This could be a breakthrough season for Venus Williams, who is armed with the serve and the sass to tear up the WTA Tour. In 1998 she clocked a women's world record 127 m.p.h. serve and…
(Encyclopedia) Leibovitz, AnnieLeibovitz, Annielēbˈəvĭts [key], 1949–, American photographer, b. Waterbury, Conn., as Anna-Lou Leibovitz. A celebrated portrait photographer, she began contributing…
(Encyclopedia) San Francisco Opera, opera company, founded 1923 by Italian-American conductor Gaetano Merola, who oversaw its early years as a touring company. In 1932 it established a permanent home…
(Encyclopedia) Ivan V, 1666–96, czar of Russia (1682–96), son of Czar Alexis by his first wife. Ivan was mentally retarded, and on the death of his elder brother, Feodor III, his succession was…
(Encyclopedia) Guadalupe VictoriaGuadalupe Victoriagwäᵺäl&oomacr;ˈpā vēktōrˈyä [key], 1786?–1843, Mexican general, first president of Mexico (1824–29), whose original name was Manuel Félix…
(Encyclopedia) Bennett, Arnold (Enoch Arnold Bennett), 1867–1931, English novelist and dramatist. One of the great 20th-century English novelists, Bennett is famous for his realistic novels about the…
(Encyclopedia) GallitzinGallitzingəlĭtˈsĭn [key], Rus. GolytsinGallitzingəlyēˈtsĭn [key], Russian princely family. Among many alternate spellings are Galitzin, Galytzin, and Galitsin. Vasily…
(Encyclopedia) Houston, Samuel, 1793–1863, American frontier hero and statesman of Texas, b. near Lexington, Va.
In 1836 Houston was elected the first president of the new Republic of Texas. The…
(Encyclopedia) Juárez, BenitoJuárez, Benitobānēˈtō hwäˈrās [key], 1806–72, Mexican liberal statesman and national hero. Revered by Mexicans as one of their greatest political figures, Juárez, with…
