Ulysses S. Grant served under the sixteenth US president.

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .


Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant ( born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27 , 1822 -- July 23 , 1885 ) was the 18th President of the United States ( 1869 -- 77 ) . As Commanding General ( 1864 -- 69 ) , Grant worked closely with President Abraham Lincoln to lead the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War . Supported by Congress , Grant implemented Reconstruction , often at odds with President Andrew Johnson . Twice elected president , Grant led the Republicans in their effort to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism and slavery , protect African-American citizenship , and support economic prosperity . His presidency has often been criticized for tolerating corruption and for the economic depression in his second term .   Grant graduated in 1843 from the United States Military Academy at West Point , then served in the Mexican -- American War . After the war he married Julia Boggs Dent in 1848 , their marriage producing four children . Grant initially retired from the Army in 1854 . He struggled financially in civilian life . When the Civil War began in 1861 , he rejoined the U.S. Army . In 1862 , Grant took control of Kentucky and most of Tennessee , and led Union forces to victory in the Battle of Shiloh , earning a reputation as an aggressive commander . In July 1863 , after a series of coordinated battles , Grant defeated Confederate armies and seized Vicksburg , giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and dividing the Confederacy in two . After his victories in the Chattanooga Campaign , Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general and Commanding General of the Army in March 1864 . Grant confronted Robert E. Lee in a series of bloody battles , trapping Lee 's army in their defense of Richmond . Grant coordinated a series of devastating campaigns in other theaters , as well . In April 1865 , Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox , effectively ending the war . Historians have hailed Grant 's military genius , and his strategies are featured in military history textbooks , but a minority contend that he won by brute force rather than superior strategy .   After the Civil War , Grant led the army 's supervision of Reconstruction in the former Confederate states . Elected president in 1868 , he stabilized the nation during that turbulent period , prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan , and enforced civil rights and voting rights laws using the army and the newly created Department of Justice . He also used the army to build the Republican Party in the South . After the disenfranchisement of some former Confederates , Republicans gained majorities , and African Americans were elected to Congress and high state offices . The Democrats and Liberal Republicans united behind Grant 's opponent in the presidential election of 1872 , but were unable to defeat his reelection . In his second term , the Republican coalitions in the South splintered and were defeated one by one as redeemers ( conservative whites ) regained control using coercion and violence . In response , Grant signed the Civil Rights Act of 1875 into law . In May 1875 , Grant authorized his Secretary of Treasury Benjamin Bristow to prosecute the corrupt Whiskey Ring . Grant 's Indian Peace Policy , incorporating Christian missionaries , initially reduced frontier violence , but it is best known for the Great Sioux War of 1876 . Grant 's administration faced charges of corruption more than that of any other 19th Century president . He appointed the first Civil Service Commission and signed legislation ending the corrupt moiety system .   In foreign policy , Grant was uneven , having sought to increase trade and influence while remaining at peace with the world . When Grant relied on his Secretary of State Hamilton Fish , his administration successfully resolved the Alabama claims by the Treaty of Washington with Great Britain , ending wartime tensions . Additionally , Grant and Fish avoided war with Spain over the Virginius Affair negotiating a peaceful resolution . Congress rejected Grant 's own attempted annexation of the Dominican Republic initiative , creating a rift among Republicans . His administration implemented a gold standard and sought to strengthen the dollar . Corruption charges escalated during his second term , while his response to the Panic of 1873 proved ineffective nationally in halting the five-year industrial depression that produced high unemployment , low prices , low profits , and bankruptcies . Grant left office in 1877 and embarked on a two-year diplomatic world tour that captured the nation 's attention .   In 1880 , Grant was unsuccessful in obtaining the Republican presidential nomination for a third term . Facing severe investment reversals and dying of throat cancer , he wrote his memoirs , which proved to be a major literary work and financial success . His death in 1885 prompted an outpouring in support of national unity . Historical assessment of Grant 's legacy has varied considerably over the years . Early historical evaluations were negative about Grant 's presidency , often focusing on the corruption charges against his associates . This trend began to change in the later 20th century . Scholars in general rank his presidency below the average , but modern research , in part focusing on civil rights , evaluates his administration more positively .


William Jennings Bryan is from California.

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan ( March 19 , 1860 -- July 26 , 1925 ) was an American orator and politician from Nebraska , and a dominant force in the populist wing of the Democratic Party , standing three times as the Party 's nominee for President of the United States ( 1896 , 1900 , and 1908 ) . He served two terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska and was United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson ( 1913 -- 1915 ) . He resigned because of his pacifist position on World War I. Bryan was a devout Presbyterian , a strong advocate of popular democracy , and an enemy of the banks and the gold standard . He demanded `` Free Silver '' because he believed it undermined the evil `` Money Power '' and put more cash in the hands of the common people . He was a peace advocate , a supporter of Prohibition , and an opponent of Darwinism on religious and humanitarian grounds . With his deep , commanding voice and wide travels , he was perhaps the best-known orator and lecturer of the era . Because of his faith in the wisdom of the common people , he was called `` The Great Commoner '' .   In the intensely fought 1896 and 1900 elections , he was defeated by William McKinley but retained control of the Democratic Party . With over 500 speeches in 1896 , Bryan invented the national stumping tour in an era when other presidential candidates stayed home . In his three presidential bids , he promoted Free Silver in 1896 , anti-imperialism in 1900 , and trust-busting in 1908 , calling on Democrats to fight the trusts ( big corporations ) and big banks , and embrace anti-elitist ideals of republicanism . President Wilson appointed him Secretary of State in 1913 . After the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915 , Wilson made strong demands on Germany that Bryan disagreed with , resigning in protest as a pacifist . After 1920 , he turned to Christian fundamentalism ; he supported Prohibition and attacked Darwinism and evolution , most famously at the Scopes Trial in 1925 in Tennessee . Five days after the conclusion of the Scopes case , Bryan died in his sleep .


Muhammad was raised under the care of his maternal uncle.

Muhammad Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd AllāhFull name : Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ( ابو القاسم محمد ابن عبد الله ابن عبد المطلب ابن هاشم , lit : Father of Qasim Muhammad son of Abd Allah son of Abdul-Muttalib son of Hashim ) ( محمد -LSB- muħammad -RSB- ; Classical Arabic pronunciation c. 570 CE -- 8 June 632 CE ) is the prophet of Islam and widely identified as its founder by non-Muslims . According to Islamic doctrine , he was God 's Messenger ( rasūl Allāh ) sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam , Abraham , Moses , Jesus , and other prophets . He is viewed as the final prophet of God in primary branches of Islam , though some modern denominations diverge from this belief.The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community considers Muhammad to be the `` Seal of the Prophets '' ( Khātam an-Nabiyyīn ) and the last law-bearing Prophet but not the last Prophet . See :   There are also smaller sects which believe Muhammad to be not the last Prophet :  The Nation of Islam considers Elijah Muhammad to be a prophet ( source : African American Religious Leaders -- p. 76 , Jim Haskins , Kathleen Benson -- 2008 ) .  United Submitters International consider Rashad Khalifa to be a prophet . ( Source : Daniel Pipes , Miniatures : Views of Islamic and Middle Eastern Politics , p. 98 ( 2004 ) ) Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings , practices , and the Quran , formed the basis of Islamic religious belief .   Born approximately 570CE ( Year of the Elephant ) in the Arabian city of Mecca , Muhammad was orphaned at an early age ; he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib . Periodically , he would seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer ; later , at age 40 , he reported being visited by Gabriel in the cave , where he stated he received his first revelation from God . Three years later , in 610 , Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly , proclaiming that `` God is One '' , that complete `` surrender '' ( lit . islām ) to him is the right course of action ( dīn ) , and that he was a prophet and messenger of God , similar to the other prophets in Islam .   Muhammad gained few early followers , and met hostility from some Meccan tribes . To escape persecution , Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina ( then known as Yathrib ) in the year 622 . This event , the Hijra , marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar , also known as the Hijri Calendar . In Medina , Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina . In December 629 , after eight years of intermittent conflict with Meccan tribes , Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca . The attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed . In 632 , a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage , he fell ill and died . Before his death , most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam .   The revelations ( each known as Ayah , lit . `` Sign -LSB- of God -RSB- '' ) , which Muhammad reported receiving until his death , form the verses of the Quran , regarded by Muslims as the `` Word of God '' and around which the religion is based . Besides the Quran , Muhammad 's teachings and practices ( sunnah ) , found in the Hadith and sira literature , are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law ( see Sharia ) .


Marlon Brando was in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film.

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 Formula (1980 film) The Formula is a 1980 American mystery film directed by John G. Avildsen and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It features a preeminent cast including Marlon Brando , George C. Scott , John Gielgud , and Marthe Keller . Craig T. Nelson also makes a brief appearance as a geologist .


Julius Caesar (1953 film) Julius Caesar is a 1953 epic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare , directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz , who also wrote the uncredited screenplay , and produced by John Houseman . The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa . The film stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony , James Mason as Brutus , John Gielgud as Cassius , Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar , Edmond O'Brien as Casca , Greer Garson as Calpurnia , and Deborah Kerr as Portia .


Greyson Chance Greyson Michael Chance ( born August 16 , 1997 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and pianist . His April 2010 performance of Lady Gaga 's `` Paparazzi '' at a sixth-grade music festival went viral on YouTube , gaining widespread attention and over 59 million views as of May 2017 , as well as an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show shortly afterward . Two of his original compositions , `` Stars '' and `` Broken Hearts '' , gained over six and eight million views respectively on his YouTube channel . His debut single , `` Waiting Outside the Lines '' , was released in October 2010 . Chance 's debut album , Hold On 'Til the Night , was released on August 2 , 2011 .   Chance released his second EP , Somewhere Over My Head , on May 13 , 2016 . The lead single , `` Afterlife '' , was released in October 2015 , followed by `` Hit and Run '' and `` Back On the Wall '' in February and April 2016 respectively .


Peter Cetera was on the album Chicago Transit Authority in 1969.

Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera ( -LSB- səˈtɛrə -RSB- ; born September 13 , 1944 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and bassist best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago ( 1967 -- 1985 ) , before launching a successful solo career . His career as a recording artist encompasses seventeen albums with Chicago and eight solo albums .   With `` If You Leave Me Now , '' a song written and sung by Cetera on the group 's tenth album , Chicago garnered its first Grammy Award . It was also the group 's first number one single .   As a solo artist , Cetera has scored six Top 40 singles , including two that reached number one on -LSB- -LSB- Billboard Hot 100 | Billboard '' 's Hot 100 -RSB- -RSB- chart in 1986 , `` Glory of Love '' and `` The Next Time I Fall . '' `` Glory of Love , '' the theme song from the film , The Karate Kid Part II '' , was co-written by Cetera , David Foster and Diane Nini , and was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for best original song from a motion picture . In 1987 he received an ASCAP award for `` Glory of Love '' in the category , `` Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures . '' His performance on `` Glory of Love '' was nominated for a Grammy Award for best pop male vocal . That same year Cetera and Amy Grant , who duetted on `` The Next Time I Fall , '' were nominated for a Grammy Award for best vocal performance by a pop duo or group .   Besides David Foster and Amy Grant , Cetera has collaborated throughout his career with other nationally known and internationally known recording artists from various genres of music including : The Beach Boys , Billy Joel , Karen Carpenter , Paul Anka , Agnetha Fältskog , Richard Sterban , Bonnie Raitt , Madonna , David Gilmour , Az Yet , Cher , Chaka Khan , Crystal Bernard , Ronna Reeves , and Alison Krauss . His songs have been featured in soundtracks for movies and television .   In 2014 , the first album by the group Chicago , Chicago Transit Authority ( Columbia , 1969 ) , with Cetera on bass and vocals , was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Cetera was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Chicago in April 2016 , and Cetera , Robert Lamm , and James Pankow are among the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees for their songwriting efforts as members of the group .


Cindy McCain is the wife of a presidential nominee.

Cindy McCain Cindy Lou Hensley McCain ( born May 20 , 1954 ) is an American businesswoman , philanthropist , and humanitarian , and the wife of long-time United States Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona .   She was born and raised in Phoenix , Arizona , as the daughter of wealthy beer distributor Jim Hensley . After receiving bachelor 's and master 's degrees from the University of Southern California , she became a special education teacher . She married John McCain in 1980 and the couple moved to Arizona in 1981 , where her husband would be elected to the United States Congress the following year and has been in office since then . The couple had three children together , in addition to adopting another . From 1988 to 1995 , she founded and operated a nonprofit organization , the American Voluntary Medical Team , which organized trips by medical personnel to disaster-stricken or war-torn third-world areas . During this time , she became addicted to painkillers for several years and resorted to having a physician write illegal prescriptions on her behalf . She reached an agreement with the government in which no charges were filed against her .   Upon her father 's death in 2000 , she inherited majority control and became chair of Hensley & Co. , one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the United States . She participated in both of her husband 's presidential campaigns and , in 2008 , drew both positive and negative scrutiny for her appearance , demeanor , wealth , spending habits , and financial obligations . She continues to be an active philanthropist and serves on the boards of Operation Smile , Eastern Congo Initiative , CARE and HALO Trust , frequently making overseas trips in conjunction with their activities . During the 2010s she has become prominent in the fight against human trafficking .


John McCain John Sidney McCain III ( born August 29 , 1936 ) is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Arizona . He was the Republican nominee for the 2008 U.S. presidential election .   McCain followed his father and grandfather , both four-star admirals , into the United States Navy , graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 . He became a naval aviator , flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers . During the Vietnam War , he was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire . In October 1967 , while on a bombing mission over Hanoi , he was shot down , seriously injured , and captured by the North Vietnamese . He was a prisoner of war until 1973 . McCain experienced episodes of torture , and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer . His war wounds have left him with lifelong physical limitations .   He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981 and moved to Arizona , where he entered politics . Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 , McCain served two terms . He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 , winning re-election easily five times , most recently in 2016 . While generally adhering to conservative principles , McCain at times has had a media reputation as a `` maverick '' for his willingness to disagree with his party on certain issues . After being investigated and largely exonerated in a political influence scandal of the 1980s as a member of the Keating Five , he made campaign finance reform one of his signature concerns , eventually gaining passage of the McCain -- Feingold Act in 2002 . He is also known for his work in the 1990s to restore diplomatic relations with Vietnam , and for his belief that the Iraq War should have been fought to a successful conclusion . McCain has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee , opposed spending that he considered to be pork barrel , and played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations with the bi-partisan group known as the Gang of 14 .   McCain ran for the Republican nomination in 2000 but lost a heated primary season contest to George W. Bush of Texas . He secured the nomination in 2008 after coming back from early reversals , but was defeated by Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the general election , losing by a 365 -- 173 electoral college margin and by 53 -- 46 % in the popular vote . He subsequently adopted more orthodox conservative stances and attitudes and largely opposed actions of the Obama administration , especially in regard to foreign policy matters . By 2013 , however , he had become a key figure in the Senate for negotiating deals on certain issues in an otherwise partisan environment . In 2015 , McCain became chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee .


Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a carnival.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film featuring the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman . Directed by Zack Snyder and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures , the film is the second installment in the DC Extended Universe following 2013 's Man of Steel . It was written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer , and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot . Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together , as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman , Aquaman , The Flash and Cyborg . In the film , criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman , whom Luthor is obsessed with defeating .   The film was announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International , after the release of Man of Steel . Snyder stated that the film would take inspiration from the Batman comic book series The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller , but clarified that it would follow an original premise . The incarnation of Batman in the film would also be different from the character 's previous portrayal in The Dark Knight Trilogy , serving as a cinematic reboot of the character . The film is also inspired by narrative elements from the `` Death of Superman '' story arc . Pre-production began at East Los Angeles College in October 2013 , with principal photography starting in May 2014 in Detroit , Michigan . Additional filming also took place in Chicago .   Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19 , 2016 , and was released in the United States on March 25 , 2016 , in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D , 4DX , premium large formats and 70 mm prints . Following a strong debut that set new box office records , the film experienced a historic drop in its second weekend and never recovered . Despite turning a profit , it was deemed a box office disappointment and received generally unfavorable reviews from critics for its tone , screenplay and pacing , though some praised the visual style and acting performances . A director 's cut , dubbed the `` Ultimate Edition '' and features 30 minutes of additional footage , was released digitally on June 28 , 2016 , and on Blu-ray and DVD on July 19 , 2016 . A follow-up , Justice League , is set to be released in November 2017 , and a standalone Superman sequel is currently in development .


Thinkin Bout You `` Thinkin Bout You '' is a song by American singer Frank Ocean , released as the lead single from his debut studio album Channel Orange ( 2012 ) . The song was written by Ocean and produced by Shea Taylor . Originally to be featured on Bridget Kelly 's debut album , Ocean released his original version of the track for free on his Tumblr account in 2011 . In May 2012 , the song was officially sent to radio and released on iTunes as a single by Ocean . Kelly would later release her own version of the track entitled `` Thinking Bout Forever '' .   Lyrically , the track is about a relationship just out of his reach and the turmoil that ensues . The track also explores feelings of regret and heartbreak . The song received highly positive reviews from music critics , who praised the atmospheric production , Ocean 's falsetto and writing ability . Some critics noted the possible bisexual undertones featured on the track .   In September 2012 , the song peaked at position 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 , 94 on the UK Singles Chart , and 13 on the Heatseekers Songs chart . In 2011 , the song received a music video directed by visual art group High5Collective released on September 15 . Ocean appears in the violent clip revolving around an inter-dimensional love story and zombies . Ocean performed the track during his seven-show tour through North America and Europe in November 2011 , at the April 2012 Coachella Musical Festival , and his supporting tour for Channel Orange . `` Thinkin Bout You '' has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) and has sold more than one million units in the United States . The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013 for Record of the Year .


Catherine Zeta-Jones directed A Little Night Music.

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones , ( -LSB- ˈziːtə -RSB- born 25 September 1969 ) is a Welsh actress . Born and raised in Swansea , Zeta-Jones aspired to be an actress from a young age . In her early teens , she played roles in the West End productions of the musicals Annie and Bugsy Malone . She studied musical theatre at the Arts Educational Schools , London , and made her stage breakthrough with a leading role in a 1987 production of 42nd Street . Her screen debut came in the unsuccessful French-Italian film 1001 Nights ( 1990 ) , and she went on to find greater success as a regular in the British television series The Darling Buds of May ( 1991 -- 93 ) . Dismayed at being typecast as the token pretty girl in British films , Zeta-Jones relocated to Los Angeles .   Zeta-Jones initially established herself in Hollywood with roles that highlighted her sex appeal such as in the action film The Mask of Zorro ( 1998 ) and the heist film Entrapment ( 1999 ) . Critics praised her portrayal of a vengeful pregnant woman in Traffic ( 2000 ) and a murderous singer in the musical Chicago ( 2002 ) . The latter won her Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress , among other accolades . She starred in high-profile films for much of the decade , including the black comedy Intolerable Cruelty ( 2003 ) , the heist film Ocean 's Twelve ( 2004 ) , the comedy The Terminal ( 2004 ) , and the romantic comedy No Reservations ( 2007 ) . Parts in smaller-scale features were followed by a decrease in workload , during which she returned to stage and portrayed an ageing actress in A Little Night Music ( 2009 ) , winning a Tony Award . Zeta-Jones continued to work intermittently in the 2010s , starring in the psychological thriller Side Effects ( 2013 ) and the action film Red 2 ( 2013 ) .   Zeta-Jones is the recipient of several accolades , including an Academy Award , a British Academy Film Award and a Tony Award , and in 2010 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) for her film and humanitarian endeavours . She supports various charities and causes , and is a prominent celebrity endorser of brands . Her struggle with depression and bipolar II disorder has been well-documented by the media . She is married to the actor Michael Douglas with whom she has two children .


Stanley Tucci performed in the American television series Monk.

Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the eponymous character , Adrian Monk . It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a police procedural series , and also exhibits comic and dramatic tones in its exploration of the main characters ' personal lives . The series was produced by Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television in association with Universal Television .   The series debuted on July 12 , 2002 , on USA Network . It continued for eight seasons , with the final season concluding on December 4 , 2009 . The series held the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history from 2009 through 2012 ( broken by The Walking Dead ) with `` Mr. Monk and the End -- Part II '' , its series finale , with 9.4 million viewers , 3.2 million of them in the 18 -- 49 demographic .


Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci ( -LSB- ˈtuːtʃi -RSB- -LSB- ˈtuttʃi -RSB- ; born November 11 , 1960 ) is an American character actor , writer , producer and film director .   Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Lovely Bones ( 2009 ) . He won two Emmy Awards for his performances in Winchell and Monk . He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children , for The One and Only Shrek ! .


Africa Africa is the world 's second-largest and second-most-populous continent . At about 30.3 million km2 ( 11.7 million square miles ) including adjacent islands , it covers 6 % of Earth 's total surface area and 20.4 % of its total land area . With 1.2 billion people as of 2016 , it accounts for about 16 % of the world 's human population . The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north , both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast , the Indian Ocean to the southeast , and the Atlantic Ocean to the west . The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos . It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states ( countries ) , nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition .   Africa 's population is the youngest amongst all the continents ; the median age in 2012 was 19.7 , when the worldwide median age was 30.4 . Algeria is Africa 's largest country by area , and Nigeria by population . Africa , particularly central Eastern Africa , is widely accepted as the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade ( great apes ) , as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors , as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago , including Sahelanthropus tchadensis , Australopithecus africanus , A. afarensis , Homo erectus , H. habilis and H. ergaster -- with the earliest Homo sapiens ( modern human ) found in Ethiopia being dated to circa 200,000 years ago . Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas ; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones .   Africa hosts a large diversity of ethnicities , cultures and languages . In the late 19th century European countries colonized most of Africa . Africa also varies greatly with regard to environments , economics , historical ties and government systems . However , most present states in Africa originate from a process of decolonization in the 20th century . African nations have attempted to cooperate through the establishment of the African Union , which is headquartered in Addis Ababa .


Algeria Algeria ( الجزائر ; ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ , Dzayer ; Algérie ) , officially the People 's Democratic Republic of Algeria , is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast . Its capital and most populous city is Algiers , located in the country 's far north . With an area of 2381741 km2 , Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world , and the largest in Africa . Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia , to the east by Libya , to the west by Morocco , to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory , Mauritania , and Mali , to the southeast by Niger , and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes ( counties ) . Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been President since 1999 .   Ancient Algeria has known many empires and dynasties , including ancient Numidians , Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Romans , Vandals , Byzantines , Umayyads , Abbasids , Idrisid , Aghlabid , Rustamid , Fatimids , Zirid , Hammadids , Almoravids , Almohads , Spaniards , Ottomans and the French colonial empire . Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Algeria .   Algeria is a regional and middle power . The North African country supplies large amounts of natural gas to Europe , and energy exports are the backbone of the economy . According to OPEC Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa , while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas . Sonatrach , the national oil company , is the largest company in Africa . Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget on the continent ; most of Algeria 's weapons are imported from Russia , with whom they are a close ally . Algeria is a member of the African Union , the Arab League , OPEC , the United Nations and is the founding member of the Maghreb Union .


Interpersonal psychotherapy is heavily based on regular personal interaction.

Interpersonal psychotherapy Interpersonal psychotherapy ( IPT ) is a brief , attachment-focused psychotherapy that centers on resolving interpersonal problems and symptomatic recovery . It is an empirically supported treatment ( EST ) that follows a highly structured and time-limited approach and is intended to be completed within 12 -- 16 weeks . IPT is based on the principle that relationships and life events impact mood and that the reverse is also true . It was developed by Gerald Klerman and Myrna Weissman for major depression in the 1970s and has since been adapted for other mental disorders . IPT is an empirically validated intervention for depressive disorders , and is more effective when used in combination with psychiatric medications . Along with cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) , IPT is recommended in treatment guidelines as a psychosocial treatment of choice , and IPT and CBT are the only psychosocial interventions in which psychiatry residents in the United States are mandated to be trained for professional practice .


Gone Girl (film) Gone Girl is a 2014 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn , based on her 2012 novel of the same name . The film stars Ben Affleck , Rosamund Pike , Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry . Set in Southwest Missouri , the story begins as a mystery that follows the events surrounding Nick Dunne ( Affleck ) , who becomes the primary suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife , Amy ( Pike ) .   The film had its world premiere on opening night of the 52nd New York Film Festival on September 26 , 2014 , before a nationwide theatrical release on October 3 . It was received well critically and was a commercial success , grossing $ 369 million , making it the highest-grossing film by Fincher . Rosamund Pike 's performance was particularly praised , and she received nominations for an Academy Award , BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress . Further nominations included a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Fincher and Golden Globe Award , BAFTA Award and Critics ' Choice Award nominations for Flynn 's adapted screenplay , receiving the award for the latter .


Lily Collins was put up for nomination of a Teen Choice Award.

Lily Collins Lily Jane Collins ( born 18 March 1989 ) is a British-American actress and model . The daughter of English musician Phil Collins and an American mother , Jill Tavelman , she was born in Surrey and moved to Los Angeles as a child . Her first screen role was at the age of two in the BBC series Growing Pains . She went on to study broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California and as a teenager , wrote for Seventeen magazine , Teen Vogue , and The Los Angeles Times . She was named International Model of the Year by Spain 's Glamour magazine after being selected by Chanel to wear one of their gowns at the Hotel de Crillon in 2007 . In 2008 , she was named Newest Red Carpet Correspondent and One to Watch in 2008 .   Collins appeared as a guest star on the teen drama television series 90210 in 2009 , followed by her feature film debut in the semi-biographical sports film The Blind Side . She had leading roles in the sci-fi action-horror film Priest ( 2011 ) and the psychological action-thriller film Abduction , and was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Sci-Fi/Fantasy for her role as Snow White in the fantasy film Mirror Mirror . She received wider recognition after taking on the role of Clary Fray in the fantasy film adaptation of Cassandra Clare 's The New York Times best-selling novel , The Mortal Instruments : City of Bones , for which she was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Action and an MTV Movie Award .   Collins is also known for her roles in independent films , such as the romantic comedy-drama Stuck in Love ( 2012 ) , the romantic comedy The English Teacher ( 2013 ) , and the romantic comedy-drama Love , Rosie ( 2014 ) . She won the New Hollywood Film Award and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy her role as Marla Mabrey in Rules Do n't Apply ( 2016 ) . In 2017 , her debut novel , Unfiltered : No Shame , No Regrets , Just Me , was released to critical praise . In May 2017 , Lily Collins and Marti Noxon were honoured at Project Heal for their movie To the Bone .


Kevin Durant has not contributed to The Players' Tribune.

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( born September 29 , 1988 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . Durant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award , four NBA scoring titles , the NBA Rookie of the Year Award , and two Olympic gold medals . He has also been selected to seven All-NBA teams and eight All-Star teams .   Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect . He played one season of college basketball for the University of Texas , where he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year . In the 2007 NBA draft , he was selected with the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics . After his rookie season , the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder . Durant helped lead Oklahoma City to the 2012 NBA Finals , losing to the Miami Heat in five games . He played nine seasons for the Thunder organization before joining the Warriors in 2016 .   Off the court , Durant often ranks as one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world , due in part to endorsement deals with companies such as Foot Locker and Nike . He has developed a reputation for his philanthropy and regularly leads the league in All-Star votes and jersey sales . In recent years , he has contributed to The Players ' Tribune as both a photographer and writer . In 2012 , he tried his hand at acting , appearing in the film Thunderstruck .


The Belko Experiment The Belko Experiment is a 2016 American horror film directed by Greg McLean and written by James Gunn . The film stars John Gallagher Jr. , Tony Goldwyn , Adria Arjona and Melonie Diaz . Filming began on June 1 , 2015 , in Bogotá , Colombia . The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10 , 2016 and was released in the United States on March 17 , 2017 , by BH Tilt and Orion Pictures . The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $ 10 million worldwide , against its $ 5 million budget .


One of the best-selling music artists in the United States was R. Kelly.

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


Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a person who boxed professionally.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. ( born Floyd Joy Sinclair ; February 24 , 1977 ) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2015 , and currently works as a boxing promoter . Widely considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time , undefeated as a professional , and a five-division world champion , Mayweather won fifteen world titles and the lineal championship in four different weight classes ( twice at welterweight ) . As an amateur , he won a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Olympics . Mayweather is a two-time winner of The Ring magazine 's Fighter of the Year award ( 1998 and 2007 ) , a three-time winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America ( BWAA ) Fighter of the Year award ( 2007 , 2013 , and 2015 ) , and a six-time winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award ( 2007 -- 2010 , 2012 -- 2014 ) .   In 2016 , Mayweather was ranked by ESPN as the greatest boxer , pound for pound , of the last 25 years . In the same year , he peaked as BoxRec 's number one fighter of all time , pound for pound , as well as the greatest welterweight of all time . Many sporting news and boxing websites ranked Mayweather as the best boxer in the world , pound for pound , twice in a span of ten years ; including The Ring , Sports Illustrated , ESPN , BoxRec , Fox Sports , and Yahoo! Sports . He is also regarded as the best defensive boxer in the sport , as well as being the most accurate puncher since the existence of CompuBox , having the highest plus -- minus ratio in recorded boxing history . He finished his career with a record of 26 wins without a loss or draw in world title fights ( 10 by KO ) ; 23 wins ( 9 KOs ) in lineal title fights ; 24 wins ( 7 KOs ) against former or current world titlists ; 12 wins ( 3 KOs ) against former or current lineal champions ; and 2 wins ( 1 KO ) against International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees .   In addition to his accomplishments in the ring , Mayweather is well known for being one of the most lucrative pay-per-view ( PPV ) attractions of all time , in any sport . He topped the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2012 and 2013 respectively , and the Forbes list again in both 2014 and 2015 , listing him as the highest paid athlete in the world . In 2007 , he founded Mayweather Promotions , his own boxing promotional firm after defecting from Bob Arum 's Top Rank . Mayweather has generated approximately 19.5 million in PPV buys and $ 1.3 billion in revenue throughout his career , surpassing the likes of former top PPV attractions including Mike Tyson , Evander Holyfield , Lennox Lewis , Oscar De La Hoya , and Manny Pacquiao .


Nicki Minaj has been nominated for an award.

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj ( born December 8 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( -LSB- langpronnɪkɪ_mɪ ` nɑːdʒ -RSB- ) , is a Trinidadian-born American rapper , singer , songwriter and model . Born in Saint James , Trinidad and Tobago ( a district of Trinidad 's capital Port of Spain ) and raised in South Jamaica , Queens , New York , Minaj earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 . She has been signed to Young Money Entertainment since 2009 .   Minaj 's first and second studio albums , Pink Friday ( 2010 ) and Pink Friday : Roman Reloaded ( 2012 ) , both peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the successful singles `` Super Bass '' and `` Starships '' , respectively . In 2010 , Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 . Her third studio album , The Pinkprint ( 2014 ) , was preceded by its second single , `` Anaconda '' , which peaked at number two on the Hot 100 and is her highest-charting single in the U.S. to date . Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age : Continental Drift , followed by supporting roles in The Other Woman ( 2014 ) and Barbershop : The Next Cut ( 2016 ) . In 2013 , she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol .   Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV 's Annual Hottest MC List , with a New York Times editor saying that some consider her to be `` the most influential female rapper of all time '' . In 2016 , Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world . Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents , primarily British cockney . Early in her career , Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs . She has the most Billboard Hot 100 entries for a female artist in the chart 's history , while being ninth overall . Minaj has received ten Grammy nominations throughout her career , and has won six American Music Awards , eleven BET Awards , three MTV Video Music Awards , four Billboard Music Awards , and was the recipient of Billboards Women in Music 2011 Rising Star award . She has endorsed Adidas , MAC Cosmetics and Pepsi . She has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist , and 60 million singles as a featured artist worldwide .


Jack Paar died five years after January 27, 2004.

Jack Paar Jack Harold Paar ( May 1 , 1918 -- January 27 , 2004 ) was an American author , radio and television comedian and talk show host , best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962 . Time magazine 's obituary of him noted that : `` His fans would remember him as the fellow who split talk show history into two eras : Before Paar and Below Paar . ''


Jennifer Lawrence has not been the highest-paid actress in the world.

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence ( born August 15 , 1990 ) is an American actress . Since 2015 , Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world , and her films have grossed over $ 5.5 billion worldwide . She appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes Celebrity 100 the following year and in 2016 .   During her childhood , Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals . When she was 14 , a talent scout spotted her in New York . She then moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career by playing guest roles in television shows . Her first major role came as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show ( 2007 -- 2009 ) . Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party ( 2008 ) , and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent drama Winter 's Bone ( 2010 ) . She achieved wider recognition for playing the mutant Mystique in X-Men : First Class ( 2011 ) , a role she reprised in later installments of the series .   Lawrence 's fame continued to grow with her starring role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series ( 2012 -- 2015 ) , which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time . She went on to earn various accolades from her collaborations with director David O. Russell . Her performance as a depressed widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook ( 2012 ) received an Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the second youngest Best Actress Oscar winner . Lawrence subsequently won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing a troubled wife in the black comedy American Hustle ( 2013 ) . She also received Golden Globe Awards for her roles in both of these films and for playing the eponymous inventor in the biopic Joy ( 2015 ) .   Lawrence is known in the media for being a vocal advocate of feminism and gender equality , and is the founder of the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation through which she supports various charitable organizations .


America is a country where Confessions was sold.

Confessions (Usher album) Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher . It was released on March 23 , 2004 , by Arista Records . Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 , with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri , alongside with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon , among others . Primarily an R&B album , Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up-tempos , incorporating musical genres of dance-pop , hip hop and crunk . The album 's themes generated controversy about Usher 's personal relationships ; however , the album 's primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects his personal story .   The album became an instant commercial success in the United States , selling 1.1 million copies in its first week . Its continued success was bolstered by its four chart-topping singles . To begin strategizing of boosting its sales amid threats of bootlegging , the special edition for the album was issued , which includes the hit single , `` My Boo '' ; a duet with Alicia Keys . Despite some mixed criticism towards its lyrical substance , Confessions received mostly positive reviews and earned Usher several awards ; including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album .   The album has been regarded by music writers as Usher 's greatest work , and according to Billboard , is the second best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the United States . With over eight million copies sold in 2004 , the album 's commercial success was viewed as a sign of recovering album sales in the US , following three years of decline . It was also exemplary of urban music 's commercial peak and dominance of the Billboard charts in 2004 . Confessions has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) and , as of 2016 , has sold over 11 million copies in the US and over 20 million copies worldwide .


Event management includes arranging for speakers.

Event management Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of large scale events such as festivals , conferences , ceremonies , formal parties , concerts , or conventions . It involves studying the brand , identifying it 's target audience , devising the event concept , and coordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event .   The process of planning and coordinating the event is usually referred to as event planning and which can include budgeting , scheduling , site selection , acquiring necessary permits , coordinating transportation and parking , arranging for speakers or entertainers , arranging decor , event security , catering , coordinating with third party vendors , and emergency plans .   The events industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to business breakfast meetings . Many industries , charitable organizations , and interest groups hold events in order to market themselves , build business relationships , raise money , or celebrate achievement .


The Void was produced by Jonathan Bronfman and Casey Walker.

The Void (2016 film) The Void is a 2016 Canadian horror film written and directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie , and produced by Jonathan Bronfman and Casey Walker . It stars Aaron Poole as deputy Daniel Carter , Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Powell , Daniel Fathers as Vincent , Kathleen Munroe as Allison , and Ellen Wong as Kim . The plot follows a group of people who have been trapped in a hospital by a gathering of hooded cultists . The group soon discovers that the hospital has been inhabited by grotesque creatures .   The film was originally crowdfunded on Indiegogo and had raised $ 82,510 . The film was originally shown at the 2016 Fantastic Fest and later at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival . It was given a limited theatrical release in April 2017 , initially opening in 31 theaters and later expanding to 50 . It grossed an estimated $ 55,000 on its opening weekend . The film received generally positive reviews from critics with many citing comparisons to horror films from the 1980s , but audience reception was less enthusiastic .


Ceres (dwarf planet) Ceres ( -LSB- ˈsɪəriːz -RSB- minor-planet designation : 1 Ceres ) is the largest object in the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter . Its diameter is approximately 945 km , making it the largest of the minor planets within the orbit of Neptune . The 33rd-largest known body in the Solar System , it is the only dwarf planet within the orbit of Neptune.Due to its eccentric orbit , the dwarf planet Pluto was also within the orbit of Neptune from 1979 to 1999 , and will be again from approximately 2227 to 2247 . Composed of rock and ice , Ceres is estimated to compose approximately one third of the mass of the entire asteroid belt . Ceres is the only object in the asteroid belt known to be rounded by its own gravity ( though detailed analysis was required to exclude 4 Vesta ) . From Earth , the apparent magnitude of Ceres ranges from 6.7 to 9.3 , and hence even at its brightest it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye except under extremely dark skies .   Ceres was the first asteroid to be discovered ( by Giuseppe Piazzi at Palermo on 1 January 1801 ) . It was originally considered a planet , but was reclassified as an asteroid in the 1850s after many other objects in similar orbits were discovered .   Ceres appears to be differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle , and may have a remnant internal ocean of liquid water under the layer of ice . The surface is probably a mixture of water ice and various hydrated minerals such as carbonates and clay . In January 2014 , emissions of water vapor were detected from several regions of Ceres . This was unexpected because large bodies in the asteroid belt typically do not emit vapor , a hallmark of comets .   The robotic NASA spacecraft Dawn entered orbit around Ceres on 6 March 2015 . Pictures with a resolution previously unattained were taken during imaging sessions starting in January 2015 as Dawn approached Ceres , showing a cratered surface . Two distinct bright spots ( or high-albedo features ) inside a crater ( different from the bright spots observed in earlier Hubble images ) were seen in a 19 February 2015 image , leading to speculation about a possible cryovolcanic origin or outgassing . On 3 March 2015 , a NASA spokesperson said the spots are consistent with highly reflective materials containing ice or salts , but that cryovolcanism is unlikely . However , on 2 September 2016 , NASA scientists released a paper in Science that claimed that a massive ice volcano called Ahuna Mons is the strongest evidence yet for the existence of these mysterious ice volcanoes . On 11 May 2015 , NASA released a higher-resolution image showing that , instead of one or two spots , there are actually several . On 9 December 2015 , NASA scientists reported that the bright spots on Ceres may be related to a type of salt , particularly a form of brine containing magnesium sulfate hexahydrite ( MgSO4 · 6H2O ) ; the spots were also found to be associated with ammonia-rich clays . In June 2016 , near-infrared spectra of these bright areas were found to be consistent with a large amount of sodium carbonate , implying that recent geologic activity was probably involved in the creation of the bright spots .   In October 2015 , NASA released a true color portrait of Ceres made by Dawn . In February 2017 , organics were reported to have been detected on Ceres in Ernutet crater ( see image ) .


There were multiple actors and actresses starred in Man of Steel (film).

Man of Steel (film) Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Superman . It is a British-American venture produced by Legendary Pictures , DC Entertainment , Syncopy Inc. , and Cruel and Unusual Films , and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . It is the first installment in the DC Extended Universe . The film is directed by Zack Snyder , written by David S. Goyer , and stars Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Michael Shannon , Kevin Costner , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Antje Traue , Ayelet Zurer , Christopher Meloni , and Russell Crowe . Man of Steel is a reboot of the Superman film series that retells the character 's origin story . In the film , Clark Kent learns that he is a superpowered alien from the planet Krypton and assumes the role of mankind 's protector as Superman , but finds himself having to prevent General Zod from destroying humanity .   Development began in 2008 , when Warner Bros. took pitches from comic book writers , screenwriters and directors , opting to reboot the franchise . In 2009 , a court ruling resulted in Jerry Siegel 's family recapturing the rights to Superman 's origins and Siegel 's copyright . The decision stated that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films , but if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011 , then the Shuster and Siegel estates would be able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film . Producer Christopher Nolan pitched Goyer 's idea after story discussion on The Dark Knight Rises , and Snyder was hired as the film 's director in October 2010 . Principal photography began in August 2011 in West Chicago , Illinois , before moving to Vancouver and Plano , Illinois .   Man of Steel was released in theaters on June 14 , 2013 , in conventional 2D , 3D , and IMAX formats . Despite receiving mixed reviews , the film became a box office success , grossing over $ 668 million worldwide . Critics praised the film 's visuals , action sequences , and Hans Zimmer 's musical score but criticized its pacing and lack of character development . A follow-up , Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice was released on March 25 , 2016 while a standalone Superman sequel is in active development .


The Odia language is used for communication by at least 10 million humans.

Odia language Odia ( -LSB- əˈdiːə -RSB- ) or Oriya ( -LSB- ɒˈriːə -RSB- ) , both renderings of , is a language spoken by 3.2 % of India 's population . It is an Indo-Aryan language that is spoken mostly in eastern India , with around 40 million native speakers , as of the year 2016 , from the state of Odisha , from adjoining regions of its neighboring states and by the largely migrated Odia population across India .   It is the predominant language of the Indian state of Odisha , where native speakers make up 80 % of the population , and also is spoken in parts of West Bengal , Jharkhand , Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh . Odia is one of the many official languages of India ; it is the official language of Odisha and the second official language of Jharkhand . The language is also spoken by a sizeable population of at least 10 million people in Chhattisgarh .   Odia is the sixth Indian language to be designated a Classical Language in India on the basis of having a long literary history and not having borrowed extensively from other languages .   The earliest known inscription in Odia dates back to the 10th century AD .


The Dogs D'Amour The Dogs D'Amour are a rock and roll band formed in 1983 in London , England . Over the years the band has had various line-ups , the only constant being vocalist Tyla .   Their 1989 release , A Graveyard of Empty Bottles , reached # 16 on the UK Albums Chart while the single `` Satellite Kid '' reached # 26 on the UK Singles Chart .   In 1991 , the band broke up onstage , before reforming briefly in the early 1990s for the release of their sixth studio album More Unchartered Heights of Disgrace . After this , however , the most famous incarnation of the band ceased to exist . There was another brief reunion in 2000 and an album , but , throughout the 2000s , Tyla has been touring and releasing albums under the band name , which is vastly different from their older material .   In December 2012 the ` classic ' line-up of Tyla , Jo ` Dog ' Almeida , Steve James and Bam agreed to reform to play a series of benefit concerts for their long-time friend , and former bandmate , Paul Hornby .  In January 2013 , the band recorded an EP in Florida and announced live dates for the UK and Spain .


Sharon Tate co-starred in a film with her husband.

Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski ( January 24 , 1943 -- August 9 , 1969 ) was an American actress and model . During the 1960s , she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl . After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances , Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood 's most promising newcomers .   She made her film debut in 1966 with the occult-themed Eye of the Devil . Her most remembered performance was as Jennifer North in the 1967 cult classic film , Valley of the Dolls , earning her a Golden Globe Award nomination . Tate 's last completed film , 12 +1 was released posthumously in 1969 , with the actress receiving top billing .   In January 20 , 1968 , Tate married Roman Polanski , her director and co-star in 1967 's The Fearless Vampire Killers . On August 9 , 1969 , Tate , along with four others , was murdered by members of the Manson Family in the home she shared with Polanski . At the time of her death , she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with the couple 's son .   A decade after Tate 's murder , the actress ' mother , Doris Tate , in response to the growing cult status of the killers and the possibility of them being granted parole , organized a public campaign that resulted in amendments to the California criminal law . Tate 's mother went on to say that the law would `` help transform Sharon 's legacy from murder victim to a symbol of victims ' rights '' . A book by Tate 's sister , Debra Tate , titled Sharon Tate : Recollection , was released in 2014 .


Cyndi Lauper was invited as a special guest to US President Barack Obama's second-term inaugural.

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie `` Cyndi '' Lauper ( born June 22 , 1953 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actress and LGBTQ activist . Her career has spanned over 30 years . Her debut solo album She 's So Unusual ( 1983 ) was the first debut female album to chart four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 -- `` Girls Just Want to Have Fun '' , `` Time After Time '' , `` She Bop '' , and `` All Through the Night '' -- and earned Lauper the Best New Artist award at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985 . Her success continued with the soundtrack for the motion picture The Goonies and her second record True Colors ( 1986 ) . This album included the number one single `` True Colors '' and `` Change of Heart '' , which peaked at number 3 .   Since 1989 , Lauper has released nine studio albums and participated in many other projects . In 2010 , Memphis Blues , became Billboard 's most successful blues album of the year , remaining at # 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart for 13 consecutive weeks . In 2013 , Lauper won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for composing the Broadway musical Kinky Boots , making her the first woman to win the category by herself . The musical was awarded five other Tonys including Tony Award for Best New Musical . In 2014 , Lauper was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recording . In 2016 , the West End production won Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards   Lauper has established herself as a pop culture icon selling over 50 million records and 20 million singles . She has won awards at the Grammys , Emmys , Tonys , the New York 's Outer Critics Circle , MTV Video Music Awards ( VMAs ) , Billboard Awards , and American Music Awards ( AMAs ) . An inductee into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame , Lauper is one of the few singers to win three of the four major American entertainment awards ( EGOT ) . Lauper won the inaugural Best Female Video prize at the 1984 VMAs for Girls Just Want To Have Fun . This music video is recognized by MTV , VH1 and Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the greatest ever music videos of the era . She is featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum 's Women Who Rock exhibit . Her debut album is included in Rolling Stone '' 's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time , while Time After Time is included in Vh1 's list of the 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 years . VH1 has ranked Lauper No. 58 of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll '' .   Lauper has been celebrated for her humanitarian work , particularly as an advocate for LGBT rights in the United States . Her charitable efforts were acknowledged in 2013 when the singer was invited as a special guest to attend US President Barack Obama 's second-term inaugural .


Nazi Germany Nazi Germany is the common English name for the period in German history from 1933 to 1945 , when Germany was governed by a dictatorship under the control of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party ( NSDAP ) . Under Hitler 's rule , Germany was transformed into a fascist state in which the Nazi Party took totalitarian control over nearly all aspects of life . The official name of the state was Deutsches Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Großdeutsches Reich ( `` Greater German Reich '' ) from 1943 to 1945 . The period is also known under the names the Third Reich ( Drittes Reich ) and the National Socialist Period ( Zeit des Nationalsozialismus , abbreviated as NS-Zeit ) . The Nazi regime came to an end after the Allied Powers defeated Germany in May 1945 , ending World War II in Europe .   Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by the President of the Weimar Republic Paul von Hindenburg on 30 January 1933 . The Nazi Party then began to eliminate all political opposition and consolidate its power . Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934 , and Hitler became dictator of Germany by merging the powers and offices of the Chancellery and Presidency . A national referendum held 19 August 1934 confirmed Hitler as sole Führer ( leader ) of Germany . All power was centralised in Hitler 's person , and his word became above all laws . The government was not a coordinated , co-operating body , but a collection of factions struggling for power and Hitler 's favour . In the midst of the Great Depression , the Nazis restored economic stability and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending and a mixed economy . Extensive public works were undertaken , including the construction of Autobahnen ( motorways ) . The return to economic stability boosted the regime 's popularity .   Racism , especially antisemitism , was a central feature of the regime . The Germanic peoples ( the Nordic race ) were considered by the Nazis to be the purest branch of the Aryan race , and were therefore viewed as the master race . Millions of Jews and other peoples deemed undesirable by the state were murdered in the Holocaust . Opposition to Hitler 's rule was ruthlessly suppressed . Members of the liberal , socialist , and communist opposition were killed , imprisoned , or exiled . Christian churches were also oppressed , with many leaders imprisoned . Education focused on racial biology , population policy , and fitness for military service . Career and educational opportunities for women were curtailed . Recreation and tourism were organised via the Strength Through Joy program , and the 1936 Summer Olympics showcased the Third Reich on the international stage . Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels made effective use of film , mass rallies , and Hitler 's hypnotic oratory to control public opinion . The government controlled artistic expression , promoting specific art forms and banning or discouraging others .   Beginning in the late 1930s , Nazi Germany made increasingly aggressive territorial demands , threatening war if they were not met . It seized Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939 . Hitler made a non-aggression pact with Joseph Stalin and invaded Poland in September 1939 , launching World War II in Europe . In alliance with Italy and smaller Axis powers , Germany conquered most of Europe by 1940 and threatened Great Britain . Reichskommissariats took control of conquered areas , and a German administration was established in what was left of Poland . Jews and others deemed undesirable were imprisoned , murdered in Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps , or shot .   Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 , the tide gradually turned against the Nazis , who suffered major military defeats in 1943 . Large-scale aerial bombing of Germany escalated in 1944 , and the Axis powers were pushed back in Eastern and Southern Europe . Following the Allied invasion of France , Germany was conquered by the Soviet Union from the east and the other Allied powers from the west and capitulated within a year . Hitler 's refusal to admit defeat led to massive destruction of German infrastructure and additional war-related deaths in the closing months of the war . The victorious Allies initiated a policy of denazification and put many of the surviving Nazi leadership on trial for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials .


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


Gopalkrishna Gandhi works for the government.

High commissioner High commissioner is the title of various high-ranking , special executive positions held by a commission of appointment .   The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages .


Gopalkrishna Gandhi Gopalkrishna Devdas Gandhi ( born April 22 , 1946 ) is a retired IAS officer and diplomat , who was the 22nd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009 . As a former IAS officer and he served as Secretary to the President of India and as High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka , among other administrative and diplomatic posts .


Ozzy Osbourne John Michael `` Ozzy '' Osbourne ( born 3 December 1948 ) is an English singer , songwriter , and actor . He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath . He was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and went on to have a successful solo career , releasing 11 studio albums , the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the US . Osbourne has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions , recording the album 13 in 2013 . His longevity and success have earned him the informal title of `` Godfather of Heavy Metal '' .   Osbourne 's total album sales from his years in Black Sabbath , combined with his solo work , is over 100 million . As a member of Black Sabbath , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of the band . Possessing a distinctive singing voice and as a native of Birmingham , Osbourne is known for his strong Brummie accent -- he has a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in his hometown as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame . At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards , he received the Global Icon Award . In the early 2000s , Osbourne became a reality television star , appearing as himself in the MTV reality show The Osbournes , alongside wife and manager Sharon and two of their three children , Kelly and Jack . Osbourne appeared with son Jack in the 2016 worldwide travelogue docuseries Ozzy & Jack 's World Detour .


Spotlight (film) Spotlight is a 2015 American biographical crime drama film directed by Tom McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Josh Singer . The film follows The Boston Globe `` Spotlight '' team , the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States , and its investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests . It is based on a series of stories by the `` Spotlight '' team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service . The film stars Mark Ruffalo , Michael Keaton , Rachel McAdams , John Slattery , Stanley Tucci , Brian d'Arcy James , Liev Schreiber , and Billy Crudup .   Spotlight was shown in the Out of Competition section of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival . It was also shown at the Telluride Film Festival and the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was released on November 6 , 2015 , by Open Road Films and grossed $ 90 million worldwide . It won numerous guilds and critics ' association awards , and was named one of the finest films of 2015 by various publications . Spotlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with Best Original Screenplay from six nominations in total , making Spotlight the first film from Open Road Films to win in either category . This also marks the first film to win Best Picture from a different mini-major studio than Lionsgate , Summit ( later bought by Lionsgate in 2012 ) , Miramax , or TWC .


Minos In Greek mythology Minos ( -LSB- ˈmaɪnɒs -RSB- or -LSB- ˈmaɪnəs -RSB- Μίνως , Minōs ) was the first King of Crete , son of Zeus and Europa . Every nine years , he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus 's creation , the labyrinth , to be eaten by the Minotaur . After his death , Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld . The Minoan civilization of Crete has been named after him by the archaeologist Arthur Evans . By his wife , Pasiphaë ( or some say Crete ) , he fathered Ariadne , Androgeus , Deucalion , Phaedra , Glaucus , Catreus , Acacallis and Xenodice . By a nymph , Pareia , he had four sons , Eurymedon , Nephalion , Chryses and Philolaus , who were killed by Heracles in revenge for the murder of the latter 's two companions ; and by Dexithea , one of the Telchines , he had a son called Euxanthius . By Androgeneia of Phaestus he had Asterion , who commanded the Cretan contingent in the war between Dionysus and the Indians . Also given as his children are Euryale , possibly the mother of Orion with Poseidon , and Pholegander , eponym of the island Pholegandros .   Minos , along with his brothers , Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon , were raised by King Asterion ( or Asterius ) of Crete . When Asterion died , his throne was claimed by Minos who banished Sarpedon and , according to some sources , Rhadamanthys too .


Casey Ryback Casey Ryback is a fictional character and action hero from the Under Siege films of the 1990s . Played by Hollywood action star Steven Seagal , Ryback is a Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL operator turned chef with top training in martial arts , explosives , special-weapons and tactics . He is a master of unarmed combat , highly skilled with firearms , knives and other forms of combat which enables him to defeat mercenaries/terrorists with ease . He appears in the 1992 film Under Siege and its sequel , Under Siege 2 : Dark Territory , in 1995 .


Jennifer Lawrence's films have been shown worldwide.

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence ( born August 15 , 1990 ) is an American actress . Since 2015 , Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world , and her films have grossed over $ 5.5 billion worldwide . She appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes Celebrity 100 the following year and in 2016 .   During her childhood , Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals . When she was 14 , a talent scout spotted her in New York . She then moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career by playing guest roles in television shows . Her first major role came as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show ( 2007 -- 2009 ) . Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party ( 2008 ) , and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent drama Winter 's Bone ( 2010 ) . She achieved wider recognition for playing the mutant Mystique in X-Men : First Class ( 2011 ) , a role she reprised in later installments of the series .   Lawrence 's fame continued to grow with her starring role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series ( 2012 -- 2015 ) , which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time . She went on to earn various accolades from her collaborations with director David O. Russell . Her performance as a depressed widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook ( 2012 ) received an Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the second youngest Best Actress Oscar winner . Lawrence subsequently won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing a troubled wife in the black comedy American Hustle ( 2013 ) . She also received Golden Globe Awards for her roles in both of these films and for playing the eponymous inventor in the biopic Joy ( 2015 ) .   Lawrence is known in the media for being a vocal advocate of feminism and gender equality , and is the founder of the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation through which she supports various charitable organizations .


X-Men (film series) X-Men is an American superhero film series based on the fictional superhero team of the same name , who originally appeared in a series of comic books created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and published by Marvel Comics . 20th Century Fox obtained the film rights to the characters in 1994 , and after numerous drafts , Bryan Singer was hired to direct X-Men ( 2000 ) and its sequel , X2 ( 2003 ) , while Brett Ratner directed X-Men : The Last Stand ( 2006 ) .   After each film earned higher box office grosses than its predecessor , several spin-off films were released , including a trilogy focused on the character of Wolverine : X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) , The Wolverine ( 2013 ) and Logan ( 2017 ) . A prequel , X-Men : First Class , was released in 2011 , followed by sequels X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 , also a sequel to X-Men : The Last Stand ) and X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) . A spin-off film , Deadpool ( 2016 ) was also released .   X-Men , X2 , X-Men : First Class , The Wolverine , X-Men : Days of Future Past , Deadpool and Logan were all met with positive reviews from critics . X-Men : The Last Stand and X-Men : Apocalypse were met with mixed reviews , while X-Men Origins : Wolverine received negative reviews .   With ten films released , the X-Men film series is the eighth highest-grossing film series , having grossed over worldwide . It is set to continue in 2018 with the releases of New Mutants , Deadpool 2 and Dark Phoenix .


This Sporting Life was directed by a woman.

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson ( 17 April 1923 -- 30 August 1994 ) was a British feature film , theatre and documentary director , film critic , and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave . He is most widely remembered for his 1968 film if ... , which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival and was Malcolm McDowell 's cinematic debut . He is also notable , though not a professional actor , for playing a minor role in the Academy Award winning film Chariots of Fire . Malcolm McDowell produced a 2007 documentary about his experiences with Lindsay Anderson , Never Apologize .


This Sporting Life This Sporting Life is a 1963 British feature film based on the 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey , which won the 1960 Macmillan Fiction Award . It recounts the story of a rugby league footballer , Frank Machin , in Wakefield , a mining area of Yorkshire , whose romantic life is not as successful as his sporting life . Storey , a former professional rugby league footballer , also wrote the screenplay .   The film stars Richard Harris , Rachel Roberts , William Hartnell and Alan Badel . It was directed by Lindsay Anderson . The film was Richard Harris 's first starring role , and won him a Best Actor Award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival . He was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role . Rachel Roberts won her second BAFTA award for This Sporting Life and an Oscar nomination for best actress . Harris was nominated for the BAFTA that year as well . The film opened at the Odeon Leicester Square in London 's West End on 7 February 1963 .


Tamera Mowry Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley ( -LSB- tə 'm ɛrə _ 'm ɔːri -RSB- born July 6 , 1978 ) is an American actress and model . She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister , Sister ( opposite her identical twin sister Tia Mowry ) . She has also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Twitches and its sequel , Twitches Too , and she played Dr. Kayla Thornton on the medical drama Strong Medicine . A reality TV show following her and her twin sister 's lives , Tia & Tamera , began airing on the Style Network in 2011 , ending in 2013 after three seasons .   Currently , she is one of the hosts of The Real talk show along with former fellow Disney Channel star Adrienne Bailon , Jeannie Mai , and Loni Love , which premiered on July 15 , 2013 .   She and her identical twin sister Tia Mowry were in a singing group in the early 1990s called Voices . The group debuted their first single , `` Yeah , Yeah , Yeah ! '' in 1992 and charted No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 .


Cage Warriors held an even in London in July, 2002.

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 .


Vera Farmiga Vera Ann Farmiga ( -LSB- fɑrˈmiːɡə -RSB- born August 6 , 1973 ) is an American actress , director and producer . She began her career on Broadway in the play Taking Sides ( 1996 ) . She made her television debut in the Fox fantasy series Roar ( 1997 ) , and her film debut in the drama-thriller Return to Paradise ( 1998 ) .   Farmiga 's breakout role came in 2004 , when she portrayed a mother harboring a secret drug habit in the drama film Down to the Bone . She then co-starred in The Manchurian Candidate ( 2004 ) , The Departed ( 2006 ) , The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ( 2008 ) , and Nothing But the Truth ( 2008 ) . She gained more critical acclaim for her role as Alex Goran in the 2009 comedy-drama Up in the Air , for which she was nominated for the Academy Award , BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award , and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress .   She then had starring roles in Orphan ( 2009 ) , Source Code ( 2011 ) , and Safe House ( 2012 ) . Farmiga made her directorial debut with the drama film Higher Ground ( 2011 ) , in which she also starred in the lead role . In 2013 , she portrayed paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the horror film The Conjuring , and reprised the role in the 2016 sequel The Conjuring 2 .   From 2013 to 2017 , Farmiga starred as Norma Louise Bates in the A&E drama-thriller series Bates Motel , for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination . This role , along with her roles in Joshua , Orphan , and the two Conjuring films , has dubbed her as a contemporary scream queen .


Orphan (film) Orphan is a 2009 psychological horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by David Leslie Johnson from a story by Alex Mace . The film stars Vera Farmiga , Peter Sarsgaard , Isabelle Fuhrman , C. C. H. Pounder and Jimmy Bennett . The plot centers on a couple who , after the death of their unborn child , adopt a mysterious 9-year-old girl .   Orphan was produced by Joel Silver and Susan Downey of Dark Castle Entertainment , and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran of Appian Way Productions . It is an American , Canadian , German and French co-production . The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 24 , 2009 by Warner Bros. . Pictures . Some critics compared Fuhrman 's performance as Esther to that of Linda Blair in The Exorcist and Patty McCormack in The Bad Seed .


Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan ( October 3 , 1954 -- August 27 , 1990 ) was an American musician , singer , songwriter , and record producer . In spite of a short-lived mainstream career spanning seven years , he is widely considered one of the most influential guitarists in the history of music , and one of the most important figures in the revival of blues in the 1980s . AllMusic describes him as `` a rocking powerhouse of a guitarist who gave blues a burst of momentum in the '80s , with influence still felt long after his tragic death . ''   Born and raised in Dallas , Texas , Vaughan began playing guitar at the age of seven , inspired by his older brother Jimmie . In 1971 he dropped out of high school , and moved to Austin the following year . He played gigs with numerous bands , earning a spot in Marc Benno 's band , the Nightcrawlers , and later with Denny Freeman in the Cobras , with whom he continued to work through late 1977 . He then formed his own group , Triple Threat Revue , before renaming the band Double Trouble after hiring drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon . He gained fame after his performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982 , and in 1983 his debut studio album , Texas Flood , charted at number 38 . The ten-song album was a commercially successful release that sold over half a million copies . After achieving sobriety in late 1986 , he headlined concert tours with Jeff Beck in 1989 and Joe Cocker in 1990 before his death in a helicopter crash on August 27 , 1990 , at the age of 35 .   Vaughan was inspired musically by American and British blues rock . He favored clean amplifiers with high volume and contributed to the popularity of vintage musical equipment . He often combined several different amplifiers together and used minimal effects pedals . Chris Gill of Guitar World commented : `` Stevie Ray Vaughan 's guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante , the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom . However , Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound , mainly to boost the signal , although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair . ''   Vaughan received several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously . In 1983 , readers of Guitar Player voted him Best New Talent and Best Electric Blues Guitar Player . In 1984 , the Blues Foundation named him Entertainer of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year , and in 1987 , Performance Magazine honored him with Rhythm and Blues Act of the Year . Earning six Grammy Awards and ten Austin Music Awards , he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 , and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014 . Rolling Stone ranked Vaughan as the twelfth greatest guitarist of all time . In 2015 , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .


Charles Marie de La Condamine was a human.

Charles Marie de La Condamine Charles Marie de La Condamine ( 28 January 1701 -- 13 February 1774 ) was a French explorer , geographer , and mathematician . He spent ten years in present-day Ecuador measuring the length of a degree latitude at the equator and preparing the first map of the Amazon region based on astronomical observations . Furthermore he was a contributor to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences , des arts et des métiers .


Welcome Back (film) Welcome Back is an Indian action comedy film directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala , released in 2015 . It is a sequel to Welcome and features an ensemble cast that includes Anil Kapoor , Nana Patekar , John Abraham , Shruti Haasan , Paresh Rawal , Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah . While Kapoor , Patekar and Rawal have reprised their roles from the 2007 film , Abraham and Hassan are new additions to the lead cast . Made on a budget of US$ 16 million , the film was largely shot in and around Dubai , United Arab Emirates . Welcome Back was released worldwide on 4 September 2015 .