The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the autumn of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the regular season played in 1966, while Super Bowl XLV will be played on February 6, 2011, to determine the champion of the 2010 regular season.

The game was created as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was to officially begin in 1970. After the merger, each league was redesignated as a "conference", and the game was then played between the conference champions.

The day on which the Super Bowl is played is now considered a de facto American national holiday, called "Super Bowl Sunday". It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast; Super Bowl XLIV, played in February 2010 between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, became the most-watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 106.5 million viewers and taking over the spot held for twenty-seven years by the final episode of M*A*S*H. The Super Bowl is among the most watched sporting events in the world, primarily due to mostly North American audiences, and is second to soccer's UEFA Champions League final as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide.

Because of its high viewership, commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year. Due to the high cost of investing in advertising on the Super Bowl, companies regularly develop their most expensive advertisements for this broadcast. As a result, watching and discussing the broadcast's commercials has become a significant aspect of the event. In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event's pre-game and halftime ceremonies because of the exposure.

Origin

The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and its competitive rival, the American Football League (AFL). After its inception in 1920, the NFL fended off several rival leagues before the AFL began play in 1960. The intense competitive war for players and fans led to serious merger talks between the two leagues in 1966. According to NFL Films President Steve Sabol, then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to call the game "The Big One". During the discussions to iron out the details, one of the AFL's founders and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt had jokingly referred to the proposed inter league championship as the "Super Bowl". Lamar Hunt, who died in December 2006, coined the term in the late 1960s after watching his kids play with a Super Ball, the creation of toy manufacturer Wham-O. The small, round ball is currently on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The name was consistent with post-season college football games, which had long been known as "bowl games". Hunt only meant his suggested name to be a stopgap until a better one could be found; nevertheless, the name "Super Bowl" became permanent. Tickets for the games played in 1967, 1968, and 1969 were printed with the title "World Championship Game".

After the NFL's Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls, some team owners feared for the future of the merger. At the time, many doubted the competitiveness of AFL teams compared with NFL counterparts, though that perception changed with the AFL's New York Jets' defeat of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in Miami. One year later, the AFL Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL Minnesota Vikings 23–7 and won Super Bowl IV in New Orleans, the final World Championship game played between the champions of the two leagues, as the league merger finally took place later that year.

The game is played annually on a Sunday as the final game of the NFL Playoffs. Originally, the game took place in early to mid-January, following a fourteen-game regular season and two rounds of playoffs. Over the years, the date of the Super Bowl has progressed from the second Sunday in January, to the third, then the fourth Sunday in January; the game is currently played on the first Sunday in February, given the current seventeen-week (sixteen games and one bye week) regular season and three rounds of playoffs. Also, February is television's "sweeps" month and it affords the television network carrying the game an immense opportunity to pad its viewership when negotiating for advertising revenue. The progression of the dates of the Super Bowl was caused by several factors: the expansion of the NFL's regular season in 1978 from fourteen games to sixteen; the expansion of the pre-Super Bowl playoff field from eight to twelve teams, necessitating the addition of a third round of playoffs (also in 1978); the addition of the regular season bye-week in the 1990s; and the decision to start the regular season the week following Labor Day. Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle is often considered the mastermind of both the merger and the Super Bowl. His leadership guided the two competitors into the merger agreement and cemented the preeminence of the Super Bowl.

The winning team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games and three of the five preceding NFL championships in 1961, 1962, and 1965. Following his death in September 1970, the trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and was first awarded as such to the Baltimore Colts at Super Bowl V in Miami.

Game history

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls, while two other teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, have each won five. Fifteen other NFL franchises have won at least one Super Bowl. Only four active NFL franchises, the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans have not appeared in the Super Bowl: The Browns and Lions have both won NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era, while the Jaguars (who joined the NFL in 1995) and Texans (2002) joined the league after the era began.

1966-1967: Packers early success

The Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls, defeating the AFL Kansas City Chiefs and the AFL Oakland Raiders following the 1966 and 1967 seasons, respectively. The Packers were led by quarterback Bart Starr, who was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for both games. These two championships, coupled with the Packers' NFL championships in , , and have led many people to consider the Packers to be the "Team of the '60s." Green Bay is often referred to as "Title Town, USA."

1968–1980 AFL/AFC dominance

In Super Bowl III, behind the leadership of quarterback Joe Namath and former Baltimore Colts coach Weeb Ewbank, the New York Jets defeated the eighteen-point favorite Baltimore Colts 16–7 in Miami. The win demonstrated the AFL as a legitimate contender with the NFL. In time, the AFC dominated the 1970s, though five of those wins were by pre-merger NFL teams that had been moved to the AFC (Colts and Steelers). The Dallas Cowboys were the only NFC franchise to claim a Super Bowl during the 1970s decade, winning Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII.

Perfection

During the 1970s, the majority of the Super Bowls were won by just three teams, the Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning a combined eight championships in the decade. Dallas won Super Bowls VI and XII. Miami won Super Bowls VII and VIII. The first of these Super Bowl wins capped the only undefeated and untied season in the history of the NFL at 17-0. The 2007 New England Patriots, who went 16–0 during the regular season, and 18-0 when they won the AFC Championship, ended up losing Super Bowl XLII. The New England Patriots of that year have had the best season record without winning the title at 18-1. The 1984 49ers and 1985 Bears have also had an 18-1 record, but both teams won their Super Bowl matchups. Before the Super Bowl era, both the 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears recorded perfect regular seasons but lost the NFL Championship Game.

The Steelers' dynasty

Pittsburgh won Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, and XIV between 1974 and 1979, behind the leadership of Steeler Head Football Coach Chuck Noll, and the play of offense stars Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster and their "Steel Curtain" dominant defense led by "Mean" Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, and Jack Lambert. The coaches and administrators also were part of the dynasty's greatness as evidenced by the team's "final pieces" being part of the famous 1974 draft. The selections in that class have been considered the best by any pro franchise ever, as Pittsburgh selected four future Hall of Famers, the most by far for any pro team in any sport. The Steelers were the first team to win three and then four Super Bowls and appeared in six AFC Championship Games during the decade, making the playoffs in eight straight seasons. Nine players and three coaches and administrators on the team have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pittsburgh is also the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. Many football experts also credit the team for what is arguably the "Greatest play ever from scrimmage," 1973's Immaculate Reception, come-from-behind playoff victory. Even with success in following decades, the Steelers of the 1970s still have a special place in the region's identity; for instance, a statue of Franco Harris is prominently featured at the Pittsburgh International Airport as an equal to George Washington's statue.

1981–1996: The NFC's winning streak

NFC teams won fifteen of sixteen Super Bowls during this period, including a thirteen game-win streak from 1984 to 1996.

The 49ers Dynasty

The most successful franchise of the 1980s was the San Francisco 49ers, who won four Super Bowls in the decade (XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV). They were known for using Bill Walsh's west coast offense. The 1980s also included the 1985 Chicago Bears, who finished the season with an 18–1 record, a feat accomplished the prior year by the 49ers. The Oakland Raiders were the only AFC franchise to win a Super Bowl in the 1980s, winning Super Bowls XV and XVIII. The Washington Redskins won Super Bowls XVII and XXII, while their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants, won Super Bowls XXI and XXV.

The Cowboys in the mid-1990s

The Dallas Cowboys became the dominant team in the NFL in the mid-1990s. After championships by division rivals New York and Washington to start the decade, the Cowboys won three of the next four Super Bowls. With Super Bowl XXIX, the 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls. The Cowboys also won their fifth title (Super Bowl XXX) in the decade and appeared in four NFC championship games as well, winning with both a balanced offense and dominant defense. The 49ers and the Cowboys faced each other in three consecutive NFC championships. As both teams began to lose their dominance late into the decade, another NFC powerhouse, the Green Bay Packers, led by three time MVP quarterback Brett Favre, emerged, winning Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 season. The early 1990s also featured the Buffalo Bills, who became the only team to date to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls; however, they lost all four.

1997 onwards: the AFC rises again

In Super Bowl XXXII, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway led the Denver Broncos to an upset victory over the defending champion Packers, snapping the NFC's thirteen-game winning streak, and beginning their own streak, in which the AFC would win nine of the following thirteen Super Bowls. The Broncos would defeat the Atlanta Falcons the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII, which was John Elway's final game. After an NFC win by the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, the AFC followed with wins by the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.

The Patriots Dynasty

The Patriots became the dominant team throughout the early 2000s, winning the championship in three out of four years early in the decade. From 1996 - 2008 the Patriots have appeared in 5 Super Bowls winning 3. In Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady led his team to a 20–17 upset victory over the Rams. The Patriots also won consecutive Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. They lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants in 2008, becoming the only team to finish the season 18–1 and not win the Super Bowl. The Patriots are again favored to win the Super Bowl in 2011 acording to Las Vegas odds makers.

The second half of the decade saw parity among both conferences. The AFC recorded wins by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowls XL and XLIII, and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI, while the Giants and the New Orleans Saints logged wins for the NFC in Super Bowls XLII and XLIV, respectively.

Security

The Super Bowl has been designated a National Special Security Event by the United States Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security every year since Super Bowl XXXVI, which was the first Bowl played following the September 11 attacks. The stadium and surrounding area have faced increased security measures since then, especially on game day. Among other things, the once-ubiquitous blimps—four in Super Bowl XIX, according to NFL Films' Steven Sabol—have been grounded.

Television coverage and ratings

For many years, the Super Bowl has possessed a large US television viewership, and it is often the most watched television program of the year. The game tends to have high Nielsen television ratings, which is usually around a 40 rating and 60 share. This means that on average, 80 to 90 million Americans are tuned into the Super Bowl at any given moment.

A frequently misquoted figure from NFL press releases has led to the common perception that the Super Bowl has an annual global audience of around one billion people. In reality, the NFL states one billion as the game's potential worldwide audience, or the number of people able to watch the game. Independent studies suggest that the average global viewership is just over 100 million, with 80-90% of those in the U.S. final recently had 109 million viewers making it the most watched annual sporting event worldwide with the Super Bowl in second with 106 million viewers.

The highest-rated game according to Nielsen was Super Bowl XVI in 1982, which was watched in 49.1 percent of households (73 share), or 40,020,000 households at the time. Ratings for that game, a San Francisco victory over Cincinnati, may have been aided by a large blizzard that had affected much of the northeastern United States on game day, leaving residents to stay at home more than usual. Also, because network television was still the predominant means of viewership and pay television services (cable, and later satellite) were still relatively unavailable, there were not many choices of things to watch on television. Super Bowl XVI still ranks fourth on Nielsen's list of top-rated programs of all time, and three other Super Bowls, XII, XVII, and XX, made the top ten. 2010's Super Bowl XLIV holds the record for total number of U.S. viewers, attracting an average audience of 106.5 million viewers.

Following Apple Computer's 1984 commercial introducing the Macintosh computer, directed by Ridley Scott, the broadcast of the Super Bowl became the premier showcase for high concept and expensive commercials. Famous commercial campaigns include the Budweiser "Bud Bowl" campaign and the 1999 and 2000 dot-com ads. Prices have increased every year, with advertisers paying as much as $3 million for a thirty-second spot during Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. A segment of the audience tunes in to the Super Bowl solely to view commercials.

Entertainment

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Early Super Bowls featured a halftime show consisting of marching bands from local colleges or high schools; but as the popularity of the game increased, a trend where popular singers and musicians performed during its pre-game ceremonies and the halftime show, or simply sang the national anthem of the United States, emerged. Unlike regular season or playoff games, thirty minutes are allocated for the Super Bowl halftime.

The first halftime show to have featured only one star performer was Michael Jackson during Super Bowl XXVII in 1993. The NFL specifically went after him to increase viewership and to continue expanding the Super Bowl's reputation. Another notable performance came during Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, when U2 performed; during their second song, "Where the Streets Have No Name", the band played under a large projection screen which scrolled through names of the victims of the September 11 attacks.

The halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 generated controversy when Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Janet Jackson's top, exposing her right breast with a star-shaped ring around the nipple. Timberlake and Jackson have maintained that the incident was accidental, calling it a "wardrobe malfunction". The game was airing live on CBS, and MTV had produced the halftime show. Immediately after the moment, the footage jump-cut to a wide-angle shot and went to a commercial break; however, video captures of the moment in detail circulated quickly on the internet. The NFL, embarrassed by the incident, permanently banned MTV from conducting future halftime shows. This also led to the FCC tightening controls on indecency and fining CBS and CBS-owned stations a total of $550,000 for the incident. The fine was later reversed in July 2008. Since the incident, all of the performers in Super Bowl halftime shows have been artists associated with the classic rock genre of the 1970s and 1980s, with only one act playing the entire halftime show.

Excluding Super Bowl XXXIX, the famous "I'm going to Disney World!" advertising campaign took place at every Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXI, when quarterback Phil Simms from the New York Giants became the first player to say the tagline. The Walt Disney Company ran the ad several times during the game, showing several players from both teams practicing the catch-phrase.

Venue

the night of Super Bowl XL.]] Twenty-six of forty-four Super Bowls have been played in New Orleans (nine times), the Greater Miami area (ten times), or the Greater Los Angeles area (seven times). The current NFL policy is to hold Super Bowls only in cities that have an NFL franchise.

No team has ever played the Super Bowl in their home stadium. The closest have been the San Francisco 49ers who played Super Bowl XIX in Stanford Stadium, rather than Candlestick Park, and the Los Angeles Rams who played Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl, rather than the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Besides those two, the only other Super Bowl venue that was not the home stadium to an NFL team at the time was Rice Stadium in Houston: the Houston Oilers had played there previously, but moved to the Astrodome several years prior to Super Bowl VIII. The Orange Bowl was the only AFL stadium to host a Super Bowl and the only stadium to host consecutive Super Bowls, hosting Super Bowl II and III.

Traditionally, the NFL does not award Super Bowls to stadiums that are located in climates less than 50°F (10°C) unless the field is completely covered by a fixed or retractable roof. Only three Super Bowls have been played in northern cities: two in the Detroit area—Super Bowl XVI at Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan and Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit—, and one in Minneapolis—Super Bowl XXVI. Super Bowl XLVI will also be played in a northern city, Indianapolis.

On March 5, 2006, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, a "cold weather" city, was awarded the rights to host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015; however, the game was contingent on the successful passage of two sales taxes in Jackson County, Missouri on April 4, 2006. The first tax would have funded improvements to Arrowhead, home of the Chiefs, and neighboring Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball team. The second tax would have allowed the construction of a "rolling roof" between the two stadiums. The second tax failed to pass. With increased opposition by local business leaders and politicians, Kansas City eventually withdrew its request to host the game on May 25, 2006. Before that, Super Bowl XLIV, slated for February 7, 2010, was withdrawn from New York City's proposed West Side Stadium, also to have been a retractable roof facility, because the city, state, and proposed tenants New York Jets could not agree on funding. The game was then awarded to Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Despite not having a retractable roof, the New Meadowlands Stadium was chosen for Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, in an apparent waiver of the warm-climate rule.

Super Bowl XXVII was originally awarded to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, but was moved to the Rose Bowl, because Arizona at the time did not recognize Martin Luther King Day.

Selection process

The location of the Super Bowl is chosen by the NFL well in advance, usually three to five years before the game. Cities place bids to host a Super Bowl and are evaluated in terms of stadium renovation and their ability to host. The NFL owners then meet to make a selection on the site. On October 16, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suggested that a Super Bowl might be played in London, probably at Wembley Stadium. The game has never been played in a region that lacks an NFL franchise; seven Super Bowls have been played in Los Angeles, but none since the Los Angeles Raiders and Los Angeles Rams relocated to Oakland and St. Louis respectively in 1995.

Home team designation

The designated "home team" alternates between the AFC team in even-numbered games and the NFC team in odd-numbered games. This alternation was initiated with the first Super Bowl, when the Green Bay Packers of the NFL were the designated home team. Since Super Bowl XIII in January 1979, the home team is given the choice of wearing their coloured or white jerseys. Formerly, the designated home team was specified to wear their colored jerseys, which resulted in Dallas donning their less familiar dark blue jerseys for Super Bowl V. Regardless of being the home or away team of record, each team has their team wordmark painted in one of the end zones along with their conference designation.

While most of the home teams in the Super Bowl have chosen to wear their colored jerseys, there have been four exceptions; the Cowboys during Super Bowl XIII and XXVII, the Washington Redskins during Super Bowl XVII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XL. The Cowboys, since , and Redskins, since the arrival of coach Joe Gibbs in , have traditionally worn white jerseys at home. Meanwhile, the Steelers, who have always worn their black jerseys at home since the AFL-NFL merger in , opted for the white jerseys after winning three consecutive playoff games on the road, wearing white. The Steelers' decision was compared with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX; the Patriots had worn white jerseys at home during the season, but after winning road playoff games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins wearing red jerseys, New England opted to switch to red for the Super Bowl as the designated home team.

Stadiums that have hosted the Super Bowl

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Name !! Location !! # hosted !! Years hosted |- |Louisiana Superdome||New Orleans, Louisiana||7*||1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013 |- |Miami Orange Bowl||Miami, Florida||5||1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979 |- |- |Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Sun Life Stadium||Miami Gardens, Florida||5||1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010 |- |- |Rose Bowl||Pasadena, California||5||1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 |- |Tulane Stadium||New Orleans, Louisiana||3||1970, 1972, 1975 |- |Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium||San Diego, California||3||1988, 1998, 2003 |- |Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum||Los Angeles, California||2||1967, 1973 |- |Tampa Stadium||Tampa, Florida||2||1984, 1991 |- |Georgia Dome||Atlanta, Georgia||2||1994, 2000 |- |Raymond James Stadium||Tampa, Florida||2||2001, 2009 |- |Rice Stadium||Houston, Texas||1||1974 |- |Pontiac Silverdome||Pontiac, Michigan||1||1982 |- |Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome||Minneapolis, Minnesota||1||1992 |- |Sun Devil Stadium||Tempe, Arizona||1||1996 |- |Reliant Stadium||Houston, Texas||1||2004 |- |ALLTEL Stadium||Jacksonville, Florida||1||2005 |- |Ford Field||Detroit, Michigan||1||2006 |- |University of Phoenix Stadium||Glendale, Arizona||1||2008 |- |Stanford Stadium||Stanford, California||1||1985 |- |Cowboys Stadium||Arlington, Texas||1*||2011 |- |Lucas Oil Stadium||Indianapolis, Indiana||1*||2012 |- |New Meadowlands Stadium||East Rutherford, New Jersey||1*||2014 |} italics indicate a stadium that is now demolished.

* references a future Super Bowl site

Future Super Bowl host stadiums

2011 – Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas (1)

2012 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (1)

2013 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana (7)

2014 – New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey (1)

The game has never been played in a region that lacked an NFL franchise, though cities without NFL teams are not categorically ineligible to host the event. London, England has occasionally been mentioned as a host city for a Super Bowl in the near future. The most likely venue would be Wembley Stadium, which has hosted several NFL games in the past. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has openly discussed the possibility on different occasions.

Super Bowl L

Even though the Los Angeles area currently lacks a NFL franchise, the league is considering holding Super Bowl L there to mark the fiftieth Super Bowl, commemorating Super Bowl I, which was held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. If Los Angeles were to host the game, it could be held at the Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, or a new venue such as the proposed Los Angeles Stadium in Industry, California. The NFL has not had a franchise in the city since the 1994 season and has not played a Super Bowl in the metropolitan area since 1993. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas is apparently also interested in hosting Super Bowl L (or "Super Bowl 50"; it is unknown whether the league will stick with the roman numeral or not).

Cities and regions that have hosted the Super Bowl

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Name !! # hosted !! Years hosted |- | Miami Area ||10|| 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010 |- | New Orleans ||9|| 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002 |- | Greater Los Angeles Area ||7|| 1967, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 |- | Tampa ||4|| 1984, 1991, 2001, 2009 |- | San Diego ||3|| 1988, 1998, 2003 |- | Houston ||2|| 1974, 2004 |- | Detroit Area ||2||1982, 2006 |- | Atlanta ||2|| 1994, 2000 |- | Phoenix Area ||2|| 1996, 2008 |- | Minneapolis ||1|| 1992 |- | Jacksonville ||1|| 2005 |- | San Francisco Bay Area ||1|| 1985 |- |} ;Future Super Bowl host cities and regions

2011 – Arlington (Dallas-Ft.Worth Metro) (1)

2012 – Indianapolis (1)

2013 – New Orleans (10)

2014 – New Jersey/New York (1)

Super Bowl trademark

The NFL is vigilant on stopping what it says is unauthorized commercial use of its trademarked terms "NFL," "Super Bowl," and "Super Sunday." As a result, many events and promotions tied to the game, but not sanctioned by the NFL, are forced to refer to it with colloquialisms such as "The Big Game," or other generic descriptions. (A radio spot for Planters nuts parodied this, by saying "it would be super...to have a bowl...of Planters nuts while watching the big game!") The NFL claims that the use of the phrase "Super Bowl" implies an NFL affiliation, and on this basis the league asserts broad rights to restrict how the game may be shown publicly; for example, the league says Super Bowl showings are prohibited in churches or at other events that "promote a message," while venues that do not regularly show sporting events cannot show the Super Bowl on any television screen larger than 55 inches. Some critics say the NFL is exaggerating its ownership rights by stating that "any use is prohibited," as this contradicts the broad doctrine of fair use in the United States. Legislation was proposed by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch in 2008 "to provide an exemption from exclusive rights in copyright for certain nonprofit organizations to display live football games," and "for other purposes."

See also

List of Super Bowl champions

Super Bowl MVP Award

List of Super Bowl records

History of NFL Championship (1920–present)

List of NFL champions (1920–1969)

List of Super Bowl appearances

List of Super Bowl head coaches

List of Super Bowl officials

List of Super Bowl broadcasters

Super Bowl advertising

List of Super Bowl lead-out programs

List of Super Bowl halftime shows

Super Bowl halftime counterprogramming

List of national anthem performers at the Super Bowl

Super Bowl ring

National Football League lore

List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

Grey Cup, the equivalent event for the Canadian Football League

AFC Championship Game

NFC Championship Game

Super Bowl curse

References

Further reading

Chris Jones (February 2, 2005). "NFL tightens restrictions on Super Bowl advertisements". Las Vegas Review-Journal.

John Branch (February 4, 2006). "Build It and They Will Come". The New York Times.

Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA Today. Last accessed September 28, 2005.

All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network. Last accessed October 16, 2005.

100 Greatest Super Bowl Moments by Kevin Jackson, Jeff Merron, and David Schoenfield; espn.com. Last accessed October 31, 2005.

Various Authors – "SI's 25 Lost Treasures" – Sports Illustrated, July 11, 2005 p. 114.

"The Super Bowl I-VII." Lost Treasures of NFL Films. ESPN2. January 26, 2001.

"MTV's Super Bowl Uncensored". MTV. January 27, 2001.

"Talk Shows." CBS: 50 Years from Television City. CBS. April 27, 2002.

External links

Official Super Bowl website

America's Game – , an NFL Films documentary of all Super Bowl winning teams

History of the Super Bowl

Category:American Football League Category:National Football League playoffs Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1967 Category:Annual sporting events in the United States

Caption	Ferrell in May 2009
Birth date	July 16, 1967
Birth name	John William Ferrell
Birth place	Irvine, California, U.S.
Spouse	Viveca Paulin (2000–present)
Years active	1995–present
Occupation	Comedian, impressionist, actor, writer

John William "Will" Ferrell (; born , 1967) is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, , , Stranger than Fiction, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and The Other Guys. He is considered a member of the "Frat Pack," a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors to emerge in the late 1990s and the 2000s including Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, and brothers Owen and Luke Wilson.

Early life

Ferrell was born in Irvine, California, the son of Betty Kay ( Overman), a teacher who taught at Old Mill School elementary school, and Roy Lee Ferrell, Jr., a guitarist for The Righteous Brothers. His parents were both natives of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and moved to California in 1964; Ferrell also has Irish ancestry. He first attended school at Turtle Rock Elementary, and later attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, both in Irvine. He attended University High School in Irvine, and was a kicker for the school's varsity football team. He told the Orange County Register that the dullness of Irvine contributed to the growth of his humor:

Growing up in suburbia, in safe, master-planned Irvine, there was no drama so we had to create it in our heads. My main form of entertainment was cracking my friends up and exploring new ways of being funny. I didn't have to have the survival mode instinct like other comics, who grew up in tough neighborhoods. I had the opposite. For me, I grew up in Mayberry, and the humor broke the boredom. And there was a lot to make fun of.

He enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he studied Sports Broadcasting and graduated with a degree in Sports Information. He is also a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. After graduating in 1990, he developed his improvisation skills as a member of the comedy group The Groundlings.

Saturday Night Live

Ferrell joined Saturday Night Live in 1995 and left in 2002 after a successful seven-year tenure. He returned to host twice (both in season finales), and once in the cold open of the final episode of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

During his time on SNL, Ferrell made a name for himself with his impersonations, which included:

U.S. President George W. Bush

Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray,

Singer Robert Goulet (crooning a cappella pieces of music by Sisqó, Baha Men, and Notorious B.I.G.),

Singer Neil Diamond,

Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton (who was quoted several times to favor Ferrell's impersonation),

Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy,

United States Attorney General Janet Reno,

Convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski,

Game show host Alex Trebek,

Fictitious black private detective Shaft,

Professional wrestler-turned-Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura,

U.S. Vice President Al Gore (Darrell Hammond took over once Ferrell started playing Bush),

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein,

Cuban President Fidel Castro.

His original characters included "Morning Latte" co-host Tom Wilkins, Ed the Horse's twin brother Ned, fictional Blue Öyster Cult member Gene Frenkle (physically modeled after Blue Öyster Cult vocalist Eric Bloom), music teacher Marty Culp, Spartan cheerleader Craig Buchanan, Dale Sturtevant from "Dissing Your Dog", Hank of the Bill Brasky Buddies, David Leary from "Dog Show", and night clubber Steve Butabi in a sketch that went to the big screen in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury.

Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live as a guest host on , 2005, and , 2009. Both times, he reprised his role as Alex Trebek in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches. On the appearance, Ferrell reprised his role as Robert Goulet in a fake commercial advertising a series of crooned ringtones and, during the performance of the song "Little Sister" by musical guests Queens of the Stone Age, Ferrell came on stage playing the cowbell.

Ferrell became the highest paid cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2001 with a season salary of $350,000.

Film

During his time on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell appeared in several movies: , A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar, The Ladies Man, Dick, Drowning Mona, , Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Zoolander.

His first starring role came after his departure from SNL with Frank "The Tank" Richard in Old School (2003). The film "belongs to Mr. Ferrell," declared the New York Times, which described how he "uses his hilarious, anxious zealotry to sell the part." Old School was a major success and Ferrell received an MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Comedic Performance.

The title role in Elf (2003) followed, as did another MTV Movie Awards nomination. Ferrell continued to land comedy roles in 2004 and 2005 in films such as Melinda and Melinda, , Starsky & Hutch earning himself a place among Hollywood's Frat Pack. In 2005, Ferrell earned . In 2006, Ferrell starred in Stranger Than Fiction and ; both received critical and box office success. Ferrell's performance in Stranger Than Fiction introduced audiences to the dramatic potential of Ferrell's acting talents. On , 2006, 'The Magazine' named Ferrell as one of its three actors of the year in their 2006 year in review issue.

, December 2007]] Ferrell appeared as part of a pre-game video package for the Rose Bowl along with Texas alum Matthew McConaughey. Ferrell also sang a song at the ESPY Awards in 2006 about Lance Armstrong and Neil Armstrong. He and John C. Reilly also did a spot during the 2008 ESPY Awards where they made demands in order for them to appear at the ESPYs like asking Portland Trail Blazers' center Greg Oden to tuck them in at night and tell them stories of the old times or to bring back the Cold War so the Olympics can be interesting again.

Ferrell participated in a 79th Academy Awards musical-comedy performance with John C. Reilly and Jack Black, wherein they sang a song about comedies being snubbed by the voters in favor of dramas.

In May 2009 it was announced Ferrell is in talks to star in Neighborhood Watch, a comedy about an urbanite who moves to the suburbs and uncovers a conspiracy. In negotiations to direct is David Dobkin, who gave Ferrell a cameo in Wedding Crashers. In August 2009, Ferrell decided not to do the film. In the summer of 2009, Ferrell did a large amount of filming with several young actors. He helped out on a film entitled Making a Movie, which is now on DVD.

In June 2009, Land of the Lost was released. It was a commercial and critical flop after earning on opening weekend, about two-thirds of what the studio expected.

In 2010, he was the executive producer and star of The Other Guys, a buddy cop film, which also has an ensemble cast which consists of Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. Unlike Land of the Lost, the film was a commercial success, earning over $140 million, and was positively reviewed by critics.

Voice acting

Ferrell has worked as a voice actor in several animated television programs, including his portrayal of Bob Oblong, a 1950s-style father with no arms or legs, in the short-lived animated television series The Oblongs. He has had several guest appearances on Family Guy, where he played the Black Knight in "Mr. Saturday Knight", as well as Fat Greek Guy and Miles "Chatterbox" Musket in "Fifteen Minutes of Shame". Ferrell also starred as Ted (a.k.a. The Man in the Yellow Hat) in the movie Curious George and guest voiced on an episode of the FOX sitcom King of the Hill as an overly PC soccer coach. He voiced the title character in the 2010 DreamWorks Animation film Megamind.

Funny or Die

In April 2007, Ferrell launched "Funny or Die", a streaming video website where short comedy films are uploaded and voted on by users. The site features The Landlord, starring Ferrell and Funny or Die co-founder Adam McKay. Ferrell's character is harassed for the rent by his landlady, a swearing, beer-loving, two-year-old girl (played by McKay's daughter, Pearl). Child psychologists have criticized Ferrell and the McKay family for child exploitation, to which McKay responded: }} They followed with the release of a video entitled "Good Cop, Baby Cop" which also starred baby Pearl; the end of the video stated that this would be her final appearance and wished her a happy "baby retirement."

In September 2008, Ferrell released another video entitled "Will Ferrell Answers Internet Questions" where he takes some pressing questions and comments from his fans.

Other Ferrell's appearance on "Funny or Die",

Eastbound & Down

Ferrell co-produces (with Adam McKay) an HBO show starring Danny McBride called Eastbound & Down. He also has a recurring role as car dealer Ashley Schaeffer.

Personal life

In August 2000, Ferrell married Swedish actress Viveca Paulin, whom he met in 1995 at an acting class. They live in New York City and in Orange County, California and have three sons, Magnus Paulin Ferrell, born , 2004, Mattias Paulin Ferrell, born , 2006, and Axel Paulin Ferrell, born , 2010.

In 2006, I-Newswire.com, a site that accepts submissions from readers and publishes them as "press releases", reported that Ferrell had died in a paragliding accident. The hoax was published before its factual inaccuracy was noticed. The story was further propagated when it appeared on Google News.

Ferrell is a fan of USC Trojan football. At USC, Ferrell was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and is now an active alumnus. Ferrell has worked with former head coach Pete Carroll to do motivational stunts for the players during the season. Ferrell represented Chelsea as honorary captain in the coin toss before the Chelsea v Inter Milan match at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on , 2009.

Ferrell enjoys running and has participated in several major marathons such as the Boston, New York and Stockholm Marathons. He also raises money for charity, including his Scholarships for Cancer Survivors campaign through Crowdrise; a social networking community for volunteers and a micro-donations fundraising platform.

In 2007, Autograph magazine named Ferrell the worst celebrity autographer. Its editor stated, "What's so frustrating about Will Ferrell being the worst autograph signer this past year is that he used to be so nice to fans and collectors and a great signer. What makes him so bad is that he'll taunt people asking for his autograph." In response, Ferrell has stated, "I don't know how I got on the list. I sign a lot of autographs," but has admitted to taunting autograph-seekers: "I do. I really do. I'm like, 'How badly do you want this autograph?' 'Are you sure?' 'You say you're my biggest fan, really, prove it.' I'll do things like that. They have to earn it."

Ferrell had noted that, although he was well known for his SNL impersonation of President George W. Bush, he chose, for both professional and political reasons, not to meet the President on several occasions, unlike his SNL predecessor Dana Carvey's famous chummy relationship with George H. W. Bush: "I declined, partly out of comedic purposes, because when I was on the show Saturday Night Live at the time, it didn't make sense to really meet the people that you play, for fear of them influencing you. And then the other side of it is, from a political standpoint, I don't want to meet that guy."

Ferrell made a comical debut as a relief pitcher for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, on , 2010. He was introduced as "Billy Ray 'Rojo' Johnson", and was brought in to relief pitch for the sixth inning. He then entertained the fans by bringing a sack of beer cans to the mound, as well as being ejected and getting chased by the opposing batter. He revealed himself to the fans when his moustache fell off during the chase. The appearance was cooked up by Ferrell and the Express, who sent out a press release announcing Johnson's "signing", to promote The Will Powered Golf Classic the following day at the nearby Cimarron Hills Country Club, which benefits Cancer for College, an organization that provides scholarships to cancer survivors.

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

Nominated:

2001: Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program (for Saturday Night Live)

ESPY Awards

Won:

2007 ESPY Awards, Best Sports Movie (for )

2008 ESPY Awards, Best Sports Movie (for Semi-Pro)

Golden Globe Awards

Nominated:

2006: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (for The Producers)

2007: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (for Stranger than Fiction)

James Joyce Award

2008: James Joyce Award from University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society in recognition for "excelling in his field".

MTV Movie Awards

Won:

2007: Best Kiss for (with Sacha Baron Cohen)

Nominated:

2003: Best Comedic Performance (for Old School)

2003: Best On-Screen Team (with Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn for Old School)

2004: Best Comedic Performance (for Elf)

2005: Best Comedic Performance (for )

2005: Best On-Screen Team (with Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner for )

2005: Best Musical Performance (with Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Steve Carell for )

2007: Best Comedic Performance (for Blades of Glory)

2007: Best Fight (for Blades of Glory)

Razzie Awards

Nominated:

2005: Worst Actor for Bewitched and Kicking & Screaming

Satellite Awards

Nominated:

2006: Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (for Stranger Than Fiction)

Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards

Won:

2007 Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards, Funniest Mo-fo

2007 Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards, Most Viral Video

Teen Choice Awards

Won:

2007: Choice Movie Actor - Comedy for and Blades of Glory

Nominated:

2004: Choice Comedian

2004: Choice Movie Actor - Comedy for Elf

2005: Choice Comedian

2005: Choice Movie Actor - Comedy for and Kicking & Screaming

2005: Choice Movie Hissy Fit for Kicking & Screaming

2005: Choice Movie Rumble for

2005: Choice Movie Sleazebag for Kicking & Screaming

2007: Choice Comedian

2007: Choice Movie Chemistry (with Jon Heder), for Blades of Glory

2007: Choice Movie Dance (with Jon Heder), for Blades of Glory

2007: Choice Movie Hissy Fit for Blades of Glory

2008: Choice Comedian

2008: Choice Movie Actor - Comedy for Semi-Pro

2009: Choice Movie Actor - Comedy for Land of the Lost

Tony Awards

Nominated:

2009: Best Special Theatrical Event (for You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush)

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;" !Year !! Movie !! Role !! U.S. gross !! Notes |- |rowspan="2"| 1995 || Bucket of Blood || Young Man || || Made for TV |- | Criminal Hearts || Newscaster || || |- |rowspan="2"| 1997 || || Mustafa || US$53.9 million || |- | Men Seeking Women || Al || || |- |rowspan="2"| 1998 || A Night at the Roxbury || Steve Butabi || US$30.3 million || Also Writer |- | The Thin Pink Line || Darren Clark || || |- |rowspan="4"| 1999 || Superstar || Sky Corrigan/God || US$30.6 million || |- | Dick || Bob Woodward || US$6.2 million || |- | || Mustafa || US$206 million || |- | The Suburbans || Gil || US$11,130 || |- |rowspan="2"| 2000 || The Ladies Man || Lance DeLune || US$13.6 million || |- | Drowning Mona || Cubby the Funeral Director || US$15.4 million || |- |rowspan="2"| 2001 || Zoolander || Mugatu || US$45.2 million || |- | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back || Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly || US$30.1 million || |- | 2002 || Boat Trip || Brian's Boyfriend || US$8.6 million || Uncredited |- |rowspan="2"| 2003 | Old School || Frank "the Tank" Ricard || US$74.6 million || |- | Elf || Buddy || US$173.4 million || |- |rowspan="5"| 2004 || Melinda and Melinda || Hobie || US$3.8 million || |- | || Ron Burgundy || US$84.1 million || Also Writer |- | || Ron Burgundy || || Straight-To-DVDAlso Writer |- | Starsky & Hutch || Big Earl || US$88.2 million || Uncredited |- | Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party || Himself || || |- |rowspan="6"| 2005 | The Producers || Franz Liebkind ||US$19.4 million || |- | Wedding Crashers|| Chazz Reinhold || US$209.2 million || Uncredited |- | Winter Passing || Corbit || US$101,228 || |- | Bewitched || Jack Wyatt/Darrin || US$62.3 million || |- | Kicking & Screaming || Phil Weston || US$52.6 million || |- | The Wendell Baker Story || Dave Bix || US$127,144 || |- |rowspan="3"| 2006 | Stranger Than Fiction || Harold Crick ||US$40.1 million || |- | || Ricky Bobby ||US$148.2 million || Also Writer/Executive Producer |- | Curious George || Ted/The Man in the Yellow Hat || US$58.3 million || Voice Role |- || 2007 | Blades of Glory || Chazz Michael Michaels || US$118.2 million || |- |rowspan="2"| 2008 | Semi-Pro || Jackie Moon || US$33.4 million || |- | Step Brothers || Brennan Huff || US$101.1 million || Also Writer/Executive Producer |- |rowspan="3"| 2009 |Land of the Lost || Dr. Rick Marshall || US$49.4 million || |- | || Craig McDermott || US$15.1 million || UncreditedAlso Producer |- |SpongeBob's Truth or Square || Himself || || |- |rowspan="4"| 2010 |The Other Guys || Detective Allen Gamble || US$140 million || Also Executive Producer |- |Megamind || Megamind || ||Voice Role |- |Hubworld || Himself || ||Guest starSeason 1, Episode 1 |- |Everything Must Go || Nick Halsey || || |- |rowspan="2"| 2011 |Casa De Mi Padre || || || |}

Television work

Saturday Night Live (cast member from 1995 to 2002, host in 2005 and 2009)

Cow and Chicken (1997–2001, voice in various episodes)

Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000 (2000)

Family Guy (as the Black Knight, 2001)

Undeclared (guest star)

The Oblongs (Bob Oblong, 2001–2002, voice)

King of the Hill (as Coach Lucas, 1999, voice)

The Tom Green Show (guest star)

Family Guy (as himself, 2005)

The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show (guest star)

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (voiceover and guest)

Eastbound & Down (BMW Dealership Owner Ashley Schaeffer)

You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush

Man vs. Wild (guest star)

Live with Regis and Kelly (co-host)

''63rd Tony Awards (2009), 2009 MTV Movie Awards and 2009 TV Land Awards

'' The Merrick & Rosso Show (as himself, 2009)

SpongeBob SquarePants (as himself, 2009)

Strangers with Candy (2000)

Funny or Die Presents (2010)

Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job (2010)

30 Rock (2010)

Salary

(2006) $20,000,000

Bewitched (2005) $20,000,000

Kicking & Screaming (2005) $20,000,000

(2004) $6,900,000

References

External links

Will Ferrell's High Five Hollywood

Will Ferrell's profile on Funny Or Die

10 Best Will Ferrell Skits

Will Ferrell Interview for 'Everything Must Go'

Will Ferrell Interview

Maxim Rated Top SNL performer

Will Ferrell at Complex Magazine

HBO's Special Event page for Will Ferrell You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W Bush

Crowdrise Scholarships for Cancer Survivors Fundraising Campaign

Category:1967 births Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:The Groundlings Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Living people

Category:People from Irvine, California Category:People from Orange County, California Category:University of Southern California alumni

Name	Jennifer Hudson
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jennifer Kate Hudson
Born	September 12, 1981Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	R&B;, soul
Occupation	Singer, actress, spokesperson
Years active	2004–present
Label	Arista
Associated acts	Ne-Yo
Url

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. Hudson has been described as a friend of President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009. She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event.

Early life

Jennifer Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donnerson (November 7, 1950 - October 24, 2008) and Samuel Simpson (died 1999) She was raised as a Baptist and attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, from which she graduated in 1999. She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration. At the age of 7, she got her start in performing by singing with the church choir and doing community theater with the help of her late maternal grandmother, Julia.

American Idol

Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol, in Atlanta. In her audition she commented that she had been singing on Disney Cruise Lines for the past few months (as one of the Muses from Hercules); and contestant judge Randy Jackson said, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you." Jennifer delivered and all the judges agreed it was the best voice they had heard so far in the competition. She was a member of the first group of semifinalists in the Semifinals. She was not voted through to the final round, although she was brought back on the wild card round and put through as a "Top 12" finalist by Jackson.

Hudson struggled to gain popularity in the early stages of Idol's live shows, receiving the second-lowest number of votes in two of the first three shows. However, after a change in song choices, she soon became a favorite to win, receiving the highest number of votes in the "Top 9" after her performance of Elton John's "Circle of Life," on April 6, 2004. Among Hudson's worthy performances on the show was her rendition of Whitney Houston's, "I Have Nothing". Judge Simon Cowell commented that Hudson, "finally proved why she was among the 'Top 12,'" and referred to the performance a week later as, "sensational." During the "Top 7" show, Hudson performed Barry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England," which garnered praise from all three judges. Jackson called the song Hudson's best performance to date; and Simon Cowell noted that Hudson's presence made the third season a, "Battle of the Divas," referencing other powerful vocalists Fantasia Barrino and LaToya London. Despite this praise, Hudson was eliminated during this week, which some blamed in part on a power outage in Hudson's hometown of Chicago due to storms and tornadoes in the area. This also led to controversy since the "Battling Divas" were all in the Bottom 3. On April 21, 2004, Hudson became the sixth of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show, finishing the competition in seventh place.

In May 2010, the Los Angeles Times claimed Hudson to be the third greatest Idol contestant in the history of the show. She placed behind Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.

American Idol performances

{|class="wikitable" !Theme week !Song sung !Artist !Date sung !Status |- |Audition |Share Your Love With Me |Aretha Franklin | – |Advanced |- |Hollywood |[N/A] |[N/A] | – |Advanced |- |Semifinals |Imagine |John Lennon |February 10, 2004 |Eliminated |- |Wild Card |I Believe in You and Me |Four TopsWhitney Houston |March 9, 2004 |Selected |- |Top 12Soul Music Week |Baby, I Love You |Aretha Franklin |March 16, 2004 |Bottom 2 |- |Top 11Country Week |No One Else on Earth |Wynonna Judd |March 23, 2004 |Safe |- |Top 10Motown Week |(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave |Martha and the Vandellas |March 30, 2004 |Bottom 2 |- |Top 9Songs of Elton John |Circle of Life |Elton John |April 6, 2004 |Highest Number of Votes |- |Top 8Songs of the Cinema |I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard |Whitney Houston |April 14, 2004 |Safe |- |Top 7Songs of Barry Manilow |Weekend in New England |Barry Manilow |April 20, 2004 |Eliminated |}

Films

Dreamgirls (2006)

In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, which also starred Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy. The role, originally created in a Broadway performance by Jennifer Holliday, marked Hudson's debut screen performance. She won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses, including Raven-Symoné and Fantasia Barrino. Filming of Dreamgirls began on January 9, 2006, and the film went into limited release on December 25, 2006, and national release on January 12, 2007.

Hudson has won particular praise for her show-stopping onscreen rendition of the hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the signature song of the role, which had earlier been recorded, and had already reached the status of musical standard, because of the definitive performance of Jennifer Holliday. The New York Observer described Hudson's performance of the song as, "five mellifluous, molto vibrato minutes that have suddenly catapulted Ms. Hudson... into the position of front-runner for the best supporting actress Oscar." Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she, "is going to raise goose bumps across the land." Variety magazine wrote that Hudson's performance, "calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Bette Midler in The Rose, with a voice like the young Aretha."

Hudson's version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," debuted at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the January 13, 2007, issue. The Dreamgirls track became Hudson's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B; Airplay chart on February 24, 2007. The track has also reached number 14 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while remixes of the song have topped the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.

As Effie White, Hudson has garnered 29 awards from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006. She won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and also by the Screen Actors Guild. After seeing Hudson's performance in Dreamgirls, Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show. With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African American celebrity, and the first African-American singer, to grace the cover of Vogue magazine.

On February 25, 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. Upon winning the award, Hudson also became one of the very few performers ever to win an Oscar for a debut screen performance. As of 2009, she is also the only person to have gone from participating in a reality television series to becoming an Academy Award winner. During her acceptance speech, Hudson said: "Oh my God, I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do. I didn't think I was going to win. [...] If my grandmother was here to see me now. She was my biggest inspiration." She also concluded her speech by thanking Jennifer Holliday.

Later in 2007, the Mayor of her home town Chicago, Richard M. Daley, declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day". She also was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 18, along with 115 other individuals for 2007. Entertainment Weekly'' put her performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Sure, Beyoncé's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." When she sang "You're gonna love me," it wasn't just a lyric—it was a fact."

Sex and the City (2008)

In September 2007, Hudson began work on Sex and the City as Louise, Carrie Bradshaw's assistant. In the movie she was said to be a fashionista from St. Louis. Filming finished in December 2007 and the movie was released on May 30, 2008.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

In January 2008, she began filming her third film The Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen, the mother figure of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning). Also starring in the film are fellow Oscar nominees Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo, as well as Alicia Keys. The film opened on October 17, 2008, and grossed over $37 million at the box office. The film won two People's Choice Awards in January 2009 in the categories, Favorite Drama Movie and Favorite Independent Movie. The film also received nine Black Reel Awards nominations including three wins. Hudson was nominated for her performance in the film, but lost to Queen Latifah. The film also received eight nominations at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards, including a nomination for Hudson for her performance.

Fragments (2009)

In 2009, Hudson starred as Kathy Archenault in Fragments, a film based on the novel by Roy Freirich, with Dakota Fanning and Forest Whitaker. The name of the film was changed from "Winged Creatures" to "Fragments". It was released on DVD on August 4, 2009.

Music (2006-present)

In September 2006, Hudson performed the song, "Over It," live on Fox Chicago Morning News. In the interview she stated the song would be included on her debut album, to be released in early 2007 however this was before she signed with Arista. On The Oprah Winfrey Show, Hudson announced plans to enter the studio in March 2007. Hudson said on The Tyra Banks Show, on February 23, 2007, that she just finished the first song for the album. Hudson also recorded a song called, "Stand Up", which was available for preview on her fan website which was produced by Chicago natives Earl Powell and Herman Little III, who arranged the song. The power-ballad is available on the deluxe edition Hudson's self-titled album as a bonus track.

In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Arista Records. She released her debut album and has recently finished recording one song entitled, "Depreciate".

In January 2008 Hudson returned to the studio to record new material for her debut album. Her label was reportedly unhappy with the direction they were sending Hudson musically and decided it would be best to scrap the older songs and instead focus on new ones. Hudson worked with Ryan Tedder and Timbaland on a number of songs.

Her debut single, "Spotlight" was released on June 10, 2008 and became Hudson's first top 40 hit peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in the UK and Turkey. The second single, "If This Isn't Love" followed it. The second single was to be released in October 2008 and was supposed to be "My Heart". After three of her family members were murdered brutally by her estranged brother-in-law, the single was rescheduled for a January, 2009 release. In January her label decided that the second single would not be "My Heart" and therefore decided the second single would be released in February 2009. After much discussion, her label chose "If This Isn't Love" as the second single. The single eventually peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #37 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single was announced as "Pocketbook" featuring Ludacris in April, 2009, for a June, 2009 release, despite speculation that the third single would be "My Heart" after it was canceled as the second single. In May, 2009, "Pocketbook" was canceled as the third single due to negative reception from fans and critics alike. The third single was then rescheduled as "Giving Myself" and was released on June 2, 2009 to the US.

Her debut album, Jennifer Hudson was released on September 30, 2008 on Arista and was written by Ne-Yo, who co-produced along with Stargate. Additional contributors on the album include Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Robin Thicke, Harvey Mason, Jr., Diane Warren, Earl Powell, and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, among others. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 217,000 copies in the US and opened to positive reviews. As of August 2009, the album has sold 739,000 copies in the US, receiving a Gold certification for surpassing sales of 500,000. She has performed the song, "All Dressed in Love" for the Sex and the City soundtrack, which was released on May 27, 2008. Hudson performed the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Her debut album garnered Hudson three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards; Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "Spotlight", Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I'm His Only Woman" with Fantasia Barrino, and Best R&B; Album for Jennifer Hudson. She won the last of these and performed at the awards.

Hudson sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII. She toured the United States with Robin Thicke in 2009. Recently, Hudson has suffered through a "throat fatigue" and has had to reschedule her May 16–19, 2009, tour dates. She also sang "Will You Be There" at the Michael Jackson memorial service on July 7, 2009.

Hudson has also recorded "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)," originally by Gladys Knight & the Pips, for American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics—the official American Idol album for the third season. She is featured in a duet, "The Future Ain't What It Used to Be," on Meat Loaf's . She also performed the song "Easy to be Hard" on the Actors' Fund benefit recording of the musical Hair; and she is featured on Ne-Yo's second album, Because of You, on the track, "Leaving Tonight". Hudson sang "Dancing a Catchy Rhythm" with Brooke White.

In September 2009, Ne-Yo told E! Online that Hudson was ready to get personal on her second studio album. When probed for details he said that he might be producing the album. He also said "I'm pretty good at writing personal records…It starts with her idea and her thoughts." She's gone through a lot over the last year, so she has a lot to talk about," he continues. "She's definitely gotten stronger. The things that she's gone through and for her to still be upbeat and happy, it's amazing." at Super Bowl XLIII]] Hudson will be doing a Christmas special on ABC in December 2009 called Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas. She will relive her childhood Christmases with musical performances filmed at her favorite locations in her native Chicago. Hudson will also visit family members, friends and other childhood influences during the broadcast, ABC announced.

On January 22, 2010, Hudson appeared on the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", performing the Beatles' "Let it Be". The telecast generated $61 million in donations as of January 26, 2010.

On February 1, 2010, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie planned to organize a re-recording of "We Are the World" on January 28, 2010 — the 25th anniversary of the original recording of the song. However, due to the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.0 M_W earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, these plans were postponed. The new version was recorded on February 1, 2010, and will feature many artists such as Brandy, Gladys Knight, Toni Braxton and many more.

Hudson recorded the song "One Shining Moment" for the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

Personal life

Hudson began dating James Payton in 1999, when she was 18. They were both from Chicago. When asked if they had any plans to marry, Hudson declared that, "We are happy with the place we are right now, but perhaps we will tie the knot someday. One thing's for sure, I definitely won't be popping the question!" The couple separated in late 2007.

Hudson met David Otunga (who appeared as "Punk" from I Love New York 2), a Harvard Law graduate. On September 12, 2008, Hudson's 27th birthday, Otunga proposed marriage. Otunga accompanied Hudson throughout Spring and Autumn 2008 on various promotional events for her films, as well as debut album. In November 2008, he started training to become a professional wrestler and went on to wrestle for WWE under his real name. On August 10, 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child with Otunga; a boy named David Daniel Otunga Jr.

Hudson owns three Pomeranian dogs named Dreamgirl, Oscar and Grammy.

Family murders

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and the singer's 29-year-old brother, Jason, were found shot to death inside the Chicago home Donnerson shared with Hudson's elder sister, Julia. An AMBER Alert was issued for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, after Hudson's sister, Julia, reported him missing.

Later that day, Chicago police arrested a suspect, William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, but he was not charged with the crime. Balfour was on parole and had spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Illinois Department of Corrections' records revealed one of Balfour's addresses to be the home where Donnerson and Jason Hudson were murdered.

Three days later, on October 27, 2008, the dead body of a young boy was found inside a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban parked on a street in Chicago's West Side area. The license plate and the vehicle's description matched that given in the AMBER Alert. The FBI confirmed the body was that of Julian King. Autopsy reports released on October 29, 2008, from the Cook County Medical Examiner's office indicated that Julian King's death was due to "multiple gunshot wounds".

A gun found in a West Side vacant lot was confirmed to be the murder weapon by Chicago police Superintendent Jody Weis on October 31, 2008. The gun belonged to Jason Hudson and had been missing for several months.

Funeral services for the three victims were held on November 3, followed by a private service at Chicago's South Side Apostolic Church of God on November 10. Hudson's family announced creation of The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims, in honor of Hudson's mother, brother and nephew.

Because he had not yet been officially charged with the murders, Balfour appeared without an attorney at 35-minute parole violation hearing on November 10, 2008; the hearing decision was that he was believed to have violated parole and should be held in custody until a December 3 hearing before the full Illinois Prisoner Review Board.

Balfour became the prime suspect on December 1, 2008, and was transferred into police custody. A police department spokesperson said, "He is awaiting formal charges for three counts of murder. There likely will be a press conference once there are formal charges against him." Balfour was officially charged with three counts of first degree murder, one count of home invasion and was denied bail. Balfour was indicted for the murders on December 30, 2008, and pleaded not guilty in a January 27, 2009, court appearance.

On February 1, 2009, Hudson made her first public appearance since the murders when she sang the Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII.

Other media

As of April 1, 2010, Hudson is the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She has lost in the last year and "does not want to lose any more weight."

Discography

Jennifer Hudson (2008)

Filmography

Hudson has appeared in the following film releases: {|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Film !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Notes |- |2006 |Dreamgirls |Effie White |Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressAustin Film Critics Association Award for Breakout ArtistAfrican-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleBET Award for Best ActressBET Award for Best New ArtistBlack Reel Award for Best Supporting ActressBlack Reel Award for Breakthrough PerformanceBroadcast Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressCentral Ohio Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Pauline Kael BreakoutGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureHollywood Life Award for Breakthrough of the YearLas Vegas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureNational Board of Review Award for Best Female Breakthrough PerformanceNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActressNew York Online Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressNew York Online Film Critics Award for Breakthrough PerformerOklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Breakout PerformancePalm Springs International Film Festival Award for Breakthrough PerformanceSatellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting RoleShoWest Female Star of Tomorrow AwardSoul Train Award for Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the YearSoutheastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressSt. Louis Gateway Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: DramaWashington, DC Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressWashington, DC Film Crtics Association Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceNominated- BET Award for Best Female R&B; ArtistNominated- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated- MTV Movie Award for Best PerformanceNominated- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress (Breakout) |- |rowspan=2|2008 |Sex and the City |Louise | |- |The Secret Life of Bees |Rosaleen Daise |Nominated- BET Award for Best ActressNominated- Black Reel Award for Best ActressNominated- Black Reel Award for Best EnsembleNominated- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie |- |2009 |''Fragments |Kathy Archenault | |- |2011 |Winnie |Winnie Mandela | |- |}

Awards and nominations

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Category !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Result |- |align="center" rowspan=16|2006 |ShoWest |Female Star of Tomorrow – Dreamgirls | |- |Satellite Awards |Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |National Board of Review of Motion Pictures |Best Female Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Los Angeles Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |New York Film Critics Circle |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|New York Film Critics Online |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Breakthrough Performer – Dreamgirls | |- |Hollywood Life Awards |Breakthrough of the Year – Dreamgirls | |- |Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Washington, DC Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |African-American Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Palm Springs International Film Festival |Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Las Vegas Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Florida Film Critics Circle Awards |Pauline Kael Breakout – Dreamgirls | |- |Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award |Breakout Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |align="center" rowspan=20|2007 |The National Society of Film Critics |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Austin Film Critics Association |Breakout Artist – Dreamgirls | |- |Broadcast Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Golden Globe Awards |Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Screen Actors Guild |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls | |- |NAACP Image Awards |Best Supporting Actress in a Movie – Dreamgirls | |- |British Academy of Film and Television Awards |Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |Central Ohio Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Black Reel Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Academy Awards |Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |Soul Train Awards |Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year – Dreamgirls | |- |MTV Movie Awards |Best Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=3|BET Awards |Best Female R&B; Artist | |- |Best Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best New Artist | |- |rowspan=2|Teen Choice Awards |Choice Movie Actress: Drama – Dreamgirls | |- |Choice Movie Actress (Breakout) – Dreamgirls | |- |align="center" rowspan=3|2008 |Vibe Music Awards |VHollywood Award | |- |rowspan=2|Black Reel Awards |Best Actress – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |Best Ensemble – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |rowspan=17|2009 |rowspan=4|Grammy Awards |Best R&B; Album – Jennifer Hudson | |- |Best R&B; Female Vocal Performance – Spotlight | |- |Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – I'm His Only Woman featuring Fantasia | |- |Best R&B; Song – Spotlight | |- |rowspan=7|NAACP Image Awards |Outstanding New Artist | |- |Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |Outstanding Female Artist | |- |Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration – I'm His Only Woman featuring Fantasia | |- |Outstanding Music Video – Spotlight | |- |Outstanding Song – Spotlight | |- |Outstanding Album – Jennifer Hudson | |- |rowspan=2|BET Awards |Best Female R&B; Artist | |- |Best Actress – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |rowspan=2|Teen Choice Awards |Choice Music: R&B; Artist | |- |Choice Music: R&B; Track – If This Isn't Love | |- |rowspan=2|Soul Train Awards |Best R&B;/Soul Female Artist | |- |Song of the Year – "Spotlight" | |- |align="center" rowspan=2|2010 |rowspan=1|People's Choice Awards |Favorite R&B; Artist | |- |rowspan=1|Teen Choice Awards |Choice American Idol Alum | |}

References

External links

Jennifer Hudson at Allmovie

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Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:African American film actors Category:African American female singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American Idol participants Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois

Name	Dante Alighieri
Caption	Dante Alighieri, painted by pupils of Giotto in the chapel of the Bargello palace in Florence. The oldest picture of Dante, but not a truly authentic portrait: was painted fifteen years after his death, and has since been heavily restored.
Alt	head-and-chest side portrait of Dante in red and white coat and cowl
Birthdate	mid-May to mid-June 1265
Birthplace	Florence
Deathdate	September 14, 1321 (aged about 56)
Deathplace	Ravenna
Occupation	Statesman, poet, language theorist
Nationality	Italian
Influences	Aristotle, Homer, Cicero, Virgil, Ovid, Boethius, Avicenna, Averroes, Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Richard of St. Victor, Boethius of Dacia
Influenced	almost all Western literature, Samuel Beckett, Giovanni Boccaccio, Jorge Luis Borges, William Blake, Sandro Botticelli, Anthony Burgess, T. S. Eliot, John Milton

Dante Alighieri (May/June c.1265September 14, 1321), commonly known as Dante, was an Italian poet of the Middle Ages. He was born in Florence; he died and is buried in Ravenna. The name Dante is, according to Jacopo Alighieri, a hypocorism for Durante. In contemporary documents it is followed by the patronymic Alagherii or de Alagheriis; it was Boccaccio who popularized the form Alighieri.

His Divine Comedy, originally called Commedia by the author and later nicknamed Divina by Boccaccio, is often considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature.

In Italy he is known as "the Supreme Poet" (il Sommo Poeta) or just il Poeta. Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are also known as "the three fountains" or "the three crowns". Dante is also called the "Father of the Italian language".

Life

The exact date of Dante's birth is not known, although it is generally believed to be around 1265. This can be deduced from autobiographic allusions in La Divina Commedia, "the Inferno" (Halfway through the journey we are living, implying that Dante was around 35 years old, as the average lifespan according to the Bible (Psalms 89:10, Vulgate) is 70 years; and as the imaginary travel took place in 1300, Dante must have been born around 1265). Some verses of the Paradiso section of the Divine Comedy also provide a possible clue that he was born under the sign of Gemini—"As I revolved with the eternal twins, I saw revealed from hills to river outlets, the threshing-floor that makes us so ferocious" (XXII 151-154), but these cannot be considered definitive statements by Dante about his birth. However, in 1265 the Sun was in Gemini approximately during the period 11 May to 11 June. His birth date is listed as "probably in the end of May" by Robert Hollander in "Dante" in Dictionary of the Middle Ages, volume 4. In summary, most students of Dante's life believe that he was born between about the middle of May and about the middle of June 1265, but there is little likelihood a definite date will ever be known.

Dante claimed that his family descended from the ancient Romans (Inferno, XV, 76), but the earliest relative he could mention by name was Cacciaguida degli Elisei (Paradiso, XV, 135), of no earlier than about 1100. Dante's father, Alighiero di Bellincione, was a White Guelph who suffered no reprisals after the Ghibellines won the Battle of Montaperti in the mid 13th century. This suggests that Alighiero or his family enjoyed some protective prestige and status, although some suggest that the politically inactive Alighiero was of such low standing that he was not considered worth exiling.

Dante's family had loyalties to the Guelphs, a political alliance that supported the Papacy and which was involved in complex opposition to the Ghibellines, who were backed by the Holy Roman Emperor. The poet's mother was Bella degli Abati. She died when Dante was not yet ten years old, and Alighiero soon married again, to Lapa di Chiarissimo Cialuffi. It is uncertain whether he really married her, as widowers had social limitations in these matters, but this woman definitely bore two children, Dante's half-brother Francesco and half-sister Tana (Gaetana). When Dante was 12, he was promised in marriage to Gemma di Manetto Donati, daughter of Manetto Donati, member of the powerful Donati family. Contracting marriages at this early age was quite common and involved a formal ceremony, including contracts signed before a notary. Famously, Dante had by this time fallen in love with another, Beatrice Portinari (known also as Bice), whom he first met when he was nine years old. Years after his marriage to Gemma, he claims to have met Beatrice again; although he wrote several sonnets to Beatrice, he never mentioned his wife Gemma in any of his poems. (Dante scholar Dorothy L. Sayers, following the lead of Giovanni Boccaccio, asserts that Dante did not actually marry Gemma until the mid-1290s, after Beatrice's death.)

Dante fought with the Guelph cavalry at the Battle of Campaldino (June 11, 1289). This victory brought forth a reformation of the Florentine constitution. To take any part in public life, one had to be enrolled in one of the city's many commercial or artisan guilds, so Dante entered the guild of physicians and apothecaries. In the following years, his name is occasionally found recorded as speaking or voting in the various councils of the republic. A substantial portion of minutes from such meetings from 1298-1300 were lost during the Second World War, however, and consequently the true extent of Dante's participation in the city's councils is somewhat uncertain.

Dante had several children with Gemma. As often happens with significant figures, many people subsequently claimed to be Dante's offspring; however, it is likely that Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni and Antonia were truly his children. Antonia later became a nun with the name of Sister Beatrice.

Education and poetry

Not much is known about Dante's education, and it is presumed he studied at home or in a chapter school attached to a church or monastery in Florence. It is known that he studied Tuscan poetry, at a time when the Sicilian School (Scuola poetica Siciliana), a cultural group from Sicily, was becoming known in Tuscany. His interests brought him to discover the Occitan poetry of the troubadours and the Latin poetry of classical antiquity, including Cicero, Ovid, and especially Virgil.

, Florence]] Dante claims to have first met Beatrice Portinari, daughter of Folco Portinari, at age nine, and claims to have fallen in love "at first sight", apparently without even speaking to her. He saw her frequently after age 18, often exchanging greetings in the street, but he never knew her well; he effectively set the example for so-called courtly love, a phenomenon developed in French and Occitan poetry of the preceding centuries. Dante's experience of such love was typical, but his expression of it was unique. It was in the name of this love that Dante gave his imprint to the Dolce Stil Novo (Sweet New Style, a term which Dante himself coined) and would join other contemporary poets and writers in exploring the themes of Love (Amore), which had never been so emphasized before. Love for Beatrice (as in a different manner Petrarch would show for his Laura) would apparently be the reason for poetry and for living, together with political passions. In many of his poems, she is depicted as semi-divine, watching over him constantly and providing spiritual instruction, sometimes harshly. When Beatrice died in 1290, Dante sought refuge in Latin literature. The Convivio reveals that he had read Boethius's De consolatione philosophiae and Cicero's De amicitia. He then dedicated himself to philosophical studies at religious schools like the Dominican one in Santa Maria Novella. He took part in the disputes that the two principal mendicant orders (Franciscan and Dominican) publicly or indirectly held in Florence, the former explaining the doctrine of the mystics and of Saint Bonaventure, the latter presenting Saint Thomas Aquinas' theories.

At 18, Dante met Guido Cavalcanti, Lapo Gianni, Cino da Pistoia and soon after Brunetto Latini; together they became the leaders of the Dolce Stil Novo. Brunetto later received a special mention in the Divine Comedy (Inferno, XV, 28), for what he had taught Dante. Nor speaking less on that account, I go With Ser Brunetto, and I ask who are His most known and most eminent companions. Some fifty poetical components by Dante are known (the so-called Rime, rhymes), others being included in the later Vita Nuova and Convivio. Other studies are reported, or deduced from Vita Nuova or the Comedy, regarding painting and music.

Florence and politics

Dante, like most Florentines of his day, was embroiled in the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict. He fought in the Battle of Campaldino (June 11, 1289), with the Florentine Guelphs against Arezzo Ghibellines, then in 1294 he was among the escorts of Charles Martel of Anjou (grandson of Charles I of Naples more commonly called Charles of Anjou) while he was in Florence. To further his political career, he became a pharmacist. He did not intend to actually practice as one, but a law issued in 1295 required that nobles who wanted public office had to be enrolled in one of the Corporazioni delle Arti e dei Mestieri, so Dante obtained admission to the apothecaries' guild. This profession was not entirely inapt, since at that time books were sold from apothecaries' shops. As a politician, he accomplished little, but he held various offices over a number of years in a city undergoing political unrest. 's affresco della cappella di San Brizio, Duomo, Orvieto]]

After defeating the Ghibellines, the Guelphs divided into two factions: the White Guelphs (Guelfi Bianchi) -- Dante's party, led by Vieri dei Cerchi -- and the Black Guelphs (Guelfi Neri), led by Corso Donati. Although initially the split was along family lines, ideological differences rose based on opposing views of the papal role in Florentine affairs, with the Blacks supporting the Pope and the Whites wanting more freedom from Rome. Initially the Whites were in power and expelled the Blacks. In response, Pope Boniface VIII planned a military occupation of Florence. In 1301, Charles de Valois, brother of Philip the Fair king of France, was expected to visit Florence because the Pope had appointed him peacemaker for Tuscany. But the city's government had treated the Pope's ambassadors badly a few weeks before, seeking independence from papal influence. It was believed that Charles de Valois would eventually have received other unofficial instructions. So the council sent a delegation to Rome to ascertain the Pope's intentions. Dante was one of the delegates.

Exile and death

Boniface quickly dismissed the other delegates and asked Dante alone to remain in Rome. At the same time (November 1, 1301), Charles de Valois entered Florence with Black Guelphs, who in the next six days destroyed much of the city and killed many of their enemies. A new Black Guelph government was installed and Messer Cante de' Gabrielli da Gubbio was appointed Podestà of Florence. Dante was condemned to exile for two years and ordered to pay a large fine. The poet was still in Rome where the Pope had "suggested" he stay and was therefore considered an absconder. He did not pay the fine in part because he believed he was not guilty and in part because all his assets in Florence had been seized by the Black Guelphs. He was condemned to perpetual exile, and if he returned to Florence without paying the fine, he could be burned at the stake. (The city council of Florence finally passed a motion rescinding Dante's sentence in June 2008.)

of Dante Alighieri (in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence)]]

He took part in several attempts by the White Guelphs to regain power, but these failed due to treachery. Dante, bitter at the treatment he received from his enemies, also grew disgusted with the infighting and ineffectiveness of his erstwhile allies and vowed to become a party of one. Dante went to Verona as a guest of Bartolomeo I della Scala, then moved to Sarzana in Liguria. Later, he is supposed to have lived in Lucca with a lady called Gentucca, who made his stay comfortable (and was later gratefully mentioned in Purgatorio, XXIV, 37). Some speculative sources claim he visited Paris between 1308 and 1310 and others, even less trustworthy, take him to Oxford: these claims, first occurring in Boccaccio's book on Dante several decades after his death, seem inspired by readers being impressed with the poet's wide learning and erudition. Evidently Dante's command of philosophy and his literary interests deepened in exile, when he was no longer busy with the day-to-day business of Florentine domestic politics, and this is evidenced in his prose writings in this period, but there is no real indication that he ever left Italy. Despite these years of disputed whereabouts, Dante's Immensa Dei dilectione testante to Henry VII of Luxembourg confirms his residence "beneath the springs of Arno, near Tuscany" in March of 1311. In 1310, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII of Luxembourg marched 5,000 troops into Italy. Dante saw in him a new Charlemagne who would restore the office of the Holy Roman Emperor to its former glory and also re-take Florence from the Black Guelphs. He wrote to Henry and several Italian princes, demanding that they destroy the Black Guelphs. Mixing religion and private concerns, he invoked the worst anger of God against his city and suggested several particular targets that coincided with his personal enemies. It was during this time that he wrote De Monarchia, proposing a universal monarchy under Henry VII.

At some point during his exile, he conceived of the Comedy, but the date cannot be specified. The work is much more assured, and on a larger scale, than anything he had produced in Florence, and it is likely that he would have undertaken such a work only after he realized that his personal political ambitions, which had been central to him up to his banishment, would have to be put on hold for some time, possibly forever. It is also noticeable that Beatrice has returned to his imagination with renewed force and with a wider meaning than in the Vita Nuova; in Convivio (written c.1304-07) he had declared that the memory of this youthful romance belonged to the past. One of the earliest outside indications that the poem was under way is a notice by the law professor Francesco da Barberino, tucked into his I Documenti d'Amore (Lessons of Love) and written probably in 1314 or early 1315: speaking of Virgil, da Barberino notes in appreciative words that Dante followed the Roman classic in a poem called the Comedy, and that the setting of this poem (or part of it) was the underworld, that is, Hell. Unfortunately, the brief note gives no incontestable indication that he himself had seen or read even Inferno, or that this part had been published at the time, but it indicates that composition was well under way and that the sketching of the poem may likely have begun some years before. We know that Inferno had been published by 1317; this is established by quoted lines interspersed in the margins of contemporary dated records from Bologna, but there is no certainty whether the three parts of the poem were published each part in full or a few cantos at a time. Paradiso seems to have been published posthumously.

In Florence, Baldo d'Aguglione pardoned most of the White Guelphs in exile and allowed them to return; however, Dante had gone too far in his violent letters to Arrigo (Henry VII), and the sentence on him was not recalled.

In 1312, Henry assaulted Florence and defeated the Black Guelphs, but there is no evidence that Dante was involved. Some say he refused to participate in the assault on his city by a foreigner; others suggest that he had become unpopular with the White Guelphs too and that any trace of his passage had carefully been removed. In 1313, Henry VII died (from fever), and with him any hope for Dante to see Florence again. He returned to Verona, where Cangrande I della Scala allowed him to live in a certain security and, presumably, in a fair amount of prosperity. Cangrande was admitted to Dante's Paradise (Paradiso, XVII, 76).

In 1315, Florence was forced by Uguccione della Faggiuola (the military officer controlling the town) to grant an amnesty to people in exile, including Dante. But Florence required that as well as paying a sum of money, these exiles would do public penance. Dante refused, preferring to remain in exile. When Uguccione defeated Florence, Dante's death sentence was commuted to house arrest, on condition that he go to Florence to swear that he would never enter the town again. Dante refused to go. His death sentence was confirmed and extended to his sons. Dante still hoped late in life that he might be invited back to Florence on honorable terms. For Dante, exile was nearly a form of death, stripping him of much of his identity and his heritage. He addresses the pain of exile in Paradiso, XVII (55-60), where Cacciaguida, his great-great-grandfather, warns him what to expect: , by Andrea del Castagno, c. 1450]] {| align="center" |- |... Tu lascerai ogne cosa diletta || ... You shall leave everything you love most: |- | più caramente; e questo è quello strale || this is the arrow that the bow of exile |- | che l'arco de lo essilio pria saetta. || shoots first. You are to know the bitter taste |- |Tu proverai sì come sa di sale || of others' bread, how salty it is, and know |- | lo pane altrui, e come è duro calle || how hard a path it is for one who goes |- | lo scendere e 'l salir per l'altrui scale ... || ascending and descending others' stairs ... |- |}

As for the hope of returning to Florence, he describes it as if he had already accepted its impossibility, (Paradiso, XXV, 1–9):

{| align="center" |- |Se mai continga che 'l poema sacro || If it ever come to pass that the sacred poem |- |al quale ha posto mano e cielo e terra, ||to which both heaven and earth have set their hand |- |sì che m'ha fatto per molti anni macro, ||so as to have made me lean for many years |- |vinca la crudeltà che fuor mi serra ||should overcome the cruelty that bars me |- |del bello ovile ov'io dormi' agnello, ||from the fair sheepfold where I slept as a lamb, |- |nimico ai lupi che li danno guerra; ||an enemy to the wolves that make war on it, |- |con altra voce omai, con altro vello ||with another voice now and other fleece |- |ritornerò poeta, e in sul fonte ||I shall return a poet and at the font |- |del mio battesmo prenderò 'l cappello ... ||of my baptism take the laurel crown ... |- |} Prince Guido Novello da Polenta invited him to Ravenna in 1318, and he accepted. He finished the Paradiso, and died in 1321 (at the age of 56) while returning to Ravenna from a diplomatic mission to Venice, possibly of malaria contracted there. Dante was buried in Ravenna at the Church of San Pier Maggiore (later called San Francesco). Bernardo Bembo, praetor of Venice in 1483, took care of his remains by building a better tomb.

{|align=center |

|} On the grave, some verses of Bernardo Canaccio, a friend of Dante, dedicated to Florence: :parvi Florentia mater amoris :"Florence, mother of little love"

The first formal biography of Dante was the Vita di Dante (also known as Trattatello in laude di Dante) written after 1348 by Giovanni Boccaccio; several statements and episodes of it are seen as unreliable by modern research. However, an earlier account of Dante's life and works had been included in the Nuova Cronica of the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani.

Eventually, Florence came to regret Dante's exile, and made repeated requests for the return of his remains. The custodians of the body at Ravenna refused to comply, at one point going so far as to conceal the bones in a false wall of the monastery. Nevertheless, in 1829, a tomb was built for him in Florence in the basilica of Santa Croce. That tomb has been empty ever since, with Dante's body remaining in Ravenna, far from the land he loved so dearly. The front of his tomb in Florence reads Onorate l'altissimo poeta—which roughly translates as "Honour the most exalted poet". The phrase is a quote from the fourth canto of the Inferno, depicting Virgil's welcome as he returns among the great ancient poets spending eternity in Limbo. The continuation of the line, L'ombra sua torna, ch'era dipartita ("his spirit, which had left us, returns"), is poignantly absent from the empty tomb.

In 2007, a reconstruction of Dante's face was completed in a collaborative project. Artists from Pisa University and engineers at the University of Bologna at Forli completed the revealing model, which indicated that Dante's features were somewhat different than was once thought.

Works

:See also Works by Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and of another of his works, La Vita Nuova. While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and knowledge to appreciate. Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa"—"at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

By its serious purpose, its literary stature and the range—both stylistically and in subject matter—of its content, the Comedy soon became a cornerstone in the evolution of Italian as an established literary language. Dante was more aware than most earlier Italian writers of the variety of Italian dialects and of the need to create a literature beyond the limits of Latin writing at the time, and a unified literary language; in that sense he is a forerunner of the renaissance with its effort to create vernacular literature in competition with earlier classical writers. Dante's in-depth knowledge (within the realms of the time) of Roman antiquity and his evident admiration for some aspects of pagan Rome also point forward to the 15th century. Ironically, while he was widely honoured in the centuries after his death, the Comedy slipped out of fashion among men of letters: too medieval, too rough and tragical and not stylistically refined in the respects that the high and late renaissance came to demand of literature.

He wrote the Comedy in a language he called "Italian", in some sense an amalgamated literary language mostly based on the regional dialect of Tuscany, with some elements of Latin and of the other regional dialects. The aim was to deliberately reach a readership throughout Italy, both laymen, clergymen and other poets. By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression. In French, Italian is sometimes nicknamed la langue de Dante. Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break free from standards of publishing in only Latin (the language of liturgy, history, and scholarship in general, but often also of lyric poetry). This break set a precedent and allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience—setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future. However, unlike Boccaccio, Milton or Ariosto, Dante didn't really become an author read all over Europe until the romantic era. To the romantics, Dante, like Homer and Shakespeare, was a prime example of the "original genius" who sets his own rules, creates persons of overpowering stature and depth and goes far beyond any imitation of the patterns of earlier masters and who, in turn, cannot really be imitated. Throughout the 19th century, Dante's reputation grew and solidified, and by the time of the 1865 jubilee, he had become solidly established as one of the greatest literary icons of the Western world. (1444–1510)]]

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy". In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be more trivial in nature. Furthermore, the word "comedy", in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good. By this meaning of the word, as Dante himself wrote in a letter to Cangrande I della Scala, the progression of the pilgrimage from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

Dante's other works include the Convivio ("The Banquet") a collection of his longest poems with an (unfinished) allegorical commentary; Monarchia, a summary treatise of political philosophy in Latin, which was condemned and burned after Dante's death by the Papal Legate Bertrando del Poggetto, which argues for the necessity of a universal or global monarchy in order to establish universal peace in this life, and this monarchy's relationship to the Roman Catholic Church as guide to eternal peace; De vulgari eloquentia ("On the Eloquence of Vernacular"), on vernacular literature, partly inspired by the Razos de trobar of Raimon Vidal de Bezaudun; and, La Vita Nuova ("The New Life"), the story of his love for Beatrice Portinari, who also served as the ultimate symbol of salvation in the Comedy. The Vita Nuova contains many of Dante's love poems in Tuscan, which was not unprecedented; the vernacular had been regularly used for lyric works before, during all the thirteenth century. One of the most famous poems is Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare, which many Italians can recite by heart. However, Dante's commentary on his own work is also in the vernacular—both in the Vita Nuova and in the Convivio—instead of the Latin that was almost universally used. References to Divina Commedia are in the format (book, canto, verse), e.g., (Inferno, XV, 76).

See also

John Milton

Paradise Lost

References

Further reading

Gardner, Edmund Garratt (1921). Dante, London, Pub. for the British academy by H. Milford, Oxford University Press.

Hede, Jesper. (2007). Reading Dante: The Pursuit of Meaning. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Scott, John A. (1996). Dante's Political Purgatory, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press.

Seung, T. K. (1962). The Fragile Leaves of the Sibyl: Dante's Master Plan. Westminster, MD: Newman Press.

Toynbee, Paget (1898) A Dictionary of the Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante. London, The Clarendon Press.

Whiting, Mary Bradford (1922). Dante the Man and the Poet. Cambridge, England. W. Heffer & Sons, ltd.

External links

Category:1265 births Category:1321 deaths Category:People from Florence Category:14th-century Latin writers Aligheri, Dante Category:Christian writers Category:Epic poets Category:Italian poets Category:Italian political theorists Category:Italian politicians Category:Italian Roman Catholics Category:Medieval poets Category:Roman Catholic writers Category:Sonneteers