(Encyclopedia) John VIII, d. 882, pope (872–82), a Roman; successor of Adrian II. John strenuously opposed the activities of St. Ignatius of Constantinople in Bulgaria. When Ignatius died, John…
(Encyclopedia) Speranski, Mikhail MikhailovichSperanski, Mikhail Mikhailovichmēkhəyēlˈ mēkhīˈləvĭch spyĭränˈskē [key], 1772–1839, Russian public official, chief adviser to Czar Alexander I (1808–12…
(Encyclopedia) Calixtus III,&sp;Callixtus III, or Callistus III, 1378–1458, pope (1455–58), a Spaniard (b. Játiva) named Alonso de Borja or, in Italian, Alfonso Borgia; successor of Nicholas V.…
Full names of famous authorstracked down by Holly Hartman Ever wonder what the two R's stand for in J. R. R. Tolkien? Curious about whether S. E. Hinton is a man or a woman? It used to be common…
(Encyclopedia) Christmas [Christ's Mass], in the Christian calendar, feast of the nativity of Jesus, celebrated in Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches on Dec. 25. In liturgical importance it ranks…
(Encyclopedia) Louis II, d. 875, emperor of the West (855–75), king of Italy (844–75), son of Emperor of the West Lothair I. In 844, Lothair I designated him king of Italy and in 850 he was crowned…
(Encyclopedia) St. Leger, Barry, 1737–89, British officer in the American Revolution. In the French and Indian Wars he served at Louisburg (1758) and with Gen. James Wolfe at Quebec. He was given (…
(Encyclopedia) Cheves, LangdonCheves, Langdonchĭˈvĭs [key], 1776–1857, American statesman, b. Abbeville District (now Abbeville co.), S.C. Admitted to the bar in 1797, he became one of the leading…