Van Tyne, Claude Halstead, 1869-1930, American historian, b. Tecumseh, Mich. An assistant professor at the Univ. of Michigan (1903-6) and a professor there from 1906 to his death, he became head of the department of history in 1911. Among his books are The Loyalists in the American Revolution (1902); The American Revolution, 1776-1783 ("American Nation" series, 1905); The Causes of the War of Independence (1922); India in Ferment (1923); England and America, Rivals in the American Revolution (1927); and The War of Independence: American Phase (1929), for which he was posthumously awarded the 1930 Pulitzer Prize in history.

Tyne and Wear, former metropolitan county, NE England. Created in the 1974 local government reorganization, the county embraced the Newcastle upon Tyne conurbation and comprised five metropolitan districts: Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, and Sunderland. Tyne and Wear was abolished in 1986, and the districts became responsible for all services except police, fire, and civil defense, which are supervised jointly.

Tyne, river, c.62 mi (100 km) long, NE England, formed near Hexham, Northumberland, by the confluence of the North Tyne (33 mi/53 km long; rising in SW Cheviot Hills) and the South Tyne (32 mi/52 km long; rising in the N Pennines). The Tyne flows eastward through the Tyneside conurbation to the North Sea below Newcastle upon Tyne. The lower Tyne is lined with docks, shipbuilding yards, a variety of industrial plants, and coal-mining and ironworking towns. The Tyne was made navigable to Newcastle upon Tyne, its chief port, at the turn of the 20th cent. South Shields, Gateshead, Jarrow, and Wallsend are important ports on the river. Three bridges cross the Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne; the Tyne Tunnel (opened 1967) connects Jarrow and Willington.

Newcastle upon Tyne, University of, at Newcastle upon Tyne, England; established 1937 as King's College as a result of the merger of Armstrong College (1871) and the College of Medicine (1834) of the Univ. of Durham. In 1963 the school gained university status. It has faculties of arts, science, engineering, social and environmental sciences, medicine, law, agriculture, and education.

Newcastle upon Tyne, city (1991 pop. 199,064) and metropolitan district, NE England, on the Tyne River. The city is an important shipping and trade center. The famous coal-shipping industry began in the 13th cent.; coal, however, was exceeded by wool exports until the 16th cent. A number of heavy industries are also there, such as shipbuilding, marine machinery and equipment, defense equipment, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The city experienced an industrial revival in the 1990s with industries manufacturing computer components, motor vehicles, and household appliances. Several bridges cross the Tyne to Gateshead, including the tilting, arc-shaped Gateshead Millenium Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city rests on the site of the Roman military station Pons Aelii, at Hadrian's Wall. Later the site was occupied by the Angles until the Norman conquest. In 1080, Robert II, duke of Normandy and eldest son of William the Conqueror, had a fortified castle built (from which Newcastle takes its name). The castle was besieged and repaired several times; the oldest remaining parts date from 1177. The city walls, of which traces and towers remain, are attributed to Edward I. For 10 months in 1646, Charles I was a prisoner in Newcastle.

The Cathedral of St. Nicholas dates partly from the 14th cent. Other notable old buildings include Trinity Almshouse (1492) and the Royal Grammar School, founded in the 16th cent. Among the many educational institutions are the Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, formerly King's College.

Metropolitan county (pop., 2001: 1,075,979), northeastern England. It was named for its two main rivers, the Tyne and the Wear. Settled since prehistoric times, the area was occupied by the Romans, who built Hadrian's Wall. Saxon, then Norman settlement followed. From the 13th century to recent times, the economy was based on local coal reserves and on such coal-dependent industries as glass, pottery, and chemicals. The main industries now include shipbuilding and heavy electrical engineering.

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or Newcastle

City and metropolitan borough (pop., 2001: 259,573), metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, historic county of Northumberland, northeastern England, on the River Tyne. It dates from the Roman period and derives its name from the Norman castle built in 1080 by Robert II of Normandy, the oldest son of William I (the Conqueror). At first an important wool trade centre, it became a major mining area and coal-shipping port in the 16th century. It was among the world's largest ship-repairing facilities; its economy now rests on associated marine and heavy engineering industries. The city is also an educational centre and features a 14th-century church.

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