[WATCH] The Weekend Update: Memorial Day Edition

[WATCH] The Weekend Update: Memorial Day Edition


The weekend is never quite long enough, and it seems as though there’s always too much to do. With so many things happening, who can keep up? Don’t sweat it, we’ve got you covered; here are a some of the things that happened this past weekend – in case you missed it.

News: President Obama Addresses The Nation On Memorial Day

This holiday weekend, civilians and soldiers alike honored those who have died while serving our country. Memorial Day has its roots following the end of the Civil War in 1865, and though the exact origin is widely claimed by many locales in America, the recurring theme of a day of remembrance is universal and has endured. Speaking to the nation yesterday during an annual ceremony of remembrance, President Obama noted the added significance of this Memorial Day, in that “today is the first Memorial Day in 14 years that the United States is not engaged in a major ground war”.

News: Passing of John Nash

There were confirmed reports that the highly decorated mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr.  and his wife passed away on Saturday, May 23rd – due to an automobile accident in New Jersey. The 1994 Nobel Prize winning scholar most widely known for his work on game theory and differential equations, was also the subject of a critically adored best selling biography published in 1998, that would eventually become the similarly widely praised 2001 film by the same name, ‘A Beautiful Mind’. He is survived by his two children, and his immense contributions to the study of mathematics.

Entertainment: Holiday Box Office Numbers Lowest Since 2001

The numbers are in and for Hollywood, this Memorial Day weekend was a bit of a disappointment. The gross domestic ticket sales according to a report are roughly $190 million, led by the Walt Disney production ‘Tomorrowland’ starring George Clooney, which led box office sales with $41.7 million. According to additional reports, the Disney film was expected to make $50 million over the weekend, which would still represent a sharp decline from last years number one film ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ which raked in $110.6 million over the same period – good enough for the fifth best debut over four days. Despite the low numbers for the weekend, the box office is still up an estimated 4.5% year-to-date compared to last year, with ‘Pitch Perfect 2′ bringing in $38.5 million in its second weekend, and ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ claiming third place, also in it’s second week in theaters with $32.1 million.

Fashion Milestone: Rihanna Makes Her Dior Debut

On Memorial Day Monday, Rihanna and the storied luxury French fashion house Dior released the full four minute short film, the debut of the Barbadian singer as the face of the label; the first black woman in the nearly 70 year history of the brand. Per an earlier report, the film, and print campaign, were shot in Versailles in France by Steven Klein. There are additional reports that the pop star will replace Charlize Theron as the face of J’adore Dior perfume. Watch Rihanna’s debut below:


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