Batman Begins Batman Begins is a 2005 British-American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman , co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Liam Neeson , Katie Holmes , Gary Oldman , Cillian Murphy , Tom Wilkinson , Rutger Hauer , Ken Watanabe , and Morgan Freeman . The film reboots the Batman film series , telling the origin story of the title character ( Bale ) , from his alter ego Bruce Wayne 's initial fear of bats , the death of his parents , his journey to become Batman , and his fight to stop Ra 's al Ghul ( Neeson ) and the Scarecrow ( Murphy ) from plunging Gotham City into chaos . Comic book storylines such as The Man Who Falls , Batman : Year One , and Batman : The Long Halloween served as inspiration .   After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Batman on screen following the critical failure and box office disappointment of Batman & Robin ( 1997 ) , Nolan and David S. Goyer began to work on the film in early 2003 and aimed for a darker and more realistic tone , with humanity and realism being the basis of the film . The goal was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne . The film , which was primarily shot in Iceland and Chicago , relied on traditional stunts and miniatures , while computer-generated imagery was used minimally .   Batman Begins opened on June 15 , 2005 , in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters . It grossed over $ 48 million in its opening weekend in North America , eventually grossing over $ 374 million worldwide . The film received positive reviews and is considered by many to be one of the best superhero films of the 2000s . The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and three BAFTA awards . It is followed by The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) and The Dark Knight Rises ( 2012 ) in a continual story-arc , which has later been referred to as The Dark Knight Trilogy .


The Fighter The Fighter is a 2010 American biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell , and starring Mark Wahlberg , Christian Bale , Amy Adams and Melissa Leo . The film centers on the lives of professional boxer Micky Ward ( Wahlberg ) and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund ( Bale ) . The film also stars Amy Adams as Micky 's girlfriend Charlene Fleming , and Melissa Leo as Micky and Dicky 's mother , Alice Eklund-Ward . The film was inspired by the 1995 documentary that features the Eklund-Ward family , titled High on Crack Street : Lost Lives in Lowell .   The film was released in select North American theaters on December 17 , 2010 and was released in the United Kingdom on February 4 , 2011 . It was nominated for seven Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director , winning the awards for Best Supporting Actor ( Christian Bale ) and Best Supporting Actress ( Melissa Leo ) . It was the first film to win both awards since Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 .


American Psycho (film) American Psycho is a 2000 American black comedy horror film co-written and directed by Mary Harron , based on Bret Easton Ellis 's 1991 novel of the same name . It stars Christian Bale , Willem Dafoe , Jared Leto , Josh Lucas , Chloë Sevigny , Samantha Mathis , Cara Seymour , Justin Theroux , and Reese Witherspoon .   Producer Edward R. Pressman purchased the film rights to the novel in 1992 . After discussions with David Cronenberg fell through , Harron was brought on to direct and cast Bale in the lead role . Lionsgate acquired worldwide distribution in 1997 and temporarily replaced Harron and Bale with Oliver Stone as director and Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Patrick Bateman . DiCaprio left in favor of The Beach and Harron and Bale were brought back . American Psycho debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21 , 2000 , and was released theatrically on April 14 , 2000 . The film received moderately positive reviews and was a financial success , with critics mainly praising the screenplay and Christian Bale 's performance .


The Machinist The Machinist is a 2004 psychological thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar . The film stars Christian Bale and features Jennifer Jason Leigh , John Sharian , Aitana Sánchez-Gijón , and Michael Ironside in supporting roles . The film is about Trevor Reznik ( Bale ) , a machinist whose insomnia and psychological problems lead to a serious workplace accident involving a co-worker ( Ironside ) . After Reznik is fired , he goes into a downward spiral of paranoia and delusion . The film was well-received by critics , particularly for Bale 's performance . It is an international co-production of the United Kingdom , France , Spain , and the United States .


American Hustle American Hustle is a 2013 American black comedy-crime film directed by David O. Russell . It was written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell , inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s . It stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists who are forced by an FBI agent ( Bradley Cooper ) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians , including the mayor of Camden , New Jersey ( Jeremy Renner ) . Jennifer Lawrence plays the unpredictable wife of Bale 's character . Principal photography on the film began on March 8 , 2013 , in Boston and Worcester , Massachusetts , and New York City .   American Hustle had its nationwide release in the United States on December 13 , 2013 . It opened to wide acclaim from critics , who praised its writing and ensemble cast . The film received ten nominations at the 86th Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Original Screenplay , Best Actor ( Bale ) , Best Actress ( Adams ) , Best Supporting Actor ( Cooper ) , and Best Supporting Actress ( Lawrence ) , but did not win in any category . It received three BAFTA Awards , three Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture .


Empire of the Sun (film) Empire of the Sun is a 1987 American epic coming-of-age war film based on J. G. Ballard 's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name . It was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars John Malkovich , Miranda Richardson , Nigel Havers , and Christian Bale . The film tells the story of Jamie `` Jim '' Graham , a young boy who goes from living in a wealthy British family in Shanghai , to becoming a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp , during World War II .   Harold Becker and David Lean were originally to direct before Spielberg came on board , initially as a producer for Lean . Spielberg was attracted to directing the film because of a personal connection to Lean 's films and World War II topics . He considers it to be his most profound work on `` the loss of innocence '' . The film received critical acclaim but was not initially a box office success , earning only $ 22,238,696 at the US box office , but it eventually more than recouped its budget through revenues in other markets .


Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale ( born 30 January 1974 ) is an English actor . He has starred both in blockbuster films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses .   Bale first caught the public eye at the age of 13 , when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg 's Empire of the Sun ( 1987 ) . Based on the original story by J. G. Ballard , Bale played an English boy who is separated from his parents and subsequently finds himself lost in a Japanese internment camp during World War II . In 2000 , he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho . He is known for going to great lengths to portray characters in films , notably for the psychological thriller The Machinist ( 2004 ) , where he lost 63 pounds ( 28.5 kg ) to play the role of Trevor Reznik .   Bale went on to receive greater commercial recognition for his starring role as Batman in Christopher Nolan 's Batman Begins ( 2005 ) , The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) and The Dark Knight Rises ( 2012 ) . His portrayal of Dicky Eklund in the David O. Russell-directed biographical film The Fighter ( 2010 ) , earned him critical acclaim and a number of awards , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . He has since gained further acclaim as well as subsequent Academy Award , Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Russell 's American Hustle ( 2013 ) and Adam McKay 's The Big Short ( 2015 ) .


John F. Kennedy authorized an attempt to overthrow a government.

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald `` Jack '' Kennedy ( May 29 , 1917 -- November 22 , 1963 ) , commonly referred to by his initials JFK , was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963 . Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War , and much of his presidency focused on managing relations with the Soviet Union . He was a member of the Democratic Party who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate prior to becoming president .   Kennedy was born in Brookline , Massachusetts to Joseph P. Kennedy , Sr. and Rose Kennedy . A scion of the Kennedy family , he graduated from Harvard University in 1940 before joining the United States Naval Reserve the following year . During World War II , Kennedy commanded a series of PT boats in the Pacific theater and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his service . After the war , Kennedy represented Massachusetts 's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 until 1953 . He was subsequently elected to the U.S. Senate and served as the junior Senator from Massachusetts from 1953 until 1960 . While serving in the Senate , he published Profiles in Courage , which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography . In the 1960 presidential election , Kennedy narrowly defeated Republican opponent Richard Nixon , who was the incumbent Vice President .   Kennedy 's time in office was marked by high tensions with Communist states in the Cold War . He increased the number of American military advisers in South Vietnam by a factor of 18 over President Dwight D. Eisenhower . In April 1961 , he authorized a failed joint-CIA attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro in the Bay of Pigs Invasion . He subsequently rejected plans by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to orchestrate false-flag attacks on American soil in order to gain public approval for a war against Cuba . In October 1962 , U.S. spy planes discovered that Soviet missile bases had been deployed in Cuba ; the resulting period of tensions , termed the Cuban Missile Crisis , nearly resulted in the breakout of a global thermonuclear conflict . Domestically , Kennedy presided over the establishment of the Peace Corps and supported the Civil Rights Movement , but he was largely unsuccessful in passing his New Frontier domestic policies . Kennedy continues to rank highly in historians ' polls of U.S. presidents and with the general public . His average approval rating of 70 % is the highest of any president in Gallup 's history of systematically measuring job approval .   On November 22 , 1963 , Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas , Texas . Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime , but he was never prosecuted due to his murder by Jack Ruby two days later . Pursuant to the Presidential Succession Act , Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president later that day . The FBI and the Warren Commission officially concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin , but various groups believed that Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy . After Kennedy 's death , many of his proposals were enacted , including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Revenue Act of 1964 .


Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. , January 20 , 1930 ) is an American engineer and former astronaut . As the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11 , he was one of the first two humans to land on the Moon , and the second person to walk on it . He set foot on the Moon at 03:15:16 on July 21 , 1969 ( UTC ) , following mission commander Neil Armstrong . He is a former U.S. Air Force officer with the Command Pilot rating . He also went into orbit on the Gemini 12 mission , finally achieving the goals for EVA ( space-walk work ) that paved the way to the Moon and success for the Gemini program ; he spent over five hours on EVA on that mission .


Tom Hiddleston appeared in Henry IV and Henry V.

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston ( born 9 February 1981 ) is an English actor , producer and musical performer . At the beginning of his career , he appeared in West End theatre productions of Cymbeline ( 2007 ) and Ivanov ( 2008 ) . He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his role in Cymbeline and was also nominated for the same award for his role as Cassio in Othello .   He came to wider public attention when cast as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , appearing in Thor ( 2011 ) , The Avengers ( 2012 ) , Thor : The Dark World ( 2013 ) , and Thor : Ragnarok ( 2017 ) . In 2011 , he won the Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award . Hiddleston has also appeared in Steven Spielberg 's War Horse ( 2011 ) , The Deep Blue Sea ( 2011 ) , Woody Allen 's romantic comedy Midnight in Paris ( 2011 ) , the 2012 BBC series Henry IV and Henry V , and the romantic vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive ( 2013 ) .   In late 2013 and early 2014 , Hiddleston starred as the title character in the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus , winning the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor . In 2015 , he starred in Guillermo del Toro 's Crimson Peak , Ben Wheatley 's High Rise , and played the troubled country music singer Hank Williams in the biopic I Saw The Light .   In 2016 , he starred in and was an executive producer of the AMC / BBC limited series The Night Manager , for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series , and won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film .


Christopher Nolan Christopher Edward Nolan ( -LSB- ˈnoʊlən -RSB- born 30 July 1970 ) is an English-American film director , screenwriter and producer . He is one of the highest-grossing directors in history , and among the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century .   Having made his directorial debut with Following ( 1998 ) , Nolan gained considerable attention for his second feature , Memento ( 2000 ) , for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay . The acclaim garnered by his independent films gave Nolan the opportunity to make the big-budget thriller Insomnia ( 2002 ) and the mystery drama The Prestige ( 2006 ) . He found further popular and critical success with The Dark Knight Trilogy ( 2005 -- 2012 ) ; Inception ( 2010 ) , for which he received a second Original Screenplay nomination and one for the Academy Award for Best Picture ; and Interstellar ( 2014 ) . His nine films have grossed over US$ 4.2 billion worldwide and garnered a total of 26 Oscar nominations and seven wins . Nolan has co-written several of his films with his younger brother , Jonathan , and runs the production company Syncopy Inc. with his wife , Emma Thomas .   Nolan 's films are rooted in philosophical , sociological and ethical concepts , exploring human morality , the construction of time , and the malleable nature of memory and personal identity . His body of work is permeated by materialistic perspectives , labyrinthine plots , nonlinear storytelling , practical special effects , and analogous relationships between visual language and narrative elements .


Raccoon The raccoon ( -LSB- rəˈkuːn -RSB- or -LSB- USræˈkuːn -RSB- , Procyon lotor ) , sometimes spelled racoon , also known as the common raccoon , North American raccoon , northern raccoon and colloquially as coon , is a medium-sized mammal native to North America . The raccoon is the largest of the procyonid family , having a body length of 40 to and a body weight of 3.5 to . Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur which insulates it against cold weather . Two of the raccoon 's most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask , which are themes in the mythology of several Native American ethnic groups . Raccoons are noted for their intelligence , with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks for up to three years . The diet of the omnivorous raccoon , which is usually nocturnal , consists of about 40 % invertebrates , 33 % plant foods , and 27 % vertebrates .   The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests , but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas , coastal marshes , and urban areas , where some homeowners consider them to be pests . As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century , raccoons are now also distributed across mainland Europe , Caucasia , and Japan .   Though previously thought to be solitary , there is now evidence that raccoons engage in gender-specific social behavior . Related females often share a common area , while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four animals to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season , and other potential invaders . Home range sizes vary anywhere from 3 ha for females in cities to 5000 ha for males in prairies . After a gestation period of about 65 days , two to five young , known as `` kits '' , are born in spring . The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall . Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years , their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years . In many areas , hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death .


Alicia Silverstone Alicia Silverstone ( -LSB- æˈliːsiə_ˈsɪlvəstoʊn -RSB- born October 4 , 1976 ) is an American actress , producer , author , and activist . She made her film debut in The Crush ( 1993 ) , earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance , and gained further prominence as a teen idol when she appeared at the age of 16 in the music video for Aerosmith 's `` Cryin ' '' . She starred in the comedy hit Clueless ( 1995 ) , which earned her a multimillion-dollar deal with Columbia Pictures , and in the big-budget film Batman & Robin ( 1997 ) , playing Batgirl . She has continued to act in film and television and on stage . For her role in the short-lived drama comedy Miss Match ( 2003 ) , Silverstone received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress -- Television Series Musical or Comedy . A vegan , Silverstone has endorsed PETA activities and has published two nutrition books .


United Nations was established after World War 2.

United Nations The United Nations ( UN ) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation and to create and maintain international order . A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations , the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict . At its founding , the UN had 51 member states ; there are now 193 . The headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan , New York City , and experiences extraterritoriality . Further main offices are situated in Geneva , Nairobi , and Vienna . The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states . Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security , promoting human rights , fostering social and economic development , protecting the environment , and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine , natural disaster , and armed conflict . The UN is the largest , most familiar , most internationally represented and most powerful intergovernmental organisation in the world .   The UN Charter was drafted at a conference between April -- June 1945 in San Francisco , and was signed on 26 June 1945 at the conclusion of the conference ; this charter took effect 24 October 1945 , and the UN began operation . The UN 's mission to preserve world peace was complicated in its early decades by the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union and their respective allies . The organization participated in major actions in Korea and the Congo , as well as approving the creation of the state of Israel in 1947 . The organization 's membership grew significantly following widespread decolonization in the 1960s , and by the 1970s its budget for economic and social development programmes far outstripped its spending on peacekeeping . After the end of the Cold War , the UN took on major military and peacekeeping missions across the world with varying degrees of success .   The UN has six principal organs : the General Assembly ( the main deliberative assembly ) ; the Security Council ( for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security ) ; the Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC ; for promoting international economic and social co-operation and development ) ; the Secretariat ( for providing studies , information , and facilities needed by the UN ) ; the International Court of Justice ( the primary judicial organ ) ; and the UN Trusteeship Council ( inactive since 1994 ) . UN System agencies include the World Bank Group , the World Health Organization , the World Food Programme , UNESCO , and UNICEF . The UN 's most prominent officer is the Secretary-General , an office held by Portuguese António Guterres since 2017 . Non-governmental organizations may be granted consultative status with ECOSOC and other agencies to participate in the UN 's work .   The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 , and a number of its officers and agencies have also been awarded the prize . Other evaluations of the UN 's effectiveness have been mixed . Some commentators believe the organization to be an important force for peace and human development , while others have called the organization ineffective , corrupt , or biased .


Ranbir Kapoor is the co-founder of a company.

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor ( -LSB- rəˈɳbiːr kəˈpuːr -RSB- ; born 28 September 1982 ) is an Indian actor and producer . The son of actors Rishi and Neetu , and the grandson of actor-director Raj , Kapoor pursued film-making and method acting at the School of Visual Arts and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute , respectively . He subsequently assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film Black ( 2005 ) , and made his acting debut with Bhansali 's tragic romance Saawariya ( 2007 ) , a box office flop . Kapoor rose to prominence with his performances in the coming-of-age film Wake Up Sid ( 2009 ) , the romantic comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani ( 2009 ) , the comedy drama Rocket Singh : Salesman of the Year ( 2009 ) , and the political thriller-crime drama Raajneeti ( 2010 ) .   The romantic drama Rockstar ( 2011 ) and the comedy drama Barfi ! ( 2012 ) earned Kapoor two consecutive Best Actor awards at Filmfare , and a starring role in the romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ( 2013 ) one of the highest-grossing Bollywood filmsestablished him as a leading Bollywood actor . However , he followed it by starring in a series of films that under-performed at the box office , although his performance in the romantic drama Tamasha ( 2015 ) was critically acclaimed . This changed in 2016 when he starred as a musician in the commercially successful romance Ae Dil Hai Mushkil .   Through his career in Bollywood films , Kapoor has become one of the most popular celebrities and one of the highest-paid actors in India . He is the recipient of several awards , including five Filmfare Awards . In addition to acting in films , Kapoor supports charities and causes . He is the co-founder of the production company Picture Shuru Productions , and is a co-owner of the Indian Super League football team Mumbai City FC .


Michael Phelps was voted to be the flag bearer of the United States.

Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II ( born June 30 , 1985 ) is an American former competitive swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time , with a total of 28 medals . Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals ( 23 ) , Olympic gold medals in individual events ( 13 ) , and Olympic medals in individual events ( 16 ) . In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games , Phelps broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz 's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games . At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London , Phelps won four gold and two silver medals , and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , he won five gold medals and one silver . This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row .   Phelps is the long course world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly , 200 meter butterfly , and 400 meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200 meter freestyle and 200 meter individual medley . He has won 83 medals in major international long course competition , of which 66 were gold , 14 silver , and 3 bronze , spanning the Olympics , the World , and the Pan Pacific Championships . Phelps 's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eleven times , as well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2016 . His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine 's Sportsman of the Year award .   After the 2008 Summer Olympics , Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation , which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles . Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics , but in April 2014 he made a comeback . At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , his fifth Olympics , he won five golds and one silver . Phelps was chosen to be a captain of the 2016 US Olympic team , and was also voted by his team to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations .


Penny Dreadful (TV series) Penny Dreadful is a British-American horror drama television series created for Showtime and Sky by John Logan , who also acts as executive producer alongside Sam Mendes . The show was originally pitched to several US and UK channels , and eventually landed with Showtime , with Sky Atlantic as co-producer . It premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 9 and began airing on television on April 28 , 2014 , on Showtime on Demand . The series premiered on Showtime on May 11 , 2014 , the first in an eight-episode season . After the third-season finale on June 19 , 2016 , series creator John Logan announced that Penny Dreadful had ended as the main story had reached its conclusion .   The title refers to the penny dreadfuls , a type of 19th-century British fiction publication with lurid and sensational subject matter . The series draws upon many public domain characters from 19th-century British and Irish fiction , including Dorian Gray from Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray ; Mina Harker , Abraham Van Helsing , Dr. Seward , Renfield , and Count Dracula from Bram Stoker 's Dracula ; Victor Frankenstein and his monster from Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein ; and Dr. Henry Jekyll from Robert Louis Stevenson 's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde .


Ben Stiller is in the industry for television.

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller ( born November 30 , 1965 ) is an American actor , comedian and filmmaker . He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara .   After beginning his acting career with a play , Stiller wrote several mockumentaries , and was offered his own show entitled The Ben Stiller Show , which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run . Having previously acted in television , he began acting in films ; he made his directorial debut with Reality Bites . Throughout his career he has written , starred in , directed , or produced more than 50 films , including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty , Zoolander , The Cable Guy , There 's Something About Mary , the Meet the Parents trilogy , DodgeBall , Tropic Thunder , the Madagascar series , and the Night at the Museum trilogy . In addition , he has had multiple cameos in music videos , television shows , and films .   Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack . His films have grossed more than $ 2.6 billion in Canada and the United States , with an average of $ 79 million per film . Throughout his career , he has received multiple awards and honors , including an Emmy Award , multiple MTV Movie Awards and a Teen Choice Award .


Canada was a British colony in North America.

Canada Canada ( -LSB- ˈkænədə -RSB- -LSB- kanadɑ -RSB- ) is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 e6km2 , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area . Canada 's border with the United States is the world 's longest binational land border . The majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate , but southerly areas are warm in summer . Canada is sparsely populated , the majority of its land territory being dominated by forest and tundra and the Rocky Mountains . It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , many near the southern border . One third of the population lives in the three largest cities : Toronto , Montreal and Vancouver . Its capital is Ottawa , and other major urban areas include Calgary , Edmonton , Quebec City , Winnipeg and Hamilton .   Various aboriginal peoples had inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French claims were made on the area , with the colony of Canada first being established by the French in 1535 during Jacques Cartier 's second voyage to New France . As a consequence of various conflicts , Great Britain gained and lost territories within British North America until it was left , in the late 18th century , with what mostly geographically comprises Canada today . Pursuant to the British North America Act , on July 1 , 1867 , the colonies of Canada , New Brunswick , and Nova Scotia joined to form the semi-autonomous federal Dominion of Canada . This began an accretion of provinces and territories to the mostly self-governing Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming modern Canada .   In 1931 , Canada achieved near total independence from the United Kingdom with the Statute of Westminster 1931 , but at the time , Canada decided to allow the British Parliament to temporarily retain the power to amend Canada 's constitution , on request from the Parliament of Canada . With the Constitution Act 1982 , Canada took over that authority ( as the conclusion of Patriation ) , removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom , giving the country full sovereignty .   Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state . The country is officially bilingual at the federal level . It is one of the world 's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations , the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries . Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world , relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks . Canada 's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture .   Canada is a developed country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index . It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency , civil liberties , quality of life , economic freedom , and education . Canada is a Commonwealth realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations , a member of the Francophonie , and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the United Nations , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , the G8 , the Group of Ten , the G20 , the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum .


British colonization of the Americas British colonization of the Americas ( including colonization by both the English and the Scots ) began in 1607 in Jamestown , Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas . The British were among the most important colonizers of the Americas , and their American empire came to rival the Spanish American colonies in military and economic might .   Three types of colonies existed in the British Empire in America during the height of its power in the 18th Century . These were charter colonies , proprietary colonies and royal colonies . A group of 13 British American colonies collectively broke from the British Empire in the 1770s through a successful revolution , establishing the modern United States . After the end of the Napoleonic Wars ( 1803 -- 15 ) , British territories in the Americas were slowly granted more responsible government . In 1838 the Durham Report recommended full responsible government for Canada , but this was not fully implemented for another decade . Eventually , with the Confederation of Canada , the Canadian colonies were granted significant autonomy and became a self-governing Dominion in 1867 . Other colonies in the Americas followed at a much slower pace . In this way , two countries in North America , ten in the Caribbean , and one in South America have received their independence from the United Kingdom . All of these , except the United States , are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and nine are Commonwealth realms . The eight current British overseas territories in the Americas have varying degrees of self-government .


Injustice 2 Injustice 2 is a fighting video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. . Interactive Entertainment . It is the sequel to 2013 's Injustice : Gods Among Us . The game was released in May 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . Similar to the previous installment , a companion mobile app was released for iOS and Android devices .   The core gameplay remains similar to its predecessor , albeit with minor adjustments to returning game mechanics . Injustice 2 introduces a new feature called the Gear System , a loot-dropping system that rewards players with costume pieces and equipment that can be used to customize characters ' appearances and modify their abilities and stats . According to developers , the idea for implementing an RPG-style progression system into a fighting game had existed since before the fall of Midway Games , the original publisher for the Mortal Kombat series . Director Ed Boon also sought to incorporate gameplay mechanics used by multiplayer shooter games , such as personalization , character creation , loot , and leveling up , into the fighting game genre , which led to the development of the Gear System .   Injustice 2 's storyline centers around Batman and his insurgency 's attempt to restore society after the fall of Superman 's regime ; however , the arrivals of the newly formed supervillain group `` The Society '' and the alien Brainiac force Batman to consider freeing the imprisoned Superman to help combat the threats . The game received positive reviews from critics , who praised its story , presentation , improved gameplay mechanics , abundance of in-game content , and character customization options , while criticizing its random loot and microtransaction systems .


Ed Boon Edward John `` Ed '' Boon ( born February 22 , 1964 ) is an American video game programmer and director who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway Games and since 2011 works for Warner Bros. . Interactive Entertainment in its subsidiary company NetherRealm Studios . Boon is best known for the widely popular Mortal Kombat series , which he created with John Tobias .


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


John Heard (actor) John Matthew Heard , Jr. ( born March 7 , 1945 ) is an American film and television actor . He is probably best known for his lead roles in several films , including Chilly Scenes of Winter , Heart Beat , Cutter 's Way , Cat People , and C.H.U.D. , as well as supporting roles in After Hours , Big , Beaches , Awakenings , Rambling Rose , The Pelican Brief , My Fellow Americans , Snake Eyes , and Animal Factory . He also played Peter McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York , as well as appearing in Sharknado . Heard won an Emmy Award for guest starring on The Sopranos .


Columbia Pictures distributed Hotel Transylvania.

Hotel Transylvania Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Columbia Pictures . It was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Michelle Murdocca , and stars the voices of Adam Sandler , Andy Samberg , Selena Gomez , Kevin James , Fran Drescher , Steve Buscemi , Molly Shannon , David Spade , and CeeLo Green . The film tells a story of Count Dracula , the owner of a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where the world 's monsters can take a rest from human civilization . Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis . When the `` human-free hotel '' is unexpectedly visited by an ordinary 21-year-old traveler named Jonathan , Dracula must protect Mavis from falling in love with him before the hotel 's guests learn that there is a human in the castle , which may jeopardize the hotel 's future and his career .   The film was released on September 28 , 2012 and was met with mixed critical reception , while the general public received it favorably . Despite this , Hotel Transylvania earned a total of $ 358 million against a budget of $ 85 million at the box office . The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film . It launched a franchise with a sequel titled Hotel Transylvania 2 , which takes place seven years after the film , released in 2015 , and a third film scheduled for 2018 . A television series based on the film is planned to premiere on Disney Channel in June 2017 , and it will focus on the teenage years of Mavis and her friends at the Hotel Transylvania .


Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc. ( known as Columbia Pictures and Columbia , and formerly CBC Film Sales Corporation ) is an American film studio , production company and film distributor that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group , a division of Sony Entertainment 's Sony Pictures subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony .   What would eventually become Columbia Pictures , CBC Film Sales Corporation , was founded on June 19 , 1918 by Harry Cohn , his brother Jack Cohn , and Joe Brandt . It adopted the Columbia Pictures name in 1924 , and went public two years later . Its name is derived from `` Columbia '' , a national personification of the United States , which is used as the studio 's logo . In its early years , it was a minor player in Hollywood , but began to grow in the late 1920s , spurred by a successful association with director Frank Capra . With Capra and others , Columbia became one of the primary homes of the screwball comedy . In the 1930s , Columbia 's major contract stars were Jean Arthur and Cary Grant . In the 1940s , Rita Hayworth became the studio 's premier star and propelled their fortunes into the late 1950s . Rosalind Russell , Glenn Ford , and William Holden also became major stars at the studio .   It is one of the leading film studios in the world , and is a member of the `` Big Six '' major American film studios . It was one of the so-called `` Little Three '' among the eight major film studios of Hollywood 's Golden Age . Today , it has become the world 's fifth largest major film studio .


Ted Bundy was found guilty in the case of the Florida homicides.

Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy ( born Theodore Robert Cowell ; November 24 , 1946 -- January 24 , 1989 ) was an American serial killer , kidnapper , rapist , burglar , and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s , and possibly earlier . Shortly before his execution -- after more than a decade of denials -- he confessed to 30 homicides committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978 . The true victim count remains unknown , and could be much higher .   Bundy was regarded by many of his young female victims as handsome and charismatic , traits that he exploited to win their trust . He typically approached them in public places , feigning injury or disability , or impersonating an authority figure , before overpowering and assaulting them at more secluded locations . He sometimes revisited his secondary crime scenes for hours at a time , grooming and performing sexual acts with the decomposing corpses until putrefaction and destruction by wild animals made further interaction impossible . He decapitated at least 12 of his victims , and kept some of the severed heads in his apartment for a period of time as mementos . On a few occasions , he simply broke into dwellings at night and bludgeoned his victims as they slept .   Initially incarcerated in Utah in 1975 for aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault , Bundy became a suspect in a progressively longer list of unsolved homicides in multiple states . Facing murder charges in Colorado , he engineered two dramatic escapes and committed further assaults , including three murders , before his ultimate recapture in Florida in 1978 . He received three death sentences in two separate trials for the Florida homicides .   Bundy died in the electric chair at Raiford Prison in Starke , Florida , on January 24 , 1989 . Biographer Ann Rule described him as `` a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human 's pain and the control he had over his victims , to the point of death , and even after '' . He once called himself `` the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you 'll ever meet '' . Attorney Polly Nelson , a member of his last defense team , agreed : `` Ted '' , she wrote , `` was the very definition of heartless evil . ''


Volleyball involves at least 2 players per team.

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net . Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team 's court under organized rules . It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since 1964 .   The complete rules are extensive . But simply , play proceeds as follows : a player on one of the teams begins a ` rally ' by serving the ball ( tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm ) , from behind the back boundary line of the court , over the net , and into the receiving team 's court . The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court . The team may touch the ball up to 3 times but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively . Typically , the first two touches are used to set up for an attack , an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded in their court .   The rally continues , with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches , until either ( 1 ) : a team makes a kill , grounding the ball on the opponent 's court and winning the rally ; or ( 2 ) : a team commits a fault and loses the rally . The team that wins the rally is awarded a point , and serves the ball to start the next rally . A few of the most common faults include :  causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents ' court or without first passing over the net ;  catching and throwing the ball ;  double hit : two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player ;  four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team ;  net foul : touching the net during play ;  foot fault : the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving .  The ball is usually played with the hands or arms , but players can legally strike or push ( short contact ) the ball with any part of the body .   A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball , including spiking and blocking ( because these plays are made above the top of the net , the vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport ) as well as passing , setting , and specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures .


Team sport A team sport includes any sport which involves two or more players working together towards a shared objective . A team sport is an activity in which individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win . Examples are basketball , volleyball , water polo , handball , lacrosse , cricket , baseball , and the various forms of football and hockey .


The French Open happens in the capital of France.

French Open The French Open , often referred to as Roland-Garros ( -LSB- ʁɔlɑ̃ ɡaʁɔs -RSB- ) , is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris , France . Named after the French aviator Roland Garros , it is the premier clay court tennis championship event in the world and the second of four annual Grand Slam tournaments , the other three being the Australian Open , Wimbledon and the US Open . Roland Garros is currently the only major held on clay , and it is the zenith of the spring clay court season . Because of the seven rounds needed for a championship , the slow-playing surface and the best-of-five-set men 's singles matches ( without a tiebreak in the final set ) , the event is widely considered to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world .


Paris Paris ( French pronunciation : -LSB- pɑʁi -RSB- , -LSB- paʁi -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of France . It has an area of 105 km2 and a population of 2,229,621 in 2013 within its administrative limits . The city is both a commune and department and forms the centre and headquarters of the Île-de-France , or Paris Region , which has an area of 12,012 km2 and a population in 2016 of 12,142,802 , comprising roughly 18 percent of the population of France . By the 17th century , Paris was one of Europe 's major centres of finance , commerce , fashion , science , and the arts , and it retains that position still today . The Paris Region had a GDP of $ 624 billion ( US $ 687 billion ) in 2012 , accounting for 30.0 percent of the GDP of France and ranking it as one of the wealthiest regions in Europe .   The City of Paris is but the core of a built-up area that extends well beyond its administrative limits . Commonly referred to as the agglomération Parisienne , and statistically as a unité urbaine ( a measure of urban area ) , the agglomeration has a 2013 population of 10,601,122 , which makes it the largest in the European Union . City-influenced commuter activity reaches well beyond even this in a statistical aire urbaine de Paris ( a measure of metropolitan area ) , that had a 2013 population of 12,405,426 , a number one-fifth the population of France , and one that makes it , after London , the second largest metropolitan area in the European Union . Although joined in a single urban tissue , Paris ' lack of administrative and economic cohesion with its suburbs has been a longstanding problem , but a 2016 ` Metropole of Grand Paris ' economic and environmental initiative covering an 814 km2 area and a population of 7 million , exists since 2016 .   The city is also a major rail , highway , and air-transport hub served by two international airports : Paris-Charles de Gaulle ( the second busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow Airport with 63.8 million passengers in 2014 ) and Paris-Orly . Opened in 1900 , the city 's subway system , the Paris Métro , serves 5.23 million passengers daily . It is the second busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow Metro . Notably , Paris Gare du Nord is the busiest railway station in the world outside of Japan , with 262 millions passengers in 2015 .   Paris has many important cultural institutions : its Louvre museum is the most visited in the world ; its Musée d'Orsay is noted for its collection of French Impressionist art , and its Pompidou-center Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe . The central area of the city along the Seine River is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site and includes many notable monuments , including Notre Dame Cathedral , the Sainte-Chapelle , the former Universal Exposition Grand Palais , Petit Palais and Eiffel Tower , and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre . In 2015 , Paris received 22.2 million visitors , making it one of the world 's top tourist destinations .   The association football club Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Français are based in Paris . The 80,000-seat Stade de France , built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup , is located just north of Paris in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Denis . Paris hosts the annual French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament on the red clay of Roland Garros . Paris hosted the 1900 and 1924 Summer Olympics and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics . The 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups , the 2007 Rugby World Cup , and the 1960 , 1984 , and 2016 UEFA European Championships were also held in the city , and every July , the Tour de France bicycle race finishes in the city .


The killer whale is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family.

Killer whale The killer whale or orca ( Orcinus orca ) is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family , of which it is the largest member . Killer whales have a diverse diet , although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey . Some feed exclusively on fish , while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and dolphins . They have been known to attack baleen whale calves , and even adult whales . Killer whales are apex predators , as there is no animal that preys on them . Killer whales are considered a cosmopolitan species , and can be found in each of the world 's oceans in a variety of marine environments , from Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas .   Killer whales are highly social ; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups ( pods ) which are the most stable of any animal species . Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviours , which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations , have been described as manifestations of animal culture .   The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently assesses the orca 's conservation status as data deficient because of the likelihood that two or more killer whale types are separate species . Some local populations are considered threatened or endangered due to prey depletion , habitat loss , pollution ( by PCBs ) , capture for marine mammal parks , and conflicts with human fisheries . In late 2005 , the Southern Resident Killer Whales , the population that inhabits British Columbia and Washington state waters , were placed on the U.S. Endangered Species list .   Wild killer whales are not considered a threat to humans , but there have been cases of captive orcas killing or injuring their handlers at marine theme parks . Killer whales feature strongly in the mythologies of indigenous cultures , with their reputation ranging from being the souls of humans to merciless killers .


Whoopi Goldberg was the co-producer of a TV game show.

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson ( born November 13 , 1955 ) , known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg ( -LSB- ˈwhʊpi -RSB- ) , is an American actress , comedian , author and television host . She has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards for her work in television and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Emmy Award , a Grammy Award , an Oscar , and a Tony Award . She was the second black woman in the history of the Academy Awards to win an acting Oscar .   In the period drama film The Color Purple ( 1985 ) , her breakthrough role was playing Celie , a mistreated black woman in the Deep South , for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress . In the romantic fantasy film Ghost ( 1990 ) , Goldberg played Oda Mae Brown , an eccentric psychic who helped a slain man ( Patrick Swayze ) save his lover ( Demi Moore ) , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress .   In 1992 , she starred as a pretend nun in the comedy Sister Act . From 1998 to 2002 , she was co-producer of the television game show Hollywood Squares . Since 2007 , she has been the moderator of the daytime television talk show The View .


Venus Williams has 45 runner-up finishes in grand slam singles events.

Venus Williams Venus Ebony Starr Williams ( born June 17 , 1980 ) is an American professional tennis player who is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women 's tennis and who , along with younger sister Serena Williams , is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women 's professional tennis tour .   Ranked World No. 11 in singles as of January 28 , 2017 , Williams has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women 's Tennis Association on three occasions , for a total of 11 weeks . She first became the World No. 1 on February 25 , 2002 , the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era . On 10 June 2002 , Venus and Serena became the first sisters to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . On 7 June 2010 , Venus became co-No . 1 in doubles with Serena after they won their 4th consecutive grand slam doubles title at Roland Garros . By virtue of that doubles ascension , Venus became one of seven women to reach No. 1 in singles and No. 1 in doubles . On 21 June 2010 , Venus and Serena again occupied the No. 2 and No. 1 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . This came almost exactly 8 years after first accomplishing this feat . At the time , Venus had just celebrated her 30th birthday and Serena was three months shy of her 29th birthday , both ages at which many of their peers had retired .   Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her twelfth on the all-time list , more than any other active female player except sister Serena . She has also won fourteen Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles . Her five Wimbledon singles titles ties her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list . Williams is one of four women to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era . From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open , Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held . She is one of only six women in the Open Era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches . At the 2017 French Open , Williams extended her record as the all-time leader , male or female , in Grand Slams played , with 74 . Furthermore , Williams ' run to the 2017 Australian Open Women 's Singles final set the record for longest span between singles slam finals in the open era at 20 years , the beginning of which was marked by her appearance in the singles final at the 1997 US Open .   Williams has won four Olympic gold medals , one in singles and three in women 's doubles , along with a silver medal in mixed doubles .  She and Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other tennis player , male or female . Venus also holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player , shared with Kathleen McKane Godfree . She is the only tennis player to have won a medal at four separate Olympic Games . At the 2000 Sydney Olympics , Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games , after Helen Wills Moody in 1924 .   With 49 singles titles , Williams is behind only Serena among active players on the WTA Tour . Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1 , 2000 . She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams , along with Serena and Russian Maria Sharapova . By winning her 49th career singles title at the 2016 Taiwan Open , Williams became the 5th oldest WTA Tour titlist in the Open Era , at 35 years , 7 months and 28 days .   Williams has played against her sister in 27 professional matches since 1998 , and won 11 . They have played against each other in nine Grand Slam singles finals , with Venus holding a 2-7 record . Venus has 8 runner-up finishes in grand slam singles events with Martina Hingis being the only player other than Serena to beat Venus in a major final at the 1997 US Open . Beginning with the 2002 French Open , they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals , the first time sisters had so met in the Open Era . On the other side , the pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals .


Sharon Stone Sharon Yvonne Stone ( born March 10 , 1958 ) is an American actress , film producer , and former fashion model .   Stone first came to attention for her role in the miniseries War and Remembrance ( 1989 ) and early mainstream prominence followed with her part in Paul Verhoeven 's Total Recall ( 1990 ) . She became a sex symbol and rose to international recognition with her starring role as Catherine Tramell in another Verhoeven film , the erotic thriller Basic Instinct ( 1992 ) , for which she received her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama . She won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Martin Scorsese 's Casino ( 1995 ) . She received another two Golden Globe Award nominations for her roles in The Mighty ( 1998 ) and The Muse ( 1999 ) .   Named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2005 , Stone 's other notable film roles include Sliver ( 1993 ) , The Specialist ( 1994 ) , The Quick and the Dead ( 1995 ) , If These Walls Could Talk 2 ( 2000 ) , Catwoman ( 2004 ) , Broken Flowers ( 2005 ) , Alpha Dog ( 2006 ) , Bobby ( 2006 ) , Lovelace ( 2013 ) , and Fading Gigolo ( 2013 ) . Stone has made guest-appearances in The Practice ( 2004 ) , winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series , and in Law & Order : Special Victims Unit ( 2010 ) . She starred in the short-lived series Agent X ( 2015 ) .


Syd Barrett Roger Keith `` Syd '' Barrett ( 6 January 1946 -- 7 July 2006 ) was a British musician , composer , singer-songwriter , and painter . Best known as a founder member of the band Pink Floyd , Barrett was the lead singer , guitarist and principal songwriter in its early years and is credited with naming the band . Barrett was excluded from Pink Floyd in April 1968 after David Gilmour took over as their new guitarist , and was briefly hospitalised amid speculation of mental illness .   Barrett was musically active for less than ten years . With Pink Floyd , he recorded four singles , their debut album ( and contributed to the second one ) , and several unreleased songs . Barrett began his solo career in 1969 with the single `` Octopus '' from his first solo album , The Madcap Laughs ( 1970 ) . The album was recorded over the course of a year with five different producers ( Peter Jenner , Malcolm Jones , David Gilmour , Roger Waters and Barrett himself ) . Nearly two months after Madcap was released , Barrett began working on his second and final album , Barrett ( 1970 ) , produced by Gilmour and featuring contributions from Richard Wright . Two years later , he left the music industry , retired from public life and strictly guarded his own privacy until his death in 2006 . In 1988 , an album of unreleased tracks and outtakes , Opel , was released by EMI with Barrett 's approval .   Barrett 's innovative guitar work and exploration of experimental techniques such as dissonance , distortion and feedback influenced many musicians . His recordings are also noted for their strongly English-accented vocal delivery . After leaving music , Barrett continued with painting and dedicated himself to gardening . Pink Floyd wrote and recorded several tributes to him , most notably the 1975 album Wish You Were Here , which included `` Shine On You Crazy Diamond '' , as homage to Barrett .


Matt Kuchar improved his game in the 21st century.

Matt Kuchar Matthew Gregory Kuchar ( born June 21 , 1978 ) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and formerly the Nationwide Tour . He has won seven times on the PGA Tour , with these wins spanning over 12 years . He is renowned as one of the most consistent players on the tour , having earned over $ 30 million in prize money and recorded over 80 top-10 finishes .   Kuchar briefly enjoyed success in the early 2000s before suffering a slump where he struggled to maintain his playing status on the PGA Tour . He rejuvenated himself and built a new , one-plane swing from 2008 onward leading to improved results . Kuchar was the PGA Tour 's leading money winner in 2010 .   Kuchar won The Players Championship in 2012 , the flagship event of the PGA Tour , his biggest tournament victory to date . As a result , he moved to a career high number five in the world rankings and has spent over 40 weeks ranked inside its top-10 . In February 2013 , Kuchar won his first World Golf Championship event , defeating Hunter Mahan in the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship .   At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , Kuchar won the first Olympic bronze medal awarded for golf since the 1904 Summer Olympics .   With Sergio García winning the 2017 Masters Tournament and Steve Stricker playing part-time on the PGA Tour Champions , Kuchar is the highest-earning active full-time PGA Tour player without a major championship win , with career earnings of over $ 38 million .


Shakira carries out only unknown philanthropic activities.

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( -LSB- ( t ) ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol -RSB- ; -LSB- langʃəˈki : rə -RSB- born 2 February 1977 ) is a Colombian singer , songwriter , dancer , and record producer . Born and raised in Barranquilla , she began performing in school , demonstrating Latin American , Arabic , and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities . Shakira 's first studio albums , Magia and Peligro , failed to attain commercial success in the 1990s ; however , she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut , Pies Descalzos ( 1996 ) , and her fourth album , Dónde Están los Ladrones ? ( 1998 ) .   Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album , Laundry Service . Its lead single , `` Whenever , Wherever '' , became one of the most successful singles of 2002 . Her success was solidified with her sixth and seventh albums Fijación Oral , Volumen Uno and Oral Fixation , Volume Two ( 2005 ) , the latter of which spawned one of the best-selling songs of the 21st century , `` Hips Do n't Lie '' . Shakira 's eighth and ninth albums , She Wolf ( 2009 ) and Sale el Sol ( 2010 ) , received critical praise . Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup , `` Waka Waka ( This Time for Africa ) '' , became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time . With over 1.3 billion views , it is one of the most-watched music videos on YouTube . Shakira served as a coach on the fourth and sixth seasons of the American version of The Voice in 2013 and 2014 , respectively . Her tenth album , Shakira ( 2014 ) , is preceded by its lead single , `` Ca n't Remember to Forget You '' .   Shakira has won many awards , including five MTV Video Music Awards , two Grammy Awards , eight Latin Grammy Awards , seven Billboard Music Awards , 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated . She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and has sold between 70 and 125 million records worldwide ( depending on the source ) , making her the best selling South American singer and one of the best selling Latin artists of all time . She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work most notably through her Pies Descalzos Foundation . In 2014 , she was listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes .


Assyrian people speak modern Aramaic languages.

Assyrian people Assyrian people , or Syriacs ( see names of Syriac Christians ) , are an ethnic group indigenous to the Middle East . Some of them self-identify as Chaldeans , or as Arameans . They speak modern Aramaic , whose subdivisions include Northeastern , Central , and Western Neo-Aramaic , as well as another language , dependent on the country of residence . The Assyrians are typically Syriac-speaking Christians who claim descent from Assyria , one of the oldest civilizations in the world , dating back to 2500 BC in ancient Mesopotamia .   The areas that form the Assyrian homeland are parts of present-day northern Iraq , southeastern Turkey , northwestern Iran and northeastern Syria . The majority have migrated to other regions of the world , including North America , the Levant , Australia , Europe , Russia and the Caucasus during the past century or so . Emigration was triggered by such events as the Assyrian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during World War I , the Simele Massacre in Iraq in 1933 , the Iranian Revolution of 1979 , Arab Nationalist Ba'athist policies in Iraq and Syria such as the al-Anfal campaign of Saddam Hussein , and the rise of ISIS and its takeover of most of the Nineveh Plains .   Assyrians are predominantly Christian , mostly adhering to the East and West Syrian liturgical rites of Christianity . The churches that constitute the East Syrian rite include the Assyrian Church of the East , Ancient Church of the East , and Chaldean Catholic Church , whose followers mostly speak the Northeastern branch of East Aramaic . Whereas the churches of the West Syrian rite , the Syriac Orthodox Church and Syriac Catholic Church , mostly speak the Central and Western branches .   Most recently , the 2003 Iraq War and the Syrian Civil War which began in 2011 have displaced the regional Assyrian community , because its people have faced ethnic and religious persecution at the hands of Islamic extremists . Of the one million or more Iraqis reported by the United Nations to have fled Iraq since the occupation , nearly 40 % were Assyrians even though Assyrians comprised only around 3 % of the pre-war Iraqi demography . According to a 2013 report by a Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council official , it is estimated that only 300,000 Assyrians remain in Iraq . Due to the Syrian Civil War , however , many Iraqis , including Assyrians , have fled back into Iraq , specifically to northern Iraq and the part of the country controlled by the Iraqi government , with ISIS still in control of much of the Assyrian homeland .


X-Men: First Class X-Men : First Class ( stylized onscreen as X : First Class ) is a 2011 American superhero film , based on the X-Men characters appearing in Marvel Comics . It is the fifth installment in the X-Men film series . A prequel to the franchise , the film was directed by Matthew Vaughn and produced by Bryan Singer . The story is set primarily in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis , and focuses on the relationship between Professor Charles Xavier ( James McAvoy ) and Erik Lensherr / Magneto ( Michael Fassbender ) , and the origin of their groups -- the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants , respectively , as they deal with the Hellfire Club led by Sebastian Shaw ( Kevin Bacon ) , who is bent on world domination . The film co-stars Rose Byrne , January Jones and Oliver Platt . The film also introduces new actors to the series including Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence who , like McAvoy and Fassbender , reimagine popular characters from the franchise ( Beast and Mystique ) that have already been established in previous films , namely the original trilogy .   Producer Lauren Shuler Donner first thought of a prequel based on the young X-Men during the production of X2 , and later producer Simon Kinberg suggested to 20th Century Fox an adaptation of the comic series X-Men : First Class , though the film does not follow the comic closely . Singer , who had directed both X-Men and X2 , became involved with the project in 2009 , but he could only produce and co-write First Class due to other projects . Matthew Vaughn , who was previously attached to both X-Men : The Last Stand and Thor , became the director , and also wrote the final script with his writing partner Jane Goldman . First Class overtook a planned Magneto prequel that entered development hell and the Writer 's Guild of America arbitration gave a story credit to Magneto writer Sheldon Turner .   First Class entered production in August 2010 , with principal photography concluding in December and additional filming finishing in April 2011 , just a few weeks before the film 's premiere in June 2011 . The tight schedule proved a challenge to the six companies responsible for the extensive visual effects , which included computer-generated sets and digital doubles for the actors . Locations included Oxford , the Mojave desert and Georgia , with soundstage work done in both Pinewood Studios and the 20th Century Fox stages in Los Angeles . The depiction of the 1960s drew inspiration from the James Bond films of the period .   First Class was a box-office success , becoming the seventh highest-grossing in the film series , and received positive reviews from critics and audiences , who praised the fresh revival of the franchise as well as the acting , writing , directing , action , visual effects , and Henry Jackman 's score . A sequel titled X-Men : Days of Future Past , also serving as a resolution to the original trilogy 's storyline , was released in May 2014 , with Singer returning as director and Vaughn as co-writer . Another sequel , X-Men : Apocalypse , was released on May 27 , 2016 .


American Hustle American Hustle is a 2013 American black comedy-crime film directed by David O. Russell . It was written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell , inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s . It stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists who are forced by an FBI agent ( Bradley Cooper ) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians , including the mayor of Camden , New Jersey ( Jeremy Renner ) . Jennifer Lawrence plays the unpredictable wife of Bale 's character . Principal photography on the film began on March 8 , 2013 , in Boston and Worcester , Massachusetts , and New York City .   American Hustle had its nationwide release in the United States on December 13 , 2013 . It opened to wide acclaim from critics , who praised its writing and ensemble cast . The film received ten nominations at the 86th Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Original Screenplay , Best Actor ( Bale ) , Best Actress ( Adams ) , Best Supporting Actor ( Cooper ) , and Best Supporting Actress ( Lawrence ) , but did not win in any category . It received three BAFTA Awards , three Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture .


Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence ( born August 15 , 1990 ) is an American actress . Since 2015 , Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world , and her films have grossed over $ 5.5 billion worldwide . She appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes Celebrity 100 the following year and in 2016 .   During her childhood , Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals . When she was 14 , a talent scout spotted her in New York . She then moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career by playing guest roles in television shows . Her first major role came as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show ( 2007 -- 2009 ) . Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party ( 2008 ) , and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent drama Winter 's Bone ( 2010 ) . She achieved wider recognition for playing the mutant Mystique in X-Men : First Class ( 2011 ) , a role she reprised in later installments of the series .   Lawrence 's fame continued to grow with her starring role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series ( 2012 -- 2015 ) , which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time . She went on to earn various accolades from her collaborations with director David O. Russell . Her performance as a depressed widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook ( 2012 ) received an Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the second youngest Best Actress Oscar winner . Lawrence subsequently won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing a troubled wife in the black comedy American Hustle ( 2013 ) . She also received Golden Globe Awards for her roles in both of these films and for playing the eponymous inventor in the biopic Joy ( 2015 ) .   Lawrence is known in the media for being a vocal advocate of feminism and gender equality , and is the founder of the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation through which she supports various charitable organizations .


Joy (film) Joy is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film , written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano , about whom the story is loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire .   Joy received a theatrical release on December 25 , 2015 , distributed by 20th Century Fox . It received mixed reviews from critics , who praised Lawrence 's performance but criticized the writing and pace of the film . Lawrence received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance . Joy was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , among other accolades .


Mukesh Ambani has no shares in anything.

Mukesh Ambani Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani ( born 19 April 1957 ) is an Indian business magnate who is the chairman , managing director and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries Limited ( RIL ) , a Fortune Global 500 company and India 's second-most valuable company by market value . He holds a 44.7 % stake in the company . RIL deals mainly in refining , petrochemicals , and in the oil and gas sectors . Reliance Retail Ltd. , another subsidiary , is the largest retailer in India .   He is the elder son of the late Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani and the brother of Anil Ambani . In 2016 , he was ranked 38 , and is the only Indian businessman , on Forbes list of the world 's most powerful people . , Ambani has consistently held the title of India 's richest person on the magazine 's list for ten years . Through Reliance , he also owns the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians . In 2012 , Forbes named him one of the richest sports owners in the world . He resides at the Antilia Building , one of the world 's most expensive private residences . Its value is close to 1 billion dollars . , Ambani ranked fifth among India 's philanthropists , according to China 's Hurun Research Institute .   He has served on the board of directors of Bank of America and the international advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations . He was the chairman of the board of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore , which is one of the leading business schools in India .


Acute alcohol intoxication was the cause of Michael Jackson's death.

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson ( August 29 , 1958 -- June 25 , 2009 ) was an American singer , songwriter , record producer , dancer , actor , and philanthropist . Called the `` King of Pop '' , his contributions to music , dance , and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades .   The eighth child of the Jackson family , Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 . He began his solo career in 1971 . In the early 1980s , Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music . His music videos , including those of `` Beat It '' , `` Billie Jean '' , and `` Thriller '' from his 1982 album Thriller , are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool . The popularity of these videos helped bring the television channel MTV to fame . Jackson 's 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles `` I Just Ca n't Stop Loving You '' , `` Bad '' , `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' , `` Man in the Mirror '' , and `` Dirty Diana '' , becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 . He continued to innovate with videos such as `` Black or White '' and `` Scream '' throughout the 1990s , and forged a reputation as a touring solo artist . Through stage and video performances , Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques , such as the robot and the moonwalk , to which he gave the name . His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres .   Thriller is the best-selling album of all time , with estimated sales of 65 million copies worldwide . Jackson 's other albums , including Off the Wall ( 1979 ) , Bad ( 1987 ) , Dangerous ( 1991 ) , and HIStory ( 1995 ) , also rank among the world 's best-selling albums . He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records . Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice , and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the only dancer from pop and rock music . His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records , 13 Grammy Awards , the Grammy Legend Award , the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award , 26 American Music Awards -- more than any other artist -- including the `` Artist of the Century '' and `` Artist of the 1980s '' , 13 number-one singles in the United States during his solo career -- more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era -- and estimated sales of over 350 million records worldwide . Jackson won hundreds of awards , making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music . He became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when `` Love Never Felt So Good '' reached number nine on May 21 , 2014 . Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism , and , in 2000 , the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities , more than any other entertainer .   Aspects of Jackson 's personal life , including his changing appearance , personal relationships , and behavior , generated controversy . In 1993 , he was accused of child sexual abuse , but the civil case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount and no formal charges were brought . In 2005 , he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts . While preparing for his comeback concert series , This Is It , Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25 , 2009 , after suffering from cardiac arrest . The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide , and his personal physician , Conrad Murray , was convicted of involuntary manslaughter . Jackson 's death triggered a global outpouring of grief , and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was viewed around the world . Forbes ranks Jackson the top-earning dead celebrity , with earnings of $ 825 million in 2016 , the highest yearly amount ever recorded by the publication .


Venus has the densest atmosphere of the terrestrial planets.

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun , orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days . It has the longest rotation period ( 243 days ) of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets . It has no natural satellites . It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty . It is the second-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon , reaching an apparent magnitude of − 4.6 , bright enough to cast shadows at night and , though rare , occasionally be visible in broad daylight . Because Venus orbits within Earth 's orbit it is an inferior planet and never appears to venture far from the Sun ; its maximum angular distance from the Sun ( elongation ) is 47.8 ° .   Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth 's `` sister planet '' because of their similar size , mass , proximity to the Sun , and bulk composition . It is radically different from Earth in other respects . It has the densest atmosphere of the four terrestrial planets , consisting of more than 96 % carbon dioxide . The atmospheric pressure at the planet 's surface is 92 times that of Earth , or roughly the pressure found 900 m underwater on Earth . Venus is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System , with a mean surface temperature of 735 K , even though Mercury is closer to the Sun . Venus is shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid , preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light . It may have had water oceans in the past , but these would have vaporized as the temperature rose due to a runaway greenhouse effect . The water has probably photodissociated , and the free hydrogen has been swept into interplanetary space by the solar wind because of the lack of a planetary magnetic field . Venus 's surface is a dry desertscape interspersed with slab-like rocks and is periodically resurfaced by volcanism .   As one of the brightest objects in the sky , Venus has been a major fixture in human culture for as long as records have existed . It has been made sacred to gods of many cultures , and has been a prime inspiration for writers and poets as the `` morning star '' and `` evening star '' . Venus was the first planet to have its motions plotted across the sky , as early as the second millennium BC .   As the closest planet to Earth , Venus has been a prime target for early interplanetary exploration . It was the first planet beyond Earth visited by a spacecraft ( Mariner 2 in 1962 ) , and the first to be successfully landed on ( by Venera 7 in 1970 ) . Venus 's thick clouds render observation of its surface impossible in visible light , and the first detailed maps did not emerge until the arrival of the Magellan orbiter in 1991 . Plans have been proposed for rovers or more complex missions , but they are hindered by Venus 's hostile surface conditions .


Charles I did not marry Henrietta Maria.

Charles I of England Charles I ( 19 November 1600 -- 30 January 1649 ) was monarch of the three kingdoms of England , Scotland , and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649 .   Charles was the second son of King James VI of Scotland , but after his father inherited the English throne in 1603 , he moved to England , where he spent much of the rest of his life . He became heir apparent to the English , Irish , and Scottish thrones on the death of his elder brother , Henry Frederick , Prince of Wales , in 1612 . An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to the Spanish Habsburg princess Maria Anna culminated in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiations . Two years later , he married the Bourbon princess Henrietta Maria of France instead .   After his succession , Charles quarrelled with the Parliament of England , which sought to curb his royal prerogative . Charles believed in the divine right of kings and thought he could govern according to his own conscience . Many of his subjects opposed his policies , in particular the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent , and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch . His religious policies , coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic , generated the antipathy and mistrust of reformed groups such as the English Puritans and Scottish Covenanters , who thought his views too Catholic . He supported high church ecclesiastics , such as Richard Montagu and William Laud , and failed to aid Protestant forces successfully during the Thirty Years ' War . His attempts to force the Church of Scotland to adopt high Anglican practices led to the Bishops ' Wars , strengthened the position of the English and Scottish parliaments and helped precipitate his own downfall .   From 1642 , Charles fought the armies of the English and Scottish parliaments in the English Civil War . After his defeat in 1645 , he surrendered to a Scottish force that eventually handed him over to the English Parliament . Charles refused to accept his captors ' demands for a constitutional monarchy , and temporarily escaped captivity in November 1647 . Re-imprisoned on the Isle of Wight , Charles forged an alliance with Scotland , but by the end of 1648 Oliver Cromwell 's New Model Army had consolidated its control over England . Charles was tried , convicted , and executed for high treason in January 1649 . The monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared . The monarchy was restored to Charles 's son , Charles II , in 1660 .


Spider-Man is unrelated to Peter Parker.

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko , and first appeared in the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy # 15 ( Aug. 1962 ) in the Silver Age of Comic Books . Lee and Ditko conceived the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben , and as a teenager , having to deal with the normal struggles of adolescence in addition to those of a costumed crime-fighter . Spider-Man 's creators gave him super strength and agility , the ability to cling to most surfaces , shoot spider-webs using wrist-mounted devices of his own invention , which he calls `` web-shooters '' , and react to danger quickly with his `` spider-sense '' , enabling him to combat his foes .   When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s , teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist . The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker , the high school student behind Spider-Man 's secret identity and with whose `` self-obsessions with rejection , inadequacy , and loneliness '' young readers could relate . While Spider-Man had all the makings of a sidekick , unlike previous teen heroes such as Bucky and Robin , Spider-Man had no superhero mentor like Captain America and Batman ; he thus had to learn for himself that `` with great power there must also come great responsibility '' -- a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story but later retroactively attributed to his guardian , the late Uncle Ben .   Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series , the first and longest-lasting of which is titled The Amazing Spider-Man . Over the years , the Peter Parker character has developed from shy , nerdy New York City high school student to troubled but outgoing college student , to married high school teacher to , in the late 2000s , a single freelance photographer . In the 2010s , he joins the Avengers , Marvel 's flagship superhero team . Spider-Man 's nemesis Doctor Octopus also took on the identity for a story arc spanning 2012 -- 2014 , following a body swap plot in which Peter appears to die . Separately , Marvel has also published books featuring alternate versions of Spider-Man , including Spider-Man 2099 , which features the adventures of Miguel O'Hara , the Spider-Man of the future ; Ultimate Spider-Man , which features the adventures of a teenaged Peter Parker in an alternate universe ; and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man , which depicts the teenager Miles Morales , who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man after Ultimate Peter Parker 's supposed death .   Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes . As Marvel 's flagship character and company mascot , he has appeared in countless forms of media , including several animated and live action television series , syndicated newspaper comic strips , and in a series of films . The character was first portrayed in live action by Danny Seagren in Spidey Super Stories , a The Electric Company skit which ran from 1974 to 1977 . In films , Spider-Man has been portrayed by actors Tobey Maguire ( 2002 -- 2007 ) and Andrew Garfield ( 2012 -- 2014 ) , while Tom Holland portrays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in Captain America : Civil War in 2016 . Reeve Carney starred as Spider-Man in the 2010 Broadway musical Spider-Man : Turn Off the Dark . Spider-Man has been well received as a superhero and comic book character , and he is often ranked as one of the most popular comic book characters of all time , alongside DC Comics ' most famous superheroes , Batman and Superman .


The English language is only spoken in Guam.

English language English -LSB- ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ -RSB- is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now the global lingua franca . Named after the Angles , one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to England , it ultimately derives its name from the Anglia ( Angeln ) peninsula in the Baltic Sea . It is closely related to the Frisian languages , but its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages , as well as by Latin and Romance languages , particularly French .   English is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states . It is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , Ireland , and New Zealand , and is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean , Africa , and South Asia . It is the third most common native language in the world , after Mandarin and Spanish . It is the most widely learned second language and an official language of the United Nations , of the European Union , and of many other world and regional international organisations . It is the most widely spoken Germanic language , accounting for at least 70 % of speakers of this Indo-European branch .   English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years . The earliest forms of English , a set of Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the fifth century , are called Old English . Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England , and was a period in which the language was influenced by French . Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible , and the start of the Great Vowel Shift . Through the worldwide influence of the British Empire , modern English spread around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries . Through all types of printed and electronic media , as well as the emergence of the United States as a global superpower , English has become the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and in professional contexts such as science , navigation , and law .   Modern English grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European dependent marking pattern with a rich inflectional morphology and relatively free word order , to a mostly analytic pattern with little inflection , a fairly fixed SVO word order and a complex syntax . Modern English relies more on auxiliary verbs and word order for the expression of complex tenses , aspect and mood , as well as passive constructions , interrogatives and some negation . Despite noticeable variation among the accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions -- in terms of phonetics and phonology , and sometimes also vocabulary , grammar and spelling -- English-speakers from around the world are able to communicate with one another with relative ease .


Bob Arum is the CEO and founder of Top Rank.

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


Gujarat Gujarat ( -LSB- , gUdZ@'raht -RSB- -LSB- ˈɡudʒ ɾaːt̪ -RSB- ) is a state in Western India , It has an area of 196024 km2 with a coastline of 1600 km , most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula , and a population in excess of 60 million . The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the north , Maharashtra to the south , Madhya Pradesh to the east , and the Arabian Sea and the Pakistani province of Sindh to the west . Its capital city is Gandhinagar , while its largest city is Ahmedabad . Gujarat is home to the Gujarati-speaking people of India .   The state encompasses some sites of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization , such as Lothal and Dholavira . Lothal is believed to be one of the world 's first seaports . Gujarat 's coastal cities , chiefly Bharuch and Khambhat , served as ports and trading centres in the Maurya and Gupta empires , and during the succession of royal Saka dynasties from the Western Satraps era .   Gujarat was known to the ancient Greeks , and was familiar in other Western centres of civilisation through the end of the European Middle Ages . The oldest written record of Gujarat 's 2,000-year maritime history is documented in a Greek book titled The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea : Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Merchant of the First Century .


Ghostwriter A ghostwriter is a person who is hired to author books , manuscripts , screenplays , speeches , articles , songs , blog posts , stories , reports , white papers , or other texts that are officially credited to another person . Celebrities , executives , participants in timely news stories , and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies , memoirs , magazine articles , or other written material . In music , ghostwriters are often used to write songs , lyrics and instrumental pieces . Screenplay authors can also use ghostwriters to either edit or rewrite their scripts to improve them .   Usually , there is a confidentiality clause in the contract between the ghostwriter and the credited author that obligates the former to remain anonymous . Sometimes the ghostwriter is acknowledged by the author or publisher for his or her writing services , euphemistically called a `` researcher '' or `` research assistant '' , but often the ghostwriter is not credited .   Ghostwriting ( or simply `` ghosting '' ) also occurs in other creative fields . Composers have long hired ghostwriters to help them to write musical pieces and songs ; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is an example of a well-known composer who was paid to ghostwrite music for wealthy patrons . Ghosting also occurs in popular music . A pop music ghostwriter writes lyrics and a melody in the style of the credited musician . In hip hop music , the increasing use of ghostwriters by high-profile hip-hop stars has led to controversy . In the visual arts , it is not uncommon in either fine art or commercial art such as comics for a number of assistants to do work on a piece that is credited to a single artist . However , when credit is established for the writer , the acknowledgement of their contribution is public domain and the writer in question would not be considered a ghostwriter .