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Salza, Hermann von

(Encyclopedia)Salza, Hermann von hĕrˈmän fən zälˈtsä [key], d. 1239, grand master (1210–39) of the Teutonic Knights. A friend and adviser of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, he often mediated between the e...

North German Confederation

(Encyclopedia)North German Confederation, 1867–71, alliance of 22 German states N of the Main River. Dominated by Prussia, it replaced the German Confederation and included the states that had supported Prussia i...

Boucher, François

(Encyclopedia)Boucher, François fräNswäˈ bo͞oshāˈ [key], 1703–70, French painter. Boucher's art embodied the spirit of his time; it was elegant, frivolous, and artificial. He studied briefly with François...

Sui

(Encyclopedia)Sui swā [key], dynasty of China that ruled from 581 to 618. This short-lived dynasty reunified China in 589 after 400 years of division and laid the foundation for further consolidation under the T'a...

Agassi, Andre Kirk

(Encyclopedia)Agassi, Andre Kirk änˈdrā, ăgˈəsē [key], 1970–, American tennis player, b. Las Vegas, Nev. Trained by his Armenian immigrant father, he turned professional in 1986. By 1988 he had won a half ...

Capone, Al

(Encyclopedia)Capone, Al (Alfonso or Alphonse Capone) kəpōnˈ [key], 1899–1947, American gangster, b. Naples, Italy. Brought up in New York City, he became connected with organized crime and was the subject of ...

Michigan, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Michigan, Lake, 22,178 sq mi (57,441 sq km), 307 mi (494 km) long and 30 to 120 mi (48–193 km) wide, bordered by Mich., Ind., Ill., and Wis.; third largest of the Great Lakes and the only one entire...

Hesse

(Encyclopedia)Hesse hĕs, hēsˈē, hĕsˈə [key], Ger. Hessen, state, 8,150 sq mi (24,604 sq km),...

Rabelais, François

(Encyclopedia)Rabelais, François răbˈəlā, Fr. fräNswäˈ räblāˈ [key], c.1490–1553, French writer and physician, one of the great comic geniuses in world literature. His father, a lawyer, owned several e...

Tuscany

(Encyclopedia)Tuscany tŭsˈkənē [key], Ital. Toscana, region (1991 pop. 3,538,619), 8,876 sq mi (22,989 sq km), N central Italy, bordering on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west and including the Tuscan Archipelago. ...