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La Salle, Robert Cavelier, sieur de

(Encyclopedia)La Salle, Robert Cavelier, sieur de rōbĕrˈ kävəlyāˈ syör də lä sälˈ [key], 1643–87, French explorer in North America, one of the most celebrated explorers and builders of New France. He ...

La Harpe, Frédéric César de

(Encyclopedia)La Harpe, Frédéric César de frādārēkˈ sāzärˈ də lä ärp [key], 1754–1838, Swiss statesman. He went (1782) to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he became the tutor of the future Czar Alexande...

Blondel de Nesle

(Encyclopedia)Blondel de Nesle blŭnˈdəl də nĕl, Fr. blôNdĕlˈ də nĕl [key], fl. late 12th cent., French troubadour, a favorite of Richard I of England. Legend relates that after Richard was captured and im...

Fourier, Jean Baptiste Joseph, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Fourier, Jean Baptiste Joseph, Baron, 1768–1830, French mathematician and physicist. He was noted for his researches on heat and on numerical equations. He originated Fourier's theorem on vibratory ...

Roman de la Rose, Le

(Encyclopedia)Roman de la Rose, Le lə rōmäNˈ də lä rōz [key], French poem of 22,000 lines in eight-syllable couplets. It is in two parts. The first (4,058 lines) was written (c.1237) by Guillaume de Lorris a...

Cormenin, Louis Marie de La Haye, vicomte de

(Encyclopedia)Cormenin, Louis Marie de La Haye, vicomte de lwē märēˈ də lä ā vēkôNtˈ də kôrmənăNˈ [key], 1788–1868, French politician, jurist, and pamphleteer. He held minor offices under Napoleon,...

de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel

(Encyclopedia)de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel dā lä mäᵺrēᵺˈ o͞ortäᵺˈō [key], 1934–2012, Mexican public official, president of Mexico (1982–88). As minister of planning and budget in the cabinet of J...

La Pérouse, Jean François de Galaup, comte de

(Encyclopedia)La Pérouse, Jean François de Galaup, comte de zhäN fräNswäˈ də gälōˈ kôNt də lä pāro͞ozˈ [key], 1741–c.1788, French navigator. A naval captain, in 1785 he took command of two frigate...

Talmage, Thomas De Witt

(Encyclopedia)Talmage, Thomas De Witt tălˈmĭj [key], 1832–1902, American Presbyterian clergyman, b. near Bound Brook, N.J., grad. New Brunswick Theological Seminary (1856). His work in Brooklyn, N.Y., began in...

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