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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...

Aberhart, William

(Encyclopedia)Aberhart, William āˈbərhärt [key], 1878–1943, premier of Alberta, Canada, b. Ontario. He was a schoolteacher and a founder and dean of the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute (opened 1927). About ...

Trinity , river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Trinity, river rising in N Texas in three forks; the Clear Fork runs into the West Fork at Fort Worth, and the Elm Fork joins the West Fork at Dallas. The Trinity then flows c.510 mi (820 km) SE to Tr...

Valence, city, France

(Encyclopedia)Valence väläNsˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 65,026), capital of Drôme dept., SE France, in Dauphiné, on the Rhône River. Its many manufactures include metallurgical products, textiles, leather goods,...

Polycrates

(Encyclopedia)Polycrates pōlĭkˈrətēz [key], d. c.522 b.c., tyrant of Samos. He established Samian naval supremacy in the Aegean Sea and tried to control the archipelago and mainland towns of Ionia. He dominate...

psittacosis

(Encyclopedia)psittacosis sĭtəkōˈsĭs [key] or parrot fever, infectious disease caused by the species of Chlamydia psittaci and transmitted to people by birds, particularly parrots, parakeets, and lovebirds. In...

Flathead, river, Canada and the United States

(Encyclopedia)Flathead flătˈhĕd [key], river, c.240 mi (390 km) long, rising as the North Fork, in SE British Columbia, Canada, and flowing generally SE through NW Montana, to Coram, where it is joined by the Mi...

Ames, Oakes

(Encyclopedia)Ames, Oakes, 1804–73, American manufacturer, railroad promoter, and politician, b. Easton, Mass. With his brother Oliver he managed the family's well-known shovel factory at Easton. The business gre...

Frederick William, duke of Brunswick

(Encyclopedia)Frederick William, 1771–1815, duke of Brunswick, German military hero. On the death (1806) of his father, Charles William Ferdinand, his duchy was seized by Napoleon I and added to the kingdom of We...

James I, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona

(Encyclopedia)James I (James the Conqueror), 1208–76, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona (1213–76), son and successor of Peter II. After a minority was disturbed by private wars among the nobles, James soon...