For other uses, see Otho (disambiguation).

Name	Otho
Title	Emperor of the Roman Empire
Full name	Marcus Salvius Otho (from birth to accession); Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus (as emperor, sometimes also Marcus Salvius Otho Nero Caesar Augustus)
Caption	Bust of Otho
Reign	15 January 69 – 16 April 69
Predecessor	Galba
Successor	Vitellius
Spouse 1	Poppea Sabina (forced to divorce her by Nero)
Dynasty	None
Father	Lucius Otho
Mother	Terentia Albia
Date of birth	April 28, 32
Place of birth	Ferentium
Date of death	April 16, 69
Place of death	Rome

Marcus Salvius Otho (28 April 32 – 16 April 69), also called Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus, was Roman Emperor for three months, from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the four emperors.

Birth and lineage

Otho belonged to an ancient and noble Etruscan family, descended from the princes of Etruria and settled at Ferentinum (modern Ferento, near Viterbo) in Etruria. His paternal grandfather, Marcus Salvius Otho, whose father was a Roman knight but whose mother was of lowly origin and perhaps not even free-born, was raised in Livia's household and rose to senatorial rank through her influence, although he did not advance beyond the rank of praetor. His father was Lucius Otho.

Early life

The future emperor appears first as one of the most reckless and extravagant of the young nobles who surrounded Nero. This friendship was brought to an end in 58 because of his wife, the noblewoman Poppaea Sabina. Otho introduced his beautiful wife to the Emperor upon Poppaea's insistence, who then began an affair that would eventually lead to her premature death. After securely establishing this position as his mistress, she divorced Otho and had the emperor send him away to the remote province of Lusitania (which is now parts of both modern Portugal and Extremadura).

Otho remained in Lusitania for the next ten years, administering the province with a moderation unusual at the time. When in 68 his neighbor the future emperor Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, rose in revolt against Nero, Otho accompanied him to Rome. Resentment at the treatment he had received from Nero may have impelled him to this course, but to this motive was added before long that of personal ambition. Galba was childless and far advanced in years, and Otho, encouraged by the predictions of astrologers, aspired to succeed him. He came to a secret agreement with Galba's favourite, Titus Vinius, agreeing to marry Vinius' daughter in exchange for his support. However, in January 69, his hopes were dissipated by Galba's formal adoption of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus, whom Galba had previously named a recipient in his will.

After this, Otho decided to strike a bold blow. Desperate as was the state of his finances, thanks to his previous extravagance, he found the money needed to purchase the services of some twenty-three soldiers of the Praetorian Guard. On the morning of January 15, only five days after Galba adopted Piso, Otho attended as usual to pay his respects to Galba, and then hastily excusing himself on the score of private business hurried from the Palatine Hill to meet his accomplices. He was then escorted to the Praetorian camp, where, after a few moments of surprise and indecision, he was saluted as Imperator.

With an imposing force he returned to the Roman Forum, and at the foot of the Capitoline Hill encountered Galba, who, alarmed by rather vague rumors of treachery, was making his way through a dense crowd of wondering citizens towards the barracks of the guard. The cohort that was on duty at the Palatine, which had accompanied the emperor, instantly deserted him. Galba, his newly adopted son Piso and others were brutally murdered by the Praetorians. The brief struggle over, Otho returned in triumph to the camp, and on the same day was duly invested by the senators with the name of Augustus, the tribunician power and the other dignities belonging to the principate. Otho had owed his own success to the resentment felt by the Praetorian guards and the rest of the army at Galba's refusal to pay the promised gold to the ones who supported his accession to the throne. The population of the city was also unhappy with Galba and cherished the memory of Nero. Otho's first acts as emperor showed that he was not unmindful of these facts.

Decline and fall

He accepted, or appeared to accept, the cognomen of Nero conferred upon him by the shouts of the populace, whom his comparative youth and the effeminacy of his appearance reminded of their lost favourite. Nero's statues were again set up, his freedmen and household officers reinstalled, and the intended completion of the Golden House announced. At the same time the fears of the more sober and respectable citizens were allayed by Otho's liberal professions of his intention to govern equitably, and by his judicious clemency towards Marius Celsus, consul-designate, a devoted adherent of Galba. Otho soon realized that it was much easier to overthrow an Emperor than rule as one: according to Suetonius Otho once remarked that "Playing the Long Pipes is hardly my trade" (i.e. undertaking something beyond one's ability to do so).

But any further development of Otho's policy was checked once Otho had read through Galba's private correspondence and realized the extent of the revolution in Germany, where several legions had declared for Vitellius, the commander of the legions on the lower Rhine River, and were already advancing upon Italy. After a vain attempt to conciliate Vitellius by the offer of a share in the empire, Otho, with unexpected vigor, prepared for war. From the much more remote provinces, which had acquiesced in his accession, little help was to be expected; but the legions of Dalmatia, Pannonia and Moesia were eager in his cause, the praetorian cohorts were in themselves a formidable force and an efficient fleet gave him the mastery of the Italian seas.

The fleet was at once dispatched to secure Liguria, and on March 14 Otho, undismayed by omens and prophecies, started northwards at the head of his troops in the hopes of preventing the entry of Vitellius' troops into Italy. But for this he was too late, and all that could be done was to throw troops into Placentia and hold the line of the Po. Otho's advanced guard successfully defended Placentia against Aulus Caecina Alienus, and compelled that general to fall back on Cremona. But the arrival of Fabius Valens altered the aspect of affairs.

Vitellius' commanders now resolved to bring on a decisive battle, the Battle of Bedriacum, and their designs were assisted by the divided and irresolute counsels which prevailed in Otho's camp. The more experienced officers urged the importance of avoiding a battle, until at least the legions from Dalmatia had arrived. But the rashness of the emperor's brother Titianus and of Proculus, prefect of the Praetorian Guards, added to Otho's feverish impatience, overruled all opposition, and an immediate advance was decided upon, Otho himself remaining behind with a considerable reserve force at Brixellum, on the southern bank of the Po. When this decision was taken, Otho's army had already crossed the Po and were encamped at Bedriacum (or Betriacum), a small village on the Via Postumia, and on the route by which the legions from Dalmatia would naturally arrive.

Leaving a strong detachment to hold the camp at Bedriacum, the Othonian forces advanced along the Via Postumia in the direction of Cremona. At a short distance from that city they unexpectedly encountered the Vitellian troops. The Othonians, though taken at a disadvantage, fought desperately, but were finally forced to fall back in disorder upon their camp at Bedriacum. There on the next day the victorious Vitellians followed them, but only to come to terms at once with their disheartened enemy, and to be welcomed into the camp as friends.

More unexpected still was the effect produced at Brixellum by the news of the battle. Otho was still in command of a formidable force: the Dalmatian legions had already reached Aquileia and the spirit of his soldiers and their officers was unbroken. But he was resolved to accept the verdict of the battle that his own impatience had hastened. In a dignified speech he bade farewell to those about him, declaring: "It is far more just to perish one for all, than many for one" , and then retiring to rest soundly for some hours. Early in the morning he stabbed himself in the heart with a dagger, which he had concealed under his pillow, and died as his attendants entered the tent.

Otho's ashes were placed within a modest monument. He had reigned only three months, but in this short time had shown more wisdom and grace than anyone had expected. His funeral was celebrated at once, as he had wished. A plain tomb was erected in his honour at Brixellum, with the simple inscription Diis Manibus Marci Othonis.

Reasons for suicide

It has been thought that Otho's suicide was committed in order to steer his country from the path to civil war. Just as he had come to power, many Romans learned to respect Otho in his death. Few could believe that a renowned former companion of Nero had chosen such an honourable end. The soldiers were so moved and impressed that some even threw themselves on the funeral pyre to die with their emperor.

Writing during the reign of the emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), the Roman poet Martial expressed his admiration for Otho's choice to spare the empire from civil war through sacrificing himself:

::::::::"Although the goddess of civil warfare was still in doubt, ::::::::And soft Otho had perhaps still a chance of winning, ::::::::He renounced fighting that would have cost much blood, ::::::::And with sure hand pierced right through his breast. ::::::::By all means let Cato in his life be greater than Julius Caesar himself; ::::::::In his death was he greater than Otho?"

Physical appearance

Suetonius, in The Lives of the Caesars, comments on Otho's appearance and personal hygiene.

"He is said to have been of moderate height, splay-footed and bandy-legged, but almost feminine in his care of his person. He had the hair of his body plucked out, and because of the thinness of his locks wore a wig so carefully fashioned and fitted to his head, that no one suspected it. Moreover, they say that he used to shave every day and smear his face with moist bread, beginning the practice with the appearance of the first down, so as never to have a beard"

Juvenal, in a passage in the Satire II dealing with homosexuality, specifically mentions Otho as being vain, looking at himself in the mirror prior to going into battle, and "plaster[ing] his face with dough" in order to look good. While specifically meant to be satirical, this specific mention, in conjunction with many descriptions of his being "effeminate" provide possible insight into Otho's sexual orientation.

References

External links

Primary sources

Life of Otho (Suetonius; English translation and Latin original)

Life of Otho (Plutarch; English translation)

Cassius Dio, Book 63

Tacitus, Histories (esp. 1.12, 1.21–90)

Secondary material

Biography on De Imperatoribus Romanis

Otho entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

Otho by Plutarch

Juvenal; Satire II

Category:32 births Category:69 deaths Category:People from the Province of Viterbo Category:1st-century Roman emperors Category:Year of Four Emperors Category:Roman emperors who committed suicide Category:Suicides by sharp instrument

Name	Sukshinder Shinda
Born	June 27, 1972
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sukshinder Singh
Alias	The Music Man
Genre	Bhangra, Indi-pop
Occupation	Record producer, musician, music director, singer-songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Label	MovieBox, United KingdomMusic Waves, Canada StarMakers, India Kamlee Records Tips T-Seires (India) |Associated_acts =Jazzy B, Amrinder Gill and Aman Hayer
Url

Sukshinder Shinda (born Sukshinder Singh) () is a bhangra record producer and singer–songwriter. Since releasing his first professional recording in 1993, Dhol Beat Ek, Shinda has produced or collaborated on more than 200 albums, including all of Jazzy B's releases and the majority of Amrinder Gill's. In 2003, Shinda released his first solo album, Gal Sun Ja, which featured the singles "Gal Sun Ja" and "Tere Utteh Akh Ni".

Record producer

Sukshinder Shinda has also produced soundtracks for many Punjabi films such as Dil Apna Punjabi, Munde U.K. De, Shaheed Udham Singh, Ik Kudi Punjab Di , The Lion of Punjab.

Musical artist

Sukshinder Shinda released his the album "Collaborations 2" in February 2009.

Sukshinder Shinda's album "Satguru Mera" (translated to My True Guru), with Jazzy B, is his first completely religious album.

Awards

In 2006, Sukshinder Shinda won two awards at the UK Asian Music Awards, "Best Album" and "Best Video". In 2008, he won another two awards at the UK Asian Music Awards, "Best Act" and "Best Album" for Living the Dream. In 2010, he won "Best Producer".

Discography

{| border="3" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 2px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;" |- bgcolor="#AACCDD" align="left" ! Release ! Album ! Record Label |- | 2010 | Jadoo | MovieBox/Music Waves |- | 2009 | Collaborations 2 | MovieBox/Planet Recordz/Speed Records |- | 2007 | Living the Dream | MovieBox/Planet Recordz/Speed Records |- | 2006 | Collaborations | MovieBox/Planet Recordz/Speed Records |- | 2005 | Balle | MovieBox/Music Waves |- | 2003 | Gal Sunja | MovieBox |- | 2002 | Phases | MovieBox |- | 2001 | The Way it Is | MovieBox |- |}

Guest Appearances

{| border="3" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 2px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;" |- bgcolor="#AACCDD" align="left" ! Release ! Album ! Record Label |- | 2011 | Billo Chitti (With Nachhatar Gill , Amrinder Gill , Jazzy B , Rahat Fateh Ali Khan , Sarbjit Cheema , Angrej Ali and Aman Hayer) | MovieBox/Tips/Kamlee Records |- | 2003 | Break it Down with Madan Madi | MovieBox |- | 2000 | Moving & Grooving with Madan Madi | MovieBox |- | 1999 | Living Loud with Manjit Pappu | Kamlee Records |}

Religious

{| border="3" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 2px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCAABBBBB" align="left" ! Year ! Album ! Music Label ! Notes |- | 2010 | Panth Khalsa | MovieBox/T-Series/StarMakers | With Jassi Sidhu |- | 2009 | Satguru Mera | MovieBox/Music Waves/StarMakers | With Jazzy B |}

References

External links

Sukshinder Shinda video Interview

Official Facebook Page

Official Website

Official Myspace Music Page

Shinda, Sukhshinder Shinda, Sukhshinder Shinda, Sukhshinder Shinda, Sukhshinder Category:English people of Indian descent Category:Jat people Category:Punjabi people

Playername	Paul Morphy
Birthname	Paul Charles Morphy
Country
Birth date	June 22, 1837
Birth place	New Orleans, United States
Death date	July 10, 1884
Death place	New Orleans, United States
Worldchampion	1858–1862 (Unofficial)

Paul Charles Morphy (June 22, 1837 – July 10, 1884), was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy and called "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess".

Biography

Early life

Morphy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a wealthy and distinguished family. His father, Alonzo Michael Morphy, a lawyer, served as a Louisiana state legislator, attorney general, and Supreme Court Justice. Alonzo, who held Spanish nationality, was of Spanish, Portuguese, and Irish ancestry. Morphy's mother, Louise Thérèse Félicité Thelcide Le Carpentier, was the musically-talented daughter of a prominent French Creole family. Morphy grew up in an atmosphere of genteel civility and culture where chess and music were the typical highlights of a Sunday home gathering.

According to his uncle, Ernest Morphy, no one formally taught Morphy how to play chess; rather, Morphy learned on his own as a young child simply from watching others play. After watching a lengthy game between Ernest and Alonzo, young Paul surprised them by stating that Ernest should have won. His father and uncle had not realized that Paul knew the moves, let alone any chess strategy. They were even more surprised when Paul proved his claim by resetting the pieces and demonstrating the win his uncle had missed.

Childhood victories

After that incident Morphy's family recognized him as a precocious talent and encouraged him to play at family gatherings and local chess milieus. By the age of nine, he was considered one of the best players in New Orleans. In 1846, General Winfield Scott visited the city, and let his hosts know that he desired an evening of chess with a strong local player. Chess was an infrequent pastime of Scott's, but he enjoyed the game and considered himself a formidable player. After dinner, the chess pieces were set up and Scott's opponent was brought in: diminutive, nine-year-old Morphy. Scott was at first offended, thinking he was being made fun of, but he consented to play after being assured that his wishes had been scrupulously obeyed and that the boy was a "chess prodigy" who would tax his skill. Morphy beat him easily not once, but twice, the second time announcing a forced checkmate after only six moves. As two losses against a small boy was all General Scott's ego could stand, he declined further games and retired for the night, never to play Morphy again.

In 1850, when Morphy was twelve, the strong professional Hungarian chess master Johann Löwenthal visited New Orleans. Löwenthal, who had often played and defeated talented youngsters, considered the informal match a waste of time but accepted the offer as a courtesy to the well-to-do judge. When Löwenthal met Morphy, he patted him on the head in a patronizing manner.

By about the twelfth move in the first game, Löwenthal realized he was up against something formidable. Each time Morphy made a good move, Löwenthal's eyebrows shot up in a manner described by Ernest Morphy as "comique". Löwenthal played three games with Paul Morphy during his New Orleans stay, scoring two losses and one draw (according to another source - losing all three).

Schooling and the First American Chess Congress

After 1850, Morphy did not play much chess for a long time. Studying diligently, he graduated from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, in 1854. He then stayed on an extra year, studying mathematics and philosophy. He was awarded an A.M. degree with the highest honors in May 1855.

He next was accepted to the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) to study law. He received an L.L.B. degree on April 7, 1857, in preparation for which he is said to have memorized the complete Louisiana book of codes and laws.

Not yet of legal age to begin the practice of law, Morphy found himself with free time. He received an invitation to participate in the First American Chess Congress, to be held in New York from October 6 to November 10, 1857. He at first declined, but at the urging of his uncle eventually decided to play. He defeated each of his rivals, including James Thompson, Alexander Beaufort Meek, and two strong German masters, Theodor Lichtenhein and Louis Paulsen, the latter two in the semifinal and final rounds. Morphy was hailed as the chess champion of the United States, but he appeared unaffected by his sudden fame. According to the December 1857 issue of Chess Monthly, "his genial disposition, his unaffected modesty and gentlemanly courtesy have endeared him to all his acquaintances." In the fall of 1857, staying in New York, Morphy played 261 games, both regular and at odds. His overall score in regular games was 87 wins, 8 draws, and 5 losses.

Europe

Soon after returning to New Orleans he was invited to attend an international chess tournament to be held in Birmingham, England in the summer of 1858. Still too young to start his law career, he accepted the challenge and traveled to England. He arrived in Liverpool on June 21, 1858. Instead of playing in the tournament, however, he ended up playing and easily winning a series of chess matches against all the leading English masters except the veteran Howard Staunton, who was well past his prime, and who initially promised a match but eventually declined after witnessing Morphy's play.

Staunton was later criticised for avoiding a match with Morphy. Staunton is known to have been working on his edition of the complete works of Shakespeare at the time, but he also competed in a chess tournament during Morphy's visit. Staunton later blamed Morphy for the failure to have a match, suggesting among other things that Morphy lacked the funds required for match stakes—a most unlikely charge given Morphy's popularity.

Seeking new opponents, Morphy crossed the English Channel to France. At the Café de la Régence in Paris, the center of chess in France, he played a match against Daniel Harrwitz, the resident chess professional, soundly defeating him.

In Paris, Morphy suffered from a bout of intestinal influenza. In accordance with the medical wisdom of the time, he was treated with leeches, resulting in his losing a significant amount of blood. Although too weak to stand up unaided, Morphy insisted on going ahead with a match against the visiting German master Adolf Anderssen, considered by many to be Europe's leading player. Despite his illness Morphy triumphed easily, winning seven while losing two, with two draws. When asked about his defeat, Anderssen claimed to be out of practice, but also admitted that Morphy was in any event the stronger player and that he was fairly beaten. Anderssen also attested that in his opinion, Morphy was the strongest player ever to play the game, even stronger than the famous French champion La Bourdonnais.

Both in England and France, Morphy gave numerous simultaneous exhibitions, including displays of blindfold chess in which he regularly played and defeated eight opponents at a time. Morphy played a well-known casual game against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard at the Italian Opera House in Paris.

World Champion

Still only twenty-one, Morphy was now quite famous. While in Paris, he was sitting in his hotel room one evening, chatting with his companion Frederick Edge, when they had an unexpected visitor. "I am Prince Galitzine; I wish to see Mr. Morphy," the visitor said, according to Edge. Morphy identified himself to the visitor. "No, it is not possible!" the prince exclaimed, "You are too young!" Prince Galitzine then explained that he was in the frontiers of Siberia when he had first heard of Morphy's "wonderful deeds." He explained, "One of my suite had a copy of the chess paper published in Berlin, the Schachzeitung, and ever since that time I have been wanting to see you." He then told Morphy that he must go to Saint Petersburg, Russia, because the chess club in the Imperial Palace would receive him with enthusiasm.

In Europe, Morphy was generally hailed as world chess champion. In Paris, at a banquet held in his honor on April 4, 1859, a laurel wreath was placed over the head of a bust of Morphy, carved by the sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne. At a similar gathering in London, where he returned in the spring of 1859, Morphy was again proclaimed "the Champion of the World". He was also invited to a private audience with Queen Victoria. So dominant was Morphy that even masters could not seriously challenge him in play without some kind of handicap. At a simultaneous match against five masters, Morphy won two games against Jules Arnous de Rivière and Henry Edward Bird, drew two games with Samuel Boden and Johann Jacob Löwenthal, and lost one to Thomas Wilson Barnes. Upon his return to America, the accolades continued as Morphy toured the major cities on his way home. At the University of the City of New York, on May 29, 1859, John Van Buren, son of President Martin Van Buren, ended a testimonial presentation by proclaiming, "Paul Morphy, Chess Champion of the World". In Boston, at a banquet attended by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Louis Agassiz, Boston mayor Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr., Harvard president James Walker, and other luminaries, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes toasted "Paul Morphy, the World Chess Champion". Morphy's celebrity drew manufacturers who sought his endorsements, newspapers asked him to write chess columns, and a baseball club was named after him.

Abandonment of chess

Having vanquished virtually all serious opposition, Morphy reportedly declared that he would play no more matches without giving odds of pawn and move. After returning home he declared himself retired from the game and, with a few exceptions, gave up public competition. Morphy's embryonic law career was disrupted in 1861 by the outbreak of the American Civil War. Morphy’s brother Edward had at the very start joined the army of the confederacy, whereas his mother and sisters emigrated to Paris. Paul Morphy’s Civil War service is a rather gray area. David Lawson states "it may be that he was on Beauregard’s staff (Confederate Army) for a short while and that he had been seen at Manassas as had been reported." (Pride and Sorrow, pp. 268–9). Lawson also recounts a story by a resident of Richmond in 1861 who describes Morphy as then being "an officer on Beauregard’s staff." Other sources indicate that general Pierre Beauregard considered Morphy unqualified, but that Morphy had indeed applied to him. During the war he lived partly in New Orleans and partly abroad, spending time in Havana (1862, 1864) and Paris (1863, 1867).

Morphy was unable to successfully build a law practice after the war ended. His attempts to open a law office failed; when he had visitors, they invariably wanted to talk about chess, not their legal affairs. Financially secure thanks to his family fortune, Morphy essentially spent the rest of his life in idleness. Asked by admirers to return to chess competition, he refused.

In accord with the prevailing sentiment of the time, Morphy esteemed chess only as an amateur activity, considering the game unworthy of pursuit as a serious occupation. Chess professionals were viewed in the same light as professional gamblers. It was not until decades later that the age of the professional chess player arrived.

Death

#1]]

On the afternoon of July 10, 1884, Morphy was found dead in his bathtub at the age of forty-seven. According to the autopsy, Morphy had suffered a stroke brought on by entering cold water after a long walk in the midday heat. The Morphy mansion, sold by the family in 1891, is today the site of Brennan's, a famous New Orleans restaurant.

Playing style

Today many amateurs think of Morphy as a dazzling combinative player, who excelled in sacrificing his queen and checkmating his opponent a few brilliant moves later. One reason for this impression is that chess books like to reprint his flashy games. There are games where he did do this, but it was not the basis of his chess style. In fact, the masters of his day considered his style to be on the conservative side compared to some of the flashy older masters like La Bourdonnais and Anderssen.

Morphy can be considered the first modern player. Some of his games do not look modern because he did not need the sort of slow positional systems that modern grandmasters use, or that Staunton, Paulsen, and later Steinitz developed. His opponents had not yet mastered the open game, so he played it against them and he preferred open positions because they brought quick success. He played open games almost to perfection, but he also could handle any sort of position, having a complete grasp of chess that was years ahead of his time. Morphy was a player who intuitively knew what was best, and in this regard he has been likened to Capablanca. He was, like Capablanca, a child prodigy; he played quickly and he was hard to beat. Löwenthal and Anderssen both later remarked that he was indeed hard to beat since he knew how to defend and would draw or even win games despite getting into bad positions. At the same time, he was deadly when given a promising position. Anderssen especially commented on this, saying that after one bad move against Morphy one might as well resign. "I win my games in seventy moves but Mr. Morphy wins his in twenty, but that is only natural..." Anderssen said, explaining his poor results against Morphy.

Of Morphy's 59 "serious" games — those played in matches and the 1857 New York tournament — he won 42, drew 9, and lost 8.

While Bobby Fischer considered Morphy to be the greatest player of all time, some commentators disagree.

"Morphy and Capablanca had enormous talent," – Bobby Fischer, Icelandic Radio Interview, 2006.

Notable games

Louis Paulsen vs Paul Morphy, New York 1857, Four Knights Game: Spanish. Classical Variation (C48), 0-1 Morphy's queen sacrifice transforms his positional pressure into a decisive attack on Paulsen's king.

The "Opera game" — a casual game against inexperienced opponents, but at the same time one of the clearest and most beautiful attacking games ever. Often used by chess teachers to demonstrate how to use time, develop pieces and generate threats.

Paul Morphy vs Adolf Anderssen, Casual Game 1858, King's Gambit: Accepted. Kieseritsky Gambit Berlin Defense (C39), 1-0 Morphy loved open positions. In this game, one can see how he used to win in such positions.

Results

Here are Morphy's results in matches and casual games not played at odds:

Under Score, + games won, − games lost, = games drawn.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; margin:1em auto 1em auto;" ! Date !! Opponent !! Result !! class="unsortable" | Location !! class="unsortable" colspan="2"|Score !! class="unsortable"|Notes |- | 1849−1850 || Eugène Rousseau || Won || New Orleans || ca. 45/50 || ca. +45−5=0 || casual |- | 1850 || Johann Löwenthal || Won || New Orleans || 2½/3 || +2−0=1 || casual |- | 1855 || Alexander Beaufort Meek || Won || Mobile, AL || 6/6 || +6−0=0 || casual |- | 1855 || A.D. Ayers || Won || Mobile, AL || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Alexander Beaufort Meek || Won || New Orleans || 4/4 || +4−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || James Thompson || Won || New York || 3/3 || +3−0=0 || 1st American Chess Congress, elim. |- | 1857 || Alexander Beaufort Meek || Won || New York || 3/3 || +3−0=0 || 1st American Chess Congress, q-final |- | 1857 || Theodor Lichtenhein || Won || New York || 3½/4 || +3−0=1 || 1st American Chess Congress, s-final |- | 1857 || Louis Paulsen || Won || New York || 6/8 || +5−1=2 || 1st American Chess Congress, final |- | 1857 || Louis Paulsen || Won || New York || 3½/4 || +3−0=1 || casual |- | 1857 || Theodor Lichtenhein || Won || New York || 2/3 || +1−0=2 || casual |- | 1857 || Alexander Beaufort Meek || Won || New York || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Daniel Fiske || Won || New York || 3/3 || +3−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Napoleon Marache || Won || New York || 3/3 || +3−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Samuel Calthrop || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Lewis Elkin || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || William James Appleton Fuller || Won || New York || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Hiram Kennicott || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Charles Mead || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Hardman Montgomery || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || David Parry || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Frederic Perrin || Won || New York || 2/3 || +1−0=2 || casual |- | 1857 || Benjamin Raphael || Won || New York || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || James Thompson || Won || New York || 5/5 || +5−0=0 || casual |- | 1857 || George Hammond || Won || New York || 15/16 || +15−1=0 || casual |- | 1857 || John William Schulten || Won || New York || 23/24 || +23−1=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Charles Henry Stanley || Won || New York || 12/13 || +12−1=0 || casual |- | 1857 || Daniel Fiske, W.J.A. Fuller, Frederick Perrin || Lost || Hoboken, NJ || 0/1 || +0−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Thomas Barnes || Won || London || 19½/27 || +19−7=1 || casual |- | 1858 || Samuel Boden || Won || London || 7½/10 || +6−1=3 || casual |- | 1858 || Henry Edward Bird || Won || London || 10½/12 || +10−1=1 || casual |- | 1858 || Edward Löwe || Won || London || 6/6 || +6−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Thomas Hampton || Won || London || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || George Webb Medley || Won || London || 3/4 || +3−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || John Owen || Won || London || 4/5 || +4−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Johann Löwenthal || Won || London || 10/14 || +9−3=2 || match |- | 1858 || Augustus Mongredien || Won || London || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Frederic Deacon || Drew || London || 1/2 || +1−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || James Kipping || Won || Birmingham || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Henri Baucher || Won || Paris || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Paul Journoud || Won || Paris || 12/12 || +12−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || H. Laroche || Won || Paris || 6/7 || +5−0=2 || casual |- | 1858 || M. Chamouillet || Won || Versailles || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant || Won || Paris || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Jules Arnous de Rivière, Paul Journoud || Lost || Paris || 0/1 || +0−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Jules Arnous de Rivière || Won || Paris || 6½/8 || +6−1=1 || casual |- | 1858 || Daniel Harrwitz || Lost || Paris || 5½/8 || +0−1=0 || casual |- | 1858 || Daniel Harrwitz || Won || Paris || 5½/8 || +5−2=1 || match |- | 1858 || Adolf Anderssen || Won || Paris || 9/11 || +7−2=2 || match |- | 1858 || Adolf Anderssen || Won || Paris || 5/6 || +5−1=0 || casual |- | 1859 || Augustus Mongredien || Won || Paris || 7½/8 || +7−0=1 || match |- | 1859 || Wincenty Budzyński || Won || Paris || 7/7 || +7−0=0 || casual |- | 1859 || A. Bousserolles || Won || Paris || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1859 || F. Schrufer || Won || Paris || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1859 || Johann Löwenthal || Won || London || 1½/3 || +1−1=1 || casual |- | 1859 || George Hammond || Won || Boston || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1862 || Félix Sicre || Won || Havana || 2/2 || +2−0=0 || casual |- | 1863 || Augustus Mongredien || Won || Paris || 1/1 || +1−0=0 || casual |- | 1863 || Jules Arnous de Rivière || Won || Paris || 9/12 || +9−3=0 || match |}

See also

List of chess games

Morphy Number - connections of chess players to Morphy

List of people who have beaten Paul Morphy in chess

Notes

References

Paul Morphy, The Pride and Sorrow of Chess by David Lawson, 424 pages; Mckay, 1976 - This is the only book-length biography of Paul Morphy in English. It is out of print, but corrects numerous historical mistakes that have cropped up about Paul Morphy, including the one about Morphy's score as a child versus Löwenthal.

Books.Gooble.com, Frederick Milne Edge: Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion. An Account of His Career in America and Europe. New York 1859. Edge was a newspaperman who attached himself to Morphy during his stay in England and France, accompanying Morphy everywhere, and even acting at times as his unofficial butler and servant. Thanks to Edge, much is known about Morphy that would be unknown otherwise, and many games Morphy played were recorded only thanks to Edge. Contains information about the First American Chess Congress, and the history of English chess clubs in and before Morphy's time.

Further reading

Paul Morphy and the Evolution of Chess Theory by Macon Shibut, Caissa Editions 1993 ISBN 0-939433-16-8. Over 415 games comprising almost all known Morphy games. Chapters on Morphy's place in the development of chess theory, and reprinted articles about Morphy by Steinitz, Alekhine, and others.

The Chess Genius of Paul Morphy by Max Lange (translated from the original German into English by Ernst Falkbeer), 1860. Reprinted by Moravian Chess under the title, "Paul Morphy, a Sketch from the Chess World." An excellent resource for the European view of Morphy as well as for its biographical information. The English edition was reviewed in Chess Player's Chronicle, 1859.

Paul Morphy. Sammlung der von ihm gespielten Partien mit ausführlichen Erläuterungen by Géza Maróczy, Veit und Comp., Leipzig 1909. Reprinted by Olms-Verlag, Zürich 1979.

Grandmasters of Chess by Harold Schonberg, Lippincott, 1973. ISBN 0-397-01004-4.

World Chess Champions by Edward Winter, editor, 1981. ISBN 0-08-024094-1. Leading chess historians include Morphy as a de facto world champion, although he never claimed the title.

Morphy's Games of Chess by Philip W. Sergeant & Fred Reinfeld, Dover, 1989. ISBN 0-486-20386-7. Features annotations collected from previous commentators, as well as additions by Sergeant. Has all of Morphy's match, tournament, and exhibition games, and most of his casual and odds games. Short biography included.

Morphy Gleanings by Philip W. Sergeant, David McKay, 1932. Contributes games not found in Sergeant's earlier work, "Morphy's Games of Chess" and features greater biographical information as well as documentation into the Morphy-Paulsen and the Morphy-Kolisch affairs. Later reprinted as "The Unknown Morphy", Dover, 1973. ISBN 0-486-22952-1.

The World's Great Chess Games by Reuben Fine, Dover, 1983. ISBN 0-486-24512-8.

A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario, Trafford, 2004. ISBN 1-4120-3906-1. Illustrates the teachings of Cecil Purdy and Reuben Fine with 65 annotated games played by the American champion. Algebraic notation.

Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective by Valeri Beim, Russell Enterprises, Inc., 2005. ISBN 1-888690-26-7. Algebraic notation.

Life of Paul Morphy in the Vieux Carré of New-Orleans and Abroad by Regina Morphy-Voitier, 1926. Regina Morphy-Voitier, the niece of Paul Morphy, self-published this pamphlet in New York. *The Chess Players by Frances Parkinson Keyes, Farrar, Straus and Cudahy; 1960. A work of historical fiction in which Morphy is the central character.

Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess by David Lawson, David McKay, 1976. ISBN 978-0679130444.

The Genius of Paul Morphy by Chris Ward, Cadogan Books, 1997. ISBN 978-1857441376.

biographical novelization of Morphy's life.

La odisea de Pablo Morphy en la Habana, 1862-1864 by Andrés Clemente Vázquez, Propaganda Literaria, Havana 1893.

Paul Morphy. Partidas completas by Rogelio Caparrós, Ediciones Eseuve, Madrid 1993. ISBN 84-87301-88-6.

External links

Morphy's column for the New York Ledger in 1859

US Chess Hall Of Fame - Paul Morphy

Edward Winter, Edge, Morphy and Staunton

Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:1837 births Category:1884 deaths Category:American chess players Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Spanish descent Category:Louisiana Creole people Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Tulane University alumni Category:Spring Hill College alumni

Name	Lata Mangeshkar
Background	solo_singer
Born	September 28, 1929Indore, Central India Agency
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Film music (playback singing)
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1942–present

Lata Mangeshkar (; born September 28, 1929) is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Bollywood movies and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages, but primarily in Hindi. She is the elder sister of Asha Bhosle and brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar and sisters Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar. She is the second vocalist ever to have received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

Mangeshkar was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world. The claim was that she had recorded no less than 25,000 solo, duet, and chorus-backed songs in 20 Indian languages between 1948 to 1974 (30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987, according to the 1987 edition). Over the years, while several sources have supported this claim, others have raised concerns over its veracity, claiming that this number was highly exaggerated and that Mangeshkar's younger sister, Asha Bhosle, had more song recordings than she had.

Early life

Lata Mangeshkar was born in Sikh Mohalla, Indore, in the Central India Agency (now part of Madhya Pradesh). Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar who belonged to a Kalavant family from Goa, was a classical singer and theater actor. Her mother Shudhhamati, who was from Thalner, Maharashtra, was Deenanath's second wife. The family's last name used to be Hardikar; Deenanath changed it to Mangeshkar in order to identify his family with his native town, Mangeshi in Goa. Lata was named "Hema" at her birth. Her parents later renamed her Lata after a female character, Latika, in one of her father's plays, BhaawBandhan. Lata is the eldest child of her parents. Asha, Hridayanath, Usha, and Meena are her siblings in sequence.

Mangeshkar took her first music lessons from her father. At the age of five, she started to work as an actress in her father's musical plays (sangeet naatak in Marathi). On the first day in the school, she started teaching songs to other children. When the teacher stopped her, she was so angry that she stopped going to the school.

“Aayega Aanewaala,” a song in the movie Mahal (1949) was composed by music director Khemchand Prakash and lip-synced on screen by actress Madhubala.

The 1950s

In the 1950s, Mangeshkar sang songs composed by various music directors of the period, including Anil Biswas (in films such as Tarana and Heer), Shankar-Jaikishan, Naushad, S. D. Burman, C. Ramchandra, Hemant Kumar, Salil Chowdhury, Khayyam, Ravi, Sajjad Hussain, Roshan, Kalyanji-Anandji, Vasant Desai, Sudhir Phadke, Hansraj Behl, Madan Mohan, and Usha Khanna.

Mangeshkar sang many raga-based songs for Naushad in movies such as Baiju Bawra (1952), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), and Kohinoor (1960). Ae Chorre Ki Jaat Badi Bewafa, a duet with G. M. Durrani, was her first song for composer, Naushad. The duo, Shankar-Jaikishan, chose Mangeshkar for Aag, Aah (1953), Shree 420 (1955), and Chori Chori (1956). Before 1957, composer Sachin Dev (S. D.) Burman chose Mangeshkar as the leading female singer for his musical scores in Sazaa (1951), House No. 44 (1955), and Devdas (1955). However a rift developed between Lata and Burman in 1957, and Lata did not sing Burman's compositions again until 1962.

In 1963, Mangeshkar returned to collaboration with S. D. Burman. She also sang for R. D. Burman's very first film Chhote Nawaab and later for his films such as Bhoot Bangla (1965), Pati Patni (1966), Baharon ke Sapne (1967) and Abhilasha (1969). She also recorded several popular songs for S. D. Burman, including Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Gata Rahe Mera Dil (duet with Kishore Kumar) and Piya Tose from Guide (1965), and Hothon Pe Aisi Baat from Jewel Thief (1967).

During the 1960s, Lata Mangeshkar continued her association with Madan Mohan which included the songs Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha from Anpadh (1962), Lag Ja Gale and Naina Barse Rim Jhim from Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Woh Chup Rahen To from Jahan Ara (1964), and Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega from Mera Saaya (1966).

The 1960s also witnessed the beginning of Mangeshkar's association with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, the music directors for whom she sang the most songs in her career.

She also sang several playback songs for Marathi films, composed by Marathi music directors including Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Vasant Prabhu, Srinivas Khale, Sudhir Phadke and herself (under the name Anandghan). During the 1960s and 1970s, she also sang several Bengali songs, composed by music directors like Salil Chowdhury and Hemant Kumar.

Lata Mangeshkar has recorded duets with Mukesh, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, and Kishore Kumar. From the 1960s, she was not on good terms with Mohammed Rafi over the issue of royalty payments to singers. Mangeshkar wanted Rafi to back her in demanding a half-share from the five percent song royalty that the film's producer conceded to select composers. But Rafi took a diametrically opposite view, and believed that a playback singer's claim on the filmmaker ended with the payment of the agreed fee for the song. During the recording of the song Tasveer Teri Dil Mein (Maya, 1961), Mangeshkar lost her cool with Rafi in a certain passage of the song. Rafi felt belittled, as the music director Salil Chowdhury chose to back Mangeshkar . The situation worsened as Lata Mangeshkar declared that she would no longer sing with Rafi. Rafi stated that he was only as keen to sing with Mangeshkar as she was with him.

In 1999, she was nominated as a member of Rajya Sabha. However, she did not attend the Rajya Sabha sessions regularly, inviting criticism from several members of the House, including the Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, Pranab Mukherjee and Shabana Azmi. She stated the reason for her absence as ill-health; it was also reported that she had not taken a salary, allowance or a house in Delhi for being a Member of Parliament.

In 2001, Lata Mangeshkar was awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. In the same year, she established the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, managed by the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation (founded by the Mangeshkar family in October 1989). In 2005, she designed a jewellery collection called Swaranjali, which was crafted by Adora, an Indian diamond export company. Five pieces from the collection raised £105,000 at a Christie's auction, and a part of the money was donated for the 2005 Pakistan earthquake relief. Also in 2001, she recorded her first Hindi song with the composer Ilaiyaraaja, for the film Lajja (2001); she had earlier recorded Tamil and Telugu songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

In 2000s, Lata Mangeshkar, along with other residents of the Peddar Road area in Mumbai, opposed the construction of a flyover in the area. She believed that construction of the flyover would increase air and noise pollution in the area, and threatened to quit the city if the flyover was built. In 2006, it was reported that she and her sister Asha Bhosle had purchased apartments in Parel and were planning to move out of Peddar Road.

Lata Mangeshkar's song Wada Na Tod is in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and on the film's soundtrack.

On June 21, 2007, she released an album Saadgi, featuring eight ghazal-like songs written by Javed Akhtar and composed by Mayuresh Pai.

Non-singing career

Music direction

Lata Mangeshkar composed music for the first time in 1955 for movie "Ram Ram Pavhane". Later in 1960s, she composed music for following Marathi movies under the pseudonym of "Anand Ghan".

1960 - Ram Ram Pavhana

1963 - Maratha Tituka Melvava

1963 - Mohityanchi Manjula

1965 - Sadhi Manase

1969 - Tambadi Mati

She won Maharashtra State Government's Best Music Director Award for the film Sadhi Manase. The song Airanichya deva tula from the same film received best song award.

Production

Lata Mangeshkar has produced four films:

1953 - Vaadal (Marathi)

1953 - Jhaanjhar (Hindi), co-produced with C. Ramchandra

1955 - Kanchan (Hindi)

1990 - Lekin (Hindi)

Awards and recognitions

Lata Mangeshkar has won several awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan (1969), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), NTR National Award (1999), Bharat Ratna (2001), ANR National Award (2009), three National Film Awards, and 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards. She has also won four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards. In 1969, she made the unusual gesture of giving up the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award, in order to promote fresh talent. She was later awarded Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

In 1984, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh instituted the Lata Mangeshkar Award in honor of Lata Mangeshkar. The State Government of Maharashtra also instituted a Lata Mangeshkar Award in 1992.

In 1974, The Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in the history, stating that she had reportedly recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948 and 1974. Her record was contested by Mohammed Rafi, who was claimed to have sung around 28,000 songs. After Rafi's death, in its 1984 edition, the Guinness Book of World Records stated Lata Mangeshkar's name for the "Most Recordings", but also stated Rafi's claim. The later editions of Guinness Book stated that Lata Mangeshkar had sung no fewer than 30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987.

Although the entry has not been printed in Guinness editions since 1991, reputable sources claim that she has recorded thousands of songs, with estimates ranging up to figures as large as 50,000. However, even the earliest Guinness claim of 25,000 songs (between 1948–1974) was claimed to be exaggerated by other sources, who stated that the number of songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu films till 1991 was found to be 5250. Mangeshkar herself stated that she does not keep a record of the number of songs recorded by her, and that she did not know from where Guinness Book editors got their information.

See also

Playback singer

Asha Bhosle

List of Indian playback singers

Bollywood songs

References

Further reading

. A collection of articles written by Lata Mangeshkar since 1952. . . A collection of articles written by Lata Mangeshkar since 1952.

External links

Category:1929 births Category:Indian female singers Category:Indian film singers Category:Recipients of the Bharat Ratna Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:Living people Category:Bollywood playback singers Category:Marathi people Category:Kollywood playback singers Category:People from Indore Category:Marathi playback singers Category:Telugu playback singers Category:Kannada playback singers Category:Hindi-language singers Category:Marathi-language singers Category:Bengali-language singers Category:Gujarati-language singers Category:Tamil-language singers Category:English-language singers Category:Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Category:Recipients of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award