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David Bowie
David Bowie 1947-, British rock and roll singer and songwriter, b. Brixton as David Robert Jones. He scored his first hit with "Space Oddity" (1969), in which he assumed the role of astronaut Major Tom. A student of mime, the tall, slender, theatrical Bowie has been the ultimate pop chameleon. ...
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Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry (born 1926), creator of the "duck walk" and known as the "father of rock and roll," has been a major influence on popular music. Even though his career and life reached great peaks and declined to low valleys, he still prevails in music while his contemporaries have vanish...
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Kerouac, Jack 1922-1969
KEROUAC, JACK 1922-1969
BE at novelist
The Right Time
Jack Kerouac was a writer who earned his place in cultural history because of timing more than literary merit. In his books, most notably On the Road (1957), he expresses the spirit of the 1950s for an audience aimlessly seeking a suita...
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Rust Belt
Rust Belt or Rustbelt, economic region in the NE quadrant of the United States, focused on the Midwestern (see Midwest ) states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, as well as Pennsylvania. The term gained wide use in the 1970s as the formerly dominant industrial region became noted for t...
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Elisha Gray
Elisha Gray 1835-1901, American inventor, b. Barnesville, Ohio. He patented many electrical devices, most of them having to do with the telegraph . His telautograph (1888) for transmitting handwriting and line drawing was widely used. While experimenting in 1875 with the idea of sending musical no...
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Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton 1946-, country singer, songwriter, and actress, b. Sevier County, Tenn. Among the most popular country singers of the 1970s and 80s, Parton is known for her Nashville-style flamboyance, talent for self-parody, and intelligent and witty approach to popular, country, and bluegrass music....
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hovercraft
hovercraft, also known as a ground effect machine and air cushion vehicle. It supports its own weight by generating and containing an air cushion beneath its hull. The air cushion, usually generated by fans, is created by blowing air beneath the hull. This air hits the surface the vehicle is travel...
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public utility
public utility industry required by law to render adequate service in its field at reasonable prices to all who apply for it. Public utilities frequently operate as monopolies in their market. In the United States, public utilities are most commonly involved in the business of supplying consumers w...
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SARS
SARS or severe acute respiratory syndrome, communicable viral disease that can progress to a potentially fatal pneumonia. The first symptoms of SARS are usually a high fever, headache and body aches, sore throat, and mild respiratory symptoms; diarrhea may occur. A dry cough and shortness of br...
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Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case decided in 1978 by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court held in a closely divided decision that race could be one of the factors considered in choosing a diverse student body in university admissions decisions. The Court also held, however, that th...
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