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Earnhardt, Dale

(Encyclopedia)Earnhardt, Dale (Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr.) ûrnˈhärt [key], 1951–2001, American auto racing driver widely regarded as stock car racing's greatest star, b. Kannapolis, N.C. The 1979 National Assoc...

Deneb

(Encyclopedia)Deneb dĕnˈĕb [key], brightest star in the constellation Cygnus; Bayer designation Alpha Cygni; 1992 position R.A. 20h41.2m, Dec. +45°15′. It is a white supergiant of spectral class A2 Ia; its in...

di Stéfano, Alfredo

(Encyclopedia)di Stéfano, Alfredo, 1926–2014, Argentinian-born soccer star, one of the game's greats. Nominally a center-forward, he became famous for his versatility on the field as well as for his strength and...

Cradle of Humankind

(Encyclopedia)Cradle of Humankind, extensive archaeological site, c.180 sq mi (470 sq km), encompassing dolomitic limestone caves containing numerous hominin fossils, Gauteng and North West prov., South Africa, c.3...

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...

Ferris wheel

(Encyclopedia)Ferris wheel, amusement park ride. It consists of a power-operated wheel that is about 50 ft (15 m) in diameter. It has two rims that are parallel to and equidistant from the shaft about which the whe...

Noah, Mordecai Manuel

(Encyclopedia)Noah, Mordecai Manuel , nōˈə [key], 1785–1851, American journalist and politician, b. Philadelphia. He became a journalist in Charleston, S.C., and gave ardent support to the War of 1812. As a sp...

McGraw, John Joseph

(Encyclopedia)McGraw, John Joseph məgrôˈ [key], 1873–1934, American baseball manager, b. Cortland co., N.Y. He began playing professional baseball in 1890 and was (1891–1900) the star third baseman of the re...

Lemieux, Mario

(Encyclopedia)Lemieux, Mario ləmyöˈ [key], 1965–, Canadian ice hockey player, b. Montreal. A star for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was the team's first pick in the 1984 National Hockey League (NHL) draft and wa...

Lang Lang

(Encyclopedia)Lang Lang, 1982–, Chinese virtuoso pianist. A child prodigy, he studied at the Central Music Conservatory, Beijing, and the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia. Noted for the romantic, emotive nature of ...