Joseph Black FRSE FRCPE FPSG (16 April 1728 – 6 December 1799) was a Scottish physician and chemist, known for his discoveries of latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of Medicine at University of Glasgow (where he also served as lecturer in Chemistry). James Watt, who was appointed as philosophical instrument maker at the same university in 1756 consulted with Black on experiments with his steam engine. Watt and Black also collaborated in project to manufacture sodium hydroxide; however, Black was not known to have any business interest in the process, which did not enjoy commercial success. The chemistry buildings at both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow are named after Black.

Black was born in Bordeaux, France, where his father, who was from Belfast, Ireland, was engaged in the wine trade. His mother was from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and her family was also in the wine business. Joseph had twelve brothers and sisters. He entered the University of Glasgow when he was eighteen years old, and four years later he went to Edinburgh to further his medical studies.

Eddie Spears (born November 29, 1982) is an American actor. He is a member of the Kul Wicasa Oyate Lakota (often called "Sioux") Lower Brulé Tribe of South Dakota.

He has 5 brothers and 1 sister. His older brother Michael is also an actor.

Spears has been in the spotlight since age 10 starting with his first role in TNT's production of Geronimo. It was shot in Arizona.

According to him, his most rewarding role to date was Shane Chasing Horse in Dreamkeeper.

When he was cast for the lead in Black Cloud (2004), directed by Rick Schroder, he trained for three months with legendary boxing trainer Jimmy Gambia to perfect his boxing skills before filming started. The story is about a Navajo boxer training for the Golden Gloves with the promise of a spot at the Olympics while struggling with the secrets of his family's heritage. One of the scenes was filmed in Las Vegas during the 2003 Golden Gloves National Championship.

He attended and was a mentor at the 2nd annual HatcH audiovisual festival in Bozeman, Montana in October 2005. HatcH is a film and arts festival whose mission is to provide mentorship, education, inspiration, and recognition to the next generation of creative innovators.

Rahm Israel Emanuel (pronounced /ˈrɑːm/; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. He served as senior advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998 and as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 5th congressional district, from 2003 until his resignation in 2009 to take his position in the Obama Administration.

Emanuel was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 mid-term elections and remained a top strategist for House Democrats during the 2008 cycle. After Democrats regained control of the House in 2006, Emanuel was elected chairman of the Democratic Caucus. This made him the fourth-ranking House Democrat, behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.

Two days after Obama's election victory, Emanuel was announced as Obama's designee for White House Chief of Staff. He resigned from the House on January 2, 2009, and began his duties as Chief of Staff on January 20, 2009, the day of Obama's inauguration.