Noam Chomsky took courses in linguistics.

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky ( -LSB- æ ` vrɑːm _ ` noʊm_ˈtʃɒmski -RSB- ; born December 7 , 1928 ) is an American linguist , philosopher , cognitive scientist , historian , social critic , and political activist . Sometimes described as `` the father of modern linguistics '' , Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science . He is Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , where he has worked since 1955 , and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics , war , politics , and mass media . Ideologically , he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism .   Born to middle-class Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia , Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism from alternative bookstores in New York City . At the age of sixteen he began studies at the University of Pennsylvania , taking courses in linguistics , mathematics , and philosophy . From 1951 to 1955 he was appointed to Harvard University 's Society of Fellows , where he developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he was awarded his doctorate in 1955 . That year he began teaching at MIT , in 1957 emerging as a significant figure in the field of linguistics for his landmark work Syntactic Structures , which remodeled the scientific study of language , while from 1958 to 1959 he was a National Science Foundation fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study . He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the universal grammar theory , the generative grammar theory , the Chomsky hierarchy , and the minimalist program . Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of behaviorism , being particularly critical of the work of B. F. Skinner .   An outspoken opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War , which he saw as an act of American imperialism , in 1967 Chomsky attracted widespread public attention for his anti-war essay `` The Responsibility of Intellectuals '' . Associated with the New Left , he was arrested multiple times for his activism and placed on President Richard Nixon 's Enemies List . While expanding his work in linguistics over subsequent decades , he also became involved in the Linguistics Wars . In collaboration with Edward S. Herman , Chomsky later co-wrote an analysis articulating the propaganda model of media criticism , and worked to expose the Indonesian occupation of East Timor . However , his defense of unconditional freedom of speech -- including for Holocaust deniers -- generated significant controversy in the Faurisson affair of the early 1980s . Following his retirement from active teaching , he has continued his vocal political activism , including opposing the War on Terror and supporting the Occupy movement .   One of the most cited scholars in history , Chomsky has influenced a broad array of academic fields . He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences , contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind . In addition to his continued scholarly research , he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy , neoliberalism and contemporary state capitalism , the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict , and mainstream news media . His ideas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements , but have also drawn criticism , with some accusing Chomsky of anti-Americanism .


Sarcoidosis was first described in 1877.

Sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomas . The disease usually begins in the lungs , skin , or lymph nodes . Less commonly affected are the eyes , liver , heart , and brain . Any organ , however , can be affected . The signs and symptoms depend on the organ involved . Often there are no , or only mild , symptoms . When it affects the lungs there may be wheezing , cough , shortness of breath , or chest pain . Some may have Löfgren syndrome in which there is fever , large lymph nodes , arthritis , and a rash known as erythema nodosum .   The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown . Some believe it may be due to an immune reaction to a trigger such as an infection or chemicals in those who are genetically predisposed . Those with affected family members are at greater risk . Diagnosis is partly based on signs and symptoms , which may be supported by biopsy . Findings that make it likely include large lymph nodes at the root of the lung on both sides , high blood calcium with a normal parathyroid hormone level , or elevated levels of angiotensin converting enzyme ( ACE ) in the blood . The diagnosis should only be made after excluding other possible causes of similar symptoms such as tuberculosis .   Many people clear up without any treatment within a few years . However some may have long term or severe disease . Some symptoms may be improved with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen . In cases where the condition causes significant health problems steroids such as prednisone are indicated . Alternatively , medications such as methotrexate , chloroquine , or azathioprine may occasionally be used in an effort to decrease the side effects of steroids . The risk of death is between one and seven percent . There is a less than five percent chance of the disease returning in someone who has had it previously .   In 2015 pulmonary sarcoidosis and interstitial lung disease affected 1.9 million people globally and they resulted in 122,000 deaths . It is most common in Scandinavians but occurs in all parts of the world . In the United States risk is greater among black as opposed to white people . It usually begins between the ages of 20 and 50 . It occurs more often in women than men . Sarcoidosis was first described in 1877 by the English doctor Jonathan Hutchinson as a non painful skin disease .


Davis Guggenheim wasn't a film director.

An Inconvenient Truth An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore 's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that , by his own estimate made in the film , he has given more than a thousand times . The idea to document his efforts came from producer Laurie David , who saw his presentation at a town-hall meeting on global warming , which coincided with the opening of The Day After Tomorrow . Laurie David was so inspired by Gore 's slide show that she , with producer Lawrence Bender , met with Guggenheim to adapt the presentation into a film .   Premiering at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and opening in New York City and Los Angeles on May 24 , 2006 , the documentary was a critical and box office success , winning two Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song . The film grossed $ 24 million in the U.S. and $ 26 million at the international box office , becoming the tenth highest grossing documentary film to date in the United States . Since the film 's release , An Inconvenient Truth has been credited for raising international public awareness of global warming and reenergizing the environmental movement . The documentary has also been included in science curricula in schools around the world , which has spurred some controversy . A sequel to the film , titled An Inconvenient Sequel : Truth to Power , will be released on July 28 , 2017 .


Davis Guggenheim Philip Davis Guggenheim ( born November 3 , 1963 ) is an American film and television director and producer . His credits include NYPD Blue , ER , 24 , Alias , The Shield , Deadwood , and the documentaries An Inconvenient Truth , The Road We 've Traveled , Waiting for ` Superman ' and He Named Me Malala . Since 2006 , Guggenheim is the only filmmaker to release three different documentaries that were ranked within the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time ( An Inconvenient Truth , It Might Get Loud , and Waiting for ′ Superman ′ ) .


Helen Mirren was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Lydia Mirren ( née Mironoff ; born 26 July 1945 ) is an English actor . Mirren began her acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967 , and is one of the few performers who have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting , having won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2007 , after two previous nominations , for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen . She received an Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2013 for her West End performance in The Audience , in which she also portrayed Elizabeth II , and in 2015 she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her Broadway performance in the play . The Audience was written by Peter Morgan , who also wrote The Queen . Mirren won three consecutive BAFTA Awards for Best Actress between 1992 and 1994 and her first of several Emmy Awards in 1996 for her performance as police detective Jane Tennison on the British television series Prime Suspect , which ran for seven seasons between 1991 and 2006 .   Some of her other notable film roles include Marcella in the 1984 film Cal , for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress , 2010 ( 1984 ) , The Cook , the Thief , His Wife & Her Lover ( 1989 ) , The Madness of King George ( 1994 ) , Teaching Mrs. Tingle ( 1999 ) , Gosford Park ( 2001 ) , Calendar Girls ( 2003 ) , The Last Station ( 2009 ) , Hitchcock ( 2012 ) , and The Hundred-Foot Journey ( 2014 ) . She played Victoria Winslow in the action-comedy films Red and Red 2 .   In 2003 , she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( DBE ) for Services to the Performing Arts . In 2013 , Mirren was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and in 2014 , BAFTA announced that Mirren would be the recipient of the Academy Fellowship .


Winnie Harlow Winnie Harlow ( born Chantelle Brown-Young ; July 27 , 1994 ) is a Canadian fashion model , spokesperson , and activist . She gained prominence as a contestant on the twenty-first cycle of the U.S. television series America 's Next Top Model , and is known for having a prominent form of the skin condition vitiligo . She is the current brand ambassador for the Barcelona-based casual clothing brand Desigual alongside Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima .


C. S. Forester wrote the twelve novels in the Horatio Hornblower series.

C. S. Forester Cecil Louis Troughton Smith ( 27 August 1899 -- 2 April 1966 ) , known by his pen name Cecil Scott `` C. S. '' Forester , was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare such as the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series , depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic wars . Two of the Hornblower books , A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours , were jointly awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction in 1938 . His other works include The African Queen ( 1935 ; filmed in 1951 by John Huston ) .


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


Mite Mites are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari ( also known as Acarina ) and the class Arachnida . The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology .   Many species live in soil as decomposers ; others are predatory or parasitic , these last including the commercially important Varroa mites of honeybees , and the scabies mite of humans .


Logan was filmed in the state of New Mexico.

Logan (film) Logan is a 2017 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine , produced by Marvel Entertainment , TSG Entertainment , and The Donners ' Company , and distributed by 20th Century Fox . It is the tenth installment in the X-Men film series , as well as the third and final Wolverine solo film following X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) and The Wolverine ( 2013 ) , as well serving as a reboot to the franchise and being set in its own universe . The film takes inspiration from `` Old Man Logan '' by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven , which follows an aged Wolverine undertaking a final adventure in a dystopian future .   The film is directed by James Mangold , who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Frank and Michael Green , from a story by Mangold . Hugh Jackman stars as Logan in his final portrayal of the character after having played the role for 17 years , with Patrick Stewart co-starring as Charles Xavier . Richard E. Grant , Boyd Holbrook , Stephen Merchant , Dafne Keen ( in her first film role ) , Eriq La Salle , Elise Neal and Elizabeth Rodriguez are all featured in supporting roles . Principal photography began in Louisiana on May 2 , 2016 and ended on August 19 , 2016 in New Mexico . The locations used for Logan were mainly Louisiana , New Mexico and Mississippi .   Logan premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival on February 17 , 2017 , and was theatrically released in the United States on March 3 , 2017 , in standard and IMAX formats . It received praise from critics and audiences , becoming the best-reviewed film in the X-Men film series and being considered by many as one of the best superhero films of all time , and has grossed $ 607 million worldwide against its $ 97 million budget , making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2017 .


Ask the Dust (film) Ask the Dust is a 2006 American-German film based on the book Ask the Dust by John Fante . The film was written and directed by Robert Towne and remains , , his last feature film . Tom Cruise ( with Paula Wagner and Cruise/Wagner Productions ) served as one of the film 's producers . The film was released on a limited basis on March 17 , 2006 and was entered into the 28th Moscow International Film Festival . It was filmed almost entirely in South Africa with the use of stages to portray Los Angeles .


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


A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in multiple continents called Westeros and Essos.

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


Florence Ballard struggled with multiple issues.

Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman ( née Ballard ; June 30 , 1943 -- February 22 , 1976 ) was an American vocalist . She was one of the founding members of the popular Motown vocal female group the Supremes . Ballard sang on 16 top forty singles with the group , including ten number-one hits .   After being removed from the Supremes in 1967 , Ballard tried an unsuccessful solo career with ABC Records before she was dropped from the label at the end of the decade . Ballard struggled with alcoholism , depression , and poverty for three years . She was making an attempt for a musical comeback when she died of a heart attack in February 1976 at the age of 32 . Ballard 's death was considered by one critic as `` one of rock 's greatest tragedies '' . Ballard was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes in 1988 .


Vienna Vienna ( -LSB- viˈɛnə -RSB- Wien , -LSB- viːn -RSB- ) is the capital and largest city of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria . Vienna is Austria 's primary city , with a population of about 1.8 million ( 2.6 million within the metropolitan area , nearly one third of Austria 's population ) , and its cultural , economic , and political centre . It is the 7th-largest city by population within city limits in the European Union . Until the beginning of the 20th century , it was the largest German-speaking city in the world , and before the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I , the city had 2 million inhabitants . Today , it has the second largest number of German speakers after Berlin . Vienna is host to many major international organizations , including the United Nations and OPEC . The city is located in the eastern part of Austria and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic , Slovakia , and Hungary . These regions work together in a European Centrope border region . Along with nearby Bratislava , Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants . In 2001 , the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site .   Apart from being regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy , Vienna is also said to be `` The City of Dreams '' because it was home to the world 's first psycho-analyst -- Sigmund Freud . The city 's roots lie in early Celtic and Roman settlements that transformed into a Medieval and Baroque city , and then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . It is well known for having played an essential role as a leading European music centre , from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century . The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles , including Baroque castles and gardens , and the late-19th-century Ringstraße lined with grand buildings , monuments and parks .   Vienna is known for its high quality of life . In a 2005 study of 127 world cities , the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the city first ( in a tie with Vancouver , Canada and San Francisco , USA ) for the world 's most liveable cities . Between 2011 and 2015 , Vienna was ranked second , behind Melbourne , Australia .  For eight consecutive years ( 2009 -- 2016 ) , the human-resource-consulting firm Mercer ranked Vienna first in its annual `` Quality of Living '' survey of hundreds of cities around the world , a title the city still held in 2016 . Monocle 's 2015 `` Quality of Life Survey '' ranked Vienna second on a list of the top 25 cities in the world `` to make a base within . ''   The UN-Habitat has classified Vienna as being the most prosperous city in the world in 2012/2013 .  The city was ranked 1st globally for its culture of innovation in 2007 and 2008 , and sixth globally ( out of 256 cities ) in the 2014 Innovation Cities Index , which analyzed 162 indicators in covering three areas : culture , infrastructure , and markets . Vienna regularly hosts urban planning conferences and is often used as a case study by urban planners .   Between 2005 and 2010 , Vienna was the world 's number-one destination for international congresses and conventions . It attracts over 6.8 million tourists a year .


Prometheus (2012 film) Prometheus ( -LSB- prəˈmiːθiəs -RSB- ) is a 2012 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott , written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and starring Noomi Rapace , Michael Fassbender , Guy Pearce , Idris Elba , Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron . It is set in the late 21st century and centers on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as it follows a star map discovered among the artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures . Seeking the origins of humanity , the crew arrives on a distant world and discovers a threat that could cause the extinction of the human species .   Development of the film began in the early 2000s as a fifth installment in the Alien franchise . Scott and director James Cameron developed ideas for a film that would serve as a prequel to Scott 's 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien . By 2003 , the development of Alien vs. Predator took precedence , and the project remained dormant until 2009 when Scott again showed interest . Spaihts wrote a script for a prequel to the events of the Alien films , but Scott opted for a different direction to avoid repeating cues from those films . In late 2010 , Lindelof joined the project to rewrite Spaihts 's script , and he and Scott developed a story that precedes the story of Alien but is not directly connected to that franchise . According to Scott , although the film shares `` strands of Aliens DNA , so to speak '' , and takes place in the same universe , Prometheus explores its own mythology and ideas .   Prometheus entered production in April 2010 , with extensive design phases during which the technology and creatures that the film required were developed . Principal photography began in March 2011 , with an estimated US$ 120 -- 130 million budget . The project was shot using 3D cameras throughout , almost entirely on practical sets , and on location in England , Iceland , Spain , and Scotland . It was promoted with a marketing campaign that included viral activities on the web . Three videos featuring the film 's leading actors in character , which expanded on elements of the fictional universe , were released and met with a generally positive reception and awards .   Prometheus was released on June 1 , 2012 , in the United Kingdom and on June 8 , 2012 , in North America . The film received praise for the aesthetic design and the acting , especially Fassbender 's performance as the android David , while plot elements that remained unresolved or predictable were the main source of criticism . The film grossed over $ 403 million worldwide . A sequel , Alien : Covenant , was released in the U.S. on May 19 , 2017 .


Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava Bachchan ( -LSB- əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbətʃːən -RSB- ; born 11 October 1942 ) is an Indian film actor . He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for movies like Zanjeer and Deewaar , and was dubbed India 's first `` angry young man '' for his on-screen roles in Bollywood . Referred to as the `` Shahenshah of Bollywood '' , `` Star of the Millennium '' or `` Big B '' ,  he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades . Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema . So total was his dominance on the movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director François Truffaut called him a `` one-man industry . ''   Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career , including four National Film Awards as Best Actor and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies . He has won fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare , with 41 nominations overall . In addition to acting , Bachchan has worked as a playback singer , film producer and television presenter . He has hosted several seasons of the game show , Kaun Banega Crorepati , India 's version of the game show franchise , Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? . He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s .   The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984 , the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts . The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour , Knight of the Legion of Honour , in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond .   Bachchan made his Hollywood debut in 2013 with The Great Gatsby , in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character , Meyer Wolfsheim .


Rain Man is incapable of winning anything.

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


Romelu Lukaku Romelu Menama Lukaku ( born 13 May 1993 ) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Everton and the Belgium national team . He is one of only five players to score 50 Premier League goals before his 23rd birthday , and the first foreign player to score 80 before his 24th birthday .   Lukaku started his career with local side Rupel Boom , before joining Lierse , where he earned a move to Anderlecht of the Belgian Pro League in 2006 . Lukaku made his professional debut while still at school at the age of 16 , and became the 2009 -- 10 top scorer in Belgium as Anderlecht won the Belgian championship . He also won the Belgian Ebony Shoe in 2011 . In the 2011 summer transfer window , Lukaku joined Premier League club Chelsea . He did not appear regularly in his first season there , and spent the following two seasons on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Everton respectively , signing permanently for the latter for a club record # 28 million in 2014 .   Lukaku made his senior international debut for Belgium in 2010 , and has since earned over 50 caps . He has also represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016 .


Kristen Bell is an American actress and singer.

Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell ( born July 18 , 1980 ) is an American actress and singer . She began her acting career starring in stage productions and attended the Tisch School of Arts in New York . In 2001 , she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and starred in the Broadway revival of The Crucible the following year . In 2004 , she had a supporting role in the film Spartan and received praise for her first leading performance in Gracie 's Choice .   Bell gained critical acclaim for her first major role as the title character in the teen noir drama television series Veronica Mars ( 2004 -- 07 ) . For her performance she was awarded a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television . She reprised the eponymous role in the 2014 film continuation of the series . During her time on Veronica Mars , Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film Reefer Madness : The Movie Musical ( 2005 ) , a reprise of the role she had played in the New York musical upon which the film was based . In 2007 , Bell joined the cast of the sci-fi series Heroes , playing the character Elle Bishop , for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award .   In 2008 , she had her breakout film role as the title character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall . She has since appeared in a number of comedy films , such as Couples Retreat ( 2009 ) , When in Rome ( 2010 ) , You Again ( 2010 ) , and The Boss ( 2016 ) . Bell garnered further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney film Frozen ( 2013 ) , the short film Frozen Fever ( 2015 ) , and the upcoming Frozen 2 . She also starred as the female lead on the Showtime series House of Lies . Since 2016 , she has starred in the main role of Eleanor Shellstrop on the NBC comedy series The Good Place .   Bell married actor Dax Shepard in 2013 , with whom she has two daughters .


Pat Riley is a professional actor and executive.

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


Romelu Lukaku joined a Premier League team.


Major League Soccer playoffs leads to the NBA finals.

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer ( MLS ) is a men 's professional soccer league , sanctioned by U.S. Soccer , that represents the sport 's highest level in both the United States and Canada . MLS constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada . The league comprises 22 teams -- 19 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada . The MLS regular season runs from March to October , with each team playing 34 games ; the team with the best record is awarded the Supporters ' Shield . The postseason includes twelve teams competing in the MLS Cup Playoffs through November and December , culminating in the championship game , the MLS Cup . MLS teams also play in other domestic competitions against teams from other divisions in the U.S. Open Cup and in the Canadian Championship . MLS teams also compete against continental rivals in the CONCACAF Champions League .   Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States ' successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup . The first season took place in 1996 with ten teams . MLS experienced financial and operational struggles in its first few years : The league lost millions of dollars , teams played in mostly empty American football stadiums , and two teams folded in 2002 . Since then , MLS has expanded to 22 teams , owners built soccer-specific stadiums , average MLS attendance exceeds that of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , MLS secured national TV contracts , and the league is now profitable .   Instead of operating as an association of independently owned teams , MLS is a single entity in which each team is owned and controlled by the league 's investors . The investor-operators control their teams as owners control teams in other leagues , and are commonly ( but inaccurately ) referred to as the team 's owners . The league has a fixed membership , like most sports leagues in the United States and Canada , which makes it one of the world 's few soccer leagues that does not use promotion and relegation , a practice that is uncommon in the two countries . MLS headquarters is located in New York City .


Tyra Banks executive produced America's Next Top Model.

Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks ( born December 4 , 1973 ) is an American television personality , producer , businesswoman , actress , author , former model and occasional singer . Born in Inglewood , California , she began her career as a model at age 15 , and was the first African American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue , on which she appeared twice . She was a Victoria 's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005 . By the early 2000s , Banks was one of the world 's top-earning models .   Banks began acting on television in 1993 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , and made her film debut in Higher Learning in 1995 . She had major roles such as Eve in Disney Channel 's Life-Size and Zoe in the box office hit Coyote Ugly . She had small roles in the romantic film Love & Basketball and horror film Halloween : Resurrection , and appeared in television series Gossip Girl and Glee .   In 2003 , Banks created and began presenting the long-running reality television series America 's Next Top Model , which she executive produced and presented for the first twenty-two seasons until the series ' cancellation in October 2015 . She remained executive producer for the revival of the series , and enlisted Rita Ora as host for the twenty-third cycle before reassuming the duties herself for the upcoming twenty-fourth cycle . Banks was the co-creator of True Beauty , and had her own talk show , The Tyra Banks Show , which aired on The CW for five seasons and won two Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Talk Show Informative . She co-hosted the talk show FABLife for two months . In 2017 , Banks will replace Nick Cannon as host of America 's Got Talent for its 12th season .   In 2010 , she published a young adult novel titled Modelland , based on her life as a model which topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011 . Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly ranked among the world 's most influential people by TIME magazine .


Maisie Williams has won four awards for her performance in HBO's Game of Thrones.

Maisie Williams Margaret Constance `` Maisie '' Williams ( born 15 April 1997 ) is an English actress . She made her professional acting debut as Arya Stark in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones in 2011 , for which she won the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama , the Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Television and Best Young Actor , and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor . In 2016 , she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series .   Williams has also had a recurring role in Doctor Who as Ashildr in 2015 . In addition to television , she made her feature film debut in the mystery The Falling ( 2014 ) , for which she won the London Film Critics ' Circle Award for Young Performer of the Year .


Demi Lovato's albums have received a certification.

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( -LSB- ˈdɛmi_loʊ-ˈvɑːtoʊ -RSB- or ; born August 20 , 1992 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and actress . After making her debut as a child actress in Barney & Friends , Lovato rose to prominence in 2008 when she starred in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and released her debut single `` This Is Me '' which peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 . The success of the film and its soundtrack resulted in a recording contract with Hollywood Records . Her debut album , Do n't Forget ( 2008 ) , debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 . The following year , Lovato was cast as the titular character of the television series Sonny with a Chance and she released her sophomore album , Here We Go Again , which became her first one to top the Billboard 200 chart .   After the release of additional television films and their soundtracks in 2010 , including Camp Rock 2 : The Final Jam , Lovato 's personal issues put her career on a hiatus and led to the discontinuation of Sonny with a Chance after a second season . She entered a treatment center in November 2010 to seek help for addictions , an eating disorder , and self-harm . While there , she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder . Work on her third studio album , Unbroken ( 2011 ) , began after she successfully completed treatment . The album addresses several of her difficulties . Its lead single , `` Skyscraper '' , became Lovato 's second top 10 entry in the US , while its second single , `` Give Your Heart a Break '' , was certified triple platinum in the country . Lovato was a judge and mentor on the American version of The X Factor in 2012 and 2013 . Her third album , Demi ( 2013 ) , opened with first-week sales of 110,000 copies . The lead single from her eponymous album , `` Heart Attack '' , became her third top 10 in the US and the album spawned three more singles . While promoting the project , Lovato released a book titled Staying Strong : 365 Days a Year ( 2013 ) . She also returned to acting as a recurring character in Glee , and released a memoir in 2014 . Lovato 's fifth album , Confident ( 2015 ) , reached number two on the Billboard 200 . Its lead single `` Cool for the Summer '' was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . All five of Lovato 's albums have received a gold certification in the US .   Musically , Lovato is considered a pop , pop rock , and R&B artist . Lovato has received a considerable number of accolades , including an MTV Video Music Award , 13 Teen Choice Awards , five People 's Choice Awards , an ALMA Award , a Latin American Music Award and a Grammy Award nomination . In 2013 , Maxim ranked her 26th on its Hot 100 list and Billboard ranked her second on its Social 50 Artists of the Year list . Outside the entertainment industry , Lovato has been involved with several social and environmental causes since the launch of her career . In May 2013 , she was cited for her dedication as a mentor to teens and young adults with mental health challenges at a National Children 's Mental Health Awareness Day hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Washington , D.C. . She has also become an advocate for the LGBT community , and women 's rights . In 2014 , she was announced as the Grand Marshal for LA Pride week , and that same year she became the face for Human Rights Campaign 's Americans for Marriage Equality Campaign . In April 2016 , Lovato was honored with the GLAAD Vanguard Award for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people .


Alicia Vikander starred in the Swedish drama film Hotell.

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander ( -LSB- aˈliːsɪa vɪˈkandɛr -RSB- ; born 3 October 1988 ) is a Swedish actress and former dancer . Born and raised in Gothenburg , she began acting as a child in minor stage productions at The Göteborg Opera and trained as a ballet dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm and the School of American Ballet in New York . She began her professional acting career by appearing in Swedish short films and television series and first gained recognition in Northern Europe for her role as Josefin Björn-Tegebrandt in the TV drama Andra Avenyn ( 2008 -- 10 ) .   Vikander made her feature film debut in Pure ( 2010 ) , for which she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress . She attracted widespread recognition in 2012 for portraying Princess Ekaterina `` Kitty '' Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya in Joe Wright 's film adaptation of Anna Karenina and Queen Caroline Mathilde in the acclaimed Danish film A Royal Affair , receiving a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination . She went on to star in the 2013 Swedish drama film Hotell and appeared in the Julian Assange-biopic The Fifth Estate that same year .   In 2014 and 2015 , Vikander achieved global recognition and acclaim for her roles as activist Vera Brittain in Testament of Youth , a humanoid robot in Ex Machina ( for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress ) and painter Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl , for which she received the Academy Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress , among other awards .


One bed-in was at the Hilton Hotel in The Netherlands.

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( -LSB- ˈæmstərdæm , _ ˌæmstərˈdæm -RSB- -LSB- ɑmstərˈdɑm -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands , although it is not the seat of the government , which is The Hague . Amsterdam has a population of 851,373 within the city proper , 1,351,587 in the urban area , and 2,410,960 in the Amsterdam metropolitan area . The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country . The metropolitan area comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad , one of the larger conurbations in Europe , with a population of approximately 7 million .   Amsterdam 's name derives from Amstelredamme , indicative of the city 's origin around a dam in the river Amstel . Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century , Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age ( 17th century ) , a result of its innovative developments in trade . During that time , the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds . In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded , and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built . The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19 -- 20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Since the annexation of municipality Sloten in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam , the oldest historic part of the city lies in Sloten ( 9th century ) .   As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe , Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities ( GaWC ) study group . The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands . Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there , and seven of the world 's 500 largest companies , including Philips and ING , are based in the city . In 2012 , Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer . The city was ranked 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009 . The Amsterdam seaport to this day remains the second in the country , and the fifth largest seaport in Europe .   Famous Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank , artists Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh , and philosopher Baruch Spinoza .   The Amsterdam Stock Exchange , the oldest stock exchange in the world , is located in the city center . Amsterdam 's main attractions , including its historic canals , the Rijksmuseum , the Van Gogh Museum , Stedelijk Museum , Hermitage Amsterdam , Anne Frank House , Amsterdam Museum , its red-light district , and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 5 million international visitors annually .


Bed-In As the Vietnam War raged in 1969 , Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon held two week-long Bed-Ins for Peace , one at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal , each of which were intended to be non-violent protests against wars , and experimental tests of new ways to promote peace . The idea is derived from a `` sit-in '' , in which a group of protesters remains seated in front of an establishment until they are evicted , arrested , or their demands are met .   The public proceedings were filmed , and later turned into a documentary movie . The film Bed Peace was made available for free on YouTube in August 2011 by Yoko Ono , as part of her website `` Imagine Peace '' .


Hilton Amsterdam The Hilton Amsterdam is a hotel in Apollobuurt , Amsterdam , in the Netherlands . It is located at Apollolaan 138 along the Noorder Amstelkanaal , a canal connected to the Amstel river . The hotel opened officially in 1962 and is a branch of the Hilton Hotels chain . It is known for John Lennon and Yoko Ono 's `` Bed-In '' for peace which was staged in 1969 to protest the Vietnam War .


Tesla, Inc. was formerly called a different name.

Tesla, Inc. Tesla , Inc. ( formerly named Tesla Motors ) is a major American automaker , energy storage company , and solar panel manufacturer based in Palo Alto , California . The company was initially founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning , although the company also considers Elon Musk , JB Straubel , and Ian Wright amongst its co-founders . The company specializes in electric cars , Lithium-ion battery energy storage , and , through their SolarCity subsidiary , residential solar panels .   Tesla first gained widespread attention following its production of the Tesla Roadster , the first electric sports car , in 2008 . The company 's second vehicle , the Model S , an electric luxury sedan , debuted in 2012 and is built at the Tesla Factory in California . The Model S has been the world 's best-selling plug-in electric car for two years in a row , 2015 and 2016 . Its global sales achieved the 150,000 unit milestone in November 2016 , four years and five months after its introduction . , the Model S ranks as the world 's all-time second best-selling plug-in after the Nissan Leaf . The Model S was then followed in September 2015 by the Model X , a crossover SUV . Tesla 's next vehicle is the Model 3 , which was unveiled in March 2016 . It is slated for release in 2017 with a base price of , before any government incentives .   , Tesla has sold over 186,000 electric cars worldwide since delivery of its first Tesla Roadster in 2008 , making the carmaker the second largest global pure electric car manufacturer after the Renault-Nissan Alliance . For two years running , 2015 and 2016 , Tesla ranked as the world 's second best selling manufacturer of plug-in electric cars after BYD Auto . Musk , the CEO , has said that he envisions Tesla as a technology company and independent automaker , aimed at eventually offering electric cars at prices affordable to the average consumer .   Tesla has a network of high-powered Superchargers located across North America , Europe and Asia for Tesla vehicles . The company also operates a Destination Charging program , under which shops , restaurants and other venues are offered fast chargers for their customers . Although Tesla operates a number of production and assembly plants , the company 's most iconic facility is the Gigafactory 1 near Reno , Nevada , where Panasonic builds 21-70 cells for Tesla batteries . Tesla also manufactures the Tesla Powerwall , Powerpack batteries , and solar panels ( in varying form factors ) for home and industry applications . Elon Musk owned 20.8 % stake in the company as of March 2017 .


Rock music involves zero styles from other music genres.

Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as `` rock and roll '' in the United States in the early 1950s , and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later , particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States . It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll , a style which drew heavily on the African-American genres of blues and rhythm and blues , and from country music . Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk , and incorporated influences from jazz , classical and other musical styles . Musically , rock has centered on the electric guitar , usually as part of a rock group with electric bass and drums and one or more singers . Typically , rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form , but the genre has become extremely diverse . Like pop music , lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political .   By the late 1960s `` classic rock '' period , a number of distinct rock music subgenres had emerged , including hybrids like blues rock , folk rock , country rock , raga rock , and jazz-rock , many of which contributed to the development of psychedelic rock , which was influenced by the countercultural psychedelic and hippie scene . New genres that emerged included progressive rock , which extended the artistic elements ; glam rock , which highlighted showmanship and visual style ; and the diverse and enduring subgenre of heavy metal , which emphasized volume , power , and speed . In the second half of the 1970s , punk rock reacted by producing stripped-down , energetic social and political critiques . Punk was an influence in the 1980s on new wave , post-punk and eventually alternative rock . From the 1990s alternative rock began to dominate rock music and break into the mainstream in the form of grunge , Britpop , and indie rock . Further fusion subgenres have since emerged , including pop punk , rap rock , and rap metal , as well as conscious attempts to revisit rock 's history , including the garage rock/post-punk and synth-pop revivals at the beginning of the 2000s ( decade ) .   Rock music has also embodied and served as the vehicle for cultural and social movements , leading to major subcultures including mods and rockers in the UK and the hippie counterculture that spread out from San Francisco in the US in the 1960s . Similarly , 1970s punk culture spawned the goth and emo subcultures . Inheriting the folk tradition of the protest song , rock music has been associated with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to race , sex and drug use , and is often seen as an expression of youth revolt against adult consumerism and conformity .


Evil is frequently associated with selfishness.

Evil Evil , in a general context is the absence or opposite of that which is described as being good . Often , evil denotes profound immorality . In certain religious contexts , evil has been described as a supernatural force . Definitions of evil vary , as does the analysis of its motives . However , elements that are commonly associated with evil involve unbalanced behavior involving anger , revenge , fear , hatred , psychological trauma , expediency , selfishness , ignorance , or neglect .   In cultures with an Abrahamic religious influence , evil is usually perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good , in which good should prevail and evil should be defeated . In cultures with Buddhist spiritual influence , both good and evil are perceived as part of an antagonistic duality that itself must be overcome through achieving Śūnyatā meaning emptiness in the sense of recognition of good and evil being two opposing principles but not a reality , emptying the duality of them , and achieving a oneness .   The philosophical question of whether morality is absolute , relative , or illusory leads to questions about the nature of evil , with views falling into one of four opposed camps : moral absolutism , amoralism , moral relativism , and moral universalism .   While the term is applied to events and conditions without agency , the forms of evil addressed in this article presume an evildoer or doers .


Take a Bow (Madonna song) `` Take a Bow '' is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories ( 1994 ) . It was released as the album 's second single on November 29 , 1994 , by Maverick Records . It is a midtempo pop ballad written and produced by Madonna and Babyface . The song also appears on her compilation albums Something to Remember ( 1995 ) , GHV2 ( 2001 ) and Celebration ( 2009 ) . Following the sexually explicit persona portrayed by Madonna on her previous album , Erotica , the singer wanted to tone down her image for Bedtime Stories . She started collaborating with Babyface , whose work with other musicians had impressed her . `` Take a Bow '' was developed from this collaboration , after Madonna listened to the beat and the chords of the demo structure of the song .   Recorded at The Hit Factory Studios in New York , `` Take a Bow '' was backed by a full orchestra . It was also the first time that Babyface had worked with live strings , per Madonna 's suggestion . Containing oriental pentatonic strings , giving the impression of Chinese or Japanese opera , `` Take a Bow '' lyrically talks about unrequited love , and Madonna saying goodbye . It received favorable reviews from music critics , who praised the song 's soulful , poetic lyrics . It was a commercial success in the United States , becoming Madonna 's eleventh number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 , topping the chart for seven weeks . It also reached number one in Canada , and the top ten in Italy , Switzerland and New Zealand . The single had moderate success in the United Kingdom , reaching number 16 on the UK Singles Chart , ending Madonna 's record-holding string of 35 consecutive top-ten hits there .   The music video for `` Take a Bow '' was directed by Michael Haussman , and was filmed in Ronda , Spain . The video depicts Madonna as a bullfighter 's ( played by real-life Spanish bullfighter Emilio Muñoz ) neglected lover , yearning for his love . It won the Best Female Video award at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards . Journalistic and academic analysis of the video included its plotline , usage of religious iconography , themes and motifs of feminism and submission , as well as its impact on contemporary music videos . In order to promote Bedtime Stories , Madonna performed `` Take a Bow '' on a few occasions , including live with Babyface at the 1995 American Music Awards . In 2016 , she added the song to the setlist of the Asian and Oceanian legs of her Rebel Heart Tour and her one-off Sydney concert Madonna : Tears of a Clown .


On July 9, 2010, Despicable Me was released.

Despicable Me Despicable Me is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9 , 2010 in the United States . It is the debut film of Illumination Entertainment . The film was animated by the French animation studio Mac Guff , which was later acquired by Illumination Entertainment . It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud as their feature debut film , with a story by Sergio Pablos . The film stars the voice of Steve Carell as Gru , a supervillain who adopts three girls ( voiced by Miranda Cosgrove , Dana Gaier , and Elsie Fisher ) from an orphanage ; and the voice of Jason Segel as Vector , a rival of Gru who steals the Great Pyramid of Giza . When Gru learns of Vector 's heist , he plans an even greater heist : to shrink and steal the Earth 's moon .   The film earned positive reviews from critics , and grossed over $ 543 million worldwide , against a budget of $ 69 million . It launched the Despicable Me franchise with a series of films , including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013 , and the prequel Minions released in 2015 featuring Gru 's Minions as the main characters . Another sequel , Despicable Me 3 , is scheduled for release in 2017 .


Linda McCartney was born on September 24, 1951.

Linda McCartney Linda Louise , Lady McCartney ( née Eastman ; formerly See ; September 24 , 1941 -- April 17 , 1998 ) was an American musician , photographer , animal rights activist , entrepreneur and publisher who was married to Paul McCartney of the Beatles . Prior to marrying Paul , she was a professional photographer of celebrities and contemporary musicians , with her work published in music industry magazines . Her photos were also published in the book Linda McCartney 's Sixties : Portrait of an Era , in 1992 .   Linda married McCartney in 1969 at St John 's Wood Church in London . Her daughter , Heather Louise , from her first marriage to Melville See , was adopted by her new husband . Together , the McCartneys had three other children .   In 1971 , after they married and following the break-up of the Beatles the previous year , Paul and Linda McCartney recorded the album Ram . Shortly afterwards , they formed the band Wings . She continued to be part of her husband 's touring band following Wings ' break-up in 1981 up until The New World Tour in 1993 .   She was an animal rights activist and wrote and published several vegetarian cookbooks , and founded the Linda McCartney Foods company with her husband .   In 1995 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died from the disease in 1998 at the age of 56 .


Saratoga (film) Saratoga is a 1937 American romantic comedy film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway . The film stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration , and features Lionel Barrymore , Frank Morgan , Walter Pidgeon , Hattie McDaniel , and Margaret Hamilton .   Jean Harlow died before filming was finished , and it was completed using stand-ins . Saratoga was MGM 's biggest moneymaker of 1937 .


Clark Gable William Clark Gable ( February 1 , 1901 -- November 16 , 1960 ) was an American film actor , often referred to as `` The King of Hollywood '' or just simply as `` The King '' . Gable began his career as a stage actor and appeared as an extra in silent films between 1924 and 1926 , and progressed to supporting roles with a few films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1931 . The next year , he landed his first leading Hollywood role and over the next three decades he became a leading man in more than 60 motion pictures .   Gable won an Academy Award for Best Actor for It Happened One Night ( 1934 ) , and was nominated for leading roles in Mutiny on the Bounty ( 1935 ) and for his arguably best-known role as Rhett Butler in the epic Civil War drama Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ) .   Gable also found success commercially and critically with films such as Red Dust ( 1932 ) , Manhattan Melodrama ( 1934 ) , San Francisco ( 1936 ) , Saratoga ( 1937 ) Boom Town ( 1940 ) , The Hucksters ( 1947 ) , Homecoming ( 1948 ) , and The Misfits ( 1961 ) , which was his final screen appearance .   Gable appeared opposite some of the most popular actresses of the time . Joan Crawford was his favorite actress to work with , and she was partnered with Gable in eight films . Myrna Loy worked with him seven times , and he was paired with Jean Harlow in six productions . He also starred with Lana Turner in four features , and with Norma Shearer and Ava Gardner in three each . Gable 's final film , The Misfits ( 1961 ) , united him with Marilyn Monroe ( also in her last screen appearance ) . Gable is considered one of the most consistent box-office performers in history , appearing on Quigley Publishing 's annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll 16 times . He was named the seventh-greatest male star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute .


Christopher Marlowe is an English playwright.

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe , also known as Kit Marlowe ( baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593 ) , was an English playwright , poet and translator of the Elizabethan era . Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day . He greatly influenced William Shakespeare , who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe 's mysterious early death . Marlowe 's plays are known for the use of blank verse and their overreaching protagonists .   A warrant was issued for Marlowe 's arrest on 18 May 1593 . No reason was given for it , though it was thought to be connected to allegations of blasphemy -- a manuscript believed to have been written by Marlowe was said to contain `` vile heretical conceipts '' . On 20 May , he was brought to the court to attend upon the Privy Council for questioning . There is no record of their having met that day , however , and he was commanded to attend upon them each day thereafter until `` licensed to the contrary '' . Ten days later , he was stabbed to death by Ingram Frizer . Whether the stabbing was connected to his arrest has never been resolved .


Charlie Chaplin's childhood was one of destitution.

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer `` Charlie '' Chaplin , ( 16 April 1889 -- 25 December 1977 ) was an English comic actor , filmmaker , and composer who rose to fame during the era of silent film . Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona `` the Tramp '' and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry . His career spanned more than 75 years , from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977 , and encompassed both adulation and controversy .   Chaplin 's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship . As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially , he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine . When he was 14 , his mother was committed to a mental asylum . Chaplin began performing at an early age , touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian . At 19 , he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company , which took him to America . Chaplin was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios . He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base . Chaplin directed his own films from an early stage and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay , Mutual , and First National corporations . By 1918 , he was one of the best-known figures in the world .   In 1919 , Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists , which gave him complete control over his films . His first feature-length was The Kid ( 1921 ) , followed by A Woman of Paris ( 1923 ) , The Gold Rush ( 1925 ) , and The Circus ( 1928 ) . He refused to move to sound films in the 1930s , instead producing City Lights ( 1931 ) and Modern Times ( 1936 ) without dialogue . Chaplin became increasingly political , and his next film , The Great Dictator ( 1940 ) , satirised Adolf Hitler . The 1940s were a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin , and his popularity declined rapidly . He was accused of communist sympathies , while his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women caused scandal . An FBI investigation was opened , and Chaplin was forced to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland . He abandoned the Tramp in his later films , which include Monsieur Verdoux ( 1947 ) , Limelight ( 1952 ) , A King in New York ( 1957 ) , and A Countess from Hong Kong ( 1967 ) .   Chaplin wrote , directed , produced , edited , starred in , and composed the music for most of his films . He was a perfectionist , and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture . His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos , typified in the Tramp 's struggles against adversity . Many contain social and political themes , as well as autobiographical elements . In 1972 , as part of a renewed appreciation for his work , Chaplin received an Honorary Academy Award for `` the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century '' . He continues to be held in high regard , with The Gold Rush , City Lights , Modern Times , and The Great Dictator often ranked on industry lists of the greatest films of all time .


Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American hip hop group from New York City , formed in 1981 . For the majority of their career , the group consisted of Michael `` Mike D '' Diamond ( vocals , drums ) , Adam `` MCA '' Yauch ( vocals , bass ) and Adam `` Ad-Rock '' Horovitz ( vocals , guitar ) .   Originally formed as a four-piece hardcore punk band , the Young Aborigines , in 1978 by Diamond ( vocals ) , John Berry ( guitar ) , Yauch ( bass ) and Kate Schellenbach ( drums ) , the band appeared on the compilation cassette New York Thrash , before recording their first EP , Polly Wog Stew , in 1982 . Berry left shortly thereafter , and was replaced by Horovitz . After achieving moderate local success with the 1983 experimental hip hop 12-inch `` Cooky Puss '' , Schellenbach dropped out and the Beastie Boys made a full transition to hip hop , releasing a string of successful singles . They toured with Madonna in 1985 and a year later released their debut album Licensed to Ill. . The group sold 26 million albums in the United States and 50 million albums worldwide , making them , according to Billboard , the biggest-selling rap group since the magazine began recording sales data in 1991 .   With seven platinum or better albums from 1986 to 2004 , the Beastie Boys were one of the longest-lived hip hop acts worldwide . In 2009 , they released digitally remastered deluxe editions of their albums Paul 's Boutique , Check Your Head , Ill Communication and Hello Nasty . Their eighth studio album , Hot Sauce Committee Part Two , was released in 2011 , and received positive reviews . They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012 , `` just the third rap group to enter the Hall , after Run -- D.M.C. ( 2009 ) and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five ( 2007 ) . '' The following month , MCA died of cancer of the parotid salivary gland . In June 2014 , Mike D confirmed that he and Ad-Rock would not continue the Beastie Boys , out of respect to MCA .


Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey ( -LSB- fraɪ -RSB- November 6 , 1948 -- January 18 , 2016 ) was an American singer , songwriter and actor , best known as a founding member of the rock band Eagles . Frey was the lead singer and frontman for the Eagles , roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley , with whom he wrote most of the Eagles ' material . Frey played guitar , piano , and keyboards . He sang lead vocals on songs such as `` Take It Easy '' , `` Peaceful Easy Feeling '' , `` Tequila Sunrise '' , `` Already Gone '' , `` Lyin ' Eyes '' , `` New Kid in Town '' , and `` Heartache Tonight '' .   After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980 , Frey embarked on a successful solo career . He released his debut album , No Fun Aloud , in 1982 and went on to record Top 40 hits `` The One You Love '' , `` Smuggler 's Blues '' , `` Sexy Girl '' , `` The Heat Is On '' , `` You Belong to the City '' , `` True Love '' , `` Soul Searchin ' '' and `` Livin ' Right '' . As a member of the Eagles , Frey won six Grammy Awards , and five American Music Awards . The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 , the first year they were nominated . Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles , Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 .


A phylogenetic tree shows inferred evolutionary relationships.

Phylogenetic tree A phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree is a branching diagram or `` tree '' showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities -- their phylogeny -- based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics . The taxa joined together in the tree are implied to have descended from a common ancestor . Phylogenetic trees are central to the field of phylogenetics .   In a phylogenetic tree , each node with descendants represents the inferred most recent common ancestor of the descendants , and the edge lengths in some trees may be interpreted as time estimates . Each node is called a taxonomic unit . Internal nodes are generally called hypothetical taxonomic units , as they can not be directly observed . Trees are useful in fields of biology such as bioinformatics , systematics , and phylogenetic comparative methods .   Unrooted trees illustrate only the relatedness of the leaf nodes and do not require the ancestral root to be known or inferred .


XXx: Return of Xander Cage is an action film.

XXx: Return of Xander Cage xXx : Return of Xander Cage ( released as xXx : Reactivated in some countries ) is a 2017 American action film directed by D. J. Caruso and written by F. Scott Frazier . The film stars Vin Diesel , Donnie Yen , Deepika Padukone , Kris Wu , Ruby Rose , Tony Jaa , Nina Dobrev , Toni Collette , and Samuel L. Jackson . It is the third installment in the xXx franchise and a sequel to both xXx ( 2002 ) and xXx : State of the Union ( 2005 ) .   Unlike the previous films , which were distributed by Columbia Pictures , the film was released by Paramount Pictures on January 20 , 2017 , in 2D , RealD 3D and IMAX 3D . This also marks the first film produced by Revolution Studios in ten years since 2007 's The Water Horse : Legend of the Deep . The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $ 346 million worldwide against a production budget of $ 85 million , making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2017 , the highest-grossing film of Revolution Studios and in the franchise .


Joe Manganiello has barely appeared in Magic Mike.

Joe Manganiello Joseph Michael Manganiello ( -LSB- ˌmæŋɡəˈnɛloʊ -RSB- ; -LSB- maŋɡaˈnjɛllo -RSB- ; born December 28 , 1976 ) is an American actor , director , producer , author and philanthropist . He played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy and had various recurring roles in television on ER , How I Met Your Mother , and One Tree Hill , before landing his breakout role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the HBO television series True Blood . In 2011 , he was voted `` Favorite Pop-Culture Werewolf of All Time '' by the readers of Entertainment Weekly , and one of Men 's Health `` 100 Fittest Men of All Time '' .   Manganiello has appeared in films such as Magic Mike , What to Expect When You 're Expecting , and Sabotage . In late 2013 , he became a published author when his first book , Evolution , was released by Simon & Schuster 's Gallery Books . He is active with several charities , including Children 's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC , and he serves on the committee of The Art of Elysium .


Coronary artery disease can be prevented.

Coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease ( CAD ) , also known as ischemic heart disease ( IHD ) , is a group of diseases that includes : stable angina , unstable angina , myocardial infarction , and sudden cardiac death . It is within the group of cardiovascular diseases of which it is the most common type . A common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may travel into the shoulder , arm , back , neck , or jaw . Occasionally it may feel like heartburn . Usually symptoms occur with exercise or emotional stress , last less than a few minutes , and get better with rest . Shortness of breath may also occur and sometimes no symptoms are present . The first sign is occasionally a heart attack . Other complications include heart failure or an irregular heartbeat .    Risk factors include : high blood pressure , smoking , diabetes , lack of exercise , obesity , high blood cholesterol , poor diet , and excessive alcohol , among others . Other risks include depression . The underlying mechanism involves atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart . A number of tests may help with diagnoses including : electrocardiogram , cardiac stress testing , coronary computed tomographic angiography , and coronary angiogram , among others .   Prevention is by eating a healthy diet , regular exercise , maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking . Sometimes medication for diabetes , high cholesterol , or high blood pressure are also used . There is limited evidence for screening people who are at low risk and do not have symptoms . Treatment involves the same measures as prevention . Additional medications such as antiplatelets including aspirin , beta blockers , or nitroglycerin may be recommended . Procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI ) or coronary artery bypass surgery ( CABG ) may be used in severe disease . In those with stable CAD it is unclear if PCI or CABG in addition to the other treatments improve life expectancy or decreases heart attack risk .   In 2015 CAD affected 110 million people and resulted in 8.9 million deaths . It makes up 15.9 % of all deaths making it the most common cause of death globally . The risk of death from CAD for a given age has decreased between 1980 and 2010 , especially in developed countries . The number of cases of CAD for a given age has also decreased between 1990 and 2010 . In the United States in 2010 about 20 % of those over 65 had CAD , while it was present in 7 % of those 45 to 64 , and 1.3 % of those 18 to 45 . Rates are higher among men than women of a given age .


Are You Experienced is an album by an English-American rock band.

Are You Experienced Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by English-American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience . Released in 1967 , the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success , and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music . The album features Jimi Hendrix 's innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and hard rock music .   By mid-1966 , Hendrix was struggling to earn a living playing the R&B circuit as a backing guitarist . After being referred to Chas Chandler , who was leaving the Animals and interested in managing and producing artists , Hendrix was signed to a management and production contract with Chandler and ex-Animals manager Michael Jeffery . Chandler brought Hendrix to London and began recruiting members for a band designed to showcase the guitarist 's talents , the Jimi Hendrix Experience . In late October , after having been rejected by Decca Records , the Experience signed with Track , a new label formed by the Who 's managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp .   Are You Experienced and its preceding singles were recorded over a five-month period from late October 1966 through early April 1967 . The album was completed in sixteen recording sessions at three London locations , including De Lane Lea Studios , CBS , and Olympic . Released in the UK on May 12 , 1967 , Are You Experienced spent 33 weeks on the charts , peaking at number two . The album was issued in the US on August 23 by Reprise Records , where it reached number five on the Billboard 200 , remaining on the chart for 106 weeks , 27 of those in the Top 40 . The album also spent 70 weeks on the US Billboard R&B chart , where it peaked at # 10 . The US version contained some of Hendrix 's best known songs , including the Experience 's first three singles , which , though omitted from the British edition of the LP , were top ten hits in the UK : `` Purple Haze '' , `` Hey Joe '' , and `` The Wind Cries Mary '' .   In 2005 , Rolling Stone ranked Are You Experienced fifteenth on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . They placed four songs from the album on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time : `` Purple Haze '' ( 17 ) , `` Foxy Lady '' ( 153 ) , `` Hey Joe '' ( 201 ) , and `` The Wind Cries Mary '' ( 379 ) . That same year , the record was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress in recognition of its cultural significance to be added to the National Recording Registry . Writer and archivist Reuben Jackson of the Smithsonian Institution wrote : `` it 's still a landmark recording because it is of the rock , R&B , blues ... musical tradition . It altered the syntax of the music ... in a way I compare to James Joyce 's Ulysses . ''


Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra ( -LSB- prɪˈjaːŋkaː ˈtʃoːpɽaː -RSB- ; born 18 July 1982 ) is an Indian actress , singer , film producer , philanthropist , and the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant . One of India 's highest-paid and most popular celebrities , Chopra has received numerous awards , including a National Film Award and five Filmfare Awards . In 2016 , the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri , the fourth highest civilian award , and Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world . In 2017 , she has been honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award - India 's highest award in cinema , becoming the first actress to win in the category `` International Acclaimed Actress Award '' .   Although Chopra initially aspired to study aeronautical engineering , she accepted offers to join the Indian film industry , which came as a result of her pageant wins , making her Bollywood debut in The Hero ( 2003 ) . She played the leading lady in the box-office hits Andaaz ( 2003 ) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi ( 2004 ) , and earned praise for her breakout role in the 2004 thriller Aitraaz . In 2006 , Chopra established herself as a leading actress of Indian cinema with starring roles in the top-grossing productions Krrish and Don .   Following a brief setback , she received critical acclaim for playing a troubled model in the drama Fashion ( 2008 ) , which won her the Filmfare and National Film Award for Best Actress . Chopra subsequently gained wider recognition for portraying a range of characters in the films Kaminey ( 2009 ) , 7 Khoon Maaf ( 2011 ) , Barfi ! ( 2012 ) , Mary Kom ( 2014 ) , Dil Dhadakne Do ( 2015 ) and Bajirao Mastani ( 2015 ) , all of which garnered her several awards and nominations . In 2015 , she began starring as Alex Parrish on the ABC thriller series Quantico , becoming the first South Asian to headline an American network series .   In addition to her acting career , Chopra is noted for her philanthropic work . She has worked with UNICEF for the last ten years and was appointed as the national and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016 respectively . She promotes various causes such as environment , health and education , and women 's rights and is particularly vocal about gender equality and feminism . Chopra 's off-screen life is the subject of substantial media coverage . As a recording artist , she has released three singles . She is also the founder of the production company Purple Pebble Pictures , which released the acclaimed Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator ( 2016 ) .


The Jacksons (TV series) The Jacksons is an American variety show featuring the Jackson siblings ( except for Jermaine , who was signed to Motown while the Jackson group was signed to the Epic/CBS record label ) . It was the first variety show where the entire cast were siblings . As with the Jackson 5 regular performances , Michael Jackson was the lead performer in musical and dance performances .   The thirty-minute Wednesday evening show began airing on CBS as a summer 1976 show and it continued into the 1976 -- 1977 season , finishing on March 9 , 1977 after running for 12 episodes .


CBS CBS ( an initialism of the network 's former name , the Columbia Broadcasting System ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of CBS Corporation . The company is headquartered at the CBS Building in New York City with major production facilities and operations in New York City ( at the CBS Broadcast Center ) and Los Angeles ( at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center ) .   CBS is sometimes referred to as the `` Eye Network '' , in reference to the company 's iconic logo , in use since 1951 . It has also been called the `` Tiffany Network '' , alluding to the perceived high quality of CBS programming during the tenure of William S. Paley . It can also refer to some of CBS 's first demonstrations of color television , which were held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950 .   The network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc. , a collection of 16 radio stations that was purchased by Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System . Under Paley 's guidance , CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States , and eventually one of the Big Three American broadcast television networks . In 1974 , CBS dropped its former full name and became known simply as CBS , Inc. . The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995 , renamed its corporate entity to the current CBS Broadcasting , Inc. in 1997 , and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to become CBS Corporation . In 2000 , CBS came under the control of Viacom , which was formed as a spin-off of CBS in 1971 . In late 2005 , Viacom split itself into two separate companies , and re-established CBS Corporation -- through the spin-off of its broadcast television , radio and select cable television and non-broadcasting assets -- with the CBS television network at its core . CBS Corporation is controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements , which also controls the current Viacom .   CBS continues to operate the CBS Radio network , which now mainly provides news and features content for its portfolio of owned-and-operated radio stations in large and mid-sized markets , and affiliated radio stations in various other markets . The television network has more than 240 owned-and-operated and affiliated television stations throughout the United States .


Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair ( born 6 May 1953 ) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007 . He remains the most recent Labour Party leader to have won a general election .   From 1983 to 2007 , Blair was the Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Sedgefield . He was elected Labour Party leader in July 1994 , following the sudden death of his predecessor , John Smith , who together with his predecessor , Neil Kinnock , had started to move the party closer to the political centre , in the hope of winning power . Under Blair 's leadership , the party used the phrase `` New Labour '' , to distance it from previous Labour policies and the traditional conception of socialism . Blair declared support for a new conception that he referred to as `` social-ism '' , involving politics that recognised individuals as socially interdependent , and advocated social justice , cohesion , the equal worth of each citizen , and equal opportunity , also referred to as the Third Way . Critics of Blair denounced him for having the Labour Party abandon genuine socialism and accepting capitalism . Supporters , including the party 's public opinion pollster Philip Gould , stated that after four consecutive general election defeats , from 1979 to 1992 , the Labour Party had to demonstrate that it had made a decisive break from its left-wing past , in order to win an election again .   In May 1997 , the Labour Party won a landslide general election victory , the largest in its history , allowing Blair , at 43 years old , to become the youngest Prime Minister since 1812 . In September 1997 , Blair attained early personal popularity , receiving a 93 % public approval rating , after his public response to the death of Princess Diana . The Labour Party went on to win two more elections under his leadership : in 2001 , in which it won another landslide victory , and in 2005 , with a reduced majority . In the first years of the New Labour government , Blair 's government introduced the National Minimum Wage Act , Human Rights Act , and Freedom of Information Act . Blair 's government also devolved power , establishing the Scottish Parliament , the National Assembly for Wales , and the Northern Ireland Assembly . In Northern Ireland , Blair was involved in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement .   Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of the Bush administration , and ensured that the British Armed Forces participated in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and , more controversially , the 2003 invasion of Iraq . Blair has faced strong criticism for his role in the invasion of Iraq , including calls for having him tried for war crimes and waging a war of aggression . In 2016 , the Iraq Inquiry strongly criticised his actions and described the invasion of Iraq as unjustified and unnecessary . Blair also intervened militarily in Kosovo and Sierra Leone .   Blair was succeeded as the leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister by Gordon Brown in June 2007 . On the day that Blair resigned as Prime Minister , he was appointed the official Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East , an office which he held until May 2015 . He now runs a consultancy business and has set up various foundations in his own name , including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation .


Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day.

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( -LSB- ˈʃɑːrlᵻmeɪn -RSB- ) or Charles the Great ( 2 April 742/747/74828 January 814 ) , numbered Charles I , was the King of the Franks from 768 , King of the Lombards from 774 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 . He united much of Europe during the early Middle Ages . He was the first recognised emperor in western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier . The expanded Frankish state that Charlemagne founded was called the Carolingian Empire .   Charlemagne was the oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon . He became king in 768 following his father 's death , initially as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carloman 's sudden death in 771 in unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom . He continued his father 's policy towards the papacy and became its protector , removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain . He campaigned against the Saxons to his east , Christianising them upon penalty of death and leading to events such as the Massacre of Verden . Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day at Old St. Peter 's Basilica .   Charlemagne has been called the `` Father of Europe '' ( Pater Europae ) , as he united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire . His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance , a period of energetic cultural and intellectual activity within the Western Church . All Holy Roman Emperors considered their kingdoms to be descendants of Charlemagne 's empire , up to the last Emperor Francis II and the French and German monarchies .   However , the Eastern Orthodox Church views Charlemagne more controversially , labelling as heterodox his support of the filioque and recognition by the Bishop of Rome as legitimate Roman Emperor , rather than recognising Irene of Athens of the Eastern Roman Empire . These and other machinations led to the eventual split of Rome and Constantinople in the Great Schism of 1054 .   Charlemagne died in 814 , having ruled as emperor for thirteen years . He was laid to rest in his imperial capital of Aachen in what is today Germany . He married at least four times and had three legitimate sons , but only his son Louis the Pious survived to succeed him .


Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley ( born February 15 , 1986 ) is an American actress , singer and author . She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee ( 2009 -- 15 ) . For her performance on the series , she won a Screen Actors Guild Award , and has been nominated for three Teen Choice Awards , three NAACP Image Awards , and three Grammy Awards .   In November 2016 , Riley led the West End debut of Dreamgirls. , playing the lead role of Effie White . In 2016 , Riley performed a song from ` Dreamgirls ' at the Royal Variety Performance in London in the presence of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall . She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2017 Olivier Awards for her role in Dreamgirls .   Riley won season 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013 and appeared as a judge on BBC One musical theatre talent show Let It Shine in 2017 .


Glee (TV series) Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19 , 2009 , to March 20 , 2015 . It focuses on the fictitious William McKinley High School glee club , New Directions , which competes on the show choir competition circuit while its disparate members deal with social issues , especially regarding sexuality and race , relationships , and learning to become an effective team . The initial twelve-member cast included club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester ( Matthew Morrison ) , cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch ) , guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury ( Jayma Mays ) , Will 's wife Terri ( Jessalyn Gilsig ) , and eight club members played by Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Amber Riley , Mark Salling , and Jenna Ushkowitz . In subsequent seasons , the main cast has expanded to fourteen and fifteen members .   The series was created by Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk , and Ian Brennan , the latter of whom first conceived of Glee as a film . The three wrote all of the show 's episodes for the first two seasons , and Murphy and Falchuk initially served as the show 's main directors . The pilot episode was broadcast on May 19 , 2009 , and the first season aired from September 9 , 2009 , to June 8 , 2010 . Subsequent seasons aired in September through May . The sixth and final season aired from January to March 2015 . Glee features on-screen performance-based musical numbers that were selected by Murphy , who aimed to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits , and produced by Adam Anders and Peer Åström . Songs covered in the show were released through the iTunes Store during the week of broadcast , and a series of Glee albums have been released by Columbia Records . The music of Glee has been a commercial success , with over thirty-six million digital single sales and eleven million album sales worldwide through October 2011 . The series ' merchandise also includes DVD and Blu-ray releases , an iPad application , and karaoke games for the Wii . There were live concert tours by the show 's cast after the first and second seasons completed shooting ; a concert film based on the 2011 tour , Glee : The 3D Concert Movie , was produced by Murphy and Fox and directed by Kevin Tancharoen .   During its first season , Glee received generally favorable reviews from critics , with Metacritic 's weighted average of 77 out of 100 based on eighteen critical reviews . The season was nominated for nineteen Emmy Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , six Satellite Awards and fifty-seven other awards , with wins including the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy , and Emmy awards for Jane Lynch , guest-star Neil Patrick Harris and Murphy 's direction of the pilot episode . In 2011 , the show once again won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series , and Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer won Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively , and Gwyneth Paltrow won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series . The show was also chosen by Fox to fill the coveted time slot that followed the network 's coverage of Super Bowl XLV in 2011 .   On October 17 , 2013 , in the wake of the death of Cory Monteith three months prior , and one week after his tribute episode `` The Quarterback '' aired , Murphy announced that the sixth season would be the final one of the series . After 121 episodes and over 728 music performances , Glee came to an end on March 20 , 2015 .


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