Quinoa Quinoa ( -LSB- ˈkiːnwɑː -RSB- or -LSB- kɪˈnoʊ.ə -RSB- , from Quechua kinwa or kinuwa ) is the common name for Chenopodium quinoa , a flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae . It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a grain crop primarily for its edible seeds . Because it is not a grass , it is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal . Quinoa is closely related to the edible plants beetroot , spinach , and amaranth ( Amaranthus spp . ) , another pseudocereal which it closely resembles .   After harvest , the seeds are processed to remove the outer coating that contains bitter-tasting saponins . They are gluten-free . Generally , the seeds are cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes . The leaves are sometimes eaten as a leaf vegetable , much like amaranth , but commercial availability of quinoa greens is limited .   When cooked , the nutrient composition is comparable to common cereals like wheat and rice , supplying a moderate amount of dietary fiber and minerals . The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations declared 2013 to be the `` International Year of Quinoa '' .   Quinoa originated in the Andean region of Peru , Bolivia , Ecuador , Colombia and Chile , and was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption in the Lake Titicaca basin of Peru and Bolivia , though archaeological evidence shows a non-domesticated association with pastoral herding 5,200 to 7,000 years ago .


George Martin worked in film as well as music.

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin ( 3 January 19268 March 2016 ) was an English record producer , arranger , composer , conductor , audio engineer , and musician . He was referred to as the `` Fifth Beatle '' , including by Paul McCartney , in reference to his extensive involvement on each of the Beatles ' original albums . Martin produced 30 number-one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number-one hits in the United States .   Martin produced comedy and novelty records in the early 1950s , working with Peter Sellers , Spike Milligan , and Bernard Cribbins , among others . His career spanned more than six decades of work in music , film , television and live performance . He held a number of senior executive roles at media companies and contributed to a wide range of charitable causes , including his work for The Prince 's Trust and the Caribbean island of Montserrat . In recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture , he was made a Knight Bachelor in 1996 .


Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen ( -LSB- ˈroʊɡən -RSB- born April 15 , 1982 ) is a Canadian-American actor , filmmaker , and comedian . He began his career performing stand-up comedy during his teenage years , winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998 . While still living in his native Vancouver , he landed a supporting role in the series Freaks and Geeks . Shortly after he moved to Portland , Oregon for his role , Freaks and Geeks was officially cancelled after one season due to low viewership . Rogen later got a part on sitcom Undeclared , which also hired him as a staff writer .   After landing his job as a staff writer on the final season of Da Ali G Show , for which he and the other writers received an Emmy Award nomination , he was guided by Judd Apatow toward a film career . Rogen made his first movie appearance in Donnie Darko with a minor role as a rebellious student in Donnie 's high school classes in 2001 . Rogen was cast in a major supporting role and credited as a co-producer in Apatow 's directorial debut , The 40-Year-Old Virgin . After Rogen received critical praise for his performance , Universal Pictures agreed to cast him as the lead in Apatow 's films Knocked Up and Funny People . Rogen co-starred as Steve Wozniak in Universal 's Steve Jobs biopic in 2015 . In 2016 , he developed the AMC television series Preacher with his writing partner Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin . He also serves as a writer and executive producer , and directed the first two episodes of the series with Goldberg .   Rogen and Goldberg co-wrote the films Superbad , Pineapple Express , The Green Hornet , This Is the End , and directed both This Is the End and The Interview ; all of which Rogen starred in . He has also done voice work for the films Horton Hears a Who ! , the Kung Fu Panda film series , The Spiderwick Chronicles , Monsters vs. Aliens , Paul , and Sausage Party .


Colin Quinn is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer.

Colin Quinn Colin Edward Quinn ( born June 6 , 1959 ) is an American stand-up comedian , actor , and writer . On television , he is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live , where he anchored Weekend Update , on MTV 's 1980s game show Remote Control , where he served as the announcer/sidekick , and as host of Comedy Central 's late-night panel show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn . Notable film work includes his role as Dooey in A Night at the Roxbury , Dickey Bailey in the Grown Ups films and playing Amy Schumer 's father in the film Trainwreck . Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Attell cite him as the quintessential New York comedian .   Quinn has also become known for his comedic one-man shows that offer his unique takes on history and growing up in New York City . As of 2015 , he has written and starred in five shows : Irish Wake , My Two Cents , Long Story Short , Unconstitutional , and The New York Story , two of which he collaborated on with Seinfeld as director . Long Story Short was filmed as an HBO special that aired on April 9 , 2011 and Unconstitutional and The New York Story were released as Netflix specials .


Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench ( born 9 December 1934 ) , known as Judi Dench , is an English actress and author . Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company . Over the following few years , she performed in several of Shakespeare 's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet , Juliet in Romeo and Juliet , and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth . Although most of her work during this period was in theatre , she also branched into film work and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer . She drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968 .   Over the next two decades , Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers , working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company . She achieved success in television during this period , in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 , and in 1992 with a starring role in the romantic comedy series As Time Goes By . Her film appearances were infrequent and included supporting roles in major films such as A Room with a View ( 1986 ) supporting Maggie Smith , before she rose to international fame as M in GoldenEye ( 1995 ) , a role she continued to play in James Bond films until Skyfall ( 2012 ) .   A seven-time Oscar nominee , Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love and has received nominations for her roles in Mrs Brown ( 1997 ) , Chocolat ( 2000 ) , Iris ( 2001 ) , Mrs Henderson Presents ( 2005 ) , Notes on a Scandal ( 2006 ) , and Philomena ( 2013 ) . She has also received many award nominations for her acting in theatre , film and television ; her competitive awards include six British Academy Film Awards , four BAFTA TV Awards , seven Olivier Awards , two Screen Actors Guild Awards , two Golden Globes , and a Tony Award . She has also received the BAFTA Fellowship ( 2001 ) and the Special Olivier Award ( 2004 ) . In June 2011 , she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute ( BFI ) . Dench is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts ( FRSA ) .


Philomena (film) Philomena is a 2013 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears , based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by journalist Martin Sixsmith . Starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan , it tells the true story of Philomena Lee 's 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son and Sixsmith 's efforts to help her find him . The film was co-produced in the United States and the United Kingdom . It gained critical acclaim and received several international film awards . Coogan and Jeff Pope won Best Screenplay at the 70th Venice International Film Festival . It was also awarded the People 's Choice Award Runner-Up prize at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival .   The film was nominated in four categories at the 86th Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Adapted Screenplay for Coogan and Pope , Best Actress for Dench , and Best Original Score for Desplat . It was also nominated for four BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards .


Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon ( born October 13 , 1941 ) is an American musician , singer-songwriter and actor . Simon 's fame , influence , and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel , formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel . Simon wrote nearly all of the pair 's songs , including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts : `` The Sound of Silence '' , `` Mrs. Robinson '' , and `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' .   The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity and Simon began a successful solo career as a guitarist and singer-songwriter , recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years . In 1986 , he released Graceland , an album inspired by South African township music , which sold 14 million copies worldwide on its release and remains his most popular solo work . Simon also wrote and starred in the film One-Trick Pony ( 1980 ) and co-wrote the Broadway musical The Capeman ( 1998 ) with the poet Derek Walcott . On June 3 , 2016 , Simon released his 13th solo album , titled Stranger to Stranger , which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Album Chart and the UK charts .   Simon has earned sixteen Grammys for his solo and collaborative work , including three for Album of the Year ( Bridge Over Troubled Water , Still Crazy After All These Years , Graceland ) , and a Lifetime Achievement Award . In 2001 , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2006 was selected as one of the `` 100 People Who Shaped the World '' by Time magazine . In 2011 , Rolling Stone magazine named Simon as one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists . In 2015 , he was named as one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters by Rolling Stone . Among many other honors , Simon was the first recipient of the Library of Congress 's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007 . In 1986 , Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music , where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees .


The Netherlands is adjacent to Germany to the east.

Netherlands The Netherlands , ( -LSB- ˈnɛðərləndz -RSB- Nederland -LSB- ˈneːdərˌlɑnt -RSB- ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean.designated Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba within ISO ISO 3166-1 . The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , sharing maritime borders with Belgium , the United Kingdom , and Germany .   The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague and Utrecht ( collectively known as G4 ) . Amsterdam is the country 's capital , while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government . The port of Rotterdam is the world 's largest port outside East-Asia , and the largest port in Europe . The name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands.Formally ` Holland ' refers only to two of the country 's twelve provinces : North Holland and South Holland .   `` Netherlands '' literally means `` lower countries '' , influenced by its low land and flat geography , with only about 50 % of its land exceeding one metre above sea level . Most of the areas below sea level are artificial . Since the late 16th century , large areas ( polders ) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes , amounting to nearly 17 % of the country 's current land mass . With a population density of 412 people per km2 -- 507 ( January 2017 ) if water is excluded -- the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country . Only Bangladesh , South Korea , and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density . Nevertheless , the Netherlands is the world 's second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products , after the United States . This is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate . The Netherlands was the third country in the world to have an elected parliament , and since 1848 it has been governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , organised as a unitary state . The Netherlands has a long history of social tolerance and is generally regarded as a liberal country , having legalised abortion , prostitution and euthanasia , while maintaining a progressive drugs policy . In 2001 , it became the world 's first country to legalise same-sex marriage .   The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G-10 , NATO , OECD and WTO ; as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . The country is host to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts : the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . The first four are situated in The Hague , as is the EU 's criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust . This has led to the city being dubbed `` the world 's legal capital . '' The country also ranks second highest in the world 's 2016 Press Freedom Index , as published by Reporters Without Borders .   The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy , ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom . It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund . In 2013 , the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world , reflecting its high quality of life . The Netherlands also ranks joint third highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index , along with Australia .


Frank (Amy Winehouse album) Frank is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse , released on 20 October 2003 by Island Records . Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse , Salaam Remi , Gordon `` Commissioner Gordon '' Williams , Jimmy Hogarth and Matt Rowe . Its title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse 's lyrics on the album , as well as one of her influences , Frank Sinatra .   Upon its release , Frank received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades , including an Ivor Novello Award . The album has sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom and has been certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry ( BPI ) .


Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary.

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( -LSB- mænˈdɛlə -RSB- 18 July 1918 -- 5 December 2013 ) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary , politician , and philanthropist , who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 . He was the country 's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election . His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation . Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist , he served as President of the African National Congress ( ANC ) party from 1991 to 1997 .   A Xhosa , Mandela was born in Mvezo to the Thembu royal family . He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg . There he became involved in anti-colonial and African nationalist politics , joining the ANC in 1943 and co-founding its Youth League in 1944 . After the National Party 's white-only government established apartheid -- a system of racial segregation that privileged whites -- he and the ANC committed themselves to its overthrow . Mandela was appointed President of the ANC 's Transvaal branch , rising to prominence for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People . He was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the 1956 Treason Trial . Influenced by Marxism , he secretly joined the banned South African Communist Party ( SACP ) . Although initially committed to non-violent protest , in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 and led a sabotage campaign against the government . In 1962 , he was arrested for conspiring to overthrow the state and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial .   Mandela served 27 years in prison , initially on Robben Island , and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison . Amid growing domestic and international pressure , and with fears of a racial civil war , President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990 . Mandela and de Klerk negotiated an end to apartheid and organised the 1994 multiracial general election in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became President . Leading a broad coalition government which promulgated a new constitution , Mandela emphasised reconciliation between the country 's racial groups and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses . Economically , Mandela 's administration retained its predecessor 's liberal framework despite his own socialist beliefs , also introducing measures to encourage land reform , combat poverty , and expand healthcare services . Internationally , he acted as mediator in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial and served as Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999 . He declined a second presidential term and in 1999 was succeeded by his deputy , Thabo Mbeki . Mandela became an elder statesman and focused on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the charitable Nelson Mandela Foundation .   Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life . Although critics on the right denounced him as a communist terrorist and those on the radical left deemed him too eager to negotiate and reconcile with apartheid 's supporters , he gained international acclaim for his activism . Widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice , he received more than 250 honours -- including the Nobel Peace Prize -- and became the subject of a cult of personality . He is held in deep respect within South Africa , where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name , Madiba , and described as the `` Father of the Nation '' .


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 .


Julian Assange denied allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( -LSB- əˈsɒnʒ -RSB- born Julian Paul Hawkins , 3 July 1971 ) is an Australian computer programmer and the founder of WikiLeaks , an organisation which he founded in 2006 . He has won accolades including the Sam Adams Award and Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism .   Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 , but came to global prominence in 2010 , when WikiLeaks published a series of leaks provided by Chelsea Manning . These leaks included the Collateral Murder video ( April 2010 ) , the Afghanistan war logs ( July 2010 ) , the Iraq war logs ( October 2010 ) , and CableGate ( November 2010 ) . Following the 2010 leaks , the United States government launched a criminal investigation into WikiLeaks and asked allied nations for assistance .   In November 2010 , a request was made for Assange 's extradition to Sweden , where he had been questioned months earlier over allegations of sexual assault and rape . Assange continued to deny the allegations , and expressed concern that he would be extradited from Sweden to the United States because of his perceived role in publishing secret American documents . Assange surrendered himself to UK police on 7 December 2010 , and was held for ten days in solitary confinement before being released on bail . He sought and was granted asylum by Ecuador in August 2012 . He has since remained in the Embassy of Ecuador in London , and is unable to leave without being arrested for breaching his bail conditions . On 19 May 2017 , the Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation into rape accusations against Assange and applied to revoke his arrest warrant , although the Metropolitan Police have indicated that an arrest warrant is still in force for Assange 's failure to surrender himself to the British court .


Billy Wilder Samuel `` Billy '' Wilder -LSB- ˈwaɪldər -RSB- -LSB- ˈvɪldɐ -RSB- ( June 22 , 1906March 27 , 2002 ) was an Austrian-born Jewish-American filmmaker , screenwriter , producer , artist , and journalist whose career spanned more than five decades . He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood 's golden age . With The Apartment , Wilder became the first person to win Academy Awards as producer , director , and screenwriter for the same film .   Wilder became a screenwriter in the late 1920s while living in Berlin . After the rise of the Nazi Party , he left for Paris , where he made his directorial debut . He moved to Hollywood in 1933 , and in 1939 he had a hit when he co-wrote the screenplay for the romantic comedy Ninotchka , starring Greta Garbo . Wilder established his directorial reputation with an adaption of James M. Cain 's Double Indemnity ( 1944 ) , a film noir . Wilder co-wrote the screenplay with crime novelist Raymond Chandler . Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend ( 1945 ) , about alcoholism . In 1950 , Wilder co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed Sunset Boulevard , as well as Stalag 17 in 1953 .   From the mid-1950s on , Wilder made mostly comedies . Among the classics Wilder created in this period are the farces The Seven Year Itch ( 1955 ) and Some Like It Hot ( 1959 ) , and satires such as The Apartment ( 1960 ) . He directed fourteen different actors in Oscar-nominated performances . Wilder was recognized with the American Film Institute ( AFI ) Life Achievement Award in 1986 . In 1988 , Wilder was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award . In 1993 , he was awarded the National Medal of Arts .


Boston is in a constitutional federal republic.

Boston Boston ( pronounced -LSB- ˈbɒstən -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States . Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County , although the county government was disbanded on July 1 , 1999 . The city proper covers 48 mi2 with an estimated population of 667,137 in 2015 , making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston , a Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) home to a census-estimated 4.7 million people in 2014 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country . Alternately , as a Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ) , this wider commuting region is home to some 8.1 million people , making it the sixth-largest as such in the United States .   One of the oldest cities in the United States , Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England . It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution , such as the Boston Massacre , the Boston Tea Party , the Battle of Bunker Hill , and the Siege of Boston . Upon U.S. independence from Great Britain , it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture . Through land reclamation and municipal annexation , Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula . Its rich history attracts many tourists , with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year . Boston 's many firsts include the United States ' first public school , Boston Latin School ( 1635 ) , first subway system , the Tremont Street Subway ( 1897 ) , and first public park , Boston Common ( 1634 ) .   The area 's many colleges and universities make Boston an international center of higher education , including law , medicine , engineering , and business , and the city is considered to be a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship , with nearly 2,000 startups . Boston 's economic base also includes finance , professional and business services , biotechnology , information technology , and government activities . Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States ; businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment . The city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification , though it remains high on world livability rankings .


United States The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. ) or America , is a constitutional federal republic composed of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions .  Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico . The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America , bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west . The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean . The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea . Nine time zones are covered . The geography , climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse .   At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) and with over 324 million people , the United States is the world 's third - or fourth-largest country by total area , third-largest by land area , and the third-most populous . It is one of the world 's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations , and is home to the world 's largest immigrant population . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the largest city is New York City ; nine other major metropolitan areas -- each with at least 4.5 million inhabitants and the largest having more than 13 million people -- are Los Angeles , Chicago , Dallas , Houston , Philadelphia , Miami , Atlanta , Boston , and San Francisco .   Paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies following the Seven Years ' War led to the American Revolution , which began in 1775 . On July 4 , 1776 , during the course of the American Revolutionary War , the colonies unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence . The war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain , representing the first successful war of independence against a European power . The current constitution was adopted in 1788 , after the Articles of Confederation , adopted in 1781 , were felt to have provided inadequate federal powers . The first ten amendments , collectively named the Bill of Rights , were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties .   The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century , displacing Native American tribes , acquiring new territories , and gradually admitting new states until it spanned the continent by 1848 . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the end of legal slavery in the country . By the end of that century , the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean , and its economy , driven in large part by the Industrial Revolution , began to soar . The Spanish -- American War and confirmed the country 's status as a global military power . The United States emerged from as a global superpower , the first country to develop nuclear weapons , the only country to use them in warfare , and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council . The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the world 's sole superpower . The U.S. is a founding member of the United Nations , World Bank , International Monetary Fund , Organization of American States ( OAS ) , and other international organizations .   The United States is a highly developed country , with the world 's largest economy by nominal GDP and second-largest economy by PPP . Though its population is only 4.3 % of the world total , Americans hold nearly 40 % of the total wealth in the world . The United States ranks among the highest in several measures of socioeconomic performance , including average wage , human development , per capita GDP , and productivity per person . While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial , characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy , the manufacturing sector remains the second-largest in the world . Accounting for approximately a quarter of global GDP and a third of global military spending , the United States is the world 's foremost economic and military power . The United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally , and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations .


Kurt Angle is an American two-time King of the Mountain.

Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle ( born December 9 , 1968 ) is an American professional wrestler , actor , and retired amateur wrestler . He is currently signed to WWE , performing as the on-screen general manager for the Raw brand . While a student at Clarion University of Pennsylvania , Angle won numerous accolades , including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion . After graduating college , Angle won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships . He then won a freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics . Angle is one of four people to complete an amateur wrestling Grand Slam ( junior nationals , NCAA , World Championships , Olympics ) . In 2006 , he was named by USA Wrestling as the greatest shoot wrestler ever and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time . He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 for his amateur accomplishments .   Angle made his first appearance at a professional wrestling event in 1996 , with his in-ring debut in 1999 . He signed a long-term contract with the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) that same year , and participated in his first televised storyline in March 1999 . After months of unaired matches , Angle made his official debut in November and received his first major push in the company in February 2000 , when he held the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship simultaneously . Four months later , he won the King of the Ring tournament , and not long after he began pursuing the WWF Championship , which he won in October ; this capped off a rookie year which is considered by many to be the greatest in professional wrestling history . Throughout his tenure in the WWF/WWE , Angle was a six-time world champion ( four reigns as WWF/WWE Champion , one as WCW Champion , and one as WWE 's World Heavyweight Champion ) , a one-time United States Champion , one-time Intercontinental Champion , one-time European Champion , one-time Hardcore Champion , and one-time WWE Tag Team Champion . He is the tenth Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Grand Slam Champion ( achieving this accolade twice under both the original and current format ) in WWE history . On March 31 2017 , Angle was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame , becoming the third active wrestler to be inducted , after Ric Flair and Sting .   After leaving WWE in 2006 , Angle joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA , now Impact Wrestling ) where he became a record six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion ( and the inaugural titleholder ) , a two-time TNA World Tag Team Champion , and a one-time TNA X Division Champion . He is the second Triple Crown winner in TNA history and the only one to hold all the required titles at once . Angle is also a two-time King of the Mountain . As part of TNA , he made appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling ( NJPW ) and the Inoki Genome Federation ( IGF ) , holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship once . In 2013 , Angle was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame ( he is the second wrestler -- after Sting -- to be inducted into both the WWE and TNA halls of fame ) .   Between WWF/WWE , Japan , and TNA , Angle has won 13 world championships and 21 total championships . He is the only professional wrestler in history to have won the WWE Championship , WWE 's World Heavyweight Championship , the WCW Championship , the TNA World Heavyweight Championship , and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship . Angle is also the only person to have been King of the Mountain and King of the Ring . He has headlined numerous pay-per-view events for both WWF/WWE and TNA throughout his career , including the flagship event for both promotions : WrestleMania in WWE , and Bound for Glory in TNA . In 2004 , the Wrestling Observer Newsletter inducted Angle into its Hall of Fame , and later named him `` Wrestler of the Decade '' for the 2000s . He is considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time ; ESPN journalist and former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman described Angle as `` the greatest I 've ever seen in the ring '' .


Joe Manganiello has worked with an actor.

Joe Manganiello Joseph Michael Manganiello ( -LSB- ˌmæŋɡəˈnɛloʊ -RSB- ; -LSB- maŋɡaˈnjɛllo -RSB- ; born December 28 , 1976 ) is an American actor , director , producer , author and philanthropist . He played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy and had various recurring roles in television on ER , How I Met Your Mother , and One Tree Hill , before landing his breakout role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the HBO television series True Blood . In 2011 , he was voted `` Favorite Pop-Culture Werewolf of All Time '' by the readers of Entertainment Weekly , and one of Men 's Health `` 100 Fittest Men of All Time '' .   Manganiello has appeared in films such as Magic Mike , What to Expect When You 're Expecting , and Sabotage . In late 2013 , he became a published author when his first book , Evolution , was released by Simon & Schuster 's Gallery Books . He is active with several charities , including Children 's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC , and he serves on the committee of The Art of Elysium .


Magic Mike Magic Mike is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Channing Tatum , Alex Pettyfer , Matt Bomer , Joe Manganiello , and Matthew McConaughey . The plot revolves around Adam , a 19-year-old who enters the world of male stripping , guided by Mike Lane , who has been in the business for six years .   The film is loosely based on the experiences of Tatum , who was an 18-year-old stripper in San Francisco , California . Magic Mike was filmed in several locations around west central Florida . The film premiered as the closing film for the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival on June 24 , 2012 , and was widely released by Warner Bros. on June 29 , 2012 , and was a critical and commercial success .   A sequel , Magic Mike XXL directed by Gregory Jacobs , was released on July 1 , 2015 .


Anne Hathaway won the Critic's Choice Movie award in 2008.

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway ( born November 12 , 1982 ) is an American actress and singer . Born in Brooklyn , New York and brought up in Millburn , New Jersey , Hathaway was inspired to act by her mother and as a high school student was nominated for the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award for Best Performance by a High School Actress for her performance in Once Upon a Mattress . She made her professional screen debut in the short-lived Fox television series Get Real ( 1999 -- 2000 ) , before landing the lead role of Mia Thermopolis in the Disney comedy film The Princess Diaries ( 2001 ) , for which she won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Comedy . Hathaway went on to become a widely praised `` role model for children '' for her roles in Nicholas Nickleby ( 2002 ) , Ella Enchanted ( 2004 ) , The Princess Diaries 2 : Royal Engagement ( 2004 ) , and Hoodwinked ! ( 2005 ) .   Hathaway began to transition to more adult roles in 2005 , winning a DVD Exclusive Award for Best Actress for Havoc ( 2005 ) , receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) , garnering further recognition for appearing alongside Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) , and earning a BIFA nomination for Best Performance by an Actress for her portrayal of Jane Austen in Becoming Jane ( 2007 ) . Hathaway received praise for her performance as a recovering drug addict in Rachel Getting Married ( 2008 ) , for which she won the Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy , Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , and Indie Spirit Awards for Best Actress / Female Lead . She went on to win her second Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Comedy for starring in Bride Wars ( 2009 ) and in 2010 , appeared in the box office hits Valentine 's Day , Alice in Wonderland and Love & Other Drugs , which earned her the Satellite Award for Best Actress and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Comedy or Musical .   In 2011 , Hathaway voiced Jewel in the animated film Rio and hosted the 83rd Academy Awards with James Franco , which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program . In 2012 , she portrayed Catwoman in Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Rises , for which she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress . The same year , she starred as Fantine in Tom Hooper 's Les Misérables , which earned her widespread acclaim and she won the Academy , Golden Globe , BAFTA , and SAG Awards for Best Supporting Actress . Hathaway has since gone on to appear in Rio 2 ( 2014 ) , Interstellar ( 2014 ) , The Intern ( 2015 ) , and reprised her role as the White Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass ( 2016 ) .   People magazine named Hathaway one of its breakthrough stars of 2001 , and she appeared on its list of the world 's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2006 . Following a four-year relationship with real estate developer Raffaello Follieri , Hathaway married Adam Shulman in 2012 , with whom she has one son , born in March 2016 .


The Hobbit was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

The Hobbit The Hobbit , or There and Back Again is a children 's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien . It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim , being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction . The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children 's literature .   The Hobbit is set in a time `` between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men '' , and follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by Smaug the dragon . Bilbo 's journey takes him from light-hearted , rural surroundings into more sinister territory .   The story is told in the form of an episodic quest , and most chapters introduce a specific creature or type of creature of Tolkien 's geography . Bilbo gains a new level of maturity , competence , and wisdom by accepting the disreputable , romantic , fey , and adventurous sides of his nature and applying his wits and common sense .  The story reaches its climax in the Battle of the Five Armies , where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict .   Personal growth and forms of heroism are central themes of the story , along with motifs of warfare . These themes have led critics to view Tolkien 's own experiences during World War I as instrumental in shaping the story . The author 's scholarly knowledge of Germanic philology and interest in fairy tales are often noted as influences .   The publisher was encouraged by the book 's critical and financial success and , therefore , requested a sequel . As Tolkien 's work progressed on the successor The Lord of the Rings , he made retrospective accommodations for it in The Hobbit . These few but significant changes were integrated into the second edition . Further editions followed with minor emendations , including those reflecting Tolkien 's changing concept of the world into which Bilbo stumbled .   The work has never been out of print . Its ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage , screen , radio , board games , and video games . Several of these adaptations have received critical recognition on their own merits .


The Syrian Desert is covering parts Jordan.

Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( بادية الشام , bādiyat ash-shām ) also known as the Hamad , is a combination of steppe and true desert covering 500000 km2 the Middle East , covering parts of south-eastern Syria , northeastern Jordan , northern Saudi Arabia , and western Iraq . To the south it borders and merges into the Arabian Desert .  The land is open , gravely desert pavement , cut with occasional wadis .


Krysten Ritter had the lead role in Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Krysten Ritter Krysten Alyce Ritter ( born December 16 , 1981 ) is an American actress and former model . Ritter is known for her roles as Jessica Jones on the Netflix series of the same name , Jane Margolis on the AMC drama series Breaking Bad , and Chloe on the ABC comedy series Do n't Trust the B -- in Apartment 23 . She has appeared in films such as What Happens in Vegas ( 2008 ) , 27 Dresses ( 2008 ) , Confessions of a Shopaholic ( 2009 ) , She 's Out of My League ( 2010 ) , Veronica Mars ( 2014 ) , and Big Eyes ( 2014 ) . She has also appeared in roles in the television series Gilmore Girls , Gossip Girl , Gravity , 'Til Death , Veronica Mars , and The Blacklist .


Confessions of a Shopaholic (film) Confessions of a Shopaholic is a 2009 American romantic comedy film based on the first two entries in the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella . Directed by P. J. Hogan , the film stars Isla Fisher as the shopaholic journalist and Hugh Dancy as her boss .


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


The Dodecanese contain 15 large islands.

Dodecanese The Dodecanese ( -LSB- doʊdɪkəˈniːz -RSB- Δωδεκάνησα , Dodekánisa , -LSB- ðoðeˈkanisa -RSB- , literally `` twelve islands '' ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea , off the coast of Asia Minor ( Turkey ) , of which 26 are inhabited . Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete . They belong to the wider Southern Sporades island group .   The most historically important and well-known is Rhodes , which has been the area 's dominant island since Antiquity . Of the others , Kos and Patmos are historically the more important ; the remaining eleven are Agathonisi , Astypalaia , Kalymnos , Karpathos , Kasos , Leipsoi , Leros , Nisyros , Symi , Tilos , and Kastellorizo . Other islands in the chain include Alimia , Arkoi , Chalki , Farmakonisi , Gyali , Kinaros , Levitha , Marathos , Nimos , Pserimos , Saria , Strongyli , Syrna and Telendos .


The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag.

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


The 1st was the day Persuasion (2007 film) premiered.

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


The Royal Tenenbaums stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson.

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


Sony is a name of a electronics company.

Sony ( often referred to simply as Sony ) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Kōnan , Minato , Tokyo . Its diversified business includes consumer and professional electronics , gaming , entertainment , and financial services . The company is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets . Sony was ranked 113th on the 2016 list of Fortune Global 500 .   Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the , which is engaged in business through its four operating components : electronics ( AV , IT & communication products , semiconductors , video games , network services and medical business ) , motion pictures ( movies and TV shows ) , music ( record labels and music publishing ) and financial services ( banking and insurance ) . These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world . The group consists of Sony Corporation , Sony Pictures Entertainment , Sony Interactive Entertainment , Sony Music Entertainment , Sony Financial Holdings and others .   Sony is among the semiconductor sales leaders and as of 2016 , the fifth-largest television manufacturer in the world after Samsung Electronics , LG Electronics , TCL and Hisense .   The company 's current slogan is BE MOVED . Their former slogans were make.believe ( 2009 -- 2014 ) , like.no.other ( 2005 -- 2009 ) and It 's a Sony ( 1980 -- 2002 ) . Sony has a weak tie to the SMFG ( Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group ) keiretsu , the successor to the Mitsui keiretsu .


Carole King Carole King ( born Carol Joan Klein , February 9 , 1942 ) is an American composer and singer-songwriter . She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century , having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1999 . King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK , making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005 .   King 's career began in the 1960s when she , along with her then husband Gerry Goffin , wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists , many of which have become standards . She has continued writing for other artists since then . King 's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s , when she sang her own songs , accompanying herself on the piano , in a series of albums and concerts . After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album Writer , King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry , which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years .   King has made 25 solo albums , the most successful being Tapestry , which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years . Her most recent non-compilation album was Live at the Troubadour in 2010 , a collaboration with James Taylor that reached number 4 on the charts in its first week and has sold over 600,000 copies . Her records sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide .   She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting . She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song , the first woman to be so honored . She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree .


Bob Arum worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York.

Bob Arum Robert Arum ( born December 8 , 1931 ) is an American lawyer , boxing promoter and businessman . He is the founder and CEO of Top Rank , a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas . He also worked for the US Attorney 's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division during his legal career before moving into boxing promotion .


Drax the Destroyer Drax the Destroyer ( Arthur Douglas ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin , the character first appeared in Iron Man # 55 ( February 1973 ) .   Arthur Douglas was a human whose family was attacked and killed by the supervillain Thanos . Needing a champion to combat Thanos , the being known as Kronos took Arthur 's spirit and placed it in a powerful new body , and Drax the Destroyer was born . Drax 's powers included enhanced strength and resilience , flight , and the ability to project energy blasts from his hands . The character often battled Thanos , and on occasion the superheroes Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock . He was also a member of the group known as the Infinity Watch .   In 2004 , the character lost his flight and energy blasts , and a portion of his strength and resilience . This version of the character played a role in the crossover comic book storylines `` Annihilation '' and `` Annihilation : Conquest '' , and became a member of the relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy . He has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise , including animated television series , action figures , and video games . Drax is portrayed by Dave Bautista in the 2014 live-action film Guardians of the Galaxy , its 2017 sequel , and the upcoming Avengers : Infinity War .


Kronos (comics) Kronos , also spelled as Chronos , is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character first appears in Iron Man # 55 ( Feb. 1973 ) and was created by Jim Starlin .


Infinity Watch The Infinity Watch is a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The Watch was gathered in Warlock and the Infinity Watch # 1 , and starred in that series until it ended with issue # 42 . The six members were the self-appointed guardians of the Infinity Gems , which were each given to a single member in order to safeguard against anyone else assembling them into the Infinity Gauntlet .


Thanos Thanos ( -LSB- ˈθænɒs -RSB- , -LSB- ˈθænoʊs -RSB- ) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character is usually depicted as a Titanian mutant -- Eternal superhuman . The character first appeared in Iron Man # 55 ( February 1973 ) and was created by writer Mike Friedrich and writer-artist Jim Starlin . Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books , the character has been featured in more than four decades of Marvel continuity and a self-titled series .   Thanos appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 's various films , including The Avengers ( 2012 ) , portrayed by Damion Poitier , and Guardians of the Galaxy ( 2014 ) , Avengers : Age of Ultron ( 2015 ) , Avengers : Infinity War ( 2018 ) and its untitled sequel ( 2019 ) , portrayed by Josh Brolin . The character has appeared in other Marvel-endorsed products , including animated television series , arcade , and video games .


Jim Starlin James P. `` Jim '' Starlin ( born October 9 , 1949 ) is an American comic book writer and artist . With a career dating back to the early 1970s , he is best known for `` cosmic '' tales and space opera ; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock ; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos , Drax the Destroyer , Gamora and Shang-Chi , Master of Kung Fu .


Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) Captain Marvel ( Mar-Vell ) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes # 12 ( December 1967 ) .   The character debuted during the Silver Age of comic books and has made many appearances since then , including a self-titled series and the second volume of the Marvel Spotlight series . Captain Marvel was ranked 24th in IGN 's list of `` The Top 50 Avengers '' and has appeared in television series and video games .


Martin Freeman is known for portraying Bilbo Baggins.

Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman ( born 8 September 1971 ) is an English actor , who became known for portraying Tim Canterbury in the original UK version of sitcom mockumentary The Office , Dr. John Watson in the British crime drama Sherlock , Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson 's The Hobbit film trilogy , and Lester Nygaard in the dark comedy-crime drama TV series Fargo .   His other notable film roles include the romantic comedy Love Actually ( 2003 ) , the comic science fiction film The Hitchhiker 's Guide to the Galaxy ( 2005 ) , the semi-improvised comedy Nativity ! ( 2009 ) , and the comedic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy , most prominently in the sci-fi comedy The World 's End ( 2013 ) . Among other accolades , he has won an Emmy Award , BAFTA Award and an Empire Award , with nominations including two other Emmy Awards , two other BAFTA Awards , a Saturn Award , and a Golden Globe Award .


Greenwich Greenwich ( -LSB- ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ -RSB- , -LSB- ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ -RSB- , -LSB- ˈɡrɪnɪtʃ -RSB- or -LSB- ˈɡrɛnɪdʒ -RSB- ) is an early-established district of south east London , England , centred 5.5 miles ( 8.9 km ) east south-east of Charing Cross . The town lends its name to the Royal Borough of Greenwich .   The town gives its name to one of the five boroughs of the London Docklands , and is connected to areas with docks of London historically by river and today to Canary Wharf and other districts by the Docklands Light Railway .   Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian ( 0 ° longitude ) and Greenwich Mean Time . The town became the site of a royal palace , the Palace of Placentia from the 15th century , and was the birthplace of many Tudors , including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I . The palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War and was rebuilt as the Royal Naval Hospital for Sailors by Sir Christopher Wren and his assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor . These buildings became the Royal Naval College in 1873 , and they remained an establishment for military education until 1998 when they passed into the hands of the Greenwich Foundation . The historic rooms within these buildings remain open to the public ; other buildings are used by University of Greenwich and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance .   The town became a popular resort in the 18th century and many grand houses were built there , such as Vanbrugh Castle ( 1717 ) established on Maze Hill , next to the park . From the Georgian period estates of houses were constructed above the town centre . The maritime connections of Greenwich were celebrated in the 20th century , with the siting of the Cutty Sark and Gipsy Moth IV next to the river front , and the National Maritime Museum in the former buildings of the Royal Hospital School in 1934 . Greenwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created .


International Relations includes animals.

International relations International relations ( IR ) or international affairs , depending on academic institution , is either a field of political science , an interdisciplinary academic field similar to global studies , or an entirely independent academic discipline in which students take a variety of internationally focused courses in social science and humanities disciplines . In both cases , the field studies relationships between political entities ( polities ) such as states , sovereign states , empires , inter-governmental organizations ( IGOs ) , international non-governmental organizations ( INs ) , non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) , and multinational corporations ( MNCs ) , and the wider world-systems produced by this interaction . International relations is an academic and a public policy field , and so can be positive and normative , because it analyzes and formulates the foreign policy of a given State .   As political activity , international relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides ( c. 460 -- 395 BC ) , and , in the early 20th century , became a discrete academic field ( No. 5901 in the 4-digit UNESCO Nomenclature ) within political science . In practice International Relations and International Affairs forms a separate academic program or field from Political Science , and the courses taught therein are highly interdisciplinary .   For example , international relations draws from the fields of : technology and engineering , economics , communication studies , history , international law , demography , philosophy , geography , social work , sociology , anthropology , criminology , psychology , gender studies , cultural studies , culturology , and diplomacy . The scope of international relations comprehends globalization , diplomatic relations , state sovereignty , international security , ecological sustainability , nuclear proliferation , nationalism , economic development , global finance , as well as terrorism and organized crime , human security , foreign interventionism , and human rights , as well , as , more recently , comparative religion .


One way of moving the ball forward in basketball is dribbling.

Basketball Basketball is a non-contact sport played on a rectangular court . While most often played as a team sport with five players on each side , three-on-three , two-on-two , and one-on-one competitions are also common . The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 in in diameter and 10 ft high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court . The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith , who would be the first basketball coach of the Kansas Jayhawks , one of the most successful programs in the game 's history .   A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play . A field goal scores three points for the shooting team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line , and two points if shot from in front of the line . A team can also score via free throws , which are worth one point , after the other team is assessed with certain fouls . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins , but additional time ( overtime ) is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation . The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate , or by bouncing it while walking or running ( dribbling ) . It is a violation to lift , or drag , one 's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it , or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling .   The game has many individual techniques for displaying skill -- ball-handling , shooting , passing , dribbling , dunking , shot-blocking , and rebounding . Basketball teams generally have player positions , the tallest and strongest members of a team are called a center or power forward , while slightly shorter and more agile players are called small forward , and the shortest players or those who possess the best ball handling skills are called a point guard or shooting guard . The point guard directs the on court action of the team , implementing the coach 's game plan , and managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays ( player positioning ) .   Basketball is one of the world 's most popular and widely viewed sports . The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is the most popular and widely considered to be the highest level of professional basketball in the world and NBA players are the world 's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player . Outside North America , the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague and FIBA Americas League . The FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world . Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams , like EuroBasket and FIBA Americas Championship .   The FIBA Women 's Basketball World Cup features the top national women 's basketball teams from continental championships . The main North American league is the WNBA , whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Women 's Basketball Premier League .


Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( -LSB- ˈbiːbər -RSB- born March 1 , 1994 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter . After a talent manager discovered him through his YouTube videos covering songs in 2008 and signed to RBMG , Bieber released his debut EP , My World , in late 2009 . It was certified Platinum in the U.S. . He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100 . Bieber released his first full-length studio album , My World 2.0 , in 2010 . It debuted at or near number one in several countries , was certified triple Platinum in the U.S. , and contained his single `` Baby '' .   Following his debut album , he had his first headlining tour , the My World Tour , released the remix albums My Worlds Acoustic and Never Say Never -- The Remixes -- and the 3D biopic-concert film Justin Bieber : Never Say Never . He released his second studio album , Under the Mistletoe , in November 2011 , when it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . Bieber released his third studio album , Believe , in 2012 . His fourth studio album Purpose was released in November 2015 , spawning three number one singles : `` What Do You Mean ? '' , `` Sorry '' , and `` Love Yourself '' . His U.S. album and singles sales total 44.7 million . He has sold an estimated 100 million records , making him one of the world 's best-selling music artists .   Bieber has won numerous awards , including the American Music Award for Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2012 . In his career , he has won one Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the song `` Where Are Ü Now '' at the 2016 ceremony . He has been listed four times by Forbes magazine among the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world in 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 . Bieber also became the first artist to surpass 10 billion total video views on Vevo .


Directors Guild of America is only one person in the music industry.

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America ( DGA ) is an entertainment guild which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad . Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936 , the group merged with the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1960 to become the modern Directors Guild of America .


The Internship The Internship is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Shawn Levy , written by Vince Vaughn and Jared Stern , and produced by Vaughn and Levy . The film stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as recently-laid-off salesmen who attempt to compete with much younger and more technically-skilled applicants for a job at Google . The Internship is the second film with Vaughn and Wilson in the lead roles , after the 2005 film Wedding Crashers ; the two had also both appeared in the 2004 film Starsky & Hutch . This is also the second collaboration of Levy , Vaughn , and Stern after the 2012 film The Watch , and the third of Levy and Wilson after the first two Night at the Museum films .


Dylan O'Brien Dylan O'Brien ( born August 26 , 1991 ) is an American actor . He first received attention as `` Stiles '' Stilinski in the MTV series Teen Wolf , and transitioned to film in projects such as The First Time , The Internship and Deepwater Horizon , and as the lead in the dystopian science-fiction adventure series The Maze Runner , consisting of The Maze Runner and its sequel , Maze Runner : The Scorch Trials . He is set to reprise his role in the final installment , Maze Runner : The Death Cure , which , after some re-scheduling due to a serious on-set accident concerning O'Brien , is scheduled for a February 9 , 2018 release .


The First Time (2012 film) The First Time is a 2012 teen romantic comedy film written and directed by Jon Kasdan , and stars Britt Robertson , Dylan O'Brien , James Frecheville and Victoria Justice .   Dave Hodgman ( Dylan O'Brien ) is a high school senior who spends most of his time pining away over Jane Harmon ( Victoria Justice ) , a girl he ca n't have . Aubrey Miller ( Britt Robertson ) , a junior at a different high school , has an older boyfriend Ronny ( James Frecheville ) who does n't quite understand her or seem to care . A casual conversation between Dave and Aubrey sparks an instant connection , and , over the course of a weekend , things turn magical , romantic , complicated , and funny as Aubrey and Dave discover what it 's like to fall in love for the first time .


Deepwater Horizon (film) Deepwater Horizon is a 2016 American biopic disaster film . It was directed by Peter Berg , written by Matthew Sand and Matthew Michael Carnahan , and starring an ensemble cast including Mark Wahlberg , Kurt Russell , John Malkovich , Gina Rodriguez , Dylan O'Brien and Kate Hudson . It is based on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico .   Principal photography began on April 27 , 2015 in New Orleans , Louisiana . The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on September 30 , 2016 . It received generally positive reviews and grossed over $ 121 million worldwide . The film was nominated for two Oscars at the 89th Academy Awards : Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects , and a BAFTA Award for Best Sound at the 70th British Academy Film Awards .


The Maze Runner (film) The Maze Runner is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction action thriller film directed by Wes Ball , in his directorial debut , based on James Dashner 's 2009 novel of the same name . The film is the first installment in The Maze Runner film series and was produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein , Wyck Godfrey , Marty Bowen , and Lee Stollman with a screenplay by Noah Oppenheim , Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin . The film stars Dylan O'Brien , Kaya Scodelario , Aml Ameen , Thomas Brodie-Sangster , Ki Hong Lee , Will Poulter , and Patricia Clarkson . The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas , portrayed by O'Brien , who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is , only to learn he 's been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze , along with a large number of other boys , who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth -- all while establishing a functioning society in what they call the Glade .   Development of The Maze Runner began in January 2011 when Fox purchased the film rights to Dashner 's novel with film studios Temple Hill Entertainment and TSG Entertainment . Principal photography began in Baton Rouge , Louisiana on May 13 , 2013 and officially concluded on July 12 , 2013 .   The Maze Runner was released on September 19 , 2014 in the United States by 20th Century Fox . The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics , who considered it better than most young adult book-to-film adaptations , though the ending and the lack of plot clarity received some criticism . The film was also a commercial success , as it topped the box-office during its opening weekend with a $ 32.5 million debut , making it the seventh-highest grossing debut in September . The film earned over $ 348 million worldwide at the box-office , against its budget of $ 34 million .   A sequel , Maze Runner : The Scorch Trials , was released on September 18 , 2015 in the United States .


All My Children was created by Agnes Nixon.

All My Children All My Children ( often shortened to AMC ) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC for 41 years , from January 5 , 1970 , to September 23 , 2011 , and on The Online Network ( TOLN ) from April 29 to September 2 , 2013 , via Hulu , Hulu Plus , and iTunes . Created by Agnes Nixon , All My Children is set in Pine Valley , Pennsylvania , a fictional suburb of Philadelphia , which is modeled on the actual Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont . The original series featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane , one of daytime 's most popular characters . The title of the series refers to the bonds of humanity . All My Children was the first new network daytime drama to debut in the 1970s . Originally owned by Creative Horizons , Inc. , the company created by Nixon and her husband , Bob , the show was sold to ABC in January 1975 . The series started at a half-hour in per-installment length , then was expanded to a full hour on April 25 , 1977 . Earlier , the show had experimented with the full-hour format for one week starting on June 30 , 1975 , after which Ryan 's Hope premiered .   From 1970 to 1990 , All My Children was recorded at ABC 's TV18 at 101 West 67th St , now a 50-story apartment tower . From March 1990 to December 2009 , it was taped at ABC 's Studio TV23 at 320 West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City , New York . In December 2009 , the locale for taping the series moved from Manhattan to less costly Los Angeles , California . The show was then produced in Stages 1 and 2 at the Andrita Studios in Los Angeles , California , from 2010 to 2011 , and then at the Connecticut Film Center in Stamford , Connecticut . All My Children started taping in high definition on January 4 , 2010 , and began airing in high definition on February 3 , 2010 . All My Children became the third soap opera to be produced and broadcast in high definition .   At one point , the program 's popularity positioned it as the most widely recorded television show in the United States . Also , in a departure from societal norms at the time , All My Children , in the mid-1970s , had an audience that was estimated to be 30 % male . The show ranked No. 1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings in the 1978 -- 79 season . Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s , All My Children was the No. 2 daytime soap opera on the air . However , like the rest of the soap operas in the United States , All My Children experienced unprecedented declines in its daytime ratings during the 2000s . By the 2010s , it had become one of the least watched soap operas in daytime television .   On April 14 , 2011 , it was announced that ABC canceled All My Children after 41 years on the air due to low ratings . On July 7 , 2011 , ABC sold the licensing rights of All My Children to third-party production company Prospect Park with the show set to continue on the internet as a series of webisodes . The show taped its final scenes for ABC on August 30 , 2011 , and its final episode on the network aired on September 23 , 2011 , with a cliffhanger . On September 26 , 2011 , the following Monday , ABC replaced All My Children with a newly debuted talk show The Chew . Prospect Park had suspended its plan to revive the series on November 23 , 2011 , due to lack of funding and unsuccessful negotiation with the union organizations representing the actors and crews . On January 7 , 2013 , Prospect Park officially brought back its project to restore All My Children as a web series . The show taped its first scenes for Prospect Park TOLN on February 18 , 2013 , and its first episode on the network aired on April 29 , 2013 . However , the new series faced several behind-the-scene obstacles throughout its run . On November 11 , 2013 , several All My Children cast members announced that Prospect Park had closed production and canceled the series again . ABC regained the rights to the show in December 2016 .


The RMS Titanic left Southampton in 1930.

RMS Titanic RMS Titanic ( -LSB- taɪˈtænɪk -RSB- ) was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912 , after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City . Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard , more than 1,500 died , making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history . The largest ship afloat at the time it entered service , the RMS Titanic was the second of three s operated by the White Star Line , and was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast . Thomas Andrews , her architect , died in the disaster .   Under the command of Edward Smith , who went down with the ship , Titanic carried some of the wealthiest people in the world , as well as hundreds of emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland , Scandinavia and elsewhere throughout Europe seeking a new life in North America . The first-class accommodation was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury , with an on-board gymnasium , swimming pool , libraries , high-class restaurants and opulent cabins . A high-power radiotelegraph transmitter was available for sending passenger `` marconigrams '' and for the ship 's operational use . Although Titanic had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors , there were not enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard , due to outdated maritime safety regulations . Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people -- slightly more than half of the number on board , and one third of her total capacity .   After leaving Southampton on 10 April 1912 , Titanic called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown ( now Cobh ) in Ireland before heading west to New York . On 14 April , four days into the crossing and about 375 mi south of Newfoundland , she hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. ship 's time . The collision caused the ship 's hull plates to buckle inwards along her starboard ( right ) side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea ; she could only survive four flooding . Meanwhile , passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats , many of which were launched only partially loaded . A disproportionate number of men were left aboard because of a `` women and children first '' protocol for loading lifeboats . At 2:20 a.m. , she broke apart and foundered -- with well over one thousand people still aboard . Just under two hours after Titanic sank , the Cunard liner arrived at the scene , where she brought aboard an estimated 705 survivors .   The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the regulatory and operational failures that had led to it . Public inquiries in Britain and the United States led to major improvements in maritime safety . One of their most important legacies was the establishment in 1914 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea ( SOLAS ) , which still governs maritime safety today . Additionally , several new wireless regulations were passed around the world in an effort to learn from the many missteps in wireless communications -- which could have saved many more passengers .   The wreck of Titanic , first discovered over 70 years after the sinking , remains on the seabed , split in two and gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12415 ft. Since her discovery in 1985 , thousands of artefacts have been recovered and put on display at museums around the world . Titanic has become one of the most famous ships in history ; her memory is kept alive by numerous works of popular culture , including books , folk songs , films , exhibits , and memorials . Titanic is the second largest ocean liner wreck in the world , only beaten by her sister , the largest ever sunk .


Kapil Sharma (comedian) Kapil Sharma ( real name Kapil Punj Singh ) ( born 2 April 1981 ) is an Indian stand-up comedian , television presenter , actor and producer . He hosted a television comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil from June 2013 to January 2016 . Currently , he is hosting another comedy show on Sony Entertainment Television named The Kapil Sharma Show . He first appeared in the Forbes India Celebrity list in 2012 , ranked 96th .   Ormax Media rated Sharma the most popular Indian television personality in April 2016 . Forbes India ranked him 27th on their Celebrity-100 list in 2015 .  Forbes India ranked him at 7th position in terms of fame and at 11th position in terms of income on their Celebrity - 100 list in 2016 .  He was awarded the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2013 , in the Entertainment category and was ranked third in the Most Admired Indian Personality List by The Economic Times in 2015 . Sharma was nominated for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Pranab Mukherjee in September 2015 to acknowledge his contribution for the same .


Usain Bolt held the 200 meter dash world record.

Usain Bolt Usain St Leo Bolt , OJ , CD ( -LSB- ˈjuːseɪn -RSB- born 21 August 1986 ) is a Jamaican sprinter . He is the first person to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory . He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay . He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in these three events . Due to his unprecedented dominance and achievements in sprint competition , he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time .   An eight-time Olympic gold medalist , Bolt won the 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games , although he subsequently lost one of the gold medals ( as well as the world record set therein ) nine years after the fact due to teammate Nesta Carter 's disqualification for doping offences . He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times . Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive olympics ( 2008 , 2012 and 2016 ) , a feat referred to as the `` triple double . ''   An eleven-time World Champion , he won consecutive World Championship 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015 , with the exception of a 100 m false start in 2011 . He is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and was the first athlete to win three titles in both the 100 m and 200 m at the competition .   Bolt improved upon his first 100 m world record of 9.69 with 9.58 seconds in 2009 -- the biggest improvement since the start of electronic timing . He has twice broken the 200 metres world record , setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009 . He has helped Jamaica to three 4 × 100 metres relay world records , with the current record being 36.84 seconds set in 2012 . Bolt 's most successful event is the 200 m , with three Olympic and four World titles . The 2008 Olympics was his international debut over 100 m ; he had earlier won numerous 200 m medals ( including 2007 World Championship silver ) and holds the world under-20 and world under-18 records for the event .   His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the media nickname `` Lightning Bolt '' , and his awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year , Track & Field Athlete of the Year , and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year ( four times ) . Bolt has stated that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships .


Jimmy Wales Jimmy Donal `` Jimbo '' Wales ( -LSB- 'd ʒɪmi_ˈdoʊnəl_ˈweɪlz -RSB- born August 7 , 1966 in Huntsville , Alabama ) is an American Internet entrepreneur . He is the co-founder of Wikipedia , the online non-profit encyclopedia , and the for-profit web hosting company Wikia .   Wales was born in Huntsville , Alabama , where he attended Randolph School , a university-preparatory school . Later , he earned bachelor 's and master 's degrees in Finance from Auburn University and the University of Alabama , respectively .   While in graduate school , Wales taught at two universities ; however , he departed before completing a PhD to take a job in finance , and later worked as the Research Director of a Chicago , Illinois , futures and options firm . In 1996 , he and two partners founded Bomis , an adult web portal featuring entertainment and adult content . The company would provide the initial funding for the peer-reviewed free encyclopedia , Nupedia ( 2000 -- 03 ) , and its successor , Wikipedia .   On January 15 , 2001 , with Larry Sanger and others , Wales launched Wikipedia -- a free , open content encyclopedia that enjoyed rapid growth and popularity ; as Wikipedia 's public profile grew , he became the project 's promoter and spokesman . He is historically cited as a co-founder of Wikipedia , though he has disputed the `` co - '' designation , declaring himself the sole founder .   Wales serves on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees , the non-profit charitable organization that he helped establish to operate Wikipedia , holding its board-appointed `` community founder '' seat . In 2004 , he co-founded Wikia , a for-profit wiki hosting service . His role in creating Wikipedia , which has become the world 's largest encyclopedia , prompted Time Magazine to name him in their 2006 list of `` The 100 Most Influential People in the World '' .


Maggie Gyllenhaal Margalit Ruth `` Maggie '' Gyllenhaal ( -LSB- ˈdʒɪlənhɑːl -RSB- born November 16 , 1977 in New York City ) is an American actress . Part of the Gyllenhaal family , she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal .   She began her film career as a teenager with roles in her father 's films and appeared alongside her brother in the psychological horror film Donnie Darko ( 2001 ) . She garnered critical praise for starring as Lee Holloway in Secretary ( 2002 ) , for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award . For her performance in Sherrybaby ( 2006 ) , she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama . She also received recognition for starring as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) . For her performance in the musical-drama Crazy Heart ( 2009 ) , she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . She subsequently starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang ( 2010 ) , Wo n't Back Down ( 2012 ) and Frank ( 2014 ) , for which she was nominated for a BIFA Award .   In 2014 , she made her Broadway debut in a revival of The Real Thing , and also starred in the television BBC miniseries The Honourable Woman . For her performance in the latter she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award .


Cornell University Cornell University ( -LSB- kɔrˈnɛl -RSB- ) is an American private Ivy League and land-grant doctoral university located in Ithaca , New York . Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White , the university was intended to teach and make contributions in all fields of knowledge -- from the classics to the sciences , and from the theoretical to the applied . These ideals , unconventional for the time , are captured in Cornell 's motto , a popular 1865 Ezra Cornell quotation : `` I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study . ''   The university is broadly organized into seven undergraduate colleges and seven graduate divisions at its main Ithaca campus , with each college and division defining its own admission standards and academic programs in near autonomy . The university also administers two satellite medical campuses , one in New York City and one in Education City , Qatar .   Cornell is one of three private land grant universities in the United States and the only one in New York.The others are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the publicly funded but `` privately governed '' University of Delaware . Of its seven undergraduate colleges , three are state-supported statutory or contract colleges through the State University of New York ( SUNY ) system , including its agricultural and human ecology colleges . Of Cornell 's graduate schools , only the veterinary college is state-supported . As a land grant college , Cornell operates a cooperative extension outreach program in every county of New York and receives annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions . The Cornell University Ithaca Campus comprises 745 acres , but is much larger when the Cornell Botanic Gardens ( more than 4,300 acres ) are considered , as well as the numerous university-owned lands in New York City .   Since its founding , Cornell has been a co-educational , non-sectarian institution where admission has not been restricted by religion or race . Cornell counts more than 245,000 living alumni , and its former and present faculty and alumni include 34 Marshall Scholars , 29 Rhodes Scholars , 29 Truman Scholars , 7 Gates Scholars , 46 Nobel laureates , and 14 living billionaires . The student body consists of more than 14,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students from all 50 American states and more than 120 countries .


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 .


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 .