Pluto Pluto ( minor-planet designation : 134340 Pluto ) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt , a ring of bodies beyond Neptune . It was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered .   Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 and was originally considered to be the ninth planet from the Sun . After 1992 , its planethood was questioned following the discovery of several objects of similar size in the Kuiper belt . In 2005 , Eris , a dwarf planet in the scattered disc which is 27 % more massive than Pluto , was discovered . This led the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) to define the term `` planet '' formally in 2006 , during their 26th General Assembly . That definition excluded Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet .   Pluto is the largest and second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object directly orbiting the Sun . It is the largest known trans-Neptunian object by volume but is less massive than Eris . Like other Kuiper belt objects , Pluto is primarily made of ice and rock and is relatively small -- about one-sixth the mass of the Moon and one-third its volume . It has a moderately eccentric and inclined orbit during which it ranges from 30 to 49 astronomical units or AU ( 4.4 -- 7.4 billion km ) from the Sun . This means that Pluto periodically comes closer to the Sun than Neptune , but a stable orbital resonance with Neptune prevents them from colliding . Light from the Sun takes about 5.5 hours to reach Pluto at its average distance ( 39.5 AU ) .   Pluto has five known moons : Charon ( the largest , with a diameter just over half that of Pluto ) , Styx , Nix , Kerberos , and Hydra . Pluto and Charon are sometimes considered a binary system because the barycenter of their orbits does not lie within either body .   On July 14 , 2015 , the New Horizons spacecraft became the first spacecraft to fly by Pluto . During its brief flyby , New Horizons made detailed measurements and observations of Pluto and its moons . In September 2016 , astronomers announced that the reddish-brown cap of the north pole of Charon is composed of tholins , organic macromolecules that may be ingredients for the emergence of life , and produced from methane , nitrogen and other gases released from the atmosphere of Pluto and transferred about 19,000 km to the orbiting moon .


California California ( -LSB- kælᵻˈfɔːrnjə , _ - ni.ə -RSB- , ) is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area . Located on the western ( Pacific Ocean ) coast of the U.S. , California is bordered by the other U.S. states of Oregon , Nevada , and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California . The state capital is Sacramento . Los Angeles is California 's most populous city , and the country 's second largest after New York City . The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation 's second - and fifth-most populous urban regions , respectively . California also has the nation 's most populous county , Los Angeles County , and its largest county by area , San Bernardino County .   California 's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east ; and from the redwood -- Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast . The Central Valley , a major agricultural area , dominates the state 's center . Though California is well-known for its warm Mediterranean climate , the large size of the state means it can vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north , to arid desert in the interior , as well as snowy alpine in the mountains .   What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries . The Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican -- American War . The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California , and admitted as the 31st state on September 9 , 1850 . The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes , with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom .   If it were a country , California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous . It is also regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics , and is the origin of the film industry , the hippie counterculture , the Internet , and the personal computer , among others . Fifty-eight percent of the state 's economy is centered on finance , government , real estate services , technology , and professional , scientific and technical business services . The San Francisco Bay Area has the nation 's highest median household income by metropolitan area , and is the headquarters of three of the world 's largest 40 firms by revenue , Chevron , Apple , and McKesson . Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the state 's economy , California 's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state .


British Columbia is a Canadian province.

Provinces and territories of Canada Canada 's geography is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces and territories that are responsible for delivery of sub-national governance . When Canada was formed in 1867 , three provinces of British North America -- New Brunswick , Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada ( which , on the formation of Canada , was divided into Ontario and Quebec ) -- were united to form a federated colony , which eventually became a sovereign nation in the next century . Over its history , Canada 's international borders have changed several times , and the country has grown from the original four provinces to the current ten provinces and three territories . The ten provinces are Alberta , British Columbia , Manitoba , New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , Ontario , Prince Edward Island , Quebec , and Saskatchewan . Several of the provinces were former British colonies , and Quebec was originally a French colony , while others were added as Canada grew . The three territories are Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon , which govern the rest of the area of the former British North America . Together , the provinces and territories make up the world 's second-largest country by area .   The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from the Constitution Act , 1867 ( formerly called the British North America Act , 1867 ) , whereas territorial governments have powers delegated to them by the Parliament of Canada . The powers flowing from the Constitution Act are divided between the federal government and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively . A change to the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment , whereas a similar change affecting the territories can be performed unilaterally by the Parliament of Canada or government .   In modern Canadian constitutional theory , the provinces are considered to be co-sovereign divisions and each province has its own `` Crown '' represented by the lieutenant governor . The territories are not sovereign , but simply part of the federal realm , and have a commissioner who represents the federal government .   __ TOC __


British Columbia British Columbia ( BC ) is the westernmost province of Canada , with a population of more than four million people located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains .  British Columbia is also a component of the Pacific Northwest and the Cascadia bioregion , along with the U.S. states of Idaho , Oregon , Washington , Alaska , and western Montana .   The first British settlement in the area was Fort Victoria , established in 1843 , which gave rise to the city of Victoria , at first the capital of the separate Colony of Vancouver Island . Subsequently , on the mainland , the Colony of British Columbia ( 1858 -- 66 ) was founded by Richard Clement Moody and the Royal Engineers , Columbia Detachment , in response to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush . Moody was Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for the Colony and the first Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia : he was hand-picked by the Colonial Office in London to transform British Columbia into the British Empire 's `` bulwark in the farthest west '' , and `` to found a second England on the shores of the Pacific '' . Moody selected the site for and founded the original capital of British Columbia , New Westminster , established the Cariboo Road and Stanley Park , and designed the first version of the Coat of arms of British Columbia . Port Moody is named after him .   In 1866 , Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia , and Victoria became the united colony 's capital . In 1871 , British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada . Its Latin motto is Splendor sine occasu ( `` Splendour without Diminishment '' ) .   The capital of British Columbia remains Victoria , the fifteenth-largest metropolitan region in Canada , named for the Queen who created the original European colonies . The largest city is Vancouver , the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada , the largest in Western Canada , and the third-largest in the Pacific Northwest . In October 2013 , British Columbia had an estimated population of 4,606,371 ( about 2.5 million of whom were in Greater Vancouver ) . The province is currently governed by the BC Liberal Party , led by Premier Christy Clark , who became leader as a result of a leadership convention vote on February 26 , 2011 , and who led her party to an election victory on May 14 , 2013 .   British Columbia evolved from British possessions that were established in what is now British Columbia by 1871 . First Nations , the original inhabitants of the land , have a history of at least 10,000 years in the area . Today there are few treaties and the question of Aboriginal Title , long ignored , has become a legal and political question of frequent debate as a result of recent court actions . Notably , the Tsilhqot ` in Nation has established Aboriginal title to a portion of their territory , as a result of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision ( William -LSB- Tsilhqot ` in Nation -RSB- v. British Columbia ) .   BC 's economy is diverse , with service producing industries accounting for the largest portion of the province 's GDP . It is the endpoint of transcontinental railways , and the site of major Pacific ports that enable international trade . Though less than 5 % of its vast 944735 km2 land is arable , the province is agriculturally rich ( particularly in the Fraser and Okanagan valleys ) , because of milder weather near the coast and in certain sheltered southern valleys . Its climate encourages outdoor recreation and tourism , though its economic mainstay has long been resource extraction , principally logging , farming , and mining . Vancouver , the province 's largest city and metropolitan area , also serves as the headquarters of many western-based natural resource companies . It also benefits from a strong housing market and a per capita income well above the national average . While the coast of British Columbia and certain valleys in the south-central part of the province have mild weather , the majority of its land mass experiences a cold-winter-temperate climate similar to that of the rest of Canada . The Northern Interior region has a subarctic climate with very cold winters . The climate of Vancouver is by far the mildest winter climate of the major Canadian cities , with nighttime January temperatures averaging above the freezing point .


British Columbia Liberal Party The British Columbia Liberal Party ( also referred to as the BC Liberals ) is a centre-right provincial political party in British Columbia , Canada . The Party leads a minority government with leader Christy Clark as Premier of British Columbia .   First elected into provincial government in 1916 , the party went into decline after 1952 , with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party of British Columbia for the 1975 election . It was returned to the legislature through the efforts of Gordon Wilson in a break-through in the 1991 election . At this time , the Social Credit Party had collapsed , with the BC Liberals able to garner the centre vote traditionally split between left and right in British Columbia provincial politics . After Wilson lost a leadership challenge in the wake of a personal scandal in a bitter three-way race , the party was led by Gordon Campbell , who became Leader of the Opposition after Wilson 's convention defeat . In the wake of the electoral collapse of the British Columbia New Democratic Party ( BC NDP ) in the 2001 election , the Campbell-led BC Liberals won an overwhelming majority . In November 2010 , after mounting public opposition to a new tax and the controversial ending of a political corruption trial , and with low popularity ratings , Campbell announced his resignation , and on February 26 , 2011 , Christy Clark was elected as the party 's new leader and thereby became 35th Premier of British Columbia .   Once affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada , the British Columbia Liberal Party became independent of its federal and provincial counterparts in 1987 .  After the 1991 provincial election , the BC Liberals subsequently displaced the British Columbia Social Credit Party as the province 's de facto centre-right conservative party opposed to the centre-left British Columbia New Democratic Party . Polls often show BC Liberal voters to predominantly vote Liberal and Conservative in federal elections . The party commonly describes itself as a `` free enterprise coalition '' .


The Star Trek film series contains crew nominated in the areas of makeup, music, set design, and sound design.

Star Trek (film series) The Star Trek film series is the cinematic branch of the Star Trek media franchise , which began in 1966 as a weekly television series on NBC , running for three seasons until it was canceled in 1969 because of poor ratings . Reruns of the series proved to be wildly successful in syndication during the 1970s , which persuaded the series ' then-owner , Paramount Pictures , to expand the franchise .   Paramount originally began work on a Star Trek feature film in 1975 after lobbying by the creator of the franchise , Gene Roddenberry . The studio scrapped the project two years later in favor of creating a television series , Star Trek : Phase II , with the original cast . However , following the huge success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 , Paramount changed its mind again , halting production on the television series and adapting its pilot episode into a Star Trek feature film , Star Trek : The Motion Picture ( 1979 ) . Five more Star Trek feature films featuring the entire original cast followed . The cast of the 1987 -- 1994 Star Trek spin-off series Star Trek : The Next Generation starred in a further four films . After a 6-year hiatus following the release of Star Trek : Nemesis ( 2002 ) , a new film was released on May 16 , 2009 , simply titled Star Trek , serving as a reboot to the franchise with a new cast portraying younger versions of the original series ' characters . A sequel to Star Trek ( 2009 ) , Star Trek Into Darkness , was released in theaters on May 16 , 2013 . A second sequel , Star Trek Beyond , was released on July 22 , 2016 , on the franchise 's 50th anniversary .   The Star Trek films have received 15 Academy Award nominations . Star Trek ( 2009 ) won for Best Makeup in 2010 , and four of the previous films were nominated mainly in the areas of makeup , music , set design and sound design .   The early Star Trek films , the first to tenth film , were originally released on VHS ; competitive pricing of The Wrath of Khans videocassette helped bolster the adoption of VHS players in households . Later films were also released on LaserDisc as well . For those films that did not receive an initial DVD release , Paramount released simple one-disc versions with no special features . Later , the first ten films were released in two-disc collector 's versions , with The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan branded as `` director 's cuts '' , followed by later box set releases . All of the films are now available on Blu-ray , digital download , streaming media and video on demand .


Arjun Kapoor Arjun Kapoor ( -LSB- ɐrˈɟun kəˈpuːr -RSB- ; born 26 June 1985 ) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films . He is the son of film producers Boney Kapoor and Mona Shourie Kapoor . After working as an assistant director and associate producer on several films , including Kal Ho Naa Ho ( 2003 ) and Wanted ( 2009 ) , he made his acting debut with Habib Faisal 's romantic drama Ishaqzaade ( 2012 ) , for which he was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut .   Kapoor went on to portray a coal bandit in the action film Gunday ( 2014 ) , an aspiring writer in the romance 2 States ( 2014 ) and a stay-at-home husband in the romantic comedy Ki & Ka ( 2016 ) ; all three films earned over worldwide . In addition to acting in film , Kapoor has hosted the 16th IIFA Awards ceremony in 2015 and the seventh season of the television reality show Fear Factor : Khatron Ke Khiladi in 2016 .


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


Hungary Hungary ( -LSB- ˈhʌŋɡəri -RSB- Magyarország -LSB- ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ -RSB- ) is a unitary parliamentary republic in Central Europe . It covers an area of 93,030 km2 , situated in the Carpathian Basin , and is bordered by Slovakia to the north , Romania to the east , Serbia to the south , Croatia to the southwest , Slovenia to the west , Austria to the northwest , and Ukraine to the northeast . With about 10 million inhabitants , Hungary is a medium-sized member state of the European Union . The official language is Hungarian , which is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe . Hungary 's capital and largest metropolis is Budapest , a significant economic hub , classified as a global city . Major urban areas include Debrecen , Szeged , Miskolc , Pécs and Győr .   Following centuries of successive habitation by Celts , Romans , Slavs , Gepids and Avars , the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian grand prince Árpád in the conquest of the Carpathian Basin . His great-grandson Stephen I ascended to the throne in 1000 , converting the country to a Christian kingdom . By the 12th century , Hungary became a middle power within the Western world , reaching a golden age by the 15th century . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation ( 1541 -- 1699 ) , Hungary came under Habsburg rule , and later formed the great power Austro -- Hungarian Empire together with Austria .   Hungary 's current borders were established in 1920 by the Treaty of Trianon after World War I , when the country lost 71 % of its territory , 58 % of its population , and 32 % of ethnic Hungarians . Following the interwar period , Hungary joined the Axis Powers in World War II , suffering significant damage and casualties . Hungary became a satellite state of the Soviet Union , which contributed to the establishment of a four-decade-long communist dictatorship ( 1947 -- 1989 ) . The country gained widespread international attention regarding the Revolution of 1956 and the seminal opening of its previously-restricted border with Austria in 1989 , which accelerated the collapse of the Eastern Bloc . On 23 October 1989 , Hungary again became a democratic parliamentary republic .   In the 21st century , Hungary is a middle power and has the world 's 57th largest economy by nominal GDP , as well as the 58th largest by PPP , out of 188 countries measured by the IMF . As a substantial actor in several industrial and technological sectors , it is both the world 's 36th largest exporter and importer of goods . Hungary is a high-income economy with a very high standard of living . It keeps up a social security and universal health care system , and a tuition-free university education . Hungary performs well in international rankings : it is 20th in quality of life , 25th in inequality-adjusted human development , 32nd in the Social Progress Index , and ranks as the 19th safest country in the world .   Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007 . Hungary is a member of the United Nations , NATO , WTO , World Bank , the AIIB , the Council of Europe and Visegrád Group . Well known for its rich cultural history , Hungary has contributed significantly to arts , music , literature , sports and science and technology . Hungary is the 11th most popular country as a tourist destination in Europe , attracting 14.3 million international tourists in 2015 . It is home to the largest thermal water cave system , the second largest thermal lake in the world , the largest lake in Central Europe , and the largest natural grasslands in Europe .


Leighton Meester Leighton Marissa Meester ( born April 9 , 1986 ) is an American actress , singer-songwriter and model . She is mostly known for her starring role as Blair Waldorf in the drama series Gossip Girl ( 2007 -- 2012 ) . She has also appeared in the films Killer Movie ( 2008 ) , Country Strong ( 2010 ) , The Roommate ( 2011 ) , Monte Carlo ( 2011 ) , The Oranges ( 2011 ) , and The Judge ( 2014 ) . Meester made her Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men ( 2014 ) .   In addition to acting , Meester has also ventured into music . In 2009 , she featured on Cobra Starship 's `` Good Girls Go Bad '' which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 , and released her first single `` Somebody to Love '' under Universal Republic . Her second single `` Your Love 's a Drug '' was released in 2011 . Meester has also recorded songs for various soundtracks . Her debut album , Heartstrings , was independently released in 2014 . She has also modeled , having been the face of brands such as Jimmy Choo , Herbal Essences , and Vera Wang .


Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. ( -LSB- ˈdʒoʊsᵻf_rɒbᵻˈnɛt_ˈbaɪdən -RSB- born November 20 , 1942 ) is an American politician who was the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017 , having been jointly elected twice with President Barack Obama . A member of the Democratic Party , he represented Delaware as a United States Senator from 1973 until becoming Vice President in 2009 .   Biden was born in Scranton , Pennsylvania , in 1942 , and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware . He became an attorney in 1969 , and was elected to the New Castle County council in 1970 . He was first elected to the Senate in 1972 , and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history . He was re-elected to the Senate six times , and was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation to assume the Vice Presidency in 2009 . He was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee . He opposed the Gulf War in 1991 , but advocated U.S. and NATO intervention in the Bosnian War in 1994 and 1995 . He voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the Iraq War in 2002 , but opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007 . He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , dealing with issues related to drug policy , crime prevention , and civil liberties , and led the legislative efforts for creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act , and the Violence Against Women Act . He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas .   Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008 , both times dropping out after lackluster showings . In the 2008 U.S. presidential election , Barack Obama chose Biden to be his running mate in the race , which they won . He became the first Roman Catholic , and the first Delawarean , to be Vice President of the United States .   As Vice President in the Obama administration , Biden oversaw the infrastructure spending aimed at counteracting the Great Recession , and U.S. policy toward Iraq up until the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011 . His ability to negotiate with congressional Republicans helped bring about legislation such as the Tax Relief , Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization , and Job Creation Act of 2010 that resolved a taxation deadlock , the Budget Control Act of 2011 that resolved that year 's debt ceiling crisis , and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that addressed the impending `` fiscal cliff '' . In 2011 , he opposed going ahead with the military mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden . Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012 . In October 2015 , after months of speculation , Biden chose not to run for President of the United States in 2016 . In December 2016 , he refused to rule out a potential bid for President in 2020 , but announced on January 13 , 2017 , that he would not run , only to seemingly backtrack just four days later , again refusing to rule out a potential bid . On January 12 , 2017 , Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom , with distinction . After leaving office , Biden was named the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania .


Jeff Bezos Jeff Bezos ( -LSB- ˈbeɪzoʊs -RSB- born Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen ; January 12 , 1964 ) is an American technology and retail entrepreneur , investor , and philanthropist who is best known as the founder , chairman , and chief executive officer of Amazon.com , which is the world 's largest online shopping retailer . The company began as an Internet merchant of books and expanded to a wide variety of products and services , most recently video streaming and audio streaming . Amazon.com is currently the world 's largest Internet sales company on the World Wide Web , as well as being the world 's largest provider of cloud infrastructure services , through its Amazon Web Services arm .   Bezos 's other diversified business interests include aerospace and newspapers . He is the founder and manufacturer of Blue Origin ( founded in 2000 ) with test flights to space which started in 2015 , and plans for commercial suborbital human spaceflight beginning in 2018 . In 2013 , Bezos purchased The Washington Post newspaper . A number of other business investments are managed through Bezos Expeditions .   With an estimated net worth of US$ 82 billion as of May 2017 , Bezos is currently the third-richest person in the world , just behind Bill Gates and Amancio Ortega in first and second places , and just ahead of Warren Buffett in fourth place . His rise to this position occurred after Amazon registered a 67 % jump in share price .


Gift of the Night Fury stars the voice of an actress whose birthday is on April 18.

Gift of the Night Fury Gift of the Night Fury is a 2011 computer-animated short film by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Tom Owens . It was released on November 15 , 2011 , on DVD and Blu-ray , along with another original animated short film Book of Dragons .   Based on How to Train Your Dragon , the short takes place in the middle of preparing for the Viking winter holiday . After all dragons inexplicably fly away , the last one of them unwittingly kidnaps Hiccup . The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , Craig Ferguson , America Ferrera , Jonah Hill , T.J. Miller , Kristen Wiig , and Christopher Mintz-Plasse .


America Ferrera America Georgine Ferrera ( born April 18 , 1984 ) is an American actress . Born in Los Angeles , California , to Honduran parents , Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age performing in several stage productions at her school . She made her feature film debut in 2002 with the comedy drama Real Women Have Curves , winning praise for her performance . Ferrera is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award among others .   Ferrera garnered modest success early in her career with roles in films like the Disney original Got ta Kick It Up ! ( 2002 ) and the drama The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ( 2005 ) ; the latter earned her the Imagen Award Best Actress and her first nomination at the ALMA Awards . She ventured into television roles and landed the leading part on the ABC comedy drama Ugly Betty ( 2006 -- 2010 ) . Ferrera garnered critical acclaim for playing the protagonist of the series Betty Suarez , and won the Best Actress Awards at various award ceremonies in 2007 including the Golden Globe Awards , the Screen Actors Guild Awards , and the Primetime Emmy Award , the first for a Latin woman in the category .   Ferrera 's other notable film roles include the drama The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ( 2008 ) , the drama The Dry Land ( 2010 ) , the romantic comedy Our Family Wedding ( 2010 ) , and the crime drama End of Watch ( 2012 ) . She provided the voice of Astrid Hofferson in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise She co-produces and stars in the comedy series Superstore ( 2015 -- present ) which premiered on NBC .   Ferrera garnered wide recognition for Ugly Betty and her subsequent roles and has been dubbed as a `` role model '' for the young Hispanic women owing to her achievements in the entertainment industry . Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 .


Flash Thompson Corporal Eugene `` Flash '' Thompson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . He is a star high school football player who mercilessly bullies his high school classmate Peter Parker but greatly admires Spider-Man , an irony in which the superhero takes some gratification , though he and Peter become close friends in college . After graduation , he joins the United States Army and is haunted by his combat experiences , leading to alcoholism . After losing both of his legs in the Iraq War , he was bound to the Venom Symbiote as Agent Venom , a superhero and the first to control the organism .   The character has appeared in several other media adaptations , usually in his earlier bullying incarnation . In film , he is portrayed by Joe Manganiello in Spider-Man , Chris Zylka in The Amazing Spider-Man , and Tony Revolori in Spider-Man : Homecoming .


Richard III of England died at the age of 32.

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


Robot (dance) The robot ( or mannequin ) is an illusionary street dance style -- often confused with popping -- that attempts to imitate a dancing robot or mannequin . Roboting gained fame after Michael Jackson used the dance when he performed `` Dancing Machine '' with his brothers , and later performed the dance during his solo career in songs such as `` Billie Jean '' .


Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson ( August 29 , 1958 -- June 25 , 2009 ) was an American singer , songwriter , record producer , dancer , actor , and philanthropist . Called the `` King of Pop '' , his contributions to music , dance , and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades .   The eighth child of the Jackson family , Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 . He began his solo career in 1971 . In the early 1980s , Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music . His music videos , including those of `` Beat It '' , `` Billie Jean '' , and `` Thriller '' from his 1982 album Thriller , are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool . The popularity of these videos helped bring the television channel MTV to fame . Jackson 's 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles `` I Just Ca n't Stop Loving You '' , `` Bad '' , `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' , `` Man in the Mirror '' , and `` Dirty Diana '' , becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 . He continued to innovate with videos such as `` Black or White '' and `` Scream '' throughout the 1990s , and forged a reputation as a touring solo artist . Through stage and video performances , Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques , such as the robot and the moonwalk , to which he gave the name . His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres .   Thriller is the best-selling album of all time , with estimated sales of 65 million copies worldwide . Jackson 's other albums , including Off the Wall ( 1979 ) , Bad ( 1987 ) , Dangerous ( 1991 ) , and HIStory ( 1995 ) , also rank among the world 's best-selling albums . He is recognized as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time by Guinness World Records . Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice , and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the only dancer from pop and rock music . His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records , 13 Grammy Awards , the Grammy Legend Award , the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award , 26 American Music Awards -- more than any other artist -- including the `` Artist of the Century '' and `` Artist of the 1980s '' , 13 number-one singles in the United States during his solo career -- more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era -- and estimated sales of over 350 million records worldwide . Jackson won hundreds of awards , making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music . He became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when `` Love Never Felt So Good '' reached number nine on May 21 , 2014 . Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism , and , in 2000 , the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities , more than any other entertainer .   Aspects of Jackson 's personal life , including his changing appearance , personal relationships , and behavior , generated controversy . In 1993 , he was accused of child sexual abuse , but the civil case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount and no formal charges were brought . In 2005 , he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts . While preparing for his comeback concert series , This Is It , Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25 , 2009 , after suffering from cardiac arrest . The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide , and his personal physician , Conrad Murray , was convicted of involuntary manslaughter . Jackson 's death triggered a global outpouring of grief , and a live broadcast of his public memorial service was viewed around the world . Forbes ranks Jackson the top-earning dead celebrity , with earnings of $ 825 million in 2016 , the highest yearly amount ever recorded by the publication .


Sarrainodu Sarrainodu ( The Right Person ) is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action-masala film written and directed by Boyapati Srinu . Produced by Allu Aravind under the Geetha Arts banner , it features Allu Arjun , Aadhi Pinisetty , Rakul Preet Singh and Catherine Tresa in the lead roles while Srikanth appears in a supporting role . S. Thaman composed the film 's score and soundtrack . Rishi Punjabi is the cinematographer . The film had a theatrical release on 22 April 2016 , received mixed reviews . The film was dubbed in Hindi and released under the same title in 2017 .


The West Wing was broadcast on ABC only.

The West Wing The West Wing is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22 , 1999 , to May 14 , 2006 . The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House , where the Oval Office and offices of presidential senior staff are located , during the fictitious Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet ( played by Martin Sheen ) .   The West Wing was produced by Warner Bros. . Television . For the first four seasons , there were three executive producers : Aaron Sorkin ( lead writer of almost all of the first four seasons ) ; Thomas Schlamme ( primary director ) ; and John Wells . After Sorkin left the series , Wells assumed the role of head writer , with later executive producers being directors Alex Graves and Christopher Misiano ( seasons 6 -- 7 ) , and writers Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. and Peter Noah ( season 7 ) .   The West Wing received acclaim from critics , as well as praise from political science professors and former White House staffers . In total , The West Wing won three Golden Globe Awards and 26 Emmy Awards , including the award for Outstanding Drama Series , which it won four consecutive times from 2000 through 2003 . The show 's ratings waned in later years following the departure of series creator Sorkin after the fourth season ( Sorkin wrote or co-wrote 85 of the first 88 episodes ) , yet it remained popular among high-income viewers , a key demographic for the show and its advertisers , with around 16 million viewers . In the years since its run , it has appeared on several lists of the greatest television dramas ever made . The Writers Guild of America also ranked it # 10 in its `` 101 Best-Written TV Series '' list .


Scott Smith (activist) was named in 1948.

Scott Smith (activist) Joseph Scott Smith ( October 21 , 1948 -- February 4 , 1995 ) was a gay rights activist best known for his romantic relationship with Harvey Milk , for whom he was a campaign manager .


Robin appeared in Batman comic books from 1940 to 1989.

Batman: A Death in the Family `` A Death in the Family '' is a four-issue Batman comic book story arc first published by DC Comics in Batman # 426-429 from 1988 - 1989 , which gave fans the ability to influence a critical plot point through voting with a 900 number , which would determine whether Jason Todd , the second person to assume the mantle of Batman 's sidekick Robin , survived a bomb .   The story was written by Jim Starlin , pencilled by Jim Aparo , inked by Mike DeCarlo , colored by Adrienne Roy , lettered by John Costanza , and covers were illustrated by Mike Mignola . The story was collected as a trade paperback under the title Batman : A Death in the Family .


Robin (comics) Robin is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was originally created by Bob Kane , Bill Finger , and Jerry Robinson , to serve as a junior counterpart to the superhero Batman . The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped Crusaders . The character 's first incarnation , Dick Grayson , debuted in Detective Comics # 38 ( April 1940 ) . Conceived as a vehicle to attract young readership , Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception , doubling the sales of the Batman related comic books . The early adventures of Robin included Star Spangled Comics # 65 -- 130 ( 1947 -- 1952 ) , which was the character 's first solo feature . Robin made regular appearances in Batman related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing .   The character 's second incarnation Jason Todd debuted in Batman # 357 ( 1983 ) . This Robin made regular appearances in Batman related comic books until 1988 , when the character was murdered by the Joker in the storyline `` A Death in the Family '' ( 1989 ) . Jason would later find himself alive after a reality changing incident , eventually becoming the Red Hood . The premiere Robin limited series was published in 1991 which featured the character 's third incarnation Tim Drake training to earn the role of Batman 's vigilante partner . Following two successful sequels , the monthly Robin ongoing series began in 1993 and ended in early 2009 , which also helped his transition from sidekick to a superhero in his own right . In 2004 storylines , established DC Comics character Stephanie Brown became the fourth Robin for a short duration before the role reverted to Tim Drake . Damian Wayne succeeds Drake as Robin in the 2009 story arc `` Battle for the Cowl '' .   Following the 2011 continuity reboot `` the New 52 '' , Tim Drake was revised as having assumed the title Red Robin , and Jason Todd , operating as the Red Hood , was slowly repairing his relationship with Batman . Dick Grayson resumed his role as Nightwing and Stephanie Brown was introduced anew as Spoiler once again in the pages of Batman Eternal ( 2014 ) . The 2016 DC Rebirth continuity relaunch starts off with Damian Wayne as Robin , Tim Drake as Red Robin , Jason Todd as Red Hood , and Dick Grayson as Nightwing . Robins have also been featured throughout stories set in parallel worlds , owing to DC Comics ' longstanding `` Multiverse '' concept . For example , in the original Earth-Two , Dick Grayson never adopted the name Nightwing , and continues operating as Robin into adulthood . In the New 52 's `` Earth-2 '' continuity , Robin is Helena Wayne , daughter of Batman and Catwoman , who was stranded on the Earth of the main continuity and takes the name Huntress .


Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama . The series began in Kodansha 's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on September 9 , 2009 , and has been collected into 22 tankōbon volumes as of April 2017 . It is set in a world where humanity lives in cities surrounded by enormous walls ; a defense against the Titans , gigantic humanoids that eat humans seemingly without reason . The story initially centers on Eren Yeager , his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and childhood friend Armin Arlert , who join the military to fight the Titans after their home town is invaded and Eren 's mother is eaten . However , as the story progresses and the truths about the Titans are slowly revealed to the reader , the narrative shifts to encompass Historia Reiss , squad leader Levi , Eren 's father Grisha , and other supporting characters .   The spin-off light novel series Before the Fall began in December 2011 and has received a manga adaptation . Two additional light novel series and four additional spin-off manga series have also been created . An anime television adaptation produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G aired in Japan on MBS between April and September 2013 and a second season of the series premiered in April 2017 . Four video game adaptations developed by Nitroplus staffers in collaboration with Production I.G were announced to be released as bonus content for the third and sixth volumes of the Blu-ray Disc release of the anime , with another game developed by Spike Chunsoft for the Nintendo 3DS . A two-part live-action film adaptation , Attack on Titan and Attack on Titan : End of the World , and a live-action web-series were released in 2015 . An anime adaptation of the Junior High spin-off manga , produced by Production I.G , began airing in October 2015 . Attack on Titan and all five spin-off manga are published in North America by Kodansha Comics USA , while the three novel series are published by Vertical . The anime has been licensed by Funimation for North America , by Manga Entertainment for the UK , and by Madman Entertainment for Australasia .   Attack on Titan has become a commercial success . As of April 2017 , the manga has 66 million copies in print . The release of the anime also saw a boost in the series ' popularity , with it having received widespread critical acclaim for its atmosphere and story . Although it also gained fame in neighboring Asian countries , the series ' themes have been a subject of controversy .


Anime An is a Japanese hand-drawn or computer animation . The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of `` animation '' in Japanese , where this term references all animation . Outside Japan , anime is used to refer specifically to animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by colorful graphics , vibrant characters and fantastical themes . Arguably , the culturally abstract approach to the word 's meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than Japan . For simplicity , many Westerners strictly view anime as a Japanese animation product . Some scholars suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of orientalism .   The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917 , and Japanese anime production has since continued to increase steadily . The characteristic anime art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of Osamu Tezuka and spread internationally in the late twentieth century , developing a large domestic and international audience . Anime is distributed theatrically , by way of television broadcasts , directly to home media , and over the Internet . It is classified into numerous genres targeting diverse broad and niche audiences .   Anime is a diverse art form with distinctive production methods and techniques that have been adapted over time in response to emergent technologies . It consists of an ideal story-telling mechanism , combining graphic art , characterization , cinematography , and other forms of imaginative and individualistic techniques . The production of anime focuses less on the animation of movement and more on the realism of settings as well as the use of camera effects , including panning , zooming , and angle shots . Being hand-drawn , anime is separated from reality by a crucial gap of fiction that provides an ideal path for escapism that audiences can immerse themselves into with relative ease . Diverse art styles are used and character proportions and features can be quite varied , including characteristically large emotive or realistically sized eyes .   The anime industry consists of over 430 production studios , including major names like Studio Ghibli , Gainax , and Toei Animation . Despite comprising only a fraction of Japan 's domestic film market , anime makes up a majority of Japanese DVD sales . It has also seen international success after the rise of English-dubbed programming . This rise in international popularity has resulted in non-Japanese productions using the anime art style , but these works are usually described as anime-influenced animation rather than anime proper .


Assassin's Creed is released for both Microsoft and OS X.

Assassin's Creed Assassin 's Creed is a franchise centered on an action-adventure video-game series developed by Ubisoft . It depicts in the centuries-old struggle between the Assassins , who fight for peace with free will , and the Templars , who desire peace through control . Featuring historical fiction and characters , mixed with real-world historical events , and figures . The series took inspiration from the novel Alamut by the Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol , while building upon concepts from the Prince of Persia series .   The franchise began in 2007 with the release of Assassin 's Creed . The main videogame series consists of nine games , developed by Ubisoft Montreal ( single player ) and Ubisoft Annecy ( multiplayer ) , released on PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , Wii U , Microsoft Windows , and OS X platforms . Many spin-off games have been made for Nintendo DS , PlayStation Portable , PlayStation Vita , iOS , HP webOS , Android , Nokia Symbian Windows Phone platforms , the handheld games are developed by Gameloft and Gryptonite Studios , with additional development by Ubisoft Montreal . The series has been well received by the public and critics , and has sold over 100 million copies , becoming Ubisoft 's best selling franchise and one of the highest selling video game franchises of all time .   Additionally from the video-games the series has been expanded into a film , comics and novels ; all of which take place within the same continuity as the main video-games series .


Divergent is a narrative in a visual medium.

Divergent (film) Divergent is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Neil Burger , based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth . The film is the first installment in The Divergent Series and was produced by Lucy Fisher , Pouya Shabazian , and Douglas Wick , with a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor . It stars Shailene Woodley , Theo James , Ashley Judd , Jai Courtney , Ray Stevenson , Zoë Kravitz , Miles Teller , Tony Goldwyn , Ansel Elgort , Maggie Q and Kate Winslet . The story takes place in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues . Beatrice Prior is warned that she is Divergent and thus will never fit into any one of the factions . She soon learns that a sinister plot is brewing in the seemingly perfect society .   Development of Divergent began in March 2011 when Summit Entertainment picked up the film rights to the novel with Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher 's production company Red Wagon Entertainment . Principal photography began April 16 , 2013 , and concluded on July 16 , 2013 , with reshoots taking place from January 24 -- 26 , 2014 . Production mostly took place in Chicago .   Divergent was released on March 21 , 2014 , in the United States . The film received mixed reviews from critics , with praise going towards its concepts and action , and criticism focused on its execution . Reviewers found the film to be generic and unoriginal , comparing it unfavorably to other young adult fiction adaptations . Despite this , the film was a financial success as it reached the # 1 spot at the box office during its opening weekend . After its release , the film earned over US$ 288 million worldwide against its budget of US$ 85 million . It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 5 , 2014 .   A sequel , Insurgent , was released on March 20 , 2015 in the United States .


International Relations includes technology and engineering, economics, communication studies, history, international law, demography, philosophy, geography, social work, sociology, anthropology, criminology, psychology, gender studies, cultural studies, culturology, and diplomacy, globalization, diplomatic relations, state sovereignty, international security, ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, nationalism, economic development, global finance, as well as terrorism and organized crime, human security, foreign interventionism, and human rights, as well, as, more recently, comparative religion.

International relations International relations ( IR ) or international affairs , depending on academic institution , is either a field of political science , an interdisciplinary academic field similar to global studies , or an entirely independent academic discipline in which students take a variety of internationally focused courses in social science and humanities disciplines . In both cases , the field studies relationships between political entities ( polities ) such as states , sovereign states , empires , inter-governmental organizations ( IGOs ) , international non-governmental organizations ( INs ) , non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) , and multinational corporations ( MNCs ) , and the wider world-systems produced by this interaction . International relations is an academic and a public policy field , and so can be positive and normative , because it analyzes and formulates the foreign policy of a given State .   As political activity , international relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides ( c. 460 -- 395 BC ) , and , in the early 20th century , became a discrete academic field ( No. 5901 in the 4-digit UNESCO Nomenclature ) within political science . In practice International Relations and International Affairs forms a separate academic program or field from Political Science , and the courses taught therein are highly interdisciplinary .   For example , international relations draws from the fields of : technology and engineering , economics , communication studies , history , international law , demography , philosophy , geography , social work , sociology , anthropology , criminology , psychology , gender studies , cultural studies , culturology , and diplomacy . The scope of international relations comprehends globalization , diplomatic relations , state sovereignty , international security , ecological sustainability , nuclear proliferation , nationalism , economic development , global finance , as well as terrorism and organized crime , human security , foreign interventionism , and human rights , as well , as , more recently , comparative religion .


Vietnam War The Vietnam War ( Chiến tranh Việt Nam ) , also known as the Second Indochina War , and known in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America ( Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ) or simply the American War , was a war that occurred in Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975 . It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam . The North Vietnamese army was supported by the Soviet Union , China and other communist allies and the South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States , South Korea , Australia , Thailand and other anti-communist allies . The war is therefore considered a Cold War-era proxy war .   The Viet Cong ( also known as the National Liberation Front , or NLF ) , a South Vietnamese communist common front aided by the North , fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region , while the People 's Army of Vietnam , also known as the North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) , engaged in more conventional warfare , at times committing large units to battle . As the war continued , the military actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role and engagement of the NVA grew . U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations , involving ground forces , artillery , and airstrikes . In the course of the war , the U.S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam .   The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam . They viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States . The U.S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam . This was part of the domino theory of a wider containment policy , with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism worldwide .   Beginning in 1950 , American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina.The Military Assistance Advisory Group , Indochina ( with an authorized strength of 128 men ) was set up in September 1950 with a mission to oversee the use and distribution of US military equipment by the French and their allies . U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s , with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962 . U.S. involvement escalated further following the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident , in which a U.S. destroyer clashed with North Vietnamese fast attack craft , which was followed by the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution , which gave the U.S. president authorization to increase U.S. military presence . Regular U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965 . Operations crossed international borders : bordering areas of Laos and Cambodia were heavily bombed by U.S. forces as American involvement in the war peaked in 1968 , the same year that the communist side launched the Tet Offensive . The Tet Offensive failed in its goal of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government , but became the turning point in the war , as it persuaded a large segment of the U.S. population that its government 's claims of progress toward winning the war were illusory despite many years of massive U.S. military aid to South Vietnam .   Gradual withdrawal of U.S. ground forces began as part of `` Vietnamization '' , which aimed to end American involvement in the war while transferring the task of fighting the communists to the South Vietnamese themselves . Despite the Paris Peace Accord , which was signed by all parties in January 1973 , the fighting continued . In the U.S. and the Western world , a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture . The war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs , and altered North -- South relations .   Direct U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973 . The capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war , and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year . The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities ( see Vietnam War casualties ) . Estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million . Some 240,000 -- 300,000 Cambodians , 20,000 -- 62,000 Laotians , and 58,220 U.S. service members also died in the conflict , and a further 1,626 remain missing in action .


The Legend of Tarzan (film) is based upon a character who does not really exist.

The Legend of Tarzan (film) The Legend of Tarzan is a 2016 American action adventure film based on the fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs . Directed by David Yates , and written by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer , the film stars Alexander Skarsgård as the title character , with Samuel L. Jackson , Margot Robbie , Djimon Hounsou , Jim Broadbent and Christoph Waltz in supporting roles . Principal photography began on June 21 , 2014 , at Warner Bros. . Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom , and wrapped four months later on October 3 .   The film premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29 , 2016 and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1 , 2016 , in 2D , 3D , IMAX and IMAX 3D . The film grossed over $ 356 million against a budget of $ 180 million and received mixed reviews from critics .


OK Computer was recorded by Radiohead and released by Capitol Records.

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 Dark Knight Rises The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 British-American superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan , who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan , and the story with David S. Goyer . Featuring the DC Comics character Batman , the film is the final installment in Nolan 's Batman film trilogy , and the sequel to Batman Begins ( 2005 ) and The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) . Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman , with a returning cast of allies : Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth , Gary Oldman as James Gordon , and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox . The film introduces Selina Kyle ( Anne Hathaway ) , and Bane ( Tom Hardy ) . Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight , merciless revolutionary Bane forces an older Bruce Wayne to resume his role as Batman and save Gotham City from nuclear destruction .   Christopher Nolan was hesitant about returning to the series for a second time , but agreed after developing a story with his brother and Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note . Nolan drew inspiration from Bane 's comic book debut in the 1993 `` Knightfall '' storyline , the 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns , and the 1999 storyline `` No Man 's Land '' . Filming took place in locations including Jodhpur , London , Nottingham , Glasgow , Los Angeles , New York City , Newark , and Pittsburgh . Nolan used IMAX 70 mm film cameras for much of the filming , including the first six minutes of the film , to optimize the quality of the picture . A vehicle variation of the Batplane and Batcopter termed the `` Bat '' , an underground prison set , and a new Batcave set were created specifically for the film . As with The Dark Knight , viral marketing campaigns began early during production . When filming concluded , Warner Bros. refocused its campaign : developing promotional websites , releasing the first six minutes of the film , screening theatrical trailers , and sending out information regarding the film 's plot .   The Dark Knight Rises premiered in New York City on July 16 , 2012 . The film was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on July 20 , 2012 . It received positive reviews from critics , many of whom named it one of the best films of 2012 . Like its predecessor , the film grossed over $ 1 billion worldwide at the box office , making it the second film in the Batman film series to earn $ 1 billion . It is currently the 17th-highest-grossing film of all time , the third-highest-grossing film of 2012 , and the fourth-highest-grossing superhero film of all time .


New England New England is a geographical region comprising six states of the northeast United States : Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont . It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and south , and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north , respectively . The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and southeast , and Long Island Sound is to the south . Boston , the capital of Massachusetts , is New England 's largest city . The largest metropolitan area is Greater Boston , which also includes Worcester ( the second-largest city in both Massachusetts and New England ) , Manchester ( the largest city in New Hampshire ) , and Providence ( the capital and largest city of Rhode Island ) , with nearly a third of the entire region 's population .   In 1620 , Puritan Separatist Pilgrims from England first settled in the region , forming the Plymouth Colony , the second successful English settlement in the Americas , following the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia founded in 1607 . Ten years later , more Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston , thus forming Massachusetts Bay Colony . Over the next 126 years , people in the region fought in four French and Indian Wars , until the British and their Iroquois allies defeated the French and their Algonquin allies in North America . In 1692 , the town of Salem , Massachusetts and surrounding areas experienced one of the most infamous cases of mass hysteria in the history of the Western Hemisphere , the Salem witch trials . In the late 18th century , political leaders from the New England Colonies known as the Sons of Liberty initiated resistance to Britain 's efforts to impose new taxes without the consent of the colonists . The Boston Tea Party was a protest to which Britain responded with a series of punitive laws stripping Massachusetts of self-government , which were termed the `` Intolerable Acts '' by the colonists . The confrontation led to the first battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1775 , and the expulsion of the British authorities from the region in spring 1776 .   The region played a prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery in the United States , and was the first region of the U.S. transformed by the Industrial Revolution , centered on the Blackstone and Merrimack river valleys .   The physical geography of New England is diverse for such a small area ; southeastern New England is covered by a narrow coastal plain , while the western and northern regions are dominated by the rolling hills and worn-down peaks of the northern end of the Appalachian Mountains . With the Atlantic fall line lying so close to the coast , numerous industrial cities were able to take advantage of water power along the numerous rivers , such as the Connecticut River , which bisects the region from north to south .   Each state is principally subdivided into small incorporated municipalities known as towns , many of which are governed by town meetings . The only unincorporated areas in the region exist in the sparsely populated northern regions of Maine , New Hampshire , and Vermont . The region is one of the U.S. Census Bureau 's nine regional divisions and the only multi-state region with clear , consistent boundaries . It maintains a strong sense of cultural identity , although the terms of this identity are often contrasted , combining Puritanism with liberalism , agrarian life with industry , and isolation with immigration .


Turkey is a charter member of the United Nations.

United Nations The United Nations ( UN ) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation and to create and maintain international order . A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations , the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict . At its founding , the UN had 51 member states ; there are now 193 . The headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan , New York City , and experiences extraterritoriality . Further main offices are situated in Geneva , Nairobi , and Vienna . The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states . Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security , promoting human rights , fostering social and economic development , protecting the environment , and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine , natural disaster , and armed conflict . The UN is the largest , most familiar , most internationally represented and most powerful intergovernmental organisation in the world .   The UN Charter was drafted at a conference between April -- June 1945 in San Francisco , and was signed on 26 June 1945 at the conclusion of the conference ; this charter took effect 24 October 1945 , and the UN began operation . The UN 's mission to preserve world peace was complicated in its early decades by the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union and their respective allies . The organization participated in major actions in Korea and the Congo , as well as approving the creation of the state of Israel in 1947 . The organization 's membership grew significantly following widespread decolonization in the 1960s , and by the 1970s its budget for economic and social development programmes far outstripped its spending on peacekeeping . After the end of the Cold War , the UN took on major military and peacekeeping missions across the world with varying degrees of success .   The UN has six principal organs : the General Assembly ( the main deliberative assembly ) ; the Security Council ( for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security ) ; the Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC ; for promoting international economic and social co-operation and development ) ; the Secretariat ( for providing studies , information , and facilities needed by the UN ) ; the International Court of Justice ( the primary judicial organ ) ; and the UN Trusteeship Council ( inactive since 1994 ) . UN System agencies include the World Bank Group , the World Health Organization , the World Food Programme , UNESCO , and UNICEF . The UN 's most prominent officer is the Secretary-General , an office held by Portuguese António Guterres since 2017 . Non-governmental organizations may be granted consultative status with ECOSOC and other agencies to participate in the UN 's work .   The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 , and a number of its officers and agencies have also been awarded the prize . Other evaluations of the UN 's effectiveness have been mixed . Some commentators believe the organization to be an important force for peace and human development , while others have called the organization ineffective , corrupt , or biased .


Turkey Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti -LSB- ˈtyɾcije d͡ʒumˈhuɾijeti -RSB- ) , is a transcontinental country in Eurasia , mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia , with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe . Turkey is a democratic , secular , unitary , parliamentary republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Turkey is bordered by eight countries : Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest ; Georgia to the northeast ; Armenia , the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east ; Iraq and Syria to the south . The country is encircled by seas on three sides : the Aegean Sea is to the west , the Black Sea to the north , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . The Bosphorus , the Sea of Marmara , and the Dardanelles , which together form the Turkish Straits , divide Thrace and Anatolia ; they also separate Europe and Asia . Ankara is the capital while Istanbul is the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Approximately 70-80 % of the country 's citizens identify themselves as ethnic Turks . Other ethnic groups include legally recognised ( Armenians , Greeks , Jews ) and unrecognised ( Kurds , Arabs , Circassians , Albanians , Bosniaks , Georgians , etc. ) minorities . Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group , making up approximately 20 % of the population .   The area of Turkey has been inhabited since the Paleolithic by various ancient Anatolian civilisations , as well as Assyrians , Greeks , Thracians , Phrygians , Urartians and Armenians . After Alexander the Great 's conquest , the area was Hellenized , a process which continued under the Roman Empire and its transition into the Byzantine Empire . The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century , starting the process of Turkification , which was accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 . The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243 , when it disintegrated into small Turkish beyliks .   In the mid-14th century the Ottomans started uniting Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeast Europe , West Asia and North Africa , becoming a major power in Eurasia and Africa during the early modern period . The empire reached the peak of its power in the 16th century , especially during the reign ( 1520 -- 1566 ) of Suleiman the Magnificent . It remained powerful and influential for two more centuries , until important setbacks in the 17th and 18th century forced it to cede strategic territories in Europe , signalling the loss of its former military strength and wealth . After the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état which effectively put the country under the control of the Three Pashas the Ottoman Empire decided to join the Central Powers during World War I which were ultimately defeated by the Allied Powers . During the war , the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian , Assyrian and Pontic Greek citizens .   Following the war , the conglomeration of territories and peoples that formerly comprised the Ottoman Empire was partitioned into several new states . The Turkish War of Independence ( 1919 -- 1922 ) , initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his colleagues against the occupying Allies , resulted in the abolition of monarchy in 1922 and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 , with Atatürk as its first president . Atatürk enacted numerous reforms , many of which incorporated various aspects of Western thought , philosophy , and customs into the new form of Turkish government .   Turkey is a charter member of the UN , an early member of NATO , and a founding member of the OECD , OSCE , OIC and G-20 . After becoming one of the first members of the Council of Europe in 1949 , Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963 , joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005 . Turkey 's growing economy and diplomatic initiatives have led to its recognition as a regional power while its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout history .   Turkey 's current administration headed by president Tayyip Erdoğan has reversed many of the country 's earlier reforms which had been in place since the founding of the modern republic of Turkey , such as Freedom of the Press , a Legislative System of Checks and Balances , and a set of standards for secularism in government , as first enacted by Atatürk .


Chet Atkins produced records for Norma Jean.

Chet Atkins Chester Burton `` Chet '' Atkins ( June 20 , 1924 -- June 30 , 2001 ) , known as `` Mr. Guitar '' and `` The Country Gentleman '' , was an American musician , occasional vocalist , songwriter , and record producer , who along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson , among others , created the country music style that came to be known as the Nashville sound , which expanded country music 's appeal to adult pop music fans . He was primarily known as a guitarist . He also played the mandolin , fiddle , banjo , and ukulele .   Atkins ' signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis . Other major guitar influences were Django Reinhardt , George Barnes , Les Paul , and , later , Jerry Reed . His distinctive picking style and musicianship brought him admirers inside and outside the country scene , both in the United States and abroad . Atkins spent most of his career at RCA Victor and produced records for the Browns , Hank Snow , Porter Wagoner , Norma Jean , Dolly Parton , Dottie West , Perry Como , Floyd Cramer , Elvis Presley , the Everly Brothers , Eddy Arnold , Don Gibson , Jim Reeves , Jerry Reed , Skeeter Davis , Waylon Jennings , and many others .   Among many honors , Atkins received 14 Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . He also received nine Country Music Association awards for Instrumentalist of the Year . He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum .


Minneapolis was at one time, the world's flour milling capital.

Minneapolis Minneapolis ( -LSB- mɪniˈæpəlɪs -RSB- ) is the county seat of Hennepin County , and the larger of the Twin Cities , the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States . As of 2015 , Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota and 46th-largest in the United States with a population of 410,939 . Minneapolis and Saint Paul anchor the second-largest economic center in the Midwest , after Chicago .   Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River , just north of the river 's confluence with the Minnesota River , and adjoins Saint Paul , the state 's capital . The city is abundantly rich in water , with thirteen lakes , wetlands , the Mississippi River , creeks and waterfalls , many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway . It was once the world 's flour milling capital and a hub for timber . The city and surrounding region is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle , with Minneapolis proper containing America 's fifth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies . As an integral link to the global economy , Minneapolis is categorized as a global city . Noted for its strong music and performing arts scenes , Minneapolis is home to both the award-winning Guthrie Theater and the historic First Avenue nightclub . Reflecting the region 's status as an epicenter of folk , funk , and alternative rock music , the city served as the launching pad for several of the 20th century 's most influential musicians , including Bob Dylan and Prince .   The name Minneapolis is attributed to Charles Hoag , the city 's first schoolteacher , who combined mni , a Dakota Sioux word for water , and polis , the Greek word for city .


A signer of the Poona Pact is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1931.

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 .


Acting is a profession of Benedict Cumberbatch.

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch CBE ( born 19 July 1976 ) is an English actor who has performed in film , television , theatre and radio . He is the son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham . Cumberbatch graduated from the University of Manchester and continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , obtaining a Master of Arts in Classical Acting . He first performed at the Open Air Theatre , Regent 's Park in Shakespearean productions and made his West End debut portraying George Tesman in Richard Eyre 's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005 . Since then he has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance ( 2010 ) and Frankenstein ( 2011 ) . In 2015 , he played William Shakespeare 's Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre .   Cumberbatch 's television work includes appearances in Silent Witness ( 2002 ) and Fortysomething ( 2003 ) before playing Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004 . He has starred as Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010 . He has also headlined Tom Stoppard 's adaptation of Parade 's End ( 2012 ) and The Hollow Crown : The Wars of the Roses ( 2016 ) . In film , he has starred in Amazing Grace ( 2006 ) as William Pitt the Younger , Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) as Khan , 12 Years a Slave ( 2013 ) as William Prince Ford , The Fifth Estate ( 2013 ) as Julian Assange and The Imitation Game ( 2014 ) as Alan Turing . From 2012 to 2014 , through voice and motion capture , he played the characters of Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit film series . Cumberbatch portrays the Marvel Comics character Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in the film Doctor Strange ( 2016 ) .   Cumberbatch has received numerous awards and nominations for acting including three Laurence Olivier Award nominations , winning Best Actor in a Play for Frankenstein . He has also received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations , winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sherlock . His performance in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In addition , he has received six BAFTA nominations , five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations among others . In 2014 , Time magazine included him in its annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2015 for his services to the performing arts and to charity .


CBS CBS ( an initialism of the network 's former name , the Columbia Broadcasting System ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of CBS Corporation . The company is headquartered at the CBS Building in New York City with major production facilities and operations in New York City ( at the CBS Broadcast Center ) and Los Angeles ( at CBS Television City and the CBS Studio Center ) .   CBS is sometimes referred to as the `` Eye Network '' , in reference to the company 's iconic logo , in use since 1951 . It has also been called the `` Tiffany Network '' , alluding to the perceived high quality of CBS programming during the tenure of William S. Paley . It can also refer to some of CBS 's first demonstrations of color television , which were held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950 .   The network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc. , a collection of 16 radio stations that was purchased by Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System . Under Paley 's guidance , CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States , and eventually one of the Big Three American broadcast television networks . In 1974 , CBS dropped its former full name and became known simply as CBS , Inc. . The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995 , renamed its corporate entity to the current CBS Broadcasting , Inc. in 1997 , and eventually adopted the name of the company it had acquired to become CBS Corporation . In 2000 , CBS came under the control of Viacom , which was formed as a spin-off of CBS in 1971 . In late 2005 , Viacom split itself into two separate companies , and re-established CBS Corporation -- through the spin-off of its broadcast television , radio and select cable television and non-broadcasting assets -- with the CBS television network at its core . CBS Corporation is controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements , which also controls the current Viacom .   CBS continues to operate the CBS Radio network , which now mainly provides news and features content for its portfolio of owned-and-operated radio stations in large and mid-sized markets , and affiliated radio stations in various other markets . The television network has more than 240 owned-and-operated and affiliated television stations throughout the United States .


Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band , formed in Birmingham in 1968 , by guitarist and main songwriter Tony Iommi , bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler , singer Ozzy Osbourne , and drummer Bill Ward . The band experienced multiple line-up changes , with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history . Originally formed as a blues rock band , the group soon adopted the Black Sabbath moniker and began incorporating occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and tuned-down guitars . They also composed songs about social instability , political corruption and drugs .   Osbourne 's regular use of alcohol and other drugs led to his dismissal from the band in 1979 . He was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio . Following two albums with Dio , Black Sabbath endured many personnel changes in the 1980s and 1990s that included vocalists Ian Gillan , Glenn Hughes , Ray Gillen and Tony Martin , as well as several drummers and bassists . In 1992 , Iommi and Butler rejoined Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer . The original line-up reunited with Osbourne in 1997 and released a live album Reunion . Black Sabbath 's final studio album and nineteenth overall , 13 ( 2013 ) , features all of the original members but Ward , who left the band prior to the recording sessions due to a contract dispute . A year after embarking on a farewell tour , the band played their final concert in their home city of Birmingham on 4 February 2017 , after which they broke up . Iommi has stated , however , that he has not ruled out the possibility of new material or one-off shows under the Black Sabbath name .   Black Sabbath are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music . The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath ( 1970 ) , Paranoid ( 1970 ) and Master of Reality ( 1971 ) . They were ranked by MTV as the `` Greatest Metal Band '' of all time , and placed second in VH1 's `` 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock '' list . Rolling Stone magazine ranked them number 85 in their `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . They have sold over 70 million records worldwide . Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 . They have also won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance .


Elizabeth I of England was never known as Gloriana.

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I ( 7 September 1533 -- 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death . Sometimes called The Virgin Queen , Gloriana or Good Queen Bess , the childless Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty .   Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn , his second wife , who was executed two-and-a-half years after Elizabeth 's birth . Anne 's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled , and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate . Her half-brother , Edward VI , ruled until his death in 1553 , bequeathing the crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters , Elizabeth and the Roman Catholic Mary , in spite of statute law to the contrary . Edward 's will was set aside and Mary became queen , deposing Lady Jane Grey . During Mary 's reign , Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels .   In 1558 , Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel . She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers , led by William Cecil , 1st Baron Burghley . One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church , of which she became the Supreme Governor . This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England . It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to continue the Tudor line . She never did , despite numerous courtships . As she grew older , Elizabeth became famous for her virginity . A cult grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits , pageants , and literature of the day .   In government , Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been . One of her mottoes was `` video et taceo '' ( `` I see but say nothing '' ) . In religion , she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution . After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her , several conspiracies threatened her life , all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers ' secret service . Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs , manoeuvring between the major powers of France and Spain . She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective , poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands , France , and Ireland . By the mid-1580s , England could no longer avoid war with Spain . England 's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history .   Elizabeth 's reign is known as the Elizabethan era . The period is famous for the flourishing of English drama , led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe , and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Francis Drake . Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered , sometimes indecisive ruler , who enjoyed more than her share of luck . Towards the end of her reign , a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity . Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor in an era when government was ramshackle and limited , and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones . Such was the case with Elizabeth 's rival , Mary , Queen of Scots , whom she imprisoned in 1568 and had executed in 1587 . After the short reigns of Elizabeth 's half-siblings , her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity .


Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest ( born December 24 , 1974 ) is an American radio personality , television host and producer . He is best known for hosting the talent competition show American Idol , as well as the syndicated countdown program American Top 40 and the KIIS-FM morning radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest . Seacrest began co-hosting Live with Kelly and Ryan on a permanent basis May 1 , 2017 .   He received Emmy Award nominations for American Idol , and won an Emmy for producing Jamie Oliver 's Food Revolution .