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greenback

(Encyclopedia)greenback, in U.S. history, legal tender notes unsecured by specie (coin). In 1862, under the exigencies of the Civil War, the U.S. government first issued legal tender notes (popularly called greenba...

Monroe, Bill

(Encyclopedia)Monroe, Bill (William Smith Monroe), 1911–96, country singer, musician, and songwriter, often called the “father of bluegrass,” b. Rosine, Ky. A m...

Rulers of England and Great Britain (table)

(Encyclopedia)Rulers of England and Great Britain(including dates of reign) Saxons and Danes House of Normandy House of Blois House of Plantagenet House of Lancaster House of York House of Tudor Ho...

Edward the Elder

(Encyclopedia)Edward the Elder, d. 924, king of Wessex (899–924), son and successor of Alfred. He fought with his father against the Danes. At Alfred's death (899) Edward's succession was disputed by his cousin �...

Du Bellay, Joachim

(Encyclopedia)Du Bellay, Joachim bĕlāˈ [key], 1522?–1560, French poet of the Pléiade (see under Pleiad). He wrote their manifesto, La Deffence et illustration de la langue francoyse (1549), which urges the s...

Hounslow

(Encyclopedia)Hounslow hounzˈlō [key], outer borough of Greater London, SE England, on the Thames River. ...

Forrest, Edwin

(Encyclopedia)Forrest, Edwin, 1806–72, American actor, b. Philadelphia. He was the first national idol of the American theater. He appeared at 14 as Young Norval in John Home's Douglas and gained experience suppo...

Fuchs, Sir Vivian Ernest

(Encyclopedia)Fuchs, Sir Vivian Ernest fo͝oks [key], 1908–99, English geologist and explorer, b. Kent, educated at Cambridge. He was a geologist on expeditions to Greenland (1929) and to Africa (1930–38). Afte...

Athelstan

(Encyclopedia)Athelstan or Æthelstan both: ăthˈəlstən, ăthˈĕlstän [key], d. 939, king of Wessex (924–39), son and successor of Edward the Elder. After coming to the throne, he vigorously built up his kin...

Bury St. Edmunds

(Encyclopedia)Bury St. Edmunds bĕrˌ sənt ĕdˈməndz [key], town, Suffolk, E central England. It is the market and processing ...