(Encyclopedia) ExcaliburExcaliburĕkskălˈĭbər [key], in Arthurian legend, sword given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. At Arthur's death Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur into the lake; a hand rose…
(Encyclopedia) Bandaranaike, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias, 1899–1959, prime minister (1956–59) of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka); husband of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. A lawyer educated in England, he entered…
(Encyclopedia) Osorio, OscarOsorio, Oscarōskärˈ ōsōˈryō [key], 1910–69, president of El Salvador (1950–56). A peasant farmer, he joined the army and rose to the rank of major. As a member of the…
(Encyclopedia) Waller, Fats, 1904–43, American jazz musician, singer, and composer, whose original name was Thomas Wright Waller, b. New York City. Waller began playing the piano as a child, and…
(Encyclopedia) Carlyle, Jane Baillie Welsh, 1801–66, English woman of letters; wife of Thomas Carlyle, whom she married in 1826. She possessed a genius for letter writing, manifest in the volumes of…
(Encyclopedia) White, Stewart Edward, 1873–1946, American author, b. Grand Rapids, Mich., grad. Univ. of Michigan, 1895. The stories collected in The Claim Jumpers (1901) and The Blazed Trail (1902)…
(Encyclopedia) Aaron, Hank (Henry Louis Aaron), 1934–2021, U.S. baseball player, b. Mobile, Ala. A durable outfielder and consistent hitter noted for his powerful wrists and explosive swing, Aaron…
(Encyclopedia) almond, name for a small tree (Prunus amygdalus) of the family Rosaceae (rose family) and for the nutlike, edible seed of its drupe fruit. The “nuts” of sweet-almond varieties are…
(Encyclopedia) RosicruciansRosicruciansrōzĭkr&oomacr;ˈshənz [key], members of an esoteric society or group of societies, who claim that their order has been in existence since the days of ancient…
Shakespeare's famous star-crossed lovers by David Johnson Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers are probably the most famous of all fictional romantic couples. The balcony scene where…
