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Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas

(Encyclopedia)Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas lē-ŏnˈədəs [key], 1819–93, Union general in the Civil War, b. Russellville, Ky.; son of John J. Crittenden and brother of George B. Crittenden. He served in the Mexi...

Federal Aviation Administration

(Encyclopedia)Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates...

Henry IV, Spanish king of Castile and León

(Encyclopedia)Henry IV, 1425–74, Spanish king of Castile and León (1454–74), son and successor of John II. His weakness opened the way to civil strife and anarchy. The Castilian nobles refused to recognize Hen...

amnesty

(Encyclopedia)amnesty ămˈnəstē [key], in law, exemption from prosecution for criminal action. It signifies forgiveness and the forgetting of past actions. Amnesties are usually extended to a group of persons du...

Morgan, John Hunt

(Encyclopedia)Morgan, John Hunt, 1825–64, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. Huntsville, Ala. He spent most of his early life in Kentucky. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Morgan joined the Confed...

patrician

(Encyclopedia)patrician pətrĭshˈən [key], member of the privileged class of ancient Rome. Two distinct classes appear to have come into being at the beginning of the republic. Only the patricians held public of...

Putnam, George Haven

(Encyclopedia)Putnam, George Haven, 1844–1930, American publisher, b. England; son of G. P. Putnam. He served in the Civil War until he was captured by the Confederates in 1864; he retired with the rank of major....

Sternberg, George Miller

(Encyclopedia)Sternberg, George Miller stûrnˈbərg [key], 1838–1915, American bacteriologist and surgeon-general of the U.S. army, b. Hartwick, N.Y., M.D. Columbia, 1860. He was assistant surgeon in the U.S. ar...

Crompton, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Crompton, Samuel, 1753–1827, English inventor of the mule spinner, or muslin wheel, an important step in the development of fine cotton spinning. Working as a young man in a spinning mill, he knew t...

American Association of University Professors

(Encyclopedia)American Association of University Professors (AAUP), organization of college and university teachers. It was founded (1915) for the purpose of defending faculty rights, most notably academic freedom ...