NSAI is an abbreviation of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Nashville Songwriters Association International The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 ( c ) not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways : through legislative advocacy , through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting , and through teaching about the music industry , and how to best position a song for success within it . They own the Bluebird Cafe .   HISTORY OF NSAI   As songwriters know , sometimes the best ideas appear during lunch , and that was the case more than 40 years ago with songwriters Eddie Miller , Buddy Mize and Bill Brock . In 1967 , over lunch at Ireland 's Restaurant in Nashville , the three came up with an idea to build a community : a songwriters association .   That kernel of an idea , planted and nurtured four decades ago , took root and has since grown into the 4,500 + member Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) , which today promotes awareness of songwriters ' cultural contributions ( through events such as Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival ) , champions the legal rights of professional songwriters and helps develop the abilities of aspiring songwriters .   But such growth and prosperity did n't occur overnight . Back in the late ` 60s , Nashville 's songwriting community consisted of only a few dozen writers who received little credit for their achievements and whose royalty compensation was small , largely because of an antiquated copyright law . Additionally , outside of the performing rights societies ASCAP , BMI and SESAC , songwriter recognition was virtually non-existent .   Then , one November day in 1967 , Miller ( a 1975 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and founding member of the Academy of Country Music in California ) encouraged fellow songwriters Mize and Brock to begin an association for writers in Nashville . Mize and Brock loved the idea , and all three set out to make it happen .   Within a month , Eddie , Buddy and Bill were conducting the group 's first organizational meeting at the Old Professional 's Club on Music Row . The meeting attracted some 40 songwriters , including Liz & Casey Anderson ( `` The Fugitive '' ) , Felice & Boudleaux Bryant ( `` Wake Up Little Susie '' ) , Kris Kristofferson ( `` Me And Bobby McGee '' ) and Marijohn Wilkin ( `` One Day At A Time '' ) . Those 40 -- more than half the songwriters in town at that time -- became the founding membership of NSAI and began spending countless hours around Marijohn 's kitchen table brainstorming , discussing and refining ideas .   Within a year , the Nashville Songwriters Association was chartered by the state of Tennessee as a not-for-profit trade association , and from that moment , NSAI would go on to make a difference for all songwriters by helping to revise antiquated copyright laws and to establish new intellectual property protection in the digital age , by establishing a network of over 90 songwriter workshops to provide local instruction at home and abroad , and by conducting more than a half dozen educational conferences and awards shows each year .   And though based in Nashville , NSAI represents all musical genres and includes songwriters from across the United States and overseas . NSAI provides a haven for both proven and undiscovered writers -- to get a cup of coffee , to make a phone call or just to receive a word of advice or consolation . To quote NSAI 's motto : `` IT ALL BEGINS WITH A SONG '' -- and , sometimes , it all begins over lunch .   About   The Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) is the world 's largest not-for-profit songwriters trade association . Established in 1967 , the membership of more than 5,000 active and pro members spans the United States and six other countries . NSAI is dedicated to protecting the rights of and serving aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music .   Mission Statement   The Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) consists of a body of creative minds , including songwriters from all genres of music , professional and amateur , who are committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting , and to educate , elevate , and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large .   The association was founded in the 1970s , with former singer-songwriter Lorene Mann as a co-founder .   Songwriters Caucus -- NSAI established Songwriters Caucuses in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate . In Congress , a `` caucus '' is a group of like-minded lawmakers who share a philosophical pre-disposition to support an issue .   When NSAI has an issue before Congress , we now have caucus members who will help us by co-sponsoring legislation , allowing songwriters to testify , and using the power of their offices and the media to represent the songwriter view .   FEDERAL COURT CASES   Eldred vs. Ashcroft -- NSAI filed an `` amicus brief '' with the United States Supreme Court in a case that determined how long you and your heirs will own your copyrights . NSAI was the only songwriter organization to meet with the Justice Department attorneys , arguing the case on behalf of copyright owners . NSAI songwriter and Constitutional scholar Peter McCann researched the diaries of founding father James Madison . Madison authored Section 1 , Article 8 of the United States Constitution that says : `` Congress may grant , for a ` limited time ' , to authors and composers ... '' At issue was the definition of `` limited time . '' McCann found that Madison intended for his own diaries to be published after his death by his family , FOR PROFIT ! This compelling argument influlenced the Supreme Court 's decision in favor of copyright owners and their heirs .


Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski ( January 24 , 1943 -- August 9 , 1969 ) was an American actress and model . During the 1960s , she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl . After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances , Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood 's most promising newcomers .   She made her film debut in 1966 with the occult-themed Eye of the Devil . Her most remembered performance was as Jennifer North in the 1967 cult classic film , Valley of the Dolls , earning her a Golden Globe Award nomination . Tate 's last completed film , 12 +1 was released posthumously in 1969 , with the actress receiving top billing .   In January 20 , 1968 , Tate married Roman Polanski , her director and co-star in 1967 's The Fearless Vampire Killers . On August 9 , 1969 , Tate , along with four others , was murdered by members of the Manson Family in the home she shared with Polanski . At the time of her death , she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with the couple 's son .   A decade after Tate 's murder , the actress ' mother , Doris Tate , in response to the growing cult status of the killers and the possibility of them being granted parole , organized a public campaign that resulted in amendments to the California criminal law . Tate 's mother went on to say that the law would `` help transform Sharon 's legacy from murder victim to a symbol of victims ' rights '' . A book by Tate 's sister , Debra Tate , titled Sharon Tate : Recollection , was released in 2014 .


Tate Ellington has yet to appear on television.

Tate Ellington James Tate Ellington ( born 1979 ) is an American actor . He portrayed Aidan Hall , the best friend of Tyler Hawkins ( Robert Pattinson ) in the 2010 romantic drama film Remember Me . Ellington starred as Oliver Hunt in The Elephant King ( 2006 ) , and has appeared in television shows such as The Unusuals , Rescue Me , The Good Wife , and Do n't Trust the B -- in Apartment 23 . He appeared in the 2009 Broadway production of The Philanthropist , which starred Matthew Broderick . He is best known for his role as FBI recruit Simon Asher on the ABC thriller Quantico .


Malaysia Malaysia ( -LSB- məˈleɪsiə -RSB- ; -LSB- məlejsiə -RSB- ) is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia . It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 330803 km2 separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions , Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia ( Malaysian Borneo ) . Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore , Vietnam , and Indonesia . East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur , while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government . With a population of over 30 million , Malaysia is the 44th most populous country . The southernmost point of continental Eurasia , Tanjung Piai , is in Malaysia . Located in the tropics , Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth , with large numbers of endemic species .   Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which , from the 18th century , became subject to the British Empire . The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements , whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates . The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 . Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 , and achieved independence on 31 August 1957 . Malaya united with North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia . Less than two years later in 1965 , Singapore was expelled from the federation .   The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural , which plays a large role in politics . About half the population is ethnically Malay , with large minorities of Malaysian Chinese , Malaysian Indians , and indigenous peoples . The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims . The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law . The head of state is the king , known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong . He is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years . The head of government is the prime minister .   Since its independence , Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia , with its GDP growing at an average of 6.5 % per annum for almost 50 years . The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources , but is expanding in the sectors of science , tourism , commerce and medical tourism . Today , Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy , ranked third largest in Southeast Asia and 29th largest in the world . It is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations , the East Asia Summit and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , the Commonwealth of Nations , and the Non-Aligned Movement .


Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV ( September 12 , 1973 -- November 30 , 2013 ) was an American actor . Walker began his career guest-starring in several television shows such as The Young and the Restless and Touched by an Angel . Walker gained prominence with breakout roles in coming of age and teen films such as She 's All That and Varsity Blues ( 1999 ) . In 2001 , Walker gained international fame for his portrayal of Brian O'Conner in the street racing action film The Fast and the Furious ( 2001 ) , and would reprise the role in five of the next six installments but died in the middle of the filming of Furious 7 ( 2015 ) . He also starred in films such as Joy Ride ( 2001 ) , Timeline ( 2003 ) , Into the Blue ( 2005 ) , Eight Below , and Running Scared ( 2006 ) .   Besides acting , Walker was the face of The Coty Prestige fragrance brand Davidoff Cool Water for Men , and starred in the National Geographic Channel series , Expedition Great White . He also founded the charity `` Reach Out Worldwide '' ( ROWW ) , an organization providing relief efforts for areas affected by natural disasters . He was often praised for his off-screen charity work , and as a performer .   Walker died in a single-vehicle collision on November 30 , 2013 , alongside friend Roger Rodas . Three films that he was involved in at the time were released posthumously : Hours ( 2013 ) , Brick Mansions ( 2014 ) , and Furious 7 ( 2015 , which he had not completed filming ) . The song `` See You Again '' by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth , which appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack , is a tribute to Walker . The song was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards .


The Unabomber is a moniker of Ted Kaczynski.

Ted Kaczynski Theodore John Kaczynski ( -LSB- kəˈzɪnski -RSB- born May 22 , 1942 ) , also known as the `` Unabomber '' , is an American serial killer , domestic terrorist , and self-professed anarchist . A mathematical prodigy , he abandoned a promising academic career in 1969 , then between 1978 and 1995 killed three people , and injured 23 others , in a nationwide bombing campaign targeting people involved with modern technology . In conjunction with this campaign he issued a wide-ranging social critique opposing industrialization and modern technology , and advancing a nature-centered form of anarchism .   Kaczynski was born and raised in Evergreen Park , Illinois . While growing up in Evergreen Park he was a child prodigy , excelling academically from an early age . Kaczynski was accepted into Harvard University at the age of 16 , where he earned an undergraduate degree . He subsequently earned a PhD in mathematics from the University of Michigan . He became an assistant professor at the University of California , Berkeley in 1967 at age 25 . He resigned two years later .   As a Harvard undergraduate , Kaczynski was among twenty-two students who were research subjects in ethically questionable experiments conducted by psychology professor Henry Murray from late 1959 to early 1962 .   In 1971 , he moved to a remote cabin without electricity or running water in Lincoln , Montana , where he lived as a recluse while learning survival skills in an attempt to become self-sufficient . Seventeen years after beginning his mail bomb campaign , Kaczynski sent a letter to The New York Times on April 24 , 1995 and promised `` to desist from terrorism '' if the Times or The Washington Post published his manifesto , Industrial Society and Its Future ( the `` Unabomber Manifesto '' ) , in which he argued that his bombings were extreme but necessary to attract attention to the erosion of human freedom necessitated by modern technologies requiring large-scale organization .   The Unabomber was the target of one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 's costliest investigations . Before Kaczynski 's identity was known , the FBI used the title `` UNABOM '' ( UNiversity & Airline BOMber ) to refer to his case , which resulted in the media calling him the Unabomber . The FBI ( as well as Attorney General Janet Reno ) pushed for the publication of Kaczynski 's `` Manifesto '' , which led to his sister-in-law , and then his brother , recognizing Kaczynski 's style of writing and beliefs from the manifesto , and tipping off the FBI . Kaczynski tried unsuccessfully to dismiss his court-appointed lawyers because they wanted to plead insanity in order to avoid the death penalty , as Kaczynski did not believe he was insane . When it became clear that his pending trial would entail national television exposure for Kaczynski , the court entered a plea agreement , under which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole . He has been designated a `` domestic terrorist '' by the FBI . Some anarcho-primitivist authors , such as John Zerzan and John Moore , have come to his defense , while also holding some reservations about his actions and ideas .


The Weeknd has an album named Kiss Land.

The Weeknd The Weeknd ( born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye ; February 16 , 1990 ) is a Canadian singer , songwriter , and record producer . The Weeknd initially gained recognition after anonymously uploading several songs to YouTube in late 2010 . This allowed him to release of his debut mixtape , House of Balloons , in early 2011 . He released two further independent projects later that year , Thursday and Echoes of Silence , before signing to Republic Records in September 2012 .   The three mixtapes received widespread critical acclaim upon release , and proceeded the release of the compilation album Trilogy . In 2013 , he released his debut studio album Kiss Land , which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 . It was later confirmed to have sold over 273,000 copies in the United States .   The Weeknd released his second album , Beauty Behind the Madness , in 2015 , breaking chart records in the process . It saw him become the first ever artist to have simultaneously held the top three spots on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart , with `` Earned It '' , `` The Hills '' , and `` Ca n't Feel My Face '' . It also became his first number one album on the US Billboard 200 , and saw triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . The album additionally oversaw his first Grammy Award win for Best Urban Contemporary Album , as well as `` Earned It '' winning Best R&B Performance . He won both awards at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2016 .   He released his third studio album , Starboy , in 2016 to generally positive critical reception . The album 's title track topped the chart in several countries , including the U.S. , the UK and Canada , and became The Weeknd 's third number-one single . It gave him his second consecutive number one album , which also later saw platinum certification .   Alongside his Grammy Award wins , The Weeknd has won nine Juno Awards and two American Music Awards . He has also founded the record label XO , and is a producer under both his given and stage names .


Portugal Portugal ( Portuguese : -LSB- puɾtuˈɣaɫ -RSB- ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( -LSB- República Portuguesa , links = no -RSB- ) ( Portuguese : -LSB- ʁɨ ` publikɐ puɾtu ' ɣezɐ -RSB- ) In recognized minority languages of Portugal :  República Pertuesa is a sovereign state located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe . To the west and south it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain . The Portugal -- Spain border is 1214 km long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union . The republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments .   The territory of modern Portugal has been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The Pre-Celts , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic and the Suebi Germanic peoples . Portugal as a country was born in the aftermath of the Christian Reconquista against the Moors who had invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD and occupied most of it ever since . Precipitated by the seminal event for its foundation , the Battle of São Mamede , where Portuguese forces led by Afonso Henriques defeated forces led by his mother Theresa of Portugal and her lover Fernão Peres de Trava , which established the nation 's sovereignty against rival neighbor kingdoms . Following São Mamede , the future king styled himself Prince of Portugal . He would be proclaimed King of Portugal in the Battle of Ourique in 1139 and was recognised as such by neighbouring kingdoms in 1143 .   In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers . During this time , Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery , notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King João II , with such notable discoveries as Bartolomeu Dias 's reach of the Cape of Good Hope ( 1488 ) , the Vasco da Gama 's sea route to India ( 1497 -- 98 ) and the discovery of Brazil ( 1500 ) . Portugal monopolized the spice trade during this time , and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia . But the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake , the country 's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars , the independence of Brazil ( 1822 ) , and the Liberal Wars ( 1828 -- 34 ) , all left Portugal crippled from war and diminished in its world power .   After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy , the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established , later being superseded by the Estado Novo right-wing authoritarian regime . Democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974 . Shortly after , independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories . The handover of Macau to China in 1999 marked the end of the longest-lived colonial empire . Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today .   Portugal is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard . It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world , maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government . It has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world , putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France , Spain and Italy . A founding member of NATO and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , it is also a member of numerous other international organizations , including the United Nations , the European Union , the eurozone , and the OECD .   Portugal is a pioneer when it comes to drug decriminalization , as the nation decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use in 2001 .   LGBT rights in Portugal have improved substantially in the past two decades and are now among the best in the world . Moreover , after years of investment and cooperation , Portugal marked a climax on renewable energy worldwide in 2016 , when it was powered for 107 consecutive hours exclusively by wind , sun , and water , which advocates say further shows fossil fuels are indeed replaceable .


Abraham Lincoln was once rivals with Stephen A. Douglas.

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .


Yelp Yelp is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Francisco , California . It develops , hosts and markets Yelp.com and the Yelp mobile app , which publish crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses , as well as the online reservation service Yelp Reservations and online food-delivery service Eat24 . The company also trains small businesses in how to respond to reviews , hosts social events for reviewers , and provides data about businesses , including health inspection scores .   Yelp was founded in 2004 by former PayPal employees Russel Simmons and Jeremy Stoppelman . Yelp grew quickly and raised several rounds of funding . By 2010 it had $ 30 million in revenues and the website had published more than 4.5 million crowd-sourced reviews . From 2009 to 2012 , Yelp expanded throughout Europe and Asia . In 2009 it entered several negotiations with Google for a potential acquisition . Yelp became a public company in March 2012 and became profitable for the first time two years later . As of 2016 , Yelp.com has 135 million monthly visitors and 95 million reviews . The company 's revenues come from businesses advertising .   According to BusinessWeek , Yelp has a complicated relationship with small businesses . Criticism of Yelp focuses on the legitimacy of reviews , public statements of Yelp manipulating and blocking reviews in order to increase ad spending , as well as concerns regarding the privacy of reviewers .


Asia Asia is Earth 's largest and most populous continent , located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres and sharing the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe and shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa . Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 km2 , about 30 % of Earth 's total land area and 8.7 % of the Earth 's total surface area . The continent , which has long been home to the majority of the human population , was the site of many of the first civilizations . Asia is notable for not only its overall large size and population , but also dense and large settlements as well as vast barely populated regions within the continent of 4.4 billion people .   In general terms , Asia is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean , on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean . The western boundary with Europe is a historical and cultural construct , as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them . The most commonly accepted boundaries place Asia to the east of the Suez Canal , the Ural River , and the Ural Mountains , and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas .   China and India alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE . China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east , and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia , attracting European commerce , exploration and colonialism . The accidental discovery of America by Columbus in search for India demonstrates this deep fascination . The Silk Road became the main East-West trading route in the Asian hitherland while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route . Asia has exhibited economic dynamism ( particularly East Asia ) as well as robust population growth during the 20th century , but overall population growth has since fallen . Asia was the birthplace of most of the world 's mainstream religions including Christianity , Islam , Judaism , Hinduism , Buddhism , Confucianism , Taoism ( or Daoism ) , Jainism , Sikhism , Zoroastranism , as well as many other religions .   Given its size and diversity , the concept of Asia -- a name dating back to classical antiquity -- may actually have more to do with human geography than physical geography . Asia varies greatly across and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups , cultures , environments , economics , historical ties and government systems . It also has a mix of many different climates ranging from the equatorial south via the hot desert in the Middle East , temperate areas in the east and the continental centre to vast subarctic and polar areas in Siberia .


Dragon A dragon is a legendary creature , typically scaled or fire-spewing and with serpentine , reptilian or avian traits , that features in the myths of many cultures around world . The two most well-known cultural traditions of dragon are   The European dragon , derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Balkans and Western Asian mythologies . Most are depicted as reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence , and are uniquely six-limbed ( four legs and a separate set of wings ) .  The Chinese dragon , with counterparts in Japan ( namely the Japanese dragon ) , Korea and other East Asian and South Asian countries . Most are depicted as serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence , and are quadrupeds ( four legs and wingless ) .   The two traditions may have evolved separately , but have influenced each other to a certain extent , particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries . The English word dragon and Latin word draco derives from Greek δράκων ( drákōn ) , `` dragon , serpent of huge size , water-snake '' .


Wes Ramsey is a cast member of The Playboy Club.

The Playboy Club The Playboy Club is an American historical crime drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19 to October 3 , 2011 . Set in 1961 , the series centers on the employees ( known as Bunnies ) of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago . The Playboy Club stars Eddie Cibrian , Laura Benanti , Amber Heard , Jenna Dewan Tatum , Naturi Naughton , Leah Renee , Wes Ramsey , Jenifer Lewis , and David Krumholtz .   The Playboy Club was canceled on October 4 , 2011 , after three episodes aired , due to its low ratings . It was the first cancellation of the 2011 -- 12 television season . NBC continued to film the series until October 10 , 2011 , hoping to sell the series to another network . Both Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner and show creator Chad Hodge have expressed hope that the series will be picked up by Bravo .   When production wrapped on October 10 , 2011 , Hodge and Laura Benanti both confirmed that they had finished seven episodes , including the pilot . Benanti further stated that the seventh episode has two endings , one of which is more final to the series .


Steppe is incapable of being part of the terrain of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( -LSB- USkæzækˈstæn , _ ˌkɑːzɑːkˈstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ˌkæzəkˈstɑːn , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan , -LSB- qɑzɑqˈstɑn -RSB- ; Казахстан , tr . Kazakhstan ) , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасы , tr . Qazaqstan Respwblïkası ; Республика Казахстан , tr . Respublika Kazakhstan ) , is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world 's largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of 2,724,900 km ² . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region 's GDP , primarily through its oil/gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources .   Kazakhstan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia , China , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Turkmenistan , and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea . The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands , steppe , taiga , rock canyons , hills , deltas , snow-capped mountains , and deserts . Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people , Given its large land area , its population density is among the lowest , at less than 6 people per square kilometre ( 15 people per sq. mi . ) . The capital is Astana , where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty , the country 's largest city .   The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes . This changed in the 13th century , when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire . Following internal struggles among the conquerors , power eventually reverted to the nomads . By the 16th century , the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group , divided into three jüz ( ancestor branches occupying specific territories ) . The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century , and by the mid-19th century , they nominally ruled all of Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire . Following the 1917 Russian Revolution , and subsequent civil war , the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganised several times . In 1936 , it was made the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , part of the Soviet Union .   Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The current President , Nursultan Nazarbayev , has been leader of the country since then , and is characterised as authoritarian , with a government history of human rights abuses and suppression of political opposition . Kazakhstan has worked to develop its economy , especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry . Human Rights Watch says that `` Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly , speech , and religion , '' and other human rights organisations regularly describe Kazakhstan 's human rights situation as poor .   Kazakhstan 's 131 ethnicities include Kazakhs ( 63 % of the population ) , Russians , Uzbeks , Ukrainians , Germans , Tatars , and Uyghurs . Islam is the religion of about 70 % of the population , with Christianity practised by 26 % ; Kazakhstan officially allows freedom of religion , but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed . The Kazakh language is the state language , and Russian has equal official status for all levels of administrative and institutional purposes .


Olivia Wilde Olivia Wilde ( born Olivia Jane Cockburn ; March 10 , 1984 ) is an American actress , model , director , and producer . She is well known for her role as Dr. Remy `` Thirteen '' Hadley on the award-winning medical television series House ( 2007 -- 12 ) and her roles in Alpha Dog ( 2007 ) , Tron : Legacy ( 2010 ) , Cowboys & Aliens ( 2011 ) , Her ( 2013 ) , Drinking Buddies ( 2013 ) , and Rush ( 2013 ) . She starred in HBO 's rock 'n' roll drama series Vinyl ( 2016 ) .


Jon Snow is a major fictional person in the book A Dance with Dragons.

Jon Snow (character) Jon Snow is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones . He is a prominent point of view character in the novels , and has been called one of the author 's `` finest creations '' and most popular characters by The New York Times . Jon is a main character in the TV series , and his storyline in the 2015 season 5 finale generated a strong reaction among viewers . Speculation about the character 's parentage has also been a popular topic of discussion among fans of both the books and the TV series .   Jon is introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark , the honorable lord of Winterfell , an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros . Knowing his prospects are limited by his status , Jon joins the Night 's Watch , who guard the far northern borders from the wildlings who live beyond The Wall . As the rest of the Starks face grave adversity , Jon finds himself honor bound to remain with the Watch . In A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) , he joins a scouting party investigating the growing threat from the otherworldly `` Others '' beyond the Wall , and manages to infiltrate the wildlings . Jon learns of their plans to invade Westeros in A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) , and begins to fall in love with the fierce wildling woman Ygritte . He betrays them -- and Ygritte -- before they can attack , but the Night Watch 's victory comes at a heavy price for Jon . Now the Lord Commander of the Watch , he appears briefly in 2005 's A Feast for Crows . Jon returns as a prominent character in a A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) , working to negotiate an alliance between the Night 's Watch and the wildlings . The growing animosity he has attracted from among the Watch finally catches up with him , and he is forced to face the dire consequences .   Jon is portrayed by Kit Harington on the HBO series Game of Thrones . His storyline follows the character 's plot arc from the novel series , though season 6 of the TV adaptation continued on from the events of Martin 's latest published installment . Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016 . He was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012 and 2016 . He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012 , 2014 , 2015 and 2016 .


Emily Ratajkowski was in The Spoils of Bablyon.

Emily Ratajkowski Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski ( -LSB- ˌrɑːtaɪˈkɒfski -RSB- born June 7 , 1991 ) is an American actress and model . Born to American parents in London and raised primarily in California , she rose to prominence in 2013 after appearing in the music video for Robin Thicke 's `` Blurred Lines '' , which became the number one song of the year in several countries and attracted controversy over its purportedly sexist content .   Ratajkowski 's modeling career has progressed from retail ad work to art house erotica and high fashion . She appeared on the cover of the March 2012 issue of the erotic magazine treats ! , which led to her being asked to appear in two music videos -- `` Blurred Lines '' and Maroon 5 's `` Love Somebody '' . She appeared in the 2014 and 2015 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues . Ratajkowski made her professional runway modeling debut for Marc Jacobs at New York Fashion Week in 2015 and has since walked on the Paris Fashion Week runway for Miu Miu . She appeared in a Buick Super Bowl commercial during Super Bowl 50 .   Ratajkowski began acting as a child in the San Diego area before she gained a recurring role on iCarly and later roles in major films . Her feature film debut was as the mistress of Ben Affleck 's character in the 2014 film Gone Girl . Ratajkowski 's 2015 roles included the films Entourage and We Are Your Friends ( her first leading role ) as well as the miniseries The Spoils Before Dying .   Ratajkowski is an advocate for women 's health issues as a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood and supports the right of women to express their sexuality . Her claim to being a feminist has been both supported and disputed .


Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for an award.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Beasts of the Southern Wild is a 2012 American drama film co-written , co-scored and directed by Benh Zeitlin . It was adapted by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar 's one-act play Juicy and Delicious . After playing at film festivals , it was released on June 27 , 2012 , in New York and Los Angeles , and later distribution was expanded .   The film was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards , in the categories Best Picture , Best Director ( Benh Zeitlin ) , Best Adapted Screenplay ( Lucy Alibar , Benh Zeitlin ) , and Best Actress ( Quvenzhané Wallis ) . At age 9 , Wallis became the youngest Best Actress nominee in history .


William Jennings Bryan served at least one term as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan ( March 19 , 1860 -- July 26 , 1925 ) was an American orator and politician from Nebraska , and a dominant force in the populist wing of the Democratic Party , standing three times as the Party 's nominee for President of the United States ( 1896 , 1900 , and 1908 ) . He served two terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska and was United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson ( 1913 -- 1915 ) . He resigned because of his pacifist position on World War I. Bryan was a devout Presbyterian , a strong advocate of popular democracy , and an enemy of the banks and the gold standard . He demanded `` Free Silver '' because he believed it undermined the evil `` Money Power '' and put more cash in the hands of the common people . He was a peace advocate , a supporter of Prohibition , and an opponent of Darwinism on religious and humanitarian grounds . With his deep , commanding voice and wide travels , he was perhaps the best-known orator and lecturer of the era . Because of his faith in the wisdom of the common people , he was called `` The Great Commoner '' .   In the intensely fought 1896 and 1900 elections , he was defeated by William McKinley but retained control of the Democratic Party . With over 500 speeches in 1896 , Bryan invented the national stumping tour in an era when other presidential candidates stayed home . In his three presidential bids , he promoted Free Silver in 1896 , anti-imperialism in 1900 , and trust-busting in 1908 , calling on Democrats to fight the trusts ( big corporations ) and big banks , and embrace anti-elitist ideals of republicanism . President Wilson appointed him Secretary of State in 1913 . After the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915 , Wilson made strong demands on Germany that Bryan disagreed with , resigning in protest as a pacifist . After 1920 , he turned to Christian fundamentalism ; he supported Prohibition and attacked Darwinism and evolution , most famously at the Scopes Trial in 1925 in Tennessee . Five days after the conclusion of the Scopes case , Bryan died in his sleep .


July 2007 saw the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series , written by British author J. K. Rowling . The book was released on 21 July 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom , in the United States by Scholastic , and in Canada by Raincoast Books , ending the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone . The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ( 2005 ) , and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort , as well as revealing the previously concealed back story of several main characters . The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story , collectively known as the `` Deathly Hallows '' -- an unbeatable wand , a stone to bring the dead to life , and a cloak of invisibility .   Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in January 2007 . Before its release , Bloomsbury reportedly spent # 10 million to keep the book 's contents safe before its release date . American publisher Arthur Levine refused any copies of the novel to be released in advance for press review , although two reviews were submitted early . Shortly before release , photos of all 759 pages of the U.S. edition were leaked and transcribed , leading Scholastic to look for the source that had leaked it .   Released globally in 93 countries , Deathly Hallows broke sales records as the fastest-selling book ever , a record it still held in 2012 . It sold 15 million copies in the first 24 hours following its release , including more than 11 million in the U.S. and UK alone . The previous record , 9 million in its first day , had been held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . The novel has also been translated into over 120 languages . The title proved difficult to translate and was often rendered closer to `` Harry Potter and the Relics of Death '' in other languages .   Major themes in the novel are death and living in a corrupted society , and critics have compared them to Christian allegories . Generally well-received , the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award , and the American Library Association named it a `` Best Book for Young Adults '' . A two-part film adaptation began showing in November 2010 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 was released ; Part 2 was released on 15 July 2011 .


Seinfeld's quotes have not become catchphrases in popular culture.

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


Las Vegas Las Vegas ( -LSB- lɑːs_ˈveɪɡəs -RSB- , Spanish for `` The Meadows '' ) , officially the City of Las Vegas and often known simply as Vegas , is the 28th-most populated city in the United States , the most populated city in the state of Nevada , and the county seat of Clark County . The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert . Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for its gambling , shopping , fine dining , entertainment , and nightlife . It is the leading financial , commercial , and cultural center for Nevada .   The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World , and is famous for its mega casino -- hotels and associated activities . It is a top three destination in the United States for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry , claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any city in the world . Today , Las Vegas annually ranks as one of the world 's most visited tourist destinations . The city 's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City , and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature , films , television programs , and music videos .   Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911 . At the close of the 20th century , it was the most populated American city founded within that century ( a similar distinction earned by Chicago in the 1800s ) . Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s , and between 1990 and 2000 the population nearly doubled , increasing by 85.2 % . Rapid growth has continued into the 21st century , and according to a 2013 estimate , the population is 603,488 with a regional population of 2,027,828 .   `` Las Vegas '' is often used to describe areas beyond official city limits -- especially the areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip , which is actually located within the unincorporated communities of Paradise , Winchester , and Enterprise .


Lisbon's status as a capital has been officially confirmed.

Lisbon Lisbon ( -LSB- ˈlɪzbən -RSB- Lisboa , -LSB- liʒˈβoɐ -RSB- ) is the capital and the largest city of Portugal , with a population of 552,700 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km ² . Its urban area extends beyond the city 's administrative limits with a population of around 2.7 million people , being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union . About 2.8 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area ( which represents approximately 27 % of the country 's population ) . It is continental Europe 's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast . Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus . The westernmost areas of its metro area is the westernmost point of Continental Europe .   Lisbon is recognised as a global city because of its importance in finance , commerce , media , entertainment , arts , international trade , education and tourism . It is one of the major economic centres on the continent , with a growing financial sector and one of the largest container ports on Europe 's Atlantic coast . Humberto Delgado Airport serves over 20 million passengers annually , as of 2015 , and the motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular link the main cities of Portugal . The city is the 7th-most-visited city in Southern Europe , after Istanbul , Rome , Barcelona , Madrid , Athens and Milan , with 1,740,000 tourists in 2009 . The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal . It 's GDP amounts to 96.3 billion USD and thus $ 32,434 per capita , 40 % higher than the average European Union 's GDP per capita . The city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world . Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area . It is also the political centre of the country , as its seat of Government and residence of the Head of State .   Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world , and the oldest in Western Europe , predating other modern European capitals such as London , Paris and Rome by centuries . Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia , adding to the name Olissipo . Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century , it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century . In 1147 , the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political , economic and cultural centre of Portugal . Unlike most capital cities , Lisbon 's status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially -- by statute or in written form . Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention , making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal .   Lisbon enjoys a Mediterranean climate . It has one of the warmest winters of any metropolis in Europe , with average temperatures 15 ° C during the day and 8 ° C at night from December to February . The typical summer season lasts about four months , from June to September , although also in April temperatures sometimes reach around 25 ° C.


Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen ( -LSB- ˈroʊɡən -RSB- born April 15 , 1982 ) is a Canadian-American actor , filmmaker , and comedian . He began his career performing stand-up comedy during his teenage years , winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998 . While still living in his native Vancouver , he landed a supporting role in the series Freaks and Geeks . Shortly after he moved to Portland , Oregon for his role , Freaks and Geeks was officially cancelled after one season due to low viewership . Rogen later got a part on sitcom Undeclared , which also hired him as a staff writer .   After landing his job as a staff writer on the final season of Da Ali G Show , for which he and the other writers received an Emmy Award nomination , he was guided by Judd Apatow toward a film career . Rogen made his first movie appearance in Donnie Darko with a minor role as a rebellious student in Donnie 's high school classes in 2001 . Rogen was cast in a major supporting role and credited as a co-producer in Apatow 's directorial debut , The 40-Year-Old Virgin . After Rogen received critical praise for his performance , Universal Pictures agreed to cast him as the lead in Apatow 's films Knocked Up and Funny People . Rogen co-starred as Steve Wozniak in Universal 's Steve Jobs biopic in 2015 . In 2016 , he developed the AMC television series Preacher with his writing partner Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin . He also serves as a writer and executive producer , and directed the first two episodes of the series with Goldberg .   Rogen and Goldberg co-wrote the films Superbad , Pineapple Express , The Green Hornet , This Is the End , and directed both This Is the End and The Interview ; all of which Rogen starred in . He has also done voice work for the films Horton Hears a Who ! , the Kung Fu Panda film series , The Spiderwick Chronicles , Monsters vs. Aliens , Paul , and Sausage Party .


Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


The Homesman was directed by Hailee Steinfeld.

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


Bradford Bradford -LSB- ˈbrædfərd -RSB- is in the Metropolitan Borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire , England , in the foothills of the Pennines 8.6 mi west of Leeds , and 16 mi northwest of Wakefield . Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847 , and received its charter as a city in 1897 . Following local government reform in 1974 , city status was bestowed upon the wider metropolitan borough .   Bradford forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million and it is the fourth largest urban area in the United Kingdom with the Bradford subdivision of the aforementioned urban area having a population of 528,155 .   Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire , Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture , particularly wool . It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements , rapidly becoming the `` wool capital of the world '' . The area 's access to a supply of coal , iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of Bradford 's manufacturing base , which , as textile manufacture grew , led to an explosion in population and was a stimulus to civic investment ; Bradford has a large amount of listed Victorian architecture including the grand Italianate City Hall .   The textile sector in Bradford fell into decline from the mid-20th century . Since this time , Bradford has emerged as a tourist destination , becoming the first UNESCO City of Film with attractions such as the National Science and Media Museum , Bradford City Park , the Alhambra theatre and Cartwright Hall . However , Bradford has faced similar challenges to the rest of the post-industrial area of Northern England , including deindustrialisation , social unrest and economic deprivation .


Hulk's worldwide gross was over $245 million.

Hulk (film) Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name . Ang Lee directed the film , which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner , as well as Jennifer Connelly , Sam Elliott , Josh Lucas , and Nick Nolte . The film explores the origins of Bruce Banner , who after a lab accident involving gamma radiation finds himself able to turn into a huge green-skinned monster whenever he gets angry , while he is pursued by the United States military and comes into a conflict with his father .   Development for the film started as far back as 1990 . The film was at one point to be directed by Joe Johnston and then Jonathan Hensleigh . More scripts had been written by Hensleigh , John Turman , Michael France , Zak Penn , J. J. Abrams , Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski , Michael Tolkin , and David Hayter before Ang Lee and James Schamus ' involvement . Hulk was shot mostly in California , primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area .   Hulk was a commercial success , grossing over $ 245 million worldwide , higher than its $ 137 million budget , and received mixed reactions from critics . Many praised the writing , acting , character development , the action sequences and the musical score by Danny Elfman , while some criticized its outdated CGI , editing and dark story elements . A reboot , titled The Incredible Hulk , was released on June 13 , 2008 as the second film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe .


Justin Timberlake is from the United States and is someone who produces music.

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake ( born January 31 , 1981 ) is an American singer-songwriter , actor and record producer . Born and raised in Tennessee , he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child . In the late 1990s , Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC , which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time . Timberlake began to adopt a more mature image as an artist with the release of his debut solo album , the R&B - focused Justified ( 2002 ) , which yielded the successful singles `` Cry Me a River '' and `` Rock Your Body '' , and earned his first two Grammy Awards .   His critically acclaimed second album FutureSex/LoveSounds ( 2006 ) , characterized by its diversity in music genres , debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the Hot 100 number-one singles `` SexyBack '' , `` My Love '' , and `` What Goes Around ... Comes Around '' . Established as a solo artist worldwide , his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies . He produced records and collaborated with other artists . From 2008 through 2012 , Timberlake focused on his acting career , effectively putting his music career on hiatus ; he held starring roles in the films The Social Network , Bad Teacher , In Time , and Friends with Benefits .   Timberlake resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience -- 2 of 2 , exploring neo soul styles , partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock . The former became the best-selling album of the year in the US with the largest sales week , and spawned the top-three singles `` Suit & Tie '' and `` Mirrors '' , while the latter produced the top-ten song `` Not a Bad Thing '' . For his live performances , including the eponymous concert tour for the albums , he began performing with his band The Tennessee Kids , composed by instrumentalists and dancers . Timberlake voiced the lead character in DreamWorks Animation 's Trolls ( 2016 ) , which soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single , `` Ca n't Stop the Feeling ! '' .   Among numerous awards and accolades , Timberlake is the recipient of ten Grammy Awards , four Emmy Awards , three Brit Awards , and nine Billboard Music Awards . Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2013 . His other ventures include record label Tennman Records , fashion label William Rast , and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality .


Buddy Holly was a member of The Beatles.

Buddy Holly Buddy Holly ( born Charles Hardin Holley ; September 7 , 1936 -- February 3 , 1959 ) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll . Holley was born in Lubbock , Texas , to a musical family during the Great Depression ; he learned to play guitar and to sing alongside his siblings . His style was influenced by gospel music , country music , and rhythm and blues acts , and he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school . He made his first appearance on local television in 1952 , and the following year he formed the group `` Buddy and Bob '' with his friend Bob Montgomery . In 1955 , after opening for Elvis Presley , Holly decided to pursue a career in music . He opened for Presley three times that year ; his band 's style shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll . In October that year , when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets , Holly was spotted by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall , who helped him get a contract with Decca Records .   Holly 's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley . Unhappy with Bradley 's control in the studio and with the sound he achieved there , Holly went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis , New Mexico , and recorded a demo of `` That 'll Be the Day '' , among other songs . Petty became the band 's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records , which released it as a single credited to `` The Crickets '' , which became the name of Holly 's band . In September 1957 , as the band toured , `` That 'll Be the Day '' topped the US `` Best Sellers in Stores '' chart and the UK Singles Chart . Its success was followed in October by another major hit , `` Peggy Sue '' .   The album Chirping Crickets , released in November 1957 , reached number five on the UK Albums Chart . Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after , toured Australia and then the UK . In early 1959 , Holly assembled a new band , consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings ( bass ) , famed session musician Tommy Allsup ( guitar ) , and Carl Bunch ( drums ) , and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. . After a show in Clear Lake , Iowa , Holly chartered an airplane to travel to his next show , in Moorhead , Minnesota . Soon after takeoff , the plane crashed , killing Holly , Ritchie Valens , The Big Bopper , and pilot Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as `` The Day the Music Died '' .   During his short career , Holly wrote , recorded , and produced his own material . He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars , bass , and drums . Holly was a major influence on later popular music artists , including The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Eric Clapton , and Elton John . He was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , in 1986 . Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of `` 100 Greatest Artists '' .


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 .


From the Earth to the Moon was created in 1998.

From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries) From the Earth to the Moon is a twelve-part HBO television miniseries ( 1998 ) co-produced by Ron Howard , Brian Grazer , Tom Hanks , and Michael Bostick , telling the story of the landmark Apollo expeditions to the Moon during the 1960s and early 1970s in docudrama format . Largely based on Andrew Chaikin 's book , A Man on the Moon , the series is known for its accurate telling of the story of Apollo and the outstanding special effects under visual director Ernest D. Farino .   The series takes its title from , but is not based upon , the famous Jules Verne science fiction novel From the Earth to the Moon . Hanks appears in every episode , introducing each of the first eleven . The last episode is represented in a pseudo-documentary format narrated by Blythe Danner , interspersed with a reenactment of the making of Georges Méliès ' film Le Voyage dans la Lune . Hanks narrates and appears in these scenes as Méliès ' assistant .


Venus Williams has a sister that plays professional tennis.

Venus Williams Venus Ebony Starr Williams ( born June 17 , 1980 ) is an American professional tennis player who is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women 's tennis and who , along with younger sister Serena Williams , is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women 's professional tennis tour .   Ranked World No. 11 in singles as of January 28 , 2017 , Williams has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women 's Tennis Association on three occasions , for a total of 11 weeks . She first became the World No. 1 on February 25 , 2002 , the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era . On 10 June 2002 , Venus and Serena became the first sisters to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . On 7 June 2010 , Venus became co-No . 1 in doubles with Serena after they won their 4th consecutive grand slam doubles title at Roland Garros . By virtue of that doubles ascension , Venus became one of seven women to reach No. 1 in singles and No. 1 in doubles . On 21 June 2010 , Venus and Serena again occupied the No. 2 and No. 1 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . This came almost exactly 8 years after first accomplishing this feat . At the time , Venus had just celebrated her 30th birthday and Serena was three months shy of her 29th birthday , both ages at which many of their peers had retired .   Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her twelfth on the all-time list , more than any other active female player except sister Serena . She has also won fourteen Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles . Her five Wimbledon singles titles ties her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list . Williams is one of four women to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era . From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open , Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held . She is one of only six women in the Open Era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches . At the 2017 French Open , Williams extended her record as the all-time leader , male or female , in Grand Slams played , with 74 . Furthermore , Williams ' run to the 2017 Australian Open Women 's Singles final set the record for longest span between singles slam finals in the open era at 20 years , the beginning of which was marked by her appearance in the singles final at the 1997 US Open .   Williams has won four Olympic gold medals , one in singles and three in women 's doubles , along with a silver medal in mixed doubles .  She and Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other tennis player , male or female . Venus also holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player , shared with Kathleen McKane Godfree . She is the only tennis player to have won a medal at four separate Olympic Games . At the 2000 Sydney Olympics , Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games , after Helen Wills Moody in 1924 .   With 49 singles titles , Williams is behind only Serena among active players on the WTA Tour . Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1 , 2000 . She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams , along with Serena and Russian Maria Sharapova . By winning her 49th career singles title at the 2016 Taiwan Open , Williams became the 5th oldest WTA Tour titlist in the Open Era , at 35 years , 7 months and 28 days .   Williams has played against her sister in 27 professional matches since 1998 , and won 11 . They have played against each other in nine Grand Slam singles finals , with Venus holding a 2-7 record . Venus has 8 runner-up finishes in grand slam singles events with Martina Hingis being the only player other than Serena to beat Venus in a major final at the 1997 US Open . Beginning with the 2002 French Open , they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals , the first time sisters had so met in the Open Era . On the other side , the pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals .


Felicity Jones appeared in a 2007 movie.

Felicity Jones Felicity Rose Hadley Jones ( born 17 October 1983 ) is an English actress . She started her professional acting career as a child , appearing at age 12 in The Treasure Seekers ( 1996 ) . Jones went on to play Ethel Hallow for one season in the television show The Worst Witch and its sequel Weirdsister College . She took time off from acting to attend university at Wadham College , Oxford where she performed in Shakespeare 's The Comedy of Errors for the Oxford University Dramatic Society , and has worked steadily since graduating in 2006 . On radio , she has played the role of Emma Grundy in the BBC 's The Archers . In 2008 , she appeared in the Donmar Warehouse production of The Chalk Garden .   Since 2006 , Jones has appeared in numerous films , including Northanger Abbey ( 2007 ) , Brideshead Revisited ( 2008 ) , Chéri ( 2009 ) , and The Tempest ( 2010 ) . Her performance in the 2011 film Like Crazy was met with critical acclaim , garnering her numerous awards , including a special jury prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival . In 2014 , her performance as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything also met with critical acclaim , garnering her nominations for the Golden Globe , SAG , BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Actress . In 2016 , Jones starred in the adventure-thriller Inferno , the fantasy drama A Monster Calls and the Star Wars anthology film Rogue One . In 2016 , she received the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year .


Thenmerku Paruvakaatru is a Pakistani film.

Thenmerku Paruvakaatru Thenmerku Paruvakatru ( Southwest Monsoon ) is a 2010 Tamil drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Shibu Issac . It stars Saranya Ponvannan , in her 100th film , Vijay Sethupathi and Vasundhra in the lead roles . It released on 24 December 2010 .   The film received mixed reviews , but was eventually featured at the 58th National Film Awards ceremony , where it was named the Best Feature Film in Tamil while Saranya Ponvannan and lyricist Vairamuthu were awarded the Best Actress and Best Lyricist prizes , respectively .


Pirates of the Caribbean (film series) had a successful film.

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


Judd Apatow has been nominated for an award.

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow ( -LSB- ˈæpətaʊ -RSB- born December 6 , 1967 ) is an American film producer , writer , director , actor , and comedian . He is the founder of Apatow Productions , through which he produced and developed the television series Freaks and Geeks , Undeclared , Girls , Love , Crashing and directed the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin ( 2005 ) , Knocked Up ( 2007 ) , Funny People ( 2009 ) , This Is 40 ( 2012 ) , and Trainwreck ( 2015 ) .   Apatow 's work has won numerous awards including a Primetime Emmy Award ( for The Ben Stiller Show ) , a Hollywood Comedy Award , and an AFI Award for Bridesmaids ( 2011 ) . His films have also been nominated for Grammy Awards , PGA Awards , Golden Globe Awards , and Academy Awards .   Also known for producing hit films such as The Cable Guy ( 1996 ) , Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy ( 2004 ) , Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ) , Superbad ( 2007 ) , Forgetting Sarah Marshall ( 2008 ) , Step Brothers ( 2008 ) , Pineapple Express ( 2008 ) , Get Him to the Greek ( 2010 ) , Bridesmaids ( 2011 ) , The Five-Year Engagement ( 2012 ) , and Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues ( 2013 ) .


The Shape of Water (film) is an upcoming American film.

The Shape of Water (film) The Shape of Water is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor . The film stars Sally Hawkins , Michael Shannon , Richard Jenkins , Doug Jones , Lauren Lee Smith , Michael Stuhlbarg , and Octavia Spencer . It is scheduled for release in December 8 , 2017 .


Wuthering Heights featured Laurence Olivier.

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier , Baron Olivier , ( -LSB- ˈlɒrəns_kɜr_ɒˈlɪvieɪ -RSB- 22 May 1907 -- 11 July 1989 ) , was an English actor who , along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud , dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century . He also worked in films throughout his career , playing more than fifty cinema roles . Late in his career , he had considerable success in television roles .   His family had no theatrical connections , but Olivier 's father , a clergyman , decided that his son should become an actor . After attending a drama school in London , Olivier learned his craft in a succession of acting jobs during the late 1920s . In 1930 he had his first important West End success in Noël Coward 's Private Lives , and he appeared in his first film . In 1935 he played in a celebrated production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft , and by the end of the decade he was an established star . In the 1940s , together with Richardson and John Burrell , Olivier was the co-director of the Old Vic , building it into a highly respected company . There his most celebrated roles included Shakespeare 's Richard III and Sophocles 's Oedipus . In the 1950s Olivier was an independent actor-manager , but his stage career was in the doldrums until he joined the avant garde English Stage Company in 1957 to play the title role in The Entertainer , a part he later played on film . From 1963 to 1973 he was the founding director of Britain 's National Theatre , running a resident company that fostered many future stars . His own parts there included the title role in Othello ( 1964 ) and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice ( 1970 ) .   Among Olivier 's films are Wuthering Heights ( 1939 ) , Rebecca ( 1940 ) , and a trilogy of Shakespeare films as actor-director : Henry V ( 1944 ) , Hamlet ( 1948 ) , and Richard III ( 1955 ) . His later films included Sleuth ( 1972 ) , Marathon Man ( 1976 ) , and The Boys from Brazil ( 1978 ) . His television appearances included an adaptation of The Moon and Sixpence ( 1960 ) , Long Day 's Journey into Night ( 1973 ) , Love Among the Ruins ( 1975 ) , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ( 1976 ) , Brideshead Revisited ( 1981 ) and King Lear ( 1983 ) .   Olivier 's honours included a knighthood ( 1947 ) , a life peerage ( 1970 ) and the Order of Merit ( 1981 ) . For his on-screen work he received four Academy Awards , two British Academy Film Awards , five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards . The National Theatre 's largest auditorium is named in his honour , and he is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards , given annually by the Society of London Theatre . He was married three times , to the actresses Jill Esmond from 1930 to 1940 , Vivien Leigh from 1940 to 1960 , and Joan Plowright from 1961 until his death .


Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( -LSB- leoˈnardo di ˌsɛr ˈpjɛːro da ( v ) ˈvintʃi -RSB- ; 15 April 14522 May 1519 ) , more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo , was an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention , painting , sculpting , architecture , science , music , mathematics , engineering , literature , anatomy , geology , astronomy , botany , writing , history , and cartography . He has been variously called the father of palaeontology , ichnology , and architecture , and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time . Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute , helicopter and tank , he epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal .   Many historians and scholars regard Leonardo as the prime exemplar of the `` Universal Genius '' or `` Renaissance Man '' , an individual of `` unquenchable curiosity '' and `` feverishly inventive imagination '' . According to art historian Helen Gardner , the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent in recorded history , and `` his mind and personality seem to us superhuman , while the man himself mysterious and remote '' . Marco Rosci notes that while there is much speculation regarding his life and personality , his view of the world was logical rather than mysterious , and that the empirical methods he employed were unorthodox for his time .   Born out of wedlock to a notary , Piero da Vinci , and a peasant woman , Caterina , in Vinci in the region of Florence , Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter Andrea del Verrocchio . Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan . He later worked in Rome , Bologna and Venice , and he spent his last years in France at the home awarded to him by Francis I of France .   Leonardo was , and is , renowned primarily as a painter . Among his works , the Mona Lisa is the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time . Leonardo 's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon , being reproduced on items as varied as the euro coin , textbooks , and T-shirts . Perhaps fifteen of his paintings have survived.There are 15 significant artworks which are ascribed , either in whole or in large part , to Leonardo by most art historians . This number is made up principally of paintings on panel but includes a mural , a large drawing on paper and two works which are in the early stages of preparation . There are a number of other works that have also been variously attributed to Leonardo . Nevertheless , these few works , together with his notebooks , which contain drawings , scientific diagrams , and his thoughts on the nature of painting , compose a contribution to later generations of artists rivalled only by that of his contemporary , Michelangelo .   Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity . He conceptualised flying machines , a type of armoured fighting vehicle , concentrated solar power , an adding machine , and the double hull . Relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime , as the modern scientific approaches to metallurgy and engineering were only in their infancy during the Renaissance . Some of his smaller inventions , however , such as an automated bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire , entered the world of manufacturing unheralded . A number of Leonardo 's most practical inventions are nowadays displayed as working models at the Museum of Vinci . He made substantial discoveries in anatomy , civil engineering , geology , optics , and hydrodynamics , but he did not publish his findings and they had no direct influence on later science .   Today , Leonardo is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived .


One America News Network is the property of Herring Networks, Inc.

One America News Network One America News Network ( abbreviated as OANN ) , commonly referred to as One America News ( abbreviated as OAN ) , is an American cable news television channel that is owned by Herring Networks , Inc. . The network is headquartered in San Diego , California , and operates a news bureau in Washington , D.C. and New York City .   Originally envisioned as a conservative-oriented news network , OAN 's stated focus is delivering a credible source of national and international news 24/7 . OAN features news programming and political talk shows , along with network special documentary-style reports . OAN states a goal of delivering objective news coverage and political talk shows that illustrate a strong conservative view .   The channel was launched on July 4 , 2013 . One America has national carriage on DirecTV , Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse , along with a number of regional cable providers , including Frontier Communications , CenturyLink PRISM TV , Consolidated Communications , Buckeye Broadband , and GCI . On April 5 , 2017 , DirecTV started carrying OAN on channel 347 . As of April 2017 , One America News Network is available in 35 million homes .


50 Cent was ranked as an artist by Billboard.

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III ( born July 6 , 1975 ) , known professionally as 50 Cent , is an American rapper , actor , businessman , and investor . Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of the borough of Queens , Jackson began selling drugs at age twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic . Although he left drug-dealing to pursue a musical career , in 2000 he was shot nine times . After Jackson released the compilation album Guess Who 's Back ? in 2002 , he was discovered by Eminem and signed by Shady Records , Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records .   With the aid of Eminem and Dr. Dre ( who produced his first major-label album , Get Rich or Die Tryin ' ) , Jackson became one of the world 's best selling rappers and rose to prominence with East Coast hip hop group G-Unit ( which he leads de facto ) . In 2003 , he founded G-Unit Records , signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck , Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo . Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his second album , The Massacre , which was released in 2005 . He released his fifth studio album , Animal Ambition , in 2014 and is working on his sixth studio album , Street King Immortal . He executive produces the show Power , which airs on Starz .   During his career Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards , including a Grammy Award , thirteen Billboard Music Awards , six World Music Awards , three American Music Awards and four BET Awards . He has pursued an acting career , appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin ' ( 2005 ) , the Iraq War film Home of the Brave ( 2006 ) and Righteous Kill ( 2008 ) . 50 Cent was ranked the sixth-best artist of the 2000s and the third-best rapper ( behind Eminem and Nelly ) by Billboard . Rolling Stone consider Get Rich or Die Tryin ' and `` In Da Club '' to be in their lists of `` 100 Best albums of the 2000s '' and `` 100 Best songs of the 2000s '' at numbers 37 and 13 .


Jean-Claude Van Damme was born on October 30, 1960.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg ( born 18 October 1960 ) , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme and abbreviated as JCVD , is a Belgian actor , martial artist , screenwriter , film producer , and director best known for his martial arts action films . The most successful of these films include Bloodsport ( 1988 ) , Kickboxer ( 1989 ) , Lionheart ( 1990 ) , Double Impact ( 1991 ) , Universal Soldier ( 1992 ) , Hard Target ( 1993 ) , Street Fighter ( 1994 ) , Timecop ( 1994 ) , Sudden Death ( 1995 ) , JCVD ( 2008 ) and The Expendables 2 ( 2012 ) .


Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( -LSB- səˈliːnə_məˈɹiː_ˈɡoʊmɛz -RSB- ; -LSB- seˈlena ˈɣomes -RSB- ; born July 22 , 1992 ) is an American actress and singer . Having appeared in the children 's television series Barney & Friends while growing up , she rose to fame playing the role of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place ( 2007 -- 2012 ) .   In 2008 , she signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records and formed her band Selena Gomez & the Scene . The band released three studio albums and produced four top 30 singles by 2011 . Gomez also formed her own production company in 2008 , July Moon Productions ; she serves as an executive producer on the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why , which released in March 2017 .   Between 2009 and 2011 , Gomez starred in films such as Princess Protection Program , Ramona and Beezus , and Monte Carlo , and took on a more mature role in Spring Breakers ( 2013 ) . Gomez also took her singing career in a different direction , with the release of her first solo album Stars Dance ( 2013 ) ; the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 in the United States and included the top ten single `` Come & Get It . '' Gomez released a compilation album in 2014 as her fifth and final release through Hollywood Records , which was preceded by her second top ten single `` The Heart Wants What It Wants '' , and signed a new recording contract with Interscope Records .   In 2015 , she released her second solo album , Revival , which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , while the first three singles , `` Good for You , '' `` Same Old Love , '' and `` Hands to Myself , '' all topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States . Gomez has also starred in the films The Fundamentals of Caring ( 2016 ) , In Dubious Battle ( 2016 ) , and in the Hotel Transylvania films .   Since the start of her singing career , she has gone on to sell over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide , according to Billboard . Gomez has earned a number of awards and nominations for her work as an actress and singer , and has won a Billboard Women in Music award , an MTV Video Music Award , an American Music Award , and fifteen Teen Choice Awards . As of November 2016 , Gomez is the most-followed Instagram user in the world .


Adam West William West Anderson ( born September 19 , 1928 ) , better known as Adam West , is an American actor whose career spans six decades .   His acting career began in films in 1959 . He played opposite Chuck Connors in Geronimo ( 1962 ) and The Three Stooges in The Outlaws Is Coming ( 1965 ) . He has also appeared in the science-fiction film Robinson Crusoe on Mars ( 1964 ) , opposite Paul Mantee , and achieved continuing success for the title role in the 1960s ABC series Batman and its theatrical feature film . He has done voice work on The Fairly OddParents , The Simpsons and Family Guy ( he voices fictional versions of himself in all of those animated series ) and also Batman : Return of the Caped Crusaders .