The 2016 Summer Olympics was a sport event.

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016 ) , officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad and commonly known as Rio 2016 , was a major international multi-sport event held in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , from 5 August to 21 August 2016 .   More than 11,000 athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees , including first time entrants Kosovo , South Sudan , and the Refugee Olympic Team , took part . With 306 sets of medals , the games featured 28 Olympic sports , including rugby sevens and golf , which were added to the Olympic program in 2009 . These sporting events took place at 33 venues in the host city , and at five in São Paulo , Belo Horizonte , Salvador , Brasília , and Manaus .   These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) presidency of Thomas Bach . The host city Rio de Janeiro was announced at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen , Denmark , on 2 October 2009 . Rio became the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics . These were the first games to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country , the first to be held entirely in the host country 's winter , the first since 1968 to be held in Latin America , and the first since 2000 to be held in the Southern Hemisphere .   The lead-up to these Games was marked by controversies , including the instability of the country 's federal government ; the countries ' problems with inequality ; health and safety concerns surrounding the Zika virus and significant pollution in the Guanabara Bay ; and a doping scandal involving Russia , which affected the participation of its athletes in the Games .   The United States topped the medal table for the fifth time in the past six Summer Olympics , winning the most golds ( 46 ) and most medals overall ( 121 ) , as well as its 1,000 th Olympic gold medal overall . Great Britain finished second and became the first country in the history of the modern Olympics to increase its tally of medals in the subsequent games after being the host nation . China finished third . Host country Brazil won seven gold medals , its most at any single Summer Olympics , finishing in thirteenth place . Bahrain , Fiji , Jordan , Kosovo , Puerto Rico , Singapore , Tajikistan , Ivory Coast and Vietnam each won their first gold medals , as did the group of Independent Olympic Athletes ( from Kuwait ) .


Dwayne Johnson was originally a professional wrestler and still goes by his stage name, The Rock.

Ring name A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler , martial artist , or a boxer . While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname , others may simply be a nickname from the moves that they do or their special talents in the ring .


Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson ( born May 2 , 1972 ) , also known by his ring name , The Rock , is an American actor , producer , and professional wrestler . He holds both American and Canadian citizenships .   Born in California and raised in New Zealand and the U.S. states of Hawaii and Pennsylvania , Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami , where he won a national championship on the 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team . He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League and was cut two months into the 1995 season . This led him to become a professional wrestler like his grandfather , Peter Maivia , and his father , Rocky Johnson , from whom he also inherited his Canadian citizenship .   Currently signed to WWE on a part-time contract , Johnson gained mainstream fame in the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) from 1996 to 2004 as a major figure in the company 's Attitude Era , and was the first third-generation wrestler in the company 's history . He returned to wrestling part-time for WWE from 2011 to 2013 and continues to make sporadic non-wrestling appearances for the company . Johnson has 17 championship reigns in WWE , including 10 as a world champion , winning the WWF/WWE Championship eight times ( seventh reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion ) and the WCW/World Championship twice . He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the WWF Tag Team Championship five times . Johnson is the sixth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history and won the 2000 Royal Rumble . He is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time .   Johnson 's autobiography The Rock Says ... , co-written with Joe Layden , was published in 2000 . It debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list , spent 20 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list , and sold 720,000 copies in hardcover alone .   Johnson 's first leading film role was in The Scorpion King in 2002 . For this role , he was paid US$ 5.5 million , a world record for an actor in his first starring role . He has since appeared in various films , and become known for his ability to reinvigorate film franchises . One of his more prominent roles is Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious franchise ; its most recent film , The Fate of the Furious , was released in 2017 and has grossed over $ 1.1 billion worldwide , making it the second highest-grossing film of 2017 and the twelfth highest-grossing film of all time . He hosted and produced The Hero , a reality competition series ; and has since continued to produce TV series and films through his production company Seven Bucks Productions , each of which he also stars in . Forbes listed Johnson No. 25 in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in 2013 . He was the world 's highest-paid actor of 2016 . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016 .  In 2015 , Muscle & Fitness named Johnson their `` Man of the Century '' .


There is a readership of over 800,000 for The Economic Times.

The Economic Times The Economic Times is an English-language , Indian daily newspaper published by the Bennett , Coleman & Co. Ltd. . First published in 1961 , it is the world 's second-most widely read English-language business newspaper , after the Wall Street Journal , with a readership of over 800,000 . The Economic Times is published simultaneously from 12 cities -- Mumbai , Bangalore , Delhi , Chennai , Kolkata , Lucknow , Hyderabad , Jaipur , Ahmedabad , Nagpur , Chandigarh , and Pune .   The Economic Times is headquartered in Mumbai at The Times of India building . Its main content is based on the Indian economy , international finance , share prices , prices of commodities as well as other matters related to finance . The founder - editor of the paper when it was launched in 1961 was P.S. Hariharan . The current editor of The Economic Times is Bodhisattva Ganguli .   Like the London-based Financial Times , The Economic Times is printed on salmon pink paper . It is sold in all major cities in India . In June 2009 , it launched a television channel called ET Now .


Robin was born as a method to gain a young audience.

Robin (comics) Robin is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was originally created by Bob Kane , Bill Finger , and Jerry Robinson , to serve as a junior counterpart to the superhero Batman . The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped Crusaders . The character 's first incarnation , Dick Grayson , debuted in Detective Comics # 38 ( April 1940 ) . Conceived as a vehicle to attract young readership , Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception , doubling the sales of the Batman related comic books . The early adventures of Robin included Star Spangled Comics # 65 -- 130 ( 1947 -- 1952 ) , which was the character 's first solo feature . Robin made regular appearances in Batman related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing .   The character 's second incarnation Jason Todd debuted in Batman # 357 ( 1983 ) . This Robin made regular appearances in Batman related comic books until 1988 , when the character was murdered by the Joker in the storyline `` A Death in the Family '' ( 1989 ) . Jason would later find himself alive after a reality changing incident , eventually becoming the Red Hood . The premiere Robin limited series was published in 1991 which featured the character 's third incarnation Tim Drake training to earn the role of Batman 's vigilante partner . Following two successful sequels , the monthly Robin ongoing series began in 1993 and ended in early 2009 , which also helped his transition from sidekick to a superhero in his own right . In 2004 storylines , established DC Comics character Stephanie Brown became the fourth Robin for a short duration before the role reverted to Tim Drake . Damian Wayne succeeds Drake as Robin in the 2009 story arc `` Battle for the Cowl '' .   Following the 2011 continuity reboot `` the New 52 '' , Tim Drake was revised as having assumed the title Red Robin , and Jason Todd , operating as the Red Hood , was slowly repairing his relationship with Batman . Dick Grayson resumed his role as Nightwing and Stephanie Brown was introduced anew as Spoiler once again in the pages of Batman Eternal ( 2014 ) . The 2016 DC Rebirth continuity relaunch starts off with Damian Wayne as Robin , Tim Drake as Red Robin , Jason Todd as Red Hood , and Dick Grayson as Nightwing . Robins have also been featured throughout stories set in parallel worlds , owing to DC Comics ' longstanding `` Multiverse '' concept . For example , in the original Earth-Two , Dick Grayson never adopted the name Nightwing , and continues operating as Robin into adulthood . In the New 52 's `` Earth-2 '' continuity , Robin is Helena Wayne , daughter of Batman and Catwoman , who was stranded on the Earth of the main continuity and takes the name Huntress .


Johannes Vermeer rapped Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (film) Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber . The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed , based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier . Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet , a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer ( played by Colin Firth ) at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring ( 1665 ) in the city of Delft in Holland . Other cast members include Tom Wilkinson , Cillian Murphy , and Judy Parfitt .   Hetreed read the novel before its publication , and her husband 's production company convinced Chevalier to sell the film rights . Initially , the production was to feature Kate Hudson as Griet with Mike Newell directing . Hudson withdrew shortly before filming began , however , and the film was placed in hiatus until the hire of Webber , who re-initiated the casting process . In this , which was his feature film debut , Webber sought to avoid employing traditional characteristics of the period film drama . Cinematographer Eduardo Serra used distinctive lighting and colour schemes similar to Vermeer 's paintings .   Released on 12 December 2003 in North America and on 16 January 2004 in the United Kingdom , Girl with a Pearl Earring earned a worldwide gross of $ 31,466,789 . It garnered a mostly positive critical reception , with a 72 % approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes . Critics generally applauded the film 's visuals and performances while questioning elements of its story . The film was subsequently nominated for ten British Academy Film Awards , three Academy Awards , and two Golden Globe Awards .


Fences (film) Fences is a 2016 American period drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington and written by August Wilson , based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name ( Wilson died in 2005 , but completed a screenplay before his death ) . In addition to Washington , the film also stars Viola Davis , Stephen Henderson , Jovan Adepo , Russell Hornsby , Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney .   Principal photography on the film began on April 25 , 2016 , in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , in the Hill District , and wrapped in mid-June 2016 . Fences was released in the United States on December 16 , 2016 , by Paramount Pictures , received positive reviews and grossed $ 64 million . The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2016 , and has been nominated for numerous awards , including four Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Actor ( Washington ) , Best Supporting Actress ( Davis ) , and Best Adapted Screenplay , with Davis winning for her performance . It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Washington and a Best Supporting Actress win for Davis .


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


Ann Romney has only attended universities in Oregon and North Carolina.

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University ( often referred to as BYU or , colloquially , The Y ) is a private research university in Provo , Utah , United States . It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS Church ) , and excluding online students , is the largest religious university and the third largest private university in the United States , with 29,672 on-campus students . Approximately 99 percent of the students are members of the LDS Church , and one-third of its US students are from Utah .   Students attending BYU are required to follow an honor code , which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings such as academic honesty , adherence to dress and grooming standards , and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol . Many students ( 88 percent of men , 39 percent of women ) either delay enrollment or take a hiatus from their studies to serve as Mormon missionaries . An education at BYU is also less expensive than at similar private universities , since `` a significant portion '' of the cost of operating the university is subsidized by the church 's tithing funds .   BYU offers a variety of academic programs , including liberal arts , engineering , agriculture , management , physical and mathematical sciences , nursing , and law . The university is broadly organized into 11 colleges or schools at its main Provo campus , with certain colleges and divisions defining their own admission standards . The university also administers two satellite campuses , one in Jerusalem and one in Salt Lake City , while its parent organization , the Church Educational System ( CES ) , sponsors sister schools in Hawaii and Idaho . The university 's primary focus is on undergraduate education , but it also has 68 master 's and 25 doctoral degree programs .   BYU 's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the BYU Cougars . Their college football team is an NCAA Division I Independent , while their other sports teams compete in either the West Coast Conference or Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . BYU 's sports teams have won a total of fourteen national championships .


Ann Romney Ann Lois Romney ( née Davies ; born April 16 , 1949 ) is the wife of American businessman and politician , Mitt Romney . From 2003 to 2007 , Romney was First Lady of Massachusetts , while her husband served as Governor .   She was raised in Bloomfield Hills , Michigan , and attended the private Kingswood School there , where she dated Mitt Romney . She converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS Church ) in 1966 . She attended Brigham Young University ( BYU ) , married Mitt Romney in 1969 , and in 1975 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French .   As First Lady of Massachusetts , Romney served as the governor 's liaison for federal faith-based initiatives . She was involved in a number of children 's charities , including Operation Kids . She was an active participant in her husband 's U.S. presidential campaigns in 2008 and again in 2012 , when he was the Republican Party nominee .   Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and has credited a mixture of mainstream and alternative treatments with giving her a lifestyle mostly without limitations . In one activity , equestrianism , she has consequently received recognition in dressage as an adult amateur at the national level and competed professionally in Grand Prix as well . In 2008 , she was also diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ , a non-invasive type of breast cancer . She underwent a lumpectomy in December of the same year and has since been cancer-free .   Ann and Mitt Romney have five sons , born between 1970 and 1981 , and twenty-three grandchildren .


Justin Lin left the franchise before Furious 7 was released.

Furious 7 Furious 7 ( alternatively known as Fast & Furious 7 and Fast 7 ) is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan . It is the seventh installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise . The film stars Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Dwayne Johnson , Michelle Rodriguez , Tyrese Gibson , Chris ` Ludacris ' Bridges , Jordana Brewster , Djimon Hounsou , Kurt Russell , and Jason Statham . Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto ( Diesel ) , Brian O'Conner ( Walker ) , and the rest of their team , who have returned to the United States to live normal lives after securing amnesty for their past crimes in Fast & Furious 6 ( 2013 ) , until Deckard Shaw ( Statham ) , a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother , puts the team in danger once again .   With the previous three installments set between 2 Fast 2 Furious ( 2003 ) and The Fast and the Furious : Tokyo Drift ( 2006 ) , Furious 7 is the first installment in the franchise to take place after Tokyo Drift . The film also marks the final film appearance of Walker , who died in a single-vehicle crash on November 30 , 2013 with filming only half-completed . Following Walker 's death , filming was delayed for script rewrites , and his brothers , Caleb and Cody , were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes . These script rewrites completed the story arcs for both Walker and Brewster 's characters ( Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto , respectively ) , causing both to be retired . As a result , it is also the final installment in the franchise to star Brewster .   Plans for a seventh installment were first announced in February 2012 when Johnson stated that production on the film would begin after the completion of Fast & Furious 6 . In April 2013 , Wan , predominantly known for horror films , was announced to direct the film in place of Justin Lin , who left the franchise after directing the previous four installments . Casting began in the same month with the re-signing of Diesel and Walker , and an initial release date was set . Principal photography began in Atlanta , Georgia , in September 2013 , resumed in April 2014 and ended in July 2014 , with other filming locations including Los Angeles , Colorado , Abu Dhabi , and Tokyo .   Furious 7 premiered in Los Angeles on April 1 , 2015 , and was theatrically released in the United States on April 3 , 2015 , playing in 3D , IMAX 3D , and 4DX internationally . Upon release , the film became a critical and commercial success , with praise being aimed at the film 's action sequences and its tribute to Walker . The film grossed $ 397.6 million worldwide during its opening weekend , which is the sixth highest-grossing opening of all time . The film has grossed over $ 1.5 billion worldwide -- more than the franchise 's first five installments combined -- making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise after just twelve days , the third highest-grossing film of 2015 and the sixth highest-grossing film of all time . A sequel , The Fate of the Furious , was released on April 14 , 2017 .


Emily Blunt Emily Olivia Leah Blunt ( born 23 February 1983 ) is a British film and stage actress . Blunt made her professional debut in a 2001 London production of the play The Royal Family . Two years later , she appeared on screen for the first time in the 2003 television film Boudica ( Warrior Queen ) . Her performance in the 2004 drama film My Summer of Love garnered her the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer .   For her performance in the TV film Gideon 's Daughter ( 2006 ) she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress . The same year , she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress -- Motion Picture and a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Devil Wears Prada .   In 2009 , Blunt received the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year . She received more acclaim for portraying Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria ( 2009 ) , receiving a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama . 2009 also saw Blunt appear in the crime caper comedy Wild Target with Bill Nighy and Rupert Grint . She found commercial success for roles in the romantic science-fiction thriller The Adjustment Bureau ( 2011 ) , the science-fiction action thriller Looper ( 2012 ) , and the science-fiction military film Edge of Tomorrow ( 2014 ) .   Blunt received her fourth and fifth Golden Globe Award nominations for her roles in the romantic comedy-drama Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ( 2012 ) and the musical fantasy Into the Woods ( 2014 ) in the Best Actress -- Motion Picture Comedy or Musical category . In 2016 , Blunt starred in the fantasy-action film The Huntsman : Winter 's War and The Girl on the Train , the latter based on the international best-selling novel of the same name , and a performance that earned her nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role .


Doctor Who first aired in November of 1963.

Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963 . The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called `` The Doctor '' , an extraterrestrial being from the planet Gallifrey . He explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS . Its exterior appears as a blue British police box , which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired . Accompanied by a number of companions , the Doctor combats a variety of foes , while working to save civilisations and help people in need .   The show is a significant part of British popular culture , and elsewhere it has gained a cult following . It has influenced generations of British television professionals , many of whom grew up watching the series . The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989 . There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot , in the form of a television film titled Doctor Who . The programme was relaunched in 2005 , and since then has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff . Doctor Who has also spawned numerous spin-offs , including comic books , films , novels , audio dramas , and the television series Torchwood ( 2006 -- 2011 ) , The Sarah Jane Adventures ( 2007 -- 2011 ) , K-9 ( 2009 -- 2010 ) , and Class '' ( 2016-present ) , and has been the subject of many parodies and references in popular culture .   Twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor . The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation -- an idea introduced in 1966 to allow the show to continue after the departure of original lead William Hartnell who was becoming very ill at the time . The concept is that this is a Time Lord trait through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and personality to recover from a severe injury or anything that would otherwise kill a normal person . Each actor 's portrayal differs , but all represent stages in the life of the same character and form a single narrative . The time-travelling feature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet . The current lead , Peter Capaldi , took on the role after Matt Smith 's exit in the 2013 Christmas special `` The Time of the Doctor '' . In 2017 , Capaldi confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the tenth series , with his final appearance being the 2017 Christmas Special .


Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson ( born May 2 , 1972 ) , also known by his ring name , The Rock , is an American actor , producer , and professional wrestler . He holds both American and Canadian citizenships .   Born in California and raised in New Zealand and the U.S. states of Hawaii and Pennsylvania , Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami , where he won a national championship on the 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team . He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League and was cut two months into the 1995 season . This led him to become a professional wrestler like his grandfather , Peter Maivia , and his father , Rocky Johnson , from whom he also inherited his Canadian citizenship .   Currently signed to WWE on a part-time contract , Johnson gained mainstream fame in the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) from 1996 to 2004 as a major figure in the company 's Attitude Era , and was the first third-generation wrestler in the company 's history . He returned to wrestling part-time for WWE from 2011 to 2013 and continues to make sporadic non-wrestling appearances for the company . Johnson has 17 championship reigns in WWE , including 10 as a world champion , winning the WWF/WWE Championship eight times ( seventh reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion ) and the WCW/World Championship twice . He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the WWF Tag Team Championship five times . Johnson is the sixth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history and won the 2000 Royal Rumble . He is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time .   Johnson 's autobiography The Rock Says ... , co-written with Joe Layden , was published in 2000 . It debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list , spent 20 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list , and sold 720,000 copies in hardcover alone .   Johnson 's first leading film role was in The Scorpion King in 2002 . For this role , he was paid US$ 5.5 million , a world record for an actor in his first starring role . He has since appeared in various films , and become known for his ability to reinvigorate film franchises . One of his more prominent roles is Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious franchise ; its most recent film , The Fate of the Furious , was released in 2017 and has grossed over $ 1.1 billion worldwide , making it the second highest-grossing film of 2017 and the twelfth highest-grossing film of all time . He hosted and produced The Hero , a reality competition series ; and has since continued to produce TV series and films through his production company Seven Bucks Productions , each of which he also stars in . Forbes listed Johnson No. 25 in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in 2013 . He was the world 's highest-paid actor of 2016 . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016 .  In 2015 , Muscle & Fitness named Johnson their `` Man of the Century '' .


The Craft stars Robin Tunney and Fairuza Balk and Neve Campbell.

The Craft (film) The Craft is a 1996 American supernatural horror film directed by Andrew Fleming and starring Robin Tunney , Fairuza Balk , Neve Campbell , and Rachel True . The film 's plot centers on a group of four outcast teenage girls who pursue witchcraft for their own gain , but soon encounter negative repercussions from their actions . The film was released on May 3 , 1996 , by Columbia Pictures and it was a surprise hit , earning $ 55 million against a budget of $ 15 million . In the years since its release , the film has accrued a significant cult following .


The Heiress (1947 play) was written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz.

The Heiress (1947 play) The Heiress is a 1947 play by American playwrights Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted from the 1880 Henry James novel Washington Square .


Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 . During his second term as Prime Minister , he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party .   Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg ) , Putin studied German in high school and speaks the language fluently . He studied Law at the Saint Petersburg State University , graduating in 1975 . Putin was a KGB Foreign Intelligence Officer for 16 years , rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1991 to enter politics in Saint Petersburg . He moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin 's administration , rising quickly through the ranks and becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 , when Yeltsin resigned . Putin won the subsequent 2000 Presidential election by a 53 % to 30 % margin , thus avoiding a runoff with his Communist Party of the Russian Federation opponent , Gennady Zyuganov . He was re-elected President in 2004 with 72 % of the vote .   During Putin 's first presidency , the Russian economy grew for eight straight years , and GDP measured in purchasing power increased by 72 % . The growth was a result of the 2000s commodities boom , high oil prices , and prudent economic and fiscal policies . Because of constitutionally mandated term limits , Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008 . The 2008 Presidential election was won by Dmitry Medvedev , who appointed Putin Prime Minister , beginning what has been called a period of `` tandemocracy '' . In September 2011 , after presidential terms were extended from four to six years , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president . He won the March 2012 presidential election with 64 % of the vote , a result which aligned with pre-election polling . Falling oil prices coupled with international sanctions imposed at the beginning of 2014 after Russia 's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to GDP shrinking by 3.7 % in 2015 , though the Russian economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3 % GDP growth and is officially out of the recession .   Under Putin 's leadership , Russia has scored poorly on both the Economist Intelligence Unit 's Democracy Index and Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index . Putin has enjoyed high domestic approval ratings during his career , and received extensive international attention as one of the world 's most powerful leaders . In 2007 , he was the Time Person of the Year . In 2015 , he was # 1 on the Time 's Most Influential People List . Forbes ranked him the World 's Most Powerful Individual every year from 2013 to 2016 .


Steve Buscemi starred in the radio series Trees Lounge.

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( -LSB- buːˈsɛmi -RSB- born December 13 , 1957 ) is an American actor and film director . Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films , including Parting Glances , New York Stories , Mystery Train , Reservoir Dogs , Desperado , Con Air , Armageddon , The Grey Zone , Ghost World , Big Fish , and The Sopranos . He is also known for his appearances in many films by the Coen brothers : Miller 's Crossing , Barton Fink , The Hudsucker Proxy , Fargo , and The Big Lebowski . Buscemi provides the voice of Randall Boggs in the Monsters , Inc. franchise .   From 2010 to 2014 , he portrayed Enoch `` Nucky '' Thompson in the critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire , which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards , a Golden Globe , and two nominations for an Emmy Award . He made his directorial debut in 1996 , with Trees Lounge , in which he also starred . Other works include Animal Factory ( 2000 ) , Lonesome Jim ( 2005 ) and Interview ( 2007 ) . He has also directed numerous episodes of TV shows , including Homicide : Life on the Street , The Sopranos , Oz , 30 Rock , and Nurse Jackie . He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning AOL On comedy talk-show Park Bench .


Trees Lounge Trees Lounge is a 1996 feature film and the debut of Steve Buscemi as writer and director . It was produced by Brad Wyman and Chris Hanley and features a large ensemble cast of actors , including Buscemi , Anthony LaPaglia , Chloë Sevigny , and Samuel L. Jackson . The film 's black humor , based on examination of characters ' self-destructive behavior , has been cited as an influence by The Sopranos creator David Chase , who later hired Buscemi to direct `` Pine Barrens '' and three other episodes of the show , and to star as Tony Soprano 's cousin Tony Blundetto during the show 's fifth season .   It was filmed in Glendale , Queens ; Brooklyn ; and Valley Stream , New York .


Frank is by a singer and was successful.

Frank (Amy Winehouse album) Frank is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse , released on 20 October 2003 by Island Records . Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse , Salaam Remi , Gordon `` Commissioner Gordon '' Williams , Jimmy Hogarth and Matt Rowe . Its title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse 's lyrics on the album , as well as one of her influences , Frank Sinatra .   Upon its release , Frank received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades , including an Ivor Novello Award . The album has sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom and has been certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry ( BPI ) .


Cersei Lannister is in a series written by an American author named George R. R. Martin.

Cersei Lannister Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones , where she is portrayed by Lena Headey . In the novels , she is a point of view character .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Cersei is a member of House Lannister , one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the kingdom of Westeros . She subsequently appeared in A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) and A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) . She becomes a prominent point of view character in the novels beginning in A Feast for Crows ( 2005 ) and A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) . The character will also appear in the forthcoming volume The Winds of Winter .   In the story , Cersei Lannister , Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros , is the wife of King Robert Baratheon . Her father arranged the marriage , after his attempt to betroth her to Rhaegar Targaryen as she wanted failed and Targaryen dynasty lost the war , initiating himself as a political counselor for the newly crowned King Robert . The Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros and helped him to win the Throne , which is why Robert was interested in a marriage between them . Cersei has a twin brother , Jaime , with whom she has been involved in an incestuous affair . All three of Cersei 's children are Jaime 's . Cersei 's main character attribute is her desire for power and her ambition .   Headey has garnered enormous praise for her portrayal of the character on the HBO series Game of Thrones . Headey has been nominated for three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance . She and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012 , 2014 , 2015 and 2016 . In season 5 , a young version of the character is portrayed by Nell Williams in a flashback .


The Entire History of You was written by the creator of Fresh Meat and it is an episode.

The Entire History of You `` The Entire History of You '' is the third episode of the first series of British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror . It was written by the creator of Peep Show and Fresh Meat , Jesse Armstrong , making it the only episode of the series not written or co-written by creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker . It was directed by Brian Welsh , and first aired on Channel 4 on 18 December 2011 .   The episode , set in an alternative reality where most people have `` grains '' recording everything they do , see , or hear , and allowing them to play back their memories in front of their eyes or on a screen , tells the story of Liam ( Toby Kebbell ) , a man who starts suspecting that his wife Ffion ( Jodie Whittaker ) might have an affair .   `` The Entire History of You '' received positive reviews . In 2013 , Robert Downey , Jr. optioned the episode to potentially be made into a film by Warner Bros. and his own production company Team Downey .


The 16th most visited country in the world is Poland.

Poland Poland ( Polska -LSB- ˈpɔlska -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( -LSB- Rzeczpospolita Polska , links = no -RSB- , ) , is a parliamentary republic in Central Europe . Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312679 km2 with a mostly temperate climate . With a population of over 38.5 million people , Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest city is Warsaw . Other cities include Kraków , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk and Szczecin .   The establishment of a Polish state can be traced back to 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of a territory roughly coextensive with that of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented a longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe with a uniquely liberal political system which declared Europe 's first constitution .   Following the partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century , Poland regained its independence in 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles . In September 1939 , World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany , followed by the Soviet Union invading Poland in accordance with the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact . More than six million of Poland 's citizens died in the war . After World War II , the Polish People 's Republic was established as a satellite state under Soviet influence . In the aftermath of the Revolutions of 1989 , most notably through the emergence of the Solidarity movement , Poland established itself as a democratic republic .   Poland is the eighth largest and one of the most dynamic economies in the European Union , simultaneously achieving a `` very high '' ranking on the Human Development Index . Additionally , the Polish Stock Exchange in Warsaw is the largest and most important in Central and Eastern Europe . Poland is a developed and democratic country , with a high-income economy , and a very high standard of living . It also ranks very highly in education , safety and economic freedom . According to the World Bank , Poland has one of the best educational systems in Europe , placing it among the most educated nations . The country provides free university education , state-funded social security and a universal health care system for all citizens . Situated between Eastern and Western European cultures and coined by a changing history , Poland developed a rich cultural heritage , including numerous historical monuments and 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites . It is visited by approximately 16 million tourists every year ( 2014 ) , making it the 16th most visited country in the world . Poland is a member state of the European Union , the Schengen Area , the United Nations , NATO and the OECD .


Syria Syria ( -LSB- ˈsɪ.riə -RSB- سوريا ) , officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia , bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west , Turkey to the north , Iraq to the east , Jordan to the south , and Israel to the southwest . Syria 's capital and largest city is Damascus .   A country of fertile plains , high mountains , and deserts , Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups , including Syrian Arabs , Greeks , Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Circassians , Mandeans and Turks . Religious groups include Sunnis , Christians , Alawites , Druze , Mandeans , Shiites , Salafis , and Yazidis . Sunni Arabs make up the largest religious group in Syria .   In English , the name `` Syria '' was formerly synonymous with the Levant ( known in Arabic as al-Sham ) , while the modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires , including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC . Its capital Damascus and largest city Aleppo are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world . In the Islamic era , Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt .   The modern Syrian state was established after the end of centuries of Ottoman control in World War I as a French mandate , and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Arab Levant . It gained independence as a parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when Syria became a founding member of the United Nations , an act which legally ended the former French Mandate -- although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946 . The post-independence period was tumultuous , and a large number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949 -- 71 . In 1958 , Syria entered a brief union with Egypt called the United Arab Republic , which was terminated by the 1961 Syrian coup d'état . The Arab Republic of Syria came into being in late 1961 after December 1 constitutional referendum , and was increasingly unstable until the Ba'athist coup d'état , since which the Ba'ath Party has maintained its power . Syria was under Emergency Law from 1963 to 2011 , effectively suspending most constitutional protections for citizens . Bashar al-Assad has been president since 2000 and was preceded by his father Hafez al-Assad , who was in office from 1970 to 2000 .   Syria is a member of one international organization other than the United Nations , the Non-Aligned Movement ; it has become suspended from the Arab League on November 2011 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and self-suspended from the Union for the Mediterranean . Since March 2011 , Syria has been embroiled in an uprising against Assad and the Ba'athist government as part of the Arab Spring , a crackdown that contributed to the Syrian Civil War and to Syria 's becoming one of the most violent countries in the world . Since the start of the war in 2011 , a number of self-proclaimed state entities have since emerged on Syrian territories , including the Syrian Opposition , the Federation of Northern Syria and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant .


Kuwait Kuwait -LSB- kʊˈweɪt -RSB- ( الكويت , -LSB- ɪl ‿ ɪkweːt -RSB- or -LSB- - afblɪkweːt -RSB- ) , officially the State of Kuwait , is a country in Western Asia . Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf , it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia . , Kuwait has a population of 4.2 million people ; 1.3 million are Kuwaitis and 2.9 million are expatriates . Expatriates account for 70 % of the population .   Oil reserves were discovered in 1938 . From 1946 to 1982 , the country underwent large-scale modernization . In the 1980s , Kuwait experienced a period of geopolitical instability and an economic crisis following the stock market crash . In 1990 , Kuwait was invaded by Iraq . The Iraqi occupation came to an end in 1991 after military intervention by coalition forces . At the end of the war , there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure .   Kuwait is a constitutional state with a semi-democratic political system . It has a high income economy backed by the world 's sixth largest oil reserves . The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world . According to the World Bank , the country has the fourth highest per capita income in the world . The Constitution was promulgated in 1962 . Kuwait is home to the largest opera house in the Middle East . In the Arab world , Kuwait is frequently dubbed the `` Hollywood of the Gulf '' due to the popularity of its soap operas and theatre .


Iran Iran ( ɪ , also ɪ ) , formerly known as Persia , is a sovereign state in Western Asia . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia , the de facto Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan ; to the north by the Caspian Sea ; to the northeast by Turkmenistan ; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman ; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Comprising a land area of 1648195 km2 , it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world . Officially with 79.93 million inhabitants ( Nov 2016 ) , Iran is the world 's 18th-most-populous country . It is the only country with both a Caspian Sea and an Indian Ocean coastline . The country 's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia , and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz , make it of great geostrategic importance . Iran has diverse landscapes and geographical conditions . Tehran is the country 's capital and largest city , as well as its leading economic and cultural center .   Iran is home to one of the world 's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the 4th millennium BC . The area was first unified and dominated by the Iranian Medes in the 7th century BC . Iran reached its greatest extent during the Achaemenid Empire ( First Persian Empire ) founded by Cyrus the Great in 6th century BC , the largest empire the world had yet seen , stretching from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley . Persia fell to Alexander the Great in 4th century BC , but reemerged shortly after as the Parthian Empire . Under the Sassanians , Persia became a leading world power for the next four centuries .   In 7th century AD , Arabs conquered Persia and largely displaced the indigenous faiths of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism with the new religion of Islam . Iranians became major contributors to the Islamic Golden Age that followed , producing many influential scientists , scholars , artists and thinkers . After two centuries , a period of various Iranian dynasties began , although these dynasties were later conquered by Turks and then the Mongols . An Iranian national identity was always reasserted however , developing a distinct cultural entity . The rise of the Safavids in 15th century led to the establishment of Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion , marking a turning point in Muslim history . In the 18th century , Iran arguably possessed briefly the most powerful military at the time under Nader Shah . Conflicts with the Russian Empire in 19th century led to significant territorial losses . Popular unrest culminated in the Persian Constitutional Revolution , which established a constitutional monarchy and the country 's first legislative body , the Majles . Following a coup d'état instigated by the UK and the US in 1953 , Iran gradually became closely aligned with the West and grew increasingly autocratic . Growing dissent against foreign influence and political repression led to the 1979 Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic republic , a political system which combines elements of a parliamentary democracy with a theocracy governed by Islamic jurists under the concept of a `` Supreme Leadership '' . According to international observers , the current Iranian government is oppressive , with human rights abuses commonplace .   A multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups , most inhabitants of Iran are Shia Muslims and Persian is the official language . The largest ethnic groups in Iran are the Persians , Azeris , Kurds and Lurs .   Iran is a founding member of the UN , ECO , NAM , OIC , and OPEC . Iran is a major regional and middle power , and its large reserves of fossil fuels -- which include the largest natural gas supply in the world and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves -- exert considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy . Iran 's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the third-largest number in Asia and 11th-largest in the world .


Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia ( -LSB- saʊ - -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( KSA ) , is an Arab sovereign state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula .  With a land area of approximately , Saudi Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria . Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north , Kuwait to the northeast , Qatar , Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east , Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south . It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba . It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast and most of its terrain consists of arid desert and mountains .   The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions : Hejaz , Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia ( Al-Ahsa ) and Southern Arabia ( ` Asir ) . The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud . He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh , the ancestral home of his family , the House of Saud . Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy , effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines . The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called `` the predominant feature of Saudi culture '' , with its global spread largely financed by the oil and gas trade . Saudi Arabia is sometimes called `` the Land of the Two Holy Mosques '' in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram ( in Mecca ) and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi ( in Medina ) , the two holiest places in Islam . The state has a total population of 28.7 million , of which 20 million are Saudi nationals and 8 million are foreigners . The state 's official language is Arabic .   Petroleum was discovered on 3 March 1938 and followed up by several other finds in the Eastern Province . Saudi Arabia has since become the world 's largest oil producer and exporter , controlling the world 's second largest oil reserves and the sixth largest gas reserves . The kingdom is categorized as a World Bank high-income economy with a high Human Development Index and is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies . However , the economy of Saudi Arabia is the least diversified in the Gulf Cooperation Council , lacking any significant service or production sector ( apart from the extraction of resources ) . The state has attracted criticism for its treatment of women and use of capital punishment . Saudi Arabia is a monarchical autocracy , has the fourth highest military expenditure in the world and SIPRI found that Saudi Arabia was the world 's second largest arms importer in 2010 -- 2014 . Saudi Arabia is considered a regional and middle power . In addition to the GCC , it is an active member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and OPEC .


Iraq Iraq ( -LSB- ɪˈræk -RSB- , -LSB- ɪˈrɑːk -RSB- , or -LSB- aɪˈræk -RSB- العراق ; عێراق ) , officially known as the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia , bordered by Turkey to the north , Iran to the east , Kuwait to the southeast , Saudi Arabia to the south , Jordan to the southwest , and Syria to the west . The capital , and largest city , is Baghdad . The main ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds ; others include Assyrians , Turkmen , Shabakis , Yazidis , Armenians , Mandeans , Circassians , and Kawliya . Around 95 % of the country 's 36 million citizens are Muslims , with Christianity , Yarsan , Yezidism , and Mandeanism also present . The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish .   Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km on the northern Persian Gulf and encompasses the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain , the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range , and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert . Two major rivers , the Tigris and Euphrates , run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf . These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land .   The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers , historically known as Mesopotamia , is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation . It was here that mankind first began to read , write , create laws , and live in cities under an organised government -- notably Uruk , from which `` Iraq '' is derived . The area has been home to successive civilisations since the 6th millennium BC . Iraq was the centre of the Akkadian , Sumerian , Assyrian , and Babylonian empires . It was also part of the Median , Achaemenid , Hellenistic , Parthian , Sassanid , Roman , Rashidun , Umayyad , Abbasid , Ayyubid , Mongol , Safavid , Afsharid , and Ottoman empires .   Iraq 's modern borders were mostly demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sèvres . Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia . A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932 . In 1958 , the monarchy was overthrown and the Iraqi Republic created . Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party from 1968 until 2003 . After an invasion by the United States and its allies in 2003 , Saddam Hussein 's Ba'ath Party was removed from power and multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005 . The American presence in Iraq ended in 2011 , but the Iraqi insurgency continued and intensified as fighters from the Syrian Civil War spilled into the country .


Shatt al-Arab Shatt al-Arab ( شط العرب , Bank of the Arabs ) or Arvand Rud ( اَروَندرود , Swift River ) is a river in Basra Governorate of some 200 km ( 120 mi ) in length , formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq . The southern end of the river constitutes the border between Iraq and Iran down to the mouth of the river as it discharges into the Persian Gulf . The river is geopolitically significant because it forms a natural border between Iran and the Arab world ( Iraq ) . It varies in width from about 232 m at Basra to 800 m at its mouth . It is thought that the waterway formed relatively recently in geologic time , with the Tigris and Euphrates originally emptying into the Persian Gulf via a channel further to the west .   The Karun river , a tributary which joins the waterway from the Iranian side , deposits large amounts of silt into the river ; this necessitates continuous dredging to keep it navigable .   The area is judged to hold the largest date palm forest in the world . In the mid-1970s , the region included 17 to 18 million date palms , an estimated one-fifth of the world 's 90 million palm trees . But by 2002 , war , salt , and pests had wiped out more than 14 million of the palms , including around 9 million in Iraq and 5 million in Iran . Many of the remaining 3 to 4 million trees are in poor condition .   In Middle Persian literature and the Shahnama ( written between c. 977 and 1010 AD ) , the name اروند Arvand is used for the Tigris , the confluent of the Shatt al-Arab . Iranians also used this name specifically to designate the Shatt al-Arab during the later Pahlavi period , and continue to do so after the Iranian Revolution of 1979 .


Turkey Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti -LSB- ˈtyɾcije d͡ʒumˈhuɾijeti -RSB- ) , is a transcontinental country in Eurasia , mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia , with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe . Turkey is a democratic , secular , unitary , parliamentary republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Turkey is bordered by eight countries : Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest ; Georgia to the northeast ; Armenia , the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east ; Iraq and Syria to the south . The country is encircled by seas on three sides : the Aegean Sea is to the west , the Black Sea to the north , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . The Bosphorus , the Sea of Marmara , and the Dardanelles , which together form the Turkish Straits , divide Thrace and Anatolia ; they also separate Europe and Asia . Ankara is the capital while Istanbul is the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Approximately 70-80 % of the country 's citizens identify themselves as ethnic Turks . Other ethnic groups include legally recognised ( Armenians , Greeks , Jews ) and unrecognised ( Kurds , Arabs , Circassians , Albanians , Bosniaks , Georgians , etc. ) minorities . Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group , making up approximately 20 % of the population .   The area of Turkey has been inhabited since the Paleolithic by various ancient Anatolian civilisations , as well as Assyrians , Greeks , Thracians , Phrygians , Urartians and Armenians . After Alexander the Great 's conquest , the area was Hellenized , a process which continued under the Roman Empire and its transition into the Byzantine Empire . The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century , starting the process of Turkification , which was accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 . The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243 , when it disintegrated into small Turkish beyliks .   In the mid-14th century the Ottomans started uniting Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeast Europe , West Asia and North Africa , becoming a major power in Eurasia and Africa during the early modern period . The empire reached the peak of its power in the 16th century , especially during the reign ( 1520 -- 1566 ) of Suleiman the Magnificent . It remained powerful and influential for two more centuries , until important setbacks in the 17th and 18th century forced it to cede strategic territories in Europe , signalling the loss of its former military strength and wealth . After the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état which effectively put the country under the control of the Three Pashas the Ottoman Empire decided to join the Central Powers during World War I which were ultimately defeated by the Allied Powers . During the war , the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian , Assyrian and Pontic Greek citizens .   Following the war , the conglomeration of territories and peoples that formerly comprised the Ottoman Empire was partitioned into several new states . The Turkish War of Independence ( 1919 -- 1922 ) , initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his colleagues against the occupying Allies , resulted in the abolition of monarchy in 1922 and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 , with Atatürk as its first president . Atatürk enacted numerous reforms , many of which incorporated various aspects of Western thought , philosophy , and customs into the new form of Turkish government .   Turkey is a charter member of the UN , an early member of NATO , and a founding member of the OECD , OSCE , OIC and G-20 . After becoming one of the first members of the Council of Europe in 1949 , Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963 , joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005 . Turkey 's growing economy and diplomatic initiatives have led to its recognition as a regional power while its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout history .   Turkey 's current administration headed by president Tayyip Erdoğan has reversed many of the country 's earlier reforms which had been in place since the founding of the modern republic of Turkey , such as Freedom of the Press , a Legislative System of Checks and Balances , and a set of standards for secularism in government , as first enacted by Atatürk .


Over $3.3 billion in worldwide receipts has been grossed by The Twilight Saga.

The Twilight Saga (film series) The Twilight Saga is a series of five romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four novels by American author Stephenie Meyer . The films star Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , and Taylor Lautner . The series has grossed over $ 3.3 billion in worldwide receipts and consists , to date , of five motion pictures . The first installment , Twilight , was released on November 21 , 2008 . The second installment , New Moon , followed on November 20 , 2009 , breaking box office records as the biggest midnight screening and opening day in history , grossing an estimated $ 72.7 million . The third installment , Eclipse , was released on June 30 , 2010 , and was the first Twilight film to be released in IMAX .   The series was in development since 2004 at Paramount Pictures , during which time a screen adaptation of Twilight that differed significantly from the novel was written . Three years later , Summit Entertainment acquired the rights to the film . After Twilight grossed $ 35.7 million on its opening day , Summit Entertainment announced they would begin production on New Moon ; they had acquired the rights to the remaining novels earlier that same month . A two-part adaptation of Breaking Dawn began shooting in November 2010 with release dates of November 18 , 2011 , and November 16 , 2012 , respectively .


Zendaya Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( born September 1 , 1996 ) , known mononymously as Zendaya ( -LSB- zɛnˈdeɪ.ə -RSB- ) , is an American actress , singer , and dancer . From 2010 to 2013 , she starred in the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up as Rocky Blue . She has starred in two films and played one of the lead roles in the film Frenemies as Halley Brandon . She voiced Fern in the Pixie Hollow Games . She appeared in Good Luck Charlie as Rocky Blue and in a Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up crossover title Charlie Shakes It Up . She appeared on PrankStars as herself in the episode `` Walk The Prank '' and on A.N.T. Farm as Sequoia Jones in the episode `` Creative ConsultANT . ''   Zendaya signed a deal with Hollywood Records on August 8 , 2012 , and started recording songs for her debut album on August 12 , 2012 . She released a single from an independent label called `` Swag It Out '' and another single with Bella Thorne called `` Watch Me , '' which is featured on the Break It Down album . On March 20 , 2012 , Zendaya released the song `` Something to Dance For '' as promotional single from Shake It Up : Live 2 Dance soundtrack .


Missing (film) Missing ( stylized as missing . ) is a 1982 American historical drama film directed by Costa-Gavras and starring Sissy Spacek , Jack Lemmon , Melanie Mayron , John Shea , Janice Rule and Charles Cioffi . It is based on the true story of American journalist Charles Horman , who disappeared in the bloody aftermath of the US-backed Chilean coup of 1973 that deposed the democratically elected socialist President Salvador Allende . Set largely during the days and weeks following Horman 's disappearance , the movie depicts his father and wife searching to determine his fate . The film examines the relationship between Horman 's wife Beth ( Spacek ) and her father-in-law , American businessman Ed Horman ( Lemmon ) .   The film premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where it was jointly awarded the Palme d'Or ( with Yol ) . The film was released theatrically on February 12 , 1982 . It received four nominations at the 55th Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Actor in a Leading Role ( Lemmon ) , Best Actress in a Leading Role ( Spacek ) and winning Best Writing ( Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium ) . Missing grossed $ 16 million against its $ 5 million budget . The film was banned in Chile during Augusto Pinochet 's dictatorship , even though neither Chile nor Pinochet is ever mentioned by name ( although the Chilean cities of Viña del Mar and Santiago are ) .


Roy Whiting Roy William Whiting ( born 26 January 1959 ) is an English convicted child killer , from West Sussex . In December 2001 , he was convicted of the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne , which occurred in West Sussex in July 2000 .


Vincente Minnelli directed Meet Me in St. Louis.

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli ( February 28 , 1903 -- July 25 , 1986 ) was an American stage director and film director , famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis , Gigi , The Band Wagon , and An American in Paris . In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time , Minnelli made many comedies and melodramas . He was married to Judy Garland from 1945 until 1951 ; they were the parents of Liza Minnelli .


Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand ( born 4 June 1975 ) is an English comedian , actor , radio host , author , and activist .   Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian and later becoming an MTV presenter , Brand first achieved notoriety in 2004 as the host of Big Brother 's Big Mouth , a Big Brother spin-off . In 2007 , he had his first major film role in St Trinian 's , and the following year he landed a major role in the romantic comedy-drama Forgetting Sarah Marshall ; the film led to him starring in a spin off , the rock comedy Get Him to the Greek , alongside Jonah Hill in 2010 . He also worked as a voice actor in the animated films Despicable Me in 2010 , Hop in 2011 , and Despicable Me 2 in 2013 , and played the title character of the 2011 remake of the romantic comedy Arthur . In 2013 , he released the successful stand-up special Messiah Complex .   Since guest editing an edition of British political weekly New Statesman in 2013 , Brand has become known as a public activist and campaigner , and has spoken on a wide range of political and cultural issues , including wealth inequality , addiction , corporate capitalism , climate change , and media bias . This includes a much publicised interview with Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman in 2013 , in which he disparaged the British political system as ineffectual , encouraged the British electorate not to vote , and endorsed an egalitarian socialist revolution to replace the status quo . In 2014 , Brand launched his political-comedy web series The Trews , released a book entitled Revolution , and began work on a documentary about financial inequality with Michael Winterbottom .   Over the course of his career , Brand has been the subject of frequent media coverage and controversy for issues such as his promiscuity and drug use , his outrageous behaviour at various award ceremonies , his dismissal from MTV and resignation from the BBC , and his two-year marriage with singer Katy Perry . He has incorporated many of his controversial public antics into his comedic material . In 2015 a biographical documentary called Brand : A Second Coming was released .


Thanos appears in The Avengers (2012), portrayed by Damion Poitier, and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

Thanos Thanos ( -LSB- ˈθænɒs -RSB- , -LSB- ˈθænoʊs -RSB- ) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character is usually depicted as a Titanian mutant -- Eternal superhuman . The character first appeared in Iron Man # 55 ( February 1973 ) and was created by writer Mike Friedrich and writer-artist Jim Starlin . Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books , the character has been featured in more than four decades of Marvel continuity and a self-titled series .   Thanos appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 's various films , including The Avengers ( 2012 ) , portrayed by Damion Poitier , and Guardians of the Galaxy ( 2014 ) , Avengers : Age of Ultron ( 2015 ) , Avengers : Infinity War ( 2018 ) and its untitled sequel ( 2019 ) , portrayed by Josh Brolin . The character has appeared in other Marvel-endorsed products , including animated television series , arcade , and video games .


NSYNC NSYNC ( sometimes stylized as * NSYNC or 'N Sync ) was an American boy band formed in Orlando , Florida in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich . NSYNC consisted of Justin Timberlake , JC Chasez , Chris Kirkpatrick , Joey Fatone , and Lance Bass . After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager Lou Pearlman and former record label Bertelsmann Music Group , the group 's second album , No Strings Attached , sold over one million copies in one day and 2.42 million copies in one week , which was a record for over fifteen years . In addition to a host of Grammy Award nominations , NSYNC has performed at the World Series , the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games , and sang or recorded with Elton John , Stevie Wonder , Michael Jackson , Phil Collins , Celine Dion , Aerosmith , Britney Spears , Nelly , Left Eye , Mary J. Blige , country music supergroup Alabama , and Gloria Estefan .   Although NSYNC announced the start of a `` temporary hiatus '' in early 2002 , the band has not recorded new material since then . Justin Timberlake went on to become a very successful solo artist with several multi-platinum albums . In 2007 , Lance Bass confirmed that the group had `` definitely broken up . '' They have sold over 70 million albums during their career , becoming the eighth-best-selling boy band in history . Rolling Stone recognized their instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time .


Ariola Records Ariola Records ( also known as Ariola , Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola ) is a German record label . In the late 1980s , it was a subsidiary label of BMG , which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerate SME .


Andre Agassi won all four Grand Slam tournaments on three different surfaces.

Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi ( -LSB- ˈɑːndreɪ_ˈæɡəsi -RSB- born April 29 , 1970 ) is an American retired professional tennis player and former World No. 1 who was one of the sport 's most dominant players from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s . Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time , Agassi has been called the greatest service returner in the history of the game . Described by the BBC upon his retirement as `` perhaps the biggest worldwide star in the sport 's history '' , Agassi compiled performances that , along with his unorthodox apparel and attitude , saw him cited as one of the most charismatic players in the history of the game . As a result , he is credited for helping to revive the popularity of tennis during the 1990s .   In singles tennis , Agassi is an eight-time Grand Slam champion and a 1996 Olympic gold medalist , as well as finishing runner-up in seven other Grand Slam tournaments . During the Open Era , Agassi was the first male player to have won 4 Australian Open titles , a record that was later surpassed by Novak Djokovic when he won his 5th title on 2015 , and then by Roger Federer in 2017 . Agassi is one of five male singles players to achieve the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era and one of eight in history , the first of two to achieve the Career Golden Slam ( Career Grand Slam and Olympic Gold Medal , the other being Rafael Nadal ) , and the only man to win the Career Golden Slam and the ATP Tour World Championships ( won in 1990 ) : a distinction dubbed as a `` Career Super Slam '' by Sports Illustrated .   Agassi was the first male player to win all four Grand Slam tournaments on three different surfaces ( hard , clay and grass ) , and the last American male to win both the French Open ( in 1999 ) and the Australian Open ( in 2003 ) . He also won 17 ATP Masters Series titles and was part of the winning Davis Cup teams in 1990 , 1992 and 1995 . Agassi reached the World No. 1 ranking for the first time in 1995 but was troubled by personal issues during the mid-to-late 1990s and sank to World No. 141 in 1997 , prompting many to believe that his career was over . Agassi returned to World No. 1 in 1999 and enjoyed the most successful run of his career over the next four years . During his 20-plus year tour career , Agassi was known by the nickname `` The Punisher '' .   After suffering from sciatica caused by two bulging discs in his back , a spondylolisthesis ( vertebral displacement ) and a bone spur that interfered with the nerve , Agassi retired from professional tennis on September 3 , 2006 , after losing in the third round of the US Open to Benjamin Becker . He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation , which has raised over $ 60 million for at-risk children in Southern Nevada . In 2001 , the Foundation opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas , a K-12 public charter school for at-risk children . He has been married to fellow tennis player Steffi Graf since 2001 .


Father of the Bride stars American comedian Steve Martin.

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin ( born August 14 , 1945 ) is an American actor , comedian , writer , producer and musician . Martin came to public notice in the 1960s as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , and later as a frequent guest on The Tonight Show . In the 1970s , Martin performed his offbeat , absurdist comedy routines before packed houses on national tours . Since the 1980s , having branched away from comedy , Martin has become a successful actor , as well as an author , playwright , pianist , and banjo player , eventually earning him an Emmy , Grammy , and American Comedy awards , among other honors .   In 2004 , Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics . He was awarded an Honorary Academy Award at the Academy 's 5th Annual Governors Awards in 2013 .   While he has played banjo since an early age , and included music in his comedy routines from the beginning of his professional career , he has increasingly dedicated his career to music since the 2000s , acting less and spending much of his professional life playing banjo , recording , and touring with various bluegrass acts , including Earl Scruggs , with whom he won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2002 . He released his first solo music album , The Crow : New Songs for the 5-String Banjo , in 2009 , for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album .


Father of the Bride (1991 film) Father of the Bride is a 1991 American comedy film starring Steve Martin , Diane Keaton , Kimberly Williams ( in her film debut ) , George Newbern , Martin Short , B. D. Wong , and Kieran Culkin . It is a remake of the 1950 film of the same name .   The film inspired a series of Hallmark commercials that featured the smiling faces of the happy couple and sneak-peeks at the backs of numerous greeting cards . It is number 92 on Bravo 's `` 100 Funniest Movies '' .   Martin portrays George Banks , a businessman and owner of an athletic shoe company ( called Side Kicks ) , who , when he finds out his daughter is getting married , does not want to give her away . He eventually learns to live with his new son-in-law and realizes that as long as his daughter is happy , he is happy .   The film opened to positive reviews , and became a major box office success , earning more than four times its budget . With its success , a sequel , Father of the Bride Part II was released in 1995 .   This was Nancy Meyers and Diane Keaton 's second film together , the first being Baby Boom ( 1987 ) ; the others were Father of the Bride Part II ( 1995 ) and Something 's Got ta Give ( 2003 ) .


Gilmore Girls is an American dramedy show.

Gilmore Girls Gilmore Girls is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel . Sherman-Palladino , her husband Daniel Palladino , David S. Rosenthal , and Gavin Polone served as the executive producers . The series debuted on October 5 , 2000 , on The WB and remained a tent-pole to the network until its move to The CW on September 26 , 2006 . The series originally ran for seven seasons and ended its run on May 15 , 2007 .   The show follows single mother Lorelai Gilmore ( Graham ) and her daughter Rory ( Bledel ) , living in the fictional town of Stars Hollow , Connecticut . The town is filled with colorful characters and is located approximately 30 minutes from Hartford , Connecticut . The series explores issues of family , friendship and romance , as well as generational divides and social class . Ambition , education , work , love , family , and questions of class constitute some of the series ' central concerns . The show 's social commentary manifests most clearly in Lorelai 's difficult relationship with her wealthy , appearance-obsessed parents , Emily and Richard Gilmore , and in Rory 's interactions with the students at the Chilton Academy , and later , Yale University .   Gilmore Girls was released to critical acclaim . It featured fast-paced dialogue filled with pop-culture references . It won one Emmy Award for makeup in 2004 . The show placed 32 on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list , and was listed as one of Time magazine 's `` All-TIME 100 TV Shows '' in 2007 .   In 2016 , the main cast and Sherman-Palladino returned for a four-part miniseries revival titled Gilmore Girls : A Year in the Life , which streamed on Netflix .


Comedy-drama Comedy-drama , occasionally known as dramedy ( portmanteau of words drama and comedy ) , is a subgenre in contemporary forms of tragicomedy , especially in television , that combines elements of comedy and drama .


Bill Cosby has yet to begin his stand-up career.

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( born July 12 , 1937 ) is an American stand-up comedian , actor , and author . His start in stand-up comedy began at the hungry i in San Francisco and was followed by his landing a starring role in the 1960s television show I Spy . He was also a regular on the children 's television series The Electric Company during the show 's first two seasons .   Using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines , Cosby created , produced , and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids , a show that ran from 1972 to 1985 , centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area . Throughout the 1970s , Cosby starred in a number of films , and he occasionally returned to film later in his career . After attending Temple University in the 1960s , he received his bachelor 's degree there in 1971 . In 1973 , he received a master 's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst , and in 1976 , he earned his Doctor of Education degree , also from UMass . His dissertation discussed the use of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as a teaching tool in elementary schools .   Beginning in the 1980s , Cosby produced and starred in a television sitcom , The Cosby Show , which aired from 1984 to 1992 and was rated as the number one show in America for five years , 1984 through 1989 . The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family . Cosby produced the Cosby Show spin-off sitcom A Different World , which aired from 1987 to 1993 , starred in The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 , starred in the sitcom Cosby from 1996 to 2000 ; and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things for two seasons , from 1998 to 2000 .   Cosby has been the subject of sexual assault allegations , the earliest of which date back decades but becoming highly publicized since about 2014 . He has been accused by 51 women of rape , drug facilitated sexual assault , sexual battery , child sexual abuse , and sexual misconduct , with the earliest alleged incidents taking place in the mid-1960s and the most recent in 2008 . He has denied the allegations . Numerous related lawsuits against Cosby are pending ; and although most of the acts alleged by his accusers fall outside the statutes of limitations for criminal legal proceedings , one notable case has been ruled actionable , and he has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault in Montgomery County , Pennsylvania . He surrendered to authorities on December 30 , 2015 , and was released on $ 1 million bail . Cosby is scheduled to go on trial on or before June 5 , 2017 .


The Cosby Show The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom starring Bill Cosby , which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20 , 1984 until April 30 , 1992 . The show focuses on the Huxtable family , an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn , New York .   According to TV Guide , the show `` was TV 's biggest hit in the 1980s , and almost single handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC 's ratings fortunes . '' TV Guide also ranked it as # 28 of their list of 50 Greatest Shows . In addition , Cliff Huxtable was named as the `` Greatest Television Dad '' .   The Cosby Show spent five straight seasons as the number one rated show on television . The Cosby Show and All in the Family are the only sitcoms in the history of the Nielsen ratings , to be the number one show for five seasons . It spent all eight of its ' seasons in the Top 20 .   In May 1992 , Entertainment Weekly stated that The Cosby Show helped to make possible a larger variety of shows with a predominantly African-American cast , from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . The Cosby Show was based on comedy routines in Cosby 's stand-up act , which in turn were based on his family life . The show spawned the spin off A Different World , which ran for six seasons from 1987 to 1993 .


A Wrinkle in Time is a book that was made into a film.

A Wrinkle in Time A Wrinkle in Time is a science fantasy novel written by American writer Madeleine L'Engle , first published in 1963 , and in 1979 with illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon . The book won a Newbery Medal , Sequoyah Book Award , and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award , and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award . It is the first book in L'Engle 's Time Quintet , which follows the Murry and O'Keefe families . The book was made into a film , A Wrinkle in Time , in 2003 , and another film , also called A Wrinkle in Time , is in production with a scheduled release of April 2018 . It has also been made into an opera , a graphic novel , and several plays .


John Wayne Gacy Jr. was not an American.

John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy Jr. ( March 17 , 1942 -- May 10 , 1994 ) was an American serial killer and rapist . He sexually assaulted , tortured and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978 in Cook County , Illinois ( a part of metropolitan Chicago ) .   All of Gacy 's known murders were committed inside his Norwood Park ranch house . His victims were typically lured to his address by force or deception , and all but one of his victims were murdered by either asphyxiation or strangulation with a makeshift tourniquet ; his first victim was stabbed to death . Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawl space of his home . Three other victims were buried elsewhere on his property , while the bodies of his last four known victims were discarded in the Des Plaines River .   Convicted of 33 murders , Gacy was sentenced to death on March 13 , 1980 for 12 of those killings . He spent 14 years on death row before he was finally executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on May 10 , 1994 .   Gacy became known as the `` Killer Clown '' because of his charitable services at fundraising events , parades , and children 's parties where he would dress as `` Pogo the Clown '' , a character he devised himself .


Hitman (2007 film) Hitman is a 2007 French-American-British action-thriller film directed by Xavier Gens and based on the video game series of the same name . The story revolves around Agent 47 , a professional hitman , who was engineered to be an assassin by the group known as `` The Organization '' . He becomes ensnared in a political conspiracy and finds himself pursued by both Interpol and Russian intelligence . The film stars Timothy Olyphant , Olga Kurylenko and Dougray Scott and was released on November 21 , 2007 in the United States , November 30 , 2007 in the United Kingdom and December 26 , 2007 in France . Though critically not well-received , it was a financial success , grossing $ 99 million against a $ 24 million budget .   A sequel was canceled during the production , but it was followed by a reboot titled Hitman : Agent 47 starring Rupert Friend as Agent 47 , released on August 21 , 2015 .


Neve Campbell made guest appearances on more than one television series in the 2000s.

Medium (TV series) Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3 , 2005 , ending its run on that network on June 1 , 2009 . The series then moved to CBS on September 25 , 2009 , which announced on December 21 , 2010 that the show had been canceled after seven seasons . The series finale aired on January 21 , 2011 , exactly a month later .   Themed on supernatural gifts , its lead character , Allison DuBois ( played by Patricia Arquette ) , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix , Arizona district attorney 's office . Allison and her husband Joe ( Jake Weber ) are the parents of three daughters , all of whom inherited Allison 's gift . The show was initially based on the experiences of medium Allison DuBois , who claims she has worked with law enforcement agencies across the country in criminal investigations .   Medium was created by Glenn Gordon Caron and was produced by his company Picturemaker Productions and Kelsey Grammer 's Grammnet Productions in association with Paramount Network Television from 2005 -- 06 , CBS Paramount Network Television from 2006 -- 09 ( after the split of Viacom and CBS Corporation ) , and finally CBS Television Studios from 2009 until the series ended .   The series aired on NBC during its first five seasons before switching to CBS for the sixth and seventh seasons . The production division of CBS had assumed production of Medium in 2006 after absorbing the television arm of the Paramount Pictures film studio . Paramount 's home entertainment arm still held DVD distribution rights in conjunction with CBS DVD .


Neve Campbell Neve Adrianne Campbell ( -LSB- ˈnɛv_ˈkæmbəl -RSB- born October 3 , 1973 ) is a Canadian actress . She is best known for her role as Sidney Prescott in the horror film series Scream . She got her start appearing in the Canadian television series Catwalk , before she played Julia Salinger in the American drama series Party of Five . She has starred in films such as The Craft ( 1996 ) , Wild Things ( 1998 ) , Panic ( 2000 ) , and The Company ( 2003 ) . Campbell has also made guest appearances on several television series , such as Medium , Grey 's Anatomy and Mad Men , as well as a starring role in the fourth and fifth seasons of the critically acclaimed Netflix drama series House of Cards .


Mad Men Mad Men is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television . The series premiered on July 19 , 2007 , on the cable network AMC . After seven seasons and 92 episodes , Mad Men 's final episode aired on May 17 , 2015 .   Mad Men is set primarily in the 1960s , initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City , and later at the newly created firm , Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce ( later Sterling Cooper & Partners ) , located nearby in the Time-Life Building , at 1271 Sixth Avenue . According to the show 's pilot , the phrase `` Mad men '' was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves , a claim that has since been disputed . Don Draper ( Jon Hamm ) is featured in the series , initially as the talented creative director at Sterling Cooper and later a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce , and the people in his personal and professional lives . The plot focuses on the business of the agencies as well as the personal lives of the characters , regularly depicting the changing moods and social mores of the United States through the 1960s . Season one begins in March 1960 and moves through November 1970 by the conclusion of season seven .   Throughout its run , Mad Men received widespread critical acclaim for its writing , acting , and historical authenticity ; it has won many awards , including 16 Emmys and five Golden Globes . The show was also the first basic cable series to receive the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series , winning in each of its first four seasons . It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time .


Fred Savage Frederick Aaron `` Fred '' Savage ( born July 9 , 1976 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years , which ran from 1988 to 1993 . He has earned several awards and nominations , such as People 's Choice Awards and Young Artist Awards .


Marilyn Burns Marilyn Burns ; ( born Mary Lynn Ann Burns ; May 7 , 1949 -- August 5 , 2014 ) was an American actress who became known for her role as Sally Hardesty in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series . Her other film roles included Eaten Alive ( 1977 ) and Future-Kill ( 1985 ) . She is also known for portraying Linda Kasabian in the three-time Emmy-nominated television film Helter Skelter ( 1976 ) .


Istanbul Istanbul ( -LSB- ˌɪstænˈbʊl -RSB- , -LSB- - ˈbuːl -RSB- or -LSB- - stɑːn - -RSB- İstanbul -LSB- isˈtɑnbuɫ -RSB- ) , historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium , is the most populous city in Turkey and the country 's economic , cultural , and historic center . Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia , straddling the Bosphorus strait ( which separates Europe and Asia ) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea . Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives on the Asian side .  The city is the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ( conterminous with Istanbul Province ) , both hosting a population of around 14.7 million residents . Istanbul is one of the world 's most populous cities and ranks as the world 's 7th-largest city proper and the largest European city .   Founded under the name of Byzantion on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BCE , the city developed to become one of the most significant in history . After its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 CE , it served as an imperial capital for almost 16 centuries , during the Roman and Byzantine ( 330 -- 1204 and 1261 -- 1453 ) , the Latin ( 1204 -- 1261 ) , and the Ottoman ( 1453 -- 1922 ) empires . It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times , before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate .   Istanbul 's strategic position on the historic Silk Road , rail networks to Europe and the Middle East , and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have produced a cosmopolitan populace , although less so since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 . Overlooked for the new capital Ankara during the interwar period , the city has since regained much of its prominence . The population of the city has increased tenfold since the 1950s , as migrants from across Anatolia have moved in and city limits have expanded to accommodate them . Arts , music , film , and cultural festivals were established at the end of the 20th century and continue to be hosted by the city today . Infrastructure improvements have produced a complex transportation network .   Approximately foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2015 , five years after it was named a European Capital of Culture , making the city the world 's fifth most popular tourist destination . The city 's biggest attraction is its historic center , partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and its cultural and entertainment hub can be found across the city 's natural harbor , the Golden Horn , in the Beyoğlu district . Considered a global city , Istanbul has one of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies in the world . It hosts the headquarters of many Turkish companies and media outlets and accounts for more than a quarter of the country 's gross domestic product . Hoping to capitalize on its revitalization and rapid expansion , Istanbul has bid for the Summer Olympics five times in twenty years .


Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher ( October 21 , 1956 -- December 27 , 2016 ) was an American actress , writer and humorist who first became known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film series . Her other film roles included Shampoo ( 1975 ) , The Blues Brothers ( 1980 ) , Hannah and Her Sisters ( 1986 ) , The ` Burbs ( 1989 ) , and When Harry Met Sally ... ( 1989 ) .   Fisher wrote several semi-autobiographical novels , including Postcards from the Edge and the screenplay for the film of the book , as well as an autobiographical one-woman play , and its non-fiction book , Wishful Drinking , based on the play . She worked on other writers ' screenplays as a script doctor . In later years , she earned praise for speaking publicly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction .   The daughter of the singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds , Fisher and her mother appear in Bright Lights : Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds , a 2016 documentary about their relationship . It premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival . Fisher died of cardiac arrest on December 27 , 2016 , at age 60 , four days after experiencing a medical emergency during a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles . Her final film , Star Wars : The Last Jedi , is scheduled to be released on December 15 , 2017 .


Natalie Wood became a Hollywood star in 2005.

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is a 1969 American comedy drama film directed by Paul Mazursky , written by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker , who also produced the film , and starring Natalie Wood , Robert Culp , Elliott Gould , and Dyan Cannon . The original music score was composed by Quincy Jones , and featured Jackie DeShannon performing Burt Bacharach and Hal David 's `` What the World Needs Now Is Love '' and Sarah Vaughan performing `` I know that my Redeemer liveth '' from Part III of Handel 's Messiah . The cinematography for the film was by Charles Lang . The film received four Academy Award nominations , including ones for Gould and Cannon .


Love with the Proper Stranger Love with the Proper Stranger is a 1963 American romantic comedy drama film made by Pakula-Mulligan Productions and Boardwalk Productions and released by Paramount Pictures . It was directed by Robert Mulligan and produced by Alan J. Pakula from a screenplay by Arnold Schulman .   The film stars Natalie Wood , Steve McQueen , Edie Adams , Herschel Bernardi and Harvey Lembeck . The film also marked the screen debut of Tom Bosley and features a brief , uncredited appearance by the director 's younger brother Richard Mulligan , who later became a well-known television actor .   The film 's title song , written by Elmer Bernstein and Johnny Mercer , was recorded by Jack Jones .