The Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names The Notorious B.I.G, Biggie, or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper. Murdered at age 24, Wallace is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.

Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When he released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast hip hop was dominant in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc album Life After Death, released 16 days later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000, one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification. Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Two more albums have been released since his death. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.

Iža

Iža (Hungarian: Izsa, Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈiʒɒ]) is a village in south-western Slovakia.

Geography

The village lies at an altitude of 111 metres and covers an area of 28.073 km². It is situated in the Komárno District of Slovakia's Nitra Region, very close to the town of Komárno.

History

The biggest Roman castellum in present-day Slovakia was located in Celemantia, an ancient settlement discovered on the territory of Iža. Celemantia was already mentioned by Claudius Ptolemaios in the 2nd century CE and it was abandoned in around 400 CE. The modern village of Iža was first mentioned in 1268.

Kelemantia was probably a bridgehead for the larger fortress of Brigetio, across the river near Komárom. But it was still fairly big, at 172 metres square. The excavated and partly reconstructed fort, which is accessible via a rough lane from Iža, was the second to be built on the site. It contained barracks, stable blocks and a bathhouse and was surrounded by a stone wall two metres thick and up to five metres high. Parts of these structures are now visible and described by information boards in four languages, including English.

Iłża

Iłża [ˈiu̯ʐa] is a small town in Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around 51°10′0″N 21°15′0″E / 51.16667°N 21.25000°E / 51.16667; 21.25000. In 2004 Iłża had 5,178 inhabitants. The town belongs to Lesser Poland, and from its foundation until 1795, it was part of Lesser Poland’s Sandomierz Voivodeship. Iłża lies in Malopolska Upland, on the Iłżanka river, 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Radom. The town is located along National Road Nr. 9, which is part of European route E371. It also is northern terminus of the Starachowice Narrow Gauge Line (Starachowicka Kolej Wąskotorowa), a 20-kilometre (12 miles) line built in the early 1950s, which now is open for tourists in the summer.

The history of the town dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was a Western Slavic gord. Since the 12th century, until 1789, Iłża belonged to the Bishops of Kraków. The settlement was twice destroyed by the Mongols (1241, 1260, see Mongol invasion of Poland), and probably in 1294 (or before that date) it received Magdeburg rights town charter. In 1340, a stone castle was built here by Bishop Jan Grot, which was expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries. At that time, Iłża emerged as the center of properties of Bishops of Kraków in northern Lesser Poland. In the 16th century, Iłża became famous for its potters and other artisans. The town prospered, together with whole Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was conveniently located on a merchant route from the heartland of Poland to the Vistula ports at Solec nad Wisłą, Zawichost, and Sandomierz. In 1576, a town hall was built at the main market square, Iłża had a defensive wall, and several Polish kings visited the castle. The decline of Iłża was brought by the Deluge (1655–1660), when Swedish and Transilvanian armies completely destroyed the town and the castle.

Iňa

Iňa (Hungarian: Ény) is a village and municipality in the Levice District in the Nitra Region of Slovakia.

History

In historical records the village was first mentioned in extant historical literature in the year 1156 AD.

Geography

The village lies at an altitude of 180 metres and covers an area of 5.68 km². It has a population of about 210 people.

Ethnicity

The village is approximately 90% Slovak and 10% Magyar.

Facilities

The village has a public library.

Genealogical resources

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Nitra, Slovakia"

See also

External links

Coordinates: 48°10′N 18°25′E / 48.167°N 18.417°E / 48.167; 18.417