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


Boston is considered a center of higher education when it comes to engineering.

Boston Boston ( pronounced -LSB- ˈbɒstən -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States . Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County , although the county government was disbanded on July 1 , 1999 . The city proper covers 48 mi2 with an estimated population of 667,137 in 2015 , making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston , a Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) home to a census-estimated 4.7 million people in 2014 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country . Alternately , as a Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ) , this wider commuting region is home to some 8.1 million people , making it the sixth-largest as such in the United States .   One of the oldest cities in the United States , Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England . It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution , such as the Boston Massacre , the Boston Tea Party , the Battle of Bunker Hill , and the Siege of Boston . Upon U.S. independence from Great Britain , it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture . Through land reclamation and municipal annexation , Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula . Its rich history attracts many tourists , with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year . Boston 's many firsts include the United States ' first public school , Boston Latin School ( 1635 ) , first subway system , the Tremont Street Subway ( 1897 ) , and first public park , Boston Common ( 1634 ) .   The area 's many colleges and universities make Boston an international center of higher education , including law , medicine , engineering , and business , and the city is considered to be a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship , with nearly 2,000 startups . Boston 's economic base also includes finance , professional and business services , biotechnology , information technology , and government activities . Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States ; businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment . The city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification , though it remains high on world livability rankings .


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 .


Judy Garland Judy Garland ( born Frances Ethel Gumm ; June 10 , 1922 -- June 22 , 1969 ) was an American singer , actress , and vaudevillian . She was renowned for her contralto vocals and attained international stardom that continued throughout a career spanning more than 40 years as an actress in musical and dramatic roles , as a recording artist , and on concert stages .   Garland began performing in vaudeville with her two older sisters and was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager . She made more than two dozen films with MGM , including nine with Mickey Rooney . Garland 's most famous role was as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) . Her other roles at MGM included Meet Me in St. Louis ( 1944 ) , The Harvey Girls ( 1946 ) and Easter Parade ( 1948 ) . After 15 years , she was released from the studio and made record-breaking concert appearances , a successful recording career , and her own Emmy-nominated television series . Film appearances became fewer in her later years , but included two Academy Award nominated performances in A Star Is Born ( 1954 ) and Judgment at Nuremberg ( 1961 ) .   Garland received a Golden Globe Award , a Juvenile Academy Award , and a Special Tony Award , and at 39 , became the youngest and first female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry . She was the first woman to win a Grammy for Album of the Year for her live recording of Judy at Carnegie Hall . In 1997 , Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . In 1999 , the American Film Institute placed her among the 10 greatest female stars of classic American cinema .   From an early age , Garland struggled in her personal life . The pressures of adolescent stardom sent her to a psychiatrist at age 18 . Her self-image was influenced by film executives who said she was unattractive and manipulated her on-screen physical appearance . She was plagued by financial instability , often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes . She married five times , with her first four marriages ending in divorce . She also had a long addiction with drugs and alcohol , which ultimately led to her death from a barbiturate overdose at the age of 47 .


Ajay Devgn Ajay Devgan ( born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969 ) , also credited as Ajay Devgn , is an Indian film actor , director and producer . He is widely considered as one of the most popular actors of Hindi cinema , who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films . Devgan has won numerous accolades , including two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards . In 2016 , he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri , the fourth highest civilian honour of the country .   Devgan began his professional career with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance . He then starred in successful films such as Jigar ( 1992 ) , Dilwale ( 1994 ) , Suhaag ( 1994 ) , Naajayaz ( 1995 ) , Diljale ( 1996 ) and Ishq ( 1997 ) . In 1998 , he appeared in a critically acclaimed performance in Mahesh Bhatt 's drama Zakhm and he received his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie . In 1999 , his most-talked-about film was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in which he played Vanraj , a man who tries to unite his wife with her lover .   In the early 2000s , he gave critically acclaimed performances in Ram Gopal Varma 's fictional expose of Mumbai underworld Company . He played the character of a gangster , for which he won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor . The same year he gave another critically acclaimed performance in Deewangee for which he received the Filmfare Best Villain Award . In 2003 , he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bhagat Singh in Rajkumar Santoshi 's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh . Throughout his career he has performed in many critically and commercially successful films including Raincoat ( 2004 ) , '' Gangajal , ( 2004 ) , Yuva ( 2004 ) , Apaharan ( 2005 ) , Omkara ( 2006 ) , Golmaal : Fun Unlimited ( 2006 ) , Golmaal Returns ( 2008 ) , All the Best : Fun Begins ( 2009 ) , Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai ( 2010 ) , Golmaal 3 ( 2010 ) , Raajneeti ( 2010 ) , Singham ( 2011 ) , Bol Bachchan ( 2012 ) , Son of Sardaar ( 2012 ) , Singham Returns ( 2014 ) and Drishyam ( 2015 ) . He has starred in more than hundred Hindi films . Having done so , he established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema .   In addition , Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms which was established in 2000 . In 2008 , he debuted as a film director with U Me Aur Hum . He is married to film actress , Kajol since 1999 and the couple have two children . In August 2009 , Devgn changed his surname from Devgan to Devgn on the request of his family .


Stratford, London is a district of London.

Stratford, London Stratford is a district of east London , England , within the London Borough of Newham .   The area was part of the Ancient Parish and subsequent County Borough of West Ham , which became the western half of the modern borough in 1965 . Historically an agrarian settlement in the county of Essex , Stratford was transformed into an industrial suburb following the introduction of the railway in 1839 .   The late 20th Century was a period of severe economic decline , eventually reversed by regeneration associated with the 2012 Summer Olympics , for which Stratford 's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the principal venue .   Stratford is now East London 's primary retail , cultural and leisure centre . It has also become the second most significant ( after Canary Wharf ) business location in the east of the capital .


U2 are one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time.

U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin formed in 1976 . The group consists of Bono ( lead vocals and rhythm guitar ) , the Edge ( lead guitar , keyboards , and backing vocals ) , Adam Clayton ( bass guitar ) , and Larry Mullen Jr. ( drums and percussion ) . Initially rooted in post-punk , U2 's sound grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music , yet has maintained an anthemic sound built on Bono 's expressive vocals and the Edge 's effects-based guitar textures . Their lyrics , often embellished with spiritual imagery , focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns . Popular for their live performances , the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career .   The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency . Within four years , they signed with Island Records and released their debut album , Boy ( 1980 ) . Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album , War ( 1983 ) , and the singles `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' and `` Pride ( In the Name of Love ) '' helped establish U2 's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group . By the mid-1980s , they had become renowned globally for their live act , highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985 . The group 's fifth album , The Joshua Tree ( 1987 ) , made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success . Topping music charts around the world , it produced their only number-one singles in the US , `` With or Without You '' and `` I Still Have n't Found What I 'm Looking For '' . Facing a backlash and creative stagnation , U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image . Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album , Achtung Baby ( 1991 ) , and the multimedia intensive Zoo TV Tour , the band integrated influences from alternative rock , electronic dance music , and industrial music into their sound , and embraced a more ironic , flippant image . This experimentation continued through their ninth album , Pop ( 1997 ) , and the PopMart Tour , which were mixed successes . U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records All That You Ca n't Leave Behind ( 2000 ) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ( 2004 ) , which established a more conventional , mainstream sound for the group . Their U2 360 ° Tour of 2009 -- 2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history . The group 's thirteenth album , Songs of Innocence ( 2014 ) , was released at no cost through the iTunes Store , but received criticism for its automatic placement in users ' music libraries .   U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world 's best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 170 million records worldwide . They have won 22 Grammy Awards , more than any other band , and in 2005 , they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility . Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . Throughout their career , as a band and as individuals , they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes , including Amnesty International , Jubilee 2000 , the ONE/DATA campaigns , Product Red , War Child , and Music Rising .


Steven Spielberg is forty years old or older.

New Hollywood New Hollywood , sometimes referred to as the `` American New Wave '' , usually refers to a movement in American film history from the mid-to-late 1960s ( Bonnie and Clyde , The Graduate ) to the early 1980s ( Heaven 's Gate , One from the Heart ) when a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence in United States , influencing the types of films produced , their production and marketing , and the way major studios approached film-making . In New Hollywood films , the film director , rather than the studio , took on a key authorial role . The definition of New Hollywood varies , depending on the author , with some of them defining it as a movement and others as a period . The span of the period is also a subject of debate , as well as its integrity , as some authors , such as Thomas Schatz , argue that the New Hollywood consist of several different movements . The films made in this movement are stylistically characterized in that their narrative often strongly deviated from classical norms .   After the demise of the studio system and the rise of television , the commercial success of films was diminished . The `` New Hollywood '' period , spanning the mid-1960s and early 1980s , was a period of revival .


Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg , , ( born December 18 , 1946 ) is an American director , producer , and screenwriter . He is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era , as well as being viewed as one of the most popular directors and producers in film history . He is also one of the co-founders of DreamWorks Studios .   In a career spanning more than four decades , Spielberg 's films have spanned many themes and genres . Spielberg 's early science-fiction and adventure films , such as Jaws ( 1975 ) , Close Encounters of the Third Kind ( 1977 ) , Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) , and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ( 1982 ) , were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood escapist filmmaking . In later years , his films began addressing humanistic issues such as the Holocaust , the transatlantic slave trade , civil rights , war , and terrorism in such films as The Color Purple ( 1985 ) , Empire of the Sun ( 1987 ) , Schindler 's List ( 1993 ) , Amistad ( 1997 ) , Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , Munich ( 2005 ) , War Horse ( 2011 ) , Lincoln ( 2012 ) , and Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) . His other films include Jurassic Park ( 1993 ) , A.I. Artificial Intelligence ( 2001 ) , and War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) .   Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for Schindler 's List and Saving Private Ryan , as well as receiving five other nominations . Three of Spielberg 's films -- Jaws , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , and Jurassic Park -- achieved box office records , originated and came to epitomize the blockbuster film . The unadjusted gross of all Spielberg-directed films exceeds $ 9 billion worldwide , making him the highest-grossing director in history . His personal net worth is estimated to be more than $ 3 billion . He is also known for his long-standing associations with several actors , producers , and technicians , most notably composer John Williams , who has composed music for all but two of Spielberg 's movies which are The Color Purple and Bridge of Spies .


Legion (TV series) Legion is an American cable television series created for FX by Noah Hawley , based on the Marvel Comics character David Haller / Legion . It is connected to the X-Men film series , the first television series to be so , and is produced by FX Productions in association with Marvel Television . Hawley serves as showrunner on the series .   Dan Stevens stars as Haller , a mutant diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age . Rachel Keller , Aubrey Plaza , Bill Irwin , Jeremie Harris , Amber Midthunder , Katie Aselton , and Jean Smart also star . FX and Marvel Television announced a new collaboration to create a television series based on the X-Men character Legion in October 2015 , with Hawley signed on to write , and direct the pilot . Casting began by January 2016 , and filming took place in Vancouver . Hawley wanted to show Haller as an `` unreliable narrator '' , including mixing 1960s design with modern-day elements , and filming the series through the title character 's distorted view of reality .   The eight-episode first season of Legion premiered at the Pacific Design Center on January 26 , 2017 , ahead of its FX debut on February 8 . The series received critical acclaim , particularly for its visuals and departure from superhero genre standards . A second season , of ten episodes , was ordered in March 2017 and is planned for a February 2018 release .


Ed Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher `` Ed '' Sheeran ( born 17 February 1991 ) is an English singer-songwriter , guitarist and record producer . He was born in Halifax , West Yorkshire , and raised in Framlingham , Suffolk . He attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford , Surrey , as an undergraduate from the age of 18 in autumn 2009 . In early 2011 , Sheeran independently released the extended play , No. 5 Collaborations Project . After signing with Asylum Records , his debut album , + ( read as `` plus '' ) , was released on 9 September 2011 and has since been certified seven-times platinum in the UK . The album contains the single `` The A Team '' , which earned him the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically . In 2012 , Sheeran won the Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act .   Sheeran 's popularity abroad began in 2012 . In the US , he made a guest appearance on Taylor Swift 's fourth studio album , Red . `` The A Team '' was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards , where he performed the song with Elton John . He spent much of 2013 opening for Swift 's The Red Tour in North America dates . His second studio album , x ( read as `` multiply '' ) , was released on 23 June 2014 . It peaked at number one in the UK and the US . In 2015 , x won the Brit Award for Album of the Year , and he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year . His single from x , `` Thinking Out Loud '' , earned him two Grammy Awards at the 2016 ceremony : Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance .   Sheeran 's third album , ÷ ( `` divide '' ) , was released in March 2017 . The album debuted at number one in the UK , the US and other major markets . The first two singles from the album , `` Shape of You '' and `` Castle on the Hill '' , were released in January 2017 and broke records in a number of countries , including the UK , Australia and Germany , by debuting in the top two positions of the charts . He also became the first artist to have two songs debut in the US top 10 in the same week . Sheeran appeared on Debrett 's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK .


Selena Gomez did not star in Romona and Beezus.

Ramona and Beezus Ramona and Beezus is a 2010 American family adventure comedy film adaptation based on the Ramona series of novels written by Beverly Cleary . It was directed by Elizabeth Allen , co-produced by Dune Entertainment , Di Novi Pictures , and Walden Media , written by Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay , and produced by Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan with music by Mark Mothersbaugh . The film stars Joey King , Selena Gomez , Hutch Dano , Ginnifer Goodwin , John Corbett , Bridget Moynahan , Josh Duhamel , Jason Spevack , Sandra Oh , Sierra McCormick , Patti Allan , Lynda Boyd , and Aila and Zanti McCubbing . Though the film 's title is derived from Beezus and Ramona , the first of Cleary 's Ramona books , the plot is mostly based on the sequels Ramona Forever and Ramona 's World . Fox 2000 Pictures released the film on July 23 , 2010 . Ramona and Beezus earned generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $ 27,293,743 .


Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( -LSB- səˈliːnə_məˈɹiː_ˈɡoʊmɛz -RSB- ; -LSB- seˈlena ˈɣomes -RSB- ; born July 22 , 1992 ) is an American actress and singer . Having appeared in the children 's television series Barney & Friends while growing up , she rose to fame playing the role of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place ( 2007 -- 2012 ) .   In 2008 , she signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records and formed her band Selena Gomez & the Scene . The band released three studio albums and produced four top 30 singles by 2011 . Gomez also formed her own production company in 2008 , July Moon Productions ; she serves as an executive producer on the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why , which released in March 2017 .   Between 2009 and 2011 , Gomez starred in films such as Princess Protection Program , Ramona and Beezus , and Monte Carlo , and took on a more mature role in Spring Breakers ( 2013 ) . Gomez also took her singing career in a different direction , with the release of her first solo album Stars Dance ( 2013 ) ; the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 in the United States and included the top ten single `` Come & Get It . '' Gomez released a compilation album in 2014 as her fifth and final release through Hollywood Records , which was preceded by her second top ten single `` The Heart Wants What It Wants '' , and signed a new recording contract with Interscope Records .   In 2015 , she released her second solo album , Revival , which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , while the first three singles , `` Good for You , '' `` Same Old Love , '' and `` Hands to Myself , '' all topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States . Gomez has also starred in the films The Fundamentals of Caring ( 2016 ) , In Dubious Battle ( 2016 ) , and in the Hotel Transylvania films .   Since the start of her singing career , she has gone on to sell over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide , according to Billboard . Gomez has earned a number of awards and nominations for her work as an actress and singer , and has won a Billboard Women in Music award , an MTV Video Music Award , an American Music Award , and fifteen Teen Choice Awards . As of November 2016 , Gomez is the most-followed Instagram user in the world .


The Divergent Series was taken from an American writer's work.

The Divergent Series The Divergent Series is a feature film series based on the Divergent novels by the American author Veronica Roth . Distributed by Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate Films , the series consists of four science fiction films set in a dystopian society . They have been produced by Lucy Fisher , Pouya Shabazian , and Douglas Wick and star Shailene Woodley and Theo James as lead characters Beatrice Prior ( Tris ) and Tobias Eaton ( Four ) , respectively . The supporting cast includes Ansel Elgort , Zoë Kravitz and Miles Teller . The first film in the series was directed by Neil Burger , while the second and third films were directed by Robert Schwentke .   Development began in 2011 following Summit 's acquisition of the film rights to the Divergent novel in partnership with production company Red Wagon Entertainment . The studios announced production on the sequel following the first film 's strong performance in Thursday late-night screenings , where it grossed $ 4.9 million . They acquired film rights to the Allegiant novel in December 2013 , deciding in April 2014 to split the third novel into a two-part film adaptation .   The first installment , Divergent ( 2014 ) , grossed over $ 288 million worldwide , while the second installment , The Divergent Series : Insurgent ( 2015 ) , grossed over $ 297 million worldwide . Insurgent was also the first Divergent film to be released in IMAX 3D . The third installment , The Divergent Series : Allegiant ( 2016 ) , grossed $ 179 million . The first three films of the series have grossed over $ 765 million worldwide .


Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn ( -LSB- ˈɔːdri_ˈhɛpˌbɜrn -RSB- born Audrey Kathleen Ruston ; 4 May 1929 -- 20 January 1993 ) was a British actress , model , dancer and humanitarian . Recognized as a film and fashion icon , Hepburn was active during Hollywood 's Golden Age . She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend in Golden Age Hollywood and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame .  Born in Ixelles , a district of Brussels , Hepburn spent her childhood between Belgium , England and the Netherlands . In Amsterdam , she studied ballet with Sonia Gaskell before moving to London in 1948 , continuing her ballet training with Marie Rambert , and then performing as a chorus girl in West End musical theatre productions .   Following minor appearances in several films , Hepburn starred in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi after being spotted by French novelist Colette , on whose work the play was based . She shot to stardom for playing the lead role in Roman Holiday ( 1953 ) , for which she was the first actress to win an Academy Award , a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for a single performance . The same year Hepburn won a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance in Ondine . She went on to star in a number of successful films , such as Sabrina ( 1954 ) , The Nun 's Story ( 1959 ) , Breakfast at Tiffany 's ( 1961 ) , Charade ( 1963 ) , My Fair Lady ( 1964 ) and Wait Until Dark ( 1967 ) , for which she received Academy Award , Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations . Hepburn won a record three BAFTA Awards for Best British Actress in a Leading Role . In recognition of her film career , she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from BAFTA , the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award , the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and the Special Tony Award . She remains one of the 12 people who have won Academy , Emmy , Grammy and Tony Awards .   Hepburn appeared in fewer films as her life went on , devoting much of her later life to UNICEF . She had contributed to the organisation since 1954 , then worked in some of the poorest communities of Africa , South America and Asia between 1988 and 1992 . She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in December 1992 . A month later , Hepburn died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland at the age of 63 .


Roman Holiday Roman Holiday is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler . It stars Gregory Peck as a reporter and Audrey Hepburn as a royal princess out to see Rome on her own . Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance ; the screenplay and costume design also won .   It was written by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo , though with Trumbo on the Hollywood blacklist , he did not receive a credit ; instead , Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for him . Trumbo 's credit was reinstated when the film was released on DVD in 2003 . On December 19 , 2011 , full credit for Trumbo 's work was restored . Blacklisted director Bernard Vorhaus worked on the film as an assistant director under a pseudonym .   It was shot at the Cinecittà studios and on location around Rome during the `` Hollywood on the Tiber '' era . The film was screened in the 14th Venice film festival within the official program .   In 1999 , Roman Holiday was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Zhou Enlai was instrumental in the Communist Party's rise to power.

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai ( ; 5 March 1898 -- 8 January 1976 ) was the first Premier of the People 's Republic of China , serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976 . Zhou served along with Chairman Mao Zedong and was instrumental in the Communist Party 's rise to power , and later in consolidating its control , forming foreign policy , and developing the Chinese economy .   A skilled and able diplomat , Zhou served as the Chinese foreign minister from 1949 to 1958 . Advocating peaceful coexistence with the West after the stalemated Korean War , he participated in the 1954 Geneva Conference and the 1955 Bandung Conference , and helped orchestrate Richard Nixon 's 1972 visit to China . He helped devise policies regarding the bitter disputes with the U.S. , Taiwan , the Soviet Union ( after 1960 ) , India and Vietnam .   Zhou survived the purges of other top officials during the Cultural Revolution . While Mao dedicated most of his later years to political struggle and ideological work , Zhou was the main driving force behind the affairs of state during much of the Cultural Revolution . His attempts at mitigating the Red Guards ' damage and his efforts to protect others from their wrath made him immensely popular in the Cultural Revolution 's later stages .   As Mao Zedong 's health began to decline in 1971 and 1972 , Zhou struggled against the Gang of Four internally over leadership of China . Zhou 's health was also failing , however , and he died eight months before Mao on 8 January 1976 . The massive public outpouring of grief in Beijing turned to anger towards the Gang of Four , leading to the Tiananmen Incident . Although succeeded by Hua Guofeng , it was Deng Xiaoping , Zhou 's ally , who was able to outmaneuver the Gang of Four politically and eventually take Hua 's place as paramount leader by 1978 .


Richard III of England did not die in battle.

Richard III of England Richard III ( 2 October 1452 -- 22 August 1485 ) was King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485 , at the age of 32 , in the Battle of Bosworth Field . He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty . His defeat at Bosworth Field , the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses , marked the end of the Middle Ages in England . He is the subject of the historical play Richard III by William Shakespeare .   When his brother King Edward IV died in April 1483 , Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward 's son and successor , the 12-year-old Edward V . As the young king travelled to London from Ludlow , Richard met and escorted him to lodgings in the Tower of London , where Edward V 's own brother Richard of Shrewsbury joined him shortly afterwards . Arrangements were made for Edward 's coronation on 22 June 1483 ; but , before the young king could be crowned , his father 's marriage to his mother Elizabeth Woodville was declared invalid , making their children illegitimate and ineligible for the throne . On 25 June , an assembly of Lords and commoners endorsed the claims . The following day , Richard III began his reign , and he was crowned on 6 July 1483 . The young princes were not seen in public after August , and accusations circulated that the boys had been murdered on Richard 's orders , giving rise to the legend of the Princes in the Tower .   There were two major rebellions against Richard . The first , in October 1483 , was led by staunch allies of Edward IV and Richard 's former ally , Henry Stafford , 2nd Duke of Buckingham ; but the revolt collapsed . In August 1485 , Henry Tudor and his uncle , Jasper Tudor , led a second rebellion . Henry Tudor landed in southern Wales with a small contingent of French troops and marched through his birthplace , Pembrokeshire , recruiting soldiers . Henry 's force engaged Richard 's army and defeated it at the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire . Richard was struck down in the conflict , making him the last English king to die in battle on home soil and the first since Harold Godwinson ( who was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 ) . Henry then ascended the throne as Henry VII .   After the battle Richard 's corpse was taken to Leicester and buried without pomp . His original tomb monument is believed to have been removed during the Reformation , and his remains were lost for more than five centuries , believed to have been thrown into the River Soar . In 2012 , an archaeological excavation was commissioned by the Richard III Society on a city council car park on the site once occupied by Greyfriars Priory Church . The University of Leicester identified the skeleton found in the excavation as that of Richard III as a result of radiocarbon dating , comparison with contemporary reports of his appearance , and comparison of his mitochondrial DNA with that of two matrilineal descendants of Richard III 's eldest sister , Anne of York . Richard 's remains were reburied in Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015 .


Tupac Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the 7th.

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( -LSB- ˈtuːpɑːk_ʃəˈkʊər -RSB- ; born Lesane Parish Crooks ; June 16 , 1971September 13 , 1996 ) , also known by his stage names 2Pac , Makaveli , and Pac , was an American rapper , record producer , actor , and poet . As of 2007 , Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide . His double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits are among the best-selling albums in the United States . He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by many publications , including Rolling Stone , which ranked him 86th on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time . He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time . On April 7 , 2017 , Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .   Shakur began his career as a roadie , backup dancer , and MC for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground , eventually branching off as a solo artist . Most of the themes in Shakur 's songs revolved around the violence and hardship in inner cities , racism , and other social problems . Both of his parents and several other people in his family were members of the Black Panther Party , whose ideals were reflected in his songs . During the latter part of his career , Shakur was a vocal participant during the East Coast -- West Coast hip hop rivalry , becoming involved in conflicts with other rappers , producers , and record-label staff members , most notably The Notorious B.I.G. and the label Bad Boy Records .   On September 7 , 1996 , Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas , Nevada . He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada , where he died six days later .


Jon Huntsman Jr. became a White House staff assistant in the 1980s.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( -LSB- ˈrɒnəld_ˈwɪlsən_ˈreɪɡən -RSB- ) ( February 6 , 1911 -- June 5 , 2004 ) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Before his presidency , he was the 33rd Governor of California , from 1967 to 1975 , after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader .   Raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois , Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked as a sports announcer on several regional radio stations . After moving to Hollywood in 1937 , he became an actor and starred in a few major productions . Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild , the labor union for actors , where he worked to root out Communist influence . In the 1950s , he moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric factories . Having been a lifelong Democrat , his views changed . He became a conservative and in 1962 switched to the Republican Party . In 1964 , Reagan 's speech , `` A Time for Choosing '' , in support of Barry Goldwater 's foundering presidential campaign , earned him national attention as a new conservative spokesman . Building a network of supporters , he was elected Governor of California in 1966 . As governor , Reagan raised taxes , turned a state budget deficit to a surplus , challenged the protesters at the University of California , ordered National Guard troops in during a period of protest movements in 1969 , and was re-elected in 1970 . He twice ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in 1968 and 1976 ; four years later , he easily won the nomination outright , becoming the oldest elected U.S. president up to that time , defeating incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980 .   Entering the presidency in 1981 , Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives . His supply-side economic policies , dubbed `` Reaganomics '' , advocated tax rate reduction to spur economic growth , control of the money supply to curb inflation , economic deregulation , and reduction in government spending . In his first term he survived an assassination attempt , spurred the War on Drugs , and fought public sector labor . Over his two terms , the economy saw a reduction of inflation from 12.5 % to 4.4 % , and an average annual growth of real GDP of 3.4 ; while Reagan did enact cuts in domestic discretionary spending , tax cuts and increased military spending contributed to increased federal outlays overall , even after adjustment for inflation . During his re-election bid , Reagan campaigned on the notion that it was `` Morning in America '' , winning a landslide in 1984 with the largest electoral college victory in American history . Foreign affairs dominated his second term , including ending of the Cold War , the bombing of Libya , and the Iran -- Contra affair . Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an `` evil empire '' , and during his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate , President Reagan challenged Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to `` tear down this wall ! '' . He transitioned Cold War policy from détente to rollback , by escalating an arms race with the USSR while engaging in talks with Gorbachev , which culminated in the INF Treaty , shrinking both countries ' nuclear arsenals . Reagan 's presidency came during the decline of the Soviet Union and just ten months after the end of his term , the Berlin Wall fell , and on December 26 , 1991 , nearly three years after he left office , the Soviet Union collapsed .   Leaving office in 1989 , Reagan held an approval rating of sixty-eight percent , matching those of Franklin D. Roosevelt , and later Bill Clinton , as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era . He was the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve two full terms , after a succession of five prior presidents failed to do so . While having planned an active post-presidency , in 1994 Reagan disclosed his diagnosis with Alzheimer 's disease earlier that year , appearing publicly for the last time at the funeral of Richard Nixon ; he died ten years later in 2004 at the age of 93 ; Reagan had the second-longest life out of all the presidents ; the current longest lifespan of a president is held by Gerald Ford , who died two years after Reagan . An icon among Republicans , he is viewed favorably in historian rankings of U.S. presidents , and his tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the U.S.


Despicable Me's animation studio was acquired by an American film production company.

Illumination Entertainment Illumination Entertainment is an American animation film production company , founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 . It is owned by Meledandri and Universal Studios , a division of NBCUniversal , with Universal fully financing and owning all the films . The company is best known for being the creators of the Despicable Me franchise , its spin-off/prequel Minions and the films The Secret Life of Pets and Sing . The Minions , characters from the Despicable Me films , are the studio 's official mascots . Its films are co-produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures .   The studio 's highest-grossing films are Minions ( 2015 ) , which has grossed $ 1.159 billion worldwide ; Despicable Me 2 ( 2013 ) , which has grossed $ 970.8 million worldwide ; and The Secret Life of Pets ( 2016 ) , which grossed $ 875.5 million worldwide .


Despicable Me Despicable Me is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9 , 2010 in the United States . It is the debut film of Illumination Entertainment . The film was animated by the French animation studio Mac Guff , which was later acquired by Illumination Entertainment . It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud as their feature debut film , with a story by Sergio Pablos . The film stars the voice of Steve Carell as Gru , a supervillain who adopts three girls ( voiced by Miranda Cosgrove , Dana Gaier , and Elsie Fisher ) from an orphanage ; and the voice of Jason Segel as Vector , a rival of Gru who steals the Great Pyramid of Giza . When Gru learns of Vector 's heist , he plans an even greater heist : to shrink and steal the Earth 's moon .   The film earned positive reviews from critics , and grossed over $ 543 million worldwide , against a budget of $ 69 million . It launched the Despicable Me franchise with a series of films , including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013 , and the prequel Minions released in 2015 featuring Gru 's Minions as the main characters . Another sequel , Despicable Me 3 , is scheduled for release in 2017 .


The first single by The Who reached the sales record for day one sales.

The Who The Who are an English rock band that formed in 1964 . Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey , guitarist and singer Pete Townshend , bass guitarist John Entwistle , and drummer Keith Moon . They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century , selling over 100 million records worldwide and holding a reputation for their live shows and studio work .   The Who developed from an earlier group , the Detours , and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod movements , featuring auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage . Their first single as the Who , `` I Ca n't Explain '' , reached the UK top ten , followed by a string of singles including `` My Generation '' , `` Substitute '' and `` Happy Jack '' . In 1967 , they performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and released the US top ten single `` I Can See for Miles '' , while touring extensively . The group 's fourth album , 1969 's rock opera Tommy , included the single `` Pinball Wizard '' and was a critical and commercial success . Live appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight Festival , along with the live album Live at Leeds , cemented their reputation as a respected rock act . With their success came increased pressure on lead songwriter and visionary Townshend , and the follow-up to Tommy , Lifehouse , was abandoned . Songs from the project made up 1971 's Who 's Next , which included the hit `` Wo n't Get Fooled Again '' . The group released the album Quadrophenia in 1973 as a celebration of their mod roots , and oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy in 1975 . They continued to tour to large audiences before semi-retiring from live performances at the end of 1976 . The release of Who Are You in 1978 was overshadowed by the death of Moon shortly after .   Kenney Jones replaced Moon and the group resumed activity , releasing a film adaptation of Quadrophenia and the retrospective documentary The Kids Are Alright . After Townshend became weary of touring , the group split in 1982 . The Who occasionally re-formed for live appearances such as Live Aid in 1985 , a 25th anniversary tour in 1989 and a tour of Quadrophenia in 1996 -- 1997 . They resumed regular touring in 1999 , with drummer Zak Starkey . After Entwistle 's death in 2002 , plans for a new album were delayed . Townshend and Daltrey continued as the Who , releasing Endless Wire in 2006 , and continued to play live regularly .   The Who 's major contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack , large PA systems , use of the synthesizer , Entwistle and Moon 's lead playing styles , Townshend 's feedback and power chord guitar technique , and the development of the rock opera . They are cited as an influence by hard rock , punk rock and mod bands , and their songs still receive regular exposure .


Hacksaw Ridge Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war drama film about the World War II experiences of Desmond Doss , an American pacifist combat medic who was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian , refusing to carry or use a firearm or weapons of any kind . Doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor , for service above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Okinawa .   The film was directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan , based on a 2004 documentary about Doss , and stars Andrew Garfield as Doss , with Sam Worthington , Luke Bracey , Teresa Palmer , Hugo Weaving , Rachel Griffiths and Vince Vaughn in supporting roles . It was released in the United States on November 4 , 2016 , received positive reviews and grossed $ 175.3 million worldwide .   Hacksaw Ridge was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of its top ten Movies of the Year , and has received numerous awards and nominations . The film received six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actor for Garfield and Best Sound Editing , winning the awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing . It also received Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture , Best Director and Best Actor , and 12 AACTA Awards nominations , winning the majority , including Best Film , Best Direction , Best Original Screenplay , Best Actor for Garfield , and Best Supporting Actor for Weaving .


The Man in the High Castle won something.

The Man in the High Castle The Man in the High Castle ( 1962 ) is an alternative history novel by American writer Philip K. Dick . Set in 1962 , fifteen years after an alternative ending to World War II , the novel concerns intrigues between the victorious Axis Powers -- primarily , Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany -- as they rule over the former United States , as well as daily life under the resulting totalitarian rule . The Man in the High Castle won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963 and the Tähtivaeltaja Award in 1993 . The book would later receive a two season 2015 TV adaptation also under the name , The Man in the High Castle .   Reported inspirations include Ward Moore 's alternative Civil War history , Bring the Jubilee ( 1953 ) , various classic World War II histories , and the I Ching ( referred to in the novel ) . The novel features a `` novel within the novel '' comprising an alternate history within this alternate history wherein the Allies defeat the Axis ( though in a manner distinct from the actual historical outcome ) .


Donnie Wahlberg started acting before 2010.

Donnie Wahlberg Donald Edmond `` Donnie '' Wahlberg Jr. . ( born August 17 , 1969 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actor , record producer , and film producer . He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block . Outside of music , he has had roles in the Saw films , The Sixth Sense , Dreamcatcher , and Righteous Kill , also appearing in the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers as First Lieutenant Carwood Lipton . From 2002 to 2003 , he starred in the crime drama Boomtown . He has been starring in the drama series Blue Bloods as Danny Reagan with Tom Selleck ( his TV father ) and Bridget Moynahan ( his TV sister ) since 2010 , and since 2014 is an executive producer of the TNT reality television show Boston 's Finest . He was nominated for Choice Scream at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards for his work in the Saw films . He has also produced and starred in `` Rock this Boat '' , `` Donnie Loves Jenny '' and `` Return of the Mac '' on Pop TV .


The Sixth Sense The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural horror-thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan . The film tells the story of Cole Sear ( Haley Joel Osment ) , a troubled , isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead , and an equally troubled child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe ( Bruce Willis ) who tries to help him . The film established Shyamalan as a writer and director , and introduced the cinema public to his traits , most notably his affinity for surprise endings .   Released by Hollywood Pictures on August 6 , 1999 , the film was received well ; critics highlighted the performances ( especially by Osment , Collette and Willis ) , its atmosphere , and twist conclusion . The film was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999 ( behind Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace ) , grossing about $ 293 million domestically and $ 672 million worldwide . The film was nominated for six Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Director for Shyamalan , Best Original Screenplay , Best Supporting Actor for Osment , and Best Supporting Actress for Toni Collette .


Kanye West Kanye Omari West ( -LSB- ˈkɑːnjeɪ -RSB- born June 8 , 1977 ) is an American rapper , songwriter , record producer , fashion designer , and entrepreneur . Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago , West briefly attended art school before becoming known as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s , producing hit singles for artists such as Jay Z and Alicia Keys . Intent on pursuing a solo career as a rapper , West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to widespread critical and commercial success , and founded the record label GOOD Music . He went on to pursue a variety of different styles on subsequent albums Late Registration ( 2005 ) , Graduation ( 2007 ) , and 808s & Heartbreak ( 2008 ) . In 2010 , he released his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to rave reviews from critics , and the following year he collaborated with Jay Z on the joint LP Watch the Throne ( 2011 ) . West released his abrasive sixth album , Yeezus , to further critical praise in 2013 . His seventh album , The Life of Pablo , was released in 2016 .   West 's outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant mainstream attention . He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows , on social media , and in other public settings . His more scrutinized comments include his off-script denunciation of President George W. Bush during a live 2005 television broadcast for Hurricane Katrina relief and his interruption of singer Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards . West 's efforts as a fashion designer include collaborations with Nike , Louis Vuitton , and A.P.C. on both clothing and footwear , and have most prominently resulted in the YEEZY collaboration with Adidas beginning in 2013 . He is the founder and head of the creative content company DONDA . His 2014 marriage to television personality Kim Kardashian has also been subject to widespread media coverage .   West is among the most acclaimed musicians of the 21st century , and is one of the best-selling artists of all time , having sold more than 32 million albums and 100 million digital downloads worldwide . He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards , making him one of the most awarded artists of all time and the most Grammy-awarded artist to have debuted in the 21st century . Three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stone 's 2012 update of the `` 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' list . He has also been included in a number of Forbes annual lists . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015 .


H. H. Holmes was one of the first documented serial killers in the modern era.

H. H. Holmes Herman Webster Mudgett ( May 16 , 1861 -- May 7 , 1896 ) , better known under the name of Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or more commonly H. H. Holmes , was one of the first documented serial killers in the modern sense of the term .   While he confessed to 27 murders , only nine could be plausibly confirmed and several of the murders he confessed to were people who were still alive . He is commonly said to have killed as many as 200 , though this figure is traceable only to 1940s pulp magazines . Many victims were said to have been killed in a mixed-use building he owned , located about 3 mi west of the 1893 Chicago World 's Fair and said to have been a World 's Fair Hotel , though evidence suggests that the hotel portion was never truly open for business .   Besides being a serial killer , Holmes was also a successful con artist and a bigamist , the subject of more than 50 lawsuits in Chicago alone . Many now-common stories of his crimes sprang from fictional accounts that later authors took for fact ; however , in a 2017 biography , Adam Selzer wrote that Holmes ' story is `` effectively a new American tall tale - and , like all the best tall tales , it sprang from a kernel of truth '' .


Bruce Lee Lee Jun-fan ( ; November 27 , 1940 -- July 20 , 1973 ) , known professionally as Bruce Lee , was a Hong Kong and American martial artist , actor , philosopher , filmmaker , and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do . Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-chuen . He is widely considered by commentators , critics , media , and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time , and a pop culture icon of the 20th century . He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films .   Lee was born in Chinatown , San Francisco , on November 27 , 1940 , to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon , Hong Kong , with his family until his late teens . He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor . Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education , at the University of Washington , at Seattle and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts . His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim , sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s . The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in the US , Hong Kong and the rest of the world .   He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films : Lo Wei 's The Big Boss ( 1971 ) and Fist of Fury ( 1972 ) ; Golden Harvest 's Way of the Dragon ( 1972 ) , directed and written by Lee ; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers ' Enter the Dragon ( 1973 ) and The Game of Death ( 1978 ) , both directed by Robert Clouse . Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world , particularly among the Chinese , as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films . He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later combined his other influences from various sources , in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy , which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do ( The Way of the Intercepting Fist ) .  Lee held dual nationality of Hong Kong and the US . He died in Kowloon Tong on July 20 , 1973 at the age of 32 .


Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent ( singles ) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles ) . Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent 's court . The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return . The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point , while the opposite player will .   Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages . The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket , including wheelchair users . The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham , England , in the late 19th century as `` lawn tennis '' . It had close connections both to various field ( `` lawn '' ) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport of real tennis . During most of the 19th century , in fact , the term `` tennis '' referred to real tennis , not lawn tennis : for example , in Disraeli 's novel Sybil ( 1845 ) , Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will `` go down to Hampton Court and play tennis . ''   The rules of tennis have changed little since the 1890s . Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times , and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s . A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system , which allows a player to contest the line call of a point , a system known as Hawk-Eye .   Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport . The four Grand Slam tournaments ( also referred to as the `` Majors '' ) are especially popular : the Australian Open played on hard courts , the French Open played on red clay courts , Wimbledon played on grass courts , and the US Open played also on hard courts .


Rod Laver Rodney George `` Rod '' Laver ( born 9 August 1938 ) is an Australian former tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest in tennis history . He was the No. 1 ranked professional from 1964 to 1970 , spanning four years before and three years after the start of the Open Era . He also was the No. 1 amateur in 1961 -- 62 according to Lance Tingay .   Laver 's 200 singles titles are the most in tennis history , and he holds the all-time male singles records of 22 titles in a single season ( 1962 ) and seven consecutive years ( 1964 -- 70 ) winning at least 10 titles per season . He excelled on all of the court surfaces of his time : grass , clay , hard , carpet , and wood/parquet .   Despite being banned from playing the Grand Slam tournaments for the five years prior to the Open Era , he still won 11 singles titles . He is the only player to twice achieve the calendar-year Grand Slam , in 1962 ( pre-open era ) and 1969 ( open era ) , and remains the only man to do so during the Open Era . He also won eight Pro Slam titles , including the calendar year Pro `` Grand Slam '' in 1967 , and contributed to five Davis Cup titles for Australia during an age when Davis Cup was deemed as significant as the Grand Slams .


South America South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere , mostly in the southern hemisphere , with a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere . It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas , which is the model used in nations that speak Romance languages . The reference to South America instead of other regions ( like Latin America or the Southern Cone ) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics ( in particular , the rise of Brazil ) .   It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean ; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest . It includes twelve sovereign states ( Argentina , Bolivia , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador , Guyana , Paraguay , Peru , Suriname , Uruguay , and Venezuela ) , a part of France ( French Guiana ) , and a non-sovereign area ( the Falkland Islands , a British Overseas Territory though this is disputed by Argentina ) . In addition to this , the ABC islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , Trinidad and Tobago , and Panama may also be considered part of South America .   South America has an area of 17,840,000 square kilometers ( 6,890,000 sq mi ) . Its population has been estimated at more than 371,090,000 . South America ranks fourth in area ( after Asia , Africa , and North America ) and fifth in population ( after Asia , Africa , Europe , and North America ) . Brazil is by far the most populous South American country , with more than half of the continent 's population , followed by Colombia , Argentina , Venezuela and Peru . In recent decades Brazil has also concentrated half of the region 's GDP and has become a first regional power .   Most of the population lives near the continent 's western or eastern coasts while the interior and the far south are sparsely populated . The geography of western South America is dominated by the Andes mountains ; in contrast , the eastern part contains both highland regions and large lowlands where rivers such as the Amazon , Orinoco , and Paraná flow . Most of the continent lies in the tropics .   The continent 's cultural and ethnic outlook has its origin with the interaction of indigenous peoples with European conquerors and immigrants and , more locally , with African slaves . Given a long history of colonialism , the overwhelming majority of South Americans speak Portuguese or Spanish , and societies and states commonly reflect Western traditions .


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


Joey Graceffa Joseph Michael `` Joey '' Graceffa ( -LSB- grəˈsɛfə -RSB- born May 16 , 1991 ) is an American YouTube personality , actor , author , producer , and singer . He has two active YouTube channels , both of which are named after him . One of them is for vlogging and the other is used for video gaming content . They both have a combined total of more than 1.6 billion views . His other YouTube channel , which he no longer uses , called WinterSpringPro , has 60 million views ( as of May 2017 ) . He was a contestant on 22nd and 24th seasons of The Amazing Race and has appeared in short films ( as web films ) and short web television series on YouTube and its subscription-only service YouTube Red .


The brand name of a former Japanese firm was used by Hisense.

Hisense Hisense Co. , Ltd. . is a Chinese multinational white goods and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Qingdao , Shandong province , China . It is a state-owned enterprise with publicly traded subsidiaries .   Hisense has two publicly traded companies , Hisense Electric Co Ltd , which is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hisense Kelon Electrical Holdings Co Ltd , which is listed on the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges and a number of other subsidiaries .   Hisense has 13 manufacturing facilities in China ( located in the provinces/cities of : Guangdong , Guizhou , Huzhou , Jiangsu , Liaoning , Linyi , Shandong , Sichuan , Yangzhou , Yingkou , Xinjiang , Zibo and the municipality of Beijing ) and several outside of China , namely in Hungary , South Africa , Egypt , Algeria , France and Mexico .   Hisense retails products under several brand names . These include Combine , Kelon and Ronshen , etc. . Hisense is also an OEM , so some of the products it makes are sold to other manufacturers and carry a brand name not related to Hisense . In 2015 it acquired the right to sell televisions in the Americas using the brand name of former Japanese firm Sharp . It also makes televisions under its own name as of 2013 .


The Hobbit (film series) The Hobbit is a film series consisting of three high fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson . They are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien , with large portions of the trilogy inspired by the appendices to The Return of the King , which expand on the story told in The Hobbit , as well as new material and characters written especially for the films . Together they act as a prequel to Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey ( 2012 ) , The Desolation of Smaug ( 2013 ) , and The Battle of the Five Armies ( 2014 ) .   The screenplay was written by Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Jackson , and Guillermo del Toro , who was originally chosen to direct before his departure from the project . The films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth sixty years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings , and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ) , who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey ( Ian McKellen ) to accompany thirteen dwarves , led by Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage ) , on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug ( voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch ) . The films also expand upon certain elements from the novel and other source material , such as Gandalf 's investigation at Dol Guldur , and the pursuit of Azog and Bolg , who seek vengeance against Thorin and his ancestors .   The films feature an ensemble cast that also includes James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace and Luke Evans , with several actors reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings , including Cate Blanchett , Orlando Bloom , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis . The films also feature Manu Bennett , Sylvester McCoy , Stephen Fry , Mikael Persbrandt , Barry Humphries , and Lawrence Makoare . Also returning for production , among others , were illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee , art director Dan Hennah , cinematographer Andrew Lesnie , and composer Howard Shore , while props were again crafted by Weta Workshop , with visual effects managed by Weta Digital .   The first film in the series premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington , New Zealand on 28 November 2012 . One hundred thousand people lined the red carpet on Courtenay Place , and the entire event was broadcast live on television in New Zealand and streamed over the Internet . The second film of the series premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles , California on 2 December 2013 . The third and final film premiered at Leicester Square in London on 1 December 2014 .   The series was a major financial success , with the films classified as one of the highest-grossing film series of all time , going on to outgross The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . Although critically considered to be inferior to The Lord of the Rings , it was nominated for various awards and won several , though not as many as its predecessor .


Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman ( born 8 September 1971 ) is an English actor , who became known for portraying Tim Canterbury in the original UK version of sitcom mockumentary The Office , Dr. John Watson in the British crime drama Sherlock , Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson 's The Hobbit film trilogy , and Lester Nygaard in the dark comedy-crime drama TV series Fargo .   His other notable film roles include the romantic comedy Love Actually ( 2003 ) , the comic science fiction film The Hitchhiker 's Guide to the Galaxy ( 2005 ) , the semi-improvised comedy Nativity ! ( 2009 ) , and the comedic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy , most prominently in the sci-fi comedy The World 's End ( 2013 ) . Among other accolades , he has won an Emmy Award , BAFTA Award and an Empire Award , with nominations including two other Emmy Awards , two other BAFTA Awards , a Saturn Award , and a Golden Globe Award .


Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) `` Beautiful '' is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) . It was released as the album 's second single on November 16 , 2002 . A pop and R&B ballad , `` Beautiful '' was written and produced by Linda Perry . Lyrically , it discusses inner beauty , as well as self-esteem and insecurity issues . Aguilera commented that she put `` her heart and her soul '' into the track , which she felt represented the theme of Stripped . The song was later re-recorded in an electronic style for her first greatest hits album Keeps Gettin ' Better : A Decade of Hits ( 2008 ) .   Upon its release , `` Beautiful '' received universal acclaim from music critics , who have ranked it among Aguilera 's strongest material . It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2004 ceremony . `` Beautiful '' was also a commercial success , topping the charts in Australia , Belgium , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand and the United Kingdom . The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States , where it was certified Gold for 500,000 units shipped . It was kept from the number one spot by `` Bump , Bump , Bump '' by B2K featuring P. Diddy .   `` Beautiful '' has been widely embraced as an anthem by the LGBT community for its message of self-empowerment and inner beauty . An accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund , and earned Aguilera a GLAAD Media Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people . In 2011 , UK LGBT rights organization Stonewall named `` Beautiful '' the most empowering song of the previous decade for gay , lesbian , and bisexual people . In 2009 , Rolling Stone and VH1 listed it as one of the best songs of the 2000s ( decade ) . The song is widely recognized as one of Aguilera 's signature songs and has been covered on numerous occasions and featured on several television shows .


Lumen Pierce is portrayed by Julia Stiles.

Lumen Pierce Lumen Ann Pierce is a fictional character portrayed by Julia Stiles in the Showtime television series Dexter , season 5 . Lumen is introduced in the third episode ( `` Practically Perfect '' ) as a survivor of rapist-serial killer Boyd Fowler . She remains for the rest of the season , and leaves following the season 5 finale , `` The Big One '' .   In season 5 , episode 5 , `` First Blood '' , Lumen is revealed to have been beaten and gang raped by a group of men , including Boyd Fowler . She witnesses Dexter Morgan kill Fowler , and thus becomes a key player in Dexter 's life . Dexter rescues her , but initially thinks he has no choice but to kill her in order to eliminate a witness . He eventually decides to spare her life , however . To earn Lumen 's trust , Dexter shows her the fate of Boyd 's dead victims , tells her he saved her from the same fate , and confides his wife was murdered by someone like Boyd .   Lumen asks Dexter to help her seek revenge against her abusers , but he initially refuses . However , after Lumen continues on her own and targets the wrong suspect , Dexter teaches her the importance of knowing a person is guilty before killing him . He entreats her to leave Miami ; she agrees at first , but decides to stay after a pat-down at the airport brings back memories of her abuse . She goes out on her own and shoots one of her attackers , but panics not knowing what to do with his body ; she calls Dexter , who reluctantly helps her cover up the murder . That night , she tells him that killing the man brought her a sense of peace that she knows will not last ; she believes she will have to kill all of her attackers to get over her abuse for good . Dexter realizes that she harbors a `` Dark Passenger '' much like his and agrees to help , in part to find his own closure following Rita 's murder . The two then systematically hunt down and kill Lumen 's abusers , and in the process become lovers . Lumen leaves Dexter in the season finale , however , after realizing she no longer feels the need to kill .   Lumen exited the show following the events of `` The Big One '' .


Lymelife Lymelife is a 2008 independent comedy-drama film written by brothers Derick Martini and Steven Martini , and directed by Derick Martini , depicting aspects of their life in 1970s Long Island from the perspective of a teenager . The film stars Alec Baldwin , Rory Culkin , and Emma Roberts . Martin Scorsese served as an executive producer .   The film debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival , in September 2008 and won the International Federation of Film Critics Award ( FIPRESCI ) . After its theatrical release in 2009 , writer director Derick Martini was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director .


Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent `` Tobey '' Maguire ( born June 27 , 1975 ) is an American actor and producer . He began his career in the late 1980s . His first appearance in a feature film was a non-speaking part in The Wizard ( 1989 ) . He is known for playing the title character in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man film trilogy ( 2002 , 2004 , and 2007 ) , as well as for his roles in Pleasantville ( 1998 ) , The Cider House Rules ( 1999 ) , Wonder Boys ( 2000 ) , Seabiscuit ( 2003 ) , The Good German ( 2006 ) , Brothers ( 2009 ) , and The Great Gatsby ( 2013 ) .   He was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards , and received two Saturn Awards , including one for Best Actor . In 2012 he established his own production company , Material Pictures , and co-produced Good People that same year . In 2014 he produced and starred as Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice .


Patrick Bateman Patrick Bateman is a fictional character , the villain protagonist and narrator of the novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis , and its film adaptation . He is a wealthy , materialistic Wall Street investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer . Bateman has also briefly appeared in other Ellis novels .


Jason White (musician) Jason White ( born November 11 , 1973 ) is an American musician , best known as the current touring guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day . He has played as a touring member of Green Day since 1999 . However in 2012 , he was promoted to being an official member of the band before demoting himself back to his touring guitarist role in 2016 . He is also the guitarist/vocalist for the Californian punk band Pinhead Gunpowder , lead guitarist/lead vocalist for California , and co-founder of Adeline Records alongside Billie Joe Armstrong .   In late 2014 , he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer , which has since been treated .


Revolution Radio Revolution Radio is the twelfth studio album by American punk rock band Green Day , released on October 7 , 2016 , through Reprise Records . The album 's lead single , `` Bang Bang '' , premiered on August 11 , 2016 . Prior to the album 's release , its title track , `` Revolution Radio '' , and `` Still Breathing '' were also released , on September 9 and September 23 , respectively . At the album 's release date , the official lyric video for `` Youngblood '' was uploaded on their website . On October 12 , a lyric video for the song `` Ordinary World '' was released . On October 19 , another lyric video was released : the song `` Say Goodbye '' . On November 7 , a music video was released for `` Still Breathing '' . It was released as the second official single from the album . On January 16 , a lyric video was released for `` Troubled Times '' . `` Revolution Radio '' was released as the third single on May 16 , 2017 .   It is Green Day 's first album since 21st Century Breakdown ( 2009 ) to be recorded as a trio after Jason White returned to being a touring member in 2016 .   The album received generally positive reviews from music critics , appearing on multiple year-end lists , and earned 95,000 first-week album-equivalent units in the US to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 . Revolution Radio also debuted at number one in the UK , Ireland , Italy , Canada and New Zealand .


American Idiot American Idiot is the seventh studio album by American rock band Green Day . Produced by Rob Cavallo , the album was released in the UK on September 20 , 2004 and in the US on September 21 , 2004 by Reprise Records . Green Day first achieved popularity in the 1990s with a string of successful albums . Following disappointing sales of their sixth album , Warning ( 2000 ) , the band took a break before recording their next album , titled Cigarettes and Valentines . The recording process was cut short when the album 's master tapes were stolen . Rather than re-record that material , the group decided to start over .   A concept album and the world 's first `` punk rock opera , '' American Idiot follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia , an adolescent anti-hero who is divided between `` rage and love . '' Through its plot , the album expresses the disillusionment and dissent of a generation that came of age in a period shaped by many tumultuous events like the Iraq War . The album was inspired by several musicals and the work of The Who . Recording of American Idiot was split between two California studios between 2003 and 2004 . Its album art depicts a heart-shaped hand grenade .   American Idiot marked a career comeback for Green Day following a period of decreased success . It charted in 27 countries , peaking at number one in 19 , and eventually sold 16 million copies worldwide . The album spawned five successful singles : `` American Idiot '' , `` Boulevard of Broken Dreams '' , `` Holiday '' , `` Wake Me Up When September Ends '' and `` Jesus of Suburbia '' . American Idiot was well received critically and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2005 . Its success inspired a Broadway musical and an incomplete feature film adaptation . It has been praised in the years following its release , appearing on several year-end and decade-end lists .


21st Century Breakdown 21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band Green Day . It is the band 's second rock opera , following American Idiot ( 2004 ) , and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig . Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong by October 2007 , but the band members did not enter studio work until January 2008 .   The album was released May 15 , 2009 through Reprise Records . Armstrong has described the album as a `` snapshot of the era in which we live as we question and try to make sense of the selfish manipulation going on around us , whether it be the government , religion , media or frankly any form of authority '' . The singles `` Know Your Enemy '' and `` 21 Guns '' exemplify the themes of alienation and politically motivated anger present in the record .   Critical response to 21st Century Breakdown was generally positive . The record achieved Green Day 's best chart performance to date , reaching number one on the album charts of various countries , including the United States Billboard 200 , the European Top 100 Albums , and the United Kingdom Albums Chart . It was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards held on January 31 , 2010 . As of December 2010 , 21st Century Breakdown has sold 1,005,000 copies in the United States and more than 4 million worldwide .


Green Day Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt . For much of the group 's career , the band has been a trio with drummer Tré Cool , who replaced former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990 prior to the recording of the band 's second studio album , Kerplunk ( 1991 ) . Guitarist Jason White , who has worked with the band as a touring member since 1999 , was an official member from 2012 to 2016 .   Green Day was originally part of the punk scene at the DIY 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley , California . The band 's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout ! Records . In 1994 , its major label debut Dookie ( released through Reprise Records ) became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Green Day was widely credited , alongside fellow California punk bands Sublime , Bad Religion , The Offspring , and Rancid , with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States .   Green Day 's three follow-up albums , Insomniac ( 1995 ) , Nimrod ( 1997 ) , and Warning ( 2000 ) did not achieve the massive success of Dookie , though they were still successful , with Insomniac and Nimrod reaching double platinum and Warning achieving platinum status . The band 's rock opera , American Idiot ( 2004 ) , reignited the band 's popularity with a younger generation , selling six million copies in the U.S. . The band 's eighth studio album , 21st Century Breakdown , was released in 2009 and achieved the band 's best chart performance to date . 21st Century Breakdown was followed up by a trilogy of albums called ¡ Uno ! , ¡ Dos ! , and ¡ Tré ! , which were released in September , November and December 2012 respectively . The band 's twelfth studio album , Revolution Radio was released on October 7 , 2016 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , their third album to do so .   Green Day has sold more than 85 million records worldwide . The group has won five Grammy Awards : Best Alternative Album for Dookie , Best Rock Album for American Idiot , Record of the Year for `` Boulevard of Broken Dreams '' , Best Rock Album for the second time for 21st Century Breakdown and Best Musical Show Album for American Idiot : The Original Broadway Cast Recording . In 2010 , a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway . The musical was nominated for three Tony Awards : Best Musical , Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design , losing only the first . Also in 2010 , Green Day was ranked no. 91 in the VH1 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . On April 18 , 2015 , the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the 2015 class in their first year of eligibility .


John Kiffmeyer John Kiffmeyer ( born July 11 , 1969 ) , known professionally in music as Al Sobrante , is an American musician , best known as the former drummer for the punk rock band Green Day . His name of Al Sobrante is a reference to his hometown , El Sobrante . His work with Green Day resulted in about 961,000 albums sold , which are mostly from the compilation album 1,039 / Smoothed Out Slappy Hours .


Dookie Dookie is the third studio album by American punk rock band Green Day , released on February 1 , 1994 , through Reprise Records . It was the band 's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo and its major record label debut . Dookie became a worldwide commercial success , peaking at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and charting in seven countries . The album helped propel Green Day , and even punk rock music into mainstream popularity . Dookie was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America for the shipment of 10 million copies .   Dookie produced five hit singles for the band : `` Longview '' , `` When I Come Around '' , `` Basket Case '' , a re-recorded version of `` Welcome to Paradise '' and the radio-only single `` She '' . The album has garnered considerable acclaim , from its release to present day , winning a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1995 and being ranked No. 193 on Rolling Stone '' 's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . As of 2014 , Dookie '' is the band 's best-selling album with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide .


Jim Parsons has received four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series.

Jim Parsons James Joseph Parsons ( born March 24 , 1973 ) is an American actor . He is known for playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory . He has received several awards for his performance , including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy .   In 2011 , Parsons made his Broadway debut portraying Tommy Boatwright in the play The Normal Heart , for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination . He reprised the role in the film adaptation of the play , and received his seventh Emmy nomination , this time in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie .


Hotell Hotell is a 2013 Swedish drama film written and directed by Lisa Langseth . It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival .   The film received four nominations at the 49th Guldbagge Awards : Best Script , Lisa Langseth , Best Supporting Actress , Anna Bjelkerud and Mira Eklund and Best Supporting Actor , David Dencik . Bjelkerud received a Guldbagge Award for Best Supporting Actress .


Avatar: The Last Airbender has more than 60 episodes.

List of Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes Avatar : The Last Airbender is a 61-episode , Emmy Award-winning American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko . It first aired on February 21 , 2005 , on Nickelodeon with a one-hour series premiere and concluded its run with a two-hour TV movie on July 19 , 2008 . The Avatar : The Last Airbender franchise refers to each season as a `` Book '' , in which each episode is referred to as a `` chapter '' . Each `` Book '' takes its name from one of the elements that Aang , the protagonist , must master : Water , Earth , and Fire . The show 's first two seasons each consisted of 20 episodes , while the third season had 21 . In addition to the three seasons , there were two recap episodes and three `` shorts '' . The first recap summarized the first eighteen episodes while the second summarized season two . The first self-parody was released via an online flash game . The second and third were released with the Complete Second Season Box Set DVD . The entire series has been released on DVD in Region One , Region Two and Region Four .   In the Avatar : The Last Airbender universe , there are people who are able to manipulate , or `` bend '' , the four elements : Air , Water , Earth , and Fire . Along with the four elements , there are four nations that correspond with each element . Not everyone can bend an element , and those that can can only bend one . However , the Avatar is a being able to manipulate all four elements as well as communicate with the spirits . The Avatar is also born into one nation , and after dying , is reincarnated into another nation following the pattern of Air , Water , Earth , and Fire . The series takes place 100 years after the Fire Nation declares war against all other nations and has killed off all airbenders in search of finding the Avatar , who has been reincarnated as an airbender named Aang . The Avatar , trapped in ice for 100 years , knows nothing of the war . The series starts with Aang being accidentally freed by Katara , a waterbender . The series then primarily follows the adventures of Aang and his companions , Sokka , Katara , and later Toph and Zuko , as he tries to master all four elements and defeat the Fire Nation . There is also a strong secondary focus on Zuko , the banished and disinherited crown prince of the Fire Nation . Zuko was scarred in a duel with his own father , the current Fire Lord , and is obsessed with trying to capture Aang to regain his father 's favor and in doing so restoring his honor .


Avatar: The Last Airbender Avatar : The Last Airbender ( Avatar : The Legend of Aang in some regions ) is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons ( referred to as `` books '' in each episode 's title card ) on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008 . Avatar : The Last Airbender is set in an Asiatic-like world in which some people are able to manipulate the classical elements by use of psychokinetic variants of Chinese martial arts , known as `` bending '' . The show combines the styles of anime and American cartoons , and relies on the imagery of various East Asian , Inuit , Southeast Asian , South Asian , and New World societies . Therefore , whether or not the series can be considered as an anime work is often discussed .   The series follows the adventures of protagonist twelve-year-old Aang and his friends , who must bring peace and unity to the world by ending the Fire Lord 's war against the other three nations .  The pilot episode first aired on February 21 , 2005 , and the series concluded with a widely praised two-hour episode on July 19 , 2008 .  The show is obtainable from various sources , including DVD , the iTunes Store , the Zune Marketplace , the Xbox Live Marketplace , the PlayStation Store , Netflix , Amazon Video , and the Nicktoons Network .   Throughout its run , Avatar : The Last Airbender was universally acclaimed by audiences and critics alike . Praises went to the art direction , humor , cultural references , characters , and themes . It was also commercially successful , garnering 5.6 million viewers on its best-rated showing and receiving high ratings in the Nicktoons lineup , even outside of its 6 - to 11-year-old demographic . The series has been nominated for and won awards from the Annie Awards , the Genesis Awards , a Primetime Emmy Award and a Peabody Award , among others . The first season 's success prompted Nickelodeon to order second and third seasons .   In other media , the series has spawned a critically panned , but financially successful , live-action film , titled The Last Airbender , directed by M. Night Shyamalan ; scaled action figures ; a trading card game ; three video games ; stuffed animals distributed by Paramount Parks and two Lego sets . An art book was also released in mid-2010 . A sequel series , The Legend of Korra , aired from 2012 to 2014 .


Louis Tomlinson Louis William Tomlinson ( born Louis Troy Austin ; 24 December 1991 ) is an English singer-songwriter and actor . He is known as a member of the pop boy band One Direction .   Tomlinson began his career as an actor , initially appearing in ITV drama Fat Friends as an extra . He also went on to appear in another ITV drama film If I Had You and the BBC drama Waterloo Road . In 2010 , he became a founding member of One Direction after auditioning as a solo artist on The X Factor . Following the band 's hiatus , Tomlinson released the single `` Just Hold On '' with Steve Aoki in December 2016 .   In 2013 , he was signed as a footballer by Doncaster Rovers of the Football League Championship on a non-contract basis . The same year he also formed his own record label , Triple Strings Ltd. . He appeared on Debrett 's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK .


Mark Hamill is an American actor and voice actor.

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill ( born September 25 , 1951 ) is an American actor , voice actor , producer and writer . He is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film series . His other works include Corvette Summer ( 1978 ) and The Big Red One ( 1980 ) , among other television shows and movies . Hamill has also appeared on stage in several theater productions , primarily during the 1980s .   Hamill is a prolific voice actor who has voiced characters in many animated television shows , movies , and video games since the 1970s . He is known for his long-standing role as DC Comics ' the Joker , commencing with Batman : The Animated Series in 1992 .