Cold War The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc ( the Soviet Union and its satellite states ) and powers in the Western Bloc ( the United States , its NATO allies and others ) . Historians do not fully agree on the dates , but a common timeframe is the period between 1947 , the year the Truman Doctrine ( a U.S. foreign policy pledging to aid nations threatened by Soviet expansionism ) was announced , and 1991 , the year the Soviet Union collapsed .   The term `` cold '' is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides involved in the conflict , although there were major regional wars , known as proxy wars , supported by the two sides . The Cold War split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany , leaving the Soviet Union and the United States as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences . The USSR was a Marxist -- Leninist state led by its Communist Party of the Soviet Union , who in turn were led by a leader , with different titles over time , and a small committee called the Politburo . The Party controlled the press , the military , the economy and many organization . It also controlled the other states in the Eastern Bloc , and funded Communist parties around the world , sometimes in competition with Communist China , particularly following the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s . In opposition stood the West , staunchly democratic and capitalist with a free press and independent organizations . A small neutral bloc arose with the Non-Aligned Movement ; it sought good relations with both sides . The two superpowers never engaged directly in full-scale armed combat , but they were heavily armed in preparation for a possible all-out nuclear world war . Each side had a nuclear strategy that discouraged an attack by the other side , on the basis that such an attack would lead to the total destruction of the attacker : the doctrine of mutually assured destruction ( MAD ) . Aside from the development of the two sides ' nuclear arsenals , and their deployment of conventional military forces , the struggle for dominance was expressed via proxy wars around the globe , psychological warfare , massive propaganda campaigns and espionage , rivalry at sports events , and technological competitions such as the Space Race .   The first phase of the Cold War began in the first two years after the end of the Second World War in 1945 . The USSR consolidated its control over the states of the Eastern Bloc , while the United States began a strategy of global containment to challenge Soviet power , extending military and financial aid to the countries of Western Europe ( for example , supporting the anti-communist side in the Greek Civil War ) and creating the NATO alliance . The Berlin Blockade ( 1948 -- 49 ) was the first major crisis of the Cold War . With the victory of the communist side in the Chinese Civil War and the outbreak of the Korean War ( 1950 -- 53 ) , the conflict expanded . The USSR and USA competed for influence in Latin America , and the decolonizing states of Africa and Asia . Meanwhile , the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was stopped by the Soviets . The expansion and escalation sparked more crises , such as the Suez Crisis ( 1956 ) , the Berlin Crisis of 1961 , and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 . Following the Cuban Missile Crisis , a new phase began that saw the Sino-Soviet split complicate relations within the communist sphere , while US allies , particularly France , demonstrated greater independence of action . The USSR crushed the 1968 Prague Spring liberalization program in Czechoslovakia , and the Vietnam War ( 1955 -- 75 ) ended with the defeat of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam , prompting further adjustments .   By the 1970s , both sides had become interested in making accommodations in order to create a more stable and predictable international system , inaugurating a period of détente that saw Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and the US opening relations with the People 's Republic of China as a strategic counterweight to the Soviet Union . Détente collapsed at the end of the decade with the beginning of the Soviet -- Afghan War in 1979 . The early 1980s were another period of elevated tension , with the Soviet downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 ( 1983 ) , and the `` Able Archer '' NATO military exercises ( 1983 ) . The United States increased diplomatic , military , and economic pressures on the Soviet Union , at a time when the communist state was already suffering from economic stagnation . In the mid-1980s , the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the liberalizing reforms of perestroika ( `` reorganization '' , 1987 ) and glasnost ( `` openness '' , c. 1985 ) and ended Soviet involvement in Afghanistan . Pressures for national independence grew stronger in Eastern Europe , especially Poland . Gorbachev meanwhile refused to use Soviet troops to bolster the faltering Warsaw Pact regimes as had occurred in the past . The result in 1989 was a wave of revolutions that peacefully ( with the exception of the Romanian Revolution ) overthrew all of the communist regimes of Central and Eastern Europe . The Communist Party of the Soviet Union itself lost control and was banned following an abortive coup attempt in August 1991 . This in turn led to the formal dissolution of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse of communist regimes in other countries such as Mongolia , Cambodia and South Yemen . The United States remained as the world 's only superpower .   The Cold War and its events have left a significant legacy . It is often referred to in popular culture , especially in media featuring themes of espionage ( e.g. the internationally successful James Bond movie franchise ) and the threat of nuclear warfare .


Tom Hardy portrayed "Mad" Max Rockatansky.

Tom Hardy Edward Thomas Hardy  ( born 15 September 1977 ) is an English actor and producer . His motion picture debut was in Ridley Scott 's 2001 action film Black Hawk Down . Hardy 's other notable films include the science fiction film Star Trek : Nemesis ( 2002 ) , the crime film RocknRolla ( 2008 ) , biographical psychological drama Bronson ( 2008 ) , sports drama Warrior ( 2011 ) , Cold War espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ( 2011 ) , crime drama Lawless ( 2012 ) , drama Locke ( 2013 ) , mobster film The Drop ( 2014 ) , and the biographical western thriller The Revenant ( 2015 ) , for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor . He portrayed `` Mad '' Max Rockatansky in the post-apocalyptic film Mad Max : Fury Road ( 2015 ) , and both of the Kray twins in the crime thriller Legend ( 2015 ) . He has appeared in three Christopher Nolan films : the science fiction thriller Inception ( 2010 ) , portrayed Bane in the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises ( 2012 ) , and the action-thriller Dunkirk ( 2017 ) based on the British evacuation in World War II .   Hardy 's television roles include the HBO war drama miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) , the BBC historical drama miniseries The Virgin Queen ( 2005 ) , ITV 's Wuthering Heights ( 2008 ) , the Sky 1 drama series The Take ( 2009 ) , and the BBC historical crime drama television series Peaky Blinders ( 2013 ) . He created , co-produced and took the lead in the eight-part historical fiction series Taboo ( 2017 ) on BBC One and FX .   Hardy has performed on both British and American stages . He was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his role as Skank in the 2003 production of In Arabia We 'd All Be Kings , and was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in both In Arabia We 'd All be Kings and for his role as Luca in Blood . He starred in the 2007 production of The Man of Mode and received positive reviews for his role in the 2010 Philip Seymour Hoffman-directed play The Long Red Road .


Noam Chomsky did not take courses in mathematics.

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


Aluminium is prevalent in Earth's environment.

Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum ( see below ) is a chemical element in the boron group with symbol Al and atomic number 13 . It is a silvery-white , soft , nonmagnetic , ductile metal . By mass , aluminium makes up about 8 % of the Earth 's crust ; it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon and the most abundant metal in the crust , though it is less common in the mantle below . Aluminium metal is so chemically reactive that native specimens are rare and limited to extreme reducing environments . Instead , it is found combined in over 270 different minerals . The chief ore of aluminium is bauxite .   Aluminium is remarkable for the metal 's low density and its ability to resist corrosion through the phenomenon of passivation . Aluminium and its alloys are vital to the aerospace industry and important in transportation and structures , such as building facades and window frames . The oxides and sulfates are the most useful compounds of aluminium .   Despite its prevalence in the environment , no known form of life uses aluminium salts metabolically , but aluminium is well tolerated by plants and animals . Because of these salts ' abundance , the potential for a biological role for them is of continuing interest , and studies continue .


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


Wyoming is the second least densely populated state in the country.

Wyoming Wyoming -LSB- waɪˈoʊmɪŋ -RSB- is a state in the mountain region of the western United States . The state is the tenth largest by area , the least populous and the second least densely populated state in the country . Wyoming is bordered on the north by Montana , on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska , on the south by Colorado , on the southwest by Utah , and on the west by Idaho . Cheyenne is the capital and the most populous city in Wyoming , with a population estimate of 63,335 in 2015 . The state population was estimated at 586,107 in 2015 , which is less than the population of 31 of the largest U.S. cities .   The western two-thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the Rocky Mountains , while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High Plains . Almost half of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. government , leading Wyoming to rank sixth in the United States in total acres and fifth in percentage of a state 's land owned by the federal government . The federal lands include two national parksGrand Teton and Yellowstonetwo national recreation areas and two national monuments , as well as several national forests , historic sites , fish hatcheries , and wildlife refuges .   The Crow , Arapaho , Lakota , and Shoshone were some of the original inhabitants of the region . Southwestern Wyoming was included in the Spanish Empire and then Mexican territory until it was ceded to the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican -- American War . The region acquired the name Wyoming when a bill was introduced to Congress in 1865 to provide a `` temporary government for the territory of Wyoming . '' The territory was named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania , with the name ultimately being derived from the Munsee word xwé : wamənk , meaning `` at the big river flat . ''   The mineral-extraction industryespecially coal , oil , natural gas , and tronaalong with the travel and tourism sector , are the main drivers behind Wyoming 's economy . Agriculture has historically been an important component of the state economy with the main commodities being livestock ( beef ) , hay , sugar beets , grain ( wheat and barley ) , and wool . The climate is generally semi-arid and continental , being drier and windier in comparison to the rest of the United States , with greater temperature extremes .   Except for the 1964 election , Wyoming has been a politically conservative state since the 1950s , with the Republican party winning every presidential election .


Courtney Thorne-Smith Courtney Thorne-Smith ( born November 8 , 1967 ) is an American actress . She is best known for her roles as Alison Parker on Melrose Place , Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal , Cheryl in According to Jim , and her recurring role on Two and a Half Men as Lyndsey McElroy .


Lucas (film) Lucas  is a 1986 American teen tragicomedy film directed by David Seltzer and starring Corey Haim , Kerri Green , Charlie Sheen and Courtney Thorne-Smith . The film was Winona Ryder 's screen debut .


Kerri Green Kerri Lee Green ( born January 14 , 1967 ) is an American actress , writer , and director .


Star Trek is a series of television programming.

Star Trek (film) Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction adventure film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman . It is the eleventh film in the Star Trek film franchise , and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast , as the first in the rebooted film series . The film follows James T. Kirk ( Chris Pine ) and Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) aboard USS Enterprise as they combat Nero ( Eric Bana ) , a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets . The story takes place in an alternate reality because of time travel by both Nero and the original Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) . The alternate timeline was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements .   The idea for a prequel film which would follow the Star Trek characters during their time in Starfleet Academy was discussed by series creator Gene Roddenberry in 1968 . The concept resurfaced in the late 1980s , when it was postulated by Harve Bennett as a possible plotline for what would become Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country , but was rejected in lieu of other projects by Roddenberry . Following the critical and commercial failure of Star Trek : Nemesis and the cancellation of the television series Star Trek : Enterprise , the franchise 's executive producer Rick Berman and screenwriter Erik Jendresen wrote an unproduced film titled Star Trek : The Beginning , which would take place after Enterprise . After the separation of Viacom and CBS Corporation in 2005 , former Paramount Pictures president Gail Berman convinced CBS to allow Paramount to produce a new film in the franchise . Orci and Kurtzman , both fans of Star Trek , were approached to write the film , and J. J. Abrams was approached to direct it . Kurtzman and Orci used inspiration from novels and graduate school dissertations , as well as the series itself . Principal photography commenced on November 7 , 2007 and ended on March 27 , 2008 . The film was shot in various locations around California and Utah . Abrams wanted to avoid using bluescreen and greenscreen , opting to use sets and locations instead . Heavy secrecy surrounded the film 's production and was under the fake working title Corporate Headquarters . Industrial Light & Magic used digital ships for the film , as opposed to the previous films in the franchise . Production for the film concluded by the end of 2008 .   Star Trek was heavily promoted in the months preceding its release ; pre-release screenings for the film premiered in select cities around the world , including Austin , Texas , Sydney , Australia , and Calgary , Alberta . It was released in the United States and Canada on May 8 , 2009 , to critical acclaim ; critics praised its character development , as well as its storyline , effects , stunts , action sequences , direction , and its score by Michael Giacchino . Star Trek was a box office success , grossing over $ 385.7 million worldwide against its $ 150 million production budget . It was nominated for several awards , including four Academy Awards at the 82nd Academy Awards , ultimately winning Best Makeup , making it the first Star Trek film to win an Academy Award . It was followed by two sequels , Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) and Star Trek Beyond ( 2016 ) , with a fourth having been announced .


Star Trek (film series) The Star Trek film series is the cinematic branch of the Star Trek media franchise , which began in 1966 as a weekly television series on NBC , running for three seasons until it was canceled in 1969 because of poor ratings . Reruns of the series proved to be wildly successful in syndication during the 1970s , which persuaded the series ' then-owner , Paramount Pictures , to expand the franchise .   Paramount originally began work on a Star Trek feature film in 1975 after lobbying by the creator of the franchise , Gene Roddenberry . The studio scrapped the project two years later in favor of creating a television series , Star Trek : Phase II , with the original cast . However , following the huge success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 , Paramount changed its mind again , halting production on the television series and adapting its pilot episode into a Star Trek feature film , Star Trek : The Motion Picture ( 1979 ) . Five more Star Trek feature films featuring the entire original cast followed . The cast of the 1987 -- 1994 Star Trek spin-off series Star Trek : The Next Generation starred in a further four films . After a 6-year hiatus following the release of Star Trek : Nemesis ( 2002 ) , a new film was released on May 16 , 2009 , simply titled Star Trek , serving as a reboot to the franchise with a new cast portraying younger versions of the original series ' characters . A sequel to Star Trek ( 2009 ) , Star Trek Into Darkness , was released in theaters on May 16 , 2013 . A second sequel , Star Trek Beyond , was released on July 22 , 2016 , on the franchise 's 50th anniversary .   The Star Trek films have received 15 Academy Award nominations . Star Trek ( 2009 ) won for Best Makeup in 2010 , and four of the previous films were nominated mainly in the areas of makeup , music , set design and sound design .   The early Star Trek films , the first to tenth film , were originally released on VHS ; competitive pricing of The Wrath of Khans videocassette helped bolster the adoption of VHS players in households . Later films were also released on LaserDisc as well . For those films that did not receive an initial DVD release , Paramount released simple one-disc versions with no special features . Later , the first ten films were released in two-disc collector 's versions , with The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan branded as `` director 's cuts '' , followed by later box set releases . All of the films are now available on Blu-ray , digital download , streaming media and video on demand .


Star Trek Into Darkness Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , and Damon Lindelof . It is the twelfth installment in the Star Trek film franchise and the sequel to the 2009 film Star Trek , as the second in a rebooted film series . The film features Chris Pine reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk , with Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana , John Cho , Anton Yelchin , Bruce Greenwood , and Leonard Nimoy reprising their roles from the previous film . Benedict Cumberbatch , Alice Eve and Peter Weller are also credited in the film 's principal cast . It was the last time Nimoy would portray the character of Spock before his death in 2015 . Set in the 23rd century , Kirk and the crew of USS Enterprise are sent to the Klingon homeworld seeking former Starfleet member-turned terrorist John Harrison .   After the release of Star Trek , Abrams , Burk , Lindelof , Kurtzman , and Orci agreed to produce its sequel . Filming began in January 2012 . Into Darknesss visual effects were primarily created by Industrial Light & Magic . The film was converted to 3D during its post-production stage .   Star Trek Into Darkness premiered at Event Cinemas in Sydney , Australia , on April 23 , 2013 , and was released on May 9 in Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Europe , and Peru , with other countries following . The film was released on May 17 in the United States and Canada , opening at IMAX cinemas a day earlier . Into Darkness was a financial success and received positive reviews from critics . Its gross earnings of over $ 467 million worldwide have made it the highest-grossing entry in the Star Trek franchise . At the 86th Academy Awards , the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects . It was followed by Star Trek Beyond in 2016 .


Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond is a 2016 American science fiction adventure film directed by Justin Lin from a screenplay by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung and based on the series Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry . It is the thirteenth film in the Star Trek film franchise and the third installment in the reboot series , following Star Trek ( 2009 ) and Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) . Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprise their respective roles as Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock , with Pegg , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana , John Cho , and Anton Yelchin reprising their roles from the previous films . Idris Elba , Joe Taslim , Lydia Wilson , and Sofia Boutella also appear .   Principal photography began in Vancouver on June 25 , 2015 . The film premiered in Sydney on July 7 , 2016 , and was released in the United States on July 22 , 2016 by Paramount Pictures . The film is dedicated to the memory of Yelchin , who died a month prior to the film 's release , as well as to fellow Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy , who died during pre-production . The film grossed $ 343.5 million at the box office and received positive reviews from critics , with many praising its performances , action scenes , musical score , visual effects , and its tributes to Yelchin and Nimoy .   At the 89th Academy Awards , the film was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling , but lost to Suicide Squad .


Chris Brown did a duet with Jordin Sparks.

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice `` Chris '' Brown ( born May 5 , 1989 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and dancer . Born in Tappahannock , Virginia , he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age . Having signed with Jive Records in 2004 , Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year . It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , selling an overall three million copies worldwide . With his first single `` Run It ! '' peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100 , Brown became the first male artist as a lead since Diddy in 1997 to have his debut single top the chart . His second album Exclusive ( 2007 ) spawned his second Hot 100 number one `` Kiss Kiss '' , in addition to `` With You '' and `` Forever '' . The album was also certified double platinum by the RIAA . In addition to his solo commercial success , Brown has been featured on several singles such as `` No Air '' , a duet with singer Jordin Sparks , `` Shortie like Mine '' with the rapper Bow Wow and `` Shawty Get Loose '' alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain . The songs have peaked at number three , number nine and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively .   In 2009 , Brown received significant media attention after pleading guilty to felony assault of his then girlfriend , singer Rihanna ; he was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community service . His third album Graffiti was released later that year , and included the top-twenty single `` I Can Transform Ya '' . Brown 's fourth album F.A.M.E. ( 2011 ) became his first to top the Billboard 200 ; it spawned the singles `` Yeah 3x '' , `` Look at Me Now '' , and `` Beautiful People '' . F.A.M.E. earned Brown his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 54th Grammy Awards . His fifth album Fortune was released in 2012 . However , after the release of Exclusive , Brown 's albums have not been well received commercially or by music critics , with the exception of X , which received a normalized rating of 63 . Brown 's seventh studio album Royalty was released on December 18 , 2015 .   Apart from his work in the music industry , Brown has pursued an acting career . In 2007 , he made his on-screen feature film debut in Stomp the Yard , and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. . Other films Brown has appeared in , include This Christmas ( 2007 ) , Takers ( 2010 ) , Think Like a Man ( 2012 ) , and Battle of the Year ( 2013 ) . Throughout his career , Brown has won several awards , including 14 BET Awards , 5 Billboard Music Awards , and 5 Soul Train Music Awards . According to Billboard , Brown has the seventh most Hot 100 entries on the chart with 82 .


Werner Herzog Werner Herzog ( -LSB- ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk -RSB- ; born 5 September 1942 ) is a German screenwriter , film director , author , actor , and opera director .   Herzog is considered one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema , along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Margarethe von Trotta , Volker Schlöndorff , Werner Schröter , and Wim Wenders . Herzog 's films often feature heroes with impossible dreams , people with unique talents in obscure fields , or individuals who are in conflict with nature .   French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Herzog `` the most important film director alive . '' American film critic Roger Ebert said that Herzog `` has never created a single film that is compromised , shameful , made for pragmatic reasons , or uninteresting . Even his failures are spectacular . ''  He was named one of the 100 most influential people on the planet by Time magazine in 2009 .


Vladimir Putin's birth place is in Russia's second-largest city.

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


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


Abby Sciuto is a fictional character on NCIS.

Abby Sciuto Abigail `` Abby '' Sciuto -LSB- ˈʃuːtoʊ -RSB- is a fictional character from the NCIS television series on CBS Television , and is portrayed by Pauley Perrette . In a season 10 episode entitled `` Hit and Run '' , a young Abby was played by Brighton Sharbino in flashbacks . Like Jethro Gibbs , Anthony DiNozzo , and Dr. Donald Mallard , Abby was first introduced in the episodes `` Ice Queen '' and `` Meltdown '' of the television show JAG ( which together served as the backdoor pilot for NCIS ) , and has appeared in every episode of NCIS , in addition to being featured on the show 's spin-offs , NCIS : Los Angeles ( two episodes ) and NCIS : New Orleans ( two episodes ) . The role has made Perrette one of the most popular actresses on U.S. primetime television in 2011 , according to Q Score .   Abby Sciuto is a forensic scientist at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard , with expertise in ballistics , digital forensics , and DNA analysis . In the first episode of the seventh season , `` Truth or Consequences '' , DiNozzo , while under the influence of a truth serum , describes her as `` a paradox wrapped in an oxymoron smothered in contradictions in terms . Sleeps in a coffin . Really , the happiest Goth you 'll ever meet . '' Her gothic style of dress and her interest in death and the supernatural enigmatically contrast with her generally hyperactive demeanor and enthusiasm about her work .


Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker ( born November 14 , 1975 ) is an American musician and producer , and the drummer for the rock band Blink-182 . Barker has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip-hop artists , and with the alternative rock band +44 , the rap rock group the Transplants , the alternative rock band Box Car Racer , and most recently with Antemasque . He was a frequent collaborator with the late DJ AM , and together they formed TRV$ DJAM .   After the split of his first band , Feeble , Barker began playing for the Aquabats in 1996 as the Baron Von Tito . He recorded one album with them , The Fury of The Aquabats ! , in 1997 . His career rose when he joined Blink-182 in 1998 . Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer , producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip hop , alternative rock , pop and country . He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs . Barker collaborated with artists ( including Game , Yelawolf , Tom Morello , Corey Taylor , Slaughterhouse , Raekwon , Busta Rhymes , RZA , Slash , and other musicians ) for his solo debut album , Give the Drummer Some , which was released on March 15 , 2011 .   In 2011 , he worked with Steve Aoki and Kid Cudi in Aoki 's hit single Cudi the Kid , as part of his album Wonderland , with Barker as lead drummer .   Aside from drumming , he founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004 . Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name . Rolling Stone referred to him as `` punk 's first superstar drummer . ''


Sam Smith (singer) Samuel Frederick `` Sam '' Smith ( born 19 May 1992 ) is an English singer-songwriter . He rose to fame in October 2012 when he was featured on Disclosure 's breakthrough single `` Latch '' , which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart . His subsequent feature -- on Naughty Boy 's `` La La La '' -- earned him his first number one single in May 2013 . In December 2013 , he was nominated for the 2014 Brit Critics ' Choice Award and the BBC 's Sound of 2014 poll , both of which he won .   He released his debut studio album , In the Lonely Hour , in May 2014 on Capitol Records UK . The lead single , `` Lay Me Down '' , was released prior to `` La La La '' . The second single , `` Money on My Mind '' , became his second number one single in the UK . The album 's third single , `` Stay with Me '' , was an international success , reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 , while the fourth single `` I 'm Not the Only One '' reached the top five in both countries . The fifth single , `` Like I Can '' , reached number nine in the UK . He made his US debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , followed by a performance on Saturday Night Live in March 2014 .   In December 2014 , Smith was nominated for six Grammy Awards , and at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015 he won four : Best New Artist , `` Stay with Me '' for Record of the Year and Song of the Year , and In the Lonely Hour for Best Pop Vocal Album . At the 2015 Brit Awards , he won the awards for British Breakthrough Act and Global Success . At the 2015 Billboard Music Awards , Smith received three Billboard Awards : Top Male Artist , Top New Artist , and Top Radio Songs Artist . His musical achievements have also led him to be mentioned twice in the Guinness World Records .   For his and Jimmy Napes ' song `` Writing 's on the Wall '' , the theme for the James Bond film Spectre ( 2015 ) , Smith won the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song .


Malcolm Young Malcolm Mitchell Young ( born 6 January 1953 ) is an Australian retired musician and songwriter , best known as a co-founder , rhythm guitarist , backing vocalist and songwriter for the hard rock band AC/DC . Except for a brief absence in 1988 , he was with the band from its November 1973 beginning until retiring permanently in 2014 , due to health reasons . Young and the other members of AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 .   Though his younger brother Angus is the more visible of the brothers , Malcolm has been described as the driving force and the leader of the band . He also added that despite his retirement from the band , AC/DC was determined to continue making music with his blessing . As the rhythm guitarist , he was responsible for the broad sweep of the band 's sound , developing many of their guitar riffs and co-writing the band 's material with Angus . He is married to Linda Young and has two children , Cara and Ross .   Young took a leave of absence from AC/DC in April 2014 , to receive treatment for dementia . In September 2014 , the band 's management announced that he would be retiring permanently .


Gregory Peck appeared in The Omen (1976).

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck ( April 5 , 1916 -- June 12 , 2003 ) was an American actor who was one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s . Peck continued to play major film roles until the late 1980s . His performance as Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor . He had also been nominated for an Oscar for the same category for The Keys of the Kingdom ( 1944 ) , The Yearling ( 1946 ) , Gentleman 's Agreement ( 1947 ) and Twelve O'Clock High ( 1949 ) . Other notable films he appeared in include Spellbound ( 1945 ) , Roman Holiday ( 1953 ) , Moby Dick ( 1956 , and its 1998 miniseries ) , The Guns of Navarone ( 1961 ) , Cape Fear ( 1962 , and its 1991 remake ) , How the West Was Won ( 1962 ) , The Omen ( 1976 ) and The Boys from Brazil ( 1978 ) .   President Lyndon Johnson honored Peck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 for his lifetime humanitarian efforts . In 1999 , the American Film Institute named Peck among Greatest Male Stars of Classic Hollywood cinema , ranking at No. 12 . He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1983 .


Jon Huntsman Jr. began his career as a White House staff assistant.

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 % .


Tobey Maguire lost all Saturn Awards for Best Actor.

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


Al Capone became more and more debilitated over time.

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( -LSB- æl_kəˈpoʊn -RSB- January 17 , 1899 -- January 25 , 1947 ) , sometimes known by the nickname Scarface , was an American gangster who attained fame during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit . His seven-year reign as crime boss ended when he was 33 years old .   Capone was born in Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants . He was considered a Five Points Gang member who became a bouncer in organized crime premises such as brothels . In his early twenties , he moved to Chicago and became bodyguard and trusted factotum for Johnny Torrio , head of a criminal syndicate that illegally supplied alcohol -- the forerunner of the Outfit -- and that was politically protected through the Unione Siciliana . A conflict with the North Side Gang was instrumental in Capone 's rise and fall . Torrio went into retirement after North Side gunmen almost killed him , handing control to Capone . Capone expanded the bootlegging business through increasingly violent means , but his mutually profitable relationships with mayor William Hale Thompson and the city 's police meant that Capone seemed safe from law enforcement .   Capone apparently reveled in attention , such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at ball games . He made donations to various charities and was viewed by many to be a `` modern-day Robin Hood '' . However , the Saint Valentine 's Day Massacre of gang rivals , resulting in the killing of seven men in broad daylight , damaged Chicago 's image -- as well as Capone 's -- leading influential citizens to demand governmental action and newspapers to dub him `` Public Enemy No. 1 '' .   The federal authorities became intent on jailing Capone , and they prosecuted him for tax evasion in 1931 , a federal crime and a novel strategy during the era . During the highly publicized case , the judge admitted as evidence Capone 's admissions of his income and unpaid taxes during prior ( and ultimately abortive ) negotiations to pay the government any back taxes he owed . Capone was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison . After conviction , he replaced his old defense team with experts in tax law , and his grounds for appeal were strengthened by a Supreme Court ruling , but his appeal ultimately failed .   He was already showing signs of syphilitic dementia early in his sentence , and he became increasingly debilitated before being released after eight years . On January 25 , 1947 , Capone died of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke .


On July 28th, 1989, Adrien Broner was born.

Adrien Broner Adrien Jerome Broner ( born July 28 , 1989 ) is an American professional boxer . He is a former four-weight world champion , having held the WBO junior lightweight title from 2011 to 2012 ; the WBC lightweight title from 2012 to 2013 ; the WBA welterweight title in 2014 ; and the WBA super lightweight title from 2015 to 2016 . The Ring magazine previously ranked Broner as the fifth best boxer in the world , pound for pound , in December 2012 .


Attack the Block Attack the Block is a 2011 British science fiction horror comedy film written and directed by Joe Cornish and starring Jodie Whittaker , John Boyega , Nick Frost and Luke Treadaway . It is notable for being the film debut for both Cornish , Boyega , and future Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price .   The film centres on a teenage street gang who have to defend themselves from predatory alien invaders on a council estate in South London on Guy Fawkes Night . Released on 11 May 2011 , it achieved significant popularity , favourable critical reviews , and accolades internationally . Attack the Block has been listed as a cult film in the making by a significant number of websites .


Tipper Gore was married to 45th Vice President Al Gore.

Tipper Gore Mary Elizabeth `` Tipper '' Gore ( née Aitcheson ; born August 19 , 1948 ) is an author , photographer , and social issues advocate who was Second Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 , and the wife of Al Gore , the 45th Vice President of the United States , from whom she is currently separated .   Gore rose to prominence for her work with the Parents Music Resource Center ( PMRC ) , voicing strong opinions and advocating censorship , for the labeling of record covers of releases featuring profane language , especially in the heavy metal , punk and hip hop genres . She has advocated for mental health , homelessness , women and children . Gore has also been an LGBT rights activist since her husband was in office , which was rare for a second lady and against her husband 's beliefs at the time .


Bangladesh has multiple religious groups.

Bangladesh Bangladesh ( -LSB- bæŋɡləˈdɛʃ -RSB- -LSB- ˌbɑːŋɡləˈdɛʃ -RSB- -LSB- : bn : বাংলাদেশ , বাংলাদেশ -RSB- , -LSB- ˈbaŋlad̪eʃ -RSB- , lit . `` The country of Bengal '' ) , officially the People 's Republic of Bangladesh , is a country in South Asia . It shares land borders with India and Myanmar ( Burma ) . Nepal , Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share a border with it . The country 's maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area . Bangladesh is the world 's eighth most populous country . Dhaka is its capital and largest city , followed by Chittagong , which has the country 's largest port .   Bangladesh forms the largest and eastern part of the Bengal region . Bangladeshis include people of different ethnic groups and religions . Bengalis , who speak the official Bengali language , make up 98 % of the population . The politically dominant Bengali Muslims make the nation the world 's third largest Muslim-majority country . Most of Bangladesh is covered by the Bengal delta , the largest delta on Earth . The country has 700 rivers and 8,046 km ( 5,000 miles ) of inland waterways . Highlands with evergreen forests are found in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country . Bangladesh has many islands and a coral reef . It is home to the Sundarbans , the largest mangrove forest in the world . The country 's biodiversity includes a vast array of plant and wildlife , including critically endangered Bengal tigers , the national animal .   The Greeks and Romans identified the region as Gangaridai , a powerful kingdom of the historical subcontinent , in the 3rd century BCE . Archaeological research has unearthed several ancient cities in Bangladesh , which had international trade links for millennia . The Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Bengal transformed the region into a cosmopolitan Islamic imperial power between the 14th and 18th centuries . The region was home to many principalities that had inland naval prowess . It was also a notable center of the worldwide muslin and silk trade . As part of British India , the region was influenced by the Bengali renaissance and played an important role in anti-colonial movements . The Partition of British India made East Bengal a part of the Dominion of Pakistan ; and was renamed as East Pakistan . The region witnessed the Bengali Language Movement in 1952 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 . After independence , a parliamentary republic was established . A presidential government was in place between 1975 and 1990 , followed by a return to parliamentary democracy . The country has also been affected by poverty , natural disasters , hunger , dominant party systems and military coups .   Bangladesh is a middle power and a major developing nation . Within South Asia , the country ranks first in gender equality , second in foreign exchange earnings and third in life expectancy and peacefulness . Listed as one of the Next Eleven , its economy ranks 46th in terms of nominal gross domestic product ( GDP ) and 29th in terms of purchasing power parity ( PPP ) . It is one of the largest textile exporters in the world . Its major trading partners are the European Union , the United States , China , India , Japan , Malaysia and Singapore . With its strategically vital location between Southern , Eastern and Southeast Asia , Bangladesh is an important promoter of regional connectivity and cooperation . It is a founding member of SAARC , BIMSTEC , the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation and the Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative . It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Developing 8 Countries , the OIC , the Non Aligned Movement , the Group of 77 and the World Trade Organization . Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping forces .


Madonna (entertainer) Madonna Louise Ciccone ( -LSB- tʃɪˈkoʊni -RSB- born August 16 , 1958 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actress , and businesswoman . She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos , which became a fixture on MTV . Madonna is known for reinventing both her music and image , and for maintaining her autonomy within the recording industry . Music critics have acclaimed her musical productions , which have generated some controversy . Referred to as the `` Queen of Pop '' , Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists .   Born in Bay City , Michigan , Madonna moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance . After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy , she signed with Sire Records ( an auxiliary label of Warner Bros. . Records ) in 1982 and released her eponymous debut album the following year . She followed it with a series of commercially and critically successful albums , including the Grammy Award winners Ray of Light ( 1998 ) and Confessions on a Dance Floor ( 2005 ) . Throughout her career , Madonna has written and produced most of her songs , with many of them reaching number one on the record charts , including `` Like a Virgin '' , `` Papa Do n't Preach '' , `` Like a Prayer '' , `` Vogue '' , `` Take a Bow '' , `` Frozen '' , `` Music '' , `` Hung Up '' , and `` 4 Minutes '' .   Madonna 's popularity was further enhanced by her roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan ( 1985 ) , Dick Tracy ( 1990 ) , and Evita ( 1996 ) . While the latter earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress , most of her other films received poor reviews . Madonna has been acclaimed as a businesswoman , particularly after she founded entertainment company Maverick ( including the label Maverick Records ) . In 2007 she signed an unprecedented U.S. $ 120 million 360 deal with Live Nation , which led to a record deal with Interscope Records . Her other ventures include fashion design , writing children 's books , and filmmaking .   Having sold more than 300 million records worldwide , Madonna is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records . The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) listed her as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second highest-certified female artist in the United States , with 64.5 million album units . Madonna is the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time , earning U.S. $ 1.31 billion from her concerts since 1990 . She became one of the five founding members of the UK Music Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility . Madonna was ranked at number one on VH1 's list of 100 Greatest Women in Music and number two ( behind only The Beatles ) on Billboards list of Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time .


Jack Paar was host of a show from the late 1950s to the early 1960s.

Jack Paar Jack Harold Paar ( May 1 , 1918 -- January 27 , 2004 ) was an American author , radio and television comedian and talk show host , best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962 . Time magazine 's obituary of him noted that : `` His fans would remember him as the fellow who split talk show history into two eras : Before Paar and Below Paar . ''


Gary Ridgway Gary Leon Ridgway ( born February 18 , 1949 ) is an American serial killer known as the Green River Killer . He was initially convicted of 48 separate murders and later confessed to nearly twice that number . As part of his plea bargain , an additional conviction was added , bringing the total number of convictions to 49 , making him the most prolific American serial killer in history according to confirmed murders . He murdered numerous women and girls in Washington State during the 1980s and 1990s . Most of his victims were alleged to be sex workers and other women in vulnerable situations , including underage runaways . The press gave him his nickname after the first five victims were found in the Green River before his identity was known . He strangled the women , usually by hand but sometimes using ligatures . After strangling them , he would dump their bodies in forested and overgrown areas in King County , often returning to the dead bodies to have sexual intercourse with them .   On November 30 , 2001 , as he was leaving the Kenworth truck factory where he worked in Renton , Washington , he was arrested for the murders of four women whose cases were linked to him through DNA evidence . As part of a plea bargain wherein he agreed to disclose the locations of still-missing women , he was spared the death penalty and received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole .


Lonesome Dove is an adaptation of the murder case.

Lonesome Dove (miniseries) Lonesome Dove is an American epic Western adventure television miniseries directed by Simon Wincer . It is a four-part adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry and is the first installment in the Lonesome Dove series . The series stars Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones . The series was originally broadcast by CBS from February 5 to 8 , 1989 , drawing a huge viewing audience , earning numerous awards , and reviving both the television western and the miniseries .   An estimated 26 million homes tuned in to watch Lonesome Dove , unusually high numbers for a Western at that time . The western genre was considered dead by most people , as was the miniseries . By the show 's end , it had earned huge ratings and virtually revamped the entire 1989 -- 1990 television season . A favorite with audiences , as well as critics , Lonesome Dove garnered many honors and awards . At the 1989 Emmy Awards , the miniseries had 18 nominations and seven wins , including one for director Simon Wincer . Lonesome Dove also won two Golden Globes , for Best Miniseries and Best Actor in a Miniseries ( Robert Duvall ) .


The final season of Glee consists of 10 episodes.

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


Quiz Show (film) Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical film produced and directed by Robert Redford , and written by Paul Attanasio , based on Richard N. Goodwin 's memoir Remembering America : A Voice From the Sixties . It stars John Turturro , Rob Morrow , and Ralph Fiennes , with Paul Scofield , David Paymer , Hank Azaria , and Christopher McDonald appearing in supporting roles .   The film chronicles the Twenty One quiz show scandals of the 1950s , the rise and fall of popular contestant Charles Van Doren after the rigged loss of Herb Stempel , and Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin 's subsequent probe . Goodwin co-produced the film . The film received generally positive reviews and was nominated for several awards , including a Best Picture Oscar nomination and several Golden Globes . It had a disappointing box office return .


Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. ( born August 18 , 1936 ) is an American actor , director , producer , businessman , environmentalist , and philanthropist . Redford is the founder of the Sundance Film Festival .   Redford 's career began in 1960 as a guest star on numerous TV shows , including : The Untouchables , Perry Mason , Alfred Hitchcock Presents , and The Twilight Zone , among others . He earned an Emmy nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Voice of Charlie Pont ( 1962 ) . His greatest Broadway success was as the stuffy newlywed husband of Elizabeth Ashley in Neil Simon 's Barefoot in the Park ( 1963 ) .   Redford made his film debut in War Hunt ( 1962 ) . His role in Inside Daisy Clover ( 1965 ) won him a Golden Globe for best new star . He starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ( 1969 ) , which was a huge success and made him a major star . In 1972 , he had a critical and box office hit with Jeremiah Johnson ( 1972 ) , and in 1973 had the greatest hit of his career , the blockbuster crime caper The Sting , for which he was nominated for an Academy Award . The popular and acclaimed All the President 's Men ( 1976 ) was a landmark film for Redford .   The first film that Redford directed , Ordinary People ( 1980 ) , was one of the most critically and publicly acclaimed films of the decade , winning four Oscars , and in the same year , he starred in Brubaker ( 1980 ) . He starred in Out of Africa ( 1985 ) , which was an enormous critical and box office success , and won seven Oscars including Best Picture , proving to be his greatest success of the decade . He released his third film as a director , A River Runs Through It , in 1992 .   Redford won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1981 for directing Ordinary People . He was previously nominated for Best Actor in 1974 for his performance in The Sting , and went on to receive Best Director and Best Picture nominations in 1995 for Quiz Show . He won a second Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2002 . In 2010 , he was made a chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur . He has won BAFTA , Directors Guild of America , Golden Globe , and Screen Actors Guild Awards .   In April 2014 , Time magazine included Redford in their annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' , declaring him the `` Godfather of Indie Film '' . In 2016 , President Barack Obama honored Redford with a Presidential Medal of Freedom .


Ordinary People Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of actor Robert Redford . The film stars Donald Sutherland , Mary Tyler Moore , Judd Hirsch , and Timothy Hutton .   The story concerns the disintegration of an upper-middle class family in Lake Forest , Illinois , following the death of one of their sons in a boating accident . The screenplay by Alvin Sargent was based upon the 1976 novel Ordinary People by Judith Guest .   The film received six Academy Award nominations and won four : the Academy Award for Best Picture , Best Director for Redford , Adapted Screenplay for Sargent , and Supporting Actor for Hutton . In addition , it won five Golden Globes : Best Motion Picture -- Drama , Best Director ( Redford ) , Best Actress in a Drama ( Tyler Moore ) , Best Supporting Actor ( Hutton ) , and Best Screenplay ( Sargent ) .


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


Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic ( Новак Ђоковић , Novak Đoković , -LSB- nôʋaːk d͡ʑôːkoʋit͡ɕ -RSB- ; born 22 May 1987 ) , often referred to by the hypocorism Nole , is a Serbian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 2 in men 's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) . He is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time . Djokovic holds the highest match winning rate ( 82.8 % ) in the Open Era , as of May 2017 .   Djokovic has won 12 Grand Slam singles titles , the fourth most in history , and held the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a total of 223 weeks . In majors , Djokovic has won six Australian Open titles , three Wimbledon titles , two US Open titles and one French Open title . In 2016 , he became the eighth player in history to achieve the Career Grand Slam ; by winning the 2016 French Open , Djokovic became the third man to hold all four major titles at once , the first since Rod Laver in 1969 , and the first ever to do so on three different surfaces .   Djokovic has won an all-time record of 30 Masters 1000 series titles , tied with Rafael Nadal . Djokovic 's records include breaking the single-season record with six masters titles in 2015 , winning 31 consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series matches , playing in the finals at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments ( shared with Roger Federer and Nadal , and being the only player to win eight of the nine events ( and at least twice ) . Among other titles , he has won the ATP World Tour Finals five times and was on the Serbian team which won the 2010 Davis Cup . He also won the Bronze medal in men 's singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics .   Djokovic is the first Serbian player to be ranked No. 1 by the ATP and the first male player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title . Djokovic has won numerous awards , including the 2012 , 2015 , and 2016 Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year , 2011 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year , five-time ITF World Champion , and four-time ATP year-end number 1 . He is a recipient of the Order of St. Sava , the Order of Karađorđe 's Star and the Order of the Republika Srpska .


Saratoga (film) Saratoga is a 1937 American romantic comedy film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway . The film stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration , and features Lionel Barrymore , Frank Morgan , Walter Pidgeon , Hattie McDaniel , and Margaret Hamilton .   Jean Harlow died before filming was finished , and it was completed using stand-ins . Saratoga was MGM 's biggest moneymaker of 1937 .


Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney ( -LSB- ˈruːni -RSB- born 24 October 1985 ) is an English professional footballer who plays for and captains both Manchester United and the England national team . He has played much of his career as a forward , and he has also been used in various midfield roles . He is the record goalscorer for the England national team and for Manchester United .   Aged nine , Rooney joined the youth team of Everton , for whom he made his professional debut in 2002 at the age of 16 . He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club , before moving to Manchester United for # 25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window . Since then , with Rooney in the team , United have won the Premier League five times , the UEFA Champions League once , the FIFA Club World Cup once , the FA Community Shield four times , the Football League Cup thrice , the FA Cup once and the UEFA Europa League once . In September 2013 , Rooney scored his 200th goal for Manchester United . He is currently on 253 goals in all competitions which makes him the club 's top goalscorer of all time . His 198 Premier League goals make him the competition 's second top scorer of all time , behind Alan Shearer . Rooney holds the record for most goals for one club in the Premier League , with 183 for Manchester United .   Rooney made his senior international debut in February 2003 aged 17 , becoming the youngest player to represent England ( a record since broken by Theo Walcott ) and he is England 's youngest ever goalscorer . He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals , briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship . Rooney has since featured at the 2006 , 2010 and 2014 World Cups and is widely regarded as his country 's best player . He has won the England Player of the Year award four times , in 2008 , 2009 , 2014 and 2015 . With 53 goals in 118 international caps , Rooney is England 's all-time record goalscorer and second most-capped player , behind Peter Shilton . Along with David Beckham , Rooney is the most red carded player for England , having been sent off twice .   In 2009 -- 10 , Rooney was awarded the PFA Players ' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year . He has won the Premier League Player of the Month award five times , a record only bettered by Steven Gerrard . He came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or and was named in the FIFPro World 11 for 2011 . Rooney has won the Goal of the Season award by the BBC 's Match of the Day poll on three occasions , with his bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City winning the Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons award .


The Conjuring The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes . It is the first film in The Conjuring franchise . Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren , paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting . Their reports inspired The Amityville Horror . The Warrens come to the assistance of the Perron family ( Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor ) , who are experiencing increasingly disturbing events in their farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971 .   The Conjuring was released in the United States and Canada on July 19 , 2013 , and in the United Kingdom and India on August 6 , 2013 . The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $ 318 million worldwide from its $ 20 million budget , making it one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time . A sequel , The Conjuring 2 , was released on June 10 , 2016 , also to critical and huge commercial success .


Mission: Impossible Mission : Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller . It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force ( IMF ) . In the first season , the team is led by Dan Briggs , played by Steven Hill ; Jim Phelps , played by Peter Graves , takes charge for the remaining seasons . A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs , followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin .   The series was filmed and financed by Desilu Productions , and aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973 . The series was revived in 1988 for two seasons on ABC , retaining only Graves in the cast . It also inspired a series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise , beginning in 1996 .


Athena is companion of heroes and the patron goddess of heroic endeavor.

Athena Athena ( -LSB- əˈθiːnə -RSB- Attic Greek : Ἀθηνᾶ , Athēnā , or Ἀθηναία , Athēnaia ; Epic : Ἀθηναίη , Athēnaiē ; Doric : Ἀθάνα , Athānā ) or Athene ( -LSB- əˈθiːniː -RSB- Ionic : Ἀθήνη , Athēnē ) , often given the epithet Pallas ( -LSB- ˈpæləs -RSB- Παλλὰς ) , is the goddess of wisdom , craft , and war in ancient Greek religion and mythology . In later times , Athena was syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva . Athena was portrayed as having a calm temperament , and moving slowly to anger . She was believed to only fight for just causes and never fight without a purpose .   In ancient Greek literature , Athena is portrayed as the astute companion of heroes and as the patron goddess of heroic endeavour . She is also the patroness of Athens . The Athenians constructed the Parthenon atop their Acropolis as a temple to Athena ; it takes its name from her epithet Parthenos , which means `` Virgin '' .   Veneration of Athena was so persistent that archaic myths about her were recast to adapt to cultural changes . In her role as a protector of the city ( polis ) , many people throughout the Greek world worshipped Athena as Athena Polias ( Ἀθηνᾶ Πολιάς `` Athena of the city '' ) . While the city of Athens and the goddess Athena essentially bear the same name ( Athena the goddess , Athenai the city ) , it is not known which of the two words is derived from the other .


The Minnesota Vikings are based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The Vikings joined the National Football League ( NFL ) as an expansion team in 1960 , and first took the field for the 1961 season . The team competes in the National Football Conference ( NFC ) North division ; before that , the Vikings were in the NFC Central , and before that they were in the NFL 's Western Conference Central Division . The team has played in four Super Bowl games , but lost each one . The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis .


Emma (1996 TV film) Jane Austen 's Emma is an adaptation of the 1815 novel of the same name . It was adapted for the British television network ITV in 1996 , directed by Diarmuid Lawrence and dramatised by Andrew Davies , the same year as Miramax 's film adaptation of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow . This production of Emma stars Kate Beckinsale as the title character , and also features Samantha Morton as Harriet Smith and Mark Strong as Mr. Knightley .   Davies had recently adapted another Austen novel as the successful 1995 television serial Pride and Prejudice for BBC when he proposed to adapt the novel Emma for the network . BBC had already made such an agreement with another screenwriter however , leading Davies to approach ITV .   Emma received generally positive reviews from critics , who believed it to be superior to the 1996 Miramax film . Most focused on Beckinsale 's performance as a positive highlight . It aired on ITV on the 24 November 1996 and garnered an estimated 12 million viewers . It also was broadcast on the American channel A&E in 16 February 1997 .


The Promise (2016 film) The Promise is a 2016 American historical drama film directed by Terry George and starring Oscar Isaac , Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale , set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire . The film premiered on September 11 , 2016 , at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on April 21 , 2017 , by Open Road Films .   The Promise is about a love triangle that develops between Armenian medical student Mikael ( Isaac ) , an American journalist based in Paris named Chris ( Bale ) and an Armenian-born woman raised in France , Ana ( Le Bon ) , during the final years of the Ottoman Empire , and during the Armenian Genocide . The film was a box office bomb , grossing just $ 8 million against its $ 90 million budget , although the studio noted the main purpose of the film was to bring attention to the story , not make money .


New York's most populous county is New York City.

New York City The City of New York , often called New York City or simply New York , is the most populous city in the United States . With an estimated 2016 population of 8,537,673 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 sqmi , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . A global power city , New York City exerts a significant impact upon commerce , finance , media , art , fashion , research , technology , education , and entertainment , its fast pace defining the term New York minute . Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world .   Situated on one of the world 's largest natural harbors , New York City consists of five boroughs , each of which is a separate county of New York State . The five boroughs -- Brooklyn , Queens , Manhattan , The Bronx , and Staten Island -- were consolidated into a single city in 1898 . The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States , and as many as 800 languages are spoken in New York , making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world . New York City is home to more than 3.2 million residents born outside the United States , the world 's largest foreign-born population of any city . By 2016 estimates , the New York City metropolitan region remains by a significant margin the most populous in the United States , as defined by both the Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) , 20.2 million residents , and the Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ) , 23.7 million residents . In 2013 , the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product ( GMP ) of nearly US$ 1.39 trillion . In 2012 , the CSA generated a GMP of over US$ 1.55 trillion . NYC 's MSA and CSA GDP are higher than the GDPs of all but 11 and 12 countries , respectively .   New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626 . The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother , the Duke of York . New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790 . It has been the country 's largest city since 1790 . The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy . In the 21st century , New York has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship , social tolerance , and environmental sustainability .   Many districts and landmarks in New York City have become well known , and the city received a record of nearly 60 million tourists in 2015 , hosting three of the world 's ten most visited tourist attractions in 2013 . Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world . Times Square , iconic as the world 's `` heart '' and its `` Crossroads '' , is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District , one of the world 's busiest pedestrian intersections , and a major center of the world 's entertainment industry . The names of many of the city 's bridges , tapered skyscrapers , and parks are known around the world . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan , New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world , and the city is home to the world 's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization , the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ . Manhattan 's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world . Manhattan 's Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere , with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city . Providing continuous 24/7 service , the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide , with stations in operation . Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City , including Columbia University , New York University , and Rockefeller University , which have been ranked among the top 35 in the world .


New York New York is a state in the northeastern United States , and is the 27th-most extensive , fourth-most populous , and seventh-most densely populated U.S. state . New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut , Massachusetts , and Vermont to the east . The state has a maritime border in the Atlantic Ocean with Rhode Island , east of Long Island , as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the north and Ontario to the northwest . The state of New York , with an estimated 19.8 million residents in 2015 , is also referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City , the state 's most populous city and its economic hub .   With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015 , New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . The New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . New York City is a global city , exerting a significant impact upon commerce , finance , media , art , fashion , research , technology , education , and entertainment , its fast pace defining the term New York minute . The home of the United Nations Headquarters , New York City is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , as well as the world 's most economically powerful city . New York City makes up over 40 % of the population of New York State . Two-thirds of the state 's population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area , and nearly 40 % lives on Long Island . Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York , future King James II of England . The next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo , Rochester , Yonkers , and Syracuse , while the state capital is Albany .   New York has a diverse geography . The southern part of the state consists of Long Island and several smaller associated islands , as well as New York City and the lower Hudson River Valley , most of which lie within the wider Atlantic Coastal Plain . The large region known as Upstate New York consists of several ranges of the wider Appalachian Mountains , including the Allegheny Plateau and Catskills along New York 's Southern Tier , and the Adirondack Mountains , Thousand Islands archipelago , and Saint Lawrence Seaway in the Northeastern lobe of the state . These more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys -- the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley , which forms the core of the Erie Canal . Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario and Lake Erie . Between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls . The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes , a popular vacation and tourist destination .   New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York . The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade and proselytizing . In 1609 , the region was claimed by Henry Hudson for the Dutch , who built Fort Nassau in 1614 at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers , where the present-day capital of Albany later developed . The Dutch soon also settled New Amsterdam and parts of the Hudson Valley , establishing the colony of New Netherland , a multicultural community from its earliest days and a center of trade and immigration . The British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664 . The borders of the British colony , the Province of New York , were similar to those of the present-day state .   Many landmarks in New York are well known to both international and domestic visitors , with New York State hosting four of the world 's ten most-visited tourist attractions in 2013 : Times Square , Central Park , Niagara Falls ( shared with Ontario ) , and Grand Central Terminal . New York is home to the Statue of Liberty , a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom , democracy , and opportunity . In the 21st century , New York has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship , social tolerance , and environmental sustainability . New York 's higher education network comprises approximately 200 colleges and universities , including Columbia University , Cornell University , New York University , and Rockefeller University , which have been ranked among the top 35 in the world .


Josh Hartnett Joshua Daniel `` Josh '' Hartnett ( born July 21 , 1978 ) is an American actor and movie producer . He first came to attention in 1997 for his role as Michael Fitzgerald in the television crime drama series Cracker . He made his feature film debut in 1998 in the slasher film Halloween H20 : 20 Years Later , followed by teen roles in films such as the sci-fi horror film The Faculty ( 1998 ) and the drama The Virgin Suicides ( 1999 ) . Hartnett had starring roles in the war film Pearl Harbor , the drama O , the war film Black Hawk Down , the romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights , and other films .   He starred in the Brian De Palma -- directed neo-noir crime thriller The Black Dahlia ( 2006 ) . Next , he appeared in the drama Resurrecting the Champ ( 2007 ) , alongside Samuel L. Jackson , the graphic novel -- based vampire horror film 30 Days of Night ( 2007 ) and the neo-noir atmospheric thriller I Come with the Rain ( 2009 ) . From 2014 to 2016 , he starred as Ethan Chandler in the horror TV series Penny Dreadful , for which he was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award .


Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor ( born 24 December 1956 ) is an Indian actor and producer who has appeared in many Bollywood films , as well as international films and television series . His career has spanned almost 40 years as an actor , and as a producer since 2005 . He has won many awards in his career , including two National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards in different acting categories .   Kapoor made his Hindi film cameo appearance with Umesh Mehra 's Hamare Tumhare ( 1979 ) in a small role . He made his first debut film and then starred as a lead actor in the 1980 Telugu film , Vamsa Vruksham directed by Bapu . He then made his Kannada film debut with Mani Ratnam 's Pallavi Anu Pallavi ( 1983 ) . He received his first Filmfare Award , in the Best Supporting Actor category , for his role in Yash Chopra 's Mashaal ( 1984 ) . Kapoor earned his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in N. Chandra 's Tezaab ( 1988 ) and later again for his performance in Indra Kumar 's Beta ( 1992 ) .   He has also starred in many other critically and commercially successful films : Meri Jung ( 1985 ) ; Karma ( 1986 ) ; Mr. India ( 1987 ) ; Virasat ( 1997 ) , for which he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor ; Taal ( 1999 ) , for which he won his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award ; Pukar ( 2000 ) , for which he won a National Film Award for Best Actor ; No Entry ( 2005 ) ; Dil Dhadakne Do ( 2015 ) for which he won his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award .   Kapoor 's first role in an international film was in Danny Boyle 's Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire , for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . His performance in the eighth season of the action series 24 generated rave reviews from the American press . Globally , Kapoor is one of the most recognised Indian actors .


Blue Velvet (film) Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery film , written and directed by David Lynch . Blending psychological horror with film noir , the film stars Kyle MacLachlan , Isabella Rossellini , Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern . The title is taken from Bobby Vinton 's 1963 song of the same name .   The screenplay of Blue Velvet had been passed around multiple times in the late 1970s and early 1980s , with many major studios declining it because of its strong sexual and violent content . After the commercial and critical failure of Lynch 's Dune ( 1984 ) , the director made attempts at developing a more `` personal story '' , somewhat characteristic of the surrealist style displayed in his debut Eraserhead ( 1977 ) . The independent studio De Laurentiis Entertainment Group , owned at the time by Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis , agreed to finance and produce the film .   Blue Velvet initially received a divided critical response , with many stating that its objectionable content served little artistic purpose . It nevertheless earned Lynch his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director and came to achieve cult status . As an example of a director casting against the norm , it was credited for re-launching Hopper 's career and for providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond her previous work as a fashion model and a cosmetics spokeswoman .   In the years since , the film has generated significant academic attention with regard to its thematic symbolism , and is now widely regarded as one of Lynch 's major works and one of the greatest films of the 1980s . Publications including Sight & Sound , Time , Entertainment Weekly and BBC Magazine have ranked it among the greatest American films of all time . In 2008 , Blue Velvet was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest American mystery films ever made .


In Dubious Battle (film) In Dubious Battle is a 2016 drama film directed by and produced by James Franco , based on John Steinbeck 's novel of the same name , with a screenplay by Matt Rager . The film features an ensemble cast , consisting of Franco , Nat Wolff , Josh Hutcherson , Selena Gomez , Vincent D'Onofrio , Analeigh Tipton , Zach Braff , Bryan Cranston , Ed Harris , and Robert Duvall . The film gets caught up in the labor movement for fruit workers in California during the 1930s . The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3 , 2016 .


The Backstreet Boys are a political party.

Backstreet Boys (1996 album) Backstreet Boys is the self-titled international debut studio album by American boy band Backstreet Boys . The album was released around Europe , Asia , Canada and in a few other markets . It was a success , becoming one of the biggest debut albums ever and contains a number of the band 's most memorable singles . All of those singles were later released on the second self-titled debut in the United States in 1997 , which compiled songs from this album , and the band 's second international release , Backstreet 's Back .   The release date for the disc is somewhat disputed , with some sources listing 1995 , and some listing 1996 . Some confusion might be due to the release of the different versions of the disc in different markets . Official charts for European countries including Germany , Switzerland and Austria , however , all give a release date of May 6 , 1996 , and data where available shows the album first appearing on various European charts within a couple of weeks of that date .


Nick Carter (musician) Nickolas Gene `` Nick '' Carter ( born January 28 , 1980 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actor , dancer , record producer , author and video director . He is best known as a member of the pop group the Backstreet Boys . As of 2015 , Carter has released three solo albums , Now or Never , I 'm Taking Off and All American during breaks between Backstreet Boys schedules , and a collaboration with Jordan Knight titled Nick & Knight . He has made occasional television appearances and starred in his own reality shows , House of Carters and I ( Heart ) Nick Carter . He gained fame in the mid 1990s and early 2000s as a teen idol . He is also the older and only brother of singer Aaron Carter .


Millennium (Backstreet Boys album) Millennium is the third album ( second in the U.S. ) by American boy band the Backstreet Boys , released on May 18 , 1999 by Jive Records . It was a highly anticipated follow-up to both their U.S. debut album , and their second internationally released album . It was their first album to be released in both the U.S. and internationally in the same form , at the same time .   In the United States , it holds the record for most shipments in one year , with 11 million in 1999 . It was nominated for five Grammy Awards and spawned four Top 40 singles , including the single `` I Want It That Way '' . Three of the singles , `` I Want It That Way '' , `` Larger than Life '' and `` Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely '' , became some of their most successful and remembered hits of all time , with `` I Want It That Way '' becoming their biggest hit to date . Millennium has since become one of the best-selling albums of all time , selling over 40 million copies worldwide .


Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys ( often abbreviated as BSB ) are an American vocal group , formed in Orlando , Florida in 1993 . The group consists of AJ McLean , Howie D. , Nick Carter , Kevin Richardson , and Brian Littrell .   The group rose to fame with their debut international album , Backstreet Boys ( 1996 ) . In the following year they released their second international album Backstreet 's Back ( 1997 ) , and their U.S. debut album which continued the group 's success worldwide . They rose to superstardom with their third studio album Millennium ( 1999 ) and its follow-up album , Black & Blue ( 2000 ) .   After a two-year hiatus , they regrouped and released a comeback album Never Gone ( 2005 ) . After the conclusion of the Never Gone Tour in 2006 , Richardson left the group to pursue other interests . The group then released two albums as a quartet : Unbreakable ( 2007 ) and This Is Us ( 2009 ) .   In 2012 , the group announced that Richardson had rejoined them permanently . In the following year they celebrated their 20th anniversary and released their first independent album , In a World Like This ( 2013 ) . The group also released their first documentary movie , titled Backstreet Boys : Show 'Em What You 're Made Of in January 2015 .   The Backstreet Boys have sold over 130 million records worldwide , making them the best-selling boy band in history , and one of the world 's best-selling music artists . They are the first group since Sade to have their first nine albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200 , and the only boy band to do so . They also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 22 , 2013 .


Never Gone Never Gone is the fifth ( fourth in the U.S. ) studio album released by American vocal group Backstreet Boys as the follow up to their fourth ( third in the U.S. ) studio album Black & Blue after a short hiatus . Never Gone was originally due for release in 2004 , but the release date for the album was pushed to June 14 , 2005 for unknown reasons .   The album varies musically from their previous albums , with a rock sound to the album . Unlike previous albums , the album featured only live instruments . The album is named after a song on it which mourns the loss of Kevin Richardson 's father .