who sings ive got the key ive got the secret

Urban Cookie Collective are a British Eurodance band, best known for their 1993 hit single "The Key, The Secret".

Urban Cookie Collective

The band was founded by Rohan Heath (born 19 July 1964), the son of Guyanese writer Roy Heath. He learned to play classical piano as a child before switching to the electric piano. He had previous experience with groups such as Yargo and Manchester DJ A Guy Called Gerald. Heath decided on a music career after abandoning a PhD at Vermont University. After a tour of Japan supporting the Happy Mondays, he left the band A Guy Called Gerald to work with the rave band Together. Heath went on to work with Jamaican reggae artist Eek-A-Mouse before concentrating on his new project, Urban Cookie Collective.[1] He was the keyboardist, writer, and producer of their music.

Heath wrote and produced their first hits, "The Key The Secret" and "Feels Like Heaven". He brought in vocalist Diane Charlemagne for many of the group's early tracks. She eventually co-wrote some of the songs and became a major part of the band. The other main members were Simon Bentall (born 17 October 1967), Peter Samson (born 15 May 1968), Johnny Jay, Mark Hadfield and Neil Claxton (later of Mint Royale). Guest rappers occasionally took part in the studio.

The band caused some controversy in 1996 by recording a cover version of the Oasis song "Champagne Supernova". Noel Gallagher, one of the founding members of Oasis, claimed that he had not given permission and legal action stopped the track from being given a full release. The band still remains active, and currently tours fronted by singer Danielle Barnett.

In 2014, Charlemagne was diagnosed with kidney cancer.[2] She died of the disease on 28 October 2015, aged 51.[2][3]


where is the central jute technology research institute in situated

Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibers (CRIJAF) established in 1953, is a research institute on jute & allied fibre crops  under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research of Government of India. This institute is located in Barrackpore, West Bengal, India.


who is the lady that survived the titanic

Violet Constance Jessop “Miss Unsinkable” (2 October 1887 – 5 May 1971) was an Irish Argentine ocean liner stewardess and nurse who is known for surviving the disastrous sinkings of both the RMS Titanic and her sister ship, the HMHS Britannic, in 1912 and 1916, respectively. In addition, she had been on board the RMS Olympic, the eldest of the three sister ships, when it collided with a British warship in 1911.[1][2]

Violet Jessop

Born on 2 October 1887, near Bahía Blanca, Argentina, Violet Constance Jessop was the eldest daughter of Irish immigrants, William and Katherine Jessop.[3][4] She was the first of nine children, six of whom survived. Jessop spent much of her childhood caring for her younger siblings. She became very ill as a child with what is presumed to have been tuberculosis, which she survived despite doctors' predictions that her illness would be fatal.[5] When Jessop was 16 years old, her father died due to complications from surgery and her family moved to England, where she attended a convent school[3] and cared for her youngest sister while her mother was at sea working as a stewardess.[5] When her mother became ill, Jessop left school and, following in her mother's footsteps, applied to be a stewardess. Jessop had to dress down to make herself less attractive in order to be hired.[6] At age 21, her first stewardess position was with the Royal Mail Line aboard the Orinoco in 1908.[3][5]

In 1910, Jessop started working as a stewardess for the White Star vessel RMS Olympic.[7] The Olympic was a luxury ship that was the largest civilian liner at that time.[3] Jessop was on board on 20 September 1911, when the Olympic left from Southampton and collided with the British warship HMS Hawke.[1][7] There were no fatalities[1] and despite damage, the ship was able to make it back to port without sinking.[7] Jessop chose not to discuss this collision in her memoirs.[5]

Jessop boarded the RMS Titanic as a stewardess on 10 April 1912, at age 24.[1] Four days later, on 14 April, it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, where Titanic sank a little more than two hours after the collision.[8] Jessop described in her memoirs how she was ordered up on deck, because she was to function as an example of how to behave for the non-English speakers who could not follow the instructions given to them.[3] She watched as the crew loaded the lifeboats.[1] She was later ordered into lifeboat 16; and as the boat was being lowered, one of the Titanic's officers gave her a baby to look after. The next morning, Jessop and the rest of the survivors were rescued by the RMS Carpathia. According to Jessop, while on board the Carpathia, a woman, presumably the baby's mother, grabbed the baby she was holding and ran off with it without saying a word.[7]

During the First World War, Jessop served as a stewardess for the British Red Cross.[3] On the morning of 21 November 1916, she was on board the HMHSÂ Britannic, a White Star liner that had been converted into a hospital ship, when it sank in the Aegean Sea due to an unexplained explosion.[1][9] The Britannic sank within 55 minutes, killing 30 out of the 1,066 people on board. British authorities hypothesized that the ship was either struck by a torpedo or hit a mine planted by German forces. Conspiracy theories have even circulated that suggest the British were responsible for sinking their own ship.[9] Scientists have been unable to reach definitive conclusions as to the true cause.[9]

While the Britannic was sinking, Jessop and other passengers were nearly killed by the boat's propellers that were sucking lifeboats under the stern.[9] Jessop had to jump out of her lifeboat resulting in a traumatic head injury which she survived.[1][5] In her memoirs, she described the scene she witnessed as the Britannic went under: "The white pride of the ocean's medical world... dipped her head a little, then a little lower and still lower. All the deck machinery fell into the sea like a child's toys. Then she took a fearful plunge, her stern rearing hundreds of feet into the air until with a final roar, she disappeared into the depths."[9]

Jessop returned to work for the White Star Line in 1920.[1]

After the war, Jessop continued to work for the White Star Line, before joining the Red Star Line and then the Royal Mail Line again.[10] During her tenure with Red Star, Jessop went on two around the world cruises on the company's largest ship, the Belgenland. In her late thirties, Jessop had a brief marriage, and in 1950 she retired to Great Ashfield, Suffolk. Years after her retirement, Jessop claimed to have received a telephone call, on a stormy night, from a woman who asked Jessop if she saved a baby on the night that the Titanic sank. "Yes," Jessop replied. The voice then said "I was that baby," laughed, and hung up. Her friend and biographer John Maxtone-Graham said it was most likely some children in the village playing a joke on her. She replied, "No, John, I had never told that story to anyone before I told you now." Records indicate that the only baby on boat 16 was Assad Thomas, who was handed to Edwina Troutt, and later reunited with his mother on the Carpathia.

Jessop, often winkingly called "Miss Unsinkable", died of congestive heart failure in 1971 at the age of 83.[11][10]

In the 1958 film A Night To Remember, a scene depicts naval architect Thomas Andrews (Michael Goodliffe) instructing a stewardess to be seen wearing her lifebelt as an example to the other passengers. Many scenes from this film inspired similar and in some cases, almost dialogue-identical scenes in James Cameron's later 1997 blockbuster Titanic, including a similar scene between Andrews and a stewardess named Lucy. She can also be seen earlier in this film, setting things up in the background of first-class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater's suite.

In Britannic, a TV movie made in the year 2000, the main character is Vera Campbell, played by (Amanda Ryan), a woman apprehensive about travelling on the Britannic due to surviving the sinking of the Titanic four years earlier. This character background is almost certainly lifted from the real-life Jessop, who survived both sinkings.

In 2006, 'Shadow Divers' John Chatterton and Richie Kohler lead an expedition to dive HMHS Britannic. The dive team needed to accomplish a number of tasks including reviewing the expansion joints. The team was looking for evidence that would change the thinking on RMS Titanic's sinking. During the expedition, Rosemary E. Lunn[12] played the role of Violet Jessop, re-enacting her jumping into the water, from her lifeboat which was being drawn into Britannic's still turning propellers.

The character of Jessop is also featured in the stage play Iceberg â€“ Right Ahead! by Chris Burgess, staged for the first time Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of Titanic. It was billed as 'A dramatic account of the last twelve hours in the life of an 'unsinkable ship'. From the calm afternoon of 14 April 1912 to the rescue by RMS Carpathia on the morning of 15 April'. Jessop's role was played by Amy-Joyce Hastings.[13]


why is there a bat on the bacardi bottle

Moving from the experimental stage to a more commercial endeavour, he and his brother José set up a Santiago de Cuba distillery they bought in 1862, which housed a still made of copper and cast iron. In the rafters of this building lived fruit bats – the inspiration for the Bacardi bat logo.[8] This logo was pragmatic considering with high illiteracy rate in the 19th century, it enabled customers to easily identify the product.[9]

Bacardi

Bacardi Limited (English: /bəˈkɑːrdi/; Catalan: [bəkəɾˈði]; Spanish: [bakarˈði]) is the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world. Originally known for its eponymous Bacardi white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels.[4] Founded in 1862, and family-owned for seven generations, Bacardi employs 6,000 people, manufactures at 29 facilities in 16 markets on four continents, with sales in more than 150 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.[5] The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year.[6] The company's sales in 2007 were US$5.5 billion, up from $4.9 billion in 2006. In recent years sales have stagnated, with the company recording US$4.6 billion in 2014. It laid off 10% of its North American workforce in 2015.[7]

Bacardi Limited is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and has a 16-member board of directors led by the original founder's great-great grandson, Facundo L. BacardÃ. Along with other leading alcohol producers, Bacardi is part of a producers' commitments organization which aims to reduce harmful drinking.

Facundo Bacardí Massó, a Catalan wine merchant, was born in Sitges, Catalonia, in 1814, and emigrated to Cuba in 1830. During this period, rum was cheaply made and not considered a refined drink, and rarely sold in upmarket taverns.[citation needed] Facundo began attempting to "tame" rum by isolating a proprietary strain of yeast still used in Bacardi production. This yeast gives Bacardi rum its flavour profile. After experimenting with several techniques he hit upon filtering the rum through charcoal, which removed impurities. In addition to this, Facundo aged the rum in white oak barrels, which had the effect of mellowing the drink. The final product was the first clear, or "white" rum in the world.[citation needed]

The 1880s and 90s were turbulent times for Cuba and the company. Emilio Bacardi, Don Facundo's eldest son, was repeatedly imprisoned and was exiled from Cuba for having fought in the rebel army against Spain in the Cuban War of Independence.[10]

Emilio's brothers, Facundo and JosÃ©, and his brother-in-law Henri (Don Enrique) Schueg, remained in Cuba with the difficult task of sustaining the company during a period of war. The women in the family were exiled in Kingston, Jamaica. After the Cuban War of Independence and the US occupation of Cuba, "The Original Cuba Libre" and the Daiquiri were both created, using Bacardi rum.[11] In 1899 US General Leonard Wood appointed Emilio Bacardi Mayor of Santiago de Cuba.

In 1912, Emilio Bacardi travelled to Egypt, where he purchased a mummy (still on display) for the future Emilio Bacardi Moreau Municipal Museum in Santiago de Cuba.[12] In Santiago, his brother Facundo M. BacardÃ continued to manage the company along with Schueg, who began the company's international expansion by opening bottling plants in Barcelona (1910) and New York City (1915).[13] The New York plant was soon shut down due to Prohibition, yet during this time Cuba became a hotspot for US tourists.

In 1922 Emilio opened a new distillery in Santiago. In 1930 Schueg opened the Art Deco Bacardi building in Havana and the third generation of the Bacardí family entered the business. Facundito Bacardí was known to have invited Americans (still subject to Prohibition) to "Come to Cuba and bathe in Bacardi rum."[12] A new product was introduced: Hatuey beer.

Bacardi's transition into an international brand was due mostly to Schueg's "business genius"; Schueg "branded Cuba as the home of rum, and Bacardi as the king of rums" and expanded overseas, first to Mexico (1931), then to Puerto Rico (1936), under the brand name Ron Bacardi. (Ron is the Spanish word for rum). Post-Prohibition production in Puerto Rico enabled rum to be sold tariff-free in the US.[14] He then expanded to the United States (1944).[15]

During World War II, the company was led by Schueg's son-in-law, JosÃ© "Pepin" Bosch. Pepin founded Bacardi Imports in New York City, and became Cuba's Minister of the Treasury in 1949.

Portuondo and other BacardÃ family members initially supported the Cuban revolutionaries, including Fidel Castro and the broader M-26-7 movement: Bosch personally donated tens of thousands of dollars to the movement, and acted as an intermediary between the revolutionaries and the CIA to assuage the latter's concerns.[14] Family members, employees, and facilities were put to use by the movement and the company supported the revolution publicly with advertisements and parties.[14] But their support turned to opposition as the pro-Soviet Che Guevara wing[citation needed] of the movement began to dominate and as Castro turned against their interests.

The Bacardí family (and hence the company) maintained a fierce opposition to Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba in the 1960s. In his book Bacardi, The Hidden War, Hernando Calvo Ospina outlines the political element to the family's money. Ospina describes how the Bacardi family and the company left Cuba after the Castro regime confiscated the company’s Cuban assets on 15 October 1960, particularly nationalizing and banning all private property on the island as well as all bank accounts. However, due to concerns over the previous Cuban leader, Fulgencio Batista, the company had started foreign branches a few years before the revolution; the company moved the ownership of its trademarks, assets and proprietary formulas out of the country to the Bahamas prior to the revolution and also built plants in Puerto Rico and Mexico after Prohibition to save import taxes on rum being imported to the U.S. This helped the company survive after the communist government confiscated all Bacardí assets in the country without any compensation.[16]

Ospina also explains the close ties BacardÃ family members had to the U.S. political elite as well as to organizations of state such as the CIA. The family funded various Cuban exile organizations, such as CANF.

More recently, Bacardi lawyers were influential in the drafting of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which sought to extend the scope of the United States embargo against Cuba.[17] In 1999, Otto Reich, a lobbyist in Washington on behalf of Bacardi, drafted section 211 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Appropriations Act, FY1999 (Pub.L. 105–277), a bill that became known as the Bacardi Act. Section 211 denied trademark protection to products of Cuban businesses expropriated after the Cuban revolution, a provision keenly sought by Bacardi. The act was aimed primarily at the Havana Club brand in the U.S. The brand was created by the José Arechabala S.A. and nationalised without compensation in the Cuban revolution, the Arechabala family left Cuba and stopped producing rum. They therefore allowed the US trademark registration for "Havana Club" to lapse in 1973. Taking advantage of the lapse, the Cuban government registered the mark in the US in 1976.[18][19] This new law was drafted to invalidate the lawful trademark registration. Section 211 has been challenged unsuccessfully by the Cuban government and the European Union in U.S. courts. It was also ruled illegal by the WTO in 2001 and 2002.[20] The U.S. Congress has yet to re-examine the matter. The brand was assigned by the Cuban government to Pernod Ricard in 1993.

Bacardi drinks are not found in Cuba today. The main brand of rum in Cuba is Havana Club, produced by a company that was confiscated and nationalized by the government during the revolution. Bacardi later bought the brand from the original owners, the Arechabala family. The Cuban government, in partnership with the French company Pernod Ricard, sells its Havana Club products internationally, except in the United States and its territories. Bacardi created its own line of Havana Club rum based on the original recipe from the Arechabala family, manufactures it in Puerto Rico, and sells it in Florida. Bacardi continues to fight in the courts, attempting to legalize their own Havana Club trademark outside the United States.[21] Drinks now made in the former Cuban Bacardi distillery are sold in Cuba under the name Caney.

Despite having no production facilities in Cuba today, Bacardi in the UK has recently decided to re-emphasize its Cuban heritage, primarily for commercial reasons. Facing increased competition in the rum market from the now international brand Havana Club, the company concluded that it was important for sales to associate its rum with Cuba. TV advertisements with slogans of "Welcome to the Latin Quarter" are but one example of this. In 1998, under the distinctive bat logo, the phrase "company founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862" was added.

Bacardi has faced criticism and legal problems for supposedly attempting to encourage consumers to believe that they were purchasing rum made in Cuba, rather than just marking its heritage. Bacardi adverts in Spain, since 1966, had described a popular combination of rum and Coke as "rum and coke". However, after 1998, it began to describe the drink as Cuba Libre – literally translated as "Free Cuba", which is the original name of the drink and what it is mostly called in Latin America. In this instance, Bacardi faced a legal ruling from the Spanish Association of Advertising Users which forced the company to stop the advert. They concluded that it could "mislead the viewer as to the true nature of the product", as the advert contained so much Caribbean imagery, one might conclude it came from Cuba.[22][clarification needed]

The Bacardi Building in Havana is regarded as one of the finest Art Deco buildings in Latin America.[23]

In August 2012, a temporary worker at the company's Jacksonville, Florida, bottling subsidiary, Bacardi Bottling, was fatally injured while servicing a palletizer machine. After conducting an investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that Bacardi was in violation of several safety regulations, including two willful violations. Bacardi Bottling was fined $192,000 by OSHA.[24][25]

Bacardi Limited has made numerous acquisitions to diversify away from the eponymous Bacardi rum brand. In 1993, Bacardi merged with Martini & Rossi, the Italian producer of Martini vermouth and sparkling wines, creating the Bacardi-Martini group.

In 1998, the company acquired Dewar's scotch, including Royal Brackla and Bombay Sapphire gin from Diageo for $2 billion. Bacardi acquired the Cazadores tequila brand in 2002 and in 2004 purchased Grey Goose, a French-made vodka, from Sidney Frank for $2 billion. In 2006 Bacardi Limited purchased New Zealand vodka brand 42 Below.

Other associated brands include the US version of Havana Club, Drambuie Scotch whisky liqueur, DiSaronno Amaretto, Eristoff vodka, B&B and Bénédictine liqueurs.

In its 150-year history, Bacardi rum has won more than 550 awards for quality and product profile, making it the worldâ€™s most awarded rum.[26] Emblems of gold medals and the Spanish Coat of Arms awarded during the formative years of the business appear on the bottle.

Bacardi rums have been entered for a number of international spirit ratings awards. Several Bacardi spirits have performed notably well. Bacardi 8, for example, received two gold medals and a silver medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2008 and 2010. In addition, it received the International High Quality Trophy at Monde Selection's World Quality Selections in 2010, and a Grand Gold Medal in 2011. Bacardi Gold, Bacardi 8, and Bacardi Reserva Limitada were also awarded International High Quality Trophy awards at the 2010 Monde Selectionâ€™s World Quality Selections.[27] However, it should be noted that these awards are non-competitive, and only products that pay to enter are assessed.

Proof66, a website that aggregates professional ratings from the Beverage Testing Institute and other professional rating organizations, places Bacardi Reserva Limitada, Bacardi 1873 Solera, and Bacardi 8 in the First Tier or Top 10th percentile of all rated spirits.[28][29][30]

Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba from 1939 until shortly after the Cuban Revolution. He lived at Finca Vigía, in the small town of San Francisco de Paula, located very close to Bacardi’s Modelo Brewery for Hatuey Beer in Cotorro, Havana.

In 1954, Compañía Ron Bacardi S.A. threw Hemingway a party when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature – soon after the publication of his novel The Old Man and the Sea (1952) – in which he honored the company by mentioning its Hatuey beer. Hemingway also mentioned Bacardi and Hatuey in his novels To Have and Have Not (1937) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). Guillermo Cabrera Infante wrote an account of the festivities for the periodical Ciclón, titled "El Viejo y la marca" ("The Old Man and the Brand"). In his account he described how "on one side there was a wooden stage with two streamers – Hatuey beer and Bacardi rum – on each end and a Cuban flag in the middle. Next to the stage was a bar, at which people crowded, ordering daiquiris and beer, all free.”[31] A sign at the event read "Bacardi rum welcomes the author of The Old Man and the Sea".

In his article "The Old Man and the Daiquiri", Wayne Curtis writes about how Hemingway’s "home bar also held a bottle of Bacardi rum". Hemingway wrote in Islands in the Stream, "...this frozen daiquirí, so well beaten as it is, looks like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots."[32]

In 1964 Bacardi opened its new US headquarters in Miami, Florida. Exiled Cuban architect Enrique Gutierrez created a building that was hurricane-proof, using a system of steel cables and pulleys which allow the building to move slightly in the event of a strong shock. The steel cables are anchored into the bedrock and extend through marble-covered shafts up to the top floor, where they are led over large pulleys. Outside, on both sides of the eight-story building, more than 28,000 tiles painted and fired by Brazilian artist Francisco Brennard, depicting abstract blue flowers, were placed on the walls according to the artist's exact specifications.

In 1972, the Company commissioned the square building in the plaza. Architect Ignacio Carrera-Justiz used cantilevered construction, a style invented by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright observed how well trees with taproots withstood hurricane-force winds. The building, raised 47 feet off the ground around a central core, features four massive walls, made of sections of inch-thick hammered glass mural tapestries, designed and manufactured in France. The design came from a painting by German artist Johannes M. Dietz.

In 2006, Bacardi USA leased a 15-story headquarters complex in Coral Gables, Florida. Bacardi had employees in seven buildings across Miami-Dade County at the time.[33]

Bacardi vacated its former headquarters buildings on Biscayne Boulevard in Midtown Miami. The building currently serves as the headquarters of the National YoungArts Foundation. Miami citizens began a campaign to label the buildings as "historic". University of Miami professor of architecture Allan Schulman said "Miami's brand is its identity as a tropical city. The Bacardi buildings are exactly the sort that resonate with our consciousness of what Miami is about".[34] In 2007 Chad Oppenheim, the head of Oppenheim Architecture + Design, described the Bacardi buildings as "elegant, with a Modernist [look combined with] a local flavour."[35]

The current American headquarters is at 2701 LeJeune Road in Coral Gables.[36] The 300 employees occupy 230,000 square feet (21,000Â m2) of leased office space.[37]

Bacardi had architects Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe and Felix Candela design office buildings and a bottling plant for them in Mexico City during the 1950s. The building complex was added to the tentative list of UNESCO's World Heritage Site list on 20 November 2001.[38]


who won the daytona 500 last year 2017

The 2017 Daytona 500, the 59th running of the event, was held on February 26, 2017, and was won by Kurt Busch. This was Busch's 1st Daytona 500 win. Ryan Blaney finished 2nd, and A. J. Allmendinger finished 3rd. This race was contested for 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0Â km) asphalt superspeedway. It was the first race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, and also marked the 1st race for Monster Energy as the new title sponsor for NASCAR's top series, replacing Sprint. Jeffrey Earnhardt made NASCAR history when he became the 1st ever 4th generation driver to compete in the Daytona 500.

2017 Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.[15] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[16] The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[16]

All three of NASCAR's main national series adopted a new race format and points system for the 2017 season. Under the new format, each race was divided into three stages. A competition caution is held at the end of the first and second stage, and bonus championship points are awarded to the top 10 drivers. For the 500, the first and second stages each comprised 60 laps of the scheduled distance, with the remainder comprising the third. The leader at the end of each stage, including the overall winner, also receives points that are carried over into their total if they qualify for the season-ending playoffs (renamed from the Chase for the Championship).[17][18][19]

The race also introduced stricter rules in regards to vehicle repair after on-track accidents; teams are only allowed to repair their cars on pit road in five-minute windows with six crew members, starting once the car crosses the pit road commitment line, and ending when it reaches minimum speed after exiting pit road. Repairs are restricted to repairing sheet metal, and re-attaching or reinforcing body panels; body panels may not be replaced. If the vehicle cannot be repaired on pit road and must be taken to the garage, more than six crew members work on the vehicle, or the five-minute clock expires, the vehicle will be removed from the race and can not return.[20][21][22]

Other technical changes took place for the 2017 season and Daytona 500, including having one fewer set of tires available for the race,[23] teams being required to start the race with the same tires used in qualifying,[23] restrictor plate size openings reduced from 57⁄64 inch (23 mm) to 7⁄8 inch (22 mm),[24] and new structural safety features—some of which are specifically mandated at Daytona and Talladega.[24]

Joey Logano was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 46.604 seconds and a speed of 193.116 mph (310.790 km/h).[25]

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is different from any other race weekend because the starting lineup for the race, except for the two drivers that post the two fastest timed laps in the final round of qualifying, isn't set on qualifying day. It sets the lineup for the two Duel races the following Thursday.

Unlike qualifying at non-restrictor plate races, qualifying at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway consists of two rounds of cars being sent out one at a time to make a single timed lap. The fastest 12 advance to the final round to run for the pole position.

Chase Elliott scored the pole for the Daytona 500 with a time of 46.663 and a speed of 192.872 mph (310.397 km/h).[26] He said afterwards that everyone at Hendrick Motorsports did "a lot of work this off-season. This team definitely has a knack for these plate tracks, as they showed with Jeff Gordon and then last year with here and Talladega." He also mentioned how these accomplishments don't "just happen by staying the same, as everybody knows. Everyone is always trying to get better and make their cars better and faster, and the engine shop is always finding new things. So I think that's just proof that they're improving with everybody else and taking that next step, which is really impressive." He ended by saying he was "happy to be a part of it, and hopefully we can run good next Sunday."[27]

(1) and (2) represent which duel a driver goes in. Odd numbered positions go to Duel 1, and even numbered positions go to Duel 2.

Both practice sessions scheduled for Thursday following qualifying was cancelled due to rain.

The Can-Am Duels are a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two races 60 laps and 150 miles (240 km) in length, which serve as heat races that set the lineup for the Daytona 500. Both races sets the lineup for positions 3–32. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd–numbered positions on pole qualifying day. The second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even–numbered positions. Positions 33–36 are filled by the four drivers that posted the fastest lap in pole qualifying that didn't lock in a position in the Duel's. Positions 37–40 are set by the four cars highest in the 2016 owner's points that didn't lock in a position in the Duels and weren't among the cars that posted the four fastest timed laps in pole qualifying.

Chase Elliott held off late charges in the closing laps to win the first Can-Am Duel race.[28]

Restarting with eight laps to go, the Ford's of Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski formed a line on the top side to make a charge at him. The line started stalling out with five to go and was no match for Elliott, only challenged by Harvick and Jamie McMurray.

He said in victory lane that he certainly thought he had a chance of winning on Sunday and that if he "didn't feel that way...I'd stay home. I feel like we have a shot on Sunday. I feel like we had a shot before we got down here. Tonight's result hasn't changed my opinion on that. I'm looking forward to it, obviously. You love to get that qualifying spot on Sunday, but we really earned it tonight, to start on the front row, which is even better. It was definitely a great way to start the season."[29]

The eight-lap run to the finish was set up by a two-car wreck with 12 laps to go. Coming through the tri-oval heading towards Turn 1, Corey LaJoie rear-ended Reed Sorenson, who checked up, turning Sorenson down into Paul Menard, sending Sorenson down the track and into the inside retaining wall.[30] Sorenson, who missed the race as a result of this wreck, said he guessed LaJoie "felt like he did what he had to do to make the race. I hope he's proud of that part of it. There's a lot of pressure going in to making this race. It's a very big deal for a small team like ours."[31]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominated the second Duel race leading 53 of 60 laps. That total, however, didn't include the final lap as he lost the lead for the victory on the final lap to Denny Hamlin.[32]

Hamlin received a push from Austin Dillon and faked Earnhardt out on the backstretch to pass him going into Turn 3 to win the second Duel race. He credited Dillon for the "great push there....We worked really well together that entire race. I'll keep that in mind in the 500....I can't thank this team enough for a great job by Wheels (Mike Wheeler, crew chief). FedEx announced their renewal today so that's a great sign of a great year hopefully to come."[33]

With 18 laps remaining, Ryan Blaney and Jimmie Johnson made contact on the backstretch. Five laps later, Johnson blows a right-side tire and slams the wall in Turn 3, setting up the final nine laps.[34]

David Ragan was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 46.178 seconds and a speed of 194.898 mph (313.658 km/h).[36]

Kyle Busch was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 45.624 seconds and a speed of 197.265 mph (317.467 km/h).[37]

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 45.351 seconds and a speed of 198.452 mph (319.378 km/h).[38]

Chase Elliott led the field to the green flag at 2:40 p.m. He jumped ahead of teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. to lead the first lap. Earnhardt was caught in the middle of the inside and outside lines with no draft help, also known as the "sucker hole," and fell back through the pack on the fourth lap. Jamie McMurray used the bottom line to take the lead on the eighth lap. Joey Logano made an unscheduled stop for a loose wheel on lap 14. A group of cars, all Toyota's, hit pit road on lap 17. Erik Jones overshot his pit box and Daniel Suárez was hit with a pass through penalty for speeding. Matt Kenseth came down pit road a second time for a loose wheel; a result of flat-spotting his tires on his first stop.[39]

During the Toyota pit cycle, Kevin Harvick took the lead from McMurray on lap 18. The lapped car of Logano blocked his advanced and allowed Elliott to power by on the outside line on lap 23. The top line started losing steam, however, and Harvick took back the lead on lap 26. Another group of cars hit pit road on lap 31. Corey LaJoie mistimed his pit entry and aborted right before the entrance of pit road. When he did, he almost slammed into the rear of Clint Bowyer. Then, his car continued up the track, slammed the outside wall in the tri-oval and left debris up against the wall, bringing out the first caution of the race. Kurt Busch restarted the race from the tail end of the field for speeding on pit road.[40]

The race restarted on lap 34. Kyle Busch lead the outside line charge past Harvick on the backstretch to take the lead on lap 43. Truex followed likewise the next lap, powering by Busch on the top line going into Turn 1 to take the lead. Busch took it back on lap 45. Ryan Blaney dove under him on the backstretch to take the lead on lap 49. David Ragan hit the wall on the frontstretch the following lap, but the race continued under green. Busch retook the lead on lap 52. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. cut down a tire in Turn 3, but the race remained green. Busch came to the line the leader at the conclusion of stage 1 and the second caution flew on lap 61 for the end of the stage. Harvick exited pit road first. Austin Dillon restarted the race from the tail end of the field for speeding.[39]

The race restarted on lap 68. For most of the second stage, the racing was more calm and collected. The outside line was the strongest line and the inside started dissipating by lap 78. The Toyota cars repeated their stage 1 move of short-pitting the segment on lap 81. Jimmie Johnson took the lead as a number of cars, mostly Ford's, came to pit road on lap 90. Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on lap 97.

Rounding Turn 3 on lap 105, Busch's car suffered either a left or right-rear tire blowout, then spun towards the wall and into Jones, Kenseth and Ty Dillon, causing a 6-car pileup.[41] Race leader Earnhardt was clipped by Busch and slammed the wall.[42] He said he didn't "know what happened there with the No. 18 (Busch) he just got turned around. I tried to get the wheel turned and get down the race track but I lifted off the gas to miss it, and got on the splitter a little bit and the car went straight. We jumped him, and got in the wall a little bit. Wasn't too hard of a hit. We thought we could get the car fixed, and get back out there and see what we could do with the rest of the day and make up some spots maybe. But, there is just too much damage. The radiator is pushed back. The toe is all messed up. The front suspension is knocked around pretty bad so the upper A-frame is laid over on the motor. We just can't drive it like that."[43] He checked out of the infield care center with no health complications.[44] Earnhardt, who missed 18 races last season due to a concussion, credited his new headrest for walking away without another one, saying "the (older) headrest, when you fly into the wall, it's like getting hit with a baseball bat. That car will take a few (G-forces) and if you have a lot of distance there, you can double the G's. We talked to NASCAR over the winter and they helped me understand how to better withstand those wrecks. We have (the headrest) tight on both sides."[45] Busch took his frustration out on Goodyear.[46] "Nothing that we did wrong," Busch said to FOX. "Obviously Goodyear tires just aren't very good at holding air. It's very frustrating when we have that every single year we've been here. Last year we had it as well too. It wrecked us in practice and tore up a car."[47] Kenseth finished the race in 40th, his third career last-place finish.[48] This brought out the third caution and cleanup necessitated a 17-minute red flag period. Elliott Sadler was the leader when the race resumed under caution, but surrendered the lead to Harvick when he hit pit road.[39]

The race restarted on lap 113 and Harvick led all the way to the end of stage 2 as the fourth caution flew for the stage conclusion. All but the first eight cars opted to pit under the caution.[39]

The race restarted on lap 125. Kyle Larson took the position for a brief moment, but Elliott powered by on the outside line and retook the lead on lap 126. Kasey Kahne on the inside line edged his teammate at the line to take the lead for the first time on lap 127. On the same lap, McMurray shoved Johnson down the backstretch when Johnson got loose, turned down into Trevor Bayne and pin-balled through the middle of the pack in Turn 3, collecting 14 cars.[49] This brought out the fifth caution. Johnson said afterwards that the whole wreck was avoidable, "and it wasn't called for. From the minute I got off of Turn 2 on the entire back straightaway, I kept getting hit, and the rear tires are off the ground."[50]

The race restarted with 67 laps to go. With 65 to go, Blaney signaled on the backstretch that he was coming to pit road this lap, believing he had a tire going down. Exiting Turn 4, he started decelerating to dive onto pit road when Sadler swerved up the track to avoid him. This clipped both Bayne and Stenhouse, sent them down the track and into the inside wall, bringing out the sixth caution. Kahne took the lead prior to the caution[39]

The race restarted with 59 to go. Heading down the backstretch, McMurray, in the top line, tried passing to the inside of Elliott, but his advance was blocked. He checked up and got hooked into the outside wall by Brendan Gaughan. Suárez swerved to the left to avoid a t-bone collision with McMurray, only to collide with Ryan Newman. The accordion effect resulted in an 11-car wreck that brought out the seventh caution.[51] "I haven't seen the replay yet," Keselowski said after being caught up in the wreck, "but everybody wrecked in front of me. We had just pitted and were running really good, right up at the front where we needed to be in contention for a solid finish and hopefully a win. … That is unfortunate."[52] Austin Dillon took the lead prior to the caution.[39]

The race restarted with 52 to go. Logano took the lead with 51 to go. On the backstretch with 50 to go, Elliott shunted Joey Gase, which sent him into the outside wall and down the track, bringing out the eighth caution. Cole Whitt opted not to pit under the caution and assumed the lead.[39]

The race restarted with 47 to go. Whitt lead the first lap after the restart, thanks to a push from Logano on the inside line, but Aric Almirola powered by Whitt on the outside to take the lead with 45 to go. Suddenly, Almirola slowed up and fell back, handing the lead to Larson with 43 to go. After battling side-by-side for a few laps, Logano took the lead with 37 to go. The top-five raced single-file with 31 to go. Kurt Busch led the outside line charge before Elliott took it over with 27 to go. The next lap, he cleared Logano for the race lead on the backstretch. With 20 to go, the bottom line disappeared and the top-12 cars formed a breakaway draft running up against the wall. Blaney broke out of line to lead the inside line's charge with 10 to go, but they made no progress and rejoined the top line with seven to go.[53] With four to go, Elliott ran out of gas and Martin Truex Jr. took the lead in Turn 4.[54] With two to go, the same fate befell Truex. Larson took command of the race with one lap to go.[55] He also ran out of gas; Busch passed him exiting Turn 2 and won the 59th running of the Daytona 500.[56]

"There is nothing predictable about this race anymore and the more years that have gone by that I didn't win I kept trying to go back to patterns that I had seen in the past," Busch said in victory lane. "My mirror fell off with 30 laps to go and I couldn't even see out the back. And I thought that was an omen. Throw caution to the wind. The more unpredictability that keeps unfolding at the Daytona 500, I predicted it. It just got crazy and wild and I am so proud of all the drivers at the end. We put on a show for a full fuel run and nobody took each other out and it was one of the smartest chess games I have seen out there. All the hard work that Ford and SHR put into this -- this Ford Fusion is in Daytona's victory lane."[57] Team owner Tony Stewart, who failed to win the Daytona 500 in 17 attempts, said if he knew he "would retire and win the next race, I would have retired 17 years ago and got it that way. It's a pretty cool deal. This is one that we've waited for for a long, long time."[58]

Blaney, who scored a career-best finish of runner-up despite running out of gas on the final lap, said he "tried to make a move with 10 to go and I didn't go anywhere. I thought we were kind of stuck. Luckily, we had the 22 with us. I kind of helped him and he kind of helped me. Late there we got a big run into (Turn) 1 and we kind of all separated and I got a big pull. I got to second behind the 41 somehow and that kept us going the whole way. I laid back to the 47 thinking I'd get a good run and I was sputtering and running out of gas on the backstretch."[59]

Michael Waltrip, who finished eighth – and was the highest finishing Toyota driver – in his final career NASCAR start, said this race will "be a great memory! I felt like so many times, I was in the middle of a crash and I missed it. You do a good job and get lucky. At the end, I just lost the draft, and that's unfortunate because I was able to weave my way past people. I had a really good-handling car."[60]

Stage 1 Laps: 60

Stage 2 Laps: 60

Stage 3 Laps: 80

Since 2001—with the exception of 2002, 2004 and 2006—the Daytona 500 has been carried by Fox in the United States. The booth crew consisted of longtime NASCAR lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy, three–time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon, and 1989 race winner Darrell Waltrip. Pit road was manned by Jamie Little, Chris Neville, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum.

The race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network—who has covered the Daytona 500 since 1970—and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. The booth crew consisted of longtime announcer Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace. Longtime turn announcer – and prodigy of MRN co-founder Ken Squier – Dave Moody was the lead turn announcer. He called the Daytona 500 from atop the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley worked the backstretch for the Daytona 500 from a spotter's stand on the inside of the track. Kyle Rickey called the Daytona 500 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4 from the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 4. On pit road, MRN was manned by lead pit reporter and NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. He was joined on pit road by Steve Post and Alex Hayden.

Drivers' Championship standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings


who does gandalf fight in the fellowship of the ring

In The Fellowship of the Ring, the Fellowship ventured through Moria and were attacked in the Chamber of Mazarbul by Orcs and the Balrog.[10] Gandalf faced the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm and broke the Bridge, but was dragged down by the Balrog. He slew the Balrog but perished himself at the same time—to be sent back as the more powerful Gandalf the White.

Balrog

Balrogs /ˈbælrɒɡz/ are fictional creatures who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, where the Fellowship of the Ring encounter one known as Durin's Bane in the Mines of Moria. Balrogs figured in Tolkien's earlier writings that appeared posthumously in The Silmarillion and other books.

Balrogs are described as tall and menacing beings that can shroud themselves in fire, darkness, and shadow. They frequently appeared armed with fiery whips "of many thongs",[1] and occasionally used long swords.  In Tolkien's later conception, they could not be readily vanquishedâ€”a certain stature was required by the would-be hero. Only dragons rivalled their capacity for ferocity and destruction,[2] and during the First Age of Middle-earth, they were among the most feared of Morgoth's forces.

According to The Silmarillion, the evil Vala Melkor corrupted lesser Maiar (angelic beings) to his service in the days of his splendor before the making of Arda.[3][4]
These became known as "Demons of Might":  Valaraukar in Quenya, and Belryg[citation needed] in Sindarin; Balrogs is an Anglicised plural of singular Balrog.

Upon the awakening of the Elves, the Valar captured Melkor and destroyed his fortresses Utumno and Angband.  But they overlooked the deepest pits,[5] where, with many of Melkor's other allies, the Balrogs fled into hiding.  When Melkor returned to Middle-earth from Valinor, now bearing the epithet Morgoth, he was attacked by Ungoliant, a spider-like creature; his piercing scream drew the Balrogs out of hiding to his rescue.

When the Noldor arrived in Beleriand in pursuit of Morgoth, they won a swift victory over his Orcs in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath.  Fëanor pressed on towards Angband, but the Balrogs came against him, and Fëanor was mortally wounded by Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs.  Fëanor's sons fought off the Balrogs, but Fëanor died of his wounds shortly afterward.[6]

In The Lays of Beleriand, The Lay of Leithian mentions Balrog captains leading Orcs: "the Orcs went forth to rape and war, and Balrog captains marched before".[7]

Tolkien tells of two Balrogs slain by Elves in the fall of Gondolin.[8] During the assault on the city, Ecthelion of the Fountain fought Gothmog, and "each slew the other." Glorfindel fought a Balrog who waylaid an escape party from the fallen city; both fell from the mountainside in the struggle and perished.

In the War of Wrath that ended the First Age, most of the Balrogs were destroyed, although some including the Balrog known as Durin's Bane, managed to escape and hide in "caverns at the roots of the earth".[9]

Tolkien's conception of Balrogs changed over time.  In all his early writing, they are numerous. A host of a thousand of them is mentioned in the Quenta Silmarillion,[11] while at the storming of Gondolin Balrogs in the hundreds ride on the backs of the Dragons.[12] They are roughly of twice[13] human size,[14] and were occasionally killed in battle by Elves and Men.[15]  They were fierce demons, associated with fire, armed with fiery whips of many thongs and claws like steel, and Morgoth delighted in using them to torture his captives.[16] They were loyal to Morgoth, and once came out of hiding to save him from capture.

In the published version of The Lord of the Rings, however, Balrogs became altogether more sinister and more powerful. Christopher Tolkien notes the difference, saying that in earlier versions they were "less terrible and certainly more destructible". He quotes a very late margin note[17] that was not incorporated into the text saying "at most seven" ever existed;[18] though in the Annals of Aman, written as late as 1958, after the publication of The Lord of the Rings, Melkor still commands "a host of Balrogs".[19] In later writings they ceased to be creatures, but are instead Maiar, lesser Ainur like Gandalf or Sauron, spirits of fire whom Melkor had corrupted before the creation of the World.[3]  Power of the order of Gandalf's was necessary to destroy them,[20] and as Maiar, only their physical forms could be destroyed.

Tolkien says of the Valar (including the Maiar) that they can change their shape at will, and move unclad in the raiment of the world, meaning invisible and without form.[21] But it seems that Morgoth, Sauron, and their associated Maiar could lose this ability: Morgoth, for example, was unable to heal his burns from the Silmarils or wounds from Fingolfin and Thorondor;[22] and Sauron lost his ability to assume a fair-seeming form after his physical body was destroyed in the downfall of Númenor.[23]

Tolkien does not address this specifically for Balrogs though at least in his later conception they are Maiar.  In "the Bridge of Khazad-dûm" in The Fellowship of the Ring, the Balrog appears "like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater".  Though previously the Balrog had entered the "large square chamber" of Mazarbul, at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm it "drew itself to a great height, and its wings spread from wall to wall" in what was a vast hall.

The Balrog's size and shape, therefore, are not given precisely. When Gandalf threw it from the peak of Zirakzigil, the Balrog "broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin".[24]

Whether Balrogs have wings (and if so, whether they can fly) is unclear. This is due partly to Tolkien's changing conception of Balrogs, but mostly to his imprecise but suggestive and possibly figurative description of the Balrog that confronted Gandalf in Moria.[10]

The three key quotations:

His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings.

… suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall …

With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished.

The argument hinges on whether the "wings" are physical wings or simply figurative wings of shadow. Many additional facts are adduced to the argument, but there is not enough firm description in Tolkien's writing to settle the matter definitively.[25][26]

The Balrog of Moria used a flaming sword ("From out of the shadow a red sword leapt flaming") and a many-thonged whip that "whined and cracked" in its battle with Gandalf. In The Silmarillion, they also used black axes and maces.[27] Earlier writings also speak of steel claws and iron mail.[28]

In earlier drafts of The Lord of the Rings, some further indications of Tolkien's evolving conceptions appear. Notably,

A figure strode to the fissure, no more than man-high yet terror seemed to go before it. They could see the furnace-fire of its eyes from afar; its arms were very long; it had a red [?tongue].[29]

At this writing Tolkien contemplated an edict of the Valar concerning Balrogs, having Gandalf challenge the Balrog by saying:

It is forbidden for any Balrog to come beneath the sky since Fionwe son of Manwe overthrew Thangorodrim.[30]

The name "Balrog", but not the meaning, emerges early in Tolkien's work: it appears in the Fall of Gondolin, one of the earliest texts Tolkien wrote (ca. 1918). An early list of names described Balrog as "an Orc-word with no pure equivalent in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya: 'borrowed Malaroko-'Â ".[31]

In Gnomish (another of Tolkien's invented languages) Balrog is parsed as balc 'cruel' + graug 'demon', with a Quenya equivalent Malkarauke. Variant forms of the latter include Nalkarauke and Valkarauke.[32]

By the 1940s, when Tolkien began writing The Lord of the Rings, he had come to think of Balrog as Noldorin balch 'cruel' + rhaug 'demon', with a Quenya equivalent Malarauko (from nwalya- 'to torture' + rauko 'demon').[33]

The last etymology, appearing in the invented languages Quendi and Eldar, derives Balrog as the Sindarin translation of the Quenya form Valarauko (Demon of Might). This etymology was published in The Silmarillion.[34]

The Sindarin plural for Balrog is not known. Tolkien consistently used Balrogs, but this is generally considered an anglicization because Sindarin does not form plurals that way. In one case Tolkien used Balrogath,[35] similar to Periannath 'Halflings' and Dagorath 'battles'. However, the -ath suffix was often used as a 'class plural' (cf. giliath 'all stars of the firmament'), and thus Balrogath might mean 'Balrogkind' rather than simply 'Balrogs'. Linguists disagree about how a simple Sindarin plural would be formed. The historically justified form would likely be *Balroeg. This takes into account the fact that the older singular would have been *Balraug (compare the Quenya cognate Valarauko): The Sindarin umlaut product of au is known to be oe. If analogy prevailed in later Sindarin, the plural form *Belryg might however have replaced the historically justified plural. Compare, for instance, annon "gate" having the plural form ennyn.

The plural of Quenya Valarauko (also Valarauka) is attested as Valaraukar.[34]

Gandalf on the bridge of Khazad-d没m calls the Balrog "flame of Ud没n" (Ud没n being the Sindarin name of Morgoth's fortress Utumno).

An etymon existing before Tolkien's languages (of which he surely would have known): the Norse 'bál' means 'fire,' and an epithet of Odin, likely referring to his warlike nature, was 'Báleygr,' or 'fire-eyed.'[citation needed]

Gothmog appears in various versions of Silmarillion material. He is physically massive and strong, and in one version he is some 12 feet tall.[37] He wields a black axe and whip of flame as his weapons.

He holds the titles of the Lord of the Balrogs (but see Lungorthin below), the High Captain of Angband, and Marshal of the Hosts.

In the Second Battle, Dagor-nuin-Giliath, he leads a force that ambushes Fëanor and wounds him mortally. He leads Balrogs, Orc-hosts, and Dragons as Morgoth's commander in the field in the Fifth Battle, Nírnaeth Arnoediad, and slays Fingon, High King of the Noldor. In that same battle, he captures Húrin of Dor-lómin, who had slain his personal guard of Battle-trolls, and brings him to Angband. As Marshal of the Hosts, he is in command of the Storming of Gondolin. He is about to kill Tuor when Ecthelion of the Fountain, a Noldorin Elf-lord, intervenes. Gothmog fights Ecthelion in single combat, and they kill each other.

In The Book of Lost Tales, Tolkien describes Kosomot, the original version of Gothmog, as a son of Morgoth and the ogress Fluithuin or Ulbandi.[38]

Gothmog is Sindarin and means 'Dread Oppressor'.[39]

Kosomot is often considered Gothmog's Quenya name;[40]  however, in the Quenya name-list of The Fall of Gondolin another version appears, Kosomoko.[41]

In The Lord of the Rings, a different character bears the name "Gothmog"; see Gothmog (Third Age).

Lungorthin appears in Tolkien's early Lay of the Children of HÃºrin as "Lungorthin, Lord of Balrogs". This might be another name for Gothmog (above), though Christopher Tolkien thought it more likely that Lungorthin was simply "a Balrog lord".[42]

This Balrog appears in The Lord of the Rings, encountered by the Fellowship of the Ring in the Mines of Moria.

It survived the defeat of Morgoth in the War of Wrath and escaped to hide beneath the Misty Mountains.[43] For more than five millennia, the Balrog remained in its deep hiding place at the roots of Caradhras,[44] one of the Mountains of Moria, until in the Third Age, the mithril-miners of the Dwarf-kingdom of Khazad-dûm disturbed it (or released it from its prison) in T.A. 1980. The Balrog promptly killed Durin VI, the King of Khazad-dûm, whereafter it was called Durin's Bane by the Dwarves.[43][45]

The Dwarves attempted to fight the Balrog, but its power was far too great. In their efforts to hold Khazad-dûm against it, many Dwarves were killed: Durin's successor King Náin only a year after his father. The survivors were forced to flee. This disaster also reached the Silvan Elves of Lórien, many of whom also fled the "Nameless Terror"[43] (it was not recognized as a Balrog at the time). The Elves called the place Moria, the "Black Pit"[46] or "Black Chasm"[47] (though the name Moria also appears on the West Gate of Moria, constructed thousands of years earlier in the Second Age).

For another 500 years, Moria was left to the Balrog; though according to Unfinished Tales, Orcs crept in almost immediately after the Dwarves were driven out, leading to Nimrodel's flight.[48]  Around T.A.Â 2480, Sauron began to put his plans for war into effect, and he sent Orcs and Trolls to the Misty Mountains to bar all of the passes:[45] Some of these creatures came to Moria, and the Balrog allowed them to remain.

During the reign of Thráin II, the Dwarves attempted to retake Moria in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, culminating in the Battle of Azanulbizar before the eastern gate of Moria, in T.A. 2799. This was a victory for the Dwarves, but the presence of the Balrog prevented them from reoccupying Moria. Dáin Ironfoot, having slain the Orc Azog near the gate, perceived the terror of the Balrog within[43] and warned Thráin that Moria was unachievable until some force could change the world and remove the Balrog. The Dwarves thus departed and resumed their exile. In T.A. 2989, despite Dáin's warning, Balin made another attempt to retake Moria.[45] Though his party was initially successful in starting a colony, they were massacred a few years later.

In 'January' T.A. 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring travelled through Moria on the way to Mount Doom. They were attacked in the Chamber of Mazarbul by Orcs.[10] The Fellowship fled through a side door, but when the wizard Gandalf the Grey tried to place a "shutting spell" on the door to block the pursuit behind them, the Balrog entered the chamber on the other side and cast a "terrible" counterspell. Gandalf spoke a word of Command to stay the door, but the door shattered and the chamber collapsed. Gandalf was severely weakened by this encounter. The company fled with him, but the Orcs and the Balrog, taking a different route, caught up with them at the bridge of Khazad-dûm. The Elf Legolas instantly recognized the Balrog and Gandalf tried to hold the bridge against it. As Gandalf faced the Balrog, he proclaimed, "You cannot pass, flame of Udûn!", and broke the bridge beneath the Balrog. As it fell, the Balrog wrapped its whip about Gandalf's knees, dragging him to the brink. As the Fellowship looked on in horror, Gandalf cried "Fly, you fools!" and plunged into the darkness below.

After a long fall, the two crashed into a deep subterranean lake, which extinguished the flames of the Balrog's body; however it remained "a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake". They fought in the water, with the Balrog clutching at Gandalf to strangle him, and Gandalf hewing the Balrog with his sword, until finally the Balrog fled into ancient tunnels of unknown origin. Gandalf pursued the creature for eight days, until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil, where the Balrog was forced to turn and fight once again, its body erupting into new flame. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the mountainside where it fell "in ruin".[24] Gandalf himself died shortly afterwards, but he was later sent back to Middle-earth with even greater powers, as Gandalf the White, "until his task was finished".

As there are no known dimensions for a Balrog, there are differing representations in the various film adaptations, some of which are capable of flight.


who did rita ora play in fast and furious

An appearance in an episode of the British drama series, The Brief, was her first television role, at the age of 13. Shortly after, she appeared in the British film, Spivs (2004), playing an Albanian immigrant and speaking Albanian throughout the film.[62] In 2013, Ora appeared as a guest star in 90210, as well as appearing as a race caller in the film Fast & Furious 6.[62] In April 2014, Ora appeared alongside Korean pop star, Hyuna, in an episode of Funny or Die called "Girl, You Better Walk."[63] In 2015, she played Christian Grey's sister, Mia, in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel, Fifty Shades of Grey.[64][65] Ora originally approached the production hoping to contribute to the film's soundtrack, and instead was asked to audition for the role of Mia Grey by the director of the film, Sam Taylor-Johnson.[66][67] She reprised her role as Mia in the two film sequels.

Rita Ora

Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and actress. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studio album, Ora, released in August 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. The album contained the UK number-one singles "R.I.P." and "How We Do (Party)". Ora was the artist with the most number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart in 2012, with three consecutive singles reaching the top position.[4]

In January 2014, Adidas announced a designer collaboration with Ora for their brand, Adidas Originals.[5] Also in 2014, her single "I Will Never Let You Down" became her fourth UK number one, and she featured on Iggy Azalea's single "Black Widow", which reached the top five in the UK and the US.[6] In 2015, Ora became a coach on the fourth series of The Voice UK and, later that year, a judge on the twelfth series of The X Factor.

Ora was born in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo),[7] to Albanian parents. Her mother, Vera (née Bajraktari), is a psychiatrist, and her father, Besnik Sahatçiu, is an economist and a pub owner.[8][9][10] Ora has a younger brother, Don, and an older sister, Elena, who is also a part of her management team.[11] She was born as Rita Sahatçiu (pronounced [sahatˈtʃiu]; surname derived from the Turkish word saatçi which means "watchmaker"), but her parents later added Ora (means "time" in Albanian) to the family surname so it could be easily pronounced.[12]

Her family left Kosovo for political reasons, because of the persecution of ethnic Albanians initiated with the disintegration of Yugoslavia.[13] They relocated to London, England in 1991, when she was a year old.[8] She grew up near Portobello Road in West London,[14] and attended St Cuthbert with St Matthias Primary School in Earls Court, following which she graduated from a performing arts school, Sylvia Young Theatre School.[15] She began singing at an early age.[16][17][11]

Ora began performing at open mic sessions around London and, occasionally, in her father's pub.[18] In 2007, Ora had her first music release when she appeared on Craig David's track titled "Awkward", and then again in 2008 on "Where's Your Love", featuring Tinchy Stryder. On both tracks she was not officially credited.[7] She featured on two songs of James Morrison's album, Songs for You, Truths for Me, as backing vocalist.[19]

In 2008, she auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One to be the British contestant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and qualified, but later withdrew from the competition after a few episodes as she "did not feel ready" and thought "that challenge wasn't for her."[20][21] Her manager, Sarah Stennett (who also worked with Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Conor Maynard), later told HitQuarters that Ora had entered the competition because at the time she felt it was her only chance at finding success.[22] Stennett reassured her that performing in Eurovision would hinder rather than help her chances to make it as a solo artist.[22]

Shortly after, Stennett got in touch with the American label, Roc Nation, and told them about Ora. She signed a recording deal and a publishing deal with Roc Nation in December 2008, and was one of their first signees.[22][23][24] She made cameo appearances in Jay Z's video for "Young Forever" (2009) and Drake's video, "Over" (2010).[25][26] After being signed, Ora recorded an album and wanted to release it, but her label advised against it and she started to work on other material for her debut album.[18]

Throughout 2011, Ora released covers and videos about working on her debut album on YouTube.[27] The videos caught the attention of DJ Fresh, who at that time was looking for a female vocalist for his song, "Hot Right Now".[28] Ora featured on the single that was released on 12 February 2012, debuting at number one on the UK Singles Chart.[29] During February 2012, Ora was also the opening act at the UK concerts from Drake's Club Paradise Tour.

The first UK single from her debut album, "R.I.P." (featuring Tinie Tempah), was released on 6 May 2012.[30] Produced by Chase & Status, the song debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming her first solo UK number one.[31] On 12 August 2012, "How We Do (Party)" was released and reached number one in the UK and Ireland. It was Ora's second UK number one as a solo artist, and third overall in 2012.[32]

Whilst supporting Coldplay on their Mylo Xyloto Tour, she later announced that her debut album would be titled Ora.[33] The album was released on 27 August 2012 in Europe and Oceania, and debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart.[4] Ora was nominated for Best New Artist, Push Artist and Best UK/Ireland Act at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards.[34] In September 2012, it was announced that Ora will be the opening act on the UK concerts from Usher's Euphoria Tour set to start in January 2013. Eventually, the tour was postponed due to Usher's "professional and personal commitments."[35] From 23 October through to 30 October 2012, Ora embarked on her first headlining tour, Ora Tour, a mini-concert US tour.

"Shine Ya Light", released on 4 November 2012, became Ora's fourth consecutive top ten single in the UK, peaking at number ten.[36][37] On 28 November 2012, Ora performed as a special guest at the concert held in Tirana, Albania for the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania.[38] Ora embarked on her first UK tour, "Radioactive Tour", in January 2013, to support her debut album. She was nominated for three awards at the 2013 Brit Awards, including the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act.[39]

In January 2013, Ora revealed that her second album would be clearer and have more direction than the first one.[40] On 26 February 2013, she revealed to Digital Spy that her second album shows a different angle to a "party girl."[41][42] On 24 May 2013, Ora was the headline act on In New Music We Trust stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.[43] On 28 June 2013, Ora performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.[44]

On 18 May 2014, the song "I Will Never Let You Down" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making it Ora's fourth overall single to reach the apex of the chart, and third as a solo artist.[45] In July 2014, Ora featured on Iggy Azalea's single titled "Black Widow" which peaked at number four in the UK, and became Ora's first top ten song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number three.[46] On 14 December 2014, Ora performed at the 2014 telecast of Christmas in Washington, filmed at the National Building Museum.[47] On 22 February 2015, at the 87th Academy Awards, she performed the Academy Award-nominated song "Grateful", which appears in the film Beyond the Lights.[48] On 28 June 2015, Ora released the song "Poison", which debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her sixth top five single in the country.[49]

In December 2015, Ora filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation, seeking release from the label and citing that the contract she signed in 2008 is "unenforceable", due to California's "seven-year rule." The complaint stated that she's "only been permitted to release one album despite creating multiple additional records for release" and that her relationship with Roc Nation is "irrevocably damaged."[50][51] Her complaint also pointed out a breach of contract, reporting that Roc Nation breached the recording agreement by improperly taking twenty percent commission of her income.[52] In January 2016, Roc Nation filed a counter-lawsuit against Ora for breaking her recording contract, in New York.[53] They reached a settlement in May 2016.[54]

In June 2016, it was reported that she signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records.[55] On 3 September 2016, she performed in a concert at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, in Rome, at the vigil for Mother Teresa's canonisation, alongside other Albanian artists, accompanied by the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.[56][57]

On 26 May 2017, Ora released her first solo single in almost two years, titled "Your Song", which became her ninth top ten song in the UK, peaking at number seven.[58][59] The track is expected to be the lead single from Ora's upcoming second studio album, after previous attempts at her second record were lost in her lawsuit against her former label, Roc Nation.[60] Ora performed at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend on 28 May 2017.[61]

In 2010, Ora featured in a commercial for Skullcandy headphones.[68] She appeared in two Calvin Klein campaigns, in 2010 and 2011.[69][70] In 2013, she was the face of Italian sneaker brand, Superga, and the new face of "Material Girl", a clothing line designed by Madonna.[71][72] In September 2013, cosmetics brand, Rimmel, announced their collaboration with Ora for makeup collections.[73][74] She was the face of two Donna Karan 2014 collections, Resort collection and Autumn/Winter collection.[75][76][77] She's also the face of the label's fragrance, DKNY My NY, inspired by New York City.[78] In March 2014, Ora was one of the cast members of Marks & Spencer's "Leading Ladies" campaign.[79][80] Later in 2014, she appeared as the face of Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter campaign.[81] In 2015, she appeared in Coca-Cola and Samsung Galaxy S6 advertising campaigns.[82][83]

In January 2014, Adidas announced a designer collaboration with Ora for their line of casual sports clothing, Adidas Originals.[84][85] Ora designed her own apparel collections for the brand, including footwear and accessories.[3] In 2016, she collaborated with Italian fashion brand, Tezenis, on a capsule lingerie collection.[86][87]

Following the departure of judge Kelly Rowland, Ora was asked to be a guest judge on the ninth series of The X Factor in the UK. She was a judge during the auditions that were filmed at the O2 Arena in London.[88] In 2013 and 2014, Ora hosted the BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards alongside Nick Grimshaw.[89][90]

In 2015, she was a coach on the fourth series of The Voice UK on BBC One.[91] The same year, it was confirmed that Ora and BBC Radio 1 presenter, Nick Grimshaw, signed as judges for the twelfth series of The X Factor on the rival TV network ITV, after a bidding war between The X Factor and The Voice UK.[88]

In July 2016, Tyra Banks, the creator of America's Next Top Model, announced that Ora would replace her as host of the revamped show which aired on VH1.[92]

Ora possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.[93] Ora credited Gwen Stefani and Beyoncé as her big influences.[94][95] Her other musical influences include Freddie Mercury, Christina Aguilera, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Celine Dion, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Sade.[18][94][96] Ora also stated that she was inspired by her parents' record collection which included artists such as Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others.[18][97]

Ora speaks Albanian. Her mother is Catholic and her father is a nominal Muslim.[8] When asked about her religion, Ora said that she does not consider herself religious, but "more of a spiritual person."[99] Ora considers herself a feminist.[100][101]

Her maternal grandfather, Osman Bajraktari, was the Albanian consul to Russia (then part of the Soviet Union).[102][103] Her paternal grandfather, Besim Sahatçiu, was a film and theatre director.[18]

On 10 July 2015, Ora was named an honorary ambassador for the Republic of Kosovo by the country's president, Atifete Jahjaga, at the Embassy of Kosovo in London.[98][104] Ora, who was joined at the ceremony by her parents, and former British Prime Minister and his wife, Tony and Cherie Blair, stated she was "overwhelmed" by the honour and pledged to help the youth of Kosovo.[98]

She dated Calvin Harris from April 2013 to June 2014.[105] She broke up with Richard Hilfiger in July 2015 after a one-year relationship.[106]

On 23 March 2013, Ora performed as a special guest at Le Bal de la Rose du Rocher, an event organised by Karl Lagerfeld in Monte Carlo in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation.[107] On 1 June 2013, Ora performed at the "Chime for Change" charity concert at Twickenham Stadium, London, which raised funds and awareness for girls' and women's issues around the world.[108] In December 2013, along with other British artists, she filmed "No Place Like Home" campaign with UNICEF UK, in support of their appeal for the children affected by the Syrian conflict.[109] On 7 May 2014, Ora headlined the third annual “Gabrielle’s Gala” fundraiser at Old Billingsgate Market, London, raising money for Cancer Research UK.[110]

On 15 November 2014, Ora joined the charity group Band Aid 30 along with other British and Irish pop acts, recording the latest version of the track "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, to raise money for the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa.[111] On 14 November 2015, Ora performed during half-time at David Beckham's UNICEF charity "Match for Children" held at Old Trafford, Manchester.[112] On 9 March 2016, she gave a speech on immigration and the Syrian refugee crisis at the We Day UK event in London, organised by Free the Children.[113]