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Breadalbane

(Encyclopedia)Breadalbane brədălˈbĭn, brĕd–, –dôlˈ– [key], mountainous district, in the W Grampian Mts., NW Perth and Kinross and NE Stirling, central Scotland. The district, picturesque and sparsely c...

Robert II, king of France

(Encyclopedia)Robert II (Robert the Pious), 970–1031, king of France (996–1031); son of Hugh Capet, with whom he was joint king after 987. Distinguished for his piety and learning, he also sought to strengthen ...

dielectric

(Encyclopedia)dielectric dīˌĭlĕkˈtrĭk [key], material that does not conduct electricity readily, i.e., an insulator (see insulation). A good dielectric should also have other properties: It must resist breakd...

Compton, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Compton, Sir John (John George Melvin Compton), 1925–2007, St. Lucian political leader, b. Canouan, Windward Islands (now in St. Vincent and the Grenadines). Compton attended high school in St. Luci...

Cooley, Thomas McIntyre

(Encyclopedia)Cooley, Thomas McIntyre, 1824–98, American jurist, b. near Attica, N.Y. He was a judge (1864–85) of the supreme court of Michigan and was the first chairman (1887–91) of the Interstate Commerce ...

James II, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)James II, 1430–60, king of Scotland (1437–60), son and successor of James I. During his minority successive earls of Douglas vied for power with factions led by Sir William Crichton and Sir Alexan...

Joanna II

(Encyclopedia)Joanna II, 1371–1435, queen of Naples (1414–35), sister and successor of Lancelot. The intrigues of her favorites kept her court in turmoil. Her second husband, James of Bourbon, tried to seize po...

Mills, C. Wright

(Encyclopedia)Mills, C. Wright (Charles Wright Mills), 1916–62, American sociologist, b. Waco, Tex. He studied at the Univ. of Texas (A.B., M.A., 1939) and the Univ. of Wisconsin (Ph.D., 1942) and spent his acade...

Molly Maguires

(Encyclopedia)Molly Maguires məgwīˈərz [key], secret organization of Irish-Americans in the coal-mining districts of Pennsylvania. Its name came from a woman who led an extralegal, antilandlord organization in ...

Lucas van Leyden

(Encyclopedia)Lucas van Leyden lüˈkäs vän līˈdən [key], 1494–1533, Dutch historical and genre painter and engraver. With Lucas, Dutch painting of scenes from daily life may be said to begin. His art is not...