Marlon Brandon received an Academy Award nomination.

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


All My Children is set in a fictional suburb of Boston.

All My Children All My Children ( often shortened to AMC ) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC for 41 years , from January 5 , 1970 , to September 23 , 2011 , and on The Online Network ( TOLN ) from April 29 to September 2 , 2013 , via Hulu , Hulu Plus , and iTunes . Created by Agnes Nixon , All My Children is set in Pine Valley , Pennsylvania , a fictional suburb of Philadelphia , which is modeled on the actual Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont . The original series featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane , one of daytime 's most popular characters . The title of the series refers to the bonds of humanity . All My Children was the first new network daytime drama to debut in the 1970s . Originally owned by Creative Horizons , Inc. , the company created by Nixon and her husband , Bob , the show was sold to ABC in January 1975 . The series started at a half-hour in per-installment length , then was expanded to a full hour on April 25 , 1977 . Earlier , the show had experimented with the full-hour format for one week starting on June 30 , 1975 , after which Ryan 's Hope premiered .   From 1970 to 1990 , All My Children was recorded at ABC 's TV18 at 101 West 67th St , now a 50-story apartment tower . From March 1990 to December 2009 , it was taped at ABC 's Studio TV23 at 320 West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City , New York . In December 2009 , the locale for taping the series moved from Manhattan to less costly Los Angeles , California . The show was then produced in Stages 1 and 2 at the Andrita Studios in Los Angeles , California , from 2010 to 2011 , and then at the Connecticut Film Center in Stamford , Connecticut . All My Children started taping in high definition on January 4 , 2010 , and began airing in high definition on February 3 , 2010 . All My Children became the third soap opera to be produced and broadcast in high definition .   At one point , the program 's popularity positioned it as the most widely recorded television show in the United States . Also , in a departure from societal norms at the time , All My Children , in the mid-1970s , had an audience that was estimated to be 30 % male . The show ranked No. 1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings in the 1978 -- 79 season . Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s , All My Children was the No. 2 daytime soap opera on the air . However , like the rest of the soap operas in the United States , All My Children experienced unprecedented declines in its daytime ratings during the 2000s . By the 2010s , it had become one of the least watched soap operas in daytime television .   On April 14 , 2011 , it was announced that ABC canceled All My Children after 41 years on the air due to low ratings . On July 7 , 2011 , ABC sold the licensing rights of All My Children to third-party production company Prospect Park with the show set to continue on the internet as a series of webisodes . The show taped its final scenes for ABC on August 30 , 2011 , and its final episode on the network aired on September 23 , 2011 , with a cliffhanger . On September 26 , 2011 , the following Monday , ABC replaced All My Children with a newly debuted talk show The Chew . Prospect Park had suspended its plan to revive the series on November 23 , 2011 , due to lack of funding and unsuccessful negotiation with the union organizations representing the actors and crews . On January 7 , 2013 , Prospect Park officially brought back its project to restore All My Children as a web series . The show taped its first scenes for Prospect Park TOLN on February 18 , 2013 , and its first episode on the network aired on April 29 , 2013 . However , the new series faced several behind-the-scene obstacles throughout its run . On November 11 , 2013 , several All My Children cast members announced that Prospect Park had closed production and canceled the series again . ABC regained the rights to the show in December 2016 .


Singapore Singapore ( -LSB- ˈsɪŋgəpɔr -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Singapore , sometimes referred to as the Lion City , the Garden City or the Little Red Dot , is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia . It lies one degree ( 137 km ) north of the equator , at the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia , with Indonesia 's Riau Islands to the south . Singapore 's territory consists of one main island along with 62 other islets . Since independence , extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23 % ( 130 km2 ) , and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora , parks and gardens .   Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore in 1819 as a trading post of the East India Company ; after its collapse and the eventual establishment of the British Raj , the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826 . During the Second World War , Singapore was occupied by Japan . It gained independence from the UK in 1963 by federating with other former British territories to form Malaysia , but separated two years later over ideological differences , becoming a sovereign nation in 1965 . After early years of turbulence , and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland , the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy , based on external trade and its workforce .   Singapore is a global commerce , finance and transport hub . Its standings include : the most `` technology-ready '' nation ( WEF ) , top International-meetings city ( UIA ) , city with `` best investment potential '' ( BERI ) , second-most competitive country , third-largest foreign exchange market , third-largest financial centre , third-largest oil refining and trading centre , and the second-busiest container port . The country has also been identified as a tax haven .   Singapore ranks 5th on the UN Human Development Index and the 3rd highest GDP per capita . It is ranked highly in education , healthcare , life expectancy , quality of life , personal safety , and housing . Although income inequality is high , 90 % of homes are owner-occupied . 38 % of Singapore 's 5.6 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals . There are four official languages : English ( common and first language ) , Malay , Mandarin , Tamil ; almost all Singaporeans are bilingual .   Singapore is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic , with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government . The People 's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959 . The dominance of the PAP , coupled with a low level of press freedom and restrictions on civil liberties and political rights , has led to Singapore being classified by some as a semi-authoritarian regime . One of the five founding members of the ASEAN , Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) Secretariat , and a member of the East Asia Summit , Non-Aligned Movement , and the Commonwealth of Nations .


United States The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. ) or America , is a constitutional federal republic composed of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions .  Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico . The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America , bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west . The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean . The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea . Nine time zones are covered . The geography , climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse .   At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) and with over 324 million people , the United States is the world 's third - or fourth-largest country by total area , third-largest by land area , and the third-most populous . It is one of the world 's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations , and is home to the world 's largest immigrant population . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the largest city is New York City ; nine other major metropolitan areas -- each with at least 4.5 million inhabitants and the largest having more than 13 million people -- are Los Angeles , Chicago , Dallas , Houston , Philadelphia , Miami , Atlanta , Boston , and San Francisco .   Paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies following the Seven Years ' War led to the American Revolution , which began in 1775 . On July 4 , 1776 , during the course of the American Revolutionary War , the colonies unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence . The war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain , representing the first successful war of independence against a European power . The current constitution was adopted in 1788 , after the Articles of Confederation , adopted in 1781 , were felt to have provided inadequate federal powers . The first ten amendments , collectively named the Bill of Rights , were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties .   The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century , displacing Native American tribes , acquiring new territories , and gradually admitting new states until it spanned the continent by 1848 . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the end of legal slavery in the country . By the end of that century , the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean , and its economy , driven in large part by the Industrial Revolution , began to soar . The Spanish -- American War and confirmed the country 's status as a global military power . The United States emerged from as a global superpower , the first country to develop nuclear weapons , the only country to use them in warfare , and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council . The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the world 's sole superpower . The U.S. is a founding member of the United Nations , World Bank , International Monetary Fund , Organization of American States ( OAS ) , and other international organizations .   The United States is a highly developed country , with the world 's largest economy by nominal GDP and second-largest economy by PPP . Though its population is only 4.3 % of the world total , Americans hold nearly 40 % of the total wealth in the world . The United States ranks among the highest in several measures of socioeconomic performance , including average wage , human development , per capita GDP , and productivity per person . While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial , characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy , the manufacturing sector remains the second-largest in the world . Accounting for approximately a quarter of global GDP and a third of global military spending , the United States is the world 's foremost economic and military power . The United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally , and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations .


Wyoming Wyoming -LSB- waɪˈoʊmɪŋ -RSB- is a state in the mountain region of the western United States . The state is the tenth largest by area , the least populous and the second least densely populated state in the country . Wyoming is bordered on the north by Montana , on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska , on the south by Colorado , on the southwest by Utah , and on the west by Idaho . Cheyenne is the capital and the most populous city in Wyoming , with a population estimate of 63,335 in 2015 . The state population was estimated at 586,107 in 2015 , which is less than the population of 31 of the largest U.S. cities .   The western two-thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the Rocky Mountains , while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High Plains . Almost half of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. government , leading Wyoming to rank sixth in the United States in total acres and fifth in percentage of a state 's land owned by the federal government . The federal lands include two national parksGrand Teton and Yellowstonetwo national recreation areas and two national monuments , as well as several national forests , historic sites , fish hatcheries , and wildlife refuges .   The Crow , Arapaho , Lakota , and Shoshone were some of the original inhabitants of the region . Southwestern Wyoming was included in the Spanish Empire and then Mexican territory until it was ceded to the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican -- American War . The region acquired the name Wyoming when a bill was introduced to Congress in 1865 to provide a `` temporary government for the territory of Wyoming . '' The territory was named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania , with the name ultimately being derived from the Munsee word xwé : wamənk , meaning `` at the big river flat . ''   The mineral-extraction industryespecially coal , oil , natural gas , and tronaalong with the travel and tourism sector , are the main drivers behind Wyoming 's economy . Agriculture has historically been an important component of the state economy with the main commodities being livestock ( beef ) , hay , sugar beets , grain ( wheat and barley ) , and wool . The climate is generally semi-arid and continental , being drier and windier in comparison to the rest of the United States , with greater temperature extremes .   Except for the 1964 election , Wyoming has been a politically conservative state since the 1950s , with the Republican party winning every presidential election .


At ten years of age, Hayden Panettiere starred in a Disney feature film.

Hayden Panettiere Hayden Leslie Panettiere ( born August 21 , 1989 ) is an American actress , model , singer , and activist . She is known for her roles as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes ( 2006 -- 10 ) , Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical-drama series Nashville ( 2012 -- present ) and Kairi in the video game series Kingdom Hearts .   A native of New York City , she first appeared in a commercial at the age of 11 months . She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live ( 1994 -- 97 ) , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light ( 1996 -- 2000 ) , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in the Disney feature film Remember the Titans . Other notable roles include her portrayal of the title character in the true crime drama Amanda Knox : Murder on Trial in Italy and Kirby Reed in the slasher film Scream 4 . She received two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film , for her work on Nashville in 2012 and 2013 .


Arya Stark is incapable of being created by George R. R. Martin.

A Song of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin . He began the first volume of the series , A Game of Thrones , in 1991 and had it published in 1996 . Martin , who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy , has published five out of a planned seven volumes . The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011 , A Dance with Dragons , took Martin five years to write . He is still writing the sixth novel , The Winds of Winter .   A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos . The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine , in the first novel , to thirty-one by the fifth . Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros , the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros , and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the deposed king 's exiled daughter , to assume the Iron Throne .   Martin 's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon . A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion , as well as its realism . An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader , and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured . Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire , questions concerning loyalty , pride , human sexuality , piety , and the morality of violence frequently arise .   As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases . Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas , a TV series , a comic book adaptation , and several card , board , and video games .


Arya Stark Arya Stark is a fictional character created by American author George R. R. Martin . She is a prominent point of view character in Martin 's award-winning A Song of Ice and Fire series , and also a main character in HBO 's adaptation of the series , Game of Thrones .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Arya is the younger daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Lady Catelyn Stark . She is headstrong , independent , disdains traditional female pursuits , and is often mistaken for a boy . She wields a sword named Needle , a gift from her half-brother , Jon Snow , and is trained in the Braavosi style of sword fighting .   Arya is portrayed by Maisie Williams on the HBO series Game of Thrones . Her performance has garnered critical acclaim , particularly in the second season for her work opposite veteran actor Charles Dance ( Tywin Lannister ) when she served as his cupbearer . She is among the most popular characters in either version of the story . Williams was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2016 . She and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012 , 2014 , 2015 and 2016 .


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


Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis ( -LSB- ˌgælᵻfəˈnækᵻs -RSB- born October 1 , 1969 ) is an American actor , writer and comedian . He came to prominence with his Comedy Central Presents special in 2001 and presented his own show called Late World with Zach on VH1 the following year . He has also starred in films , such as The Hangover trilogy ( 2009 -- 2013 ) , Due Date ( 2010 ) , The Campaign ( 2012 ) , Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( 2014 ) , Puss in Boots ( 2011 ) , Masterminds ( 2016 ) and The Lego Batman Movie ( 2017 ) .   He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis on the Funny or Die website and executive produces , writes , and stars in the dark comedy series Baskets on FX .


Big Boi has yet to work in the music industry.

Big Boi Antwan André Patton ( born February 1 , 1975 ) , better known by his stage name Big Boi , is an American rapper , songwriter , actor and record producer , best known for being a member of American hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000 . His work in the duo has produced six studio albums . Big Boi 's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot : The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim . He released his sophomore studio album , Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors in 2012 , and is set to released his third studio album , Boomiverse , in June 2017 .


Amazon Web Services Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) describes both a technology and a company . The company AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon.com and provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to both individuals , companies and governments , on a paid subscription basis with a free-tier option available for 12 months . The technology allows subscribers to have at their disposal full-fledged virtual cluster of computers , available 24/7/365 , through the internet . AWS ' version of virtual computers have most of the attributes of a real computer including hardware ( CPU ( s ) & GPU ( s ) for processing , local/RAM memory , hard-disk/SSD storage ) ; a choice of operating systems ; networking ; and pre-loaded application software such as web servers , databases , CRM ... nearly anything . Each AWS system also virtualizes its console I/O ( keyboard , display , and mouse ) , allowing AWS subscribers to connect to their AWS system using a modern browser . The browser acts as a window into the virtual computer , letting subscribers log-in , configure and use their virtual systems just as they would a real physical computer . They can choose to deploy their AWS systems to provide internet-based services for their own and their customers ' benefit .   The AWS technology is implemented at server farms throughout the world , and maintained by the Amazon subsidiary . Fees are based on a combination of usage , the hardware/OS/software / networking features chosen by the subscriber , required availability , redundancy , security , and service options . Based on what the subscriber needs and pays for , they can reserve a single virtual AWS computer , a cluster of virtual computers , a physical ( real ) computer dedicated for their exclusive use , or even a cluster of dedicated physical computers . As part of the subscription agreement , Amazon manages , upgrades , and provides industry-standard security to each subscriber 's system . AWS services operate from many global geographical regions including 6 in North America .   In 2016 , AWS comprised more than 70 services spanning a wide range including compute , storage , networking , database , analytics , application services , deployment , management , mobile , developer tools , and tools for the Internet of Things . The most popular include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud ( aka `` EC2 '' ) and Amazon Simple Storage Service ( aka `` S3 '' ) . Most services are not exposed directly to end users , but instead offer functionality through APIs for developers to use in their applications . Amazon Web Services ' offerings are accessed over HTTP , using the REST architectural style and SOAP protocol .   Amazon markets AWS to subscribers as a way of obtaining large scale computing capacity more quickly and cheaply than building an actual physical server farm . All services are billed based on usage , but each service measures usage in varying ways .


Cage Warriors Cage Warriors Fighting Championship or CWFC is a mixed martial arts promotion , based in London . Cage Warriors was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July , 2002 . Currently it has scheduled events in Chechnya , Baghdad and Beirut .   Many of the biggest stars in MMA have made their names under the Cage Warriors banner , including Gegard Mousasi , Conor McGregor and Michael Bisping . CWFC are one of the few top promotions to take their events abroad , travelling throughout countries in Europe , North America and the Middle East . CWFC staged 26 events across 12 different countries in 2012 and 2013 .


Madonna sang for the musical group Breakfast Club.

Madonna (entertainer) Madonna Louise Ciccone ( -LSB- tʃɪˈkoʊni -RSB- born August 16 , 1958 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actress , and businesswoman . She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos , which became a fixture on MTV . Madonna is known for reinventing both her music and image , and for maintaining her autonomy within the recording industry . Music critics have acclaimed her musical productions , which have generated some controversy . Referred to as the `` Queen of Pop '' , Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists .   Born in Bay City , Michigan , Madonna moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance . After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy , she signed with Sire Records ( an auxiliary label of Warner Bros. . Records ) in 1982 and released her eponymous debut album the following year . She followed it with a series of commercially and critically successful albums , including the Grammy Award winners Ray of Light ( 1998 ) and Confessions on a Dance Floor ( 2005 ) . Throughout her career , Madonna has written and produced most of her songs , with many of them reaching number one on the record charts , including `` Like a Virgin '' , `` Papa Do n't Preach '' , `` Like a Prayer '' , `` Vogue '' , `` Take a Bow '' , `` Frozen '' , `` Music '' , `` Hung Up '' , and `` 4 Minutes '' .   Madonna 's popularity was further enhanced by her roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan ( 1985 ) , Dick Tracy ( 1990 ) , and Evita ( 1996 ) . While the latter earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress , most of her other films received poor reviews . Madonna has been acclaimed as a businesswoman , particularly after she founded entertainment company Maverick ( including the label Maverick Records ) . In 2007 she signed an unprecedented U.S. $ 120 million 360 deal with Live Nation , which led to a record deal with Interscope Records . Her other ventures include fashion design , writing children 's books , and filmmaking .   Having sold more than 300 million records worldwide , Madonna is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records . The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) listed her as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second highest-certified female artist in the United States , with 64.5 million album units . Madonna is the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time , earning U.S. $ 1.31 billion from her concerts since 1990 . She became one of the five founding members of the UK Music Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility . Madonna was ranked at number one on VH1 's list of 100 Greatest Women in Music and number two ( behind only The Beatles ) on Billboards list of Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time .


Phantoms is adapted from an American novel.

Phantoms (novel) Phantoms is a novel by American writer Dean Koontz , first published in 1983 . The story is a version of the now-debunked urban legend involving a village mysteriously vanishing at Angikuni Lake .


Phantoms (film) Phantoms is a 1998 American science fiction horror film adapted from Dean Koontz 's 1983 novel of the same name . Directed by Joe Chappelle with a screenplay by Koontz , the film stars Peter O'Toole , Rose McGowan , Joanna Going , Liev Schreiber , Ben Affleck , Nicky Katt , and Clifton Powell . The film takes place in the peaceful town of Snowfield , Colorado , where something evil has wiped out the community . It is up to a group of people to stop it or at least get out of Snowfield alive .


Winona Ryder refuses to appear in family drama films.

Winona Ryder Winona Ryder ( born Winona Laura Horowitz ; October 29 , 1971 ) is an American actress . One of the most profitable and iconic actresses of the 1990s , she made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas . As Lydia Deetz , a goth teenager in Tim Burton 's Beetlejuice ( 1988 ) , she won critical acclaim and widespread recognition . After appearances in film and on television , Ryder continued her acting career with the cult film Heathers ( 1988 ) , a controversial satire of teenage suicide and high school life that has since become a landmark teen film . She later appeared in the coming of age drama Mermaids ( 1990 ) , earning a Golden Globe nomination , and in the same year appeared alongside Johnny Depp in Burton 's dark fairy-tale Edward Scissorhands ( 1990 ) , and shortly thereafter with Keanu Reeves in Francis Ford Coppola 's gothic romance Bram Stoker 's Dracula ( 1992 ) .   Having played diverse roles in many well-received films in the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s , Ryder won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her role in The Age of Innocence in 1993 , as well as another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the literary adaptation of Little Women the following year . She later appeared in the Generation X hit Reality Bites ( 1994 ) , Alien : Resurrection ( 1997 ) , the Woody Allen comedy Celebrity ( 1998 ) , and Girl , Interrupted ( 1999 ) , which she also executive-produced . In 2000 , Ryder received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , honoring her legacy in the film industry .   Ryder 's personal life has attracted significant media attention . Her relationship with Johnny Depp in the early 1990s and a 2001 arrest for shoplifting were constant subjects of tabloid journalism . She has been open about her personal struggles with anxiety and depression .   In 2002 , she appeared in the box office hit Mr. Deeds alongside Adam Sandler . In 2006 , Ryder returned to the screen after a brief hiatus , appearing in high-profile films such as Star Trek . In 2010 , she was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards : as the lead actress in When Love Is Not Enough : The Lois Wilson Story and as part of the cast of Black Swan . She also reunited with Burton for Frankenweenie ( 2012 ) . Since 2016 , she has starred as Joyce Byers in the Netflix supernatural-horror series Stranger Things , for which she has garnered Golden Globe and SAG nominations .


Little Women (1994 film) Little Women is a 1994 American family drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong . The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on the 1868 Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name . It is the fourth feature film adaptation of the Alcott classic , following silent versions released in 1917 and 1918 , a 1933 George Cukor-directed release and a 1949 adaptation by Mervyn LeRoy . It was released exclusively on December 21 , 1994 , and was released nationwide four days later on December 25 , 1994 , by Columbia Pictures .


World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by WWE . It was one of two top championships in WWE from 2002 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2013 , complementing the WWE Championship , and one of three top championships from 2006 to 2010 with the addition of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship .   The title was established under the Raw brand in 2002 , after Raw and SmackDown became distinct brands under WWE , and moved between both brands on different occasions ( mainly as a result of the WWE draft ) until August 29 , 2011 , when all programming became full roster `` supershows '' . The World Heavyweight Championship was retired at the WWE pay-per-view , TLC : Tables , Ladders & Chairs , on December 15 , 2013 , when it was unified with the WWE Championship . The unified championship became the WWE World Heavyweight Championship , retaining the lineage of the WWE Championship . Triple H was the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion , with Randy Orton being the last .   The title was one of six to be represented by the historic Big Gold Belt , first introduced in 1986 . Its heritage can be traced back to the first world heavyweight championship , thereby giving the belt a legacy over 100 years old , the oldest in the world .


John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. ( -LSB- ˈsiːnə -RSB- born April 23 , 1977 ) is an American professional wrestler , rapper , actor , and reality television show host . He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the SmackDown brand . Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling ( UPW ) and won the UPW Heavyweight Championship the following year . Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , later renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment , or simply WWE ) in 2001 , debuting on the WWE main roster in 2002 .   From a generic character in 2002 , Cena morphed into a rapper for the time period of 2002 -- 2004 , which earned him fame within the audience on SmackDown ! . Cena later transitioned to his current character , which he describes as a `` goody-two shoes Superman '' . However , Cena has been labeled as the `` most polarizing professional wrestler ever '' as his character has many supporters and many detractors , according to Jim Ross of Fox Sports , who also noted that Cena has been WWE 's franchise player for a long-time . In 2012 , IGN described Cena as WWE 's franchise player since 2005 and WWE credited Cena as being the `` face of WWE '' in 2015 since 2004 . Industry veterans John Layfield , Paul Heyman , and Kurt Angle have called Cena the greatest WWE star of all time .   Throughout his WWE career , Cena has won 25 championships , with 16 reigns as a world champion ( 13 times as WWE Champion and three times as WWE 's World Heavyweight Champion ) , an accomplishment only previously achieved by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair . He is also a five-time United States Champion , and four-time world tag team champion ( two World Tag Team and two WWE Tag Team ) . Furthermore , he is a Money in the Bank ladder match winner ( 2012 ) , a two-time Royal Rumble winner ( 2008 , 2013 ) , and a three-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner ( 2009 , 2010 , 2012 ) . Cena has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE Champion , behind Bruno Sammartino , Bob Backlund , and Hulk Hogan . He has also headlined WWE 's flagship event , WrestleMania , on five different occasions ( WrestleManias 22 , 23 , XXVII , XXVIII , and 29 ) over the course of his career , as well as many others pay-per-view events . As of 2016 , John Cena is WWE 's highest-paid wrestler .   Outside of wrestling , Cena has released the rap album You Ca n't See Me , which debuted at No. 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart , and starred in the feature films The Marine ( 2006 ) , 12 Rounds ( 2009 ) , Legendary ( 2010 ) , The Reunion ( 2011 ) , Trainwreck ( 2015 ) , and Sisters ( 2015 ) . Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt , Deal or No Deal , MADtv , Saturday Night Live , Punk 'd , Psych , and Parks and Recreation . He was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars : The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race , where he made it to the final round before being eliminated , placing third in the overall competition . Cena is also the host of American Grit on Fox . Cena is involved in numerous philanthropic causes ; most notably with the Make-A-Wish Foundation . He has granted the most wishes in Make-A-Wish history .


WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand . It is one of two world titles in the WWE , alongside the WWE Universal Championship that was created for the Raw brand as a result of the 2016 WWE draft . The title is currently held by Jinder Mahal , who is in his first reign .   The original world championship of the promotion , it was established by the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) on April 25 , 1963 as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship , following the promotion seceding from the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) . The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers . Since its inception , the title has undergone many name changes due to company name changes and title unifications . It is the oldest championship currently active in the WWE , and is presented as being the promotion 's most prestigious title , with many matches for the title having headlined pay-per-view events -- including WWE 's flagship event WrestleMania .   From its inception until 2001 , it was promoted as WWE 's sole primary championship . An additional world title , the WCW Championship , was added after the then-World Wrestling Federation 's purchase of World Championship Wrestling in early 2001 . The titles were later unified as the Undisputed Championship . After the first brand extension in 2002 and the promotion becoming the WWE , the championship became exclusive to SmackDown , and the World Heavyweight Championship was created for Raw . ECW became a third brand in 2006 , adding the ECW World Heavyweight Championship . Over the course of the first brand extension , the WWE Championship switched between brands , usually as a result of the annual draft . The ECW Championship was deactivated in 2010 , and the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship in 2013 . The championship was again the sole world title of WWE until the reintroduction of the brand extension in 2016 .


List of WWE Champions The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE , currently on the SmackDown brand . It is the first world title established in WWE , having been introduced in 1963 as the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) World Heavyweight Championship . The promotion was renamed World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) in 1979 and ended its affiliation with the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) in 1983 , with the title also renamed to reflect the changes .  In 2001 , it was unified with the World Championship ( formerly the WCW World Heavyweight Championship ) following the WWF 's buyout of World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and became the Undisputed WWF Championship . In 2002 , the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) and split its roster into two brands , Raw and SmackDown . The title , now renamed WWE Championship , was then designated to the SmackDown brand , while WWE established an alternate world title known as the World Heavyweight Championship for the Raw brand . A third alternate world title , the ECW World Heavyweight Championship , was reactivated for the ECW brand in 2006 . It was vacated and decommissioned when the ECW brand disbanded in 2010 .   When WWE Champion Randy Orton defeated World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at the TLC pay-per-view on December 15 , 2013 , the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship , resulting in the retiring of the former , and the renaming of the latter to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship . On June 27 , 2016 , the name was shortened back to the WWE Championship , before assuming the WWE World Championship name on July 26 , 2016 , when the brand extension returned . It became designated to the SmackDown brand , and WWE again established an alternate world title known as the WWE Universal Championship for the Raw brand . In December 2016 , WWE again shortened the title 's name back to WWE Championship .   The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches , in which participants execute scripted finishes rather than contend in direct competition . Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name , while others use their real name . The first champion was Buddy Rogers , who won the championship in 1963 . The champion with the single longest reign is Bruno Sammartino with a reign of 2,803 days , while the record for longest combined reign is also held by Sammartino at 4,040 . The current champion is Jinder Mahal , who is in his first reign . He won the championship by defeating Randy Orton at Backlash in Rosemont , Illinois on May 21 , 2017 .   Overall , there have been 50 different official champions , with John Cena having the most reigns at thirteen . Seven men in history have held the championship for a continuous reign of one year ( 365 days ) or more . They are Bruno Sammartino , Pedro Morales , Bob Backlund , Hulk Hogan , Randy Savage , John Cena , and CM Punk .


Professional wrestling championship A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations .   Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches , in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries . These narratives create feuds between the various competitors , which cast them as villains and heroes .


The Challenge was a reality show where people played games.

The Challenge (TV series) The Challenge ( originally known as Road Rules : All Stars , followed by Real World/Road Rules Challenge ) is a reality game show on MTV that is spun off from the network 's two reality shows , Real World and Road Rules . It features alumni from these two shows , in addition to first-time cast members called ` Fresh Meat ' , alumni from Are You the One ? , and relatives of these cast members called ` Bloodlines ' , competing against one another for a cash prize . The Challenge is currently hosted by T. J. Lavin .  The series premiered on June 1 , 1998 . The title of the show was originally Road Rules : All Stars before it was renamed Real World/Road Rules Challenge by the show 's 2nd season , then later abridged to simply The Challenge by the show 's 19th season . The series initially used no hosts but instead a former cast member who had been kicked off his or her season , providing assignments as `` Mr. '' or `` Ms. Big '' ( David `` Puck '' Rainey , David Edwards , and Gladys Sanabria served this role ) . Later on , however , the series began using hosts : Eric Nies and Mark Long co-hosted a season , and Jonny Moseley and Dave Mirra hosted various seasons before T. J. Lavin became the show 's regular host by the 11th season .   Since the 4th season , each season has supplied the show with a unique subtitle , such as Rivals . Each season consists of a format and theme whereby the subtitle is derived . Of each season 's format and theme , 8 have been repeated or revamped through sequel seasons with shared subtitles . In chronological order , these include : Battle of the Sexes ( tied to Battle of the Sexes II , the show 's first sequel season ) ; The Inferno ( tied to The Inferno II and The Inferno III , the show 's first trilogy ) ; The Gauntlet ( tied to The Gauntlet II and The Gauntlet III ) ; The Duel ( tied to The Duel II ) ; Fresh Meat ( tied to Fresh Meat II ) , Battle of the Seasons ( tied to the second Battle of the Seasons ) ; Rivals ( tied to Rivals II and Rivals III ) ; and Battle of the Exes ( tied to Battle of the Exes II ) .   The current 29th season , entitled Invasion of the Champions , premiered on February 7 , 2017 and concluded on May 16 , 2017 .


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


Germany Germany ( listen ) , is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe . It includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,021 km2 , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With about 82 million inhabitants , Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union . After the United States , it is the second most popular immigration destination in the world . Germany 's capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr ( main centres : Dortmund and Essen ) . The country 's other major cities are Hamburg , Munich , Cologne , Frankfurt , Stuttgart , Düsseldorf , Leipzig , Bremen , Dresden , Hannover and Nuremberg .   Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before 100 AD . During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . The remains of the Holy Roman Empire formed the German Confederation in 1815 , while the German revolutions of 1848 -- 49 established major democratic rights first .   In 1871 , Germany became a nation state when most of the German states were unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire . After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918 -- 1919 , the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic . In 1933 the Nazi seizure of power quickly led to the establishment of Nazi Germany which was built upon a dictatorship and consequently led to World War II and one of the biggest genocides in history , the Holocaust . By 1945 Germany and most of Europe were left in destruction and ruins . After the end of World War II in Europe and a period of Allied occupation , two German states were founded : the democratic Federal Republic of Germany ( commonly known as West Germany ) and the socialist German Democratic Republic ( commonly known as East Germany ) . A wall encircling West Berlin was created on August 13 , 1961 , and was torn down on November 9 , 1989 . On 3 October 1990 , the country was reunified .   In the 21st century , Germany is a great power and has the world 's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP , as well as the fifth-largest by PPP . As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors , it is both the world 's third-largest exporter and importer of goods . Germany is a developed country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled and productive society . It upholds a social security and universal health care system , environmental protection and a tuition-free university education .   The Federal Republic of Germany was a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1957 and the European Union in 1993 . It is part of the Schengen Area , and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999 . Germany is a member of the United Nations , NATO , the G8 , the G20 , and the OECD . The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world . Known for its rich cultural history , Germany has been continuously the home of influential and successful artists , philosophers , musicians , sportspeople , entrepreneurs , scientists , engineers , and inventors .


Anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa , often referred to simply as anorexia , is an eating disorder characterized by a low weight , fear of gaining weight , a strong desire to be thin , and food restriction . Many people with anorexia see themselves as overweight even though they are in fact underweight . If asked they usually deny they have a problem with low weight . Often they weigh themselves frequently , eat only small amounts , and only eat certain foods . Some will exercise excessively , force themselves to vomit , or use laxatives to produce weight loss . Complications may include osteoporosis , infertility and heart damage , among others . Women will often stop having menstrual periods .   The cause is not known . There appear to be some genetic components with identical twins more often affected than non-identical twins . Cultural factors also appear to play a role with societies that value thinness having higher rates of disease . Additionally , it occurs more commonly among those involved in activities that value thinness such as high-level athletics , modelling , and dancing . Anorexia often begins following a major life-change or stress-inducing event . The diagnosis requires a significantly low weight . The severity of disease is based on body mass index ( BMI ) in adults with mild disease having a BMI of greater than 17 , moderate a BMI of 16 to 17 , severe a BMI of 15 to 16 , and extreme a BMI less than 15 . In children a BMI for age percentile of less than the 5th percentile is often used .   Treatment of anorexia involves restoring a healthy weight , treating the underlying psychological problems , and addressing behaviors that promote the problem . While medications do not help with weight gain , they may be used to help with associated anxiety or depression . A number of types of therapy may be useful including an approach where parents assume responsibility for feeding their child , known as Maudsley family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy . Sometimes people require admission to hospital to restore weight . Evidence for benefit from nasogastric tube feeding , however , is unclear . Some people will just have a single episode and recover while others may have many episodes over years . Many complications improve or resolve with regaining of weight .   Globally , anorexia is estimated to affect 2.9 million people as of 2015 . It is estimated to occur in 0.9 % to 4.3 % of women and 0.2 % to 0.3 % of men in Western countries at some point in their life . About 0.4 % of young females are affected in a given year and it is estimated to occur ten times less commonly in males . Rates in most of the developing world are unclear . Often it begins during the teen years or young adulthood . While anorexia became more commonly diagnosed during the 20th century it is unclear if this was due to an increase in its frequency or simply better diagnosis . In 2013 it directly resulted in about 600 deaths globally , up from 400 deaths in 1990 . Eating disorders also increase a person 's risk of death from a wide range of other causes , including suicide . About 5 % of people with anorexia die from complications over a ten-year period , a nearly 6 times increased risk . The term anorexia nervosa was first used in 1873 by William Gull to describe this condition .


Marlon Brando was on a list of Top Ten Money Making Stars in the 1950s.

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


The Beach Boys had 4 top US Top 40 hits, the most of an American rock band.

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne , California , in 1961 . The group 's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian , Dennis , and Carl Wilson ; their cousin Mike Love ; and their friend Al Jardine . Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs , they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era . The group , led by their principal songwriter and producer Brian , pioneered novel approaches to popular music form and production , combining their affinities for jazz-based vocal groups , 1950s rock and roll , and black R&B to create their unique sound . He later arranged his compositions for studio orchestras and explored a variety of other styles , often incorporating classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways .   The Beach Boys began as a garage band managed by the Wilsons ' father Murry , with Brian 's increasingly sophisticated songwriting and recording abilities dominating their creative direction . Emerging at the vanguard of the `` California Sound '' , they performed original material that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing , cars , and romance . After 1964 , they abandoned the surfing aesthetic for more personal lyrics and multi-layered sounds . In 1966 , the Pet Sounds album and `` Good Vibrations '' single vaulted the group to the top level of rock innovators and established the band as symbols of the nascent counterculture era . Following the dissolution of the group 's Smile project in 1967 , Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band , reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues . The group 's public image subsequently faltered , and despite efforts to continue their psychedelic/avant-garde ventures and reclaim their hippie audiences , they were dismissed as an embodiment of the values and outlooks shared by early 1960s white , suburban teenagers .   The continued success of their greatest hits albums during the mid 1970s precipitated the band 's transition into an oldies act , a move that was denigrated by critics and many fans . Since the 1980s , much-publicized legal wrangling over royalties , songwriting credits and use of the band 's name transpired . Dennis drowned in 1983 and Carl died of lung cancer in 1998 . After Carl 's death , many live configurations of the band fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour into the 2000s while other members pursued solo projects . Even though Wilson and Jardine have not performed with Love and Johnston 's band since their one-off 2012 reunion tour , they remain a part of the Beach Boys ' corporation , Brother Records Inc. .   The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed , commercially successful , and widely influential bands of all time . The group had over eighty songs chart worldwide , thirty-six of them US Top 40 hits ( the most by an American rock band ) , four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . The Beach Boys have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide , making them one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time and are listed at No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine 's 2004 list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . The core quintet of the three Wilsons , Love and Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 .


Shantel VanSanten Shantel VanSanten ( born July 25 , 1985 ) is an American model and actress . As a model , she has been featured in the magazines Teen Vogue and Seventeen . On television , she played the role of Quinn James in the CW teen drama series One Tree Hill , recurred as Detective Patty Spivot in the CW show The Flash , and stars as Julie Swagger the wife of lead character Bob Lee Swagger on the USA Network series Shooter . On film , she has appeared in The Final Destination , You and I , and Something Wicked .


Sunrise created Mobile Suit Gundam and is Japanese.

Sunrise (company) is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise . It is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings . Its former name was Nippon Sunrise , and prior to that , Sunrise Studios . Its headquarters is located in Suginami , Tokyo .   Among Japan 's largest and most famous studios , Sunrise is renowned for several critically lauded and popular original anime series , such as Gundam , Cowboy Bebop , Space Runaway Ideon , Armored Trooper Votoms , Yoroiden Samurai Troopers , Future GPX Cyber Formula , Crush Gear Turbo , The Vision of Escaflowne , Love Live School Idol Project , Witch Hunter Robin , My-HiME , My-Otome , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion , Tiger & Bunny , Cross Ange : Rondo of Angel and Dragon , as well as its numerous adaptations of acclaimed light novels including Dirty Pair , Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Accel World , and manga such as City Hunter , InuYasha , Outlaw Star , Yakitate !! Japan , Planetes , Keroro Gunso , Gin Tama , Kekkaishi and several others .   Many of Sunrise 's original anime include similar themes , including mecha and masked identities accompanied with fluid animation . Because of the fluidity and high degree of details on much of their works , fans refer to their animation works as `` Sunrise Smooth '' .   Most of their works are mostly original titles created in-house by their creative staffs that went into a collective pseudonym called Hajime Yatate . They also previously operated a now defunct video game studio of their own named Sunrise Interactive . Sunrise also launched their own light novel publication titled Yatate Bunko Imprint on September 30 , 2016 aimed to publish new original titles and also to supplemment their already existing franchises with new materials .   Anime created by Sunrise that have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize are Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 and the first half of 1980 , Space Runaway Ideon in the second half of 1980 , Crusher Joe ( co-production with Studio Nue ) in 1983 , Dirty Pair in 1985 , Future GPX Cyber Formula in 1991 , Gundam SEED in 2002 , Gundam SEED Destiny in 2004 and 2005 , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion in 2006 and 2007 and Code Geass R2 in 2008 , thus making Sunrise as the studio that won the most number of Animage Awards .


Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978 . Hayao Miyazaki 's internationally renowned manga , Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind , was serialized in Animage from 1982 through 1994 . Other titles serialized in Animage include Ocean Waves ( 1990 -- 1995 ) , a novel by Saeko Himuro , which was later made into a television movie by the same title .


Jack Dorsey Jack Dorsey ( born November 19 , 1976 ) is an American computer programmer and internet entrepreneur widely known as a co-founder and CEO of Twitter , and as the founder and CEO of Square , a mobile payments company . In 2008 , he was named to the MIT Technology Review TR35 as one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35 . For 2012 , The Wall Street Journal gave him the `` Innovator of the Year Award '' for technology .


Ayn Rand was a proponent of the initiation of force.

Ayn Rand Ayn Rand ( -LSB- ˈaɪn_ˈrænd -RSB- born Alisa Zinov ` yevna Rosenbaum , Али́са Зино́вьевна Розенба́ум -- March 6 , 1982 ) was a Russian-American novelist , philosopher , playwright , and screenwriter . She is known for her two best-selling novels , The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged , and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism . Educated in Russia , she moved to the United States in 1926 . She had a play produced on Broadway in 1935 -- 1936 . After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful in America , she achieved fame with her 1943 novel , The Fountainhead .   In 1957 , Rand published her best-known work , the novel Atlas Shrugged . Afterward , she turned to non-fiction to promote her philosophy , publishing her own magazines and releasing several collections of essays until her death in 1982 . Rand advocated reason as the only means of acquiring knowledge , and rejected faith and religion . She supported rational and ethical egoism , and rejected altruism . In politics , she condemned the initiation of force as immoral , and opposed collectivism and statism as well as anarchism , and instead supported laissez-faire capitalism , which she defined as the system based on recognizing individual rights . In art , Rand promoted romantic realism . She was sharply critical of most philosophers and philosophical traditions known to her , except for Aristotle , Thomas Aquinas , and classical liberals .   Literary critics received Rand 's fiction with mixed reviews , and academia generally ignored or rejected her philosophy , though academic interest has increased in recent decades . The Objectivist movement attempts to spread her ideas , both to the public and in academic settings . She has been a significant influence among libertarians and American conservatives .


Budapest Budapest ( -LSB- ˈbudɒpɛʃt -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union . It has an area of 525 km2 and a population of about 1.8 million within the administrative limits in 2016 . Budapest is both a city and county , and forms the centre of the Budapest Metropolitan Area , which has an area of 7,626 km2 and a population of 3.3 million , comprising 33 percent of the population of Hungary . Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the Danube river with the unification of Buda and Óbuda on the west bank , with Pest on the east bank on November 17 , 1873 .   The history of Budapest began with Aquincum , originally a Celtic settlement that became the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia . Hungarians arrived in the territory in the 9th century . Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241 -- 1242 . The re-established town became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture by the 15th century . Following the Battle of Mohács and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule , the region entered a new age of prosperity , and Budapest became a global city after its unification in 1873 . It also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , a great power that dissolved in 1918 , following World War I. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 , the Hungarian Republic of Councils in 1919 , the Battle of Budapest in 1945 , and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 .   Budapest is a Beta + global city , with strengths in arts , commerce , design , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , services , research , and tourism . Its business district hosts the Budapest Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national and international banks and companies . Budapest is a leading R&D and financial centre in Central and Eastern Europe , the city has a gross metropolitan product more than $ 100 billion in 2015 , thereby the city is among the Top 100 GDP performing cities in the world  and making it one of the largest regional economies in the European Union . It is the highest ranked Central and Eastern European city on Innovation Cities Top 100 index . Budapest attracts 4.4 million international tourists per year , making it the 25th most popular city in the world and the 6th in Europe .   Among Budapest 's important museums and cultural institutions , the most visited art museum is the Museum of Fine Arts , as well as the Hungarian National Gallery , which is noted for one of the largest collections of all periods of European art and comprises more than 100,000 pieces . The central area of the city along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has many notable monuments , including the Hungarian Parliament , Buda Castle , Fisherman 's Bastion , Gresham Palace , Széchenyi Chain Bridge , Matthias Church and the Liberty Statue . Further famous landmarks include Andrássy Avenue , St. Stephen 's Basilica , Heroes ' Square , the Great Market Hall , the Nyugati Railway Station built by the Eiffel Company of Paris in 1877 and the second-oldest metro line in the world , the Millennium Underground Railway . Budapest is home to numerous museums , galleries , libraries , sporting events and other cultural institutions , including the Hungarian National Museum , House of Terror , Franz Liszt Academy of Music , Hungarian State Opera House , National Széchényi Library and Hungarian Academy of Sciences .   Budapest is cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe , ranked as the most liveable Central and Eastern European city on EIU 's quality of life index , ranked as `` the world 's second best city '' by Condé Nast Traveler , and `` Europe 's 7th most idyllic place to live '' by Forbes . It has around 80 geothermal springs , the world 's largest thermal water cave system , second largest synagogue , and third largest Parliament building . Budapest is home to the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology , the European Police College and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency . Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest , including the Eötvös Loránd University , Central European University and Budapest University of Technology and Economics .


Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman ( born April 13 , 1950 ) is an American actor and voice actor . He is best known for his roles as Clay Morrow on the television series Sons of Anarchy , Vincent on the television series Beauty and the Beast ( for which he won a Golden Globe Award ) , and as the comic book character Hellboy in both Hellboy ( 2004 ) and its sequel Hellboy II : The Golden Army ( 2008 ) .   Perlman is also well known as a frequent collaborator of Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro , also having roles in his films Cronos , Blade II and Pacific Rim . He is also known for his voice-over work as the narrator of the post-apocalyptic game series Fallout , Clayface on Batman : The Animated Series , Slade on the animated series Teen Titans , The Lich in Adventure Time , The Stabbington Brothers in Disney 's animated film Tangled , and as the narrator of the television series 1000 Ways to Die .


The Invention of Lying's cast excludes Tina Fey.

The Invention of Lying The Invention of Lying is a 2009 American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson ( in their directorial debuts ) . The film stars Gervais as the first human with the ability to lie in a world where people can only tell the truth . The supporting cast features Jennifer Garner , Jonah Hill , Louis C.K. , Rob Lowe and Tina Fey . The film was released in the United States on October 2 , 2009 .


Kapil Sharma is a stand-up comedian in India.

Comedy Nights with Kapil Comedy Nights With Kapil was an Indian sketch comedy and celebrity talk show hosted by Kapil Sharma , that premiered on Colors TV on 22 June 2013 and ended on 24 January 2016 . Many of the episodes feature celebrity guests who usually appear to promote their latest films in a comedy-focused talk show format .   The show became India 's highest rated scripted TV show . At CNN-IBN Indian of the Year awards , Sharma was awarded the Entertainer of the Year award for 2013 .   On 25 September 2013 , a fire broke out on the sets of the show at Film City in Goregaon causing the entire set to collapse and an estimated loss of 20 Crores . Following the fire , two episodes were shot on sets of Bigg Boss in Lonavla .   The show is adapted in Kannada as Majaa Talkies and hosted by Srujan Lokesh . This show is aired on Colors Kannada , the Kannada Channel owned by Colors TV .   After a successful run of three years , Kapil Sharma decided to wind up the show after differences with the channel Colors . The last episode aired on 24 January 2016 .   In August 2016 , Colors started to re-telecast old episodes of the show in their Sunday afternoon time slots due to low Target rating points besides stiff competition with Kapil .


Sony Entertainment Television (India) Sony Entertainment Television or SET , is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in the Indian subcontinent . It was launched in October 1995 and is owned by Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd. ( formerly MSM ) , a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment . The network carried C.I.D. and Kaun Banega Crorepati . Sony Entertainment Television unveiled its brand refresh , complete with a new logo and brand identity , and changed its logo on its 21st anniversary while premiering The Kapil Sharma Show on 19 November 2016 .


Kapil Sharma (comedian) Kapil Sharma ( real name Kapil Punj Singh ) ( born 2 April 1981 ) is an Indian stand-up comedian , television presenter , actor and producer . He hosted a television comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil from June 2013 to January 2016 . Currently , he is hosting another comedy show on Sony Entertainment Television named The Kapil Sharma Show . He first appeared in the Forbes India Celebrity list in 2012 , ranked 96th .   Ormax Media rated Sharma the most popular Indian television personality in April 2016 . Forbes India ranked him 27th on their Celebrity-100 list in 2015 .  Forbes India ranked him at 7th position in terms of fame and at 11th position in terms of income on their Celebrity - 100 list in 2016 .  He was awarded the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2013 , in the Entertainment category and was ranked third in the Most Admired Indian Personality List by The Economic Times in 2015 . Sharma was nominated for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Pranab Mukherjee in September 2015 to acknowledge his contribution for the same .


John Denver is from Boston, Massachusetts.

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. ( December 31 , 1943 -- October 12 , 1997 ) , known professionally as John Denver , an American musician , singer-songwriter , record producer , activist , actor , and humanitarian , whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer . After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family , Denver began his music career with folk music groups during the late 1960s . Starting in the 1970s , he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists . By 1974 , he was firmly established as America 's best selling performer , and AllMusic has described Denver as `` among the most beloved entertainers of his era '' .   Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs , about 200 of which he composed , with total record sales of over 33 million . He recorded and performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature , his disdain for city life , his enthusiasm for music , and his relationship trials . Denver 's music appeared on a variety of charts , including country music , the Billboard Hot 100 , and adult contemporary , in all earning him twelve gold and four platinum albums with his signature songs `` Take Me Home , Country Roads '' , `` Annie 's Song '' , `` Rocky Mountain High '' , `` Thank God I 'm a Country Boy '' , and `` Sunshine on My Shoulders '' .   Denver starred in films and several notable television specials in the 1970s and 1980s . He continued to record in the 1990s , also focusing on environmental issues by lending vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of Congress in protest against censorship in music . He lived in Aspen , Colorado for much of his life and was known for his love of Colorado which he sang about numerous times . In 1974 Denver was named poet laureate of the state . The Colorado state legislature also adopted `` Rocky Mountain High '' as one of its two state songs in 2007 . Denver was an avid pilot and died at the age of 53 in a single-fatality crash of his personal experimental aircraft .


Lonesome Dove (miniseries) was nominated for eighteen Emmys in 1989.

Lonesome Dove (miniseries) Lonesome Dove is an American epic Western adventure television miniseries directed by Simon Wincer . It is a four-part adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry and is the first installment in the Lonesome Dove series . The series stars Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones . The series was originally broadcast by CBS from February 5 to 8 , 1989 , drawing a huge viewing audience , earning numerous awards , and reviving both the television western and the miniseries .   An estimated 26 million homes tuned in to watch Lonesome Dove , unusually high numbers for a Western at that time . The western genre was considered dead by most people , as was the miniseries . By the show 's end , it had earned huge ratings and virtually revamped the entire 1989 -- 1990 television season . A favorite with audiences , as well as critics , Lonesome Dove garnered many honors and awards . At the 1989 Emmy Awards , the miniseries had 18 nominations and seven wins , including one for director Simon Wincer . Lonesome Dove also won two Golden Globes , for Best Miniseries and Best Actor in a Miniseries ( Robert Duvall ) .


Arya Stark Arya Stark is a fictional character created by American author George R. R. Martin . She is a prominent point of view character in Martin 's award-winning A Song of Ice and Fire series , and also a main character in HBO 's adaptation of the series , Game of Thrones .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Arya is the younger daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Lady Catelyn Stark . She is headstrong , independent , disdains traditional female pursuits , and is often mistaken for a boy . She wields a sword named Needle , a gift from her half-brother , Jon Snow , and is trained in the Braavosi style of sword fighting .   Arya is portrayed by Maisie Williams on the HBO series Game of Thrones . Her performance has garnered critical acclaim , particularly in the second season for her work opposite veteran actor Charles Dance ( Tywin Lannister ) when she served as his cupbearer . She is among the most popular characters in either version of the story . Williams was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2016 . She and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012 , 2014 , 2015 and 2016 .


Led Zeppelin II was released in the United States on October 12, 1969.

Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin II is the eponymous second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin , released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records . Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969 . The album 's production was credited to the band 's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page , and it also served as Led Zeppelin 's first album to utilise the recording techniques of the engineer Eddie Kramer . Incorporating several elements of blues and folk music , Led Zeppelin II exhibited the band 's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar riff-based sound . It has been described as the band 's heaviest album .   Led Zeppelin II was a commercial success , and was the band 's first album to reach number one on charts in the UK and the US . In 1970 , the album 's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package . On 15 November 1999 , the album was certified 12 × Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) for sales passing 12 million copies . Since its release , various writers and music critics have regularly cited Led Zeppelin II as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time .


Beautiful features Minnie Driver and Joey Lauren Adams.

Beautiful (2000 film) Beautiful is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Sally Field ( in her feature film directorial debut ) , starring Minnie Driver , Joey Lauren Adams , Hallie Kate Eisenberg , Herta Ware , and Kathleen Turner . The plot deals with the sacrifices that contestants in the Miss America pageant typically must make .


Schindler's List premiered in New York City.

Schindler's List Schindler 's List is a 1993 American epic historical period drama film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and scripted by Steven Zaillian . It is based on the novel Schindler 's Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally . The film relates a period in the life of Oskar Schindler , an ethnic German businessman , during which he saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II . It stars Liam Neeson as Schindler , Ralph Fiennes as SS officer Amon Göth , and Ben Kingsley as Schindler 's Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern .   Ideas for a film about the Schindlerjuden ( Schindler Jews ) were proposed as early as 1963 . Poldek Pfefferberg , one of the Schindlerjuden , made it his life 's mission to tell the story of Schindler . Spielberg became interested in the story when executive Sidney Sheinberg sent him a book review of Schindler 's Ark. . Universal Pictures bought the rights to the novel , but Spielberg , unsure if he was ready to make a film about the Holocaust , tried to pass the project to several other directors before finally deciding to direct the film himself .   Principal photography took place in Kraków , Poland , over the course of 72 days in 1993 . Spielberg shot the film in black and white and approached it as a documentary . Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński wanted to give the film a sense of timelessness . John Williams composed the score , and violinist Itzhak Perlman performs the film 's main theme .   Schindler 's List premiered on November 30 , 1993 , in Washington , D.C. and it was released on December 15 , 1993 , in the United States . Often listed among the greatest films ever made , it was also a box office success , earning $ 321.2 million worldwide on a $ 22 million budget . It was the recipient of seven Academy Awards ( out of twelve nominations ) , including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Adapted Screenplay , and Best Original Score , as well as numerous other awards ( including seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globes ) . In 2007 , the American Film Institute ranked the film 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time . The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2004 .


Joseph Stalin became General Secretary in 1922.

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin ( -LSB- ˈstɑːlɪn -RSB- 18 December 1878 -- 5 March 1953 ) was a Soviet revolutionary , politician and political theorist . He governed the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953 . In this capacity , he served as the Premier of the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1953 and as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1952 . Ideologically a Marxist and a Leninist , he helped to formalise these ideas as Marxism-Leninism while his own policies and theories became known as Stalinism .   Stalin was born to a poor Georgian family in Gori , Russian Empire . After an education at Tiflis Spiritual Seminary , he joined the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party . Affiliated with Vladimir Lenin 's Bolshevik faction , he raised funds via underground activities such as the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery . After the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917 and established a one-party state , Stalin sat on the Politburo during the Russian Civil War . In 1922 Stalin became General Secretary and established the Soviet Union . Despite Lenin 's objection , power consolidated around Stalin and opposition removed following Lenin 's death in 1924 . During Stalin 's tenure the concept of `` Socialism in One Country '' became a central tenet of Soviet society , and a cult of personality developed around Stalin . Lenin 's New Economic Policy was replaced with a centralised command economy , industrialisation and collectivisation . These rapidly transformed the country from an agrarian society into an industrial power , but disrupted food production and contributed to the famine of 1933 -- 34 . Between 1934 and 1939 , Stalin organised the `` Great Purge '' , in which millions of so-called `` enemies of the working class '' , including senior political and military figures , were interned in Gulag-run prisons , exiled or executed , often without due process .   In August 1939 Stalin entered a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany , resulting in their invasion of Poland in September of that year . Germany ended the pact by invading the Soviet Union in 1941 . Despite initial setbacks , the Soviet Red Army halted the German incursion and captured Berlin in May 1945 , ending World War II in Europe . The Soviet Union annexed the Baltic states and backed the establishment of pro-Soviet Marxist governments both throughout Eastern Europe and in China , North Korea , and North Vietnam . The Soviet Union and United States emerged as the two world superpowers , and a period of tensions began between the Soviet-backed Eastern Bloc and U.S.-backed Western Bloc known as the Cold War . Stalin led the Soviet Union through its post-war reconstruction phase , during which it became the second country to develop a nuclear weapon , as well as launching the Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature in response to another major famine and the Great Construction Projects of Communism . Stalin died in 1953 and was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev , who denounced Stalin and initiated a de-Stalinisation process .   Stalin is widely considered one of the most significant and influential figures of the 20th century . Stalinism influenced various Marxist-Leninist groups and governments across the world , for whom Stalin was a champion of socialism and the working class . After the fall of the Soviet Union , Stalin has been praised by supporters for his role in defeating Nazi Germany and establishing the Soviet Union as a major world power . Critics emphasise his role in causing millions of deaths and numerous political , religious and ethnic repressions .


Josh Homme is unable to play any instruments.

Josh Homme Joshua Michael Homme ( -LSB- ˈhɒm.i -RSB- ; born May 17 , 1973 ) is an American singer , songwriter , musician , record producer , and actor . He is the founder and only continuous member of the rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings and plays guitar , as well as occasionally playing piano , drums , and bass . He also serves as the band 's primary songwriter .   Homme was formerly a guitarist and founder of the stoner rock band Kyuss . He co-founded and occasionally performs with Eagles of Death Metal , playing drums and bass for their studio recordings , and produces a musical improv series with other musicians , mostly from the Palm Desert Scene , known as The Desert Sessions . In 2009 , he formed a new project called Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones , who released their debut album that same year . In 2016 , he released Post Pop Depression , an album with Iggy Pop . He has been involved with numerous other projects , including Arctic Monkeys and Biffy Clyro .


Shake It Off `` Shake It Off '' is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth album , 1989 ( 2014 ) . Written by Swift , Max Martin and Shellback , it is an uptempo dance-pop track considered to be a departure from Swift 's earlier country pop music style . `` Shake It Off '' is the sixth track on the album and serves as the lead single . The song premiered during a Yahoo! live stream session on August 18 , 2014 ( also streaming internationally online ) ; its music video was also released the same day . Several hours later , the song was made available for digital download .   `` Shake It Off '' debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending September 6 , 2014 , becoming Swift 's second number-one single in the United States and the 22nd song to debut at number one in the chart 's history . The song won Favorite Song at the 2015 People 's Choice Awards , and also received nominations for Record of the Year , Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards .   According to Billboard , it is Swift 's biggest Hot 100 hit , staying on the chart for 50 consecutive weeks .


Bad Blood (Taylor Swift song) `` Bad Blood '' is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift , from her fifth studio album 1989 ( 2014 ) . The remixed version of the song , featuring American rapper Kendrick Lamar , was released on May 17 , 2015 , by Republic Records as 1989s fourth single . The album version was written by Swift , Max Martin , and Shellback , with Lamar writing his verses on the remixed version . The lyrics of `` Bad Blood '' describe the betrayal of a close friend . The album version is the eighth track of 1989 .   The song reached number one in Australia , Canada , Israel , New Zealand , Scotland , and the United States , becoming the third song from 1989 to do so . The accompanying music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and features an ensemble cast . The video previously held the 24-Hour Vevo Record with 20.1 million views , before being surpassed by Adele 's `` Hello '' . It won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards . The song received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance while its music video won Best Music Video at the 58th Grammy Awards .   A cover version of `` Bad Blood '' was released as the first promotional single from singer-songwriter Ryan Adams ' interpretation of Swift 's 1989 album , released in September 2015 .


1989 (Taylor Swift album) 1989 is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift . It was released on October 27 , 2014 , through Big Machine Records . Swift began preparing for the album during the same year which Red was released , and during a significant amount of media scrutiny . Over the course of the two-year songwriting period , she primarily collaborated with producers Max Martin and Shellback -- Martin served as the album 's executive producer alongside Swift . Named after Swift 's birth year , the album 's title was inspired by the pop music scene of the 1980s .   The album represents a departure from the country music of her previous albums , and is described by Swift as her `` first documented official pop album . ''  In contrast to Swift 's previous work , the production of 1989 consists of drum programming , synthesizers , pulsating bass , processed backing vocals , and guitars . 1989 received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics and it was ranked as one of the best albums of 2014 by several publications , including Billboard , Time , and Rolling Stone .   After debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 , 1989 sold 1.287 million copies during the first week of release . The total US sales figure from the debut week of 1989 was the highest since 2002 , and made Swift the first artist to sell one million or more copies of an album in a week-long period for three albums . 1989 eventually became the best-selling album of 2014 in the US market and has sold over 6 milion as of January 2017 , while selling 9.5 million worldwide . Seven singles have been released from the set : `` Shake It Off '' , `` Blank Space '' , and `` Bad Blood '' all reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 , while `` Style '' peaked at number six , `` Wildest Dreams '' at number five , and `` Out of the Woods '' peaking at number 18 in 2014 . The first five singles have all reached number one on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 and all have received a multi-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) .   1989 won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year , making Swift the first female credited main artist to win the top prize at the ceremony twice with her own works , having previously won in 2010 for Fearless , and her third nomination overall after Red in 2014 . The album also won Best Pop Vocal Album , Swift 's first victory in the category . The first two singles `` Shake It Off '' ( in 2015 ) and `` Blank Space '' ( in 2016 ) were both nominated for Record of the Year , Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance . The `` Bad Blood '' remix featuring Kendrick Lamar was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and won the award for Best Music Video .


Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift ( born December 13 , 1989 ) is an American singer-songwriter . One of the most popular contemporary female recording artists , she is known for narrative songs about her personal life , which has received much media attention .   Born and raised in Pennsylvania , Swift moved to Nashville , Tennessee at age 14 to pursue a career in country music . She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest artist ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house . Her eponymous debut album in 2006 peaked at number five on Billboard 200 and spent the most weeks on the chart in the 2000s . The album 's third single , `` Our Song '' , made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart . Swift 's second album , Fearless , was released in 2008 . Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles `` Love Story '' and `` You Belong with Me '' , Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States . The album won four Grammy Awards , with Swift becoming the youngest Album of the Year winner .   Swift was the sole writer of her 2010 album , Speak Now . It debuted at number one in the United States and the single `` Mean '' won two Grammy Awards . Her fourth album , Red ( 2012 ) , yielded the successful singles `` We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together '' and `` I Knew You Were Trouble '' . With her fifth album , the pop-focused 1989 ( 2014 ) , she became the first act to have three albums sell a million copies within one week in the United States . Its singles `` Shake It Off '' , `` Blank Space '' , and `` Bad Blood '' reached number one in the US , Australia , and Canada . The album received three Grammy Awards , and Swift became the first woman and fifth act overall to win Album of the Year twice . The 2015 eponymous concert tour for 1989 became one of highest-grossing of the decade .   As a songwriter , Swift has received awards from the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame . She is also the recipient of ten Grammy Awards , five Guinness World Records , one Emmy Award , 21 Billboard Music Awards , 11 Country Music Association Awards , eight Academy of Country Music Awards , and one Brit Award . Swift is one of the best-selling artists of all time , having sold more than 40 million albums -- including 27.1 million in the US -- and 130 million single downloads . She has appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world ( 2010 and 2015 ) , Forbes top-earning women in music ( 2011 -- 2015 ) , Forbes 100 most powerful women ( 2015 ) , and Forbes Celebrity 100 ( 2016 ) . She was the youngest woman to be included in the third of these and ranked first in Celebrity 100 .