- published: 22 Jul 2011
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Twickenham Stadium (pronounced /ˈtwɪkənəm/; usually known as just Twickenham or Twickers) is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the second largest stadium in the UK after Wembley Stadium and the fifth largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is the home of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and as such primarily a venue for rugby union and hosts England's home test matches, as well as the Middlesex Sevens, the Aviva Premiership final, the LV Cup and Heineken Cup matches. The stadium is considered an icon of English rugby and the 2009/2010 season saw Twickenham celebrate its centenary. The 100th anniversary of the first international at HQ in 1910 was marked by the England team wearing a special commemorative shirt against Wales on February 6 and by a centenary book called Twickenham – 100 Years of Rugby's HQ.
Although the ground is usually only occupied by rugby union, it has in the past hosted a number of other events, such as concerts by Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Genesis, U2, The Rolling Stones, The Police, Eagles, Richard Benson, R.E.M. and soon, Lady Gaga, for her upcoming tour, The Born This Way Ball. It has also been the host of Rugby League's Challenge Cup final. The stadium has also been used annually for over 50 years to host Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Coordinates: 51°26′55″N 0°20′13″W / 51.4486°N 0.3369°W / 51.4486; -0.3369
Twickenham is a large suburban town 10 miles (16 km) southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. As part of the suburban growth of London in the twentieth century, the town expanded and increased in population, becoming established as the Municipal Borough of Twickenham in 1926; it has formed part of Greater London since 1965.
Excavations have revealed settlements in the area dating from the Early Neolithic, possibly Mesolithic periods. Occupation seems to have continued through the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Roman occupation. The area was first mentioned (as 'Tuican hom' and 'Tuiccanham') in a charter of 13 June 704 AD to cede the area to Waldhere, Bishop of London, 'for the salvation of our souls'. The charter is signed with 12 crosses. The signatories included Swaefred of Essex, Cenred of Mercia and Earl Paeogthath.
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəniː dʒʌrməˈnɑːtə/ STE-fə-nee jurr-mə-NAH-tə; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution.
Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with The Fame Monster (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro". The album's success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album Born This Way (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory". Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism.