Divergent (film) Divergent is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Neil Burger , based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth . The film is the first installment in The Divergent Series and was produced by Lucy Fisher , Pouya Shabazian , and Douglas Wick , with a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor . It stars Shailene Woodley , Theo James , Ashley Judd , Jai Courtney , Ray Stevenson , Zoë Kravitz , Miles Teller , Tony Goldwyn , Ansel Elgort , Maggie Q and Kate Winslet . The story takes place in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues . Beatrice Prior is warned that she is Divergent and thus will never fit into any one of the factions . She soon learns that a sinister plot is brewing in the seemingly perfect society .   Development of Divergent began in March 2011 when Summit Entertainment picked up the film rights to the novel with Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher 's production company Red Wagon Entertainment . Principal photography began April 16 , 2013 , and concluded on July 16 , 2013 , with reshoots taking place from January 24 -- 26 , 2014 . Production mostly took place in Chicago .   Divergent was released on March 21 , 2014 , in the United States . The film received mixed reviews from critics , with praise going towards its concepts and action , and criticism focused on its execution . Reviewers found the film to be generic and unoriginal , comparing it unfavorably to other young adult fiction adaptations . Despite this , the film was a financial success as it reached the # 1 spot at the box office during its opening weekend . After its release , the film earned over US$ 288 million worldwide against its budget of US$ 85 million . It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 5 , 2014 .   A sequel , Insurgent , was released on March 20 , 2015 in the United States .


Carice van Houten Carice Anouk van Houten ( -LSB- kaːˈris ɑˈnuk vɑn ˈɦʌu̯tə ( n ) -RSB- ; born 5 September 1976 ) is a Dutch actress and singer . Born in Leiderdorp , a town in the western Netherlands , she was brought up by writer and theatre-radio producer Theodore van Houten . Her younger sister Jelka is also an actress . She was exposed to the performing arts at an early age and studied at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Kleinkunstacademie Theaterschool in Amsterdam . Her first leading role as the eponymous protagonist in the television film Suzy Q ( 1999 ) won her the Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama ; two years later , she won her second Golden Calf for Best Actress for Undercover Kitty ( 2001 ) .   She gained widespread recognition for her performance in Black Book ( 2006 ) , the most commercially successful Dutch film to date , for which she won her second Golden Calf for Best Actress , in addition to nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association , the European Film Academy , and the Online Film Critics Society . She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for Valkyrie ( 2008 ) , and won her fourth and fifth Golden Calf Awards for Best Actress for The Happy Housewife ( 2010 ) and Black Butterflies ( 2011 ) . Her other notable English-language performances include Repo Men ( 2010 ) , Black Death ( 2010 ) , and Brimstone ( 2016 ) .   Since 2012 , Van Houten has received international recognition for her role as Melisandre on the HBO fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones ( 2012 -- present ) , for which she has been nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series . After meeting Australian actor and musician Guy Pearce on the set of Brimstone in 2015 , she gave birth to their first child the following year .


One movie that premiered in 2017 was Beauty and the Beast.

Beauty and the Beast (2017 film) Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos , and co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films . The film is based on Disney 's 1991 animated film of the same name , itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont 's eighteenth-century fairy tale . The film features an ensemble cast that includes Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the titular characters with Luke Evans , Kevin Kline , Josh Gad , Ewan McGregor , Stanley Tucci , Audra McDonald , Gugu Mbatha-Raw , Nathan Mack , Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson in supporting roles .   Principal photography began at Shepperton Studios in Surrey , England on May 18 , 2015 , and ended on August 21 . Beauty and the Beast premiered on February 23 , 2017 , at Spencer House in London and was released in the United States on March 17 , 2017 , in the standard , Disney Digital 3-D , RealD 3D , IMAX and IMAX 3D formats along with Dolby Cinema . The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences , with many praising Watson 's performance and has grossed over $ 1.2 billion worldwide , making it the highest-grossing film of 2017 and the 10th highest-grossing film of all time .


On October 26th, 1881, Billy Clanton died.

Billy Clanton William Harrison Clanton ( 1862 -- October 26 , 1881 ) was an outlaw Cowboy in Cochise County , Arizona Territory . He , along with his father Newman Clanton and brother Ike Clanton , worked a ranch near Tombstone and stole livestock from Mexico and later U.S. ranchers .   He was a member of group of loosely organized outlaws who had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt , Virgil , and Morgan Earp . The Clantons repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys ' illegal activities . On October 26 , 1881 , Billy , Tom McLaury , and Frank McLaury were killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the boomtown of Tombstone , Arizona Territory . His brother Ike was unarmed and ran from the gunfight . The shootout was his only gunfight . Ike filed murder charges against the Earps , who were later exonerated as having acted within their duty as lawmen .


Snooki & Jwoww was renewed by an American cable and satellite television channel.

MTV MTV ( originally an initialism of Music Television ) is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by Viacom Media Networks ( a division of Viacom ) and headquartered in New York City . Launched on August 1 , 1981 , the channel originally aired music videos as guided by television personalities known as `` video jockeys '' ( VJs ) . In its early years , MTV 's main target demographic was young adults , but today it is primarily towards teenagers , particularly high school and college students . MTV has toned down its music video programming significantly in recent years , and its programming now consists mainly of original reality , comedy and drama programming and some off-network syndicated programs and films , with limited music video programming in off-peak time periods . It has received criticism towards this change of focus , both by certain segments of its audience and musicians . MTV 's influence on its audience , including issues involving censorship and social activism , has also been a subject of debate for several years .   In recent years , MTV had struggled with the secular decline of music-related cable media . Its ratings had been said to be failing systematically , as younger viewers increasingly shift towards digital media , with yearly ratings drops as high as 29 % ; thus there was doubt of the lasting relevance of MTV towards young audiences . In April 2016 , MTV announced it would start to return to its original music roots with the reintroduction of the classic MTV series MTV Unplugged . It was also reported that the series MTV Cribs would be making a return on Snapchat , with fourteen original music-related shows speculated to be in production .   MTV has spawned numerous sister channels in the US and affiliated channels internationally , some of which have gone independent . As of July 2015 , approximately 92,188,000 US households ( 79.2 % of households with television ) have received MTV .


Snooki & Jwoww Snooki & Jwoww ( sometimes rendered Snooki & JWOWW in print and online sources ) is an American reality television series on MTV starring Snooki and JWoww . It is the second of three spin-offs of Jersey Shore , on which both Polizzi and Farley previously gained fame as cast members . The series ran from June 21 , 2012 until February 4 , 2015 over four seasons . The series , which is executive produced by Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano of 495 Productions , is described by its stars as a modern-day Laverne & Shirley .   The first season focuses on Polizzi and Farley living together in a former firehouse in Jersey City , New Jersey , though Polizzi 's pregnancy , which was confirmed during filming of the first season , led to a change in episode content and tone that would distance it from the party-oriented antics of its parent show . Filming began on the first season February 25 , 2012 , and lasted five weeks . A second season was confirmed on August 3 , 2012 , and premiered on January 8 , 2013 . On April 25 , 2013 , MTV renewed the series for a third season , which premiered on October 22 , 2013 . On April 24 , 2014 , the series was renewed for the fourth and final season , which premiered on November 5 , 2014 , and concluded on February 4 , 2015 .


Portia de Rossi won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 1999.

Portia de Rossi Portia Lee James DeGeneres ( born Amanda Lee Rogers ; January 31 , 1973 ) , also known professionally as Portia de Rossi ( -LSB- ˈpɔərʃə_də_ˈrɒsi -RSB- ) , is an Australian and American actress , model , and philanthropist . She appeared as a regular cast member on the American political thriller television series Scandal in the role of Elizabeth North from 2014 to 2017 . She is also known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the American television series Ally McBeal -- for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 1999 -- and as Lindsay Fünke on the American television sitcom Arrested Development . She also portrayed Veronica Palmer on the ABC television sitcom Better Off Ted , and Olivia Lord on the television drama Nip/Tuck . De Rossi is married to comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres .


Black Mirror was first broadcast on an Italian channel.

Black Mirror Black Mirror is a British science fiction television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker and centred around dark and satirical themes that examine modern society , particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies . Episodes are standalone works , usually set in an alternative present or the near future . The show was first broadcast on the British Channel 4 , in 2011 . In September 2015 , Netflix commissioned a third season of 12 episodes . The commissioned episodes were later divided into two seasons of six episodes ; the third season was released on Netflix worldwide on 21 October 2016 .   Regarding the programme 's content and structure , Brooker noted , `` each episode has a different cast , a different setting , even a different reality . But they 're all about the way we live now -- and the way we might be living in 10 minutes ' time if we 're clumsy . '' The series has received critical acclaim and has seen an increase in interest internationally ( particularly in the US ) after being added to Netflix .


Gopalkrishna Gandhi served as a governor for 5 months.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi Gopalkrishna Devdas Gandhi ( born April 22 , 1946 ) is a retired IAS officer and diplomat , who was the 22nd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009 . As a former IAS officer and he served as Secretary to the President of India and as High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka , among other administrative and diplomatic posts .


Michael Jordan was active in the 1950s and 60s.

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan ( born February 17 , 1963 ) , also known by his initials , MJ , is an American retired professional basketball player , businessman , and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets . Jordan played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards . His biography on the NBA website states : `` By acclamation , Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time . '' Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s .   Jordan played three seasons for coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina . As a freshman , he was a member of the Tar Heels ' national championship team in 1982 . Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick . He quickly emerged as a league star , entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring . His leaping ability , demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests , earned him the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness . He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball . In 1991 , he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls , and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993 , securing a `` three-peat '' . Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the beginning of the 1993 -- 94 NBA season to pursue a new venture in minor league baseball , he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996 , 1997 , and 1998 , as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995 -- 96 NBA season . Jordan retired for a second time in January 1999 , but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Wizards .   Jordan 's individual accolades and accomplishments include five Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Awards , ten All-NBA First Team designations , nine All-Defensive First Team honors , fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances , three All-Star Game MVP Awards , ten scoring titles , three steals titles , six NBA Finals MVP Awards , and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award . Among his numerous accomplishments , Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average ( 30.12 points per game ) and highest career playoff scoring average ( 33.45 points per game ) . In 1999 , he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN , and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press 's list of athletes of the century . Jordan is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame , having been enshrined in 2009 for his individual career , and again in 2010 as part of the group induction of the 1992 United States men 's Olympic basketball team ( `` The Dream Team '' ) . He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015 .   Jordan is also known for his product endorsements . He fueled the success of Nike 's Air Jordan sneakers , which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today . Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself . In 2006 , he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats , buying a controlling interest in 2010 . In 2015 , Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player in history as a result of the increase in value of NBA franchises . He is the third-richest African-American , behind Oprah Winfrey and Robert F. Smith .


Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( -LSB- ˈroʊzəvɛlt -RSB- ; October 27 , 1858 -- January 6 , 1919 ) was an American statesman , author , explorer , soldier , naturalist , and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909 . He also served as the 25th Vice President of the United States and as the 33rd Governor of New York . As a leader of the Republican Party during this time , he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century . His face is depicted on Mount Rushmore , alongside those of George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , and Abraham Lincoln .   Roosevelt was born a sickly child with debilitating asthma , but he successfully overcame his physical health problems by embracing a strenuous lifestyle . He integrated his exuberant personality , vast range of interests , and world-famous achievements into a `` cowboy '' persona defined by robust masculinity . Home-schooled , he began a lifelong naturalist avocation before attending Harvard College . His book , The Naval War of 1812 ( 1882 ) , established his reputation as both a learned historian and as a popular writer . Upon entering politics , he became the leader of the reform faction of Republicans in New York 's state legislature . Following the near-simultaneous deaths of his wife and mother , he escaped to a cattle ranch in the Dakotas . Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President William McKinley , but resigned from that post to lead the Rough Riders during the Spanish -- American War . Returning a war hero , he was elected Governor of New York in 1898 . After the death of Vice President Garret Hobart , the New York state party leadership convinced McKinley to accept Roosevelt as his running mate in the 1900 election , moving Roosevelt to the prestigious but powerless role of vice president . Roosevelt campaigned vigorously and the McKinley-Roosevelt ticket won a landslide victory based on a platform of peace , prosperity , and conservatism .   Following McKinley 's assassination in September 1901 , Roosevelt became president at age 42 , and remains the youngest president . As a leader of the Progressive movement , he championed his `` Square Deal '' domestic policies , promising the average citizen fairness , breaking of trusts , regulation of railroads , and pure food and drugs . Making conservation a top priority , he established a myriad of new national parks , forests , and monuments intended to preserve the nation 's natural resources . In foreign policy , he focused on Central America , where he began construction of the Panama Canal . He expanded the Navy and sent the Great White Fleet on a world tour to project the United States ' naval power around the globe . His successful efforts to broker the end of the Russo-Japanese War won him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize . He avoided the controversial tariff and money issues . Elected in 1904 to a full term , Roosevelt continued to promote progressive policies , but many of his efforts and much of his legislative agenda were eventually blocked in Congress . Roosevelt successfully groomed his close friend , William Howard Taft , and Taft won the 1908 presidential election to succeed him . In polls of historians and political scientists , Roosevelt is generally ranked as one of the five best presidents .   Frustrated with Taft 's conservatism , Roosevelt belatedly tried to win the 1912 Republican nomination . He failed , walked out , and founded a third party , the Progressive , so-called `` Bull Moose '' Party , which called for wide-ranging progressive reforms . The split allowed the Democrats to win the White House and a majority in both houses of Congress . Following his election defeat , Roosevelt led a two-year expedition to the Amazon basin , where he nearly died of tropical disease . During World War I , he criticized President Woodrow Wilson for keeping the country out of the war with Germany , and his offer to lead volunteers to France was rejected . Though he had considered running for president again in 1920 , Roosevelt 's health continued to deteriorate , and he died in 1919 .


Anne Hathaway was nominated for at least one award.

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway ( born November 12 , 1982 ) is an American actress and singer . Born in Brooklyn , New York and brought up in Millburn , New Jersey , Hathaway was inspired to act by her mother and as a high school student was nominated for the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award for Best Performance by a High School Actress for her performance in Once Upon a Mattress . She made her professional screen debut in the short-lived Fox television series Get Real ( 1999 -- 2000 ) , before landing the lead role of Mia Thermopolis in the Disney comedy film The Princess Diaries ( 2001 ) , for which she won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Comedy . Hathaway went on to become a widely praised `` role model for children '' for her roles in Nicholas Nickleby ( 2002 ) , Ella Enchanted ( 2004 ) , The Princess Diaries 2 : Royal Engagement ( 2004 ) , and Hoodwinked ! ( 2005 ) .   Hathaway began to transition to more adult roles in 2005 , winning a DVD Exclusive Award for Best Actress for Havoc ( 2005 ) , receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) , garnering further recognition for appearing alongside Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) , and earning a BIFA nomination for Best Performance by an Actress for her portrayal of Jane Austen in Becoming Jane ( 2007 ) . Hathaway received praise for her performance as a recovering drug addict in Rachel Getting Married ( 2008 ) , for which she won the Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy , Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , and Indie Spirit Awards for Best Actress / Female Lead . She went on to win her second Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Comedy for starring in Bride Wars ( 2009 ) and in 2010 , appeared in the box office hits Valentine 's Day , Alice in Wonderland and Love & Other Drugs , which earned her the Satellite Award for Best Actress and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Comedy or Musical .   In 2011 , Hathaway voiced Jewel in the animated film Rio and hosted the 83rd Academy Awards with James Franco , which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program . In 2012 , she portrayed Catwoman in Christopher Nolan 's The Dark Knight Rises , for which she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress . The same year , she starred as Fantine in Tom Hooper 's Les Misérables , which earned her widespread acclaim and she won the Academy , Golden Globe , BAFTA , and SAG Awards for Best Supporting Actress . Hathaway has since gone on to appear in Rio 2 ( 2014 ) , Interstellar ( 2014 ) , The Intern ( 2015 ) , and reprised her role as the White Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass ( 2016 ) .   People magazine named Hathaway one of its breakthrough stars of 2001 , and she appeared on its list of the world 's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2006 . Following a four-year relationship with real estate developer Raffaello Follieri , Hathaway married Adam Shulman in 2012 , with whom she has one son , born in March 2016 .


RuPaul presents Gay for Play Game Show Starring Rupaul.

RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles ( born November 17 , 1960 ) , known professionally by the mononym RuPaul , is an American actor , drag queen , television personality , and singer/songwriter . Since 2009 , he has produced and hosted the reality competition series RuPaul 's Drag Race , for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award in 2016 .   RuPaul was born and raised in San Diego and later moved to Atlanta to study performing arts . He settled in New York City where he became a popular fixture on the nightclub scene . RuPaul achieved international fame as a drag queen with the release of his debut single , `` Supermodel ( You Better Work ) '' , which was included on his debut studio album Supermodel of the World ( 1993 ) . In 1996 , he became a spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics , raising money for the Mac AIDS Fund and becoming the first drag queen to land a major cosmetics campaign . That year , he received his own talk show on VH1 , The RuPaul Show , which ran for two seasons before he began co-hosting the morning radio show on WKTU with Michelle Visage . He has had continued success as a recording artist , releasing eleven studio albums to date , including Foxy Lady ( 1996 ) , Champion ( 2009 ) , Glamazon ( 2011 ) , Born Naked ( 2014 ) and American ( 2017 ) .   As an actor , RuPaul has made appearances in films including Crooklyn ( 1994 ) , The Brady Bunch Movie ( 1995 ) , To Wong Foo , Thanks for Everything ! Julie Newmar ( 1995 ) , But I 'm a Cheerleader ( 1999 ) , Hurricane Bianca ( 2016 ) and the Netflix original series Girlboss ( 2017 ) . He has also published two books : Lettin ' It All Hang Out ( 1995 ) and Workin ' It ! RuPaul 's Guide to Life , Liberty , and the Pursuit of Style ( 2010 ) . Additionally , RuPaul 's Drag Race has produced nine seasons to date and has inspired several spin-off series , including RuPaul 's Drag U and RuPaul 's Drag Race : All Stars on LGBTQ network Logo TV . He is also featured as a host on series such as Skin Wars , Good Work and Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul .   RuPaul is noted among drag queens for his indifference toward the gender-specific pronouns used to address him -- both `` he '' and `` she '' have been deemed acceptable , as stated in his autobiography : `` You can call me he . You can call me she . You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee ; I do n't care ! Just as long as you call me . '' RuPaul has also played men in a number of roles , and makes public appearances both in and out of drag . In 1999 , RuPaul was awarded the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for work in promoting equality in the LGBT community .


Darius Rucker founded a band at the University of South Carolina in 1986.

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos `` Hootie '' Rucker ( born May 13 , 1966 ) is an American singer and songwriter . He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish , which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan , Jim `` Soni '' Sonefeld and Dean Felber . The band has released five studio albums with him as a member , and charted six top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 . Rucker co-wrote the majority of the band 's songs with the other three members .   He released a solo R&B album , Back to Then , in 2002 on Hidden Beach Recordings but did not chart any singles from it . Six years later , Rucker signed to Capitol Nashville as a country music singer , releasing the album , Learn to Live that year . Its first single , `` Do n't Think I Do n't Think About It '' , made him the first black artist to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs charts since Charley Pride in 1983 . ( Ray Charles hit number one in March 1985 in a duet with Willie Nelson with Seven Spanish Angels ) . It was followed by two more number one singles , `` It Wo n't Be Like This for Long '' and `` Alright '' and the number three , `` History in the Making . '' In 2009 , he became the first black American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association , and only the second black to win any award from the association . A second album , Charleston , SC 1966 , was released on October 12 , 2010 . The album includes the number one singles , `` Come Back Song '' and `` This '' .


One of Snowpiercer's writers lives in New York.

Kelly Masterson Kelly Masterson is an American screenwriter , playwright and writer who lives in New York . He wrote the screenplay for the film Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead , for which he is perhaps best known . Before moving to New York to stage several of his early plays , he studied Theology at the University of California , Davis .   He tried to get the script for Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead , made seven years before director Sidney Lumet agreed to direct it . In describing his script he has said :   `` I do n't know . It was winter , and I was depressed I guess when I was writing it . I 'm fascinated by the folly of human nature . I love characters who we understand and sympathize with , but we just shake our heads at how stupidly they act . This probably comes from my theology background but I love the big themes of good and evil and how we 're such a combination of both . We try to chart a path that 's on the side of good , but we all have evil impulses in us . ''   Subsequent to his success with Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead , he has worked in several media including stage plays , film and television . Masterson 's play Edith . about Woodrow and Edith Wilson premiered at the Berkshire Theater Festival in 2012 . He also collaborated with Korean director Bong Joon-ho on the critically acclaimed Snowpiercer , an English-language production that received a North American release in 2014 .   Masterson wrote the teleplay for the television movie , Killing Kennedy , which aired in November 2013 on the National Geographic Channel .


Snowpiercer Snowpiercer ( hangul : 설국열차 ; hanja : 雪國列車 ; RR : Seolgungnyeolcha ) is a 2013 English-language South Korean-Czech science fiction thriller film based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob , Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette . The film is directed by Bong Joon-ho , and written by Bong and Kelly Masterson . The film marks Bong 's English-language debut ; approximately 80 % of the film was shot in English .   The film stars Chris Evans , Song Kang-ho , Tilda Swinton , Jamie Bell , Octavia Spencer , Go Ah-sung , John Hurt , and Ed Harris . The movie takes place aboard the globe-spanning Snowpiercer train which holds the last remnants of humanity after an attempt at climate engineering in order to stop global warming has unintentionally created a new ice age . Evans stars as Curtis Everett , a member of the lower-class tail section passengers as they lead a revolution against the elite of the front of the train . Filming was done on train car sets mounted on gimbals at Barrandov Studios in Prague to simulate the motion of the train .   Snowpiercer was well received by critics , and appeared on many film critics ' top ten film lists of 2014 following its international release . Praise was primarily directed towards its vision , direction , and performances , particularly Evans 's and Swinton 's . Initially planned for a limited-screen showing in the United States , the critical response to the film prompted The Weinstein Company to expand the showing to more theaters and through digital streaming services . Produced at a budget of $ 40 million , it remains as the most expensive Korean production ever .


Election (1999 film) was written by an American.

Alexander Payne Alexander Payne ( born Constantine Alexander Payne ; February 10 , 1961 ) is an American film director , screenwriter , and producer , known for the films Citizen Ruth ( 1996 ) , Election ( 1999 ) , About Schmidt ( 2002 ) , Sideways ( 2004 ) , The Descendants ( 2011 ) , and Nebraska ( 2013 ) . His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society . Payne is a two-time winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay , and a three-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director .


Election (1999 film) Election is a 1999 American black comedy-drama film directed and written by Alexander Payne and adapted by him and Jim Taylor from Tom Perrotta 's 1998 novel of the same title . The plot revolves around a high school election and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics . The film stars Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister , a popular high school social studies teacher in suburban Omaha , Nebraska , and Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick , around the time of the school 's student body election . When Tracy qualifies to run for class president , McAllister believes she does not deserve the title and tries his best to stop her from winning .   Although a box office bomb , Election received critical acclaim . The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay , a Golden Globe nomination for Witherspoon in the Best Actress category , and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film in 1999 .


Prussia defeated Austria at the battle of Königgrätz.

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


Genghis Khan established the Mongol Empire.

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan ( -LSB- ˈdʒɛŋɡɪs_ˈkɑːn -RSB- , usually pronounced -LSB- ˈɡɛŋɡɪs_ˈkɑːn -RSB- Чингис хаан , Çingis hán -LSB- t͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋ -RSB- , c. 1162 August 18 , 1227 ) , born Temüjin , was the Great Khan and founder of the Mongol Empire , which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death .   He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia . After founding the Empire and being proclaimed `` Genghis Khan '' , he started the Mongol invasions that conquered most of Eurasia . Campaigns initiated in his lifetime include those against the Qara Khitai , Caucasus , and Khwarazmian , Western Xia and Jin dynasties . These campaigns were often accompanied by large-scale massacres of the civilian populations -- especially in the Khwarazmian and Western Xia controlled lands . By the end of his life , the Mongol Empire occupied a substantial portion of Central Asia and China .   Before Genghis Khan died he assigned Ögedei Khan as his successor . Later his grandsons split his empire into khanates . He died in 1227 after defeating the Western Xia . He was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia . His descendants extended the Mongol Empire across most of Eurasia by conquering or creating vassal states in all of modern-day China , Korea , the Caucasus , Central Asia , and substantial portions of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia . Many of these invasions repeated the earlier large-scale slaughters of local populations . As a result , Genghis Khan and his empire have a fearsome reputation in local histories .   Beyond his military accomplishments , Genghis Khan also advanced the Mongol Empire in other ways . He decreed the adoption of the Uyghur script as the Mongol Empire 's writing system . He also practiced meritocracy and encouraged religious tolerance in the Mongol Empire , and unified the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia . Present-day Mongolians regard him as the founding father of Mongolia .   Although known for the brutality of his campaigns and considered by many to have been a genocidal ruler , Genghis Khan is also credited with bringing the Silk Road under one cohesive political environment . This brought communication and trade from Northeast Asia into Muslim Southwest Asia and Christian Europe , thus expanding the horizons of all three cultural areas .


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


Frank Ocean released a single called Novacane.

Frank Ocean Christopher Francis `` Frank '' Ocean ( born Christopher Edwin Breaux ; October 28 , 1987 ) , is an American singer , songwriter , and rapper . Known for his idiosyncratic musical style , Ocean first embarked on a career as a ghostwriter , and in 2010 he became a member of hip hop collective Odd Future . He released his breakout mixtape , Nostalgia , Ultra , to critical acclaim in 2011 . It generated his first charting single `` Novacane '' . In 2012 , Ocean finished in second place in BBC 's Sound of 2012 poll .   His debut studio album , Channel Orange , was released in July 2012 to critical acclaim and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 . It was promoted with three singles : `` Thinkin Bout You '' , `` Pyramids '' and `` Sweet Life '' . In 2016 , Ocean released the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde , following several years of delays . Blonde was acclaimed by critics , and debuted at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom .


Frank Sinatra did not collaborate with Duke Ellington.

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra ( -LSB- sᵻˈnɑːtrə -RSB- -LSB- siˈnaːtra -RSB- ; December 12 , 1915 -- May 14 , 1998 ) was an American singer , actor , and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century . He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 150 million records worldwide . Born in Hoboken , New Jersey , to Italian immigrants , Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey . Sinatra found success as a solo artist after he signed with Columbia Records in 1943 , becoming the idol of the `` bobby soxers '' . He released his debut album , The Voice of Frank Sinatra , in 1946 . Sinatra 's professional career had stalled by the early 1950s , and he turned to Las Vegas , where he became one of its best known performers as part of the Rat Pack . His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of From Here to Eternity , with his performance subsequently winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor . Sinatra released several critically lauded albums , including In the Wee Small Hours ( 1955 ) , Songs for Swingin ' Lovers ! ( 1956 ) , Come Fly with Me ( 1958 ) , Only the Lonely ( 1958 ) and Nice 'n' Easy ( 1960 ) .   Sinatra left Capitol in 1960 to start his own record label , Reprise Records , and released a string of successful albums . In 1965 , he recorded the retrospective September of My Years , starred in the Emmy-winning television special Frank Sinatra : A Man and His Music , and released the tracks `` Strangers in the Night '' and `` My Way '' . After releasing Sinatra at the Sands , recorded at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Vegas with frequent collaborator Count Basie in early 1966 , the following year he recorded one of his most famous collaborations with Tom Jobim , the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim . It was followed by 1968 's collaboration with Duke Ellington . Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971 , but came out of retirement two years later and recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace , and reached success in 1980 with `` New York , New York '' . Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base , he toured both within the United States and internationally until a short time before his death in 1998 .   Sinatra forged a highly successful career as a film actor . After winning an Academy Award for From Here to Eternity , he starred in The Man with the Golden Arm ( 1955 ) , and received critical acclaim for his performance in The Manchurian Candidate ( 1962 ) . He appeared in various musicals such as On the Town ( 1949 ) , Guys and Dolls ( 1955 ) , High Society ( 1956 ) , and Pal Joey ( 1957 ) , winning another Golden Globe for the latter . Toward the end of his career , he became associated with playing detectives , including the title character in Tony Rome ( 1967 ) . Sinatra would later receive the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971 . On television , The Frank Sinatra Show began on ABC in 1950 , and he continued to make appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s . Sinatra was also heavily involved with politics from the mid-1940s , and actively campaigned for presidents such as Harry S. Truman , John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan , though before Kennedy 's death Sinatra 's alleged Mafia connections led to his being snubbed .   While Sinatra never formally learned how to read music , he had an impressive understanding of it , and he worked very hard from a young age to improve his abilities in all aspects of music . A perfectionist , renowned for his dress sense and performing presence , he always insisted on recording live with his band . His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname `` Ol' Blue Eyes '' . Sinatra led a colorful personal life , and was often involved in turbulent affairs with women , such as with his second wife Ava Gardner . He went on to marry Mia Farrow in 1966 and Barbara Marx in 1976 . Sinatra had several violent confrontations , usually with journalists he felt had crossed him , or work bosses with whom he had disagreements . He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983 , was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985 , and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997 . Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards , including the Grammy Trustees Award , Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . After his death , American music critic Robert Christgau called him `` the greatest singer of the 20th century '' , and he continues to be seen as an iconic figure .


South Pole The South Pole , also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole , is one of the two points where the Earth 's axis of rotation intersects its surface . It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole .   Situated on the continent of Antarctica , it is the site of the United States Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station , which was established in 1956 and has been permanently staffed since that year . The Geographic South Pole should not be confused with the South Magnetic Pole , which is defined based on the Earth 's magnetic field . The South Pole is at the center of the Southern Hemisphere .


Antarctica Antarctica ( UK English -LSB- ænˈtɑːktɪkə -RSB- or -LSB- ænˈtɑːtɪkə -RSB- , US English -LSB- æntˈɑːrktɪkə -RSB- ) is Earth 's southernmost continent . It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere , almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle , and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean . At 14000000 km2 , it is the fifth-largest continent . For comparison , Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia . About 98 % of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km in thickness , which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula .   Antarctica , on average , is the coldest , driest , and windiest continent , and has the highest average elevation of all the continents . Antarctica is a desert , with annual precipitation of only 200 mm ( 8 in ) along the coast and far less inland . The temperature in Antarctica has reached − 89.2 ° C ( − 128.6 ° F ) , though the average for the third quarter ( the coldest part of the year ) is − 63 ° C ( − 81 ° F ) . Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent . Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae , bacteria , fungi , plants , protista , and certain animals , such as mites , nematodes , penguins , seals and tardigrades . Vegetation , where it occurs , is tundra .   Although myths and speculation about a Terra Australis ( `` Southern Land '' ) date back to antiquity , Antarctica is noted as the last region on Earth in recorded history to be discovered and colonised by humans , being only first sighted in 1820 by the Russian expedition of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on Vostok and Mirny , who sighted the Fimbul ice shelf . The continent , however , remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th century because of its hostile environment , lack of easily accessible resources , and isolation . In 1895 , the first confirmed landing was conducted by a team of Norwegians .   Antarctica is a de facto condominium , governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status . Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 , and thirty-eight have signed it since then . The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining , prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal , supports scientific research , and protects the continent 's ecozone . Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations .


The Battle of Corinth was waged in 146 BC.

Battle of Corinth (146 BC) The Battle of Corinth was a battle fought between the Roman Republic and the Greek city-state of Corinth and its allies in the Achaean League in 146 BC , which resulted in the complete and total destruction of Corinth . This battle marked the beginning of the period of Roman domination in Greek history .


Grey's Anatomy has received two Emmy nominations.

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


Elizabeth II conducted a state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011.

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II ( Elizabeth Alexandra Mary ; born 21 April 1926 ) has been Queen of the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , and New Zealand since 6 February 1952 . She is Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of 12 countries that have become independent since her accession : Jamaica , Barbados , the Bahamas , Grenada , Papua New Guinea , Solomon Islands , Tuvalu , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Belize , Antigua and Barbuda , and Saint Kitts and Nevis .   Elizabeth was born in London as the elder child of the Duke and Duchess of York , later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth , and she was educated privately at home . Her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936 , from which time she was the heir presumptive . She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War , serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service . In 1947 , she married Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , a former prince of Greece and Denmark , with whom she has four children : Charles , Prince of Wales ; Anne , Princess Royal ; Prince Andrew , Duke of York ; and Prince Edward , Earl of Wessex .   Elizabeth 's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes . She has seen major constitutional changes , such as devolution in the United Kingdom , Canadian patriation , and the decolonisation of Africa . She has reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms . She is the world 's oldest reigning monarch as well as Britain 's longest-lived . In 2015 , she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother , Queen Victoria , to become the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history . In October 2016 , she became the longest currently reigning monarch and head of state following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand .   Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children , her coronation in 1953 , and the celebration of milestones such as her Silver , Golden , and Diamond Jubilees in 1977 , 2002 , and 2012 , respectively . In 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee . Moments of sadness for her include the death of her father in 1952 at age 56 ; the assassination of Prince Philip 's uncle Lord Mountbatten in 1979 ; the breakdown of her children 's marriages in 1992 ( her annus horribilis ) ; the death in 1997 of her son 's former wife , Diana , Princess of Wales ; and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002 . Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family ; however , support for the monarchy remains high , as does her personal popularity .


Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to the Republic of Ireland Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , made a state visit to the Republic of Ireland from 17 May to 20 May 2011 , at the invitation of the President of Ireland , Mary McAleese .   It was the first visit by a British monarch to the area that is now the Republic of Ireland since the 1911 tour by Elizabeth 's grandfather King George V , when the entire island of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .   The intervening period saw the 1916 proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland . A military conflict from January 1919 led ultimately to the partition of Ireland in December 1922 . Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom , while the Irish Free State ( renamed Ireland in 1937 ) became a self-governing and then fully independent Dominion within the British Commonwealth . In 1949 , the Irish state withdrew from the Commonwealth and abolished its last links to the monarchy on the formal declaration of the Republic of Ireland .   While the visit was notable for being the first by the Queen to the Republic , she had been visited in London by President Mary Robinson in May 1993 and then several times by President McAleese since 1997 .   The visit was seen as a symbolic normalisation of Republic of Ireland -- United Kingdom relations following the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , which settled most outstanding territorial disputes between the states , including the abandonment by the Republic of its territorial claim to Northern Ireland , thereby removing a major obstacle to a royal visit . Arrangements for the visit included the largest security operation in the history of the Republic of Ireland . During the visit , the Queen visited sites of significance for Irish nationalism in Dublin , such as the Garden of Remembrance and Croke Park , scene of the 1920 Bloody Sunday massacre . She also delivered a widely praised speech on the history of relations between the two countries .   The visit was criticised by Irish republican and socialist groups . Sinn Féin , the United Left Alliance , some independent TDs and several smaller republican and socialist groups were opposed to the visit , with protests organised at locations on the Queen 's itinerary .   In April 2014 , President Michael D. Higgins reciprocated the Queen 's visit when he became the first Irish president to make a state visit to the United Kingdom .


Mike Pence lost two bids for a US congressional seat.

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence ( born June 7 , 1959 ) is an American politician , lawyer , and the 48th and current Vice President of the United States . He previously served as the 50th Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 .   Born and raised in Columbus , Indiana , Pence graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice . After losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat in 1988 and 1990 , he became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999 . Pence was elected to the United States Congress in 2000 and represented and in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 . He served as the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011 . Pence positioned himself as a principled ideologue and supporter of the Tea Party movement , noting he was `` a Christian , a conservative , and a Republican , in that order . ''   Upon becoming Governor of Indiana in January 2013 , Pence initiated the largest tax cut in Indiana 's history , pushed for more funding for education initiatives , and continued to increase the state 's budget surplus . Pence signed bills intended to restrict abortions , including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus 's race , gender , or disability . Pence stirred several high-profile controversies , including with his signature of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , for which he encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party , the business community , and LGBT advocates . He later signed an additional bill acting as an amendment intended to protect LGBT people .   On November 8 , 2016 , Pence was elected as Vice President , after he dropped out of his gubernatorial re-election campaign in July to become the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump , who went on to win the presidential election .


Despicable Me Despicable Me is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9 , 2010 in the United States . It is the debut film of Illumination Entertainment . The film was animated by the French animation studio Mac Guff , which was later acquired by Illumination Entertainment . It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud as their feature debut film , with a story by Sergio Pablos . The film stars the voice of Steve Carell as Gru , a supervillain who adopts three girls ( voiced by Miranda Cosgrove , Dana Gaier , and Elsie Fisher ) from an orphanage ; and the voice of Jason Segel as Vector , a rival of Gru who steals the Great Pyramid of Giza . When Gru learns of Vector 's heist , he plans an even greater heist : to shrink and steal the Earth 's moon .   The film earned positive reviews from critics , and grossed over $ 543 million worldwide , against a budget of $ 69 million . It launched the Despicable Me franchise with a series of films , including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013 , and the prequel Minions released in 2015 featuring Gru 's Minions as the main characters . Another sequel , Despicable Me 3 , is scheduled for release in 2017 .


Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench ( born 9 December 1934 ) , known as Judi Dench , is an English actress and author . Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company . Over the following few years , she performed in several of Shakespeare 's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet , Juliet in Romeo and Juliet , and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth . Although most of her work during this period was in theatre , she also branched into film work and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer . She drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968 .   Over the next two decades , Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers , working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company . She achieved success in television during this period , in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 , and in 1992 with a starring role in the romantic comedy series As Time Goes By . Her film appearances were infrequent and included supporting roles in major films such as A Room with a View ( 1986 ) supporting Maggie Smith , before she rose to international fame as M in GoldenEye ( 1995 ) , a role she continued to play in James Bond films until Skyfall ( 2012 ) .   A seven-time Oscar nominee , Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love and has received nominations for her roles in Mrs Brown ( 1997 ) , Chocolat ( 2000 ) , Iris ( 2001 ) , Mrs Henderson Presents ( 2005 ) , Notes on a Scandal ( 2006 ) , and Philomena ( 2013 ) . She has also received many award nominations for her acting in theatre , film and television ; her competitive awards include six British Academy Film Awards , four BAFTA TV Awards , seven Olivier Awards , two Screen Actors Guild Awards , two Golden Globes , and a Tony Award . She has also received the BAFTA Fellowship ( 2001 ) and the Special Olivier Award ( 2004 ) . In June 2011 , she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute ( BFI ) . Dench is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts ( FRSA ) .


BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles The British Academy Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles is a discontinued award that was presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts until 1984 .   The category had several name changes :  1952 -- 1959 : Most Promising Newcomer to Film  1960 -- 1979 : Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles  1980 -- 1982 : Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles  1983 -- 1984 : Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film   Note : The BAFTA site differs on what the category title is for the 1980s , with the actors own pages on the site using the titles given above , while other pages use Most Promising Newcomer to Film .   A similar award honouring new acting talent was introduced in 2006 , the Orange Rising Star Award . While the nominees are chosen by the BAFTA juries , the Rising Star winner is decided by the public .


Red Hot Chili Peppers were founded in Los Angeles.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers , also sometimes shortened to The Chili Peppers or abbreviated as RHCP , are an American alternative rock/funk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 . The group 's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk , as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock . When played live , their music incorporates elements of jam band due to the improvised nature of much of their performances . Currently , the band consists of founding members vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea , longtime drummer Chad Smith , and former touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer . Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide , have been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards , of which they have won six , and are the most successful band in alternative rock radio history , currently holding the records for most number-one singles ( 13 ) , most cumulative weeks at number one ( 85 ) and most top-ten songs ( 25 ) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart . In 2012 , they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .   The band 's original line-up , originally named Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem , featured guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons , alongside Kiedis and Flea . Because of commitments to other bands , Slovak and Irons did not play on the band 's self-titled debut album ( 1984 ) . Slovak performed on the second and third albums , Freaky Styley ( 1985 ) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan ( 1987 ) , but he died from a heroin overdose in 1988 . As a result of his friend 's death , Irons chose to leave the group . After short-lived replacements at guitar and drums , John Frusciante and Chad Smith joined in 1988 . The line-up of Flea , Kiedis , Frusciante , and Smith was the longest-lasting and recorded five studio albums beginning with Mother 's Milk ( 1989 ) . In 1990 , the group signed with Warner Bros. . Records and recorded the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik ( 1991 ) under producer Rick Rubin . This album became the band 's first commercial success , but Frusciante grew uncomfortable with it and left abruptly in 1992 in the middle of the Blood Sugar Sex Magik Tour .   After two temporary guitarists , Dave Navarro joined the group in 1993 and played on their subsequent album , One Hot Minute ( 1995 ) . Although commercially successful , the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik , selling less than half as much as its predecessor . Navarro was fired from the band in 1998 . Frusciante , fresh out of drug rehabilitation , rejoined the band that same year at Flea 's request . The reunited quartet returned to the studio to record Californication ( 1999 ) , which became the band 's biggest commercial success with 16 million copies worldwide . That album was followed three years later by By the Way ( 2002 ) , and then four years later by the double album Stadium Arcadium ( 2006 ) , their first number-one album in America . After a world tour , the group went on an extended hiatus . Frusciante announced he was amicably leaving the band in 2009 to focus on his solo career . Klinghoffer , who had worked both as a sideman for the band on their Stadium Arcadium tour and on Frusciante 's solo projects , replaced him . The band 's tenth studio album , I 'm with You , was released in 2011 and topped the charts in 18 different countries . The band released their eleventh studio album , The Getaway , in 2016 . The album was produced by Danger Mouse , marking the first time since 1989 's Mother 's Milk that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had not worked with Rubin , and topped the charts in ten different countries .


The Invention of Lying's cast includes Jonah Hill.

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


The Carmichael Show worked with a company.

NBC The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of NBCUniversal , a subsidiary of Comcast . The network is headquartered in the Comcast Building ( formerly known as the GE Building ) at Rockefeller Center in New York City , with additional major offices near Los Angeles ( at Universal City Plaza ) , Chicago ( at the NBC Tower ) and soon in Philadelphia at Comcast Innovation and Technology Center . The network is part of the Big Three television networks . NBC is sometimes referred to as the `` Peacock Network '' , in reference to its stylized peacock logo , which was originally created in 1956 for its then-new color broadcasts and became the network 's official emblem in 1979 .   Founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America ( RCA ) , NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States . In 1986 , control of NBC passed to General Electric ( GE ) -- which previously owned RCA and NBC until 1930 , when it was forced to sell the companies as a result of antitrust charges -- through its $ 6.4 billion purchase of RCA . Following the acquisition by GE ( which later liquidated RCA ) , Bob Wright served as chief executive officer of NBC , remaining in that position until his retirement in 2007 , when he was succeeded by Jeff Zucker . In 2003 , French media company Vivendi merged its entertainment assets with GE , forming NBC Universal . Comcast purchased a controlling interest in the company in 2011 , and acquired General Electric 's remaining stake in 2013 . Following the Comcast merger , Zucker left NBC Universal and was replaced as CEO by Comcast executive Steve Burke .   NBC has thirteen owned-and-operated stations and nearly 200 affiliates throughout the United States and its territories , some of which are also available in Canada via pay-television providers or in border areas over-the-air ; NBC also maintains brand licensing agreements for international channels in South Korea and Germany .


The Carmichael Show The Carmichael Show is an American sitcom television series created by Nicholas Stoller , Jerrod Carmichael , Ari Katcher , and Willie Hunter that premiered on August 26 , 2015 , on NBC . Starring Carmichael , it follows a fictional version of his family . The multi-camera show is set in Charlotte , North Carolina .   On May 15 , 2016 , NBC renewed the series for a 13-episode third season , which premiered with back-to-back episodes on May 31 , 2017 .


In the most populous city of England, Cage Warriors held an event.

London London -LSB- ˈlʌndən -RSB- is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it Londinium . London 's ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its 1.12 sqmi medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , `` London '' has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , See also : Independent city § National capitals . governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.The London Mayor is not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London who heads the City of London Corporation , which administers the City of London .   London is a leading global city in the arts , commerce , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , professional services , research and development , tourism , and transportation . It is crowned as the world 's largest financial centre and has the fifth - or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world.Rankings of cities by metropolitan area GDP can vary as a result of differences in the definition of the boundaries and population sizes of the areas compared , exchange rate fluctuations and the method used to calculate output . London and Paris are of broadly similar size in terms of total economic output which can result in third party sources varying as to which is the fifth-largest city GDP in the world . A report by the McKinsey Global Institute published in 2012 estimated that London had a city GDP of US$ 751.8 billion in 2010 , compared to US$ 764.2 billion for Paris , making them respectively the sixth - and fifth-largest in the world . A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers published in November 2009 estimated that London had a city GDP measured in purchasing power parity of US$ 565 billion in 2008 , compared to US$ 564 billion for Paris , making them respectively the fifth - and sixth-largest in the world . The McKinsey Global Institute study used a metropolitan area with a population of 14.9 million for London compared to 11.8 million for Paris , whilst the PricewaterhouseCoopers study used a metropolitan area with a population of 8.59 million for London compared to 9.92 million for Paris . London is a world cultural capital . It is the world 's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world 's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic . London is the world 's leading investment destination , hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city . London 's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe . In 2012 , London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times .   London has a diverse range of people and cultures , and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region . Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population ( corresponding to Greater London ) was 8,673,713 , the largest of any city in the European Union , and accounting for 12.5 % of the UK population . London 's urban area is the second most populous in the EU , after Paris , with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census . The city 's metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants , while the Greater London Authority states the population of the city-region ( covering a large part of the south east ) as 22.7 million .  London was the world 's most populous city from around 1831 to 1925 .   London contains four World Heritage Sites : the Tower of London ; Kew Gardens ; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster , Westminster Abbey , and St Margaret 's Church ; and the historic settlement of Greenwich ( in which the Royal Observatory , Greenwich marks the Prime Meridian , 0 ° longitude , and GMT ) . Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace , the London Eye , Piccadilly Circus , St Paul 's Cathedral , Tower Bridge , Trafalgar Square , and The Shard . London is home to numerous museums , galleries , libraries , sporting events , and other cultural institutions , including the British Museum , National Gallery , Natural History Museum , Tate Modern , British Library , and West End theatres . The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world .


Cage Warriors Cage Warriors Fighting Championship or CWFC is a mixed martial arts promotion , based in London . Cage Warriors was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July , 2002 . Currently it has scheduled events in Chechnya , Baghdad and Beirut .   Many of the biggest stars in MMA have made their names under the Cage Warriors banner , including Gegard Mousasi , Conor McGregor and Michael Bisping . CWFC are one of the few top promotions to take their events abroad , travelling throughout countries in Europe , North America and the Middle East . CWFC staged 26 events across 12 different countries in 2012 and 2013 .


The Republic of Ireland has a constitution.

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( -LSB- ˈaɪərlənd -RSB- Éire -LSB- ˈeːɾʲə -RSB- ) , also described as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern part of the island , and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country 's 4.75 million inhabitants . The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , Saint George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann , an upper house , Seanad Éireann , and an elected President ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the Taoiseach ( Prime Minister , literally ` Chief ' , a title not used in English ) , who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President ; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers .   The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty . It had the status of dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted , in which the state was named `` Ireland '' and effectively became a republic , with an elected non-executive president as head of state . It was officially declared a republic in 1949 , following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955 . It joined the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , the predecessor of the European Union , in 1973 . The state had no formal relations with Northern Ireland for most of the twentieth century , but during the 1980s and 1990s the British and Irish governments worked with the Northern Ireland parties towards a resolution to `` the Troubles '' . Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 , the Irish government and Northern Ireland Executive have co-operated on a number of policy areas under the North-South Ministerial Council created by the Agreement .   Ireland ranks among the top twenty-five wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita , and as the tenth most prosperous country in the world according to The Legatum Prosperity Index 2015 . After joining the EEC , Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth . The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007 , which became known as the Celtic Tiger period . This was halted by an unprecedented financial crisis that began in 2008 , in conjunction with the concurrent global economic crash . However , as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015 , Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally . For example , in 2015 , Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth ( with Germany ) most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index . It also performs well in several national performance metrics , including freedom of the press , economic freedom and civil liberties . Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe and the OECD . The Irish government has followed a policy of military neutrality through non-alignment since immediately prior to World War II and the country is consequently not a member of NATO , although it is a member in Partnership for Peace .


Woody Allen Heywood `` Woody '' Allen ( born Allan Stewart Konigsberg ; December 1 , 1935 ) is an American director , writer , actor , comedian , playwright , and musician whose career spans more than six decades .   He worked as a comedy writer in the 1950s , writing jokes and scripts for television and publishing several books of short humor pieces . In the early 1960s , Allen began performing as a stand-up comedian , emphasizing monologues rather than traditional jokes . As a comedian , he developed the persona of an insecure , intellectual , fretful nebbish , which he maintains is quite different from his real-life personality . In 2004 , Comedy Central ranked Allen in fourth place on a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians , while a UK survey ranked Allen as the third greatest comedian .   By the mid-1960s Allen was writing and directing films , first specializing in slapstick comedies before moving into dramatic material influenced by European art cinema during the 1970s , and alternating between comedies and dramas to the present . He is often identified as part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmakers of the mid-1960s to late 1970s . Allen often stars in his films , typically in the persona he developed as a standup . Some of the best-known of his over 40 films are Annie Hall ( 1977 ) , Manhattan ( 1979 ) , and Hannah and Her Sisters ( 1986 ) . In 2007 he said Stardust Memories ( 1980 ) , The Purple Rose of Cairo ( 1985 ) , and Match Point ( 2005 ) were his best films . Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as `` a treasure of the cinema '' .   Allen won four Academy Awards : three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director ( Annie Hall ) . He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards . His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the `` 101 Funniest Screenplays . '' In 2011 , PBS televised the film biography Woody Allen : A Documentary on the American Masters TV series .


Vincent Cassel has only been in one movie.

Vincent Cassel Vincent Cassel ( -LSB- vɛ̃sɑ̃ kasɛl -RSB- ; born Vincent Crochon , 23 November 1966 ) is a French actor best known to English-speaking audiences through his film performances in Ocean 's Twelve and Ocean 's Thirteen , as well as Black Swan . Cassel is also renowned for playing the infamous French bank-robber Jacques Mesrine in Mesrine : Killer Instinct and Mesrine : Public Enemy Number One .


Horseshoe Falls is one of a set of three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls.

Horseshoe Falls Horseshoe Falls , also known as Canadian Falls , is one of three waterfalls which collectively form Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canada-US Border . Approximately 90 % of the Niagara River , after diversions for hydropower generation , flows over Horseshoe Falls . The remaining 10 % flows over American Falls and Bridal Veil falls . It is located between Terrapin Point on Goat Island in the US state of New York , and Table Rock in the Canadian province of Ontario .


Cupid (2009 TV series) began airing on the internet.

Cupid (2009 TV series) Cupid is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from March 31 to June 16 , 2009 and was broadcast Tuesdays at 10:02 PM Eastern/9 :02 PM Central . The series is a revival of sorts of the network 's 1998 series of the same name , changing its primary setting from Chicago to New York City .  Cupid was canceled on May 19 , 2009 .


Yamaha Corporation operates electronics.

Yamaha Corporation ( -LSB- jəˈmɑːhə -RSB- or -LSB- ˈjɑːməhə -RSB- -LSB- jamaha -RSB- ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a very wide range of products and services , predominantly musical instruments , electronics , motorcycles and power sports equipment . It is one of the constituents of Nikkei 225 and is the world 's largest piano manufacturing company .


Alexander Lebedev was listed in a magazine.

Alexander Lebedev Alexander Yevgenievich Lebedev ( -LSB- Алекса́ндр Евге́ньевич Ле́бедев , p = ɐlʲɪˈksandr jɪvˈɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲebʲɪdʲɪf -RSB- born 16 December 1959 ) is a Russian businessman , referred to as one of the Russian oligarchs .   In March 2012 , he was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the richest Russians with an estimated fortune of $ 1.1 billion . However , his fortune has since declined , and he is no longer considered to be a billionaire . He is part owner of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and owner of two UK newspapers with son Evgeny Lebedev : the London Evening Standard , The Independent .


Tom Hanks has been given a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks ( born July 9 , 1956 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles , including Splash ( 1984 ) , Big ( 1988 ) , Turner & Hooch ( 1989 ) , A League of Their Own ( 1992 ) , Sleepless in Seattle ( 1993 ) , Philadelphia ( 1993 ) , Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) , Apollo 13 ( 1995 ) , Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , You 've Got Mail ( 1998 ) , The Green Mile ( 1999 ) , Cast Away ( 2000 ) , Road to Perdition ( 2002 ) , and The Da Vinci Code ( 2006 ) , as well as for his voice work in the animated films The Polar Express ( 2004 ) and the Toy Story series .   Hanks ' films have grossed more than $ 4.5 billion at U.S. and Canadian box offices and more than $ 9.0 billion worldwide , making him the third-highest-grossing actor in North America . Hanks has been nominated for numerous awards during his career . He won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia , as well as a Golden Globe , an Academy Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award , and a People 's Choice Award for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump . In 2004 , he received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( BAFTA ) . In 2014 , he received a Kennedy Center Honor and , in 2016 , he received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama , as well as the French Legion of Honor .   Hanks is also known for his collaborations with film director Steven Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan , Catch Me If You Can ( 2002 ) , The Terminal ( 2004 ) , and Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) , as well as the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers , which launched Hanks as a successful director , producer , and screenwriter . In 2010 , Spielberg and Hanks were executive producers on the HBO miniseries The Pacific ( a companion piece to Band of Brothers ) .


Zach Galifianakis was passed over for a role in The Campaign.

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis ( -LSB- ˌgælᵻfəˈnækᵻs -RSB- born October 1 , 1969 ) is an American actor , writer and comedian . He came to prominence with his Comedy Central Presents special in 2001 and presented his own show called Late World with Zach on VH1 the following year . He has also starred in films , such as The Hangover trilogy ( 2009 -- 2013 ) , Due Date ( 2010 ) , The Campaign ( 2012 ) , Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( 2014 ) , Puss in Boots ( 2011 ) , Masterminds ( 2016 ) and The Lego Batman Movie ( 2017 ) .   He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis on the Funny or Die website and executive produces , writes , and stars in the dark comedy series Baskets on FX .


Howard Hughes acquired Trans World Airlines and Air West.

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. ( December 24 , 1905 -- April 5 , 1976 ) was an American businessman , investor , pilot , film director , and philanthropist , known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world . He first made a name for himself as a film producer , and then became an influential figure in the aviation industry . Later in life , he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle -- oddities that were caused in part by a worsening obsessive -- compulsive disorder ( OCD ) and chronic pain from a plane crash .   As a maverick film tycoon , Hughes gained prominence in Hollywood beginning in the late 1920s , when he produced big-budget and often controversial films like The Racket ( 1928 ) , Hell 's Angels ( 1930 ) , and Scarface ( 1932 ) . Later he controlled the RKO film studio .   Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932 , hiring numerous engineers and designers . He spent the rest of the 1930s setting multiple world air speed records and building the Hughes H-1 Racer and H-4 Hercules ( the `` Spruce Goose '' ) . He acquired and expanded Trans World Airlines and later acquired Air West , renaming it Hughes Airwest . Hughes was included in Flying Magazine 's list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation , ranked at 25 . Today , his legacy is maintained through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute .


Ultimate Spider-Man was retitled to Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister 100.

Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series) Ultimate Spider-Man is an American animated television series based on the Spider-Man comics published by Marvel Comics . The series featured writers such as Brian Michael Bendis ( who also writes the comic book series of the same name ) , Paul Dini , and Man of Action ( a group consisting of Steven T. Seagle , Joe Kelly , Joe Casey and Duncan Rouleau ) . The third season was retitled Marvel 's Ultimate Spider-Man : Web Warriors and the fourth and final season was retitled Marvel 's Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister 6 .   It was first announced to air on Disney XD in early 2012 , and debuted alongside the second season of The Avengers : Earth 's Mightiest Heroes as part of the Marvel Universe programming block on April 1 , 2012 .   At New York Comic Con 2016 , it was confirmed that Season 4 will be the series ' final season , making way for a new series titled Marvel 's Spider-Man '' . The series ended on January 7 , 2017 , with the two-part `` Graduation Day '' episode .


Michelle Rodriguez was fired from working in IGPX.

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez ( -LSB- rɑːˈdriːgɛz -RSB- born July 12 , 1978 ) is an American actress and screenwriter . Her breakout role was as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight ( 2000 ) , which was met with critical acclaim and earned her several awards , including the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance . The following year , she starred as Letty in the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious ( 2001 ) , a role she has reprised in four additional films in the Fast and Furious franchise to date . During her career , Rodriguez has played in a number of successful action films , including Resident Evil , S.W.A.T. , and Avatar .   Rodriguez also branched into television , playing Ana Lucia Cortez in the second season of the television series Lost . She has also had numerous voice work appearances in video games such as Call of Duty and Halo , and lent her voice for the 3D animated film Turbo and the television series IGPX . With her films grossing over $ 5 billion ( U.S. ) collectively , a 2013 Entertainment Weekly article described Rodriguez as `` arguably the most iconic actress in the action genre , as well as one of the most visible Latinas in Hollywood '' .


Mariah Carey has signature use of the whistle register.

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( born March 27 , 1969 or 1970 ) is an American singer , songwriter , record producer , and actress . In 1990 , she rose to fame with the release of `` Vision of Love '' from her eponymous debut album . The album produced four chart-topping singles in the US and began what would become a string of commercially successful albums which solidified the singer as Columbias highest selling act . Carey and Boyz II Men spent a record sixteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 -- 96 with `` One Sweet Day , '' which remains the longest-running number-one song in US chart history . Following a contentious divorce from Sony Music head Tommy Mottola , Carey adopted a new image and traversed towards hip hop with the release of Butterfly ( 1997 ) . In 1998 , she was honored as the world 's best-selling recording artist of the 1990s at the World Music Awards and subsequently named the best-selling female artist of the millennium in 2000 .   Carey parted with Columbia in 2000 , and signed a record-breaking $ 100 million recording contract with Virgin Records America . In the weeks prior to the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying soundtrack in 2001 , she suffered a physical and emotional breakdown and was hospitalized for severe exhaustion . The project was poorly received and led to a general decline in the singer 's career . Carey 's recording contract was bought out for $ 50 million by Virgin and she signed a multi-million dollar deal with Island Records the following year . After a relatively unsuccessful period , she returned to the top of music charts with The Emancipation of Mimi ( 2005 ) . The album became the best-selling album in the US and the second best-seller worldwide in 2005 and produced `` We Belong Together , '' which became her most successful single of the 2000s , and was later named `` Song of the Decade '' by Billboard . Carey once again ventured into film with a well-received supporting role in Precious ( 2009 ) , and was awarded the `` Breakthrough Performance Award '' at the Palm Springs International Film Festival .   Throughout her career , Carey has sold more than 200 million records worldwide , making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time . According to the RIAA , she is the third-best-selling female artist in the United States , with 63.5 million certified albums . With the release of `` Touch My Body '' ( 2008 ) , Carey gained her 18th number-one single in the United States , more than any other solo artist . In 2012 , the singer was ranked second on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Women in Music . '' Aside from her commercial accomplishments , Carey has won 5 Grammy Awards , 19 World Music Awards , 11 American Music Awards , and 14 Billboard Music Awards and has been consistently credited with inspiring a generation of singers . Referred to as the `` songbird supreme '' by the Guinness World Records , she has a five-octave vocal range , power , melismatic style and signature use of the whistle register .


Gold Gold is a chemical element with symbol Au ( from aurum ) and atomic number 79 . In its purest form , it is a bright , slightly reddish yellow , dense , soft , malleable , and ductile metal . Chemically , gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element . It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions . Gold often occurs in free elemental ( native ) form , as nuggets or grains , in rocks , in veins , and in alluvial deposits . It occurs in a solid solution series with the native element silver ( as electrum ) and also naturally alloyed with copper and palladium . Less commonly , it occurs in minerals as gold compounds , often with tellurium ( gold tellurides ) .   Gold 's atomic number of 79 makes it one of the higher numbered , naturally occurring elements . It is thought to have been produced in supernova nucleosynthesis , from the collision of neutron stars , and to have been present in the dust from which the Solar System formed . Because the Earth was molten when it was formed , almost all of the gold present in the early Earth probably sank into the planetary core . Therefore , most of the gold that is present today in the Earth 's crust and mantle is thought to have been delivered to Earth later , by asteroid impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment , about 4 billion years ago .   Gold is resistant to most acids , though it does dissolve in aqua regia , a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid , which forms a soluble tetrachloroaurate anion . Gold is insoluble in nitric acid , which dissolves silver and base metals , a property that has long been used to refine gold and to confirm the presence of gold in metallic objects , giving rise to the term acid test . Gold also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide , which are used in mining and electroplating . Gold dissolves in mercury , forming amalgam alloys , but this is not a chemical reaction .   Historically , the value of gold was rooted in its relative rarity , easy handling and minting , easy smelting and fabrication , resistance to corrosion and other chemical reactions ( nobility ) and its distinctive color . As a precious metal , gold has been used for coinage , jewelry , and other arts throughout recorded history . In the past , a gold standard was often implemented as a monetary policy , but gold coins ceased to be minted as a circulating currency in the 1930s , and the world gold standard was abandoned for a fiat currency system after 1976 .   A total of 186,700 tonnes of gold is in existence above ground , as of 2015 . The world consumption of new gold produced is about 50 % in jewelry , 40 % in investments , and 10 % in industry . Gold 's high malleability , ductility , resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions , and conductivity of electricity have led to its continued use in corrosion resistant electrical connectors in all types of computerized devices ( its chief industrial use ) . Gold is also used in infrared shielding , colored-glass production , gold leafing , and tooth restoration . Certain gold salts are still used as anti-inflammatories in medicine . As of 2014 , the world 's largest gold producer by far was China with 450 tonnes .


Laadla (1994 film) Laadla ( translation : The Beloved Son ) is a Bollywood film released on 17 April 1994 , starring Sridevi , Anil Kapoor and Raveena Tandon . The film was notable because Divya Bharti was to star as the lead role Sheetal , filming most of the film . However , due to her untimely death in 1993 , Laadla was re-filmed with Sridevi in the lead role . Footage of late Divya Bharti as Sheetal is available on the internet . Laadla is the remake of Rajkumar 's blockbuster Kannada movie called Anuraga Aralithu ( 1986 ) . Laadla was a Box Office Hit dominated by Sridevi 's presence who was quite a big star at that time .


Jensen Ackles Jensen Ross Ackles ( born March 1 , 1978 ) is an American actor and director . He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of Our Lives , which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations , as well as Alec/X5 -494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville . He also starred as the lead in the box office success My Bloody Valentine 3D and portrayed Jason Todd in the popular animated film Batman : Under the Red Hood .   Ackles currently stars as Dean Winchester on the CW series Supernatural .