Oss [ɔs] ( listen) is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.

There is archaeological evidence that humans have lived in and around Oss for 4,000 years. Major archaeological finds were the Vorstengraf burial sites and the indigenous-Roman burial fields of Oss-Ussen.

Oss was first mentioned in a letter by Pope Alexander II on 6 May 1069. Oss was granted city rights in 1399 by Hertogin (Duchess) Johanna van Brabant. Present-day Oss has several chemical and pharmaceutical industries like Merck & Co. (previously Schering-Plough, Organon and Diosynth). Oss is also host to the professional football team FC Oss, and is the birthplace of former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ruud van Nistelrooy, although he did not play for the local side, but for rivals FC Den Bosch.

The gothic metal/alternative rock band The Gathering, formed in 1989, originally hails from Oss.

Today there is only one coffeeshop left, called "The Jungle".

Berghem is a small town east of Oss (population: 6,900). Berghem is currently being expanded with many new houses in the Piekenhoef.

Lisa Nilsson (born August 13, 1970, in Tyresö) is a Swedish singer. She was discovered by the legendary producer William (Billy) Butt and she is perhaps best known in Sweden for her 1992 hit, Himlen runt hörnet, witten by Mauro Scocco and Johan Ekelund. It was released in English in 1995, titled Ticket to Heaven. She has released four subsequent albums, Till Morelia in 1995, Viva in 2000, Små rum in 2002 and Hotel Vermont 609 in 2006, all in Swedish. A greatest hits compilation, Samlade sånger followed in 2003 and contained two new songs. Prior to Himlen runt hörnet she had released two English language albums, Lean On Love in 1989 and Indestructible in 1991, both released by William Butt

Nilsson's style ranges from out and out pop music to soul-inflected ballads and dance tracks on her earlier albums to a more mature jazz feel in her more recent work, perhaps reflecting familial connections as her father Gösta Nilsson is a jazz pianist.

In 2002 she moved into acting with appearances in the Swedish TV sitcom, Cleo and a role in the Swedish film Paradiset made by British-born director Colin Nutley.

Håkan Hellström (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhoːkan ˈhɛlːstrøm]) (born 2 April 1974) is a Swedish musician. He got his Swedish breakthrough in the year 2000 with the song "Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg" ("Don't feel sorry for me, Gothenburg"). In 2005, Hellström released his fourth album, Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått (literally: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue), which is a collection of old material that never made it onto any of his albums, a few new songs and covers. In 2006, following the birth of his son, he announced that he would take a break from touring and recording. Despite this, he still performed occasional gigs. Since then he has released his fifth album För sent för Edelweiss (Too Late for Edelweiss). His sixth and most recent album is the critically acclaimed 2 steg från Paradise, released on October 13, 2010.

Hellström played drums in the Swedish indie pop band Broder Daniel between 1988 and 1994, then briefly for Swedish alternative rock band Honey Is Cool. In 1997 he rejoined Broder Daniel to play the bass, until 2003 when he left the band again to focus completely on his solo career. Although sometimes accused for consistently singing out of tune, he has over time grown to be popular with all ages due to his enthusiasm, scene energy and interpretations of old popular favourites live.^{[citation needed]}

Rickson Gracie (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁiksõ ˈɡɾejsi]; born November 20, 1958) is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.

Rickson Gracie, son of Helio Gracie, was born into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. At six years old he began competing; at 15 he started to teach it; and at 18 he received his black belt. At 20 Rickson won his first victory against the famous 230-pound Brazilian brawler Rei Zulu. With this victory, Rickson gained immediate national acclaim as the top freestyle fighter, leaving his mark on the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the Gracie challenge. Five years later Zulu requested a rematch and lost to Rickson again, in Maracanazinho before an audience of 20,000 spectators.

In the 1997 Pride 1 Vale Tudo match in Japan's Tokyo Dome (before 47,860 spectators), Gracie defeated Japanese professional wrestler, Nobuhiko Takada, in 4:47 of the first round. A year later, to the day, at Pride 4, Rickson defeated Takada once again. At Colosseum 2000, held at the Tokyo Dome, broadcast to 30 million TV Tokyo viewers, Rickson fought Masakatsu Funaki. He defeated his opponent with a rear naked choke in 11:46 of the first round.

OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent initially from the pen of the prolific Jean Bruce. Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an American Colonel from Louisiana of French descent. After service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), de La Bath worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), then the National Security Council (NSC).

In the real-life OSS, code number 117 was allocated to William L. Langer, who was chief of the Research and Analysis Branch of the OSS.

Bruce wrote 88 OSS 117 novels for the French publishing house Fleuve Noir Espionnage series beginning with Tu parles d'une ingénue (Ici OSS 117) in 1949, predating Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 by four years. After Jean Bruce died in a car accident in 1963, his wife Josette Bruce (signing as "J.Bruce") wrote 143 OSS 117 novels before retiring in 1985. Starting in 1987, Bruce's daughter Martine and her husband François wrote 23 more OSS 117 books. The last published novel was O.S.S. 117 prend le large in 1992.