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Rutledge, John

(Encyclopedia)Rutledge, John, 1739–1800, American jurist and political leader, 2d chief justice of the United States, b. Charleston, S.C.; brother of Edward Rutledge. After studying law in London he began practic...

Rostropovich, Mstislav

(Encyclopedia)Rostropovich, Mstislav mĭsˈtĭslävˌ rŏsˌtrəpôˈvyĭch [key], 1927–2007, Russian cellist, pianist, and conductor. He made his cello debut in 1940 and his conducting debut in 1968, toured with...

Koblenz

(Encyclopedia)Koblenz kōˈblĕnts [key], Eng. Coblenz, city (1994 pop. 109,810), Rhineland-Palatinate, W Germany, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle (Ger. Mosel ) rivers. Its manufactures include fur...

roentgenium

(Encyclopedia)roentgenium, artificially produced radioactive chemical element; symbol Rg; at. no. 111; mass number of most stable isotope 280; m.p., b.p., sp. gr., and valence unknown. Situated in Group 11 of the p...

Tell, William

(Encyclopedia)Tell, William, legendary Swiss patriot. According to legend, Tell was a native of Uri, one of the Swiss forest cantons. Gessler, the canton's Austrian bailiff, decreed that Swiss citizens must remove ...

Courland

(Encyclopedia)Courland or Kurland both: kûrˈlănd, Ger. ko͞orˈlänt [key], Latvian Kurzeme, historic region and former duchy, in Latvia, between the Baltic Sea and the Western Dvina River. It is an agricultural...

operetta

(Encyclopedia)operetta ŏpərĕtˈə [key], type of light opera with a frivolous, sentimental story, often employing parody and satire and containing both spoken dialogue and much light, pleasant music. In the earl...

Bolyai

(Encyclopedia)Bolyai bōˈlyoi [key], family of Hungarian mathematicians. The father, Farkas, or Wolfgang, Bolyai, 1775–1856, b. Bolya, Transylvania, was educated in Nagyszeben from 1781 to 1796 and studied in Ge...

Davis, Viola

(Encyclopedia) Davis, Viola, 1965-, African-American actress and producer, b. St. Matthews, S.C., Rhode Island College (B.A., 1988), Juilliard (1993, acting; honorary...

George V, king of Great Britain and Ireland

(Encyclopedia)George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert), 1865–1936, king of Great Britain and Ireland (1910–36), second son and successor of Edward VII. At the age of 12 he commenced a naval career, but this en...