A lightning rod (US, AUS) or lightning conductor (UK) is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning. If lightning strikes the building it will preferentially strike the rod, and be conducted harmlessly to ground through the wire, instead of passing through the building, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. A lightning rod is a single component in a lightning protection system. In addition to rods placed at regular intervals on the highest portions of a structure, a lightning protection system typically includes a rooftop network of conductors, multiple conductive paths from the roof to the ground, bonding connections to metallic objects within the structure and a grounding network. The rooftop lightning rod is a metal strip or rod, usually of copper or aluminum. Lightning protection systems are installed on structures, trees, monuments, bridges or water vessels to protect from lightning damage. Individual lightning rods are sometimes called finials, air terminals or strike termination devices. The lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin in the Americas in 1749 and, perhaps independently, by Prokop Diviš in Europe in 1754.

History

As buildings became taller, lightning becomes more of a threat. Lightning can damage structures made of most materials (masonry, wood, concrete and steel) as the huge currents involved can heat materials, causing a potential for fire, and also water to high temperatures.

Asia

Some of the most ancient lightning conductors can be found in Sri Lanka in places like the Kingdom of Anuradhapura that dates back to thousands of years. The Sinhalese kings who mastered construction of stupas and advanced building structures, installed a metal tip made of Silver or Copper on the highest point of every building to conduct any lightning charge. In many parts of the world ancient Buddhist monuments have been destroyed by lightning strikes but not in Sri Lanka.

Russia

A lightning conductor may have been intentionally used in the Leaning Tower of Nevyansk. The spire of the tower is crowned with a metallic rod in the shape of a gilded sphere with spikes. This lightning rod is grounded through the rebar carcass, which pierces the entire building.

The Nevyansk Tower was built between 1725 and 1732, on the orders of industrialist Akinfiy Demidov. The Nevyansk Tower was built 25 years before Benjamin Franklin's experiment and scientific explanation. However, the true intent behind the metal rooftop and rebars remains unknown.

Europe

The church tower of many European cities, usually the highest structure, was the building often hit by lightning. Early on, Christian churches tried to prevent the occurrence of the damaging effects of lightning by prayers. Priests prayed, : ''"temper the destruction of hail and cyclones and the force of tempests and lightning; check hostile thunders and great winds; and cast down the spirits of storms and the powers of the air."'' Peter Ahlwardts ("Reasonable and Theological Considerations about Thunder and Lightning", 1745) advised individuals seeking cover from lightning to go anywhere except in or around a church. In Europe, the lightning rod was independently invented by Czech priest Václav Prokop Diviš between 1750 to 1754.

United States

In the United States, the pointed lightning rod conductor, also called a "lightning attractor" or "Franklin rod," was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1749 as part of his groundbreaking explorations of electricity. Although not the first to suggest a correlation between electricity and lightning, Franklin was the first to propose a workable system for testing his hypothesis. Franklin speculated that, with an iron rod sharpened to a point at the end,

:''"The electrical fire would, I think, be drawn out of a cloud silently, before it could come near enough to strike...."''

Franklin speculated about lightning rods for several years before his reported kite experiment. This experiment, in fact, took place because he was tired of waiting for Christ Church in Philadelphia to be completed so he could place a lightning rod on top of it.

In the 19th century, the lightning rod became a decorative motif. Lightning rods were embellished with ornamental glass balls (now prized by collectors). The ornamental appeal of these glass balls has been used in weather vanes. The main purpose of these balls, however, is to provide evidence of a lightning strike by shattering or falling off. If after a storm a ball is discovered missing or broken, the property owner should then check the building, rod, and grounding wire for damage.

Balls of solid glass occasionally were used in a method purported to prevent lightning strikes to ships and other objects. The idea was that glass objects, being non-conductors, are seldom struck by lightning. Therefore, goes the theory, there must be something about glass that repels lightning. Hence the best method for preventing a lightning strike to a wooden ship was to bury a small solid glass ball in the tip of the highest mast. The random behavior of lightning combined with observers' confirmation bias ensured that the method gained a good bit of credence even after the development of the marine lightning rod soon after Franklin's initial work.

The first lightning conductors on ships were supposed to be hoisted when lightning was anticipated, and had a low success rate. In 1820 William Snow Harris invented a successful system for fitting lightning protection to the wooden sailing ships of the day, but despite successful trials which began in 1830, the British Royal Navy did not adopt the system until 1842, by which time the Imperial Russian Navy had already adopted the system.

Nikola Tesla's was an improvement in lightning protectors. The patent was granted due to a fault in Franklin's original theory of operation; the pointed lightning rod actually ionizes the air around itself, rendering the air conductive, which in turn raises the probability of a strike. Many years after receiving his patent, in 1919 Dr. Tesla wrote an article for The Electrical Experimenter entitled "Famous Scientific Illusions", in which he explains the logic of Franklin's pointed lightning rod and discloses his improved method and apparatus.

DuPont Explosives manufacturing sites were surrounded by pine trees. The needles on many pine trees can act as tens of thousands of points for higher voltages to flow current into the air and lower the difference between the cloud to ground, and reduce the number of strikes per square mile of area. During the 1950s, DuPont made nitroglycerin in some buildings and moved it in "Angel Buggies" to the packing building. Employees at those sites were very sensitive to potential lightning strikes.

In the 1990s, the 'lightning points' were replaced as originally constructed when the statue of Freedom atop the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. was restored. The statue was designed with multiple devices that are tipped with platinum. The Washington Monument also was equipped with multiple lightning points, and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor gets hit with lightning which is grounded out.

Structure protectors

Lightning diversion

Lightning rods convey the current from a strike to the ground or water via a low-resistance conductor. A lightning strike is thus said to be diverted from the protected structure. However, diversion is a misnomer. Rather, the lightning rod widely used attracts and intercepts a strike that terminates near a protected structure. There is some uncertainty as to why a lightning strike is attracted to a lightning rod or similar protector, the leading assumption being that the air near the rod becomes ionized during an electrical storm, and thus highly conductive relative to the surrounding air.

Lightning arrester

In telegraphy and telephony, a lightning arrester is placed where wires enter a structure, preventing damage to electronic instruments within and ensuring the safety of individuals near them. Lightning arresters, also called surge protectors, are devices that are connected between each electrical conductor in a power and communications systems and the Earth. These provide a short circuit to the ground that is interrupted by a non-conductor, over which lightning jumps. Its purpose is to limit the rise in voltage when a communications or power line is struck by lightning.

The non-conducting material may consist of a semi-conducting material such as silicon carbide or zinc oxide, or a spark gap. Primitive varieties of such spark gaps are simply open to the air, but more modern varieties are filled with dry gas and have a small amount of radioactive material to encourage the gas to ionize when the voltage across the gap reaches a specified level. Other designs of lightning arresters use a glow-discharge tube (essentially like a neon glow lamp) connected between the protected conductor and ground, or voltage-activated solid-state switches called varistors or MOVs. Lightning arresters built for substation use are impressive devices, consisting of a porcelain tube several feet long and several inches in diameter, filled with disks of zinc oxide. A safety port on the side of the device vents the occasional internal explosion without shattering the porcelain cylinder.'

Electric power system lightning protection

High-tension power lines carry a lighter conductor (sometimes called a 'pilot' or 'shield') wire over the main power conductors. This conductor is grounded at various points along the link, or insulated from the tower structures by small insulators that are easily jumped by lightning voltages. The latter allows the pilot wire to be used for communications purposes, or to carry current for aircraft clearance lights. Electrical substations may have a web of grounded wires covering the whole plant.

Lightning protection of mast radiators

Mast radiators are insulated from the ground by a gap at the base. When lightning hits the mast, it jumps this gap. A small inductivity in the feed line between the mast and the tuning unit (usually one winding) limits the voltage increase, protecting the transmitter from dangerously high voltages. The transmitter must be equipped with a device to monitor the antenna's electrical properties. This is very important, as a charge could remain after a lightning strike, damaging the gap or the insulators. The monitoring device switches off the transmitter when the antenna shows incorrect behavior, e.g. as a result of undesired electrical charge. When the transmitter is switched off, these charges dissipate. The monitoring device makes several attempts to switch back on. If after several attempts the antenna continues to show improper behavior, possibly as result of structural damage, the transmitter remains switched off.

Lightning conductors and grounding precautions

Ideally, the underground part of the assembly should reside in an area of high ground conductivity. If the underground cable is able to resist corrosion well, it can be covered in salt to improve its electrical connection with the ground. While the electrical resistance of the lightning conductor between the air terminal and the Earth is concerning, the inductive reactance of the conductor could be more important. For this reason, the down conductor route is kept short, and any curves have a large radius. If these measures are not taken, lightning current may arc over an obstruction, resistive or reactive, that it encounters in the conductor. At the very least, the arc current will damage the lightning conductor and can easily find another conductive path, such as building wiring or plumbing, and cause fires or other disasters. Grounding systems without low resistivity to the ground can still be effective in protecting a structure from lightning damage. When ground soil has poor conductivity, is very shallow, or non-existent, a grounding system can be augmented by adding ground rods, counterpoise (ground ring) conductor, cable radials projecting away from the building, or a concrete building's reinforcing bars can be used for a ground conductor (Ufer Ground). These additions, while still not reducing the resistance of the system in some instances, will allow the dissipation of the lightning into the earth without damage to the structure.

Additional precautions must be taken to prevent side-flashes between conductive objects on or in the structure and the lightning protection system. The surge of lightning current through a lightning protection conductor will create a voltage difference between it and any conductive objects that are near it. This voltage difference can be large enough to cause a dangerous side-flash (spark) between the two that can cause significant damage, especially on structures housing flammable or explosive materials. The most effective way to prevent this potential damage is to ensure the electrical continuity between the lightning protection system and any objects susceptible to a side-flash. Effective bonding will allow the voltage potential of the two objects to rise and fall in tandem, thereby eliminating any risk of a side-flash.

Lightning protection system design

Considerable material is used to make up lightning protection systems, so it is prudent to consider carefully where a rod structure will have the greatest effect. Historical understanding of lightning, from statements made by Ben Franklin, assumed that each device protected a cone of 45 degrees. This has been found to be unsatisfactory for protecting taller structures, as it is possible for lightning to strike the side of a building.

A better technique to determine the effect of a new arrester is called the "rolling sphere technique" and was developed by Dr Tibor Horváth. To understand this requires knowledge of how lightning 'moves'. As the step leader of a lightning bolt jumps toward the ground, it steps toward the grounded objects nearest its path. The maximum distance that each step may travel is called the ''critical distance'' and is proportional to the electrical current. Objects are likely to be struck if they are nearer to the leader than this critical distance. It is standard practice to approximate the sphere's radius as 46 m near the ground.

An object outside the critical distance is unlikely to be struck by the leader if there is a solidly grounded object within the critical distance. Locations that are considered safe from lightning can be determined by imagining a leader's potential paths as a sphere that travels from the cloud to the ground. For lightning protection, it suffices to consider all possible spheres as they touch potential strike points. To determine strike points, consider a sphere rolling over the terrain. At each point, we are simulating a potential leader position. Lightning is most likely to strike where the sphere touches the ground. Points that the sphere cannot roll across and touch are safest from lightning. Lightning protectors should be placed where they will prevent the sphere from touching a structure. A weak point in most lightning diversion systems is in transporting the captured discharge from the lightning rod to the ground, though. Lightning rods are typically installed around the perimeter of flat roofs, or along the peaks of sloped roofs at intervals of 6.1 m or 7.6 m, depending on the height of the rod. When a flat roof has dimensions greater than 15 m by 15 m, additional air terminals will be installed in the middle of the roof at intervals of 15 m or less in a rectangular grid pattern.

Should a lightning rod have a point?

This was a controversy as early as the 18th century. In the midst of political confrontation between Britain and its American colonies, British scientists maintained that a lightning rod should have a ball on its end. American scientists maintained that there should be a point. , the controversy had not been completely resolved. It is difficult to resolve the controversy because proper controlled experiments are nearly impossible in such work; in spite of the work of Moore, et al. [described below] most lightning rods seen on buildings have sharp points. Work performed by Charles B. Moore, et al., in 2000 has helped this issue, finding that moderately rounded or blunt-tipped lightning rods act as marginally better strike receptors. [described below] As a result, round-tipped rods are installed the majority of the time on new systems in the United States. To quote:

: ''Calculations of the relative strengths of the electric fields above similarly exposed sharp and blunt rods show that while the fields are much stronger at the tip of a sharp rod prior to any emissions, they decrease more rapidly with distance. As a result, at a few centimeters above the tip of a 20-mm-diameter blunt rod, the strength of the field is greater than over an otherwise similar, sharper rod of the same height. Since the field strength at the tip of a sharpened rod tends to be limited by the easy formation of ions in the surrounding air, the field strengths over blunt rods can be much stronger than those at distances greater than 1 cm over sharper ones.'' : ''The results of this study suggest that moderately blunt metal rods (with tip height to tip radius of curvature ratios of about 680:1) are better lightning strike receptors than sharper rods or very blunt ones.''

In addition, the height of the lightning protector relative to the structure to be protected and the Earth itself will have an effect.

Lightning dissipation

Lightning dissipators have been widely discredited and criticized by lightning researchers over the last 30 years. These terminals (known as ''Dissipation Array Systems'', and ''Charge Transfer Systems'') claim to make a structure ''less'' attractive to lightning and other charges that flow through the Earth's atmosphere around it. These generally encompass systems and equipment for the preventative protection of objects located on the surface of the earth from the effects of atmospherics. The devices are alleged to deal with the phenomena such as electrostatic fields, electromagnetic fields, field transients, static charges, and any other related atmospheric electricity phenomena.

Individual dissipator rods may appear as slightly-blunted metal spikes sticking out in all directions from a metal conductor. These elements are mounted on short metal arms at the top of a radio antenna or tower, the area most likely to be struck. The dissipation theory states an alteration in the potential difference (voltage) between the structure and the storm cloud miles above theoretically reduces but does not eliminate risk of lightning strikes. Various manufacturers make these claims. Induced upward lightning strikes occurring on tall structures (effective heights of 300 m or more) can be reduced by altering the shape of the structure.

Evaluations and analysis

A controversy over the assortment of operation theories dates back to the 18th century, when Franklin himself stated that his lightning protectors protected buildings by dissipating electric charge. He later retracted the statement, stating that the device's exact mode of operation was something of a mystery at that point. Diversion is a misnomer; no modern systems are claimed to divert anything, but rather to intercept the charge that terminates on a structure and carry it to the ground. The energy in a lightning strike is measured in joules. The reason that lightning does damage is that this energy is released in a matter of microseconds (typically 30 to 50 microseconds). If the same energy could be released slowly over a period of many seconds or minutes, the current flow would be in milliamperes or a few amperes at most. This is the intent of charge dissipation.

The dissipation theory states that a lightning strike to a structure can be prevented by altering the electrical potential between the structure and the thundercloud. This is done by transferring electric charge (such as from the nearby Earth to the sky or vice versa). Transferring electric charge from the Earth to the sky is done by erecting some sort of tower equipped with one or more sharply pointed protectors upon the structure. It is noted that sharply pointed objects will indeed transfer charge to the surrounding atmosphere and that a considerable electric current through the tower can be measured when thunderclouds are overhead.

Lightning strikes to a metallic structure can vary from leaving no evidence excepting perhaps a small pit in the metal to the complete destruction of the structure (Rakov, Page 364). When there is no evidence, analyzing the strikes is difficult. This means that a strike on an uninstrumented structure must be visually confirmed, and the random behavior of lightning renders such observations difficult. There are also inventors working on this problem, such as through a lightning rocket. While controlled experiments may be off in the future, very good data is being obtained through techniques which use radio receivers that watch for the characteristic electrical 'signature' of lightning strikes using fixed directional antennas. Through accurate timing and triangulation techniques, lightning strikes can be located with great precision, so strikes on specific objects often can be confirmed with confidence.

The introduction of lightning protection systems into standards allowed various manufactures to develop protector systems to a multitude of specifications and there are various lightning rod standards. The NFPA's independent third party panel found that "the [Early Streamer Emission] lightning protection technology appears to be technically sound" and that there was an "adequate theoretical basis for the [Early Streamer Emission] air terminal concept and design from a physical viewpoint". (Bryan, 1999) The same panel also concluded that "the recommended [NFPA 780 standard] lightning protection system has never been scientifically or technically validated and the Franklin rod air terminals have not been validated in field tests under thunderstorm conditions." In response, the American Geophysical Union concluded that "[t]he Bryan Panel reviewed essentially none of the studies and literature on the effectiveness and scientific basis of traditional lightning protection systems and was erroneous in its conclusion that there was no basis for the Standard." AGU did not attempt to assess the effectiveness of any proposed modifications to traditional systems in its report.

No major standards body, such as the NFPA or UL, has currently endorsed a device that can prevent or reduce lightning strikes. The NFPA Standards Council, following a request for a project to address Dissipation Array Systems and Charge Transfer Systems, denied the request to begin forming standards on such technology (though the Council did not foreclose on future standards development after reliable sources demonstrating the validity of the basic technology and science were submitted). Members of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Lightning Protection has issued a joint statement stating their opposition to dissipater technology.

Various investigators believe the natural downward lightning strokes to be unpreventable. Since most lightning protectors' ground potentials are elevated, the path distance from the source to the elevated ground point will be shorter, creating a stronger field (measured in volts per unit distance) and that structure will be more prone to ionization and breakdown. Scientists from the National Lightning Safety Institute claim that these dissipation devices are nothing more than expensive lightning protectors and that they, unlike traditional methods, are not based on "scientifically proven and indisputable technical arguments". William Rison states that in his opinion the underlying theory of dissipation is "scientific nonsense". According to these sources, there is no proof that the dissipation arrangement is at all effective. According to opponents of the dissipation technology, the various designs of dissipaters indirectly "eliminate" lightning via the alteration of a building's shape and only have a small effect (either intended or not) because there is no significant reduction to the susceptibility of a structure to the generation of upward lightning strokes. Some field investigations of dissipaters show that their performance is comparable to conventional terminals and possess no great enhancement of protection. According to these field studies, these devices have not shown that they totally eliminated lightning strikes.

Aircraft protectors

Lightning protection for aircraft is provided by mounting devices on the aircraft structure. The protectors are provided with extensions through the structure of the aircraft's outer surface and within a static discharger. Protection systems for use in aircraft must protect critical and non-critical electronic equipment. Aircraft lightning protection provides an electrical path having a plurality of conductive segments, continuous or discontinuous, that upon exposure to a high voltage field form an ionization channel due to the system's breakdown voltage. Various lightning protection systems must reject the surge currents associated with the lightning strikes. Lightning protection means for aircraft include components which are dielectrics and metallic layers applied to the ordinarily lightning-accessible surfaces of composite structures. Various ground connection means to the layers comprises a section of wire mesh fusing the various layers to an attachment connecting the structure to an adjacent ground structure. Composite-to-metal or composite-to-composite structural joints are protected by making the interface areas conductive for transfer of lightning current.

Some aircraft lightning protection systems use a shielded cable system. These systems consist of one or more conductors enclosed by a conductive shield. The cable has both conductors of one end connected to a grounding element. This is intended to provide protection from electromagnetic interference. Such systems reduce the electromagnetically induced voltage in a shielded conductor. This is intended to provide protection against induced electromagnetic interference from lightning. This network provides a normally-high impedance which breaks down to a very low impedance in response to a momentary voltage surge electromagnetically induced in the shield. This establishes a conductive path between the shield and ground. Any surge voltage from lightning creates a current through the cable. This results in an electromagnetic field of the opposite direction, which cancels or reduces the magnitude of the electromagnetic field within the shielded cable.

Watercraft protectors

A lightning protection installation on a watercraft comprises a ''lightning protector'' mounted on the top of the mast or superstructure and a ''grounding conductor'' in contact with the water. Electrical conductors attach to the protector and run downward to the conductor. For a vessel with a conducting (iron or steel) hull, the grounding conductor is the hull. For a vessel with a non-conducting hull, the grounding conductor may be retractable, part of the hull, or attached to a centerboard.

See also

List of lightning rod patents

Grounding kit

Václav Prokop Diviš (1698–1765), constructor of the first grounded lightning rod, in Přímětice u Znojma during 1750-1754.

James Otis, Jr., contemporary of Ben Franklin, killed at doorway by lightning in Andover, Massachusetts on May 23, 1783.

Notes

References

External links

"''Researchers find that blunt lightning rods work best''". USA Today. (06/10/2002)

Federal Aviation Administration, "''FAA-STD-019d, Lightning and surge protection, grounding, bonding and shielding requirements for facilities and electronic equipment''". National Transportation Library, 2002-08-09.

Kithil, Richard, "''Lightning Rods: Recent Investigations''". National Lightning Safety Institute, September 26, 2005.

Kithil, Richard, "''Should Lightning Rods be Installed?''". National Lightning Safety Institute, September 26, 2005.

Kithil, Richard, "''Fundamentals of Lightning Protection''". National Lightning Safety Institute, September 26, 2005.

Nailen, Richard L., "''Lightning controversy goes on''", The Electrical Apparatus, February 2001.

Lightning Safety Alliance education page

Richard Owen, Wm S Orr, John Radford Young, Alexander Jardine, Robert Gordon Latham, Edward Smith, William Sweetland Dallas, ''Orr's Circle of the Sciences'', Atmospheric Electricity—Theory of Lightning-rods W.S. Orr 1855.

February 1919 Popular Science article about Lightning Arresters and how they were used in early AC and DC power distribution systems, ''Electrical Devices and How They Work, Part 14: Lightning Arresters'', Popular Science monthly, February 1919, 5 unnumbered pages, Scanned by Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=7igDAAAAMBAJ&pg;=PT17

Category:Lightning Category:Electrical safety Category:Roofs Category:Benjamin Franklin Category:Nikola Tesla Category:Safety equipment Category:Electric arcs Category:Electrodes Category:Sri Lankan inventions Category:Russian inventions Category:American inventions

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This is a list of people whose names in English 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.

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) 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

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 Russian

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

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

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

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

Narai (1633-1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)

Naresuan (1555-1605), King of Ayutthaya

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.

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

Notes

Category:Monarchs Great, List of people known as The Category:Greatest Nationals Category:Epithets

bs:Spisak osoba znanih kao Veliki id:Daftar tokoh dengan gelar yang Agung jv:Daftar pamimpin ingkang dipun paringi julukan Ingkang Agung la:Magnus lt:Sąrašas:Žmonės, vadinami Didžiaisiais ja:称号に大が付く人物の一覧 ru:Великий (прозвище) sl:Seznam ljudi z vzdevkom Veliki sv:Lista över personer kallade den store th:รายพระนามกษัตริย์ที่ได้รับสมัญญานามมหาราช vi:Đại đế

Coordinates	45°10′41″N113°54′10″N
birth date	September 24, 1980
birth name	Angel Del Villar II
alias	Homeboy Sandman
background	solo_singer
origin	Queens, New York, USA
genre	Hip hop
years active	2007–present
website	www.homeboysandman.com }}

Homeboy Sandman is a musician from Elmhurst, Queens, New York.

Personal

Homeboy Sandman grew up in New York City and attended boarding school at New Hampshire’s Holderness School (part of New York City’s Prep For Prep 9 program). He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently enrolled in law school at Hofstra University. He withdrew from law school during his third year to pursue his career as an emcee.

Career

Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in March 2007. His debut full length album, entitled ''Nourishment (Second Helpings)'', was released in August 2007. In early 2008 Homeboy Sandman's work began to be featured on underground radio programs the Squeeze Radio Show on WKCR 89.9 FM and the Halftime Radio Program on WNYU 89.1 FM in New York. In June 2008 he was featured in Source Magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column.

His second album, ''Actual Factual Pterodactyl'' was acclaimed upon its release in August 2008. The album received an entry in XXL Magazine's ''Chairman's Choice'' column, which praised Homeboy Sandman's "sharp lyrics and irresistibly melodic flow, which, together, form an elastic instrument few MCs can match." Actual Factual Pterodactyl received critical acclaim in a multitude of other print and online publications, including Blender Magazine, Beyond Race Magazine, Okayplayer.com and MSN.com. At the end of 2008, Homeboy Sandman was named "Best Hip Hop Act in NYC 2008" by New York Press. Recently his music has received rotation on NYC's Power 105.1 FM and Hot 97.1 FM, the city's #1 Hip Hop and R&B; radio station, as well as international radio airplay on Spitkicker Radio (Channel 65 on XM Satellite Radio), DJ Premier's "Live From HeadQCourterz" (Sirius Satellite Radio's #1 ranked Hip Hop show) and BBC 1Xtra's Hip Hop M1X (Hosted by DJ Sarah Love), among others.

In addition to his studio releases, Homeboy Sandman has garnered widespread attention for his live performances. Early in his career he was a Ralph McDaniels Video Music Award Winner and he received End of the Weak's inaugural "Strongest New Artist" award in 2008 for his participation in the open mic and weekly MC challenges. He then went on to become the NYC Champion in Jermaine Dupri's TAG Records "Survival of the Fittest" competition in August 2008 and was a finalist in Loud.com’s $100,000 Rapper Challenge in 2009. From January 2008 to August 2009, Homeboy Sandman served as the host of “ALL THAT! Hip Hop, Poetry and Jazz” at the Nuyorican Poets Café, New York City’s longest running open mic session (originally hosted by Hip Hop icon Bobbito García). He has performed at the biggest hip hop shows around the country, including the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, TX, the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival in Brooklyn, NY, the Rock the Bells hip hop festival in Long Island, NY, the A3C Hip Hop Festival in Atlanta, GA and New York City's CMJ Music Marathon. Homeboy Sandman has also been noted for recording video interviews with other performers at his live shows, which are captured in his YouTube video series "Homeboy Sandman ''presents'' Live From..."

In addition to his own releases, Homeboy Sandman has appeared on numerous records by other artists, frequently with members of the AOK Collective, with whom he is affiliated. He recently appeared on Fresh Daily's 2009 album ''The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes of Passion'' and the 2008 album ''For Your Consideration'' released by P.SO (formerly P. Casso). Homeboy Sandman collaborated with both Fresh Daily and P.SO for the song "Get On Down," which is featured on ''Sonic Smash'', the album released in 2009 by music producer DJ Spinna. Homeboy Sandman has also laid down tracks for a series of features with RIDES Magazine. The track that Homeboy Sandman created for the Loud.com challenge, "Gun Control," was cited as one of the Top 25 Songs of 2009 by Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg.

In January 2010 Homeboy Sandman became a featured artist in the "SUBWAY Fresh Buzz" campaign, a collaborative program by Subway and MTV Networks to profile emerging artists.

On June 1, 2010, Homeboy Sandman released his third album, ''The Good Sun''. The album was released on New York City-based indy record label High Water Music and features production from 2 Hungry Bros, Ski Beats, Thievin' Stephen, DJ Spinna, Psycho Les (The Beatnuts) and Core Rhythm, among others. This, his first commercial release with major retail distribution, again received critical acclaim from various publications including Okayplayer and HipHopDX, which notes "[f]rom mic to plug, The Good Sun is a sleek offering loaded with relentless, genre-pushing musicality, otherworldly rhyme schemes and contextual relevance. It’s the type of album where the sum of the whole is greater than each individual part; a collection of songs so solid and so well placed that, together, they lift the album into rarified air." The first single off of ''The Good Sun'' was "Angels with Dirty Faces," produced by J57. In September 2010 Homeboy Sandman released his first official video for "The Good Sun" for the track entitled The Essence.

Most recently, Homeboy Sandman was featured as the coach in an episode of MTV's MADE (TV Series), which premiered in October 2010.

Discography

Albums, EPs & Mixtapes

''The Good Sun'' (2010)

''Actual Factual Pterodactyl'' (2008)

''DJ BabeyDrew Presents Homeboy Sandman: There Is No Spoon'' (2008)

''Nourishment (Second Helpings)'' (2007)

''Nourishment EP'' (2007)

Collaborations and Guest Appearances ''(list is not exhaustive)''

"Parallel Perpendicular" from 2 Hungry Bros. x AOK Collective's ''My Crew's All Thinner!''

"Best In Show" from P. Casso's ''For Your Consideration''

"Starter Pistol" from Fresh Daily's ''The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes of Passion''

"Get on Down" from DJ Spinna's ''Sonic Smash''

"20 years High & Rising (Homage To De La Soul)" from Mick Boogie x Terry Urban's ''Le Da Soul: 20 Years of De La Soul''

"Scenario" from PH's (formerly Pumpkinhead) ''MY ERA: No Skinny Jeans Allowed''

"Up to No Good (Remix)" from J.J. Brown's ''Connect the Dots''

"Love, Love" feat. KRS-One from Kyle Rapp's forthcoming mixtape ''Edutainment''

"Still Phenomenal" feat. Sene & Co$$ from J57′s ''Digital Society''

References

External links

HomeboySandman.com Official Website

Homeboy Sandman's Myspace Page

Homeboy Sandman's Facebook Page

Homeboy Sandman Interview 9/21/10

Category:1980 births Category:American hip hop musicians Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York City

fr:Homeboy Sandman

Coordinates	45°10′41″N113°54′10″N
Name	Richard Hammond|image Richard Hammond.jpg
Birth name	Richard Mark Hammond
Birth date	December 19, 1969
Birth place	Solihull, Warwickshire, England, UK
Nationality	British
Other names	''Hamster''
Known for	Presenting:
Height
Education	Solihull SchoolRipon Grammar School
Alma mater	Harrogate College of Art and Technology
Employer
Occupation	Author, writer, voice-over artist,journalist, talk and game show host,radio DJ/television presenter,media personality
Years active
Home town	Solihull, West Midlands,England
Spouse
Children	2
Parents	Eileen and Alan Hammond }}

Richard Mark Hammond (born 19 December 1969) is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme ''Top Gear'' with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting ''Brainiac: Science Abuse'' on Sky 1.

Early life

Hammond was born in Solihull (then Warwickshire, now West Midlands) and is the grandson of workers in the Birmingham automobile industry. In the mid-1980s Hammond moved with his family (mother Eileen, father Alan, and younger brothers Andrew and Nicholas) to the North Yorkshire cathedral city of Ripon where his father ran a probate business in the market square. Originally a pupil of Solihull School, a fee-paying boys' independent school, he moved to Ripon Grammar School, and from 1987 to 1989 attended Harrogate College of Art and Technology. After his graduation he worked for several radio stations, including Radio Cleveland, Radio York, Radio Cumbria, Radio Leeds, Radio Newcastle and Radio Lancashire, before auditioning for ''Top Gear''.

Top Gear

Hammond became a presenter on ''Top Gear'' in 2002, when the show began in its present format. He is sometimes referred to as "Hamster" by fans and his co-presenters on ''Top Gear'' due to his comparatively small stature. His nickname was further reinforced when on three separate occasions in series 7, Hammond ate cardboard, mimicking hamster-like behaviour. A running gag is Hammond's supposed use of teeth whitener. In a series 7 episode, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson claimed to have found a pack of teeth whiteners in a Marcos TSO GT2 that Hammond had tested. Hammond had objected, claiming it was a set-up. In a series 10 episode that featured the Peel P50, Clarkson was seen supposedly talking to Hammond on the phone about him considering a tooth whitening treatment costing £4000. Later, during a series 13 episode that featured the presenters in their office searching for car insurance prices, a teeth whitening kit was pictured on his desk. It was staged to appear that he was caught looking at a website on teeth whiteners on ''Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show''.

In the first episode of series 9 broadcast on 28 January 2007, having recovered from his high speed crash Hammond returned to a hero's welcome, complete with dancing girls, aeroplane style stairs and fireworks. The show also contained images of the crash, which had made international headlines, with Hammond talking through the events of the day after which the audience broke into spontaneous applause. Hammond then requested that the crash never be mentioned on the show again, though all three Top Gear presenters have since referred to it in jokes during the news segment of the programme. He told his colleagues, "The only difference between me now, and before the crash, is that I like celery now and I didn't before".

During the third episode of series sixteen, Hammond attempted to be a bit like Jeremy Clarkson and copied him a little bit by being a little racist, he suggested that no one would ever want to own a Mexican car, since cars are supposed to reflect national characteristics and so a Mexican car would be a "lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight oaf." Hammond finished with the remark "I'm sorry, but can you imagine waking up and remembering you're Mexican?!" Following complaints, the BBC defended the broadcast of this segment on the grounds that such national stereotyping was a "robust part" of traditional British humour.

Brainiac: Science Abuse

In 2003, Hammond became the first presenter of ''Brainiac: Science Abuse''; he was joined by Jon Tickle with Charlotte Hudson joining in series 2. After the fourth series it was announced that Hammond was no longer going to present the Sky1 show after he signed an exclusive deal with the BBC. Vic Reeves took his place as main presenter.

Other radio and television work

Early in his career, Hammond worked at many radio stations, including Radio Cleveland, Radio York, Radio Cumbria, Radio Leeds, and Radio Lancashire, before going on to present a number of daytime lifestyle shows and motoring programmes such as Motor Week on ''Men & Motors''.

He presented the ''Crufts'' dog show in 2005, the 2004 and 2005 British Parking Awards, and has appeared on ''School's Out'', a quiz show on BBC One where celebrities answer questions about things they learned at school. He has also presented ''The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding The Legend''. Along with his work on ''Top Gear'', he presented ''Should I Worry About...?'' on BBC One, ''Time Commanders'' on BBC Two and the first four series of ''Brainiac: Science Abuse'' on Sky One. He was also a team captain on the BBC Two quiz show, ''Petrolheads'', in which a memorable part was one where Hammond was tricked into smashing his classic Ferrari while trying to parallel park blindfolded in another car.

From 3 January 2006 until 10 February 2006, Hammond was the eponymous star of ''Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show'' with his co-star Mel Giedroyc of ''Light Lunch'' fame. The programme, which discussed a wide range of topics, was shown every weekday on ITV between 17:00 and 18:00.

In July 2005, Hammond was voted number one in a ''Heat'' magazine poll of top "weird celebrity crushes". Also in 2005 he was voted one of the top 10 British TV talents.

He presented ''Richard Hammond and the Holy Grail'' in 2006. During the special, he traveled to various locations around the world, including the Vatican Secret Archives, exploring the history of the Holy Grail.

In one episode of ''Top Gear'', fellow presenter James May was mocked by both Hammond and Clarkson for being named the celebrity with the worst hairstyle, while Hammond was named the celebrity with the best.

As part of Red Nose Day 2007, Hammond stood for nomination via a public telephone vote, along with Andy Hamilton and Kelvin MacKenzie, to be a one-off co-presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on 16 March 2007. However, he was defeated by Andy Hamilton.

In April 2007, Hammond presented a one off special on BBC Radio 2 for Good Friday followed by another in August 2007 for the Bank Holiday. He is scheduled to present more Bank Holiday specials for the station.

Hammond recorded an interview with the famed American stuntman Evel Knievel, which aired on 23 December 2007 on BBC One, and was Knievel's last interview before his death on 30 November 2007.

In September 2008, Hammond presented the first episode of a new series; ''Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections'' on the National Geographic Channel. In this show, Hammond discovers how the inventions of the past, along with assistance from nature, help designers today. Episodes include the building of the Airbus A380, Taipei 101 and the Keck Observatory. Series 2 of Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections began in May 2010 and has included the building of the Wembley Stadium and the Sydney Opera House.

Hammond also filmed an advertisement for Morrisons supermarkets in 2008, and joined the cast of TV show ''Ashes To Ashes'' for a special insert on the 2008 Children in Need special.

While in New Zealand for ''Top Gear Live 2009'', Hammond filmed several television commercials for Telecom New Zealand's new XT UTMS mobile network. Telecom claimed that the new network was "faster in more places", compared to its competitors and its existing CDMA network. After the network repeatedly failed in late 2009 and early 2010, Hammond became the butt of a joke when he did not return to New Zealand for ''Top Gear Live 2010''. His fellow ''Top Gear'' co-hosts said he was too embarrassed to come back to New Zealand, and in a supposed live feed back to Hammond, the feed suddenly drops out as the "XT Network had crashed". Hammond was later given the right of reply to his colleagues during an interview with Marcus Lush on RadioLIVE's breakfast show in New Zealand.

Hammond is currently hosting the UK version of the US series ''Wipeout'', called ''Total Wipeout''. It takes place in Argentina, and is co-presented by Hammond and Amanda Byram. Hammond presents and does the voiceover for the clips in a London studio, and Byram is filmed at the obstacle course in Buenos Aires.

Hammond also presented a science-themed game show for children, ''Richard Hammond's Blast Lab'' which aired on BBC Two and CBBC.

In March 2010, Hammond presented a 3 episode series called Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds, which looked at things too fast for the naked eye to see, things that are beyond the visible spectrum (e.g. ultraviolet and infra-red light), as well as microscopic things.

One of Hammond's lesser known television roles was as presenter of the BBC2 'gameshow' Time Commanders, a sophisticated warfare simulator which used a modified version of Creative Assembly's Rome: Total War game engine.

Since February 2011, Hammond has presented a online technology series ''"Richard Hammond's Tech Head"''.

In July 2011, Hammond presented a two-part natural science documentary ''Richard Hammond's Journey To The Centre Of The Planet'', focused on Earth geology and plate tectonics.

Personal life

Hammond has been married to Amanda Etheridge (mostly known as Mindy) since May 2002; the couple have two daughters.

Hammond is a fan of Porsche 911s and claims the Pagani Zonda to be the ultimate supercar. He once owned a 1982 Porsche 911 SC (sold in the mid-2000s), and later purchased a 2006 Porsche 911 (997) Carrera S. In 2004, Hammond purchased a Porsche 928 for the purpose of daily driving. Much unlike Clarkson and May, he also has an interest in American muscle cars. Hammond has owned a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, a 1967 Ford Mustang GT 390, and a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 (which was purchased in the United States on a Series 12 episode of ''Top Gear'').

Hammond had also owned a Morgan AeroMax, in which he was involved in a car accident on 9 August 2009. He also owns a Jaguar E-Type and is also a fan of monster trucks, having attended Truckfest '07.

On 20 July 2007, during severe flooding, Hammond left his Porsche 911 – in which he had been stuck in traffic for 13 hours – to run home for his daughter's birthday. He ran 16 miles (26 km) in two and a half hours (from 3 am to 5:30 am), arriving home before his daughter woke up.

An interview with ''The Sunday Times'' in February 2008 reported Hammond as having moved briefly from Gloucestershire to Buckinghamshire, then back again because he missed the country life.

Hammond is a keen motorcyclist and Land Rover Defender fan. He spent over £70,000 rebuilding his 110 "Buster" in 2008.

In October it was reported he had spent over £2 million buying Bollitree Castle which is situated near Weston under Penyard, Ross-on-Wye. It has been rumoured he has also bought a large house in the small town of Wantage, Oxfordshire.

On ''Top Gear'' in 2007, Hammond went to Africa on an 'Epic Road Trip' across Botswana. While there he found a 1963 Opel Kadett, in which he drove across Botswana. Hammond named it Oliver. On ''Top Gear'' a week after the special was aired, Hammond announced during the news, that he had shipped Oliver back to the UK, where it was restored by a team from Practical Classics magazine. Oliver features on Hammond's children's science television show ''Richard Hammond's Blast Lab'' and in another episode of Top Gear as a kind of "Hill-holder" in the trailer truck challenge (after it acquired the personal plate "OLI V3R"). Oliver is also mentioned in Hammond's second autobiography ''As You Do''.

In 2010, Hammond was the President of the 31st Herefordshire Country Fair held at Hampton Court in Hope under Dinmore. His attendance caused unprecedented attendance with "nearly 15,000 people" drawn to the event to meet the presenter.

In 2010, Hammond gained a PPL(H) in an R44 helicopter.

Charity work

Richard Hammond is a Vice-President of UK children's brain injury charity The Children's Trust, Tadworth.

''Vampire'' dragster crash

thumb|left|200px|Hammond in the ''Vampire'' immediately before the crash. The front-right tyre has burst.During filming of a ''Top Gear'' segment at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York on 20 September 2006, Hammond was injured in the crash of the jet-powered car he was piloting. Hammond was travelling at at the time of the crash.

His vehicle, a dragster called ''Vampire'', was theoretically capable of travelling at speeds of up to . The vehicle was the same car that in 2000, piloted by Colin Fallows, set the British land speed record at . The ''Vampire'' was powered by a single Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus afterburning turbojet engine putting out hp}} .

Some accounts suggested that the accident occurred during an attempt to break the British land speed record, but the Health and Safety Executive report on the crash found that a proposal to try to officially break the record was vetoed in advance by ''Top Gear'' executive producer Andy Wilman, due to the risks and complexities of such a venture. (The report stated: "Runs were to be carried out in only one direction along a pre-set course on the Elvington runway. Vampire’s speed was to be recorded using GPS satellite telemetry. The intention was to record the maximum speed, not to measure an average speed over a measured course, and for [Hammond] to describe how it felt.")

Hammond was completing a seventh and final run to collect extra footage for the programme when his front-right tyre failed, and, according to witness and first responder Dave Ogden, "one of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us." The emergency crew quickly arrived at the car, finding it inverted and partially embedded in the grass. Rescuers felt a pulse and heard the unconscious Hammond breathing before the car was turned upright. Hammond was cut free with hydraulic shears, and placed on a backboard. "He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain". He was then transported by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to the neurological unit of the Leeds General Infirmary. Hammond's family visited him at the hospital along with ''Top Gear'' co-presenters James May and Jeremy Clarkson. Clarkson wished Hammond well, saying "Both James and I are looking forward to getting our 'Hamster' back", referring to Hammond by his nickname.

The Health & Safety Executive report stated that "Hammond's instantaneous reaction to the tyre blow out seems to have been that of a competent high performance car driver, namely to brake the car and to try to steer into the skid. Immediately afterwards he also seems to have followed his training and to have pulled back on the main parachute release lever, thus shutting down the jet engine and also closing the jet and afterburner fuel levers. The main parachute did not have time to deploy before the car ran off the runway." The HSE notes that, based on the findings of the North Yorkshire Police (who investigated the crash), "the accident may not have been recoverable", even if Hammond's efforts to react were as fast as "humanly possible".

The crash was shown on an episode of ''Top Gear'' on 28 January 2007; this was the first episode of the new series, which had been postponed pending Hammond's recovery. Hammond requested at the end of the episode that his fellow presenters never mention the crash again, a request which has been generally agreed by both Hammond and the other presenters, although occasional oblique references have been made. ''On The Edge: My Story'', which contains first hand accounts from both Hammond and his wife about the crash, immediate aftermath, and his recovery was published later that year.

In February 2008 Hammond gave an interview to ''The Sunday Times'' newspaper in which he described the effects of his brain injuries and the progression of his recovery. He reported suffering loss of memory, depression, and difficulties with emotional experiences, for which he was consulting a psychiatrist.

After the car crash the BBC website Have Your Say received more than 10,000 messages of good wishes and sympathy for Richard Hammond from people around the world.

Works

TV shows

Year !! Title !! Notes
1998	''Motorweek (Men & Motors TV series)''	Presenter
2002–present	Top Gear (2002 TV series)>Top Gear''
2003–06	''Brainiac: Science Abuse''
rowspan="2"	2004–05	''Crufts''
''Should I Worry About...?''	Presenter
rowspan="3"	2005	''The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding The Legend''
''Time Commanders''	Presenter
''Inside Britain's Fattest Man''	Presenter
rowspan="6"	2006	''Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show''
''Petrolheads''	Contestant
''School's Out (TV series)	School's Out''	Contestant
''Richard Hammond: Would You Believe It?''	Presenter
''Richard Hammond: The Holy Grail''	Presenter
''Battle of the Geeks''	Presenter
rowspan="3"	2007	Last Man Standing (UK TV series)>Last Man Standing''
''Helicopter Heroes''	Narrator
''Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel''	Presenter
rowspan="2"	2008	Timewatch>BBC Timewatch''
''Sport Relief#Sport Relief 2008	Sport Relief''	Presenter
2009	''Richard Hammond's Blast Lab''
rowspan="2"	2009 – present	''Total Wipeout''
''Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections''	Presenter
rowspan="3"	2010	''Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds''
''Sport Relief 2010''	Co-presenter with Claudia Winkleman
''Hammond Meets Moss''	Presenter
2011	''Richard Hammond's Journey To...''

Books

Car Books

Children's Books

Biographies

DVDs

# Richard Hammond's Top Gear Interactive Challenge Quiz (2007, 2|Entertain). # Richard Hammond's Top Gear Interactive Stunt Challenge Quiz (2008, 2|Entertain). # Richard Hammond's Top Gear Uncovered: The DVD Special (2009, 2|Entertain). # Top Gear Apocalypse (2010)

Television Advertisements

# Morrisons (2008) # Morrisons (Christmas 2008) # Morrisons (2009) # Morrisons (Christmas 2009) # Top Gear Turbo Challenge Trading Cards Test Set (2009) # Top Gear Turbo Challenge Trading Cards (2010) # Top Gear Interactive Challenge DVD (2007) # Top Gear Interactive Stunt Challenge DVD (2009) # Top Gear Uncovered DVD (2009) # Top Gear [Re-Runs On Dave] (2009) # Telecom XT network NZ (2009)

References

External links

Richard Hammond Interview 2006

Donations to Yorkshire Air Ambulance double as a result of their life-saving rescue of Richard Hammond

Richard Hammond on Top Gear

Q&A; – The Guardian – 2009-1-3. Hammond questions about himself. Retrieved 2009-6-29.

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:People from Solihull Category:Old Silhillians Category:Old Riponians Category:English autobiographers Category:English children's writers Category:English broadcasters Category:English journalists Category:English non-fiction writers Category:English radio DJs Category:English radio personalities Category:English science writers Category:English television presenters Category:Motoring journalists Category:People with brain injuries Category:Top Gear

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