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Ferber, Herbert

(Encyclopedia)Ferber, Herbert, 1906–91, American sculptor, b. New York City, grad. Columbia (D.D.S., 1930). His original name was Herbert Ferber Silvers. Turning from early massive figures in wood and stone, he d...

Babenberg

(Encyclopedia)Babenberg bäˈbənbĕrk [key], ruling house of Austria (976–1246). It possibly descended from, or succeeded, a powerful Franconian family of the 9th cent. from whose castle the city of Bamberg prob...

Valera, Diego de

(Encyclopedia)Valera, Diego de dyāˈgō dā välāˈrä [key], 1412?–1488?, Spanish adventurer and writer. Reared at the Castilian court, he was page to John II and later became one of his diplomatic agents. He ...

Peter of Blois

(Encyclopedia)Peter of Blois blwä [key], 1135?–1203?, French writer. He was educated in law and theology. From 1167 to 1169 he was tutor to King William II of Sicily. He went (c.1173) to England, where he served...

superfluidity

(Encyclopedia)superfluidity, tendency of liquid helium below a temperature of 2.19K to flow freely, even upward, with little apparent friction. Helium becomes a liquid when it is cooled to 4.2K. Special methods...

Alexandria, city, Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Alexandria, Arabic Al Iskandariyah, city, N Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is at the western extremity of the Nile River delta, situated on a narrow isthmus between the sea and Lake ...

Rulers of England and Great Britain (table)

(Encyclopedia)Rulers of England and Great Britain(including dates of reign) Saxons and Danes House of Normandy House of Blois House of Plantagenet House of Lancaster House of York House of Tudor Ho...

Geoffrey

(Encyclopedia)Geoffrey jĕfˈrē [key], 1158–86, duke of Brittany (1171–86); fourth son of Henry II of England. Betrothed (1166) to Constance, heiress of Brittany, he was recognized as heir to the duchy in 1169...

Maurice, Byzantine emperor

(Encyclopedia)Maurice môrˈĭs [key], c.539–602, Byzantine emperor (582–602). He was a successful general when, on his deathbed, Tiberius II, his father-in-law and the successor of Justin II, proclaimed him em...

Bentivoglio

(Encyclopedia)Bentivoglio bānˈtēvōˈlyō [key], Italian noble family, one of several powerful clans in the struggle for control of Bologna during most of the 15th cent. Its greatest member was Giovanni II, who ...