World War II included a military campaign in East Africa.

World War II World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier . It involved the vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually forming two opposing military alliances : the Allies and the Axis . It was the most widespread war in history , and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries . In a state of `` total war '' , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources . Marked by mass deaths of civilians , including the Holocaust ( in which approximately 11 million people were killed ) and the strategic bombing of industrial and population centres ( in which approximately one million were killed , and which included the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ) , it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities . These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history .   The Empire of Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with the Republic of China in 1937 , but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and the United Kingdom . Supplied by the Soviet Union , from late 1939 to early 1941 , in a series of campaigns and treaties , Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe , and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan . Under the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 , Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours , Poland , Finland , Romania and the Baltic states . The war continued primarily between the European Axis powers and the coalition of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth , with campaigns including the North Africa and East Africa campaigns , the aerial Battle of Britain , the Blitz bombing campaign , the Balkan Campaign as well as the long-running Battle of the Atlantic . On 22 June 1941 , the European Axis powers launched an invasion of the Soviet Union , opening the largest land theatre of war in history , which trapped the major part of the Axis ' military forces into a war of attrition . In December 1941 , Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean , and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific .   The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway , near Hawaii , and Germany was defeated in North Africa and then , decisively , at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union . In 1943 , with a series of German defeats on the Eastern Front , the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy which brought about Italian surrender , and Allied victories in the Pacific , the Axis lost the initiative and undertook strategic retreat on all fronts . In 1944 , the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France , while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies . During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma , while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands .   The war in Europe concluded with an invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union , culminating in the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops and the subsequent German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 . Following the Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945 and the refusal of Japan to surrender under its terms , the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively . With an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent , the possibility of additional atomic bombings , and the Soviet Union 's declaration of war on Japan and invasion of Manchuria , Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 . Thus ended the war in Asia , cementing the total victory of the Allies .   World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world . The United Nations ( UN ) was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts . The victorious great powers -- the United States , the Soviet Union , China , the United Kingdom , and France -- became the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers , setting the stage for the Cold War , which lasted for the next 46 years . Meanwhile , the influence of European great powers waned , while the decolonisation of Asia and Africa began . Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery . Political integration , especially in Europe , emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities and to create a common identity .


Saw VI Saw is a 2009 American horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan . It is the sixth installment in the seven -- part Saw franchise and stars Tobin Bell , Costas Mandylor , Betsy Russell , Mark Rolston , Peter Outerbridge , and Shawnee Smith . It was produced by Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures and distributed by Lionsgate .   Saw continues the franchise 's focus on the posthumous effects of the Jigsaw Killer and the progression of his successor , Mark Hoffman . In this film , Hoffman sets a series of traps for an insurance executive , William Easton , and his employees . Meanwhile , the FBI trails Peter Strahm , now suspected of being Jigsaw 's last accomplice , and Hoffman is drawn into motion to protect his secret identity .   Greutert , who served as editor for all the previous Saw films , made his directorial debut with Saw . Melton and Dunstan , the writers for both Saw and Saw , returned to write the screenplay and Charlie Clouser , who provided the score for all previous Saw films , composed the score . Filming took place in Toronto from March to May 2009 with a budget of $ 11 million .   The film was released in New Zealand and Australia on October 22 , 2009 , and October 23 , 2009 in the United States and Canada . In Spain it was the first film to receive a Película X rating for violence ( a rating usually reserved for pornographic films ) ; the rating restricted screenings to eight select theaters in that country . It was released almost a year later on October 8 , 2010 in Spain with an `` 18 '' rating , after the producers had the offensive content edited out , according to the rating board . With gross receipts of $ 14 million in its opening weekend , Saw placed second to Paranormal Activity $ 21 million . Saw went on to gross over $ 68 million worldwide , the lowest-grossing Saw film to date , but still a financial success compared to its small budget . Reviews were mixed , with some criticizing the acting and others praising Greutert 's directing .


Steel (1997 film) stars Shaquille O'Neal.

Steel (1997 film) Steel is a 1997 American superhero action film based on the DC Comics character Steel . The film stars Shaquille O'Neal as John Henry Irons and his alter-ego Steel , Annabeth Gish as his wheelchair-using partner Susan Sparks , and Judd Nelson as their rival Nathaniel Burke . The plot centers on an accident caused by Burke which leaves Sparks paralyzed . The accident results in Irons quitting his job . Burke begins mass-producing weapons and selling them to criminals . In order to stop Burke , Irons and Sparks create a suit of armor that leads Irons to become the superhero Steel .   Written and directed by Kenneth Johnson , the film separates itself from the comic book series ( and John Henry Irons ' status as a supporting character of Superman ) by using original protagonists and antagonists . On its initial release , Steel was a box office bust and was panned by critics , noting the `` cheesiness '' and bad acting in the film .


Nick Jonas (album) Nick Jonas is the second eponymous studio album by American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas . It was released on November 10 , 2014 , by Island Records . The album features a sole collaborations with Angel Haze , Demi Lovato and Mike Posner . The album received a generally favorable reviews from music critics and has reached the top 10 in the United States , becoming top 20 in the United Kingdom , Mexico and Canada , whilst it also been reaching in the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand . It was re-released on November 20 , 2015 , under the title Nick Jonas X2 ; including three new tracks and four remixes .


Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas ( born September 16 , 1992 ) is an American singer , songwriter , producer , and actor . Jonas began acting in theater at the age of seven , and released his debut single in 2002 . He released his eponymous debut album in 2004 to little success , though it did catch the attention of Columbia Records . Jonas opted to form a band with his older brothers , Joe and Kevin , known as the Jonas Brothers . The group released their debut studio album It 's About Time through Columbia Records . The record failed to achieve commercial success , thus the group parted ways with their label . Their self-titled second studio album was released through Hollywood Records in 2007 , and became their breakthrough record . The band became prominent figures on the Disney Channel during this time , gaining a large following through the network . The band starred in the widely successful film Camp Rock ( 2008 ) .   The release of the band 's third studio album , A Little Bit Longer ( 2008 ) , helped the band achieve further success ; the album 's lead single hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . The release of their fourth studio album saw a decline in sales for the band , though was still fairly successful . Jonas and his brothers starred in the Disney Channel series JONAS in 2009 and 2010 , though poor ratings led to its cancellation in 2010 . It was later confirmed that the Jonas Brothers would be taking a hiatus , with Nick forming a new band known as Nick Jonas & the Administration . The band released one studio album in 2010 , though it failed to achieve much commercial success . Following the release , Jonas opted to focus on work in theater , and also had a recurring role on the television series Smash . The Jonas Brothers briefly reunited in 2013 , though officially parted ways due to creative differences .   Jonas decided to return to his solo music career following the band 's disbandment , and began work on his second studio album . He signed with Island Records , releasing Nick Jonas ( 2014 ) through the label . The album entered the top ten of the Billboard 200 , while both of the album 's singles entered the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 . The project was re-released as Nick Jonas X2 in 2015 . The release helped provide Jonas with a new public image , earning him the title of a `` sex symbol '' . Jonas later co-founded Safehouse Records , a record label in conjunction with Island Records and Hollywood Records . Jonas released his third studio album , Last Year Was Complicated ( 2016 ) , through the label . The project became his highest peaking entry as a solo artist on the Billboard 200 , while the lead single was a top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 .


Hugh Jackman hosted the 81st Academy Awards, honoring the movies made in 2008.

81st Academy Awards The 81st Academy Awards ceremony , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , honored the best films of 2008 and took place on February 22 , 2009 , at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood , Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. . During the ceremony , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories . The ceremony was televised in the United States by ABC , and was produced by Bill Condon and Laurence Mark and directed by Roger Goodman . Actor Hugh Jackman hosted the show for the first time . Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills , California held on February 7 , the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jessica Biel .   Slumdog Millionaire won eight awards , the most of the evening , including Best Picture and Best Director for Danny Boyle . Other winners were The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with three awards , The Dark Knight and Milk with two awards , and Departures , The Duchess , La Maison en Petits Cubes , Man on Wire , The Reader , Smile Pinki , Toyland , Vicky Cristina Barcelona , and WALL-E with one . The telecast garnered almost 37 million viewers in the United States .


Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman ( born 12 October 1968 ) is an Australian actor , singer , and producer . Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in a variety of film genres . He is known for his long-running role as Wolverine in the X-Men film series , as well as for his lead roles in films such as the romantic-comedy fantasy Kate & Leopold ( 2001 ) , the action-horror film Van Helsing ( 2004 ) , the magic-themed drama The Prestige ( 2006 ) , the epic fantasy drama The Fountain ( 2006 ) , the epic historical romantic drama Australia ( 2008 ) , the film version of Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , and the thriller Prisoners ( 2013 ) . His work in Les Misérables earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in 2013 .   In Broadway theatre , Jackman won a Tony Award for his role in The Boy from Oz . A four-time host of the Tony Awards themselves , he won an Emmy Award for one of these appearances . Jackman also hosted the 81st Academy Awards on 22 February 2009 .


Spider-Man (2002 film) features an American actor and producer in a lead role.

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent `` Tobey '' Maguire ( born June 27 , 1975 ) is an American actor and producer . He began his career in the late 1980s . His first appearance in a feature film was a non-speaking part in The Wizard ( 1989 ) . He is known for playing the title character in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man film trilogy ( 2002 , 2004 , and 2007 ) , as well as for his roles in Pleasantville ( 1998 ) , The Cider House Rules ( 1999 ) , Wonder Boys ( 2000 ) , Seabiscuit ( 2003 ) , The Good German ( 2006 ) , Brothers ( 2009 ) , and The Great Gatsby ( 2013 ) .   He was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards , and received two Saturn Awards , including one for Best Actor . In 2012 he established his own production company , Material Pictures , and co-produced Good People that same year . In 2014 he produced and starred as Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice .


Spider-Man (2002 film) Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi . Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name , the film stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker , a high school student living in New York City , who turns to crimefighting after developing spider-like super powers . Spider-Man also stars Kirsten Dunst as Peter 's love interest Mary Jane Watson , Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin , Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson as Aunt May and Uncle Ben , and James Franco as his best friend Harry Osborn .   After progress on the film stalled for nearly 25 years , it was licensed for a worldwide release by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1999 after it acquired options from MGM on all previous scripts developed by Cannon Films , Carolco and New Cannon . Exercising its option on just two elements from the multi-script acquisition ( a different screenplay was written by James Cameron , Ted Newsom , John Brancato , Barney Cohen and `` Joseph Goldman '' ) , Sony hired David Koepp to create a working screenplay ( credited as Cameron 's ) , and Koepp received sole credit in final billing . Directors Roland Emmerich , Ang Lee , Chris Columbus , Jan de Bont , M. Night Shyamalan , Tony Scott and David Fincher were considered to direct the project before Raimi was hired as director in 2000 . The Koepp script was rewritten by Scott Rosenberg during preproduction and received a dialogue polish from Alvin Sargent during production .   Filming took place in Los Angeles , and New York City from January 8 to June 30 , 2001 . Spider-Man premiered in the Philippines on April 30 , 2002 , and had its general release in the United States on May 3 , 2002 . It became a critical and financial success . At the time , it was the only film to reach $ 100 million in its first weekend , had the largest opening weekend gross of all time , and was the most successful film based on a comic book . With $ 821.7 million worldwide , it was 2002 's third-highest-grossing film and is the 56th-highest-grossing film of all time ( seventh at the time of release ) . The film was nominated at the 75th Academy Awards ceremony for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Mixing . Due to the success of the film , Columbia Pictures and Marvel released two sequels , Spider-Man 2 in 2004 , and Spider-Man 3 in 2007 .


Kane eliminated over 30 people in Royal Rumbles.

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 .


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


Tezaab was the highest blockbuster at the box office for the year 1978 in Bollywood.

Tezaab Tezaab ( translation : Acid ) , released on 11 November 1988 , is an Indian action romantic Hindi movie starring Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in lead roles . The film gave actress Madhuri Dixit her first big break , making her an overnight star . It reaffirmed Anil Kapoor 's star status , after a successful Mr India ( 1987 ) .   The film was produced and directed by N. Chandra . The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal . Tezaab is known for the song `` Ek Do Teen , '' , `` kehdo ke tum ho meri '' . which was a chart success . It ran in theatres for more than 50 weeks becoming a golden jubilee , and it was the highest blockbuster at the box office for the year 1988 in Bollywood . With Tezaab , N Chandra scored a box office hat-trick with his previous hits Ankush ( 1986 ) and Pratighaat ( 1987 ) .   Tezaab was critically acclaimed and garnered four Filmfare Awards from twelve nominations . Anil Kapoor won his first Best Actor award and Madhuri Dixit garnered her first ever nomination for Best Actress .   The film was remade in Telugu as Two Town Rowdy with Daggubati Venkatesh . The plot is loosely based on the commercially failed Hollywood movie Streets of Fire ( 1984 ) directed by Walter Hill .


David Tennant has always been passed over by the National Television Awards.

David Tennant David Tennant ( born David John McDonald ; 18 April 1971 ) is a Scottish actor and voice actor . He is best known for his roles as the Tenth Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who , Alec Hardy in Broadchurch , Giacomo Casanova in the TV serial Casanova , Kilgrave in Jessica Jones , and Barty Crouch , Jr. in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . In addition to his appearances on screen , he has worked as a voice actor and in theatre , including a critically acclaimed stage production of Hamlet . In January 2015 , Tennant received the National Television Award for Special Recognition .


Hayden Panettiere portrayed Lizzie Spaulding.

Hayden Panettiere Hayden Leslie Panettiere ( born August 21 , 1989 ) is an American actress , model , singer , and activist . She is known for her roles as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes ( 2006 -- 10 ) , Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical-drama series Nashville ( 2012 -- present ) and Kairi in the video game series Kingdom Hearts .   A native of New York City , she first appeared in a commercial at the age of 11 months . She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live ( 1994 -- 97 ) , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light ( 1996 -- 2000 ) , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in the Disney feature film Remember the Titans . Other notable roles include her portrayal of the title character in the true crime drama Amanda Knox : Murder on Trial in Italy and Kirby Reed in the slasher film Scream 4 . She received two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film , for her work on Nashville in 2012 and 2013 .


Red Headed Stranger Red Headed Stranger is a 1975 album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson . After the wide success of his recordings with Atlantic Records , coupled with the negotiating skills of his manager , Neil Reshen , Nelson signed a contract with Columbia Records , a label that gave him total creative control over his works . The concept for the album was inspired by the `` Tale of the Red Headed Stranger '' , a song that Nelson used to play as a disk jockey on his program in Fort Worth , Texas . After signing with Columbia he decided to record the song , and arranged the details during his return to Austin , Texas , from a trip to Colorado . It was recorded at low cost at Autumn Sound Studios in Garland , Texas . The songs featured sparse arrangements , largely limited to Nelson 's guitar , piano and drums . Nelson presented the finished material to Columbia executives , who were dubious about releasing an album that they at first thought was a demo . However , Nelson had creative control , so no further production was added .   A concept album , Red Headed Stranger is about a fugitive on the run from the law after killing his wife and her lover . The content consists of songs with brief poetic lyrics and arrangements of older material such as Fred Rose 's `` Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain '' , Wolfe Gilbert 's `` Down Yonder '' and Juventino Rosas ' `` O'er the Waves '' . Despite Columbia 's doubts and the limited instrumentation , Red Headed Stranger was a blockbuster among country music and mainstream audiences . It was certified multi-platinum , and made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music . The cover of `` Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain '' , released as a single previous to the album full release became Nelson 's first number one hit . The title of the album would become a lasting nickname for Nelson . It was ranked # 183 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time , and number one on CMT 's 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music . In 2010 it was inducted to the National Recording Registry .   In 1986 Nelson starred as the Red Headed Stranger in a movie of the same name , based on the story of the album . The album has had a strong cultural impact ; the song `` Time of the Preacher '' has been used often in the series Edge of Darkness , and its lyrics were used as well in the first issue of the comic Preacher .


National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that `` are culturally , historically , or aesthetically important , and/or inform or reflect life in the United States . '' The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 , which created the National Recording Preservation Board , whose members are appointed by the Librarian of Congress . The recordings preserved in the United States National Recording Registry form a registry of recordings selected yearly by the National Recording Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress .   The legislative intent of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 was to develop a national program to guard America 's sound recording heritage . The Act resulted in the formations of the National Recording Registry , The National Recording Preservation Board and a fund-raising foundation to aid their efforts . The act established the Registry specifically for the purpose of maintaining and preserving sound recordings and collections of sound recordings that are culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant . Beginning in 2002 , the National Recording Preservation Board began selecting nominated recordings each year to be preserved .   The first four yearly lists included 50 selections . However , since 2006 , 25 recordings have been selected annually . Thus , a total of 475 recordings have been preserved in the Registry . Each calendar year , public nominations are accepted for inclusion in that year 's list of selections to be announced the following spring . Nominations are made in the following categories :   Blues  Broadway/Musical Theatre/Soundtrack  Cajun/Zydeco / `` Swamp ''  Children 's recordings  Choral  Classical  Comedy/Novelty  Country/Bluegrass  Documentary/Broadcast/Spoken Word  Environmental  Field  Folk/Ethnic  Gospel/Spiritual  Heavy Metal  Jazz  Latin  Pop ( pre-1955 )  Pop ( post-1955 )  R&B  Radio  Rap/Hip-hop  Rock  Technology   Each yearly list has often included a few recordings that have also been selected for inclusion in the holdings of the National Archives ' audiovisual collection . Those recordings on the Library of Congress ' National Recording Registry that are of a political nature will tend to overlap with the audiovisual collection of the National Archives . The list shows overlapping items and whether the National Archives has an original or a copy of the recording .


De Profundis (letter) De Profundis ( Latin : `` from the depths '' ) is a letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol , to `` Bosie '' ( Lord Alfred Douglas ) .   In its first half Wilde recounts their previous relationship and extravagant lifestyle which eventually led to Wilde 's conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency . He indicts both Lord Alfred 's vanity and his own weakness in acceding to those wishes . In the second half , Wilde charts his spiritual development in prison and identification with Jesus Christ , whom he characterises as a romantic , individualist artist . The letter began `` Dear Bosie '' and ended `` Your Affectionate Friend '' .   Wilde wrote the letter between January and March 1897 , close to the end of his imprisonment . Contact had lapsed between Douglas and Wilde and the latter had suffered from his close supervision , physical labour and emotional isolation . Nelson , the new prison governor , thought that writing might be more cathartic than prison labour . He was not allowed to send the long letter which he was allowed to write `` for medicinal purposes '' ; each page was taken away when completed , and only at the end could he read it over and make revisions . Nelson gave the long letter to him on his release on 18 May 1897 .   Wilde entrusted the manuscript to the journalist Robert Ross ( another former lover , loyal friend and rival to `` Bosie '' ) . Ross published the letter in 1905 , five years after Wilde 's death , giving it the title `` De Profundis '' from Psalm 130 . It was an incomplete version , excised of its autobiographical elements and references to the Queensberry family ; various editions gave more text until in 1962 the complete and correct version appeared in a volume of Wilde 's letters .


Lindsay Lohan performed on the television series Another World.

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


Colin Powell has yet to serve in a body of the United States Department of Defense.

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( -LSB- ˈkoʊlᵻn -RSB- born April 5 , 1937 ) is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army . Powell was born in Harlem as the son of Jamaican immigrants . During his military career , Powell also served as National Security Advisor ( 1987 -- 1989 ) , as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command ( 1989 ) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 1989 -- 1993 ) , holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War . Powell was the first , and so far the only , African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He was the 65th United States Secretary of State , serving under U.S. President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 , the first African American to serve in that position .   Powell was born in New York City in 1937 and was raised in the South Bronx . His parents , Luther and Maud Powell , immigrated to the United States from Jamaica . Powell was educated in the New York City public schools , graduating from the City College of New York ( CCNY ) , where he earned a bachelor 's degree in geology . He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958 . His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University .   Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years , during which time he held myriad command and staff positions and rose to the rank of 4-star General . His last assignment , from October 1 , 1989 to September 30 , 1993 , was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the highest military position in the Department of Defense . During this time , he oversaw 28 crises , including Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War . He also formulated the Powell Doctrine .   Following his military retirement , Powell wrote his best-selling autobiography , My American Journey . In addition , he pursued a career as a public speaker , addressing audiences across the country and abroad . Prior to his appointment as Secretary of State , Powell was the chairman of America 's Promise - The Alliance for Youth , a national nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing people from every sector of American life to build the character and competence of young people . He was nominated by President Bush on December 16 , 2000 as Secretary of State . After being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate , he was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State on January 20 , 2001 .   Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations . Powell 's civilian awards include two Presidential Medal of Freedom , the President 's Citizens Medal , the Congressional Gold Medal , the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal , and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal . Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country . Powell is married to the former Alma Vivian Johnson of Birmingham , Alabama . The Powell family includes son Michael ( ex-chairman of the Federal Communications Commission ) ; daughters Linda and Anne ; daughter-in-law Jane ; and grandsons Jeffrey and Bryan .   In 2016 , while not a candidate for that year 's election , Powell received three electoral votes for the office of President of the United States .


Enough Project The Enough Project is a Washington , D.C. based non-profit organization that was founded in 2007 . The project was co-founded by the Center for American Progress and the International Crisis Group in 2007 . Its stated mission is to end genocide and crimes against humanity . The Enough Project conducts research in several conflict areas in Africa including Sudan , South Sudan , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Central African Republic , and the areas controlled by the Lord 's Resistance Army ( LRA ) . The Enough Project facilitates several campaigns and initiatives which work to bring attention to these crises , including The Sentry , Raise Hope for Congo , and the Satellite Sentinel Project . Its co-founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith .   In 2014 , the Enough Project released a report on war lordism and the mines of the Congo . The report indicated that due to the economic pressure of a provision of the United States Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act , which required any company that might be using `` conflict minerals '' to register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and publish their supply chain , control over the mines had passed out of the hands of the warlords and local militias .


Streptococcus belongs to the phylum Firmicutes.

Streptococcus Streptococcus is a genus of coccus ( spherical ) Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the order Lactobacillales ( lactic acid bacteria ) . Cell division in this genus occurs along a single axis in these bacteria , thus they grow in chains or pairs , hence the name -- from Greek στρεπτός streptos , meaning easily bent or twisted , like a chain ( twisted chain ) . ( Contrast this with staphylococci , which divide along multiple axes and generate grape-like clusters of cells . )   Most are oxidase-negative and catalase-negative , and many are facultative anaerobes .   In 1984 , many bacteria formerly considered Streptococcus were separated out into the genera Enterococcus and Lactococcus . Currently , over 50 species are recognised in this genus . This genus has been found to be part of the salivary microbiome .


L.A. Guns L.A. Guns are an American hard rock band from Los Angeles , California , formed in 1983 . As of 2014 , the lineup consists of Phil Lewis ( lead vocals , rhythm guitar ) , Steve Riley ( drums , percussion , backing vocals ) , Kenny Kweens ( bass guitar , backing vocals ) , and Michael Grant ( lead guitar , backing vocals ) . The first incarnation of the group was formed by Tracii Guns in 1983 and merged with fellow Los Angeles group Hollywood Rose to form Guns N ' Roses in 1984 . In 1985 , the group was reformed by Guns and singer Paul Black adding Mick Cripps and Nickey Alexander . Black would soon be replaced by former Girl singer Phil Lewis while former Faster Pussycat bassist Kelly Nickels was added to the group . Later , Alexander would be replaced by former W.A.S.P. drummer Steve Riley with this being known as the `` classic lineup '' of L.A. Guns . They achieved moderate chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s . However , the group went through numerous lineup changes ( with Riley being the most consistent member ) and failed to regain mainstream attention .   The `` classic lineup '' of the group would reunite in 1999 and began recording new material . However , the group continued to change lineups and Guns eventually left to form the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe in 2002 . L.A. Guns continued without Guns , bringing in guitarist Stacey Blades , however , following his decision to put Brides of Destruction on hiatus in 2006 , Guns formed The Tracii Guns Band . The group 's lineup consisted of former L.A. Guns members Black , Alexander as well as Jeremy Guns ( though the lineup would eventually change ) , with the group eventually changing their name to L.A. Guns . Both groups continued to record and tour under the L.A. Guns moniker until 2012 , when the Tracii Guns led version of the group disbanded .   To date , L.A. Guns has released ten studio albums -- L.A. Guns ( 1988 ) ; Cocked & Loaded ( 1989 ) ; Hollywood Vampires ( 1991 ) ; Vicious Circle ( 1995 ) ; American Hardcore ( 1996 ) ; Shrinking Violet ( 1999 ) ; Man in the Moon ( 2001 ) ; Waking the Dead ( 2002 ) ; Tales from the Strip ( 2005 ) ; and Hollywood Forever ( 2012 ) , two extended plays -- Cuts ( 1992 ) ; Wasted ( 1998 ) as well as a number of live and compilation albums .


Phantoms (film) Phantoms is a 1998 American science fiction horror film adapted from Dean Koontz 's 1983 novel of the same name . Directed by Joe Chappelle with a screenplay by Koontz , the film stars Peter O'Toole , Rose McGowan , Joanna Going , Liev Schreiber , Ben Affleck , Nicky Katt , and Clifton Powell . The film takes place in the peaceful town of Snowfield , Colorado , where something evil has wiped out the community . It is up to a group of people to stop it or at least get out of Snowfield alive .


This Is Us has received favorable reviews.

This Is Us (TV series) This Is Us is an American television series created by Dan Fogelman that premiered on NBC on September 20 , 2016 . The ensemble cast stars Milo Ventimiglia , Mandy Moore , Sterling K. Brown , Chrissy Metz , Justin Hartley , Susan Kelechi Watson , Chris Sullivan , and Ron Cephas Jones . It is about the family lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and the ways in which they are similar and different .   The series has received positive reviews since its premiere , receiving nominations for Best Television Series -- Drama at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and Best Drama Series at the 7th Critics ' Choice Awards , as well as being chosen as a Top Television Program by the American Film Institute . The cast has received accolades , with Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz receiving Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress , and Sterling K. Brown receiving a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series . It was also nominated and won the MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Tearjerker Moment in 2017 .   On September 27 , 2016 , NBC picked up the series for a full season of 18 episodes . In January 2017 , NBC renewed the series through its third season , for a total of 36 additional episodes , 18 per season .


Juliette Binoche played the leading role in a stage play directed by André Téchiné.

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche ( -LSB- ʒyljɛt binɔʃ -RSB- ; born 9 March 1964 ) is a French actress , artist and dancer . She has appeared in more than 60 feature films , been recipient of numerous international awards , and has appeared on stage and in movies across the world . Coming from an artistic background , she began taking acting lessons during adolescence . After performing in several stage productions , she began acting in films by auteur directors Jean-Luc Godard ( Hail Mary , 1985 ) , Jacques Doillon ( Family Life , 1985 ) and André Téchiné , who made her a star in France with the leading role in his 1985 drama Rendez-vous . Her sensual performance in her English-language debut The Unbearable Lightness of Being ( 1988 ) , directed by Philip Kaufman , launched her international career .   She sparked the interest of Steven Spielberg , who offered her several parts including a role in Jurassic Park which she declined , choosing instead to join Krzysztof Kieślowski in Three Colors : Blue ( 1993 ) , a performance for which she won the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actress and a César . Three years later Binoche gained further acclaim in Anthony Minghella 's The English Patient ( 1996 ) , for which she was awarded an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in addition to the Best Actress Award at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival . For her performance in Lasse Hallström 's romantic comedy Chocolat ( 2000 ) , Binoche was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress .   During the 2000s she maintained a successful career , alternating between French and English language roles in both mainstream and art-house productions . In 2010 , she won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Abbas Kiarostami 's Certified Copy making her the first actress to win the European `` Best Actress Triple Crown '' ( for winning best actress award at the Berlin , Cannes and Venice film festivals ) .   Throughout her career Binoche has intermittently appeared on stage , most notably in a 1998 London production of Luigi Pirandello 's Naked and in a 2000 production of Harold Pinter 's Betrayal on Broadway for which she was nominated for a Tony Award . In 2008 she began a world tour with a modern dance production in-i devised in collaboration with Akram Khan . Her other notable performances include : Mauvais Sang ( 1986 ) , Les Amants du Pont-Neuf ( 1991 ) , Damage ( 1992 ) , The Horseman on the Roof ( 1995 ) , Code Unknown ( 2000 ) , Caché ( 2005 ) , Breaking and Entering ( 2006 ) , Flight of the Red Balloon ( 2007 ) , Camille Claudel 1915 ( 2013 ) and Clouds of Sils Maria ( 2014 ) .


The National Council for Peace and Order preceded the Yingluck Shinawatra government.

National Council for Peace and Order The National Council for Peace and Order ( NCPO ; คณะรักษาความสงบแห่งชาติ ; abbreviated คสช ) is the junta that has ruled Thailand since their 2014 Thai coup d'état on 22 May 2014 . On 20 May 2014 , the military had declared martial law nationwide in an attempt to stop the country 's escalating political crisis , and to force the democratically elected government out . On 22 May , the military ousted the Yingluck Shinawatra government and formed the NCPO to take control of the country . The junta censored the broadcasting system in Thailand , suspended the constitution , and detained members of the Thai cabinet .


Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April 1889.

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 .


Debbie Reynolds performed in How the West Was Won.

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances `` Debbie '' Reynolds ( April 1 , 1932 -- December 28 , 2016 ) was an American actress , singer , businesswoman , film historian , humanitarian , and mother of the actress and writer Carrie Fisher . She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words , and her breakout role was her first leading role , as Kathy Selden in Singin ' in the Rain ( 1952 ) . Other successes include The Affairs of Dobie Gillis ( 1953 ) , Susan Slept Here ( 1954 ) , Bundle of Joy ( 1956 Golden Globe nomination ) , The Catered Affair ( 1956 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Winner ) , and Tammy and the Bachelor ( 1957 ) , in which her performance of the song `` Tammy '' reached number one on the Billboard music charts . In 1959 , she released her first pop music album , titled Debbie .   She starred in How the West Was Won ( 1963 ) , and The Unsinkable Molly Brown ( 1964 ) , a biographical film about the famously boisterous Molly Brown . Her performance as Brown earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . Her other films include The Singing Nun ( 1966 ) , Divorce American Style ( 1967 ) , What 's the Matter with Helen ? ( 1971 ) , Charlotte 's Web ( 1973 ) , Mother ( 1996 ) ( Golden Globe nomination ) , and In & Out ( 1997 ) . Reynolds was also a cabaret performer . In 1979 , she founded the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood , which still operates today .   In 1969 , she starred on television in The Debbie Reynolds Show , for which she received a Golden Globe nomination . In 1973 , Reynolds starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Irene and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical . She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love ( 1999 ) and an Emmy Award for playing Grace 's mother Bobbi on Will & Grace . At the turn of the millennium , Reynolds reached a new younger generation with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney 's Halloweentown series . In 1988 , she released her autobiography titled , Debbie : My Life . In 2013 , she released a second autobiography , Unsinkable : A Memoir .   Reynolds also had several business ventures , including ownership of a dance studio and a Las Vegas hotel and casino , and she was an avid collector of film memorabilia , beginning with items purchased at the landmark 1970 MGM auction . She served as president of The Thalians , an organization dedicated to mental health causes . Reynolds continued to perform successfully on stage , television , and film into her eighties . In January 2015 , Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award . In 2016 , she received the Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award . In the same year , a documentary about her life was released titled Bright Lights : Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds , which turned out to be her final film appearance ; the film premiered on HBO on January 7 , 2017 .   On December 28 , 2016 , Reynolds was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a medical emergency , which her son Todd Fisher later described as a `` severe stroke '' . She died from the stroke that afternoon , one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher .


John Mayer took a two-year hiatus in the 1990s.

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


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


Antonio Vivaldi was a Baroque composer born in 1445.

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi ( -LSB- anˈtɔːnjo ˈluːtʃo viˈvaldi -RSB- ; 4 March 1678 -- 28 July 1741 ) was an Italian Baroque composer , virtuoso violinist , teacher and cleric . Born in Venice , he is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers , and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe . He composed many instrumental concertos , for the violin and a variety of other instruments , as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas . His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons .   Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà , a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi ( who had been ordained as a Catholic priest ) was employed from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740 . Vivaldi also had some success with expensive stagings of his operas in Venice , Mantua and Vienna . After meeting the Emperor Charles VI , Vivaldi moved to Vienna , hoping for preferment . However , the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi 's arrival , and Vivaldi himself died less than a year later in poverty .


Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 . During his second term as Prime Minister , he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party .   Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently . He studied Law at the Saint Petersburg State University , graduating in 1975 . Putin was a KGB Foreign Intelligence Officer for 16 years , rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1991 to enter politics in Saint Petersburg . He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin 's administration , rising quickly through the ranks and becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 , when Yeltsin resigned . Putin won the subsequent 2000 Presidential election by a 53 % to 30 % margin , thus avoiding a runoff with his Communist Party of the Russian Federation opponent , Gennady Zyuganov . He was re-elected President in 2004 with 72 % of the vote .   During Putin 's first presidency , the Russian economy grew for eight straight years , and GDP measured in purchasing power increased by 72 % . The growth was a result of the 2000s commodities boom , high oil prices , and prudent economic and fiscal policies . Because of constitutionally mandated term limits , Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008 . The 2008 Presidential election was won by Dmitry Medvedev , who appointed Putin Prime Minister , beginning what has been called a period of `` tandemocracy '' . In September 2011 , after presidential terms were extended from four to six years , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president . He won the March 2012 presidential election with 64 % of the vote , a result which aligned with pre-election polling . Falling oil prices coupled with international sanctions imposed at the beginning of 2014 after Russia 's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to GDP shrinking by 3.7 % in 2015 , though the Russian economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3 % GDP growth and is officially out of the recession .   Under Putin 's leadership , Russia has scored poorly on both the Economist Intelligence Unit 's Democracy Index and Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index . Putin has enjoyed high domestic approval ratings during his career , and received extensive international attention as one of the world 's most powerful leaders . In 2007 , he was the Time Person of the Year . In 2015 , he was # 1 on the Time 's Most Influential People List . Forbes ranked him the World 's Most Powerful Individual every year from 2013 to 2016 .


Istanbul Istanbul ( -LSB- ˌɪstænˈbʊl -RSB- , -LSB- - ˈbuːl -RSB- or -LSB- - stɑːn - -RSB- İstanbul -LSB- isˈtɑnbuɫ -RSB- ) , historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium , is the most populous city in Turkey and the country 's economic , cultural , and historic center . Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia , straddling the Bosphorus strait ( which separates Europe and Asia ) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea . Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives on the Asian side .  The city is the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ( conterminous with Istanbul Province ) , both hosting a population of around 14.7 million residents . Istanbul is one of the world 's most populous cities and ranks as the world 's 7th-largest city proper and the largest European city .   Founded under the name of Byzantion on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BCE , the city developed to become one of the most significant in history . After its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 CE , it served as an imperial capital for almost 16 centuries , during the Roman and Byzantine ( 330 -- 1204 and 1261 -- 1453 ) , the Latin ( 1204 -- 1261 ) , and the Ottoman ( 1453 -- 1922 ) empires . It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times , before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate .   Istanbul 's strategic position on the historic Silk Road , rail networks to Europe and the Middle East , and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have produced a cosmopolitan populace , although less so since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 . Overlooked for the new capital Ankara during the interwar period , the city has since regained much of its prominence . The population of the city has increased tenfold since the 1950s , as migrants from across Anatolia have moved in and city limits have expanded to accommodate them . Arts , music , film , and cultural festivals were established at the end of the 20th century and continue to be hosted by the city today . Infrastructure improvements have produced a complex transportation network .   Approximately foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2015 , five years after it was named a European Capital of Culture , making the city the world 's fifth most popular tourist destination . The city 's biggest attraction is its historic center , partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and its cultural and entertainment hub can be found across the city 's natural harbor , the Golden Horn , in the Beyoğlu district . Considered a global city , Istanbul has one of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies in the world . It hosts the headquarters of many Turkish companies and media outlets and accounts for more than a quarter of the country 's gross domestic product . Hoping to capitalize on its revitalization and rapid expansion , Istanbul has bid for the Summer Olympics five times in twenty years .


Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali ( -LSB- ɑːˈliː -RSB- born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. ; January 17 , 1942 -- June 3 , 2016 ) was an American professional boxer and activist . He is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century . From early in his career , Ali was known as an inspiring , controversial , and polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring .   Cassius Clay was born and raised in Louisville , Kentucky , and began training as an amateur boxer when he was 12 years old . At age 18 , he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and turned professional later that year . At age 22 in 1964 , he won the WBA , WBC , and lineal heavyweight titles from Sonny Liston in a big upset . Clay then converted to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay , which he called his `` slave name '' , to Muhammad Ali . He set an example of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the Civil Rights Movement .   In 1966 , two years after winning the heavyweight title , Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be drafted into the U.S. military , citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War . He was eventually arrested , found guilty of draft evasion charges , and stripped of his boxing titles . He successfully appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court , which overturned his conviction in 1971 , by which time he had not fought for nearly four years and thereby lost a period of peak performance as an athlete . Ali 's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation .   Ali is regarded as one of the leading heavyweight boxers of the 20th century . He remains the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion , having won the title in 1964 , 1974 , and 1978 . Between February 25 and September 19 , 1964 , Ali reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion . He is the only boxer to be named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year six times . He was ranked as the greatest athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated , the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC , and the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury . Nicknamed `` The Greatest '' , he was involved in several historic boxing matches . Notable among these were the first Liston fight ; the `` Fight of the Century '' , `` Super Fight II '' , the `` Thrilla in Manila '' versus his rival Joe Frazier , and `` The Rumble in the Jungle '' versus George Foreman .   At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking , Ali thrived in and indeed craved the spotlight , where he was often provocative and outlandish . He was known for trash talking , and often freestyled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry , both for his trash talking in boxing and as political poetry for his activism , anticipating elements of rap and hip hop music . As a musician , Ali recorded two spoken word albums and a rhythm and blues song , and received two Grammy Award nominations . As an actor , he performed in several films and a Broadway musical . Additionally , Ali wrote two autobiographies , one during and one after his boxing career .   As a Muslim , Ali was initially affiliated with Elijah Muhammad 's Nation of Islam ( NOI ) and advocated their black separatist ideology . He later disavowed the NOI , adhering initially to Sunni Islam and later to Sufism , and supporting racial integration , like his former mentor Malcolm X.   After retiring from boxing in 1981 , Ali devoted his life to religious and charitable work . In 1984 , Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson 's syndrome , which his doctors attributed to boxing-related brain injuries . As the condition worsened , Ali made limited public appearances and was cared for by his family until his death on June 3 , 2016 , in Scottsdale , Arizona .


The Royal Tenenbaums The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson . The film stars Danny Glover , Gene Hackman , Anjelica Huston , Bill Murray , Gwyneth Paltrow , Ben Stiller , Luke Wilson , and Owen Wilson .   It follows the lives of three gifted siblings who experience great success in youth , and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years . An ironic and absurdist sense of humor pervades the film .   The Royal Tenenbaums received positive reviews from critics . Hackman won a Golden Globe for his performance , and the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award . In a 2016 poll of international critics conducted by BBC , The Royal Tenenbaums was voted one of the 100 greatest motion pictures since 2000 .


The main precursor to the internet was the ARPANET.

Internet The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite ( TCP/IP ) to link devices worldwide . It is a network of networks that consists of private , public , academic , business , and government networks of local to global scope , linked by a broad array of electronic , wireless , and optical networking technologies . The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services , such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web ( WWW ) , electronic mail , telephony , and file sharing .   The origins of the Internet date back to research commissioned by the United States federal government in the 1960s to build robust , fault-tolerant communication via computer networks . The primary precursor network , the ARPANET , initially served as a backbone for interconnection of regional academic and military networks in the 1980s . The funding of the National Science Foundation Network as a new backbone in the 1980s , as well as private funding for other commercial extensions , led to worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies , and the merger of many networks . The linking of commercial networks and enterprises by the early 1990s marks the beginning of the transition to the modern Internet , and generated a sustained exponential growth as generations of institutional , personal , and mobile computers were connected to the network . Although the Internet was widely used by academia since the 1980s , the commercialization incorporated its services and technologies into virtually every aspect of modern life .   Internet use grew rapidly in the West from the mid-1990s and from the late 1990s in the developing world . In the two decades since then , Internet use has grown 100-times , measured for the period of one year , to over one third of the world population . Most traditional communications media , including telephony , radio , television , paper mail and newspapers are being reshaped or redefined by the Internet , giving birth to new services such as email , Internet telephony , Internet television , online music , digital newspapers , and video streaming websites . Newspaper , book , and other print publishing are adapting to website technology , or are reshaped into blogging , web feeds and online news aggregators . The Internet has enabled and accelerated new forms of personal interactions through instant messaging , Internet forums , and social networking . Online shopping has grown exponentially both for major retailers and small businesses and entrepreneurs , as it enables firms to extend their `` brick and mortar '' presence to serve a larger market or even sell goods and services entirely online . Business-to-business and financial services on the Internet affect supply chains across entire industries .   The Internet has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and usage ; each constituent network sets its own policies . Only the overreaching definitions of the two principal name spaces in the Internet , the Internet Protocol address space and the Domain Name System ( DNS ) , are directed by a maintainer organization , the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN ) . The technical underpinning and standardization of the core protocols is an activity of the Internet Engineering Task Force ( IETF ) , a non-profit organization of loosely affiliated international participants that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise .


Chris Terrio Chris Terrio ( born December 31 , 1976 ) is an American screenwriter and film director . He is best known for writing the screenplay for the 2012 film Argo , for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay . Terrio also won the Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay of 2012 and was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay , a BAFTA and the 2013 Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Adapted Screenplay .   Terrio wrote the screenplay for Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , the follow-up to Zack Snyder 's Man of Steel , based on an earlier draft by David S. Goyer . He has also recently completed a screenplay entitled A Foreigner , based on an article by the journalist David Grann , and Justice League for Warner Bros .


Elizabeth Banks refused to participate in any Netflix miniseries.

Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks ( née Mitchell ; February 10 , 1974 ) is an American actress , director , and producer . Banks made her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy ( 1998 ) , and is known for her roles in such films as Wet Hot American Summer ( 2001 ) , Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy ( 2002 -- 2007 ) , Seabiscuit ( 2003 ) , The 40-Year-Old Virgin ( 2005 ) , Zack and Miri Make a Porno ( 2008 ) , Role Models ( 2008 ) , The Next Three Days ( 2010 ) , Pitch Perfect ( 2012 ) , The Lego Movie ( 2014 ) , and The Hunger Games film series ( 2012 -- 2015 ) . In 2014 , she portrayed Melinda Ledbetter , the girlfriend and later wife of the Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson , in Bill Pohlad 's film Love & Mercy and made her directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2 , whose $ 69M opening weekend gross set a record for a first-time director .   On television , Banks had a recurring role as Avery Jessup on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock , which garnered her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations . She also had recurring roles on the comedy series Scrubs and Modern Family , the latter of which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination . In 2015 , she reprised her role as Lindsay in Wet Hot American Summer for the Netflix miniseries Wet Hot American Summer : First Day of Camp .   , Box Office Mojo ranked Banks as the 32nd-highest grossing actor of all time , and the sixth-highest grossing female actor .


Bernie Sanders is the chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders ( born September 8 , 1941 ) is an American politician who has been the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007 . Sanders is the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history . Since his election to the House of Representatives in 1991 , he has caucused with the Democratic Party , which has entitled him to congressional committee assignments and at times given Democrats a majority . Sanders became the ranking minority member on the Senate Budget Committee in January 2015 ; he had previously been chair of the Senate Veterans ' Affairs Committee for two years . Since January 2017 , he has been Chair of the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee . Sanders 's campaign against Hillary Clinton for the party 's 2016 U.S. presidential nomination raised more money in small , individual contributions than any other in American history , and helped him rise to international recognition . A self-described democratic socialist , Sanders is pro-labor and emphasizes reversing economic inequality . Many scholars consider his views to be more in line with social democracy and New Deal-era American progressivism than democratic socialism .   Sanders was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964 . While a student he was an active protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement . After settling in Vermont in 1968 , Sanders ran unsuccessful third-party campaigns for governor and U.S. senator in the early to mid-1970s . As an independent , he was elected mayor of Burlington -- Vermont 's most populous city of 42,417 in 2010 -- in 1981 , by a margin of ten votes . He went on to be reelected as mayor three times . In 1990 , he was elected to represent Vermont 's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives , where he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus in 1991 . He served as a congressman for 16 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 . In 2012 , he was reelected with 71 % of the popular vote . Polls indicate that he is among the senators most popular with their constituents , ranking third in 2014 and first in both 2015 and 2016 .   Sanders rose to national prominence following his 2010 filibuster against the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 , which extended the Bush tax cuts that favored the wealthiest Americans . He has built a reputation as a leading progressive voice on issues such as campaign finance reform , corporate welfare , global warming , income inequality , LGBT rights , parental leave , and universal healthcare . Sanders has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy and was an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War , the First Gulf War , and U.S. support for the Contras in Nicaragua . He is also outspoken on civil liberties and civil rights , particularly criticizing racial discrimination in the criminal justice system as well as advocating for privacy rights against mass surveillance policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the NSA surveillance programs .   Sanders announced his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 30 , 2015 . Initially considered a long shot , Sanders won 23 primaries and caucuses and approximately 43 % of pledged delegates to Clinton 's 55 % . His campaign was noted for the enthusiasm of its supporters , as well as his rejection of large donations from corporations , the financial industry , and any associated Super PAC . On July 12 , 2016 , Sanders formally endorsed Clinton against her Republican general election opponent Donald Trump , while urging his supporters to continue the `` political revolution '' his campaign had begun . In November 2016 , Sanders 's book Our Revolution : A Future to Believe In was released ; upon its release , it was on The New York Times best-seller list at number 3 . In 2016 Sanders formed a political organization , Our Revolution , to educate voters about issues , get people involved in the political process , and work to organize and elect progressive candidates . In February 2017 , Sanders began webcasting The Bernie Sanders Show on Facebook .


The Xbox One was announced in May of 2013.

Xbox One Xbox One is a line of home video game consoles developed by Microsoft . Announced in May 2013 , it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family . It was first released in North America , parts of Europe , Australia , and Brazil in November 2013 , and in Japan , China , and other European countries in September 2014 . It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China , specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone . Microsoft marketed the device as an `` all-in-one entertainment system '' . The Xbox One line mainly competes against consoles such as Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles .   Moving away from its predecessor 's PowerPC-based architecture , Xbox One marks a shift back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox ; it features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built around the x86-64 instruction set . Xbox One 's controller was redesigned over the Xbox 360 's , with a redesigned body , D-pad and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback . The console places an increased emphasis on cloud computing , as well as social networking features , and the ability to record and share video clips or screenshots from gameplay , or live-stream directly to streaming services such as Mixer and Twitch . Games can also be played off-console via a local area network on supported Windows 10 devices . The console can play Blu-ray Disc , and overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box or a digital tuner for digital terrestrial television with an enhanced program guide . The console optionally included a redesigned Kinect sensor , marketed as the `` Kinect 2.0 '' , providing improved motion tracking and voice recognition for use in its graphical user interface ( GUI ) and games .   Xbox One received mostly positive reception for its refined controller design , multimedia features , and voice navigation . Its quieter and cooler design was praised for making the console more reliable than its predecessor on-launch , but the console was generally criticized for running games at a technically lower graphical level than the PlayStation 4 . Its original user interface was panned for being nonintuitive , although changes made to it and other aspects of the console 's software post-launch received positive reception . Its Kinect received praise for its improved motion-tracking accuracy , its face recognition logins , and its voice commands .   In August 2016 , Microsoft released a refreshed Xbox One model known as Xbox One S ; it has a streamlined design , native support for 4K video playback and upscaling , and HDR10 high-dynamic-range color . It was praised for its smaller size , its on-screen visual improvements , and its lack of an external power supply , but its regressions such as the lack of a native Kinect port were noted . A future hardware revision codenamed `` Project Scorpio '' is scheduled for late-2017 ; it will feature major hardware upgrades focused on enabling 4K gameplay and support for virtual reality hardware , and will be backward compatible with all existing Xbox One software and hardware .


Haifa Haifa ( -LSB- χei̯ˈfa , ˈχai̯fa -RSB- حيفا ) , is the third-largest city in the State of Israel , with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area , the second - or third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel . It is also home to the Bahá ' í World Centre , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Baha'i pilgrims .   Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel , the settlement has a history spanning more than 3,000 years . The earliest known settlement in the vicinity was Tell Abu Hawam , a small port city established in the Late Bronze Age ( 14th century BCE ) . In the 3rd century CE , Haifa was known as a dye-making center . Over the centuries , the city has changed hands : being conquered and ruled by the Phoenicians , Persians , Hasmoneans , Romans , Byzantines , Arabs , Crusaders , Ottomans , British , and the Israelis . Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 , the Haifa Municipality has governed the city .   , the city is a major seaport located on Israel 's Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa covering 63.7 km2 . It lies about 90 km north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel . According to researcher J. Kis-Lev Haifa is considered a relative haven for coexistence between Jews and Arabs . Two respected academic institutions , the University of Haifa and the Technion , are located in Haifa , in addition to the largest k-12 school in Israel , the Hebrew Reali School . The city plays an important role in Israel 's economy . It is home to Matam , one of the oldest and largest high-tech parks in the country ; Haifa also owns the only underground rapid transit system located in Israel , known as The Carmelit . Haifa Bay is a center of heavy industry , petroleum refining and chemical processing . Haifa formerly functioned as the western terminus of an oil pipeline from Iraq via Jordan .


John Cena is incapable of winning anything in 2008.

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. ( -LSB- ˈsiːnə -RSB- born April 23 , 1977 ) is an American professional wrestler , rapper , actor , and reality television show host . He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the SmackDown brand . Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling ( UPW ) and won the UPW Heavyweight Championship the following year . Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , later renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment , or simply WWE ) in 2001 , debuting on the WWE main roster in 2002 .   From a generic character in 2002 , Cena morphed into a rapper for the time period of 2002 -- 2004 , which earned him fame within the audience on SmackDown ! . Cena later transitioned to his current character , which he describes as a `` goody-two shoes Superman '' . However , Cena has been labeled as the `` most polarizing professional wrestler ever '' as his character has many supporters and many detractors , according to Jim Ross of Fox Sports , who also noted that Cena has been WWE 's franchise player for a long-time . In 2012 , IGN described Cena as WWE 's franchise player since 2005 and WWE credited Cena as being the `` face of WWE '' in 2015 since 2004 . Industry veterans John Layfield , Paul Heyman , and Kurt Angle have called Cena the greatest WWE star of all time .   Throughout his WWE career , Cena has won 25 championships , with 16 reigns as a world champion ( 13 times as WWE Champion and three times as WWE 's World Heavyweight Champion ) , an accomplishment only previously achieved by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair . He is also a five-time United States Champion , and four-time world tag team champion ( two World Tag Team and two WWE Tag Team ) . Furthermore , he is a Money in the Bank ladder match winner ( 2012 ) , a two-time Royal Rumble winner ( 2008 , 2013 ) , and a three-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner ( 2009 , 2010 , 2012 ) . Cena has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE Champion , behind Bruno Sammartino , Bob Backlund , and Hulk Hogan . He has also headlined WWE 's flagship event , WrestleMania , on five different occasions ( WrestleManias 22 , 23 , XXVII , XXVIII , and 29 ) over the course of his career , as well as many others pay-per-view events . As of 2016 , John Cena is WWE 's highest-paid wrestler .   Outside of wrestling , Cena has released the rap album You Ca n't See Me , which debuted at No. 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart , and starred in the feature films The Marine ( 2006 ) , 12 Rounds ( 2009 ) , Legendary ( 2010 ) , The Reunion ( 2011 ) , Trainwreck ( 2015 ) , and Sisters ( 2015 ) . Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt , Deal or No Deal , MADtv , Saturday Night Live , Punk 'd , Psych , and Parks and Recreation . He was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars : The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race , where he made it to the final round before being eliminated , placing third in the overall competition . Cena is also the host of American Grit on Fox . Cena is involved in numerous philanthropic causes ; most notably with the Make-A-Wish Foundation . He has granted the most wishes in Make-A-Wish history .


Martin Luther King Jr. helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. ( born Michael King Jr. , January 15 , 1929 -- April 4 , 1968 ) was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement . He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs .   King became a civil rights activist early in his career . He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC ) in 1957 , serving as its first president . With the SCLC , King led an unsuccessful 1962 struggle against segregation in Albany , Georgia , and helped organize the 1963 nonviolent protests in Birmingham , Alabama . King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington , where he delivered his famous `` I Have a Dream '' speech .   On October 14 , 1964 , King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance . In 1965 , he helped to organize the Selma to Montgomery marches , and the following year he and SCLC took the movement north to Chicago to work on segregated housing . In the final years of his life , King expanded his focus to include opposition towards poverty and the Vietnam War , alienating many of his liberal allies with a 1967 speech titled `` Beyond Vietnam '' .   In 1968 , King was planning a national occupation of Washington , D.C. , to be called the Poor People 's Campaign , when he was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4 in Memphis , Tennessee . King 's death was followed by riots in many U.S. cities . Ray , who fled the country , was arrested two months later at London Heathrow Airport . Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison for King 's murder , and died in 1998 from hepatitis while serving his sentence .   King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal . Martin Luther King Jr. . Day was established as a holiday in numerous cities and states beginning in 1971 , and as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986 . Hundreds of streets in the U.S. have been renamed in his honor , and a county in Washington State was also renamed for him . The Martin Luther King Jr. . Memorial on the National Mall in Washington , D.C. , was dedicated in 2011 .


Vladimir Putin's birth place is an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( -LSB- Санкт-Петербу ́рг , a = Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg , r = Sankt-Peterburg , p = ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk -RSB- ) is Russia 's second-largest city after Moscow , with five million inhabitants in 2012 , and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea . It is politically incorporated as a federal subject ( a federal city ) . Situated on the Neva River , at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea , it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May . In 1914 , the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd ( -LSB- Петрогра́д , p =p ʲɪtrɐˈgrat -RSB- ) , in 1924 to Leningrad ( -LSB- Ленингра́д , p = lʲɪnʲɪnˈgrat -RSB- ) , and in 1991 back to Saint Petersburg . Between 1713 and 1728 and in 1732 -- 1918 , Saint Petersburg was the capital of imperial Russia . In 1918 , the central government bodies moved to Moscow .   Saint Petersburg is one of the modern cities of Russia , as well as its cultural capital . The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Saint Petersburg is home to The Hermitage , one of the largest art museums in the world .  Many foreign consulates , international corporations , banks , and businesses have offices in Saint Petersburg .


Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 . During his second term as Prime Minister , he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party .   Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently . He studied Law at the Saint Petersburg State University , graduating in 1975 . Putin was a KGB Foreign Intelligence Officer for 16 years , rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1991 to enter politics in Saint Petersburg . He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin 's administration , rising quickly through the ranks and becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 , when Yeltsin resigned . Putin won the subsequent 2000 Presidential election by a 53 % to 30 % margin , thus avoiding a runoff with his Communist Party of the Russian Federation opponent , Gennady Zyuganov . He was re-elected President in 2004 with 72 % of the vote .   During Putin 's first presidency , the Russian economy grew for eight straight years , and GDP measured in purchasing power increased by 72 % . The growth was a result of the 2000s commodities boom , high oil prices , and prudent economic and fiscal policies . Because of constitutionally mandated term limits , Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008 . The 2008 Presidential election was won by Dmitry Medvedev , who appointed Putin Prime Minister , beginning what has been called a period of `` tandemocracy '' . In September 2011 , after presidential terms were extended from four to six years , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president . He won the March 2012 presidential election with 64 % of the vote , a result which aligned with pre-election polling . Falling oil prices coupled with international sanctions imposed at the beginning of 2014 after Russia 's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to GDP shrinking by 3.7 % in 2015 , though the Russian economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3 % GDP growth and is officially out of the recession .   Under Putin 's leadership , Russia has scored poorly on both the Economist Intelligence Unit 's Democracy Index and Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index . Putin has enjoyed high domestic approval ratings during his career , and received extensive international attention as one of the world 's most powerful leaders . In 2007 , he was the Time Person of the Year . In 2015 , he was # 1 on the Time 's Most Influential People List . Forbes ranked him the World 's Most Powerful Individual every year from 2013 to 2016 .