Scooby Doo is an American animated cartoontelevision series for children by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, about four young people - brave FredJones, glamorous DaphneBlake, brainy Velma Dinkley and cowardly Norville Rogers, better known as 'Shaggy' - and their cowardly pet great dane - Scoobert (known as Scooby) Doo - who each show solve a supernatural crime, which they call a mystery. The original 1960's and 1970's cartoon series spawned sequels and feature-length films as well as a live action film. The original stories were written by Ken Spears and Joe Ruby and first aired in 1969 on the CBStelevision network in the USA. Research Scooby Doo
Daphne is a genus of plants of the natural order Thymelaceae. They are shrubs, inhabiting the greater part of the northern hemisphere, but chiefly the south of Europe and the warmer parts of Asia. The best known is the mezereon (Daphne Mezereum), with pale-green leaves and very fragrant flowers. Daphne Laureola (the spurgelaurel) is a low shrub with few branches and smooth erect stems which are bare of leaves except at the summit. The leaves are smooth, shining and evergreen. The flowers are green, and fragrant in damp weather. The berries are black, egg-shaped and poisonous. Research Daphne
The Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne) is a rare species of brush-footed butterfly (Nymphalidae) found in warm, dry, grassy locations where the caterpillars live on violets and brambles. Research Marbled Fritillary
Mezereon (Daphne mezereum) or spurge olive is a small deciduous shrub of the family Thymelaeaceae, with erect greyish twigs and bearing racemes of fragrant purple flowers in the axils of the previous years fallen leaves. The leaves are pale-green, lanceolate to rectangular and appear after flowering. The fruit is a highly poisonous, bright red drupe. Research Mezereon
Daphne Du Maurier was an English novelist. She was born in 1907 and died in 1989. Several of her books have been made into successful films, including ' Rebecca' and 'Jamaica Inn'. Research Daphne Du Maurier
George Friderick Handel (properly Haendel) was a German composer. He was born in 1685 at Halle and died in 1759.
The strong passion which he showed early in life for the art of music overcame his father's opposition to training him as a musician, and at the age of seven he was placed under the tuition of Zachau, organist of HalleCathedral, and was soon so far advanced in the practical part of the science as to be able to officiate occasionally as deputy to his instructor.
In 1696 he was sent to Berlin, where he heard the music of Bononcini and Ariosti, then at the head of the BerlinOpera House. He returned to Halle, was appointed organist of the cathedral in 1702, but soon left to visit Hanover and Hamburg, where Steffani and Reinhard Keiser, the latter the greatest German operatic composer of his day, resided. At Hamburg he played second violin in the orchestra, and in 1794 brought out his first work, an oratorio on the Passion, and his first opera, Almira, followed in February by his Nero, and subsequently by his Florinda and Daphne.
He visited England twice, and ultimately, having received a pension from Queen Anne, settled down there. For some years his popularity was very great. He
was placed at the head of the newly-founded Royal Academy of Music, and accumulated a large fortune in spite of the heavy losses which he incurred by setting up an opera company in 1735 in opposition to that supported by the leading nobility and the principal Italian singers.
Amongst the operas which he had composed up to this date are: Radamisto, Ottone, Giulio Cesare, Flavio, Tamerlano, Scipio, Ricardo I, Orlando, Ariadne, etc. His last opera was performed in 1740. By this time he had begun to devote himself chiefly to music of a serious nature, especially the oratorio. The approval which his first works of this kind (Esther, 1731; Deborah, 1732; Athalia, 1733) had met with encouraged him to new efforts; and he produced in succession Israel in Egypt, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, Saul, and The Messiah. The last-mentioned, which is his chief work, was brought out in 1741, for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital. It was not much appreciated at the first representation, but increased in reputation every year.
In 1742 the Samson appeared, in 1746 the Judas Maccabseus, in 1748 the Solomon, and in 1752 the Jephthah. In 1752 he became blind, but did not lose his spirits, continuing to perform in public and even to compose.
After his death he was buried in Westminster Abbey. Handel was of large and ungainly person. His manners were rough and his temper violent, but his disposition was humane and liberal. As a musician his characteristics are boldness and strength of style and combination of vigour, spirit, and invention in his instrumental compositions. Research George Frederick Handel
He declined Mazarin's invitation to France in 1644; and though for a short time neglected after the death of his patron Urban VIII, he speedily regained his position under Innocent X and Alexander VII.
In 1665 he accepted the king's invitation to Paris, travelling thither in princely state and with a numerous retinue. After his return to Home he was charged with the decoration of the bridge of St. Angelo, the tomb of Alexander VIL.
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