The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ( also released as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 : Rise of Electro in some markets ) is a 2014 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man . The film was directed by Marc Webb and was produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach . It is the fifth theatrical Spider-Man film produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Entertainment , and is the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man ( 2012 ) ; it is also the final film in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise . The studio hired James Vanderbilt to write the screenplay and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to rewrite it . The film stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man , Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy , Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin / Harry Osborn , Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter 's parents , and Sally Field as Aunt May , with the addition of a new cast including Paul Giamatti as Rhino / Aleksei Sytsevich and Jamie Foxx as Electro / Max Dillon .   Development of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began after the success of The Amazing Spider-Man . DeHaan , Giamatti , Jones , and Cooper were cast between December 2012 and February 2013 . Filming took place in New York City from February to June 2013 . The film was released in 2D , 3D , and IMAX 3D on May 2 , 2014 , in the United States with two international premieres being held between March 31 & April 10 , 2014 . The film received mixed reviews , and although it grossed $ 709 million worldwide and became the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2014 , it was the lowest-grossing film in the series . However , the film was declared a `` hit '' in the overseas markets with high openings and a wide cinematic release . The film subsequently won awards for its music composition and acting , notably one Nickelodeon Kids ' Choice Award and two ASCAP Awards .   The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was originally envisioned as the beginning of a shared fictional universe , which would have continued with two sequels and several spin-off films . Due to its performing below expectations , all subsequent installments were cancelled and a new iteration of the character , portrayed by Tom Holland , appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , beginning with the 2016 film Captain America : Civil War .


Cultural impact of the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band , formed in Hawthorne , California in 1961 . The group is considered to be one of the most critically acclaimed , commercially successful , and widely influential bands of all time . Their co-founder and principal composer , Brian Wilson , is widely considered one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the late 20th century . With record sales estimated at over 100 million , they were one of the few American bands formed prior to the 1964 British Invasion to continue their success , and among artists of the 1960s , they are one of few central figures in the histories of rock .   From the beginning of their career , the Beach Boys struggled with their reputation and audiences , often being dismissed as a superficial pop group due to their initial target demographic , early songs which celebrated a politically unconscious youth culture , and failure to blend in with the hippie movement . However , while the Beach Boys were at the vanguard of the `` California Sound '' , they helped spur many trends and various musical genres and movements . This includes being one of the first rock groups to exert studio control ; inspiring a higher craft in popular music ; advancing the field of music production ; serving as a primary influence for many punk , alternative , and independent musicians ; and being progenitors for a variety of pop/rock subgenres including vocal surf , psychedelic rock , experimental pop , art rock , progressive rock , power pop , and indie rock .


The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne , California , in 1961 . The group 's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian , Dennis , and Carl Wilson ; their cousin Mike Love ; and their friend Al Jardine . Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs , they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era . The group , led by their principal songwriter and producer Brian , pioneered novel approaches to popular music form and production , combining their affinities for jazz-based vocal groups , 1950s rock and roll , and black R&B to create their unique sound . He later arranged his compositions for studio orchestras and explored a variety of other styles , often incorporating classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways .   The Beach Boys began as a garage band managed by the Wilsons ' father Murry , with Brian 's increasingly sophisticated songwriting and recording abilities dominating their creative direction . Emerging at the vanguard of the `` California Sound '' , they performed original material that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing , cars , and romance . After 1964 , they abandoned the surfing aesthetic for more personal lyrics and multi-layered sounds . In 1966 , the Pet Sounds album and `` Good Vibrations '' single vaulted the group to the top level of rock innovators and established the band as symbols of the nascent counterculture era . Following the dissolution of the group 's Smile project in 1967 , Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band , reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues . The group 's public image subsequently faltered , and despite efforts to continue their psychedelic/avant-garde ventures and reclaim their hippie audiences , they were dismissed as an embodiment of the values and outlooks shared by early 1960s white , suburban teenagers .   The continued success of their greatest hits albums during the mid 1970s precipitated the band 's transition into an oldies act , a move that was denigrated by critics and many fans . Since the 1980s , much-publicized legal wrangling over royalties , songwriting credits and use of the band 's name transpired . Dennis drowned in 1983 and Carl died of lung cancer in 1998 . After Carl 's death , many live configurations of the band fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour into the 2000s while other members pursued solo projects . Even though Wilson and Jardine have not performed with Love and Johnston 's band since their one-off 2012 reunion tour , they remain a part of the Beach Boys ' corporation , Brother Records Inc. .   The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed , commercially successful , and widely influential bands of all time . The group had over eighty songs chart worldwide , thirty-six of them US Top 40 hits ( the most by an American rock band ) , four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . The Beach Boys have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide , making them one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time and are listed at No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine 's 2004 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . The core quintet of the three Wilsons , Love and Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 .


Furia is written by a person known for The Hills Have Eyes.

Furia (film) Furia is a 1999 French romantic drama film directed by Alexandre Aja , who co-wrote screenplay with Grégory Levasseur , adapted from the science fiction short story `` Graffiti '' by Julio Cortázar . It stars Stanislas Merhar and Marion Cotillard .


World War II included the Battle of Britain.

World War II World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier . It involved the vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually forming two opposing military alliances : the Allies and the Axis . It was the most widespread war in history , and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries . In a state of `` total war '' , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources . Marked by mass deaths of civilians , including the Holocaust ( in which approximately 11 million people were killed ) and the strategic bombing of industrial and population centres ( in which approximately one million were killed , and which included the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ) , it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities . These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history .   The Empire of Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with the Republic of China in 1937 , but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and the United Kingdom . Supplied by the Soviet Union , from late 1939 to early 1941 , in a series of campaigns and treaties , Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe , and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan . Under the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 , Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours , Poland , Finland , Romania and the Baltic states . The war continued primarily between the European Axis powers and the coalition of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth , with campaigns including the North Africa and East Africa campaigns , the aerial Battle of Britain , the Blitz bombing campaign , the Balkan Campaign as well as the long-running Battle of the Atlantic . On 22 June 1941 , the European Axis powers launched an invasion of the Soviet Union , opening the largest land theatre of war in history , which trapped the major part of the Axis ' military forces into a war of attrition . In December 1941 , Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean , and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific .   The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway , near Hawaii , and Germany was defeated in North Africa and then , decisively , at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union . In 1943 , with a series of German defeats on the Eastern Front , the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy which brought about Italian surrender , and Allied victories in the Pacific , the Axis lost the initiative and undertook strategic retreat on all fronts . In 1944 , the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France , while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies . During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma , while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands .   The war in Europe concluded with an invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union , culminating in the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops and the subsequent German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 . Following the Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945 and the refusal of Japan to surrender under its terms , the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively . With an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent , the possibility of additional atomic bombings , and the Soviet Union 's declaration of war on Japan and invasion of Manchuria , Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 . Thus ended the war in Asia , cementing the total victory of the Allies .   World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world . The United Nations ( UN ) was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts . The victorious great powers -- the United States , the Soviet Union , China , the United Kingdom , and France -- became the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers , setting the stage for the Cold War , which lasted for the next 46 years . Meanwhile , the influence of European great powers waned , while the decolonisation of Asia and Africa began . Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery . Political integration , especially in Europe , emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities and to create a common identity .


Ghost in the Shell is a first-person shooter.

Ghost in the Shell (video game) is a cyberpunk-themed third-person shooter video game developed by Exact and Production I.G for the PlayStation . A part of the larger Ghost in the Shell media franchise , it utilizes the same English voice cast as the feature film of the same name , although the two do not share a story continuity . The game was first released in July 1997 , along with soundtrack albums , an artbook and a guidebook .   The game 's story and art design were written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow , the author of the original manga . Ghost in the Shells plot revolves around a recruit of Public Security Section 9 as he investigates and combats the Human Liberation Front . The player controls a Fuchikoma , a robotic fighting vehicle capable of traversing walls and ceilings .   The game received mainly positive reviews . It was praised for its graphics , animation , music and unusual wall-climbing mechanics , as well as living up to the name of the series . However , it received criticism for its tedious and repetitive gameplay and low difficulty . Fifteen years after its release , Game Informer listed Ghost in the Shell as one of the best manga and anime-based games .


Edward Norton is incapable of being an environmental activist.

Edward Norton Edward Harrison Norton ( born August 18 , 1969 ) is an American actor , filmmaker and activist . He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his work in the films Primal Fear ( 1996 ) , American History X ( 1998 ) and Birdman ( 2014 ) . He also starred in other roles , such as Everyone Says I Love You ( 1996 ) , The People vs. Larry Flynt ( 1996 ) , Fight Club ( 1999 ) , Red Dragon ( 2002 ) , 25th Hour ( 2002 ) , Kingdom of Heaven ( 2005 ) , The Illusionist ( 2006 ) , Moonrise Kingdom ( 2012 ) , The Grand Budapest Hotel ( 2014 ) and Sausage Party ( 2016 ) . He has also directed and co-written films , including his directorial debut , Keeping the Faith ( 2000 ) . He has done uncredited work on the scripts for The Score ( 2001 ) , Frida ( 2002 ) , and The Incredible Hulk ( 2008 ) .   Alongside his work in cinema , Norton is an environmental and social activist , and is a member of the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners , a non-profit organization for developing affordable housing founded by his grandfather James Rouse . Norton is president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust . He ran in the 2009 New York City Marathon to raise money for the Trust . He also raises money for charity through Crowdrise , a social networking community for volunteers and a micro-donations fundraising platform . In July 2010 , Norton was designated as the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon . On July 2 , 2014 , Norton was elected chairman of the board of trustees to Signature Theatre , a not-for-profit theater company in New York . Norton has been on Signature 's board since 1996 and served as the co-chair of the Capital Campaign during the building of the Pershing Square Signature Center .


Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. '' ' ( born May 31 , 1930 ) is an American actor , filmmaker , musician , and political figure . After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide , he rose to international fame with his role as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone 's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the 1960s , and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s . These roles , among others , have made Eastwood an enduring cultural icon of masculinity .   For his work in the Western film Unforgiven ( 1992 ) and the sports drama Million Dollar Baby ( 2004 ) , Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture , as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor . Eastwood 's greatest commercial successes have been the adventure comedy Every Which Way But Loose ( 1978 ) and its sequel , the action comedy Any Which Way You Can ( 1980 ) , after adjustment for inflation . Other popular films include the Western Hang 'Em High ( 1968 ) , the psychological thriller Play Misty for Me ( 1971 ) , the crime film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot ( 1974 ) , the Western The Outlaw Josey Wales ( 1976 ) , the prison film Escape from Alcatraz ( 1979 ) , the action film Firefox ( 1982 ) , the suspense thriller Tightrope ( 1984 ) , the Western Pale Rider ( 1985 ) , the war films Where Eagles Dare ( 1968 ) , Heartbreak Ridge ( 1986 ) , the action thriller In the Line of Fire ( 1993 ) , the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County ( 1995 ) , and the drama Gran Torino ( 2008 ) .   In addition to directing many of his own star vehicles , Eastwood has also directed films in which he did not appear , such as the mystery drama Mystic River ( 2003 ) and the war film Letters from Iwo Jima ( 2006 ) , for which he received Academy Award nominations , and the drama Changeling ( 2008 ) . The war drama biopic American Sniper '' ( 2014 ) set box office records for the largest January release ever and was also the largest opening ever for an Eastwood film .   Eastwood received considerable critical praise in France for several films , including some that were not well received in the United States . Eastwood has been awarded two of France 's highest honors : in 1994 he became a recipient of the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres , and in 2007 he was awarded the Legion of Honour medal . In 2000 , Eastwood was awarded the Italian Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for lifetime achievement .   Since 1967 , Eastwood has run his own production company , Malpaso , which has produced all but four of his American films . Starting in 1986 , Eastwood served for two years as Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea , California , a non-partisan office .


Beauty Shop Beauty Shop is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Bille Woodruff . The film serves as a spin-off of the Barbershop film franchise , and stars Queen Latifah as Gina , a character first introduced in the 2004 film Barbershop 2 : Back in Business . This film also stars Alicia Silverstone , Andie MacDowell , Mena Suvari , Kevin Bacon and Djimon Hounsou .


Purple spawned a single featured on the soundtrack to The Crow.

Purple (album) Purple is the second studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots , released on June 7 , 1994 by Atlantic Records . The album , building off the foundations laid by the band 's debut album Core , was a huge success for the band , debuting at # 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and remaining there for three weeks , eventually selling over six million copies . It spawned a number of successful singles -- `` Vasoline '' and `` Interstate Love Song '' both topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and hit number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart , while `` Big Empty '' also cracked the top ten on both charts . Lesser known album cuts `` Pretty Penny '' and `` Unglued '' were also released as promotional radio singles .


Big Empty `` Big Empty '' is a song by the American hard rock band Stone Temple Pilots that first appeared in 1994 on the soundtrack to the Brandon Lee movie The Crow . The song later appeared on the band 's second album , Purple . The song was released as a successful single , reaching # 3 and # 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts , respectively . The song is also notable for having a similar format to the band 's previous single `` Creep '' , beginning with a slow , soft acoustic verse that leads into a loud and distorted chorus with a heavy guitar that has a similar format to `` Plush '' . `` Big Empty '' appears on the greatest hits compilation albums Thank You and Buy This .   Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that '' ` Big Empty ' is a perfect encapsulation of mainstream alienation '' and praised it as a highlight on Purple .


Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club ( -LSB- ˈtʃɛlsiː -RSB- ) is an English professional football club based in Fulham , London , that competes in the Premier League , of which they are reigning champions . Founded in 1905 , the club 's home ground since then has been Stamford Bridge .   Chelsea had their first major success in 1955 , when they won the league championship . They then won various cup competitions between 1965 and 1971 . The club 's greatest period of success has come during the last two decades ; winning 18 major trophies since 1997 . Chelsea have won six national league titles , seven FA Cups , five League Cups and four FA Community Shields , one UEFA Champions League , two UEFA Cup Winners ' Cups , one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Super Cup . Chelsea are the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League , and one of five clubs to have won all three main UEFA club competitions , first English to do so .   Chelsea 's regular kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks . The club 's crest has been changed several times in attempts to re-brand the club and modernise its image . The current crest , featuring a ceremonial lion rampant regardant holding a staff , is a modification of the one introduced in the early 1950s . The club have the sixth-highest average all-time attendance in English football . Their average home gate for the 2016 -- 17 season was 41,507 , the sixth highest in the Premier League . Since 2003 , Chelsea have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich . In 2016 , they were ranked by Forbes magazine as the seventh most valuable football club in the world , at # 1.15 billion ( $ 1.66 billion ) .


Man of Steel (film) Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Superman . It is a British-American venture produced by Legendary Pictures , DC Entertainment , Syncopy Inc. , and Cruel and Unusual Films , and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . It is the first installment in the DC Extended Universe . The film is directed by Zack Snyder , written by David S. Goyer , and stars Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Michael Shannon , Kevin Costner , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Antje Traue , Ayelet Zurer , Christopher Meloni , and Russell Crowe . Man of Steel is a reboot of the Superman film series that retells the character 's origin story . In the film , Clark Kent learns that he is a superpowered alien from the planet Krypton and assumes the role of mankind 's protector as Superman , but finds himself having to prevent General Zod from destroying humanity .   Development began in 2008 , when Warner Bros. took pitches from comic book writers , screenwriters and directors , opting to reboot the franchise . In 2009 , a court ruling resulted in Jerry Siegel 's family recapturing the rights to Superman 's origins and Siegel 's copyright . The decision stated that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films , but if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011 , then the Shuster and Siegel estates would be able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film . Producer Christopher Nolan pitched Goyer 's idea after story discussion on The Dark Knight Rises , and Snyder was hired as the film 's director in October 2010 . Principal photography began in August 2011 in West Chicago , Illinois , before moving to Vancouver and Plano , Illinois .   Man of Steel was released in theaters on June 14 , 2013 , in conventional 2D , 3D , and IMAX formats . Despite receiving mixed reviews , the film became a box office success , grossing over $ 668 million worldwide . Critics praised the film 's visuals , action sequences , and Hans Zimmer 's musical score but criticized its pacing and lack of character development . A follow-up , Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice was released on March 25 , 2016 while a standalone Superman sequel is in active development .


British Columbia's per capita income is above the national average.

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


Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt ( born June 15 , 1963 ) is an American actress , director , and screenwriter . She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years , and played single mother Carol Connelly in the 1997 romantic comedy film As Good as It Gets , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress . Some of her other notable films include Twister ( 1996 ) , Cast Away ( 2000 ) , What Women Want ( 2000 ) , Pay It Forward ( 2000 ) , and The Sessions ( 2012 ) , the latter garnered her a second Academy Award nomination . She made her directorial debut in 2007 with Then She Found Me ( 2007 ) . Hunt has also won four Emmy Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , and two Screen Actors Guild Awards .


Mankatha was released worldwide on August 31, 2011.

Mankatha Mankatha is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language black comedy action-heist film , written and directed by Venkat Prabhu . It features Ajith Kumar in the lead role , starring in his 50th film , along with an ensemble cast including Arjun Sarja , Trisha Krishnan , Vaibhav Reddy , Lakshmi Rai , Andrea Jeremiah , Premji Amaren , Mahat Raghavendra and Anjali . It was produced by Dhayanidhi Alagiri 's Cloud Nine Movies while Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack , with Sakthi Saravanan working as the cinematographer and the duo Praveen K. L. and N. B. Srikanth as editors . The story , set in Mumbai , revolves around a heist of cricket betting money , executed by a gang of four thieves , who are joined by a fifth unknown man , and its aftermath.The film became a blockbuster very soon and became the first salt and pepper hit for Ajith after which he continued the same style in all his upcoming films .   The film was formally launched in August 2010 , with its principal photography beginning on 25 October 2010 . Filming was held for more than eight months and took place primarily across Chennai , the Dharavi slum in Mumbai and Bangkok , Thailand . Following speculations regarding the film 's release , Sun Pictures acquired the theatrical rights and distributed the film via Raadhika Sarathkumar 's Radaan Mediaworks . Mankatha released on 31 August 2011 worldwide to generally positive reviews and grossed the second biggest opening of all time after Endhiran at the time of release . The film was also dubbed into Telugu as Gambler and released in Andhra Pradesh ten days later while it was a box-office hit in Kerala as well .


The Republic of Ireland adopted its first constitution in 1937.

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( -LSB- ˈaɪərlənd -RSB- Éire -LSB- ˈeːɾʲə -RSB- ) , also described as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern part of the island , and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country 's 4.75 million inhabitants . The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , Saint George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann , an upper house , Seanad Éireann , and an elected President ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the Taoiseach ( Prime Minister , literally ` Chief ' , a title not used in English ) , who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President ; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers .   The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty . It had the status of dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted , in which the state was named `` Ireland '' and effectively became a republic , with an elected non-executive president as head of state . It was officially declared a republic in 1949 , following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955 . It joined the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , the predecessor of the European Union , in 1973 . The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the twentieth century , but during the 1980s and 1990s the British and Irish governments worked with the Northern Ireland parties towards a resolution to `` the Troubles '' . Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 , the Irish government and Northern Ireland Executive have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North-South Ministerial Council created by the Agreement .   Ireland ranks among the top twenty-five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita , and as the tenth most prosperous country in the world according to The Legatum Prosperity Index 2015 . After joining the EEC , Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth . The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007 , which became known as the Celtic Tiger period . This was halted by an unprecedented financial crisis that began in 2008 , in conjunction with the concurrent global economic crash . However , as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015 , Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally . For example , in 2015 , Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth ( with Germany ) most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index . It also performs well in several national performance metrics , including freedom of the press , economic freedom and civil liberties . Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD . The Irish government has followed a policy of military neutrality through non-alignment since immediately prior to World War II and the country is consequently not a member of NATO , although it is a member in Partnership for Peace .


Timea Bacsinszky won titles on a circuit.

Timea Bacsinszky Timea Bacsinszky ( born 8 June 1989 ) is a Swiss professional tennis player who has reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 and won three singles and four doubles titles on the WTA Tour . 2015 was a breakthrough year for her in singles , winning a career-best 15 consecutive matches spanning two titles then reaching the semifinals of the French Open , the first time she advanced past the third round of a major . She also reached her first Premier Mandatory final at the China Open .   Playing for Switzerland in the Fed Cup , Bacsinszky has a career match record of 23 -- 16 . She also has won 12 singles and 14 doubles titles on the ITF Women 's Circuit .


Desperate Housewives is a television comedy-drama mystery series made by Marc Cherry.

Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama and mystery series created by Marc Cherry , and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions . It originally aired for eight seasons on ABC , from October 3 , 2004 to May 13 , 2012 . Executive producer Cherry served as showrunner . Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily , George W. Perkins , John Pardee , Joey Murphy , David Grossman , and Larry Shaw .   Set on Wisteria Lane , a street in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State , Desperate Housewives follows the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of their late friend and neighbor who committed suicide in the pilot episode . The storyline covers 13 years of the women 's lives over eight seasons , set between the years 2004 -- 2008 , and later 2013 -- 2017 ( the story arc includes a five-year passage of time , as well as flashbacks ranging from the 1980s to the 2020s ) . They work through domestic struggles and family life , while facing the secrets , crimes and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their -- on the surface -- beautiful and seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood .   The series features an ensemble cast , headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer , Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo , Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp , and Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis . Brenda Strong narrates the series as the late Mary Alice Young , appearing sporadically in flashbacks or dream sequences .   Desperate Housewives was well received by viewers and critics alike . It won multiple Primetime Emmy , Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards . From the 2004 -- 05 through the 2008 -- 09 television seasons , its first five seasons were rated amongst the top ten most-watched series . In 2007 , it was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide , with an audience of approximately 120 million and was also reported as the third most watched television series in a study of ratings in twenty countries . In 2012 , it remained the most-watched comedy series internationally based on data from Eurodata TV Worldwide , which measured ratings across five continents ; it has held this position since 2006 . Moreover , it was the third highest revenue earning series for 2010 , with $ 2.74 million per half an hour . The show was ranked at number fifty-six on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list .   In 2011 , it was confirmed that Desperate Housewives would conclude after its eighth season ; the series finale aired on May 13 , 2012 . By the end of the series , it had surpassed Charmed as the longest running hour-long television series featuring all female leads by two episodes .


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series , written by British author J. K. Rowling . The book was released on 21 July 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom , in the United States by Scholastic , and in Canada by Raincoast Books , ending the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone . The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ( 2005 ) , and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort , as well as revealing the previously concealed back story of several main characters . The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story , collectively known as the `` Deathly Hallows '' -- an unbeatable wand , a stone to bring the dead to life , and a cloak of invisibility .   Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in January 2007 . Before its release , Bloomsbury reportedly spent # 10 million to keep the book 's contents safe before its release date . American publisher Arthur Levine refused any copies of the novel to be released in advance for press review , although two reviews were submitted early . Shortly before release , photos of all 759 pages of the U.S. edition were leaked and transcribed , leading Scholastic to look for the source that had leaked it .   Released globally in 93 countries , Deathly Hallows broke sales records as the fastest-selling book ever , a record it still held in 2012 . It sold 15 million copies in the first 24 hours following its release , including more than 11 million in the U.S. and UK alone . The previous record , 9 million in its first day , had been held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . The novel has also been translated into over 120 languages . The title proved difficult to translate and was often rendered closer to `` Harry Potter and the Relics of Death '' in other languages .   Major themes in the novel are death and living in a corrupted society , and critics have compared them to Christian allegories . Generally well-received , the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award , and the American Library Association named it a `` Best Book for Young Adults '' . A two-part film adaptation began showing in November 2010 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 was released ; Part 2 was released on 15 July 2011 .


Linkin Park further explored musical genres.

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills , California . Formed in 1996 , the band rose to international fame with their debut album Hybrid Theory ( 2000 ) , which was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries . Their following studio album Meteora continued the band 's success , topping the Billboard 200 album chart in 2003 , and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world . In 2003 , MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium . Billboard ranked Linkin Park No. 19 on the Best Artists of the Decade chart . In 2012 , the band was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1 . In 2014 , the band was declared as the Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now by Kerrang ! .   Having adapted nu metal and rap metal to a radio-friendly yet densely layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora , the band explored other genres in their next studio album , Minutes to Midnight ( 2007 ) . The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third-best debut week of any album that year . The band continued to explore a wider variation of musical types in their fourth album , A Thousand Suns ( 2010 ) , layering their music with more electronic sounds and beats . Their fifth album , Living Things ( 2012 ) , combines musical elements from all of their previous records . Their sixth album , The Hunting Party ( 2014 ) , returned to a heavier rock sound . Their seventh album One More Light , a more electronic and pop-oriented record , was released on May 19 , 2017 . The band has collaborated with several other artists , including rapper Jay Z in their mashup EP Collision Course , and many others on the remix albums Reanimation and Recharged . Linkin Park has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards .


Major League Soccer takes place in Africa and China.

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


Medina became a part of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire.

Medina Medina ( -LSB- məˈdiːnə -RSB- المدينة المنورة , , `` the radiant city '' ; or المدينة , ( -LSB- almaˈdiːna -RSB- ) , `` the city '' ) , also transliterated as Madīnah , is a city in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia that is also the capital of the Al Madinah Region . The city contains al-Masjid an-Nabawi ( `` the Prophet 's Mosque '' ) , which is the burial place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , and is the second-holiest city in Islam after Mecca .   Medina was Muhammad 's destination after his Hijrah from Mecca , and became the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire , first under Muhammad 's leadership , and then under Ali . It served as the power base of Islam in its first century where the early Muslim community developed . Medina is home to the three oldest mosques , namely the Quba Mosque , al-Masjid an-Nabawi , and Masjid al-Qiblatayn ( `` the mosque of the two qiblas '' ) . Muslims believe that the chronologically final surahs of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad in Medina , and are called Medinan surahs in contrast to the earlier Meccan surahs .   Just like Mecca , the city is closed to anyone who is considered a non-Muslim , including members of the Ahmadiyya movement ( however , not the entire city is closed ) by the national government .


The Coen brothers frequently subvert or parody genres and styles.

Coen brothers Joel David Coen ( born November 29 , 1954 ) and Ethan Jesse Coen ( born September 21 , 1957 ) , collectively referred to as the Coen brothers , are American filmmakers . Their films span many genres and styles , which they frequently subvert or parody . Their best-reviewed works include Fargo ( 1996 ) , The Big Lebowski ( 1998 ) , No Country for Old Men ( 2007 ) , A Serious Man ( 2009 ) , True Grit ( 2010 ) , and Inside Llewyn Davis ( 2013 ) .   The brothers write , direct and produce their films jointly , although until The Ladykillers ( 2004 ) Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing . They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing editing credits under the alias Roderick Jaynes . They have been nominated for thirteen Academy Awards together , and individually for one award each , winning Best Original Screenplay for Fargo and Best Picture , Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country for Old Men . The duo also won the Palme d'Or for Barton Fink and were nominated for Fargo .   The Coen brothers have written a number of films they did not direct , including the biographical war drama Unbroken ( 2014 ) , the historical legal thriller Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) , and lesser-known , commercially unsuccessful comedies such as Crimewave ( 1985 ) , The Naked Man ( 1998 ) and Gambit ( 2012 ) . Ethan is also a writer of short stories , theater and poetry .   The brothers 's films No Country for Old Men , A Serious Man and Inside Llewyn Davis have been ranked in the BBC 's 2016 poll of the greatest motion pictures since 2000 .


Cupid (2009 TV series) began airing on August 31st, 2009.

Cupid (2009 TV series) Cupid is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from March 31 to June 16 , 2009 and was broadcast Tuesdays at 10:02 PM Eastern/9 :02 PM Central . The series is a revival of sorts of the network 's 1998 series of the same name , changing its primary setting from Chicago to New York City .  Cupid was canceled on May 19 , 2009 .


Mike Love was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mike Love Michael Edward `` Mike '' Love ( born March 15 , 1941 ) is an American singer , songwriter , musician , and activist who co-founded the Beach Boys . Characterized by his nasal , sometimes baritone singing , Love has been one of the band 's vocalists and lyricists for most of their career , contributing to each of their studio albums . He is often regarded as a malign figure in the band 's history , a reputation he acknowledges : `` For those who believe that Brian -LSB- Wilson -RSB- walks on water , I will always be the Antichrist . ''   In the 1960s , Love collaborated with Wilson and was a lyricist on singles including `` Fun , Fun , Fun '' ( 1964 ) and `` California Girls '' ( 1965 ) . During this period , his lyrics primarily reflected the youth culture of surfing , cars , and romance , which helped fashion pop culture 's perception of the `` California Dream '' . Starting in 1968 , Love became a teacher of Transcendental Meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . The experience influenced his lyrics to take on themes of astrology , meditation , politics and ecology . Following this , Love 's lyrical direction shifted to attempt to recapture the band 's earlier , lighthearted sound . In the late 1970s , Love began working on solo albums , releasing his first and only in 1981 : Looking Back with Love . In 1988 , he , along with the other founding members of the Beach Boys , was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . The same year , the song , `` Kokomo '' , co-written by Love , reached number one in the United States and was nominated for a Grammy .   In 1998 , following the death of cousin Carl Wilson , Love and longtime Beach Boy Bruce Johnston were given an exclusive license to tour under the name the Beach Boys . The other surviving Beach Boys , Brian Wilson and Al Jardine , embarked on solo endeavors . In 2011 , the group reunited to produce a new album and embark on a tour for their 50th anniversary . Following the 50th anniversary reunion shows , Love resumed touring only with Johnston .


Darius Rucker is the lead vocalist of a band.

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos `` Hootie '' Rucker ( born May 13 , 1966 ) is an American singer and songwriter . He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish , which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan , Jim `` Soni '' Sonefeld and Dean Felber . The band has released five studio albums with him as a member , and charted six top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 . Rucker co-wrote the majority of the band 's songs with the other three members .   He released a solo R&B album , Back to Then , in 2002 on Hidden Beach Recordings but did not chart any singles from it . Six years later , Rucker signed to Capitol Nashville as a country music singer , releasing the album , Learn to Live that year . Its first single , `` Do n't Think I Do n't Think About It '' , made him the first black artist to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs charts since Charley Pride in 1983 . ( Ray Charles hit number one in March 1985 in a duet with Willie Nelson with Seven Spanish Angels ) . It was followed by two more number one singles , `` It Wo n't Be Like This for Long '' and `` Alright '' and the number three , `` History in the Making . '' In 2009 , he became the first black American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association , and only the second black to win any award from the association . A second album , Charleston , SC 1966 , was released on October 12 , 2010 . The album includes the number one singles , `` Come Back Song '' and `` This '' .


The Promise stars a Guatemalan-American.

Oscar Isaac Oscar Isaac ( born Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada ; March 9 , 1979 ) is a Guatemalan-American actor and musician . He is known for his lead film roles in the comedy-drama Inside Llewyn Davis ( 2013 ) , for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination , the crime drama A Most Violent Year ( 2014 ) and the science fiction thriller Ex Machina ( 2015 ) , in which he played Nathan Hamlet Bateman . In 2006 , he portrayed Saint Joseph , husband of Mary , in The Nativity Story . He also portrayed José Ramos-Horta , former president of East Timor , in the Australian film Balibo for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . He has portrayed characters of many different nationalities and ethnicities , such as mixed European , Egyptian , Polish , English , French , Mexican , East Timorese , Italian , Welsh , Indonesian , Greek , Cuban , Israeli , and Armenian .   He appeared in Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( 2015 ) , as X-wing pilot Poe Dameron , and in X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) , as the titular mutant supervillain Apocalypse . He also headlined the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero , as politician Nick Wasicsko in 2015 , which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Miniseries or Television Film . In 2016 , Time named Isaac one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list . He also played the lead role of Mikael Boghosian in The Promise ( 2016 ) , a film based on the Armenian Genocide .


The Promise (2016 film) The Promise is a 2016 American historical drama film directed by Terry George and starring Oscar Isaac , Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale , set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire . The film premiered on September 11 , 2016 , at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on April 21 , 2017 , by Open Road Films .   The Promise is about a love triangle that develops between Armenian medical student Mikael ( Isaac ) , an American journalist based in Paris named Chris ( Bale ) and an Armenian-born woman raised in France , Ana ( Le Bon ) , during the final years of the Ottoman Empire , and during the Armenian Genocide . The film was a box office bomb , grossing just $ 8 million against its $ 90 million budget , although the studio noted the main purpose of the film was to bring attention to the story , not make money .


The CW The CW Television Network ( commonly referred to as just The CW ) is an American English language broadcast television network that is operated by The CW Network , LLC , a limited liability joint venture between CBS Corporation , the former owners of the United Paramount Network ( UPN ) , and the Warner Bros. . Entertainment division of Time Warner , former majority owner of The WB Television Network . The `` CW '' name is an acronym derived from the first letters of the names of its two parent corporations ( CBS and Warner Bros. ) .   The network made its debut on September 18 , 2006 , after its two predecessors , UPN and The WB , respectively ceased independent operations on September 15 and 17 of that year . The CW 's first two nights of programming -- on September 18 and 19 , 2006 -- consisted of reruns and launch-related specials . The CW marked its formal launch date on September 20 , 2006 , with the two-hour premiere of the seventh cycle of America 's Next Top Model . As of 2008 , the network 's programming lineup was intended to appeal mainly to women between the ages of 18 and 34 , although starting in 2011 the network increased in programming that appeal to men . The network currently runs programming six days a week : airing Monday through Fridays in the afternoon and in prime time , along with a Saturday morning live-action educational programming block produced by Litton Entertainment called One Magnificent Morning .   The CW is also available in Canada on cable , satellite and IPTV providers through stations owned-and-operated by CBS Corporation and affiliates that are located within proximity to the Canada -- United States border ( whose broadcasts of CW shows are subject to simultaneous substitution laws imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission , if a Canadian network holds the broadcast rights ) ; it is also available through two affiliates owned by Tribune Media that are classified in that country as superstations -- New York City affiliate WPIX and Los Angeles affiliate KTLA .   The CW is also available in Mexico through affiliates located near the Mexico -- U.S. border ( such as XETV-TDT/Tijuana-San Diego , KECY-DT3 in El Centro , California , KVIA-DT2 in El Paso , and KCWT-CD and simulcasters KFXV-LD2 and KNVO-DT4 in McAllen -- Brownsville , Texas ) on pay television providers . In both countries , some CW affiliates are receivable over-the-air in border areas depending on the station 's signal coverage .


IZombie (TV series) iZombie ( stylized as iZOMBiE ) is an American television series developed by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright for The CW . It is a loose adaptation of the comic book series of the same name created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred , and published by DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint . The series premiered on March 17 , 2015 .   The series was renewed for a second season , which premiered October 6 , 2015 , and ran for 19 episodes . On March 11 , 2016 , The CW renewed the series for a third season of 13 episodes , which premiered on April 4 , 2017 .   On May 10 , 2017 , The CW renewed the series for a fourth season .


Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick ( -LSB- ˈkuːbrɪk -RSB- July 26 , 1928 -- March 7 , 1999 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , producer , cinematographer , editor , and photographer . He is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinematic history . His films , which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories , cover a wide range of genres , and are noted for their realism , dark humor , unique cinematography , extensive set designs , and evocative use of music .   Kubrick was born and raised in the Bronx , New York City , and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945 . Although he only received average grades , Kubrick displayed a keen interest in literature , photography , and film from a young age , and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school . After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s , he began making short films on a shoestring budget , and made his first major Hollywood film , The Killing , for United Artists in 1956 . This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas , the war picture Paths of Glory ( 1957 ) and the historical epic Spartacus ( 1960 ) . His reputation as a filmmaker in Hollywood grew , and he was approached by Marlon Brando to film what would become One-Eyed Jacks ( 1961 ) , though Brando eventually decided to direct it himself .   Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios , a dislike of Hollywood , and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961 , where he spent most of the remainder of his life and career . His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire , which he shared with his wife Christiane , became his workplace , where he did his writing , research , editing , and management of production details . This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films , but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios . His first British productions were two films with Peter Sellers , Lolita ( 1962 ) and Dr. Strangelove ( 1964 ) .   A demanding perfectionist , Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process , from direction and writing to editing , and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes , working in close coordination with his actors and other collaborators . He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same scene in a movie , which resulted in many conflicts with his casts . Despite the resulting notoriety among actors , many of Kubrick 's films broke new ground in cinematography . The scientific realism and innovative special effects of 2001 : A Space Odyssey ( 1968 ) were without precedent in the history of cinema , and the film earned him his only personal Oscar , for Best Visual Effects . Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation 's `` big bang '' , and it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made . For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon ( 1975 ) , Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA , to film scenes under natural candlelight . With The Shining ( 1980 ) , he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots . While many of Kubrick 's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release -- particularly A Clockwork Orange ( 1971 ) , which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy -- most were nominated for Oscars , Golden Globes , or BAFTA Awards , and underwent critical reevaluations . His last film , Eyes Wide Shut , was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70 .


San Francisco's Chinatown is the youngest Chinatown in North America.

Chinatown, San Francisco The Chinatown centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco , California , is the oldest Chinatown in North America and next to Manhattan 's Chinatown , the largest Chinese enclave outside Asia . It is the oldest of the four notable Chinatowns in the city . Since its establishment in 1848 , it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants in North America . Chinatown is an enclave that continues to retain its own customs , languages , places of worship , social clubs , and identity . There are two hospitals , numerous parks and squares , a post office , and other infrastructure . While recent immigrants and the elderly choose to live in here because of the availability of affordable housing and their familiarity with the culture , the place is also a major tourist attraction , drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge .


San Francisco San Francisco ( initials SF ) ( -LSB- sæn_frənˈsɪskoʊ -RSB- , Spanish for Saint Francis ; Spanish : -LSB- san franˈsisko -RSB- ) , officially the City and County of San Francisco , is the cultural , commercial , and financial center of Northern California . Located at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula , San Francisco is about 47.9 sqmi in area , making it the smallest county -- and the only consolidated city-county -- within the state of California . With a density of about 18,581 people per square mile ( 7,174 people per km2 ) , San Francisco is the most densely settled large city ( population greater than 200,000 ) in California and the second-most densely populated major city in the United States after New York City . San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in California , after Los Angeles , San Diego , and San Jose , and the 13th-most populous city in the United States -- with a census-estimated 2016 population of 870,887 . The city and its surrounding areas are known as the San Francisco Bay Area , and are a part of the larger OMB-designated San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland combined statistical area , the fifth most populous in the nation with an estimated population of 8.7 million .   San Francisco was founded on June 29 , 1776 , when colonists from Spain established Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate and Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away , all named for St. Francis of Assisi . The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth , making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time . San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856 .  After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire , San Francisco was quickly rebuilt , hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later . In World War II , San Francisco was a major port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater . It then became the birthplace of the United Nations in 1945 . After the war , the confluence of returning servicemen , massive immigration , liberalizing attitudes , along with the rise of the `` hippie '' counterculture , the Sexual Revolution , the Peace Movement growing from opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War , and other factors led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement , cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism in the United States . Politically , the city votes strongly along liberal Democratic Party lines .   A popular tourist destination , San Francisco is known for its cool summers , fog , steep rolling hills , eclectic mix of architecture , and landmarks , including the Golden Gate Bridge , cable cars , the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary , Fisherman 's Wharf , and its Chinatown district . San Francisco is also the headquarters of five major banking institutions and various other companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. , Gap Inc. , Salesforce.com , Dropbox , Reddit , Square , Inc. , Dolby , Airbnb , Weebly , Pacific Gas and Electric Company , Yelp , Pinterest , Twitter , Uber , Lyft , Mozilla , Wikimedia Foundation , Craigslist and Weather Underground . It has several nicknames , including `` The City by the Bay '' , `` Fog City '' , `` San Fran '' , and `` Frisco '' , as well as older ones like `` The City that Knows How '' , `` Baghdad by the Bay '' , `` The Paris of the West '' , or simply `` The City '' . , San Francisco is ranked high on world liveability rankings .


Shania Twain Shania Twain , OC ( -LSB- ʃəˈnaɪ.ə _ ˈtweɪn -RSB- born Eilleen Regina Edwards ; August 28 , 1965 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter . Twain has sold over 85 million records , making her the best-selling female artist in the history of country music and one of the best-selling music artists of all time . Her success garnered her several honorific titles including the `` Queen of Country Pop '' .   Twain 's second album , 1995 's The Woman in Me , brought her widespread success selling 20 million copies worldwide , spawning hits such as `` Any Man of Mine '' and earning her a Grammy Award . Twain 's third album , Come On Over , became the best-selling studio album of all time by a female act in any genre and the best-selling country album , selling around 40 million copies worldwide . Come On Over produced several singles , including `` You 're Still the One '' , `` From This Moment On '' and `` Man ! I Feel Like a Woman ! '' , and earned Twain four Grammy Awards . Her fourth and latest studio album , Up ! , was released in 2002 and , like her previous two albums , was also certified Diamond in the U.S. , spawning hits like `` I 'm Gon na Getcha Good ! '' and `` Forever and for Always '' .   Twain has received five Grammy Awards , 27 BMI Songwriter awards , stars on Canada 's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame . She is the only female artist in history to have three consecutive albums certified Diamond by the RIAA . Altogether , Twain is ranked as the 10th best-selling artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era .   In 2004 , Twain retired from performing and retreated to her home in Switzerland . In her 2011 autobiography , she cited a weakening singing voice as the reason for not performing publicly . When both her singing and speaking were affected , Twain consulted the Vanderbilt Dayani Center in Nashville . Specialists discovered lesions on her vocal cords and diagnosed her with dysphonia , all treatable with careful rehabilitation . In 2012 , Twain returned to the concert stage in her critically acclaimed show Still the One , exclusively at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace . In 2015 , Twain returned to the road for what she has billed as her farewell tour . The Rock This Country tour kicked off on June 5 , 2015 in Seattle , Washington and originally concluded in Fresno , California on August 23 but was extended to include additional dates and ended October 27 , 2015 in Kelowna , British Columbia , Canada .


Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed ( 13 February 1938 -- 2 May 1999 ) was an English actor known for his upper-class , macho image , hellraiser lifestyle , and `` tough guy '' roles . Notable films include The Trap ( 1966 ) , Oliver ! ( 1968 ) , Women in Love ( 1969 ) , Hannibal Brooks ( 1969 ) , The Devils ( 1971 ) , The Three Musketeers ( 1973 ) , Tommy ( 1975 ) , Lion of the Desert ( 1981 ) , Castaway ( 1986 ) , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ( 1988 ) and Funny Bones ( 1995 ) . For Gladiator ( 2000 ) , his final film , Reed was posthumously nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role .   At the peak of his career , in 1971 , British exhibitors voted Reed 5th most popular star at the box office .


Grace Jones inspired a Greek singer-songwriter.

Grace Jones Grace Jones ( born 19 May 1948 ) is a Jamaican born singer , songwriter , lyricist , supermodel , record producer , and actress . Born in Jamaica , at age 13 she moved with her siblings to their parents ' home in Syracuse , New York . Jones began her modelling career in New York state , then in Paris , working for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo , and appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue . She worked with photographers such as Helmut Newton , Guy Bourdin , and Hans Feurer , and became known for her distinctive androgynous appearance and bold features .   In 1977 Jones secured a record deal with Island Records , initially becoming a star of New York City 's Studio 54-centered disco scene . In the early 1980s she moved toward a new wave style that drew on reggae , funk , post-punk , and pop music , frequently collaborating with both the graphic designer Jean-Paul Goude and the musical duo Sly & Robbie . Her most popular albums include Warm Leatherette ( 1980 ) , Nightclubbing ( 1981 ) , and Slave to the Rhythm ( 1985 ) . She scored Top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart with `` Pull Up to the Bumper '' , `` I 've Seen That Face Before '' , `` Private Life '' , and `` Slave to the Rhythm '' . In 1982 , she released the music video collection A One Man Show , directed by Goude .   Jones appeared in some low-budget films in the US during the 1970s and early 1980s . In 1984 she made her first mainstream appearance as Zula in the fantasy-action film Conan the Destroyer alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sarah Douglas , and subsequently appeared in the 1985 James Bond movie A View to a Kill as May Day . In 1986 she played a vampire in Vamp , and acted in and contributed a song to the 1992 Eddie Murphy film Boomerang . She appeared alongside Tim Curry in the 2001 film Wolf Girl . For her work in Conan the Destroyer , A View to a Kill , and Vamp , she was nominated for Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress .   In 1999 , Jones ranked 82nd on VH1 's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll , and in 2008 , she was honored with a Q Idol Award . Jones influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s and has been an inspiration for artists including Annie Lennox , Lady Gaga , Rihanna , Lorde , Róisín Murphy , Brazilian Girls , Nile Rodgers , Santigold , Basement Jaxx and Stanka Brljevic . In December 2016 , Billboard magazine ranked her as the 40th most successful dance artist of all time .


Josh Duhamel was born in December, 1888.

Josh Duhamel Joshua David Duhamel ( -LSB- dəˈmɛl -RSB- ; born November 14 , 1972 ) is an American actor and former fashion model . After various modeling work , he made his acting debut as Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children and later starred as Danny McCoy on NBC 's Las Vegas .   Duhamel then ventured into film , appearing as one of the main protagonists in the first three films of the Transformers film series ; reprising his role in the fifth film , Transformers : The Last Knight ( 2017 ) . He has also appeared in When in Rome ( 2010 ) , Life as We Know It ( 2010 ) , New Year 's Eve ( 2011 ) , Safe Haven ( 2013 ) , and You 're Not You ( 2014 ) . In 2015 , Duhamel co-starred on the short-lived CBS crime drama Battle Creek .


San Francisco is not the headquarters of multiple Internet-based companies.

Dropbox (service) Dropbox is a file hosting service operated by American company Dropbox , Inc. , headquartered in San Francisco , California , that offers cloud storage , file synchronization , personal cloud , and client software . Dropbox was founded in 2007 , by MIT students Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi , as a startup company , with initial funding from seed accelerator Y Combinator .   Dropbox creates a special folder on the user 's computer , the contents of which are then synchronized to Dropbox 's servers and to other computers and devices that the user has installed Dropbox on , keeping the same files up-to-date on all devices . Dropbox uses a freemium business model , where users are offered a free account with a set storage size , with paid subscriptions available that offer more capacity and additional features . Dropbox Basic users are given 2 gigabytes of free storage space . Dropbox Plus users are given 1 terabyte of storage space , as well as additional features , including advanced sharing controls , remote wipe , and an optional Extended Version History add-on . Dropbox offers computer apps for Microsoft Windows , Apple macOS , and Linux computers , and mobile apps for iOS , Android , and Windows Phone smartphones and tablets . In March 2013 , the company acquired Mailbox , a popular email app , and in April 2014 , the company introduced Carousel , a photo and video gallery app . Both Mailbox and Carousel were shut down in December 2015 , with key features from both apps implemented into the regular Dropbox service . In October 2015 , it officially announced Dropbox Paper , its collaborative document editor , in a reported effort to expand its operations towards businesses . As of March 2016 , Dropbox has 500 million users .   Dropbox has received praise , including the Crunchie Award in 2010 for Best Internet Application , and Macworld 's 2009 Editor 's Choice Award for Software . It has been ranked as one of the most valuable startups in the US and the world , with a valuation of over $ 10 billion , and it has been described as one of Y Combinator 's most successful investments to date . However , Dropbox has also experienced criticism and generated controversy for issues including security breaches and privacy concerns .


Lyft Lyft is a transportation network company based in San Francisco , California . It develops , markets and operates the Lyft car transportation mobile app . Launched in June 2012 , Lyft operates in approximately 300 U.S. cities , including New York , San Francisco and Los Angeles and provides 18.7 million rides a month . The company was valued at $ 7.5 billion as of April 2017 and has raised a total of $ 2.61 billion in funding .


Weather Underground (weather service) Weather Underground is a commercial weather service providing real-time weather information via the Internet . Weather Underground provides weather reports for most major cities across the world on its website , as well as local weather reports for newspapers and websites . Most of its United States information comes from the National Weather Service ( NWS ) , as federal law specifies that information from that agency falls within the public domain . The website is available in many languages , and customers can access an ad-free version of the site with additional features for an annual fee . Weather Underground is owned by The Weather Company , a subsidiary of IBM .


Twitter Twitter ( -LSB- ˈtwɪtər -RSB- ) is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with messages , `` tweets '' , restricted to 140 characters . Registered users can post tweets , but those who are unregistered can only read them . Users access Twitter through its website interface , SMS or a mobile device app . Twitter Inc. is based in San Francisco , California , United States , and has more than 25 offices around the world .   Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey , Noah Glass , Biz Stone , and Evan Williams and launched in July . The service rapidly gained worldwide popularity . In 2012 , more than 100 million users posted 340 million tweets a day , and the service handled an average of 1.6 billion search queries per day . In 2013 , it was one of the ten most-visited websites and has been described as `` the SMS of the Internet '' . As of 2016 , Twitter had more than 319 million monthly active users . On the day of the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Twitter proved to be the largest source of breaking news , with 40 million election-related tweets sent by 10 p.m. ( Eastern Time ) that day .


Battle Studies World Tour was a tour by a singer.

Battle Studies World Tour Battle Studies World Tour was a worldwide tour by American singer John Mayer . The tour spanned across the United States , Canada , Denmark , Australia , and the Netherlands , promoting his 2009 album Battle Studies .


Abraham Lincoln ran for the United States Senate.

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .


Between 1986 and 1987, Watchmen was released.

Watchmen Watchmen is an American comic-book limited series published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 , and collected in 1987 . The series was created by a British collaboration consisting of writer Alan Moore , artist Dave Gibbons , and colorist John Higgins . Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics . As Moore 's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories , managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead .   Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to deconstruct and parody the superhero concept . Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s and their presence changed history so that the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was never exposed . In 1985 , the country is edging toward World War III with the Soviet Union , freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government . The story focuses on the personal development and moral struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement .   Creatively , the focus of Watchmen is on its structure . Gibbons used a nine-panel grid layout throughout the series and added recurring symbols such as a blood-stained smiley face . All but the last issue feature supplemental fictional documents that add to the series ' backstory , and the narrative is intertwined with that of another story , an in-story pirate comic titled Tales of the Black Freighter , which one of the characters reads . Structured , at times , as a nonlinear narrative , the story skips through space , time and plot . In the same manner , entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity , coincidence and repeated imagery .   A commercial success , Watchmen has received critical acclaim both in the comics and mainstream press , and is considered by several critics and reviewers to be one of the most significant works of 20th-century literature . Watchmen was recognized in Times List of the 100 Best Novels as one of the best English language novels published since 1923 , and placed # 91 on The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century . The BBC described it as `` The moment comic books grew up . ''   After a number of attempts to adapt the series into a feature film , director Zack Snyder 's Watchmen was released in 2009 . A video game series , Watchmen : The End Is Nigh , was released in the same year to coincide with the film 's release . In 2012 , DC Comics published Before Watchmen , a comic-book series acting as a prequel to the original Watchmen series , without Moore and Gibbons ' involvement .


Gadsden flag The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike . Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words `` DONT TREAD ON ME '' . The flag is named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden ( 1724 -- 1805 ) , who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution . It was used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag , along with the Moultrie flag .   Modern uses of the Gadsden flag include political movements such as libertarianism and the American Tea Party as well as American soccer supporter groups , including Sam 's Army and the American Outlaws since the late 1980s .


Bane (comics) Bane is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman . The character first appeared in Batman : Vengeance of Bane # 1 ( January 1993 ) and was created by Chuck Dixon , Doug Moench , and Graham Nolan .   With a mix of brute strength and exceptional intelligence , the character is often credited as being the only villain to have `` broken the bat '' . IGN 's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Bane as # 34 . Bane was portrayed by Robert Swenson in the 1997 film Batman & Robin , Tom Hardy in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises , and was voiced by Doug Benson in the 2017 film The Lego Batman Movie .


The Republic of Zambia is bordered to the west by Angola.

Zambia Zambia ( -LSB- ˈzæmbiə -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Zambia , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa , neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north , Tanzania to the north-east , Malawi to the east , Mozambique , Zimbabwe , Botswana and Namibia to the south , and Angola to the west . The capital city is Lusaka , in the south-central part of Zambia . The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest , the core economic hubs of the country .   Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples , the region was affected by the Bantu expansion of the thirteenth century . After visits by European explorers in the eighteenth century , Zambia became the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century . For most of the colonial period , Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company .   On 24 October 1964 , Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president . Kaunda 's socialist United National Independence Party ( UNIP ) maintained power from 1964 until 1991 . Kaunda played a key role in regional diplomacy , cooperating closely with the United States in search of solutions to conflicts in Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe ) , Angola , and Namibia . From 1972 to 1991 Zambia was a one-party state with the UNIP as the sole legal political party under the motto `` One Zambia , One Nation '' . Kaunda was succeeded by Frederick Chiluba of the social-democratic Movement for Multi-Party Democracy in 1991 , beginning a period of social-economic growth and government decentralisation . Levy Mwanawasa , Chiluba 's chosen successor , presided over Zambia from January 2002 until his death in August 2008 , and is credited with campaigns to reduce corruption and increase the standard of living . After Mwanawasa 's death , Rupiah Banda presided as Acting President before being elected President in 2008 . Holding office for only three years , Banda stepped down after his defeat in the 2011 elections by Patriotic Front party leader Michael Sata . Sata died on 28 October 2014 , the second Zambian president to die in office . Guy Scott served briefly as interim president until new elections were held on 20 January 2015 , in which Edgar Lungu was elected as the sixth President .   In 2010 , the World Bank named Zambia one of the world 's fastest economically reformed countries . The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA ) is headquartered in Lusaka .


Kiiara Kiara Saulters ( born May 24 , 1995 ) , known professionally as Kiiara , is an American singer and songwriter from Wilmington , Illinois . She is currently signed to Atlantic Records . Her music is described as downcast electronic pop with bass-heavy , trap-style rap production .


The Olympic Games does not see over 13,000 athletes compete.

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics ( Jeux olympiques ) are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions . The Olympic Games are considered the world 's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating . The Olympic Games are held every four years , with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart .   Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games , which were held in Olympia , Greece , from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD . Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) in 1894 , leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 . The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement , with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority .   The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games . Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports , the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability , and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes . The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic , political , and technological advancements . As a result , the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism , as envisioned by Coubertin , to allowing participation of professional athletes . The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialisation of the Games . World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916 , 1940 , and 1944 Games . Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games .   The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations ( IFs ) , National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) , and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games . As the decision-making body , the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games , and organises and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter . The IOC also determines the Olympic programme , consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games . There are several Olympic rituals and symbols , such as the Olympic flag and torch , as well as the opening and closing ceremonies . Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events . The first , second , and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals : gold , silver , and bronze , respectively .   The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented . This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies , including boycotts , doping , bribery , and a terrorist attack in 1972 . Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame . The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world .


Harry Styles and his bandmates released the album Take Me Home.

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


Toy Story is strictly a movie from Colombia.

Toy Story Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated buddy comedy adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . The directorial debut of John Lasseter , Toy Story was the first feature-length computer-animated film and the first theatrical film produced by Pixar .   Taking place in a world where anthropomorphic toys pretend to be lifeless whenever humans are present , the film 's plot focuses on the relationship between Woody , an old-fashioned pullstring cowboy doll ( voiced by Tom Hanks ) , and Buzz Lightyear , an astronaut action figure ( voiced by Tim Allen ) , as they evolve from rivals competing for the affections of Andy , their owner , to friends who work together to be reunited with Andy as his family prepares to move to a new home . The screenplay was written by Joss Whedon , Andrew Stanton , Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow , based on a story by Lasseter , Pete Docter , Stanton and Joe Ranft . The film features music by Randy Newman , and was executive-produced by Steve Jobs and Edwin Catmull .   Pixar , which produced short animated films to promote their computers , was approached by Disney to produce a computer-animated feature after the success of their short film Tin Toy ( 1988 ) , which is told from a small toy 's perspective . Lasseter , Stanton and Docter wrote early story treatments which were thrown out by Disney , as they wanted the film to be edgier . After disastrous story reels , production was halted and the script was re-written , better reflecting the tone and theme Pixar desired : that `` toys deeply want children to play with them , and that this desire drives their hopes , fears , and actions '' . The studio , then consisting of a relatively small number of employees , produced the film under minor financial constraints .   Released in theaters on November 22 , 1995 , Toy Story was the highest-grossing film on its opening weekend and earned over $ 373 million worldwide . The film was widely acclaimed by critics , who praised the animation 's technical innovation , the wit and thematic sophistication of the screenplay , and the performances of Hanks and Allen . It is now considered by many critics to be one of the best animated films ever made . The film received three Academy Award nominations , including Best Original Screenplay , Best Original Score , and Best Original Song for `` You 've Got a Friend in Me '' , as well as winning a Special Achievement Academy Award . It was inducted into the National Film Registry as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' in 2005 , its first year of eligibility .   In addition to home media releases and theatrical re-releases , Toy Story-inspired material has run the gamut from toys , video games , theme park attractions , spin-offs , merchandise , and two sequels -- Toy Story 2 ( 1999 ) and Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) -- both of which also garnered massive commercial success and critical acclaim , with a third sequel , Toy Story 4 , slated for a 2019 release .


Lee Majors was named Henry Adams at birth.

Lee Majors Lee Majors ( born Harvey Lee Yeary ; April 23 , 1939 ) is an American film , television and voice actor . Majors is best known for portraying the roles of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series The Big Valley ( 1965 -- 1969 ) , Colonel Steve Austin in the American television science fiction action series The Six Million Dollar Man ( 1973 -- 1978 ) , and Colt Seavers in American television action series The Fall Guy ( 1981 -- 1986 ) .   In the television series The Six Million Dollar Man , Steve Austin takes on special high-risk government missions using his superhuman bionic powers . The television character Steve Austin became a pop culture icon of the 1970s .   Majors reprised the role of Colonel Steve Austin in several bionic reunion television movies in the late 1980s and 1990s . He appeared in a number of supporting , recurring and cameo roles in feature films and television series , and lent his voice to a number of animated TV series and video games .