Sejarah Perang Dunia I

Perang Dunia I (juga dinamakan Perang Dunia Pertama, dan nama dalam bahasa Inggris lainnya: Great War, War of the Nations, dan “War to End All Wars” (Perang untuk Mengakhiri Semua Perang) adalah sebuah konflik dunia yang berlangsung dari tahun 1914 hingga tahun 1918. Perang ini dimulai setelah Pangeran Ferdinand dari Austria dibunuh anggota kelompok teroris Serbia, Gavrilo Principe di daerah Sarajevo

Tidak pernah terjadi sebelumnya konflik sebesar ini, baik dari jumlah tentara yang dikerahkan dan dilibatkan, maupun jumlah korbannya. Senjata kimia digunakan untuk pertama kalinya, pemboman massal warga sipil dari udara dilakukan, dan banyak dari pembunuhan massal berskala besar pertama abad ini berlangsung saat perang ini. Empat dinasti, Habsburg, Romanov, Ottoman dan Hohenzollern, yang mempunyai akar kekuasaan hingga zaman Perang Salib, seluruhnya jatuh setelah perang.
Perang Dunia I menandai berakhirnya monarki absolutisme di Eropa. Ia juga menjadi pemicu Revolusi Rusia, yang akan menginspirasi revolusi lainnya di negara lainnya seperti Tiongkok dan Kuba, dan akan menjadi basis bagi Perang Dingin antara Uni Soviet dan AS. Kekalahan Jerman dalam perang ini dan kegagalan untuk menyelesaikan masalah-masalah yang masih menggantung yang telah menjadi sebab terjadinya Perang Dunia I akan menjadi dasar kebangkitan Nazi, dan menjadi sebab pecahnya Perang Dunia II pada 1939. Ia juga menjadi dasar bagi peperangan bentuk baru yang sangat bergantung kepada teknologi, dan akan melibatkan non-militer dalam perang seperti yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya.
LATAR BELAKANG
1. Pembunuhan Pangeran Austria Franz Ferdinand oleh kelompok teroris Serbia, Gavrilo Principe di Sarajevo, Bosnia. Principe menganggap bahwa latihan perang tentara Austria di Bosnia adalah pelecehan terhadap Serbia. Bosnia sendiri adalah negara sengketa antara Austria dan Serbia.
Kemudian Austria memberi ultimatum Serbia jika Principe tidak diserahkan (ke Austria) dalam waktu satu bulan, maka Austria akan menyerang Serbia
Serbia yang melindungi warga negaranya, tidak mau menyerahkan Principe. Serbia berani menentang Austria karena Rusia berjanji akan membantu Serbia jika Serbia diserang Austria.
Maka pada tanggal 28 Juli 1914 Austria menyerang Serbia.
2. Persaingan merebut daerah sumber bahan baku, penanaman modal, dan daerah pemasaran.
3. Munculnya persekutuan / Blok persaingan politik antar negara-negara Eropa : Triple Alliance : Jerman, Austria, Italia, Triple Entente : Inggris, Perancis, Uni Soviet
Di Eropa abad ke-19, penjajahan tersebar luas. Kekuatan bangsa Eropa seperti Inggris dan Prancis telah membangun kekuasaan penjajahan di keempat penjuru dunia. Jerman, yang telah membangun kesatuan politiknya lebih lama daripada negara-negara lain, bekerja keras untuk menjadi pelopor dalam perlombaan ini.
Pada awal abad ke-20, hubungan yang didasarkan pada kepentingan telah membagi Eropa menjadi dua kutub yang berlawanan. Inggris, Prancis, dan Rusia berada di satu pihak, dan Jerman beserta Kekaisaran Austria-Hungaria yang diperintah oleh keluarga Hapsburg asal Jerman berada di pihak lainnya.
Ketegangan antara kedua kelompok ini semakin hari semakin meningkat, hingga akhirnya suatu pembunuhan pada tahun 1914 menjadi pemicu perang. Pangeran Franz Ferdinand, pewaris tahta Kekaisaran Austria-Hungaria, dibunuh oleh kaum nasionalis Serbia yang berusaha menekan pengaruh kekaisaran tersebut di daerah Balkan.
Dalam kurun waktu yang amat singkat, hasutan setelah peristiwa ini menyeret seluruh benua Eropa ke dalam kancah peperangan. Pertama, Austria-Hungaria menyatakan perang kepada Serbia. Rusia, sekutu abadi bangsa Serbia kemudian menyatakan perang terhadap Austria-Hungaria.
Lalu satu demi satu, Jerman, Inggris, dan Prancis, memasuki peperangan. Sumbu sudah dinyalakan.
Bahkan sebelum perang dimulai, Dewan Jenderal Jerman telah membuat rencana dan memutuskan untuk menguasai Prancis melalui serangan mendadak. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini, orang-orang Jerman memasuki Belgia dan kemudian melintasi perbatasan memasuki Prancis. Menanggapi dengan cepat, pasukan Prancis menghentikan pasukan Jerman di tepi Sungai Marne dan memulai suatu serangan balik.
SITUASI PERANG DI PARIT PERLINDUNGAN


Perang Dunia menjadi terkenal dengan peperangan parit perindungannya, di mana sejumlah besar tentara dibatasi geraknya di parit-parit perlindungan dan hanya bisa bergerak sedikit karena pertahanan yang ketat. Ini terjadi khususnya terhadap Front Barat. Lebih dari 9 juta jiwa meninggal di medan perang, dan hampir sebanyak itu juga jumlah warga sipil yang meninggal akibat kekurangan makanan, kelaparan, pembunuhan massal, dan terlibat secara tak sengaja dalam suatu pertempuran, terjebak diantara peperangan.
Perang parit menjadi strategi utama Perang Dunia Pertama. Selama beberapa tahun berikutnya, bisa dikatakan, para serdadu hidup dalam parit-parit ini. Kehidupan di sana benar-benar sulit. Para prajurit hidup dalam ancaman terus-menerus dibom, dan mereka tak henti-hentinya menghadapi ketakutan dan ketegangan yang luar biasa. Mayat mereka yang telah tewas terpaksa dibiarkan di tempat-tempat ini, dan para serdadu harus tidur di samping mayat-mayat tersebut. Bila turun hujan, parit-parit itupun dibanjiri lumpur yang membatasi gerak mereka.

Lebih dari 20 juta serdadu yang bertempur di Perang Dunia I mengalami keadaan yang mengerikan di dalam parit-parit ini, dan sebagian besar meninggal di sana. Dalam beberapa minggu setelah dimulai oleh serangan Jerman pada tahun 1914, garis barat perang ini sebenarnya terpaku di jalan buntu. Para serdadu yang bersembunyi di parit-parit ini terjebak dalam jarak yang hanya beberapa ratus meter jauhnya satu sama lain. Setiap serangan yang dilancarkan sebagai upaya mengakhiri kebuntuan ini malah menelan korban jiwa yang lebih banyak.
STRATEGI JERMAN


Di awal tahun 1916, Jerman mengembangkan rencana baru untuk mendobrak garis barat. Rencana mereka adalah secara mendadak menyerang kota Verdun, yang dianggap sebagai kebanggaan orang Prancis. Tujuan penyerangan ini bukanlah memenangkan perang, melainkan menimbulkan kerugian yang besar di pihak tentara Prancis sehingga melemahkan perlawanan mereka. Kepala staf Jerman Falkenhayn memperkirakan bahwa setiap satu serdadu Jerman saja dapat membunuh tiga orang serdadu Prancis.
Serangan dimulai pada tanggal 21 Febuari. Para pemimpin Jerman memerintahkan serdadunya untuk “keluar dari parit mereka,” namun tiap serdadu yang melakukannya justru telah tewas atau sekarat dalam sekitar tiga menit. Meskipun penyerangan berlangsung tanpa henti selama berbulan-bulan, Jerman gagal menduduki Verdun.
Secara keseluruhan, kedua pihak kehilangan sekitar satu juta serdadu. Dan dengan pengorbanan itu, garis depan hanya berhasil maju sekitar 12 kilometer. Satu juta orang mati demi selusin kilometer.
BALASAN INGGRIS


Inggris membalas serangan Jerman di Verdun dengan Pertempuran Somme. Pabrik-pabrik di Inggris membuat ratusan ribu selongsong meriam.
Rencana Jendral Douglas Haig mendorong Pasukan Inggris untuk menghujani dengan pengeboman terus-menerus selama seminggu penuh, yang diikuti dengan serangan infanteri. Dia yakin mereka akan maju sejauh 14 kilometer di hari pertama saja dan kemudian menghancurkan semua garis pertahanan Jerman dalam satu minggu.
Serangan dimulai pada tanggal 1 Juni. Pasukan meriam Inggris menggempur pertahanan Jerman selama seminggu tanpa henti. Di akhir minggu tersebut, para perwira Inggris memerintahkan serdadunya memanjat keluar dari parit. Namun, selama pengeboman tersebut para serdadu Jerman berlindung dengan rapat di kedalaman parit persembunyian mereka sehingga tidak terlumpuhkan dan menggagalkan rencana Inggris. Begitu serdadu Inggris bergerak melintasi garis depan, serdadu Jerman muncul menyerang mereka dengan senapan mesinnya. Sejumlah total 20.000 serdadu Inggris tewas dalam beberapa jam pertama perang tersebut. Di dalam kegelapan malam itu, daerah di antara dua garis pertempuran penuh dengan puluhan ribu mayat dan juga serdadu yang terluka, yang mencoba merangkak mundur.
Pertempuran Somme tidak berlangsung dua minggu seperti yang direncanakan Jendral Haig, melainkan lima bulan. Bulan-bulan ini tidak lebih daripada pembantaian. Para jendral bertubi-tubi mengirimkan gelombang demi gelombang serdadu mereka menuju kematian yang telah pasti. Di akhir pertempuran, kedua belah pihak secara keseluruhan telah kehilangan 900.000 prajuritnya. Dan untuk ini, garis depan bergeser hanya 11 kilometer. Para serdadu ini dikorbankan demi 11 kilometer saja.
JUMLAH KORBAN

Ini Enam Tanda Kiamat Menurut Rasulullah SAW

Kaligrafi Nama Nabi Muhammad (ilustrasi)

Hari kiamat pasti terjadi. Hanya saja, kapankah peristiwa itu akan berlangsung? Allah SWT sajalah yang mengetahui. Tak ada satu pun makhluk di alam semesta, termasuk malaikat, yang mampu memprediksikan waktu kiamat. Bahkan, Nabi Muhammad SAW yang menjadi kekasih-Nya pun tidak diberi informasi yang jelas.

Hal tersebut ditegaskan Allah dalam Surat al-A’raf ayat 187. “Mereka menanyakan kepadamu (Muhammad) tentang kiamat, kapankah terjadinya? Katakanlah sesungguhnya pengetahuan tentang kiamat hanya ada pada sisi Tuhanku. Tiada seorang pun yang mengetahui waktu kedatangannya selain Dia.”

Tidak dapat dimungkiri bahwa kita saat ini hidup di akhir zaman. Berbagai peristiwa telah mengisyaratkan bahwa bumi semakin tua. Cuaca semakin tidak menentu dan sulit diprediksi. Berbagai bencana, seperti gempa bumi, gunung meletus, badai, dan banjir kerap terjadi di berbagai penjuru dunia.

Ini ditambah dengan gejala pemanasan global (global warming) yang makin mengkhawatirkan. Dalam kehidupan sosial, berbagai kejadian memilukan juga sering terjadi akhir-akhir ini. Misalnya pembunuhan, pemerkosaan, perang saudara, korupsi, dan berbagai bentuk kebejatan moral lainnya. Hal tersebut melanda di berbagai penjuru dunia. Banyak yang mengatakan berbagai kejadian tersebut merupakan pertanda kiamat sudah dekat.

Dan memang, meskipun kiamat adalah suatu rahasia besar, tapi Allah memberikan sejumlah isyarat atau tanda kepada manusia bahwa saatnya telah dekat. Butuh kepekaan hati untuk bisa membaca tanda-tanda tersebut. Buku karya ulama besar Ibu Katsir ini mengungkap banyak hal tentang kiamat. Antara lain, tentang tanda-tanda kedatangannya.

Dalam sebuah hadis, Rasulullah SAW bersabda, “Segeralah beramal baik sebelum terjadi enam tanda kiamat. Yaitu, matahari terbit dari arah ia terbenam, dajjal, asap tebal, satwa melata bicara (dabbah), petaka (kematian spesifik) perorangan, dan petaka umum (kiamat besar).” (HR Ahmad).

Dalam hadis lainnya Rasulullah menjelaskan,” Ada enam tanda kiamat. Yaitu kematianku, pembebasan Baitul Maqdis, kematian akibat penyakit di dada (wabah binatang), harta benda melimpah sehingga orang memberi 100 dinar masih membuat yang diberi marah, petaka menimpa semua rumah bangsa Arab dan gencatan senjata antara kalian dengan keturunan kuning (bangsa Romawi). Namun, mereka berkhianat dan menyerang kalian melalui delapan puluh panji, yang masingmasing dengan 12 ribu orang.”

Hal lain yang banyak dibicarakan orang terkait dengan kiamat adalah kemunculan Dajjal. Dalam Alquran dan hadis banyak digambarkan tentang Dajjal. Antara lain, dari Abu Hurai rah, Rasulullah bersabda, “Kiamat tidak akan terjadi sehingga muncul 30 kaum Dajjal sang pendusta. Semuanya mengaku sebagai utusan Allah, harta benda melimpah, timbul banyak petaka, dan ke kacauan merebak. Sahabat bertanya, ‘kekacauan seperti apa?’ Beliau menjawab, ‘pembunuhan, pembunuhan, dan pembunuhan’.”

Dr Muhammad Nu’aim Yasin mengatakan, di antara tanda-tanda kiamat besar (kubra) adalah munculnya sosok makhluk yang oleh Rasulullah dinamai Dajjal. Disebut Dajjal karena terlalu banyak menipu dan mendusta, mengaku diri sebagai Tuhan, berupaya terus melepaskan manusia dari agamanya melalui berbagai cara yang luar biasa dan hal-hal yang menakjubkan dengan izin Allah.

Akibatnya, sebagian manusia teperdaya. Namun, Allah akan menyelamatkan orangorang yang beriman sehingga mereka selamat dari tipu daya dan penyesatan Dajjal. Dengan ketentuan Allah, kemudian timbul fitnah atau petaka akibat ulah Dajjal. Lalu, Allah menurunkan Nabi Isa yang akan membunuhnya.

Pembahasan tentang turunnya Nabi Isa juga dibahas panjang lebar dalam buku ini. Juga tentang kemunculan Ya’juj dan Ma’juj, satwa melata keluar dari bumi dan menyapa manusia, matahari terbit dari arah tenggelam, asap tebal yang mengepul di akhir zaman. Selain itu, juga tentang apa yang telah dan belum terjadi terkait tibanya saat kiamat dan gambaran umat akhir zaman.

20 misteri dunia yang belum terpecahkan

1. kerajaan inca  di Amerika Selatan

Kekaisaran Inka perkasa dari Amerika Selatan berkembang antara 1200 dan 1535 Masehi. Mereka mengembangkan sistem drainase dan kanal untuk memperluas tanaman mereka, dan kota-kota dibangun di atas batu pegunungan yang curam – seperti Machu Picchu (di atas) – tanpa pernah inventing the wheel. Meskipun prestasi mereka yang luas, Kekaisaran Inka dengan 40.000 tentara yang diawaki tidak cocok untuk 180 conquistador Spanyol bersenjata dengan senjata canggih dan cacar.

2. Piramida Kuno di Giza, Mesir

Khafre (l.) dan Khufu (r.) adalah dua dari tiga Piramid kuno di Giza, Mesir. Khufu adalah yang terbesar, terdiri dari lebih dari 2 juta batu dengan beberapa 9 ton beratnya. Piramida, dibangun sebagai makam raja-raja yang rumit untuk ilahi, tanggal kembali ke 2550 SM. Egyptologists modern percaya bahwa Piramid yang terbuat dari batu diseret dari tambang dan, meskipun kesaksian Yunani kuno, dibangun terutama oleh pengrajin terampil daripada tenaga budak.

3. Kuil Maya

Menurut Long Count Mesoamerika Kalender, yang dibuat terkenal oleh orang-orang Maya kuno, Desember 2012 menandai berakhirnya siklus baktun saat ini. Ini sedikit informasi telah banyak arkeolog ketakutan. Beberapa percaya bangsa Maya peringatan dari kiamat datang, sementara yang lain bersikeras itu hanya kesalahpahaman matematika.

4. Legenda El Dorado

Legenda El Dorado berasal dari Muisca, yang tinggal di negara modern Kolombia 1000-1538 Masehi. Dalam sebuah upacara ritual untuk dewi mereka, kepala suku akan menutupi dirinya dalam debu emas dan melompat ke danau sebagai persembahan. Hal ini melahirkan legenda kota emas yang hilang, yang dipimpin conquistador Spanyol pada seekor angsa liar mengejar ke mana-mana.

5. Pulau Paskah

Pulau Paskah, juga dikenal sebagai Rapa Nui, yang jauh terletak 2.000 mil di lepas pantai Tahiti. Para pemukim asli dari pulau itu Polinesia yang bermigrasi ke tanah jauh-off antara 400 dan 600 SM. Mereka membangun kuil dan patung banyak, yang disebut Moai, dari batu yang digali di seluruh pulau termasuk situs gunung berapi.Para peneliti masih mempertanyakan persis bagaimana batu-batu besar dipindahkan.

6. Segitiga Bermuda

Segitiga Bermuda – terletak di Atlantik antara Bermuda, Florida dan Puerto Rico – adalah seorang pencuri, mencuri pesawat dan kapal langsung dari keberadaan.Daerah ini mendapat namanya setelah Sersan. Howell Thompson (l.), bersama dengan 27 penerbang Angkatan Laut, menghilang dari tempat iblis selama penerbangan rutin pada tahun 1945. Rumor bertahan pada penjelasan supranatural, tetapi banyak spesialis menyalahkan badai, Stream Teluk berat dan kesalahan manusia.

7. Garis Nazca

Garis nazca mencakup lebih dari 190 mil persegi di padang pasir selatan Peru.Bentuk misterius terukir di lapangan sepak bola tanah mendahului saingan dan Kekaisaran Inca. Angka tersebut ‘Las Manos’ (di atas) adalah 2.000 tahun. Sedikit yang tahu tentang mengapa orang-orang Nazca dibangun potongan besar seperti seni pasir, beberapa percaya mereka ekstraterestrial di alam, sementara yang lain mengklaim bahwa mereka mungkin telah dibawa dan menunjuk ke sumber air.

8. Aliens

Area 51, yang terletak di Groom Lake di bagian selatan Nevada (c.), didirikan pada tahun 1955 oleh Angkatan Udara AS untuk mengembangkan dan menguji pesawat baru – seperti U-2 pesawat Spy, A-12 Blackbird dan F-117 Stealth Fighter . Sifat rahasia dari pangkalan militer, dikombinasikan dengan penelitian pesawat diklasifikasikan, membantu teori konspirasi bayangkan instalasi diisi dengan perjalanan waktu eksperimen, UFO dan otopsi coverups asing.

9. Sphinx of Giza, Mesir

 Mesir yang menakjubkan, Sphinx di Giza memiliki tubuh singa dan kepala Firaun, diyakini oleh sebagian besar adalah bahwa raja Khafre. Hal itu diukir dari batu kapur lembut, dan telah perlahan-lahan jatuh terpisah selama bertahun-tahun. Sebuah teori populer hidung hilang klaim tentara Napoleon menembak dengan sebuah meriam pada tahun 1798, namun sketsa awal menemukan Sphinx tanpa mengamuk hidung mendahului Napoleon.

10. Loch Ness Rakasa

Menurut cerita rakyat Skotlandia, makhluk mistis disebut kuda air umpan anak kecil ke kuburan air dengan menipu mereka untuk naik kembali lengket. Para Rakasa Loch Ness menjadi heran bahasa Inggris pada tahun 1933, setelah laporan saksi menjadi berita utama surat kabar. Tidak ada bukti keras makhluk yang pernah direkam dengan beberapa gambar, termasuk satu di atas, yang terbukti sebagai hoax.

11. The Fountain of Youth

Don Juan Ponce de Leon menyelesaikan klaim Spanyol di Amerika pada 1509, dan segera setelah diangkat menjadi gubernur dari Puerto Rico. Enam tahun kemudian, setelah rumor India, ia melakukan perjalanan ke utara menuju pulau Bimini mencari Fountain of Youth. Bimini ternyata semenanjung Florida, dan air mancur tetap tersembunyi sampai Juli 2006, ketika pesulap terkenal David Copperfield mengklaim perairan pada $ nya 50 juta Exumas Island (c.) memiliki sifat penyembuhan.

12. Chupacabra

Phylis Canion memegang kepala chupacabra di rumahnya di Cuero, Texas. Binatang aneh, pertama kali dilaporkan di Puerto Rico pada tahun 1995, ternyata memiliki rasa  darah ayam dan kambing. Meskipun banyak gambar seperti di atas bisa membuktikan eksistensinya, ahli biologi menjamin tidak ada makhluk seperti itu.

13. The Ark of the Covenant

Tabut Perjanjian adalah dijelaskan dalam Alkitab sebagai sebuah peti mati kayu, berlapis emas, dibuat untuk membawa tablet dari Sepuluh Perintah Allah. Peti mati itu dibawa seluruh gurun dan tetap di Bait Allah Israel sampai perusakan oleh tangan Kekaisaran Babel. Keberadaannya masih belum diketahui, namun Hollywood versi sendiri untuk ‘Raiders dari Ark Hilang

14. The Stonehenge

Pemandangan Stonehenge Salisbury Plain, Inggris, telah menjadi hotspot wisata.Tapi sebelum orang asing dengan jaket dan kamera muncul, daerah tersebut mungkin telah tempat penguburan dan ruang seremonial sejak 5.000 tahun.

15. The Iron Pillar of Delhi

Pilar Besi Delhi adalah pilar, 1.600 tahun 22 kaki tinggi yang terletak di kompleks Quthb di India. Pilar, terbuat dari besi tempa 98%, telah mengejutkan para ilmuwan dengan kemampuannya untuk menahan korosi setelah bertahun-tahun.

16. Stone Spheres in Costa Rica

Ditemukan di awal 1940-an di Kosta Rika selama penggalian oleh Perusahaan Buah Serikat, bola batu sempurna tanggal dari 600 AD untuk abad ke-16. Pembuat dan tujuan mereka masih belum dikonfirmasi, banyak yang percaya mereka ada beberapa patung agama dibuat untuk menyembah matahari.

17. Mothman

Sebuah humanoid dengan sayap serangga dan mata merah, yang dikenal sebagai Mothman, diteror Point Pleasant, W.Va., selama akhir 1960-an. Tidak ada bukti yang solid ada makhluk, kecuali untuk segelintir laporan saksi didokumentasikan dalam paranormal-jurnalis John A Keel ‘Mothman Prophecies’.

18. Jersey Devil

Menurut legenda, 250 tahun yang lalu seorang wanita Jersey dengan nama Mrs Leeds berteriak putus asa selama kehamilan 13 nya, “Biarkan saja Iblis!” Setelah persalinan, bayi itu diturunkan menjadi makhluk kanguru-seperti dengan sayap , dan terbang pergi untuk menyebabkan semua jenis kerusakan Iblis Jersey. Hari ini Iblis Jersey dapat dilihat mendapatkan penggemar kesal selama pertandingan hoki lokal.

19. The Tunguska Explosion of Russia

Ledakan Tunguska di Rusia terjadi sekitar 07:14 pada tanggal 30 Juni 1908. Untuk tanggal ini, penyebab pasti ledakan – yang meratakan 80 juta pohon selama 830 mil persegi – tetap menjadi perdebatan sengit. Paling percaya kepadanya untuk disebabkan oleh fragmen meteorit, yang lain bersikeras baik lubang hitam atau asal UFO.

20. The Lost City of Atlantis

Kota Hilang Atlantis diperkenalkan ke Barat 2.400 tahun yang lalu oleh Plato, yang mengklaim menjadi rumah pulau masyarakat maju. Legenda mengatakan itu adalah tenggelam karena gempa bumi, dengan interpretasi kemudian sebagai sebuah kerajaan bawah air dilindungi oleh putri duyung. Keberadaannya masih misteri, bukti terbaru menunjukkan air itu pernah terpisah dari daratan yang lebih besar di Siprus dari Mediterania (c.), tetapi hanya benar ada Atlantis di Bahama sebagai sebuah kasino besar dan hotel resor.

Read More: http://cybermu-wizard.blogspot.com/2012/12/20-misteri-dunia-yang-belum-terpecahkan.html#ixzz2KZkJs0fC

Tanda-tanda Kematian

Tidak mudah memang memprediksikan secara tepat kapan seseorang akan meninggal. Kematian itu sendiri bisa disebabkan sakit, kecelakaan atau sebab lainnya.

Pada kondisi normal seperti orang sakit biasanya seseorang akan menunjukkan gejala yang mengindikasikan bahwa hidupnya akan segera berakhir beberapa minggu lagi seperti dikutip dari Mayoclinic yaitu:

1. Merasa gelisah. Seseorang akan merasa tidak tenang serta sulit tidur, selain itu dia akan seringkali mengganti posisi saat tidur karena perasaan gelisah.
2. Menarik diri. Seseorang tidak ingin lagi terlibat dalam aktifitas sosial ataupun melakukan kegiatan favoritnya.
3. Sering mengantuk. Seseorang akan menghabiskan lebih banyak waktunya untuk tidur.
4. Kehilangan nafsu makan. Seseorang hanya akan makan dan minum dalam jumlah sedikit dan berbeda dari biasanya.
5. Mengalami jeda saat bernapas. Hal ini biasanya terjadi saat seseorang sedang tidur ataupun terjaga.
6. Luka yang sulit sembuh. Luka atau infeksi yang dialami mengalami kesulitan untuk disembuhkan.
7. Pembengkakan. Pada beberapa orang terjadi pembengkakan di daerah tangan, kaki atau bagian tubuh lain.

Proses sekarat mulai terjadi ketika tubuh tidak bisa mendapatkan asupan oksigen yang diperlukan untuk bisa bertahan hidup. Sel yang berbeda akan memiliki kecepatan kematian yang berbeda pula, sehingga panjangnya proses seseorang sekarat tergantung pada sel-sel yang kekurangan oksigen ini.

Sedangkan otak memerlukan oksigen dalam jumlah yang besar dan hanya memiliki sedikit oksigen cadangan. Sehingga jika asupan oksigen berkurang maka akan mengakibatkan kematian sel dalam waktu 3-7 menit saja.

Beberapa tanda yang ditunjukkan oleh orang yang sekarat adalah lebih banyak tidur, hal ini untuk menghemat energi yang tinggal tersisa sedikit di tubuh. Ketika energi tersebut hilang, maka seseorang akan kehilangan nafsu untuk makan ataupun minum. Proses menelan pun menjadi sulit dan mulut akan sangat kering, sehingga memaksa orang yang sekarat untuk minum akan membuatnya tersedak.

Selain itu orang yang sekarat akan kehilangan kontrol pada kandung kemih dan ususnya, sehingga seringkali terlihat mengompol. Orang akan merasa bingung, gelisah dan tidak tenang karena tidak dapat bernapas dengan teratur. Ketika sel-sel di dalam tubuh mulai kehilangan sambungan, maka akan mengalami kejang otot.

Kematian akan semakin mendekat jika kaki dan tangan terasa dingin dan mulai sedikit membiru akibat terhentinya aliran darah ke daerah tersebut. Tapi lama-kelamaan akan semakin menyebar ke bagian tubuh atas seperti lengan, bibir dan kuku. Selain itu orang menjadi tidak responsif, meskipun matanya terbuka tapi memiliki tatapan mata kosong atau tidak melihat sekelilingnya.

Setelah itu pernapasan akan terhenti sama sekali dan diikuti oleh berhentinya kerja jantung, maka secara klinis orang tersebut sudah mati karena tidak ada sirkulasi dan cadangan oksigen untuk bisa mencapai sel-sel di tubuh. Namun kematian klinis bisa dikembalikan melalui proses CPR (napas bantuan), transfusi atau ventilator. Tapi jika 4-6 menit setelah kematian klinis tidak ada perubahan, maka itu artinya jantung sudah tidak bisa bekerja lagi.

Karena jantung sudah tidak bekerja, maka secara otomatis aliran darah dan oksigen ke seluruh tubuh dan otak juga akan terhenti. Akibat tidak adanya asupan oksigen dan darah ke otak, maka dalam hitungan beberapa detik otak juga akan mati dan disitulah akhir dari perjalanan hidup seorang manusia.

Cara Membuat Contact Us

Dengan adanya halaman Contact Us di blog dapat membuat blog Anda terlihat lebih profesional dan Fitur Contact Us ini merupakan salah satu syarat untuk bisa mendaftar di Google Adsense.
Nah kali ini saya akan memberikan tutorial cara membuat form contact us di Blogger dengan menggunakan pihak ketiga yaitu emailmeform.com.

Langkah membuat Form Contact Us adalah sebagai berikut:
1. Login ke Blogger
2. Buat dua halaman baru di blog anda

- Halaman yang pertama beri judul Contact Us, halaman ini nantinya yang akan disishpkan kode HTML.
- Halaman yang kedua beri judul Contact Confirm atau yang lainnya, kemudian isi dengan: 'Terima kasih telah mengirim e-mail kepada kami' atau dengan kata kata anda sendiri.
3. Buka website EmailMeForm.com
4. Klik tulisan "Signup Now For Free"
5. Lalu isi form dengan dari diri Anda. Yakni : Username, password dan email
6. Centang pernyataan "I aggre to EmailMeForm Term of Service"
7. Kemudian, klik Next
8. Akun Anda sudah jadi, sekarang cek email Anda dan dapatkan email verifikasi akun. Ikuti petunjuk pada email, klik link verifikasinya.
9. Selanjutnya klik Add Form

10. Selanjutnya Anda akan diminta untuk mengkostumisasi template Anda. Di bagian ini, anda dapat memodifikasi sesuka hati tampilan seperti apa yang anda inginkan.
11. Pada bagian Confirmation Options, centang pilihan Redirect URL kemudian isi dengan link halaman kedua yang baru dibuat tadi, Jadi pengunjung akan di alihkan ke halaman ini jika telah mengirim email di contact form Anda.

12. Setelah itu klik Save Form
13. Langkah selanjutnya, copy kode HTML ke halaman pertama yang dibuat tadi lalu terbitkan halaman.

14. Sekarang contact form anda sudah jadi, silahkan di coba.

Read more: http://tanyajawabsemua.blogspot.com/2012/06/cara-membuat-contact-us.html#ixzz2KZaYzjfK

Manfaat Shalat Tahajud 3 Kisah Nyata

Ada sebuah rahasia penting yang ingin saya sampaikan dalam tulisan ini. Sebuah rahasia yang maha dahsyat bila anda rutin melaksanakan sholat sunah Tahajud. Sholat yang dilaksanakan sepertiga malam dengan penuh keheningan, karena di saat itu banyak orang yang tertidur lelap.

Pada saat itulah sebaiknya anda bangun dari tidur. Mengambil air wudhu lalu melaksanakan sholat sunah Tahajud. Boleh anda laksanakan 2 rakaat ditutup dengan witir 1 rakaat. Boleh juga 8 rakaat dan ditutup dengan witir 3 rakaat. Bila anda sanggup, boleh juga sampai 23 rakaat.

Namun, yang paling penting adalah konsistensi dalam pelaksanaannya. Lebih baik melaksanakan sholat tahajud dengan rakaat yang sedikit tapi rutin tiap malam, daripada banyak rakaatnya tapi tidak rutin. Anda perlu konsisten dan memiliki komitmen yang tinggi dalam diri.

Hal terpenting dari sholat malam adalah anda merenungi hidup ini, melakukan instropeksi di hari kemarin dan memohon ampunan kepada Allah dengan seraya beristighfar dengan penuh ke-khusyuk-an. Memohon diberikan kemudahan dalam melaksanakan aktivitas esok hari, dan yang lebih penting berdoa kepada Allah agar dilapangkan rezeki.

Saya menjadi teringat ketika hendak mau menikah di Bandung pada tahun 1998. Pada malam sebelum nikah, saya sempat bingung karena uang untuk transport penghulu dan juga tempat penginapan belum ada di kantong. Saya berdiskusi dengan almarhum ayah untuk mencarikan solusinya. Lalu saya katakan kesulitan saya itu kepada beliau. Ketika kesulitan itu saya sampaikan, ayah saya cuma tersenyum dan menyuruh saya untuk melaksanakan sholat tahajud.

Malamnya, saya sholat tahajud dengan penuh kekhusyukan agar besok dimudahkan dari segala urusan. Saya berserah diri kepada Allah seraya berdoa agar diberikan rezeki karena akan menikah besok lusa. Saya pun berdoa sambil menangis sesunggukan memohon ampun kepada-Nya. Segala ikhtiar sudah ditunaikan, sekarang saatnya saya berdoa kepada Yang Maha Kuasa. Semoga Allah mengabulkan segala permintaan saya yang akan menikah esok lusa.

Besok paginya, setelah sholat subuh berjamaah, ada ketukan pagar dari luar rumah. Begitu saya tengok keluar, ada pak Yono, salah satu pengurus masjid Al Iman datang ke rumah kami.

Setelah pintu pagar dibuka, lalu saya persilahkan beliau masuk ke ruang tamu. Setelah beliau ada di ruang tamu, maka mengobrollah kami sebentar, lalu tiba-tiba saja diberinya saya amplop yang berisi uang. Jumlahnya pas banget dengan yang saya butuhkan. Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, saya mengucap syukur kepada Allah. Ternyata di pagi hari itu, Allah memberikan rezekinya lewat pak Yono dan kawan-kawan pengurus masjid yang tidak bisa ikut hadir dalam pernikahan saya di kota Bandung.

Rahasia sholat tahajud mungkin sudah pernah anda dapatkan. Dia datang berbeda-beda caranya. Ada yang cepat, dan ada yang lambat. Tergantung dari ridho Allah, dan cara kita berdoa. Terkadang kita sering terlupa bahwa doa adalah permohonan dan permintaan hambaNya yang memasrahkan dirinya agar diampuni dosanya, diberikan kemudahan hidup di dunia dan akhirat kelak. Merendahkan diri dihadapan sang penguasa langit dan bumi.

Semoga Allah mengabulkan doa-doa hambaNya yang berserah diri pada saat-saat keheningan sepertiga malam dengan melaksanakan sholat sunah tahajud. Oleh karenanya, jangan lupa pula untuk selalu sadar diri bahwa akan ada hidup sesudah mati. Di dunia ini kita hanyalah seorang pengembara yang singgah sebentar, lalu pergi kembali.

Sudahkah anda rutin melaksanakan sholat tahajud dan menemukan rahasia di dalamnya? Monggo disharing pengalaman pribadi teman2 semua tentang rahasia solat tahajud

rossi

Valentino Rossi

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Valentino Rossi
Rossi at the 2010 Qatar Grand Prix
Nationality	Italian
Born	16 February 1979 (age 33) Tavullia, Italy
Current team	Yamaha
Bike number	46
Website	valentinorossi.com
[hide]Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2000– Manufacturers Honda (2000–2003) Yamaha (2004–2010, 2013–) Ducati (2011–2012) Championships 7 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009) 2012 Championship position 6th (163 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 216 79 141 49 67 3,619 250cc World Championship Active years 1998–1999 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 1 (1999) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 14 21 5 11 510 125cc World Championship Active years 1996–1997 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 1 (1997) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 12 15 5 9 432

Valentino Rossi, (born 16 February 1979 in Urbino),^[1] is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.
Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Valentino started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250cc category with Aprilia and won the 250cc World Championship in 1999. He won the 500cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008 and retaining it in 2009.^[2] He left Yamaha to join Ducati for the 2011 season,^[3][4] but it was confirmed in 2012 that he would rejoin Yamaha for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.^[5]
Rossi is first in all time 500 cc/MotoGP race wins standings, with 79 victories, and second in all time overall wins standings with 105 race wins (behind Giacomo Agostini with 122).

Contents 1 Career 1.1 The early years 1.2 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc World Championships 1.3 MotoGP 1.3.1 Honda (2002–2003) 1.3.2 Yamaha (2004–2010) 1.3.3 Ducati (2011–2012) 1.3.4 Return to Yamaha (2013) 2 Rivalries 3 Nicknames 4 Other motorsport activities 5 Helmets 6 Pre-ride rituals 7 Personal life 7.1 Reputed earnings 7.2 Tax avoidance case 7.3 Other hobbies 8 Career statistics 8.1 By season 8.2 By class 8.3 Races by year 8.4 Records 9 Complete WRC results 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External links

Career

The early years

Valentino Rossi was born in Urbino, and he was still a child when the family moved to Tavullia. Son of Graziano Rossi, a former motorcycle racer, he first began riding at a very young age.^[6] Rossi's first racing love was karting. Fuelled by his mother, Stefania's, concern for her son's safety, Graziano purchased a kart as substitute for the bike. However, the Rossi family trait of perpetually wanting to go faster prompted a redesign; Graziano replaced the 60cc motor with a 100cc national kart motor for his then 5-year-old son.^[7]
Rossi won the regional kart championship in 1990.^[8] After this he took up minimoto and before the end of 1991 had won numerous regional races.^[6]
Rossi continued to race karts and finished fifth at the national kart championships in Parma. Both Valentino and Graziano had started looking at moving into the Italian 100cc series, as well as the corresponding European series, which most likely would have pushed him into the direction of Formula One. However, the high cost of racing karts led to the decision to race minimoto exclusively.^{[citation needed]} Through 1992 and 1993, Valentino continued to learn the ins and outs of minimoto racing.
In 1993, with help from his father, Virginio Ferrari, Claudio Castiglioni and Claudio Lusuardi (who ran the official Cagiva Sport Production team), he rode a Cagiva Mito 125cc motorcycle, which he damaged in a first-corner crash no more than a hundred metres from the pit lane.^[9] He finished ninth that race weekend.^[9]
Although his first season in the Italian Sport Production Championship was varied, he achieved a pole position in the season's final race at Misano, where he would ultimately finish on the podium. By the second year, Rossi had been provided with a factory Mito by Lusuardi and won the Italian title.

125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc World Championships

The Aprilia RS 125 (left) and 250 (right) with which Rossi won the 125cc World Championship in 1997 and the 250cc World Championship in 1999.

In 1994, Aprilia by way of Sandroni, used Rossi to improve its RS125R and in turn allowed him to learn how to handle the fast new pace of 125 cc racing. At first he found himself on a Sandroni in the 1994 Italian championship and continued to ride it through the 1995 European and Italian championships.
Rossi had some success in the 1996 World Championship season, failing to finish five of the season's races and crashing several times. Despite this, in August he won his first World Championship Grand Prix at Brno in the Czech Republic on an AGV Aprilia RS125R. He finished the season in ninth position and proceeded to dominate the 125 cc World Championship in the following 1997 season, winning 11 of the 15 races.
By 1998, the Aprilia RS250 was reaching its pinnacle and had a team of riders in Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi and Tetsuya Harada. He later concluded the 1998 250 cc season in second place, 23 points behind Capirossi. In 1999, however, he won the title, collecting five pole positions and nine wins.
Rossi was rewarded in 2000 for his 250 cc World Championship by being given a ride with Honda in what was then the ultimate class in World Championship motorcycle racing, 500 cc. Retired 500 cc World Champion Michael Doohan, who also had Jeremy Burgess as chief engineer, worked with Rossi as his personal mentor in his first year at Honda. It would also be the first time Rossi would be racing against Max Biaggi. It would take nine races before Rossi would win on the Honda but, like his previous seasons in 125 and 250, it would bode well for a stronger second season as he finished second to American Kenny Roberts, Jr..
Rossi won his first 500 cc World Championship in 2001 (winning 11 races) in the final year of that class. In the following year, 500cc two-strokes were still allowed, but 2002 saw the beginning of the 990 cc four-stroke Moto GP class, after which the 500 cc machines were essentially obsolete. In 2001 Rossi teamed up with American rider Colin Edwards for the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race aboard a Honda VTR1000SPW. The pair won the race despite Rossi's lack of experience racing superbikes.

MotoGP

Honda (2002–2003)

Rossi riding his Honda RC211V MotoGP bike

The inaugural year for the MotoGP bikes was 2002, when riders experienced teething problems getting used to the new bikes. Rossi won the first race and went on to win eight of the first nine races of the season, eventually claiming 11 victories in total.
It was more of the same in 2003 for Rossi's rivals when he claimed nine pole positions as well as nine GP wins to claim his third consecutive World Championship. The Australian GP at Phillip Island in 2003 is considered by many observers to be one of Rossi's greatest career moments due to unique circumstances. After being given a 10-second penalty for overtaking during a yellow flag due to a crash by Ducati rider Troy Bayliss, front runner Rossi proceeded to pull away from the rest of the field, eventually finishing more than 15 seconds ahead, more than enough to cancel out the penalty and win the race.
Partnered with increased scepticism that the reason for his success was the dominance of the RC211V rather than Rossi, it was inevitable^{[dubious – discuss]} that Honda and Rossi would part. Mid-season rumours pointed towards a possible move to Ducati, which sent the Italian press into a frenzy; the concept of the great Italian on the great Italian bike seemed too good to be true. Ducati did indeed try to seduce Rossi into riding their MotoGP bike, the Desmosedici, but for numerous reasons Rossi passed the offer up. Critics say that compared to the other manufacturers, Ducati had a significant way to go before being competitive even with Rossi at the helm. This proved to be the truth with Ducati's lacklustre performance in the 2004 season, which had actually been worse than their inaugural year in MotoGP in 2003.
In his 2005 autobiography, "What If I'd Never Tried It?", Rossi offers another reason for choosing Yamaha over Ducati, saying that the mindset at Ducati Corse was a little too similar to the one he was trying to escape from at Honda. Ultimately, Rossi signed a two-year contract with rivals Yamaha reportedly worth in excess of US$12 million; a price no other manufacturer, even Honda, was willing to pay.

Yamaha (2004–2010)

With the traditional first race of the season at Suzuka off the list due to safety considerations following the fatal accident of Daijiro Kato, the 2004 season started at Welkom in South Africa. Rossi won the race, becoming the only rider to win consecutive races with different manufacturers, having won the final race of the previous season on his Honda bike. Rossi would go on to win eight more GPs in the season, primarily battling Sete Gibernau, with Rossi clinching the championship at the penultimate race of the season at Phillip Island. Rossi ended the season with 304 points to Gibernau's 257, with Max Biaggi third with 217 points.

Rossi at the 2005 British Grand Prix

In 2005 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, Rossi captured his 7th World Championship and fifth straight MotoGP Championship. He finished with a total of 367 points, 147 points ahead of second place finisher Marco Melandri (220 points), and Nicky Hayden finishing third with 206 points.

Rossi at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix

The 2006 MotoGP season started off with Rossi, once again, being the favorite to take the Championship, but he had trouble in the first half of the season. Hayden held the points lead throughout most of the season, but Rossi was slowly working his way up the points ladder. It was not until Motegi when Rossi finally grabbed 2nd in the points race behind Hayden. In the Portuguese Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season, Hayden was taken out by his teammate, Dani Pedrosa, and did not finish the race. This led to Rossi taking the points lead with only one race left in the season. However, Rossi crashed early in Valencia, the last race, and Hayden went on to win the 2006 MotoGP Championship. Rossi finished the season in second place.

Rossi at the 2007 Dutch TT

Rossi returned to MotoGP for the 2007 season riding the new Yamaha YZR-M1 800 cc. In the first race in Qatar he came second to Casey Stoner on the Ducati Desmosedici. In the second round of the season Rossi won the second race of the season in Spain, and would win three more races that season. Stoner dominated the season, winning ten races to take his first title, 125 points clear of second place Dani Pedrosa. Pedrosa’s win in the last race at Valencia combined with Rossi’s retirement meant that he beat Rossi into third place by a single point. This was Rossi’s lowest championship position since his first season in 1996 in 125s. His bike lacked competitiveness, particularly in top speed compared to the Honda or Ducati, and he threatened to leave Yamaha if they are unable to deliver a better package.
For 2008 Rossi changed to Bridgestone tyres. The season started slowly with a fifth place finish in Qatar, but he took his first win in Shanghai, and also won the next two races. From that race, Rossi was on the podium of every remaining race (except the Dutch round at Assen, where he crashed on the first lap and finished 11th), winning a total of nine races in the season. His victories at Laguna Seca (after a pass down the “Corkscrew” corner over Stoner,^[10][11][12] who crashed but continued and took the second place) and at a rain-shortened race in Indianapolis, meant that Rossi has won in every current circuit in the calendar. His win in Motegi was his first victory there on a MotoGP bike. The victory at Motegi won Rossi his first 800cc MotoGP title, his sixth in premier category, and eighth overall.
On 8 June 2009, Valentino Rossi rode a Yamaha around the famous Isle of Man TT Course in an exhibition lap along-side fellow Italian motorcycle legend Giacomo Agostini, in what was called 'The Lap of the Gods'.^[13]

Rossi at the 2009 United States Grand Prix

The 2009 season saw Rossi win six races to win his ninth championship title, beating his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo into second place by 45 points. Six wins was the lowest number of wins Rossi has had in a championship winning season; the previous lowest was nine in 1999 in the 250 cc class and 2003, 2004 and 2008 in MotoGP.

Rossi celebrates his 100th career victory at the 2009 Dutch TT in Assen

His victory at the 2009 Dutch TT in Assen was Rossi's 100th victory, becoming only the second rider in motorcycle grand prix history to reach 100 wins.^[14]

Rossi celebrates victory at the 2010 Qatar Grand Prix

The 2010 season began with Rossi topping most of all pre-season testing sessions and took victory in the first race of the season in Qatar, after early leader Casey Stoner crashed out. Rossi injured his shoulder and back while training on a motocross bike after the Japanese Grand Prix was postponed to October due to the disruption to air travel after the second eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland. The following two rounds Rossi was beaten by team-mate Lorenzo with Rossi complaining about shoulder pain. The injury was not taken seriously initially and was expected to cure in a few weeks, but did not turn out as expected and the ligament tear in the shoulder failed to sufficiently heal.
On 5 June 2010 at his home race at Mugello, Rossi crashed in the second free practice session, around the Biondetti corner, at around 120 mph (190 km/h). Rossi suffered a displaced compound fracture of his right tibia, and after post-surgical care close to his home in the hospital at Cattolica, it was diagnosed that he was likely to be out for most of the season.^[15][16] It was the first time that Rossi had missed a race in his Grand Prix career.^[17] However ahead of the British Grand Prix, Suzi Perry reported in her Daily Telegraph column that Rossi was planning on making a comeback at Brno.^[18] This was confirmed a week later by Rossi himself.^[19] On 7 July, Rossi rode at Misano on a Superbike World Championship-specification Yamaha YZF-R1 provided by the Yamaha World Superbike Team to test his leg's recovery.^[20] He completed 26 laps during two runs, with a best lap time that was around two seconds off the pace of recent World Superbike times at the circuit. At the conclusion of the session, Rossi complained of discomfort, reporting pain in both his leg and his shoulder.^[21][22] On 12 July, Rossi took part in another test at Brno, after which Rossi stated he was happier and a lot more in form.^[23] After an observation by the Chief Medical Officer on the Thursday before the weekend, Rossi made his return at the German Grand Prix, two rounds earlier than predicted^[24] and only 41 days after the accident. He managed to end the race in fourth place after a battle with Casey Stoner for third. He added another race victory to his name at Sepang, Malaysia on his way to collecting ten podiums throughout the whole season, including five podiums in a row in the final run in of the season, where he finished third in the overall standings.

Ducati (2011–2012)

2011

Rossi during a pre-season test at Sepang in February 2011.

On 15 August 2010, after the Brno race, Rossi confirmed he would ride for Ducati Corse, signing a two-year deal starting in 2011,^[3][4] joining former Honda racing team-mate Nicky Hayden on the team. He tested the Desmosedici for the first time in Valencia on 9 November 2010,^[25] making his first appearance since 1999, on an Italian motorcycle.^[26] Rossi underwent surgery on his shoulder which he injured during the 2010 season,^[27] in order to be ready for preseason testing in Malaysia. After original progress during the first test,^[28] the Ducati failed to meet the team's expectations at the second Malaysian test and left Rossi unsatisfied, having finished over 1.8 seconds behind Casey Stoner's pace-setting Honda.^[29]

Rossi at the 2011 Portuguese Grand Prix

Rossi started the season finishing seventh in Qatar, before a fifth in wet conditions at Jerez, despite a collision with Casey Stoner, which Rossi later apologised for.^[30] Another fifth place followed in Portugal, before a third place at Le Mans, benefitting from a collision between Dani Pedrosa and Marco Simoncelli, with Pedrosa retiring from the race and Simoncelli given a ride-through penalty. Rossi then finished the next four races inside the top six, with a best of fourth at Assen. Ninth at the Sachsenring, was followed by a pair of sixth places at Laguna Seca and Brno, and a tenth place at Indianapolis.
A seventh place finish at Misano was followed by a tenth place finish in Aragon, before a first-lap retirement in Japan, after contact with Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, which left Rossi with a blow to his finger.^[31] He also retired in Australia, crashing out midway through the race. In Malaysia, Rossi qualified ninth but was involved in a collision with Marco Simoncelli and Colin Edwards on the second lap of the race. Simoncelli fell while running fourth, landing in the path of Edwards and Rossi, who both hit Simoncelli's Honda with Simoncelli's helmet also coming off in the incident. Simoncelli later died of the injuries he sustained in the crash, and the race was cancelled.^[32] At the final race in Valencia, Rossi retired at the first corner after Álvaro Bautista fell from his bike and took down Rossi, team-mate Hayden and Randy de Puniet in the process. With his retirement, Rossi finished a season winless for the first time in his Grand Prix career,^[33] and finished seventh place in the championship.

2012

Rossi started the 2012 season slowly with a tenth place in Qatar, ninth at Jerez and seventh in Portugal. At Le Mans he scored his first podium of the season; he was involved in a fight for third position from the early stages of the race with Tech 3 pairing Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, but both riders hit trouble and left Rossi on his own. Rossi later closed down Casey Stoner, and passed him in the closing stages. Rossi finished seventh in Catalunya, while at Silverstone, Rossi was fastest in the first free practice session, but finished the race in ninth. After a thirteenth place finish at Assen, Rossi finished sixth at the Sachsenring and fifth at Mugello.

Return to Yamaha (2013)

On 10 August, it was confirmed that Rossi would leave the factory Ducati team at the end of the 2012 season,^[34] after two seasons with the team. Later that day, it was also announced that Rossi would rejoin the Yamaha factory team until the end of the 2014 season, partnering Jorge Lorenzo.^[5]

Rivalries

Earlier in his career Max Biaggi was considered Rossi's main rival. Although they had not even raced against each other until 2000, the rivalry between the two had been growing since the mid-'90s. The rivalry died down as Rossi's consecutive World Championships and Biaggi's struggle to find support and a consistent rhythm with his races.
In his autobiography "What If I Had Never Tried It", Rossi makes a number of claims about the reasons for his rivalry with Biaggi, and some of the incidents which led to its escalation. The rivalry was also featured in the 2003 documentary film, Faster.

Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi at the 2010 French Grand Prix

The podium after the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, with Casey Stoner flanked by Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi.

Rossi's closest rival in the 2003 and 2004 seasons was Sete Gibernau, riding with Team Gresini's Movistar Honda team on a satellite RC211V in 2004 and then on an all but in name factory RC211V, which Gibernau helped to develop, in 2005. Initially they were quite friendly in the paddock and off – Gibernau partied on occasions with Rossi at the Italian's Ibiza villa – but a souring in their relationship began in the 2004 season and culminated in the "Qatar Incident" that same season when Rossi's team was penalized for "cleaning" his grid position to aid in traction, along with Honda Pons' Max Biaggi, and both riders were subsequently forced to start from the back of the grid. A number of teams, including Gibernau's Team Gresini and the official Repsol Honda factory team, appealed successfully to race direction for Rossi to be sanctioned. Rossi and his chief engineer, Jeremy Burgess, insisted that they were doing nothing more than what many others had done before when faced with a dirty track.
Since then the two have not spoken and Rossi seemed to resolve to use the incident to apply psychological pressure on Gibernau. He is said to have sworn that after the Qatar race, which Gibernau won while Rossi crashed out after rising to 6th position, he would do everything to make sure that Gibernau never stood on the highest step of the podium again.^{[citation needed]} Gibernau retired from Grand Prix racing after an unsuccessful, injury blighted 2006 season with Ducati and he never won another race after Qatar, prompting some in the Spanish and Italian motorcycle racing media to explain this fact by way of reference to the "Qatar Curse."^{[citation needed]}
In 2007, Casey Stoner emerged as a rival for Rossi. Coupled with a Ducati, the young Australian won the first race of the year, followed by many more victories resulting in his claiming of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship title. Stoner's and Rossi's rivalry came to a dramatic climax at Laguna Seca Raceway in 2008. After numerous position changes, Rossi overtook Stoner at the Corkscrew. The bold move caused Rossi to run into the dirt and broken pavement on the inside of the right turn, and his rejoining the track came close to causing a collision between the two riders. A few laps later, Stoner went into the gravel on the slow entry into turn 11. Stoner picked up his bike to finish second, while Rossi took the win. After this, Casey Stoner made the comment, "I have lost respect for one of the greatest riders in history." For the comment, Stoner apologised to Rossi at the next race.^[35]
In 2008, Jorge Lorenzo joined Rossi in the factory Yamaha Motor Racing team, which started a new rivalry. Rossi won the 2008 title, with Lorenzo suffering two serious crashes at Laguna Seca and China. In 2009, Rossi and Lorenzo resumed hostilities with Rossi emerging as champion again. In 2009, Rossi defeated Lorenzo in several tight battles, at Valencia, Assen, Sachsenring and, most memorably, Lorenzo's home race at Catalunya, after passing him in the final corner to take victory. In 2010, Lorenzo finally emerged victorious in the championship battle, after Rossi first injured his shoulder in a motocross training accident, then breaking his shin-bone after a vicious crash in Mugello, missing 4 races.

Nicknames

Rossi at the 2011 Portuguese Grand Prix

Since his early racing days Valentino Rossi has had numerous nicknames.
Since dominating the 500 cc category later known as MotoGP, "The Doctor" has become the nickname of choice for Rossi. Two theories prevail as to why Rossi uses "The Doctor." One is that Rossi adopted the nickname upon having earned a degree, which in Italy entitles one to use the title "Doctor". Another, as spoken by Graziano himself, "The Doctor because, I don't think there is a particular reason, but it's beautiful, and is important, The Doctor. And in Italy, The Doctor is a name you give to someone for respect, it's very important, The Doctor... important".^[36] Rossi often jokes, however, that the name arrived because in Italy, Rossi is a common surname for Doctors.
He has always raced with the number No. 46 in his motorcycle grand prix career. The number his father had raced with in the first of his 3 grand prix career wins, in 1979, in Yugoslavia, on a 250c Morbidelli. Typically, a World Championship winner is awarded the No. 1 sticker for the next season. However, in a homage to Barry Sheene, who was the first rider of the modern era to keep the same number (#7), Rossi has stayed with the now-famous No. 46 throughout his career, though as the world champion he has worn the No. 1 on the shoulder of his racing leathers.
The text on his helmet refers to the name of his group of friends: "The Tribe of the Chihuahua," and the letters WLF on his leathers stand for "Viva La Figa," Italian for "Long Live Pussy." He has so far escaped any sanctions or ultimatums that he remove the letters because the "W" in "WLF" represents the two "V"s in "ViVa". Equally obvious is his success at escaping any disciplinary action from the FIM or Dorna for having the letters so brazenly on the front neck area of his leathers. He traditionally also incorporates his favorite color (fluorescent yellow) into his leather designs. This has also earned him the nickname 'Highlighter Pen' more recently. It is most commonly used by commentators Toby Moody and Julian Ryder.
Fellow motorcycle racer and former team mate Colin Edwards, as well as some TV journalists, have often referred to him as 'the GOAT' (Greatest of all Time).^[37]

Other motorsport activities

Rossi competing on the shakedown stage for the 2008 Rally GB

Rossi tested the Ferrari Formula One car in 2006 on 31 January, 1 February, and 2 February at Valencia. The first test saw Rossi spin out on the damp track into the gravel trap, ending his day. On the second day, he posted the ninth fastest time of fifteen drivers, approximately one second behind Michael Schumacher, who himself was third fastest. Rossi lapped faster than seasoned drivers Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber and David Coulthard and Toyota F1's Jarno Trulli.^[38] On the final day of testing, Rossi was just a little more than a half second behind Schumacher's best time.^[39] Schumacher hailed Rossi as having immense talent and said he would be perfectly capable of moving to Formula One and being competitive immediately.
In May 2006, Rossi announced that he would be staying in MotoGP until he felt his work on the motorbike was "finished." Ferrari driver Schumacher said that he felt "saddened" by Rossi's decision but supported it. Rossi subsequently signed a new contract with Yamaha for the 2007 and 2008 seasons, then for 2009 and 2010.
Beyond his interest in F1, Rossi's strong passion is for rallying. In Rossi's youth one of his heroes was WRC Champion Colin McRae. Rally legend McRae taught Rossi the basics of driving a rally car.^[40] The two competed against each other at Monza in 2005, with McRae driving a Skoda Fabia WRC and Rossi winning in a Subaru Impreza WRC.^[41] His first official foray into rallying came in 2002 at WRC Rally Great Britain in a Peugeot 206 WRC, in which he crashed out on the second stage (first non-superspecial stage).
In October 2006 it was announced that Rossi would enter that year's Rally New Zealand, a WRC event which was to run from 17–19 November.^[42] He competed in a Subaru Impreza WRC04 finishing 11th out of 39. On 26 November 2006 Rossi also won the annual Monza Rally driving a Ford Focus RS WRC 04. He beat the 2005 rally victor Rinaldo Capello by 24 seconds, winning five of the seven stages on his way. He also managed to outpace former WRC Champion Didier Auriol by seven seconds in the head-to-head Master Show final. Rossi also announced at the 2006 Monza rally, that he would be entering the 2007 Rally of Great Britain, however, he later opted out. At the 2007 Monza Rally, Rossi again took first place.
Rossi had been linked with a move to both Formula One and the World Rally Championship in 2007, having tested for Ferrari and competed in a number of rally events.^[43]
But Rossi decided to remain in Moto-GP; "I have a contract with Yamaha until 2008," said Rossi. "When that finishes then we will see. What I am sure about is that I will ride until I'm 31 or 32 at most. I will look for new stimuli in the next few seasons, but for now I am fully motivated".^[44] Rossi signed a new two-year contract confirming he will be at Yamaha until 2010.^[45] He originally planned to use the Impreza WRC2008 during his participation in the Rally GB in December 2008,^[46] but decided to drive a Ford Focus RS WRC 07 instead.^[47] He finished the rally in 12th place, 13 minutes and 20.4 seconds behind eventual winner Sebastian Loeb.^[48]
In January 2010, Rossi has said that once he retires from motorcycle racing, he hopes to move into rallying. "There are not many changes in a man's body between 22 and 34 so I still have some time left. I would consider shifting to cars, probably rallying, after that before I finally decide to take it easy ... I know F1 would've been easier but by the time I finish MotoGP, I will be too old for F1."^[49] Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari's Formula One Team principal, however, reasserted his wish to have a third Ferrari on the F1 grid driven by Rossi, whilst confirming that Rossi would test an older Ferrari F1 car on 21 and 22 January 2010.^[50]
In March 2010, the Italian minister Franco Frattini government awarded Rossi the first Winning Italy Award for the image he portrays of his country on an international level.^[51]

Helmets

Valentino Rossi has gone through numerous helmet designs throughout his career, most featuring the Sun & Moon motif, signifying (according to Rossi) the two sides of his personality. The artist of Rossi's current helmet graphics is Aldo Drudi.^[52]

Pre-ride rituals

Rossi at the 2010 Qatar Grand Prix.

Rossi is very superstitious and is renowned for his pre-ride rituals. On a race day, he will always watch the beginning of the Moto3 race to see how long the starting lights remain lit before going out at the start of the race. Prior to riding (whether racing, qualifying, or practice), he will start his personal ritual by stopping about 2 metres from his bike, bending over and reaching for his boots. Then, when arriving at his bike, he will crouch down and hold the right-side foot-peg, with his head bowed. In an interview, Rossi said "It’s just a moment to focus and ‘talk’ to my bike, like moving from one place to the next."^[53] He adjusts the fit of his leathers by standing straight up on the foot-pegs, whilst riding down the pit-lane before the start of race or practice. He also revealed in an interview with MotoGP.com that he always puts one boot on before the other, one glove on before the other, and he always gets on the bike the same way. He also gets off the bike in the same way, swinging his right leg over the front of the bike.

Personal life

Rossi signing an autograph for a fan in Indonesia

After leaving the family home in Tavullia, he moved to Milan, before taking up residency in London, England during his period with Honda. During this time he acquired a villa in Ibiza which he still owns,^[54] and following the tax case has now returned to his main residence to live close to his family in Italy.

Reputed earnings

According to Sports Illustrated, Rossi is one of the highest earning sports personalities in the world, having earned an estimated $34 million in 2007.^[55] In 2009 Forbes ranked Rossi as number nine among the world's highest-paid athletes having earned an estimated $35 million in the past year.^[56]

Tax avoidance case

In 2007, the Italian tax authorities declared Rossi was being investigated for suspected tax evasion. Having previously unsuccessfully investigated Rossi for tax evasion in 2002, the authorities announced they were investigating Rossi for undeclared revenues of 112 million euros ($160 million) between 2000 to 2004. The officials said, against the European Taxes Agreements among European countries, Rossi's London residency has enabled him to take advantage of favourable tax conditions, such as only declaring earnings made in Britain and avoiding taxes on his lucrative merchandising and sponsorship contracts, commenting that Rossi had: "residency in London but is not domiciled there." It noted that in 2002, Rossi's Italian tax form declared earnings of 500 euros, while sponsorship contracts were all reported to be made out to foreign companies, but with his affairs controlled mainly from Italy.^[57] In February 2008, Rossi announced that he had reached a settlement with the Italian tax authorities: he paid 35 million Euros to close the tax case.

Other hobbies

Rossi tries to keep his personal life out of the public eye as much as possible, though he makes no secret of his fondness for Italian football club Internazionale. After winning his ninth World title in October 2009, Inter congratulated Rossi on their official website.^[58]

Career statistics

By season

Season	Class	Bike	Team	Race	Win	Pod	Pole	FLap	Pts	Plcd	WCh
1996	125cc	Aprilia RS125	Scuderia AGV Aprilia	15	1	2	1	2	111	9th	0
1997		Aprilia RS125	Nastro Azzurro Aprilia	15	11	13	4	7	321	1st	1
1998	250cc	Aprilia RS250	Nastro Azzurro Aprilia	14	5	9	0	3	201	2nd	0
1999		Aprilia RS250	Aprilia Grand Prix Racing	16	9	12	5	8	309	1st	1
2000	500cc	Honda NSR500	Nastro Azzurro Honda	16	2	10	0	5	209	2nd	0
2001		Honda NSR500	Nastro Azzurro Honda	16	11	13	4	10	325	1st	1
2002	MotoGP	Honda RC211V	Repsol Honda	16	11	15	7	9	355	1st	1
2003		Honda RC211V	Repsol Honda	16	9	16	9	12	357	1st	1
2004		Yamaha YZR-M1	Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha	16	9	11	5	3	304	1st	1
2005		Yamaha YZR-M1	Gauloises Yamaha	17	11	16	5	6	367	1st	1
2006		Yamaha YZR-M1	Camel Yamaha	17	5	10	5	4	247	2nd	0
2007		Yamaha YZR-M1	Fiat Yamaha	18	4	8	4	3	241	3rd	0
2008		Yamaha YZR-M1	Fiat Yamaha	18	9	16	2	5	373	1st	1
2009		Yamaha YZR-M1	Fiat Yamaha	17	6	14	7	6	306	1st	1
2010		Yamaha YZR-M1	Fiat Yamaha	14	2	10	1	2	233	3rd	0
2011		Ducati Desmosedici GP11	Ducati Corse	17	0	1	0	1	139	7th	0
2012		Ducati Desmosedici GP12	Ducati Corse	18	0	2	0	1	163	6th	0
Total				276	105	177	59	87	4561		9

By class

Class	Seas	1st GP	1st Pod	1st Win	Race	Win	Podiums	Pole	FLap	Pts	WChmp
125 cc	1996–1997	1996 Malaysia	1996 Austria	1996 Czech Rep.	30	12	15	5	9	432	1
250 cc	1998–1999	1998 Japan	1998 Spain	1998 Dutch	30	14	21	5	11	510	1
500 cc	2000–2001	2000 South Af.	2000 Spain	2000 British	32	13	23	4	15	534	1
MotoGP	2002 – present	2002 Japan	2002 Japan	2002 Japan	184	66	118	45	52	3085	6
Total	1996 – present				276	105	177	59	87	4561	9

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Yr	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Final Pos	Pts
1996	125 cc	Aprilia	MAL 6	INA 11	JPN 11	SPA 4	ITA 4	FRA Ret	NED Ret	GER 5	GBR Ret	AUT 3	CZE 1	IMO 5	CAT Ret	BRA Ret	AUS 14				9th	111
1997	125 cc	Aprilia	MAL 1	JPN Ret	SPA 1	ITA 1	AUT 2	FRA 1	NED 1	IMO 1	GER 1	BRA 1	GBR 1	CZE 3	CAT 1	INA 1	AUS 6				1st	321
1998	250 cc	Aprilia	JPN Ret	MAL Ret	SPA 2	ITA 2	FRA 2	MAD Ret	NED 1	GBR Ret	GER 3	CZE Ret	IMO 1	CAT 1	AUS 1	ARG 1					2nd	201
1999	250 cc	Aprilia	MAL 5	JPN 7	SPA 1	FRA Ret	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED 2	GBR 1	GER 1	CZE 1	IMO 2	VAL 8	AUS 1	RSA 1	BRA 1	ARG 3			1st	309
2000	500 cc	Honda	RSA Ret	MAL Ret	JPN 11	SPA 3	FRA 3	ITA 12	CAT 3	NED 6	GBR 1	GER 2	CZE 2	POR 3	VAL Ret	BRA 1	PAC 2	AUS 3			2nd	209
2001	500 cc	Honda	JPN 1	RSA 1	SPA 1	FRA 3	ITA Ret	CAT 1	NED 2	GBR 1	GER 7	CZE 1	POR 1	VAL 11	PAC 1	AUS 1	MAL 1	BRA 1			1st	325
2002	MotoGP	Honda	JPN 1	RSA 2	SPA 1	FRA 1	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED 1	GBR 1	GER 1	CZE Ret	POR 1	BRA 1	PAC 2	MAL 2	AUS 1	VAL 2			1st	355
2003	MotoGP	Honda	JPN 1	RSA 2	SPA 1	FRA 2	ITA 1	CAT 2	NED 3	GBR 3	GER 2	CZE 1	POR 1	BRA 1	PAC 2	MAL 1	AUS 1	VAL 1			1st	357
2004	MotoGP	Yamaha	RSA 1	SPA 4	FRA 4	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED 1	BRA Ret	GER 4	GBR 1	CZE 2	POR 1	JPN 2	QAT Ret	MAL 1	AUS 1	VAL 1			1st	304
2005	MotoGP	Yamaha	SPA 1	POR 2	CHN 1	FRA 1	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED 1	USA 3	GBR 1	GER 1	CZE 1	JPN Ret	MAL 2	QAT 1	AUS 1	TUR 2	VAL 3		1st	367
2006	MotoGP	Yamaha	SPA 14	QAT 1	TUR 4	CHN Ret	FRA Ret	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED 8	GBR 2	GER 1	USA Ret	CZE 2	MAL 1	AUS 3	JPN 2	POR 2	VAL 13		2nd	247
2007	MotoGP	Yamaha	QAT 2	SPA 1	TUR 10	CHN 2	FRA 6	ITA 1	CAT 2	GBR 4	NED 1	GER Ret	USA 4	CZE 7	RSM Ret	POR 1	JPN 13	AUS 3	MAL 5	VAL Ret	3rd	241
2008	MotoGP	Yamaha	QAT 5	SPA 2	POR 3	CHN 1	FRA 1	ITA 1	CAT 2	GBR 2	NED 11	GER 2	USA 1	CZE 1	RSM 1	IND 1	JPN 1	AUS 2	MAL 1	VAL 3	1st	373
2009	MotoGP	Yamaha	QAT 2	JPN 2	SPA 1	FRA 16	ITA 3	CAT 1	NED 1	USA 2	GER 1	GBR 5	CZE 1	IND Ret	RSM 1	POR 4	AUS 2	MAL 3	VAL 2		1st	306
2010	MotoGP	Yamaha	QAT 1	SPA 3	FRA 2	ITA DNS	GBR	NED	CAT	GER 4	USA 3	CZE 5	IND 4	RSM 3	ARA 6	JPN 3	MAL 1	AUS 3	POR 2	VAL 3	3rd	233
2011	MotoGP	Ducati	QAT 7	SPA 5	POR 5	FRA 3	CAT 5	GBR 6	NED 4	ITA 6	GER 9	USA 6	CZE 6	IND 10	RSM 7	ARA 10	JPN Ret	AUS Ret	MAL C	VAL Ret	7th	139
2012	MotoGP	Ducati	QAT 10	SPA 9	POR 7	FRA 2	CAT 7	GBR 9	NED 13	GER 6	ITA 5	USA Ret	IND 7	CZE 7	RSM 2	ARA 8	JPN 7	MAL 5	AUS 7	VAL 10	6th	163

Records

As of the end of the 2012 Valencia Grand Prix, Valentino Rossi holds the following records:^{[59][60][61][62]}

Record	Number
Combined records (all classes)
Podium finishes	177
Pole positions	59
Points	4561
Consecutive race starts	230 (1996 Malaysian GP–2010 French GP)
Consecutive years with a win	15 (1996–2010)
Championship titles with different engine displacement	5 (125cc, 250cc, 500cc, 800cc, 990cc)
Most wins at Mugello (Italian GP)	9 (1997, 1999, 2002–2008)
Consecutive wins at Mugello (Italian GP)	7 (2002–2008)
Wins with Aprilia	26
500cc/MotoGP records
Wins	79
Second places	39
Podium finishes	141
Podium finishes in a season	16 (2003, 2005, 2008)[Note 1]
Fastest laps in a season	12 (2003)
Consecutive podium finishes	23 (2002 Portuguese GP–2004 South African GP)
Consecutive race starts	170 (2000 South African GP–2010 French GP)
Championship titles with Yamaha	4 (2004–2005, 2008–2009)
Consecutive championship titles with different constructors[Note 2]	2 (2003–2004)
Consecutive wins with different constructors	2 (2003 Valencian GP–2004 South African GP)
Wins with Yamaha	46
Wins in a season with Yamaha	11 (2005)
Consecutive wins with Yamaha	5 (2005 Chinese GP–2005 Dutch TT, 2008 United States GP–2008 Japanese GP)
Championship titles with different motorcycles	4 (500cc Honda, 990cc Honda, 990cc Yamaha, 800cc Yamaha)
Championship titles with different engine displacement	3 (500cc, 800cc, 990cc)
Championship titles with different engine configuration[Note 3]	2 (two-stroke engine, four-stroke engine)
125cc records
Wins in a season	11 (1997)