Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion , ( -LSB- ˈdiːɒn -RSB- -LSB- seˈlɪn dziˈjɔ̃ -RSB- ; born 30 March 1968 ) is a Canadian singer and businesswoman . Born into a large family from Charlemagne , Quebec , Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record . Dion first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest where she represented Switzerland . Following a series of French albums during the 1980s , she signed on to Epic Records in the United States . In 1990 , Dion released her debut English-language album , Unison , establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world .   During the 1990s , with the help of Angélil , she achieved worldwide fame after releasing several English albums along with additional French albums . Her albums , Falling into You ( 1996 ) and Let 's Talk About Love ( 1997 ) , were both certified diamond in the US while D'eux ( 1995 ) became the best-selling French-language album of all time . She also scored a series of international number-one hits , including `` Nothing Broken but My Heart '' , `` The Power of Love '' , `` Think Twice '' , `` Because You Loved Me '' , `` It 's All Coming Back to Me Now '' , `` My Heart Will Go On '' , and `` I 'm Your Angel . '' However , in 1999 at the height of her success , Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment to start a family and spend time with her husband , who had been diagnosed with cancer . She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed to perform nightly in A New Day ... ( 2003 -- 07 ) , a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace , on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise , Nevada . It became the most successful residency show of all time , grossing US $ 385 million .   Dion 's music has been influenced by genres ranging from rock and R&B to gospel and classical . Her recordings are mainly in French and English , although she also sings in Spanish , Italian , German , Latin , Japanese , and Mandarin Chinese . While her releases have often received mixed critical reception , she is regarded as one of pop music 's most influential voices . Dion has won five Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year . She is the second best-selling female artist in the US during the Nielsen SoundScan era . In 2003 , Dion was honoured by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ( IFPI ) for selling over 50 million albums in Europe . Dion remains the best-selling Canadian artist and one of the best-selling artists of all time with record sales of over 200 million copies worldwide .


Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment , a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America , Inc. . Epic was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 . It later expanded its scope to include a more diverse range of musical genres , including pop , R&B , rock and hip hop . Historically , the label has housed popular acts such as Michael Jackson , Cheap Trick , Shakira , Celine Dion , ABBA , Anastacia , Boston , Dave Clark Five , Gloria Estefan , Pearl Jam and Sly & the Family Stone .   Along with Columbia and RCA Records , Epic is one of Sony Music Entertainment 's three main record labels . Artists currently signed to Epic as of 2017 include Fiona Apple , Sara Bareilles , Mariah Carey , Keyshia Cole , Future , Fifth Harmony , Jennifer Hudson , Zara Larsson , Jennifer Lopez , Outkast , Ozzy Osbourne , Judas Priest , Busta Rhymes , Rick Ross , Sade , 21 Savage , Travis Scott and Meghan Trainor .


Queen Latifah has sold over two hundred records.

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens ( born March 18 , 1970 ) , known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah , is an American rapper , songwriter , singer , actress , model , television producer , record producer , and talk show host . Born in Newark , New Jersey , she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year , featuring the hit single `` Ladies First '' . Her second album , Nature of a Sista ( 1991 ) , was her final album with Tommy Boy Records .   Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single , from 1993 to 1998 . Her third album Black Reign ( 1993 ) , spawned the single `` U.N.I.T.Y. '' , which won a Grammy Award and was successful on the Billboard Hot 100 . She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off ( 1996 ) and released her fourth album , Order in the Court , in 1998 , with Motown Records . Latifah gained mainstream success and acclaim with her performance in the film Chicago ( 2002 ) , receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress .   Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004 , and has since appeared in a number of films , such as Bringing Down the House ( 2003 ) , Taxi ( 2004 ) , Barbershop 2 : Back in Business ( 2005 ) , Beauty Shop ( 2005 ) , Last Holiday ( 2006 ) , Hairspray ( 2007 ) and Joyful Noise ( 2012 ) . In 2007 and 2009 , she released two more studio albums -- Trav ` lin ' Light and Persona . She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show , which ran from late 2013 to early 2015 on CBS . Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie ( 2015 ) , which she co-produced , winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .   She has long been considered one of hip-hop 's pioneer feminists . Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 . Latifah 's work in music , film and television has earned her a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , three Screen Actors Guild Awards , two NAACP Image Awards , an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records .


Aliens (film) Aliens is a 1986 American science fiction horror film written and directed by James Cameron , produced by Gale Anne Hurd and starring Sigourney Weaver , Carrie Henn , Michael Biehn , Paul Reiser , Lance Henriksen , William Hope , and Bill Paxton . It is the sequel to the 1979 film Alien and the second installment in the Alien franchise . The film follows Weaver 's character Ellen Ripley as she returns to the moon where her crew encountered the hostile Alien creature , this time accompanied by a unit of space marines .   Gordon Carroll , David Giler , and Walter Hill of Brandywine Productions , who produced the first film and its later sequels , served as executive producers on Aliens . They were interested in a follow-up to Alien as soon as its 1979 release , but the new management at 20th Century Fox postponed those plans until 1983 . That year Brandywine picked Cameron to write after reading his script for The Terminator ; when that film became a hit in 1984 , Fox greenlit Aliens with Cameron as director and a budget of approximately . The script was written with a war film tone influenced by the Vietnam War to contrast the horror motifs of the original Alien . It was filmed in England at Pinewood Studios and at a decommissioned power plant in Acton , London .   Aliens grossed worldwide . It was nominated for seven Academy Awards , including a Best Actress nomination for Sigourney Weaver , winning both Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects . It won eight Saturn Awards , including Best Science Fiction Film , Best Actress for Weaver and Best Direction and Best Writing for Cameron . Aliens is considered one of the best films in its genre .   A sequel Alien 3 was released in 1992 , with Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ellen Ripley and Lance Henriksen as Bishop in the film .


Dragon Ball has been made into animated films.

Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama . The initial manga , written and illustrated by Toriyama , was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995 , with the 519 individual chapters collected into 42 tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha . Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West . The series follows the adventures of the protagonist , Son Goku , from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls , which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered . Along his journey , Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains , many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls .   The Dragon Ball manga has been adapted into two anime series produced by Toei Animation : Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z , which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996 . Additionally , the studio has developed 19 animated feature films and three television specials , as well as two anime sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT ( 1996 -- 1997 ) and Dragon Ball Super ( 2015 -- present ) . From 2009 to 2015 , a revised , faster-paced version of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai , in which most of the original version 's footage not featured in the manga is removed . Several companies have developed various types of merchandising based on the series leading to a large media franchise that includes films , both animated and live-action , collectible trading card games , numerous action figures , along with several collections of soundtracks and a large number of video games . As of November 2014 , the franchise generated $ 5 billion in merchandise , making Dragon Ball one of the most merchandisable anime based media franchises of all time .   Since its release , Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time . The manga 's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 240 million copies worldwide , making it the third best-selling manga series in history . Reviewers have praised the art , characterization , and humor of the story . It is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made , with many manga artists citing Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now popular works . The anime , particularly Dragon Ball Z , is also highly popular in various countries and was arguably one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture .


Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio ( -LSB- dᵻˈkæpri.oʊ -RSB- born November 11 , 1974 ) is an American actor , film producer , and environmental activist . DiCaprio began his career by appearing in television commercials in the early 1990s , after which he had recurring roles in various television series such as the soap opera Santa Barbara and the sitcom Growing Pains . He began his film career by starring as Josh in Critters 3 ( 1991 ) . He starred in the film adaptation of the memoir This Boy 's Life ( 1993 ) , and was praised for his supporting role in What 's Eating Gilbert Grape ( 1993 ) . He gained public recognition with leading roles in The Basketball Diaries ( 1995 ) and the romantic drama Romeo + Juliet ( 1996 ) , before achieving international fame with James Cameron 's epic romance Titanic ( 1997 ) , which became the highest-grossing film of all time until Cameron 's science fiction film Avatar ( 2009 ) overtook it .   Since 2000 , DiCaprio has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of film genres . DiCaprio 's subsequent films include The Man in the Iron Mask ( 1998 ) , the biographical crime drama Catch Me If You Can ( 2002 ) , and the epic historical drama Gangs of New York ( 2002 ) , which marked his first of many collaborations with director Martin Scorsese . He was acclaimed for his performances in the political war thriller Blood Diamond ( 2006 ) , the neo-noir crime drama The Departed ( 2006 ) , the espionage thriller Body of Lies ( 2008 ) , the drama Revolutionary Road ( 2008 ) , the psychological thriller Shutter Island ( 2010 ) , the science fiction thriller Inception ( 2010 ) , the biographical film J. Edgar ( 2011 ) , the western Django Unchained ( 2012 ) , and the period drama The Great Gatsby ( 2013 ) .   DiCaprio 's portrayals of Howard Hughes in The Aviator ( 2004 ) and Hugh Glass in The Revenant ( 2015 ) won him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama , and his role as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street ( 2013 ) won him the award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . He also won his first Academy Award and BAFTA Award for his performance in The Revenant . DiCaprio is the founder of his own production company , Appian Way Productions .


Rescue Me (U.S. TV series) Rescue Me is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on the FX on July 21 , 2004 and concluded on September 7 , 2011 . The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters , post 9/11 .   The protagonist and focal point of the series is veteran New York City Firefighter Tommy Gavin ( Denis Leary ) . The series follows Tommy 's troubled family and co-workers as they deal with real life issues , either with post 9/11 trauma or their own domestic problems . Tommy struggles with the loss of his cousin and best friend , Firefighter Jimmy Keefe ( James McCaffrey ) , as well as fifty-nine other firefighters whom he knew , who died in the World Trade Center on September 11 , 2001 . Jimmy frequently visits Tommy in ghostly dreams . Tommy is an impatient , self-loathing , hypocritical , manipulative , relapsed alcoholic who suffers with severe survivor guilt and posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of 9/11 . In the pilot episode , Tommy and his wife Janet ( Andrea Roth ) have already separated , although they are technically still married , and Tommy has moved across the street . Although he has a poor grasp on his personal life , most of Tommy 's actions as a firefighter are heroic and brave , but despite his passion and concern for others ( and for the job ) , he is viewed by his various family members and his fellow firefighters as selfish .   Rescue Me was created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan , who also serve as executive producers and head writers , and is produced by Cloudland Company , Apostle , DreamWorks Television , and Sony Pictures Television .


Arcade Fire's third studio album was critically acclaimed.

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 .


Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city on Mars.

Montreal Montreal ( -LSB- audio = Montreal-English-pronunciation . ogaˌmʌntriːˈɒl -RSB- ) , officially Montréal ( -LSB- mɔ̃ʁeal -RSB- ) , is the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec and the 2nd-most populous in Canada , after Toronto . Originally called Ville-Marie , or `` City of Mary , '' it is believed to be named after Mount Royal , though there is some debate about this . The city has a distinct four-season continental climate , with warm-to-hot summers and cold , snowy winters .   In 2016 , Montreal had a population of 1,704,694 . Montreal 's metropolitan area had a population of 4,098,927 and a population of 1,958,257 in the urban agglomeration , with all of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal included . Legally a French-speaking city , 60.5 % of Montrealers speak French at home , 21.2 % speak English and 19.8 % speak neither . Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Quebec and Canada , with 56 % of the population able to speak both official languages . Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world after Paris .   Historically the commercial capital of Canada , it was surpassed in population and economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s . It remains an important centre of commerce , aerospace , finance , pharmaceuticals , technology , design , education , culture , tourism , gaming , film and world affairs . Being the location of the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization , Montreal is one of three North American cities home to organizations of the United Nations ( along with New York and Washington ) and also has the 2nd-highest number of consulates in the continent . Montreal was also named a UNESCO City of Design . In 2009 , Montreal was named North America 's leading host city for international association events , according to the 2009 preliminary rankings of the International Congress and Convention Association ( ICCA ) . According to the 2015 Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit , Montreal ranked 14th out of 140 cities .   In the 2017 edition of their Best Student Cities ranking , Quacquarelli Symonds ( QS ) ranked Montreal as the world 's best city to study abroad . Also , Montreal has 11 universities with 170,000 students enrolled . The Greater Montreal region has the highest number of university students per capita among all metropolitan areas in North America . It even ranks higher than Boston , the intellectual capital of the U.S.   Montreal has hosted multiple international conferences and events throughout its history , including the 1967 International and Universal Exposition and the 1976 Summer Olympic Games . It is the only Canadian city to have held the Summer Olympics . Currently , the city hosts the Canadian Grand Prix of Formula One , the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs festival . In 2012 , Montreal was ranked as a Beta + world city .


Lincoln Motor Company was founded by an American.

Henry M. Leland Henry Martyn Leland ( February 16 , 1843 -- March 26 , 1932 ) was an American machinist , inventor , engineer and automotive entrepreneur . He founded the two premier American luxury automotive marques , Cadillac and Lincoln .


Lincoln Motor Company The Lincoln Motor Company ( also known simply as Lincoln ) is a division of the U.S.-based Ford Motor Company that sells luxury vehicles under the Lincoln brand . Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland , Lincoln has been a subsidiary of Ford since 1922 . While currently sold primarily in North America , Ford introduced the Lincoln brand to China in 2014 . Lincoln vehicles are also officially sold in the Middle East and South Korea .   The current Lincoln model range in North America consists of two sedans ( Continental and MKZ ) , three crossover utility vehicles ( MKC , MKT , and MKX ) , and a sport utility vehicle ( Navigator/Navigator L ) . Lincoln also sells two vehicles specifically for limousine/livery use , both based on the MKT .


Friends with Benefits features Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Nolan Gould, Richard Jenkins, and Woody Harrelson in roles.

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 .


Keanu Reeves portrayed Hamlet for the Manitoba Theater Center's production.

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( -LSB- kiːˈɑːnuː -RSB- ; born September 2 , 1964 ) is a Canadian actor , director , producer , and musician .   Reeves is best known for his acting career , beginning in 1985 and spanning more than three decades . He gained fame for his starring role performances in several blockbuster films including comedies from the Bill and Ted franchise ( 1989 -- 1991 ) ; action thrillers Point Break ( 1991 ) , Speed ( 1994 ) , and the John Wick franchise ; psychological thriller The Devil 's Advocate ( 1997 ) ; supernatural thriller Constantine ( 2005 ) ; and science fiction/action series The Matrix ( 1999 -- 2003 ) . He has also appeared in dramatic films such as Dangerous Liaisons ( 1988 ) , My Own Private Idaho ( 1991 ) , and Little Buddha ( 1993 ) , as well as the romantic horror Bram Stoker 's Dracula ( 1992 ) .   Since becoming active in the film industry , Reeves has earned critical acclaim . One New York Times critic praised Reeves ' versatility , saying that he `` displays considerable discipline and range ... he moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles '' . However , Reeves has spent much of his later career being typecast . A recurring character arc in many roles he has portrayed is one of saving the world , as can be seen in the characters of Ted Logan , Buddha , Neo , Johnny Mnemonic , John Constantine , and Klaatu . His acting has garnered several awards , including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .   During his film career , Reeves has engaged in several forms of artistic expression . Active as a musician for over a decade , he played bass guitar for the bands Dogstar and Becky . Acting onstage , he performed as Prince Hamlet for the Manitoba Theatre Centre 's production of Hamlet . He wrote the text for a picture book , Ode to Happiness , illustrated by Alexandra Grant . He has also produced a documentary , Side by Side , and directed the martial arts film Man of Tai Chi .


Bill Gates is one of the founders of Microsoft.

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III ( born October 28 , 1955 ) is the co-founder of Microsoft and is an American business magnate , investor , author and philanthropist .   In 1975 , Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft , which became the world 's largest PC software company . During his career at Microsoft , Gates held the positions of chairman , CEO and chief software architect , while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014 . Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000 , but he remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect for himself . In June 2006 , Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie . He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014 , taking on a new post as technology adviser to support the then newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella .   Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution . He has been criticized for his business tactics , which have been considered anti-competitive , an opinion that has in some cases been upheld by numerous court rulings . Later in his career , Gates pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors , donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , established in 2000 .   Since 1987 , Gates has been included in the Forbes list of the world 's wealthiest people . Gates is the richest person in the world , with an estimated net worth of US$ 88.5 billion . In 2009 , Gates and Warren Buffett founded The Giving Pledge , whereby they and other billionaires pledge to give at least half of their wealth to philanthropy .


Tom Hardy received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award.

Tom Hardy Edward Thomas Hardy  ( born 15 September 1977 ) is an English actor and producer . His motion picture debut was in Ridley Scott 's 2001 action film Black Hawk Down . Hardy 's other notable films include the science fiction film Star Trek : Nemesis ( 2002 ) , the crime film RocknRolla ( 2008 ) , biographical psychological drama Bronson ( 2008 ) , sports drama Warrior ( 2011 ) , Cold War espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ( 2011 ) , crime drama Lawless ( 2012 ) , drama Locke ( 2013 ) , mobster film The Drop ( 2014 ) , and the biographical western thriller The Revenant ( 2015 ) , for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor . He portrayed `` Mad '' Max Rockatansky in the post-apocalyptic film Mad Max : Fury Road ( 2015 ) , and both of the Kray twins in the crime thriller Legend ( 2015 ) . He has appeared in three Christopher Nolan films : the science fiction thriller Inception ( 2010 ) , portrayed Bane in the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises ( 2012 ) , and the action-thriller Dunkirk ( 2017 ) based on the British evacuation in World War II .   Hardy 's television roles include the HBO war drama miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) , the BBC historical drama miniseries The Virgin Queen ( 2005 ) , ITV 's Wuthering Heights ( 2008 ) , the Sky 1 drama series The Take ( 2009 ) , and the BBC historical crime drama television series Peaky Blinders ( 2013 ) . He created , co-produced and took the lead in the eight-part historical fiction series Taboo ( 2017 ) on BBC One and FX .   Hardy has performed on both British and American stages . He was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his role as Skank in the 2003 production of In Arabia We 'd All Be Kings , and was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in both In Arabia We 'd All be Kings and for his role as Luca in Blood . He starred in the 2007 production of The Man of Mode and received positive reviews for his role in the 2010 Philip Seymour Hoffman-directed play The Long Red Road .


German language German ( Deutsch -LSB- ˈdɔʏtʃ -RSB- ) is a West Germanic language that is mainly spoken in Central Europe . It is the most widely spoken and ( co - ) official language in Germany , Austria , Switzerland , South Tyrol ( Italy ) , the German-speaking Community of Belgium , and Liechtenstein . It is also one of the three official languages of Luxembourg . The languages which are most similar to German are the other members of the West Germanic language branch : Afrikaans , Dutch , English , the Frisian languages , Low German ( Low Saxon ) , Luxembourgish , and Yiddish . German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language , after English .   One of the major languages of the world , German is the first language of about 95 million people worldwide and the most widely spoken native language in the European Union . German also is the fourth most widely taught foreign language in the US ( after Spanish , French and American Sign language ) and third in the EU ( after English and French ; at lower secondary level ) , the second most commonly used scientific language as well as the fourth most widely used language on websites ( after English , Russian and Japanese ) . The German-speaking countries are ranked fifth in terms of annual publication of new books , with one tenth of all books ( including e-books ) in the world being published in the German language .   German derives most of its vocabulary from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family . A portion of German words are derived from Latin and Greek , and fewer are borrowed from French and English . With slightly different standardized variants ( German , Austrian , and Swiss Standard German ) , German is a pluricentric language . Like English , German is also notable for its broad spectrum of dialects , with many unique varieties existing in Europe and also other parts of the world . Due to the limited intelligibility between certain varieties and Standard German , as well as the lack of an undisputed , scientific difference between a `` dialect '' and a `` language '' , some German varieties or dialect groups ( e.g. Low German or Plautdietsch ) are alternatively referred to as `` languages '' and `` dialects '' .


Western Romance languages Western Romance languages are one of the two subdivisions of a proposed subdivision of the Romance languages based on the La Spezia -- Rimini line . They include the Gallo-Romance and Iberian-Romance branches as well as northern Italian . The subdivision is based solely on the use of the `` s '' for pluralization and the weakening of some consonants , but that makes the categorization highly problematic because there is much higher lexical similarity between all dialects of Italian and French than between French and Spanish . There is also much higher morphological similarity between Spanish and Italian dialects than between Italian and French .   Based on mutual intelligibility , Dalby counts a dozen languages : Portuguese , Spanish , Asturian-Leonese , Aragonese , Catalan , Gascon , Provençal , Gallo-Wallon , French , Franco-Provençal , Romansh , and Ladin . This classification criterion is however problematic , due to the much higher levels of mutual intelligibility between Italic and Iberian languages than between either of these with Gallo-Romance languages .   Some classifications include Italo-Dalmatian ; the resulting clade is generally called Italo-Western Romance . Other classifications place Italo-Dalmatian with Eastern Romance .   Sardinian does not fit into either Western or Eastern Romance , and may have split off before either .   Today the four most-widely spoken standardized Western Romance languages are Spanish ( c. 410 million native ) , Portuguese ( c. 220 million native , another 45 million or so second-language speakers , mainly in Lusophone Africa ) , French ( c. 75 million native speakers , another 70 million or so second-language speakers , mostly in Francophone Africa ) , and Catalan ( c. 7.2 million native ) . Many of these languages have large numbers of non-native speakers ; this is especially the case for French , in widespread use throughout West Africa as a lingua franca .


In 2006, Adele graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology.

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins ( -LSB- əˈdɛl -RSB- born 5 May 1988 ) is an English singer-songwriter . After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 , Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year . In 2007 , she received the Brit Awards `` Critics ' Choice '' award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll . Her debut album , 19 , was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success . It is certified seven times platinum in the UK , and three times platinum in the US . The album contains her first song , `` Hometown Glory '' , written when she was 16 , which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London . An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US . At the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 , Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance .   She released her second studio album , 21 , in early 2011 . The album was critically well received and surpassed the success of her debut , earning the singer numerous awards in 2012 , among them a record-tying six Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year ; two Brit Awards , including British Album of the Year , and three American Music Awards . The album has been certified 16 times platinum in the UK , and is the fourth best-selling album in the UK of all time . In the US , it has held the top position longer than any album since 1985 , and is certified diamond . The album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide . The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records . She is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist , and the first female artist to simultaneously have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 . 21 is the longest-running number one album by a female solo artist in the history of the UK and US Album Charts .   In 2012 , Adele released `` Skyfall '' , which she co-wrote and recorded for the James Bond film of the same name . The song won an Academy Award , a Grammy Award , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song , as well as the Brit Award for British Single of the Year . After taking a three-year break , Adele released her third studio album , 25 , in 2015 . It became the year 's best-selling album and broke first week sales records in the UK and US . 25 was her second album to be certified diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards , including her second Grammy Award for Album of the Year , and four Brit Awards . The lead single , `` Hello '' , became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release . Her third concert tour , Adele Live 2016 , visited Europe , North America and Oceania , and will conclude with four finale concerts at Wembley Stadium in mid-2017 .   In 2011 , 2012 and 2016 , Billboard named Adele Artist of the Year . In 2012 , she was listed at number five on VH1 's 100 Greatest Women in Music . Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2016 . With sales of more than 100 million records , Adele is one of the best-selling recording artists in the world .


Clementine Chapel contains a monument that was placed by Emperor Constantine.

Clementine Chapel The Clementine Chapel , also known as La Clementina , is a particular Roman Catholic chapel located within the underground necropolitan grottoes of Saint Peter 's Basilica in Vatican City . It is the area where the relics of St. Peter were venerated in early medieval times , before his skull was removed to be housed at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran .   Open today for pilgrims , the site venerates the original pavonazzo marble monument placed there by Emperor Constantine , and was used in early medieval times to house the skull of St. Peter


Claire Danes did not receive a Golden Globe Award.

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes ( born April 12 , 1979 ) is an American actress . She is the recipient of three Emmy Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , and two Screen Actors Guild Awards . In 2012 , Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world , and she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 .   Danes gained recognition with her role as Angela Chase in the acclaimed 1994 teen drama series My So-Called Life . The role won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series . She made her film debut the same year in Little Women ( 1994 ) . Her other films include Romeo + Juliet ( 1996 ) , The Rainmaker ( 1997 ) , Les Misérables ( 1998 ) , Brokedown Palace ( 1999 ) , the 1999 English dub of Princess Mononoke ( 1997 ) , Igby Goes Down ( 2002 ) , The Hours ( 2002 ) , Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines ( 2003 ) , Shopgirl ( 2005 ) and Stardust ( 2007 ) .   From 1998 to 2000 , Danes attended Yale University before dropping out to return to acting . She appeared in an Off-Broadway production of The Vagina Monologues in 2000 , and made her Broadway debut playing Eliza Doolittle in the 2007 revival of Pygmalion . In 2010 , she portrayed Temple Grandin in the highly acclaimed HBO TV film Temple Grandin , which won her a second Golden Globe and her first Primetime Emmy Award for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie . Since 2011 , she has starred as Carrie Mathison in the Showtime drama series Homeland , for which she has won two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series , two Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Television Series Drama , and the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama . She is married to actor Hugh Dancy , with whom she has one child .


Nick Jonas was released by a British-American record label.

Nick Jonas (album) Nick Jonas is the second eponymous studio album by American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas . It was released on November 10 , 2014 , by Island Records . The album features a sole collaborations with Angel Haze , Demi Lovato and Mike Posner . The album received a generally favorable reviews from music critics and has reached the top 10 in the United States , becoming top 20 in the United Kingdom , Mexico and Canada , whilst it also been reaching in the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand . It was re-released on November 20 , 2015 , under the title Nick Jonas X2 ; including three new tracks and four remixes .


Island Records Island Records is a British-American record label that operates as a division of Universal Music Group ( UMG ) . It was founded by Chris Blackwell , Graeme Goodall and Leslie Kong in Jamaica in 1959 . Blackwell sold the label to PolyGram in 1989 . Both Island and another label recently acquired by PolyGram , A&M Records , were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history , with Island in particular having exerted a major influence on the progressive UK music scene in the early 1970s .   Three Island labels exist in the world : Island UK , Island US , and Island Australia , with the main label operating out of London . Notable artists on the UK roster include Ariana Grande , U2 , Mumford & Sons , Amy Winehouse , Ben Howard , Florence + The Machine , John Newman , Hozier , Catfish and the Bottlemen , Disclosure , AlunaGeorge , Keane , James Morrison , Annie Lennox , That Poppy and PJ Harvey .   Current key people of Island Records include Island president Darcus Beese , OBE and MD Jon Turner . Partially due to the label 's significant legacy , Island remains one of UMG 's pre-eminent record labels . In a 50-year anniversary documentary , Island Records artist Melissa Etheridge stated : `` If you want to look at world music , music of the last fifty years that changed the world , you need look no further than Island Records . ''


South Korea is incapable of being a country.

South Korea South Korea , officially the Republic of Korea ( ROK ; ) , is a sovereign state in East Asia , constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula . Officially , its territory consists of the whole Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands , which are largely mountainous . South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle , as half of them live in high-rises concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents and the world 's sixth leading global city with the fourth largest economy and seventh most sustainable city in the world .   The earliest neolithic Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC , with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC . The name Korea is derived from one of them , Goguryeo , also known as Koryŏ , which was a Han Chinese tributary state kingdom in East Asia that sent yearly tribute to the Emperor of China , ruling most of the Korean Peninsula and a small portion of Siberia and Inner Mongolia under Gwanggaeto the Great . Since their unification into Later Silla and Balhae in the 7th century , Korea enjoyed over a millennium of relative tranquility under long lasting dynasties . Under Sejong the Great in the 15th century , Koreans had one of the highest living standards in the world along with the Han Chinese and Japanese and developed improved versions many advanced innovations such as the metal movable type printing press in 1377 A.D. which was developed based on the previous Han Chinese Porcelain movable type printing press , used to print and publish the Jikji , the world 's oldest extant movable metal type printed paper book using the 8,000 year old traditional ancient Chinese writing system . Additionally , in 1443 Hangul was invented by the Korean King Sejong the Great as an easier alternative to the complex and difficult to learn ancient Chinese writing system which was usually reserved for elite academic scholars preparing for the imperial examinations of China . Hangul enabled anyone in the general Korean population to easily learn to read and write and transfer written information rather than spending years learning complicated ancient Chinese . Its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity , the third largest in the world , along with 12 World Heritage Sites . Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910 , Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945 , but a North Korean invasion led to the Korean War ( 1950 -- 1953 ) . Peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the world 's 10th largest defence budget .   South Korea , along with Taiwan , Singapore and Hong Kong ( China ) is one of the four high-tech industrialized developed countries often referred to as the Four Asian Economic Dragons . The South Korean economy soared at an annual average of 10 % for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River . A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful . Today , it is the world 's seventh largest advanced economy and fifth largest exporter with the G20 's largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia . It has free trade agreements with 75 % of the world economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China , the US and the EU simultaneously . Since 1988 , its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency and many fundamental rights such as universal healthcare . High personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama , a phenomenon called the Korean Wave , known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style . Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI , South Korea is a leader in low carbon green growth , committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC and Paris Club contributor . It is the world 's third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance , ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance and inclusion of minorities on the Fragile States Index .   South Korea is a technologically advanced developed country driven by a highly educated and skilled workforce , having the world 's eighth highest median household income , the highest in Asia . Globally , it ranks highly in personal safety , job security , ease of doing business and healthcare quality , with the world 's third highest health adjusted life expectancy and fourth most efficient healthcare system . It is the world 's largest spender on R&D per GDP , leading the OECD in graduates in science and engineering and ranking third in the Youth Wellbeing Index . Home of Samsung , LG and Hyundai-Kia , South Korea was named the world 's most innovative country for 4 consecutive years since 2014 in the Bloomberg Innovation Index , ranking first in business R&D intensity , manufacturing value-added , patents filed per GDP , second in higher education efficiency and fourth in high-tech density and researcher concentration . In 2005 , it became the world 's first country to fully transition to high-speed Internet and today it has the world 's fastest Internet speed and highest smartphone ownership , ranking first in ICT Development , e-Government and 4G LTE coverage .


Tom Hiddleston appeared in The Deep Blue Sea.

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston ( born 9 February 1981 ) is an English actor , producer and musical performer . At the beginning of his career , he appeared in West End theatre productions of Cymbeline ( 2007 ) and Ivanov ( 2008 ) . He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his role in Cymbeline and was also nominated for the same award for his role as Cassio in Othello .   He came to wider public attention when cast as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , appearing in Thor ( 2011 ) , The Avengers ( 2012 ) , Thor : The Dark World ( 2013 ) , and Thor : Ragnarok ( 2017 ) . In 2011 , he won the Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award . Hiddleston has also appeared in Steven Spielberg 's War Horse ( 2011 ) , The Deep Blue Sea ( 2011 ) , Woody Allen 's romantic comedy Midnight in Paris ( 2011 ) , the 2012 BBC series Henry IV and Henry V , and the romantic vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive ( 2013 ) .   In late 2013 and early 2014 , Hiddleston starred as the title character in the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus , winning the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor . In 2015 , he starred in Guillermo del Toro 's Crimson Peak , Ben Wheatley 's High Rise , and played the troubled country music singer Hank Williams in the biopic I Saw The Light .   In 2016 , he starred in and was an executive producer of the AMC / BBC limited series The Night Manager , for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series , and won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film .


Brittany Murphy acted in Don't Say a Word.

Brittany Murphy Brittany Murphy-Monjack ( born Brittany Anne Bertolotti ; November 10 , 1977 -- December 20 , 2009 ) , known professionally as Brittany Murphy , was an American film and stage actress , singer , and voice artist . A native of Atlanta , Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting . Her breakthrough role was as Tai Frasier in Clueless ( 1995 ) , followed by supporting roles in independent films such as Freeway ( 1996 ) and Bongwater ( 1998 ) . She made her stage debut in a Broadway production of Arthur Miller 's A View from the Bridge in 1997 , before appearing as Daisy Randone in Girl , Interrupted ( 1999 ) and as Lisa Swenson in Drop Dead Gorgeous ( 1999 ) .   The 2000s saw Murphy with roles in Do n't Say a Word ( 2001 ) alongside Michael Douglas , and alongside Eminem in 8 Mile ( 2002 ) , for which she gained critical recognition . Her later roles included Riding in Cars with Boys ( 2001 ) , Spun ( 2002 ) , Uptown Girls ( 2003 ) , Sin City ( 2005 ) , and Happy Feet ( 2006 ) . Murphy also voiced Luanne Platter on the animated television series King of the Hill ( 1997 -- 2009 ) . Her final film , Something Wicked , was released in April 2014 .   In December 2009 , Murphy died of pneumonia at the age of 32 . When her widower Simon Monjack died from the same illness six months later , the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services considered toxic mold in their home as a possible cause for their deaths , but this was dismissed by the Coroner 's Office . In 2011 , Murphy 's mother Sharon filed a lawsuit against the attorneys who represented her in an earlier suit against the builders of the home where her daughter and son-in-law died .


Champion (1949 film) Champion is a 1949 American film noir drama sport film based on a short story by Ring Lardner . It recounts the struggles of boxer `` Midge '' Kelly fighting his own demons while working to achieve success in the boxing ring . The drama was directed by Mark Robson , with cinematography by Franz Planer . The drama features Kirk Douglas , Marilyn Maxwell , and Arthur Kennedy .   The film won an Academy Award for Editing and gained five other nominations as well , including a Best Actor for Douglas .   Several clips from the film were used in Douglas ' 1999 film Diamonds to illustrate his character 's career as a boxer .


Conan O'Brien's late-night programs are said to combine the lewd and the wacky.

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien ( born April 18 , 1963 ) is an American television host , comedian , and television producer . He is best known for hosting several late-night talk shows ; since 2010 he has hosted Conan on the cable channel TBS . O'Brien was born in Brookline , Massachusetts , and was raised in an Irish Catholic family . He served as president of The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University , and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News .   After writing for several comedy shows in Los Angeles , he joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live . O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons for two seasons until he was commissioned by NBC to take over David Letterman 's position as host of Late Night in 1993 . A virtual unknown to the public , O'Brien 's initial Late Night tenure received unfavorable reviews and remained on a multiweek renewal cycle during its early years . The show generally improved over time and was highly regarded by the time of his departure in 2009 . Afterwards , O'Brien relocated from New York to Los Angeles to host his own incarnation of The Tonight Show for seven months until network politics prompted a host change in 2010 .   Known for his spontaneous hosting style , which has been characterized as `` awkward , self-deprecating humor '' , O'Brien 's late-night programs combine the `` lewd and wacky with more elegant , narrative-driven short films ( remotes ) '' . He has hosted Conan since 2010 and has also hosted such events as the Emmy Awards and Christmas in Washington . O'Brien has been the subject of a documentary , Conan O'Brien Ca n't Stop ( 2011 ) , and has also hosted a 32-city live comedy tour .   With the retirement of David Letterman on May 20 , 2015 , O'Brien became the longest-working of all current late-night talk show hosts in the United States , at 22 years .


Puma was founded by Adolf Dassler's older brother.

Adolf Dassler Adolf `` Adi '' Dassler ( 3 November 1900 -- 6 September 1978 ) was the founder of the German sportswear company Adidas , and the younger brother of Rudolf Dassler , founder of Puma .


The Invention of Lying features a performance by Louis C.K.

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


Taylor Sheridan received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination.

Taylor Sheridan Taylor Sheridan is an American actor , screenwriter , and director . He is most known for his role as David Hale on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy , and writing the screenplay for the Denis Villeneuve-directed Sicario ( 2015 ) , for which he received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay . He also wrote the screenplay for Hell or High Water ( 2016 ) , starring Jeff Bridges , Chris Pine , and Ben Foster , which was released in August 2016 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay .   He made his directorial debut with Wind River , starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen , the script for which he also penned , set for release in 2017 .


Joseph Stalin raised funds via underground activities.

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


Washington Naval Conference was held in 1921.

Washington Naval Conference The Washington Naval Conference , also called the Washington Arms Conference or the Washington Disarmament Conference , was a military conference called by U.S. President Warren G. Harding and held in Washington , D.C. , from 12 November 1921 to 6 February 1922 . Conducted outside the auspice of the League of Nations , it was attended by nine nations -- the United States , Japan , China , France , Britain , Italy , Belgium , Netherlands , and Portugal -- regarding interests in the Pacific Ocean and East Asia . Soviet Russia was not invited to the conference . It was the first international conference held in the United States and the first arms control conference in history , and as Kaufman , 1990 shows , it is studied by political scientists as a model for a successful disarmament movement .   Held at Memorial Continental Hall in downtown Washington DC , it resulted in three major treaties : Four-Power Treaty , Five-Power Treaty ( more commonly known as the Washington Naval Treaty ) , the Nine-Power Treaty , and a number of smaller agreements . These treaties preserved peace during the 1920s but were not renewed in the increasingly hostile world of the Great Depression .


The Academy Honorary Award was instituted for the 21st Academy Awards.

Academy Honorary Award The Academy Honorary Award -- instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards ( previously called the Special Award , which was first presented in early 1929 ) -- is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) to celebrate motion picture achievements that are not covered by existing Academy Awards , although prior winners of competitive Academy Awards are not excluded from receiving the Honorary Award . Unless otherwise specified , Honorary Award recipients receive the same gold Oscar statuettes received by winners of the competitive Academy Awards . Unlike the Special Achievement Award instituted in 1972 ( and discontinued in 1995 ) , those on whom the Academy confers its Honorary Award do not have to meet `` the Academy 's eligibility year and deadline requirements . '' Like the Special Achievement Award , the Special Award and Honorary Award have been used to reward significant achievements of the year that did not fit in existing categories , subsequently leading the Academy to establish several new categories , and to honor exceptional career achievements , contributions to the motion picture industry , and service to the Academy . The Academy Honorary Award is often awarded in preference to those with noted achievements in motion pictures who have nevertheless never won an Academy Award . Thus , many of its recipients are Classic Hollywood stars , such as Lillian Gish , Barbara Stanwyck , Kirk Douglas , and Lauren Bacall .   Since 2009 the Honorary Award is presented at the annual Governors Awards rather than at the Academy Awards .


Geoffrey Beevers worked at the Orange Tree Theatre.

Geoffrey Beevers Geoffrey Beevers ( born 1941 ) is a British actor who has appeared in many different stage and screen roles .   Beevers has worked extensively at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames , both as an actor ( including the title role in Jules Romain 's Doctor Knock , 1994 ) ; and as an adaptor/director of George Eliot 's novel Adam Bede ( February 1990 ) , for which he won a Time Out Award , and Honoré de Balzac 's Père Goriot ( February 1994 ) .   Beevers has made two appearances in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who , including as the third actor to play the Master in the serial The Keeper of Traken , a role he has since reprised in some of Big Finish Productions ' Doctor Who audio dramas ( Dust Breeding , Master , Trail of the White Worm , The Oseidon Adventure , Mastermind , And You Will Obey Me , The Two Masters , The Light at the End , The Evil One , Requiem for the Rocket Men and Death Match ) . Beevers narrated the unabridged audio edition of Doctor Who : Harvest of Time , by Alastair Reynolds , released in June 2013 . He also read the AudioGO ( and later Audible ) audiobooks of Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons , Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon , Doctor Who and the Sea Devils , Doctor Who and the Space War , Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin , and Doctor Who and the State of Decay . He also played the vicar in the film Goodnight Mister Tom , and appeared in the 1978 television film The Nativity . In 1988 he appeared in the TV movie sequel The Great Escape II : The Untold Story , and played Wainwright ( Member of Parliament ) in A Very British Coup for Channel 4 Television ( UK ) . More recently , he played a small role in the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans as a noble of Basilica . In February 2010 Beevers played Douglas Hogg in the television film On Expenses .   In 2012 , Beevers appeared as Fray Antonio in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Helen Edmundson 's The Heresy of Love . In March 2013 he played opposite Helen Mirren in Peter Morgan 's play The Audience at the Gielgud Theatre , and reprised the role in February 2015 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City .   In October 2016 to March 2017 he played Baron Gottfried Van Swieten in a new production of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer at the Royal National Theatre 's Olivier Stage .   He was married to Caroline John , who portrayed the Third Doctor 's companion Liz Shaw , from 1970 until her death on 5 June 2012 .


Dunkirk (2017 film) was not shot by a Dutch-Swedish cinematographer.

Dunkirk (2017 film) Dunkirk is an upcoming English-language war film written , co-produced , and directed by Christopher Nolan . Set during World War II , it concerns the Dunkirk evacuation . The film is a co-production between the Netherlands , the United Kingdom , France , and the United States .   Nolan wrote the story with the intention to tell it from three perspectives -- the air , land and sea . Efforts were made to create suspense solely through details , as the script contained little dialogue . Filming began on 23 May 2016 in Dunkirk , France , and was shot on IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large format film stock by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema .   Dunkirk is scheduled to be released on 21 July 2017 in IMAX .


Hoyte van Hoytema Hoyte van Hoytema ( -LSB- ˌɦɔi̯tə vɑn ˈɦɔi̯təmə -RSB- , born 4 October 1971 ) is a Dutch-Swedish cinematographer who studied at the National Film School in Łódź . He has worked primarily in Sweden , but also in Germany , Norway , the United States and the United Kingdom . His recent , high-profile work include Her , Interstellar , the James Bond film Spectre , and the upcoming World War II thriller Dunkirk .


Three studio albums have been released by Kate Nash.

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash ( born 6 July 1987 ) is an English singer , songwriter , musician and actress . Nash rose to prominence in the UK with the sleeper hit `` Foundations '' ( 2007 ) . Her debut album , Made of Bricks , peaked at number 1 in the UK and number 36 in the US . Nash won the award for Best British Female Artist at the 2008 Brit Awards .   Her second studio album , My Best Friend Is You , was released in 2010 and reached the top 10 in both the UK and Germany . The album 's lead single , `` Do-Wah-Doo '' , peaked at number 15 in the UK , becoming her fourth UK Top 40 single .   After being dropped by her record label , Nash self-released her third studio album , Girl Talk , on 4 March 2013 . The album failed to match the commercial success of Nash 's previous albums , though it charted inside the top 100 in the UK , Ireland , Germany and Austria .   In April 2017 , Nash launched a Kickstarter to finance a fourth studio album . On 21 April 2017 , Nash released a four-track EP , Agenda .


Nike, Inc. Nike , Inc. ( official , -LSB- ˈnaɪki -RSB- also , non-US -LSB- ` naɪk -RSB- ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design , development , manufacturing , and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear , apparel , equipment , accessories , and services . The company is headquartered near Beaverton , Oregon , in the Portland metropolitan area . It is one of the world 's largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment , with revenue in excess of US$ 24.1 billion in its fiscal year 2012 ( ending May 31 , 2012 ) . As of 2012 , it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide . In 2014 the brand alone was valued at $ 19 billion , making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses .   The company was founded on January 25 , 1964 , as Blue Ribbon Sports , by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight , and officially became Nike , Inc. on May 30 , 1971 . The company takes its name from Nike , the Greek goddess of victory . Nike markets its products under its own brand , as well as Nike Golf , Nike Pro , Nike + , Air Jordan , Nike Blazers , Air Force 1 , Nike Dunk , Air Max , Foamposite , Nike Skateboarding , and subsidiaries including Brand Jordan , Hurley International and Converse . Nike also owned Bauer Hockey ( later renamed Nike Bauer ) between 1995 and 2008 , and previously owned Cole Haan and Umbro . In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment , the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name . Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world , with the highly recognized trademarks of `` Just Do It '' and the Swoosh logo .


Nikola Tesla focused his efforts in the new electric power industry.

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( Никола Тесла 10 July 1856 -- 7 January 1943 ) was a Serbian-American inventor , electrical engineer , mechanical engineer , physicist , and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current ( AC ) electricity supply system .   Born and raised in the Austrian Empire , Tesla received an advanced education in engineering and physics in the 1870s and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry . He emigrated to the United States in 1884 , where he would become a naturalized citizen . He worked for a short time at the Edison Machine Works in New York City before he struck out on his own . With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas , Tesla set up laboratories and companies in New York to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices . His alternating current ( AC ) induction motor and related polyphase AC patents , licensed by Westinghouse Electric in 1888 , earned him a considerable amount of money and became the cornerstone of the polyphase system which that company would eventually market .   Attempting to develop inventions he could patent and market , Tesla conducted a range of experiments with mechanical oscillators/generators , electrical discharge tubes , and early X-ray imaging . He also built a wireless-controlled boat , one of the first ever exhibited . Tesla became well known as an inventor and would demonstrate his achievements to celebrities and wealthy patrons at his lab , and was noted for his showmanship at public lectures .   Throughout the 1890s , Tesla would pursue his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution in his high-voltage , high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs . In 1893 , he made pronouncements on the possibility of wireless communication with his devices . Tesla tried to put these ideas to practical use in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project , an intercontinental wireless communication and power transmitter , but ran out of funding before he could complete it .   After Wardenclyffe , Tesla went on to try and develop a series of inventions in the 1910s and 1920s with varying degrees of success . Having spent most of his money , he lived in a series of New York hotels , leaving behind unpaid bills . The nature of his earlier work and the pronouncements he made to the press later in life earned him the reputation of an archetypal `` mad scientist '' in American popular culture . Tesla died in New York City in January 1943 . His work fell into relative obscurity following his death , but in 1960 , the General Conference on Weights and Measures named the SI unit of magnetic flux density the tesla in his honor . There has been a resurgence in popular interest in Tesla since the 1990s .


Room (2015 film) Room is a 2015 independent drama film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue , based on her novel of the same name . It stars Brie Larson as a woman who has been held captive for seven years , and whose 5-year-old son ( Jacob Tremblay ) was born in captivity . Their escape allows the boy to experience the outside world for the first time . The film also stars Joan Allen , Sean Bridgers , and William H. Macy .   A co-production of Canada and Ireland , Room was shot in Toronto , with the eponymous Room set built at Pinewood Toronto Studios . The crew designed each part of the Room set to be removable to fit the crew . Larson researched trauma and nutrition for her part , while numerous children were considered for the role of Jack .   Room premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 4 September 2015 and had a limited release in the United States on 16 October 2015 , to acclaim from critics . Larson won multiple awards for her performance , including the Academy Award for Best Actress , the BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award , and the Screen Actors Guild Award . Room also received three other Academy Award nominations , including Best Picture and Best Director .


Soundgarden played in, and helped to create, the grunge genre.

Soundgarden Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle , Washington , in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell , lead guitarist Kim Thayil , and bassist Hiro Yamamoto . Matt Cameron became the band 's full-time drummer in 1986 , while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990 . Cornell remained in Soundgarden until his death in May 2017 , putting the band 's future in doubt and leaving Thayil as the only remaining original member of the band .   Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands in the creation of grunge , a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle , and was one of a number of grunge bands signed to the record label Sub Pop . Soundgarden was the first grunge band to sign to a major label ( A&M Records in 1988 ) , though the band did not achieve commercial success until they popularized the genre in the early 1990s with Seattle contemporaries Pearl Jam , Nirvana , and Alice in Chains .   Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album Superunknown , which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded the Grammy Award-winning singles `` Black Hole Sun '' and `` Spoonman '' . In 1997 , the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction . After more than a decade of working on projects and other bands , Soundgarden reunited in 2010 and their sixth studio album , King Animal , was released two years later .   As of 2012 , Soundgarden sold more than 10.5 million records in the United States , and an estimated 22.5 million worldwide . VH1 ranked Soundgarden at number 14 in their special 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock .


Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior ( -LSB- nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ -RSB- ; born 5 February 1992 ) , commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr. , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team .   Neymar came into prominence at an early age at Santos , where he made his professional debut aged 17 . He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships , a Copa do Brasil , and the 2011 Copa Libertadores , Santos ' first continental title since 1963 . Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year , in 2011 and 2012 , before relocating to Europe to join Barcelona . As part of Barça 's attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez , he won the continental treble of La Liga , the Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League in the 2014 -- 15 season , followed the next year by the domestic double . He came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2015 .   With 52 goals in 77 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18 , Neymar is the fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team . He was a key player in Brazil 's victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship , which he finished as the leading goalscorer , and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup , where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament . His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension respectively , but the next year he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men 's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics .   Known for his dribbling , finishing , and ability with both feet , Neymar has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé . Off the pitch , he ranks among the world 's most prominent sportsmen ; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013 , and ESPN cited him as the world 's fourth-most famous athlete in 2016 .


Robert F. Kennedy avoided beginning a political career.

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis `` Bobby '' Kennedy ( November 20 , 1925 -- June 6 , 1968 ) , commonly known by his initials RFK , was an American politician from Massachusetts . He served as the United States junior senator from New York from January 1965 until his assassination in June 1968 . He was previously the 64th U.S. Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964 , serving under his older brother President John F. Kennedy and his successor , President Lyndon B. Johnson . Kennedy was a member of the Democratic Party , and is seen as an icon of modern American liberalism .   After serving in the United States Naval Reserve as a Seaman Apprentice from 1944 to 1946 , Kennedy graduated from Harvard University and the University of Virginia . He began his political career in Massachusetts as the manager for his brother John 's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1952 . Prior to entering public office himself , he worked as a correspondent for The Boston Post and as an assistant counsel to the Senate committee chaired by Joe McCarthy . He gained national attention as the chief counsel of the Senate Labor Rackets Committee from 1957 to 1959 , where he publicly challenged Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa over the corrupt practices of its union and authored The Enemy Within , a book about corruption in organized labor .   Kennedy resigned from the committee to conduct his brother John 's campaign in the 1960 presidential election . He was appointed Attorney General after the successful election and served as the closest adviser to the president from 1961 to 1963 . His tenure is best known for its advocacy for the Civil Rights Movement , the fight against organized crime and the Mafia , and involvement in U.S. foreign policy related to Cuba . After his brother 's assassination , he remained in office in the Johnson administration for several months . He left to run for the United States Senate from New York in 1964 and defeated Republican incumbent Kenneth Keating .   In 1968 , Kennedy was a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency ; he appealed especially to poor , African-American , Hispanic , Catholic and young voters . Shortly after midnight on June 5 , 1968 , after defeating Senator Eugene McCarthy in the California and South Dakota presidential primaries , he was mortally wounded by Sirhan Sirhan , a 24-year-old enraged Palestinian , and died the following day .


Jared Kushner is not a real estate investor.

Jared Kushner Jared Corey Kushner ( born January 10 , 1981 ) is an American real estate investor and developer , newspaper owner , and senior advisor to President Donald Trump .   Kushner is the elder son of real-estate developer Charles Kushner and is married to Trump 's daughter Ivanka . He was principal owner of the real-estate holding and development company Kushner Companies and of Observer Media , publisher of the New York Observer . He is the co-founder and part owner of Cadre , an online real-estate investment platform .   On January 9 , 2017 , Kushner was named as a senior White House advisor . He consequently resigned as CEO of Kushner Companies and as publisher of the Observer , but his private financial interests remain a subject of controversy . Kushner helped develop and run Trump 's digital media strategy .


21 Jump Street was released by two film studios.

21 Jump Street (film) 21 Jump Street is a 2012 American action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller , written by Michael Bacall starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum . An adaptation of the 1987-1991 television series of the same name by Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh , set within the same continuity as the TV series ; the film follows two police officers who are forced to relive high school when they are assigned to go undercover as high school students to prevent the outbreak of a new synthetic drug and arrest its supplier .   It was released theatrically on March 16 , 2012 , by Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and grossed $ 201 million . A sequel , titled 22 Jump Street , was released on June 13 , 2014 . Two further films , MIB 23 ( a crossover with the Men in Black franchise ) and a female-led spin-off , are currently in development .


Brigitte Macron's husband is an Albanian coal miner.

Brigitte Macron Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron ( -LSB- bri.ʒit ma.ʁi klodə ma.kʁɔ -RSB- ; née Trogneux , -LSB- tʁɔ.ɲø -RSB- , previously Auzière , -LSB- o.zjɛːʁ -RSB- ; born 13 April 1953 ) is a high-school teacher and the wife of Emmanuel Macron , the President of the French Republic . , Brigitte Macron teaches literature at the élite lycée Saint-Louis de Gonzague in Paris .


Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron ( -LSB- ɛmanɥɛl makʁɔ̃ -RSB- ; born 21 December 1977 ) is the President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra , having assumed these offices on 14 May 2017 . A former civil servant and investment banker , he studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University , completed a Master 's of Public Affairs at Sciences Po , and graduated from the École nationale d'administration ( ENA ) in 2004 . He worked as an Inspector of Finances in the Inspectorate General of Finances ( IGF ) , then became an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque .   Macron was appointed Deputy Secretary-General in François Hollande 's first government in 2012 , having been a member of the Socialist Party from 2006 to 2009 . He was appointed Minister of Economy , Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014 under the Second Valls Government , where he pushed through business-friendly reforms . He resigned in August 2016 to launch a bid in the 2017 presidential election . In November 2016 , Macron declared that he would run in the election under the banner of En Marche ! , a centrist political movement he founded in April 2016 , and won the election on 7 May 2017 .   Macron , at the age of 39 , became the youngest President in the history of France . Upon his inauguration , Macron appointed Le Havre mayor Édouard Philippe to be Prime Minister on 15 May 2017 .


Outlander (TV series) was renewed for additional seasons in 2016.

Outlander (TV series) Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon . Developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz , the show premiered on August 9 , 2014 . It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall , a married World War II nurse who in 1945 finds herself transported back to the Scotland of 1743 , where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings .   The second season of 13 episodes , based on Dragonfly in Amber , premiered on April 9 , 2016 . On June 1 , 2016 , Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season , which will adapt the third and fourth Outlander novels , Voyager and Drums of Autumn . The 13-episode third season is scheduled to premiere in September 2017 .


Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon , Jr. ( -LSB- ˈpɪnˌtʃɒn -RSB- , commonly -LSB- ˈpɪntʃən -RSB- born May 8 , 1937 ) is an American novelist . A MacArthur Fellow , he is noted for his dense and complex novels . His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter , genres and themes , including history , music , science , and mathematics . For Gravity 's Rainbow , Pynchon won the 1974 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction .   Hailing from Long Island , Pynchon served two years in the United States Navy and earned an English degree from Cornell University . After publishing several short stories in the late 1950s and early 1960s , he began composing the novels for which he is best known : V. ( 1963 ) , The Crying of Lot 49 ( 1966 ) , Gravity 's Rainbow ( 1973 ) , and Mason & Dixon ( 1997 ) . Pynchon is also notoriously reclusive ; very few photographs of him have ever been published , and rumors about his location and identity have circulated since the 1960s .   Pynchon 's most recent novel , Bleeding Edge , was published on September 17 , 2013 .


Galaxy Quest Galaxy Quest is a 1999 American comedy science fiction film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon . Mark Johnson and Charles Newirth produced the film for DreamWorks Pictures .   Parodying television series such as Star Trek and its fandom , the film stars Tim Allen , Sigourney Weaver , Alan Rickman , Tony Shalhoub , Sam Rockwell , and Daryl Mitchell as the cast of a defunct television series called Galaxy Quest , in which the crew of a spaceship embarked on intergalactic adventures . Enrico Colantoni stars as the leader of an alien race who ask the actors for help , believing the show 's adventures were real . The film 's supporting cast features Robin Sachs as an alien warlord and Patrick Breen as another alien . Justin Long makes his feature film debut as an obsessed fan of the television show .   The film received critical praise and reached cult status through the years , becoming popular with Star Trek fans , staff , and cast members for its affectionate parody . It won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation , the Nebula Award for Best Script , 26th Hochi Film Award for Best International Picture and was also nominated for ten Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film , Best Director for Parisot , Best Actress for Weaver and Best Supporting Actor for Rickman , winning Best Actor for Allen . The film was included in Reader 's Digests list of The Top 100 + Funniest Movies of All Time .


Afghanistan is the source of the Kushan Empire, which ruled during the 1st century.

Afghanistan Afghanistan ( -LSB- æfˈɡænᵻstæn -RSB- Pashto/Dari : , Afġānistān ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of 33 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast . Its territory covers 652,000 km2 , making it the 41st largest country in the world .   Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia . Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns , notably by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviet , and in the modern era by Western powers . The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khiljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires .   The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the `` Great Game '' between British India and the Russian Empire . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 , King Amanullah unsuccessfully attempted to modernize the country . It remained peaceful during Zahir Shah 's forty years of monarchy . A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by a series of civil wars that devastated much of Afghanistan and continues to this day .   Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with Islam as an official state religion . It is a member of the United Nations , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Group of 77 , the Economic Cooperation Organization , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The country 's economy is ranked 108th in the world with the GDP of $ 64.08 billion .


Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire ( Κυϸανο , Kushano ; कुषाण राजवंश Kuṣāṇ Rājavaṃśa ; BHS : ; 贵霜帝国 , Kušan-xšaθr ) was a syncretic empire , formed by Yuezhi , in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century . It spread to encompass much of Afghanistan , and then the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent at least as far as Saketa and Sarnath near Varanasi ( Benares ) , where inscriptions have been found dating to the era of the Kushan emperor Kanishka the Great . Emperor Kanishka was a great patron of Buddhism ; however , as Kushans expanded southward , the deities of their later coinage came to reflect its new Hindu majority .   The Kushans were one of five branches of the Yuezhi confederation , a possibly Iranic or Tocharian , Indo-European nomadic people who migrated from Gansu and settled in ancient Bactria . The Kushans possibly used the Greek language initially for administrative purposes , but soon began to use Bactrian language . Kanishka sent his armies north of the Karakoram mountains , capturing territories as far as Kashgar , Khotan and Yarkant , in the Tarim Basin of modern-day Xinjiang , China . A direct road from Gandhara to China remained under Kushan control for more than a century , encouraging travel across the Karakoram and facilitating the spread of Mahayana Buddhism to China .   The Kushan dynasty had diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire , Sasanian Persia , Aksumite Empire and Han China . While much philosophy , art , and science was created within its borders , the only textual record of the empire 's history today comes from inscriptions and accounts in other languages , particularly Chinese . The Kushan empire fragmented into semi-independent kingdoms in the 3rd century AD , which fell to the Sasanians invading from the west . In the 4th century , the Guptas , an Indian dynasty also pressed from the east . The last of the Kushan and Sasanian kingdoms were eventually overwhelmed by invaders from the north , known as the Hepthalites .  Historian H. G. Rawlinson states that the `` Kushana Period is a fitting prelude to the age of Guptas '' .


100 Greatest of All Time, the television series, had five one hour episodes.

100 Greatest of All Time 100 Greatest of All Time was a television series of five one-hour episodes , produced and first aired by Tennis Channel in March 2012 . It presented a list of the `` 100 greatest tennis players of all time '' , both men and women . The series was hosted by Jack Nicklaus , Jerry Rice , Wayne Gretzky , Lisa Leslie and Carl Lewis . Many retired tennis luminaries provided commentary , including Rod Laver , Billie Jean King , Chris Evert , Björn Borg , John McEnroe , Martina Navratilova , Pete Sampras , and Andre Agassi .


On The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century, Watchmen was number 91.

Watchmen Watchmen is an American comic-book limited series published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 , and collected in 1987 . The series was created by a British collaboration consisting of writer Alan Moore , artist Dave Gibbons , and colorist John Higgins . Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics . As Moore 's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories , managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead .   Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to deconstruct and parody the superhero concept . Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s and their presence changed history so that the United States won the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal was never exposed . In 1985 , the country is edging toward World War III with the Soviet Union , freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government . The story focuses on the personal development and moral struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government-sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement .   Creatively , the focus of Watchmen is on its structure . Gibbons used a nine-panel grid layout throughout the series and added recurring symbols such as a blood-stained smiley face . All but the last issue feature supplemental fictional documents that add to the series ' backstory , and the narrative is intertwined with that of another story , an in-story pirate comic titled Tales of the Black Freighter , which one of the characters reads . Structured , at times , as a nonlinear narrative , the story skips through space , time and plot . In the same manner , entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity , coincidence and repeated imagery .   A commercial success , Watchmen has received critical acclaim both in the comics and mainstream press , and is considered by several critics and reviewers to be one of the most significant works of 20th-century literature . Watchmen was recognized in Times List of the 100 Best Novels as one of the best English language novels published since 1923 , and placed # 91 on The Comics Journals list of the top 100 comics of the 20th century . The BBC described it as `` The moment comic books grew up . ''   After a number of attempts to adapt the series into a feature film , director Zack Snyder 's Watchmen was released in 2009 . A video game series , Watchmen : The End Is Nigh , was released in the same year to coincide with the film 's release . In 2012 , DC Comics published Before Watchmen , a comic-book series acting as a prequel to the original Watchmen series , without Moore and Gibbons ' involvement .


Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( -LSB- ˈroʊzəvəlt -RSB- , his own pronunciation , or -LSB- - en ˈroʊzəvɛlt -RSB- January 30 , 1882 -- April 12 , 1945 ) , commonly known as FDR , was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945 . A Democrat , he won a record four presidential elections and emerged as a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century . He directed the United States government during most of the Great Depression and World War II . As a dominant leader of his party , he built the New Deal Coalition , realigning American politics into the Fifth Party System and defining American liberalism throughout the middle third of the 20th century . He is often rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. Presidents , along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln .   Roosevelt was born in 1882 to an old , prominent Dutch family from Dutchess County , New York and attended Groton School . He went on to graduate from Harvard College in 1903 and attended Columbia Law School . At age 23 in 1905 , he married Eleanor Roosevelt , and the couple went on to have six children . He entered politics in 1910 , serving in the New York State Senate , and then as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson . In 1920 , presidential candidate James M. Cox selected Roosevelt as his running mate , but the Cox/Roosevelt ticket lost to the Republican ticket of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge . In 1921 , Roosevelt was stricken with debilitating polio , which cost him the use of his legs . The disability put his future political career in jeopardy , but he attempted to recover from the illness and founded the treatment center in Warm Springs , Georgia for people with polio . Roosevelt returned to political life when he nominated Alfred E. Smith at the 1924 Democratic National Convention . At Smith 's behest , Roosevelt successfully ran for Governor of New York in 1928 . He was in office from 1929 to 1933 and served as a reform governor , promoting the enactment of programs to combat the depression besetting the United States at the time .   In the 1932 presidential election , Roosevelt defeated incumbent Republican president Herbert Hoover in a landslide to win the presidency . Roosevelt took office while the United States was in the midst of the worst economic crisis in its history . Energized by his personal victory over polio , FDR relied on his persistent optimism and activism to renew the national spirit . During his first 100 days in office , Roosevelt spearheaded unprecedented federal legislation and issued a profusion of executive orders that instituted the New Deal -- a variety of programs designed to produce relief ( government jobs for the unemployed ) , recovery ( economic growth ) , and reform ( through regulation of Wall Street , banks and transportation ) . He created numerous programs to support the unemployed and farmers , and to encourage labor union growth while more closely regulating business and high finance . His support for the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 added to his popularity , helping him win re-election by a landslide in 1936 . The economy improved rapidly from 1933 -- 37 , but then relapsed into a deep recession in 1937 -- 38 . The bipartisan Conservative Coalition that formed in 1937 prevented his packing the Supreme Court , and blocked almost all proposals for major liberal legislation ( except the minimum wage , which did pass ) . When the war began and unemployment ended , conservatives in Congress repealed the two major relief programs , the Works Progress Administration ( WPA ) and Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC ) . However , they kept most of the regulations on business . Along with several smaller programs , major surviving programs include the Securities and Exchange Commission , the Wagner Act , the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Social Security .   With World War II looming after 1938 with the Japanese invasion of China and the aggression of Nazi Germany , Roosevelt gave strong diplomatic and financial support to China and the United Kingdom , while remaining officially neutral . His goal was to make America the `` Arsenal of Democracy '' , which would supply munitions to the Allies . In March 1941 , Roosevelt , with Congressional approval , provided Lend-Lease aid to Britain and China . Following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 , which he famously called `` a date which will live in infamy '' , Roosevelt sought and obtained the quick approval on the following day for Congress to declare war on Japan and , a few days later , on Germany . Assisted by his top aide Harry Hopkins , and with very strong national support , he worked closely with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in leading the Allies against Nazi Germany , Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II . He supervised the mobilization of the U.S. economy to support the war effort , and also ordered the internment of 100,000 Japanese American civilians . As an active military leader , Roosevelt implemented a war strategy on two fronts that ended in the defeat of the Axis Powers , and he initiated the development of the world 's first atomic bomb . His work also influenced the later creation of the United Nations and Bretton Woods . Roosevelt 's physical health seriously declined during the war years , and he died weeks into his fourth term . He was then succeeded by his vice president Harry S. Truman , and a few months after Truman 's inauguration , the United States bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , leading to Japan 's surrender .


Sage Stallone Sage Moonblood Stallone ( May 5 , 1976 -- July 13 , 2012 ) was an American actor , film director , film producer , and film distributor . He was the son of Sylvester Stallone .


Gucci Gucci ( -LSB- guːtʃi -RSB- -LSB- ˈɡuttʃi -RSB- ) is an Italian luxury brand of fashion and leather goods , part of the Gucci Group , which is owned by the French holding company Kering . Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921 .  Gucci generated about $ 4.2 billion in revenue worldwide in 2008 according to BusinessWeek and climbed to 41st position in the magazine 's annual 2009 `` Top Global 100 Brands '' chart created by Interbrand ; it retained that rank in Interbrand 's 2014 index . Gucci is also the biggest-selling Italian brand .   Gucci operates about 278 directly operated stores worldwide as of September 2009 , and it wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores . In the year 2013 , the brand was valued at US$ 12.1 billion , with sales of US$ 4.7 billion . In the Forbes World 's Most Valuable Brands list , Gucci is ranked the 38th most valuable brand , with a brand value of $ 12.4 billion as of May 2015 . As of January 2015 , the creative director is Alessandro Michele .