actressBorn: 5/31/1961Birthplace: Rochester, Minnesota A professional dancer who trained with the American Ballet Theatre and other prestigious companies, Thompson became a familiar face through…
(Encyclopedia) Hunter, William, 1718–83, Scottish physician. He was famous as a lecturer, as London's leading obstetrician, as professor of anatomy and later president of the Royal Academy of Arts,…
(Encyclopedia) PleiadesPleiadesplēˈədēz, plīˈ– [key], in astronomy, famous open star cluster in the constellation Taurus; cataloged as M45. The cluster consists of some 500 stars, has a diameter of…
(Encyclopedia) Cabrini, Saint Frances XavierCabrini, Saint Frances Xavierzāˈvyər kəbrēˈnē [key], 1850–1917, American nun, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, b. near Lodi…
(Encyclopedia) Athelstan or ÆthelstanÆthelstanboth: ăthˈəlstən, ăthˈĕlstän [key], d. 939, king of Wessex (924–39), son and successor of Edward the Elder. After coming to the throne, he vigorously…
(Encyclopedia) Pascoli, GiovanniPascoli, Giovannijōvänˈnē päˈskōlē [key], 1855–1912, Italian poet. Pascoli's childhood was marked by a series of tragedies: the deaths of his parents and of five of…
(Encyclopedia) Wasserstein, Wendy, 1950–2006, American playwright, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Wasserstein, who made a place on the American stage for contemporary women and their concerns, explored such…
Other Noteworthy Releases: A fine way to beat the heat and be entertained Beyond SilenceGerman director Caroline Link's debut is a touching, engaging exploration of the relationship between deaf…
(Encyclopedia) Mason, James, 1909–84, British stage and film actor. Mason, trained at Cambridge as an architect, became a leading man in British films in the 1940s and thereafter an international…
The following list includes the top 25 movies of 2006, according to domestic gross in the United States. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was the highest grossing movie in 2005 with $423,…
