Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders ( born September 8 , 1941 ) is an American politician who has been the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007 . Sanders is the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history . Since his election to the House of Representatives in 1991 , he has caucused with the Democratic Party , which has entitled him to congressional committee assignments and at times given Democrats a majority . Sanders became the ranking minority member on the Senate Budget Committee in January 2015 ; he had previously been chair of the Senate Veterans ' Affairs Committee for two years . Since January 2017 , he has been Chair of the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee . Sanders 's campaign against Hillary Clinton for the party 's 2016 U.S. presidential nomination raised more money in small , individual contributions than any other in American history , and helped him rise to international recognition . A self-described democratic socialist , Sanders is pro-labor and emphasizes reversing economic inequality . Many scholars consider his views to be more in line with social democracy and New Deal-era American progressivism than democratic socialism .   Sanders was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964 . While a student he was an active protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement . After settling in Vermont in 1968 , Sanders ran unsuccessful third-party campaigns for governor and U.S. senator in the early to mid-1970s . As an independent , he was elected mayor of Burlington -- Vermont 's most populous city of 42,417 in 2010 -- in 1981 , by a margin of ten votes . He went on to be reelected as mayor three times . In 1990 , he was elected to represent Vermont 's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives , where he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus in 1991 . He served as a congressman for 16 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 . In 2012 , he was reelected with 71 % of the popular vote . Polls indicate that he is among the senators most popular with their constituents , ranking third in 2014 and first in both 2015 and 2016 .   Sanders rose to national prominence following his 2010 filibuster against the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 , which extended the Bush tax cuts that favored the wealthiest Americans . He has built a reputation as a leading progressive voice on issues such as campaign finance reform , corporate welfare , global warming , income inequality , LGBT rights , parental leave , and universal healthcare . Sanders has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy and was an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War , the First Gulf War , and U.S. support for the Contras in Nicaragua . He is also outspoken on civil liberties and civil rights , particularly criticizing racial discrimination in the criminal justice system as well as advocating for privacy rights against mass surveillance policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the NSA surveillance programs .   Sanders announced his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 30 , 2015 . Initially considered a long shot , Sanders won 23 primaries and caucuses and approximately 43 % of pledged delegates to Clinton 's 55 % . His campaign was noted for the enthusiasm of its supporters , as well as his rejection of large donations from corporations , the financial industry , and any associated Super PAC . On July 12 , 2016 , Sanders formally endorsed Clinton against her Republican general election opponent Donald Trump , while urging his supporters to continue the `` political revolution '' his campaign had begun . In November 2016 , Sanders 's book Our Revolution : A Future to Believe In was released ; upon its release , it was on The New York Times best-seller list at number 3 . In 2016 Sanders formed a political organization , Our Revolution , to educate voters about issues , get people involved in the political process , and work to organize and elect progressive candidates . In February 2017 , Sanders began webcasting The Bernie Sanders Show on Facebook .


The gray wolf originated in Eurasia during the Pleistocene.

Gray wolf The gray wolf or grey wolf ( Canis lupus ) , also known as the timber wolf or western wolf , is a canine native to the wilderness and remote areas of Eurasia and North America . It is the largest extant member of its family , with males averaging 43 - and females 36 - . Like the red wolf , it is distinguished from other Canis species by its larger size and less pointed features , particularly on the ears and muzzle . Its winter fur is long and bushy and predominantly a mottled gray in color , although nearly pure white , red , and brown to black also occur . , 37 subspecies of C. lupus are recognised by MSW3 .   The gray wolf is the second most specialised member of the genus Canis , after the Ethiopian wolf , as demonstrated by its morphological adaptations to hunting large prey , its more gregarious nature , and its highly advanced expressive behavior . It is nonetheless closely related enough to smaller Canis species , such as the eastern wolf , coyote , and golden jackal to produce fertile hybrids . It is the only species of Canis to have a range encompassing both the Old and New Worlds , and originated in Eurasia during the Pleistocene , colonizing North America on at least three separate occasions during the Rancholabrean . It is a social animal , travelling in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair , accompanied by the pair 's adult offspring . The gray wolf is typically an apex predator throughout its range , with only humans and tigers posing a serious threat to it . It feeds primarily on large ungulates , though it also eats smaller animals , livestock , carrion , and garbage .   The gray wolf is one of the world 's best-known and most-researched animals , with probably more books written about it than any other wildlife species . It has a long history of association with humans , having been despised and hunted in most pastoral communities because of its attacks on livestock , while conversely being respected in some agrarian and hunter-gatherer societies . Although the fear of wolves is pervasive in many human societies , the majority of recorded attacks on people have been attributed to animals suffering from rabies . Non-rabid wolves have attacked and killed people , mainly children , but this is rare , as wolves are relatively few , live away from people , and have developed a fear of humans from hunters and shepherds .


Jawbreaker (film) stars an Italian-born American actress, film producer, director and singer Rose McGowan.

Rose McGowan Rose Arianna McGowan ( born September 5 , 1973 ) is an Italian-born American actress , film producer , director and singer . She is best known for playing Paige Matthews in The WB supernatural drama series Charmed from 2001 to 2006 .   She made her film debut in the 1992 comedy Encino Man , where she played a small role . Her performance as Amy Blue in the 1995 dark comedy film The Doom Generation brought her wider attention , and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination . McGowan then appeared in the 1996 hit horror film Scream and starred alongside Ben Affleck in the 1997 coming-of-age feature Going All the Way . Later , she appeared in several Hollywood films , including Devil in the Flesh ( 1998 ) , Jawbreaker ( 1999 ) , Ready to Rumble ( 2000 ) , Monkeybone ( 2001 ) and The Black Dahlia ( 2006 ) . In 2005 , McGowan played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS miniseries Elvis . In 2007 , she starred in Planet Terror , part of the double-feature film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino , Grindhouse . The following year , she starred in the crime thriller film Fifty Dead Men Walking .   In 1996 , McGowan was the cover model for the Henry Mancini tribute album Shots in the Dark ; and she was the face of American clothing company Bebe from 1998 to 1999 . She has also appeared on numerous magazine covers , including Seventeen , Interview , Maxim , GQ , Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone .


Jawbreaker (film) Jawbreaker is a 1999 American black comedy film written and directed by Darren Stein . The film stars Rose McGowan , Rebecca Gayheart , Julie Benz , and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school . Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as a murdered prom queen . The film was inspired by the film Heathers , and is often compared to it , particularly the plot involving a popular female clique , and the ostensibly accidental killing of one of its members .   Of his concept for the film , Stein has stated `` The jawbreaker just came to represent the duality of the poppy sweetness of the girls , of high school and of youth , versus the whole idea that this thing could break your jaw '' . The film was released on February 19 , 1999 and was a critical and financial failure , although it has come to gain a cult following . Similarities have been drawn between Jawbreaker and the 2004 film Mean Girls .


On the Road (film) premiered in September of 2012.

On the Road (film) On the Road ( Sur la route ) is a 2012 adventure drama film directed by Walter Salles . It is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac 's 1957 novel of the same name and stars an ensemble cast featuring Garrett Hedlund , Sam Riley , Kristen Stewart , Alice Braga , Amy Adams , Tom Sturridge , Danny Morgan , Elisabeth Moss , Kirsten Dunst , and Viggo Mortensen . The executive producer was Francis Ford Coppola . Filming began on August 4 , 2010 , in Montreal , Quebec , with a $ 25 million budget . The story is based on the years Kerouac spent travelling the United States in the late 1940s with his friend Neal Cassady and several other Beat Generation figures who would go on to fame in their own right , including William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg . On May 23 , 2012 , the film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival . The film received mixed early reviews after it premiered at the film festival . The film also premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in September .


Macaulay Culkin is in a movie directed by John Hughes.

Uncle Buck Uncle Buck is a 1989 American comedy film directed by John Hughes and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan , with Jean Louisa Kelly , Gaby Hoffmann , Macaulay Culkin , Jay Underwood , and Laurie Metcalf in supporting roles .


Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Carson Culkin ( born August 26 , 1980 ) is an American actor . He became famous as a child actor for his role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy Home Alone ( 1990 ) and its sequel Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York ( 1992 ) . He is also known for his roles in Uncle Buck ( 1989 ) , My Girl ( 1991 ) , The Good Son ( 1993 ) , The Pagemaster ( 1994 ) , Richie Rich ( 1994 ) , Party Monster ( 2003 ) , and the music video for Michael Jackson 's `` Black or White '' . At the height of his fame , he was regarded as the most successful child actor since Shirley Temple . Culkin ranked at number two on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Kid-Stars '' and E! 's list of the `` 50 Greatest Child Stars '' .


Before We Go was previously called a different name.

Before We Go Before We Go ( previously titled 1:30 Train ) is a 2014 American independent romantic drama film directed by Chris Evans in his directorial debut , and starring Evans , Alice Eve and Mark Kassen . The film had its world premiere in the special presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released on video on demand on July 21 , 2015 , and had a limited release on September 4 , 2015 in the United States by Radius-TWC .


Black Sails was unable to get renewed after its first season.

Black Sails (TV series) Black Sails is an American historical adventure television series set on New Providence Island and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson 's novel Treasure Island . The series was created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine for Starz . It debuted online for free on YouTube and other various streaming platform and video on demand services on January 18 , 2014 . The debut on cable television followed a week later on January 25 , 2014 . Steinberg is executive producer , alongside Michael Bay , Brad Fuller and Andrew Form , while Michael Angeli , Doris Egan , and Levine are co-executive producers .   On July 26 , 2013 , Starz renewed the show for a ten-episode second season , which premiered on January 24 , 2015 . The early renewal , six months before the first season premiered , was based on the positive fan reaction to the show at the San Diego Comic-Con . The series was renewed for a third season on October 12 , 2014 , and a fourth season on July 31 , 2015 , both before the respective previous seasons had premiered .   On July 20 , 2016 , Starz announced that the series ' fourth season would be its last ; the season premiered on January 29 , 2017 , and the series concluded on April 2 , 2017 .


NSYNC was a vocal group that formed in 1998.

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


12-hour clock The 12-hour clock is a time convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods : a.m. ( from the Latin , ante meridiem , meaning before midday ) and p.m. ( post meridiem , meaning past midday ) . Each period consists of 12 hours numbered : 12 ( acting as zero ) , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11 . The 24 hour/day cycle starts at 12 midnight ( often indicated as 12 a.m. ) , runs through 12 noon ( often indicated as 12 p.m. ) , and continues to the midnight at the end of the day .   The 12-hour clock was developed over time from the mid-second millennium BC to the 16th century AD .


Marlon Brando was not on a list in 1955.

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando , Jr. ( April 3 , 1924 -- July 1 , 2004 ) was an American actor , film director and political activist . He is credited with bringing realism to film acting . He helped to popularize the Stanislavski system of acting , studying with Stella Adler in the 1940s . Brando is widely known for his Academy Award-winning performances as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront ( 1954 ) and Vito Corleone in The Godfather ( 1972 ) , as well as his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1951 ) , Viva Zapata ! ( 1952 ) , Julius Caesar ( 1953 ) , The Wild One ( 1953 ) , Guys and Dolls ( 1955 ) , Sayonara ( 1957 ) , Reflections in a Golden Eye ( 1967 ) , Last Tango in Paris ( 1972 ) , and Apocalypse Now ( 1979 ) . Brando was also an activist for many causes , notably the Civil Rights Movement and various Native American movements .   He initially gained acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for reprising the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' play A Streetcar Named Desire , a role that he had originated successfully on Broadway . He received further praise for his performance as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront , and his portrayal of the rebel motorcycle gang leader Johnny Strabler in The Wild One proved to be a lasting image in popular culture . Brando received Academy Award nominations for playing Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata ! ; Mark Antony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz 's 1953 film adaptation of Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar ; and Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver in Sayonara ( 1957 ) , an adaption of James Michener 's 1954 novel . Brando was included in a list of Top Ten Money Making Stars three times in the 1950s , coming in at number 10 in 1954 , number 6 in 1955 , and number 4 in 1958 .   The 1960s proved to be a fallow decade for Brando . He directed and starred in the cult western film One-Eyed Jacks , a critical and commercial flop , after which he delivered a series of box-office failures , beginning with the 1962 film adaptation of the novel Mutiny on the Bounty . After 10 years , during which he did not appear in a successful film , he won his second Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Godfather , a role critics consider among his greatest . The Godfather was then one of the most commercially successful films of all time . With that and his Oscar-nominated performance in Last Tango in Paris , Brando re-established himself in the ranks of top box-office stars , placing sixth and tenth in the Money Making Stars poll in 1972 and 1973 , respectively . Brando took a four-year hiatus before appearing in The Missouri Breaks ( 1976 ) . After this , he was content with being a highly paid character actor in cameo roles , such as in Superman ( 1978 ) and The Formula ( 1980 ) , before taking a nine-year break from motion pictures . According to the Guinness Book of World Records , Brando was paid a record $ 3.7 million ( $ million in inflation-adjusted dollars ) and 11.75 % of the gross profits for 13 days ' work on Superman . He finished out the 1970s with his controversial performance as Colonel Kurtz in another Coppola film , Apocalypse Now , a box-office hit for which he was highly paid and which helped finance his career layoff during the 1980s .   Brando was ranked by the American Film Institute as the fourth-greatest movie star among male movie stars whose screen debuts occurred in or before 1950 . He was one of only three professional actors , along with Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe , named in 1999 by Time magazine as one of its 100 Most Important People of the Century . He died of respiratory failure on July 1 , 2004 , at age 80 .


Denzel Washington has yet to direct anything.

Antwone Fisher (film) Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington in his feature film directorial debut . He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport , alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke , who plays the title role ( and personally knew the real Antwone Fisher ) , and ex-model Joy Bryant , as Fisher 's girlfriend .   The film is inspired by a true story , with the real Antwone Fisher credited as the screenwriter , and is based on his autobiographical book Finding Fish . The film was produced by Todd Black , Randa Haines , and Washington and features a soundtrack by Mychael Danna .   Black was first inspired to make the film upon hearing the story from Fisher , who was then working as a security guard at Sony Pictures Studios .


Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. ( born December 28 , 1954 ) is an American actor , director , and producer . He has received three Golden Globe awards , a Tony Award , and two Academy Awards : Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory ( 1989 ) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day ( 2001 ) .   Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s , including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom ( 1987 ) , Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X ( 1992 ) , boxer Rubin `` Hurricane '' Carter in The Hurricane ( 1999 ) , football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans ( 2000 ) , poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters ( 2007 ) , and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster ( 2007 ) . He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee , Antoine Fuqua and Tony Scott . In 2016 , Washington was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards .   In 2002 , Washington made his directorial debut with biographical film Antwone Fisher . His second directorial effort was The Great Debaters , released in 2007 . Washington 's third directorial effort , Fences , starring himself and Viola Davis , was released on December 16 , 2016 .


The Great Debaters The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington . It is based on an article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the spring 1997 issue of American Legacy .   The film co-stars Forest Whitaker , Kimberly Elise , Nate Parker , Gina Ravera , Jermaine Williams and Jurnee Smollett . The screenplay was written by Robert Eisele . The film was released in theaters on December 25 , 2007 .


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


Megan Fox failed to work with Faith Ford.

Hope & Faith Hope & Faith is an American television sitcom , starring Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa as Hope Shanowski and Faith Fairfield . Hope is a homemaker and mother of three and Faith is her sister , a soap opera star whose character is killed off , leading her to move in with Hope and her family in the fictional town of Glen Falls , Ohio . It originally aired on ABC from September 26 , 2003 to May 2 , 2006 . During its first and second seasons , the series was part of the revived TGIF comedy block .   Hope & Faith was created and produced by Joanna Johnson , who loosely based the premise on her own life as a former cast member of The Bold and the Beautiful . The series was primarily filmed at New York City 's Silvercup East , a sister studio to Silvercup Studios . In May 2006 , ABC announced that Hope & Faith had been cancelled after three seasons .


Megan Fox Megan Denise Fox ( born May 16 , 1986 ) is an American actress and model . She began her acting career in 2001 , with several minor television and film roles , and played a regular role on the Hope & Faith television sitcom . In 2004 , she made her film debut with a role in the teen comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen . In 2007 , she co-starred as Mikaela Banes , the love interest of Shia LaBeouf 's character , in the blockbuster action film Transformers , which became her breakout role . Fox reprised her role in the 2009 sequel , Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen . Later in 2009 , she starred as the eponymous lead in the black comedy horror film Jennifer 's Body .   Fox is also considered one of the modern female sex symbols and has appeared in magazines such as Maxim , Rolling Stone and FHM .


Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( Никола Тесла 10 July 1856 -- 7 January 1943 ) was a Serbian-American inventor , electrical engineer , mechanical engineer , physicist , and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current ( AC ) electricity supply system .   Born and raised in the Austrian Empire , Tesla received an advanced education in engineering and physics in the 1870s and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry . He emigrated to the United States in 1884 , where he would become a naturalized citizen . He worked for a short time at the Edison Machine Works in New York City before he struck out on his own . With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas , Tesla set up laboratories and companies in New York to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices . His alternating current ( AC ) induction motor and related polyphase AC patents , licensed by Westinghouse Electric in 1888 , earned him a considerable amount of money and became the cornerstone of the polyphase system which that company would eventually market .   Attempting to develop inventions he could patent and market , Tesla conducted a range of experiments with mechanical oscillators/generators , electrical discharge tubes , and early X-ray imaging . He also built a wireless-controlled boat , one of the first ever exhibited . Tesla became well known as an inventor and would demonstrate his achievements to celebrities and wealthy patrons at his lab , and was noted for his showmanship at public lectures .   Throughout the 1890s , Tesla would pursue his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution in his high-voltage , high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs . In 1893 , he made pronouncements on the possibility of wireless communication with his devices . Tesla tried to put these ideas to practical use in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project , an intercontinental wireless communication and power transmitter , but ran out of funding before he could complete it .   After Wardenclyffe , Tesla went on to try and develop a series of inventions in the 1910s and 1920s with varying degrees of success . Having spent most of his money , he lived in a series of New York hotels , leaving behind unpaid bills . The nature of his earlier work and the pronouncements he made to the press later in life earned him the reputation of an archetypal `` mad scientist '' in American popular culture . Tesla died in New York City in January 1943 . His work fell into relative obscurity following his death , but in 1960 , the General Conference on Weights and Measures named the SI unit of magnetic flux density the tesla in his honor . There has been a resurgence in popular interest in Tesla since the 1990s .


Killing Floor (novel) Killing Floor is the debut novel by Lee Child , first published in 1997 by Putnam . The book won the Anthony Award and Barry Award for best first novel . It also is the first book to feature the character Jack Reacher . It is written in the first person .   The novel has three prequels : The Enemy ( set 8 years before Killing Floor ) , Night School ( set 1 year before The Affair ) , The Affair ( set shortly before Killing Floor ) .


Jack Reacher Jack Reacher is a fictional character and the protagonist of a series of books by British author Lee Child . After leaving the US Army as a major in its military police at age 36 , Reacher roams the United States taking odd jobs and investigating suspicious and frequently dangerous situations . , 21 novels have been published , the most recent being Night School .


Lee Child James D. `` Jim '' Grant ( born 29 October 1954 ) , better known by his pen name Lee Child , is a British author who writes thriller novels . He is especially known for his Jack Reacher novel series . The books follow the adventures of a former American military policeman , Jack Reacher , who wanders the United States . His first novel , Killing Floor , won both the Anthony Award , and the Barry Award for Best First Novel .


Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson ( born November 13 , 1955 ) , known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg ( -LSB- ˈwhʊpi -RSB- ) , is an American actress , comedian , author and television host . She has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards for her work in television and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Emmy Award , a Grammy Award , an Oscar , and a Tony Award . She was the second black woman in the history of the Academy Awards to win an acting Oscar .   In the period drama film The Color Purple ( 1985 ) , her breakthrough role was playing Celie , a mistreated black woman in the Deep South , for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress . In the romantic fantasy film Ghost ( 1990 ) , Goldberg played Oda Mae Brown , an eccentric psychic who helped a slain man ( Patrick Swayze ) save his lover ( Demi Moore ) , for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress .   In 1992 , she starred as a pretend nun in the comedy Sister Act . From 1998 to 2002 , she was co-producer of the television game show Hollywood Squares . Since 2007 , she has been the moderator of the daytime television talk show The View .


Slovenia Slovenia ( -LSB- sloʊˈviːniə , _ slə - , _ - njə -RSB- ; Slovenija -LSB- slɔˈʋéːnija -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Slovenia ( Slovene : , abbr. : RS ) , is a nation state in southern Central Europe , located at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes . It is bordered by Italy to the west , Austria to the north , Hungary to the northeast , Croatia to the south and southeast , and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest . It covers 20,273 km2 and has a population of 2.06 million . It is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations , European Union , and NATO . The capital and largest city is Ljubljana .   The territory is mostly mountainous with a mainly continental climate , with the exception of the Slovene Littoral that has a sub-Mediterranean climate and the north-western area that has an Alpine climate . Additionally , the Dinaric Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet on the territory of Slovenia . The country , marked by a significant biological diversity , is one of the most water-rich in Europe , with a dense river network , a rich aquifer system , and significant karst underground watercourses . Over half of the territory is covered by forest . The human settlement of Slovenia is dispersed and uneven .   Slovenia has historically been the crossroads of South Slavic , Germanic , Romance , and Hungarian languages and culture . Although the population is not homogeneous , the majority is Slovene . South Slavic language Slovene is the official language throughout the country . Slovenia is a largely secularized country , but its culture and identity have been significantly influenced by Catholicism as well as Lutheranism . The economy of Slovenia is small , open , and export-oriented and has been strongly influenced by international conditions . It has been severely hurt by the Eurozone crisis , started in the late 2000s . The main economic field is services , followed by industry and construction .   Historically , the current territory of Slovenia was part of many different state formations , including the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire , followed by the Habsburg Monarchy . In October 1918 , the Slovenes exercised self-determination for the first time by co-founding the State of Slovenes , Croats and Serbs . In December 1918 , they merged with the Kingdom of Serbia into the Kingdom of Serbs , Croats and Slovenes ( renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929 ) . During World War II , Slovenia was occupied and annexed by Germany , Italy , and Hungary , with a tiny area transferred to the Independent State of Croatia , a Nazi puppet state . Afterward , it was a founding member of the Federal People 's Republic of Yugoslavia , later renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , a communist state which was the only country in the Eastern Bloc which was never part of the Warsaw Pact . In June 1991 , after the introduction of multi-party representative democracy , Slovenia split from Yugoslavia and became an independent country . In 2004 , it entered NATO and the European Union ; in 2007 became the first formerly communist country to join the Eurozone ; and in 2010 joined the OECD , a global association of high-income developed countries .


Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant ( -LSB- ˈɔːlʌfɪnt -RSB- ; born May 20 , 1968 ) is an American actor and producer . He made his acting debut in Off-Broadway theater in 1995 in The Monogamist , winning the Theatre World Award for his performance , and then originated David Sedaris ' The Santaland Diaries in 1996 . Following this he branched out to film ; in the early years of his career , he was often cast in supporting villainous roles , most notably in Scream 2 ( 1997 ) , Go ( 1999 ) , A Man Apart ( 2003 ) and The Girl Next Door ( 2004 ) . He came to the attention of a wider audience with his portrayal of Sheriff Seth Bullock in HBO 's western Deadwood ( 2004 -- 2006 ) . He then had starring roles in the romantic comedy Catch and Release ( 2006 ) , the action film Hitman ( 2007 ) , the thriller A Perfect Getaway ( 2009 ) and the horror film The Crazies ( 2010 ) . He was a villain in Live Free or Die Hard ( 2007 ) and was a recurring guest star in season two of the FX legal thriller Damages ( 2009 ) .   The best-known performance of Olyphant 's career to date has been as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in FX 's modern-day Kentucky western Justified ( 2010 -- 2015 ) . He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 . He later had guest appearances in numerous television sitcoms including The Office ( 2010 ) , The Mindy Project ( 2013 ) and The Grinder ( 2015 -- 2016 ) , for which he won a Critics Choice Award . Olyphant currently stars with Drew Barrymore in the Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet ( 2017 ) , and is also an executive producer on the show .


Vladimir Putin was born in a city with only 1 million inhabitants in 2012.

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( -LSB- Санкт-Петербу ́рг , a = Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg , r = Sankt-Peterburg , p = ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk -RSB- ) is Russia 's second-largest city after Moscow , with five million inhabitants in 2012 , and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea . It is politically incorporated as a federal subject ( a federal city ) . Situated on the Neva River , at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea , it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May . In 1914 , the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd ( -LSB- Петрогра́д , p =p ʲɪtrɐˈgrat -RSB- ) , in 1924 to Leningrad ( -LSB- Ленингра́д , p = lʲɪnʲɪnˈgrat -RSB- ) , and in 1991 back to Saint Petersburg . Between 1713 and 1728 and in 1732 -- 1918 , Saint Petersburg was the capital of imperial Russia . In 1918 , the central government bodies moved to Moscow .   Saint Petersburg is one of the modern cities of Russia , as well as its cultural capital . The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Saint Petersburg is home to The Hermitage , one of the largest art museums in the world .  Many foreign consulates , international corporations , banks , and businesses have offices in Saint Petersburg .


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


The United Kingdom is not a constitutional monarchy.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland.Although Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state , two of its Overseas Territories also share land borders with other sovereign countries . Gibraltar shares a border with Spain , while the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia share borders with the Republic of Cyprus , the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the UN buffer zone separating the two Cypriot polities . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242500 km2 , the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) .   The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 6 February 1952 . The capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million , the fourth-largest in Europe and second-largest in the European Union . Other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the conurbations centred on Birmingham , Leeds , Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester . The United Kingdom consists of four countries -- England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The last three have devolved administrations , each with varying powers , based in their capitals , Edinburgh , Cardiff and Belfast , respectively . The nearby Isle of Man , Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the United Kingdom , being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation .   The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time . Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain , which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 , leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921 to resolve the Irish War of Independence . When it took effect one year later , it established the Irish Free State as a separate dominion within the Commonwealth . The UK 's current name was adopted to reflect the change . There are fourteen British Overseas Territories . These are the remnants of the British Empire which , at its height in the 1920s , encompassed almost a quarter of the world 's land mass and was the largest empire in history . British influence can be observed in the language , culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies .   The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world 's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity . The UK is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index , ranking 16th in the world . It was the world 's first industrialised country and the world 's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The UK remains a great power with considerable economic , cultural , military , scientific and political influence internationally . It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is seventh in military expenditure in the world . The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 . It has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor , the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , since 1973 . However , on 23 June 2016 , a national referendum on the UK 's membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave , and its exit from the EU is currently being negotiated . The UK is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Council of Europe , the G7 finance ministers , the G7 forum , the G20 , NATO , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) .


The 12-hour clock ignores time conventions.

12-hour clock The 12-hour clock is a time convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods : a.m. ( from the Latin , ante meridiem , meaning before midday ) and p.m. ( post meridiem , meaning past midday ) . Each period consists of 12 hours numbered : 12 ( acting as zero ) , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11 . The 24 hour/day cycle starts at 12 midnight ( often indicated as 12 a.m. ) , runs through 12 noon ( often indicated as 12 p.m. ) , and continues to the midnight at the end of the day .   The 12-hour clock was developed over time from the mid-second millennium BC to the 16th century AD .


Kristen Stewart was passed over for the role of Bella Swan in the Twilight series.

Kristen Stewart Kristen Jaymes Stewart ( born ) is an American actress and model . Born in Los Angeles to parents working in show business , Stewart began her acting career in 1999 with uncredited roles and a minor character appearance in several films . She gained notice in 2002 for playing Jodie Foster 's daughter in the thriller Panic Room , which garnered her a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Feature Film . She went on to star in Speak ( 2004 ) , Catch That Kid ( 2004 ) , Zathura ( 2005 ) , and Into The Wild ( 2007 ) , for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award . She received widespread recognition in 2008 for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga film series ( 2008 -- 12 ) , which grossed over $ 3.3 billion worldwide .   Stewart has appeared in a wide variety of films , including Adventureland ( 2009 ) , The Runaways ( 2010 ) , Snow White and the Huntsman ( 2012 ) , On the Road ( 2012 ) , Camp X-Ray ( 2014 ) , Still Alice ( 2014 ) and Equals ( 2015 ) . She won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2010 and was awarded the Milan International Film Festival Award for Best Actress in 2011 for Welcome to the Rileys ( 2010 ) . In 2015 , she received critical acclaim for her role opposite Juliette Binoche in Clouds of Sils Maria , for which she won a multitude of accolades , including the César Award for Best Supporting Actress , making her the first American actress to win a César Award . She starred in Personal Shopper ( 2016 ) , written for her by director Olivier Assayas , who had worked with her in the previous film .   Stewart was listed as the highest-earning female actress in the Vanity Fair `` Hollywood Top Earners List of 2010 , '' with an estimated earning of $ 28.5 million . In 2011 , she was named number one on Forbes list of `` Hollywood 's Best Actors for the Buck . '' Forbes also named her as the highest paid actress in 2012 , with total earnings of $ 34.5 million . She is the `` face '' of Chanel and Balenciaga fashion brands .


The USC School of Cinematic Arts is a private technology school.

USC School of Cinematic Arts The USC School of Cinematic Arts ( formerly the USC School of Cinema-Television , or CNTV ) is a private media School within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles , in the U.S. state of California . The school offers multiple undergraduate and graduate programs covering production , screenwriting , critical studies , animation and digital arts , and interactive media & games . Additional advanced programs include the Media Arts and Practice PhD Program , the Peter Stark Producing Program , and the Business of Entertainment ( offered in conjunction with the USC Marshall School of Business MBA Program ) .   It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States , established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , and has been ranked as one of the best film programs in the world on several occasions .


Justin Bieber has yet to win any awards.

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( -LSB- ˈbiːbər -RSB- born March 1 , 1994 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter . After a talent manager discovered him through his YouTube videos covering songs in 2008 and signed to RBMG , Bieber released his debut EP , My World , in late 2009 . It was certified Platinum in the U.S. . He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100 . Bieber released his first full-length studio album , My World 2.0 , in 2010 . It debuted at or near number one in several countries , was certified triple Platinum in the U.S. , and contained his single `` Baby '' .   Following his debut album , he had his first headlining tour , the My World Tour , released the remix albums My Worlds Acoustic and Never Say Never -- The Remixes -- and the 3D biopic-concert film Justin Bieber : Never Say Never . He released his second studio album , Under the Mistletoe , in November 2011 , when it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . Bieber released his third studio album , Believe , in 2012 . His fourth studio album Purpose was released in November 2015 , spawning three number one singles : `` What Do You Mean ? '' , `` Sorry '' , and `` Love Yourself '' . His U.S. album and singles sales total 44.7 million . He has sold an estimated 100 million records , making him one of the world 's best-selling music artists .   Bieber has won numerous awards , including the American Music Award for Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2012 . In his career , he has won one Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the song `` Where Are Ü Now '' at the 2016 ceremony . He has been listed four times by Forbes magazine among the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world in 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 . Bieber also became the first artist to surpass 10 billion total video views on Vevo .


Jennifer Garner has been in zero relationships.

Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner ( born April 17 , 1972 ) is an American actress . Her breakthrough film debut was in the comedy Dude , Where 's My Car ( 2000 ) . Following a supporting role in Pearl Harbor , Garner gained recognition for her performance as CIA officer Sydney Bristow in the ABC spy-action thriller Alias , which aired from 2001 to 2006 . For her work on the series , she won a Golden Globe Award and a SAG Award and received four Emmy Award nominations .   While working on Alias , Garner gained a cameo role in Catch Me if You Can ( 2002 ) , followed by a praised leading performance in the romantic comedy film 13 Going on 30 ( 2004 ) . Garner has appeared in supporting as well as lead film roles including the superhero films Daredevil ( 2003 ) and Elektra ( 2005 ) , the comedy-drama Juno ( 2007 ) , and the fantasy romantic comedy The Invention of Lying ( 2009 ) . In the 2010s , she appeared in the romantic-comedy film Valentine 's Day , the fantasy comedy-drama film The Odd Life of Timothy Green ( 2012 ) , the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club ( 2013 ) , and the comedy Alexander and the Terrible , Horrible , No Good , Very Bad Day ( 2014 ) .   Garner works frequently as an activist for early childhood education and is a board member of Save the Children . She is also an advocate for anti-paparazzi campaigns among children of celebrities . Garner had a five-year relationship with Scott Foley from 1998 to 2003 , during which they married . Garner married Ben Affleck in 2005 , with whom she has three children ; they separated in 2015 and filed for divorce in April 2017 .


Marshall McLuhan is incapable of attending University of Cambridge.

Marshall McLuhan Herbert Marshall McLuhan , ( July 21 , 1911 -- December 31 , 1980 ) was a Canadian professor , philosopher , and public intellectual . His work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory , as well as having practical applications in the advertising and television industries . He was educated at the University of Manitoba and the University of Cambridge ; he began his teaching career as a Professor of English at several universities in the U.S. and Canada before moving to the University of Toronto , where he remained for the rest of his life .   McLuhan is known for coining the expression `` the medium is the message '' and the term global village , and for predicting the World Wide Web almost thirty years before it was invented . He was a fixture in media discourse in the late 1960s , though his influence began to wane in the early 1970s . In the years after his death , he continued to be a controversial figure in academic circles . With the arrival of the internet , however , interest has renewed in his work and perspective .


Avengers: Age of Ultron Avengers : Age of Ultron is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the sequel to 2012 's The Avengers and the eleventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) . The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Jeremy Renner , Don Cheadle , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Elizabeth Olsen , Paul Bettany , Cobie Smulders , Anthony Mackie , Hayley Atwell , Idris Elba , Stellan Skarsgård , James Spader , and Samuel L. Jackson . In Avengers : Age of Ultron , the Avengers fight Ultron , an artificial intelligence obsessed with causing human extinction .   The sequel was announced in May 2012 , after the successful release of The Avengers . Whedon , the director of the first film , was brought back on board in August and a release date was set . By April 2013 , Whedon had completed a draft of the script , and casting began in June with the re-signing of Downey . Second unit filming began in February 2014 in South Africa with principal photography taking place between March and August 2014 . The film was primarily shot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey , England , with additional footage filmed in Italy , South Korea , Bangladesh , New York City , and various locations around England . While in post production , the film was converted to 3D and over 3,000 visual effects shots were added .   Avengers : Age of Ultron premiered in Los Angeles on April 13 , 2015 , and was released on May 1 , 2015 , in North America , in 3D and IMAX 3D . The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $ 1.4 billion worldwide , making it the seventh-highest-grossing film in history and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2015 . A sequel , Avengers : Infinity War , is scheduled to be released on May 4 , 2018 , and another untitled sequel is scheduled for May 3 , 2019 .


Superhero film A superhero film , superhero movie or superhero motion picture is a film that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes : individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public . These films typically feature action , adventure , fantasy and/or science fiction elements , with the first film of a particular character often including a focus on the origin of his or her special powers and his or her first confrontation with his or her most famous supervillain or archenemy .   Most superhero movies are based on superhero comics . By contrast , several films such as the RoboCop series , The Meteor Man , Unbreakable , The Incredibles , Hancock and They Call Me Jeeg are original for the screen , while The Green Hornet is based primarily on the original radio series and its 1960s television adaptation , and both Underdog and The Powerpuff Girls are based on animated television series .   The most notable and successful superhero films of the present day are films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with Iron Man ( 2008 ) and Christopher Nolan 's Dark Knight Trilogy .


Cinderella (2015 Disney film) Cinderella is a 2015 American romantic fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh , with a screenplay written by Chris Weitz . The film is based on the eponymous folk tale and inspired in part by Walt Disney 's 1950 animated film . The film stars Lily James as the titular character with Richard Madden , Cate Blanchett , Stellan Skarsgård , Holliday Grainger , Derek Jacobi and Helena Bonham Carter . It is produced by David Barron , Simon Kinberg and Allison Shearmur for Walt Disney Pictures .   Cinderella had its world premiere on February 13 , 2015 , at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and was released in theaters on March 13 , 2015 . It grossed over $ 543 million worldwide , becoming Branagh 's highest-grossing film to date , and received mostly positive reviews . The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design at the 88th Academy Awards .


Outlander is based on novels by Stephenie Meyer.

Outlander (TV series) Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon . Developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz , the show premiered on August 9 , 2014 . It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall , a married World War II nurse who in 1945 finds herself transported back to the Scotland of 1743 , where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings .   The second season of 13 episodes , based on Dragonfly in Amber , premiered on April 9 , 2016 . On June 1 , 2016 , Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season , which will adapt the third and fourth Outlander novels , Voyager and Drums of Autumn . The 13-episode third season is scheduled to premiere in September 2017 .


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


Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander ( -LSB- aˈliːsɪa vɪˈkandɛr -RSB- ; born 3 October 1988 ) is a Swedish actress and former dancer . Born and raised in Gothenburg , she began acting as a child in minor stage productions at The Göteborg Opera and trained as a ballet dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm and the School of American Ballet in New York . She began her professional acting career by appearing in Swedish short films and television series and first gained recognition in Northern Europe for her role as Josefin Björn-Tegebrandt in the TV drama Andra Avenyn ( 2008 -- 10 ) .   Vikander made her feature film debut in Pure ( 2010 ) , for which she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress . She attracted widespread recognition in 2012 for portraying Princess Ekaterina `` Kitty '' Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya in Joe Wright 's film adaptation of Anna Karenina and Queen Caroline Mathilde in the acclaimed Danish film A Royal Affair , receiving a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination . She went on to star in the 2013 Swedish drama film Hotell and appeared in the Julian Assange-biopic The Fifth Estate that same year .   In 2014 and 2015 , Vikander achieved global recognition and acclaim for her roles as activist Vera Brittain in Testament of Youth , a humanoid robot in Ex Machina ( for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress ) and painter Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl , for which she received the Academy Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress , among other awards .


Albert Einstein was born in the 19th century.

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( -LSB- ˈaɪnstaɪn -RSB- -LSB- ˈalbɛɐ̯t ˈaɪnʃtaɪn -RSB- ; 14 March 1879 -- 18 April 1955 ) was a German-born theoretical physicist . He developed the theory of relativity , one of the two pillars of modern physics ( alongside quantum mechanics ) . Einstein 's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science . Einstein is best known by the general public for his mass -- energy equivalence formula ( which has been dubbed `` the world 's most famous equation '' ) . He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics `` for his services to theoretical physics , and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect '' , a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory .   Near the beginning of his career , Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field . This led him to develop his special theory of relativity during his time at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern ( 1902 -- 1909 ) , Switzerland . He realized , however , that the principle of relativity could also be extended to gravitational fields , and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 , he published a paper on general relativity . He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory , which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules . He also investigated the thermal properties of light which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light . In 1917 , Einstein applied the general theory of relativity to model the large-scale structure of the universe .   Between 1895 and 1914 he lived in Switzerland ( except for one year in Prague , 1911 -- 12 ) , where he received his academic diploma from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zürich ( later the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule , ETH ) in 1900 . He later taught there at the same institute as a professor of theoretical physics between 1912 and 1914 before he left for Berlin . In 1901 , after being stateless for more than five years , Einstein acquired Swiss citizenship , which he kept for the rest of his life . In 1905 , Einstein was awarded a PhD by the University of Zürich . The same year , his annus mirabilis ( miracle year ) , he published four groundbreaking papers , which were to bring him to the notice of the academic world , at the age of 26 .   He was visiting the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and , being Jewish , did not go back to Germany , where he had been a professor at the Berlin Academy of Sciences . He settled in the United States , becoming an American citizen in 1940 . On the eve of World War II , he endorsed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt alerting him to the potential development of `` extremely powerful bombs of a new type '' and recommending that the U.S. begin similar research . This eventually led to what would become the Manhattan Project . Einstein supported defending the Allied forces , but generally denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon . Later , with the British philosopher Bertrand Russell , Einstein signed the Russell -- Einstein Manifesto , which highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons . Einstein was affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton , New Jersey , until his death in 1955 .   Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers along with over 150 non-scientific works . Einstein 's intellectual achievements and originality have made the word `` Einstein '' synonymous with `` genius '' .


Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John , ( born Reginald Kenneth Dwight ; 25 March 1947 ) is an English singer , pianist , and composer . He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967 ; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date . In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300million records , making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world . He has more than fifty Top 40 hits , including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums , 58 Billboard Top 40 singles , 27 Top 10 , four No. 2 and nine No. 1 . For 31 consecutive years ( 1970 -- 2000 ) he had at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100 . His tribute single , re-penned in dedication to the late Princess Diana , `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' sold over 33million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts . He has also composed music , produced records , and has occasionally acted in films . John owned Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987 , and 1997 to 2002 . He is an honorary Life President of the club , and in 2014 had a stand named after him at the club 's home stadium .   Raised in the Pinner area of London , John learned to play piano at an early age , and by 1962 had formed Bluesology . John met his songwriting partner , Bernie Taupin , in 1967 , after they had both answered an advert for songwriters . For two years they wrote songs for other artists , including Lulu , and John also worked as a session musician for artists such as the Hollies and the Scaffold . In 1969 his debut album , Empty Sky , was released . In 1970 a single , `` Your Song '' , from his second album , Elton John , reached the top ten in the UK and the US , his first hit single . After decades of commercial chart success , John has also achieved success in musical theatre , both in the West End and on Broadway , composing the music for The Lion King ( film and musical ) , Aida and Billy Elliot the Musical .   He has received five Grammy Awards , five Brit Awards -- winning two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the first Brits Icon in 2013 for his `` lasting impact on British culture '' , an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , a Tony Award , a Disney Legends award , and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 . In 2004 , Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of 100 influential musicians of the rock and roll era . In 2013 , Billboard ranked him the most successful male solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists ( third overall behind the Beatles and Madonna ) . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 , is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame , and is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters , Composers and Authors . Having been named a Order of the British Empire in 1996 , John was made a Knight Bachelor by Elizabeth II for `` services to music and charitable services '' in 1998 . John has performed at a number of royal events , such as the funeral of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in 1997 , the Party at the Palace in 2002 and the Queen 's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012 .   He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s . In 1992 , he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a year later began hosting the annual Academy Award Party , which has since become one of the highest-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry . Since its inception , the foundation has raised over . John , who announced he was bisexual in 1976 and has been openly gay since 1988 , entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish on 21 December 2005 , and after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014 , wed Furnish on 21 December 2014 . He continues to be a champion for LGBT social movements worldwide .


Ruth Negga has not been nominated for an Academy Award.

Ruth Negga Ruth Negga ( -LSB- ˈneɪgə -RSB- born 7 January 1982 ) is an Ethiopian born Irish actress , who has appeared in the films Capital Letters ( 2004 ) ( also released as Trafficked in some countries ) , Isolation ( 2005 ) , Breakfast on Pluto ( 2005 ) and Warcraft ( 2016 ) . She has also played roles in television , such as in the BBC 's mini-series Criminal Justice , RTÉ 's Love/Hate , E4 's Misfits , and ABC 's Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. . In 2016 , she began a starring role as Tulip O'Hare in AMC 's Preacher .   For her portrayal of Mildred Loving in Loving ( 2016 ) , Negga was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress , Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama , Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress , as well as the BAFTA Rising Star Award .


R. Kelly is the most successful R&B male artist.

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly ( born January 8 , 1967 ) , known professionally as R. Kelly , is an American singer , songwriter , record producer , and former professional basketball player . A native of Chicago , Illinois , Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement . In 1993 , Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play . He is known for a collection of major hit singles including `` Bump N ' Grind '' , `` Your Body 's Callin ' '' , `` I Believe I Can Fly '' , `` Gotham City '' , `` Ignition ( Remix ) '' , `` If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time '' , `` The World 's Greatest '' , `` I 'm a Flirt ( Remix ) '' , and the hip-hopera `` Trapped in the Closet '' . In 1998 , Kelly won three Grammy Awards for `` I Believe I Can Fly '' . His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop and contemporary R&B artists . Kelly became the first musician to play professional basketball , when he was signed in 1997 .   Kelly has written , produced , and remixed songs and albums for many artists , including Aaliyah 's 1994 debut album Age Ai n't Nothing but a Number . In 1996 , Kelly was nominated for a Grammy for writing Michael Jackson 's song `` You Are Not Alone '' . In 2002 and 2004 , Kelly released collaboration albums with rapper Jay-Z and has been a guest vocalist for other hip hop artists like Nas , Sean Combs , and The Notorious B.I.G.   The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) has recognized R. Kelly as one of the best-selling music artists in the United States with 40 million albums sold as well as only the fifth black artist to crack the top 50 of the same list . In March 2011 , R. Kelly was named the most successful R&B artist of the last 25 years by Billboard . Kelly has released 12 solo studio albums , and sold over 100 million records worldwide making him the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s . He has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop , earning the nicknames `` King of R&B '' and `` King of Pop-Soul '' . He is listed by Billboard as the most successful R&B / Hip Hop artist of the past 25 years ( 1985-2010 ) and also the most successful R&B artist in history . Throughout his career , Kelly has won numerous awards , including a Guinness World Records as well as countless of other awards like Grammy , BET , Soul Train , Billboard , NAACP and American Music Award .


The Syrian Desert covers parts of the Middle East.

Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( بادية الشام , bādiyat ash-shām ) also known as the Hamad , is a combination of steppe and true desert covering 500000 km2 the Middle East , covering parts of south-eastern Syria , northeastern Jordan , northern Saudi Arabia , and western Iraq . To the south it borders and merges into the Arabian Desert .  The land is open , gravely desert pavement , cut with occasional wadis .


George Cukor directed the 1933 American Pre-Code satirical comedy Our Betters.

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( -LSB- ˈkjuːkər -RSB- July 7 , 1899 -- January 24 , 1983 ) was an American film director . He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations . His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick , the studio 's Head of Production , assigned Cukor to direct several of RKO 's major films , including What Price Hollywood ? ( 1932 ) , A Bill of Divorcement ( 1932 ) , Our Betters ( 1933 ) , and Little Women ( 1933 ) . When Selznick moved to MGM in 1933 , Cukor followed and directed Dinner at Eight ( 1933 ) and David Copperfield ( 1935 ) for Selznick and Romeo and Juliet ( 1936 ) and Camille ( 1936 ) for Irving Thalberg .   He was replaced as the director of Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ) , but he went on to direct The Philadelphia Story ( 1940 ) , Gaslight ( 1944 ) , Adam 's Rib ( 1949 ) , Born Yesterday ( 1950 ) , A Star Is Born ( 1954 ) , Bhowani Junction ( 1956 ) , and My Fair Lady ( 1964 ) . He continued to work into the 1980s .


Our Betters Our Betters is a 1933 American Pre-Code satirical comedy film directed by George Cukor . The screenplay by Jane Murfin and Harry Wagstaff Gribble is based on the 1923 play of the same title by W. Somerset Maugham .


Usher is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Usher (musician) Usher Raymond IV ( born October 14 , 1978 ) is an American singer , songwriter , dancer , and actor . Born in Dallas , Texas but raised and lived in Chattanooga , Tennessee until moving to Atlanta , Georgia . At the age of 12 , his mother put him in local singing competitions , before catching the attention of a music A&R from LaFace Records . In 1994 , he released his self-titled debut album , Usher . He rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his sophomore album My Way ( 1997 ) , which spawned his first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single , `` Nice & Slow '' , amongst top-two singles `` You Make Me Wan na ... '' and `` My Way '' . 8701 ( 2001 ) produced the number-one singles `` U Remind Me '' and `` U Got It Bad '' , and top-three single `` U Do n't Have to Call '' . It sold 8 million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003 .   Confessions ( 2004 ) established him as one of the best-selling musical artists of the 2000s decade , selling 20 million copies worldwide . Bolstered by its four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` Yeah ! '' , `` Burn '' , `` Confessions Part II '' , and `` My Boo '' , it has been certified Diamond by the RIAA . Here I Stand ( 2008 ) and Raymond v. Raymond ( 2010 ) , debuted atop of the Billboard 200 , and produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles `` Love in This Club '' and `` OMG '' . The EP , Versus , also produced the Hot 100 top-five single `` DJ Got Us Fallin ' in Love '' . Looking 4 Myself ( 2012 ) , also debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and produced the Hot 100 top-ten single `` Scream '' . Raymond v. Raymond and Looking 4 Myself received Grammy Awards for R&B singles `` There Goes My Baby '' and `` Climax '' . Hard II Love ( 2016 ) peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 albums chart .   Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States . To date , his worldwide sales stand at 43 million albums and 75 million records overall , making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time . Usher has won numerous awards and accolades including 18 Billboard Music Awards and 8 Grammy Awards . At the end of 2009 , Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade , the number-one Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade , and ranked Confessions as the top solo album of the 2000s decade . Billboard also placed him at number 6 on their list of `` Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years '' . Usher has attained 9 US Hot 100 number-one singles . Considered an icon and sex symbol , he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2008 , he started his own record label Raymond-Braun Media Group ( RBMG ) ; a joint venture with talent manager Scooter Braun that includes Canadian singer Justin Bieber .


Jim Henson founded a company in the fifties.

Jim Henson James Maury `` Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) was an American puppeteer , artist , cartoonist , inventor , screenwriter , film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets . Born in Greenville , Mississippi , and raised in Leland , Mississippi , and Hyattsville , Maryland , Henson began developing puppets while attending high school . While he was a freshman at the University of Maryland , College Park , he created Sam and Friends , a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television . After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics , he produced coffee advertisements and developed some experimental films . Feeling the need for more creative output , Henson founded Muppets Inc. in 1958 ( which would later become the Jim Henson Company ) .   Henson became famous in the 1960s when he joined the children 's educational television program Sesame Street , and there helped develop characters for the series . He also appeared on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live . In 1976 , after scrapping plans for a Broadway show , he produced The Muppet Show . He won fame for his creations , particularly Kermit the Frog , Rowlf the Dog , and Ernie , and was involved with Sesame Street for over 20 years . Rowlf the Dog was a cast member on the Jimmy Dean Show in the early 60 's . He also had frequent roles in Muppets films such as The Muppet Movie , The Great Muppet Caper , and The Muppets Take Manhattan , and created advanced puppets for projects like Fraggle Rock , The Dark Crystal , and Labyrinth . During the later years of his life , he also founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson 's Creature Shop . His involvement in two television programs -- The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour -- led to Emmy Award wins .   Henson died of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome on May 16 , 1990 , at age 53 , twenty hours after experiencing a medical emergency -- an unexpected event that was widely lamented in the film and television industries . In the weeks after his death , he was celebrated in a wave of tributes . He was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 , and as a Disney Legend in 2011 .


Nikita (TV series) is an American movie.

Nikita (TV series) Nikita is an American television series that aired on The CW from September 9 , 2010 to December 27 , 2013 in the United States . The series is a reboot of the popular 1997 TV series La Femme Nikita ( itself based on the 1990 Luc Besson film Nikita ) .   The series focuses on Nikita ( Maggie Q ) , a woman who escaped from a secret government-funded organization known as `` Division '' and , after a three-year hiding period , is back to bring down the organization . The main cast in various seasons features Maggie Q , Lyndsy Fonseca , Shane West , Aaron Stanford , Melinda Clarke , Xander Berkeley , Noah Bean , Tiffany Hines , Ashton Holmes , Dillon Casey , and Devon Sawa .


Inside Man Inside Man is a 2006 American crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee , written by Russell Gewirtz . The film centers on an elaborate bank heist on Wall Street over a 24-hour period . It stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Frazier , the NYPD 's hostage negotiator ; Clive Owen as Dalton Russell , the mastermind who orchestrates the heist ; and Jodie Foster as Madeleine White , a Manhattan power broker who becomes involved at the request of the bank 's founder , Arthur Case ( Christopher Plummer ) , to keep something in his own personal safe deposit box protected from the robbers . Inside Man marks the fourth film collaboration between Washington and Lee .   Gewirtz spent five years developing the film 's premise before working on what became his first original screenplay . After he completed the script in 2002 , Imagine Entertainment purchased it to be made by Universal Studios , with Imagine co-founder Ron Howard attached to direct . After Howard stepped down , his Imagine partner Brian Grazer began looking for a new director to helm the project , and ultimately hired Lee to do so . Principal photography began in June 2005 and concluded in August of that year ; filming took place on location in New York City . Inside Man premiered in New York on March 20 , 2006 before being released in North America on March 24 , 2006 . Upon release , the film received a generally positive critical response and was a commercial success , grossing over $ 184 million worldwide .


Snooki & Jwoww was only renewed for a second season.

Snooki & Jwoww Snooki & Jwoww ( sometimes rendered Snooki & JWOWW in print and online sources ) is an American reality television series on MTV starring Snooki and JWoww . It is the second of three spin-offs of Jersey Shore , on which both Polizzi and Farley previously gained fame as cast members . The series ran from June 21 , 2012 until February 4 , 2015 over four seasons . The series , which is executive produced by Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano of 495 Productions , is described by its stars as a modern-day Laverne & Shirley .   The first season focuses on Polizzi and Farley living together in a former firehouse in Jersey City , New Jersey , though Polizzi 's pregnancy , which was confirmed during filming of the first season , led to a change in episode content and tone that would distance it from the party-oriented antics of its parent show . Filming began on the first season February 25 , 2012 , and lasted five weeks . A second season was confirmed on August 3 , 2012 , and premiered on January 8 , 2013 . On April 25 , 2013 , MTV renewed the series for a third season , which premiered on October 22 , 2013 . On April 24 , 2014 , the series was renewed for the fourth and final season , which premiered on November 5 , 2014 , and concluded on February 4 , 2015 .


Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine , ( -LSB- keɪn -RSB- born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr. ; 14 March 1933 ) is an English actor and author . Renowned for his distinctive working class cockney accent , Caine has appeared in over 115 films and is regarded as a British film icon .   He made his breakthrough in the 1960s with starring roles in a number of acclaimed British films , including Zulu ( 1964 ) , The Ipcress File ( 1965 ) , Alfie ( 1966 ) , for which he was nominated for an Academy Award , The Italian Job ( 1969 ) , and Battle of Britain ( 1969 ) . His most notable roles in the 1970s included Get Carter ( 1971 ) , The Last Valley , Sleuth ( 1972 ) , for which he earned his second Academy Award nomination , The Man Who Would Be King ( 1975 ) , and A Bridge Too Far ( 1977 ) . He achieved some of his greatest critical success in the 1980s , with Educating Rita ( 1983 ) earning him the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . In 1986 , he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Woody Allen 's Hannah and Her Sisters .   Caine played Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol ( 1992 ) . Having by that time practically retired from acting on the big screen , he enjoyed a career resurgence in the late 1990s , receiving his second Golden Globe Award for his performance in Little Voice in 1998 and receiving his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Cider House Rules the following year . Caine played Nigel Powers in the 2002 parody Austin Powers in Goldmember , and Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy . He appeared in several other of Nolan 's films including The Prestige ( 2006 ) , Inception ( 2010 ) , and Interstellar ( 2014 ) . He also appeared as a supporting character in Alfonso Cuarón 's Children of Men and Pixar 's 2011 film Cars 2 . As of February 2017 , films in which he has starred have grossed over $ 3.5 billion domestically and over $ 7.8 billion worldwide . Caine is ranked as the twelfth highest grossing box office star .   Caine is one of only two actors nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to 2000s ( the other one being Jack Nicholson ; Laurence Olivier was also nominated for an acting Academy Award in five different decades , beginning in 1939 and ending in 1978 ) . In 2000 , Caine was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his contribution to cinema .


The Chernobyl disaster ultimately involved over 500,000 balls.

Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster , also referred to as the Chernobyl accident , was a catastrophic nuclear accident . It occurred on 26 April 1986 in the No. 4 light water graphite moderated reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat , in what was then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union ( USSR ) .   During a late night safety test which simulated a station blackout power-failure and in which safety systems were deliberately turned off , a combination of inherent reactor design flaws , together with the reactor operators arranging the core in a manner contrary to the checklist for the test , eventually resulted in uncontrolled reaction conditions that flashed water into steam generating a destructive steam explosion and a subsequent open-air graphite fire.Although most reports on the Chernobyl accident refer to a number of graphite fires , it is highly unlikely that the graphite itself burned . According to the General Atomics website < http://gt-mhr.ga.com/safety.php > : `` It is often incorrectly assumed that the combustion behavior of graphite is similar to that of charcoal and coal . Numerous tests and calculations have shown that it is virtually impossible to burn high-purity , nuclear-grade graphites . '' On Chernobyl , the same source states : `` Graphite played little or no role in the progression or consequences of the accident . The red glow observed during the Chernobyl accident was the expected color of luminescence for graphite at 700 ° C and not a large-scale graphite fire , as some have incorrectly assumed . '' Similarly , nuclear physicist Yevgeny Velikhov , < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4918742.stm > noted some 2 weeks after the accident that `` Until now the possibility of a catastrophe really did exist : A great quantity of fuel and graphite of the reactor was in an incandescent state '' That is , all the nuclear-decay heat that was generated inside the uranium fuel ( heat which would normally be extracted by back-up coolant pumps , in an undamaged reactor ) was instead responsible for making the fuel itself and any graphite in contact with it , to glow red-hot . This is contrary to the oft cited interpretation , which is that the graphite was red-hot chiefly because it was chemically oxidizing with the air . This fire produced considerable updrafts for about 9 days , that lofted plumes of fission products into the atmosphere , with the estimated radioactive inventory that was released during this very hot fire phase , approximately equal in magnitude to the airborne fission products released in the initial destructive explosion . Practically all of this radioactive material would then go on to fall-out/precipitate onto much of the surface of the western USSR and Europe .   The Chernobyl accident dominates the Energy accidents sub-category , of most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history , both in terms of cost and casualties . It is one of only two nuclear energy accidents classified as a level 7 event ( the maximum classification ) on the International Nuclear Event Scale , the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 . The struggle to safeguard against scenarios which were , at many times falsely , perceived as having the potential for greater catastrophe and the later decontamination efforts of the surroundings , ultimately involved over 500,000 workers and cost an estimated 18 billion rubles . During the accident , blast effects caused 2 deaths within the facility and later 29 firemen and employees died in the days-to-months afterward from acute radiation syndrome , with the potential for long-term cancers still being investigated .   The remains of the No. 4 reactor building were enclosed in a large sarcophagus ( radiation shield ) by December 1986 , at a time when what was left of the reactor was entering the cold shut-down phase ; the enclosure was built quickly as occupational safety for the crews of the other undamaged reactors at the power station , with No. 3 continuing to produce electricity into 2000 .   The accident motivated safety upgrades on all remaining Soviet-designed reactors in the RBMK ( Chernobyl No. 4 ) family , of which eleven continued to power electric grids as of 2013 .


One of David Beckham's middle names is John.

David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham , ( -LSB- ˈbɛkəm -RSB- born 2 May 1975 ) is an English former professional footballer . He played for Manchester United , Preston North End , Real Madrid , Milan , LA Galaxy , Paris Saint-Germain , and the England national team for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016 when Wayne Rooney surpassed his total . He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries : England , Spain , the United States and France . He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career , during which he won 19 major trophies .   Known for his range of passing , crossing ability and bending free-kicks as a right winger , Beckham was runner up in the Ballon d'Or , twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players . He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . A global ambassador for the sport , Beckham is regarded as a British cultural icon .   Beckham 's professional club career began with Manchester United , where he made his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17 . With United , he won the Premier League title six times , the FA Cup twice , and the UEFA Champions League in 1999 . He then played four seasons with Real Madrid , winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club . In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy . While a Galaxy player , he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010 . He was the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games .   In international football , Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996 at the age of 21 . He was captain for six years , earning 58 caps during his tenure . He made 115 career appearances in total , appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments , in 1998 , 2002 and 2006 , and two UEFA European Championship tournaments , in 2000 and 2004 .   Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football , and in 2013 he was listed as the highest-paid player in the world , earning over $ 50 million in the previous 12 months . He has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999 and they have four children . He has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005 , and in 2015 he launched 7 : The David Beckham UNICEF Fund . In 2014 , MLS announced Beckham and a group of investors would own an expansion team in Miami , which would begin in 2016 or 2017 .


The AK-47 was been manufactured in many regions.

AK-47 The AK-47 ( -LSB- Автомат Калашникова , translit = Avtomat Kalashnikova , lit = Kalashnikov 's Automatic Rifle -RSB- ) is a selective-fire ( semi-automatic and automatic ) , gas-operated 7.62 × 39 mm assault rifle , developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov . It is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov rifle ( or `` AK '' ) family .   Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II ( 1945 ) . In 1946 , the AK-47 was presented for official military trials , and in 1948 , the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army . An early development of the design was the AKS ( S -- Skladnoy or `` folding '' ) , which was equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock . In the spring of 1949 , the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact .   Even after almost seven decades , the model and its variants remain the most popular and widely used assault rifles in the world because of their substantial reliability under harsh conditions , low production costs compared to contemporary Western weapons , availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use . The AK-47 has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide , and was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms . As of 2004 , `` Of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide , approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family , three-quarters of which are AK-47s '' .


Mark Bomback Mark Bomback ( born August 29 , 1971 ) is an American screenwriter , originally from New Rochelle , New York . Bomback is a graduate of Wesleyan University , where he studied English Literature and Film Studies .


Page Hamilton was born on Monday May 18, 1960.

Page Hamilton Page Hamilton ( born May 18 , 1960 ) is an American guitarist , singer , songwriter and record producer , mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet . Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles , though he trained in jazz guitar and has substantial connections with avant-garde music and film soundtrack composition .


Game of Thrones is only broadcast on SKY TV.

Game of Thrones Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss . It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire , George R. R. Martin 's series of fantasy novels , the first of which is A Game of Thrones . It is filmed at Titanic Studios in Belfast , on location in the United Kingdom , and in Canada , Croatia , Iceland , Malta , Morocco , Spain , and the United States . The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17 , 2011 , and its sixth season ended on June 26 , 2016 . The series was renewed for a seventh season , which is scheduled to premiere on July 16 , 2017 , and will conclude with its eighth season in 2018 .   Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos , Game of Thrones has several plot lines and a large ensemble cast . The first story arc follows a dynastic conflict among competing claimants for succession to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms , with other noble families fighting for independence from the throne . The second covers attempts to reclaim the throne by the exiled last scion of the realm 's deposed ruling dynasty ; the third chronicles the threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North .   Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad , active , international fan base . It has been acclaimed by critics , particularly for its acting , complex characters , story , scope , and production values , although its frequent use of nudity and violence ( including sexual violence ) has attracted criticism . The series has received 38 Primetime Emmy Awards , including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015 and 2016 , more than any other primetime scripted television series . Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation ( 2012 -- 2014 ) , a 2011 Peabody Award , and four nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama ( 2012 and 2015 -- 2017 ) . Of the ensemble cast , Peter Dinklage has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( 2011 and 2015 ) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film ( 2012 ) for his performance as Tyrion Lannister . Lena Headey , Emilia Clarke , Kit Harington , Maisie Williams , Diana Rigg , and Max von Sydow have also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their performances in the series .


A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin . It was first published on August 1 , 1996 . The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award . The novella Blood of the Dragon , comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel , won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella . In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached # 1 on the list in July 2011 .   In the novel , recounting events from various points of view , Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros , the Wall , and the Targaryens . The novel has inspired several spin-off works , including several games . It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones , an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011 . A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled Game of Thrones , excluding the indefinite article `` A '' .


D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss ( born April 23 , 1971 ) is an American author , screenwriter , producer , and director . Along with his collaborator David Benioff , he is best known as screenwriter , executive producer , and sometimes director of Game of Thrones , the HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin 's series of books A Song of Ice and Fire .   His 2003 debut novel , Lucky Wander Boy , is themed around video games .


Peter Dinklage Peter Hayden Dinklage ( -LSB- ˈdɪŋklɪdʒ -RSB- , born June 11 , 1969 ) is an American actor and film producer . He has received numerous accolades , including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards .   Born in Morristown , New Jersey and raised in Brookside , Dinklage self-identifies as a dwarf ( achondroplasia ) and stands tall .  He began acting as a child in a fifth grade production of The Velveteen Rabbit . He studied acting at Bennington College , starring in a number of amateur stage productions . His film debut was in Living in Oblivion ( 1995 ) and his breakthrough came with the comedy-drama The Station Agent ( 2003 ) . He has since appeared in such films as the comedy Elf ( 2003 ) , the crime film Find Me Guilty ( 2006 ) , the superhero comedy Underdog ( 2007 ) , the high fantasy The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian ( 2008 ) and the superhero film X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 ) .   Since 2011 , Dinklage has portrayed Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones , which earned him the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2015 , as well as receiving consecutive Emmy nominations from 2011 to 2016 . He also won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film in 2012 , In 2017 , Dinklage became one of the highest paid actors on television , earning # 2 million per episode of Game of Thrones . Dinklage is an animal rights activist and has been viewed as a role model for people sharing his condition , partially because of refusing roles considered degrading for dwarf actors .