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Napolitano, Giorgio

(Encyclopedia)Napolitano, Giorgio, 1925–, Italian political leader, b. Naples. He studied law at the Univ. of Naples, and was a member of the Communist party from 1945 until its dissolution in 1991, when he joine...

Meissonier, Juste Aurèle

(Encyclopedia)Meissonier, Juste Aurèle māsônyāˈ [key], 1695–1750, French designer, b. Turin. At first a goldsmith, in 1724 he was appointed designer to the king under Louis XV, a position he held until his ...

Passy, Frédéric

(Encyclopedia)Passy, Frédéric frādārēkˈ päsēˈ [key], 1822–1912, French economist, winner (1901, with J. H. Dunant) of the first Nobel Peace Prize. He studied law but abandoned it for journalism and the s...

Blount, Winton Malcolm, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Blount, Winton Malcolm, Jr., 1921–2002, U.S. postmaster general (1969–71), b. Union Springs, Ala. A successful building contractor, he was (1946–68) president and chairman of the board of Blount...

Betancur Cuartas, Belisario

(Encyclopedia)Betancur Cuartas, Belisario, 1923–2018, Colombian politician. A member of the Conservative party from a working-class provincial family, he served as a legislator in Antioquia dept. before he was el...

Sobotka, Bohuslav

(Encyclopedia)Sobotka, Bohuslav bōˈho͞osläf sōˈbätkä [key], 1971–, Czech politician. Center-left in political philosophy and a member of the Czech Social Democratic party (CSSD) from 1989, Sobotka was fir...

Plain, the

(Encyclopedia)Plain, the, in French history, term designating the independent members of the National Convention during the French Revolution. The name was applied to them because, in contrast to the radical Mounta...

Villari, Pasquale

(Encyclopedia)Villari, Pasquale päskwäˈlā vēlˈlärē [key], 1826–1917, Italian historian and statesman. He took part in the Revolution of 1848, served in the legislative chamber (1867–82), and was ministe...

Herriot, Édouard

(Encyclopedia)Herriot, Édouard ādwärˈ ĕryōˈ [key], 1872–1957, French statesman and man of letters. After beginning an academic career he turned to politics. A moderate leftist, anticlerical, and antimilita...

Oberlin, Russell Keys

(Encyclopedia)Oberlin, Russell Keys, 1928–2016, American countertenor, b. Akron, Ohio, grad. Juilliard, 1951. A boy soprano, he sang in his church choir and on the radio, and won a nationwide radio talent competi...