The Hobbit films starred Evangeline Lilly.

The Hobbit (film series) The Hobbit is a film series consisting of three high fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson . They are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien , with large portions of the trilogy inspired by the appendices to The Return of the King , which expand on the story told in The Hobbit , as well as new material and characters written especially for the films . Together they act as a prequel to Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey ( 2012 ) , The Desolation of Smaug ( 2013 ) , and The Battle of the Five Armies ( 2014 ) .   The screenplay was written by Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Jackson , and Guillermo del Toro , who was originally chosen to direct before his departure from the project . The films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth sixty years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings , and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ) , who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey ( Ian McKellen ) to accompany thirteen dwarves , led by Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) , on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug ( voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch ) . The films also expand upon certain elements from the novel and other source material , such as Gandalf 's investigation at Dol Guldur , and the pursuit of Azog and Bolg , who seek vengeance against Thorin and his ancestors .   The films feature an ensemble cast that also includes James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace and Luke Evans , with several actors reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings , including Cate Blanchett , Orlando Bloom , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis . The films also feature Manu Bennett , Sylvester McCoy , Stephen Fry , Mikael Persbrandt , Barry Humphries , and Lawrence Makoare . Also returning for production , among others , were illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee , art director Dan Hennah , cinematographer Andrew Lesnie , and composer Howard Shore , while props were again crafted by Weta Workshop , with visual effects managed by Weta Digital .   The first film in the series premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington , New Zealand on 28 November 2012 . One hundred thousand people lined the red carpet on Courtenay Place , and the entire event was broadcast live on television in New Zealand and streamed over the Internet . The second film of the series premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles , California on 2 December 2013 . The third and final film premiered at Leicester Square in London on 1 December 2014 .   The series was a major financial success , with the films classified as one of the highest-grossing film series of all time , going on to outgross The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . Although critically considered to be inferior to The Lord of the Rings , it was nominated for various awards and won several , though not as many as its predecessor .


Unpredictable (Jamie Foxx album) Unpredictable is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and actor Jamie Foxx . It was released on December 27 , 2005 , by J Records . Recording sessions took place from 2004 to 2005 , with the production that was provided by Timbaland , Mike City , Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin , among others . The album serves as a follow-up to the release of Peep This ( 1994 ) , which occurred to be his first studio release in eleven years . The album was supported by four singles : `` Extravaganza '' featuring Kanye West , the title track `` Unpredictable '' featuring Ludacris , `` DJ Play a Love Song '' featuring Twista , and `` Can I Take U Home '' .   Upon its release , Unpredictable received generally mixed reviews from music critics , who were ambivalent towards its lyrical content and production . The album debuted at number 2 , beating behind Mary J. Blige 's The Breakthrough on the US Billboard 200 , with 597,000 copies in its first week . In the second week , the album rose to number one , overtaking Blige , making Foxx as the fourth artist to ever won a Academy Award for acting , while achieving a number-one album on the US Billboard charts .


Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson ( June 7 , 1958 -- April 21 , 2016 ) was an American singer-songwriter , actor , multi-instrumentalist , philanthropist , dancer and record producer . He was a musical innovator who was known for his eclectic work , flamboyant stage presence , extravagant dress and makeup , and wide vocal range . His music integrates a wide variety of styles , including funk , rock , R&B , new wave , soul , psychedelia , and pop . He has sold over 100 million records worldwide , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time . He won seven Grammy Awards , an American Music Award , a Golden Globe Award , and an Academy Award for the film Purple Rain . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 , his first year of eligibility . Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists , `` the most influential artists of the rock & roll era '' .   Prince was born in Minneapolis , Minnesota , and developed an interest in music as a young child . He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 18 , and released his debut album For You in 1978 . His 1979 album Prince went platinum , and his next three records -- Dirty Mind ( 1980 ) , Controversy ( 1981 ) , and 1999 ( 1982 ) -- continued his success , showcasing Prince 's prominently sexual lyrics and blending of funk , dance , and rock music . In 1984 , he began referring to his backup band as the Revolution and released Purple Rain , the soundtrack album to his eponymous 1984 film debut . It quickly became his most critically and commercially successful release , spending 24 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 and selling over 20 million units worldwide . After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day ( 1985 ) and Parade ( 1986 ) , The Revolution disbanded , and Prince released the double album Sign o ' the Times ( 1987 ) as a solo artist . He released three more solo albums before debuting the New Power Generation band in 1991 .   In 1993 , while in a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. , he changed his stage name to , an unpronounceable symbol also known as the `` Love Symbol '' , and began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations . He released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998 . In 2000 , he began referring to himself as `` Prince '' again . He released 16 albums after that , including the platinum-selling Musicology ( 2004 ) . His final album , Hit n Run Phase Two , was first released on the Tidal streaming service on December 12 , 2015 . Prince died from a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen , Minnesota , on April 21 , 2016 , at the age of 57 .


English language English -LSB- ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ -RSB- is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now the global lingua franca . Named after the Angles , one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to England , it ultimately derives its name from the Anglia ( Angeln ) peninsula in the Baltic Sea . It is closely related to the Frisian languages , but its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages , as well as by Latin and Romance languages , particularly French .   English is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states . It is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , Ireland , and New Zealand , and is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean , Africa , and South Asia . It is the third most common native language in the world , after Mandarin and Spanish . It is the most widely learned second language and an official language of the United Nations , of the European Union , and of many other world and regional international organisations . It is the most widely spoken Germanic language , accounting for at least 70 % of speakers of this Indo-European branch .   English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years . The earliest forms of English , a set of Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the fifth century , are called Old English . Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England , and was a period in which the language was influenced by French . Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible , and the start of the Great Vowel Shift . Through the worldwide influence of the British Empire , modern English spread around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries . Through all types of printed and electronic media , as well as the emergence of the United States as a global superpower , English has become the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and in professional contexts such as science , navigation , and law .   Modern English grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European dependent marking pattern with a rich inflectional morphology and relatively free word order , to a mostly analytic pattern with little inflection , a fairly fixed SVO word order and a complex syntax . Modern English relies more on auxiliary verbs and word order for the expression of complex tenses , aspect and mood , as well as passive constructions , interrogatives and some negation . Despite noticeable variation among the accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions -- in terms of phonetics and phonology , and sometimes also vocabulary , grammar and spelling -- English-speakers from around the world are able to communicate with one another with relative ease .


In the Heart of the Sea premiered in 2011.

In the Heart of the Sea (film) In the Heart of the Sea is a 2015 adventure-drama film based on Nathaniel Philbrick 's non-fiction book of the same name , about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820 , an event that inspired the novel Moby-Dick . An international co-production between the United States and Spain , it was directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by Charles Leavitt . The film stars Chris Hemsworth , Benjamin Walker , Cillian Murphy , Tom Holland , Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson .   It premiered in New York City on December 7 , 2015 and was released in cinemas in the United States on December 11 , 2015 by Warner Bros. . Pictures . In the Heart of the Sea received mixed reviews from critics , and grossed $ 93 million against a $ 100 million budget , making it a box office bomb .


Jon Huntsman Jr. was a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


Planet of the Apes (1968 film) had a script.

Planet of the Apes (1968 film) Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner . It stars Charlton Heston , Roddy McDowall , Kim Hunter , Maurice Evans , James Whitmore , James Daly and Linda Harrison . The screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling was loosely based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle . Jerry Goldsmith composed the groundbreaking avant-garde score . It was the first in a series of five films made between 1968 and 1973 , all produced by Arthur P. Jacobs and released by 20th Century Fox .   The film tells the story of an astronaut crew who crash-land on a strange planet in the distant future . Although the planet appears desolate at first , the surviving crew members stumble upon a society in which apes have evolved into creatures with human-like intelligence and speech . The apes have assumed the role of the dominant species and humans are mute creatures wearing animal skins .   The script was originally written by Rod Serling , but underwent many rewrites before filming eventually began . Directors J. Lee Thompson and Blake Edwards were approached , but the film 's producer Arthur P. Jacobs , upon the recommendation of Charlton Heston , chose Franklin J. Schaffner to direct the film . Schaffner 's changes included an ape society less advanced -- and therefore less expensive to depict -- than that of the original novel . Filming took place between May 21 and August 10 , 1967 , in California , Utah and Arizona , with desert sequences shot in and around Lake Powell , Glen Canyon National Recreation Area . The film 's final `` closed '' cost was $ 5.8 million .   The film was released on February 8 , 1968 , in the United States and was a commercial success , earning a lifetime domestic gross of $ 32.6 million . The film was groundbreaking for its prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers and was well received by critics and audiences , launching a film franchise , including four sequels , as well as a short-lived television show , animated series , comic books , and various merchandising . In particular , Roddy McDowall had a long-running relationship with the Apes series , appearing in four of the original five films ( absent , apart from a brief voiceover , from the second film of the series , Beneath the Planet of the Apes , in which he was replaced by David Watson in the role of Cornelius ) , and also in the television series .   The original series was followed by Tim Burton 's remake Planet of the Apes in 2001 and the reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 . Also in 2001 , Planet of the Apes was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin ( -LSB- ˈpeɪlᵻn -RSB- née Heath ; born February 11 , 1964 ) is an American politician , commentator , and author who served as the ninth Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009 . As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election alongside presidential nominee , Arizona Senator John McCain , she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major political party and the first Republican woman selected as a vice presidential candidate . Also , her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies .   She was elected to the Wasilla city council in 1992 and became mayor of Wasilla in 1996 . In 2003 , after an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor , she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission , responsible for overseeing the state 's oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency . She was the youngest person and the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska .   Since her resignation as Governor , she has endorsed and campaigned for the Tea Party movement as well as several candidates in multiple election cycles , prominently including Donald Trump for President in 2016 . From 2010 to 2015 , she provided political commentary for Fox News . On April 3 , 2014 , Palin premiered her TV show , Amazing America with Sarah Palin , on the Sportsman Channel , which ran until February 12 , 2015 . On July 27 , 2014 , Palin launched the online news network called the Sarah Palin Channel , which was closed on July 4 , 2015 .


Kid Rock is from the Western Hemisphere.

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie ( born January 17 , 1971 ) , known professionally as Kid Rock , is an American singer , rapper , songwriter , musician , record producer , and actor . His 1998 album Devil Without a Cause sold 14 million copies worldwide . He is a five-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold 25 million albums in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan . The RIAA certified him selling 23.5 million albums . He has sold over 35 million records worldwide and he was Soundscan 's number-one selling male solo musician of the 2000s , selling 17.6 million albums ; he was 17th overall for the decade .   Rock performed rap and hip hop with five releases between 1990 and 1997 , including a reissue and an EP . After signing a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1998 , he gained commercial success in the rap rock genre behind the singles `` Bawitdaba '' , `` Cowboy '' and `` Only God Knows Why '' ( the latter foreshadowing his move into country rock ) . After the success of Devil Without a Cause in 2000 , he released The History of Rock , a compilation of remixed and remastered versions of songs from previous albums as well as the hit rock single , `` American Bad Ass '' .   Rock 's follow-up records became more rock - , country - , and blues-oriented , starting with 2001 's Cocky . His collaboration with Sheryl Crow on the song `` Picture '' was his first country hit and biggest pop hit in the US to date charting at No. 4 on the Hot 100 . After 2003 's Kid Rock and 2006 's Live Trucker sales declined from the previous releases , he then released Rock n Roll Jesus in 2007 . The album featured the song `` All Summer Long '' , which charted at No. 1 in eight countries across Europe and Australia . In 2010 , he released Born Free , which featured an eponymous song that became the political campaign theme of Mitt Romney , the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election .   Rock released Rebel Soul on November 19 , 2012 behind the rock hit `` Let 's Ride '' . The album was certified gold in April 2013 . Kid Rock released First Kiss on February 24 , 2015 behind the hit title track .


Laura Linney failed to have an acting career.

Laura Linney Laura Leggett Linney ( born February 5 , 1964 ) is an American actress . A three-time Academy Award nominee and four-time Tony Award nominee , she won her first Emmy Award in 2002 for Wild Iris ( 2001 ) , and had subsequent wins for Frasier ( 2003 -- 04 ) and John Adams ( 2008 ) . From 2010 -- 13 , she starred in the Showtime series The Big C , which won her a fourth Emmy in 2013 . She is also a two-time Golden Globe Award winner .   Linney made her Broadway debut in 1990 , before going on to receive Tony Award nominations for the 2002 revival of The Crucible , the original Broadway productions of Sight Unseen ( 2004 ) and Time Stands Still ( 2010 ) , as well as the 2017 revival of The Little Foxes . She made her screen debut in the 1992 film Lorenzo 's Oil , and went on to receive Academy Award nominations for You Can Count on Me ( 2000 ) , Kinsey ( 2004 ) and The Savages ( 2007 ) . Her other films include Primal Fear ( 1996 ) , The Truman Show ( 1998 ) , Mystic River ( 2003 ) , Love Actually ( 2003 ) and The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 ) .


Ellen Burstyn was nominated for one Academy Award.

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn ( née Edna Rae Gillooly ; December 7 , 1932 ) is an American actress . Her career began in theatre during the late 1950s , and over the next decade included several films and television series .   Burstyn 's performance in the acclaimed 1971 ensemble drama The Last Picture Show brought her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination , after which she moved from supporting to leading film and stage roles . Burstyn received a second Academy Award nomination for her lead performance in The Exorcist ( 1973 ) , and won the Academy Award for Best Actress the following year for her work in Martin Scorsese 's Alice Does n't Live Here Anymore .   In 1975 , she won the Tony Award for her lead performance in the Broadway production of Same Time , Next Year , and received a Golden Globe Award and a fourth Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 1978 film version of the play .   Burstyn has worked consistently in film , television , and theatre since , receiving multiple awards and nominations along the way , including seven additional Golden Globe Award nominations , five Emmy Award nominations ( two wins ) , and two more Academy Award for Best Actress nominations for her performances in the films Resurrection ( 1980 ) and Requiem for a Dream ( 2000 ) .   Burstyn is one of the few performers to have won the Triple Crown of Acting . In 2013 , she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame .


Richard Eyre Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre ( born 28 March 1943 ) is an English film , theatre , television and opera director .


Bedazzled (2000 film) was directed by a person.

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


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


Machine Gun Kelly did not release the album General Admission.

Machine Gun Kelly (rapper) Colson Baker ( born April 22 , 1990 ) , better known by his stage names MGK and Machine Gun Kelly , is an American rapper and actor , from Cleveland , Ohio . MGK embarked on a musical career as a teenager , releasing a mixtape in 2006 . He would then go on to release four further mixtapes .   MGK then secured a recording contract with Bad Boy and Interscope Records in 2011 . His major label debut album , Lace Up , was released in October 2012 to positive response from critics . The record contained the singles `` Wild Boy '' , `` Invincible '' , `` Stereo '' , and `` Hold On ( Shut Up ) '' , and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart ; it was later confirmed to have sold more than 178,000 copies . In early 2015 , he released the singles `` Till I Die '' and `` A Little More '' for his second studio album , General Admission , which released in October 2015 , and also debuted at number four in the US . The album incorporated darker tones , rap rock , R&B , and storytelling .   MGK has also appeared in various films , starring in Beyond the Lights , as Kid Culprit . He would then star in Roadies as Wesley ( a.k.a. Wes ) , before being cast in lead roles in Viral , Punk 's Dead : SLC Punk 2 and Nerve .


Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper ( May 17 , 1936 -- May 29 , 2010 ) was an American actor , filmmaker , photographer and artist . He attended the Actors Studio , made his first television appearance in 1954 , and soon after appeared alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ) and Giant ( 1956 ) . In the next ten years he made a name in television , and by the end of the 1960s had appeared in several films . Hopper also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s .   Hopper made his directorial film debut with Easy Rider ( 1969 ) , which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern . The film earned Hopper a Cannes Film Festival Award for `` Best First Work '' and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay ( shared with Fonda and Southern ) . Journalist Ann Hornaday wrote : `` With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies , Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s , a celluloid anthem to freedom , macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion '' . Film critic Matthew Hays notes that , `` no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper '' .   He worked on various small projects until he found new fame for his role as the American photojournalist in Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) . He went on to helm his third directorial work Out of the Blue ( 1980 ) , for which he was again honored at Cannes , and appeared in Rumble Fish ( 1983 ) and The Osterman Weekend ( 1983 ) . He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers , the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . His fourth directorial outing came about through Colors ( 1988 ) , followed by an Emmy-nominated lead performance in Paris Trout ( 1991 ) . Hopper found even greater fame for portraying the villains of the films Super Mario Bros. ( 1993 ) , Speed ( 1994 ) and Waterworld ( 1995 ) .   Hopper 's later work included a leading role in the short-lived television series Crash ( 2008 -- 2009 ) , inspired by the Academy Award-winning film of the same name . Production on his final film , The Last Film Festival ( 2016 ) , completed just before his death ; originally slated for 2011 distribution , the project was picked up for theatrical release in late 2016 by Monterey Home Video . Hopper has an additional posthumous credit in the completed , but unreleased Orson Welles drama The Other Side of the Wind , acquired for distribution by Netflix .


Eugenio Canfari was only ever an infield player.

Eugenio Canfari Eugenio Canfari ( 16 April 1877 -- 23 March 1962 ) was an early Italian football player from Genoa who played as a defender . He was one of the thirteen men who founded Juventus in 1897 and the club 's first ever president . His brother Enrico Canfari was also a founding member of Juventus , and was the first ever president , though he never played in the Italian Football Championship with Enrico and Juventus .


Michael Phelps holds the long course world record in the 100 and 200 meter butterfly and the 400 meter individual medley.

Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II ( born June 30 , 1985 ) is an American former competitive swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time , with a total of 28 medals . Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals ( 23 ) , Olympic gold medals in individual events ( 13 ) , and Olympic medals in individual events ( 16 ) . In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games , Phelps broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz 's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games . At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London , Phelps won four gold and two silver medals , and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , he won five gold medals and one silver . This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row .   Phelps is the long course world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly , 200 meter butterfly , and 400 meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200 meter freestyle and 200 meter individual medley . He has won 83 medals in major international long course competition , of which 66 were gold , 14 silver , and 3 bronze , spanning the Olympics , the World , and the Pan Pacific Championships . Phelps 's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eleven times , as well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2016 . His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine 's Sportsman of the Year award .   After the 2008 Summer Olympics , Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation , which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles . Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics , but in April 2014 he made a comeback . At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , his fifth Olympics , he won five golds and one silver . Phelps was chosen to be a captain of the 2016 US Olympic team , and was also voted by his team to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations .


Quantum of Solace Quantum of Solace is the 22nd film in the James Bond film series and directed by Marc Forster , produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and written by Paul Haggis , Neal Purvis and Robert Wade . It stars Daniel Craig , Olga Kurylenko , Mathieu Amalric , Gemma Arterton , Jeffrey Wright and Judi Dench . In the film , Bond seeks revenge for the death of his lover , Vesper Lynd , and is assisted by Camille Montes ( Kurylenko ) , who is plotting revenge for the murder of her family . The trail eventually leads them to wealthy businessman Dominic Greene ( Amalric ) , a member of the Quantum organisation , who intends to stage a coup d'état in Bolivia to seize control of their water supply .   Producer Michael G. Wilson developed the film 's plot while the previous film in the series , Casino Royale , was being shot . Purvis , Wade , and Haggis contributed to the script . Craig and Forster had to write some sections themselves due to the Writers ' Strike , though they were not given the screenwriter credit in the final cut . The title was chosen from a 1959 short story in Ian Fleming 's For Your Eyes Only , though the film does not contain any elements of that story . Location filming took place in Mexico , Panama , Chile , Italy , Austria , and Wales , while interior sets were built and filmed at Pinewood Studios . Forster aimed to make a modern film that also featured classic cinema motifs : a vintage Douglas DC-3 was used for a flight sequence , and Dennis Gassner 's set designs are reminiscent of Ken Adam 's work on several early Bond films . Taking a course away from the usual Bond villains , Forster rejected any grotesque appearance for the character Dominic Greene to emphasise the hidden and secret nature of the film 's contemporary villains .   The film was also marked by its frequent depictions of violence , with a 2012 study by the University of Otago in New Zealand finding it to be the most violent film in the franchise . Whereas Dr. No featured 109 `` trivial or severely violent '' acts , Quantum of Solace had a count of 250 -- the most depictions of violence in any Bond film - even more prominent since it was also the shortest film in the franchise . Quantum of Solace premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 29 October 2008 , gathering mixed reviews , which mainly praised Craig 's gritty performance and the film 's action sequences , but feeling that the film was less impressive than its predecessor Casino Royale . , it is the fourth-highest-grossing James Bond film , without adjusting for inflation , earning $ 586 million worldwide .


Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig ( born 2 March 1968 ) is an English actor . He trained at the National Youth Theatre and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991 , before beginning his career on stage . His film debut was in the drama The Power of One ( 1992 ) . Other early appearances were in the Disney family film A Kid in King Arthur 's Court ( 1995 ) and the biographical film Elizabeth ( 1998 ) , as well as in the historical war drama television series Sharpe 's Eagle ( 1993 ) and the action-adventure drama series Zorro . Cast as the fictional British secret agent James Bond in October 2005 , his first film in the role , Casino Royale , was released internationally in November 2006 .   Craig 's appearances in the British television film Love Is the Devil : Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon ( 1998 ) , the indie war film The Trench ( 1999 ) , and the drama Some Voices ( 2000 ) attracted the film industry 's attention . This led to roles in bigger productions such as the action film Lara Croft : Tomb Raider ( 2001 ) , the crime thriller Road to Perdition ( 2002 ) , the crime thriller Layer Cake ( 2004 ) , and the Steven Spielberg historical drama Munich ( 2005 ) . Craig achieved international fame when chosen as the sixth actor to play the role of Ian Fleming 's James Bond in the official film series , taking over from Pierce Brosnan in 2005 . Although his casting was initially greeted with scepticism , his debut was highly acclaimed and earned him a BAFTA award nomination , with Casino Royale becoming the highest-grossing in the series at the time . Quantum of Solace followed two years later .   Craig 's third Bond film , Skyfall , premiered in 2012 and is currently the highest-grossing film in the series , was the highest-grossing film in the UK until 2015 and the fifteenth highest-grossing film of all time . Craig 's fourth Bond film , Spectre , premiered in 2015 . In 2006 , he joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Since taking the role of Bond , he has continued to star in other films , including the World War II film Defiance ( 2008 ) , science fiction Western Cowboys & Aliens ( 2010 ) , and the English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson 's mystery thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( 2011 ) . Craig also made a guest appearance as Bond in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games , alongside Queen Elizabeth II . As of 20 February 2017 , Craig is the second longest serving James Bond , surpassed only by Roger Moore .


Layer Cake (film) Layer Cake ( also occasionally stylised as L4YER CAKƐ ) is a 2004 British crime thriller film directed by Matthew Vaughn , in his directorial debut . The screenplay was adapted by J. J. Connolly from his novel of the same name . The film 's plot revolves around a London-based criminal , played by Daniel Craig , working in the trade of cocaine who wishes to leave the drug business . The film features Tom Hardy , Colm Meaney , and Sienna Miller .   The film was produced by Adam Bohling , David Reid and Matthew Vaughn , with Stephen Marks as executive producer . The title refers to the social strata , especially in the British criminal underworld .


Cowboys & Aliens Cowboys & Aliens is a 2011 American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig , Harrison Ford , and Olivia Wilde . The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg . The plot revolves around an amnesiac outlaw ( Craig ) , a wealthy cattleman ( Ford ) , and a mysterious traveler ( Wilde ) who must ally to save a group of townspeople abducted by aliens . The screenplay was written by Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , Damon Lindelof , Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby , based on a screen story by the latter two along with Steve Oedekerk . The film was produced by Brian Grazer , Ron Howard , Kurtzman , Orci and Rosenberg , with Steven Spielberg and Favreau serving as executive producers .   The project began development in April 1997 , when Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures bought film rights to a concept pitched by Rosenberg , former president at Malibu Comics , which he described as a graphic novel in development . After the graphic novel was published in 2006 , development on the film was begun again , and Favreau signed on as director in September 2009 . On a budget of $ 163 million , filming for Cowboys & Aliens began in June 2010 , in New Mexico and California . Despite studio pressure to release the film in 3-D , Favreau chose to film traditionally and in anamorphic format ( widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film ) to further a `` classic movie feel '' . Measures were taken to maintain a serious Western element despite the film 's `` inherently comic '' title and premise . The film 's aliens were designed to be `` cool and captivating '' , with some details , such as a fungus that grows on their wounds , created to depict the creatures as frontiersmen facing adversity in an unfamiliar place .   Cowboys & Aliens premiered at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con and was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on , 2011 . The film was considered to be a financial disappointment , taking $ 174.8 million in box office receipts on a $ 163 million budget . Cowboys & Aliens received mixed reviews , with critics generally praising its acting and production but criticizing its straight , non-ironic tone .


Casino Royale (2006 film) Casino Royale is the 21st film in the Eon Productions James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond . Directed by Martin Campbell and written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis , the film marks the third screen adaptation of Ian Fleming 's 1953 novel of the same name . Casino Royale is set at the beginning of Bond 's career as Agent 007 , just as he is earning his licence to kill . After preventing a terrorist attack at Miami International Airport , Bond falls in love with Vesper Lynd , the treasury employee assigned to provide the money he needs to bankrupt a terrorist financier , Le Chiffre , by beating him in a high-stakes poker game . The story arc continues in the following Bond film Quantum of Solace ( 2008 ) . Skyfall ( 2012 ) and Spectre ( 2015 ) also feature explicit references to characters and events in this film .   Casino Royale reboots the series , establishing a new timeline and narrative framework not meant to precede or succeed any previous Bond film , which allows the film to show a less experienced and more vulnerable Bond . Additionally , the character Miss Moneypenny is , for the first time in the series , completely absent . Casting the film involved a widespread search for a new actor to portray James Bond , and significant controversy surrounded Craig when he was selected to succeed Pierce Brosnan in October 2005 . Location filming took place in the Czech Republic , the Bahamas , Italy and the United Kingdom with interior sets built at Barrandov Studios and Pinewood Studios . Although part of the storyline is set in Montenegro , no filming took place there . Casino Royale was produced by Eon Productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures , making it the first Eon-produced Bond film to be co-produced by the latter studio .   Casino Royale premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 14 November 2006 . It received positive critical response , with reviewers highlighting Craig 's reinvention of the character and the film 's departure from the tropes of previous Bond films . It earned almost $ worldwide , becoming the highest-grossing James Bond film until the release of Skyfall in 2012 .


Billy Ray Cyrus's daughter is Miley Cyrus.

Billy Ray Cyrus William Ray Cyrus ( born August 25 , 1961 ) is an American singer , songwriter and actor .   Having released 12 studio albums and 44 singles since 1992 , he is best known for his number one single `` Achy Breaky Heart '' , which became the first single ever to achieve triple Platinum status in Australia . It was also the best-selling single in the same country in 1992 and was translated into more than 100 languages . Thanks to the video of this hit , the line dance catapulted into the mainstream , becoming a worldwide craze .   Cyrus , a multi-platinum selling recording artist , has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs chart . His most successful album to date is his debut Some Gave All , which has been certified 9 × Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist at number one on the Billboard 200 ( 17 consecutive weeks ) and most consecutive chart-topping weeks in the SoundScan era . It is the only album ( from any genre ) in the SoundScan era to log 17 consecutive weeks at number one and is also the top-ranking debut album by a male country artist . It ranked 43 weeks in the top 10 , a total topped by only one country album in history , Ropin ' the Wind by Garth Brooks . Some Gave All was also the first debut album to enter at number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart . The album has also sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling debut album of all time for a solo male artist . Some Gave All was also the best-selling album of 1992 in the US with 4,832,000 copies . In his career , he has released 35 charted singles , of which 16 charted in the top 40 .   From 2001 to 2004 , Cyrus starred in the television show Doc . The show was about a country doctor who moved from Montana to New York City . From 2006 to 2011 , he co-starred in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley Cyrus . As of 2016 , he stars as Vernon Brownmule on the CMT series Still the King .


Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was produced by Judd Apatow.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Popstar : Never Stop Never Stopping is a 2016 American mockumentary film directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone and written , produced by and starring Andy Samberg , Schaffer and Taccone . Also produced by Judd Apatow , it co-stars Sarah Silverman , Tim Meadows , Imogen Poots , Joan Cusack , and Maya Rudolph .   The film was released on June 3 , 2016 by Universal Pictures and received favorable reviews from critics . The film is a box office bomb grossing just $ 9.5 million against a budget of $ 20 million .


Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield ( born 20 August 1983 ) is a British-American actor . Born in Los Angeles and raised in Epsom , Surrey , Garfield began his career on the UK stage and in television productions . He made his feature-film debut in the 2007 ensemble drama Lions for Lambs . Garfield first came to international attention in 2010 with supporting roles in the drama films The Social Network , for which he received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his portrayal of Eduardo Saverin , and Never Let Me Go , for which he received a Saturn Award and another BAFTA nomination .   Garfield subsequently received praise for his performance as the title character in the 2012 superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man . He has also performed on stage , playing Biff in the 2012 Mike Nichols directed Broadway revival of Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman , which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play .  In 2015 , he co-produced and starred in the thriller-drama 99 Homes .   In 2016 , Garfield starred in two critically acclaimed historical dramas , Mel Gibson 's Hacksaw Ridge and Martin Scorsese 's Silence . His portrayal of Desmond T. Doss in the former earned him nominations for the Academy Award , Golden Globe Award , BAFTA and SAG Award for Best Actor .


Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson ( born June 20 , 1942 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter , and record producer best known for being the multi-tasking leader and co-founder of the rock band the Beach Boys . After signing with Capitol Records in 1962 , Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits for the group . Because of his unorthodox approaches to song composition and arrangement and mastery of recording techniques , he is widely acknowledged , by critics and musicians alike , as one of the most innovative and influential creative forces in popular music .   In the mid-1960s , Wilson composed , arranged and produced Pet Sounds ( 1966 ) , considered one of the greatest albums ever made . The intended follow-up to Pet Sounds , Smile , was canceled for various reasons , which included Wilson 's deteriorating mental health . As he suffered repeated nervous breakdowns , Wilson 's contributions to the Beach Boys diminished , and his erratic behavior led to tensions with the band . Following a court-ordered removal from the care of psychologist Eugene Landy , Wilson started receiving conventional medical treatment , and in the late 1990s , he began performing and recording consistently as a solo artist . He remains a member of the Beach Boys ' corporation , Brother Records Incorporated .   Wilson is considered a major innovator in the field of music production , the principal originator of the California Sound , one of the first music producer auteurs , and one of the most famous examples of the outsider musician . Only 21 years old when he received the freedom to produce his own records with total creative autonomy , he ignited an explosion of like-minded California producers , supplanting New York as the center of popular records , and becoming the first rock producer to use the studio as its own instrument . Wilson effectively set a precedent that allowed bands and artists to enter a recording studio and act as their own producers or co-producers . His songs became inextricably tied with the zeitgeist of the early 1960s , and he helped develop the sound of the wistful Flower Power era that proceeded . In later years , Wilson was regarded as a `` godfather '' to an era of indie musicians who were inspired by his melodic sensibilities , chamber pop orchestrations , and recording explorations .   His honors include being inducted into the 1988 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and winning Grammy Awards for Brian Wilson Presents Smile ( 2004 ) and The Smile Sessions ( 2011 ) . In lists published by Rolling Stone , Wilson ranked 52 for the `` 100 Greatest Singers of All Time '' in 2008 and 12 for the `` 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time '' in 2015 . In 2012 , music publication NME ranked Wilson number 8 in its `` 50 Greatest Producers Ever '' list , elaborating `` few consider quite how groundbreaking Brian Wilson 's studio techniques were in the mid-60s '' . He is an occasional actor and voice actor , having appeared in television shows , films , and other artists ' music videos . His life was portrayed in the 2014 biopic Love & Mercy , which received a wide release in 2015 .


Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles ( born 1 February 1994 ) is an English singer and songwriter . He is known as a member of the pop boy band One Direction . He made his debut as a singer with his band White Eskimo , who performed locally in Holmes Chapel , Cheshire . In 2010 , Styles auditioned as a solo artist for the British television series The X Factor . After being eliminated as a solo performer , Styles was brought back into the competition , along with four other contestants , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson , to form One Direction .   Styles and his bandmates have released the albums Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , Four ( 2014 ) , and Made in the A.M. ( 2015 ) . They have also performed on two worldwide tours , one featured on concert film One Direction : This Is Us , and won several awards , including five Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards .   On 23 June 2016 it was reported by Billboard that Styles had signed a three-album solo recording deal with Columbia Records , the same label behind One Direction . Styles will make his acting debut in the war film Dunkirk in July 2017 . Preceded by its first solo single `` Sign of the Times '' , his self-titled debut album was released on 12 May 2017 .


Pixar's majority shareholder was not Steve Jobs.

Pixar Pixar ( -LSB- ˈpɪksɑr -RSB- ) , also referred to as Pixar Animation Studios , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville , California that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company . Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group , part of the Lucasfilm computer division , before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 , with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs , who became the majority shareholder . Disney purchased Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $ 7.4 billion , a transaction that resulted in Jobs becoming Disney 's largest single shareholder at the time . Pixar is best known for CGI-animated feature films created with RenderMan , Pixar 's own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface , used to generate high-quality images .   Pixar has produced seventeen feature films , beginning with Toy Story ( 1995 ) , which was the first-ever computer-animated feature film , and its most recent being Finding Dory ( 2016 ) . All 17 of its films have debuted with CinemaScore ratings of at least an `` A − , '' indicating positive receptions with audiences . The studio has also produced several short films . , its feature films have earned approximately $ 10.8 billion at the box office worldwide , with an average worldwide gross of $ 634 million per film . Finding Dory , along with its predecessor Finding Nemo ( 2003 ) , as well as Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time , with the lattermost film being the third all-time highest-grossing animated film with a gross of $ 1.063 billion . Fourteen of Pixar 's films are also among the 50 highest-grossing animated films of all time .   The studio has earned sixteen Academy Awards , seven Golden Globe Awards , and eleven Grammy Awards , among many other awards and acknowledgments . Many of Pixar 's films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature since its inauguration in 2001 , with eight winning ; this includes Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3 , along with The Incredibles ( 2004 ) , Ratatouille ( 2007 ) , WALL-E ( 2008 ) , Up ( 2009 ) , Brave ( 2012 ) , and Inside Out ( 2015 ) . Monsters , Inc. ( 2001 ) and Cars ( 2006 ) are the only two films that were nominated for the award without winning it , while Cars 2 ( 2011 ) , Monsters University ( 2013 ) , The Good Dinosaur ( 2015 ) , and Finding Dory have not been nominated . Up and Toy Story 3 were also the respective second and third animated films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , the first being Walt Disney Animation Studios ' Beauty and the Beast ( 1991 ) . Luxo Jr. , a character from the studio 's 1986 short film of the same name , is the studio 's mascot .   On September 6 , 2009 , Pixar executives John Lasseter , Brad Bird , Pete Docter , Andrew Stanton , and Lee Unkrich were presented with the Golden Lion award for Lifetime Achievement by the biennial Venice Film Festival . The award was presented by Lucasfilm 's founder George Lucas .


Heidi Klum did not make a cameo appearance in Perfect Stranger.

Heidi Klum Heidi Klum ( -LSB- ˈhaɪ̯di ˈklʊm -RSB- ; born June 1 , 1973 ) is a German-American supermodel , television personality , businesswoman , fashion designer , singer , television producer , author , and actress . She appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and in 1999 became the first German model to become a Victoria 's Secret Angel .   Following a successful modeling career , Klum became the host and a judge of Germany 's Next Topmodel and the reality show Project Runway which earned her an Emmy nomination in 2008 and a win in 2013 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program ( shared with co-host Tim Gunn ) ; Klum has been nominated for six Emmy Awards . She has worked as a spokesmodel for Dannon and H&M , and has appeared in numerous commercials for McDonald 's , Volkswagen and others . In 2009 , Klum became Barbie 's official ambassador on Barbie 's 50th anniversary . As an occasional actress , she had supporting roles in movies including Blow Dry ( 2001 ) , Ella Enchanted ( 2004 ) , and made cameo appearances in The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) and Perfect Stranger ( 2007 ) . She has also appeared on TV shows including Sex and the City , How I Met Your Mother , Desperate Housewives and Parks and Recreation . Currently , Klum is a judge on the NBC reality show America 's Got Talent .   In May 2011 , Forbes magazine estimated Klum 's total earnings for that year as . She is ranked second on Forbes list of the `` World 's Top-Earning Models '' , behind Gisele Bündchen . Forbes noted that since ending her 13-year run as a Victoria 's Secret Angel , Klum has become more of a businesswoman than a model . In 2008 , she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship .


Mike Tyson boxed Evander Holyfield in the nineties.

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson ( -LSB- ˈtaɪsən -RSB- born June 30 , 1966 ) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005 . He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years , 4 months and 22 days old . Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout , 12 of them in the first round . He won the WBC title in 1986 after stopping Trevor Berbick in two rounds , and added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker in 1987 . This made Tyson the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA , WBC and IBF titles , and the only heavyweight to successively unify them .   Tyson became the lineal champion in 1988 when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round . He successfully defended his titles nine times , which included victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno . In 1990 , Tyson lost the titles to underdog Buster Douglas , who knocked him out in the tenth round . Attempting to regain the titles , Tyson defeated Donovan Ruddock twice in 1991 , but pulled out of a fight with then-undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield ( who had defeated Douglas later in 1990 ) due to a rib injury .   In 1992 , Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison , but was released after serving three years . After his release in 1995 , he engaged in a series of comeback fights . He won the WBC and WBA titles in 1996 , after defeating Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout . With his defeat of Bruno , Tyson joined Floyd Patterson , Muhammad Ali , Tim Witherspoon , Evander Holyfield , George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after having lost it . After being stripped of the WBC title in the same year , Tyson lost the WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh-round stoppage . Their infamous 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield 's ears .   In 2002 , Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title again at the age of 35 , losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis . Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006 , after being knocked out in consecutive matches against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride . Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 , despite having received over $ 30 million for several of his fights and $ 300 million during his career . At the time it was reported that he had approximately $ 23 million of debt .   Tyson was well known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring . Nicknamed `` Iron , '' and `` Kid Dynamite '' in his early career , and later known as `` The Baddest Man on the Planet , '' Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time . He was ranked No. 16 on The Rings list of 100 greatest punchers of all time , and No. 1 in the ESPN.com list of `` The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History . '' Sky Sports rated him as `` the scariest boxer ever , '' and described him as `` perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring . '' He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame .


Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon ( January 9 , 1913 -- April 22 , 1994 ) was an American politician who served as the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until 1974 , when he became the only U.S. president to resign from office . He had previously served as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower , and prior to that as a U.S. Representative and also Senator from California .   Nixon was born in Yorba Linda , California . After completing his undergraduate studies at Whittier College , he graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1937 and returned to California to practice law . He and his wife Pat moved to Washington in 1942 to work for the federal government . He subsequently served on active duty in the U.S. Navy Reserve during World War II . Nixon was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946 and to the Senate in 1950 . His pursuit of the Hiss Case established his reputation as a leading anti-communist , and elevated him to national prominence . He was the running mate of Dwight D. Eisenhower , the Republican Party presidential nominee in the 1952 election . Nixon served for eight years as vice president -- at 40 , the second-youngest vice president in history . He waged an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1960 , narrowly losing to John F. Kennedy , and lost a race for Governor of California to Pat Brown in 1962 . In 1968 , he ran for the presidency again and was elected by defeating incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey .   Nixon ended American involvement in the war in Vietnam in 1973 and brought the American POWs home , and ended the military draft . Nixon 's visit to the People 's Republic of China in 1972 eventually led to diplomatic relations between the two nations , and he initiated détente and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union the same year . His administration generally transferred power from Washington D.C. to the states . He imposed wage and price controls for a period of ninety days , enforced desegregation of Southern schools and established the Environmental Protection Agency . Nixon also presided over the Apollo 11 moon landing , which signaled the end of the moon race . He was reelected in one of the largest electoral landslides in U.S. history in 1972 , when he defeated George McGovern .   The year 1973 saw an Arab oil embargo , gasoline rationing , and a continuing series of revelations about the Watergate scandal . The scandal escalated , costing Nixon much of his political support , and on August 9 , 1974 , he resigned in the face of almost certain impeachment and removal from office . After his resignation , he was issued a pardon by his successor , Gerald Ford . In retirement , Nixon 's work writing several books and undertaking of many foreign trips helped to rehabilitate his image . He suffered a debilitating stroke on April 18 , 1994 , and died four days later at the age of 81 .


Kangana Ranaut Kangana Ranaut ( -LSB- kəŋɡənaː raːɳoːʈʰ -RSB- ; born 23 March 1986 ) is an Indian film actress . She has established a career in Bollywood and is one of the highest-paid actresses in India . Ranaut is particularly known in the media for expressing her honest opinions in public and is frequently credited as one of the most fashionable Indian celebrities . She is the recipient of several awards , including three National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards in four categories .   Born in Bhambla , a small town in Himachal Pradesh , Ranaut initially aspired to become a doctor at the insistence of her parents . Determined to build her own career path , she relocated to Delhi at age sixteen , where she briefly became a model . After training under the theatre director Arvind Gaur , Ranaut made her feature film debut in the 2006 thriller Gangster , for which she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut . She received praise for portraying emotionally intense characters in the dramas Woh Lamhe ( 2006 ) , Life in a. . . Metro ( 2007 ) and Fashion ( 2008 ) . For the last of these , she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Filmfare Award in the same category .   Ranaut featured in the commercially successful films Raaz : The Mystery Continues ( 2009 ) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai ( 2010 ) , though she was criticised for being typecast in neurotic roles . A comic role opposite R. Madhavan in the 2011 box office hit Tanu Weds Manu was well-received , though this was followed by a series of brief , glamorous roles in films that failed to propel her career forward . She then played a mutant opposite Hrithik Roshan in the science fiction film Krrish 3 ( 2013 ) , one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films , and won the Filmfare and National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the comedy-drama Queen ( 2014 ) . In 2015 , Ranaut portrayed a dual role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns , the most successful Bollywood film featuring a female protagonist , for which she won a Filmfare Critics Award and a second consecutive National Film Award for Best Actress .


Wikipedia had nearly 500 million visitors each month.

Wikipedia Wikipedia ( -LSB- wɪkiˈpiːdiə -RSB- ) is a free online encyclopedia with the aim to allow anyone to edit articles . Wikipedia is the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet and is ranked among the ten most popular websites . Wikipedia is owned by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation .   Wikipedia was launched on January 15 , 2001 , by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger . Sanger coined Wikipedia , a portmanteau of wiki and encyclopedia . There was only the English language version initially , but it quickly developed similar versions in other languages , which differ in content and in editing practices . With articles , the English Wikipedia is the largest of the more than 290 Wikipedia encyclopedias . Overall , Wikipedia consists of more than 40 million articles in more than 250 different languages and , , it had 18 billion page views and nearly 500 million unique visitors each month .   As of March 2017 , Wikipedia has about forty thousand high-quality articles known as Featured Articles and Good Articles that cover vital topics . In 2005 , Nature published a peer review comparing 42 science articles from Encyclopædia Britannica and Wikipedia , and found that Wikipedia 's level of accuracy approached Encyclopædia Britannicas . Criticism of Wikipedia includes claims that it exhibits systemic bias , presents a mixture of `` truths , half truths , and some falsehoods '' , and that , in controversial topics , it is subject to manipulation and spin .


Colin Firth was the lead actor in Bridget Jones's Diary.

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 .


The Illuminati have been drawn on paper.

Illuminati The Illuminati ( plural of Latin illuminatus , `` enlightened '' ) is a name given to several groups , both real and fictitious . Historically , the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati , an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776 . The society 's goals were to oppose superstition , obscurantism , religious influence over public life and abuses of state power . `` The order of the day , '' they wrote in their general statutes , `` is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice , to control them without dominating them '' . The Illuminati -- along with Freemasonry and other secret societies -- were outlawed through edict , by the Bavarian ruler , Charles Theodore , with the encouragement of the Roman Catholic Church , in 1784 , 1785 , 1787 and 1790 . In the several years following , the group was vilified by conservative and religious critics who claimed that they continued underground and were responsible for the French Revolution .   Many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members , including Ferdinand of Brunswick and the diplomat Xavier von Zwack , who was the Order 's second-in-command . It attracted literary men such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Gottfried Herder and the reigning dukes of Gotha and Weimar .   In subsequent use , `` Illuminati '' refers to various organisations which claim or are purported to have links to the original Bavarian Illuminati or similar secret societies , though these links are unsubstantiated . They are often alleged to conspire to control world affairs , by masterminding events and planting agents in government and corporations , in order to gain political power and influence and to establish a New World Order . Central to some of the most widely known and elaborate conspiracy theories , the Illuminati have been depicted as lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings and levers of power in dozens of novels , films , television shows , comics , video games , and music videos .


John Cusack is an actor who starred in Say Anything...

John Cusack John Paul Cusack ( -LSB- ˈkjuːsæk -RSB- , born June 28 , 1966 ) is an American actor , producer and screenwriter . He made one of his earliest film roles in the mid-1980s , before he starred in Cameron Crowe 's film Say Anything ... ( 1989 ) , for which he gained teen idol status . He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in High Fidelity ( 2000 ) . Cusack starred in other films , including Grosse Pointe Blank ( 1997 ) , Being John Malkovich ( 1999 ) , 1408 ( 2007 ) , 2012 ( 2009 ) , Hot Tub Time Machine ( 2010 ) and The Raven ( 2012 ) .


Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and has been since 1952.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland.Although Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state , two of its Overseas Territories also share land borders with other sovereign countries . Gibraltar shares a border with Spain , while the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia share borders with the Republic of Cyprus , the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the UN buffer zone separating the two Cypriot polities . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242500 km2 , the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) .   The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 6 February 1952 . The capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million , the fourth-largest in Europe and second-largest in the European Union . Other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the conurbations centred on Birmingham , Leeds , Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester . The United Kingdom consists of four countries -- England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The last three have devolved administrations , each with varying powers , based in their capitals , Edinburgh , Cardiff and Belfast , respectively . The nearby Isle of Man , Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the United Kingdom , being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation .   The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time . Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain , which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 , leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921 to resolve the Irish War of Independence . When it took effect one year later , it established the Irish Free State as a separate dominion within the Commonwealth . The UK 's current name was adopted to reflect the change . There are fourteen British Overseas Territories . These are the remnants of the British Empire which , at its height in the 1920s , encompassed almost a quarter of the world 's land mass and was the largest empire in history . British influence can be observed in the language , culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies .   The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world 's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity . The UK is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index , ranking 16th in the world . It was the world 's first industrialised country and the world 's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The UK remains a great power with considerable economic , cultural , military , scientific and political influence internationally . It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is seventh in military expenditure in the world . The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 . It has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor , the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , since 1973 . However , on 23 June 2016 , a national referendum on the UK 's membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave , and its exit from the EU is currently being negotiated . The UK is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Council of Europe , the G7 finance ministers , the G7 forum , the G20 , NATO , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) .


Current reigning monarchs by length of reign This is a list of currently enthroned monarchs sorted by length of service . It includes monarchs who do not reign over entire nations , such as Nazrin Shah of Perak , but does not include former monarchs and pretenders , such as Michael of Romania , ex officio monarchs such as Emmanuel Macron who in his capacity as President of France is also Co-Prince of Andorra , constituent monarchs such as the traditional African rulers , or monarchs whose position is unofficial , such as Tenzin Gyatso , 14th Dalai Lama .   Elizabeth II is the current longest-reigning monarch , having been Queen of the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia and New Zealand since 6 February 1952 . She is also the monarch of 12 other Commonwealth realms which have become independent states since 1952 and is therefore listed multiple times in the table below .


Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as monarch of the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa , Pakistan and Ceylon took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey . Elizabeth ascended the throne at the age of 25 , upon the death of her father , King George VI , on 6 February 1952 , and was proclaimed queen by her various privy and executive councils shortly afterwards . The coronation took place more than a year later because of the tradition that holding such a festival is inappropriate during the period of mourning that follows the death of a monarch . During the service , she took and subscribed an oath to , among other things , govern the peoples according to their respective laws and customs , was anointed with holy oil , presented and invested with regalia , and crowned .   Celebrations took place across the Commonwealth realm and a commemorative medal was issued . It was the first British coronation to be televised .


Elizabeth II Elizabeth II ( Elizabeth Alexandra Mary ; born 21 April 1926 ) has been Queen of the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , and New Zealand since 6 February 1952 . She is Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of 12 countries that have become independent since her accession : Jamaica , Barbados , the Bahamas , Grenada , Papua New Guinea , Solomon Islands , Tuvalu , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Belize , Antigua and Barbuda , and Saint Kitts and Nevis .   Elizabeth was born in London as the elder child of the Duke and Duchess of York , later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth , and she was educated privately at home . Her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936 , from which time she was the heir presumptive . She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War , serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service . In 1947 , she married Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , a former prince of Greece and Denmark , with whom she has four children : Charles , Prince of Wales ; Anne , Princess Royal ; Prince Andrew , Duke of York ; and Prince Edward , Earl of Wessex .   Elizabeth 's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes . She has seen major constitutional changes , such as devolution in the United Kingdom , Canadian patriation , and the decolonisation of Africa . She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms . She is the world 's oldest reigning monarch as well as Britain 's longest-lived . In 2015 , she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother , Queen Victoria , to become the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history . In October 2016 , she became the longest currently reigning monarch and head of state following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand .   Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children , her coronation in 1953 , and the celebration of milestones such as her Silver , Golden , and Diamond Jubilees in 1977 , 2002 , and 2012 , respectively . In 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee . Moments of sadness for her include the death of her father in 1952 at age 56 ; the assassination of Prince Philip 's uncle Lord Mountbatten in 1979 ; the breakdown of her children 's marriages in 1992 ( her annus horribilis ) ; the death in 1997 of her son 's former wife , Diana , Princess of Wales ; and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002 . Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family ; however , support for the monarchy remains high , as does her personal popularity .


List of British monarchs by longevity This is a list of British monarchs by longevity since the Union of the Crowns of England , Scotland and Ireland in 1603 .   To maintain consistency within the table , the dates of birth and death for each monarch are given in New Style .   Two measures of the longevity are given -- this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each monarch . The first column is the number of days between date of birth and date of death , allowing for leap days ; the second column breaks this number down into years , and days , with the years being the number of whole years the monarch lived , and then days after his or her last birthday .   Queen Elizabeth II , the present British monarch ( born 21 April 1926 ; Queen since 6 February 1952 ) , is the longest lived British sovereign , at the age of .   * As of .  While Queen Victoria lived for only 4 days more than George III in terms of years and days format , she actually lived for five days more because there were 20 leap days during Victoria 's life and only 19 leap days during the life of George III .   If Charles , Prince of Wales , were to accede to the throne , he would immediately be ranked 8th with an age of . If instead his son , William , Duke of Cambridge , were to accede any time before September 2030 , he would be ranked 18th .


Doctor Who has a writer named Sarah Dollard.

Doctor Who (series 10) The tenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 15 April 2017 and is set to consist of twelve episodes , after it was released in July 2015 that BBC Worldwide had invested in a tenth series of the programme in its annual review . The series is led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat , alongside executive producer Brian Minchin . It is the third and final series overseen by the two as executive producers , as well as Moffat 's sixth and final series as head writer . This series is the tenth to air following the programme 's revival in 2005 , and is the thirty-sixth season overall .   Preceded by a Christmas special in December 2016 , `` The Return of Doctor Mysterio '' , the series is the third and final series starring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor , an incarnation of the Doctor , an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in his TARDIS , which appears to be a British police box on the outside ; Capaldi announced in January 2017 that he would be stepping down from the role after the tenth series . The series introduces Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts , the Doctor 's newest travelling companion , and also features Matt Lucas as Nardole , who appeared in the 2015 and 2016 Christmas specials .   Steven Moffat wrote four episodes for the series . Other returning writers who have worked on this series and previous ones include Frank Cottrell-Boyce , Sarah Dollard , Jamie Mathieson , Peter Harness , Toby Whithouse and Mark Gatiss , as well as two new writers for the revived era of the programme , Mike Bartlett and Rona Munro , the latter of whom wrote Survival , the final serial of the original classic era . Directors of the series included three who have previously worked on the show , and three brand new ones . Filming began on 20 June 2016 and lasted just over nine months , ending on 7 April 2017 .


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


Butterfly (Mariah Carey album) Butterfly is the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey , released on September 16 , 1997 , by Columbia Records . The album contained both hip hop and urban adult contemporary sounds , as well as some softer and more contemporary melodies . Throughout the project , Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff , with whom she had written and produced most of the material from her previous albums . She also worked with many famed hip hop producers and rappers , such as Sean `` Puffy '' Combs , Q-Tip , Missy Elliott and the Trackmasters . With the latter acts producing most of the album , Butterfly deviated from the contemporary sound of Carey 's older work , and was hailed as a defining album of the 1990s and of pop and R&B music .   With Butterfly , Carey continued the transition that began with previous album , Daydream ( 1995 ) , which pushed her further into the R&B and hip hop market and away from the R&B and pop background of her previous work . During her marriage to Tommy Mottola , Carey had little control over the creative and artistic steps she took on her albums ; however , after their divorce midway through the album 's conception , she was able to reflect her creative maturity and evolution in the album 's writing and recording . Carey wrote in the booklet of her twelfth studio album , Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel ( 2009 ) , that she considers Butterfly her magnum opus and a turning point in both her life and career .   Upon release , Butterfly garnered critical acclaim from contemporary music critics , many of whom embraced Carey 's musical transition . Reviewers complimented the album for its mature sound and production and commended Carey 's musical direction , calling the work a `` transitional album , one that makes her a rarity of the 90s . '' Though released during Carey 's heavily publicized conflict with Sony Music , the album became a commercial success , topping the albums chart in many countries , including Australia , Canada , Japan and the Netherlands . On the Billboard 200 , it debuted at number one , spending one week atop the chart . It was certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , and received the Million Award in Japan .   Five singles were released from the album ; two worldwide commercial releases , and three limited promotional singles . `` Honey '' , the record 's lead single , topped the charts in the US and Canada and reached the top five in New Zealand , Spain and the United Kingdom . The album 's fifth single , `` My All '' , became a top ten hit throughout Europe and topped the charts in the US . To promote Butterfly , Carey embarked on the Butterfly World Tour , which visited Australia , Japan and Taiwan , with one show in the United States . Butterfly was nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 40th annual ceremony , though it did not win any .


Vision of Love `` Vision of Love '' is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey . It served as Carey 's debut single , the first from her eponymous debut album . Written by Carey and Ben Margulies , `` Vision of Love '' was released on May 15 , 1990 , by Columbia Records . After being featured on Carey 's demo tape for Columbia , the song was re-sung and produced by Rhett Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden . `` Vision of Love '' features a slow-dance theme tempo and backing vocals sung by Carey herself , and introduces her usage of the whistle register . Lyrically , the song describes a past and present relationship with a lover . Carey describes the `` vision of love '' she dreamed of , as well as the present love she feels for him .   The song 's music video was filmed in April 1990 . It features Carey in a large cathedral , where she meditates and sings by a large carved window . `` Vision of Love '' was performed on several television and award show ceremonies , such as The Oprah Winfrey Show , The Arsenio Hall Show and the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards . It has been performed at almost every one of Carey 's concerts and tours , and is featured on Carey 's live album MTV Unplugged ( 1992 ) and on many of her compilation albums , Number 1 's ( 1998 ) , Greatest Hits ( 2001 ) and The Ballads ( 2008 ) .   `` Vision of Love '' was lauded by contemporary music critics . While the production of the song was typical of late 1980s pop , the vocals were not , being much more showy and expressing a wider range than artists popular at the time such as Paula Abdul and Debbie Gibson . It has been credited with popularizing the use of melisma in modern popular music and for inspiring several artists to pursue a career in music . The New Yorker named `` Vision of Love '' the `` Magna Carta of melisma '' for its and Carey 's influence on pop and R&B singers and American Idol contestants . Additionally , Rolling Stone said that `` the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like `` Vision of Love , '' inspired the entire American Idol vocal school , for better or worse , and virtually every other female R&B singer since the nineties . '' The song topped the singles charts in Canada , New Zealand and the United States , where it spent four weeks atop the chart .


Touch My Body `` Touch My Body '' is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey , taken from her eleventh studio album , E = MC ² ( 2008 ) . Carey co-produced the song with Christopher `` Tricky '' Stewart , and they co-wrote it with Crystal `` Cri $ tyle '' Johnson , and Terius `` The Dream '' Nash . `` Touch My Body '' was released as the album 's lead single on February 12 , 2008 . The song 's lyrics feature a double message , with the first describing sexual fantasies with her lover , while also jokingly warning him against recording or releasing information regarding their rendezvous .   The song received generally positive reviews from music critics , with many highlighting the song 's light pop melody and hook ; however , it also garnered some backlash from certain music reviewers , who felt the song did not properly represent the singer 's acclaimed 5-octave vocal range . `` Touch My Body '' became Carey 's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100 , making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history , surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley . Additionally , it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart , tying Presley for most weeks at number one . Throughout Europe , the song also achieved high charting , peaking within the top five on the charts in Italy , Japan , New Zealand , Switzerland , and the United Kingdom .   Carey performed `` Touch My Body '' on several live televised events and programs , debuting it on Saturday Night Live as a two-piece performance . Similarly , Carey opened the Good Morning America `` Summer Concert Series '' on April 25 , 2008 , singing the song , as well as two other singles from E = MC ² . Similar renditions took place at the season premiere party of The Hills , as well as a mash-up of the song with `` I 'll Be Lovin ' U Long Time '' at the Teen Choice Awards . Aside from reprising performances of the British programs The Sunday Night Project and The Paul O'Grady Show , and German talent show Deutschland sucht den Superstar , the song was included on the set-list of Carey 's North American Angels Advocate Tour , held throughout 2009 and 2010 .   The song 's music video was directed by filmmaker Brett Ratner , who had previously worked with Carey on five other music videos . It follows around a story revolving around a computer employee 's fantasy as he visits Carey 's home . As he fixes her computer , he enters a fantasy in which the pair perform several activities together , including pillow fights , laser tag , Guitar Hero , slot cars , and frisbee throwing , all while Carey shows off her figure in several revealing outfits . The music video won in the category of `` Best Comedic Video '' at the 2008 BET Awards , and won the `` MTV Video Vanguard Award '' at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan . Additionally , the video was nominated for `` Best Female Video '' at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards .


Glitter (film) Glitter is a 2001 American romantic musical drama film produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures , starring American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and featuring rapper Da Brat . The film was written by Kate Lanier and directed by Vondie Curtis Hall . Set in 1982 , Carey plays Billie Frank , who wants to be a famous singer , and along with her friends Louise and Roxanne ( Tia Texada ) is a club dancer . Timothy Walker ( Terrence Howard ) offers them a contract as backup singers/dancers to a singer . In the premiere of the song they recorded , Frank meets Julian `` Dice '' Black ( Max Beesley ) , who is a DJ in a night club , and helps her in her solo career . In the process , Frank and Dice fall in love with each other .   Carey began working on a film and soundtrack project titled All That Glitters in 1997 . However , during that period , her record company Columbia Records pressured Carey to release a compilation album , in time for the favorable holiday season in November 1998 . Consequently , Carey put All That Glitters on hold . Following this , Carey aimed to complete the film and album project for the summer of 2001 . Shooting began in Toronto and New York at the end of September 2000 . Carey utilized the time to work on the soundtrack of the film , along with Eric Benét and Da Brat , who also appeared on the film .   The film was released on September 21 , 2001 , ten days after the release of the accompanying soundtrack on September 11 , 2001 . Before its release , Carey was suddenly hospitalized , citing `` extreme exhaustion '' and a `` physical and emotional breakdown '' . Due to this , the film and its soundtrack were postponed for three weeks . Glitter was a major commercial failure and critical flop . Reviewers were highly disappointed with the film , and Carey 's performance as an actress was considered by many to be amateur . This also caused the film to receive negative commentary along social media sites . Some went on to call it one of the worst films to be released . Glitter opened in 1,996 American theatres , and grossed $ 2.5 million in its first week . Its worldwide total was about $ 5.3 million . The soundtrack of the film had some commercial success and it went on to sell three million copies worldwide , considerably less compared with Carey 's previous releases .


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


The Emancipation of Mimi The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey , released through Island Records on April 12 , 2005 . The Emancipation of Mimi was considered Carey 's `` comeback album '' by critics and became her highest-selling release in the US in a decade . In composing the album , the singer collaborated with many songwriters and producers throughout 2004 , including Jermaine Dupri , Snoop Dogg , Twista , Nelly , Pharrell Williams , and James `` Big Jim '' Wright , many of whom appeared as featured guests on select tracks .   Carey opted to use her personal nickname ` Mimi ' in the title , revealing a more intimate side of the singer , as seen in the album 's declarative theme of emancipation from her personal and commercial setbacks . Although it has similar vocal production to her previous works and an inclination towards her signature ballads , the album encompasses dance-oriented and uptempo styles in keeping with its celebratory motif . Critics noted the theme of independence and lack of restraint , dubbing the album a `` party '' record . In contrast to the R&B and pop-rock music styles that framed her previous releases , The Emancipation of Mimi showcases a wider range of genres , exploring R&B - related styles , such as 1970s retro gospel and soul .   The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with the highest first-week sales of Carey 's career at the time . It entered in the top five on the albums charts in Canada , Denmark , France and Japan . The Emancipation of Mimi was the best-selling album of 2005 in the US , and the second-best seller worldwide .   `` It 's Like That '' became one of her highest-charting songs in years , reaching the top twenty in several countries . `` We Belong Together '' accumulated 14 weeks at number one in the US , and was later hailed `` song of the decade '' by Billboard . It reached number one in Australia , number two in New Zealand , and achieved top-five positions in several European countries . To promote the album , Carey performed at the 48th Grammy Awards , the MTV Movie Awards 2005 , the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards of 2005 . In 2006 , she embarked on her sixth concert tour , The Adventures of Mimi .