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Hulse, Russell Alan

(Encyclopedia)Hulse, Russell Alan, 1950–, American astrophysicist, b., New York City, Ph.D. Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1975. Hulse was a researcher at the Princeton's plasma physics laboratory from 1977 unt...

King, Ernest Joseph

(Encyclopedia)King, Ernest Joseph, 1878–1956, American admiral, commander in chief of the U.S. fleet (1941–45), b. Lorain, Ohio. A graduate of Annapolis, he distinguished himself in many branches of naval servi...

decorations, civil and military

(Encyclopedia)decorations, civil and military, honors bestowed by a government to reward services or achievements, particularly those implying valor. The practice of bestowing such decorations dates back at least t...

interstellar matter

(Encyclopedia)interstellar matter, matter in a galaxy between the stars, known also as the interstellar medium. The interstellar gas, which constitutes about 99% of the interstellar matter, consists mostly of hyd...

occultation

(Encyclopedia)occultation ŏkˌəltāˈshən [key], in astronomy, eclipse of one celestial body by another, e.g., when the moon lies between a star and the earth. Occultations of stars by the moon are important in ...

Arnold, Henry Harley

(Encyclopedia)Arnold, Henry Harley, 1886–1950, American general, chief of the U.S. Army Air Forces (1942–46), known as “Hap” Arnold, B. Gladwyne, Pa., grad. West Point, 1907. Assigned (1911) to the aviation...

Taylor, Joseph Hooton, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Taylor, Joseph Hooton, Jr., 1941–, American astrophysicist, b. Philadelphia, Ph.D. Harvard, 1968. Taylor was a professor at the Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst from 1969 to 1980, when he joined th...

Pratt, Parley Parker

(Encyclopedia)Pratt, Parley Parker, 1807–57, Mormon apostle, b. Otsego co., N.Y.; brother of Orson Pratt. He joined (1830) the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was made an apostle in 1835. In 1838,...

Parton, Dolly

(Encyclopedia)Parton, Dolly, 1946–, country singer, songwriter, and actress, b. Sevier County, Tenn. Among the most popular country singers of the 1970s and 80s, Parton is known for her Nashville-style flamboyanc...

Ivins, Molly

(Encyclopedia)Ivins, Molly (Mary Tyler Ivins), 1944–2007, U.S. journalist and political columnist, b. Monterey, Calif., B.A. Smith College, 1966, M.A. Columbia School of Journalism, 1967. A decided liberal with a...