an archive box in their garage. Forty years after it was written, the story of Keith's own Alaska experiences was published. Included are photos and excerpts from his journals, letters, and notebooks.

title: Sam Keith