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Bontemps, Arna

(Encyclopedia)Bontemps, Arna, 1902–73, African-American writer, b. Alexandria, La. He is best remembered as the author of the novel God Sends Sunday (1931), the basis of the play St. Louis Woman (1946); and of Bl...

Brookings, Robert Somers

(Encyclopedia)Brookings, Robert Somers, 1850–1932, American businessman and philanthropist, b. Cecil co., Md. He earned a fortune in business in St. Louis, Mo., and retired in 1897 to devote himself to philanthro...

Rambouillet

(Encyclopedia)Rambouillet, town (1990 pop. 25,293), Yvelines dept., N France. It is a summer resort in the heart of a magnificent forest. Sheep are raised, and radio equipment and plastics are made. The nearby châ...

Dunes, Battle of the

(Encyclopedia)Dunes, Battle of the, 1658, decisive engagement fought near Dunkirk in the struggle between France and Spain that had resulted from Spanish intervention in the Fronde. The Spanish under the command of...

Alexander, Grover Cleveland

(Encyclopedia)Alexander, Grover Cleveland, 1887–1950, American baseball player, b. St. Paul, Nebr. One of the great right-handed pitchers in National League history, Alexander pitched 696 games and won 373 of the...

gavotte

(Encyclopedia)gavotte gəvŏtˈ [key], originally a peasant dance of the Gavots in upper Dauphiné, France. A type of circle dance characterized by lively, skipping steps, it was introduced at the court of Louis XI...

Nelson, Wolfred

(Encyclopedia)Nelson, Wolfred, 1792–1863, Canadian rebel, b. Montreal. A brother of Robert Nelson, Wolfred served as a surgeon in the War of 1812. In 1827 he entered the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada as a ...

Leo IV, Saint, pope

(Encyclopedia)Leo IV, Saint, d. 855, pope (847–55), a Roman; successor of Sergius II. He had seen the Saracen attack on Rome (846), and to prevent its recurrence he fortified the city and its suburbs. He built a ...

Branting, Hjalmar

(Encyclopedia)Branting, Hjalmar yälˈmär bränˈtĭng [key], 1860–1925, Swedish premier. A leader of the Social Democratic party, he was finance minister in 1917. As premier (1920, 1921–23, 1924–25) he was ...

Walker, Horatio

(Encyclopedia)Walker, Horatio, 1858–1938, Canadian painter, b. Ontario, largely self-taught. Though he lived in Rochester and New York City, he painted chiefly scenes from the simple life of the inhabitants of th...