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Davis, Viola

(Encyclopedia) Davis, Viola, 1965-, African-American actress and producer, b. St. Matthews, S.C., Rhode Island College (B.A., 1988), Juilliard (1993, acting; honorary...

Arzú, Álvaro

(Encyclopedia)Arzú, Álvaro (Álvaro Enrique Arzú Irigoyen), 1946–2018, Guatemalan lawyer and political leader. He was director of the Guatemalan tourism office (1978–81) before he was first elected mayor of ...

Aramburu, Pedro Eugenio

(Encyclopedia)Aramburu, Pedro Eugenio pāˈthrō āo͞ohāˈnyō ärämbo͞oˈro͞o [key], 1903–70, president of Argentina (1955–58). An army general, he participated in the overthrow of Juan Perón in Sept., 1...

Muhammad, Murtala Ramat

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad, Murtala Ramat, 1938–1976, Nigerian military officer and politician. A Muslim Hausa from the north, he joined the Nigerian army and was involved in the coup that brought Yakubu Gowon to pow...

Muluzi, Bakili

(Encyclopedia)Muluzi, Bakili (Elson Bakili Muluzi) bäkēˈlē mo͞olo͞oˈlē [key], 1943–, Malawian political leader, president of Malawi (1994–2004). After serving in the cabinet of Hastings Kamuzu Banda, he...

Hiranuma, Kiichiro, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Hiranuma, Kiichiro, Baron kēˌēˈchērō hēräˈno͞omä [key], 1865–1952, Japanese statesman, founder of the Kokuhonsha, a powerful militaristic and reactionary society. He became minister of ju...

Haftar, Khalifa

(Encyclopedia)Haftar, Khalifa, 1943–, Libyan military officer. He participated in the 1969 coup that brought Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi to power and then held a variety of posts in the military. In the 1980s he w...

Gyanendra

(Encyclopedia)Gyanendra gyänĕnˈdrə [key], 1947–, last king of Nepal (2001–8). Second son of King Mahendra (r. 1955–72) and brother of King Birendra (r. 1972–2001), Gyanendra was a businessman whose asse...

Ershad, Hussain Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Ershad, Hussain Muhammad, 1930–2019, Bangladeshi military and political leader, b. Cooch Behar (now part of West Bengal, India). Commissioned in Pakistan's army in 1952, he was a career soldier, ris...

Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan

(Encyclopedia)Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan, 1932–2013, Sierra Leonean economist and political leader. A member of the Sierra Leone People's party, he entered the civil service in 1959 and served in the trade and industry ...