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Verrazzano, Giovanni da

(Encyclopedia)Verrazzano, Giovanni da jōvänˈnē dä vĕrˌrätsäˈnō; vĕrˌəzäˈnō [key], c.1480–1527?, Italian navigator and explorer, in the service of France, possibly the first European to enter New ...

exploration

(Encyclopedia)exploration, travel to a part of the earth that is relatively unknown to the traveler's culture, historically often motivated by a desire for colonization, conquest, or trade. See also space explorati...

Folgore da San Geminiano

(Encyclopedia)Folgore da San Geminiano fôlˈgōrā dä sän jāmēnyäˈnō [key], fl. 1308–16, Italian poet. Mesi, his cycle of sonnets on the seasons and their appropriate pleasures, is interspersed with zestf...

Fonseca, Manuel Deodoro da

(Encyclopedia)Fonseca, Manuel Deodoro da mänwĕlˈ dēo͝oᵺôˈro͝o dä fo͝onsĕˈkə [key], 1827–92, first president of Brazil (1891). A leader of the discontented militarists who helped overturn the empire...

da Silva, Luiz Inácio

(Encyclopedia)da Silva, Luiz Inácio lo͞oēshˈ ēnäsˈyo͞o dä sēlˈvə [key], 1945–, Brazilian labor leader and politician, known as Lula, b. Vargem Grande (now Caetés), Pernambuco. Born into a poor family...

Costa e Silva, Artur da

(Encyclopedia)Costa e Silva, Artur da ərto͞orˈ dä koŏshˈtə ĕ sēlˈvə [key], 1902–69, president of Brazil (1967–69). An army general, he participated in the 1964 coup that deposed President João Goula...

Cortona, Pietro Berrettini da

(Encyclopedia)Cortona, Pietro Berrettini da pyāˈtrō bār-rĕt-tēˈnē dä kōrtôˈnä [key], 1596–1669, Italian baroque painter and architect, b. Cortona. The Barberini family commissioned him to paint fresc...

Silva, Antonio José da

(Encyclopedia)Silva, Antonio José da əntôˈnyo͝o zho͝ozĕˈ dä sēlˈvə [key], 1705–39, Portuguese playwright, b. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He belonged to a family of “New Christians” (Jews forced to con...

Quadros, Jânio da Silva

(Encyclopedia)Quadros, Jânio da Silva zhäˈnyo͝o dä sēlˈvə kwäˈdro͝os [key], 1917–92, president of Brazil (Jan.–Aug., 1961). A schoolteacher and lawyer, he served as mayor of the city of (1953–54) a...

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