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Otto IV, Holy Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Otto IV, 1175?–1218, Holy Roman emperor (1209–15) and German king, son of Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony. He was brought up at the court of his uncle King Richard I of England, who secured his ele...

Mistral, Gabriela

(Encyclopedia)Mistral, Gabriela mēsträlˈ [key], 1889–1957, Chilean poet whose original name was Lucila Godoy Alcayaga. She was a teacher in and director of rural schools in Chile before she attained wider acc...

Dundee, John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Dundee, John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount klăvˈərəs, dŭndēˈ [key], 1649?–1689, Scottish soldier, known as Bonnie Dundee. After service abroad under William of Orange (later William III...

Cass, Lewis

(Encyclopedia)Cass, Lewis, 1782–1866, American statesman, b. Exeter, N.H. He established (1802) himself as a lawyer in Zanesville, Ohio, became a member (1806) of the state legislature, and was U.S. marshal for O...

Battle of Britain

(Encyclopedia)Battle of Britain, in World War II, series of air battles between Great Britain and Germany, fought over Britain from Aug. to Oct., 1940. As a prelude to a planned invasion of England, the German Luft...

Lavisse, Ernest

(Encyclopedia)Lavisse, Ernest ĕrnĕstˈ lävēsˈ [key], 1842–1922, French historian. He was for many years a professor at the Sorbonne. His early works deal chiefly with the history of Prussia, particularly Fre...

La Mettrie, Julien Offray de

(Encyclopedia)La Mettrie, Julien Offray de zhülyăNˈ ôfrāˈ də lä mĕtrēˈ [key], 1709–51, French physician and philosopher. On the basis of personal observation he claimed that psychical activity is purel...

Menzel, Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von

(Encyclopedia)Menzel, Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von äˈdôlf frēˈdrĭkh ĕrtˈmän fən mĕnˈtsəl [key], 1815–1905, German painter and illustrator. Self-taught, Menzel made lithographic illustrations for Goet...

National Ballet of Canada

(Encyclopedia)National Ballet of Canada, the leading Canadian ballet company. Based in Toronto, it was founded (1951) by Celia Franca (1921–2007) and modeled on Sadler's Wells (now the Royal Ballet). Its repertoi...

Mwanawasa, Levy Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Mwanawasa, Levy Patrick lĕvˈē ĕmwäˌnəwäˈsə [key], 1948–2008, Zambian political leader, president of Zambia (2002–8). A lawyer opposed to Kenneth Kaunda's rule, he gained prominence in 19...