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Nasir ad-Din

(Encyclopedia)Nasir ad-Din näˈsər äd-dēn [key], 1831?–1896, shah of Persia (1848–96). He and his able vizier, Mirza Taqi Khan, were responsible for shaking Persia from a long period of inertia. He traveled...

Haffkine, Waldemar Mordecai Wolff

(Encyclopedia)Haffkine, Waldemar Mordecai Wolff, 1860–1930, Ukrainian microbiologist, b. Odessa, Russia (now in Ukraine). After studying (1879–83) at the Univ. of Odessa with the microbiologist Ilya Mechnikov, ...

Alexander Nevsky

(Encyclopedia)Alexander Nevsky nĕvˈskē [key] [Rus.,=of the Neva], 1220–1263, Russian hero, grand duke of Vladimir-Suzdal. As prince of Novgorod (1236–52) he earned his surname by his victory (1240) over the ...

Tippoo Sahib

(Encyclopedia)Tippoo Sahib or Tipu Sahib both: tĭpˈo͞o säˈhĭb [key], 1749–99, Indian ruler, sultan of Mysore (1782–99); son and successor of Haidar Ali. He fought in his father's campaigns against the Mar...

Beatles, The

(Encyclopedia)Beatles, The, English rock music group formed in the late 1950s and disbanded in 1970. The members were John (Winston) Lennon, 1940–80, guitar and harmonica; (James) Paul McCartney, 1942–, guitar ...

Liston, Sonny

(Encyclopedia)Liston, Sonny (Charles Liston), 1932–71, American boxer, b. Little Rock, Ark. While serving a sentence for robbery at the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston became interested in boxing. In 1953 he ...

Gabriel

(Encyclopedia)Gabriel gāˈbrēəl [key], archangel, the divine herald. In the Bible he appears to Daniel (twice), to Zacharias, and to the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation (Dan. 8.16; 9.21; Luke 1.19,26,27). Christ...

Cosell, Howard

(Encyclopedia)Cosell, Howard kōsĕlˈ [key], 1920–95, American sports broadcaster, b. Winston-Salem, N.C., as Howard William Cohen. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and became a lawyer; in 1956 he began covering sp...

Sulayman II

(Encyclopedia)Sulayman II, 1642–91, Ottoman sultan (1687–91), brother and successor of Muhammad IV to the throne of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). His grand vizier (chief executive officer), Mustafa Köprülü, w...

Stevenson, Teófilo

(Encyclopedia)Stevenson, Teófilo, 1952–2012, Cuban heavyweight boxer, b. Puerto Padre. One of the greatest amateur boxers ever to enter the ring, he won gold medals at the Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), and Mos...