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Vincennes, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Vincennes vĭnsĕnzˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 19,859), seat of Knox co., SW Ind., on the Wabash River; inc. 1814. The city is the center of an extensive farm area. Its many industries include food proc...

Balzac, Jean Louis Guez de

(Encyclopedia)Balzac, Jean Louis Guez de də bälzäkˈ [key], 1597?–1654, French writer. His Lettres (1624, tr. 1634) and other writings were a great influence in reforming French prose. Their style was marked ...

Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, Jean

(Encyclopedia)Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, Jean zhäN dāmärāˈ də săN-sôrlăNˈ [key], 1595–1676, French poet and dramatist. A protégé of Richelieu, he was a founding member of the French Academy. In 1670 h...

Alembert, Jean le Rond d'

(Encyclopedia)Alembert, Jean le Rond d' zhäN lərôNˈ däläNbĕrˈ [key], 1717–83, French mathematician and philosopher. The illegitimate son of the chevalier Destouches, he was named for the St. Jean le Rond ...

Collot d'Herbois, Jean Marie

(Encyclopedia)Collot d'Herbois, Jean Marie zhäN märēˈ kōlōˈ dĕrbwäˈ [key], 1750–96, French revolutionary, originally an actor and playwright. Although a member of his Jacobin club, he favored a constitu...

Fourier, Jean Baptiste Joseph, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Fourier, Jean Baptiste Joseph, Baron, 1768–1830, French mathematician and physicist. He was noted for his researches on heat and on numerical equations. He originated Fourier's theorem on vibratory ...

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