James Louis Johnsonjazz trombonistBorn: 1/22/1924Birthplace: Indianapolis, IN influential jazz musician and composer who is considered the greatest trombonist of all time. He played with such speed…
jazz musicianDied: Aug.16, 2007 (New York City) Best Known as: jazz drummer A founding father of bebop and a visionary bandleader, Roach brought percussion to…
Janet ColeactressBorn: November 12, 1922 Birthplace: Detroit, Mi. Hunter was a actress famous for her Oscar-winning role as Stella in the film and stage versions of Tennessee Williams's A…
(Encyclopedia) Lyric Opera of Chicago, opera company founded 1954 as the Lyric Theatre of Chicago; it was renamed prior to its 1956 season. The company performs at the ornate Lyric Opera House,…
(Encyclopedia) Ashe, Arthur Robert, 1943–93, American tennis player, b. Richmond, Va. Ashe rose from his hometown's public courts to become the first African-American male to reach prominence in…
(Encyclopedia) Kramer, Jack (John Albert Kramer), 1921–2009, American tennis player, b. Las Vegas, Nev. He excelled at tennis while still in high school. Kramer and Frederick (Ted) Schroeder won the…
(Encyclopedia) Fort Monroe, SE Va., commanding the entrance to Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads; named for President James Monroe. The fortress (80 acres/32 hectares) was built (1819–34) by the U.S.…
(Encyclopedia) Gadsden, JamesGadsden, Jamesgădzˈdən [key], 1788–1858, American railroad promoter and diplomat, b. Charleston, S.C.; grandson of Christopher Gadsden. He served in the War of 1812,…
(Encyclopedia) Francis, Dick (Richard Stanley Francis), 1920–2010, English novelist. He was a champion steeplechase jockey (1946–57) and a racing writer for a London newspaper (1957–73). Francis…
(Encyclopedia) Douglas, Marjory Stoneman, 1890–1998, American journalist, writer, and environmentalist, b. Minneapolis, grad. Wellesley College, 1912. In 1915 she moved to Miami and began working for…