Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor Khan (pronounced [kəˈriːnaː kəˈpuːr]; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas—Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, and is one of Bollywood's most popular and highest-paid actresses. 

After making her acting debut in the 2000 war film Refugee, Kapoor established herself with roles in the historical drama Aśoka and the melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (both 2001). This initial success was followed by a series of commercial failures and repetitive roles, which garnered her negative reviews. The year 2004 marked a turning point for Kapoor when she played against type in the role of a sex worker in the drama Chameli. She subsequently earned critical recognition for her portrayal of a riot victim in the 2004 drama Dev and a character based on William Shakespeare's heroine Desdemona in the 2006 crime film Omkara. Further praise came for her performances in the romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007), the thrillers Kurbaan (2009) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), and the dramas We Are Family (2010), Heroine (2012) and Udta Punjab (2016). Her highest-grossing releases include the action film Singham Returns (2014), the comedy Good Newwz (2019), and the dramas 3 Idiots (2009), Bodyguard (2011) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015).

Married to actor Saif Ali Khan, with whom she has a son, Kapoor's off-screen life is the subject of widespread coverage in India. She has a reputation for being outspoken and assertive, and is recognised for her contributions to the film industry through her fashion style and film roles. In addition to film acting, Kapoor participates in stage shows, hosts a radio show and has contributed as a co-writer to three books: an autobiographical memoir and two nutrition guides. She has started her own line of clothing and cosmetics for women, and has worked with UNICEF since 2014 to advocate for the education of girls and an increase in quality based education in India.

Born on 21 September 1980  in Bombay (now Mumbai), Kapoor (often informally referred to as 'Bebo')  is the younger daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. She is the paternal granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, maternal granddaughter of actor Hari Shivdasani, and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.  She is of Punjabi descent on her father's side,  and on her mother's side she is of Sindhi and British descent. 

Describing herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting;  she was particularly inspired by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.  Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.  This led to a conflict between her parents, and they separated.  She was then raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.  After living separately for several years, her parents reconciled in October 2007.  Kapoor remarked, "My father is also an important factor in my life  [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now." 

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun.  She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience.  According to Kapoor, she wasn't inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes except mathematics. Upon graduating from Welham, she returned to Mumbai and studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College.  Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard Summer School in the United States  She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at the Government Law College, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading.  However, after completing her first year, she decided to pursue her interest in acting, though she later regretted not having completed her education.  She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). 

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareena_Kapoor

 UCAS

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS /ˈjuːkæs/) is a UK-based organisation whose main role is to operate the application process for British universities. It operates as an independent charity, funded by fees charged to applicants and to universities, plus advertising income, and was formed in 1992 through the merger of the former university admissions system UCCA and the former polytechnics admissions system PCAS.

Services provided by UCAS include several online application portals, a number of search tools and free information and advice directed at various audiences, including students considering higher education, students with pending applications to higher education institutes, parents and legal guardians of applicants, school and further education college staff involved in helping students apply and providers of higher education (universities and HE colleges).

While UCAS is best known for its undergraduate application service (the main UCAS scheme), it also operates a number of other admissions services:

UCAS Conservatoires - application and search service for performing arts at a UK conservatoire

UCAS Teacher Training (UTT) – for postgraduate teacher training schemes

UCAS Postgraduate – application and search facility for some postgraduate courses

UCAS was formed in 1992 by the merger of Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) and Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS) and the name UCAS is a contraction of the former acronyms UCCA and PCAS. An early proposal was made for the new merged body to be called PUCCA (Polytechnics and Universities Central Council on Admissions), but this was never adopted. 

UCCA was the older of the two bodies, having been formed in 1961 to provide a clearing house for university applications in the United Kingdom. It was created in response to concerns during the 1950s that the increase in University applications was unmanageable using the systems then in place, where each student applied individually to as many institutions as they chose. This concern led to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) setting up an ad hoc committee in 1957 to review the matter; this committee in its Third Report of January 1961 recommended the setting up of a central agency, which subsequently became known as UCCA. Its First and Second Reports had already made a number of recommendations aimed at harmonising admissions procedures across different universities. 

The name UCCA referred originally to the management board (the Central Council) overseeing the new process, but soon came to refer to the organisation responsible for its day-to-day operation. This was based initially in London, and moved to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1968. The new scheme had a pilot year handling a subset of applications for entry in 1963, and its first full year of operation handled admissions for 1964. 

The scheme was essentially a collaborative venture between independent universities, and membership was voluntary. Most English universities joined from the start. Oxford and Cambridge joined (with slightly modified procedures) for the 1966 entry; the London medical and dental schools, as well as Belfast and Stirling for 1967. In 1965 UCCA handled 80,033 applicants, rising to 114,289 in 1969. The acceptance rate of UCCA applicants by universities in 1969 stood at just over 50%. 

Initially, processing of applications was carried out using punched card technology. In 1964, UCCA started using the services of a computer bureau with a Univac machine; in 1967 it installed its own Univac computer.

Although the polytechnics were degree-teaching institutions, through the CNAA awards system, they were not eligible for admission to UCCA as it was reserved only for universities with degree awarding powers. Despite this the Polytechnics were involved as early as 1972 in discussions with UCCA and the Central Register and Clearing House about the possible future shape of one or more admissions systems.  At this stage applicants dealt directly with each individual polytechnic and the polytechnics themselves were strongly regional or local in their appeal. A study in 1977 found that between sixty and seventy per cent of those admitted to a polytechnic had applied to that institution only, and that forty per cent of admissions to polytechnics resulted from applications made in August or September of the year of entry. 

In 1983 the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics began negotiations with UCCA to share its computing, technical and office facilities in Cheltenham to establish a course entrance system, based on the existing model used by UCCA.[8] A grant of £210,000, from the British Department for Education and Science, was awarded to set up a new unified admissions system, provisionally called PUCCA.  However, instead of a unified system for both the universities and polytechnics a separate system for polytechnics emerged from the negotiations, modelled on UCCA, but known as PCAS. Applicants to courses were given the option to apply separately for universities or polytechnics, or for both.

The PCAS system came into effect in 1985.  It was led by its first Chief Executive, Tony Higgins,  and in the first year it handled around 140,000 applications to polytechnic courses, of whom 40,000 a year went on to study at polytechnics. 

Although many polytechnics offered art and design programmes, and some also offered teacher training courses, these admissions systems remained outside PCAS.  Art and Design admissions worked to a later timetable as a result of the role Art Foundation courses had in developing a student's proposed specialism (painting, sculpture, graphic design and so on). Work was furthermore generally submitted before a decision was made on whether to interview. However means of absorbing the Art and Design Admissions Registry into UCAS were found by 1996. 

Although the aim to create a unified application system for universities and polytechnics was not achieved in 1985, the Chief Executive of PCAS, Tony Higgins, continued to push for the merger of PCAS with UCCA.[10] In 1992, following the change of status and name of most polytechnics to universities,  the two bodies combined under Higgins's leadership.  Initially the application form was branded jointly UCCA/PCAS, but in 1994 the new merged body was officially renamed UCAS. 

In 2015, the Amsterdam Fashion Academy became the first non-UK educational establishment admitted to UCAS

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCAS

 Air conditioning

is the process of removing heat and moisture from the interior of an occupied space to improve the comfort of occupants. Air conditioning can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. This process is most commonly used to achieve a more comfortable interior environment, typically for humans and other animals; however, air conditioning is also used to cool and dehumidify rooms filled with heat-producing electronic devices, such as computer servers, power amplifiers, and to display and store some delicate products, such as artwork.

Air conditioners often use a fan to distribute the conditioned air to an enclosed space such as a building or a car to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Electric refrigerant-based AC units range from small units that can cool a small bedroom, which can be carried by a single adult, to massive units installed on the roof of office towers that can cool an entire building. The cooling is typically achieved through a refrigeration cycle, but sometimes evaporation or free cooling is used. Air conditioning systems can also be made based on desiccants (chemicals which remove moisture from the air). Some AC systems reject or store heat in subterranean pipes. 

In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to as HVAC.  As of 2018, 1.5 billion air conditioning units were installed, with the International Energy Agency expecting 5.6 billion units in use by 2050.  Globally, current air conditioning accounts for 1/5 of energy usage in buildings globally, and the expected growth of the usage of air conditioning, will drive significant energy demand growth.  In response to, in 2018 the United Nations called for the technology to be made more sustainable to mitigate climate change 

Since prehistoric times, snow and ice were used for cooling. The business of harvesting ice during winter and storing for use in summer became popular towards the late 17th century. This practice was replaced by mechanical ice-making machines.

The basic concept behind air conditioning is said to have been applied in ancient Egypt, where reeds were hung in windows and were moistened with trickling water. The evaporation of water cooled the air blowing through the window. This process also made the air more humid, which can be beneficial in a dry desert climate. Other techniques in medieval Persia involved the use of cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season. 

The 2nd-century Chinese mechanical engineer and inventor Ding Huan of the Han Dynasty invented a rotary fan for air conditioning, with seven wheels 3 m (10 ft) in diameter and manually powered by prisoners.[9] In 747, Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712–762) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) had the Cool Hall (Liang Dian 涼殿) built in the imperial palace, which the Tang Yulin describes as having water-powered fan wheels for air conditioning as well as rising jet streams of water from fountains. During the subsequent Song Dynasty (960–1279), written sources mentioned the air conditioning rotary fan as even more widely used. 

In the 17th century, the Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel demonstrated "Turning Summer into Winter" as an early form of modern air conditioning for James I of England by adding salt to water

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning

 إد شيران

إدوارد كريستوفر شيران (بالإنجليزية: Edward Christopher Sheeran)‏ ويُعرف أكثر باسمه الفني إد شيران (بالإنجليزية: Ed Sheeran)‏ هو مغن مؤلف، وعازف قيثارة، ومنتج أغاني، وممثل إنجليزي. ولد شيران في 17 فبراير 1991 في هاليفاكس، غرب يوركشير، إنجلترا، ونشأ في فراملينغهام، سوفولك، إنجلترا. التحق بأكاديمية الموسيقى المعاصرة في غلدفورد كطالب جامعي في سن 18 عام 2009. وفي أوائل عام 2011 أصدر شيران بشكل مستقل الأسطوانة المطولة المشروع التعاوني رقم 5.

بعد توقيعه مع شركة (بالإنجليزية: Asylum Records)‏ تم إصدار أول ألبوم له + (زائد) في سبتمبر 2011. وتصدر الألبوم القوائم البريطانية والأسترالية، ووصل إلي المرتبة الخامسة في الولايات المتحدة. ومنذ ذلك الحين حصل علي الشهادة البلاتينية سبع مرات في المملكة المتحدة. يحتوي الألبوم علي الأغنية المنفردة الفريق A، التي أكسبته جائزة (بالإنجليزية: Ivor Novello)‏ لأفضل أغنية موسيقيا وككلمات. في عام 2012 فاز شيران بجائزة بريت لأفضل فنان بريطاني منفرد من الذكور وكذلك أفضل فنان بريطاني صاعد. تم ترشيح الفريق A لأغنية العام في حفل توزيع جوائز غرامي لعام 2013، حيث قام بأداء الأغنية مع إلتون جون.

تم إصدار ألبومه الثاني x (ضرب) في يونيو 2014. وقد وصل في ذروته إلي المرتبة الأولي في المملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة. في عام 2015 حاز ألبوم x علي جائزة بريت لألبوم العام، وحصل علي جائزة (بالإنجليزية: Ivor Novello)‏ لأغنية السنة من الأكاديمية البريطانية لكتاب الأغاني والملحنين والمؤلفين. أعطته أغنيته المنفردة من نفس الألبوم التفكير بصوت عال جائزتي غرامي في حفل 2016: أغنية السنة وأفضل أداء بوب منفرد. في مايو 2016، كان x ثاني الألبومات الأكثر مبيعا في جميع أنحاء العالم لعام 2015.

تم إصدار الألبوم الثالث لشيران ÷ (قسمة) في مارس 2017. ظهر الألبوم في المرتبة الأولي في المملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة والأسواق الرئيسية الأخري. تم إصدار أول أغنيتين فرديتين من الألبوم: شكلك، وقلعة علي التل في يناير 2017 وكسرتا الرقم القياسي في عدد من البلدان، بما في ذلك المملكة المتحدة وأستراليا وألمانيا، عن طريق الظهور لأول مرة في المركزين الأول أو الثاني في كل من هذة البلدان. كما أصبح أول فنان لديه اثنين من الأغاني تحتل أحد المراكز العشرة الأولي في الولايات المتحدة في نفس الأسبوع. بحلول مارس 2017 كان لشيران عشرة أغاني فردية من ألبوم ÷ تحتل أحد المراكز العشرة الأولي علي تصنيف المملكة المتحدة للأغاني المنفردة محطما الرقم القياسي لعدد الأغاني من ألبوم واحد ضمن العشرة الأوائل في المملكة المتحدة. وصلت أغنيته الفردية الرابعة من ألبوم ÷ مثالي إلي المركز الأول في المملكة المتحدة وأستراليا، في حين وصلت أغنية مثالي الثنائية، وهي النسخة الصوتية التي تظهر بها بيونسيه، إلي المرتبة الأولي في الولايات المتحدة. في أبريل 2018 تم اختيار ÷ كأفضل ألبوم مبيعا في جميع أنحاء العالم لعام 2017. صُدر في عام 2019 ألبومه الاستوديو الرابع المشروع التعاوني رقم 6، وظهر لأول مرة في أعلي لوائح المملكة المتحدة، والولايات المتحدة.

باع شيران أكثر من 26 مليون ألبوم و100 مليون أغنية فردية في جميع أنحاء العالم، مما جعله واحدا من أفضل الفنانين الموسيقيين مبيعا في العالم. توجد اثنان من ألبوماته في قائمة الألبومات الأكثر مبيعا في تاريخ المملكة المتحدة: x (الترتيب: 20)، و÷ (الترتيب: 34). كممثل قام شيران بتصوير عدة أدوار في ذهابا وإيابا، كما ظهر كجندي في صراع العروش، وذكر أنه سيظهر في فيلم ريتشارد كورتيس/داني بويل أمس.

ولد شيران في هاليفاكس في 17 فبراير 1991. عندما كان طفلا انتقل مع عائلته من هيبدين بردج إلي فراملينغهام، في سوفولك. لديه أخ أكبر منه يُدعي ماثيو، والذي يعمل كملحن. والدا شيران جون وإيموجين من لندن. أجداده من ناحية الأب أيرلنديون، وقد ذكر شيران أن والده من أسرة كاثوليكية. جون محاضر، وإيموجين كانت تعمل في الدعاية وتحولت إلي مصممة مجوهرات. أدار والدا شيران شركة "(بالإنجليزية: Sheeran Lock)‏" (وهي شركة استشارات فنية) في الفترة من 1990 إلي 2010.

غنى شيران في كنيسة محلية منذ سن الرابعة، وتعلم العزف علي القيثارة أثناء وقته في تعلم اللغة الألمانية في مدرسة (بالإنجليزية: Rishworth)‏، وبدأ في كتابة الأغاني في حين كان في مدرسة (بالإنجليزية: Thomas Mills)‏ الثانوية في فراملينغهام. تم قبوله في مسرح الشباب الوطني في لندن وهو في سن المراهقة. ودرس شيران دروس لتنمية الفنان. شيران هو ابن العم الثاني للمذيع الأيرلندي الشمالي غوردون بيرنز، الذي قدم البرنامج البريطاني (بالإنجليزية: The Krypton Factor)‏. واجه شيران محطات من الفشل في حياته المبكرة قبل أن يمتهن صناعة الموسيقى، ففي أثناء دراسته في أكاديمية الموسيقى المعاصرة في الفترة 2009–2010 لم ينجح في 6 مقررات دراسية، من ضمنها إعداد الموسيقى، وصناعة الأغاني، والموسيقى الإحترافية. وبعدها بعام ذاعت شهرته مع إطلاقه أول أغانيه الفريق A.

مراجع

https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A5%D8%AF_%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86

 Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher Sheeran MBE (/ˈʃɪərən/; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project. After signing with Asylum Records, his debut album, + (pronounced "plus"), was released in September 2011 and topped the UK Albums Chart. It contained his first hit single "The A Team". In 2012, Sheeran won the Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

Sheeran's second studio album, × (pronounced "multiply"), was released in June 2014. It was named the second-best-selling album worldwide of 2015. In the same year, × won Album of the Year at the 2015 Brit Awards, and he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. A single from ×, "Thinking Out Loud", earned him the 2016 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. Sheeran's third album, ÷ (pronounced "divide"), was released in March 2017, and was the best-selling album worldwide of 2017. The first two singles from the album, "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill", broke records in a number of countries by debuting in the top two positions of the charts. He also became the first artist to have two songs debut in the US top 10 in the same week. By March 2017, Sheeran had accumulated ten top 10 singles from ÷ on the UK Singles Chart, breaking the record for most top 10 UK singles from one album. His fourth single from ÷, "Perfect", reached number one in the US, Australia and the UK, where it became the Christmas number one in 2017. The world’s best-selling artist of 2017, he was named the Global Recording Artist of the Year. Released in 2019, his fourth studio album No.6 Collaborations Project debuted at number one in most major markets, and spawned three UK number one singles, "I Don't Care", "Beautiful People" and "Take Me Back to London".

Sheeran has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.  He has 84.5 million RIAA-certified units in the US,  and two of his albums are in the list of the best-selling albums in UK chart history: x at number 20, and ÷ at number 34. In December 2019, the Official Charts Company named him artist of the decade, with the most combined success in the UK album and singles charts in the 2010s.  Globally, Spotify named him the second most streamed artist of the decade.  Beginning in March 2017, his ÷ Tour became the highest-grossing of all time in August 2019. An alumnus of the National Youth Theatre in London, as an actor Sheeran’s roles include appearing in the 2019 film Yesterday.

Edward Christopher Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England on 17 February 1991.  His early childhood home was on Birchcliffe Road in nearby Hebden Bridge.  His father was a curator at Cartwright Hall in Bradford and his mother worked at Manchester City Art Gallery.  In December 1995 he moved with his family from Hebden Bridge to Framlingham in Suffolk. He has an older brother named Matthew, who works as a composer.  Sheeran's parents, John and Imogen, are from London. His paternal grandparents are Irish,  and Sheeran has stated that his father is from a "very large" Catholic family.  John is an art curator and lecturer, and Imogen is a culture publicist turned jewellery designer. His parents ran Sheeran Lock, an independent art consultancy, from 1990 to 2010. 

Sheeran sang at a local church choir at the age of four, learned how to play the guitar at age eleven,  and began writing songs while at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham.  A 2004 school report described him as a "natural performer", and his classmates also voted him "most likely to be famous".  He was accepted at the National Youth Theatre in London as a teenager.  He successfully auditioned for Youth Music Theatre UK in 2007 and joined their production of Frankenstein in Plymouth.  He is a patron of Youth Music Theatre UK (now renamed British Youth Music Theatre)  and of Access to Music, where he studied Artist Development.  Sheeran is a second cousin of Northern Irish broadcaster Gordon Burns, who hosted the British game show The Krypton Factor

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran

 Recession

In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity.  Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various events, such as a financial crisis, an external trade shock, an adverse supply shock, the bursting of an economic bubble, or a large-scale natural or anthropogenic disaster (e.g. a pandemic). In the United States, it is defined as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the market, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales".  In the United Kingdom, it is defined as a negative economic growth for two consecutive quarters.  

Governments usually respond to recessions by adopting expansionary macroeconomic policies, such as increasing money supply or increasing government spending and decreasing taxation.

Put simply, a recession is the decline of economic activity, which means that the public have stopped buying products for a while which can cause the downfall of GDP after a period of economic expansion (a time where products become popular and the income profit of a business becomes large). This causes inflation (the rise of product prices). In a recession, the rate of inflation slows down, stops or decreases.

In a 1974 The New York Times article, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Julius Shiskin suggested several rules of thumb for defining a recession, one of which was two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.  In time, the other rules of thumb were forgotten. Some economists prefer a definition of a 1.5-2 percentage points rise in unemployment within 12 months. 

In the United States, the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is generally seen as the authority for dating US recessions. The NBER, a private economic research organization, defines an economic recession as: "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales". Almost universally, academics, economists, policy makers, and businesses refer to the determination by the NBER for the precise dating of a recession's onset and end.

In the United Kingdom, recessions are generally defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, as measured by the seasonal adjusted quarter-on-quarter figures for real GDP  The same definition is used by member states of the European Union

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession

 Stonehaven

is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 11,602 at the 2011 Census.  After the demise of the town of Kincardine, which was gradually abandoned after the destruction of its royal castle in the Wars of Independence, the Scottish Parliament made Stonehaven the successor county town of Kincardineshire. Stonehaven had grown around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" ("old town"), and expanded inland from the seaside. As late as the 16th century, old maps indicate the town was called Stonehyve, Stonehive, Timothy Pont also adding the alternative Duniness.  It is known informally to locals as Stoney.

Stonehaven is the site of prehistoric events evidenced by finds at Fetteresso Castle and Neolithic pottery excavations from the Spurryhillock area.  The town lies at the southern origin of the ancient Causey Mounth trackway, which was built on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route from coastal points south to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the Bridge of Dee to Cowie Castle via the Portlethen Moss and the Stonehaven central plaza.  The route was that taken by the Earl Marischal and Marquess of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of over 9,000 men in the first battle of the English Civil War in 1639.  Originally the settlement of Stonehaven grew and prospered and was known as Kilwhang. With 'Kil' meaning hill and 'whang' the name, or sound of a whip, possibly, the name is derived from the cliffs above the original settlement and the sound of wind whistling around their meagre shelters.

The Covenanters were imprisoned in Dunnottar Castle, where many died. A memorial to them can be found in Dunnottar Church. Other castles in the vicinity are Fetteresso Castle and Muchalls Castle, both of which are in private ownership and not open to the public. The oldest surviving structure in Stonehaven is the Stonehaven Tolbooth at the harbour, used as an early prison and now a museum.

Dunnottar Castle, perched atop a rocky outcrop, was home to the Keith family, and during the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden there. In 1296, King Edward I of England took the castle only for William Wallace to reclaim it in 1297, burning down the church in the process with the entire English garrison still in it. In 1650, Oliver Cromwell sacked the castle to find the Crown Jewels following an eight-month siege (having previously destroyed the English Crown Jewels). However, just before the castle fell, the Crown Jewels were smuggled out by some ladies who took them by boat to a small church just down the coast in the village of Kinneff, where they remained undetected for eleven years.

Stonehaven was a Jacobite town in the Fifteen and it was a safe base for the retreating Jacobite army to stay overnight on the night of 5–6 February 1716. In the Forty-Five Stonehaven, part of the Episcopalian north-east, was again ‘reliably Jacobite’ and it was one of the north-eastern ports where reinforcements, plus money and equipment were periodically landed from France. After 1709, when Dunnottar Parish Church was taken over by the Church of Scotland Episcopalian services were held in the tolbooth until a meeting house was built in the High Street in 1738. Following the failure of the Forty-Five, the Duke of Cumberland ordered the building's demolition. Services were then held in a house in the High Street. 

Near the Cowie Bridge, at the north of Stonehaven, was a fishing village known as Cowie, which has now been subsumed into Stonehaven. Somewhat further north are the ruins of Cowie Castle. Slightly to the west of Stonehaven is the ruined Ury House, originally a property of the Frasers.

A fossil of the oldest known land animal, Pneumodesmus newmani, a species of millipede, was found at Stonehaven's Cowie Beach in 2004

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehaven