Events [link]

164 BC – Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restores the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah.

235 – Pope Anterus succeeds Pontian as the nineteenth pope. During the persecutions of emperor Maximinus Thrax he is martyred.

1386 – Timur of Samarkand captures and sacks the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, taking King Bagrat V of Georgia captive.

1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact (November 11, O.S.).

1783 – In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, Marquis d'Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight.

1789 – North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 12th U.S. state.

1861 – American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah Benjamin secretary of war.

1877 – Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound.

1894 – Port Arthur, Manchuria falls to the Japanese, a decisive victory of the First Sino-Japanese War, after which Japanese troops massacre the remaining inhabitants of the city.

1905 – Albert Einstein's paper, ''Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?'', is published in the journal "Annalen der Physik". This paper reveals the relationship between energy and mass. This leads to the mass–energy equivalence formula ''E'' = ''mc''².

1910 – Sailors onboard Brazil's most powerful military units, including the brand-new warships , , and , violently rebel in what is now known as the ''Revolta da Chibata'' (Revolt of the Lash).

1916 – World War I: A mine explodes and sinks HMHS Britannic in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people.

1918 – Flag of Estonia, previously used by pro-independence activists, is formally adopted as national flag of the Republic of Estonia.

1918 – A pogrom takes place in Lwów (now Lviv); over three days, at least 50 Jews and 270 Ukrainian Christians are killed by Poles.

1920 – Irish War of Independence: In Dublin, 31 people are killed in what became known as "Bloody Sunday". This included fourteen British informants, fourteen Irish civilians and three Irish Republican Army prisoners.

1922 – Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator.

1927 – Columbine Mine Massacre: Striking coal miners are allegedly attacked with machine guns by a detachment of state police dressed in civilian clothes.

1942 – The completion of the Alaska Highway (also known as the Alcan Highway) is celebrated (however, the highway is not usable by general vehicles until 1943).

1950 – Two Canadian National Railway trains collide in northeastern British Columbia in the Canoe River train crash; the death toll is 21, with 17 of them Canadian troops bound for Korea.

1953 – The British Natural History Museum announces that the "Piltdown Man" skull, initially believed to be one of the most important fossilized hominid skulls ever found, is a hoax.

1959 – American disc jockey Alan Freed, who had popularized the term "rock and roll" and music of that style, is fired from WABC-AM radio for refusing to deny allegations that he had participated in the payola scandal.

1962 – The Chinese People's Liberation Army declares a unilateral cease-fire in the Sino-Indian War.

1964 – The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opens to traffic (at the time it is the world's longest suspension bridge).

1964 – Second Vatican Council: The third session of the Roman Catholic Church's ecumenical council closes.

1967 – Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing."

1969 – U.S. President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Sato agree in Washington, D.C. on the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. is to retain its rights to bases on the island, but these are to be nuclear-free.

1969 – The first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI.

1970 – Vietnam War: Operation Ivory Coast – A joint Air Force and Army team raids the Son Tay prison camp in an attempt to free American prisoners of war thought to be held there.

1971 – Indian troops, partly aided by Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrillas), defeat the Pakistan army in the Battle of Garibpur.

1972 – Voters in South Korea overwhelmingly approve a new constitution, giving legitimacy to Park Chung-hee and the Fourth Republic.

1974 – The Birmingham Pub Bombings kill 21 people. The Birmingham Six are sentenced to life in prison for the crime but subsequently acquitted.

1977 – Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet announces that 'the national anthems of New Zealand shall be the traditional anthem "God Save the Queen" and the poem "God Defend New Zealand", written by Thomas Bracken, as set to music by John Joseph Woods, both being of equal status as national anthems appropriate to the occasion.

1979 – The United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan is attacked by a mob and set on fire, killing four. (see: Foreign relations of Pakistan)

1980 – A deadly fire breaks out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Paradise, Nevada (now Bally's Las Vegas). 87 people are killed and more than 650 are injured in the worst disaster in Nevada history.

1985 – United States Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard is arrested for spying after being caught giving Israel classified information on Arab nations. He is subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

1986 – Iran-Contra Affair: National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents implicating them in the sale of weapons to Iran and channeling the proceeds to help fund the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

1990 – The Charter of Paris for a New Europe refocuses the efforts of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europeon post-Cold War issues.

1995 – The Dayton Peace Agreement is initialed at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agreement is formally ratified in Paris, on December 14 that same year.

1996 – Humberto Vidal Explosion. 33 people die when a Humberto Vidal shoe shop explodes.

2002 – NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.

2004 – The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity.

2004 – The island of Dominica is hit by the most destructive earthquake in its history. The northern half of the island receives the most damage, especially the town of Portsmouth. It is also felt in neighboring Guadeloupe, where one person is killed.

2004 – The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt.

2006 – Anti-Syrian Lebanese Minister and MP Pierre Gemayel is assassinated in suburban Beirut.

2009 – A mine explosion in Heilongjiang province, northeastern China, kills 108.

Births [link]

1495 – John Bale, English churchman (d. 1563)

1567 – Anne de Xainctonge, French saint (d. 1621)

1643 – René-Robert Cavelier de LaSalle French explorer (d. 1687)

1692 – Carlo Innocenzio Maria Frugoni, Italian poet (d. 1768)

1694 – Voltaire, French philosopher (d. 1778)

1718 – Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, German music critic, music-theorist and composer (d. 1795)

1729 – Josiah Bartlett, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1795)

1760 – Joseph Plumb Martin, Soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (d. 1850)

1761 – Dorothea Jordan, British actress (d. 1816)

1768 – Friedrich Schleiermacher, German theologian (d. 1834)

1787 – Samuel Cunard, Canadian-born shipping magnate (d. 1865)

1811 – Zeng Guofan, Chinese military leader (d. 1872)

1818 – Lewis H. Morgan, American anthropologist (d. 1881)

1835 – Hetty Green, American businesswoman (d. 1916)

1840 – Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain and German Empress (d. 1901)

1851 – Désiré-Joseph Mercier, Belgian Cardinal (d. 1926)

1852 – Francisco Tárrega, father of modern classical guitar (d. 1909)

1853 – Hussein Kamal, Sultan of Egypt (d. 1917)

1854 – Pope Benedict XV (d. 1922)

1861 – Tom Horn, American lawman and convicted murderer (d. 1903)

1866 – Sigbjørn Obstfelder, Norwegian writer (d. 1900)

1866 – Konishiki Yasokichi I, Japanese sumo wrestler, 17th Yokozuna (d. 1914)

1870 – Alexander Berkman, American anarchist and writer (d. 1936)

1870 – Joe Darling, Australian cricketer (d. 1946)

1870 – Sigfrid Edström, Swedish sports official (d. 1964)

1876 – Olav Duun, Norwegian writer (d. 1939)

1877 – Sigfrid Karg-Elert, German composer (d. 1933)

1878 – Gustav Radbruch, German law professor (d. 1949)

1886 – Harold Nicolson, British diplomat (d. 1968)

1897 – Mollie Steimer Russian-born American anarchist (d. 1980)

1898 – René Magritte, Belgian painter (d. 1967)

1899 – Jobyna Ralston, American actress (d. 1967)

1902 – Foster Hewitt, Canadian radio pioneer (d. 1985)

1902 – Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish American author, Nobel laureate (d. 1991)

1902 – Mikhail Suslov, Soviet statesman (d. 1982)

1904 – Coleman Hawkins, American musician (d. 1969)

1908 – Elizabeth George Speare, American author (d. 1994)

1912 – Eleanor Powell, American actress and dancer (d. 1983)

1913 – Roy Boulting, British film director (d. 2001)

1914 – Henri Laborit, French physician, writer, and philosopher (d. 1995)

1916 – Sid Luckman, American football player (d. 1998)

1919 – Steve Brodie, American actor (d. 1992)

1920 – Ralph Meeker, American actor (d. 1988)

1920 – Stan Musial, American baseball player

1921 – Joonas Kokkonen, Finnish composer (d. 1996)

1922 – María Casares, Spanish-born actress (d. 1996)

1922 – Abe Lemons, American basketball coach (d. 2002)

1923 – Veljko Kadijević, Yugoslav general

1924 – Milka Planinc, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 2010)

1924 – Christopher Tolkien, British author

1925 – Xie Jin, Chinese film director (d. 2008)

1926 – William Wakefield Baum, American Cardinal

1927 – Joseph Campanella, American actor

1927 – Georgia Frontiere, American professional sports team owner (d. 2008)

1929 – Laurier LaPierre, Canadian journalist and politician

1929 – Marilyn French, American feminist writer (d. 2009)

1930 – Marjan Rožanc, Slovenian writer and essayist (d. 1990)

1931 – Lewis Binford, American archaeologist (d. 2011)

1931 – Revaz Dogonadze, Georgian scientist (d. 1985)

1931 – Malcolm Williamson, Australian composer (d. 2003)

1932 – Beryl Bainbridge, British novelist (d. 2010)

1933 – Henry Hartsfield, American astronaut

1934 – Laurence Luckinbill, American actor

1935 – Fairuz, Lebanese singer

1936 – Victor Chang, Australian physician (d. 1991)

1937 – Ingrid Pitt, Polish-born British actress (d. 2010)

1937 – Marlo Thomas, American actress

1939 – Budd Dwyer, American politician (d. 1987)

1940 – Dr. John, American musician

1940 – Richard Marcinko, American author

1940 – Freddy Beras Goico, Dominican TV host and comedian (d. 2010)

1941 – İdil Biret, Turkish pianist

1941 – Juliet Mills, British actress

1942 – Afa Anoa'i, Samoan/American wrestler

1942 – Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, German politician

1943 – Phil Bredesen, American politician and 48th Governor of Tennessee

1943 – Jacques Laffite, French racing driver

1943 – Larry Mahan, American rodeo cowboy

1943 – Viktor Sidjak, Russian fencer

1944 – Richard Durbin, American politician

1944 – Earl Monroe, American basketball player

1944 – Harold Ramis, American actor/director

1945 – Goldie Hawn, American actress

1946 – Jacky Lafon, Belgian actress

1947 – Nickolas Grace, British actor

1948 – Alphonse Mouzon, American drummer

1948 – Michel Suleiman, President of Lebanon

1948 – George Zimmer, American entrepreneur

1950 – Stephen Geyer, American film and television composer

1952 – Lorna Luft, American actress and singer, daughter of Judy Garland

1954 – Thomas Rothman, American film executive

1955 – Cedric Maxwell, American basketball player

1958 – David Reivers, American actor

1960 – Brian McNamara, American actor

1960 – Brian Ritchie, American musician (Violent Femmes)

1962 – Steven Curtis Chapman, American musician

1962 – Sabine Busch, German athlete

1963 – Nicollette Sheridan, British actress

1964 – Shane Douglas, American wrestler

1964 – Olden Polynice, Haitian basketball player

1964 – Liza Tarbuck, British entertainer

1965 – Björk, Icelandic musician

1965 – Reggie Lewis, American basketball player (d. 1993)

1965 – Alexander Siddig, British actor

1966 – Troy Aikman, American football player

1966 – Evgeny Bareev, Russian chess Grandmaster

1967 – Tripp Cromer, American baseball player

1967 – Toshihiko Koga, Japanese Judoka

1967 – Ken Block, American rally driver

1968 – Inka Bause, German actress and singer

1968 – Alex James, English bassist (Blur)

1968 – Christopher Noxon, American journalist

1968 – Sean Schemmel, American voice actor

1968 – Antonio Tarver, American boxer

1969 – Ken Griffey, Jr., American baseball player

1970 – Karen Davila

1970 – Justin Langer, Australian cricketer

1971 – Michael Strahan, American football player

1972 – Rain Phoenix, American singer/actress

1972 – David Tua, Samoan boxer

1973 – Brook Kerr, American actress

1973 – Inés Sastre, Spanish model and actress

1974 – Karen Rolton, Australian Cricketer

1975 – Cherie Johnson, American actress

1975 – Chris Moneymaker, American poker player

1975 – Aaron Solowoniuk, Canadian drummer

1976 – Michael Wilson, Australian rules footballer

1976 – Dasha, Czech adult actress

1976 – Martin Meichelbeck, German footballer

1976 – Daniel Whiston, British ice skater

1977 – Bruno Berner, Swiss footballer

1977 – Myles Heskett, Australian musician (Wolfmother)

1977 – Yolande James, Canadian politician

1977 – Jonas Jennings, American football player

1977 – Tobias Sammet, German singer (Edguy)

1978 – Daniel Bradshaw, Australian rules footballer

1978 – Lucía Jiménez, Spanish actress

1978 – Sara Tanaka, American actress

1979 – Stromile Swift, American basketball player

1979 – Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer

1979 – Kim Dong Wan, Korean singer (Shinhwa)

1979 – Alex Tanguay, Canadian ice hockey player

1980 – Hank Blalock, American baseball player

1980 – Alec Brownstein, American author, director

1980 – Leonardo González, Costa Rican footballer

1980 – Elaine Yiu, Hong Kong actress

1981 – Wesley Britt, American football player

1981 – Jonny Magallón, Mexican footballer

1981 – Piet Rinke, Zimbabwean cricketer

1982 – Georgios Kalogiannidis, Greek archer

1982 – Ryan Starr, American singer

1983 – Jamie Langley, English rugby player

1983 – Brianna Garcia, American professional wrestler

1983 – Nicole Garcia, American professional wrestler

1984 – Álvaro Bautista, Spanish motorcycle racer

1984 – Hope Dworaczyk, American model

1984 – Jena Malone, American actress

1984 – Callum Ferguson, Australian cricketer

1984 – Willy Mason, American singer-songwriter

1985 – Jesús Navas, Spanish footballer

1985 – Nicola Silvestri, Italian footballer

1986 – Ben Bishop, American ice hockey goalie

1986 – Jordan Lloyd, American reality television personality

1987 – Brian Douwes, Dutch kickboxer and martial artist

1987 – Stefan Glarner, Swiss footballer

1988 – Len Väljas, Canadian cross-country skier

1988 – Preston Zimmerman, American soccer player

1989 – Fabian Delph, English footballer

1989 – Will Buckley, English footbaler

1991 – Lewis Dunk, English footballer

1992 – Liz Mace, American musician

1992 – Megan Mace, American musician

1992 – Rino Sashihara, Japanese actress and singer (AKB48)

1993 – Elena Myers, American motorcycle racer

2001 – Samantha Bailey, American actress

Deaths [link]

496 – Pope Gelasius I

1011 – Reizei, Japanese emperor (b. 950)

1150 – García Ramírez, King of Navarre

1361 – Philip I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1346)

1555 – Georg Agricola, German scientist (b. 1490)

1566 – Annibale Caro, Italian poet (b. 1507)

1579 – Thomas Gresham, English merchant and financier

1652 – Jan Brożek, Polish mathematician, physician, and astronomer (b. 1585)

1695 – Henry Purcell, English composer

1730 – François de Troy, French portrait artist (b. 1645)

1775 – John Hill, British writer

1782 – Jacques de Vaucanson, French inventor and engineer (b. 1709)

1811 – Heinrich von Kleist, German writer (b. 1777)

1844 – Ivan Krylov, Russian fabulist (b. 1769)

1859 – Yoshida Shōin, Japanese intellectual (b. 1830)

1861 – Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, French priest and activist (b. 1802)

1870 – Karel Jaromír Erben, Czech writer (b. 1811)

1874 – Mariano Fortuny, Spanish painter (b. 1838)

1881 – Ami Boué, Austrian geologist (b. 1794)

1899 – Garret Hobart, Vice President of the United States (b. 1844)

1907 – Paula Modersohn-Becker, German painter (b. 1876)

1909 – Peder Severin Krøyer, Norwegian-Danish painter (b. 1851

1916 – Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (b. 1830)

1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón, Mexican anarchist (b. 1874).

1924 – Florence Harding, American First Lady (b. 1860)

1938 – Leopold Godowsky, Polish American pianist (b. 1870)

1941 – Henrietta Vinton Davis American activist (b. 1860)

1942 – Leopold Graf Berchtold, Austro-Hungarian foreign minister (b. 1863)

1942 – J. B. M. Hertzog, South African Prime Minister (b. 1866)

1945 – Robert Benchley, American writer and actor (b. 1889)

1945 – Alexander Patch, American general (b. 1889)

1945 – Al Davis, American boxer (b. 1920)

1953 – Larry Shields, American clarinetist (b. 1893)

1957 – Francis Burton Harrison, American politician (b. 1873)

1958 – Mel Ott, American baseball player (b. 1909)

1959 – Max Baer, American boxer (b. 1909)

1963 – Robert Stroud, American criminal and ornithologist (b. 1890)

1967 – C. M. Eddy, Jr., American writer (b. 1896)

1969 – Mutesa II of Buganda, President of Uganda (b. 1924)

1970 – Newsy Lalonde, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)

1970 – Sir C. V. Raman, Indian physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1888)

1973 – Thomas Pelly, American politician (b. 1902)

1974 – John B. Gambling, American radio talk show host (b. 1897)

1974 – Frank Martin, Swiss composer (b. 1890)

1975 – Gunnar Gunnarsson, Icelandic writer (b. 1889)

1980 – Sara García, Mexican actress (b. 1895)

1981 – Harry Von Zell, American announcer (b. 1906)

1982 – John Hargrave, British advocate (b. 1894)

1986 – Marcelino Sanchez, American actor (b. 1957)

1986 – Jerry Colonna, American comic (b. 1904)

1986 – Dar Robinson, American film stuntman (b. 1947)

1988 – Carl Hubbell, American baseball player (b. 1903)

1988 – Pál Kalmár, Hungarian singer (b. 1900)

1990 – Dean Hart, Canadian wrestler (b. 1954)

1991 – Sonny Werblin, American football team owner (b. 1907)

1992 – Kaysone Phomvihane, President of Laos (b. 1920)

1993 – Bill Bixby, American actor and director (b. 1934)

1994 – Willem Jacob Luyten, Dutch American astronomer (b. 1899)

1995 – Peter Grant, British rock manager and actor (b. 1935)

1995 – Noel Jones, British diplomat (b. 1940)

1996 – Abdus Salam, Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate (b. 1926)

1999 – Quentin Crisp, British writer and actor (b. 1908)

2000 – Ernest Lluch, Spanish politician (b. 1937)

2001 – King Salahuddin of Malaysia (b. 1926)

2002 – Hadda Brooks, American singer, pianist, and composer (b. 1916)

2005 – Alfred Anderson, Scottish World War I veteran (b. 1896)

2005 – Hugh Sidey, American journalist (b. 1927)

2006 – Pierre Amine Gemayel, Lebanese statesman (b. 1972)

2006 – Hassan Gouled Aptidon, President of Djibouti (b. 1916)

2006 – Kathryn Johnston, American police shooting victim (b. 1914)

2006 – Robert Lockwood, Jr., American blues guitarist (b. 1915)

2007 – Fernando Fernán Gómez, Spanish actor, director and playwright (b. 1921)

2007 – Tom Johnson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1928)

2007 – Noel McGregor, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1931)

2009 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Soviet cosmonaut (b. 1926)

2010 – Norris Church Mailer, American model (b. 1949)

2010 – Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, American artist and writer (b. 1917)

2010 – David Nolan, American activist (b. 1943)

Holidays and observances [link]

Armed Forces Day (Bangladesh)

Armed Forces Day (Greece)

Christian Feast Day:

* Pope Gelasius I

* Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

* November 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Day of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska)

National Adoption Day (United States)

World Hello Day (Unofficial)

World Television Day (International)

External links [link]

BBC: On This Day

On This Day in Canada

----

Category:Days of the year Category:November

af:21 November ar:ملحق:21 نوفمبر an:21 de noviembre frp:21 novembro ast:21 de payares az:21 noyabr bn:নভেম্বর ২১ bjn:21 Nupimbir zh-min-nan:11 goe̍h 21 ji̍t be:21 лістапада be-x-old:21 лістапада bcl:Nobyembre 21 bg:21 ноември bs:21. novembar br:21 Du ca:21 de novembre cv:Чӳк, 21 ceb:Nobiyembre 21 cs:21. listopad co:21 nuvembri cy:21 Tachwedd da:21. november de:21. November dv:ނޮވެމްބަރު 21 et:21. november el:21 Νοεμβρίου myv:Сундерьковонь 21 чи es:21 de noviembre eo:21-a de novembro eu:Azaroaren 21 fa:۲۱ نوامبر hif:21 November fo:21. november fr:21 novembre fy:21 novimber fur:21 di Novembar ga:21 Samhain gv:21 Mee Houney gd:21 an t-Samhain gl:21 de novembro gan:11月21號 gu:નવેમ્બર ૨૧ xal:Үкр сарин 21 ko:11월 21일 hy:Նոյեմբերի 21 hi:२१ नवंबर hsb:21. nowembra hr:21. studenog io:21 di novembro ilo:Nobiembre 21 bpy:নভেম্বর ২১ id:21 November ia:21 de novembre is:21. nóvember it:21 novembre he:21 בנובמבר jv:21 November kl:Novemberi 21 kn:ನವೆಂಬರ್ ೨೧ pam:Nobiembri 21 krc:21 ноябрь ka:21 ნოემბერი csb:21 lëstopadnika kk:21 қараша sw:21 Novemba kv:21 вӧльгым ht:21 novanm ku:21'ê sermawezê ky:21-ноябрь la:21 Novembris lv:21. novembris lb:21. November lt:Lapkričio 21 li:21 november lmo:21 11 hu:November 21. mk:21 ноември ml:നവംബർ 21 mr:नोव्हेंबर २१ xmf:21 გერგობათუთა arz:21 نوفمبر ms:21 November mn:11 сарын 21 nah:21 Tlamahtlāccēti nl:21 november nds-nl:21 november ne:२१ नोभेम्बर new:नोभेम्बर २१ ja:11月21日 nap:21 'e nuvembre no:21. november nn:21. november nrm:21 Novembre nov:21 de novembre oc:21 de novembre mhr:21 Кылме uz:21-noyabr pa:੨੧ ਨਵੰਬਰ pag:November 21 nds:21. November pl:21 listopada pt:21 de novembro ro:21 noiembrie qu:21 ñiqin ayamarq'a killapi rue:21. новембер ru:21 ноября sah:Сэтинньи 21 se:Skábmamánu 21. sco:21 November sq:21 Nëntor scn:21 di nuvèmmiru simple:November 21 sk:21. november sl:21. november ckb:٢١ی تشرینی دووەم sr:21. новембар sh:21. 11. su:21 Nopémber fi:21. marraskuuta sv:21 november tl:Nobyembre 21 ta:நவம்பர் 21 kab:21 wember tt:21 ноябрь te:నవంబర్ 21 th:21 พฤศจิกายน tr:21 Kasım tk:21 noýabr uk:21 листопада ur:21 نومبر vec:21 de novenbre vi:21 tháng 11 vo:Novul 21 fiu-vro:21. märtekuu päiv wa:21 di nôvimbe vls:21 november war:Nobyembre 21 yi:21סטן נאוועמבער yo:21 November zh-yue:11月21號 diq:21 Tışrino Peyên bat-smg:Lapkristė 21 zh:11月21日

Name	Triple H
Names	Triple HHunter Hearst HelmsleyJean-Paul LévesqueTerra Ryzin
Height
Weight
Birth date	July 27, 1969
Birth place	Nashua, New Hampshire
Resides	Greenwich, Connecticut
Work	Wrestler and actor
Years active	1994–present (wrestler)2004–present (actor)
Billed	Greenwich, Connecticut
Trainer	Killer Kowalski
Debut	March 24, 1992
Retired	July 2011 (Full Time Wrestling)

Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, wrestling executive, and actor better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Currently, Levesque works in the front office of WWE as the Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, and as Triple H appears on television as the (storyline) Chief Operating Officer, and part-time wrestler.

Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward. He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the D-Generation X (DX) stable. After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships. As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution, and reformed DX with Shawn Michaels in 2006 and 2009. He is heavily involved in the writing process of WWE programming, and holds complete creative control over his television character's storylines, win/loss record, and championship reigns.

Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWE. He is a thirteen-time world champion — the all-time record in the company — having won the WWF/E Championship eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship five times. He was the first World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.

Early life[link]

Paul Levesque was born in Nashua, New Hampshire. In his youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling and his favorite wrestler was Ric Flair. Levesque became aware of bodybuilding at the age of fourteen; after graduating from high school in 1987, Levesque entered several bodybuilding competitions. He was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire in 1988.

Professional wrestling career[link]

World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)[link]

In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole. His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque. This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French. During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the ''Pedigree''.

Levesque had a brief storyline feud with Alex Wright that ended at Starrcade 1994 with Wright pinning him. Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character. The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment[link]

The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997)[link]

As a continuation of his gimmick in WCW, Levesque started his WWF career as the "Connecticut Blueblood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of ''WWF Wrestling Challenge''.

Although he was heavily pushed in the first few months after his debut, Levesque's career stalled during 1996, starting off with being mired in a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese following a loss during the ''Free for All'' at 1996 Royal Rumble. Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks and Tylyn John). Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior, as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.

During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of ''WWF Superstars'' in a match against Marty Garner. When Levesque attempted to perform the ''Pedigree'', Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage. Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on ''The Montel Williams Show''.

Levesque was known backstage as one of the members of The Kliq, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team. It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall. Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect became his manager and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero. When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of ''Monday Night Raw'', called ''Thursday Raw Thursday''. For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes, who was his storyline bodyguard. After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13. During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.

D-Generation X (1997–1999)[link]

Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament by defeating Mankind in the finals. Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion, and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H. Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart over the WWF European Championship. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.

After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble, with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX, claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws. As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains to fan-favorites. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination and rising WWF villain, The Rock. This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match at SummerSlam. He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury. When The Rock won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series, the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 episode of ''Raw'' in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslammed by Kane. This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.

At WrestleMania XV, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX. Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation. turning heel in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle. Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot. After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin. The following night on ''Raw'', Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.

Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 episode of ''SmackDown!'' before regaining it at Unforgiven in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction".

McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001)[link]

By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was on top of the wrestling world and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On the January 3 episode of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.

Triple H feuded with Mick Foley in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 to retain the title, but lost it at Backlash to The Rock. He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day, only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring. Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.

A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven. The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock, forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 episode of ''SmackDown!'', and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.

During the May 21, 2001 episode of ''Raw'', he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury. In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle, causing it to come completely off the bone. Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match. He even allowed Jericho to put him in the ''Walls of Jericho'', a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months, completely missing The Invasion storyline.

Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002)[link]

Triple H returned to ''Raw'' as a face on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden. He won the Royal Rumble and received an Undisputed WWF Championship match at WrestleMania X8. At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship. After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan at Backlash. Triple H then became exclusive to the ''SmackDown!'' roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.

In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side. When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows. Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward, but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on ''Raw'' the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H. The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance.

Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order (nWo). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.

Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt (which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion of the WWE brand. Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.

In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick. He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) raped her corpse. Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia with a mannequin in a casket; Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans, and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.

Triple H eventually lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels in the first Elimination Chamber match, at Survivor Series. He defeated RVD for the title shot at Armageddon with Michaels as special referee. He regained the title from Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.

Evolution (2003–2005)[link]

In January 2003, Triple H formed a stable known as Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Triple H and Ric Flair challenged RVD and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the match. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004. The height of their dominance occurred after Armageddon when every member of Evolution left the pay-per-view holding a title. Triple H held the World Heavyweight Championship for most of 2003 until Unforgiven, losing the title to Bill Goldberg. After a failed attempt to win back the title from Goldberg in a rematch at the Survivor Series, he finally regained the championship against Goldberg in a triple threat match at Armageddon which also involved Kane. At the 2004 Royal Rumble, Triple H and Shawn Michaels fought in a Last Man Standing match to a double countout, so Triple H retained the title as a result. Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX, and he was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit in subsequent rematches, including a rematch from WrestleMania between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at Backlash.

He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood. After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance, he focused on Eugene, beating him at SummerSlam. Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven. Following a Triple Threat World Heavyweight title defense against Benoit and Edge on the November 29, 2004 episode of ''Raw'', the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time. At New Year's Revolution, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign. At WrestleMania 21, Triple H lost the championship to Batista, and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash and Vengeance. After Vengeance, Triple H took hiatus from WWE due to suffering from his minor neck problems.

After four month hiatus, Triple H returned to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of ''WWE Homecoming''. He teamed with fellow Evolution member Flair to defeat Chris Masters and Carlito. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting Flair with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo. Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday for Flair's Intercontinental Championship. Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series to end their feud.

D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007)[link]

Although Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, another championship opportunity arose for Triple H in the ''Road to WrestleMania Tournament''. He won the tournament, granting him a match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22. At WrestleMania, Triple H and John Cena fought in the main event for the title, which Triple H lost via submission. Later that month at Backlash, Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his sledgehammer to attack both Edge and Cena and then performed a number of DX crotch chops. Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually led to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.

Shawn Michaels returned on the June 12 episode of ''Raw'' and soon reunited with Triple H to reform D-Generation X, turning Triple H into a fan-favorite once again for the first time since 2002. DX defeated the Spirit Squad at Vengeance in a 5-on-2 handicap match. They continued their feud with Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and the Spirit Squad for several weeks. They then defeated the Spirit Squad again on the July 18, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 Elimination match. They then again defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam, withstanding the attack of several handpicked WWE superstars by Vince McMahon. At Unforgiven, D-Generation X overcame the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and ECW World Champion Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. During the match, DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his face in between Big Show's buttocks, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels performed ''Sweet Chin Music'' on him.

At Cyber Sunday during DX's feud with Rated-RKO, special guest referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a weapon to give Rated-RKO the win. At Survivor Series, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match. In January 2007, at New Year's Revolution, DX and Rated-RKO fought to a no-contest after Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps (similar to the one he suffered in 2001 but in the other leg) fifteen minutes into the match. Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.

Record breaking WWE Champion (2007–2009)[link]

Triple H made his return at SummerSlam, where he defeated King Booker. Two months later at ''No Mercy'', Triple H was originally scheduled to face Umaga in a singles match. However, at the start of the night Triple H decided to challenge newly named WWE Champion Randy Orton, reigniting his rivalry with Orton that had been interrupted following his injury. Triple H won the match, winning his eleventh world championship and sixth WWE Championship, and then defended his title against Umaga in his regularly scheduled match after Mr. McMahon declared the match to be for the WWE title. After that McMahon gave Orton a rematch against Triple H in a Last Man Standing match in the main event, and Triple H lost after failing to beat the ten count when Orton hit his ''RKO'' onto the announcer's table. Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event. After winning the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match, by outlasting five other men, last eliminating Jeff Hardy after a Pedigree on a steel chair. However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's ''Pedigree'' on Cena. A month later, at Backlash, Triple H won the title in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Orton, Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, tying the record for most WWE Championship reigns with The Rock. Triple H then retained the title against Orton at Judgment Day in a Steel Cage match and again at One Night Stand in a Last Man Standing match. Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.

On June 23, 2008 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft, in the process making the WWE Championship exclusive to SmackDown. He defended the championship over the summer and was the only champion to retain his title at Unforgiven's Championship Scramble matches. After this he defended it against Jeff Hardy, who was in the Unforgiven match.

At Survivor Series, Triple H was scheduled to defend the championship against Vladimir Kozlov and Hardy, however Hardy was kept out of the match after a scripted attack and injury. During the match, Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced that Edge had returned and introduced him into the contest. Jeff Hardy interfered and hit Triple H with a steel chair meant for Edge, thus costing him the title and resulting in Edge winning his sixth World Title. Triple H entered seventh in the 2009 Royal Rumble, but was last eliminated by Randy Orton. In February at Elimination Chamber, Triple H won the WWE Championship in the SmackDown Chamber match, setting the record for most reigns at eight. That record stood until 2011 when John Cena won his ninth WWE Championship.

The Legacy feud and DX farewell (2009–2011)[link]

On the February 16, 2009 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H made an appearance aiding Stephanie and Shane McMahon, after they were attacked by Randy Orton. On the February 20 episode of ''SmackDown'', Triple H was interviewed by Jim Ross, in the interview, footage was shown highlighting the events that occurred on the February 16 episode of ''Raw''. Ross asked Triple H how he felt seeing that footage, in response, he broke character (after 5 years of marriage) by admitting that Vince McMahon is his father-in-law, that Shane is his brother-in-law, and that Stephanie is his wife, thus creating a rivalry between Triple H and Orton. On the February 23 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H confronted Orton, before attacking him, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes (a group known as The Legacy) with a sledgehammer and chasing them from the arena. Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV. At the event, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the title.Triple H would later face Orton and Legacy in a six man tag team match with Shane McMahon and Batista for the WWE championship at Backlash (2009). Triple H lost the title after trying to stop Batista from hitting Cody Rhodes with a chair then being hit with a RKO by Orton followed by the running punt to the head, allowing Orton to win the WWE championship and putting Hunter out of action for six weeks. At The Bash, Triple H would lose to Orton in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Title. At Night of Champions, Triple H would again lose to Orton in a match for the WWE Championship, this time in a Triple Threat match, also involving John Cena.

On the August 10, 2009 episode of ''Raw'', video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H would try to convince Michaels return to WWE from hiatus. After several incidents during the segments (including a grease grill burgers on fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam, superkicking the girl, and quitting from his chef job in the process. On the August 17 episode of ''Raw'', in St. Louis, MO, Michaels and Triple H officially reunited as DX, but as they were in the process of their in-ring promo, Legacy attacked them both. Their first match after reuniting was against Legacy at SummerSlam, which they won. At Breaking Point, however, they lost to Legacy in the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match in WWE history.

At the October pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match. DX would challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at Survivor Series with both men failing to win the title, although they were able to retain their friendship and tag team partnership. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match; the first tag team championship reign for Michaels and Triple H as a tag team.

On December 21, Triple H announced that Hornswoggle was the new DX mascot. This came about after Hornswoggle sued DX for emotional and physical distress due to them not allowing him to join DX. After being taken to court where they were ruled guilty by a jury and judge consisting of dwarves, Michaels told Triple H that Hornswoggle could be the mascot. Triple H agreed to it only if the charges were dropped, which Hornswoggle agreed to. On January 11 Mike Tyson, who was the ''Raw'' guest host for the night, teamed with Jericho to face DX; however, at the end of the bout, Tyson turned on Jericho and aligned himself with Michaels and Triple H. On the February 8, 2010 episode of ''Raw'', DX lost their Unified Tag Team Titles to ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Team match also featuring The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows.) On the March 1 episode of ''Raw'' they lost their rematch for the titles which would be their last televised match before Michaels retired. Michaels and Triple H had a non-wrestling reunion at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops.

On February 21, Triple H eliminated WWE Champion Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match, though he would not win the title himself. Sheamus attacked him weeks later, setting up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI, where Triple H was victorious. Also at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker and was forced to retire, but while giving a farewell speech the next night, Sheamus attacked him. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules where Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show ahead of a win in their scheduled contest to allow Triple H time off to recover from injuries. Triple H made an untelevised appearance on October 30 at the WWE Fan Appreciation Event and also at the 2010 ''Tribute to the Troops''.

Feud with The Undertaker and Chief Operating Officer (2011–present)[link]

On the February 21, 2011 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H made his return to the WWE by interrupting the return of The Undertaker. He challenged him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII, which later became a No Holds Barred match. A week later he put Sheamus through the announce table with a Pedigree, in retaliation for Sheamus giving him a 10 month injury. At WrestleMania XXVII Triple H lost which extended Undertaker's undefeated streak to 19-0, however Undertaker was carried from the ring in a stretcher whereas Triple H left the ring of his own volition.

At the end of the July 18, 2011 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H returned on behalf of WWE's board of directors to relieve his father-in-law Vince McMahon of his duties. This was followed by the announcement that he had been assigned to take over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE. This was during a storyline where CM Punk had won the WWE Championship and left the company. Though a new champion was crowned, Triple H helped resign CM Punk and upheld both championship reigns. He announced he would referee a match to unify both WWE Championships at SummerSlam. Although he counted a pinfall for CM Punk to win, John Cena's leg was on the ropes which would break the pin. Regardless, Triple H's longtime friend Kevin Nash attacked Punk immediately after the match to allow Alberto Del Rio to become champion. Though Nash and Punk demanded a match against each other, Triple H fired Nash for insubordination and booked himself in a No Disqualification match at Night Of Champions with his position of COO on the line. He won the match despite interference from John Laurinaitis, Nash, The Miz and R-Truth. After repeated attacks from these wrestlers in various matches, the majority of WWE's on-screen staff gave Triple H a vote of no confidence. Mr. McMahon returned to relieve him of his duties on ''Raw'' though he remained COO. He was replaced as General Manager of ''Raw'' by Laurinaitis, who booked him in a tag team match against Miz and R-Truth at Vengeance. During the match, Nash once again attacked him and did so the following night on the October 24 ''Raw'', hospitalizing him. WWE later announced that Triple H sustained a fractured vertebrae which would remove him from television until his return on December 12, as part of the Slammy Awards. On December 18, Triple H defeated Nash at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs in Sledgehammer Ladder Match where he used the sledgehammer against Nash.

Triple H returned on the January 30 edition of ''Raw'', to evaluate Laurinaitis' performance as General Manager. Before he could announce the decision, he was interrupted by the returning Undertaker. After initially refusing the rematch as he did not want to tarnish Undertaker's legacy, Triple H accepted the challenge after being called a coward who lives in Shawn Michaels' shadow, on the condition their rematch be contested inside Hell in a Cell. Triple H went on to lose this match at WrestleMania XXVIII. Triple H returned on ''Raw'' four weeks later, to tell Brock Lesnar that he will only accept the original contract agreed upon before having his arm broken by Lesnar. It was later announced on WWE.com that in addition to a broken arm Triple H had suffered severe ligament and tendon damage around the elbow and that it would require surgery.

Backstage roles[link]

In 2010, Levesque's role as an Executive Senior Advisor was officially formalized as he was given an office at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Levesque was named Executive Vice President, Talent in 2011. In this role he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments, training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment. In addition to his talent duties, Levesque has worked as a director and producer of the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.

Personal life[link]

In 2000, Levesque began dating Stephanie McMahon and they married on October 25, 2003. He had previously been in a long-term relationship with former WWE wrestler Chyna. He and McMahon have three daughters. On January 8, 2006, WWE announced that McMahon and Levesque were expecting their first child, due on July 27, 2006. Stephanie McMahon continued to work and travel with WWE throughout her pregnancy, giving birth to an 8 lb, 7 oz (3.8 kg) baby girl, Aurora Rose Levesque, on July 24, 2006. The couple had their second daughter, Murphy Claire Levesque, on July 28, 2008. The couple welcomed their third daughter, Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, on August 24, 2010.

He has a sister named Lynn.

In late 2004, Levesque released a book titled ''Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body.'' Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical information, memoirs, and opinions.

Filmography[link]

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1998		Triple H
1998	''The Drew Carey Show''	The Disciplinarian
2001	''MADtv''	Himself
2004	''Blade: Trinity''	Jarko Grimwood
2005	''The Bernie Mac Show''	Triple H
2006	''Relative Strangers''	Wrestler	Uncredited
2011		Raymond "Ray Ray" Bradstone
2011		Arlo "A.J." Jayne

In wrestling[link]

Finishing moves

''Pedigree'' (Double underhook facebuster) - 1995-present

Signature moves

Abdominal stretch

Blatant choke

Chop block

Facebreaker knee smash, often as a back body drop counter

Figure four leglock

Flowing DDT

High knee

Inverted Indian deathlock – WCW; used rarely as a regular move thereafter in WWE

Jumping knee drop

Mounted punches

Running clothesline

Running neckbreaker

Sleeper hold

Spinning spinebuster

Managers

*Chyna

*Ric Flair

*Rick Rude

*Mr. Hughes

*Mr. Perfect

*Stephanie McMahon–Helmsley

*Vince McMahon

*Shawn Michaels

*Lord Steven Regal

*Sable

*Hornswoggle

Nicknames

The Connecticut Blueblood

The Cerebral Assassin

The Game

The King of Kings

Entrance themes

*World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

**"Blue Blood" by Jim Johnston (April 28, 1995 – December 15, 1996)

**"Symphony No. 9 (Fourth movement)" by Ludwig van Beethoven (December 15, 1996 – November 10, 1997)

**"Break It Down" by The DX Band (November 10, 1997 – April 5, 1999; June 19, 2006 – April 2007; August 24, 2009 – March 1,2010)

**"Corporate Player" by Jim Johnston (April 25, 1999 – May 10, 1999)

**"Higher Brain Pattern" by Jim Johnston (May 16, 1999 – June 21, 1999)

**"My Time" by The DX Band (June 27, 1999 – December 10, 2000)

**"The Game" by Motörhead (January 8, 2001–present)

**"The Game" by Drowning Pool (used for advertising promos; March 2002 – March 2011)

**"King of Kings" by Motörhead (used for promos and as prelude to "The Game"; April 2, 2006–Present)

**"For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica (WrestleMania XXVII prelude to "The Game")

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Independent Wrestling Federation

IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Kurt Angle

PWI Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Chris Benoit

*PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Randy Orton

PWI Match of the Year (2004) vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX

PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2003–2005)

*PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)

*PWI Wrestler of the Year (2008)

*PWI Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)

PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000 and 2009

PWI ranked him #139 in the PWI Years in 2003

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment

WWF/E Championship (8 times)

World Heavyweight Championship (5 times - first champion)

WWF European Championship (2 times)

WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (5 times)

WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Steve Austin (1) and Shawn Michaels (1)

WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shawn Michaels (1)

King of the Ring (1997)

Royal Rumble (2002)

*Second Grand Slam Championship

*Seventh Triple Crown Champion

*Slammy Award for Best Hair (1997)

Slammy Award for OMG Moment of the Year (2011) -

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Feud of the Year (2000)

Feud of the Year (2004)

Feud of the Year (2005)

Most Overrated (2002–2004, 2009)

Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2002-2003)

Worst Feud of the Year (2002)

Worst Feud of the Year (2006)

Worst Feud of the Year (2011)

Worst Worked Match of the Year (2003)

Worst Worked Match of the Year (2008)

Wrestler of the Year (2000)

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)

Triple H's fifth reign was as Undisputed WWF Champion.}}

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

WWE.com Profile

WWE Corporate Profile

Online World of Wrestling profile

Category:1969 births Category:Actors from New Hampshire Category:American film actors Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American television actors Category:American bodybuilders Category:D-Generation X members Category:Corporate Ministry members Category:Living people Category:People from Greenwich, Connecticut Category:People from Nashua, New Hampshire Category:Professional wrestling executives

ar:تربل إتش bg:Трите Хикса bar:Triple H ca:Paul Michael Levesque cs:Triple H cy:Triple H da:Triple H de:Triple H el:Τριπλ Έιτς es:Paul Levesque fa:تریپل اچ fr:Triple H gl:Triple H ko:트리플 H hy:Փոլ Լեվեսք hi:ट्रिपल एच id:Triple H it:Paul Michael Levesque he:פול לווסק lt:Triple H ml:ട്രിപ്പിൾ എച്ച് nl:Triple H ja:トリプルH no:Paul Levesque pl:Triple H pt:Triple H ro:Triple H ru:Triple H simple:Triple H sk:Triple H fi:Triple H sv:Paul Levesque th:ทริปเปิล เอช tr:Triple H vi:Paul Levesque zh:Triple H

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	King of Pop, MJ
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, MJJ Productions
associated acts	The Jackson 5 150pxMichael Jackson's Signature
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 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 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 made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled ''This Is It'', Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

Life and career[link]

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)[link]

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)[link]

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: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' (1982–83)[link]

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[link]

External links[link]

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 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:Midwest hip hop musicians Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Child pop musicians Category:Drug-related deaths in California Category:Epic Records artists Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Legend Award Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 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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name	Sungha Jung
birth name	정성하
birth date	September 02, 1996
birth place	Cheongju, South Korea
nationality	South Korean
other names	colloquially: ''Sungha Jung'', ''jwcfree'', ''jungsungha'', ''blueseaJSH''
years active	September 8, 2001–present
known for	Guitar music
website	Official website }}

Title	Korean name
Hangul	정성하
Hanja
Rr	Jeong Seongha
Mr	Jŏng Sŏngha}}

Seongha Jeong (정성하) (colloquially: Sungha Jung) (born 2 September 1996) is a South Korean professional acoustic finger-style guitarist who has risen to fame on YouTube and other sites. As of 2012, his channel had over 17 million views, with his videos getting a total of over 454 million views, and also over 726,000 subscribers.

Seongha typically takes three days to learn and practice a new piece, and video-record it for upload onto YouTube. His genre selection is rather broad, as he learns and plays many pieces that are playable on guitar, therefore consequently spread across numerous genres.

Seongha has won 13 awards on YouTube, including 6 "#1" awards. Also on YouTube, Seongha has 523 videos with over one million views. Seongha's video with the most views is the one which shows him playing the theme from "Pirates Of The Caribbean".

In 2010, he was featured on Narsha's solo album "Narsha" for the song "I'm in Love" Seongha has composed 18 pieces as of February 2011, two of which are featured in his debut album, "Perfect Blue". He released his second album, "Irony", on 21 September 2011.

In 2011, he performed in the US with Trace Bundy, as well as touring in Scandinavia and Japan.

See also[link]

Yuto Miyazawa, Seongha's Japanese electric guitar-playing counterpart

Trace Bundy, Fellow acoustic guitarist with whom Seongha collaborates

Ulli Bögershausen, Fellow acoustic guitarist who helped him get his sponsorship with Lakewood Guitars

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:South Korean guitarists Category:Fingerstyle guitarists Category:People from Seoul Category:Video bloggers Category:South Korean Internet personalities Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:South Korean Christians

de:Sungha Jung ko:정성하 it:Sungha Jung ja:チョン・ソンハ pl:Sungha Jung pt:Sungha Jung ro:Sungha Jung ru:Чон Сонха sv:Sungha Jung vi:Seongha Jeong zh:鄭成河

Name	Matt Corby
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Matthew John Corby
Birth date	November 07, 1990
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, glockenspiel, keyboard
Genre	Acoustic, folk, blues, indie
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter
Label	Communion Music (independent)
Years active	2007–present
Website	Official Site }}

Music career[link]

Matt Corby began his music career at age 16 on the reality TV talent show series ''Australian Idol'' in 2007, which ultimately saw him place as the season's runner-up to Natalie Gauci. In 2009, he independently released his debut EP ''Song For...'' before relocating to London and signing with renowned UK indie label Communion after capturing the attention of the label's owner, Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons fame. Corby has previously been compared to legendary artists such as Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. After recording with Ian Grimble (The Libertines, Seasick Steve) and releasing his third EP, ''Transition to Colour'' in late 2010, Matt busied himself playing numerous live shows. Matt spent the earlier part of 2011 playing sold out shows in London and showcasing at ''South by Southwest (SXSW)'' in Austin, Texas in February before coming back to Australia to play a string of intimate 'Secret Garden' shows in fans' backyards throughout Australia. He soon after joined legendary UK band ''Elbow'' as the main support on their sold out national tour of Splendour sideshows in July.

''Made of Stone'' was featured on an episode of ''Underbelly: Razor'' in 2011 and ''Brothers and Sisters''. ''Lighthome'' was also used in an episode of ''Home and Away'' in 2011, as well as ''Song For...'' in 2012. He has since recorded a cover version of iconic Australian band INXS's "By My Side" for their ''Original Sin'' album (bonus track on the iTunes edition) and featured on a track on Julia Stone's debut album ''The Memory Machine'' and on UK singer-songwriter Passengers' title track "Golden Thread". After spending a few months writing, Matt spent most of September 2011 recording his latest EP, ''Into the Flame'', with producer Tim Carr (Ernest Ellis). The EP "Into the Flame" showcases a new direction for Corby, including soul-influenced growling vocals along with a bluesy melody, coupled with Corby's signature folk style. The song has been called "lyrically raw and endearingly honest". The EP also features a duet with keyboardist Bree Tranter, previously of Australian band The Middle East. The EP is his first entry on the ARIA Charts when it reached number 46 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart on 4 December 2011. It has since peaked at #3. On its release date, Corby posted on his website and Facebook page:

''"After 12 months of lots of ups and downs, I'm so excited to share this EP with you. I honestly felt like giving up music back in April but all of you inspired me again. It's been an incredible few months re-connecting with all of you in gardens around Australia. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. It's been said by others before… but you guys really are the best fans ever. Let's stay close on this journey."''

"Into The Flame" has since reached 3x platinum status in Australia, making it Corby's most successful release to date. Matt is to support the release of his EP and single 'Brother' with a national 'Into the Flame' tour around Australia, many of which have already sold out, along with a mini 'Secret Garden' Summer Tour around NSW. In January 2012, Matt was named the 'Next Big Thing' and won 'Song of the Year' for Brother at FBi Radio's annual SMAC Awards in Darlinghurst, Sydney. He soon after premiered his own take of The Black Keys' song "Lonely Boy" on Triple J's ''Like a Version'' show with Tom & Alex, along with an acoustic rendition of his own song Brother. Both have since received significant attention online. Corby secured a support slot with Feist in Adelaide on her 2012 Australian tour. He is to tour throughout the U.S. and U.K. in the early part of 2012. He will also be writing and recording his debut album, which is due to be released later in the year. Corby's song "Brother" was voted into the #3 position for the Triple J Hottest 100, 2011.

Discography[link]

Extended plays[link]

{|class="wikitable" |- !|Year ! style="width:210px;"|Album details !|Peak chartpositionsAUS !|Certifications(sales thresholds) |- |2009 |''Song For...'' Released: 5 June 2009

Label: Scorpio Music

Formats: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- |2010 |''My False'' Released: 28 May 2010

Label: Communion

Formats: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- |2010 |''Transition to Colour'' Released: 19 October 2010

Label: Communion

Formats: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |- |2011 |''Into the Flame'' Released: 11 November 2011

Label: Communion

Formats: CD, digital download

| style="text-align:center;"| 3 |Matt Hart |- |rowspan="2"|2010 |"Lighthome" (Live at Studio 301) | style="text-align:center;"| — |- |"Made of Stone" | Alex Roberts |- |}

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year	! Type	! Award	! Result
2009		Final 12
	rowspan="2"	Next Big Thing
Song of the Year (Brother)

External links[link]

Official Website: http://www.mattcorby.com.au

Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mattcorbyau

Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/mattcorbyau

Official YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/mattcorbyau

Official Twitter Page: http://www.twitter.com/matt_corby

Official Fansite: http://www.mattcorby.org/

Label Website: http://www.communionmusic.co.uk/

References[link]

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Australian male singers Category:Australian child singers Category:Australian guitarists Category:Australian pianists Category:Australian keyboardists Category:Australian Idol participants Category:Idol series runners-up Category:Australian singer-songwriters Category:Australian indie pop musicians Category:Australian indie rock musicians