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Legionaries of Christ

(Encyclopedia)Legionaries of Christ, Roman Catholic order est. 1941 in Mexico by Father Marcial Maciel Degollado. The conservative order, which became wealthy and influential, was noted for successfully recruiting ...

Legion of Honor

(Encyclopedia)Legion of Honor: see decorations, civil and military. ...

Leiden, University of

(Encyclopedia)Leiden, University of, at Leiden, the Netherlands; founded 1575 by William the Silent, Prince of Orange. It became a state institution in the 19th cent. It has faculties of theology, law, medicine, sc...

Leipzig, University of

(Encyclopedia)Leipzig, University of, at Leipzig, Germany; founded 1409 when German scholars withdrew from Charles Univ. It was reorganized in 1946, and in 1953 its name was changed officially to Karl Marx Univ. Si...

arms, coat of

(Encyclopedia)arms, coat of: see blazonry; heraldry. ...

Leonidas of Rhodes

(Encyclopedia)Leonidas of Rhodes rōdz [key], fl. 2d cent. b.c., ancient Greek athlete. He won three different foot races—the stadion, about 200 m, the diaulos, about 400m, and the hoplitodromos, in which athlete...

Lepanto, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Lepanto, battle of lĭpănˈtō [key], Oct. 7, 1571, naval battle between the Christians and Ottomans fought in the strait between the gulfs of Pátrai and Corinth, off Lepanto (Návpaktos), Greece. T...

Jena, University of

(Encyclopedia)Jena, University of: see Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. ...

Jerome of Prague

(Encyclopedia)Jerome of Prague, c.1370–1416, Bohemian religious reformer. During his studies at Prague and at Oxford, Jerome was influenced by the doctrinal views of John Wyclif. He continued to study and travel ...

Jesus, Society of

(Encyclopedia)Jesus, Society of, religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. Its members are called Jesuits. St. Ignatius of Loyola, its founder, named it Compañia de Jesús [Span.,=(military) company of Jesus];...