List of Presidents of the United States The President of the United States is the elected head of state and head of government of the United States . The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces . The president is indirectly elected to a four-year term by the people through an Electoral College ( or by the House of Representatives , should the Electoral College fail to award an absolute majority of votes to any person ) .   Since the office was established in 1789 , 44 people have served as president . The first , George Washington , won a unanimous vote of the Electoral College . Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms in office , and is counted as the nation 's 22nd and 24th president . Thus the incumbent , Donald Trump , is the nation 's 45th president . There are currently five living former presidents . The most recent death of a former president was on December 26 , 2006 with the death of Gerald Ford ; the most recently serving president to die was Ronald Reagan on June 5 , 2004 .   William Henry Harrison spent the shortest time in office , dying 31 days after taking office in 1841 . Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest , over twelve years , before dying early in his fourth term in 1945 ; he is the only president to have served more than two terms . Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1951 , no person may be elected president more than twice , and no one who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected may be elected more than once .   Of the individuals elected as president , four died in office of natural causes ( William Henry Harrison , Zachary Taylor , Warren G. Harding , and Franklin D. Roosevelt ) , four were assassinated ( Abraham Lincoln , James A. Garfield , William McKinley , and John F. Kennedy ) , and one resigned ( Richard Nixon ) . John Tyler was the first vice president to assume the presidency intra-term , and set the precedent that a vice president who does so becomes the fully functioning president with his own presidency , as opposed to a caretaker president . The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution put Tyler 's precedent into law in 1967 . It also established a mechanism by which an intra-term vacancy in the vice presidency could be filled . Richard Nixon was the first president to fill a vacancy under this Provision when he appointed Gerald Ford to the office . Later , Ford became the second to do so when he appointed Nelson Rockefeller to succeed him . Previously , an intra-term vacancy was left unfilled .   Throughout most of its history , politics of the United States have been dominated by political parties . The Constitution is silent on the issue of political parties , and at the time it came into force in 1789 , there were no parties . Soon after the 1st Congress convened , factions began rallying around dominant Washington Administration officials , such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson . Greatly concerned about the very real capacity of political parties to destroy the fragile unity holding the nation together , Washington remained unaffiliated with any political faction or party throughout his eight-year presidency . He was , and remains , the only U.S. president never to be affiliated with a political party . Since Washington , every president has been affiliated with a political party at the time they assumed office .


The Lion King tells a story about lions.

The Lion King The Lion King is a 1994 American animated epic musical film , produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It is the 32nd Disney animated feature film . The story takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa and was influenced by William Shakespeare 's Hamlet . The film was produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance . The Lion King was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff , produced by Don Hahn , and has a screenplay credited to Irene Mecchi , Jonathan Roberts , and Linda Woolverton . Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice , and original scores were written by Hans Zimmer . The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick , James Earl Jones , Jeremy Irons , Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Moira Kelly , Nathan Lane , Ernie Sabella , Rowan Atkinson , Robert Guillaume , Madge Sinclair , Whoopi Goldberg , Cheech Marin , and Jim Cummings .   The Lion King tells the story of Simba , a young lion who is to succeed his father , Mufasa , as King of the Pride Lands ; however , after Simba 's uncle Scar murders Mufasa , Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile . Upon maturation living with two wastrels , Simba is given some valuable perspective from his childhood friend , Nala , and his shaman , Rafiki , before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King .   Development of The Lion King began in 1988 during a meeting between Jeffrey Katzenberg , Roy E. Disney , and Peter Schneider while promoting Oliver & Company in Europe . Thomas Disch wrote a film treatment , and Woolverton developed the first scripts while George Scribner was signed on as director , being later joined by Allers . Production began in 1991 concurrently with Pocahontas , which wound up attracting most of Disney 's top animators . Some time after the staff traveled to Hell 's Gate National Park in Kenya to research on the film 's setting and animals , Scribner left production disagreeing with the decision to turn the film into a musical and was replaced by Minkoff . When Hahn joined the project , he was dissatisfied with the script and the story was promptly rewritten . Nearly 20 minutes of animation sequences were produced at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida . Computer animation was also used in several scenes , most notably in the wildebeest stampede sequence .   The Lion King was released on June 15 , 1994 , to a positive reaction from critics , who praised the film for its music , story , and animation ; it finished its theatrical run as the highest-grossing release of 1994 and the second highest-grossing film of all time . The Lion King garnered two Academy Awards for its achievement in music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy . The film has led to many derived works , such as a Broadway adaptation ; two direct-to-video follow-ups -- the sequel , The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride ( 1998 ) , and the prequel/parallel , The Lion King 1 1/2 ( 2004 ) -- ; two television series , Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard ; and a 3D re-release , in 2011 .   In 2016 , the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .   A CGI live-action remake of the film is scheduled for a July 19 , 2019 release in the United States .


One Direction's Where We Are Tour was the highest grossing concert tour in 2016.

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


Jim Carrey played the character Colonel Stars and Stripes in Kick-Ass 2.

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey ( -LSB- ˈkæri -RSB- born January 17 , 1962 ) is a Canadian-American actor , comedian , impressionist , screenwriter , and producer . He is known for his highly energetic slapstick performances .   Carrey first gained recognition in 1990 after landing a recurring role in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color . His first leading roles in major productions came with Ace Ventura : Pet Detective ( 1994 ) , Dumb and Dumber ( 1994 ) , The Mask ( 1994 ) , and Ace Ventura : When Nature Calls ( 1995 ) , as well as a supporting role in Batman Forever ( 1995 ) and a lead role in Liar Liar ( 1997 ) . He then starred in The Truman Show ( 1998 ) and Man on the Moon ( 1999 ) , with each garnering him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor .   In the 2000s , he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( 2000 ) , as well as Bruce Almighty ( 2003 ) , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 ) for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , Lemony Snicket 's A Series of Unfortunate Events ( 2004 ) , Fun with Dick and Jane ( 2005 ) , Yes Man ( 2008 ) , Horton Hears a Who ! ( 2008 ) and A Christmas Carol ( 2009 ) .   In the 2010s , he has starred in Mr. Popper 's Penguins ( 2011 ) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone ( 2013 ) . In 2013 , he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 as Colonel Stars and Stripes . He retracted support for the film two months prior to its release . He issued a statement via his Twitter account that , in light of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary , '' -LSB- N -RSB- ow in all good conscience I can not support that level of violence . '' Carrey reprised his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber To ( 2014 ) .


Tender Mercies Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford . The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge , a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas . Robert Duvall plays the role of Mac ; the supporting cast includes Tess Harper , Betty Buckley , Wilford Brimley , Ellen Barkin and Allan Hubbard .   Financed by EMI Films , Tender Mercies was shot largely in Waxahachie , Texas . The script was rejected by several American directors before the Australian Beresford accepted it . Duvall , who sang his own songs in the film , drove more than 600 mi throughout the state , tape recording local accents and playing in country music bands to prepare for the role . He and Beresford repeatedly clashed during production , at one point prompting the director to walk off the set and reportedly consider quitting the film .   The film encompasses several different themes , including the importance of love and family , the possibility of spiritual resurrection amid death , and the concept of redemption through Mac Sledge 's conversion to Christianity . Following poor test screening results , distributor Universal Pictures made little effort to publicize Tender Mercies , which Duvall attributed to the studio 's lack of understanding of country music .   The film was released on March 4 , 1983 , in a limited number of theaters . Although unsuccessful at the box office , it was critically acclaimed and earned five Academy Award nominations , including one for Best Picture . Tender Mercies won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay for Foote and Best Actor for Duvall .


Ancient Algeria has known only a couple empires and dynasties.

Algeria Algeria ( الجزائر ; ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ , Dzayer ; Algérie ) , officially the People 's Democratic Republic of Algeria , is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast . Its capital and most populous city is Algiers , located in the country 's far north . With an area of 2381741 km2 , Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world , and the largest in Africa . Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia , to the east by Libya , to the west by Morocco , to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory , Mauritania , and Mali , to the southeast by Niger , and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes ( counties ) . Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been President since 1999 .   Ancient Algeria has known many empires and dynasties , including ancient Numidians , Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Romans , Vandals , Byzantines , Umayyads , Abbasids , Idrisid , Aghlabid , Rustamid , Fatimids , Zirid , Hammadids , Almoravids , Almohads , Spaniards , Ottomans and the French colonial empire . Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Algeria .   Algeria is a regional and middle power . The North African country supplies large amounts of natural gas to Europe , and energy exports are the backbone of the economy . According to OPEC Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa , while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas . Sonatrach , the national oil company , is the largest company in Africa . Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget on the continent ; most of Algeria 's weapons are imported from Russia , with whom they are a close ally . Algeria is a member of the African Union , the Arab League , OPEC , the United Nations and is the founding member of the Maghreb Union .


Pirates of the Caribbean had more than one writer.

Pirates of the Caribbean (film series) Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and based on Walt Disney 's theme park ride of the same name .   Directors of the series include Gore Verbinski ( 1 -- 3 ) , Rob Marshall ( 4 ) , and Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg ( 5 ) . The series is primarily written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio ( 1 -- 4 ) ; other writers include Stuart Beattie ( 1 ) , Jay Wolpert ( 1 ) , and Jeff Nathanson ( 5 ) . The stories follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp ) , Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom ) , and Elizabeth Swann ( Keira Knightley ) . Characters such as Hector Barbossa ( Geoffrey Rush ) and Joshamee Gibbs ( Kevin McNally ) follow Jack , Will , and Elizabeth in the course of the films . The fourth film features Blackbeard ( Ian McShane ) and Angelica ( Penélope Cruz ) , while the fifth film features Armando Salazar ( Javier Bardem ) , Henry Turner ( Brenton Thwaites ) and Carina Smyth ( Kaya Scodelario ) . The films take place in a fictional historical setting ; a world ruled by the British Empire , the East India Trading Company ( based on the real East India Company ) , and the Spanish Empire , with pirates representing freedom from the ruling powers .   The film series started in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl , which received positive reviews from the critics and grossed US$ 654 million worldwide . After the first film 's success , Walt Disney Pictures revealed that a trilogy was in the works . The franchise 's second film , subtitled Dead Man 's Chest , was released three years later in 2006 ; the sequel proved successful , breaking financial records worldwide the day of its premiere . Dead Man 's Chest ended up being the number one film of the year upon earning almost $ 1.1 billion at the worldwide box office . The third film in the series , subtitled At World 's End , followed in 2007 , and Disney released a fourth film , subtitled On Stranger Tides , in 2011 in conventional 2D , Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D . On Stranger Tides succeeded in also grossing more than $ 1 billion , becoming the second film in the franchise and only the eighth film in history to achieve this .   So far , the film franchise has grossed $ 4 billion worldwide ; it is the ninth highest-grossing film series of all-time and it was the first franchise where more than one film grossed $ 1 billion worldwide .


Cloud Atlas premiered at a 21st century film festival.

Cloud Atlas (film) Cloud Atlas is a 2012 German-American science fiction film written and directed by The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer . Adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name by David Mitchell , the film has multiple plots set across six different eras , which Mitchell described as `` a sort of pointillist mosaic . '' The official synopsis describes it as `` an exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past , present and future , as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero , and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution . '' Tom Hanks , Halle Berry , and Jim Broadbent lead an ensemble cast .   The film was produced by Grant Hill , Stefan Arndt , the Wachowskis , and Tykwer . During four years of development , the project met difficulties securing financial support ; it was eventually produced with a $ 102 million budget provided by independent sources , making it one of the most expensive independent films of all time . Production began in September 2011 at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg , Germany .   It premiered on 8 September 2012 at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival and was released on 26 October 2012 in conventional and IMAX cinemas . It polarized critics , and has been included on various Best Film and Worst Film lists . It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for Tykwer ( who co-scored the film ) , Johnny Klimek , and Reinhold Heil . It received several nominations at the Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film , winning for Best Editing and Best Make-up .


Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 , 1962 ) , known professionally as Tom Cruise , is an American actor and producer . He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards . He started his career at age 19 in the film Endless Love ( 1981 ) . After portraying supporting roles in Taps ( 1981 ) and The Outsiders ( 1983 ) , his first leading role was in the romantic comedy Risky Business , released in August 1983 . Cruise became a full-fledged movie star after starring as Pete `` Maverick '' Mitchell in the action drama Top Gun ( 1986 ) . One of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood , Cruise starred in several more successful films in the 1980s , including the dramas The Color of Money ( 1986 ) , Cocktail ( 1988 ) , Rain Man ( 1988 ) , and Born on the Fourth of July ( 1989 ) .   In the 1990s , he starred in a number of hit films , including the romance Far and Away ( 1992 ) , the drama A Few Good Men ( 1992 ) , the legal thriller The Firm ( 1993 ) , the drama horror film Interview with the Vampire ( 1994 ) , the romantic comedy-drama sports film Jerry Maguire ( 1996 ) , the erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut , and the drama Magnolia ( both 1999 ) . Since 1996 , Cruise has been well known for his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission : Impossible film series , whose most recent film , Mission : Impossible -- Rogue Nation , was released in 2015 .   In the 2000s , Cruise starred in a number of successful films , including the science fiction thrillers Vanilla Sky ( 2001 ) and Minority Report ( 2002 ) , the epic war film The Last Samurai ( 2003 ) , the crime film Collateral ( 2004 ) , the science fiction disaster thriller War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) , and the historical thriller Valkyrie ( 2008 ) .   In the 2010s , he has starred in the action comedy Knight and Day ( 2010 ) , the thriller Jack Reacher ( 2012 ) , the post-apocalyptic science fiction film Oblivion ( 2013 ) , and the military science fiction film Edge of Tomorrow ( 2014 ) . In 2012 , Cruise was Hollywood 's highest-paid actor . 16 of his films grossed over $ 100 million domestically ; 22 have grossed in excess of $ 200 million worldwide .   He has won Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Drama in 1990 for Born on the Fourth of July ; Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Comedy/Musical in 1997 for Jerry Maguire ; and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in 2000 for Magnolia . In 2002 , Cruise won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for Vanilla Sky . In 2003 , he won an AFI Movie of the Year Award for The Last Samurai and an Empire Award for Best Actor for Minority Report .   Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology and its associated social programs , and credits it with helping him overcome dyslexia . In the 2000s , his criticisms of psychiatry and anti-depressant drugs , particularly therapy for 9/11 rescue workers , and efforts to promote Scientology as a religion in Europe , sparked controversies , as did a leaked video interview of him promoting Scientology .


Vanilla Sky Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film directed , written , and co-produced by Cameron Crowe . It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábar 's 1997 Spanish film Open Your Eyes , which was written by Amenábar and Mateo Gil , with Penélope Cruz reprising her role from the original film . The film has been described as `` an odd mixture of science fiction , romance and reality warp '' .   Vanilla Sky stars Tom Cruise , Penelope Cruz , and Cameron Diaz with Jason Lee and Kurt Russell appearing in supporting roles . It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song , as well as Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award nominations for Cameron Diaz 's performance . The soundtrack was also critically acclaimed . Vanilla Sky was released on Blu-ray on June 30 , 2015 in North America .


Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson ( June 7 , 1958 -- April 21 , 2016 ) was an American singer-songwriter , actor , multi-instrumentalist , philanthropist , dancer and record producer . He was a musical innovator who was known for his eclectic work , flamboyant stage presence , extravagant dress and makeup , and wide vocal range . His music integrates a wide variety of styles , including funk , rock , R&B , new wave , soul , psychedelia , and pop . He has sold over 100 million records worldwide , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time . He won seven Grammy Awards , an American Music Award , a Golden Globe Award , and an Academy Award for the film Purple Rain . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 , his first year of eligibility . Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists , `` the most influential artists of the rock & roll era '' .   Prince was born in Minneapolis , Minnesota , and developed an interest in music as a young child . He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 18 , and released his debut album For You in 1978 . His 1979 album Prince went platinum , and his next three records -- Dirty Mind ( 1980 ) , Controversy ( 1981 ) , and 1999 ( 1982 ) -- continued his success , showcasing Prince 's prominently sexual lyrics and blending of funk , dance , and rock music . In 1984 , he began referring to his backup band as the Revolution and released Purple Rain , the soundtrack album to his eponymous 1984 film debut . It quickly became his most critically and commercially successful release , spending 24 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 and selling over 20 million units worldwide . After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day ( 1985 ) and Parade ( 1986 ) , The Revolution disbanded , and Prince released the double album Sign o ' the Times ( 1987 ) as a solo artist . He released three more solo albums before debuting the New Power Generation band in 1991 .   In 1993 , while in a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. , he changed his stage name to , an unpronounceable symbol also known as the `` Love Symbol '' , and began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations . He released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998 . In 2000 , he began referring to himself as `` Prince '' again . He released 16 albums after that , including the platinum-selling Musicology ( 2004 ) . His final album , Hit n Run Phase Two , was first released on the Tidal streaming service on December 12 , 2015 . Prince died from a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen , Minnesota , on April 21 , 2016 , at the age of 57 .


Musicology (album) Musicology is the twenty-eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince . It was released on April 20 , 2004 by NPG Records and distributed by Columbia Records . The album proved to be his most successful in years , reaching the Top 5 of the album charts in the United States , United Kingdom , Germany , and many other countries .   Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label ( Sony Music ) and , being partially recorded in Mississauga , Ontario , Canada , was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years . Musicology is R&B themed .   At the end of the song `` Musicology '' snippets of `` Kiss '' , `` Little Red Corvette '' , `` Sign o ' the Times '' , `` 17 Days '' , `` If I Was Your Girlfriend '' , as well as `` Illusion , Coma , Pimp & Circumstance '' can be heard . At the time of release Prince was quoted as saying he wished the album to provide musical education to listeners .


Hit n Run Phase Two Hit n Run Phase Two is the thirty-ninth and final studio album by American recording artist Prince and the last to be released before his death on April 21 , 2016 . It was initially released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on December 12 , 2015 for streaming and purchase as a continuation of his previous album , Hit n Run Phase One .   Prince confirmed on Twitter that a physical CD would be released during a weekend of Paisley Park shows in January 2016 . The CD was given away to attendees of the shows on the Australian and New Zealand leg of the Piano & A Microphone Tour . The album was finally given a worldwide CD release on May 6 , 2016 through Universal Music Group .


Barbara Stanwyck acted in Double Indemnity.

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck ( born Ruby Catherine Stevens ; July 16 , 1907 -- January 20 , 1990 ) was an American actress , model and dancer . She was a film and television star , known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong , realistic screen presence , and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille , Fritz Lang , and Frank Capra . After a short but notable career as a stage actress in the late 1920s , she made 85 films in 38 years in Hollywood , before turning to television .   Orphaned at the age of four and partially raised in foster homes , by 1944 Stanwyck had become the highest-paid woman in the United States . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress four times , for Stella Dallas ( 1937 ) , Ball of Fire ( 1941 ) , Double Indemnity ( 1944 ) and Sorry , Wrong Number ( 1948 ) . For her television work , she won three Emmy Awards , for The Barbara Stanwyck Show ( 1961 ) , The Big Valley ( 1966 ) and The Thorn Birds ( 1983 ) . Her performance in The Thorn Birds also won her a Golden Globe . She received an Honorary Oscar at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1986 . She was also the recipient of honorary lifetime awards from the American Film Institute ( 1987 ) , the Film Society of Lincoln Center ( 1986 ) , the Los Angeles Film Critics Association ( 1981 ) and the Screen Actors Guild ( 1967 ) . Stanwyck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 , and was ranked as the 11th greatest female star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute .


Plato Plato ( -LSB- ˈpleɪtoʊ -RSB- Greek : Πλάτων Plátōn , -LSB- plá.tɔːn -RSB- in Classical Attic ; 428/427 or 424/423 -- 348/347 BCE ) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens , the first institution of higher learning in the Western world . He is widely considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy , especially the Western tradition . Unlike nearly all of his philosophical contemporaries , Plato 's entire work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years .   Along with his teacher , Socrates , and his most famous student , Aristotle , Plato laid the very foundations of Western philosophy and science . Alfred North Whitehead once noted : `` the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato . '' In addition to being a foundational figure for Western science , philosophy , and mathematics , Plato has also often been cited as one of the founders of Western religion and spirituality . Plato 's influence on Christianity is often thought to be mediated by his major influence on Saint Augustine of Hippo , one of the most important philosophers and theologians in the foundation of the Western thought . In the 19th century the philosopher Nietzsche criticized Christianity by saying it 's `` Platonism for the people '' . Numenius of Apamea viewed this differently , he called Plato the Hellenic Moses . This would justify the superiority of Christianity over Hellenism because Moses predates Plato - thus the original source of this wisdom is the root of Christianity and not Hellenistic culture .   Plato was the innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy . Plato appears to have been the founder of Western political philosophy , with his Republic , and Laws among other dialogues , providing some of the earliest extant treatments of political questions from a philosophical perspective . Plato 's own most decisive philosophical influences are usually thought to have been Socrates , Parmenides , Heraclitus and Pythagoras , although few of his predecessors ' works remain extant and much of what we know about these figures today derives from Plato himself .   The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes Plato as '' ... one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating , wide-ranging , and influential authors in the history of philosophy . ... He was not the first thinker or writer to whom the word `` philosopher '' should be applied . But he was so self-conscious about how philosophy should be conceived , and what its scope and ambitions properly are , and he so transformed the intellectual currents with which he grappled , that the subject of philosophy , as it is often conceived -- a rigorous and systematic examination of ethical , political , metaphysical , and epistemological issues , armed with a distinctive method -- can be called his invention . Few other authors in the history of Western philosophy approximate him in depth and range : perhaps only Aristotle ( who studied with him ) , Aquinas and Kant would be generally agreed to be of the same rank . ''


Portugal Portugal ( Portuguese : -LSB- puɾtuˈɣaɫ -RSB- ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( -LSB- República Portuguesa , links = no -RSB- ) ( Portuguese : -LSB- ʁɨ ` publikɐ puɾtu ' ɣezɐ -RSB- ) In recognized minority languages of Portugal :  República Pertuesa is a sovereign state located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe . To the west and south it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain . The Portugal -- Spain border is 1214 km long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union . The republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments .   The territory of modern Portugal has been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The Pre-Celts , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic and the Suebi Germanic peoples . Portugal as a country was born in the aftermath of the Christian Reconquista against the Moors who had invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD and occupied most of it ever since . Precipitated by the seminal event for its foundation , the Battle of São Mamede , where Portuguese forces led by Afonso Henriques defeated forces led by his mother Theresa of Portugal and her lover Fernão Peres de Trava , which established the nation 's sovereignty against rival neighbor kingdoms . Following São Mamede , the future king styled himself Prince of Portugal . He would be proclaimed King of Portugal in the Battle of Ourique in 1139 and was recognised as such by neighbouring kingdoms in 1143 .   In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers . During this time , Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery , notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King João II , with such notable discoveries as Bartolomeu Dias 's reach of the Cape of Good Hope ( 1488 ) , the Vasco da Gama 's sea route to India ( 1497 -- 98 ) and the discovery of Brazil ( 1500 ) . Portugal monopolized the spice trade during this time , and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia . But the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake , the country 's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars , the independence of Brazil ( 1822 ) , and the Liberal Wars ( 1828 -- 34 ) , all left Portugal crippled from war and diminished in its world power .   After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy , the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established , later being superseded by the Estado Novo right-wing authoritarian regime . Democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974 . Shortly after , independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories . The handover of Macau to China in 1999 marked the end of the longest-lived colonial empire . Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today .   Portugal is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard . It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world , maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government . It has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world , putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France , Spain and Italy . A founding member of NATO and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , it is also a member of numerous other international organizations , including the United Nations , the European Union , the eurozone , and the OECD .   Portugal is a pioneer when it comes to drug decriminalization , as the nation decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use in 2001 .   LGBT rights in Portugal have improved substantially in the past two decades and are now among the best in the world . Moreover , after years of investment and cooperation , Portugal marked a climax on renewable energy worldwide in 2016 , when it was powered for 107 consecutive hours exclusively by wind , sun , and water , which advocates say further shows fossil fuels are indeed replaceable .


Pineapple Express (film) Pineapple Express is a 2008 American stoner action comedy film directed by David Gordon Green , written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Rogen and James Franco . The plot concerns a process server and his marijuana dealer friend forced to flee from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing them commit a murder . Producer Judd Apatow , who previously worked with Rogen and Goldberg on Knocked Up and Superbad , assisted in developing the story , which was partially inspired by the bromantic comedy subgenre .   Columbia Pictures released the film on August 6 , 2008 , and it grossed $ 101.6 million worldwide . Franco was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in the film .


Carol Leifer Carol Leifer ( -LSB- ˈliːfər -RSB- ;  born July 27 , 1956 ) is a four-time Emmy Award-nominated American comedian , writer , producer and actress whose career as a stand-up comedian started in the 1970s when she was in college . David Letterman discovered her performing in a comedy club in the 1980s and she has since been a guest on Late Night with David Letterman over twenty-five times as well as numerous other shows and venues . She has written many television scripts including for The Larry Sanders Show , Saturday Night Live and most notably , Seinfeld .   Leifer 's inner-monologue driven , observational style is often autobiographical encompassing subjects about her Jewish ancestry and upbringing , coming out , same-sex marriage , relationships ( having been married previously to a man and now partnered with a woman ) and parenting .


Believe cemented Cher's position at the war table.

Believe (Cher song) `` Believe '' is a song recorded by American singer-actress Cher . It is the title track from her twenty-second album of the same name ( 1998 ) , and was released as the lead single from the album on October 19 , 1998 by Warner Bros. . Records . It was written by Brian Higgins , Stuart McLennen , Paul Barry , Steven Torch , Matthew Gray and Timothy Powell , although Cher claimed later in a 2000 interview that she also wrote part , and was produced by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling . A considerable departure from Cher 's work at the time , `` Believe '' abandoned the singer 's then pop rock-based repertoire in favor of being more club-friendly , in order to engage a younger audience .   `` Believe '' is an upbeat dance-pop song . The song is one of the first commercial recordings to feature the audio processor software Auto-Tune as a vocal effect , used to produce the prominent altered effect on Cher 's vocals . This technique would eventually become known as the `` Cher effect '' . Lyrically , the song is about the personal empowerment and self-sufficiency after a painful break-up . Critically , `` Believe '' has been met with appreciation ever since its release ; reviewers have praised its production , catchiness and club-friendly nature , and listed it as one of the singer 's career highlights . The song was also nominated for two Grammy Awards ; for Record of the Year and Best Dance Recording , winning the latter .   Commercially , the song attained immense global success , reaching number one in almost every country it charted , including Australia , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Spain , France , Germany , Italy and the United States . It earned Cher a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest female solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart . It also became the highest-selling single by a solo female artist in the United Kingdom . `` Believe '' remains one of the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over 11 million copies worldwide .   The music video for `` Believe '' , directed by Nigel Dick , showed Cher in a nightclub performing the song in two different sequences : one in which she is seen performing the song on stage and the other as a supernatural being locked in a cage . Cher has performed the song in a number of live appearances , including in three of her concert tours , most recently the Dressed to Kill Tour in 2014 . It has been covered by a number of artists , and has been featured in several elements of popular culture . Scholars and academics noted the way in which Cher was able to re-invent herself and remain fresh and contemporary amidst the more teen pop-based music of the period . They also credited `` Believe '' as the song which restored the singer 's popularity and cemented her position as a pop culture icon .


War Dogs (2016 film) War Dogs is a 2016 American biographical black comedy-drama film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Phillips , Jason Smilovic and Stephen Chin , based on a Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson . Lawson then wrote a book titled Arms and the Dudes detailing the story . The film follows two arms dealers , Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz , who receive a US Army contract to supply munitions for the Afghan National Army worth approximately $ 300 million . The film is heavily fictionalized and dramatized , and some of its events , such as the duo driving through Iraq , were either invented or based on other events , such as screenwriter Stephen Chin 's own experiences .   The film stars Jonah Hill , Miles Teller , Ana de Armas and Bradley Cooper , who also co-produced . Filming began on March 2 , 2015 in Romania . The film premiered in New York City on August 3 , 2016 and was theatrically released by Warner Bros. . Pictures on August 19 , 2016 . It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $ 86 million . Hill received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance .


Will Turner's father has been in service to Davy Jones for ten years.

Will Turner William `` Will '' Turner , Jr. is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films . He appears in The Curse of the Black Pearl ( 2003 ) , Dead Man 's Chest ( 2006 ) , At World 's End ( 2007 ) and Dead Men Tell No Tales ( 2017 ) . He is portrayed by Orlando Bloom ( and as a child by Dylan Smith in the prologue of The Curse of the Black Pearl ) .   William Turner is a blacksmith 's apprentice working in Port Royal , Jamaica . He secretly loves the governor 's daughter , Elizabeth Swann ( played by Keira Knightley ) , although he occupies a lower social class than she does . Will is the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner , and he works to free his father from service to Davy Jones . He marries Elizabeth Swann in At World 's End , and they have a son named Henry .


The Comeback premiered on June 5th, 2005.

The Comeback (TV series) The Comeback is an American television comedy-drama series produced by HBO that stars actress Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles . It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King , a former executive producer of Sex and the City . Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series , with King also serving as the director of some episodes . The series premiered on HBO on June 5 , 2005 and aired for a single , 13-episode season before being canceled . The series was revived nine years later and an eight-episode second season aired on HBO beginning on November 9 , 2014 .   The show , a satirical , comedic look inside the entertainment television industry , is shot by a two-camera crew . Season 1 is presented as found footage shot for the fictional reality show within The Comeback , also called The Comeback . Season 2 is presented as found footage shot by a camera crew originally commissioned by Valerie to pitch a pilot to noted reality TV producer Andy Cohen , later repurposed as behind the scenes web content , and then into a full-scale documentary .   Kudrow has said that she , King , and HBO are all interested in producing a third season of the series .


Wyatt Earp was anything except a Deputy U.S. Marshal.

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp ( March 19 , 1848 -- January 13 , 1929 ) was an American Old West gambler , a deputy sheriff in Pima County , and deputy town marshal in Tombstone , Arizona Territory , who took part in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral , during which lawmen killed three outlaw cowboys . He is often regarded as the central figure in the shootout in Tombstone , although his brother Virgil was Tombstone city marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal that day , and had far more experience as a sheriff , constable , marshal , and soldier in combat .   Earp lived a restless life . He was at different times a constable , city policeman , county sheriff , Deputy U.S. Marshal , teamster , buffalo hunter , bouncer , saloon-keeper , gambler , brothel keeper , miner , and boxing referee . Earp spent his early life in Iowa . In 1870 , Earp married his first wife , Urilla Sutherland Earp , who contracted typhoid fever and died shortly before their first child was to be born . During the next two years Earp was arrested for stealing a horse , escaped from jail , sued twice , and was arrested and fined three times during the course of 1872 for `` keeping and being found in a house of ill-fame '' . His third arrest was subject of a lengthy account in the `` Daily Transcript '' which referred to him as an `` old offender '' and nicknamed him the `` Peoria Bummer '' .   By 1874 he had arrived in the cattle boomtown of Wichita , Kansas where his brother had opened a brothel . On April 21 , 1875 he was appointed to the Wichita police force , and developed a solid reputation as a lawman . In April 1876 he was dismissed from his position as a lawman following an altercation with a political opponent of his boss which led to him being fined $ 30 . In 1876 , he followed his brother James to Dodge City , Kansas , where he became an assistant city marshal . In winter 1878 , he went to Texas to track down an outlaw and met John `` Doc '' Holliday , whom Earp later credited with saving his life .   Earp moved constantly throughout his life from one boomtown to another . He left Dodge City in 1879 and moved to Tombstone with his brothers James and Virgil , where a silver boom was underway . There , the Earps clashed with a loose federation of outlaws known as the Cowboys . Wyatt , Virgil , and their younger brother Morgan held various law enforcement positions that put them in conflict with Tom and Frank McLaury , and Ike and Billy Clanton , who threatened on several occasions to kill the Earps . The conflict escalated over the next year , culminating on October 26 , 1881 in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral , in which the Earps and Holliday killed three of the Cowboys . In the next five months , Virgil was ambushed and maimed , and Morgan was assassinated . Pursuing a vendetta , Wyatt , his brother Warren , Holliday , and others formed a federal posse that killed three of the Cowboys whom they thought responsible . Wyatt was never wounded in any of the gunfights in which he took part , unlike his brothers Virgil and James , or his friend , Doc Holliday , which only added to his mystique after his death .   Earp was a lifelong gambler and was always looking for a quick way to make money . After leaving Tombstone , Earp went to San Francisco where he reunited with Josephine Earp . She became his common-law wife . They joined a gold rush to Eagle City , Idaho , where they owned mining interests and a saloon . They left there to race horses and open a saloon during a real estate boom in San Diego , California . Back in San Francisco , Wyatt raced horses again , but his reputation suffered irreparably when he refereed the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey boxing match and called a foul that led many to believe that he fixed the fight . They moved briefly to Yuma , Arizona before joining the Nome Gold Rush in 1899 . In partnership with Charlie Hoxie they opened a two-story saloon called the Dexter and made an estimated $ 80,000 ( about $ 2 million in 2017 dollars ) . Returning to the lower 48 , they opened another saloon in Tonopah , Nevada , the site of a new gold find . In about 1911 , Earp began working several mining claims in Vidal , California , retiring in the hot summers with Josephine to Los Angeles .   Wyatt Earp died on January 13 , 1929 . He was known as a Western lawman , gunfighter , and boxing referee . He had a notorious reputation for both his handling of the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey fight and his role in the O.K. Corral gunfight . This only began to change after his death when an extremely flattering biography was published in 1931 . It became a bestseller and created his reputation as a fearless lawman . Since then , Earp has been the subject of and model for numerous films , TV shows , biographies , and works of fiction that have increased his notoriety . He did , however , live to see himself being portrayed in the film Wild Bill Hickok , released in 1923 . Long after his death , he has many devoted detractors and admirers . Earp 's modern-day reputation is that of the Old West 's `` toughest and deadliest gunman of his day . ''


Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker ( born November 14 , 1975 ) is an American musician and producer , and the drummer for the rock band Blink-182 . Barker has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip-hop artists , and with the alternative rock band +44 , the rap rock group the Transplants , the alternative rock band Box Car Racer , and most recently with Antemasque . He was a frequent collaborator with the late DJ AM , and together they formed TRV$ DJAM .   After the split of his first band , Feeble , Barker began playing for the Aquabats in 1996 as the Baron Von Tito . He recorded one album with them , The Fury of The Aquabats ! , in 1997 . His career rose when he joined Blink-182 in 1998 . Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer , producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip hop , alternative rock , pop and country . He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs . Barker collaborated with artists ( including Game , Yelawolf , Tom Morello , Corey Taylor , Slaughterhouse , Raekwon , Busta Rhymes , RZA , Slash , and other musicians ) for his solo debut album , Give the Drummer Some , which was released on March 15 , 2011 .   In 2011 , he worked with Steve Aoki and Kid Cudi in Aoki 's hit single Cudi the Kid , as part of his album Wonderland , with Barker as lead drummer .   Aside from drumming , he founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004 . Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name . Rolling Stone referred to him as `` punk 's first superstar drummer . ''


Lectin Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins , macromolecules that are highly specific for sugar moieties .   Long before a deeper understanding of their numerous biological functions , the plant lectins , also known as phytohemagglutinins , were noted for their particular high specificity for foreign glycoconjugates ( e.g. those of fungi , invertebrates , and animals ) and used in biomedicine for blood cell testing and in biochemistry for fractionation .   Lectins perform recognition on the cellular and molecular level and play numerous roles in biological recognition phenomena involving cells , carbohydrates , and proteins . Lectins also mediate attachment and binding of bacteria and viruses to their intended targets . For example , it is hypothesized that some hepatitis C viral glycoproteins attach to C-type lectins on the host cell surface ( liver cells ) for infection .   Lectins may be disabled by specific mono - and oligosaccharides , which bind to ingested lectins from grains , legume , nightshade plants and dairy ; binding can prevent their attachment to the carbohydrates within the cell membrane . Some lectins may be powerful toxins as for instance ricin , and others have been incorporated into genetically engineered crops to transfer traits , such as resistance to pests and resistance to herbicides .


Ricin Ricin ( -LSB- ˈraɪsɪn -RSB- ) is a highly toxic , naturally occurring lectin ( a carbohydrate-binding protein ) produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant , Ricinus communis . A dose of purified ricin powder the size of a few grains of table salt can kill an adult human . The median lethal dose ( LD50 ) of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram of body weight if the exposure is from injection or inhalation ( 1.78 milligram for an average adult ) . Oral exposure to ricin is far less toxic as some of the poison is inactivated in the stomach . An estimated lethal oral dose in humans is approximately 1 milligram per kilogram .


Ty Cobb's place of birth is in rural Narrows.

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb ( December 18 , 1886 -- July 17 , 1961 ) , nicknamed The Georgia Peach , was an American Major League Baseball ( MLB ) outfielder . He was born in rural Narrows , Georgia . Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers , the last six as the team 's player-manager , and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics . In 1936 Cobb received the most votes of any player on the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame ballot , receiving 222 out of a possible 226 votes ( 98.2 % ) ; no other player received a higher percentage of votes until 1992 . In 1999 , editors at the Sporting News ranked Ty Cobb 3rd on their list of `` Baseball 's 100 Greatest Players '' .   Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 MLB records during his career . He still holds several records as of the end of the 2016 season , including the highest career batting average ( .366 or .367 , depending on source ) and most career batting titles with 11 ( or 12 , depending on source ) . He retained many other records for almost a half century or more , including most career hits until 1985 ( 4,189 or 4,191 , depending on source ) , most career runs ( 2,245 or 2,246 depending on source ) until 2001 , most career games played ( 3,035 ) and at bats ( 11,429 or 11,434 depending on source ) until 1974 , and the modern record for most career stolen bases ( 892 ) until 1977 . He still holds the career record for stealing home ( 54 times ) and for stealing second base , third base , and home in succession ( 5 times ) , and as the youngest player ever to compile 4,000 hits and score 2,000 runs . Cobb ranks fifth all-time in number of games played and committed 271 errors , the most by any American League ( AL ) outfielder .   Cobb 's legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style , which was described by the Detroit Free Press as `` daring to the point of dementia . '' Cobb himself wrote shortly before his death , `` In legend I am a sadistic , slashing , swashbuckling despot who waged war in the guise of sport . '' Cobb was notorious for sliding into bases feet first , with his spikes high .   Cobb 's legacy , which includes a large college scholarship fund for Georgia residents financed by his early investments in Coca-Cola and General Motors , has been tarnished by allegations of racism and violence , largely stemming from a couple of biographies that were released following his death . Cobb 's reputation as an extremely violent man was fanned by his first biographer , sportswriter Al Stump , whose stories about Cobb have been discredited as sensationalized , and in some part proven to be entirely fictional , while Cobb 's views on race evolved and mellowed after his retirement from baseball .


Philip V of Spain Philip V ( Felipe V , Philippe , Filippo 19 December 1683 -- 9 July 1746 ) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 15 January 1724 , when he abdicated in favour of his son Louis , and from 6 September 1724 , when he reassumed the throne upon his son 's death , to his own death 9 July 1746 .   Before his reign , Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a grandson of King Louis XIV . His father , Louis , the Grand Dauphin , had the strongest genealogical claim to the throne of Spain when it became vacant in 1700 . However , since neither the Grand Dauphin nor Philip 's older brother , Louis , Duke of Burgundy , could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne , King Charles II of Spain named Philip as his heir in his will . It was well known that the union of France and Spain under one monarch would upset the balance of power in Europe , such that other European powers would take steps to prevent it . Indeed , Philip 's accession in Spain provoked the 14-year War of the Spanish Succession , which continued until the Treaty of Utrecht forbade any future possibility of unifying the French and Spanish thrones .   Philip was the first member of the House of Bourbon to rule as king of Spain . The sum of his two reigns , 45 years and 21 days , is the longest in modern Spanish history .


Michael Fassbender only appeared in films directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Hunger (2008 film) Hunger is a 2008 British-Irish historical drama film directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender , Liam Cunningham , and Liam McMahon , about the 1981 Irish hunger strike . It was written by Enda Walsh and McQueen .   It premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival , winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for first-time filmmakers . It went on to win the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival , the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics , best picture from the Evening Standard British Film Awards , and received two BAFTA nominations , winning one . The film was also nominated for eight awards at the 2009 IFTAs , winning six at the event .   The film stars Fassbender as Bobby Sands , the Provisional Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) volunteer and MP who led the second IRA hunger strike and participated in the no wash protest ( led by Brendan `` The Dark '' Hughes ) in which Irish republican prisoners tried to regain political status after it had been revoked by the British government in 1976 . It dramatises events in the Maze Prison in the period leading up to the hunger strike and its aftermath .


Shame (2011 film) Shame is a 2011 British-American drama film directed and co-written by Steve McQueen , starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan as grown siblings . It was co-produced by Film4 and See-Saw Films . The film 's explicit scenes reflecting the protagonist 's sexual addiction resulted in a rating of NC-17 in the United States . Shame was released in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2012 .


Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender ( born 2 April 1977 ) is a German-born Irish actor . His feature film debut was in the fantasy war epic 300 ( 2007 ) as a Spartan warrior ; his earlier roles included various stage productions , as well as starring roles on television such as in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) and the Sky One fantasy drama Hex ( 2004 -- 05 ) . He first came to prominence for his role as IRA activist Bobby Sands in Hunger ( 2008 ) , for which he won a British Independent Film Award . Subsequent roles include in the independent film Fish Tank ( 2009 ) , as a Royal Marines lieutenant in Inglourious Basterds ( 2009 ) , as Edward Rochester in the 2011 film adaptation of Jane Eyre , as Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method ( 2011 ) , as a sentient android in Prometheus ( 2012 ) and its sequel , Alien : Covenant ( 2017 ) , and in the musical comedy-drama Frank ( 2014 ) as an eccentric musician loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom .   In 2011 , Fassbender debuted as the Marvel Comics antihero Magneto in X-Men : First Class , and went on to share the role with Ian McKellen in X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 ) , and reprise it again in X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) . Also in 2011 , Fassbender 's performance as a sex addict in Shame earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards . In 2013 , his role as slave owner Edwin Epps in the slavery epic 12 Years a Slave was similarly praised , earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor . In 2013 , Fassbender appeared in another Ridley Scott film , The Counselor . In 2015 , he portrayed the title role in the Danny Boyle-directed biopic Steve Jobs ( 2015 ) , and played Macbeth in Justin Kurzel 's adaptation of William Shakespeare 's play . For the former , he has received Academy Award , BAFTA , Golden Globe and SAG nominations . In 2015 , he produced the western Slow West , in which he also starred .


Fish Tank (film) Fish Tank is a 2009 British drama film written and directed by Andrea Arnold . The film is about Mia Williams , a volatile and socially isolated 15-year-old who lives with her single mother , Joanne . The mother 's new boyfriend , Conor , becomes attracted to Mia and has sex with her . Fish Tank was well-received and won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival . It also won the 2010 BAFTA for Best British Film . It was filmed in the Mardyke Estate in Havering , the town of Tilbury , and the A13 , and funded by BBC Films and the UK Film Council . The film was theatrically released on 11 September 2009 by Curzon Artificial Eye .


12 Years a Slave (film) 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 period drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup , a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington , D.C. , in 1841 and sold into slavery . Northup worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before being released . The first scholarly edition of Northup 's memoir , co-edited in 1968 by Sue Eakin and Joseph Logsdon , carefully retraced and validated the account and concluded it to be accurate . Other characters in the film were also real people , including Edwin and Mary Epps , and Patsey .   The film was directed by Steve McQueen . The screenplay was written by John Ridley . Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup . Michael Fassbender , Benedict Cumberbatch , Paul Dano , Paul Giamatti , Lupita Nyong ` o , Sarah Paulson , Brad Pitt , and Alfre Woodard are all featured in supporting roles . Principal photography took place in New Orleans , Louisiana , from June 27 to August 13 , 2012 . The locations used were four historic antebellum plantations : Felicity , Bocage , Destrehan , and Magnolia . Of the four , Magnolia is nearest to the actual plantation where Northup was held .   12 Years a Slave received widespread critical acclaim , and was named the best film of 2013 by several media outlets . It proved to be a box office success , earning over $ 187 million on a production budget of $ 22 million . The film won three Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Supporting Actress for Nyong ` o , and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ridley . The Best Picture win made McQueen the first black producer ever to have received the award and the first black director to have directed a Best Picture winner . The film was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama , and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts recognized it with the Best Film and the Best Actor award for Ejiofor .


Slow West Slow West is a 2015 British/New Zealand action western film written and directed by John Maclean in his directorial debut . It stars Kodi Smit-McPhee as a young man searching for his lost love in the American West , accompanied by a bounty hunter played by Michael Fassbender . It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 24 , 2015 , where it was awarded the Sundance Institute 's World Cinema Jury Prize : Dramatic Winner .   The film was first released on May 15 , 2015 in the United States , with a simultaneous release on video on demand .


Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt ( born January 27 , 1969 ) is an American stand-up comedian , writer , actor , and voice artist , known for roles such as Spencer Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens ( 1998 -- 2007 ) , voicing Remy in the film Ratatouille ( 2007 ) , and playing multiple identical brothers , the Koenigs , on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ( 2014 -- 17 ) . Oswalt has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special and a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his Netflix stand-up special Patton Oswalt : Talking for Clapping ( 2016 ) .


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 .


One of the largest cities in the world is in Russia.

Russia Russia ( -LSB- ˈrʌʃə -RSB- -LSB- Россия , Rossiya , rɐˈsʲijə -RSB- ) , also officially the Russian Federation ( -LSB- Российская Федерация , r = Rossiyskaya Federatsiya , p = rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə -RSB- ) , is a country in Eurasia . At 17075200 km2 , Russia is the largest country in the world by surface area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , and the ninth most populous , with over 144 million people at the end of March 2016 . The European western part of the country is much more populated and urbanised than the eastern ; about 77 % of the population live in European Russia . Russia 's capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world ; other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan .   Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe , Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms . From northwest to southeast , Russia shares land borders with Norway , Finland , Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania and Poland ( both with Kaliningrad Oblast ) , Belarus , Ukraine , Georgia , Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , China , Mongolia , and North Korea . It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the U.S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait .   The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ' ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states ; most of the Rus ' lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion and became tributaries of the nomadic Golden Horde in the 13th century . The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities , achieved independence from the Golden Horde , and came to dominate the cultural and political legacy of Kievan Rus ' . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east .   Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state . The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II , and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War . The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century , including the world 's first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space . By the end of 1990 , the Soviet Union had the world 's second largest economy , largest standing military in the world and the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction . Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 , fifteen independent republics emerged from the USSR : Russia , Ukraine , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Estonia , Georgia , Kyrgyzstan , Latvia , Lithuania , Moldova , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan ; the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and sole successor state of the Soviet Union . It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic .   The Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015 . Russia 's extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world , making it one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas globally . The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction . Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower . It is permanent member of the United Nations Security Council , as well as a member of the G20 , the Council of Europe , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) , the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO ) , the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , as well as being the leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) , the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) and one of the five members of the Eurasian Economic Union ( EEU ) , along with Armenia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , and Kyrgyzstan .


Katy Perry appeared in a computer-animated comedy movie.

The Smurfs (film) The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D live-action/computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the comic book series of the same name created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo . It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Hank Azaria , Neil Patrick Harris , Jayma Mays and Sofía Vergara , with Jonathan Winters and Katy Perry as the voices of Papa Smurf and Smurfette . It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film produced by Sony Pictures Animation , and the first in The Smurfs duology . The film tells the story of the Smurfs as they get lost in New York , and try to find a way to get back home before Gargamel catches them .   After five years of negotiations , Jordan Kerner bought the rights in 2002 , and the film entered development with Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies , until Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation obtained the film rights in 2008 . Filming began in March 2010 in New York City .   After having the release date changed three times , Columbia Pictures released The Smurfs on July 29 , 2011 . Box office analysts initially predicted the film would tie with Cowboys & Aliens , but The Smurfs ultimately came in second , grossing $ 35.6 million against Cowboys & Aliens $ 36.4 million gross . The Smurfs reached the $ 500 million milestone in the weekend of September 23 -- 25 , 2011 .   A sequel , titled The Smurfs 2 , was released on July 31 , 2013 .


Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson ( born October 25 , 1984 ) , known professionally as Katy Perry , is an American singer and songwriter . After singing in church during her childhood , she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager . Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson under her birth name in 2001 , which was commercially unsuccessful . She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations and she subsequently began working with producers Glen Ballard , Dr. Luke , and Max Martin . After adopting the stage name Katy Perry and being dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records , she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in April 2007 .   Perry rose to fame in 2008 with the release of the singles `` I Kissed a Girl '' -- which sparked controversy for its sapphic themes -- and `` Hot n Cold '' from her second album , a pop rock record titled One of the Boys . Her third album , Teenage Dream ( 2010 ) , ventured into disco , and contained the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles `` California Gurls '' , `` Teenage Dream '' , `` Firework '' , `` E.T. '' , and `` Last Friday Night ( T.G.I.F. ) '' as well as the number-three single `` The One That Got Away '' . The album became the first by a female artist to produce five number-one songs in the U.S. , and the second overall after Michael Jackson 's album Bad . In March 2012 , she re-issued the album as Teenage Dream : The Complete Confection , which produced the songs `` Part of Me '' and `` Wide Awake '' . Her fourth album , Prism , was released in 2013 , and is influenced by pop and dance . She became the first artist with multiple videos to reach one billion views on Vevo with the videos for its songs `` Roar '' and `` Dark Horse '' .   Perry has received many awards , including four Guinness World Records , a Brit Award , and a Juno Award , and been included in the Forbes list of `` Top-Earning Women In Music '' ( 2011 -- 2016 ) . Her estimated net worth as of 2016 is $ 125 million . She is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time , having sold 100 million records globally throughout her career . In film , she released an autobiographical documentary titled Katy Perry : Part of Me in 2012 , and voiced Smurfette in the 2011 film The Smurfs and its sequel in 2013 .


The Smurfs 2 The Smurfs 2 is a 2013 American 3D live-action/computer-animated comedy film and a sequel to the 2011 film The Smurfs . It is loosely based on The Smurfs comic-book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo . It is the second and final installment of a projected duology , produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Columbia Pictures . The film is directed by Raja Gosnell , who helmed the first , with all the main cast returning . New cast members include Christina Ricci and J. B. Smoove as members of the Naughties , and Brendan Gleeson as Patrick Winslow 's stepfather . The film was released on July 31 , 2013 and is dedicated to Jonathan Winters , who voiced Papa Smurf and died on April 11 , 2013 .   Its gross of $ 347 million was seen by Sony as a disappointment , which Box Office Mojo labelled as `` an unprecedented drop for a closely-timed family sequel '' and attributed to the negative reception of the first film and to the strong competition coming from another family sequel Despicable Me 2 .


A The Silence of the Lambs character is serial killer Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb.

The Silence of the Lambs (film) The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American horror-thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , and Scott Glenn . Adapted by Ted Tally from the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris , his second to feature the character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter ; a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer , the film was the second adaptation of a Harris novel featuring Lecter , preceded by the Michael Mann-directed Manhunter in 1986 . In the film , Clarice Starling , a young U.S. FBI trainee , seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter to apprehend another serial killer , known only as `` Buffalo Bill '' .   The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 14 , 1991 , and grossed $ 272.7 million worldwide against its $ 19 million budget . It was only the third film , the other two being It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest , to win Academy Awards in all the top five categories : Best Picture , Best Actor , Best Actress , Best Director , and Adapted Screenplay . It is also the first ( and so far only ) Best Picture winner widely considered to be a horror film , and only the third such film to be nominated in the category , after The Exorcist in 1973 and Jaws in 1975 . The film is considered `` culturally , historically or aesthetically '' significant by the U.S. Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry in 2011 . A sequel titled Hannibal was released in 2001 with Hopkins reprising his role , followed by two prequels : Red Dragon ( 2002 ) and Hannibal Rising ( 2007 ) .


Black Mirror is a British science fiction television series about modern society.

Black Mirror Black Mirror is a British science fiction television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker and centred around dark and satirical themes that examine modern society , particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies . Episodes are standalone works , usually set in an alternative present or the near future . The show was first broadcast on the British Channel 4 , in 2011 . In September 2015 , Netflix commissioned a third season of 12 episodes . The commissioned episodes were later divided into two seasons of six episodes ; the third season was released on Netflix worldwide on 21 October 2016 .   Regarding the programme 's content and structure , Brooker noted , `` each episode has a different cast , a different setting , even a different reality . But they 're all about the way we live now -- and the way we might be living in 10 minutes ' time if we 're clumsy . '' The series has received critical acclaim and has seen an increase in interest internationally ( particularly in the US ) after being added to Netflix .


Gillian Anderson declined membership in the Order of the British Empire.

Gillian Anderson Gillian Leigh Anderson , OBE ( born August 9 , 1968 ) , is an American-British film , television and theatre actress , activist and writer . Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the long-running and widely popular series The X-Files , ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies ' film The House of Mirth ( 2000 ) , and DSI Stella Gibson on the BBC crime drama television series The Fall . Among other honours , Anderson has won a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards .   After beginning her career on stage , Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully on the American sci-fi drama series The X-Files . Her film work includes the dramas The Mighty Celt ( 2005 ) , The Last King of Scotland ( 2006 ) , Shadow Dancer ( 2012 ) , Viceroy 's House ( 2017 ) and two X-Files films : The X-Files : Fight the Future ( 1998 ) and The X-Files : I Want to Believe ( 2008 ) . Other notable television credits include : portraying Lady Dedlock in the successful BBC production of Charles Dickens ' Bleak House , Wallis Simpson in Any Human Heart , Miss Havisham in Great Expectations ( 2011 ) , and Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier on Hannibal . Anderson is the co-writer of The EarthEnd Saga novel trilogy and the self-help guide book WE : A Manifesto for Women Everywhere .   Aside from film and TV , Anderson has taken on the stage and received both awards and critical acclaim . Her stage work includes Absent Friends ( 1991 ) -- for which she won a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer , A Doll 's House ( 2009 ) -- that earned her a Laurence Olivier Award nomination , and a portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire ( 2014 , 2016 ) -- for which she won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress and received her second Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress .   Anderson has been active in supporting numerous charities and humanitarian organizations . She is an honorary spokesperson for the Neurofibromatosis ( NF ) Network and a co-founder of South African Youth Education for Sustainability ( SAYes ) . Anderson was appointed an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( OBE ) in 2016 for her services to drama .


Slovakia Slovakia ( listen ) , is a landlocked country in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west , Poland to the north , Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south . Slovakia 's territory spans about 49000 km2 and is mostly mountainous . The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks . The capital and largest city is Bratislava . The official language is Slovak .   The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries . In the 7th century , they played a significant role in the creation of Samo 's Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra . In the 10th century , the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary , which itself became part of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the Slovaks and Czechs established Czechoslovakia . A separate ( First ) Slovak Republic ( 1939 -- 1945 ) existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany . In 1945 , Czechoslovakia was re-established under Communist rule as a Soviet satellite . In 1989 the Velvet Revolution ended authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia . Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia , sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce .   Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with a very high Human Development Index , a very high standard of living and performs favourably in measurements of civil liberties , press freedom , internet freedom , democratic governance and peacefulness . The country maintains a combination of market economy with a comprehensive social security system . Citizens of Slovakia are provided with universal health care , free education and one of the longest paid maternity leave in the OECD . The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009 . Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area , NATO , the United Nations , the OECD , the WTO , CERN , the OSCE , the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group . The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and 3rd fastest in eurozone . Its legal tender , the Euro , is the world 's 2nd most traded currency . Although regional income inequality is high , 90 % of citizens own their homes . In 2016 , Slovak citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 165 countries and territories , ranking the Slovak passport 11th in the world . Slovakia is the world 's largest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone and the 7th largest car producer in the European Union . The car industry represents 43 % of Slovakia 's industrial output , and a quarter of its exports .


Mirka Federer Miroslava `` Mirka '' Federer ( born Miroslava Vavrincová on 1 April 1978 , later Miroslava Vavrinec ) is a Slovak-born Swiss former professional tennis player . She reached her career-high WTA singles ranking of World No. 76 on 10 September 2001 and a doubles ranking of World No. 215 on 24 August 1998 . She is the wife of professional tennis player Roger Federer , having first met him at the 2000 Summer Olympics . She retired from the game in 2002 due to a persistent foot injury . She has since frequently been seen on the ATP circuit attending her husband 's matches .


79th Academy Awards The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , honored the best films of 2006 and took place February 25 , 2007 , at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood , Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. . During the ceremony , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories . The ceremony , televised in the United States by ABC , was produced by Laura Ziskin and directed by Louis J. Horvitz . Actress Ellen DeGeneres hosted for the first time . Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills , California held on February 10 , the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Maggie Gyllenhaal .   The Departed won four awards , including Best Picture and Best Director for Martin Scorsese . Other winners included Pan 's Labyrinth with three , An Inconvenient Truth , Dreamgirls , and Little Miss Sunshine with two , and Babel , The Blood of Yingzhou District , The Danish Poet , Happy Feet , The Last King of Scotland , Letters from Iwo Jima , The Lives of Others , Marie Antoinette , Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest , The Queen , and West Bank Story with one . The telecast garnered nearly 40 million viewers in the United States .


Ozzy Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael `` Ozzy '' Osbourne ( born 3 December 1948 ) is an English singer , songwriter , and actor . He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath . He was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and went on to have a successful solo career , releasing 11 studio albums , the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the US . Osbourne has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions , recording the album 13 in 2013 . His longevity and success have earned him the informal title of `` Godfather of Heavy Metal '' .   Osbourne 's total album sales from his years in Black Sabbath , combined with his solo work , is over 100 million . As a member of Black Sabbath , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of the band . Possessing a distinctive singing voice and as a native of Birmingham , Osbourne is known for his strong Brummie accent -- he has a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in his hometown as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame . At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards , he received the Global Icon Award . In the early 2000s , Osbourne became a reality television star , appearing as himself in the MTV reality show The Osbournes , alongside wife and manager Sharon and two of their three children , Kelly and Jack . Osbourne appeared with son Jack in the 2016 worldwide travelogue docuseries Ozzy & Jack 's World Detour .


Triple H is a professional wrestler from America.

WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand . It is one of two world titles in the WWE , alongside the WWE Universal Championship that was created for the Raw brand as a result of the 2016 WWE draft . The title is currently held by Jinder Mahal , who is in his first reign .   The original world championship of the promotion , it was established by the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) on April 25 , 1963 as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship , following the promotion seceding from the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) . The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers . Since its inception , the title has undergone many name changes due to company name changes and title unifications . It is the oldest championship currently active in the WWE , and is presented as being the promotion 's most prestigious title , with many matches for the title having headlined pay-per-view events -- including WWE 's flagship event WrestleMania .   From its inception until 2001 , it was promoted as WWE 's sole primary championship . An additional world title , the WCW Championship , was added after the then-World Wrestling Federation 's purchase of World Championship Wrestling in early 2001 . The titles were later unified as the Undisputed Championship . After the first brand extension in 2002 and the promotion becoming the WWE , the championship became exclusive to SmackDown , and the World Heavyweight Championship was created for Raw . ECW became a third brand in 2006 , adding the ECW World Heavyweight Championship . Over the course of the first brand extension , the WWE Championship switched between brands , usually as a result of the annual draft . The ECW Championship was deactivated in 2010 , and the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship in 2013 . The championship was again the sole world title of WWE until the reintroduction of the brand extension in 2016 .


WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling event produced annually between mid-March to early April by WWE , an American professional wrestling promotion based in Stamford , Connecticut . WWE first produced the event in 1985 and has since produced 33 editions , with the most recent having been held in Orlando , Florida on April 2 , 2017 and thirty-fourth to be held in New Orleans , Louisiana on April 8 , 2018 . WrestleMania , WWE 's flagship event , airs on pay-per-view ( PPV ) and WWE Network and is the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history . It contributes to the worldwide commercial success of WWE through media , merchandise , and shows . WrestleMania was conceptualized by WWE owner Vince McMahon and long time WWE ring announcer and Hall of Famer Howard Finkel is credited with devising the name `` WrestleMania '' in 1984 .   WrestleMania 's widespread success helped transform professional wrestling . The event has facilitated the rise to stardom of several top WWE wrestlers . Celebrities such as Aretha Franklin , Cyndi Lauper , Muhammad Ali , Mr. T , Alice Cooper , Lawrence Taylor , Pamela Anderson , Mike Tyson , Donald Trump , Floyd Mayweather , Pete Rose , Burt Reynolds , Mickey Rourke , Snoop Dogg , Sean `` Diddy '' Combs , Kid Rock , Fred Durst , Ozzy Osbourne , Ronda Rousey , and Shaquille O'Neal have participated or made special appearances within the events .   The first WrestleMania was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City ; the 10th and 20th editions were also held there . WrestleMania III in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac , Michigan was the highest-attended indoor sports event in the world , with 93,173 fans in attendance . The record stood until February 14 , 2010 , when the 2010 NBA All-Star Game broke the indoor sporting event record with an attendance of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium , since renamed AT&T Stadium , in Arlington , Texas . In 2016 , WrestleMania 32 surpassed WrestleMania III as the highest-attended professional wrestling event ever held in America , with 101,763 fans in attendance at AT&T Stadium . All editions of the event have been hosted in North American cities , with 31 in the United States and two in Canada .


Triple H Paul Michael Levesque ( born July 27 , 1969 ) , better known by the ring name Triple H ( an abbreviation of his original WWE ring name Hunter Hearst Helmsley ) , is an American business executive and professional wrestler . Levesque is the Executive Vice President of Talent , Live Events and Creative for WWE , as well as being the founder and senior producer of NXT and the creator of the NXT television series .   Levesque commenced his professional wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation ( IWF ) in 1992 under the ring name Terra Ryzing . In 1994 , he joined World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) , where he was soon repackaged as Jean-Paul Lévesque , a French Canadian aristocrat . In 1995 , Levesque moved to the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) , where he became Hunter Hearst Helmsley and , later , Triple H . In 1997 , Triple H co-founded the influential D-Generation X stable , which became a major element of the WWF 's `` Attitude Era '' . After winning his first WWF Championship and beginning a storyline marriage with Stephanie McMahon in 1999 , Triple H became widely regarded as the best wrestler in North America and a fixture of the company 's main event scene . Over the next two decades , he won a total of 14 world championships and led stables The McMahon-Helmsley Faction , Evolution and The Authority . From 2010 onwards , Triple H curtailed his in-ring appearances as he took on a greater behind-the-scenes role within WWE . After legitimately marrying McMahon in 2003 , he became a member of the McMahon family , which maintains majority ownership of WWE .   In the course of his career , Levesque has held a total of 25 championships , including nine reigns as WWF/WWE Champion and five as WWE 's World Heavyweight Champion . Triple H was also the winner of the 1997 King of the Ring tournament and the 2002 and 2016 Royal Rumbles . He has headlined WrestleMania , WWE 's flagship pay-per-view , a record seven times ( tied with Hulk Hogan ) .   Outside of professional wrestling , Levesque has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television , including the lead role in the 2011 WWE Studios production The Chaperone .


The Authority (professional wrestling) The Authority was a villainous professional wrestling stable in WWE , which originated due to Triple H helping Randy Orton win the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan at the 2013 SummerSlam pay-per-view .   The stable was led by company executives Triple H and Stephanie McMahon . Many other wrestlers were a part of the group , including Seth Rollins as `` The Man '' until suffering a knee injury in November 2015 , Kane as the `` Director of Operations '' until October 2015 and Randy Orton as The Authority 's hand-picked champion and `` Face of the WWE '' until November 2014 . The Shield formerly acted as The Authority 's main henchmen to offer protection or carry out attacks until March 2014 .   The name of `` The Authority '' was introduced in October 2013 and initially referred to only Triple H and Stephanie McMahon as a power couple . The Authority shared similarities with The Corporation and The McMahon-Helmsley Faction , and has also had ties to Triple H 's previous stables D-Generation X and Evolution .   The stable 's run ended after WrestleMania 32 when Triple H was dethroned as WWE World Heavyweight Champion by Roman Reigns , and Shane McMahon received authority to run Raw .


King of the Ring (1997) King of the Ring ( 1997 ) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view ( PPV ) event produced by World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) . It was the fifth annual King of the Ring event and took place on June 8 , 1997 , at the Providence Civic Center in Providence , Rhode Island .   The main event was a standard wrestling match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship . The Undertaker defeated Faarooq to retain the title . The undercard included the 1997 King of the Ring tournament , won by Hunter Hearst Helmsley . Other matches on the undercard included Shawn Michaels versus Stone Cold Steve Austin , The Hart Foundation ( Owen Hart , The British Bulldog , and Jim Neidhart ) versus Sycho Sid and The Legion of Doom in a six-man tag team match and Goldust versus Crush .


World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling , Inc. ( WCW ) was an American professional wrestling promotion , historically based in Atlanta , Georgia . It began as a regional ( mid-Atlantic U.S. ) , National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) - affiliated `` territory '' promotion -- Jim Crockett Promotions -- until November 1988 , when Ted Turner ( through his Turner Broadcasting System business ) bought the promotion , whose struggle to compete with Vince McMahon 's World Wrestling Entertainment ( then WWF , now WWE ) had left it near bankruptcy . Immediately after the buyout , the business was renamed the Universal Wrestling Corporation ( UWC ) and consisted of Crockett 's business assets not picked up by World Wrestling Federation Entertainment .   In the mid-1990s , WCW dramatically improved its economic performance , largely due to the promotion of Eric Bischoff to Executive Producer ( to guide the overall direction of the on-screen product ) ; the strategy of hiring former WWF main eventers ; the introduction of the Monday Nitro series on cable TV , and the resultant Monday Night Wars with the WWF 's Monday Night Raw ; the creative and marketing execution of the New World Order ( nWo ) brand/stable of wrestlers ; and other innovative concepts . WCW also developed a popular cruiserweight division ( an acrobatic , faster-paced , lucha libre-inspired style of wrestling ) .   Over the next several years , the promotion facilitated the rise of performers such as Bill Goldberg , Chris Jericho , Booker T , Eddie Guerrero , Diamond Dallas Page , Rey Mysterio , Chris Benoit , and The Giant ( later Big Show in the WWF ) , as well as the successful reinventions of Hulk Hogan , Sting , and Scott Steiner . WCW eclipsed the WWF in popularity throughout the United States for much of the latter-1990s , however , numerous financial and creative missteps led to the company losing its lead over the WWF . Turner ( and later , Time Warner ) owned WCW until 2001 , when selected assets were purchased by the WWF . Since 2001 , WCW images and video footage have been widely distributed in WWE-owned media .   Two separate subsidiary companies exist as successors to WCW . WCW , Inc. is the WWE subsidiary established in Delaware in late 2000 , initially as W. Acquisition Company , which holds the rights to the WCW video library and other intellectual property . The former WCW entity , which retained liabilities not acquired by WWF , was renamed back to the Universal Wrestling Corporation ; it is still listed as a subsidiary of Time Warner .