Coordinates	21°36′50″N157°54′49″N
Name	Leuven
Picture	Leuven.jpg
Picture-legend	Leuven Town Hall.
Map	LeuvenLocatie.png
Map-legend	Location of Leuven in Flemish Brabant
Arms	Wapen van Leuven.svg
Flag	Flag of Leuven.svg
Region
Community
Province
Arrondissement	Leuven
Nis	24062
Pyramid-date	01/01/2006
0-19	19.59
20-64	63.45
65	16.95
Foreigners	9.43
Foreigners-date	01/07/2005
Mayor	Louis Tobback (SP.A)
Majority	SP.A-Vl.Pro, CD&V;-N-VA
Postal-codes	3000, 3001, 3010, 3012, 3018
Telephone-area	016
Web	www.leuven.be
Lat deg	50
Lat min	53
Lon deg	04
Lon min	42 }}

Leuven (Dutch, pronounced ; , pronounced , often used in English, ) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre.

The township comprises the historical city of Leuven and the former municipalities of Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal.

It is home to Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer group and one of the top five largest consumer goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries and the oldest Catholic university still in existence.

History

The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.

Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the duchy between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14-15th century texts as ''lewyn'' (other spellings: ''Leuwyn'', ''Levyne'', ''Lewan(e)'', ''Lovanium'', ''Louvain'').

In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the by now largest and oldest university in the Low Countries, the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425.

In the 18th century Leuven became even more important as a result of the flourishing of the brewery now named AB InBev, and whose flagship beer, Stella Artois, is brewed in Leuven.

In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city. Upon German entry in World War I, the town was heavily damaged due to German ''Schrecklichkeit'' policy. The Germans shot the burgomaster, university rector and all the city's police officers. The university library was deliberately destroyed by the German army on August 25, 1914, using petrol and incendiary pastilles. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts were lost. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities. After World War II, the burnt down building had to be restored again. It still stands as a symbol of the wars and of Allied solidarity.

Economy

Given the presence of the KULeuven, an important European institution for academic research and education, much of the local economy is concentrated on spin-offs from academic research. There are several biotech and ICT companies; Gasthuisberg, the academic hospital and research center and a large number of private service providers in the medical and legal field.

Being the capital of the region of Flemish-Brabant means that there are many governmental institutions located in Leuven as well as the regional headquarters of transport corporations such as De Lijn. As the largest and one of the oldest Flemish cities in the immediate vicinity of Leuven, with a large palate of cafés, restaurants, cultural institutions and shopping neighbourhoods, the city also attracts people from nearby cities and villages.

Leuven is also the worldwide headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest beer company on the planet. In fact, InBev's Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal to Mechelen.

Population

Student population

Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as during the academic year most citizens in its centre are students.

Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. Besides boasting the "longest bar" in Belgium, the Old Market, dozens of bars and cafés crammed into a central square in Leuven, it's also the proud home city of Belgium's smallest bar, Onder den Toog in the Noormannenstraat.

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven; Catholic University of Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world and the biggest university in Belgium.

There are also a number of ''hogescholen'' (Vocational university, literally translated: "high schools") such as the Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (KHLeuven; the Catholic ''High School'' Leuven), as well as a university college: Groep T (Group T).

Politics

Mayor

The mayor of Leuven is currently Louis Tobback, a socialist politician prominent on the national level, formerly minister of internal affairs and leader of the socialist faction in the lower chamber of the Belgian parliament, among other positions held.

Culture

One of Belgium's finest conservatories is based in Leuven: the Lemmens Institute, which is described as "Faculty of Music, Performing Arts and Education". It is known for its Music Therapy Education and its Wordart-Drama Education.

Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival Marktrock. The main football club of the municipality is Oud-Heverlee Leuven, the successor of K. Stade Leuven. Leuven also has some orchestras, like the famous Arenberg Orchestra (Dutch).

Sights

The Town Hall, built by Sulpitius van Vorst, Jan II Keldermans, and, after both of them died, Matheus de Layens between 1439 and 1463 in a Brabantian late-Gothic style. The reception hall dates from 1750.

The St. Peter's Church (1425–1500) was finished by Jan Keldermans and Matheus de Layens. During the Second World War the church was damaged; during the restoration a Romanesque crypt from the 11th century was found. In the church itself there are several paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries (amongst others Dirk Bouts famous painting of the last supper) and the grave of Duke Henry I of Brabant. The 50 meter high tower—which was meant to be 169 meters but was never completed—is home to a carillon. The tower was included in UNESCO's list of Belfries of Belgium and France in 1999.

Saint-Anthony's Chapel, Pater Damiaanplein, from the 17th to the 20th centuries, contains the tomb of Father Damien, the "leper priest" of Molokai, beatified by Pope John Paul II. The Catholic priest's remains were returned in Belgium with great fanfare in 1936 after having been originally buried on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai where he had served the outcast lepers and died.

The Linen-hall in an early-Gothic style, with baroque addition, is today the University Hall.

The Church of Saint Michael was built in the typical Jesuit Baroque Style.

The Church of Saint Quinten incorporates remains of a Romanesque church built in the 13th century.

The University Library on the Ladeuzeplein was built by the American architect Whitney Warren. It was a gift from the American people to Leuven after World War I during which the Germans burned down the original library, causing much outroar in the USA. The tower houses one of the largest carillons in the world.

''Totem'' is a statue at the centre of the Ladeuzeplein; it is a work of the Belgian artist Jan Fabre. On a 23 meters high needle a giant jewel beetle shines, against the clouds pricked compared with the university library.

There is a ducal castle dating from the 12th century on the Keizersberg ("Emperor's Mountain") which was demolished in the 17th Century. Today there is a neo-Romanesque Abbey where the castle once stood.

The Large Beguinage is one of the world's best remaining examples of its architectural type. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998.

There are several other smaller churches and chapels around town.

"''Fonske''" is a statue near the centre of town. Its full name is ''Fons Sapientiae'', Latin for "fountain of wisdom". The statue represents a university student who, while reading a book, lets wisdom flow into his head as liquid from a glass. Just like Manneken Pis in Brussels, Fonske is from time to time dressed in costumes appropriate for the occasion.

Lerkeveld: A famous Jesuit abbey, headquarters of the Jesuits in Belgium.

Irish College of Louvain/Leuven in located in the city on Pater Damiaanplein. The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe is located on the premises.

Famous inhabitants

Born in Leuven

Most Dukes of Brabant in the 12th and 13th century

Maria of Brabant, queen consort of France (1256–1321)

Martin Margiela, fashion designer (b. 1957)

Quentin Matsys, painter (1466–1530)

Petrus van der Aa, jurist (1530–1594)

Adriaan van Roomen, mathematician (1561–1615)

Charles de Bériot, violinist (1802–1870)

Eugène Prévinaire, (1805–1877), second governor of the National Bank of Belgium

Laurent-Guillaume de Koninck, palaeontologist and chemist (1809–1887)

Jean Stas, analytical chemist (1813–1891)

Arthur De Greef, pianist and composer (1862–1940)

Christian de Duve, cytologist and biochemist, recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (b. 1917)

Hortense Clews World War II Resistance worker and concentration camp survivor (b.1926)

Arthur Berckmans, comics author (b. 1929)

Mark Eyskens, politician and former Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1933)

Louis Tobback, politician and mayor (b. 1938)

Emiel Puttemans, middle- and long-distance runner (b. 1947)

Chris Miseur, painter (b. 1953)

Daniël Theys, expressive artist and glassmaker (b. 1953)

Peter Van Lancker, boat designer (b. 1952)

Jaak Pijpen, media personality (b. 1952)

Frank Vandenbroucke, politician (b. 1955)

Bruno Bosteels, philosopher, known for English translations of Alain Badiou (b. 1967)

Kim Gevaert, sprint athlete, Olympic silver medalist in 4×100 relay (b. 1978)

Jonathan Vandenbroeck, singer-songwriter, better known as Milow (b. 1981)

Lived in Leuven

Jean Baptiste Abbeloos, orientalist and rector of the University of Leuven (1836–1906)

Adrian VI, pope and theologian (1459–1523)

Michel Baius, theologian (1513–1589)

Dirk Bouts, painter (c. 1410/20-1475)

Eustace Chapuys, Imperial ambassador to England (1489–1556)

Matheus de Layens, architect (d.1483)

Koenraad Elst

Desiderius Erasmus, humanist and theologian (1466–1536)

Cornelius Jansen, father of Jansenism (1585–1638)

Jean-Baptiste Janssens, philosophy teacher, Superior General of the Society of Jesus (1889–1964)

Abdul Qadeer Khan, metallurgical engineer (b. 1935)

Georges Lemaître, astronomer (1894–1966)

Ron Lewis, basketball player (b. 1984)

Justus Lipsius, philologist and humanist (1547–1606)

Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, Irish chronicler (1590–1643)

Jan Van der Roost, composer (b. 1956)

Philip Verheyen, surgeon and rector of the University of Leuven (1648–1711)

Andreas Vesalius, anatomist, physician (1514–1564)

Sister cities

Leuven is twinned with: 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Kraków, Poland Lüdenscheid, Germany Rennes, France

Besides these sister cities, Leuven has friendly relations with: Tainan, Republic of China Stellenbosch, South Africa Cristian, Romania

In pop culture

Leuven is mentioned in the song "Dirty Blue" by Woven Hand, a lyric that mentions "the bells of Leuven".

References

"Louvain", chapter from George Wharton Edwards 1911 book, Some Old Flemish Towns. (Wikisource)

External links

Official Leuven website

Wijgmaal website

Leuven at Wikitravel

Drieduizend, Leuven Photoblog

Leuven photo gallery

Detailed map of Leuven (detailed map of Leuven by the KUL)

Free map of Leuven (partial OpenStreetMap of Leuven)

Category:Leuven Category:Flemish Brabant Category:Municipalities of Flemish Brabant Category:Provincial capitals of Flanders Category:University towns Category:Cities and towns in Flanders Category:Populated places in Belgium Category:World Heritage Sites in Belgium

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Coordinates	21°36′50″N157°54′49″N
alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	}}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.

The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Move to Epic and ''Off the Wall'' (1975–81)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson Live: Best Pics – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

Category:1958 births Category:2009 deaths Category:African American dancers Category:African American male singers Category:African American record producers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American beatboxers Category:American businesspeople Category:American child singers Category:American choreographers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American disco musicians Category:American male singers Category:American boogie musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rock singers Category:American soul singers Category:American tenors Category:American vegetarians Category:Boy sopranos Category:Brit Award winners Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Child pop musicians Category:Drug-related deaths in California Category:English-language singers Category:Epic Records artists Category:Expatriates in Bahrain Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Legend Award Michael Jackson Category:Manslaughter victims Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:People acquitted of sex crimes Category:People from Gary, Indiana Category:People from Santa Barbara County, California Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Songwriters from Indiana Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jackson Category:World Music Awards winners Category:Young Artist Award winners

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Lee "DJ Flash" Johnson better known as DJ Flash is an American hip hop artist. In 1981 DJ Flash was the first "white rapper" ever signed to a rap label "Rappers Rapp Disco Co." Los Angeles, Ca. He attended high schools in Sacramento and Taft, California. He began his musical career at radio station KTKR 1310 AM in Taft and went on to become one of the founding members of The Rappers Rapp Group.

In 1992, DJ Flash produced the four-volume set ''West Coast Rap - The First Dynasty'' for Rhino Records, followed by Ice-T, ''The Classic Collection''. After the success of these five albums, DJ Flash launched his own label, Hitman Music, in 1994, a joint venture with Triple XXX/Sony Music. Hitman's first release, ''Concrete Roots'' by Dr. Dre, sold over 250,000 copies during its first week of release. Debuting at #6 on Billboards Rap Charts, and at #24 on Billboard Top 100, ''Concrete Roots'' remained on Billboards Top 100 for eight consecutive weeks. Other DJ Flash productions include ICE T ''Cold As Ever'' (Hitman/Blue Dolphin), and ''The Original 2 Live Crew'', which featured early recordings by The 2 Live Crew.

References

External links

Audio interview with King MC and complete biography

Interview with DJ Flash and King MC

Interview with Captain Rapp

Rappers Rapp Group On West Coast Pioneers

Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Living people Category:American rappers