Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters ( born 18 January 1960 ) is an English actor , theatre director and playwright . He was the first artistic director of Shakespeare 's Globe in London , from 1995 to 2005 . His film appearances include Prospero 's Books ( 1991 ) , Angels and Insects ( 1995 ) , Institute Benjamenta ( 1996 ) , and Intimacy ( 2001 ) . Rylance won the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) .   He played the title role in Steven Spielberg 's The BFG ( 2016 ) , a live-action film adaptation of the children 's book by Roald Dahl . He will appear in Christopher Nolan 's Dunkirk ( 2017 ) based on the British evacuation in World War II , and as James Halliday in Spielberg 's 2018 film adaptation of Ready Player One .   After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London , Rylance made his professional debut at the Citizens Theatre , Glasgow in 1980 . He appeared in the West End productions of Much Ado About Nothing in 1994 and Jerusalem in 2010 , winning the Olivier Award for Best Actor for both . He has also appeared on Broadway , winning three Tony Awards for Best Actor for Boeing Boeing in 2008 , Jerusalem in 2011 , and Best Featured Actor for Twelfth Night in 2014 .   On television , he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as David Kelly in the 2005 Channel 4 drama The Government Inspector and for playing Thomas Cromwell in the 2015 BBC Two miniseries Wolf Hall . For Wolf Hall , he also received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations .   Rylance is a patron of the London International Festival of Theatre . He is also a patron of the London-based charity Peace Direct which supports peace-builders in areas of conflict , and of the British Stop the War Coalition . He is also a long-time supporter of British NGO Conscience : Taxes For Peace Not War .   In 2016 , he was named in the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world .


Bridge of Spies (film) Bridge of Spies is a 2015 historical drama legal thriller film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg , written by Matt Charman , Ethan and Joel Coen and stars Tom Hanks , Mark Rylance , Amy Ryan and Alan Alda . Set during the Cold War , the film tells the story of lawyer James B. Donovan , who is entrusted with negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers -- a U.S. Air Force pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 -- in exchange for Rudolf Abel , a convicted Soviet KGB spy held under the custody of the United States , whom he represented at trial . The name of the film refers to the Glienicke Bridge , which connects Potsdam with Berlin , where the prisoner exchange took place . The film was an international co-production of the United States and Germany .   Bridge of Spies was shot under the working title of St. James Place . Principal photography began on September 8 , 2014 , in Brooklyn , New York City , and the production proceeded at Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam . The film was released by Touchstone Pictures on October 16 , 2015 , in the United States and distributed by 20th Century Fox in other territories . It was a box office success , grossing $ 165 million worldwide , and received positive reviews , garnering praise for its direction , screenplay , acting , score , and production merits . The film received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay , and won Best Supporting Actor for Rylance .


Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks ( born July 9 , 1956 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles , including Splash ( 1984 ) , Big ( 1988 ) , Turner & Hooch ( 1989 ) , A League of Their Own ( 1992 ) , Sleepless in Seattle ( 1993 ) , Philadelphia ( 1993 ) , Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) , Apollo 13 ( 1995 ) , Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , You 've Got Mail ( 1998 ) , The Green Mile ( 1999 ) , Cast Away ( 2000 ) , Road to Perdition ( 2002 ) , and The Da Vinci Code ( 2006 ) , as well as for his voice work in the animated films The Polar Express ( 2004 ) and the Toy Story series .   Hanks ' films have grossed more than $ 4.5 billion at U.S. and Canadian box offices and more than $ 9.0 billion worldwide , making him the third-highest-grossing actor in North America . Hanks has been nominated for numerous awards during his career . He won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia , as well as a Golden Globe , an Academy Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award , and a People 's Choice Award for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump . In 2004 , he received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( BAFTA ) . In 2014 , he received a Kennedy Center Honor and , in 2016 , he received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama , as well as the French Legion of Honor .   Hanks is also known for his collaborations with film director Steven Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan , Catch Me If You Can ( 2002 ) , The Terminal ( 2004 ) , and Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) , as well as the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers , which launched Hanks as a successful director , producer , and screenwriter . In 2010 , Spielberg and Hanks were executive producers on the HBO miniseries The Pacific ( a companion piece to Band of Brothers ) .


There is an American film named Blue Velvet.

Blue Velvet (film) Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery film , written and directed by David Lynch . Blending psychological horror with film noir , the film stars Kyle MacLachlan , Isabella Rossellini , Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern . The title is taken from Bobby Vinton 's 1963 song of the same name .   The screenplay of Blue Velvet had been passed around multiple times in the late 1970s and early 1980s , with many major studios declining it because of its strong sexual and violent content . After the commercial and critical failure of Lynch 's Dune ( 1984 ) , the director made attempts at developing a more `` personal story '' , somewhat characteristic of the surrealist style displayed in his debut Eraserhead ( 1977 ) . The independent studio De Laurentiis Entertainment Group , owned at the time by Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis , agreed to finance and produce the film .   Blue Velvet initially received a divided critical response , with many stating that its objectionable content served little artistic purpose . It nevertheless earned Lynch his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director and came to achieve cult status . As an example of a director casting against the norm , it was credited for re-launching Hopper 's career and for providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond her previous work as a fashion model and a cosmetics spokeswoman .   In the years since , the film has generated significant academic attention with regard to its thematic symbolism , and is now widely regarded as one of Lynch 's major works and one of the greatest films of the 1980s . Publications including Sight & Sound , Time , Entertainment Weekly and BBC Magazine have ranked it among the greatest American films of all time . In 2008 , Blue Velvet was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest American mystery films ever made .


Aaliyah's second album was called Never Let You Go.

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( -LSB- ɑ : ˈliːə -RSB- January 16 , 1979 -- August 25 , 2001 ) was an American singer , actress , and model . She was born in Brooklyn , New York , and raised in Detroit , Michigan . At the age of 10 , she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight . At age 12 , Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson 's Blackground Records . Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly , who became her mentor , as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album , Age Ai n't Nothing but a Number . The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly , Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records .   Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album , One in a Million , which sold 3 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide . In 2000 , Aaliyah appeared in her first film , Romeo Must Die . She contributed to the film 's soundtrack , which spawned the single `` Try Again '' . The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay , making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this goal . `` Try Again '' earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist . After completing Romeo Must Die , Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned . She released her third and final album , Aaliyah , in July 2001 .   On August 25 , 2001 , Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single `` Rock the Boat '' . The pilot , Luis Morales III , was unlicensed at the time of the accident and toxicology tests revealed that he had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system . Aaliyah 's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways , which was settled out of court . Aaliyah 's music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases . Aaliyah has sold an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide . She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B , pop and hip hop , earning her the nicknames `` Princess of R&B '' and `` Queen of Urban Pop '' . She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years and 27th most successful R&B artist in history .


Bela Lugosi did not act in horror films.

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó ( -LSB- ˈbeːlɒ ˈfɛrɛnt͡s ˈdɛʒøː ˈblɒʃkoː -RSB- ; 20 October 1882 -- 16 August 1956 ) , better known as Bela Lugosi ( -LSB- ləˈgoʊsi -RSB- -LSB- ˈlugoʃi -RSB- ) , was a Hungarian-American actor , famous for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 film and for his roles in various other horror films .   He had been playing small parts on the stage in his native Hungary before making his first film in 1917 , but had to leave the country after the failed Hungarian Communist Revolution of 1919 . He had roles in several films in Weimar Germany before arriving in the United States as a seaman on a merchant ship .   In 1927 , he appeared as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker 's novel . He later appeared in the classic 1931 film Dracula by Universal Pictures . Through the 1930s , he occupied an important niche in popular horror films , with their East European setting , but his Hungarian accent limited his repertoire , and he tried unsuccessfully to avoid typecasting .   Meanwhile , he was often paired with Boris Karloff , who was able to demand top billing . To his frustration , Lugosi was increasingly restricted to minor parts , kept employed by the studio principally for the sake of his name on the posters . Among his pairings with Karloff , only in The Black Cat ( 1934 ) , The Raven ( 1935 ) , and Son of Frankenstein ( 1939 ) did he perform major roles again , and , even in The Raven , Karloff received top billing despite Lugosi performing the lead role . By this time , Lugosi had been receiving regular medication for sciatic neuritis , and he became addicted to morphine and methadone . This drug dependence was noted by producers , and the offers eventually dwindled down to a few parts in Ed Wood 's low-budget movies , most notably Plan 9 from Outer Space .


Billy Joel is involved in the music industry.

Billy Joel William Martin Joel ( born May 9 , 1949 ) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist . Since releasing his first hit song , `` Piano Man '' , in 1973 , Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States . His compilation album Greatest Hits Vol . 1 & 2 is one of the best-selling albums in the US .   Joel had Top 40 hits in the 1970s , 1980s , and 1990s , achieving 33 Top 40 hits in the US , all of which he wrote himself . He is also a six-time Grammy Award winner who has been nominated for 23 Grammy Awards . He has sold more than 150 million records worldwide , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time .   Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame ( 1992 ) , the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ( 1999 ) , and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame ( 2006 ) . In 2001 , Joel received the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame . In 2013 , Joel received the Kennedy Center Honors , the nation 's highest honor for influencing American culture through the arts . With the exception of the 2007 songs `` All My Life '' and `` Christmas in Fallujah '' , Joel stopped writing and releasing pop/rock material after 1993 's River of Dreams . However , he continues to tour , and he plays songs from all eras of his solo career .


Grammy Award A Grammy Award ( originally called Gramophone Award ) , or Grammy , is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry . The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists , and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest . It shares recognition of the music industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards ( television ) , the Tony Awards ( stage performance ) , and the Academy Awards ( motion pictures ) .   The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4 , 1959 , to honor and respect the musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958 . Following the 2011 ceremony , The Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012 . The 59th Grammy Awards , honoring the best achievements from October 2015 to September 2016 , was held on February 12 , 2017 , at the Staples Center in Los Angeles .


One of the sports played in Paris is tennis.

Paris Paris ( French pronunciation : -LSB- pɑʁi -RSB- , -LSB- paʁi -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous city of France . It has an area of 105 km2 and a population of 2,229,621 in 2013 within its administrative limits . The city is both a commune and department and forms the centre and headquarters of the Île-de-France , or Paris Region , which has an area of 12,012 km2 and a population in 2016 of 12,142,802 , comprising roughly 18 percent of the population of France . By the 17th century , Paris was one of Europe 's major centres of finance , commerce , fashion , science , and the arts , and it retains that position still today . The Paris Region had a GDP of $ 624 billion ( US $ 687 billion ) in 2012 , accounting for 30.0 percent of the GDP of France and ranking it as one of the wealthiest regions in Europe .   The City of Paris is but the core of a built-up area that extends well beyond its administrative limits . Commonly referred to as the agglomération Parisienne , and statistically as a unité urbaine ( a measure of urban area ) , the agglomeration has a 2013 population of 10,601,122 , which makes it the largest in the European Union . City-influenced commuter activity reaches well beyond even this in a statistical aire urbaine de Paris ( a measure of metropolitan area ) , that had a 2013 population of 12,405,426 , a number one-fifth the population of France , and one that makes it , after London , the second largest metropolitan area in the European Union . Although joined in a single urban tissue , Paris ' lack of administrative and economic cohesion with its suburbs has been a longstanding problem , but a 2016 ` Metropole of Grand Paris ' economic and environmental initiative covering an 814 km2 area and a population of 7 million , exists since 2016 .   The city is also a major rail , highway , and air-transport hub served by two international airports : Paris-Charles de Gaulle ( the second busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow Airport with 63.8 million passengers in 2014 ) and Paris-Orly . Opened in 1900 , the city 's subway system , the Paris Métro , serves 5.23 million passengers daily . It is the second busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow Metro . Notably , Paris Gare du Nord is the busiest railway station in the world outside of Japan , with 262 millions passengers in 2015 .   Paris has many important cultural institutions : its Louvre museum is the most visited in the world ; its Musée d'Orsay is noted for its collection of French Impressionist art , and its Pompidou-center Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe . The central area of the city along the Seine River is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site and includes many notable monuments , including Notre Dame Cathedral , the Sainte-Chapelle , the former Universal Exposition Grand Palais , Petit Palais and Eiffel Tower , and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre . In 2015 , Paris received 22.2 million visitors , making it one of the world 's top tourist destinations .   The association football club Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Français are based in Paris . The 80,000-seat Stade de France , built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup , is located just north of Paris in the neighbouring commune of Saint-Denis . Paris hosts the annual French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament on the red clay of Roland Garros . Paris hosted the 1900 and 1924 Summer Olympics and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics . The 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups , the 2007 Rugby World Cup , and the 1960 , 1984 , and 2016 UEFA European Championships were also held in the city , and every July , the Tour de France bicycle race finishes in the city .


Chris Noth Christopher David `` Chris '' Noth ( -LSB- ` no : th -RSB- ; born November 13 , 1954 ) is an American actor . He is known for his television roles as Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order ( 1990 -- 95 ) , Mr. Big on Sex and the City ( 1998 -- 2004 ) , and Governor Peter Florrick on The Good Wife ( 2009 -- 16 ) . He reprised his role of Mike Logan on Law & Order : Criminal Intent ( 2005 -- 08 ) , and reprised his role of Mr. Big in the films , Sex and the City ( 2008 ) and Sex and the City 2 ( 2010 ) . He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television for Sex and the City in 1999 and for The Good Wife in 2010 .


The album OK Computer is an exemplar of late-1990s alternative rock.

OK Computer OK Computer is the third studio album by English alternative rock band Radiohead , released in 1997 on EMI subsidiaries Parlophone and Capitol Records . The members of Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich , an arrangement that the band has used on all of their subsequent albums to date . Other than `` Lucky '' , which was recorded in 1995 , Radiohead recorded the album in Oxfordshire and Bath between 1996 and early 1997 , mostly in the historic mansion St. Catherine 's Court . The band made a deliberate attempt to distance themselves from the guitar-oriented , lyrically introspective style of their previous album , The Bends . OK Computers abstract lyrics , densely layered sound and eclectic range of influences laid the groundwork for Radiohead 's later , more experimental work .   Upon the album 's delivery to EMI and its global subsidiary distributors , label representatives generally lowered their sales estimates , deeming the record 's sound uncommercial and difficult to market . Nevertheless , OK Computer reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and became the band 's highest album entry on the American charts at the time , debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200 . Four songs from the album -- `` Paranoid Android '' , `` Karma Police '' , `` Lucky '' , and `` No Surprises '' -- were released as promotional singles . The album expanded Radiohead 's international popularity and has sold more than 4.5 million copies worldwide . A remastered reissue with additional tracks , OKNOTOK , is scheduled for release in June 2017 , commemorating the album 's twentieth anniversary .   OK Computer received widespread critical acclaim and in subsequent years has been cited by listeners , critics and musicians as one of the greatest albums of all time . The album initiated a stylistic shift in British rock away from the then-ubiquitous genre of Britpop toward melancholic , atmospheric styles of alternative and indie rock that became more prevalent in the next decade . Critics and fans have noted that the album 's lyrics and music depict a world fraught with rampant consumerism , social alienation , emotional isolation and political malaise ; in this capacity , OK Computer is often interpreted as having prescient insight into the mood of 21st-century life .


The Homesman features at least one American actor.

The Homesman The Homesman is a 2014 French-American historical period drama set in the 1850s Midwest , directed and co-produced by Tommy Lee Jones and co-written with Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley Oliver , based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout . The film stars Jones and Hilary Swank and also features Meryl Streep , Hailee Steinfeld , John Lithgow , and James Spader .   The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and received a North American limited release on November 14 , 2014 by Roadside Attractions . The Homesman has received mostly positive reviews from critics . Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating average of 7.1 / 10 .   The title refers to the task of taking immigrants back home , which was typically a man 's job to carry out .


Florence Ballard struggled with a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems.

Alcoholism Alcoholism , also known as alcohol use disorder ( AUD ) , is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems . It was previously divided into two types : alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence . In a medical context , alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions is present : a person drinks large amounts over a long time period , has difficulty cutting down , acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time , alcohol is strongly desired , usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities , usage results in social problems , usage results in health problems , usage results in risky situations , withdrawal occurs when stopping , and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use . Risky situations include drinking and driving or having unsafe sex among others . Alcohol use can affect all parts of the body but particularly affects the brain , heart , liver , pancreas , and immune system . This can result in mental illness , Wernicke -- Korsakoff syndrome , an irregular heart beat , liver failure , and an increase in the risk of cancer , among other diseases . Drinking during pregnancy can cause damage to the baby resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders . Generally women are more sensitive to alcohol 's harmful physical and mental effects than men .   Both environmental factors and genetics are associated with alcoholism with about half the risk attributed to each . A person with a parent or sibling with alcoholism is three to four times more likely to be alcoholic themselves . Environmental factors include social , cultural , and behavioral influences . High stress levels , anxiety , as well as inexpensive easily accessible alcohol increases risk . People may continue to drink partly to prevent or improve symptoms of withdrawal . A low level of withdrawal may last for months following stopping . Medically , alcoholism is considered both a physical and mental illness . Both questionnaires and certain blood tests may detect people with possible alcoholism . Further information is then collected to confirm the diagnosis .   Prevention of alcoholism may be attempted by regulating and limiting the sale of alcohol , taxing alcohol to increase its cost , and providing inexpensive treatment . Treatment may take several steps . Because of the medical problems that can occur during withdrawal , alcohol detoxification should be carefully controlled . One common method involves the use of benzodiazepine medications , such as diazepam . This can be either given while admitted to a health care institution or occasionally while a person remains in the community with close supervision . Other addictions or mental illness may complicate treatment . After detoxification support such as group therapy or support groups are used to help keep a person from returning to drinking . One commonly used form of support is the group Alcoholics Anonymous . The medications acamprosate , disulfiram , or naltrexone may also be used to help prevent further drinking .   The World Health Organization estimates that as of 2010 there were 208 million people with alcoholism worldwide ( 4.1 % of the population over 15 years of age ) . In the United States about 17 million ( 7 % ) of adults and 0.7 million ( 2.8 % ) of those age 12 to 17 years of age are affected . It is more common among males and young adults , becoming less common in middle and old age . It is the least common in Africa at 1.1 % and has the highest rates in Eastern Europe at 11 % . Alcoholism directly resulted in 139,000 deaths in 2013 up from 112,000 deaths in 1990 . A total of 3.3 million deaths ( 5.9 % of all deaths ) are believed to be due to alcohol . It often reduces a person 's life expectancy by around ten years . In the United States it resulted in economic costs of $ 224 billion USD in 2006 . Many terms , some insulting and others informal , have been used to refer to people affected by alcoholism including : tippler , drunkard , dipsomaniac , and souse . In 1979 , the World Health Organization discouraged the use of `` alcoholism '' due to its inexact meaning , preferring `` alcohol dependence syndrome '' .


Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman ( née Ballard ; June 30 , 1943 -- February 22 , 1976 ) was an American vocalist . She was one of the founding members of the popular Motown vocal female group the Supremes . Ballard sang on 16 top forty singles with the group , including ten number-one hits .   After being removed from the Supremes in 1967 , Ballard tried an unsuccessful solo career with ABC Records before she was dropped from the label at the end of the decade . Ballard struggled with alcoholism , depression , and poverty for three years . She was making an attempt for a musical comeback when she died of a heart attack in February 1976 at the age of 32 . Ballard 's death was considered by one critic as `` one of rock 's greatest tragedies '' . Ballard was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes in 1988 .


Saratoga is a film categorized as romance.

Saratoga (film) Saratoga is a 1937 American romantic comedy film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway . The film stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration , and features Lionel Barrymore , Frank Morgan , Walter Pidgeon , Hattie McDaniel , and Margaret Hamilton .   Jean Harlow died before filming was finished , and it was completed using stand-ins . Saratoga was MGM 's biggest moneymaker of 1937 .


The Nazi regime was led by Adolf Hitler.

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler ( -LSB- ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ -RSB- ; 20 April 1889 -- 30 April 1945 ) was a German politician who was the leader of the Nazi Party ( Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei ; NSDAP ) , Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 , and Führer ( `` Leader '' ) of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945 . As dictator of the German Reich , he initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 , and was central to the Holocaust .   Hitler was born in Austria , then part of Austria-Hungary , and raised near Linz . He moved to Germany in 1913 and was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War I . He joined the German Workers ' Party ( DAP ) , the precursor of the NSDAP , in 1919 and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921 . In 1923 he attempted a coup in Munich to seize power . The failed coup resulted in Hitler 's imprisonment , during which he dictated the first volume of his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf ( `` My Struggle '' ) . After his release in 1924 , Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism , anti-semitism , and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda . Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy .   By 1933 , the Nazi Party was the largest elected party in the German Reichstag , which led to Hitler 's appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 . Following fresh elections won by his coalition , the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act , which began the process of transforming the Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany , a one-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of National Socialism . Hitler aimed to eliminate Jews from Germany and establish a New Order to counter what he saw as the injustice of the post-World War I international order dominated by Britain and France . His first six years in power resulted in rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression , the effective abandonment of restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I , and the annexation of territories that were home to millions of ethnic Germans -- actions which gave him significant popular support .   Hitler sought Lebensraum ( `` living space '' ) for the German people in Eastern Europe . His aggressive foreign policy is considered to be the primary cause of the outbreak of World War II in Europe . He directed large-scale rearmament and on 1 September 1939 invaded Poland , resulting in British and French declarations of war on Germany . In June 1941 , Hitler ordered an invasion of the Soviet Union . By the end of 1941 German forces and the European Axis powers occupied most of Europe and North Africa . Failure to defeat the Soviets and the entry of the United States into the war forced Germany onto the defensive and it suffered a series of escalating defeats . In the final days of the war , during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 , Hitler married his long-time lover , Eva Braun . On 30 April 1945 , less than two days later , the two killed themselves to avoid capture by the Red Army , and their corpses were burned .   Under Hitler 's leadership and racially motivated ideology , the Nazi regime was responsible for the genocide of at least 5.5 million Jews and millions of other victims whom he and his followers deemed Untermenschen ( `` sub-humans '' ) and socially undesirable . Hitler and the Nazi regime were also responsible for the killing of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war . In addition , 29 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European Theatre of World War II . The number of civilians killed during the Second World War was unprecedented in warfare , and constitutes the deadliest conflict in human history .


Lodging Lodging or a holiday accommodation is a type of residential accommodation . People who travel and stay away from house for more than a day need lodging for sleep , rest , food , safety , shelter from cold temperatures or rain , storage of luggage and access to common household functions .   Lodgings may be self-catering , in which case no food is provided , but cooking facilities are available .   Lodging is done in a hotel , motel , hostel or hostal , a private home ( commercial , i.e. a bed and breakfast , a guest house , a vacation rental , or non-commercially , with members of hospitality services or in the home of friends ) , in a tent , caravan/camper ( often on a campsite ) .


Dwight D. Eisenhower was an ally of Formosa.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David `` Ike '' Eisenhower ( -LSB- ˈaɪzənˌhaʊ.ər -RSB- ; October 14 , 1890 -- March 28 , 1969 ) was an American politician and Army general who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 . He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe . He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942 -- 43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944 -- 45 from the Western Front .   Eisenhower was born in Denison , Texas , and raised in Kansas in a large family of mostly Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry by parents with a strong religious background . His mother was born a Lutheran , married as a River Brethren and later converted to Jehovah 's Witnesses . Eisenhower did not belong to any denomination until he was President . He graduated from West Point in 1915 and later married Mamie Doud , with whom he had two sons . During World War I , he was denied a request to serve in Europe , instead commanding a unit training tank crews . Following the war , he served under several notable generals , and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1941 . After the U.S. entered World War II , Eisenhower oversaw the successful invasions of North Africa and Sicily before supervising the invasions of France and Germany . After the war , Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff and then in an uncomfortable role as president of Columbia University . In 1951 -- 52 , he served as the first Supreme Commander of NATO .   Eisenhower entered the 1952 presidential race as a Republican , in order to block the foreign policies of Senator Robert A. Taft . He won two landslide elections , becoming the first Republican winner to do so since 1928 . Eisenhower 's main goals in office were to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union and reduce federal deficits . In 1953 , he threatened the use of nuclear weapons until China agreed to terms regarding POWs in the Korean War . An armistice ended the stalemated conflict . His New Look policy of nuclear deterrence prioritized inexpensive nuclear weapons while reducing funding for expensive Army divisions . He continued Truman 's policy of recognizing the Republic of China as the legitimate government of China , and he won congressional approval of the Formosa Resolution . His administration provided major aid to help the French fight off Vietnamese Communists in the First Indochina War . After the French left he gave strong financial support to the new state of South Vietnam . He supported local military coups against hostile governments in Iran and Guatemala . During the Suez Crisis of 1956 , Eisenhower condemned the Israeli , British and French invasion of Egypt , and forced them to withdraw . He also condemned the Soviet invasion during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 but took no action . After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957 , Eisenhower authorized the establishment of NASA , which led to the space race . During the Syrian Crisis of 1957 he approved a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion by Syria 's pro-western neighbours . He deployed 15,000 soldiers during the 1958 Lebanon crisis . Near the end of his term , his efforts to set up a summit meeting with the Soviets collapsed when an American spy plane was shot down over Russia .   On the domestic front , Eisenhower was a moderate conservative who continued New Deal agencies and expanded Social Security . He covertly opposed Joseph McCarthy and contributed to the end of McCarthyism by openly invoking executive privilege . Eisenhower was reluctant to support civil rights but signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent Army troops to enforce federal court orders that integrated schools in Little Rock , Arkansas . His largest program was the Interstate Highway System . He promoted the establishment of strong science education via the National Defense Education Act . Eisenhower 's two terms saw widespread economic prosperity except for a minor recession in 1958 . In his farewell address to the nation , Eisenhower expressed his concerns about the dangers of massive military spending , particularly deficit spending and government contracts to private military manufacturers . Voted Gallup 's most admired man twelve times , he achieved widespread popular esteem both in and out of office . Since the late 20th century , consensus among Western scholars has consistently held Eisenhower as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents .


Motorola Motorola ( -LSB- ˌmoʊtəˈroʊlə -RSB- ) was an American multinational telecommunications company founded on September 25 , 1928 , based in Schaumburg , Illinois . After having lost $ 4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009 , the company was divided into two independent public companies , Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4 , 2011 . Motorola Solutions is generally considered to be the direct successor to Motorola , as the reorganization was structured with Motorola Mobility being spun off . Motorola Mobility was acquired by Lenovo in 2014 .   Motorola designed and sold wireless network equipment such as cellular transmission base stations and signal amplifiers . Motorola 's home and broadcast network products included set-top boxes , digital video recorders , and network equipment used to enable video broadcasting , computer telephony , and high-definition television . Its business and government customers consisted mainly of wireless voice and broadband systems ( used to build private networks ) , and public safety communications systems like Astro and Dimetra . These businesses ( except for set-top boxes and cable modems ) are now part of Motorola Solutions . Google sold Motorola Home ( the former General Instrument cable businesses ) to the Arris Group in December 2012 for US$ 2.35 billion .   Motorola 's wireless telephone handset division was a pioneer in cellular telephones . Also known as the Personal Communication Sector ( PCS ) prior to 2004 , it pioneered the `` mobile phone '' with DynaTAC , `` flip phone '' with the MicroTAC as well as the `` clam phone '' with the StarTAC in the mid-1990s . It had staged a resurgence by the mid-2000s with the RAZR , but lost market share in the second half of that decade . Later it focused on smartphones using Google 's open-source Android mobile operating system . The first phone to use the newest version of Google 's open source OS , Android 2.0 , was released on November 2 , 2009 as the Motorola Droid ( the GSM version launched a month later , in Europe , as the Motorola Milestone ) .   The handset division ( along with cable set-top boxes and cable modems ) was later spun off into the independent Motorola Mobility . On May 22 , 2012 , Google CEO Larry Page announced that Google had closed on its deal to acquire Motorola Mobility . On January 29 , 2014 , Page announced that pending closure of the deal , Motorola Mobility would be acquired by Chinese technology company Lenovo for US$ 2.91 billion ( subject to certain adjustments ) . On October 30 , 2014 , Lenovo finalized its purchase of Motorola Mobility from Google .


Bertrand Russell's work has had a considerable influence on artificial intelligence.

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell , 3rd Earl Russell , ( -LSB- ˈrʌsəl -RSB- 18 May 1872 -- 2 February 1970 ) was a British philosopher , logician , mathematician , historian , writer , social critic , political activist and Nobel laureate . At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal , a socialist , and a pacifist , but he also admitted that he had `` never been any of these things , in any profound sense '' . He was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the United Kingdom .   In the early 20th century , Russell led the British `` revolt against idealism '' . He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy along with his predecessor Gottlob Frege , colleague G. E. Moore , and protégé Ludwig Wittgenstein . He is widely held to be one of the 20th century 's premier logicians . With A. N. Whitehead he wrote Principia Mathematica , an attempt to create a logical basis for mathematics . His philosophical essay `` On Denoting '' has been considered a `` paradigm of philosophy '' . His work has had a considerable influence on mathematics , logic , set theory , linguistics , artificial intelligence , cognitive science , computer science ( see type theory and type system ) , and philosophy , especially the philosophy of language , epistemology , and metaphysics .   Russell mostly was a prominent anti-war activist ; he championed anti-imperialism . Occasionally , he advocated preventive nuclear war , before the opportunity provided by the atomic monopoly had passed , and `` welcomed with enthusiasm '' world government . He went to prison for his pacifism during World War I. Later , he campaigned against Adolf Hitler , then criticised Stalinist totalitarianism , attacked the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War , and was an outspoken proponent of nuclear disarmament . In 1950 Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature `` in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought '' .


The Color of Money The Color of Money is a 1986 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Richard Price , based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis . The film stars Paul Newman and Tom Cruise , with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Helen Shaver , and John Turturro in supporting roles . The film featured an original score by Robbie Robertson .   Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance , his first Oscar win after eight nominations , seven of them for Best Actor .   The film continues the story of pool hustler and Edward `` Fast Eddie '' Felson from Tevis ' first novel , The Hustler ( 1959 ) , with Newman reprising his role from the 1961 film adaptation . The film begins more than 25 years after the events of the previous film , with Eddie retired from the pool circuit . Although Tevis did author a screenplay for the film , adapting the storyline from his novel , the filmmakers decided not to use it , instead crafting an entirely different story under Tevis ' title .   The Color of Money was released by Touchstone Pictures .


Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 , 1962 ) , known professionally as Tom Cruise , is an American actor and producer . He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards . He started his career at age 19 in the film Endless Love ( 1981 ) . After portraying supporting roles in Taps ( 1981 ) and The Outsiders ( 1983 ) , his first leading role was in the romantic comedy Risky Business , released in August 1983 . Cruise became a full-fledged movie star after starring as Pete `` Maverick '' Mitchell in the action drama Top Gun ( 1986 ) . One of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood , Cruise starred in several more successful films in the 1980s , including the dramas The Color of Money ( 1986 ) , Cocktail ( 1988 ) , Rain Man ( 1988 ) , and Born on the Fourth of July ( 1989 ) .   In the 1990s , he starred in a number of hit films , including the romance Far and Away ( 1992 ) , the drama A Few Good Men ( 1992 ) , the legal thriller The Firm ( 1993 ) , the drama horror film Interview with the Vampire ( 1994 ) , the romantic comedy-drama sports film Jerry Maguire ( 1996 ) , the erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut , and the drama Magnolia ( both 1999 ) . Since 1996 , Cruise has been well known for his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission : Impossible film series , whose most recent film , Mission : Impossible -- Rogue Nation , was released in 2015 .   In the 2000s , Cruise starred in a number of successful films , including the science fiction thrillers Vanilla Sky ( 2001 ) and Minority Report ( 2002 ) , the epic war film The Last Samurai ( 2003 ) , the crime film Collateral ( 2004 ) , the science fiction disaster thriller War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) , and the historical thriller Valkyrie ( 2008 ) .   In the 2010s , he has starred in the action comedy Knight and Day ( 2010 ) , the thriller Jack Reacher ( 2012 ) , the post-apocalyptic science fiction film Oblivion ( 2013 ) , and the military science fiction film Edge of Tomorrow ( 2014 ) . In 2012 , Cruise was Hollywood 's highest-paid actor . 16 of his films grossed over $ 100 million domestically ; 22 have grossed in excess of $ 200 million worldwide .   He has won Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Drama in 1990 for Born on the Fourth of July ; Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in Comedy/Musical in 1997 for Jerry Maguire ; and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in 2000 for Magnolia . In 2002 , Cruise won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for Vanilla Sky . In 2003 , he won an AFI Movie of the Year Award for The Last Samurai and an Empire Award for Best Actor for Minority Report .   Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology and its associated social programs , and credits it with helping him overcome dyslexia . In the 2000s , his criticisms of psychiatry and anti-depressant drugs , particularly therapy for 9/11 rescue workers , and efforts to promote Scientology as a religion in Europe , sparked controversies , as did a leaked video interview of him promoting Scientology .


Gil Sharone portrayed a character on an episode of a sitcom made by Jeff Franklin.

Gil Sharone Gil Sharone is an American drummer and member of the band Stolen Babies , Marilyn Manson , Team Sleep , and formerly The Dillinger Escape Plan . He was also a fill in for punk rock band +44 . His twin brother is Rani Sharone , also of Stolen Babies . He is highly regarded as one of the most versatile touring/session drummers in the world .   Sharone supported Mark Hoppus 's band +44 when Travis Barker broke his arm . Gil toured around Europe , Japan and Australia with +44 in early 2007 , it is believed he learned all of +44 's setlist on the flight from America to Europe . He played on Travis 's OCDP Drum Kit , which is a custom made transparent green . He started using Drum Workshop drums and hardware in October 2011 .   Sharone also recorded the drum tracks on the third Dillinger Escape Plan record Ire Works , and joined the band during all of their tour dates in 2008 ( he played the European tour in early 2008 both with Dillinger and also as support with Stolen Babies ) . Gil also performed on Maynard James Keenan 's V Is for Vagina album by Puscifer .   In January 2009 , it was announced that Sharone had parted ways with Dillinger Escape Plan , due to his focus on Stolen Babies and other personal projects including his DVD , Wicked Beats , based on the drumming styles of Ska , Rocksteady and Reggae .  Wicked Beats will be released through Hudson Music late 2010 .   Sharone played Teenage Alex on an episode of Full House along with his twin brother , who played Teenage Nicky .   As of November 2013 , Sharone began working with Marilyn Manson on a new album . On January 15 , 2015 The Pale Emperor was released . Sharone is currently working on the follow up Heaven Upside Down   due to be released in Summer 2017 .   Sharone was featured on Reggae Grammy winners Morgan Heritage track `` So Amazing '' on the album Strictly Roots ( 2016 ) . You can also hear his work playing on the film scores to `` John Wick , '' `` John Wick 2 , '' `` Slackers '' and the TV shows , `` Salem , '' `` Kingdom , '' and the Netflix series `` The Punisher ( 2017 ) . ''


Full House Full House is an American sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC . The show chronicles the events of widowed father , Danny Tanner , who enlists his brother-in-law and best friend to help raise his three daughters . It aired from September 22 , 1987 , to May 23 , 1995 , broadcasting eight seasons and 192 episodes .   While never a critical favorite , the series was consistently in the Nielsen Top 30 ( from 1988 onward ) and gained even more popularity in syndicated reruns . It has also had tie-in merchandise marketed , such as a series of paperback books . A sequel series , Fuller House , premiered on Netflix on February 26 , 2016 .


Morena Baccarin was nominated for an Emmy.

Morena Baccarin Morena Silva de Vaz Setta Baccarin ( -LSB- moˈɾenɐ ˈbakaɾĩ -RSB- ; born June 2 , 1979 ) is a Brazilian American actress . She is known for portraying Inara Serra in the series Firefly and the follow-up film Serenity , Adria in the series Stargate SG-1 and the follow-up film Stargate : The Ark of Truth , Anna in the 2009 version of the series V , Vanessa in the superhero comedy film Deadpool , and Jessica Brody in the Showtime series Homeland ( for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 ) . She plays the role of Dr. Leslie Thompkins in the Fox television series Gotham .


Malaysia Airlines planned routes to the Americas and South Africa.

Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines Berhad ( MAB ) ( Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad ) , formerly known as Malaysian Airline  System Berhad ( MAS ; ) ; branded as Malaysia Airlines ' is a major airline operating flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and from secondary hubs in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to destinations throughout Asia , Oceania and Europe . Malaysia Airlines is the flag carrier of Malaysia and a member of the oneworld airline alliance . The company 's headquarters are located at Kuala Lumpur International Airport . In August 2014 , the Malaysian government 's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional -- which then owned 69.37 % of the airline -- announced its intention to purchase remaining ownership from minority shareholders and de-list the airline from Malaysia 's stock exchange , thereby renationalising the airline .   Malaysia Airlines owns two subsidiary airlines : Firefly and MASwings . Firefly operates scheduled flights from its two home bases Penang International Airport and Subang International Airport . The airline focuses on tertiary cities . MASwings focuses on inter-Borneo flights . Malaysia Airlines has a freighter fleet operated by MASkargo , which manages freighter flights and aircraft cargo-hold capacity for all Malaysia Airlines ' passenger flights .   The airline began as Malayan Airways Limited and flew its first commercial flight in 1947 . Malayan Airways was headquartered in Singapore . In 1966 , the airline was renamed Malaysia Singapore Airlines ( MSA ) , before its assets were divided in 1972 to form Singapore 's flag carrier Singapore Airlines and Malaysian flag carrier Malaysian Airline System .   Despite numerous awards from the aviation industry , being crowned ` The World 's 5-Star Airline ' by Skytrax multiple times ( 2009 , 2012 and 2013 ) , and recognition from the World Travel Awards as ` Asia 's Leading Airline ' ( 2010 , 2011 and 2013 ) , the airline struggled to cut costs to compete with new , low-cost carriers in the region since the early 2000s . In 2013 , the airline initiated a turnaround plan after large losses beginning in 2011 and cut routes to prominent , but unprofitable , long-haul destinations , such as the Americas ( Los Angeles and Buenos Aires ) and South Africa . Malaysia Airlines also began an internal restructuring and intended to sell units such as engineering and pilot training .   In 2014 , Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft -- Flight 370 and Flight 17 -- less than five months apart , exacerbating the airline 's financial troubles and leading to the renationalisation of the airline . Prior to 2014 , MAS had one of the world 's best safety records -- just two fatal accidents in 68 years of operation , including the hijacking in 1977 of Flight 653 that resulted in 100 deaths .


Dominick Dunne Dominick John Dunne ( October 29 , 1925 -- August 26 , 2009 ) was an American producer , writer and investigative journalist .   He began his career as a producer in film and television , noted for involvement with the pioneering gay film The Boys in the Band ( 1970 ) and the award winning drug film Panic in Needle Park ( 1971 ) . He turned to writing in the early 1970s . After the 1982 murder of his daughter Dominique , he came to focus on the ways in which wealth and high society interacts with the judicial system . A frequent contributor to Vanity Fair , Dunne also appeared regularly on television discussing crime from the 1980s to the end of his life .


Little Miss Sunshine had a wider release in August.

Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama road film and the directorial debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris . The screenplay was written by first-time writer Michael Arndt . The film stars Greg Kinnear , Steve Carell , Toni Collette , Paul Dano , Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin , and was produced by Big Beach Films on a budget of US$ 8 million . Filming began on June 6 , 2005 and took place over 30 days in Arizona and Southern California .   The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20 , 2006 , and its distribution rights were bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures for one of the biggest deals made in the history of the festival . The film had a limited release in the United States on July 26 , 2006 , and later expanded to a wider release starting on August 18 .   Little Miss Sunshine had an international box office gross of $ 100.5 million . The film was nominated for four Academy Awards , including Best Picture , and won two : Best Original Screenplay for Michael Arndt and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin . It also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature and received numerous other accolades .


The Jimi Hendrix Experience released Purple Haze.

Purple Haze `` Purple Haze '' is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and released as the second record single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on March 17 , 1967 . As a record chart hit in several countries and the opening number on the Experience 's debut American album , it was many people 's first exposure to Hendrix 's psychedelic rock sound .   The song features his inventive guitar playing , which uses the signature Hendrix chord and a mix of blues and Eastern modalities , shaped by novel sound processing techniques . Because of ambiguities in the lyrics , listeners often interpret the song as referring to a psychedelic experience , although Hendrix described it as a love song .   `` Purple Haze '' is one of Hendrix 's best-known songs and appears on many Hendrix compilation albums . The song featured regularly in concerts and each of Hendrix 's group configurations issued live recordings . It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is included on lists of the greatest guitar songs , including at number two by Rolling Stone and number one by Q magazine .


The Beach Boys were co-founded by the president.

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


Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky ( -LSB- æ ` vrɑːm _ ` noʊm_ˈtʃɒmski -RSB- ; born December 7 , 1928 ) is an American linguist , philosopher , cognitive scientist , historian , social critic , and political activist . Sometimes described as `` the father of modern linguistics '' , Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science . He is Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , where he has worked since 1955 , and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics , war , politics , and mass media . Ideologically , he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism .   Born to middle-class Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia , Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism from alternative bookstores in New York City . At the age of sixteen he began studies at the University of Pennsylvania , taking courses in linguistics , mathematics , and philosophy . From 1951 to 1955 he was appointed to Harvard University 's Society of Fellows , where he developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he was awarded his doctorate in 1955 . That year he began teaching at MIT , in 1957 emerging as a significant figure in the field of linguistics for his landmark work Syntactic Structures , which remodeled the scientific study of language , while from 1958 to 1959 he was a National Science Foundation fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study . He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the universal grammar theory , the generative grammar theory , the Chomsky hierarchy , and the minimalist program . Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of behaviorism , being particularly critical of the work of B. F. Skinner .   An outspoken opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War , which he saw as an act of American imperialism , in 1967 Chomsky attracted widespread public attention for his anti-war essay `` The Responsibility of Intellectuals '' . Associated with the New Left , he was arrested multiple times for his activism and placed on President Richard Nixon 's Enemies List . While expanding his work in linguistics over subsequent decades , he also became involved in the Linguistics Wars . In collaboration with Edward S. Herman , Chomsky later co-wrote an analysis articulating the propaganda model of media criticism , and worked to expose the Indonesian occupation of East Timor . However , his defense of unconditional freedom of speech -- including for Holocaust deniers -- generated significant controversy in the Faurisson affair of the early 1980s . Following his retirement from active teaching , he has continued his vocal political activism , including opposing the War on Terror and supporting the Occupy movement .   One of the most cited scholars in history , Chomsky has influenced a broad array of academic fields . He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences , contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind . In addition to his continued scholarly research , he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy , neoliberalism and contemporary state capitalism , the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict , and mainstream news media . His ideas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements , but have also drawn criticism , with some accusing Chomsky of anti-Americanism .


Transformational grammar Transformational grammar ( TG ) or transformational-generative grammar ( TGG ) is , in the study of linguistics , part of the theory of generative grammar , especially of naturally evolved languages , that considers grammar to be a system of rules that generate exactly those combinations of words which form grammatical sentences in a given language . TG involves the use of defined operations called transformations to produce new sentences from existing ones . The concept was originated by Noam Chomsky , and much current research in transformational grammar has been inspired by Chomsky 's Minimalist Program .


Chomsky hierarchy In the formal languages of computer science and linguistics , the Chomsky hierarchy ( occasionally referred to as Chomsky -- Schützenberger hierarchy ) is a containment hierarchy of classes of formal grammars .  This hierarchy of grammars was described by Noam Chomsky in 1956 . It is also named after Marcel-Paul Schützenberger , who played a crucial role in the development of the theory of formal languages .


Loving (2016 film) Loving is a 2016 American historical drama film which tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving , the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia , which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage . The film was produced by Big Beach and Raindog Films , and distributed by Focus Features . The film takes inspiration from The Loving Story ( 2011 ) by Nancy Buirski , a documentary which follows the Lovings and their landmark case .   The film was directed by Jeff Nichols , who also wrote the screenplay . Joel Edgerton stars as Richard Loving , with Ruth Negga co-starring as Mildred Loving . Marton Csokas , Nick Kroll , and Michael Shannon are all featured in supporting roles . Principal photography began in Richmond , Virginia on September 16 , 2015 and ended on November 19 . The locations used for Loving were mainly based in Richmond , also in King and Queen County , Caroline County , Central Point , and Bowling Green .   Loving began a limited release in the United States on November 4 , 2016 , before a wide release on November 11 , 2016 . The film received positive reviews , and was named one of the best films of 2016 by several media outlets . The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival , and was nominated for numerous awards , including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Edgerton and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Negga .


Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a film that happened before Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Star Wars : The Last Jedi ( also known as Star Wars : Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi ) is an upcoming American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson . It is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy , following Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( 2015 ) . The film is produced by Lucasfilm and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It stars Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Lupita Nyong ` o , Domhnall Gleeson , Anthony Daniels , Gwendoline Christie , and Andy Serkis in returning roles . New cast members include Benicio del Toro , Laura Dern , and Kelly Marie Tran . Fisher died in December 2016 , making The Last Jedi her final film role .   The film was announced after Disney 's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012 . It is produced by Ram Bergman and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . John Williams , composer for the previous seven films , returns to compose the score . Scenes that required shooting at Skellig Michael in Ireland were filmed during pre-production in September 2015 , with principal photography beginning at Pinewood Studios in England in February 2016 and ending in July 2016 . The Last Jedi is scheduled for release on December 15 , 2017 . A sequel , Star Wars : Episode IX , is scheduled for May 24 , 2019 .


There is a movie that stars multiple cast called Kong: Skull Island.

Kong: Skull Island Kong : Skull Island is a 2017 American action-adventure monster film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by Dan Gilroy , Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly , from a story by John Gatins . The film is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and serves as the second film in Legendary 's MonsterVerse . It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Tom Hiddleston , Samuel L. Jackson , John Goodman , Brie Larson , Jing Tian , Toby Kebbell , John Ortiz , Corey Hawkins , Jason Mitchell , Shea Whigham , Thomas Mann , Terry Notary and John C. Reilly . The film follows a team of scientists and Vietnam War soldiers who travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific and encounter terrifying creatures and the mighty Kong .   Principal photography took place from October 2015 to March 2016 in Hawaii and various locations around Vietnam . Kong : Skull Island premiered on February 28 , 2017 , in London and was released in the United States on March 10 , 2017 , in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D and in Dolby Cinemas . The film was a critical and commercial success , grossing $ 565 million worldwide against its $ 185 million budget and making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2017 .


Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. , January 20 , 1930 ) is an American engineer and former astronaut . As the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11 , he was one of the first two humans to land on the Moon , and the second person to walk on it . He set foot on the Moon at 03:15:16 on July 21 , 1969 ( UTC ) , following mission commander Neil Armstrong . He is a former U.S. Air Force officer with the Command Pilot rating . He also went into orbit on the Gemini 12 mission , finally achieving the goals for EVA ( space-walk work ) that paved the way to the Moon and success for the Gemini program ; he spent over five hours on EVA on that mission .


David Beckham beat Bobby Moore's caps record for outfield players.

Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea `` Bobby '' Moore OBE ( 12 April 1941 -- 24 February 1993 ) was an English professional footballer . He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup . He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time , and was cited by Pelé as the greatest defender that he had ever played against . Moore is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century .   He won a total of 108 caps for the England team , which at the time of his international retirement in 1973 was a national record . This record was later broken by 125-cap goalkeeper Peter Shilton . Moore 's total of 108 caps continued as a record for outfield players until 28 March 2009 , when David Beckham gained his 109th cap . Moore was made an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a player . The same year he was named in the BBC 's list of the 100 Greatest Britons .


Sean Spicer was unemployed from 2011 to 2017.

Sean Spicer Sean Michael Spicer ( born September 23 , 1971 ) is the current White House Press Secretary and former communications director for President Donald Trump . Spicer was communications director of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 , and its chief strategist from 2015 to 2017 .   As press secretary , Spicer has drawn criticism for making numerous false or controversial statements , as well as for displaying combative behavior with the press . The first such instance occurred on the day following Trump 's inauguration . Spicer repeated the claim that crowds at the ceremony were the largest ever at such an event and that the press had deliberately under-estimated the number of spectators . Trump aide Kellyanne Conway defended Spicer 's action by stating that he had presented what she called `` alternative facts '' regarding the inauguration 's attendance numbers . Some commentators have compared Spicer 's role in the Trump administration to the role played for Saddam Hussein by Information Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf , known in the United States as Baghdad Bob .   Spicer originally stated that the Trump inauguration was `` the most watched ever '' , but when that statement was debunked , he said that he had been referring not only to live attendees at the ceremony or those watching on TV , but also viewers who had watched the inauguration online . However , no conclusive figures are available for online viewers , so the claim is unverifiable .


The United States has over 324 million people.

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


The Bridges of Madison County (film) is based on a business model.

The Bridges of Madison County (film) The Bridges of Madison County is a 1995 American romantic drama film based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert James Waller . It was produced by Amblin Entertainment and Malpaso Productions , and distributed by Warner Bros. . Entertainment . The film was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood with Kathleen Kennedy as co-producer and the screenplay was adapted by Richard LaGravenese . The film is about an Italian war bride , Francesca ( Meryl Streep ) , who lives with her husband and two children on a farm in Iowa . In 1965 , she meets a National Geographic photographer named Robert ( Eastwood ) and has a four-day extramarital affair with him that changes both their lives forever . The film earned $ 182 million worldwide and was well received by critics . Streep received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination in 1996 for her performance in the film .


Moana (2016 film) Moana ( -LSB- moʊˈɑːnə -RSB- ) is a 2016 American computer-animated musical fantasy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It is the 56th Disney animated feature film . Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker , co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams , the film introduces Auli'i Cravalho as Moana and features the voices of Dwayne Johnson , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Jemaine Clement , Nicole Scherzinger , and Alan Tudyk . The film features music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda , Opetaia Foa'i , and Mark Mancina .   The film tells the story of Moana , the strong-willed daughter of the chief of a Polynesian tribe , who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess . When a blight strikes her island , Moana sets sail in search of Maui , a legendary demigod , in the hope of saving her people .   Moana was released theatrically in the United States on November 23 , 2016 to critical acclaim , with critics particularly praising the film for its animation , music , and voice cast . The film went on to gross over $ 642 million worldwide . Along with Zootopia , it marked the first time since 2002 that Walt Disney Animation Studios released two feature films in the same year . It received two Academy Award nominations at the 89th Academy Awards : one for Best Animated Feature and another for Best Original Song ( `` How Far I 'll Go '' ) .


Hotell is written and directed by Lisa Langseth.

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


Gang Signs & Prayer Gang Signs & Prayer is the debut studio album by English grime artist Stormzy . It was released on 24 February 2017 independently through #Merky Records while being distributed by ADA of Warner Music Group . It is Stormzy 's first major commercial release , following the Dreamers Disease EP ( 2014 ) . The album features guest appearances from fellow MCs Wretch 32 , Ghetts and J Hus , along with singers Kehlani , Raleigh Ritchie and MNEK . It features production from Fraser T Smith and Sir Spyro , among others .   The album was supported by the lead single `` Big for Your Boots '' . Gang Signs & Prayer received critical acclaim upon release , and entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 with sales of 69,000 , becoming the first grime album in history to reach number 1 . It holds the distinction of having every song from the album appear concurrently on the UK Singles Chart , including 7 songs in the Top 40 .


U2's second album was their first number one in the UK.

War (U2 album) War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2 . It was produced by Steve Lillywhite , and was released on 28 February 1983 on Island Records . The album has come to be regarded as U2 's first overtly political album , in part because of songs like `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' and `` New Year 's Day '' , as well as the title , which stems from the band 's perception of the world at the time ; Bono stated that `` war seemed to be the motif for 1982 . ''   U2 recorded the album from September -- November 1982 at Windmill Lane Studios with Lillywhite producing , the group 's third consecutive album made at the studio with the producer . While the central themes of their earlier albums Boy and October focused on adolescence and spirituality , respectively , War focused on both the physical aspects of warfare , and the emotional after-effects . Musically , it is also harsher than the band 's previous releases . The album has been described as the record where the band `` turned pacifism itself into a crusade . ''   War was a commercial success for the band , knocking Michael Jackson 's Thriller from the top of the charts to become the band 's first number-one album in the UK . It reached number 12 in the US and became their first gold-certified album there . While poorly received by British critics at the time of release , War has since gained critical acclaim . In 2012 , the album was ranked number 223 on Rolling Stone magazine 's list of `` The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' . The group supported the album with the War Tour through the end of 1983 .


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


The Poona Pact signing took place at the Yerwada Central Jail.

Poona Pact The Poona Pact refers to an agreement between Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi signed on 24 September 1932 at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune , India . It was signed by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and some other leaders to break the fast unto death undertaken by Gandhi in Yerwada prison to annul the Macdonald Award giving separate electorates to Dalits for electing members of state legislative assemblies in British India .   History of the Poona Pact  The British invited leaders of different parties in the Round Table Conferences in 1930-32 to draft a new law involving self-rule for the Indians . Mahatma Gandhi did not attend the first and the last but attended the second of the Conferences . The concept of separate electorates for the untouch was raised by Ambedkar . Similar provisions were already available for other minorities , including Muslims , Christians , Anglo-Indians and Sikhs . The British government agreed with Ambedkar 's contention and British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald 's Communal Award to the depressed classes was to be incorporated into the constitution in the governance of British India . Gandhi strongly opposed the Communal Award on the grounds that it would disintegrate Hindu society . Ambedkar vehemently criticised the way of handling the problems of the Harijans by Gandhiji . Gandhi took up a fast unto death in his prison cell in Poona , protesting that separate electorates were a device which would separate the untouchables from the Hindu society forever . He began an indefinite hunger strike at Yerwada Central Jail from 20 September 1932 to protest against this Award . A compromise was reached on 24 September 1932 .   The text uses the term `` Depressed Classes '' to denote Untouchables who were later called Scheduled Castes under India Act 1935 , and the later Indian Constitution of 1950 .


David Angell David Lawrence Angell ( April 10 , 1946September 11 , 2001 ) was an American producer of sitcoms . Angell won multiple Emmy Awards as the creator and executive producer , along with Peter Casey and David Lee , of the comedy series Frasier . Angell and his wife Lynn both died heading home from their vacation in Cape Cod aboard American Airlines Flight 11 . This was the first plane to hit the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks .


The Netherlands's most populous municipality is a city.

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( -LSB- ˈæmstərdæm , _ ˌæmstərˈdæm -RSB- -LSB- ɑmstərˈdɑm -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands , although it is not the seat of the government , which is The Hague . Amsterdam has a population of 851,373 within the city proper , 1,351,587 in the urban area , and 2,410,960 in the Amsterdam metropolitan area . The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country . The metropolitan area comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad , one of the larger conurbations in Europe , with a population of approximately 7 million .   Amsterdam 's name derives from Amstelredamme , indicative of the city 's origin around a dam in the river Amstel . Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century , Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age ( 17th century ) , a result of its innovative developments in trade . During that time , the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds . In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded , and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built . The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19 -- 20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Since the annexation of municipality Sloten in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam , the oldest historic part of the city lies in Sloten ( 9th century ) .   As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe , Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities ( GaWC ) study group . The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands . Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there , and seven of the world 's 500 largest companies , including Philips and ING , are based in the city . In 2012 , Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer . The city was ranked 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009 . The Amsterdam seaport to this day remains the second in the country , and the fifth largest seaport in Europe .   Famous Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank , artists Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh , and philosopher Baruch Spinoza .   The Amsterdam Stock Exchange , the oldest stock exchange in the world , is located in the city center . Amsterdam 's main attractions , including its historic canals , the Rijksmuseum , the Van Gogh Museum , Stedelijk Museum , Hermitage Amsterdam , Anne Frank House , Amsterdam Museum , its red-light district , and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 5 million international visitors annually .


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


Kate & Leopold Kate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a woman in modern New York . The film is directed by James Mangold and stars Meg Ryan , Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber .


Little Miss Sunshine was filmed in 2005 over 30 days in Arizona and Southern California.

Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama road film and the directorial debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris . The screenplay was written by first-time writer Michael Arndt . The film stars Greg Kinnear , Steve Carell , Toni Collette , Paul Dano , Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin , and was produced by Big Beach Films on a budget of US$ 8 million . Filming began on June 6 , 2005 and took place over 30 days in Arizona and Southern California .   The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20 , 2006 , and its distribution rights were bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures for one of the biggest deals made in the history of the festival . The film had a limited release in the United States on July 26 , 2006 , and later expanded to a wider release starting on August 18 .   Little Miss Sunshine had an international box office gross of $ 100.5 million . The film was nominated for four Academy Awards , including Best Picture , and won two : Best Original Screenplay for Michael Arndt and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin . It also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature and received numerous other accolades .


Arrested Development is set in Newport Beach.

Arrested Development (TV series) Arrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz , which originally aired on Fox for three seasons from November 2 , 2003 to February 10 , 2006 . A fourth season of 15 episodes was released on Netflix on May 26 , 2013 . The show follows the fictitious Bluth family , a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family . It is presented in a continuous format , incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration , as well as the use of occasional archival photos and historical footage . The show also utilizes several long-running `` Easter egg '' jokes throughout each season . Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the series ' uncredited narrator . Set in Newport Beach , California , Arrested Development was filmed primarily in Culver City and Marina del Rey .   After its debut in 2003 , the series received widespread critical acclaim , six Primetime Emmy Awards , and one Golden Globe Award , and has attracted a cult following , including several fan-based websites . In 2007 , Time listed the show among its `` All-TIME 100 TV Shows '' ; in 2008 , it was ranked 16th on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list . In 2011 , IGN named Arrested Development the `` funniest show of all time '' . Its humor has been cited as a key influence on later single-camera sitcoms such as 30 Rock and Community .   Despite critical acclaim , Arrested Development received low ratings and viewership on Fox , which canceled the series in 2006 . Rumors of an additional season and a feature film persisted until 2011 , when Netflix agreed to license new episodes and distribute them exclusively on its video streaming service . These episodes were later released in 2013 . Netflix has also commissioned a fifth season of Arrested Development which will premiere in 2018 .


In Her Shoes (film) In Her Shoes is a 2005 American comedy-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer Weiner . It is directed by Curtis Hanson with an adapted screenplay by Susannah Grant and stars Cameron Diaz , Toni Collette , and Shirley MacLaine . The film focuses on the relationship between two sisters and their grandmother .


The Shield had Michael Chiklis in a main role.

The Shield The Shield is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12 , 2002 , on FX in the United States , and concluded on November 25 , 2008 , after seven seasons . Known for its portrayal of corrupt police officers , it was originally advertised as Rampart in reference to the true life Rampart Division police scandal , on which the show 's Strike Team was loosely based . The series was created by Shawn Ryan and The Barn Productions for Fox Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television .   Several notable film actors took extended roles on the show , including Glenn Close , who was the female lead during the fourth season , Forest Whitaker , who guest starred in seasons 5 and 6 , Laura Harring , in season 5 , Franka Potente , in season 6 , and Laurie Holden , in season 7 .   The series has received critical acclaim , as well as several awards and nominations . It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama in 2002 , and the final season won a 2008 AFI Award for best television series . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Shield # 50 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time . Chiklis won both the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama in 2002 .