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Robert II, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Robert II, 1316–90, king of Scotland (1371–90), nephew and successor of David II. He was the first sovereign of the house of Stuart, or Stewart (see Stuart, family), which eventually succeeded to ...

Nicolson, Sir Harold

(Encyclopedia)Nicolson, Sir Harold, 1886–1968, English biographer, historian, and diplomat, b. Tehran, Iran. Educated at Oxford, he entered the foreign office in 1909, and, until his resignation 20 years later, h...

Joab

(Encyclopedia)Joab jōˈăb [key], in the Bible, son of David's sister Zeruiah and commander of his uncle's armies. A trusted and skillful administrator, he was often vindictive and cruel, as in his killing of Abne...

reconnaissance satellite

(Encyclopedia)reconnaissance satellite, artificial satellite launched by a country to provide intelligence information on the military activities of foreign countries. There are four major types. Early-warning sate...

Absalom

(Encyclopedia)Absalom ăbˈsəlŏm [key], in the Bible, son of David. He murdered his half-brother Amnon for the rape of their sister Tamar, and fled. No sooner was he reconciled with his father than he incited a r...

Jeiel

(Encyclopedia)Jeiel jēīˈĕl [key], in the Bible. 1 Levite under David. 2 Musician of David. 3 Ancestor of Jahaziel (2.) 4 Scribe of Uzziah. 5 Levite of Hezekiah. 6 Levite of Josiah. 7 Companion of Ezra. ...

Ahimelech

(Encyclopedia)Ahimelech əhĭmˈəlĕk [key], in the Bible. 1 Priest at Nob, brother of, or perhaps the same as, Ahijah (2.) He befriended David, and Saul had him killed. In some passages his name is reversed with ...

Baliol, Edward de

(Encyclopedia)Baliol, Edward de bālˈyəl [key], d. 1363, king of Scotland, son of John de Baliol (d. 1315). Having secured English support for his claim to the Scottish throne, he invaded Scotland in 1332 and was...

National Security Council

(Encyclopedia)National Security Council (NSC), federal executive council responsible for planning, coordinating, and evaluating the defense policies of the United States and also exercising direction over the Centr...

Walsh, Lawrence Edward

(Encyclopedia)Walsh, Lawrence Edward, 1912–2014, Canadian-born American lawyer, grad. Columbia (1932), Columbia law school (1935). Walsh's family moved to the Unite States while he was an infant. A Republican, he...