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Irish Republican Army

(Encyclopedia)Irish Republican Army (IRA), nationalist organization devoted to the integration of Ireland as a complete and independent unit. Organized by Michael Collins from remnants of rebel units dispersed afte...

organized crime

(Encyclopedia)organized crime, criminal activities organized and coordinated on a national scale, often with international connections. The American tradition of daring desperadoes like Jesse James and John Dilling...

Buckingham, George Villiers, 2d duke of

(Encyclopedia)Buckingham, George Villiers, 2d duke of, 1628–87, English courtier; son of the 1st duke. Brought up with the royal family and educated at Cambridge, he was a strong royalist in the English civil war...

Eggers, Dave

(Encyclopedia)Eggers, Dave, 1970–, American writer, publisher, and educator, b. Boston. He began as an editor at Salon.com and a writer for several publications, founded a small magazine, and wrote a newspaper co...

cruiser

(Encyclopedia)cruiser, large, fast, moderately armed warship, intermediate in type between the aircraft carrier and the destroyer. During World War II, battle cruisers operated as small battleships, combining in on...

Chaudhry, Iftikhar Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Chaudhry, Iftikhar Muhammad ĭftĭkärˈ məhäˈməd chôˈdrē [key], 1948–, chief justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court (2005–7, 2009–13). He established a private practice in 1974 and became...

Christopher, Warren Minor

(Encyclopedia)Christopher, Warren Minor, 1925–2011, U.S. government official, b. Scranton, N.Dak. He studied law at Stanford (1946–49) and was a clerk to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (1949–50). A ...

Hernández Alvarado, Juan Orlando

(Encyclopedia)Hernández Alvarado, Juan Orlando, 1968–, Honduran political leader, president of Honduras (2014–21). A member of the co...

Greater Manchester

(Encyclopedia)Greater Manchester, former metropolitan county, 497 sq mi (1,288 sq km), W central England. It comprised ten administrative districts (metropolitan boroughs): Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdal...

Assad, Hafez al-

(Encyclopedia)Assad, Hafez al- äl-äsˈsäd [key], 1930–2000, president of Syria (1971–2000). He graduated (1955) from the Syrian Military Academy and advanced through the army ranks to become a general. He s...