Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish : Golfo de México ) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean , largely surrounded by the North American continent . It is bounded on the northeast , north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States , on the southwest and south by Mexico , and on the southeast by Cuba . The U.S. states of Alabama , Florida , Louisiana , Mississippi and Texas border the Gulf on the north , which are often referred to as the `` Third Coast '' in comparison with the U.S. Atlantic and Pacific coasts , or sometimes the `` south coast '' , in juxtaposition to the Great Lakes region being the `` north coast . '' One of the gulf 's seven main areas is the Gulf of Mexico basin . The Gulf of Mexico formed approximately 300 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics . The Gulf 's basin is roughly oval and is approximately 810 nautical miles ( 1,500 km ; 930 mi ) wide and floored by sedimentary rocks and recent sediments . It is connected to part of the Atlantic Ocean through the Florida Straits between the U.S. and Cuba , and with the Caribbean ( with which it forms the American Mediterranean Sea ) via the Yucatán Channel between Mexico and Cuba . With the narrow connection to the Atlantic , the Gulf experiences very small tidal ranges . The size of the Gulf basin is approximately 1.6 million km ( 615,000 sq mi ) . Almost half of the basin is shallow continental shelf waters . The basin contains a volume of roughly 2,500 quadrillion liters ( 550 quadrillion Imperial gallons , 660 quadrillion US gallons , 2.5 million km or 600,000 cu mi ) . Contents ( hide ) 1 Extent 2 Geology 3 History 3.1 European exploration 4 Shipwrecks 5 Geography 5.1 2006 earthquake 5.2 Maritime boundary delimitation agreements 6 Biota 7 Pollution 7.1 Ixtoc I explosion and oil spill 7.2 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill 7.3 Minor oil spills 7.3. 1 Brutus oil spill 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Extent ( edit ) The International Hydrographic Organization defines the southeast limit of the Gulf of Mexico as follows : A line leaving Cape Catoche Light ( 21 ° 37 ′ N 87 ° 04 ′ W  /  21.617 ° N 87.067 ° W  / 21.617 ; - 87.067 ) with the Light on Cape San Antonio in Cuba , through this island to the meridian of 83 ° W and to the Northward along this meridian to the latitude of the South point of the Dry Tortugas ( 24 ° 35'N ) , along this parallel Eastward to Rebecca Shoal ( 82 ° 35'W ) thence through the shoals and Florida Keys to the mainland at eastern end of Florida Bay , all the narrow waters between the Dry Tortugas and the mainland being considered to be within the Gulf . Geology ( edit ) Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico The consensus among geologists who have studied the geology of the Gulf of Mexico , is that prior to the Late Triassic , the Gulf of Mexico did not exist . Before the Late Triassic , the area now occupied by the Gulf of Mexico consisted of dry land , which included continental crust that now underlies Yucatán , within the middle of the large supercontinent of Pangea . This land lay south of a continuous mountain range that extended from north - central Mexico , through the Marathon Uplift in West Texas and the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma , and to Alabama where it linked directly to the Appalachian Mountains . It was created by the collision of continental plates that formed Pangea . As interpreted by Roy Van Arsdale and Randel T. Cox , this mountain range was breached in Late Cretaceous times by the formation of the Mississippi Embayment . Geologists and other Earth scientists agree in general that the present Gulf of Mexico basin originated in Late Triassic time as the result of rifting within Pangea . The rifting was associated with zones of weakness within Pangea , including sutures where the Laurentia , South American , and African plates collided to create it . First , there was a Late Triassic - Early Jurassic phase of rifting during which rift valleys formed and filled with continental red beds . Second , as rifting progressed through Early and Middle Jurassic time , continental crust was stretched and thinned . This thinning created a broad zone of thick transitional crust , which displays modest and uneven thinning with block faulting , and a broad zone of uniformly thinned transitional crust , which is half the typical thickness , 35 kilometers , of normal continental crust . It was at this time that tectonics first created a connection to the Pacific Ocean across central Mexico and later eastward to the Atlantic Ocean . This flooded the subsiding basin created by rifting and crustal thinning to create the Gulf of Mexico . While the Gulf of Mexico was a restricted basin , the subsiding transitional crust was blanketed by the widespread deposition of Louann Salt and associated anhydrite evaporites . Initially , during the Late Jurassic , continued rifting widened the Gulf of Mexico and progressed to the point that sea - floor spreading and formation of oceanic crust occurred . At this point , sufficient circulation with the Atlantic Ocean was established that the deposition of Louann Salt ceased . During the Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous , the basin occupied by the Gulf of Mexico experienced a period of cooling and subsidence of the crust underlying it . The subsidence was the result of a combination of crustal stretching , cooling , and loading . Initially , the combination of crustal stretching and cooling caused about 5 -- 7 km of tectonic subsidence of the central thin transitional and oceanic crust . Because subsidence occurred faster than sediment could fill it , the Gulf of Mexico expanded and deepened . Later , loading of the crust within the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent coastal plain by the accumulation of kilometers of sediments during the rest of the Mesozoic and all of the Cenozoic further depressed the underlying crust to its current position about 10 -- 20 km below sea level . Particularly during the Cenozoic , thick clastic wedges built out the continental shelf along the northwestern and northern margins of the Gulf of Mexico . To the east , the stable Florida platform was not covered by the sea until the latest Jurassic or the beginning of Cretaceous time . The Yucatán platform was emergent until the mid-Cretaceous . After both platforms were submerged , the formation of carbonates and evaporites has characterized the geologic history of these two stable areas . Most of the basin was rimmed during the Early Cretaceous by carbonate platforms , and its western flank was involved during the latest Cretaceous and early Paleogene periods in a compressive deformation episode , the Laramide Orogeny , which created the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico . In 2002 geologist Michael Stanton published a speculative essay suggesting an impact origin for the Gulf of Mexico at the close of the Permian , which could have caused the Permian -- Triassic extinction event . However , Gulf Coast geologists do not regard this hypothesis as having any credibility . Instead they overwhelmingly accept plate tectonics , not an asteroid impact , as having created the Gulf of Mexico as illustrated by papers authored by Kevin Mickus and others . This hypothesis is not to be confused with the Chicxulub Crater , a large impact crater on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on the Yucatán Peninsula . Today , the Gulf of Mexico has the following 7 main areas : Gulf of Mexico basin , which contains the Sigsbee Deep and can be further divided into the continental rise , the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain , and the Mississippi Cone . Northeast Gulf of Mexico , which extends from a point east of the Mississippi River Delta near Biloxi to the eastern side of Apalachee Bay . South Florida Continental Shelf and Slope , which extends along the coast from Apalachee Bay to the Straits of Florida and includes the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas . Campeche Bank , which extends from the Yucatán Straits in the east to the Tabasco -- Campeche Basin in the west and includes Arrecife Alacran . Bay of Campeche , which is an isthmian embayment extending from the western edge of Campeche Bank to the offshore regions just east of the port of Veracruz . Western Gulf of Mexico , which is located between Veracruz to the south and the Rio Grande to the north . Northwest Gulf of Mexico , which extends from Alabama to the Rio Grande . History ( edit ) European exploration ( edit ) This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( June 2010 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) Fishing boats in Biloxi Graph showing the overall water temperature of the Gulf between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita . Although Katrina cooled waters in its path by up to 4 ° C , they had rebounded by the time of Rita 's appearance . Although Christopher Columbus was credited with the discovery of the Americas by Europeans , the ships in his four voyages never reached the Gulf of Mexico . Instead , Columbus sailed into the Caribbean around Cuba and Hispaniola . The first European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was by Amerigo Vespucci in 1497 . He followed the coastal land mass of Central America before returning to the Atlantic Ocean via the Straits of Florida between Florida and Cuba . In his letters , Vespucci described this trip , and once Juan de la Cosa returned to Spain , a famous world map , depicting Cuba as an island , was produced . In 1506 , Hernán Cortés took part in the conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba , receiving a large estate of land and Indian slaves for his effort . In 1510 , he accompanied Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar , an aide of the governor of Hispaniola , in his expedition to conquer Cuba . In 1518 Velázquez put him in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization . In 1517 , Francisco Hernández de Córdoba discovered the Yucatán Peninsula . This was the first European encounter with an advanced civilization in the Americas , with solidly built buildings and a complex social organization which they recognized as being comparable to those of the Old World ; they also had reason to expect that this new land would have gold . All of this encouraged two further expeditions , the first in 1518 under the command of Juan de Grijalva , and the second in 1519 under the command of Hernán Cortés , which led to the Spanish exploration , military invasion , and ultimately settlement and colonization known as the Conquest of Mexico . Hernández did not live to see the continuation of his work : he died in 1517 , the year of his expedition , as the result of the injuries and the extreme thirst suffered during the voyage , and disappointed in the knowledge that Diego Velázquez had given precedence to Grijalva as the captain of the next expedition to Yucatán . In 1523 , Ángel de Villafañe sailed toward Mexico City , but was shipwrecked en route along the coast of Padre Island , Texas , in 1554 . When word of the disaster reached Mexico City , the viceroy requested a rescue fleet and immediately sent Villafañe marching overland to find the treasure - laden vessels . Villafañe traveled to Pánuco and hired a ship to transport him to the site , which had already been visited from that community . He arrived in time to greet García de Escalante Alvarado ( a nephew of Pedro de Alvarado ) , commander of the salvage operation , when Alvarado arrived by sea on July 22 , 1554 . The team labored until September 12 to salvage the Padre Island treasure . This loss , in combination with other ship disasters around the Gulf of Mexico , gave rise to a plan for establishing a settlement on the northern Gulf Coast to protect shipping and more quickly rescue castaways . As a result , the expedition of Tristán de Luna y Arellano was sent and landed at Pensacola Bay on August 15 , 1559 . On December 11 , 1526 , Charles V granted Pánfilo de Narváez a license to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States , known as the Narváez expedition . The contract gave him one year to gather an army , leave Spain , be large enough to found at least two towns of 100 people each , and garrison two more fortresses anywhere along the coast . On April 7 , 1528 , they spotted land north of what is now Tampa Bay . They turned south and traveled for two days looking for a great harbor the master pilot Miruelo knew of . Sometime during these two days , one of the five remaining ships was lost on the rugged coast , but nothing else is known of it . In 1697 , Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville sailed for France and was chosen by the Minister of Marine to lead an expedition to rediscover the mouth of the Mississippi River and to colonize Louisiana which the English coveted . Iberville 's fleet sailed from Brest on October 24 , 1698 . On January 25 , 1699 , Iberville reached Santa Rosa Island in front of Pensacola founded by the Spanish ; he sailed from there to Mobile Bay and explored Massacre Island , later renamed Dauphin Island . He cast anchor between Cat Island and Ship Island ; and on February 13 , 1699 , he went to the mainland , Biloxi , with his brother Jean - Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville . On May 1 , 1699 , he completed a fort on the north - east side of the Bay of Biloxi , a little to the rear of what is now Ocean Springs , Mississippi . This fort was known as Fort Maurepas or Old Biloxi . A few days later , on May 4 , Pierre Le Moyne sailed for France leaving his teenage brother , Jean - Baptiste Le Moyne , as second in command to the French commandant . Shipwrecks ( edit ) The Mardi Gras shipwreck around the early - 19th century about 35 miles off the coast of Louisiana in 4,000 feet ( 1220 meters ) of water . She is believed to have been a privateer or trader . The shipwreck , whose real identity remains a mystery , lay forgotten at the bottom of the sea until it was discovered in 2002 by an oilfield inspection crew working for the Okeanos Gas Gathering Company ( OGGC ) . In May 2007 , an expedition , led by Texas A&M University and funded by OGGC under an agreement with the Minerals Management Service ( now BOEM ) , was launched to undertake the deepest scientific archaeological excavation ever attempted at that time to study the site on the seafloor and recover artifacts for eventual public display in the Louisiana State Museum . As part of the project educational outreach Nautilus Productions in partnership with BOEM , Texas A&M University , the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Veolia Environmental produced a one - hour HD documentary about the project , short videos for public viewing and provided video updates during the expedition . Video footage from the ROV was an integral part of this outreach and used extensively in the Mystery Mardi Gras Shipwreck documentary . On July 30 , 1942 the Robert E. Lee , captained by William C. Heath , was torpedoed by the German submarine U-166 . She was sailing southeast of the entrance to the Mississippi River when the explosion destroyed the # 3 hold , vented through the B and C decks and damaged the engines , the radio compartment and the steering gear . After the attack she was under escort by the USS PC - 566 , captained by LCDR Herbert G. Claudius , en route to New Orleans . The USS PC - 566 began dropping depth charges on a sonar contact , sinking the U-166 . The badly damaged Robert E. Lee first listed to port then to starboard and finally sank within about 15 minutes of the attack . One officer , nine crewmen and 15 passengers were lost . Ironically the passengers aboard the Robert E. Lee were primarily survivors of previous torpedo attacks by German U-boats . The wreck 's precise location was discovered during the C & C Marine survey that located the U-166 . The German submarine U-166 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany 's Kriegsmarine during World War II . The submarine was laid down on December 6 , 1940 at the Seebeckwerft ( part of Deutsche Schiff - und Maschinenbau AG , Deschimag ) at Wesermünde ( modern Bremerhaven ) as yard number 705 , launched on November 1 , 1941 and commissioned on March 23 , 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans - Günther Kuhlmann . After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla , U-166 was transferred to the 10th U-boat Flotilla for front - line service on June 1 , 1942 . The U-boat sailed on only two war patrols and sank four ships totalling 7,593 gross register tons ( GRT ) . She was sunk on July 30 , 1942 in Gulf of Mexico . In 2001 the wreck of U-166 was located in 5,000 feet ( 1,500 m ) of water , less than two miles from where it had attacked the Robert E. Lee . An archaeological survey of the seafloor prior to construction of a natural gas pipeline led to the discoveries by C & C Marine archaeologists Robert A. Church and Daniel J. Warren . The sonar contacts consisted of two large sections lying approximately 500 feet apart at either end of a debris field that indicated the presence of a U-boat . Geography ( edit ) Gulf beach near Sabine Pass The Mississippi River Watershed is the largest drainage basin of the Gulf of Mexico Watershed . Map of northern part of Gulf of Mexico The shaded relief map of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean area . The Gulf of Mexico 's eastern , northern , and northwestern shores lie along the US states of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . The US portion of the Gulf coastline spans 1,680 miles ( 2,700 km ) , receiving water from 33 major rivers that drain 31 states . The Gulf 's southwestern and southern shores lie along the Mexican states of Tamaulipas , Veracruz , Tabasco , Campeche , Yucatán , and the northernmost tip of Quintana Roo . The Mexican portion of the Gulf coastline spans 1,743 miles ( 2,805 km ) . On its southeast quadrant the Gulf is bordered by Cuba . It supports major American , Mexican and Cuban fishing industries . The outer margins of the wide continental shelves of Yucatán and Florida receive cooler , nutrient - enriched waters from the deep by a process known as upwelling , which stimulates plankton growth in the euphotic zone . This attracts fish , shrimp , and squid . River drainage and atmospheric fallout from industrial coastal cities also provide nutrients to the coastal zone . The Gulf Stream , a warm Atlantic Ocean current and one of the strongest ocean currents known , originates in the gulf , as a continuation of the Caribbean Current - Yucatán Current - Loop Current system . Other circulation features include the anticyclonic gyres which are shed by the Loop Current and travel westward where they eventually dissipate , and a permanent cyclonic gyre in the Bay of Campeche . The Bay of Campeche in Mexico constitutes a major arm of the Gulf of Mexico . Additionally , the gulf 's shoreline is fringed by numerous bays and smaller inlets . A number of rivers empty into the gulf , most notably the Mississippi River and Rio Grande in the northern gulf , and the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers in the southern gulf . The land that forms the gulf 's coast , including many long , narrow barrier islands , is almost uniformly low - lying and is characterized by marshes and swamps as well as stretches of sandy beach . The Gulf of Mexico is an excellent example of a passive margin . The continental shelf is quite wide at most points along the coast , most notably at the Florida and Yucatán Peninsulas . The shelf is exploited for its oil by means of offshore drilling rigs , most of which are situated in the western gulf and in the Bay of Campeche . Another important commercial activity is fishing ; major catches include red snapper , amberjack , tilefish , swordfish , and various grouper , as well as shrimp and crabs . Oysters are also harvested on a large scale from many of the bays and sounds . Other important industries along the coast include shipping , petrochemical processing and storage , military use , paper manufacture , and tourism . The gulf 's warm water temperature can feed powerful Atlantic hurricanes causing extensive human death and other destruction as happened with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 . In the Atlantic , a hurricane will draw up cool water from the depths and making it less likely that further hurricanes will follow in its wake ( warm water being one of the preconditions necessary for their formation ) . However , the Gulf is shallower ; when a hurricane passes over the water temperature may drop but it soon rebounds and becomes capable of supporting another tropical storm . The Gulf is considered aseismic ; however , mild tremors have been recorded throughout history ( usually 5.0 or less on the Richter magnitude scale ) . Earthquakes may be caused by interactions between sediment loading on the sea floor and adjustment by the crust . 2006 earthquake ( edit ) Main article : 2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake On September 10 , 2006 , the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center reported that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred about 250 miles ( 400 km ) west - southwest of Anna Maria , Florida , around 10 : 56 AM EDT . The quake was reportedly felt from Louisiana to Florida in the Southeastern United States . There were no reports of damage or injuries . Items were knocked from shelves and seiches were observed in swimming pools in parts of Florida . The earthquake was described by the USGS as an intraplate earthquake , the largest and most widely felt recorded in the past three decades in the region . According to the September 11 , 2006 issue of The Tampa Tribune , earthquake tremors were last felt in Florida in 1952 , recorded in Quincy , 20 miles ( 32 km ) northwest of Tallahassee Maritime boundary delimitation agreements ( edit ) Cuba and Mexico : Exchange of notes constituting an agreement on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone of Mexico in the sector adjacent to Cuban maritime areas ( with map ) , of July 26 , 1976 . Cuba and United States of America : Maritime boundary agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba , of December 16 , 1977 . Mexico and United States of America : Treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary , of November 23 , 1970 ; Treaty on maritime boundaries between the United States of America and the United Mexican States ( Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean ) , of May 4 , 1978 , and Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States on the delimitation of the continental shelf in the Western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical miles ( 370 km ) , of June 9 , 2000 . On December 13 , 2007 , Mexico submitted information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf ( CLCS ) regarding the extension of Mexico 's continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles . Mexico sought an extension of its continental shelf in the Western Polygon based on international law , UNCLOS , and bilateral treaties with the United States , in accordance with Mexico 's domestic legislation . On March 13 , 2009 , the CLCS accepted Mexico 's arguments for extending its continental shelf up to 350 NM into the Western Polygon . Since this would extend Mexico 's continental shelf well into territory claimed by the United States , however , Mexico and the U.S. would need to enter a bilateral agreement based on international law that delimits their respective claims . Places adjacent to Gulf of Mexico Texas United States Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Florida Mexico Tamaulipas Atlantic Ocean Gulf of Mexico Veracruz Mexico Tabasco Campeche Yucatán Quintana Roo Cuba Caribbean Biota ( edit ) Various biota include chemosynthetic communities near cold seeps and nonchemosynthetic communities such as bacteria and other micro -- benthos , meiofauna , macrofauna , and megafauna ( larger organisms such as crabs , sea pens , crinoids , and demersal fish and cetaceans including endangered ones ) are living in the Gulf of Mexico . Recently , resident Bryde 's whales within the gulf were classified as an endemic , unique subspecies and making them as one of the most endangered whales in the world . The Gulf of Mexico yields more finfish , shrimp , and shellfish annually than the south and mid-Atlantic , Chesapeake , and New England areas combined . The Smithsonian Institution Gulf of Mexico holdings are expected to provide an important baseline of understanding for future scientific studies on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill . In Congressional testimony , Dr. Jonathan Coddington , Associate Director of Research and Collections at the Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History , provides a detailed overview of the Gulf collections and their sources which Museum staff have made available on an online map . The samples were collected for years by the former Minerals Management Service ( renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management , Regulation and Enforcement ) to help predict the potential impacts of future oil / gas explorations . Since 1979 , the specimens have been deposited in the national collections of the National Museum of Natural History . Pollution ( edit ) Dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico The major environmental threats to the Gulf are agricultural runoff and oil drilling . There are frequent `` red tide '' algae blooms that kill fish and marine mammals and cause respiratory problems in humans and some domestic animals when the blooms reach close to shore . This has especially been plaguing the southwest and southern Florida coast , from the Florida Keys to north of Pasco County , Florida . The Gulf contains a hypoxic dead zone that runs east - west along the Texas - Louisiana coastline . In July 2008 , researchers reported that between 1985 and 2008 , the area roughly doubled in size and now stretches from near Galveston , Texas , to near Venice , Louisiana . It is now about 8,000 square miles ( 21,000 km ) , nearly the record . Poor agricultural practices in the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico have led to a tremendous increase of nitrogen and phosphorus in neighboring marine ecosystems , which has resulted in algae blooms and a lack of available oxygen . Occurrences of masculinization and estrogen suppression were observed as a result . An October 2007 study of the Atlantic croaker found a disproportioned sex ratio of 61 % males to 39 % females in hypoxic Gulf sites . This was compared with a 52 % to 48 % male - female ratio found in reference sites , showing an impairment of reproductive output for fish populations inhabiting hypoxic coastal zones . There are 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells beneath the Gulf . These have generally not been checked for potential environmental problems . Ixtoc I explosion and oil spill ( edit ) Main articles : Ixtoc I and Ixtoc I oil spill In June 1979 , the Ixtoc I oil platform in the Bay of Campeche suffered a blowout leading to a catastrophic explosion , which resulted in a massive oil spill that continued for nine months before the well was finally capped . This was ranked as the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico until the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 . Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill ( edit ) Main articles : Deepwater Horizon explosion and Deepwater Horizon oil spill On April 20 , 2010 , the Deepwater Horizon oil platform , located in the Mississippi Canyon about 40 miles ( 64 km ) off the Louisiana coast , suffered a catastrophic explosion ; it sank a day - and - a-half later . It was in the process of being sealed with cement for temporary abandonment , to avoid environmental problems . Although initial reports indicated that relatively little oil had leaked , by April 24 , it was claimed by BP that approximately 1,000 barrels ( 160 m ) of oil per day were issuing from the wellhead , about 1 - mile ( 1.6 km ) below the surface on the ocean floor . On April 29 , the U.S. government revealed that approximately 5,000 barrels ( 790 m ) per day , five times the original estimate , were pouring into the Gulf from the wellhead . The resulting oil slick quickly expanded to cover hundreds of square miles of ocean surface , posing a serious threat to marine life and adjacent coastal wetlands , and to the livelihoods of Gulf Coast shrimpers and fishermen . Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice O'Hare stated that the U.S. government will be `` employing booms , skimmers , chemical dispersants and controlled burns '' to combat the oil spill . By May 1 , 2010 , the oil spill cleanup efforts were underway , but hampered by rough seas and the `` tea like '' consistency of the oil . Cleanup operations were resumed after conditions became favorable . On May 27 , 2010 , The USGS had revised the estimate of the leak from 5,000 barrels per day ( 790 m / d ) to 12,000 -- 19,000 barrels per day ( 3,000 m / d ) an increase from earlier estimates . On July 15 , 2010 , BP announced that the leak stopped for the first time in 88 days . In July 2015 BP reached an $18.7 bn settlement with the US government , the states of Alabama , Florida , Louisiana , Mississippi and Texas , as well as 400 local authorities . To date BP 's cost for the clean - up , environmental and economic damages and penalties has reached $54 bn . Minor oil spills ( edit ) According to the National Response Center , the oil industry has thousands of minor accidents in the Gulf of Mexico every year . Brutus oil spill ( edit ) On May 12 , 2016 , a release of oil from subsea infrastructure on Shell 's Brutus oil rig released 2,100 barrels of oil . This leak created a visible 2 mile by 13 mile oil slick in the sea about 97 miles south of Port Fourchon , Louisiana , according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement . See also ( edit ) Cantarell Field Brine pool Charlotte Harbor Estuary , Florida Gulf Coast Gulf of Mexico Foundation Hypoxia Jack 2 ( a test well in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico ) Orca Basin Outer Continental Shelf Territorial evolution of the Caribbean US Gulf of Mexico Protraction areas Atwater Valley East Cameron Eugene Island Garden Banks Green Canyon Keathley Canyon Mississippi Canyon Sigsbee Escarpment South Marsh Island Walker Ridge References ( edit ) Jump up ^ http://www.deepseawaters.com/Gulf_of_Mexico.htm Jump up ^ `` Gulf of Mexico '' . Geographic Names Information System . January 1 , 2000 . Retrieved July 8 , 2010 . ^ Jump up to : Huerta , A.D. , and D.L. Harry ( 2012 ) Wilson cycles , tectonic inheritance , and rifting of the North American Gulf of Mexico continental margin . Geosphere. 8 ( 1 ) : GES00725. 1 , first published on March 6 , 2012 , doi : 10.1130 / GES00725. 1 ^ Jump up to : `` General Facts about the Gulf of Mexico '' . epa.gov . 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Jump up ^ Helgason , Guðmundur . `` U-166 '' . German U-boats of World War II -- uboat.net . Retrieved July 31 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Historic Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico '' . gomr.mms.gov . Archived from the original on October 17 , 2008 . Retrieved February 22 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Daniel J. Warren , Robert A. Church . `` The Discovery of U -- 166 : Rewriting History with New Technology '' ( PDF ) . Offshore Technology Conference . Retrieved July 31 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Gulf of Mexico Watershed '' . EPA.gov . Retrieved December 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center , 1999 . Global Land One - kilometer Base Elevation ( GLOBE ) v. 1 . Hastings , D. and P.K. Dunbar . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V52R3PMS ( access date : March 16 , 2015 ) Jump up ^ Amante , C. and B.W. Eakins , 2009 . ETOPO1 1 Arc - Minute Global Relief Model : Procedures , Data Sources and Analysis . NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC - 24 . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V5C8276M ( access date : March 18 , 2015 ) . Jump up ^ `` National Water Program Guidance : FY 2005 '' . epa.gov . Archived from the original on October 2 , 2006 . Retrieved January 21 , 2007 . Jump up ^ `` Gulf of Mexico '' . Handbook of Texas Online . Texas State Historical Association . Retrieved June 26 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Warm Waters Provide Fuel for Potential Storms '' . NASA Earth Observatory . Archived from the original on October 1 , 2006 . Retrieved May 5 , 2006 . Jump up ^ `` Earthquakes in the Gulf of Mexico '' . Retrieved December 27 , 2006 . Jump up ^ `` Central Florida Feels Quake '' . Archived from the original on August 28 , 2007 . Retrieved December 27 , 2006 . Jump up ^ Observer News ^ Jump up to : United States Geological Survey , September 11 , 2006 Archived October 14 , 2006 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Mexico 's Attempt to Extend its Continental Shelf Beyond 200 Nautical Miles Serves as a Model for the International Community , Mexican Law Review , Volume V , Number 2 , Jan. -- June 2013 '' ( PDF ) . Jump up ^ Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region ( November 2006 ) . `` Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales : 2007 -- 2012 . Western Planning Area Sales 204 , 207 , 210 , 215 , and 218 . Central Planning Area Sales 205 , 206 , 208 , 213 , 216 , and 222 . Draft Environmental Impact Statement . Volume I : Chapters 1 -- 8 and Appendices '' . U.S. Department of the Interior , Minerals Management Service , Gulf of Mexico OCS Region , New Orleans. page 3 - 27 -- 3 - 34 PDF Archived March 26 , 2009 , at the Wayback Machine ... Jump up ^ Rosel E.P. . Corkeron P ... Engleby L ... Epperson D ... Mullin D.K. . Soldevilla S.M. . Taylor L.B.. 2016 . STATUS REVIEW OF BRYDE 'S WHALES ( BALAENOPTERA EDENI ) IN THE GULF OF MEXICO UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT . NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS - SEFSC - 692 Jump up ^ Zongker , Brett ( July 21 , 2010 ) . `` Smithsonian Holdings to Aid Researchers in the Gulf '' . Associated Press . Archived from the original on July 24 , 2010 . Retrieved July 29 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Coddington , Jonathan ( June 15 , 2010 ) . `` Testimony to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs , Oceans and Wildlife ; Committee on Natural Resources ; U.S. House of Representatives '' ( PDF ) . ( Smithsonian Ocean Portal ) . Retrieved July 29 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone and Red Tides '' . Retrieved December 27 , 2006 . Jump up ^ Joel Achenbach , `` A ' Dead Zone ' in The Gulf of Mexico : Scientists Say Area That Cannot Support Some Marine Life Is Near Record Size '' , Washington Post , July 31 , 2008 Jump up ^ Thomas , Peter ; Md Saydur Rahman ( 2012 ) . `` Extensive Reproductive Disruption , Ovarian Masculinization and Aromatase Suppression in Atlantic Croaker in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone '' . Proceedings of the Royal Society B : Biological Sciences . 279 ( 1726 ) : 28 -- 38 . doi : 10.1098 / rspb. 2011.0529 . ^ Jump up to : Donn , Jeff ( July 7 , 2010 ) . `` Gulf home to 27,000 abandoned wells '' . Burlington , Vermont : Burlington Free Press . pp. 1A . Jump up ^ `` Burning oil rig sinks , setting stage for spill ; 11 still missing '' , by Kevin McGill and Holbrook Mohr ( Associated Press ) , Boston Globe , April 23 , 2010 Jump up ^ `` Well from sunken rig leaking oil '' , by Cain Burdeau ( Associated Press ) , Boston Globe , April 25 , 2010 Jump up ^ Robertson , Campbell ; Kaufman , Leslie ( April 28 , 2010 ) . `` Size of Spill in Gulf of Mexico Is Larger Than Thought '' . The New York Times . Jump up ^ `` Race to plug leaking oil well off La . spurs new tactics '' , by Cain Burdeau ( Associated Press ) , Boston Globe , April 27 , 2010 Jump up ^ `` Gulf Oil Spill Worst in U.S. History ; Drilling Postponed '' , by Marianne Lavelle , National Geographic , May 27 , 2010 Jump up ^ Ed Crooks , Christopher Adams , . `` BP : Into uncharted waters '' . ft.com . Retrieved August 10 , 2015 . ^ Jump up to : Chow , Lorraine . `` Shell Oil Spill Dumps Nearly 90,000 Gallons of Crude Into Gulf '' . EcoWatch . Retrieved June 6 , 2016 . External links ( edit ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gulf of Mexico . Resource Database for Gulf of Mexico Research Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science Mystery Mardi Gras Shipwreck `` Mexico , Gulf of '' . Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed . ) . 1911 . `` Mexico , Gulf of '' . Collier 's New Encyclopedia . 1921 . Bathymetry of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean East of Florida United States Geological Survey The Present State of the West - Indies : Containing an Accurate Description of What Parts Are Possessed by the Several Powers in Europe written by Thomas Kitchin , 1778 , in which Kitchin discusses , in chapter 1 , why the Gulf should have been called the `` West Indian Sea . 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Judge Mathis Brian Wayy Roy Shakked Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 19 No. of episodes 2,000 Production Location ( s ) NBC Tower Chicago , Illinois Camera setup Multiple Running time 42 minutes Production company ( s ) Telepictures Productions Black Pearl Entertainment ( 1999 - 2002 ) ( seasons 1 - 3 ) Distributor Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Release Original network Syndication Picture format 480i 4 : 3 ( SDTV ) ( 1999 - 2012 ) 480i 16 : 9 ( SDTV ) ( 2012 - ) Original release September 13 , 1999 ( 1999 - 09 - 13 ) -- present External links Website Production website Judge Mathis is a syndicated arbitration - based reality court show presided over by the retired Judge of Michigan 's 36th District Court , Greg Mathis . The syndicated series features Mathis adjudicating small claims disputes . The series was originally produced by Black Pearl Entertainment . It 's now produced by Telepictures Productions and Syndicated Productions , while distributed by Warner Bros. Television . It is taped at the NBC Tower in Chicago , but includes cases and litigants from other U.S. jurisdictions . Greg Mathis 's `` inspirational and positive messages to young people '' won the court show a PRISM Commendation in May 2002 . The court show also won an NAACP Image Award in 2004 and a Daytime Emmy Award in 2018 . Each Judge Mathis episode runs for one hour and typically consists of 4 cases . The show is broadcast weekdays nationwide in the United States . It is also broadcast in Canada through Omni Television . The show has aired since 1999 and has aired over 2000 episodes . In the 2014 - 15 television season , Judge Mathis began its 16th season , making Mathis the longest serving African American court show arbitrator , after Judge Joe Brown whose program lasted 15 seasons . Judge Mathis is the fourth longest running courtroom series behind Divorce Court , The People 's Court , and Judge Judy . It began its 19th season on Monday , September 4 , 2017 . Contents ( hide ) 1 Show format 2 Incorporation of life story into court show 3 Judge Gregory Mathis 's adjudicating approach 4 References 5 External links Show format ( edit ) The cases on Judge Mathis are classified as tort law , civil disputes with a maximum $5,000 claim , a typical amount for small claims court . The producers of the show select the cases . To acquire cases , the show solicits real - life litigants with pending disputes or individuals with potential disputes . If litigants agree to be on the show , they are paid a talent fee ranging from $150 to $300 , and they receive travel accommodations . Mathis does have prior knowledge of the cases . In all cases , litigants give their prospective case managers all evidence in advance . Any real legal case pending must be dismissed by both parties . Typically , Mathis 's producers only seek cases that they deem `` juicy '' enough for TV . Occasionally , Mathis leaves the courtroom to deliberate and then returns with his verdict . Upon final judgment , he may briefly explain the legal principle guiding his verdict , especially if his ruling is based on a particular state 's law . Reportedly , Mathis ' rulings conform to the laws of the state where the case was originally filed . Incorporation of life story into court show ( edit ) As a child and a teenager , Mathis was frequently in legal trouble . He was a member of a street gang in Detroit , and he was arrested and sentenced to jail for illegally carrying a firearm when he was 17 years old . Mathis has frequently used his courtroom series to highlight his troubled - youth - turned - success - story as a way of motivating and inspiring his audience ( especially youth audience ) that there 's no adversity that they ca n't pick themselves up from . It is from his background where Mathis derives much of his courtroom formula . For example , his show 's opening theme was formerly a brief documentary of his powerful life story . As another example , he takes a liking to litigants who 've seen the error of their ways and have made efforts to improve and better their lives . Judge gregory Mathis 's adjudicating approach ( edit ) Main article : Greg Mathis Mathis typically begins proceedings by having litigants expound on their side of the dispute , so as to gain insight into the matter . Cases on Judge Mathis tend to go deeper and to more revealing places than those of most other court shows . He also calls attention to peculiarities or juicy details exposed throughout the course of the proceedings as a means of making the cases more interesting to viewers . Furthermore , Mathis does n't hesitate to tackle any social issues that emerge during the proceedings , tying his social justice perspectives to the cases . While hearing the testimonies , Mathis takes on a relaxed , attentive , understanding and open - minded nature . Rarely missing an opportunity to jest or poke fun , Mathis is given to fun , humor , good - natured ridicule and gibes , often rousing his audience to uproarious amusement . He sometimes cuts the tension -- even tension he himself has fostered -- with wisecracks or taunting remarks . Mathis has bantered directly at audience members on occasion , also resulting in audience amusement . He uses a rather high - pitched voice as part of stultifying litigants and suggesting that they 've not recognized the obvious . Combined with his teasing and comedic tendencies on the bench , Mathis is known for his street smart , urban expressions and stern side as well . In moments in which Mathis has found a litigant guilty of a particularly reprehensible act , he takes on a very resentful nature along with lecturing and shaming behaviors . Sometimes in these moments , Mathis makes a point of solemnizing his courtroom due to prior laughs and lightheartedness , letting litigants and everyone on hand know that things are no longer a laughing matter and that he 's to be taken seriously . The final portion of most of the cases generally see Mathis displaying a harshly corrective side , providing an explanation behind the direction of his verdict in the form of a sharp tirade , unbroken in delivery so as not to allow anyone a word in edgewise before his gavel pound and exit . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` Judge Mathis Bio '' . Judgemathistv.warnerbros.com . September 11 , 2006 . Archived from the original on February 27 , 2012 . Retrieved September 9 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Judge Mathis website . Online at : `` About the Show '' Archived 2007 - 05 - 05 at the Wayback Machine ... Accessed May 8 , 2007 Jump up ^ Judge Mathis website . Online at : `` When its on '' . Accessed March 5 , 2011 Jump up ^ Omni Television . Ontario `` Judge Mathis '' Accessed May 8 , 2007 Jump up ^ `` Judge Mathis 1999 TV SHOW '' . TV Guide . Retrieved August 30 , 2015 . Jump up ^ The A to Z of African - American Television - Kathleen Fearn - Banks - Google Books . Books.google.com . Retrieved September 9 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Judge Mathis interview . Online at : `` Interview with the Judge Mathis '' Archived 2011 - 07 - 07 at the Wayback Machine ... Accessed March 5 , 2011 Jump up ^ http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/07/greg-mathis-judge-mathis-gang-gun-arrest-detroit/ ^ Jump up to : Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows : Factual and Fictional Series about ... - Hal Erickson - Google Books . Books.google.com . Retrieved September 9 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : Roger M. Grace ( October 2 , 2003 ) . `` Seven Courtroom Shows Appear on TV 's Fall Docket '' . Metnews.com . Retrieved September 9 , 2013 . Jump up ^ ( 1 ) External links ( edit ) Judge Mathis Episode Guide Judge Mathis on IMDb Ask Judge Mathis - Judge Mathis ' official website Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judge_Mathis&oldid=846594605 '' Categories : 1990s American television series 2000s American television series 2010s American television series 1999 American television series debuts First - run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by Warner Bros. Television Court shows Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September 2013 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Contents About Wikipedia Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 19 June 2018 , at 18 : 51 ( UTC ) . About Wikipedia


The Elf on the Shelf The Elf on the Shelf : A Christmas Tradition is a 2005 children 's picture book , written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell , and illustrated by Coë Steinwart . The book tells a Christmas - themed story , written in rhyme , that explains how Santa Claus knows who is naughty and who is nice . It describes elves visiting children between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve , after which they return to the North Pole until the next holiday season . The Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box that features a hardbound picture book and a small soft toy in the form of a pixie scout elf . Contents ( hide ) 1 Plot 2 History 2.1 Mensch on a Bench 3 Criticism 4 References 5 External links Plot ( edit ) This story describes how Santa 's `` scout elves '' hide in people 's homes to watch over events . Once everyone goes to bed , the scout elf flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa the activities , good and bad , that have taken place throughout the day . Before the family wakes up each morning , the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides . By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house , the scout elf plays an ongoing game of hide and seek with the family . The Elf on the Shelf explains that scout elves get their magic by being named and being loved by a child . In the back of each book , families have an opportunity to write their elf 's name and the date that they adopted it . Once the elf is named , the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic , which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole . The book tells how the magic might disappear if the scout elf is touched , so the rule for The Elf on the Shelf states , `` There 's only one rule that you have to follow , so I will come back and be here tomorrow : Please do not touch me . My magic might go , and Santa wo n't hear all I 've seen or I know . '' Although families are told not to touch their scout elf , they can speak to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes so that it can report back to Santa accurately . The story ends on Christmas Day with the elf leaving to stay with Santa for the rest of the year until the following Christmas season . History ( edit ) The Elf on the Shelf was written in 2004 by Carol Aebersold and daughter Chanda Bell over a cup of tea . Bell suggested they write a book about an old tradition of an elf sent from Santa who came to watch over them at Christmas time . Aebersold 's other daughter , Christa Pitts , was recruited by the family to share her expertise in sales and marketing . Together , the trio devoted the next three years promoting their self - published book and attending book signings and trade shows . The Elf on the Shelf won the Best Toy Award by Learning Express , won Book of the Year Award from Creative Child Awards and National Best Books Award sponsored by USA Book News in 2008 . In 2012 , The Elf on the Shelf made its first appearance in the Macy 's Thanksgiving Day Parade alongside fellow parade newcomers Hello Kitty and Papa Smurf . In 2013 , The Elf on the Shelf hit the # 1 spot on the USA Today Bestsellers List . On 26 November 2011 , the book aired on CBS as a 30 - minute animated TV show , An Elf 's Story : The Elf on the Shelf , directed by Chad Eikhoff . The Washington Post criticized the quality of the animation and dismissed it as `` just a half - hour advertisement for a book and a toy '' , which it felt would not join `` the canon of prime - time animated Christmas specials that actually move the spirit '' . Common Sense Media disagreed , calling the special `` a great addition to families ' holiday TV traditions '' ; however , they also warn parents about the consumer - driven nature of the story , and make note of its lack of educational value . In October 2013 , The Elf on the Shelf : A Birthday Tradition was released . Written and illustrated by the same team that created the first book , it offers instructions for inviting a scout elf to visit for a child 's birthday party and describes how the elf decorates a chair for the child . In April 2014 , two supplemental birthday products were released : The Elf on the Shelf Birthday Countdown Game and The Elf on the Shelf Birthday Chair Decoration Kit . The Elf on the Shelf was parodied as `` The Gnome in the Home '' in `` The Nightmare After Krustmas , '' a 2016 episode of The Simpsons . Mensch on a Bench ( edit ) A Jewish counterpart to Elf On The Shelf was created : `` Mensch on a Bench , '' a stuffed toy that looks a bit like a rabbi or a Hasidic Jew . Jewish father Neal Hoffman , a former Hasbro Toys toy marketing executive , raised more than $20,000 , using the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to fund creation of the toy in the Spring of 2011 . `` Mensch '' , in Yiddish , means a person of integrity or honor . Cody Decker , the starting left fielder for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic , brought the team 's mascot , a five - foot version of `` Mensch on a Bench , '' with him to Asia from the United States for the World Baseball Classic . Decker said he `` tried getting him a first - class ticket . But that did n't fly , so he was put in a duffel bag and checked . '' The mascot proved to be a big hit . He has his own locker , sits on Team Israel 's bench in the dugout during every game , and sat alongside Decker at a press conference in South Korea . Decker said : `` He 's a mascot , he 's a friend , he 's a teammate , he 's a borderline deity to our team ... He brings a lot to the table ... Every team needs their Jobu . He was ours . He had his own locker , and we even gave him offerings : Manischewitz , gelt , and gefilte fish ... He is everywhere and nowhere all at once . His actual location is irrelevant because he exists in higher metaphysical planes . But he 's always near . '' Team Israel Manager Jerry Weinstein said : `` He 's on the team . Everybody brings something to the team , and certainly The Mensch is a unifying factor for the ball club . '' Pitcher Gabe Cramer said : `` The Mensch on a Bench is ... a symbol we can rally around as a team . We are proud to be Jewish , but we know how to make and take a joke , something Jews have a long history of doing . The Mensch is a great way to have fun in the dugout while reminding us of why we 're here and who we 're representing . '' Criticism ( edit ) The Elf has received some criticism from cultural reviewers . The Atlantic columnist Kate Tuttle calls it `` a marketing juggernaut dressed up as a tradition '' whose purpose is `` to spy on kids '' and that one should n't `` bully your child into thinking that good behavior equals gifts . '' Washington Post reviewer Hank Stuever characterized the concept as `` just another nannycam in a nanny state obsessed with penal codes '' . Writing for Psychology Today , Dr. David Kyle Johnston calls it a `` dangerous parental crutch '' , with much the same reasoning as what he terms the `` Santa lie '' . Professor Laura Pinto suggests that it conditions kids to accept the surveillance state and that it communicates to children that `` it 's okay for other people to spy on you , and you 're not entitled to privacy . '' She argues that `` if you grow up thinking it 's cool for the elves to watch me and report back to Santa , well , then it 's cool for the NSA to watch me and report back to the government ... The rule of play is that kids get to interact with a doll or video game or what have you , but not so with the Elf on the Shelf : The rule is that you do n't touch the elf . Think about the message that sends . '' References ( edit ) Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived April 15 , 2014 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` An Elf 's Story '' . The Elf on the Shelf . Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 04 . ^ Jump up to : Hank Stuever ( November 24 , 2011 ) . `` CBS 's ' Elf on the Shelf ' : Unwarranted Christmas surveillance techniques '' . Washington Post . Retrieved August 25 , 2013 . Jump up ^ `` The Elf on the Shelf : An Elf 's Story '' . commonsensemedia.org . ^ Jump up to : `` Israel 's Mensch on the Bench mascot at World Baseball Classic , '' Newsday . ^ Jump up to : Meet Mensch On A Bench , Jewish Counterpart To Eldhdhshf On The Shelf : NPR Jump up ^ The Mensch On The Bench New York Post Jump up ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2867382/The-Elf-Shelf-competition-Introducing-Mensch-Bench-Hanukkahs-hilarious-answer-popular-Christmas-character.html Jump up ^ The Mensch on a Bench claims space on elf toy 's holiday turf - NY Daily News Jump up ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2014/12/11/the-mensch-on-a-bench-from-basement-to-big-box-and-now-shark-tank/#2d31052210da ^ Jump up to : `` Israel 's World Baseball Classic mascot : Mensch on a Bench , '' Yahoo . Jump up ^ `` With Mensch on Bench , Israel ready for Classic , '' mlb.com . ^ Jump up to : `` Dutch Players Take Leave From Spring Training For World Baseball Classic , '' NPR . Jump up ^ `` Mensch on a Bench , mascot of Israel baseball team , a hoot ahead of WBC , '' , The Times of Israel . ^ Jump up to : `` The best thing about Team Israel 's World Baseball Classic run is their delightful mascot , '' USA Today . Jump up ^ `` Israel 's suddenly the undefeated darling of the baseball world , '' The New York Post . Jump up ^ `` Team Israel scores another surprise baseball win -- with a Marin pitcher , '' J . Jump up ^ You 're a Creepy One , Elf on the Shelf in The Atlantic , December 6 , 2012 . Jump up ^ David Kyle Johnston , Let 's Bench the Elf on the Shelf . Psychology Today , December 19 , 2012 . Jump up ^ `` Who 's the Boss ? '' . Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives . Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 01 . Jump up ^ Craig Johnson , Does the Elf contribute to the surveillance state ? . HLNtv.com , December 1 , 2014 . Jump up ^ Kyle Olsen , Prof : ' Elf on the Shelf ' conditions kids to accept surveillance state . Education Action Group Foundation , Inc. , December 15 , 2014 . External links ( edit ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Elf on the Shelf . Official website Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Elf_on_the_Shelf&oldid=822403574 '' Categories : Elves in popular culture American children 's books 2005 children 's books Christmas children 's books Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Pages to import images to Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014 Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Simple English Edit links This page was last edited on 26 January 2018 , at 04 : 49 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . 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How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Win Friends and Influence People is a self - help book written by Dale Carnegie , published in 1936 . Over 30 million copies have been sold world - wide , making it one of the best - selling books of all time . In 2011 , it was number 19 on Time Magazine 's list of the 100 most influential books . In 1934 , Leon Shimkin of the publishing firm Simon & Schuster took one of Carnegie 's 14 - week courses ; afterward , Shimkin persuaded Carnegie to let a stenographer take notes from the course to be revised for publication . The original book contained colorful anecdotes and insightful wisdom , and gave instruction in handling people , `` winning '' friends , bringing people to your way of thinking , being a great leader , and successfully navigating home life . Carnegie combined age - old truisms with the emerging field of psychology to present a handbook in human relations which was interesting and accessible . Emphasizing using others ' egotistical tendencies to one 's advantage , Carnegie maintained that success could be found by charm , appreciation , and personality . The book sold exceptionally well from the start , going through 17 editions in its first year alone . In 1981 , a revised edition containing updated language and anecdotes was released . The revised edition reduced the number of sections from six to four , eliminating sections on effective business letters and improving marital satisfaction . In 2011 , a third edition was released , How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age . Written by Dale Carnegie & Associates , it applies Carnegie 's prescription for relationship and business success to the digital age . Contents ( hide ) 1 Major sections and points 1.1 Twelve Things This Book Will Do For You 1.2 Fundamental Techniques in Handling People 1.3 Six Ways to Make People Like You 1.4 Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking 1.5 Be a Leader : How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment 1.6 Letters That Produced Miraculous Results 1.7 Seven Rules For Making Your Home Life Happier 2 Origins 3 Reception 4 In popular culture 5 References 6 External links Major sections and points ( edit ) Twelve things this book will do for you ( edit ) This section was included in the original 1936 edition as a single page list , which preceded the main content of the book , showing a prospective reader what to expect from it . The 1981 edition omits points 6 to 8 , and 11 . Get you out of a mental rut , give you new thoughts , new visions , new ambitions . Enable you to make friends quickly and easily . Increase your popularity . Help you to win people to your way of thinking . Increase your influence , your prestige , your ability to get things done . Enable you to win new clients , new customers . Increase your earning power . Make you a better salesman , a better executive . Help you to handle complaints , avoid arguments , keep your human contacts smooth and pleasant . Make you a better speaker , a more entertaining conversationalist . Make the principles of psychology easy for you to apply in your daily contacts . Help you to arouse enthusiasm among your associates . The book has six major sections . The core principles of each section are explained and quoted from below . Fundamental techniques in handling people ( edit ) Do n't criticize , condemn , or complain . Human nature does not like to admit fault . When people are criticized or humiliated , they rarely respond well and will often become defensive and resent their critic . To handle people well , we must never criticize , condemn or complain because it will never result in the behavior we desire . Give honest and sincere appreciation . Appreciation is one of the most powerful tools in the world . People will rarely work at their maximum potential under criticism , but honest appreciation brings out their best . Appreciation , though , is not simple flattery , it must be sincere , meaningful and with love . Arouse in the other person an eager want . To get what we want from another person , we must forget our own perspective and begin to see things from the point of view of others . When we can combine our desires with their wants , they become eager to work with us and we can mutually achieve our objectives . Six ways to make people like you ( edit ) Become genuinely interested in other people . `` You can make more friends in two months by being interested in them , than in two years by making them interested in you . '' The only way to make quality , lasting friendships is to learn to be genuinely interested in them and their interests . Smile . Happiness does not depend on outside circumstances , but rather on inward attitudes . Smiles are free to give and have an amazing ability to make others feel wonderful . Smile in everything that you do . Remember that a person 's name is , to that person , the sweetest and most important sound in any language . `` The average person is more interested in their own name than in all the other names in the world put together . '' People love their names so much that they will often donate large amounts of money just to have a building named after themselves . We can make people feel extremely valued and important by remembering their name . Be a good listener . Encourage others to talk about themselves . The easiest way to become a good conversationalist is to become a good listener . To be a good listener , we must actually care about what people have to say . Many times people do n't want an entertaining conversation partner ; they just want someone who will listen to them . Talk in terms of the other person 's interest . The royal road to a person 's heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most . If we talk to people about what they are interested in , they will feel valued and value us in return . Make the other person feel important -- and do it sincerely . The golden rule is to treat other people how we would like to be treated . We love to feel important and so does everyone else . People will talk to us for hours if we allow them to talk about themselves . If we can make people feel important in a sincere and appreciative way , then we will win all the friends we could ever dream of . Twelve ways to Win people to your way of thinking ( edit ) The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it . Whenever we argue with someone , no matter if we win or lose the argument , we still lose . The other person will either feel humiliated or strengthened and will only seek to bolster their own position . We must try to avoid arguments whenever we can . Show respect for the other person 's opinions . Never say `` You 're wrong . '' We must never tell people flat out that they are wrong . It will only serve to offend them and insult their pride . No one likes to be humiliated , we must not be so blunt . If you 're wrong , admit it quickly and emphatically . Whenever we are wrong we should admit it immediately . When we fight we never get enough , but by yielding we often get more than we expected . When we admit that we are wrong people trust us and begin to sympathize with our way of thinking . Begin in a friendly way . `` A drop of honey can catch more flies than a gallon of gall . '' If we begin our interactions with others in a friendly way , people will be more receptive . Even if we are greatly upset , we must be friendly to influence people to our way of thinking . Start with questions to which the other person will answer yes . Do not begin by emphasizing the aspects in which we and the other person differ . Begin by emphasizing and continue emphasizing the things on which we agree . People must be started in the affirmative direction and they will often follow readily . Never tell someone they are wrong , but rather lead them where we would like them to go with questions that they will answer `` yes '' to . Let the other person do a great deal of the talking . People do not like listening to us boast , they enjoy doing the talking themselves . Let them rationalize and talk about the idea , because it will taste much sweeter to them in their own mouth . Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers . People inherently like ideas they come to on their own better than those that are handed to them on a platter . Ideas can best be carried out by allowing others to think they arrived at it themselves . Try honestly to see things from the other person 's point of view . Other people may often be wrong , but we can not condemn them . We must seek to understand them . Success in dealing with people requires a sympathetic grasp of the other person 's viewpoint . Be sympathetic with the other person 's ideas and desires . People are hungering for sympathy . They want us to recognize all that they desire and feel . If we can sympathize with others , they will appreciate our side as well and will often come around to our way of thinking . Appeal to the nobler motives . Everyone likes to be glorious in their own eyes . People believe that they do things for noble and morally upright reasons . If we can appeal to others ' noble motives we can successfully convince them to follow our ideas . Dramatize your ideas . In this fast paced world , simply stating a truth is n't enough . The truth must be made vivid , interesting , and dramatic . Television has been doing it for years . Sometimes ideas are not enough and we must dramatize them . Throw down a challenge . The thing that most motivates people is the game . Everyone desires to excel and prove their worth . If we want someone to do something , we must give them a challenge and they will often rise to meet it . Be a leader : How to change people without giving offense or arousing resentment ( edit ) Begin with praise and honest appreciation . People will do things begrudgingly for criticism and an iron - fisted leader , but they will work wonders when they are praised and appreciated . Call attention to people 's mistakes indirectly . No one likes to make mistakes , especially in front of others . Scolding and blaming only serves to humiliate . If we subtly and indirectly show people mistakes , they will appreciate us and be more likely to improve . Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person . When something goes wrong , taking responsibility can help win others to your side . People do not like to shoulder all the blame and taking credit for mistakes helps to remove the sting from our critiques of others . Ask questions instead of giving direct orders . No one likes to take orders . If we offer suggestions , rather than orders , it will boost others confidence and allow them to learn quickly from their mistakes . Let the other person save face . Nothing diminishes the dignity of a man quite like an insult to his pride . If we do n't condemn our employees in front of others and allow them to save face , they will be motivated to do better in the future and confident that they can . Praise every improvement . People love to receive praise and admiration . If we truly want someone to improve at something , we must praise their every advance . `` Abilities wither under criticism , they blossom under encouragement . '' Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to . If we give people a great reputation to live up to , they will desire to embody the characteristics with which we have described them . People will work with vigor and confidence if they believe they can be better . Use encouragement . Make the fault seem easy to correct . If a desired outcome seems like a momentous task , people will give up and lose heart . But if a fault seems easy to correct , they will readily jump at the opportunity to improve . If we frame objectives as small and easy improvements , we will see dramatic increases in desire and success in our employees . Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest . People will most often respond well when they desire to do the behavior put forth . If we want to influence people and become effective leaders , we must learn to frame our desires in terms of others ' desires . Letters that produced miraculous results ( edit ) This section was included in the original 1936 edition but omitted from the revised 1981 edition . In this chapter , the shortest in the book , Carnegie analyzes two letters and describes how to appeal to someone with the term `` do me a favor '' as opposed to directly asking for something which does not offer the same feeling of importance to the recipient of the request . Seven rules for making your home life happier ( edit ) This section was included in the original 1936 edition but omitted from the revised 1981 edition . Do n't nag . Do n't try to make your partner over . Do n't criticize . Give honest appreciation . Pay little attentions . Be courteous . Read a good book on the sexual side of marriage . Origins ( edit ) Before How to Win Friends and Influence People was released , the genre of self - help books had an ample heritage . Authors such as Napoleon Hill , Orison Swett Marden , and Samuel Smiles had enormous success with their self - help books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries . Dale Carnegie began his career not as a writer , but as a teacher of public speaking . He started out teaching night classes at a YMCA in New York and his classes became wildly popular and highly attended . The success of the classes in New York prompted YMCAs in Philadelphia and Baltimore to begin hosting the course as well . After even greater success , Carnegie decided to begin teaching the courses on his own at hotels in London , Paris , New York , Boston , Philadelphia , and Baltimore . Because he could not find any satisfactory handbook already in publication , Carnegie originally began writing small booklets to go along with his courses . After one of his 14 - week courses , he was approached by publisher Leon Shimkin of the publishing house Simon & Schuster . Shimkin urged Carnegie to write a book , but he was not initially persuaded . Shimken then hired a stenographer to type up what he heard in one of Carnegie 's long lectures and presented the transcript to Carnegie . Dale Carnegie liked the transcript so much he decided to edit and revise it into a final form . He wanted it to be extremely practical and interesting to read . To market the book , Shimkin decided to send 500 copies of the book to former graduates of the Dale Carnegie Course , with a note that pointed out the utility of the book for refreshing students with the advice they had learned . The 500 mailed copies brought orders for over 5,000 more copies of the book and Simon & Schuster had to increase the original print order of 1,200 quickly . Shimkin also ran a full page ad in the New York Times complete with quotes by Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller on the importance of human relations . Originally published in November 1936 , the book reached the New York Times best - seller list by the end of the year , and did not fall off for the next two years . Simon & Schuster continued to advertise the book relying heavily on testimonials as well as the testable approach the book offered . Carnegie had created a new kind of book , one that was not read with passive interest , but rather a manual of active participation . Reception ( edit ) How to Win Friends and Influence People became one of the most successful books in American history . It went through 17 print editions in its first year of publishing and sold 250,000 copies in the first three months . The book has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since and annually sells in excess of 100,000 copies . A recent Library of Congress survey ranked Carnegie 's volume as the seventh most influential book in American history . The book met widespread popularity , but also stark criticism in many cases . Despite many of the negative comments from his critics , Carnegie 's book established a new genre . Carnegie described his book as an `` action - book '' but the category he created has since become known as the self - help genre . Almost every self - help book since has borrowed some type of style or form from Carnegie 's `` path - breaking best seller . '' Although How to Win Friends and Influence People ascended quickly on best - seller lists , the New York Times did not review it until February 1937 . They offered a balanced critique arguing that Carnegie indeed offered insightful advice in dealing with people , but that his wisdom was extremely simple and should not overrule the foundation of actual knowledge . The satirical writer Sinclair Lewis waited a year to offer his scathing critique . He described Carnegie 's method as teaching people to `` smile and bob and pretend to be interested in other people 's hobbies precisely so that you may screw things out of them . '' However , despite the criticism , sales continued to soar and the book was talked about and reviewed as it rapidly became mainstream . Scholarly critique however , was little and oscillated over time . Due to the book 's lay appeal , it was not significantly discussed in academic journals . In the early stages of the book 's life , the few scholarly reviews that were written explained the contents of the book and attempted to describe what made the book popular . As time passed however , scholarly reviews became more critical , chiding Carnegie for being insincere and manipulative . Despite the lack of attention in academic circles , How to Win Friends and Influence People was written for a popular audience and Carnegie successfully captured the attention of his target . The book experienced mass consumption and appeared in many popular periodicals , including garnering 10 pages in the January 1937 edition of Reader 's Digest . The book continued to remain at the top of best - seller lists and was even noted in the New York Times to have been extremely successful in Nazi Germany , much to the writer 's bewilderment . He wrote that Carnegie would rate `` butter higher than guns as a means of winning friends '' something `` diametrically opposite to the official German view . '' How to Win Friends and Influence People continues to have success even into the 21st century . The book ranks as the 11th highest selling non-fiction book on Amazon of all time and shows no signs of slowing down . In popular culture ( edit ) Warren Buffett took the Dale Carnegie course `` How to Win Friends and Influence People '' when he was 20 years old , and to this day has the diploma in his office . Charles Manson used what he learned from the book in prison to manipulate women into killing on his behalf . The title of Lenny Bruce 's autobiography , How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is a parody of the title of this book . English rock band Terrorvision titled their second album How to Make Friends and Influence People in reference to the book . In August 2015 , the book was featured on Showtime 's Masters of Sex , with portions recited in a voiceover as a main character studies the text . The title of Toby Young 's memoir How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a parody of the title of this book . The memoir was also adapted into a 2008 film of the same name starring Simon Pegg . An episode from season 7 of Cheers is called `` How to Win Friends and Electrocute People '' as a play on the title of the book . Season 7 episode 9 of Supernatural is titled `` How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters '' , in reference to the title of the book . Season 2 episode 3 of Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is titled `` Making Friends and Influencing People '' , in reference to this book . It aired October 7th , 2014 . The book is referenced in the 2016 film Imperium , in which an undercover FBI agent uses principles from the book to infiltrate an extremist group . In the November 2 , 2017 episode of Young Sheldon , `` Rockets , Communists , and the Dewey Decimal System '' , Sheldon reads the book and attempts to apply its advice . The book is said to have greatly influenced the life of television and film actress Donna Reed . It was given to her by her high school chemistry teacher Edward Tompkins to read as a sophomore at Denison ( Iowa ) High School in 1936 . Upon reading it she won the lead in the school play , was voted Campus Queen and was in the top 10 of the 1938 graduating class . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age '' . Dalecarnegie.com. 2011 . Retrieved March 28 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Walters , Ray ( September 5 , 1982 ) . `` Paperback Talk '' . New York Times . Retrieved April 7 , 2008 . Jump up ^ Each section is a paraphrase of the main ideas written and developed by Dale Carnegie . Dale Carnegie , How to Win Friends and Influence People ( Gallery : New York , 1998 ) . Jump up ^ Dale Carnegie , How to Win Friends and Influence People ( Gallery : New York , 1998 ) 52 . Jump up ^ Dale Carnegie . How to Win Friends and Influence People ( New York : Gallery , 1998 ) 73 . Jump up ^ Dale Carnegie . How to Win Friends and Influence People ( New York : Gallery , 1998 ) 143 . Jump up ^ Dale Carnegie , How to Win Friends and Influence People New York : Gallery , 1998 . 220 . Jump up ^ Lowell Thomas , Shortcut to Distinction Introduction to How to Win Friends and Influence People . ( New York : Gallery , 1998 ) 103 . Jump up ^ Steven Watts , Self - Help Messiah ( New York : Other , 2013 ) Jump up ^ Korda , Michael ( 1999 ) . Another Life : A Memoir of Other People . Random House . p. 149 . ISBN 9780679456599 . It was not for nothing that Shimkin had been the discoverer of Dale Carnegie , whose lectures he had attended with results that changed both Carnigie 's life and his own : How to Win Friends and Influence People became the biggest best - seller in S&S 's history . Jump up ^ Silverman , Al ( 2008 ) . The Time of Their Lives : The Golden Age of Great American Book Publishers , Their Editors , and Authors . Truman Talley . pp. 252 -- 254 . ISBN 978 - 0312 - 35003 - 1 . Jump up ^ Giles , Kemp . Dale Carnegie ( New York : St. Martin 's , 1989 ) 137 -- 141 ^ Jump up to : Giles , Kemp . Dale Carnegie ( New York : St. Martin 's , 1989 ) 141 . Jump up ^ Giles , Kemp . Dale Carnegie ( New York : St. Martin 's , 1989 ) 142 . ^ Jump up to : Display ad 42 -- no title . ( 1936 , Dec 07 ) . New York Times ( 1923 -- Current File ) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/101624338 Jump up ^ Steven Watts , Self - Help Messiah ( New York : Other , 2013 ) 2 -- 4 Jump up ^ Giles , Kemp . Dale Carnegie ( New York : St. Martin 's , 1989 ) 147 . Jump up ^ `` Miscellaneous Brief Reviews . '' 1937 . New York Times ( 1923 -- Current File ) , Feb 14 , 104 . http://search.proquest.com/docview/101971502 Jump up ^ Sinclair Lewis , quoted in Tom Sant , The Giants of Sales . ( New York : AMACOM , 2006 ) 96 . Jump up ^ Giles , Kemp . Dale Carnegie ( New York : St. Martin 's , 1989 ) 152 . Jump up ^ Symons , A.E. 1937 . The Australian Quarterly , 9 ( 3 ) . Australian Institute of Policy and Science : 115 -- 16 . doi : 10.2307 / 20629470 Jump up ^ Parker , Gail Thain. 1977 . `` How to Win Friends and Influence People : Dale Carnegie and the Problem of Sincerity '' . American Quarterly 29 ( 5 ) . Johns Hopkins University Press : 506 -- 18 . doi : 10.2307 / 2712571 Jump up ^ Display ad 49 -- no title . ( 1937 , Jan 25 ) . New York Times ( 1923 -- Current File ) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/102017737 Jump up ^ `` Books and Authors . '' 1940 . New York Times ( 1923 -- Current File ) , Dec 29 , 1 . http://search.proquest.com/docview/105230738 Jump up ^ `` Amazon.com : Top 20 Lists in Books : Books '' . Jump up ^ Lasson , Sally Ann ( February 16 , 2009 ) . `` Warren Buffet : The secret of the billionaire 's success '' . The Independent . Retrieved April 8 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Brady , Diane ( July 22 , 2013 ) . `` Charles Manson 's turning point : Dale Carnegie classes '' . Business Week . Retrieved October 23 , 2013 . Jump up ^ `` 75 - year history of Broadway Elementary building celebrated '' . Denison Bulletin - Review . March 20 , 2012 . Retrieved April 9 , 2017 . External links ( edit ) How to Win Friends and Influence People : Google Books Dale Carnegie : Secrets of Success ( PDF ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People&oldid=821766594 '' Categories : 1936 books Self - help books Books about friendship Books by Dale Carnegie Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from June 2011 Pages to import images to Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Español فارسی Français Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Lietuvių Bahasa Melayu 日本 語 Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 22 January 2018 , at 14 : 25 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia