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Laski, John

(Encyclopedia)Laski, John yän lăsˈkē [key], Latin Johannes Alasco, 1499–1560, Polish Protestant reformer. A learned priest, he went in 1523 to Basel, where he was a close friend of Erasmus. After returning to...

resurrection plant

(Encyclopedia)resurrection plant, name for several plants, usually of arid regions, that may apparently be brought back to life after they are dead. In reality they have hygroscopic qualities which cause them to cu...

Scrope, Richard Le

(Encyclopedia)Scrope, Richard Le lə skro͞op [key], 1350?–1405, English archbishop. He probably studied law at both Oxford and Cambridge. Having taken priest's orders in 1377, he rose steadily in church rank. In...

Villanovan culture

(Encyclopedia)Villanovan culture, the culture of a people of N Italy in the early Iron Age (c.1100–700 b.c.). The term is derived from the town of Villanova, near Bologna, where the first excavations of a Villano...

Colmar

(Encyclopedia)Colmar, Ger. Kolmar both: kôlmärˈ [key], city, capital of Haut-Rhin dept., E France, i...

Comaneci, Nadia

(Encyclopedia)Comaneci, Nadia nädyä kōmänēch [key], 1961–, Romanian-American gymnast. Under the tutelage of coach Bela Karolyi, she rose to prominence in the celebrated Romanian gymnastics program. Comaneci ...

Cumae

(Encyclopedia)Cumae kyo͞oˈmē [key], ancient city of Campania, Italy, near Naples. According to Strabo, it was the earliest Greek colony in Italy or Sicily, and it seems to have been founded c.750 b.c. by Chalcis...

Akayev, Askar

(Encyclopedia)Akayev, Askar äsˈkär äkäˈyĕv [key], 1944–, Kyrgyzstani political leader. A physicist, he was educated (grad. 1967), and then taught, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Returning to Kirghiz SS...

Abdel Aziz, Mohamed Ould

(Encyclopedia)Abdel Aziz, Mohamed Ould, 1956–, Mauritanian military and political leader, president of Mauritania (2009–19). A career army officer, he rose through the ranks to become chief of staff. He was ins...

Chissano, Joaquim Alberto

(Encyclopedia)Chissano, Joaquim Alberto, 1939–, Mozambican political leader. A founding member of the Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo), he rose to become a major general in the organization, and after Mozamb...