The State of the Union is the address presented by the President of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress, typically delivered annually. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows presidents to outline their legislative agenda (for which they need the cooperation of Congress) and their national priorities. The address fulfills rules in Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, requiring the President to periodically give Congress information on the "state of the union" and recommend any measures that he believes are necessary and expedient. During most of the country's first century, the President primarily just submitted a written report to Congress. With the advent of radio and television, the address is now broadcast live across the country on most networks.

Lindsey Caroline Vonn (née Kildow; born October 18, 1984) is an American World Cup alpine ski racer on the United States Ski Team. She has won four World Cup championships—one of two female skiers to do so, along with Annemarie Moser-Pröll—with three consecutive titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010, plus another in 2012. Vonn won the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the first ever in the event for an American woman. She has also won six consecutive World Cup season titles in the downhill discipline (2008–2013), four consecutive titles in super-G (2009–2012), and three consecutive titles in the combined (2010–2012).

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. He was born Michael King but his father, Martin Luther King, Sr., changed his name in honor of the German reformer Martin Luther. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. With the SCLC, King led an unsuccessful struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia (the Albany Movement), in 1962, and organized nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, that attracted national attention following television news coverage of the brutal police response. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Sienna Rose Diana Miller (born 28 December 1981) is an American-born British actress, model and fashion designer. In 2008, she was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award, while for her role as Tippi Hedren in the 2012 TV film The Girl, she was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Her film roles include the crime thriller Layer Cake (2004), the comedy Alfie (2004), the biopic Factory Girl (2006), the drama The Edge of Love (2008), the military science fiction action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), the biographical drama Foxcatcher (2014) and the biographical action film American Sniper (2014).

Gisele Caroline Bündchen, born July 20, 1980, is a Brazilian fashion model, actress, and producer. She is the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977), known universally as Tom Brady, is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the University of Michigan, he was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

Nicole Mary Kidman, AC (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian actress, and film producer.Kidman's breakthrough film role was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. After appearing in several films in the early 1990s, she came to worldwide recognition for her performances in Days of Thunder (1990), Far and Away (1992), and Batman Forever (1995). Other successful films followed in the late 1990s. Her performance in the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001) earned her a second Golden Globe Award and first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Kidman's performance as Virginia Woolf in the drama film The Hours (2002) received critical acclaim and earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009. The Sugar Bowl, along with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl, are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. The Sugar Bowl is also a member of the Bowl Championship Series. Presently, its official title is the Allstate Sugar Bowl after its current sponsor.

The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 (New Year's Day) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2 (14 times now). The Rose Bowl is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All" because it is the oldest bowl game. It was first played in 1902, and has been played annually since 1916. Since 1945, it has been the highest attended college football bowl game. It is a part of the Tournament of Roses "America's New Year Celebration", which also includes the historic Tournament of Roses Parade.