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Joseph Vallot

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Joseph Vallot (Henri Marie Joseph of his real name) is a French astronomer, geographer, naturalist, mountaineer and patron, born February 16, 1854 in Lodève and died April 11, 1925 in Nice. He left Lodève to join the Lycée Charlemagne in Paris, studied botany and geology. He was appointed vice-president of the Société Botanique de France and later president of the Club Alpin Français. In 1875 when he went to a geology congress held in Chamonix, he fell in love with Mont Blanc. At that time, despite the few scientific observations made by the Genevan naturalist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, everything still remained to be discovered about life at altitude, the movement of glaciers, etc. He made his first ascent in 1881 in 1887, to prove that it was possible to live, sleep, eat and work at such a high altitude, Vallot and his guides spent three nights in a tent at the top of Mont Blanc. On their descent, they receive a triumphal welcome. That same year, Vallot made the ascent five times. For the next three years, he continued his observations while negotiating, with the municipality of Chamonix and the company of guides, the conditions for the construction of a refuge-laboratory on the site of Rocher des Bosses located just 450 meters below the summit. He gets 800 francs from the municipality and 200 francs from the guides and invests 5,500 francs. In 1890, 110 guides and porters climbed in eight days on their backs (15 to 30 kg each) the materials necessary for the construction of a hut of 5 meters by 3 with two rooms, the first serving as a refuge and the second as a laboratory. . This first observatory was built at an altitude of 4,362 m and was completed at the end of August 1890. The Vallot refuge, reserved for guides and climbers, was built in 1892 a little further at 4,365 m. In the 21st century, this refuge no longer welcomes mountaineers. It belongs to the CNRS and is still used by scientists who study physiology at altitude. In 1898, an observatory was built on a surface of 60 m2 comprising eight rooms with improved comfort. A metal annex, on the other hand, is permanently accessible and allows mountaineers to rest or take refuge in bad weather. Joseph Vallot also worked on a train project that was to take tourists to the summit of Mont Blanc and on the first Aiguille du Midi cable car project, the first section of which Les Pélerins - La Para was inaugurated in 1924, constituting the first cable car in France. A second section up to the Glaciers was completed after his death in 1927 and a third up to the Col du Midi, started in the 1930s, remains as a service line. Passionate about photography, he brought back many remarkable shots from his mountain expeditions. The Alpine Museum of Chamonix keeps many documents concerning him and has reconstructed the Chinese room of its observatory. Joseph Vallot will also help his cousin, the engineer Henri Vallot, to produce, from 1892, the 1/20,000th map of the Mont-Blanc massif. Work completed after his death by his little cousin Charles Vallot who will launch the collection of Vallot guides for mountaineers
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Paul Land

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Paul Calandrillo (born January 31, 1956 in Hoboken, New Jersey - died December 30, 2007), better known as Paul Land, was an American actor who appeared in the movies Spring Break and The Idolmaker. He left acting in the early 1990s to start his own successful construction business in New Jersey under his real name Paul Calandrillo. He died December 30, 2007. (No proof has been submitted to verify his alleged death; until such time, he is presumed to still be alive). Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Land , licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Diane Webber

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Diane Webber (born Marguerite Diane Empey) was a model, actress and dancer, born in Los Angeles, California. As a girl, she received ballet lessons from Russian ballet dancer Maria Bekefi and became a chorus girl in San Francisco in the early 1950s. She modeled for numerous men's magazines throughout the 1950s and '60s, posing for renowned photographers such as Bunny Yeager, Peter Gowland and film director Russ Meyer. Under her birth name Marguerite Empey, Webber became Playboy's Playmate of the Month on two occasions, in May 1955 and February 1956 (the latter shot by Meyer). In the late 1950s, Webber became a popular model for the covers of LP records, including albums by Nelson Riddle, Xavier Cugat and Les Baxter, and also began appearing in bit parts on TV and, later, in films. In the mid to late 1960s, she embraced nudism and became a vocal advocate for the lifestyle. Webber was also skilled at Middle Eastern bellydancing and served as a professional bellydancing instructor in Van Nuys, California from 1969 to 1980. She died in Los Angeles on August 19th, 2008, following complications from surgery for cancer.
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Nicki Aycox

Biography

Nicki Lynn Aycox (May 26, 1975 – November 16, 2022) was an American actress and musician. She was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma, and played the piano and sang at a young age. Her early acting credits included "3rd Rock From The Sun," "USA High," "Boy Meets World," "The X-Files" and a recurring role in "Providence." In 2003, Aycox played Minxie Hayes, a psychic cheerleader, in "Jeepers Creepers 2." Two years later, she portrayed Private Brenda "Mrs. B." Mitchell on "Over There." The TV series followed a unit of the United States Army's 3rd Infantry Division, on its first tour of duty in occupied Iraq, and chronicled the war's effects on the soldiers' families in the United States. In 2006, Aycox portrayed Meg Masters, a recurring antagonist, in the first season of the WB (now The CW) TV series "Supernatural." The following year, she appeared in the thriller film "Perfect Stranger," alongside Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. Aycox returned to "The X-Files" franchise in 2008 for its second movie, "The X-Files: I Want To Believe." Her final acting role was in the 2014 film, "Dead On Campus." In 2015, Aycox released her debut EP, "Red Velvet Room," which contained five songs of her own original music.
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Abdel Halim Hafez

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Born Abdel Halim Shabaana (عبد الحليم شبانة) in al-Halawaat, Sharkeyya (Delta of Egypt), graduated from the Higher institute of Arabic Music - Composing Department in 1948. For four years, he taught music for school children in Tanta, Zagazeeg and finally Cairo. In 1959, he resigned and joined the Cairo Radio Orchestra as an oboe player. His first radio broadcast song was “Lekaa". His first appearance on the silver screen was in “Lahn Al-Wafaa”. Abdul Haleem joined “Sawt al-Fann” production company, with the world famous composer Abdul Wahhaab and director of photography Waheed Fareed, which produced a great number of films and audio works. His acting was characterized with simplicity and spontaneity. Haleem did not only sing in Egypt, but also in all of the Arab countries and some European countries. Almost all of the composers of the Arab world composed the music of his songs. His patriotic songs outnumbered 300 songs and poems. All the Arab audiences still remember some of his famous scenes on the silver screen. Abdel Halim never married, yet rumors say that he was married to superstar Soaad Hosny.
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Jon Huber

Biography

Jon Huber was an American professional wrestler. From 2012-2019, he worked with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring name Luke Harper, and with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Brodie Lee, from March 2020 until his unexpected death in December of that year. Aside from WWE and AEW, he is best known for his work on the North American independent circuit under the ring name Brodie Lee, working for promotions such as Alpha-1 Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Dragon Gate USA, Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor.
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Sean Connery

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Sir Thomas Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 - October 31, 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer who won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards (one being a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award), and three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a Henrietta Award. Connery was the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film, starring in seven Bond films (every film from Dr. No to You Only Live Twice, plus Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again), between 1962 and 1983. In 1988, Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. His films also include Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996), and Finding Forrester (2000). Connery was polled in a 2004 The Sunday Herald as "The Greatest Living Scot" and in a 2011 EuroMillions survey as "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". He was voted by People magazine as both the “Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century” in 1999. He received a lifetime achievement award in the United States with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999. Connery was knighted in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to film drama. On October 31, 2020, it was announced that Connery had died at the age of 90.
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Alan Pattillo

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Alan Huchison Pattillo (17 July 1929 – 16 January 2020) was a British writer and director who worked on Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, and Thunderbirds television series. He won an Emmy in 1979 alongside Bill Blunden for his film editing on All Quiet on the Western Front. During the 1960s, Pattillo worked on several Gerry Anderson projects. He directed episodes of Four Feather Falls, Supercar and Fireball XL5. His work on the latter is regarded as having brought added sophistication to the direction of the series. Pattillo then worked again for Anderson on Stingray as director, before performing a number of roles on the next series from AP Films. For Thunderbirds Pattillo served as script editor, director, and writer. He directed four and wrote seven of the thirty-two episodes (including Attack of the Alligators!). Aside from his work on Gerry Anderson projects, Pattillo had a varied career in the film industry. He provided the story for a 1967 Diana Rigg era The Avengers episode The Bird Who Knew Too Much, which The Times television review noted as being "quite striking". Pattillo worked as the sound editor on Nicolas Roeg's Performance (1970) and again worked with the director as film editor on Walkabout (1971). He was the sound effects editor on Alan Parker's Pink Floyd: The Wall (1979). His work on All Quiet on the Western Front (also 1979), saw him awarded an Emmy for film editing, an award he shared with Bill Blunden. He later worked as associate editor on the film Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough.
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Jessa Jupiter Flux

Biography

Jessa Flux, a versatile performer hailing from Evansville, Indiana, captivates audiences with her dynamic presence in independent horror films, showcasing her talents in cult favorites such as "Murdercise," "Debbie Does Demons," "Voorhees: Night of the Beast," and "Reunion From Hell." Beyond acting, Jessa's diverse skills encompass comedy, hair and makeup artistry, modeling and more. Her journey began on stage as a trained dancer, laying the foundation for a well-rounded performing arts career.
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Jared Wagner

Biography

Jared Wagner is the freshest repertoire of the country/pop genre today. Expressing his joy, love, energy and real life attitude in his lyrics, he has everyone that listens to his latest work wanting more. With his astonishing sound, heart of gold and dynamical talent, he is positioned to be the next soaring singer/songwriter and recording artist. Jared Wagner, beginning his career in the Pacific Northwest near Spokane, Washington, is expected to be rising up the charts not only in the U.S. but Internationally. He has the showmanship of a seasoned recording artist, having performed over 500 shows across the country from Los Angeles to New York, across Nashville, and Seattle. Jared's one of the youngest energetically talented independent artists arrived. Already a nationally acclaimed vocalist, not only has Wagner opened for famed artists such as Blackhawk, Aaron Tippin, Trace Adkins, and Little Jimmy Dickens to name a few, he has appeared on NBC's America's Most Talented Kids multiple times in Los Angeles and appeared at The World Championships of Performing Arts. Wagner's most recent album, released late 2007, featured songs from when Jared was seven to his own self-produced material, making this his 4th album. Jared recently recorded his latest singles "Country Boy Itch" and "I Love You about Me" and expecting to soon be releasing a new album with his greatest work yet! Jared is currently freelanced and is considering all offers and new bookings, interviews, and casting calls.
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