August was the month when Amy Adams was born.

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 .


Limbu language Limbu is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Nepal , India Darjeeling , Kalimpong , Sikkim , Assam , and Nagaland ) , Bhutan , Burma , Thailand , the United Kingdom , Hong Kong , Canada , and the USA . It is falsely believed that the Limbu/Yakthung are multi-lingual , but there are hundred and/or thousand of Yakthung who speak only in Yakthungpan ( Limbu language ) . The Limbu refer to themselves as Yakthung and their language as Yakthungpan . Yakthungpan has four main dialects : Phedape , Chhathare , Tambarkhole , and Panthare dialects .   Among four dialects and/or many dialects , Phedape dialect is widely spoken and well understood by most Yakthungpan speakers . However , as there are some dominant Panthare scholars who have role to create knowledge and control knowledge in the Limbu communities , Panthare dialect is being popularized as a `` standard '' Limbu language . As Panthare Yakthungs are much more engaged in central political position and administrative positions , they are trying to introduce Panthare dialect as a Standard Yakthungpan .   Yakthungpan ( Limbu language ) is one of the major languages spoken and written in Nepal , Darjeeling , Kalimpong , Sikkim , Bhutan , Burma , and Thailand . Today , linguists have reached the conclusion that Yakthungpan resembles Tibetan and Lepcha .   Before the introduction of the Sirijanga script among Limbu Kirats , the Rong script was popular in East Nepal , especially in the early Maurong state . The Sirijanga script had almost disappeared for 800 years and it was brought back into use by Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe of Tellok Sinam Limbuwan present day Nepal .


Mel Gibson Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson ( born January 3 , 1956 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He was born in Peekskill , New York , and moved with his parents to Sydney , Australia , when he was 12 years old .   Gibson is best known as an action hero , for roles such as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon buddy cop film series , and Max Rockatansky in the first three films in the Mad Max post-apocalyptic action series .   He studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art . During the 1980s , he founded Icon Entertainment , a production company which independent film director Atom Egoyan has called , `` an alternative to the studio system '' . Director Peter Weir cast him as one of the leads in the critically acclaimed World War I drama Gallipoli ( 1981 ) , which earned Gibson a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute . The film also helped to earn Gibson the reputation of a serious , versatile actor .   Gibson produced , directed , and starred in the epic historical drama film Braveheart ( 1995 ) , for which he won the Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for Best Director , along with the Academy Award for Best Picture . He later directed and produced the financially successful and controversial , biblical drama film The Passion of the Christ ( 2004 ) . He received further critical notice for his directorial work of the action-adventure film Apocalypto ( 2006 ) , which is set in Mesoamerica during the early 16th century . After a 10-year hiatus from directing , Gibson returned with the critically praised and financially successful Hacksaw Ridge ( 2016 ) , which won the Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing and earned Gibson his second nomination for Best Director .


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


Roger Federer does not play a racket sport.

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent ( singles ) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles ) . Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent 's court . The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return . The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point , while the opposite player will .   Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages . The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket , including wheelchair users . The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham , England , in the late 19th century as `` lawn tennis '' . It had close connections both to various field ( `` lawn '' ) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport of real tennis . During most of the 19th century , in fact , the term `` tennis '' referred to real tennis , not lawn tennis : for example , in Disraeli 's novel Sybil ( 1845 ) , Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will `` go down to Hampton Court and play tennis . ''   The rules of tennis have changed little since the 1890s . Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times , and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s . A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system , which allows a player to contest the line call of a point , a system known as Hawk-Eye .   Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport . The four Grand Slam tournaments ( also referred to as the `` Majors '' ) are especially popular : the Australian Open played on hard courts , the French Open played on red clay courts , Wimbledon played on grass courts , and the US Open played also on hard courts .


Roger Federer Roger Federer ( born 8 August 1981 ) is a Swiss professional tennis player . Many players and analysts have called him the greatest male tennis player of all time . Federer turned professional in 1998 and was continuously ranked in the top 10 from October 2002 to November 2016 . He is currently ranked world No. 5 by the Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) .   Federer has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles , the most in history for a male tennis player , and held the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a record 237 consecutive weeks and a record total of 302 weeks . In majors , Federer has won seven Wimbledon titles , five Australian Open titles , five US Open titles and one French Open title . He is among the eight men to capture a career Grand Slam . He has reached a record 28 men 's singles Grand Slam finals , including 10 in a row from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships to the 2007 US Open .   Federer 's ATP tournament records include winning a record six ATP World Tour Finals and playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments . He also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with his compatriot Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the Olympic silver medal in singles at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games . Representing Switzerland , he was a part of the 2014 winning Davis Cup team . He was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record four consecutive years from 2005 to 2008 .


Iron Man (2008 film) was nominated for one Academy Award, for Best Picture.

Iron Man (2008 film) Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures . It is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film was directed by Jon Favreau , with a screenplay by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway . It stars Robert Downey Jr. , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges , Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow . In Iron Man , Tony Stark , an industrialist and master engineer , builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man .   The film had been in development since 1990 at Universal Pictures , 20th Century Fox , or New Line Cinema at various times , before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006 . Marvel put the project in production as its first self-financed film , with Paramount Pictures as its distributor . Favreau signed on as director , aiming for a naturalistic feel , and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California , rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero films set in New York City-esque environments . Filming began in March 2007 and concluded in June . During filming , the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action . Rubber and metal versions of the armors , created by Stan Winston 's company , were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character .   Iron Man premiered in Sydney on April 14 , 2008 , and was released in theaters on May 2 , 2008 . The film was a critical and commercial success , grossing over $ 585 million and garnering widespread critical acclaim . Downey 's performance as Tony Stark was particularly praised . The American Film Institute selected the film as one of the ten best of the year . It was also nominated for two Academy Awards for the Best Sound Editing and the Best Visual Effects . Two sequels , Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 , were released on May 7 , 2010 , and May 3 , 2013 , respectively .


Pacific Rim (film) Pacific Rim is a 2013 American science fiction monster film directed by Guillermo del Toro , and starring Charlie Hunnam , Idris Elba , Rinko Kikuchi , Charlie Day , Burn Gorman , Robert Kazinsky , Max Martini and Ron Perlman . The screenplay is by Travis Beacham and del Toro , with a story by Beacham .   The film is set in the future , when Earth is at war with the Kaiju , colossal monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean . To combat the monsters , humanity unites to create the Jaegers , gigantic humanoid mechas each controlled by at least two pilots , whose minds are joined by a mental link . Focusing on the war 's later days , the story follows Raleigh Becket , a washed-up Jaeger pilot called out of retirement and teamed with rookie pilot Mako Mori as part of a last-ditch effort to defeat the Kaiju .   Principal photography began on November 14 , 2011 , in Toronto and lasted through April 2012 . The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. . It was released on July 12 , 2013 , including in 3D and IMAX 3D , receiving generally positive reviews ; the visual effects , action sequences and the nostalgic style were highly praised . While it underperformed at the box office in the United States , it was highly successful in other markets . It earned a worldwide total of more than $ 411 million -- $ 114 million in China alone , its largest market -- becoming Del Toro 's most commercially successful film to date .   A sequel titled Pacific Rim : Uprising , directed by Steven S. DeKnight and produced by Del Toro , and with Kikuchi , Day , and Gorman reprising their roles , is scheduled for release on February 23 , 2018 .


Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson ( born May 2 , 1972 ) , also known by his ring name , The Rock , is an American actor , producer , and professional wrestler . He holds both American and Canadian citizenships .   Born in California and raised in New Zealand and the U.S. states of Hawaii and Pennsylvania , Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami , where he won a national championship on the 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team . He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League and was cut two months into the 1995 season . This led him to become a professional wrestler like his grandfather , Peter Maivia , and his father , Rocky Johnson , from whom he also inherited his Canadian citizenship .   Currently signed to WWE on a part-time contract , Johnson gained mainstream fame in the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) from 1996 to 2004 as a major figure in the company 's Attitude Era , and was the first third-generation wrestler in the company 's history . He returned to wrestling part-time for WWE from 2011 to 2013 and continues to make sporadic non-wrestling appearances for the company . Johnson has 17 championship reigns in WWE , including 10 as a world champion , winning the WWF/WWE Championship eight times ( seventh reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion ) and the WCW/World Championship twice . He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the WWF Tag Team Championship five times . Johnson is the sixth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history and won the 2000 Royal Rumble . He is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time .   Johnson 's autobiography The Rock Says ... , co-written with Joe Layden , was published in 2000 . It debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list , spent 20 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list , and sold 720,000 copies in hardcover alone .   Johnson 's first leading film role was in The Scorpion King in 2002 . For this role , he was paid US$ 5.5 million , a world record for an actor in his first starring role . He has since appeared in various films , and become known for his ability to reinvigorate film franchises . One of his more prominent roles is Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious franchise ; its most recent film , The Fate of the Furious , was released in 2017 and has grossed over $ 1.1 billion worldwide , making it the second highest-grossing film of 2017 and the twelfth highest-grossing film of all time . He hosted and produced The Hero , a reality competition series ; and has since continued to produce TV series and films through his production company Seven Bucks Productions , each of which he also stars in . Forbes listed Johnson No. 25 in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in 2013 . He was the world 's highest-paid actor of 2016 . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016 .  In 2015 , Muscle & Fitness named Johnson their `` Man of the Century '' .


Quinoa Quinoa ( -LSB- ˈkiːnwɑː -RSB- or -LSB- kɪˈnoʊ.ə -RSB- , from Quechua kinwa or kinuwa ) is the common name for Chenopodium quinoa , a flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae . It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a grain crop primarily for its edible seeds . Because it is not a grass , it is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal . Quinoa is closely related to the edible plants beetroot , spinach , and amaranth ( Amaranthus spp . ) , another pseudocereal which it closely resembles .   After harvest , the seeds are processed to remove the outer coating that contains bitter-tasting saponins . They are gluten-free . Generally , the seeds are cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes . The leaves are sometimes eaten as a leaf vegetable , much like amaranth , but commercial availability of quinoa greens is limited .   When cooked , the nutrient composition is comparable to common cereals like wheat and rice , supplying a moderate amount of dietary fiber and minerals . The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared 2013 to be the `` International Year of Quinoa '' .   Quinoa originated in the Andean region of Peru , Bolivia , Ecuador , Colombia and Chile , and was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption in the Lake Titicaca basin of Peru and Bolivia , though archaeological evidence shows a non-domesticated association with pastoral herding 5,200 to 7,000 years ago .


Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer.

Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer ( May 21 , 1960 -- November 28 , 1994 ) , also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal , was an American serial killer and sex offender , who committed the rape , murder , and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991 . Many of his later murders involved necrophilia , cannibalism , and the permanent preservation of body parts -- typically all or part of the skeletal structure .   Although diagnosed with borderline personality disorder , schizotypal personality disorder , and a psychotic disorder , Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial . Convicted of fifteen of the sixteen murders he had committed in Wisconsin , Dahmer was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 15 , 1992 . He was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978 .   On November 28 , 1994 , Dahmer was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver , a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution .


John McEnroe had rivalries with other tennis players.

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. ( born February 16 , 1959 ) is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player , often rated among the greatest players of all time in the sport , especially for his touch on the volley . He won seven Grand Slam singles titles ( three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open ) , nine Grand Slam men 's doubles titles , and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title . He also won a record eight year-end championships , 19 Grand Prix Super Series titles , and finished his career with 77 ATP-listed singles titles and 78 in doubles .   McEnroe is known for his shot-making artistry and volleying skills ; for his rivalries with Björn Borg , Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl ; and for his confrontational on-court behavior , which frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities . In 1981 , 1983 and 1984 he was both the ATP player of the year and the ITF World Champion for Men 's singles . His match record of 82 -- 3 in 1984 remains the best single season win rate of the Open Era .   McEnroe is a former Captain of the United States Davis Cup team and as a player was part of five Cup-winning teams . He continues to play tennis and competes in senior events on the ATP Champions Tour . He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Philippe Chatrier Award in 2007 . After his tennis career he became a television commentator , a game show host and a chat show host . Additionally , he has appeared in several films and television shows as himself and has played music live . He has been married since 1997 to musician and former Scandal lead singer Patty Smyth ; they have six children between them ( two together ) .


Jimmy Connors James Scott Connors ( born September 2 , 1952 ) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player , often considered among the greatest in the history of the sport . He held the top ranking for a then-record 160 consecutive weeks from July 29 , 1974 to August 22 , 1977 and an additional eight times during his career for a total of 268 weeks , thus becoming the first male player to be No. 1 for more than 260 weeks , a record that has since been surpassed by Lendl ( 270 weeks ) , Sampras ( 286 weeks ) and Federer ( 302 weeks ) . He also held a year-end top ten ranking for an Open Era record 16 years .   By virtue of his long and prolific career , Connors still holds three prominent Open Era men 's singles records : 109 titles ( the only man to win more than 100 ) , 1535 matches played , and 1256 match wins . His titles include eight majors ( five US Opens , two Wimbledons , and one Australian Open ) , three year-end championships , and 17 Grand Prix Super Series . In 1974 , he became the second man in the Open Era to win three majors in a calendar year , and his total career match win rate of 81.82 % remains in the top four of the era . He is the first male player to win 5 US Open titles , a record tied by Sampras and Federer .   Connors was known for his fiery competitiveness , acrimonious relationships with a number of peers , and boorish behavior that pandered to the crowd . For these reasons , he has been likened to baseball player Pete Rose , a comparison Connors is proud of .


Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl ( -LSB- ˈɪvan ˈlɛndl̩ -RSB- ; born March 7 , 1960 ) is a former world No. 1 professional tennis player and is currently coaching current world No. 1 Andy Murray , alongside Jamie Delgado . Originally from Czechoslovakia , he became a United States citizen in 1992 . He was one of the game 's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s . He has been described as one of the greatest tennis players of all time . Lendl 's game relied particularly on strength and heavy topspin from the baseline and helped usher in the modern era of `` power tennis '' .   Lendl captured eight Grand Slam singles titles . He competed in 19 Grand Slam singles finals , a record surpassed by Roger Federer in 2009 , Rafael Nadal in 2014 and Novak Djokovic in 2016 . He reached at least one Grand Slam final for 11 consecutive years , a record shared with Pete Sampras , with the male primacy of eight consecutive finals in a Grand Slam tournament ( a record shared with Bill Tilden at the US Open ) . Before the formation of the ATP , Lendl reached a record 12 year-end championships ( equalled by John McEnroe ) . He won two WCT Finals titles and five Masters Grand Prix titles , with the record of nine consecutive finals . He also won a record 22 Grand Prix Super Series titles ( 1980 -- 89 ) , the precursors to the current ATP Masters 1000 .   Lendl first attained the world No. 1 ranking on February 28 , 1983 and bolstered his claim to the top spot when he defeated John McEnroe in the 1984 French Open final . For much of the next five years , until August 1990 , Lendl was the top-ranked player ( with a break from September 1988 to January 1989 when Mats Wilander was at the top ) . He finished four years ranked as the world 's top player ( 1985 -- 1987 and 1989 ) and was ranked No. 1 for a total of 270 weeks and set a new record previously held by Jimmy Connors , since broken by Pete Sampras and Roger Federer . He is one of three male players in the Open Era ( with Connors and Federer ) to win more than 1,000 tennis singles matches ( 1,071 ) . Lendl has won 94 singles titles , second only in the Open Era to Connors ' 109 titles . Lendl has been runner-up in a record 11 Grand Slam finals .


Muhammad was raised under the care of his paternal uncle.

Muhammad Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd AllāhFull name : Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ( ابو القاسم محمد ابن عبد الله ابن عبد المطلب ابن هاشم , lit : Father of Qasim Muhammad son of Abd Allah son of Abdul-Muttalib son of Hashim ) ( محمد -LSB- muħammad -RSB- ; Classical Arabic pronunciation c. 570 CE -- 8 June 632 CE ) is the prophet of Islam and widely identified as its founder by non-Muslims . According to Islamic doctrine , he was God 's Messenger ( rasūl Allāh ) sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam , Abraham , Moses , Jesus , and other prophets . He is viewed as the final prophet of God in primary branches of Islam , though some modern denominations diverge from this belief.The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community considers Muhammad to be the `` Seal of the Prophets '' ( Khātam an-Nabiyyīn ) and the last law-bearing Prophet but not the last Prophet . See :   There are also smaller sects which believe Muhammad to be not the last Prophet :  The Nation of Islam considers Elijah Muhammad to be a prophet ( source : African American Religious Leaders -- p. 76 , Jim Haskins , Kathleen Benson -- 2008 ) .  United Submitters International consider Rashad Khalifa to be a prophet . ( Source : Daniel Pipes , Miniatures : Views of Islamic and Middle Eastern Politics , p. 98 ( 2004 ) ) Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings , practices , and the Quran , formed the basis of Islamic religious belief .   Born approximately 570CE ( Year of the Elephant ) in the Arabian city of Mecca , Muhammad was orphaned at an early age ; he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib . Periodically , he would seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer ; later , at age 40 , he reported being visited by Gabriel in the cave , where he stated he received his first revelation from God . Three years later , in 610 , Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly , proclaiming that `` God is One '' , that complete `` surrender '' ( lit . islām ) to him is the right course of action ( dīn ) , and that he was a prophet and messenger of God , similar to the other prophets in Islam .   Muhammad gained few early followers , and met hostility from some Meccan tribes . To escape persecution , Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina ( then known as Yathrib ) in the year 622 . This event , the Hijra , marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar , also known as the Hijri Calendar . In Medina , Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina . In December 629 , after eight years of intermittent conflict with Meccan tribes , Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca . The attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed . In 632 , a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage , he fell ill and died . Before his death , most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam .   The revelations ( each known as Ayah , lit . `` Sign -LSB- of God -RSB- '' ) , which Muhammad reported receiving until his death , form the verses of the Quran , regarded by Muslims as the `` Word of God '' and around which the religion is based . Besides the Quran , Muhammad 's teachings and practices ( sunnah ) , found in the Hadith and sira literature , are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law ( see Sharia ) .


Chester Bennington Chester Charles Bennington ( born March 20 , 1976 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter and actor . He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock bands Linkin Park , Dead by Sunrise , and live rock cover band Bucket of Weenies . He was originally the lead vocalist for Sean Dowdell And His Friends ? and Grey Daze . Bennington was the lead vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots from 2013 to 2015 .   Bennington became known as a vocalist with Linkin Park 's debut album , Hybrid Theory , in 2000 , which was a massive commercial success . The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 , making it the best-selling debut album of the decade , as well as one of the few albums to ever hit that many sales . Linkin Park 's following studio albums , Meteora ( 2003 ) , Minutes to Midnight ( 2007 ) , A Thousand Suns ( 2010 ) , Living Things ( 2012 ) , and The Hunting Party ( 2014 ) , continued the band 's success . Bennington formed his own band , Dead by Sunrise , as a side project in 2005 . The band 's debut album , Out of Ashes , was released on October 13 , 2009 . He worked on new material with Stone Temple Pilots in 2013 to release the EP High Rise on October 8 , 2013 via their own record label , Play Pen . Bennington has been ranked in the Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists by Hit Parader ( No. 46 ) .


Zendaya Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( born September 1 , 1996 ) , known mononymously as Zendaya ( -LSB- zɛnˈdeɪ.ə -RSB- ) , is an American actress , singer , and dancer . From 2010 to 2013 , she starred in the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up as Rocky Blue . She has starred in two films and played one of the lead roles in the film Frenemies as Halley Brandon . She voiced Fern in the Pixie Hollow Games . She appeared in Good Luck Charlie as Rocky Blue and in a Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up crossover title Charlie Shakes It Up . She appeared on PrankStars as herself in the episode `` Walk The Prank '' and on A.N.T. Farm as Sequoia Jones in the episode `` Creative ConsultANT . ''   Zendaya signed a deal with Hollywood Records on August 8 , 2012 , and started recording songs for her debut album on August 12 , 2012 . She released a single from an independent label called `` Swag It Out '' and another single with Bella Thorne called `` Watch Me , '' which is featured on the Break It Down album . On March 20 , 2012 , Zendaya released the song `` Something to Dance For '' as promotional single from Shake It Up : Live 2 Dance soundtrack .


Travis Scott Jacques Webster , Jr. ( born April 30 , 1992 ) , better known by his stage name Travis Scott ( formerly stylized as Travi $ Scott ) , is an American rapper , singer , songwriter and record producer from Houston , Texas . In 2012 , Scott signed a record deal with Epic Records . In November of the same year , Scott signed a deal with Very GOOD Beats , as an in-house producer , after appearing on the label 's debut compilation album Cruel Summer ( 2012 ) . In April 2013 , it was announced he signed with T.I. 's Grand Hustle imprint . He released his first full-length project , a mixtape titled Owl Pharaoh , in May 2013 . He then released his second mixtape Days Before Rodeo in August 2014 . His debut album Rodeo , was released on September 4 , 2015 . His sophomore album , Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight , was released on September 2 , 2016 .


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 .


Reuters transmits news in three or more Romance languages.

Reuters Reuters -LSB- ˈrɔɪtərz -RSB- is an international news agency headquartered in London , England . It is a division of Thomson Reuters .   Until 2008 , the Reuters news agency formed part of an independent company , Reuters Group plc , which was also a provider of financial market data . Since the acquisition of Reuters Group by the Thomson Corporation in 2008 , the Reuters news agency has been a part of Thomson Reuters , making up the media division . Reuters transmits news in English , French , Arabic , Spanish , German , Italian , Portuguese , Russian , Japanese , Korean , Urdu , and Chinese . It was established in 1851 .


Italian language Italian ( -LSB- itaˈljaːno -RSB- or lingua italiana -LSB- ˈliŋɡwa itaˈljaːna -RSB- ) is a Romance language . By most measures , Italian , together with Sardinian , is the closest to Latin of the Romance languages .  Italian is an official language in Italy , Switzerland , San Marino , Vatican City and western Istria ( in Slovenia and Croatia ) . It used to have official status in Albania , Malta and Monaco , where it is still widely spoken , as well as in former Italian East Africa and Italian North Africa regions where it plays a significant role in various sectors . Italian is spoken by small minorities in places such as France ( especially in Corsica ) , Montenegro , Crimea and Tunisia and by large expatriate communities in the Americas and Australia . It has official minority status in Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia , Slovenia and Romania . Many speakers are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages . Italian is the fourth most studied language in the world .   Italian is a major European language , being one of the official languages of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and one of the working languages of the Council of Europe . It is the third most widely spoken first language in the European Union with 65 million native speakers ( 13 % of the EU population ) and it is spoken as a second language by 14 million EU citizens ( 3 % ) . Including Italian speakers in non-EU European countries ( such as Switzerland and Albania ) and on other continents , the total number of speakers is around 85 million .   Italian is the main working language of the Holy See , serving as the lingua franca in the Roman Catholic hierarchy as well as the official language of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta . Italian is known as the language of music because of its use in musical terminology and opera . Its influence is also widespread in the arts and in the luxury goods market . Italian has been reported as the fourth or fifth most frequently taught foreign language in the world .   Italian was adopted by the state after the Unification of Italy , having previously been a literary language based on Tuscan as spoken mostly by the upper class of Florentine society . Its development was also influenced by other Italian languages and to some minor extent , by the Germanic languages of the post-Roman invaders . The incorporation into Italian of learned , or `` bookish '' words from its own ancestor language , Latin , is arguably another form of lexical borrowing through the influence of written language and the liturgical language of the Church . Throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period , most literate Italian speakers were also literate in Latin ; and thus they easily adopted Latin words into their writing -- and eventually speech -- in Italian . Its vowels are the second-closest to Latin after Sardinian . Unlike most other Romance languages , Italian retains Latin 's contrast between short and long consonants . As in most Romance languages , stress is distinctive .


Portuguese language Portuguese ( português or , in full , língua portuguesa ) is a Romance language and the sole official language of Portugal , Brazil , Cape Verde , Guinea-Bissau , Mozambique , Angola , and São Tomé and Príncipe . It also has co-official language status in East Timor , Equatorial Guinea and Macau . As the result of expansion during colonial times , a cultural presence of Portuguese and Portuguese creole speakers are also found in Goa , Daman and Diu in India ; in Batticaloa on the east coast of Sri Lanka ; in the Indonesian island of Flores ; in Malacca of Malaysia ; and the ABC islands in the Caribbean where Papiamento is spoken , while Cape Verdean Creole is the most widely spoken Portuguese-based Creole .   Portuguese is part of the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia , and has kept some Celtic phonology . With approximately 215 to 220 million native speakers and 260 million total speakers , Portuguese is usually listed as the sixth most natively spoken language in the world , the third-most spoken European language in the world in terms of native speakers , and a major language of the Southern Hemisphere . It is also the most spoken language in South America and the second-most spoken in Latin America after Spanish , and is an official language of the European Union , Mercosul , OAS , ECOWAS and the African Union .   Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes once called Portuguese `` the sweet and gracious language '' , while the Brazilian poet Olavo Bilac described it as a última flor do Lácio , inculta e bela ( the last flower of Latium , rustic and beautiful ) . Portuguese is also termed `` the language of Camões '' , after Luís Vaz de Camões , one of the greatest literary figures in the Portuguese language and author of the Portuguese epic poem , Os Lusíadas .   In March 2006 , the Museum of the Portuguese Language , an interactive museum about the Portuguese language , was founded in São Paulo , Brazil , the city with the greatest number of Portuguese language speakers in the world . The museum is the first of its kind in the world . In 2015 the museum was destroyed in a fire , but there are plans to reconstruct it .


Spanish language Spanish ( castellano ) -- is a Romance language that originated in the Castile region of Spain , with hundreds of millions of native speakers around the world . It is usually considered the world 's second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese . It is one of the few languages to use inverted question and exclamation marks ( ¿ and ¡ , respectively ) .   Spanish is a part of the Ibero-Romance group of languages , which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century . The oldest Latin texts which show traces of Spanish come from mid-northern Iberia in the 9th century , and the first systematic written use of the language happened in Toledo , then capital of the Kingdom of Castile , in the 13th century . Beginning in the early 16th century , Spanish was taken to the colonies of the Spanish Empire , most notably to the Americas , as well as territories in Africa , Oceania and the Philippines .   Around 75 % of modern Spanish is derived from Latin . Greek has also contributed substantially to Spanish vocabulary , especially through Latin , on which it had a great impact .   Spanish vocabulary has been in contact from an early date with Arabic , having developed during the Al-Andalus era in the Iberian Peninsula . With around 8 % of its vocabulary being Arabic in origin , this language is the second most important influence after Latin . It has also been influenced by Basque as well as by neighboring Ibero-Romance languages . It also adopted words from non-Iberian languages such as Gothic language from the Visigoths in which many Spanish names and surnames have a Visigothic origin . It has absorbed vocabulary from other languages , particularly the Romance languages French , Italian , Occitan , and Sardinian , as well as from Nahuatl , Quechua , and other indigenous languages of the Americas .   Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations . It is also used as an official language by the European Union , the Organization of American States , the Union of South American Nations , the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and by many other international organizations .


French language French ( le français -LSB- lə fʁɑ̃sɛ -RSB- or la langue française -LSB- la lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family . It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire , as did all Romance languages . French has evolved from Gallo-Romance , the spoken Latin in Gaul , and more specifically in Northern Gaul . Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl -- languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium , which French ( Francien ) has largely supplanted . French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the ( Germanic ) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders . Today , owing to France 's past overseas expansion , there are numerous French-based creole languages , most notably Haitian Creole . A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as `` Francophone '' in both English and French .   French is an official language in 29 countries , most of which are members of la francophonie , the community of French-speaking countries . It is spoken as a first language ( in descending order of the highest number ) in France , the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick , the region of Wallonia in Belgium , western Switzerland , Monaco , certain other regions of Canada and the United States , and by various communities elsewhere . In 2015 , approximately 40 % of the francophone population ( including L2 and partial speakers ) lived in Europe , 35 % in sub-Saharan Africa , 15 % in North Africa and the Middle East , 8 % in the Americas , and 1 % in Asia and Oceania .   French is the fourth-most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union . Of Europeans who speak other languages natively , approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as a second language . As a result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 17th and 18th century onward , French was introduced to new territories in the Americas , Africa and Asia . Most second-language speakers reside in Francophone Africa , in particular Gabon , Algeria , Mauritius , Senegal and Ivory Coast . In 2015 , French was estimated to have 77 to 110 million native speakers , and 190 million secondary speakers . Approximately 274 million people are able to speak the language . According to a demographic projection led by the Université Laval and the Réseau Démographie de l'Agence universitaire de la francophonie , total French speakers will number approximately 500 million people in 2025 and 650 million people by 2050 . The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie estimates 700 million by 2050 , 80 % of whom will be in Africa .   French has a long history as an international language of literature , and scientific some standards and is a second language of many international organisations including the United Nations , the European Union , NATO , the WTO , the International Olympic Committee , and the ICRC . In 2011 , Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business , after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese .


Marilyn Monroe was introduced to a person.

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( born Norma Jeane Mortenson ; June 1 , 1926 -- August 5 , 1962 ) was an American actress and model . Famous for playing comic `` dumb blonde '' characters , she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s , emblematic of the era 's attitudes towards sexuality . Although she was a top-billed actress for only a decade , her films grossed $ 200 million by the time of her unexpected death in 1962 . She continues to be considered a major popular culture icon .   Born and raised in Los Angeles , Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage and married at the age of sixteen . While working in a factory in 1944 as part of the war effort , she was introduced to a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career . The work led to short-lived film contracts with Twentieth Century-Fox ( 1946 -- 1947 ) and Columbia Pictures ( 1948 ) . After a series of minor film roles , she signed a new contract with Fox in 1951 . Over the next two years , she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies , including As Young as You Feel and Monkey Business , and in the dramas Clash by Night and Do n't Bother to Knock . Monroe faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photos before becoming a star , but rather than damaging her career , the story resulted in increased interest in her films .   By 1953 , Monroe was one of the most marketable Hollywood stars , with leading roles in three films : the noir Niagara , which focused on her sex appeal , and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire , which established her star image as a `` dumb blonde '' . Although she played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image throughout her career , she was disappointed at being typecast and underpaid by the studio . She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project , but returned to star in one of the biggest box office successes of her career , The Seven Year Itch ( 1955 ) .   When the studio was still reluctant to change her contract , Monroe founded a film production company in late 1954 ; she named it Marilyn Monroe Productions ( MMP ) . She dedicated 1955 to building her company and began studying method acting at the Actors Studio . In late 1955 , Fox awarded her a new contract , which gave her more control and a larger salary . After a critically acclaimed performance in Bus Stop ( 1956 ) and acting in the first independent production of MMP , The Prince and the Showgirl ( 1957 ) , she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for Some Like It Hot ( 1959 ) . Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits ( 1961 ) .   Monroe 's troubled private life received much attention . She struggled with substance abuse , depression , and anxiety . She had two highly publicized marriages , to retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller , both of which ended in divorce . On August 5 , 1962 , she died at age 36 from an overdose of barbiturates at her home in Los Angeles . Although Monroe 's death was ruled a probable suicide , several conspiracy theories have been proposed in the decades following her death .


The French Language is among the Romance Language sub-family of the Indo-European language family.


Caryn Mandabach produced The Cosby Show, Roseanne, and A Different World.

Caryn Mandabach Caryn Mandabach is an American television producer .   Caryn Mandabach produced ground-breaking US hits including The Cosby Show , Roseanne , A Different World ( 1990 -- 1993 ) , Grace Under Fire ( 1993 -- 1998 ) , Cybill ( 1995 -- 1998 ) , 3rd Rock from the Sun ( 1997 -- 2001 ) , That '80s Show ( 2002 ) , That '70s Show ( 1998 -- 2004 ) , and Grounded for Life ( 2001 -- 2005 ) .   Most recently she executive produced Nurse Jackie , with Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius , a half-hour dark comedy about a `` flawed '' emergency room nurse in a New York City hospital , starring Edie Falco .   Mandabach currently operates TV production companies on both sides of the Atlantic , where she is actively developing both drama and comedy series for BBC , including the BBC2 period drama Peaky Blinders , Channel 4 , and HBO .   Mandabach has won an Emmy award and has also been honoured by The Producer 's Guild , Women in Film and the Hollywood Radio and Television Society among others .


Kevin Durant played one season of college lacrosse for the University of Texas.

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( born September 29 , 1988 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . Durant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award , four NBA scoring titles , the NBA Rookie of the Year Award , and two Olympic gold medals . He has also been selected to seven All-NBA teams and eight All-Star teams .   Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect . He played one season of college basketball for the University of Texas , where he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year . In the 2007 NBA draft , he was selected with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics . After his rookie season , the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder . Durant helped lead Oklahoma City to the 2012 NBA Finals , losing to the Miami Heat in five games . He played nine seasons for the Thunder organization before joining the Warriors in 2016 .   Off the court , Durant often ranks as one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world , due in part to endorsement deals with companies such as Foot Locker and Nike . He has developed a reputation for his philanthropy and regularly leads the league in All-Star votes and jersey sales . In recent years , he has contributed to The Players ' Tribune as both a photographer and writer . In 2012 , he tried his hand at acting , appearing in the film Thunderstruck .


There Will Be Blood There Will Be Blood is a 2007 American epic historical drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano . The film was inspired by Upton Sinclair 's novel Oil ! . It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman ( Day-Lewis ) on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California 's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries . Kevin J. O'Connor , Ciarán Hinds , and Dillon Freasier are also featured in the film .   There Will Be Blood received significant critical praise , with the performance of Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview receiving widespread acclaim . Other qualities of the film , such as its cinematography , direction , and screenplay , were also lauded and received numerous awards and nominations . It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival , where it won the Silver Bear Award for Best Director and a Special Artistic Contribution Award for Jonny Greenwood 's score . It also appeared on many critics ' `` top ten '' lists for the year , notably the American Film Institute , the National Society of Film Critics , the National Board of Review , and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association . Day-Lewis won Oscar , BAFTA , Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , NYFCC and IFTA Best Actor awards for his performance , cementing his position as one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation . The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards , including Best Picture , winning Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Cinematography for Robert Elswit .   There Will Be Blood is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of the 2000s , and was among the highest-ranking 21st century films in the British Film Institute 's 2012 Sight & Sound polls .


Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 American neo-western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus . Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx , the screenplay was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry . The film stars Heath Ledger , Jake Gyllenhaal , Anne Hathaway , and Michelle Williams , and depicts the complex emotional and homosexual relationship between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist in the American West from 1963 to 1983 .   The film received critical acclaim and commercial success . It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival , Best Picture and Best Director at the British Academy Film Awards , Golden Globe Awards , Producers Guild of America Awards , Critics ' Choice Movie Awards , and Independent Spirit Awards , among others . The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards , the most nominations at the 78th Academy Awards , where it won three : Best Director , Best Adapted Screenplay , and Best Original Score , while losing Best Picture to Crash .


Selene serves as the central character in a film directed by Len Wiseman in 2001.

Selene (Underworld) Selene , portrayed by British actress Kate Beckinsale , is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Underworld film series . More specifically , she serves as the central character in the films Underworld ( 2003 ) , Underworld : Evolution ( 2006 ) , Underworld : Awakening ( 2012 ) , and Underworld : Blood Wars ( 2016 ) .   Beckinsale 's daughter , Lily Mo Sheen , plays the character as a child in a flashback in Underworld : Evolution . In Underworld : Endless War , Selene is voiced by Canadian voice actress Laura Harris .


Underworld (2003 film) Underworld is a 2003 action horror film directed by Len Wiseman and written by Danny McBride , based on a story by McBride , Kevin Grevioux , and Wiseman . The film centers on the secret history of vampires and lycans ( an abbreviated form of lycanthrope , which means werewolf ) . It is the first installment in the Underworld franchise . The main plot revolves around Selene ( Kate Beckinsale ) , a vampire Death Dealer hunting Lycans . She finds herself attracted to a human , Michael Corvin ( Scott Speedman ) , who is being targeted by the Lycans . After Michael is bitten by a Lycan , Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him . Alongside Beckinsale and Speedman , the film stars Michael Sheen , Shane Brolly , and Bill Nighy .   An international co-production between companies from the United Kingdom , Germany , Hungary , and the United States , the film was released on September 19 , 2003 . Upon its release , the film received generally negative reviews from critics , but a smaller number of reviewers praised elements such as the film 's stylish Gothic visuals , the `` icy English composure '' in Kate Beckinsale 's performance , and the extensively worked-out vampire -- werewolf mythology that serves as the film 's backstory . A surprise hit , the film grossed $ 95 million against a production budget of $ 22 million . The film was followed by Underworld : Evolution , released three years later , and by three other films .


Blink-182 combined pop melodies with punk rock.

Blink-182 Blink-182 ( often stylized as blink-182 ; pronounced `` blink one eighty two '' ) is an American rock band formed in Poway , California in 1992 . The band currently consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus , drummer Travis Barker , and guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba . Founded by guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge , bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor , the band emerged from the Southern California punk scene of the early 1990s and first gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent lyrical toilet humor . Blink-182 was initially known as Blink until an Irish band of the same name threatened legal action ; in response , the band appended the meaningless number '' -182 '' .   In its early years , Blink-182 toured heavily behind the band 's debut , Cheshire Cat ( 1995 ) . The group signed with major label MCA Records to co-distribute its second album , Dude Ranch ( 1997 ) . Raynor was fired midway through a 1998 tour and replaced by Barker . The group 's next two releases , Enema of the State ( 1999 ) and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket ( 2001 ) , were enormous successes on the strength of radio and MTV airplay . The eponymously titled Blink-182 followed in 2003 and marked a stylistic shift for the group . DeLonge quit in 2005 , sending the band into what was termed an `` indefinite hiatus '' . They reunited in 2009 , producing the trio 's sixth album , Neighborhoods ( 2011 ) . In 2015 , DeLonge again exited and was replaced by Alkaline Trio guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba . The band 's seventh studio album , California , was released on July 1 , 2016 .   Blink-182 is considered a key group in the development of pop punk ; the band 's combination of pop melodies with fast-paced punk rock featured a more radio-friendly accessibility than prior bands . The trio has sold over thirteen million albums in the United States , and over 50 million albums worldwide . In 2011 , The New York Times asserted , `` no punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than Blink-182 , '' and even as the band receded after its 2005 split , `` its sound and style could be heard in the muscular pop punk of Fall Out Boy or in the current wave of high-gloss Warped Tour punk bands , like All Time Low and The Maine . ''


Pop punk Pop punk ( also known as punk-pop ) is a music genre that fuses elements of punk rock and pop music . It typically combines fast tempos , loud and distorted electric guitars , and power chord changes with pop-influenced melodies , vocal styles , and lyrical themes .   Pop-influenced punk rock emerged in the mid-1970s with a music style that was stylistically similar to power pop . By the mid-1980s , several bands merged hardcore punk with pop music to create a new , faster pop punk sound such as Dag Nasty , the Nip Drivers , T.S.O.L. , Social Distortion , and the Descendents . Pop punk in the United States began to grow in popularity locally in California in the mid-to-late 1980s . Pop punk particularly thrived in California , where independent record labels adopted a do it yourself ( DIY ) approach to releasing music . By the mid-1990s , a few pop punk bands had started to sell millions of records and receive extensive radio and television airplay , such as Green Day . By 1994 , pop punk was quickly growing in mainstream popularity . The late 1990s , exemplified by the 1999 release of Blink-182 's Enema of the State , represented the genre 's mainstream peak , although some pop punk bands scored successful album chartings in the 2000s . In the mid-2000s , emo pop , a fusion genre combining emo and pop punk , became popular . By the end of the 2000s , the pop punk sound of the 1990s had largely waned in mainstream popularity .


Top of the Lake's first season is about a missing person.

Top of the Lake Top of the Lake is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee , and directed by Campion and Garth Davis . Its first season aired in 2013 , with the second season , titled China Girl , set to air in September 2017 . It marks Campion 's first work for television since An Angel at My Table in 1990 . The series follows Detective Robin Griffin ( Elisabeth Moss ) , and Season 1 deals with the investigation of the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl in New Zealand . Season 2 will be set four years after the events of Season 1 and will be set in Sydney , as Robin investigates the death of an unidentified Asian girl found at Bondi Beach . Top of the Lake was co-produced for BBC Two in the UK , BBC UKTV in Australia and New Zealand , and Sundance Channel in the United States .


Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis ( November 21 , 1944 -- February 24 , 2014 ) was an American actor , director , writer , and comedian . His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters ( 1984 ) and Ghostbusters II ( 1989 ) and Russell Ziskey in Stripes ( 1981 ) ; he also co-wrote those films . As a director , his films include the comedies Caddyshack ( 1980 ) , National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) , Groundhog Day ( 1993 ) , and Analyze This ( 1999 ) . Ramis was the original head writer of the television series SCTV , on which he also performed , as well as a co-writer of Groundhog Day and National Lampoon 's Animal House ( 1978 ) . His final film that he wrote , produced , directed and acted in was the critical and commercial failure Year one ( 2009 ) .   Ramis ' films influenced subsequent generations of comedians and comedy writers . Filmmakers including Jay Roach , Jake Kasdan , Adam Sandler , and Peter and Bobby Farrelly have cited his films as among their favorites . He won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for Groundhog Day .


Green Day Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt . For much of the group 's career , the band has been a trio with drummer Tré Cool , who replaced former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990 prior to the recording of the band 's second studio album , Kerplunk ( 1991 ) . Guitarist Jason White , who has worked with the band as a touring member since 1999 , was an official member from 2012 to 2016 .   Green Day was originally part of the punk scene at the DIY 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley , California . The band 's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout ! Records . In 1994 , its major label debut Dookie ( released through Reprise Records ) became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Green Day was widely credited , alongside fellow California punk bands Sublime , Bad Religion , The Offspring , and Rancid , with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States .   Green Day 's three follow-up albums , Insomniac ( 1995 ) , Nimrod ( 1997 ) , and Warning ( 2000 ) did not achieve the massive success of Dookie , though they were still successful , with Insomniac and Nimrod reaching double platinum and Warning achieving platinum status . The band 's rock opera , American Idiot ( 2004 ) , reignited the band 's popularity with a younger generation , selling six million copies in the U.S. . The band 's eighth studio album , 21st Century Breakdown , was released in 2009 and achieved the band 's best chart performance to date . 21st Century Breakdown was followed up by a trilogy of albums called ¡ Uno ! , ¡ Dos ! , and ¡ Tré ! , which were released in September , November and December 2012 respectively . The band 's twelfth studio album , Revolution Radio was released on October 7 , 2016 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , their third album to do so .   Green Day has sold more than 85 million records worldwide . The group has won five Grammy Awards : Best Alternative Album for Dookie , Best Rock Album for American Idiot , Record of the Year for `` Boulevard of Broken Dreams '' , Best Rock Album for the second time for 21st Century Breakdown and Best Musical Show Album for American Idiot : The Original Broadway Cast Recording . In 2010 , a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway . The musical was nominated for three Tony Awards : Best Musical , Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design , losing only the first . Also in 2010 , Green Day was ranked no. 91 in the VH1 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . On April 18 , 2015 , the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the 2015 class in their first year of eligibility .


The Weeknd The Weeknd ( born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye ; February 16 , 1990 ) is a Canadian singer , songwriter , and record producer . The Weeknd initially gained recognition after anonymously uploading several songs to YouTube in late 2010 . This allowed him to release of his debut mixtape , House of Balloons , in early 2011 . He released two further independent projects later that year , Thursday and Echoes of Silence , before signing to Republic Records in September 2012 .   The three mixtapes received widespread critical acclaim upon release , and proceeded the release of the compilation album Trilogy . In 2013 , he released his debut studio album Kiss Land , which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 . It was later confirmed to have sold over 273,000 copies in the United States .   The Weeknd released his second album , Beauty Behind the Madness , in 2015 , breaking chart records in the process . It saw him become the first ever artist to have simultaneously held the top three spots on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart , with `` Earned It '' , `` The Hills '' , and `` Ca n't Feel My Face '' . It also became his first number one album on the US Billboard 200 , and saw triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . The album additionally oversaw his first Grammy Award win for Best Urban Contemporary Album , as well as `` Earned It '' winning Best R&B Performance . He won both awards at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2016 .   He released his third studio album , Starboy , in 2016 to generally positive critical reception . The album 's title track topped the chart in several countries , including the U.S. , the UK and Canada , and became The Weeknd 's third number-one single . It gave him his second consecutive number one album , which also later saw platinum certification .   Alongside his Grammy Award wins , The Weeknd has won nine Juno Awards and two American Music Awards . He has also founded the record label XO , and is a producer under both his given and stage names .


Hawaii Hawaii ( -LSB- langpronaudio = en-us-Hawaii . ogghəˈwaɪ.i , _ - ji , _ - ʔi -RSB- ; Hawai -LSB- - hawhəˈvɐjʔi -RSB- ) is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America , having received statehood on August 21 , 1959 . Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands . It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia , occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean . Hawaii is the only U.S. state not located in the Americas .   The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago , which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1500 mi . At the southeastern end of the archipelago , the eight main islands are -- in order from northwest to southeast : Niihau , Kauai , Oahu , Molokai , Lānai , Kahoolawe , Maui , and the Island of Hawaii . The last is the largest island in the group ; it is often called the `` Big Island '' or `` Hawaii Island '' to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago . The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania .   Hawaii 's diverse natural scenery , warm tropical climate , abundance of public beaches , oceanic surroundings , and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists , surfers , biologists , and volcanologists . Because of its central location in the Pacific and 19th-century labor migration , Hawaii 's culture is strongly influenced by North American and Asian cultures , in addition to its indigenous Hawaiian culture . Hawaii has over a million permanent residents , along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel . Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu .   Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous , but the 13th-most densely populated of the fifty U.S. states . It is the only state with an Asian plurality . The state 's coastline is about 750 mi long , the fourth longest in the U.S. after the coastlines of Alaska , Florida , and California .


Marlon Brando won an Academy Award in 1972.

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando , Jr. ( April 3 , 1924 -- July 1 , 2004 ) was an American actor , film director and political activist . He is credited with bringing realism to film acting . He helped to popularize the Stanislavski system of acting , studying with Stella Adler in the 1940s . Brando is widely known for his Academy Award-winning performances as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront ( 1954 ) and Vito Corleone in The Godfather ( 1972 ) , as well as his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1951 ) , Viva Zapata ! ( 1952 ) , Julius Caesar ( 1953 ) , The Wild One ( 1953 ) , Guys and Dolls ( 1955 ) , Sayonara ( 1957 ) , Reflections in a Golden Eye ( 1967 ) , Last Tango in Paris ( 1972 ) , and Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) . Brando was also an activist for many causes , notably the Civil Rights Movement and various Native American movements .   He initially gained acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for reprising the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' play A Streetcar Named Desire , a role that he had originated successfully on Broadway . He received further praise for his performance as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront , and his portrayal of the rebel motorcycle gang leader Johnny Strabler in The Wild One proved to be a lasting image in popular culture . Brando received Academy Award nominations for playing Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata ! ; Mark Antony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz 's 1953 film adaptation of Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar ; and Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver in Sayonara ( 1957 ) , an adaption of James Michener 's 1954 novel . Brando was included in a list of Top Ten Money Making Stars three times in the 1950s , coming in at number 10 in 1954 , number 6 in 1955 , and number 4 in 1958 .   The 1960s proved to be a fallow decade for Brando . He directed and starred in the cult western film One-Eyed Jacks , a critical and commercial flop , after which he delivered a series of box-office failures , beginning with the 1962 film adaptation of the novel Mutiny on the Bounty . After 10 years , during which he did not appear in a successful film , he won his second Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Godfather , a role critics consider among his greatest . The Godfather was then one of the most commercially successful films of all time . With that and his Oscar-nominated performance in Last Tango in Paris , Brando re-established himself in the ranks of top box-office stars , placing sixth and tenth in the Money Making Stars poll in 1972 and 1973 , respectively . Brando took a four-year hiatus before appearing in The Missouri Breaks ( 1976 ) . After this , he was content with being a highly paid character actor in cameo roles , such as in Superman ( 1978 ) and The Formula ( 1980 ) , before taking a nine-year break from motion pictures . According to the Guinness Book of World Records , Brando was paid a record $ 3.7 million ( $ million in inflation-adjusted dollars ) and 11.75 % of the gross profits for 13 days ' work on Superman . He finished out the 1970s with his controversial performance as Colonel Kurtz in another Coppola film , Apocalypse Now , a box-office hit for which he was highly paid and which helped finance his career layoff during the 1980s .   Brando was ranked by the American Film Institute as the fourth-greatest movie star among male movie stars whose screen debuts occurred in or before 1950 . He was one of only three professional actors , along with Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe , named in 1999 by Time magazine as one of its 100 Most Important People of the Century . He died of respiratory failure on July 1 , 2004 , at age 80 .


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


Jim Carrey appeared in a 2013 superhero comedy film.

Kick-Ass 2 (film) Kick-Ass 2 is a 2013 superhero comedy film based on the comic book of the same name and Hit-Girl , both by Mark Millar and John Romita , Jr. , and is the sequel to the 2010 film Kick-Ass . The film was written and directed by Jeff Wadlow and co-produced by Matthew Vaughn , who directed the first film . Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloë Grace Moretz reprise their roles from the first film as Dave Lizewski , Chris D'Amico , and Mindy Macready , respectively . Other returning actors include Clark Duke , Yancy Butler , Garrett M. Brown , Lyndsy Fonseca and Sophie Wu .   The film was released on August 14 , 2013 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and on August 16 in the United States . Matthew Vaughn 's production company Marv Films produced the film alongside Plan B Entertainment , Dentsu and Universal Pictures . The film earned $ 60.7 million on a $ 28 million budget .


Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey ( -LSB- ˈkæri -RSB- born January 17 , 1962 ) is a Canadian-American actor , comedian , impressionist , screenwriter , and producer . He is known for his highly energetic slapstick performances .   Carrey first gained recognition in 1990 after landing a recurring role in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color . His first leading roles in major productions came with Ace Ventura : Pet Detective ( 1994 ) , Dumb and Dumber ( 1994 ) , The Mask ( 1994 ) , and Ace Ventura : When Nature Calls ( 1995 ) , as well as a supporting role in Batman Forever ( 1995 ) and a lead role in Liar Liar ( 1997 ) . He then starred in The Truman Show ( 1998 ) and Man on the Moon ( 1999 ) , with each garnering him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor .   In the 2000s , he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( 2000 ) , as well as Bruce Almighty ( 2003 ) , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 ) for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , Lemony Snicket 's A Series of Unfortunate Events ( 2004 ) , Fun with Dick and Jane ( 2005 ) , Yes Man ( 2008 ) , Horton Hears a Who ! ( 2008 ) and A Christmas Carol ( 2009 ) .   In the 2010s , he has starred in Mr. Popper 's Penguins ( 2011 ) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone ( 2013 ) . In 2013 , he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 as Colonel Stars and Stripes . He retracted support for the film two months prior to its release . He issued a statement via his Twitter account that , in light of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary , '' -LSB- N -RSB- ow in all good conscience I can not support that level of violence . '' Carrey reprised his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To ( 2014 ) .


Bette Davis was on a list published by the American Film Institute.

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth `` Bette '' Davis ( April 5 , 1908 -- October 6 , 1989 ) was an American actress of film , television , and theater . Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history , she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic , sardonic characters and was reputed for her performances in a range of film genres , from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies , although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas .   After appearing in Broadway plays , Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930 . However , her early films for Universal Studios ( and as a loanout to other studios ) were unsuccessful . She joined Warner Bros. in 1932 and established her career with several critically acclaimed performances . In 1937 , she attempted to free herself from her contract . Although she lost the well-publicized legal case against the studio , it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career . Until the late 1940s , she was one of American cinema 's most celebrated leading ladies , known for her forceful and intense style . Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative and confrontational . She clashed with studio executives and film directors as well as many of her co-stars . Her forthright manner , idiosyncratic speech and ubiquitous cigarette contributed to a public persona , which has often been imitated .   Davis was the co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen , and was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice , was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting , and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute . Her career went through several periods of eclipse , and she admitted that her success had often been at the expense of her personal relationships . Married four times , she was once widowed and three times divorced , and raised her children as a single parent . Her final years were marred by a long period of ill health , but she continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer , with more than 100 films , television and theater roles to her credit . In 1999 , Davis was placed second behind Katharine Hepburn on the American Film Institute 's list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema .


Scotland's Northern Isles is comprised of a chain of islands.

Scotland Scotland ( -LSB- ˈskɒt.lənd -RSB- Scots : -LSB- - scoˈskɔt.lənd -RSB- Alba -LSB- ˈal̪ˠapə -RSB- ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain . It shares a border with England to the south , and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west . In addition to the mainland , the country is made up of more than 790 islands , including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides .   The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707 . By inheritance in 1603 , James VI , King of Scots , became King of England and King of Ireland , thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms . Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain . The union also created a new Parliament of Great Britain , which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England . In 1801 , Great Britain itself entered into a political union with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .   Within Scotland , the monarchy of the United Kingdom has continued to use a variety of styles , titles and other royal symbols of statehood specific to the pre-union Kingdom of Scotland . The legal system within Scotland has also remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland ; Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law . The continued existence of legal , educational , religious and other institutions distinct from those in the remainder of the UK have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity since the 1707 union with England .   In 1997 , a Scottish Parliament was re-established , in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members , having authority over many areas of domestic policy . Scotland is represented in the United Kingdom Parliament by 59 MPs and in the European Parliament by 6 MEPs . Scotland is also a member of the British -- Irish Council , and sends five elected representatives to the British -- Irish Parliamentary Assembly .


Northern Isles The Northern Isles ( Northern Isles Na h-Eileanan a Tuath Norðreyjar ) is an archipelago comprising a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland . The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas . There are two main island groups : Shetland and Orkney . There are a total of 26 inhabited islands with landscapes of the fertile agricultural islands of Orkney contrasting with the more rugged Shetland islands to the north , where the economy is more dependent on fishing and the oil wealth of the surrounding seas . Both have a developing renewable energy industry . They also share a common Pictish and Norse history . Both island groups were absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland in the 15th century and remained part of the country following the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 , and later the United Kingdom after 1801 . The islands played a significant naval role during the world wars of the 20th century .   Tourism is important to both archipelagos , with their distinctive prehistoric ruins playing a key part in their attraction , and there are regular ferry and air connections with mainland Scotland . The Scandinavian influence remains strong , especially in relation to local folklore , and both island chains have strong , although distinct , local cultures . The place names of the islands are dominated by their Norse heritage , although some may retain pre-Celtic elements .


Raoul Walsh Raoul A. Walsh ( March 11 , 1887December 31 , 1980 ) was an American film director , actor , founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) and the brother of the silent screen actor George Walsh . He was known for portraying John Wilkes Booth in the silent classic The Birth of a Nation ( 1915 ) and for directing such films as The Big Trail ( 1930 ) , starring John Wayne , High Sierra ( 1941 ) , starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart ; and White Heat ( 1949 ) , starring James Cagney and Edmond O'Brien . His directed his last film in 1964 .


The Big Trail The Big Trail is a 1930 American pre-Code early widescreen movie shot on location across the American West starring John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh .   In 2006 , the United States Library of Congress deemed this film `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' , and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry , saying `` the plot of a trek along the Oregon Trail is aided immensely by the majestic sweep provided by the experimental Grandeur wide-screen process used in filming '' .


Caroline Blakiston is in the British show Brass.

Caroline Blakiston Caroline Blakiston ( born 13 February 1933 ) is an English actress . She is best known in her native United Kingdom for her role in the television comedy series Brass , and to international audiences as Mon Mothma in the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi .


Brass (TV series) Brass was a British television comedy-drama , made by Granada Television for ITV and eventually Channel 4 .   Set mostly in Utterley , a fictional Lancashire mining town in the 1930s , Brass was a comedy satirising the working-class period dramas of the 1970s ( most significantly When the Boat Comes In ) and the American productions such as Dallas and Dynasty . Unusually for ITV comedies of the time , there was no laughter track and the humour deliberately kept extremely dry , using convoluted wordplay and subtle commentary on popular culture . Brass is northern English slang for `` money '' as well as for `` effrontery '' . The series also gleefully parodied the 1977 Granada TV dramatisation of Dickens ' Hard Times , which also starred Timothy West .   The series , created by John Stevenson and Julian Roach , was set around two feuding families -- the wealthy Hardacres and the poor , working-class Fairchilds -- who lived in a small terraced house rented from the Hardacre empire . The Hardacre family was headed by the ruthless self-made businessman Bradley ( Timothy West ) , who espoused Thatcherite rhetoric , while coming up with various harebrained schemes to make his businesses more efficient so he could sack workers and his alcoholic aristocratic wife Lady Patience ( Caroline Blakiston ) . The head of the Fairchilds was the stern `` Red '' Agnes ( Barbara Ewing ) , who spread militant socialist rhetoric around the Hardacre mine , mill and munitions factory and her doltish , forelock-tugging husband George ( Geoffrey Hinsliff ; Geoffrey Hutchings in the 1990 series ) , who is dominated by his wife and his boss . In a twist , Agnes was also Bradley Hardacre 's mistress .   Other characters in the series were the children of the families . The Fairchilds had two sons -- Jack ( Shaun Scott ) , a defiant miner and Matthew ( Gary Cady ) , a sensitive clerk who wrote very poor verse . The Hardacre children were Bentley ( deceased ; his memorial stone is featured in the first episode ) , nymphomaniac Isobel ( Gail Harrison ) , innocent budding feminist Charlotte ( Emily Morgan ) , ambitious heir to the Hardacre empire Austin ( Robert Reynolds ) ( Patrick Pearson in the 1990 series ) and Morris ( James Saxon ) , a gay Cambridge student with a fondness for teddy bears ( c.f. Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited ) . Bentley , Austin and Morris are named after British car manufacturers ; Jack and Matt were named after terms used in the game of bowls .   Not only were Bradley and Agnes lovers , with Bradley being most likely the father of Matthew but Isobel and Jack were also lovers and afterwards it was revealed that Charlotte was not Bradley 's daughter but the result of an affair between Lady Patience and the elderly Lord Mountfast , whom Isobel married . Charlotte married Matthew , to whom Morris Hardacre had at one time been attracted . To complicate matters even further Lady Patience also had a brief fling with Matthew Fairchild .   Despite his wealth and social connections , Bradley had been brought up in the Utterley Cottage workhouse and had made his money himself , obviously not legally or fairly .   Apart from the Hardacres and the Fairchilds the most significant other character was the Scottish idealist , Dr McDuff , played by David Ashton and satirising Dr Finlay of Dr Finlay 's Casebook .   Brass ran for two series on ITV , shown between 1982 and 1984 but was brought back for a third series in 1990 on Channel 4 , set in 1939 . This third series saw the Hardacres move to London and later to a country mansion called Yonderley but making frequent trips to Utterley or Swarfside , where the Hardacre business empire was still based . The Fairchilds had also moved to London as Agnes was now MP for Utterley .   Some scenes are set at Croydon Airport but were filmed at Barton Airport , whose distinctive control tower shows in the film . Some of the opening scenes are of Thorn St in Summerseat , Bury . Greater Manchester .   The series is available on DVD in the United Kingdom .


Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан , Qazaqstan ) , formally the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic ( Kazakh SSR or KSSR ; Қазақ Кеңестік Социалистік Республикасы , Qazaq Keñestik Socïalïstik Respwblïkası ; Казахская Советская Социалистическая Республика , Kazakhskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika ) and the Republic of Kazakhstan , also known by its alternative name of Soviet Kazakhstan , was one of the transcontinental constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1936-1991 in northern Central Asia . It was created on December 5 , 1936 from the Kazakh ASSR , an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR .   At 2,717,300 km2 in area , it was the second-largest republic in the USSR , after the Russian SFSR . Its capital was Alma-Ata ( today known as Almaty ) . Today it is the independent nation of Kazakhstan in Central Asia . During its existence as a Soviet Socialist Republic , it was ruled by the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR .   On October 25 , 1990 , the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR declared its sovereignty on its soil . Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected as president -- a role he has remained in to the present day .   The Kazakh SSR was renamed the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 10 , 1991 , which declared its independence six days later , as the last republic to leave the USSR on December 16 , 1991 . The Soviet Union was disbanded on December 26 , 1991 by the Soviet of Nationalities . The Republic of Kazakhstan , the legal successor to the Kazakh SSR , was admitted to the United Nations on March 2 , 1992 .


Eastern Europe Eastern Europe , also known as East Europe , is the eastern part of the European continent .   The main definition describes Eastern Europe as a cultural ( econo-cultural and religious ) entity : the region lying in Europe with the main characteristics consisting of Byzantine , Orthodox , and some Turco-Islamic influences .   With certain simplifications , Eastern Europe starts where Cyrillic alphabet use and Orthodox Christianity begin , with the Balkans and the Caucasus complementing this group .   This definition is fulfilled by Russia , Belarus , Ukraine , and Moldova as well as the countries of Southeast Europe and the Balkans : Romania , Bulgaria , Serbia , Bosnia , Albania , Montenegro , Kosovo , Macedonia and three Caucasus countries : Georgia , Armenia and Azerbaijan .


Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( -LSB- USkæzækˈstæn , _ ˌkɑːzɑːkˈstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ˌkæzəkˈstɑːn , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan , -LSB- qɑzɑqˈstɑn -RSB- ; Казахстан , tr . Kazakhstan ) , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасы , tr . Qazaqstan Respwblïkası ; Республика Казахстан , tr . Respublika Kazakhstan ) , is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world 's largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of 2,724,900 km ² . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region 's GDP , primarily through its oil/gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources .   Kazakhstan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia , China , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Turkmenistan , and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea . The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands , steppe , taiga , rock canyons , hills , deltas , snow-capped mountains , and deserts . Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people , Given its large land area , its population density is among the lowest , at less than 6 people per square kilometre ( 15 people per sq. mi . ) . The capital is Astana , where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty , the country 's largest city .   The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes . This changed in the 13th century , when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire . Following internal struggles among the conquerors , power eventually reverted to the nomads . By the 16th century , the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group , divided into three jüz ( ancestor branches occupying specific territories ) . The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century , and by the mid-19th century , they nominally ruled all of Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire . Following the 1917 Russian Revolution , and subsequent civil war , the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganised several times . In 1936 , it was made the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , part of the Soviet Union .   Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The current President , Nursultan Nazarbayev , has been leader of the country since then , and is characterised as authoritarian , with a government history of human rights abuses and suppression of political opposition . Kazakhstan has worked to develop its economy , especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry . Human Rights Watch says that `` Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly , speech , and religion , '' and other human rights organisations regularly describe Kazakhstan 's human rights situation as poor .   Kazakhstan 's 131 ethnicities include Kazakhs ( 63 % of the population ) , Russians , Uzbeks , Ukrainians , Germans , Tatars , and Uyghurs . Islam is the religion of about 70 % of the population , with Christianity practised by 26 % ; Kazakhstan officially allows freedom of religion , but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed . The Kazakh language is the state language , and Russian has equal official status for all levels of administrative and institutional purposes .


Brooks Wackerman is a musician from America.

Brooks Wackerman Brooks Wackerman ( born February 15 , 1977 ) is an American musician , currently the drummer for the American heavy metal bands Avenged Sevenfold and Mass Mental , also known as the former drummer for Bad Religion , and is the younger brother of John Bob , and Chad Wackerman ( formerly a member of Frank Zappa 's band ) . He is the son of Chuck Wackerman , an educator in the Los Alamitos California Unified School District . Wackerman is also a former student of Murray Spivack and Chuck Flores . After his departure from Bad Religion , it was announced on November 4 , 2015 that he would replace Arin Ilejay as the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold .