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Putnam, Israel

(Encyclopedia)Putnam, Israel, 1718–90, American Revolutionary general, b. Salem (now Danvers), Mass. A farmer at Pomfret, Conn., he fought in the French and Indian Wars, seeing action at Montreal (1760) and at Ha...

Varona y Pera, Enrique José

(Encyclopedia)Varona y Pera, Enrique José ānrēˈkā hōsāˈ värōˈnä ē pāˈrä [key], 1849–1933, Cuban philosopher and vice president of Cuba (1913–17). Varona was a professor at the Univ. of Havana an...

Casal, Julián del

(Encyclopedia)Casal, Julián del ho͞olyänˈ dĕl käsälˈ [key], 1863–93, Cuban poet, b. Havana. A friend of Rubén Darío, Casal became a leader in modernismo. He was greatly influenced by the French Parnassi...

Adolfo

(Encyclopedia)Adolfo, 1923-2021, Cuban-American fashion designer, b. Havana, Cuba, as Adolfo Sardiña. Adolfo came to New York in the 1950s, originally working as a milliner (hat maker/designer). He ope...

Trist, Nicholas Philip

(Encyclopedia)Trist, Nicholas Philip, 1800–1874, American diplomat, b. Charlottesville, Va. He attended West Point, studied law under Thomas Jefferson, whose granddaughter he married, and was private secretary to...

Capablanca, José Raúl

(Encyclopedia)Capablanca, José Raúl hōsāˈ räo͞olˈ käpäblängˈkä [key], 1888–1942, Cuban chess player, b. Havana. Champion of Cuba at the age of 12, he won the world's championship from Emanuel Lasker ...

Montgomery, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Montgomery, Richard, 1738?–1775, American Revolutionary general, b. Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland. After entering the British army, he was sent (1757) to Canada in the French and Indian Wars and saw a...

Fletcher, Alice Cunningham

(Encyclopedia)Fletcher, Alice Cunningham, 1838–1923, American anthropologist, b. Havana, Cuba. Originally interested in archaeology, she turned to the study of the Plains tribes. After studying informally with Fr...

Cruz, Celia

(Encyclopedia)Cruz, Celia, 1929–2003, Cuban-American singer, b. Havana. The “Queen of Salsa” began singing as a teenager, and in 1950 joined Sonora Matancera, Cuba's most popular band. She left Cuba a year af...

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