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Reinhardt, Django

(Encyclopedia)Reinhardt, Django (Jean Baptiste Reinhardt), 1910–53, Belgian jazz guitarist of Romani (Gypsy) descent. Reinhardt began playing the guitar professionally at 12. He was severely burned in a fire in 1...

Azaña, Manuel

(Encyclopedia)Azaña, Manuel mänwĕlˈ äthäˈnyä [key], 1880–1940, Spanish statesman. An author and critic, he gained prominence as president (1930) of the Madrid Ateneo, a literary and political club, and ca...

Continental Divide

(Encyclopedia)Continental Divide, the “backbone” of a continent. In North America, from N Alaska to New Mexico, it moves along the crest of the Rocky Mts., which separates streams with outlets to the west of th...

Colima, state, Mexico

(Encyclopedia)Colima kōlēˈmä [key], state, 2,010 sq mi (5,206 sq km), SW Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. ...

Hidalgo, state, Mexico

(Encyclopedia)Hidalgo ēᵺälˈgō [key], state, 8,058 sq mi (20,870 sq km), central Mexico. Pachuca de Soto is the capital. Cross...

Johnson, Samuel, English author

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Samuel, 1709–84, English author, b. Lichfield. The leading literary scholar and critic of his time, Johnson helped to shape and define the Augustan Age. He was equally celebrated for his br...

Commonwealth of Nations

(Encyclopedia)Commonwealth of Nations, voluntary association of Great Britain and its dependencies, certain former British dependencies that are now sovereign states and their dependencies, and the associated state...

ebony

(Encyclopedia)ebony, common name for members of the Ebenaceae, a family of trees and shrubs widely distributed in warmer climates and in the tropics. The principal genus, Diospyros, includes both ebony and persimmo...

De Vinne, Theodore Low

(Encyclopedia)De Vinne, Theodore Low də vĭnˈē [key], 1828–1914, American printer, b. Stamford, Conn. He learned his trade in the office of the Newburgh (N.Y.) Gazette and in 1848 entered the shop of Francis H...

Auerbach, Red

(Encyclopedia)Auerbach, Red (Arnold Jacob Auerbach) ouˈərbăkˌ, –bäkˌ [key], 1917–2006, American basketball coach and executive, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. As coach of the Boston Celtics (1950–66), he built the l...