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Beach, Moses Yale

(Encyclopedia)Beach, Moses Yale, 1800–1868, American journalist, b. Wallingford, Conn. As a young man he invented a rag-cutting machine and a gunpowder engine. In 1838 he bought the New York Sun from his brother-...

Tabernacles, Feast of

(Encyclopedia)Tabernacles, Feast of, one of the oldest and most joyous of Jewish holidays, called in the Bible the Feast of Ingathering and today often called by its Hebrew name, Sukkoth [Heb.,=booth]. The holiday ...

Sidoarjo mudflow

(Encyclopedia)Sidoarjo mudflow or Lusi [Lumpur Sidoarjo, Bahasa Indonesia, = Sidoarjo mud], mud volcano, Sidoarjo regency, central East Java prov., Indonesia, 20 mi (30 km) S of Surabaya. In May, 2006, a hot mu...

Bartram, John

(Encyclopedia)Bartram, John bärˈtrəm [key], 1699–1777, pioneer American botanist, b. near Darby, Pa. He had no formal schooling but possessed a keen mind and a great interest in plants. In 1728 he purchased la...

Heller, Stephen

(Encyclopedia)Heller, Stephen shtĕfˈən [key], 1814–88, French pianist and composer, b. Budapest. Heller toured as a piano virtuoso, ruining his health before settling in Paris in 1838. There he developed close...

Morton, Julius Sterling

(Encyclopedia)Morton, Julius Sterling, 1832–1902, American cabinet officer, b. Adams, N.Y. He settled (1854) in Nebraska, founded the Nebraska City News, and served (1858–61) as territorial secretary. In 1872 h...

Nervii

(Encyclopedia)Nervii nûrˈvēī [key], ancient people of Belgica, Gaul. They revolted against the Romans and were crushed by Julius Caesar (57 b.c.). Their capital was Bagacum, the present-day Bavay, France. ...

Agnes, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Agnes, Saint, 4th cent., virgin martyr. A noble Roman girl martyred at the age of 13 after rejecting a well-born suitor. She was included in the Depositio Martyrum of 354. On her feast day lambs are b...

Bond, Carrie Jacobs

(Encyclopedia)Bond, Carrie Jacobs, 1862–1946, American songwriter, b. Janesville, Wis. A self-taught musician, she composed about 175 songs, both words and music, gave concerts of them, and even published them he...

Brooke, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Brooke, Henry, c.1703–1783, Irish author. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he studied law in London before returning to Ireland permanently. In 1735 he published his long philosophical poem, Uni...