New Articles
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history of Dominica History of Dominica, survey of the notable events and people in the history of Dominica. A small island country of the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, Dominica is known for its natural beauty, particularly its rainforests and mountainous terrain. The country gained independence from...
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medieval philosophy Medieval philosophy, in the history of Western philosophy, the philosophical speculation that occurred in western Europe during the Middle Ages—i.e., from the fall of the western Roman Empire in the 5th century ce to the start of the European Renaissance in the 15th century. Philosophy of the...
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Jovita Idár Jovita Idár, Mexican American journalist, teacher, and activist who devoted her life to fighting the racism and discrimination that she witnessed during her life in Texas. She was also a staunch advocate for women’s rights, including the right to vote. Jovita Idár was one of eight children born to...
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history of East Timor History of East Timor, survey of the notable events and people in the history of East Timor from the 16th century to the present. The country occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, which it shares with Indonesia. East Timor is in the Lesser Sunda Islands, at the southern end of the Malay...
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Jalen Hurts Jalen Hurts, American football quarterback known for his passing and rushing proficiency. Hurts played for the University of Alabama (2016–18)—where he was a member of the team that won the 2018 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship—and the University of Oklahoma (2019). He was...
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Michael Richards Michael Richards, American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the critically acclaimed situation comedy Seinfeld (1989–98). In addition to Seinfeld, Richards has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including the late-night sketch comedy show Fridays...
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history of Burkina Faso History of Burkina Faso, survey of the important events and people in the history of Burkina Faso. A landlocked country in western Africa, Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960 and was originally known as Upper Volta before adopting its current name in 1984. The capital, Ouagadougou,...
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history of Estonia History of Estonia, survey of the important events and people in the history of Estonia. One of the three Baltic states (with Latvia and Lithuania) located in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, Estonia had been under foreign rule—notably by Germany, Sweden, and Russia—for much of its existence...
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Henry Box Brown Henry Box Brown, American enslaved person who succeeded in escaping slavery by hiding in a packing crate that was shipped from the slave state of Virginia, where Brown had worked on a plantation and in a tobacco factory, to the free state of Pennsylvania. Brown subsequently joined the abolitionist...
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Hamilton Hamilton, stage musical by American composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda that premiered Off-Broadway on February 17, 2015, at the Public Theater in New York City before moving to Broadway for a second opening on August 6. Based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, the explosively popular,...
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Rick Scott Rick Scott, American Republican politician who was elected to represent the state of Florida in the U.S. Senate in 2018. He had previously served as governor of the state (2011–19). Scott was born Richard Lynn Myers, the second child of Gordon Myers and Esther (née Fry) Myers. His parents divorced...
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the Go-Go’s The Go-Go’s, American all-female post-punk rock band that emerged during the late 1970s, known for mixing pop melodies and punk rhythms and for pioneering the establishment of women in new wave and in the music industry at large. The Go-Go’s were remarkable for being the first commercially...
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Mario Cuomo Mario Cuomo, American politician who served three terms as governor of New York (1983–94). One of the most prominent figures in the Democratic Party, he was known as a powerful speaker and a champion of progressive policies. Cuomo was the fourth child of Andrea and Immaculata (née Giordano) Cuomo,...
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Jean Tatlock Jean Tatlock, American physician, psychiatrist, and communist sympathizer. Tatlock was the second and youngest child of John and Marjorie Tatlock. At age 10, after spending her early childhood in San Francisco, she moved with her family to Massachusetts. There she attended Cambridge Rindge and...
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Jon Ossoff Jon Ossoff, American politician elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate from Georgia in a runoff in January 2021. He is the state’s first Jewish senator and, at 33, was the youngest Democratic senator elected to the body in 40 years. Ossoff is the only child of Heather Fenton, who emigrated from...
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Jimmy Choo Jimmy Choo, Malaysian shoemaker and fashion designer who cofounded (1996) an eponymous British fashion house known for well-crafted luxury shoes. From a young age, Choo was immersed in the world of shoemaking and design. His father was a cobbler and ran his own shop on the Malaysian island of...
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Angie Thomas Angie Thomas, American writer whose first young-adult (YA) novel, The Hate U Give (2017), debuted at number one on The New York Times bestseller list, launching her to international fame. In the novel Thomas tackled such volatile and timely subjects as racism, privilege, and police brutality....
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Claudia Jones Claudia Jones, Trinidadian social and political activist and journalist who advocated for Black individuals, women, and workers in both the United States and England. Her early experience of racism in the United States shaped her thinking as an adult, and she often asserted that for a liberation...
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Louis Prima Louis Prima, American jazz musician, songwriter, and bandleader best known for his exuberant onstage personality, raspy voice, and composition of the swing music classics “Sing, Sing, Sing” and “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail.” In the 1950s he led one of the first musical acts to regularly perform and...
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history of Antigua and Barbuda History of Antigua and Barbuda, a survey of the notable events and people in the history of Antigua and Barbuda from the 15th century to the present. Located in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, Antigua and Barbuda consists of three islands: Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda, a small...
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James Ingram James Ingram, American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. For years, his rich, deep voice served as backup for prominent artists such as Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Michael McDonald, the Pointer Sisters, and Michael Jackson. His high-profile collaborations enabled Ingram to win his first...
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Tariff of 1828 Tariff of 1828, restrictive tariff that triggered the nullification crisis in the United States in the early 19th century. The Tariff of 1828 was intended to protect burgeoning domestic industries by inflating the cost of imported goods by as much as 50 percent, making Americans less likely to buy...
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microvillus Microvillus, any of numerous microscopic bristlelike protrusions that occur on the surface of a wide variety of cell types, including intestinal epithelial cells, neurons, photoreceptors (light-sensitive cells), and certain cells of the immune system, such as dendritic cells and lymphocytes....
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Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison, American businesswoman and politician who was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas, serving from 1993 to 2013. Bailey was born in Galveston, Texas, to Allan Bailey and Ella Kathryn Sharp Bailey. Her family had long ties to the state; her...
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Robert Plant Robert Plant, British singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Plant’s dynamic vocal range and flamboyant stage presence has distinguished him as a popular and influential rock and roll front man. Since the dissolution of Led Zeppelin, he has pursued an...
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basic law Basic law, in Israel, any of several laws intended to serve as a guiding principle of government. As a concept, the basic law originated as a political compromise among Israel’s early political actors. After the country’s independence in 1948, its legislative body, the Knesset, was unable to agree...
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mandible Mandible, in anatomy, the movable lower jaw, consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones in humans and other mammals. In birds, the mandible constitutes either the upper or the lower segment of the bill, and in invertebrates it is any of the various mouthparts that holds or bites food...
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the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, American pop-soul vocal group that was massively popular in the 1970s, launching the career of singer, songwriter, and dancer Michael Jackson, who was the most popular entertainer in the world in the early to mid-1980s. The members of the group were Jackie Jackson (byname of Sigmund...
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history of Belize History of Belize, a survey of the notable events and people in the history of Belize from the Mayan period to the present day. Belize is located on the northeast coast of Central America and its capital is Belmopan, although its former capital, Belize City, remains the country’s most populous city...
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Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez, American professional baseball player who earned 11 consecutive Gold Glove awards (1978–88) during his 17 seasons in Major League Baseball. He played on two World Series championship teams (1982, 1986) and appeared in five All-Star Games (1979, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1987). Hernandez...
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Allied powers Allied powers, coalition of countries that opposed the Central Powers (primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire) during World War I. The Allies’ original members of greatest import were the British Empire, France, and Russia. Later the United States and Italy joined the Allied...
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sensory neuron Sensory neuron, nerve cell that carries information about changes in external and internal environments to the central nervous system (CNS). Such neurons are part of the peripheral nervous system, which lies outside the brain and spinal cord. They collect information from so-called sensory...
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Ruth Westheimer Ruth Westheimer, German American sex therapist who became one of the most trusted authorities on sex and relationships in the United States through her radio call-in program, television talk shows, and numerous books and media appearances. Her frank yet nonjudgmental manner combined with her...
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history of Comoros History of Comoros, a survey of the important events and people in the history of Comoros from the 16th century to the present day. The country comprises three of the Comoro Islands in the western Indian Ocean: Grande Comore (Ngazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), Anjouan (Ndzuwani). A nearby fourth island,...
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history of Cabo Verde History of Cabo Verde, a survey of the important events and people in the history of Cabo Verde. The islands off the west coast of Africa that constitute Cabo Verde were uninhabited until they were colonized by Portugal in the mid-15th century. After centuries under Portuguese rule, Cabo Verde won...
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history of Bhutan History of Bhutan, a survey of the notable events and people in the history of Bhutan. A historically remote kingdom located along the Himalayas, Bhutan became less isolated during the second half of the 20th century and transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy in 2008....
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Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, military leader and politician who has ruled Equatorial Guinea since seizing power from his uncle in a coup in 1979. He is among the longest-serving heads of state (excluding monarchs) in the world. His decades of authoritarian rule have been marked by human rights...
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American Dream American Dream, ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed. The roots of the American Dream lie in the goals and aspirations of the first European...
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Charles Whitman Charles Whitman, American mass murderer responsible for the deadly Texas Tower shooting of 1966. On August 1 of that year, having earlier in the day killed his wife and mother, Whitman fired down from the clock tower on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, killing 14 people and wounding...
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World Baseball Classic World Baseball Classic (WBC), international baseball tournament, first held in 2006, in which many of the world’s best players compete on behalf of national teams. The initial rounds are played on different continents. It was the first international baseball tournament to feature players currently...
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Allied powers Allied powers, coalition of countries that opposed the Axis powers (led by Germany, Italy, and Japan) during World War II. The principal members of the Allies were the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China (the “Big Four”), as well as France while it was unoccupied. The...
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megaconstellation Megaconstellation, group of many satellites that work together for the purpose of delivering broadband Internet access. Megaconstellations can comprise hundreds or even thousands of satellites. The first megaconstellation satellites were launched in 2019, and, as of 2023, more than half of active...
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heirloom plant Heirloom plant, any plant cultivar that has been grown for a certain number of years and that breeds “true to type” from seeds, with each generation of the plant having the same combination of traits. There is no agreement on the precise criteria for heirloom plants. According to some definitions,...
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John Krasinski John Krasinski, American actor and director best known for playing paper salesman Jim Halpert in the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–13) and the title character in the Amazon Prime Video thriller series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018– ). Krasinski was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Mary Claire (née...
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Jeff Kinney Jeff Kinney, American children’s author and website developer best known for writing the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books. The books became extremely popular with middle-school students, especially boys, who were easily able to identify with characters in the books. Kinney grew up in Fort...
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John Hickenlooper John Hickenlooper, American Democratic politician who was elected to represent the state of Colorado in the U.S. Senate in 2020. He had previously served as governor of the state (2011–19). Hickenlooper and his three elder siblings were raised by their mother alone after their father died of cancer...
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Bernardo de Gálvez Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish colonial administrator who was governor of Louisiana, a vast territory that included most of what is now the central United States, during the American Revolution and who successfully led troops in attacks on British forts along the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf...
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S.E. Hinton S.E. Hinton, American author known for writing about the difficult social system that teenagers create among themselves. Her fiction depicting that system struck a chord with readers, who saw in it many elements of the system that existed in their own schools and towns. Susan Eloise Hinton grew up...
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Maya Gabeira Maya Gabeira, Brazilian surfer who was one of the best-known figures in her sport in the early 21st century. She was noted for her achievements in big-wave surfing, in which surfers attempt to ride the largest waves possible. In 2020 Gabeira broke her own world record for the largest wave ever...
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hacker Hacker, information technology professionals or enthusiasts who compromise (or “hack”) the security of computers. While hackers are strongly associated with criminality in popular culture, the computer programming community generally groups them into three categories of legality: altruistic “white...
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Phil Collins Phil Collins, English drummer, singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame in the music world in the 1970s and ’80s both for his work with the rock band Genesis and for his pop solo career. He was the winner of multiple Grammy Awards in the 1980s and ’90s. Collins was gifted a drum set...
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foramen magnum Foramen magnum, in anatomy, the opening in the base of the skull that connects the spinal cord to the brain. It is the largest foramen (opening) of the skull and is part of the occipital bone (the bone that forms the back and rear base of the skull). On each of its sides is an occipital condyle (a...
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mung bean Mung bean, (Vigna radiata), legume plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds and young sprouts. The mung bean is likely native to the Indian subcontinent and is widely cultivated in Asia for use in a variety of sweet and savory dishes, particularly in India, China, Korea, and...
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arch bridge Arch bridge, bridge in which the main supporting elements are arches. Arch bridges can be made of stone, concrete, iron, or steel and typically require less material than a beam bridge of the same span. An arch bridge carries loads primarily by compression, which exerts on the foundation both...
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Anna Jarvis Anna Jarvis, American social activist who is generally recognized as the founder of the legal holiday known as Mother’s Day in the United States and in many other countries. Jarvis also headed the Mother’s Day International Association, which she incorporated in 1912 to guide the annual observance...
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J.B. Smoove J.B. Smoove, American actor and comedian best known for portraying the quick-witted and profane character Leon Black in the improvisation-based comedy television series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007– ). He is also known for playing the role of Ray, a television station cameraman, in the situation...
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Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, one of NASA’s 10 field centres and from 1968 its primary launch centre for human spaceflight, located on Merritt Island, Florida. It encompasses 144,000 acres (58, 275 hectares) and includes among its facilities the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center as...
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Victoria Memorial Victoria Memorial, a majestic white marble edifice situated in the middle of 64 acres (25 ha) of sprawling gardens, dominating the centre of the Kolkata, India. Architecturally, it seems to reflect contemporary British civic classicism, but there are deliberate Eastern references as well. The...
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Banana Massacre Banana Massacre, the unprovoked killing of United Fruit Company workers and their supporters in Ciénaga, Magdalena department, Colombia, by federal troops under the command of Colombian Gen. Carlos Cortés Vargas on December 6, 1928. Estimates of the number of deaths range from fewer than 50 to more...
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Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle, Norman castle in Alnwick, England, that is currently the seat of the 12th duke of Northumberland and is the second biggest inhabited castle in the United Kingdom. It was a fastness from which the northeast of England was long held against the Scots, especially during the 12th...
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Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, iconic movie palace on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is perhaps the most famous movie theatre in the world, and certainly the most instantly recognizable. The opulent and extravagant Chinese facade is a piece of movie history...
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Newgrange Newgrange, Neolithic passage grave in the valley of the River Boyne, County Meath, Ireland. Built by Stone Age farmers about 3200 BCE, it is regarded as the finest grave of its kind in Europe. Newgrange consists of a huge circular mound of stones, some 279 feet (85 m) in diameter and 43 feet (13 m)...
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Moscow Metro Moscow Metro, subway system serving the city of Moscow and several neighbouring towns within Moscow oblast. The Moscow Metro system consists of a series of 14 radial lines running like spokes from the central hub to the outskirts of the city, plus the Number 5 (Koltseveya), which runs around the...
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Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkish economist and politician who has led the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi; CHP) since 2010. Kılıçdaroğlu was born Kemal Karabulut in the village of Ballıca in Tunceli, a province in eastern Turkey whose population is predominantly Alevi (an Anatolian...
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Meenakshi Amman Temple Meenakshi Amman Temple, temple complex in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India, said to originally date as far back as the 4th century CE but in its present form built in the 16th–17th centuries. According to Hindu legend, the god Shiva came to Madurai in the form of Sundareswarar to marry Meenakshi,...
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Ronan Farrow Ronan Farrow, American journalist whose investigative reporting for The New Yorker helped expose allegations of sexual assault and abuse by film producer Harvey Weinstein. Farrow’s reporting gave impetus to the anti-abuse Me Too and Time’s Up movements and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2018....
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Tomie dePaola Tomie dePaola, American author and illustrator who illustrated 268 children’s books, many of which he wrote. He also wrote but did not illustrate three books. His accomplishments earned him the 1981 Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota, the 1983 Regina Medal from the Catholic Library...
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Josh Hawley Josh Hawley, American Republican politician who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018. Known for his firebrand conservative positions, Hawley was one of the first senators to announce that he would object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election in which Democrat Joe Biden...
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Jenna Ortega Jenna Ortega, American actress who began her career as a child actor, starring in such Disney Channel shows as Stuck in the Middle (2016–18), and later went on to gain international fame with the lead role in the hit Netflix series Wednesday (2022– ). Ortega often discussed her Mexican and Puerto...
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Peter Fonda Peter Fonda, American actor, writer, and director who was a counterculture icon, best known for the cult classic film Easy Rider (1969). He was also a member of a legendary acting family that included his father, sister, and daughter—Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Bridget Fonda, respectively. He was...
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Deir Yassin Deir Yassin, Palestinian Arab village that was located just west of Jerusalem. On April 9, 1948, on the eve of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948–49, the village was destroyed by Jewish paramilitary forces in an attack that inspired fear and panic throughout the region. Deir Yassin was situated atop a...
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Chloe Kim Chloe Kim, American snowboarder who won an Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe event in 2018. At age 17, she was the youngest woman in Olympic history to earn a gold medal in the event. She won a second consecutive gold medal in the halfpipe four years later, becoming the first woman to achieve that...
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Fender Stratocaster Fender Stratocaster, model of electric guitar created by American inventor and manufacturer Leo Fender and known for its elegant design and tonal versatility. The Stratocaster, or “Strat,” as it is known by guitar aficionados, is easily recognized by the two horns that highlight the guitar body’s...
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Sam Kerr Sam Kerr, Australian football (soccer) player who was named captain of the Matildas, the women’s national team, in 2019. The star striker later became the all-time leading scorer for the team. Kerr was also a standout in professional clubs in the United States, England, and Australia. Kerr was born...
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history of Bangladesh History of Bangladesh, a survey of the notable events and people in the history of Bangladesh, from the 3rd century bce to the present day. Bangladesh, located in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent, has been independently ruled since 1971, but the land and peoples of the modern...
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Desi Arnaz Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born American musician, actor, and business executive who was best known for the classic television series I Love Lucy (1951–57), in which he starred with his real-life wife, Lucille Ball. As the show’s cocreator and producer, Arnaz introduced a number of innovations that...
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Battle of Anzio Battle of Anzio, (January 22–June 5, 1944) World War II battle, fought during the Italian Campaign. Some 50,000 Allied troops staged an amphibious landing (codenamed Operation Shingle) at Anzio, 33 miles (53 km) south of Rome, in an effort to bypass the strong German defenses along the Gustav Line....
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buttress dam Buttress dam, concrete dam in which the smooth upstream face is supported by buttresses on the downstream side. Unlike traditional gravity dams, buttress dams do not rely entirely upon their own weight to resist the thrust of the water. Their upstream face, therefore, is not vertical but inclines...
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Kieran Culkin Kieran Culkin, American actor known for portraying distasteful yet sympathetic characters, such as Igby Slocumb in the movie Igby Goes Down (2002) and Dennis Ziegler in the Broadway play This Is Our Youth (2014). The brother of famed child actor Macaulay Culkin, Kieran gained mainstream success...
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Shireen Abu Akleh Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American journalist for the Al Jazeera news network who was known throughout the Arab world for her 25-year coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She was killed in May 2022 while reporting on an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. Abu Akleh was born...
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Mmusi Maimane Mmusi Maimane, South African businessman and politician who has been active in opposition parties in the country. Since 2022 he has been head of the Build One South Africa (BOSA) party, which he helped establish. Maimane was raised in Dobsonville, Soweto, Transvaal province (now in Gauteng...
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Greatest Generation Greatest Generation, generation of Americans born between approximately 1901 and 1924, who came of age during the Great Depression and the 1940s, many of whom fought in World War II. The Greatest Generation is estimated to have had about 63 million people. It gained the moniker after the...
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Native American mascot controversy Native American mascot controversy, conflict arising from the use of Native American-themed logos, mascots, and names by sports teams. Native-themed team names and mascots have been widely used throughout sports, from elementary schools to professional franchises. These names may refer to tribal...
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Marguerite Henry Marguerite Henry, American author known for her animal adventure stories, which earned praise from both readers and critics for their realism and suspense. Henry’s extensive research lent historical authenticity to her plots, which typically explore a world of wild horses and rugged landscapes....
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feng shui Feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice of orienting significant sites, buildings, and the spaces and objects within them in harmony with the flow of qi (also spelled ch’i). Qi (“breath” or “dragon’s breath”) is the vital life force, comparable to prana in Indian culture. Feng shui is rooted in the...
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parallel circuit Parallel circuit, an electrical path that branches so that the current divides and only part of it flows through any branch. The voltage, or potential difference, across each branch of a parallel circuit is the same, but the currents may vary. In a home electrical circuit, for instance, the same...
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Jason Bateman Jason Bateman, American actor, director, and producer best known for playing the part of Michael Bluth, the even-keeled, sensible president and CEO of his dysfunctional family’s company, in the television comedy series Arrested Development (2003–2019). He is also known for portraying Marty Byrde, a...
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Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola, Spanish professional football (soccer) player and manager who starred as a defensive midfielder for FC Barcelona and later managed that team (2008–12) as well as other prominent clubs such as Bayern Munich (2013–16) and Manchester City FC (2016– ). He is known for the...
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Al Michaels Al Michaels, American sports broadcaster considered by some to be the best in his field. He has covered the most major prime-time sports events of any announcer, including the championships of all four major American sports: the Super Bowl (football), World Series (baseball), NBA Finals...
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Grand Egyptian Museum Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), museum in Giza, Egypt, housing archaeological artifacts from thousands of years of human civilization in Egypt, spanning from the predynastic period to the Greco-Roman era (c. 3100 bce to 400 ce). Its collection draws from a number of cultural institutions in Egypt,...
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reality of the external world Reality of the external world, in modern Western philosophy, a central problem of metaphysics (one of the four main branches of philosophy, the others being logic, ethics, and epistemology). The reality of the external world is among a handful of fundamental issues that together defined the nature...
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Benjamin Guggenheim Benjamin Guggenheim, American industrialist and the father of Peggy (Marguerite) Guggenheim (1898–1979), an important art collector and patron of Abstract Expressionist artists in New York City. Although Benjamin Guggenheim led the life of a successful business executive, he is remembered primarily...
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Ben E. King Ben E. King, American rhythm and blues singer who was the leader of the vocal group the Drifters in the late 1950s and early ’60s. He later earned acclaim as a solo artist with several hit singles, most notably “Stand by Me” (1961). King’s early childhood was spent in North Carolina, where he sang...
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naloxone Naloxone, drug used to relieve potentially fatal respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose. Naloxone is used worldwide in medical emergencies involving opioid overdose and is often lifesaving, especially when given promptly upon suspected overdose. The drug is marketed under various names,...
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Bisa Butler Bisa Butler, American fibre artist whose vivid, life-size quilted portraits of Black individuals reimagine the medium and the genre. Working from contemporary and historical photographs, Butler recreates the scenes, animating the subjects using unique blends of colourful, patterned, and textured...
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found footage Found footage, in film, a cinematic technique in which some or all of a narrative film’s shots are presented as if they were recordings of nonfiction events that have been discovered and relayed to the audience with little or no mediation. Found footage can be considered a form of so-called...
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overharvesting Overharvesting, exploiting a natural resource until its supply is so diminished that its exploitation is no longer sustainable. Resources that can be overharvested include plants, terrestrial animals, fish and marine invertebrates, and renewable natural elements, such as forests. Overharvesting can...
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fugue state Fugue state, loss of memory (amnesia), often temporary, in which affected individuals typically do not remember any details of their lives, including families and jobs. The word fugue is from the Latin fugere, which means “to flee.” In many instances, persons who experience a fugue state leave...
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Jason Alexander Jason Alexander, American television, film, and stage actor best known for his portrayal of George Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld’s chronically neurotic pal, on the acclaimed situation comedy series Seinfeld (1989–98). His other notable roles include lawyer Philip Stuckey in the romantic comedy Pretty...
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Jewish festivals Jewish festivals, holidays commonly observed by the Jewish community. Below is a summary of the major Jewish holidays, which traditionally begin at sunset on the previous evening. For fuller treatment of the Jewish calendar and its cycle of Jewish religious observance, see Jewish religious year....
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The Great Train Robbery The Great Train Robbery, American silent western film, released in 1903, that is historically significant for its innovative approach to film editing and narration. The Great Train Robbery is acknowledged as the first narrative film to successfully establish continuity of action (the process of...
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paresthesia Paresthesia, unusual, typically painless sensations felt temporarily on the skin. The sensations range from numbness or burning to prickling, tingling, itching, or a “crawling” feeling and often occur without warning signs. They usually are felt in the fingers, hands, arms, feet, and legs but can...
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Lindsey Jacobellis Lindsey Jacobellis, American snowboarder who is one of the world’s top competitors in the alpine event known as snowboard cross. In that event multiple riders race simultaneously down a course that includes jumps, banked turns, and other features. At the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing,...
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Yasukuni Shrine Yasukuni Shrine, controversial Shintō shrine established in 1869 and located in the Chiyoda section of Tokyo. At Yasukuni—as at other Shintō shrines in Japan—rituals are performed to honor the principal deities (kami). What distinguishes Yasukuni, however, is that the shrine is dedicated not to the...
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Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne Cricket Ground, sports stadium located in Yarra Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, that is the headquarters and home ground of the Melbourne Cricket Club and is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere and in cricket. Australia is famously a sports-mad nation, and there is no...
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John Conyers, Jr. John Conyers, Jr., American politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Michigan from 1965 to 2017. He was the longest-serving African American member of the U.S. Congress. Conyers’s father was a labour organizer and an international...
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Mysore Palace Mysore Palace, a sprawling three-story, gray granite, Indo-Saracenic building capped by a five-story tower that culminates in a gilded dome in the southern Indian city of Mysuru in Karnataka state. The city is home to a number of palaces, but when people talk of Mysore Palace, they are referring to...
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pioneer species Pioneer species, species that are the first to colonize newly created environments or recently disturbed environments during the processes of primary succession and secondary succession, respectively. Pioneer species—which include lichens, mosses, fungi, and microorganisms such as...
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series circuit Series circuit, any electrically conducting pathway comprising an electric circuit along which the whole current flows through each component. The total current in a series circuit is equal to the current through any resistor in the series. This can be illustrated by the equation below:Itotal = I1...
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rolling friction Rolling friction, type of friction that occurs when a wheel, ball, or cylinder rolls freely over a surface, as in ball and roller bearings. In general, friction is the force that resists the sliding or rolling of one solid object over another. The main source of friction in rolling appears to be...
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axial skeleton Axial skeleton, the part of the bony structure of the body that consists of the bones of the skull, the vertebral column, and the rib cage. The axial skeleton serves primarily to support and protect the heart, lungs, and central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The...
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Taylor Hicks Taylor Hicks, American blues-soul singer who became a well-known artist during his run on the television competition show American Idol in 2005–06. He ended up winning the singing competition and earned a recording contract in honour of his success. Although Hicks has no formal musical training, he...
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Melanie Griffith Melanie Griffith, American actress whose best-known characters were noted for their strength and sex appeal. Her most memorable role was in the movie Working Girl (1988), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for best actress. Griffith is the daughter of actress Tippi Hedren—who...
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copyright symbol Copyright symbol, typographical mark consisting of the letter C enclosed in a circle. The symbol is used to indicate that an artistic or intellectual work is copyrighted, although such use is not legally required in most countries in order to assert copyright. The copyright symbol has its origins...
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José Feliciano José Feliciano, Hispanic American singer and guitarist known for his expressive tenor voice and acoustic instrumentals. He recorded in both English and Spanish. Feliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, but at the age of five his parents moved the family to the Spanish Harlem section of New York...
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Beverly Johnson Beverly Johnson, American model who in the 1970s was the first Black woman to appear on the cover of numerous fashion magazines, including American Vogue and French Elle. She also acted in films and television shows and built her own luxury brand of fashion and beauty products. In high school...
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Mary Blair Mary Blair, American artist, art director, and designer known for her colourful and modern illustrations that helped define the visual style of Disney’s classic animated movies, including Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). Walt Disney recognized Blair’s immense...
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Fender Telecaster Fender Telecaster, model of electric guitar created by American inventor and manufacturer Leo Fender that has the distinction of being the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar. The Telecaster, or “Tele,” is renowned for its ease of use, durability, and affordability relative to other...
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Chris Farley Chris Farley, American actor and comedian best known as a slapstick cast member (1990–95) on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL). He also appeared in several movies, including the cult classic Tommy Boy (1995). Farley was one of five children born to Mary Anne (née Crosby) Farley, a homemaker, and...
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The Conversion of St. Paul The Conversion of St. Paul, two paintings (c. 1601) by Italian artist Caravaggio portraying the conversion of Paul the Apostle to Christianity. The second version, which hangs in the funerary chapel of Tiberio Cerasi in the basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, is the better-known work. It...
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Kepler’s second law of planetary motion Kepler’s second law of planetary motion, in astronomy and classical physics, one of three laws describing the motions of the planets in the solar system and which states that a radius vector joining any planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal lengths of time. The validity of Kepler’s...
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Africanized honeybee Africanized honeybee, (Apis mellifera scutellata ×A. mellifera), hybrid honeybee resulting from the accidental release of African honeybees into the Western Hemisphere in 1957 and their subsequent crossbreeding with local European honeybees. The Africanized honeybees, known for their rigorous...
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Machiavellianism Machiavellianism, the political theory of the Italian statesman and writer Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), as presented in his best known work, Il Principe (1532; The Prince). The term Machiavellianism is also used more generally to characterize the view that politics is amoral and that ordinarily...
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Ted Danson Ted Danson, American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of bartender Sam Malone on the popular television comedy series Cheers (1982–93). Danson is also known for playing the cantankerous doctor John Becker in the comedy series Becker (1998–2004) and Michael, the designer of the...
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Italian Campaign Italian Campaign, (July 9, 1943–May 2, 1945), during World War II, the Allied invasion and conquest of Italy. With the success of operations in North Africa (June 1940–May 13, 1943) and Sicily (July 9–August 17, 1943), the next logical step for the Allies in the Mediterranean was a move against...
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Paris Peace Treaties Paris Peace Treaties, (1947) series of treaties between the Allied powers and five defeated European countries that had been aligned with Germany and the Axis powers during World War II, specifically Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland. Representatives from 21 countries met in Paris from...
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Bud Fowler Bud Fowler, American baseball player widely recognized as having been the first Black man to compete in organized professional baseball. He played primarily in the 1880s and ’90s, before team owners and other leaders in the sport firmly established a colour barrier that excluded Blacks from playing...
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WhatsApp WhatsApp, free messaging application owned by Meta (formerly Facebook). Users can send text and voice messages on the platform or communicate live via voice or video chat. WhatsApp also supports location and image sharing. The service is primarily used on mobile phones, as it requires a mobile...
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African forest elephant African forest elephant, (Loxodonta cyclotis), one of two living species of African elephants (genus Loxodonta) and one of the world’s largest living land animals. The African forest elephant was long thought to be a subspecies of the African bush elephant (or African savanna elephant; Loxodonta...
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Chamique Holdsclaw Chamique Holdsclaw, American basketball player who was one of the most dominant figures in women’s basketball in the 1990s and 2000s. She was known for her nearly flawless all-around game. Holdsclaw attended Christ the King High School in Queens, where she became the school’s top scorer and...
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ANOVA ANOVA, statistical procedure used to compare means of three or more groups. ANOVA tests compare the amount of variance between and within groups to determine whether statistically significant differences exist between their means. Many variations of ANOVA exist, including one-way ANOVA, factorial...
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Gun-Free School Zones Act Gun-Free School Zones Act, U.S. gun control legislation signed into law by Pres. George H.W. Bush on November 29, 1990. The law makes it a crime to possess or discharge a firearm in a school zone, with some exceptions (e.g., police officers). On April 26, 1995, the Supreme Court ruled in United...
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arch dam Arch dam, a thick shell dam that derives considerable strength from its curved profile. Typically built in river gorges, arch dams have the form of a horizontal arch in which the convex side is upstream and abuts against the side walls of the gorge. The advantages of building a curved dam—thus...
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Gadsden flag Gadsden flag, historical flag used by Commodore Esek Hopkins, the United States’ first naval commander in chief, as his personal ensign during the American Revolution (1775–83). The flag features a coiled rattlesnake above the words “Don’t Tread on Me” on a yellow background. The flag was one of...
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Danny DeVito Danny DeVito, American actor, director, and producer best known for portraying wisecracking dispatcher Louie DePalma in the television comedy series Taxi (1978–1983). DeVito is a versatile entertainer and filmmaker who has produced several popular films and television series, such as the crime film...
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Rwandan Patriotic Front Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), political party in Rwanda rooted in a movement led by exiled Rwandans that launched the country’s civil war in 1990 and ended the Rwanda genocide of 1994. The party has dominated Rwandan politics since then. It has been led by Paul Kagame since 1998. Rwanda’s...
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sepal Sepal, any of the outer parts of a flower that enclose and protect the unopened flower bud. The sepals on a flower are collectively referred to as the calyx. They are sterile floral parts and may be either green or leaflike or composed of petal-like tissue. From their base and along most of their...
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addiction Addiction, physical or psychological need for a substance or behaviour that is physically, psychologically, or socially harmful. Addiction is accompanied by extreme difficulty in ceasing to use the substance or in ceasing to repeat the behaviour, despite detrimental consequences. Substances to...
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Oliver Hardy Oliver Hardy, American comedic film actor best known as half of the Laurel and Hardy comedy duo. Teamed with Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy made some 100 comedies—many of them classics—between 1921 and 1950. Norvell Hardy was the youngest of five children. His father died in late 1892; in tribute, the...
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Stan Laurel Stan Laurel, English comedic film actor best known as half of the legendary Laurel and Hardy team. Although he played a simpleminded bumbler, Stan Laurel was actually the major creative force behind the comedy duo. Laurel made some 100 comedies with Oliver Hardy between 1921 and 1950. Stan...
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Allyson Felix Allyson Felix, American sprinter who is the most decorated female Olympian in track and field. Her 11 Olympic medals—7 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze—are also the most won by an American track and field athlete. Felix was the younger of two children born to Marlean Felix, an elementary school...
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static random access memory Static random access memory (SRAM), type of random access memory that gives fast access to data but is physically relatively large. Random access memory (RAM) is computer main memory in which specific contents can be accessed (read or written) directly by the central processing unit (CPU) in a very...
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Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sinatra, American singer and actress who forged a successful music career separate from that of her famous father, singer and actor Frank Sinatra. She cemented her status as a recording artist in her own right with her number one hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” in 1966, which became...
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Isenheim Altarpiece Isenheim Altarpiece, panels painted in oils on a sculpted altarpiece created by German artist Matthias Grünewald about 1512 to 1515. Little is known of Grünewald’s life, but he is famous for his undisputed masterpiece, the large folding altar painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony hospital chapel...
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Island of the Dead Island of the Dead, oil painting on wood that was created in 1886 by Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin, who was known for his landscapes and his sinister allegories. This is his fifth version of the enigmatic work, which has resisted facile interpretation but nonetheless fascinates. Prints of the work...
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Blue Poles Blue Poles, mixed media painting on canvas created in 1952 by American Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock. It is one of the best known of the artist’s work and was painted on a canvas stretched on the floor of his studio. Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, the youngest of five sons. His...
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Portrait of Henry VIII Portrait of Henry VIII, oil painting created about 1536 by outstanding German artist Hans Holbein the Younger. It is the only painting of King Henry VIII of England known to be painted by Holbein’s hand; his full-length portrait is known only by copies. The penetrating characterization and highly...
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George Washington George Washington, full-length oil portrait of George Washington created in 1796 by his most famous portraitist, Gilbert Stuart. It shows Washington during his last year as president of the United States and is a strong demonstration of Stuart’s skills. This portrait of the gentlemanly planter who...
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The Naked Maja The Naked Maja, oil painting created about 1795–1800 by influential Spanish artist Francisco Goya. This famously controversial painting, known in Spanish as La maja desnuda, is considered one of the artist’s masterpieces. It is likely that Goya painted The Naked Maja for Manuel de Godoy, nobleman...
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The Rape of Europa The Rape of Europa, oil painting created in 1559–62 by the Venetian artist Titian. It is a superb example of Titian’s late style and demonstrates his full power as a painter. The oeuvre of Titian was subject to a number of shifts in import and sensibility over the course of his career. Whereas the...
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peninsula Peninsula, in physical geography, a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water. The word is derived from the Latin paene (“almost”) and insula (“island”). In its original sense it connotes attachment to a larger landmass by a neck of land (isthmus) narrower than the peninsula itself, but it...
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Hunters in the Snow (Winter) Hunters in the Snow (Winter), oil painting on wood panel that was created in 1565 by Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is perhaps the best known of his paintings and is marvelous in its proliferation of details. Bruegel did much to establish the tradition of landscape painting in the Low...
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world history World history, branch of history concerned with the study of historical phenomena that transcend national, regional, or cultural boundaries or distinctions between peoples or with the study of history from a global, comparative, or cross-cultural perspective. Although the academic study of world...
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Don Drysdale Don Drysdale, American professional baseball player who was a star right-handed power pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1950s and ’60s, helping lead the team to three World Series championships (1959, 1963, 1965). In 1968 he pitched 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings—a record that stood...
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period Period, in physics, the interval of time it takes for a motion to repeat. Such motion is called periodic motion and is performed, for example, by a rocking chair, a bouncing ball, a vibrating tuning fork, a swing in motion, Earth in its orbit around the Sun, and a water wave. Thus, the period of...
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induced-fit theory Induced-fit theory, model proposing that the binding of a substrate or some other molecule to an enzyme causes a change in the shape of the enzyme so as to enhance or inhibit its activity. Induced-fit theory retains the key-lock idea of a fit of the substrate at the active site but postulates in...
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Penicillium chrysogenum Penicillium chrysogenum, species of fungus in the genus Penicillium (kingdom Fungi) that occurs across a variety of habitats and is especially common in moist areas, including forests and damp indoor environments. Penicillium chrysogenum is very closely related to P. rubens and P. notatum and has,...
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sorting algorithm Sorting algorithm, in computer science, a procedure for ordering elements in a list by repeating a sequence of steps. Sorting algorithms allow a list of items to be sorted so that the list is more usable than it was, usually by placing the items in numerical order (from the least value to the...
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food pyramid Food pyramid, a visual representation (in the shape of a pyramid) of the optimal number of servings of food a person should eat daily from each basic food group. The food pyramid first evolved in Sweden in the 1970s and was adapted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1992. The USDA...
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The Great American Songbook The Great American Songbook, term given to a canon of American popular songs and enduring jazz standards written mainly during the first half of the 20th century. The Songbook is not a physical book, nor is there one definitive list of songs, songwriters, and performers included in its “pages.”...
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Freedom Charter Freedom Charter, document outlining the aspirational principles of freedom and democracy in South Africa. The charter was adopted in June 1955 in opposition to the apartheid regime of the time by the Congress Alliance, a broad coalition consisting of the African National Congress (ANC), the South...
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pass law Pass law, law that required nonwhites in South Africa to carry documents authorizing their presence in restricted areas. Pass laws were among the main instruments of apartheid until the government ended the requirement to carry documentation in 1986. The pass law system arose out of a series of...
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adventitious root Adventitious root, root that arises from any point other than the radicle (embryonic root) or the root axis of a plant. Most adventitious roots arise from stem tissues, but they can also develop from leaves. They are especially numerous on underground stems, such as rhizomes, corms, and tubers, and...
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existence Existence, in metaphysics, that which applies neutrally to all and only those things that are real. Metaphysicians have had a great deal to say about the existence or nonexistence of various things or categories of things, such as God, the soul, a mind-independent or external world, abstract or...
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Dahomey women warriors Dahomey women warriors, women soldiers of the western African kingdom of Dahomey known for their fierceness and prowess in combat and for being protectors of the king. In the Dahomeans’ Fon language, they were called mino (“our mothers”), or ahosi (wives of the king). When Europeans first...
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Mann Act Mann Act, U.S. federal statute (18 U.S.C. §2421 et seq.), passed by Congress and signed into law by Pres. William Howard Taft in 1910, that originally criminalized the transportation of women or girls “in interstate or foreign commerce” (i.e., between any two U.S. states or territories or between a...
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Sheol Sheol, abode of the dead in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament). The term can be interpreted to mean either the literal place in which dead people are placed (i.e., in the ground) or the ancient world’s concept of the afterlife as a subterranean “land of gloom and deep darkness” (Book of...
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Anglo-Irish Treaty Anglo-Irish Treaty, (1921) agreement between the United Kingdom and the budding Irish Republic that marked the end of the Irish War of Independence and the beginning of the Irish Free State, which was granted the same constitutional status as other countries within the British Commonwealth, with a...
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texture Texture, in rocks, the size, shape, and arrangement (or fabric) of the mineral grains and crystals. Also important in rock texture are the extent of homogeneity (i.e., uniformity of composition throughout) and the degree of isotropy (i.e., uniformity in all directions of such properties as...
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Greg Abbott Greg Abbott, American Republican politician who serves as governor of Texas (2015– ). He previously was the state’s attorney general (2002–15). A prominent figure in conservative politics, he notably opposes abortion and supports lenient gun laws and tough immigration policies. Abbott is the...
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Elena Ferrante Elena Ferrante, pseudonym used by an anonymous Italian author best known for the so-called Neapolitan novels, which begin with My Brilliant Friend (2011). Her books explore the complexities and contradictions of being a contemporary, educated woman. Female narrators describe, sometimes with...
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Fascist Party Fascist Party (PNF), political party formed by Benito Mussolini in November 1921 and dissolved in 1943 after he was deposed. It served as the political instrument for the Italian fascist movement and Mussolini, its leader. From 1922 to 1943, a period referred to as the ventennio fascista (“twenty...
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Moon tree Moon tree, colloquial name for any of several trees grown from seeds that were flown around the Moon during the Apollo 14 lunar mission (January 31–February 9, 1971). Apollo 14, crewed by commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell, and command module pilot Stuart Roosa,...
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Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS), during World War II (1939–45), the Japanese concept of a unified and self-sufficient bloc in the Asia-Pacific region under Japanese control. It was to be Japan’s ideological new order, which would amount to a self-contained empire stretching from...
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cold desert Cold desert, any large arid area of land that typically receives scant amounts of annual precipitation, which occurs mainly in the form of snow or fog. (The upper limit of mean annual precipitation is often considered to be fewer than 25 cm [9.8 inches]; however, sources vary.) Cold deserts are...
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USB flash drive USB flash drive, small portable data storage device that uses flash memory and has an integrated universal serial bus (USB) interface. Most flash drives have between 2 and 64 gigabytes (GB) of memory, but some drives can store as much as 2 terabytes (TB). A flash drive consists of a small printed...
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viral vector Viral vector, in molecular biology, a tool used to deliver genetic material to cells. Viruses are useful delivery tools, owing to their efficiency in locating and entering target cells. In addition, they are generally safe to use, because all viral genes are taken out and the remaining vector is...
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Gary Larson Gary Larson, American cartoonist best known for his single-panel comic series The Far Side, which is renowned for its scientific content and bizarre humour. Larson produced The Far Side for 15 years, from January 1980 until January 1995. Larson was raised in Tacoma, Washington, the youngest son of...
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classicism Classicism, aesthetic attitude and art style based on or reiterating themes, techniques, and subjects of art from ancient Greece and Rome (spanning approximately from the formation of Greek city-states in the 8th century bce to the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century ce). The term is...
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San Lorenzo San Lorenzo, ancient Mesoamerican city and archaeological site in Veracruz state, east-central Mexico, about 38 miles (60 km) from the Gulf of Mexico. The oldest known centre of Olmec civilization, San Lorenzo dates to about the 12th century bce. The site is most noted for its extraordinary stone...
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Jonah Jonah, one of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. His narrative is part of a larger book, The Twelve, in the Jewish canon, and stands alone as the Book of Jonah in Christian scripture. The account, which opposes the narrow Jewish nationalism of the time, was...
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popular literature Popular literature, any written work that is read, or is intended to be read, by a mass audience. In its broadest sense, popular literature may include best-selling nonfiction books, widely circulated periodicals, and certain kinds of digital texts. However, the term is typically used to refer to...
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motherboard Motherboard, printed circuit board (PCB) that connects all components of a general-purpose computer. A motherboard is often referred to as the “backbone” or “spine” of a computer. A motherboard is easily identified, as it is the largest board inside a computer’s casing. In tower computers, it...
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Silent Generation Silent Generation, generation of people sandwiched between the “Greatest Generation,” which fought World War II, and the “baby boomers,” the generation born during the surge in births in the United States and other countries in the years immediately following the war. The range of birth years...
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Cyril Ramaphosa Cyril Ramaphosa, South African activist, businessman, and politician widely credited for his role in the 1990s in the negotiations that ended South Africa’s racially discriminatory policy of apartheid and that ushered in a new era of nonracial government. He has been president of South Africa since...
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Syntactic Structures Syntactic Structures, foundational work of transformational-generative grammar, first published in 1957, by the American linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky. It is widely recognized for its radical reconception of grammar as a mathematically precise system of recursive rules characterizing the...
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pyramid scheme Pyramid scheme, fraudulent business model that seeks to funnel revenue from recruited members to the scheme’s organizers by promising payments to members for recruiting new participants. Although pyramid schemes promise large, quick returns, they inevitably fail, causing most members to lose their...
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claustrophobia Claustrophobia, persistent extreme irrational fear of enclosed or confined spaces. The word claustrophobia is derived from the Latin claustrum, meaning “a place shut in” or “a confined place,” and from the Greek phobos, meaning “fear.” Persons who are affected by claustrophobia experience...
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Joe Cocker Joe Cocker, British blues-rock singer known for his raspy voice who became one of the most distinctive vocalists of his generation. Over his more than five-decade-long career, he recorded nearly 40 albums and lent his voice to several films. Cocker began performing in pubs with various bands in the...
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Shaw v. Reno Shaw v. Reno, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5–4) on June 28, 1993, that electoral districts whose boundaries cannot be adequately explained except as examples of racial gerrymandering, or efforts to segregate voters on the basis of race, can be challenged as potential violations...
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venial sin Venial sin, in Roman Catholic theology, a sin that is relatively slight or that is committed without full reflection or consent. While a venial sin weakens the sinner’s union with God, it is not a deliberate turning away from God and so does not wholly block the inflow of sanctifying grace. An...
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Stańczyk Stańczyk, oil painting created in 1862 by Polish artist Jan Matejko. It is one of Matejko’s best known works and is an iconic image in Poland. Historical painting has always been a vital thread in Polish art, and Matejko chronicled Polish history with a verve and romance that earned him a central...
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Dance (I) Dance (I), huge oil painting created in 1909 by French Fauvist artist Henri Matisse as the full-size study for a work commissioned by the Russian textile baron Sergei Shchukin. Shchukin was Matisse’s greatest patron long before the striking colours and radically simplified forms of Matisse’s work...
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Sistine Madonna Sistine Madonna, oil painting created in 1513–14 by Raphael, master painter of the Italian High Rensaissance. The painting was one of the artist’s final Madonnas. The putti at the bottom of the painting have become one of the best-known images in the history of art. Raphael’s dramatic masterpiece...
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A Bar at the Folies-Bergère A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, oil painting created in 1882 by groundbreaking French artist Édouard Manet. The complex, disorienting composition is an iconic image of modern life. Manet painted this, his last great masterpiece, when he was terminally ill. In it, he returned to his favourite subject...
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Luncheon of the Boating Party Luncheon of the Boating Party, oil painting created in 1880–81 by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882, it was immediately hailed as one of the best the artist had painted, and its reputation has not diminished since then. In the background of this painting is...
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Judith Beheading Holofernes Judith Beheading Holofernes, oil painting created in 1620 by Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. This is one of the most vivid treatments of the scene, almost shocking in its violence and immediacy. Gentileschi was trained by her father, Orazio Gentileschi, and by Agostino Tassi, a painter of...
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Venus of Urbino Venus of Urbino, oil painting completed in 1538 by the great Venetian Renaissance artist Titian. It is one of the most widely known and most thoroughly discussed of his works. Inspired by such Italian artists of the High Renaissance as Michelangelo, Titian was considered a master within the...
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fiscal year Fiscal year (FY), in finance and government, an annual accounting period for which an institution’s financial statements are prepared. Different countries and companies use different fiscal years (often referred to in financial records with the acronym FY), and the fiscal year need not align with...