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Mittal, Lakshmi Narayan

(Encyclopedia)Mittal, Lakshmi Narayan, 1950–, Indian steel tycoon. He worked at his father's small Kolkata (Calcutta) steel mill before he bought (1976) a mill in Indonesia and began to build his steel empire. He...

Lang, Pearl

(Encyclopedia)Lang, Pearl, 1921–2009, American dancer and choreographer, b. Chicago as Pearl Lack. Lang was a soloist with Martha Graham's company (1942–52) before forming her own company in 1952. As a dancer a...

Whitney, John Hay

(Encyclopedia)Whitney, John Hay, 1904–82, American public official and newspaper publisher, b. Ellsworth, Maine. After an active career in business and in various government posts, Whitney served (1957–61) as a...

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...

Kingston, city, Jamaica

(Encyclopedia)Kingston, city (1991 pop. 97,424), capital and largest city of Jamaica, SE Jamaica. The country's chief port, it has one of the finest harbors in the West Indies and exports sugar, rum, molasses, and ...

Rumford, Benjamin Thompson, Count

(Encyclopedia)Rumford, Benjamin Thompson, Count, 1753–1814, American-British scientist and administrator, b. Woburn, Mass. In 1776 he went to England, where he served (1780–81) as undersecretary of the colonies...

Harris, Sir Arthur Travers

(Encyclopedia)Harris, Sir Arthur Travers, 1892–1984, British marshal of the Royal Air Force (RAF). In World War I, he served for a time in German West Africa before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in Franc...

Gray, Stephen

(Encyclopedia)Gray, Stephen, 1666–1736, English physicist. Gray, a dyer by trade, cultivated science as a hobby. In 1696 he published an account of a magnifying glass that interested the Royal Society and from th...

Valois, historic region, France

(Encyclopedia)Valois, historic region, now comprised in Aisne and Oise depts., N France. Crépy-en-Valois was its historic capital. It is a rich agricultural area. A county and later a duchy, Valois was the appanag...

Vetch, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Vetch, Samuel, 1668–1732, British soldier and colonial administrator, b. Scotland. He settled in Albany, N.Y., in 1699 and became a trader with the Native Americans. Author of a plan to capture Fren...