Lyndon B. Johnson won a landslide re-election in the Texas gubernatorial election of 1956.

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson ( -LSB- ˈlɪndən_ˈbeɪnz_ˈdʒɒnsən -RSB- August 27 , 1908January 22 , 1973 ) , often referred to as LBJ , was an American politician who served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 , assuming the office after serving as the 37th Vice President of the United States under President John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963 . A Democrat from Texas , he also served as a United States Representative and as the Majority Leader in the United States Senate . Johnson is one of only four people who have served in all four federal elected positions .   Born in a farmhouse in Stonewall , Texas , Johnson was a high school teacher and worked as a Congressional aide before winning election to the House of Representatives in 1937 . He won election to the Senate in 1948 , and was appointed the position of Senate Majority Whip in 1951 . He became the Senate Minority Leader in 1953 and the Senate Majority Leader in 1955 . As a leader in the Senate , Johnson became known for his domineering personality and the `` Johnson treatment '' , his aggressive coercion of powerful politicians to advance legislation . Johnson ran for the Democratic nomination in the 1960 presidential election . Although unsuccessful , he was chosen by then-Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts to be his running mate . They went on to win a close election over the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. , and Johnson was sworn in as Vice President on January 20 , 1961 . On November 22 , 1963 , Johnson succeeded Kennedy as President following the latter 's assassination . Johnson won a landslide re-election in 1964 , defeating Republican Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona .   In domestic policy , Johnson designed the `` Great Society '' legislation by upholding civil rights , public broadcasting , Medicare , Medicaid , aid to education , the arts , urban and rural development , public services , and his `` War on Poverty '' . Assisted in part by a growing economy , the War on Poverty helped millions of Americans rise above the poverty line during his administration . Civil rights bills that he signed into law banned racial discrimination in public facilities , interstate commerce , the workplace , and housing ; the Voting Rights Act prohibited certain requirements in southern states used to disenfranchise African Americans . With the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 , the country 's immigration system was reformed , encouraging greater immigration from regions other than Europe . Johnson 's presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism after the New Deal era .   In foreign policy , Johnson escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War . In 1964 , Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution , which granted Johnson the power to use military force in Southeast Asia without having to ask for an official declaration of war . The number of American military personnel in Vietnam increased dramatically , from 16,000 advisors in non-combat roles in 1963 to 525,000 in 1967 , many in combat roles . American casualties soared and the peace process bogged down . Growing unease with the war stimulated a large , angry antiwar movement based especially on university campuses .   Johnson faced further troubles when summer riots broke out in most major cities after 1965 , and crime rates soared , as his opponents raised demands for `` law and order '' policies . While he began his presidency with widespread approval , support for Johnson declined as the public became upset with both the war and the growing violence at home . In 1968 , the Democratic Party factionalized as antiwar elements denounced Johnson ; he ended his bid for renomination after a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary . Nixon was elected to succeed him , as the New Deal coalition that had dominated presidential politics for 36 years collapsed . After he left office in January 1969 , Johnson returned to his Texas ranch , where he died of a heart attack at age 64 on January 22 , 1973 .   Johnson is ranked favorably by many historians because of his domestic policies and the passage of many major laws that affected civil rights , gun control , wilderness preservation , and Social Security . He also drew substantial criticism for his handling of the Vietnam War .


Aruba Aruba ( -LSB- əˈruːbə -RSB- ; -LSB- aːˈrubaː -RSB- ) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea , located about 1600 km west of the main part of the Lesser Antilles and 29 km north of the coast of Venezuela . It measures 32 km long from its northwestern to its southeastern end and 10 km across at its widest point . Together with Bonaire and Curaçao , Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands . Collectively , Aruba and the other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean .   Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands , along with the Netherlands , Curaçao and Sint Maarten . The citizens of these countries all share a single nationality : Dutch . Aruba has no administrative subdivisions , but , for census purposes , is divided into eight regions . Its capital is Oranjestad .   Unlike much of the Caribbean region , Aruba has a dry climate and an arid , cactus-strewn landscape . This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm , sunny weather . It has a land area of 179 km2 and is densely populated , with a total of 102,484 inhabitants at the 2010 Census . It lies outside Hurricane Alley .


Red Velvet (band) is a female music group from the country below North Korea.

Red Velvet (band) Red Velvet ( Hangul : 레드벨벳 ) is a South Korean girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment . The group debuted on August 1 , 2014 , with their digital single `` Happiness '' and with four members : Irene , Seulgi , Wendy and Joy . In March 2015 , fifth member Yeri was added to the group .   Since their debut , Red Velvet has experienced notable success and recognition . Their first EP , Ice Cream Cake which was released in March 2015 , topped the Gaon Album Chart on the 12th week of 2015 and in September 2015 , the group 's first full-length album , The Red , also topped the Gaon Album Chart and the Billboard World Albums Chart . Red Velvet has received several music awards , including two awards for choreography ; Best Dance -- Female and Best Dance Performance -- Female Group , as well as three new artist awards and multiple popularity awards . Red Velvet members have also made television appearances ; Irene as a host of Music Bank , Yeri as a host of Show ! Music Core , and Joy on the fourth season of variety show We Got Married .


South Korea South Korea , officially the Republic of Korea ( ROK ; ) , is a sovereign state in East Asia , constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula . Officially , its territory consists of the whole Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands , which are largely mountainous . South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle , as half of them live in high-rises concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents and the world 's sixth leading global city with the fourth largest economy and seventh most sustainable city in the world .   The earliest neolithic Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC , with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC . The name Korea is derived from one of them , Goguryeo , also known as Koryŏ , which was a Han Chinese tributary state kingdom in East Asia that sent yearly tribute to the Emperor of China , ruling most of the Korean Peninsula and a small portion of Siberia and Inner Mongolia under Gwanggaeto the Great . Since their unification into Later Silla and Balhae in the 7th century , Korea enjoyed over a millennium of relative tranquility under long lasting dynasties . Under Sejong the Great in the 15th century , Koreans had one of the highest living standards in the world along with the Han Chinese and Japanese and developed improved versions many advanced innovations such as the metal movable type printing press in 1377 A.D. which was developed based on the previous Han Chinese Porcelain movable type printing press , used to print and publish the Jikji , the world 's oldest extant movable metal type printed paper book using the 8,000 year old traditional ancient Chinese writing system . Additionally , in 1443 Hangul was invented by the Korean King Sejong the Great as an easier alternative to the complex and difficult to learn ancient Chinese writing system which was usually reserved for elite academic scholars preparing for the imperial examinations of China . Hangul enabled anyone in the general Korean population to easily learn to read and write and transfer written information rather than spending years learning complicated ancient Chinese . Its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity , the third largest in the world , along with 12 World Heritage Sites . Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910 , Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945 , but a North Korean invasion led to the Korean War ( 1950 -- 1953 ) . Peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the world 's 10th largest defence budget .   South Korea , along with Taiwan , Singapore and Hong Kong ( China ) is one of the four high-tech industrialized developed countries often referred to as the Four Asian Economic Dragons . The South Korean economy soared at an annual average of 10 % for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River . A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful . Today , it is the world 's seventh largest advanced economy and fifth largest exporter with the G20 's largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia . It has free trade agreements with 75 % of the world economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China , the US and the EU simultaneously . Since 1988 , its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency and many fundamental rights such as universal healthcare . High personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama , a phenomenon called the Korean Wave , known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style . Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI , South Korea is a leader in low carbon green growth , committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC and Paris Club contributor . It is the world 's third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance , ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance and inclusion of minorities on the Fragile States Index .   South Korea is a technologically advanced developed country driven by a highly educated and skilled workforce , having the world 's eighth highest median household income , the highest in Asia . Globally , it ranks highly in personal safety , job security , ease of doing business and healthcare quality , with the world 's third highest health adjusted life expectancy and fourth most efficient healthcare system . It is the world 's largest spender on R&D per GDP , leading the OECD in graduates in science and engineering and ranking third in the Youth Wellbeing Index . Home of Samsung , LG and Hyundai-Kia , South Korea was named the world 's most innovative country for 4 consecutive years since 2014 in the Bloomberg Innovation Index , ranking first in business R&D intensity , manufacturing value-added , patents filed per GDP , second in higher education efficiency and fourth in high-tech density and researcher concentration . In 2005 , it became the world 's first country to fully transition to high-speed Internet and today it has the world 's fastest Internet speed and highest smartphone ownership , ranking first in ICT Development , e-Government and 4G LTE coverage .


Dangerous Beauty starred Rufus Sewell and Catherine McCormack and several other actors.

Dangerous Beauty Dangerous Beauty is a 1998 American biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz and starring Catherine McCormack , Rufus Sewell , and Oliver Platt . Based on the non-fiction book The Honest Courtesan by Margaret Rosenthal , the film is about Veronica Franco , a courtesan in sixteenth-century Venice who becomes a hero to her city , but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft . The film features a supporting cast that includes Fred Ward , Naomi Watts , Moira Kelly and Jacqueline Bisset . The film was released as A Destiny of Her Own in some regions , and was retitled The Honest Courtesan ' for its UK video release .


John II of Portugal was known by another name.

John II of Portugal John II ( Portuguese : João II , -LSB- ʒuˈɐ̃w̃ -RSB- ; 3 March 1455 -- 25 October 1495 ) , the Perfect Prince ( o Príncipe Perfeito ) , was the king of Portugal and the Algarves in 1477/1481 -- 1495 .   He is known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese throne , reinvigorating the Portuguese economy , and renewing his country 's exploration of Africa and the Orient .


Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde ( 16 October 185430 November 1900 ) was an Irish playwright , novelist , essayist , and poet . After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s , he became one of London 's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s . He is remembered for his epigrams , his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray , his plays , as well as the circumstances of his imprisonment and early death .   Wilde 's parents were successful Anglo-Irish , Dublin intellectuals . Their son became fluent in French and German early in life . At university , Wilde read Greats ; he proved himself to be an outstanding classicist , first at Dublin , then at Oxford . He became known for his involvement in the rising philosophy of aestheticism , led by two of his tutors , Walter Pater and John Ruskin . After university , Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles .   As a spokesman for aestheticism , he tried his hand at various literary activities : he published a book of poems , lectured in the United States and Canada on the new `` English Renaissance in Art '' , and then returned to London where he worked prolifically as a journalist . Known for his biting wit , flamboyant dress and glittering conversation , Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day .   At the turn of the 1890s , he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays , and incorporated themes of decadence , duplicity , and beauty into his only novel , The Picture of Dorian Gray ( 1890 ) . The opportunity to construct aesthetic details precisely , and combine them with larger social themes , drew Wilde to write drama . He wrote Salome ( 1891 ) in French in Paris but it was refused a licence for England due to the absolute prohibition of Biblical subjects on the English stage . Unperturbed , Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s , which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London .   At the height of his fame and success , while The Importance of Being Earnest ( 1895 ) , was still being performed in London , Wilde had the Marquess of Queensberry prosecuted for criminal libel . The Marquess was the father of Wilde 's lover , Lord Alfred Douglas . The libel trial unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and trial for gross indecency with men . After two more trials he was convicted and imprisoned for two years ' hard labour , the maximum penalty .   In 1897 , in prison , he wrote De Profundis , which was published in 1905 , a long letter which discusses his spiritual journey through his trials , forming a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure . Upon his release he left immediately for France , never to return to Ireland or Britain . There he wrote his last work , The Ballad of Reading Gaol ( 1898 ) , a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life . He died destitute in Paris at the age of 46 .


Malaysia Malaysia ( -LSB- məˈleɪsiə -RSB- ; -LSB- məlejsiə -RSB- ) is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia . It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 330803 km2 separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions , Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia ( Malaysian Borneo ) . Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore , Vietnam , and Indonesia . East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur , while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government . With a population of over 30 million , Malaysia is the 44th most populous country . The southernmost point of continental Eurasia , Tanjung Piai , is in Malaysia . Located in the tropics , Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth , with large numbers of endemic species .   Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which , from the 18th century , became subject to the British Empire . The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements , whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates . The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 . Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 , and achieved independence on 31 August 1957 . Malaya united with North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia . Less than two years later in 1965 , Singapore was expelled from the federation .   The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural , which plays a large role in politics . About half the population is ethnically Malay , with large minorities of Malaysian Chinese , Malaysian Indians , and indigenous peoples . The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims . The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law . The head of state is the king , known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong . He is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years . The head of government is the prime minister .   Since its independence , Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia , with its GDP growing at an average of 6.5 % per annum for almost 50 years . The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources , but is expanding in the sectors of science , tourism , commerce and medical tourism . Today , Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy , ranked third largest in Southeast Asia and 29th largest in the world . It is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations , the East Asia Summit and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , the Commonwealth of Nations , and the Non-Aligned Movement .


Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur ( -LSB- ˈkwɑːlə ˈlʊmpʊə -RSB- or -LSB- - pər -RSB- -LSB- ˈkwalə ˈlumpʊr -RSB- ) , officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur , or more commonly KL , is the national capital of Malaysia as well as its largest city . The only alpha world city in Malaysia , it covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.73 million . Greater Kuala Lumpur , also known as the Klang Valley , is an urban agglomeration of 7.25 million people . It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia , in both population and economic development .   Kuala Lumpur is the cultural , financial and economic centre of Malaysia , home to the Parliament of Malaysia , and the official residence of the Malaysian King , the Istana Negara . The city once held the headquarters of the executive and judicial branches of the federal government as well , but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999 . Some sections of the judiciary still remain in Kuala Lumpur .   Kuala Lumpur is one of three Federal Territories of Malaysia , enclaved within the state of Selangor , on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia . Since the 1990s , the city has played host to many international sporting , political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix . Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades . It is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world , the Petronas Twin Towers , which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia 's futuristic development .


John Mayer's third studio album was passed over by organizations that give awards.

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( -LSB- ˈmeɪ.ɚ -RSB- born October 16 , 1977 ) is an American singer-songwriter , guitarist , and producer . He was born in Bridgeport , Connecticut , and raised in nearby Fairfield . He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston , but disenrolled and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with Clay Cook . Together , they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters . After their split , Mayer continued to play local clubs -- refining his skills and gaining a following . After his appearance at the 2001 South by Southwest Festival , he was signed to Aware Records , and then Columbia Records , which released his first EP , Inside Wants Out . His following two full-length albums -- Room for Squares ( 2001 ) and Heavier Things ( 2003 ) -- did well commercially , achieving multi-platinum status . In 2003 , he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single `` Your Body Is a Wonderland '' .   Though Mayer started his career mainly performing acoustic rock , he began moving towards the blues genre that had originally influenced him as a musician . By 2005 , he was collaborating with blues artists such as B. B. King , Buddy Guy , and Eric Clapton . Forming the John Mayer Trio , he released a live album in 2005 called Try ! , and his third studio album Continuum in 2006 . Both albums received wide critical acclaim , and Continuum earned Mayer a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album . He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for `` Waiting on the World to Change '' . That album was followed by Battle Studies in 2009 , a return to pop , with a number-one grossing tour .   After having several controversial incidents with the media , Mayer withdrew from public life in 2010 and began work on a follow-up album , called Born and Raised , that would draw inspiration from the 1970s pop music of Laurel Canyon . However , the discovery of a granuloma on his vocal cords delayed the release of the album until May 2012 , and ultimately forced him to cancel the planned tour . Even so , the album enjoyed a generally favorable reception , though was less commercially successful than his previous work . After extensive treatments for his vocal problems -- and a two-year hiatus -- Mayer began performing as a singer again in January 2013 , and that year released the album , Paradise Valley . The album is named for where he lives in Montana and features country music influences . By 2014 , he had sold a total of over 20 million albums worldwide . After developing an interest in the Grateful Dead and connecting with Bob Weir , Mayer formed Dead & Company with three former Grateful Dead musicians . After two well-received tours in the fall of 2015 and summer of 2016 , the band has already committed to another tour for the summer of 2017 .   Mayer 's secondary career pursuits extend to television hosting , comedy , and writing ; he has authored columns for magazines such as Esquire . He supports various causes and has performed at charity benefits . He is a watch aficionado ( with a collection he values in the `` tens of millions '' of dollars ) , and has been on the jury at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève . He currently lives in Montana . His latest song is `` Love on the Weekend '' .


The United States Naval Academy is a service institution.

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy ( also known as USNA , Annapolis , or simply Navy ) is a four-year coeducational federal service academy in Annapolis , Maryland , United States . Established on 10 October 1845 , under Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft , it is the second oldest of the United States ' five service academies , and educates officers for commissioning primarily into the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps . The 338 acre campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County , 33 mi east of Washington , D.C. and 26 mi southeast of Baltimore . The entire campus is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites , buildings , and monuments . It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum , in Philadelphia , that served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis .   Candidates for admission generally must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination , usually from a Member of Congress . Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as midshipmen . Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation . Approximately 1,200 `` plebes '' ( an abbreviation of the Ancient Roman word plebeian ) enter the Academy each summer for the rigorous Plebe Summer , but only about 1,000 midshipmen graduate . Graduates are usually commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps , but a small number can also be cross-commissioned as officers in other U.S. services , and the services of allied nations . The United States Naval Academy has some of the highest paid graduates in the country according to starting salary . The academic program grants a bachelor of science degree with a curriculum that grades midshipmen 's performance upon a broad academic program , military leadership performance , and mandatory participation in competitive athletics . Midshipmen are required to adhere to the academy 's Honor Concept .


Tardigrade Tardigrades ( -LSB- ˈtɑrdᵻˌgreɪd -RSB- also known as water bears , space bears , or moss piglets ) are water-dwelling , eight-legged , segmented micro-animals . They were first discovered by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773 . The name Tardigrada ( meaning `` slow stepper '' ) was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani . They have been found everywhere from mountaintops to the deep sea , mud volcanoes , and from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic .   Tardigrades are one of the most resilient animals known : they can survive extreme conditions that would be rapidly fatal to nearly all other known life forms . They can withstand temperature ranges from 1 K ( close to absolute zero ) to about 420 K for several minutes , pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches , ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human , and the vacuum of outer space . They can go without food or water for more than 30 years , drying out to the point where they are 3 % or less water , only to rehydrate , forage , and reproduce . Tardigrades living in harsh conditions undergo an annual process of cyclomorphosis .   They are not considered extremophilic because they are not adapted to exploit these conditions . This means that their chances of dying increase the longer they are exposed to the extreme environments , whereas true extremophiles thrive in a physically or geochemically extreme environment that would harm most other organisms .   Usually , tardigrades are about 0.5 mm long when they are fully grown . They are short and plump with four pairs of legs , each with four to eight claws also known as `` disks '' . The first three pairs of legs are directed ventrolaterally and are the primary means of locomotion , while the fourth pair is directed posteriorly on the terminal segment of the trunk and is used primarily for grasping the substrate . Tardigrades are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells , algae , and small invertebrates . When collected , they may be viewed under a very low-power microscope , making them accessible to students and amateur scientists .   Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada , part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa . It is an ancient group , with fossils dating from 530 million years ago , in the Cambrian period . About 1,150 species of tardigrades have been described . Tardigrades can be found throughout the world , from the Himalayas ( above 6000 m ) , to the deep sea ( below 4000 m ) and from the polar regions to the equator .


Deep sea The deep sea or deep layer is the lowest layer in the ocean , existing below the thermocline and above the seabed , at a depth of 1000 fathoms ( 1800 m ) or more . Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean , and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter produced in the photic zone . For this reason , scientists once assumed that life would be sparse in the deep ocean , but virtually every probe has revealed that , on the contrary , life is abundant in the deep ocean .  From the time of Pliny until the late nineteenth century ... humans believed there was no life in the deep . It took a historic expedition in the ship Challenger between 1872 and 1876 to prove Pliny wrong ; its deep-sea dredges and trawls brought up living things from all depths that could be reached . Yet even in the twentieth century scientists continued to imagine that life at great depth was insubstantial , or somehow inconsequential . The eternal dark , the almost inconceivable pressure , and the extreme cold that exist below one thousand meters were , they thought , so forbidding as to have all but extinguished life . The reverse is in fact true ... ( Below 200 meters ) lies the largest habitat on earth .   In 1960 , the Bathyscaphe Trieste descended to the bottom of the Mariana Trench near Guam , at 10911 m , the deepest known spot in any ocean . If Mount Everest ( 8,848 metres ) were submerged there , its peak would be more than a mile beneath the surface . The Trieste was retired , and for a while the Japanese remote-operated vehicle ( ROV ) Kaikō was the only vessel capable of reaching this depth . It was lost at sea in 2003 . In May and June 2009 , the hybrid-ROV ( HROV ) Nereus returned to the Challenger Deep for a series of three dives to depths exceeding 10900 meters .   It has been suggested that more is known about the Moon than the deepest parts of the ocean . Little was known about the extent of life on the deep ocean floor until the discovery of thriving colonies of shrimps and other organisms around hydrothermal vents in the late 1970s . Before the discovery of the undersea vents , it had been accepted that almost all life on earth obtained its energy ( one way or another ) from the sun . The new discoveries revealed groups of creatures that obtained nutrients and energy directly from thermal sources and chemical reactions associated with changes to mineral deposits . These organisms thrive in completely lightless and anaerobic environments in highly saline water that may reach 300 ° F ( 150 ° C ) , drawing their sustenance from hydrogen sulfide , which is highly toxic to almost all terrestrial life . The revolutionary discovery that life can exist under these extreme conditions changed opinions about the chances of there being life elsewhere in the universe . Scientists now speculate that Europa , one of Jupiter 's moons , may be able to support life beneath its icy surface , where there is evidence of a global ocean of liquid water .


Miles Teller was born outside of Pennsylvania.

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


Katie Holmes Kate Noelle Holmes ( born December 18 , 1978 ) is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson 's Creek from 1998 to 2003 . She appeared in 1998 's Disturbing Behavior , a thriller , which won her an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance . In 2000 Holmes featured in Wonder Boys which got positive attention from many leading critics .   Holmes had a starring role in 2003 's Pieces of April , a gritty comedy about a dysfunctional family on Thanksgiving . In the 2005 film Batman Begins , the highest-grossing film of her career to date , she played Rachel Dawes , Gotham City 's assistant district attorney and Bruce Wayne 's childhood sweetheart . She also appeared in art house films such as The Ice Storm , horror films such as Do n't Be Afraid of the Dark and thrillers including Abandon . She has also played on Broadway in a production of Arthur Miller 's All My Sons and had numerous guest roles on television programs such as How I Met Your Mother . In 2011 , she starred as Jacqueline Kennedy in the The Kennedys miniseries , a role she later reprised in the 2017 miniseries The Kennedys : After Camelot .   Her marriage to actor Tom Cruise from 2006 to 2012 led to a great deal of media attention , with the pair being called a supercouple and given the nickname `` TomKat '' .


Ryan Phillippe performed the role of Billy Douglas.

Ryan Phillippe Matthew Ryan Phillippe ( -LSB- ˈfɪlᵻpi -RSB- born September 10 , 1974 ) is an American actor , director , and writer . After appearing as Billy Douglas on the soap opera One Life to Live , he came to fame in the late 1990s with starring roles in a string of films , including I Know What You Did Last Summer , Cruel Intentions , and 54 . In the 2000s , he appeared in several films , including Gosford Park ( 2001 ) , Crash ( 2004 ) , and war drama Flags of Our Fathers ( 2006 ) , Breach ( 2007 ) , and Stop-Loss ( 2008 ) . In 2010 , Phillippe starred as Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Greg Marinovich in The Bang-Bang Club . Currently , he stars in the lead role of Bob Lee Swagger in the USA Network thriller drama Shooter .   He was married to actress Reese Witherspoon from 1999 to 2007 ; together , they have a daughter and a son . He also has a daughter from a relationship with actress Alexis Knapp .


Maid in Manhattan Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Wayne Wang and based on a story by John Hughes , who is credited using a pseudonym . It stars Jennifer Lopez , Ralph Fiennes , and Natasha Richardson . In the film , a hotel maid and a high profile politician fall in love . The film was released on December 13 , 2002 .


Saskatchewan is bordered on the north by the Northwest Territories.

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( -LSB- səˈskætʃəwᵻn -RSB- or -LSB- - ˌwɑːn -RSB- ) is a prairie and boreal province in western Canada , the only province without natural borders . It has an area of 651900 km2 , nearly 10 percent of which ( 59366 km2 ) is fresh water , composed mostly of rivers , reservoirs , and the province 's 100,000 lakes .   Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta , on the north by the Northwest Territories , on the east by Manitoba , to the northeast by Nunavut , and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota . As of December 2013 , Saskatchewan 's population was estimated at 1,114,170 . Residents primarily live in the southern prairie half of the province , while the northern boreal half is mostly forested and sparsely populated . Of the total population , roughly half live in the province 's largest city , Saskatoon , or the provincial capital , Regina . Other notable cities include Prince Albert , Moose Jaw , Yorkton , Swift Current , North Battleford , and the border city Lloydminster ( partially within Alberta ) .   Saskatchewan is a landlocked province with large distances to moderating bodies of waters . As a result , its climate is extremely continental , rendering severe winters throughout the province . Southern areas have very warm or hot summers . Midale and Yellow Grass near the U.S. border are tied for the highest ever recorded temperatures in Canada with 45 C observed at both locations on July 5 , 1937 . In winter , temperatures below -45 C are possible even in the south during extreme cold snaps .   Saskatchewan has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups , and first explored by Europeans in 1690 and settled in 1774 . It became a province in 1905 , carved out from the vast North-West Territories , which had until then included most of the Canadian Prairies . In the early 20th century the province became known as a stronghold for Canadian social democracy ; North America 's first social-democratic government was elected in 1944 . The province 's economy is based on agriculture , mining , and energy . Saskatchewan 's current premier is Brad Wall and its lieutenant-governor is Vaughn Solomon Schofield .   In 1992 , the federal and provincial governments signed a historic land claim agreement with First Nations in Saskatchewan . The First Nations received compensation and were permitted to buy land on the open market for the tribes ; they have acquired about 3079 km2 , now reserve lands . Some First Nations have used their settlement to invest in urban areas , including Saskatoon .


Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams ( born August 20 , 1974 ) is an American actress and singer . She was named one of 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2014 and is among the highest-paid actresses in the world . She has won two Golden Globe Awards , and has been nominated for five Academy Awards and six British Academy Film Awards .   Adams began her career on stage performing in dinner theater and went on to make her feature film debut in Drop Dead Gorgeous ( 1999 ) . After moving to Los Angeles , she made several appearances on television and in B-movies , before starring in Steven Spielberg 's 2002 biopic Catch Me If You Can . Adams 's breakthrough role came in the 2005 independent film Junebug , in which her portrayal of a young pregnant woman earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination . In 2007 , she starred as a princess in the commercially successful Disney musical film Enchanted .   Adams received three more Oscar nominations for her supporting roles in Doubt ( 2008 ) , The Fighter ( 2010 ) , and The Master ( 2012 ) . She played reporter Lois Lane in the 2013 superhero film Man of Steel and a troubled con artist in David O. Russell 's film American Hustle ; for the latter , she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress . She won a second consecutive Golden Globe Award for portraying artist Margaret Keane in the comedy-drama Big Eyes ( 2014 ) . In 2016 , Adams reprised the role of Lois in Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , and garnered acclaim for her leading roles in the science-fiction film Arrival and the crime thriller Nocturnal Animals .


Ronald Reagan held an approval rating matching former president Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( born August 19 , 1946 ) is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 . Prior to the Presidency he was the 40th Governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and the state 's 42nd Governor from 1983 to 1992 . Before that , he served as Arkansas Attorney General from 1977 to 1979 . A member of the Democratic Party , Clinton was ideologically a New Democrat , and many of his policies reflected a centrist `` Third Way '' political philosophy .   Clinton was born and raised in Arkansas and is an alumnus of Georgetown University , where he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Phi Beta Kappa Society ; he earned a Rhodes Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford . Clinton is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton , who served as United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 and U.S. Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009 , and was the Democratic nominee for President in 2016 . Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham both earned degrees from Yale Law School , where they met and began dating . As Governor of Arkansas , Clinton overhauled the state 's education system and served as chairman of the National Governors Association .   Clinton was elected President of the United States in 1992 , defeating incumbent Republican opponent George H. W. Bush . At age 46 , he became the third-youngest president ( behind Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy ) and the first from the Baby Boomer generation . Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history and signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement . After failing to pass national health care reform , the Democratic House was ousted when the Republican Party won control of the Congress in 1994 , for the first time in 40 years . Two years later , in 1996 , Clinton became the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to be elected to a second term . Clinton passed welfare reform and the State Children 's Health Insurance Program , as well as financial deregulation measures , including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 .   In 1998 , Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury before a grand jury and obstruction of justice during a lawsuit against him , both related to a scandal involving White House ( and later Department of Defense ) employee Monica Lewinsky . Clinton was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in 1999 and served his complete term of office .   The Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus between the years 1998 and 2000 , the last three years of Clinton 's presidency . In foreign policy , Clinton ordered U.S. military intervention in the Bosnian and Kosovo wars , signed the Iraq Liberation Act in opposition to Saddam Hussein , and participated in the 2000 Camp David Summit to advance the Israeli -- Palestinian peace process .   Clinton left office with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S. President since World War II . Since then , Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work . He created the William J. Clinton Foundation to address international causes , such as the prevention of AIDS and global warming . In 2004 , Clinton published his autobiography , My Life . He has remained active in politics by campaigning for Democratic candidates , including his wife 's campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016 , and Barack Obama 's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 .   In 2009 , Clinton was named the United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti , and after the 2010 Haiti earthquake , Clinton teamed with George W. Bush to form the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund . Since leaving office , Clinton has been rated highly in public opinion polls of U.S. Presidents .


Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( -LSB- ˈrɒnəld_ˈwɪlsən_ˈreɪɡən -RSB- ) ( February 6 , 1911 -- June 5 , 2004 ) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Before his presidency , he was the 33rd Governor of California , from 1967 to 1975 , after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader .   Raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois , Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked as a sports announcer on several regional radio stations . After moving to Hollywood in 1937 , he became an actor and starred in a few major productions . Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild , the labor union for actors , where he worked to root out Communist influence . In the 1950s , he moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric factories . Having been a lifelong Democrat , his views changed . He became a conservative and in 1962 switched to the Republican Party . In 1964 , Reagan 's speech , `` A Time for Choosing '' , in support of Barry Goldwater 's foundering presidential campaign , earned him national attention as a new conservative spokesman . Building a network of supporters , he was elected Governor of California in 1966 . As governor , Reagan raised taxes , turned a state budget deficit to a surplus , challenged the protesters at the University of California , ordered National Guard troops in during a period of protest movements in 1969 , and was re-elected in 1970 . He twice ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 1968 and 1976 ; four years later , he easily won the nomination outright , becoming the oldest elected U.S. president up to that time , defeating incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980 .   Entering the presidency in 1981 , Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives . His supply-side economic policies , dubbed `` Reaganomics '' , advocated tax rate reduction to spur economic growth , control of the money supply to curb inflation , economic deregulation , and reduction in government spending . In his first term he survived an assassination attempt , spurred the War on Drugs , and fought public sector labor . Over his two terms , the economy saw a reduction of inflation from 12.5 % to 4.4 % , and an average annual growth of real GDP of 3.4 ; while Reagan did enact cuts in domestic discretionary spending , tax cuts and increased military spending contributed to increased federal outlays overall , even after adjustment for inflation . During his re-election bid , Reagan campaigned on the notion that it was `` Morning in America '' , winning a landslide in 1984 with the largest electoral college victory in American history . Foreign affairs dominated his second term , including ending of the Cold War , the bombing of Libya , and the Iran -- Contra affair . Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an `` evil empire '' , and during his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate , President Reagan challenged Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to `` tear down this wall ! '' . He transitioned Cold War policy from détente to rollback , by escalating an arms race with the USSR while engaging in talks with Gorbachev , which culminated in the INF Treaty , shrinking both countries ' nuclear arsenals . Reagan 's presidency came during the decline of the Soviet Union and just ten months after the end of his term , the Berlin Wall fell , and on December 26 , 1991 , nearly three years after he left office , the Soviet Union collapsed .   Leaving office in 1989 , Reagan held an approval rating of sixty-eight percent , matching those of Franklin D. Roosevelt , and later Bill Clinton , as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era . He was the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve two full terms , after a succession of five prior presidents failed to do so . While having planned an active post-presidency , in 1994 Reagan disclosed his diagnosis with Alzheimer 's disease earlier that year , appearing publicly for the last time at the funeral of Richard Nixon ; he died ten years later in 2004 at the age of 93 ; Reagan had the second-longest life out of all the presidents ; the current longest lifespan of a president is held by Gerald Ford , who died two years after Reagan . An icon among Republicans , he is viewed favorably in historian rankings of U.S. presidents , and his tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the U.S.


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 .


Portia de Rossi worked with Kerry Washington.

Scandal (TV series) Scandal is an American political thriller television series starring Kerry Washington . Created by Shonda Rhimes , it debuted on ABC on April 5 , 2012 . Kerry Washington 's character , Olivia Pope , is partially based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide Judy Smith , who serves as a co-executive producer .   The show takes place in Washington , D.C. and focuses on Olivia Pope 's crisis management firm , Olivia Pope & Associates , and its staff , as well as staff at the White House and surrounding political scene , which includes President Fitzgerald Grant III , White House Chief of Staff Abigail Whelan , Attorney General David Rosen , Vice President Susan Ross , the Vice President 's Chief of Staff Elizabeth North , ex-First Lady and now President-Elect Mellie Grant , NSA Director Jake Ballard , and ex-White House Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene . In addition to Kerry Washington , the show features Guillermo Diaz and Katie Lowes as assistants at O.P.A. ; Tony Goldwyn as the President ; Bellamy Young as the ex-First Lady and senator ; Jeff Perry as the former White House Chief of Staff ; Darby Stanchfield as the White House Press Secretary and current Chief of Staff ; Joshua Malina as the Attorney General ; Scott Foley as the Director of the NSA ; Portia de Rossi as the Vice President 's Chief of Staff ; Cornelius Smith Jr. as a civil rights activist and associate at O.P.A. ; and Joe Morton as Olivia 's father and the former head of a spy agency called B613 .   The show was named a Television Program of the Year by the American Film Institute , received the Peabody Award for Excellence in Television and was honored as Outstanding Drama Series at the Image Awards . Washington has won the Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and has been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series , a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series , and a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series .


Portia de Rossi Portia Lee James DeGeneres ( born Amanda Lee Rogers ; January 31 , 1973 ) , also known professionally as Portia de Rossi ( -LSB- ˈpɔərʃə_də_ˈrɒsi -RSB- ) , is an Australian and American actress , model , and philanthropist . She appeared as a regular cast member on the American political thriller television series Scandal in the role of Elizabeth North from 2014 to 2017 . She is also known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the American television series Ally McBeal -- for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 1999 -- and as Lindsay Fünke on the American television sitcom Arrested Development . She also portrayed Veronica Palmer on the ABC television sitcom Better Off Ted , and Olivia Lord on the television drama Nip/Tuck . De Rossi is married to comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres .


There is a singer called Usher (musician).

Usher (musician) Usher Raymond IV ( born October 14 , 1978 ) is an American singer , songwriter , dancer , and actor . Born in Dallas , Texas but raised and lived in Chattanooga , Tennessee until moving to Atlanta , Georgia . At the age of 12 , his mother put him in local singing competitions , before catching the attention of a music A&R from LaFace Records . In 1994 , he released his self-titled debut album , Usher . He rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his sophomore album My Way ( 1997 ) , which spawned his first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single , `` Nice & Slow '' , amongst top-two singles `` You Make Me Wan na ... '' and `` My Way '' . 8701 ( 2001 ) produced the number-one singles `` U Remind Me '' and `` U Got It Bad '' , and top-three single `` U Do n't Have to Call '' . It sold 8 million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003 .   Confessions ( 2004 ) established him as one of the best-selling musical artists of the 2000s decade , selling 20 million copies worldwide . Bolstered by its four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` Yeah ! '' , `` Burn '' , `` Confessions Part II '' , and `` My Boo '' , it has been certified Diamond by the RIAA . Here I Stand ( 2008 ) and Raymond v. Raymond ( 2010 ) , debuted atop of the Billboard 200 , and produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles `` Love in This Club '' and `` OMG '' . The EP , Versus , also produced the Hot 100 top-five single `` DJ Got Us Fallin ' in Love '' . Looking 4 Myself ( 2012 ) , also debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and produced the Hot 100 top-ten single `` Scream '' . Raymond v. Raymond and Looking 4 Myself received Grammy Awards for R&B singles `` There Goes My Baby '' and `` Climax '' . Hard II Love ( 2016 ) peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 albums chart .   Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States . To date , his worldwide sales stand at 43 million albums and 75 million records overall , making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time . Usher has won numerous awards and accolades including 18 Billboard Music Awards and 8 Grammy Awards . At the end of 2009 , Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade , the number-one Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade , and ranked Confessions as the top solo album of the 2000s decade . Billboard also placed him at number 6 on their list of `` Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years '' . Usher has attained 9 US Hot 100 number-one singles . Considered an icon and sex symbol , he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2008 , he started his own record label Raymond-Braun Media Group ( RBMG ) ; a joint venture with talent manager Scooter Braun that includes Canadian singer Justin Bieber .


Charles Dickens was from Surrey, England.

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( -LSB- ˈpɔrtsməθ -RSB- ) is a port city in Hampshire , England , mainly on Portsea Island , 70 mi south-west of London and 19 mi south-east of Southampton . It is the United Kingdom 's only island city and has a population of 205,400 . The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area , which also covers Southampton and the towns of Havant , Waterlooville , Eastleigh , Fareham , and Gosport .   The city 's history can be traced to Roman times . A significant naval port for centuries , Portsmouth has the world 's oldest dry dock and was England 's first line of defence during the French invasion in 1545 . Special Palmerston Forts were built in 1859 in anticipation of another invasion from continental Europe . By the early-19th century , Portsmouth was the most heavily fortified city in the world , and was considered `` the world 's greatest naval port '' at the height of the British Empire throughout Pax Britannica . The world 's first mass production line was set up in the city , making it the most industrialised site in the world . During the Second World War , the city was a pivotal embarkation point for the D-Day landings and was bombed extensively in the Portsmouth Blitz , which resulted in the deaths of 930 people . In 1982 , a large proportion of the task force dispatched to liberate the Falkland Islands deployed from the city 's naval base . Her Majesty 's Yacht Britannia left the city to oversee the transfer of Hong Kong in 1997 , which marked for many the end of the empire .   Portsmouth is one of the world 's best known ports . HMNB Portsmouth is considered to be the home of the Royal Navy and is home to two-thirds of the UK 's surface fleet . The city is home to some famous ships , including HMS Warrior , the Tudor carrack Mary Rose and Horatio Nelson 's flagship , HMS Victory ( the world 's oldest naval ship still in commission ) . The former HMS Vernon naval shore establishment has been redeveloped as a retail park known as Gunwharf Quays . Portsmouth is among the few British cities with two cathedrals : the Anglican Cathedral of St Thomas and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Evangelist . The waterfront and Portsmouth Harbour are dominated by the Spinnaker Tower , one of the United Kingdom 's tallest structures at 560 feet . Nearby Southsea is a seaside resort with a pier amusement park and medieval castle .   Portsmouth F.C. , the city 's professional football club , play their home games at Fratton Park . The city has several mainline railway stations that connect to London Waterloo amongst other lines in southern England . Portsmouth International Port is a commercial cruise ship and ferry port for international destinations . The port is the second busiest in the United Kingdom after Dover , handling around three million passengers a year . The city formerly had its own airport , Portsmouth Airport , until its closure in 1973 . The University of Portsmouth enrols 23,000 students and is ranked among the world 's best modern universities . Portsmouth is also the birthplace of author Charles Dickens and engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel .


Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens ( -LSB- ˈdɪkᵻnz -RSB- 7 February 1812 -- 9 June 1870 ) was an English writer and social critic . He created some of the world 's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era . His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime , and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius . His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity .   Born in Portsmouth , Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors ' prison . Despite his lack of formal education , he edited a weekly journal for 20 years , wrote 15 novels , five novellas , hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles , lectured and performed extensively , was an indefatigable letter writer , and campaigned vigorously for children 's rights , education , and other social reforms .   Dickens 's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers . Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity , famous for his humour , satire , and keen observation of character and society . His novels , most published in monthly or weekly instalments , pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction , which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication . The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience 's reaction , and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback . For example , when his wife 's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities , Dickens improved the character with positive features . His plots were carefully constructed , and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives . Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha ` pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them , opening up and inspiring a new class of readers .   Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age . His 1843 novella , A Christmas Carol , remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre . Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted , and , like many of his novels , evoke images of early Victorian London . His 1859 novel , A Tale of Two Cities , set in London and Paris , is his best-known work of historical fiction . Dickens has been praised by fellow writers -- from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton -- for his realism , comedy , prose style , unique characterisations , and social criticism . On the other hand , Oscar Wilde , Henry James , and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth , loose writing , and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism . The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings , such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters .


Joker (character) The Joker is a fictional supervillain created by Bill Finger , Bob Kane , and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman ( April 25 , 1940 ) published by DC Comics . Credit for the Joker 's creation is disputed ; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker 's design , while acknowledging Finger 's writing contribution . Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance , he was spared by editorial intervention , allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman .   In his comic book appearances , the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind . Introduced as a psychopath with a warped , sadistic sense of humor , the character became a goofy prankster in the late 1950s in response to regulation by the Comics Code Authority , before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s . As Batman 's nemesis , the Joker has been part of the superhero 's defining stories , including the murder of Jason Todd -- the second Robin and Batman 's ward -- and the paralysis of one of Batman 's allies , Barbara Gordon . The Joker has had various possible origin stories during his decades of appearances . The most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste which bleaches his skin white , turns his hair green , and his lips bright red ; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane . The antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance , the Joker is considered by critics to be his perfect adversary .   The Joker possesses no superhuman abilities , instead using his expertise in chemical engineering to develop poisonous or lethal concoctions , and thematic weaponry , including razor-tipped playing cards , deadly joy buzzers , and acid-spraying lapel flowers . The Joker sometimes works with other Gotham City supervillains such as the Penguin and Two-Face , and groups like the Injustice Gang and Injustice League , but these relationships often collapse due to the Joker 's desire for unbridled chaos . The 1990s introduced a romantic interest for the Joker in his former psychiatrist , Harley Quinn , who becomes his villainous sidekick . Although his primary obsession is Batman , the Joker has also fought other heroes including Superman and Wonder Woman .   One of the most iconic characters in popular culture , the Joker has been listed among the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created . The character 's popularity has seen him appear on a variety of merchandise , such as clothing and collectable items , inspire real-world structures ( such as theme park attractions ) , and be referenced in a number of media . The Joker has been adapted to serve as Batman 's adversary in live-action , animated , and video game incarnations , including the 1960s Batman television series ( played by Cesar Romero ) and in film by Jack Nicholson in Batman ( 1989 ) , Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) , and Jared Leto in Suicide Squad ( 2016 ) . Mark Hamill , Troy Baker , and others have provided the character 's voice .


Nelson Mandela is a socialist who is African.

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( -LSB- mænˈdɛlə -RSB- 18 July 1918 -- 5 December 2013 ) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary , politician , and philanthropist , who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 . He was the country 's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election . His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation . Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist , he served as President of the African National Congress ( ANC ) party from 1991 to 1997 .   A Xhosa , Mandela was born in Mvezo to the Thembu royal family . He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg . There he became involved in anti-colonial and African nationalist politics , joining the ANC in 1943 and co-founding its Youth League in 1944 . After the National Party 's white-only government established apartheid -- a system of racial segregation that privileged whites -- he and the ANC committed themselves to its overthrow . Mandela was appointed President of the ANC 's Transvaal branch , rising to prominence for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People . He was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the 1956 Treason Trial . Influenced by Marxism , he secretly joined the banned South African Communist Party ( SACP ) . Although initially committed to non-violent protest , in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 and led a sabotage campaign against the government . In 1962 , he was arrested for conspiring to overthrow the state and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial .   Mandela served 27 years in prison , initially on Robben Island , and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison . Amid growing domestic and international pressure , and with fears of a racial civil war , President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990 . Mandela and de Klerk negotiated an end to apartheid and organised the 1994 multiracial general election in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became President . Leading a broad coalition government which promulgated a new constitution , Mandela emphasised reconciliation between the country 's racial groups and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses . Economically , Mandela 's administration retained its predecessor 's liberal framework despite his own socialist beliefs , also introducing measures to encourage land reform , combat poverty , and expand healthcare services . Internationally , he acted as mediator in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial and served as Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999 . He declined a second presidential term and in 1999 was succeeded by his deputy , Thabo Mbeki . Mandela became an elder statesman and focused on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the charitable Nelson Mandela Foundation .   Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life . Although critics on the right denounced him as a communist terrorist and those on the radical left deemed him too eager to negotiate and reconcile with apartheid 's supporters , he gained international acclaim for his activism . Widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice , he received more than 250 honours -- including the Nobel Peace Prize -- and became the subject of a cult of personality . He is held in deep respect within South Africa , where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name , Madiba , and described as the `` Father of the Nation '' .


Ethan Hawke has only starred in films that got negative critical reviews.

Before Sunset Before Sunset is a 2004 American romantic drama film , the sequel to Before Sunrise ( 1995 ) . Like its predecessor , the film was directed by Richard Linklater . He shares screenplay credit with actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy , and with Kim Krizan , the screenwriter for the first film featuring these two characters .   The film picks up the story in Before Sunrise of the young American man ( Hawke ) and French woman ( Delpy ) who spent a passionate night together in Vienna . Their paths intersect nine years later in Paris , and the film appears to take place in real time as they spend an afternoon together .   Before Sunset received broad critical acclaim and has appeared on many publications ' lists of the best films of the 2000s . It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay .   The directors and lead actors collaborated on another film following these characters , Before Midnight , which was released in 2013 and also gained acclaim .


Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke ( born November 6 , 1970 ) is an American actor , writer , and director . He has been nominated for four Academy Awards and a Tony Award . Hawke has directed two feature films , three Off-Broadway plays , and a documentary , and written the novels The Hottest State ( 1996 ) , Ash Wednesday ( 2002 ) , and Rules for a Knight ( 2015 ) .   He made his film debut in 1985 with the science fiction feature Explorers , before making a breakthrough appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society . He then appeared in numerous films before taking a role in the 1994 Generation X drama Reality Bites , for which he received critical praise . In 1995 , Hawke first appeared in Richard Linklater 's romance trilogy , co-starring opposite Julie Delpy in Before Sunrise , and later in its sequels Before Sunset ( 2004 ) and Before Midnight ( 2013 ) , all of which met with critical acclaim .   Hawke has been twice nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ; his writing contributions to Before Sunset and Before Midnight were recognized , as were his performances in Training Day ( 2001 ) and Boyhood ( 2014 ) . Hawke was further honored with SAG Award nominations for both films , along with BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for the latter .   His other films include the science fiction drama Gattaca ( 1997 ) , the contemporary adaptation of Hamlet ( 2000 ) , the action thriller Assault on Precinct 13 ( 2005 ) , the crime drama Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead ( 2007 ) , and the horror film Sinister ( 2012 ) .


Dead Poets Society Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir , written by Tom Schulman , and starring Robin Williams . Set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative Vermont boarding school Welton Academy , it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry .   The film received critical acclaim and was a box office success . It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film , and César Award and David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film . Schulman received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work .


Gattaca Gattaca is a 1997 American science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol . It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman , with Jude Law , Loren Dean , Ernest Borgnine , Gore Vidal , and Alan Arkin appearing in supporting roles . The film presents a biopunk vision of a future society driven by eugenics where potential children are conceived through genetic manipulation to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents . The film centers on Vincent Freeman , played by Hawke , who was conceived outside the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of traveling into space .   The movie draws on concerns over reproductive technologies which facilitate eugenics , and the possible consequences of such technological developments for society . It also explores the idea of destiny and the ways in which it can and does govern lives . Characters in Gattaca continually battle both with society and with themselves to find their place in the world and who they are destined to be according to their genes .   The film 's title is based on the first letters of guanine , adenine , thymine , and cytosine , the four nucleobases of DNA . It was a 1997 nominee for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score .   The film flopped at the box office , but it received generally positive reviews and has since gained a cult following .


Reality Bites Reality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and directed by Ben Stiller . It stars Winona Ryder , Ethan Hawke and Stiller , with supporting roles by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn . The plot follows Lelaina ( Ryder ) , an aspiring videographer working on a documentary called Reality Bites about the disenfranchised lives of her friends and roommates . Their challenges exemplify some of the career and lifestyle choices faced by Generation X.   The film 's critical reception was mixed , but was successful commercially , grossing $ 20 million in the United States on an $ 11 million budget . Critics highlighted the performances of Ryder , Hawke and Garofalo in particular . However , it has since achieved cult status and has been singled out as one of the films that captured the zeitgeist of the early 1990s grunge scene among 20-somethings , while also bringing attention to various issues that plagued young Americans at the time .


A cause of anti-nuclear antibodies are antibodies to nuclear pore complexes.

Anti-nuclear antibody Antinuclear antibodies ( ANAs , also known as antinuclear factor or ANF ) are autoantibodies that bind to contents of the cell nucleus . In normal individuals , the immune system produces antibodies to foreign proteins ( antigens ) but not to human proteins ( autoantigens ) . In some individuals , antibodies to human antigens are produced .   There are many subtypes of ANAs such as anti-Ro antibodies , anti-La antibodies , anti-Sm antibodies , anti-nRNP antibodies , anti-Scl-70 antibodies , anti-dsDNA antibodies , anti-histone antibodies , antibodies to nuclear pore complexes , anti-centromere antibodies and anti-sp100 antibodies . Each of these antibody subtypes binds to different proteins or protein complexes within the nucleus . They are found in many disorders including autoimmunity , cancer and infection , with different prevalences of antibodies depending on the condition . This allows the use of ANAs in the diagnosis of some autoimmune disorders , including systemic lupus erythematosus , Sjögren 's syndrome , scleroderma , mixed connective tissue disease , polymyositis , dermatomyositis , autoimmune hepatitis and drug induced lupus .   The ANA test detects the autoantibodies present in an individual 's blood serum . The common tests used for detecting and quantifying ANAs are indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA ) . In immunofluorescence , the level of autoantibodies is reported as a titre . This is the highest dilution of the serum at which autoantibodies are still detectable . Positive autoantibody titres at a dilution equal to or greater than 1:160 are usually considered as clinically significant . Positive titres of less than 1:160 are present in up to 20 % of the healthy population , especially the elderly . Although positive titres of 1:160 or higher are strongly associated with autoimmune disorders , they are also found in 5 % of healthy individuals . Autoantibody screening is useful in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders and monitoring levels helps to predict the progression of disease . A positive ANA test is seldom useful if other clinical or laboratory data supporting a diagnosis are not present .


The Golden Girls stars Betty White as Rose Nylund.

Betty White Betty Marion White Ludden ( known professionally as Betty White ; born January 17 , 1922 ) is an American actress , with the longest television career of a female entertainer . Regarded as a pioneer of television , she was one of the first women to have control both in front of and behind the camera ; and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom , which contributed to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955 .   She is known for her Emmy Award-winning roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show ( 197377 ) and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls ( 198592 ) . The Writers Guild of America has included both sitcoms in its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time . A staple guest of many American game shows such as Password , Match Game and The $ 25,000 Pyramid , White has been dubbed the ` First Lady of Game Shows ' and became the first woman to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1983 for the show Just Men ! . From 2010 to 2015 , she starred as Elka Ostrovsky in the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland , for which she has won two consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards and she was nominated for an Emmy Award .   In a career that has spanned more than 75years , she has received eight Emmy awards in various categories , three American Comedy Awards , three Screen Actors Guild awards , and a Grammy . She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , is a Television Hall of Fame inductee ( class of 1995 ) , and a Disney Legend ( class of 2009 ) .


The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that originally aired on NBC from September 14 , 1985 , to May 9 , 1992 , with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning over seven seasons . The show stars Beatrice Arthur , Betty White , Rue McClanahan , and Estelle Getty , as four older women who share a home in Miami , Florida . It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions , in association with Touchstone Television , and Paul Junger Witt , Tony Thomas , and Harris served as the original executive producers .   The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run and won several awards , including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice . It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy . Each of the four stars received an Emmy Award ( from multiple nominations during the series ' run ) , making it one of only three sitcoms in the award 's history to achieve this . The series also ranked among the top-10 highest-rated programs for six of its seven seasons . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time . In 2014 , the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 in their list of the `` 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time '' .


Queen Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.

Queen Victoria Victoria ( Alexandrina Victoria ; 24 May 1819 -- 22 January 1901 ) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death . From 1 May 1876 , she adopted the additional title of Empress of India .   Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward , Duke of Kent and Strathearn , the fourth son of King George III . Both the Duke of Kent and King George III died in 1820 , and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her German-born mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld . She inherited the throne at the age of 18 , after her father 's three elder brothers had all died , leaving no surviving legitimate children . The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy , in which the sovereign held relatively little direct political power . Privately , Victoria attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments ; publicly , she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of personal morality .   Victoria married her first cousin , Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , in 1840 . Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent , tying them together and earning her the sobriquet `` the grandmother of Europe '' . After Albert 's death in 1861 , Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances . As a result of her seclusion , republicanism temporarily gained strength , but in the latter half of her reign her popularity recovered . Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration .   Her reign of 63 years and seven months is known as the Victorian era and was longer than that of any of her predecessors . It was a period of industrial , cultural , political , scientific , and military change within the United Kingdom , and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire . She was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover . Her son and successor , Edward VII , belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , the line of his father .


Transformers: Age of Extinction grossed over $1 billion.

Transformers: Age of Extinction Transformers : Age of Extinction is a 2014 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers franchise . It is the fourth installment of the live-action Transformers film series and a stand-alone sequel to 2011 's Transformers : Dark of the Moon , taking place five years after its events . Like its predecessors , it was directed by Michael Bay and written by Ehren Kruger , with Steven Spielberg and Bay as executive producers . It stars Mark Wahlberg , with Peter Cullen reprising his role as the voice of Optimus Prime , as the lead roles . It is the first film in the series to not feature the original human characters from the first three films , but features a new cast of human characters and many new Transformers including : the Dinobots , Lockdown , Stinger , Junkheap , Hound , Crosshairs and Drift . Returning Transformers include : Optimus Prime , Bumblebee , Ratchet , Leadfoot , Brains and Megatron ( now known as Galvatron ) . The film was released on June 27 , 2014 , in IMAX and 3D .   Transformers : Age of Extinction was panned by critics , many of whom considered it poorly directed , badly acted , and terribly written . According to Rotten Tomatoes , it is the worst reviewed film in the series , holding an 18 % approval rating . It also received seven nominations at the 35th Golden Raspberry Awards , including Worst Picture and Worst Prequel , Remake , Rip-off or Sequel , with Bay and Kelsey Grammer winning the awards for Worst Director and Worst Supporting Actor respectively . The film grossed over $ 1.104 billion worldwide , making it the highest-grossing film of 2014 , the second highest-grossing film in the Transformers series , the 19th film to gross over $ 1 billion , and the 16th highest-grossing film of all time . It was the only film to gross over $ 1 billion in 2014 .   A sequel , Transformers : The Last Knight , is set to be released on June 21 , 2017 , with Cullen , Tucci , and Wahlberg returning , and Bay directing .


Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson ( born September 12 , 1981 ) is an American singer , actress and spokesperson . She rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol , coming in seventh place .   As an actress , she made her film debut portraying Effie White in Dreamgirls , for which she gained worldwide acclaim and won an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress . She has also appeared in such films as Sex and the City , The Secret Life of Bees and Black Nativity . She has made numerous television appearances , including guest roles on Smash , Empire and Inside Amy Schumer . In 2015 she made her Broadway debut in the role of Shug Avery in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple .   As a singer , Hudson has released three studio albums . Her debut album Jennifer Hudson , released in 2008 , debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA , with sales exceeding a million copies worldwide . The record was nominated for four Grammy Awards , winning the 2009 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album . Her second album I Remember Me , released in 2011 , also debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA . Her third and most recent album JHUD peaked in the top ten and featured the Grammy-nominated track `` It 's Your World '' . She also became the principal singer of The Color Purple musical album , which earned her the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program ( shared with the cast of The Color Purple ) .   In October 2008 , after Hudson 's mother , brother and nephew were killed in a shooting , Hudson stepped out of the public eye for three months . Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009 , with high-profile performances at Super Bowl XLIII , the Grammy Awards , American Idol , and The Oprah Winfrey Show . Hudson has been described as a friend of former President Barack Obama , who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills during his first term in May 2009 . She also performed at the White House at the `` Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement '' event . In 2013 , she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2016 , Hudson was announced as a coach on the 2017 Series of The Voice UK . The following year , Hudson was announced as a coach on the thirteenth season of The Voice .


Watchmen was number 91 on The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century.

Watchmen Watchmen is an American comic-book limited series published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 , and collected in 1987 . The series was created by a British collaboration consisting of writer Alan Moore , artist Dave Gibbons , and colorist John Higgins . Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics . As Moore 's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories , managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead .   Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to deconstruct and parody the superhero concept . Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s and their presence changed history so that the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was never exposed . In 1985 , the country is edging toward World War III with the Soviet Union , freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government . The story focuses on the personal development and moral struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement .   Creatively , the focus of Watchmen is on its structure . Gibbons used a nine-panel grid layout throughout the series and added recurring symbols such as a blood-stained smiley face . All but the last issue feature supplemental fictional documents that add to the series ' backstory , and the narrative is intertwined with that of another story , an in-story pirate comic titled Tales of the Black Freighter , which one of the characters reads . Structured , at times , as a nonlinear narrative , the story skips through space , time and plot . In the same manner , entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity , coincidence and repeated imagery .   A commercial success , Watchmen has received critical acclaim both in the comics and mainstream press , and is considered by several critics and reviewers to be one of the most significant works of 20th-century literature . Watchmen was recognized in Times List of the 100 Best Novels as one of the best English language novels published since 1923 , and placed # 91 on The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century . The BBC described it as `` The moment comic books grew up . ''   After a number of attempts to adapt the series into a feature film , director Zack Snyder 's Watchmen was released in 2009 . A video game series , Watchmen : The End Is Nigh , was released in the same year to coincide with the film 's release . In 2012 , DC Comics published Before Watchmen , a comic-book series acting as a prequel to the original Watchmen series , without Moore and Gibbons ' involvement .


The Museum of Science and Industry closed before 2009.

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) The Museum of Science and Industry ( MSI ) is located in Chicago , Illinois , in Jackson Park , in the Hyde Park neighborhood between Lake Michigan and The University of Chicago . It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World 's Columbian Exposition . Initially endowed by Julius Rosenwald , the Sears , Roebuck and Company president and philanthropist , it was supported by the Commercial Club of Chicago and opened in 1933 during the Century of Progress Exposition .   Among the museum 's exhibits are a full-size replica coal mine , captured during World War II , a 3500 sqft model railroad , the first diesel-powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train ( Pioneer Zephyr ) , and the Apollo 8 spacecraft that carried the first humans to orbit the Moon .   Based on 2009 attendance , the Museum of Science and Industry was the second-largest cultural attraction in Chicago . David R. Mosena has been president and CEO of the museum since 1998 .


Hotel Transylvania Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Columbia Pictures . It was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Michelle Murdocca , and stars the voices of Adam Sandler , Andy Samberg , Selena Gomez , Kevin James , Fran Drescher , Steve Buscemi , Molly Shannon , David Spade , and CeeLo Green . The film tells a story of Count Dracula , the owner of a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where the world 's monsters can take a rest from human civilization . Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis . When the `` human-free hotel '' is unexpectedly visited by an ordinary 21-year-old traveler named Jonathan , Dracula must protect Mavis from falling in love with him before the hotel 's guests learn that there is a human in the castle , which may jeopardize the hotel 's future and his career .   The film was released on September 28 , 2012 and was met with mixed critical reception , while the general public received it favorably . Despite this , Hotel Transylvania earned a total of $ 358 million against a budget of $ 85 million at the box office . The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film . It launched a franchise with a sequel titled Hotel Transylvania 2 , which takes place seven years after the film , released in 2015 , and a third film scheduled for 2018 . A television series based on the film is planned to premiere on Disney Channel in June 2017 , and it will focus on the teenage years of Mavis and her friends at the Hotel Transylvania .


The Handmaid's Tale was nominated for five awards.

The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid 's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood . Set in a near-future New England , in a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the United States government , the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence . The novel 's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales , which comprises a series of connected stories ( `` The Merchant 's Tale '' , `` The Parson 's Tale '' , etc. ) .   The Handmaid 's Tale won the 1985 Governor General 's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987 ; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award , the 1986 Booker Prize , and the 1987 Prometheus Award . The book has been adapted into a film ( 1990 ) , an opera ( 2000 ) , a TV series ( 2017 ) , and other media .


Certain diseases are indicated by elevated levels of bilirubin.

Bilirubin Bilirubin ( formerly referred to as haematoidin and discovered by Rudolf Virchow in 1847 ) is a yellow compound that occurs in the normal catabolic pathway that breaks down heme in vertebrates . This catabolism is a necessary process in the body 's clearance of waste products that arise from the destruction of aged red blood cells . First the hemoglobin gets stripped of the heme molecule which thereafter passes through various processes of porphyrin catabolism , depending on the part of the body in which the breakdown occurs . For example , the molecules excreted in the urine differ from those in the feces . The production of biliverdin from heme is the first major step in the catabolic pathway , after which the enzyme biliverdin reductase performs the second step , producing bilirubin from biliverdin .   Bilirubin is excreted in bile and urine , and elevated levels may indicate certain diseases . It is responsible for the yellow color of bruises and the yellow discoloration in jaundice . Its subsequent breakdown products , such as stercobilin , cause the brown color of feces . A different breakdown product , urobilin , is the main component of the straw-yellow color in urine .   It has also been found in plants .


K2 K2 ( -LSB- ) , also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori ( Balti and -LSB- ) , is the second highest mountain in the world , after Mount Everest , at 8611 m above sea level . It is located on the China-Pakistan border between Baltistan , in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan , and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang , China . K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang .   K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the extreme difficulty of ascent . It has the second-highest fatality rate among the eight thousanders . With around 300 successful summits and 77 fatalities , about one person dies on the mountain for every four who summit . It is more difficult and hazardous to reach the peak of K2 from the Chinese side , so it is usually climbed from the Pakistani side . Unlike Annapurna , the mountain with the highest fatality-to-summit rate ( 191 summits and 61 fatalities ) , or the other eight thousanders , K2 has never been climbed during winter .


There is a sovereign country called Qatar that is part of the Arabian Peninsula.

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula , simplified Arabia ( الجزيرة العربية , `` Arabian island '' ) is a peninsula of Western Asia situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian plate . From a geological perspective , it is considered a subcontinent of Asia .   It is the largest peninsula in the world , at 3237500 sqkm . The Arabian Peninsula consists of the countries Yemen , Oman , Qatar , Bahrain , Kuwait , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , and parts of Jordan and Iraq . The peninsula formed as a result of the rifting of the Red Sea between 56 and 23 million years ago , and is bordered by the Red Sea to the west and southwest , the Persian Gulf to the northeast , the Levant to the north and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . The Arabian Peninsula plays a critical geopolitical role in the Middle East and the Arab world due to its vast reserves of oil and natural gas .   Before the modern era , it was divided into four distinct regions : Hejaz , Najd , Southern Arabia ( Hadhramaut ) and Eastern Arabia . Hejaz and Najd make up most of Saudi Arabia . Southern Arabia consists of Yemen and some parts of Saudi Arabia ( Najran , Jizan , Asir ) and Oman ( Dhofar ) . Eastern Arabia consists of the entire coastal strip of the Persian Gulf .


Firefly and Stargate SG-1 are television series that Morena Baccarin was a cast of.

Morena Baccarin Morena Silva de Vaz Setta Baccarin ( -LSB- moˈɾenɐ ˈbakaɾĩ -RSB- ; born June 2 , 1979 ) is a Brazilian American actress . She is known for portraying Inara Serra in the series Firefly and the follow-up film Serenity , Adria in the series Stargate SG-1 and the follow-up film Stargate : The Ark of Truth , Anna in the 2009 version of the series V , Vanessa in the superhero comedy film Deadpool , and Jessica Brody in the Showtime series Homeland ( for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 ) . She plays the role of Dr. Leslie Thompkins in the Fox television series Gotham .


Interpersonal psychotherapy is a brief psychotherapy.

Interpersonal psychotherapy Interpersonal psychotherapy ( IPT ) is a brief , attachment-focused psychotherapy that centers on resolving interpersonal problems and symptomatic recovery . It is an empirically supported treatment ( EST ) that follows a highly structured and time-limited approach and is intended to be completed within 12 -- 16 weeks . IPT is based on the principle that relationships and life events impact mood and that the reverse is also true . It was developed by Gerald Klerman and Myrna Weissman for major depression in the 1970s and has since been adapted for other mental disorders . IPT is an empirically validated intervention for depressive disorders , and is more effective when used in combination with psychiatric medications . Along with cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) , IPT is recommended in treatment guidelines as a psychosocial treatment of choice , and IPT and CBT are the only psychosocial interventions in which psychiatry residents in the United States are mandated to be trained for professional practice .