Hot Latest trends

April 15 is my dad's birthday, so it's a date that always has a special spot in my calendar (Hi Dad!) But as it turns out today is a surprisingly momentous date in world history, boasting a number of famous birthdays, two huge tragedies, the end of an actual war and the beginning of one restaurant's metaphorical war against global health. And you just thought it was Tax Day!

Because I am a nerd for "on this day in history" features as well as for movies, I've compiled 8 of the more notable events that took place on this day, April 15, and picked movies you can watch to commemorate them. Some are classics, some are objectively awful, but a lot of them are available on Netflix Watch Instantly, which means you can spend a few minutes happily immersed in some cultural oddities the way I have all morning. It's Friday! Your taxes are (hopefully) paid! What else is going to bring you more historical, nerdy joy? Celebrate history and my dad's birthday by checking our your options below.

What happened: On this day in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born.
What happened: On this day in 1783, the Continental Congress ratified what's called the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.
What you should watch: The Revolutionary War isn't one of the more popular wars for American movies for some reason, and no, I'm not going to tell you to watch The Patriot just because it vaguely fits the theme. For the story of one of the people who ratified that treaty, and was sent to Paris to represent the new country, head to TV's John Adams miniseries. It's good history, quality television-- it racked up 13 Emmys-- and more good work from The King's Speech director Tom Hooper.
What happened: On this day in 1865, Abraham Lincoln died after being shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth the previous night, during a performance at Ford's Theater.
What you should watch: Even though this weekend's The Conspirator actually depicts the shooting and the aftermath of Lincoln's death, it's simply not a good movie. The best Lincoln movie may still be yet to come-- that'd be Spielberg's Daniel Day-Lewis-starring biopic, due in 2013-- but in the meantime revisit Lincoln's earlier days with the classic Young Mr. Lincoln, directed by the eternal John Ford and starring Henry Fonda, possibly as iconic a symbol of America as Lincoln himself.

What you should watch: Da Vinci has actually made relatively few screen appearances, and has no biopic focused on his genius like, say, Michelangelo's The Agony and the Ecstasy. So you're gonna have to settle for Hudson Hawk, the famously disastrous caper comedy in which Bruce Willis is a master burglar on a mission to stop an evil plot to take over the world by reconstructing some of Da Vinci's more powerful inventions. Da Vinci himself only pops up in the opening sequence, tinkering in his castle of a laboratory, but really, how better to celebrate the birth of a genius than by watching a movie that single-handedly destroyed its production company? (It was the last film released by Tri Star Entertainment before being bought out by Columbia Pictures) It's available to watch on Netflix Instant.

What happened: On this day in 1912, The RMS Titanic sank at 2:20 am, two hours and forty minutes after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Over 1500 people were killed.
What you should watch: I'm not even going to pretend there's a choice here. Watch Titanic and get over any notion you might have that it's not a good movie or doesn't hold up (read my ten year anniversary defense if you need more convincing).

What happened: On this day in 1942, Kenneth Lay, the CEO and chairman of Enron, was born.
What you should watch: I'm gonna cheat and give you two choices here, one obvious and one not so much. Clearly the best way to understand Lay's work and impact is to watch Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Alex Gibney's incredibly detailed documentary about exactly what happened at the company now synonymous with corporate greed (it's also streaming on Netflix Instant). For a more oblique analysis of Lay's impact, check out Tom McCarthy's new film Win Win in theaters now. Yes it's about a high school wrestling coach, but as McCarthy himself said in my interview with him, it's kind of an allegory for companies like Enron, that were cornerstones of communities even while doing terrible things. It's also a lot funnier than the documentary, if that's what you're looking for.

What happened: On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers, effectively breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. The Dodgers won the game 5-3.
What you should watch: There's a Robinson biopic in the works now with Robert Redford attached, but it probably won't match the surrealness of 1950's The Jackie Robinson Story, a biopic about Robinson in which he played himself, believe it or not. Even stranger, the New York Times Review praised Robinson's acting, writing "displays a calm assurance and composure that might be envied by many a Hollywood star." Best of all, you can watch it now on Netflix Instant.

What happened:On this day in 1955 Ray Kroc opened a franchised McDonalds in Des Plaines, Illinois; for whatever reason the corporation counts this as their founding date.
What you should watch: Mac And Me is not a good movie by any means, but it does hold the honor of winning Ronald McDonald a Razzie Award as "Worst New Star" thanks to his cameo in a four-minute dance sequence that takes place, for no apparent reason, entirely within a McDonalds. There's some evidence that the fast food chain didn't actually pay for this reference, but the scene is pretty difficult to distinguish from the actual singing and dancing McDonalds ads I remember from the time. Watch the dance sequence below, and if that wasn't enough McDonalds for you-- after all, the main alien character is named after a Big Mac-- the entire movie is streaming on Netflix. Prepare to be astonished. 

What happened: On this day in 1990, Emma Watson was born.
What you should watch: Hermione turns 21 today, y'all. None of the Harry Potter movies are on Netflix Instant, but turn on ABC Family and at some point today one of them will probably come on. Make sure and protest the terrible treatment of house elves while you do it.

As a final note, if you do in fact want to honor my dad's birthday, his favorite movie is The Magnificent Seven. It's also on Watch Instantly.

Most people recognize the many benefits of learning a foreign language:  You can travel to foreign countries and feel comfortable, be a more productive and enticing employee in today’s competitive job market, and immerse yourself in the vast cultures that surround you. Scientific studies have even shown that learning a new language helps to keep memories sharp and naturally enhances overall brain function.

Sure, TV land has always been filled with characters who live in impossibly large New York City apartments ('Friends' gang, we're looking at you!). But there are also TV types who represent their more modest salaries in a realistic way.For example, no one could turn a lump of cheap meat into a hearty meal for a family of five like Roseanne Conner, and few look cuter clipping coupons than 'The Middle''s Frankie Heck. And, with our shaky economy these days, it was only a matter of time before reality TV caught up -- enter TLC's 'Extreme Couponing' (premieres Wed., April 6, 9PM ET).

The U.S. Supreme Court won’t get involved in a royalty dispute between Universal Music Group and rap artist Eminem and his producers over music sold online, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for record deals across the industry.
The court this morning denied an appeal from Universal Music Group.
The dispute centers on the rate of royalties Eminem and his producers are entitled to for music sold online – in downloads from iTunes, for example, or ringtones sold through cellphone providers.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled last year that the artist and his producers were entitled to a much bigger percentage of royalties from digital music sales than from physical CD and album sales.
Universal Music Group appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court.
The higher court’s denial of that appeal means the case will return to the Los Angeles courtroom where the case was first heard, within 30 to 60 days to determine damages, said Richard Busch, the Nashville-based attorney with King & Ballow, who represents Eminem’s producers, FBT Productions.
Eminem and FBT stand to gain tens of millions of dollars in retroactive royalties. They had been receiving 12 percent of online music royalties sold. The 9th Circuit said they were entitled to 50 percent instead.
Industry observers say the case could impact more than just Eminem’s royalties, and at a high cost to recording companies. A large percentage of record contracts like Eminem’s, which was signed in 1998 -- predating the digital era, spelled out smaller royalty payments for music sold in physical form than music licensed for other uses – in movies, for example. The 9th Circuit determined that the sale of online music is a “license” rather than a sale.

She's a U.K. model, by the way.

Are you familiar with Kelly Brook's work? You've probably seen her modeling lingerie or maybe in a movie... I'm not going to lie and say she's known for something other than having a fantastic body. That's the truth. Well, now Kelly Brook is pregnant and ecstatic!
Read: Kelly Brook Shows Us How Weekend Pretty Is Done
Kelly recently posed for a lingerie line with New Look and nude for... a lot of stuff, but she'll likely be taking a break from the modeling while she's celebrating the impending birth of her baby girl.
The former Playboy model tweeted: "Thom and I are happy to announce we are expecting a baby girl.
We are delighted XXXX."
What I found interesting about Kelly Brook's announcement is the timing. She's been dating rugby player Thom Evens for three months, and she just made the announcement. Does that mean she got pregnant right away with Thom's baby? Most people wait until the three-month mark or more to make an announcement, just to be sure. I hate to say it, but is there any chance that this baby isn't his...?
Read: Kelly Brook Gets Dolled Up
Kelly's also been regularly featured in U.K. press for dressing more casually in the United States--she's been seen a lot in Los Angeles lately. Perhaps it wasn't the casual L.A. style that made Kelly want to dress down, but bloating and morning sickness? I'd believe it.

Vanessa Hudgens better be careful or she'll end up meeting the same fate as Kim Kardashian. Putting an exact age on when you want to be married and telling it to the press isn't generally the best idea. But Vanessa is still only 22, so 30 probably feels a long way off.

Read: Vanessa Hudgens Also Spills on Zac Efron Split in Shape Interview
Vanessa Hudgens has been all over the news lately for breaking up with long-time boyfriend and High School Musical star Zac Efron. And while we're still gunning for the two to get back together, it's looking less and less likely that it's going to happen. But Vanessa still hasn't given up on love.
In fact, she's talking about marriage in the newest issue of Shape magazine and even has a little timeline for herself. She claims, "I hope by the time I'm 30 to have a husband and maybe a baby." Uh oh. This is all strangely reminiscent of Kim Kardashian saying she wanted to be a mom by age 30. Then when age 30 hit, Kardashian was still jumping around from boyfriend to boyfriend.

Back when I was a kid, I always used to say I wanted to be married by age 25. Then when I hit age 25, I realized how ridiculous that was and how far I was from marriage. If I were a celebrity, I would never be putting dates and goals on my relationships. This interview will be saved forever and when Vanessa Hudgens hits age 30 (in 8 long years!), we'll all be checking to see where she is in life.

Read: Does Vanessa Hudgens Have a New Man Already?
But even if it's not at age 30, Vanessa does know she wants to be a mom. She tellsShape, "I love children. They're so much fun, and I would have a blast spoiling them!" And uh, helping them grow up into lovely adults, I hope.
Here's to all of Vanessa Hudgens' dreams coming true! And now we'll keep watching to see if Zac Efron will end up being that lucky man.