The Hadiya Kingdom (r. 13th century-15th century) was an ancient kingdom in located in southwestern Ethiopia, south of the Abbay River and west of Shewa. It was ruled by the Hadiya people, who spoke the Cushitic Hadiyya language. The historical Hadiya area was situated between Kembata, Gamo, and Waj, southwest of Shewa. By 1850, Hadiya is placed north-west of lakes Zway and Langano but still between these areas.

It was described in the mid-fourteenth century by the Arab historian Chihab Al-Umari as measuring eight days' journey by nine (which Richard Pankhurst estimates was 160 by 180 kilometers), and although small it was fertile with fruit and cereals, rich with horses and its inhabitants used pieces of iron as money. It could raise an army of 40,000 cavalry and at least twice as many foot soldiers.

The current Hadiya Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, is located approximately where this former kingdom was.

The earliest surviving mention of Hadiya is in the Kebra Nagast (ch. 94), indicating that it was in existence by the 13th century. Another early mention is in a manuscript written on the island monastery of Lake Hayq, which states that after conquering Damot, Emperor Amda Seyon proceeded to Hadiya and brought it under his control. Later in the reign of this Emperor, the King of Hadiya, Amano, refused to submit to the Emperor, encouraged by a Muslim "prophet of darkness" named Bel'am. Emperor Amda Seyon set forth for Hadiya, where he "slew the inhabitants of the country with the point of the sword", killing many of the inhabitants while enslaving others. Despite such punitive measures, many of the Hadiya people served in the military units of Amda Seyon.

Lena Dunham ( /ˈlinə ˈdənəm/ LEE-nə DUN-um; born May 13, 1986) is an American filmmaker and actress. She directed the independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), and is the creator and star of the HBO series Girls.

Dunham was born in New York City and is the daughter of Laurie Simmons, a photographer and designer, and Carroll Dunham, a painter. Dunham attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY, where she met Tiny Furniture actress and co-star in the HBO series Girls, Jemima Kirke.

She graduated from Oberlin College in 2008, where she studied creative arts. Her father is Protestant (Dunham has said that her father is a Mayflower descendant) and her mother is Jewish; Dunham has stated that she feels "very culturally Jewish".

Dunham's 2010 feature film, Tiny Furniture, won Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. Dunham herself plays the lead role of Aura.

Dunham's television series, Girls, was greenlit by HBO in early 2012. The show is executive produced by Judd Apatow. Three episodes were screened to positive response at the 2011 South by Southwest Festival. The series premiered April 15, 2012.

Joseph Samuel (c. 1780–?) was an Englishman legendary for the manner in which he survived execution. Convicted for robbery in 1795, he was sentenced in 1801 to transportation to Australia, aboard the Nile, Canada and Minorca. Australia then maintained a penal settlement at Sydney Cove. Security in the early penal settlements was reinforced by the isolation of the colony: guards trusted the Australian wilderness to kill any prisoners who attempted to escape.

Samuel succeeded in escaping and, with a gang, robbed the home of a wealthy woman, and in the process, a policeman sent to guard her home was murdered. The gang was hunted down and quickly captured, and during the trial, the woman recognized Joseph Samuel as one of the culprits. He confessed to robbing her home, but denied having murdered the policeman. The other members of the gang, including the leader, were acquitted due to lack of evidence, but because the woman identified Samuel, he was convicted and sentenced to hang by the neck until dead.