Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. '' ' ( born May 31 , 1930 ) is an American actor , filmmaker , musician , and political figure . After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide , he rose to international fame with his role as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone 's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the 1960s , and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s . These roles , among others , have made Eastwood an enduring cultural icon of masculinity .   For his work in the Western film Unforgiven ( 1992 ) and the sports drama Million Dollar Baby ( 2004 ) , Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture , as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor . Eastwood 's greatest commercial successes have been the adventure comedy Every Which Way But Loose ( 1978 ) and its sequel , the action comedy Any Which Way You Can ( 1980 ) , after adjustment for inflation . Other popular films include the Western Hang 'Em High ( 1968 ) , the psychological thriller Play Misty for Me ( 1971 ) , the crime film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot ( 1974 ) , the Western The Outlaw Josey Wales ( 1976 ) , the prison film Escape from Alcatraz ( 1979 ) , the action film Firefox ( 1982 ) , the suspense thriller Tightrope ( 1984 ) , the Western Pale Rider ( 1985 ) , the war films Where Eagles Dare ( 1968 ) , Heartbreak Ridge ( 1986 ) , the action thriller In the Line of Fire ( 1993 ) , the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County ( 1995 ) , and the drama Gran Torino ( 2008 ) .   In addition to directing many of his own star vehicles , Eastwood has also directed films in which he did not appear , such as the mystery drama Mystic River ( 2003 ) and the war film Letters from Iwo Jima ( 2006 ) , for which he received Academy Award nominations , and the drama Changeling ( 2008 ) . The war drama biopic American Sniper '' ( 2014 ) set box office records for the largest January release ever and was also the largest opening ever for an Eastwood film .   Eastwood received considerable critical praise in France for several films , including some that were not well received in the United States . Eastwood has been awarded two of France 's highest honors : in 1994 he became a recipient of the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres , and in 2007 he was awarded the Legion of Honour medal . In 2000 , Eastwood was awarded the Italian Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for lifetime achievement .   Since 1967 , Eastwood has run his own production company , Malpaso , which has produced all but four of his American films . Starting in 1986 , Eastwood served for two years as Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea , California , a non-partisan office .


Kane (wrestler) Glenn Thomas Jacobs ( born April 26 , 1967 ) , better known by the ring name Kane , is an American professional wrestler , insurance broker , politician and actor . He is signed to WWE on the SmackDown brand , where he is currently on a hiatus as he is running for the office of mayor of Knox County , Tennessee . Jacobs began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992 . He wrestled in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling ( SMW ) and the United States Wrestling Association ( USWA ) before joining the World Wrestling Federation ( now WWE ) in 1995 . Jacobs played various characters until 1997 , when he was repackaged as Kane , the demonic and/or monstrous younger half-brother of The Undertaker , with whom Jacobs would alternatively feud or team as The Brothers of Destruction .   Following his debut , Kane remained a pivotal component of the company 's Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s , defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin -- the `` poster boy '' of the era -- for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in his first pay-per-view ( PPV ) main event at King of the Ring 1998 . He has continued to compete in world championship PPV matches through the mid 2010s .   Kane has won 23 total championships during his WWF/E career , including being a three-time world champion ( having held the WWF World Heavyweight Championship , ECW Championship , and WWE 's World Heavyweight Championship once each ) and a 12-time world tag team champion , having held the WWF/E ( World ) Tag Team Championship , WCW Tag Team Championship , and WWE Tag Team Championships with various partners . He is also a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and a 2010 Money in the Bank winner . Kane is the third man to win the WWE Grand Slam . Kane also holds the all-time record of eliminations at Royal Rumble with 44 eliminations .   In 2017 , Jacobs announced his intention to run for the office of mayor of Knox County , Tennessee .


Diego Luna Diego Luna Alexander ( -LSB- ˈdjeɣo ˈluna -RSB- ; born 29 December 1979 ) is a Mexican actor , producer and director . After starring in telenovelas early in his career , he has appeared in many films , including Y tu mamá también , Dirty Dancing : Havana Nights , Rudo y Cursi and the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One . He also provided the Spanish language narration for the National Geographic Channel documentary Great Migrations .


George Lucas founded a television visual effects company.

Industrial Light & Magic Industrial Light & Magic ( ILM ) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas . It is a division of the film production company , Lucasfilm , which Lucas founded , and was created when Lucas began production of the film Star Wars . For many years , during the 1980s and early 1990s during the widespread inception of computer graphics in film , ILM was considered the leading industry standard production house for visual effects ; many studios other than Lucasfilm sent scenes to the studio for CG . It is also the original founder company of the animation studio Pixar .   ILM originated in Van Nuys , California , then later moved to San Rafael in 1978 , and since 2005 it has been based at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio of San Francisco . In 2012 , The Walt Disney Company acquired ILM as part of its purchase of Lucasfilm .


George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. ( born May 14 , 1944 ) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur . He is best known as the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises , as well as the founder of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic . He was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of Lucasfilm , before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 .   Upon graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967 , Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with fellow filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola . Lucas wrote and directed THX 1138 ( 1971 ) , based on his earlier student short Electronic Labyrinth : THX 1138 4EB , which was a critical success but a financial failure . His next work as a writer-director was the film , American Graffiti ( 1973 ) , inspired by his teen years in early 1960s Modesto , California , and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm . The film was critically and commercially successful , and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture .   Lucas 's next film , an epic space opera titled Star Wars ( 1977 ) , went through a troubled production process ; however , it was a surprise hit , becoming the highest-grossing film at the time , as well as a winner of six Academy Awards and a cultural phenomenon . Following the first Star Wars film , Lucas produced and co-wrote the following installments in the trilogy , The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) . Along with Steven Spielberg , Lucas co-created and wrote the Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) , Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) , and The Last Crusade ( 1989 ) . Lucas also produced and wrote a variety of films through Lucasfilm in the 1980s and 1990s .   In 1997 , Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition , where he made several alterations to the films ; home media releases with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011 . Lucas also returned to directing with the Star Wars prequel trilogy , consisting of The Phantom Menace ( 1999 ) , Attack of the Clones ( 2002 ) , and Revenge of the Sith ( 2005 ) . He later collaborated on the story for the Indiana Jones sequel Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) , and served as the story writer and executive producer for the war film , Red Tails ( 2012 ) .   Five of Lucas 's seven features are among the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office , adjusted for ticket-price inflation . Lucas is one of the American film industry 's most financially successful filmmakers , and has been personally nominated for four Academy Awards . Lucas is considered a significant figure in the New Hollywood era .


Bedazzled (2000 film) was directed by Alan Rickman.

Bedazzled (2000 film) Bedazzled is a 2000 fantasy-comedy film remake of the 1967 film of the same name , originally written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore , which was itself a comic retelling of the Faust legend . The film was directed by Harold Ramis and stars Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley .


Danny Elfman and Tim Burton have always refused to work together in any capacity.

Danny Elfman Daniel Robert `` Danny '' Elfman ( born May 29 , 1953 ) is an American composer , singer , songwriter , and record producer . Elfman is best known for his work scoring films and television shows , in particular his frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton , and for being the lead singer and songwriter for the band Oingo Boingo from 1974 to 1995 .   In 1976 Elfman entered the film industry as an actor . In 1980 he scored his first film , Forbidden Zone , directed by his older brother Richard Elfman . Among his honours are four Academy Award nominations , a Grammy for Batman , an Emmy for Desperate Housewives , the 2002 Richard Kirk Award , and the Disney Legend Award .


Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary , often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire in English-language sources , was a constitutional union of the Austrian Empire ( the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council , or Cisleithania ) and the Kingdom of Hungary ( Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen or Transleithania ) that existed from 1867 to 1918 , when it collapsed as a result of defeat in World War I . The union was a result of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and came into existence on 30 March 1867 . Austria-Hungary consisted of two monarchies ( Austria and Hungary ) , and one autonomous region : the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia under the Hungarian crown , which negotiated the Croatian -- Hungarian Settlement ( Nagodba ) in 1868 . It was ruled by the House of Habsburg , and constituted the last phase in the constitutional evolution of the Habsburg Monarchy . Following the 1867 reforms , the Austrian and the Hungarian states were co-equal . Foreign affairs and the military came under joint oversight , but all other governmental faculties were divided between respective states .   Austria-Hungary was a multinational state and one of the world 's great powers at the time . Austria-Hungary was geographically the second-largest country in Europe after the Russian Empire , at 621538 km2 , and the third-most populous ( after Russia and the German Empire ) . The Empire built up the fourth-largest machine building industry of the world , after the United States , Germany , and the United Kingdom . Austria-Hungary also became the world 's third largest manufacturer and exporter of electric home appliances , electric industrial appliances and power generation apparatus for power plants , after the United States and the German Empire .   After 1878 , Bosnia and Herzegovina was under Austro-Hungarian military and civilian rule until it was fully annexed in 1908 , provoking the Bosnian crisis among the other powers . Sandžak / Raška , de jure northern part of the Ottoman Sanjak of Novi Pazar ( in modern-day Montenegro and Serbia ) , was also under de facto joint occupation during that period but the Austro-Hungarian army withdrew as part of their annexation of Bosnia . The annexation of Bosnia also led to Islam being recognized as an official state religion due to Bosnia 's Muslim population .   Austria-Hungary was one of the Central Powers in World War I . It was already effectively dissolved by the time the military authorities signed the armistice of Villa Giusti on 3 November 1918 . The Kingdom of Hungary and the First Austrian Republic were treated as its successors de jure , whereas the independence of the West Slavs and South Slavs of the Empire as the First Czechoslovak Republic , the Second Polish Republic and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , respectively , and most of the territorial demands of the Kingdom of Romania were also recognized by the victorious powers in 1920 .


Vienna Vienna ( -LSB- viˈɛnə -RSB- Wien , -LSB- viːn -RSB- ) is the capital and largest city of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria . Vienna is Austria 's primary city , with a population of about 1.8 million ( 2.6 million within the metropolitan area , nearly one third of Austria 's population ) , and its cultural , economic , and political centre . It is the 7th-largest city by population within city limits in the European Union . Until the beginning of the 20th century , it was the largest German-speaking city in the world , and before the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I , the city had 2 million inhabitants . Today , it has the second largest number of German speakers after Berlin . Vienna is host to many major international organizations , including the United Nations and OPEC . The city is located in the eastern part of Austria and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic , Slovakia , and Hungary . These regions work together in a European Centrope border region . Along with nearby Bratislava , Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants . In 2001 , the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site .   Apart from being regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy , Vienna is also said to be `` The City of Dreams '' because it was home to the world 's first psycho-analyst -- Sigmund Freud . The city 's roots lie in early Celtic and Roman settlements that transformed into a Medieval and Baroque city , and then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . It is well known for having played an essential role as a leading European music centre , from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century . The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles , including Baroque castles and gardens , and the late-19th-century Ringstraße lined with grand buildings , monuments and parks .   Vienna is known for its high quality of life . In a 2005 study of 127 world cities , the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the city first ( in a tie with Vancouver , Canada and San Francisco , USA ) for the world 's most liveable cities . Between 2011 and 2015 , Vienna was ranked second , behind Melbourne , Australia .  For eight consecutive years ( 2009 -- 2016 ) , the human-resource-consulting firm Mercer ranked Vienna first in its annual `` Quality of Living '' survey of hundreds of cities around the world , a title the city still held in 2016 . Monocle 's 2015 `` Quality of Life Survey '' ranked Vienna second on a list of the top 25 cities in the world `` to make a base within . ''   The UN-Habitat has classified Vienna as being the most prosperous city in the world in 2012/2013 .  The city was ranked 1st globally for its culture of innovation in 2007 and 2008 , and sixth globally ( out of 256 cities ) in the 2014 Innovation Cities Index , which analyzed 162 indicators in covering three areas : culture , infrastructure , and markets . Vienna regularly hosts urban planning conferences and is often used as a case study by urban planners .   Between 2005 and 2010 , Vienna was the world 's number-one destination for international congresses and conventions . It attracts over 6.8 million tourists a year .


Graz Graz ( -LSB- ˈɡʁaːt͡s -RSB- ; Slovenian : Gradec ) is the capital of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna . On 1 January 2017 , it had a population of 320,587 ( of which 286,686 had principal residence status ) . In 2014 , the population of the Graz Larger Urban Zone who had principal residence status stood at 605,143 .   Graz has a long tradition as a `` university town '' : its six universities have more than 44,000 students . Its `` Old Town '' is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe .   Politically and culturally , Graz was for centuries more important for Slovenes than Ljubljana , the capital of Slovenia , and still remains influential .   In 1999 , Graz was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites , and the site was extended in 2010 by Schloss Eggenberg . Graz was sole Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003 and got the title of a City of Culinary Delights in 2008 .


July Crisis The July Crisis was a diplomatic crisis among the major powers of Europe in the summer of 1914 that led to World War I. Immediately after Gavrilo Princip , a Slavic nationalist , assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand , heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne , in Sarajevo , a series of diplomatic maneuverings led to an ultimatum from Austria-Hungary to the Kingdom of Serbia , and eventually to war .   The assassination had been carried out by those wishing to unite all of the territories with majority South Slavic population not already ruled by the Kingdom of Serbia or Kingdom of Montenegro . Austria-Hungary 's post-assassination ultimatum was part of a coercive program meant to weaken the Kingdom of Serbia 's threat to take control of the northern Balkans and its significant Southern Slavic population , especially the Bosnian Serbs . This was intended to be achieved either through diplomacy or by a localized war if the ultimatum were rejected . Austria-Hungary preferred war , though István Tisza , the prime minister of the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary , hoped that the ultimatum would be reasonable enough that it would not be rejected outright . A month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand , Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28 , 1914 . This local conflict ultimately expanded into World War I as more powers became involved .


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


Austria Austria ( listen ) , is a federal republic and a landlocked country of over 8.7 million people in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north , Hungary and Slovakia to the east , Slovenia and Italy to the south , and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west . The territory of Austria covers 83879 km2 . The terrain is highly mountainous , lying within the Alps ; only 32 % of the country is below 500 m , and its highest point is 3798 m . The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects of German as their native language , and Austrian German in its standard form is the country 's official language . Other local official languages are Hungarian , Burgenland Croatian , and Slovene .   The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty , when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire . From the time of the Reformation , many northern German princes , resenting the authority of the Emperor , used Protestantism as a flag of rebellion . The Thirty Years War , the influence of the Kingdom of Sweden and Kingdom of France , the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia , and the Napoleonic invasions all weakened the power of the Emperor in the north of Germany , but in the south , and in non-German areas of the Empire , the Emperor and Catholicism maintained control . During the 17th and 18th centuries , Austria retained its position as one of the great powers of Europe and , in response to the coronation of Napoleon as the Emperor of the French , the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804 . Following Napoleon 's defeat , Prussia emerged as Austria 's chief competitor for rule of a greater Germany . Austria 's defeat by Prussia at the Battle of Königgrätz , during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 , cleared the way for Prussia to assert control over the rest of Germany . In 1867 , the empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary . After the defeat of France in the 1870-1 Franco-Prussian War , Austria was excluded from the new German Empire , although in the following decades , its politics , and its foreign policy , increasingly converged with those of the Prussian-led Empire . During the 1914 July Crisis that followed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28 , Austria-Hungary , emboldened by a pledge of German support , on July 28 declared war on Serbia because that country had not fully complied with an Austrian ultimatum . Austria was thus the first to go to war in the July Crisis , which would ultimately escalate into World War I.   After the collapse of the Habsburg ( Austro-Hungarian ) Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I , Austria adopted and used the name the Republic of German-Austria ( Deutschösterreich ) , later changed to Österreich , in an attempt at union with Germany , but this was forbidden under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ( 1919 ) . The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919 . In 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss . This lasted until the end of World War II in 1945 , after which Germany was occupied by the Allies and Austria 's former democratic constitution was restored . In 1955 , the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state , ending the occupation . In the same year , the Austrian Parliament created the Declaration of Neutrality which declared that the Second Austrian Republic would become permanently neutral .   Today , Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states . The capital and largest city , with a population exceeding 1.7 million , is Vienna . Other major urban areas of Austria include Graz , Linz , Salzburg and Innsbruck . Austria is one of the richest countries in the world , with a nominal per capita GDP of $ 43,724 . The country has developed a high standard of living and in 2014 was ranked 21st in the world for its Human Development Index . Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 , joined the European Union in 1995 , and is a founder of the OECD . Austria also signed the Schengen Agreement in 1995 , and adopted the euro currency in 1999 .


Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire ( Sacrum Imperium Romanum , Heiliges Römisches Reich ) was a multi-ethnic complex of territories in central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 . The largest territory of the empire after 962 was the Kingdom of Germany , though it also came to include the Kingdom of Bohemia , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy , and numerous other territories .   On 25 December 800 , Pope Leo III crowned the Frankish king Charlemagne as Emperor , reviving the title in Western Europe , more than three centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire . The title continued in the Carolingian family until 888 and from 896 to 899 , after which it was contested by the rulers of Italy in a series of civil wars until the death of the last Italian claimant , Berengar , in 924 .   The title was revived in 962 when Otto I was crowned emperor , fashioning himself as the successor of Charlemagne and beginning a continuous existence of the empire for over eight centuries . Some historians refer to the coronation of Charlemagne as the origin of the empire , while others prefer the coronation of Otto I as its beginning . Scholars generally concur , however , in relating an evolution of the institutions and principles constituting the empire , describing a gradual assumption of the imperial title and role .   The precise term `` Holy Roman Empire '' was not used until the 13th century , but the concept of translatio imperii , the notion that he held supreme power inherited from the emperors of Rome , was fundamental to the prestige of the emperor . The office of Holy Roman Emperor was traditionally elective , although frequently controlled by dynasties . The German prince-electors , the highest-ranking noblemen of the empire , usually elected one of their peers as `` King of the Romans , '' and he would later be crowned emperor by the Pope ; the tradition of papal coronations was discontinued in the 16th century . The empire never achieved the extent of political unification formed in France , evolving instead into a decentralized , limited elective monarchy composed of hundreds of sub-units , principalities , duchies , counties , Free Imperial Cities , and other domains . The power of the emperor was limited , and while the various princes , lords , bishops and cities of the empire were vassals who owed the emperor their allegiance , they also possessed an extent of privileges that gave them de facto independence within their territories . Emperor Francis II dissolved the empire on 6 August 1806 , after the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon .


Euro The euro ( sign : $ ; code : EUR ) is the official currency of the eurozone , which consists of 19 of the member states of the European Union : Austria , Belgium , Cyprus , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , the Netherlands , Portugal , Slovakia , Slovenia , and Spain . The currency is also officially used by the institutions of the European Union and four other European countries , as well as unilaterally by two others , and is consequently used daily by some 337 million Europeans . Outside of Europe , a number of overseas territories of EU members also use the euro as their currency .   Additionally , 210 million people worldwide use currencies pegged to the euro . The euro is the second largest reserve currency as well as the second most traded currency in the world after the United States dollar .  , with more than $ 1,109,000,000,000 in circulation , the euro has one of the highest combined values of banknotes and coins in circulation in the world , having surpassed the U.S. dollar at one point. :  Total EUR currency ( coins and banknotes ) in circulation 771.5 ( banknotes ) + 21.032 ( coins ) = 792.53 billion EUR * 1.48 ( exchange rate ) = 1,080 billion USD  Total USD currency ( coins and banknotes ) in circulation 859 billion USD   The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995 in Madrid . The euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999 , replacing the former European Currency Unit ( ECU ) at a ratio of 1:1 ( US$ 1.1743 ) . Physical euro coins and banknotes entered into circulation on 1 January 2002 , making it the day-to-day operating currency of its original members , and by May 2002 had completely replaced the former currencies . While the euro dropped subsequently to US$ 0.8252 within two years ( 26 October 2000 ) , it has traded above the U.S. dollar since the end of 2002 , peaking at US$ 1.6038 on 18 July 2008 . Since late 2009 , the euro has been immersed in the European sovereign-debt crisis which has led to the creation of the European Financial Stability Facility as well as other reforms aimed at stabilising the currency . In July 2012 , the euro fell below US$ 1.21 for the first time in two years , following concerns raised over Greek debt and Spain 's troubled banking sector . As of April 2017 , the euro -- dollar exchange rate stands at ~ US$ 1.06 .


Alps The Alps ( -LSB- ælps -RSB- Alpes -LSB- alp -RSB- Alpen -LSB- ˈalpən -RSB- Alpi -LSB- ˈalpi -RSB- Alps Alpe -LSB- ˈáːlpɛ -RSB- ) are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe , The Caucasus Mountains are higher , and the Urals longer , but both lie partly in Asia . stretching approximately 1,200 km across eight Alpine countries : Austria , France , Germany , Italy , Liechtenstein , Monaco , Slovenia , and Switzerland . The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided . Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn . Mont Blanc spans the French -- Italian border , and at 4810 m is the highest mountain in the Alps . The Alpine region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than 4000 metres ( just over 13,000 feet ) .   The altitude and size of the range affects the climate in Europe ; in the mountains precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones . Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3400 m , and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations . Evidence of human habitation in the Alps goes back to the Palaeolithic era . A mummified man , determined to be 5,000 years old , was discovered on a glacier at the Austrian -- Italian border in 1991 .   By the 6th century BC , the Celtic La Tène culture was well established . Hannibal famously crossed the Alps with a herd of elephants , and the Romans had settlements in the region . In 1800 , Napoleon crossed one of the mountain passes with an army of 40,000 . The 18th and 19th centuries saw an influx of naturalists , writers , and artists , in particular the Romantics , followed by the golden age of alpinism as mountaineers began to ascend the peaks . In World War II , Adolf Hitler kept a base of operation in the Bavarian Alps throughout the war .   The Alpine region has a strong cultural identity . The traditional culture of farming , cheesemaking , and woodworking still exists in Alpine villages , although the tourist industry began to grow early in the 20th century and expanded greatly after World War II to become the dominant industry by the end of the century . The Winter Olympic Games have been hosted in the Swiss , French , Italian , Austrian and German Alps . At present , the region is home to 14 million people and has 120 million annual visitors .


European Union The European Union ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe . It has an area of 4,475,757 km2 , and an estimated population of over 510 million . The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states . EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people , goods , services , and capital within the internal market , enact legislation in justice and home affairs , and maintain common policies on trade , agriculture , fisheries , and regional development . Within the Schengen Area , passport controls have been abolished . A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 , and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency .   The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ) and the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958 , respectively . Next the treaty of Rome of 1957 created the European Community made up of the six core countries of Belgium , France , Italy , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and West Germany . The decades following many new members joined them while at the same time integration of economic , cultural , judicial and so forth would then deepen the relationships distinct European entity . The community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit . While no member state has left the EU or its antecedent organisations , the United Kingdom enacted the result of a membership referendum in June 2016 and is currently negotiating its withdrawal . The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship . The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU , the Treaty of Lisbon , came into force in 2009 .   The European Union accumulated a high portion of GDP as a form of foreign aid than any other economic union . Covering 7.3 % of the world population , the EU in 2016 generated a nominal gross domestic product ( GDP ) of 16.477 trillion US dollars , constituting approximately 22.2 % of global nominal GDP and 16.9 % when measured in terms of purchasing power parity . Additionally , 27 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index , according to the United Nations Development Programme . In 2012 , the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy , the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence . The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , the G7 , and the G20 . Because of its global influence , the European Union has been described as an emerging superpower .


James Bond The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming , who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections . Since Fleming 's death in 1964 , eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelizations : Kingsley Amis , Christopher Wood , John Gardner , Raymond Benson , Sebastian Faulks , Jeffery Deaver , William Boyd and Anthony Horowitz . The latest novel is Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz , published in September 2015 . Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond , and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character , Moneypenny .   The character has also been adapted for television , radio , comic strip , video games and film . The films are the longest continually running film series of all time and have grossed over $ 7.040 billion in total , making it the fourth-highest-grossing film series to date , which started in 1962 with Dr. No , starring Sean Connery as Bond . As of , there have been twenty-four films in the Eon Productions series . The most recent Bond film , Spectre ( 2015 ) , stars Daniel Craig in his fourth portrayal of Bond ; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series . There have also been two independent productions of Bond films : Casino Royale ( a 1967 spoof ) and Never Say Never Again ( a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film , Thunderball ) . In 2015 , the franchise was estimated to be worth $ 19.9 billion , making James Bond one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time .   The Bond films are renowned for a number of features , including the musical accompaniment , with the theme songs having received Academy Award nominations on several occasions , and two wins . Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond 's cars , his guns , and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch . The films are also noted for Bond 's relationships with various women , who are sometimes referred to as `` Bond girls '' .


Charles Marie de La Condamine was an astronomer.

Charles Marie de La Condamine Charles Marie de La Condamine ( 28 January 1701 -- 13 February 1774 ) was a French explorer , geographer , and mathematician . He spent ten years in present-day Ecuador measuring the length of a degree latitude at the equator and preparing the first map of the Amazon region based on astronomical observations . Furthermore he was a contributor to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences , des arts et des métiers .


Swedish Empire was founded by Gustav II Adolf.

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire ( stormaktstiden , `` the era of great power '' ) refers to the Kingdom of Sweden 's territorial control of much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries , a time when Sweden was one of the great European powers . The beginning of the Empire is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus , who ascended the throne in 1611 , and the end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War . In Swedish history , the period is referred to as stormaktstiden , literally meaning `` the Great Power era '' .   After the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632 , the empire was , over lengthy periods , controlled by part of the high nobility , most prominently the Oxenstierna family , acting as tutors for minor regents . The interests of the high nobility contrasted with the uniformity policy ( i.e. , the upholding of the traditional equality in status of the Swedish estates favoured by the kings and peasantry ) . In territories acquired during the periods of de facto noble rule , serfdom was not abolished , and there was also a trend to set up respective estates in Sweden proper . The Great Reduction of 1680 put an end to these efforts of the nobility and required them to return estates once gained from the crown to the king . Serfdom , however , remained in force in the dominions acquired in the Holy Roman Empire and in Swedish Estonia , where a consequent application of the uniformity policy was hindered by the treaties by which they were gained .   After the victories in the Thirty Years ' War , the climax of the great power era was reached during the Second Northern War , when their primary adversary Denmark was neutralized by the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 . However , in the further course of this war as well as in the subsequent Scanian War , Sweden was able to maintain her empire only with support of her closest ally , France . Charles XI of Sweden consolidated the empire and ensured a period of peace , before Russia , Saxony and Denmark started a concerted attack on his successor , Charles XII . After initial Swedish victories , Charles secured the empire for some time in the Peace of Travendal ( 1700 ) and the Treaty of Altranstädt ( 1706 ) , before the Battle of Poltava ( 1709 ) finally brought the great power era of Sweden to an end .


Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustav II Adolf ( 9 December 1594 -- 6 November 1632 , O.S. ) ; widely known in English by his Latinised name Gustavus Adolphus or as Gustav II Adolph , was the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power ( Stormaktstiden ) . He led Sweden to military supremacy during the Thirty Years ' War , helping to determine the political as well as the religious balance of power in Europe . He was formally and posthumously given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great ( Gustav Adolf den store , Gustavus Adolphus Magnus ) by the Riksdag of the Estates in 1634 .   He is often regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time , with innovative use of combined arms . His most notable military victory was the Battle of Breitenfeld . With a superb military machine with good weapons , excellent training , and effective field artillery , backed by an efficient government which could provide necessary funds , Gustavus Adolphus was poised to make himself a major European leader , but he was killed a year later at the Battle of Lützen in 1632 . He was ably assisted in his efforts by Count Axel Oxenstierna , the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden , who also acted as regent after his death .   In an era characterized by almost endless warfare , he led his armies as king from 1611 ( at age 16 ) until his death in battle in 1632 while leading a charge . Sweden rose from the status of a mere regional power to one of the great powers of Europe and a model of early modern era government . Within only a few years of his accession , Sweden had become the largest nation in Europe after Russia , Spain and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Some have called him the `` father of modern warfare '' , or the first great modern general . Under his tutelage , Sweden and the Protestant cause developed a number of excellent commanders , such as Lennart Torstensson , who would go on to defeat Sweden 's enemies and expand the boundaries and the power of the empire long after Gustavus Adolphus ' death in battle .   He was known by the epithets `` The Golden King '' and `` The Lion of the North '' by neighboring sovereigns . He made Sweden one of the great powers of Europe in part by reforming the administrative structure . For example , he began Parish registration of the population , so that the central government could more efficiently tax and conscript the people . Historian Christer Jorgensen argues that his achievement in the field of economic reform , trade , modernization , and the creation of the modern bureaucratic autocracy was as great as his exploits on the battlefields . His domestic reforms , which transformed a backward , almost medieval economy and society , were in fact not only the foundations for his victories in Germany , but also absolutely crucial for the creation and survival of the Swedish Empire .


One Direction One Direction ( commonly abbreviated as 1D ) are an English-Irish pop boy band based in London , composed of Niall Horan , Liam Payne , Harry Styles , Louis Tomlinson , and previously , Zayn Malik until his departure from the band on 25 March 2015 . The group signed with Simon Cowell 's record label Syco Records after forming and finishing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2010 . Propelled to international success by social media , One Direction 's five albums , Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , Four ( 2014 ) , and Made in the A.M. ( 2015 ) , topped charts in most major markets , and generated hit singles including `` What Makes You Beautiful '' , `` Live While We 're Young '' , `` Best Song Ever '' , `` Story of My Life '' , and `` Drag Me Down '' .   Their awards include six Brit Awards , four MTV Video Music Awards , eleven MTV Europe Music Awards , seven American Music Awards ( including Artist of the Year in 2014 and 2015 ) , and 27 Teen Choice Awards , among many others . According to Nick Gatfield , the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK , One Direction represented a $ 50 million business empire by June 2012 . They were proclaimed 2012 's `` Top New Artist '' by Billboard . According to the Sunday Times Rich List , by April 2013 , they had an estimated personal combined wealth of # 25 million ( $ 41.2 m ) making them the second-wealthiest musicians in the UK under 30 years of age . In 2014 , Forbes listed them the second-highest earning celebrities under 30 , with the group earning an estimated $ 75 million from June 2013 to June 2014 . In June 2015 , Forbes listed their earnings at $ 130 million for the previous twelve months , and ranked them the fourth highest earning celebrities in the world . In 2016 Forbes ranked them the world 's second highest earning celebrities .   After the release of Four , One Direction became the first band in the US Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one . Their third album , Midnight Memories , was the biggest-selling album worldwide of 2013 despite being released in late November . The band 's Where We Are Tour in support of Midnight Memories and Four , was the highest-grossing concert tour in 2014 , and the highest-grossing tour ever by a vocal group , generating $ 282 million . In 2014 , Billboard named One Direction Artist of the Year . The band is currently on a hiatus that began in January 2016 , allowing all members to pursue other projects .


Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman ( born April 13 , 1950 ) is an American actor and voice actor . He is best known for his roles as Clay Morrow on the television series Sons of Anarchy , Vincent on the television series Beauty and the Beast ( for which he won a Golden Globe Award ) , and as the comic book character Hellboy in both Hellboy ( 2004 ) and its sequel Hellboy II : The Golden Army ( 2008 ) .   Perlman is also well known as a frequent collaborator of Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro , also having roles in his films Cronos , Blade II and Pacific Rim . He is also known for his voice-over work as the narrator of the post-apocalyptic game series Fallout , Clayface on Batman : The Animated Series , Slade on the animated series Teen Titans , The Lich in Adventure Time , The Stabbington Brothers in Disney 's animated film Tangled , and as the narrator of the television series 1000 Ways to Die .


Hopman Cup has been attended by Harry Hopman's widow.

Hopman Cup The Hopman Cup is an annual international eight-team indoor hardcourt tennis tournament held in Perth , Western Australia in early January ( sometimes commencing in late December ) each year , which plays mixed-gender teams on a country-by-country basis .   The championship is named in honour of Harry Hopman ( 1906 -- 1985 ) , an Australian tennis player and coach who guided the country to 15 Davis Cup titles between 1938 and 1969 . Since the Hopman Cup was founded in 1989 , it has been attended each year by Harry Hopman 's widow , his second wife Lucy , who travels to the tournament annually from her home in the United States .   The tournament is a sanctioned event in the calendar of the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) , but while individual player results are tallied , they are not included in the calculation of tennis world rankings . The competition receives extensive television coverage in Australia and is an important lead-up tournament to the Australian Open each January as part of the Australian Open Series . The winning team receives a silver cup perpetual trophy and up to 2014 the winning team members were presented with distinctive individual trophies in the shape of a tennis ball encrusted with diamonds from the Argyle diamond mine in the Kimberley region of Western Australia . In 2014 and 2015 , the individual trophies were created in the shape of an intricate diamond encrusted tennis racket and ball , using just under an ounce of 18-carat white , yellow and rose gold and approximately half an ounce of pink argyle diamonds . These trophies are valued at $ 26,000 .   Until 2012 , the Hopman Cup was played at the Burswood Dome . Since 2013 , the Hopman Cup has been played at the Perth Arena .


Tom Morello became interested in politics.

Tom Morello Thomas Baptiste Morello ( born May 30 , 1964 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter , actor and political activist . He is best known for his tenure with the band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave . As of 2016 , Morello is a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage . Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band . He is also known for his acoustic solo act called The Nightwatchman , and Street Sweeper Social Club . Morello is also the co-founder ( along with Serj Tankian ) of the non-profit political activist organization Axis of Justice , which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK ( 90.7 FM ) in Los Angeles .   Born in Harlem , New York , and raised in Libertyville , Illinois , Morello became interested in music and politics while in high school . He attended Harvard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies . After his previous band Lock Up disbanded , Morello met Zack de la Rocha , and the two founded Rage Against the Machine together . The group went on to become one of the most popular and influential rock acts of the 1990s .   He is best known for his unique and creative guitar playing style , which incorporates feedback noise , unconventional picking and tapping as well as heavy use of guitar effects . Morello is also noted for his leftist political views and activism ; his creation of his side project The Nightwatchman offered an outlet for his views while playing apolitical music with Audioslave . He was ranked number 40 in Rolling Stone magazine 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time '' .


John F. Kennedy gave authorization for an attempt to overthrow the government of Cuba.

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald `` Jack '' Kennedy ( May 29 , 1917 -- November 22 , 1963 ) , commonly referred to by his initials JFK , was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963 . Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War , and much of his presidency focused on managing relations with the Soviet Union . He was a member of the Democratic Party who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate prior to becoming president .   Kennedy was born in Brookline , Massachusetts to Joseph P. Kennedy , Sr. and Rose Kennedy . A scion of the Kennedy family , he graduated from Harvard University in 1940 before joining the United States Naval Reserve the following year . During World War II , Kennedy commanded a series of PT boats in the Pacific theater and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his service . After the war , Kennedy represented Massachusetts 's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 until 1953 . He was subsequently elected to the U.S. Senate and served as the junior Senator from Massachusetts from 1953 until 1960 . While serving in the Senate , he published Profiles in Courage , which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography . In the 1960 presidential election , Kennedy narrowly defeated Republican opponent Richard Nixon , who was the incumbent Vice President .   Kennedy 's time in office was marked by high tensions with Communist states in the Cold War . He increased the number of American military advisers in South Vietnam by a factor of 18 over President Dwight D. Eisenhower . In April 1961 , he authorized a failed joint-CIA attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro in the Bay of Pigs Invasion . He subsequently rejected plans by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to orchestrate false-flag attacks on American soil in order to gain public approval for a war against Cuba . In October 1962 , U.S. spy planes discovered that Soviet missile bases had been deployed in Cuba ; the resulting period of tensions , termed the Cuban Missile Crisis , nearly resulted in the breakout of a global thermonuclear conflict . Domestically , Kennedy presided over the establishment of the Peace Corps and supported the Civil Rights Movement , but he was largely unsuccessful in passing his New Frontier domestic policies . Kennedy continues to rank highly in historians ' polls of U.S. presidents and with the general public . His average approval rating of 70 % is the highest of any president in Gallup 's history of systematically measuring job approval .   On November 22 , 1963 , Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas , Texas . Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime , but he was never prosecuted due to his murder by Jack Ruby two days later . Pursuant to the Presidential Succession Act , Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president later that day . The FBI and the Warren Commission officially concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin , but various groups believed that Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy . After Kennedy 's death , many of his proposals were enacted , including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Revenue Act of 1964 .


Marlon Brando was in a film adapted from the work of an American author.

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 .


Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier `` Tennessee '' Williams III ( March 26 , 1911 -- February 25 , 1983 ) was an American playwright . Along with Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller he is considered among the three foremost playwrights in 20th-century American drama .   After years of obscurity , he became suddenly famous with The Glass Menagerie ( 1944 ) , closely reflecting his own unhappy family background . This heralded a string of successes , including A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1947 ) , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ( 1955 ) , and Sweet Bird of Youth ( 1959 ) . His later work attempted a new style that did not appeal to audiences , and alcohol and drug dependence further inhibited his creative output . His drama A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill 's Long Day 's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman .   Much of Williams ' most acclaimed work was adapted for the cinema . He also wrote short stories , poetry , essays and a volume of memoirs . In 1979 , four years before his death , Williams was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame .


Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer produced the 1986 action film Top Gun.

Don Simpson Donald Clarence `` Don '' Simpson ( October 29 , 1943 -- January 19 , 1996 ) was an American film producer , screenwriter , and actor . Simpson , along with his producing partner Jerry Bruckheimer , produced such hit films as Flashdance ( 1983 ) , Beverly Hills Cop ( 1984 ) , Top Gun ( 1986 ) , and The Rock ( 1996 ) . Their films would go on to earn $ 3 billion worldwide .


Same-sex marriage in Spain Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 3 July 2005 . In 2004 , the nation 's newly elected Socialist Party ( PSOE ) Government , led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , began a campaign for its legalization , including the right of adoption by same-sex couples . After much debate , a law permitting same-sex marriage was passed by the Cortes Generales ( Spain 's bicameral Parliament , composed of the Senate and the Congress of Deputies ) on 30 June 2005 and published on 2 July 2005 . The law took effect the next day , making Spain the third country in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry across the entire country , after the Netherlands and Belgium , and 17 days ahead of the right being extended across all of Canada .   The ratification of this law was not devoid of conflict , despite support from 66 % of the population . Roman Catholic authorities in particular were adamantly opposed , criticising what they regarded as the weakening of the meaning of marriage . Other associations expressed concern over the possibility of lesbians and gays adopting children . Demonstrations for and against the law drew thousands of people from all parts of Spain . After its approval , the conservative People 's Party challenged the law in the Constitutional Court .   Approximately 4,500 same-sex couples married in Spain during the first year of the law . Shortly after the law was passed , questions arose about the legal status of marriage to non-Spaniards whose country did not permit same-sex marriage . A ruling from the Justice Ministry stated that the country 's same-sex marriage law allows a Spanish citizen to marry a non-Spaniard regardless of whether that person 's homeland recognizes the partnership . At least one partner must be a Spanish citizen in order to marry , although two non-Spaniards may marry if they both have legal residence in Spain .   The November 2011 general election delivered a landslide victory to the People 's Party , whose leader Mariano Rajoy said that he opposed same-sex marriage , but any decision about repealing the law could be made only after the ruling of the Constitutional Court . On 6 November 2012 , the law was upheld by the Court with 8 support votes and 3 against . Minister of Justice Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón announced that the Government will abide the ruling and the law will not be repealed .


Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage , also known as gay marriage , is marriage between people of the same sex , either as a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting .   In the late 20th century , rites of marriage for same-sex couples without legal recognition became increasingly common . The first law providing for marriage of people of the same sex in modern times was enacted in 2001 in the Netherlands . , same-sex marriage is legally recognized ( nationwide or in some parts ) in the following countries : Argentina , Belgium , Brazil , Canada , Colombia , Denmark,Same-sex marriage is legal in Denmark proper and Greenland . Legislation allowing same-sex marriage in the Faroe Islands has received royal assent though is not yet in effect . Finland , France , Iceland , Ireland , Luxembourg , Mexico,Same-sex marriage is legal in the states of Campeche , Coahuila , Colima , Jalisco , Michoacán , Morelos , Nayarit , Quintana Roo and Mexico City as well as in some municipalities in Guerrero , Puebla , Querétaro and Tamaulipas . Same-sex marriages performed in these jurisdictions are recognized throughout Mexico . the Netherlands,Same-sex marriage is legal in The Netherlands proper . Same-sex marriages performed there are recognized in Aruba , Curaçao and Sint Maarten . New Zealand,Same-sex marriage is legal in New Zealand proper , though is not legal in Tokelau , the Cook Islands and Niue , which together make up the Realm of New Zealand . Norway , Portugal , South Africa , Spain , Sweden , the United Kingdom,Same-sex marriage is legal England and Wales and Scotland ; though is notably not legal in Northern Ireland . Same-sex marriage is legal in the overseas territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia , Ascension Island , Bermuda , the British Antarctic Territory , the British Indian Ocean Territory , Gibraltar and the Pitcairn Islands ; and in the Crown dependencies of Guernsey and the Isle of Man . The law in the Falkland Islands is not yet in force . the United StatesSame-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states , the District of Columbia , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , Puerto Rico , the United States Virgin Islands and some tribal jurisdictions . Some tribal jurisdictions do not recognize same-sex marriage . In the United States , Congress ( not the federal courts ) has legal authority over Indian country . Thus , unless Congress passes a law regarding same-sex marriage for Indian tribes , federally recognized American Indian tribes have the legal right to form their own marriage laws . American Samoa is the only unincorporated territory of the United States not to have legalized same-sex marriage . and Uruguay . Same-sex marriage is likely to soon become legal in Taiwan , after a constitutional court ruling in May 2017 . Polls show rising support for legally recognizing same-sex marriage in the Americas , Australia and most of Europe .  However , as of 2017 , South Africa is the only African country where same-sex marriage is recognized . No country in Asia legally recognises same-sex marriage ceremonies performed under its jurisdiction , although Israel recognises same-sex marriages performed overseas for some purposes .   Introduction of same-sex marriage laws has varied by jurisdiction , being variously accomplished through legislative change to marriage laws , a court ruling based on constitutional guarantees of equality , or by direct popular vote ( via ballot initiative or referendum ) . The recognition of same-sex marriage is a political and social issue , and also a religious issue in many countries , and debates continue to arise over whether people in same-sex relationships should be allowed marriage or some similar status ( a civil union ) . Same-sex marriage can provide those in same-sex relationships who pay their taxes with government services and make financial demands on them comparable to those afforded to and required of those in opposite-sex marriages . Same-sex marriage also gives them legal protections such as inheritance and hospital visitation rights . Various faith communities around the world support allowing those of the same sex to marry , while many major religions oppose same-sex marriage . Opponents of same-sex marriages have argued that recognition of same-sex marriages would erode religious freedoms , undermine a right of children to be raised by their biological mother and father or erode the institution of marriage itself .   Some analysts state that financial , psychological and physical well-being are enhanced by marriage , and that children of same-sex parents or carers benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally recognized union supported by society 's institutions . Court documents filed by American scientific associations also state that singling out gay men and women as ineligible for marriage both stigmatizes and invites public discrimination against them . The American Anthropological Association asserts that social science research does not support the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution .


Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey ( -LSB- fraɪ -RSB- November 6 , 1948 -- January 18 , 2016 ) was an American singer , songwriter and actor , best known as a founding member of the rock band Eagles . Frey was the lead singer and frontman for the Eagles , roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley , with whom he wrote most of the Eagles ' material . Frey played guitar , piano , and keyboards . He sang lead vocals on songs such as `` Take It Easy '' , `` Peaceful Easy Feeling '' , `` Tequila Sunrise '' , `` Already Gone '' , `` Lyin ' Eyes '' , `` New Kid in Town '' , and `` Heartache Tonight '' .   After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980 , Frey embarked on a successful solo career . He released his debut album , No Fun Aloud , in 1982 and went on to record Top 40 hits `` The One You Love '' , `` Smuggler 's Blues '' , `` Sexy Girl '' , `` The Heat Is On '' , `` You Belong to the City '' , `` True Love '' , `` Soul Searchin ' '' and `` Livin ' Right '' . As a member of the Eagles , Frey won six Grammy Awards , and five American Music Awards . The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 , the first year they were nominated . Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles , Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 .


Audi had the slogan, "Truth in Engineering" from 2007 to 2016.

Audi Audi ( -LSB- ˈʔaʊ̯dɪ ʔaːˈgeː -RSB- ) is a German automobile manufacturer that designs , engineers , produces , markets and distributes luxury vehicles . Audi is a member of the Volkswagen Group and has its roots at Ingolstadt , Bavaria , Germany . Audi-branded vehicles are produced in nine production facilities worldwide .   The origins of the company are complex , going back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises ( Horch and the Audiwerke ) founded by engineer August Horch ; and two other manufacturers ( DKW and Wanderer ) , leading to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932 . The modern era of Audi essentially began in the 1960s when Auto Union was acquired by Volkswagen from Daimler-Benz . After relaunching the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series , Volkswagen merged Auto Union with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969 , thus creating the present day form of the company .   The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder , August Horch . `` Horch '' , meaning `` listen '' in German , becomes `` audi '' in Latin . The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi 's predecessor company , Auto Union . Audi 's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik , meaning `` Advancement through Technology '' . However , Audi USA had used the slogan `` Truth in Engineering '' from 2007 to 2016 , and has not used the slogan since 2016 . Audi , along with BMW and Mercedes are among the best-selling luxury automobile brands in the world .


Asteroid Day is an event that only happens in the United States.

Asteroid Day Asteroid Day ( also known as International Asteroid Day ) is an annual global event that aims to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth , its families , communities , and future generations . Asteroid Day is held on the anniversary of the June 30 , 1908 Siberian Tunguska event , the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history . The United Nations has proclaimed that Asteroid Day will be observed globally on June 30 every year in its resolution .   It was co-founded by filmmaker Grigorij Richters , B612 Foundation COO Danica Remy , Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart and Brian May , Queen guitarist and astrophysicist . Over 200 astronauts , scientists , technologists and artists , including Richard Dawkins , Bill Nye , Peter Gabriel , Jim Lovell , Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins , Alexei Leonov , Bill Anders , Kip Thorne , Lord Martin Rees , Chris Hadfield , Rusty Schweickart and Brian Cox co-signed the Asteroid Day Declaration . Asteroid Day was officially launched on December 3 , 2014 .


Bob Dylan Bob Dylan ( -LSB- ˈdɪlən -RSB- born Robert Allen Zimmerman ; May 24 , 1941 ) is an American poetic songwriter , singer , painter , writer , and Nobel prize laureate . He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades . Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s , when his songs chronicled social unrest . Early songs such as `` Blowin ' in the Wind '' and `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war movement . Leaving behind his initial base in the American folk music revival , his six-minute single `` Like a Rolling Stone '' , recorded in 1965 , enlarged the range of popular music .   Dylan 's lyrics incorporate a wide range of political , social , philosophical , and literary influences . They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture . Initially inspired by the performances of Little Richard and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie , Robert Johnson , and Hank Williams , Dylan has amplified and personalized musical genres . His recording career , spanning more than 50 years , has explored the traditions in American song -- from folk , blues , and country to gospel , rock and roll , and rockabilly to English , Scottish , and Irish folk music , embracing even jazz and the Great American Songbook . Dylan performs with guitar , keyboards , and harmonica . Backed by a changing lineup of musicians , he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour . His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career , but his songwriting is considered his greatest contribution .   Since 1994 , Dylan has published seven books of drawings and paintings , and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries . As a musician , Dylan has sold more than 100 million records , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time . He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards , a Golden Globe Award , and an Academy Award . Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Minnesota Music Hall of Fame , Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame , and Songwriters Hall of Fame . The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for `` his profound impact on popular music and American culture , marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power . '' In May 2012 , Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama . In 2016 , he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature `` for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition '' .


Ellen Pompeo was ranked on a list in a magazine.

Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo ( -LSB- pʌmˈpɛoʊ -RSB- , born November 10 , 1969 ) is an American actress and producer . Born in Everett , Massachusetts , Pompeo moved to New York City at 26 where she was discovered by a casting director who signed her for an advertisement campaign for L'Oreal . She made her screen debut with NBC 's legal drama Law & Order , and then guest-starred in other television shows , including the comedy Strangers with Candy , the medical drama Strong Medicine and the sitcom Friends .   Pompeo made her feature film debut in 1999 with the romantic comedy Coming Soon , and went on to play minor roles in films like In the Weeds and Mambo Café but found little success initially . A turning point came in her career in 2002 , when she gained wide recognition for her starring role in Brad Silberling 's drama Moonlight Mile . Pompeo then starred in ABC 's popular medical drama Grey 's Anatomy ( 2005 -- present ) , and garnered worldwide recognition for her portrayal of the title character Dr. Meredith Grey . The role on the long running series earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama nomination , and the Screen Actors Guild Award . The character became widely popular , making Pompeo one of the most popular television actresses .   In 2015 , Pompeo was ranked fourth in the list of highest paid TV actresses by Forbes , with the earnings of $ 11.5 million , a spot that she held on to the following year with the earnings of $ 14.5 million . Pompeo 's other notable film roles include the comedy Old School ( 2003 ) , the superhero film Daredevil ( 2003 ) , the caper film Art Heist ( 2004 ) , and the comedy drama Life of the Party ( 2005 ) . In October 2007 , she was honored with Special Achievement in Entertaining by the National Italian American Foundation for her achievement in the entertainment industry . Pompeo married producer Chris Ivery in 2007 and the couple have three children together .


Forbes Forbes ( -LSB- fɔrbz -RSB- ) is an American business magazine . Published bi-weekly , it features original articles on finance , industry , investing , and marketing topics . Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology , communications , science , politics , and law . Its headquarters is located in Jersey City , New Jersey . Primary competitors in the national business magazine category include Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek . The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings , including its lists of the richest Americans ( the Forbes 400 ) and rankings of world 's top companies ( the Forbes Global 2000 ) . Another well-known list by the magazine is The World 's Billionaires list .   The motto of Forbes magazine is `` The Capitalist Tool '' . Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes , and its CEO is Mike Perlis .


Adolf Hitler refused to join the German Workers' Party (DAP).

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler ( -LSB- ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ -RSB- ; 20 April 1889 -- 30 April 1945 ) was a German politician who was the leader of the Nazi Party ( Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei ; NSDAP ) , Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 , and Führer ( `` Leader '' ) of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945 . As dictator of the German Reich , he initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 , and was central to the Holocaust .   Hitler was born in Austria , then part of Austria-Hungary , and raised near Linz . He moved to Germany in 1913 and was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War I . He joined the German Workers ' Party ( DAP ) , the precursor of the NSDAP , in 1919 and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921 . In 1923 he attempted a coup in Munich to seize power . The failed coup resulted in Hitler 's imprisonment , during which he dictated the first volume of his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf ( `` My Struggle '' ) . After his release in 1924 , Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism , anti-semitism , and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda . Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy .   By 1933 , the Nazi Party was the largest elected party in the German Reichstag , which led to Hitler 's appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 . Following fresh elections won by his coalition , the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act , which began the process of transforming the Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany , a one-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of National Socialism . Hitler aimed to eliminate Jews from Germany and establish a New Order to counter what he saw as the injustice of the post-World War I international order dominated by Britain and France . His first six years in power resulted in rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression , the effective abandonment of restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I , and the annexation of territories that were home to millions of ethnic Germans -- actions which gave him significant popular support .   Hitler sought Lebensraum ( `` living space '' ) for the German people in Eastern Europe . His aggressive foreign policy is considered to be the primary cause of the outbreak of World War II in Europe . He directed large-scale rearmament and on 1 September 1939 invaded Poland , resulting in British and French declarations of war on Germany . In June 1941 , Hitler ordered an invasion of the Soviet Union . By the end of 1941 German forces and the European Axis powers occupied most of Europe and North Africa . Failure to defeat the Soviets and the entry of the United States into the war forced Germany onto the defensive and it suffered a series of escalating defeats . In the final days of the war , during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 , Hitler married his long-time lover , Eva Braun . On 30 April 1945 , less than two days later , the two killed themselves to avoid capture by the Red Army , and their corpses were burned .   Under Hitler 's leadership and racially motivated ideology , the Nazi regime was responsible for the genocide of at least 5.5 million Jews and millions of other victims whom he and his followers deemed Untermenschen ( `` sub-humans '' ) and socially undesirable . Hitler and the Nazi regime were also responsible for the killing of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war . In addition , 29 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European Theatre of World War II . The number of civilians killed during the Second World War was unprecedented in warfare , and constitutes the deadliest conflict in human history .


2007 was the year Persuasion (2007 film) was premiered.

Persuasion (2007 film) Persuasion is a 2007 British television film adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel Persuasion . It was directed by Adrian Shergold and the screenplay was written by Simon Burke . Sally Hawkins stars as the protagonist Anne Elliot , while Rupert Penry-Jones plays Frederick Wentworth . Eight years prior to the film 's beginning , Anne was persuaded to reject Wentworth 's proposal of marriage . Now 27 and unmarried , Anne re-encounters Wentworth , who has made his fortune in the Napoleonic Wars and is looking for a wife -- anyone but Anne , whom he has not forgiven for rejecting him all those years ago .   Persuasion was one of three novels adapted for ITV 's Jane Austen season . It was the first of the three adaptations to begin development . The drama was co-produced by Clerkenwell Films and American studio WGBH Boston . Persuasion premiered on 1 April 2007 in the United Kingdom and was watched by 5.4 million viewers . Persuasion received mixed reviews from television critics .


Shania Twain Shania Twain , OC ( -LSB- ʃəˈnaɪ.ə _ ˈtweɪn -RSB- born Eilleen Regina Edwards ; August 28 , 1965 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter . Twain has sold over 85 million records , making her the best-selling female artist in the history of country music and one of the best-selling music artists of all time . Her success garnered her several honorific titles including the `` Queen of Country Pop '' .   Twain 's second album , 1995 's The Woman in Me , brought her widespread success selling 20 million copies worldwide , spawning hits such as `` Any Man of Mine '' and earning her a Grammy Award . Twain 's third album , Come On Over , became the best-selling studio album of all time by a female act in any genre and the best-selling country album , selling around 40 million copies worldwide . Come On Over produced several singles , including `` You 're Still the One '' , `` From This Moment On '' and `` Man ! I Feel Like a Woman ! '' , and earned Twain four Grammy Awards . Her fourth and latest studio album , Up ! , was released in 2002 and , like her previous two albums , was also certified Diamond in the U.S. , spawning hits like `` I 'm Gon na Getcha Good ! '' and `` Forever and for Always '' .   Twain has received five Grammy Awards , 27 BMI Songwriter awards , stars on Canada 's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame . She is the only female artist in history to have three consecutive albums certified Diamond by the RIAA . Altogether , Twain is ranked as the 10th best-selling artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era .   In 2004 , Twain retired from performing and retreated to her home in Switzerland . In her 2011 autobiography , she cited a weakening singing voice as the reason for not performing publicly . When both her singing and speaking were affected , Twain consulted the Vanderbilt Dayani Center in Nashville . Specialists discovered lesions on her vocal cords and diagnosed her with dysphonia , all treatable with careful rehabilitation . In 2012 , Twain returned to the concert stage in her critically acclaimed show Still the One , exclusively at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace . In 2015 , Twain returned to the road for what she has billed as her farewell tour . The Rock This Country tour kicked off on June 5 , 2015 in Seattle , Washington and originally concluded in Fresno , California on August 23 but was extended to include additional dates and ended October 27 , 2015 in Kelowna , British Columbia , Canada .


Laadla (1994 film) Laadla ( translation : The Beloved Son ) is a Bollywood film released on 17 April 1994 , starring Sridevi , Anil Kapoor and Raveena Tandon . The film was notable because Divya Bharti was to star as the lead role Sheetal , filming most of the film . However , due to her untimely death in 1993 , Laadla was re-filmed with Sridevi in the lead role . Footage of late Divya Bharti as Sheetal is available on the internet . Laadla is the remake of Rajkumar 's blockbuster Kannada movie called Anuraga Aralithu ( 1986 ) . Laadla was a Box Office Hit dominated by Sridevi 's presence who was quite a big star at that time .


James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell ( born January 27 , 1940 ) is an American actor and producer . Some of his more notable films include Star Trek : First Contact ( 1996 ) , L.A. Confidential ( 1997 ) , The Green Mile ( 1999 ) , Space Cowboys ( 2000 ) , The Sum of All Fears ( 2002 ) , I , Robot ( 2004 ) , The Longest Yard ( 2005 ) , The Queen ( 2006 ) , Secretariat ( 2010 ) and The Artist ( 2011 ) , as well as the television series Six Feet Under ( 2003 -- 2005 ) , 24 ( 2007 ) and Halt and Catch Fire ( 2015 ) .   Cromwell has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards , as well as the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Babe ( 1995 ) . He won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his role in American Horror Story : Asylum ( 2012 ) and a Canadian Screen Award for his role in Still Mine ( 2013 ) .


Alex Rodriguez signed two lucrative sports contracts.

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez ( born July 27 , 1975 ) , nicknamed `` A-Rod '' , is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman . He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the Seattle Mariners , Texas Rangers , and New York Yankees . Rodriguez was one of the sport 's most highly touted prospects and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time . During his 22-year career , Rodriguez has amassed a .297 batting average , 696 home runs , over 2,000 runs batted in ( RBI ) , over 2,000 runs scored , and over 3,000 hits . He is a 14-time All-Star and has won three American League ( AL ) Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Awards , ten Silver Slugger Awards , and two Gold Glove Awards . Rodríguez is the career record holder for grand slams with 25 . However , he has led a highly controversial career due to signing two of the most lucrative sports contracts in history while incurring criticism from the media for his behavior and use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs .   The Mariners selected Rodriguez first overall in the 1993 MLB draft , and he debuted in the major leagues the following year at the age of 18 . In 1996 , he became the Mariners ' starting shortstop and finished second in voting for the AL MVP Award . Rodriguez 's combination of power , speed , and defense made him a cornerstone of the franchise , but he left the team via free agency after the 2000 season to join the Rangers . The 10-year , $ 252 million contract he signed was the richest in baseball history . He played at a high level in his three years with Texas , highlighted by his first AL MVP Award win in 2003 , but the team failed to make the playoffs during his tenure . Prior to the 2004 season , Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees , for whom he converted to a third baseman due to incumbent shortstop Derek Jeter . In his first four seasons with New York , he was twice more named AL MVP . After opting out of his contract following the 2007 season , Rodriguez signed a new 10-year , $ 275 million deal with the Yankees , extending his record for the sport 's most lucrative contract . He became the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs , reaching the milestone in 2007 . He won his first World Series in 2009 , which was the first year of the new Yankee Stadium . The following year , he became the career leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent . In recent years , Rodriguez has been hampered by hip and knee injuries , which have caused him to exclusively become a designated hitter . He played his final game as a Yankee on August 12 , 2016 .   In February 2009 , after previously denying use of performance-enhancing drugs , including during a 2007 interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes , Rodriguez admitted to using steroids , saying he used them from 2001 to 2003 when playing for Rangers due to `` an enormous amount of pressure '' to perform . While recovering from a hip injury in 2013 , Rodriguez made headlines by feuding with team management over his rehabilitation and for having allegedly obtained performance-enhancing drugs as part of the Biogenesis baseball scandal . In August 2013 , MLB suspended him 211 games for his involvement in the scandal , but he was allowed to play while appealing the punishment . Had the original suspension been upheld , it would have been the longest non-lifetime suspension in Major League Baseball history . After an arbitration hearing , the suspension was reduced to 162 games , keeping him off the field for the entire 2014 season .


One character on Homeland is a U.S. Military serviceman.

Homeland (TV series) Homeland is an American spy thriller television series developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa based on the Israeli series Prisoners of War ( Original title חטופים Hatufim , literally `` Abductees '' ) , which was created by Gideon Raff .   The series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison , a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder , and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody , a U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper . Mathison had come to believe that Brody , who was held captive by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war , was `` turned '' by the enemy and poses a threat to the United States .   The series is broadcast in the U.S. on the cable channel Showtime , and is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios ( formerly Fox 21 ) . It premiered on October 2 , 2011 . The first episode was made available online , more than two weeks before the television broadcast , with viewers having to complete game tasks to gain access . On October 22 , 2013 , Showtime renewed Homeland for a fourth season , which premiered on October 5 , 2014 . On November 10 , 2014 , Showtime renewed the series for a 12-episode fifth season that premiered on October 4 , 2015 . On December 9 , 2015 , the series was renewed for a sixth season . The sixth season debuted on January 15 , 2017 . The series has also been renewed for a seventh and eighth season ; the eighth is planned to be the series ' final season by the creators .   The series has received generally positive reviews , and has won several awards , including the 2012 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series , and the 2011 and 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama , as well as the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Damian Lewis and Claire Danes , respectively .


The Fosters (2013 TV series) The Fosters is an American family drama television series created by Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg which first premiered in the United States on June 3 , 2013 on the Freeform ( previously named ABC Family ) television network . It follows the lives of the Foster family led by lesbian couple Stef and Lena , a cop and a school vice principal respectively , who raise a multi-ethnic blended family that consists of one biological and four adopted children in San Diego , California .   The first season of The Fosters received generally favorable reviews from critics and also garnered particular acclaim for its portrayal of LGBT themes . It also earned two GLAAD Media Awards and one Teen Choice Award .


The Guinness World Records refers to Mariah Carey as the "songbird supreme".

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( born March 27 , 1969 or 1970 ) is an American singer , songwriter , record producer , and actress . In 1990 , she rose to fame with the release of `` Vision of Love '' from her eponymous debut album . The album produced four chart-topping singles in the US and began what would become a string of commercially successful albums which solidified the singer as Columbias highest selling act . Carey and Boyz II Men spent a record sixteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 -- 96 with `` One Sweet Day , '' which remains the longest-running number-one song in US chart history . Following a contentious divorce from Sony Music head Tommy Mottola , Carey adopted a new image and traversed towards hip hop with the release of Butterfly ( 1997 ) . In 1998 , she was honored as the world 's best-selling recording artist of the 1990s at the World Music Awards and subsequently named the best-selling female artist of the millennium in 2000 .   Carey parted with Columbia in 2000 , and signed a record-breaking $ 100 million recording contract with Virgin Records America . In the weeks prior to the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying soundtrack in 2001 , she suffered a physical and emotional breakdown and was hospitalized for severe exhaustion . The project was poorly received and led to a general decline in the singer 's career . Carey 's recording contract was bought out for $ 50 million by Virgin and she signed a multi-million dollar deal with Island Records the following year . After a relatively unsuccessful period , she returned to the top of music charts with The Emancipation of Mimi ( 2005 ) . The album became the best-selling album in the US and the second best-seller worldwide in 2005 and produced `` We Belong Together , '' which became her most successful single of the 2000s , and was later named `` Song of the Decade '' by Billboard . Carey once again ventured into film with a well-received supporting role in Precious ( 2009 ) , and was awarded the `` Breakthrough Performance Award '' at the Palm Springs International Film Festival .   Throughout her career , Carey has sold more than 200 million records worldwide , making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time . According to the RIAA , she is the third-best-selling female artist in the United States , with 63.5 million certified albums . With the release of `` Touch My Body '' ( 2008 ) , Carey gained her 18th number-one single in the United States , more than any other solo artist . In 2012 , the singer was ranked second on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Women in Music . '' Aside from her commercial accomplishments , Carey has won 5 Grammy Awards , 19 World Music Awards , 11 American Music Awards , and 14 Billboard Music Awards and has been consistently credited with inspiring a generation of singers . Referred to as the `` songbird supreme '' by the Guinness World Records , she has a five-octave vocal range , power , melismatic style and signature use of the whistle register .


The Leftovers (TV series) The Leftovers is an American television drama series created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta , airing on HBO . It is based on Perrotta 's novel of the same name . The pilot was written by Lindelof and Perrotta , and directed by Peter Berg . The series stars an ensemble cast featuring Justin Theroux , Amy Brenneman , Christopher Eccleston , Liv Tyler , Chris Zylka , Margaret Qualley , Carrie Coon , Ann Dowd , and Regina King . The series premiered on HBO on June 29 , 2014 , and was renewed for a second season , which premiered on October 4 , 2015 , and concluded December 6 , 2015 . On December 10 , 2015 , HBO renewed the show for a third and final season , which premiered on April 16 , 2017 .