Wednesday 30 May 2012
Tuesday 29 May 2012
TOP 10 ACTOR IN INDIA BY SURVEY OF IMDB BY KUK
TOP 10 ACTOR IN INDIA
Shivaji Ganesan
Actor, Thevar Magan
Tamil superstar from a poor family in Tamil Nadu, India. His father worked on the railways. On the day of his birth his father, Chiniah Pillai, follower of Mahatma Gandhi, was jailed for participating in the Independence movement in Nellikuppam (Tamil Nadu, India). He was frequently in and out of jail, and was raised by his mother, Rajamani Ammal...
“ Father of Acting ” - Haja Mohideen
2.
Amitabh Bachchan
Actor, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...
Son of well known poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. He has a brother named Ajitabh. He completed his education from Uttar Pradesh and moved to Bombay to find work as a film star, in vain though, as film-makers preferred someone with a fairer skin, and he was not quite fair enough. But they did use one of his other assets...
“ The Legend ” - Haja Mohideen
3.
Dilip Kumar
Actor, Madhumati
Dilip Kumar is considered to be one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. Starting his career in 1944, he has starred in some of the biggest commercially successful films from the late 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. His performances have been regarded as the epitome of emoting in Indian Cinema. He...
“ Another Legend ” - Haja Mohideen
4.
Kamal Hassan
Actor, Hey Ram
Kamal Haasan was born November7, 1954 in Paramakudi, Tamil Nadu. He debuted as a child artiste in the film "Kalathoor Kannamma" (1960), which was released in the year 1960. Since then, he has starred in nearly 200 films in the major Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He has been a part of the film industry for 52 years...
“ Universal Hero ” - Haja Mohideen
5.
Rajnikanth
Actor, Endhiran
Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (Rajnikanth) was born on December 12, 1949 in Karnataka. He was a bus conductor during which time he reportedly caught the fancy of the bus travelers with his mannerisms and style of issuing tickets and blowing the whistle and so on. Looking to become an actor, he moved to Chennai and joined the film institute...
“ God of Style and mass ” - Haja Mohideen
6.
'Chiyaan' Vikram
Actor, Anniyan
Vikram is an Indian film actor, voice actor and a playback singer. He made his debut in the 1990 film En Kadhal Kanmani, which was followed by a series of Tamil and Telugu films and supporting roles in few Malayalam films throughout the early decade. After the critical and commercial success of Sethu...
“ Chiyaan the versatile actor ” - Haja Mohideen
7.
Suriya
Actor, Ghajini
Surya was born to actor Sivakumar and his wife Lakshmi in Chennai, but brought up in Coimbatore. He is the eldest of three children, his younger brother is actor Karthik Sivakumar and he has a younger sister named Brindha Sivakumar. He attended PSBB School and St. Bede's School in Chennai and graduated from Loyola College with a Bachelor of Commerce degree...
“ Director's Actor ” - Haja Mohideen
8.
“ Versatile Actor ” - Haja Mohideen
9.
Sanjay Dutt
Actor, Lage Raho Munna Bhai
He belongs to a village near district Yamuna Nagar (Haryana). The village's name is Mandhaulli. His beloved mom's (Nargis Dutt) memorial grave is still there on the bank of river Yamuna. Is great friends with director Sanjay Gupta, actor Aditya Pancholi, actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar and actor Sunil Shetty...
“ A man of Difference ” - Haja Mohideen
10.
Hrithik Roshan
Actor, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Often described as India's 'most complete actor', Hrithik Roshan is the culmination of old Hindi film industry from both sides of his pedigree. His maternal grandfather - director-producer J. Om Prakash - first introduced little Hrithik onscreen at age 6 by slyly having his crew shoot without the boy's knowledge as he danced on the set of Aasha (1980) while visiting grandpa...
“ Director's Actor ” - Haja Mohideen
titanic history by kuk
On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage, sailing from Southampton, England, to New York City. One of the largest and most luxurious passenger liners at the time, the Titanic was also considered by many to be unsinkable. On April 14, however, the ship struck an iceberg, and early the next day it sank. Some 1,500 people perished. Because of the tragedy, the Titanic became perhaps the best-known ship in the world, capturing the public imagination and inspiring popular books and movies. After the 1985 discovery of its wreckage, interest in the famed liner only increased. Some 100 years after its sinking, the Titanic remains an enduring legend.
Through articles, photographs, and interactive features, Encyclopædia Britannica presents the story of the Titanic, from its construction to its early demise to its lasting influence on popular culture. Select a link on the left to begin the journey.
Titanic
in full Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic
The Titanic.
The Bettmann Archive
Diagram of theTitanic.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage, en route to New York City from Southampton, England, killing about 1,500 (see Researcher's Note: Titanic) passengers and ship personnel. One of the most famous tragedies in modern history, it has inspired numerous stories, several films, and a musical and been the subject of much scholarship and scientific speculation. (For more detailed coverage,see Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship.)
TitanicOrigins and construction
J. Bruce Ismay.
The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
In the early 1900s the transatlantic passenger trade was highly profitable and competitive, with ship lines vying to transport wealthy travelers and immigrants. Two of the chief lines were White Star and Cunard. By the summer of 1907, Cunard seemed poised to increase its share of the market with the debut of two new ships, the Lusitania and theMauretania, which were scheduled to enter service later that year. The two passenger liners were garnering much attention for their expected speed; both would later set speed records crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Looking to answer his rival, White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay reportedly met withWilliam Pirrie, who controlled the Belfast shipbuilding firm Harland and Wolff, which constructed most of White Star's vessels. The two men devised a plan to build a class of large liners that would be known for their comfort instead of their speed. It was eventually decided that three vessels would be constructed: the Olympic, theTitanic, and the Britannic.
Construction of theOlympic (right) and the Titanic in the shipyard …
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-67359)
The Titanic’s propellers in Harland and Wolff’s Belfast shipyard …
Image Asset Management Ltd./SuperStock
Thomas Andrews.
The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
On March 31, 1909, some three months after work began on the Olympic, the keel was laid for the Titanic. The two ships were built side by side in a specially constructed gantry that could accommodate their unprecedented size. The sister ships were largely designed byThomas Andrews of Harland and Wolff. In addition to ornate decorations, theTitanic featured an immense first-class dining saloon, four elevators, and a swimming pool. Its second-class accommodations were comparable to first-class features on other ships, and its third-class offerings, although modest, were still noted for their relative comfort.
As to safety elements, the Titanic had 16 compartments that included doors which could be closed from the bridge, so that water could be contained in the event the hull was breached. Although they were presumed to be watertight, the bulkheads were not capped at the top. The ship's builders claimed that four of the compartments could be flooded without endangering the liner's buoyancy. The system led many to claim that theTitanic was unsinkable.
The first-class stairway, known as the Grand Staircase, on the Titanic.
Universal Images Group/SuperStock
A parlour suite on theTitanic.
Universal Images Group/SuperStock
Following completion of the hull and main superstructure, the Titanic was launched on May 31, 1911. It then began the fitting-out phase, as machinery was loaded into the ship and interior work began. After the Olympic's maiden voyage in June 1911, slight changes were made to theTitanic's design. In early April 1912 theTitanic underwent its sea trials, after which the ship was declared seaworthy.
As it prepared to embark on its maiden voyage, the Titanic was one of the largest and most opulent ships in the world. It had a gross registered tonnage (i.e., carrying capacity) of 46,328 tons, and when fully laden the ship displaced (weighed) more than 52,000 tons. TheTitanic was approximately 882.5 feet (269 metres) long and about 92.5 feet (28.2 metres) wide at its widest point.
TitanicMaiden voyage
The Titanic’s maiden voyage, 1912.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Poster of the Titanic, 1912.
The Granger Collection, NYC—All rights reserved.
The Titanic leaving Southampton, England, April 10, 1912.
Stapleton Historical Collection/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
Edward J. Smith.
Universal Images Group/SuperStock
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City. Nicknamed the “Millionaire's Special,” the ship was fittingly captained by Edward J. Smith, who was known as the “Millionaire's Captain” because of his popularity with wealthy passengers. Indeed, onboard were a number of prominent people, including American businessman Benjamin Guggenheim, British journalist William Thomas Stead, and Macy's department store co-ownerIsidor Straus and his wife, Ida. In addition, Ismay and Andrews were also traveling on the Titani
The voyage nearly began with a collision, however, when suction from the Titaniccaused the docked New York to swing into the giant liner's path. After an hour of maneuverings to prevent the accident, the Titanic was under way. On the evening of April 10 the ship stopped at Cherbourg, France. The city's dock was too small to accommodate the Titanic, so passengers had to be ferried to and from the ship in tenders. Among those boarding were John Jacob Astorand his pregnant second wife, Madeleine, and Molly Brown. After some two hours the Titanic resumed its journey. On the morning of April 11 the liner made its last scheduled stop in Europe, at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland. At approximately 1:30 PM the ship set sail for New York City. Onboard were some 2,200 people, approximately 1,300 of whom were passengers.
TitanicMaiden voyage > Final hours
A reproduction of theTitanic’s wireless room; at the Mystic Aquarium …
Michelle McLoughlin/AP
Throughout much of the voyage, the wireless radio operators on the Titanic, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, had been receiving iceberg warnings, most of which were passed along to the bridge. The two men worked for the Marconi Company, and much of their job was relaying passengers' messages. On the evening of April 14 the Titanic began to approach an area known to have icebergs. Smith slightly altered the ship's course to head farther south. However, he maintained the ship's speed of some 22 knots. At approximately 9:40 PM the Mesaba sent a warning of an ice field. The message was never relayed to the Titanic's bridge. At 10:55 PM the nearby Leyland liner Californiansent word that it had stopped after becoming surrounded by ice. Phillips, who was handling passenger messages, scolded the Californian for interrupting him.
Two lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, were stationed in the crow's nest of the Titanic. Their task was made difficult by the fact that the ocean was unusually calm that night: because there would be little water breaking at its base, an iceberg would be more difficult to spot. In addition, the crow's nest's binoculars were missing. At approximately 11:40 PM, about 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Newfoundland, Canada, an iceberg was sighted, and the bridge was notified. First Officer William Murdoch ordered both the ship “hard-a-starboard” (to the left) and the engines reversed. TheTitanic began to turn, but it was too close to avoid a collision. The ship's starboard side scraped along the iceberg. At least five of its supposedly watertight compartments toward the bow were ruptured. After assessing the damage, Andrews determined that, as the ship's forward compartments filled with water, its bow would drop deeper into the ocean, causing water from the ruptured compartments to spill over into each succeeding compartment, thereby sealing the ship's fate. The Titanic would founder. (By reversing the engines, Murdoch actually caused the Titanic to turn slower than if it had been moving at its original speed. Most experts believe the ship would have survived if it had hit the iceberg head-on.)
Jack Phillips, senior wireless operator on the Titanic. Although he reportedly …
The National Archives/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
Smith ordered Phillips to begin sending distress signals, one of which reached theCarpathia at approximately 12:20 AM on April 15, and the Cunard ship immediately headed toward the stricken liner. However, the Carpathia was some 58 nautical miles (107 km) away when it received the signal, and it would take more than three hours to reach theTitanic. Other ships also responded, including the Olympic, but all were too far away. A vessel was spotted nearby, but the Titanic was unable to contact it. The Californian was also in the vicinity, but its wireless had been turned off for the night.
The sinking of theTitanic, undated illustration.
Image Asset Management Ltd./SuperStock
Titanic survivors in a lifeboat.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
As attempts were made to contact nearby vessels, the lifeboats began to be launched, with orders of women and children first. Although the Titanic's number of lifeboats exceeded that required by the British Board of Trade, its 20 boats could carry only 1,178 people, far short of the total number of passengers. This problem was exacerbated by lifeboats being launched well below capacity, because crewmen worried that the davits would not be able to support the weight of a fully loaded boat. (The Titanic had canceled its scheduled lifeboat drill earlier in the day, and the crew was unaware that the davits had been tested in Belfast.) Lifeboat number 7, which was the first to leave the Titanic, held only about 27 people, though it had space for 65. In the end, only 705 people would be rescued in lifeboats.
As the Titanic's bow continued to sink, the stern began to rise out of the water, placing incredible strain on the midsection. At approximately 2:18 AM the Titanic broke in two, with the bow going underwater. At 2:20 AM the ship foundered as the stern section also disappeared beneath the Atlantic. Hundreds of passengers and crew went into the icy water. Fearful of being swamped, those in the lifeboats delayed returning to pick up survivors. By the time they rowed back, almost all the people in the water had died from exposure. In the end, more than 1,500 perished. Aside from the crew, which had about 700 fatalities, third class suffered the greatest loss: of approximately 710, only some 174 survived. (Subsequent claims that passengers in steerage were prevented from boarding boats, however, were largely dispelled. Given Smith's failure to sound a general alarm, some third-class passengers did not realize the direness of the situation until it was too late. Many women also refused to leave their husbands and sons, while the difficulty of simply navigating the complex Titanic from the lower levels caused some to reach the top deck after most of the lifeboats had been launched.)
TitanicMaiden voyage > Rescue
Titanic survivors aboard the Carpathia, April 1912.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-56453)
Newspaper boy shortly after theTitanic’s sinking, 1912.
The Print Collector/Heritage-Images/Imagestate
The Carpathia arrived in the area at approximately 3:30 AM, more than an hour after the Titanic sank. Lifeboat number 2 was the first to reach the liner. Over the next several hours the Carpathia picked up all survivors. At approximately 8:30 AMthe Californian arrived, having heard the news some three hours earlier. Shortly before 9:00 AM the Carpathia headed for New York City, where it arrived to massive crowds on April 18.
TitanicAftermath and investigation
Molly Brown.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: cph 3b40210)
Although the majority of dead were crew members and third-class passengers, many of the era's wealthiest and most prominent families lost members, among them Isidor and Ida Straus and John Jacob Astor. In the popular mind, the glamour associated with the ship, its maiden voyage, and its notable passengers magnified the tragedy of its sinking. Legends arose almost immediately about the night's events, those who had died, and those who survived. Heroes and heroines—such as American Molly Brown, who helped command a lifeboat, and Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron of the Carpathia—were identified and celebrated by the press. Others—notably White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay, who had found space in a lifeboat and survived—were vilified. There was a strong desire to explain the tragedy, and inquiries into the sinking were held in the United States and Great Britain.
TitanicAftermath and investigation > U.S. inquiry
Individuals being questioned during the U.S. Senate’s investigation into the sinking of the …
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-68081)
The U.S. investigation, which lasted from April 19 to May 25, 1912, was led by Sen. William Alden Smith. In all, more than 80 people were interviewed. Notable witnesses included Second Officer Charles Lightoller, the most senior officer to survive. He defended the actions of his superiors, especially Captain Smith's refusal to decrease the ship's speed. Many passengers testified to the general confusion on the ship. A general warning was never sounded, causing a number of passengers and even crew members to be unaware of the danger for some time. In addition, because a scheduled lifeboat drill had never been held, the lowering of the boats was often haphazard.
Perhaps the most-scrutinized testimony came from the crew of the Californian, who claimed their ship was some 20 nautical miles (37 km) from the Titanic. Crew members saw a ship but said it was too small to be theTitanic. They also stated that it was moving and that efforts to contact it by Morse lamp were unsuccessful. After sighting rockets in the distance, the crew informed Capt. Stanley Lord, who had retired for the night. Instead of ordering the ship's wireless operator to turn on the radio, Lord instead told the men to continue to use the Morse lamp. By 2:00 AM the nearby ship had reportedly sailed away.
In the end, the U.S. investigation faulted the British Board of Trade, “to whose laxity of regulation and hasty inspection the world is largely indebted for this awful fatality.” Other contributing causes were also noted, including the failure of Captain Smith to slow the Titanicafter receiving ice warnings. However, perhaps the strongest criticism was levied at Captain Lord and theCalifornian. The committee found that the ship was “nearer the Titanic than the 19 miles reported by her Captain, and that her officers and crew saw the distress signals of the Titanic and failed to respond to them in accordance with the dictates of humanity, international usage, and the requirements of law.”
TitanicAftermath and investigation > The Californian incident
The U.S. and British inquiries did little to end speculation and debate concerning the sinking of the Titanic. Particular focus centred on the Californian. Supporters of Lord, nicknamed “Lordites,” believed that the captain had been unfairly criticized. They held that a third ship—possibly the Samson, a Norwegian boat illegally hunting seals—was between the Leyland liner and the Titanic. That view eventually gained much support. Crew members of the Californian did not hear rockets being fired, though the sounds would have been audible if the ship had been within the distances claimed by U.S. and British investigators. In addition, people aboard theTitanic stated that a vessel was headed in their direction, which could not have been Californian, which was stopped at the time. While the true location of theCalifornian will likely never be conclusively known, many experts believe it was actually some 20 miles (37 km) away and would not have reached the Titanic before it sank. However, Lord has continued to draw criticism for his failure to take more action in response to the distress signals.
TitanicDiscovery and legacy
Illustration depicting the wreck of theTitanic.
Pierre Mion—National Geographic/Imagestate
The bow of theTitanic, photographed by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) …
Courtesy of the Institute for Exploration/University of Rhode Island/NOAA
Rusticles covering the pipes and bathtub from Capt. Edward J. Smith’s cabin, photographed …
Lori Johnston, RMS Titanic Expedition 2003, NOAA-OE
Within days of the Titanic's sinking, talk began of finding the wreck. Given the limits of technology, however, serious attempts were not undertaken until the second half of the 20th century. In August 1985 Robert Ballard led an American-French expedition from aboard the U.S. Navy research ship Knorr. The quest was partly a means for testing the Argo, a 16-foot (5-metre) submersible sled equipped with a remote-controlled camera that could transmit live images to a monitor. The submersible was sent some 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) to the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, sending video back to theKnorr. On September 1, 1985, the first underwater images of the Titanic were recorded as its giant boilers were discovered. Later video showed the ship lying upright in two pieces. While the bow was clearly recognizable, the stern section was severely damaged. Covering the wreckage were rust-coloured stalactite-like formations. Scientists later determined that the rusticles, as they were named, were created by iron-eating microorganisms, which are consuming the wreck.
The Titanic—located at about 41°43¢57¢¢ N, 49°56¢49¢¢ W (bow section), some 13 nautical miles (24 km) from the position given in its distress signals—was explored numerous times by manned and unmanned submersibles. The expeditions found no sign of the long gash previously thought to have been ripped in the ship's hull by the iceberg. Scientists instead discovered that the collision's impact had produced a series of thin gashes as well as brittle fracturing and separation of seams in the adjacent hull plates, thus allowing water to flood in and sink the ship. In subsequent years, marine salvagers raised small artifacts from the wreckage as well as pieces of the ship itself, including a large section of the hull. Examination of these parts—as well as paperwork in the builder's archives—led to speculation that low-quality steel or weak rivets may have contributed to the Titanic's sinking.
(From left) Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and James Cameron on the set of the film …
Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Countless renditions, interpretations, and analyses of the Titanic disaster transformed the ship into a cultural icon. In addition to being the subject of numerous books, the ship inspired various movies, notably A Night to Remember(1958) and James Cameron's blockbusterTitanic (1997). In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, artifacts from the ship formed the basis of a highly successful exhibit that toured the world, and a profitable business was developed transporting tourists to the Titanic's wreck. Several museums dedicated to the liner draw thousands of visitors each year. Although the wreck of the Titanic will eventually deteriorate, the famed liner seems unlikely to fade from the public imagination.
TitanicAdditional ReadingTwo classic accounts of the disaster, written by the doyen of Titanic scholarship, are Walter Lord, A Night to Remember (1955, reprinted 1988), and The Night Lives On (1986). More recent accounts are Michael Davie, Titanic: The Death and Life of a Legend (1987; also published asThe Titanic: The Full Story of a Tragedy, 1986); Donald Lynch and Ken Marschall, Titanic: An Illustrated History(1992); and John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas, Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy, 2nd ed. (1994), and Titanic: Destination Disaster, rev. ed. (1996). Two books that trace the changing image of the Titanic in 20th-century popular culture are Paul Heyer, Titanic Legacy: Disaster as Media Event and Myth (1995); and Steven Biel, Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster(1996). A first-hand account by the oceanographer who found the ship's wreckage in 1985 is Robert D. Ballard andRick Archbold, The Discovery of the Titanic, new and updated ed. (1995). Titanic: Legacy of the World's Greatest Ocean Liner (1997) is a lavishly illustrated popularization. Theories concerning why the liner sank are discussed in Tim Foecke and Jennifer Hooper McCarty, What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries (2008); and Brad Matsen, Titanic's Last Secrets (2008). |  |
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