(Encyclopedia) sampler, sample piece of needlework or embroidery, of silk, cotton, or worsted, for the preservation of some pattern or as an example of the ability of a child or a beginner. In…
(Encyclopedia) RamsgateRamsgaterămzˈgĭt [key], town (1991 pop. 36,678), in the Isle of Thanet, Kent, SE England. Ramsgate is a resort and yachting harbor. The town began as a fishing settlement, and…
(Encyclopedia) Roscius, QuintusRoscius, Quintuskwĭnˈtəs rŏshˈəs [key], c.126 b.c.–62 b.c., Roman actor. Born a slave at Solonium, he became the greatest comic actor of his time. From the dictator…
(Encyclopedia) Delaney, ShelaghDelaney, Shelaghshēˈlə [key], 1939–, English playwright, b. Salford, Lancashire. Her first play, written when she was only 17, was A Taste of Honey (1958), about a…
(Encyclopedia) Francesca da RiminiFrancesca da Riminifränchĕsˈkä dä rēˈmēnē [key], fl. 13th cent., Italian beauty, daughter of Guido da Polenta of Ravenna. She was married by proxy to the hunchbacked…
(Encyclopedia) Stamp, Josiah Charles, 1st Baron Stamp of Shortlands, 1880–1941, English economist and financier. Active in many national and international economic commissions, he had an important…
(Encyclopedia) Peter II, 1715–30, czar of Russia (1727–30). A grandson of Peter I and the son of the czarevich Alexis, he succeeded on the death of Catherine I. He was too young to rule, but he…
(Encyclopedia) Berle, Milton, 1908–2002, American entertainer, b. New York City as Milton Berlinger. Berle first performed in vaudeville and on (1939–48) radio. His great success, however, came as…
(Encyclopedia) Adrian VI, 1459–1523, pope (1522–23), a Netherlander (b. Utrecht) named Adrian Florensz; successor of Leo X. He taught at Louvain and was tutor of the young prince, later Holy Roman…
The Big Read
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) compiled a list of the most popular novels in England. The kidsâ titles ranged from classics to Harry Potter, from Dickens to Dahl. Check…
