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Schildkraut, Rudolph

(Encyclopedia)Schildkraut, Rudolph shĭltˈkrout [key], 1862–1930, Austrian actor. He was a member of Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater, Berlin. In 1911 he came to the United States and until 1922 was a star of t...

Pew Charitable Trusts

(Encyclopedia)Pew Charitable Trusts, philanthropic foundation established (1948) by the children of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew (1886–1963) of Philadelphia to provide funds for “general religious, cha...

Cavalcaselle, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Cavalcaselle, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä kävälkäsĕlˈlā [key], 1820–97, Italian art critic and writer. Cavalcaselle studied painting at the Academy of Venice and traveled ext...

Cavendish, George

(Encyclopedia)Cavendish, George, 1500–1561?, English gentleman, usher to Cardinal Wolsey. His biography of Wolsey, written in 1557, remained in manuscript until 1641 and first appeared in entirety in Christopher ...

Reuben

(Encyclopedia)Reuben ro͞oˈbən [key], in the Bible, Jacob's eldest son and eponymous ancestor of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. He interceded for his brother Joseph's life and guaranteed the safe return from Egy...

Maria Theresa

(Encyclopedia)Maria Theresa mərēˈə tərāˈzə [key], 1717–80, Austrian archduchess, queen of Bohemia and Hungary (1740–80), consort of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and dowager empress after the accession (...

pragmatic sanction

(Encyclopedia)pragmatic sanction, decision of state dealing with a matter of great importance to a community or a whole state and having the force of fundamental law. The term originated in Roman law and was used o...

duPont, Margaret Osborne

(Encyclopedia)duPont, Margaret Osborne, 1918–2012, American tennis player, b. Joseph, Oreg. Known for her aggressive play and endurance, she was one of the finest female players in the mid-20th cent. Ranked numbe...

Cuoco, Vincenzo

(Encyclopedia)Cuoco, Vincenzo vēnchānˈtsō ko͞o-ôˈkō [key], 1770–1823, Italian political philosopher. A lawyer, he was exiled (1799) from Naples for his part in establishing the Parthenopean Republic. In t...

Ferdinand, emperor of Austria

(Encyclopedia)Ferdinand, 1793–1875, emperor of Austria (1835–48), son and successor of Emperor Francis I (who also, as Francis II, had been the last Holy Roman emperor). A well-meaning monarch in his lucid mome...