New Testament The New Testament or NT ( Ἡ Καινὴ , Hē Kainḕ Diathḗkē ; Novum Testamentum ) is the second major part of the Christian biblical canon , the first part being the Old Testament , based on the Hebrew Bible . The New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus , as well as events in first-century Christianity . Christians regard both the Old and New Testaments together as sacred scripture . The New Testament ( in whole or in part ) has frequently accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world . It reflects and serves as a source for Christian theology and morality . Both extended readings and phrases directly from the New Testament are also incorporated ( along with readings from the Old Testament ) into the various Christian liturgies . The New Testament has influenced religious , philosophical , and political movements in Christendom and left an indelible mark on literature , art , and music .   The New Testament is a collection of Christian works written in the common ( Koine ) Greek language of the first century , at different times by various writers , who were early Jewish followers of Jesus , and the modern consensus is that it also provides important evidence regarding Judaism in the first century AD . In almost all Christian traditions today , the New Testament consists of 27 books . The original texts were written in the first and perhaps the second centuries of the Christian Era , in Greek , which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Conquests of Alexander the Great ( 335 -- 323 BC ) until the Muslim conquests in the 7th century AD . All the works that eventually became incorporated into the New Testament are believed to have been written no later than around 150 AD , and a small minority of scholars would date them to no later than 70 AD . John A. T. Robinson , Dan Wallace , and William F. Albright dated all the books of the New Testament before 70 AD . Others give a final date of 80 AD , or at 96 AD .   Collections of related texts such as letters of the Apostle Paul ( a major collection of which must have been made already by the early 2nd century ) and the Canonical Gospels of Matthew , Mark , Luke , and John ( asserted by Irenaeus of Lyon in the late-2nd century as the Four Gospels ) gradually were joined to other collections and single works in different combinations to form various Christian canons of Scripture . Over time , some disputed books , such as the Book of Revelation and the Minor Catholic ( General ) Epistles were introduced into canons in which they were originally absent . Other works earlier held to be Scripture , such as 1 Clement , the Shepherd of Hermas , and the Diatessaron , were excluded from the New Testament . The Old Testament canon is not completely uniform among all major Christian groups including Roman Catholics , Protestants , the Greek Orthodox Church , the Slavic Orthodox Churches , and the Armenian Orthodox Church . However , the twenty-seven-book canon of the New Testament , at least since Late Antiquity , has been almost universally recognized within Christianity ( see Development of the New Testament canon ) .   The New Testament consists of :  Four narratives of the life , teaching , death and resurrection of Jesus called `` gospel '' or the good news .  A narrative of the Apostle ministries in the early church , called the `` Acts of the Apostles '' , and probably written by the same writer as the Gospel of Luke , which it continues ;  Twenty-one letters , often called `` epistles '' from Greek `` epistole '' , written by various authors , and consisting of Christian doctrine , counsel , instruction , and conflict resolution ; and  An Apocalypse , the Book of Revelation , which is a book of prophecy , containing some instructions to seven local congregations of Asia Minor , but mostly containing prophetical symbology , about the end times .


Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( -LSB- riˈænə -RSB- born February 20 , 1988 ) is a Barbadian singer , songwriter , and actress . Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown , she first entered the music industry by recording demo tapes under the direction of record producer Evan Rogers in 2003 . She ultimately signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for its then-president , hip hop producer and rapper Jay Z . In 2005 , Rihanna rose to fame with the release of her debut studio album Music of the Sun and its follow-up A Girl like Me ( 2006 ) , which charted on the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 and respectively produced the singles `` Pon de Replay '' and `` SOS '' .   She assumed creative control for her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad ( 2007 ) and adopted a public image as a sex symbol while reinventing her music . Its successful lead single `` Umbrella '' became an international breakthrough in her career , as she won her first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay Z in 2008 . After releasing four consecutive platinum studio albums , including the Grammy Award winner Unapologetic ( 2012 ) , she was recognized as a pop icon . Her eighth studio album Anti ( 2016 ) and its lead single `` Work '' reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 . Many of her songs rank among the world 's best-selling singles of all time , including the singles `` Umbrella '' , `` Take a Bow '' , `` Disturbia '' , `` Only Girl ( In the World ) '' , `` S&M '' , `` We Found Love '' , `` Diamonds '' , and `` Stay '' in which she is the lead artist , and her collaborations `` Live Your Life '' ( with T.I. ) , `` Love the Way You Lie '' and `` The Monster '' ( both with Eminem ) .   With sales exceeding 230 million records worldwide , Rihanna is one of the best-selling artists of all time . Rihanna is the youngest and fastest solo artist to earn fourteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 , and was named the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade and the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade by Billboard . Among numerous awards and accolades , Rihanna has won eight Grammy Awards , twelve American Music Awards , twelve Billboard Music Awards and the inaugural Icon Award at the American Music Awards of 2013 . Widely recognized for frequently reinventing her style , she received the Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2014 . Forbes ranked Rihanna the fourth most powerful celebrity of 2012 , and was named one of Times `` 100 Most Influential People in the World '' later that year .


Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith , ( born 28 December 1934 ) , known as Maggie Smith , is an English actress . She has had an extensive , varied career in stage , film and television spanning over sixty-five years . Smith has appeared in over 50 films and is one of Britain 's most recognisable actresses . A prominent figure in British culture for six decades , she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for services to the performing arts , and received the Companion of Honour from the Queen in 2014 for services to drama .   Smith began her career on stage at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952 and made her Broadway debut in New Faces of ' 56 . For her work on the London stage , she has won a record five Best Actress Evening Standard Awards ; for The Private Ear and The Public Eye ( 1962 ) , Hedda Gabler ( 1970 ) , Virginia ( 1981 ) , The Way of the World ( 1984 ) and Three Tall Women ( 1994 ) . She received Tony Award nominations for Private Lives ( 1975 ) and Night and Day ( 1979 ) , before winning the 1990 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage . Other stage roles include Stratford Shakespeare Festival productions of Antony and Cleopatra ( 1976 ) and Macbeth ( 1978 ) , and West End productions of A Delicate Balance ( 1997 ) and The Breath of Life ( 2002 ) .   On screen , Smith first drew praise for the crime film Nowhere to Go ( 1958 ) , for which she received her first BAFTA Award nomination . She has won two Academy Awards , winning Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ( 1969 ) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite ( 1978 ) . She is one of only six actresses to have won in both categories . She has won a record four BAFTA Awards for Best Actress , including for A Private Function ( 1984 ) and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne ( 1988 ) , a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for Tea With Mussolini ( 1999 ) , and three Golden Globe Awards . A six-time Oscar nominee , her other nominations were for Othello ( 1965 ) , Travels with My Aunt ( 1972 ) , A Room with a View ( 1986 ) , and Gosford Park ( 2001 ) .   Smith played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series ( 2001 -- 11 ) . Other notable films include Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing ( 1973 ) , Death on the Nile ( 1978 ) , Clash of the Titans ( 1981 ) , Evil Under the Sun ( 1982 ) , Hook ( 1991 ) , Sister Act ( 1992 ) , The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ( 2012 ) and The Lady in the Van ( 2015 ) . She won an Emmy Award in 2003 for My House in Umbria , to become one of the few actresses to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting , and starred as Lady Violet Crawley , Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey ( 2010 -- 15 ) , for which she won three Emmys , her first non-ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award and her third Golden Globe . Her honorary awards include the BAFTA Special Award ( 1993 ) , the BAFTA Fellowship ( 1996 ) , and the Special Olivier Award ( 2011 ) . She received the Stratford Shakespeare Festival 's Legacy Award in 2012 , and the Evening Standard Icon Award in 2013 .


Punisher The Punisher ( Francis `` Frank '' Castle ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru , with publisher Stan Lee green-lighting the name . The Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man # 129 ( cover-dated Feb. 1974 ) .   The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder , kidnapping , extortion , coercion , threats of violence , and torture in his war on crime . Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children , who were killed by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City 's Central Park , the Punisher wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of conventional war weaponry . His family 's killers were the first to be slain . A war veteran and a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper , Frank Castle ( born Francis Castiglione ) is a master of martial arts , stealth tactics , guerrilla warfare , and a wide variety of weapons .   The Punisher 's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him a novel character in mainstream American comic books in 1974 . By the late 1980s , he was part of a wave of psychologically troubled antiheroes and at the height of his popularity , was featured in four monthly publications , including The Punisher , The Punisher War Journal , The Punisher War Zone , and The Punisher Armory . Despite his violent actions and dark nature , the Punisher has enjoyed some mainstream success on television , making guest appearances on Spider-Man : The Animated Series , and The Super Hero Squad Show , where the depiction of his violent behavior was toned down for family viewers . In feature films , Dolph Lundgren portrayed the Punisher in 1989 , as did Thomas Jane in 2004 , and Ray Stevenson in 2008 . Jon Bernthal portrays the character in the second season of Marvel 's Daredevil as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Bernthal is set to reprise the role in The Punisher , his own self-titled series .


Seven Days in May Seven Days in May is a 1964 American political thriller motion picture about a military-political cabal 's planned take-over of the United States government in reaction to the president 's negotiation of a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union . Directed by John Frankenheimer , it stars Burt Lancaster , Kirk Douglas , Fredric March , and Ava Gardner . The screenplay was written by Rod Serling based on the novel of the same name by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II , published in September 1962 .


Steven Spielberg has worked in film since the 1980's.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg , and starring Richard Dreyfuss , François Truffaut , Melinda Dillon , Teri Garr , Bob Balaban , and Cary Guffey . It tells the story of Roy Neary , an everyday blue-collar worker in Indiana , whose life changes after an encounter with an unidentified flying object ( UFO ) .   Close Encounters was a long-cherished project for Spielberg . In late 1973 , he developed a deal with Columbia Pictures for a science fiction film . Though Spielberg received sole credit for the script , he was assisted by Paul Schrader , John Hill , David Giler , Hal Barwood , Matthew Robbins , and Jerry Belson , all of whom contributed to the screenplay in varying degrees . The title is derived from UFO-ologist J. Allen Hynek 's classification of close encounters with aliens , in which the third kind denotes human observations of aliens or `` animate beings . '' Douglas Trumbull served as the visual effects supervisor , while Carlo Rambaldi designed the aliens .   Made on a production budget of $ 20 million , Close Encounters was released in a limited number of cities on November 16 , 1977 and November 23 , 1977 before expanding into wide release the following month . It was a critical and financial success , eventually grossing over $ 337 million worldwide . The film received numerous awards and nominations at the 50th Academy Awards , 32nd British Academy Film Awards , the 35th Golden Globe Awards , the Saturn Awards and has been widely acclaimed by the American Film Institute . In December 2007 , it was deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . A Special Edition of the film , featuring additional scenes , was released theatrically in 1980 . A third cut of the film was issued on VHS and LaserDisc in 1998 ( and later DVD and Blu-ray ) .


Jaws (film) Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley 's 1974 novel of the same name . In the story , a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity Island , a fictional New England summer resort town , prompting the local police chief to hunt it with the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter . The film stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody , Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint , Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper , Murray Hamilton as Larry Vaughn , the mayor of Amity Island , and Lorraine Gary as Brody 's wife , Ellen . The screenplay is credited to both Benchley , who wrote the first drafts , and actor-writer Carl Gottlieb , who rewrote the script during principal photography .   Shot mostly on location on Martha 's Vineyard in Massachusetts , the film had a troubled production , going over budget and past schedule . As the art department 's mechanical sharks suffered many malfunctions , Spielberg decided to mostly suggest the animal 's presence , employing an ominous , minimalistic theme created by composer John Williams to indicate the shark 's impending appearances . Spielberg and others have compared this suggestive approach to that of classic thriller director Alfred Hitchcock . Universal Pictures gave the film what was then an exceptionally wide release for a major studio picture , over 450 screens , accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign with a heavy emphasis on television spots and tie-in merchandise .   Now considered one of the greatest films ever made , Jaws was the prototypical summer blockbuster , with its release regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history . Jaws became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars ( 1977 ) . It won several awards for its soundtrack and editing . Along with Star Wars , Jaws was pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model , which revolves around high box-office returns from action and adventure pictures with simple `` high-concept '' premises that are released during the summer in thousands of theaters and supported by heavy advertising . It was followed by three sequels , none with the participation of Spielberg or Benchley , and many imitative thrillers . In 2001 , Jaws was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry , being deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg , , ( born December 18 , 1946 ) is an American director , producer , and screenwriter . He is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era , as well as being viewed as one of the most popular directors and producers in film history . He is also one of the co-founders of DreamWorks Studios .   In a career spanning more than four decades , Spielberg 's films have spanned many themes and genres . Spielberg 's early science-fiction and adventure films , such as Jaws ( 1975 ) , Close Encounters of the Third Kind ( 1977 ) , Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) , and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ( 1982 ) , were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood escapist filmmaking . In later years , his films began addressing humanistic issues such as the Holocaust , the transatlantic slave trade , civil rights , war , and terrorism in such films as The Color Purple ( 1985 ) , Empire of the Sun ( 1987 ) , Schindler 's List ( 1993 ) , Amistad ( 1997 ) , Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , Munich ( 2005 ) , War Horse ( 2011 ) , Lincoln ( 2012 ) , and Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) . His other films include Jurassic Park ( 1993 ) , A.I. Artificial Intelligence ( 2001 ) , and War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) .   Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for Schindler 's List and Saving Private Ryan , as well as receiving five other nominations . Three of Spielberg 's films -- Jaws , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , and Jurassic Park -- achieved box office records , originated and came to epitomize the blockbuster film . The unadjusted gross of all Spielberg-directed films exceeds $ 9 billion worldwide , making him the highest-grossing director in history . His personal net worth is estimated to be more than $ 3 billion . He is also known for his long-standing associations with several actors , producers , and technicians , most notably composer John Williams , who has composed music for all but two of Spielberg 's movies which are The Color Purple and Bridge of Spies .


Nick Kroll has a supporting role in the comedy Get Him to the Greek.

Nick Kroll Nicholas `` Nick '' Kroll ( born June 5 , 1978 ) is an American actor , comedian , writer , and producer . He is best known for his role as Rodney Ruxin in the FX/FXX comedy series The League , and for creating and starring in the Comedy Central series Kroll Show . He has had supporting roles in films such as I Love You , Man , Date Night , Get Him to the Greek , Dinner for Shmucks , and A Good Old Fashioned Orgy and more prominent roles in films such as Adult Beginners , Joshy , My Blind Brother , Sausage Party , and Loving .


Kwon Yu-ri Kwon Yu-ri ( born December 5 , 1989 ) , better known by the mononym Yuri , is a South Korean singer and actress . She debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation in August 2007 , who went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide . Apart from her group 's activities , she has participated in various television dramas , including the television dramas Fashion King ( 2012 ) , Defendant ( 2017 ) and Neighborhood Hero ( 2016 ) , and the film No Breathing ( 2013 ) . She also joined the web drama Gogh , The Starry Night .


Girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together . The term `` girl group '' is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups , many of whom were influenced by doo-wop , and which flourished in the late 1950s and early 1960s between the decline of early rock and roll and start of the British Invasion .   All-female bands , in which members also play instruments , are usually considered a separate phenomenon . These groups are sometimes called `` girl bands '' to differentiate , although this terminology is not universally followed .   With the advent of the music industry and radio broadcasting , a number of girl groups emerged , such as the Andrews Sisters . The late 1950s saw the emergence of all-female singing groups as a major force , with 750 distinct girl groups releasing songs that reached US and UK music charts from 1960 to 1966 . The Supremes alone held 12 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during the height of the wave and throughout most of the British Invasion rivaled the Beatles in popularity . In later eras , the girl group template would be applied to disco , contemporary R&B , and country-based formats , as well as pop . A more globalized music industry saw the extreme popularity of dance-oriented pop music led by major record labels . This emergence , led by the US , UK , South Korea , and Japan , produced extremely popular acts , with eight groups debuting after 1990 having sold more than 15 million physical copies of their albums . Also , since the late 2000s , South Korea has had a significant impact , with 8 of the top 10 girl groups by digital sales in the world originating there .


Seohyun Seo Ju-hyun ( born June 28 , 1991 ) , known professionally as Seohyun , is a South Korean singer and actress . She debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation ( and later its subgroup TTS ) in August 2007 , who went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide . Apart from her group 's activities , she has established herself as an actress , notably through her participation in the original and Korean versions of stage musicals including Moon Embracing the Sun , Gone with the Wind and Mamma Mia . She also starred in the drama `` Moon Lovers : Scarlet Heart Ryeo '' . She debuted as a solo artist with her debut mini album , Do n't Say No , on January 17 , 2017 , making her the third Girls ' Generation member to debut as a solo artist .


Sunny (singer) Lee Soon-kyu ( born May 15 , 1989 ) , known professionally as Sunny , is an American singer and actress currently based in South Korea . She debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation in August 2007 , who went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide . Apart from her group 's activities , Sunny has participated in numerous side projects including original soundtracks , television variety shows , musical acting and radio hosting .


Tiffany Hwang Stephanie Young Hwang ( born August 1 , 1989 ) , known professionally as Tiffany or Tiffany Hwang , is an American singer based in South Korea . Born and raised in California , she was discovered by South Korean entertainment agency S.M. Entertainment at the age of fifteen and subsequently moved to South Korea . After four years of training , Tiffany debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation ( and later its subgroup TTS ) in August 2007 , who went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide . In 2016 , following her contribution to several side projects during the early part of her career , Tiffany became the second Girls ' Generation member to release a solo debut album , I Just Wan na Dance .


Choi Soo-young Choi Soo-young ( born February 10 , 1990 ) , better known by the mononym Sooyoung , is a South Korean singer and actress . She was a part of the short-lived Korean-Japanese singing duo , Route θ , during 2002 in Japan . After returning to South Korea in 2004 , Sooyoung eventually became a member of girl group Girls ' Generation in 2007 . The group went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide . Apart from her group 's activities , Sooyoung has also starred in various television dramas such as The 3rd Hospital ( 2012 ) , Dating Agency : Cyrano ( 2013 ) , My Spring Days ( 2014 ) and 38 Revenue Collection Unit ( 2016 ) .


Jessica Jung Jessica Sooyoun Jung ( born April 18 , 1989 ) , known professionally as Jessica , is an American singer , songwriter , actress , model , fashion designer , and businesswoman currently based in South Korea . Jung was born and raised in San Francisco , California . At the age of eleven , she was discovered by South Korean entertainment agency S.M. Entertainment and subsequently moved to South Korea . In 2007 , Jung debuted as a member of the South Korean girl group Girls ' Generation . The group later became one of the best-selling artists in South Korea , and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups nationwide and worldwide .   As an actress , Jung portrayed Elle Woods in the Korean-language version of Legally Blonde in 2010 , and played a role in the drama Wild Romance in 2012 . In early 2014 , she established a fashion brand , Blanc & Eclare . Later that year , she was dismissed from the group Girls ' Generation due to conflicts between the group 's schedule and her own business activities . Following the dismissal , Jessica ended her contract with S.M. Entertainment and signed with Coridel Entertainment in 2016 , prior to the release of her debut solo album , With Love , J.


Kim Tae-yeon Kim Tae-yeon ( born March 9 , 1989 ) , referred to monomously as Taeyeon , is a South Korean singer . She had been a trainee at S.M. Entertainment 's Starlight Academy during her middle school years before debuting as a member of the agency 's girl group Girls ' Generation in 2007 . Since then , she has risen to prominence due to the group 's success in the Asian music scene and further participated in the agency 's projects Girls ' Generation-TTS and SM the Ballad . Aside from group activities , she has also recorded songs for various television dramas and movies .   Taeyeon began a solo career in 2015 with her first extended play , I . It peaked at number two on South Korea 's Gaon Album Chart and its title track sold over one million digital copies . Her second extended play , Why ( 2016 ) , charted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart and yielded two Gaon Digital Chart top-ten singles `` Starlight '' and `` Why '' . Her debut studio album My Voice ( 2017 ) and its two singles `` Fine '' and `` Make Me Love You '' achieved similar success .   Following her debut , she was awarded Best Female Artist at the Mnet Asian Music Awards . In 2016 , Gallup Korea ranked her as the most popular idol of 2016 ; the year before she was ranked third . Also in 2016 , Forbes Korea listed her among their Top 40 Power Celebrities of the year . Taeyeon is renowned for her vocal abilities : she was voted in a survey by 40 music industry officials as the best K-pop vocalist in October 2015 , and as the best female vocalist by twenty music companies in April 2016 .


Girls' Generation Girls ' Generation , also known as SNSD , is a South Korean girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment . The group is composed of eight members : Taeyeon , Sunny , Tiffany , Hyoyeon , Yuri , Sooyoung , Yoona , and Seohyun . Originally a nine-piece group ( with Jessica , who later departed from the group in September 2014 ) , Girls ' Generation debuted in 2007 with their Korean eponymous debut album . Though the album gained some attention , it was not until 2009 that the group rose to fame with the single `` Gee '' , which claimed the top spot on KBS 's Music Bank for a record-breaking nine consecutive weeks and was named the most popular song of the 2000s in South Korea by Melon . Girls ' Generation further consolidated their popularity on the South Korean music scene with follow-up singles `` Tell Me Your Wish ( Genie ) '' , `` Oh ! '' , and `` Run Devil Run '' , which were released in mid-2009 and early 2010 .   In mid-2010 , Girls ' Generation signed with Nayutawave Records ( present-day EMI Records Japan ) to venture into the Japanese music scene . Their June 2011 self-titled Japanese debut album peaked atop the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart and became the first album by a non-Japanese girl group to be certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan . The group 's third Korean studio album The Boys was released in October 2011 and became the best-selling album of 2011 in South Korea with sales of over 380,000 copies . An English version of the single `` The Boys '' was released by Interscope Records in an attempt to expand the group 's endeavor to the global music scene . The group 's 2013 fourth Korean studio album I Got a Boy was supported by the single `` I Got a Boy '' , which was subjected to major attention from Western media following its winning the Video of the Year award at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards . Their fifth Korean studio album , Lion Heart , was released in 2015 .   Girls ' Generation 's signature musical styles are characterized as electropop and bubblegum pop , though their sounds have varied widely , incorporating various genres including hip hop , R&B , and EDM . They have sold over 4.4 million albums and 30 million digital singles as of 2012 . The group 's immense popularity in their native country South Korea has earned them numerous accolades and the titles `` The Nation 's Singers '' and `` The Nation 's Girl Group '' . Girls ' Generation is also deemed one of the prominent figures of the Korean Wave and one of the most popular K-pop acts internationally . They are the first Asian girl group to achieve five music videos with over 100 million views on YouTube : `` Gee '' , `` I Got a Boy '' , `` The Boys '' , `` Mr. Taxi '' , and `` Oh ! '' . In Japan , they became the first non-Japanese girl group to have three number-one albums on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart , and their three Japanese concert tours attracted a record-breaking 550,000 spectators , more than any other Korean girl groups .


Kim Hyo-yeon Kim Hyo-yeon ( born September 22 , 1989 ) , better known mononymously as Hyoyeon , is a South Korean singer and television personality . She debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation in August 2007 , who went on to be one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide .


Im Yoon-ah Im Yoon-ah ( Hangul : 임윤아 born May 30 , 1990 ) , better known by the mononym Yoona , is a South Korean singer and actress . She debuted as a member of girl group Girls ' Generation in August 2007 , who went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea 's most popular girl groups worldwide .   Apart from her group 's activities , Yoona has participated in various television dramas , notably You Are My Destiny ( 2008 ) which was a ratings success , marking her career breakthrough , and Prime Minister and I ( 2013 ) for which she won an Excellence Award at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards . Following the ratings success of her Chinese television debut , God of War , Zhao Yun ( 2016 ) , she starred in South Korean television drama The K2 ( 2016 ) .


Maria Sharapova Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ( Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова ; born April 19 , 1987 ) is a Russian professional tennis player . A United States resident since 1994 , Sharapova has competed on the WTA tour since 2001 . She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the WTA on five separate occasions , for a total of 21 weeks . She is one of ten women , and the only Russian , to hold the career Grand Slam . She is also an Olympic medalist , having earned silver for Russia in women 's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London .   Sharapova became the world No. 1 for the first time on August 22 , 2005 , at the age of 18 , and last held the ranking for the fifth time for four weeks from June 11 , 2012 , to July 8 , 2012 . Her 35 singles titles and five Grand Slam titles -- two at the French Open and one each at the Australian Open , Wimbledon , and US Open -- rank third among active players , behind Serena and Venus Williams . She won the year-ending WTA Finals in her debut in 2004 . She has also won three doubles titles .   Despite an injury-prone career , Sharapova has achieved a rare level of longevity in the women 's game . She won at least one singles title a year from 2003 until 2015 , a streak only bested by Steffi Graf , Martina Navratilova , and Chris Evert . Several tennis pundits and former players have called Sharapova one of tennis 's best competitors , with John McEnroe calling her one of the best the sport has ever seen .   Sharapova has been featured in a number of modeling assignments , including a feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue . She appeared in many advertisements , including those for Nike , Prince , and Canon , being the face of several fashion houses , most notably Cole Haan . Since February 2007 , she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador , concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme . In June 2011 , she was named one of the `` 30 Legends of Women 's Tennis : Past , Present and Future '' by Time and in March 2012 was named one of the `` 100 Greatest of All Time '' by Tennis Channel . According to Forbes , she has been named highest paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years and earned 285 million including prize money since she turned pro in 2001 .   In March 2016 , Sharapova revealed she had failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open on January 26 , 2016 . She had tested positive for meldonium , a substance that had been banned , effective January 1 , 2016 by the World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) . On June 8 , 2016 , she was suspended from playing tennis for two years by the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) . On October 4 , 2016 , the suspension was reduced to 15 months , starting from the date of the failed test . She returned to the WTA tour on April 26 , 2017 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix .


Cheaper by the dozen was directed by a cat.

Shawn Levy Shawn Adam Levy ( born July 23 , 1968 ) is a Canadian film director , producer , and actor . He directed the films Big Fat Liar ( 2002 ) , Just Married ( 2003 ) , Cheaper by the Dozen ( 2003 ) , The Pink Panther ( 2006 ) , Night at the Museum ( 2006 ) , Night at the Museum : Battle of the Smithsonian ( 2009 ) , Date Night ( 2010 ) , Real Steel ( 2011 ) , The Internship ( 2013 ) , This Is Where I Leave You ( 2014 ) and Night at the Museum : Secret of the Tomb ( 2014 ) .   Since 2016 , he has been an executive producer on the Netflix original series Stranger Things and directed two episodes of the first season , as well as being slated to direct two episodes of the upcoming second season .   Levy was a producer on the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival , which resulted in him receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture .


Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film) Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2003 American family comedy film which takes its title from the autobiographical book of the same name by Frank B. Gilbreth , Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey , but despite the title and the concept of a family with twelve children , ranging from 5 year old Nigel & Kyle to 22 year old Nora , the film bears no resemblance to the book nor its original film adaptation , although it is mentioned that the mother 's maiden name is Gilbreth . The film was directed by Shawn Levy , narrated by Bonnie Hunt , and starring Steve Martin . The film was released on December 25 , 2003 by 20th Century Fox , ultimately grossing just over $ 190 million worldwide .


Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick ( -LSB- ˈkuːbrɪk -RSB- July 26 , 1928 -- March 7 , 1999 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , producer , cinematographer , editor , and photographer . He is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinematic history . His films , which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories , cover a wide range of genres , and are noted for their realism , dark humor , unique cinematography , extensive set designs , and evocative use of music .   Kubrick was born and raised in the Bronx , New York City , and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945 . Although he only received average grades , Kubrick displayed a keen interest in literature , photography , and film from a young age , and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school . After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s , he began making short films on a shoestring budget , and made his first major Hollywood film , The Killing , for United Artists in 1956 . This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas , the war picture Paths of Glory ( 1957 ) and the historical epic Spartacus ( 1960 ) . His reputation as a filmmaker in Hollywood grew , and he was approached by Marlon Brando to film what would become One-Eyed Jacks ( 1961 ) , though Brando eventually decided to direct it himself .   Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios , a dislike of Hollywood , and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961 , where he spent most of the remainder of his life and career . His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire , which he shared with his wife Christiane , became his workplace , where he did his writing , research , editing , and management of production details . This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films , but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios . His first British productions were two films with Peter Sellers , Lolita ( 1962 ) and Dr. Strangelove ( 1964 ) .   A demanding perfectionist , Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process , from direction and writing to editing , and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes , working in close coordination with his actors and other collaborators . He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same scene in a movie , which resulted in many conflicts with his casts . Despite the resulting notoriety among actors , many of Kubrick 's films broke new ground in cinematography . The scientific realism and innovative special effects of 2001 : A Space Odyssey ( 1968 ) were without precedent in the history of cinema , and the film earned him his only personal Oscar , for Best Visual Effects . Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation 's `` big bang '' , and it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made . For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon ( 1975 ) , Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA , to film scenes under natural candlelight . With The Shining ( 1980 ) , he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots . While many of Kubrick 's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release -- particularly A Clockwork Orange ( 1971 ) , which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy -- most were nominated for Oscars , Golden Globes , or BAFTA Awards , and underwent critical reevaluations . His last film , Eyes Wide Shut , was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70 .


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


Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. ( -LSB- dweɪn -RSB- ; born January 17 , 1982 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league . Wade had the top-selling jersey in the NBA for nearly two years , leading the league in jersey sales from the 2005 NBA Playoffs , until the midpoint of the 2006 -- 07 season .   After a successful college career at Marquette , Wade was drafted fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat . He was named to the All-Rookie team and the All-Star team the following twelve seasons . In his third season , Wade led the Heat to their first NBA championship in franchise history and was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP . At the 2008 Summer Olympics , Wade led the United States men 's basketball team , commonly known as the `` Redeem Team '' , in scoring , and helped them capture gold medal honors in Beijing , China . In the 2008 -- 09 season , Wade led the league in scoring and earned his first NBA scoring title . With LeBron James and Chris Bosh , Wade guided Miami to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014 , winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 . In 2016 , Wade departed the Heat in free agency to play for the Chicago Bulls .


Barbara Bush is the wife of George H.W. Bush.

Barbara Bush Barbara Bush ( née Pierce ; born June 8 , 1925 ) is the wife of George H. W. Bush , the 41st President of the United States , and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 . She is the mother of George W. Bush , the 43rd President , and Jeb Bush , the 43rd Governor of Florida . She served as the Second Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989 .   Barbara Pierce was born in Flushing , New York . She attended Milton Public School from 1931 to 1937 , and Rye Country Day School from 1937-1940 . She graduated from Ashley Hall School in Charleston , South Carolina . She met George Herbert Walker Bush at age 16 , and the two married in Rye , New York in 1945 , while he was on leave during his deployment as a Naval officer in World War II . While George was attending Yale University at age 22 , Barbara and George were living in New Haven , Connecticut and had their first son , George Walker Bush , on July 6 , 1946 . ( Thus , her first son , the eventual 43rd President of the United States , was the first Connecticut native to assume that office . George W. would eventually return to his hometown of New Haven in 1964 to attend Yale like his father did . ) They had six children together . The Bush family soon moved to Midland , Texas , where their second son , Jeb was born in , on February 11 , 1953 ; as George Bush entered political life , she raised their children .   While First Lady of the United States , Barbara Bush worked to advance the cause of universal literacy , and founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy .


Thinkin Bout You is certified platinum by the RIAA.

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


Ron Cobb Ron Cobb ( born 1937 ) is an American cartoonist , artist , writer , film designer , and film director .   By the age of 18 , with no formal training in graphic illustration , Cobb was working as an animation `` inbetweener '' artist for Disney Studios in Burbank , California . He progressed to becoming a breakdown artist on the animation feature Sleeping Beauty ( 1959 ) . ( This was the last Disney film to have cels inked by hand . )   After Sleeping Beauty was completed in 1957 , Disney laid off Cobb and he spent the next three years in various jobs -- mail carrier , assembler in a door factory , sign painter 's assistant -- until he was drafted in 1960 into the US Army . For the next two years he delivered classified documents around San Francisco , then , after signing up for an extra year to avoid assignment to the infantry , was sent to Vietnam in 1963 as a draughtsman for the Signal Corps . On his discharge , Cobb began freelancing as an artist . He began to contribute to the Los Angeles Free Press in 1965 .   Edited and published by Art Kunkin , the Los Angeles Free Press was one of the first of the underground newspapers of the 1960s , noted for its radical politics . Cobb 's editorial/political cartoons were a celebrated feature of the Freep , and appeared regularly throughout member newspapers of the Underground Press Syndicate . However , although he was regarded as one of the finest political cartoonists of the mid-1960s to early 1970s , Cobb made very little money from the cartoons and was always looking for work elsewhere.His cartoons were featured in the back to the land magazine `` The Mother Earth News . ''   Among other projects , Cobb designed the cover for Jefferson Airplane 's 1967 album , After Bathing at Baxter 's . He also contributed design work for the cult film , Dark Star ( 1973 ) ( he drew the original design for the exterior of the Dark Star spaceship on a Pancake House napkin ) .   His cartoons from the 1960s and 1970s are collected in RCD-25 ( 1967 ) and Mah Fellow Americans ( 1968 ) ( both Sawyer Press ) , and Raw Sewage ( 1971 ) and My Fellow Americans ( 1971 ) ( both Price Stern and Sloan ) . None of these volumes remains in print .   In 1969 Cobb designed the Ecology symbol , later incorporated into the Ecology Flag .   In 1972 , Cobb moved to Sydney , Australia , where his work appeared in alternative magazines such as The Digger . Independent publishers Wild & Woolley published a `` best of '' collection of the earlier cartoon books , The Cobb Book in 1975 . A follow-up volume , Cobb Again , appeared in 1978 .   In 1981 , Colorvision , a large-format , full-colour monograph appeared , including much of his design work for the films Star Wars ( 1977 ) , Alien ( 1979 ) , and Conan the Barbarian ( 1982 ) , the first feature for which he received the credit of Production Designer . Cobb has also contributed production design to the films The Last Starfighter ( 1984 ) , Leviathan ( 1989 ) , Total Recall ( 1990 ) , True Lies ( 1994 ) , The Sixth Day ( 2000 ) , Cats & Dogs ( 2001 ) , Southland Tales ( 2006 ) , and the Australian feature Garbo , which he directed . Cobb contributed the initial story for Night Skies , an earlier , darker version of E.T. . Steven Spielberg offered him the opportunity to direct this scarier sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind until problems arose over special effects that required a major rewrite . While Cobb was in Spain working on Conan the Barbarian , Spielberg supervised the rewrite into the more personal E.T. and ended up directing it himself . Cobb later received some net profit participation .   During the early 1990s , Cobb worked with Rocket Science Games . His designs can be seen most notably in Loadstar : The Legend of Tully Bodine ( 1994 ) and The Space Bar ( 1997 ) , in which he designed all the characters .   Cobb also co-wrote with his wife , Robin Love , one of the ( 1985 -- 1987 ) Twilight Zone episodes .   Among the most famous film props signed by Cobb are two of the swords he designed for the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian ( the `` Father 's Sword '' and the `` Atlantean Sword '' ) . Cobb 's original drawings of the swords are nowadays used , in cinema merchandising , to mass-produce and sell replicas .


Injustice 2 Injustice 2 is a fighting video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. . Interactive Entertainment . It is the sequel to 2013 's Injustice : Gods Among Us . The game was released in May 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . Similar to the previous installment , a companion mobile app was released for iOS and Android devices .   The core gameplay remains similar to its predecessor , albeit with minor adjustments to returning game mechanics . Injustice 2 introduces a new feature called the Gear System , a loot-dropping system that rewards players with costume pieces and equipment that can be used to customize characters ' appearances and modify their abilities and stats . According to developers , the idea for implementing an RPG-style progression system into a fighting game had existed since before the fall of Midway Games , the original publisher for the Mortal Kombat series . Director Ed Boon also sought to incorporate gameplay mechanics used by multiplayer shooter games , such as personalization , character creation , loot , and leveling up , into the fighting game genre , which led to the development of the Gear System .   Injustice 2 's storyline centers around Batman and his insurgency 's attempt to restore society after the fall of Superman 's regime ; however , the arrivals of the newly formed supervillain group `` The Society '' and the alien Brainiac force Batman to consider freeing the imprisoned Superman to help combat the threats . The game received positive reviews from critics , who praised its story , presentation , improved gameplay mechanics , abundance of in-game content , and character customization options , while criticizing its random loot and microtransaction systems .


Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles ( -LSB- soʊˈlɑːnʒ -RSB- born June 24 , 1986 ) is an American singer , songwriter , dancer , model and actress . Expressing an interest in music from an early age , Knowles had several temporary stints in Destiny 's Child , before signing with her father Mathew Knowles 's Music World Entertainment label . At age 16 , Knowles released her first studio album Solo Star ( 2002 ) . Between 2005 and 2007 , Knowles had several minor acting roles , including the direct-to-video Bring It On : All or Nothing ( 2006 ) and continued writing music for her older sister Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and for ex-Destiny 's Child group members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams .   In 2007 , Knowles began to record music again . Her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams ( 2008 ) deviated from the pop-oriented music of her debut to the Motown Sound of the 1960s and 1970s . It peaked at number nine on US Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics . She followed this up with the 1980s pop and R&B -- inspired extended play True ( 2012 ) on Columbia Records and her imprint Saint Records . Her third studio album , A Seat at the Table ( 2016 ) became her first number-one album in the United States . The album 's first single , `` Cranes in the Sky '' won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance . In December 2016 , Billboard magazine ranked her as the 100th most successful dance artist of all-time .   Knowles is heavily influenced by Motown girl groups and says that her first passion is songwriting . She is frequently compared by the media to her sister , Beyoncé , but Solange insists they have different aspirations and are musically different . Her other ventures include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children . On November 16 , 2014 , Knowles married music video director Alan Ferguson in New Orleans , Louisiana .


Austria Austria ( listen ) , is a federal republic and a landlocked country of over 8.7 million people in Central Europe . It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north , Hungary and Slovakia to the east , Slovenia and Italy to the south , and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west . The territory of Austria covers 83879 km2 . The terrain is highly mountainous , lying within the Alps ; only 32 % of the country is below 500 m , and its highest point is 3798 m . The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects of German as their native language , and Austrian German in its standard form is the country 's official language . Other local official languages are Hungarian , Burgenland Croatian , and Slovene .   The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty , when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire . From the time of the Reformation , many northern German princes , resenting the authority of the Emperor , used Protestantism as a flag of rebellion . The Thirty Years War , the influence of the Kingdom of Sweden and Kingdom of France , the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia , and the Napoleonic invasions all weakened the power of the Emperor in the north of Germany , but in the south , and in non-German areas of the Empire , the Emperor and Catholicism maintained control . During the 17th and 18th centuries , Austria retained its position as one of the great powers of Europe and , in response to the coronation of Napoleon as the Emperor of the French , the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804 . Following Napoleon 's defeat , Prussia emerged as Austria 's chief competitor for rule of a greater Germany . Austria 's defeat by Prussia at the Battle of Königgrätz , during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 , cleared the way for Prussia to assert control over the rest of Germany . In 1867 , the empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary . After the defeat of France in the 1870-1 Franco-Prussian War , Austria was excluded from the new German Empire , although in the following decades , its politics , and its foreign policy , increasingly converged with those of the Prussian-led Empire . During the 1914 July Crisis that followed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28 , Austria-Hungary , emboldened by a pledge of German support , on July 28 declared war on Serbia because that country had not fully complied with an Austrian ultimatum . Austria was thus the first to go to war in the July Crisis , which would ultimately escalate into World War I.   After the collapse of the Habsburg ( Austro-Hungarian ) Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I , Austria adopted and used the name the Republic of German-Austria ( Deutschösterreich ) , later changed to Österreich , in an attempt at union with Germany , but this was forbidden under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ( 1919 ) . The First Austrian Republic was established in 1919 . In 1938 Nazi Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss . This lasted until the end of World War II in 1945 , after which Germany was occupied by the Allies and Austria 's former democratic constitution was restored . In 1955 , the Austrian State Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state , ending the occupation . In the same year , the Austrian Parliament created the Declaration of Neutrality which declared that the Second Austrian Republic would become permanently neutral .   Today , Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states . The capital and largest city , with a population exceeding 1.7 million , is Vienna . Other major urban areas of Austria include Graz , Linz , Salzburg and Innsbruck . Austria is one of the richest countries in the world , with a nominal per capita GDP of $ 43,724 . The country has developed a high standard of living and in 2014 was ranked 21st in the world for its Human Development Index . Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 , joined the European Union in 1995 , and is a founder of the OECD . Austria also signed the Schengen Agreement in 1995 , and adopted the euro currency in 1999 .


Whiplash (2014 film) Whiplash is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle , depicting the relationship between an ambitious jazz student ( Miles Teller ) and an aggressive instructor ( J. K. Simmons ) . Paul Reiser co-stars as the student 's father . The film opened in limited release domestically in the US and Canada on October 10 , 2014 , gradually expanding to over 500 screens and finally closing after 24 weeks on March 26 , 2015 . Over this time the film grossed $ 49 million , against a production budget of $ 3.3 million .   Whiplash premiered in competition in the US Dramatic Category at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16 , 2014 , as the festival 's opening film . Sony Pictures Worldwide acquired the international distribution rights . At the 87th Academy Awards , Whiplash won Best Film Editing , Best Sound Mixing , and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons , and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture .


Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( -LSB- ˈlɛtoʊ -RSB- born December 26 , 1971 ) is an American actor , singer-songwriter , and director . After starting his career with television appearances in the early 1990s , Leto achieved recognition for his role as Jordan Catalano on the television series My So-Called Life ( 1994 ) . He made his film debut in How to Make an American Quilt ( 1995 ) and received critical praise for his performance in Prefontaine ( 1997 ) . Leto played supporting roles in The Thin Red Line ( 1998 ) , Fight Club ( 1999 ) and American Psycho ( 2000 ) , as well as the lead role in Urban Legend ( 1998 ) , and earned critical acclaim after portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream ( 2000 ) . He later began focusing increasingly on his music career , returning to acting with Panic Room ( 2002 ) , Alexander ( 2004 ) , Lord of War ( 2005 ) , Lonely Hearts ( 2006 ) , Chapter 27 ( 2007 ) , and Mr. Nobody ( 2009 ) . In 2012 , he directed the documentary film Artifact . In 2016 , he played the DC Comics supervillain Joker in the DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad .   Leto 's performance as a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club ( 2013 ) earned him an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor . Leto is considered to be a method actor , known for his constant devotion to and research of his roles . He often remains completely in character for the duration of the shooting schedules of his films , even to the point of adversely affecting his health . He is also known to be selective about his film roles .   Leto is the lead vocalist , multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for Thirty Seconds to Mars , a band he formed in 1998 in Los Angeles , California , with his older brother Shannon Leto . Their debut album , 30 Seconds to Mars ( 2002 ) , was released to positive reviews but only to limited success . The band achieved worldwide fame with the release of their second album A Beautiful Lie ( 2005 ) . Their following releases , This Is War ( 2009 ) and Love , Lust , Faith and Dreams ( 2013 ) , received further critical and commercial success . As of September 2014 , the band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide . Leto has also directed music videos , including the MTV Video Music Award -- winning `` The Kill '' ( 2006 ) , `` Kings and Queens '' ( 2009 ) , and `` Up in the Air '' ( 2013 ) .


Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as `` rock and roll '' in the United States in the early 1950s , and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later , particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States . It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll , a style which drew heavily on the African-American genres of blues and rhythm and blues , and from country music . Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk , and incorporated influences from jazz , classical and other musical styles . Musically , rock has centered on the electric guitar , usually as part of a rock group with electric bass and drums and one or more singers . Typically , rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form , but the genre has become extremely diverse . Like pop music , lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political .   By the late 1960s `` classic rock '' period , a number of distinct rock music subgenres had emerged , including hybrids like blues rock , folk rock , country rock , raga rock , and jazz-rock , many of which contributed to the development of psychedelic rock , which was influenced by the countercultural psychedelic and hippie scene . New genres that emerged included progressive rock , which extended the artistic elements ; glam rock , which highlighted showmanship and visual style ; and the diverse and enduring subgenre of heavy metal , which emphasized volume , power , and speed . In the second half of the 1970s , punk rock reacted by producing stripped-down , energetic social and political critiques . Punk was an influence in the 1980s on new wave , post-punk and eventually alternative rock . From the 1990s alternative rock began to dominate rock music and break into the mainstream in the form of grunge , Britpop , and indie rock . Further fusion subgenres have since emerged , including pop punk , rap rock , and rap metal , as well as conscious attempts to revisit rock 's history , including the garage rock/post-punk and synth-pop revivals at the beginning of the 2000s ( decade ) .   Rock music has also embodied and served as the vehicle for cultural and social movements , leading to major subcultures including mods and rockers in the UK and the hippie counterculture that spread out from San Francisco in the US in the 1960s . Similarly , 1970s punk culture spawned the goth and emo subcultures . Inheriting the folk tradition of the protest song , rock music has been associated with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to race , sex and drug use , and is often seen as an expression of youth revolt against adult consumerism and conformity .


The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . With members John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr , they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era . Rooted in skiffle , beat and 1950s rock and roll , the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles , ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock , often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways . In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as `` Beatlemania '' , and as the group 's music grew in sophistication in subsequent years , led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney , they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s .   The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960 , with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player . The core of Lennon , McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers , including Pete Best , before asking Starr to join them in 1962 . Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act , and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings , greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit , `` Love Me Do '' , in late 1962 . They acquired the nickname `` the Fab Four '' as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year , and by early 1964 became international stars , leading the `` British Invasion '' of the United States pop market . From 1965 onwards , the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings , including the albums Rubber Soul ( 1965 ) , Revolver ( 1966 ) , Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967 ) , The Beatles ( commonly known as the White Album , 1968 ) and Abbey Road ( 1969 ) . After their break-up in 1970 , they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths . McCartney and Starr , the surviving members , remain musically active . Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 , and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001 .   The Beatles are the best-selling band in history , with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide . They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act . According to the RIAA , the Beatles are also the best-selling music artists in the United States , with 178 million certified units . In 2008 , the group topped Billboard magazine 's list of the all-time most successful `` Hot 100 '' artists ; , they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty . They have received ten Grammy Awards , an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards . The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 , and all four were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015 . They were also collectively included in Time magazine 's compilation of the twentieth century 's 100 most influential people .


The Illusionist (2006 film) The Illusionist is a 2006 American romantic mystery film written and directed by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton , Paul Giamatti , and Jessica Biel . It is based loosely on Steven Millhauser 's short story , `` Eisenheim the Illusionist '' . The film tells the story of Eisenheim , a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna , who reunites with his childhood love , a woman far above his social standing . The film also depicts a fictionalized version of the Mayerling Incident .   The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival ; it was distributed in limited release to theaters on August 18 , 2006 , and expanded nationwide on September 1 . The film was a commercial and critical success .


In 2000, Keeping the Faith was released.

Keeping the Faith Keeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film written by Stuart Blumberg , and starring Ben Stiller , Edward Norton ( in his directorial debut ) , Jenna Elfman , Eli Wallach , and Anne Bancroft . This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment , in association with Triple Threat Talent , on April 14 , 2000 .   The film is dedicated to Norton 's late mother , Robin . It had a budget of $ 29 million .


The World Senior Chess Championship was established by the World Chess Federation.

World Senior Chess Championship The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE , the World Chess Federation .


Up All Night was released by a record label.

Syco Music Syco Music , also known as Syco Records , is a British record label founded by British music mogul Simon Cowell . It is a subsidiary of Cowell 's Syco .


Up All Night (One Direction album) Up All Night is the debut studio album by English-Irish group One Direction , released by Syco Records in November 2011 in Ireland and the United Kingdom , followed by a worldwide release during 2012 . Four months after finishing third in the seventh series of British reality singing contest The X Factor in December 2010 , One Direction began recording the album in Sweden , UK and the United States , working with a variety of writers and producers . The album is predominantly a pop music album which orientates into pop rock , dance-pop , teen pop and power pop . The album 's lyrical content regards being young , relationships , heartbreak and empowerment . Staged in support of the album , One Direction performed the album 's songs live on televised shows , at awards ceremonies , and during their worldwide Up All Night Tour .   The album received generally favourable reviews from contemporary music critics , many of whom appreciated the album 's combination of melodic song craft and catchy , pop-oriented material that , while slickly produced , avoided the commercial cynicism and adult contemporary posturing of some of their '80s and '90s forebears . An international success , the album topped the charts in sixteen countries and , by December 2012 , has sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide . The album bowed at number two on the UK Albums Chart and ultimately became the UK 's fastest-selling debut album of 2011 . Up All Night debuted to number one on the United States Billboard 200 , selling 176,000 copies in its first week . According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ( IFPI ) , Up All Night was the third global best-selling album of 2012 with sales of 4.5 million copies .   One Direction finished 2012 with two of that year 's top five best-selling albums in the United States ; Up All Night at number three and their second studio album , Take Me Home , at number five , making the boy band the first act to place two albums in the year-end top five in the Nielsen SoundScan era . In addition , Up All Night became the best-selling album by a group and the third best-selling debut album of 2012 . Four singles were released from the album , including the UK Singles Chart top ten hits `` What Makes You Beautiful '' , `` Got ta Be You '' , and `` One Thing '' .


Elton John was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John , ( born Reginald Kenneth Dwight ; 25 March 1947 ) is an English singer , pianist , and composer . He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967 ; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date . In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300million records , making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world . He has more than fifty Top 40 hits , including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums , 58 Billboard Top 40 singles , 27 Top 10 , four No. 2 and nine No. 1 . For 31 consecutive years ( 1970 -- 2000 ) he had at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100 . His tribute single , re-penned in dedication to the late Princess Diana , `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' sold over 33million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts . He has also composed music , produced records , and has occasionally acted in films . John owned Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987 , and 1997 to 2002 . He is an honorary Life President of the club , and in 2014 had a stand named after him at the club 's home stadium .   Raised in the Pinner area of London , John learned to play piano at an early age , and by 1962 had formed Bluesology . John met his songwriting partner , Bernie Taupin , in 1967 , after they had both answered an advert for songwriters . For two years they wrote songs for other artists , including Lulu , and John also worked as a session musician for artists such as the Hollies and the Scaffold . In 1969 his debut album , Empty Sky , was released . In 1970 a single , `` Your Song '' , from his second album , Elton John , reached the top ten in the UK and the US , his first hit single . After decades of commercial chart success , John has also achieved success in musical theatre , both in the West End and on Broadway , composing the music for The Lion King ( film and musical ) , Aida and Billy Elliot the Musical .   He has received five Grammy Awards , five Brit Awards -- winning two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the first Brits Icon in 2013 for his `` lasting impact on British culture '' , an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , a Tony Award , a Disney Legends award , and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 . In 2004 , Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of 100 influential musicians of the rock and roll era . In 2013 , Billboard ranked him the most successful male solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists ( third overall behind the Beatles and Madonna ) . He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 , is an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame , and is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters , Composers and Authors . Having been named a Order of the British Empire in 1996 , John was made a Knight Bachelor by Elizabeth II for `` services to music and charitable services '' in 1998 . John has performed at a number of royal events , such as the funeral of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in 1997 , the Party at the Palace in 2002 and the Queen 's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012 .   He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s . In 1992 , he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a year later began hosting the annual Academy Award Party , which has since become one of the highest-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry . Since its inception , the foundation has raised over . John , who announced he was bisexual in 1976 and has been openly gay since 1988 , entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish on 21 December 2005 , and after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014 , wed Furnish on 21 December 2014 . He continues to be a champion for LGBT social movements worldwide .


Patty Hearst Patricia Campbell `` Patty '' Hearst ( born February 20 , 1954 ) , now known as Patricia Hearst Shaw , is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst . She became nationally known for events following her 1974 kidnapping while she was a 19-year-old student living in Berkeley , California . Hearst was abducted by a left-wing terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army . After being isolated and threatened with death , she became supportive of their cause , making propaganda announcements for them and taking part in illegal activities .   Hearst was found 19 months after her kidnapping , by which time she was a fugitive wanted for serious crimes . She was held in custody , despite speculation that her family 's resources would prevent her spending time in jail . At her trial , the prosecution suggested that she had joined the Symbionese Liberation Army of her own volition , and that sexual activities between her and SLA members had not amounted to rape . She was found guilty of bank robbery . Hearst 's sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter , and she was pardoned by President Bill Clinton .


Emily Browning was in Sucker Punch in 2011.

Emily Browning Emily Jane Browning ( born 7 December 1988 ) is an Australian actress and singer .   Browning made her film debut in the Australian television film The Echo of Thunder , subsequently , she played recurring roles in the Australian television shows Blue Heelers and Something in the Air . Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship , which introduced her to a wider audience . In 2005 , Browning won the Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Violet Baudelaire in the film Lemony Snicket 's A Series of Unfortunate Events ( 2004 ) .   Browning is also known for her roles in the horror film The Uninvited ( 2009 ) , the action film Sucker Punch ( 2011 ) , and the independent drama Sleeping Beauty ( 2011 ) . She was named the Breakthrough Performer of The Year by Hamptons International Film Festival in 2011 for her role in Sleeping Beauty . Her other films include The Host ( 2013 ) , Pompeii ( 2014 ) and Legend ( 2015 ) .


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


Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth , ( born 10 September 1960 ) is an English actor . His films have grossed more than $ 3 billion from 42 releases worldwide . Firth has received an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , two BAFTA Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards , as well as the Volpi Cup . Firth 's most notable and acclaimed role to date has been his 2010 portrayal of King George VI in The King 's Speech , a performance that earned him an Oscar and multiple worldwide best actor awards .   Identified in the late 1980s with the `` Brit Pack '' of rising , young British actors , it was not until Firth 's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen 's Pride and Prejudice that he received more widespread attention . This led to roles in films such as The English Patient , Bridget Jones 's Diary ( for which Firth was nominated for a BAFTA ) , Shakespeare in Love , and Love Actually . In 2009 , Firth received widespread critical acclaim for his leading role in A Single Man , for which Firth gained his first Academy Award nomination , and won a BAFTA Award . Firth starred in the action spy movie Kingsman : The Secret Service in 2014 , which was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews .   In 2011 , Firth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and was also selected as one of the Time 100 . He was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Winchester in 2007 , and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012 . He has campaigned for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples , and is a member of Survival International . Firth has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers , refugees ' rights , and the environment . He commissioned and is credited as a co-author on a scientific paper on a study into the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations .


That's So Raven That 's So Raven is an American supernatural teen comedy sitcom television series . It debuted on Disney Channel on January 17 , 2003 , and ended its run on November 10 , 2007 . The show had a spin-off series , Cory in the House . The series was nominated in 2005 and 2007 for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children 's Programming .   The show was set in San Francisco and revolved around teenager Raven Baxter , played by Raven-Symoné , her friends Eddie ( Orlando Brown ) and Chelsea ( Anneliese van der Pol ) , her family members ; mother Tanya Baxter ( T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh ) father Victor Baxter ( Rondell Sheridan ) and brother Cory ( Kyle Massey ) . The title character drew on her psychic powers , ingenuity , and talent as a fashion designer as well as a variety of disguises to get into and out of amusing adolescent and pre-adolescent situations .   Reruns of episodes aired on the ABC Kids Saturday morning segment of Disney-owned ABC broadcast network in the United States until August 27 , 2011 , when the block was discontinued . No announcement was made as to whether the show would get complete season releases on DVD . That 's So Raven garnered higher ratings than any other Disney Channel show and is also the first show in Disney channel history to make the 100 episode mark .   In October 2016 , Raven-Symoné announced that there is a spin-off in the works . Symoné will reprise her role as Raven Baxter who will now be a single mother with two children , one who has psychic visions . Symone has also stated that Anneliese Van Der Pol will return as Chelsea . In April 2017 , the spin-off was officially greenlit and ordered to series under the title Raven 's Home .


There is no clear number of species on Earth.

Earth Earth ( from Eorðe -LSB- Γαῖα , Gaia -RSB- Terra ) , otherwise known as the World or the Globe , is the third planet from the Sun and the only object in the Universe known to harbor life . It is the densest planet in the Solar System and the largest of the four terrestrial planets .   According to radiometric dating and other sources of evidence , Earth formed about 4.54 billion years ago . Earth 's gravity interacts with other objects in space , especially the Sun and the Moon , Earth 's only natural satellite . During one orbit around the Sun , Earth rotates about its axis over 365 times ; thus , an Earth year is about 365.26 days long . Earth 's axis of rotation is tilted , producing seasonal variations on the planet 's surface . The gravitational interaction between the Earth and Moon causes ocean tides , stabilizes the Earth 's orientation on its axis , and gradually slows its rotation .   Earth 's lithosphere is divided into several rigid tectonic plates that migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years . About 71 % of Earth 's surface is covered with water , mostly by its oceans . The remaining 29 % is land consisting of continents and islands that together have many lakes , rivers and other sources of water that contribute to the hydrosphere . The majority of Earth 's polar regions are covered in ice , including the Antarctic ice sheet and the sea ice of the Arctic ice pack . Earth 's interior remains active with a solid iron inner core , a liquid outer core that generates the Earth 's magnetic field , and a convecting mantle that drives plate tectonics .   Within the first billion years of Earth 's history , life appeared in the oceans and began to affect the Earth 's atmosphere and surface , leading to the proliferation of aerobic and anaerobic organisms . Some geological evidence indicates that life may have arisen as much as 4.1 billion years ago . Since then , the combination of Earth 's distance from the Sun , physical properties , and geological history have allowed life to evolve and thrive . In the history of the Earth , biodiversity has gone through long periods of expansion , occasionally punctuated by mass extinction events . Over 99 % of all species that ever lived on Earth are extinct . Estimates of the number of species on Earth today vary widely ; most species have not been described . Over 7.4 billion humans live on Earth and depend on its biosphere and minerals for their survival . Humans have developed diverse societies and cultures ; politically , the world has about 200 sovereign states .


Shraddha Kapoor Shraddha Kapoor ( born 3 March 1987 ) is an Indian actress and singer who is noted for her work in Bollywood films . The daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor , she began her acting career with a brief role in the 2010 heist film Teen Patti and followed it with her first leading role in the teen drama Luv Ka The End ( 2011 ) .   Kapoor gained wide recognition for playing a singer in the commercially successful romantic drama Aashiqui 2 ( 2013 ) , for which she received several accolades including a Filmfare nomination for the Best Actress . The following year , she portrayed a character based on Ophelia in Vishal Bhardwaj 's critically acclaimed drama Haider ( 2014 ) , an adaptation of William Shakespeare 's tragedy Hamlet . She established herself as one of the high-profile actresses in Bollywood with starring roles in the romantic thriller Ek Villain ( 2014 ) , the dance drama ABCD 2 ( 2015 ) , the action drama Baaghi ( 2016 ) and the romantic drama Half Girlfriend ( 2017 ) , all of which rank among her biggest commercial successes .   In addition to acting in films , Kapoor has sung several of her film songs . She is the celebrity endorser for several brands and products , and in 2015 , she launched her own line of clothing . She participates in stage shows and concerts . Kapoor features in listings of the most attractive and popular celebrities in India .


Aashiqui 2 Aashiqui 2 ( English : Romance 2 ) is a 2013 Indian romantic musical drama film directed by Mohit Suri . Starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles , it was produced by Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt under the T-Series and Vishesh Films banners . Set in the early 2010s , Aashiqui 2 is a love story centering on the turbulent relationship between musicians Rahul and Arohi , a relationship which is affected by Rahul 's issues with alcohol abuse and temperament .   The film is a spiritual successor to the 1990 musical film Aashiqui , and initially caused concern in the Indian media that the film could live up to the high standards and success of the original . Production of Aashiqui 2 began in 2011 , with the principal photography taking place in Cape Town , Goa and Mumbai on a budget of .   The film which premiered on 26 April 2013 received a positive to mixed critical reception and became a major commercial success at the box-office despite featuring newcomers , earning worldwide within the first four weeks . It was declared as a blockbuster by Box Office India after its three-week box office run , and is the highest-grossing film ever produced by Vishesh Films . The soundtrack to the film became very popular after its release ; the songs `` Tum Hi Ho '' and `` Sunn Raha Hai '' topped the charts across various platforms in India . It was later remade in Telugu as Nee Jathaga Nenundali


Half Girlfriend (film) Half Girlfriend is an Indian romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name written by Chetan Bhagat . The film is directed by Mohit Suri and features Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles .   Principal photography commenced in June 2016 and filming locations include Delhi , Mumbai , Patna , Dumraon , Varanasi , New York City and Cape Town . The film released worldwide on 19 May 2017 .


Ek Villain Ek Villain ( English : One Villain ) is a 2014 Indian romantic thriller directed by Mohit Suri . The film stars Riteish Deshmukh , Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles , and tells the story of a hardened criminal whose terminally ill wife is murdered by a serial killer . The film was produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment . The film is an unofficial remake of the 2010 South Korean thriller film I Saw the Devil . Upon its release on 27 June 2014 , the film received mixed to positive reviews from the critics , and was a commercial success .


The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award has been presented to a member of the Miami Marlins.

Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award ( MVP ) is an annual Major League Baseball ( MLB ) award , given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League . Since 1931 , it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers ' Association of America ( BBWAA ) . The winners receive the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Memorial Baseball Award , which became the official name of the award in 1944 , in honor of the first MLB commissioner , who served from 1920 until his death on November 25 , 1944 .   MVP voting takes place before the postseason , but the results are not announced until after the World Series . The BBWAA began by polling three writers in each league city in 1938 , reducing that number to two per league city in 1961 . The BBWAA does not offer a clear-cut definition of what `` most valuable '' means , instead leaving the judgment to the individual voters .   First basemen , with 34 winners , have won the most MVPs among infielders , followed by second basemen ( 16 ) , third basemen ( 15 ) , and shortstops ( 15 ) . Of the 24 pitchers who have won the award , 15 are right-handed while 9 are left-handed . Walter Johnson , Carl Hubbell , and Hal Newhouser are the only pitchers who have won multiple times , Newhouser winning consecutively in 1944 and 1945 .   Hank Greenberg , Stan Musial , Alex Rodriguez , and Robin Yount have won at different positions , while Rodriguez is the only player who has won the award with two different teams at two different positions . Barry Bonds has won the most often ( seven times ) and the most consecutively ( 2001 -- 04 ) . Jimmie Foxx was the first player to win multiple times ; 9 players have won three times , and 19 have won twice . Frank Robinson is the only player to win the award in both the American and National Leagues .   The award 's only tie occurred in the National League in 1979 , when Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell received an equal number of points . There have been 18 unanimous winners , who received all the first-place votes . The New York Yankees have the most winning players with 22 , followed by the St. Louis Cardinals with 17 winners . The award has never been presented to a member of the following four teams : Arizona Diamondbacks , Miami Marlins , New York Mets , and Tampa Bay Rays . The most recent recipients are Mike Trout in the American League and Kris Bryant in the National League .   In recent decades , pitchers have rarely won the award . When Justin Verlander won the AL award in 2011 , he became the first pitcher in either league to be named the MVP since Dennis Eckersley in 1992 . Verlander also became the first starting pitcher to win this award since Roger Clemens had accomplished the feat in 1986 . The National League went even longer without an MVP award to a pitcher -- after Bob Gibson won in 1968 , no pitcher in that league was named MVP until Clayton Kershaw in 2014 .


Seth MacFarlane's musical idol was one of the most popular artists of the 20th century.

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane ( -LSB- ˈsɛθ_ˈwʊdbɛri_məkˈfɑrlɪn -RSB- born October 26 , 1973 ) is an American actor , filmmaker , and singer , working primarily in animation and comedy , as well as live-action and other genres . MacFarlane is the creator of the TV series Family Guy ( 1999 -- 2003 , 2005 -- present ) , co-creator of the TV series American Dad ! ( 2005 -- present ) and The Cleveland Show ( 2009 -- 13 ) . He also wrote , directed , and starred in the films Ted ( 2012 ) , its sequel Ted 2 ( 2015 ) , and A Million Ways to Die in the West ( 2014 ) .   MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design , where he studied animation . Recruited to Hollywood , he was an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television series , including Johnny Bravo , Cow and Chicken , Dexter 's Laboratory , I Am Weasel , and Larry & Steve . As an actor , he has made guest appearances on series , such as Gilmore Girls , The War at Home and FlashForward . In 2008 , he created his own YouTube series titled Seth MacFarlane 's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy . He won several awards for his work on Family Guy , including two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award . In 2009 , he won the Webby Award for Film & Video Person of the Year . He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States , and he is a supporter of gay rights .   MacFarlane 's first feature-length comedy film , Ted , features his voice acting and performance-capture as the titular anthropomorphic teddy bear and became the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy . As a singer MacFarlane has performed at several venues , including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall . MacFarlane has released three studio albums , in the same vein of his musical idol Frank Sinatra , beginning with Music Is Better Than Words in 2011 . He wrote the lyrics for the Academy Award-nominated song `` Everybody Needs a Best Friend '' for Ted .   MacFarlane served as executive producer of Cosmos : A Spacetime Odyssey , an update of the 1980s Carl Sagan -- hosted Cosmos series , hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson . MacFarlane was instrumental in providing funding for the series , as well as securing studio support for it from other entertainment executives .