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magic, in entertainment

(Encyclopedia)magic, in entertainment, the seeming manipulation and supernatural control of the natural world for the amusement and amazement of an audience. Entertainment magic can be divided into four main catego...

Rakovsky, Christian Georgyevich

(Encyclopedia)Rakovsky, Christian Georgyevich khrĭstyänˈ gēyŏrˈgyĭvĭch rəkôfˈskē [key], 1873–1938, Soviet Communist diplomat. His early revolutionary activities extended from his native Bulgaria throu...

Deutscher, Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Deutscher, Isaac doiˈchər [key], 1907–67, English writer, b. Poland. Editor (1926–32) of the Communist press in Poland, he was expelled from the party for his anti-Stalinist views. During World ...

József, Attila

(Encyclopedia)József, Attila äˈtĭlä yōˈzhĕf [key], 1905–37, Hungarian poet. Born in Budapest of a poor family, József had to support himself from the age of seven with menial jobs; he was never able to e...

Hun Sen

(Encyclopedia)Hun Sen ho͝on sĕn [key], 1952–, Cambodian political leader, premier of Cambodia (1985–93, 1998–; second premier, 1993–98). A member of the Khmer Rouge from 1970, he fled to Vietnam with Heng...

John Birch Society

(Encyclopedia)John Birch Society, ultraconservative, anti-Communist organization in the United States. It was founded in Dec., 1958, by manufacturer Robert Welch, headquartered in Belmont, Mass., and named after Jo...

Chen Shui-bian

(Encyclopedia)Chen Shui-bian chŭn shwā-byän [key], 1951–, Taiwanese political leader, president of Taiwan (2000–2008). Born into poverty, he obtained his law degree from National Taiwan Univ. in 1975 and pra...

Confucianism

(Encyclopedia)Confucianism kənfyo͞oˈshənĭzəm [key], moral and religious system of China. Its origins go back to the Analects (see Chinese literature), the sayings attributed to Confucius, and to ancient comme...

Opium Wars

(Encyclopedia)Opium Wars, 1839–42 and 1856–60, two wars between China and Western countries that marked the shift of wealth and power from East to West. The first was between Great Britain and China. Early in t...

Rudd, Kevin Michael

(Encyclopedia)Rudd, Kevin Michael, 1957–, Australian political leader, b. Nambour, Queensland, grad. Australian National Univ. 1981. After working (1981–88) in the ministry of foreign affairs and trade, includi...