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Laver, Rod

(Encyclopedia)Laver, Rod (Rodney George Laver) lāˈvər [key], 1938–, Australian tennis player. He left school at age 15 to pursue tennis and in 1962 became the first male grand-slam winner in tennis since Don B...

Campbell, Sir Malcolm

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, Sir Malcolm, 1885–1949, English automobile and speedboat racer. A racing enthusiast from boyhood, Campbell set many speed records for motorcycles, airplanes, automobiles, and motorboats an...

Willaert, Adrian

(Encyclopedia)Willaert, Adrian ädˈrēän vĭlˈärt [key], c.1490–1562, Flemish composer. After brief engagements at Ferrara and Milan, he was choirmaster at St. Mark's, Venice, from 1527 until his death. Willa...

Weelkes, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Weelkes, Thomas, c.1575–1623, English composer. His four books of madrigals (1597–1600) mark Weelkes as one of the great English madrigalists. His music is remarkable for melodic characterization ...

Barnabas, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Barnabas, Saint bärˈnəbəs [key], Christian apostle. He was a Cypriot and a relative of St. Mark; his forename was Joseph. Several passages in the New Testament relate that Barnabas was a teacher a...

Saint-Amant, Marc-Antoine de Gérard, Sieur de

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Amant, Marc-Antoine de Gérard, Sieur de märk-äNtwänˈ də zhārärˈ, syör də săNtämäNˈ [key], 1594–1661, French lyric poet. After establishing himself through public readings in Par...

Roscius, Quintus

(Encyclopedia)Roscius, Quintus kwĭnˈtəs rŏshˈəs [key], c.126 b.c.–62 b.c., Roman actor. Born a slave at Solonium, he became the greatest comic actor of his time. From the dictator Sulla, Roscius received th...

Peter Gonzalez, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Peter Gonzalez, Saint gŏnzāˈlĭs [key], 1190–1246, Spanish Dominican priest. He worked first among the Moors, then among the mariners of NW Spain. As a patron of sailors he acquired the name St. ...

Fort Washington

(Encyclopedia)Fort Washington, military post during the American Revolution, situated on the highest point of Manhattan island, New York City, overlooking the Hudson River opposite Fort Lee, N.J. It was a hastily b...

Gadara

(Encyclopedia)Gadara gădˈərə [key], ancient city of the Decapolis, the modern Umm Qays (Jordan), SE of the Sea of Galilee. Extensive ruins mark the site. This Gadara must be distinguished from Gadara, the capit...