Superman (1978 film) Superman ( informally titled Superman : The Movie in some listings and reference sources ) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner and based on the DC Comics character of the same name . The film is a British , Swiss , Panamanian and American joint venture , produced by Warner Bros. , Film Export A.G. , Dovemead Limited and International Film Productions . Superman stars Marlon Brando , Gene Hackman , Christopher Reeve , Margot Kidder , Glenn Ford , Phyllis Thaxter , Jackie Cooper , Trevor Howard , Marc McClure , Terence Stamp , Valerie Perrine , and Ned Beatty . The film depicts Superman 's origin , including his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville . Disguised as reporter Clark Kent , he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane , while battling the villainous Lex Luthor .   Several directors , most notably Guy Hamilton , and screenwriters ( Mario Puzo , David and Leslie Newman , and Robert Benton ) , were associated with the project before Richard Donner was hired to direct . Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a `` creative consultant '' credit . It was decided to film both Superman and its sequel Superman II ( 1980 ) simultaneously , with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978 . Tensions arose between Donner and the producers , and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel , of which 75 percent had already been completed , and finish the first film .   The most expensive film made up to that point with a budget of $ 55 million , Superman was released in December 1978 to critical acclaim and financial success , earning $ 300 million during its original theatrical run . Reviewers particularly praised Reeve 's performance . It was nominated for three Academy Awards , including Best Film Editing , Best Music ( Original Score ) , and Best Sound Mixing , and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects . Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling , the film 's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood 's superhero film franchises .


On the Waterfront On the Waterfront is a 1954 American crime drama film directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg . It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden , Lee J. Cobb , Rod Steiger , Pat Henning , and , in her film debut , Eva Marie Saint . The soundtrack score was composed by Leonard Bernstein . The film was suggested by `` Crime on the Waterfront '' by Malcolm Johnson , a series of articles published in November-December 1948 in the New York Sun which won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting , but the screenplay by Budd Schulberg is directly based on his own original story . The film focuses on union violence and corruption amongst longshoremen while detailing widespread corruption , extortion , and racketeering on the waterfronts of Hoboken , New Jersey .   On the Waterfront was a critical and commercial success and received twelve Academy Award nominations , winning eight , including Best Picture , Best Actor for Brando , Best Supporting Actress for Saint , and Best Director for Kazan . In 1997 it was ranked by the American Film Institute as the eighth-greatest American movie of all time and in AFI 's 2007 list it was ranked 19th . It is Bernstein 's only original film score not adapted from a stage production with songs .   In 1989 , On the Waterfront was deemed `` culturally , historically or aesthetically significant '' by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry .


The Godfather The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy , based on Mario Puzo 's best-selling novel of the same name . It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New York crime family . The story , spanning 1945 to 1955 , chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone , focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone ( Pacino ) from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss .   Paramount Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for the price of $ 80,000 , before it gained popularity . Studio executives had trouble finding a director ; their first few candidates turned down the position . They and Coppola disagreed over who would play several characters , in particular , Vito and Michael . Filming was done on location and completed earlier than scheduled . The musical score was composed primarily by Nino Rota with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola .   The film was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made . It won the Oscars for Best Picture , Best Actor ( Brando ) and Best Adapted Screenplay ( for Puzo and Coppola ) . Its seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino , James Caan , and Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor and Coppola for Best Director . It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II ( 1974 ) and The Godfather Part III ( 1990 ) .   The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and one of the most influential , especially in the gangster genre . It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990 , being deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema ( behind Citizen Kane ) by the American Film Institute .


Apocalypse Now Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film directed , produced and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola . It was co-written by John Milius with narration written by Michael Herr . It stars Marlon Brando , Robert Duvall , Martin Sheen , Frederic Forrest , Albert Hall , Sam Bottoms , Larry Fishburne , and Dennis Hopper . The screenplay , written by Milius , adapts the story of Joseph Conrad 's novella Heart of Darkness changing its setting from late 1800 's Congo to the Vietnam War . It draws from Herr 's Dispatches , and Werner Herzog 's Aguirre , the Wrath of God ( 1972 ) . The film revolves around Captain Benjamin L. Willard ( Sheen ) on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz , a renegade who is presumed insane .   The film has been noted for the problems encountered while making it , chronicled in the documentary Hearts of Darkness : A Filmmaker 's Apocalypse ( 1991 ) . These problems included Brando arriving on the set overweight and completely unprepared , expensive sets being destroyed by severe weather , and its lead actor ( Sheen ) having a breakdown , and suffering a near-fatal heart attack , while on location . Problems continued after production as the release was postponed several times while Coppola edited thousands of feet of film .   Apocalypse Now was released to universal acclaim . It was honored with the Palme d'Or at Cannes , nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama . It is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made . The film was ranked No. 14 in the British Film Institute 's Sight and Sound greatest films poll in 2012 . In 2000 , the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically or aesthetically significant '' .


The Missouri Breaks The Missouri Breaks is a 1976 American western film starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson . The film was directed by Arthur Penn , with supporting performances by Randy Quaid , Harry Dean Stanton , Frederic Forrest , John McLiam and Kathleen Lloyd . The score was composed by John Williams .   The title of the movie refers to a forlorn and very rugged area of north central Montana , where over eons the Missouri River has made countless deep cuts or `` breaks '' in the land .


Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll The Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll was published from a questionnaire given to movie exhibitors every year between 1932 and 2013 by Quigley Publishing Company .   The list was based on a poll of movie theater owners , who were asked to name who they felt were the previous year 's top 10 moneymaking stars . The Top 10 Poll which appeared annually in Quigley 's International Motion Picture Almanac has long been regarded as one of the most reliable barometers of a movie star 's box-office power , as film exhibitors base their decisions on one economic criterion : those stars who will bring patrons into their theaters .


Mexico's war with France began in Paris.

French intervention in Mexico The second French intervention in Mexico ( Segunda intervención francesa en México ) , also known as the Maximilian Affair , Mexican Adventure , the War of the French Intervention , the Franco-Mexican War or the Second Franco-Mexican War , was an invasion of Mexico in late 1861 by the Second French Empire , supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and Spain . It followed President Benito Juárez 's suspension of interest payments to foreign countries on 17 July 1861 , which angered these three major creditors of Mexico .   Emperor Napoleon III of France was the instigator , justifying military intervention by claiming a broad foreign policy of commitment to free trade . For him , a friendly government in Mexico would ensure European access to Latin American markets . Napoleon also wanted the silver that could be mined in Mexico to finance his empire . Napoleon built a coalition with Spain and Britain while the U.S. was deeply engaged in its civil war .   The three European powers signed the Treaty of London on 31 October 1861 , to unite their efforts to receive payments from Mexico . On 8 December the Spanish fleet and troops arrived at Mexico 's main port , Veracruz . When the British and Spanish discovered that France planned to seize all of Mexico , they quickly withdrew from the coalition .   The subsequent French invasion resulted in the Second Mexican Empire . In Mexico , the French-imposed empire was supported by the Roman Catholic clergy , many conservative elements of the upper class , and some indigenous communities ; the presidential terms of Benito Juárez ( 1858 -- 71 ) were interrupted by the rule of the Habsburg monarchy in Mexico ( 1864 -- 67 ) . Conservatives , and many in the Mexican nobility , tried to revive the monarchical form of government ( see : First Mexican Empire ) when they helped to bring to Mexico an archduke from the Royal House of Austria , Maximilian Ferdinand , or Maximilian I. France had various interests in this Mexican affair , such as seeking reconciliation with Austria , which had been defeated during the Franco-Austrian War of 1859 , counterbalancing the growing American Protestant power by developing a powerful Catholic neighboring empire , and exploiting the rich mines in the north-west of the country .   After heavy guerrilla resistance led by Juárez , which continued even after the capital had fallen in 1863 , the French eventually withdrew from Mexico and Maximilian I was executed in 1867 .


Mexico Mexico ( México , -LSB- ˈme.xi.ko -RSB- , modern Nahuatl ) , officially the United Mexican States ( -LSB- Estados Unidos Mexicanos , links = no -RSB- , ) , is a federal republic in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost two million square kilometers ( over 760,000 sq mi ) , Mexico is the sixth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent nation in the world . With an estimated population of over 120 million , it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world while being the second most populous country in Latin America . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states and a federal district that is also its capital and most populous city . Other metropolises include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana and León .   Pre-Columbian Mexico was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations , such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . Three centuries later , this territory became Mexico following recognition in 1821 after the colony 's Mexican War of Independence . The tumultuous post-independence period was characterized by economic instability and many political changes . The Mexican -- American War ( 1846 -- 48 ) led to the territorial cession of the extensive northern territories to the United States . The Pastry War , the Franco-Mexican War , a civil war , two empires and a domestic dictatorship occurred through the 19th century . The dictatorship was overthrown in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 , which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country 's current political system .   Mexico has the fifteenth largest nominal GDP and the eleventh largest by purchasing power parity . The Mexican economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) partners , especially the United States . Mexico was the first Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , joining in 1994 . It is classified as an upper-middle income country by the World Bank and a newly industrialized country by several analysts . By 2050 , Mexico could become the world 's fifth or seventh largest economy . The country is considered both a regional power and middle power , and is often identified as an emerging global power . Due to its rich culture and history , Mexico ranks first in the Americas and seventh in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Mexico is a megadiverse country , ranking fourth in the world by biodiversity . In 2016 it was the eighth most visited country in the world , with 35 million international arrivals . Mexico is a member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , the G8 +5 , the G20 , the Uniting for Consensus and the Pacific Alliance .


Cleopatra (1963 film) chronicles the struggles of a ruler.

Cleopatra (1963 film) Cleopatra is a 1963 American epic historical drama film chronicling the struggles of Cleopatra VII , the young Queen of Egypt , to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome . It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and shot in the 70 mm Todd-AO format , with a screenplay adapted by Mankiewicz , Ranald MacDougall and Sidney Buchman from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero . The film stars Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , Rex Harrison , Roddy McDowall , and Martin Landau .   Cleopatra achieved notoriety during its production for its massive cost overruns and production troubles , which included changes in director and cast , a change of filming locale , sets that had to be constructed twice , lack of a firm shooting script , and personal scandal around co-stars Taylor and Burton . It was the most expensive film ever made up to that point and almost bankrupted 20th Century-Fox .   It was the highest-grossing film of 1963 , earning box-office of $ 57.7 million in the United States ( equivalent to $ million in ) , yet made a loss due to its production and marketing costs of $ 44 million ( equivalent to $ million in ) , making it the only film ever to be the highest-grossing film of the year yet to run at a loss . Cleopatra later won four Academy Awards , and was nominated for five more , including Best Picture ( which it lost to Tom Jones ) .


Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ 69 -- August 12 , 30 BC ) , known to history simply as Cleopatra , was the last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt , briefly survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion . After her reign , Egypt became a province of the recently established Roman Empire .   Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty , a Greek family of Macedonian origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great 's death during the Hellenistic period . The Ptolemies spoke Greek throughout their dynasty , and refused to speak Egyptian , which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone . By contrast , Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis .   Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes , and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV , whom she married as per Egyptian custom , but eventually she became sole ruler . As queen , she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne . She later elevated Caesarion , her son with Caesar , to co-ruler in name .   After Caesar 's assassination in 44 BC , she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar 's legal heir Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ( later known as Augustus ) . With Antony , she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios , and son Ptolemy Philadelphus ( her unions with her brothers had produced no children ) . Antony committed suicide after losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian 's forces , and Cleopatra followed suit . According to a popular belief , she killed herself by means of an asp bite on August 12 , 30 BC . She was outlived by Caesarion , who was declared pharaoh by his supporters , but he was soon killed on Octavian 's orders . Egypt then became the Roman province of Aegyptus .   Her legacy survives in numerous works of art and many dramatizations of incidents from her life in literature and other media , such as William Shakespeare 's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra , George Frideric Handel 's opera Giulio Cesare , George Bernard Shaw 's play Caesar and Cleopatra , Jules Massenet 's opera Cléopâtre , and the films Cleopatra ( 1934 ) and Cleopatra ( 1963 ) .


Somali is one of the official languages of Somalia.

Somalia Somalia ( -LSB- səˈmɑːliə , _ soʊ - , _ - ljə -RSB- ; Soomaaliya الصومال ) , officially the Federal Republic of Somalia ( Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya , جمهورية الصومال الفيدرالية ) , is a country located in the Horn of Africa . It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west , Djibouti to the northwest , the Gulf of Aden to the north , the Indian Ocean to the east , and Kenya to the southwest . Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa 's mainland , and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus , plains and highlands . Climatically , hot conditions prevail year-round , with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall .   Somalia has an estimated population of around 16.3 million . Around 85 % of its residents are ethnic Somalis , who have historically inhabited the northern part of the country . Ethnic minorities are largely concentrated in the southern regions . The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic , both of which belong to the Afroasiatic family . Most people in the country are Muslim , with the majority being Sunni .   In antiquity , Somalia was an important commercial centre . It is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt . During the Middle Ages , several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade , including the Ajuran Empire , the Adal Sultanate , the Warsangali Sultanate , and the Geledi Sultanate . In the late 19th century , through a succession of treaties with these kingdoms , the British and Italian empires gained control of parts of the coast and established the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland . In the interior , Mohammed Abdullah Hassan 's Dervish State repelled the British Empire four times and forced it to retreat to the coastal region , before succumbing to defeat in 1920 by British airpower . The toponym Somalia was coined by the Italian explorer Luigi Robecchi Bricchetti ( 1855 -- 1926 ) . Italy acquired full control of the northeastern , central and southern parts of the area after successfully waging the so-called Campaign of the Sultanates against the ruling Majeerteen Sultanate and Sultanate of Hobyo . Italian occupation lasted until 1941 , yielding to British military administration . British Somaliland would remain a protectorate , while Italian Somaliland in 1949 became a United Nations Trusteeship under Italian administration , the Trust Territory of Somaliland . In 1960 , the two regions united to form the independent Somali Republic under a civilian government .   The Supreme Revolutionary Council seized power in 1969 and established the Somali Democratic Republic . Led by Mohamed Siad Barre , this government later collapsed in 1991 as the Somali Civil War broke out . Various armed factions began competing for influence in the power vacuum , particularly in the south . During this period , due to the absence of a central government , Somalia was a `` failed state '' , and residents returned to customary and religious law in most regions . A few autonomous regions , including the Somaliland and Puntland administrations emerged in the north . The early 2000s saw the creation of fledgling interim federal administrations . The Transitional National Government ( TNG ) was established in 2000 , followed by the formation of the Transitional Federal Government ( TFG ) in 2004 , which reestablished national institutions such as the military . In 2006 , the TFG , assisted by Ethiopian troops , assumed control of most of the nation 's southern conflict zones from the newly formed Islamic Courts Union ( ICU ) . The ICU subsequently splintered into more radical groups such as Al-Shabaab , which battled the TFG and its AMISOM allies for control of the region .   By mid-2012 , the insurgents had lost most of the territory that they had seized . In 2011 -- 2012 , a political process providing benchmarks for the establishment of permanent democratic institutions was launched . Within this administrative framework a new provisional constitution was passed in August 2012 , which reformed Somalia as a federation . Following the end of the TFG 's interim mandate the same month , the Federal Government of Somalia , the first permanent central government in the country since the start of the civil war , was formed and a period of reconstruction began in Mogadishu . Somalia has maintained an informal economy , mainly based on livestock , remittances from Somalis working abroad , and telecommunications .


South Korea's main language is from 1443.

Hangul The Korean alphabet , known as Hangul in South Korea ( also transcribed Hangeul ) and as Chosŏn ` gŭl / Chosŏn Muntcha in North Korea is the alphabet that has been used to write the Korean language since the 15th century . It was created in 1443 under King Sejong the Great during the Joseon Dynasty . Now , the alphabet is the official script of both South Korea and North Korea , and co-official in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Changbai Korean Autonomous County of China 's Jilin Province . In South Korea , Hangul is used primarily to write the Korean language , as using Hanja ( Chinese characters ) in typical Korean writing had fallen out of common usage during the late 1990s .   In its classical and modern forms , the alphabet has 19 consonant and 21 vowel letters . However , instead of being written sequentially like the letters of the Latin alphabet , Hangul letters are grouped into blocks , such as han , each of which transcribes a syllable . That is , although the syllable han may look like a single character , it is actually composed of three letters : h , a , and n. Each syllabic block consists of two to six letters , including at least one consonant and one vowel . These blocks are then arranged horizontally from left to right or vertically from top to bottom . Each Korean word consists of one or more syllables , hence one or more blocks . The number of mathematically possible distinct blocks is 11,172 , though there are far fewer possible syllables allowed by Korean phonotactics , and not all phonotactically possible syllables occur in actual Korean words . Of the 11,172 possible Hangul syllables , the most frequent 256 have a cumulative frequency of 88.2 % ; with the top 512 , it reaches 99.9 % .


South Korea South Korea , officially the Republic of Korea ( ROK ; ) , is a sovereign state in East Asia , constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula . Officially , its territory consists of the whole Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands , which are largely mountainous . South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle , as half of them live in high-rises concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents and the world 's sixth leading global city with the fourth largest economy and seventh most sustainable city in the world .   The earliest neolithic Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC , with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC . The name Korea is derived from one of them , Goguryeo , also known as Koryŏ , which was a Han Chinese tributary state kingdom in East Asia that sent yearly tribute to the Emperor of China , ruling most of the Korean Peninsula and a small portion of Siberia and Inner Mongolia under Gwanggaeto the Great . Since their unification into Later Silla and Balhae in the 7th century , Korea enjoyed over a millennium of relative tranquility under long lasting dynasties . Under Sejong the Great in the 15th century , Koreans had one of the highest living standards in the world along with the Han Chinese and Japanese and developed improved versions many advanced innovations such as the metal movable type printing press in 1377 A.D. which was developed based on the previous Han Chinese Porcelain movable type printing press , used to print and publish the Jikji , the world 's oldest extant movable metal type printed paper book using the 8,000 year old traditional ancient Chinese writing system . Additionally , in 1443 Hangul was invented by the Korean King Sejong the Great as an easier alternative to the complex and difficult to learn ancient Chinese writing system which was usually reserved for elite academic scholars preparing for the imperial examinations of China . Hangul enabled anyone in the general Korean population to easily learn to read and write and transfer written information rather than spending years learning complicated ancient Chinese . Its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity , the third largest in the world , along with 12 World Heritage Sites . Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910 , Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945 , but a North Korean invasion led to the Korean War ( 1950 -- 1953 ) . Peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the world 's 10th largest defence budget .   South Korea , along with Taiwan , Singapore and Hong Kong ( China ) is one of the four high-tech industrialized developed countries often referred to as the Four Asian Economic Dragons . The South Korean economy soared at an annual average of 10 % for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River . A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful . Today , it is the world 's seventh largest advanced economy and fifth largest exporter with the G20 's largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia . It has free trade agreements with 75 % of the world economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China , the US and the EU simultaneously . Since 1988 , its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency and many fundamental rights such as universal healthcare . High personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama , a phenomenon called the Korean Wave , known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style . Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI , South Korea is a leader in low carbon green growth , committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC and Paris Club contributor . It is the world 's third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance , ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance and inclusion of minorities on the Fragile States Index .   South Korea is a technologically advanced developed country driven by a highly educated and skilled workforce , having the world 's eighth highest median household income , the highest in Asia . Globally , it ranks highly in personal safety , job security , ease of doing business and healthcare quality , with the world 's third highest health adjusted life expectancy and fourth most efficient healthcare system . It is the world 's largest spender on R&D per GDP , leading the OECD in graduates in science and engineering and ranking third in the Youth Wellbeing Index . Home of Samsung , LG and Hyundai-Kia , South Korea was named the world 's most innovative country for 4 consecutive years since 2014 in the Bloomberg Innovation Index , ranking first in business R&D intensity , manufacturing value-added , patents filed per GDP , second in higher education efficiency and fourth in high-tech density and researcher concentration . In 2005 , it became the world 's first country to fully transition to high-speed Internet and today it has the world 's fastest Internet speed and highest smartphone ownership , ranking first in ICT Development , e-Government and 4G LTE coverage .


SpaceX is an American private space transportation company.

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation , better known as SpaceX , is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne , California . It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars . SpaceX has since developed the Falcon launch vehicle family and the Dragon spacecraft family , which both currently deliver payloads into Earth orbit .   SpaceX 's achievements include the first privately funded liquid-propellant rocket to reach orbit ( Falcon 1 in 2008 ) ; the first privately funded company to successfully launch , orbit , and recover a spacecraft ( Dragon in 2010 ) ; the first private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station ( Dragon in 2012 ) ; the first propulsive landing for an orbital rocket ( Falcon 9 in 2015 ) ; and the first reuse of an orbital rocket ( Falcon 9 in 2017 ) . , SpaceX has since flown ten missions to the International Space Station ( ISS ) under a cargo resupply contract . NASA also awarded SpaceX a further development contract in 2011 to develop and demonstrate a human-rated Dragon , which would be used to transport astronauts to the ISS and return them safely to Earth .   SpaceX announced in 2011 that they were beginning a privately funded reusable launch system technology development program . In December 2015 , a first stage was flown back to a landing pad near the launch site , where it successfully accomplished a propulsive vertical landing . This was the first such achievement by a rocket for orbital spaceflight . In April 2016 , with the launch of CRS-8 , SpaceX successfully vertically landed a first stage on an ocean drone-ship landing platform . In May 2016 , in another first , SpaceX again landed a first stage , but during a significantly more energetic geostationary transfer orbit mission . In March 2017 , SpaceX became the first to successfully re-launch and land the first stage of an orbital rocket .   In September 2016 , CEO Elon Musk unveiled the mission architecture of the Interplanetary Transport System program , an ambitious privately funded initiative to develop spaceflight technology for use in manned interplanetary spaceflight , and which , if demand emerges , could lead to sustainable human settlements on Mars over the long term . This is the main purpose this System was designed for . In 2017 , Elon Musk announced that the company had been contracted by two private individuals to send them in a Dragon spacecraft on a free return trajectory around the Moon . Provisionally launching in 2018 , this could become the first instance of lunar tourism .


Labor Pains Labor Pains ( also known as Almost Pregnant in Mexico ) is a 2009 romantic comedy film written by Stacy Kramer . Originally the film was released in theatres on July 9 , 2009 , only in Europe , Latin America and United Arab Emirates . In United States , the film received a television premiere on ABC Family on July 19 , 2009 . The film drew 2.1 million viewers , a better-than-average prime-time audience for ABC Family , and per the network , was the week 's top cable film among coveted female demographic groups .   Labor Pains was directed by Lara Shapiro and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 4 and 31 in the United States and United Kingdom , respectively . It was starring Lindsay Lohan , Bridgit Mendler , Luke Kirby , Chris Parnell , Cheryl Hines and Kevin Covais .


Sophie Turner starred in The Thirteenth Tale.

Sophie Turner Sophie Turner ( born 21 February 1996 ) is an English actress . Turner made her professional acting debut as Sansa Stark on the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones ( 2011 -- present ) , which brought her international recognition and critical praise . For her performance , she has received four nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series , as well as a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Supporting Young Actress in a TV Series .   Turner has also starred in the television film The Thirteenth Tale ( 2013 ) and she made her feature film debut in Another Me ( 2013 ) . She has also starred in the action comedy Barely Lethal ( 2015 ) and played Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series .


Role-playing games consist of RPGs in the tabletop category.

Role-playing game A role-playing game ( sometimes spelled roleplaying game and abbreviated to RPG ) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting . Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative , either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making or character development . Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines .   There are several forms of RPG . The original form , sometimes called the tabletop RPG , is conducted through discussion , whereas in live action role-playing games ( LARP ) players physically perform their characters actions . In both of these forms , an arranger called a game master ( GM ) usually decides on the rules and setting to be used , acting as referee , while each of the other players plays the role of a single character .   Several varieties of RPG also exist in electronic media , such as multi-player text-based MUDs and their graphics-based successors , massively multiplayer online role-playing games ( MMORPGs ) . Role-playing games also include single-player role-playing video games in which players control a character or team who undertake quests , and may include capabilities that advance using statistical mechanics . These games often share settings and rules with tabletop RPGs , but emphasize character advancement more than collaborative storytelling .   Despite this variety of forms , some game forms such as trading card games and wargames that are related to role-playing games may not be included . Role-playing activity may sometimes be present in such games , but it is not the primary focus . The term is also sometimes used to describe roleplay simulation games and exercises used in teaching , training , and academic research .


Lisbon's administrative limits contain a population of 552,700.

Lisbon Lisbon ( -LSB- ˈlɪzbən -RSB- Lisboa , -LSB- liʒˈβoɐ -RSB- ) is the capital and the largest city of Portugal , with a population of 552,700 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km ² . Its urban area extends beyond the city 's administrative limits with a population of around 2.7 million people , being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union . About 2.8 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area ( which represents approximately 27 % of the country 's population ) . It is continental Europe 's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast . Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus . The westernmost areas of its metro area is the westernmost point of Continental Europe .   Lisbon is recognised as a global city because of its importance in finance , commerce , media , entertainment , arts , international trade , education and tourism . It is one of the major economic centres on the continent , with a growing financial sector and one of the largest container ports on Europe 's Atlantic coast . Humberto Delgado Airport serves over 20 million passengers annually , as of 2015 , and the motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular link the main cities of Portugal . The city is the 7th-most-visited city in Southern Europe , after Istanbul , Rome , Barcelona , Madrid , Athens and Milan , with 1,740,000 tourists in 2009 . The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal . It 's GDP amounts to 96.3 billion USD and thus $ 32,434 per capita , 40 % higher than the average European Union 's GDP per capita . The city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world . Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area . It is also the political centre of the country , as its seat of Government and residence of the Head of State .   Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world , and the oldest in Western Europe , predating other modern European capitals such as London , Paris and Rome by centuries . Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia , adding to the name Olissipo . Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century , it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century . In 1147 , the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political , economic and cultural centre of Portugal . Unlike most capital cities , Lisbon 's status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially -- by statute or in written form . Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention , making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal .   Lisbon enjoys a Mediterranean climate . It has one of the warmest winters of any metropolis in Europe , with average temperatures 15 ° C during the day and 8 ° C at night from December to February . The typical summer season lasts about four months , from June to September , although also in April temperatures sometimes reach around 25 ° C.


Trolls is a musical romantic comedy adventure film.

Trolls (film) Trolls is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical romantic comedy adventure film based on the Troll dolls created by Thomas Dam . The film was directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Walt Dohrn , written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and based on a story by Erica Rivinoja . The film features the voices of Anna Kendrick , Justin Timberlake , Zooey Deschanel , Russell Brand , James Corden and Gwen Stefani . The film revolves around two trolls on a quest to save their village from destruction by the Bergens , creatures who eat trolls .   The 33rd animated feature film produced by DreamWorks Animation , the film premiered on October 8 , 2016 , at the BFI London Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on November 4 , 2016 , by 20th Century Fox . The film received generally positive reviews from critics , grossed $ 345 million worldwide against its $ 125 million budget and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for `` Ca n't Stop the Feeling ! '' .   A sequel , titled Trolls 2 , is scheduled to be released on April 10 , 2020 with Kendrick and Timberlake reprising their roles as Poppy and Branch respectively .


Austria Austria ( listen ) , is a federal republic and a landlocked country of over 8.7 million people in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north , Hungary and Slovakia to the east , Slovenia and Italy to the south , and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west . The territory of Austria covers 83879 km2 . The terrain is highly mountainous , lying within the Alps ; only 32 % of the country is below 500 m , and its highest point is 3798 m . The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects of German as their native language , and Austrian German in its standard form is the country 's official language . Other local official languages are Hungarian , Burgenland Croatian , and Slovene .   The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty , when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire . From the time of the Reformation , many northern German princes , resenting the authority of the Emperor , used Protestantism as a flag of rebellion . The Thirty Years War , the influence of the Kingdom of Sweden and Kingdom of France , the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia , and the Napoleonic invasions all weakened the power of the Emperor in the north of Germany , but in the south , and in non-German areas of the Empire , the Emperor and Catholicism maintained control . During the 17th and 18th centuries , Austria retained its position as one of the great powers of Europe and , in response to the coronation of Napoleon as the Emperor of the French , the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804 . Following Napoleon 's defeat , Prussia emerged as Austria 's chief competitor for rule of a greater Germany . Austria 's defeat by Prussia at the Battle of Königgrätz , during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 , cleared the way for Prussia to assert control over the rest of Germany . In 1867 , the empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary . After the defeat of France in the 1870-1 Franco-Prussian War , Austria was excluded from the new German Empire , although in the following decades , its politics , and its foreign policy , increasingly converged with those of the Prussian-led Empire . During the 1914 July Crisis that followed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28 , Austria-Hungary , emboldened by a pledge of German support , on July 28 declared war on Serbia because that country had not fully complied with an Austrian ultimatum . Austria was thus the first to go to war in the July Crisis , which would ultimately escalate into World War I.   After the collapse of the Habsburg ( Austro-Hungarian ) Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I , Austria adopted and used the name the Republic of German-Austria ( Deutschösterreich ) , later changed to Österreich , in an attempt at union with Germany , but this was forbidden under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ( 1919 ) . The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919 . In 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss . This lasted until the end of World War II in 1945 , after which Germany was occupied by the Allies and Austria 's former democratic constitution was restored . In 1955 , the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state , ending the occupation . In the same year , the Austrian Parliament created the Declaration of Neutrality which declared that the Second Austrian Republic would become permanently neutral .   Today , Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states . The capital and largest city , with a population exceeding 1.7 million , is Vienna . Other major urban areas of Austria include Graz , Linz , Salzburg and Innsbruck . Austria is one of the richest countries in the world , with a nominal per capita GDP of $ 43,724 . The country has developed a high standard of living and in 2014 was ranked 21st in the world for its Human Development Index . Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 , joined the European Union in 1995 , and is a founder of the OECD . Austria also signed the Schengen Agreement in 1995 , and adopted the euro currency in 1999 .


The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . With members John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr , they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era . Rooted in skiffle , beat and 1950s rock and roll , the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles , ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock , often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways . In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as `` Beatlemania '' , and as the group 's music grew in sophistication in subsequent years , led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney , they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s .   The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960 , with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player . The core of Lennon , McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers , including Pete Best , before asking Starr to join them in 1962 . Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act , and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings , greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit , `` Love Me Do '' , in late 1962 . They acquired the nickname `` the Fab Four '' as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year , and by early 1964 became international stars , leading the `` British Invasion '' of the United States pop market . From 1965 onwards , the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings , including the albums Rubber Soul ( 1965 ) , Revolver ( 1966 ) , Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967 ) , The Beatles ( commonly known as the White Album , 1968 ) and Abbey Road ( 1969 ) . After their break-up in 1970 , they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths . McCartney and Starr , the surviving members , remain musically active . Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 , and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001 .   The Beatles are the best-selling band in history , with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide . They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act . According to the RIAA , the Beatles are also the best-selling music artists in the United States , with 178 million certified units . In 2008 , the group topped Billboard magazine 's list of the all-time most successful `` Hot 100 '' artists ; , they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty . They have received ten Grammy Awards , an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards . The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 , and all four were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015 . They were also collectively included in Time magazine 's compilation of the twentieth century 's 100 most influential people .


In & Out (film) In & Out is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline , Tom Selleck , Joan Cusack , Matt Dillon , Debbie Reynolds , and Wilford Brimley . It is an original story by screenwriter Paul Rudnick . Joan Cusack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance .   The film was inspired by Tom Hanks 's tearful speech when he accepted his 1994 Oscar ( for his role in Philadelphia ) , in which he mentioned his high-school drama coach Rawley Farnsworth , and his former classmate John Gilkerson , `` two of the finest gay Americans , two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with . '' The film became one of mainstream Hollywood 's few attempts at a comedic `` gay movie '' of its era , and was widely noted at the time for a 12-second kiss between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck .


Joan Cusack Joan Cusack ( -LSB- ˈkjuːsæk -RSB- , born October 11 , 1962 ) is an American actress . She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the romantic comedy-drama Working Girl ( 1988 ) and the romantic comedy In & Out ( 1997 ) , as well as one Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the latter . She is also known as the voice of Jessie in the Toy Story franchise .   Cusack was a cast member on the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986 . She starred on the Showtime hit drama/comedy Shameless as Sheila Gallagher ( née Jackson ) , a role for which she has received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations , winning for the first time in 2015 . She is the sister of actress Ann and actor John Cusack .


Music includes avant-garde styles and has a long history.

Music Music is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound organized in time . The common elements of music are pitch ( which governs melody and harmony ) , rhythm ( and its associated concepts tempo , meter , and articulation ) , dynamics ( loudness and softness ) , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ( which are sometimes termed the `` color '' of a musical sound ) . Different styles or types of music may emphasize , de-emphasize or omit some of these elements . Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping ; there are solely instrumental pieces , solely vocal pieces ( such as songs without instrumental accompaniment ) and pieces that combine singing and instruments . The word derives from Greek μουσική #Ancient Greek ( mousike ; `` art of the Muses '' ) .   In its most general form , the activities describing music as an art form or cultural activity include the creation of works of music ( songs , tunes , symphonies , and so on ) , the criticism of music , the study of the history of music , and the aesthetic examination of music . Ancient Greek and Indian philosophers defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies . Common sayings such as `` the harmony of the spheres '' and `` it is music to my ears '' point to the notion that music is often ordered and pleasant to listen to . However , 20th-century composer John Cage thought that any sound can be music , saying , for example , `` There is no noise , only sound . ''   The creation , performance , significance , and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context . Indeed , throughout history , some new forms or styles of music have been criticized as `` not being music '' , including Beethoven 's Grosse Fuge string quartet in 1825 , early jazz in the beginning of the 1900s and hardcore punk in the 1980s . There are many types of music , including popular music , traditional music , art music , music written for religious ceremonies and work songs such as chanteys . Music ranges from strictly organized compositions -- such as Classical music symphonies from the 1700s and 1800s , through to spontaneously played improvisational music such as jazz , and avant-garde styles of chance-based contemporary music from the 20th and 21st centuries .   Music can be divided into genres ( e.g. , country music ) and genres can be further divided into subgenres ( e.g. , country blues and pop country are two of the many country subgenres ) , although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle , sometimes open to personal interpretation , and occasionally controversial . For example , it can be hard to draw the line between some early 1980s hard rock and heavy metal . Within the arts , music may be classified as a performing art , a fine art or as an auditory art . Music may be played or sung and heard live at a rock concert or orchestra performance , heard live as part of a dramatic work ( a music theater show or opera ) , or it may be recorded and listened to on a radio , MP3 player , CD player , smartphone or as film score or TV show .   In many cultures , music is an important part of people 's way of life , as it plays a key role in religious rituals , rite of passage ceremonies ( e.g. , graduation and marriage ) , social activities ( e.g. , dancing ) and cultural activities ranging from amateur karaoke singing to playing in an amateur funk band or singing in a community choir . People may make music as a hobby , like a teen playing cello in a youth orchestra , or work as a professional musician or singer . The music industry includes the individuals who create new songs and musical pieces ( such as songwriters and composers ) , individuals who perform music ( which include orchestra , jazz band and rock band musicians , singers and conductors ) , individuals who record music ( music producers and sound engineers ) , individuals who organize concert tours , and individuals who sell recordings and sheet music and scores to customers .


The Minnesota Vikings are a sports team.

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The Vikings joined the National Football League ( NFL ) as an expansion team in 1960 , and first took the field for the 1961 season . The team competes in the National Football Conference ( NFC ) North division ; before that , the Vikings were in the NFC Central , and before that they were in the NFL 's Western Conference Central Division . The team has played in four Super Bowl games , but lost each one . The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis .


American football American football , referred to as football in the United States and Canada , and also known as `` gridiron football '' or simply `` gridiron '' , is a sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end . The offense , the team with control of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball , while the team without control of the ball , the defense , aims to stop their advance and take control of the ball for themselves . The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs , or plays , or else they turn over the football to the opposing team ; if they succeed , they are given a new set of four downs . Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team 's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent 's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of a game wins .   American football evolved in the United States , originating from the sports of association football and rugby football . The first game of American football was played on November 6 , 1869 , between two college teams , Rutgers and Princeton , under rules based on the association football rules of the time . During the latter half of the 1870s , colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code , which allowed carrying the ball . A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the `` Father of American Football '' , established the snap , eleven-player teams , and the concept of downs ; later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football .   American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States . Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game , with the other major levels being high school and youth football . , nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually , almost all of them men , with a few exceptions . The National Football League , the most popular American football league , has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world ; its championship game , the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events in the world , and the league has an annual revenue of around US$ 10 billion .


Rod Serling was known as the "angry young man" of Bollywood.

Rod Serling Rodman Edward `` Rod '' Serling ( December 25 , 1924 -- June 28 , 1975 ) was an American screenwriter , playwright , television producer , and narrator known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science-fiction anthology TV series , The Twilight Zone . Serling was active in politics , both on and off the screen , and helped form television industry standards . He was known as the `` angry young man '' of Hollywood , clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues including censorship , racism , and war .


The final battle of the Wars of the Roses was the Battle of Northampton.

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses were a series of wars for control of the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet : the House of Lancaster ( associated with a red rose ) , and the House of York ( whose symbol was a white rose ) . The conflict lasted through many sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487 ; however , there was fighting before and after this period between the houses . The power struggle ignited around social and financial troubles following the Hundred Years ' War , combined with the mental infirmity and weak rule of Henry VI which revived interest in Richard of York 's claim to the throne . Historians disagree about whether the Wars of the Roses were caused by the structural problems of bastard feudalism or Henry VI 's ineffectiveness as king .   With the Duke of York 's death , the claim transferred to his heir , Edward , who later became the first Yorkist king of England , as Edward IV . His son reigned for 86 days as Edward V , but Parliament then decided that Edward and his brother Richard were illegitimate and offered the crown to Edward IV 's younger brother , who became Richard III . The two young princes disappeared within the confines of the Tower of London .   The final victory went to a claimant of the Lancastrian party , Henry Tudor , Earl of Richmond , who defeated the last Yorkist king , Richard III , at the Battle of Bosworth Field . After assuming the throne as Henry VII , he married Elizabeth of York , the eldest daughter and heir of Edward IV , thereby uniting the two claims . The House of Tudor ruled the Kingdom of England until 1603 , with the death of Elizabeth I , granddaughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York .


J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole ( born January 28 , 1985 ) , better known by his stage name J. Cole , is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer . Raised in Fayetteville , North Carolina , Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape , The Come Up , in early 2007 . Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper , he went on to release two additional mixtapes after signing to Jay Z 's Roc Nation imprint in 2009 .   Cole released his debut studio album , Cole World : The Sideline Story , in 2011 . It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 , and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . His next two releases , 2013 's Born Sinner and 2014 's 2014 Forest Hills Drive , received mostly positive reviews from critics , while being both certified platinum in the US . The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album . In December 2016 Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only . The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in April 2017 .   Self-taught on piano , Cole also acts as a producer alongside his hip hop career , producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson , as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects . He has also developed other ventures , including Dreamville Records , as well as non-profit organization the Dreamville Foundation . The Dreamville Foundation is not the only non-profit gesture Cole has put forth ; in January 2015 , he decided to house single mothers rent-free in his childhood home at 2014 Forest Hills Drive , Fayetteville , North Carolina .


One of the Founding Fathers of the United States was George Washington.

George Washington George Washington ( -LSB- ˈdʒɔɹdʒ_ˈwɒʃɪŋtən -RSB- -- , 1799 ) was an American politician and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War , and later presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution . He is popularly considered the driving force behind the nation 's establishment and came to be known as the `` father of the country , '' both during his lifetime and to this day .   Washington was widely admired for his strong leadership qualities and was unanimously elected president by the Electoral College in the first two national elections . He oversaw the creation of a strong , well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars , suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion , and won acceptance among Americans of all types . Washington 's incumbency established many precedents still in use today , such as the cabinet system , the inaugural address , and the title Mr. President . His retirement from office after two terms established a tradition that lasted until 1940 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term . The 22nd Amendment ( 1951 ) now limits the president to two elected terms .   He was born into the provincial gentry of Colonial Virginia to a family of wealthy planters who owned tobacco plantations and slaves , which he inherited . In his youth , he became a senior officer in the colonial militia during the first stages of the French and Indian War . In 1775 , the Second Continental Congress commissioned him as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution . In that command , Washington forced the British out of Boston in 1776 but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when he lost New York City .   After crossing the Delaware River in the middle of winter , he defeated the British in two battles ( Trenton and Princeton ) , retook New Jersey , and restored momentum to the Patriot cause . His strategy enabled Continental forces to capture two major British armies at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781 . Historians laud Washington for the selection and supervision of his generals ; preservation and command of the army ; coordination with the Congress , state governors , and their militia ; and attention to supplies , logistics , and training . In battle , however , Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies .   After victory had been finalized in 1783 , Washington resigned as commander-in-chief rather than seize power , proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism . Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787 , which devised a new form of federal government for the United States . Following his election as president in 1789 , he worked to unify rival factions in the fledgling nation . He supported Alexander Hamilton 's programs to satisfy all debts , federal and state , established a permanent seat of government , implemented an effective tax system , and created a national bank . In avoiding war with Great Britain , he guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795 , despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians . He remained non-partisan , never joining the Federalist Party , although he largely supported its policies . Washington 's Farewell Address was an influential primer on civic virtue , warning against partisanship , sectionalism , and involvement in foreign wars . He retired from the presidency in 1797 , returning to his home and plantation at Mount Vernon .   Upon his death , Washington was eulogized as `` first in war , first in peace , and first in the hearts of his countrymen '' by Representative Henry Lee III of Virginia . He was revered in life and in death ; scholarly and public polling consistently ranks him among the top three presidents in American history . He has been depicted and remembered in monuments , public works , currency , and other dedications to the present day .


Walt Whitman died before volunteering during a war that was fought in the United States.

Walt Whitman Walter `` Walt '' Whitman ( -LSB- ˈhwɪtmən -RSB- May 31 , 1819 -- March 26 , 1892 ) was an American poet , essayist , and journalist . A humanist , he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism , incorporating both views in his works . Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon , often called the father of free verse . His work was very controversial in its time , particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass , which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality .   Born in Huntington on Long Island , Whitman worked as a journalist , a teacher , a government clerk , and -- in addition to publishing his poetry -- was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War . Early in his career , he also produced a temperance novel , Franklin Evans ( 1842 ) . Whitman 's major work , Leaves of Grass , was first published in 1855 with his own money . The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common person with an American epic . He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892 . After a stroke towards the end of his life , he moved to Camden , New Jersey , where his health further declined . When he died at age 72 , his funeral became a public spectacle .


The Shield The Shield is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12 , 2002 , on FX in the United States , and concluded on November 25 , 2008 , after seven seasons . Known for its portrayal of corrupt police officers , it was originally advertised as Rampart in reference to the true life Rampart Division police scandal , on which the show 's Strike Team was loosely based . The series was created by Shawn Ryan and The Barn Productions for Fox Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television .   Several notable film actors took extended roles on the show , including Glenn Close , who was the female lead during the fourth season , Forest Whitaker , who guest starred in seasons 5 and 6 , Laura Harring , in season 5 , Franka Potente , in season 6 , and Laurie Holden , in season 7 .   The series has received critical acclaim , as well as several awards and nominations . It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama in 2002 , and the final season won a 2008 AFI Award for best television series . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Shield # 50 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time . Chiklis won both the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama in 2002 .


Bob Dylan Bob Dylan ( -LSB- ˈdɪlən -RSB- born Robert Allen Zimmerman ; May 24 , 1941 ) is an American poetic songwriter , singer , painter , writer , and Nobel prize laureate . He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades . Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s , when his songs chronicled social unrest . Early songs such as `` Blowin ' in the Wind '' and `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war movement . Leaving behind his initial base in the American folk music revival , his six-minute single `` Like a Rolling Stone '' , recorded in 1965 , enlarged the range of popular music .   Dylan 's lyrics incorporate a wide range of political , social , philosophical , and literary influences . They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture . Initially inspired by the performances of Little Richard and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie , Robert Johnson , and Hank Williams , Dylan has amplified and personalized musical genres . His recording career , spanning more than 50 years , has explored the traditions in American song -- from folk , blues , and country to gospel , rock and roll , and rockabilly to English , Scottish , and Irish folk music , embracing even jazz and the Great American Songbook . Dylan performs with guitar , keyboards , and harmonica . Backed by a changing lineup of musicians , he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour . His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career , but his songwriting is considered his greatest contribution .   Since 1994 , Dylan has published seven books of drawings and paintings , and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries . As a musician , Dylan has sold more than 100 million records , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time . He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards , a Golden Globe Award , and an Academy Award . Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Minnesota Music Hall of Fame , Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame , and Songwriters Hall of Fame . The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for `` his profound impact on popular music and American culture , marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power . '' In May 2012 , Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama . In 2016 , he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature `` for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition '' .


Natalie Portman directed a film that came out in 2015.

Natalie Portman Natalie Portman ( born Neta-Lee Hershlag , נטע-לי הרשלג June 9 , 1981 ) is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship . Her first role was in the 1994 action thriller Léon : The Professional , opposite Jean Reno . She was later cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy ( released in 1999 , 2002 and 2005 ) .   Born in Jerusalem to an Israeli father and American mother , Portman grew up in the eastern United States from the age of three . She studied dancing and acting in New York , and starred in Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace while still at high school on Long Island . In 1999 , Portman enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology , alongside her work as an actress ; she completed a bachelor 's degree in 2003 . During her studies she starred in a second Star Wars film and opened in New York City 's The Public Theater production of Anton Chekhov 's The Seagull in 2001 .   Portman won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for starring in the 2004 drama Closer , appeared in Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith the following year , and won a Constellation Award for Best Female Performance and the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the political thriller V for Vendetta ( 2006 ) . She played leading roles in the historical dramas Goya 's Ghosts ( 2006 ) and The Other Boleyn Girl ( 2008 ) , and also appeared in Thor ( 2011 ) and its 2013 sequel . In 2010 , Portman starred in the psychological thriller film Black Swan . Her performance received widespread critical acclaim and she earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress , her second Golden Globe Award , the SAG Award , the BAFTA Award and the BFCA Award in 2011 . In 2016 , she portrayed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the biographical drama Jackie . She was nominated for an Academy Award , a BAFTA Award , a Golden Globe Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award and won the BFCA for Best Actress .   In May 2008 , Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury . The same year she directed a segment of the collective film New York , I Love You . Her first feature film as a director , A Tale of Love and Darkness , was released in 2015 .


Keeping the Faith was written by Stuart Blumberg.

Keeping the Faith Keeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film written by Stuart Blumberg , and starring Ben Stiller , Edward Norton ( in his directorial debut ) , Jenna Elfman , Eli Wallach , and Anne Bancroft . This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment , in association with Triple Threat Talent , on April 14 , 2000 .   The film is dedicated to Norton 's late mother , Robin . It had a budget of $ 29 million .


Mark Zuckerberg is a co-founder of Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg Mark Elliot Zuckerberg ( born May 14 , 1984 ) is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur . He is a co-founder of Facebook , and currently operates as its chairman and chief executive officer . His net worth is estimated to be US$ 63.3 billion as of May 2017 , and he is ranked by Forbes as the fifth richest person in the world .   Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard University dormitory room on February 4 , 2004 . He was assisted by his college roommates and fellow Harvard students Eduardo Saverin , Andrew McCollum , Dustin Moskovitz , and Chris Hughes . The group then introduced Facebook to other college campuses . Facebook expanded rapidly , reaching one billion users by 2012 . Meanwhile , Zuckerberg was involved in various legal disputes brought by others in the group , who claimed a share of the company based upon their involvement during the development phase of Facebook .   In December 2012 , Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced that over the course of their lives they would give the majority of their wealth to `` advancing human potential and promoting equality '' in the spirit of The Giving Pledge . On December 1 , 2015 , they announced they would eventually give 99 percent of their Facebook shares ( worth about US$ 45 billion at the time ) to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative .   Since 2010 , Time magazine has named Zuckerberg among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year award . In December 2016 , Zuckerberg was ranked 10th on Forbes list of The World 's Most Powerful People . According to Forbes Magazine , Zuckerberg has a net worth of US$ 63.3 billion as of May 2017 .


Steven Soderbergh won an Academy Award for Best Director and was acclaimed.

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh ( -LSB- ˈsoʊdərbɜrɡ -RSB- born January 14 , 1963 ) is an American film producer , director , screenwriter , cinematographer and editor . His indie drama Sex , Lies , and Videotape ( 1989 ) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival , and became a worldwide commercial success , making the then-26-year-old Soderbergh the youngest director to win the festival 's top award . Film critic Roger Ebert dubbed Soderbergh the `` poster boy of the Sundance generation '' .   He is best known for directing critically acclaimed commercial Hollywood films including the crime comedy Out of Sight ( 1998 ) , the biographical film Erin Brockovich ( 2000 ) , the crime drama film Traffic ( 2000 ) ( for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director ) , the 2001 remake of the comedy heist film Ocean 's 11 and its two sequels -- known collectively as the Ocean 's Trilogy , the medical thriller Contagion ( 2011 ) and the comedy-drama Magic Mike ( 2012 ) .   He has also directed smaller , less conventional works , such as the mystery thriller Kafka ( 1991 ) ; the experimental comedy film Schizopolis ( 1996 ) , which has a non-linear narrative ; Bubble ( 2005 ) , which uses no script and non-professional actors ; the experimental drama film The Girlfriend Experience ( 2009 ) , which starred the then-active pornographic actress Sasha Grey ; and the biopic about Marxist revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara , Che ( 2008 ) .  Soderbergh also directed , photographed and edited all episodes of the television drama The Knick . In addition , he has produced numerous film and television programs , and provided cinematography and editing on various projects .


Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears ( born December 2 , 1981 ) is an American singer , dancer , and actress . Born in McComb , Mississippi , and raised in Kentwood , Louisiana , she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child before signing with Jive Records in 1997 . Spears 's first and second studio albums , ... Baby One More Time ( 1999 ) and Oops ! ... I Did It Again ( 2000 ) , became international successes , with the former becoming the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist . Title tracks '' ... Baby One More Time '' and `` Oops ! ... I Did It Again '' broke international sales records . In 2001 , Spears released her self-titled third studio album , Britney , and played the starring role in the film Crossroads ( 2002 ) . She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album , In the Zone ( 2003 ) , which yielded the worldwide success of the single `` Toxic '' .   In 2007 , Spears 's much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus . Her fifth studio album , Blackout , was released later that year , and spawned singles such as `` Gim me More '' and `` Piece of Me '' . Her erratic behavior and hospitalizations continued through the following year , at which point she was placed under a still ongoing conservatorship . Spears 's sixth studio album , Circus ( 2008 ) , included the international chart-topping single `` Womanizer '' . Her seventh studio album , Femme Fatale ( 2011 ) , became her first to yield three top-ten singles in the United States . She released her eighth studio album Britney Jean in 2013 . Later that year , Spears began the four-year residency show , Britney : Piece of Me , at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas . In 2016 , Spears released her ninth studio album , Glory . In 2017 , she announced that her residency show would develop into a world tour , Britney : Live in Concert .   Spears is regarded as a pop icon and credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s . She became the best-selling teenage artist of all time and garnered honorific titles including the `` Princess of Pop '' . Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades , including a Grammy Award , six MTV Video Music Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award , seven Billboard Music Awards including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2009 , Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade , and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the 2000s , as well as the fifth overall . The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) lists Spears as the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States , with 34 million certified albums . She has sold over 100 million records worldwide making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time . According to Billboard Spears has sold about 22.38 million singles in digital downloads in US and is the fourth best-selling female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began .   Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time , while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their `` 100 Greatest Women in Music '' list in 2012 , and Billboard named her the sexiest woman in music . Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of 2012 , with earnings of $ 58 million , having last topped the list in 2002 .


South East England has an area of 7,373 square miles.

South East England South East England is the most populous of the nine official regions of England at the first level of NUTS for statistical purposes . It consists of Berkshire , Buckinghamshire , East Sussex , Hampshire , the Isle of Wight , Kent , Oxfordshire , Surrey and West Sussex . As with the other regions of England , apart from Greater London , the south east has no elected government .   It is the third largest region of England , with an area of 19,096 km ² ( 7,373 sq mi ) , and is also the most populous with a total population of over eight and a half million ( 2011 ) . The headquarters for the region 's governmental bodies are in Guildford , and the region contains seven cities : Brighton and Hove , Canterbury , Chichester , Oxford , Portsmouth , Southampton and Winchester , though other major settlements include Reading and Milton Keynes . Its proximity to London and connections to several national motorways have led to south east England becoming an economic hub , with the largest economy in the country outside the capital . It is the location of Gatwick Airport , the UK 's second-busiest airport , and its coastline along the English Channel provides numerous ferry crossings to mainland Europe .   The region is known for its countryside , which includes the North Downs and the Chiltern Hills as well as two national parks : the New Forest and the South Downs . The River Thames flows through the region and its basin is known as the Thames Valley . It is also the location for a number of internationally known places of interest , such as HMS Victory in Portsmouth , Cliveden in Buckinghamshire , Thorpe Park and RHS Wisley in Surrey , Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire , Windsor Castle in Berkshire , Leeds Castle , the White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury Cathedral in Kent , Brighton Pier and Hammerwood Park in East Sussex , and Wakehurst Place in West Sussex . The region has many universities ; the University of Oxford is ranked among the best in the world .   South east England is host to various sporting events , including the annual Henley Royal Regatta , Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby , and sporting venues include Wentworth Golf Club and Brands Hatch . Some of the events of the 2012 Summer Olympics were held in the south east , including the rowing at Eton Dorney and part of the cycling road race in the Surrey Hills .


Beauty Shop features a person who produces records.

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


Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens ( born March 18 , 1970 ) , known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah , is an American rapper , songwriter , singer , actress , model , television producer , record producer , and talk show host . Born in Newark , New Jersey , she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year , featuring the hit single `` Ladies First '' . Her second album , Nature of a Sista ( 1991 ) , was her final album with Tommy Boy Records .   Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single , from 1993 to 1998 . Her third album Black Reign ( 1993 ) , spawned the single `` U.N.I.T.Y. '' , which won a Grammy Award and was successful on the Billboard Hot 100 . She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off ( 1996 ) and released her fourth album , Order in the Court , in 1998 , with Motown Records . Latifah gained mainstream success and acclaim with her performance in the film Chicago ( 2002 ) , receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress .   Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004 , and has since appeared in a number of films , such as Bringing Down the House ( 2003 ) , Taxi ( 2004 ) , Barbershop 2 : Back in Business ( 2005 ) , Beauty Shop ( 2005 ) , Last Holiday ( 2006 ) , Hairspray ( 2007 ) and Joyful Noise ( 2012 ) . In 2007 and 2009 , she released two more studio albums -- Trav ` lin ' Light and Persona . She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show , which ran from late 2013 to early 2015 on CBS . Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie ( 2015 ) , which she co-produced , winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .   She has long been considered one of hip-hop 's pioneer feminists . Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 . Latifah 's work in music , film and television has earned her a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , three Screen Actors Guild Awards , two NAACP Image Awards , an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records .


Gopi Sunder Gopi Sunder is a National Award-winning Indian musician , film score composer , programmer and singer . He has composed music for more than 5000 advertisements , programmed music for many major composers and composed the music for nearly 50 Indian films to date .   He has composed the background score and songs for films like Flash ( 2007 ) , Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded ( 2009 ) , Anwar ( 2010 ) , Ustad Hotel ( 2012 ) , 1983 ( 2014 ) , Bangalore Days ( 2014 ) , Charlie ( 2015 ) , Thozha ( 2016 ) , Pulimurugan ( 2016 ) . He has also done the background score for Notebook ( 2006 ) , Big B ( 2007 ) , Mission 90 Days ( 2007 ) , Poi Solla Porom ( 2008 ) , Evidam Swargamanu ( 2009 ) , 1983 ( 2014 ) , Bangalore Days ( 2014 ) , Ennu Ninte Moideen ( 2015 ) , Charlie ( 2015 ) , Thozha ( 2016 ) , Devi ( 2016 ) , Pulimurugan '' ( 2016 ) .   He got his first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director in the 58th Filmfare Awards South for Anwar ( 2010 ) .


Everybody Needs a Best Friend was composed by an American.

Everybody Needs a Best Friend `` Everybody Needs a Best Friend '' is a song from the 2012 feature film Ted , with music composed by Walter Murphy and lyrics by Seth MacFarlane . Performed by Norah Jones during the film 's opening credits , the song was used as the film 's main theme song . It was released by Universal Republic Records on June 26 , 2012 .   In January 2013 , the song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 85th Academy Awards , but lost to `` Skyfall '' from the film of the same name . MacFarlane was also the host of the Oscars while also being nominated .


Walter Murphy Walter Anthony Murphy , Jr. ( born December 19 , 1952 ) is an American composer , arranger , pianist , musician , songwriter , and record producer . He is best known for the instrumental `` A Fifth of Beethoven '' , a disco adaptation of Beethoven 's Fifth Symphony which topped the charts in 1976 and was featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack . Further classical -- disco fusions followed , such as `` Flight ' 76 '' , `` Rhapsody in Blue '' , `` Toccata and Funk in 'D ' Minor '' , `` Bolero '' , and `` Mostly Mozart '' , but were not as successful .   In a career spanning nearly five decades , Murphy has written music for numerous films and TV shows , including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , The Savage Bees , Stingray , Wiseguy , The Commish , Profit , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Looney Tunes , and How Murray Saved Christmas . He has had a long-running partnership with Seth MacFarlane , composing music for his films and TV shows such as Family Guy , The Cleveland Show , American Dad ! , Ted , and Ted 2 .


Buddy Holly's was born on July 2nd, 1991.

Buddy Holly Buddy Holly ( born Charles Hardin Holley ; September 7 , 1936 -- February 3 , 1959 ) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll . Holley was born in Lubbock , Texas , to a musical family during the Great Depression ; he learned to play guitar and to sing alongside his siblings . His style was influenced by gospel music , country music , and rhythm and blues acts , and he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school . He made his first appearance on local television in 1952 , and the following year he formed the group `` Buddy and Bob '' with his friend Bob Montgomery . In 1955 , after opening for Elvis Presley , Holly decided to pursue a career in music . He opened for Presley three times that year ; his band 's style shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll . In October that year , when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets , Holly was spotted by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall , who helped him get a contract with Decca Records .   Holly 's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley . Unhappy with Bradley 's control in the studio and with the sound he achieved there , Holly went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis , New Mexico , and recorded a demo of `` That 'll Be the Day '' , among other songs . Petty became the band 's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records , which released it as a single credited to `` The Crickets '' , which became the name of Holly 's band . In September 1957 , as the band toured , `` That 'll Be the Day '' topped the US `` Best Sellers in Stores '' chart and the UK Singles Chart . Its success was followed in October by another major hit , `` Peggy Sue '' .   The album Chirping Crickets , released in November 1957 , reached number five on the UK Albums Chart . Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after , toured Australia and then the UK . In early 1959 , Holly assembled a new band , consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings ( bass ) , famed session musician Tommy Allsup ( guitar ) , and Carl Bunch ( drums ) , and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. . After a show in Clear Lake , Iowa , Holly chartered an airplane to travel to his next show , in Moorhead , Minnesota . Soon after takeoff , the plane crashed , killing Holly , Ritchie Valens , The Big Bopper , and pilot Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as `` The Day the Music Died '' .   During his short career , Holly wrote , recorded , and produced his own material . He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars , bass , and drums . Holly was a major influence on later popular music artists , including The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Eric Clapton , and Elton John . He was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , in 1986 . Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of `` 100 Greatest Artists '' .


The Danish Girl is a film of the romantic drama genre.

The Danish Girl (film) The Danish Girl is a 2015 British-American romantic drama film directed by Tom Hooper , based on the 2000 fictional novel of the same name by David Ebershoff and loosely inspired by the lives of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener . The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Elbe , one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery , Alicia Vikander as Wegener , Ben Whishaw as Henrik , Sebastian Koch as Dr. Kurt Warnekros , Amber Heard as Ulla Paulson and Matthias Schoenaerts as Hans Axgil .   The film was screened in the main competition section of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival , and it was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released in a limited release on 27 November 2015 by Focus Features in the United States . The film was released on 1 January 2016 , in the United Kingdom , with Universal Pictures International handling international distribution .   The film received some criticism for its inaccurate portrayal of historical events , but Redmayne and Vikander 's performances received widespread acclaim and nominations for all of the major acting awards . Vikander won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Redmayne was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor . It was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film .


The Night Of had Steven Zaillian and James Marsh as the show's directors.

The Night Of The Night Of is an American eight-part crime drama television miniseries based on Criminal Justice , a 2008 -- 09 British television series . The miniseries was written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian and directed by Zaillian and James Marsh . Broadcast on HBO , The Night Of premiered on July 10 , 2016 to critical acclaim . The first episode premiered on June 24 , 2016 , via HBO on-demand .


The former president of Iraq is Saddam Hussein.

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic : صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي ; 28 April 1937 -- 30 December 2006 ) was the fifth President of Iraq , serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003 . A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party , and later , the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party and its regional organization the Iraqi Ba'ath Party -- which espoused Ba'athism , a mix of Arab nationalism and socialism -- Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup ( later referred to as the 17 July Revolution ) that brought the party to power in Iraq .   As vice president under the ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr , and at a time when many groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government , Saddam created security forces through which he tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces . In the early 1970s , Saddam nationalized oil and other industries . The state-owned banks were put under his control , leaving the system eventually insolvent mostly due to the Iran -- Iraq War , the Gulf War , and UN sanctions . Through the 1970s , Saddam cemented his authority over the apparatuses of government as oil money helped Iraq 's economy to grow at a rapid pace . Positions of power in the country were mostly filled with Sunni Arabs , a minority that made up only a fifth of the population .   Saddam formally rose to power in 1979 , although he had been the de facto head of Iraq for several years prior . He suppressed several movements , particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements , seeking to overthrow the government or gain independence , and maintained power during the Iran -- Iraq War and the Gulf War . Whereas some in the Arab world lauded Saddam for his opposition to the United States and for attacking Israel -- he was widely condemned for the brutality of his dictatorship . The total number of Iraqis killed by the security services of Saddam 's government in various purges and genocides is conservatively estimated at 250,000 .   In 2003 , a coalition led by the U.S. invaded Iraq to depose Saddam , in which U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused him of possessing weapons of mass destruction and having ties to al-Qaeda . Saddam 's Ba'ath party was disbanded and elections were held . Following his capture on 13 December 2003 , the trial of Saddam took place under the Iraqi Interim Government . On 5 November 2006 , Saddam was convicted of charges of crimes against humanity related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites , and was sentenced to death by hanging . His execution was carried out on 30 December 2006 .


Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior ( -LSB- nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ -RSB- ; born 5 February 1992 ) , commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr. , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team .   Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos , where he made his professional debut aged 17 . He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships , a Copa do Brasil , and the 2011 Copa Libertadores , Santos ' first continental title since 1963 . Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year , in 2011 and 2012 , before relocating to Europe to join Barcelona . As part of Barça 's attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez , he won the continental treble of La Liga , the Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League in the 2014 -- 15 season , followed the next year by the domestic double . He came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2015 .   With 52 goals in 77 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18 , Neymar is the fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team . He was a key player in Brazil 's victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship , which he finished as the leading goalscorer , and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup , where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament . His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension respectively , but the next year he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men 's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics .   Known for his dribbling , finishing , and ability with both feet , Neymar has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé . Off the pitch , he ranks among the world 's most prominent sportsmen ; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013 , and ESPN cited him as the world 's fourth-most famous athlete in 2016 .


Dan Aykroyd was in a 1989 American comedy-drama film starring Morgan Freeman.

Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward `` Dan '' Aykroyd ( born July 1 , 1952 ) is a Canadian-American actor , comedian , producer , voice artist , screenwriter , musician and businessman . He was an original member of the `` Not Ready for Prime Time Players '' on Saturday Night Live ( 1975 -- 1979 ) . A musical sketch he performed with John Belushi on SNL , The Blues Brothers , turned into an actual performing band and then a highly successful 1980 film , also called The Blues Brothers . He conceived and starred in Ghostbusters ( 1984 ) , which spawned a sequel ( Ghostbusters II ) and eventually an entire media franchise . In 1990 , he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy . He starred in his own sitcom , Soul Man , from 1997 -- 98 . Aykroyd is also a successful businessman , having co-founded the House of Blues chain of music venues and the Crystal Head Vodka brand .


Driving Miss Daisy Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Alfred Uhry , based on Uhry 's play of the same name . The film stars Jessica Tandy , Morgan Freeman , and Dan Aykroyd . Freeman reprised his role from the Original Off-Broadway production . The story defines Daisy and her point of view through a network of relationships and emotions by focusing on her home life , synagogue , friends , family , fears , and concerns over a 25-year period .   At the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990 , Driving Miss Daisy received nine nominations , and won the Academy Award for Best Picture , Best Actress ( Jessica Tandy ) , Best Makeup , and Best Adapted Screenplay .