1.
Evangelicalism
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Its origins are usually traced back to English Methodism, the Moravian Church, and German Lutheran Pietism. While all these phenomena contributed greatly, John Wesley and other early Methodists were at the root of sparking this new movement during the First Great Awakening, today, Evangelicals are found across many Protestant branches, as well as in various denominations not subsumed to a specific branch. Among leaders and major figures of the Evangelical Protestant movement were John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Harold John Ockenga, John Stott and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The movement gained momentum during the 18th and 19th centuries with the Great Awakenings in the United Kingdom. The Americas, Africa, and Asia are home to the majority of Evangelicals, United States has the largest concentration of Evangelicals in the world, its community forms a quarter of the population, is politically important and based mostly in the Bible Belt. In the United Kingdom, Evangelicals are mostly represented in the Methodist Church, Baptist communities, Evangelicalism, a major part of popular Protestantism, is among the most dynamic religious movements in the contemporary world, alongside resurgent Islam. While on the rise globally, the world is particularly influenced by its spread. The first published use of evangelical in English came in 1531 when William Tyndale wrote He exhorteth them to proceed constantly in the evangelical truth. One year later Sir Thomas More produced the earliest recorded use in reference to a theological distinction when he spoke of Tyndale his evangelical brother Barns, during the Reformation, Protestant theologians embraced the label as referring to gospel truth. Martin Luther referred to the evangelische Kirche to distinguish Protestants from Catholics in the Roman Catholic Church, into the 21st century, evangelical has continued in use as a synonym for Protestant in continental Europe, and elsewhere. This usage is reflected in the names of Protestant denominations such as the Evangelical Church in Germany, the term may also occur outside any religious context to characterize a generic missionary, reforming, or redeeming impulse or purpose. For example, the Times Literary Supplement refers to the rise, one influential definition of Evangelicalism has been proposed by historian David Bebbington. Conversionism, or belief in the necessity of being again, has been a constant theme of Evangelicalism since its beginnings. To Evangelicals, the message of the gospel is justification by faith in Christ and repentance, or turning away. Conversion differentiates the Christian from the non-Christian, and the change in life it leads to is marked by both a rejection of sin and a corresponding personal holiness of life. A conversion experience can be emotional, including grief and sorrow for sin followed by great relief at receiving forgiveness, the stress on conversion is further differentiated from other forms of Protestantism by the belief that an assurance of salvation will accompany conversion. Among Evangelicals, individuals have testified to both sudden and gradual conversions, biblicism is reverence for the Bible and a high regard for biblical authority. All Evangelicals believe in inspiration, though they disagree over how this inspiration should be defined
2.
Grapevine, Texas
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Grapevine is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County and has areas that extend into Dallas and Denton counties. Highways SH26, SH121, SH360, SH114, Spur 97, with its central location in the Metroplex, being approximately 22 to 24 miles from the downtowns of both Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine is a suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. In recent years several wineries have opened in Grapevine, and the city has very active in maintaining its historic downtown corridor. The city is adjacent to Grapevine Lake, a reservoir impounded by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1952. Part of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located within Grapevine city limits, in 2007 CNNMoney. com rated Grapevine as one of Americas Best Places to Live. In October 1843, General Sam Houston and fellow Republic of Texas Commissioners camped at Tah-Wah-Karro Creek, also known as Grape Vine Springs and this meeting culminated in the signing of a treaty of peace, friendship, and commerce, which opened the area for homesteaders. The first recorded settlement in what would become the modern city occurred in the late 1840s. The settlement made continued gains early in the 20th century, and on January 12,1914, the post office altered the towns name to one word, Grapevine. On Easter Sunday, April 1,1934, Henry Methvin, murphy, during an altercation near Grapevine. A historical marker remains at the intersection of Dove Road and State Highway 114, the population of Grapevine fell during the interwar period as the economy stagnated, though the city was officially incorporated in 1936. Cotton was the crop for Grapevine until the early 20th century when it was overtaken by cantaloupe farms which accounted for as many as 25,000 acres. For several decades until the early 1970s, the Rotary Club sign outside of town boasted Grapevine as Cantaloupe Capital of the World, the economic benefits of the airports construction continue to encourage new levels of development in Grapevine to this day. Grapevine is located at 32°56′6″N 97°5′9″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.9 square miles, of which 32.3 sq mi is land and 3.6 sq mi is water. Here is the list of surrounding cities, they can also be seen from here, as of the census of 2010, there were 46,334 people,18,223 households, and 12,332 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,451 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 81. 1% White,3. 3% African American,0. 7% Native American,4. 5% Asian,0. 2% Pacific Islander,8. 0% from other races, and 2. 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18. 0% of the population,27. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the family size was 3.06
3.
Southern Baptist Convention
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The Southern Baptist Convention is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the worlds largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States and this also makes it the second-largest Christian body in the United States, after the Catholic Church. Members at a convention held in Augusta, Georgia, created the SBC in 1845. After the American Civil War, another split occurred when most freedmen set up independent congregations, others joined new African-American denominations, chiefly the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Since the 1940s, the SBC has moved away from some of its regional and historical identification, especially since the late twentieth century, the SBC has sought new members among minority groups and become much more diverse. In addition, while still heavily concentrated in the Southern US and it should be noted that some State convention comprise more than one State - for example the New England Baptist Convention is comprise of the six New England states. North and South Dakota comprise the Dakota Baptist Convention, in addition - Northern New Jersey is part of the Baptist Convention of New York and Southern New Jersey is part of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania. At its annual convention in 2012, the SBC elected as president Fred Luter Jr. the first African American to hold the position, an SBC presidential term is for one year, with a term limit of two terms. Each president is elected by Messengers sent by local church at the SBC annual meeting. Since Luter ran unopposed, per the by-laws of the convention, because of the historic nature of the vote, the assembly was asked to rise in support of the vote, which the messengers did enthusiastically. Luter was re-elected president for a term at the 2013 meeting. The current president in 2016 is Steve Gaines, Southern Baptists emphasize the significance of the individual conversion experience which is affirmed by the person having complete immersion in water for a believers baptism. As a result, they reject the practice of infant baptism, SBC churches are evangelical in doctrine and practice. Specific beliefs based on biblical interpretation can vary due to their congregational polity which allows autonomy to each individual local church. Most early Baptists in the British colonies came from England in the 17th century, the oldest Baptist church in the South, First Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina, was organized in 1682 under the leadership of William Screven. A Baptist church was formed in Virginia in 1715 through the preaching of Robert Norden, the Baptists operated independently of the state-established Anglican churches in the South, at a time when non-Anglicans were prohibited from holding political office. By 1740, there were about eight Baptist churches in the colonies of Virginia, North Carolina, as a result, black congregations and churches were founded in Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia before the American Revolution. Some black congregations kept their independence even after whites tried to exercise more authority after the Nat Turner slave rebellion of 1831
4.
Willow Creek Community Church
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Willow Creek Community Church is an American non-denominational and multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12,1975, by Bill Hybels, the church has three weekend services averaging 26,000 attendees, making it one of the largest churches in the United States. On October 12,1975, the church met for the first time, renting Willow Creek Theater in Palatine, gilbert Bilezikian was Hybels theological mentor at this time. In 1977, the church purchased 90 acres in South Barrington to build its own building, the first service was held in the new building in February 1981. Since then, the building has been doubled in size and the property expanded to 155 acres, the changes included a new worship center with more than 7,000 seats, which replaces the 4, 500-seat Lakeside Auditorium. There are now designed to serve a variety of needs for different age. The slogan for Willow Creek and their congregations is One Church. The regional congregations each have their own team, student ministries, childrens program. The main message is videocast from the South Barrington campus for the weekly services, currently, the Crystal Lake campus is the only campus to worship out of a permanent facility. However, by 2017 the North Shore, South Lake, aside from the suburban congregations, beginning October 1,2006, the church has held one Sunday service before matinee performances at the Auditorium Theatre just south of the Chicago Loop. The church will use its downtown presence to develop its ministries for the homeless. In 1992, the Willow Creek Association was created as a way to link together churches for the purpose of “Reaching increasing numbers of lost people, the WCA develops training and leadership conferences and resources for its member churches. The Willow Creek Association is often confused with Willow Creek Community Church, however, it is a distinctly separate organization which has close affiliations with Willow Creek Community Church. There are more than 13,000 member churches, which come from 90 denominations, select Service Providers are ministries and organizations that provide products and services to member churches for a discounted price. Since 1995, Willow Creek Association has held a leadership summit. The 2005 leadership summit had over 53,000 attendees in over 100 locations across North America, the 2006 Leadership Summit featured Bill Hybels interviewing U2 frontman Bono. The 2007 Leadership Summit served 80,000 leaders in over 130 cities, Willow Creeks Worship Center seats 7,095 people, making it over twice as large as the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and one of the largest auditoriums in the United States. It was the first church in the world to use of two Mitsubishi Diamond Vision high-definition LED screens 14 feet ×24 feet in size, usually seen in new sports stadiums
5.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area in the U. S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartered near the airport,2016 was another record year for DFW, as the airport served 65,670,697 passengers. It is the third busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements and it is the busiest airport in the State of Texas by both passenger enplanements and by aircraft movements. It is the tenth busiest international gateway in the United States, with nearly 900 daily flights, American Airlines at DFW is the second largest airline hub in the world and the United States, only behind Deltas Atlanta hub. DFW Airport is larger than the island of Manhattan and is the second largest in acreage (18,076.297 among US airports, after Denver. It has its own post office ZIP code and United States Postal Service city designation, as well as its own police, fire protection, airports Council International named DFW Airport the best large airport in North America for passenger satisfaction. DFW Airport earned top marks among airports with more than 40 million passengers, beating out the likes of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as of March 2017, DFW Airport has service to 217 destinations, including 56 international and 161 domestic destinations within the U. S. As early as 1927, before the area had an airport, Fort Worth declined the offer and thus each city opened its own airport, Love Field and Meacham Field, each of which had scheduled airline service. In 1940 the Civil Aeronautics Administration earmarked $1.9 million for the construction of a Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport, after World War II, Fort Worth annexed the site and developed it into Amon Carter Field with the help of American Airlines. In 1953 Fort Worth transferred its flights from Meacham Field to the new airport. By the mid-1960s Fort Worth was getting 1% of Texas air traffic while Dallas was getting 49%, the joint airport proposal was revisited in 1961 after the Federal Aviation Administration refused to invest more money in separate Dallas and Fort Worth airports. Although the Fort Worth airport was abandoned, Dallas Love Field became congested and had no more room to expand. The land was purchased by the cities in 1966 and construction began in 1969, the North Texas Commission formed the North Texas Airport Commission to oversee the planning and construction of the giant airport. Area voters unanimously approved the referendum and the new North Texas Regional Airport would become a reality. Under the original 1967 airport design, DFW was to have pier-shaped terminals perpendicular to a central highway, the plan proposed thirteen such terminals, but only four were built initially. The attendees at the dedication included former Texas Governor John Connally, Transportation Secretary Claude Brinegar. Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, the airport opened for commercial service as Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport on January 13,1974, at a cost of $700 million. The name change to Dallas/Fort Worth International did not occur until 1985, when it opened, DFW had four terminals, numbered 2W, 2E, 3E and 4E
6.
Plano, Texas
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Plano is a city in the U. S. state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County, but with a small portion that extends into Denton County, twenty miles northeast of downtown Dallas. The city of Plano is a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the citys population was 269,776 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Texas and the 70th most populous in the United States. Penney, Pizza Hut, Rent-A-Center, Traxxas, Siemens PLM Software, european settlers came to the area near present-day Plano in the early 1840s. Facilities such as a sawmill, a gristmill, and a store soon brought more people to the area, a mail service was established, and after rejecting several names for the nascent town, residents suggested the name Plano, as a reference to the local terrain. The name was accepted by the post office, in 1872, the completion of the Houston and Central Texas Railway helped the city to grow, and it was incorporated in 1873. By 1874, the population had grown to more than 500, in 1881, a fire raged through the business district, destroying most of the buildings. The town was rebuilt and business again flourished through the 1880s, also in 1881, the city assumed responsibility for what would eventually become Plano Independent School District, ending the days of it being served only by private schools. At first, the population of Plano grew slowly, reaching 1,304 in 1900, by 1970, Plano began to feel some of the boom its neighbors had experienced after World War II. A series of public projects and a change in taxes that removed the farming community from the town helped increase the overall population. In 1970, the population reached 17,872, and by 1980, sewers, schools and street development kept pace with this massive increase, largely because of Planos flat topography, grid layout and planning initiatives. During the 1980s, many large corporations moved their headquarters to the city, including J. C. Penney and Frito-Lay, by 1990, the population reached 128,713, dwarfing the county seat of McKinney. In 1994, the city was recognized as an All-America City, by 2000, the population grew to 222,030, making it one of the largest suburbs of Dallas. Plano is surrounded by other municipalities and therefore cannot expand in area, however, as of July 2012, one large tract of land was being developed. Turnpike Commons at the intersection of Renner Rd and the George Bush Turnpike, the development is expected to feature apartments, medical facilities, restaurants, a Race Trac gas station, and a hotel. There was an epidemic of heroin abuse among young people in the 1990s, the Plano authorities created an anti-drug campaign with the name Operation Rockfest. In 2013, Plano received top-scoring nationally in a livability index according to a created by AreaVibes. com. The chart can be found here Best Places to Live in America, AreaVibes ranked Plano at the top of the list of U. S. cities with populations between 100,000 and 10,000,000. Another chart, Best Places to Live in 2013, also has Plano ranked number 1, follow this link to see the chart Top 10 Best Places to Live
7.
Downtown Dallas
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Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The square miles, population and density figures in the adjacent table represent the data for this traditional definition, however, the strong organic growth of Downtown Dallas since the early 2000s and continuing into the present has now resulted in Downtown Dallas, Inc. In total there are 15 districts that now form the definition of Downtown, Downtown Dallas achieved notoriety on November 22,1963, with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally were shot as their motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in what is now the West End Historic District, part of the former Texas School Book Depository is now the Sixth Floor Museum, with exhibits about Kennedy and the assassination. Nearby is the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial, the building boom of the 1970s and 1980s produced a distinctive contemporary profile for the downtown skyline, influenced by nationally prominent architects. Downtown Dallas has also gained more recent national attention, as it was the location of the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, the area is undergoing a transition as dozens of residential conversions and new high rise condos bring more permanent residents to the downtown area. As of mid-2013, there were approximately 4980 residences available in downtown Dallas and its redeveloped Main Street has recently become more of a place for Dallasites to play after several restaurants, hotels, and residential towers opened their doors along the strip. The city has invested $160 million of funds in downtown Dallas for residential development that attracted $650 million of private investment. Additionally, the $200 million 42-story Museum Tower residential skyscraper in the Downtown Dallas Arts District was completed in 2013, importantly, The Trinity River Corridor is poised to undergo a significant transformation into a giant urban park. The park is expected to include a center, lakes, trails. Funding over the years, however, has been a constant problem, though serious work on the project now appears eminent, with the first two bridges having received significant private backing. Downtown Dallas has undergone a series of important changes that city officials believe will drastically improve the citys core and these changes are located in four downtown areas, Victory Park, the Arts District, the Trinity River, and the Convention center corridor. Also currently under construction in Victory Park is the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science, One of the prominent attractions in the Arts District is the Dallas Museum of Art. Of all the changes in downtown Dallas, the Trinity River corridor is undergoing the most dramatic, dubbed the Trinity River Project by local officials, plans are also in place for improved levies to protect downtown from possible flooding. Separated from Victory Park and the Arts District by the Downtown Central Business District, is the Convention Center corridor, the Omni Dallas Hotel is a new 23-story convention center hotel that opened in 2011. The park is called an urban oasis due to its unique location. AT&T is headquartered at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, AT&T moved to Dallas from San Antonio, mayor of Dallas Tom Leppert said in 2008 that he hoped that AT&T would stay in the central city. Comerica is headquartered in the Comerica Bank Tower, TM Advertising has its headquarters in the same building
8.
Hawkins, Texas
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Hawkins is a city in Wood County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,278 at the 2010 census, a post office was established in Hawkins in 1873. Hawkins is located at 32°35′30″N 95°12′3″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles, of which 2.2 square miles is land and 0. 44% is water. Hawkins is located between Mineola and Big Sandy on U. S. Route 80, most of Hawkins is along FM Road 14 which runs north and south. Quitman and the community of Holly Lake Ranch are located to the north of Hawkins, while Interstate 20. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, according to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hawkins has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated Cfa on climate maps. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,331 people,492 households, the population density was 593.1 people per square mile. There were 558 housing units at a density of 248.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 82. 79% White,16. 08% African American,0. 15% Native American,0. 23% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 98% of the population. 24. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was out with 26. 0% under the age of 18,8. 3% from 18 to 24,23. 1% from 25 to 44,25. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 39 years, for every 100 females there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.2 males, the median income for a household in the city was $32,543, and the median income for a family was $36,985. Males had an income of $31,607 versus $19,800 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,833, about 12. 3% of families and 17. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19. 8% of those under age 18 and 32. 3% of those age 65 or over. Hawkins is served by the Hawkins Independent School District, jarvis Christian College is located in unincorporated Wood County, Texas, east of Hawkins. Conservative monitors Mel and Norma Gabler launched their critique of public school textbooks from their table in Hawkins in 1961 before moving to Longview
9.
Southlake, Texas
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Southlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County in the U. S. state of Texas that is suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575, Southlake is known for public schools, Southlake Town Square, its wealth, Gateway Church and Carroll High Schools 8-time state champion Football and Mens Swim & Dive team. The Southlake area was settled by pioneers in the 1840s, but was not incorporated as Southlake until 1956, before incorporation, the settlements of Whites Chapel, Dove, Union Church and Jellico made up present day Southlake. The area remained rural until the completion of the DFW International Airport in the 1970s, due to the close proximity to the airport, Southlake became a boom-burb throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. As of 2012, Southlakes population is almost at full capacity, the expected build-out population is projected around 34,000 residents. In March 2016, Southlake was ranked no.5 on a list called The $100K Club, High earners in Southlake are the majority of residents,71. 2% of households make over $100,000 a year. In 2015, MSN. com ranked Southlake at no.6 among 10 Richest Towns in America list, in May 2014, in an article in the Times magazine, Southlake was rated among the top 10 wealthiest zip codes in the country. The Southlake Zipcode,76092 was ranked at No.9 with 58. 7% of households making more than $150,000. In 2009, Southlakes zip code,76092, was ranked as the richest zip code in the United States with a population between 10, 000–25,000 people. The average home in Southlake costs around $784,522 and has 4 bedrooms,4 bathrooms, in December 2008, Forbes. com named Southlake the most affluent neighborhood in the United States based on average median household income estimates. The mean household income for the city of Southlake is $216,393, sabre Holdings, an S&P500 company, is headquartered in Southlake in the Solana business park. Industrial businesses include gasoline storage and distribution and concrete works on the east side of town off Highway 114 near DFW Airport, Southlake is well known for its Southlake Town Square project, a shopping center located on State Highway 114 and Southlake Boulevard. A plan was approved in March 2005 that allowed the Town Squares area to be doubled, the new additions to Town Square were completed in the summer of 2006, making it one of the most popular shopping centers in the Metroplex. According to Southlake’s 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are, Southlake is located at 32°56′48″N 97°8′43″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 22.5 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 21,519 people,6,414 households, the population density was 983.0 people per square mile. There were 6,614 housing units at a density of 302.1 per square mile. Hispanic or Latino of any ethnic group were 3. 67% of the population,5. 4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older
10.
American Airlines Center
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The American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas. The venue serves as the home to the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association, the arena is also used for concerts and other live entertainment. It opened in 2001 at a cost of $420 million, by 1998, the Dallas Mavericks, then owned by H. Ross Perot, Jr. and the Dallas Stars were indicating their desire for a new facility to replace the dated Reunion Arena. The new arena was to be built just north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway near Interstate 35E on the site of an old power plant, on March 18,1999, American Airlines announced that it would be acquiring the naming rights for the arena for US$195 million. American Airlines is headquartered in Fort Worth and is based at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the first event occurred the next day with an Eagles concert. On the next night, the hosted the last show of Michael Flatleys Feet of Flames tour. The first sporting event took place on August 19,2001, principal design work was carried out by David M. Schwarz Architectural Services of Washington D. C. American Airlines Center was designed to be the heart of a new urban, the facility itself features a conservative, traditional design with sweeping brick façades and smooth arches, and has been graced with a number of awards. The interior includes retractable seating, public art and a state-of-the-art technological arena, because of the Quonset hut-like appearance of its roof and the fact that American Airlines holds the naming rights some fans have come to refer to it as The Hangar. On the south side of the arena AT&T Plaza serves as the entrance into the facility. The plaza provides a space with fountains flanked by retail. With several high-definition video displays from Daktronics mounted on the side of the arena and office buildings, after the Dallas Desperados played their first season in the AAC, they moved to nearby Reunion Arena and played there for their second season. For their third season, they moved back to the AAC, the AAC hosted the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in 2003,2004 &2006. The PBR hosted a Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event at the AAC, annually, between 2005 &2009. American Airlines Center, as well as American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, hosted the 2006 NBA Finals and this was both teams first appearance in the Finals. Because American Airlines held the rights to both venues in the final, the series was nicknamed by some as the American Airlines series, hosted the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game on January 24,2007. Co-hosted the 2011 NBA Finals with American Airlines Arena in Miami and it was both teams second appearance in the Finals, and this time the Mavericks won in 6 games. On Saturday June 18,2011, it played host to Strikeforce, UFC103 was held at the Center on September 19,2009
11.
National Hockey League
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Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the playoff champion at the end of each season. At its inception, the NHL had four teams—all in Canada, the league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the Boston Bruins joined, and has since consisted of American and Canadian teams. After a labour-management dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, in 2009, the NHL enjoyed record highs in terms of sponsorships, attendance, and television audiences. The league draws many highly skilled players from all over the world, canadians have historically constituted the majority of the players in the league, with an increasing percentage of American and European players in recent seasons. The National Hockey League was established in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association, founded in 1909, the NHA began play one year later with seven teams in Ontario and Quebec, and was one of the first major leagues in professional ice hockey. Realizing the NHA constitution left them unable to force Livingstone out, the four teams voted instead to suspend the NHA, frank Calder was chosen as its first president, serving until his death in 1943. The Bulldogs were unable to play, and the remaining owners created a new team in Toronto, the first games were played on December 19,1917. The Montreal Arena burned down in January 1918, causing the Wanderers to cease operations, the NHL replaced the NHA as one of the leagues that competed for the Stanley Cup, which was an interleague competition back then. Toronto won the first NHL title, and then defeated the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association for the 1918 Stanley Cup. The Canadiens won the title in 1919, however their Stanley Cup Final against the PCHAs Seattle Metropolitans was abandoned as a result of the Spanish Flu epidemic. Montreal in 1924 won their first Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL, the Hamilton Tigers, won the regular season title in 1924–25 but refused to play in the championship series unless they were given a C$200 bonus. The league refused and declared the Canadiens the league champion after defeated the Toronto St. Patricks in the semi-final. Montreal was then defeated by the Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League for the 1925 Stanley Cup and it was the last time a non-NHL team won the trophy, as the Stanley Cup became the de facto NHL championship in 1926 after the WCHL ceased operation. The National Hockey League embarked on rapid expansion in the 1920s, adding the Montreal Maroons, the Bruins were the first American team in the league. The New York Americans began play in 1925 after purchasing the assets of the Hamilton Tigers, the New York Rangers were added in 1926. The Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars were also added after the league purchased the assets of the defunct WCHL, a group purchased the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 and immediately renamed them the Maple Leafs. The first NHL All-Star Game was held in 1934 to benefit Ace Bailey, the second was held in 1937 in support of Howie Morenzs family when he died of a coronary embolism after breaking his leg during a game
12.
Christmas
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In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family. Although the month and date of Jesus birth are unknown, by the fourth century the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar and this is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December 25. Although it is not known why December 25 became a date of celebration, December 25 was the date the Romans marked as the winter solstice, the shortest, and therefore darkest day of the year. Jesus was identified with the Sun based on an Old Testament verse, the date is exactly nine months following Annunciation, when the conception of Jesus is celebrated. Finally, the Romans had a series of pagan festivals near the end of the year, so Christmas may have been scheduled at this time to appropriate, or compete with, one or more of these festivals. The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, the economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world. Christmas is a form of Christs mass. It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse, which is from Old English Crīstesmæsse, crīst is from Greek Khrīstos, a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ, Messiah, meaning anointed, and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist. The form Christenmas was also used, but is now considered archaic and dialectal, it derives from Middle English Cristenmasse. In addition to Christmas, the holiday has been known by other names throughout its history. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the feast as midwinter, or, more rarely, Nativity, meaning birth, is from Latin nātīvitās. In Old English, Gēola referred to the corresponding to December and January. Noel entered English in the late 14th century and is from the Old French noël or naël, itself ultimately from the Latin nātālis, the canonical gospels of Luke and Matthew both describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem in Judea, to a virgin mother. In the Gospel of Luke account, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census and it says that angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him. In the Matthew account, magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later settles in Nazareth. The Nativity stories of Matthew and Luke are prominent in the gospels, the first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336. Christmas played a role in the Arian controversy of the fourth century, the feast regained prominence after 800, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day
