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Wilson, Benjamin

(Encyclopedia)Wilson, Benjamin, 1721–88, English portrait painter and electrician who opposed Benjamin Franklin's theory of positive and negative electricity. Instead, Wilson supported Newton's gravitational-opti...

Copernican system

(Encyclopedia)Copernican system, first modern European theory of planetary motion that was heliocentric, i.e., that placed the sun motionless at the center of the solar system with all the planets, including the ea...

Danegeld

(Encyclopedia)Danegeld dānˈgĕldˌ [key], medieval land tax originally raised to buy off raiding Danes and later used for military expenditures. In England the tribute was first levied in 868, then in 871 by Alfr...

Smith, Hoke

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Hoke, 1855–1931, American political leader, b. Newton, N.C. A successful lawyer in Atlanta, he acquired the Atlanta Journal in 1887. He served (1893–96) in President Cleveland's cabinet as ...

Berkshire

(Encyclopedia)Berkshire bärks, bûrks [key], former county, S central England. Part of the ancient kingdom of Wessex and the birthplace of King Alfred, the county of Berkshire was abolished as an administrative en...

Cooper, Alfred Duff, 1st Viscount Norwich of Aldwick

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Alfred Duff, 1st Viscount Norwich of Aldwick ko͞oˈpər, ko͝opˈər [key], 1890–1954, British statesman and diplomat. Elected to Parliament as a Conservative (Unionist) in 1924, he served ...

Basingstoke

(Encyclopedia)Basingstoke bāˈzĭngstōk [key], city, Hampshire, S central England, on the North Downs. Formerly a ...

Converse, Frederick Shepherd

(Encyclopedia)Converse, Frederick Shepherd kŏnˈvûrs [key], 1871–1940, American composer, b. Newton, Mass., studied with J. K. Paine and G. W. Chadwick and in Germany with Rheinberger. His Pipe of Desire (Bosto...

Moivre, Abraham de

(Encyclopedia)Moivre, Abraham de äbrä-ämˈdə mwäˈvrə [key], 1667–1754, French-English mathematician. He fled to England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He was called upon by the Royal Society ...

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