Fourth Doctor

The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Tom Baker for seven consecutive seasons and remains the longest-lived incarnation of the Doctor in the show's on-screen history, counting both the classic and modern series. Further to this, he is considered to be the most recognisable and iconic incarnation of the Doctor both in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body, changing his physical appearance and personality in the process. Baker portrays the fourth such incarnation, a whimsical and sometimes brooding individual whose enormous personal warmth is at times tempered by his capacity for righteous anger. His initial companion was intrepid journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), who had travelled alongside him in his previous incarnation, and she is later joined by surgeon Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter). His later companions included robotic dog K-9, savage alien warrior Leela (Louise Jameson), female Time Lord Romana (Mary Tamm and Lalla Ward), alien aristocrat Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), boy genius Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), and Australian flight attendant Tegan (Janet Fielding).

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC from 1963 to the present day. The programme depicts the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord—a space and time-travelling humanoid alien. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-travelling space ship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes, while working to save civilisations and help people in need.

The show is a significant part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it has become a cult television favourite. The show has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot, in the form of a television film. The programme was relaunched in 2005 by Russell T Davies, who was showrunner and head writer for the first five years of its revival, produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. The first series of the 21st century featured Christopher Eccleston in the title role and was produced by the BBC. Series two and three had some development money contributed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which was credited as a co-producer.Doctor Who also spawned spin-offs in multiple media, including Torchwood (2006–2011) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011), both created by Russell T Davies; K-9 (2009–2010); and a single pilot episode of K-9 and Company (1981). There also have been many spoofs and cultural references to the character in other media.

Doctor

Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:

Personal titles

Fictional characters

Film and television

Tom Baker

Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor. He is best known as the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981, a longer tenure than any other actor, and for the narration of the comedy series Little Britain. Baker's voice, which has been described as "sonorous", was once voted the fourth most recognisable in the UK.

At the age of 15 Baker began study as a monk. However, he gradually lost his vocation and at 21 he left monastic life and undertook National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. On leaving the army, he joined the Merchant Navy and then became an actor, joining the Royal National Theatre Company under Laurence Olivier. Baker's first major film role was as Rasputin in Nicholas and Alexandra in 1971. He went on to play the villainous Prince Koura in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad in 1973, which led to his casting in Doctor Who. His period of starring in the series was distinguished by high viewing figures and many stories which became regarded as classics. He remains one of the most instantly recognisable incarnations of the character. He continued to win regular roles in TV later in his career, most notably in the series Medics and Monarch of the Glen. In addition to performing acting roles, Baker has narrated commercials, video games, audiobooks and television series.

Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day of the United States, also referred to as Fourth of July or July Fourth in the U.S., is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

Background

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail: