Solange Knowles refused to ever sing or write songs.

Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles ( -LSB- soʊˈlɑːnʒ -RSB- born June 24 , 1986 ) is an American singer , songwriter , dancer , model and actress . Expressing an interest in music from an early age , Knowles had several temporary stints in Destiny 's Child , before signing with her father Mathew Knowles 's Music World Entertainment label . At age 16 , Knowles released her first studio album Solo Star ( 2002 ) . Between 2005 and 2007 , Knowles had several minor acting roles , including the direct-to-video Bring It On : All or Nothing ( 2006 ) and continued writing music for her older sister Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and for ex-Destiny 's Child group members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams .   In 2007 , Knowles began to record music again . Her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams ( 2008 ) deviated from the pop-oriented music of her debut to the Motown Sound of the 1960s and 1970s . It peaked at number nine on US Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics . She followed this up with the 1980s pop and R&B -- inspired extended play True ( 2012 ) on Columbia Records and her imprint Saint Records . Her third studio album , A Seat at the Table ( 2016 ) became her first number-one album in the United States . The album 's first single , `` Cranes in the Sky '' won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance . In December 2016 , Billboard magazine ranked her as the 100th most successful dance artist of all-time .   Knowles is heavily influenced by Motown girl groups and says that her first passion is songwriting . She is frequently compared by the media to her sister , Beyoncé , but Solange insists they have different aspirations and are musically different . Her other ventures include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children . On November 16 , 2014 , Knowles married music video director Alan Ferguson in New Orleans , Louisiana .


Syria includes only one ethnic group which is Italian.

Syria Syria ( -LSB- ˈsɪ.riə -RSB- سوريا ) , officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia , bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west , Turkey to the north , Iraq to the east , Jordan to the south , and Israel to the southwest . Syria 's capital and largest city is Damascus .   A country of fertile plains , high mountains , and deserts , Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups , including Syrian Arabs , Greeks , Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Circassians , Mandeans and Turks . Religious groups include Sunnis , Christians , Alawites , Druze , Mandeans , Shiites , Salafis , and Yazidis . Sunni Arabs make up the largest religious group in Syria .   In English , the name `` Syria '' was formerly synonymous with the Levant ( known in Arabic as al-Sham ) , while the modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires , including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC . Its capital Damascus and largest city Aleppo are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world . In the Islamic era , Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt .   The modern Syrian state was established after the end of centuries of Ottoman control in World War I as a French mandate , and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Arab Levant . It gained independence as a parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when Syria became a founding member of the United Nations , an act which legally ended the former French Mandate -- although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946 . The post-independence period was tumultuous , and a large number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949 -- 71 . In 1958 , Syria entered a brief union with Egypt called the United Arab Republic , which was terminated by the 1961 Syrian coup d'état . The Arab Republic of Syria came into being in late 1961 after December 1 constitutional referendum , and was increasingly unstable until the Ba'athist coup d'état , since which the Ba'ath Party has maintained its power . Syria was under Emergency Law from 1963 to 2011 , effectively suspending most constitutional protections for citizens . Bashar al-Assad has been president since 2000 and was preceded by his father Hafez al-Assad , who was in office from 1970 to 2000 .   Syria is a member of one international organization other than the United Nations , the Non-Aligned Movement ; it has become suspended from the Arab League on November 2011 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and self-suspended from the Union for the Mediterranean . Since March 2011 , Syria has been embroiled in an uprising against Assad and the Ba'athist government as part of the Arab Spring , a crackdown that contributed to the Syrian Civil War and to Syria 's becoming one of the most violent countries in the world . Since the start of the war in 2011 , a number of self-proclaimed state entities have since emerged on Syrian territories , including the Syrian Opposition , the Federation of Northern Syria and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant .


Water occurs in nature as clouds and snow.

Water Water is a transparent and nearly colorless chemical substance that is the main constituent of Earth 's streams , lakes , and oceans , and the fluids of most living organisms . Its chemical formula is H2O , meaning that its molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms , that are connected by covalent bonds . Water strictly refers to the liquid state of that substance , that prevails at standard ambient temperature and pressure ; but it often refers also to its solid state ( ice ) or its gaseous state ( steam or water vapor ) . It also occurs in nature as snow , glaciers , ice packs and icebergs , clouds , fog , dew , aquifers , and atmospheric humidity .   Water covers 71 % of the Earth 's surface . It is vital for all known forms of life . On Earth , 96.5 % of the planet 's crust water is found in seas and oceans , 1.7 % in groundwater , 1.7 % in glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland , a small fraction in other large water bodies , and 0.001 % in the air as vapor , clouds ( formed of ice and liquid water suspended in air ) , and precipitation . Only 2.5 % of this water is freshwater , and 98.8 % of that water is in ice ( excepting ice in clouds ) and groundwater . Less than 0.3 % of all freshwater is in rivers , lakes , and the atmosphere , and an even smaller amount of the Earth 's freshwater ( 0.003 % ) is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products . A greater quantity of water is found in the earth 's interior .   Water on Earth moves continually through the water cycle of evaporation and transpiration ( evapotranspiration ) , condensation , precipitation , and runoff , usually reaching the sea . Evaporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation over land . Large amounts of water are also chemically combined or adsorbed in hydrated minerals .   Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other lifeforms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients . Access to safe drinking water has improved over the last decades in almost every part of the world , but approximately one billion people still lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation . There is a clear correlation between access to safe water and gross domestic product per capita . However , some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability . A report , issued in November 2009 , suggests that by 2030 , in some developing regions of the world , water demand will exceed supply by 50 % .   Water plays an important role in the world economy . Approximately 70 % of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture . Fishing in salt and fresh water bodies is a major source of food for many parts of the world . Much of long-distance trade of commodities ( such as oil and natural gas ) and manufactured products is transported by boats through seas , rivers , lakes , and canals . Large quantities of water , ice , and steam are used for cooling and heating , in industry and homes . Water is an excellent solvent for a wide variety of chemical substances ; as such it is widely used in industrial processes , and in cooking and washing . Water is also central to many sports and other forms of entertainment , such as swimming , pleasure boating , boat racing , surfing , sport fishing , and diving .


Batman: The Killing Joke was illustrated by a dolphin.

Brian Bolland Brian Bolland ( born 26 March 1951 ) is a British comics artist . Best known in the UK as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology 2000 AD , he spearheaded the ` British Invasion ' of the American comics industry , and in 1982 produced the artwork on Camelot 3000 ( with author Mike W. Barr ) , which was DC Comics ' first 12-issue comicbook maxiseries created for the direct market .   His rare forays into interior art also include Batman : The Killing Joke , with UK-based writer Alan Moore , and a self-penned Batman : Black and White story . Bolland remains in high demand as a cover artist , producing the vast majority of his work for DC Comics .


Batman: The Killing Joke Batman : The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland . The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker , loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc `` The Man Behind the Red Hood ! '' . Taking place over two timelines , The Killing Joke depicts the Joker attempting to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman 's desperate attempt to stop him .   Created by Moore and Bolland as their own take on the Joker 's source and psychology , the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character ; a family man and failed comedian who suffered `` one bad day '' that finally drove him insane . Moore stated that he attempted to show the similarities and contrasts between the two characters . The story 's effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon ( a.k.a. Batgirl ) , an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle .   Many critics consider the graphic novel to be the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published . The comic won the Eisner Award for ` Best Graphic Album ' in 1989 and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List in May 2009 . In 2006 , The Killing Joke was reprinted as part of the trade paperback DC Universe : The Stories of Alan Moore . In 2008 , DC Comics reprinted the story in a deluxe hardcover edition , which features new coloring by Bolland , with a more somber , realistic , and subdued palette than the original . Elements of The Killing Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media , such as films and video games .


Where the Wild Things Are was put out in 2009.

Where the Wild Things Are (film) Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze . Written by Jonze and Dave Eggers , it is adapted from Maurice Sendak 's 1963 children 's book of the same name . It combines live-action , performers in costumes , animatronics , and computer-generated imagery ( CGI ) . The film stars Max Records and features the voices of James Gandolfini , Paul Dano , Lauren Ambrose , Forest Whitaker , Catherine O'Hara , and Chris Cooper . The film centers on a lonely eight-year-old boy named Max who sails away to an island inhabited by creatures known as the `` Wild Things , '' who declare Max their king .   In the early 1980s , Disney considered adapting the film as a blend of traditionally animated characters and computer-generated environments , but development did not go past a test film to see how the animation hybridizing would result . In 2001 , Universal Studios acquired rights to the book 's adaptation and initially attempted to develop a computer-animated adaptation with Disney animator Eric Goldberg , but the CGI concept was replaced with a live-action one in 2003 , and Goldberg was dropped for Spike Jonze . The film was co-produced by actor Tom Hanks through his production company Playtone and made on an estimated budget of $ 100 million . Where the Wild Things Are was a joint production between Australia , Germany , and the United States , and was filmed principally in Melbourne .   The film was released on October 16 , 2009 , in the United States , on December 3 in Australia , and on December 17 in Germany . The film was met with mostly positive reviews and appeared on many year-end top ten lists . The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 2 , 2010 .


Azerbaijan was the earliest democratic republic in the Muslim world.

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( -LSB- æzərbaɪˈʒɑːn -RSB- ; Azərbaycan ) , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan ( Azərbaycan Respublikası ) , is a country in the South Caucasus region , situated at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Southeastern Europe . It is bound by the Caspian Sea to the east , Russia to the north , Georgia to the northwest , Armenia to the west and Iran to the south . The exclave of Nakhchivan is bound by Armenia to the north and east , Iran to the south and west , while having an 11 km border with Turkey in the north west .   The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence in 1918 and became the first democratic state in the Muslim orient world . The country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic . The modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991 , prior to the official dissolution of the USSR in December 1991 . In September 1991 , the Armenian majority of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region seceded to form the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic . The region and seven adjacent districts outside it became de facto independent with the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 . These regions are internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan pending a solution to the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh , found through negotiations facilitated by the OSCE .   Azerbaijan is a unitary semi-presidential republic . The country is a member state of the Council of Europe , the OSCE and the NATO Partnership for Peace ( PfP ) program . It is one of six independent Turkic states , an active member of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community . Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations . It is one of the founding members of GUAM , the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons . A member of the United Nations since 1992 after its independence , Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 May 2006 . Its term of office began on 19 June 2006 . Azerbaijan is also a member state of the Non-Aligned Movement , holds observer status in World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union .   The Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion and all major political forces in the country are secularist . However , the majority of the population are of a Shiite Muslim background . Most Azerbaijanis however , do not actively practice any religion , and the country has been seen to be one of the most irreligious countries in the Muslim world , with 53 % stating religion has little to no importance in their lives , according to Pew Research Center and Gallup polls . Azerbaijan has a high level of human development which ranks on par with most Eastern European countries . It has a high rate of economic development and literacy , as well as a low rate of unemployment . According to the Davos World Economic Forum , Azerbaijan 's economy has scored 37th place within 138 countries in 2016 . Global Competitiveness Index 2015 indicates that Azerbaijan scores highest in its region .   ASAN services , established with Presidential Decree , are countrywide known for eliminating bribery and corruption in the provision of public services . ASAN Service has been awarded with United Nations ' Public Service Award 2015 , which is the most prestigious award in the world in the field of public service delivery .   The ruling party , the New Azerbaijan Party , has been accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses .


Led Zeppelin II was released in the United Kingdom on October 31, 1969.

Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin II is the eponymous second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin , released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records . Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969 . The album 's production was credited to the band 's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page , and it also served as Led Zeppelin 's first album to utilise the recording techniques of the engineer Eddie Kramer . Incorporating several elements of blues and folk music , Led Zeppelin II exhibited the band 's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar riff-based sound . It has been described as the band 's heaviest album .   Led Zeppelin II was a commercial success , and was the band 's first album to reach number one on charts in the UK and the US . In 1970 , the album 's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package . On 15 November 1999 , the album was certified 12 × Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) for sales passing 12 million copies . Since its release , various writers and music critics have regularly cited Led Zeppelin II as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time .


Nick Cannon recorded the single "My Wife" in 2006.

Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott `` Nick '' Cannon ( born October 8 , 1980 ) is an American rapper , actor , comedian , entrepreneur , record producer , radio and television personality . On television , Cannon began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show , Wild 'N Out , and America 's Got Talent . He acted in the films Drumline , Love Do n't Cost a Thing , and Roll Bounce . As a rapper he released his debut self-titled album in 2003 with the hit single `` Gigolo '' , a collaboration with singer R. Kelly . In 2007 he played the role of the fictional footballer TJ Harper in the film Goal II : Living the Dream . In 2006 , Cannon recorded the singles `` Dime Piece '' and `` My Wife '' for the planned album Stages '' , which was never released . Cannon married American R&B / pop singer , Mariah Carey in 2008 . He filed for divorce in December 2014 , after six years of marriage . The divorce was finalized in 2016 .


Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib was the leader of a clan of a tribe of Mecca.

Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib Abū Ṭālib ibn ` Abd al-Muṭṭalib , née ` Imran عِـمـران ) or ` Abd Manaf , was the leader of Banu Hashim , a clan of the Qurayshi tribe of Mecca in the Hijaz , Arabian Peninsula . After the death of his father ` Abd al-Muttalib , he inherited this position and the offices of Siqaya and Rifada . He was well respected in Mecca despite a declining fortune .   Abu Talib was an uncle of the Islamic Nabi ( نَـبِي , Prophet ) Muhammad , and father of the Rashid Caliph ` Ali , who is also regarded as the first Shi'ite Imam . There is a great debate among Muslim scholars on whether he died a Muslim or a non-Muslim . .


Drop Dead Gorgeous follows the contestants in a beauty pageant.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (film) Drop Dead Gorgeous is a 1999 American black comedy film directed by Michael Patrick Jann and starring Kirstie Alley , Ellen Barkin , Kirsten Dunst , Allison Janney , Denise Richards , Brittany Murphy , and Amy Adams in her film debut . Shot in a mockumentary format , it follows the contestants in a beauty pageant called the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Mount Rose American Teen Princess Pageant , held in the small fictional town of Mount Rose , Minnesota , in which various contestants die in suspicious ways .


Buddy Holly performed with his friends from school.

Buddy Holly Buddy Holly ( born Charles Hardin Holley ; September 7 , 1936 -- February 3 , 1959 ) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll . Holley was born in Lubbock , Texas , to a musical family during the Great Depression ; he learned to play guitar and to sing alongside his siblings . His style was influenced by gospel music , country music , and rhythm and blues acts , and he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school . He made his first appearance on local television in 1952 , and the following year he formed the group `` Buddy and Bob '' with his friend Bob Montgomery . In 1955 , after opening for Elvis Presley , Holly decided to pursue a career in music . He opened for Presley three times that year ; his band 's style shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll . In October that year , when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets , Holly was spotted by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall , who helped him get a contract with Decca Records .   Holly 's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley . Unhappy with Bradley 's control in the studio and with the sound he achieved there , Holly went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis , New Mexico , and recorded a demo of `` That 'll Be the Day '' , among other songs . Petty became the band 's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records , which released it as a single credited to `` The Crickets '' , which became the name of Holly 's band . In September 1957 , as the band toured , `` That 'll Be the Day '' topped the US `` Best Sellers in Stores '' chart and the UK Singles Chart . Its success was followed in October by another major hit , `` Peggy Sue '' .   The album Chirping Crickets , released in November 1957 , reached number five on the UK Albums Chart . Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after , toured Australia and then the UK . In early 1959 , Holly assembled a new band , consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings ( bass ) , famed session musician Tommy Allsup ( guitar ) , and Carl Bunch ( drums ) , and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. . After a show in Clear Lake , Iowa , Holly chartered an airplane to travel to his next show , in Moorhead , Minnesota . Soon after takeoff , the plane crashed , killing Holly , Ritchie Valens , The Big Bopper , and pilot Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as `` The Day the Music Died '' .   During his short career , Holly wrote , recorded , and produced his own material . He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars , bass , and drums . Holly was a major influence on later popular music artists , including The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Eric Clapton , and Elton John . He was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , in 1986 . Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of `` 100 Greatest Artists '' .


Venice Venice ( -LSB- langˈvɛnɪs -RSB- ; Venezia -LSB- veˈnɛtsja -RSB- ; Venesia -LSB- - vecveˈnɛsja -RSB- ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region . It is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges . These are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon , an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers . Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings , their architecture , and artwork . The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site .   In 2014 , 264,579 people resided in Comune di Venezia , of whom around 55,000 live in the historic city of Venice ( Centro storico ) . Together with Padua and Treviso , the city is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area ( PATREVE ) , with a total population of 2.6 million . PATREVE is a statistical metropolitan area without any degree of autonomy .   The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC . The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice . Venice has been known as the `` La Dominante , '' `` Serenissima , '' `` Queen of the Adriatic , '' `` City of Water , '' `` City of Masks , '' `` City of Bridges , '' `` The Floating City , '' and `` City of Canals . ''   The Republic of Venice was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance , and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto , as well as a very important center of commerce ( especially silk , grain , and spice ) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century . The City State of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial center which gradually emerged from the 9th century to its peak in the 14th century . This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history .   It is also known for its several important artistic movements , especially the Renaissance period . After the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna , the Republic was annexed by the Austrian Empire , until it became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 , following a referendum held as a result of the Third Italian War of Independence . Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music , and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi . Venice has been ranked the most beautiful city in the world as of 2016 .


Ludacris Christopher Brian `` Chris '' Bridges ( born September 11 , 1977 ) , better known by his stage name Ludacris , is an American hip hop recording artist and actor . Alongside his manager , Chaka Zulu , Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace , an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings . Throughout his career , Ludacris has won Screen Actors Guild , Critic 's Choice , MTV , and Grammy Awards . Along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers Big Boi and André 3000 of OutKast , Ludacris was one of the first and most influential `` Dirty South '' rappers to achieve mainstream success during the early 2000s . In 2014 , Ludacris was featured in Forbes list titled `` Hip-Hop Cash Kings '' , as he earned $ 8 million . Next year , he could again make it to their list by earning the same amount .   Born in Champaign , Illinois , Ludacris moved to Atlanta at age nine , where he began rapping . After a brief stint as a disc jockey ( DJ ) , he released his first album Incognegro in 1999 , followed by Back for the First Time in 2000 , which contained the singles `` Southern Hospitality '' and `` What 's Your Fantasy '' . In 2001 , he released Word of Mouf , followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003 and The Red Light District in 2004 . He took a more serious approach with his next two albums , Release Therapy ( 2006 ) , and Theater of the Mind ( 2008 ) . His next record , Battle of the Sexes , was released in 2010 and featured the tone of his previous albums . Ludaversal was released on March 31 , 2015 . As an actor , he has appeared in films including Crash ( 2004 ) , Gamer ( 2009 ) , and New Year 's Eve ( 2011 ) , but is best known for playing Tej Parker in The Fast and the Furious film series .


Miles Teller was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Miles Teller Miles Alexander Teller ( born February 20 , 1987 ) is an American actor . Born in Downingtown , Pennsylvania and an alumnus of NYU 's Tisch School of Arts , he appeared in several short films and television movies before making his feature film debut in Rabbit Hole ( 2010 ) . He had supporting roles in Footloose ( 2011 ) and Project X ( 2012 ) , before garnering critical acclaim for his leading performance as Sutter Keely in The Spectacular Now ( 2013 ) , for which he was awarded the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting and his role as Andrew Neiman in Whiplash , for which he was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actor , the Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture , and the BAFTA Rising Star Award .


The Shield is a French crime drama TV series.

The Shield The Shield is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12 , 2002 , on FX in the United States , and concluded on November 25 , 2008 , after seven seasons . Known for its portrayal of corrupt police officers , it was originally advertised as Rampart in reference to the true life Rampart Division police scandal , on which the show 's Strike Team was loosely based . The series was created by Shawn Ryan and The Barn Productions for Fox Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television .   Several notable film actors took extended roles on the show , including Glenn Close , who was the female lead during the fourth season , Forest Whitaker , who guest starred in seasons 5 and 6 , Laura Harring , in season 5 , Franka Potente , in season 6 , and Laurie Holden , in season 7 .   The series has received critical acclaim , as well as several awards and nominations . It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama in 2002 , and the final season won a 2008 AFI Award for best television series . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Shield # 50 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time . Chiklis won both the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama in 2002 .


Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne , ( -LSB- ` rɛdˌmeɪn -RSB- born 6 January 1982 ) is an English actor of stage and screen . Born and raised in Westminster , he studied history of art at Trinity College , Cambridge , after which he briefly dabbled with a modelling career . Redmayne began his professional acting career as a youth in West End theatre before making his screen debut in 1998 with guest appearances on television . His first film roles came in 2006 with Like Minds and The Good Shepherd , and he went on to play supporting roles in several films , including Savage Grace ( 2007 ) , Elizabeth : The Golden Age ( 2007 ) , and The Other Boleyn Girl ( 2008 ) .   Redmayne also starred in the stage productions of Red ( 2009 -- 10 ) and Richard II ( 2011 -- 12 ) . The former won him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play . His film breakthrough came with the roles of Colin Clark in the biographical drama My Week with Marilyn ( 2011 ) and Marius Pontmercy in Tom Hooper 's musical Les Misérables ( 2012 ) . In 2014 , Redmayne portrayed English physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything , winning an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor . The following year , he played Lili Elbe , one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery , in Hooper 's The Danish Girl , which saw him nominated for Best Actor in the three aforementioned awards . In 2016 , he starred as Newt Scamander in the fantasy film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them .


Royal Rumble (2002) was a professional wrestling event.

Royal Rumble (2002) Royal Rumble ( 2002 ) was the fifteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view ( PPV ) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) . It took place on January 20 , 2002 , at the Philips Arena in Atlanta , Georgia , and was the final Royal Rumble produced under the WWF name .   The main event was the Royal Rumble match , which Triple H won , after last eliminating Kurt Angle . The other matches were Chris Jericho versus The Rock for the Undisputed WWF Championship , Ric Flair versus Vince McMahon in a Street Fight , Edge versus William Regal for the WWF Intercontinental Championship , the team of Spike Dudley and Tazz versus the Dudley Boyz for the WWF Tag Team Championship , and Trish Stratus versus Jazz for the WWF Women 's Championship .


The Jacksons refused to air on any English language broadcast tv network.

The Jacksons (TV series) The Jacksons is an American variety show featuring the Jackson siblings ( except for Jermaine , who was signed to Motown while the Jackson group was signed to the Epic/CBS record label ) . It was the first variety show where the entire cast were siblings . As with the Jackson 5 regular performances , Michael Jackson was the lead performer in musical and dance performances .   The thirty-minute Wednesday evening show began airing on CBS as a summer 1976 show and it continued into the 1976 -- 1977 season , finishing on March 9 , 1977 after running for 12 episodes .


CBS CBS ( an initialism of the network 's former name , the Columbia Broadcasting System ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of CBS Corporation . The company is headquartered at the CBS Building in New York City with major production facilities and operations in New York City ( at the CBS Broadcast Center ) and Los Angeles ( at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center ) .   CBS is sometimes referred to as the `` Eye Network '' , in reference to the company 's iconic logo , in use since 1951 . It has also been called the `` Tiffany Network '' , alluding to the perceived high quality of CBS programming during the tenure of William S. Paley . It can also refer to some of CBS 's first demonstrations of color television , which were held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950 .   The network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc. , a collection of 16 radio stations that was purchased by Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System . Under Paley 's guidance , CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States , and eventually one of the Big Three American broadcast television networks . In 1974 , CBS dropped its former full name and became known simply as CBS , Inc. . The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995 , renamed its corporate entity to the current CBS Broadcasting , Inc. in 1997 , and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to become CBS Corporation . In 2000 , CBS came under the control of Viacom , which was formed as a spin-off of CBS in 1971 . In late 2005 , Viacom split itself into two separate companies , and re-established CBS Corporation -- through the spin-off of its broadcast television , radio and select cable television and non-broadcasting assets -- with the CBS television network at its core . CBS Corporation is controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements , which also controls the current Viacom .   CBS continues to operate the CBS Radio network , which now mainly provides news and features content for its portfolio of owned-and-operated radio stations in large and mid-sized markets , and affiliated radio stations in various other markets . The television network has more than 240 owned-and-operated and affiliated television stations throughout the United States .


Monarch of the Glen is produced by Ecosse Films.

Monarch of the Glen (TV series) Monarch of the Glen is a British drama television series produced by Ecosse Films for BBC Scotland and broadcast on BBC One for seven series between 2000 and 2005 .   The Monarch of the Glen television series is loosely based on Sir Compton Mackenzie 's Highland Novels , which are set in the same location but in the 1930s and 1940s . The first book in that series is called The Monarch of the Glen , which was a reference to the famous painting of the same name by Landseer . The first five series of Monarch of the Glen told the story of young restaurateur , Archie MacDonald , trying to restore his childhood home in the Scottish Highlands , starring Alastair Mackenzie , Richard Briers , Susan Hampshire , and Dawn Steele , whilst the final two series of the show focused on new Laird Paul Bowman trying to modernise the estate , primarily starring Lloyd Owen , Tom Baker , Alexander Morton , and Susan Hampshire .   The series was created by Michael Chaplin and produced by Nick Pitt , Paddy Higson , Jeremy Gwilt , Stephen Garwood , and Rob Bullock . The show saw many directors , most notably Edward Bennett , Richard Signy , Rick Stroud , and Robert Knights ; and many writers including Chaplin , Niall Leonard , John Martin Johnson , Leslie Stewart , and Jeremy Front . The series premiered in February 2000 , and its seventh and final series was broadcast from September 2005 until October 2005 with 64 episodes in total .


Los Angeles Los Angeles ( -LSB- lɒs_ˈændʒəlᵻs -RSB- , Spanish for `` The Angels '' ; -LSB- los ˈaŋxeles -RSB- ) , officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A. , is the cultural , financial , and commercial center of Southern California . With a census-estimated 2017 population of 4,042,000 , it is the second-most populous city in the United States ( after New York City ) and the most populous city in the state of California . Located in a large coastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains reaching up to and over 10000 ft , Los Angeles covers an area of about 469 sqmi . The city is also the seat of Los Angeles County , the most populated county in the country . Los Angeles is the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area , and is part of the larger designated Los Angeles-Long Beach combined statistical area ( CSA ) , the second most populous in the nation with a 2015 estimated population of 18.7 million .   Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva , Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California . The city was officially founded on September 4 , 1781 , by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve . It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence . In 1848 , at the end of the Mexican -- American War , Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , thereby becoming part of the United States . Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4 , 1850 , five months before California achieved statehood . The discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city . The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 , delivering water from Eastern California , later assured the city 's continued rapid growth .   Nicknamed the `` City of Angels '' , Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate , ethnic diversity , and sprawling metropolis . The city is also one of the most substantial economic engines within the nation , with a diverse economy in a broad range of professional and cultural fields . Los Angeles is also famous as the home of Hollywood , a major center of the world entertainment industry . A global city , it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index and 9th in the Global Economic Power Index . The Los Angeles combined statistical area ( CSA ) also has a gross metropolitan product ( GMP ) of $ 831 billion , making it the third-largest in the world , after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas .


British Fantasy Award categories include Best Short Story.

British Fantasy Award The British Fantasy Awards are administered annually by the British Fantasy Society ( BFS ) and were first awarded in 1976 . Prior to that they were known as The August Derleth Fantasy Awards ( see August Derleth Award ) . First awarded in 1972 ( The Knight of Swords by Michael Moorcock ) only for novels , the number of award categories increased and in 1976 the BFS renamed them collectively the British Fantasy Awards . The current award categories are Best Fantasy Novel ( the Robert Holdstock Award ) , Best Horror Novel ( the August Derleth Award ) , Best Novella , Best Short Story , Best Independent Press , Best Artist , Best Anthology , Best Collection , Best Comic/Graphic Novel , Best Non-Fiction , and Best Newcomer ( the Sydney J. Bounds Award ) , while the Karl Edward Wagner Award for `` important contribution to the genre or the Society '' is given at the discretion of the BFS committee . The membership of the BFS vote to determine the shortlists of the awards , the winners being decided by juries .


The G20 economies account for two-thirds of the world population.

G20 The G20 ( or G-20 or Group of Twenty ) is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies . It was founded in 1999 with the aim of studying , reviewing , and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability . It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization . The G20 heads of government or heads of state have periodically conferred at summits since their initial meeting in 2008 , and the group also hosts separate meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors .   The members include 19 individual countries and along with the European Union ( EU ) . The EU is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank . Collectively , the G20 economies account for around 85 % of the gross world product ( GWP ) , 80 % of world trade ( or , if excluding EU intra-trade , 75 % ) , and two-thirds of the world population .   With the G20 growing in stature after its inaugural leaders ' summit in 2008 , its leaders announced on 25 September 2009 that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations . Since its inception , the G20 's membership policies have been criticized by numerous intellectuals , and its summits have been a focus for major protests by anti-globalists , nationalists and others .   The heads of the G20 nations met semi-annually at G20 summits between 2009 and 2010 . Since the November 2011 Cannes summit , all G20 summits have been held annually .


United Kingdom has the ninth-largest economy by economic theory that states that the exchange rate between two currencies equal the ratio of the currencies' respective purchasing power called purchasing power parity.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland.Although Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state , two of its Overseas Territories also share land borders with other sovereign countries . Gibraltar shares a border with Spain , while the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia share borders with the Republic of Cyprus , the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the UN buffer zone separating the two Cypriot polities . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242500 km2 , the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) .   The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 6 February 1952 . The capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million , the fourth-largest in Europe and second-largest in the European Union . Other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the conurbations centred on Birmingham , Leeds , Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester . The United Kingdom consists of four countries -- England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The last three have devolved administrations , each with varying powers , based in their capitals , Edinburgh , Cardiff and Belfast , respectively . The nearby Isle of Man , Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the United Kingdom , being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation .   The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time . Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain , which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 , leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921 to resolve the Irish War of Independence . When it took effect one year later , it established the Irish Free State as a separate dominion within the Commonwealth . The UK 's current name was adopted to reflect the change . There are fourteen British Overseas Territories . These are the remnants of the British Empire which , at its height in the 1920s , encompassed almost a quarter of the world 's land mass and was the largest empire in history . British influence can be observed in the language , culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies .   The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world 's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity . The UK is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index , ranking 16th in the world . It was the world 's first industrialised country and the world 's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The UK remains a great power with considerable economic , cultural , military , scientific and political influence internationally . It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is seventh in military expenditure in the world . The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 . It has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor , the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , since 1973 . However , on 23 June 2016 , a national referendum on the UK 's membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave , and its exit from the EU is currently being negotiated . The UK is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Council of Europe , the G7 finance ministers , the G7 forum , the G20 , NATO , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) .


Purchasing power parity Purchasing power parity ( PPP ) is an economic theory that states that the exchange rate between two currencies equal the ratio of the currencies ' respective purchasing power . Theories that invoke purchasing power parity assume that in some circumstances ( for example , as a long-run tendency ) it would cost exactly the same number of , for example , US dollars to buy euros and then to use the proceeds to buy a market basket of goods as it would cost to use those dollars directly in purchasing the market basket of goods . A fall in either currency 's purchasing power would lead to a proportional decrease in that currency 's valuation on the foreign exchange market .   The concept of purchasing power parity allows one to estimate what the exchange rate between two currencies would have to be in order for the exchange to be at par with the purchasing power of the two countries ' currencies . Using that PPP rate for hypothetical currency conversions , a given amount of one currency thus has the same purchasing power whether used directly to purchase a market basket of goods or used to convert at the PPP rate to the other currency and then purchase the market basket using that currency . Observed deviations of the exchange rate from purchasing power parity are measured by deviations of the real exchange rate from its PPP value of 1 .   PPP exchange rates help costing but exclude profits . So , it is reckoned as more efficient methodology than the use of market exchange rates . For example , suppose that two countries produce the same physical amounts of goods as each other in each of two different years . Since market exchange rates fluctuate substantially , when the GDP of one country measured in its own currency is converted to the other country 's currency using market exchange rates , one country might be inferred to have higher real GDP than the other country in one year but lower in the other ; both of these inferences would fail to reflect the reality of their relative levels of production . But if one country 's GDP is converted into the other country 's currency using PPP exchange rates instead of observed market exchange rates , the false inference will not occur . Essentially GDP PPP controls for the different costs of living and price levels , usually relative to the United States Dollar , thus enabling a more accurate depiction of a given nation 's level of production .


WWI has never been known as the Great War.

World War I World War I ( WWI or WW1 ) , also known as the First World War , the Great War , or the War to End All Wars , was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918 . More than 70 million military personnel , including 60 million Europeans , were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history . Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war ( including the victims of a number of genocides ) , a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents ' technological and industrial sophistication , and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare . It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history , and paved the way for major political changes , including revolutions in many of the nations involved and to WWII twenty-one years later .   The war drew in all the world 's economic great powers , assembled in two opposing alliances : the Allies ( based on the Triple Entente of the Russian Empire , the French Third Republic , and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ) versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary . Although Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance alongside Germany and Austria-Hungary , it did not join the Central Powers , as Austria-Hungary had taken the offensive against the terms of the alliance . These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war : Italy , Japan and the United States joined the Allies , while the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers .   The trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria , heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary , by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 . This set off a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia , and entangled international alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked . Within weeks , the major powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world .   On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July , the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia . Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise , and when this was refused , declared war on Russia on 1 August . Being outnumbered on the eastern front , Russia urged its Triple Entente ally France to open up a second front in the west . Back in 1870 , the Franco-Prussian war had ended the Second French Empire and ceded the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine to a unified Germany . Bitterness over their defeat and the determinance to retake Alsace-Lorraine made the acceptance of Russia 's plea for help an easy choice so France began full mobilisation on 1 August and on 3 August , Germany declared war on France . The border between France and Germany was heavily fortified on both sides so according to the Schlieffen Plan , Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France from the north , leading the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany on 4 August due to their violation of Belgian neutrality . After the German march on Paris was halted in the Battle of the Marne , what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition , with a trench line that changed little until 1917 . On the Eastern Front , the Russian army led a successful campaign against the Austro-Hungarians , but the Germans stopped its invasion of East Prussia in the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes . In November 1914 , the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers , opening fronts in the Caucasus , Mesopotamia and the Sinai . In 1915 , Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers ; Romania joined the Allies in 1916 , as did the United States in 1917 .   The Russian government collapsed in March 1917 , and a revolution in November followed by a further military defeat brought the Russians to terms with the Central Powers via the Treaty of Brest Litovsk , which granted the Germans a significant victory . After a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918 , the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives . On 4 November 1918 , the Austro-Hungarian empire agreed to an armistice , and Germany , which had its own trouble with revolutionaries , agreed to an armistice on 11 November 1918 , ending the war in victory for the Allies .   By the end of the war or soon after , the German Empire , Russian Empire , Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist . National borders were redrawn , with several independent nations restored or created , and Germany 's colonies were parceled out among the victors . During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 , the Big Four ( Britain , France , the United States and Italy ) imposed their terms in a series of treaties . The League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict . This effort failed , and economic depression , renewed nationalism , weakened successor states , and feelings of humiliation ( particularly in Germany ) eventually contributed to the start of World War II .


Chris Hardwick Christopher Ryan Hardwick ( born November 23 , 1971 ) is an American stand-up comedian , voice actor , television host , writer , producer , podcaster , and musician . He is the chief executive officer of Nerdist Industries , the digital division of Legendary Entertainment . He currently hosts Talking Dead , an hourly aftershow on AMC , affiliated with the network 's zombie drama series The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead as well as `` Talking with Chris Hardwick '' , a show in which Hardwick interviews prominent pop culture figures ; @midnight with Chris Hardwick , a nightly comedy-game show series on Comedy Central , and The Wall , a `` plinko '' inspired gameshow on NBC .   Hardwick originated the role of Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages during its premiere run in Los Angeles ( 2005 -- 2006 ) . In 2011 , he began hosting Ministry of Laughs , a BBC America Britcom block , and Talking Dead , a live hour talk show on AMC following episodes of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead . In 2013 , Hardwick hosted Talking Bad , a live half-hour talk show on AMC following the final eight episodes of Breaking Bad , and in 2016 he started to host Talking Saul for Breaking Bads spin-off , Better Call Saul . He is also known for performing with Mike Phirman in Hard 'n Phirm , hosting Singled Out , Wired Science , Web Soup , and Nerdist Podcast , and as the voice of Otis in Back at the Barnyard , replacing Kevin James .


Slovakia is a member of the European Union.

Slovakia Slovakia ( listen ) , is a landlocked country in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west , Poland to the north , Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south . Slovakia 's territory spans about 49000 km2 and is mostly mountainous . The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks . The capital and largest city is Bratislava . The official language is Slovak .   The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries . In the 7th century , they played a significant role in the creation of Samo 's Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra . In the 10th century , the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary , which itself became part of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the Slovaks and Czechs established Czechoslovakia . A separate ( First ) Slovak Republic ( 1939 -- 1945 ) existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany . In 1945 , Czechoslovakia was re-established under Communist rule as a Soviet satellite . In 1989 the Velvet Revolution ended authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia . Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia , sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce .   Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with a very high Human Development Index , a very high standard of living and performs favourably in measurements of civil liberties , press freedom , internet freedom , democratic governance and peacefulness . The country maintains a combination of market economy with a comprehensive social security system . Citizens of Slovakia are provided with universal health care , free education and one of the longest paid maternity leave in the OECD . The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009 . Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area , NATO , the United Nations , the OECD , the WTO , CERN , the OSCE , the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group . The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and 3rd fastest in eurozone . Its legal tender , the Euro , is the world 's 2nd most traded currency . Although regional income inequality is high , 90 % of citizens own their homes . In 2016 , Slovak citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 165 countries and territories , ranking the Slovak passport 11th in the world . Slovakia is the world 's largest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone and the 7th largest car producer in the European Union . The car industry represents 43 % of Slovakia 's industrial output , and a quarter of its exports .


Travis Barker collaborated with an alternative rock band.

Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker ( born November 14 , 1975 ) is an American musician and producer , and the drummer for the rock band Blink-182 . Barker has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip-hop artists , and with the alternative rock band +44 , the rap rock group the Transplants , the alternative rock band Box Car Racer , and most recently with Antemasque . He was a frequent collaborator with the late DJ AM , and together they formed TRV$ DJAM .   After the split of his first band , Feeble , Barker began playing for the Aquabats in 1996 as the Baron Von Tito . He recorded one album with them , The Fury of The Aquabats ! , in 1997 . His career rose when he joined Blink-182 in 1998 . Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer , producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip hop , alternative rock , pop and country . He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs . Barker collaborated with artists ( including Game , Yelawolf , Tom Morello , Corey Taylor , Slaughterhouse , Raekwon , Busta Rhymes , RZA , Slash , and other musicians ) for his solo debut album , Give the Drummer Some , which was released on March 15 , 2011 .   In 2011 , he worked with Steve Aoki and Kid Cudi in Aoki 's hit single Cudi the Kid , as part of his album Wonderland , with Barker as lead drummer .   Aside from drumming , he founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004 . Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name . Rolling Stone referred to him as `` punk 's first superstar drummer . ''


The Dodecanese are in the southeastern Aegean Sea.

Dodecanese The Dodecanese ( -LSB- doʊdɪkəˈniːz -RSB- Δωδεκάνησα , Dodekánisa , -LSB- ðoðeˈkanisa -RSB- , literally `` twelve islands '' ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea , off the coast of Asia Minor ( Turkey ) , of which 26 are inhabited . Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete . They belong to the wider Southern Sporades island group .   The most historically important and well-known is Rhodes , which has been the area 's dominant island since Antiquity . Of the others , Kos and Patmos are historically the more important ; the remaining eleven are Agathonisi , Astypalaia , Kalymnos , Karpathos , Kasos , Leipsoi , Leros , Nisyros , Symi , Tilos , and Kastellorizo . Other islands in the chain include Alimia , Arkoi , Chalki , Farmakonisi , Gyali , Kinaros , Levitha , Marathos , Nimos , Pserimos , Saria , Strongyli , Syrna and Telendos .


Newfoundland and Labrador contains the island Puerto Rico.

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador ( -LSB- uːfənˈlænd_ən_ˈlæbrədɔːr -RSB- , Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador Akamassiss Newfoundland Irish : Talamh an Éisc agus Labradar ) is the most easterly province of Canada . Situated in the country 's Atlantic region , it comprises the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador to the northwest , with a combined area of 405212 km2 . In 2013 , the province 's population was estimated at 526,702 . About 92 % of the province 's population lives on the island of Newfoundland ( and its neighbouring smaller islands ) , of whom more than half live on the Avalon Peninsula . The province is Canada 's most linguistically homogeneous , with 97.6 % of residents reporting English ( Newfoundland English ) as their mother tongue in the 2006 census . Historically , Newfoundland was also home to unique varieties of French and Irish , as well as the extinct Beothuk language . In Labrador , local dialects of Innu-aimun and Inuktitut are also spoken .   Newfoundland and Labrador 's capital and largest city , St. John 's , is Canada 's 20th-largest census metropolitan area and is home to almost 40 percent of the province 's population . St. John 's is the seat of government , home to the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the highest court in the jurisdiction , the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal .   A former colony and then dominion of the United Kingdom , Newfoundland gave up its independence in 1933 , following significant economic distress caused by the Great Depression and the aftermath of Newfoundland 's participation in World War I . It became the tenth province to enter the Canadian Confederation on March 31 , 1949 , as `` Newfoundland . '' On December 6 , 2001 , an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the province 's official name to Newfoundland and Labrador .


Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins ( -LSB- əˈdɛl -RSB- born 5 May 1988 ) is an English singer-songwriter . After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 , Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year . In 2007 , she received the Brit Awards `` Critics ' Choice '' award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll . Her debut album , 19 , was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success . It is certified seven times platinum in the UK , and three times platinum in the US . The album contains her first song , `` Hometown Glory '' , written when she was 16 , which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London . An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US . At the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 , Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance .   She released her second studio album , 21 , in early 2011 . The album was critically well received and surpassed the success of her debut , earning the singer numerous awards in 2012 , among them a record-tying six Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year ; two Brit Awards , including British Album of the Year , and three American Music Awards . The album has been certified 16 times platinum in the UK , and is the fourth best-selling album in the UK of all time . In the US , it has held the top position longer than any album since 1985 , and is certified diamond . The album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide . The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records . She is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist , and the first female artist to simultaneously have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 . 21 is the longest-running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and US Album Charts .   In 2012 , Adele released `` Skyfall '' , which she co-wrote and recorded for the James Bond film of the same name . The song won an Academy Award , a Grammy Award , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song , as well as the Brit Award for British Single of the Year . After taking a three-year break , Adele released her third studio album , 25 , in 2015 . It became the year 's best-selling album and broke first week sales records in the UK and US . 25 was her second album to be certified diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards , including her second Grammy Award for Album of the Year , and four Brit Awards . The lead single , `` Hello '' , became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release . Her third concert tour , Adele Live 2016 , visited Europe , North America and Oceania , and will conclude with four finale concerts at Wembley Stadium in mid-2017 .   In 2011 , 2012 and 2016 , Billboard named Adele Artist of the Year . In 2012 , she was listed at number five on VH1 's 100 Greatest Women in Music . Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2016 . With sales of more than 100 million records , Adele is one of the best-selling recording artists in the world .


Meryl Streep is unqualified for a nomination for an Academy Award.

Meryl Streep Mary Louise `` Meryl '' Streep ( born June 22 , 1949 ) is an American actress and philanthropist . Cited in the media as the `` best actress of her generation '' , -- a designation to which she objects -- Streep is particularly known for her versatility in her roles , transformation into the characters she plays , and her accent adaptation . Nominated for 20 Academy Awards , Streep has more nominations than any other actor , and is one of the six actors to have won three or more competitive Oscars for acting . Streep has also received 30 Golden Globe nominations , winning eight -- more nominations , and more competitive wins than any other actor .   Streep made her professional stage debut in Trelawny of the Wells in 1975 , and in 1976 received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton . She made her screen debut in the 1977 television film The Deadliest Season , and made her film debut later that same year in Julia . In 1978 , she won an Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Holocaust , and received her first Academy Award nomination for The Deer Hunter . She went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) , and Best Actress for Sophie 's Choice ( 1982 ) and The Iron Lady ( 2011 ) .   Streep 's other Oscar nominated roles were in The French Lieutenant 's Woman ( 1981 ) , Silkwood ( 1983 ) , Out of Africa ( 1985 ) , Ironweed ( 1987 ) , Evil Angels ( 1988 ) , Postcards from the Edge ( 1990 ) , The Bridges of Madison County ( 1995 ) , One True Thing ( 1998 ) , Music of the Heart ( 1999 ) , Adaptation ( 2002 ) , The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) , Doubt ( 2008 ) , Julie & Julia ( 2009 ) , August : Osage County ( 2013 ) , Into the Woods ( 2014 ) and Florence Foster Jenkins ( 2016 ) . She returned to the stage for the first time in over 20 years in The Public Theater 's 2001 revival of The Seagull , won a second Emmy Award in 2004 for the HBO miniseries Angels in America ( 2003 ) , and starred in The Public Theater 's 2006 production of Mother Courage and Her Children .   Streep was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004 , the Gala Tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2008 , and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2011 for her contribution to American culture through performing arts . President Barack Obama awarded her the 2010 National Medal of Arts and in 2014 the Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2003 , the government of France made her a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters . In 2017 , Streep was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award .


Rain Man is incapable of winning anything.

Rain Man Rain Man is a 1988 American road comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass . It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish young wheeler-dealer , Charlie Babbitt ( Tom Cruise ) , who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son , Raymond ( Dustin Hoffman ) , an autistic savant , of whose existence Charlie was unaware . Charlie is left with only his father 's car and collection of rose bushes . In addition to the two leads , Valeria Golino stars as Charlie 's girlfriend , Susanna .   Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek , a real-life savant ; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter , a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill , an earlier film that Morrow wrote .   Rain Man received overwhelmingly positive reviews , praising Hoffman 's role and the wit and sophistication of the screenplay , and was the highest-grossing film of 1988 . The film won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards ( March 1989 ) , including Best Picture , Best Original Screenplay , Best Director , and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman . Its crew received an additional four nominations . The film also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival .


Reese Witherspoon was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in the 21st century.

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon ( -LSB- ˈriːs_ˈwɪðərspuːn -RSB- born March 22 , 1976 ) is an American actress , producer , and entrepreneur . Born in New Orleans and raised in Tennessee , she began her career as a child actress , making her professional screen debut in The Man in the Moon ( 1991 ) , for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award . Following breakout roles in Desperate Choices : To Save My Child ( 1992 ) and Jack the Bear , she starred in the comedy-drama Pleasantville ( 1998 ) , for which she won the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance . Her leading role of Tracy Flick in Election ( 1999 ) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award .   Witherspoon 's breakthrough role was playing Elle Woods in the 2001 film Legally Blonde , for which she received her second Golden Globe nomination . The following year , she starred in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama , which emerged as her biggest live-action commercial success . In 2005 , she portrayed June Carter in Walk the Line , which earned her the Academy Award , Golden Globe Award , BAFTA Award , Screen Actors Guild Award , and Critics Choice Award for Best Actress . Other notable films of hers include Legally Blonde 2 : Red , White & Blonde ( 2003 ) , Monsters vs. Aliens ( 2009 ) , Water for Elephants ( 2011 ) , and Sing ( 2016 ) . In 2014 , Witherspoon produced the thriller Gone Girl and received critical acclaim for portraying Cheryl Strayed in Wild , for which she earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a fourth Golden Globe nomination . In 2017 , she produced and starred in the HBO drama series Big Little Lies .   Witherspoon owns a production company , Pacific Standard , and she is actively involved in children 's and women 's advocacy organizations . She serves on the board of the Children 's Defense Fund ( CDF ) and was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007 , serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation . She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 .


Alfred Hitchcock and Sidney Bernstein produced Rope.

Rope (film) Rope is a 1948 American film noir psychological crime thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock , based on the 1929 play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton , and adapted by Hume Cronyn and Arthur Laurents .   The film was produced by Hitchcock and Sidney Bernstein as the first of their Transatlantic Pictures productions . Starring James Stewart , John Dall and Farley Granger , this is the first of Hitchcock 's Technicolor films , and is notable for taking place in real time and being edited so as to appear as a single continuous shot through the use of long takes .  It is the second of Hitchcock 's `` limited setting '' films , the first being Lifeboat .  The original play was said to be inspired by the real-life murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb .


Pisces (astrology) Pisces ( -LSB- ˈpaɪsiːz -RSB- , pis ` eez ; Ἰχθύες Ikhthyes ) is the twelfth astrological sign in the Zodiac , originating from the Pisces constellation . It spans the 330 ° to 360 ° of the zodiac , between 332.75 ° and 360 ° of celestial longitude . Under the tropical zodiac the sun transits this area on average between February 19 and March 20 , and under the sidereal zodiac , the sun transits this area between approximately March 13 and April 13 . The symbol of the fish is derived from the ichthyocentaurs , who aided Aphrodite when she was born from the sea .   According to some tropical astrologers , the current astrological age is the Age of Pisces , while others maintain that it is the Age of Aquarius .


Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones , ( -LSB- ˈziːtə -RSB- born 25 September 1969 ) is a Welsh actress . Born and raised in Swansea , Zeta-Jones aspired to be an actress from a young age . In her early teens , she played roles in the West End productions of the musicals Annie and Bugsy Malone . She studied musical theatre at the Arts Educational Schools , London , and made her stage breakthrough with a leading role in a 1987 production of 42nd Street . Her screen debut came in the unsuccessful French-Italian film 1001 Nights ( 1990 ) , and she went on to find greater success as a regular in the British television series The Darling Buds of May ( 1991 -- 93 ) . Dismayed at being typecast as the token pretty girl in British films , Zeta-Jones relocated to Los Angeles .   Zeta-Jones initially established herself in Hollywood with roles that highlighted her sex appeal such as in the action film The Mask of Zorro ( 1998 ) and the heist film Entrapment ( 1999 ) . Critics praised her portrayal of a vengeful pregnant woman in Traffic ( 2000 ) and a murderous singer in the musical Chicago ( 2002 ) . The latter won her Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress , among other accolades . She starred in high-profile films for much of the decade , including the black comedy Intolerable Cruelty ( 2003 ) , the heist film Ocean 's Twelve ( 2004 ) , the comedy The Terminal ( 2004 ) , and the romantic comedy No Reservations ( 2007 ) . Parts in smaller-scale features were followed by a decrease in workload , during which she returned to stage and portrayed an ageing actress in A Little Night Music ( 2009 ) , winning a Tony Award . Zeta-Jones continued to work intermittently in the 2010s , starring in the psychological thriller Side Effects ( 2013 ) and the action film Red 2 ( 2013 ) .   Zeta-Jones is the recipient of several accolades , including an Academy Award , a British Academy Film Award and a Tony Award , and in 2010 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) for her film and humanitarian endeavours . She supports various charities and causes , and is a prominent celebrity endorser of brands . Her struggle with depression and bipolar II disorder has been well-documented by the media . She is married to the actor Michael Douglas with whom she has two children .


Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso ( -LSB- pɪˈkɑːsoʊ , _ - ˈkæsoʊ -RSB- -LSB- ˈpaβlo piˈkaso -RSB- ; 25 October 1881 -- 8 April 1973 ) was a Spanish painter , sculptor , printmaker , ceramicist , stage designer , poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France . Regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century , he is known for co-founding the Cubist movement , the invention of constructed sculpture , the co-invention of collage , and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore . Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon ( 1907 ) , and Guernica ( 1937 ) , a dramatic portrayal of the bombing of Guernica by the German and Italian airforces .   Picasso demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years , painting in a naturalistic manner through his childhood and adolescence . During the first decade of the 20th century , his style changed as he experimented with different theories , techniques , and ideas . After 1906 , the Fauvist work of the slightly older artist Henri Matisse motivated Picasso to explore more radical styles , beginning a fruitful rivalry between the two artists , who subsequently were often paired by critics as the leaders of modern art .   Picasso 's work is often categorized into periods . While the names of many of his later periods are debated , the most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period ( 1901 -- 1904 ) , the Rose Period ( 1904 -- 1906 ) , the African-influenced Period ( 1907 -- 1909 ) , Analytic Cubism ( 1909 -- 1912 ) , and Synthetic Cubism ( 1912 -- 1919 ) , also referred to as the Crystal period . Much of Picasso 's work of the late 1910s and early 1920s is in a neoclassical style , and his work in the mid-1920s often has characteristics of Surrealism . His later work often combines elements of his earlier styles .   Exceptionally prolific throughout the course of his long life , Picasso achieved universal renown and immense fortune for his revolutionary artistic accomplishments , and became one of the best-known figures in 20th-century art .


Usain Bolt Usain St Leo Bolt , OJ , CD ( -LSB- ˈjuːseɪn -RSB- born 21 August 1986 ) is a Jamaican sprinter . He is the first person to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory . He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay . He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in these three events . Due to his unprecedented dominance and achievements in sprint competition , he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time .   An eight-time Olympic gold medalist , Bolt won the 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games , although he subsequently lost one of the gold medals ( as well as the world record set therein ) nine years after the fact due to teammate Nesta Carter 's disqualification for doping offences . He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times . Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive olympics ( 2008 , 2012 and 2016 ) , a feat referred to as the `` triple double . ''   An eleven-time World Champion , he won consecutive World Championship 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015 , with the exception of a 100 m false start in 2011 . He is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and was the first athlete to win three titles in both the 100 m and 200 m at the competition .   Bolt improved upon his first 100 m world record of 9.69 with 9.58 seconds in 2009 -- the biggest improvement since the start of electronic timing . He has twice broken the 200 metres world record , setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009 . He has helped Jamaica to three 4 × 100 metres relay world records , with the current record being 36.84 seconds set in 2012 . Bolt 's most successful event is the 200 m , with three Olympic and four World titles . The 2008 Olympics was his international debut over 100 m ; he had earlier won numerous 200 m medals ( including 2007 World Championship silver ) and holds the world under-20 and world under-18 records for the event .   His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the media nickname `` Lightning Bolt '' , and his awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year , Track & Field Athlete of the Year , and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year ( four times ) . Bolt has stated that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships .


2014 was the year The Lego Movie was released.

The Lego Movie The Lego Movie is a 2014 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller . The screenplay , penned by Lord and Miller , is based on a story by them and Dan and Kevin Hageman ; while the film features a few live-action scenes , it is primarily an animated film . Based on the Lego line of construction toys , the story focuses on an ordinary Lego minifigure who finds himself being the only one to help a resistance stop a tyrannical businessman from gluing everything in the Lego worlds into his vision of perfection . Chris Pratt , Will Ferrell , Elizabeth Banks , Will Arnett , Nick Offerman , Alison Brie , Charlie Day , Liam Neeson , and Morgan Freeman provide their voices for the film 's main characters . The Lego Movie was the first film produced by Warner Animation Group since the release of Looney Tunes : Back in Action in 2003 , and was an international co-production of the United States , Australia and Denmark . It was dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Fleming , the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company , following her death in Cancun , Mexico in April 2013 .   The film was released on February 7 , 2014 by Warner Bros. . Pictures to near-unanimous acclaim ; critics praised its visual style , humor , voice cast and heartwarming message . It earned more than $ 257 million in the U.S. and Canada and $ 210 million in other territories , for a worldwide total of over $ 469 million , with the film winning the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film , the Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature , and the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film ; it was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for `` Everything Is Awesome '' .   The film has since expanded into a major franchise which ties into the Lego brand . A spin-off film , The Lego Batman Movie , was released to theaters on February 10 , 2017 , with a second spin-off , The Lego Ninjago Movie , set to release later in the year . A sequel to the film is scheduled for release on February 8 , 2019 , as well as a third spin-off , The Billion Brick Race , also planned .


A central venous catheter is also known as a CVC.

Central venous catheter A central venous catheter ( CVC ) , also known as a central line , central venous line , or central venous access catheter , is a catheter placed into a large vein . Catheters can be placed in veins in the neck ( internal jugular vein ) , chest ( subclavian vein or axillary vein ) , groin ( femoral vein ) , or through veins in the arms ( also known as a PICC line , or peripherally inserted central catheters ) . It is used to administer medication or fluids that are unable to be taken by mouth or would harm a smaller peripheral vein , obtain blood tests ( specifically the `` central venous oxygen saturation '' ) , and measure central venous pressure .


A.J. Cook appeared in The Virgin Suicides.

A. J. Cook Andrea Joy `` A. J. '' Cook ( born July 22 , 1978 ) is a Canadian actress known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer `` JJ '' Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds . She has also appeared in films such as The Virgin Suicides ( 1999 ) , Out Cold ( 2001 ) , and Final Destination 2 ( 2003 ) .


Erich von Manstein was a German commander of armed forces of Nazi Germany.

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski , known as Erich von Manstein ( 24 November 1887 -- 9 June 1973 ) , was a German commander of the Wehrmacht , Nazi Germany 's armed forces during the Second World War . He attained the rank of field marshal .   Born into an aristocratic Prussian family with a long history of military service , Manstein joined the army at a young age and saw service on Western Front and Eastern Front during the First World War ( 1914 -- 18 ) . He rose to the rank of captain by the end of the war and was active in the inter-war period helping Germany rebuild her armed forces . In September 1939 , during the invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War , he was serving as Chief of Staff to Gerd von Rundstedt 's Army Group South . Adolf Hitler chose Manstein 's strategy for the invasion of France of May 1940 , a plan later refined by Franz Halder and other members of the OKH . Anticipating a firm Allied reaction should the main thrust of the invasion take place through the Netherlands , Manstein devised an innovative operation -- later known as the Sichelschnitt ( `` sickle cut '' ) -- that called for an attack through the woods of the Ardennes and a rapid drive to the English Channel , thus cutting off the French and Allied armies in Belgium and Flanders . Attaining the rank of general at the end of the campaign , he was active in the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 and the Siege of Sevastopol ( 1941 -- 1942 ) , and was promoted to field marshal on 1 July 1942 . He also participated in the Siege of Leningrad .   Germany 's fortunes in the war began to take an unfavourable turn later in 1942 , especially in the catastrophic Battle of Stalingrad , where Manstein commanded a failed relief effort ( `` Operation Winter Storm '' ) in December . Later known as the `` backhand blow '' , Manstein 's counteroffensive in the Third Battle of Kharkov ( February -- March 1943 ) regained substantial territory and resulted in the destruction of three Soviet armies and the retreat of three others . He was one of the primary commanders at the Battle of Kursk ( July -- August 1943 ) , one of the largest tank battles in history . His ongoing disagreements with Hitler over the conduct of the war led to his dismissal in March 1944 . He never obtained another command and was taken prisoner by the British in August 1945 , several months after Germany 's defeat .   Manstein gave testimony at the main Nuremberg trials of war criminals in August 1946 , and prepared a paper that , along with his later memoirs , helped cultivate the myth of a `` clean Wehrmacht '' -- the myth that the German armed forces were not culpable for the atrocities of the Holocaust . In 1949 he was tried in Hamburg for war crimes and was convicted on nine of seventeen counts , including the poor treatment of prisoners of war and failing to protect civilian lives in his sphere of operations . His sentence of eighteen years in prison was later reduced to twelve , and he served only four years before being released in 1953 . As a military advisor to the West German government in the mid-1950s , he helped re-establish the armed forces . His memoir , Verlorene Siege ( 1955 ) , translated into English as Lost Victories , was highly critical of Hitler 's leadership , and only dealt with the military aspects of the war , ignoring its political and ethical contexts . Manstein died in Munich in 1973 .


Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning ( born March 24 , 1976 ) is a former American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League ( NFL ) , primarily with the Indianapolis Colts . Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time , he spent 14 seasons with the Colts and was a member of the Denver Broncos in his last four seasons . Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee , leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season . He is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning .   Manning was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft . From 1998 to 2010 , he improved the fortunes of the struggling Colts franchise and helped transform them into playoff contenders . During his tenure as starting quarterback , Manning led the team to eight division championships , two AFC championships , and one Super Bowl title , the franchise 's first in over three decades , as well as their first since relocating to Indianapolis .   After undergoing neck surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season , Manning was released by the Colts and signed with the Denver Broncos . Serving as the team 's starting quarterback from 2012 to 2015 , he contributed to the Broncos reaching the top of their division each year and his playing career concluded with a victory in Super Bowl 50 .   Manning holds many NFL records , including passing yards ( 71,940 ) , touchdown passes ( 539 ) , AP MVP awards ( 5 ) , Pro Bowl appearances ( 14 ) , and 4,000-yard passing seasons ( 14 ) . A two-time Super Bowl winner and the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI , Manning is also the only quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two different franchises more than once each and the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises . At 39 years of age , Manning is the oldest quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl . Manning is also the only quarterback in NFL history to make the Super Bowl four times with four different head coaches ( Dungy , Caldwell , Fox , and Kubiak ) .   During a 2009 Monday Night Football game , Manning received the nickname `` The Sheriff '' from color commentator Jon Gruden due to his tendency to audible prior to the snap , and he was one of the most recognizable and parodied players in the NFL . Teams led by Manning typically utilized the hurry-up offense in place of the standard huddle .


Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas ( born Issur Danielovitch , December 9 , 1916 ) is an American actor , producer , director , and author . He is one of the last living people of the film industry 's Golden Age . After an impoverished childhood with immigrant parents and six sisters , he had his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ( 1946 ) with Barbara Stanwyck . Douglas soon developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1950s and 1960s , known for serious dramas , including westerns and war movies . During his career he appeared in more than 90 movies .   Douglas became an international star through positive reception for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion ( 1949 ) , which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . Other early films include Young Man with a Horn ( 1950 ) , playing opposite Lauren Bacall and Doris Day ; Ace in the Hole opposite Jan Sterling ( 1951 ) ; and Detective Story ( 1951 ) . He received a second Oscar nomination for his dramatic role in The Bad and the Beautiful ( 1952 ) , opposite Lana Turner , and his third nomination for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life ( 1956 ) .   In 1955 , he established Bryna Productions , which began producing films as varied as Paths of Glory ( 1957 ) and Spartacus ( 1960 ) . In those two films , he starred and collaborated with the then relatively unknown director , Stanley Kubrick . Douglas helped break the Hollywood blacklist by having Dalton Trumbo write Spartacus with an official on-screen credit , although Trumbo 's family claims he overstated his role . He produced and starred in Lonely Are the Brave ( 1962 ) , considered a cult classic , and Seven Days in May ( 1964 ) , opposite Burt Lancaster , with whom he made seven films . In 1963 , he starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest , a story he purchased , which he later gave to his son Michael Douglas , who turned it into an Oscar-winning film .   As an actor and philanthropist , Douglas has received three Academy Award nominations , an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement , and the Presidential Medal of Freedom . As an author , he has written ten novels and memoirs . Currently , he is No. 17 on the American Film Institute 's list of the greatest male screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema , and the highest-ranked living person on the list . After barely surviving a helicopter crash in 1991 and then suffering a stroke in 1996 , he has focused on renewing his spiritual and religious life . He lives with his second wife ( of 63 years ) , Anne , a producer . He turned 100 on December 9 , 2016 .


Matthew Modine played the title character of the TV series Birdy.

Matthew Modine Matthew Avery Modine ( born March 22 , 1959 ) is an American film actor who rose to prominence through his role as United States Marine Corps Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick 's `` Full Metal Jacket '' . His other well-known roles include Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things , the title character in Alan Parker 's Birdy , high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest and the oversexed Sullivan Groff on Weeds .


Hungary is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Romania to the east, Serbia to the south, Croatia to the southwest, Slovenia to the west, Austria to the northwest, and Ukraine to the northeast.

Hungary Hungary ( -LSB- ˈhʌŋɡəri -RSB- Magyarország -LSB- ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ -RSB- ) is a unitary parliamentary republic in Central Europe . It covers an area of 93,030 km2 , situated in the Carpathian Basin , and is bordered by Slovakia to the north , Romania to the east , Serbia to the south , Croatia to the southwest , Slovenia to the west , Austria to the northwest , and Ukraine to the northeast . With about 10 million inhabitants , Hungary is a medium-sized member state of the European Union . The official language is Hungarian , which is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe . Hungary 's capital and largest metropolis is Budapest , a significant economic hub , classified as a global city . Major urban areas include Debrecen , Szeged , Miskolc , Pécs and Győr .   Following centuries of successive habitation by Celts , Romans , Slavs , Gepids and Avars , the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian grand prince Árpád in the conquest of the Carpathian Basin . His great-grandson Stephen I ascended to the throne in 1000 , converting the country to a Christian kingdom . By the 12th century , Hungary became a middle power within the Western world , reaching a golden age by the 15th century . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation ( 1541 -- 1699 ) , Hungary came under Habsburg rule , and later formed the great power Austro -- Hungarian Empire together with Austria .   Hungary 's current borders were established in 1920 by the Treaty of Trianon after World War I , when the country lost 71 % of its territory , 58 % of its population , and 32 % of ethnic Hungarians . Following the interwar period , Hungary joined the Axis Powers in World War II , suffering significant damage and casualties . Hungary became a satellite state of the Soviet Union , which contributed to the establishment of a four-decade-long communist dictatorship ( 1947 -- 1989 ) . The country gained widespread international attention regarding the Revolution of 1956 and the seminal opening of its previously-restricted border with Austria in 1989 , which accelerated the collapse of the Eastern Bloc . On 23 October 1989 , Hungary again became a democratic parliamentary republic .   In the 21st century , Hungary is a middle power and has the world 's 57th largest economy by nominal GDP , as well as the 58th largest by PPP , out of 188 countries measured by the IMF . As a substantial actor in several industrial and technological sectors , it is both the world 's 36th largest exporter and importer of goods . Hungary is a high-income economy with a very high standard of living . It keeps up a social security and universal health care system , and a tuition-free university education . Hungary performs well in international rankings : it is 20th in quality of life , 25th in inequality-adjusted human development , 32nd in the Social Progress Index , and ranks as the 19th safest country in the world .   Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007 . Hungary is a member of the United Nations , NATO , WTO , World Bank , the AIIB , the Council of Europe and Visegrád Group . Well known for its rich cultural history , Hungary has contributed significantly to arts , music , literature , sports and science and technology . Hungary is the 11th most popular country as a tourist destination in Europe , attracting 14.3 million international tourists in 2015 . It is home to the largest thermal water cave system , the second largest thermal lake in the world , the largest lake in Central Europe , and the largest natural grasslands in Europe .


D. B. Weiss is an American screenwriter.

D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss ( born April 23 , 1971 ) is an American author , screenwriter , producer , and director . Along with his collaborator David Benioff , he is best known as screenwriter , executive producer , and sometimes director of Game of Thrones , the HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin 's series of books A Song of Ice and Fire .   His 2003 debut novel , Lucky Wander Boy , is themed around video games .