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Giesebrecht, Wilhelm von

(Encyclopedia)Giesebrecht, Wilhelm von vĭlˈhĕlm fən gēˈzəbrĕkht [key], 1814–89, German historian. A gifted student of Ranke, he later taught at the Univ. of Königsberg. His Geschichte der deutschen Kaise...

Rochambeau, Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de

(Encyclopedia)Rochambeau, Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de zhäN bätēstˈ, kôNt də rôshaNbōˈ [key], 1725–1807, marshal of France. He took part in the wars of King Louis XV and had been promoted t...

Gervase of Canterbury

(Encyclopedia)Gervase of Canterbury jûrˈvāz, jərvāzˈ [key], d. c.1210, English chronicler. A monk of Christ Church, Cambridge, he wrote an account of the reigns of Stephen, Henry II, and Richard I. His Chroni...

Marduk

(Encyclopedia)Marduk märˈdo͝ok [key], ancient god of Babylonia and chief god of the city of Babylon. His cult rose to prominence in the reign of Hammurabi, and Marduk became the omniscient king of the pantheon�...

Engels

(Encyclopedia)Engels ĕngˈgĭls [key], city (1989 pop. 181,000), E European Russia, a port on the Volga River. It has a large chemical fiber complex. Founded by Ukrainian settlers, it was a major destination of Ge...

Diane de France

(Encyclopedia)Diane de France dyän də fräNs [key], 1538–1619, duchess of Angoulême; illegitimate daughter of King Henry II of France. She was legitimized in 1547. She was married to François, eldest son of C...

pipe rolls

(Encyclopedia)pipe rolls, ancient records of the crown revenue and expenditures of England, so called, probably, because of the pipelike form of the rolled parchments on which these records were kept. The oldest ex...

Christian VIII

(Encyclopedia)Christian VIII, 1786–1848, king of Denmark (1839–48), nephew of Christian VII; successor of Frederick VI. As governor and king (May–Oct., 1814) of Norway he accepted a liberal Norwegian constitu...

Andronicus III

(Encyclopedia)Andronicus III (Andronicus Palaeologus), c.1296–1341, Byzantine emperor (1328–41), grandson of Andronicus II, whom he deposed after a series of civil wars. His chief minister was John Cantacuzene ...

John II, king of Poland

(Encyclopedia)John II (John Casimir), 1609–72, king of Poland (1648–68), son of Sigismund III. He was elected to succeed his brother, Ladislaus IV. The turbulent period of his reign is known in Polish history a...