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Poissy, Colloquy of

(Encyclopedia)Poissy, Colloquy of pwäsēˈ [key], 1561, conference of Roman Catholic prelates and Protestant ministers, initiated by Catherine de' Medici and Michel de L'Hôpital in the hope of bringing about a pe...

Banks, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Banks, Thomas, 1735–1805, English neoclassical sculptor, studied at the Royal Academy. A traveling scholarship enabled him to study in Rome from 1772 to 1779. In 1781 he went to Russia, where Cather...

Réjane

(Encyclopedia)Réjane rāzhänˈ [key], 1857–1920, stage name of Gabrielle Réju, French actress. After her first success, in Meilhac's Ma Camarade (1883), she grew in reputation as a comedienne. She appeared in ...

Gustavus III

(Encyclopedia)Gustavus III, 1746–92, king of Sweden (1771–92), son and successor of Adolphus Frederick. When Gustavus ascended the throne, he found his kingdom torn by civil strife. To the conflicting interests...

Fisk University

(Encyclopedia)Fisk University, at Nashville, Tenn.; coeducational; founded 1865, opened 1866, and chartered 1867. It became a university in 1967. Fisk, long an outstanding African-American school, is open to all qu...

Letchworth

(Encyclopedia)Letchworth, town (1991 pop. 31,146), Hertfordshire, E central England. It was the first garden city, founded in 1903 by Sir Ebenezer Howard. Industries focus on printing and the manufacture of printin...

Brownwood

(Encyclopedia)Brownwood, city (2020 pop. 18,862), seat of Brown co., central Tex.; inc. 1876. Its many industries include oil and gas, printing, and the manufacture o...

Big Spring

(Encyclopedia)Big Spring, city (2020 pop. 26,144), seat of Howard co., W central Tex.; inc. 1907. The spring for which it was named once fed a branch of the Colorado ...

Derzhavin, Gavril Romanovich

(Encyclopedia)Derzhavin, Gavril Romanovich gəvrēlˈ rəmäˈnəvĭch dyĭrzhäˈvĭn [key], 1743–1816, Russian classical poet. His satirical ode to Catherine II, Felitsa (1782), won her favor, and he became poe...

Clive, Kitty

(Encyclopedia)Clive, Kitty (Catherine Raftor), 1711–85, English singer and actress. She made her debut (c.1728) at Drury Lane under the management of Colley Cibber and worked for many years with David Garrick, wi...