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Spencer W. Kimball

Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball, Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. He spent most of his early life in Thatcher, Arizona, where his father, Andrew Kimball, farmed and served as the area's stake president. He served an LDS mission in Independence, Missouri, from 1914 to 1916, then worked for various banks in Arizona's Gila Valley as a clerk and bank teller. Kimball later co-founded a business selling bonds and insurance that, after weathering the Great Depression, became highly successful. Kimball served as a stake president in his hometown from 1938 until 1943, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Like most other LDS Church apostles, Kimball traveled extensively to fulfill a wide variety of administrative and ecclesiastical duties. Early in his time as an apostle, Kimball was directed by church president George Albert Smith to spend extra time in religious and humanitarian work with Native Americans, which Kimball did throughout his life. He initiated the Indian Placement Program, which helped many Native American students gain education in the 1960s and 1970s while they stayed with LDS foster families.

In late 1973, following the sudden death of Harold B. Lee, Kimball became the LDS Church's twelfth president, a position he held until his death in 1985. Kimball's presidency was noted for the 1978 announcement ending the restriction on church members of black African descent being ordained to the priesthood or receiving temple ordinances. Kimball's presidency saw large growth in the LDS Church, both in terms of membership and the number of temples. Kimball was the first church president to state publicly that the church expects all able-bodied male members to serve missions in young adulthood, resulting in an increase in missionary service.

Ancestry
Kimball's paternal grandfather, Heber C. Kimball, was one of the original LDS apostles who were called when Joseph Smith first organized the Quorum of the Twelve in February 1835. Kimball later served as first counselor to Brigham Young in the church's First Presidency from 1847 until his death in 1868.

Kimball's maternal grandfather, Edwin D. Woolley, was a prominent LDS bishop in Salt Lake City for many years.

Early life (1895–1916)
Kimball was born on March 28, 1895, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to Andrew Kimball and Olive Woolley. He had ten siblings. In 1898, when Kimball was three years old, his father was called as president of the St. Joseph Arizona Stake, and his family relocated to the town of Thatcher, in Southeastern Arizona's Graham County.

During his childhood, Kimball had a number of medical problems, including typhoid fever and facial paralysis (likely Bell's palsy), and he once nearly drowned. Four of his sisters died in childhood, and his mother died when he was eleven. Though only 5ft 6in tall as an adult, Kimball was an avid basketball player, and he was the star and leading scorer on most of his school and recreational teams. In addition to being an athlete, Kimball was an honor student at the LDS Gila Academy (modern Eastern Arizona College). During summer holidays, he often worked at a dairy in Globe, Arizona, milking cows, cleaning stalls, and washing bottles for $50 to $60 per month as well as room and board.

Kimball graduated from high school in May 1914 and, one week later, was called to serve as a missionary in the Swiss–German Mission. Less than two months later, his European mission call was cut short by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the subsequent outbreak of World War I. Kimball was reassigned to the Central States Mission and spent most of the rest of his mission in the towns and rural settlements of Missouri until 1916.

Marriage and early career (1917–25)
Hoping to become a schoolteacher, Kimball spent one semester at the University of Arizona in the spring of 1917, but he received an army draft notice later that year. During that time, he courted Camilla Eyring (1894–1987), a schoolteacher at Gila Academy, where Kimball had attended high school. They began dating in August 1917 and exchanged letters regularly after Kimball left for a semester at Brigham Young University (BYU) the next month. After one month at BYU, Kimball was notified that his call into the army was imminent, and he had to leave the university and return to his hometown. He returned to Arizona, but his army group was never called for duty before World War I ended with the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

Kimball and Eyring's relationship deepened quickly, and by late October, they had decided to marry. Because of their employment commitments and lack of money, the couple could not afford to travel to Utah to marry in the nearest LDS temple. They were married in a civil ceremony in Camilla's home in Pima, Arizona, on November 16, 1917. Seven months later, the couple made the two-day journey by train to Salt Lake City where they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on June 7, 1918. They eventually had four children: Spencer L. "Spence" (1918–2003), Olive Beth "Bobby" (1922–2018), Andrew E. (1927–2020), and Edward L. "Ed" (1930–2016).

In 1921, Kimball began work at the Thatcher branch of the Arizona Trust and Savings Bank, where he was eventually promoted to assistant cashier at $225 per month, a high salary at the time. The bank failed in 1923 in the aftermath of the Depression of 1920–21; Kimball lost his $3000 investments in bank stock and was forced to take a lower-paying job at another bank. Kimball also performed a variety of other local jobs to earn extra income to support his wife and children, including playing the piano and singing at local events, stringing with Camilla for local newspapers, distributing for an herbal laxative company, and clerical work for local stores.

Shortly after Kimball married, his father called him to serve as clerk for the St. Joseph Stake. In the 1920s, local stake clerks still performed the extensive record-keeping and reporting duties that are now digitized and done centrally at the LDS Church's headquarters in Salt Lake City. The position of stake clerk was essentially a part-time job, and those called were paid a monthly salary of $50.

Career and stake presidency (1925–43)
In 1925, Kimball and Joseph W. Greenhalgh, a Latter-day Saint businessman who served as a bishop in a local ward, began a small securities business making and purchasing loans from local businesses and individuals. By 1927, the business became independent, and after investing $150 of his own money in the business, Kimball began running it full-time in Safford, Arizona, as the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency, dealing in local insurance, real estate, debt collection, and bonds. The business suffered greatly during the Great Depression and lost much of its capital between 1930 and 1933. Through continued work and re-investment of profits, it survived the Great Depression and became increasingly successful during the late 1930s and early 1940s. By 1943, Kimball's initial $150 investment in the agency was worth nearly $100,000.

Kimball was active in many civic organizations, including the Parent-Teacher Association, city council, Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and he was elected leader of the Arizona Rotary Club in 1936. Kimball had achieved record success in organizing new Rotary Club chapters, and the Arizona membership voted to pay for him and his wife to travel to the club's 1936 international convention in Nice, France. They went by train to Chicago and then to Montreal, where their oldest son, Spencer L., was serving as an LDS missionary. They traveled on a week-long passage on an ocean liner to Le Havre. From there, they visited Paris, Monte Carlo, Genoa, Rome, Pompeii, Florence, Venice, Vienna, the Swiss Alps, Belgium, the Netherlands, and London.

In February 1938, LDS apostle Melvin J. Ballard was sent to Thatcher to divide the growing St. Joseph Stake. The newly created Mount Graham Stake covered the eastern half of the old stake, and Kimball was called as its first stake president. Though smaller than the previous stake, the newly formed stake covered a large area that extended east as far as El Paso, Texas. For Kimball and his two counselors to visit each ward in the stake required traveling a total of 1750 mi. During the Mount Graham Stake's semiannual stake conference in September 1941, unusually heavy rains caused the Gila River to overflow its banks, flooding several of the towns in the stake and causing $100,000 in damage to the farms and buildings of Latter-day Saints in the area. As stake president, Kimball coordinated the LDS Church's humanitarian response, which quickly mobilized funds, materials, and manpower to care for displaced residents and begin recovery.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II, a number of young men from the stake left to join the US military. At one point, 250 men from the stake served in the war, and Kimball ensured that every one received a copy of the monthly stake bulletin and often wrote personal notes on each copy to the recipient.

Kimball was widely known and respected in the community, and he was constantly stopped on the streets of Safford by acquaintances and friends asking for his advice. After he was called to serve as stake president, non-Mormon residents and travelers in Safford often asked Kimball to perform marriages for them. Kimball's demanding schedule of managing the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency, serving in civic organizations, and serving in LDS Church leadership positions as well as making time for his wife and children took mental and physical tolls on his body. His journals from the 1930s and early 1940s often mention his exhaustion from days that were spent working 16 hours or more: "Am on a tension from 7 a.m. till 11 p.m. every single minute every day. I know I'm working too hard but there seems no place to stop."

Calling
The deaths of Sylvester Q. Cannon and Rudger Clawson created two vacancies in the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in mid-1943. On July 8, 1943, Kimball received a telephone call from J. Reuben Clark, the first counselor to church president Heber J. Grant, notifying him that he had been called to fill one of the vacancies. Kimball was initially so shocked by the call that he asked Clark's permission to ponder it for several days before he went to Salt Lake City to meet with him in person, as part of a previously-scheduled family trip. After the phone call, Kimball's desire to accept the calling was overwhelmed by feelings of self-doubt and incompetence. His wife, Camilla, recounted that although her husband was not prone to tears, he afterward lay on the floor of their home and wept uncontrollably as she tried to comfort him. After an intense emotional and spiritual struggle, Kimball had an unusual dream, which gave him peace on his ability to accept the calling. He was ordained an apostle by Grant and added to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple on October 7, 1943. Grant had chosen Ezra Taft Benson to fill the other vacancy in the Quorum, and he and Kimball were ordained on the same day. As he was four years older than Benson, Kimball was ordained first, which put him ahead of Benson in the Quorum's seniority.

In accordance with church requirements and tradition, the Kimballs immediately began the transition from Arizona to Salt Lake City upon Kimball's call to be an apostle. Kimball sold his share in the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency for $65,000 and sold their home and all their other property in Arizona. Kimball was particularly saddened to leave his local Rotary Club chapter and his other professional associations; Camilla worried about leaving her elderly parents in Arizona and relocating their second son, Andrew, who had just been elected senior class president at Safford High School.

World War II
Kimball's first years as an apostle were dominated by World War II. Kimball often encouraged American church members to purchase war bonds to support the war effort, which they would then be able to cash out after the war and use the accumulated interest to send returned soldiers on LDS missions. Kimball lamented the global destruction of World War II and once wrote in his journal, "How outraged the Lord must feel to see His children fighting down here like wild beasts." As the keynote speaker at BYU's 1944 baccalaureate service, Kimball publicly criticized members of Allied nations for concentrating on "the tyranny and shackles of [other] nations and at the same time [remaining] in bondage individually to sin."

As World War II neared its conclusion, Kimball and other LDS Church leaders constantly responded to the needs of the friends and families of LDS war casualties. Kimball's eldest son, Spence, was nearly killed in 1945 while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, when bombs dropped from Japanese airplanes damaged the ship and ignited its tanks of aviation fuel. In an attempt to give comfort to families of those killed in combat, Kimball drafted a well-known letter in which he wrote that sin, not premature death, was the only true tragedy in life. Kimball compared the death of young servicemen to the early death of Jesus Christ and stated that although such death is heartbreaking, from an eternal perspective, God's all-knowing purposes would be seen in their circumstances.

Native Americans
In May 1945, shortly after becoming church president, George Albert Smith instructed Kimball, "I want you to look after the Indians—they are neglected. Take charge and watch after the Indians in all the world." Kimball saw the assignment as fulfillment of a prophecy given in the patriarchal blessing he received as an eight-year-old in 1903, which had stated that Kimball would "preach the Gospel to many people, but more especially to the Lamanites." That term refers to a people in the Book of Mormon believed by Latter-day Saints to be among the ancestors of modern Native Americans; another term was Nephites. In September 1946, George Albert Smith again gave Kimball the charge to watch over the interests of the indigenous people of the Americas. At this time Smith explicitly included the indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands.

In October 1946, Kimball and several other general authorities toured the Navajo Nation in an effort to improve relations between the LDS Church and the Navajo people. Kimball was dismayed at the abject poverty among the Navajo and empathized with their distrust of the US government. At that time, the average Navajo person ate no more than 1200 Cal a day, and a single dentist served the entire population of 55,000. Though the reservation of the Navajo Nation covered 175000000 acre, only 0.01% of that area was arable. In 1947, Golden Buchanan, an LDS leader in Sevier County, Utah, heard of a 17-year-old Navajo girl working on a sugar beet farm who wanted to stay in Utah and attend public school. Buchanan wrote Kimball with an idea for the children of Navajo families to live with local LDS families so that they could receive proper nutrition and educations. Kimball supported the idea and asked Buchanan if his family would be willing to take Helen John, the Navajo girl, as a foster daughter to begin the program. Buchanan's family agreed. While it took time to develop the program, that is referred to as the start of the LDS Church's Indian Placement Program, also known as the "Lamanites Placement Program". By 1954, the program had 68 students, and the church had standardized some of its approach. By 1969, nearly 5,000 students were placed with LDS families throughout the Western United States and Canada.

Kimball was particularly distressed by the racism against Native Americans that was still widespread among white church members in the 1940s and 1950s. At the LDS Church's April 1954 general conference, Kimball openly denounced the prevalent prejudices against non-whites and compared such church members to the Pharisees who mistreated Jesus Christ and the priest and Levite from the parable of the Good Samaritan. Kimball subsequently repeated his warning at a BYU campus devotional, stating that there were "too many Pharisees among the white [students and faculty]... too many Levites who pull their robes about them and pass by with disdain."

Individual counseling
When not touring missions or presiding over weekend stake conferences, Kimball spent weekdays answering correspondences at his home or working in his office at LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Kimball was noted among the apostles for his willingness to meet with church members struggling with serious personal problems, particularly married couples considering divorce or individuals wishing to confess serious violations of the LDS Church's law of chastity, which prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage. During his time as an apostle, Kimball met with thousands of church members and full-time missionaries who, for various reasons, felt their own local church leaders could not help them. Kimball "had no patience for sin [but] almost infinite patience for sinners" and often spent long hours with individuals in great distress. In 1959, Kimball and fellow apostle Mark E. Petersen were assigned to counsel church members dealing with homosexuality, which Kimball believed could, "like all other problems", be overcome through "consistent prayerful exercise of self-restraint". Kimball's experiences impelled his writing of The Miracle of Forgiveness, first published in 1969, which dealt with the serious nature of LDS standards on sexual morality and counseled church members on repentance and avoidance of such problems.

Health challenges
Beginning in 1932, Kimball suffered from boils and infectious sores, which plagued him until the advent of antibacterial medicines such as sulfonamides and penicillin during World War II.

In May 1948, while he was holding church meetings throughout Navajo and Apache communities in Arizona, Kimball suffered severe chest pain from a heart attack, after he had spent an afternoon struggling to lift an automobile out of deep sand. Kimball was physically sluggish throughout the rest of the trip, and after he had returned to Salt Lake City and undergone an electrocardiogram, his physician prescribed one month of rest from his church duties. Kimball was only 53 and had considered himself to be generally healthy and fit; he persuaded his physician not to tell the other apostles or the First Presidency. However, on his next assignment in Rigby, Idaho, Kimball again experienced chest pains, which escalated into another heart attack several days after his return. During the early episodes, Kimball passed the time by discussing his wishes regarding the family's finances and investments with his wife in case he did not survive the infarctions. After receiving a priesthood blessing from church president George Albert Smith, Kimball spent two months on bed rest followed by two weeks resting at the Navajo Nation. At his physician's urging, he spent several additional weeks recuperating with his wife near the seashore in Long Beach, California. A cardiologist that Kimball consulted in California believed that his heart had been weakened by an undiagnosed case of rheumatic fever during childhood and instructed Kimball to avoid overwork and gaining unnecessary weight. Kimball's chest pains recurred occasionally throughout the next several years, particularly in times of greatest stress or fatigue.

In early 1950, when he was 55, Kimball, who had never smoked or used tobacco, began experiencing persistent hoarseness and after a physical examination, he underwent a biopsy of a white spot in his throat. The biopsy caused some brief voice impairment and indicated that Kimball had a throat infection but not cancer. In late 1956, Kimball's hoarseness returned, coupled with occasional bleeding in the back of his throat. Kimball's physician sent him to New York City to meet with Dr. Hayes Martin (1892–1977), an expert on cancers of the head and neck. Martin performed another biopsy, which indicated "borderline malignancy", and in early 1957, Martin recommended immediate surgery. Kimball had neglected to seek approval from church president David O. McKay regarding his 1957 biopsy. At the time, the biopsy itself could cause permanent vocal damage. He felt that as an apostle, he should have sought McKay's approval before he underwent surgical procedures that could render him incapable of fulfilling apostolic duties.

McKay stated that he believed Kimball could still serve as an apostle even if he underwent a complete laryngectomy and advised him to go forward with the procedure. Martin subsequently surgically removed one of Kimball's vocal cords and half of the other, leaving him barely able to speak above a hoarse whisper. After several weeks of enforced silence, Kimball slowly recovered, and by November 1957, his physician allowed him to resume speaking in public. Kimball's voice remained raspy throughout the rest of his life, and he usually wore an ear-mounted microphone to help magnify his voice, even when he was speaking at normal microphone-equipped pulpits.

In early 1972, when he was 77, Kimball began experiencing difficulty breathing, excessive fatigue, and sleeplessness. Medical examinations discovered serious aortic calcification and some coronary artery disease. Meanwhile, Kimball had experienced a recurrence of his earlier throat cancer. He arranged a meeting between his physicians, cardiologist Ernest L. Wilkinson and cardiothoracic surgeon Russell M. Nelson (a future LDS Church president), and the church's First Presidency. Nelson later described the meeting:

"President Kimball breathlessly began, 'I am a dying man. I can feel my life slipping. At the present rate of deterioration I believe that I can live only about two more months. Now I would like my doctor to present his views.' Dr. Wilkinson then reaffirmed President Kimball’s feelings, concluding that recovery would be unlikely and death would ensue in the not-too-distant future. Then President Kimball called on me as a cardiac surgeon and asked, 'What can surgery offer?' I indicated that an operation, if it were to be done, would consist of two components. First, an aortic valve replacement would be required. Second, an important coronary artery with a blockage should be treated with a bypass graft. President Harold B. Lee of the First Presidency then asked the crucial question, 'What would be the risks with such a procedure?' 'I don't know,' I replied. 'In a man aged seventy-seven, the risk of either of these operations is significant. But to do both on one whose heart is failing would entail risk so high that the operation cannot be recommended as a safe one.' As a weary President Kimball responded, 'I am an old man and ready to die,' President Lee interrupted. He rose to his feet, pounded his fist to the desk, and said, with his prophetic power, 'Spencer, you have been called! You are not to die! You are to do everything you need to do to care for yourself and continue to live.' President Kimball replied, 'Then I will have the operation.'"

Kimball's heart surgery was postponed for him to undergo radiation therapy on his throat, which was successful. Immediately following the conclusion of the LDS Church's April 1972 general conference, Kimball successfully underwent a 4.5 hour open-heart surgery that was performed by Nelson. Kimball spent the next several months recovering.

Church presidency (1973–85)
Given Kimball's history of health problems, many people—including Kimball himself—did not anticipate him living long enough to become president of the LDS Church. However, on December 26, 1973, Harold B. Lee, who was four years younger than Kimball and had previously been in much better health, unexpectedly died, leaving Kimball as the most senior apostle and thus the presumptive new church president. Kimball was ordained church president on December 30, 1973, the day after Lee's funeral, choosing N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney as his first and second counselors. LDS apostle Boyd K. Packer recalled shortly afterward discovering Kimball sitting alone in the church president's office quietly weeping, and Kimball saying to him: "I am such a little man for such a big responsibility!"

Kimball traveled more than any previous church president, visiting a total of 85 countries worldwide. His other contributions included announcing 27 temples, dedicating four, establishing satellite communication in church buildings, and decreasing the duration of church services to three hours.

Missionary work
Kimball was the earliest church president to state clearly that all able-bodied LDS young men should serve a full-time mission. When Kimball became president in 1974, the church had 17,000 full-time missionaries, and within several years, it had 25,000. Additionally, under Kimball's leadership, the number of missionaries in North America increased from 2,000 to 7,000. Between 1976 and 1978, the church built and dedicated its Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, 1 mi north of BYU, where new missionaries go to receive training in scripture, teaching methods, and, if necessary, a new language.

1978 revelation on priesthood
Beginning in the late 1840s, men of black African descent were prohibited from ordination to the LDS Church's priesthood, which is normally held by all male members who meet church standards of spiritual "worthiness", and from receiving temple ordinances such as the endowment and celestial marriage (sealing). During the 20th century, most LDS church leaders and members believed the policy had originated during founding prophet Joseph Smith's time, but church research in the 1960s and 1970s found no evidence of the prohibition before the presidency of Brigham Young. LDS Church presidents Heber J. Grant and David O. McKay are known to have stated privately that the restriction was a temporary one that would be lifted later by a divine revelation to a church president.

In the years prior to his presidency, Kimball kept a binder of notes and clippings related to the issue. In the first years of his presidency, he was recorded as frequently making the issue one of investigation and prayer. In June 1977, Kimball asked at least three general authorities—apostles Bruce R. McConkie, Thomas S. Monson, and Boyd K. Packer—to write him memoranda "on the doctrinal basis of the prohibition and how a change might affect the Church." McConkie wrote a long treatise concluding there were no scriptural impediments to a change. In 1977, Kimball obtained a personal key to the Salt Lake Temple for entering in the evenings after the temple closed and often spent hours alone in its upper rooms praying for divine guidance on a possible change. On May 30, 1978, Kimball presented his two counselors with a statement that he had written in longhand that removed all racial restrictions on ordination to the priesthood, stating that he "had a good, warm feeling about it".

On June 1, 1978, following the monthly meeting of general authorities in the Salt Lake Temple, Kimball asked his counselors and the ten members of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles then present to remain behind for a special meeting. Kimball began by describing his studies, thoughts, and prayers on removing the restriction and on his growing assurance that the time had come for the change. Kimball asked each of the men present to share their views, and all spoke in favor of changing the policy. After all present had shared their views, Kimball led the gathered apostles in a prayer circle to seek final divine approval for the change. As Kimball prayed, many in the group recorded feeling a powerful spiritual confirmation. Bruce R. McConkie later said: "There are no words to describe the sensation, but simultaneously the Twelve and the three members of the First Presidency had the Holy Ghost descend upon them and they knew that God had manifested his will.... I had had some remarkable spiritual experiences before... but nothing of this magnitude." L. Tom Perry described: "I felt something like the rushing of wind. There was a feeling that came over the whole group. When President Kimball got up he was visibly relieved and overjoyed." Gordon B. Hinckley later said: "For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren."

The church formally announced the change on June 9, 1978. The story led many national news broadcasts and was on the front page of most American newspapers, and in most largely Latter-day Saint communities in Utah and Idaho, telephone networks were completely jammed with excited callers. The announcement was formally approved by the church at the October 1978 general conference and is included in the LDS Church's edition of the Doctrine and Covenants as Official Declaration 2.

Equal Rights Amendment
In 1972, the US Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which introduced an amendment to the US Constitution guaranteeing that equal rights could not be denied by the federal government or any U.S. state on the basis of gender. Upon becoming church president in late 1973, Kimball initially indicated to media outlets that the LDS Church had no official stand on the amendment and made no comment on it. In July 1974, Belle S. Spafford, the general president of the Relief Society, the LDS Church's women's organization and one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world, gave a public talk in New York City in which she expressed her view that the amendment's objectives would be better achieved through legislation, not the constitutional amendment, which she feared was too broad and vague. Her successor, Barbara B. Smith, echoed those sentiments later that year in a talk at the church's Institute of Religion at the University of Utah, which was followed by a supporting editorial in the LDS Church News.

The two women's comments, combined with the Church News editorial, greatly increased opposition to the ERA among the Utah populace, and when the Utah State Legislature voted on its ratification in February 1975, it was defeated by a wide margin. Kimball and his counselors in the First Presidency did not release a formal statement on the ERA until October 1976, when the amendment was only four states away from passing. The statement indicated that the First Presidency recognized and "deplore[d]" the legal injustices women had suffered throughout history, but warned that the amendment would not help women and "could indeed bring them far more restraints and repression." In August 1978, the First Presidency issued a second statement elaborating on the first, in which Kimball and his counselors stated that the ERA's "deceptively simple language ... [constitutes] encouragement of those who seek a unisex society, [and] an increase in the practice of homosexual and lesbian activities."

Contemporary media coverage of the church's opposition to the ERA was frequently negative. At the October 1980 General Conference, about 30 picketers marched outside the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and when Kimball was presented to the congregation during the customary sustaining of church officers, three women stood and shouted "No! ERA policy, no!" At the dedication of the church's new temple in Seattle, in November 1980, several dozen protesters demonstrated. Minor protests and pickets continued across the United States at major church events until June 1982, when the ratification period expired without the amendment reaching the three-fourths of the states needed for ratification.

Physical decline and death
On March 28, 1975, his 80th birthday, Kimball said: "I can't believe that I am eighty years old.... I don't feel eighty, and I don't think in those terms." However, Kimball suffered from a myriad of mostly minor health issues ranging from blurred vision to osteoarthritis in his spine. In July 1979, Kimball suffered a series of three minor strokes, theorized to have been caused by small nylon fibers shed by his artificial heart valve, which briefly incapacitated him but had little lasting effect. In September 1979, Kimball suddenly experienced loss of strength throughout his entire body without affecting his mental clarity. A CT scan indicated Kimball had a subdural hematoma, but its cause was never pinpointed. A neurosurgeon drilled a small hole in Kimball's skull, just above his right ear, from which nearly one cup (235 mL) of blood and fluid drained out. Kimball left the hospital 12 days after his operation and insisted on participating in the October 1979 general conference. In November 1979, Kimball underwent a similar operation on another less severe hematoma.

In the summer of 1981, Kimball's health began to decline rapidly. He began suffering from bouts of confusion and difficulty speaking. Realizing his deteriorating capacity and the poor health of his two counselors in the church's First Presidency, Kimball called Gordon B. Hinckley as an additional counselor to assist in the church's daily administration. Shortly following Hinckley's selection, Kimball developed a third subdural hematoma of greater seriousness than the previous two. The subsequent surgery left Kimball with intermittent difficulty in speaking and activity and further damaged his vision and hearing. By 1982, Kimball was rarely well enough to appear in public, and his leadership as church president was largely limited to giving final approval or denial to more important church matters that were brought to him by Hinckley. However, Kimball still attended at least one session of each semiannual general conference of the church until his death. At the Sunday afternoon session of the church's April 1982 general conference, Kimball unexpectedly took the pulpit to deliver a short closing message, which proved to be his final public address:

"My beloved brothers and sisters, this is a great experience for me. I have waited for this day and hoped for it and believed for it. I have a great love for the people of this Church, and gratitude for the love expressed by them and by all the people of these valleys. So as I express that love for you and for the memory of the great experiences I've had with you, I bear my testimony: this work is divine, the Lord is at the helm, the Church is true, and all is well. God bless you, brothers and sisters, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

Over subsequent years, Kimball would occasionally attend meetings in the Salt Lake Temple and was able to give assent or direction on matters of significance, such as the calling of Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984, but he was otherwise mostly incapacitated.

Kimball was mentally alert for his 90th birthday on March 28, 1985, and he attended that week's meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple. In November 1985, he suffered a recurrence of a previous bleeding peptic ulcer, and his family decided not to take surgical action. Kimball died shortly after 10:00pm on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90. One of Kimball's final utterances, which he had repeated several times in the days before his death, was "My life is at an end now. She's so happy, oh so very happy." When asked who was meant by "she", Kimball indicated his mother, Olive Woolley Kimball, who had died in 1906, when he was 11.

Kimball's teachings as an apostle were the 2007 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.

Awards and recognition
In 1977, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.

In 1996, a bronze statue of his likeness, commissioned by Arizona land developers Gary Walker and Buddy Johnson, was unveiled in Arizona.

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title: Spencer W. Kimball


text:
K. B. Hedgewar

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1 April 1889 – 21 June 1940), also known by his moniker Doctorji was a Hindutva activist, physician and the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur in 1925, based on the ideology of Hindu nationalism.

Early life
Hedgewar was born on 1 April 1889 in a Marathi Deshastha Brahmin family in Nagpur, Maharashtra. His ancestors migrated from the bordering Telugu village of Kandakurthi, Nizamabad district in present-day Telangana. Modern historians therefore sometimes refer to him as a Telugu Brahmin. His parents were Baliram Pant Hedgewar and Revatibai, a couple of modest means. When Hedgewar was thirteen both of his parents died in the Plague Epidemic of 1902. Hedgewar's uncle ensured that he continued to receive a good education, and B. S. Moonje became a patron and a father-figure for the young Hedgewar.

He studied at Neel City High School in Nagpur, from where he was expelled singing "Vande Mataram" in violation of the circular issued by the then British colonial government. As a result, he had to pursue his high school studies at the Rashtriya Vidyalaya in Yavatmal and later in Pune. After matriculating, he was sent to Kolkata by B. S. Moonje (a member of the Indian National Congress, who later became the President of the Hindu Mahasabha) in 1910 to pursue his medical studies. After passing the L.M.S. Examination from the Calcutta Medical College in June 1916, he completed a yearlong apprenticeship and returned to Nagpur in 1917 as a physician.

Ideological roots
After completing his education, Hedgewar joined the Anushilan Samiti in Bengal, which was influenced deeply by the writings of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Hedgewar's initiation into this group, rooted in Hindu symbolism, was an important step in his path towards creating the RSS. Hedgewar was also deeply influenced by  Vinayak Damodar Savarkar treatise Hindutva. Dr. Hedgewar was also highly influenced by Samarth Ramdas's Dasbodh and Lokamanya Tilak's Geeta Rahasya. His letters often bore quotes from Tukaram.

Formation of RSS
Hedgewar participated in the Indian National Congress in the 1920s, but he became disillusioned with their policies and politics. He had been an active member of the party's volunteer division - Hindustani Seva Dal, the predecessor of the Congress Seva Dal. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Babarao Savarkar, Sri Aurobindo and B. S. Moonje. He also read Mazzini and other enlightenment philosophers. He considered that the cultural and religious heritage of Hindus should be the basis of Indian nationhood.

Hedgewar founded RSS in 1925 on the day of Vijayadashami with an aim to organise Hindu community for its cultural and spiritual regeneration and make it a tool for achieving complete independence for a united India. Hedgewar suggested the term 'Rashtriya' (national) for his Hindu organization, for he wanted to re-assert the Hindu identity with 'Rashtriya'. Hedgewar supported the setting up of a women's wing of the organization in 1936 called Rashtra Sevika Samiti.

Those that participated in the movement were called Swayamsevaks (meaning volunteers). Early Swayamsevaks included Bhaiyaji Dani, Babasaheb Apte, M. S. Golwalkar, Balasaheb Deoras, and Madhukar Rao Bhagwat, among others. The Sangh (Community) was growing in Nagpur and the surrounding districts, and it soon began to spread to other provinces. Hedgewar went to a number of places and inspired the youths for taking up Sangh work. Gradually all his associates had begun to endearingly call him 'Doctor ji.'

Political activities post formation of RSS
After founding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1925, Hedgewar maintained a healthy distance from Indian Independence movement as led by Gandhi. Instead he encouraged local Swayamsevaks to participate on their own accord with the struggle. This lack of enthusiasm in the Independence Movement is heavily criticised. Hedgewar was actively discouraging RSS cadres to not join the movement which was led by Gandhi. The RSS biographer C. P. Bhishikar states, "after establishing Sangh, Doctor Saheb in his speeches used to talk only of Hindu organization. Direct comment on (British) Government used to be almost nil."

When the Congress passed the Purna Swaraj resolution in its Lahore session in December 1929, and called upon all Indians to celebrate 26 January 1930 as Independence Day, Hedgewar issued a circular asking all the RSS shakhas to observe the occasion through hoisting and worship of the Bhagwa Dhwaj (saffron flag), rather than the Tricolor (which was, by consensus, considered the flag of the Indian national movement at that time).

1930 was the only year when the RSS celebrated 26 January and it stopped the practice from the next year onwards. However, such celebration became a standard feature of the freedom movement and often came to mean violent confrontation with the official police. C. P. Bhishikar states, "[In April 1930], Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for 'Satyagraha' against the British Government. Gandhi himself launched the Salt Satyagraha undertaking his Dandi Yatra. Dr. Hedgewar decided to participate only individually and not let the RSS join the freedom movement officially. He sent information everywhere that the Sangh will not participate in the Satyagraha. However those wishing to participate individually in it were not prohibited."

Hedgewar emphasized that he participated in the Civil Disobedience movement of 1930 in an individual capacity, and not as a RSS member. His concern was to keep the RSS out of the political arena. According to Hedgewar's biography, when Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, he sent information everywhere that the RSS will not participate in the Satyagraha. However those wishing to participate individually in it were not prohibited.

For Hedgewar, India was an ancient civilisation, and the freedom struggle was an attempt to re-establish a land for the Hindus after almost 800 years of foreign rule, primarily by the Mughals and then by the British. The tri-colour according to Hedgewar did not encapsulate the ancient past of India. Hedgewar insisted that the RSS must only be involved with "man-making". He was critical of Hindu society and its degeneration over the centuries with its out-dated and often backward practices. The RSS, he wrote, must be completely devoted to establishing men of character and worthy of respect the world over.

Establishment of Rashtra Sevika Samiti
Laxmibai Kelkar was the founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti. Before establishing the organization, Kelkar visited Dr. K.B. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, in 1936 and had a long discussion to persuade him regarding the need for starting a women's wing in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh itself. Hedgewar, though, continued to restrict membership of the RSS to men. However, Hedgewar advised Laxmibai Kelkar to establish an entirely separate organization that would be autonomous and independent of the RSS, as both groups were ideologically identical. Hedgewar promised Kelkar unconditional solidarity, support and guidance for the Samithi. Following this, Kelkar established the Rashtra Sevika Samiti at Wardha on 25 October 1936.

Death and legacy
His health deteriorated in later years of his life. Often he suffered from chronic back pain. He started delegating his responsibilities to M. S. Golwalkar, who later succeeded him as Sarsanghchalak of RSS. In January 1940, he was taken to Rajgir in Bihar for the hot-spring treatment.

He attended the annual Sangh Shiksha Varg (officer training camp) in 1940, where he gave his last message to Swayamsevaks, saying: 'I see before my eyes today a miniature Hindu Rashtra." He died on the morning of 21 June 1940 in Nagpur. His last rites were performed in the locality of Resham Bagh in Nagpur, which was later developed as Hedgewar Smruti Mandir.

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee described Hedgewar as a great patriot, freedom fighter and nationalist during his commemoration on a postal stamp in 1999. Hedgewar was described as "a great son of Mother India" by former President of India Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to Hedgewar's birthplace in Nagpur.

Establishments named after Hedgewar

 * Shree Keshav Co operative Credit Society Ltd. Junagadh, Gujarat.
 * Dr. Hedgewar Institute Of Medical Sciences & Research (Dhimsr) Amravati
 * Dr. Hedgewar Shikshan Pratishthan Ahmednagar
 * Dr. K. B. Hedgewar High School Goa
 * Dr. Hedgewar Aarogya Sansthan, Karkardooma, New Delhi.
 * Hedgewar Hospital, Aurangabad.
 * Hedgewar Ayurvedic BAMS college, Chikhli Maharashtra.
 * Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar chair, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
 * Keshav Srushti, Bhayander (W), Thane, Maharashtra

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

title: K. B. Hedgewar


text:
Talk:Car/Archive 1

Should we really separate current and historic brands? I suggest that we move them together into the same list. -- Bjorn Elenfors

Having put them there, I have no real reason not to integrate them with the bigger list. I simply thought viewers might arrive with a nostalgic or present-day point of view. Whatever. An alternative might be simply to flag the historic brands with an asterisk. Possibly an html table with country of origin included would be nice. -- Coasting

The full list already contains historic brands, such as DKW. Since you ? I'll integrate them now. Another question is whether we should separate the corporations from the brand names? Like VAG owns Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Porsche? -- Bjorn Elenfors

A possible layout would be:

 * Big Corporation
 * Major Brand Name
 * Sub-brand (better term is required here)

An example:

 * General Motors
 * Chevrolet
 * Cavalier
 * Camaro
 * Corvette
 * Pontiac
 * Sunfire

 * VAG
 * Volkswagen
 * Beetle
 * Jetta
 * Audi
 * Whatever

One interesting gap in the list is Chinese cars. I know they produce automobiles, but they are probably totally unknown outside China. -- Coasting

The head of states ride in "Red Flag brand" automobiles in China. The brand is a literal translation, I don't know its brand name known outside China. There are many other brands.

(Hard to believe no one's written about Chevrolet yet.)

--

title: Talk:Car/Archive 1


text:
Denel Rooivalk

The Denel Rooivalk (previously designated AH-2 and CSH-2) is an attack helicopter manufactured by Denel Aviation of South Africa. Rooivalk is Afrikaans for "Red Falcon", which refers to the lesser kestrel. Development of the type began in 1984 by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, its development is closely connected to the Atlas Oryx transport helicopter, both aircraft being based on the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma and having started development at the same time.

Development of the Rooivalk was protracted due to the impact of limited budgets during the 1990s, and a desire to produce a highly advanced attack helicopter. The South African Air Force (SAAF) ordered 12 Rooivalk, designated the Rooivalk Mk 1 in SAAF service, the first of which were officially handed over in April 2011. The helicopters are flown by 16 Squadron, based at AFB Bloemspruit near Bloemfontein.

Origins
The Rooivalk project began in early 1984 under the auspices of the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, a predecessor of Denel Aviation. Faced with the increasingly conventional nature of the South African Border War, the South African Defence Force recognised the need for a dedicated attack helicopter and began developing a suitable aircraft. The helicopter was to escort helicopter troop transports, conduct strike missions upon anti-aircraft positions, and effectively counter the increasing presence of Soviet tanks; in the latter role, it was to be equipped with anti-tank missiles. At the time, South Africa was under an arms embargo enacted by United Nations Security Council Resolution 418 due to its policy of apartheid, which prevented foreign combat helicopters from being imported.

Developing an entirely new helicopter from scratch would have involved designing and developing many accompanying subsystems and components, such as the turboshaft engines and the dynamic systems, such as the main and tail rotor systems and the gearboxes. Due to the great difficulty posed by the prospects of designing and manufacturing a clean-design helicopter, which would have substantially increased the cost and timescale of the project, it was decided to base the attack helicopter upon an existing design. At the time, the SAAF operated two principal helicopter types – the Aérospatiale Alouette III and the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma. The Alouette III was a small helicopter which originated from the 1960s; due to the age of the design and a lack of engine power, it was not considered a favourable candidate for further development work.

The Puma was substantially larger and was equipped with more powerful engines; both factors provided a broader basis for the accommodation of additional equipment and for potential growth. Another key factor for its selection was the parallel development of a localised and improved model of the Puma in South Africa, known as the Atlas Oryx. The Oryx possessed an increased power-to-weight ratio and had improved performance in the high temperature climate that the type was typically being operated in; development of the Oryx was far quicker than what would become the Rooivalk as it was a more straightforward program. Other potential sources were mooted, such as the use of propulsion elements of the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin; the adoption of these components has been speculated to have likely resulted in a smaller and potentially more economic rotorcraft.

Ultimately, it was decided to adopt both the powerplant and dynamic systems of the Oryx—which bore significant similarities to their Puma and Aérospatiale AS332 Super Puma ancestors—as the basis for the planned attack helicopter; commonality with the Oryx systems would simplify logistics and reduce maintenance costs. This meant that the attack helicopter would have a significantly large airframe, giving it long range and the capability to carry many sensors and armaments. During the 1980s, the defence budgets of South Africa were relatively generous, especially in contrast to later decades, thus Denel sought to provide a rotorcraft that would be amongst, even potentially superior to, the best attack helicopters in the world. The helicopter, later named the Rooivalk, was envisioned as an agile, highly sophisticated gunship, especially suited to the threats of the Angolan theatre and countering vehicles such as the T-55 tank.

The Atlas XH-1 Alpha was the first prototype to emerge from the program. It was developed from an Alouette III airframe, retaining that helicopter's engine and dynamic components; modifications included the replacement of the original cockpit with a stepped tandem counterpart, the addition of a 20 mm cannon on the nose and the conversion of the undercarriage to a tail-dragger configuration. On 3 February 1985, the XH-1 conducted its maiden flight. The results of flight tests of the XH-1 were ultimately good enough to convince both Atlas and the SAAF that the concept was feasible, opening the door to proceed with the development of the Rooivalk.

Into flight
The prototype first flew on 11 February 1990, by which time the program had suffered a considerable setback. Some of the program's ailments were a consequence of the ambition to produce a world-leading attack helicopter; while a simpler aircraft may have been completed during the 1980s, allowing it to possibly enter service around the same time as the Oryx, the Rooivalk instead suffered from a highly extended development time. In 1988, the Border War came to a close, which soon led to substantial cuts in the defence budget. The planned attack helicopter acquisition was cut from 36 rotorcraft to only 12, greatly affecting the economies of scale. In pursuit of a high-end system, the cost of the program in comparison to a simpler attack helicopter were driven upwards, although the increases were never in excess of the allotted budget between 1984 and 1990.

It has been claimed that some SAAF officials were of the viewpoint that the Rooivalk was a direct threat to fixed-wing aircraft, particularly in light of the diminishing defence budget, and sought its termination. The South African Army were broadly supportive of the Rooivalk program, in part as the presence of South African attack helicopters would reduce the need for large numbers of tanks to be procured and maintained. The Army thus provided funding for the Rooivalk program for a time, helping it survive the tightening budgetary constraints. The delays and escalating costs of the project were a hindrance not only to its introduction but to its later viability. By 1998, the year in which the first production Rooivalk was delivered to the SAAF, the lengthy development time meant that the rotorcraft was already suffering from some alleged obsolescence issues; it was an aerodynamically sound aircraft but the avionics, while advanced for the 1980s, were relatively outdated, which harmed the type's export potential.

The topic of support for the rotorcraft was another decisive factor in prospective export sales. Beyond doubts present over the long term future of Denel and thus its ability to provide the necessary manufacturer support to operate the type, the Rooivalk relies extensively on French technology, presently owned by Airbus Helicopters; due to the Rooivalk being a rival to the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter, the firm allegedly warned potential buyers that the necessary support for the aircraft's dynamic systems, which they provided, may not be forthcoming. Political factors had been attributed as a major hindrance on the export market, such as pressure allegedly exercised by the United States government to persuade foreign customers to select the rival Boeing AH-64 Apache instead.

Various potential export opportunities were investigated, such as Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, however no such sales had emerged by 2013. The development of the Rooivalk had a positive effect on the development of the South African aviation and high technology industries, leading to the creation of firms such as Aerosud and Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE). The industrial impact of the Rooivalk program has been claimed to have enabled South African defence businesses to participate in other aerospace programs, such as the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, BAE Systems Hawk, AgustaWestland AW109, and Airbus A400M Atlas.

Further development
In 2016, Denel was reportedly proceeding with a Mk 1.1 upgrade program for the existing Rooivalk fleet; prospective improvements include the addition of a missile approach warning system and enhancements to the rotorcraft's avionics. On 15 September 2016, it was announced that Airbus Helicopters and Denel had signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the SAAF modernisation program; further details on the changes included reliability and survivability improvements, an increased payload, and the replacement of obsolete targeting systems and armaments.

In September 2014, Denel Group chief executive Riaz Saloojee stated that the firm were studying the feasibility of reopening the Rooivalk production line, which had been mothballed in 2007 after the production of the initial 12 SAAF aircraft. Saloojee stated that new production aircraft conforming to an entirely new platform that used Rooivalk technology could be produced. In September 2016, the South African government authorised government-to-government negotiations on the topic of restarting production of the Rooivalk. According to Victor Xaba, deputy chief executive of Denel Aerostructures, the company needed commitments for at least 70 rotorcraft for the re-establishment of the assembly line to be viable.

The production of a prospective Rooivalk Mk 2 had been periodically mooted. In July 2015, Saloojee spoke on the company's efforts to gain support for a Rooivalk Mk 2 programme which would involve a large proportion of new systems and for which the firm had already produced a roadmap. In late 2016, Denel stated that it was conducting a series of talks with various nations on the Rooivalk Mk 2, including Egypt, Brazil, Nigeria, Poland, and India.

In 2023, Denel Aeronautics and Aselsan signed an agreement to collaborate on the avionics upgrade of the Rooivalk.

Design

Due to the SAAF's decades of helicopter experience in the harsh African environment, the Rooivalk has been designed to operate for prolonged periods without sophisticated support. All that is needed to keep the Rooivalk flying is a medium transport helicopter equipped with a basic spares supply plus four groundcrew.

The Rooivalk carries a range of weapons depending on the mission profile. It is generally fitted with a nose-mounted 20 mm cannon and can also carry air-to-air missiles, anti-armour missiles and unguided rockets. The Rooivalk has a fire control system for target acquisition and tracking as well as an advanced navigation system using Doppler radar and GPS. Also incorporated is an electronic countermeasures suite coupled with chaff and flare dispensers. The Rooivalk has a nose-mounted gyro-stabilised sensor turret housing with auto-tracking. The Rooivalk uses a Thales TopOwl helmet mounted display (also used by several other attack and transport helicopters around the world). The system was developed by Société de Fabrication d’Instruments de Mesure (SFIM) in 1999/2000.

Notable features include a tandem cockpit, starboard tail rotor with a port tailplane, a fixed wheeled undercarriage as well as wire cutters above and below the cockpit and on the undercarriage. The Rooivalk is capable of doing a loop and thus momentarily "flying upside down".

The following types of missions are foreseen for the Rooivalk: reconnaissance, heliborne escort, close air support, deep penetration, and anti-armour.

Operational service

By April 2005, only six of the 12 aircraft were available for operational test and evaluation with the others in need of software upgrades. The Chief of the South African Air Force, Lt. Gen. Carlo Gagiano, hoped that the helicopters would be ready around June 2007, indicating the "extremely worrying factor of time that the project was taking to reach maturity", attributing the delays to the exodus of personnel from Denel as well as its financial problems. This has forced the SAAF to assess alternative defence development partners.

One airframe was damaged beyond repair on 3 August 2005 after an "uncontrolled landing".

On 17 May 2007, Denel group CEO Shaun Liebenberg announced a decision to cease further development and funding for the Rooivalk as an export product following its failure to win the Turkish attack helicopter tender against the Agusta A129 Mangusta.

During November 2007, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota announced in Parliament, that the SAAF was to invest R962 million (about US$137 million in 2007 exchange rates) in the helicopter over three years to 2010/2011, in order to bring it up to full operational status. The helicopter was expected to be deployed on peace-keeping duties as soon as initial operating capability is achieved.

On 1 April 2011, the SAAF received the first five of eleven (one of the twelve aircraft originally delivered to the SAAF was written off after an accident) Block 1F upgraded Rooivalk. The upgrade involves improved targeting systems and other avionics which enable the helicopter to use guided missiles for the first time. The Mokopa ATGM was qualified as part of the upgrade process. Gearbox components were improved and cooling problems with the F2 20 mm cannon were also addressed. The ninth and tenth Rooivalk attack helicopters were delivered in September 2012 following their upgrade to the Block 1F initial operating standard. The eleventh and final Rooivalk was delivered on 13 March 2013.

Three Rooivalk attack helicopters have been deployed with the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade to support the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2013.

On 4 November 2013, two Rooivalks with the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade fired FZ 90 70mm FFAR rockets on M23 positions near Chanzu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Operators

 * South African Air Force
 * 16 Squadron
 * 16 Squadron

Aircraft on display
The first prototype Rooivalk XDM, SAAF serial 683, is on static display at the South African Air Force Museum, Swartkop Air Force Base, Pretoria.

title: Denel Rooivalk


text:
François Schuiten

François Schuiten (born 26 April 1956) is a Belgian comic book artist. He is best known for drawing the series Les Cités Obscures.

Biography
François Schuiten was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1956. His father, Robert Schuiten, and his mother, Marie-Madeleine De Maeyer, were both architects. He has five brothers and sisters, one of whom is also an architect.

During his studies at the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels (1975–1977), he met Claude Renard, who led the comics department at the school. Together they created several books. Schuiten's brother Luc also worked with him several times as a writer for the series Terres Creuses.

Schuiten published his first comic on 3 May 1973, consisting of five black and white pages in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote; four years later he was published in the more experimental magazine Métal Hurlant. He married Monique Toussaint in 1980; they have four children.

Schuiten's love of architecture became apparent in the series Cities of the Fantastic, an evocation of fantastic, partly imaginary cities that he created with his friend Benoît Peeters from 1983 for the Belgian monthly comics magazine À Suivre. Every story focuses on one city or building, and further explores a world where architects, urbanists, and ultimately "urbatects", are the leading powers and architecture is the driving force behind society. Styles explored in the series include Stalinist and fascist architecture in La Fièvre d'Urbicande, skyscrapers in Brüsel, but also the Gothic cathedrals in La Tour. This fascination with architecture and the possible and impossible cities it can generate is further explored in The Gates of the Possible, a weekly series Schuiten created for the newspapers Le Soir and De Morgen in 2005.

Inspired by artists and scientists alike, Schuiten's work can be considered to mix the mysterious worlds of René Magritte, the early scientific fantasies of Jules Verne, the graphical worlds of M. C. Escher and Gustave Doré, and the architectural visions of Victor Horta and Étienne-Louis Boullée. The creative synergy between Schuiten's work and the books of Jules Verne culminated in 1994 when he was asked to illustrate and design a cover for the publication of Verne's  rediscovered book Paris in the Twentieth Century.

Schuiten also collaborated with Maurice Benayoun on the computer graphics series Quarxs, and worked as a production designer for a few movies: Gwendoline by Just Jaeckin, Mr. Nobody and Toto le héros by Jaco Van Dormael, Taxandria by Raoul Servais, The Golden Compass by Chris Weitz and Mars et Avril by Martin Villeneuve. He is currently working with Benoît Sokal and Martin Villeneuve on the script of Aquarica, a film that will use CGI and motion capture technology.

As a scenographer, Schuiten designed the metro stations of Porte de Hal/Hallepoort in Brussels and Arts et Métiers in Paris, and a mural in Brussels. In 2000, he designed the scenography for A planet of visions, one of the main pavilions of the Expo 2000 in Hannover, which attracted more than five million visitors. In 2004–05, a large exhibition was held in Leuven, The Gates of Utopia, showing different aspects of his work. He also created the interior of the Belgian pavilion at the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, with the painter Alexandre Obolensky. François Schuiten has also designed fifteen Belgian stamps.

Schuiten together with Peeters also helped to save and subsequently restore the Autrique House in Brussels, the first house designed by Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.

Awards

 * 2013: Grand Prize in the Manga category of the Japan Art Festival
 * 2002: Made a baron by King Albert II of Belgium
 * 2002: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême, France
 * 1998: Special Prize of the Jury at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Erlangen, Germany
 * 1996: Inkpot Award, U.S.
 * 1987: Grand Prix at the festival of Sierre, Switzerland
 * 1985: Award for the Best Comic Book at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France
 * 1983: Samaris, the first book of Les Cités Obscures, is chosen as one of the 20 best books of the year by French magazine Lire

title: François Schuiten


text:
Talk:European Green Party

Infobox: European upper/lower houses
There are at least 3 reasons why this information is removed: – Kaihsu (talk) 11:16, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
 * 1) The scope is unclear: ‘European’ means just the EU countries or the whole Europe (whatever that can mean)?
 * 2) Upper and lower houses have no meaning or are ambiguous for some countries: e.g. unicameral, federal systems.
 * 3) The statistics are almost unverifiable from sources and quickly go out of date due to e.g. floor crossing, byelections, local elections changing the seat allocations.

 * @Julius Schwarz: I have not dared to change the infoboxes for other europarties along the lines I proposed above. Kaihsu (talk) 19:24, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that's a tough one. I actually really agree with your points and I do not think that the current system allows for useful information: numbers are not consistent across parties and it becomes too much work to keep them updated and relevant, so the information is not meaningful.
 * Until the EU has a coherent system of political parties across governance levels (with the same parties found at each level), I would support removing that information too, and just focus on European-level bodies.
 * PS: already keeping the bars up to date in the body of the article, including the Council of the EU, would be good. Julius Schwarz (talk) 20:20, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
 * actually, this is an open and potentially silly question, but can we use Wikidata to have a small database ofthe composition of national governments which we could use to update the composition bars for the European Council and Council of the European Union? Julius Schwarz (talk) 20:30, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
 * That would be so cool. I want updates on this. MatthewDalhousie (talk) 23:03, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Take a look at this attempt earlier: User:Kaihsu/Europarties in European Council and EU Council. European Council is fine, but Council of the EU would be tricky: To be pedantic, the participants depend on the configuration and can change each meeting; in addition, some participants are not directly linked to a (euro)party – sometimes just a high-ranking official from the ministry or a diplomat stationed at the seat of the Council. Kaihsu (talk) 05:51, 6 June 2024 (UTC)
 * That's not pedantic, that's the reality. And it bugs me that we keep "27" even though the total number varies according to the number of coalition governments at any given time. But it's probably informative enough.
 * In the meantime, I would suggest holding off on removing the lower/upper houses. I am creating a template to, at least, harmonise the numbers of seats for all institutions. Then we can try and see whether we can have a system to automate figures -- both for the Council of the EU and for lower/upper houses (perhaps).
 * PS: on a separate but related note, I want to add a warning banner so that people do not rush to change MEP numbers for European parties right after the European elections, as the official numbers will only come later, once revised and approved by the APPF. Julius Schwarz (talk) 07:03, 6 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Just added a proposed banner on the European political party page and Template:MEPcountEuropeanParty. Before I add it to individual parties, I welcome your feedback. Julius Schwarz (talk) 10:03, 6 June 2024 (UTC)

The map of member parties should be updated
by colouring Lithuanian green as it has new member party 78.58.3.21 (talk) 20:44, 2 June 2024 (UTC)

 * A lot of changes should be made as the map is very outdated. There aren't 3 membership types anymore as the "candidate" status doesn't seem to exist anymore. Croatia and Montenegro should also be coloured (dark) green as they have full member parties now, URA and Možemo!. Belarus doesn't have a member at all anymore so it should be coloured grey.
 * Maybe since it's quite outdated and false rn, until it's updated it should be removed. It's not neccessary (other europarty articles don't have maps) so until there's a new 1 that there isn't confusing info. CroatiaElects (talk) 21:10, 2 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:European Green Party


text:
Escondido

Escondido may refer to:

Places

 * Escondido, California, a city and valley near San Diego, United States
 * Escondido Lake, in Argentina
 * Escondido Valley AVA, a wine area in Texas, United States

Rivers

 * Escondido River (Coahuila), tributary of the Rio Grande in Mexico
 * Escondido River (Nicaragua)
 * Nueces River in Texas, originally named Río Escondido

Other uses

 * Escondido, a Latin dance from Argentina
 * Escondido (band), an American indie folk band
 * A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (film)

title: Escondido


text:
Baron Inchiquin

Baron Inchiquin (Barún Inse Uí Chuinn) is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was one of two titles created on 1 July 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who claimed descent from Brian Boru, a High King of Ireland. The grant of the English titles was conditional upon the abandonment of any Irish titles, the adoption of English customs and laws, pledging of allegiance to the Crown, apostasy from the Catholic Church, and conversion to the Church of Ireland. Murrough was made both Earl of Thomond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his nephew Donough O'Brien and Baron Inchiquin, with remainder to his male heirs. Following the death of his cousin, Conor Myles John O' Brien in June 2023, Conor John Anthony O' Brien is currently the 19th Baron Inchiquin

History
On his death in 1551, Murrough was succeeded in the earldom, according to the special remainder, by his nephew, the second Earl (see Earl of Thomond for the later history of this title), but the barony of Inchiquin passed to his son Dermod, the second baron. Dermod's great-great-grandson, the sixth baron, was a prominent military commander during the Irish Confederate Wars (1643–48), first for the English Parliament, then as a Royalist commander during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–53) during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In 1654 he was created Earl of Inchiquin in the Peerage of Ireland.

He was succeeded by his son, William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin, who served as governor of English Tangier and as Governor of Jamaica. His son, William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, became Governor of Kinsale in 1693. The fourth earl, also named William O'Brien, represented Windsor, Camelford and Aylesbury in the British House of Commons.

The fifth earl, Murrough O'Brien, was the nephew and son-in-law of his predecessor. In 1800, he was created Marquess of Thomond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his brother, the Honorable Edward Dominic O'Brien, a captain in the British Army. The following year he was made Baron Thomond of Taplow in the County of Buckingham in the Peerage of the United Kingdom to allow him to sit in the House of Lords, with remainder to the male heirs of his body. He died without male issue in 1808, when the barony of Thomond became extinct.

He was succeeded in the marquessate according to the special remainder, and in the other Irish titles, by his nephew William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond, the third son of the aforementioned Captain Edward O'Brien. The second marquess was an Irish representative peer. In 1826 he was created Baron Tadcaster of Tadcaster in the County of York in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He had no sons and on his death in 1846 the barony of Tadcaster became extinct.

He was succeeded in the Irish peerages by his younger brother, James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, an admiral in the Royal Navy. He had no sons and on his death in 1855 the marquessate and earldom of Inchiquin became extinct.

In 1855, he was succeeded in the barony of Inchiquin by his distant relative Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet, who became the 13th Baron Inchiquin. The O'Brien Baronetcy, of Leaghmenagh in the County of Clare, had been created in the Baronetage of Ireland in 1686 for Donough O'Brien, who had earlier represented County Clare in the Irish House of Commons. He was the great-great-grandson and namesake of Donough O'Brien (died 1582), younger son of the first Earl of Thomond and first Baron Inchiquin. His grandson, the second baronet, great-grandson the third baronet, and great-great-grandson the fourth baronet, also represented County Clare in the Irish Parliament, with the fourth baronet also representing Ennis. The latter was succeeded by his son, the fifth baronet.

Before becoming the 13th Baron, the fifth Baronet O'Brien had represented County Clare in the House of Commons and was later an Irish Representative Peer. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Clare. He was succeeded by his son, Edward O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin, also an Irish Representative Peer and Lord Lieutenant of County Clare. His son, Lucius O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin, also sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer, and also served in the British military and had been appointed High Sheriff of Clare in 1898, and justice of the peace of Salop.

According to Desmond Oulton (owner of Clontarf Castle), his father John George Oulton had suggested to Éamon de Valera towards the end of the Irish Free State, that Ireland should have its own king again, as it was in the times of Gaelic Ireland. He suggested to him, a member of the O'Brien Clan, descended in the paternal line from Brian Boru, a previous High King of Ireland: the most senior representative at the time was Donough O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin. Oulton said that Donough's nephew Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, confirmed that De Valera did offer Donough O'Brien the title of Prince-President of the Irish Republic, but this was turned down and so a President of Ireland was instituted instead. The 16th Baron was succeeded by his younger brother Phaedrig O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin, a consulting geologist, who in turn was succeeded by his nephew, the 18th baron. Following the death of the 18th baron in 2023, the direct male line of the 15th baron failed; the 18th baron was succeeded by his second cousin.

In the Gaelic nobility, Lord Inchiquin is The O'Brien, Chief of the Name, Prince of Thomond.

The family seat of the O'Brien Baronetcy was Dromoland Castle, near Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. The current Baron Inchiquin lives in Thomond House adjacent to Dromoland.

Barons Inchiquin (1543)

 * Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond, 1st Baron Inchiquin (died 1551)
 * Dermod O'Brien, 2nd Baron Inchiquin (died 1 May 1557)
 * Murrough McDermot O'Brien, 3rd Baron Inchiquin (1550–1574)
 * Murrough O'Brien, 4th Baron Inchiquin (1563–1597)
 * Dermod O'Brien, 5th Baron Inchiquin (1594–1624)
 * Murrough O'Brien, 6th Baron Inchiquin (1618–1674) (created Earl of Inchiquin in 1654)

Earls of Inchiquin (1654)

 * Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin, 6th Baron Inchiquin (1618–1674)
 * William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin, 7th Baron Inchiquin (1640–1692)
 * William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, 8th Baron Inchiquin (1662–1719)
 * William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, 9th Baron Inchiquin (1700–1777)
 * Murrough O'Brien, 5th Earl of Inchiquin, 10th Baron Inchiquin (1726–1808) (created Marquess of Thomond in 1800)

Marquesses of Thomond (1800)

 * Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond, 5th Earl of Inchiquin, 10th Baron Inchiquin (1726–1808)
 * William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond, 6th Earl of Inchiquin, 11th Baron Inchiquin (1765–1846)
 * James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, 7th Earl of Inchiquin, 12th Baron Inchiquin (1768–1855)

Barons Inchiquin (1543; reverted)

 * Lucius O'Brien, 13th Baron Inchiquin (1800–1872)
 * Edward Donough O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin (1839–1900)
 * Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin (1864–1929)
 * Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin (1897–1968)
 * Phaedrig Lucius Ambrose O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin (1900–1982)
 * Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin (1943–2023)
 * Conor John Anthony O'Brien, 19th Baron Inchiquin (b. 1952)

The heir apparent is the present peer's son, Hon. Fionn Murrough O'Brien (born 1987).

O'Brien Baronets, of Leaghmenagh (1686)
See above for further succession.
 * Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet (died 1717)
 * Sir Edward O'Brien, 2nd Baronet (died 1765)
 * Sir Lucius O'Brien, 3rd Baronet (died 1795)
 * Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Baronet (died 1837)
 * Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet (1800–1872) (succeeded as 13th Baron Inchiquin in 1855)

Line of succession (simplified)
There are further heirs in line descended from the 13th Baron (father of the 14th Baron) and earlier generations.
 * [[Image:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|35px]] Edward O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin (1839–1900)
 * Hon. Murrough O'Brien (1866–1934)
 * Murrough Richard O'Brien (1910–2000)
 * [[Image:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|35px]] Conor O'Brien, 19th Baron Inchiquin (born 1952)
 * (1). Hon. Fionn Murrough O'Brien (born 1987)
 * Hon. Henry Barnaby O'Brien (1887–1969)
 * Michael George O'Brien (1928–2008)
 * (2). Peter Thomond O'Brien (born 1961)
 * (3). Angus John Thomond O'Brien (born 1995)
 * (4). John Michael O'Brien (born 1964)

The O'Brien line of Conor O'Brien, Chief of the name
There is some overlap with the Barons Inchiquin; those people are marked off in bold.
 * Murrough an Taniste O'Brien, d. 1551
 * Donough O'Brien 29 Sep 1582
 * Conor O'Brien d. 1603
 * Donough O'Brien d. 1634
 * Conor O'Brien, 1617–1651
 * Donough O'Brien, 1642–1717
 * Lucius O'Brien, 1675–1717
 * Edward O'Brien, 1705–1765
 * Lucius O'Brien, 1731–1795
 * Edward O'Brien, 1773–1837
 * Lucius O'Brien, 1800–1872
 * Edward O'Brien, 1839–1900
 * Lucius O'Brien, 1864–1929
 * Fionn O'Brien, 1903–1977
 * Conor Myles John O'Brien, 1943–2023
 * Conor John Anthony O' Brien, 2023–present

Art and culture
Lord Inchiquin is the name of a traditional Irish air by O'Carolan, assumed to be dedicated to his contemporary William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin.

The painter George O'Brien, who made his name as an artist in New Zealand, was a descendant of the first Baron Inchiquin.

title: Baron Inchiquin