Lightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or not having a lot of features, such as a lightweight cell phone. This can be confusing because it could either mean the cell phone is not heavy, or it doesn't have a lot of features.

Professional boxing

The lightweight is the 130 pounds (59 kilograms) to 135 pounds (61 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. In England, it equates to the weight bracket of 9 st 4 lb - 9 st 9 lb.

Notable lightweight boxers include Alexis Argüello, Henry Armstrong, Ken Buchanan, Héctor Camacho, Tony Canzoneri, Pedro Carrasco, Joel Casamayor, Julio César Chávez, Diego Corrales, Al "Bummy" Davis, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Durán, Joe Gans, Miguel Ángel González, Amir Khan, Benny Leonard, Ray Mancini, Juan Manuel Márquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sugar Shane Mosley, Carlos Ortiz, Manny Pacquiao, Edwin Valero, Pernell Whitaker, and Ike Williams.

Professional Champions

Current champions

Amateur Champions

Olympic Champions

1904 – 1908 – 1920 – 1924 – 1928 – 1952 – 1956 – 1960 – 1964 – 1968 – 1972 – 1976 – 1980 – 1984 – 1988 – 1992 – 1996 – 2000 – 2004 – 2008 -

Pan American Champions

1951 – Oscar Gallardo (ARG) 1955 – Miguel Ángel Péndola (ARG) 1959 – Abel Laudonio (ARG) 1963 – Roberto Caminero (CUB) 1967 – Enrique Regueiferos (CUB) 1971 – Luis Dávila (PUR) 1975 – Chris Clarke (CAN) 1979 – Adolfo Horta (CUB) 1983 – Pernell Whitaker (United States) 1987 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB) 1991 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB) 1995 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB) 1999 – Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB) 2003 – Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB)

Kickboxing Lightweight

International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Lightweight (Pro & Amateur) 127.1 lbs. - 132 lbs. or 57.77 kg - 60 kg

Women's divisions also use this weight class, but usually at a much lower weight than the men's divisions.

Rowing

Lightweight rowing was a category entered into the Olympic sport, originally due to countries of smaller stature competing with an unfair disadvantage, as rowing favors the taller athlete who has more leverage.

Category:Boxing weight classes

Name	Ronnie Dean Coleman
Nickname	Ronnie Coleman
Birth date	May 13, 1964
Birth place	Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S.
Height
Weight	Contest: , Off season:
Firstproshow	1992 IFBB World Amateur Championships
Firstproshowyear	1992
Bestwin	IFBB Mr. Olympia 1998-2005
Predecessor	Dorian Yates
Successor	Jay Cutler
Yesorretiredyear	Since 1991

Ronnie Dean "Big Ron" Coleman (born May 13, 1964 in Bastrop, Louisiana) is an American professional bodybuilder who holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, a record career total that he shares with Lee Haney.

Biography

Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26. He broke the previous record (held by Vince Taylor at 22 wins) in Moscow on November 5, 2004.

Coleman graduated cum laude from Grambling State University (GSU) in 1986 with a B.S degree in accounting. While attending Grambling State University Coleman also played football as a middle linebacker with the GSU Tigers under famous coach Eddie Robinson. After graduation, Coleman became a police officer.

Being a police officer allowed Coleman the free time he needed for lifting. Coleman was suggested to go to a gym known as Metroflex Gym by a fellow officer. The owner of the gym was Brian Dobson, who happen to also be an amateur bodybuilder, offered Coleman a free lifetime membership to Metroflex if he would allow him to train Coleman for the upcoming Mr. Texas bodybuilding competition that year.

After the training for the upcoming event of Mr. Texas, Coleman won first place in both the heavy weight and overall categories. He also defeated the man that trained him, Dobson. Also in 1990 not only did Coleman take the title of Mr. Texas but he also took titles in that years National Physique Committee (NPC) Texas Championships. In 1991 Coleman also won what is probably considered one of the most prestigious competitions in amateur bodybuilding, Mr. Universe. This victory qualified him to enter the professional contest sponsored by the IFBB, the sport's largest sanctioning body.

Coleman won his first competition as a professional—the Canada Pro Cup in 1995. The following year he won the contest again. Followed by a first place win in 1997, The Russian Grand Prix.

Coleman's success as a professional bodybuilder has led to many product endorsements and other opportunities in his career. Due to his bodybuilding profession Coleman undergoes a lot of travel to places such as China, Brazil, and Australia. Coleman also makes many guest appearances at gym openings all around the U.S.

Coleman has also made some training videos. His first Training Video; The Unbelievable; The cost of Redemption; and On the Road. In these videos Coleman gives tips for more experienced weightlifters, while warning against over exertion and improper form.

When working out, Coleman prefers to use free weights rather than machines in order to maximize his flexibility and range of motion. He lifts weights six days per week.

Coleman supports the Inner City Games, an organization that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger co-founded in 1991. He was the recipient of the 2001 Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award from Texas Governor Rick Perry for outstanding achievements in bodybuilding and for the promotion of physical fitness.

On June 30, 2009 on MuscleSport Radio, Coleman stated that he would compete in the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition. Coleman also indicated that he would not participate in the 2009 Mr. Olympia competition for lack of preparation time. On October 10, 2009 at the Northern Territory Fitness & Bodybuilding Titles in Darwin, Australia, Coleman confirmed that he would compete in the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition, however, he did not appear at the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition.

Personal life

Ronnie Coleman was married for the first time at the age of 43 to Rouaida Christine Achkar in December 2007. He also has two daughters, Jamilleah and Valencia Daniel. Coleman is a Christian.

Bodybuilding titles

1990 Mr. Texas (Heavyweight & Overall)

1991 World Amateur Championships (Heavyweight)

1991 Mr. Universe

1995 Canada Pro Cup

1996 Canada Pro Cup

1997 Grand Prix Russia

1998 Night of Champions

1998 Toronto Pro Invitational

1998 Mr. Olympia

1998 Grand Prix Finland

1998 Grand Prix Germany

1999 Mr. Olympia

1999 World Pro Championships

1999 Grand Prix England

2000 Mr. Brody Langley

2000 Grand Prix England

2000 World Pro Championships

2000 Mr. Olympia

2001 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic

2001 Mr. Olympia

2001 New Zealand Grand Prix

2002 Mr. Olympia

2002 Grand Prix Holland

2003 Mr. Olympia

2003 Grand Prix Russia

2003 Scott W. Emmerson Long Dong memorial

2004 Mr. Olympia

2004 Grand Prix England

2004 Grand Prix Holland

2004 Grand Prix Russia

2005 Mr. Olympia

See also

Arnold Classic

List of male professional bodybuilders

References

External links

Official website

MuscleSport Mag article on comeback during radio interview

Fabodylous Coverage of Ronnie Coleman's special appearance, guest posing and seminar in Singapore, 2

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American Christians Category:African American bodybuilders Category:American bodybuilders Category:Professional bodybuilders Category:Grambling State Tigers football players Category:People from Bastrop, Louisiana Category:American police officers Category:World record holders

Name	Thomas Edison
Imagesize	220px
Caption	– Thomas Alva Edison, Harper's Monthly (September 1932)
Birth name	Thomas Alva Edison
Birth date	February 11, 1847
Birth place	Milan, Ohio, United States
Death date	October 18, 1931
Death place	West Orange, New Jersey, United States
Occupation	Inventor, scientist, businessman
Spouse
Religion	Deist
Partner	| children =Marion Estelle Edison (1873–1965)Thomas Alva Edison Jr. (1876–1935)William Leslie Edison (1878–1937)Madeleine Edison (1888–1979)Charles Edison (1890–1969)Theodore Miller Edison (1898–1992) | parents =Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr. (1804–1896)Nancy Matthews Elliott (1810–1871)
Relatives	Lewis Miller (father-in-law)
Signature	Thomas Alva Edison Signature.svg

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. it lasted 40 hours. Edison continued to improve this design and by November 4, 1879, filed for U.S. patent 223,898 (granted on January 27, 1880) for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires". it was not until several months after the patent was granted that Edison and his team discovered a carbonized bamboo filament that could last over 1,200 hours. The idea of using this particular raw material originated from Edison's recalling his examination of a few threads from a bamboo fishing pole while relaxing on the shore of Battle Lake in the present-day state of Wyoming, where he and other members of a scientific team had traveled so that they could clearly observe a total eclipse of the sun on July 29, 1878, from the Continental Divide. In 1891, Thomas Edison built a Kinetoscope, or peep-hole viewer. This device was installed in penny arcades, where people could watch short, simple films. The kinetograph and kinetoscope were both first publicly exhibited May 20, 1891.

Edison became the owner of his Milan, Ohio, birthplace in 1906. On his last visit, in 1923, he was shocked to find his old home still lit by lamps and candles.

Thomas Edison died of complications of diabetes on October 18, 1931, in his home, "Glenmont" in Llewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey, which he had purchased in 1886 as a wedding gift for Mina. He is buried behind the home. Edison was heavily influenced by Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason. Edison defended Paine's "scientific deism", saying, "He has been called an atheist, but atheist he was not. Paine believed in a supreme intelligence, as representing the idea which other men often express by the name of deity." In an October 2, 1910, interview in the New York Times Magazine, Edison stated:

Nature is what we know. We do not know the gods of religions. And nature is not kind, or merciful, or loving. If God made me — the fabled God of the three qualities of which I spoke: mercy, kindness, love — He also made the fish I catch and eat. And where do His mercy, kindness, and love for that fish come in? No; nature made us — nature did it all — not the gods of the religions.

Nonviolence was key to Edison's moral views, and when asked to serve as a naval consultant for World War I, he specified he would work only on defensive weapons and later noted, "I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill." Edison's philosophy of nonviolence extended to animals as well, about which he stated: "Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." However, he is also notorious for having electrocuted a number of dogs in 1888, both by direct and alternating current, in an attempt to argue that the former (which he had a vested business interest in promoting) was safer than the latter (favored by his rival George Westinghouse). Edison's success in promoting direct current as less lethal also led to alternating current being used in the electric chair adopted by New York in 1889 as a supposedly humane execution method; because Westinghouse was angered by the decision, he funded Eighth Amendment-based appeals for inmates set to die in the electric chair, ultimately resulting in Edison providing the generators which powered early electrocutions and testifying successfully on behalf of the state that electrocution was a painless method of execution.

Tributes

Places named for Edison

Several places have been named after Edison, most notably the town of Edison, New Jersey. Thomas Edison State College, a nationally known college for adult learners, is in Trenton, New Jersey. Two community colleges are named for him: Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida, and Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio. There are numerous high schools named after Edison; see Edison High School.

The City Hotel, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, was the first building to be lit with Edison's three-wire system. The hotel was re-named The Hotel Edison, and retains that name today.

Three bridges around the United States have been named in his honor (see Edison Bridge).

Museums and memorials

In West Orange, New Jersey, the 13.5 acre (5.5 ha) Glenmont estate is maintained and operated by the National Park Service as the Edison National Historic Site. The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum is in the town of Edison, New Jersey. In Beaumont, Texas, there is an Edison Museum, though Edison never visited there. The Port Huron Museum, in Port Huron, Michigan, restored the original depot that Thomas Edison worked out of as a young newsbutcher. The depot has been named the Thomas Edison Depot Museum. The town has many Edison historical landmarks, including the graves of Edison's parents, and a monument along the St. Clair River. Edison's influence can be seen throughout this city of 32,000. In Detroit, the Edison Memorial Fountain in Grand Circus Park was created to honor his achievements. The limestone fountain was dedicated October 21, 1929, the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the lightbulb. On the same night, The Edison Institute was dedicated in nearby Dearborn.

In early 2010, Edison was proposed by the Ohio Historical Society as a finalist in a statewide vote for inclusion in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol.

Companies bearing Edison's name

Edison General Electric, merged with Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric

Commonwealth Edison, now part of Exelon

Consolidated Edison

Edison International

* Southern California Edison

* Edison Mission Energy

* Edison Capital

Detroit Edison, a unit of DTE Energy

Edison Sault Electric Company, a unit of Wisconsin Energy Corporation

FirstEnergy

* Metropolitan Edison

* Ohio Edison

* Toledo Edison

Edison S.p.A., a unit of Italenergia

Boston Edison, a unit of NSTAR, formerly known as the Edison Electric Illuminating Company

WEEI radio station in Boston, established by the Edison Electric Illuminating Company (hence the call letters)

Trade association the Edison Electric Institute, a lobbying and research group for investor-owned utilities in the United States

Awards named in honor of Edison

The Edison Medal was created on February 11, 1904, by a group of Edison's friends and associates. Four years later the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE), later IEEE, entered into an agreement with the group to present the medal as its highest award. The first medal was presented in 1909 to Elihu Thomson and, in a twist of fate, was awarded to Nikola Tesla in 1917. It is the oldest award in the area of electrical and electronics engineering, and is presented annually "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering or the electrical arts."

In the Netherlands, the major music awards are named the Edison Award after him.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers concedes the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award to individual patents since 2000.

Honors and awards given to Edison

The President of the Third French Republic, Jules Grévy, on the recommendation of his Minister of Foreign Affairs Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire and with the presentations of the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs Louis Cochery, designated Edison with the distinction of an 'Officer of the Legion of Honour' (Légion d'honneur) by decree on November 10, 1881;

In 1983, the United States Congress, pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 140 (Public Law 97—198), designated February 11, Edison's birthday, as National Inventor's Day.

In 1887, Edison won the Matteucci Medal. In 1890, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

In 1889, Edison was awarded the John Scott Medal.

In 1899, Edison was awarded the Edward Longstreth Medal.

Edison was awarded Franklin Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1915 for discoveries contributing to the foundation of industries and the well-being of the human race.

Edison was ranked thirty-fifth on Michael H. Hart's 1978 book The 100, a list of the most influential figures in history. Life magazine (USA), in a special double issue in 1997, placed Edison first in the list of the "100 Most Important People in the Last 1000 Years", noting that the light bulb he promoted "lit up the world". In the 2005 television series The Greatest American, he was voted by viewers as the fifteenth-greatest.

In 2008, Edison was inducted in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Other items named after Edison

The United States Navy named the USS Edison (DD-439), a Gleaves class destroyer, in his honor in 1940. The ship was decommissioned a few months after the end of World War II. In 1962, the Navy commissioned USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610), a fleet ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarine. Decommissioned on December 1, 1983, Thomas A. Edison was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on April 30, 1986. She went through the Navy's Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington, beginning on October 1, 1996. When she finished the program on December 1, 1997, she ceased to exist as a complete ship and was listed as scrapped.

In popular culture

Thomas Edison has appeared in popular culture as a character in novels, films, comics and video games. His prolific inventing helped make him an icon and he has made appearances in popular culture during his lifetime down to the present day. His history with Nikola Tesla has also provided dramatic tension and is a theme returned to numerous times.

See also

Animated Hero Classics – Animated DVD biography series of historical figures, including Thomas Edison

John I. Beggs

List of Edison patents

List of people on stamps of Ireland

Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace

USS Edison (DD-439)

Thomas E. Murray

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Phonomotor

References

Bibliography

External links

;Locations

Menlo Park Museum and Edison Memorial Tower

Thomas Edison National Historical Park (National Park Service)

Edison exhibit and Menlo Park Laboratory at Henry Ford Museum

Edison Museum

Edison Depot Museum

Edison Birthplace Museum

Thomas Edison House

;Information and media

The Diary of Thomas Edison

Edison's patent application for the light bulb at the National Archives.

Jan. 4, 1903: Edison Fries an Elephant to Prove His Point – Wired Magazine article about Edison's "macabre form of a series of animal electrocutions using AC."

The Invention Factory: Thomas Edison's Laboratories

Rutgers: Edison Papers

Edisonian Museum Antique Electrics

"Edison's Miracle of Light"

Edison Innovation Foundation – Non-profit foundation supporting the legacy of Thomas Edison.

The Illustrious Vagabonds

"The World's Greatest Inventor", October 1931, Popular Mechanics detailed, illustrated article

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Category:1847 births Category:1931 deaths Category:American inventors Category:American people of Canadian descent Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American scientists Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Cinema pioneers Category:Congressional Gold Medal recipients Category:Deaf people Category:Deists Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Category:National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees Category:People associated with electricity Category:People from Erie County, Ohio Category:People of United Empire Loyalist descent Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) *

Name	Gary Buckland
Realname	Gary Buckland
Weight	Lightweight
Nationality	United Kingdom
Birth date	June 12, 1986
Birth place	Cardiff, Wales
Style	Orthodox
Total	23
Wins	21
Losses	2
Draws	0
Ko	8

Gary Buckland (born 12 June 1986) is a Welsh professional boxer fighting in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. He is a former Celtic and Welsh Area champion and has challenged for the full British and European titles.

Professional career

Buckland's professional debut came on 5 March 2005 with a four round points win over Warren Dunkley at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham. He fought three more times that year scoring wins on each occasion and fighting in London, Plymouth and Bristol. Five fights the following year in 2006 resulted in five more wins including two victories over Judex Meema and a trip to Spain for a points win over Ubadel Soto. On 3 March 2007 in his first fight of the year and now boasting an unbeaten record of 9-0 Buckland defeated Stuart Phillips at the Newport Leisure Centre to win the Welsh Area title. A win over journeyman Carl Allen followed before on 5 October 2007 Buckland defeated Martin Watson over 10 rounds to lift the Celtic version of the lightweight title.

Defeat and regroup

Now with a record of 11-0, Buckland begun 2008 with wins over journeymen Alex Spitko and Ali Wyatt before on 13 June 2008 losing for the first time to Hove's Ben Murphy in a six round points defeat. Buckland bounced back from the defeat on 27 February 2009 travelling to Barnsley and scoring a 10 round shut out against Craig Docherty in another Celtic title fight. His next contest was to be an eliminator for the full British title with England's Henry Castle his opponent. The fight in Newport resulted in another 10 round points win for Buckland against a man who had recently impressed with wins over Graham Earl, Ryan Barrett and Kevin O'Hara. A first round win over Hungarian Istvan Nagy on 13 November 2009 topped off a successful year for the Welshman.

British and European title challenge

On 19 February 2010 Buckland scored possibly his biggest win to date with a 12 round victory in a Commonwealth title eliminator against Uganda's Sam Rukundo. Rukundo, based in Sweden, was undefeated with 15 wins and only one draw before losing that record to Buckland at a fight in Stoke. Already in contention for a shot at the British title, the win had put him in the frame for a shot at the European title too. His opponent for both titles on 7 May 2010 was the current European number one contender and British champion, John Murray. The fight took place at the Kingsway Leisure Center in Widnes and ended with a second career defeat for Buckland with Murray proving to be just too strong, winning in the 11th round.

Prizefighter win

On 20 November 2010 Buckland moved down to super featherweight and competed in the 15th prizefighter competition shown live on Sky Sports. The Barry Hearn promoted tournament pitched 8 fighters in a knock out style competition over one evening with the winner walking away with prize money of £32,000. In the quarter finals Buckland was matched against former amateur star Steven Bell winning over 3 rounds on all the judges scorecards. In the semi-final Buckland pulled off one of the upsets of the year with a first round knockout of the pre-tournament favourite and reigning British champion Gary Sykes. In the final Buckland met Derry Mathews the former WBU champion and former young boxer of the year. Mathews had beaten Gary McArthur by stoppage in the quarters and then engaged in a grueling contest with Choi Tseveenpurev in the semis to book his place in the final. The fight resulted in another stoppage win for Buckland with a devastating punch to the solar plexus in the 2nd round proving too much for Mathews to recover from. Of his win Buckland said "I'm feeling on top of the world". He added "I'd done a good 10 weeks of training and I knew it was going to be a hard competition. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, so far."

References

Category:British boxers Category:Lightweights Category:Super-featherweights Category:Prizefighter contestants Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:People from Cardiff