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Gotha

(Encyclopedia)Gotha gōˈtä [key], city, Thuringia, central Germany. It is a rail junction, and its manufa...

David I, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)David I, 1084–1153, king of Scotland (1124–53), youngest son of Malcolm III and St. Margaret of Scotland. During the reign of his brother Alexander I, whom he succeeded, David was earl of Cumbria,...

poll tax

(Encyclopedia)poll tax, a capital tax levied equally on every adult in the community. Although no longer a significant source of revenue for any major country, the poll tax did provide large sums for many governmen...

James III, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)James III, 1452–88, king of Scotland (1460–88), son and successor of James II. During his minority he was under the care of his mother, Mary of Guelders, and her adviser, James Kennedy, bishop of ...

Dunbar, William, Scottish poet

(Encyclopedia)Dunbar, William, c.1460–c.1520, Scottish poet. After attending the Univ. of St. Andrews he was attached for some time to the Franciscans, probably as a novice. By 1491 he seems to have been connecte...

Blennerhassett, Harman

(Encyclopedia)Blennerhassett, Harman blĕnˈərhăsˌət [key], 1765–1831, Anglo-Irish pioneer in America, an associate of Aaron Burr. Wealthy and gifted, he fell in love with and married his beautiful niece, Mar...

Livingstone, Ken

(Encyclopedia)Livingstone, Ken, 1945–, British politician. Elected to the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1973 as a Labour member, he became GLC leader in 1981. His use of the local office to promote leftist poli...

Cole, George Douglas Howard

(Encyclopedia)Cole, George Douglas Howard, 1889–1959, English economist, labor historian, and socialist. Educated at Oxford, he was long associated with the university and held a professorship from 1944 to 1957. ...

Godden, Rumer

(Encyclopedia)Godden, Rumer (Margaret Rumer Godden) gŏdˈən [key], 1907–98, English novelist. Godden was highly praised for the subtlety of her characterization (particularly of children), the charm of her styl...

Farron, Julia

(Encyclopedia)Farron, Julia, 1922–2019, English ballerina, b. Joyce Margaret Farron-Smith. She studied at the Vic-Wells Ballet School, joined the company (now the Royal Ballet) in 1936, and, as the company's youn...

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