Lewis is a British television detective drama made as a spin-off from Inspector Morse, and set in Oxford. Kevin Whately reprises his character Robert "Robbie" Lewis, who had been Morse's Sergeant in the original series. Lewis has now been promoted and is assisted by DS James Hathaway (Laurence Fox).

The series is produced for ITV. Following the airing of a pilot in 2006, a first series of three episodes was broadcast in February/March 2007. A second series of four episodes aired in early 2008. A third series of four episodes was aired on ITV1 and ITV-HD from March–April 2009, but this was not shown in Scotland. A fourth series aired throughout the UK (including ITV1-HD where available) from 2 May 2010, and a fifth series from 3 April 2011, each again of four episodes. In June 2011, ITV announced that a sixth series of 4 episodes has been commissioned for airing in 2012. The episodes in question are titled "The Soul of Genius," "Generation of Vipers," "Fearful Symmetry," and "The Indelible Stain".^[1] PBS broadcasts the series, as Inspector Lewis, in the United States and Canada, as part of its Masterpiece Mystery series.^[2]

Cast and crew[link]

• Kevin Whately as DI Robert Lewis
• Laurence Fox as DS James Hathaway
• Clare Holman as Dr Laura Hobson
• Rebecca Front as Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent

Writers[link]

Colin Dexter, the author of the Inspector Morse novels, makes a very brief cameo appearance in several episodes, including one as a porter at Wadham College. The Lewis episodes in most respects scrupulously respect Dexter's approach, but each of their scripts is credited to one of several other writers including, most frequently, Russell Lewis, Alan Plater, and Stephen Churchett.

The music for the series was composed by Barrington Pheloung, who created the music for the original Morse series.^[3]

Locations[link]

The majority of the series is filmed in and around Oxford. Some scenes are also filmed at Brunel University, London.

Episodes[link]

Ratings[link]

Other countries[link]

• In almost all Latin America, Lewis is aired on Film & Arts channel.
• In Australia, Lewis airs on Channel Seven, 7TWO and UKTV.
• In The Netherlands, Lewis is aired on public channel Nederland 1 by broadcaster KRO
• In Belgium, Lewis is aired on public channel Canvas.
• In Denmark, DR1 - the original public-service, non-commercial channel - the first three series (with Danish subtitles).
• In Norway, NRK1 – the country's largest TV channel (public broadcaster) – all five series with Norwegian subtitles
• In Sweden, SVT 1 and/or SVT 2 - public Swedish non-commercial channel - not all episodes shown yet (with Swedish subtitles). Later "Kanal 9" replayed the first 12 episodes, from episode "Dark Matter" (which followed the replay of "Counter Culture Blues"). This channel seems to have bought also the primary rights. "Kanal 9" is a commercial channel with a lot of British series.
• In Finland, Lewis is aired on YLE TV1 - public Finnish non-commercial channel (with Finnish subtitles) - as Komisario Lewis (Inspector Lewis)
• In Estonia, Lewis is aired on public channel ETV
• In Germany, Lewis is aired on ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen)
• In France, Lewis is aired on public channel France 3
• In New Zealand, Lewis is aired on Prime and UKTV
• In Czech republic, Lewis is aired on different channels of TV Prima group as Vraždy v Oxfordu (Murders in Oxford - the same TV group broadcasts Midsomer Murders as Vraždy v Midsomeru).
• In the United States, all episodes of Lewis are and were aired on PBS on Masterpiece Mystery! except for the pilot, which was aired on the earlier series Mystery! in 2006. The numbering of the episodes on PBS is slightly different from ITV1. Series 1 aired as "Series I" in 2008. However, all of Series 2 and episodes 1-3 of Series 3 were aired as "Series II" in 2009. Episode 4 of Series 3 and all of Series 4 were aired as "Series III" in 2010. Series 5 aired as "Series IV" in 2011.

Time edits[link]

PBS owns the exclusive rights to both broadcast Lewis and to manufacture DVDs for North America. This is in contrast to Inspector Morse, which was commissioned by British company Carlton Television (originally Central Independent Television) and which included all original broadcast footage, even if that footage was edited on North American TV stations. PBS edits 10 minutes out of every Lewis episode so that it fits into the 90 minute Masterpiece Mystery time slot; this includes a preview of the episode's contents narrated by Alan Cumming before the episode and commercials for other PBS programs at the end of this slot. Even Barrington Pheloung's end credit music is abruptly cut for this purpose. For the Pilot, Inspector Lewis 1, and Inspector Lewis 2 DVD sets, PBS Home Video releases what was broadcast on-air in the US as opposed to the UK DVD content. However, for the new Inspector Lewis 3 DVD set, PBS Home Video has released the unedited UK version of the programmes contained in the set.

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lewis at itv.com
• Lewis (Pilot) at the Internet Movie Database
• Lewis (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database

Ray Lewis

Lewis during a 2008 regular season game
No. 52     Baltimore Ravens
Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1975-05-15) May 15, 1975 (age 37)
Place of birth: Bartow, Florida
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College: Miami (FL)
NFL Draft: 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26
Debuted in 1996 for the Baltimore Ravens
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (1996–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
13× Pro Bowl (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) 7× AP First Team All-Pro (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009) 3× AP Second Team All-Pro (1997, 1998, 2010) Super Bowl champion (XXXV) Super Bowl XXXV MVP 2× AP NFL Defensive Player of Year (2000, 2003) 3× AFC Defensive Player Of The Year (2000, 2001, 2003) 2× NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year (1999, 2003) 2× All-American (1994, 1995) Record 13 Pro Bowls for an Inside/Middle Linebacker[1] Record 10 All-Pro selections for Inside/Middle Linebacker Record 10 All-Pro selections for a Linebacker (tied with Lawrence Taylor) Most Games Started at Inside/Middle Linebacker (221)[2] Most Interception Return Yards for an Inside/Middle Linebacker (503)[3] Most seasons played at Inside/Middle Linebacker (16) [4] NFL 2000s All-Decade Team 20 sack/20 interception Club- Quickest to reach (113 games) 30 sack/30 Interception Club- Quickest to reach (204 games) 40 sack/30 Interception Club- Only Member
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Tackles 2,004 Sacks 40.5 Interceptions 31 Stats at NFL.com

Ray Anthony Lewis (born May 15, 1975) is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Drafted by the Ravens in 1996, he has played his entire career for the team, and is the last player remaining from the Ravens' inaugural season. He has been selected to thirteen Pro Bowls and been named an Associated Press All-Pro ten times.^[5] He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003; he was the sixth player to win the award multiple times.^[6] He was also the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award and the first linebacker to win the award on the winning Super Bowl team. Widely considered to be one of the best linebackers of all time, he played college football at the University of Miami.

Early life[link]

Lewis was born in Bartow, Florida.^[7] He is the older brother of former University of Maryland running back Keon Lattimore.^[8] Lewis was an All-American linebacker and wrestling star at Kathleen High School in Lakeland.^[7][9]

Career[link]

University of Miami[link]

As a freshman at the University of Miami, Ray Lewis was an immediate contributor and became a starter for the Hurricanes' final five games. He compiled 81 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and four pass deflections en route to being named to the freshman All-American team.

In his sophomore season, Lewis earned 1st team All-American and All-Big East honors. Lewis led the Big East with 153 tackles and also contributed 9 tackle for a loss, 2 sacks, and an interception for a Hurricanes team that had the nation's top-ranked defense and finished No. 6 in both the writers' and coaches' polls.^[10]

Lewis' junior campaign was another successful one as he was once again named to the All-American^[11] and All-Big East teams. He was also the runner up for the Butkus Award.^[12] Lewis finished his junior season with 160 tackles, the 2nd highest in University of Miami team history behind only Ed Weisacosky's 164 in 1965. Lewis also totaled eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, four pass deflections and one touchdown. Against West Virginia University, Lewis contributed fifteen tackles.

Lewis led the Big East in tackles his final 2 seasons and accumulated the 5th most in Miami history despite having played only 3 seasons.

After the 1995 season, Lewis decided to forego his final year of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft. In the 1996 NFL Draft, he was selected in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens with the 26th overall pick. Lewis would eventually earn his undergraduate degree in Arts and Science in 2004 at the University of Maryland University College.^[13]

Baltimore Ravens[link]

Lewis was the top rated inside linebacker heading into the 1996 NFL Draft,^[14][15] but Kevin Hardy was considered the draft's only outstanding prospect at linebacker.^[16] The fifth linebacker selected in the draft, scouts saw Lewis' strengths as his speed, tackling and intensity, but many considered his lack of size a potential liability.^[16][17][18] Lewis earned USA Today's All-Rookie team honors after leading the Ravens in tackles (110) in the 1996 season. His 15 tackles for loss led the NFL. He added 2.5 sacks, 6 pass deflections, and an interception on the season.

Lewis recorded an NFL best 184 tackles in 1997, earning his first Pro Bowl berth at the end of that season. In addition, Lewis totaled 4 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 11 pass deflections.

In 1998, Lewis made his second trip to the Pro Bowl after recording 120 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and 7 pass deflections leading the Ravens in tackles for the third consecutive season. He was also named to The Sporting News All-Pro Team. In what would prove to be Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders' final game, Lewis and the rest of the Ravens defense held him to just 41 rushing yards.^[19]

In 1999, Lewis led the NFL in tackles with 168. He was named to a third straight Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro 1st team. He also totaled 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 8 pass deflections, a safety, and a forced fumble. Lewis also won the 1999 NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year chosen by past NFL ALUMNI professional players, who chose according to the position in which they played.

In 2000, Lewis led a defense which set a 16-game single season record for fewest points allowed (165) and fewest rushing yards allowed (970). The team recorded four shutouts, one shy of the single season record. The unit finished 1st league-wide in six key defensive categories. Lewis won Super Bowl XXXV MVP honors, Defensive Player of the Year honors, earned a unanimous All-Pro selection, and was once again named to start in the Pro Bowl. Lewis' regular season total of 137 tackles once again led the Ravens, and Lewis added 31 tackles, two interceptions, nine pass deflections, one fumble recovery and a touchdown in the four game playoff run.

In 2001, Lewis earned his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl selection when he led the NFL in tackles 162 and earned 1st-team All-Pro honors. Lewis scored a touchdown in the 2002 Pro Bowl. In the Raven's 2 playoff games Lewis totaled 17 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection.

In 2002, Lewis was limited to five games due to a shoulder injury. He still managed to rank 5th on the team with 58 tackles. In addition, Lewis earned two interceptions, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Lewis earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 4 vs. the Denver Broncos after posting 18 tackles (11 solo), two pass deflections and an interception on "Monday Night Football".^[20] After having been selected to the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons (1997–2001), Lewis's streak was stopped by his season ending injury. In his absence, the Baltimore Ravens defense would finish ranked 19th in points allowed.

Lewis roaming the sidelines in a 2005 game at Ford Field in Detroit.

Lewis was the leading vote recipient for the 2003 AP All-Pro team, earning 49 of 50 votes. He also won the annual AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 43 votes out of 50. Additionally, Lewis earned Pro Football Weekly, PFWA and Football Digest Defensive MVP honors and was named to Dr. Z's Sports Illustrated All-Pro team, Pro Football Weekly's All-NFL team, Pro Football Weekly's All-AFC team, Football Digest's All-Pro 1st-team, and The Sporting News' All-Pro team. Lewis also earned the KC 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year award for the 3rd time in four years, the 2003 NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year, and finished with 161 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 6 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 14 pass deflections, and 1 touchdown.. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Month for November^[21] and AFC Defensive Player of the week for his fifteen-tackle, one-interception performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.^[22] In the playoffs Lewis totaled 17 tackles.

In 2004, Lewis was named 1st-team All Pro by the AP, 2nd-team "All Pro" by College and Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest, and "All Pro" by The Sporting News. He finished the season with 146 total tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 fumble forced, and 6 pass deflections.

Lewis' 2005 season was cut short by a week 6 injury. He was placed on injury reserve in week 8, having amassed 46 tackles, a sack, an interception, 2 pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in the season's first 6 games.

In 2006, Lewis led the Ravens defense to an NFL best ranking in 14 major defensive categories, including total yards allowed, points per game allowed, and interceptions. The Ravens also finished second in sacks, take-aways, and rushing yards allowed. Lewis missed two games due to injury but still recorded 103 tackles, a personal best five sacks, two interceptions, and eight pass deflections in 14 Games. He also forced a fumble and recovered one. The Ravens allowed just one 100-yard rushing performance in the 14 games Lewis played. Lewis was named AFC Defensive Player of the week following his 7 tackle, one sack, and three pass deflection performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.^[23] He was also selected to the Pro Bowl but withdrew because of a hand injury, ceding his spot to fellow Ravens Linebacker Bart Scott.)^[24] Lewis finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[25] Lewis totaled 15 tackles and a pass deflection in the playoffs.

Despite the Baltimore Ravens mediocre 2007 season, Ray Lewis was the team's leading tackler. Against the Browns, Lewis recorded 16 tackles, recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown. He also earned his 9th Pro Bowl nod in his 12 year career. He finished the season with 120 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 10 passes deflected, 2 Interceptions and 1 touchdown.

In 2008 Lewis led the Ravens to the AFC Championship game while totaling 117 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 9 passes deflected. He was named a starter to the Pro Bowl (his 10th) and was named an Associated Press 1st Team All-Pro for the sixth time. In addition, Lewis was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his 8 tackle, 2 interception, 2 pass deflection performance against the Houston Texans in Week 10. In the playoffs, Lewis totaled 29 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection in 3 games. After the season, Lewis became an unrestricted free agent, but agreed to return to the Baltimore Ravens to complete his career. The contract, which runs through 2015 (including two option years), is said to be worth $10 million the first year but is highly incentivized.^[26]

In 2009 Lewis was named 1st team All Pro by the Associated Press for the seventh time (9th selection overall) and named to his eleventh Pro Bowl. Lewis accumulated an AFC-leading 134 tackles on the season. He also added 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 7 passes deflected. Lewis added 21 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection in 2 playoff games. In the Sept. 2009 issue of Sporting News' Magazine, Lewis was selected to their Team of the Decade (2000's). In Week 2 in 2009 against the Chargers, Lewis made the game-saving tackle on Darren Sproles. After the game, Lewis said that it was one of the best tackles he's made in his career.^[27]

In 2010 Lewis was named 2nd team All Pro by the Associated Press for the third time (10th All Pro selection overall) and named to his twelfth Pro Bowl. He totaled 139 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 pass deflections, and 1 touchdown. Lewis added 13 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in 2 playoff games. On Sunday, November 21, 2010, Lewis became only the second player in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 sacks in his career (the other being Rodney Harrison). He is also currently the fastest player (204 Games) to achieve that feat.

In 2011 Lewis was named to his thirteenth Pro Bowl and led the Ravens with 95 tackles despite missing 4 games with a injury. Lewis also collected 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, and 7 pass deflections. Lewis totaled 20 tackles and 1 pass deflection in 2 playoff games. On Sunday, October 16, 2011, Lewis became the first player in NFL history with at least 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career.^[28]

At the conclusion of the 2011 season, Lewis has career totals of 2,004 total tackles (1,523 solo), 18 forced fumbles, 116 passes defended, 101.5 tackles for loss, 40.5 sacks, 19 fumble recoveries, 31 interceptions for 503 yards, one safety and three touchdowns in 222 games.^[29] Lewis has been selected to thirteen NFL Pro Bowl games, a record for an Inside/Middle Linebacker, in his sixteen seasons and led the NFL in tackles five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). In 2003, Lewis led all linebackers with six interceptions, a total matching the post-merger all-time record for a middle linebacker in a single season.^[30] Lewis was named 1st team Associated Press All-Pro in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2nd team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, and 2010. His ten total All Pro selections is a record for an Inside/Middle Linebacker and ties the record for a Linebacker (Lawrence Taylor also has 10 selections). In 17 career career playoff games Lewis has totaled 163 tackles (106 solo), 2 sack, 6 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 2 interceptions for 54 yards, 14 pass deflections, and 1 touchdown.

NFL career statistics[link]

Source, Retrieved on January 25, 2011

Source, Retrieved on December 27, 2011

Source, Retrieved on December 27, 2011

Conviction for obstruction of justice[link]

Following a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta on January 31, 2000, a fight broke out between Lewis and his companions and another group of people, resulting in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Lewis and two companions, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were questioned by Atlanta police, and eleven days later the three men were indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges. The white suit Lewis was wearing the night of the killings has never been found. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard alleged that the bloodstained suit was dumped in a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant.^[31]

Lewis claimed that the prosecution knew he was not involved in the murder but chose to go ahead with the case anyway, saying, "You don't care if I'm guilty or not. You gonna make sure I go to jail for life."^[32] Lewis' attorneys, Don Samuel and Ed Garland, of the Atlanta law firm Garland, Samuel & Loeb, negotiated a plea agreement with Howard, the Fulton County District Attorney, where the murder charges against Lewis were dismissed in exchange for his testimony against Oakley and Sweeting, and his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice.^[12] Lewis admitted that he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings. Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner sentenced Lewis to 12 months' probation, the maximum sentence for a first-time offender;^[33] and he was fined $250,000 by the NFL, which was believed to be the highest fine levied against an NFL player for an infraction not involving substance abuse.^[34] Under the terms of the sentence, Lewis could not use drugs or alcohol during the duration of the probation.

Oakley and Sweeting were acquitted of the charges in June 2000.^[35] No other suspects have ever been arrested for the crime.

The following year, Lewis was named Super Bowl XXXV MVP. However, the signature phrase "I'm going to Disney World!" was given instead to quarterback Trent Dilfer.

On April 29, 2004, Lewis reached a settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, born months after the death of her father Richard, preempting a scheduled civil proceeding. Lewis also reached an undisclosed settlement with Baker's family.^[35]

Reputation[link]

Throughout his career Lewis built a reputation as a leader and intimidating force at middle linebacker. He has led his team in tackles in twelve of his fourteen seasons. The Ravens did not allow a single 100-yard rusher in 51 consecutive games from the 1998 through 2001 seasons. In addition to his run defense, Lewis has also gained a reputation as a complete defender. Since the murder allegations Lewis's image has slowly recovered, and today he is considered one of the most dominant linebackers in the history of the National Football League.^{[13][36][37][38]} Lewis was also selected as the third best linebacker of all time on the show The Sports List. A poll of NFL coaches selected Lewis as the most dominant player in the NFL before the 2003 season by being mentioned on ten ballots while no other player was mentioned more than twice.^[39]

Lewis has been referenced in television shows such as The Wire, films such as The Rundown, and in music videos such as in Mario's "Just a Friend 2002" and Nelly's "Heart of a Champion". Lewis has appeared in television ads for NFL Network, Reebok, Under Armour, Old Spice and Eastern Motors. He was the featured athlete on the cover of Madden NFL 2005. That season he missed a number of games to an injury, adding to the Madden Curse.

Other work[link]

Lewis has been heavily involved in charitable activities throughout his professional career. Lewis started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation which is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. The foundation has funded such events as adopting ten families in Baltimore City community for the holidays, an annual celebrity auction and bowling tournament, the Great Maryland Duck Derby, Thanksgiving food drives on North Avenue in Baltimore and Ray's Summer Days. All proceeds have helped fund the Ray Lewis Foundation.

Lewis has since been involved in pressing political, business, and philanthropic leaders for a stronger commitment to disability sports both here and in the developing world. Lewis was also honored with a JB award (named in honor of CBS broadcaster James Brown) during the 2006 off-season and received the "Act of Kindness" Award for his work in the community.^[13]

Lewis opened the Ray Lewis Full Moon Bar-B-Que which operated in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood from February 2005 until 2008.^[40] He has also gained several national corporate endorsements, some of which draw upon his tough image. In 2004, Lewis was placed on the cover of the highly popular Madden NFL 2005 video game distributed by EA Sports, and is also a very avid player of the football video game series. In 2006 it was announced that Lewis, Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers and entrepreneur Mark Bloomquist would form S&L Racing, intending to race both cars and trucks from a North Carolina headquarters.^[41] The attempt to join NASCAR racing failed.^[42]

Awards and accolades[link]

On May 11, 2010, a portion of Baltimore's North Avenue was renamed "Ray Lewis Way" in honor of the linebacker and his charitable work.^[43]

Personal life[link]

Lewis is a Christian, and his commitment to his faith was featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2006. He has six children.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ray Lewis

• Official website
• Ray Lewis at ESPN.com
• Ray Lewis at the Internet Movie Database
• Baltimore Ravens bio
• Ray Lewis profile at NNDB

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: The article lacks structure and needs more background information (as well as sources).. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (December 2011)

This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (December 2011)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)

There are many people in history who are commonly appended with the phrase "the Great", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as e Bozorg and e azam in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.^[1]

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus)^[2] assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "the Great".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers[link]

• Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran
• Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India
• Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat
• Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia
• Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia
• Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias
• Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex
• Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire
• Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty
• Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),
• Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire
• Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand
• Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland
• Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)
• Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)
• Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden
• Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland
• Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia
• Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India
• Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans
• Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)
• Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks
• Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen
• Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor
• Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media
• Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire
• Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire
• Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent
• Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse^[3]
• Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile
• Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia
• Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
• Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe
• Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader
• Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea^[4][5]
• Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC
• Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)
• Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre
• Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea
• Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris
• Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France
• Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)
• Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat
• Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia
• John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve
• John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre
• Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor
• Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i
• Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India
• Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia
• Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty
• Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales
• Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland
• Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand
• Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan
• Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)
• Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)
• Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom
• Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus
• Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya
• Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)
• Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine
• Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)
• K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque
• Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka
• Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia
• Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia
• Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily
• Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar
• Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar
• Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.^[6][7][8]
• Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India
• Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
• Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)
• Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties
• Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)
• Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev
• Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders
• Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent
• Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre
• Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire
• Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king^[9]
• Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia
• Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire
• Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)
• Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
• Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)
• Tamar (1160-1123), Queen of the Georgian Empire
• Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty
• Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie
• Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire
• Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor
• Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia
• Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia
• Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire
• Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark
• Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor
• Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus
• Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy
• William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon
• William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou
• Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)
• Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures[link]

• Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East
• Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia
• Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian
• Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt
• Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader
• Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian
• Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)
• Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint
• Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint
• Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)
• Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine
• Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)
• Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)
• Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit
• Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)
• Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople
• William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other[link]

• Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies
• Emmy the Great, folk singer
• Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III
• Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also[link]

• Epithet
• List of monarchs by nickname
• List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I
• James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus
• Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose common honorific "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"

Notes[link]

Leona Lewis
Lewis at the 2009 American Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Leona Louise Lewis
Born	(1985-04-03) 3 April 1985 (age 27) Islington, London, England, UK
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, recording artist
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Syco, J, RCA
Website	leonalewismusic.co.uk

Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer and songwriter.^[1] Lewis came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor.

Lewis has released two albums to date, Spirit and Echo, in 2007 and 2009 respectively. A multi-platinum selling artist and three-time Grammy Award nominee, her most successful single, "Bleeding Love", reached number one in over thirty countries around the world, and was the best-selling single worldwide in 2008.^[2] Other notable singles include "Better in Time", "Happy" and "I Got You". She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008.

Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010, and her third album, Glassheart, is scheduled for release in 2012. It was preceded by "Collide", a single from the album, which became her seventh top-five hit in the United Kingdom. Lewis's net worth was estimated at £12 million in April 2012.^[3]

Early life[link]

Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Irish, and Italian descent.^[1][4][5] Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. From there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments, such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter.^[6][7] Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12.^[8] She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences.^[5] After leaving the BRIT School at 17, following a year abroad in Boston, Massachusetts in a transfer program,^[5] she took a number of jobs to fund studio time,^[9] recording a demo album called Twilight.^[10] The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis.^[11] Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret.^[12] None of Lewis's demos brought her significant attention, however, and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university. Then her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.^[13]