Bill Nye's career began as a mechanical engineer.

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 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held in July.

1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 69th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League ( AL ) and National League ( NL ) , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball . The game was held on July 7 , 1998 , at Coors Field in Denver , Colorado , the home of the Colorado Rockies of the National League . The game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 13-8 . It was ( and remains ) the highest-scoring All-Star Game in MLB history .   The pregame ceremony honored the United States Air Force Academy who provided the five-man color guard , flag presentations , and , at the end of country music singer Faith Hill 's performance of the U.S. National Anthem , the flyover ceremonies . Hill 's National Anthem performance was preceded by actress Gloria Reuben 's performance of The Canadian National Anthem .   Twelve-year-old Elias Kurts was given the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch , the first `` non-celebrity '' so honored .


Sarah Palin ran for office alongside a senator from Arizona.

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 .


Drake's debut studio album is certified platinum.

Drake (musician) Aubrey Drake Graham ( born October 24 , 1986 ) better known by the stage name Drake , is a Canadian rapper , singer , songwriter , record producer , and actor . Drake initially gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi : The Next Generation in the early 2000s . Intent on pursuing a career as a rapper , he departed the series in 2007 following the release of his debut mixtape , Room for Improvement . He released two further independent projects , Comeback Season and So Far Gone , before signing to Lil Wayne 's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009 .   Drake released his debut studio album Thank Me Later in 2010 , which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . His next two releases were 2011 's Take Care and 2013 's Nothing Was the Same , with certifications of quadruple and triple platinum respectively in the U.S. , with the former also earning him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album . They were followed by two mixtapes , with the trap-influenced If You 're Reading This It 's Too Late , and a collaboration with Future for What a Time to Be Alive , in 2015 , which both also earned platinum certification in the U.S.   Drake released his fourth album , Views , in 2016 , breaking several chart records in the process . The dancehall-influenced album sat atop the Billboard 200 for ten nonconsecutive weeks , becoming the first album by a solo male to do so in over 10 years . Its single `` One Dance '' topped the chart in several countries , including the U.S. , the UK and Canada , where it became his first number-one single as the lead artist . This saw Drake leading the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 simultaneously for eight weeks , coming close to a record held by Whitney Houston . It achieved quadruple platinum status in the U.S. , and earned over 1 million album-equivalent units in the first week of its release . The single `` Hotline Bling '' secured him his second and third Grammy win , for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song , at the organization 's 59th ceremony .   Drake released the multi-genre More Life in 2017 . Described by Drake as a playlist , it was his seventh consecutive number one on the Billboard 200 , and set multiple streaming records .   Drake owns several Billboard chart records . He has the most charted songs ( 154 ) among solo artists in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 , the most simultaneously charted Hot 100 songs in a single week ( 24 ) , and the most Hot 100 debuts in a week ( 21 ) . Drake also has the most number one singles on the Hot Rap Songs , Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Charts . Alongside his Grammy Award wins , Drake has won three Juno Awards and six American Music Awards .   Drake has developed other ventures , including his OVO Sound record label with longtime collaborator Noah `` 40 '' Shebib . Drake acts as a producer , producing under the pseudonym of Champagne Papi . Using the `` OVO '' moniker , Drake has his own clothing line and his own program on Beats 1 Radio . He is also currently acting as the global ambassador for NBA franchise , the Toronto Raptors .


India has a government with elected officials.

India India , officially the Republic of India ( Bhārat Gaṇarājya '' ) , is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by area , the second-most populous country ( with over 1.2 billion people ) , and the most populous democracy in the world . It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast . It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the northeast ; and Myanmar ( Burma ) and Bangladesh to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives . India 's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia .   The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE . In the following millennium , the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed . Social stratification , based on caste , emerged in the first millennium BCE , and Buddhism and Jainism arose . Early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires ; the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia . In the medieval era , Judaism , Zoroastrianism , Christianity , and Islam arrived , and Sikhism emerged , all adding to the region 's diverse culture . Much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate ; the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire . The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal Empire . In the mid-18th century , the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule , and in the mid-19th under British crown rule . A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century , which later , under Mahatma Gandhi , was noted for nonviolent resistance and led to India 's independence in 1947 .   In 2015 , the Indian economy was the world 's seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity . Following market-based economic reforms in 1991 , India became one of the fastest-growing major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country . However , it continues to face the challenges of poverty , corruption , malnutrition , and inadequate public healthcare . A nuclear weapons state and regional power , it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks fifth in military expenditure among nations . India is a federal republic governed under a parliamentary system and consists of 29 states and 7 union territories . It is a pluralistic , multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats .


Diego Luna Diego Luna Alexander ( -LSB- ˈdjeɣo ˈluna -RSB- ; born 29 December 1979 ) is a Mexican actor , producer and director . After starring in telenovelas early in his career , he has appeared in many films , including Y tu mamá también , Dirty Dancing : Havana Nights , Rudo y Cursi and the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One . He also provided the Spanish language narration for the National Geographic Channel documentary Great Migrations .


Cher Cher ( -LSB- ˈʃɛər -RSB- born Cherilyn Sarkisian , May 20 , 1946 ) is an American singer and actress . Sometimes referred to as the Goddess of Pop , she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry . She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment , as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her five-decade-long career .   Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song `` I Got You Babe '' reached number one on the American and British charts . By the end of 1967 , they had sold 40 million records worldwide and had become , according to Time magazine , rock 's `` it '' couple . She began her solo career simultaneously , releasing in 1966 her first million-seller song , `` Bang Bang ( My Baby Shot Me Down ) '' . She became a television personality in the 1970s with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour , watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run , and Cher . She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows . While working on television , she established herself as a solo artist with the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles `` Gypsys , Tramps & Thieves '' , `` Half-Breed '' , and `` Dark Lady '' . After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975 , Cher launched a comeback in 1979 with the disco-oriented album Take Me Home and earned $ 300,000 a week for her 198082 residency show in Las Vegas .   In 1982 , Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the Five and Dime , Jimmy Dean , Jimmy Dean and starred in the film adaptation of the same title . She subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood ( 1983 ) , Mask ( 1985 ) , and Moonstruck ( 1987 ) , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress . She then revived her musical career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher ( 1987 ) , Heart of Stone ( 1989 ) , and Love Hurts ( 1991 ) , all of which yielded several successful singles . She reached a new commercial peak in 1998 with the album Believe , whose title track became the biggest-selling single of all time by a female artist in the UK . It also features the pioneering use of Auto-Tune , also known as the `` Cher effect '' . Her 2002 -- 2005 Living Proof : The Farewell Tour became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time , earning $ 250 million . In 2008 , she signed a $ 180 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years . After seven years of absence , she returned to film in the 2010 musical Burlesque . Cher 's first studio album in 12 years , Closer to the Truth ( 2013 ) , became her highest-charting solo album in the U.S. to date at number three .   Cher has won a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , an Academy Award , three Golden Globe Awards , a Cannes Film Festival Award , and a special CFDA Fashion Award , among several other honors . Throughout her career , she has sold 100 million records worldwide , becoming one of the best-selling music artists in the music history . She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each decade from the 1960s to the 2010s . Outside of her music and acting , she is noted for her political views , philanthropic endeavors and social activism , including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention .


Love Hurts (Cher album) Love Hurts is the twentieth studio album by American singer-actress Cher , released on June 11 , 1991 by Geffen Records . The RIAA certified it Gold on August 27 , 1991 . It is the final studio album with the record label Geffen . The lead single from the album was , `` Love and Understanding '' and the follow-up singles were `` Save Up All Your Tears '' , `` Love Hurts '' , `` Could 've Been You '' and `` When Lovers Become Strangers '' . It debuted at # 48 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with the sales of 19,000 . Billboard stated in November 2011 that Love Hurts has sold 600,000 copies in the US .


Believe (Cher album) Believe is the twenty-second studio album by American singer-actress Cher , first released on October 22 , 1998 by WEA and distributed in North America by Warner Bros. . Records . Following the failure of her previous studio album It 's a Man 's World , her record company encouraged her to return to the studio to pursue a new musical direction . Recording took place over the summer at the Dreamhouse Studios in London and the Soundworks Studios in New York under the guidance of English producers Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling . The album was dedicated to her ex-husband Sonny Bono , who died earlier that year .   Believe represents a complete musical departure from her previous works , consisting of dance-pop and Eurodance oriented styles , yet it includes a broader range of various musical genres such as techno , house , disco and Latin while its lyrical topics include freedom , individualism and relationships . The album features some of the new technology of the time , like the usage of Auto-tune , which would eventually become known as the `` Cher effect '' . Upon release , the album received mixed reviews from music critics , who commended Cher 's vocal performance , while others criticized the high amount of vocoder and its overall production . It won one Grammy for `` Best Dance Recording '' from a total of three nominations .   Commercially , Believe proved to be extremely successful , peaking at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of four million copies across the United States . The record reached the peak position in Austria , Canada , Denmark , Germany , New Zealand and Portugal , and charted within ' the top ten in France , Spain , United Kingdom , United States and several other international territories .   Four singles were released from the album . The first single , `` Believe '' , became one of the biggest-selling singles ever by topping the charts in a total of 23 countries and has sold more than 10 million copies . `` Strong Enough '' was released as the second single from the album , being less successful than Believe , especially in the US and UK , peaking at numbers 57 and 5 , respectively . `` All or Nothing '' and `` Dov ' è l'amore '' were released as the third and fourth singles respectively , both becoming moderately successful . In order to support Believe , Cher embarked on her sixth concert tour entitled the Do You Believe ? Tour which became one of the highest grossing tour ever for a female artist at that time .


Closer to the Truth (Cher album) Closer to the Truth is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer-actress Cher . It was released on September 20 , 2013 by Warner Bros. . Records . Opting to re-establish her music career , she began planning the project in 2011 , shortly after her appearance in the movie Burlesque and the conclusion of her residency show at Caesars Palace . Work continued into 2012 and 2013 . While the album was initially planned to be pop rock-oriented , Closer to the Truth ultimately became a prominently dance-inspired record . As executive producer , she enlisted longtime collaborator Mark Taylor to work alongside new producers such as Paul Oakenfold , Billy Mann , Timbaland and MachoPsycho to achieve Cher 's desired sound .   Described by Cher as `` very eclectic '' and `` her best album ever '' , Closer to the Truth is not that much of a musical departure from her previous material , resulting in a primarily dance-pop record , yet it includes a broader range of various musical genres such as house , synthpop , EDM , soft rock and country and contains influences by the music of the 1990s . The lyrical themes revolve largely around romance , feminism , individualism and self-empowerment . The album also features additional vocals and songwriting duties from several new partners , including singers Pink and Jake Shears .   The album received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics , and was a success commercially , debuting and peaking at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 63,000 copies , becoming Cher 's highest-peaking solo album in the United States . As of February 2014 , it sold 285,000 copies in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan and was certified gold by Music Canada . It charted within the top ten in Canada , Germany , Russia and the United Kingdom as well as moderately throughout several other international territories .   `` Woman 's World '' was released as the lead single from Closer to the Truth on June 18 , 2013 , in the United States and Canada , and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs . The second single , `` I Hope You Find It '' , was released on October 4 , 2013 , and charted strongly in several European national record charts . It was followed by promotional singles `` Take It Like a Man '' and `` I Walk Alone '' . Cher promoted Closer to the Truth with several television appearances and performances worldwide . She garnered widespread media attention when she declined the invitation to perform at the 2014 Winter Olympics because of Russia 's anti-LGBT sentiments . Later , Cher embarked on her sixth concert tour titled the Dressed to Kill Tour on March 22 , 2014 .


Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually since the awards debuted in 1929 , by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) . This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category in which every member is eligible to submit a nomination and vote on the final ballot . The actors or actresses in the film will not accept this award unless he or she produced the film .   Best Picture is considered the premier award of the Academy Awards , as it represents all the directing , acting , music composing , writing , editing , and other efforts put forth into a film production . Since 1973 , it is the final award presented at the ceremony and a drum roll was used when the winner is announced .   The Grand Staircase columns at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles , where the Academy Awards ceremonies have been held since 2002 , showcase every film that has won the Best Picture title since the award 's inception . As of 2017 , there have been 537 films nominated for Best Picture .


Room (2015 film) Room is a 2015 independent drama film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue , based on her novel of the same name . It stars Brie Larson as a woman who has been held captive for seven years , and whose 5-year-old son ( Jacob Tremblay ) was born in captivity . Their escape allows the boy to experience the outside world for the first time . The film also stars Joan Allen , Sean Bridgers , and William H. Macy .   A co-production of Canada and Ireland , Room was shot in Toronto , with the eponymous Room set built at Pinewood Toronto Studios . The crew designed each part of the Room set to be removable to fit the crew . Larson researched trauma and nutrition for her part , while numerous children were considered for the role of Jack .   Room premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 4 September 2015 and had a limited release in the United States on 16 October 2015 , to acclaim from critics . Larson won multiple awards for her performance , including the Academy Award for Best Actress , the BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award , and the Screen Actors Guild Award . Room also received three other Academy Award nominations , including Best Picture and Best Director .


William R. Tolbert Jr. only served as President of Liberia from 1970 until 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 .


Batman Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , and first appeared in Detective Comics # 27 ( 1939 ) . Originally named the `` Bat-Man '' , the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader , the Dark Knight , and the World 's Greatest Detective .   Batman 's secret identity is Bruce Wayne , a wealthy American playboy , philanthropist , and owner of Wayne Enterprises . After witnessing the murder of his parents Dr. Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne as a child , he swore vengeance against criminals , an oath tempered by a sense of justice . Bruce Wayne trains himself physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight crime .   Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City with assistance from various supporting characters , including his butler Alfred , police commissioner Gordon , and vigilante allies such as Robin . Unlike most superheroes , Batman does not possess any superpowers ; rather , he relies on his genius intellect , physical prowess , martial arts abilities , detective skills , science and technology , vast wealth , intimidation , and indomitable will . A large assortment of villains make up Batman 's rogues gallery , including his archenemy , the Joker .   The character became popular soon after his introduction in 1939 and gained his own comic book title , Batman , the following year . As the decades went on , differing interpretations of the character emerged . The late 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic , which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended . Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots , culminating in 1986 with The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller . The success of Warner Bros. ' live-action Batman feature films have helped maintain the public 's interest in the character .   An American cultural icon , Batman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media , from radio to television and film , and appears on various merchandise sold all over the world , such as toys and video games . The character has also intrigued psychiatrists , with many trying to understand the character 's psyche . In 2015 , FanSided ranked Batman as number one on their list of `` 50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History '' . Kevin Conroy , Bruce Greenwood , Peter Weller , Anthony Ruivivar , Jason O'Mara , and Will Arnett , among others , have provided the character 's voice for animated adaptations . Batman has been portrayed in both film and television by Lewis Wilson , Robert Lowery , Adam West , Michael Keaton , Val Kilmer , George Clooney , Christian Bale , and Ben Affleck .


Bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera ( -LSB- kaɪˈrɒptərə -RSB- from the χείρ - cheir , `` hand '' and πτερόν - pteron , `` wing '' ) whose forelimbs form webbed wings , making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight . By contrast , other mammals said to fly , such as flying squirrels , gliding possums , and colugos , can only glide for short distances . Bats are less efficient at flying than birds , but are more manoeuvrable , using their very long spread-out digits which are covered with a thin membrane or patagium .   Bats are the second largest order of mammals ( after the rodents ) , representing about 20 % of all classified mammal species worldwide , with about 1,240 bat species divided into two suborders : the less specialized and largely fruit-eating megabats , or flying foxes , and the highly specialized and echolocating microbats . About 70 % of bat species are insectivores . Most of the rest are frugivores , or fruit eaters . A few species , such as the fish-eating bat , feed from animals other than insects , with the vampire bats being hematophagous , or feeding on blood .   Bats are present throughout most of the world , with the exception of extremely cold regions . They perform the vital ecological roles of pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds ; many tropical plant species depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds . Bats are economically important , as they consume insect pests , reducing the need for pesticides . The smallest bat is the Kitti 's hog-nosed bat , measuring 29 - in length , 15 cm across the wings and 2 - in mass . It is also arguably the smallest extant species of mammal , with the Etruscan shrew being the other contender . The largest species of bat are a few species of Pteropus ( fruit bats or flying foxes ) and the giant golden-crowned flying fox with a weight up to 1.6 kg and wingspan up to 1.7 m.   The Mexican free-tailed bat is the fastest flying animal in horizontal flight .


Kitti's hog-nosed bat Kitti 's hog-nosed bat ( Craseonycteris thonglongyai ) , also known as the bumblebee bat , is a vulnerable species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae . It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Burma , where it occupies limestone caves along rivers .   Kitti 's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world 's smallest mammal . It has a reddish-brown or grey coat , with a distinctive pig-like snout . Colonies range greatly in size , with an average of 100 individuals per cave . The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn , foraging around nearby forest areas for insects . Females give birth annually to a single offspring .   Although the bat 's status in Burma is not well known , the Thai population is restricted to a single province and may be at risk for extinction . Its potential threats are primarily anthropogenic , and include habitat degradation and the disturbance of roosting sites .


The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country in Central Africa.

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( -LSB- ˈkɒŋɡəʊ -RSB- -LSB- kɔ̃ɡo -RSB- ; République démocratique du Congo ) , also known as DR Congo , DRC , DROC , Congo-Kinshasa or simply the Congo , is a country located in Central Africa . The DRC borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north ; Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi and Tanzania to the east ; Zambia and Angola to the south ; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest . It is the second-largest country in Africa by area and eleventh largest in the world . With a population of over 80 million , the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country , the fourth most-populated nation in Africa and the eighteenth most populated country in the world .   The territory of the DR Congo was first settled by humans around 90,000 years ago . Bantu peoples began migrating into the region in the 5th century and again in the 10th century . In the West of the region the Kingdom of Kongo ruled from the 14th to 19th centuries , while in the centre and East of the region the kingdoms of Luba and Lunda ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century . In the 1870s , before the onset of the Scramble for Africa , European exploration of the Congo was carried out , first led by Sir Henry Morton Stanley under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium . Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin in 1885 and made the land his private property . He named it the Congo Free State . During the Free State the colonial military unit , the Force Publique , forced the local population into producing rubber , and from 1885 to 1908 millions of Congolese died as a consequence of disease and exploitation . In 1908 Belgium , despite initial reluctance , formally annexed the Free State from Leopold , which became the Belgian Congo .   The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30 June 1960 under the name Republic of the Congo ( Léopoldville ) . Congolese nationalist Patrice Lumumba was elected the first Prime Minister , while Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the first President . Conflict arose over the administration of the territory which became known as the Congo Crisis . The provinces of Katanga , under Moïse Tshombe , and South Kasai attempted to secede from the Congo . On 5 September 1960 , Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba from office , encouraged by the United States and Belgium after Lumumba turned to the Soviet Union for assistance in the crisis . On 14 September , with U.S. and Belgian support , Lumumba was arrested by forces loyal to Army Chief of Staff Joseph-Désiré Mobutu , who had gained de facto control over the country through a coup d'état the same day , and on 17 January 1961 Lumumba was handed over to Katangan authorities and executed by Belgian-led Katangese troops .   In 1965 Joseph-Désiré Mobutu , who later renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko , officially came into power through a second coup . In 1971 he renamed the country Zaire . The country was run as a one-party state with his Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal party . Mobutu 's government received considerable support from the United States for its anti-communist stance during the Cold War . By the early 1990s Mobutu 's government began to weaken . Disenfranchisement of the eastern Congolese Tutsi population led to a 1996 invasion led by Tutsi-ruled Rwanda , which began the First Congo War . On 17 May 1997 Laurent-Désiré Kabila , a leader of Tutsi forces from the province of South Kivu , became President , bringing about the end of Mobutu 's 32-year rule . Tensions between President Kabila and the Rwandan and Tutsi presence in the country led to the Second Congo War from 1998 to 2003 . Ultimately , nine African countries and around twenty armed groups became involved in the war , which resulted in the deaths of 5.4 million people . The two wars together devastated the country . President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards on 16 January 2001 and was succeeded eight days later as President by his son Joseph Kabila .   The Democratic Republic of Congo is extremely rich in natural resources but has had political instability , a lack of infrastructure , issues with corruption and centuries of both commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation with little holistic development . Besides the capital Kinshasa , the two next largest cities Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi are both mining communities . DR Congo 's largest export is raw minerals , with China accepting over 50 % of DRC 's exports in 2012 . , according to the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , DR Congo 's level of human development ranks 176 out of 187 countries .


Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( -LSB- ˈriːoʊ_di_ʒəˈnɛəroʊ , _ - deɪ_ʒə - , _ - də_dʒə - -RSB- -LSB- ˈʁi.u d ( ʒi ) ʒɐˈnejɾu -RSB- ; River of January ) , or simply Rio , is the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous in the Americas . The metropolis is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area , the second-most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and sixth-most populous in the Americas . Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil 's third-most populous state . Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site , named `` Rio de Janeiro : Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea '' , by UNESCO on 1 July 2012 as a Cultural Landscape .   Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese , the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro , a domain of the Portuguese Empire . Later , in 1763 , it became the capital of the State of Brazil , a state of the Portuguese Empire . In 1808 , when the Portuguese Royal Court transferred itself from Portugal to Brazil , Rio de Janeiro became the chosen seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal , who subsequently , in 1815 , under the leadership of her son , the Prince Regent , and future King João VI of Portugal , raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom , within the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil , and Algarves . Rio stayed the capital of the pluricontinental Lusitanian monarchy until 1822 , when the War of Brazilian Independence began . This is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonising country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies . Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy , the Empire of Brazil , until 1889 , and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to Brasília .   Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country , and 30th largest in the world in 2008 , estimated at about R$ 343 billion ( IBGE , 2008 ) ( nearly US$ 201 billion ) . It is headquarters to Brazilian oil , mining , and telecommunications companies , including two of the country 's major corporations -- Petrobras and Vale -- and Latin America 's largest telemedia conglomerate , Grupo Globo . The home of many universities and institutes , it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil , accounting for 17 % of national scientific output according to 2005 data .   Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings , Carnival , samba , bossa nova , and balneario beaches such as Barra da Tijuca , Copacabana , Ipanema , and Leblon . In addition to the beaches , some of the most famous landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain , named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World ; Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car ; the Sambódromo ( Sambadrome ) , a permanent grandstand-lined parade avenue which is used during Carnival ; and Maracanã Stadium , one of the world 's largest football stadiums .   Rio de Janeiro was the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics , making the city the first South American and Portuguese-speaking city to host the events , and the third time the Olympics were held in a Southern Hemisphere city . The Maracanã Stadium held the finals of the 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups , the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup , and the XV Pan American Games .   The city is divided into 33 administrative regions .


Brazilian Carnival Carnival of Brazil ' ( Carnaval do Brasil , -LSB- kaʁnaˈvaw -RSB- ) is an annual Brazilian festival held between the Friday afternoon ( 51 days before Easter ) and Ash Wednesday at noon , which marks the beginning of Lent , the forty-day period before Easter . On certain days of Lent , Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry , hence the term `` carnival , '' from carnelevare , `` to remove ( literally , `` raise '' ) meat . ''   Rhythm , participation , and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another . In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro , São Paulo , and Vitória , huge organized parades are led by samba schools . Those official parades are meant to be watched by the public , while minor parades ( `` blocos '' ) allowing public participation can be found in other cities , like Belo Horizonte , also in the southeastern region . The northeastern cities of Recife , Olinda , Salvador , and Porto Seguro have organized groups parading through streets , and public interacts directly with them . This carnival is also influenced by African-Brazilian culture . It is a six-day party where crowds follow the trios elétricos through the city streets , dancing and singing . Also in northeast , Olinda carnival features unique characteristics , heavily influenced by local folklore and cultural manifestations , such as Frevo and Maracatu '' .   The typical genres of music of Brazilian carnival are , in the Southeast Region in general , mostly cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo : the samba-enredo , the samba de bloco , the samba de embalo and the marchinha ; and in the Northeast Region including Pernambuco ( mostly cities of Olinda and Recife ) : frevo and maracatu , and Bahia ( mostly the city of Salvador ) : samba-reggae , pagode ( also a type of Samba ) and the main genre axé music .   Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions . Except for industrial production , retail establishments such as malls , and carnival-related businesses , the country unifies completely for almost a week and festivities are intense , day and night , mainly in coastal cities . Rio de Janeiro 's carnival alone drew 4.9 million people in 2011 , with 400,000 being foreigners .   Arguably , this cultural manifestation could be historically traced to the Portuguese Age of Discoveries when their caravels passed regularly through Madeira , a territory which already celebrated emphatically its carnival season , and where they were loaded with goods but also people and their ludic and cultural expressions .


The ideology of Adolf Hitler was motivated by race.

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler ( -LSB- ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ -RSB- ; 20 April 1889 -- 30 April 1945 ) was a German politician who was the leader of the Nazi Party ( Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei ; NSDAP ) , Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 , and Führer ( `` Leader '' ) of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945 . As dictator of the German Reich , he initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 , and was central to the Holocaust .   Hitler was born in Austria , then part of Austria-Hungary , and raised near Linz . He moved to Germany in 1913 and was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War I . He joined the German Workers ' Party ( DAP ) , the precursor of the NSDAP , in 1919 and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921 . In 1923 he attempted a coup in Munich to seize power . The failed coup resulted in Hitler 's imprisonment , during which he dictated the first volume of his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf ( `` My Struggle '' ) . After his release in 1924 , Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism , anti-semitism , and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda . Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy .   By 1933 , the Nazi Party was the largest elected party in the German Reichstag , which led to Hitler 's appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 . Following fresh elections won by his coalition , the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act , which began the process of transforming the Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany , a one-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of National Socialism . Hitler aimed to eliminate Jews from Germany and establish a New Order to counter what he saw as the injustice of the post-World War I international order dominated by Britain and France . His first six years in power resulted in rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression , the effective abandonment of restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I , and the annexation of territories that were home to millions of ethnic Germans -- actions which gave him significant popular support .   Hitler sought Lebensraum ( `` living space '' ) for the German people in Eastern Europe . His aggressive foreign policy is considered to be the primary cause of the outbreak of World War II in Europe . He directed large-scale rearmament and on 1 September 1939 invaded Poland , resulting in British and French declarations of war on Germany . In June 1941 , Hitler ordered an invasion of the Soviet Union . By the end of 1941 German forces and the European Axis powers occupied most of Europe and North Africa . Failure to defeat the Soviets and the entry of the United States into the war forced Germany onto the defensive and it suffered a series of escalating defeats . In the final days of the war , during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 , Hitler married his long-time lover , Eva Braun . On 30 April 1945 , less than two days later , the two killed themselves to avoid capture by the Red Army , and their corpses were burned .   Under Hitler 's leadership and racially motivated ideology , the Nazi regime was responsible for the genocide of at least 5.5 million Jews and millions of other victims whom he and his followers deemed Untermenschen ( `` sub-humans '' ) and socially undesirable . Hitler and the Nazi regime were also responsible for the killing of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war . In addition , 29 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European Theatre of World War II . The number of civilians killed during the Second World War was unprecedented in warfare , and constitutes the deadliest conflict in human history .


Cindy McCain Cindy Lou Hensley McCain ( born May 20 , 1954 ) is an American businesswoman , philanthropist , and humanitarian , and the wife of long-time United States Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona .   She was born and raised in Phoenix , Arizona , as the daughter of wealthy beer distributor Jim Hensley . After receiving bachelor 's and master 's degrees from the University of Southern California , she became a special education teacher . She married John McCain in 1980 and the couple moved to Arizona in 1981 , where her husband would be elected to the United States Congress the following year and has been in office since then . The couple had three children together , in addition to adopting another . From 1988 to 1995 , she founded and operated a nonprofit organization , the American Voluntary Medical Team , which organized trips by medical personnel to disaster-stricken or war-torn third-world areas . During this time , she became addicted to painkillers for several years and resorted to having a physician write illegal prescriptions on her behalf . She reached an agreement with the government in which no charges were filed against her .   Upon her father 's death in 2000 , she inherited majority control and became chair of Hensley & Co. , one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the United States . She participated in both of her husband 's presidential campaigns and , in 2008 , drew both positive and negative scrutiny for her appearance , demeanor , wealth , spending habits , and financial obligations . She continues to be an active philanthropist and serves on the boards of Operation Smile , Eastern Congo Initiative , CARE and HALO Trust , frequently making overseas trips in conjunction with their activities . During the 2010s she has become prominent in the fight against human trafficking .


Arizona Arizona ( -LSB- ɛərᵻˈzoʊnə , _ ærᵻ - -RSB- ) ( Hoozdo Hahoodzo -LSB- xòːztò xɑ̀xòːtsò -RSB- O'odham : Alĭ ṣonak -LSB- ˡaɺi ˡʃonak -RSB- ) is a state in the southwestern region of the United States . It is also part of the Western and the Mountain states . It is the sixth largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states . Its capital and largest city is Phoenix . Arizona is one of the Four Corners states . It has borders with New Mexico , Utah , Nevada , California , and Mexico , and one point in common with the southwestern corner of Colorado . Arizona 's border with Mexico is 389 miles ( 626 km ) long , on the northern border of the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California .   Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union , achieving statehood on February 14 , 1912 . Historically part of the territory of Alta California in New Spain , it became part of independent Mexico in 1821 . After being defeated in the Mexican -- American War , Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848 . The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase .   Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate , with very hot summers and mild winters . Northern Arizona features forests of pine , Douglas fir , and spruce trees ; the Colorado Plateau ; some mountain ranges ( such as the San Francisco Mountains ) ; as well as large , deep canyons , with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls . There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff , Alpine , and Tucson . In addition to the Grand Canyon National Park , there are several national forests , national parks , and national monuments .   About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes , including the Navajo Nation , the largest in the state and the United States , with more than 300,000 citizens . Although federal law gave all Native Americans the right to vote in 1924 , Arizona excluded those living on reservations from voting until its state Supreme Court ruled in 1948 in favor of Native American plaintiffs .


Laadla (1994 film) Laadla ( translation : The Beloved Son ) is a Bollywood film released on 17 April 1994 , starring Sridevi , Anil Kapoor and Raveena Tandon . The film was notable because Divya Bharti was to star as the lead role Sheetal , filming most of the film . However , due to her untimely death in 1993 , Laadla was re-filmed with Sridevi in the lead role . Footage of late Divya Bharti as Sheetal is available on the internet . Laadla is the remake of Rajkumar 's blockbuster Kannada movie called Anuraga Aralithu ( 1986 ) . Laadla was a Box Office Hit dominated by Sridevi 's presence who was quite a big star at that time .


Tom Brady is a quarterback on the Patriots.

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


Jing Tian Jing Tian ( born July 21 , 1988 ) is a Chinese actress . She graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy and Beijing Film Academy . She is known for her roles in The Warring States , Special ID , and Police Story 2013 . She is part of the cast for three Legendary Pictures films , 2016 's The Great Wall , 2017 's Kong : Skull Island , and the upcoming Pacific Rim : Uprising .


The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert , which premiered on September 8 , 2015 . Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Television Studios , The Late Show with Stephen Colbert '' is the second iteration of CBS 's Late Show franchise . Stay Human , led by bandleader Jon Batiste , serves as the program 's house band , and the announcer is program writer Jen Spyra .   The program is taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City and airs live to tape in most U.S. markets at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific , and 10:35 in the Central and is repeated several times a day .


Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/TV production company founded by Will Ferrell , Adam McKay and Chris Henchy . The website Funny Or Die contains exclusive material from a regular staff of in-house writers , producers , and directors , and occasionally from a number of famous contributors like Judd Apatow , James Franco , and Norm Macdonald . The production company makes TV shows like truTV 's Billy on the Street , Comedy Central 's @midnight , and Zach Galifianakis 's popular Emmy-winning web series Between Two Ferns .   Many videos on the site feature well-known actors ( examples include Steve Carell , Charlie Sheen , Ryan Gosling , Patrick Stewart , Daniel Radcliffe , Sophia Bush , Mila Kunis , AnnaSophia Robb , Hilary Duff , Adam West , James Van Der Beek , Jim Carrey , Ariel Winter , and Selena Gomez ) . Michael Kvamme , an aspiring young comedian , came up with a concept for a new kind of comedy site ; and the site was developed by Randy Adams .   Funny Or Die launched on April 12 , 2007 with the site 's first video , `` The Landlord '' . `` The Landlord '' has received over 84 million views and features Ferrell confronted by a swearing , beer-drinking two-year-old landlord . In June 2007 , they received venture capital funding from Sequoia Capital , and in June 2008 , they announced a partnership with HBO . On August 3 , 2016 , Funny or Die shut-down one of its California offices , reducing its headcount by 30 % to 95 employees , with the announcement coming just two month after the new CEO , Mike Farah , took office


Gold Gold is a chemical element with symbol Au ( from aurum ) and atomic number 79 . In its purest form , it is a bright , slightly reddish yellow , dense , soft , malleable , and ductile metal . Chemically , gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element . It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions . Gold often occurs in free elemental ( native ) form , as nuggets or grains , in rocks , in veins , and in alluvial deposits . It occurs in a solid solution series with the native element silver ( as electrum ) and also naturally alloyed with copper and palladium . Less commonly , it occurs in minerals as gold compounds , often with tellurium ( gold tellurides ) .   Gold 's atomic number of 79 makes it one of the higher numbered , naturally occurring elements . It is thought to have been produced in supernova nucleosynthesis , from the collision of neutron stars , and to have been present in the dust from which the Solar System formed . Because the Earth was molten when it was formed , almost all of the gold present in the early Earth probably sank into the planetary core . Therefore , most of the gold that is present today in the Earth 's crust and mantle is thought to have been delivered to Earth later , by asteroid impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment , about 4 billion years ago .   Gold is resistant to most acids , though it does dissolve in aqua regia , a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid , which forms a soluble tetrachloroaurate anion . Gold is insoluble in nitric acid , which dissolves silver and base metals , a property that has long been used to refine gold and to confirm the presence of gold in metallic objects , giving rise to the term acid test . Gold also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide , which are used in mining and electroplating . Gold dissolves in mercury , forming amalgam alloys , but this is not a chemical reaction .   Historically , the value of gold was rooted in its relative rarity , easy handling and minting , easy smelting and fabrication , resistance to corrosion and other chemical reactions ( nobility ) and its distinctive color . As a precious metal , gold has been used for coinage , jewelry , and other arts throughout recorded history . In the past , a gold standard was often implemented as a monetary policy , but gold coins ceased to be minted as a circulating currency in the 1930s , and the world gold standard was abandoned for a fiat currency system after 1976 .   A total of 186,700 tonnes of gold is in existence above ground , as of 2015 . The world consumption of new gold produced is about 50 % in jewelry , 40 % in investments , and 10 % in industry . Gold 's high malleability , ductility , resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions , and conductivity of electricity have led to its continued use in corrosion resistant electrical connectors in all types of computerized devices ( its chief industrial use ) . Gold is also used in infrared shielding , colored-glass production , gold leafing , and tooth restoration . Certain gold salts are still used as anti-inflammatories in medicine . As of 2014 , the world 's largest gold producer by far was China with 450 tonnes .


Sanjay Gupta was an advisor to Hillary Clinton.

Sanjay Gupta Sanjay Gupta ( -LSB- ˈsɑːndʒeɪ_ˈɡuːptə -RSB- ; born October 23 , 1969 ) is an American neurosurgeon and media reporter . He serves as associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta , Georgia , and as assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine .   A media personality on health-related issues , he is best known as CNN 's multiple Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent , hosting the network 's weekend health program Sanjay Gupta , M.D. , and making frequent appearances on their American Morning , Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360 ° programs . His reports from Charity Hospital , New Orleans , Louisiana , in the wake of Hurricane Katrina led to him winning a 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast . Additionally , Gupta publishes a column in Time magazine and is a special correspondent for CBS News . His books Chasing Life and Cheating Death were New York Times and national bestsellers . His latest book , Monday Mornings , a novel , was released in March 2012 and became an instant New York Times bestseller . It was adapted as a 2013 television series with David E. Kelley and Gupta serving as executive producers .   From 1997 to 1998 , he served as one of fifteen White House Fellows , primarily as an advisor to Hillary Clinton . In January 2009 , it was reported that Gupta was offered the position of Surgeon General of the United States in the Obama administration , but he withdrew his name from consideration . In January 2011 , he was named `` one of the 10 most influential celebrities '' by Forbes magazine .


Sterling Archer directed a comedy series.

Sterling Archer Sterling Malory Archer , known simply as Archer , is the titular character and the main protagonist of the American animated comedy series Archer . For the first four seasons , he is a special agent of the intelligence agency ISIS ( International Secret Intelligence Service ) , working at the agency 's main headquarters in New York City . After ISIS is shut down by the FBI , Archer takes on new roles as a drug dealer , CIA contractor , and private investigator in seasons five , six , and seven respectively . Archer was created by Adam Reed , who began working on the character shortly after the conclusion of the television series Frisky Dingo . The character is voiced by actor H. Jon Benjamin .   Largely influenced by Ian Fleming 's vision of James Bond , Archer has been described as pompous , misogynist , egotistical , and attractive . The character is highly promiscuous , often verging on hypersexual proportions , and is a heavy alcoholic . His habitual use of alcohol can be seen as a parallel to Bond , who was an ardent drinker and smoker throughout much of the James Bond novels . A portion of the show 's plot has been devoted to Archer searching for his biological father , which has resulted in growing tensions between him and his mother Malory Archer .   Throughout the series ' run , the character has received positive reviews from critics . Among their points of praise is Benjamin 's voicework , citing his delivery and distinctive monotone voice as highlights of the show . For his portrayal , he has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and an Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Television Production .


Archer (TV series) Archer is an American adult animated spy sitcom created by Adam Reed for the FX network . The series focuses on the life and exploits of Sterling Archer , the self-proclaimed ` World 's greatest secret agent ' . The first four seasons focus on him working for the fictional spy agency ISIS , under his mother , Malory . Since then , they have become drug dealers , arms dealers , CIA agents , Private Investigators and most recently , post WWII detectives with the first episode taking place in 1947 . The series formerly aired on FX from September 17 , 2009 to June 2 , 2016 . On June 21 , 2016 , FX renewed the series for an eighth , ninth , and tenth season , each to consist of eight episodes . The eighth season premiered on April 5 , 2017 , with the series moving to sister network FXX .   Reed indicated in September 2016 that he planned to end the series after the tenth season .


Donald Sutherland is in The Hunger Games.

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland , ( born 17 July 1935 ) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans five decades .   Sutherland rose to fame after starring in series of successful films including The Dirty Dozen ( 1967 ) , M * A * S * H ( 1970 ) , Kelly 's Heroes ( 1970 ) , Klute ( 1971 ) , Do n't Look Now ( 1973 ) , Fellini 's Casanova ( 1976 ) , 1900 ( 1976 ) , Animal House ( 1978 ) , Invasion of the Body Snatchers ( 1978 ) , Ordinary People ( 1980 ) and Eye of the Needle ( 1981 ) . Since then , he established himself as one of the most respected , prolific and versatile character actors of Canada .   He later went on to star in many other successful films where he appeared either in leading or supporting roles such as A Dry White Season ( 1989 ) , JFK ( 1991 ) , A Time to Kill ( 1996 ) , Without Limits ( 1998 ) , The Italian Job ( 2003 ) , Cold Mountain ( 2003 ) , Pride & Prejudice ( 2005 ) , Aurora Borealis ( 2006 ) and The Hunger Games franchise ( 2012 -- 2015 ) .   Sutherland has been nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards , winning two for his performances in the television films Citizen X ( 1995 ) and Path to War ( 2002 ) ; the former also brought him a Primetime Emmy Award . Inductee of Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canadian Walk of Fame , Sutherland has also received a Canadian Academy Award for the drama film Threshold ( 1981 ) . Several media outlets and movie critics describe him as one of the best actors who has never been nominated for an Oscar . He is father of actors Rossif Sutherland , Angus Sutherland , and Kiefer Sutherland .


A type of film is a division of Davis Entertainment.

Davis Entertainment Davis Entertainment is an American independent film production company , founded by John Davis in 1984 .   Davis 's three divisions -- - feature film , independent film , and television - -- develop and produce film and television projects for the major studios , independent distributors , networks and cable broadcasters . The Company has enjoyed a long-standing first-look production deal at 20th Century Fox , though also produces projects for all studios and mini-majors .


Superman (1978 film) Superman ( informally titled Superman : The Movie in some listings and reference sources ) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner and based on the DC Comics character of the same name . The film is a British , Swiss , Panamanian and American joint venture , produced by Warner Bros. , Film Export A.G. , Dovemead Limited and International Film Productions . Superman stars Marlon Brando , Gene Hackman , Christopher Reeve , Margot Kidder , Glenn Ford , Phyllis Thaxter , Jackie Cooper , Trevor Howard , Marc McClure , Terence Stamp , Valerie Perrine , and Ned Beatty . The film depicts Superman 's origin , including his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville . Disguised as reporter Clark Kent , he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane , while battling the villainous Lex Luthor .   Several directors , most notably Guy Hamilton , and screenwriters ( Mario Puzo , David and Leslie Newman , and Robert Benton ) , were associated with the project before Richard Donner was hired to direct . Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a `` creative consultant '' credit . It was decided to film both Superman and its sequel Superman II ( 1980 ) simultaneously , with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978 . Tensions arose between Donner and the producers , and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel , of which 75 percent had already been completed , and finish the first film .   The most expensive film made up to that point with a budget of $ 55 million , Superman was released in December 1978 to critical acclaim and financial success , earning $ 300 million during its original theatrical run . Reviewers particularly praised Reeve 's performance . It was nominated for three Academy Awards , including Best Film Editing , Best Music ( Original Score ) , and Best Sound Mixing , and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects . Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling , the film 's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood 's superhero film franchises .


John Fante John Fante ( April 8 , 1909 -- May 8 , 1983 ) was an Italian-American novelist , short story writer and screenwriter . He is best known for his semi-autobiographical novel Ask the Dust ( 1939 ) about the life of a struggling writer , Arturo Bandini , in Depression-era Los Angeles . It is widely considered the great Los Angeles novel and is one in a series of four novels , published between 1938 and 1985 , that are now collectively called `` The Bandini Quartet '' . A movie of the same name was made in 2006 , starring Colin Farrell . Fante published five novels , one novella , and a short story collection . Additional works , including two novels , two novellas , and two short story collections , were published posthumously . His screen credits include , most notably , Full of Life ( 1956 ) , based on his 1952 novel by that name , Jeanne Eagels ( 1957 ) , and the 1962 films Walk on the Wild Side and The Reluctant Saint .


Cher Cher ( -LSB- ˈʃɛər -RSB- born Cherilyn Sarkisian , May 20 , 1946 ) is an American singer and actress . Sometimes referred to as the Goddess of Pop , she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry . She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment , as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her five-decade-long career .   Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song `` I Got You Babe '' reached number one on the American and British charts . By the end of 1967 , they had sold 40 million records worldwide and had become , according to Time magazine , rock 's `` it '' couple . She began her solo career simultaneously , releasing in 1966 her first million-seller song , `` Bang Bang ( My Baby Shot Me Down ) '' . She became a television personality in the 1970s with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour , watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run , and Cher . She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows . While working on television , she established herself as a solo artist with the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles `` Gypsys , Tramps & Thieves '' , `` Half-Breed '' , and `` Dark Lady '' . After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975 , Cher launched a comeback in 1979 with the disco-oriented album Take Me Home and earned $ 300,000 a week for her 198082 residency show in Las Vegas .   In 1982 , Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the Five and Dime , Jimmy Dean , Jimmy Dean and starred in the film adaptation of the same title . She subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood ( 1983 ) , Mask ( 1985 ) , and Moonstruck ( 1987 ) , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress . She then revived her musical career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher ( 1987 ) , Heart of Stone ( 1989 ) , and Love Hurts ( 1991 ) , all of which yielded several successful singles . She reached a new commercial peak in 1998 with the album Believe , whose title track became the biggest-selling single of all time by a female artist in the UK . It also features the pioneering use of Auto-Tune , also known as the `` Cher effect '' . Her 2002 -- 2005 Living Proof : The Farewell Tour became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time , earning $ 250 million . In 2008 , she signed a $ 180 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years . After seven years of absence , she returned to film in the 2010 musical Burlesque . Cher 's first studio album in 12 years , Closer to the Truth ( 2013 ) , became her highest-charting solo album in the U.S. to date at number three .   Cher has won a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , an Academy Award , three Golden Globe Awards , a Cannes Film Festival Award , and a special CFDA Fashion Award , among several other honors . Throughout her career , she has sold 100 million records worldwide , becoming one of the best-selling music artists in the music history . She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each decade from the 1960s to the 2010s . Outside of her music and acting , she is noted for her political views , philanthropic endeavors and social activism , including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention .


Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine , ( -LSB- keɪn -RSB- born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr. ; 14 March 1933 ) is an English actor and author . Renowned for his distinctive working class cockney accent , Caine has appeared in over 115 films and is regarded as a British film icon .   He made his breakthrough in the 1960s with starring roles in a number of acclaimed British films , including Zulu ( 1964 ) , The Ipcress File ( 1965 ) , Alfie ( 1966 ) , for which he was nominated for an Academy Award , The Italian Job ( 1969 ) , and Battle of Britain ( 1969 ) . His most notable roles in the 1970s included Get Carter ( 1971 ) , The Last Valley , Sleuth ( 1972 ) , for which he earned his second Academy Award nomination , The Man Who Would Be King ( 1975 ) , and A Bridge Too Far ( 1977 ) . He achieved some of his greatest critical success in the 1980s , with Educating Rita ( 1983 ) earning him the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . In 1986 , he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Woody Allen 's Hannah and Her Sisters .   Caine played Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol ( 1992 ) . Having by that time practically retired from acting on the big screen , he enjoyed a career resurgence in the late 1990s , receiving his second Golden Globe Award for his performance in Little Voice in 1998 and receiving his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Cider House Rules the following year . Caine played Nigel Powers in the 2002 parody Austin Powers in Goldmember , and Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy . He appeared in several other of Nolan 's films including The Prestige ( 2006 ) , Inception ( 2010 ) , and Interstellar ( 2014 ) . He also appeared as a supporting character in Alfonso Cuarón 's Children of Men and Pixar 's 2011 film Cars 2 . As of February 2017 , films in which he has starred have grossed over $ 3.5 billion domestically and over $ 7.8 billion worldwide . Caine is ranked as the twelfth highest grossing box office star .   Caine is one of only two actors nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to 2000s ( the other one being Jack Nicholson ; Laurence Olivier was also nominated for an acting Academy Award in five different decades , beginning in 1939 and ending in 1978 ) . In 2000 , Caine was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his contribution to cinema .


The Prestige (film) The Prestige is a 2006 British-American mystery thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan , from a screenplay adapted by Nolan and his brother Jonathan from Christopher Priest 's 1995 World Fantasy Award-winning novel of the same name . Its story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden , rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century . Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion , they engage in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results . The film stars Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier , Christian Bale as Alfred Borden , and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla . It also stars Michael Caine , Scarlett Johansson , Piper Perabo , Andy Serkis , and Rebecca Hall . The film reunites Nolan with actors Bale and Caine from Batman Begins and returning cinematographer Wally Pfister , production designer Nathan Crowley , film score composer David Julyan , and editor Lee Smith .   The film was released on October 20 , 2006 , receiving positive reviews and strong box office results , and received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction . Along with The Illusionist and Scoop , The Prestige was one of three films released in 2006 to explore the world of stage magicians .


Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman ( born 12 October 1968 ) is an Australian actor , singer , and producer . Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in a variety of film genres . He is known for his long-running role as Wolverine in the X-Men film series , as well as for his lead roles in films such as the romantic-comedy fantasy Kate & Leopold ( 2001 ) , the action-horror film Van Helsing ( 2004 ) , the magic-themed drama The Prestige ( 2006 ) , the epic fantasy drama The Fountain ( 2006 ) , the epic historical romantic drama Australia ( 2008 ) , the film version of Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , and the thriller Prisoners ( 2013 ) . His work in Les Misérables earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in 2013 .   In Broadway theatre , Jackman won a Tony Award for his role in The Boy from Oz . A four-time host of the Tony Awards themselves , he won an Emmy Award for one of these appearances . Jackman also hosted the 81st Academy Awards on 22 February 2009 .


Grace VanderWaal Grace Avery VanderWaal ( born January 15 , 2004 ) is an American singer-songwriter from Suffern , New York . In September 2016 , at age 12 , she won the eleventh season of the NBC TV competition show America 's Got Talent ( AGT ) . She soon signed a record deal with Columbia Records and released her first EP , Perfectly Imperfect , in December 2016 . VanderWaal also creates videos of her original songs and covers for YouTube and continues to perform . She won the 2017 Radio Disney Music Award for Best New Artist and is working on a full-length album to be released later in 2017 .


Sparta was the subject of fascination in the West.

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek : Σπάρτα , Spártā Attic Greek : Σπάρτη , Spártē ) was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece . In antiquity the city-state was known as Lacedaemon ( Λακεδαίμων , Lakedaímōn ) , while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement on the banks of the Eurotas River in Laconia , in south-eastern Peloponnese . Around 650 BC , it rose to become the dominant military land-power in ancient Greece .   Given its military pre-eminence , Sparta was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars . Between 431 and 404 BC , Sparta was the principal enemy of Athens during the Peloponnesian War , from which it emerged victorious , though at a great cost of lives lost . Sparta 's defeat by Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC ended Sparta 's prominent role in Greece . However , it maintained its political independence until the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BC . It then underwent a long period of decline , especially in the Middle Ages , when many Spartans moved to live in Mystras . Modern Sparta is the capital of the Greek regional unit of Laconia and a center for the processing of goods such as citrus and olives .   Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution , which completely focused on military training and excellence . Its inhabitants were classified as Spartiates ( Spartan citizens , who enjoyed full rights ) , mothakes ( non-Spartan free men raised as Spartans ) , perioikoi ( freedmen ) , and helots ( state-owned serfs , enslaved non-Spartan local population ) . Spartiates underwent the rigorous agoge training and education regimen , and Spartan phalanges were widely considered to be among the best in battle . Spartan women enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men than elsewhere in the classical world .   Sparta was the subject of fascination in its own day , as well as in the West following the revival of classical learning . This love or admiration of Sparta is known as Laconism or Laconophilia .  At its peak around 500 BC the size of the city would have been some 20,000 -- 35,000 free residents , plus numerous helots and perioikoi ( `` dwellers around '' ) . At 40,000 -- 50,000 it was one of the largest Greek cities ; however , according to Thucydides , the population of Athens in 431 BC was 360,000 -- 610,000 , making it unlikely that Athens was smaller than Sparta in 5th century BC . The French classicist François Ollier in his 1933 book Le mirage spartiate ( `` The Spartan Mirage '' ) warned that a major scholarly problem regarding Sparta is that all the surviving accounts of Sparta were written by non-Spartans who often presented an excessively idealized image of Sparta . Ollier 's theory of the `` Spartan mirage '' has been widely accepted by scholars .


Atomic Blonde was worked on by David Leitch.

Atomic Blonde Atomic Blonde is a 2017 American action spy thriller film directed by David Leitch and written by Kurt Johnstad . It is based on Antony Johnston and Sam Hart 's 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City , which revolves around a spy who has to find a list of double agents who are being smuggled into the West . The film stars Charlize Theron , James McAvoy , John Goodman , Til Schweiger , Eddie Marsan , Sofia Boutella , and Toby Jones . This will be Leitch 's first solo credit as director , after co-directing John Wick with Chad Stahelski .   The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12 , 2017 . It will be released theatrically on July 28 , 2017 , by Focus Features .


Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots ( stylized as TWENTY ØNE PILØTS ) is an American musical duo originating from Columbus , Ohio . The band was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with former members Nick Thomas and Chris Salih , who eventually left in 2011 , and currently consists of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun . The duo rose to fame in the mid -- 2010s after several years of touring and independent releases .   They put out two self-released albums , Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011 , before being signed by Fueled by Ramen in 2012 . Their label debut , Vessel , was released in 2013 . The duo achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album , Blurryface ( 2015 ) , which produced the successful singles `` Stressed Out '' and `` Ride '' . In addition , the single `` Heathens '' , recorded for the soundtrack of the film Suicide Squad , made the group the first alternative artist to have two concurrent top ten singles in the U.S. . The duo has won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance .


Ilkhanate contained Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, western Afghanistan, and southwestern Pakistan.

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate , also spelled Il-khanate ( ایلخانان , Ilkhānān ; Хүлэгийн улс , Hulagu-yn Ulus ) , was established as a khanate that formed the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire , ruled by the Mongol House of Hulagu . It was founded in the 13th century and was based primarily in Iran as well as neighboring territories , such as present-day Azerbaijan and the central and eastern parts of present-day Turkey . The Ilkhanate was originally based on the campaigns of Genghis Khan in the Khwarazmian Empire in 1219 -- 24 and was founded by Hulagu Khan , a grandson of Genghis Khan . With the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire after 1259 it became a functionally separate khanate . At its greatest extent , the state expanded into territories that today comprise most of Iran , Iraq , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Turkmenistan , Turkey , western Afghanistan , and southwestern Pakistan . Later Ilkhanate rulers , beginning with Ghazan in 1295 , would convert to Islam .


Tyrese Gibson Tyrese Darnell Gibson ( born December 30 , 1978 ) , also known mononymously as Tyrese , is an American Grammy-nominated singer , songwriter , actor , author , television producer , former fashion model and MTV VJ . He is best known for his roles as Joseph `` Jody '' Summers in Baby Boy , Roman Pearce in the Fast and the Furious series and Robert Epps in the Transformers film series . After releasing several albums , he transitioned into films , with lead roles in several major Hollywood releases .


Cartilage comprises the skeleton of Greenland sharks.

Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton , five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head , and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head . Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha ( or Selachii ) and are the sister group to the rays . However , the term `` shark '' has also been used for extinct members of the subclass Elasmobranchii outside the Selachimorpha , such as Cladoselache and Xenacanthus , as well as other Chondrichthyes such as the holocephalid eugenedontidans . Under this broader definition , the earliest known sharks date back to more than 420 million years ago . Acanthodians are often referred to as `` spiny sharks '' ; though they are not part of Chondrichthyes proper , they are a paraphyletic assemblage leading to cartilaginous fish as a whole .   Since then , sharks have diversified into over 500 species . They range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark ( Etmopterus perryi ) , a deep sea species of only 17 cm in length , to the whale shark ( Rhincodon typus ) , the largest fish in the world , which reaches approximately 12 m in length . Sharks are found in all seas and are common to depths of 2000 m . They generally do not live in freshwater although there are a few known exceptions , such as the bull shark and the river shark , which can survive and be found in both seawater and freshwater . Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from damage and parasites in addition to improving their fluid dynamics . They have numerous sets of replaceable teeth .   Well-known species such as the great white shark , tiger shark , blue shark , mako shark , thresher shark , and the hammerhead shark are apex predators -- organisms at the top of their underwater food chain . Many shark populations are threatened by human activities .


Greenland shark The Greenland shark ( Somniosus microcephalus ) , also known as the gurry shark , or grey shark , or by the Inuit name eqalussuaq , is a large shark of the family Somniosidae ( `` sleeper sharks '' ) , closely related to the Pacific and southern sleeper sharks . The distribution of this species is mostly restricted to the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean .   It has the longest known lifespan of all vertebrate species ( 392 ± 120 years ) , and is among the largest extant species of shark . As an adaptation to living at depth , it has a high concentration of trimethylamine N-oxide in its tissues , which causes the meat to be toxic . Greenland shark flesh treated to reduce toxin levels is eaten in Iceland as a delicacy known as kæstur hákarl .


Yamaha Corporation is a multinational corporation in Japan.

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 .


Oh Yeon-seo Oh Yeon-seo ( born Oh Haet-nim , on June 22 , 1987 ) , is a South Korean actress and former member of South Korean girl group , LUV . She is best known for her roles in television dramas My Husband Got a Family ( 2012 ) , Jang Bo-ri is Here ! ( 2014 ) , Shine or Go Crazy ( 2015 ) and Please Come Back , Mister ( 2016 ) .


Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman ( 21 February 1946 -- 14 January 2016 ) was an English actor and director known for playing a variety of roles on stage and on screen . Rickman trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London , and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company , performing in modern and classical theatre productions . His first big television part came in 1982 , but his big break was as the Vicomte de Valmont in the stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985 , for which he was nominated for a Tony Award . Rickman gained wider notice for his film performances as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series .   Rickman 's other film roles included the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves , for which he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role , Jamie in Truly , Madly , Deeply , Colonel Brandon in Ang Lee 's Sense and Sensibility , the title character in Rasputin : Dark Servant of Destiny , which won him a Golden Globe , an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award , Harry in Love Actually , P. L. O'Hara in An Awfully Big Adventure , Dr. Alfred Blalock in the Emmy-winning HBO film Something the Lord Made , Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest , and Judge Turpin in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim 's musical of Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street .   Rickman died of cancer on 14 January 2016 at the age of 69 . His final film roles are as Lieutenant General Frank Benson in the thriller Eye in the Sky , and the voice of Absolem , the caterpillar in Alice Through the Looking Glass .


Budapest Budapest ( -LSB- ˈbudɒpɛʃt -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union . It has an area of 525 km2 and a population of about 1.8 million within the administrative limits in 2016 . Budapest is both a city and county , and forms the centre of the Budapest Metropolitan Area , which has an area of 7,626 km2 and a population of 3.3 million , comprising 33 percent of the population of Hungary . Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the Danube river with the unification of Buda and Óbuda on the west bank , with Pest on the east bank on November 17 , 1873 .   The history of Budapest began with Aquincum , originally a Celtic settlement that became the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia . Hungarians arrived in the territory in the 9th century . Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241 -- 1242 . The re-established town became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture by the 15th century . Following the Battle of Mohács and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule , the region entered a new age of prosperity , and Budapest became a global city after its unification in 1873 . It also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , a great power that dissolved in 1918 , following World War I. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 , the Hungarian Republic of Councils in 1919 , the Battle of Budapest in 1945 , and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 .   Budapest is a Beta + global city , with strengths in arts , commerce , design , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , services , research , and tourism . Its business district hosts the Budapest Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national and international banks and companies . Budapest is a leading R&D and financial centre in Central and Eastern Europe , the city has a gross metropolitan product more than $ 100 billion in 2015 , thereby the city is among the Top 100 GDP performing cities in the world  and making it one of the largest regional economies in the European Union . It is the highest ranked Central and Eastern European city on Innovation Cities Top 100 index . Budapest attracts 4.4 million international tourists per year , making it the 25th most popular city in the world and the 6th in Europe .   Among Budapest 's important museums and cultural institutions , the most visited art museum is the Museum of Fine Arts , as well as the Hungarian National Gallery , which is noted for one of the largest collections of all periods of European art and comprises more than 100,000 pieces . The central area of the city along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has many notable monuments , including the Hungarian Parliament , Buda Castle , Fisherman 's Bastion , Gresham Palace , Széchenyi Chain Bridge , Matthias Church and the Liberty Statue . Further famous landmarks include Andrássy Avenue , St. Stephen 's Basilica , Heroes ' Square , the Great Market Hall , the Nyugati Railway Station built by the Eiffel Company of Paris in 1877 and the second-oldest metro line in the world , the Millennium Underground Railway . Budapest is home to numerous museums , galleries , libraries , sporting events and other cultural institutions , including the Hungarian National Museum , House of Terror , Franz Liszt Academy of Music , Hungarian State Opera House , National Széchényi Library and Hungarian Academy of Sciences .   Budapest is cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe , ranked as the most liveable Central and Eastern European city on EIU 's quality of life index , ranked as `` the world 's second best city '' by Condé Nast Traveler , and `` Europe 's 7th most idyllic place to live '' by Forbes . It has around 80 geothermal springs , the world 's largest thermal water cave system , second largest synagogue , and third largest Parliament building . Budapest is home to the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology , the European Police College and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency . Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest , including the Eötvös Loránd University , Central European University and Budapest University of Technology and Economics .


L.A. Law L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC , from September 15 , 1986 , to May 19 , 1994 .   Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher , it contained many of Bochco 's trademark features including an ensemble cast , large number of parallel storylines , social drama , and off-the-wall humor . It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s , and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as capital punishment , abortion , racism , gay rights , homophobia , sexual harassment , AIDS , and domestic violence . The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff .   In addition to its main cast , L.A. Law was also well known for featuring then relatively unknown actors and actresses in guest starring roles , who later went on to greater success in film and television including : Don Cheadle , Jeffrey Tambor , Kathy Bates , David Schwimmer , Jay O. Sanders , James Avery , Gates McFadden , Bryan Cranston , C.C.H. Pounder , Kevin Spacey , Richard Schiff , Carrie-Anne Moss , William H. Macy , Stephen Root , Christian Slater , and Lucy Liu . Several episodes of the show also included celebrities such as Vanna White , Buddy Hackett and Mamie Van Doren appearing as themselves in cameo roles .   The show was popular with audiences and critics , and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run , four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series .


Audi used to have the advertising slogan "Truth in Engineering."

Audi Audi ( -LSB- ˈʔaʊ̯dɪ ʔaːˈgeː -RSB- ) is a German automobile manufacturer that designs , engineers , produces , markets and distributes luxury vehicles . Audi is a member of the Volkswagen Group and has its roots at Ingolstadt , Bavaria , Germany . Audi-branded vehicles are produced in nine production facilities worldwide .   The origins of the company are complex , going back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises ( Horch and the Audiwerke ) founded by engineer August Horch ; and two other manufacturers ( DKW and Wanderer ) , leading to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932 . The modern era of Audi essentially began in the 1960s when Auto Union was acquired by Volkswagen from Daimler-Benz . After relaunching the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series , Volkswagen merged Auto Union with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969 , thus creating the present day form of the company .   The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder , August Horch . `` Horch '' , meaning `` listen '' in German , becomes `` audi '' in Latin . The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi 's predecessor company , Auto Union . Audi 's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik , meaning `` Advancement through Technology '' . However , Audi USA had used the slogan `` Truth in Engineering '' from 2007 to 2016 , and has not used the slogan since 2016 . Audi , along with BMW and Mercedes are among the best-selling luxury automobile brands in the world .


Wyatt Earp spent his early life in Iowa.

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp ( March 19 , 1848 -- January 13 , 1929 ) was an American Old West gambler , a deputy sheriff in Pima County , and deputy town marshal in Tombstone , Arizona Territory , who took part in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral , during which lawmen killed three outlaw cowboys . He is often regarded as the central figure in the shootout in Tombstone , although his brother Virgil was Tombstone city marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal that day , and had far more experience as a sheriff , constable , marshal , and soldier in combat .   Earp lived a restless life . He was at different times a constable , city policeman , county sheriff , Deputy U.S. Marshal , teamster , buffalo hunter , bouncer , saloon-keeper , gambler , brothel keeper , miner , and boxing referee . Earp spent his early life in Iowa . In 1870 , Earp married his first wife , Urilla Sutherland Earp , who contracted typhoid fever and died shortly before their first child was to be born . During the next two years Earp was arrested for stealing a horse , escaped from jail , sued twice , and was arrested and fined three times during the course of 1872 for `` keeping and being found in a house of ill-fame '' . His third arrest was subject of a lengthy account in the `` Daily Transcript '' which referred to him as an `` old offender '' and nicknamed him the `` Peoria Bummer '' .   By 1874 he had arrived in the cattle boomtown of Wichita , Kansas where his brother had opened a brothel . On April 21 , 1875 he was appointed to the Wichita police force , and developed a solid reputation as a lawman . In April 1876 he was dismissed from his position as a lawman following an altercation with a political opponent of his boss which led to him being fined $ 30 . In 1876 , he followed his brother James to Dodge City , Kansas , where he became an assistant city marshal . In winter 1878 , he went to Texas to track down an outlaw and met John `` Doc '' Holliday , whom Earp later credited with saving his life .   Earp moved constantly throughout his life from one boomtown to another . He left Dodge City in 1879 and moved to Tombstone with his brothers James and Virgil , where a silver boom was underway . There , the Earps clashed with a loose federation of outlaws known as the Cowboys . Wyatt , Virgil , and their younger brother Morgan held various law enforcement positions that put them in conflict with Tom and Frank McLaury , and Ike and Billy Clanton , who threatened on several occasions to kill the Earps . The conflict escalated over the next year , culminating on October 26 , 1881 in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral , in which the Earps and Holliday killed three of the Cowboys . In the next five months , Virgil was ambushed and maimed , and Morgan was assassinated . Pursuing a vendetta , Wyatt , his brother Warren , Holliday , and others formed a federal posse that killed three of the Cowboys whom they thought responsible . Wyatt was never wounded in any of the gunfights in which he took part , unlike his brothers Virgil and James , or his friend , Doc Holliday , which only added to his mystique after his death .   Earp was a lifelong gambler and was always looking for a quick way to make money . After leaving Tombstone , Earp went to San Francisco where he reunited with Josephine Earp . She became his common-law wife . They joined a gold rush to Eagle City , Idaho , where they owned mining interests and a saloon . They left there to race horses and open a saloon during a real estate boom in San Diego , California . Back in San Francisco , Wyatt raced horses again , but his reputation suffered irreparably when he refereed the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey boxing match and called a foul that led many to believe that he fixed the fight . They moved briefly to Yuma , Arizona before joining the Nome Gold Rush in 1899 . In partnership with Charlie Hoxie they opened a two-story saloon called the Dexter and made an estimated $ 80,000 ( about $ 2 million in 2017 dollars ) . Returning to the lower 48 , they opened another saloon in Tonopah , Nevada , the site of a new gold find . In about 1911 , Earp began working several mining claims in Vidal , California , retiring in the hot summers with Josephine to Los Angeles .   Wyatt Earp died on January 13 , 1929 . He was known as a Western lawman , gunfighter , and boxing referee . He had a notorious reputation for both his handling of the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey fight and his role in the O.K. Corral gunfight . This only began to change after his death when an extremely flattering biography was published in 1931 . It became a bestseller and created his reputation as a fearless lawman . Since then , Earp has been the subject of and model for numerous films , TV shows , biographies , and works of fiction that have increased his notoriety . He did , however , live to see himself being portrayed in the film Wild Bill Hickok , released in 1923 . Long after his death , he has many devoted detractors and admirers . Earp 's modern-day reputation is that of the Old West 's `` toughest and deadliest gunman of his day . ''