Colin Firth was the winner of a BAFTA Award.

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth , ( born 10 September 1960 ) is an English actor . His films have grossed more than $ 3 billion from 42 releases worldwide . Firth has received an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , two BAFTA Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards , as well as the Volpi Cup . Firth 's most notable and acclaimed role to date has been his 2010 portrayal of King George VI in The King 's Speech , a performance that earned him an Oscar and multiple worldwide best actor awards .   Identified in the late 1980s with the `` Brit Pack '' of rising , young British actors , it was not until Firth 's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice that he received more widespread attention . This led to roles in films such as The English Patient , Bridget Jones 's Diary ( for which Firth was nominated for a BAFTA ) , Shakespeare in Love , and Love Actually . In 2009 , Firth received widespread critical acclaim for his leading role in A Single Man , for which Firth gained his first Academy Award nomination , and won a BAFTA Award . Firth starred in the action spy movie Kingsman : The Secret Service in 2014 , which was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews .   In 2011 , Firth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and was also selected as one of the Time 100 . He was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Winchester in 2007 , and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012 . He has campaigned for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples , and is a member of Survival International . Firth has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers , refugees ' rights , and the environment . He commissioned and is credited as a co-author on a scientific paper on a study into the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations .


Tech Valley in part consists of Albany, New York.

Albany, New York Albany ( -LSB- ˈɔːlbəni -RSB- ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County . Roughly 150 mi north of New York City , Albany developed on the west bank of the Hudson River , about 10 mi south of its confluence with the Mohawk River . The population of the City of Albany was 97,856 according to the 2010 census . Albany constitutes the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of New York State , which comprises the Albany-Schenectady-Troy , NY Metropolitan Statistical Area , including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy , Schenectady , and Saratoga Springs . With a 2013 Census-estimated population of 1.1 million the Capital District is the third-most populous metropolitan region in the state and 38th in the United States .   Fortune 500 companies with offices in Albany include American Express , J.P. Morgan and Chase , Merrill Lynch , General Electric , Verizon , Goldman Sachs , International Paper , and Key Bank . In the 21st century , the Capital District has emerged as a major anchor of Tech Valley , the moniker describing the technologically-focused region of eastern New York State .   This was the first European settlement in the state . It was settled by Dutch colonists who in 1614 , built Fort Nassau for fur trading and Fort Orange in 1624 . They formed successful relations with both the Mahican and the Mohawk peoples , two major Native American nations in the region . The fur trade attracted settlers who founded a village called Beverwijck near Fort Orange . In 1664 the English took over the Dutch settlements , renaming the city as Albany , in honor of the then Duke of Albany , the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland . The city was officially chartered in 1686 under English rule . It became the capital of New York State in 1797 , following the United States gaining independence in the American Revolutionary War . Albany is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies , and the longest continuously chartered city in the United States . Its charter is possibly the longest-running instrument of municipal government in the Western Hemisphere .   During the late 18th century and throughout most of the 19th , Albany was a center of trade and transportation . It is on the north end of the navigable Hudson River , was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal connecting to the Great Lakes , and was home to some of the earliest railroad systems in the world . Albany 's main exports at the time were beer , lumber , published works , and ironworks . Beginning in 1810 , Albany was one of the ten most populous cities in the United States , a distinction it held until the 1860 census .   Albany is one of the first cities in the world to have installed public water mains , sewer lines , natural gas lines and electricity , infrastructure and utilities that attracted and supported substantial new industry to the city and surrounding area during the 19th century .   In the 20th century , the city opened one of the first commercial airports in the world , the precursor of today 's Albany International Airport . During the 1920s a powerful political machine controlled by the Democratic Party arose in the state capital , connected to politics in New York City as well . It marshalled the power of immigrants and their descendants in both cities .   The city 's skyline changed in the 1960s and 1970s with the construction of office towers around the Empire State Plaza and at the uptown campus of SUNY Albany , mainly under the direction of Governor Nelson Rockefeller . While Albany experienced a decline in its population due to urban sprawl and suburbanization , many of its historic neighborhoods were saved from destruction through the policies of Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd , the longest-serving mayor of any city in the United States . In the early 21st century , Albany has experienced growth in the high-technology industry , with great strides in the nanotechnology sector .   Albany has been a center of higher education for over a century , with much of the remainder of its economy dependent on state government and health care services . The city has rebounded from the urban decline of the 1970s and 1980s , with noticeable development taking place in the city 's downtown and midtown neighborhoods . Albany is known for its rich history , commerce , culture , architecture , and institutions of higher education . Albany won the All-America City Award in both 1991 and 2009 .


Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated at the Academy Awards.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Beasts of the Southern Wild is a 2012 American drama film co-written , co-scored and directed by Benh Zeitlin . It was adapted by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar 's one-act play Juicy and Delicious . After playing at film festivals , it was released on June 27 , 2012 , in New York and Los Angeles , and later distribution was expanded .   The film was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards , in the categories Best Picture , Best Director ( Benh Zeitlin ) , Best Adapted Screenplay ( Lucy Alibar , Benh Zeitlin ) , and Best Actress ( Quvenzhané Wallis ) . At age 9 , Wallis became the youngest Best Actress nominee in history .


Dileep (actor) ended his film career in 1991.

Dileep (actor) Dileep ( born Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai , on 27 October 1968 ) is an Indian film actor , singer , impressionist , producer , and businessman . He 's best known for his slapstick comedy roles in Malayalam cinema and he is the Richest superstar and third highest paid actor of malayalm cinema . In a career spanning over a quarter-century , he has starred in more than 130 films .   Dileep began his film career in 1991 by assisting director Kamal . He attained popularity through his impressionist acts in stage shows and Comicola , a television comedy series aired on Asianet . His role as Dileep in Manathe Kottaram ( 1994 ) paved way to his acting career . Films such as Sallapam ( 1996 ) , Ee Puzhayum Kadannu ( 1997 ) , Punjabi House ( 1998 ) , Udayapuram Sulthan ( 1999 ) , and Chandranudikkunna Dikhil ( 1999 ) established his status as a prominent actor during the late-1990s .   After delivering back-to-back hits in the early-2000s with films such as Thenkasipattanam ( 2000 ) , Joker ( 2000 ) , Ee Parakkum Thalika ( 2001 ) , Ishtam ( 2001 ) , Mazhathullikkilukkam ( 2002 ) and Kalyanaraman ( 2002 ) , Dileep established himself as a bankable lead star in the Malayalam film industry with the blockbuster success of Meesa Madhavan ( 2002 ) . He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his role as Madhavan in Meesa Madhavan . He won his first Kerala State Film Award ( Special Jury ) for his performance as Vimal Kumar ( Kunjan ) in Kunjikoonan ( 2002 ) and later won the Best Actor Award for his performance as Mukkom Shajahan in the film Vellaripravinte Changathi ( 2011 ) .   Dileep ventured into production , and produced and starred in C.I.D. Moosa ( 2003 ) under the banner Graand Production . Kathavasheshan ( 2004 ) won Dileep the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film as a producer . In 2008 , under the banner of Graand Production , Dileep produced Twenty :20 by casting most of the mainstream actors of Malayalam cinema , which had become the highest grossing Malayalam film at that time . He produced the multi-starrer in order to raise funds for the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists ( AMMA ) .


Mystique (comics) Mystique ( Raven Darkhölme ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , commonly in association with the X-Men . Created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont , she first appeared in the comic book Ms. Marvel # 16 , published in 1978 .   Mystique is a member of a subspecies of humanity known as mutants , who are born with superhuman abilities . Mystique is a shapeshifter who can mimic the appearance and voice of any person with exquisite precision , and her natural appearance includes blue skin and yellow eyes . She is typically portrayed as a foe of the X-Men .   Throughout most of her history , Mystique has been a supervillain , founding her own Brotherhood of Mutants and assassinating several important people involved in mutant affairs . She has commented that she is over 100 years old . Mystique is the mother of the villain Graydon Creed , the X-Men hero Nightcrawler , and adoptive mother of the heroine Rogue . She is forced to abandon Nightcrawler , but raises Rogue for a number of years , and the two women have mixed feelings towards one another .   Mystique appears in six of the X-Men films : she was portrayed by actress Rebecca Romijn in the first three installments , while Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence portrayed a younger version of the character in X-Men : First Class ( in which Romijn has a cameo ) , X-Men : Days of Future Past , and X-Men : Apocalypse . In 2009 , Mystique was ranked as IGN 's 18th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time .


X-Men The X-Men are a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby , the characters first appeared in The X-Men # 1 ( September 1963 ) . They are among the most recognizable and successful intellectual properties of Marvel Comics , appearing in numerous books , television shows , films , and video games .   The X-Men are mutants , a subspecies of humans who are born with superhuman abilities . The X-Men fight for peace and equality between normal humans and mutants in a world where antimutant bigotry is fierce and widespread . They are led by Charles Xavier , also known as Professor X , a powerful mutant telepath who can control and read minds . Their archenemy is Magneto , a powerful mutant with the ability to generate and control magnetic fields . Professor X and Magneto have opposing views and philosophies regarding the relationship between mutants and humans . While Professor X works towards peace and understanding between mutants and humans , Magneto views humans as a threat and believes in taking an aggressive approach against them , though he has found himself working alongside the X-Men from time to time .   Professor X is the founder of Xavier 's School for Gifted Youngsters at a location commonly called the X-Mansion , which recruits mutants from around the world . Located in Westchester County , New York , the X-Mansion is the home and training site of the X-Men . The founding five members of the X-Men who appear in The X-Men # 1 ( September 1963 ) are Angel ( Archangel ) , Beast , Cyclops , Iceman , and Marvel Girl ( Jean Grey ) ; Professor X and Magneto also made their first appearances in The X-Men # 1 . Since then , dozens of mutants from various countries and diverse backgrounds have held membership as X-Men .


Rogue (comics) Rogue is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , commonly in association with the X-Men . The character debuted in Avengers Annual # 10 ( November 1981 ) as a villain , but then soon after she joined the X-Men .   Rogue is part of a subspecies of humans called mutants , who are born with superhuman abilities . Rogue has the involuntary ability to absorb and sometimes also remove the memories , physical strength , and superpowers of anyone she touches . Therefore , Rogue considers her powers to be a curse . For most of her life , she limited her physical contact with others , including her on-off love interest , Gambit . However , after many years , Rogue finally gained full control over her mutant ability .   Hailing from the fictional Caldecott County , Mississippi , Rogue is the X-Men 's self-described southern belle . A runaway , she was adopted by Mystique of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and grew up as a villain . After Rogue permanently absorbs Ms. Marvel 's psyche and Kree powers , she reforms and turns to the X-Men , fearing for her sanity . Rogue 's real name and early history were not revealed until nearly 20 years after her introduction . Until the back story provided by Robert Rodi in the ongoing Rogue series , which began in September 2004 , Rogue 's background was only hinted at . Her name was revealed as Anna Marie , although her surname is still unknown . She has sometimes adopted the name Raven , which is the first name of her foster mother Mystique .   Rogue has been one of the most prominent members of the X-Men since the 1980s . She was # 5 on IGN 's Top 25 X-Men list for 2006 , # 4 on their Top Ten X-Babes list for 2006 , # 3 on Marvel 's list of Top 10 Toughest Females for 2009 and was given title of # 1 X-Man on CBR 's Top 50 X-Men of All Time for 2008 . She was ranked tenth in Comics Buyer 's Guide 's `` 100 Sexiest Women in Comics '' list . Rogue has been featured in most of the X-Men animated series , and various video games . In the X-Men film series , she is portrayed by Anna Paquin . Her visual cue is often the white streak that runs through her hair .


Gambit (comics) Gambit ( Remy Etienne LeBeau ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , commonly in association with the X-Men . The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee . Drawn by artist Mike Collins , Gambit makes his first appearances in Uncanny X-Men Annual # 14 ( July 1990 ) and Uncanny X-Men # 266 ( August 1990 ) .   Gambit belongs to a subspecies of humans called mutants , who are born with superhuman abilities . Gambit has the ability to mentally create , control , and manipulate pure kinetic energy to his desire . He is also incredibly knowledgeable and skilled in card-throwing , hand-to-hand combat , and the use of a bō staff . Gambit is known to charge playing cards and other objects with kinetic energy , using them as explosive projectiles .   He was part of a thieves ' guild before becoming a member of the X-Men . Given his history , few X-Men trusted Gambit when he joined the group . There was consistently a source of stress between him and his on-again , off-again love interest Rogue . This was exacerbated when Gambit 's connections to villain Mister Sinister were revealed , although some of his team members accept that Gambit honestly seeks redemption . Often portrayed as a `` ladies ' man , '' Gambit has shown a more vulnerable side of himself over the years , especially when it comes to Rogue . Gambit remains fiercely proud of his Louisiana heritage and speaks in a thick Cajun accent .   Since his debut , Gambit has appeared in several solo series . As of 2013 , there have been three attempts at an ongoing title starring the character . Gambit has also had two miniseries and starred prominently in Gambit & the X-Ternals , the X-Force replacement title during the Age of Apocalypse . Gambit was ranked 65th on IGN 's `` Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time '' stating that `` Gambit is just the sort of tortured soul that X-readers love , and his continued presence in the TV and movie spinoffs cements his status as one of the greats , '' and in 2013 , ComicsAlliance ranked Gambit as # 4 on their list of the `` 50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics '' . He has been featured in several animated series and video games based on the X-Men . Although he did not appear in the first three X-Men films , Gambit appeared on screen in the 2009 film X-Men Origins : Wolverine , portrayed by Taylor Kitsch . Channing Tatum will portray Gambit in an upcoming solo film .


Kree The Kree , briefly known as the Ruul , are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud .   The Kree race resembles humans in appearance except for the fact that a portion of the Kree race have blue skin . Due to the difference in gravity and chemical composition of the air between their homeworld Hala and Earth , Krees have a greater strength on Earth than humans but are not able to breathe the air on Earth without some sort of aid . In the Kree race there is a distinction between the blue-skinned `` purebred '' Krees and their white-skinned members , with the blue-skinned Kree being a small but powerful minority . At some point in the past the Kree race 's evolution was `` frozen '' which has led to Kree scientists experimenting with genetics and interbreeding with other races to help counter the lack of genetic evolution in the Kree race itself . These experiments led to the creation of the Inhumans on earth .   The Kree race first becomes known to modern day Earth as part of the Kree-Skrull War , an interstellar war between the Kree Empire and the neighboring Skrull empire , that would involve the Avengers as the Kree and the Skrull fought over control of Earth . The war was ended through the machinations of the Kree Supreme Intelligence and Rick Jones although skirmishes between the two empires continued .   At a later date the Kree became embroiled in a war with the Shi'ar empire , another space faring empire . The war ended with the detonation of the Nega Bomb that forced the Kree to surrender . It was later revealed that the Nega bomb was engineered by the Kree Supreme Intelligence to attempt to restart their genetic evolution . At a later date Black Bolt led the Inhumans into Kree space and became the King of the Kree empire , making the Inhumans the Royal Family of the Kree . Later on the Supreme Intelligence and Ronan the Accuser are shown as the leaders of the Kree Empire .   The Kree race has produced a number of notable Marvel comic characters over the years , some heroes , others villains such as the original Captain Marvel , Supreme Intelligence , Ronan the Accuser , Captain Atlas , Korath the Pursuer , Doctor Minerva , Shatterstar , and Yon-Rogg . They were also represented by Kree hybrids such as Carol Danvers , Genis-Vell , Phyla-Vell , Hulkling , and Ultra Girl .


Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants , originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants , is a fictional supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The characters are depicted as being devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans . They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men .   The group 's roster and ideology have varied from incarnation to incarnation , ranging from world domination to serving as a terrorist group that targets anti-mutant public figures . They are almost always at odds with the more peaceful X-Men , though on rare occasions the two sides have allied against a common threat , most notably Apocalypse .   The Brotherhood was founded by Magneto and its members were his primary allies in his early battles with the X-Men during the 1960s . The original Brotherhood ultimately disbanded , with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch going on to become members of the Avengers .   In 1981 , the Brotherhood of Mutants was revived under the leadership of Mystique while the group 's most visible incarnation during the early 1990s was led by Toad . With each additional incarnation , the group abandoned its political ideology and regressed to the status of `` hired goons . '' Since the end of the 1990s , several incarnations have sought to return to the political roots .   The Brotherhood of Mutants has also appeared in several animated series featuring the X-Men and has been Magneto 's group in the recent X-Men film series .


Giampaolo Pazzini represented his nation at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Giampaolo Pazzini Giampaolo Pazzini ( -LSB- dʒamˈpaolo patˈtsini -RSB- ; born 2 August 1984 in Pescia ) , nicknamed Il Pazzo ( The Madman ) by his fans , is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Hellas Verona and formerly for the Italian national team , representing his nation at the 2010 FIFA World Cup . Throughout his club career , he has only played for teams in Italy , previously playing for Atalanta , Fiorentina , Sampdoria , Internazionale and Milan . He is well known for his eye for goal and movement off the ball , especially in the penalty area , as well as his excellent ability to score headed goals .


Linda McCartney Linda Louise , Lady McCartney ( née Eastman ; formerly See ; September 24 , 1941 -- April 17 , 1998 ) was an American musician , photographer , animal rights activist , entrepreneur and publisher who was married to Paul McCartney of the Beatles . Prior to marrying Paul , she was a professional photographer of celebrities and contemporary musicians , with her work published in music industry magazines . Her photos were also published in the book Linda McCartney 's Sixties : Portrait of an Era , in 1992 .   Linda married McCartney in 1969 at St John 's Wood Church in London . Her daughter , Heather Louise , from her first marriage to Melville See , was adopted by her new husband . Together , the McCartneys had three other children .   In 1971 , after they married and following the break-up of the Beatles the previous year , Paul and Linda McCartney recorded the album Ram . Shortly afterwards , they formed the band Wings . She continued to be part of her husband 's touring band following Wings ' break-up in 1981 up until The New World Tour in 1993 .   She was an animal rights activist and wrote and published several vegetarian cookbooks , and founded the Linda McCartney Foods company with her husband .   In 1995 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died from the disease in 1998 at the age of 56 .


Top Gun's action sequences were praised.

Top Gun Top Gun is a 1986 American romantic military action drama film directed by Tony Scott , and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer , in association with Paramount Pictures . The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps , Jr. , and was inspired by an article titled `` Top Guns '' published in California magazine three years earlier . The film stars Tom Cruise , Kelly McGillis , Val Kilmer , Anthony Edwards , and Tom Skerritt . Cruise plays Lieutenant Pete `` Maverick '' Mitchell , a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier . He and his Radar Intercept Officer ( RIO ) Nick `` Goose '' Bradshaw ( Edwards ) are given the chance to train at the Navy 's Fighter Weapons School at Miramar in San Diego .   Top Gun was released on May 16 , 1986 . Upon its release , the film received generally mixed reviews from film critics but many particularly praised the action sequences , the effects , the aerial stunts , and the acting performances with Cruise and McGillis receiving the most praise . Four weeks after release , the number of theaters showing it increased by 45 % . Despite its initial mixed critical reaction , the film was a huge commercial hit grossing $ 356 million against a production budget of only $ 15 million . With its success , the film became a cult film over the years and earned an IMAX 3D re-release in 2013 . Additionally , the film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for `` Take My Breath Away '' performed by Berlin .   In 2015 , the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry , finding it `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Gadsden flag The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike . Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words `` DONT TREAD ON ME '' . The flag is named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden ( 1724 -- 1805 ) , who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution . It was used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag , along with the Moultrie flag .   Modern uses of the Gadsden flag include political movements such as libertarianism and the American Tea Party as well as American soccer supporter groups , including Sam 's Army and the American Outlaws since the late 1980s .


Mickey Mantle was an American football player.

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle ( October 20 , 1931 -- August 13 , 1995 ) , nicknamed The Commerce Comet and The Mick , was an American professional baseball player . Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball ( MLB ) career with the New York Yankees as a center fielder and first baseman , from 1951 through 1968 . Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers , and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history . Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999 .   Mantle was arguably the greatest offensive threat of any center fielder in baseball history . He has the highest career OPS + of any center fielder and he had the highest stolen base percentage in history at the time of his retirement . In addition , compared to the four other center fielders on the all-century team , he had the lowest career rate of grounding into double plays ( by far ) and he had the highest World Series on-base percentage and World Series slugging percentage . He also had an excellent 0.984 fielding percentage when playing center field . Mantle was noted for his ability to hit for both average and power , especially tape measure home runs . He hit 536 MLB career home runs , batted .300 or more ten times , and is the career leader ( tied with Jim Thome ) in walk-off home runs , with a combined thirteen , twelve in the regular season and one in the postseason .   Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956 , leading the major leagues in batting average , home runs , and runs batted in ( RBI ) ; he later wrote a book about his best year in baseball . He was an All-Star for 16 seasons , playing in 16 of the 20 All-Star Games that were played . He was an American League ( AL ) Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) three times and a Gold Glove winner once . Mantle appeared in 12 World Series including seven championships , and holds World Series records for the most home runs ( 18 ) , RBIs ( 40 ) , extra-base hits ( 26 ) , runs ( 42 ) , walks ( 43 ) , and total bases ( 123 ) .


Levi Miller was the lead in his major film debut.

Levi Miller Levi Zane Miller ( born 30 September 2002 ) is an Australian actor and model . Levi was the leading actor in his major film debut the 2015 film Pan , starring as the well known Peter Pan . Previously , he appeared in the film A Heartbeat Away ( 2012 ) and in short films such as Akiva ( 2010 ) and Great Adventures ( 2012 ) . One of Levi 's more recent roles was in the movie Red Dog : True Blue where he played Mick . In 2015 , he was named ambassador for Polo , the Ralph Lauren kids ' fall campaign . Levi plays Charlie Bucktin in the film adaptation of Australian novel Jasper Jones ( 2017 ) . Levi is confirmed to be playing Calvin O'Keefe in the American fantasy adventure A Wrinkle in Time ( 2018 ) , which is scheduled to premiere on April 6 , 2018 .


William Shakespeare was not a playwright.

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( -LSB- ˈʃeɪkspɪə -RSB- 26 April 1564 ( baptised ) -- 23 April 1616 ) was an English : poet , : playwright , and actor , widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world 's pre-eminent dramatist . He is often called England 's national poet , and the `` Bard of Avon '' . His extant works , including collaborations , consist of approximately 38 plays , 154 sonnets , two long narrative poems , and a few other verses , some of uncertain authorship . His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright .   Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon , Warwickshire . At the age of 18 , he married Anne Hathaway , with whom he had three children : Susanna , and twins Hamnet and Judith . Sometime between 1585 and 1592 , he began a successful career in London as an actor , writer , and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain 's Men , later known as the King 's Men . He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 , at age 49 , where he died three years later . Few records of Shakespeare 's private life survive , which has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance , sexuality , and religious beliefs and whether the works attributed to him were written by others .   Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613 . His early plays were primarily comedies and histories , which are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres . He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608 , including Hamlet , Othello , King Lear , and Macbeth , considered some of the finest works in the English language . In his last phase , he wrote tragicomedies , also known as romances , and collaborated with other playwrights .   Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime . In 1623 , however , John Heminges and Henry Condell , two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare , published a more definitive text known as the First Folio , a posthumous collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare 's . It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson , in which Shakespeare is hailed , presciently , as `` not of an age , but for all time '' .   In the 20th and 21st centuries , his works have been repeatedly adapted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance . His plays remain highly popular and are constantly studied , performed , and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world .


Desert and mountains are in Texas's Big Bend.

Texas Texas ( -LSB- ˈtɛksəs -RSB- , -LSB- localˈtɛksᵻz -RSB- Texas or Tejas -LSB- ˈtexas -RSB- ) is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population . Geographically located in the South Central region of the country , Texas shares borders with the U.S. states of Louisiana to the east , Arkansas to the northeast , Oklahoma to the north , New Mexico to the west , and the Mexican states of Chihuahua , Coahuila , Nuevo León , and Tamaulipas to the southwest , while the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast .   Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth largest in the U.S. , while San Antonio is the second most populous in the state and seventh largest in the U.S. Dallas -- Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country , respectively . Other major cities include Austin , the second most populous state capital in the U.S. , and El Paso . Texas is nicknamed `` The Lone Star State '' to signify its former status as an independent republic , and as a reminder of the state 's struggle for independence from Mexico . The `` Lone Star '' can be found on the Texan state flag and on the Texan state seal . The origin of Texas 's name is from the word `` Tejas , '' which means `` friends '' in the Caddo language .   Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault , Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the U.S. Southern and Southwestern regions . Although Texas is popularly associated with the U.S. southwestern deserts , less than 10 % of Texas ' land area is desert . Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies , grasslands , forests , and the coastline . Traveling from east to west , one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods , to rolling plains and rugged hills , and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend .   The term `` six flags over Texas `` For example , as used by the large Grand Prairie -- based national and international amusement park operator Six Flags refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory . Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas . France held a short-lived colony . Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence , becoming an independent Republic . In 1845 , Texas joined the union as the 28th state . The state 's annexation set off a chain of events that led to the Mexican -- American War in 1846 . A slave state before the American Civil War , Texas declared its secession from the U.S. in early 1861 , and officially joined the Confederate States of America on March 2 of the same year . After the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government , Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation .   One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle . Due to its long history as a center of the industry , Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy . The state 's economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century , when oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state . With strong investments in universities , Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry in the mid-20th century . As of 2015 , it is second on the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with 54 . With a growing base of industry , the state leads in many industries , including agriculture , petrochemicals , energy , computers and electronics , aerospace , and biomedical sciences . Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product .


Bradley Cooper was nominated for multiple Academy Awards.

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper ( born January 5 , 1975 ) is an American actor and producer . He was one of the world 's highest-paid actors for three years , and has been nominated for various accolades , including four Academy Awards , two BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globe Awards . Cooper appeared in Forbes Celebrity 100 on two occasions and Time list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2015 .   Cooper enrolled in the MFA program at the Actors Studio , New York City in 2000 . His career began with a guest role in the television series Sex and the City in 1999 and his film debut came two years later in Wet Hot American Summer . He first gained recognition as Will Tippin in the spy-action television show Alias ( 2001 -- 2006 ) , and achieved minor success with a supporting part in the comedy film Wedding Crashers ( 2005 ) . His breakthrough role came in 2009 with  The Hangover , a commercially successful comedy which spawned two sequels in 2011 and 2013 .   Cooper 's portrayal of a struggling writer in the thriller Limitless ( 2011 ) and a rookie police officer in the crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines ( 2012 ) drew praise from critics . He found greater success with the romantic comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook ( 2012 ) , the black comedy crime film American Hustle ( 2013 ) , and the biopic American Sniper ( 2014 ) . For his work in these films , Cooper was nominated for Academy Awards -- two Best Actor , one Best Supporting Actor , and one Best Picture . Cooper became the tenth actor to receive an Academy Award nomination in three consecutive years . In 2014 , he portrayed Joseph Merrick in a Broadway revival of The Elephant Man , garnering a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play .


Season three of Game of Thrones is based on the third book in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Game of Thrones (season 3) The third season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered in the United States on HBO on March 31 , 2013 , and concluded on June 9 , 2013 . It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States , consisting of 10 episodes , each running approximately 50 -- 60 minutes . The season is based roughly on the first half of A Storm of Swords ( the third of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin , of which the series is an adaptation ) . The series is adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss . HBO renewed the series for a third season on April 10 , 2012 , nine days after the second season 's premiere . Production began in July 2012 . The show was filmed primarily in Ireland , Northern Ireland , Croatia , Iceland and Morocco .   The story takes place in a fictional world , primarily upon a continent called Westeros , with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east known as Essos . Like the novel , the season follows the climatic battle at Kings Landing . Season three like the previous season mainly centres around the war of the five kings ; after the death of Renly Baratheon ( Gethin Anthony ) , all four kings in Westeros believes to have a claim to the Iron Throne , besides Robb Stark ( Richard Madden ) , who seeks vengeance for the death of his father , Lord Eddard `` Ned '' Stark ( Sean Bean ) .   Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast , including Peter Dinklage , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Lena Headey , Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington . The season introduced a number of new cast members , including Ciarán Hinds , Nathalie Emmanuel and Iwan Rheon .   Critics praised the show 's production values and cast . Viewership yet again rose compared to the previous season . It won 2 of the 16 Emmy Awards for which it was nominated , it received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Dinklage ) , Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ( Clarke ) and Outstanding Drama Series . It also won the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Drama Series .


Beijing Beijing ( formerly romanised as Peking ) is the capital of the People 's Republic of China and the world 's third most populous city proper . It is also one of the world 's most populous capital cities . The city , located in northern China , is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban , suburban , and rural districts . Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighbouring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast ; together the three divisions form the Jingjinji metropolitan region and the national capital region of China .   As a city combining both modern and traditional architecture , Beijing is an ever-changing megacity rich in history but also truly modern , exemplified in its global influence in politics , business & economy , education , history , culture , language , music , sporting , architecture , civilization , fashion , art , entertainment , innovation and technology . Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation 's political , cultural , and educational centre . It is home to the headquarters of most of China 's largest state-owned companies , and is a major hub for the national highway , expressway , railway , and high-speed rail networks . The Beijing Capital International Airport has been the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic since 2010 , and , , the city 's subway network is the busiest and second longest in the world , after Shanghai 's subway system .   The city 's history dates back three millennia . As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China , Beijing has been the political centre of the country for much of the past eight centuries . With mountains surrounding the inland city on three sides , in addition to the old inner and outer city walls , Beijing was strategically poised and developed to be the residence of the emperor and thus was the perfect location for the imperial capital . Beijing was the largest city in the world by population for much of the second millennium A.D. . The city is renowned for its opulent palaces , temples , parks , gardens , tombs , walls and gates . Its art treasures and universities have made it centre of culture and art in China . Encyclopædia Britannica notes that `` few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China . '' Beijing has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- the Forbidden City , Temple of Heaven , Summer Palace , Ming Tombs , Zhoukoudian , as well as parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal , all popular locations for tourism . siheyuans , the city 's traditional housing style , and hutongs , the narrow alleys between siheyuans , are major tourist attractions and are common in urban Beijing . The city hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics , making it the first city to ever host both Winter and Summer Olympics .   Many of Beijing 's 91 universities consistently rank among the best in China , of which Peking University and Tsinghua University are ranked in the top 60 universities of the world . In 2015 , 52 companies of the Fortune Global 500 company headquarters were located in Beijing , more than any other city in the world , including state-owned enterprises State Grid , China National Petroleum , and Sinopec Group , ranked 2nd , 3rd , and 4th , respectively . Beijing CBD is quickly becoming the center for Beijing 's economic expansion , rapid modernization , and radically changing skyline , with the ongoing or recently completed construction of multiple skyscrapers . Beijing 's Zhongguancun area is also known as China 's Silicon Valley and China 's center of innovation and technology entrepreneurship . According to the 2016 InterNations Expat Insider Survey , Beijing ranked first in Asia in the subcategory `` Personal Finance Index , '' a measure of expats ' salaries versus cost of living in the city . Expats live primarily in urban districts such as Dongcheng and Chaoyang in the east , or in suburban districts such as Shunyi .


Abraham Lincoln's and Stephen A. Douglas's opinions were always in total alignment.

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .


PlayStation 4 PlayStation 4 ( PS4 ) is a line of home video game consoles developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment . Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 during a press conference on February 20 , 2013 , it was launched on November 15 in North America , November 29 in Europe , South America and Australia ; and February 22 , 2014 , in Japan . It competes with Nintendo 's Wii U and Microsoft 's Xbox One , as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles .   Moving away from the more complex Cell microarchitecture of its predecessor , the console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built upon the x86-64 architecture , which can theoretically peak at 1.84 teraflops ; AMD stated that it was the `` most powerful '' APU it had developed to date . The PlayStation 4 places an increased emphasis on social interaction and integration with other devices and services , including the ability to play games off-console on PlayStation Vita and other supported devices ( `` Remote Play '' ) , the ability to stream gameplay online or to friends , with them controlling gameplay remotely ( `` Share Play '' ) . The console 's controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3 , with improved buttons and analog sticks , and an integrated touchpad among other changes . The console also supports HDR10 high-dynamic-range color and playback of 4K multimedia .   Reception to the original PlayStation 4 model was positive , with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers ' needs , embrace of independent game development , and for not imposing restrictive digital rights management schemes that Microsoft had previously announced for Xbox One prior to its release . Critics and third-party studios also praised the capabilities of the PlayStation 4 in comparison to its competitors ; developers described the performance difference between the console and Xbox One as being `` significant '' and `` obvious '' . Heightened demand also helped Sony top global console sales . By the end of 2016 , more than 53 million consoles have been sold worldwide , with more than 57 million shipped .   On September 7 , 2016 , Sony unveiled two hardware revisions of PlayStation 4 ; a slim build of the console , and a `` Pro '' version with an upgraded GPU and higher CPU clock rate to support 4K gameplay on supported titles .


Slovakia is not between Western Europe and Eastern Europe.

Slovakia Slovakia ( listen ) , is a landlocked country in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west , Poland to the north , Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south . Slovakia 's territory spans about 49000 km2 and is mostly mountainous . The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks . The capital and largest city is Bratislava . The official language is Slovak .   The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries . In the 7th century , they played a significant role in the creation of Samo 's Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra . In the 10th century , the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary , which itself became part of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the Slovaks and Czechs established Czechoslovakia . A separate ( First ) Slovak Republic ( 1939 -- 1945 ) existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany . In 1945 , Czechoslovakia was re-established under Communist rule as a Soviet satellite . In 1989 the Velvet Revolution ended authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia . Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia , sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce .   Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with a very high Human Development Index , a very high standard of living and performs favourably in measurements of civil liberties , press freedom , internet freedom , democratic governance and peacefulness . The country maintains a combination of market economy with a comprehensive social security system . Citizens of Slovakia are provided with universal health care , free education and one of the longest paid maternity leave in the OECD . The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009 . Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area , NATO , the United Nations , the OECD , the WTO , CERN , the OSCE , the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group . The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and 3rd fastest in eurozone . Its legal tender , the Euro , is the world 's 2nd most traded currency . Although regional income inequality is high , 90 % of citizens own their homes . In 2016 , Slovak citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 165 countries and territories , ranking the Slovak passport 11th in the world . Slovakia is the world 's largest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone and the 7th largest car producer in the European Union . The car industry represents 43 % of Slovakia 's industrial output , and a quarter of its exports .


Central Europe Central Europe lies between Eastern Europe and Western Europe . The concept of Central Europe is based on a common historical , social and cultural identity . Central Europe is going through a phase of `` strategic awakening '' , with initiatives such as the CEI , Centrope and the Visegrád Four . While the region 's economy shows high disparities with regard to income , all Central European countries are listed by the Human Development Index as very highly developed .


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 .


Outlander (TV series), the second season, is based on a book.

Outlander (TV series) Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon . Developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz , the show premiered on August 9 , 2014 . It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall , a married World War II nurse who in 1945 finds herself transported back to the Scotland of 1743 , where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings .   The second season of 13 episodes , based on Dragonfly in Amber , premiered on April 9 , 2016 . On June 1 , 2016 , Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season , which will adapt the third and fourth Outlander novels , Voyager and Drums of Autumn . The 13-episode third season is scheduled to premiere in September 2017 .


Dragonfly in Amber Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon . Centered on time travelling 20th-century nurse Claire Randall and her 18th-century Scottish Highland warrior husband Jamie Fraser , the books contain elements of historical fiction , romance , adventure and science fiction/fantasy . This installment chronicles Claire and Jamie 's efforts to prevent the Jacobite rising that Claire knows will end disastrously for the Scots .   A television adaptation of the series , called Outlander , premiered on Starz in August 2014 . The show 's second season -- which aired May through July 2016 -- was based on the events of Dragonfly in Amber .


Michael Jackson was accused of, but never formally charged with, child sexual abuse in 1993.

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson ( August 29 , 1958 -- June 25 , 2009 ) was an American singer , songwriter , record producer , dancer , actor , and philanthropist . Called the `` King of Pop '' , his contributions to music , dance , and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades .   The eighth child of the Jackson family , Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 . He began his solo career in 1971 . In the early 1980s , Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music . His music videos , including those of `` Beat It '' , `` Billie Jean '' , and `` Thriller '' from his 1982 album Thriller , are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool . The popularity of these videos helped bring the television channel MTV to fame . Jackson 's 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles `` I Just Ca n't Stop Loving You '' , `` Bad '' , `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' , `` Man in the Mirror '' , and `` Dirty Diana '' , becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 . He continued to innovate with videos such as `` Black or White '' and `` Scream '' throughout the 1990s , and forged a reputation as a touring solo artist . Through stage and video performances , Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques , such as the robot and the moonwalk , to which he gave the name . His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres .   Thriller is the best-selling album of all time , with estimated sales of 65 million copies worldwide . Jackson 's other albums , including Off the Wall ( 1979 ) , Bad ( 1987 ) , Dangerous ( 1991 ) , and HIStory ( 1995 ) , also rank among the world 's best-selling albums . He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records . Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice , and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the only dancer from pop and rock music . His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records , 13 Grammy Awards , the Grammy Legend Award , the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award , 26 American Music Awards -- more than any other artist -- including the `` Artist of the Century '' and `` Artist of the 1980s '' , 13 number-one singles in the United States during his solo career -- more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era -- and estimated sales of over 350 million records worldwide . Jackson won hundreds of awards , making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music . He became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when `` Love Never Felt So Good '' reached number nine on May 21 , 2014 . Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism , and , in 2000 , the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities , more than any other entertainer .   Aspects of Jackson 's personal life , including his changing appearance , personal relationships , and behavior , generated controversy . In 1993 , he was accused of child sexual abuse , but the civil case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount and no formal charges were brought . In 2005 , he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts . While preparing for his comeback concert series , This Is It , Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25 , 2009 , after suffering from cardiac arrest . The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide , and his personal physician , Conrad Murray , was convicted of involuntary manslaughter . Jackson 's death triggered a global outpouring of grief , and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was viewed around the world . Forbes ranks Jackson the top-earning dead celebrity , with earnings of $ 825 million in 2016 , the highest yearly amount ever recorded by the publication .


Iran is a sovereign nation that still possesses a degree influence.

Iran Iran ( ɪ , also ɪ ) , formerly known as Persia , is a sovereign state in Western Asia . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia , the de facto Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan ; to the north by the Caspian Sea ; to the northeast by Turkmenistan ; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman ; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Comprising a land area of 1648195 km2 , it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world . Officially with 79.93 million inhabitants ( Nov 2016 ) , Iran is the world 's 18th-most-populous country . It is the only country with both a Caspian Sea and an Indian Ocean coastline . The country 's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia , and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz , make it of great geostrategic importance . Iran has diverse landscapes and geographical conditions . Tehran is the country 's capital and largest city , as well as its leading economic and cultural center .   Iran is home to one of the world 's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the 4th millennium BC . The area was first unified and dominated by the Iranian Medes in the 7th century BC . Iran reached its greatest extent during the Achaemenid Empire ( First Persian Empire ) founded by Cyrus the Great in 6th century BC , the largest empire the world had yet seen , stretching from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley . Persia fell to Alexander the Great in 4th century BC , but reemerged shortly after as the Parthian Empire . Under the Sassanians , Persia became a leading world power for the next four centuries .   In 7th century AD , Arabs conquered Persia and largely displaced the indigenous faiths of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism with the new religion of Islam . Iranians became major contributors to the Islamic Golden Age that followed , producing many influential scientists , scholars , artists and thinkers . After two centuries , a period of various Iranian dynasties began , although these dynasties were later conquered by Turks and then the Mongols . An Iranian national identity was always reasserted however , developing a distinct cultural entity . The rise of the Safavids in 15th century led to the establishment of Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion , marking a turning point in Muslim history . In the 18th century , Iran arguably possessed briefly the most powerful military at the time under Nader Shah . Conflicts with the Russian Empire in 19th century led to significant territorial losses . Popular unrest culminated in the Persian Constitutional Revolution , which established a constitutional monarchy and the country 's first legislative body , the Majles . Following a coup d'état instigated by the UK and the US in 1953 , Iran gradually became closely aligned with the West and grew increasingly autocratic . Growing dissent against foreign influence and political repression led to the 1979 Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic republic , a political system which combines elements of a parliamentary democracy with a theocracy governed by Islamic jurists under the concept of a `` Supreme Leadership '' . According to international observers , the current Iranian government is oppressive , with human rights abuses commonplace .   A multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups , most inhabitants of Iran are Shia Muslims and Persian is the official language . The largest ethnic groups in Iran are the Persians , Azeris , Kurds and Lurs .   Iran is a founding member of the UN , ECO , NAM , OIC , and OPEC . Iran is a major regional and middle power , and its large reserves of fossil fuels -- which include the largest natural gas supply in the world and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves -- exert considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy . Iran 's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the third-largest number in Asia and 11th-largest in the world .


American Pie (film) American Pie is a 1999 teen sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by brothers Paul and Chris Weitz , in their directorial film debut . It is the first film in the American Pie theatrical series . The film was a box-office hit and spawned three direct sequels : American Pie 2 ( 2001 ) , American Wedding ( 2003 ) , and American Reunion ( 2012 ) . The film concentrates on five best friends ( Jim , Kevin , Oz , Finch , and Stifler ) who attend East Great Falls High . With the exception of Stifler ( who has already lost his virginity ) , the guys make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation . The title is borrowed from the song of the same name and refers to a scene in the film , in which the protagonist is caught masturbating with a pie after being told that third base feels like `` warm apple pie '' . Writer Adam Herz has stated that the title also refers to the quest of losing one 's virginity in high school , which is as `` American as apple pie . ''   The film 's theme song is `` Laid '' by James , which is also the theme for the entire franchise .   In addition to the primary American Pie saga , there are four direct-to-DVD spin-off films bearing the title American Pie Presents : Band Camp ( 2005 ) , The Naked Mile ( 2006 ) , Beta House ( 2007 ) , and The Book of Love ( 2009 ) .   In response to the success of American Reunion , a fifth theatrical film , under the working title American Pie 5 was announced on August 4 , 2012 .


Saif Ali Khan has not had a role in two films.

Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan ( -LSB- ˈsɛːf əˈli ˈxaːn -RSB- ; born Sajid Ali Khan on 16 August 1970 ) is an Indian film actor and producer . The son of actress Sharmila Tagore and the late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi , Khan made his acting debut in Yash Chopra 's unsuccessful drama Parampara ( 1993 ) , but achieved success with his roles in the romantic drama Yeh Dillagi and the action film Main Khiladi Tu Anari ( both 1994 ) . Khan 's career prospect declined through much of the 1990s , and his biggest commercial success of the decade came with the ensemble drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain ( 1999 ) . He rose to prominence with roles in two ensemble comedy-dramasDil Chahta Hai ( 2001 ) and Kal Ho Naa Ho ( 2003 ) .   The 2004 romantic comedy Hum Tum proved to be Khan 's first success in which he played the sole male lead , earning him the National Film Award for Best Actor , and starring roles in the drama Parineeta and the romantic comedy Salaam Namaste ( both 2005 ) established him as a leading actor in Bollywood . He went on to earn wide critical praise for his portrayal of an apprentice in the 2006 English film Being Cyrus , a character based on William Shakespeare 's antagonist Iago in the 2006 crime film Omkara and a terrorist in the 2009 thriller Kurbaan . Khan 's greatest commercial success came with the 2008 thriller Race and its 2013 sequel , the 2009 romance Love Aaj Kal , and the 2012 romantic comedy Cocktail .   Khan is the recipient of several accolades , including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards , and received the Padma Shri , the fourth highest Indian civilian award , in 2010 . He has been noted for his performances in a range of film genres -- from crime dramas to thrillers and occasional romances -- and his film roles have been credited with contributing to a change in the concept of a Hindi film hero . Khan was married to his first wife , Amrita Singh , for thirteen years , after which he married the actress Kareena Kapoor . He has three childrentwo with Singh and one with Kapoor . In addition to film acting , Khan is a frequent television presenter , stage show performer and the owner of the production company Illuminati Films .


Long Road Out of Eden only had September on it.

Long Road Out of Eden Long Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Eagles , released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records . Nearly six years in production , it is the band 's first studio album since 1979 's The Long Run . In between that time the band recorded four original studio tracks for the live album Hell Freezes Over ( 1994 ) , `` Hole in the World '' for The Very Best Of ( 2003 ) and the Joe Walsh-penned `` One Day at a Time '' for the Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne DVD ( 2005 ) , which Walsh later re-recorded for his 2012 album Analog Man . It is also the band 's only album released following the dismissal of Don Felder in 2001 .   The album produced two singles on the Hot Country Songs charts : a cover of J.D. Souther 's `` How Long '' and `` Busy Being Fabulous '' , both of which were Top 30 hits on the country charts as well as Top 20 hits on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts . The album produced five straight hits on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts with `` How Long '' , `` Busy Being Fabulous '' , `` No More Cloudy Days '' , `` What Do I Do With My Heart '' , and `` I Do n't Want to Hear Anymore '' .   The album debuted at # 1 in the U.S. and won the band two Grammy awards for `` How Long '' and the instrumental `` I Dreamed There Was No War '' . The album became the band 's sixth # 1 album and was the highest selling album of the year . It has since sold 3.5 million copies in the U.S. alone . Being a double album with length exceeding 90 minutes , the album was certified 7x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 7 million discs .


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a film.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a 2014 American science fiction film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback , Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver . It stars Andy Serkis , Jason Clarke , Gary Oldman , Keri Russell , Toby Kebbell , and Kodi Smit-McPhee . It is the sequel to the 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes , which began 20th Century Fox 's reboot of the original Planet of the Apes series . Dawn is set ten years after the events of Rise , and follows a group of people in San Francisco who struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of a plague that is wiping out humanity , while Caesar tries to maintain dominance over his community of intelligent apes .   Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was released in the United States and Canada on July 11 , 2014 and was met with critical acclaim , with critics praising its visual effects , story , direction , acting , musical score , action , and emotional depth . It was also a box office success , having grossed over $ 710 million worldwide , and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects . A third installment , titled War for the Planet of the Apes , is set to be released on July 14 , 2017 .


Major League Soccer playoffs goes through November and December.

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer ( MLS ) is a men 's professional soccer league , sanctioned by U.S. Soccer , that represents the sport 's highest level in both the United States and Canada . MLS constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada . The league comprises 22 teams -- 19 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada . The MLS regular season runs from March to October , with each team playing 34 games ; the team with the best record is awarded the Supporters ' Shield . The postseason includes twelve teams competing in the MLS Cup Playoffs through November and December , culminating in the championship game , the MLS Cup . MLS teams also play in other domestic competitions against teams from other divisions in the U.S. Open Cup and in the Canadian Championship . MLS teams also compete against continental rivals in the CONCACAF Champions League .   Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States ' successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup . The first season took place in 1996 with ten teams . MLS experienced financial and operational struggles in its first few years : The league lost millions of dollars , teams played in mostly empty American football stadiums , and two teams folded in 2002 . Since then , MLS has expanded to 22 teams , owners built soccer-specific stadiums , average MLS attendance exceeds that of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , MLS secured national TV contracts , and the league is now profitable .   Instead of operating as an association of independently owned teams , MLS is a single entity in which each team is owned and controlled by the league 's investors . The investor-operators control their teams as owners control teams in other leagues , and are commonly ( but inaccurately ) referred to as the team 's owners . The league has a fixed membership , like most sports leagues in the United States and Canada , which makes it one of the world 's few soccer leagues that does not use promotion and relegation , a practice that is uncommon in the two countries . MLS headquarters is located in New York City .


The Beach Boys had the most, thirty-six, US Top 40 hits of any American rock band.

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne , California , in 1961 . The group 's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian , Dennis , and Carl Wilson ; their cousin Mike Love ; and their friend Al Jardine . Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs , they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era . The group , led by their principal songwriter and producer Brian , pioneered novel approaches to popular music form and production , combining their affinities for jazz-based vocal groups , 1950s rock and roll , and black R&B to create their unique sound . He later arranged his compositions for studio orchestras and explored a variety of other styles , often incorporating classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways .   The Beach Boys began as a garage band managed by the Wilsons ' father Murry , with Brian 's increasingly sophisticated songwriting and recording abilities dominating their creative direction . Emerging at the vanguard of the `` California Sound '' , they performed original material that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing , cars , and romance . After 1964 , they abandoned the surfing aesthetic for more personal lyrics and multi-layered sounds . In 1966 , the Pet Sounds album and `` Good Vibrations '' single vaulted the group to the top level of rock innovators and established the band as symbols of the nascent counterculture era . Following the dissolution of the group 's Smile project in 1967 , Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band , reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues . The group 's public image subsequently faltered , and despite efforts to continue their psychedelic/avant-garde ventures and reclaim their hippie audiences , they were dismissed as an embodiment of the values and outlooks shared by early 1960s white , suburban teenagers .   The continued success of their greatest hits albums during the mid 1970s precipitated the band 's transition into an oldies act , a move that was denigrated by critics and many fans . Since the 1980s , much-publicized legal wrangling over royalties , songwriting credits and use of the band 's name transpired . Dennis drowned in 1983 and Carl died of lung cancer in 1998 . After Carl 's death , many live configurations of the band fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour into the 2000s while other members pursued solo projects . Even though Wilson and Jardine have not performed with Love and Johnston 's band since their one-off 2012 reunion tour , they remain a part of the Beach Boys ' corporation , Brother Records Inc. .   The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed , commercially successful , and widely influential bands of all time . The group had over eighty songs chart worldwide , thirty-six of them US Top 40 hits ( the most by an American rock band ) , four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . The Beach Boys have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide , making them one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time and are listed at No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine 's 2004 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . The core quintet of the three Wilsons , Love and Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 .


The National Council for Peace and Order was formed by pirates.

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 .


Ryan O'Neal Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal ( born April 20 , 1941 ) , known professionally as Ryan O'Neal , is an American actor and former boxer . O'Neal trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960 . In 1964 , he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place . The series was an instant hit and boosted O'Neal 's career . He later found success in films , most notably Love Story ( 1970 ) , for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Actor , What 's Up , Doc ? ( 1972 ) , Paper Moon ( 1973 ) , Stanley Kubrick 's Barry Lyndon ( 1975 ) , and A Bridge Too Far ( 1977 ) . Since 2007 , he has had a recurring role in the TV series Bones as Max , the father of the series ' protagonist .


Sunny Leone exclusively acts in American television.

Sunny Leone Karenjit Kaur Vohra ( born May 13 , 1981 ) , known by her stage name Sunny Leone ( pronounced -LSB- ˈsənē lēˈōn ' ē -RSB- ) , is an actress and model , currently active in Indian film industry . She is a former pornstar , She has an American citizenship . She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra .  She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 , was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment , and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010 .   She has played roles in independent mainstream events , films and television shows . Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005 , when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India . In 2011 , she participated in the Indian reality television series Big Boss . She hosts the Indian reality show Splitsvilla .   In 2012 she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt 's erotic thriller Jism 2 ( 2012 ) and shifted her focus to mainstream acting which was followed up with Jackpot ( 2013 ) , Ragini MMS 2 ( 2014 ) and Ek Paheli Leela ( 2015 ) .   Apart from her acting career she has been part of activism campaigns including the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has also posed for a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) ad campaign with a rescued dog , encouraging pet owners to have their cats and dogs spayed and neutered .   Since 2011 , Leone has been married to Musician Daniel Weber .


O. J. Simpson Orenthal James `` O. J. '' Simpson ( born July 9 , 1947 ) , nicknamed The Juice , is a former American football running back , broadcaster , actor , and convicted armed robber and kidnapper .   Simpson attended the University of Southern California ( USC ) , where he played college football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 . He played professionally in the National Football League ( NFL ) as a running back for 11 seasons , with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977 and with the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979 . In 1973 , he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season ; holding the record for the single season yards-per-game average , which stands at 143.1 . He is the only player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format .   Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 . After retiring from football , he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting .   In 1995 , Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman after a lengthy and internationally publicised trial . The families of the victims filed a civil suit against him , and in 1997 a civil court awarded a $ 33.5 million judgment against Simpson for the victims ' wrongful deaths .   In 2007 , Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas , Nevada , and charged with felonies including armed robbery and kidnapping . In 2008 , he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment , with a minimum of nine years without parole . He is serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock , Nevada .


Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. ( born August 3 , 1977 ) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He is one of only two players to win five Super Bowls ( the other being Charles Haley ) , the only quarterback to win five and the only player to win them all playing for one team .   After playing college football for the University of Michigan , Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft . In Brady 's 15 seasons as a starter , he has quarterbacked the Patriots to seven Super Bowl appearances , the most for any player in history .   Brady has been honored with four Super Bowl MVP awards ( Super Bowl XXXVI , XXXVIII , XLIX , and LI ) , the most ever by a single player , has won two league MVP awards ( 2007 and 2010 ) , has been selected to 12 Pro Bowls , and has led his team to more division titles ( 14 ) than any other quarterback in NFL history . As of the end of the 2016 season , Brady is fourth all-time in career passing yards , fourth in career touchdown passes , and third in career passer rating . His career postseason record is 25 -- 9 , winning more playoff games than any other quarterback , and he has appeared in more playoff games than any player at any position . Brady has never had a losing season as a starting quarterback in the NFL . His 208 combined regular-season and postseason wins are also the most of any quarterback in NFL history .  Because of his accomplishments and accolades , many analysts and sportswriters consider Brady to be among the greatest quarterbacks of all time . Due to his late draft selection , Brady is considered to be the biggest `` steal '' in the history of the NFL Draft .   For his alleged involvement in the highly publicized Deflategate football tampering scandal , Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season . Subsequently , Brady went on to win Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl MVP .   Brady has been married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen since 2009 .


Glee (season 6) The sixth and final season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on April 19 , 2013 , along with the fifth season , as part of a two-season renewal deal for the show on the Fox network . The final season , consisting of 13 episodes , premiered on Friday , January 9 , 2015 , with the first two episodes , and the last two episodes ( functioning as a single series finale ) aired on March 20 , 2015 .   The series features the New Directions glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School ( WMHS ) in the town of Lima , Ohio , and some of the graduates of McKinley . The season focuses on the former glee club member , Rachel Berry , who returns to McKinley after her TV Pilot bombs to rebuild the disbanded glee club . The central characters are the former glee club director Will Schuester ( Matthew Morrison ) , school principal Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch ) , and Glee club graduates Rachel Berry ( Lea Michele ) , Kurt Hummel ( Chris Colfer ) , Blaine Anderson ( Darren Criss ) , Artie Abrams ( Kevin McHale ) , and Sam Evans ( Chord Overstreet ) . Amber Riley returns to the main cast as Mercedes Jones and Dot-Marie Jones , who portrays Shannon Beiste , the school 's football coach , was promoted to the main cast after four years as a recurring character . Jenna Ushkowitz , Naya Rivera , Becca Tobin , Jacob Artist , Melissa Benoist , Blake Jenner , and Alex Newell who have portrayed Tina Cohen-Chang , Santana Lopez , Kitty Wilde , Jake Puckerman , Marley Rose , Ryder Lynn , and Wade `` Unique '' Adams , were demoted from the main cast this season with Ushkowitz , Rivera , Tobin , and Newell recurring during the season , while Artist and Jenner returned briefly in the series finale . Benoist , however , does not appear at all in this season .   The season was nominated for one Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics .


Glee (TV series) Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19 , 2009 , to March 20 , 2015 . It focuses on the fictitious William McKinley High School glee club , New Directions , which competes on the show choir competition circuit while its disparate members deal with social issues , especially regarding sexuality and race , relationships , and learning to become an effective team . The initial twelve-member cast included club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester ( Matthew Morrison ) , cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch ) , guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury ( Jayma Mays ) , Will 's wife Terri ( Jessalyn Gilsig ) , and eight club members played by Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Amber Riley , Mark Salling , and Jenna Ushkowitz . In subsequent seasons , the main cast has expanded to fourteen and fifteen members .   The series was created by Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk , and Ian Brennan , the latter of whom first conceived of Glee as a film . The three wrote all of the show 's episodes for the first two seasons , and Murphy and Falchuk initially served as the show 's main directors . The pilot episode was broadcast on May 19 , 2009 , and the first season aired from September 9 , 2009 , to June 8 , 2010 . Subsequent seasons aired in September through May . The sixth and final season aired from January to March 2015 . Glee features on-screen performance-based musical numbers that were selected by Murphy , who aimed to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits , and produced by Adam Anders and Peer Åström . Songs covered in the show were released through the iTunes Store during the week of broadcast , and a series of Glee albums have been released by Columbia Records . The music of Glee has been a commercial success , with over thirty-six million digital single sales and eleven million album sales worldwide through October 2011 . The series ' merchandise also includes DVD and Blu-ray releases , an iPad application , and karaoke games for the Wii . There were live concert tours by the show 's cast after the first and second seasons completed shooting ; a concert film based on the 2011 tour , Glee : The 3D Concert Movie , was produced by Murphy and Fox and directed by Kevin Tancharoen .   During its first season , Glee received generally favorable reviews from critics , with Metacritic 's weighted average of 77 out of 100 based on eighteen critical reviews . The season was nominated for nineteen Emmy Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , six Satellite Awards and fifty-seven other awards , with wins including the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy , and Emmy awards for Jane Lynch , guest-star Neil Patrick Harris and Murphy 's direction of the pilot episode . In 2011 , the show once again won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series , and Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer won Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively , and Gwyneth Paltrow won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series . The show was also chosen by Fox to fill the coveted time slot that followed the network 's coverage of Super Bowl XLV in 2011 .   On October 17 , 2013 , in the wake of the death of Cory Monteith three months prior , and one week after his tribute episode `` The Quarterback '' aired , Murphy announced that the sixth season would be the final one of the series . After 121 episodes and over 728 music performances , Glee came to an end on March 20 , 2015 .


AC/DC member Malcolm Young is a retired musician.

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band , formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young . A hard rock/blues rock band , they have also been considered a heavy metal band , although they have always dubbed their music simply `` rock and roll '' .   AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album , High Voltage , in 1975 . Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage . Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell , lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption . The group considered disbanding , but buoyed by support from Scott 's parents , decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist . Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott . Later that year , the band released the new album , Back in Black , which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott . The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all-time best-seller .   The band 's next album , For Those About to Rock We Salute You , was their first album to reach number one in the United States . Drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and replaced by ex-A II Z drummer Simon Wright , who left to join Dio in 1989 . The band experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge . Phil Rudd returned in 1994 after Chris Slade , who was with the band from 1989 to 1994 , was asked to leave in favour of him , and contributed to the band 's 1995 album Ballbreaker . Stiff Upper Lip , released in 2000 , was well received by critics . The band 's studio album , Black Ice , released in 2008 , was the second-highest-selling album of that year , and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock , eventually reaching No. 1 on all charts worldwide . The band 's line-up remained the same until 2014 with Malcolm Young 's retirement due to early-onset dementia and Rudd 's legal troubles . In 2016 , Johnson was advised to stop touring on account of worsening hearing loss and Guns N ' Roses frontman Axl Rose stepped in as the band 's vocalist for the remainder of that year 's dates . Long-term bass player Cliff Williams retired from the band at the end of their 2016 Rock Or Bust world tour .   AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide , including 71.5 million albums in the United States , adding them to the list of highest-certified music artists in the United States and the list of best-selling music artists . Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide , making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist -- and the highest-selling album by any band . The album has sold 22 million units in the US , where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time . AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' and were named the seventh `` Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time '' by MTV . In 2004 , AC/DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . Producer Rick Rubin , who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list , referred to AC/DC as `` the greatest rock and roll band of all time '' . In 2010 , AC/DC were ranked number 23 in the VH1 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' .


Connaught Tunnel For the Connaught tunnel in East London , England , see Eastern Counties and Thames Junction Railway  The Connaught Tunnel is a railway tunnel under the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia , Canada , near the city of Revelstoke . The 5.022 mi tunnel carries the Canadian Pacific Railway main line under Mount Macdonald and replaced the railway 's previous routing over Rogers Pass , which had been struck by several deadly avalanches since its completion in 1885 . At the time it was built , the Connaught Tunnel was the longest railway tunnel in North America . It was named for the Governor General of Canada -- the Prince Arthur , Duke of Connaught -- who in turn was named after the province of Connaught in Ireland .   Announced in February 1913 , the contract was awarded on July 1 , 1913 , to Foley Bros. . Welch and Stewart . The tunnel was designed by John G. Sullivan who joined the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1900 and eventually became Chief Engineer for Canada . A small tunnel was built , from which cross cuts were made to the main tunnel so work could carry on at a number of headings . The sub-contractor guaranteed to drill 900 ft of tunnel per month and started on April 2 , 1914 . Compressed air equipment and narrow gauge locomotives were used inside the tunnel . The company town housed some 300 workers . The tunnel was completed before the original deadline , with operation beginning December 16 , 1916 . It had a grade of only 0.95 per cent westward , and was tangent ; light at one end can be seen at the other , more than five miles away .   It cost $ 5.5 million , while a further $ 3 million were spent on track revision , which saw 14.5 mi abandoned including the Loops and over 4 mi of snow sheds . In all , the route was shortened by 4.3 mi .   Problems were encountered with ventilation , loose rocks and wet rails , which caused trains to stall . The tunnel was later lined with reinforced concrete and equipped with a better ventilation system . Originally double tracked , it was realigned with a single track in 1959 to accommodate higher freight cars .   In the late 1980s , the Mount Macdonald Tunnel was built to supplement the Connaught Tunnel and to lessen the grade on the eastern approach to the pass . Trains now predominantly travel east through the Connaught Tunnel and west through the Mount Macdonald Tunnel .   In 2001 , the Connaught Tunnel was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame . The Hall of Fame recognizes and establishes an enduring tribute to the people and things that have made significant contribution relating to railway industry in North America . The Connaught Tunnel was inducted in the `` Facilities and Structures '' category with `` National '' significance .


Mount Macdonald Mount Macdonald is a mountain peak located in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia , Canada , immediately to the east of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park . It is notable as the location of the Canadian Pacific Railway 's Connaught and Mount Macdonald Tunnels . At 14.7 km , the Mount Macdonald tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the western hemisphere .   The original name of the peak was Mount Carroll ( for a member of the CPR engineering team under A. B. Rogers ) , but was renamed to honour the first Prime Minister of Canada , Sir John A. Macdonald by a Privy Council Order in Council # 551 on 4 April 1887 .