1969 was the year of release for Led Zeppelin's first album.

Led Zeppelin (album) Led Zeppelin is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin , released on 12 January 1969 in the United States and on 31 March 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records . Featuring integral contributions from each of the group 's four members , the album was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London and established their fusion style of both blues and rock music . It also attracted a large and devoted following to the band ; Zeppelin 's take on the emerging hard rock sound endeared them to parts of the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean .   Although the album was not critically well-received when first released , it was commercially successful , and critics have since come to view it in a more favourable light . In 2003 , Led Zeppelin was ranked at # 29 on Rolling Stone magazine 's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time , and keeping that position after the list was updated in 2012 . In 2004 , the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame .


Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968 . The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page , singer Robert Plant , bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones , and drummer John Bonham . The band 's heavy , guitar-driven sound , rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums , has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal , though their unique style drew from a wide variety of influences , including folk music .   After changing their name from the New Yardbirds , Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that afforded them considerable artistic freedom . Although the group was initially unpopular with critics , they achieved significant commercial success with albums such as Led Zeppelin ( 1969 ) , Led Zeppelin II ( 1969 ) , Led Zeppelin III ( 1970 ) , Led Zeppelin IV ( 1971 ) , Houses of the Holy ( 1973 ) , and Physical Graffiti ( 1975 ) . Their fourth album , which features the track `` Stairway to Heaven '' , is among the most popular and influential works in rock music , and it helped to secure the group 's popularity .   Page wrote most of Led Zeppelin 's music , particularly early in their career , while Plant generally supplied the lyrics . Jones ' keyboard-based compositions later became central to the group 's catalogue , which featured increasing experimentation . The latter half of their career saw a series of record-breaking tours that earned the group a reputation for excess and debauchery . Although they remained commercially and critically successful , their output and touring schedule were limited during the late 1970s , and the group disbanded following Bonham 's death from alcohol-related asphyxia in 1980 . In the decades that followed , the surviving members sporadically collaborated and participated in one-off Led Zeppelin reunions . The most successful of these was the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London , with Jason Bonham taking his late father 's place behind the drums .   Led Zeppelin are widely considered one of the most successful , innovative , and influential rock groups in history . They are one of the best-selling music artists in the history of audio recording ; various sources estimate the group 's record sales at 200 to 300 million units worldwide . With RIAA-certified sales of 111.5 million units , they are the second-best-selling band in the US . Each of their nine studio albums placed in the top 10 of the Billboard album chart and six reached the number-one spot . They achieved eight consecutive UK number-one albums . Rolling Stone magazine described them as `` the heaviest band of all time '' , `` the biggest band of the Seventies '' , and `` unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history '' . They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 ; the museum 's biography of the band states that they were `` as influential '' during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960s .


Yamaha Corporation ( -LSB- jəˈmɑːhə -RSB- or -LSB- ˈjɑːməhə -RSB- -LSB- jamaha -RSB- ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a very wide range of products and services , predominantly musical instruments , electronics , motorcycles and power sports equipment . It is one of the constituents of Nikkei 225 and is the world 's largest piano manufacturing company .


Hotel Hell airs on Monday nights at 8 pm.

Hotel Hell Hotel Hell is an American reality television series created , hosted and narrated by Gordon Ramsay that premiered on the Fox network on August 13 , 2012 . It is Ramsay 's fourth series for the Fox network and airs on Monday nights at 8 pm ET/PT . On August 17 , 2015 , Fox renewed Hotel Hell for a third season , which aired from May 24 to July 26 , 2016 .   The series features Ramsay visiting various struggling lodging establishments throughout the United States in an attempt to reverse their misfortunes , following a similar concept established in Ramsay 's other programs , Ramsay 's Kitchen Nightmares and its American counterpart , Kitchen Nightmares .


Programmer A programmer , computer programmer , developer , dev , coder , or software engineer is a person who creates computer software . The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software . One who practices or professes a formal approach to programming may also be known as a programmer analyst .   A programmer 's primary computer language ( Assembly , COBOL , C , C++ , C# , Java , Lisp , Python , etc. ) is often prefixed to these titles , and those who work in a web environment often prefix their titles with web .   A range of occupations , including : software developer , web developer , mobile applications developer , embedded firmware developer , software engineer , computer scientist , or software analyst , while they do involve programming , also require a range of other skills . The use of the simple term programmer for these positions is sometimes considered an insulting or derogatory oversimplification .


Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( -LSB- ( t ) ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol -RSB- ; -LSB- langʃəˈki : rə -RSB- born 2 February 1977 ) is a Colombian singer , songwriter , dancer , and record producer . Born and raised in Barranquilla , she began performing in school , demonstrating Latin American , Arabic , and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities . Shakira 's first studio albums , Magia and Peligro , failed to attain commercial success in the 1990s ; however , she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut , Pies Descalzos ( 1996 ) , and her fourth album , Dónde Están los Ladrones ? ( 1998 ) .   Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album , Laundry Service . Its lead single , `` Whenever , Wherever '' , became one of the most successful singles of 2002 . Her success was solidified with her sixth and seventh albums Fijación Oral , Volumen Uno and Oral Fixation , Volume Two ( 2005 ) , the latter of which spawned one of the best-selling songs of the 21st century , `` Hips Do n't Lie '' . Shakira 's eighth and ninth albums , She Wolf ( 2009 ) and Sale el Sol ( 2010 ) , received critical praise . Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup , `` Waka Waka ( This Time for Africa ) '' , became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time . With over 1.3 billion views , it is one of the most-watched music videos on YouTube . Shakira served as a coach on the fourth and sixth seasons of the American version of The Voice in 2013 and 2014 , respectively . Her tenth album , Shakira ( 2014 ) , is preceded by its lead single , `` Ca n't Remember to Forget You '' .   Shakira has won many awards , including five MTV Video Music Awards , two Grammy Awards , eight Latin Grammy Awards , seven Billboard Music Awards , 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated . She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and has sold between 70 and 125 million records worldwide ( depending on the source ) , making her the best selling South American singer and one of the best selling Latin artists of all time . She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work most notably through her Pies Descalzos Foundation . In 2014 , she was listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes .


Cindy McCain Cindy Lou Hensley McCain ( born May 20 , 1954 ) is an American businesswoman , philanthropist , and humanitarian , and the wife of long-time United States Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona .   She was born and raised in Phoenix , Arizona , as the daughter of wealthy beer distributor Jim Hensley . After receiving bachelor 's and master 's degrees from the University of Southern California , she became a special education teacher . She married John McCain in 1980 and the couple moved to Arizona in 1981 , where her husband would be elected to the United States Congress the following year and has been in office since then . The couple had three children together , in addition to adopting another . From 1988 to 1995 , she founded and operated a nonprofit organization , the American Voluntary Medical Team , which organized trips by medical personnel to disaster-stricken or war-torn third-world areas . During this time , she became addicted to painkillers for several years and resorted to having a physician write illegal prescriptions on her behalf . She reached an agreement with the government in which no charges were filed against her .   Upon her father 's death in 2000 , she inherited majority control and became chair of Hensley & Co. , one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the United States . She participated in both of her husband 's presidential campaigns and , in 2008 , drew both positive and negative scrutiny for her appearance , demeanor , wealth , spending habits , and financial obligations . She continues to be an active philanthropist and serves on the boards of Operation Smile , Eastern Congo Initiative , CARE and HALO Trust , frequently making overseas trips in conjunction with their activities . During the 2010s she has become prominent in the fight against human trafficking .


Grant Gustin Thomas Grant Gustin ( born January 14 , 1990 ) is an American actor , singer , and dancer . He is known for his role as Barry Allen / the Flash ( based on the DC Comics character of the same name ) on the CW series The Flash and Arrow , both in the Arrowverse television franchise , and his role as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series Glee .


Heinrich Himmler was Minister of the Interior from 1943 onward.

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( -LSB- ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈluˑɪtˌpɔlt ˈhɪmlɐ -RSB- ; 7 October 1900 -- 23 May 1945 ) was Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel ( Protection Squadron ; SS ) , and a leading member of the Nazi Party ( NSDAP ) of Germany . Nazi leader Adolf Hitler briefly appointed him a military commander and later Commander of the Replacement ( Home ) Army and General Plenipotentiary for the administration of the entire Third Reich ( Generalbevollmächtigter für die Verwaltung ) . Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the people most directly responsible for the Holocaust .   As a member of a reserve battalion during World War I , Himmler did not see active service . He studied agronomy in college , and joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and the SS in 1925 . In 1929 , he was appointed Reichsführer-SS by Hitler . Over the next 16 years , he developed the SS from a mere 290-man battalion into a million-strong paramilitary group , and , following Hitler 's orders , set up and controlled the Nazi concentration camps . He was known to have good organisational skills and for selecting highly competent subordinates , such as Reinhard Heydrich in 1931 . From 1943 onwards , he was both Chief of German Police and Minister of the Interior , overseeing all internal and external police and security forces , including the Gestapo ( Secret State Police ) . Himmler had a lifelong interest in occultism , interpreting Germanic neopagan and Völkisch beliefs to promote the racial policy of Nazi Germany , and incorporating esoteric symbolism and rituals into the SS .   On Hitler 's behalf , Himmler formed the Einsatzgruppen and built extermination camps . As facilitator and overseer of the concentration camps , Himmler directed the killing of some six million Jews , between 200,000 and 500,000 Romani people , and other victims ; the total number of civilians killed by the regime is estimated at eleven to fourteen million people . Most of them were Polish and Soviet citizens .   Late in World War II , Hitler charged Himmler with the command of the Army Group Upper Rhine and the Army Group Vistula ; he failed to achieve his assigned objectives and Hitler replaced him in these posts . Realising that the war was lost , he attempted to open peace talks with the western Allies without Hitler 's knowledge shortly before the war ended . Hearing of this , Hitler dismissed him from all his posts in April 1945 and ordered his arrest . Himmler attempted to go into hiding , but was detained and then arrested by British forces once his identity became known . While in British custody , he committed suicide on 23 May 1945 .


Connaught Tunnel is 5 miles and 22 feet long.

Connaught Tunnel For the Connaught tunnel in East London , England , see Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway  The Connaught Tunnel is a railway tunnel under the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia , Canada , near the city of Revelstoke . The 5.022 mi tunnel carries the Canadian Pacific Railway main line under Mount Macdonald and replaced the railway 's previous routing over Rogers Pass , which had been struck by several deadly avalanches since its completion in 1885 . At the time it was built , the Connaught Tunnel was the longest railway tunnel in North America . It was named for the Governor General of Canada -- the Prince Arthur , Duke of Connaught -- who in turn was named after the province of Connaught in Ireland .   Announced in February 1913 , the contract was awarded on July 1 , 1913 , to Foley Bros. . Welch and Stewart . The tunnel was designed by John G. Sullivan who joined the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1900 and eventually became Chief Engineer for Canada . A small tunnel was built , from which cross cuts were made to the main tunnel so work could carry on at a number of headings . The sub-contractor guaranteed to drill 900 ft of tunnel per month and started on April 2 , 1914 . Compressed air equipment and narrow gauge locomotives were used inside the tunnel . The company town housed some 300 workers . The tunnel was completed before the original deadline , with operation beginning December 16 , 1916 . It had a grade of only 0.95 per cent westward , and was tangent ; light at one end can be seen at the other , more than five miles away .   It cost $ 5.5 million , while a further $ 3 million were spent on track revision , which saw 14.5 mi abandoned including the Loops and over 4 mi of snow sheds . In all , the route was shortened by 4.3 mi .   Problems were encountered with ventilation , loose rocks and wet rails , which caused trains to stall . The tunnel was later lined with reinforced concrete and equipped with a better ventilation system . Originally double tracked , it was realigned with a single track in 1959 to accommodate higher freight cars .   In the late 1980s , the Mount Macdonald Tunnel was built to supplement the Connaught Tunnel and to lessen the grade on the eastern approach to the pass . Trains now predominantly travel east through the Connaught Tunnel and west through the Mount Macdonald Tunnel .   In 2001 , the Connaught Tunnel was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame . The Hall of Fame recognizes and establishes an enduring tribute to the people and things that have made significant contribution relating to railway industry in North America . The Connaught Tunnel was inducted in the `` Facilities and Structures '' category with `` National '' significance .


Jim Garrison James Carothers `` Jim '' Garrison ( born Earling Carothers Garrison ; November 20 , 1921 -- October 21 , 1992 ) was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish , Louisiana , from 1962 to 1973 . A member of the Democratic Party , he is best known for his investigations into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy . He was played by Kevin Costner in Oliver Stone 's JFK .


Sunny Leone has appeared on a mainstream program.

Sunny Leone Karenjit Kaur Vohra ( born May 13 , 1981 ) , known by her stage name Sunny Leone ( pronounced -LSB- ˈsənē lēˈōn ' ē -RSB- ) , is an actress and model , currently active in Indian film industry . She is a former pornstar , She has an American citizenship . She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra .  She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 , was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment , and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010 .   She has played roles in independent mainstream events , films and television shows . Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005 , when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India . In 2011 , she participated in the Indian reality television series Big Boss . She hosts the Indian reality show Splitsvilla .   In 2012 she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt 's erotic thriller Jism 2 ( 2012 ) and shifted her focus to mainstream acting which was followed up with Jackpot ( 2013 ) , Ragini MMS 2 ( 2014 ) and Ek Paheli Leela ( 2015 ) .   Apart from her acting career she has been part of activism campaigns including the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has also posed for a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) ad campaign with a rescued dog , encouraging pet owners to have their cats and dogs spayed and neutered .   Since 2011 , Leone has been married to Musician Daniel Weber .


Jon Huntsman Jr. is a politician and a businessman.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


Denmark's government and national parliament is located in Copenhagen.

Denmark For other uses , see Denmark ( disambiguation ) .   Denmark ( -LSB- ˈdɛnmɑrk -RSB- Danmark -LSB- ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Denmark , Kongeriget Danmark , -LSB- ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ -RSB- . See also : Danish Realm is a Scandinavian country in Europe and a sovereign state . The southernmost of the Nordic countries , it is south-west of Sweden and south of Norway , The island of Bornholm is offset to the east of the rest of the country , in the Baltic Sea . and bordered to the south by Germany . The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean : the Faroe Islands and Greenland . Denmark itself has a total area of 42924 km2 , ; total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2210579 km2 , and a population of 5.75 million . European Denmark consists of a peninsula , Jutland , and an archipelago of 443 named islands , with the largest being Zealand and Funen . The islands are characterised by flat , arable land and sandy coasts , low elevation and a temperate climate .   The unified kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 10th century as a proficient seafaring nation in the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea . Denmark , Sweden and Norway were ruled together under the Kalmar Union , established in 1397 and ending with Swedish secession in 1523 . Denmark and Norway remained under the same monarch until outside forces dissolved the union in 1814 . The union with Norway made it possible for Denmark to inherit the Faroe Islands , Iceland , and Greenland . Beginning in the 17th century , there were several cessions of territory to Sweden . In the 19th century there was a surge of nationalist movements , which were defeated in the 1864 Second Schleswig War . Denmark remained neutral during World War I . In April 1940 , a German invasion saw brief military skirmishes while the Danish resistance movement was active from 1943 until the German surrender in May 1945 . An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century , Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century that created the basis for the present welfare state model with a highly developed mixed economy .   The Constitution of Denmark was signed on 5 June 1849 , ending the absolute monarchy which had begun in 1660 . It establishes a constitutional monarchy organised as a parliamentary democracy . The government and national parliament are seated in Copenhagen , the nation 's capital , largest city and main commercial centre . Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm , devolving powers to handle internal affairs . Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands  in 1948 ; in Greenland home rule was established in 1979 and further autonomy in 2009 . Denmark became a member of the European Economic Community ( now the EU ) in 1973 , maintaining certain opt-outs ; it retains its own currency , the krone . It is among the founding members of NATO , the Nordic Council , the OECD , OSCE , and the United Nations ; it is also part of the Schengen Area .   Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in some metrics of national performance , including education , health care , protection of civil liberties , democratic governance , prosperity and human development . The country ranks as having the world 's highest social mobility , a high level of income equality , is the country with the lowest perceived level of corruption in the world , has one of the world 's highest per capita incomes , and one of the world 's highest personal income tax rates .


Drax the Destroyer Drax the Destroyer ( Arthur Douglas ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin , the character first appeared in Iron Man # 55 ( February 1973 ) .   Arthur Douglas was a human whose family was attacked and killed by the supervillain Thanos . Needing a champion to combat Thanos , the being known as Kronos took Arthur 's spirit and placed it in a powerful new body , and Drax the Destroyer was born . Drax 's powers included enhanced strength and resilience , flight , and the ability to project energy blasts from his hands . The character often battled Thanos , and on occasion the superheroes Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock . He was also a member of the group known as the Infinity Watch .   In 2004 , the character lost his flight and energy blasts , and a portion of his strength and resilience . This version of the character played a role in the crossover comic book storylines `` Annihilation '' and `` Annihilation : Conquest '' , and became a member of the relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy . He has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise , including animated television series , action figures , and video games . Drax is portrayed by Dave Bautista in the 2014 live-action film Guardians of the Galaxy , its 2017 sequel , and the upcoming Avengers : Infinity War .


Ayn Rand Ayn Rand ( -LSB- ˈaɪn_ˈrænd -RSB- born Alisa Zinov ` yevna Rosenbaum , Али́са Зино́вьевна Розенба́ум -- March 6 , 1982 ) was a Russian-American novelist , philosopher , playwright , and screenwriter . She is known for her two best-selling novels , The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged , and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism . Educated in Russia , she moved to the United States in 1926 . She had a play produced on Broadway in 1935 -- 1936 . After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful in America , she achieved fame with her 1943 novel , The Fountainhead .   In 1957 , Rand published her best-known work , the novel Atlas Shrugged . Afterward , she turned to non-fiction to promote her philosophy , publishing her own magazines and releasing several collections of essays until her death in 1982 . Rand advocated reason as the only means of acquiring knowledge , and rejected faith and religion . She supported rational and ethical egoism , and rejected altruism . In politics , she condemned the initiation of force as immoral , and opposed collectivism and statism as well as anarchism , and instead supported laissez-faire capitalism , which she defined as the system based on recognizing individual rights . In art , Rand promoted romantic realism . She was sharply critical of most philosophers and philosophical traditions known to her , except for Aristotle , Thomas Aquinas , and classical liberals .   Literary critics received Rand 's fiction with mixed reviews , and academia generally ignored or rejected her philosophy , though academic interest has increased in recent decades . The Objectivist movement attempts to spread her ideas , both to the public and in academic settings . She has been a significant influence among libertarians and American conservatives .


Mirka Federer Miroslava `` Mirka '' Federer ( born Miroslava Vavrincová on 1 April 1978 , later Miroslava Vavrinec ) is a Slovak-born Swiss former professional tennis player . She reached her career-high WTA singles ranking of World No. 76 on 10 September 2001 and a doubles ranking of World No. 215 on 24 August 1998 . She is the wife of professional tennis player Roger Federer , having first met him at the 2000 Summer Olympics . She retired from the game in 2002 due to a persistent foot injury . She has since frequently been seen on the ATP circuit attending her husband 's matches .


Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart and Sam's club.

Sam Walton Samuel Moore `` Sam '' Walton ( March 29 , 1918 -- April 5 , 1992 ) was an American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam 's Club .


Thailand Thailand ( -LSB- ˈtaɪlænd -RSB- or -LSB- ˈtaɪlənd -RSB- ; -LSB- : wikt : ประเทศไทย , ประเทศไทย -RSB- , , -LSB- pra.tʰêːt tʰaj -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Thailand ( -LSB- : wikt : ราชอาณาจักรไทย , ราชอาณาจักรไทย -RSB- , -LSB- râːt.t͡ɕʰa.ʔaː.naː.t͡ɕàk tʰaj -RSB- ) , formerly known as Siam ( -LSB- : wikt : สยาม , สยาม -RSB- , -LSB- sa.jǎːm -RSB- ) , is a country at the centre of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia . With a total area of approximately 513000 km2 , Thailand is the world 's 50th-largest country . It is the 20th-most-populous country in the world , with around 66 million people . The capital and largest city is Bangkok .   Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and has switched between parliamentary democracy and military junta for decades , the latest coup being in May 2014 by the National Council for Peace and Order . Its capital and most populous city is Bangkok . It is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos , to the east by Laos and Cambodia , to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia , and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar . Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast , and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest .   The Thai economy is the world 's 20th largest by GDP at PPP and the 27th largest by nominal GDP . It became a newly industrialised country and a major exporter in the 1990s . Manufacturing , agriculture , and tourism are leading sectors of the economy . It is considered a middle power in the region and around the world .


In May of 1999, Saving Private Ryan was released on home video.

Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American epic war drama film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II . Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat , the film is notable for its graphic portrayal of war , and for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes , which includes a depiction of the Omaha Beach assault during the Normandy landings . It follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller ( Tom Hanks ) and a squad ( Tom Sizemore , Edward Burns , Barry Pepper , Giovanni Ribisi , Vin Diesel , Adam Goldberg , and Jeremy Davies ) as they search for a paratrooper , Private First Class James Francis Ryan ( Matt Damon ) , who is the last-surviving brother of four servicemen .   The film received critical acclaim , winning several awards for film , cast , and crew , as well as earning significant returns at the box office . The film grossed US$ 481.8 million worldwide , making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year . The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards ; Spielberg 's direction won his second Academy Award for Best Director , with four more awards going to the film . Saving Private Ryan was released on home video in May 1999 , earning another $ 44 million from sales . In 2014 , the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress , being deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant . ''


Fiji Fiji ( -LSB- ˈfiːdʒiː -RSB- ) ( Viti -LSB- ˈβitʃi -RSB- फ़िजी ) , officially the Republic of Fiji ( Matanitu Tugalala o Viti फ़िजी गणराज्य ) , is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1100 nmi northeast of New Zealand 's North Island . Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west , New Caledonia to the southwest , New Zealand 's Kermadec Islands to the southeast , Tonga to the east , the Samoas and France 's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast , and Tuvalu to the north .   Fiji is an archipelago of more than 330 islands , of which 110 are permanently inhabited , and more than 500 islets , amounting to a total land area of about 18300 km2 . The farthest island is Ono-i-Lau . The two major islands , Viti Levu and Vanua Levu , account for 87 % of the population of almost 860,000 . The capital , Suva on Viti Levu , serves as Fiji 's principal cruise port . About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu 's coasts , either in Suva or in smaller urban centres like Nadi ( tourism ) or Lautoka ( sugar cane industry ) . Viti Levu 's interior is sparsely inhabited due to its terrain .   Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific due to an abundance of forest , mineral , and fish resources . Today , the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports . The country 's currency is the Fijian dollar . Fiji 's local government , in the form of city and town councils , is supervised by the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development .   The majority of Fiji 's islands were formed through volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago . Today , some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni . Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium BC , and was settled first by Austronesians and later by Melanesians , with some Polynesian influences . Europeans visited Fiji from the 17th century , and , after a brief period as an independent kingdom , the British established the Colony of Fiji in 1874 . Fiji was a Crown colony until 1970 , when it gained independence as a Commonwealth realm . A republic was declared in 1987 , following a series of coups d'état .   In a coup in 2006 , Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power . When the High Court ruled in 2009 that the military leadership was unlawful , President Ratu Josefa Iloilo , whom the military had retained as the nominal Head of State , formally abrogated the Constitution and reappointed Bainimarama . Later in 2009 , Iloilo was replaced as President by Ratu Epeli Nailatikau . After years of delays , a democratic election was held on 17 September 2014 . Bainimarama 's FijiFirst party won with 59.2 % of the vote , and the election was deemed credible by international observers .


Tim Robbins Timothy Francis `` Tim '' Robbins ( born October 16 , 1958 ) is an American actor , screenwriter , director , producer , activist and musician . He is well known for his portrayal of Andy Dufresne in the prison drama film The Shawshank Redemption ( 1994 ) .   His other roles include Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham , Jacob Singer in Jacob 's Ladder , Griffin Mill in The Player , and Dave Boyle in Mystic River , for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , and for directing films such as Dead Man Walking and Bob Roberts , both of which received critical acclaim .


Isabella of France was unable to become queen of anything.

Isabella of France Isabella of France ( 1295 -- 22 August 1358 ) , sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France , was Queen of England as the wife of Edward II , and regent of England from 1326 until 1330 . She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre . Queen Isabella was notable at the time for her beauty , diplomatic skills , and intelligence .   Isabella arrived in England at the age of 12 during a period of growing conflict between the king and the powerful baronial factions . Her new husband was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favourite , Piers Gaveston , but the queen supported Edward during these early years , forming a working relationship with Piers and using her relationship with the French monarchy to bolster her own authority and power . After the death of Gaveston at the hands of the barons in 1312 , however , Edward later turned to a new favourite , Hugh Despenser the Younger , and attempted to take revenge on the barons , resulting in the Despenser War and a period of internal repression across England . Isabella could not tolerate Hugh Despenser and by 1325 her marriage to Edward was at a breaking point .   Travelling to France under the guise of a diplomatic mission , Isabella began an affair with Roger Mortimer , and the two agreed to depose Edward and oust the Despenser family . The Queen returned to England with a small mercenary army in 1326 , moving rapidly across England . The King 's forces deserted him . Isabella deposed Edward , becoming regent on behalf of her son , Edward III . Many have believed that Isabella then arranged the murder of Edward II . Isabella and Mortimer 's regime began to crumble , partly because of her lavish spending , but also because the Queen successfully , but unpopularly , resolved long-running problems such as the wars with Scotland .   In 1330 , Isabella 's son Edward III deposed Mortimer in turn , taking back his authority and executing Isabella 's lover . The Queen was not punished , however , and lived for many years in considerable style -- although not at Edward III 's court -- until her death in 1358 . Isabella became a popular `` femme fatale '' figure in plays and literature over the years , usually portrayed as a beautiful but cruel , manipulative figure .


All My Children was created by Agnes Nixon.

All My Children All My Children ( often shortened to AMC ) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC for 41 years , from January 5 , 1970 , to September 23 , 2011 , and on The Online Network ( TOLN ) from April 29 to September 2 , 2013 , via Hulu , Hulu Plus , and iTunes . Created by Agnes Nixon , All My Children is set in Pine Valley , Pennsylvania , a fictional suburb of Philadelphia , which is modeled on the actual Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont . The original series featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane , one of daytime 's most popular characters . The title of the series refers to the bonds of humanity . All My Children was the first new network daytime drama to debut in the 1970s . Originally owned by Creative Horizons , Inc. , the company created by Nixon and her husband , Bob , the show was sold to ABC in January 1975 . The series started at a half-hour in per-installment length , then was expanded to a full hour on April 25 , 1977 . Earlier , the show had experimented with the full-hour format for one week starting on June 30 , 1975 , after which Ryan 's Hope premiered .   From 1970 to 1990 , All My Children was recorded at ABC 's TV18 at 101 West 67th St , now a 50-story apartment tower . From March 1990 to December 2009 , it was taped at ABC 's Studio TV23 at 320 West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City , New York . In December 2009 , the locale for taping the series moved from Manhattan to less costly Los Angeles , California . The show was then produced in Stages 1 and 2 at the Andrita Studios in Los Angeles , California , from 2010 to 2011 , and then at the Connecticut Film Center in Stamford , Connecticut . All My Children started taping in high definition on January 4 , 2010 , and began airing in high definition on February 3 , 2010 . All My Children became the third soap opera to be produced and broadcast in high definition .   At one point , the program 's popularity positioned it as the most widely recorded television show in the United States . Also , in a departure from societal norms at the time , All My Children , in the mid-1970s , had an audience that was estimated to be 30 % male . The show ranked No. 1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings in the 1978 -- 79 season . Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s , All My Children was the No. 2 daytime soap opera on the air . However , like the rest of the soap operas in the United States , All My Children experienced unprecedented declines in its daytime ratings during the 2000s . By the 2010s , it had become one of the least watched soap operas in daytime television .   On April 14 , 2011 , it was announced that ABC canceled All My Children after 41 years on the air due to low ratings . On July 7 , 2011 , ABC sold the licensing rights of All My Children to third-party production company Prospect Park with the show set to continue on the internet as a series of webisodes . The show taped its final scenes for ABC on August 30 , 2011 , and its final episode on the network aired on September 23 , 2011 , with a cliffhanger . On September 26 , 2011 , the following Monday , ABC replaced All My Children with a newly debuted talk show The Chew . Prospect Park had suspended its plan to revive the series on November 23 , 2011 , due to lack of funding and unsuccessful negotiation with the union organizations representing the actors and crews . On January 7 , 2013 , Prospect Park officially brought back its project to restore All My Children as a web series . The show taped its first scenes for Prospect Park TOLN on February 18 , 2013 , and its first episode on the network aired on April 29 , 2013 . However , the new series faced several behind-the-scene obstacles throughout its run . On November 11 , 2013 , several All My Children cast members announced that Prospect Park had closed production and canceled the series again . ABC regained the rights to the show in December 2016 .


The Chernobyl disaster caused multiple deaths within the facility.

Deaths due to the Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster ( Чорнобильська катастрофа , Chornobylʹsʹka katastrofa , Chernobyl accident ) , was considered the worst nuclear disaster in history . It occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic , then part of the Soviet Union ) , now in Ukraine . The scientific consensus on the effects of the disaster has been developed by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation ( UNSCEAR ) . In peer-reviewed publications UNSCEAR has identified 49 immediate deaths from trauma , acute radiation poisoning , a helicopter crash and cases of thyroid cancer from an original group of about 6,000 cases of thyroid cancers in the affected area A United Nations study estimates the final total of premature deaths associated with the disaster will be around 4000 , mostly from an estimated 3 % increase in cancers which are already common causes of death in the region .   Some non-governmental organizations , many with staunch positions on the spectrum of the nuclear power debate , have claimed numbers up to a million excess deaths caused by the nuclear disaster . UN and other international agencies such as the Chernobyl Forum and the World Health Organization state that such numbers are wildly over-estimated . The Chernobyl Forum also acknowledges an increase in psychological problems amongst those exposed to radiation , which may be attributed in part to poor communication of radiation effects and disruption to their way of life , but is also likely affected by other events surrounding the breakup of the Soviet Union .   Complicating the conflict is the fact that , with the exception of diagnoses of Acute Radiation Syndrome , obvious industrial accidents on site , and a detailed analysis of thyroid cancers among children , assignment of causes of death is a statistical rather than a deterministic process . Although non-peer-reviewed publications allege a variety of cancers , heart and other organ diseases , birth defects in children and grandchildren of nearby residents and other ailments , for the majority of these conditions radiation exposure is not even a recognized cause and , in any case , the incidence of such conditions in the relevant population has actually fallen since the Chernobyl incident . On the other hand , the effects of radiation are becoming better known as experience gathers and formerly disconnected illness may actually be the result of long-term , unseen damage during the exposure event .   During mid-1986 the official Soviet death toll rose from 2 to 31 , a figure that has often been repeated . Following the disaster itself , the USSR organized an effort to stabilize and shore up the reactor area , still awash in radiation , using the efforts of 600,000 `` liquidators '' recruited from all over the USSR . Some organizations claim that deaths as a result of the immediate aftermath and the cleanup operation may number at least 6,000 , but that exceeds the number of workers believed , by the National Committee for Radiation Protection of the Ukrainian Population , to have died from all causes ( including , for example , old age and traffic accidents ) . The UNSCEAR report cites only evidence for thyroid cancers among children and teens ( adults are quite resistant to iodine-131 poisoning ) and some small amount of leukemia and eye cataracts among the most irradiated of the workers ; no evidence for hard cancers has been found , despite waiting beyond the elapse of the usual ten year latency period . For further information on the indirect health implications , see Chernobyl disaster 's effects on human health .


Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster , also referred to as the Chernobyl accident , was a catastrophic nuclear accident . It occurred on 26 April 1986 in the No. 4 light water graphite moderated reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat , in what was then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union ( USSR ) .   During a late night safety test which simulated a station blackout power-failure and in which safety systems were deliberately turned off , a combination of inherent reactor design flaws , together with the reactor operators arranging the core in a manner contrary to the checklist for the test , eventually resulted in uncontrolled reaction conditions that flashed water into steam generating a destructive steam explosion and a subsequent open-air graphite fire.Although most reports on the Chernobyl accident refer to a number of graphite fires , it is highly unlikely that the graphite itself burned . According to the General Atomics website < http://gt-mhr.ga.com/safety.php > : `` It is often incorrectly assumed that the combustion behavior of graphite is similar to that of charcoal and coal . Numerous tests and calculations have shown that it is virtually impossible to burn high-purity , nuclear-grade graphites . '' On Chernobyl , the same source states : `` Graphite played little or no role in the progression or consequences of the accident . The red glow observed during the Chernobyl accident was the expected color of luminescence for graphite at 700 ° C and not a large-scale graphite fire , as some have incorrectly assumed . '' Similarly , nuclear physicist Yevgeny Velikhov , < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4918742.stm > noted some 2 weeks after the accident that `` Until now the possibility of a catastrophe really did exist : A great quantity of fuel and graphite of the reactor was in an incandescent state '' That is , all the nuclear-decay heat that was generated inside the uranium fuel ( heat which would normally be extracted by back-up coolant pumps , in an undamaged reactor ) was instead responsible for making the fuel itself and any graphite in contact with it , to glow red-hot . This is contrary to the oft cited interpretation , which is that the graphite was red-hot chiefly because it was chemically oxidizing with the air . This fire produced considerable updrafts for about 9 days , that lofted plumes of fission products into the atmosphere , with the estimated radioactive inventory that was released during this very hot fire phase , approximately equal in magnitude to the airborne fission products released in the initial destructive explosion . Practically all of this radioactive material would then go on to fall-out/precipitate onto much of the surface of the western USSR and Europe .   The Chernobyl accident dominates the Energy accidents sub-category , of most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history , both in terms of cost and casualties . It is one of only two nuclear energy accidents classified as a level 7 event ( the maximum classification ) on the International Nuclear Event Scale , the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 . The struggle to safeguard against scenarios which were , at many times falsely , perceived as having the potential for greater catastrophe and the later decontamination efforts of the surroundings , ultimately involved over 500,000 workers and cost an estimated 18 billion rubles . During the accident , blast effects caused 2 deaths within the facility and later 29 firemen and employees died in the days-to-months afterward from acute radiation syndrome , with the potential for long-term cancers still being investigated .   The remains of the No. 4 reactor building were enclosed in a large sarcophagus ( radiation shield ) by December 1986 , at a time when what was left of the reactor was entering the cold shut-down phase ; the enclosure was built quickly as occupational safety for the crews of the other undamaged reactors at the power station , with No. 3 continuing to produce electricity into 2000 .   The accident motivated safety upgrades on all remaining Soviet-designed reactors in the RBMK ( Chernobyl No. 4 ) family , of which eleven continued to power electric grids as of 2013 .


New York City hosted the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . A spin-off of the Harry Potter film series , it was produced and written by J. K. Rowling , in her screenwriting debut , and inspired by her book of the same name . Set in 1926 New York , the film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander with Katherine Waterston , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Ezra Miller , Samantha Morton , Jon Voight , Carmen Ejogo , Ron Perlman and Colin Farrell in supporting roles . It is the first instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series , and the ninth overall in J. K. Rowling 's Wizarding World , the franchise that began with the Harry Potter films .   Principal photography began at Warner Bros. . Studios , Leavesden , England in August 2015 and was completed in January 2016 . Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered in New York City on 10 November 2016 and was released worldwide on 18 November 2016 in 3D , IMAX 4K Laser and other large format cinemas . The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $ 814 million worldwide , making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2016 .   The film was nominated for five BAFTAs , winning for Best Production Design , as well as two Academy Awards , winning Best Costume Design , becoming the first film in J.K. Rowling 's Wizarding World to win an Academy Award .


Bharat Arun Bharathi Arun ( born 14 December 1962 in Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh ) was an Indian Test cricketer .   The bearded Arun was a medium pacer and an attacking lower order batsman . In the semifinal of the 1986/87 Duleep Trophy he hit 149 and added 221 for the seventh wicket with W. V. Raman as South Zone chased a West total of 516 for the first innings lead . A 107 * for India Under-25 against the visiting Sri Lankans just before the selection of the side for the Tests against Sri Lanka won him a place in the side . He was part of the Indian under 19 team that toured Sri Lanka in 1979 under the captaincy of Ravi Shastri .   He played two Test matches of the series with the 3 for 76 in his first match as his best bowling figures ( after slipping and falling down , to some hilarity , when he ran in to bowl his first ball ) . He toured Sharjah in 1987 and appeared in all of India 's three matches without distinction . He was a part of the Tamil Nadu team that won the Ranji Trophy in 1987/88 .


Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior ( -LSB- nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ -RSB- ; born 5 February 1992 ) , commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr. , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team .   Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos , where he made his professional debut aged 17 . He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships , a Copa do Brasil , and the 2011 Copa Libertadores , Santos ' first continental title since 1963 . Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year , in 2011 and 2012 , before relocating to Europe to join Barcelona . As part of Barça 's attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez , he won the continental treble of La Liga , the Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League in the 2014 -- 15 season , followed the next year by the domestic double . He came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2015 .   With 52 goals in 77 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18 , Neymar is the fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team . He was a key player in Brazil 's victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship , which he finished as the leading goalscorer , and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup , where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament . His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension respectively , but the next year he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men 's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics .   Known for his dribbling , finishing , and ability with both feet , Neymar has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé . Off the pitch , he ranks among the world 's most prominent sportsmen ; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013 , and ESPN cited him as the world 's fourth-most famous athlete in 2016 .


Whiplash was directed by Damien Chazelle.

Whiplash (2014 film) Whiplash is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle , depicting the relationship between an ambitious jazz student ( Miles Teller ) and an aggressive instructor ( J. K. Simmons ) . Paul Reiser co-stars as the student 's father . The film opened in limited release domestically in the US and Canada on October 10 , 2014 , gradually expanding to over 500 screens and finally closing after 24 weeks on March 26 , 2015 . Over this time the film grossed $ 49 million , against a production budget of $ 3.3 million .   Whiplash premiered in competition in the US Dramatic Category at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16 , 2014 , as the festival 's opening film . Sony Pictures Worldwide acquired the international distribution rights . At the 87th Academy Awards , Whiplash won Best Film Editing , Best Sound Mixing , and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons , and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture .


Connie Britton played a role in a television series.

Connie Britton Constance Elaine Britton ( née Womack ; born March 6 , 1967 ) is an American actress , singer and producer .   Britton made her feature film debut in the independent comedy-drama film The Brothers McMullen ( 1995 ) , and the following year , she was cast as Nikki Faber on the ABC sitcom Spin City . She later starred in the short-lived sitcoms The Fighting Fitzgeralds ( 2001 ) and Lost at Home ( 2003 ) , and appeared in several films , most notably the sports drama film Friday Night Lights ( 2004 ) and the thriller film The Last Winter ( 2006 ) .   Britton received positive reviews from critics for her performance as Tami Taylor on the NBC/DirecTV drama series Friday Night Lights from 2006 to 2011 . For this role she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series . In 2011 , she starred as Vivien Harmon in the first season of FX horror-drama series American Horror Story , for which she was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie .   Britton starred as country singer Rayna Jaymes in the ABC/CMT musical drama series Nashville from 2012 to 2017 , for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama in 2012 . In 2014 , Britton was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador . Britton next starred in the comedy-drama film This Is Where I Leave You ( 2014 ) , the drama film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ( 2015 ) and the action comedy American Ultra ( 2015 ) . In 2016 , Britton had a recurring role as socialite Faye Resnick in the first season of FX true crime anthology series American Crime Story .


Lost at Home Lost at Home is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from April 1 to April 22 , 2003 . The show starred Mitch Rouse , Connie Britton , Gregory Hines ( in his final television role ) , Stark Sands , Leah Pipes , Gavin Fink and Aaron Hill . The show was cancelled after only four episodes .


The Fighting Fitzgeralds The Fighting Fitzgeralds is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 26 until May 15 , 2001 .


Tom Cruise was in a film based on a fictional novel.

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 , 1962 ) , known professionally as Tom Cruise , is an American actor and producer . He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards . He started his career at age 19 in the film Endless Love ( 1981 ) . After portraying supporting roles in Taps ( 1981 ) and The Outsiders ( 1983 ) , his first leading role was in the romantic comedy Risky Business , released in August 1983 . Cruise became a full-fledged movie star after starring as Pete `` Maverick '' Mitchell in the action drama Top Gun ( 1986 ) . One of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood , Cruise starred in several more successful films in the 1980s , including the dramas The Color of Money ( 1986 ) , Cocktail ( 1988 ) , Rain Man ( 1988 ) , and Born on the Fourth of July ( 1989 ) .   In the 1990s , he starred in a number of hit films , including the romance Far and Away ( 1992 ) , the drama A Few Good Men ( 1992 ) , the legal thriller The Firm ( 1993 ) , the drama horror film Interview with the Vampire ( 1994 ) , the romantic comedy-drama sports film Jerry Maguire ( 1996 ) , the erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut , and the drama Magnolia ( both 1999 ) . Since 1996 , Cruise has been well known for his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission : Impossible film series , whose most recent film , Mission : Impossible -- Rogue Nation , was released in 2015 .   In the 2000s , Cruise starred in a number of successful films , including the science fiction thrillers Vanilla Sky ( 2001 ) and Minority Report ( 2002 ) , the epic war film The Last Samurai ( 2003 ) , the crime film Collateral ( 2004 ) , the science fiction disaster thriller War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) , and the historical thriller Valkyrie ( 2008 ) .   In the 2010s , he has starred in the action comedy Knight and Day ( 2010 ) , the thriller Jack Reacher ( 2012 ) , the post-apocalyptic science fiction film Oblivion ( 2013 ) , and the military science fiction film Edge of Tomorrow ( 2014 ) . In 2012 , Cruise was Hollywood 's highest-paid actor . 16 of his films grossed over $ 100 million domestically ; 22 have grossed in excess of $ 200 million worldwide .   He has won Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Drama in 1990 for Born on the Fourth of July ; Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Comedy/Musical in 1997 for Jerry Maguire ; and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in 2000 for Magnolia . In 2002 , Cruise won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for Vanilla Sky . In 2003 , he won an AFI Movie of the Year Award for The Last Samurai and an Empire Award for Best Actor for Minority Report .   Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology and its associated social programs , and credits it with helping him overcome dyslexia . In the 2000s , his criticisms of psychiatry and anti-depressant drugs , particularly therapy for 9/11 rescue workers , and efforts to promote Scientology as a religion in Europe , sparked controversies , as did a leaked video interview of him promoting Scientology .


Endless Love (1981 film) Endless Love is a 1981 American romantic drama film based on Scott Spencer 's 1979 novel of the same name . The film is directed by Franco Zeffirelli , and stars Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt . The screenplay was written by Judith Rascoe . The original music score was composed by Jonathan Tunick .   The film was released in July 1981 and received negative reviews , with critics comparing it unfavourably to the novel . Spencer disliked it , believing the filmmakers to have missed the point of the book . The film was a moderate box-office success , and its theme song , performed by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie and also called `` Endless Love '' , became a # 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 . It spent nine weeks at # 1 and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for `` Best Original Song , '' along with five Grammy nominations .


Heidi Klum made a cameo appearance in a movie.

Heidi Klum Heidi Klum ( -LSB- ˈhaɪ̯di ˈklʊm -RSB- ; born June 1 , 1973 ) is a German-American supermodel , television personality , businesswoman , fashion designer , singer , television producer , author , and actress . She appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and in 1999 became the first German model to become a Victoria 's Secret Angel .   Following a successful modeling career , Klum became the host and a judge of Germany 's Next Topmodel and the reality show Project Runway which earned her an Emmy nomination in 2008 and a win in 2013 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program ( shared with co-host Tim Gunn ) ; Klum has been nominated for six Emmy Awards . She has worked as a spokesmodel for Dannon and H&M , and has appeared in numerous commercials for McDonald 's , Volkswagen and others . In 2009 , Klum became Barbie 's official ambassador on Barbie 's 50th anniversary . As an occasional actress , she had supporting roles in movies including Blow Dry ( 2001 ) , Ella Enchanted ( 2004 ) , and made cameo appearances in The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) and Perfect Stranger ( 2007 ) . She has also appeared on TV shows including Sex and the City , How I Met Your Mother , Desperate Housewives and Parks and Recreation . Currently , Klum is a judge on the NBC reality show America 's Got Talent .   In May 2011 , Forbes magazine estimated Klum 's total earnings for that year as . She is ranked second on Forbes list of the `` World 's Top-Earning Models '' , behind Gisele Bündchen . Forbes noted that since ending her 13-year run as a Victoria 's Secret Angel , Klum has become more of a businesswoman than a model . In 2008 , she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship .


Deadpool is the eighth installment in the X-Men franchise based on the comic books.

Deadpool (film) Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film directed by Tim Miller and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick , based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name . It is the eighth installment and a spin-off in the X-Men film series , and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character , as well as Morena Baccarin , Ed Skrein , T. J. Miller , Gina Carano , Leslie Uggams , Brianna Hildebrand , and Stefan Kapičić . In the film , antihero Deadpool hunts the man who nearly destroyed his life while also trying to reunite with his lost love .   Development began in February 2004 with New Line Cinema , but moved in March 2005 to 20th Century Fox who bought the film rights . In May 2009 , after Reynolds portrayed the character in X-Men Origins : Wolverine , to the general disappointment of fans , Fox lent the film to writers , and Miller was hired for his directorial debut in April 2011 . Enthusiastic acclaim for leaked CGI test footage by Miller in July 2014 led to Fox greenlighting the film in September . Additional casting began in early 2015 , and principal photography commenced in Vancouver from March to May .   Deadpool premiered in Paris on February 8 , 2016 , and was released on February 12 in the United States in IMAX , DLP , D-Box , and premium large format . Critics praised Reynolds ' performance as well as the film 's style , faithful depiction of the titular character , and action sequences , but criticized its plot as formulaic . It received various awards and nominations , including two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy and Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy , and a Producers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Theatrical Motion Picture . It also won two Critics ' Choice Movie Awards for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy .   The film was also a significant commercial success , grossing over $ 783million worldwide and breaking numerous box-office records , becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 2016 , the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time when unadjusted for inflation , and the highest-grossing X-Men film . Shortly after the film 's success , Fox ordered development of a sequel scheduled to be released on June 1 , 2018 .


X-Men (film series) X-Men is an American superhero film series based on the fictional superhero team of the same name , who originally appeared in a series of comic books created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and published by Marvel Comics . 20th Century Fox obtained the film rights to the characters in 1994 , and after numerous drafts , Bryan Singer was hired to direct X-Men ( 2000 ) and its sequel , X2 ( 2003 ) , while Brett Ratner directed X-Men : The Last Stand ( 2006 ) .   After each film earned higher box office grosses than its predecessor , several spin-off films were released , including a trilogy focused on the character of Wolverine : X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) , The Wolverine ( 2013 ) and Logan ( 2017 ) . A prequel , X-Men : First Class , was released in 2011 , followed by sequels X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 , also a sequel to X-Men : The Last Stand ) and X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) . A spin-off film , Deadpool ( 2016 ) was also released .   X-Men , X2 , X-Men : First Class , The Wolverine , X-Men : Days of Future Past , Deadpool and Logan were all met with positive reviews from critics . X-Men : The Last Stand and X-Men : Apocalypse were met with mixed reviews , while X-Men Origins : Wolverine received negative reviews .   With ten films released , the X-Men film series is the eighth highest-grossing film series , having grossed over worldwide . It is set to continue in 2018 with the releases of New Mutants , Deadpool 2 and Dark Phoenix .


Yangon is located in a sovereign state of Southeast Europe.

Yangon Yangon ( ရန က န , MLCTS rankun mrui , -LSB- jàɴɡòʊɴ mjo̰ -RSB- ; formerly known as Rangoon , literally : `` End of Strife '' ) is the capital of the Yangon Region of Myanmar , also known as Burma . Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006 , when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in central Myanmar . With over 7 million people , Yangon is Myanmar 's largest city and is its most important commercial centre .   Yangon boasts the largest number of colonial-era buildings in the region , and has a unique colonial-era urban core that is remarkably intact . The colonial-era commercial core is centred around the Sule Pagoda , which reputed to be over 2,000 years old . The city is also home to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda -- Myanmar 's most sacred Buddhist pagoda . The mausoleum of the last Mughal Emperor is located in Yangon , where he had been exiled following the Indian Mutiny of 1857 .   Yangon suffers from deeply inadequate infrastructure , especially compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia . Though many historic residential and commercial buildings have been renovated throughout central Yangon , most satellite towns that ring the city continue to be profoundly impoverished and lack basic infrastructure .


Myanmar Myanmar ( -LSB- mjəmà -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar ( ပ ည ထ င စ သမ မတ မ န မ န င င တ , , -LSB- pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀ -RSB- ) , also known as Burma , is a sovereign state in the region of Southeast Asia . Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west , Thailand and Laos to its east , and China to its north and northeast . To its south , about one third of Myanmar 's total perimeter of 5,876 km ( 3,651 miles ) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea . The country 's 2014 census counted a much lower population than expected , with 51 million people recorded . Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometres ( 261,227 sq mi ) in size . Its capital city is Naypyidaw and its largest city and former capital city is Yangon ( Rangoon ) . Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) since 1997 .   Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma . In the 9th century , the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and , following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s , the Burmese language , culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country . The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged . In the 16th century , reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty , the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia . The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well . The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony . Myanmar was granted independence in 1948 , initially as a democratic nation and then , following a coup d'état in 1962 , a military dictatorship .   For most of its independent years , the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and Burma 's myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world 's longest-running ongoing civil wars . During this time , the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country . In 2011 , the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election , and a nominally civilian government was installed . This , along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners , has improved the country 's human rights record and foreign relations , and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions . There is , however , continuing criticism of the government 's treatment of ethnic minorities , its response to the ethnic insurgency , and religious clashes . In the landmark 2015 election , Aung San Suu Kyi 's party won a majority in both houses . However , the Burmese military remains as a powerful force in politics .   Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems , oil , natural gas and other mineral resources . In 2013 , its GDP ( nominal ) stood at US$ 56.7 billion and its GDP ( PPP ) at US$ 221.5 billion . The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world , as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government . , according to the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , Myanmar had a medium level of human development , ranking 145 out of 188 countries .


The career-high winless streak of Tiger Woods was 107 weeks.

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont `` Tiger '' Woods ( born December 30 , 1975 ) is an American professional golfer who is among the most successful golfers of all time . He has been one of the highest-paid athletes in the world for several years .   Following an outstanding junior , college , and amateur career , Woods turned professional at the age of 20 , at the end of the summer in 1996 . By April 1997 he had already won his first major , the 1997 Masters . Woods won this tournament in a record-breaking performance , winning by 12 strokes while pocketing $ 486,000 . He first reached the number one position in the world rankings in June 1997 , after less than a year as a professional . Throughout the 2000s , Woods was the dominant force in golf ; from August 1999 to September 2004 ( 264 weeks ) and from June 2005 to October 2010 ( 281 weeks ) , Woods was the top-ranked men 's golfer in the world .   From December 2009 to early April 2010 , Woods took leave from professional golf to focus on his personal life after he admitted infidelity . Despite attempts at reconciliation , he and his wife Elin Nordegren eventually divorced . His many alleged extramarital indiscretions were revealed by several women , through many worldwide media sources . This was followed by a loss of golf form , and his ranking gradually fell to a low of No. 58 in November 2011 . He ended a career-high winless streak of 107 weeks when he triumphed in the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011 . After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 25 , 2013 , he ascended to the No. 1 ranking once again , holding the top spot until May 2014 . Woods had back surgery in April 2014 and September 2015 and has struggled since to regain his dominant form . By March 29 , 2015 , Woods had fallen to # 104 , outside of the top 100 for the first time since 1996 . In May 2016 , Woods dropped out of the world top 500 for the first time in his professional career .   Woods has broken numerous golf records . He has been World Number One for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any golfer . He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record eleven times , the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times , and has the record of leading the money list in ten different seasons .  He has won 14 professional major golf championships , the second-highest of any player ( Jack Nicklaus leads with 18 ) , and 79 PGA Tour events , second all time behind Sam Snead , who had 82 wins . He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer . He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam , and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour . Additionally , Woods is only the second golfer ( after Nicklaus ) to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times . Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships , and won at least one of those events in each of the first 11 years after they began in 1999 . Woods and Rory McIlroy are the only golfers to win both The Silver Medal and The Gold Medal at The Open Championship .


Black Widow is a character published by a comic book incorporation.

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is the common name and primary imprint of Marvel Worldwide Inc. , formerly Marvel Publishing , Inc. and Marvel Comics Group , an American publisher of comic books and related media . In 2009 , The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment , Marvel Worldwide 's parent company .   Marvel started in 1939 as Timely Publications , and by the early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics . Marvel 's modern incarnation dates from 1961 , the year that the company launched The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee , Jack Kirby , Steve Ditko and many others .   Marvel counts among its characters such well-known superheroes as Iron Man , Captain America , Hulk , Thor , Doctor Strange , Spider-Man , Deadpool , Wolverine , Daredevil , Ms. Marvel and Ant-Man , such teams as the Avengers , the Guardians of the Galaxy , the Inhumans , the Fantastic Four , and the X-Men , and antagonists such as Doctor Doom , Red Skull , Green Goblin , Thanos , Ultron , Doctor Octopus , Magneto , Venom and Loki . Most of Marvel 's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe , with locations that mirror real-life cities . Characters such as Spider-Man , the Fantastic Four , the Avengers , Daredevil and Doctor Strange are based in New York City , whereas the X-Men have historically been based in Salem Center , New York and Hulk 's stories often have been set in the Southwestern United States .


Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) Black Widow ( Чёрная вдова , transliterated Chyornaya Vdova ) ( Natalia Alianovna `` Natasha '' Romanova , Russian : Наталья Альяновна '' Наташа '' Романова , also known as Natasha Romanoff ) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee , scripter Don Rico , and artist Don Heck , the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense No. 52 ( April 1964 ) . The character was first introduced as a Russian spy , an antagonist of the superhero Iron Man . She later defected to the United States , becoming an agent of the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. , and a member of the superhero team the Avengers .   Scarlett Johansson portrayed the character in the films Iron Man 2 ( 2010 ) , The Avengers ( 2012 ) , Captain America : The Winter Soldier ( 2014 ) , Avengers : Age of Ultron ( 2015 ) and Captain America : Civil War ( 2016 ) as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise .


The X Factor (UK series 7) The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent . The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010 . The winner was Matt Cardle and his debut single `` When We Collide '' was released after the final . Cardle was mentored throughout by Dannii Minogue , who won as mentor for the second time . A total of 15,448,019 votes were cast throughout the series . It was presented by Dermot O'Leary , with spin-off show The Xtra Factor presented by Konnie Huq on ITV2 , who took over from Holly Willoughby .   The competition was split into several stages : auditions , bootcamp , judges ' houses and live shows . Auditions took place throughout June and July 2010 , with Simon Cowell , Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole returning as judges . Minogue missed the auditions and bootcamp due to being on maternity leave , so Geri Halliwell , Natalie Imbruglia , Katy Perry , Pixie Lott and Nicole Scherzinger were brought in as guest judges . Cole missed the auditions in Manchester and bootcamp because she had malaria . Following bootcamp , successful acts were split into four categories : Boys ( male soloists aged 16 to 28 ) , Girls ( female soloists aged 16 to 28 ) , Over 28s ( soloists aged 29 and over ) and Groups . Minogue and Cole returned for the judges ' houses stage , and each judge mentored eight acts through judges ' houses . The live shows started on 9 October 2010 . Four acts eliminated at judges ' houses were brought back as wildcards , making this the first series to have 16 acts perform in the live shows .   This was the first series of the show to be filmed in high definition , and was simulcast on ITV1 HD and STV HD . From October , The Xtra Factor was also shown in high definition , simulcast on the new channel ITV2 HD . It was sponsored by TalkTalk in the United Kingdom and Dominos Pizza in Ireland .   This series proved to be highly controversial , with many people complaining about the use of pitch correction software on the broadcast of contestants ' auditions , the decision to form two groups out of rejected soloists , the rejection of popular contestant Gamu Nhengu at judges ' houses and Cole 's failure to vote to eliminate an act in week 5 of the live shows . Controversy also surrounded contestants Shirlena Johnson , who was axed over fears for her mental health , and Treyc Cohen , who was reported to already have a record deal when the live shows started . There were also accusations of fixing , which were denied by the show 's producers . It was the most watched series to date , with an average of 14.13 million viewers per episode . The final was watched by 17.71 million people , making it the highest rated television episode of 2010 in the UK .


Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 British musical adventure fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and written by Roald Dahl and Hughes , loosely based on Ian Fleming 's 1964 novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang : The Magical Car . The film stars Dick Van Dyke , Sally Ann Howes , Lionel Jeffries , James Robertson Justice , and Robert Helpmann as the main antagonist , the evil Childcatcher .   The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli ( co-producer of the James Bond series of films , also based on Fleming 's novels ) . John Stears supervised the special effects . Irwin Kostal supervised and conducted the music , while the musical numbers , written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman of Mary Poppins , were staged by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood . The song `` Chitty Chitty Bang Bang '' was nominated for an Academy Award .


Lee Child refuses to ever write anything.

Jack Reacher Jack Reacher is a fictional character and the protagonist of a series of books by British author Lee Child . After leaving the US Army as a major in its military police at age 36 , Reacher roams the United States taking odd jobs and investigating suspicious and frequently dangerous situations . , 21 novels have been published , the most recent being Night School .


Lee Child James D. `` Jim '' Grant ( born 29 October 1954 ) , better known by his pen name Lee Child , is a British author who writes thriller novels . He is especially known for his Jack Reacher novel series . The books follow the adventures of a former American military policeman , Jack Reacher , who wanders the United States . His first novel , Killing Floor , won both the Anthony Award , and the Barry Award for Best First Novel .


Kong: Skull Island is a reboot King Kong franchise.

Kong: Skull Island Kong : Skull Island is a 2017 American action-adventure monster film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by Dan Gilroy , Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly , from a story by John Gatins . The film is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and serves as the second film in Legendary 's MonsterVerse . It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Tom Hiddleston , Samuel L. Jackson , John Goodman , Brie Larson , Jing Tian , Toby Kebbell , John Ortiz , Corey Hawkins , Jason Mitchell , Shea Whigham , Thomas Mann , Terry Notary and John C. Reilly . The film follows a team of scientists and Vietnam War soldiers who travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific and encounter terrifying creatures and the mighty Kong .   Principal photography took place from October 2015 to March 2016 in Hawaii and various locations around Vietnam . Kong : Skull Island premiered on February 28 , 2017 , in London and was released in the United States on March 10 , 2017 , in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D and in Dolby Cinemas . The film was a critical and commercial success , grossing $ 565 million worldwide against its $ 185 million budget and making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2017 .


One of the seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories of the United Nations is Guam.

Guam Guam ( -LSB- ˈɡwɑːm -RSB- or -LSB- ˈɡwɒm -RSB- Chamorro : Guåhån -LSB- ˈɡʷɑhɑn -RSB- formally the Territory of Guam ) is an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States . Located in the western Pacific Ocean , Guam is one of five American territories with an established civilian government . The capital city is Hagåtña and the most populous city is Dededo . In 2015 , 161,785 people resided on Guam . Guamanians are American citizens by birth . Guam has an area of 210 sq mi ( 544 km ² ) and a population density of 770/sq mi ( 297/km ² ) . It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia . Among its municipalities , Mongmong-Toto-Maite has the highest density at 3,691 / sq mi ( 1,425 / km ² ) , whereas Inarajan and Umatac have the lowest density at 119/sq mi ( 47/km ² ) . The highest point is Mount Lamlam at 406 m above sea level .   The Chamorros , Guam 's indigenous people , settled the island approximately 4,000 years ago . Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to visit the island on March 6 , 1521 . Guam was colonized in 1668 with settlers , like Diego Luis de San Vitores , a Catholic missionary . Between the 16th century and the 18th century , Guam was an important stopover for the Spanish Manila Galleons . During the Spanish -- American War , the United States captured Guam on June 21 , 1898 . Under the Treaty of Paris , Spain ceded Guam to the United States on December 10 , 1898 . Guam is among the seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories of the United Nations .   Before World War II , Guam and four other territories -- American Samoa , Hawaii , Wake Island , and the Philippines -- were the only American jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean . On December 7 , 1941 , hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor , Guam was captured by the Japanese , who occupied the island for thirty months . During the occupation , Guamanians were subjected to beheadings , forced labor , rape , and torture . Guam endured hostilities when American forces recaptured the island on July 21 , 1944 ; Liberation Day commemorates the victory . Since the 1960s , the economy has been supported by two industries : tourism and the United States Armed Forces .


The G7 finance ministers has the United Kingdom as a member.

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 ) .


Colin Farrell starred in a Steven Spielberg movie.

Colin Farrell Colin James Farrell ( born 31 May 1976 ) is an Irish actor . Farrell appeared in the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998 , made his film debut in the Tim Roth-directed drama The War Zone in 1999 , and was discovered by Hollywood when Joel Schumacher cast him in the lead role in the war drama Tigerland in 2000 . He then starred in Schumacher 's psychological thriller Phone Booth ( 2002 ) where he plays a hostage in a New York city phone booth and the American thrillers S.W.A.T. ( 2003 ) and The Recruit ( 2003 ) , establishing his international box-office appeal . During that time , he also appeared in Steven Spielberg 's science fiction thriller Minority Report ( 2002 ) and as the villain Bullseye in the superhero film Daredevil ( 2003 ) .   After starring in the independent films Intermission ( 2003 ) and A Home at the End of the World ( 2004 ) , Farrell headed Oliver Stone 's biopic Alexander ( 2004 ) and Terrence Malick 's The New World ( 2005 ) . Roles in Michael Mann 's Miami Vice ( 2006 ) , the adaptation of John Fante 's Ask the Dust ( 2006 ) , and Woody Allen 's Cassandra 's Dream ( 2007 ) followed , underscoring Farrell 's popularity among Hollywood writers and directors ; however , it was his role in Martin McDonagh 's In Bruges ( 2008 ) that earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy .   Farrell starred in the black comedy film Horrible Bosses ( 2011 ) , for which he received critical praise , along with the comedy-horror film Fright Night ( 2011 ) and the sci-fi action film Total Recall ( 2012 ) , both remakes , and McDonagh 's second feature , the black comedy crime film Seven Psychopaths ( 2012 ) . He also starred in the Niels Arden Oplev action film Dead Man Down ( 2013 ) , and as Travers Goff in the period drama Saving Mr. Banks ( 2013 ) . In 2014 , Farrell starred as Peter Lake in the supernatural fable Winter 's Tale , an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mark Helprin . In 2015 , he starred as Detective Ray Velcoro in the second season of HBO 's True Detective , and also starred in the film The Lobster , for which he was nominated for his second Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . In 2016 , he portrayed Percival Graves in the Harry Potter spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them .


Maisie Williams acts in Game of Thrones.

Maisie Williams Margaret Constance `` Maisie '' Williams ( born 15 April 1997 ) is an English actress . She made her professional acting debut as Arya Stark in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones in 2011 , for which she won the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama , the Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Television and Best Young Actor , and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor . In 2016 , she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series .   Williams has also had a recurring role in Doctor Who as Ashildr in 2015 . In addition to television , she made her feature film debut in the mystery The Falling ( 2014 ) , for which she won the London Film Critics ' Circle Award for Young Performer of the Year .


Land Rover Land Rover is a car brand that specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles , owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover , which has been owned by India 's Tata Motors since 2008 . The Land Rover is regarded as a British icon , and was granted a Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1951 .   The Land Rover name was originally used by the Rover Company for the Land Rover Series , launched in 1948 . It developed into a brand encompassing a range of four-wheel-drive models , including the Defender , Discovery , Freelander , Range Rover , Range Rover Sport , and Range Rover Evoque . Land Rovers are currently assembled in the company 's Halewood and Solihull plants , with research and development taking place at the Gaydon and Whitley engineering centres . Land Rover sold 194,000 vehicles worldwide in 2009 .   In September 2013 , Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to open a # 100 million ( US$ 160 million ) research and development centre in the University of Warwick , Coventry to create a next generation of vehicle technologies . The carmaker said around 1,000 academics and engineers would work there and that construction would start in 2014 .


City of Angels (2000 TV series) City of Angels is an American medical drama television series which ran for two seasons on CBS during the 2000 calendar year . It was network television 's first medical drama with a predominantly African American cast .


Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Monique Union ( born October 29 , 1972 ) is an American actress . She began her career in 1990s , appearing on television sitcoms , before landing supporting roles in teen comedy films She 's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 ) . Her breakthrough role was in the 2000 teen comedy film Bring It On , after which she was female lead in the short-lived CBS medical drama series City of Angels later that year .   Union is best known for her performances in the romantic comedy films The Brothers ( 2001 ) , Deliver Us from Eva ( 2003 ) , Daddy 's Little Girls ( 2007 ) , Think Like a Man ( 2012 ) and Think Like a Man Too ( 2014 ) . She also had starring roles in Bad Boys II ( 2003 ) , Cradle 2 the Grave ( 2003 ) , the critically acclaimed Neo Ned ( 2005 ) , Cadillac Records ( 2008 ) , and Top Five ( 2014 ) . In 2013 , Union began starring as lead character in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane , for which she has received critical acclaim and an NAACP Image Award . She co-starred in film The Birth of a Nation ( 2016 ) , and next appeared in Almost Christmas ( 2016 ) and Sleepless ( 2017 ) .


Being Mary Jane Being Mary Jane is an American drama television series created by Mara Brock Akil and starring Gabrielle Union , that debuted January 7 , 2014 , on BET . The 90 minute pilot for the series aired on July 2 , 2013 . The series follows professional and personal life of successful TV news anchor Mary Jane Paul , who lives in Atlanta , Georgia .   Being Mary Jane has received positive reviews from critics , and the series premiere on BET had more than 4 million viewers . On September 12 , 2013 , BET renewed Being Mary Jane for a second season , before the first season premiered . The second season premiered on February 3 , 2015 , and on February 5 the series was renewed for a third season , which premiered October 20 , 2015 . The second and third seasons received critical acclaim , specifically praising Gabrielle Union 's leading performance , Mara Brock Akil 's writing , and directing work by Regina King . On January 6 , 2016 , the series was renewed for a fourth season , which premiered on January 10 , 2017 .   At the 45th NAACP Image Awards , the pilot movie won award for Outstanding Television Movie , Mini-Series or Dramatic Special , and Union for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie , Mini-Series or Dramatic Special . The series later received another nine NAACP Image Awards nominations , include two for Outstanding Drama Series .