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gambling

(Encyclopedia)gambling or gaming, betting of money or valuables on, and often participation in, games of chance (some involving degrees of skill). In England and in the United States, gambling was not a common-law ...

Robinson, Jackie

(Encyclopedia)Robinson, Jackie (Jack Roosevelt Robinson), 1919–72, American baseball player, the first African-American player in the modern major leagues, b. Cairo, Ga. He grew up in Pasadena, Calif., where he b...

Brundage, Avery

(Encyclopedia)Brundage, Avery āˈvərē brŭnˈdĭj [key], 1887–1975, American sports executive, b. Detroit, Mich. A member of the 1912 U.S. Olympic track and field team, he became a leader of the Olympic moveme...

Springfield

(Encyclopedia)Springfield. 1 City (1990 pop. 105,227), state capital and seat of Sangamon co., central Ill., on the Sangamon River; settled 1818, inc. as a city 1840. In a rich agricultural region (sorghum, corn, c...

Diagoras of Rhodes

(Encyclopedia)Diagoras of Rhodes, ancient Greek athlete, fl. 5th cent. b.c. A boxer and wrester, he won an Olympic championship in 464 b.c. and won numerous times at the Pythian, Isthmian, and Nemean games. Pindar ...

Rogge, Jacques

(Encyclopedia)Rogge, Jacques zhäk rōˈkhə [key], 1942–, Belgian sports executive, b. Ghent. An orthopedic surgeon with a degree in sports medicine, Rogge is an accomplished sailor who competed in Olympic yacht...

Nurmi, Paavo

(Encyclopedia)Nurmi, Paavo päˈvō no͝orˈmē [key], 1897–1973, Finnish track star. Between 1920 and 1932 he set 20 world running records and won nine Olympic gold medals. His Olympic victories included the 10,...

Coubertin, Pierre Frédy, baron de

(Encyclopedia)Coubertin, Pierre Frédy, baron de pyĕr frādēˈ, də co͞obĕrtăNˈ [key], 1863–1937, French founder of the modern Olympic games. Born into an aristocratic family, he pursued a career as an educ...

Samaranch, Juan Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Samaranch, Juan Antonio (Juan Antonio Samaranch Torello, marqués de Samaranch), 1920–2010, Spanish Olympic official. He was a businessman, an elected public official, and served (1977–80) as Span...

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