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Peerce, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Peerce, Jan, 1904–85, American tenor, b. New York City as Jacob Pincus Perelmuth. Discovered by Arturo Toscanini, who chose him to be a soloist in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Peerce...

Rockaway

(Encyclopedia)Rockaway, narrow peninsula, c.10 mi (16 km) long, SW Long Island, SE N.Y., in Queens borough of New York City. Separating Jamaica Bay from the Atlantic Ocean and isolated from the rest of New York Cit...

Bouts, Dierick

(Encyclopedia)Bouts, Dierick, Dirk, or Thierry dēˈrĭk, dĭrk, tyĕˈrē bouts [key], c.1420–1475, early Netherlandish painter, b. Haarlem, active in Louvain. Bouts was influenced by Roger van der Weyden, the v...

Wolff, Elisabeth (Bekker)

(Encyclopedia)Wolff, Elisabeth (Bekker) ālēˈzäbĕt bĕkˈər vôlf [key], 1738–1804, Dutch novelist. She wrote satirical articles and poems, but she is most famous for the epistolary novels she wrote in colla...

Asher

(Encyclopedia)Asher ăshˈər [key] [Heb.,=happy], in the Bible, tribe of Israel. Its eponym was Jacob's eighth son. It occupied the northwestern part of ancient Palestine, and its position laid Asher open to influ...

Lundy's Lane

(Encyclopedia)Lundy's Lane, locality in S Ontario just W of the Niagara Falls, scene of a stubborn engagement of the War of 1812, fought July 25, 1814. The American forces commanded by Gen. Winfield Scott and led b...

Succoth

(Encyclopedia)Succoth sŭkˈŏth [key], in the Bible. 1 City, ancient Palestine, E of the Jordan, by the Jabbok River, where Jacob paused on his return to his native land. Through it Gideon passed in pursuit of the...

Zebulun

(Encyclopedia)Zebulun zĕbˈyo͞olən [key], in the Bible, son of Jacob and Leah, eponymous ancestor of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Its allotment was in N Palestine W of Mt. Carmel. The judge Elon was from this...

Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1795–1858, American political leader and cabinet officer

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1795–1858, American political leader and cabinet officer, b. Columbia co., N.Y. Butler, like his former law associate, Martin Van Buren, was a member of the Albany Regency...

Lely, Sir Peter

(Encyclopedia)Lely, Sir Peter lēˈlē [key], 1618–80, Dutch portrait painter in England. His original name was Pieter van der Faes. He studied in Haarlem but worked in England from c.1643. After the death of Van...