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Popé

(Encyclopedia)Popé pōpāˈ [key], d. c.1690, medicine man of the Pueblo. In defiance of the Spanish conquerors, he practiced his traditional religion and preached the doctrine of independence from Spanish rule an...

Aguiyi-Ironsi, Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe

(Encyclopedia)Aguiyi-Ironsi, Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe, 1924–1966, Nigerian military officer and political leader. An Igbo from Umuahia, he joined the Nigerian army in 1942 and received military training in Englan...

Bustamante, Sir Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Bustamante, Sir Alexander bŭsˌtəmănˈtē [key], 1884–1977, prime minister of Jamaica (1962–67). Born William Alexander Clarke, the son of an Irish father and a Jamaican mother, he was adopted...

Carol I

(Encyclopedia)Carol I, 1839–1914, prince (1866–81) and first king (1881–1914) of Romania, of the house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. He is also called Charles I. A Prussian officer, he was elected to succeed t...

Caslon, William

(Encyclopedia)Caslon, William kăzˈlən [key], 1692–1766, English type designer, b. Worcestershire. He worked first in London as an engraver of gunlocks, then set up his own foundry in 1716. The merits of Caslon...

Ahidjo, Ahmadou

(Encyclopedia)Ahidjo, Ahmadou ämäˈdō ähēˈjo͝o [key], 1924–89, president of Cameroon (1960–82). A Muslim Fulani chief's son, he served with the French during World War II. Entering politics in the French...

Surabaya

(Encyclopedia)Surabaya, Surabaja, or Soerabaja so͝orəbīˈə, Du. so͞oräbäˈyä [key], city (1990 pop. 2,473,272), capital of East Java prov., NE Java, Indonesia, on the Mas River just above its mouth at the ...

Wasserstein, Wendy

(Encyclopedia)Wasserstein, Wendy, 1950–2006, American playwright, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Wasserstein, who made a place on the American stage for contemporary women and their concerns, explored such issues as love, ind...

Terengganu

(Encyclopedia)Terengganu or Trengganu both: trəng-gäˈno͞o, trĕng– [key], state (1991 pop. 808,556), c.5,000 sq mi (12,950 sq km), Malaysia, central Malay Peninsula, on the South China Sea. The capital is Kua...

Bidault, Georges

(Encyclopedia)Bidault, Georges zhôrzh bēdōˈ [key], 1899–1983, French political leader. An influential columnist (1932–39), he was imprisoned (1940–41) in World War II and then joined the French undergroun...

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