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Henie, Sonja

(Encyclopedia)Henie, Sonja sōˈnyə hĕnˈē [key], 1912–69, Norwegian-American figure skater and movie actress, b. Oslo, Norway. She began ice skating at the age of eight and two years later won the first of si...

track and field athletics

(Encyclopedia)track and field athletics or athletics, sports of foot racing, hurdling, jumping, vaulting, and throwing varied weights and objects. They are usually separated into two categories: track, the running ...

Pyeongchang

(Encyclopedia)Pyeongchang, city (2011 est. pop. 43,000), NE South Korea, in the Taebaek Mtns. on the Pyeongchang river. Pyeongchang is the seat of Pyeongchang co., a mountainous farming region that has been develop...

Placid, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Placid, Lake, 4 mi (6 km) long and c.1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide, NE N.Y., in the Adirondack Mts., near Mt. Marcy. The lake, with Lake Placid village at the southern end, is a noted winter-sports center. It ...

Dodecanese

(Encyclopedia)Dodecanese dōdĕkˌənēsˈ, –nēz, dōˌdĕk– [key], Gr. Dhodhekánisos, island...

Akita, breed of dog

(Encyclopedia)Akita äkēˈtə [key], breed of large dog developed in Japan from ancient ancestry and used originally as a hunter of such game as deer, wild boar, and bear. It stands from 20 to 27 in. (50.8–68.6 ...

Greek architecture

(Encyclopedia)Greek architecture the art of building that arose on the shores of the Aegean Sea and flourished in the ancient world. In addition to temples, the Greeks also built a number of other kinds of struct...

Crete

(Encyclopedia)Crete krēt [key], Gr. Kríti, island, c.3,235 sq mi (8,380 sq km), SE Greece, in the E Medit...

mysteries

(Encyclopedia)mysteries, in Greek and Roman religion, some important secret cults. The conventional religions of both Greeks and Romans were alike in consisting principally of propitiation and prayers for the good ...

Spitz, Mark Andrew

(Encyclopedia)Spitz, Mark Andrew, 1950–, American swimmer, b. Modesto, Calif. He held records for winning the most gold medals at one Olympic game (seven, in 1972 at Munich) and shared the record for most Olympic...