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Natasha Lyonne Natasha Lyonne is an American actress, producer, writer, and director known for starring in and co-creating the hit Netflix series Russian Doll. Her decades-long career also included starring roles in Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) and But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) and supporting parts in such TV...
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Deadpool Deadpool, is a Marvel Comics antihero. Making his debut in The New Mutants no. 98 in February 1991, Deadpool has since become an American comic book staple, known for his ultraviolence, fourth wall–breaking antics, and consistent (if not insufferable) quips and punch lines. Deadpool is the creation...
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vertical farming Vertical farming, agricultural technique in which crops are grown indoors in vertical, stacked layers with no soil. Modern vertical farming emerged in the late 20th century and has been touted as a means to produce food in urban areas and other locations that are not conducive to traditional...
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oligonucleotide Oligonucleotide, a short chain of nucleotides (nitrogen-containing units linked to a sugar and a phosphate group) that consist of either single- or double-stranded DNA or RNA. Oligonucleotides originally were used almost exclusively in laboratory research, being synthesized and used generally as...
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backstroke Backstroke, swimming stroke performed on the back in which the swimmer alternates raising each arm over the head and uses an up-and-down flutter kick. The backstroke is a competition stroke, but it is also used in recreational swimming as a rest from other strokes, frequently with minimal arm...
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Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, index of tropical cyclone intensity that classifies a storm’s wind speed into one of five divisions, or categories. The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale was developed by American structural engineer Herbert Saffir and American meteorologist Robert H. Simpson (who...
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Starlink Starlink, is a satellite network that provides Internet service developed by the American aerospace company SpaceX. As of June 2024 there are over 6,000 satellites, accounting for more than half of all active satellites, in the Starlink network. Starlink is a megaconstellation, or satellite...
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The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died, February 3, 1959, when an airplane crash resulted in the deaths of American musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), as well as pilot Roger Peterson. The plane crashed in a cornfield outside Clear Lake, Iowa. The tragedy was memorialized...
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Impeachment of a President In the wake of the Watergate scandal and the resignation of U.S. Pres. Richard M. Nixon, Bruce L. Felknor, a former executive director of the Fair Campaign Practices Committee and the author of Dirty Politics (1966), contributed a Special Report to the 1975 Britannica Book of the Year on the role...
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Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, six compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach that date from the early 18th century. They are unusual in being totally solo with no accompaniment of any kind; the most famous movement from the Bach sonatas and partitas is the Chaconne that concludes the Partita No....
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Phantom Phantom, the first costumed, fictional superhero, known as “The Ghost Who Walks.” Comics scholars generally agree that Superman was the first true superhero of the comic books, clearly marking the entrance of a new kind of hero into the marketplace, one with superpowers such as the ability to fly....
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Raid on the Medway On June 12–14, 1667, a Dutch fleet raided the royal dockyards of the River Medway, which meets the River Thames as it enters the ocean. It lay waste to the English fleet it found there. The Raid on the Medway was one of the deepest humiliations ever visited upon England and the Royal Navy. Although...
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list of Star Wars films and television series The signature opening crawl of every Star Wars film begins with “A long time ago,” as if introducing a folktale or legend told around a campfire. George Lucas was the first to tell a Star Wars story, but its archetypes are timeless. The first installment, Star Wars (1977), follows an orphaned farm...
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Meir Lahav Meir Lahav is an Israeli chemist known for his work, conducted in collaboration with Israeli chemist Leslie Leiserowitz, on the crystal forms of organic molecules. Lahav was born to a Jewish family in Bulgaria, which allied with Nazi Germany during World War II. His father was placed in a labor...
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Hillbilly Elegy Hillbilly Elegy is the best-selling 2016 memoir by J.D. Vance. In it the future U.S. senator and vice presidential nominee writes with candor and compassion about what it was like to grow up in “an Ohio steel town that has been hemorrhaging jobs and hope for as long as I can remember.” The book,...
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National Popular Vote Interstate Compact National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement joined by several U.S. states and the District of Columbia to circumvent the Electoral College by ensuring that the winner of the Electoral College vote, who then becomes the president of the United States, is also the winner of the national...
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Kristen Stewart Kristen Stewart is an Academy Award-nominated American actress who first received widespread recognition for her starring role in the five-part Twilight Saga film franchise (2008–12), She later became known for her nuanced, critically lauded performances in independent films such as Clouds of Sils...
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telomerase Telomerase, enzyme that influences cell life span by adding organic compounds known as nucleotides to telomeres, segments of DNA located at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres consist of repetitive DNA sequences wherein the number of repeats determines the maximum life span of a cell. For context,...
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Siege of Toulouse Simon IV de Montfort , military leader of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France, mounted a siege of Cathar sympathizer Count Raymond VI of Toulouse in 1217. Montfort’s death in 1218 effectively ended the siege and severely weakened the crusade leadership. For two years...
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Capture of Valdivia The Chilean struggle for independencefrom Spain was a decade old in 1820, but despite significant rebel victories and disarray among their various factions, the Royalists continued to mount determined resistance . In the service of the Chilean rebels and personally recruited by Bernardo O’Higgins,...
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Hamish Bond Hamish Bond is a New Zealand rower who won gold medals in three consecutive Summer Olympic Games—in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Bond began rowing in school, when he was 13 years old. He later attended Massey University in New Zealand. There he received a bachelor’s degree in business studies and a...
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breaststroke Breaststroke, swimming stroke performed lying face down in the water in which swimmers use a wide sweeping arm movement and a frog kick to propel themselves forward. The breaststroke is believed to be the oldest stroke and is commonly used in lifesaving and recreational swimming as well as in...
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Emma Twigg Emma Twigg is a New Zealand rower who became the first woman from her country to win the single sculls event at the Olympics (in sculling, the athlete uses two oars—one in each hand—to propel a long, narrow boat through the water). The medal was hard-won after Twigg had narrowly missed out on the...
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arachnophobia Arachnophobia, extreme fear of spiders. The word arachnophobia is derived from the Greek arakhnē, meaning “spider” or “spiderweb,” and from the Greek phobos, meaning “fear.” Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias worldwide. More women than men tend to experience arachnophobia....
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Kjell Lindgren Kjell Lindgren is an American astronaut who has made two spaceflights to the International Space Station (ISS) and is part of the Artemis team of astronauts eligible to fly to the Moon in the mid-2020s. Lindgren was born in Taiwan. His father was in the United States Air Force, and his mother was...
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Battle of Saint-Denis Battle of Saint-Denis, the last battle of the Franco-Dutch War, fought on August 14, 1678, just days after the Dutch and France had signed a peace treaty. France had not made peace with Spain, so when France besieged Mons, in what is now Belgium, a Dutch-Spanish army engaged in battle. France...
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Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, symphony by Gustav Mahler, known as “Symphony of a Thousand” for the great number of performers required, vastly more than were needed for any other symphony to that time. The work premiered September 12, 1910, in Munich to thoroughly favorable notice. With its...
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Richard Simmons Richard Simmons was an American aerobics instructor and fitness guru known for his Sweatin’ to the Oldies series of workout videos, which showcased his high energy and flamboyant personality and his trademark workout attire of striped dolphin shorts and bedazzled tank tops. He was also an author...
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What is a cash balance pension plan? Guaranteed money for retirement.Guaranteed retirement income through a company-sponsored pension plan is far less common than it used to be. Nevertheless, some employers still offer pensions, including one type that has grown in popularity: cash balance plans. These defined benefit plans are akin...
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2024 Paris Paralympics: Athletes to Watch On August 28, 2024, the Paris Paralympic Games will officially begin. Over the course of 11 days, some 4,400 athletes will compete in 549 events in 22 sports. This year’s Games will be the first Summer Paralympics to be held in France and the first with spectators since Rio de Janeiro in 2016....
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Ed Dwight Ed Dwight is a sculptor and the first Black American to undergo astronaut training. In May 2024 he became the oldest person to enter space. Dwight was born to Edward Dwight, Sr., and Georgia Baker Dwight, both of whom were children of enslaved people. Dwight’s father played baseball for the Kansas...
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John Oliver John Oliver is an English-American comedian, writer, and television host who has written and performed for various programs over a two-decade career but is perhaps best known as the host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014– ). The weekly half-hour television show takes a satirical look at...
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expected family contribution (EFC) Before the 2024–25 academic year, when it was replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI), the expected family contribution (EFC) represented how much your family was expected to contribute toward your college costs. The formula, which was established by law, took into account: Like the current SAI,...
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U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) The U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) is a measure of the average change in prices paid to domestic producers of goods and services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates and publishes the PPI monthly, tracking the average change in prices that domestic producers charge and...
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U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the increase in the price level of a basket of goods and services consumed by most households. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates and publishes the CPI monthly, tracking the change in average consumer goods prices over time. The list,...
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spy satellite Spy satellite, spacecraft used by governments to monitor foreign military operations and other phenomena involving national security. The earliest reconnaissance satellites were developed in the United States, near the end of Dwight Eisenhower’s presidency. The Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik...
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Siege of Rome The story told by Romans of their forefathers’ resistance to a siege by Etruscan tyrants in 508 bce was repeated over many generations, but historians are divided over whether it actually took place. Yet the legend records one verifiable truth: Rome’s emergence as an independent state. The...
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Battle of Ravenna The Battle of Ravenna, an engagement fought on April 11, 1512, is chiefly remembered for the tragic death of the brilliant young French commander Gaston de Foix. This loss overshadowed an extraordinary triumph for the French forces, which inflicted appalling casualties upon a largely Spanish Holy...
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Battle of Port Arthur Battle of Port Arthur, conflict on February 8–9, 1904, marking the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05). Rival ambitions in Korea and China led to war between Russia and Japan in 1904. The Russian Pacific Fleet was a threat to the movement of Japanese troops to mainland Asia; in response,...
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Battle of Pamplona Battle of Pamplona, battle on May 20, 1521, during the war between France and the Hapsburgs from 1521 to 1526. Spain, part of the Habsburg Empire, had conquered part of Navarre in 1512, but in 1521 it rebelled with French backing. The Navarrese captured Pamplona by defeating the Spanish garrison,...
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Third Battle of Nanjing Third Battle of Nanjing, the last major battle, fought March–July 1864, of the Taiping Rebellion. At the time of the Battle of Sanhe in 1858, the Taiping Rebellion in China had seemed capable of overthrowing the rule of the Qing emperors. But by 1864 the bulk of the followers of Christian convert...
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Battle of Preston In war, alliances often dissolve in the wake of victory. One such case occurred two years after the end of the English civil war, when the victorious Parliamentary army took on its former allies, the Scots, at Preston. This battle, fought August 17–19, 1648, was to become yet another famous victory...
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United States occupation of Veracruz United States occupation of Veracruz, the occupation in April–November 1914 of Veracruz, the chief port on the east coast of Mexico, by military forces of the United States during the civil wars of the Mexican Revolution. Victory for the United States in a one-sided battle resulted in U.S. troops...
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Battle of Narva In 1700, Czar Peter I of Russia challenged the long-established Swedish domination of the Baltic in alliance with Denmark and Saxony-Poland-Lithuania. On November 30, 1700, the Swedish triumphed over the Russians in their first major engagement of the Great Northern War at Narva, Estonia. After the...
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Nixon resigns: Watergate’s legacy At 9:00 pm on Thursday, August 8, 1974, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein joined other Post journalists watching television screens that hung from the ceiling of the newsroom as Pres. Richard Nixon announced from the White House that he would resign the presidency of the...
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sea dragon Sea dragon, any of three species of small slow-moving bony fishes classified in the genera Phyllopteryx and Phycodurus (family Syngnathidae, order Gasterosteiformes) two of which are known for their ornate camouflage. All three species occur in temperate rocky reef environments along Australia’s...
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Sigrid Nunez Sigrid Nunez is an American novelist and writer known for her spare, witty prose and oblique approach to existential themes of loneliness, mortality, and grief. Among her notable works is the novel, The Friend (2018), which won the National Book Award. Born to a Chinese Panamanian father and a...
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anterior cruciate ligament Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), thick band of connective tissue that joins the femur to the tibia. Its primary function is to provide stability to the knee. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are among the most common types of trauma affecting the knee, being especially common among...
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Brian Epstein Brian Epstein was an English music manager and entrepreneur who discovered the Beatles in the early 1960s, transforming the group from a regional band into one of the world’s most famous music groups. Because of his influential role, Epstein was often referred to as “the fifth Beatle.” Epstein’s...
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Joan Jett Joan Jett is an American singer and musician whose raucous, three-chord guitar-playing and rebellious image made her a trailblazer in the male-dominated genre of rock music. She was a member of the all-female, teenage punk-rock band the Runaways in the 1970s before becoming a successful solo artist...
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great blue heron Great blue heron, (Ardea herodias), well-known species of large North American herons, classified in the bird family Ardeidae in order Pelecaniformes, recognized for its blue-gray plumage and graceful, stately demeanor, its large size, and its wide wingspan—which extends up to nearly 2 meters (6.6...
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Zeebrugge Raid Zeebrugge Raid, naval engagement between British and German forces on April 22–23, 1918, during World War I. Desperate to counter the German U-boat offensive in World War I, British Vice Admiral Sir Roger Keyes devised a bold plan to block the Bruges Canal in occupied Belgium, which linked German...
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Battle of Nagashino In Japan’s Age of Warring States, a series of feudal wars with contending samurai armies, Nagashino castle, in present Mikawa Province, held out against the Takeda in a classic siege. The besiegers tried attacks by river, mining, and through fierce hand-to-hand assaults. Eventually a relieving army...
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Jack Jones Jack Jones is an American singer and actor who, in the midst of rock music’s 1960s heyday, found a niche singing easy-listening, mainstream tunes. He also embraced jazz, disco, and pop throughout his career. Jones is the winner of two Grammy Awards. Jones was born to actress Irene Hervey and singer...
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Broadlands Broadlands, historic country estate situated on the River Test just south of the town of Romsey in Hampshire, England. The property includes a Palladian-style mansion that is considered to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in all of England. Broadlands is perhaps best known as...
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alcohol poisoning Alcohol poisoning, serious medical condition that results from intentional or accidental consumption of alcohol, generally in large quantities over a short period of time. Alcohol poisoning affects areas of the brain that regulate basic physiological functioning, including body temperature,...
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Pale of Settlement Pale of Settlement, the area of territory in the Russian Empire—ultimately including nearly 500,000 square miles (1.2 million square km) and either large parts or the whole of modern Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Moldova—in which Jewish people could legally reside. The immediate catalyst...
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Catholic imagination Catholic imagination, a cultural and aesthetic tradition across art forms in which storytelling and creative expression are influenced by Roman Catholic theology and belief. Works of the Catholic imagination might depict Catholic characters and cultures, but they are not exclusive to those...
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Battle of Mohi (Sajo River) On April 10, 1241, at the Battle of Mohi during the Mongolian invasion of Europe, Batu Khan and his chief general, Subutai, inflicted a crushing defeat on King Béla IV’s Hungarian army, which was renowned for having the best cavalry in Europe. The Mongols burned the city of Pest and seized control...
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Battle of Manila Battle of Manila, first and largest battle of the Philippine-American War, a conflict between the United States and Filipino revolutionaries from 1899 to 1902 that may be seen as a continuation of the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule. Filipino hopes that the U.S. defeat of their Spanish...
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Sack of Magdeburg The Thirty Years’ War had been raging in what is now Germany for a dozen years when, in 1630, its scope widened to include international actors. Foremost among them was King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, who landed a large invasion force in support of the Protestant cause in June 1630. In turn the...
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Working in early retirement? Your Social Security could be reduced How extra income can trigger a penalty. There’s no question that working in retirement has become a trend—and for good reason. With so many people living longer, some retirees are eager to keep earning (and saving), as well as stay active. But continuing to work after you retire can be tricky. If...
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What is a pension? How defined benefit plans work and who gets them ERISA and the PBGC.Defined benefit plans were once a mainstay of many companies’ employee benefit plans, driven largely by the industrialization of the United States in the early 20th century. Known more commonly as pension plans, the programs pay regular income throughout retirement, ensuring...
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Cash vs. accrual accounting: How are you recording revenue and expenses? Be mindful of GAAP.How much income did your small business make last year? That answer could vary greatly depending on the type of accounting you use to keep your books. Small companies often keep cash basis books, which look like your checking account—cash in and cash out. But...
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Who were the shortest-serving world leaders? It’s a well-known political rule: the incumbent has the advantage. After all, why wouldn’t citizens favor someone they already know over an untested newcomer? Still, not everyone can follow in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s footsteps and inspire a new rule on term limits. Here are the stories of seven...
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Lauren Boebert Lauren Boebert is an American Republican congresswoman from Colorado, businesswoman, and gun-rights activist. She has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2021. Boebert is a member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives....
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Tommy Tuberville Tommy Tuberville is a Republican U.S. senator from Alabama and a former high-school and college football player and coach. For some 10 months in 2023 Tuberville used his authority under the Senate’s standing rules to block hundreds of senior promotions of U.S. military officers in protest of a U.S....
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barred owl Barred owl, (Strix varia), owl species common in eastern North America, the Pacific Northwest and California, southern Mexico, and temperate areas of Canada. It is one of the most common owls in North America, and it can be recognized by its distinctive call, or vocalization, which sounds somewhat...
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Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Leonard is an American professional basketball player noted for his prowess on the defensive and offensive sides of the ball whose status as one of the NBA’s best wing players has been hampered by recurring injuries. He currently plays small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard...
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Battle of Lowestoft Early in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch navy suffered a bloody defeat in a savage battle fought off Lowestoft, a port in Norfolk in eastern England. Yet this catastrophe, on June 13, 1665, only stirred the Dutch to greater efforts in the war, and the English failed to draw any lasting...
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Consumer discretionary sector: Investing in companies that make life a bit sweeter A sector named desire.You have material needs in life—and also desires and wants. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector of the stock market make products that you may intensely covet but not need. For that reason, companies that offer goods and services subject to discretionary spending...
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Battle of Lone Pine Battle of Lone Pine, World War I conflict on August 6–10, 1915, that exemplified the courage and skills of Australian and New Zealander (ANZAC) troops engaged in the Gallipoli Campaign. Conceived as a diversionary attack on a quiet sector of the Ottoman Turkish trenches that would allow a breakout...
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Battle of Lake Maracaibo In the Battle of Lake Maracaibo on July 24, 1823, José Prudencio Padilla led the 22-vessel fleet of Simón Bolívar’s Republic of Gran Colombia to victory over Ángel Laborde y Navarro’s superior Spanish squadron, which numbered 32 ships crewed by 1,650 highly trained mariners. Against unequal odds,...
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disability Disability, the experience of any physical or cognitive health condition and its impact on the affected person’s ability to interact with the environment and to carry out activities. Persons affected by disability often confront barriers that prevent participation in community and social activities...
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Meme coins: Investing in a joke, or is the joke on you? Hype is not a fundamental metric.Will 2024 be known throughout history as the year of the meme coin? As cryptocurrency investing entered a new bullish phase after bottoming out in the fall of 2023, digital tokens based on nothing more than a cute or funny meme began getting plenty of attention....
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spot price Spot price is the current price at which you can buy or sell an asset for immediate delivery and settlement. Also called the cash price, spot prices typically fluctuate throughout the day due to changing supply, demand, and expectations. The spot price of physical goods will also vary by region due...
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Micro-cap and penny stocks: What you need to know before you invest Cheap stocks are typically cheap for a reason.Does a stock with a low price automatically feel like a bargain? What about that small, publicly held company you just read about on social media that nobody knows about, but is poised to become the next NVIDIA (NVDA) or Amazon (AMZN)? Welcome to the...
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Google Gemini Google Gemini, generative artificial intelligence (AI) model and chatbot created by the search engine company Google, which uses large language models (LLMs) to “converse” with users and generate content. Bard (Google Gemini’s original name) was announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai in February...
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supervillain Supervillain, a fictional evildoer or antihero—widely popularized in comic books and comic strips, television and film, and popular culture and video games—whose extraordinary powers are used to nefarious ends. Supervillains are the counterparts and archenemies of the superhero. At the advent of...
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Battle of Ipsos Alexander the Great’s sudden death in Babylon in 323 bce left his leading generals locked in decades of battling over the spoils of his empire. At the Battle of Ipsos in 301 bce, the Macedonian general Antigonus—long in the ascendant—was finally overpowered by the combined forces of his rivals, and...
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Naval Battle of Campeche The naval battle that occurred in 1843 off the coast of Mexico at Campeche was arguably the only battle ever won by sailing ships against steamships. It was also the last battle fought between ships crewed by British and American sailors on opposing sides. The battle, a sequel of sorts to the war...
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Ted Koppel Ted Koppel is a British-born American journalist and news broadcaster who is best known for his 25-year career as the anchor of the popular late-night television news program Nightline. The show’s enduring success was often attributed to Koppel’s no-nonsense approach to investigative journalism....
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Anne Lamott Anne Lamott is an American novelist, nonfiction writer, autobiographical essay author, and activist known for her self-deprecating humor, hard-hearted honesty, and unwavering compassion, which have earned her the sobriquet “the people’s author.” Her works are based on details from her life and...
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The Tête à Tête The Tête à Tête, oil painting, also known as Shortly After the Marriage, by English artist William Hogarth. It is the second of a sequence of six scenes in his Marriage A-la-Mode series, which was commissioned about 1743 to censure the marriage customs of the upper classes. In this series, Hogarth...
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Leslie Jones Leslie Jones is an American comedian and actress known for stand-up comedy specials and screen roles that showcase her gifts for physical comedy and crowd work, the latter comprising spontaneous engagement with audience members during live performances. Jones is the daughter of Sundra Diane Jones,...
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alternative investment Alternative investments, also known as “alts,” are different from traditional investments in stocks, bonds, and cash. Examples of alternative investments include: Alternative investments carry risks, including management fees and a lack of readily available performance data. Therefore, some alts...
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Anna Meares Anna Meares is a former Australian cyclist who competed in sprint track races in the early 21st century. She won medals at four consecutive Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016), becoming the first Australian athlete to accomplish that feat. By the end of her career in 2016 Meares had earned 6...
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Consumer staples sector: Investing in stocks that provide the basics for living Furnishing life’s essentials.Some things you just can’t live without. Consumer staples are products that are essential or that you’re likely to purchase regardless of your personal finances or how the economy is performing. Food, drinks (including alcoholic beverages), tobacco, and household and...
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Industrials sector: Investing in big companies that do big things The economy’s quiet titans.When envisioning the pillars of American industry, numerous products and services come to mind: heavy machinery for transportation, farming, and defense; building products, electrical equipment, and machine parts; and an array of functions, from supply chain consulting to...
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List of religious populations Which religion is the largest? Which religion is the smallest? Our planet’s population of about 8 billion people follows myriad religions in widely varying numbers. The following tables draw from information available at the World Religion Database at Boston University and is based on data for the...
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Do U.S. college athletes get paid? In the United States college athletics is a multibillion-dollar industry, with ticket sales, merchandise, and broadcast and streaming rights all being major revenue sources for universities. Of course, none of that money comes in without the athletes. But unlike professional athletes, who are often...
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Carlo Maria Viganò Carlo Maria Viganò is a Roman Catholic archbishop and a former papal nuncio (ambassador) to the United States whose frequent public criticism of Pope Francis (2013– ) and rejection of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) led to his being charged by the Holy See with the canonical crime of schism in...
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desi Desi, term broadly used to describe individuals, traditions, and products originating from the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora. Derived from the Sanskrit word desa, meaning “land” or “country,” the word desi has historically been used within the subcontinent to mean “local” or “indigenous.” In...
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cost of attendance (COA) COA, part of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), is the estimated cost of attending a college or university. It factors in several expenses that college students and their families are expected to cover. COA is used to determine how much financial aid you could potentially...
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Energy sector: Investing in stocks that fuel the economy Em-power your portfolio.Energy powers our world, but the energy sector itself is one of the smaller of the 11 Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sectors in the stock market. It’s smaller because of its narrow focus on the traditional fossil fuel energy industry—you won’t find any...
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403(b) plan A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred, employer-sponsored retirement savings plan available to public schools and other tax-exempt organizations. It allows educators, government employees, and nonprofit employees to make pretax contributions up to a certain limit. These 403(b) plans are tax advantaged,...
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Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia, annual bodybuilding competition sanctioned by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (formerly the International Federation of BodyBuilders). It was first held in 1965 in Brooklyn, New York, but it has grown into a global contest hosted by cities around the world and...
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bento Bento, a Japanese-style single-serving meal traditionally packaged in a lacquered multi-compartment container called a bento box and served for lunch. The meal typically includes a starch of either rice or noodles, along with a protein, such as fish, meat, or eggs, accompanied by pickled vegetables...
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Battle of Harran The religious fervor of the First Crusade was over by 1104 as the new crusader lords attempted to secure their hold on the captured lands and to fend off further Muslim assaults. One of those lords, Count Baldwin of Edessa, joined forces with Prince Bohemond of Antioch to conquer the territory...
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SIMPLE IRA A “Savings Incentive Match PLan for Employees” (SIMPLE) IRA is a tax-deferred, employer-sponsored retirement savings plan designed for small businesses (usually with 100 or fewer employees) to provide a retirement plan to their employees. Employees with SIMPLE plans can make contributions, and...
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457(b) plan A 457(b) plan is a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan available to local government workers and some employees of nonprofit organizations. It’s similar to a 401(k) plan, but one that’s available to firefighters, law enforcement officers, municipal employees, and other civil servants. As with...
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Kōhei Uchimura Kōhei Uchimura is a former Japanese gymnast who is considered one of the greatest male gymnasts of all time, renowned for his near-perfect execution of highly difficult routines. During an incredible run of success he won an unprecedented six consecutive all-around golds at the world championships...
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prospectus A prospectus is a legal document that every publicly traded stock, mutual fund, and exchange-traded fund (ETF) files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It lays out basic financial information as well as the mission of the company or fund. Mutual funds and ETFs usually include key...
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Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA A SEP IRA is a tax-deferred retirement plan for those who are self-employed, small business owners, or who earn additional self-employment income. SEP IRAs are often easier to administer than 401(k) plans, so many small businesses use them to help their employees prepare for retirement....
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HODL (crypto) HODL is a cryptocurrency slang term that refers to holding a crypto coin or token for the long term. It comes from a typo in a 2013 thread titled “I AM HODLING” posted on BitcoinTalk, a cryptocurrency forum. The misspelled term in its all-cap format attained viral popularity among crypto investors...
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broker-dealer A broker-dealer is typically a firm whose business is buying and selling stocks, bonds, and funds for itself and for others. Broker-dealers thus perform both the work of brokers, who buy and sell securities for the accounts of their clients, and dealers, who buy and sell securities for their own...
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Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as “the Iran nuclear deal,” is a 2015 agreement between Iran and several world powers to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief of international sanctions on Iran. The deal was negotiated by the Democratic...
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Battle of Grunwald Battle of Grunwald, battle fought on July 15, 1410, between the villages of Grunwald and Tannenberg (Polish: Stębark) in northeastern Poland (formerly East Prussia) that marked a major Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Knights of the Teutonic Order. The battle ended of the order’s expansion along...
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Sabrina Ionescu Sabrina Ionescu is an American professional basketball player who is a standout guard, known for her all-around play. Ionescu first gained widespread recognition during her record-breaking career at the University of Oregon, where she made NCAA history as the only player in Division I men’s or...
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Battle of Grand Port Battle of Grand Port, naval battle between France and Britain on August 22–27, 1810, at Île de France (Mauritius), which was one of the last French overseas possessions to be captured by Britain. The Indian Ocean island was used as a base for raids on British trade into 1810, as well as to support...
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Battle of Guam When they were attacking Guam from July 21 to August 10, 1944, U.S. forces were not only acquiring a fine harbor and a number of airfields to use during World War II (and beyond), but they were also liberating U.S. territory; ceded by Spain after the Spanish American War, Guam, the southernmost of...
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Battle of Dessau By April 1626, the Thirty Years’ War had been raging across the German states and Central Europe for eight years, and following a catastrophic defeat suffered at Stadtlohn, the German Protestant cause seemed lost. There was new hope when Christian IV of Denmark entered the war in 1625, but the next...
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Battle of Chios The naval defeat of Philip V of Macedon at the Battle of Chios in 201 bce was the last large-scale naval battle between fleets sent out by independent Greek states. At the time, it was thought that it had secured independence for the smaller states, but in fact it only opened the way for Roman...
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Battle of Cuzco Manco Inca, son of Atahuallpa, brought a force of 400,000 warriors with him when he launched his assault on Cuzco in May 1536. Sheltering in the recently conquered Inca capital, the Spanish conquistadors resorted to desperate measures, but still succeeded in withstanding a ten-month siege, which...
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Doug Burgum Doug Burgum is an American politician and businessman who serves as the Republican governor of North Dakota (2016– ). Burgum previously was CEO (1983–91) of Great Plains Software, and he later became a venture capitalist and real estate investor. He transitioned into politics in 2016, when he won...
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Jannik Sinner Jannik Sinner is an Italian tennis player who is a leading star in the generation of players rising in the wake of the indomitable Big Three (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal). In 2024 he won his first major, at the Australian Open, and attained the number one ranking on the men’s...
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Robert Kardashian Robert Kardashian was an Armenian American businessman and lawyer in Los Angeles who became well known in the mid-1990s for his involvement in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial. He and Simpson had been friends for decades, and he acted as a liaison between the defendant and the rest of the legal team....
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Investing in speculative start-up stocks? 14 alternative fundamentals to follow You can’t look at the P/E if the company has no E.You just bought shares in a hot new company whose stock price, you believe, has the potential to go sky-high. As a responsible investor, you now have to do your homework by regularly evaluating the company’s fundamentals. But then you hit a snag,...
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Battle of Flores The Battle of Flores, fought August 30–31, 1591, between Spain and England off Flores Island in the Azores, was a Spanish victory, showing the resurgence of Spain’s naval power after the debacle of the 1588 armada. For the English, the heroic fight put up by Richard Grenville’s Revenge became a...
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Theodore McCarrick Theodore McCarrick is a former Roman Catholic archbishop and cardinal who, after being accused of sexually abusing teenage boys and young men between the 1970s and the early 21st century, was the first American prelate in history to resign (2018) from the Sacred College of Cardinals. He was later...
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Materials sector: Investing in the building blocks of the economy It’s a material world.Humans have long had an insatiable appetite for materials—natural resources, chemicals, building products, and everything in between. Materials-focused companies, including those listed in the S&P 500, operate to satisfy our demand for these physical products. Materials are...
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Saeed Jalili Saeed Jalili is a fundamentalist Iranian political figure and academic who is best known for his role under Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–13) as the chief nuclear negotiator and the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (2007–13). He has since run for president three times (in 2013,...
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hostile architecture Hostile architecture, urban design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to guide or restrict certain behaviors in public spaces, such as sleeping, skateboarding, using illicit substances, urinating in public, and loitering. Such design elements tend to target not only skateboarders...
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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is an establishment figure in Iranian politics, known for his pragmatic top-down management style and plagued by recurrent corruption scandals. He is considered close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the former commander of its air force (1997–2000). He...
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Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta was an American artist regarded as one of the most gifted in the fantasy and science-fiction genres. His distinct style, epitomized by muscular men and voluptuous women commonly rendered with a dark palette, was an obvious influence on many of his contemporaries. Born Frank Frazzetta...
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3x3 basketball 3x3 basketball, variation of basketball played on a half-court between teams of three players. Pronounced “three-ex-three,” this condensed version of basketball was established as a professional sport in the early 21st century. The game focuses on speed, versatility, and agility more than on the...
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Communication services sector: Investing in companies that entertain and inform It’s what we’re talking about.Telecommunications have become the mainstay for how we connect, communicate, and entertain. Whether it’s via a smartphone, television, or computer, there are a myriad of ways for consumers to chat, work, shop, solve problems, date, and more, and all of it is...
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Battle of Edington Vikings from all over Scandinavia had been raiding the British Isles for more than half a century before the birth of the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great, the sovereign of the West Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The arrival of a Danish “great army” in East Anglia in 865, however, marked the start of a...
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Battle of Camarón A defensive action fought on April 30, 1863, with suicidal courage during France’s ill-fated intervention in Mexico, the Battle of Camarón is a foundational legend of the French Foreign Legion. Captain Jean Danjou, who led the legionnaires, enjoys the strange distinction of having his wooden hand...
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Liu Cixin Liu Cixin is a Chinese science-fiction author best known for his Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy of novels. The first novel of the trilogy, The Three-Body Problem (2006), won the 2015 Hugo Award for best novel in its English translation and has sold over 3 million copies in English and 30...
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K-pop K-pop, abbreviated colloquial term for popular music from South Korea. K-pop is typically used to describe “idol music” made by artists trained by entertainment companies to become pop music stars. K-pop includes upbeat pop, dance music, and ballads. It can incorporate a variety of influences,...
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Leslie Leiserowitz Leslie Leiserowitz is an Israeli chemist known for his work, conducted in collaboration with Israeli chemist Meir Lahav, on the crystal forms of organic molecules. Leiserowitz received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1956. Shortly after...
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Ariarne Titmus Ariarne Titmus is an Australian swimmer who burst onto the international swim scene in 2018 by winning three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. She solidified her standing in 2019 when she beat American swimmer Katie Ledecky—considered by some to be the...
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Understanding sequence risk and its impact on your retirement savings Avoid selling low for cash flow.Imagine you’ve scrimped and saved for decades to build a decent nest egg. You’re ready to retire and know how much you can withdraw from your retirement account each year. But then stocks take a dive. You retire into a bear market, and at the end of a couple of rough...
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Micro-investing: Your gateway to financial empowerment? Mighty oaks grow from tiny acorns.Looking for a logical way to get started with investing? If you only have a few dollars to spare, then you may be interested in micro-investing. With lots of options for automation, plus user-friendly trading platforms, micro-investing can feel like a...
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Battle of Belleau Wood The Allies’ victory at the Battle of Belleau Wood, which occurred in France from June 1 to June 26, 1918, greatly boosted morale amid the Germans’ Spring Offensive. The battle was the first major engagement of the U.S. army in World War I, and, only 39 miles from Paris, marked the closest the...
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bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers that occurred on September 15, 2008. It was the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history at that time, and it was among the most significant events of the financial crisis of 2007–08. Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850 by...
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list of civilians detained by foreign governments and groups They are often journalists, attempting to bring news from difficult places to the rest of the world. But sometimes they are athletes, or tourists, or aid workers. The phenomenon of governments detaining foreign nationals and using them to negotiate on the geopolitical stage continues to play out...
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spitting cobra Spitting cobra, one of several species of cobras that, when threatened, can shoot or eject venom directly from their fangs. Spitting cobras typically spray venom in self-defense. All spitting cobras belong to the Elapidae family, but not all spitting cobras belong to the Naja genus (true cobras)...
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Kamasutra Kamasutra, the oldest extant Indian prose treatise (sutra) on the subject of pleasure (kama)—sexual pleasure, desire, love, and the pleasures of good living generally conceived. Popularly known for its depiction of positions for sexual intercourse, the text is more broadly about the life of...
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list of kings of Saudi Arabia The Saud dynasty was established under the rule of Muhammad ibn Saud in the 18th century and has since ruled three successive states, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (established in 1932). Although dynastic succession has often passed from father to son, the Saud dynasty is not strictly...
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Annuity riders: A way to customize your retirement income But don’t get taken for a ride.Annuities are designed to provide retirement income and help you meet your financial needs as you age. Purchasing an annuity is a little like buying a car. They come in several varieties and have standard features (the base model), but you may want to add some bells...
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Timeline of the American Revolution In 1775, 13 British colonies in North America began an eight-year insurrection that changed the course of history. What caused the American Revolution? And what happened during the conflict? From controversial taxes to the battlefield and beyond, we explore the road to revolution and the creation...
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list of 10 expensive weddings Very few couples are able to say “money is no object” when planning their wedding. For the ultra-wealthy, however, extravagant weddings are often a sign of status and prestige. Here are 10 weddings that took extravagance to new heights. Said Gutseriev’s father, oil and media mogul Mikhail...
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blue light Blue light is a category of visible light with a wavelength roughly between 380 and 500 nanometers (nm). Blue light is perceived as the color blue, though it may also be present in light perceived as another color, particularly white light. Blue light can be divided into two subcategories:...
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Amazon Alexa Amazon Alexa, virtual assistant program developed and sold by the e-commerce company Amazon. Users can interact with Alexa by speaking to any device programmed to include it. The program is most commonly found on smart speakers (e.g., the Amazon Echo), smart displays, television sets, and glasses...
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Nicola Olyslagers Nicola Olyslagers is the first Australian woman to jump 2 meters (6 feet 6.74 inches) in the high jump. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the track-and-field athlete earned a silver medal and set a personal best record with a jump of 2.02 meters (6 feet 7.53 inches); the competition was held in...
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effective altruism Effective altruism, in ethics, a theory of conduct and a movement that centers on identifying ways to benefit others and then mobilizing and utilizing resources to bring those benefits to fruition. Effective altruism attempts to identify pressing social issues as well as corresponding solutions. As...
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Jacob Elordi Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor who gained overnight fame for his work in the Netflix romantic comedy The Kissing Booth (2018) and cemented his stardom with the HBO drama series Euphoria (2019– ). While these roles established him as a teen heartthrob, Elordi sought to prove himself as a...
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disc golf Disc golf, a creative variant of traditional golf in which players throw plastic flying discs on a course. The goal of disc golf is to land the disc in a series of basket targets and complete the course with the fewest number of throws. The sport arose spontaneously in many different locations soon...
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J. Max Bond, Jr. J. Max Bond, Jr. was an American architect and educator who is considered one of the nation’s foremost Black architects. His career was characterized not only by excellence in building but also by his dedication to recognizing and addressing social inequities in his field. Bond was born to Ruth...
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The franchise disclosure document (FDD): An all-in-one rulebook, guidebook, and almanac A 23-step business tango.Somewhere along the path toward becoming a franchisee, you’ll come across a comprehensive document that outlines almost everything you need to know about the business you’re looking to purchase. It’s called the franchise disclosure document, aka the FDD. The FDD is a legal...
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Jill Stein Jill Stein is a former practicing physician and an environmental activist who has run as the candidate of the Green Party of the United States in multiple elections. She is currently campaigning to become the Green Party’s 2024 presidential nominee. Born to Russian Jewish parents and raised in the...
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Boy George Boy George is a British singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the British new wave band Culture Club, which rose to fame in the early 1980s. Boy George, known for his androgynous appearance, with often flamboyant makeup and clothing, was a trailblazing icon of 1980s music and fashion....