David Schwimmer did the voice of Melman the Giraffe in Madagascar.

David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer ( born November 2 , 1966 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He was born in Flushing , Queens , New York , and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 2 . He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School . In 1988 , he graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech . After graduation , Schwimmer co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company . For much of the late 1980s , he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling , unemployed actor .   He starred in the television movie A Deadly Silence in 1989 and appeared in a number of television roles , including on L.A. Law , The Wonder Years , NYPD Blue , and Monty , in the early 1990s . Schwimmer later gained worldwide recognition for playing Ross Geller in the sitcom Friends , for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995 . His first leading film role was in The Pallbearer ( 1996 ) , followed by roles in Kissing a Fool ( 1998 ) , Six Days , Seven Nights ( 1998 ) , Apt Pupil , and Picking Up the Pieces ( 2000 ) . He was then cast in the miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) as Herbert Sobel .   After the series finale of Friends in 2004 , Schwimmer was cast as the title character in the 2005 drama Duane Hopwood . Other film roles include the voice of Melman the Giraffe in the computer-animated Madagascar film franchise , the dark comedy Big Nothing ( 2006 ) , and the thriller Nothing But the Truth ( 2008 ) . Schwimmer made his West End stage debut in the leading role in Some Girl ( s ) in 2005 . In 2006 , he made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial . Schwimmer made his feature film directorial debut with the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run . The following year he made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in the 2008 production , Fault Lines .   In 2016 , he starred as lawyer Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story , for which he received his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie .


Neil Young Neil Percival Young , ( born November 12 , 1945 ) , is a Canadian singer-songwriter , musician , producer , director and screenwriter . Young began performing in a group covering Shadows instrumentals in Canada in 1960 . In 1966 , after a brief stint with the Rick James-fronted Mynah Birds , he moved to Los Angeles , where he formed Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills , Richie Furay and others . Young had released two solo albums by the time he joined Crosby , Stills & Nash in 1969 , in addition to two as a member of Buffalo Springfield . From his early solo albums and those with his backing band Crazy Horse , Young has recorded a steady stream of studio and live albums , sometimes warring with his recording company along the way .   Young 's often distorted electric guitar work , deeply personal lyrics and signature tenor singing voice transcend his long career . Young also plays piano and harmonica on many albums which frequently combine folk , rock , blues and other musical styles . Known to rip up live set lists , Young often plays acoustic versions of songs in one show and electric versions in others . His gritty guitar work , especially with Crazy Horse , earned him the nickname `` Godfather of Grunge '' and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam . More recently Young has been backed by Promise of the Real .   Young directed ( or co-directed ) films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey , including Journey Through the Past ( 1973 ) , Rust Never Sleeps ( 1979 ) , Human Highway ( 1982 ) , Greendale ( 2003 ) , and CSNY/D éjà Vu ( 2008 ) . He also contributed to the soundtracks of the films Philadelphia ( 1993 ) and Dead Man ( 1995 ) .   Young has received several Grammy and Juno awards . The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice : as a solo artist in 1995 and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield . In 2000 , Rolling Stone named Young the 34th greatest rock 'n roll artist .   He has lived in California since the 1960s but retains Canadian citizenship . He was awarded the Order of Manitoba on July 14 , 2006 , and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 30 , 2009 .


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 ) .


Nineteen Eighty-Four's writer's real name was George Orwell.

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair ( 25 June 1903 -- 21 January 1950 ) , better known by his pen name George Orwell , was an English novelist , essayist , journalist , and critic . His work is marked by lucid prose , awareness of social injustice , opposition to totalitarianism , and outspoken support of democratic socialism .   Orwell wrote literary criticism , poetry , fiction , and polemical journalism . He is best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm ( 1945 ) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four ( 1949 ) . His non-fiction works , including The Road to Wigan Pier ( 1937 ) , documenting his experience of working class life in the north of England , and Homage to Catalonia ( 1938 ) , an account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War , are widely acclaimed , as are his essays on politics , literature , language , and culture . In 2008 , The Times ranked him second on a list of `` The 50 greatest British writers since 1945 '' .   Orwell 's work continues to influence popular and political culture , and the term Orwellian -- descriptive of totalitarian or authoritarian social practices -- has entered the language together with many of his neologisms , including cold war , Big Brother , Thought Police , Room 101 , memory hole , newspeak , doublethink , and thoughtcrime .


Nineteen Eighty-Four Nineteen Eighty-Four , often published as 1984 , is a dystopian novel published in 1949 by English author George Orwell .  The novel is set in Airstrip One ( formerly known as Great Britain ) , a province of the superstate Oceania in a world of perpetual war , omnipresent government surveillance , and public manipulation . The superstate and its residents are dictated to by a political regime euphemistically named English Socialism , shortened to `` Ingsoc '' in Newspeak , the government 's invented language . The superstate is under the control of the privileged elite of the Inner Party , a party and government that persecutes individualism and independent thinking as `` thoughtcrime '' , which is enforced by the `` Thought Police '' .   The tyranny is ostensibly overseen by Big Brother , the Party leader who enjoys an intense cult of personality , but who may not even exist . The Party `` seeks power entirely for its own sake . It is not interested in the good of others ; it is interested solely in power . '' The protagonist of the novel , Winston Smith , is a member of the Outer Party , who works for the Ministry of Truth ( or Minitrue in Newspeak ) , which is responsible for propaganda and historical revisionism . His job is to rewrite past newspaper articles , so that the historical record always supports the party line . The instructions that the workers receive portray the corrections as fixing misquotations and never as what they really are : forgeries and falsifications . A large part of the Ministry also actively destroys all documents that have not been edited and do not contain the revisions ; in this way , no proof exists that the government is lying . Smith is a diligent and skillful worker but secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion against Big Brother . The heroine of the novel , Julia , is based on Orwell 's second wife , Sonia Orwell .   As literary political fiction and dystopian science-fiction , Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic novel in content , plot and style . Many of its terms and concepts , such as Big Brother , doublethink , thoughtcrime , Newspeak , Room 101 , telescreen , 2 + 2 = 5 , and memory hole , have entered into common use since its publication in 1949 . Nineteen Eighty-Four popularised the adjective Orwellian , which describes official deception , secret surveillance , and manipulation of recorded history by a totalitarian or authoritarian state . In 2005 , the novel was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005 . It was awarded a place on both lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels , reaching number 13 on the editor 's list , and 6 on the readers ' list . In 2003 , the novel was listed at number 8 on the BBC 's survey The Big Read .


Bon Scott has been in 3 or more Australian bands.

The Valentines (rock band) The Valentines were an Australian pop band active from 1966 -- 1970 , chiefly noted for their lead singers , Bon Scott , who later went on to great success as lead vocalist with AC/DC ; and Vince Lovegrove , who subsequently became a successful music journalist and manager of Divinyls .


Fraternity (band) Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971 . Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott ( who later joined AC/DC ) , John Swan ( who also played drums and later had a solo career ) , and his brother Jimmy Barnes ( Cold Chisel ) . Their biggest local hit was a cover version of `` Seasons of Change '' which peaked at No. 1 in Adelaide , but nationally it was overrun by the original Blackfeather version . The group won the 1971 Hoadley 's Battle of the Sounds with the prize being a free trip to London . Fraternity went through various line-ups and was renamed as Fang , Fraternity ( again ) , Some Dream and finished as Mickey Finn in 1981 .


AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band , formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young . A hard rock/blues rock band , they have also been considered a heavy metal band , although they have always dubbed their music simply `` rock and roll '' .   AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album , High Voltage , in 1975 . Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage . Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell , lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption . The group considered disbanding , but buoyed by support from Scott 's parents , decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist . Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott . Later that year , the band released the new album , Back in Black , which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott . The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all-time best-seller .   The band 's next album , For Those About to Rock We Salute You , was their first album to reach number one in the United States . Drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and replaced by ex-A II Z drummer Simon Wright , who left to join Dio in 1989 . The band experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s with the release of The Razors Edge . Phil Rudd returned in 1994 after Chris Slade , who was with the band from 1989 to 1994 , was asked to leave in favour of him , and contributed to the band 's 1995 album Ballbreaker . Stiff Upper Lip , released in 2000 , was well received by critics . The band 's studio album , Black Ice , released in 2008 , was the second-highest-selling album of that year , and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock , eventually reaching No. 1 on all charts worldwide . The band 's line-up remained the same until 2014 with Malcolm Young 's retirement due to early-onset dementia and Rudd 's legal troubles . In 2016 , Johnson was advised to stop touring on account of worsening hearing loss and Guns N ' Roses frontman Axl Rose stepped in as the band 's vocalist for the remainder of that year 's dates . Long-term bass player Cliff Williams retired from the band at the end of their 2016 Rock Or Bust world tour .   AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide , including 71.5 million albums in the United States , adding them to the list of highest-certified music artists in the United States and the list of best-selling music artists . Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide , making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist -- and the highest-selling album by any band . The album has sold 22 million units in the US , where it is the sixth-highest-selling album of all time . AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' and were named the seventh `` Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time '' by MTV . In 2004 , AC/DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . Producer Rick Rubin , who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list , referred to AC/DC as `` the greatest rock and roll band of all time '' . In 2010 , AC/DC were ranked number 23 in the VH1 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' .


Bon Scott Ronald Belford `` Bon '' Scott ( 9 July 1946 -- 19 February 1980 ) was an Australian rock musician , best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980 .   Scott was born in Forfar , Scotland , and raised in Kirriemuir , before moving to Melbourne with his family in 1952 at the age of six . They lived in the suburb of Sunshine for four years before moving to Fremantle . Scott formed his first band , The Spektors , in 1964 and became the band 's drummer and occasional lead vocalist . He performed in several other bands including The Valentines and Fraternity before replacing Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC in 1974 .   AC/DC 's popularity grew throughout the 1970s , initially in Australia , and then internationally . Their 1979 album Highway to Hell reached the top twenty in the United States , and the band seemed on the verge of a commercial breakthrough . However , on 19 February 1980 , Scott died after a night out in London . AC/DC briefly considered disbanding , but the group recruited vocalist Brian Johnson of the British glam rock band Geordie . AC/DC 's subsequent album , Back in Black , was released only five months later , and was a tribute to Scott . It went on to become the second best-selling album in history .   In the July 2004 issue of Classic Rock , Scott was rated as number one in a list of the `` 100 Greatest Frontmen Of All Time '' ahead of Freddie Mercury and Robert Plant . Hit Parader ranked Scott as fifth on their 2006 list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists of all time .


Paul McCartney is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney , ( born 18 June 1942 ) is an English singer-songwriter , multi-instrumentalist , and composer . He gained worldwide fame as the bass guitarist and singer for the rock band the Beatles , widely considered the most popular and influential group in the history of pop music . His songwriting partnership with John Lennon is the most celebrated of the post-war era . After the band 's break-up , he pursued a solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife , Linda , and Denny Laine .   McCartney has been recognised as one of the most successful composers and performers of all time . More than 2,200 artists have covered his Beatles song `` Yesterday '' , making it one of the most covered songs in popular music history . Wings ' 1977 release `` Mull of Kintyre '' is one of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK . A two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ( as a member of the Beatles in 1988 , and as a solo artist in 1999 ) , and a 21-time Grammy Award winner , McCartney has written , or co-written , 32 songs that have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 , and he has 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States . McCartney , Lennon , Harrison and Starr all received The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( MBE ) in 1965 , and in 1997 , McCartney was knighted for services to music .   McCartney has released an extensive catalogue of songs as a solo artist and has composed classical and electronic music . He has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights , seal hunting , land mines , vegetarianism , poverty , and music education . He has married three times and is the father of five children .


T-Pain is the founder of a record label established in Guam.

T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm ( born September 30 , 1985 ) , better known by his stage name T-Pain , is an American rapper , singer , songwriter and record producer from Tallahassee , Florida . His debut album , Rappa Ternt Sanga , was released in 2005 . In 2007 , T-Pain released his second album Epiphany , which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart . His third album , Thr33 Ringz , was released in 2008 . T-Pain has also released a string of hit singles , including `` I 'm Sprung '' , `` I 'm 'n Luv ( Wit a Stripper ) '' , `` Buy U a Drank ( Shawty Snappin ' ) '' , `` Bartender '' , `` Ca n't Believe It '' , `` 5 O'Clock '' and more . T-Pain has earned two Grammy Awards , alongside artists Kanye West and Jamie Foxx respectively .   T-Pain is the founder of the record label imprint Nappy Boy Entertainment , established in 2005 . Throughout his career as a singer , T-Pain is best known for using and popularizing the creative use of the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect , used with extreme parameter settings to create distinctive vocal sounds . From 2006 to 2010 , T-Pain was featured on more than 50 chart topping singles , his most successful feature to date was on Flo Rida 's debut single `` Low '' , which has since been certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) .


Nappy Boy Entertainment Nappy Boy Entertainment is an American record label founded by Hip Hop and R&B artist T-Pain . The label is distributed by RCA Records , and formerly by Jive Label Group . The label 's roster of artists includes Tay Dizm , Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy , Sophia Fresh , Shawnna , and Field Mob .   In May 2008 , T-Pain announced that he would like to take Nappy Boy Entertainment to a new business venture which will turn his company digital , by releasing albums and songs online via iTunes , ringtones and other types of online distribution some time in the future . The new venture , Nappy Boy Digital , focuses on albums and songs released as downloads and ringtones , with few physical releases .   Featured in the Nappy Boy logo , is the Florida State Capitol representing Tallahassee , Florida , where T-Pain was born .


Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd ( September 3 , 1913 -- January 29 , 1964 ) was an American actor and film and television producer . Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s , particularly in Westerns such as Shane ( 1953 ) and films noir in which he was often paired with Veronica Lake , such as This Gun for Hire ( 1942 ) , The Glass Key ( 1942 ) and The Blue Dahlia ( 1946 ) . Other notable credits include Two Years Before the Mast ( 1946 ) , Whispering Smith ( 1949 ) and The Great Gatsby ( 1949 ) . His popularity diminished in the late 1950s , though he continued to appear in popular films until his accidental death due to a lethal combination of alcohol , a barbiturate , and two tranquilizers .


British Columbia British Columbia ( BC ) is the westernmost province of Canada , with a population of more than four million people located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains .  British Columbia is also a component of the Pacific Northwest and the Cascadia bioregion , along with the U.S. states of Idaho , Oregon , Washington , Alaska , and western Montana .   The first British settlement in the area was Fort Victoria , established in 1843 , which gave rise to the city of Victoria , at first the capital of the separate Colony of Vancouver Island . Subsequently , on the mainland , the Colony of British Columbia ( 1858 -- 66 ) was founded by Richard Clement Moody and the Royal Engineers , Columbia Detachment , in response to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush . Moody was Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for the Colony and the first Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia : he was hand-picked by the Colonial Office in London to transform British Columbia into the British Empire 's `` bulwark in the farthest west '' , and `` to found a second England on the shores of the Pacific '' . Moody selected the site for and founded the original capital of British Columbia , New Westminster , established the Cariboo Road and Stanley Park , and designed the first version of the Coat of arms of British Columbia . Port Moody is named after him .   In 1866 , Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia , and Victoria became the united colony 's capital . In 1871 , British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada . Its Latin motto is Splendor sine occasu ( `` Splendour without Diminishment '' ) .   The capital of British Columbia remains Victoria , the fifteenth-largest metropolitan region in Canada , named for the Queen who created the original European colonies . The largest city is Vancouver , the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada , the largest in Western Canada , and the third-largest in the Pacific Northwest . In October 2013 , British Columbia had an estimated population of 4,606,371 ( about 2.5 million of whom were in Greater Vancouver ) . The province is currently governed by the BC Liberal Party , led by Premier Christy Clark , who became leader as a result of a leadership convention vote on February 26 , 2011 , and who led her party to an election victory on May 14 , 2013 .   British Columbia evolved from British possessions that were established in what is now British Columbia by 1871 . First Nations , the original inhabitants of the land , have a history of at least 10,000 years in the area . Today there are few treaties and the question of Aboriginal Title , long ignored , has become a legal and political question of frequent debate as a result of recent court actions . Notably , the Tsilhqot ` in Nation has established Aboriginal title to a portion of their territory , as a result of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision ( William -LSB- Tsilhqot ` in Nation -RSB- v. British Columbia ) .   BC 's economy is diverse , with service producing industries accounting for the largest portion of the province 's GDP . It is the endpoint of transcontinental railways , and the site of major Pacific ports that enable international trade . Though less than 5 % of its vast 944735 km2 land is arable , the province is agriculturally rich ( particularly in the Fraser and Okanagan valleys ) , because of milder weather near the coast and in certain sheltered southern valleys . Its climate encourages outdoor recreation and tourism , though its economic mainstay has long been resource extraction , principally logging , farming , and mining . Vancouver , the province 's largest city and metropolitan area , also serves as the headquarters of many western-based natural resource companies . It also benefits from a strong housing market and a per capita income well above the national average . While the coast of British Columbia and certain valleys in the south-central part of the province have mild weather , the majority of its land mass experiences a cold-winter-temperate climate similar to that of the rest of Canada . The Northern Interior region has a subarctic climate with very cold winters . The climate of Vancouver is by far the mildest winter climate of the major Canadian cities , with nighttime January temperatures averaging above the freezing point .


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


California California ( -LSB- kælᵻˈfɔːrnjə , _ - ni.ə -RSB- , ) is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area . Located on the western ( Pacific Ocean ) coast of the U.S. , California is bordered by the other U.S. states of Oregon , Nevada , and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California . The state capital is Sacramento . Los Angeles is California 's most populous city , and the country 's second largest after New York City . The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation 's second - and fifth-most populous urban regions , respectively . California also has the nation 's most populous county , Los Angeles County , and its largest county by area , San Bernardino County .   California 's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east ; and from the redwood -- Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast . The Central Valley , a major agricultural area , dominates the state 's center . Though California is well-known for its warm Mediterranean climate , the large size of the state means it can vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north , to arid desert in the interior , as well as snowy alpine in the mountains .   What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries . The Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican -- American War . The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California , and admitted as the 31st state on September 9 , 1850 . The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes , with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom .   If it were a country , California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous . It is also regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics , and is the origin of the film industry , the hippie counterculture , the Internet , and the personal computer , among others . Fifty-eight percent of the state 's economy is centered on finance , government , real estate services , technology , and professional , scientific and technical business services . The San Francisco Bay Area has the nation 's highest median household income by metropolitan area , and is the headquarters of three of the world 's largest 40 firms by revenue , Chevron , Apple , and McKesson . Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the state 's economy , California 's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state .


Juliette Binoche refused to tour with anyone.

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche ( -LSB- ʒyljɛt binɔʃ -RSB- ; born 9 March 1964 ) is a French actress , artist and dancer . She has appeared in more than 60 feature films , been recipient of numerous international awards , and has appeared on stage and in movies across the world . Coming from an artistic background , she began taking acting lessons during adolescence . After performing in several stage productions , she began acting in films by auteur directors Jean-Luc Godard ( Hail Mary , 1985 ) , Jacques Doillon ( Family Life , 1985 ) and André Téchiné , who made her a star in France with the leading role in his 1985 drama Rendez-vous . Her sensual performance in her English-language debut The Unbearable Lightness of Being ( 1988 ) , directed by Philip Kaufman , launched her international career .   She sparked the interest of Steven Spielberg , who offered her several parts including a role in Jurassic Park which she declined , choosing instead to join Krzysztof Kieślowski in Three Colors : Blue ( 1993 ) , a performance for which she won the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actress and a César . Three years later Binoche gained further acclaim in Anthony Minghella 's The English Patient ( 1996 ) , for which she was awarded an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in addition to the Best Actress Award at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival . For her performance in Lasse Hallström 's romantic comedy Chocolat ( 2000 ) , Binoche was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress .   During the 2000s she maintained a successful career , alternating between French and English language roles in both mainstream and art-house productions . In 2010 , she won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Abbas Kiarostami 's Certified Copy making her the first actress to win the European `` Best Actress Triple Crown '' ( for winning best actress award at the Berlin , Cannes and Venice film festivals ) .   Throughout her career Binoche has intermittently appeared on stage , most notably in a 1998 London production of Luigi Pirandello 's Naked and in a 2000 production of Harold Pinter 's Betrayal on Broadway for which she was nominated for a Tony Award . In 2008 she began a world tour with a modern dance production in-i devised in collaboration with Akram Khan . Her other notable performances include : Mauvais Sang ( 1986 ) , Les Amants du Pont-Neuf ( 1991 ) , Damage ( 1992 ) , The Horseman on the Roof ( 1995 ) , Code Unknown ( 2000 ) , Caché ( 2005 ) , Breaking and Entering ( 2006 ) , Flight of the Red Balloon ( 2007 ) , Camille Claudel 1915 ( 2013 ) and Clouds of Sils Maria ( 2014 ) .


The Homesman The Homesman is a 2014 French-American historical period drama set in the 1850s Midwest , directed and co-produced by Tommy Lee Jones and co-written with Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver , based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout . The film stars Jones and Hilary Swank and also features Meryl Streep , Hailee Steinfeld , John Lithgow , and James Spader .   The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and received a North American limited release on November 14 , 2014 by Roadside Attractions . The Homesman has received mostly positive reviews from critics . Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating average of 7.1 / 10 .   The title refers to the task of taking immigrants back home , which was typically a man 's job to carry out .


Anne Hathaway took a hiatus from her career throughout 2005.

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


Vikrant Massey was incapable of starring in Dharam Veer.

Vikrant Massey Vikrant Massey is an Indian actor . He is noted for his leading roles in TV series , Dharam Veer ( 2008 ) , Balika Vadhu ( 2009 ) , Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo ( 2010 ) , V The Serial ( 2012 ) and Qubool Hai ( 2013 ) and in Bollywood movies Lootera and Dil Dhadakne Do .


Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins ( -LSB- əˈdɛl -RSB- born 5 May 1988 ) is an English singer-songwriter . After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 , Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year . In 2007 , she received the Brit Awards `` Critics ' Choice '' award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll . Her debut album , 19 , was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success . It is certified seven times platinum in the UK , and three times platinum in the US . The album contains her first song , `` Hometown Glory '' , written when she was 16 , which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London . An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US . At the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 , Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance .   She released her second studio album , 21 , in early 2011 . The album was critically well received and surpassed the success of her debut , earning the singer numerous awards in 2012 , among them a record-tying six Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year ; two Brit Awards , including British Album of the Year , and three American Music Awards . The album has been certified 16 times platinum in the UK , and is the fourth best-selling album in the UK of all time . In the US , it has held the top position longer than any album since 1985 , and is certified diamond . The album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide . The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records . She is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist , and the first female artist to simultaneously have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 . 21 is the longest-running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and US Album Charts .   In 2012 , Adele released `` Skyfall '' , which she co-wrote and recorded for the James Bond film of the same name . The song won an Academy Award , a Grammy Award , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song , as well as the Brit Award for British Single of the Year . After taking a three-year break , Adele released her third studio album , 25 , in 2015 . It became the year 's best-selling album and broke first week sales records in the UK and US . 25 was her second album to be certified diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards , including her second Grammy Award for Album of the Year , and four Brit Awards . The lead single , `` Hello '' , became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release . Her third concert tour , Adele Live 2016 , visited Europe , North America and Oceania , and will conclude with four finale concerts at Wembley Stadium in mid-2017 .   In 2011 , 2012 and 2016 , Billboard named Adele Artist of the Year . In 2012 , she was listed at number five on VH1 's 100 Greatest Women in Music . Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2016 . With sales of more than 100 million records , Adele is one of the best-selling recording artists in the world .


There is a music video director named Spike Jonze.

Music video director A music video director is the head of music video production . The director conceives of videos ' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act , technical crew , actors , models , and dancers . They may or may not be in collaboration with the musical act .   On November 8 , 1992 , MTV began listing directors with the artist , song , and record company credits , because music videos had increasingly become an auteur 's medium . `` The case for the director as music video author is strong . It is the music video director who has principal control of everything that is added to the pre-existing recorded sound text . '' Directors , including Michel Gondry , Spike Jonze , and F. Gary Gray , have gone on to direct feature films , continuing a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as Lasse Hallström and David Fincher . The most expensive video of all time was directed by Mark Romanek : Michael and Janet Jackson 's `` Scream '' ( 1995 ) , which cost $ 7 million to produce . In 2003 , Spike Jonze , Chris Cunningham , and Michel Gondry founded the Directors Label .


Faith Evans's fifth album came out in 2010.

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans ( born June 10 , 1973 ) is an American singer-songwriter . Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey , Evans relocated to Los Angeles in 1993 for a career in the music business . After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams , she became the first female artist to contract with Sean `` Puff Daddy '' Combs ' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company in 1994 , for which she collaborated with several label mates such as Mary J. Blige and Carl Thomas and released three platinum-certified studio albums between 1995 and 2001 , including Faith ( 1995 ) , Keep the Faith ( 1998 ) and Faithfully ( 2001 ) .   In 2003 , she ended her relationship with the company to sign with Capitol Records . Her first album released on the label , The First Lady ( 2005 ) became her highest-charting album at the time , reaching the top of the US Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums charts , while the holiday album A Faithful Christmas , released the same year , would become her last release before the company was bought in 2007 . Following a longer hiatus , Evans released her fifth album Something About Faith on the independent label Prolific/E1 Music in 2010 .   Other than her recording career , Evans is mostly known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher `` The Notorious B.I.G. '' Wallace , whom she married on August 4 , 1994 , a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photo shoot . The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans ' involvement in the East Coast -- West Coast hip hop rivalry , dominating the rap music news at the time , and ended with Wallace 's murder in an unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9 , 1997 . A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112 , named `` I 'll Be Missing You '' , won Evans a Grammy Award in 1998 . Also an actress and writer , Evans made her screen debut in the 2000 musical drama Turn It Up by Robert Adetuyi . Her autobiography Keep the Faith : A Memoir was released by Grand Central Publishing in 2008 and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category .


Dangal (film) Dangal ( Wrestling competition ) is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical sports drama film directed by Nitesh Tiwari . Produced by Walt Disney Pictures , Aamir Khan Productions and UTV Motion Pictures , it stars Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat , an amateur wrestler , who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to be world-class wrestlers , both of who go on to win medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games . Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra play the older selves of the sisters while Sakshi Tanwar play their mother and Aparshakti Khurana , their cousin .   The development of the film began in early 2013 when Tiwari began writing the screenplay before signing Khan for the film . Set primarily in the Indian State of Haryana , principal photography commenced in September 2015 in the neighbouring Punjab . Satyajit Pande served as the cinematographer and Ballu Saluja as the editor . Pritam scored the film 's background music and for its soundtrack , lyrics for which were written by Amitabh Bhattacharya . Kripa Shankar Bishnoi , a coach with the Indian women 's wrestling team , trained Khan and the cast for the wrestling sequences .   After a North America premiere on 21 December 2016 , Dangal was released worldwide on 23 December opening to positive response with critics ; praise centered on the film 's `` honest '' depiction of a real-life story and Khan 's performance . It was also screened at the Beijing International Film Festival in April 2017 . At the 62nd Filmfare Awards , it won four awards : Best Film , Best Director ( Tiwari ) , Best Actor ( Khan ) and Best Action ( Shyam ) . The film performed equally well commercially and as of 29 May , it stands as the highest-grossing Indian film having collected over 1,700 crore , of which close to 1,000 crore was earned in China , where it has emerged as one of the top 30 highest-grossers of all time .


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


Kazakhstan's population is 63 percent Russians.

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( -LSB- USkæzækˈstæn , _ ˌkɑːzɑːkˈstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ˌkæzəkˈstɑːn , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan , -LSB- qɑzɑqˈstɑn -RSB- ; Казахстан , tr . Kazakhstan ) , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасы , tr . Qazaqstan Respwblïkası ; Республика Казахстан , tr . Respublika Kazakhstan ) , is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world 's largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of 2,724,900 km ² . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region 's GDP , primarily through its oil/gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources .   Kazakhstan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia , China , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Turkmenistan , and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea . The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands , steppe , taiga , rock canyons , hills , deltas , snow-capped mountains , and deserts . Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people , Given its large land area , its population density is among the lowest , at less than 6 people per square kilometre ( 15 people per sq. mi . ) . The capital is Astana , where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty , the country 's largest city .   The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes . This changed in the 13th century , when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire . Following internal struggles among the conquerors , power eventually reverted to the nomads . By the 16th century , the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group , divided into three jüz ( ancestor branches occupying specific territories ) . The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century , and by the mid-19th century , they nominally ruled all of Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire . Following the 1917 Russian Revolution , and subsequent civil war , the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganised several times . In 1936 , it was made the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , part of the Soviet Union .   Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The current President , Nursultan Nazarbayev , has been leader of the country since then , and is characterised as authoritarian , with a government history of human rights abuses and suppression of political opposition . Kazakhstan has worked to develop its economy , especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry . Human Rights Watch says that `` Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly , speech , and religion , '' and other human rights organisations regularly describe Kazakhstan 's human rights situation as poor .   Kazakhstan 's 131 ethnicities include Kazakhs ( 63 % of the population ) , Russians , Uzbeks , Ukrainians , Germans , Tatars , and Uyghurs . Islam is the religion of about 70 % of the population , with Christianity practised by 26 % ; Kazakhstan officially allows freedom of religion , but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed . The Kazakh language is the state language , and Russian has equal official status for all levels of administrative and institutional purposes .


Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant ( -LSB- ˈɔːlʌfɪnt -RSB- ; born May 20 , 1968 ) is an American actor and producer . He made his acting debut in Off-Broadway theater in 1995 in The Monogamist , winning the Theatre World Award for his performance , and then originated David Sedaris ' The Santaland Diaries in 1996 . Following this he branched out to film ; in the early years of his career , he was often cast in supporting villainous roles , most notably in Scream 2 ( 1997 ) , Go ( 1999 ) , A Man Apart ( 2003 ) and The Girl Next Door ( 2004 ) . He came to the attention of a wider audience with his portrayal of Sheriff Seth Bullock in HBO 's western Deadwood ( 2004 -- 2006 ) . He then had starring roles in the romantic comedy Catch and Release ( 2006 ) , the action film Hitman ( 2007 ) , the thriller A Perfect Getaway ( 2009 ) and the horror film The Crazies ( 2010 ) . He was a villain in Live Free or Die Hard ( 2007 ) and was a recurring guest star in season two of the FX legal thriller Damages ( 2009 ) .   The best-known performance of Olyphant 's career to date has been as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in FX 's modern-day Kentucky western Justified ( 2010 -- 2015 ) . He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 . He later had guest appearances in numerous television sitcoms including The Office ( 2010 ) , The Mindy Project ( 2013 ) and The Grinder ( 2015 -- 2016 ) , for which he won a Critics Choice Award . Olyphant currently stars with Drew Barrymore in the Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet ( 2017 ) , and is also an executive producer on the show .


One Direction were on the list of highest earning celebrities under 30 in Forbes.

One Direction One Direction ( commonly abbreviated as 1D ) are an English-Irish pop boy band based in London , composed of Niall Horan , Liam Payne , Harry Styles , Louis Tomlinson , and previously , Zayn Malik until his departure from the band on 25 March 2015 . The group signed with Simon Cowell 's record label Syco Records after forming and finishing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2010 . Propelled to international success by social media , One Direction 's five albums , Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , Four ( 2014 ) , and Made in the A.M. ( 2015 ) , topped charts in most major markets , and generated hit singles including `` What Makes You Beautiful '' , `` Live While We 're Young '' , `` Best Song Ever '' , `` Story of My Life '' , and `` Drag Me Down '' .   Their awards include six Brit Awards , four MTV Video Music Awards , eleven MTV Europe Music Awards , seven American Music Awards ( including Artist of the Year in 2014 and 2015 ) , and 27 Teen Choice Awards , among many others . According to Nick Gatfield , the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK , One Direction represented a $ 50 million business empire by June 2012 . They were proclaimed 2012 's `` Top New Artist '' by Billboard . According to the Sunday Times Rich List , by April 2013 , they had an estimated personal combined wealth of # 25 million ( $ 41.2 m ) making them the second-wealthiest musicians in the UK under 30 years of age . In 2014 , Forbes listed them the second-highest earning celebrities under 30 , with the group earning an estimated $ 75 million from June 2013 to June 2014 . In June 2015 , Forbes listed their earnings at $ 130 million for the previous twelve months , and ranked them the fourth highest earning celebrities in the world . In 2016 Forbes ranked them the world 's second highest earning celebrities .   After the release of Four , One Direction became the first band in the US Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one . Their third album , Midnight Memories , was the biggest-selling album worldwide of 2013 despite being released in late November . The band 's Where We Are Tour in support of Midnight Memories and Four , was the highest-grossing concert tour in 2014 , and the highest-grossing tour ever by a vocal group , generating $ 282 million . In 2014 , Billboard named One Direction Artist of the Year . The band is currently on a hiatus that began in January 2016 , allowing all members to pursue other projects .


Laurence Fishburne acted in Man of Steel.

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III ( born July 30 , 1961 ) is an American actor , playwright , director and producer , best known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy , Jason `` Furious '' Styles in the 1991 drama film Boyz n the Hood and Tyrone `` Mr. Clean '' Miller in the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now .   Fishburne became the first African American to portray Othello in a motion picture by a major studio when he appeared in Oliver Parker 's 1995 film adaptation of the Shakespeare play . For his portrayal of Ike Turner in What 's Love Got to Do With It , he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor . He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Two Trains Running ( 1992 ) , and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in TriBeCa ( 1993 ) .   Fishburne starred in several cult classics , including Deep Cover and King of New York . From 2008 to 2011 , he starred as Dr. Raymond Langston on the CBS crime drama CSI : Crime Scene Investigation and from 2013 to 2015 starred as Special Agent Jack Crawford on the NBC thriller series Hannibal . In 2013 , he portrayed Perry White in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot Man of Steel and in 2016 reprised his role in Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice .


Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a 2017 film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Star Wars : The Last Jedi ( also known as Star Wars : Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi ) is an upcoming American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson . It is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy , following Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( 2015 ) . The film is produced by Lucasfilm and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It stars Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Lupita Nyong ` o , Domhnall Gleeson , Anthony Daniels , Gwendoline Christie , and Andy Serkis in returning roles . New cast members include Benicio del Toro , Laura Dern , and Kelly Marie Tran . Fisher died in December 2016 , making The Last Jedi her final film role .   The film was announced after Disney 's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012 . It is produced by Ram Bergman and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . John Williams , composer for the previous seven films , returns to compose the score . Scenes that required shooting at Skellig Michael in Ireland were filmed during pre-production in September 2015 , with principal photography beginning at Pinewood Studios in England in February 2016 and ending in July 2016 . The Last Jedi is scheduled for release on December 15 , 2017 . A sequel , Star Wars : Episode IX , is scheduled for May 24 , 2019 .


Taiwan Taiwan ( -LSB- taɪˈwɑːn -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of China ( ROC ) , is a state in East Asia . Its neighbours include China ( officially the People 's Republic of China , PRC ) to the west , Japan to the northeast , and the Philippines to the south .  Taiwan is the most populous state that is not a member of the United Nations , and also possesses the largest economy of any state outside of the UN .   The island of Taiwan , also known as Formosa , was mainly inhabited by Taiwanese aborigines before the 17th century , when Dutch and Spanish colonies opened the island to Han Chinese immigration . After a brief rule by the Kingdom of Tungning , the island was annexed by the Qing dynasty , the last dynasty of China . The Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 after the Sino-Japanese War . While Taiwan was under Japanese rule , the Republic of China ( ROC ) was established on the mainland in 1912 after the fall of the Qing dynasty . Following the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945 , the ROC took control of Taiwan . However , the resumption of the Chinese Civil War led to the ROC 's loss of the mainland to the Communists , and the flight of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949 . Although the ROC continued to claim to be the legitimate government of China , its effective jurisdiction since 1949 has been limited to Taiwan and its surrounding islands , with the main island making up 99 % of its de facto territory . As a founding member of the United Nations , the ROC continued to represent China at the United Nations until 1971 , when the PRC assumed China 's seat , causing the ROC to lose its UN membership .   In the early 1960s , Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization , creating a stable industrial economy . In the 1980s and early 1990s , it changed from a one-party military dictatorship dominated by the Kuomintang to a multi-party democracy with a semi-presidential system . Taiwan is the 22nd-largest economy in the world , and its high-tech industry plays a key role in the global economy . It is ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press , healthcare , public education , economic freedom , and human development . The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most highly educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentages of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree .   The PRC has consistently claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and asserted the ROC is no longer in legitimate existence . Under its One-China Policy the PRC refused diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes the ROC . Today only a few smaller nations recognize the ROC as the sole legal representative of China , but many other states maintain unofficial ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates . Although Taiwan is fully self-governing , most international organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate only as a non-state actor . Internally , the major division in politics is between the aspirations of eventual Chinese unification or Taiwanese independence , though both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal . The PRC has threatened the use of military force in response to any formal declaration of independence by Taiwan or if PRC leaders decide that peaceful unification is no longer possible .


2004 was the year of release for Collision Course.

Collision Course (album) Collision Course is a collaborative EP from American rapper Jay-Z and nu metal band Linkin Park , released on November 30 , 2004 by Roc-A-Fella , Machine Shop , Warner Bros. and Def Jam records . Before the album , Jay-Z had released collaborations with The Roots and R. Kelly , and Linkin Park had collaborated with various artists on their remix album Reanimation . The album was inspired by The Grey Album by Danger Mouse , which was a mash-up album between Jay-Z and The Beatles . MTV had originally planned on mashing up only one or two songs , but the project was eventually expanded to a six song EP . The album was mostly produced by Mike Shinoda and Jay-Z , and was recorded between July 16 and July 19 .   Upon release , Collision Course reached # 1 on the Billboard 200 . As of June 2014 , it has sold 2 million copies in the United States alone . The album spawned one single , Numb/Encore which eventually won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2006 Grammy Awards .


Johan Heldenbergh acted in The Misfortunates.

Johan Heldenbergh Johan Heldenbergh ( born 9 February 1967 ) is a Belgian actor , playwright , screenwriter , theatre director and film director . He gained international fame by starring in films such as A Day in a Life ( 2007 ) , Moscow , Belgium ( 2008 ) , The Misfortunates ( 2009 ) and The Broken Circle Breakdown ( 2012 ) , as well The Zookeepers Wife ( 2017 )


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 .


Ferrari had a driver named Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher ( -LSB- ˈmɪçaʔɛl ˈʃuːmaxɐ -RSB- ; born 3 January 1969 ) is a German retired racing driver . He is a seven-time Formula One World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time . He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice . He won two titles with Benetton in and before moving to Ferrari where he drove for eleven years . His time with Ferrari yielded five consecutive titles between and .   Schumacher holds many of Formula One 's driver records , including most championships , race victories , fastest laps , pole positions and races won in a single season -- 13 in 2004 ( the last record was equalled by fellow German Sebastian Vettel nine years later ) . In 2002 , he became the only driver in Formula One history to finish in the top three in every race of a season and then also broke the record for most consecutive podium finishes . According to the official Formula One website , he is `` statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen '' .   After beginning in karting , Schumacher won the German drivers ' championships in Formula König and Formula Three before joining Mercedes in the World Sportscar Championship . In 1991 , his Mercedes-funded race debut for the Jordan Formula One team resulted in Schumacher being signed by Benetton Formula One team as their driver for the rest of that season . Establishing himself as a top driver , finishing third in 1992 and fourth in 1993 , Schumacher became the first German World Drivers ' Champion in 1994 by one point over Damon Hill . In 1995 he repeated the success , this time with a greater margin . Schumacher moved to Ferrari in 1996 . Schumacher came close to winning the 1997 and 1998 titles , before breaking his leg at the 1999 British Grand Prix , ending another title run . Schumacher won five consecutive drivers ' titles from 2000 to 2004 . Schumacher retired from Formula One driving in 2006 staying with Ferrari as an advisor . He came close to an eighth title that year , but due to technical problems in the final two races he fell short to Fernando Alonso . Schumacher agreed to return for Ferrari part-way through 2009 , as cover for the badly injured Felipe Massa , but was prevented by a neck injury . Schumacher returned to Formula One on a permanent basis from 2010 with the Mercedes team before retiring for a second time at the conclusion of the 2012 season .   His career was not without controversy , including being twice involved in collisions in the final race of a season that determined the outcome of the World Championship , with Damon Hill in 1994 in Adelaide , and with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 in Jerez . Off the track , Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety . He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life and donated tens of millions of dollars to charity . Schumacher and his younger brother , Ralf , are the only brothers to win races in Formula One , and they were the first brothers to finish 1st and 2nd in the same race , a feat they repeated in four subsequent races .   In December 2013 , Schumacher suffered a serious head injury in a skiing accident . He was airlifted to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma , having suffered a traumatic brain injury . He was in the coma for six months from 29 December 2013 until 16 June 2014 . He left the hospital in Grenoble for further rehabilitation at the University Hospital ( CHUV ) in Lausanne . On 9 September 2014 , Schumacher was relocated to his home where he continues to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation privately .


Futurama Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company . The series follows the adventures of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy , Philip J. Fry , who , after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years , finds employment at Planet Express , an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century . The series was envisioned by Groening in the mid-1990s while working on The Simpsons ; he later brought David X. Cohen aboard to develop storylines and characters to pitch the show to Fox .   In the United States , the series aired on Fox from March 28 , 1999 , to August 10 , 2003 , before ceasing production . Futurama also aired in reruns on Cartoon Network 's Adult Swim from 2003 to 2007 , until the network 's contract expired . It was revived in 2007 as four direct-to-video films ; the last of which was released in early 2009 . Comedy Central entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television to syndicate the existing episodes and air the films as 16 new , half-hour episodes , constituting a fifth season .   In June 2009 , producing studio 20th Century Fox announced that Comedy Central had picked up the show for 26 new half-hour episodes , which began airing in 2010 and 2011 . The show was renewed for a seventh season , with the first half airing in June 2012 and the second set for mid-2013 . It was later revealed that the seventh season would be the final season , as Comedy Central announced that they would not be commissioning any further episodes . The series finale aired on September 4 , 2013 . While Groening has said he will try to get it picked up by another network , David X. Cohen stated that the episode `` Meanwhile '' would be the last episode of season 7 and also the series finale .   Throughout its run , Futurama has received critical acclaim . The show has been nominated for 17 Annie Awards and 12 Emmy Awards , winning seven of the former and six of the latter . It has also been nominated four times for a Writers Guild of America Award , winning two for the episodes `` Godfellas '' and `` The Prisoner of Benda '' , been nominated for a Nebula Award and has received Environmental Media Awards for episodes `` The Problem with Popplers '' and `` The Futurama Holiday Spectacular '' . Futurama-related merchandise has also been released , including a tie-in comic book series and video game , calendars , clothes and figurines . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked Futurama as one of the top 60 Greatest TV Cartoons of All Time .


Ashley Judd Ashley Judd ( born Ashley Tyler Ciminella ; April 19 , 1968 ) is an American actress and political activist . She grew up in a family of successful performing artists as the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd . While she is best known for an ongoing acting career spanning more than two decades , she has increasingly become involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism .   Judd has had leading roles in films including Ruby in Paradise ( 1993 ) , Norma Jean & Marilyn ( 1996 ) , Kiss the Girls ( 1997 ) , Double Jeopardy ( 1999 ) , Where the Heart Is ( 2000 ) , High Crimes ( 2002 ) , De-Lovely ( 2004 ) , Bug ( 2006 ) , Dolphin Tale ( 2011 ) , Divergent ( 2014 ) , Dolphin Tale 2 ( 2014 ) , and Insurgent ( 2015 ) . She starred as Rebecca Winstone in the 2012 television series Missing , for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie . In 2010 , she earned a one-year mid-career master 's degree in public administration from Harvard 's Kennedy School of Government . She is a well known Kentucky Wildcats men 's basketball fan , being present at most games .


Elementary has the character Detective Marcus Bell.

Jon Michael Hill Jon Michael Hill is an American actor . He is best known for his role as Detective Damon Washington in the ABC police drama , Detroit 1-8-7 and currently co-stars as Detective Marcus Bell in the CBS series Elementary .


Elementary (TV series) Elementary is an American procedural drama series that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's character Sherlock Holmes . The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson . The series premiered on CBS on September 27 , 2012 . The series is set and filmed primarily in New York City .   The show follows Holmes , a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard , as he assists the New York City Police Department in solving crimes . His indifference to police procedure often leads to conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson ( Aidan Quinn ) , although the two still remain mutually respectful of one another . He is accompanied by Dr. Joan Watson ( Lucy Liu ) , who initially acts as his sober companion . She is a former surgeon and was hired by Sherlock 's father to help him in his rehabilitation . They eventually begin to work together on his cases , and she becomes Holmes ' apprentice . The series also features Holmes ' ongoing conflict with his nemesis Jamie Moriarty ( Natalie Dormer ) . Other supporting roles include Jon Michael Hill as Detective Marcus Bell , Rhys Ifans as Sherlock 's brother , Mycroft Holmes , and John Noble as Sherlock 's father , Morland Holmes .   Before the series premiered , it was met with some criticism given it followed closely on the heels of the BBC 's modern adaptation Sherlock . After the premiere , it was picked up for a full season and later an extra two episodes . The season two premiere was partly filmed on location in London . The series has since been well received by critics , who have praised the performances , writing , and novel approach to the source material . On March 25 , 2016 , CBS renewed the series for a fifth season , which premiered on October 2 , 2016 . On May 13 , 2017 , CBS renewed the series for a sixth season .


The Fujitsu iPAD was introduced by a Korean technology company.

Fujitsu , commonly referred to as Fujitsu , is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo , Japan . In 2015 , it was the world 's fourth-largest IT services provider measured by IT services revenue ( after IBM , HP and Accenture ) . Fortune named Fujitsu as one of the world 's most admired companies and a Global 500 company .   Fujitsu chiefly makes computing products , but the company and its subsidiaries also offer a diversity of products and services in the areas of personal computing , enterprise computing , including x86 , SPARC and mainframe server products , as well as storage products , telecommunications , advanced microelectronics , and air conditioning . It has approximately 159,000 employees and its products and services are available in over 100 countries .   Fujitsu is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices .


Fujitsu iPAD The Fujitsu iPAD is a lightweight handheld device that was introduced by Fujitsu , in 2002 . It runs Microsoft 's CE.NET operating system . It supports 802.11 b wireless LAN to connect wirelessly with other company infrastructure . The device can support inventory management as well as credit card payments . In January 2010 , when Apple announced the Apple iPad , there was a naming controversy between the two devices . To settle the trademark infringement allegation , Apple purchased the trademark rights from Fujitsu . Some trademark analysts estimate that Apple paid Fujitsu over US$ 4 million in exchange for the March 17 , 2010 assignment of Fujitsu 's iPad trademark rights to Apple .


Daft Punk released their first album with Epitaph Records.

Daft Punk Daft Punk are a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . The duo achieved significant popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement and had continuous success in the years following , combining elements of house music with funk , techno , disco , rock music and synthpop influences . They are also known for their visual stylization and disguises associated with their music ; the duo have worn ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas in most of their public appearances since 2001 and rarely grant interviews or appear on television . The duo were managed from 1996 to 2008 by Pedro Winter ( also known as Busy P ) , the head of Ed Banger Records .   Bangalter and de Homem-Christo were originally briefly in an indie rock band named Darlin ' . When the group disbanded , it left the two to experiment musically with drum machines and synthesisers . The duo released their debut studio album Homework through Virgin Records in 1997 to highly positive reviews . The duo 's next album Discovery ( 2001 ) was even more successful , driven by the release of the hit singles `` One More Time '' , `` Digital Love '' and `` Harder , Better , Faster , Stronger '' . In March 2005 , the duo released their third album Human After All to mixed reviews . However , the singles `` Robot Rock '' and `` Technologic '' achieved considerable success in the United Kingdom .   Daft Punk toured throughout 2006 and 2007 and released the live album Alive 2007 , which won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album . The duo later composed the score for the Disney film Tron : Legacy in 2010 , and released its soundtrack album that same year . In January 2013 , Daft Punk left Virgin for Columbia Records , and released their next album Random Access Memories in 2013 to worldwide critical acclaim . The album 's lead single `` Get Lucky '' became an international success , peaking on top 10 charts in 32 countries . Random Access Memories won five Grammy Awards in 2014 , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for `` Get Lucky '' . Daft Punk later gained their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song `` Starboy '' , a collaboration with The Weeknd .


Alec Sokolow and a film writer from America have worked together.

Joel Cohen (writer) Joel Cohen is an American film writer who has worked on such projects as the movies Cheaper by the Dozen , Toy Story , Money Talks and Garfield : The Movie . He frequently works with Alec Sokolow .   Along with Joss Whedon , Andrew Stanton , John Lasseter , Pete Docter , Joe Ranft , and Sokolow , Cohen was nominated in 1995 for the Academy Award for Best Writing ( Original Screenplay ) for his work on Toy Story .   Beyond writing , Cohen and Sokolow jointly directed Monster Mash : The Movie and executive produced Gnomes and Trolls : The Secret Chamber ( 2008 ) .


Alec Sokolow Alec Sokolow is an American film writer who has worked on such projects as the movies Cheaper by the Dozen , Toy Story , Money Talks , and Garfield : The Movie . He frequently works with Joel Cohen .   Along with Joss Whedon , Andrew Stanton , John Lasseter , Pete Docter , Joe Ranft , and Cohen , Sokolow was nominated in 1995 for the Academy Award for Best Writing ( Original Screenplay ) for his work on Toy Story .   Beyond writing , Sokolow and Cohen jointly directed Monster Mash : The Movie and executive produced Gnomes and Trolls : The Secret Chamber ( 2008 ) .


Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi ( -LSB- anˈtɔːnjo ˈluːtʃo viˈvaldi -RSB- ; 4 March 1678 -- 28 July 1741 ) was an Italian Baroque composer , virtuoso violinist , teacher and cleric . Born in Venice , he is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers , and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe . He composed many instrumental concertos , for the violin and a variety of other instruments , as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas . His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons .   Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà , a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi ( who had been ordained as a Catholic priest ) was employed from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740 . Vivaldi also had some success with expensive stagings of his operas in Venice , Mantua and Vienna . After meeting the Emperor Charles VI , Vivaldi moved to Vienna , hoping for preferment . However , the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi 's arrival , and Vivaldi himself died less than a year later in poverty .


The Czech Republic's largest city is Paris.

Czech Republic The Czech Republic ( -LSB- ˈtʃɛkiə -RSB- , ; Česko , -LSB- ˈt͡ʃɛsko -RSB- ) , is a nation state in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west , Austria to the south , Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast . The Czech Republic covers an area of 78866 km2 with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , has 10.5 million inhabitants and the capital and largest city is Prague , with over 1.2 million residents . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia .   The Czech state was formed in the late 9th century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . After the fall of the Empire in 907 , the centre of power transferred from Moravia to Bohemia under the Přemyslid dynasty . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as part of the Holy Roman Empire , becoming the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 and reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Besides Bohemia itself , the king of Bohemia ruled the lands of the Bohemian Crown , he had a vote in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor , and Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . In the Hussite wars of the 15th century driven by the Protestant Bohemian Reformation , the kingdom faced economic embargoes and defeated five consecutive crusades proclaimed by the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church .   Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy alongside the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618 -- 20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism and reimposed Roman Catholicism , and also adopted a policy of gradual Germanization . With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 , the Bohemian Kingdom became part of the Austrian Empire and the Czech language experienced a revival as a consequence of widespread romantic nationalism . In the 19th century , the Czech lands became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy and were subsequently the core of the Republic of Czechoslovakia , which was formed in 1918 following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I.   The Czech part of Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany in World War II , and was liberated in 1945 by the armies of the Soviet Union and the United States . The Czech country lost the majority of its German-speaking inhabitants after they were expelled following the war . The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia won the 1946 elections . Following the 1948 coup d'état , Czechoslovakia became a one-party communist state under Soviet influence . In 1968 , increasing dissatisfaction with the regime culminated in a reform movement known as the Prague Spring , which ended in a Soviet-led invasion .   The first separate Czech republic was created on 1 January 1969 , under the name Czech Socialistic Republic within federalization of Czechoslovakia , however the federalization was implemented only incompletely . Czechoslovakia remained occupied until the 1989 Velvet Revolution , when the communist regime collapsed and a democracy and federalization was deepened . On 6 March 1990 , the Czech Socialistic Republic was renamed to the Czech Republic . On 1 January 1993 , Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved , with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic .   The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union ( EU ) in 2004 ; it is a member of the United Nations , the OECD , the OSCE , and the Council of Europe . It is a developed country with an advanced , high income economy and high living standards . The UNDP ranks the country 14th in inequality-adjusted human development . In 2017 , Czech citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 168 countries and territories , ranking the Czech passport 9th in the world ( after 25 other countries ) . The Czech Republic also ranks as the 6th most peaceful country , while achieving strong performance in democratic governance . It has the lowest unemployment rate of EU members .


Superhero A superhero ( sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero ) is a type of heroic stock character who possesses supernatural or superhuman powers and who is dedicated to fighting crime , protecting the public , and usually battling supervillains . A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine ( also rendered super-heroine or super heroine ) , although the word superhero is commonly used for females also . Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters , especially in American comic books since the 1930s .   By most definitions , characters do not require actual supernatural or superhuman powers or phenomena to be deemed superheroes . While the Dictionary.com definition of `` superhero '' is `` a figure , especially in a comic strip or cartoon , endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime '' , the longstanding Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as `` a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers ; also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person '' . Terms such as masked crime fighters , costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to characters such as the Spirit , who may not be explicitly referred to as superheroes but nevertheless share similar traits .   Some superheroes use their powers to counter daily crime while also combating threats against humanity from supervillains , who are their criminal counterparts . Often at least one of these supervillains will be the superhero 's archenemy . Some long-running superheroes such as Batman , Spider-Man , Superman , Captain America , Wonder Woman , Iron Man , the Flash , Wolverine , Green Lantern , and Hulk have a rogues gallery of many villains .


Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character is a founding member of the Justice League , demigoddess , warrior princess , and Ambassador-at-Large of the Amazonian people . In her homeland , she is Princess Diana of Themyscira , and outside of her homeland , she is known by her civilian identity Diana Prince .   Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston , and artist Harry G. Peter . Marston and his wife Elizabeth 's cohabitant , Olive Byrne , is credited as being his inspiration for the character 's appearance . Marston drew a great deal of inspiration from early feminists , and especially from birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger . The character first appeared in All Star Comics # 8 in October 1941 and first cover-dated on Sensation Comics # 1 , January 1942 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986 .   Wonder Woman 's origin story relates that she was sculpted from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and given life by Aphrodite , along with superhuman powers as gifts by the Greek Gods . However , in recent years artists updated her profile : she has been depicted as the daughter of Zeus , and jointly raised by her mother Hippolyta and her aunts Antiope and Menalippe ; artists George Perez gave her a muscular look and emphasized her Amazonian heritage ; artist Jim Lee redesigned Diana 's costume to include pants ; she inherits Ares 's divine abilities , becoming the personified `` God of War '' ; and writer Greg Rucka clarified her sexual orientation as bisexual , giving her a backstory that includes positive relationships with women .   Her Amazonian training helped to develop a wide range of extraordinary skills in strategy , hunting , and combat . She possesses an arsenal of advanced technology , including the Lasso of Truth , a pair of indestructible bracelets , a tiara which serves as a projectile , and , in older stories , a range of devices based on Amazon technology . Wonder Woman was created during World War II ; the character was initially depicted fighting Axis military forces as well as an assortment of colorful supervillains , although over time her stories came to place greater emphasis on characters , deities , and monsters from Greek mythology . Many stories depicted Wonder Woman rescuing herself from bondage , which defeated the `` damsels in distress '' trope that was common in comics during the 1940s . In the decades since her debut , Wonder Woman has gained a formidable cast of enemies bent on eliminating the Amazon , including classic villains such as Ares , Cheetah , Doctor Poison , Circe , Doctor Psycho , and Giganta , along with more recent adversaries such as Veronica Cale . Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society ( from 1941 ) and Justice League ( from 1960 ) .   Notable depictions of the character in other media include Gloria Steinem placing the character on the cover of Ms. magazine in 1971 ; the 1975 -- 1979 Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter ; as well as animated series such as the Super Friends and Justice League . Since Carter 's television series , studios struggled to introduce a new live-action Wonder Woman to audiences , although the character continued to feature in a variety of toys and merchandise , as well as animated adaptations of DC properties , including a direct-to-DVD animated feature . Attempts to return Wonder Woman to television have included a television pilot for NBC in 2011 , closely followed by another stalled production for The CW . Gal Gadot portrays Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe , starting with the 2016 film Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , marking the character 's feature film debut after over 70 years of history . Gadot will also star in the character 's first solo live-action film Wonder Woman , set to be released on June 2 , 2017 .   On October 21 , 2016 , the United Nations sparked controversy by naming Wonder Woman a UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls in a ceremony attended by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach and by actors Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot . Critics regard the character as not being a worthy role model for women , deeming the scantily clad `` large breasted , white woman of impossible proportions '' as being overtly sexualized and not culturally sensitive . Two months later she was dropped from her role as a UN Ambassador following a petition .


Eddie Vedder Eddie Vedder ( born Edward Louis Severson ; December 23 , 1964 ) is an American musician , singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Pearl Jam , with whom he performs lead vocals and is one of three guitarists . He is known for his powerful baritone vocals .   He is also involved in making music and contributes to albums by other artists . In 2007 , Vedder released his first solo album as a soundtrack for the film Into the Wild ( 2007 ) . His second album Ukulele Songs and a live DVD titled Water on the Road were released in 2011 .   Vedder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam on April 7 , 2017 .


The Shining was directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The Shining (film) The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick , co-written with novelist Diane Johnson , and starring Jack Nicholson , Shelley Duvall , Danny Lloyd , and Scatman Crothers . The film is based on Stephen King 's 1977 novel The Shining .   Unlike Kubrick 's previous works , which developed audiences gradually through word-of-mouth , The Shining was released as a mass-market film , initially opening in two U.S. cities on Memorial Day , then nationwide within a month . The European release of The Shining a few months later was 25 minutes shorter due to Kubrick 's removal of most of the scenes taking place outside the environs of the hotel .   Although contemporary responses from critics were mixed , assessment became more favorable in following decades , and it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made . American director Martin Scorsese ranked it one of the 11 scariest horror movies of all time . Critics , scholars , and crew members ( such as Kubrick 's producer Jan Harlan ) have discussed the film 's enormous influence on popular culture .


On March 27, 1814, Charles Mackay was born.

Charles Mackay (author) Charles Mackay ( 27 March 1814 -- 24 December 1889 ) was a Scottish poet , journalist , author , anthologist , novelist , and songwriter , remembered mainly for his book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds .


Jon Huntsman Jr. was born on March 26, 1960.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova ( -LSB- ˈdʒaːkomo dʒiˈrɔːlamo kazaˈnɔːva -RSB- or -LSB- kasaˈnɔːva -RSB- 2 April 1725 -- 4 June 1798 ) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice . His autobiography , Histoire de ma vie ( Story of My Life ) , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century .   As was not uncommon at the time , Casanova , depending on circumstances , used more or less fictitious names , such as baron or count of Farussi ( the name of his mother ) or Chevalier de Seingalt ( pronounced Saint-Galle , as in French ) . He often signed his works Jacques Casanova de Seingalt after he began writing in French following his second exile from Venice .   He has become so famous for his often complicated and elaborate affairs with women that his name is now synonymous with `` womanizer '' . He associated with European royalty , popes , and cardinals , along with luminaries such as Voltaire , Goethe , and Mozart . He spent his last years in Bohemia as a librarian in Count Waldstein 's household , where he also wrote the story of his life .