Zayn Malik Zain Javadd `` Zayn '' Malik ( -LSB- 'm ælɪk -RSB- زین مالک ) ( born 12 January 1993 ) , who records mononymously as Zayn , is a British singer and songwriter . Born and raised in Bradford , Malik aspired to pursue a career in music from a young age leading him to audition as a solo artist for the British reality television music competition The X Factor in 2010 . After being eliminated as a solo performer , Malik was brought back into the competition , along with four other contestants , to form the boy band that would become known as One Direction . During his time in the group , they released the albums Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , and Four ( 2014 ) .   Malik split from the boy band in March 2015 and signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records . Adopting a more R&B music style , with his debut studio album Mind of Mine ( 2016 ) and its lead single , `` Pillowtalk '' , Malik became the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US with a debut single and debut album . Malik is the recipient of several accolades , including an American Music Award and a Billboard Music Award .


Bradford Bradford -LSB- ˈbrædfərd -RSB- is in the Metropolitan Borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire , England , in the foothills of the Pennines 8.6 mi west of Leeds , and 16 mi northwest of Wakefield . Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847 , and received its charter as a city in 1897 . Following local government reform in 1974 , city status was bestowed upon the wider metropolitan borough .   Bradford forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million and it is the fourth largest urban area in the United Kingdom with the Bradford subdivision of the aforementioned urban area having a population of 528,155 .   Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire , Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture , particularly wool . It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements , rapidly becoming the `` wool capital of the world '' . The area 's access to a supply of coal , iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of Bradford 's manufacturing base , which , as textile manufacture grew , led to an explosion in population and was a stimulus to civic investment ; Bradford has a large amount of listed Victorian architecture including the grand Italianate City Hall .   The textile sector in Bradford fell into decline from the mid-20th century . Since this time , Bradford has emerged as a tourist destination , becoming the first UNESCO City of Film with attractions such as the National Science and Media Museum , Bradford City Park , the Alhambra theatre and Cartwright Hall . However , Bradford has faced similar challenges to the rest of the post-industrial area of Northern England , including deindustrialisation , social unrest and economic deprivation .


Susan Sarandon received nominations for A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking.

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon ( -LSB- səˈrændən -RSB- née Tomalin ; born October 4 , 1946 ) is an American actress and activist . She is an Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner who is also known for her social and political activism for a variety of causes . She was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999 and received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006 .   Sarandon began her career in the 1970 film Joe , before appearing in the soap opera A World Apart ( 1970 -- 71 ) . In 1975 , she starred in the cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Atlantic City ( 1980 ) , Thelma & Louise ( 1991 ) , Lorenzo 's Oil ( 1992 ) , and The Client ( 1994 ) , before winning for Dead Man Walking ( 1995 ) . She has also won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Client , and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress for Dead Man Walking . Her other films include : Pretty Baby ( 1978 ) , The Hunger ( 1983 ) , The Witches of Eastwick ( 1987 ) , Bull Durham ( 1988 ) , White Palace ( 1990 ) , Little Women ( 1994 ) , Stepmom ( 1998 ) , Enchanted ( 2007 ) , The Lovely Bones ( 2009 ) , Tammy ( 2014 ) , and The Meddler ( 2015 ) .   She made her Broadway debut in An Evening with Richard Nixon in 1972 and went on to receive Drama Desk Award nominations for the Off-Broadway plays , A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking ( 1979 ) and Extremities ( 1982 ) . She returned to Broadway in the 2009 revival of Exit the King .   On television , she is a five-time Emmy Award nominee , including for her guest roles on the sitcoms Friends ( 2001 ) and Malcolm in the Middle ( 2002 ) , and the TV films Bernard and Doris ( 2007 ) and You Do n't Know Jack ( 2010 ) . In 2017 , Sarandon portrayed Bette Davis in the first season of FX 's anthology series Feud .


Israel Israel ( -LSB- ˈɪzreiəl -RSB- ; ) , officially the State of Israel ( -LSB- mediˈnat jisʁaˈʔel -RSB- دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل -LSB- dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl -RSB- ) , is a country in the Middle East , on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea . It has land borders with Lebanon to the north , Syria to the northeast , Jordan on the east , the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west , respectively , and Egypt to the southwest . The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area . Israel 's economy and technology center is Tel Aviv , while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem , although the state 's sovereignty over East Jerusalem is internationally unrecognized.The Jerusalem Law states that `` Jerusalem , complete and united , is the capital of Israel '' and the city serves as the seat of the government , home to the President 's residence , government offices , supreme court , and parliament . United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 ( 20 August 1980 ; 14 -- 0 , U.S. abstaining ) declared the Jerusalem Law `` null and void '' and called on member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem . The United Nations and all member nations refuse to accept the Jerusalem Law ( see ) and maintain their embassies in other cities such as Tel Aviv , Ramat Gan , and Herzliya ( see the CIA Factbook and Map of Israel ) . The U.S. Congress subsequently adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act , which said that the U.S. embassy should be relocated to Jerusalem and that it should be recognized as the capital of Israel . However , the US Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the provisions of the act `` invade exclusive presidential authorities in the field of foreign affairs and are unconstitutional '' . Since passage of the act , all presidents serving in office have determined that moving forward with the relocation would be detrimental to U.S. national security concerns and opted to issue waivers suspending any action on this front . The Palestinian Authority sees East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state . The city 's final status awaits future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority ( see `` Negotiating Jerusalem , '' Palestine -- Israel Journal ) . See Positions on Jerusalem for more information .   In 1947 , the United Nations adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem . The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency for Palestine , and rejected by Arab leaders . Next year , the Jewish Agency declared `` the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel , to be known as the State of Israel . '' Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states , in the course of which it has occupied territories including the West Bank , Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip ( still considered occupied after 2005 disengagement ) . It extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem , but not the West Bank . Israel 's occupation of the Palestinian territories is the world 's longest military occupation in modern times . Efforts to resolve the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict have not resulted in peace . However , peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have successfully been implemented .   The population of Israel , as defined by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , was estimated in to be people . It is the world 's only Jewish-majority state , with 74.8 % being designated as Jewish . The country 's second largest group of citizens are Arabs , at 20.8 % ( including the Druze and most East Jerusalem Arabs ) . The great majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims , including significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins ; the rest are Christians and Druze . Other minorities include Arameans , Armenians , Assyrians , Black Hebrew Israelites , Circassians , Maronites and Samaritans . Israel also hosts a significant population of non-citizen foreign workers and asylum seekers from Africa and Asia , including illegal migrants from Sudan , Eritrea and other Sub-Saharan Africans .   In its Basic Laws , Israel defines itself as a Jewish and democratic state . Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system , proportional representation and universal suffrage . The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature . Israel is a developed country and an OECD member , with the 35th-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product . The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree . The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the third highest in Asia , and has one of the highest life expectancies in the world .


Noam Chomsky is completely disassociated from the creation of the generative grammar theory.

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky ( -LSB- æ ` vrɑːm _ ` noʊm_ˈtʃɒmski -RSB- ; born December 7 , 1928 ) is an American linguist , philosopher , cognitive scientist , historian , social critic , and political activist . Sometimes described as `` the father of modern linguistics '' , Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science . He is Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , where he has worked since 1955 , and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics , war , politics , and mass media . Ideologically , he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism .   Born to middle-class Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia , Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism from alternative bookstores in New York City . At the age of sixteen he began studies at the University of Pennsylvania , taking courses in linguistics , mathematics , and philosophy . From 1951 to 1955 he was appointed to Harvard University 's Society of Fellows , where he developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he was awarded his doctorate in 1955 . That year he began teaching at MIT , in 1957 emerging as a significant figure in the field of linguistics for his landmark work Syntactic Structures , which remodeled the scientific study of language , while from 1958 to 1959 he was a National Science Foundation fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study . He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the universal grammar theory , the generative grammar theory , the Chomsky hierarchy , and the minimalist program . Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of behaviorism , being particularly critical of the work of B. F. Skinner .   An outspoken opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War , which he saw as an act of American imperialism , in 1967 Chomsky attracted widespread public attention for his anti-war essay `` The Responsibility of Intellectuals '' . Associated with the New Left , he was arrested multiple times for his activism and placed on President Richard Nixon 's Enemies List . While expanding his work in linguistics over subsequent decades , he also became involved in the Linguistics Wars . In collaboration with Edward S. Herman , Chomsky later co-wrote an analysis articulating the propaganda model of media criticism , and worked to expose the Indonesian occupation of East Timor . However , his defense of unconditional freedom of speech -- including for Holocaust deniers -- generated significant controversy in the Faurisson affair of the early 1980s . Following his retirement from active teaching , he has continued his vocal political activism , including opposing the War on Terror and supporting the Occupy movement .   One of the most cited scholars in history , Chomsky has influenced a broad array of academic fields . He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences , contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind . In addition to his continued scholarly research , he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy , neoliberalism and contemporary state capitalism , the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict , and mainstream news media . His ideas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements , but have also drawn criticism , with some accusing Chomsky of anti-Americanism .


Transformational grammar Transformational grammar ( TG ) or transformational-generative grammar ( TGG ) is , in the study of linguistics , part of the theory of generative grammar , especially of naturally evolved languages , that considers grammar to be a system of rules that generate exactly those combinations of words which form grammatical sentences in a given language . TG involves the use of defined operations called transformations to produce new sentences from existing ones . The concept was originated by Noam Chomsky , and much current research in transformational grammar has been inspired by Chomsky 's Minimalist Program .


Eric Trump is the second son of US president Donald Trump.

Eric Trump Eric Frederick Trump ( born January 6 , 1984 ) is an American businessman , philanthropist , and former reality TV personality . He is the third child and second son of the President of the United States , Donald Trump , and Ivana Trump . Alongside his older brother Donald Trump Jr. , he serves as a trustee of The Trump Organization . A longtime executive vice president of the firm , Trump and his brother are running the company during their father 's administration . From 2007 to 2016 , he founded and led The Eric Trump Foundation , a charity that raised money for St. Jude Children 's Research Hospital .


Sherrybaby Sherrybaby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer . Screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 , 2006 , the film received a limited release in the United States on September 8 , 2006 .


Richard Curtis Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis , CBE ( born 8 November 1956 ) is a British screenwriter , producer and film director , who was born in New Zealand to Australian parents . One of Britain 's most successful comedy screenwriters , he is known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral , Bridget Jones 's Diary , Notting Hill , and Love Actually , as well as the hit sitcoms Blackadder , Mr. Bean and The Vicar of Dibley . He is also the co-founder of the British charity Comic Relief along with Sir Lenny Henry .   In 2007 , Curtis received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award , the highest award the British Film Academy can give a filmmaker . He received the BAFTA Humanitarian Award at the 2008 Britannia Awards , for co-creating Comic Relief and contributions to other charitable causes . In 2008 he was ranked number 12 in The Telegraph 's list of the `` 100 most powerful people in British culture '' . In 2012 , Curtis was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork -- the Beatles ' Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover -- to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life .


Pranab Mukherjee is the 13th flower of India.

Pranab Mukherjee ` Pranab Kumar Mukherjee ( born 11 December 1935 ) is the 13th and current President of India , he has been in office since July 2012 . In a political career spanning six decades , Mukherjee was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and occupied several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India . Prior to his election as President , Mukherjee was Union Finance Minister from 2009 to 2012 , and the Congress party 's top troubleshooter .   Mukherjee got his break in politics in 1969 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi helped him get elected to the Rajya Sabha , the upper house of Parliament , on a Congress ticket . Following a meteoric rise , he became one of Indira Gandhi 's most trusted lieutenants , and a minister in her cabinet by 1973 . During the controversial Internal Emergency of 1975 -- 77 , he was accused ( like several other Congress leaders ) of committing gross excesses . Mukherjee 's service in a number of ministerial capacities culminated in his first stint as finance minister in 1982 -- 84 . Mukherjee was also Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1985 .   Mukherjee was sidelined from the Congress during the premiership of Rajiv Gandhi , Indira 's son . Mukherjee had viewed himself , and not the inexperienced Rajiv , as the rightful successor to Indira following her assassination in 1984 . Mukherjee lost out in the ensuing power struggle . He formed his own party , the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress , which merged with the Congress in 1989 after reaching a consensus with Rajiv Gandhi . Mukherjee 's political career revived when Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao appointed him Planning Commission head in 1991 and foreign minister in 1995 . Following this , as elder statesman of the Congress , Mukherjee was the principal and architect of Sonia Gandhi 's ascension to the party 's presidency in 1998 .   When the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance ( UPA ) came into power in 2004 , Mukherjee won a Lok Sabha ( the popularly elected lower house of Parliament ) seat for the first time . From then until his resignation in 2012 , Mukherjee was practically number-two in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 's government . He held a number of key cabinet portfolios -- Defence ( 2004 -- 06 ) , External Affairs ( 2006 -- 09 ) and Finance ( 2009 -- 12 ) -- apart from heading several Groups of Ministers ( GoMs ) and being Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha . After securing the UPA 's nomination for the country 's presidency in July 2012 , Mukherjee comfortably defeated P. A. Sangma in the race to Rashtrapati Bhavan , winning 70 percent of the electoral-college vote .


Celtic F.C. is a soccer team based in Glasgow, though it was founded in Cramond.

Celtic F.C. The Celtic Football Club ( -LSB- ˈsɛltɪk -RSB- ) is a professional football club based in Glasgow , Scotland , which plays in the Scottish Premiership . The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigrant Irish population in the East End of Glasgow . They played their first match in May 1888 , a friendly match against Rangers which Celtic won 5 -- 2 . Celtic established itself within Scottish football , winning six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century . The club enjoyed their greatest successes during the 1960s and 70s under Jock Stein when they won nine consecutive league titles and the European Cup .   Celtic have won the Scottish league championship on 48 occasions , most recently in the 2016 -- 17 season , the Scottish Cup 37 times and the Scottish League Cup 16 times . The club 's greatest season was 1966 -- 67 , when Celtic became the first British team to win the European Cup , also winning the Scottish league championship , the Scottish Cup , the League Cup , and the Glasgow Cup . Celtic also reached the 1970 European Cup Final , and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final .   Celtic have a long-standing fierce rivalry with Rangers , and the clubs have become known as the Old Firm . The two clubs have dominated Scottish football , winning 102 league titles between them since the inception of Scottish league football in 1890 .   The club 's fanbase was estimated in 2003 as being around nine million worldwide , and there are in excess of 160 Celtic supporters clubs in over 20 countries . An estimated 80,000 fans travelled to Seville for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final .


Fujitsu is the company behind the Fujitsu iPAD.

Fujitsu iPAD The Fujitsu iPAD is a lightweight handheld device that was introduced by Fujitsu , in 2002 . It runs Microsoft 's CE.NET operating system . It supports 802.11 b wireless LAN to connect wirelessly with other company infrastructure . The device can support inventory management as well as credit card payments . In January 2010 , when Apple announced the Apple iPad , there was a naming controversy between the two devices . To settle the trademark infringement allegation , Apple purchased the trademark rights from Fujitsu . Some trademark analysts estimate that Apple paid Fujitsu over US$ 4 million in exchange for the March 17 , 2010 assignment of Fujitsu 's iPad trademark rights to Apple .


Judith Quiney Judith Quiney ( baptised 2 February 1585 -- 9 February 1662 ) , née Shakespeare , was the younger daughter of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway and the fraternal twin of Shakespeare 's only son Hamnet Shakespeare . She married Thomas Quiney , a vintner of Stratford-upon-Avon . The circumstances of the marriage , including Quiney 's misconduct , may have prompted the rewriting of Shakespeare 's will . Thomas was struck out , while Judith 's inheritance was attached with provisions to safeguard it from her husband . The bulk of Shakespeare 's estate was left , in an elaborate fee tail , to his elder daughter Susanna and her male heirs .   Judith and Thomas Quiney had three children . By the time of Judith Quiney 's death , she had outlived her children by many years . She has been depicted in several works of fiction as part of an attempt to piece together unknown portions of her father 's life .


Elementary (TV series) Elementary is an American procedural drama series that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's character Sherlock Holmes . The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson . The series premiered on CBS on September 27 , 2012 . The series is set and filmed primarily in New York City .   The show follows Holmes , a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard , as he assists the New York City Police Department in solving crimes . His indifference to police procedure often leads to conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson ( Aidan Quinn ) , although the two still remain mutually respectful of one another . He is accompanied by Dr. Joan Watson ( Lucy Liu ) , who initially acts as his sober companion . She is a former surgeon and was hired by Sherlock 's father to help him in his rehabilitation . They eventually begin to work together on his cases , and she becomes Holmes ' apprentice . The series also features Holmes ' ongoing conflict with his nemesis Jamie Moriarty ( Natalie Dormer ) . Other supporting roles include Jon Michael Hill as Detective Marcus Bell , Rhys Ifans as Sherlock 's brother , Mycroft Holmes , and John Noble as Sherlock 's father , Morland Holmes .   Before the series premiered , it was met with some criticism given it followed closely on the heels of the BBC 's modern adaptation Sherlock . After the premiere , it was picked up for a full season and later an extra two episodes . The season two premiere was partly filmed on location in London . The series has since been well received by critics , who have praised the performances , writing , and novel approach to the source material . On March 25 , 2016 , CBS renewed the series for a fifth season , which premiered on October 2 , 2016 . On May 13 , 2017 , CBS renewed the series for a sixth season .


Lisa Kudrow Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( -LSB- ` kuːdroʊ -RSB- born July 30 , 1963 ) is an American actress , comedian , writer and producer . She gained worldwide recognition for her ten-season run as Phoebe Buffay and Ursula Buffay on the television sitcom Friends , for which she received many accolades , including six Emmy Award nominations , winning once in 1998 , and twelve Screen Actors Guild Award nominations , winning twice in 1996 and 2000 .   She went on to produce , write and star in the 2005 HBO series The Comeback , which was revived nine years later and began airing its second season in November 2014 . She received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for both seasons , in 2006 and 2015 respectively . She also starred in Web Therapy , which aired for four seasons on Showtime . As a producer of the series , she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class -- Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program for the show in 2012 . She is also one of the executive producers of the TLC reality program Who Do You Think You Are and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Program for the series in 2012 and 2014 .   Away from television , Kudrow has also appeared in many films , including Romy and Michele 's High School Reunion ( 1997 ) , The Opposite of Sex ( 1998 ) , Analyze This ( 1999 ) and its sequel Analyze That ( 2002 ) , Dr. Dolittle 2 ( 2001 ) , Wonderland ( 2003 ) , Happy Endings ( 2005 ) , P.S. I Love You ( 2007 ) , Bandslam ( 2008 ) , Hotel for Dogs ( 2009 ) , Easy A ( 2010 ) , Neighbors ( 2014 ) , its sequel Neighbors 2 : Sorority Rising ( 2016 ) and The Girl on the Train ( 2016 ) .


Rolling Stone magazine described Led Zeppelin as "the biggest band of the Sixties."

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 .


At least two albums have been released by the Alkaline Trio.

Crimson (Alkaline Trio album) Crimson is the fifth studio album by American rock band Alkaline Trio , released on May 24 , 2005 .


This Addiction This Addiction is the seventh studio album by the punk rock band Alkaline Trio , released February 23 , 2010 as the first release by their newly formed record label Heart & Skull , a joint venture with Epitaph Records . Described as a return to the band 's punk rock roots , it was recorded at Atlas Studios in their hometown of Chicago with Matt Allison , the same location and producer used for much of their early material . The album draws lyrical inspiration from the band members ' personal lives , addressing themes such as love , addiction , death , divorce , grief , suicide , politics , and war . It became the highest-charting album of the band 's career , debuting on the Billboard 200 at # 11 and also reaching # 1 on the Rock , Independent , and Alternative Albums charts .


My Shame Is True My Shame Is True is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio , released on April 2 , 2013 on Heart & Skull and Epitaph Records . Produced by both Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore , the album was preceded by the single , `` I Wan na Be a Warhol '' , and was released with an accompanying EP , Broken Wing .   Inspired by a recent romantic break-up , vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba described the record as a `` pseudo-concept album '' and a catharsis , '' stating , `` I just wrote this one more as a love letter to my ex-girlfriend , or an apology note set to music . '' Following the album 's release , Skiba noted that the album brought the couple back together .   The album received mostly favorable reviews upon its release . My Shame Is True reached twenty-four on the Billboard 200 .


Alkaline Trio Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from McHenry , Illinois . The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba , bassist and vocalist Dan Andriano , and drummer Derek Grant . Founded in late 1996 by Skiba , bassist Rob Doran , and drummer Glenn Porter , Alkaline Trio released its debut single , `` Sundials '' , in 1997 . Following its release , Doran departed from the band and was replaced by Andriano . The band subsequently recorded an EP , For Your Lungs Only ( 1998 ) , and its debut studio album , Goddamnit ( 1998 ) . Following the release of the band 's second album , Maybe I 'll Catch Fire ( 2000 ) , Porter left the band and was replaced by Mike Felumlee for its subsequent album , From Here to Infirmary ( 2001 ) .   Backed by the singles `` Stupid Kid '' and `` Private Eye '' , From Here to Infirmary significantly increased the band 's exposure , and its follow-up , Good Mourning ( 2003 ) , charted highly on the Billboard 200 . Good Mourning marked the recording debut of current drummer Derek Grant . In 2005 , the band released Crimson which expanded upon the band 's punk rock influences , with prominent overdubs and additional instrumentation , and continued with this direction on Agony & Irony ( 2008 ) , which was released on V2 Records .   In 2010 , the band released This Addiction on its own label Heart & Skull and Epitaph . Recorded in the band 's home town of Chicago , with early producer Matt Allison , the album was a conscious effort by the band to return to their punk rock roots ; it became the highest charting album of their career , debuting on the Billboard 200 at No. 11 . In 2011 , the band celebrated its 15-year anniversary with the release of Damnesia , which featured new , acoustic-based recordings of songs from across the band 's career . The band 's eighth studio album , My Shame Is True , was released on April 2 , 2013 .


Good Mourning Good Mourning is the fourth studio album by Alkaline Trio , released May 13 , 2003 on Vagrant Records .


The US entered into the Vietnam War to prevent the spread of democracy.

Vietnam War The Vietnam War ( Chiến tranh Việt Nam ) , also known as the Second Indochina War , and known in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America ( Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ) or simply the American War , was a war that occurred in Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975 . It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam . The North Vietnamese army was supported by the Soviet Union , China and other communist allies and the South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States , South Korea , Australia , Thailand and other anti-communist allies . The war is therefore considered a Cold War-era proxy war .   The Viet Cong ( also known as the National Liberation Front , or NLF ) , a South Vietnamese communist common front aided by the North , fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region , while the People 's Army of Vietnam , also known as the North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) , engaged in more conventional warfare , at times committing large units to battle . As the war continued , the military actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role and engagement of the NVA grew . U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations , involving ground forces , artillery , and airstrikes . In the course of the war , the U.S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam .   The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam . They viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States . The U.S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam . This was part of the domino theory of a wider containment policy , with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism worldwide .   Beginning in 1950 , American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina.The Military Assistance Advisory Group , Indochina ( with an authorized strength of 128 men ) was set up in September 1950 with a mission to oversee the use and distribution of US military equipment by the French and their allies . U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s , with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962 . U.S. involvement escalated further following the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident , in which a U.S. destroyer clashed with North Vietnamese fast attack craft , which was followed by the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution , which gave the U.S. president authorization to increase U.S. military presence . Regular U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965 . Operations crossed international borders : bordering areas of Laos and Cambodia were heavily bombed by U.S. forces as American involvement in the war peaked in 1968 , the same year that the communist side launched the Tet Offensive . The Tet Offensive failed in its goal of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government , but became the turning point in the war , as it persuaded a large segment of the U.S. population that its government 's claims of progress toward winning the war were illusory despite many years of massive U.S. military aid to South Vietnam .   Gradual withdrawal of U.S. ground forces began as part of `` Vietnamization '' , which aimed to end American involvement in the war while transferring the task of fighting the communists to the South Vietnamese themselves . Despite the Paris Peace Accord , which was signed by all parties in January 1973 , the fighting continued . In the U.S. and the Western world , a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture . The war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs , and altered North -- South relations .   Direct U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973 . The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war , and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year . The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities ( see Vietnam War casualties ) . Estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million . Some 240,000 -- 300,000 Cambodians , 20,000 -- 62,000 Laotians , and 58,220 U.S. service members also died in the conflict , and a further 1,626 remain missing in action .


In 2002, a DVD version of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones was released.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Star Wars : Episode II -- Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales . It is the second installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and stars Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Temuera Morrison , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , and Frank Oz .   The film is set ten years after the events in Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace . The galaxy is on the brink of civil war . Led by a former Jedi named Count Dooku , thousands of planetary systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic . After Senator Padmé Amidala evades assassination , Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker becomes her protector , while his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the attempt on Padmé 's life . Soon Anakin , Padmé , and Obi-Wan witness the onset of a new threat to the galaxy , the Clone Wars .   Development of Attack of the Clones began in March 2000 , after the release of The Phantom Menace . By June 2000 , Lucas and Hales completed a draft of the script and principal photography took place from June to September 2000 . The film crew primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney , Australia , with additional footage filmed in Tunisia , Spain and Italy . It was one of the first motion pictures shot completely on a high-definition digital 24-frame system .   The film premiered on May 16 , 2002 . Some critics hailed it as an improvement over The Phantom Menace , while the visual effects , costume design , musical score , and Ewan McGregor 's performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi were all praised . Despite this , critics lambasted the romance of Anakin and Padmé , the dialogue , most of the acting , and the film 's long runtime . The film received positive reviews and was a financial success ; however , it also became the first Star Wars film to be out-grossed in its year of release , placing only third domestically and fourth internationally . The film was released on VHS and DVD on November 12 , 2002 and was later released on Blu-ray on September 16 , 2011 . Following Attack of the Clones , the third and final film of the prequel trilogy , Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith , premiered in 2005 .


Johnny Mnemonic (film) Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 Canadian-American cyberpunk action thriller film directed by Robert Longo in his directorial debut . The film stars Keanu Reeves and Dolph Lundgren . The film is based on the story of the same name by William Gibson . Keanu Reeves plays the title character , a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information . The film portrays Gibson 's dystopian view of the future with the world dominated by megacorporations and with strong East Asian influences . This was Dolph Lundgren 's last theatrically released film until 2010 's The Expendables .   The film was shot on location in Canada , with Toronto and Montreal filling in for the film 's Newark and Beijing settings . A number of local sites , including Toronto 's Union Station and Montreal 's skyline and Jacques Cartier Bridge , feature prominently .   The film premiered in Japan on April 15 , 1995 , in a longer version ( 103 mins ) that is closer to the director 's cut , featuring a score by Mychael Danna and different editing . The film was released in the United States on May 26 , 1995 .


As a result of a mid-term vacancy, Gerald Ford succeeded to office.

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford , Jr. ( born Leslie Lynch King , Jr. ; July 14 , 1913 -- December 26 , 2006 ) was an American politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 , following the resignation of Richard Nixon . Prior to this he served eight months as the 40th Vice President of the United States , following the resignation of Spiro Agnew . He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment , and consequently the only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being elected to executive office . Before his appointment to the vice presidency , Ford served 25 years as U.S. Representative from Michigan 's 5th congressional district , the final nine of them as the House Minority Leader .   As President , Ford signed the Helsinki Accords , marking a move toward détente in the Cold War . With the conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam nine months into his presidency , U.S. involvement in Vietnam essentially ended . Domestically , Ford presided over the worst economy in the four decades since the Great Depression , with growing inflation and a recession during his tenure . One of his most controversial acts was to grant a presidential pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal . During Ford 's presidency , foreign policy was characterized in procedural terms by the increased role Congress began to play , and by the corresponding curb on the powers of the President . In the Republican presidential primary campaign of 1976 , Ford defeated former California Governor Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination . He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger , former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter , making him the first President who succeeded to office as a result of a mid-term vacancy since Chester A. Arthur not to be elected in his own right .   Following his years as President , Ford remained active in the Republican Party . After experiencing health problems , he died at home on December 26 , 2006 . Ford lived longer than any other U.S. president -- 93 years and 165 days -- while his 895-day presidency was the shortest of all presidents who did not die in office .


The United States battled in the Vietnam War to prevent the spread of communism.


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


Rebecca Hall had a role as a newscaster.

Rebecca Hall Rebecca Maria Hall ( born 3 May 1982 ) is an English-American actress . In 2003 , she won the Ian Charleson Award for her debut stage performance in a production of Mrs. Warren 's Profession . She has appeared in the films The Prestige , Vicky Cristina Barcelona ( for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe ) , The Town , The Awakening , Frost/Nixon , Iron Man 3 , Transcendence , and The Gift . In 2016 , Hall portrayed the troubled news anchor Christine Chubbuck in the critically acclaimed drama Christine .   In June 2010 , Hall won the Supporting Actress BAFTA for her portrayal of Paula Garland in the 2009 Channel 4 production Red Riding : In the Year of Our Lord 1974 . She was also nominated for the Leading Actress Television BAFTA in 2013 for her role as socialite Sylvia Tietjens in BBC Two 's Parade 's End , opposite Benedict Cumberbatch .


Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


Death in Paradise has enjoyed high ratings.

Death in Paradise (TV series) Death in Paradise is a British-French crime comedy-drama television series created by Robert Thorogood , starring Ben Miller ( series 1 -- 3 ) , Kris Marshall ( series 3 -- 6 ) & Ardal O'Hanlon ( series 6 -- present ) . The programme is a joint UK and French production filmed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and France 2 in France . Death in Paradise has enjoyed high ratings , leading to repeated renewals . A sixth series began broadcasting on 5 January 2017 and aired its finale on 23 February , with the subsequent DVD release occurring three days later on 27 February 2017 . The series will return in 2018 for a seventh series .


The Land Before Time's producers were George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

The Land Before Time The Land Before Time is a 1988 American-Irish animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , George Lucas , Kathleen Kennedy , and Frank Marshall .   Produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios , Amblin Partners ' Amblin Entertainment and Lucasfilm ( despite not receiving an official credit nor the film 's marketing bearing the studio 's logo ) , it features dinosaurs living in the prehistoric times . The plot concerns a young Brontosaurus named Littlefoot who is orphaned when his mother is killed by a Tyrannosaurus . Littlefoot flees famine and upheaval to search for the Great Valley , an area spared from devastation . On his journey , he meets four young companions : Cera , Ducky , Petrie , and Spike , a Spike-tail .   The film explores issues of prejudice between the different species and the hardships they endure in their journey as they are guided by the spirit of Littlefoot 's mother and also forced to deal with the murderous T-Rex that killed her . This is the only Don Bluth film of the 1980s in which Dom DeLuise did not participate ( instead , he starred in Disney 's Oliver & Company that same year ) , and the only film in The Land Before Time series that is not a musical , as well as the only one to be released theatrically worldwide .   Released by Universal Pictures on November 18 , 1988 , the film was a critical and financial success , and spawned a multimillion-dollar franchise with thirteen direct-to-video sequels and a television series ( without involvement from Bluth , Spielberg , or Lucas ) as well as merchandise ( toys , video games , etc. ) and a television series .


George Clooney George Timothy Clooney ( born May 6 , 1961 ) is an American actor , filmmaker , activist and philanthropist . He has received three Golden Globe Awards for his work as an actor and two Academy Awards , one for acting in Syriana ( 2006 ) and the other for co-producing Argo ( 2012 ) .   Clooney made his acting debut on television in 1978 , and later gained wide recognition in his role as Dr. Doug Ross on the long-running medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999 , for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations . While working on ER , he began attracting a variety of leading roles in films , including the superhero film Batman & Robin ( 1997 ) and the crime comedy Out of Sight ( 1998 ) , in which he first worked with director Steven Soderbergh , who would become a long-time collaborator . In 1999 , he took the lead role in Three Kings , a well-received war satire set during the Gulf War .   In 2001 , Clooney 's fame widened with the release of his biggest commercial success , the heist comedy remake Ocean 's Eleven , the first of what became a trilogy starring Clooney . He made his directorial debut a year later with the biographical spy comedy Confessions of a Dangerous Mind , and has since directed the historical drama Good Night , and Good Luck ( 2005 ) , the sports comedy Leatherheads ( 2008 ) , the political drama The Ides of March ( 2011 ) , and the war film The Monuments Men ( 2014 ) .   Clooney won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the Middle East thriller Syriana ( 2005 ) , and subsequently earned Best Actor nominations for the legal thriller Michael Clayton ( 2007 ) and the comedy-dramas Up in the Air ( 2009 ) and The Descendants ( 2011 ) . In 2013 , he received the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing the political thriller Argo . He is the only person who has been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories .   In 2009 , Clooney was included in Time annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He is also noted for his political and economic activism , and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since January 31 , 2008 . His humanitarian work includes his advocacy of finding a resolution for the Darfur conflict , raising funds for the 2010 Haiti earthquake , Armenian Genocide recognition , 2004 tsunami , and 9/11 victims , and creating documentaries such as Sand and Sorrow to raise awareness about international crises . He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations .


Leopold II of Belgium date of birth is April 9, 1835.

Leopold II of Belgium Leopold II ( 9 April 1835 -- 17 December 1909 ) reigned as the second King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909 . He became known for the founding and exploitation of the Congo Free State as a private venture . Born in Brussels as the second ( but eldest surviving ) son of Leopold I and Louise of Orléans ,  he succeeded his father to the Belgian throne in 1865 and reigned for 44 years until his death - the longest reign of any Belgian monarch . He died without surviving male issue ; the current Belgian king descends from his nephew and successor , Albert I.   Leopold became the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State , a private project undertaken on his own behalf . He used explorer Henry Morton Stanley to help him lay claim to the Congo , the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo . At the Berlin Conference of 1884 -- 1885 the colonial nations of Europe authorized his claim by committing the Congo Free State to improving the lives of the native inhabitants . From the beginning , however , Leopold essentially ignored these conditions . He ran the Congo using the mercenary Force Publique for his personal enrichment . He used great sums of the money from this exploitation for public and private construction projects in Belgium during this period . He donated the private buildings to the state before his death , to preserve them for Belgium .   Leopold extracted a fortune from the Congo , initially by the collection of ivory , and - after a rise in the price of rubber in the 1890s - by forced labour from the natives to harvest and process rubber . Under his régime millions of the Congolese people died ; modern estimates range from 1 to 15 million , with a consensus growing around 10 million . Human-rights abuses under his régime contributed significantly to these deaths . Reports of deaths and abuse led to a major international scandal in the early 20th century , and the Belgian government ultimately forced Leopold to relinquish control of the colony to Belgian civil administration in 1908 .


Nepal fi     Nepal ( -LSB- Nepālhelp = no -RSB- -RCB- -RCB- -LSB- neˈpal -RSB- ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia . Nepal is divided into 7 provinces and 75 districts and 744 local units including 4 metropolises , 13 sub-metropolises , 246 municipal councils and 481 villages . It has a population of 26.4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area . Bordering China in the north and India in the south , east , and west , it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state . Nepal does not border Bangladesh , which is located within only 27 km ( 17 mi ) of its southeastern tip . Neither does it border Bhutan due to the Indian state of Sikkim being located in between . Nepal has a diverse geography , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills , and eight of the world 's ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on Earth . Kathmandu is the nation 's capital and largest city . It is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language .   The territory of Nepal has a recorded history since the Neolithic age . The name `` Nepal '' is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age , the era which founded Hinduism , the predominant religion of the country . In the middle of the first millennium BCE , Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism , was born in southern Nepal . Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet . The Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal became known as Nepal proper because of its complex urban civilisation . It was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala . The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley 's traders . The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture . By the 18th century , the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal . The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire , under its Rana dynasty of premiers . The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and Colonial India . In the 20th century , Nepal ended its isolation and forged strong ties with regional powers . Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 , but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs in 1960 and 2005 . The Nepalese Civil War resulted in the proclamation of a republic in 2008 , ending the reign of the world 's last Hindu monarchy .   Modern Nepal is a federal secular parliamentary republic . It has seven states . Nepal is a developing nation , ranking 144th on the Human Development Index ( HDI ) in 2016 . The country struggles with the transition from a monarchy to a republic . It also suffers from high levels of hunger and poverty . Despite these challenges , Nepal is making steady progress , with the government declaring its commitment to elevate the nation from least developed country status by 2022 . Nepal also has a vast potential to generate hydropower for export .   Nepal 's foreign relations expanded after the Anglo-Nepal Treaty of 1923 , which was recognised by the League of Nations . After a Soviet veto in 1949 , Nepal was admitted to the United Nations in 1955 . Friendship treaties were signed with the Dominion of India in 1950 and the People 's Republic of China in 1960 . Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC ) , of which it is a founding member . Nepal is also a member of the Non Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative . The military of Nepal is the fifth largest in South Asia and is notable for its Gurkha history , particularly during the world wars , and has been a significant contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations .


Stephen Rider Stephen Rider is an American film and television actor , best known for playing Admiral Stephen W. Rochon in the film The Butler and Eric Millworth in the series Lucky 7 . He is currently playing a District Attorney named Blake Tower in the Marvel 's series Daredevil .


Frank Zappa's debut album was released in 1966.

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa ( December 21 , 1940 -- December 4 , 1993 ) was an American musician , activist and filmmaker . His work was characterized by nonconformity , free-form improvisation , sound experiments , musical virtuosity , and satire of American culture . In a career spanning more than 30 years , Zappa composed rock , pop , jazz , jazz fusion , orchestral and musique concrète works , and produced almost all of the 60-plus albums that he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist . Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos , and designed album covers . He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse rock musicians of his generation .   As a self-taught composer and performer , Zappa 's diverse musical influences led him to create music that was sometimes difficult to categorize . While in his teens , he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical composers such as Edgard Varèse , Igor Stravinsky , and Anton Webern , along with 1950s rhythm and blues and doo-wop music . He began writing classical music in high school , while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands ; later switching to electric guitar . His 1966 debut album with the Mothers of Invention , Freak Out ! , combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages . He continued this eclectic and experimental approach , irrespective of whether the fundamental format was rock , jazz or classical .   Zappa 's output is unified by a conceptual continuity he termed `` Project/Object '' , with numerous musical phrases , ideas , and characters reappearing across his albums . His lyrics reflected his iconoclastic views of established social and political processes , structures and movements , often humorously so . He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion , and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech , self-education , political participation and the abolition of censorship . Unlike many other rock musicians of his era , he personally disapproved of and seldom used drugs , but supported their decriminalization and regulation .   During Zappa 's lifetime , he was a highly productive and prolific artist , earning widespread acclaim from critics and fellow musicians . He had some commercial success , particularly in Europe , and worked as an independent artist for most of his career . He remains a major influence on musicians and composers . His honors include an induction into the 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . In 2000 , he was ranked number 36 on VH1 's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock . In 2004 , Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at number 71 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' , and in 2011 at number 22 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time '' .


Ricin Ricin ( -LSB- ˈraɪsɪn -RSB- ) is a highly toxic , naturally occurring lectin ( a carbohydrate-binding protein ) produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant , Ricinus communis . A dose of purified ricin powder the size of a few grains of table salt can kill an adult human . The median lethal dose ( LD50 ) of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight if the exposure is from injection or inhalation ( 1.78 milligram for an average adult ) . Oral exposure to ricin is far less toxic as some of the poison is inactivated in the stomach . An estimated lethal oral dose in humans is approximately 1 milligram per kilogram .


There are no videos, movies, television, or any form of visual media that exists crediting Queen Latifah as a producer.

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens ( born March 18 , 1970 ) , known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah , is an American rapper , songwriter , singer , actress , model , television producer , record producer , and talk show host . Born in Newark , New Jersey , she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year , featuring the hit single `` Ladies First '' . Her second album , Nature of a Sista ( 1991 ) , was her final album with Tommy Boy Records .   Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single , from 1993 to 1998 . Her third album Black Reign ( 1993 ) , spawned the single `` U.N.I.T.Y. '' , which won a Grammy Award and was successful on the Billboard Hot 100 . She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off ( 1996 ) and released her fourth album , Order in the Court , in 1998 , with Motown Records . Latifah gained mainstream success and acclaim with her performance in the film Chicago ( 2002 ) , receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress .   Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004 , and has since appeared in a number of films , such as Bringing Down the House ( 2003 ) , Taxi ( 2004 ) , Barbershop 2 : Back in Business ( 2005 ) , Beauty Shop ( 2005 ) , Last Holiday ( 2006 ) , Hairspray ( 2007 ) and Joyful Noise ( 2012 ) . In 2007 and 2009 , she released two more studio albums -- Trav ` lin ' Light and Persona . She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show , which ran from late 2013 to early 2015 on CBS . Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie ( 2015 ) , which she co-produced , winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .   She has long been considered one of hip-hop 's pioneer feminists . Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 . Latifah 's work in music , film and television has earned her a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , three Screen Actors Guild Awards , two NAACP Image Awards , an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records .


Michael McCullers worked with Amy Poehler.

Michael McCullers Michael McCullers ( born 1971 ) is an American comedy film screenwriter .   A native of Indian Springs Village , Alabama , McCullers attended Indian Springs School , a private high school just south of Birmingham , Alabama . McCullers is a former writer on Saturday Night Live and is best known for co-writing the script for two Austin Powers movies , Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember with Mike Myers . He is the writer and director of the 2008 comedy Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler . He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children .


My Sweet Lord is by a former rock musician.

My Sweet Lord `` My Sweet Lord '' is a song by English musician and former Beatle , George Harrison . It was released in November 1970 on his triple album All Things Must Pass . Also issued as a single , Harrison 's first as a solo artist , `` My Sweet Lord '' topped charts worldwide and was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK . In America and Britain , the song was the first number one single by an ex-Beatle . Harrison originally gave the song to his fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record ; this version , which Harrison co-produced , appeared on Preston 's Encouraging Words album in September 1970 .   Harrison wrote `` My Sweet Lord '' in praise of the Hindu god Krishna , while at the same time intending the lyrics to serve as a call to abandon religious sectarianism through his deliberate blending of the Hebrew word hallelujah with chants of `` Hare Krishna '' and Vedic prayer . The recording features producer Phil Spector 's Wall of Sound treatment and heralded the arrival of Harrison 's much-admired slide guitar technique , which one biographer described as being `` musically as distinctive a signature as the mark of Zorro '' . Preston , Ringo Starr , Eric Clapton , and the group Badfinger are among the other musicians appearing on the recording .   Later in the 1970s , `` My Sweet Lord '' was at the centre of a heavily publicised copyright infringement suit , due to its similarity to the Ronnie Mack song `` He 's So Fine '' , a 1963 hit for the New York girl group the Chiffons . In 1976 , Harrison was found to have subconsciously plagiarised the earlier tune , a verdict that had repercussions throughout the music industry . He claimed to have used the out-of-copyright `` Oh Happy Day '' , a Christian hymn , as his inspiration for the song 's melody .   Harrison performed `` My Sweet Lord '' at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971 , and it remains the most popular composition from his post-Beatles career . He reworked the song as `` My Sweet Lord ( 2000 ) '' for inclusion as a bonus track on the 30th anniversary reissue of All Things Must Pass . Many artists have covered the song including Andy Williams , Peggy Lee , Edwin Starr , Johnny Mathis , Nina Simone , Julio Iglesias , Richie Havens , Megadeth , Boy George , Elton John , Jim James , Bonnie Bramlett and Elliott Smith . `` My Sweet Lord '' is ranked 460th on Rolling Stone magazine 's list of `` the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time '' . The song reached number 1 in Britain for a second time when re-released in January 2002 , two months after Harrison 's death .


The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . With members John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr , they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era . Rooted in skiffle , beat and 1950s rock and roll , the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles , ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock , often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways . In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as `` Beatlemania '' , and as the group 's music grew in sophistication in subsequent years , led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney , they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s .   The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960 , with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player . The core of Lennon , McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers , including Pete Best , before asking Starr to join them in 1962 . Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act , and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings , greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit , `` Love Me Do '' , in late 1962 . They acquired the nickname `` the Fab Four '' as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year , and by early 1964 became international stars , leading the `` British Invasion '' of the United States pop market . From 1965 onwards , the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings , including the albums Rubber Soul ( 1965 ) , Revolver ( 1966 ) , Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967 ) , The Beatles ( commonly known as the White Album , 1968 ) and Abbey Road ( 1969 ) . After their break-up in 1970 , they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths . McCartney and Starr , the surviving members , remain musically active . Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 , and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001 .   The Beatles are the best-selling band in history , with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide . They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act . According to the RIAA , the Beatles are also the best-selling music artists in the United States , with 178 million certified units . In 2008 , the group topped Billboard magazine 's list of the all-time most successful `` Hot 100 '' artists ; , they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty . They have received ten Grammy Awards , an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards . The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 , and all four were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015 . They were also collectively included in Time magazine 's compilation of the twentieth century 's 100 most influential people .


Rob Lowe was in the cast of Parks and Recreation and The West Wing.

Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe ( -LSB- ˈloʊ -RSB- born March 17 , 1964 ) is an American actor . He came to prominence in the 1980s , playing teen and young adult roles in films such as The Outsiders ( 1983 ) , Oxford Blues ( 1984 ) , St. Elmo 's Fire ( 1985 ) , and About Last Night ... ( 1986 ) . However , he continued acting in less prominent film roles , and went on to high-profile roles in television series such as The West Wing ( 1999 -- 2003 ) , Brothers & Sisters ( 2006 -- 2010 ) , and Parks and Recreation ( 2010 -- 2014 ) .   In addition to receiving an Emmy Award nomination in 2001 for his work on The West Wing , Lowe has been nominated for six Golden Globe Awards ; his nominations span four of the seven categories for male actors .


Kaitlin Olson started her career in the Groundlings.

Kaitlin Olson Kaitlin Willow Olson ( born August 18 , 1975 ) is an American actress and comedian . She began her career in the Groundlings , an improvisational group in Los Angeles , California , and had minor roles in several television series before being cast as Deandra `` Sweet Dee '' Reynolds on the FX black comedy series It 's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2005 .   Olson has also appeared in film , with roles in Leap Year ( 2010 ) , The Heat ( 2013 ) , and also provided the voice for Destiny in Finding Dory ( 2016 ) . Beginning in 2017 , she stars as Mickey on the Fox comedy series The Mick .


Stephon Marbury has won three CBA championships for Beijing.

Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury ( born February 20 , 1977 ) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association ( CBA ) . He has won three CBA championships with Beijing in 2012 , 2014 and 2015 , and is widely considered as the greatest foreign player to ever play in the Chinese Basketball Association .   The , 205 lb point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft , but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves .   He was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and 2003 and was voted into the All-NBA Third Team in 2000 and 2003 .


Victor Hugo has only ever written about scientific trends.

Victor Hugo Victor Marie Hugo ( -LSB- viktɔʁ maʁi yɡo -RSB- ; 26 February 1802 -- 22 May 1885 ) was a French poet , novelist , and dramatist of the Romantic movement . He is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers . Outside France , his best-known works are the novels Les Misérables , 1862 , and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame ( Notre-Dame de Paris ) , 1831 . In France , Hugo is known primarily for his poetry collections , such as Les Contemplations ( The Contemplations ) and La Légende des siècles ( The Legend of the Ages ) . He produced more than 4,000 drawings and also campaigned for social causes such as the abolition of capital punishment .   Though a committed royalist when he was young , Hugo 's views changed as the decades passed , and he became a passionate supporter of republicanism ; his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and the artistic trends of his time . He is buried in the Panthéon in Paris . His legacy has been honoured in many ways , including his portrait being placed on French currency .


Barack Obama will have a presidential bookstore built in his honor.

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( -LSB- bəˈrɑːk_huːˈseɪn_oʊˈbɑːmə -RSB- ; born August 4 , 1961 ) is an American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017 . He is the first African American to have served as president . He previously served in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 , and in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004 .   Obama was born in Honolulu , Hawaii , two years after the territory was admitted to the Union as the 50th state . Raised largely in Hawaii , Obama also spent one year of his childhood in Washington State and four years in Indonesia . After graduating from Columbia University in 1983 , he worked as a community organizer in Chicago . In 1988 Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School , where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review . After graduation , he became a civil rights attorney and professor , teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004 . Obama represented the 13th District for three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004 , when he ran for the U.S. Senate . Obama received national attention in 2004 , with his unexpected March primary win , his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address , and his landslide November election to the Senate . In 2008 , Obama was nominated for president , a year after his campaign began , and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton . He was elected over Republican John McCain , and was inaugurated on January 20 , 2009 . Nine months later , Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate .   During his first two years in office , Obama signed many landmark bills . Main reforms were the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( often referred to as `` Obamacare '' ) , the Dodd -- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act , and the Do n't Ask , Do n't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 . The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Tax Relief , Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization , and Job Creation Act of 2010 served as economic stimulus amidst the Great Recession , but the GOP regained control of the House of Representatives in 2011 . After a lengthy debate over the national debt limit , Obama signed the Budget Control and the American Taxpayer Relief Acts . In foreign policy , Obama increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan , reduced nuclear weapons with the U.S.-Russian New START treaty , and ended military involvement in the Iraq War . He ordered military involvement in Libya in opposition to Muammar Gaddafi , and the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden .   After winning re-election by defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney , Obama was sworn in for a second term in 2013 . During his second term , Obama promoted greater inclusiveness for LGBT Americans , with his administration filing briefs that urged the Supreme Court to strike down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional ( United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges ) . Obama also advocated gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning climate change and immigration . In foreign policy , Obama ordered military intervention in Iraq in response to gains made by ISIL after the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq , continued the process of ending U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan , promoted discussions that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change , initiated the sanctions against Russia following the invasion in Ukraine , brokered a nuclear deal with Iran , and normalized U.S. relations with Cuba .   Obama left office in January 2017 with a 60 % approval rating . He currently resides in Washington , D.C. His presidential library will be built in Chicago .


Gabrielle Union did not begin her career in the 1990's.

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 ) .


From Here to Infirmary From Here to Infirmary is the third album by Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio . It was their first album for Vagrant and their only album with the drummer Mike Felumlee , who replaced the previous drummer Glenn Porter . When Felumlee left the band shortly after the album 's release , drummer Adam Willard filled in with the group on tour and appeared in the music video for `` Private Eye '' , before the band found a permanent replacement in Derek Grant .


Alkaline Trio Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from McHenry , Illinois . The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba , bassist and vocalist Dan Andriano , and drummer Derek Grant . Founded in late 1996 by Skiba , bassist Rob Doran , and drummer Glenn Porter , Alkaline Trio released its debut single , `` Sundials '' , in 1997 . Following its release , Doran departed from the band and was replaced by Andriano . The band subsequently recorded an EP , For Your Lungs Only ( 1998 ) , and its debut studio album , Goddamnit ( 1998 ) . Following the release of the band 's second album , Maybe I 'll Catch Fire ( 2000 ) , Porter left the band and was replaced by Mike Felumlee for its subsequent album , From Here to Infirmary ( 2001 ) .   Backed by the singles `` Stupid Kid '' and `` Private Eye '' , From Here to Infirmary significantly increased the band 's exposure , and its follow-up , Good Mourning ( 2003 ) , charted highly on the Billboard 200 . Good Mourning marked the recording debut of current drummer Derek Grant . In 2005 , the band released Crimson which expanded upon the band 's punk rock influences , with prominent overdubs and additional instrumentation , and continued with this direction on Agony & Irony ( 2008 ) , which was released on V2 Records .   In 2010 , the band released This Addiction on its own label Heart & Skull and Epitaph . Recorded in the band 's home town of Chicago , with early producer Matt Allison , the album was a conscious effort by the band to return to their punk rock roots ; it became the highest charting album of their career , debuting on the Billboard 200 at No. 11 . In 2011 , the band celebrated its 15-year anniversary with the release of Damnesia , which featured new , acoustic-based recordings of songs from across the band 's career . The band 's eighth studio album , My Shame Is True , was released on April 2 , 2013 .


Good Mourning Good Mourning is the fourth studio album by Alkaline Trio , released May 13 , 2003 on Vagrant Records .


Agony & Irony Agony & Irony is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alkaline Trio , released July 1 , 2008 .


Sundials (song) `` Sundials '' ( stylized as `` Sun Dials '' ) is the debut single by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio , released in 1997 by Johann 's Face Records . It is the band 's only studio release to include original bassist Rob Doran , who left the group after the single 's release and was replaced by Dan Andriano . Both tracks from the single were reissued on the compilation album Alkaline Trio in 2000 .


Ronda Rousey was in a 2015 American comedy film directed by Doug Ellin.

Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey ( -LSB- ˈraʊzi -RSB- born February 1 , 1987 ) is an American mixed martial artist , judoka , and actress .   Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo ( bronze ) , which she won at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . She is the former UFC Women 's Bantamweight Champion , as well as the last Strikeforce Women 's Bantamweight Champion . She won 12 consecutive MMA fights , six in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) , before suffering her first loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 ; she won 11 of those fights in the first round , nine of them by armbar submission . Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan of the Hayastan MMA Academy , and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club .   In May 2015 , two magazines ranked Rousey as the most `` dominant '' active athlete . In September 2015 , voters in an online ESPN poll selected Rousey as the Best Female Athlete Ever . Later that month , she claimed to be the UFC 's highest paid fighter , male or female . In 2015 , she was the third most searched person on Google . As of January 2017 , Rousey is ranked the # 4 female bantamweight fighter in the world according to the UFC , and # 9 by Sherdog .   Rousey 's first feature film role was the 2014 film The Expendables 3 . In 2015 , she had roles in the films Furious 7 and Entourage .


Eminem won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III ( born October 17 , 1972 ) , known professionally as Eminem ( often stylized as EMINƎM ) , is an American rapper , record producer , and actor . Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the United States . Throughout his career , he has had 10 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 . With US sales of 45.1 million albums and 42 million tracks as of June 2014 , Eminem is the second best-selling male artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era , the sixth best-selling artist in the United States and the best-selling hip-hop artist . Globally , he has sold more than 172 million albums , thus being one of the world 's best-selling artists . Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time , calling him the King of Hip Hop .   After his debut album Infinite ( 1996 ) and the Slim Shady EP ( 1997 ) , Eminem signed with Dr. Dre 's Aftermath Entertainment and subsequently achieved mainstream popularity in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP , which earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album . His next two releases , 2000 's The Marshall Mathers LP and 2002 's The Eminem Show , were worldwide successes , with each being certified diamond in U.S. sales , and both winning Best Rap Album Grammy Awards -- making Eminem the first artist to win the award for three consecutive LPs . They were followed by Encore in 2004 , another critical and commercial success . Eminem went on hiatus after touring in 2005 , releasing Relapse in 2009 and Recovery in 2010 . Both won Grammy Awards and Recovery was the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide , the second time he had the international best-selling album of the year ( after The Eminem Show ) . Eminem 's eighth album , 2013 's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 , won two Grammy Awards , including Best Rap Album ; it expanded his record for the most wins in that category and his Grammy total to 15 .   In addition to his solo career , Eminem is an original member of the Midwest hip hop groups Soul Intent and D12 . He is also known for his collaborations with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 5 ' 9 '' ; the two are collectively known as Bad Meets Evil . Eminem has developed other ventures , including Shady Records , with manager Paul Rosenberg , which helped launch the careers of artists such as 50 Cent . Eminem has also established his own channel , Shade 45 , on Sirius XM Radio . In November 2002 , he starred in the hip hop film 8 Mile , which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song , for `` Lose Yourself '' , becoming the first rap artist to win the award . Eminem has made cameo appearances in the films The Wash ( 2001 ) , Funny People ( 2009 ) , The Interview ( 2014 ) and the television series Entourage ( 2010 ) .


Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( born July 2 , 1986 ) is an American actress and singer . Lohan began her career as a child fashion model when she was three , and was later featured on the soap opera Another World for a year when she was 10 . At age 11 , Lohan made her motion picture debut in Disney 's commercially and critically successful 1998 remake of The Parent Trap . Her next major motion picture , Disney 's 2003 remake of Freaky Friday , was also a critical and commercial success . With the release of Mean Girls ( 2004 ) , another critical and commercial success , and Disney 's Herbie : Fully Loaded ( 2005 ) , another commercial success , Lohan became a teen idol sensation , a household name and a frequent focus of paparazzi and tabloids . However , Lohan 's next starring role in the romantic comedy Just My Luck ( 2006 ) , received poor reviews and was only a modest commercial success . Following Just My Luck , Lohan focused on smaller , more mature roles in independent movies , receiving positive comments on her work , including A Prairie Home Companion ( 2006 ) , Bobby ( 2006 ) and Chapter 27 ( 2007 ) .   After recording several songs for her movie soundtracks , Lohan signed with Casablanca Records . Lohan 's debut studio album , titled Speak , was released in December 2004 and became the first high-seller from Casablanca in several years , selling 1 million copies in the United States alone and peaking at number four on the Billboard 200 . Though the album received mostly lukewarm reviews , it was certified platinum and sold over 4 million copies worldwide . Lohan 's second album , titled A Little More Personal ( Raw ) , was released in December 2005 and featured darker material than her debut had . That album received mixed reviews , and it was certified gold .   In 2007 , two driving under the influence incidents led to Lohan being put on probation , and together with three visits to rehabilitation facilities caused the loss of several movie deals . In 2008 and 2009 , Lohan worked as a fashion model and launched the clothing line 6126 . She resumed her acting career with TV work in 2008 , and starred in the TV film Labor Pains ( 2009 ) . She appeared in Robert Rodriguez 's feature film Machete ( 2010 ) . Between 2010 and 2013 , Lohan went into rehabilitation three times , and spent much of her time entangled in legal problems stemming from misdemeanors and probation violations . In 2012 and 2013 , she did further television work , including starring as Elizabeth Taylor in the biographical TV film Liz & Dick ( 2012 ) . In 2013 , she starred in Paul Schrader 's independent film The Canyons . In 2014 , the docu-series Lindsay aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network , and Lohan made her stage debut in the London West End production of Speed-the-Plow .


Hilary Swank Hilary Swank ( born July 30 , 1974 ) is an American actress and producer . She has won two Academy Awards for Best Actress and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 .   Swank made her film debut in a minor role for Buffy the Vampire Slayer , before she made her breakout lead role in the fourth installment of the The Karate Kid franchise , The Next Karate Kid in 1994 . On television , she was cast as part of the main cast in the eighth season of the drama series Beverly Hills 90210 as single mother Carly Reynolds from 1997 to 1998 . Swank garnered critical acclaim for her portrayal of Brandon Teena in the 1999 biographical independent film Boys Do n't Cry , which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama . She starred in Clint Eastwood 's 2004 sports drama film Million Dollar Baby as struggling-waitress-turned-boxer Maggie Fitzgerald , which won her a second Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actress .   She starred in other films , such as The Gift ( 2000 ) , Insomnia ( 2002 ) , Iron Jawed Angels ( 2004 ) , Red Dust ( 2004 ) The Reaping ( 2007 ) , P.S. I Love You ( 2007 ) , Freedom Writers ( 2007 ) and The Homesman ( 2014 ) .


A Game of Thrones was nominated for the 1997 Nebula Award.

A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin . It was first published on August 1 , 1996 . The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award . The novella Blood of the Dragon , comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel , won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella . In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached # 1 on the list in July 2011 .   In the novel , recounting events from various points of view , Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros , the Wall , and the Targaryens . The novel has inspired several spin-off works , including several games . It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones , an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011 . A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled Game of Thrones , excluding the indefinite article `` A '' .


Robert Duvall received the National Medal of Arts in France.

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall ( -LSB- duːˈvɔːl -RSB- born January 5 , 1931 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards ( winning for his performance in Tender Mercies ) , seven Golden Globes ( winning four ) , and has multiple nominations and one win each of the BAFTA , Screen Actors Guild Award , and Emmy Award . He received the National Medal of Arts in 2005 . Duvall has starred in numerous films and television series , including To Kill a Mockingbird ( 1962 ) , The Twilight Zone ( 1963 ) , The Outer Limits ( 1964 ) , Bullitt ( 1968 ) , True Grit ( 1969 ) , MASH ( 1970 ) , THX 1138 ( 1971 ) , Joe Kidd ( 1972 ) , The Godfather ( 1972 ) , The Godfather Part II ( 1974 ) , The Conversation ( 1974 ) , Network ( 1976 ) , Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) , The Great Santini ( 1979 ) , Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) , The Handmaid 's Tale ( 1990 ) , Rambling Rose ( 1991 ) , and Falling Down ( 1993 ) .   Duvall began appearing in theatre during the late 1950s , moving into television and film roles during the early 1960s , playing Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird ( 1962 ) and appearing in Captain Newman , M.D. ( 1963 ) . He landed many of his most famous roles during the early 1970s , such as Major Frank Burns in the blockbuster comedy MASH ( 1970 ) and the lead role in THX 1138 ( 1971 ) , as well as Horton Foote 's adaptation of William Faulkner 's Tomorrow ( 1972 ) , which was developed at The Actors Studio and is Duvall 's personal favorite . This was followed by a series of critically lauded performances in commercially successful films .   Since then , Duvall has continued to act in both film and television with such productions as Tender Mercies ( 1983 ) , The Natural ( 1984 ) , Colors ( 1988 ) , the television mini-series Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) , Stalin ( 1992 ) , The Man Who Captured Eichmann ( 1996 ) , A Family Thing ( 1996 ) , The Apostle ( 1997 ) , A Civil Action ( 1998 ) , Deep Impact ( 1998 ) , Gods and Generals ( 2003 ) , Secondhand Lions ( 2003 ) , Broken Trail ( 2006 ) , Get Low ( 2010 ) , Jack Reacher ( 2012 ) , and The Judge ( 2014 ) .


List of recipients of the National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984 , for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts . A prestigious American honor , it is the highest honor specifically given for achievement in the arts conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people . Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the Arts ( NEA ) , and ceremoniously presented the award by the President of the United States . The medal was designed for the NEA by sculptor Robert Graham .


Montreal Montreal ( -LSB- audio = Montreal-English-pronunciation . ogaˌmʌntriːˈɒl -RSB- ) , officially Montréal ( -LSB- mɔ̃ʁeal -RSB- ) , is the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec and the 2nd-most populous in Canada , after Toronto . Originally called Ville-Marie , or `` City of Mary , '' it is believed to be named after Mount Royal , though there is some debate about this . The city has a distinct four-season continental climate , with warm-to-hot summers and cold , snowy winters .   In 2016 , Montreal had a population of 1,704,694 . Montreal 's metropolitan area had a population of 4,098,927 and a population of 1,958,257 in the urban agglomeration , with all of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal included . Legally a French-speaking city , 60.5 % of Montrealers speak French at home , 21.2 % speak English and 19.8 % speak neither . Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Quebec and Canada , with 56 % of the population able to speak both official languages . Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world after Paris .   Historically the commercial capital of Canada , it was surpassed in population and economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s . It remains an important centre of commerce , aerospace , finance , pharmaceuticals , technology , design , education , culture , tourism , gaming , film and world affairs . Being the location of the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization , Montreal is one of three North American cities home to organizations of the United Nations ( along with New York and Washington ) and also has the 2nd-highest number of consulates in the continent . Montreal was also named a UNESCO City of Design . In 2009 , Montreal was named North America 's leading host city for international association events , according to the 2009 preliminary rankings of the International Congress and Convention Association ( ICCA ) . According to the 2015 Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit , Montreal ranked 14th out of 140 cities .   In the 2017 edition of their Best Student Cities ranking , Quacquarelli Symonds ( QS ) ranked Montreal as the world 's best city to study abroad . Also , Montreal has 11 universities with 170,000 students enrolled . The Greater Montreal region has the highest number of university students per capita among all metropolitan areas in North America . It even ranks higher than Boston , the intellectual capital of the U.S.   Montreal has hosted multiple international conferences and events throughout its history , including the 1967 International and Universal Exposition and the 1976 Summer Olympic Games . It is the only Canadian city to have held the Summer Olympics . Currently , the city hosts the Canadian Grand Prix of Formula One , the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs festival . In 2012 , Montreal was ranked as a Beta + world city .


The Champ (1979 film) The Champ is a 1979 American drama sports film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and a remake of the 1931 Academy Award-winning film of the same name which was directed by King Vidor . It stars Jon Voight , Faye Dunaway , and Ricky Schroder . It is also the final film for actress Joan Blondell to be released during her lifetime . Blondell , who died from leukemia on Christmas Day eight months later , also starred in two other films that were released after her death .


Ricky Schroder Richard Bartlett `` Rick/Ricky '' Schroder , Jr. ( born April 13 , 1970 ) is an American actor and film director . As a child actor , Schroder debuted in the film The Champ ( 1979 ) , going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons . He has continued acting as an adult , notably on the western miniseries Lonesome Dove ( 1989 ) , and the crime-drama series NYPD Blue .