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Anderson, Maxwell

(Encyclopedia)Anderson, Maxwell, 1888–1959, American dramatist, b. Atlantic, Pa., grad. Univ. of North Dakota, 1911. His plays, many of which are written in verse, usually concern social and moral problems. Ander...

Aznar López, José María

(Encyclopedia)Aznar López, José María hōzāˈ märēˈə äsˈnär lōˈpās [key], 1953–, Spanish politician, prime minister of Spain (1996–2004), b. Madrid. Originally a lawyer and tax inspector, he joine...

Gaddis, William

(Encyclopedia)Gaddis, William, 1922–98, American novelist, b. New York City. An erudite master of satire and black comedy, he was both praised and criticized for his avant-garde techniques—repetitions, multiple...

Caesar, Sid

(Encyclopedia)Caesar, Sid (Isaac Sidney Caesar), 1922–2014, American comedian, one of the stars of the “golden age of live television,” b. Yonkers, N.Y. While performing in a World War II military show he met...

Bahr-el-Ghazal

(Encyclopedia)Bahr-el-Ghazal bär-ĕl-gäzälˈ [key], region, NW South Sudan, divided into Western Bahr-el-Ghazal, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal, Warrab, and Lakes states. The region takes its name from a river that flo...

nuclear strategy

(Encyclopedia)nuclear strategy, a policy for the use of nuclear weapons. The first atomic bombs were used in the context of the Allies' World War II policy of strategic bombing. Early in the cold war, U.S. policy w...

Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich

(Encyclopedia)Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich yo͞oˈrē vlədyēˈmĭravĭch əndrôˈpôf [key], 1914–84, Soviet Communist leader (1982–84). As ambassador to Hungary from 1954 to 1957, he played a major role in ...

Piłsudski, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Piłsudski, Joseph yo͞oˈzĕf pēlˌso͞otˈskē [key], 1867–1935, Polish general and politician. He was exiled (1887–92) to Siberia for an alleged attempt on the life of Czar Alexander III, who ...

Navratilova, Martina

(Encyclopedia)Navratilova, Martina märtēˈnə năvˌrətĭlōˈvə [key], 1956–, Czech-American tennis player, b. Prague. After holding the Czech singles title (1972–74), she defected (1975) to the United Sta...

Richards, Ann Willis

(Encyclopedia)Richards, Ann Willis, 1933–2006, American politician, b. Lakeview, Tex., as Dorothy Ann Willis. She began her career in politics in the early 1970s after having raised four children. A Democrat, she...