Tom Hanks Movies
When Paramount refused to fund the iconic scene where the title character runs across America, Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis paid for it out of pocket in exchange for a larger share of the backend profits.
What is Forrest Gump?
Liechtenstein is one of only two "doubly landlocked" countries in the world—meaning it is surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries. This Central European nation is the other.
What is Uzbekistan?
Derived from the Dutch word for "to hunt," this term originally referred to a swift light vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates, but now describes any luxury recreational vessel.
What is a yacht?
On July 21, 2011, this spacecraft touched down at the Kennedy Space Center, officially concluding NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle program after 135 total missions.
What is Atlantis?
You look at it every day on your computer keyboard, but the key with the wavy symbol (~) in the top left corner officially bears this name.
What is a tilde?
Tom Hanks made his directorial feature debut with this 1996 musical comedy about the one-hit wonder pop band "The Wonders," for which he also wrote the screenplay and composed original music.
What is That Thing You Do!?
Sharing the only land borders between the European Union and mainland Africa, name one of these two autonomous Spanish cities that are situated directly on the North African coast bordering Morocco.
What are Ceuta and Melilla?
From the Turkish word for "summer residence," this term refers to a wooden mansion or seaside villa built along the banks of the Bosphorus strait during the Ottoman era.
What is a yali?
Following a referendum in early 2011 where over 98% voted for seceding from the north, this nation officially declared independence on July 9, 2011, becoming Africa's newest country.
What is South Sudan?
Visible just before sunrise or after sunset, the subtle pinkish-orange band seen in the eastern or western sky above the Earth's shadow is named after this Roman goddess.
What is the Belt of Venus?
Though Hanks is famously the voice of Woody, his lesser-known animated role had him voicing five distinct characters—including the Train Conductor, Santa Claus, and the Hero Boy's Father—in this 2004 motion-capture film.
What is The Polar Express?
This is the highest mountain peak in Western Europe.
What is Mont Blanc?
Native to North America and Eurasia, this genus of evergreen coniferous trees, known scientifically as Taxus, produces toxic red arils and wood historically prized for crafting English longbows.
What is the yew?
Triggered by a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011, a level 7 nuclear meltdown occurred at this Japanese power plant.
What is Fukushima Daiichi?
While the plastic tip of a shoelace is famously an aglet, the small plastic or metal ring reinforcing the eyelet hole it passes through goes by this nautical-sounding name.
What is a grommet?
A poignant story in Tom Hanks' 1994 Best Actor acceptance speech for this film—in which he thanked his gay high school drama teacher—directly inspired the plot of the 1997 comedy In & Out.
What is Philadelphia?
Separated by only 7 miles via the Strait of Bonifacio, France's island of Corsica lies directly north of this Italian island—the second-largest in the Mediterranean.
What is Sardinia?
In Norse cosmology, this immense sacred ash tree connects the nine worlds, with roots reaching into Niflheim, Jötunheimr, and Asgard, while the dragon Níðhöggr gnaws at its base.
What is Yggdrasil?
Beginning in Zuccotti Park on September 17, 2011, this protest movement against economic inequality adopted the rallying slogan "We are the 99%".
What is Occupy Wall Street?
It sits right under your feet at every doorway, but the raised wooden, stone, or metal strip across the bottom of a door frame that seals out draft and water has this formal architectural name.
What is a threshold (or sill)?
For their realistic portrayal of military operations in this 1998 World War II epic, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were awarded the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award.
What is Saving Private Ryan?
Originating in Germany's Black Forest and flowing into the Black Sea, this 1,770-mile river passes through or bounds more countries than any other river on Earth, including flowing directly through four national capitals.
What is the Danube River?
Known for his alternative rock style and genre-blending tracks like "11 Minutes" and "Parents," this English musician born Dominic Harrison adopted a stage moniker derived from a former manager's nickname.
Who is Yungblud?
After 23 years of authoritarian rule, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia in January 2011, making this North African country the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
What is Tunisia?
While the bow of a violin or cello is made of wood and horsehair, the small piece at the bottom end of the bow that you turn to tighten or loosen the hair goes by this animal-inspired name.
What is a frog?