(Encyclopedia) Nonesuch Press, private press founded in London in 1922 by Francis Meynell and David Garnett. Unlike most private presses, Nonesuch designs the books it publishes on its own small…
(Encyclopedia) Laver, Rod (Rodney George Laver)Laver, Rodlāˈvər [key], 1938–, Australian tennis player. He left school at age 15 to pursue tennis and in 1962 became the first male grand-slam winner…
(Encyclopedia) Hampson, Thomas, 1955–, American baritone, b. Elkhart, Ind. An elegant, intelligent, and versatile vocal artist, he has performed in operas, operettas, oratorios, musicals, and…
(Encyclopedia) Smollett, Tobias GeorgeSmollett, Tobias Georgesmŏlˈĭt [key], 1721–71, Scottish novelist. After studying at Glasgow he came to London in 1739. Failing to get his tragedy The Regicide…
(Encyclopedia) Unamuno, Miguel deUnamuno, Miguel demēgĕlˈ dā &oomacr;näm&oomacr;ˈnō [key], 1864–1936, Spanish philosophical writer, of Basque descent, b. Bilbao. The chief Spanish philosopher…
(Encyclopedia) Smithsonian Institution, research and education center, mainly at Washington, D.C.; founded 1846 under the terms of the will of James Smithson of London, who in 1829 bequeathed his…
(Encyclopedia) Corelli, FrancoCorelli, Francofrängˈkō [key]Heym, Stefan kōrĕlˈlē [key], 1921–2003, Italian tenor. He made his operatic debut at Spoleto in 1952 as Don José in Bizet's Carmen and…
(Encyclopedia) Herrera, Fernando deHerrera, Fernando defārnänˈdō ᵺā ārāˈrä [key], 1534–97, Spanish poet. One of the outstanding poets of the 16th cent. and the leader of the Seville school, he earned…
(Encyclopedia) Pedersen, Charles John, 1904–89, American chemist, b. Busan, Korea, M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1927. After finishing his studies, Pedersen began work as a research…
(Encyclopedia) abbreviation, in writing, arbitrary shortening of a word, usually by cutting off letters from the end, as in U.S. and Gen. (General). Contraction serves the same purpose…