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


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


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


True Blood True Blood is an American dark fantasy horror  television series produced and created by Alan Ball and based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris .   The series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse ( Anna Paquin ) , a telepathic waitress living in the rural town of Bon Temps , Louisiana , two years after the invention of a synthetic blood that has allowed vampires to `` come out of the coffin '' and allow their presence to be known to mankind . Now they are struggling for equal rights and assimilation , while anti-vampire organizations begin to gain power . Sookie 's world is turned upside down when she falls in love with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton ( Stephen Moyer ) and for the first time must navigate the trials , tribulations and terrors of intimacy and relationships .   The show was broadcast on the premium cable network HBO , in the United States , and was produced by HBO in association with Ball 's production company , Your Face Goes Here Entertainment . The series premiered on September 7 , 2008 and concluded on August 24 , 2014 , comprising seven seasons and 80 episodes . The first five seasons received highly positive reviews , and both nominations and wins for several awards , including a Golden Globe and an Emmy .


Ballet Shoes premiered on British television.

Ballet Shoes (film) Ballet Shoes is a 2007 British television film , adapted by Heidi Thomas from Noel Streatfeild 's 1936 novel Ballet Shoes . It was produced by Granada Productions ( formerly Granada Television ) and premiered on BBC One on 26 December 2007 . It is directed by Sandra Goldbacher .   A previous adaptation of Ballet Shoes was produced in serial  format by the BBC in 1975 and directed by Timothy Combe . `` Ballet Shoes '' co-stars former Harry Potter stars Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil , Gemma Jones as Dr. Jakes , and the late Richard Griffiths as Gum .


BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom , Isle of Man and Channel Islands . It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service , and was the world 's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution . It was renamed BBC TV in 1960 , using this name until the launch of sister channel BBC2 in 1964 , whereupon the BBC TV channel became known as BBC1 , with the current spelling adopted in 1997 .   The channel 's annual budget for 2012 -- 13 is # 1.14 billion . The channel is funded by the television licence fee together with the BBC 's other domestic television stations , and therefore shows uninterrupted programming without commercial advertising . It is currently the most watched television channel in the United Kingdom , ahead of its traditional rival for ratings leadership , ITV .   the channel controller for BBC One is Charlotte Moore , who succeeded Danny Cohen initially as an Acting Controller from May 2013 .


Venus Williams has lost every Wimbledon.

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 .


Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a musical adventure fantasy dictionary.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 British musical adventure fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and written by Roald Dahl and Hughes , loosely based on Ian Fleming 's 1964 novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang : The Magical Car . The film stars Dick Van Dyke , Sally Ann Howes , Lionel Jeffries , James Robertson Justice , and Robert Helpmann as the main antagonist , the evil Childcatcher .   The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli ( co-producer of the James Bond series of films , also based on Fleming 's novels ) . John Stears supervised the special effects . Irwin Kostal supervised and conducted the music , while the musical numbers , written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman of Mary Poppins , were staged by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood . The song `` Chitty Chitty Bang Bang '' was nominated for an Academy Award .


Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl ( -LSB- ˈɪvan ˈlɛndl̩ -RSB- ; born March 7 , 1960 ) is a former world No. 1 professional tennis player and is currently coaching current world No. 1 Andy Murray , alongside Jamie Delgado . Originally from Czechoslovakia , he became a United States citizen in 1992 . He was one of the game 's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s . He has been described as one of the greatest tennis players of all time . Lendl 's game relied particularly on strength and heavy topspin from the baseline and helped usher in the modern era of `` power tennis '' .   Lendl captured eight Grand Slam singles titles . He competed in 19 Grand Slam singles finals , a record surpassed by Roger Federer in 2009 , Rafael Nadal in 2014 and Novak Djokovic in 2016 . He reached at least one Grand Slam final for 11 consecutive years , a record shared with Pete Sampras , with the male primacy of eight consecutive finals in a Grand Slam tournament ( a record shared with Bill Tilden at the US Open ) . Before the formation of the ATP , Lendl reached a record 12 year-end championships ( equalled by John McEnroe ) . He won two WCT Finals titles and five Masters Grand Prix titles , with the record of nine consecutive finals . He also won a record 22 Grand Prix Super Series titles ( 1980 -- 89 ) , the precursors to the current ATP Masters 1000 .   Lendl first attained the world No. 1 ranking on February 28 , 1983 and bolstered his claim to the top spot when he defeated John McEnroe in the 1984 French Open final . For much of the next five years , until August 1990 , Lendl was the top-ranked player ( with a break from September 1988 to January 1989 when Mats Wilander was at the top ) . He finished four years ranked as the world 's top player ( 1985 -- 1987 and 1989 ) and was ranked No. 1 for a total of 270 weeks and set a new record previously held by Jimmy Connors , since broken by Pete Sampras and Roger Federer . He is one of three male players in the Open Era ( with Connors and Federer ) to win more than 1,000 tennis singles matches ( 1,071 ) . Lendl has won 94 singles titles , second only in the Open Era to Connors ' 109 titles . Lendl has been runner-up in a record 11 Grand Slam finals .


Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks ( born December 4 , 1973 ) is an American television personality , producer , businesswoman , actress , author , former model and occasional singer . Born in Inglewood , California , she began her career as a model at age 15 , and was the first African American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue , on which she appeared twice . She was a Victoria 's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005 . By the early 2000s , Banks was one of the world 's top-earning models .   Banks began acting on television in 1993 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , and made her film debut in Higher Learning in 1995 . She had major roles such as Eve in Disney Channel 's Life-Size and Zoe in the box office hit Coyote Ugly . She had small roles in the romantic film Love & Basketball and horror film Halloween : Resurrection , and appeared in television series Gossip Girl and Glee .   In 2003 , Banks created and began presenting the long-running reality television series America 's Next Top Model , which she executive produced and presented for the first twenty-two seasons until the series ' cancellation in October 2015 . She remained executive producer for the revival of the series , and enlisted Rita Ora as host for the twenty-third cycle before reassuming the duties herself for the upcoming twenty-fourth cycle . Banks was the co-creator of True Beauty , and had her own talk show , The Tyra Banks Show , which aired on The CW for five seasons and won two Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Talk Show Informative . She co-hosted the talk show FABLife for two months . In 2017 , Banks will replace Nick Cannon as host of America 's Got Talent for its 12th season .   In 2010 , she published a young adult novel titled Modelland , based on her life as a model which topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011 . Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly ranked among the world 's most influential people by TIME magazine .


We Found Love's music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas in 2015.

We Found Love `` We Found Love '' is a song recorded by Bajan singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album , Talk That Talk ( 2011 ) . It was written and produced by , and features Scottish DJ Calvin Harris ; the song was also featured on his third album 18 Months ( 2012 ) . `` We Found Love '' premiered on September 22 , 2011 , on the Capital FM radio station in the United Kingdom , and was made available to download on the same day as the lead single from Talk That Talk . `` We Found Love '' is an uptempo electro house song , with elements of techno and Europop . The song 's lyrics speak of a couple who `` found love in a hopeless place '' .   `` We Found Love '' was met with mixed reviews from music critics , who praised the song 's composition and Rihanna 's vocal performance ; however , some critics felt that the lyrical content was sparse and came second to Harris ' production . The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks , becoming the longest running number-one single of 2011 . The single also surpassed `` Umbrella '' and became Rihanna 's longest running number one single . It was the singer 's eleventh song to top the Hot 100 , placing her in third place among female recording artists amassing the most number one singles . `` We Found Love '' topped the charts in twenty-five other countries including Canada , Ireland , New Zealand , Switzerland and the United Kingdom . According to Billboard it is the 24th most successful single of all time in the US . As of 2015 , the single has sold 10.5 million copies worldwide , thus being one of the best selling singles of all time . This was the first of multiple collaborations by Rihanna and Harris , including `` Where Have You Been '' and `` This Is What You Came For '' .   The song 's accompanying music video , directed by Melina Matsoukas , depicts the singer as a drug-abusing thrill-seeker in a relationship that quickly spirals downward into addiction and violence . The video received a mixed response from critics , as they noted that it profoundly alludes to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown 's assault on Rihanna , two years prior . It attracted criticism from political commentators , who questioned the video for its suggestive sexual nature . However , the video won a Grammy for `` Best Short Form Music Video '' at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards and `` Video of the Year '' at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards . The song has been performed on both the UK and US versions of The X Factor , as well as at the 2012 Grammy Awards and the 2012 BRIT Awards . Multiple recording artists have covered `` We Found Love '' including alternative rock band Coldplay and English singer Jessie J . The song also used for the trailer of 2012 comedy-drama film Magic Mike , in the TV series Sherlock , and in the film American Honey


The Last House on the Left has remained unreleased.

The Last House on the Left (2009 film) The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American horror film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca . It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name , and stars Tony Goldwyn , Monica Potter , Garret Dillahunt , Spencer Treat Clark , Martha MacIsaac and Sara Paxton . The film follows the parents ( Goldwyn and Potter ) of Mari Collingwood ( Paxton ) , who attempt to get revenge on a group of strangers , led by a man named Krug ( Dillahunt ) , that have taken shelter at their home during a thunderstorm .   The film rights were picked up by Rogue Pictures in 2006 , with the remake being the first film produced by Wes Craven 's new production studio Midnight Pictures . Craven , who wrote and directed the 1972 original , was interested to see what kind of film could be produced on a large budget , as the limited funds in 1972 forced him to eliminate scenes he had wanted to film to tell a complete story . Alleca 's original script included elements of the supernatural , which prompted the studio to reject it and bring in Ellsworth to perform a rewrite . One of the elements director Iliadis wanted to avoid with this film , given its graphic nature , was turning it into torture porn -- a subgenre of horror popularized by the Saw franchise . For Craven and Iliadis , The Last House on the Left primarily illustrates how even the most normal of families can be driven to evil acts if pushed too far .   The film was released on March 13 , 2009 , and took the top spot away from Watchmen with $ 5.6 million in weekend revenue . The Last House on the Left was met with mixed reviews from critics . Audience opinion ranked the film at a `` B '' level , from a scale of `` A to F '' ; the film would ultimately gross $ 45,286,228 worldwide .


Ken Russell directed a 1971 British historical drama horror video game.

The Devils (film) The Devils is a 1971 British historical drama horror film directed by Ken Russell and starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave . Russell 's screenplay is based partly on the 1952 book The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley , and partly on the 1960 play The Devils by John Whiting , also based on Huxley 's book .   The film is a dramatised historical account of the rise and fall of Urbain Grandier , a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest executed for witchcraft following the supposed possessions in Loudun , France . Reed plays Grandier in the film and Vanessa Redgrave plays a hunchbacked sexually repressed nun who finds herself inadvertently responsible for the accusations .   The film faced harsh reaction from national film rating systems due to its disturbingly violent , sexual , and religious content , and originally received an X rating in both the United Kingdom and the United States . It was banned in several countries , and eventually heavily edited for release in others . The film has never received a release in its original , uncut form in various countries , and is largely unavailable in the home video market .


Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred `` Ken '' Russell ( 3 July 1927 -- 27 November 2011 ) was an English film director , known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style . Critics have accused him of being obsessed with sexuality and the Roman Catholic Church . His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts , or biographies , notably of composers of the Romantic era . Russell began directing for the BBC , where he made creative adaptations of composers ' lives which were unusual for the time . He also directed many feature films independently and for studios .   He is best known for his Oscar-winning films Women in Love ( 1969 ) , The Devils ( 1971 ) , The Who 's Tommy ( 1975 ) , and the science fiction film Altered States ( 1980 ) . Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers , such as Elgar , Delius , Tchaikovsky , Mahler , and Liszt .   Film critic Mark Kermode , speaking in 2006 , and attempting to sum up the director 's achievement , called Russell , `` somebody who proved that British cinema did n't have to be about kitchen-sink realism -- it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini . Later in his life he turned to making low-budget experimental films such as Lion 's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man , and they are as edgy and ` out there ' as ever '' .   Ken Russell died of natural causes on 27 November 2011 at the age of 84 .


Kurt Sutter played a Sons of Anarchy character.

Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter ( born May 5 , 1960 ) is an American screenwriter , director , producer , and actor . He worked as a producer , writer , and director on The Shield , and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian . Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy on FX ; he wrote , produced , and directed the series , as well as played incarcerated club member Otto Delaney . Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California as research for Sons of Anarchy . Sutter 's wife , actress Katey Sagal , was one of the show 's lead actresses .


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed $434.2 trillion outside of North America.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , based on the toy line of the same name created by Hasbro . It is the sequel to 2007 's Transformers , as well as the second installment in the live-action Transformers film series . Taking place two years after its predecessor , the plot revolves around Sam Witwicky , who is caught in the war between two factions of alien robots , the Autobots , led by Optimus Prime and the Decepticons , led by Megatron . Sam is having strange visions of Cybertronian symbols , and being hunted by the Decepticons under the orders of an ancient Decepticon named The Fallen , who seeks to get revenge on Earth by finding and activating a machine that would provide the Decepticons with an energon source , destroying the sun and all life on Earth in the process . Returning Transformers include Optimus Prime , Bumblebee , Ironhide , Ratchet , Megatron , Starscream , and Scorponok .   With deadlines jeopardized by possible strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild , Bay managed to finish the production on time with the help of previsualization and a scriptment by his writers Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , and series newcomer Ehren Kruger . Shooting took place from May to November 2008 , with locations in Egypt , Jordan , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and California , as well as air bases in New Mexico and Arizona . This was the last film in the series to star Megan Fox , and was also the last film in the series to be co-produced by DreamWorks Pictures , leaving Paramount Pictures to become the distributor of its future films .   Revenge of the Fallen premiered on June 8 , 2009 in Tokyo and was released on June 24 , 2009 in the United States . Metacritic said the film received `` generally unfavorable reviews '' ; criticism was directed at its bland story , melodramatic acting , romantic scenes , crude humor , overall length , repetitive action sequences , abrupt ending , and Optimus Prime 's drastically decreased screen time compared to the previous film . However , critics praised the visual effects , music , and the voice performances of Hugo Weaving , Charlie Adler and Tony Todd . The film won three Golden Raspberry Awards at the 30th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony , and became the highest-grossing film to win the Worst Picture award . The film grossed a total of $ 402.1 million in the US and Canada and $ 434.2 million in other territories , for a total of $ 836.3 million worldwide . It was the second highest-grossing film of 2009 in the US and Canada , 23rd domestically , the 44th highest-grossing film of all time and fourth highest of the year worldwide . With over 11 million home media sales in 2009 , it was also the top-selling film of the year in the United States . It was followed by Dark of the Moon in 2011 , and by Age of Extinction in 2014 . A fifth film , titled The Last Knight , is scheduled for a 2017 release .


The Savages (film) The Savages is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Tamara Jenkins . It stars Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman . Alexander Payne and Jenkins ' husband Jim Taylor were two of the executive producers . The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim .


Laura Linney Laura Leggett Linney ( born February 5 , 1964 ) is an American actress . A three-time Academy Award nominee and four-time Tony Award nominee , she won her first Emmy Award in 2002 for Wild Iris ( 2001 ) , and had subsequent wins for Frasier ( 2003 -- 04 ) and John Adams ( 2008 ) . From 2010 -- 13 , she starred in the Showtime series The Big C , which won her a fourth Emmy in 2013 . She is also a two-time Golden Globe Award winner .   Linney made her Broadway debut in 1990 , before going on to receive Tony Award nominations for the 2002 revival of The Crucible , the original Broadway productions of Sight Unseen ( 2004 ) and Time Stands Still ( 2010 ) , as well as the 2017 revival of The Little Foxes . She made her screen debut in the 1992 film Lorenzo 's Oil , and went on to receive Academy Award nominations for You Can Count on Me ( 2000 ) , Kinsey ( 2004 ) and The Savages ( 2007 ) . Her other films include Primal Fear ( 1996 ) , The Truman Show ( 1998 ) , Mystic River ( 2003 ) , Love Actually ( 2003 ) and The Squid and the Whale ( 2005 ) .


Kris Kristofferson collaborated with songwriters.

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer `` Kris '' Kristofferson ( born June 22 , 1936 ) is an American singer-songwriter , musician , and actor . He wrote and recorded the songs `` Me and Bobby McGee '' , `` For the Good Times '' , `` Sunday Mornin ' Comin ' Down '' , and `` Help Me Make It Through the Night '' . Kristofferson composed his own songs and collaborated with Nashville songwriters such as Shel Silverstein . In 1985 , Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings , Willie Nelson , and Johnny Cash in forming the country music supergroup The Highwaymen .  In 2004 , Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame . He is also known for his starring roles in Alice Does n't Live Here Anymore and A Star Is Born , for the latter of which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor .


Janet (album) Janet ( stylized as janet . ) is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson , released on May 18 , 1993 , by Virgin Records America . Prior to its release , Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract . In 1991 , her original label A&M sought to renew her contract , while others , such as Atlantic , Capitol , and Virgin all vied to sign her . After meeting with Virgin owner Richard Branson , she signed with the label for a $ 40 million contract , making her the world 's then-highest paid musical act .   Criticism that her success in the music industry was attributed to being a member of the Jackson family and a producer-dependent artist led her to write all lyrics for the album , in addition to co-producing every song and co-writing each of their arrangements with the songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis . Its title , read `` Janet , period . '' , is meant to disassociate her public image from her family , dropping her surname . While pop and R&B had been standard components in her music , she broadened her compositions by incorporating hip hop , opera , house and jazz , eliminating the rigid , industrial sound of her previous records . Although she earned a reputation as an advocate for sexual abstinence with her 1986 single `` Let 's Wait Awhile '' , the theme of Janet is sexual intimacy -- an abrupt departure from her conservative image . Much of the acclaim for the album focused on her lyrics which emphasize a woman 's perspective on sexuality and the demand for practicing safe sex . Academics have argued the erotic imagery in her music videos released to promote the album 's singles have contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among women .   The album topped the record charts in the United States , Australia , New Zealand and the UK . In the US , it became the singer 's third consecutive album to top the Billboard 200 and her first to debut at number one . Selling 350,000 copies in its first week , it set a record for the highest first week sales for a female artist at that time . Certified sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , it has sold over seven million copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan and an estimated 14 million copies worldwide . It cemented her as an international icon and sex symbol , and is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time . According to Guinness World Records , it is the best-selling dance album of the 1990s .   Producing six top ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart , Janet remains one of only seven albums in the chart 's history to achieve that feat . `` That 's the Way Love Goes '' became Jackson 's most successful single in the US , staying atop the Hot 100 for eight weeks , as well as topping the singles charts in Australia , Canada , and New Zealand . It received two Grammy Award nominations in 1994 , winning Best R&B Song . Her ballad `` Again '' -- written for the 1993 feature film Poetic Justice -- also topped the Hot 100 and garnered nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song . The MTV-sponsored Janet World Tour supporting the album received critical acclaim for Jackson 's elaborate stage performances , reinforcing her reputation as one of the preeminent artists of the MTV generation .


Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson ( born May 16 , 1966 ) is an American singer , songwriter , dancer and actress . Known for sonically innovative , socially conscious , and sexually provocative records , elaborate stage shows , and high-profile television and film roles , she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 30 years .   The youngest child of the Jackson family , she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s , including Good Times and Fame . After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982 , she became a pop icon following the release of her third studio album Control ( 1986 ) . Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues , funk , disco , rap , and industrial beats , which led to crossover success in popular music .   In 1991 Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records , establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry . Her debut album under the label , Janet ( 1993 ) , saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work . That same year , she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice ; she has continued to act in feature films . By the end of the 1990s , she was the second most successful recording artist of the decade . The release of her seventh studio album All for You ( 2001 ) coincided with a celebration of her impact on popular music as the inaugural MTV Icon . After parting ways with Virgin she released her tenth studio album , Discipline ( 2008 ) , her first and only album with Island Records . In 2015 she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label , Rhythm Nation , and released her eleventh studio album Unbreakable the same year .   Having sold over 100 million records , Jackson is one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music . She has amassed an extensive catalog , with singles such as `` Nasty '' , `` Rhythm Nation '' , `` That 's the Way Love Goes '' , `` Together Again '' and `` All for You '' ; she holds the record for the most consecutive top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist with 18 . In 2016 , Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists , and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the `` Top 50 R&B / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years '' . In December 2016 , the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist of all-time . One of the world 's most awarded artists , her longevity , records and achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music . She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers .


Ruth Negga Ruth Negga ( -LSB- ˈneɪgə -RSB- born 7 January 1982 ) is an Ethiopian born Irish actress , who has appeared in the films Capital Letters ( 2004 ) ( also released as Trafficked in some countries ) , Isolation ( 2005 ) , Breakfast on Pluto ( 2005 ) and Warcraft ( 2016 ) . She has also played roles in television , such as in the BBC 's mini-series Criminal Justice , RTÉ 's Love/Hate , E4 's Misfits , and ABC 's Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. . In 2016 , she began a starring role as Tulip O'Hare in AMC 's Preacher .   For her portrayal of Mildred Loving in Loving ( 2016 ) , Negga was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress , Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama , Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress , as well as the BAFTA Rising Star Award .


Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn ( May 12 , 1907 -- June 29 , 2003 ) was an American actress . Known for her fierce independence and spirited personality , Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years . She appeared in a range of genres , from screwball comedy to literary drama , and she received four Academy Awards for Best Actress -- a record for any performer . In 1999 , Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema .   Raised in Connecticut by wealthy , progressive parents , Hepburn began to act while studying at Bryn Mawr College . After four years in the theatre , favorable reviews of her work on Broadway brought her to the attention of Hollywood . Her early years in the film industry were marked with success , including an Academy Award for her third picture , Morning Glory ( 1933 ) , but this was followed by a series of commercial failures that led her to be labeled `` box office poison '' in 1938 . Hepburn masterminded her own comeback , buying out her contract with RKO Radio Pictures and acquiring the film rights to The Philadelphia Story , which she sold on the condition that she be the star . In the 1940s , she was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy . The screen-partnership spanned 25 years and produced nine movies .   Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life , as she regularly appeared in Shakespearean stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles . She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters , such as in The African Queen ( 1951 ) , a persona the public embraced . Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who 's Coming to Dinner ( 1967 ) , The Lion in Winter ( 1968 ) , and On Golden Pond ( 1981 ) . In the 1970s , she began appearing in television films , which became the focus of her career in later life . She remained active into old age , making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87 . After a period of inactivity and ill health , Hepburn died in 2003 at the age of 96 .   Hepburn famously shunned the Hollywood publicity machine and refused to conform to society 's expectations of women . She was outspoken , assertive , athletic , and wore trousers before it was fashionable for women to do so . She married once , as a young woman , but thereafter lived independently . A 26-year affair with her co-star Spencer Tracy was hidden from the public . With her unconventional lifestyle and the independent characters she brought to the screen , Hepburn epitomized the `` modern woman '' in the 20th-century United States and is remembered as an important cultural figure .


William Shatner hosted a show that won an award.

William Shatner William Shatner ( born March 22 , 1931 ) is a Canadian actor , author , producer , and director . In his seven decades of television , Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk , Captain of the USS Enterprise , in the Star Trek franchise . He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences playing Captain Kirk and being a part of Star Trek , and has co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe . He has written a series of science fiction novels called TekWar , which were adapted for television .   Shatner also played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker ( 1982 -- 86 ) and hosted the reality-based television series , Rescue 911 ( 1989 -- 96 ) , which won a People 's Choice Award for the Favorite New TV Dramatic Series . Shatner also appeared in the NBC series , 3rd Rock from the Sun in seasons 4 and 5 as the role of the `` Big Giant Head '' whom the alien characters of the Series reported to . From 2004 until 2008 , he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal drama The Practice and its spinoff series Boston Legal '' , a role that earned him two Emmy Awards .   Shatner has also worked as a musician , an author , a director , and a celebrity pitchman .


Little Boy `` Little Boy '' was the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay , piloted by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets , Jr. , commander of the 509th Composite Group of the United States Army Air Forces . It was the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare . The Hiroshima bombing was the second artificial nuclear explosion in history , after the Trinity test , and the first uranium-based detonation . It exploded with an energy of approximately 15 ktonTNT . The bomb caused significant destruction to the city of Hiroshima and its occupants .   Little Boy was developed by Lieutenant Commander Francis Birch 's group of Captain William S. Parsons 's Ordnance ( O ) Division at the Manhattan Project 's Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II . Parsons flew on the Hiroshima mission as weaponeer . The Little Boy was a development of the unsuccessful Thin Man nuclear bomb . Like Thin Man , it was a gun-type fission weapon , but derived its explosive power from the nuclear fission of uranium-235 . This was accomplished by shooting a hollow cylinder of enriched uranium ( the `` bullet '' ) onto a solid cylinder of the same material ( the `` target '' ) by means of a charge of nitrocellulose propellant powder . It contained 64 kg of enriched uranium , of which less than a kilogram underwent nuclear fission . Its components were fabricated at three different plants so that no one would have a copy of the complete design .   After the war ended , it was not expected that the inefficient Little Boy design would ever again be required , and many plans and diagrams were destroyed , but by mid-1946 the Hanford Site reactors were suffering badly from the Wigner effect , so six Little Boy assemblies were produced at Sandia Base . The Navy Bureau of Ordnance built another 25 Little Boy assemblies in 1947 for use by the Lockheed P2V Neptune nuclear strike aircraft ( which could be launched from but not land on the Midway-class aircraft carriers ) . All the Little Boy units were withdrawn from service by the end of January 1951 .


Code name A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used , sometimes clandestinely , to refer to another name , word , project or person . Names are often used for military purposes , or in espionage . They may also be used in industrial counter-industrial espionage to protect secret projects and the like from business rivals , or to give names to projects whose marketing name has not yet been determined . Another reason for the use of names and phrases in the military is that they transmit with a lower level of cumulative errors over a walkie-talkie or radio link than actual names .


Macaulay Culkin was in the cast of Home Alone.

Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Carson Culkin ( born August 26 , 1980 ) is an American actor . He became famous as a child actor for his role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy Home Alone ( 1990 ) and its sequel Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York ( 1992 ) . He is also known for his roles in Uncle Buck ( 1989 ) , My Girl ( 1991 ) , The Good Son ( 1993 ) , The Pagemaster ( 1994 ) , Richie Rich ( 1994 ) , Party Monster ( 2003 ) , and the music video for Michael Jackson 's `` Black or White '' . At the height of his fame , he was regarded as the most successful child actor since Shirley Temple . Culkin ranked at number two on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Kid-Stars '' and E! 's list of the `` 50 Greatest Child Stars '' .


Werner Herzog Werner Herzog ( -LSB- ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk -RSB- ; born 5 September 1942 ) is a German screenwriter , film director , author , actor , and opera director .   Herzog is considered one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema , along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Margarethe von Trotta , Volker Schlöndorff , Werner Schröter , and Wim Wenders . Herzog 's films often feature heroes with impossible dreams , people with unique talents in obscure fields , or individuals who are in conflict with nature .   French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Herzog `` the most important film director alive . '' American film critic Roger Ebert said that Herzog `` has never created a single film that is compromised , shameful , made for pragmatic reasons , or uninteresting . Even his failures are spectacular . ''  He was named one of the 100 most influential people on the planet by Time magazine in 2009 .


Paleogene is a geologic system that spans 43 million years.

Paleogene The Paleogene ( -LSB- pronˈpæliːədʒiːn -RSB- or -LSB- ˈpeɪliːədʒiːn -RSB- also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene ; informally Lower Tertiary ) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya ) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Mya . It is the beginning of the Cenozoic Era of the present Phanerozoic Eon . The Paleogene is most notable for being the time during which mammals diversified from relatively small , simple forms into a large group of diverse animals in the wake of the Cretaceous -- Paleogene extinction event that ended the preceding Cretaceous Period .   This period consists of the Paleocene , Eocene and Oligocene epochs . The end of the Paleocene ( 55.5 / 54.8 Mya ) was marked by the Paleocene -- Eocene Thermal Maximum , one of the most significant periods of global change during the Cenozoic , which upset oceanic and atmospheric circulation and led to the extinction of numerous deep-sea benthic foraminifera and on land , a major turnover in mammals . The terms ` Paleogene System ' ( formal ) and ` lower Tertiary System ' ( informal ) are applied to the rocks deposited during the ` Paleogene Period ' . The somewhat confusing terminology seems to be due to attempts to deal with the comparatively fine subdivisions of time possible in the relatively recent geologic past , for which more details are preserved . By dividing the Tertiary Period into two periods instead of directly into five epochs , the periods are more closely comparable to the duration of ` periods ' of the preceding Mesozoic and Paleozoic Eras .


The Uruguay national football team refused to go to the Olympics.

Uruguay national football team The Uruguay national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association , the governing body for football in Uruguay . The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez . The Uruguayan team is commonly referred to as La Celeste ( The Sky Blue ) .  The Uruguayan team recently won the 2011 Copa América . They have won the Copa América 15 times , being the team that has won the tournament on most occasions . The team has won the FIFA World Cup twice , including the first World Cup in 1930 as hosts , defeating Argentina 4 -- 2 in the final . They won their second title in 1950 , upsetting host Brazil 2 -- 1 in the final match , which received an attendance higher than any football match ever .   They have won the Gold Medals in football at the Summer Olympics twice , in 1924 and 1928 recognized by FIFA as World Cup , before the creation of the World Cup . Uruguay also won the 1980 Mundialito , a tournament among former World Cup champions . In total , Uruguay have won 20 official titles , a world record for the most international titles held by any country .   Another unique achievement of Uruguay is that it ´ s the only nation in world football to organize multiple major international tournaments in own country and win them all . La Celeste won 7 Copa América tournaments , 1 World Cup and Mundialito , all staged in Uruguay .   Their success is amplified by the fact that the nation has a very small population of around 3.4 million inhabitants ( 2011 est. ) . Uruguay is by far the smallest country in the world to have won a World Cup in terms of population , 1.75 million inhabitants in 1930 . The second-smallest country , by population , to have won the World Cup is Argentina with a population of nearly 28 million people in 1978 . Uruguay is also the smallest country ever to win any World Cup medals ; only five nations with a currently smaller population than Uruguay 's have ever participated in any World Cup : Northern Ireland ( three times ) , Slovenia ( twice ) , Wales , Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago .


Caitlyn Jenner's name and gender change became official in September 2015.

Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner ( born October 28 , 1949 ) , formerly known as Bruce Jenner , is an American television personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete . Jenner was a college football player for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a knee injury that required surgery . Coach L. D. Weldon , who had coached Olympic decathlete Jack Parker , convinced Jenner to try the decathlon . After intense training , Jenner won the 1976 Olympics decathlon event at the Montreal Olympic Games , gaining fame as `` an all-American hero '' . Jenner set a third successive world record while winning the Olympics . The winner of the Olympic decathlon is traditionally given the unofficial title of `` world 's greatest athlete '' . With that stature , Jenner subsequently established a career in television , film , writing , auto racing , business and as a Playgirl cover model .   Jenner has six children from marriages to wives Chrystie Crownover , Linda Thompson , and Kris Jenner . Since 2007 , Jenner has appeared on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians with Kris , their daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner , and step-children Kourtney , Kim , Khloé , and Rob Kardashian . Previously identifying publicly as male , Jenner revealed her identity as a trans woman in April 2015 , publicly announcing her name change from Bruce to Caitlyn in a July 2015 Vanity Fair cover story . Her name and gender change became official on September 25 , 2015 . She has been called the most famous openly transgender woman in the world . From 2015 to 2016 , Jenner starred in the reality television series I Am Cait , which focused on her gender transition .


Katherine Heigl refused to ever work with Wilhelmina Models.

Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( -LSB- ˈhaɪɡəl -RSB- born November 24 , 1978 ) is an American actress , film producer and former fashion model . She started her career as a child model with Wilhelmina Models before turning her attention to acting . She made her film debut in That Night ( 1992 ) and later appeared in My Father the Hero ( 1994 ) as well as Under Siege 2 : Dark Territory ( 1995 ) . From 1999 to 2002 , Heigl co-starred as Isabel Evans on the television series Roswell .   Heigl played Izzie Stevens on the ABC medical drama Grey 's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010 , a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007 . Heigl has also had a prominent film career , with appearances in Knocked Up ( 2007 ) , 27 Dresses ( 2008 ) , The Ugly Truth ( 2009 ) , Killers ( 2010 ) , Life As We Know It ( 2010 ) and New Year 's Eve ( 2011 ) . She played the lead role on the short-lived NBC television series State of Affairs from 2014 to 2015 .   Additionally , she has established herself as a cover model , appearing in numerous publications including Maxim , Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan . Heigl is married to singer Josh Kelley , with whom she has one son and two adopted daughters .


Venus Williams is not one of the best female tennis players.

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 .


Eagles (band) The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey , Don Henley , Bernie Leadon , and Randy Meisner . With five number-one singles , six Grammy Awards , five American Music Awards , and six number one albums , the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s . At the end of the 20th century , two of their albums , Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) and Hotel California , were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America . Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stones list of `` The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time '' and the band was ranked number 75 on the magazine 's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time .   The Eagles are one of the world 's best-selling bands of all time , having sold more than 150 million records -- 100 million in the U.S. alone -- including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) and 32 million copies of Hotel California . Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) was the best selling album of the 20th century in the U.S. . They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and the highest-selling American band in U.S. history .   The band released their debut album , Eagles , in 1972 , which spawned three top 40 singles : `` Take It Easy , '' `` Witchy Woman , '' and `` Peaceful Easy Feeling . '' Their next album , Desperado ( 1973 ) , was less successful than the first , only reaching number 41 on the charts ; neither of its singles reached the top 40 . However , the album does contain what would go on to be two of the band 's most popular tracks : `` Desperado '' and `` Tequila Sunrise . '' The band released On the Border in 1974 , adding guitarist Don Felder as the fifth member midway through the recording of the album . The album generated two top 40 singles : `` Already Gone '' and their first number one , `` Best of My Love . ''   Their 1975 album One of These Nights included three top 10 singles : `` One of These Nights , '' `` Lyin ' Eyes , '' and `` Take It to the Limit , '' the first hitting the top of the charts . Guitarist and vocalist , Joe Walsh , also joined the band in 1975 . The Eagles continued that success and hit their commercial peak in late 1976 with the release of Hotel California , which would go on to sell more than 16 million copies in the U.S. alone and more than 32 million copies worldwide . The album yielded two number-one singles , `` New Kid in Town '' and `` Hotel California . '' They released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run , which spawned three top 10 singles : `` Heartache Tonight , '' `` The Long Run , '' and `` I Ca n't Tell You Why , '' the lead single being another chart-topping hit .   The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over , a mix of live and new studio tracks . They toured consistently and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 . In 2007 , the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden , their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth number one album . The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album . In 2013 , they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the band 's documentary release , History of the Eagles .   Following the death of Frey in January 2016 , Henley stated in several interviews that he did n't think the band would perform again . However , in March 2017 it was announced that the Eagles would be headlining two concerts in July 2017 .


The Long Run (song) `` The Long Run '' is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded by the Eagles . The sound of the song is viewed as a tribute to the Stax / Memphis rhythm and blues sound . It was the title track of their album The Long Run and was released as a single in November 1979 . It reached No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early 1980 . It was the second of three singles released from The Long Run album , preceded by `` Heartache Tonight , '' which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979 , and followed by `` I Ca n't Tell You Why , '' which also reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 , in the spring of 1980 .   The song was featured on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati on the episode `` The Doctor 's Daughter '' . Specifically , Dr. Johnny Fever decides to air the recording and his programming director , Andy Travis is hysterical with delight that his popular DJ is playing a hit record for once .   In his book The Heart of Rock & Soul : The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made the `` The Long Run '' , music critic Dave Marsh calls the song a complete ripoff of the 1972 R&B record `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' .


Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group formed in 2011 during the eighth series of the UK version of The X Factor . They are the first and , so far , only group to win the competition . Following their victory , they signed with Simon Cowell 's record label Syco Music and released a cover of Damien Rice 's `` Cannonball '' as their winner 's single . The members are Jade Thirlwall , Perrie Edwards , Leigh-Anne Pinnock , and Jesy Nelson .   Little Mix released their debut album DNA in 2012 , which peaked inside the top 10 in ten countries including the UK and US . This made Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US top 5 with their debut album , as well as earning the highest debut US chart position by a British girl group , breaking the record previously held by the Spice Girls . In the UK , the album spawned the number-one single `` Wings '' . The group 's sophomore effort Salute , which was released in 2013 , became their second album to debut inside the top 10 in both the UK and US . The album produced two top 10 singles in their home country ; `` Move '' and `` Salute '' . Little Mix released their third studio album Get Weird in 2015 and it is their best-selling and longest charting album to date in the UK . The album 's lead single `` Black Magic '' reached number one in the UK and was also nominated for two Brit Awards in 2016 . The group 's 2016 fourth studio album Glory Days became their first number one album in the UK and was also the longest reigning girl group Number 1 since the Spice Girls ' debut album 20 years ago . The album 's lead single `` Shout Out to My Ex '' became the group 's fourth UK number one single , while the second single `` Touch '' became the group 's tenth top ten hit in the UK Singles Chart .   The group won Best British Single for `` Shout Out to My Ex '' at the 2017 Brit Awards , they have also received several other awards during their career , including two MTV Europe Music Awards , two Teen Choice Awards and two Glamour Awards . As of October 2016 the group has achieved four platinum certified albums and eleven certified singles in the UK . With four UK number one singles and highest first week UK album sales for a girl band since the Spice Girls , Little Mix are one of the most successful female acts in contemporary British popular culture : they appeared on Debrett 's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK . Little Mix currently holds the record for the most VEVO Certified Videos for a British female artist , pushing Adele into second place , and also the most certified videos for a girl group . The group has 10 certified videos in total .


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


Fergie (singer) Fergie Duhamel ( -LSB- ˈfɜːrɡi_dəˈmɛl -RSB- ) ( born Stacy Ann Ferguson ; March 27 , 1975 ) is an American singer , songwriter and actress . She was the female vocalist for the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas from 2002 until 2017 , with whom she had achieved chart success worldwide . Her debut solo album The Dutchess ( 2006 ) was a major commercial success on the charts and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` London Bridge '' , `` Glamorous '' and `` Big Girls Do n't Cry '' .   Ferguson was a member of the children 's television series Kids Incorporated and the girl group Wild Orchid . In 2001 , she left the group and in the subsequent year began to team up with The Black Eyed Peas . With The Black Eyed Peas , she enjoyed a series of hits and albums before she released her solo debut album in September 2006 to success . The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed further success with the release of their third album with Ferguson , The E.N.D. ( 2009 ) ; they attained their first string of Billboard Hot 100 number one songs . She began touring in 2009/2010 with her group and she launched her debut fragrance , Outspoken , under Avon in May 2010 and has since released three more fragrances .   She continued success with The Black Eyed Peas and they released the album The Beginning ( 2010 ) , which featured three singles , including two number one songs . As Ferguson 's five solo singles and six singles with The Black Eyed Peas have reached two million downloads in the United States , Ferguson was the artist with the most two-million sellers by the beginning of 2011 .


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 .


Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie , Lady Mallowan , DBE ( née Miller ; 15 September 1890 -- 12 January 1976 ) was an English crime novelist , short story writer and playwright . She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , particularly those revolving around her fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple . She also wrote the world 's longest-running play , a murder mystery , The Mousetrap , and six romances under the name Mary Westmacott . In 1971 she was made a Dame for her contribution to literature .   Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay , Devon . She served in a Devon hospital during the First World War , tending to troops coming back from the trenches , before marrying and starting a family in London . She was initially an unsuccessful writer , but this all changed for the better when The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920 featuring Hercule Poirot . During the Second World War she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital , London during the Blitz and acquired a good knowledge of poisons which featured in many of her novels .   Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling novelist of all time . Her novels have sold roughly 2 billion copies , and her estate claims that her works come third in the rankings of the world 's most-widely published books , behind only Shakespeare 's works and the Bible . According to Index Translationum , she remains the most-translated individual author -- having been translated into at least 103 languages . And Then There Were None is Christie 's best-selling novel , with 100 million sales to date , making it the world 's best-selling mystery ever , and one of the best-selling books of all time .  Christie 's stage play The Mousetrap holds the world record for longest initial run . It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End on 25 November 1952 and is still running after more than 25,000 performances .   In 1955 , Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America 's highest honour , the Grand Master Award . Later the same year , Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award by the MWA for Best Play .  In 2013 , The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was voted the best crime novel ever by 600 fellow writers of the Crime Writers ' Association . On 15 September 2015 , coinciding with her 125th birthday , And Then There Were None was named the `` World 's Favourite Christie '' in a vote sponsored by the author 's estate . Most of her books and short stories have been adapted for television , radio , video games and comics , and more than thirty feature films have been based on her work .


Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey ( -LSB- ˈraʊzi -RSB- born February 1 , 1987 ) is an American mixed martial artist , judoka , and actress .   Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo ( bronze ) , which she won at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . She is the former UFC Women 's Bantamweight Champion , as well as the last Strikeforce Women 's Bantamweight Champion . She won 12 consecutive MMA fights , six in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) , before suffering her first loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 ; she won 11 of those fights in the first round , nine of them by armbar submission . Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan of the Hayastan MMA Academy , and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club .   In May 2015 , two magazines ranked Rousey as the most `` dominant '' active athlete . In September 2015 , voters in an online ESPN poll selected Rousey as the Best Female Athlete Ever . Later that month , she claimed to be the UFC 's highest paid fighter , male or female . In 2015 , she was the third most searched person on Google . As of January 2017 , Rousey is ranked the # 4 female bantamweight fighter in the world according to the UFC , and # 9 by Sherdog .   Rousey 's first feature film role was the 2014 film The Expendables 3 . In 2015 , she had roles in the films Furious 7 and Entourage .


Amsterdam Amsterdam ( -LSB- ˈæmstərdæm , _ ˌæmstərˈdæm -RSB- -LSB- ɑmstərˈdɑm -RSB- ) is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . Its status as the capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands , although it is not the seat of the government , which is The Hague . Amsterdam has a population of 851,373 within the city proper , 1,351,587 in the urban area , and 2,410,960 in the Amsterdam metropolitan area . The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country . The metropolitan area comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad , one of the larger conurbations in Europe , with a population of approximately 7 million .   Amsterdam 's name derives from Amstelredamme , indicative of the city 's origin around a dam in the river Amstel . Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century , Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age ( 17th century ) , a result of its innovative developments in trade . During that time , the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds . In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded , and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built . The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19 -- 20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Since the annexation of municipality Sloten in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam , the oldest historic part of the city lies in Sloten ( 9th century ) .   As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe , Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities ( GaWC ) study group . The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands . Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there , and seven of the world 's 500 largest companies , including Philips and ING , are based in the city . In 2012 , Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer . The city was ranked 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009 . The Amsterdam seaport to this day remains the second in the country , and the fifth largest seaport in Europe .   Famous Amsterdam residents include the diarist Anne Frank , artists Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh , and philosopher Baruch Spinoza .   The Amsterdam Stock Exchange , the oldest stock exchange in the world , is located in the city center . Amsterdam 's main attractions , including its historic canals , the Rijksmuseum , the Van Gogh Museum , Stedelijk Museum , Hermitage Amsterdam , Anne Frank House , Amsterdam Museum , its red-light district , and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 5 million international visitors annually .


Cabinet of the Netherlands The cabinet of the Netherlands ( Nederlandse kabinet ) is the main executive body of the Dutch government . The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Second Rutte cabinet .


List of countries by inequality-adjusted HDI This is a list of countries by inequality-adjusted human development index ( IHDI ) , as published by the UNDP in its 2016 Human Development Report . According to the 2016 Report , `` The IHDI can be interpreted as the level of human development when inequality is accounted for , '' whereas the Human Development Index itself is `` an index of potential human development ( or the maximum HDI that could be achieved if there were no inequality ) . ''   The HDI , from which the IHDI derives , is a composite statistic of life expectancy , education , and per capita income indicators , which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development . The HDI was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq , is anchored in the Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen 's work on human capabilities , often framed in terms of whether people are able to `` be '' and `` do '' desirable things in their life , and was published by the United Nations Development Program .


Port of Rotterdam The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe , located in the city of Rotterdam , Netherlands . From 1962 until 2004 it was the world 's busiest port , now overtaken first by Singapore and then Shanghai . In 2011 , Rotterdam was the world 's eleventh-largest container port in terms of twenty-foot equivalent units ( TEU ) handled ( 2009 : tenth ; 2008 : ninth , 2006 : sixth ) . In 2012 Rotterdam was the world 's sixth-largest port in terms of annual cargo tonnage .   Covering 105 km2 , the port of Rotterdam now stretches over a distance of 40 km . It consists of the city centre 's historic harbour area , including Delfshaven ; the Maashaven/Rijnhaven/Feijenoord complex ; the harbours around Nieuw-Mathenesse ; Waalhaven ; Vondelingenplaat ; Eemhaven ; Botlek ; Europoort , situated along the Calandkanaal , Nieuwe Waterweg and Scheur ( the latter two being continuations of the Nieuwe Maas ) ; and the reclaimed Maasvlakte area , which projects into the North Sea .   Rotterdam consists of five distinct port areas and three distribution parks that facilitate the needs of a hinterland with 40,000,000 consumers .


The Hague The Hague ( -LSB- ðə_ˈheɪɡ -RSB- Den Haag , -LSB- dɛn ˈɦaːx -RSB- or 's - Gravenhage -LSB- ˈsxraːvə ( n ) ˌɦaːɣə -RSB- ) is a city on the western coast of the Netherlands , and the capital city of the province of South Holland .   With a population of 520,704 inhabitants ( as of 1 April 2016 ) and more than one million inhabitants including the suburbs , it is the third-largest city of the Netherlands , after Amsterdam and Rotterdam . The Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Area , with a population of approximately 2.7 million , is the 12th-largest in the European Union and the most populous in the country . Located in the west of the Netherlands , The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden conurbation and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad conurbation .   The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government , parliament , the Supreme Court , and the Council of State , but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands , which constitutionally is Amsterdam . Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city , including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court , which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations along with New York , Geneva , Vienna , Rome , and Nairobi . King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands plans to live at Huis ten Bosch and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague , together with Queen Máxima . The Hague is also home to the world headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell and numerous other major Dutch companies .


European Union The European Union ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe . It has an area of 4,475,757 km2 , and an estimated population of over 510 million . The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states . EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people , goods , services , and capital within the internal market , enact legislation in justice and home affairs , and maintain common policies on trade , agriculture , fisheries , and regional development . Within the Schengen Area , passport controls have been abolished . A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 , and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency .   The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ) and the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958 , respectively . Next the treaty of Rome of 1957 created the European Community made up of the six core countries of Belgium , France , Italy , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and West Germany . The decades following many new members joined them while at the same time integration of economic , cultural , judicial and so forth would then deepen the relationships distinct European entity . The community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit . While no member state has left the EU or its antecedent organisations , the United Kingdom enacted the result of a membership referendum in June 2016 and is currently negotiating its withdrawal . The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship . The latest major amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU , the Treaty of Lisbon , came into force in 2009 .   The European Union accumulated a high portion of GDP as a form of foreign aid than any other economic union . Covering 7.3 % of the world population , the EU in 2016 generated a nominal gross domestic product ( GDP ) of 16.477 trillion US dollars , constituting approximately 22.2 % of global nominal GDP and 16.9 % when measured in terms of purchasing power parity . Additionally , 27 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index , according to the United Nations Development Programme . In 2012 , the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy , the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence . The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , the G7 , and the G20 . Because of its global influence , the European Union has been described as an emerging superpower .


List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita Three lists of countries below calculate gross domestic product ( at purchasing power parity ) per capita , i.e. , the purchasing power parity ( PPP ) value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given year , divided by the average ( or mid-year ) population for the same year .


Netherlands The Netherlands , ( -LSB- ˈnɛðərləndz -RSB- Nederland -LSB- ˈneːdərˌlɑnt -RSB- ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean.designated Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba within ISO ISO 3166-1 . The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , sharing maritime borders with Belgium , the United Kingdom , and Germany .   The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague and Utrecht ( collectively known as G4 ) . Amsterdam is the country 's capital , while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government . The port of Rotterdam is the world 's largest port outside East-Asia , and the largest port in Europe . The name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands.Formally ` Holland ' refers only to two of the country 's twelve provinces : North Holland and South Holland .   `` Netherlands '' literally means `` lower countries '' , influenced by its low land and flat geography , with only about 50 % of its land exceeding one metre above sea level . Most of the areas below sea level are artificial . Since the late 16th century , large areas ( polders ) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes , amounting to nearly 17 % of the country 's current land mass . With a population density of 412 people per km2 -- 507 ( January 2017 ) if water is excluded -- the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country . Only Bangladesh , South Korea , and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density . Nevertheless , the Netherlands is the world 's second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products , after the United States . This is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate . The Netherlands was the third country in the world to have an elected parliament , and since 1848 it has been governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , organised as a unitary state . The Netherlands has a long history of social tolerance and is generally regarded as a liberal country , having legalised abortion , prostitution and euthanasia , while maintaining a progressive drugs policy . In 2001 , it became the world 's first country to legalise same-sex marriage .   The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G-10 , NATO , OECD and WTO ; as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . The country is host to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts : the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . The first four are situated in The Hague , as is the EU 's criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust . This has led to the city being dubbed `` the world 's legal capital . '' The country also ranks second highest in the world 's 2016 Press Freedom Index , as published by Reporters Without Borders .   The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy , ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom . It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund . In 2013 , the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world , reflecting its high quality of life . The Netherlands also ranks joint third highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index , along with Australia .


Evano Oruvan Evano Oruvan ( Some One ) is a 2007 Tamil drama film directed by Nishikanth Kamat who made his debut in the Tamil film industry with the film . It is a remake of Kamat 's critically acclaimed Marathi film , Dombivli Fast , which itself was heavily influenced by the Michael Douglas starrer 1993 Hollywood film Falling Down . It stars Madhavan and Sangeetha in the lead roles , with director Seeman acting in a pivotal role . The film 's music is composed by P. Sameer and the title song by G. V. Prakash Kumar . It is produced by noted Hindi directors Abbas Burmawalla and Mustan Burmawalla as they make their debuts as Tamil film producers under the distribution of their home banner , Burmawalla Limited . It had been previously named , Ivan Yaaro .


R. Madhavan Ranganathan Madhavan ( born 1 June 1970 ) is an Indian actor , writer and film producer . Madhavan has received two Filmfare Awards , an award from the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards alongside recognition and nominations from other organisations . He has been described as one of the few actors in India who is able to achieve pan-Indian appeal , appearing in films from seven different languages .   Madhavan began his acting career with television guest appearances , including a role on the Zee TV prime-time soap opera Banegi Apni Baat in 1996 . After appearing in commercials and in small roles , he later gained recognition in the Tamil film industry through Mani Ratnam 's successful romance film Alaipayuthey ( 2000 ) . Madhavan soon developed an image as a romantic hero with notable roles in two of 2001 's highest grossing Tamil films , Gautham Menon 's directorial debut Minnale and Madras Talkies ' Dumm Dumm Dumm . He worked with Mani Ratnam again in the critically acclaimed 2002 film Kannathil Muthamittal playing the father of an adopted girl , whilst he achieved commercial success with his role in N. Linguswamy 's action film , Run ( 2002 ) .   Madhavan was cast alongside Kamal Haasan in the 2003 drama Anbe Sivam , which earned him two notable awards for Best Supporting Actor . In 2004 , he gave a critically acclaimed performance as the antagonist in the multi-starrer Aayutha Ezhuthu and the film secured him his first Filmfare Award for the intense portrayal of a rogue . In the mid-2000s , Madhavan also actively pursued a career in Hindi films , by appearing in supporting roles in three highly successful productions , Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra 's Rang De Basanti ( 2006 ) , Mani Ratnam 's biopic Guru ( 2007 ) and Rajkumar Hirani 's 3 Idiots ( 2009 ) , which went on to become the highest grossing Indian film of all time upon release . He simultaneously worked on Tamil films , gaining critical acclaim for his portrayal of a vigilante in his home production Evano Oruvan ( 2007 ) and for the successful bilingual horror film , Yavarum Nalam ( 2009 ) . After appearing in further box office hits , Tanu Weds Manu ( 2011 ) and Vettai ( 2012 ) , Madhavan took a break from acting . Returning after a three-year sabbatical in 2015 , his comeback films , the romantic-comedy Tanu Weds Manu Returns ( 2015 ) and the sports drama Irudhi Suttru ( 2016 ) , both won critical and commercial acclaim .   In addition to his acting career , Madhavan has worked as a writer on his films , hosted television programmes and has been a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products . He has also worked as a film producer , first making Evano Oruvan with Leukos Films , before setting up Tricolour Films to produce Saala Khadoos ( 2016 ) . Madhavan is noted for his philanthropic activities and promotes various causes such as environment , health and education . He is particularly vocal about the protection of animals and was awarded PETA 's Person of the Year recognition in 2012 .


Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova ( -LSB- ˈdʒaːkomo dʒiˈrɔːlamo kazaˈnɔːva -RSB- or -LSB- kasaˈnɔːva -RSB- 2 April 1725 -- 4 June 1798 ) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice . His autobiography , Histoire de ma vie ( Story of My Life ) , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century .   As was not uncommon at the time , Casanova , depending on circumstances , used more or less fictitious names , such as baron or count of Farussi ( the name of his mother ) or Chevalier de Seingalt ( pronounced Saint-Galle , as in French ) . He often signed his works Jacques Casanova de Seingalt after he began writing in French following his second exile from Venice .   He has become so famous for his often complicated and elaborate affairs with women that his name is now synonymous with `` womanizer '' . He associated with European royalty , popes , and cardinals , along with luminaries such as Voltaire , Goethe , and Mozart . He spent his last years in Bohemia as a librarian in Count Waldstein 's household , where he also wrote the story of his life .


Istanbul is located on the historic Silk Road in modern day Turkey.

Istanbul Istanbul ( -LSB- ˌɪstænˈbʊl -RSB- , -LSB- - ˈbuːl -RSB- or -LSB- - stɑːn - -RSB- İstanbul -LSB- isˈtɑnbuɫ -RSB- ) , historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium , is the most populous city in Turkey and the country 's economic , cultural , and historic center . Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Eurasia , straddling the Bosphorus strait ( which separates Europe and Asia ) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea . Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives on the Asian side .  The city is the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ( conterminous with Istanbul Province ) , both hosting a population of around 14.7 million residents . Istanbul is one of the world 's most populous cities and ranks as the world 's 7th-largest city proper and the largest European city .   Founded under the name of Byzantion on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BCE , the city developed to become one of the most significant in history . After its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 CE , it served as an imperial capital for almost 16 centuries , during the Roman and Byzantine ( 330 -- 1204 and 1261 -- 1453 ) , the Latin ( 1204 -- 1261 ) , and the Ottoman ( 1453 -- 1922 ) empires . It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times , before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate .   Istanbul 's strategic position on the historic Silk Road , rail networks to Europe and the Middle East , and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have produced a cosmopolitan populace , although less so since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 . Overlooked for the new capital Ankara during the interwar period , the city has since regained much of its prominence . The population of the city has increased tenfold since the 1950s , as migrants from across Anatolia have moved in and city limits have expanded to accommodate them . Arts , music , film , and cultural festivals were established at the end of the 20th century and continue to be hosted by the city today . Infrastructure improvements have produced a complex transportation network .   Approximately foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2015 , five years after it was named a European Capital of Culture , making the city the world 's fifth most popular tourist destination . The city 's biggest attraction is its historic center , partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and its cultural and entertainment hub can be found across the city 's natural harbor , the Golden Horn , in the Beyoğlu district . Considered a global city , Istanbul has one of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies in the world . It hosts the headquarters of many Turkish companies and media outlets and accounts for more than a quarter of the country 's gross domestic product . Hoping to capitalize on its revitalization and rapid expansion , Istanbul has bid for the Summer Olympics five times in twenty years .