actor, screenwriter Born: 8/4/1955Birthplace: Hot Springs, Arkansas After a long stint as a low-profile actor and screenwriter, Thornton careened to stardom for writing, directing, and acting in…
(Encyclopedia) Burke, Robert O'Hara, 1820–61, Irish explorer of Australia. After service in the Belgian and Austrian armies he went (1853) as inspector of police to Melbourne. In 1860, with W. J.…
(Encyclopedia) will, in law, document expressing the wishes of a person (known as a testator) concerning the disposition of her property after her death. If a person dies intestate, i.e., without a…
(Encyclopedia) Ollivant, Alfred, 1874–1927, English novelist. He wrote the classic dog story Bob, Son of Battle (1898), published in England as Owd Bob. Other works include The Gentleman (1908), The…
(Encyclopedia) Powell, Cecil Frank, 1903–69, British nuclear physicist, Ph.D. Cambridge, 1927. Powell joined the faculty at the Univ. of Bristol in 1927, was named Melville Wills Professor of Physics…
(Encyclopedia) living will or advance health care directive, legal document in which a person expresses in advance his or her wishes concerning the use of artificial life support and other medical…
(Encyclopedia) probateprobateprōˈbāt [key], in law, the certification by a court that a will is valid. Probate, which is governed by various statutes in the several states of the United States, is…
(Encyclopedia) Crosby, BingCrosby, Bingkrôzˈbē [key], 1903–77, American singer and film actor, b. Tacoma, Wash., as Harry Lillis Crosby. He sang with dance bands from 1925 to 1930 and in 1931 began…
