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Legendre, Adrien Marie

(Encyclopedia)Legendre, Adrien Marie ädrēăNˈ märēˈ ləzhäNˈdrə [key], 1752–1833, French mathematician. He is noted especially for his work on the theory of numbers, on which he wrote an essay (1798) con...

Devolution, War of

(Encyclopedia)Devolution, War of, 1667–68, undertaken by Louis XIV for the conquest of the Spanish Netherlands. On her marriage to Louis, Marie Thérèse, daughter of Philip IV of Spain, had renounced her rights ...

Alfonso VI, king of Portugal

(Encyclopedia)Alfonso VI, 1643–83, king of Portugal (1656–83), son and successor of John IV. Slightly paralyzed and mentally defective, he led a dissolute youth until he came under the influence of the count of...

Duchesne, Louis Marie Olivier

(Encyclopedia)Duchesne, Louis Marie Olivier lwē märēˈ ōlēvyāˈ düshĕnˈ [key], 1843–1922, French Roman Catholic ecclesiastic, educator, church historian, and archaeologist. He made a scientific expeditio...

Joseph, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Joseph, one of the heroes of the patriarchal narratives of the Book of Genesis. He is presented as the favored son of Jacob and Rachel, sold as a boy into slavery by his brothers, who were jealous of ...

Amundsen Sea

(Encyclopedia)Amundsen Sea, arm of the S Pacific Ocean, W Antarctica, bordered by Thurston Island and Cape Dart. Off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, the sea was named after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. ...

Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte

(Encyclopedia)Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte zhän märēˈ bo͞ovyāˈ də lä môt güēyôNˈ [key], 1648–1717, French mystic and author of writings dealing largely with quietism. Confined by the gove...

Joseph II

(Encyclopedia)Joseph II, 1741–90, Holy Roman emperor (1765–90), king of Bohemia and Hungary (1780–90), son of Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, whom he succeeded. He was the first emperor of the...

Potiphar

(Encyclopedia)Potiphar pŏtˈifər [key], in the Bible, chief official of Pharaoh who bought Joseph and gave him a high position in his house. Later when his wife falsely accused Joseph, Potiphar put Joseph into pr...

Épernon, Jean Louis de Nogaret, duc d'

(Encyclopedia)Épernon, Jean Louis de Nogaret, duc d' zhäN lwē də nōgärāˈ dük dāpĕrnôNˈ [key], 1554–1642, French nobleman. He distinguished himself during the civil wars at the beginning of the reign ...
 

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