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Potemkin, Grigori Aleksandrovich

(Encyclopedia)Potemkin, Grigori Aleksandrovich pōtĕmˈkĭn, Rus. grĭgôˈrē əlyĭksänˈdrəvĭch pŭtyômˈkĭn [key], 1739–91, Russian field marshal and favorite of Catherine II. He studied at Moscow Univ....

Babenberg

(Encyclopedia)Babenberg bäˈbənbĕrk [key], ruling house of Austria (976–1246). It possibly descended from, or succeeded, a powerful Franconian family of the 9th cent. from whose castle the city of Bamberg prob...

Sancho III, king of Navarre

(Encyclopedia)Sancho III or Sancho the Great sänˈchō [key], c.970–1035, king of Navarre (1000–1035). Having inherited the kingdom of Navarre, which included Aragón, he launched an annexation campaign that m...

Tunney, Gene

(Encyclopedia)Tunney, Gene (James Joseph Tunney), 1898–1978, American boxer, b. New York City. He began boxing in neighborhood clubs as a youngster. In World War I, he served in the U.S. marines and while in Pari...

Casanova de Seingalt, Giovanni Giacomo

(Encyclopedia)Casanova de Seingalt, Giovanni Giacomo kăzənōˈvə, Ital. jōvänˈnē jäˈkōmō käzänōˈvä dā sāngältˈ [key], 1725–98, Venetian adventurer, author, and celebrated libertine. He studied...

Boniface

(Encyclopedia)Boniface bŏnˈəfās [key], d. 432, Roman general. He defended (413) Marseilles against the Visigoths under Ataulf. Having supported Galla Placidia in her struggle with her brother, Emperor Honorius,...

lend-lease

(Encyclopedia)lend-lease, arrangement for the transfer of war supplies, including food, machinery, and services, to nations whose defense was considered vital to the defense of the United States in World War II. Th...

encyclical

(Encyclopedia)encyclical, originally, a pastoral letter sent out by a bishop, now a solemn papal letter, meant to inform the whole church on some particular matter of importance. Benedict XIV circulated the first k...

Quezon, Manuel Luis

(Encyclopedia)Quezon, Manuel Luis mänwĕl lo͞oēsˈ kāˈsōn [key], 1878–1944, first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–44). While a law student, he joined (1899) Emilio Aguinaldo's insur...

Blum, René

(Encyclopedia)Blum, René blo͝om [key], 1878–1942, French ballet impresario, brother of Socialist leader Léon Blum. He edited (1903–13) the journal Gil Blas and arranged (1913) for the publication of Proust'...