Jesus Jesus ( -LSB- ˈdʒiːzəs -RSB- ; c. 4 BC -- c. AD 30/33 ) , also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ , was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity . Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah ( Christ ) prophesied in the Old Testament .   Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically , although the quest for the historical Jesus has produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely the biblical Jesus reflects the historical Jesus . Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently began his own ministry , preaching his message orally and often being referred to as `` rabbi '' . He was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities , and was crucified by the order of Pontius Pilate , the Roman prefect . Jesus debated fellow Jews on how to best follow God , performed healings , taught in parables and gathered followers . After his death , his followers believed he rose from the dead , and the community they formed eventually became the Christian Church .   His birth is celebrated annually on December 25 ( or various dates in January for some eastern churches ) as a holiday known as Christmas , his crucifixion is honored on Good Friday , and his resurrection is celebrated on Easter . The widely used calendar era `` AD '' , from the Latin anno Domini ( `` in the year of the Lord '' ) , and the alternative `` CE '' , are based on the approximate birth date of Jesus .   Christian doctrines include the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit , was born of a virgin named Mary , performed miracles , founded the Church , died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement , rose from the dead , and ascended into Heaven , whence he will return . Most Christians believe Jesus enables humans to be reconciled to God . The Nicene Creed asserts that Jesus will judge the living and the dead either before or after their bodily resurrection , an event tied to the Second Coming of Jesus in Christian eschatology . The great majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son , the second of three persons of a Divine Trinity . A minority of Christian denominations reject Trinitarianism , wholly or partly , as non-scriptural .   In Islam , Jesus ( commonly transliterated as ) is considered one of God 's important prophets and the Messiah . Muslims believe Jesus was a bringer of scripture and was born of a virgin but was not the Son of God . The Quran states that Jesus himself never claimed divinity . To most Muslims , Jesus was not crucified but was physically raised into Heaven by God .   Judaism rejects the belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah , arguing that he did not fulfill Messianic prophecies and asserting that his resurrection is a Christian legend .


Gwen Stefani is the co-founder of a band.

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani ( -LSB- gwɛn_ˈstəˈfɑːni -RSB- born October 3 , 1969 ) is an American singer , songwriter , fashion designer , actress , and television personality . She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt that experienced major success after their breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom ( 1995 ) along with various successful singles , including `` Just a Girl '' , `` Do n't Speak '' , `` Hey Baby '' , and `` It 's My Life '' . During the band 's hiatus , Stefani embarked on a solo pop career in 2004 by releasing her debut studio album Love . Angel . Music . Baby . Inspired by pop music from the 1980s , the album was met with both critical and commercial success . It spawned three commercially successful singles : `` What You Waiting For ? '' , `` Rich Girl '' , and `` Hollaback Girl '' , the latter reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 while also becoming the first US download to sell one million copies . In 2006 Stefani released her second studio album The Sweet Escape . The album produced two successful singles : `` Wind It Up '' and the album 's title track `` The Sweet Escape '' . Her third solo album This Is What the Truth Feels Like was released in March 2016 and became her first solo number-one album on the Billboard 200 .   Stefani has won three Grammy Awards . As a solo artist she has received various accolades , including an American Music Award , Brit Award , World Music Award and two Billboard Music Awards . In 2003 , she debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line , drawing inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion . Stefani performs and makes public appearances with four back-up dancers known as the Harajuku Girls . She was married to British musician Gavin Rossdale from 2002 to 2015 and they have three sons . Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the 54th most successful artist and 37th most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000 -- 09 decade . VH1 ranked her 13th on their `` 100 Greatest Women in Music '' list in 2012 . Including her work with No Doubt , Stefani has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide .


Precious (film) Precious : Base on Nol by Saf ( Based on the Novel `` Push '' by Sapphire ) , or simply Precious , is a 2009 American drama film , directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels . Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire . The film stars Gabourey Sidibe , Mo'Nique , Paula Patton , and Mariah Carey . This film marked the acting debut of Sidibe .   The film , then without a distributor , premiered to acclaim at both the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival , under its original title of Push : Based on the Novel by Sapphire . At Sundance , it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama , as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo'Nique . After Precious '' ' screening at Sundance in January 2009 , Tyler Perry announced that he and Oprah Winfrey would be providing promotional assistance to the film , which was released through Lionsgate Entertainment . Precious won the People 's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September . The film 's title was changed from Push to Precious : Based on the Novel `` Push '' by Sapphire , to avoid confusion with the 2009 action film Push . Precious was also an official selection at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival ( particularly the un certain regard section ) .   Lionsgate gave the film a limited release in North America on November 6 , 2009 ( the release was expanded on November 20 ) . Precious received largely positive reviews from critics ; the acting , the story , and its message were generally praised . In the film 's opening weekend in limited release , it grossed $ 1.8 million , putting it in 12th place at the box office . As of February 2010 , the film had grossed over $ 47 million domestically , ranking no. 65 for 2009 , recouping its $ 10 million budget , and making it a box office success.Precious '' received six Academy Award nominations , including one for Best Picture , at the 82nd Academy Awards . Geoffrey Fletcher won for Best Adapted Screenplay . Mo'Nique won the award for Best Supporting Actress , for which she received a standing ovation at the ceremony , along with numerous other accolades .


On May 7th, 1949, Marilyn Burns was born.

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


David Schwimmer received theater and speech Bachelor of Arts.

David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer ( born November 2 , 1966 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He was born in Flushing , Queens , New York , and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 2 . He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School . In 1988 , he graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech . After graduation , Schwimmer co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company . For much of the late 1980s , he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling , unemployed actor .   He starred in the television movie A Deadly Silence in 1989 and appeared in a number of television roles , including on L.A. Law , The Wonder Years , NYPD Blue , and Monty , in the early 1990s . Schwimmer later gained worldwide recognition for playing Ross Geller in the sitcom Friends , for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995 . His first leading film role was in The Pallbearer ( 1996 ) , followed by roles in Kissing a Fool ( 1998 ) , Six Days , Seven Nights ( 1998 ) , Apt Pupil , and Picking Up the Pieces ( 2000 ) . He was then cast in the miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) as Herbert Sobel .   After the series finale of Friends in 2004 , Schwimmer was cast as the title character in the 2005 drama Duane Hopwood . Other film roles include the voice of Melman the Giraffe in the computer-animated Madagascar film franchise , the dark comedy Big Nothing ( 2006 ) , and the thriller Nothing But the Truth ( 2008 ) . Schwimmer made his West End stage debut in the leading role in Some Girl ( s ) in 2005 . In 2006 , he made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial . Schwimmer made his feature film directorial debut with the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run . The following year he made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in the 2008 production , Fault Lines .   In 2016 , he starred as lawyer Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story , for which he received his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie .


The National Security Agency has the responsibility of processing of data for intelligence purposes.

National Security Agency The National Security Agency ( NSA ) is a military intelligence organization and a constituent of the United States Department of Defense ( DOD ) . The NSA is responsible for global monitoring , collection , and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes , a discipline known as signals intelligence ( SIGINT ) . NSA is concurrently charged with protection of U.S. government communications and information systems against penetration and network warfare . Although many of NSA 's programs rely on `` passive '' electronic collection , the agency is authorized to accomplish its mission through active clandestine means , among which are physically bugging electronic systems and allegedly engaging in sabotage through subversive software . Moreover , NSA maintains physical presence in a large number of countries across the globe , where its Special Collection Service ( SCS ) inserts eavesdropping devices in difficult-to-reach places . SCS collection tactics allegedly encompass `` close surveillance , burglary , wiretapping , breaking and entering . ''   Unlike the Defense Intelligence Agency ( DIA ) and the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) , both of which specialize primarily in foreign human espionage , NSA does not unilaterally conduct human-source intelligence gathering , despite often being portrayed so in popular culture . Instead , NSA is entrusted with assistance to and coordination of SIGINT elements at other government organizations , which are prevented by law from engaging in such activities without the approval of the NSA via the Defense Secretary . As part of these streamlining responsibilities , the agency has a co-located organization called the Central Security Service ( CSS ) , which was created to facilitate cooperation between NSA and other U.S. military cryptanalysis components . Additionally , the NSA Director simultaneously serves as the Commander of the United States Cyber Command and as Chief of the Central Security Service .   Originating as a unit to decipher coded communications in World War II , it was officially formed as the NSA by President Harry S. Truman in 1952 . Since then , it has become one of the largest U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget , operating as part of the Department of Defense and simultaneously reporting to the Director of National Intelligence .   NSA surveillance has been a matter of political controversy on several occasions , such as its spying on anti-Vietnam-war leaders and economic espionage . In 2013 , the extent of some of the NSA 's secret surveillance programs was revealed to the public by Edward Snowden . According to the leaked documents , the NSA intercepts the communications of over a billion people worldwide , many of whom are United States citizens , and tracks the movement of hundreds of millions of people using cellphones . Internationally , research has pointed to the NSA 's ability to surveil the domestic Internet traffic of foreign countries through `` boomerang routing '' .


Nick Nolte was a cast member in The Ridiculous 6.

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte ( born February 8 , 1941 ) is an American actor and former model . He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama , and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film The Prince of Tides . He went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Affliction ( 1998 ) and Warrior ( 2011 ) . His other film appearances include The Deep ( 1977 ) , 48 Hrs . ( 1982 ) , Down and Out in Beverly Hills ( 1986 ) , Another 48 Hrs . ( 1990 ) , Everybody Wins ( 1990 ) , Cape Fear ( 1991 ) , Lorenzo 's Oil ( 1992 ) , The Thin Red Line ( 1998 ) , Hulk ( 2003 ) , The Good Thief ( 2003 ) , Hotel Rwanda ( 2004 ) , Tropic Thunder ( 2008 ) , A Walk in the Woods ( 2015 ) and The Ridiculous 6 ( 2015 ) . He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Musical or Comedy for his role in the TV series Graves ( 2016 -- present ) .


Dennis Hopper has a posthumous credit in a drama that's been written by Netflix.

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper ( May 17 , 1936 -- May 29 , 2010 ) was an American actor , filmmaker , photographer and artist . He attended the Actors Studio , made his first television appearance in 1954 , and soon after appeared alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ) and Giant ( 1956 ) . In the next ten years he made a name in television , and by the end of the 1960s had appeared in several films . Hopper also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s .   Hopper made his directorial film debut with Easy Rider ( 1969 ) , which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern . The film earned Hopper a Cannes Film Festival Award for `` Best First Work '' and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay ( shared with Fonda and Southern ) . Journalist Ann Hornaday wrote : `` With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies , Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s , a celluloid anthem to freedom , macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion '' . Film critic Matthew Hays notes that , `` no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper '' .   He worked on various small projects until he found new fame for his role as the American photojournalist in Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) . He went on to helm his third directorial work Out of the Blue ( 1980 ) , for which he was again honored at Cannes , and appeared in Rumble Fish ( 1983 ) and The Osterman Weekend ( 1983 ) . He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers , the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . His fourth directorial outing came about through Colors ( 1988 ) , followed by an Emmy-nominated lead performance in Paris Trout ( 1991 ) . Hopper found even greater fame for portraying the villains of the films Super Mario Bros. ( 1993 ) , Speed ( 1994 ) and Waterworld ( 1995 ) .   Hopper 's later work included a leading role in the short-lived television series Crash ( 2008 -- 2009 ) , inspired by the Academy Award-winning film of the same name . Production on his final film , The Last Film Festival ( 2016 ) , completed just before his death ; originally slated for 2011 distribution , the project was picked up for theatrical release in late 2016 by Monterey Home Video . Hopper has an additional posthumous credit in the completed , but unreleased Orson Welles drama The Other Side of the Wind , acquired for distribution by Netflix .


The Caracazo took place in Caracas and the surrounding towns.

Caracazo The Caracazo , or sacudón , is the name given to the wave of protests , riots , looting , shootings and massacres that began on 27 February 1989 in Venezuela 's capital , Caracas , and the surrounding towns . The weeklong clashes resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people , thousands by some accounts , mostly at the hands of security forces and the military . The riots and the protests began mainly in response to the government 's economic reforms and the resulting increase in the price of gasoline and transportation .


Black Sabbath released a debut album of the same name in 1970.

Black Sabbath (album) Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by the English rock band Black Sabbath . Released on 13 February 1970 in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 in the United States , the album reached number eight on the UK Albums Charts and number 23 on the Billboard charts . Although it was poorly received by most contemporary music critics at the time , Black Sabbath is now widely considered the first heavy metal album .


Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band , formed in Birmingham in 1968 , by guitarist and main songwriter Tony Iommi , bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler , singer Ozzy Osbourne , and drummer Bill Ward . The band experienced multiple line-up changes , with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history . Originally formed as a blues rock band , the group soon adopted the Black Sabbath moniker and began incorporating occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars . They also composed songs about social instability , political corruption and drugs .   Osbourne 's regular use of alcohol and other drugs led to his dismissal from the band in 1979 . He was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio . Following two albums with Dio , Black Sabbath endured many personnel changes in the 1980s and 1990s that included vocalists Ian Gillan , Glenn Hughes , Ray Gillen and Tony Martin , as well as several drummers and bassists . In 1992 , Iommi and Butler rejoined Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer . The original line-up reunited with Osbourne in 1997 and released a live album Reunion . Black Sabbath 's final studio album and nineteenth overall , 13 ( 2013 ) , features all of the original members but Ward , who left the band prior to the recording sessions due to a contract dispute . A year after embarking on a farewell tour , the band played their final concert in their home city of Birmingham on 4 February 2017 , after which they broke up . Iommi has stated , however , that he has not ruled out the possibility of new material or one-off shows under the Black Sabbath name .   Black Sabbath are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music . The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath ( 1970 ) , Paranoid ( 1970 ) and Master of Reality ( 1971 ) . They were ranked by MTV as the `` Greatest Metal Band '' of all time , and placed second in VH1 's `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' list . Rolling Stone magazine ranked them number 85 in their `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . They have sold over 70 million records worldwide . Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 . They have also won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance .


Dangerous Beauty is a North American film.

Dangerous Beauty Dangerous Beauty is a 1998 American biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz and starring Catherine McCormack , Rufus Sewell , and Oliver Platt . Based on the non-fiction book The Honest Courtesan by Margaret Rosenthal , the film is about Veronica Franco , a courtesan in sixteenth-century Venice who becomes a hero to her city , but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft . The film features a supporting cast that includes Fred Ward , Naomi Watts , Moira Kelly and Jacqueline Bisset . The film was released as A Destiny of Her Own in some regions , and was retitled The Honest Courtesan ' for its UK video release .


Lauren Graham Lauren Helen Graham ( born March 16 , 1967 ) is an American actress and author . She is best recognized for her role as Lorelai Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls ( 2000 -- 07 ) , for which she received two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations , one Golden Globe nomination , and five Satellite Award nominations . She is also known for film roles in Sweet November ( 2001 ) , Bad Santa ( 2003 ) , The Pacifier ( 2005 ) , Because I Said So ( 2007 ) , and Evan Almighty ( 2007 ) . From 2010 to 2015 , Graham starred as Sarah Braverman on the NBC television drama Parenthood .   Graham published her debut novel in 2013 , Someday , Someday , Maybe , with Ballantine Books . She reprised her role as Lorelai Gilmore on Netflix 's reunion miniseries in 2016 , Gilmore Girls : A Year in the Life , and published a memoir , Talking as Fast as I Can : from Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls ( and Everything in Between ) .


L.A. Law L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC , from September 15 , 1986 , to May 19 , 1994 .   Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher , it contained many of Bochco 's trademark features including an ensemble cast , large number of parallel storylines , social drama , and off-the-wall humor . It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s , and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as capital punishment , abortion , racism , gay rights , homophobia , sexual harassment , AIDS , and domestic violence . The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff .   In addition to its main cast , L.A. Law was also well known for featuring then relatively unknown actors and actresses in guest starring roles , who later went on to greater success in film and television including : Don Cheadle , Jeffrey Tambor , Kathy Bates , David Schwimmer , Jay O. Sanders , James Avery , Gates McFadden , Bryan Cranston , C.C.H. Pounder , Kevin Spacey , Richard Schiff , Carrie-Anne Moss , William H. Macy , Stephen Root , Christian Slater , and Lucy Liu . Several episodes of the show also included celebrities such as Vanna White , Buddy Hackett and Mamie Van Doren appearing as themselves in cameo roles .   The show was popular with audiences and critics , and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run , four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series .


Las Vegas Las Vegas ( -LSB- lɑːs_ˈveɪɡəs -RSB- , Spanish for `` The Meadows '' ) , officially the City of Las Vegas and often known simply as Vegas , is the 28th-most populated city in the United States , the most populated city in the state of Nevada , and the county seat of Clark County . The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert . Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for its gambling , shopping , fine dining , entertainment , and nightlife . It is the leading financial , commercial , and cultural center for Nevada .   The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World , and is famous for its mega casino -- hotels and associated activities . It is a top three destination in the United States for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry , claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any city in the world . Today , Las Vegas annually ranks as one of the world 's most visited tourist destinations . The city 's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City , and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature , films , television programs , and music videos .   Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911 . At the close of the 20th century , it was the most populated American city founded within that century ( a similar distinction earned by Chicago in the 1800s ) . Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s , and between 1990 and 2000 the population nearly doubled , increasing by 85.2 % . Rapid growth has continued into the 21st century , and according to a 2013 estimate , the population is 603,488 with a regional population of 2,027,828 .   `` Las Vegas '' is often used to describe areas beyond official city limits -- especially the areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip , which is actually located within the unincorporated communities of Paradise , Winchester , and Enterprise .


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


Anatolia Anatolia ( from Greek Ἀνατολή , Anatolḗ -- `` east '' or '' ( sun ) rise '' ; in modern ) , in geography known as Asia Minor ( from Mīkrá Asía -- `` small Asia '' ; in modern ) , Asian Turkey , Anatolian peninsula , or Anatolian plateau , is the westernmost protrusion of Asia , which makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey . The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north , the Mediterranean Sea to the south , and the Aegean Sea to the west . The Sea of Marmara forms a connection between the Black and Aegean Seas through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits and separates Anatolia from Thrace on the European mainland .   Traditionally , Anatolia is considered to extend in the east to a line between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Black Sea to the Armenian Highlands ( Armenia Major ) . This region is now named and largely situated in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the far north east of Turkey and converges with the Lesser Caucasus -- an area that was incorporated in the Russian Empire region of Transcaucasia in the 19th century . Thus , traditionally Anatolia is the territory that comprises approximately the western two-thirds of the Asian part of Turkey . However , since the Armenian Genocide and declaration of the Turkish Republic in 1923 , the Armenian Highlands had been renamed Eastern Anatolia by the Turkish government , and Anatolia is often considered to be synonymous with Asian Turkey , which comprises almost the entire country ; its eastern and southeastern borders are widely taken to be the Turkish borders with neighboring Georgia , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Iran , Iraq , and Syria , in clockwise direction .   The ancient inhabitants of Anatolia spoke the now-extinct Anatolian languages , which were largely replaced by the Greek language starting from classical antiquity and during the Hellenistic , Roman and Byzantine periods . The Turkification of Anatolia began under the Seljuk Empire in the late 11th century and continued under the Ottoman Empire between the early 14th and early 20th centuries . However , various non-Turkic languages continue to be spoken by minorities in Anatolia today , including Kurdish , Assyrian , Armenian , Arabic , Laz , Georgian , and Greek .


Thrace Thrace ( -LSB- ' θreɪs -RSB- Modern Θράκη , Thráke ; Тракия , Trakiya ; Trakya ) is a geographical and historical area in southeast Europe , now split between Bulgaria , Greece and Turkey , which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north , the Aegean Sea to the south and the Black Sea to the east . It comprises southeastern Bulgaria ( Northern Thrace ) , northeastern Greece ( Western Thrace ) and the European part of Turkey ( Eastern Thrace ) .   In antiquity , it was also referred to as `` Europe '' , prior to the extension of the term to describe the whole continent . The name Thrace comes from the Thracians , an ancient Indo-European people inhabiting Southeastern Europe .


Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the destruction of the Empire.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( also known as Star Wars : Episode VII -- The Force Awakens ) is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed , co-produced , and co-written by J. J. Abrams . The direct sequel to 1983 's Return of the Jedi , The Force Awakens is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy , and stars Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Lupita Nyong ` o , Andy Serkis , Domhnall Gleeson , Anthony Daniels , Peter Mayhew , and Max von Sydow . Produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Abrams ' production company Bad Robot Productions and distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , The Force Awakens marks a break in creative control from the original series as the first Star Wars film not produced by franchise creator George Lucas . Set 30 years after Return of the Jedi , it follows Rey , Finn and Poe Dameron 's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight alongside the Resistance , led by veterans of the Rebel Alliance , against Kylo Ren and the First Order , a successor organization to the Galactic Empire .   The Force Awakens was announced after The Walt Disney Company 's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012 . It was produced by Abrams , his longtime collaborator Bryan Burk , and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan , co-writer of the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) , rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt . John Williams , composer for the previous six films , returned to compose the film 's score . Lucas served as creative consultant during the film 's early production . Filming began in April 2014 in Abu Dhabi and Iceland , with principal photography also taking place in Ireland and Pinewood Studios in England , and concluded in November 2014 . It is the first live-action film in the franchise since Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith , released ten years prior in 2005 .   Star Wars : The Force Awakens was widely anticipated , and Disney backed the film with extensive marketing campaigns . It premiered in Los Angeles on December 14 , 2015 , four days before its wide release . The film received positive reviews , with its ensemble cast , direction , musical score , visual effects , and action sequences receiving particular praise , though it received some criticism for being derivative of the original trilogy . The film broke various box office records and became , unadjusted for inflation , the highest-grossing installment in the franchise , the highest-grossing film in North America , and the third-highest-grossing film of all time , with a worldwide gross of over $ 2 billion and a net profit of over $ 780 million . It received five Academy Award nominations and four British Academy Film Award nominations , where it won Best Special Visual Effects . Two sequels , The Last Jedi and Episode IX , are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2019 , respectively .


Return of the Jedi Return of the Jedi ( also known as Star Wars : Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi ) is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand . The screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas was from a story by Lucas , who was also the executive producer . It was the third and final installment in the original Star Wars trilogy and the first film to use THX technology . The film is set one year after The Empire Strikes Back and was produced by Howard Kazanjian for Lucasfilm Ltd. . The film stars Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , David Prowse , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew and Frank Oz .   The Galactic Empire , under the direction of the ruthless Emperor , is constructing a second Death Star in order to crush the Rebel Alliance once and for all . Since the Emperor plans to personally oversee the final stages of its construction , the Rebel Fleet launches a full-scale attack on the Death Star in order to prevent its completion and kill the Emperor , effectively bringing an end to the Empire 's hold over the galaxy . Meanwhile , Luke Skywalker , a Jedi apprentice , struggles to bring his father Darth Vader back to the Light Side of the Force .   David Lynch and David Cronenberg were considered to direct the project before Marquand signed on as director . The production team relied on Lucas ' storyboards during pre-production . While writing the shooting script , Lucas , Kasdan , Marquand , and producer Howard Kazanjian spent two weeks in conference discussing ideas to construct it . Kazanjian 's schedule pushed shooting to begin a few weeks early to allow Industrial Light & Magic more time to work on the film 's effects in post-production . Filming took place in England , California , and Arizona from January to . Strict secrecy surrounded the production and the film used the working title Blue Harvest to prevent price gouging .   The film was released in theaters on May 25 , 1983 , six years to the day after the release of the first film , receiving mostly positive reviews . The film grossed between $ 475 million and $ 572 million worldwide . Several home video and theatrical releases and revisions to the film followed over the next 20 years . Star Wars continued with Episode I : The Phantom Menace as part of the film series ' prequel trilogy .   A sequel , Star Wars : The Force Awakens , was released on December 18 , 2015 , as part of the new sequel trilogy .


The Avengers (2012 film) Marvel 's The Avengers ( classified under the name Marvel Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom and Ireland ) , or simply The Avengers , is a 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Hemsworth , Scarlett Johansson , Jeremy Renner , Tom Hiddleston , Clark Gregg , Cobie Smulders , Stellan Skarsgård , and Samuel L. Jackson . In the film , Nick Fury , director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D. , recruits Iron Man , Captain America , the Hulk , and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor 's brother Loki from subjugating Earth .   The film 's development began when Marvel Studios received a loan from Merrill Lynch in April 2005 . After the success of the film Iron Man in May 2008 , Marvel announced that The Avengers would be released in July 2011 . With the signing of Johansson in March 2009 , the film was pushed back for a 2012 release . Whedon was brought on board in April 2010 and rewrote the original screenplay by Zak Penn. . Production began in April 2011 in Albuquerque , New Mexico , before moving to Cleveland , Ohio , in August and New York City in September . The film was converted to 3D in post-production .   The Avengers premiered on April 11 , 2012 , at Hollywood 's El Capitan Theatre and was released theatrically in the United States on May 4 , 2012 . The film received positive reviews from critics , as well as numerous awards and nominations including Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for achievements in visual effects . It has set or tied numerous box office records , including the biggest opening weekend in North America . The Avengers grossed over $ 1.5 billion worldwide , and became the third-highest-grossing film during its theatrical run -- as well as the first Marvel production to generate $ 1 billion in ticket sales . The film was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on September 25 , 2012 . A sequel , titled Avengers : Age of Ultron , was released on May 1 , 2015 , while two additional sequels , Avengers : Infinity War and an untitled sequel , are currently in development , with Infinity War scheduled for a May 4 , 2018 release date , and its sequel scheduled to be released on May 3 , 2019 .


Legion (2010 film) Legion is a 2010 American apocalyptic supernatural action horror film directed by Scott Stewart and co-written by Stewart and Peter Schink . The cast includes Paul Bettany , Lucas Black , Tyrese Gibson , Adrianne Palicki , Kate Walsh , and Dennis Quaid . Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group acquired most of this film 's worldwide distribution rights , and the group opened this film in North America theatrically on January 22 , 2010 through Screen Gems .   A television series called Dominion , set 25 years after the end of the film , premiered on the American cable television network Syfy on June 19 , 2014 .


Followers of asceticism practice an abstinent lifestyle.

Asceticism Asceticism ( -LSB- əˈsɛtɪsɪzəm -RSB- from the -LSB- Wiktionary : ἄσκησις , ἄσκησις -RSB- áskesis , `` exercise '' or `` training '' ) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures , often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals . Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their practices or continue to be part of their society , but typically adopt a frugal lifestyle , characterised by the renunciation of material possessions and physical pleasures , and time spent fasting while concentrating on the practice of religion or reflection upon spiritual matters .   Asceticism is classified into two types . `` Natural asceticism '' consists of a lifestyle where material aspects of life are reduced to utmost simplicity and a minimum but without maiming the body or harsher austerities that make the body suffer , while `` unnatural asceticism '' is defined as a practice that involves body mortification and self infliction of pain such as by sleeping on a bed of nails .   Asceticism has been historically observed in many religious traditions , including Buddhism , Christianity , Hinduism , Jainism and Judaism . Mainstream Islam has lacked asceticism , except for its minority Sufi sect whose long tradition has included strict asceticism . The practitioners of these religions eschewed worldly pleasures and led an abstinent lifestyle , in the pursuit of redemption , salvation or spirituality . Asceticism is seen in the ancient theologies as a journey towards spiritual transformation , where the simple is sufficient , the bliss is within , the frugal is plenty .


Shia LaBeouf was in the epic war film Even Stevens.

Shia LaBeouf Shia Saide LaBeouf ( -LSB- ˈʃaɪ.ə _ ləˈbʌf -RSB- born June 11 , 1986 ) is an American actor , performance artist , and filmmaker . He became known among younger audiences as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens , a role for which LaBeouf received a Young Artist Award nomination in 2001 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2003 . He made his film debut in Holes ( 2003 ) , based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar . In 2004 , he made his directorial debut with the short film Let 's Love Hate and later directed a short film titled Maniac ( 2011 ) , starring American rappers Cage and Kid Cudi .   In 2007 , LaBeouf starred in the commercially successful films Disturbia and Surf 's Up . The same year he was cast in Michael Bay 's science fiction film Transformers as Sam Witwicky , the main protagonist of the series . Despite mixed reviews , Transformers was a box office success and one of the highest-grossing films of 2007 . LaBeouf later appeared in its sequels Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen ( 2009 ) and Transformers : Dark of the Moon ( 2011 ) , both also box office successes . In 2008 , he played Henry `` Mutt Williams '' Jones III in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , the fourth film in the Indiana Jones franchise . His other films include Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps ( 2010 ) , Lawless ( 2012 ) , The Company You Keep ( 2012 ) , Nymphomaniac ( 2013 ) and Fury ( 2014 ) . Since 2014 , LaBeouf has pursued a variety of public performance art projects with LaBeouf , Rönkkö & Turner .


Even Stevens Even Stevens is an American comedy television series that aired on Disney Channel with a total of three seasons and 65 episodes from June 17 , 2000 , to June 2 , 2003 . It follows the life of the Stevenses , a family living in suburban Sacramento , California , mainly focusing on the clashing personalities of its two younger siblings , Ren and Louis .   The series was produced by Brookwell McNamara Entertainment and Fireworks Entertainment . It is often cited as launching Shia LaBeouf 's breakout career as an actor . The show also features fast motion photography , which it employs in every episode .   The feature-length Disney Channel Original Movie based on the series , The Even Stevens Movie , premiered on June 13 , 2003 , and serves as the series finale .   As of August 2016 , Even Stevens airs on Freeform for two hours after midnight on Wednesday night . The Even Stevens Movie continues to air on Disney Channel , and on Family Channel occasionally . However , in the UK , Even Stevens continues to air on CITV . From its launch on June 1 , 2011 to late 2012 , the series were shown as re-runs on Disney XD in Canada & the US .


Carrie Fisher wrote Postcards from the Edge in 2005.

Postcards from the Edge Postcards from the Edge is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher , first published in 1987 . It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture of the same name , which was directed by Mike Nichols and released by Columbia Pictures in 1990 .


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


Marcus Allen Marcus LeMarr Allen ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is a former American football running back and football analyst for CBS . As a professional , Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997 . He scored 145 touchdowns , including a then league record 123 rushing touchdowns , and was elected to six Pro Bowls over the course of his career . He was also a fairly good passer for a running back , completing 12 of 27 passes for 285 yards and six touchdowns , with only one interception . Allen was the first player ever to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career .   Allen is considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners in National Football League ( NFL ) history . His younger brother , Damon Allen , played quarterback for 23 seasons in the Canadian Football League and was professional football 's all-time leader in passing yards .   Allen has the distinction of being the only player in the history of football to have won a Heisman Trophy , an NCAA National Championship , a Super Bowl , and be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP . He has also been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame .


Natalie Portman was the oldest member of a film festival jury.

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 .


Ballet Shoes premiered on January 26, 2007.

Ballet Shoes (film) Ballet Shoes is a 2007 British television film , adapted by Heidi Thomas from Noel Streatfeild 's 1936 novel Ballet Shoes . It was produced by Granada Productions ( formerly Granada Television ) and premiered on BBC One on 26 December 2007 . It is directed by Sandra Goldbacher .   A previous adaptation of Ballet Shoes was produced in serial  format by the BBC in 1975 and directed by Timothy Combe . `` Ballet Shoes '' co-stars former Harry Potter stars Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil , Gemma Jones as Dr. Jakes , and the late Richard Griffiths as Gum .


Ezra Edelman Ezra Benjamin Edelman ( born August 6 , 1974 ) is an American documentary producer and director . He won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for directing O.J. : Made in America ( 2016 ) .


O.J.: Made in America O.J. : Made in America is a 2016 American documentary produced and directed by Ezra Edelman for ESPN Films and their 30 for 30 series , which was released as a five-part miniseries and in theatrical format . The documentary explores two of America 's greatest fixations -- race and celebrity -- through the life of O. J. Simpson , from his emerging football career at the University of Southern California and why America fell in love with him , to being accused of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman , and his subsequent acquittal , and how he was convicted and imprisoned for another crime 13 years later . O.J. : Made in America premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22 , 2016 , was released in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles in May 2016 and debuted on ABC on June 11 , 2016 , and aired on ESPN . The documentary has received widespread acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards .


Seven Days in May Seven Days in May is a 1964 American political thriller motion picture about a military-political cabal 's planned take-over of the United States government in reaction to the president 's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union . Directed by John Frankenheimer , it stars Burt Lancaster , Kirk Douglas , Fredric March , and Ava Gardner . The screenplay was written by Rod Serling based on the novel of the same name by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II , published in September 1962 .


Cosmopolitan as of 2011 contains content which includes articles.

Cosmopolitan (magazine) Cosmopolitan is an international fashion magazine for women . Formerly titled The Cosmopolitan , the magazine was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine ; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women 's magazine in the late 1960s . Often referred to as Cosmo , its content as of 2011 includes articles on women 's issues , relationships , sex , health , careers , self-improvement , celebrities , fashion , and beauty . Published by Hearst Corporation , Cosmopolitan has 64 international editions , is printed in 35 languages , and is distributed in more than 110 countries .


Netherlands The Netherlands , ( -LSB- ˈnɛðərləndz -RSB- Nederland -LSB- ˈneːdərˌlɑnt -RSB- ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean.designated Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba within ISO ISO 3166-1 . The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , sharing maritime borders with Belgium , the United Kingdom , and Germany .   The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague and Utrecht ( collectively known as G4 ) . Amsterdam is the country 's capital , while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government . The port of Rotterdam is the world 's largest port outside East-Asia , and the largest port in Europe . The name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands.Formally ` Holland ' refers only to two of the country 's twelve provinces : North Holland and South Holland .   `` Netherlands '' literally means `` lower countries '' , influenced by its low land and flat geography , with only about 50 % of its land exceeding one metre above sea level . Most of the areas below sea level are artificial . Since the late 16th century , large areas ( polders ) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes , amounting to nearly 17 % of the country 's current land mass . With a population density of 412 people per km2 -- 507 ( January 2017 ) if water is excluded -- the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country . Only Bangladesh , South Korea , and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density . Nevertheless , the Netherlands is the world 's second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products , after the United States . This is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate . The Netherlands was the third country in the world to have an elected parliament , and since 1848 it has been governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , organised as a unitary state . The Netherlands has a long history of social tolerance and is generally regarded as a liberal country , having legalised abortion , prostitution and euthanasia , while maintaining a progressive drugs policy . In 2001 , it became the world 's first country to legalise same-sex marriage .   The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G-10 , NATO , OECD and WTO ; as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . The country is host to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts : the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . The first four are situated in The Hague , as is the EU 's criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust . This has led to the city being dubbed `` the world 's legal capital . '' The country also ranks second highest in the world 's 2016 Press Freedom Index , as published by Reporters Without Borders .   The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy , ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom . It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund . In 2013 , the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world , reflecting its high quality of life . The Netherlands also ranks joint third highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index , along with Australia .


Anton Yelchin was born in Leningrad in 1989.

Anton Yelchin Anton Viktorovich Yelchin ( Анто́н Ви́кторович Ельчи́н March 11 , 1989 -- June 19 , 2016 ) was an American actor . He played Pavel Chekov in three Star Trek films , including the 2009 reboot film of the same name , along with the sequels , Star Trek Into Darkness and the posthumously released Star Trek Beyond ( 2016 ) .   Born to a Russian Jewish family in Leningrad , Yelchin relocated to the United States , where he began performing in the late 1990s , appearing in several television and film roles , and received recognition in Hearts in Atlantis ( 2001 ) . His role as Jacob Clarke in Steven Spielberg 's miniseries Taken was significant in furthering his career as a child actor . He starred on the television series , including Huff and the posthumously released Trollhunters . He also starred in other films , including Alpha Dog ( 2007 ) , Charlie Bartlett ( 2007 ) , Terminator Salvation ( 2009 ) , Fright Night ( 2011 ) , The Smurfs ( 2011 ) , Only Lovers Left Alive ( 2013 ) , Green Room ( 2015 ) and Thoroughbred ( 2017 ) .   In June 2016 , Yelchin died in a car incident in Studio City , California .


Ringo Starr Richard Starkey , ( born 7 July 1940 ) , known professionally as Ringo Starr , is an English drummer , singer , songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles . He occasionally sang lead vocals , usually for one song on an album , including `` With a Little Help from My Friends '' , `` Yellow Submarine '' and their cover of `` Act Naturally '' . He also wrote the Beatles ' songs `` Do n't Pass Me By '' and `` Octopus 's Garden '' , and is credited as a co-writer of others , including `` What Goes On '' and `` Flying '' .   Starr was twice afflicted by life-threatening illnesses during childhood , and as a result of prolonged hospitalisations fell behind in school . In 1955 , he entered the workforce and briefly held a position with British Rail before securing an apprenticeship at a Liverpool equipment manufacturer . Soon afterwards , he became interested in the UK skiffle craze , developing a fervent admiration for the genre . In 1957 , he cofounded his first band , the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group , which earned several prestigious local bookings before the fad succumbed to American rock and roll by early 1958 .   When the Beatles formed in 1960 , Starr was a member of another Liverpool group , Rory Storm and the Hurricanes . After achieving moderate success with that band in the UK and Hamburg , he quit the Hurricanes and joined the Beatles in August 1962 , replacing Pete Best . Starr played key roles in the Beatles ' films and appeared in numerous others . After the band 's break-up in 1970 , he released several successful singles including the US number four hit `` It Do n't Come Easy '' , and number ones `` Photograph '' and `` You 're Sixteen '' . In 1972 , he released his most successful UK single , `` Back Off Boogaloo '' , which peaked at number two . He achieved commercial and critical success with his 1973 album Ringo , which was a top ten release in both the UK and the US . He has been featured in a number of documentaries and hosted television shows . He also narrated the first two series of the children 's television programme Thomas & Friends and portrayed `` Mr Conductor '' during the first season of the PBS children 's television series Shining Time Station . Since 1989 , he has toured with twelve variations of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band .   Starr 's creative contribution to music has received praise from other drummers such as Phil Collins , who described him as `` a great musician '' , and Steve Smith , who commented : `` Before Ringo , drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity . Ringo 's popularity brought forth a new paradigm ... we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect ... His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song . '' He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1998 . In 2011 , Rolling Stone readers named Starr the fifth-greatest drummer of all time . Starr , who was previously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatle in 1988 , was inducted for his solo career in 2015 , making him one of 21 performers inducted more than once .


Fargo (TV series) Fargo is an American black comedy -- crime drama anthology television series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley . The show is inspired by the 1996 film of the same name written and directed by the Coen brothers , who serve as executive producers on the series alongside Hawley . It premiered on April 15 , 2014 , on FX . The series follows an anthology format , with each season set in a different era with a different story , cast , and set of characters ; however , each season shares a common chronology with the original film .   The first season , set in 2006 and starring Billy Bob Thornton , Allison Tolman , Colin Hanks , and Martin Freeman , was met with critical acclaim . It won the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Miniseries , Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Casting , and received fifteen additional nominations including Outstanding Writing , another Outstanding Directing nomination , and acting nominations for all four leads . It also won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Actor -- Miniseries or Television Film for Thornton .   The second season , set in 1979 and starring Kirsten Dunst , Patrick Wilson , Jesse Plemons , Jean Smart , and Ted Danson , was met with even greater acclaim . It received three Golden Globe nominations , along with several Emmy nominations including Outstanding Miniseries and acting nominations for Dunst , Plemons , Smart , and Bokeem Woodbine .   The third season , set in 2010 and starring Ewan McGregor , Carrie Coon , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Goran Bogdan and David Thewlis premiered on April 19 , 2017 .


FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona ( -LSB- fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə -RSB- ) , commonly known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a professional football club based in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain .   Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss , English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper , the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism , hence the motto `` Més que un club '' ( `` More than a club '' ) . Unlike many other football clubs , the supporters own and operate Barcelona . It is the second most valuable sports team in the world , worth $ 3.56 billion , and the world 's second richest football club in terms of revenue , with an annual turnover of $ 560.8 million . The official Barcelona anthem is the `` Cant del Barça '' , written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs .   Domestically , Barcelona has won 24 La Liga , 29 Copa del Rey , 12 Supercopa de España , 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies , as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions . In international club football , Barcelona has won twenty European and World titles -- four UEFA Champions League titles and one European Cup , a record four UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , a shared record five UEFA Super Cup , a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a record three FIFA Club World Cup . Barcelona was ranked first in the IFFHS Club World Ranking for 1997 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 and 2015 and currently occupies the third position on the UEFA club rankings . The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid ; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico .   Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world , and the club has the largest social media following in the world among sports teams . Barcelona players have won a record number of Ballon d'Or awards ( 11 ) , with recipients including Johan Cruyff , as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards ( 7 ) , with winners including Ronaldo , Romário and Ronaldinho . In 2010 , three players who came through the club 's youth academy ( Lionel Messi , Andrés Iniesta and Xavi ) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards , an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school .   Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division , along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid . In 2009 , Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga , Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League , and also became the first football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year , completing the sextuple in also winning the Spanish Super Cup , UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup . In 2011 , the club became European champions again and won five trophies . This Barcelona team , which won 14 trophies in just 4 years under Pep Guardiola , is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time . By winning their fifth Champions League trophy on 6 June 2015 , Barcelona became the first European club in history to achieve the continental treble twice .


Copa Eva Duarte The Copa Eva Duarte was a Spanish football tournament organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation ( RFEF ) and contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo . In 1940 , it had the name of Copa de Campeones , and was not played again until 1945 , when the ambassador of Argentina , due to the good relations with the military government , offered a trophy called `` Copa de Oro Argentina '' . Both these tournaments were unofficial .   In 1941 the `` Copa Presidente FEF '' was established as an official tournament founded and organized by the RFEF .   In 1947 the `` Copa Eva Duarte de Perón '' was established as an annual and official tournament founded and organized by the RFEF , as a tribute to Argentine president Juan Perón and his wife Eva Perón . It was played between September and December , usually as one-match finals . The trophy was the predecessor of the current Supercopa de España , first held in 1982 .


Travis Barker is part of the group Blink-182.

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


Alternative release platforms have been pioneered by Radiohead.

Radiohead Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Abingdon , Oxfordshire , formed in 1985 . The band consists of Thom Yorke ( lead vocals , guitar , piano , keyboards ) , Jonny Greenwood ( lead guitar , keyboards , other instruments ) , Ed O'Brien ( guitar , backing vocals ) , Colin Greenwood ( bass ) , and Phil Selway ( drums , percussion , backing vocals ) . They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994 .   After signing to EMI in 1991 , Radiohead released their debut single `` Creep '' in 1992 . It became a worldwide hit after the release of their debut album , Pablo Honey ( 1993 ) . Their popularity and critical standing rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album , The Bends ( 1995 ) . Radiohead 's third album , OK Computer ( 1997 ) , propelled them to international fame ; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation , it is often acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s and one of the best albums in popular music . The group 's next albums Kid A ( 2000 ) and Amnesiac ( 2001 ) , recorded simultaneously , marked a dramatic change in style , incorporating influences from experimental electronic music , 20th-century classical music , krautrock , and jazz . Despite initially dividing listeners , Kid A was later named the best album of the decade by Rolling Stone , Pitchfork and the Times .   Radiohead 's sixth album , Hail to the Thief ( 2003 ) , mixed rock and electronic music with lyrics inspired by the War on Terror , and was the band 's final album for EMI . Their subsequent releases have pioneered alternative release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent . Radiohead self-released their seventh album , In Rainbows ( 2007 ) , as a download for which customers could set their own price , to critical and chart success . Their eighth album , The King of Limbs ( 2011 ) , an exploration of rhythm , was developed using extensive looping and sampling . Their ninth album , A Moon Shaped Pool ( 2016 ) , prominently featured Jonny Greenwood 's orchestral arrangements .   Radiohead have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide . Their work places highly in both listener polls and critics ' lists of the best music of the 1990s and 2000s . In 2005 , they were ranked 73rd in Rolling Stone 's list of `` The Greatest Artists of All Time '' ; Jonny Greenwood ( 48th ) and O'Brien ( 59th ) were both included in Rolling Stones list of greatest guitarists , and Yorke ( 66th ) in their list of greatest singers . In 2009 , Rolling Stone readers voted the group the second-best artist of the 2000s .


Google Google is an American multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products . These include online advertising technologies , search , cloud computing , software , and hardware . Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University , in California . Together , they own about 14 percent of its shares , and control 56 percent of the stockholder voting power through supervoting stock . They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4 , 1998 . An initial public offering ( IPO ) took place on August 19 , 2004 , and Google moved to its new headquarters in Mountain View , California , nicknamed the Googleplex . In August 2015 , Google announced plans to reorganize its various interests as a conglomerate called Alphabet Inc. . Google , Alphabet 's leading subsidiary , will continue to be the umbrella company for Alphabet 's Internet interests . Upon completion of the restructure , Sundar Pichai became CEO of Google , replacing Larry Page , who became CEO of Alphabet .   Rapid growth since incorporation has triggered a chain of products , acquisitions , and partnerships beyond Google 's core search engine ( Google Search ) . It offers services designed for work and productivity ( Google Docs , Sheets and Slides ) , email ( Gmail/Inbox ) , scheduling and time management ( Google Calendar ) , cloud storage ( Google Drive ) , social networking ( Google + ) , instant messaging and video chat ( Google Allo/Duo/Hangouts ) , language translation ( Google Translate ) , mapping and turn-by-turn navigation ( Google Maps ) , video sharing ( YouTube ) , notetaking ( Google Keep ) , and photo organizing and editing ( Google Photos ) . The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system , the Google Chrome web browser , and Chrome OS , a lightweight operating system based on the Chrome browser . Google has moved increasingly into hardware ; from 2010 to 2015 , it partnered with major electronics manufacturers in the production of its Nexus devices , and in October 2016 , it released multiple hardware products ( including the Google Pixel smartphone , Home smart speaker , Wifi mesh wireless router , and Daydream View virtual reality headset ) . The new hardware chief , Rick Osterloh , stated : `` a lot of the innovation that we want to do now ends up requiring controlling the end-to-end user experience '' . Google has also experimented with becoming an Internet carrier . In February 2010 , it announced Google Fiber , a fiber-optic infrastructure that was installed in Kansas City ; in April 2015 , it launched Project Fi in the United States , combining Wi-Fi and cellular networks from different providers ; and in 2016 , it announced the Google Station initiative to make public Wi-Fi around the world , which had already been deployed in India .   Alexa , a company that monitors commercial web traffic , lists Google.com as the most visited website in the world . Several other Google services also figure in the top 100 most visited websites , including YouTube and Blogger . Google has been the second most valuable brand in the world for 4 consecutive years , but has received significant criticism involving issues such as privacy concerns , tax avoidance , antitrust , censorship , and search neutrality . Google 's mission statement , from the outset , was `` to organize the world 's information and make it universally accessible and useful '' , and its unofficial slogan was `` Do n't be evil '' . In October 2015 , the motto was replaced in the Alphabet corporate code of conduct by the phrase `` Do the right thing '' .


Dracula was unable to establish any conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy.

Dracula Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker . It introduced the famous character Count Dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy . The novel tells the story of Dracula 's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse , and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing .   Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature , horror fiction , the gothic novel , and invasion literature . The novel has spawned numerous theatrical , film , and television interpretations .


In Azerbaijan most citizens do not have religious practices.

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( -LSB- æzərbaɪˈʒɑːn -RSB- ; Azərbaycan ) , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan ( Azərbaycan Respublikası ) , is a country in the South Caucasus region , situated at the crossroads of Southwest Asia and Southeastern Europe . It is bound by the Caspian Sea to the east , Russia to the north , Georgia to the northwest , Armenia to the west and Iran to the south . The exclave of Nakhchivan is bound by Armenia to the north and east , Iran to the south and west , while having an 11 km border with Turkey in the north west .   The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence in 1918 and became the first democratic state in the Muslim orient world . The country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic . The modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991 , prior to the official dissolution of the USSR in December 1991 . In September 1991 , the Armenian majority of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region seceded to form the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic . The region and seven adjacent districts outside it became de facto independent with the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 . These regions are internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan pending a solution to the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh , found through negotiations facilitated by the OSCE .   Azerbaijan is a unitary semi-presidential republic . The country is a member state of the Council of Europe , the OSCE and the NATO Partnership for Peace ( PfP ) program . It is one of six independent Turkic states , an active member of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community . Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries and holds membership in 38 international organizations . It is one of the founding members of GUAM , the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons . A member of the United Nations since 1992 after its independence , Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 May 2006 . Its term of office began on 19 June 2006 . Azerbaijan is also a member state of the Non-Aligned Movement , holds observer status in World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union .   The Constitution of Azerbaijan does not declare an official religion and all major political forces in the country are secularist . However , the majority of the population are of a Shiite Muslim background . Most Azerbaijanis however , do not actively practice any religion , and the country has been seen to be one of the most irreligious countries in the Muslim world , with 53 % stating religion has little to no importance in their lives , according to Pew Research Center and Gallup polls . Azerbaijan has a high level of human development which ranks on par with most Eastern European countries . It has a high rate of economic development and literacy , as well as a low rate of unemployment . According to the Davos World Economic Forum , Azerbaijan 's economy has scored 37th place within 138 countries in 2016 . Global Competitiveness Index 2015 indicates that Azerbaijan scores highest in its region .   ASAN services , established with Presidential Decree , are countrywide known for eliminating bribery and corruption in the provision of public services . ASAN Service has been awarded with United Nations ' Public Service Award 2015 , which is the most prestigious award in the world in the field of public service delivery .   The ruling party , the New Azerbaijan Party , has been accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses .


28 Days (film) has Elizabeth Perkins as a costar.

28 Days (film) 28 Days is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Betty Thomas . Sandra Bullock plays Gwen Cummings , a newspaper columnist obliged to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism . The film costars Viggo Mortensen , Dominic West , Elizabeth Perkins , Steve Buscemi , and Diane Ladd .


Brave was produced by an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.

Pixar Pixar ( -LSB- ˈpɪksɑr -RSB- ) , also referred to as Pixar Animation Studios , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville , California that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company . Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group , part of the Lucasfilm computer division , before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 , with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs , who became the majority shareholder . Disney purchased Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $ 7.4 billion , a transaction that resulted in Jobs becoming Disney 's largest single shareholder at the time . Pixar is best known for CGI-animated feature films created with RenderMan , Pixar 's own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface , used to generate high-quality images .   Pixar has produced seventeen feature films , beginning with Toy Story ( 1995 ) , which was the first-ever computer-animated feature film , and its most recent being Finding Dory ( 2016 ) . All 17 of its films have debuted with CinemaScore ratings of at least an `` A − , '' indicating positive receptions with audiences . The studio has also produced several short films . , its feature films have earned approximately $ 10.8 billion at the box office worldwide , with an average worldwide gross of $ 634 million per film . Finding Dory , along with its predecessor Finding Nemo ( 2003 ) , as well as Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time , with the lattermost film being the third all-time highest-grossing animated film with a gross of $ 1.063 billion . Fourteen of Pixar 's films are also among the 50 highest-grossing animated films of all time .   The studio has earned sixteen Academy Awards , seven Golden Globe Awards , and eleven Grammy Awards , among many other awards and acknowledgments . Many of Pixar 's films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature since its inauguration in 2001 , with eight winning ; this includes Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3 , along with The Incredibles ( 2004 ) , Ratatouille ( 2007 ) , WALL-E ( 2008 ) , Up ( 2009 ) , Brave ( 2012 ) , and Inside Out ( 2015 ) . Monsters , Inc. ( 2001 ) and Cars ( 2006 ) are the only two films that were nominated for the award without winning it , while Cars 2 ( 2011 ) , Monsters University ( 2013 ) , The Good Dinosaur ( 2015 ) , and Finding Dory have not been nominated . Up and Toy Story 3 were also the respective second and third animated films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , the first being Walt Disney Animation Studios ' Beauty and the Beast ( 1991 ) . Luxo Jr. , a character from the studio 's 1986 short film of the same name , is the studio 's mascot .   On September 6 , 2009 , Pixar executives John Lasseter , Brad Bird , Pete Docter , Andrew Stanton , and Lee Unkrich were presented with the Golden Lion award for Lifetime Achievement by the biennial Venice Film Festival . The award was presented by Lucasfilm 's founder George Lucas .


Brave (2012 film) Brave is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It was directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman and co-directed by Steve Purcell . The story is by Chapman , with the screenplay by Andrews , Purcell , Chapman and Irene Mecchi . The film was produced by Katherine Sarafian , with John Lasseter , Andrew Stanton , and Pete Docter as executive producers . The film 's voice cast features Kelly Macdonald , Billy Connolly , Emma Thompson , Julie Walters , Robbie Coltrane , Kevin McKidd , and Craig Ferguson . Set in the Scottish Highlands , the film tells the story of a princess named Merida who defies an age-old custom , causing chaos in the kingdom by expressing the desire not to be betrothed .   Chapman drew inspiration for the film 's story from her relationship with her own daughter . Co-directing with Mark Andrews , Chapman became Pixar 's first female director of a feature-length film . To create the most complex visuals possible , Pixar completely rewrote their animation system for the first time in 25 years . Brave is the first film to use the Dolby Atmos sound format .   Brave premiered on June 10 , 2012 , at the Seattle International Film Festival , and was released in North America on June 22 , 2012 , to both positive reviews and box office success . The film won the Academy Award , the Golden Globe , and the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Feature Film . Preceding the feature theatrically was a short film entitled La Luna , directed by Enrico Casarosa .


Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with a fatal disease in 1970.

Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong ( born Lance Edward Gunderson on September 18 , 1971 ) is an American former professional road racing cyclist . Armstrong is the 1993 professional world champion , and won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005 . However , in 2012 , he was banned from sanctioned Olympic sports for life as a result of long-term doping offenses . As part of those sanctions , all results going back to August 1998 , including his seven Tour wins , were voided .   At age 16 , Armstrong began competing as a triathlete and was a national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990 . In 1992 , Armstrong began his career as a professional cyclist with the Motorola team . He had notable success between 1993 and 1996 , including the World Championship in 1993 , Clásica de San Sebastián in 1995 , Tour DuPont in 1995 and 1996 , and a handful of stage victories in Europe , including stage 18 of the 1995 Tour de France .   In 1996 , he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal metastatic testicular cancer . After his recovery , he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation ( now the Livestrong Foundation ) to assist other cancer survivors .   Returning to cycling in 1998 , he was a member of the US Postal/Discovery team between 1998 and 2005 , when he won his Tour de France titles , as well as a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics . Armstrong retired from racing at the end of the 2005 Tour de France , but returned to competitive cycling with the Astana team in January 2009 , finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France later that year . Between 2010 and 2011 , he raced with Team Radio Shack , the UCI ProTeam he helped found . He retired for a second time in 2011 .   Armstrong had been the subject of doping allegations ever since winning the 1999 Tour de France . In 2012 , a United States Anti-Doping Agency investigation concluded that Armstrong had used performance-enhancing drugs over the course of his career and named him as the ringleader of `` the most sophisticated , professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen . '' Armstrong chose not to contest the charges , citing the potential toll on his family . As a result , he received a lifetime ban from all sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Code -- effectively ending his competitive career . He was also stripped of all of his achievements from August 1998 onward , including his seven Tour de France titles . The Union Cycliste Internationale upheld USADA 's decision and decided that his stripped wins would not be allocated to other riders . Armstrong chose not to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport . In a 2013 interview , Armstrong confessed that some of the allegations were true . He has declined to testify about the full extent of his use of the drugs . In the aftermath of his fall from grace , a CNN article wrote that `` The epic downfall of cycling 's star , once an idolized icon of millions around the globe , stands out in the history of professional sports . ''


Cherry Productions produced Desperate Housewives.

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


Grant Gustin was born on January 14th, 1990.

Grant Gustin Thomas Grant Gustin ( born January 14 , 1990 ) is an American actor , singer , and dancer . He is known for his role as Barry Allen / the Flash ( based on the DC Comics character of the same name ) on the CW series The Flash and Arrow , both in the Arrowverse television franchise , and his role as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series Glee .


Red (2010 film) Red is a 2010 American action comedy film inspired by the limited comic book series of the same name created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner and published by the DC Comics imprint Homage . The film stars Bruce Willis , Morgan Freeman , John Malkovich , Mary-Louise Parker , Helen Mirren and Karl Urban , with German film director Robert Schwentke directing a screenplay by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber . In the film version , the title is derived from the designation of former CIA Agent Frank Moses ( Bruce Willis ) , meaning `` Retired , Extremely Dangerous '' .   The film was released on October 15 , 2010 . The film grossed $ 199 million worldwide . In 2011 , the film received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy Film . A sequel , Red 2 , was released on July 19 , 2013 . Another sequel , Red 3 , is in development .


Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze ( Victor Fries ) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman . Created by Bob Kane , David Wood , and Sheldon Moldoff , the character first appeared in Batman # 121 ( February 1959 ) , where he was known as Mr. Zero . Mr. Freeze is one of Batman 's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman 's rogues gallery .   In the most common variation of his origin story , he is a former cryogenics expert in Gotham City who was involved in a laboratory accident while attempting to cure his terminally ill wife Nora Fries . The disaster lowered his body temperature to the point that he must wear a cryogenic suit in order to survive , and he utilizes a `` freeze gun '' that freezes its targets solid .   Mr. Freeze was played by George Sanders , Otto Preminger , and Eli Wallach in the original Batman television series , by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1997 film Batman & Robin , and by Nathan Darrow on the TV series Gotham . He was voiced by Michael Ansara in Batman : The Animated Series , by Clancy Brown in The Batman , and by Maurice LaMarche in the Batman : Arkham video game franchise .   IGN 's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time List ranked Mr. Freeze as # 67 .


Chris Hemsworth is known for his role on the Australian TV series Home and Away.

Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth ( born 11 August 1983 ) is an Australian actor . He is known for playing Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away ( 2004-07 ) and Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011 . Hemsworth has also appeared in the science fiction action film Star Trek ( 2009 ) , the thriller adventure A Perfect Getaway ( 2009 ) , the horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods ( 2012 ) , the dark-fantasy action film Snow White and the Huntsman ( 2012 ) , the war film Red Dawn ( 2012 ) , and the biographical sports drama film Rush ( 2013 ) .   In 2015 , he starred in the action thriller film Blackhat , had a comedic role in the fifth installment of National Lampoon 's Vacation series , Vacation , and headlined the biographical thriller film In the Heart of the Sea . The following year , Hemsworth had a supporting role in Sony 's reboot of Ghostbusters . Hemsworth will reprise his role as George Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek sequel .


New England is included in the U.S. Census Bureau.

New England New England is a geographical region comprising six states of the northeast United States : Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont . It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and south , and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north , respectively . The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and southeast , and Long Island Sound is to the south . Boston , the capital of Massachusetts , is New England 's largest city . The largest metropolitan area is Greater Boston , which also includes Worcester ( the second-largest city in both Massachusetts and New England ) , Manchester ( the largest city in New Hampshire ) , and Providence ( the capital and largest city of Rhode Island ) , with nearly a third of the entire region 's population .   In 1620 , Puritan Separatist Pilgrims from England first settled in the region , forming the Plymouth Colony , the second successful English settlement in the Americas , following the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia founded in 1607 . Ten years later , more Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston , thus forming Massachusetts Bay Colony . Over the next 126 years , people in the region fought in four French and Indian Wars , until the British and their Iroquois allies defeated the French and their Algonquin allies in North America . In 1692 , the town of Salem , Massachusetts and surrounding areas experienced one of the most infamous cases of mass hysteria in the history of the Western Hemisphere , the Salem witch trials . In the late 18th century , political leaders from the New England Colonies known as the Sons of Liberty initiated resistance to Britain 's efforts to impose new taxes without the consent of the colonists . The Boston Tea Party was a protest to which Britain responded with a series of punitive laws stripping Massachusetts of self-government , which were termed the `` Intolerable Acts '' by the colonists . The confrontation led to the first battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1775 , and the expulsion of the British authorities from the region in spring 1776 .   The region played a prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery in the United States , and was the first region of the U.S. transformed by the Industrial Revolution , centered on the Blackstone and Merrimack river valleys .   The physical geography of New England is diverse for such a small area ; southeastern New England is covered by a narrow coastal plain , while the western and northern regions are dominated by the rolling hills and worn-down peaks of the northern end of the Appalachian Mountains . With the Atlantic fall line lying so close to the coast , numerous industrial cities were able to take advantage of water power along the numerous rivers , such as the Connecticut River , which bisects the region from north to south .   Each state is principally subdivided into small incorporated municipalities known as towns , many of which are governed by town meetings . The only unincorporated areas in the region exist in the sparsely populated northern regions of Maine , New Hampshire , and Vermont . The region is one of the U.S. Census Bureau 's nine regional divisions and the only multi-state region with clear , consistent boundaries . It maintains a strong sense of cultural identity , although the terms of this identity are often contrasted , combining Puritanism with liberalism , agrarian life with industry , and isolation with immigration .