(Encyclopedia) Alfonso VI, 1643–83, king of Portugal (1656–83), son and successor of John IV. Slightly paralyzed and mentally defective, he led a dissolute youth until he came under the influence of…
(Encyclopedia) Prokopovich, FeofanProkopovich, Feofanfāəfänˈ prəkəpôˈvĭch [key], 1681–1736, Russian churchman. He was appointed bishop by Czar Peter I to carry out his ecclesiastic reforms and wrote…
actorBorn: 11/28/1959Birthplace: Portland, Maine A member of the so-called “Brat Pack,” of the 1980s, Judd Nelson burst upon the Hollywood scene by starring in three successful young adult films,…
inventorBorn: 1806Birthplace: New Orleans, La. Born to a French father and an African-American mother, Norbert Rillieux studied at Catholic schools in Louisiana before traveling to France to study…
poet, author, scholar, painterBorn: February 27, 1934Birthplace: Kiowa Indian reservation, Lawton, Oklahoma As a writer Navarre Scott Momaday draws from the "pan-Indian experience" that was his…
(Encyclopedia) Peter I, d. 1104, king of Aragón and Navarre (1094–1104), son and successor of Sancho I. He continued the fight against the Moors, taking (1096) Huesca and recapturing (1100) Barbastro…
Mystery Initials Full names of famous authors
tracked down by Holly Hartman Ever wonder what the two R's stand for in J. R. R. Tolkien? Curious about whether S. E. Hinton is a man or a…
(Encyclopedia) Echo, in Greek mythology, mountain nymph. She assisted Zeus in one of his amorous adventures by distracting Hera with her chatter. For this Hera made her unable to speak except to…
