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Orcutt, Maureen

(Encyclopedia)Orcutt, Maureen, 1907–2007, American amateur golf champion and sportswriter, b. New York City. The daughter of a journalist and a woman golfer, she began playing golf at the age of seven. A superb l...

von Furstenberg, Diane

(Encyclopedia)von Furstenberg, Diane, 1946–, Belgian-American fashion designer, b. Brussels as Diane Simone Michelle Halfin. She began designing before moving to New York in 1969, and created simple, functional c...

Bellevue Hospital

(Encyclopedia)Bellevue Hospital, municipal hospital, in New York City. America's oldest public hospital, Bellevue developed from a “Publick Workhouse and House of Correction” commissioned in 1734. The establish...

Murdoch, Rupert

(Encyclopedia)Murdoch, Rupert (Keith Rupert Murdoch), 1931–, Australian-American publishing magnate. Combining sensationalist journalism (often reflective of his generally hawkish, strongly conservative political...

Bolshoi Ballet

(Encyclopedia)Bolshoi Ballet bōlˈshoi, bôlˈ– [key], one of the principal ballet companies of Russia; part of the Bolshoi Theatre, which also includes Russia's premier opera company. The Bolshoi Ballet began a...

Loeb, James

(Encyclopedia)Loeb, James lōb [key], 1867–1933, American banker and philanthropist, b. New York City; son of Solomon Loeb. He entered (1888) Kuhn, Loeb and Company and retired from business at 34. Most of the re...

Leinsdorf, Erich

(Encyclopedia)Leinsdorf, Erich ĕrˈĭkh līzˈdôrf, līntsˈ– [key], 1912–93, American conductor, b. Vienna. Leinsdorf studied at the Vienna state academy of music and in 1934 began his conducting career, ser...

East India Company, British

(Encyclopedia)East India Company, British, 1600–1874, company chartered by Queen Elizabeth I for trade with Asia. The original object of the group of merchants involved was to break the Dutch monopoly of the spic...

East India Company, Dutch

(Encyclopedia)East India Company, Dutch, 1602–1798, chartered by the States-General of the Netherlands to expand trade and assure close relations between the government and its colonial enterprises in Asia. The c...

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