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Bienville, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, sieur de

(Encyclopedia)Bienville, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, sieur de zhäN bätēstˈ lə mwän syör də byăNvēlˈ [key], 1680–1768, colonizer and governor of Louisiana, b. Ville Marie (on the site of Montreal), Canada; ...

Rezanov, Nikolai Petrovich

(Encyclopedia)Rezanov, Nikolai Petrovich nyĭkəlīˈ pētrôˈvîch ryĕzäˈnəf [key], 1764–1807, Russian trader, an official of the Russian American Company. In 1803 he headed an expedition that aimed to go a...

Mazzini, Giuseppe

(Encyclopedia)Mazzini, Giuseppe jo͞ozĕpˈpā mät-sēˈnē [key], 1805–72, Italian patriot and revolutionist, an outstanding figure of the Risorgimento. His youth was spent in literary and philosophical studies...

Vinland

(Encyclopedia)Vinland or Wineland, section of North America discovered by Leif Ericsson in the 11th cent. The sources for the knowledge of Leif Ericsson's exploration differ as to whether it was planned or accident...

Birkeland, Kristian

(Encyclopedia)Birkeland, Kristian or Olaf Christian krĭsˈtyän bērˈkəlän, ōˈläv [key], 1867–1917, Norwegian physicist. From 1898 Birkeland was a professor at the Univ. of Christiania (now Oslo). Noted fo...

Aguirre, Lope de

(Encyclopedia)Aguirre, Lope de lōˈpā ᵺā agēˈrā [key], c.1510–1561, Spanish rebel and adventurer in colonial South America. He was often involved in violence and sedition before joining (1560) the expedit...

Catania

(Encyclopedia)Catania kätäˈnyä [key], city, capital of Catania prov., E Sicily, Italy, on the Gulf of C...

Maccabees, Jewish family

(Encyclopedia)Maccabees or Machabees both: măkˈəbēz [key], Jewish family of the 2d and 1st cent. b.c. that brought about a restoration of Jewish political and religious life. They are also called Hasmoneans or ...

Davis, Charles Henry

(Encyclopedia)Davis, Charles Henry, 1807–77, American naval officer and scientist, b. Boston. Appointed a midshipman in 1823, Davis directed operations of the Coast Survey for a time along the New England coast. ...

Montgomery, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Montgomery, Richard, 1738?–1775, American Revolutionary general, b. Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland. After entering the British army, he was sent (1757) to Canada in the French and Indian Wars and saw a...