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Groppi, James

(Encyclopedia)Groppi, James, 1931–85, American Roman Catholic cleric and political activist, b. Milwaukee. Groppi, who grew up in the Milwaukee slums, attended St. Francis' Seminary and was ordained in 1960. In 1...

Vernadsky, George

(Encyclopedia)Vernadsky, George vĕrnätˈskē [key], 1887–1973, American historian, b. Russia. He emigrated to the United States in 1927 and was research associate in history (1927–46) and professor of Russian...

Lyons, Second Council of

(Encyclopedia)Lyons, Second Council of, 1274, 14th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. It was summoned by Pope Gregory X to discuss problems in the Holy Land, to remove the schism of East and West, and...

John III, king of Poland

(Encyclopedia)John III (John Sobieski) sôbyĕˈskē [key], 1624–96, king of Poland (1674–96), champion of Christian Europe against the Ottomans. Born to an ancient noble family, he was appointed (1668) command...

Ivan II

(Encyclopedia)Ivan II or Ivan Asen ēˈvän äˈsən [key], d. 1241, czar of Bulgaria (1218–41). On the death (1207) of his father, Kaloyan, founder of the second Bulgarian empire, the throne was usurped by Ivan'...

Sicilian Vespers

(Encyclopedia)Sicilian Vespers, in Italian history, name given the rebellion staged by the Sicilians against the Angevin French domination of Sicily; the rebellion broke out at Palermo at the start of Vespers on Ea...

Mizpah

(Encyclopedia)Mizpah or Mizpeh both: mĭzˈpə [key], in the Bible. 1 See Galeed. 2 Unidentified place, E of the Jordon River, identical with Ramath-Mizpeh. 3 Place, on the boundary between Israel and Judah, a reli...

Karaman

(Encyclopedia)Karaman kärämänˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 76,682), S central Turkey, at the northern foot of the Taurus Mts. The ancient Laranda, Karaman was renamed after the chieftain of a Turkic tribe who conque...

Helicon

(Encyclopedia)Helicon hĕlˈĭkŏn [key], Gr. Elikón, mountain group, c.20 mi (30 km) long, central Greece, in Boeotia; it rises to 5,736 ft (1,748 m). Helicon formed part of the border between ancient Boeotia and...

Huesca

(Encyclopedia)Huesca wāˈskä [key], town, capital of Huesca prov., NE Spain, in Aragón, at the foot of t...