Maryland

Maryland ⁱ/ˈmɛrᵻlənd/ is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. The state's largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. It has three occasionally used nicknames: the Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State.

One of the original Thirteen Colonies, Maryland is considered to be the birthplace of religious freedom in America, when it was formed in the early 17th century as an intended refuge for persecuted Catholics from England by George Calvert. George Calvert was the first Lord Baltimore and the first English proprietor of the then-Maryland colonial grant. Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.

Maryland is one of the smallest states in terms of area, as well as one of the most densely populated states with nearly 6 million residents. With its close proximity to Washington, D.C., and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, services, and biotechnology, Maryland has the highest median household income of any state.

Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger (German pronunciation: [diˈa:nə ˈkru:ɡɐ]; born Diane Heidkrüger; 15 July 1976) is a German actress and former fashion model. She is known for roles such as Helen in the epic war film Troy (2004), Dr. Abigail Chase in the adventure/heist film National Treasure (2004) and its sequel (2007), Bridget von Hammersmark in the Quentin Tarantino-directed war film Inglourious Basterds (2009), Anna in the sci-fi drama Mr. Nobody (2009), and Gina in the psychological thriller film Unknown (2011). She plays the Seeker/Lacey in the romantic sci-fi thriller The Host (2013). From 2013 to 2014, she starred as Detective Sonya Cross in the FX television crime drama series The Bridge.

Early life

She was born as Diane Heidkrüger on 15 July 1976 in Algermissen, Germany, in the west near Hildesheim, the daughter of computer specialist Hans-Heinrich Heidkrüger, and his wife, Maria-Theresa, a bank employee. She was brought up Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school. She has stated that one of her grandmothers was Polish.