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Charles XV, king of Sweden and Norway

(Encyclopedia)Charles XV, 1826–72, king of Sweden and Norway (1859–72), son and successor of Oscar I. A liberal and popular ruler, he consented to many reforms, including the creation of a bicameral parliament....

comedy

(Encyclopedia)comedy, literary work that aims primarily to provoke laughter. Unlike tragedy, which seeks to engage profound emotions and sympathies, comedy strives to entertain chiefly through criticism and ridicul...

Wertmüller, Lina

(Encyclopedia)Wertmüller, Lina, 1928–2021, Italian film director, b. Archangela as Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spañol von Braucich. In the 1970s she becam...

Gustavus V

(Encyclopedia)Gustavus V, 1858–1950, king of Sweden (1907–50), son and successor of Oscar II. During his reign Sweden evolved toward political equality and economic prosperity and avoided military involvement i...

Strauss, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Strauss, Richard rĭkhˈärt shtrous [key], 1864–1949, German composer. Strauss brought to a culmination the development of the 19th-century symphonic poem, and was a leading composer of romantic op...

McCormack, John

(Encyclopedia)McCormack, John, 1884–1945, Irish-American tenor, b. Athlone, Ireland. He made his debut in London in 1907. In 1909, Oscar Hammerstein brought him to the United States. After his debut in New York C...

Cavalieri, Lina

(Encyclopedia)Cavalieri, Lina lēˈnä kävälyĕˈrē [key], 1874–1944, Italian operatic soprano. After her debut in Lisbon in 1900 she achieved great success throughout Europe and in the United States in the ly...

Dini, Lamberto

(Encyclopedia)Dini, Lamberto, 1931–, Italian economist and political leader, premier of Italy (1995–96). He worked for the International Monetary Fund (1959–79) and the Bank of Italy (1979–94). A member of ...

Lemus, José María

(Encyclopedia)Lemus, José María hōsāˈ märēˈä lāˈmo͝os [key], 1911–93, president of El Salvador (1956–60). An army lieutenant colonel, he served as minister of interior (1949–55). As president, he ...

Chinchilla Miranda, Laura

(Encyclopedia)Chinchilla Miranda, Laura, 1959–, Costa Rican politian, president of Costa Rica (2010–). Before entering politics she worked as a consultant for international agencies in Latin America and Africa....