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Sobotka, Bohuslav

(Encyclopedia)Sobotka, Bohuslav bōˈho͞osläf sōˈbätkä [key], 1971–, Czech politician. Center-left in political philosophy and a member of the Czech Social Democratic party (CSSD) from 1989, Sobotka was fir...

Rafsanjani, Hashemi

(Encyclopedia)Rafsanjani, Hashemi (Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) älēˈ äkˈbär häshˈəmē räfˌsänjänˈē [key], 1934–2017, Iranian religious and political leader, president of Iran (1989–97). A Shiite...

Hildebert of Lavardin

(Encyclopedia)Hildebert of Lavardin hĭlˈdəbərt, lăvˈərdĭn; lävärdăNˈ [key], c.1056–1133, French churchman, bishop of Le Mans (1096–1125), and archbishop of Tours (1125–33). He was taken prisoner w...

Sullivan, Robert Baldwin

(Encyclopedia)Sullivan, Robert Baldwin, 1802–53, Canadian politician and judge, b. Ireland. He emigrated to Canada in 1819, became a lawyer, and was elected mayor of Toronto (1835). He became a member of the exec...

Villaraigosa, Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Villaraigosa, Antonio vēˌyärīgōˈsä [key], 1953–, American politician, b. Los Angeles as Antonio Villar; he changed his name in 1987 when he married Corina Raigosa. A liberal Democrat and labo...

Phocis

(Encyclopedia)Phocis fōˈsĭs [key], ancient region of central Greece. It included Delphi, Mt. Parnassus, and Elatea; Boeotia (now Voiotía) was on the east, and the Gulf of Corinth was on the south. After the Fir...

International Telecommunication Union

(Encyclopedia)International Telecommunication Union (ITU), specialized agency of the United Nations, with headquarters at Geneva. It was created in 1934 as a result of the merging of the International Telegraph Uni...

Edward VI

(Encyclopedia)Edward VI, 1537–53, king of England (1547–53), son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. Edward succeeded his father to the throne at the age of nine. Henry had made arrangements for a council of regent...

Veil, Simone

(Encyclopedia)Veil, Simone, 1927–2017, French politician, b. Simone Jacob. Interned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II because she was Jewish, she became a lawyer and government official. She served ...

Gheorghiu-Dej, Gheorghe

(Encyclopedia)Gheorghiu-Dej, Gheorghe gāôrˈgā gāôrˈgyo͞o-dāzh [key], 1901–65, Romanian Communist leader, b. Moldavia. He joined the Communist party in 1930 and while in prison (1933–44) was elected (19...