Billion

A billion is a number with two distinct definitions:

American English always uses the short scale definition but British English has employed both versions. Historically, the United Kingdom used the long scale billion but since 1974 official UK statistics have used the short scale. Since the 1950s the short scale has been increasingly used in technical writing and journalism, although the long scale definition still enjoys common usage.

Other countries use the word billion (or words cognate to it) to denote either the long scale or short scale billion. For details, see Long and short scales – Current usage.

Paul Giamatti

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (/dʒiəˈmɑːti/; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Cinderella Man and is also known for his roles in the films Private Parts, Sideways, American Splendor, The Illusionist, Cold Souls, Barney's Version, Big Fat Liar, Love & Mercy, Straight Outta Compton, and Win Win, as well as the miniseries John Adams. He has won two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Early life

Giamatti was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the youngest of three children. His father, A. Bartlett Giamatti (Angelo Bartlett Giamatti), was a Yale University professor who later became president of the university and commissioner of Major League Baseball. His mother, Toni Marilyn Giamatti (née Smith), was a homemaker and English teacher who taught at Hopkins School and had also previously acted. His paternal grandfather's family were Italian immigrants from Telese Terme; the family surname was originally spelled "Giammattei" (Italian pronunciation: [dʒammatˈtɛi]). The rest of Giamatti's ancestry is German, Dutch, English, French, Irish, and Scottish. His paternal grandmother had deep roots in New England, dating back to the colonial era. His brother, Marcus, is also an actor, and his sister, Elena, is a jewelry designer.