Christina Aguilera sold 50 million albums worldwide as of 2015.

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( born December 18 , 1980 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actress and television personality . Born in Staten Island , New York and raised in Rochester and Wexford , Pennsylvania , she appeared on the television series Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club in her early years . After recording `` Reflection '' , the theme for Disney 's 1998 film Mulan , Aguilera signed with RCA Records . She rose to prominence with her 1999 self-titled debut album that spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` Genie in a Bottle '' , `` What a Girl Wants '' , and `` Come On Over Baby ( All I Want Is You ) '' . The following year , Aguilera released two studio albums ; the Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo and the holiday album My Kind of Christmas . She assumed creative control for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) , which produced `` Dirrty '' , `` Beautiful '' , and `` Fighter '' . Aguilera 's fifth studio album , Back to Basics ( 2006 ) , debuted at number one on the album charts of ten countries and spawned the tracks `` Ai n't No Other Man '' and `` Hurt '' . In 2010 , Aguilera released her sixth studio album Bionic and starred in the film Burlesque . The following year , she debuted as a coach on the reality competition television series The Voice ; she has since appeared on six of its twelve seasons . Her seventh studio album , Lotus , was released in 2012 . Aguilera has also been featured on several successful collaborations during her career , including `` Lady Marmalade '' , `` Moves like Jagger '' , and `` Say Something '' .   Aguilera has been recognized as a pop icon and earned the title `` Pop Princess '' in her early years . Her work has earned her five Grammy Awards , one Latin Grammy Award , and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . She has sold over 17.9 million albums in the United States as of 2014 and 50 million albums worldwide as of 2015 . In 2009 , she ranked at number 58 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time , thereby becoming the youngest and the only artist under 30 to be named . Billboard recognized her as the 20th most successful artist of the 2000s , and Time listed Aguilera among the top 100 Most Influential People in the World of 2013 . Aside from her work in the entertainment industry , Aguilera is involved in charitable activities through human rights , world issues , and her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme .


Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a nickname for the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area , in the northern part of the U.S. state of California . The `` valley '' in its name refers to the Santa Clara Valley in Santa Clara County , which includes the city of San Jose and surrounding cities and towns , where the region has been traditionally centered . The region has expanded to include the southern half of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County , and southern portions of the East Bay in Alameda County .   The word `` silicon '' originally referred to the large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers in the region , but the area is now the home to many of the world 's largest high-tech corporations , including the headquarters of 39 businesses in the Fortune 1000 , and thousands of startup companies . Silicon Valley also accounts for one-third of all of the venture capital investment in the United States , which has helped it to become a leading hub and startup ecosystem for high-tech innovation and scientific development . It was in the Valley that the silicon-based integrated circuit , the microprocessor , and the microcomputer , among other key technologies , were developed . As of 2013 , the region employed about a quarter of a million information technology workers .   As more high-tech companies were established across the Santa Clara Valley , and then north towards the Bay Area 's two other major cities , San Francisco and Oakland , the `` Silicon Valley '' name eventually came to refer to all high-tech businesses in the region . The term is now generally used as a synecdoche for the American high-technology economic sector . The name also became a global synonym for leading high-tech research and enterprises , and thus inspired similar named locations , as well as research parks and technology centers with a comparable structure all around the world .


Louis Tomlinson is a singer for One Direction.

Louis Tomlinson Louis William Tomlinson ( born Louis Troy Austin ; 24 December 1991 ) is an English singer-songwriter and actor . He is known as a member of the pop boy band One Direction .   Tomlinson began his career as an actor , initially appearing in ITV drama Fat Friends as an extra . He also went on to appear in another ITV drama film If I Had You and the BBC drama Waterloo Road . In 2010 , he became a founding member of One Direction after auditioning as a solo artist on The X Factor . Following the band 's hiatus , Tomlinson released the single `` Just Hold On '' with Steve Aoki in December 2016 .   In 2013 , he was signed as a footballer by Doncaster Rovers of the Football League Championship on a non-contract basis . The same year he also formed his own record label , Triple Strings Ltd. . He appeared on Debrett 's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK .


Xbox One Xbox One is a line of home video game consoles developed by Microsoft . Announced in May 2013 , it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family . It was first released in North America , parts of Europe , Australia , and Brazil in November 2013 , and in Japan , China , and other European countries in September 2014 . It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China , specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone . Microsoft marketed the device as an `` all-in-one entertainment system '' . The Xbox One line mainly competes against consoles such as Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles .   Moving away from its predecessor 's PowerPC-based architecture , Xbox One marks a shift back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox ; it features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built around the x86-64 instruction set . Xbox One 's controller was redesigned over the Xbox 360 's , with a redesigned body , D-pad and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback . The console places an increased emphasis on cloud computing , as well as social networking features , and the ability to record and share video clips or screenshots from gameplay , or live-stream directly to streaming services such as Mixer and Twitch . Games can also be played off-console via a local area network on supported Windows 10 devices . The console can play Blu-ray Disc , and overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box or a digital tuner for digital terrestrial television with an enhanced program guide . The console optionally included a redesigned Kinect sensor , marketed as the `` Kinect 2.0 '' , providing improved motion tracking and voice recognition for use in its graphical user interface ( GUI ) and games .   Xbox One received mostly positive reception for its refined controller design , multimedia features , and voice navigation . Its quieter and cooler design was praised for making the console more reliable than its predecessor on-launch , but the console was generally criticized for running games at a technically lower graphical level than the PlayStation 4 . Its original user interface was panned for being nonintuitive , although changes made to it and other aspects of the console 's software post-launch received positive reception . Its Kinect received praise for its improved motion-tracking accuracy , its face recognition logins , and its voice commands .   In August 2016 , Microsoft released a refreshed Xbox One model known as Xbox One S ; it has a streamlined design , native support for 4K video playback and upscaling , and HDR10 high-dynamic-range color . It was praised for its smaller size , its on-screen visual improvements , and its lack of an external power supply , but its regressions such as the lack of a native Kinect port were noted . A future hardware revision codenamed `` Project Scorpio '' is scheduled for late-2017 ; it will feature major hardware upgrades focused on enabling 4K gameplay and support for virtual reality hardware , and will be backward compatible with all existing Xbox One software and hardware .


The Weeknd has put out three or more studio albums.

The Weeknd The Weeknd ( born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye ; February 16 , 1990 ) is a Canadian singer , songwriter , and record producer . The Weeknd initially gained recognition after anonymously uploading several songs to YouTube in late 2010 . This allowed him to release of his debut mixtape , House of Balloons , in early 2011 . He released two further independent projects later that year , Thursday and Echoes of Silence , before signing to Republic Records in September 2012 .   The three mixtapes received widespread critical acclaim upon release , and proceeded the release of the compilation album Trilogy . In 2013 , he released his debut studio album Kiss Land , which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 . It was later confirmed to have sold over 273,000 copies in the United States .   The Weeknd released his second album , Beauty Behind the Madness , in 2015 , breaking chart records in the process . It saw him become the first ever artist to have simultaneously held the top three spots on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart , with `` Earned It '' , `` The Hills '' , and `` Ca n't Feel My Face '' . It also became his first number one album on the US Billboard 200 , and saw triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . The album additionally oversaw his first Grammy Award win for Best Urban Contemporary Album , as well as `` Earned It '' winning Best R&B Performance . He won both awards at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2016 .   He released his third studio album , Starboy , in 2016 to generally positive critical reception . The album 's title track topped the chart in several countries , including the U.S. , the UK and Canada , and became The Weeknd 's third number-one single . It gave him his second consecutive number one album , which also later saw platinum certification .   Alongside his Grammy Award wins , The Weeknd has won nine Juno Awards and two American Music Awards . He has also founded the record label XO , and is a producer under both his given and stage names .


Guinevere Guinevere ( -LSB- ˈɡwɪnᵻvɪər -RSB- Gwenhwyfar Gwenivar ) , often written as Guenevere or Gwenevere , is , in Arthurian legend , the wife of King Arthur . She first appears as Guanhumara ( with many spelling variants in the manuscript tradition ) in Geoffrey of Monmouth 's pseudo-historical chronicle of British history , the Historia Regum Britanniae , written circa 1136 AD . She is also found in medieval Welsh prose , in the mid-late 12th-century tale Culhwch and Olwen , as Arthur 's wife Gwenhwyfar . In medieval romances , one of the most prominent story arcs is Queen Guinevere 's love affair with her husband 's chief knight , Lancelot . This story first appeared in Chrétien de Troyes 's Lancelot , the Knight of the Cart and became a motif in Arthurian literature , starting with the Lancelot-Grail of the early 13th century and carrying through the Post-Vulgate Cycle and Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur . Guinevere and Lancelot 's betrayal of Arthur preceded his eventual defeat at the Battle of Camlann by Mordred .


Scabies is an infection of the skin that is contagious.

Scabies Scabies , previously known as the seven-year itch , is a contagious skin infestation by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei . The most common symptoms are severe itchiness and a pimple-like rash . Occasionally tiny burrows may be seen in the skin . When first infected , usually two to six weeks are required before symptoms occur . If a person develops a second infection later in life , symptoms may begin within a day . These symptoms can be present across most of the body or just certain areas such as the wrists , between fingers , or along the waistline . The head may be affected , but this is typically only in young children . The itch is often worse at night . Scratching may cause skin breakdown and an additional bacterial infection of the skin .   Scabies is caused by infection with the female mite Sarcoptes scabiei var . hominis . The mites burrow into the skin to live and deposit eggs . The symptoms of scabies are due to an allergic reaction to the mites . Often only between ten and fifteen mites are involved in an infection . Scabies is most often spread during a relatively long period of direct skin contact with an infected person ( at least 10 minutes ) such as that which may occur during sex . Spread of disease may occur even if the person has not developed symptoms yet . Crowded living conditions such as those found in child care facilities , group homes , and prisons increase the risk of spread . Areas with a lack of access to water also have higher rates of disease . Crusted scabies is a more severe form of the disease . It typically only occurs in those with a poor immune system and people may have millions of mites , making them much more contagious . In these cases spread of infection may occur during brief contact or via contaminated objects . The mite is very small and usually not directly visible . Diagnosis is based on the signs and symptoms .   A number of medications are available to treat those infected , including permethrin , crotamiton and lindane creams and ivermectin pills . Sexual contacts within the last month and people who live in the same house should also be treated at the same time . Bedding and clothing used in the last three days should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer . As the mite does not live for more than three days away from human skin more washing is not needed . Symptoms may continue for two to four weeks following treatment . If after this time there continue to be symptoms retreatment may be needed .   Scabies is one of the three most common skin disorders in children , along with ringworm and bacterial skin infections . As of 2015 it affects approximately 204 million people ( 2.8 % of the world population ) . It is equally common in both sexes . The young and the old are more commonly affected . It also occurs more commonly in the developing world and tropical climates . The word scabies is from scabere , `` to scratch '' . Other animals do not spread human scabies . Infection in other animals is typically caused by slightly different but related mites and is known as sarcoptic mange .


Several Brit Awards were awarded to Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( -LSB- ˈstɛfəniː_dʒɜrməˈnɒtə -RSB- ; born March 28 , 1986 ) , known professionally as Lady Gaga , is an American singer , songwriter , and actress . At the beginning of her career , Gaga became known for her unconventionality and provocative work . A popular contemporary recording artist , she is noted for constantly experimenting with new musical ideas and images .   Gaga initially played roles in high school plays , and studied at CAP21 through NYU 's Tisch School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue a musical career . After leaving a rock band , participating in a performance art circuit , and being dropped from a contract with Def Jam Recordings , Gaga worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing . From there , Akon noticed her vocal abilities and helped her sign a joint deal with Interscope Records and his own KonLive Distribution in 2007 . Gaga rose to prominence with the release of her successful debut album The Fame ( 2008 ) and its international chart-topping singles `` Just Dance '' and `` Poker Face '' . A follow-up EP , The Fame Monster ( 2009 ) , was met with a similar reception and the singles `` Bad Romance '' , `` Telephone '' , and `` Alejandro '' were also successful .   Gaga 's second full-length album Born This Way ( 2011 ) topped the charts in more than 20 countries , including the US , where it sold over one million copies in its first week . The album produced the number-one single `` Born This Way '' . Gaga 's third album Artpop , released in 2013 , topped the US charts and included the successful single `` Applause '' . In 2014 , Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titled Cheek to Cheek , her third consecutive number one in the US . For her work in the television series American Horror Story : Hotel , Gaga won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 . With her fifth studio album Joanne ( 2016 ) , she became the first woman to have four US number one albums in the 2010s . In February 2017 , Gaga headlined the Super Bowl LI halftime show , which had over 150 million audience across various platforms worldwide , making it the most viewed musical event in history .   With global album and single sales of 27 million and 146 million respectively , as of January 2016 , she is one of the best-selling musicians of all time . Her achievements include twelve Guinness World Records , three Brit Awards , and six Grammy Awards . She has also received awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America . Gaga regularly appears on Billboards Artists of the Year lists and Forbess power and earnings rankings . She was ranked at number four on VH1 's Greatest Women in Music , finished second on Times 2011 readers ' poll of the most influential people of the past ten years , and was named Billboards Woman of the Year ( 2015 ) . She is known for her philanthropic work and social activism , including LGBT rights and her own non-profit organization , the Born This Way Foundation , which focuses on promoting youth empowerment and combating bullying .


Opera incorporates elements of spoken theatre.

Opera Opera ( -LSB- ˈɔːpera -RSB- ; English plural : operas ; Italian plural : opere -LSB- ˈɔːpere -RSB- ) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text ( libretto ) and musical score , usually in a theatrical setting . In traditional opera , singers do two types of singing : recitative , a speech-inflected style and arias , a more melodic style , in which notes are sung in a sustained fashion . Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre , such as acting , scenery , and costumes and sometimes includes dance . The performance is typically given in an opera house , accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble , which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor .   Opera is a key part of the Western classical music tradition . It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century ( with Jacopo Peri 's mostly lost Dafne , produced in Florence in 1598 ) and soon spread through the rest of Europe : Heinrich Schütz in Germany , Jean-Baptiste Lully in France , and Henry Purcell in England all helped to establish their national traditions in the 17th century . In the 18th century , Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe ( except France ) , attracting foreign composers such as George Frideric Handel . Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera , until Christoph Willibald Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his `` reform '' operas in the 1760s . In the 2000s , the most renowned figure of late 18th-century opera is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , who began with opera seria but is most famous for his Italian comic operas , especially The Marriage of Figaro ( Le nozze di Figaro ) , Don Giovanni , and Così fan tutte , as well as The Magic Flute ( Die Zauberflöte ) , a landmark in the German tradition .   The first third of the 19th century saw the high point of the bel canto style , with Gioachino Rossini , Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini all creating works that are still performed . It also saw the advent of Grand Opera typified by the works of Auber and Meyerbeer . The mid-to-late 19th century was a `` golden age '' of opera , led and dominated by Richard Wagner in Germany and Giuseppe Verdi in Italy . The popularity of opera continued through the verismo era in Italy and contemporary French opera through to Giacomo Puccini and Richard Strauss in the early 20th century . During the 19th century , parallel operatic traditions emerged in central and eastern Europe , particularly in Russia and Bohemia . The 20th century saw many experiments with modern styles , such as atonality and serialism ( Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg ) , Neoclassicism ( Igor Stravinsky ) , and Minimalism ( Philip Glass and John Adams ) . With the rise of recording technology , singers such as Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas became known to much wider audiences that went beyond the circle of opera fans . Since the invention of radio and television , operas were also performed on ( and written for ) these mediums . Beginning in 2006 , a number of major opera houses began to present live high-definition video transmissions of their performances in cinemas all over the world . In 2009 , an opera company offered an online download of a complete performance .


Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ 69 -- August 12 , 30 BC ) , known to history simply as Cleopatra , was the last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt , briefly survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion . After her reign , Egypt became a province of the recently established Roman Empire .   Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty , a Greek family of Macedonian origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great 's death during the Hellenistic period . The Ptolemies spoke Greek throughout their dynasty , and refused to speak Egyptian , which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone . By contrast , Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis .   Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes , and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV , whom she married as per Egyptian custom , but eventually she became sole ruler . As queen , she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne . She later elevated Caesarion , her son with Caesar , to co-ruler in name .   After Caesar 's assassination in 44 BC , she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar 's legal heir Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ( later known as Augustus ) . With Antony , she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios , and son Ptolemy Philadelphus ( her unions with her brothers had produced no children ) . Antony committed suicide after losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian 's forces , and Cleopatra followed suit . According to a popular belief , she killed herself by means of an asp bite on August 12 , 30 BC . She was outlived by Caesarion , who was declared pharaoh by his supporters , but he was soon killed on Octavian 's orders . Egypt then became the Roman province of Aegyptus .   Her legacy survives in numerous works of art and many dramatizations of incidents from her life in literature and other media , such as William Shakespeare 's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra , George Frideric Handel 's opera Giulio Cesare , George Bernard Shaw 's play Caesar and Cleopatra , Jules Massenet 's opera Cléopâtre , and the films Cleopatra ( 1934 ) and Cleopatra ( 1963 ) .


Dustin Hoffman starred in two movies directed by Barry Levinson.

Wag the Dog Wag the Dog is a 1997 black comedy film produced and directed by Barry Levinson . The screenplay by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet was loosely adapted from Larry Beinhart 's novel American Hero . The film stars Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro , with Anne Heche , Denis Leary , and William H. Macy in supporting roles .   The film follows a Washington , D.C. spin doctor ( De Niro ) who , mere days before a presidential election , distracts the electorate from a sex scandal by hiring a Hollywood film producer ( Hoffman ) to construct a fake war with Albania .   Wag the Dog was released one month before the outbreak of the Lewinsky scandal and the subsequent bombing of the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan by the Clinton administration , which prompted the media to draw comparisons between the film and reality .


Rain Man Rain Man is a 1988 American road comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass . It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish young wheeler-dealer , Charlie Babbitt ( Tom Cruise ) , who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son , Raymond ( Dustin Hoffman ) , an autistic savant , of whose existence Charlie was unaware . Charlie is left with only his father 's car and collection of rose bushes . In addition to the two leads , Valeria Golino stars as Charlie 's girlfriend , Susanna .   Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek , a real-life savant ; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter , a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill , an earlier film that Morrow wrote .   Rain Man received overwhelmingly positive reviews , praising Hoffman 's role and the wit and sophistication of the screenplay , and was the highest-grossing film of 1988 . The film won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards ( March 1989 ) , including Best Picture , Best Original Screenplay , Best Director , and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman . Its crew received an additional four nominations . The film also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival .


Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman ( born August 8 , 1937 ) is an American actor and a director , with a career in film , television , and theatre since 1960 . Hoffman has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters . He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1980 for Kramer vs. Kramer , and in 1989 for Rain Man .   Widely considered one of the finest actors in history , Hoffman first drew critical praise for starring in the play , Eh ? , for which he won a Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award . This achievement was soon followed by his breakthrough 1967 film role as Benjamin Braddock , the title character in The Graduate . Since that time , Hoffman 's career has largely been focused on the cinema , with sporadic returns to television and to the stage . Hoffman 's notable films include : Midnight Cowboy , Little Big Man , Straw Dogs , Papillon , Lenny , Marathon Man , All the President 's Men , Kramer vs. Kramer , Tootsie , Rain Man , Hook , and Wag the Dog . He made his directorial debut in 2012 , with Quartet .   Along with 2 Academy Award wins , Hoffman has been nominated for 5 additional Academy Awards , and he was nominated for 13 Golden Globes , winning 6 ( including an honorary award ) . He has won 4 BAFTAs , 3 Drama Desk Awards , 2 Emmy Awards , and a Genie Award . Hoffman received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1999 , and the Kennedy Center Honors Award in 2012 .


A private home is where lodging is done.

Lodging Lodging or a holiday accommodation is a type of residential accommodation . People who travel and stay away from house for more than a day need lodging for sleep , rest , food , safety , shelter from cold temperatures or rain , storage of luggage and access to common household functions .   Lodgings may be self-catering , in which case no food is provided , but cooking facilities are available .   Lodging is done in a hotel , motel , hostel or hostal , a private home ( commercial , i.e. a bed and breakfast , a guest house , a vacation rental , or non-commercially , with members of hospitality services or in the home of friends ) , in a tent , caravan/camper ( often on a campsite ) .


Malaysia Malaysia ( -LSB- məˈleɪsiə -RSB- ; -LSB- məlejsiə -RSB- ) is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia . It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 330803 km2 separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions , Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia ( Malaysian Borneo ) . Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore , Vietnam , and Indonesia . East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur , while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government . With a population of over 30 million , Malaysia is the 44th most populous country . The southernmost point of continental Eurasia , Tanjung Piai , is in Malaysia . Located in the tropics , Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth , with large numbers of endemic species .   Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which , from the 18th century , became subject to the British Empire . The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements , whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates . The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 . Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 , and achieved independence on 31 August 1957 . Malaya united with North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia . Less than two years later in 1965 , Singapore was expelled from the federation .   The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural , which plays a large role in politics . About half the population is ethnically Malay , with large minorities of Malaysian Chinese , Malaysian Indians , and indigenous peoples . The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims . The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law . The head of state is the king , known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong . He is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years . The head of government is the prime minister .   Since its independence , Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia , with its GDP growing at an average of 6.5 % per annum for almost 50 years . The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources , but is expanding in the sectors of science , tourism , commerce and medical tourism . Today , Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy , ranked third largest in Southeast Asia and 29th largest in the world . It is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations , the East Asia Summit and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , the Commonwealth of Nations , and the Non-Aligned Movement .


A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels.

A Song of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin . He began the first volume of the series , A Game of Thrones , in 1991 and had it published in 1996 . Martin , who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy , has published five out of a planned seven volumes . The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011 , A Dance with Dragons , took Martin five years to write . He is still writing the sixth novel , The Winds of Winter .   A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos . The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine , in the first novel , to thirty-one by the fifth . Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros , the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros , and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the deposed king 's exiled daughter , to assume the Iron Throne .   Martin 's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon . A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion , as well as its realism . An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader , and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured . Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire , questions concerning loyalty , pride , human sexuality , piety , and the morality of violence frequently arise .   As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases . Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas , a TV series , a comic book adaptation , and several card , board , and video games .


Rescue Me (U.S. TV series) Rescue Me is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on the FX on July 21 , 2004 and concluded on September 7 , 2011 . The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters , post 9/11 .   The protagonist and focal point of the series is veteran New York City Firefighter Tommy Gavin ( Denis Leary ) . The series follows Tommy 's troubled family and co-workers as they deal with real life issues , either with post 9/11 trauma or their own domestic problems . Tommy struggles with the loss of his cousin and best friend , Firefighter Jimmy Keefe ( James McCaffrey ) , as well as fifty-nine other firefighters whom he knew , who died in the World Trade Center on September 11 , 2001 . Jimmy frequently visits Tommy in ghostly dreams . Tommy is an impatient , self-loathing , hypocritical , manipulative , relapsed alcoholic who suffers with severe survivor guilt and posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of 9/11 . In the pilot episode , Tommy and his wife Janet ( Andrea Roth ) have already separated , although they are technically still married , and Tommy has moved across the street . Although he has a poor grasp on his personal life , most of Tommy 's actions as a firefighter are heroic and brave , but despite his passion and concern for others ( and for the job ) , he is viewed by his various family members and his fellow firefighters as selfish .   Rescue Me was created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan , who also serve as executive producers and head writers , and is produced by Cloudland Company , Apostle , DreamWorks Television , and Sony Pictures Television .


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


Modern liberalism in the United States strongly supports health care.

Modern liberalism in the United States Modern American liberalism is the dominant version of liberalism in the United States . It is characterized by social liberalism , and combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy . The term `` modern liberalism '' in this article refers only to the United States . In a global context , this philosophy is usually referred to as social liberalism .   The American modern liberal philosophy strongly endorses public spending on programs such as education , health care , and welfare . Important social issues today include addressing inequality , voting rights for minorities , affirmative action , reproductive and other women 's rights , support for LGBT rights , and immigration reform .   Modern liberalism took shape during the twentieth century , with roots in Theodore Roosevelt 's New Nationalism , Woodrow Wilson 's New Freedom , Franklin D. Roosevelt 's New Deal , Harry S. Truman 's Fair Deal , John F. Kennedy 's New Frontier , and Lyndon B. Johnson 's Great Society . American liberals oppose conservatives on most issues , but not all . Modern liberalism is historically related to social liberalism and progressivism , though the current relationship between liberal and progressive viewpoints is debated .   John F. Kennedy defined a liberal as follows :   Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941 defined a liberal party as one ,   Keynesian economic theory has played an important role in the economic philosophy of modern American liberals . Modern American liberals generally believe that national prosperity requires government management of the macroeconomy , in order to keep unemployment low , inflation in check , and growth high . They also value institutions that defend against economic inequality . In The Conscience of a Liberal Paul Krugman writes : `` I believe in a relatively equal society , supported by institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty . I believe in democracy , civil liberties , and the rule of law . That makes me a liberal , and I 'm proud of it . '' Liberals often point to the widespread prosperity enjoyed under a mixed economy in the years since World War II . They believe liberty exists when access to necessities like health care and economic opportunity are available to all , and they champion the protection of the environment .   Modern American liberalism is typically associated with the Democratic Party , as modern American conservatism is typically associated with the Republican Party .


Rihanna is the youngest and fastest solo artist to earn fourteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( -LSB- riˈænə -RSB- born February 20 , 1988 ) is a Barbadian singer , songwriter , and actress . Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown , she first entered the music industry by recording demo tapes under the direction of record producer Evan Rogers in 2003 . She ultimately signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for its then-president , hip hop producer and rapper Jay Z . In 2005 , Rihanna rose to fame with the release of her debut studio album Music of the Sun and its follow-up A Girl like Me ( 2006 ) , which charted on the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 and respectively produced the singles `` Pon de Replay '' and `` SOS '' .   She assumed creative control for her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad ( 2007 ) and adopted a public image as a sex symbol while reinventing her music . Its successful lead single `` Umbrella '' became an international breakthrough in her career , as she won her first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay Z in 2008 . After releasing four consecutive platinum studio albums , including the Grammy Award winner Unapologetic ( 2012 ) , she was recognized as a pop icon . Her eighth studio album Anti ( 2016 ) and its lead single `` Work '' reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 . Many of her songs rank among the world 's best-selling singles of all time , including the singles `` Umbrella '' , `` Take a Bow '' , `` Disturbia '' , `` Only Girl ( In the World ) '' , `` S&M '' , `` We Found Love '' , `` Diamonds '' , and `` Stay '' in which she is the lead artist , and her collaborations `` Live Your Life '' ( with T.I. ) , `` Love the Way You Lie '' and `` The Monster '' ( both with Eminem ) .   With sales exceeding 230 million records worldwide , Rihanna is one of the best-selling artists of all time . Rihanna is the youngest and fastest solo artist to earn fourteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 , and was named the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade and the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade by Billboard . Among numerous awards and accolades , Rihanna has won eight Grammy Awards , twelve American Music Awards , twelve Billboard Music Awards and the inaugural Icon Award at the American Music Awards of 2013 . Widely recognized for frequently reinventing her style , she received the Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2014 . Forbes ranked Rihanna the fourth most powerful celebrity of 2012 , and was named one of Times `` 100 Most Influential People in the World '' later that year .


The Battle of Corinth was fought between the Empire of Japan and Corinth's allies in the Arab League.

Battle of Corinth (146 BC) The Battle of Corinth was a battle fought between the Roman Republic and the Greek city-state of Corinth and its allies in the Achaean League in 146 BC , which resulted in the complete and total destruction of Corinth . This battle marked the beginning of the period of Roman domination in Greek history .


Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. ( born March 31 , 1948 ) is an American politician and environmentalist who served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton . He was Clinton 's running mate in their successful campaign in 1992 , and was re-elected in 1996 . At the end of Clinton 's second term , Gore was picked as the Democratic nominee for the 2000 presidential election . After leaving office , Gore remained prominent as an author and environmental activist , whose work in climate change activism earned him ( jointly with the IPCC ) the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 .   Gore was an elected official for 24 years . He was a Congressman from Tennessee ( 1977 -- 85 ) and from 1985 to 1993 served as one of the state 's Senators . He served as Vice President during the Clinton administration from 1993 to 2001 . In the 2000 presidential election , in what was one of the closest presidential races in history , Gore won the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College to Republican George W. Bush . A controversial election dispute over a vote recount in Florida was settled by the U.S. Supreme Court , which ruled 5 -- 4 in favor of Bush .   Gore is the founder and current chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection , the co-founder and chair of Generation Investment Management and the now-defunct Current TV network , a member of the Board of Directors of Apple Inc. , and a senior adviser to Google . Gore is also a partner in the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers , heading its climate change solutions group . He has served as a visiting professor at Middle Tennessee State University , Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism , Fisk University , and the University of California , Los Angeles . He served on the Board of Directors of World Resources Institute .   Gore has received a number of awards including the Nobel Peace Prize ( joint award with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , 2007 ) , a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album ( 2009 ) for his book An Inconvenient Truth , a Primetime Emmy Award for Current TV ( 2007 ) , and a Webby Award ( 2005 ) . Gore was also the subject of the Academy Award-winning ( 2007 ) documentary An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 . In 2007 , he was named a runner-up for Time 2007 Person of the Year .


Antarctica's coast experiences an annual precipitation of eight inches.

Antarctica Antarctica ( UK English -LSB- ænˈtɑːktɪkə -RSB- or -LSB- ænˈtɑːtɪkə -RSB- , US English -LSB- æntˈɑːrktɪkə -RSB- ) is Earth 's southernmost continent . It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere , almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle , and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean . At 14000000 km2 , it is the fifth-largest continent . For comparison , Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia . About 98 % of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km in thickness , which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula .   Antarctica , on average , is the coldest , driest , and windiest continent , and has the highest average elevation of all the continents . Antarctica is a desert , with annual precipitation of only 200 mm ( 8 in ) along the coast and far less inland . The temperature in Antarctica has reached − 89.2 ° C ( − 128.6 ° F ) , though the average for the third quarter ( the coldest part of the year ) is − 63 ° C ( − 81 ° F ) . Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent . Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae , bacteria , fungi , plants , protista , and certain animals , such as mites , nematodes , penguins , seals and tardigrades . Vegetation , where it occurs , is tundra .   Although myths and speculation about a Terra Australis ( `` Southern Land '' ) date back to antiquity , Antarctica is noted as the last region on Earth in recorded history to be discovered and colonised by humans , being only first sighted in 1820 by the Russian expedition of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on Vostok and Mirny , who sighted the Fimbul ice shelf . The continent , however , remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th century because of its hostile environment , lack of easily accessible resources , and isolation . In 1895 , the first confirmed landing was conducted by a team of Norwegians .   Antarctica is a de facto condominium , governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status . Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 , and thirty-eight have signed it since then . The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining , prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal , supports scientific research , and protects the continent 's ecozone . Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations .


New Moon was the second installment of the Twilight Saga.

The Twilight Saga (film series) The Twilight Saga is a series of five romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four novels by American author Stephenie Meyer . The films star Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , and Taylor Lautner . The series has grossed over $ 3.3 billion in worldwide receipts and consists , to date , of five motion pictures . The first installment , Twilight , was released on November 21 , 2008 . The second installment , New Moon , followed on November 20 , 2009 , breaking box office records as the biggest midnight screening and opening day in history , grossing an estimated $ 72.7 million . The third installment , Eclipse , was released on June 30 , 2010 , and was the first Twilight film to be released in IMAX .   The series was in development since 2004 at Paramount Pictures , during which time a screen adaptation of Twilight that differed significantly from the novel was written . Three years later , Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the film . After Twilight grossed $ 35.7 million on its opening day , Summit Entertainment announced they would begin production on New Moon ; they had acquired the rights to the remaining novels earlier that same month . A two-part adaptation of Breaking Dawn began shooting in November 2010 with release dates of November 18 , 2011 , and November 16 , 2012 , respectively .


The Twilight Saga: New Moon The Twilight Saga : New Moon , commonly referred to as New Moon , is a 2009 American romantic fantasy film based on Stephenie Meyer 's 2006 novel New Moon . It is the second film in The Twilight Saga film series and is the sequel to 2008 's Twilight . Summit Entertainment greenlit the sequel in late November 2008 , following the early success of Twilight . Directed by Chris Weitz , the film stars Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , and Taylor Lautner , reprising their roles as Bella Swan , Edward Cullen , and Jacob Black , respectively . Melissa Rosenberg , who handed in a draft of the film script during the opening weekend of Twilight , returned as screenwriter for New Moon as well .   Filming began in Vancouver in late March 2009 , and in Montepulciano , Italy in late May 2009 . The film was released on November 20 , 2009 in most countries , and set domestic box office records as the biggest midnight screening , grossing $ 26.3 million , which was superseded by its sequel , Eclipse . This led to the highest single day , domestic gross on an opening day , with $ 72.7 million , until it was beaten in 2011 by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 , which made $ 91.1 million , by nearly $ 20 million . Furthermore , New Moon opened with the third highest domestic opening weekend since 2002 grossing a total of $ 142,839,137 . The film also became the highest-grossing film released by Summit Entertainment , and was the widest independent release , playing in over 4,100 theaters in its theatrical run , until it was surpassed by The Twilight Saga : Eclipse .   New Moon was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 20 , 2010 through midnight release parties . As of July 2012 , $ 184,916,451 in North American DVD sales , selling more than 8,835,501 units , 4 million of which were sold within its first weekend , beating Twilight 's 3.8 million units sold in its first two days . The film was well received by fans , but received generally negative reviews from critics .


Jenna Dewan Jenna Dewan Tatum ( -LSB- də ` wɑːn _ ` teɪtəm -RSB- born Jenna Lee Dewan ; December 3 , 1980 ) is an American actress and dancer . She began her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson , and later worked with artists including Pink , Missy Elliott , and Christina Aguilera . She is known for her role as Nora in the 2006 film Step Up . She has also starred on the short-lived NBC series The Playboy Club and had a recurring role on the FX series American Horror Story : Asylum . She was Freya Beauchamp on the Lifetime series Witches of East End and as of 2016 was playing the recurring role of Lucy Lane in Supergirl .


The top ten was where My Everything peaked.

My Everything (Ariana Grande album) My Everything is the second studio album by American singer Ariana Grande , released on August 25 , 2014 by Republic Records . Grande wanted My Everything to sound as `` an evolution '' from her debut album , Yours Truly ( 2013 ) ; it explores more mature themes and genres . In the album 's production , Ariana worked with a host of producers -- including Max Martin , Shellback , Benny Blanco , Ryan Tedder , Darkchild , Ilya Salmanzadeh , Zedd , and David Guetta . Upon its release , the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 , selling 169,000 copies in its first week . It debuted at number one in Australia and Canada as well , and peaked in the top ten of twenty countries worldwide . As of March 2016 , the album has sold 692,000 copies in the United States .   My Everything was preceded by the lead single `` Problem '' , which features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea . After its release on April 28 , 2014 , the single debuted at number three the week of May 17 , selling over 400,000 copies in its first week and eventually peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 . `` Break Free '' , featuring German-Russian musician and producer Zedd , was released as the second single on July 2 , and peaked at the fourth position on the Hot 100 . The fourth single , `` Love Me Harder '' , featuring The Weeknd , was released on September 30 , 2014 and peaked at number seven . At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015 , My Everything was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album .


Margaret Brown was an American socialite.

Margaret Brown Margaret `` Maggie '' Brown ( née Tobin ) ( July 18 , 1867 -- October 26 , 1932 ) ( posthumously known as `` The Unsinkable Molly Brown '' ) was an American socialite and philanthropist . She is best remembered for exhorting the crew in to return to the debris field of the 1912 sinking of RMS Titanic to look for survivors . Accounts differ on whether the boat actually returned to look for survivors , and if so , if any survivors were found . During her lifetime , her friends called her `` Maggie '' , but even by her death , obituaries referred to her as the `` Unsinkable Mrs. Brown '' . The reference was further reinforced by a 1960 Broadway musical based on her life and its 1964 film adaptation were each entitled The Unsinkable Molly Brown .


Snoop Dogg was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr.

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


South America isn't home to Orinoco River.

South America South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere , mostly in the southern hemisphere , with a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere . It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas , which is the model used in nations that speak Romance languages . The reference to South America instead of other regions ( like Latin America or the Southern Cone ) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics ( in particular , the rise of Brazil ) .   It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean ; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest . It includes twelve sovereign states ( Argentina , Bolivia , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador , Guyana , Paraguay , Peru , Suriname , Uruguay , and Venezuela ) , a part of France ( French Guiana ) , and a non-sovereign area ( the Falkland Islands , a British Overseas Territory though this is disputed by Argentina ) . In addition to this , the ABC islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , Trinidad and Tobago , and Panama may also be considered part of South America .   South America has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers ( 6,890,000 sq mi ) . Its population has been estimated at more than 371,090,000 . South America ranks fourth in area ( after Asia , Africa , and North America ) and fifth in population ( after Asia , Africa , Europe , and North America ) . Brazil is by far the most populous South American country , with more than half of the continent 's population , followed by Colombia , Argentina , Venezuela and Peru . In recent decades Brazil has also concentrated half of the region 's GDP and has become a first regional power .   Most of the population lives near the continent 's western or eastern coasts while the interior and the far south are sparsely populated . The geography of western South America is dominated by the Andes mountains ; in contrast , the eastern part contains both highland regions and large lowlands where rivers such as the Amazon , Orinoco , and Paraná flow . Most of the continent lies in the tropics .   The continent 's cultural and ethnic outlook has its origin with the interaction of indigenous peoples with European conquerors and immigrants and , more locally , with African slaves . Given a long history of colonialism , the overwhelming majority of South Americans speak Portuguese or Spanish , and societies and states commonly reflect Western traditions .


Dumb and Dumber spawned an animated series.

Dumb and Dumber (TV series) Dumb and Dumber : The Animated Series is a Hanna-Barbera-produced animated series based on the 1994 comedy film of the same name . The animated series premiered in 1995 on ABC .   The cartoon revolves around the continued misadventures of Lloyd and Harry after reacquiring their dogshaped van now named `` Otto '' . It also features a new character , Kitty , a female pet purple beaver who appears to be smarter than both men . It is the final Hanna-Barbera-produced show to premiere on ABC ( as well as the final Hanna-Barbera-produced show to air on broadcast network television ) and one of the last Saturday morning cartoons on the network not associated with The Walt Disney Company .   Matt Frewer provided the voice of Lloyd Christmas ( Jim Carrey 's character in the movie ) , while Bill Fagerbakke voiced the character of Harry Dunne ( Jeff Daniels ' character in the movie ) . The animated series was written by Bennett Yellin , co-writer of the original film . The series was cancelled after one season . It aired in reruns on Cartoon Network after its cancellation .   In Britain , the series was screened on Cartoon Network before receiving terrestrial airings on Channel 4 ( unlike The Mask : Animated Series and Ace Ventura : Pet Detective , two other shows based on a film starring Jim Carrey , both of which were shown by the BBC ) .   A tape containing some episodes of the show , including `` Dumb Luck '' , was released in Australia and Russia in the 1990s , but in the United States , there were never any tapes of the show released on home video .


Dumb and Dumber Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 American comedy road film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels . It was written by the Farrelly brothers and Bennett Yellin , and is the Farrelly brothers ' directorial debut . The film tells the story of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne , two unintelligent but well-meaning friends from Providence , Rhode Island who set out on a cross-country trip to Aspen , Colorado to return a briefcase full of money to its owner , only to be pursued by a group of criminals who are after the briefcase .   The film was released on December 16 , 1994 . It grossed $ 247 million at the box office and has developed a cult following in the years since its release . The success of Dumb and Dumber launched the career of the Farrelly brothers and solidified Carrey 's . The film also spawned an animated TV series , a 2003 prequel , and a 2014 sequel .


Zambia Zambia ( -LSB- ˈzæmbiə -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Zambia , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa , neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north , Tanzania to the north-east , Malawi to the east , Mozambique , Zimbabwe , Botswana and Namibia to the south , and Angola to the west . The capital city is Lusaka , in the south-central part of Zambia . The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest , the core economic hubs of the country .   Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples , the region was affected by the Bantu expansion of the thirteenth century . After visits by European explorers in the eighteenth century , Zambia became the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century . For most of the colonial period , Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company .   On 24 October 1964 , Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president . Kaunda 's socialist United National Independence Party ( UNIP ) maintained power from 1964 until 1991 . Kaunda played a key role in regional diplomacy , cooperating closely with the United States in search of solutions to conflicts in Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe ) , Angola , and Namibia . From 1972 to 1991 Zambia was a one-party state with the UNIP as the sole legal political party under the motto `` One Zambia , One Nation '' . Kaunda was succeeded by Frederick Chiluba of the social-democratic Movement for Multi-Party Democracy in 1991 , beginning a period of social-economic growth and government decentralisation . Levy Mwanawasa , Chiluba 's chosen successor , presided over Zambia from January 2002 until his death in August 2008 , and is credited with campaigns to reduce corruption and increase the standard of living . After Mwanawasa 's death , Rupiah Banda presided as Acting President before being elected President in 2008 . Holding office for only three years , Banda stepped down after his defeat in the 2011 elections by Patriotic Front party leader Michael Sata . Sata died on 28 October 2014 , the second Zambian president to die in office . Guy Scott served briefly as interim president until new elections were held on 20 January 2015 , in which Edgar Lungu was elected as the sixth President .   In 2010 , the World Bank named Zambia one of the world 's fastest economically reformed countries . The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA ) is headquartered in Lusaka .


On the Road (film) premiered at the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival.

2012 Toronto International Film Festival The 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival ( TIFF ) was held in Toronto , Ontario , Canada between September 6 and September 16 , 2012 . TIFF announced the films that were accepted on August 21 , 2012 . Looper directed by Rian Johnson was selected as the opening film .


On the Road (film) On the Road ( Sur la route ) is a 2012 adventure drama film directed by Walter Salles . It is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac 's 1957 novel of the same name and stars an ensemble cast featuring Garrett Hedlund , Sam Riley , Kristen Stewart , Alice Braga , Amy Adams , Tom Sturridge , Danny Morgan , Elisabeth Moss , Kirsten Dunst , and Viggo Mortensen . The executive producer was Francis Ford Coppola . Filming began on August 4 , 2010 , in Montreal , Quebec , with a $ 25 million budget . The story is based on the years Kerouac spent travelling the United States in the late 1940s with his friend Neal Cassady and several other Beat Generation figures who would go on to fame in their own right , including William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg . On May 23 , 2012 , the film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival . The film received mixed early reviews after it premiered at the film festival . The film also premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in September .


Michelle Rodriguez played Letty in The Fast and the Furious.

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez ( -LSB- rɑːˈdriːgɛz -RSB- born July 12 , 1978 ) is an American actress and screenwriter . Her breakout role was as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight ( 2000 ) , which was met with critical acclaim and earned her several awards , including the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance . The following year , she starred as Letty in the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious ( 2001 ) , a role she has reprised in four additional films in the Fast and Furious franchise to date . During her career , Rodriguez has played in a number of successful action films , including Resident Evil , S.W.A.T. , and Avatar .   Rodriguez also branched into television , playing Ana Lucia Cortez in the second season of the television series Lost . She has also had numerous voice work appearances in video games such as Call of Duty and Halo , and lent her voice for the 3D animated film Turbo and the television series IGPX . With her films grossing over $ 5 billion ( U.S. ) collectively , a 2013 Entertainment Weekly article described Rodriguez as `` arguably the most iconic actress in the action genre , as well as one of the most visible Latinas in Hollywood '' .


The Backstreet Boys are from the United States.

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


Artemis Artemis ( -LSB- ˈɑːrtᵻmᵻs -RSB- Ἄρτεμις , Modern Greek : Άρτεμις , Ártemis , -LSB- ár.te.mis -RSB- ) was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities . Her Roman equivalent is Diana . Some scholars believe that the name , and indeed the goddess herself , was originally pre-Greek . Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera , Potnia Theron : `` Artemis of the wildland , Mistress of Animals '' . The Arcadians believed she was the daughter of Demeter .   In the classical period of Greek mythology , Artemis was often described as the daughter of Zeus and Leto , and the twin sister of Apollo . She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt , wild animals , wilderness , childbirth , virginity and protector of young girls , bringing and relieving disease in women ; she often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows . The deer and the cypress were sacred to her . In later Hellenistic times , she even assumed the ancient role of Eileithyia in aiding childbirth .


Apple Inc. became the first U.S company to be valued over $700 billion dollars in February 2015.

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino , California that designs , develops , and sells consumer electronics , computer software , and online services . The company 's hardware products include the iPhone smartphone , the iPad tablet computer , the Mac personal computer , the iPod portable media player , the Apple Watch smartwatch , and the Apple TV digital media player . Apple 's consumer software includes the macOS and iOS operating systems , the iTunes media player , the Safari web browser , and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites . Its online services include the iTunes Store , the iOS App Store and Mac App Store , Apple Music , and iCloud .   Apple was founded by Steve Jobs , Steve Wozniak , and Ronald Wayne in April 1976 to develop and sell personal computers . It was incorporated as Apple Computer , Inc. in January 1977 , and sales of its computers saw significant momentum and revenue growth for the company . Within a few years , they had hired a staff of computer designers and had a production line . Apple went public in 1980 to instant financial success . Over the next few years , Apple shipped new computers featuring innovative graphical user interfaces , and Apple 's marketing commercials for its products received widespread critical acclaim . However , the high price tag of its products and limited software titles caused problems , as did power struggles between executives at the company . Jobs resigned from Apple and created his own company . As the market for personal computers increased , Apple 's computers saw diminishing sales due to lower-priced products from competitors , in particular those offered with the Microsoft Windows operating system . More executive job shuffles happened at Apple until then-CEO Gil Amelio in 1997 decided to buy Jobs ' company to bring him back . Jobs regained position as CEO , and began a process to rebuild Apple 's status , which included opening Apple 's own retail stores in 2001 , making numerous acquisitions of software companies to create a portfolio of software titles , and changed some of the hardware technology used in its computers . It again saw success and returned to profitability . In January 2007 , Jobs announced that Apple Computer , Inc. would be renamed Apple Inc. to reflect its shifted focus toward consumer electronics , and announced the iPhone , which saw critical acclaim and significant financial success . In August 2011 , Jobs resigned as CEO due to health complications , and Tim Cook became the new CEO . Two months later , Jobs died , marking the end of an era for the company .   Apple is the world 's largest information technology company by revenue , and the world 's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer after Samsung . In February 2015 , Apple became the first U.S. company to be valued at over US$ 700billion . The company employs 116,000 full-time employees and maintains 496 retail stores in 21 countries . It operates the iTunes Store , which is the world 's largest music retailer . , more than one billion Apple products are actively in use worldwide .   Apple 's worldwide annual revenue totaled $ 215billion for the 2016 fiscal year . The company enjoys a high level of brand loyalty and has been repeatedly ranked as the world 's most valuable brand . However , it receives significant criticism regarding the labor practices of its contractors and its environmental and business practices , including the origins of source materials .


Luke Wilson stars in The Royal Tenenbaums.

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


Pat Riley Patrick James Riley ( born March 20 , 1945 ) is an American professional basketball executive , and a former coach and player in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995 and head coach in two separate tenures ( 1995 through 2003 , and 2005 through 2008 ) . Regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time , Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams , four with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat .   He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times ( 1989 -- 90 , 1992 -- 93 and 1996 -- 97 , as head coach of the Lakers , New York Knicks and Heat , respectively ) . He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times : eight times with the Western Conference team ( 1982 , 1983 , 1985 -- 1990 , all as head coach of the Lakers ) and once with the Eastern team ( 1993 , as head coach of the Knicks ) . In 1996 , he was named one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in the NBA history . As a player , he played for the Lakers ' championship team in 1972 . Riley most recently won the 2012 and 2013 NBA championships with the Heat as their team president . He is the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player , coach ( both assistant and head ) , and executive . He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association on June 20 , 2012 .


Gianluigi Buffon won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the second time in June of 2003.

Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi `` Gigi '' Buffon ( -LSB- ˈdʒiːdʒi bufˈfɔn -RSB- , Ufficiale OMRI ; born 28 January 1978 ) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper . He captains both Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team . He is widely regarded by players , pundits and managers to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time , and , by some , to be the greatest ever . Buffon is one of only eighteen players to have made at least 1,000 professional career appearances ; with 168 international caps , Buffon is also the most capped player in the history of the Italian national team , the joint fifth-most capped male international footballer of all time , alongside Iván Hurtado , and the most capped European international player ever . Buffon is known for his `` outstanding shot-stopping '' and for being `` a vocal organizer of the defence and a key dressing room personality '' . He is currently the most expensive goalkeeper in history , following his $ 53 million transfer from Parma to Juventus in 2001 . Buffon holds the record for the most clean sheets in Serie A , and with the Italy national team ; he also holds the record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in Serie A history : over 12 league matches , he went unbeaten for 974 consecutive minutes during the 2015 -- 16 season , as well as having achieved the most consecutive clean sheets ( 10 ) in Serie A in that same season .   At club level , Buffon 's professional career began with Parma in 1995 , where he made his Serie A debut , and was soon promoted to the role of starting goalkeeper , earning a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Italy ; during his time with the club , he won the Coppa Italia , the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana , all in 1999 . After joining Juventus in 2001 , Buffon immediately won Serie A titles in both of his first two seasons at the club , and established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position . After winning two more consecutive league titles in 2005 and 2006 , the club were later stripped of these titles and relegated due to their involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal . Despite rumours of his departure , Buffon remained with Juventus , contributing to the club 's Serie B title and promotion back to Serie A in 2007 . Following several trophyless seasons , Buffon later played a key role in Juventus ' resurgence , which saw the club win an Italian record of six consecutive league titles between 2011 and 2017 ; he also inherited the captain 's armband following the departure of Alessandro Del Piero in 2012 . In total , he has won eight Serie A titles , three Coppa Italia titles , and five Supercoppa Italiana titles with Juventus .   With the Italy national team , Buffon has been called up for an international record of five FIFA World Cup tournaments ( 1998 , 2002 , 2006 , 2010 , 2014 ) since making his debut in 1997 , featuring in four of them as Italy 's starting goalkeeper ( he was an unused substitute in 1998 ) . He was the starting goalkeeper of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup , which saw him keep a record five clean sheets , and concede only two goals , neither of which were in open play . He has also represented Italy at four European Championships , at the 1996 Olympics , and at two FIFA Confederations Cups , winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament .   Buffon has also won numerous , prestigious individual and team awards . He was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players in 2004 . He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record eleven times . Buffon was the winner of the 2006 Yashin Award following Italy 's World Cup victory , in which he was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament ; an honour which he also received after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 European Championships , and the final of the 2012 European Championships . Buffon is the only goalkeeper to have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year Award , which he won in 2003 after reaching the Champions League final ; he also won the award for best Goalkeeper that year , and was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003 , 2004 , 2006 and 2016 . In 2006 , Buffon was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and was elected to be part of the FIFPro World XI , an honour which he also achieved in 2007 . After reaching the 2015 Champions League final , he was named to the 2014 -- 15 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season , and placed fourth in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award . He has been named the IFFHS World 's Best Goalkeeper four times ( second only to Iker Casillas , with five awards ) and was also named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century , of the past 25 years , and of the decade , by the same organisation . In 2016 , he became the first goalkeeper ever to win the Golden Foot Award , which pertains to both personality and playing ability .


George A. Romero George Andrew Romero ( -LSB- rə 'm ɛroʊ -RSB- born February 4 , 1940 ) is an American-Canadian filmmaker and editor , best known for his series of gruesome and satirical horror films about an imagined zombie apocalypse , beginning with Night of the Living Dead and notably continuing on with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead . His other works contributed include The Crazies , Creepshow , Martin , Monkey Shines , and The Dark Half .


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


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


Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ( -LSB- neɡ̊olaɪ̯ kʰʌsd̥ɐ ˈʋald̥ɑʊ̯ -RSB- ; born 27 July 1970 ) is a Danish actor , producer and screenwriter . He graduated from Danish National School of Theatre in Copenhagen in 1993 . Coster-Waldau 's breakthrough performance in Denmark was his role in the film Nightwatch ( 1994 ) . Since then he has appeared in numerous films in his native Scandinavia and Europe in general , including Headhunters ( 2011 ) and A Thousand Times Good Night ( 2013 ) .   In the United States , his debut film role was in the war film Black Hawk Down ( 2001 ) , playing Medal of Honor recipient Gary Gordon . He then played Detective John Amsterdam in the short-lived Fox television series New Amsterdam ( 2008 ) , as well as appearing as Frank Pike in the 2009 Fox television film Virtuality , originally intended as a pilot . He became widely known to a broad audience for his current role as Ser Jaime Lannister , in the HBO series Game of Thrones . In 2017 , he became one of the highest paid actors on television and earned # 2 million per episode of Game of Thrones .


Oliver Reed failed to be cast in Castaway.

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed ( 13 February 1938 -- 2 May 1999 ) was an English actor known for his upper-class , macho image , hellraiser lifestyle , and `` tough guy '' roles . Notable films include The Trap ( 1966 ) , Oliver ! ( 1968 ) , Women in Love ( 1969 ) , Hannibal Brooks ( 1969 ) , The Devils ( 1971 ) , The Three Musketeers ( 1973 ) , Tommy ( 1975 ) , Lion of the Desert ( 1981 ) , Castaway ( 1986 ) , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ( 1988 ) and Funny Bones ( 1995 ) . For Gladiator ( 2000 ) , his final film , Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role .   At the peak of his career , in 1971 , British exhibitors voted Reed 5th most popular star at the box office .


Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna `` Idris '' Elba , ( -LSB- ˈɪdrᵻs_ˈɛlbə -RSB- born 6 September 1972 ) is an English actor , musician , and DJ . He is known for playing druglord Russell `` Stringer '' Bell on the HBO series The Wire , Detective John Luther on the BBC One series Luther , and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom ( 2013 ) . He has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film , winning one , and was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award .   Elba has appeared in films such as Ridley Scott 's American Gangster ( 2007 ) , Takers ( 2010 ) , Thor ( 2011 ) , Prometheus ( 2012 ) , Pacific Rim ( 2013 ) , Thor : The Dark World ( 2013 ) and Beasts of No Nation ( 2015 , for which he received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor ) , and Star Trek Beyond ( 2016 ) . In 2016 , he also voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia , Shere Khan in The Jungle Book , and Fluke in Finding Dory . He will make his directorial debut with an adaptation of 1992 novel Yardie by Victor Headley .   In addition to his acting work , Elba is a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis ( or Big Driis the Londoner ) and hip hop soul musician . In 2016 , he was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World .


Diane Ruggiero Diane Ruggiero-Wright -LSB- ˈruːʒɪəroʊ -RSB- is an American television writer and producer . Her credits include That 's Life , Veronica Mars , Free Agents , Dirty Sexy Money , Big Shots , the Mythological X remake The Ex List and iZombie , which she co-created with Rob Thomas . With Thomas , she also co-wrote the script for the Veronica Mars film .   Ruggiero is a native of Old Bridge Township , New Jersey . While she was living in North Arlington , New Jersey , Ruggiero 's writing talent was discovered by Mark St. Germain while she worked as a waitress at the Park and Orchard restaurant in East Rutherford , New Jersey . She is close friends with Jed Seidel and Rob Thomas .


Veronica Mars (film) Veronica Mars is a 2014 American neo-noir mystery comedy-drama film produced and directed by Rob Thomas , who co-wrote the script with Diane Ruggiero . It is a continuing film adaptation based on Thomas ' UPN/CW television series of the same name and stars Kristen Bell reprising her role as the title character . Its executive producers are Joel Silver , Bell , and Jenny Hinkey . Warner Bros. . Pictures opened the film in the United States in a limited release and through video on demand on March 14 , 2014 .


Edward VIII Edward VIII ( Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David ; 23 June 1894 -- 28 May 1972 ) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire , and Emperor of India , from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December the same year .   Edward was the eldest son of George V and Mary of Teck . He was named Prince of Wales on his sixteenth birthday , nine weeks after his father succeeded as king . As a young man , he served in the British Army during the First World War and undertook several overseas tours on behalf of his father .   Edward became king on his father 's death in early 1936 . However , he showed impatience with court protocol , and caused concern among politicians by his apparent disregard for established constitutional conventions . Only months into his reign , he caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to Wallis Simpson , an American who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second . The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage , arguing that a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands was politically and socially unacceptable as a prospective queen consort . Additionally , such a marriage would have conflicted with Edward 's status as the titular head of the Church of England , which at the time disapproved of remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was still alive . Edward knew that the British government , led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin , would resign if the marriage went ahead , which could have forced a general election and would ruin his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch . When it became apparent that he could not marry Wallis and remain on the throne , Edward abdicated . He was succeeded by his younger brother , George VI . With a reign of 326 days , Edward is one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British history .   After his abdication , he was created Duke of Windsor . He married Wallis in France on 3 June 1937 , after her second divorce became final . Later that year , the couple toured Germany . During the Second World War , he was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France but , after private accusations that he held Nazi sympathies , he was appointed Governor of the Bahamas . After the war , Edward spent the rest of his life in retirement in France .


Trevor Berbick Trevor Berbick ( August 1 , 1954 -- October 28 , 2006 ) was a Jamaican Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000 . He won the WBC heavyweight title in 1986 by defeating Pinklon Thomas , but lost it in his first defence to Mike Tyson , who was then undefeated at 20 years old . Berbick was also the last boxer to fight Muhammad Ali , defeating him in 1981 .   As an amateur , Berbick won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games . In both his early and late professional career he held the Canadian heavyweight title twice , from 1979 to 1986 and 1999 to 2001 .


The Pennsylvania Chronicle was established in 1767.

Pennsylvania Chronicle The Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser was an American colonial newspaper founded in 1767 that was published in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , prior to the American Revolution and was founded by William Goddard and his business partners Joseph Galloway and Thomas Wharton . Benjamin Franklin , an associate of Galloway , was also a partner with the Chronicle .   The newspaper was established to challenge the power of the Penn family and ultimately the Crown authorities who at that time were placing laws and taxes on the colonists without fair representation in the British Parliament .   The Chronicle was published once a week on a Monday , the first issue being released on January 6 , 1767 , and was printed from a new Bourgeois type set by Goddard 's printing company in Philadelphia , The New Printing Office , on Market-Street , near the Post-Office . The annual subscription rate was ten shillings . The publication maintained operations from January 6 , 1767 , until February 8 , 1774 .   In 1768 William 's sister , Mary Katherine Goddard who later became famous for being the first woman to be a postmaster in Maryland , later joined and managed her brother 's printing office in Philadelphia .   By 1770 the Pennsylvania Chronicle had a circulation of about twenty-five hundred , making it one of the most successful colonial newspapers .   In the middle of the 18th century most of the printing presses that were in use in the American colonies were imported from England . Isaac Doolittle , a New-Haven watch and clock-maker , built the mahogany printing press for Goddard 's Pennsylvania Chronicle in Philadelphia . It was the first printing press built in the American colonies .   Goddard 's newspaper was not without its competition . A rival Philadelphia printer , William Bradford III , founder of The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser in 1742 conducted a newspaper war against Goddard that digressed into personal attacks .   During this time Galloway and Wharton had sold their shares of the Chronicle to a Robert Towne , who in turn made many attempts to persuade Goddard to sell his newspaper to him . After Goddard publicly criticized Galloway and Wharton he subsequently found himself jailed for debt in September 1771 , no doubt at the prompting of the influential Galloway .