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Gish, Lillian

(Encyclopedia)Gish, Lillian, 1896–1993, American stage and movie actress, b. Springfield, Ohio. In 1912 she began her film career with D. W. Griffith. A fragile, delicate beauty, Gish often played a heroine rescu...

Hunyadi, John

(Encyclopedia)Hunyadi, John ho͝onˈyŏdĭ [key], Hung. Hunyadi János, c.1385–1456, Hungarian national hero, leader of the resistance against the Ottomans. He was chosen (1441) voivode [governor] of Transylvania...

Wright, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Wright, Richard, 1908–60, American author. An African American born on a Mississippi plantation, Wright struggled through a difficult childhood and worked to educate himself. He moved to Chicago in ...

Weaver, Sigourney

(Encyclopedia) Weaver, Sigourney , 1949- , American actress, b. New York, N.Y., as Susan Alexandra Weaver, Stanford Univ. (B.A., 1972), Yale Univ. (M.F.A., 1974). Wea...

Presley, Elvis

(Encyclopedia)Presley, Elvis (Elvis Aaron Presley), 1935–77, American popular singer, b. Tupelo, Miss. Exposed to gospel music from childhoo...

Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, duke of

(Encyclopedia)Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, duke of, 1693–1768, English politician, brother of Henry Pelham. He inherited (1711) the estates of his uncle, John Holles, duke of Newcastle, adopted his name, and ...

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd

(Encyclopedia)Llywelyn or Llewelyn ap Gruffydd hləwĕlˈĭn äp grĭfˈĭᵺ, lo͞oĕlˈĭn [key], d. 1282, Welsh prince, grandson of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. He succeeded (1246) his uncle, David II, as ruler of Nort...

Miltiades

(Encyclopedia)Miltiades mĭltīˈədēz [key], d. 489 b.c., Athenian general who commanded at Marathon. He succeeded his uncle as ruler (c.524 b.c.) of an Athenian dependency in the Gallipoli Peninsula. He accompan...

Mountbatten, Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma

(Encyclopedia)Mountbatten, Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma mountbătˈən [key], 1900–1979, British admiral; great-grandson of Queen Victoria and uncle of Philip Mountbatten, d...

Ruisdael, Jacob van

(Encyclopedia)Ruisdael or Ruysdael, Jacob van both: yäˈkōp vän roisˈdäl [key], c.1628–1682, Dutch painter and etcher, the most celebrated of the Dutch landscape painters. He studied with his father Isack an...