Coordinates: 50°26′15″N 77°48′51″E / 50.4375°N 77.81417°E / 50.4375; 77.81417

RDS-1
The first Soviet atomic bomb, "RDS-1", was an implosion type like the U.S. "Fat Man" bomb, even in appearance; the front "eyes" are radar fuzes.
Type	Nuclear weapon
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Specifications
Blast yield	22 kt (92 TJ)

The RDS-1 (Russian: РДС-1), also known as Izdeliye 501 (article 501) and First Lightning (Первая молния, Pervaya molniya), was used in the Soviet Union's first nuclear weapon test, the United States assigned it the code-name Joe-1, in reference to Joseph Stalin. It was exploded on 29 August 1949, at Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR, after a top-secret R&D project.^[1] The weapon was designed at the Kurchatov Institute—at the time officially known as "Laboratory № 2," but designated as the "office" or "base" in internal documents—starting in April 1946. A uranium-235 plant was built near Chelyabinsk in 1948.^[1]

The RDS-1 explosion yielded 22 kilotons of TNT, similar to the American Gadget and Fat Man bombs. At Lavrenty Beria's insistence, the RDS-1 bomb was designed as an implosion weapon similar to the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan; it was an implosion type weapon with a solid plutonium core. The bomb designers had developed a more sophisticated design (tested later as RDS-2), but rejected it due to the known reliability of the Fat Man type design; the USSR having received extensive intelligence on the design of the "Fat Man" bomb during World War Two.

In order to test the effects of the new weapon, workers constructed houses made of wood and bricks, along with a bridge, and a simulated metro in the vicinity of the test site. Armoured hardware and approximately 50 aircraft were also brought to the testing grounds, as well as over 1,500 animals to test the bomb's effects on life.^[1] The resulting data showed the RDS explosion to be 50% more destructive than originally estimated by its engineers.^[1]

There are several explanations for the USSR code-name of RDS-1, usually an arbitrary designation: a backronym "Special Jet Engine" (Реактивный двигатель специальный, Reaktivnyi Dvigatel Specialnyi), or "Stalin's Jet Engine" (Реактивный двигатель Сталина, Reaktivnyi Dvigatel Stalina), or "Russia does it herself" (Россия делает сама, Rossiya Delayet Sama).^[1] Later weapons were also designated RDS, but with different model numbers.

Mikhail Pervukhin served as the chairman of the commission in charge of the RDS-1 testing.

Response in the West[link]

When the radioactive fission products from the test were detected by the US Air Force, the US began to follow the trail of the nuclear fallout debris.^[2] President Truman notified the world of the situation on September 23, 1949: "We have evidence that within recent weeks an atomic explosion occurred in the U.S.S.R."^[3] This statement was a turning point in the Cold War that had just begun. The Green Run was a secret test carried out to help the US Air Force's reconnaissance for future detections of Soviet atomic tests.^[4]

Once the Soviet Union was confirmed to be in possession of the atomic bomb, pressure mounted to develop the first hydrogen bomb.^[3]

See also[link]

• Soviet atomic bomb project
• RDS-2
• RDS-3
• RDS-4
• RDS-5
• RDS-37
• RDS-220

References[link]

External links[link]

• Information about Joe 1 from Carey Sublette's NuclearWeaponArchive.org
• http://www.atomicmuseum.com/tour/coldwar.cfm
• http://www.kazakhembus.com/Nuc_gp.html
• Video of the Joe-1 Nuclear Test

Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez, 1974
Born	Cesar Estrada Chavez (1927-03-31)March 31, 1927 Yuma, Arizona, United States
Died	April 23, 1993(1993-04-23) (aged 66) San Luis, Arizona, United States
Occupation	Farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist.
Parents	Librado Chávez (father) Juana Estrada Chávez (mother)

Cesar Estrada Chavez (locally: [ˈsesaɾ esˈtɾaða ˈtʃaβes]; March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).^[1]

A Mexican American, Chavez became the best known Latino civil rights activist, and was strongly promoted by the American labor movement, which was eager to enroll Hispanic members. His public-relations approach to unionism and aggressive but nonviolent tactics made the farm workers' struggle a moral cause with nationwide support. By the late 1970s, his tactics had forced growers to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers in California and Florida. However, by the mid-1980s membership in the UFW had dwindled to around 15,000.^{[citation needed]}

After his death he became a major historical icon for the Latino community, and for liberals generally, symbolizing support for workers and for Hispanic power based on grass roots organizing and his slogan "Sí, se puede" (Spanish for "Yes, it is possible" or, roughly, "Yes, it can be done"). His supporters say his work led to numerous improvements for union laborers. His birthday, March 31, has become Cesar Chavez Day, a state holiday in three US states. Many parks, cultural centers, libraries, schools, and streets have been named in his honor in cities across the United States.

Early life[link]

Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, in a Mexican-American family of six children.^[2] He had two brothers, Richard (1929–2011) and Librado, and two sisters, Rita and Vicki.^[3] He was named after his grandfather, Cesario.^[4] Chavez grew up in a small adobe home, the same home in which he was born. His family owned a grocery store and a ranch, but their land was lost during the Great Depression. The family's home was taken away after his father had agreed to clear eighty acres of land in exchange for the deed to the house, an agreement which was subsequently broken. Later when Cesar's father attempted to purchase the house, he could not pay the interest on the loan and the house was sold to its original owner.^[4] His family then moved to California to become migrant farm workers.

The Chavez family faced many hardships in California. The family would pick peas and lettuce in the winter, cherries and beans in the spring, corn and grapes in the summer, and cotton in the fall.^[2] When César was a teenager, he and his older sister Rita would help other farm workers and neighbors by driving those unable to drive to the hospital to see a doctor.^[5]

In 1942, Chavez graduated from eighth grade. It would be his final year of formal schooling, because he did not want his mother to have to work in the fields. Chavez dropped out to become a full-time migrant farm worker.^[4] In 1944 he joined the United States Navy at the age of seventeen and served for two years. Chavez had hoped that he would learn skills in the Navy that would help him later when he returned to civilian life, however he soon discovered that at the time Mexican-Americans in the Navy could only work as deckhands or painters.^[6] Later, Chavez described his experience in the military as “the two worst years of my life.”^[7] When Chávez returned home from his service in the military, he married his high school sweetheart, Helen Favela. The couple moved to San Jose, California, where they would have seven children: Fernando, Linda (1951–2000),^[8] Paul, Eloise, Sylvia and Anthony.^[7]

Activism[link]

Chavez worked in the fields until 1952, when he became an organizer for the Community Service Organization (CSO), a Latino civil rights group. He was hired and trained by Fred Ross as an organizer targeting police brutality. Chavez urged Mexican Americans to register and vote, and he traveled throughout California and made speeches in support of workers' rights. He later became CSO's national director in 1958.^[9]

Worker's rights[link]

In 1962 Chávez left the CSO and co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Dolores Huerta. It was later called the United Farm Workers (UFW).

Chávez speaking at a 1974 United Farm Workers rally in Delano, California

When Filipino American farm workers initiated the Delano grape strike on September 8, 1965, to protest for higher wages, Chávez eagerly supported them. Six months later, Chávez and the NFWA led a strike of California grape pickers on the historic farmworkers march from Delano to the California state capitol in Sacramento for similar goals. The UFW encouraged all Americans to boycott table grapes as a show of support. The strike lasted five years and attracted national attention. In March 1966, the US Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare's Subcommittee on Migratory Labor held hearings in California on the strike. During the hearings, subcommittee member Robert F. Kennedy expressed his support for the striking workers.^[10]

These activities led to similar movements in Southern Texas in 1966, where the UFW supported fruit workers in Starr County, Texas, and led a march to Austin, in support of UFW farm workers' rights. In the Midwest, Cesar Chavez's movement inspired the founding of two Midwestern independent unions: Obreros Unidos in Wisconsin in 1966, and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) in Ohio in 1967. Former UFW organizers would also found the Texas Farm Workers Union in 1975.

In the early 1970s, the UFW organized strikes and boycotts—including the Salad Bowl strike, the largest farm worker strike in U.S. history—to protest for, and later win, higher wages for those farm workers who were working for grape and lettuce growers. The union also won passage of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which gave collective bargaining rights to farm workers. During the 1980s, Chávez led a boycott to protest the use of toxic pesticides on grapes. Bumper stickers reading "NO GRAPES" and "UVAS NO"^[11] (the translation in Spanish) were widespread. He again fasted to draw public attention. UFW organizers believed that a reduction in produce sales by 15% was sufficient to wipe out the profit margin of the boycotted product.

Chávez undertook a number of spiritual fasts, regarding the act as “a personal spiritual transformation”.^[12] In 1968, he fasted for 25 days, promoting the principle of nonviolence.^[13] In 1970, Chávez began a fast of ‘thanksgiving and hope’ to prepare for pre-arranged civil disobedience by farm workers.^[14] Also in 1972, he fasted in response to Arizona’s passage of legislation that prohibited boycotts and strikes by farm workers during the harvest seasons.^[14] These fasts were influenced by the Catholic tradition of doing penance and by Gandhi’s fasts and emphasis of nonviolence.^[13]

In a failed attempt to reach out to Filipino American farmworkers, Chávez met with then-President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos in Manila. There he endorsed the regime, which was seen by human rights advocates and religious leaders as a vicious dictatorship. This caused a rift within the UFW, which lead to Philip Vera Cruz's resignation from the organization.^{[15][16][17][18]}

Immigration[link]

The UFW during Chávez's tenure was committed to restricting immigration. Chávez and Dolores Huerta, cofounder and president of the UFW, fought the Bracero Program that existed from 1942 to 1964. Their opposition stemmed from their belief that the program undermined US workers and exploited the migrant workers. Since the Bracero program ensured a constant supply of cheap immigrant labor for growers, immigrants could not protest any infringement of their rights, lest they be fired and replaced. Their efforts contributed to Congress ending the Bracero Program in 1964. In 1973, the UFW was one of the first labor unions to oppose proposed employer sanctions that would have prohibited hiring undocumented immigrants. Later during the 1980s, while Chávez was still working alongside Huerta, he was key in getting the amnesty provisions into the 1986 federal immigration act.^[19]

On a few occasions, concerns that undocumented migrant labor would undermine UFW strike campaigns led to a number of controversial events, which the UFW describes as anti-strikebreaking events, but which have also been interpreted as being anti-immigrant. In 1969, Chávez and members of the UFW marched through the Imperial and Coachella Valleys to the border of Mexico to protest growers' use of undocumented immigrants as strikebreakers. Joining him on the march were both Reverend Ralph Abernathy and US Senator Walter Mondale.^[20] In its early years, Chávez and the UFW went so far as to report undocumented immigrants who served as strikebreaking replacement workers, as well as those who refused to unionize, to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

In 1973, the United Farm Workers set up a "wet line" along the United States-Mexico border to prevent Mexican immigrants from entering the United States illegally and potentially undermining the UFW's unionization efforts.^[26] During one such event in which Chávez was not involved, some UFW members, under the guidance of Chávez's cousin Manuel, physically attacked the strikebreakers, after attempts to peacefully persuade them not to cross the border failed.^[27][28][29]

Animal rights[link]

Chávez was a vegan because he believed in animal rights and also for his health.^[30][31]

Death[link]

Chávez died on April 23, 1993, of unspecified natural causes in a rental apartment in San Luis, Arizona. Shortly after his death, his widow, Helen Chávez, donated his black nylon union jacket to the National Museum of American History, a branch of the Smithsonian.^[32]

He is buried at the National Chavez Center, on the headquarters campus of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), at 29700 Woodford-Tehachapi Road in the Keene community of unincorporated Kern County, California.^[33]

Legacy[link]

There is a portrait of him in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.^[34]

In 1973, college professors in Mount Angel, Oregon established the first four-year Mexican-American college in the United States. They chose Cesar Chavez as their symbolic figurehead, naming the college Colegio Cesar Chavez. In the book Colegio Cesar Chavez, 1973-1983: A Chicano Struggle for Educational Self-Determination author Carlos Maldonado writes that Chávez visited the campus twice, joining in public demonstrations in support of the college. Though Colegio Cesar Chavez closed in 1983, it remains a recognized part of Oregon history. On its website the Oregon Historical Society writes, "Structured as a 'college-without-walls,' more than 100 students took classes in Chicano Studies, early childhood development, and adult education. Significant financial and administrative problems caused Colegio to close in 1983. Its history represents the success of a grassroots movement."^[35] The Colegio has been described as having been a symbol of the Latino presence in Oregon.^[36]

In 1992, Chávez was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris is Latin for "Peace on Earth."

On September 8, 1994, Chávez was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. The award was received by his widow, Helen Chávez.

The California cities of Long Beach, Modesto, Sacramento, San Diego, Berkeley, and San Jose, California have renamed parks after him, as well as the City of Seattle, Washington. In Amarillo, Texas a bowling alley has been renamed in his memory. In Los Angeles, César E. Chávez Avenue, originally two separate streets (Macy Street west of the Los Angeles River and Brooklyn Avenue east of the river), extends from Sunset Boulevard and runs through East Los Angeles and Monterey Park. In San Francisco, Cesar Chavez Street, originally named Army Street, is named in his memory. At San Francisco State University the student center is also named after him. The University of California, Berkeley, has a César E. Chávez Student Center, which lies across Lower Sproul Plaza from the Martin Luther King, Jr., Student Union. California State University San Marcos's Chavez Plaza includes a statue to Chávez. In 2007, The University of Texas at Austin unveiled its own Cesar Chavez Statue^[37] on campus. Fresno named an adult school, where a majority percent of students' parents or themselves are, or have been, field workers, after Chávez. In Austin, Texas, one of the central thoroughfares was changed to Cesar Chavez Boulevard. In Ogden, Utah, a four-block section of 30th Street was renamed Cesar Chavez Street. In Oakland, there is a library named after him and his birthday, March 31, is a district holiday in remembrance of him. On July 8, 2009, the city of Portland, Oregon, changed the name of 39th Avenue to Cesar Chavez Boulevard.^[38] San Antonio renamed Durago Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue in May 2011, not without some controversy. In 2003, the United States Postal Service honored him with a postage stamp. The largest flatland park in Phoenix Arizona is named after Chavez. The park features Cesar Chavez Branch Library and a life-sized statue of Chavez by artist Zarco Guerrero. In April, 2010, the city of Dallas, Texas changed street signage along the downtown street-grade portion of Central Expressway, renaming it for Chávez;^[39] part of the street passes adjacent to the downtown Dallas Farmers Market complex. El Paso has a controlled-access highway, the portion of Texas Loop 375 running beside the Rio Grande, called the Cesar Chavez Border Highway; also in El Paso, the alternative junior-senior high school in the Ysleta Independent School District is named for Chavez. Las Cruces, New Mexico has an elementary school named for Cesar Chavez as well.

The National Chavez Center, Keene, California.

In 2004, the National Chavez Center was opened on the UFW national headquarters campus in Keene by the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation. It currently consists of a visitor center, memorial garden and his grave site. When it is fully completed, the 187-acre (0.76 km²) site will include a museum and conference center to explore and share Chávez's work.^[33] On September 14, 2011, the U.S. Department of the Interior added the 187 acres (76 ha) Nuestra Senora Reina de La Paz ranch to the National Register of Historic Places.^[40]

In 2005, a Cesar Chavez commemorative meeting was held in San Antonio, honoring his work on behalf of immigrant farmworkers and other immigrants. Chavez High School in Houston is named in his honor, as is Cesar E. Chavez High School in Delano, California. In Davis, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bakersfield, California and Madison, Wisconsin there are elementary schools named after him in his honor. In Davis, California, there is also an apartment complex named after Chávez which caters specifically to low-income residents and people with physical and mental disabilities. In Racine, Wisconsin, there is a community center named The Cesar Chavez Community Center also in his honor. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the business loop of I-196 Highway is named "Cesar E Chavez Blvd." The (AFSC) American Friends Service Committee nominated him three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.^[41]

On December 6, 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Cesar Chavez into the California Hall of Fame located at The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts.^[42]

Cesar Chavez's eldest son, Fernando Chávez, and grandson, Anthony Chávez, each tour the country, speaking about his legacy.

Chávez was referenced by Stevie Wonder in the song "Black Man," from the album Songs in the Key of Life, and by Tom Morello in the song "Union Song," from the album One Man Revolution.

On May 18, 2011, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced the Navy would be naming the last of 14 Lewis and Clark-class cargo ships after Cesar Chavez.^[43]

One of Cesar Chavez' grandchildren is a professional golfer named Sam Chavez.

Cesar Chavez Day[link]

Cesar Chavez Day poster

Cesar Chavez's birthday, March 31, is celebrated in California as a state holiday, intended to promote service to the community in honor of Chávez's life and work. Many, but not all, state government offices, community colleges, and libraries are closed. Many public schools in the state are also closed. Texas also recognizes the day, and it is an optional holiday in Arizona and Colorado. Although it is not a federal holiday, the President proclaims March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day in the United States, with Americans being urged to "observe this day with appropriate service, community, and educational programs to honor Cesar Chavez's enduring legacy."^[44]

Timeline[link]

<timeline>

ImageSize = width:750 height:700 PlotArea = left:50 right:0 bottom:10 top:10

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1927 till:1996 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:3 start:1927 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1927

PlotData=

color:red mark:(line, pink) align:left fontsize:M
shift:(25,0) # shift text to right side of bar
at:1927 text:March 31, César Estrada Chávez born near Yuma, Arizona.
at:1942 text:Chavez Begins as a farm worker
at:1944 text:Chavez begins his military service in the US Navy, which lasts 2 years.
at:1946 text:Chavez joins the National Agricultural Workers Union, his first.
at:1948 text:He and his family join the National Farm Workers Labor Union.
at:1952 text:Cesar Chavez is recruited for Saul Alinsky's Community Service Organization,~ an activist group that fought racial and economic discrimination against Chicano residents.
from:1958 till:1959 text:Chávez organizes strikes, marches, and a boycott of merchants~ in Oxnard to protest local unemployment.
at:1962 text:Leaves The CSO and moves to Delano where he founds the Farm Workers Association.
at:1965 shift:(25,-5) text: The NFWA and Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee start the grape boycott.
at:1966 shift:(25,8) text:In March, Chávez marches with 75 others from Delano to the capital, Sacramento, 340 miles~ to bring attention to the plight of farmworkers.
at:1968 text:In February, Chavez begins his historic 25 day fast.
at:1969 text:UFW declares National Grape Boycott Day.
at:1970 text:In December, Chávez imprisoned for challenging injunction against the boycott.
at:1973 text:UFW celebrates first convention in Fresno.
at:1975 text:California Supreme Court declares the short-handled hoe an Unsafe Hand Tool thus banned by California law
at:1977 text:An agreement was reached that gave the UFW the sole right to organize farm workers.
at:1984 text:Chávez announces a new grape boycott, this time focused on pesticides.
at:1988 text:Chávez fasts for 36 days to protest pesticide use
at:1993 text:April 23, after a fast of several days, Chávez dies in his sleep of unknown cause.
at:1994 text:Chávez posthumously receives the US Medal of Freedom from President Clinton.
at:1996 text:Made a memorial of his history.

</timeline>

See also[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Cesar Chavez

	Organized labor portal
	Biography portal
	Latino and Hispanic American portal

• List of places named after Cesar Chavez
• Sí se puede
• Union Organizer

References[link]

References and Further reading[link]

• Bardacke, Frank. Trampling Out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers. New York and London: Verso 2011. ISBN 978-1-84467-718-4 (hbk.)
• Bardacke, Frank. "Cesar's Ghost: Decline and Fall of the U.F.W.", The Nation (July 26, 1993) online version^{[dead link]}
• Bruns, Roger. Cesar Chavez: A Biography (2005) excerpt and text search
• Burt, Kenneth C. "The Search for a Civic Voice: California Latino Politics," (2007).
• Dalton, Frederick John. The Moral Vision of Cesar Chavez (2003) excerpt and text search
• Daniel, Cletus E. "Cesar Chavez and the Unionization of California Farm Workers." ed. Dubofsky, Melvyn and Warren Van Tine. Labor Leaders in America. University of IL: 1987.
• Etulain, Richard W. Cesar Chavez: A Brief Biography with Documents (2002), 138pp; by a leading historian. excerpt and text search
• Ferriss, Susan, and Ricardo Sandoval, eds. The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers Movement (1998) excerpt and text search
• Griswold del Castillo, Richard, and Richard A. Garcia. Cesar Chavez: A Triumph of Spirit (1995). highly favorable treatment
• Hammerback, John C., and Richard J. Jensen. The Rhetorical Career of Cesar Chavez. (1998).
• Jacob, Amanda Cesar Chavez Dominates Face Sayville: Mandy Publishers, 2005.
• Jensen, Richard J., Thomas R. Burkholder, and John C. Hammerback. "Martyrs for a Just Cause: The Eulogies of Cesar Chavez," Western Journal of Communication, Vol. 67, 2003 online edition
• Johnson, Andrea Shan. "Mixed Up in the Making: Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, and the Images of Their Movements." PhD dissertation U. of Missouri, Columbia 2006. 503 pp. DAI 2007 67(11): 4312-A. DA3242742 Fulltext: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• LaBotz, Dan. Cesar Chavez and La Causa (2005), short scholarly biography
• León, Luis D. "Cesar Chavez in American Religious Politics: Mapping the New Global Spiritual Line." American Quarterly 2007 59(3): 857–881. Issn: 0003-0678 Fulltext: Project Muse
• Levy, Jacques E. and Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa. (1975). ISBN 0-393-07494-3
• Matthiessen, Peter. Sal Si Puedes (Escape If You Can): Cesar Chavez and the New American Revolution, (2nd ed. 2000) excerpt and text search^{[dead link]}
• Meister, Dick and Anne Loftis. A Long Time Coming: The Struggle to Unionize America's Farm Workers, (1977).
• Orosco, Jose-Antonio. Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence (2008)
• Prouty, Marco G. Cesar Chavez, the Catholic Bishops, and the Farmworkers' Struggle for Social Justice (University of Arizona Press; 185 pages; 2006). Analyzes the church's changing role from mediator to Chávez supporter in the farmworkers' strike that polarized central California's Catholic community from 1965 to 1970; draws on previously untapped archives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• Ross, Fred. Conquering Goliath : Cesar Chavez at the Beginning. Keene, California: United Farm Workers: Distributed by El Taller Grafico, 1989. ISBN 0-9625298-0-X
• Soto, Gary. Cesar Chavez: a Hero for Everyone. New York: Aladdin, 2003. ISBN 0-689-85923-6 and ISBN 0-689-85922-8 (pbk.)
• Taylor, Ronald B. Chavez and the Farm Workers (1975) online edition

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cesar Chavez

• "The Story of Cesar Chavez" United Farmworker's official biography of Chávez
• César E. Chávez Chronology County of Los Angeles Public Library
• Five Part Series on Cesar Chavez Los Angeles Times, Kids' Reading Room Classic, October 2000
• The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworker's Struggle PBS Documentary
• Farmworker Movement Documentation Project
• New York Times obituary, April 24, 1993
• Walter P. Reuther Library – President Clinton presents Helen Chavez with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1994
• Jerry Cohen Papers in the Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College. Cohen was General Counsel of the United Farm Workers of America and personal attorney of Cesar Chavez from 1967-1979.

Frankie Billy Randall (born September 25, 1961 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a three-time world champion boxer, who is best known as the man who handed Mexican legend Julio César Chávez his first professional defeat.

Pro career[link]

Known as "The Surgeon", Randall, who was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up in Morristown, Tennessee, turned pro in 1981 after a lengthy career as an amateur boxer. He started slowly, winning his pro debut in June of that year, but was inactive in 1982 and did not fight again until February 1983.

Once his career started in earnest, Randall stayed busy, fighting and winning 23 times between 1983 and June 1985, when he fought former and future champ Edwin Rosario and lost a unanimous decision over 10 rounds. The loss probably cost him a chance to fight for the WBC lightweight title later that year. It didn't seem like much at the time, but Randall ended up waiting years for another shot.

On July 4, 1986, Randall drew with Freddie Pendleton for the USBA regional lightweight title, then watched Pendleton get a title shot instead of him even though Randall had previously defeated him. Then, in October 1987, he was knocked out by Mexican lightweight champion Primo Ramos for the NABF regional belt.

Randall then signed with promoter Don King and spent the next six and a half years fighting on the undercards of various championship fights promoted by King. But he also won all 17 of those fights, and on January 30, 1993, earned another title shot when he knocked out Rosario in the seventh round of a rematch.

Title Shot against Julio César Chávez[link]

That shot came on January 29, 1994 against the legendary champion Julio César Chávez, in the grand opening of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Chávez came into the fight with an 90-0-1 record and was an 18-to-1 favorite to beat the 32-year-old challenger.

Randall felt differently, though. In a 2004 interview, he said "The moment that Don King informed that I was fighting Julio Cesar Chávez, I knew that I was going to be the first to beat him."

Randall knew the Mexican legend was a slow starter who often lost the first few rounds of a fight, only to come back and dominate. In this fight, Randall indeed won the early rounds, but kept the pressure on in the middle of the fight and began to build a large lead on the scorecards. Chávez then rallied, and by the 10th round, Randall held only a narrow lead. With the championship on the line, Randall took the fight to Chávez, compelling the champion to slow him down with an illegal low blow that cost Chávez a point. Then, in the 11th round, Randall knocked Chávez down for the first time in his career.

Minutes later, the fight ended and Randall had made boxing history, as well as claiming Chávez' WBC light welterweight championship on a split decision.

Chavez disputed the decision and demanded a rematch. Chávez blamed his loss on referee Richard Steele, who deducted two points from Chávez for low blows, including one in the eleventh round that made the difference on judge Angel Guzman's card, making the ultimate difference on the scorecards. (Guzman scored the bout 114-113 for Randall, meaning that the fight would have ended in a draw as Chuck Giampa had Randall winning by a 116-111 margin and Abraham Chavarria scored it 114-113 for Chavez.)[1]

The press stated that Chavez was not one hundred per cent of his capacities, claiming a supposed drug use and alcoholism by the Mexican legend, Randall's victory was discredited on numerous occasions.

Rematch with Chavez[link]

Chávez got a rematch on May 7 of the same year and regained the title from Randall on an eight-round technical split decision [2]. As before, a deducted point played in the outcome of the fight. Chavez was injured in an accidental clash of heads and unable to continue. Per the WBC's rules, Randall was deducted a point for the incident and this proved costly to him. Judge Dalby Shirley's scorecard reflected this as his scorecard read 76-75 for Chavez; since judge Ray Solis had Chavez winning by a 77-74 margin on his card and judge Tamotsu Tomihara had the fight 76-75 in Randall's favor, a technical split draw would have been the result had Randall not lost that point.

On September 17, he was given a shot at the WBA version of the light welterweight title owned by Juan Martin Coggi. He beat Coggi, defended his title twice, then lost a rematch to Coggi in January 1996 in the same manner he'd lost to Chávez—a four-round decision in a fight ended early by a clash of heads.

Seven months later, Randall regained the WBA title, beating Coggi by unanimous decision in Buenos Aires, Argentina. But he lost it in his first defense, against Khalid Rahilou on January 11, 1997.

After taking 18 months off, Randall came back in an attempt to become a four-time world champ. He won a pair of tune-up fights, then faced contender Oba Carr in February 1999 for a chance to fight for a welterweight title. But Carr beat him on a 10-round unanimous decision.

The loss to Carr was the end of Randall's time as a contender, but he's continued to fight with mixed results over the years since.

Third fight against Chavez[link]

On May 22, 2004, Randall got back into the news when old rival Chávez chose him for his last fight before going into retirement. In what was described in the media as an entertaining fight, Randall lost a 10-round decision to Chávez in Mexico City.

Retirement[link]

He announced his retirement on January 1, 2005 after losing a fight to light-middleweight Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio. He continued to fight after the announcement though, and lost a bout the following month to Mauro Lucero, and another bout later in the year. Randall's final career record is 58 wins, 18 losses and one draw, with 42 wins by way of knockout.^[1]

See also[link]

• List of WBC world champions

References[link]

External links[link]

• Professional boxing record for Frankie Randall from BoxRec

Vitali Klitschko
Statistics
Real name	Vitali Volodymyrovych Klychko
Nickname(s)	Dr. Ironfist
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[1]
Reach	203 cm (80 in)
Nationality	Ukrainian
Born	(1971-07-19) July 19, 1971 (age 40) Belovodsk, Kirghiz SSR (now Kyrgyzstan)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	46
Wins	44
Wins by KO	40
Losses	2
Draws	0
No contests	0

Medal record
Competitor for  Ukraine
Men’s Boxing
World Amateur Championships
Silver	1995 Berlin	Super heavyweight

Vitali Klitschko (Ukrainian: Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ [transliteration: Vitali Volodymyrovych Klychko], [ʋiˈtɑʎiɪ̯ klɪtʃˈkɔ]; English: /vɨˈtæli ˈklɪtʃkoʊ/; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian professional boxer and the reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion. He is a leader of the political party UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko and a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of the Council of Europe. He previously held the WBO and WBC titles. Klitschko is the first professional boxing world champion to hold a Ph.D. degree.

Klitschko is known for his powerful punches and durable chin. With a 86.96% knockout percentage rate, he holds the second best knockout-to-fight ratio of any champion in heavyweight boxing history, after Rocky Marciano's 87.76%. He has never been knocked down in any professional boxing bout and has also never lost a decision. His two losses have come via a shoulder injury during a fight and a deep cut above his eye, which were recorded as TKO losses. His power and his possession of a Ph.D have led to his nickname, Dr. Ironfist.

He was awarded Germany's highest civilian award, the Federal Cross of Merit, for his varied accomplishments.^[2] On 27 February 2012, Ring Magazine rated Vitali as the number nine pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Klitschko's younger brother, Wladimir Klitschko, is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring World Heavyweight Champion.

Kickboxing[link]

Originally Klitschko was an amateur kickboxer. In 1992 he was knocked out in the final of the European Kickboxing Championships +89 kg light contact division by Englishman Pelé Reid.^{[dubious – discuss]} In 1993 he defeated Ryushi Yanagisawa in the Japanese mixed martial arts promotion Pancrase under WKA Special Rules (no low kicks) via R5 decision. In 1994 he defeated Richard Vince by second round KO to retain his ISKA World Super Heavyweight title.^[3] In 1996 he turned professional and compiled a record of 34–1 with 22 knockouts. He was a world champion six times (professional and amateur).^[4]

Boxing career[link]

Klitschko won the Super Heavyweight Championship at the first World Military Games in Italy in 1995. Vitali won the silver medal at the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Berlin, Germany, where he was defeated by Russia's Alexei Lezin in the final. In his autobiography, published in Germany in 2004, the boxer revealed that he tested positive for a banned steroid in 1996. He attributed the presence of the drug to treatment of a leg injury but was dismissed from the Ukrainian boxing team and missed the Atlanta Olympics.^[5] His brother Wladimir moved up from heavyweight to super heavyweight to take his place in the squad and won the Olympic gold medal. His amateur record was 195–15 with 80 knockouts.

WBO title[link]

Klitschko began his professional boxing career in 1996, winning his first twenty-four fights by either early knockout or technical knockout (TKO). He and Wladimir signed with the German athlete-promotion company Universum. With both brothers holding Ph.D.s and being multilingual, their refined and articulate personalities made for mainstream marketability when they moved to Germany and Universum. In time, they became national celebrities in their adopted home country. In his 25th pro fight, on 26 June 1999, Klitschko won the WBO Heavyweight title from Herbie Hide of the United Kingdom by a second round knockout.

He successfully defended the title twice. He defeated Ed Mahone by knockout in the third round and beat Obed Sullivan, who retired after the ninth round.

Loss to Chris Byrd[link]

By April 2000 Vitali Klitschko was one of the top stars in the heavyweight division and a prime candidate to be the next Undisputed Champion. He had won all 27 of his contests by knockout. On 1 April, Klitschko had a third title defence against the American Chris Byrd, who was a late replacement. Byrd made himself a difficult target and tried to thwart Klitschko's offence by being elusive. Klitschko won most of the rounds and was heading towards a comprehensive points victory when he suffered a serious shoulder injury. After the ninth round, Klitschko notified his corner that he had a shoulder pain and threw in the towel, thus handing Klitschko his first defeat and awarding Byrd the win by knockout. At the time of the stoppage, Klitschko had a lead on all three judges' scorecards (89–82, and 88–83 twice). Klitschko, who was later diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, received much criticism for quitting the fight.

Klitschko rebounded from his loss to Byrd by reeling off five victories in a row, earning himself a shot at WBC Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis on 21 June 2003 in Los Angeles, California.

Klitschko vs. Lewis[link]

Klitschko, a 4–1 underdog who had much less professional boxing experience,^{[citation needed]} dominated the early going with many harder punches and stunning Lewis in the second round with two hard rights, leaving a cut under on Lennox's left eye.^[6] In the third, Lewis landed a big right hand that opened a deep cut above Klitschko's left eye.^[6] A replay after the third round showed Lennox landed the punch while hugging Klitschko in a clinch at 2:49 while the referee was trying to separate them.^{[citation needed]} It was later revealed that the tape of Lewis's glove was a huge factor in the extent of the damage.^{[citation needed]} Lewis began to specifically target Vitali's cut. In the fourth round at 1:23, Lennox threw some body shots in a clinch. The referee told them to separate several times before actually separating them himself. This happened again at :33, with Jim Lampley saying, "Lewis taking advantage of the clinch to pound Vitali Klitschko to the belly." After the fourth round, Emanuel Steward, Lewis' trainer, could be heard telling Lewis, "One thing, you're pushing him all the time now. Keep pushing your weight on him, all while you're inside clinching." Klitschko was able to rally and Lewis, who had weighed in at his career heaviest for the fight, was breathing heavily after a few rounds. Perhaps the most controversial part came in round 5 at 2:12. Lewis held Klitschko once again and threw twelve dirty body shots in a row, with the referee, once again, making no attempt to separate them.^{[citation needed]} Lampley commented throughout, "And good professional work by Lewis against the ribcage. As Vitali takes it, takes it, takes it, takes it! And referee Lou Moret just looks on!" George Foreman replied, "I don't know how the referee can let that holding and hitting go on." Larry Merchant told Foreman, "One punch, one hand is open. And you're allowed to do that, George-" "You can not hold and hit! If one guy's holding you, you have to break it!" Foreman told Merchant. Both men traded big shots, and in the sixth Lewis got through with a hard uppercut. As the sixth round was ending, Lewis punched Klitschko's injured eye twice in another clinch. Lewis appeared to have punched Klitschko after the bell ended round six.^{[citation needed]} Before the seventh round, the ringside doctor inspected the wound and deemed it severe enough to threaten eye damage if struck again, stopping the fight despite Klitschko's pleas to continue. Klitschko was ahead on all three judges' scorecards 58–56 (4 rounds to 2) at the time of the stoppage, but because the wound was a result of punches from Lewis and not a headbutt, Lewis won by technical knockout.^[6]

Lampley referred to the crowd's reaction, "You heard the response to the stoppage: Almost universal booing in the house." Klitschko, despite the loss, gained international respect for fighting so well against the Heavyweight Champion for 6 rounds. Negotiations for a 6 December rematch began.^[7] After negotiations collapsed, Vitali defeated Kirk Johnson in a WBC Eliminator bout on 6 December date,^[8] setting up a mandatory rematch with Lewis. In January 2004, the WBC announced that it would strip Lewis of the belt if he let pass a March 15 deadline to sign for a rematch with Vitali.^[9] Shortly thereafter, Lewis announced his retirement and vacated the title. For years after this fight, Klitschko would still occasionally call out Lewis, despite the fact that Lewis has been retired since early 2004, for a rematch.^[10]

WBC Heavyweight Champion[link]

Around this time, the Klitschko brothers moved from Hamburg, Germany to Los Angeles, California.

In January 2004, they notified Universum that they would not re-sign when their contracts expired in April. Universum sued the brothers, arguing that their recent injuries had triggered a clause binding them beyond April. The suit was ultimately resolved in favour of the Klitschkos in November 2009.^[11]

Klitschko earned an 8th-round TKO victory over South African Corrie Sanders on 24 April 2004, to capture the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship that had been vacated by Lewis. Sanders had knocked out (2nd Round TKO) younger brother Wladimir on 8 March 2003. This fight was also for The Ring belt. Klitschko was rocked early by Sanders, but by using movement and strong punching he broke down Sanders and forced the referee to stop the bout.

Vitali Klitschko's first WBC title defense was against British boxer Danny Williams. Williams had become suddenly marketable from a KO over Mike Tyson in round 4. Klitschko scored a technical knockout against Williams in 8 rounds on 11 December 2004, while wearing an orange cloth to show support for the Ukrainian presidential opposition movement. Klitschko knocked Williams down in the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 8th rounds before the fight was stopped. Immediately afterward, Klitschko dedicated his victory to democracy in his native Ukraine and also to the Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko, whom he supported in the 26 December 2004, election revote.^[12]

Brothers Wladimir (left) and Vitali (right) Klitschko

On 9 November 2005, Vitali Klitschko announced his retirement from professional boxing and vacated his title. He had been training to fight Hasim Rahman, but unfortunately, just 9 days before the fight, he had entangled his leg with his sparring partner, causing them to fall heavily. He snapped his anterior cruciate ligament, a very serious injury, which would take up to a year to heal, with surgery, and possibly would be career ending. To avoid keeping the title out of use, he retired. The WBC was grateful for his consideration. On other occasions he cited regrets about his suddenly mounting injuries, a desire to leave the sport while still on top and political aspirations in his home country of Ukraine.^[13] Following his retirement, the WBC conferred "champion emeritus" status on Klitschko, and assured him he would become the mandatory challenger if and when he decided to return.^[14]

In the German Bild-Zeitung, he announced on 24 January 2007 his comeback and requested to fight again.

Return bout against Samuel Peter[link]

On 3 August 2008, the WBC awarded Klitschko a chance to regain his WBC Heavyweight title. After Vitali's retirement, his younger brother had established dominance in the division, winning two of the four world titles available. The reigning WBC Champion was Samuel Peter (who had lost a close decision to Wladimir in a thrilling fight in 2005). At the time there was interest in a potential Peter vs Wladimir unification match. Instead Vitali took advantage of his champion emeritus status and secured a title challenge against Peter. The fight was arranged on 11 October 2008 at O2 World, Berlin. It would be one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in the past few years. Both men had a rightful claim to being the champion and the stakes for the future of the heavyweight division were high. Despite some questioning Vitali's decision to return after four years, he managed to regain his title in dominating fashion. Klitschko had Peter intimidated from the first round and stunned him with accurate hard punches. Klitschko kept the hard punching Nigerian off with an effective left jab and took control in the centre of the ring. Over eight rounds Klitschko completely dismantled and outfought the younger champion. After the eighth round, Peter slumped on his stool, shook his head and asked that the bout be stopped. With the Samuel Peter victory, Klitschko technically became one of the few men to ever hold a version of the World Heavyweight Championship three times – WBO (1999–2000), WBC (2004–2005) WBC (2008–Present).

Second reign as WBC Champion[link]

Since his comeback win over Samuel Peter, Vitali Klitschko has defended his WBC Heavyweight Championship eight times as of February, 2012. Despite having a four year hiatus from the sport, Vitali has proven to be a remarkably effective and dominant Heavyweight Champion once again. He has fought the best challengers available in an attempt to prove himself the best heavyweight in the world. Alongside his brother Wladimir, he also fights on for their shared ambition of holding all four Heavyweight Championship belts together, an ambition that was realised on 2 July 2011 when brother Wladimir defeated David Haye to win the WBA Heavyweight Championship.

On 21 March 2009, Klitschko defeated Juan Carlos Gomez by TKO in the ninth round. Gomez tried to use his movement to thwart Vitali but seemed unable to cope with the power and physical strength of his opponent. As the rounds progressed, Klitschko began imposing himself on Gomez more and more. Gomez soon became wary of Klitschko's power and also began to tire physically. By the sixth round Vitali was in total control. The end came when the referee stopped the fight in the ninth round as Gomez appeared unable to withstand any more hits.

On 26 September, Klitschko earned a one-sided TKO victory over Chris Arreola at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California when Arreola's trainer, Henry Ramirez, asked the referee to stop the fight.^[15] Arreola was considered at the time one of the division's hardest punchers; however, Klitschko kept Arreola at bay with his left jab and hit him almost at will with his right. Arreola had been influenced by Samuel Peter's defeat to Klitschko in 2008, in which Peter had tried to box from the outside. He therefore employed a gameplan which involved applying constant pressure to Vitali in order to force him into a high tempo fight. Despite his efforts, the bout became one sided very quickly. Klitschko consistently proved himself faster, sharper and much fitter than Arreola.

On 12 December Vitali defeated Kevin Johnson by unanimous decision, winning almost every round. Johnson, a skillful fighter, tried to negate Klitschko's strength with angles and head movement, though he proved hard to hit he failed to launch any sustained attack of his own. After the Johnson bout, Klitschko's camp began negotiations for a potential fight with former WBA Champion Nikolai Valuev, but the match failed to materialise due to economic disagreements.^{[16][17][18][19]}

^[20]

Klitschko vs Sosnowski, 29 May 2010

On 29 May 2010 Vitali Klitschko defeated Polish heavyweight contender Albert Sosnowski by KO at 2:30 in round 10 of 12. The fight took place at Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Vitali Klitschko weighed in at 112 kg (247 lbs), while Sosnowski weighed in at 110 kg (242.5 lbs). This was Vitali's 4th defence of the WBC Heavyweight title.

Notes:

• Voluntary defense of the WBC title
• Sosnowski was the #11 ranked heavyweight according to the WBC prior to this bout
• Sosnowski was knocked down by a right hand in the 10th round, prompting referee Jay Nady to immediately wave off the fight.^[21]

Late career[link]

On 17 August 2010, it was announced that Klitschko would defend his WBC title against Shannon Briggs on 16 October of that year. Klitschko completely dismantled his challenger with superior hand speed. Briggs struggled to land any meaningful punches, as Klitschko won every round decisively. After a few rounds, Briggs was receiving a vicious and sustained beating which caused him serious facial injuries. Considering the beating he was receiving, there was some suggestion that the referee should have stopped the bout during the last few rounds. Klitschko had retained his belt with official scores of 120–107, 120–105, and 120–107.^[22][23] During the post-fight interview, the American boxer said: “I’ve fought George Foreman, I’ve fought Lennox Lewis, and Vitali’s the best.” While Klitschko did not knock down Briggs, the latter collapsed after the fight and was hospitalized with facial fractures and a torn biceps.

Klitschko's next fight was against mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis. The bout was tentatively scheduled for March 2011.^[24] On 11 January, it was officially confirmed that the fight between Klitschko and Solis was going to take place in Cologne, Germany on 19 March 2011. The fight lasted less than one whole round, as a right hand to Solis's temple wobbled Solis, who then twisted his knee. Klitschko won by KO.^[25][26]

Klitschko and Adamek, during signing for the fight in 2011

Now aged 40, Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek on 10 September 2011 in Poland, winning by TKO in the 10th round. The referee stopped the bout after Adamek received punishing blows and was ruled out, as he was no longer able to defend himself.

After turning 40 on 19 July 2011, Vitali became one of the oldest Heavyweight Champions in history and currently the 14th longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of all time. Since his comeback on October 11, 2008, he has registered victories averaging every 4.4 months which is unusually active for a Heavyweight title holder in the modern era of boxing.^{[citation needed]} In January 2012, he was awarded WBC Fighter of the Year for 2011.^[27] Klitschko was in negotiations for a possible bout with former WBA Heavyweight title holder David Haye on 3 March 2012.^[28][29][30] After Vitali's brother, Wladimir, had to cancel his fight with Jean-Marc Mormeck, it was thought that Vitali was likely to fight on 25 February 2012.^[31] Sources in Germany reported that he was likely to fight British contender Dereck Chisora on 18 February 2012 in Olympiahalle, Munich, Bayern.^[32][33][34]

It was confirmed on 12 December 2011 that Dereck Chisora would be Vitali Klitschko's next opponent.^[35][36] Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC Championship belt unanimously in a dominant display in Munich. The fight was fought against a backdrop of antagonism displayed by the contender Dereck Chisora at the weigh in. Dereck slapped Vitali across the face causing a red mark to be left.^{[citation needed]} The next day, Chisora spat water over the face of Vitali's brother Wladimir.^{[citation needed]}

Vitali won the majority of the rounds boxing a disciplined fight with changing angles and superior footwork.^{[original research?]} The scores were: 118–110, 118–110, 119–111.^{[citation needed]} The next day, Vitali visited a hospital to check his shoulder, claiming he injured it in the fight. A doctor confirmed a ligament tear was suffered in Vitali's left shoulder. Klitschko said he "suddenly lost strength in the left hand" and was forced to only use his right. The injury was believed to have happened in the second or third round. Klitschko's trainer, Fritz Zdunek, believes this is the same kind of injury Vitali suffered in his fight with Byrd.^[37]

At the post fight press conference a brawl ensued between David Haye and Dereck Chisora. After the altercation Dereck Chisora challenged David Haye to a fight in the ring and said, "I am going to shoot David Haye." Dereck Chisora was later arrested at a German airport along with his coach, Don Charles. His comments and actions were later condemned by Frank Warren, his promoter, and Wladimir Klitschko. ^{[38][39][40][41]}

Political career[link]

Klitschko began campaigning for Mayor of Kiev shortly after his retirement in 2005. He lost the 2006 mayoral election to Leonid Chernovetskyi but placed second with 26% of the vote, ahead of the incumbent Oleksandr Omelchenko^[42] Klitschko campaigned on an anti-corruption platform^[42] and lead the bloc "Civic party" PORA-ROP (the parties PORA and Reforms and Order Party) in the simultaneously held local elections for the Kiev City Council.^[43] Analysts stated his relatively late entry into the campaign might have cost him votes. Still, Klitschko was elected as a people's deputy to the Kiev City Council since "Civic party" PORA-ROP won 14 seats in the 2006 election.^[43][44] In the May 2008 Kiev local election, he ran again and won 18% of the vote. Klitschko simultaneously led the Vitaliy Klychko Bloc that won 10.61% of the votes and 15 seats and again he was elected into the Kiev City Council.^[45] His campaign hired Rudy Giuliani as a consultant for the campaign.^[42] In 2008 he was also appointed to the Ukrainian delegation of the Congress of the Council of Europe.

Klitschko became the leader of the political party UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko in April 2010.^[46] During the 2010 Ukrainian local elections, the party won representatives in (Ukrainian) municipalities and Oblast Councils (regional parliaments).^[47][48][49]

In October 2011, Klitschko announced that he would compete in the 2012 Kiev mayoral election.^[50]

Political positions[link]

Klitschko sees the European Union as Ukraine's "model for our future political and economic development."^[51] He believes current President Viktor Yanukovych and his Government are "deliberately destroying the integration (into Europe) prospects of Ukraine."^[52] Klitschko is in favour of NATO-Ukraine cooperation.^[53]

Klitschko wants less corruption and more transparency in Ukrainian politics.^[51][54] He also advocates lower taxes to stimulate the economy of Ukraine.^[51]

Klitschko did accuse in October 2011 President Yanukovych and the Azarov Government of "doing everything to manipulate the rules to stay in power longer";^[54] furthermore (in December 2011) he assert(ed) "every statement of the government" as "a continuation of lies and disinformation."^[52] Klitschko wants former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko to be able participate in the 2012 parliamentary elections (Lutsenko is charged with abuse of power and Tymoshenko has been sentenced for the same misconduct).^[55][56] He has also taken part in a rally for Tymoshenko's release.^[56]

In December 2011 Klitschko described the judicial system of Ukraine as "complete degradation" and accused it of violating human rights and humiliating its prisoners.^[57]

Personal life[link]

Klitschko brothers with their mother and father.

His father, Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko (1947–2011), was a Soviet Air Force major general and a military attaché of the Soviet Union in the East Germany. He was also one of the commanders in charge of cleaning up the effects of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in 1986 and was afterward diagnosed with cancer.^{[citation needed]} His mother is Nadezhda Ulyanovna.^[58]

Klitschko is married to Natalia Egorova, a former athlete and model. They met in Kiev and got married on 26 April 1996. He has three children, Yegor-Daniel, Elizabeth-Victoria and Max (named after the former World Heavyweight Champion Max Schmeling).^[59][60]

In 1996, he graduated from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted into the postgraduate study program at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. On 29 February 2000, he presented his doctoral thesis on "talent and sponsorship in sports"^[61] at the Kiev University of Physical Science and Sports and his Ph.D. in Sports Science was conferred.

Both Vitali and his brother are avid chess players. Vitali is a friend of former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik and the two have played, with Kramnik always winning. Vitali has commented that "chess is similar to boxing. You need to develop a strategy, and you need to think two or three steps ahead about what your opponent is doing. You have to be smart. But what's the difference between chess and boxing? In chess, nobody is an expert, but everybody plays. In boxing everybody is an expert, but nobody fights."^[62]

Vitali and his brother also have been involved in charitable activities dedicated to support the needs of schools, churches and children. In 2002, the Klitschko brothers announced that they had agreed to work for UNESCO.

Professional boxing record[link]

44 Wins (40 knockouts, 4 decisions), 2 Losses, 0 Draws[63]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	44–2	Dereck Chisora	UD	12	2012-02-18	Olympiahalle, Munich, Bayern	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	43–2	Tomasz Adamek	TKO	10 (12), 2:20	2011-09-10	Municipal Stadium, Wrocław, Lower Silesian	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	42–2	Odlanier Solis	KO	1 (12), 3:00	2011-03-19	Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	41–2	Shannon Briggs	UD	12	2010-10-16	O2 World Arena, Altona, Hamburg	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	40–2	Albert Sosnowski	KO	10 (12), 2:30	2010-05-29	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	39–2	Kevin Johnson	UD	12	2009-12-12	PostFinance Arena, Bern, Canton of Bern	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	38–2	Chris Arreola	RTD	10 (12), 3:00	2009-09-26	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	37–2	Juan Carlos Gómez	TKO	9 (12), 1:49	2009-03-21	Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg	Retained WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	36–2	Samuel Peter	RTD	8 (12), 3:00	2008-10-11	O2 World, Kreuzberg, Berlin	Won WBC Heavyweight title.
Win	35–2	Danny Williams	TKO	8 (12), 1:26	2004-12-11	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & The Ring Heavyweight titles.
Win	34–2	Corrie Sanders	TKO	8 (12), 2:46	2004-04-24	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Won vacant WBC & The Ring Heavyweight titles.
Win	33–2	Kirk Johnson	TKO	2 (12), 2:54	2003-12-06	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	WBC Heavyweight Title Eliminator.
Loss	32–2	Lennox Lewis	TKO	6 (12), 3:00	2003-06-21	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	For WBC, IBO, Lineal & The Ring Heavyweight titles.
Win	32–1	Larry Donald	TKO	10 (12), 2:35	2002-11-23	Arena Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen	Retained WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight title. WBA Heavyweight Title Eliminator.
Win	31–1	Vaughn Bean	TKO	11 (12), 1:40	2002-02-08	Volkswagen Halle, Braunschweig, Niedersachsen	Retained WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight title.
Win	30–1	Ross Puritty	TKO	11 (12), 1:16	2001-12-08	König Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen	Retained WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight title.
Win	29–1	Orlin Norris	KO	1 (12), 1:09	2001-01-27	Rudi Sedlmayer Halle, Munich, Bayern	Won vacant WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight title.
Win	28–1	Timo Hoffmann	UD	12	2000-11-25	Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen	Won vacant EBU Heavyweight title.
Loss	27–1	Chris Byrd	RTD	9 (12), 3:00	2000-04-01	Estrel Convention Center, Neukölln, Berlin	Lost WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	27–0	Obed Sullivan	RTD	9 (12), 3:00	1999-12-11	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg	Retained WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	26–0	Ed Mahone	TKO	3 (12), 1:45	1999-10-09	König Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen	Retained WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	25–0	Herbie Hide	KO	2 (12), 1:14	1999-06-26	New London Arena, Millwall, London	Won WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	24–0	Ismael Youla	TKO	2 (12), 1:30	1999-02-20	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg	Retained EBU Heavyweight title.
Win	23–0	Francesco Spinelli	TKO	1 (12), 1:49	1998-12-05	Sport Palace, Kiev, Kiev Oblast	Retained EBU Heavyweight title.
Win	22–0	Mario Schiesser	TKO	2 (12), 2:00	1998-10-24	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg	Won vacant EBU Heavyweight title.
Win	21–0	Ricardo Kennedy	TKO	1 (8), 1:31	1998-08-11	Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida
Win	20–0	Jose Ribalta	TKO	2 (8), 2:13	1998-06-05	Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg
Win	19–0	Dicky Ryan	TKO	5 (12)	1998-05-02	Hansehalle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein	Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title.
Win	18–0	Julius Francis	TKO	2 (12)	1998-04-18	Eurogress, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Win	17–0	Levi Billups	KO	2 (10)	1998-03-20	Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Hessen
Win	16–0	Louis Monaco	KO	3 (10)	1998-03-07	Sartory Saale, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Win	15–0	Alben Belinski	KO	2 (8)	1998-01-30	Berdux Filmstudios, Munich, Bayern
Win	14–0	Marcus Rhode	TKO	2 (10)	1998-01-17	Sport und Erholungszentrum, Friedrichshain, Berlin
Win	13–0	Anthony Willis	KO	5 (8)	1997-12-20	Oberrheinhalle, Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg
Win	12–0	Herman Delgado	TKO	3 (8)	1997-11-29	Rheinstrandhalle, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg
Win	11–0	Gilberto Williamson	KO	6 (8), 2:50	1997-11-08	Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Hessen
Win	10–0	Will Hinton	KO	2 (6)	1997-10-04	Stadionsporthalle, Hannover, Niedersachsen
Win	9–0	Jimmy Haynes	KO	2 (6)	1997-06-14	Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Win	8–0	Cleveland Woods	KO	2 (6), 2:16	1997-05-10	Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Hessen
Win	7–0	Derrick Roddy	TKO	2 (6), 2:14	1997-04-12	Eurogress, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Win	6–0	Calvin Jones	KO	1 (6), 2:58	1997-03-08	Sartory Saale, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Win	5–0	Troy Roberts	TKO	2 (6), 1:14	1997-02-22	Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg
Win	4–0	Mike Acklie	KO	1 (6), 0:32	1997-01-25	Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Win	3–0	Brian Sargent	TKO	2 (6), 1:08	1996-12-21	Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus, Frankfurt, Hessen
Win	2–0	Frantisek Sumina	TKO	1 (4), 1:12	1996-11-30	Nova Arena, Wiener Neustadt, Niederösterreich
Win	1–0	Tony Bradham	KO	2 (4), 1:14	1996-11-16	Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg	Professional debut.