Ice hockey in the United Kingdom

Ice hockey has been played in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the twentieth century, and it was a game between Englishmen that is generally accepted to have started the modern-era of the sport. The Great Britain men's national ice hockey team enjoyed world wide success through the 1920s and 1930s, achieving bronze at the 1924 Olympics, and gold twelve years later. They also won medals at the World Championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938, though never won the tournament. The national team has struggled since the Second World War, and has not finished better than twelfth in the World Championships since 1962. Ice hockey is played professionally in the United Kingdom in the Elite Ice Hockey League, a ten-team league which was founded in 2003.

Great Britain won gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics, but have generally struggled since the Second World War

History

Ice hockey was first played in Canada during the early nineteenth century, based on similar sports such as field hockey that were played in Europe.^[1] The sport was originally played with a stick and ball, but in 1860 a group of English veterans from the Royal Canadian Rifle Regiment played a game in Kingston, Ontario, utilising a puck for what is believed to be the first time.^[2] This match, played on the frozen harbour by the city, is sometimes considered to be the birth of modern ice hockey.^[2] The game developed quickly in Canada, and in the late nineteenth century, Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby purchased a decorative punch bowl from a London silversmith to award to the leading amateur side in the country: this became known as the Stanley Cup.^[3]

In the United Kingdom, a five team league was in operation in England in 1903;^[2] the first in Europe.^[4] The league was contested at two rinks in London: the Prince's Skating Club in Knightsbridge andHengler's Ice Rink in the City of Westminster. It was won by the London Canadians.^[4] The first game to be played in Scotland occurred five years later in Crossmyloof, Glasgow. The same year saw the creation of the International Ice Hockey Federation, of which Great Britain was a founding member. The British Ice Hockey Association was set up in 1914, and continued until 1999, when it was replaced by Ice Hockey UK.^[2]

Ice Hockey Rink Zones	Ice Hockey Rink	Ice Hockey Puck	Ice Hockey Stick
Ice Hockey Net	Ice Hockey Skater	Ice Hockey Goaltender	Ice Hockey Faceoff

The world's greatest and most exciting game is easy to follow once you know a few basic rules and practices. Here is a brief guide to the essential ice hockey rules.

The Playing Surface

 

• The ice sheet is commonly known as the rink.

• The rink is divided into zones by a red line at center ice and twoblue lines.
• A standard North American rink measures 200 feet by 85 feet.
• European ice surfaces are slightly larger.
• The ice is enclosed by boards and Plexiglas.

Rink "Zones" 

• The ice surface is divided into three zones.
• The area where the goal net is located is the "defending zone" for the team defending that net.
• The middle of the rink, between two blue lines, is the "neutral zone."
• The area where the opposing net is located is the "attacking zone" or "offensive zone."

The Puck
see picture

• The puck is made of black, vulcanized rubber.
• A standard puck measures one inch thick and three inches in diameter, and weighs between 5.5 and 6 ounces.
• The puck can be moved with the hockey stick or the feet, but picking it up with the hands is illegal.

The Hockey Stick

• A stick held by each player and used to retrieve, control, carry, pass and shoot the puck.
• Goals are scored by using the stick to shoot the puck into the opponent's net.
• A shot that inadvertently deflects into the net off another player's body is allowed to stand as a goal.

The Net

• A   cage measuring four feet tall and six feet wide, strung with nylon mesh in the back.
• There are two nets at opposite ends of the ice, guarded by the goaltenders.

Object of the Game

• The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposition.

The Teams

• Each team has six players on the ice, one goaltender (see picture) and five "skaters" (see picture).

• The five http://proicehockey.about.com/od/hockeyglossarydg/g/defenseman.htmskaters have assigned positions: three forwards and two defensemen.
• Regardless of assigned positions, all players except the goaltender can go anywhere on the ice.
• The goaltender cannot cross the center ice red line that divides the rink in half.

Substitutions

• Substitutions are unlimited and can be made at any time.
• A substitution does not require an official's permission, or a stoppage in play.
• A player can join the game "on the fly" - during the flow of play - as long as the departing player is within five feet of the bench and not involved in the play or with an opponent.

The Faceoff

• The game begins when the referee drops the puck between two opposing forwards.
• During the faceoff all other players are positioned on the defensive side of the puck.
• The faceoff is used to resume play following any stoppage in the game.
• There are nine designated faceoff spots painted on the ice.

The Game Clock

• The game is played in three 20-minute periods.
• The clock is stopped during all stoppages in play.

Body Checking

• A player can use a shoulder, hip or torso to hit or impede an opponent, but only when the opponent is in possession of the puck.
• A body check that targets the head is illegal.
• A body check to an opponent's back is illegal if the opponent is facing the boards.

Minor Penalties
Note that the difference between a legal check and a penalty is open to interpretation, and remains a source of dispute among fans, players, and everyone else involved in the game.

• A player charged with a minor penalty is sent off the ice for two minutes, with no substitution allowed.
• The penalty ends immediately if a goal is scored by the opposing team.

Minor penalties are called for obstructing an opponent. Infractions include:

• Tripping (with the stick or knee)
• Holding (with stick or hands)
• Hooking (with stick)
• Interferance (checking or impeding a player without the puck)

Penalties are called for dangerous use of the stick, including:

• Slashing
• Spearing
• High-sticking (hitting an opponent in the head or face)
• Cross-checking (hitting an opponent with the shaft of the stick)

Penalties are called for dangerous physical fouls, including:

• Elbowing
• Checking from behind
• Kneeing
• Roughing (broadly defined; usually involves a wrestling or shoving match)

Major Penalties

• A player charged with a major penalty is sent of the ice for five minutes.
• The most common major penalty is fighting. If both fighters receive five-minute penalties, substitutions can be made.
• At the referee's discretion, an infraction commonly deemed a minor penalty can be increased to a major. This usually occurs if an opponent has been seriously injured, or if the referee believes there was a deliberate attempt to injure.
• A player charged with a major penalty involving serious injury or attempt to injure is ejected from the game.
• If a penalized player is ejected, a teammate is assigned to serve his major penalty. No substitution is allowed.

Standard Oil Company Broken Up..1911.

Business and Industry, Established - 1863

The Standard Oil Trust was formed in 1863 by John D. Rockefeller. He built up the company through 1868 to become the largest oil refinery firm in the world. In 1870, the company was renamed Standard Oil Company, after which Rockefeller decided to buy up all the other competition and form them into one large company.

The company faced legal issues in 1890 following passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act. That also brought unwanted attention to the company by Ida M. Tarbell, aMcClure's Magazinereporter, who began an investigation. Following publication of her report, the Standard Oil Company was forced to break up into separate state companies — the "Seven Sisters" — each with its own board of directors.

Background

The Standard Oil Trust had quickly become an industrial monster. The trust had established a strong foothold in the U.S. and other countries in the transportation, production, refining, and marketing of petroleum products.

Early on, Rockefeller and partners attempted to make money on the home lighting market, converting whale oil to kerosene. Gasoline had been nearly worthless up to 1911. However, with a growing demand for "juice" needed to power the newly emergent automobile, Standard Oil Trust's moneybags began to bulge.

The Trust broke up in 1911, which led to the skyrocketing of the trust's stock prices. Some historians contend that the breakup of Standard Oil closely resembles the more modern monopoly breakup of AT&T and the Bell telephone system.

Like the telephone industry’s "Baby Bells," many of big oil’s "Baby Standards" kept the old company name as they went into business for themselves. However, if a company separated on its own, it was restricted from using the "Standard" brand. Just as Bell had accomplished later on in its history, the Standards soon rose up to dominate the market, becoming more valuable than the original trust.

Competition and a dynasty breakup

More and more Standard Oil companies were becoming common across the country, without the venerable Standard name — often adopting the names of smaller oil companies they purchased. With national attention in the form of mass-advertisement underway, other Standards expanded into those same marketing areas. That resulted in various Standard organizations "at war" in an all-out battle for turf and the consumer.

Standard Oil was declared a monopoly following several ugly court battles, which eventually broke up the dynasty. Many company assets had to be divided among the companies. One of those was the nationally recognized "Standard" brand name. The smaller emerging oil companies generally used the popular "Red Crown" and "White Crown" labels —without the displaying the Standard label.

When ethyl alcohol became available as an additive to gasoline, most Standards adopted it. That new form of petroleum contributed to increasing benchmarks of excellence for those newly forming fuel stations. The new ethyl product increasingly helped such Standard companies as Vacuum's Mobiloil, as well as Esso Motor Oil's worldwide distribution.

Forming the TBA and Standard Oil today

In 1930, the former Standards banded together to form the Atlas Corporation, which stormed into the manufacture of Tires, Batteries, and Accessories (TBA). Those products were then distributed to Standard Oil and Standard-related stations of all denominations, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Prior to 1911, Standard Oil's operations outside of the U.S. were controlled by Standard Oil Company of New York (Socony), or Vacuum Oil Company. Actual ownership of Socony's overseas interests rested with Standard Oil of New Jersey for accounting purposes. After the breakup, Vacuum Oil kept its overseas companies. Standard Oil of New Jersey found itself having to manage Socony's former properties. Jersey Standard rose to the challenge and is still the primary user of the Standard name outside of the United States.

Today, many other Standard companies that use other names other than Standard include: Esso, Indiana Standard (Amoco, American, Stanolind, Pan-Am), Standard Oil of New York (Socony, Vacuum, Mobil); California Standard (Chevron, Calso, Socal, Caltex); and Ohio Standard (Sohio).

5 of the fastest hundreds in Test Cricket

Vivian Richards of the West Indies holds the record for the fastest Test century. On april 15, 1986, Against England in the Antigua Test, Richards made a 56-ball ton, (110 not out, 58b, 7x7, 7x6), helping his team complete a 5-0 sweep.

Australia's wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (57 balls; against England, Perth, December 16, 2006). He made 102* (59b, 12x4, 3x6) overall. Gilchrist revealed in his autobiography that he was contemplating Test retirement before this game.EmailPrintMost PopularAustralia show India how it's done


Australia's wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (57 balls; against England, Perth, December 16, 2006). He made 102* (59b, 12x4, 3x6) overall. Gilchrist revealed in his autobiography that he was contemplating Test retirement before this game.
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Australia's Jack Gregory made a 67-ball hundred against South Africa in Johannesburg, November 12, 1921. The record would stand till Richards broke it in 1986.
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Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies scored hundred in 69 balls against Australia, April 10 2003 in Georgetown. West Indies were 4-47 when he came out to bat. The innings couldn't prevent a defeat.

Australian opener David Warner equalled Chanderpaul as the fourth-fastest Test centurion. He made his hundred off 69 balls against India on January 13, 2012 in Perth.EmailPrintMost PopularAustralia show India how it's done

Plastic Is Invented..1909

• 1908 - Cellophane ® - Jacques E. Brandenberger
• 1909 - First true plastic Phenol-Formaldehyde tradenamed Bakelite
- Leo Hendrik Baekeland
• 
  
• 1936 - Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate
• 
  
• 1938 - Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE tradenamed Teflon - Roy Plunkett
• 1939 - Nylon and Neoprene
considered a replacement for silk and a synthetic rubber respectively Wallace Hume Carothers
• 
  
• 1953 - Saran Wrap introduced by Dow Chemicals.
• 1954 - Styrofoam a type of foamed polystyrene foam was invented by Ray McIntire for Dow Chemicals
• 
  
• 1970 - Thermoplastic Polyester this includes trademarked Dacron, Mylar, Melinex, Teijin, and Tetoron
• 1978 - Linear Low Density Polyethylene
• 1985 - Liquid Crystal Polymers

Plastic Products

• Plastic Garbage Bags
• SILLY PUTTY
• VELCRO.

• The First Man-Made Plastic - Parkesine

  The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who publicly demonstrated it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. The material called Parkesine was an organic material derived from cellulose that once heated could be molded, and retained its shape when cooled.

  Celluloid

  Celluloid is derived from cellulose and alcoholized camphor. John Wesley Hyatt invented celluloid as a substitute for the ivory in billiard balls in 1868. He first tried using collodion a natural substance, after spilling a bottle of it and discovering that the material dried into a tough and flexible film. However, the material was not strong enough to be used as a billiard ball, until the addition of camphor, a derivative of the laurel tree. The new celluloid could be molded with heat and pressure into a durable shape.

  Besides billiard balls, celluloid became famous as the first flexible photographic film used for still photography and motion pictures. John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid in a strip format for movie film. By 1900, movie film was an exploding market for celluloid.

  Formaldehyde Resins - Bakelite

  After cellulose nitrate, formaldehyde was the next product to advance the technology of plastic. Around 1897, efforts to manufacture white chalkboards led to casein plastics (milk protein mixed with formaldehyde) Galalith and Erinoid are two early tradename examples.

  In 1899, Arthur Smith received British Patent 16,275, for "phenol-formaldehyde resins for use as an ebonite substitute in electrical insulation", the first patent for processing a formaldehyde resin. However, in 1907, Leo Hendrik Baekeland improved phenol-formaldehyde reaction techniques and invented the first fully synthetic resin to become commercially successful, tradenamed Bakelite.

  Bakelite Telephone

  

  Makers of water bottles, including Camelback, now sell products that don't contain BPA, a chemical that can mimic the sex hormone estrogen. But a new study says that even if they don't contain BPA, most plastic products release estrogenic chemicals.

  
  

  

  PlastiPure manufactures water bottles that it says have no estrogenic chemicals.