Suleiman the Magnificent oversaw artistic, literary, and architectural development in the "Golden" age of the Ottoman Empire.

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( سلطان سليمان اول Modern I. Süleyman , Kanunî Sultan Süleyman or Muhteşem Süleyman 6 November 1494 -- 6 September 1566 ) , commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and `` Kanuni '' ( the Lawgiver ) in his realm , was the tenth and longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to his death in 1566 . Under his administration , the Ottoman state ruled over 15 to 25 million people .   Suleiman became a prominent monarch of 16th-century Europe , presiding over the apex of the Ottoman Empire 's economic , military and political power . Suleiman personally led Ottoman armies in conquering the Christian strongholds of Belgrade and Rhodes as well as most of Hungary before his conquests were checked at the Siege of Vienna in 1529 . He annexed much of the Middle East in his conflict with the Safavids and large areas of North Africa as far west as Algeria . Under his rule , the Ottoman fleet dominated the seas from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and through the Persian Gulf .   At the helm of an expanding empire , Suleiman personally instituted major legislative changes relating to society , education , taxation and criminal law . His reforms , carried out in conjunction with the empire 's chief judicial official Ebussuud Efendi , harmonized the relationship between the two forms of Ottoman law ; sultanic ( Kanun ) and religious ( Sharia ) . He was a distinguished poet and goldsmith ; he also became a great patron of culture , overseeing the `` Golden '' age of the Ottoman Empire in its artistic , literary and architectural development .   Breaking with Ottoman tradition , Suleiman married Hürrem Sultan , a woman from his harem , a Christian of Rusyn origin who converted to Islam , and who became famous in the West by the name Roxelana . Their son Selim II succeeded Suleiman following his death in 1566 after 46 years of rule . Suleiman 's other potential heirs Mehmed and Mustafa had died , the former from smallpox and the latter had been strangled to death 13 years earlier at the sultan 's order . His other son Bayezid was executed in 1561 on Suleiman 's orders , along with his four sons , after a rebellion . Although scholars no longer believe that the empire declined after his death , the end of Suleiman 's reign is still frequently characterized as a watershed in Ottoman history . In the decades after Suleiman , the empire began to experience significant political , institutional , and economic changes , a phenomenon often referred to as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire .


Brandon Lee Brandon Bruce Lee ( February 1 , 1965 -- March 31 , 1993 ) was an American actor and martial artist . He was the son of martial artist and film actor Bruce Lee and teacher Linda Lee Cadwell , the grandson of Cantonese opera singer Lee Hoi-chuen , and brother of Shannon Lee .   Starting his career with a supporting role in the 1986 television film Kung Fu : The Movie , Lee starred in several low-budget action films during the late 1980s and early 1990s such as Legacy of Rage ( 1986 ) , Showdown in Little Tokyo ( 1991 ) and Rapid Fire ( 1992 ) . In 1992 , he landed his breakthrough role as Eric Draven in The Crow , based on the comic book of the same name .   On March 31 , 1993 , Lee died during the filming of The Crow in an accident involving a prop gun . The film was released posthumously in 1994 with the help of stunt doubles and special effects .


Sunrise (company) is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise . It is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings . Its former name was Nippon Sunrise , and prior to that , Sunrise Studios . Its headquarters is located in Suginami , Tokyo .   Among Japan 's largest and most famous studios , Sunrise is renowned for several critically lauded and popular original anime series , such as Gundam , Cowboy Bebop , Space Runaway Ideon , Armored Trooper Votoms , Yoroiden Samurai Troopers , Future GPX Cyber Formula , Crush Gear Turbo , The Vision of Escaflowne , Love Live School Idol Project , Witch Hunter Robin , My-HiME , My-Otome , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion , Tiger & Bunny , Cross Ange : Rondo of Angel and Dragon , as well as its numerous adaptations of acclaimed light novels including Dirty Pair , Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Accel World , and manga such as City Hunter , InuYasha , Outlaw Star , Yakitate !! Japan , Planetes , Keroro Gunso , Gin Tama , Kekkaishi and several others .   Many of Sunrise 's original anime include similar themes , including mecha and masked identities accompanied with fluid animation . Because of the fluidity and high degree of details on much of their works , fans refer to their animation works as `` Sunrise Smooth '' .   Most of their works are mostly original titles created in-house by their creative staffs that went into a collective pseudonym called Hajime Yatate . They also previously operated a now defunct video game studio of their own named Sunrise Interactive . Sunrise also launched their own light novel publication titled Yatate Bunko Imprint on September 30 , 2016 aimed to publish new original titles and also to supplemment their already existing franchises with new materials .   Anime created by Sunrise that have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize are Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 and the first half of 1980 , Space Runaway Ideon in the second half of 1980 , Crusher Joe ( co-production with Studio Nue ) in 1983 , Dirty Pair in 1985 , Future GPX Cyber Formula in 1991 , Gundam SEED in 2002 , Gundam SEED Destiny in 2004 and 2005 , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion in 2006 and 2007 and Code Geass R2 in 2008 , thus making Sunrise as the studio that won the most number of Animage Awards .


Planetes is a Japanese hard science fiction manga written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura . It was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series by Sunrise , which was broadcast on NHK from October 2003 through April 2004 . The story revolves around the crew of the debris collection craft , Toy Box , in the year 2075 .   The manga was published in English in North America by Tokyopop , and the anime was distributed in North America by Bandai Entertainment . Both the manga and anime received the Seiun Award for best science fiction series .


Vacation (2015 film) Vacation is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley ( in their directorial debuts ) . It stars Ed Helms , Christina Applegate , Skyler Gisondo , Steele Stebbins , Leslie Mann , Chris Hemsworth , Beverly D'Angelo , and Chevy Chase . It is the fifth installment of the Vacation film series serving as both a modernized reboot and a sequel to the original four films . It is also the second not to carry the National Lampoon name after Vegas Vacation , and was released by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. on July 29 , 2015 . the film has received negative reviews from critics but it was a box office success , earning $ 104.9 million on a $ 31 million budget .


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


Fiji Fiji ( -LSB- ˈfiːdʒiː -RSB- ) ( Viti -LSB- ˈβitʃi -RSB- फ़िजी ) , officially the Republic of Fiji ( Matanitu Tugalala o Viti फ़िजी गणराज्य ) , is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1100 nmi northeast of New Zealand 's North Island . Its closest neighbours are Vanuatu to the west , New Caledonia to the southwest , New Zealand 's Kermadec Islands to the southeast , Tonga to the east , the Samoas and France 's Wallis and Futuna to the northeast , and Tuvalu to the north .   Fiji is an archipelago of more than 330 islands , of which 110 are permanently inhabited , and more than 500 islets , amounting to a total land area of about 18300 km2 . The farthest island is Ono-i-Lau . The two major islands , Viti Levu and Vanua Levu , account for 87 % of the population of almost 860,000 . The capital , Suva on Viti Levu , serves as Fiji 's principal cruise port . About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu 's coasts , either in Suva or in smaller urban centres like Nadi ( tourism ) or Lautoka ( sugar cane industry ) . Viti Levu 's interior is sparsely inhabited due to its terrain .   Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific due to an abundance of forest , mineral , and fish resources . Today , the main sources of foreign exchange are its tourist industry and sugar exports . The country 's currency is the Fijian dollar . Fiji 's local government , in the form of city and town councils , is supervised by the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development .   The majority of Fiji 's islands were formed through volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago . Today , some geothermal activity still occurs on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni . Fiji has been inhabited since the second millennium BC , and was settled first by Austronesians and later by Melanesians , with some Polynesian influences . Europeans visited Fiji from the 17th century , and , after a brief period as an independent kingdom , the British established the Colony of Fiji in 1874 . Fiji was a Crown colony until 1970 , when it gained independence as a Commonwealth realm . A republic was declared in 1987 , following a series of coups d'état .   In a coup in 2006 , Commodore Frank Bainimarama seized power . When the High Court ruled in 2009 that the military leadership was unlawful , President Ratu Josefa Iloilo , whom the military had retained as the nominal Head of State , formally abrogated the Constitution and reappointed Bainimarama . Later in 2009 , Iloilo was replaced as President by Ratu Epeli Nailatikau . After years of delays , a democratic election was held on 17 September 2014 . Bainimarama 's FijiFirst party won with 59.2 % of the vote , and the election was deemed credible by international observers .


William R. Tolbert Jr. died on April 12, 1980.

William R. Tolbert Jr. William Richard Tolbert Jr. ( May 13 , 1913 -- April 12 , 1980 ) was the 20th President of Liberia from 1971 until 1980 , when he was killed in a coup d'état led by Samuel Doe .   Trained as a civil servant , he entered the country 's House of Representatives in 1943 for the True Whig Party , then the only established party in the country . He was elected Vice president to William Tubman in 1952 and served in that position until he became President following Tubman 's death in 1971 .


Audrey Horne was introduced in a series that premiered on Sunday, December 7, 1982.

Audrey Horne Audrey Horne is a fictional character from the ABC television series Twin Peaks , played by Sherilyn Fenn . The character was created by David Lynch . She was introduced in the pilot . The daughter of Ben ( Richard Beymer ) and Sylvia Horne , sister of Johnny Horne ( Robert Bauer ) and half-sister of Donna Hayward ( Lara Flynn Boyle ) , her storylines focused on her infatuation with the series protagonist Dale Cooper ( Kyle MacLachlan ) , infiltrating the brothel/casino One Eyed Jacks and becoming an activist through civil disobedience .


Pilot (Twin Peaks) The pilot episode , also known as Northwest Passage , of the mystery television series Twin Peaks premiered on the ABC Network on Sunday , April 8 , 1990 . It was written by series creators Mark Frost and David Lynch , and directed by Lynch . The pilot follows the characters of Dale Cooper and Harry S. Truman as they investigate the death of popular high school student Laura Palmer ; Cooper believes the murder has connections to a murder case that occurred a year earlier . In addition to setting the tone for the show , the episode sets up several character and story arcs and marked the appearance of several recurring characters . The episode received a strong Nielsen household rating compared to other season one episodes and was well received by fans and critics alike . The original title for the series was Northwest Passage , but this was later changed .


Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005 biographical film written by Martin Sherman.

Mrs Henderson Presents Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005 British biographical film written by American playwright Martin Sherman and directed by Stephen Frears . It stars Judi Dench , Bob Hoskins , Kelly Reilly , and Pop Idol winner Will Young in his acting debut .   The film tells the true story of Laura Henderson , an eccentric British socialite who invested her money to create the Windmill Theatre in London during World War II .


For the Golden Globe Award, Chris Noth was nominated.

Chris Noth Christopher David `` Chris '' Noth ( -LSB- ` no : th -RSB- ; born November 13 , 1954 ) is an American actor . He is known for his television roles as Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order ( 1990 -- 95 ) , Mr. Big on Sex and the City ( 1998 -- 2004 ) , and Governor Peter Florrick on The Good Wife ( 2009 -- 16 ) . He reprised his role of Mike Logan on Law & Order : Criminal Intent ( 2005 -- 08 ) , and reprised his role of Mr. Big in the films , Sex and the City ( 2008 ) and Sex and the City 2 ( 2010 ) . He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television for Sex and the City in 1999 and for The Good Wife in 2010 .


Ancient Algeria has known many empires and dynasties.

Algeria Algeria ( الجزائر ; ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ , Dzayer ; Algérie ) , officially the People 's Democratic Republic of Algeria , is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast . Its capital and most populous city is Algiers , located in the country 's far north . With an area of 2381741 km2 , Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world , and the largest in Africa . Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia , to the east by Libya , to the west by Morocco , to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory , Mauritania , and Mali , to the southeast by Niger , and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes ( counties ) . Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been President since 1999 .   Ancient Algeria has known many empires and dynasties , including ancient Numidians , Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Romans , Vandals , Byzantines , Umayyads , Abbasids , Idrisid , Aghlabid , Rustamid , Fatimids , Zirid , Hammadids , Almoravids , Almohads , Spaniards , Ottomans and the French colonial empire . Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Algeria .   Algeria is a regional and middle power . The North African country supplies large amounts of natural gas to Europe , and energy exports are the backbone of the economy . According to OPEC Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa , while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas . Sonatrach , the national oil company , is the largest company in Africa . Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget on the continent ; most of Algeria 's weapons are imported from Russia , with whom they are a close ally . Algeria is a member of the African Union , the Arab League , OPEC , the United Nations and is the founding member of the Maghreb Union .


Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( -LSB- ˈdeɪmən -RSB- born October 8 , 1970 ) is an American actor , film producer , and screenwriter . He is ranked among Forbes magazine 's most bankable stars and is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time . Damon has received various accolades , including an Academy Award from five nominations , two Golden Globe Awards from eight nominations , and has been nominated for two British Academy Film Awards and six Emmy Awards .   Born and raised in Cambridge , Massachusetts , Damon began his acting career by appearing in high school theater productions and he made his professional acting debut in the film Mystic Pizza ( 1988 ) . He came to prominence in 1997 when he wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting alongside Ben Affleck , which won them the Academy and Golden Globe awards for Best Screenplay , and earned Damon a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . He continued to garner praise from critics for his roles as the eponymous character in Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , the antihero in The Talented Mr. Ripley ( 1999 ) , a fallen angel in Dogma ( 1999 ) , an energy analyst in Syriana ( 2005 ) , and a corrupt Irish-American police officer in The Departed ( 2006 ) .   Damon is also known for his starring roles as Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise ( 2002 -- 16 ) and as a con man in the Ocean 's Trilogy ( 2001 -- 07 ) . For his supporting role as the rugby player Francois Pienaar in Invictus ( 2009 ) and his leading role as an astronaut stranded on Mars in The Martian ( 2015 ) , Damon received Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor , respectively . The latter also won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . Damon has received Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of Scott Thorson in the biopic Behind the Candelabra ( 2013 ) and for producing the reality series Project Greenlight . He also received an Oscar nomination for producing Manchester by the Sea ( 2016 ) .   In addition to acting in films , Damon has performed voice-over work in both animated and documentary films and has established two production companies with Affleck . He has been involved in charitable work , including the ONE Campaign , H2O Africa Foundation , Feeding America , and Water.org . Damon is married to Luciana Bozán Barroso , and they have three daughters together .


Good Will Hunting Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film , directed by Gus Van Sant , and starring Robin Williams , Matt Damon , Ben Affleck , Minnie Driver and Stellan Skarsgård . Written by Affleck and Damon ( and with Damon in the title role ) , the film follows 20-year-old South Boston laborer Will Hunting , an unrecognized genius who , as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after assaulting a police officer , becomes a client of a therapist and studies advanced mathematics with a renowned professor . Through his therapy sessions , Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend , his girlfriend and himself , facing the significant task of confronting his past and thinking about his future .   The film received positive reviews and was a financial success . It grossed over US$ 225 million during its theatrical run with only a modest $ 10 million budget . It was nominated for nine Academy Awards , including the Academy Award for Best Picture , and won two : Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon .   After Williams ' death in 2014 , it was ranked at number 53 in The Hollywood Reporters `` 100 Favorite Films '' list .


Sleep can be disrupted by sleep paralysis.

Sleep Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body characterized by altered consciousness , relatively inhibited sensory activity , inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles , and reduced interactions with surroundings . It is distinguished from wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli , but is more easily reversed than the state of being comatose . Sleep occurs in repeating periods , in which the body alternates between two highly distinct modes known as non-REM and REM sleep . Although REM stands for `` rapid eye movement '' , this mode of sleep has many other aspects , including virtual paralysis of the body . A well-known feature of sleep is the dream , an experience typically recounted in narrative form , which resembles waking life while in progress , but which usually can later be distinguished as fantasy .   During sleep , most of the body 's systems are in an anabolic state , helping to restore the immune , nervous , skeletal , and muscular systems ; these are vital processes that maintain mood , memory , and cognitive performance and plays a large role in the function of the endocrine and immune systems . The internal circadian clock promotes sleep daily at night . The diverse purposes and mechanisms of sleep are the subject of substantial ongoing research . The advent of artificial light has substantially altered sleep timing in industrialized countries .   Humans may suffer from various sleep disorders , including dyssomnias , such as insomnia , hypersomnia , narcolepsy , and sleep apnea ; parasomnias , such as sleepwalking and REM behavior disorder ; bruxism ; and circadian rhythm sleep disorders .


Sarah Paulson couldn't get a role in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Sarah Paulson Sarah Catharine Paulson ( born December 17 , 1974 ) is an American actress . After beginning her acting career on stage , she starred in the 1990s television series American Gothic ( 1995 -- 96 ) and Jack & Jill ( 1999 -- 2001 ) . Paulson later appeared in comedy films such as What Women Want ( 2000 ) and Down with Love ( 2003 ) , and had dramatic roles in films such as Path to War ( 2002 ) and The Notorious Bettie Page ( 2005 ) . From 2006 to 2007 , Paulson played the role of Harriet Hayes in the NBC comedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , for which she received her first Golden Globe Award nomination . In 2008 , she starred as Ellen Dolan in the superhero noir film The Spirit .   Paulson has appeared on Broadway in the plays The Glass Menagerie ( 2005 ) and Collected Stories ( 2010 ) . She also starred in a number of independent films , and had a leading role on the ABC comedy series Cupid in 2009 . She later starred in the independent drama Martha Marcy May Marlene ( 2011 ) , and received Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance as Nicolle Wallace in the HBO film Game Change ( 2012 ) . Paulson starred as Mary Epps in the 2013 historical drama film 12 Years a Slave and as Abby Gerhard in the 2015 drama film Carol . Both films received widespread critical acclaim and were nominated for multiple Academy Awards .   In 2011 , Paulson began starring in the FX anthology series American Horror Story , playing different characters in each of the show 's six seasons . For her work throughout the series , she has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards ( 2013 -- 16 ) and won two Critics ' Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries ( 2013 and 2015 ) . In 2016 , Paulson portrayed real life prosecutor Marcia Clark in the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story , subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson . For her work in the series , she has been awarded the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries , Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie , TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama , and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Miniseries or Television Film as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie .   According to Time magazine , she is one of the 100 most influential people of the year 2017 .


Texas Longhorns men's basketball has been involved in 33 NCAA Tournaments.

Texas Longhorns men's basketball The Texas Longhorns men 's basketball team '' ' represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate men 's basketball competition . The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference .   The University of Texas began varsity intercollegiate competition in men 's basketball in 1906 . The Longhorns rank 17th in total victories among all NCAA Division I college basketball programs and 25th in all-time win percentage among programs with at least 50 years in Division I , with an all-time win-loss record of 1750 -- 1054 . Among Big 12 Conference men 's basketball programs , Texas is second only to Kansas in both all-time wins and all-time win percentage .   The Longhorns have won 27 total conference championships in men 's basketball and have made 33 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament ( 11th-most appearances all time , with a 35 -- 36 overall record ) , reaching the NCAA Final Four three times ( 1943 , 1947 , 2003 ) and the NCAA Regional Finals ( Elite Eight ) seven times . As of March 21 , 2017 , Texas ranks fifth among all Division I men 's basketball programs for total NCAA Tournament games won without having won the national championship ( 35 ) , trailing Purdue ( 36 ) , Notre Dame ( 38 ) , Illinois ( 40 ) , and Oklahoma ( 41 ) .   The Texas basketball program experienced substantial success during the early decades of its existence , but its success in the modern era is of relatively recent vintage . After two losing seasons during the program 's first five years , Texas suffered only one losing season from 1912 to 1950 , achieving a winning percentage of .703 during that span , reaching two Final Fours and one Elite Eight during the first decade of the NCAA Tournament , and receiving retroactive recognition as the 1933 national champion from the Premo-Porretta Power Poll ; from 1951 to 1988 , the Longhorns finished with losing records 14 times , recorded a winning percentage of .522 , and participated in the expanded Tournament only five times . Texas achieved some measures of national recognition during the tenures of head coaches Abe Lemons ( 1976 -- 82 ) and Tom Penders ( 1988 -- 98 ) , but the program rose to its highest level of prominence under the direction of former head coach Rick Barnes ( 1998 -- 2015 ) . Barnes guided Texas to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 17 seasons with the program , including a school-record fourteen consecutive appearances ( 1999 -- 2012 ) , as well as fifteen 20-win seasons overall and a school-best thirteen consecutive 20-win seasons ( 2000 -- 12 ) .   Since 1977 , the team has played its home games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center , where it has compiled a record of 487 -- 119 as of March 7 , 2017 . The team is currently led by second-year head coach Shaka Smart .


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


The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid 's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood . Set in a near-future New England , in a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the United States government , the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence . The novel 's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales , which comprises a series of connected stories ( `` The Merchant 's Tale '' , `` The Parson 's Tale '' , etc. ) .   The Handmaid 's Tale won the 1985 Governor General 's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987 ; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award , the 1986 Booker Prize , and the 1987 Prometheus Award . The book has been adapted into a film ( 1990 ) , an opera ( 2000 ) , a TV series ( 2017 ) , and other media .


Leslie Groves was commissioned in the UK Army Corps of Engineers.

Leslie Groves Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves Jr. ( 17 August 1896 -- 13 July 1970 ) was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project , a top secret research project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II .   As the son of a United States Army chaplain , Groves lived at a number of Army posts during his childhood . He graduated fourth in his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1918 and was commissioned into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . In 1929 , he went to Nicaragua as part of an expedition whose purpose was to conduct a survey for the Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal . Following the 1931 Nicaragua earthquake , Groves took over responsibility for Managua 's water supply system , for which he was awarded the Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit . He attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , in 1935 and 1936 , and the Army War College in 1938 and 1939 , after which he was posted to the War Department General Staff .   In 1940 Groves , who `` had a reputation as a doer , a driver , and a stickler for duty '' , became special assistant for construction to the Quartermaster General , tasked with inspecting construction sites and checking on their progress . In August 1941 , he was given responsibility for the gigantic office complex to house the War Department 's 40,000 staff which would ultimately become the Pentagon . In September 1942 , Groves took charge of the Manhattan Project . He was involved in most aspects of the atomic bomb 's development . He participated in the selection of sites for research and production at Oak Ridge , Tennessee ; Los Alamos , New Mexico ; and Hanford , Washington . He directed the enormous construction effort , made critical decisions on the various methods of isotope separation , acquired raw materials , directed the collection of military intelligence on the German nuclear energy project and helped select the cities in Japan that were chosen as targets . Groves wrapped the Manhattan Project in security but failed to prevent the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from conducting a successful espionage program that stole some of its most important secrets .   After the war , Groves remained in charge of the Manhattan Project until responsibility for nuclear weapons production was handed over to the United States Atomic Energy Commission in 1947 . He then headed the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project , which had been created to control the military aspects of nuclear weapons . He was given a dressing down by the Chief of Staff of the United States Army , General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower , and told that he would never be appointed Chief of Engineers . Three days later , Groves announced his intention to leave the Army . He was promoted to lieutenant general just before his retirement on 29 February 1948 in recognition of his leadership of the bomb program . By a special Act of Congress , his date of rank was backdated to 16 July 1945 , the date of the Trinity nuclear test . He went on to become a vice-president at Sperry Rand .


Paul Wesley was in an American horror television series.

Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


Wolf Lake Wolf Lake is an American horror television series that originally aired on CBS . Wolf Lake follows a pack of werewolves living in a Seattle suburb . Nine regular episodes were produced , but only five aired before the series was canceled ; the full series later aired on UPN .   The series is available on DVD .


Yamaha Corporation ( -LSB- jəˈmɑːhə -RSB- or -LSB- ˈjɑːməhə -RSB- -LSB- jamaha -RSB- ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a very wide range of products and services , predominantly musical instruments , electronics , motorcycles and power sports equipment . It is one of the constituents of Nikkei 225 and is the world 's largest piano manufacturing company .


Monica Seles was a citizen of Yugoslavia and the United States of America.

Monica Seles Monica Seles ( -LSB- ˈsɛləs -RSB- Szeles Mónika , Моника Селеш , Monika Seleš , -LSB- ˈsɛlɛʃ -RSB- , born December 2 , 1973 ) is a former Yugoslav world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame . An ethnic Hungarian , she was born and raised in Novi Sad , SFR Yugoslavia . She became a naturalized American citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007 . She won nine Grand Slam singles titles , eight of them while a citizen of Yugoslavia and the final as a citizen of the United States of America . In 1990 , Seles became the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16 . She went on to win eight Grand Slam singles titles before her 20th birthday and was the year-end world no. 1 in 1991 and 1992 . However , on April 30 , 1993 , she was the victim of an on-court attack , when a man stabbed her in the back with a 9 in long knife ; Seles did not return to tennis for over two years . Though she enjoyed some success after rejoining the tour in 1995 , including a fourth Australian Open title in 1996 , she was unable to consistently reproduce her best form . She played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open , but did not officially retire until February 2008 .   Regarded by many in the sport as one of the greatest tennis players of all time , Seles was named one of the `` 30 Legends of Women 's Tennis : Past , Present and Future '' by Time .


Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving ( born 4 April 1960 ) is a Nigerian-born English-Australian film and stage actor . He is best known for playing Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy ( 1999 -- 2003 ) , Elrond in The Lord of the Rings ( 2001 -- 2003 ) and The Hobbit ( 2012 -- 2014 ) film trilogies , V in V for Vendetta ( 2006 ) , Red Skull in Captain America : The First Avenger ( 2011 ) and Tom Doss in Hacksaw Ridge ( 2016 ) .   Weaving 's first television role was in the 1984 Australian television series Bodyline , where he portrayed English cricket captain Douglas Jardine . In film , he first rose to prominence for his performance as Martin in the Australian drama Proof ( 1991 ) . Weaving played Anthony `` Tick '' Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra in the comedy-drama The Adventures of Priscilla , Queen of the Desert ( 1994 ) ; and multiple roles in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas ( 2012 ) . His roles as a voice actor include Rex in Babe , Noah in Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two , and Megatron in the Transformers film series .   Weaving 's awards for acting include a Satellite Award , MTV Movie Award and six Australian Film Institute Awards .


The Waterboy only has cameos by people born in any month but May.

The Waterboy The Waterboy is a 1998 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci ( who played Robert ` Roberto ' Boucher , Sr. ) , starring Adam Sandler , Kathy Bates , Fairuza Balk , Henry Winkler , Jerry Reed ( his last film role before his death in 2008 ) , Larry Gilliard , Jr. , Blake Clark , Peter Dante and Jonathan Loughran , and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo .   Lynn Swann , Lawrence Taylor , Jimmy Johnson , Bill Cowher , Paul `` The Big Show '' Wight and Rob Schneider have cameo appearances . The movie was extremely profitable , earning $ 161.5 million in North America alone . This was Sandler 's second film to eclipse $ 120 million worldwide in 1998 along with The Wedding Singer .   Adam Sandler 's character , Bobby Boucher ( pronounced -LSB- buː ' ʃeɪ -RSB- ) , bears a strong resemblance to his `` The Excited Southerner '' comedic skits from his album What the Hell Happened to Me ? The portrayal is one of a stereotypical Cajun from the bayous of South Louisiana , not the typical stereotype of a Southerner . He also shares similarities in speech and mannerism to Canteen Boy , a recurring character , also portrayed by Sandler , on Saturday Night Live . Like Bobby , Canteen Boy was a soft-spoken manchild who preferred `` purified water , right out of the old canteen , '' which he always carried with him .


Bill Cowher William Laird Cowher ( born May 8 , 1957 ) is a former professional American football coach and player in the National Football League ( NFL ) . In Cowher 's 15 seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers , the team won eight division titles and made 10 playoff appearances . Cowher led the Steelers to the Super Bowl twice , winning one . He is the second coach in NFL history to reach the playoffs in each of his first six seasons as head coach , a feat previously accomplished by Paul Brown . Cowher resigned as head coach of the Steelers on January 5 , 2007 , 11 months after winning Super Bowl XL in 2006 over the Seattle Seahawks . Cowher was replaced by current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin . Before being hired by the Steelers in 1992 , Cowher served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs under head coach Marty Schottenheimer . He is currently a studio analyst for The NFL Today .


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 .


Pamela Anderson is known for her role on Full House.

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson ( born July 1 , 1967 ) is a Canadian American actress and model known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement , Baywatch and V.I.P. . She was Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990 . Anderson was inducted into Canada 's Walk of Fame in 2006 .   Anderson is an activist for the animal rights movement and has conducted campaigns condemning the commercial fur industry and promoting veganism through the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) . For a time , she was known as Pamela Anderson Lee ( or Pamela Lee ) after marrying Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee .


Charles, Prince of Wales was the first grandchild of at least one wife of King George VI.

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles , Prince of Wales ( Charles Philip Arthur George ; born 14 November 1948 ) is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II . Known alternatively in South West England as Duke of Cornwall and in Scotland as Duke of Rothesay , he is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history , having held the position since 1952 . He is also the oldest person to be next in line to the throne since Sophia of Hanover ( the heir presumptive to Queen Anne ) , who died in 1714 at the age of 83 .   Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth . He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun Schools , which his father , Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , had attended as a child , as well as the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria , Australia . After earning a bachelor of arts degree from Trinity College , Cambridge , Charles served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976 .   In 1981 , he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons : Prince William ( born 1982 ) later to become Duke of Cambridge , and Prince Harry ( born 1984 ) . In 1996 , the couple divorced , following well-publicised extramarital affairs . Diana died in a car crash in Paris the following year . In 2005 , Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles .   Charles 's interests encompass a range of humanitarian and social issues : he founded The Prince 's Trust in 1976 , sponsors The Prince 's Charities , and is patron of numerous other charitable and arts organisations . Charles has long championed organic farming for which he established the Duchy Home Farm , run by the Duchy of Cornwall , which produces ingredients for the Duchy Originals brand which he founded in 1990 . Charles has sought to raise world awareness of the dangers facing the natural environment , such as climate change . As an environmentalist , he has received numerous awards and recognition from environmental groups around the world . His support for alternative medicine , including homeopathy , has been criticised by some in the medical community . He has been outspoken on the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings . Subsequently , Charles created Poundbury , an experimental new town based on his theories , in Dorset in 1993 . He has authored a number of books , including A Vision of Britain : A Personal View of Architecture in 1989 and the children 's book The Old Man of Lochnagar in 1980 .


Scars to Your Beautiful is an Alessia Cara song.

Scars to Your Beautiful `` Scars to Your Beautiful '' is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara for her debut studio album , Know-It-All ( 2015 ) . It was released to Top 40 radio on July 26 , 2016 , as the third single from the album . It peaked at number eight and thus became Alessia Cara 's second top-ten single on US Billboard Hot 100 . The song was written by Cara , Warren Felder , Coleridge Tillman , and Andrew Wansel , with the production being handled by Felder , Tillman , and Wansel .


West Side Story (film) West Side Story is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins . The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name , which in turn was inspired by William Shakespeare 's play Romeo and Juliet . It stars Natalie Wood , Richard Beymer , Russ Tamblyn , Rita Moreno , and George Chakiris , and was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp , A.S.C. , in Super Panavision 70 . Released on October 18 , 1961 through United Artists , the film received high praise from critics and viewers , and became the second highest grossing film of the year in the United States . The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10 , including Best Picture ( as well as a special award for Robbins ) , becoming the record holder for the most wins for a movie musical .


Splendor in the Grass Splendor in the Grass is a 1961 Technicolor romantic drama film that tells a story of a teenage girl navigating her feelings of sexual repression , love , and heartbreak . Written by William Inge , who appears briefly as a Protestant clergyman and won an Oscar for his screenplay , the film was directed by Elia Kazan and features a score by jazz composer David Amram .


Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko ; July 20 , 1938 -- November 28 or 29 , 1981 ) was an American film and television actress . She was known for her screen roles in Miracle on 34th Street , Splendor in the Grass , Rebel Without a Cause , The Searchers , and West Side Story . She first worked in films as a child , then became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult , receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old .   Wood began acting in movies at the age of four and , at age eight , was given a co-starring role with Maureen O'Hara in the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street . As a teenager , her performance in Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . She starred in the musical films West Side Story ( 1961 ) and Gypsy ( 1962 ) , and received Academy Award for Best Actress nominations for her performances in Splendor in the Grass ( 1961 ) and Love with the Proper Stranger ( 1963 ) . Her career continued with films such as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ( 1969 ) .   After this , she took a break from acting and had two children with different husbands , appearing in only three theatrical films during the 1970s . She was married to actor Robert Wagner twice , and to producer Richard Gregson . She had one daughter with Gregson , actress Natasha Gregson Wagner . Wood gave birth to Courtney Wagner during her second marriage to Wagner . Her younger sister Lana Wood is also an actress .   Wood starred in several television productions , including a remake of the film From Here to Eternity ( 1979 ) for which she won a Golden Globe Award . During her career , her films represented a `` coming of age '' for both her and Hollywood films in general .


The Khmer Empire was outside of Southeast Asia.

Khmer Empire The Khmer Empire , officially the Angkor Empire , the predecessor state to modern Cambodia ( `` Kampuchea '' or `` Srok Khmer '' to the Khmer people ) , was a powerful Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia . The empire , which grew out of the former kingdoms of Funan and Chenla , at times ruled over and/or vassalised most of mainland Southeast Asia .   Its greatest legacy is Angkor , in present-day Cambodia , which was the site of the capital city during the empire 's zenith . The majestic monuments of Angkor -- such as Angkor Wat and Bayon -- bear testimony to the Khmer Empire 's immense power and wealth , impressive art and culture , architectural technique and aesthetics achievements , as well as the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time . Satellite imaging has revealed that Angkor , during its peak in the 11th to 13th centuries , was the largest pre-industrial urban centre in the world .   The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 CE . In this year , King Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin ( `` king of the world '' , or `` king of kings '' ) on Phnom Kulen . The empire ended with the fall of Angkor in the 15th century .


Elisabeth Sladen starred in radio roles.

Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen ( 1 February 1946 -- 19 April 2011 ) was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who . She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976 , alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker , and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades , both on Doctor Who and its spin-offs , K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures .   Sladen was interested in ballet and theatre from childhood , and began to appear on stage in the mid-1960s , although more often as a stage manager at this time . She moved to London in 1970 and an appearance in the police drama Z-Cars led to her being selected for a part in Doctor Who . She stayed as a regular cast member alongside Pertwee and Baker until 1976 . She subsequently starred in other roles on both television and radio , before semi-retiring to bring up a family in the mid-1980s .   She returned to the public eye in the 2000s with more Doctor Who related appearances , which culminated in taking a regular lead role in The Sarah Jane Adventures . The show earned the Royal Television Society 2010 award for Best Children 's Drama . She also made regular guest appearances on the main television series , and provided voice-over commentaries for its releases to DVD .   Sladen died of cancer on 19 April 2011 . Her death made national and international news headlines , and major television stations and newspapers paid her tribute .


Liev Schreiber appeared in Ransom and was successful.

Liev Schreiber Isaac Liev Schreiber ( -LSB- ˈliː.ɛv -RSB- born October 4 , 1967 ) , better known as Liev Schreiber , is an American actor , director , screenwriter , and producer . He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s , having appeared in several independent films , and later mainstream Hollywood films , including the Scream trilogy of horror films , Ransom ( 1996 ) , Phantoms ( 1998 ) , The Sum of All Fears ( 2002 ) , The Omen ( 2006 ) , X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) , Taking Woodstock ( 2009 ) , Salt ( 2010 ) , Goon ( 2011 ) , Pawn Sacrifice ( 2014 ) , and Spotlight ( 2015 ) .   Schreiber is also a respected stage actor , having performed in several Broadway productions . In 2005 , he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the play Glengarry Glen Ross . That year , he made his debut as a film director and writer with Everything Is Illuminated ( 2005 ) , based on the novel of the same name . Schreiber has had further success in the television world , notably portraying the eponymous protagonist of the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan ( 2013 -- present ) ; the role has earned him four Golden Globe Award nominations and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations . He also narrates the HBO series 24/7 , as well as various PBS programs .


Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill ( born September 25 , 1951 ) is an American actor , voice actor , producer and writer . He is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film series . His other works include Corvette Summer ( 1978 ) and The Big Red One ( 1980 ) , among other television shows and movies . Hamill has also appeared on stage in several theater productions , primarily during the 1980s .   Hamill is a prolific voice actor who has voiced characters in many animated television shows , movies , and video games since the 1970s . He is known for his long-standing role as DC Comics ' the Joker , commencing with Batman : The Animated Series in 1992 .


Corvette Summer Corvette Summer is a 1978 American adventure comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It marked Mark Hamill 's first screen appearance after the unexpected success of Star Wars the previous year . Hamill stars as a California teenager who heads to Las Vegas to track down his beloved customized Corvette Stingray . Co-star Annie Potts , playing the quirky young woman he meets along the way , was nominated for a Golden Globe award in her first movie role .   Corvette Summer was a box office success , making about $ 36 million at the worldwide box office , on a relatively high budget ( for that era ) of $ 9 million . The film however , received a divided response from critics , and was nominated for a Golden Globe .


Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson ( born 18 July 1950 ) is an English business magnate , investor and philanthropist . He founded the Virgin Group , which controls more than 400 companies .   Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age . At the age of sixteen his first business venture was a magazine called Student . In 1970 , he set up a mail-order record business . In 1972 , he opened a chain of record stores , Virgin Records , later known as Virgin Megastores . Branson 's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s , as he set up Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label .   In March 2000 , Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for `` services to entrepreneurship '' . For his work in retail , music and transport ( with interests in land , air , sea and space travel ) , his taste for adventure , and for his humanitarian work , he became one of the most prominent figures in British culture . In 2002 he was named in the BBC 's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . In January 2016 , Forbes listed Branson 's estimated net worth at $ 5.2 billion .


Ready Player One Ready Player One is a 2011 dystopian science-fiction novel , and the debut novel by Ernest Cline . In 2012 , the book received an Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association division of the American Library Association and won the 2012 Prometheus Award .   Cline sold the novel in June 2010 , in a bidding war to the Crown Publishing Group ( a division of Random House ) . The book was published on August 16 , 2011 . An audiobook was released the same day ; it was narrated by Wil Wheaton , who was mentioned briefly in one of the chapters .   A film adaptation , directed by Steven Spielberg , is currently in production , and slated to premiere in spring 2018 .


Prometheus Award The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society , which also publishes the quarterly journal Prometheus . L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979 , but it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist Society revived it in 1982 . The Society created a Hall of Fame Award ( for classic works of libertarian science fiction , not necessarily novels ) in 1983 , and also presents occasional one-off awards .


The Outcasts was made available on April 14, 2017.

The Outcasts (2017 film) The Outcasts is an American teen comedy film directed by Peter Hutchings . The film features an ensemble cast , featuring Victoria Justice , Eden Sher , Ashley Rickards , Claudia Lee , Katie Chang , Peyton List , Avan Jogia and Will Peltz . The plot follows a group of misfit teenagers who band together to overthrow the popular clique at their high school . Originally titled The Outskirts , filming took place between July and August 2014 .   The film was released in limited theaters and through video-on-demand on April 14 , 2017 , by Swen Releasing .


Snoop Dogg was in the main cast of the film short Murder Was the Case.

Snoop Dogg Cordozar Calvin Broadus , Jr. ( born October 20 , 1971 ) , known professionally as Snoop Dogg ( sometimes shortened to Snoop and formerly called Snoop Doggy Dogg and Snoop Lion ) , is an American rapper and actor from Long Beach , California . His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre of N.W.A , and as a result was prominently featured throughout Dr. Dre 's solo debut album , The Chronic ( 1992 ) . He has since sold over twenty-three million albums in the United States and thirty-five million albums worldwide .   Snoop 's debut album , Doggystyle , was released in 1993 under Death Row Records , debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums charts . Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release , Doggystyle became certified 4 × platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles , including `` What 's My Name ? '' and `` Gin & Juice '' . In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case , starring himself . His second album Tha Doggfather ( 1996 ) , also debuted at number one on both charts with `` Snoop 's Upside Ya Head '' , as the lead single . The album was certified double platinum in 1997 .   After leaving Death Row Records , Snoop signed with No Limit Records , where he recorded his next three albums . Da Game Is to Be Sold , Not to Be Told ( 1998 ) , No Limit Top Dogg ( 1999 ) , and Tha Last Meal ( 2000 ) . Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002 , where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss . He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G ( Rhythm & Gangsta ) : The Masterpiece , Tha Blue Carpet Treatment , and Ego Trippin ' . Malice 'n Wonderland ( 2009 ) , and Doggumentary ( 2011 ) , were released on Priority . Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows , including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle , Snoop Dogg 's Father Hood , and Dogg After Dark . He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team . In September 2009 , Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records .   In 2012 , after a trip to Jamaica , Snoop announced a conversion to the Rastafari movement and a new alias , Snoop Lion . Under the new moniker , he released a reggae album , Reincarnated , and a documentary film of the same name , of his Jamaican experience , in early 2013 . His fourteenth solo studio album , Coolaid , was released in July 2016 .   Snoop Dogg holds the dubious distinction of having seventeen Grammy nominations without a win .   In March 2016 , the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington , Texas , Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame having made several appearances for the company , including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at Wrestlemania XXIV .


Iran has many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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


Elsa Pataky Elsa Lafuente Medianu ( born 18 July 1976 ) , known professionally as Elsa Pataky , is a Spanish model , actress , and film producer . Pataky is best known for her role as Elena Neves in The Fast and the Furious franchise . She has appeared in the films Snakes on a Plane ( 2006 ) , Giallo ( 2009 ) and Give 'Em Hell , Malone ( 2009 ) . She also starred in the Spanish film Di Di Hollywood in 2010 .


The Dogs D'Amour The Dogs D'Amour are a rock and roll band formed in 1983 in London , England . Over the years the band has had various line-ups , the only constant being vocalist Tyla .   Their 1989 release , A Graveyard of Empty Bottles , reached # 16 on the UK Albums Chart while the single `` Satellite Kid '' reached # 26 on the UK Singles Chart .   In 1991 , the band broke up onstage , before reforming briefly in the early 1990s for the release of their sixth studio album More Unchartered Heights of Disgrace . After this , however , the most famous incarnation of the band ceased to exist . There was another brief reunion in 2000 and an album , but , throughout the 2000s , Tyla has been touring and releasing albums under the band name , which is vastly different from their older material .   In December 2012 the ` classic ' line-up of Tyla , Jo ` Dog ' Almeida , Steve James and Bam agreed to reform to play a series of benefit concerts for their long-time friend , and former bandmate , Paul Hornby .  In January 2013 , the band recorded an EP in Florida and announced live dates for the UK and Spain .


The act of providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond her previous work was credited to Blue Velvet.

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 .


Islam Islam ( -LSB- ˈɪslɑːm -RSB- There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English , differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress , whether the s is -LSB- slinkz -RSB- or -LSB- slinks -RSB- , and whether the a is pronounced -LSB- slinkɑː -RSB- , -LSB- slinkæ -RSB- or ( when the stress is on the first syllable ) -LSB- slinkə -RSB- ( Merriam Webster ) . The most common are -LSB- ˈɪzləm , _ ˈɪsləm , _ ɪzˈlɑːm , _ ɪsˈlɑːm -RSB- ( Oxford English Dictionary , Random House ) and -LSB- ˈɪzlɑːm , _ ˈɪslɑːm -RSB- ( American Heritage Dictionary ) . الإسلام , -LSB- alʔisˈlaːm -RSB- ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one and incomparable God ( Allah ) and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God . It is the world 's second-largest religion and the fastest-growing major religion in the world , with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1 % of the global population , known as Muslims . Islam teaches that God who is merciful , all-powerful , and unique has guided mankind through prophets , revealed scriptures and natural signs . The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran , viewed by Muslims as the verbatim word of God , and the teachings and normative example ( called the sunnah , composed of accounts called hadith ) of Muhammad ( 570 -- 8 June 632 CE ) .   Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam , Abraham , Moses , and Jesus . As for the Quran , Muslims consider it to be the unaltered and final revelation of God . Like other Abrahamic religions , Islam also teaches a final judgment with the righteous rewarded paradise and unrighteous are punished in hell . Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam , which are obligatory acts of worship , and following Islamic law , which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society , from banking and welfare to women and the environment . The cities of Mecca , Medina and Jerusalem are home to the three holiest sites in Islam .   Islam originated in the early 7th century in Mecca , and by the 8th century the Islamic empire extended from Iberia in the west to the Indus River in the east . The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century when much of the historically Islamic world was experiencing a scientific , economic and cultural flourishing . The expansion of the Muslim world involved various caliphates and empires , traders and conversion to Islam by missionary activities .   Most Muslims are of one of two denominations : Sunni ( 75 -- 90 % ) or Shia ( 10 -- 20 % ) . About 13 % of Muslims live in Indonesia , the largest Muslim-majority country , 31 % in South Asia , the largest population of Muslims in the world , 23 % in the Middle East-North Africa , where it is the dominant religion , and 15 % in Sub-Saharan Africa . Sizable Muslim communities are also found in the Americas , Caucasus , China , Europe , Mainland Southeast Asia , Philippines and Russia . Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world .


Jim Henson James Maury `` Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) was an American puppeteer , artist , cartoonist , inventor , screenwriter , film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets . Born in Greenville , Mississippi , and raised in Leland , Mississippi , and Hyattsville , Maryland , Henson began developing puppets while attending high school . While he was a freshman at the University of Maryland , College Park , he created Sam and Friends , a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television . After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics , he produced coffee advertisements and developed some experimental films . Feeling the need for more creative output , Henson founded Muppets Inc. in 1958 ( which would later become the Jim Henson Company ) .   Henson became famous in the 1960s when he joined the children 's educational television program Sesame Street , and there helped develop characters for the series . He also appeared on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live . In 1976 , after scrapping plans for a Broadway show , he produced The Muppet Show . He won fame for his creations , particularly Kermit the Frog , Rowlf the Dog , and Ernie , and was involved with Sesame Street for over 20 years . Rowlf the Dog was a cast member on the Jimmy Dean Show in the early 60 's . He also had frequent roles in Muppets films such as The Muppet Movie , The Great Muppet Caper , and The Muppets Take Manhattan , and created advanced puppets for projects like Fraggle Rock , The Dark Crystal , and Labyrinth . During the later years of his life , he also founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson 's Creature Shop . His involvement in two television programs -- The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour -- led to Emmy Award wins .   Henson died of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome on May 16 , 1990 , at age 53 , twenty hours after experiencing a medical emergency -- an unexpected event that was widely lamented in the film and television industries . In the weeks after his death , he was celebrated in a wave of tributes . He was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 , and as a Disney Legend in 2011 .


Kill Bill: Volume 2 Kill Bill : Volume 2 is a 2004 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino . It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride , who continues her campaign of revenge against the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad ( Lucy Liu , Michael Madsen , Daryl Hannah and Vivica A. Fox ) and their leader Bill ( David Carradine ) , who tried to kill her and her unborn child .   Tarantino conceived Kill Bill as a homage to `` grindhouse '' cinema including martial arts films , samurai cinema , blaxploitation films , and spaghetti westerns . It is the second of two Kill Bill films produced simultaneously ; the first , Kill Bill : Volume 1 , was released in 2003 . The films were originally set for a single release , but the film , with a runtime of over four hours , was divided in two . Like Volume 1 , Volume 2 received positive reviews and was a commercial success .


Heather Graham played the title character in the series books.

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham ( born January 29 , 1970 ) is an American actress . After appearing in television commercials , her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy License to Drive ( 1988 ) , followed by the critically acclaimed film Drugstore Cowboy ( 1989 ) , which gained her initial industry notice . She then played supporting roles in films such as Shout ( 1991 ) , Diggstown ( 1992 ) , Six Degrees of Separation ( 1993 ) , Swingers ( 1996 ) and on the television series Twin Peaks ( 1991 ) and its prequel film Fire Walk with Me ( 1992 ) , before gaining critical praise in Paul Thomas Anderson 's Boogie Nights ( 1997 ) as porn starlet Brandy / Rollergirl . In 1999 , she co-starred in Bowfinger and Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me .   In the 2000s , Graham starred in films Committed ( 2000 ) , Say It Is n't So ( 2001 ) , Mary ( 2005 ) , Gray Matters ( 2007 ) , The Hangover ( 2009 ) and its sequel , The Hangover Part III ( 2013 ) . She also had a role on the television series Scrubs in 2004 , before playing the title character on the short-lived series Emily 's Reasons Why Not in 2006 . She also had recurring roles on Showtime 's Californication ( 2014 ) and Netflix 's Flaked ( 2016 ) .   Noted for portraying characters with vast sex appeal , she often appears in magazine lists of `` Most Beautiful '' and `` Sexiest '' women .  Graham is a public advocate for Children International , and supported the climate change campaign Global Cool in 2007 .


Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter ( born May 5 , 1960 ) is an American screenwriter , director , producer , and actor . He worked as a producer , writer , and director on The Shield , and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian . Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy on FX ; he wrote , produced , and directed the series , as well as played incarcerated club member Otto Delaney . Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California as research for Sons of Anarchy . Sutter 's wife , actress Katey Sagal , was one of the show 's lead actresses .


Sons of Anarchy Sons of Anarchy is an American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter , which aired from 2008 to 2014 . It follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming , a fictional town in California 's Central Valley . The show stars Charlie Hunnam as Jackson `` Jax '' Teller , initially the vice president , who begins questioning the club and himself . Brotherhood , loyalty and redemption are constant themes .   Sons of Anarchy premiered on September 3 , 2008 , on cable network FX . The series 's third season attracted an average of 4.9 million weekly viewers , making it FX 's highest rated series and surpassing its other hits The Shield , Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me . The season four and five premieres were the two highest-rated telecasts in FX 's history .   The sixth season aired from September 10 , 2013 , through December 10 , 2013 . The seventh and final season of the series premiered on September 9 , 2014 . The series finale premiered on December 9 , 2014 .   The series explores vigilantism , government corruption and racism , and depicts an outlaw motorcycle club as an analogy for human transformation . Real life Oakland Hell 's Angel David Labrava served as a technical adviser , and also played one of the main characters , Happy Lowman , the club 's assassin .   In November 2013 , Sutter indicated he was in talks with FX to make a Sons of Anarchy prequel set in the 1960s . In February 2015 , he said he would not work on the prequel , likely to be titled `` The First 9 '' , before 2017 . In November 2016 FX announced the development of a spin off series Mayans MC , centered around Latino culture , which will likely include past SOA characters in cameo roles .


Bill Nye William Sanford Nye ( born November 27 , 1955 ) , popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy , is an American science communicator , television presenter , and mechanical engineer . He is best known as the host of the PBS children 's science show Bill Nye the Science Guy ( 1993 -- 1998 ) , and for his many subsequent appearances in popular media as a science educator .   Nye began his career as a mechanical engineer for Boeing Corporation in Seattle , where he invented a hydraulic resonance suppressor tube used on 747 airplanes . In 1986 , Nye left Boeing to pursue comedy , writing and performing jokes and bits for the local sketch television show Almost Live ! , where he would regularly conduct wacky science experiments . Nye aspired to become the next Mr. Wizard and with the help of several producers successfully pitched the children 's television program Bill Nye the Science Guy to KCTS-TV , channel 9 , Seattle 's public television station . The show -- which proudly proclaimed in its theme song that `` science rules ! '' -- ran from 1994 to 1999 in national TV syndication . Known for its `` high-energy presentation and MTV-paced segments , '' the program became a hit for both kids and adults . The show was critically acclaimed and was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards , winning nineteen .   Following the success of his show , Nye continued to advocate for science , becoming the CEO of The Planetary Society and helping develop sundials for the Mars Exploration Rover missions . Nye has written multiple best-selling books on science , including Undeniable : Evolution and the Science of Creation in 2014 and Unstoppable : Harnessing Science to Change the World in 2015 . Nye has made frequent media appearances , including on Dancing with the Stars , The Big Bang Theory and Inside Amy Schumer . Nye starred in a documentary about his life and science advocacy titled Bill Nye : Science Guy , which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2017 . In 2017 , he debuted a Netflix series , entitled Bill Nye Saves the World .


The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase . The story revolves around the fictional character , New Jersey-based Italian American mobster Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) . The series portrays the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and his criminal organization . These are often highlighted during his therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) . The series features Tony 's family members , mafia colleagues and rivals , in prominent roles and story arcs , most notably his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ) and protégé Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ) .   After the pilot was ordered in 1997 , the show premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10 , 1999 , and ran its six seasons with 86 episodes to June 10 , 2007 . The series then went through syndication and has been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally . The Sopranos was produced by HBO , Chase Films , and Brad Grey Television . It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios , New York City , and on location in New Jersey . The executive producers throughout the show 's run were David Chase , Brad Grey , Robin Green , Mitchell Burgess , Ilene S. Landress , Terence Winter , and Matthew Weiner .   The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time . The series also won a multitude of awards , including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons , 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards . A staple of 2000s American popular culture , the series has been the subject of critical analysis , controversy , and parody . It has spawned books , a video game , high-charting soundtrack albums , and a large amount of assorted merchandise . Several members of the show 's cast and crew who were previously largely unknown to the public have had successful careers after The Sopranos . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time , while TV Guide ranked it the best television series of all time .


Saif Ali Khan has not been involved in comedy-dramas.

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


Quentin Tarantino released his film Reservoir Dogs in 1999.

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino ( -LSB- ˌtærənˈtiːnoʊ -RSB- born March 27 , 1963 ) is an American director , writer , and actor . His films are characterized by nonlinear storylines , satirical subject matter , an aestheticization of violence , extended scenes of dialogue , ensemble casts consisting of established and lesser-known performers , references to popular culture , soundtracks primarily containing songs and score pieces from the 1960s to the 1980s , and features of neo-noir film . He is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation .   His career began in the late 1980s , when he wrote and directed My Best Friend 's Birthday , the screenplay of which formed the basis for True Romance . In the early 1990s , he began his career as an independent filmmaker with the release of Reservoir Dogs in 1992 ; regarded as a classic and cult hit , it was called the `` Greatest Independent Film of All Time '' by Empire . Its popularity was boosted by his second film , Pulp Fiction ( 1994 ) , a black comedy crime film that was a major success both among critics and audiences . Judged the greatest film from 1983 -- 2008 by Entertainment Weekly , many critics and scholars have named it one of the most significant works of modern cinema . For his next effort , Tarantino paid homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s with Jackie Brown ( 1997 ) , an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch .   Kill Bill , a highly stylized `` revenge flick '' in the cinematic traditions of Kung fu films , Japanese martial arts , Spaghetti Westerns and Italian horror , followed six years later , and was released as two films : Volume 1 in 2003 and Volume 2 in 2004 . Tarantino directed Death Proof ( 2007 ) as part of a double feature with friend Robert Rodriguez , under the collective title Grindhouse . His long-postponed Inglourious Basterds , which tells the fictional alternate history story of two plots to assassinate Nazi Germany 's political leadership , was released in 2009 to positive reviews . After that came 2012 's critically acclaimed Django Unchained , a Western film set in the antebellum era of the Deep South . It became the highest-grossing film of his career so far , making over $ 425 million at the box office . His eighth film , the mystery Western The Hateful Eight , was released in its roadshow version December 25 , 2015 , in 70 mm film format , complete with opening `` overture '' and halfway-point intermission , after the fashion of big-budget films of the 1960s and early 1970s .   Tarantino 's films have garnered both critical and commercial success . He has received many industry awards , including two Academy Awards , two Golden Globe Awards , two BAFTA Awards and the Palme d'Or , and has been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy . He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2005 . Filmmaker and historian Peter Bogdanovich has called him `` the single most influential director of his generation '' . In December 2015 , Tarantino received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the film industry .


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


The Incredibles was worked on by many animators that worked on The Iron Giant.

The Incredibles The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film written and directed by Brad Bird , produced by Pixar Animation Studios , and released by Walt Disney Pictures . The film follows a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers and live a quiet suburban life . Mr. Incredible 's desire to help people draws the entire family into a battle with his longtime enemy -- Syndrome , who was once his fan and now plots to wipe out every single superhuman being on Earth with his killer robot .   Bird , who was Pixar 's first outside director , developed the film as an extension of 1960s comic books and spy films from his boyhood and personal family life . He pitched the film to Pixar after the box office disappointment of his first feature , The Iron Giant ( 1999 ) , and carried over much of its staff to develop The Incredibles . The animation team was tasked with animating an all-human cast , which required creating new technology to animate detailed human anatomy , clothing and realistic skin and hair . Michael Giacchino composed the film 's orchestral score .   The film premiered on October 27 , 2004 , at the BFI London Film Festival and had its general release in the United States on November 5 , 2004 . The film performed well at the box office , grossing $ 633 million worldwide during its original theatrical run . The Incredibles was met with high critical acclaim , garnering high marks from professional critics , and provoking commentary on its themes . The film received the 2004 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature , along with two Academy Awards . It became the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation .   A sequel , The Incredibles 2 , is scheduled for release on June 15 , 2018 .