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Merman, Ethel

(Encyclopedia)Merman, Ethel, 1908–84, American musical comedy star, b. Astoria, N.Y., originally named Ethel Zimmerman. Merman's theater debut was in George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy (1930). Noted for her bra...

Harlow, Jean

(Encyclopedia)Harlow, Jean, 1911–37, American movie star, b. Kansas City, Mo., as Harlean Carpentier. Harlow brought charm and a sexual knowingness to a series of comedies during the 1930s, becoming the model of ...

Flamsteed, John

(Encyclopedia)Flamsteed, John flămˈstēd [key], 1646–1719, English astronomer. He was appointed (1675) astronomer royal by King Charles II and carried on his researches at Greenwich Observatory. Over his protes...

Ekelund, Vilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Ekelund, Vilhelm vĭlˈəlm āˈkəlŭndˌ [key], 1880–1949, Swedish essayist and poet. Ekelund's writings were influenced by the works of Nietzsche, Hölderlin, and Swedenborg. After publication of...

Favart, Charles Simon

(Encyclopedia)Favart, Charles Simon shärl sēmôNˈ fävärˈ [key], 1710–92, French dramatist and theatrical manager, for a time director of the Opéra-Comique. He was the originator of the modern light opera a...

Richard, Maurice

(Encyclopedia)Richard, Maurice (Joseph Henri Maurice Richard) zhōzĕfˈ äNrēˈ môrēsˈ rēˈshärˌ [key], 1921–2000, Canadian hockey player, b. Montreal. Richard, nicknamed “the Rocket” by his admirers,...

Brannan, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Brannan, Samuel, 1819–89, California pioneer, b. Saco, Maine. Converted to Mormonism, he edited a Mormon paper in New York City before leading a party of Mormons by sea from New York to California. ...

Béliveau, Jean Arthur

(Encyclopedia)Béliveau, Jean Arthur, 1931–2014, Canadian ice hockey player, b. Trois-Rivières, Québec. He joined the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League in 1953, playing for 18 seasons and becomin...

planetary science

(Encyclopedia)planetary science or planetology, study of planets and planetary systems as a whole. Planetary science applies the theories and methods of traditional disciplines such as astronomy, geology, physics, ...

universe

(Encyclopedia)universe, totality of matter and energy in existence. The study of the origin of the universe, or cosmos, is known as cosmogony, and that of its structure and evolution, cosmology. The age of the univ...