Pirates of the Caribbean (film series) had a second film that did well.

Pirates of the Caribbean (film series) Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and based on Walt Disney 's theme park ride of the same name .   Directors of the series include Gore Verbinski ( 1 -- 3 ) , Rob Marshall ( 4 ) , and Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg ( 5 ) . The series is primarily written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio ( 1 -- 4 ) ; other writers include Stuart Beattie ( 1 ) , Jay Wolpert ( 1 ) , and Jeff Nathanson ( 5 ) . The stories follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp ) , Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom ) , and Elizabeth Swann ( Keira Knightley ) . Characters such as Hector Barbossa ( Geoffrey Rush ) and Joshamee Gibbs ( Kevin McNally ) follow Jack , Will , and Elizabeth in the course of the films . The fourth film features Blackbeard ( Ian McShane ) and Angelica ( Penélope Cruz ) , while the fifth film features Armando Salazar ( Javier Bardem ) , Henry Turner ( Brenton Thwaites ) and Carina Smyth ( Kaya Scodelario ) . The films take place in a fictional historical setting ; a world ruled by the British Empire , the East India Trading Company ( based on the real East India Company ) , and the Spanish Empire , with pirates representing freedom from the ruling powers .   The film series started in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl , which received positive reviews from the critics and grossed US$ 654 million worldwide . After the first film 's success , Walt Disney Pictures revealed that a trilogy was in the works . The franchise 's second film , subtitled Dead Man 's Chest , was released three years later in 2006 ; the sequel proved successful , breaking financial records worldwide the day of its premiere . Dead Man 's Chest ended up being the number one film of the year upon earning almost $ 1.1 billion at the worldwide box office . The third film in the series , subtitled At World 's End , followed in 2007 , and Disney released a fourth film , subtitled On Stranger Tides , in 2011 in conventional 2D , Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D . On Stranger Tides succeeded in also grossing more than $ 1 billion , becoming the second film in the franchise and only the eighth film in history to achieve this .   So far , the film franchise has grossed $ 4 billion worldwide ; it is the ninth highest-grossing film series of all-time and it was the first franchise where more than one film grossed $ 1 billion worldwide .


William McKinley William McKinley Jr. ( January 29 , 1843 -- September 14 , 1901 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of the United States from March 4 , 1897 until his assassination in September 1901 , six months into his second term . McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish -- American War , raised protective tariffs to promote American industry , and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of inflationary proposals .   McKinley was the last president to have served in the American Civil War , and the only one to have started the war as an enlisted soldier , beginning as a private in the Union Army and ending as a brevet major . After the war , he settled in Canton , Ohio , where he practiced law and married Ida Saxton . In 1876 , he was elected to Congress , where he became the Republican Party 's expert on the protective tariff , which he promised would bring prosperity . His 1890 McKinley Tariff was highly controversial ; which together with a Democratic redistricting aimed at gerrymandering him out of office , led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890 . He was elected Ohio 's governor in 1891 and 1893 , steering a moderate course between capital and labor interests . With the aid of his close adviser Mark Hanna , he secured the Republican nomination for president in 1896 , amid a deep economic depression . He defeated his Democratic rival , William Jennings Bryan , after a front-porch campaign in which he advocated `` sound money '' ( the gold standard unless altered by international agreement ) and promised that high tariffs would restore prosperity .   Rapid economic growth marked McKinley 's presidency . He promoted the 1897 Dingley Tariff to protect manufacturers and factory workers from foreign competition , and in 1900 , he secured the passage of the Gold Standard Act . McKinley hoped to persuade Spain to grant independence to rebellious Cuba without conflict , but when negotiation failed , he led the nation into the Spanish -- American War of 1898 ; the U.S. victory was quick and decisive . As part of the peace settlement , Spain turned over to the United States its main overseas colonies of Puerto Rico , Guam , and the Philippines ; Cuba was promised independence , but at that time remained under the control of the U.S. Army . The United States annexed the independent Republic of Hawaii in 1898 and it became a U.S. territory .   Historians regard McKinley 's 1896 victory as a realigning election , in which the political stalemate of the post -- Civil War era gave way to the Republican-dominated Fourth Party System , which began with the Progressive Era . McKinley defeated Bryan again in the 1900 presidential election , in a campaign focused on imperialism , protectionism , and free silver . However , his legacy was quickly cut short when he was shot on September 6 , 1901 by Leon Czolgosz , a second-generation Polish-American with anarchist leanings ; McKinley died eight days later , and was succeeded by his Vice President Theodore Roosevelt . As an innovator of American interventionism and pro-business sentiment , McKinley 's presidency is generally considered above average , though his universally positive public perception was soon overshadowed by Roosevelt .


Aaliyah collaborated with Missy Elliott and Timbaland.

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


Timea Bacsinszky Timea Bacsinszky ( born 8 June 1989 ) is a Swiss professional tennis player who has reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 and won three singles and four doubles titles on the WTA Tour . 2015 was a breakthrough year for her in singles , winning a career-best 15 consecutive matches spanning two titles then reaching the semifinals of the French Open , the first time she advanced past the third round of a major . She also reached her first Premier Mandatory final at the China Open .   Playing for Switzerland in the Fed Cup , Bacsinszky has a career match record of 23 -- 16 . She also has won 12 singles and 14 doubles titles on the ITF Women 's Circuit .


Hawaii Hawaii ( -LSB- langpronaudio = en-us-Hawaii . ogghəˈwaɪ.i , _ - ji , _ - ʔi -RSB- ; Hawai -LSB- - hawhəˈvɐjʔi -RSB- ) is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America , having received statehood on August 21 , 1959 . Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands . It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia , occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean . Hawaii is the only U.S. state not located in the Americas .   The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago , which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1500 mi . At the southeastern end of the archipelago , the eight main islands are -- in order from northwest to southeast : Niihau , Kauai , Oahu , Molokai , Lānai , Kahoolawe , Maui , and the Island of Hawaii . The last is the largest island in the group ; it is often called the `` Big Island '' or `` Hawaii Island '' to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago . The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania .   Hawaii 's diverse natural scenery , warm tropical climate , abundance of public beaches , oceanic surroundings , and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists , surfers , biologists , and volcanologists . Because of its central location in the Pacific and 19th-century labor migration , Hawaii 's culture is strongly influenced by North American and Asian cultures , in addition to its indigenous Hawaiian culture . Hawaii has over a million permanent residents , along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel . Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu .   Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous , but the 13th-most densely populated of the fifty U.S. states . It is the only state with an Asian plurality . The state 's coastline is about 750 mi long , the fourth longest in the U.S. after the coastlines of Alaska , Florida , and California .


Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( -LSB- ˈstɛfəniː_dʒɜrməˈnɒtə -RSB- ; born March 28 , 1986 ) , known professionally as Lady Gaga , is an American singer , songwriter , and actress . At the beginning of her career , Gaga became known for her unconventionality and provocative work . A popular contemporary recording artist , she is noted for constantly experimenting with new musical ideas and images .   Gaga initially played roles in high school plays , and studied at CAP21 through NYU 's Tisch School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue a musical career . After leaving a rock band , participating in a performance art circuit , and being dropped from a contract with Def Jam Recordings , Gaga worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing . From there , Akon noticed her vocal abilities and helped her sign a joint deal with Interscope Records and his own KonLive Distribution in 2007 . Gaga rose to prominence with the release of her successful debut album The Fame ( 2008 ) and its international chart-topping singles `` Just Dance '' and `` Poker Face '' . A follow-up EP , The Fame Monster ( 2009 ) , was met with a similar reception and the singles `` Bad Romance '' , `` Telephone '' , and `` Alejandro '' were also successful .   Gaga 's second full-length album Born This Way ( 2011 ) topped the charts in more than 20 countries , including the US , where it sold over one million copies in its first week . The album produced the number-one single `` Born This Way '' . Gaga 's third album Artpop , released in 2013 , topped the US charts and included the successful single `` Applause '' . In 2014 , Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titled Cheek to Cheek , her third consecutive number one in the US . For her work in the television series American Horror Story : Hotel , Gaga won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 . With her fifth studio album Joanne ( 2016 ) , she became the first woman to have four US number one albums in the 2010s . In February 2017 , Gaga headlined the Super Bowl LI halftime show , which had over 150 million audience across various platforms worldwide , making it the most viewed musical event in history .   With global album and single sales of 27 million and 146 million respectively , as of January 2016 , she is one of the best-selling musicians of all time . Her achievements include twelve Guinness World Records , three Brit Awards , and six Grammy Awards . She has also received awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America . Gaga regularly appears on Billboards Artists of the Year lists and Forbess power and earnings rankings . She was ranked at number four on VH1 's Greatest Women in Music , finished second on Times 2011 readers ' poll of the most influential people of the past ten years , and was named Billboards Woman of the Year ( 2015 ) . She is known for her philanthropic work and social activism , including LGBT rights and her own non-profit organization , the Born This Way Foundation , which focuses on promoting youth empowerment and combating bullying .


John Stewart (comics) John Stewart , known as Green Lantern , is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics and was the first African-American superhero to appear in DC Comics . The character was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams , and first appeared in Green Lantern # 87 ( December 1971 ) .


Beyoncé has only starred in Austin Powers.

Dreamgirls (film) Dreamgirls is a 2006 American romantic musical comedy-drama film directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures . The film debuted in three special road show engagements starting on December 15 , 2006 , before its nationwide release on December 25 , 2006 . Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen , Dreamgirls is a film à clef , a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and one of its acts , The Supremes . The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit , Michigan girl group known as the Dreams and their manipulative record executive . The film was released in the United States on December 25 , 2006 .   The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx , Beyoncé , Eddie Murphy , and Jennifer Hudson , and also features Danny Glover , Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson . Produced by Laurence Mark , the film 's screenplay was adapted by director Condon from the original Broadway book by Tom Eyen . In addition to the original Kreiger Eyen compositions , four new songs , composed by Krieger with various lyricists , were added for this film . Dreamgirls features the acting debut of Hudson , a former American Idol contestant and singer .   With a production cost of $ 80 million , Dreamgirls is the most expensive film to feature an all African-American starring cast in American cinema history . Upon its release , the film garnered positive reviews from critics , and earned $ 154 million at the international box office . Dreamgirls also received a number of accolades , including three awards at the 64th Golden Globe Awards ceremony , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , and two Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards .


Grey's Anatomy is a primetime series in the United States.

Grey's Anatomy Grey 's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series that premiered on American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) as a mid-season replacement on March 27 , 2005 . The series focuses on the fictional lives of surgical interns , residents and attending physicians , as they evolve into seasoned doctors while trying to maintain personal lives and relationships . The title is a play on Gray 's Anatomy , a human anatomy textbook by Henry Gray . The show 's premise originated with Shonda Rhimes , who serves as an executive producer , along with Betsy Beers , Mark Gordon , Krista Vernoff , Rob Corn , Mark Wilding , and Allan Heinberg . Although it is set in Seattle at the fictional Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital ( formerly Seattle Grace ) it is primarily filmed in Los Angeles , California . The show was originally titled Complications , a reference to the complicated medical procedures and personal lives of the characters .   The series was created to be racially diverse , utilizing a color-blind casting technique . It revolves around the title character , Dr. Meredith Grey , played by Ellen Pompeo . The original cast consisted of nine star-billed actors : Pompeo , Sandra Oh , Katherine Heigl , Justin Chambers , T. R. Knight , Chandra Wilson , James Pickens Jr. , Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey . The cast has undergone major changes through the show 's run , with many members leaving and being replaced by others . In its twelfth season , the show had a large ensemble of sixteen actors , including four from the original cast . On February 10 , 2017 , ABC renewed Grey 's Anatomy for a fourteenth season , which will premiere in the fall of 2017 .   Grey 's Anatomy , even in its thirteenth season , is ABC 's highest-rated drama ; although its ratings have fallen over the course of its run ( it was once among the overall top 10 shows in the United States ) , it is still one of the highest rated shows among the 18 -- 49 demographic , and the No. 3 drama on all of broadcast television . Grey 's Anatomy has been well received by critics throughout much of its run , and has been included in various critics 's year-end top ten lists . Since its inception , the show has been described by the media outlets as a television `` phenomenon '' or a `` juggernaut , '' owing to its longevity and dominant ratings . It is considered to have had a significant impact on popular culture and has received numerous awards , including the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama . It has received multiple Emmy nominations , including two for Outstanding Drama Series . In 2012 , Grey 's Anatomy was named the fifth-highest revenue earning show , in terms of advertising per half-hour . It is the longest running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC , and the second-longest scripted primetime ABC show ever .


American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is owned by the Disney -- ABC Television Group , a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company . The network is headquartered on Columbus Avenue and West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City . There are additional major offices and production facilities elsewhere in New York City , as well as in Los Angeles and Burbank , California .   Since 2007 , when ABC Radio ( also known as Cumulus Media Networks ) was sold to Citadel Broadcasting , ABC has reduced its broadcasting operations almost exclusively to television . The fifth-oldest major broadcasting network in the world and the youngest of the Big Three television networks , ABC is often nicknamed as `` The Alphabet Network '' , as its initialism also represents the first three letters of the English alphabet , in order .   ABC originally launched on October 12 , 1943 , as a radio network , separated from and serving as the successor to the NBC Blue Network , which had been purchased by Edward J. Noble . It extended its operations to television in 1948 , following in the footsteps of established broadcast networks CBS and NBC . In the mid-1950s , ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres , a chain of movie theaters that formerly operated as a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures . Leonard Goldenson , who had been the head of UPT , made the new television network profitable by helping develop and greenlight many successful series . In the 1980s , after purchasing an 80 % interest in cable sports channel ESPN , the network 's corporate parent , American Broadcasting Companies , Inc. , merged with Capital Cities Communications , owner of several print publications , and television and radio stations . In 1996 , most of Capital Cities/ABC 's assets were purchased by The Walt Disney Company .   The television network has eight owned-and-operated and over 232 affiliated television stations throughout the United States and its territories . Most Canadians have access to at least one U.S.-based ABC affiliate , either over-the-air ( in areas located within proximity to the Canada -- United States border ) or through a cable , satellite or IPTV provider , although most ABC programs are subject to simultaneous substitution regulations imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that allow pay television providers to replace an American station 's signal with the feed of a Canadian broadcaster to protect domestic programming rights and advertising revenue . ABC News provides news and features content for select radio stations owned by Citadel Broadcasting , which purchased the ABC Radio properties in 2007 .


There is a music video director named Lasse Hallstrom.

Music video director A music video director is the head of music video production . The director conceives of videos ' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act , technical crew , actors , models , and dancers . They may or may not be in collaboration with the musical act .   On November 8 , 1992 , MTV began listing directors with the artist , song , and record company credits , because music videos had increasingly become an auteur 's medium . `` The case for the director as music video author is strong . It is the music video director who has principal control of everything that is added to the pre-existing recorded sound text . '' Directors , including Michel Gondry , Spike Jonze , and F. Gary Gray , have gone on to direct feature films , continuing a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as Lasse Hallström and David Fincher . The most expensive video of all time was directed by Mark Romanek : Michael and Janet Jackson 's `` Scream '' ( 1995 ) , which cost $ 7 million to produce . In 2003 , Spike Jonze , Chris Cunningham , and Michel Gondry founded the Directors Label .


Anna Kendrick made her film debut in Camp.

Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick ( born August 9 , 1985 ) is an American actress and singer . She began her career as a child actor in theater productions . Her first prominent role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society , which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical . She made her film debut in the musical comedy Camp ( 2003 ) .   Kendrick rose to prominence for her supporting role in The Twilight Saga ( 2008 -- 12 ) , the film franchise based on Stephenie Meyer 's book series . She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Up in the Air ( 2009 ) . She achieved further fame for playing the protagonist in the 2012 musical comedy Pitch Perfect and the 2015 sequel , Pitch Perfect 2 .   Kendrick has also featured in the comedy-drama 50/50 ( 2011 ) , the crime-drama End of Watch ( 2012 ) , the musical-fantasy Into the Woods ( 2014 ) , and the adult comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates ( 2016 ) .  In 2016 , Kendrick published her memoir , Scrappy Little Nobody .


Arcade Fire toured with 2 percussionists and 2 saxophonists.

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal , Quebec , consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne , along with Win 's younger brother William Butler , Richard Reed Parry , Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara . The band 's current touring line-up also includes former core member Sarah Neufeld , frequent collaborator Owen Pallett , two additional percussionists , Diol Edmond and Tiwill Duprate , and saxophonists Matt Bauder and Stuart Bogie .   Founded in 2001 by friends and classmates Win Butler and Josh Deu , the band came to prominence in 2004 with the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Funeral . Their second studio album , Neon Bible , won them the 2008 Meteor Music Award for Best International Album and the 2008 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year . Their third studio album , The Suburbs , was released in 2010 to critical acclaim and commercial success . It received many accolades , including the 2011 Grammy for Album of the Year , the 2011 Juno Award for Album of the Year , and the 2011 Brit Award for Best International Album . In 2013 , Arcade Fire released their fourth album , Reflektor , and scored the feature film Her , for which band members William Butler and Owen Pallett were nominated in the Best Original Score category at the 86th Academy Awards . All four of their studio albums have received nominations for the Best Alternative Music Album Grammy ; the band 's work has also been named three times as a shortlist nominee for the Polaris Music Prize : in 2007 for Neon Bible , in 2011 for The Suburbs and in 2014 for Reflektor , winning the award for The Suburbs .   The band plays guitar , drums , bass guitar , piano , violin , viola , cello , double bass , xylophone , glockenspiel , keyboard , synthesizer , French horn , accordion , harp , mandolin , and hurdy-gurdy , and takes most of these instruments on tour ; the multi-instrumentalist band members switch duties throughout shows .


In most mammal species, one male lives and mates with multiple females.

Polygyny in animals Polygyny ( -LSB- pəˈlɪdʒɪniː -RSB- from Neo-Greek πολυγυνία from πολύ - poly - `` many '' , and γυνή gyne `` woman '' or `` wife '' ) is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females , but each female only mates with a single male . Systems where several females mate with several males are defined either as promiscuity or polygynandry . Lek mating is frequently regarded as a form of polygyny because one male mates with many females , but lek-based mating systems differ in that the male has no attachment to the females with whom he mates , and that mating females lack attachment to one another .   Polygyny is typical of one-male , multi-female groups and can be found in many species including : human , gorilla , elephant seal , red-winged warbler , house wren , hamadryas baboon , common pheasant , red deer , Bengal tiger , Xylocopa varipuncta , Anthidium manicatum and elk . Oftentimes in polygynous systems , females will provide the majority of parental care .


Mammal Mammals are any vertebrates within the class Mammalia ( -LSB- məˈmeɪli.ə -RSB- from Latin mamma #Latin `` breast '' ) , a clade of endothermic amniotes distinguished from reptiles ( including birds ) by the possession of a neocortex ( a region of the brain ) , hair , three middle ear bones and mammary glands . Females of all mammal species nurse their young with milk , secreted from the mammary glands .   Mammals include the biggest animals on the planet , the great whales . The basic body type is a terrestrial quadruped , but some mammals are adapted for life at sea , in the air , in trees , underground or on two legs . The largest group of mammals , the placentals , have a placenta , which enables the feeding of the fetus during gestation .  Mammals range in size from the 30 -- bumblebee bat to the 30 m blue whale . With the exception of the five species of monotreme ( egg-laying mammals ) , all modern mammals give birth to live young . Most mammals , including the six most species-rich orders , belong to the placental group . The largest orders are the rodents , bats and Soricomorpha ( shrews and allies ) . The next three biggest orders , depending on the biological classification scheme used , are the Primates ( apes and monkeys ) , the Cetartiodactyla ( whales and even-toed ungulates ) , and the Carnivora ( cats , dogs , seals , and allies ) .   Living mammals are divided into the Yinotheria ( platypus and echidnas ) and Theriiformes ( all other mammals ) . There are around 5450 species of mammal , depending on which authority is cited . In some classifications , extant mammals are divided into two subclasses : the Prototheria , that is , the order Monotremata ; and the Theria , or the infraclasses Metatheria and Eutheria . The marsupials constitute the crown group of the Metatheria , and include all living metatherians as well as many extinct ones ; the placentals are the crown group of the Eutheria . While mammal classification at the family level has been relatively stable , several contending classifications regarding the higher levels -- subclass , infraclass and order , especially of the marsupials -- appear in contemporaneous literature . Much of the changes reflect the advances of cladistic analysis and molecular genetics . Findings from molecular genetics , for example , have prompted adopting new groups , such as the Afrotheria , and abandoning traditional groups , such as the Insectivora .   The mammals represent the only living Synapsida , which together with the Sauropsida form the Amniota clade . The early synapsid mammalian ancestors were sphenacodont pelycosaurs , a group that produced the non-mammalian Dimetrodon . At the end of the Carboniferous period , this group diverged from the sauropsid line that led to today 's reptiles and birds . The line following the stem group Sphenacodontia split-off several diverse groups of non-mammalian synapsids -- sometimes referred to as mammal-like reptiles -- before giving rise to the proto-mammals ( Therapsida ) in the early Mesozoic era . The modern mammalian orders arose in the Paleogene and Neogene periods of the Cenozoic era , after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs , and have been among the dominant terrestrial animal groups from 66 million years ago to the present .   Some mammals are intelligent , with some possessing large brains , self-awareness and tool use . Mammals can communicate and vocalize in several different ways , including the production of ultrasound , scent-marking , alarm signals , singing , and echolocation . Mammals can organize themselves into fission-fusion societies , harems , and hierarchies , but can also be solitary and territorial . Most mammals are polygynous , but some can be monogamous or polyandrous .   In human culture , domesticated mammals played a major role in the Neolithic revolution , causing farming to replace hunting and gathering , and leading to a major restructuring of human societies with the first civilizations . They provided , and continue to provide , power for transport and agriculture , as well as various commodities such as meat , dairy products , wool , and leather . Mammals are hunted or raced for sport , and are used as model organisms in science . Mammals have been depicted in art since Palaeolithic times , and appear in literature , film , mythology , and religion . Defaunation of mammals is primarily driven by anthropogenic factors , such as poaching and habitat destruction , though there are efforts to combat this .


Marlon Brando was in a film by someone born in any year but 1909.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz ( February 11 , 1909 -- February 5 , 1993 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , and producer . Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career , and he twice won the Academy Award for both Best Director and Best Writing , Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives ( 1949 ) and All About Eve ( 1950 ) .


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


Betty Buckley went on to star in a musical.

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley ( born July 3 , 1947 ) is an American stage , film and television actress , and singer . She starred from 1977 to 1981 on the ABC series Eight is Enough , before going on to win the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Cats . Her other musical roles include playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard from 1994 to 1996 , in both London and New York , receiving an Olivier Award nomination . She is a 2012 American Theater Hall of Fame inductee .   Buckley made her Broadway debut in 1969 playing Martha Jefferson in the original production of the musical 1776 . Other Broadway musical credits include Pippin ( 1973 ) and Drood ( 1985 ) . She played gym teacher Ms. Collins in the 1976 Brian de Palma film Carrie and went on to star in the short-lived Broadway musical version of Carrie in 1988 , this time playing Carrie 's mother , Margaret White . She received a Tony Award nomination for the 1997 musical Triumph of Love , Grammy Award nominations for The Diaries of Adam and Eve ( 1999 ) and Stars and the Moon : Live at the Donmar ( 2001 ) , and a Drama Desk Award nomination for the 2013 play The Old Friends . Her other film roles include Dixie Scott in Tender Mercies ( 1983 ) , Sondra Walker in Frantic ( 1988 ) , Kathy in Another Woman ( 1988 ) and Mrs. Jones in The Happening ( 2008 ) . She also had a recurring role in the HBO series Oz ( 2001 -- 03 ) . In 2017 , she received a Saturn Award nomination for her role as Dr. Karen Fletcher in the film Split .


Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( born Maria Halle Berry ; August 14 , 1966 ) is an American actress . She won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) . As of 2017 , she is the only black woman to have won a Best Actress Academy Award .   Berry was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood during the 2000s and has been involved in the production of several of the films in which she performed . She is also a Revlon spokesmodel . Before becoming an actress , she started modeling and entered several beauty contests , finishing as the 1st runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant and coming in 6th place in the Miss World Pageant in 1986 . Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy Boomerang ( 1992 ) , alongside Eddie Murphy , which led to roles in films such as the comedy The Flintstones ( 1994 ) , the political comedy-drama Bulworth ( 1998 ) and the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge ( 1999 ) , for which she won the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress , among many other awards .   In addition to her Academy Award win , Berry garnered high-profile roles in the 2000s such as Storm in the X-Men film series ( beginning in 2000 ) , the action crime thriller Swordfish ( 2001 ) , and the spy film Die Another Day ( 2002 ) , where she played Bond Girl Jinx . She then appeared in the X-Men sequels , X2 ( 2003 ) and X-Men : The Last Stand ( 2006 ) . In the 2010s , she appeared in movies such as the science fiction film Cloud Atlas ( 2012 ) , the crime thriller The Call ( 2013 ) and X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 ) .   Berry was formerly married to baseball player David Justice , and singer-songwriter Eric Benét . She has a daughter by model Gabriel Aubry , and a son by actor Olivier Martinez .


Samsung Life Insurance's headquarters are in the capital of South Korea.

Samsung Life Insurance Samsung Life Insurance ( Korean : 삼성생명보험 , ) is a South Korean multinational insurance company headquartered in Seoul , South Korea , and a subsidiary of the Samsung Group . It is the largest insurance company in South Korea and a Fortune Global 500 company .   Samsung Life 's principal products include life , health insurance and annuities . Samsung Life was a private company from its foundation in 1957 until it went public in May 2010 . The IPO was the largest in South Korean history and made Samsung Life one of the country 's most valuable companies measured by market capitalization . Its headquarters are situated across from Namdaemun , a historic gate located in the heart of Seoul .


David LeRoy Anderson won the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 70th Academy Awards for Men in Black in 2000.

David LeRoy Anderson David LeRoy Anderson is an American makeup artist who has won two Academy Awards for Best Makeup , first was at the 69th Academy Awards for the film The Nutty Professor , then the following year at the 70th Academy Awards for Men in Black . Both wins were shared with Rick Baker .  He received his 3rd Oscar nomination at the 2005 ceremony for the film Cinderella Man , a nomination he shared with his father , Lance Anderson .


70th Academy Awards The 70th Academy Awards ceremony , organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , took place on March 23 , 1998 , at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. . During the show , AMPAS presented Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1997 . The ceremony , which was televised in the United States by ABC , was produced by Gil Cates and directed by Louis J. Horvitz . Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the sixth time . He first presided over the 62nd ceremony held in 1990 , and he had hosted the previous year 's gala . Nearly a month earlier in an event held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills , California on February 28 , the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Ashley Judd .   Titanic won a record-tying eleven awards including Best Director for James Cameron and Best Picture . Other winners included As Good as It Gets , Good Will Hunting and L.A. Confidential with two awards , and The Full Monty , Geri 's Game , Karakter , The Long Way Home , Visas and Virtue , Men in Black , and A Story of Healing with one . The telecast garnered more than 57 million viewers in the United States , making it the most watched Oscars broadcast in history .


The Comeback (TV series) The Comeback is an American television comedy-drama series produced by HBO that stars actress Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles . It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King , a former executive producer of Sex and the City . Kudrow and King are also screenwriters and executive producers of the series , with King also serving as the director of some episodes . The series premiered on HBO on June 5 , 2005 and aired for a single , 13-episode season before being canceled . The series was revived nine years later and an eight-episode second season aired on HBO beginning on November 9 , 2014 .   The show , a satirical , comedic look inside the entertainment television industry , is shot by a two-camera crew . Season 1 is presented as found footage shot for the fictional reality show within The Comeback , also called The Comeback . Season 2 is presented as found footage shot by a camera crew originally commissioned by Valerie to pitch a pilot to noted reality TV producer Andy Cohen , later repurposed as behind the scenes web content , and then into a full-scale documentary .   Kudrow has said that she , King , and HBO are all interested in producing a third season of the series .


Google Home Google Home is a smart speaker developed by Google . It was announced in May 2016 and released in the United States in November 2016 , with a release in the United Kingdom in April 2017 , followed by Australia , Canada , France , Germany , and Japan in summer 2017 .   Google Home enables users to speak voice commands to interact with services through the Home 's intelligent personal assistant called Google Assistant . A large number of services , both in-house and third-party , are integrated , allowing users to listen to music , look at videos or photos , or receive news updates entirely by voice . Google Home also has integrated support for home automation features , letting users speak commands to the device to control smart home appliances . Multiple Google Home devices can be placed in different rooms in a home for synchronized playback of music , and an update in April 2017 brought multi-user support , allowing up to six people to engage with the device . The product itself has a cylindrical shape with 4 LEDs on the top for visual representation of its status , and the cover over the base is modular , with different color options offered through Google Store intended for the device to blend into the environment . In May 2017 , Google announced multiple updates to Google Home 's functionality , including free hands-free phone calling in the United States and Canada , proactive updates ahead of scheduled events , visual responses on mobile devices or Chromecast-enabled televisions , Bluetooth music streaming , and the ability to schedule calendar appointments , with upcoming support for reminders .   Google Home received mixed reviews . Its design and sound input/output received significant praise , while a lack of interoperability between other Google Assistant-enabled devices was criticized . Critics voiced concerns about Google 's intentions with the device , particularly whether features would be more tightly integrated into other Google products and one critic noted that Google Home 's functionality was more limited than those offered through the Google Assistant on other platforms . Reviewers had very different experiences with the setup process , with one critic praising it while another criticized it , and Google Home 's search-based answers was the subject of debate , with one reviewer praising its capabilities while another highlighted multiple bad-quality answers comparable to fake news .


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


Indian (1996 film) Indian ( Tamil : இந்தியன் ) is a 1996 Indian Tamil vigilante crime thriller film written and directed by Shankar and produced by A. M. Rathnam . The film stars Kamal Haasan in dual roles with Manisha Koirala , Urmila Matondkar , Sukanya and Goundamani appearing in other pivotal roles . The film 's score and soundtrack are composed by A. R. Rahman , while cinematography was handled by Jeeva .   The film focuses on an ex-freedom fighter turned vigilante bent on rooting out corruption and his son , who is at the other end of the spectrum by facilitating corrupt practices leading to some unfortunate events .   The film opened to positive reviews from critics on the way to becoming a commercial blockbuster in the Tamil film industry . Indian was selected by India as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1996 , but was not nominated . The film also went on to win three National Film Awards including that of Best Actor for Kamal Haasan 's portrayal , while his performance also saw him win at the Filmfare Awards and the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards . The film was dubbed and released in Hindi as Hindustani with a few scenes reshot and also in Telugu as Bharatheeyudu . It was also the highest grossing Tamil film upon its release , until surpassed by Padayappa , three years later .


Zhou Enlai was instrumental in forming foreign policy.

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


Supernatural (U.S. TV series) was on The WB.

Supernatural (U.S. TV series) Supernatural is an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric Kripke . It was first broadcast on September 13 , 2005 , on The WB , and subsequently became part of successor The CW 's lineup . Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester , the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons , ghosts , monsters , and other supernatural beings . The series is produced by Warner Bros. . Television , in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision . Along with Kripke , executive producers have been McG , Robert Singer , Phil Sgriccia , Sera Gamble , Jeremy Carver , John Shiban , Ben Edlund and Adam Glass . Former executive producer and director Kim Manners died of lung cancer during production of the fourth season .   The series is filmed in Vancouver , British Columbia and surrounding areas and was in development for nearly ten years , as creator Kripke spent several years unsuccessfully pitching it . The pilot was viewed by an estimated 5.69 million viewers , and the ratings of the first four episodes prompted The WB to pick up the series for a full season . Originally , Kripke planned the series for three seasons but later expanded it to five . The fifth season concluded the series ' main storyline , and Kripke departed the series as showrunner . The series has continued on for several more seasons with new showrunners , including Sera Gamble , Jeremy Carver , Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb . With its eleventh season , Supernatural became the longest-running American fantasy series . The series was renewed for a twelfth season , which aired from October 13 , 2016 , to May 18 , 2017 . On January 8 , 2017 , The CW renewed the show for a thirteenth season .


Dr. Dre produced a compilation album titled Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath.

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young ( born February 18 , 1965 ) , better known by his stage name Dr. Dre , is an American rapper , record producer , and entrepreneur . He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics . Dre was previously the co-owner of , and an artist on , Death Row Records . He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers , including 2Pac , The D.O.C. , Snoop Dogg , Eminem , Xzibit , Knoc-turn ` al , 50 Cent , The Game and Kendrick Lamar . He is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk , a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow , heavy beats . In 2014 , Dr. Dre was ranked as the second richest figure in the American hip hop scene by Forbes with a net worth of $ 550 million ; he is at the top of the 2015 Forbes list , with an estimated pre-tax take of $ 620 million in 2014 .   Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin ' Cru and later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E , Ice Cube , MC Ren , and DJ Yella , which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life . His 1992 solo debut The Chronic , released under Death Row Records , led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993 and to win a Grammy Award for the single `` Let Me Ride '' . That same year he produced Death Row labelmate Snoop Dogg 's quadruple platinum debut Doggystyle , and even molded artists into top-notch producers such as his step-brother Warren G , which led to his Multi-Platinum debut Regulate ... G Funk Era in 1994 , and Snoop Dogg 's cousin Daz Dillinger which led to the double platinum debut album Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound in 1995 .   In 1996 , he left Death Row Records to establish his own label , Aftermath Entertainment . He produced a compilation album titled Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath in 1996 , and released a solo album titled 2001 in 1999 . During the 2000s , he focused on production for other artists , while occasionally contributing vocals to songs . Dr. Dre signed Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002 to his record label respectively , while contributing production on their albums . He has won six Grammy Awards , including Producer of the Year . Dr. Dre has also had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off , The Wash and Training Day . Rolling Stone ranked Dre at 56 on their list of `` 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time '' .


Yung Rich Nation Yung Rich Nation is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Migos . It was released on July 31 , 2015 , by Quality Control Music , 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records . The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown and Young Thug , while the production was handled by Zaytoven , Honorable C.N.O.T.E. and Murda Beatz , among others .


Michael Keaton Michael John Douglas ( born September 5 , 1951 ) , known professionally as Michael Keaton , is an American actor , producer and director . He first rose to fame for his comedic film roles in Night Shift ( 1982 ) , Mr. Mom ( 1983 ) , Johnny Dangerously ( 1984 ) and Beetlejuice ( 1988 ) , and he earned further acclaim for his dramatic portrayal of the title character in Tim Burton 's Batman ( 1989 ) and Batman Returns ( 1992 ) .   Since then , he has appeared in a variety of films ranging from dramas and romantic comedies to thriller and action films ; such as Clean and Sober ( 1988 ) , The Dream Team ( 1989 ) , Pacific Heights ( 1990 ) , Much Ado About Nothing ( 1993 ) , My Life ( 1993 ) , The Paper ( 1994 ) , Multiplicity ( 1996 ) , Jackie Brown ( 1997 ) , Herbie : Fully Loaded ( 2005 ) , The Other Guys ( 2010 ) , Need for Speed ( 2014 ) , RoboCop ( 2014 ) , Spotlight ( 2015 ) and The Founder ( 2016 ) , and he has also provided voices for characters in animated films such as Cars ( 2006 ) , Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) and Minions ( 2015 ) . In 2017 , Keaton will play the role of Marvel Comics supervillain the Vulture in Spider-Man : Homecoming .   Keaton 's lead performance in Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( 2014 ) earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy , the Critics ' Choice Award for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy , and nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award , British Academy Film Award , and Academy Award for Best Actor . He previously received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in Live from Baghdad ( 2002 ) and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for The Company ( 2007 ) . Keaton was awarded a Career Achievement Award from both the Hollywood Film Festival and Zurich Film Festivals .   On January 18 , 2016 , he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France . He is also a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University . </span>


Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres ( Order of Arts and Letters ) is an Order of France , established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture , and its supplementary status to the Ordre national du Mérite was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963 . Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts , literature , or the propagation of these fields .   Its origin is attributed to the Order of Saint-Michel ( established 1 August 1469 ) as acknowledged by French government sources .


Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , recognizing excellence in film and television , both domestic and foreign .   The annual ceremony at which the awards are presented is a major part of the film industry 's awards season , which culminates each year in the Academy Awards .   The 74th Golden Globe Awards , honoring the best in film and television in 2016 , was broadcast live on January 8 , 2017 . Jimmy Fallon hosted the show .


J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling , ( -LSB- ˈrəʊlɪŋ -RSB- born 31 July 1965 ) , pen names J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith , is a British novelist , screenwriter and film producer best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series . The books have gained worldwide attention , won multiple awards , and sold more than 400 million copies . They have become the best-selling book series in history and been the basis for a series of films over which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts and maintained creative control by serving as a producer on the final instalment .   Born in Yate , Gloucestershire , England , Rowling was working as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International when she conceived the idea for the Harry Potter series while on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990 . The seven-year period that followed saw the death of her mother , birth of her first child , divorce from her first husband and relative poverty until she finished the first novel in the series , Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone , in 1997 . There were six sequels , the last , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , in 2007 . Since then , Rowling has written four books for adult readers : The Casual Vacancy ( 2012 ) and -- under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith -- the crime fiction novels The Cuckoo 's Calling ( 2013 ) , The Silkworm ( 2014 ) and Career of Evil ( 2015 ) .   Rowling has lived a `` rags to riches '' life story , in which she progressed from living on state benefits to multi-millionaire status within five years . She is the United Kingdom 's best-selling living author , with sales in excess of # 238M . The 2016 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling 's fortune at # 600 million , ranking her as the joint 197th richest person in the UK . Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year , noting the social , moral , and political inspiration she has given her fans . In October 2010 , Rowling was named the `` Most Influential Woman in Britain '' by leading magazine editors . She has supported charities including Comic Relief , One Parent Families , Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Lumos ( formerly the Children 's High Level Group ) .


The French Revolution ended with the rise of Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins.

French Revolution The French Revolution ( Révolution française -LSB- ʁevɔlysjɔ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛːz -RSB- ) was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799 , and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire . The Revolution overthrew the monarchy , established a republic , experienced violent periods of political turmoil , and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon that rapidly brought many of its principles to Western Europe and beyond . Inspired by liberal and radical ideas , the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history , triggering the global decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies . Through the Revolutionary Wars , it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East . Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history .   The causes of the French Revolution are complex and are still debated among historians . Following the Seven Years ' War and the American Revolutionary War , the French government was deeply in debt and attempted to restore its financial status through unpopular taxation schemes . Years of bad harvests leading up to the Revolution also inflamed popular resentment of the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and the aristocracy . Demands for change were formulated in terms of Enlightenment ideals and contributed to the convocation of the Estates-General in May 1789 . The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate taking control , the assault on the Bastille in July , the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August , and a women 's march on Versailles that forced the royal court back to Paris in October . A central event of the first stage , in August 1789 , was the abolition of feudalism and the old rules and privileges left over from the Ancien Régime . The next few years featured political struggles between various liberal assemblies and right-wing supporters of the monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms . The Republic was proclaimed in September 1792 after the French victory at Valmy . In a momentous event that led to international condemnation , Louis XVI was executed in January 1793 .   External threats closely shaped the course of the Revolution . The Revolutionary Wars beginning in 1792 ultimately featured French victories that facilitated the conquest of the Italian Peninsula , the Low Countries and most territories west of the Rhine -- achievements that had eluded previous French governments for centuries . Internally , popular agitation radicalised the Revolution significantly , culminating in the rise of Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins . The dictatorship imposed by the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror , from 1793 until 1794 , established price controls on food and other items , abolished slavery in French colonies abroad , dechristianised society through the creation of a new calendar and the expulsion of religious figures , and secured the borders of the new republic from its enemies . Large numbers of civilians were executed by revolutionary tribunals during the Terror , with estimates ranging from 16,000 to 40,000 . After the Thermidorian Reaction , an executive council known as the Directory assumed control of the French state in 1795 . The rule of the Directory was characterised by suspended elections , debt repudiations , financial instability , persecutions against the Catholic clergy , and significant military conquests abroad . Dogged by charges of corruption , the Directory collapsed in a coup led by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 . Napoleon , who became the hero of the Revolution through his popular military campaigns , went on to establish the Consulate and later the First Empire , setting the stage for a wider array of global conflicts in the Napoleonic Wars .   The modern era has unfolded in the shadow of the French Revolution . Almost all future revolutionary movements looked back to the Revolution as their predecessor . Its central phrases and cultural symbols , such as La Marseillaise and Liberté , égalité , fraternité , became the clarion call for other major upheavals in modern history , including the Russian Revolution over a century later .   The values and institutions of the Revolution dominate French politics to this day . The Revolution resulted in the suppression of the feudal system , the emancipation of the individual , the greater division of landed property , the abolition of the privileges of noble birth and the establishment of equality . The French Revolution differed from other revolutions in being not merely national , for it aimed at benefiting all humanity .   Globally , the Revolution accelerated the rise of republics and democracies . It became the focal point for the development of all modern political ideologies , leading to the spread of liberalism , radicalism , nationalism , socialism , feminism , and secularism , among many others . The Revolution also witnessed the birth of total war by organising the resources of France and the lives of its citizens towards the objective of military conquest . Some of its central documents , like the Declaration of the Rights of Man , expanded the arena of human rights to include women and slaves , leading to movements for abolitionism and universal suffrage in the next century .


30 Seconds to Mars was released in 2004.

30 Seconds to Mars (album) 30 Seconds to Mars is the debut studio album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars . It was first released on August 27 , 2002 , by Immortal Records and distributed by Virgin Records . The album was produced by Bob Ezrin , Brian Virtue , and Thirty Seconds to Mars , and was recorded in rural Wyoming during 2001 and early 2002 . It had been in the works for a couple of years , with lead vocalist Jared Leto writing the majority of the songs .   30 Seconds to Mars was described as a concept album centering on human struggle and self-determination , characterized by personal lyrics that use otherworldly elements and conceptual ideas to illustrate a truthful personal situation . The album incorporates progressive sounds with influences and elements from new wave , space rock , and electronica . Upon release , 30 Seconds to Mars received mostly positive reviews from music critics , who commended the album 's lyrical content and the band 's musicianship , which has been compared to the works of Pink Floyd , Tool , and Brian Eno .   The album debuted at number 107 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top Heatseekers . It was a slow-burning success that eventually sold two million copies worldwide . It produced two singles , `` Capricorn ( A Brand New Name ) '' and `` Edge of the Earth '' . Thirty Seconds to Mars promoted the album by opening concerts for bands such as Puddle of Mudd , Incubus , Sevendust , and Chevelle .


Snooki Nicole Elizabeth `` Snooki '' LaValle ( née Polizzi ; born November 23 , 1987 ) is an American reality television personality , author , dancer and professional wrestler who is best known for being a cast member of the MTV reality show Jersey Shore and starring in Snooki & Jwoww . Since the show 's debut in 2009 , Polizzi has gained popularity by appearing on talk shows including The View , The Ellen DeGeneres Show , Jimmy Kimmel Live ! , Late Show with David Letterman , and The Wendy Williams Show . She earned $ 150,000 per Jersey Shore episode for the last two seasons . She also appeared as the guest hostess for WWE Raw in 2011 and competed at WrestleMania XXVII that same year .


Portal 2 was released on April 19, 2011.

Portal 2 Portal 2 is a 2011 first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation . It is the sequel to Portal ( 2007 ) and was released on April 19 , 2011 , for Microsoft Windows , OS X , Linux , PlayStation 3 , and Xbox 360 . The retail versions of the game are distributed by Electronic Arts while online distribution of the Microsoft Windows , Mac OS X and Linux versions is handled by Valve 's content delivery service Steam . Portal 2 was announced on March 5 , 2010 , following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game . Before the game 's release on Steam , the company released the Potato Sack , a second multi-week alternate reality game , involving 13 independently developed titles which culminated in a distributed computing spoof to release Portal 2 several hours early .   The game retains Portals gameplay elements , and adds new features , including tractor beams , laser redirection , bridges made of light , and paint-like ` gels ' accelerating the player 's speed , allowing the player-character to jump higher or place portals on any surface . These gels were created by the team from the Independent Games Festival-winning DigiPen student project Tag : The Power of Paint . In the single-player campaign , the player controls protagonist Chell , awoken from suspended animation after many years , who must navigate the now-dilapidated Aperture Science Enrichment Center during its reconstruction by the reactivated GLaDOS , a powerful supercomputer . The storyline introduces new characters , including Wheatley ( Stephen Merchant ) and Cave Johnson ( J. K. Simmons ) . Ellen McLain reprised the role of GLaDOS . Jonathan Coulton and The National each produced a song for the game . Portal 2 also includes a two-player cooperative mode , in which the robotic player-characters Atlas and P-Body ( both voiced by Dee Bradley Baker ) are each given a portal gun and are required to work together to solve puzzles . Valve provided post-release support for the game , including additional downloadable content and a simplified map editor to allow players to create and share test chambers with others .   Although some reviewers initially expressed concerns about the difficulty of expanding Portal into a full sequel , Portal 2 received critical acclaim , particularly for its writing , pacing , and dark humor . The voice work of McLain , Merchant , and Simmons were also praised , as were the new gameplay elements , the challenging but surmountable learning curve , and the additional cooperative mode . Some journalists ranked Portal 2 among the best games of 2011 , and several named it their Game of the Year . Portal 2 has since been hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time .


Jenna Elfman was featured in Friends with Benefits.

Friends with Benefits (film) Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck , and starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis in the lead roles . The film features Patricia Clarkson , Jenna Elfman , Bryan Greenberg , Nolan Gould , Richard Jenkins , and Woody Harrelson in supporting roles . The plot revolves around Dylan Harper ( Timberlake ) and Jamie Rellis ( Kunis ) , who meet in New York City , and naively believe adding sex to their friendship will not lead to complications . Over time , they begin to develop deep mutual feelings for each other , only to deny it each time they are together .   Principal casting for Friends with Benefits took place over a three-month period from April to July 2010 . Gluck reworked the original script and plot shortly after casting Timberlake and Kunis . Filming began in New York City on July 20 , 2010 , and concluded in Los Angeles in September 2010 . The film was distributed by Screen Gems and was released in North America on July 22 , 2011 . Friends with Benefits was generally well received by film critics , most of whom praised the chemistry between the lead actors . The film became a commercial success at the box office , grossing over $ 150.4 million worldwide , against a budget of $ 35 million . It was nominated for two People 's Choice Awards -- Favorite Comedy Movie , and Favorite Comedic Movie Actress ( Kunis ) -- and two Teen Choice Awards for Timberlake and Kunis .


The United States' territories are all touching each other.

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


Australia is a member of 8 intergovernmental organizations.

Australia Australia ( -LSB- əˈstreɪliə -RSB- , -LSB- ɒ - -RSB- , -LSB- - ljə -RSB- ) , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands . It is the world 's sixth-largest country by total area . The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea , Indonesia and East Timor to the north ; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east ; and New Zealand to the south-east . Australia 's capital is Canberra , and its largest urban area is Sydney .   For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century , Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians ,  who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups . After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606 , Australia 's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788 . The population grew steadily in subsequent decades , and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established . On 1 January 1901 , the six colonies federated , forming the Commonwealth of Australia . Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states and several territories . The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard .   Australia has the world 's 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income ( IMF ) . With the second-highest human development index globally , the country ranks highly in quality of life , health , education , economic freedom , and civil liberties and political rights . Australia is a member of the United Nations , G20 , Commonwealth of Nations , ANZUS , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , World Trade Organization , Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , and the Pacific Islands Forum .


Alicia Vikander didn't appear in The Fifth Estate.

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander ( -LSB- aˈliːsɪa vɪˈkandɛr -RSB- ; born 3 October 1988 ) is a Swedish actress and former dancer . Born and raised in Gothenburg , she began acting as a child in minor stage productions at The Göteborg Opera and trained as a ballet dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm and the School of American Ballet in New York . She began her professional acting career by appearing in Swedish short films and television series and first gained recognition in Northern Europe for her role as Josefin Björn-Tegebrandt in the TV drama Andra Avenyn ( 2008 -- 10 ) .   Vikander made her feature film debut in Pure ( 2010 ) , for which she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress . She attracted widespread recognition in 2012 for portraying Princess Ekaterina `` Kitty '' Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya in Joe Wright 's film adaptation of Anna Karenina and Queen Caroline Mathilde in the acclaimed Danish film A Royal Affair , receiving a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination . She went on to star in the 2013 Swedish drama film Hotell and appeared in the Julian Assange-biopic The Fifth Estate that same year .   In 2014 and 2015 , Vikander achieved global recognition and acclaim for her roles as activist Vera Brittain in Testament of Youth , a humanoid robot in Ex Machina ( for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress ) and painter Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl , for which she received the Academy Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress , among other awards .


Sean Combs only released the album Forever in 1899.

Sean Combs Sean John Combs ( born November 4 , 1969 ) , also known by his stage names Puff Daddy , Puffy , P. Diddy and Diddy , is an American rapper , singer , songwriter , actor , record producer and entrepreneur . He was born in Harlem and was raised in Mount Vernon , New York . He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his label Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993 . His debut album No Way Out ( 1997 ) has been certified seven times platinum and was followed by successful albums such as Forever ( 1999 ) , The Saga Continues ... ( 2001 ) , and Press Play ( 2006 ) . In 2009 Combs formed the musical group Diddy -- Dirty Money and released the critically well-reviewed and commercially successful album Last Train to Paris ( 2010 ) .   Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards , and is the producer of MTV 's Making the Band . He is the Chairman and CEO of Combs Enterprises . In 2017 Forbes estimated his net worth at $ 820 million .


Quentin Tarantino was born five years before March 27, 1963.

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino ( -LSB- ˌtærənˈtiːnoʊ -RSB- born March 27 , 1963 ) is an American director , writer , and actor . His films are characterized by nonlinear storylines , satirical subject matter , an aestheticization of violence , extended scenes of dialogue , ensemble casts consisting of established and lesser-known performers , references to popular culture , soundtracks primarily containing songs and score pieces from the 1960s to the 1980s , and features of neo-noir film . He is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation .   His career began in the late 1980s , when he wrote and directed My Best Friend 's Birthday , the screenplay of which formed the basis for True Romance . In the early 1990s , he began his career as an independent filmmaker with the release of Reservoir Dogs in 1992 ; regarded as a classic and cult hit , it was called the `` Greatest Independent Film of All Time '' by Empire . Its popularity was boosted by his second film , Pulp Fiction ( 1994 ) , a black comedy crime film that was a major success both among critics and audiences . Judged the greatest film from 1983 -- 2008 by Entertainment Weekly , many critics and scholars have named it one of the most significant works of modern cinema . For his next effort , Tarantino paid homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s with Jackie Brown ( 1997 ) , an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch .   Kill Bill , a highly stylized `` revenge flick '' in the cinematic traditions of Kung fu films , Japanese martial arts , Spaghetti Westerns and Italian horror , followed six years later , and was released as two films : Volume 1 in 2003 and Volume 2 in 2004 . Tarantino directed Death Proof ( 2007 ) as part of a double feature with friend Robert Rodriguez , under the collective title Grindhouse . His long-postponed Inglourious Basterds , which tells the fictional alternate history story of two plots to assassinate Nazi Germany 's political leadership , was released in 2009 to positive reviews . After that came 2012 's critically acclaimed Django Unchained , a Western film set in the antebellum era of the Deep South . It became the highest-grossing film of his career so far , making over $ 425 million at the box office . His eighth film , the mystery Western The Hateful Eight , was released in its roadshow version December 25 , 2015 , in 70 mm film format , complete with opening `` overture '' and halfway-point intermission , after the fashion of big-budget films of the 1960s and early 1970s .   Tarantino 's films have garnered both critical and commercial success . He has received many industry awards , including two Academy Awards , two Golden Globe Awards , two BAFTA Awards and the Palme d'Or , and has been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy . He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2005 . Filmmaker and historian Peter Bogdanovich has called him `` the single most influential director of his generation '' . In December 2015 , Tarantino received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the film industry .


Little Big Shots is an American program.

Little Big Shots Little Big Shots is an American children 's television and talent show that premiered on NBC on March 8 , 2016 . The series is co-produced and created by Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey , with Harvey serving as the host of the hour-long show .   On March 14 , 2016 , NBC renewed the series for a second season , which premiered on March 5 , 2017 .


Jerry Seinfeld (character) Jerome `` Jerry '' Seinfeld is the protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld ( 1989 -- 1998 ) . The straight man among his group of friends , this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after , co-created by , based on , and played by Seinfeld himself . The series revolves around Jerry 's misadventures with his best friend George Costanza , neighbor Cosmo Kramer , and ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes . He is usually the voice of reason amidst his friends ' antics and the focal point of the foursome 's relationship .   An eternal optimist , he rarely runs into major personal problems . Jerry is the only main character on the show to maintain the same career ( a stand-up comedian , like the real Seinfeld ) throughout the series . He is the most observational character , sarcastically commenting on his friends ' quirky habits . Much of the show 's action takes place in Jerry 's apartment located at 129 West 81st Street , apartment 5A . He and his friends also frequently have coffee or meals together at Monk 's Café .   Jerry appeared in all 180 episodes of Seinfeld ( including several two-part episodes ) , the only character in the show to appear in every episode .


Larry Charles Larry Charles ( born December 1 , 1956 ) is an American writer , director , and producer .   Charles is best known as a staff writer for the American sitcom Seinfeld for its first five seasons , contributing some of the show 's darkest and most absurd storylines . He has also directed the mockumentary comedy films Borat ! and Brüno , the documentary film Religulous , and comedy film The Dictator .


Cosmo Kramer Cosmo Kramer , usually referred to as simply `` Kramer '' , is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld ( 1989 -- 1998 ) , played by Michael Richards .   The character is loosely based on comedian Kenny Kramer , Larry David 's ex-neighbor across the hall . Kramer is the friend and neighbor of main character Jerry , residing in Apartment 5B , and is friends with George and Elaine . Of the series ' four central characters , only Kramer has no visible means of support ; what few jobs he holds seem to be nothing more than larks .   His trademarks include his upright hairstyle and vintage wardrobe , whose combination led Elaine to characterize him as a `` hipster doofus '' ; his taste in fresh fruit ; love of occasional smoking , Cuban cigars in particular ; bursts through Jerry 's apartment door ; frequent pratfalls and penchant for nonsensical , percussive outbursts of noise to indicate skepticism , agreement , irritation and a variety of other feelings . He 's been described as `` an extraordinary cross between Eraserhead and Herman Munster '' . Kramer appeared in all but two episodes : `` The Chinese Restaurant '' and `` The Pen '' , in the second and third seasons , respectively .


List of television series considered the best While there is no general agreement upon the greatest television series , as it is a more subjective and/or consensus-based viewpoint , many publications and organizations have tried to objectively determine the series considered the best . The series mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in notable critics ' or public surveys .   There are different categories within television such as drama , comedy and documentary and so it may not be appropriate to compare series from different categories .


Nielsen ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Robert F. Elder and Louis F. Woodruff and sold to Nielsen Company , in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States . Nielsen Media Research was founded by Arthur C. Nielsen , a market analyst whose career had begun in the 1920s with brand advertising analysis and had expanded into radio market analysis during the 1930s , culminating in Nielsen ratings of radio programming , which was meant to provide statistics as to the markets of radio shows . The first Nielsen ratings for radio programs were released the first week of December 1947 . They measured the top 20 programs in four areas : total audience , average audience , cumulative audience and homes per dollar spent for time and talent .   In 1950 , Nielsen moved to television , developing a ratings system using the methods he and his company had developed for radio . That method has since become the primary source of audience measurement information in the television industry around the world .


Seinfeld Seinfeld is an American sitcom that originally ran for nine seasons on NBC , from 1989 to 1998 . It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld , the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself . Set predominantly in an apartment building in Manhattan 's Upper West Side in New York City , the show features a handful of Jerry 's friends and acquaintances , particularly best friend George Costanza ( Jason Alexander ) , former girlfriend Elaine Benes ( Julia Louis-Dreyfus ) , and neighbor across the hall Cosmo Kramer ( Michael Richards ) . It is often described as being `` a show about nothing '' , as many of its episodes are about the minutiae of daily life .   Seinfeld was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment . In syndication , the series has been distributed by Sony Pictures Television since 2002 . It was largely written by David and Seinfeld with script writers who included Larry Charles , Peter Mehlman , Gregg Kavet , Carol Leifer , David Mandel , Jeff Schaffer , Steve Koren , Jennifer Crittenden , Tom Gammill , Max Pross , Dan O'Keefe , Charlie Rubin , Marjorie Gross , Alec Berg , Elaine Pope , and Spike Feresten . A favorite among critics , the series led the Nielsen ratings in seasons six and nine , and finished among the top two ( with NBC 's ER ) every year from 1994 to 1998 .   Seinfeld is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms ever made . It has been ranked among the best television shows of all time in publications such as Entertainment Weekly , Rolling Stone , and TV Guide . The show 's most renowned episodes include `` The Chinese Restaurant '' , `` The Parking Garage '' , and `` The Contest '' . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America voted it the No. 2 Best Written TV Series of All Time ( second to The Sopranos ) . E! named the series the `` number 1 reason the '90s ruled '' , and quotes from numerous episodes have become catchphrases in popular culture .


Shallow Hal Shallow Hal is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black about a shallow man who falls in love with an overweight woman . The motion picture was directed by the Farrelly brothers and filmed in and around Charlotte , North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton , Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain . The supporting cast features Jason Alexander , Tony Robbins ( as himself ) , and Laura Kightlinger .


Jack Black Thomas Jacob `` Jack '' Black ( born August 28 , 1969 ) is an American actor , comedian , writer , producer , musician and singer . His acting career has been extensive , starring primarily in comedy films . He is known for his roles in High Fidelity ( 2000 ) , Shallow Hal ( 2001 ) , School of Rock ( 2003 ) , King Kong ( 2005 ) , The Holiday ( 2006 ) , Nacho Libre ( 2006 ) , Kung Fu Panda ( 2008 ) , Tropic Thunder ( 2008 ) , Gulliver 's Travels ( 2010 ) , Kung Fu Panda 2 ( 2011 ) , Bernie ( 2011 ) , Goosebumps ( 2015 ) , and Kung Fu Panda 3 ( 2016 ) . He has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards . Black is the lead vocalist of the comedic rock group Tenacious D which he formed in 1994 with friend Kyle Gass . They have released the albums Tenacious D , The Pick of Destiny and Rize of the Fenix .


Pineapple Express (film) Pineapple Express is a 2008 American stoner action comedy film directed by David Gordon Green , written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Rogen and James Franco . The plot concerns a process server and his marijuana dealer friend forced to flee from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing them commit a murder . Producer Judd Apatow , who previously worked with Rogen and Goldberg on Knocked Up and Superbad , assisted in developing the story , which was partially inspired by the bromantic comedy subgenre .   Columbia Pictures released the film on August 6 , 2008 , and it grossed $ 101.6 million worldwide . Franco was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in the film .


The Formula (1980 film) was put out by MGM.

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


Unforgettable (2017 film) Unforgettable is a 2017 American erotic thriller film directed by Denise Di Novi ( in her directorial debut ) and written by Christina Hodson and David Leslie Johnson . The film stars Katherine Heigl , Rosario Dawson , Geoff Stults , Isabella Rice and Cheryl Ladd , and follows a divorcée who begins to torment the new fiancé of her ex-husband .   Principal photography began on August 17 , 2015 in Los Angeles . The film was released on April 21 , 2017 by Warner Bros. and has grossed $ 15 million against its $ 12 million budget .


Christina Hodson Christina Hodson is a British screenwriter best known for writing Shut In .


Andrew Wood (singer) Andrew Patrick Wood ( January 8 , 1966 -- March 19 , 1990 ) was an American musician best known as the lead singer for alternative rock bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone . Wood was also known for his flamboyance .   Wood formed Malfunkshun in 1980 with his brother Kevin and Regan Hagar . The band used alter ego personas onstage , with Wood using the name Landrew the Love Child . Though the band only had two songs released , `` With Yo ' Heart ( Not Yo ' Hands ) '' and `` Stars-n-You '' , on the Deep Six compilation album , they are often cited as being among the `` founding fathers '' of the Seattle 's grunge movement . During his time in Malfunkshun , Wood started relying heavily on drugs , entering rehab in 1985 .   By 1988 , Malfunkshun had disbanded and Wood began jamming with Green River members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament . They soon began writing original material and formed Mother Love Bone the same year , adding guitarist Bruce Fairweather ( also a former member of Green River ) and drummer Greg Gilmore to the lineup . The following year , the band signed a deal with PolyGram , issuing a six-song EP , Shine , before going on to tour , supporting The Dogs D'Amour . Towards the end of the year , the band recorded their debut album , Apple , which was scheduled for release in 1990 .   Due to his struggle with drug addiction , Wood checked himself into rehab in 1989 , hoping to get clean for the release of Mother Love Bone 's debut album . On March 16 , 1990 , Wood was found in a comatose state by his girlfriend , Xana La Fuente , having overdosed on heroin . Wood was taken to the hospital and placed on life support . Wood 's condition had shown signs of improvement but he died three days later .


The Minnesota Vikings are based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and play football.

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The Vikings joined the National Football League ( NFL ) as an expansion team in 1960 , and first took the field for the 1961 season . The team competes in the National Football Conference ( NFC ) North division ; before that , the Vikings were in the NFC Central , and before that they were in the NFL 's Western Conference Central Division . The team has played in four Super Bowl games , but lost each one . The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis .


The 19th G7 summit only included Russia.

19th G7 summit The 19th G7 Summit was held in Tokyo , Japan , on July 7 -- 9 , 1993 . The venue for the summit meetings was the State Guesthouse in Tokyo , Japan .   The Group of Seven ( G7 ) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries : France , Germany , Italy , Japan , the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada ( since 1976 ) and the President of the European Commission ( starting officially in 1981 ) . The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions ; and in fact , a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France 's President Giscard d'Estaing and West Germany 's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as they conceived the first Group of Six ( G6 ) summit in 1975 .