Anne Frank's birthplace was an urban area in Germany.

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main ( -LSB- ˈfʁaŋkfʊɐ̯t am ˈmaɪ̯n -RSB- ) is a metropolis and the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany , with a 2015 population of 731,095 within its administrative boundaries , and 2.3 million in its urban area . The city is at the centre of the larger Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region , which has a population of 5.8 million and is Germany 's second-largest metropolitan region after Rhine-Ruhr . Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2013 , the geographic centre of the EU is about 40 km to the east of Frankfurt 's CBD , the Bankenviertel . Frankfurt is culturally and ethnically diverse , with around half of the population , and a majority of young people , having a migration background . A quarter of the population are foreign nationals , including many expatriates .   Frankfurt is an alpha world city and a global hub for commerce , culture , education , tourism and transportation . It 's the site of many global and European corporate headquarters . Frankfurt Airport is among the world 's busiest . Frankfurt is the major financial centre of the European continent , with the HQs of the European Central Bank , German Federal Bank , Frankfurt Stock Exchange , Deutsche Bank , Commerzbank , DZ Bank , KfW , several cloud and fintech startups and other institutes . Automotive , technology and research , services , consulting , media and creative industries complement the economic base . Frankfurt 's DE-CIX is the world 's largest internet exchange point . Messe Frankfurt is one of the world 's largest trade fairs . Major fairs include the Frankfurt Motor Show , the world 's largest motor show , the Music Fair , and the Frankfurt Book Fair , the world 's largest book fair .   Frankfurt is home to influential educational institutions , including the Goethe University , the UAS , the FUMPA , and graduate schools like the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management . Its renowned cultural venues include the concert hall Alte Oper , Europe 's largest English Theatre and many museums ( e.g. the Museumsufer ensemble with Städel and Liebieghaus , Senckenberg Natural Museum , Goethe House ) , the Schirn art venue at the old town . Frankfurt 's skyline is shaped by some of Europe 's tallest skyscrapers . The city is also characterised by various green areas and parks , including the central Wallanlagen , the City Forest and two major botanical gardens , the Palmengarten and the University 's Botanical Garden . In electronic music , Frankfurt has been a pioneering city since the 1980s , with renowned DJs including Sven Väth , Marc Trauner , Scot Project , Kai Tracid , and the clubs Dorian Gray , U60311 , Omen and Cocoon . In sports , the city is known as the home of the top tier football club Eintracht Frankfurt , the basketball club Frankfurt Skyliners , the Frankfurt Marathon and the venue of Ironman Germany . It 's the seat of German sport unions for Olympics , football and motor sports .


Anne Frank Annelies Marie `` Anne '' Frank ( -LSB- ʔanəliːs maˈʁiː ˈʔanə ˈfʁaŋk -RSB- ; -LSB- ʔɑnəˈlis maˈri ˈʔɑnə ˈfrɑŋk -RSB- ; 12 June 1929 -- February or March 1945 ) was a German-born diarist . One of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust , she gained fame posthumously following the publication of The Diary of a Young Girl ( originally Het Achterhuis ; The Secret Annex ) , in which she documents her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944 , during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II . It is one of the world 's most widely known books and has been the basis for several plays and films .   Born in Frankfurt , Germany , she lived most of her life in or near Amsterdam , Netherlands , having moved there with her family at the age of four-and-a-half when the Nazis gained control over Germany . Born a German national , Frank lost her citizenship in 1941 and thus became stateless . By May 1940 , the Franks were trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the Netherlands . As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July 1942 , the family went into hiding in some concealed rooms behind a bookcase in the building where Anne 's father worked . From then until the family 's arrest by the Gestapo in August 1944 , Anne kept a diary she had received as a birthday present , and wrote in it regularly . Following their arrest , the Franks were transported to concentration camps . In October or November 1944 , Anne and her sister , Margot , were transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp from Auschwitz , where they died ( probably of typhus ) a few months later . They were originally estimated by the Red Cross to have died in March , with Dutch authorities setting 31 March as their official date of death , but research by the Anne Frank House in 2015 suggests they more likely died in February .   Frank 's father , Otto , the only survivor of the family , returned to Amsterdam after the war to find that her diary had been saved by one of the helpers , Miep Gies , and his efforts led to its publication in 1947 . It was translated from its original Dutch version and first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl , and has since been translated into over 60 languages .


Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina , also known as the Dayton Agreement , Dayton Accords , Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement , is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton , Ohio , United States , in November 1995 , and formally signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 . These accords put an end to the - year-long Bosnian War , one of the Yugoslav Wars .


Matt Sorum's touring project Kings of Chaos features members of Slipknot.

Matt Sorum Matthew William `` Matt '' Sorum ( born November 19 , 1960 ) is an American drummer and percussionist . He is best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N ' Roses , with whom he recorded three studio albums , and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver . Sorum is currently a member of the touring project , Kings of Chaos , and is a former member of both The Cult and Y Kant Tori Read . Sorum was also a member of Guns N ' Roses side-projects , Slash 's Snakepit and Neurotic Outsiders , and released a solo album , Hollywood Zen , in 2004 .   After performing on synthpop band Y Kant Tori Read 's sole album , Sorum joined The Cult in 1989 to tour in support of their fourth studio album , Sonic Temple ( 1989 ) . During the tour , Sorum was spotted by Guns N ' Roses guitarist Slash and subsequently replaced their drummer Steven Adler in 1990 . Remaining in the band for seven years , Sorum recorded the albums , Use Your Illusion I ( 1991 ) , Use Your Illusion II ( 1991 ) , and `` The Spaghetti Incident ? '' ( 1993 ) , before departing in 1997 following an argument with Axl Rose .   In 2001 , Sorum rejoined The Cult to perform on their reunion album , Beyond Good and Evil ( 2001 ) , and its subsequent tour and subsequently co-founded the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver , alongside former Guns N ' Roses bandmates , Slash and Duff McKagan . The band , which also included guitarist Dave Kushner and Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland , released two successful studio albums , Contraband ( 2004 ) and Libertad ( 2007 ) , before entering an extended hiatus following Weiland 's departure .   Sorum has been a permanent member of hard rock cover band Camp Freddy since 2003 , alongside Jane 's Addiction members Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney , and assisted in hosting its radio show and podcast on Indie 103.1 . In 2012 , Sorum founded a touring project , entitled Kings of Chaos , featuring members of Guns N ' Roses , Deep Purple , Def Leppard , Aerosmith , ZZ Top , Cheap Trick and Slipknot .   In 2012 , Sorum was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N ' Roses .


Mel Gibson Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson ( born January 3 , 1956 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He was born in Peekskill , New York , and moved with his parents to Sydney , Australia , when he was 12 years old .   Gibson is best known as an action hero , for roles such as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon buddy cop film series , and Max Rockatansky in the first three films in the Mad Max post-apocalyptic action series .   He studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art . During the 1980s , he founded Icon Entertainment , a production company which independent film director Atom Egoyan has called , `` an alternative to the studio system '' . Director Peter Weir cast him as one of the leads in the critically acclaimed World War I drama Gallipoli ( 1981 ) , which earned Gibson a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute . The film also helped to earn Gibson the reputation of a serious , versatile actor .   Gibson produced , directed , and starred in the epic historical drama film Braveheart ( 1995 ) , for which he won the Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for Best Director , along with the Academy Award for Best Picture . He later directed and produced the financially successful and controversial , biblical drama film The Passion of the Christ ( 2004 ) . He received further critical notice for his directorial work of the action-adventure film Apocalypto ( 2006 ) , which is set in Mesoamerica during the early 16th century . After a 10-year hiatus from directing , Gibson returned with the critically praised and financially successful Hacksaw Ridge ( 2016 ) , which won the Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing and earned Gibson his second nomination for Best Director .


Eagles (band) The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey , Don Henley , Bernie Leadon , and Randy Meisner . With five number-one singles , six Grammy Awards , five American Music Awards , and six number one albums , the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s . At the end of the 20th century , two of their albums , Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) and Hotel California , were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America . Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stones list of `` The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' and the band was ranked number 75 on the magazine 's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time .   The Eagles are one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time , having sold more than 150 million records -- 100 million in the U.S. alone -- including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) and 32 million copies of Hotel California . Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) was the best selling album of the 20th century in the U.S. . They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and the highest-selling American band in U.S. history .   The band released their debut album , Eagles , in 1972 , which spawned three top 40 singles : `` Take It Easy , '' `` Witchy Woman , '' and `` Peaceful Easy Feeling . '' Their next album , Desperado ( 1973 ) , was less successful than the first , only reaching number 41 on the charts ; neither of its singles reached the top 40 . However , the album does contain what would go on to be two of the band 's most popular tracks : `` Desperado '' and `` Tequila Sunrise . '' The band released On the Border in 1974 , adding guitarist Don Felder as the fifth member midway through the recording of the album . The album generated two top 40 singles : `` Already Gone '' and their first number one , `` Best of My Love . ''   Their 1975 album One of These Nights included three top 10 singles : `` One of These Nights , '' `` Lyin ' Eyes , '' and `` Take It to the Limit , '' the first hitting the top of the charts . Guitarist and vocalist , Joe Walsh , also joined the band in 1975 . The Eagles continued that success and hit their commercial peak in late 1976 with the release of Hotel California , which would go on to sell more than 16 million copies in the U.S. alone and more than 32 million copies worldwide . The album yielded two number-one singles , `` New Kid in Town '' and `` Hotel California . '' They released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run , which spawned three top 10 singles : `` Heartache Tonight , '' `` The Long Run , '' and `` I Ca n't Tell You Why , '' the lead single being another chart-topping hit .   The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over , a mix of live and new studio tracks . They toured consistently and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 . In 2007 , the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden , their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth number one album . The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album . In 2013 , they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the band 's documentary release , History of the Eagles .   Following the death of Frey in January 2016 , Henley stated in several interviews that he did n't think the band would perform again . However , in March 2017 it was announced that the Eagles would be headlining two concerts in July 2017 .


Ronaldo Maczinski's birthday is August 11.

Ronaldo Maczinski Ronaldo Maczinski ( born 11 September 1980 ) , known as Ronaldo , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward ; he had a lengthy career in Portuguese football .


The Big Trail The Big Trail is a 1930 American pre-Code early widescreen movie shot on location across the American West starring John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh .   In 2006 , the United States Library of Congress deemed this film `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' , and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry , saying `` the plot of a trek along the Oregon Trail is aided immensely by the majestic sweep provided by the experimental Grandeur wide-screen process used in filming '' .


Gemini (2002 Tamil film) Gemini is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Saran and produced by AVM Productions . The film features Vikram in the title role of a small-time criminal and aspiring don who , after falling in love , decides to refrain from crime ; Kiran Rathod plays his love interest . Murali stars as Singaperumal , a police officer who inspires and guides Gemini in his attempts to reform . The cast includes Kalabhavan Mani as the principal antagonist while Vinu Chakravarthy , Manorama and Thennavan portray significant roles . Based on gang wars in Chennai , the film delves into the lives of outlaws and the roles the police and society play in their rehabilitation and acceptance .   In early 2001 , rival gangsters `` Vellai '' Ravi and Chera reformed themselves with the patronage of a police officer . Saran was inspired by this incident and scripted a story based on it . The film was initially entitled Erumugam with Ajith Kumar intended to play the lead role , but the project was shelved after a week 's shoot when Ajith lost interest and left . Saran reworked the script , retitled the production Gemini and cast the new leads . The revived project was announced in August 2001 . Production began shortly afterwards in December the same year and was completed by March 2002 . The film was shot mainly at the AVM Studios in Chennai , while two song sequences were filmed in Switzerland . The film had cinematography by A. Venkatesh and editing by Suresh Urs while the soundtrack was scored by Bharathwaj .   The film 's soundtrack was well received , with the song `` O Podu '' becoming a sensation in Tamil Nadu . Gemini was released two days ahead of the Tamil New Year on 12 April 2002 and received mixed reviews from critics , with praise directed towards the performances of Vikram and Mani but criticism towards Saran 's script . Made at an estimated cost of , the film earned at the box office and became the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year . The film 's success , largely attributed to the popularity of `` O Podu '' , resurrected the Tamil film industry , which was experiencing difficulties after a series of box office failures . The film won three Filmfare Awards , three ITFA Awards and four Cinema Express Awards . Later that same year , Saran remade the film in Telugu as Gemeni .


The album Take Me Home was released by Harry Styles and his bandmates.

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles ( born 1 February 1994 ) is an English singer and songwriter . He is known as a member of the pop boy band One Direction . He made his debut as a singer with his band White Eskimo , who performed locally in Holmes Chapel , Cheshire . In 2010 , Styles auditioned as a solo artist for the British television series The X Factor . After being eliminated as a solo performer , Styles was brought back into the competition , along with four other contestants , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson , to form One Direction .   Styles and his bandmates have released the albums Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , Four ( 2014 ) , and Made in the A.M. ( 2015 ) . They have also performed on two worldwide tours , one featured on concert film One Direction : This Is Us , and won several awards , including five Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards .   On 23 June 2016 it was reported by Billboard that Styles had signed a three-album solo recording deal with Columbia Records , the same label behind One Direction . Styles will make his acting debut in the war film Dunkirk in July 2017 . Preceded by its first solo single `` Sign of the Times '' , his self-titled debut album was released on 12 May 2017 .


Zooey Deschanel Zooey Claire Deschanel ( -LSB- ˈzoʊi_ˌdeɪʃəˈnɛl -RSB- born January 17 , 1980 ) is an American actress and singer-songwriter . She made her film debut in Mumford ( 1999 ) , followed by her supporting role in Cameron Crowe 's semi-autobiographical picture Almost Famous ( 2000 ) . Deschanel soon became known for her deadpan comedy roles in films such as The Good Girl ( 2002 ) , The New Guy ( 2002 ) , Elf ( 2003 ) , The Hitchhiker 's Guide to the Galaxy ( 2005 ) , Failure to Launch ( 2006 ) , Yes Man ( 2008 ) , and ( 500 ) Days of Summer ( 2009 ) . She also did dramatic turns in the films Manic ( 2001 ) , All the Real Girls ( 2003 ) , Winter Passing ( 2005 ) and Bridge to Terabithia ( 2007 ) . Since 2011 , she has played Jessica Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl , for which she has received an Emmy Award nomination and three Golden Globe Award nominations .   For a few years starting in 2001 , Deschanel performed in the jazz cabaret act If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies with fellow actress Samantha Shelton . Besides singing , she plays keyboards , percussion , banjo , and ukulele . In 2006 , Deschanel teamed up with M. Ward to release a debut album , Volume One , under the name She & Him in March 2008 . They released a follow-up album , Volume Two , in March 2010 , with their Christmas album A Very She & Him Christmas being released in 2011 , Volume 3 in 2013 , and Classics in 2014 . She also received Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media nomination for her song `` So Long '' , which featured in the Winnie the Pooh soundtrack .   Deschanel is also a co-founder of the female-focused website HelloGiggles , which was acquired by Time , Inc. in 2015 .


Ukulele The ukulele ( -LSB- juːkəˈleɪliː -RSB- , from -LSB- - hawˈʔukuˈlɛlɛ -RSB- ( oo-koo-leh-leh ) ; variant : ukelele ) , sometimes abbreviated to uke , is a member of the lute family of instruments ; it generally employs four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings . Some strings may be paired in courses , giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings .   The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian adaptation of the Portuguese machete , a small guitar-like instrument , which was introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants , mainly from Madeira and the Azores . It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century and from there spread internationally .   The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction . Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes : soprano , concert , tenor , and baritone .


Bahrain is comprised of multiple islands.

Bahrain Bahrain ( -LSB- bɑːˈreɪn -RSB- البحرين ) , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small Arab monarchy in the Arabian Gulf . It is an island country consisting of a small archipelago centered around Bahrain Island , situated between the Qatar peninsula and the north eastern coast of Saudi Arabia , to which it is connected by the 25 km King Fahd Causeway . Bahrain 's population is 1,234,571 ( c. 2010 ) , including 666,172 non-nationals . It is 780 km2 in size , making it the third smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore .   Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilisation . It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries , which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century . Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to convert to Islam ( 628 ) . Following a period of Arab rule , Bahrain was occupied by the Portuguese in 1521 , who in turn were expelled in 1602 by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty under the Persian Empire . In 1783 , the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family , with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain 's first hakim . In the late 1800s , following successive treaties with the British , Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom . In 1971 , Bahrain declared independence . Formerly an emirate , Bahrain was declared a Kingdom in 2002 . In 2011 , the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring .   Bahrain had the first post-oil economy in the Arabian Gulf . Since the late 20th century , Bahrain has invested in the banking and tourism sectors . Many large financial institutions have a presence in Manama , the country 's capital . Bahrain has a high Human Development Index and was recognised by the World Bank as a high income economy .


Island country An island country is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands . As of 2011 , 46 ( approximately 24 % ) of the 193 UN member states are island countries .


Albany, New York, was settled after the American War for Independence.

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War ( 17751783 ) , also known as the American War of Independence , was a global war that began as a conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies , which declared independence as the United States of America .   After 1765 , growing philosophical and political differences strained the relationship between Britain and its colonies . Following the Stamp Act , Patriot protests against taxation without representation escalated into boycotts , which culminated in the Sons of Liberty destroying a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor . Britain responded by closing Boston Harbor and passing a series of punitive measures against Massachusetts colony . Massachusetts colonists responded with the Suffolk Resolves , and they established a shadow government which wrested control of the countryside from the Crown . Twelve colonies formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their resistance , establishing committees and conventions that effectively seized power .   British attempts to disarm the Massachusetts militia at Concord in April 1775 led to open combat . Militia forces then besieged Boston , forcing a British evacuation in March 1776 . Congress appointed George Washington to command the Continental Army . Concurrently , an American attempt to invade Quebec and raise rebellion against the British decisively failed . On July 2 , 1776 , the Continental Congress voted for independence , issuing its declaration on July 4 . Sir William Howe launched a British counter-offensive , capturing New York City and leaving American morale at a low ebb . However , victories at Trenton and Princeton restored American confidence . In 1777 , the British launched an invasion from Quebec under John Burgoyne , intending to isolate New England . Instead of assisting this effort , Howe took his army on a separate campaign against Philadelphia , and Burgoyne was decisively defeated at Saratoga in October 1777 .   Burgoyne 's defeat had drastic consequences ; France formally allied with the Americans and entered the war in 1778 , and Spain joined the war the following year as an ally of France , but not as an ally of the United States . In 1780 , Mysore attacked the British in India , and tensions between Britain and the Netherlands erupted into open war . In North America , the British mounted a `` Southern strategy '' led by Charles Cornwallis . However , the strategy hinged upon a Loyalist uprising , and too few came forward . Cornwallis suffered reversals at King 's Mountain and Cowpens . He retreated to Yorktown , Virginia , intending an evacuation , but a decisive French naval victory deprived him of an escape . A Franco-American army led by the Comte de Rochambeau and Washington then besieged Cornwallis ' army . With no sign of relief , Cornwallis surrendered .   Whigs in Britain had long opposed the pro-war Tories in Parliament , and the surrender gave the former the upper hand . In early 1782 , Parliament voted to end all offensive operations in North America , but the war continued in Europe and India . Britain remained under siege in Gibraltar but scored a major success against the French navy . On September 3 , 1783 , the belligerent parties signed the Treaty of Paris , formally ending the war , in which Britain agreed to recognize the sovereignty of the United States . French involvement had proven decisive , but France made few gains and incurred crippling debts . Spain made some minor territorial gains but failed in its primary aim of recovering Gibraltar . The Dutch were defeated on all counts and were compelled to cede territory to Britain . In India , the war against Mysore and its allies concluded in 1784 without any territorial changes .


Albany, New York Albany ( -LSB- ˈɔːlbəni -RSB- ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County . Roughly 150 mi north of New York City , Albany developed on the west bank of the Hudson River , about 10 mi south of its confluence with the Mohawk River . The population of the City of Albany was 97,856 according to the 2010 census . Albany constitutes the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of New York State , which comprises the Albany-Schenectady-Troy , NY Metropolitan Statistical Area , including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy , Schenectady , and Saratoga Springs . With a 2013 Census-estimated population of 1.1 million the Capital District is the third-most populous metropolitan region in the state and 38th in the United States .   Fortune 500 companies with offices in Albany include American Express , J.P. Morgan and Chase , Merrill Lynch , General Electric , Verizon , Goldman Sachs , International Paper , and Key Bank . In the 21st century , the Capital District has emerged as a major anchor of Tech Valley , the moniker describing the technologically-focused region of eastern New York State .   This was the first European settlement in the state . It was settled by Dutch colonists who in 1614 , built Fort Nassau for fur trading and Fort Orange in 1624 . They formed successful relations with both the Mahican and the Mohawk peoples , two major Native American nations in the region . The fur trade attracted settlers who founded a village called Beverwijck near Fort Orange . In 1664 the English took over the Dutch settlements , renaming the city as Albany , in honor of the then Duke of Albany , the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland . The city was officially chartered in 1686 under English rule . It became the capital of New York State in 1797 , following the United States gaining independence in the American Revolutionary War . Albany is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies , and the longest continuously chartered city in the United States . Its charter is possibly the longest-running instrument of municipal government in the Western Hemisphere .   During the late 18th century and throughout most of the 19th , Albany was a center of trade and transportation . It is on the north end of the navigable Hudson River , was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal connecting to the Great Lakes , and was home to some of the earliest railroad systems in the world . Albany 's main exports at the time were beer , lumber , published works , and ironworks . Beginning in 1810 , Albany was one of the ten most populous cities in the United States , a distinction it held until the 1860 census .   Albany is one of the first cities in the world to have installed public water mains , sewer lines , natural gas lines and electricity , infrastructure and utilities that attracted and supported substantial new industry to the city and surrounding area during the 19th century .   In the 20th century , the city opened one of the first commercial airports in the world , the precursor of today 's Albany International Airport . During the 1920s a powerful political machine controlled by the Democratic Party arose in the state capital , connected to politics in New York City as well . It marshalled the power of immigrants and their descendants in both cities .   The city 's skyline changed in the 1960s and 1970s with the construction of office towers around the Empire State Plaza and at the uptown campus of SUNY Albany , mainly under the direction of Governor Nelson Rockefeller . While Albany experienced a decline in its population due to urban sprawl and suburbanization , many of its historic neighborhoods were saved from destruction through the policies of Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd , the longest-serving mayor of any city in the United States . In the early 21st century , Albany has experienced growth in the high-technology industry , with great strides in the nanotechnology sector .   Albany has been a center of higher education for over a century , with much of the remainder of its economy dependent on state government and health care services . The city has rebounded from the urban decline of the 1970s and 1980s , with noticeable development taking place in the city 's downtown and midtown neighborhoods . Albany is known for its rich history , commerce , culture , architecture , and institutions of higher education . Albany won the All-America City Award in both 1991 and 2009 .


There are zero cities in the Northeast megalopolis.

Boston Boston ( pronounced -LSB- ˈbɒstən -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States . Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County , although the county government was disbanded on July 1 , 1999 . The city proper covers 48 mi2 with an estimated population of 667,137 in 2015 , making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston , a Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) home to a census-estimated 4.7 million people in 2014 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country . Alternately , as a Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ) , this wider commuting region is home to some 8.1 million people , making it the sixth-largest as such in the United States .   One of the oldest cities in the United States , Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England . It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution , such as the Boston Massacre , the Boston Tea Party , the Battle of Bunker Hill , and the Siege of Boston . Upon U.S. independence from Great Britain , it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture . Through land reclamation and municipal annexation , Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula . Its rich history attracts many tourists , with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year . Boston 's many firsts include the United States ' first public school , Boston Latin School ( 1635 ) , first subway system , the Tremont Street Subway ( 1897 ) , and first public park , Boston Common ( 1634 ) .   The area 's many colleges and universities make Boston an international center of higher education , including law , medicine , engineering , and business , and the city is considered to be a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship , with nearly 2,000 startups . Boston 's economic base also includes finance , professional and business services , biotechnology , information technology , and government activities . Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States ; businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment . The city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification , though it remains high on world livability rankings .


Northeast megalopolis The Northeast megalopolis ( also Boston -- Washington Corridor or Bos-Wash Corridor ) is the most heavily urbanized region of the United States , running primarily northeast to southwest from the northern suburbs of Boston , Massachusetts , to the southern suburbs of Washington , D.C. , in Northern Virginia . It includes the major cities of Boston , Providence , Hartford , New York City , Philadelphia , Baltimore , and Washington , D.C. , along with their metropolitan areas and suburbs as well as many smaller urban centers .   On a map , the Northeast megalopolis appears almost as a straight line . As of the year 2000 , the region contained 49.6 million people , about 17 % of the U.S. population on less than 2 % of the nation 's land area , with a population density of 931.3 people per square mile ( 359.6 people/km2 ) , compared to the U.S. average of 80.5 per square mile 2 ( 31 people/km2 ) . America 2050 projections expect the area to grow to 58.1 million people by 2025 .   French geographer Jean Gottmann popularized the term in his landmark 1961 study of the region , Megalopolis : The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States . Gottmann concluded that the region 's cities , while discrete and independent , are uniquely tied to each other through the intermeshing of their suburban zones , taking on some characteristics of a single , massive city : a megalopolis .


David Beckham is someone who has played soccer.

Real Madrid C.F. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol ( -LSB- reˈal maˈðɾið ˈkluβ ðe ˈfuðβol -RSB- ; Royal Madrid Football Club ) , commonly known as Real Madrid , or simply as Real , is a professional football club based in Madrid , Spain .   Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club , the club has traditionally worn a white home kit since inception . The word Real is Spanish for Royal and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem . The team has played its home matches in the 81,044-capacity Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in downtown Madrid since 1947 . Unlike most European sporting entities , Real Madrid 's members ( socios ) have owned and operated the club throughout its history .   The club was estimated to be worth $ 3.24 billion ( $ 3.65 billion ) in 2015 , and in the 2014 -- 15 season it was the world 's highest-earning football club , with an annual revenue of $ 577 million . The club is one of the most widely supported teams in the world . Real Madrid is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division , along with Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona . The club holds many long-standing rivalries , most notably El Clásico with Barcelona and El Derbi with Atlético Madrid .   Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s , winning five consecutive European Cups and reaching the final seven times . This success was replicated in the league , where the club won five times in the space of seven years . This team , which consisted of players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano , Ferenc Puskás , Francisco Gento and Raymond Kopa , is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time .   In domestic football , the club has won a record 33 La Liga titles , 19 Copa del Rey , nine Supercopa de España , a Copa Eva Duarte , and a Copa de la Liga . In international football , the club has won a record 11 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles , a joint record three Intercontinental Cups , two UEFA Cups , three UEFA Super Cups , and two FIFA Club World Cups .   Real Madrid was recognised as the FIFA Club of the 20th Century on 11 December 2000 , and received the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit on 20 May 2004 . The club was also awarded Best European Club of the 20th Century by the IFFHS on 11 May 2010 and leads the current UEFA club rankings .


Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for men 's association football clubs . At the top of the English football league system , it is the country 's primary football competition . Contested by 20 clubs , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League ( EFL ; known as `` The Football League '' before 2016 -- 17 ) . Welsh clubs that compete in the English football league system can also qualify .   The Premier League is a corporation in which the 20 member clubs act as shareholders . Seasons run from August to May . Teams play 38 matches each ( playing each team in the league twice , home and away ) , totalling 380 matches in the season . Most games are played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons ; others during weekday evenings . It is colloquially known as the Premiership and outside the UK it is commonly referred to as the English Premier League ( EPL ) .   The competition formed as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from the Football League , which was founded in 1888 , and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal . The deal was worth # 1 billion a year domestically as of 2013 -- 14 , with BSkyB and BT Group securing the domestic rights to broadcast 116 and 38 games respectively . The league generates $ 2.2 billion per year in domestic and international television rights . In 2014/15 , teams were apportioned revenues of # 1.6 billion .   The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world , broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people . In the 2014 -- 15 season , the average Premier League match attendance exceeded 36,000 , second highest of any professional football league behind the Bundesliga 's 43,500 . Most stadium occupancies are near capacity . The Premier League ranks third in the UEFA coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons .   While 47 clubs have competed since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 , only six have won the title : Manchester United ( 13 ) , Chelsea ( 5 ) , Arsenal ( 3 ) , Manchester City ( 2 ) , Blackburn Rovers ( 1 ) and Leicester City ( 1 ) . The current champions are Chelsea , who secured the 2016 -- 17 title in early May 2017 .


Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is a professional football club based in Old Trafford , Greater Manchester , England , that competes in the Premier League , the top flight of English football . Nicknamed `` the Red Devils '' , the club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878 , changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to its current stadium , Old Trafford , in 1910 .   Manchester United are the most successful club in England , having won a record 20 League Titles , 12 FA Cups , 5 League Cups and a record 21 FA Community Shields . The club has also won three UEFA Champions League , one UEFA Europa League , one UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , one UEFA Super Cup , one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup . In 1998 -- 99 , the club became the first in the history of English football to achieve the treble of the Premier League , the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League . In 2016 -- 17 , they also , by winning the UEFA Europa League , became one of five clubs to have won all three main UEFA club competitions . In winning all three top domestic trophies ( as well as both iterations of the English championship ) , all three major European trophies , both the domestic and European super cups , and both international titles ( the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup in 1999 and its successor , the FIFA World Club Cup in 2008 ) , the club has achieved a clean sweep of all top honours available to it ; the first and thus far only English club to do so .   The 1958 Munich air disaster claimed the lives of eight players . In 1968 , under the management of Matt Busby , Manchester United became the first English football club to win the European Cup . Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies as manager , including 13 Premier League titles , 5 FA Cups and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues , between 1986 and 2013 , when he announced his retirement . José Mourinho is the club 's current manager , having been appointed on 27 May 2016 .   Manchester United was the highest-earning football club in the world for 2015 -- 16 , with an annual revenue of $ 689 million , and the world 's third most valuable football club in 2015 , valued at # 1.98 billion . As of June 2015 , it is the world 's most valuable football brand , estimated to be worth $ 1.2 billion . After being floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991 , the club was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost # 800 million , after which the company was taken private again , before going public once more in August 2012 , when they made an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange . Manchester United is one of the most widely supported football clubs in the world , and holds several rivalries with other clubs , most notably with Liverpool , Manchester City and Leeds United , and more recently with Arsenal .


David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham , ( -LSB- ˈbɛkəm -RSB- born 2 May 1975 ) is an English former professional footballer . He played for Manchester United , Preston North End , Real Madrid , Milan , LA Galaxy , Paris Saint-Germain , and the England national team for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016 when Wayne Rooney surpassed his total . He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries : England , Spain , the United States and France . He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career , during which he won 19 major trophies .   Known for his range of passing , crossing ability and bending free-kicks as a right winger , Beckham was runner up in the Ballon d'Or , twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players . He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . A global ambassador for the sport , Beckham is regarded as a British cultural icon .   Beckham 's professional club career began with Manchester United , where he made his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17 . With United , he won the Premier League title six times , the FA Cup twice , and the UEFA Champions League in 1999 . He then played four seasons with Real Madrid , winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club . In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy . While a Galaxy player , he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010 . He was the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games .   In international football , Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996 at the age of 21 . He was captain for six years , earning 58 caps during his tenure . He made 115 career appearances in total , appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments , in 1998 , 2002 and 2006 , and two UEFA European Championship tournaments , in 2000 and 2004 .   Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football , and in 2013 he was listed as the highest-paid player in the world , earning over $ 50 million in the previous 12 months . He has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999 and they have four children . He has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005 , and in 2015 he launched 7 : The David Beckham UNICEF Fund . In 2014 , MLS announced Beckham and a group of investors would own an expansion team in Miami , which would begin in 2016 or 2017 .


FA Cup The FA Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men 's domestic English football . First played during the 1871 -- 72 season , it is the oldest association football competition in the world . It is organised by and named after The Football Association ( The FA ) . For sponsorship reasons , from 2015 through to 2018 it is also known as The Emirates FA Cup . A concurrent women 's tournament is also held , the FA Women 's Cup .   The competition is open to any eligible club down to Level 10 of the English football league system -- all 92 professional clubs in the Premier League ( Level 1 ) and the English Football League ( Levels 2 to 4 ) , and several hundred `` non-league '' teams in Steps 1 to 6 of the National League System ( Levels 5 to 10 ) . A record 763 clubs competed in 2011 -- 12 . The tournament consists of 12 randomly drawn rounds followed by the semi-finals and the final . Entrants are not seeded , although a system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds -- the minimum number of games needed to win the competition ranges from six to fourteen .   The first six rounds are the Qualifying Competition , from which 32 teams progress to the first round of the Competition Proper , meeting the first of the 48 professional teams from Leagues One and Two . The last entrants are the Premier League and Championship clubs , into the draw for the Third Round Proper . In the modern era , only one non-league team has ever reached the quarter finals , and teams below Level 2 have never reached the final.Since 1920 , when the Football League expanded to three divisions , no club from outside the top two divisions has reached the final . Since 1914 , when QPR reached the fourth round proper ( the last eight/quarter-final stage ) , the only non-league club to have reached that stage is Lincoln City in 2017 . As a result , as well as who wins , significant focus is given to those `` minnows '' ( smaller teams ) who progress furthest , especially if they achieve an unlikely `` giant-killing '' victory .   Winners receive the FA Cup trophy , of which there have been two designs and five actual cups ; the latest is a 2014 replica of the second design , introduced in 1911 . Winners also qualify for the Europa League and a place in the FA Community Shield match . Arsenal are the current holders , having beaten Chelsea 2 -- 1 in the 2017 final to win the cup for the 13th time in their history and become the tournament 's most successful club . Arsenal 's Arsène Wenger is the most successful manager in the competition , with seven finals won .


England national football team The England national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association , the governing body for football in England .   England are one of the two oldest national teams in football ; alongside Scotland , whom they played in the world 's first international football match in 1872 . England 's home ground is Wembley Stadium , London , and the current manager is Gareth Southgate . Although part of the United Kingdom , England has always had a representative side that plays in major professional tournaments , though not in the Olympic Games , as the IOC has always recognised United Kingdom representative sides .   England contest the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship , which alternate biennially . In contesting for the World Cup seventeen times over the past sixty four years , England won the 1966 World Cup , when they hosted the finals , and achieved a semi final appearance in 1990 . England have never won the UEFA European Football Championship -- after fifteen attempts over fifty-six years -- their best performances were semi final appearances at the 1968 and 1996 Championships , the latter of which they hosted .


Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball . It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies making it the world 's most popular sport . The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end . The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal .   Players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play , unless they are goalkeepers ( and then only when within their penalty area ) . Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball , but may also use their head or torso . The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins . If the score is level at the end of the game , either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition . The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863 . Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football ( FIFA ; Fédération Internationale de Football Association ) , which organises World Cups for both men and women every four years .


LA Galaxy The LA Galaxy , also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy , is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson , California , that competes in Major League Soccer ( MLS ) , as a member of the Western Conference of the league . The club began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league .   The Galaxy was founded in 1994 and is owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group . In their early years , the club played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California . Since 2003 , they have played at the StubHub Center in Carson , California . The team holds a fierce rivalry with the San Jose Earthquakes in the California Clásico , and used to play the SuperClasico against city rivals Chivas USA before they folded in 2014 .   In Major League Soccer , the franchise is one of the league 's most-decorated clubs , having won the MLS Cup on five occasions -- more than any other club -- the Supporters ' Shield four times , the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice , and the old CONCACAF Champions ' Cup in 2000 , being one of just two American clubs , along with D.C. United , to win the regional tournament .   In 2007 , the club made international headlines with the signing of English player David Beckham from Real Madrid , the most high-profile transaction in Major League Soccer to that point . The club has fielded other international players including Robbie Keane , Luis Hernández , Giovani dos Santos , Jorge Campos , Steven Gerrard , Ashley Cole and American Landon Donovan who is the all-time leading scorer for both the club and the league .


A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan ( -LSB- assotʃatˈtsjone ˈkaltʃo ˈmiːlan -RSB- ) , commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional football club in Milan , Italy , founded in 1899 . The club has spent its entire history , with the exception of the 1980 -- 81 and 1982 -- 83 seasons , in the top flight of Italian football , known as Serie A since 1929 -- 30 .   With 18 officially recognised UEFA and FIFA titles , they are the fourth most successful club in the world and the most successful Italian club at international level . Milan has won a joint record three Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup , seven European Cup/Champions League titles ( Italian record ) , the UEFA Super Cup a joint record five times and the Cup Winners ' Cup twice . With 18 league titles , Milan is the joint-second most successful club in Serie A , along with local rivals Internazionale . They have also won the Coppa Italia five times , and the Supercoppa Italiana seven .   Milan 's home games are played at San Siro , also known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza . The stadium , which is shared with city rivals Internazionale , is the largest in Italian football , with a total capacity of 80,018 . Inter are considered their biggest rivals , and matches between the two teams are called Derby della Madonnina , which is one of the most followed derbies in football .   The former owner of the club was former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi , which owned the club for 31 years . The club is one of the wealthiest in Italian and world football . It was a founding member of the now-defunct G-14 group of Europe 's leading football clubs as well as its replacement , the European Club Association .


Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club ( often shortened to PNE ) is a professional association football club located in the Deepdale area of Preston , Lancashire . They play in the Championship , the second tier of the English football league system .   The club was a founding member of the Football League and completed the inaugural season unbeaten to become the first league champions , in the same season winning the FA Cup without conceding a goal to become the first club to achieve the English football `` Double '' . Preston 's unbeaten League and Cup season earned them the nickname `` The Invincibles '' .   Preston 's most recent major trophy success was their FA Cup victory over Huddersfield Town in 1938 . Many notable players have played for the club , including Tom Finney , Bill Shankly , Tommy Docherty , Alan Kelly , Sr. and Graham Alexander .   Based on results achieved in the Football League from 1888 -- 89 to 2015 -- 16 , Preston were ranked as the fourth most-successful English football club of all time domestically , while only Notts County had played more Football League games than Preston .


Unapologetic is Rihanna's seventh album.

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


Unapologetic Unapologetic is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna . It was released on November 19 , 2012 , by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records . It was recorded between June and November 2012 , during promotion of her sixth album , Talk That Talk ( 2011 ) . As executive producer , Rihanna enlisted previous collaborators The-Dream , David Guetta , Chase & Status , and StarGate to work alongside new collaborators such as Parker Ighile , Mike Will Made-It , and Labrinth . Unapologetic is mainly a pop , dubstep and R&B album that incorporates elements of hip hop , EDM and reggae in its production , similar to the sound of her previous albums Talk That Talk and Rated R ( 2009 ) .   Unapologetic received generally mixed reviews from critics , with some reviewers describing its music as interesting , while others criticized its lyrical content and rushed nature . The album won a Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 ceremony . It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 238,000 copies , becoming Rihanna 's first number one album on the chart and best-selling debut week of her career . The album also became the singer 's third , fourth , and fifth consecutive number one album in the United Kingdom , Norway , and Switzerland , respectively . As of December 2014 , Unapologetic has sold over four million copies worldwide .   The album produced seven singles including the international hits `` Diamonds '' and `` Stay '' . The former peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 where it became Rihanna 's twelfth number one song , tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for fourth most number one songs in the history of the chart . Prior to its release , Rihanna promoted the album with the 777 Tour which consisted of a seven-date promotional tour in which she performed seven concerts each in a different city in North America and Europe in seven days . To further promote Unapologetic , Rihanna embarked on her fourth worldwide tour entitled the Diamonds World Tour .


Spotlight grossed $90 million worldwide.

Spotlight (film) Spotlight is a 2015 American biographical crime drama film directed by Tom McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Josh Singer . The film follows The Boston Globe `` Spotlight '' team , the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States , and its investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests . It is based on a series of stories by the `` Spotlight '' team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service . The film stars Mark Ruffalo , Michael Keaton , Rachel McAdams , John Slattery , Stanley Tucci , Brian d'Arcy James , Liev Schreiber , and Billy Crudup .   Spotlight was shown in the Out of Competition section of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival . It was also shown at the Telluride Film Festival and the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released on November 6 , 2015 , by Open Road Films and grossed $ 90 million worldwide . It won numerous guilds and critics ' association awards , and was named one of the finest films of 2015 by various publications . Spotlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with Best Original Screenplay from six nominations in total , making Spotlight the first film from Open Road Films to win in either category . This also marks the first film to win Best Picture from a different mini-major studio than Lionsgate , Summit ( later bought by Lionsgate in 2012 ) , Miramax , or TWC .


Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown ( born November 23 , 1972 ) , better known by his stage name Kurupt , is an American rapper , actor and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records . He is a member of the rap group Tha Dogg Pound , and is mostly known for his work with Death Row Records . He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup The HRSMN .


There are Christian states in the world.

Christian state A Christian state is a country that recognizes a form of Christianity as its official religion and often has a state church , which is a Christian denomination that supports the government and is supported by the government . Historically , the nations of Armenia , Aksum , Georgia , as well as the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire declared themselves as Christian states . Today , several nations officially identify themselves as Christian states and/or have state churches , including Costa Rica , Denmark , England , Greece , Iceland , Liechtenstein , Monaco , Tonga , Tuvalu , Vatican City , and Zambia . A Christian state stands in contrast to a secular state , an atheist state , or another religious state , such as a Jewish state , or an Islamic state .


Venom is a fictional character created by Marvel.

Venom (comics) Venom , or the Venom Symbiote , is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , commonly in association with Spider-Man . Venom made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man # 300 ( May 1988 ) . Venom was originally conceived as a supervillain , but has since become more of an antihero . Venom is a Symbiote , a sentient alien , with a gooey , almost liquid-like form . As with real-world symbiotes , it requires a host , usually human , to bond with for its survival . After bonding , the Symbiote endows its enhanced powers upon the host . When the Venom Symbiote bonds with a human , that new dual-life form refers to itself as `` Venom '' .   The Venom Symbiote 's first known host was Spider-Man , who eventually separated himself from the creature when he discovered its true nature . The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts , most notably Eddie Brock , its second and most infamous host , with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man 's archenemies . According to S.H.I.E.L.D. , it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity , alongside Magneto , Doctor Doom , and Red Skull .   Comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy writes of the character : `` What started out as a replacement costume for Spider-Man turned into one of the Marvel web-slinger 's greatest nightmares . '' Venom was ranked as the 22nd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in IGN 's list of the top 100 comic villains . IGN also ranked Mac Gargan 's incarnation of Venom as # 17 in their list of `` The Top 50 Avengers '' , while the Flash Thompson incarnation was ranked as # 27 . The character was listed as # 33 on Empire Magazines 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters .


Usain Bolt participates in the Olympics.

Usain Bolt Usain St Leo Bolt , OJ , CD ( -LSB- ˈjuːseɪn -RSB- born 21 August 1986 ) is a Jamaican sprinter . He is the first person to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory . He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay . He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in these three events . Due to his unprecedented dominance and achievements in sprint competition , he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time .   An eight-time Olympic gold medalist , Bolt won the 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games , although he subsequently lost one of the gold medals ( as well as the world record set therein ) nine years after the fact due to teammate Nesta Carter 's disqualification for doping offences . He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times . Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive olympics ( 2008 , 2012 and 2016 ) , a feat referred to as the `` triple double . ''   An eleven-time World Champion , he won consecutive World Championship 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015 , with the exception of a 100 m false start in 2011 . He is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and was the first athlete to win three titles in both the 100 m and 200 m at the competition .   Bolt improved upon his first 100 m world record of 9.69 with 9.58 seconds in 2009 -- the biggest improvement since the start of electronic timing . He has twice broken the 200 metres world record , setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009 . He has helped Jamaica to three 4 × 100 metres relay world records , with the current record being 36.84 seconds set in 2012 . Bolt 's most successful event is the 200 m , with three Olympic and four World titles . The 2008 Olympics was his international debut over 100 m ; he had earlier won numerous 200 m medals ( including 2007 World Championship silver ) and holds the world under-20 and world under-18 records for the event .   His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the media nickname `` Lightning Bolt '' , and his awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year , Track & Field Athlete of the Year , and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year ( four times ) . Bolt has stated that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships .


Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant ( born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27 , 1822 -- July 23 , 1885 ) was the 18th President of the United States ( 1869 -- 77 ) . As Commanding General ( 1864 -- 69 ) , Grant worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War . Supported by Congress , Grant implemented Reconstruction , often at odds with President Andrew Johnson . Twice elected president , Grant led the Republicans in their effort to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism and slavery , protect African-American citizenship , and support economic prosperity . His presidency has often been criticized for tolerating corruption and for the economic depression in his second term .   Grant graduated in 1843 from the United States Military Academy at West Point , then served in the Mexican -- American War . After the war he married Julia Boggs Dent in 1848 , their marriage producing four children . Grant initially retired from the Army in 1854 . He struggled financially in civilian life . When the Civil War began in 1861 , he rejoined the U.S. Army . In 1862 , Grant took control of Kentucky and most of Tennessee , and led Union forces to victory in the Battle of Shiloh , earning a reputation as an aggressive commander . In July 1863 , after a series of coordinated battles , Grant defeated Confederate armies and seized Vicksburg , giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and dividing the Confederacy in two . After his victories in the Chattanooga Campaign , Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general and Commanding General of the Army in March 1864 . Grant confronted Robert E. Lee in a series of bloody battles , trapping Lee 's army in their defense of Richmond . Grant coordinated a series of devastating campaigns in other theaters , as well . In April 1865 , Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox , effectively ending the war . Historians have hailed Grant 's military genius , and his strategies are featured in military history textbooks , but a minority contend that he won by brute force rather than superior strategy .   After the Civil War , Grant led the army 's supervision of Reconstruction in the former Confederate states . Elected president in 1868 , he stabilized the nation during that turbulent period , prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan , and enforced civil rights and voting rights laws using the army and the newly created Department of Justice . He also used the army to build the Republican Party in the South . After the disenfranchisement of some former Confederates , Republicans gained majorities , and African Americans were elected to Congress and high state offices . The Democrats and Liberal Republicans united behind Grant 's opponent in the presidential election of 1872 , but were unable to defeat his reelection . In his second term , the Republican coalitions in the South splintered and were defeated one by one as redeemers ( conservative whites ) regained control using coercion and violence . In response , Grant signed the Civil Rights Act of 1875 into law . In May 1875 , Grant authorized his Secretary of Treasury Benjamin Bristow to prosecute the corrupt Whiskey Ring . Grant 's Indian Peace Policy , incorporating Christian missionaries , initially reduced frontier violence , but it is best known for the Great Sioux War of 1876 . Grant 's administration faced charges of corruption more than that of any other 19th Century president . He appointed the first Civil Service Commission and signed legislation ending the corrupt moiety system .   In foreign policy , Grant was uneven , having sought to increase trade and influence while remaining at peace with the world . When Grant relied on his Secretary of State Hamilton Fish , his administration successfully resolved the Alabama claims by the Treaty of Washington with Great Britain , ending wartime tensions . Additionally , Grant and Fish avoided war with Spain over the Virginius Affair negotiating a peaceful resolution . Congress rejected Grant 's own attempted annexation of the Dominican Republic initiative , creating a rift among Republicans . His administration implemented a gold standard and sought to strengthen the dollar . Corruption charges escalated during his second term , while his response to the Panic of 1873 proved ineffective nationally in halting the five-year industrial depression that produced high unemployment , low prices , low profits , and bankruptcies . Grant left office in 1877 and embarked on a two-year diplomatic world tour that captured the nation 's attention .   In 1880 , Grant was unsuccessful in obtaining the Republican presidential nomination for a third term . Facing severe investment reversals and dying of throat cancer , he wrote his memoirs , which proved to be a major literary work and financial success . His death in 1885 prompted an outpouring in support of national unity . Historical assessment of Grant 's legacy has varied considerably over the years . Early historical evaluations were negative about Grant 's presidency , often focusing on the corruption charges against his associates . This trend began to change in the later 20th century . Scholars in general rank his presidency below the average , but modern research , in part focusing on civil rights , evaluates his administration more positively .


Eddie Vedder is a member of a band from Seattle, Washington.

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 .


Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle , Washington , in 1990 . Since its inception , the band 's line-up has comprised Eddie Vedder ( lead vocals ) , Mike McCready ( lead guitar ) , Stone Gossard ( rhythm guitar ) and Jeff Ament ( bass ) . The band 's fifth member is drummer Matt Cameron ( also of Soundgarden ) , who has been with the band since 1998 . Boom Gaspar ( piano ) has also been a session/touring member with the band since 2002 . Drummers Dave Krusen , Matt Chamberlain , Dave Abbruzzese and Jack Irons are former members of the band .   Formed after the demise of Gossard and Ament 's previous band , Mother Love Bone , Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with its debut album , Ten , in 1991 . One of the key bands in the grunge movement of the early 1990s , over the course of the band 's career , its members became noted for their refusal to adhere to traditional music industry practices , including refusing to make proper music videos or give interviews , and engaging in a much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster . In 2006 , Rolling Stone described the band as having `` spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame . ''   To date , the band has sold nearly 32million records in the United States and an estimated 60million worldwide . Pearl Jam has outlasted and outsold many of its contemporaries from the alternative rock breakthrough of the early 1990s , and is considered one of the most influential bands of that decade . Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic referred to Pearl Jam as `` the most popular American rock & roll band of the '90s '' . Pearl Jam were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7 , 2017 , in their first year of eligibility .


Emma Roberts Emma Rose Roberts ( born February 10 , 1991 ) is an American actress and singer . After making her film debut as Kristina Jung in Blow ( 2001 ) , Roberts gained recognition for her lead role as Addie Singer on the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous ( 2004 -- 07 ) . She released her debut studio album , Unfabulous and More ( 2005 ) , which also served as the series ' soundtrack . Roberts then appeared in a series of film roles , including Nancy Drew ( 2007 ) , Wild Child ( 2008 ) , Hotel for Dogs ( 2009 ) , Valentine 's Day ( 2010 ) , It 's Kind of a Funny Story ( 2010 ) , and The Art of Getting By ( 2011 ) .   Looking for more mature roles , Roberts went on to obtain both supporting and lead roles in Lymelife ( 2009 ) , 4.3.2.1 . ( 2010 ) , Scream 4 ( 2011 ) , Adult World ( 2013 ) , We 're the Millers ( 2013 ) , and Palo Alto ( 2013 ) . She starred in the lead role of Chanel Oberlin on the Fox television series Scream Queens , as well as playing main roles in two seasons of American Horror Story .


There are more than 170 million records worldwide that U2 has sold.

U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin formed in 1976 . The group consists of Bono ( lead vocals and rhythm guitar ) , the Edge ( lead guitar , keyboards , and backing vocals ) , Adam Clayton ( bass guitar ) , and Larry Mullen Jr. ( drums and percussion ) . Initially rooted in post-punk , U2 's sound grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music , yet has maintained an anthemic sound built on Bono 's expressive vocals and the Edge 's effects-based guitar textures . Their lyrics , often embellished with spiritual imagery , focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns . Popular for their live performances , the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career .   The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency . Within four years , they signed with Island Records and released their debut album , Boy ( 1980 ) . Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album , War ( 1983 ) , and the singles `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' and `` Pride ( In the Name of Love ) '' helped establish U2 's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group . By the mid-1980s , they had become renowned globally for their live act , highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985 . The group 's fifth album , The Joshua Tree ( 1987 ) , made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success . Topping music charts around the world , it produced their only number-one singles in the US , `` With or Without You '' and `` I Still Have n't Found What I 'm Looking For '' . Facing a backlash and creative stagnation , U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image . Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album , Achtung Baby ( 1991 ) , and the multimedia intensive Zoo TV Tour , the band integrated influences from alternative rock , electronic dance music , and industrial music into their sound , and embraced a more ironic , flippant image . This experimentation continued through their ninth album , Pop ( 1997 ) , and the PopMart Tour , which were mixed successes . U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records All That You Ca n't Leave Behind ( 2000 ) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ( 2004 ) , which established a more conventional , mainstream sound for the group . Their U2 360 ° Tour of 2009 -- 2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history . The group 's thirteenth album , Songs of Innocence ( 2014 ) , was released at no cost through the iTunes Store , but received criticism for its automatic placement in users ' music libraries .   U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world 's best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 170 million records worldwide . They have won 22 Grammy Awards , more than any other band , and in 2005 , they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility . Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . Throughout their career , as a band and as individuals , they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes , including Amnesty International , Jubilee 2000 , the ONE/DATA campaigns , Product Red , War Child , and Music Rising .


Iain Glen Iain Glen ( born 24 June 1961 ) is a Scottish film , television , and stage actor . Glen is best known for his roles as Dr. Alexander Isaacs / Tyrant in the Resident Evil films and for portraying Ser Jorah Mormont on Game of Thrones . Other notable roles include John Hanning Speke in Mountains of the Moon , Sir Richard Carlisle in Downton Abbey , the title role in Jack Taylor and Jarrod Slade in Cleverman .


A character from fiction is Gregor Clegane.

Gregor Clegane Ser Gregor Clegane , nicknamed The Mountain , is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones . He is a retainer to House Lannister . An enormous man , he is well known for his size , prowess in battle and cruelty .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Gregor is the older brother of Sandor Clegane , from the fictional kingdom of Westeros . He subsequently appeared in Martin 's A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) , A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) and in A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) as Ser Robert Strong .   Ser Gregor Clegane is a huge knight and the elder brother of Sandor Clegane . Called `` The Mountain That Rides '' , he is known for his incredibly cruel nature and uncontrollable temper . His size and strength make him a fearsome warrior , and he has earned a reputation for cruelty and brutality . He is able to wield a two-handed sword one handed . When they were children , Gregor shoved Sandor 's face into a brazier , gruesomely scarring him .   Gregor Clegane is portrayed by Conan Stevens in season one , by Ian Whyte in season two , and by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson in seasons four , five , and six in the HBO television adaptation .


World of A Song of Ice and Fire The fictional world in which the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents . Most of the story takes place on the continent Westeros , in a large political entity known as the Seven Kingdoms . It actually consists of nine regions ( the North , the Iron Islands , the Riverlands , the Vale , the Westerlands , the Stormlands , the Reach , the Crownlands , and Dorne ) and a largely unmapped area to the north , separated by a massive wall of ice and old magic . The vast continent of Essos lies to the east of Westeros , across the Narrow Sea . The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities , a collection of independent city-states along the western edge of this eastern continent . The lands along the southern coastline of the eastern continent , collectively called the Lands of the Summer Sea , include Slavers Bay and the ruins of Valyria , the former home of Westeros ' Targaryen kings . To the south of Essos lie the continents of Sothoryos and Ulthos , which in the narrative are largely unexplored .   George R. R. Martin set the Ice and Fire story in an alternative world of Earth , a `` secondary world '' , such as J. R. R. Tolkien pioneered with Middle-earth . Martin has also suggested that world may be larger than the real world planet Earth . The Ice and Fire narrative can be considered to be set in a post-magic world where people no longer believe in supernatural things such as the Others , and while the characters understand the natural aspects of their world , they can not comprehend its magical elements . Religion , though , has a significant role in the life of people with the characters practising many different religions .


David Bowie David Robert Jones ( 8 January 1947 -- 10 January 2016 ) , known professionally as David Bowie ( -LSB- ˈboʊi -RSB- ) , was an English singer , songwriter and actor . He was a figure in popular music for over five decades , becoming acclaimed by critics and other musicians for his innovative work . His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation , his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music . During his lifetime , his record sales , estimated at 140 million worldwide , made him one of the world 's best-selling music artists . In the UK , he was awarded nine platinum album certifications , eleven gold and eight silver , releasing eleven number-one albums . In the US , he received five platinum and seven gold certifications . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 .   Born in Brixton , South London , Bowie developed an interest in music as a child , eventually studying art , music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963 . `` Space Oddity '' became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969 . After a period of experimentation , he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust . The character was spearheaded by the success of his single `` Starman '' and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars , which won him widespread popularity . In 1975 , Bowie 's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as `` plastic soul '' , initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single `` Fame '' and the album Young Americans . In 1976 , Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station . The following year , he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low ( 1977 ) , the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that would come to be known as the `` Berlin Trilogy '' . `` Heroes '' ( 1977 ) and Lodger ( 1979 ) followed ; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise .   After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s , Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single `` Ashes to Ashes '' , its parent album Scary Monsters and Super Creeps , and `` Under Pressure '' , a 1981 collaboration with Queen . He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let 's Dance , with its title track topping both UK and US charts . Throughout the 1990s and 2000s , Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles , including industrial and jungle . He also continued acting ; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas , Mr. Lawrence ( 1983 ) , the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth ( 1986 ) , Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ ( 1988 ) , and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige ( 2006 ) , among other film and television appearances and cameos . He stopped concert touring after 2004 , and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006 . In 2013 , Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day . He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album , Blackstar ( 2016 ) .


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


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


Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis ( born 20 April 1964 ) is an English film actor and director . He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting , animation and voice work for such computer-generated characters as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ( 2001 -- 2003 ) and The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey ( 2012 ) , King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film , Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot series ( 2011 -- present ) , Captain Haddock / Sir Francis Haddock in Steven Spielberg 's The Adventures of Tintin ( 2011 ) and Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( 2015 ) . Upcoming performance capture roles include Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes ( 2017 ) , Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars : The Last Jedi ( 2017 ) , and Baloo in Jungle Book ( 2018 ) .   Serkis ' film work in motion capture has been critically acclaimed . He has received an Empire Award , and two Saturn Awards for his motion-capture acting . He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of serial killer Ian Brady in the British television film Longford ( 2006 ) and was nominated for a BAFTA for his portrayal of new wave and punk rock musician Ian Dury in the biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll ( 2010 ) . In 2015 , he began playing Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with Avengers : Age of Ultron . Serkis has his own motion capture workshop , The Imaginarium Studios in London , which he will use for his directorial debut , Jungle Book .


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 ) .


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


Bel Air (song) `` Bel Air '' is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey . It appears on her third extended play , Paradise . Featuring clips from the `` Summertime Sadness '' music video , a promotional video for `` Bel Air '' was released to YouTube in early November . The video has received much critical acclaim . After the release of Paradise , the song charted in the United Kingdom and France .


Burning Desire (song) `` Burning Desire '' is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey . Initially available for immediate digital download upon pre-ordering Del Rey 's third EP , Paradise . `` Burning Desire '' was released as a single on March 19 . On Valentine 's Day of 2013 , a music video for the song was released . Lyrically composed by Lana Del Rey and her long-time collaborator , Justin Parker , the record was produced by Emile Haynie .


Born to Die Born to Die is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey . Her major label debut , it was released on January 27 , 2012 by Interscope Records , Polydor Records and Stranger Records . Del Rey collaborated with producers including Patrik Berger , Jeff Bhasker , Chris Braide , Emile Haynie , Justin Parker , Rick Nowels , Robopop and Al Shux to achieve her desired sound . Their efforts resulted in a primarily baroque pop record , which sees additional influences from alternative hip hop , indie pop and trip hop music .   Contemporary music critics gave Born to Die mixed reviews ; some commended its distinctive production , while its repetitiveness and melodramatic tendencies were a recurring complaint . The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 77,000 copies ; it was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) after moving one million units . Born to Die reached the peak positions on eleven international record charts .   After attaining online success after its initial premiere on June 29 , 2011 , `` Video Games '' was released as the lead single from Born to Die on October 17 , 2011 ; it peaked at number ninety-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 . Its follow-up singles `` Born to Die '' , `` Off to the Races '' , `` Blue Jeans '' , `` Summertime Sadness '' , `` National Anthem '' , and `` Dark Paradise '' performed sporadically across Billboard component charts and international record charts . The Cedric Gervais remix of `` Summertime Sadness '' was released on July 11 , 2013 and became Del Rey 's highest-charting single in the United States , reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 . Del Rey additionally promoted Born to Die with several televised performances , including a widely criticized appearance on Saturday Night Live . It was reissued on November 9 , 2012 as an expanded version subtitled The Paradise Edition , which was packaged with her third extended play Paradise ( 2012 ) .   Born to Die has sold 7,000,000 copies worldwide as of June 2014 .


Ride (Lana Del Rey song) `` Ride '' is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey from her third extended play ( EP ) , Paradise ( 2012 ) . The song was written by Lana Del Rey and Justin Parker , while produced by Rick Rubin , the song served as the reissue 's first single on September 25 , 2012 through Interscope Records . `` Ride '' is a ballad that thematically involves parental problems , alcohol consumption , and loneliness . The cover for the song depicts Del Rey on a tire swing , wearing cowboy boots and a denim jacket .   `` Ride '' received critical acclaim from music critics , who compared Del Rey 's vocals with that of Adele and Brandon Flowers of The Killers . While only a modest hit in the United States , Switzerland , Ireland , and France , the song reached the top 10 in Russia . The accompanying music video for `` Ride '' was directed by Anthony Mandler , and was released on October 12 , 2012 . Del Rey 's role in the video was compared to Lolita and A Streetcar Named Desire . The monologue treatment at the prologue and epilogue of the video met polarized opinion ; some considered it `` meaningless '' and a `` jibe to her critics '' , while others called it `` moving '' and `` really something '' .


Paradise (Lana Del Rey EP) Paradise is the third extended play ( EP ) and second major release by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey ; it was released on November 9 , 2012 by Universal Music . It is additionally packaged with the reissue of her second studio album Born to Die ( 2012 ) , titled Born to Die : The Paradise Edition . Del Rey enlisted collaborators including producers Rick Nowels , Justin Parker , and Rick Rubin .   Upon its release , Paradise received generally favorable reviews from music critics . The extended play debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 67,000 copies . It also debuted at number 10 on the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked within the top-five of various other Billboard charts . Charting across Europe , the extended play became a top-ten hit in Flanders and Poland , charting within the top twenty in Wallonia and the Netherlands .   The EP 's lead single was the ballad `` Ride '' which became a modest hit in the United States , Switzerland , Ireland , and France and reached the top ten in Russia . `` Blue Velvet '' , a cover of the popular 1950s track , and `` Burning Desire '' were released as promotional singles . Music videos for `` Ride '' , `` Blue Velvet '' , `` Bel Air '' , and `` Burning Desire '' were posted to Vevo and YouTube to help promote the EP .   In December 2013 , Del Rey released the Anthony Mandler-directed Tropico , a short film that includes the songs `` Body Electric '' , `` Gods & Monsters '' , and `` Bel Air '' . That same month , an EP of the same name was made available for purchase on iTunes , containing the film along with the three aforementioned songs . In 2014 , the EP was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards .