Isaiah ben Judah Loeb Berlin was a Jewish scholar noted for his textual commentaries on the Talmud and other writings. The son of a well-known Talmudic scholar, he moved to Berlin as a youth and was educated by his father and at the yeshiva of another eminent rabbi. Berlin became a member of the

Naphtali Zevi Judah Berlin was a Jewish scholar who developed the yeshiva (a school of advanced Jewish learning) at Volozhin, in Russia, into a spiritual centre for Russian Jewry and thus helped keep alive the rationalist traditions of the great 18th-century Jewish scholar Elijah ben Solomon. He

Sir Isaiah Berlin was a British philosopher and historian of ideas who was noted for his writings on political philosophy and the concept of liberty. He is regarded as one of the founders of the discipline now known as intellectual history. Berlin and his family emigrated from the Soviet Union to

Austria: War of the Austrian Succession, 1740–48: …the treaties of Breslau and Berlin in June and July 1742. She did so only to focus resistance on the French and Bavarians, who in late November 1741 had occupied Upper Austria and Bohemia, including the Bohemian capital, Prague. In the wake of these conquests by anti-Habsburg forces, in January…

Weimar Republic: The Locarno Pact: …Stresemann signed a new Soviet-German treaty in Berlin on April 24, 1926, confirming and extending the friendly relations established at Rapallo. Unlike Stresemann’s agreements with the Western powers, the treaty of Berlin received the unanimous approval of the German political parties, including those on the right. A series of commercial…

Congress of Berlin, (June 13–July 13, 1878), diplomatic meeting of the major European powers at which the Treaty of Berlin replaced the Treaty of San Stefano, which had been signed by Russia and Turkey (March 3, 1878) at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. Officially convoked by the

Humboldt University of Berlin, coeducational state-supported institution of higher learning in Berlin. The university was founded in 1809–10 by the linguist, philosopher, and educational reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt, then Prussian minister of education. Under Humboldt’s guidance the university,

Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, oldest botanical garden in Germany. Founded in the 17th century as a royal garden for flowers, medicinal plants, vegetables, and hops (for the royal brewery), it eventually became badly neglected. In 1801 the botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow became

Berlin International Film Festival, one of the world’s largest film festivals, held annually in Berlin in February. The festival was the idea of Oscar Martay, a film officer in the U.S. military who was stationed in West Berlin after World War II. In 1950 he formed a committee that included members

Berliner Ensemble, theatrical company founded in 1949 by the German playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht in East Berlin. The Berliner Ensemble originated as a branch of the Deutsches Theater, where Brecht had directed a production of his Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (Mother Courage and Her

Germany: Arts festivals: …has five major festivals: the Berliner Festspiele, a celebration of music, the performing arts, visual arts, and literature; the Berliner Jazzfest in November; the Berlin International Film Festival in February; the Theatertreffen Berlin (“Berlin Theatre Meeting”), featuring productions from throughout the German-speaking world; and the Karneval der Kulturen (“Carnival of…

history of photography: Photojournalism: …Münchner Illustrierte Presse and the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung, began to print the new style of photographs. Erich Salomon captured revealing candid portraits of politicians and other personalities by sneaking his camera into places and meetings officially closed to photographers. Felix H. Man, encouraged by Stefan Lorant, editor of the Münchner

Berlin Wall, barrier that surrounded West Berlin and prevented access to it from East Berlin and adjacent areas of East Germany during the period from 1961 to 1989. In the years between 1949 and 1961, about 2.5 million East Germans had fled from East to West Germany, including steadily rising

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, German symphony orchestra, based in Berlin and internationally acclaimed for its artistry. It is descended from Bilsesche Kapelle (“Bilse’s Band”), formed in 1862 and directed by Benjamin Bilse, the court music director. In 1882, 54 of its then 70 members left Bilse’s

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, German symphony orchestra, based in Berlin and internationally acclaimed for its artistry. It is descended from Bilsesche Kapelle (“Bilse’s Band”), formed in 1862 and directed by Benjamin Bilse, the court music director. In 1882, 54 of its then 70 members left Bilse’s

Max Liebermann: In 1899 Liebermann founded the Berliner Sezession, a group of artists who supported the academically unpopular styles of Impressionism and Art Nouveau. Despite his association with the antiestablishment Sezession, he became a member of the Berlin Academy, and in 1920 he was elected its president. In 1932 the Nazis forced…

Berlin State Orchestra, German symphony orchestra based in Berlin. Its antecedents were Berlin’s court orchestras, beginning from a 1542 ensemble with 12 trumpeters, a cornett (zink) player, and a drummer. Its early history was marked by alternating periods of ascendancy and decline. Conductor

Germany: The press: …conservative Berliner Morgenpost, and the Berliner Zeitung, which had originally been published in East Germany. The Berliner Zeitung was acquired by western press interests after unification and swiftly gained recognition as the city’s preeminent newspaper. Other leading newspapers of the former East Germany were also bought by western publishers.

Emil Berliner was a German-born American inventor who made important contributions to telephone technology and developed the phonograph record disc. Berliner immigrated to the United States in 1870. In 1877, a year after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, Berliner developed a transmitter

Emil Berliner was a German-born American inventor who made important contributions to telephone technology and developed the phonograph record disc. Berliner immigrated to the United States in 1870. In 1877, a year after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, Berliner developed a transmitter

Berlingske: …1749 by a German printer, Ernst Heinrich Berling, as a semiweekly called the Københavnske Danske Post-Tidende, it became a daily in 1841. It managed to operate with some degree of independence under modified government sponsorship for nearly a century and a half. Rigid government censorship of the press ended completely…

Poland: World War II: …Kościuszko Division commanded by General Zygmunt Berling. On August 1, 1944, just as Mikołajczyk, prompted by the British, went to Moscow, the AK, under the supreme command of General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, rose in Warsaw against the retreating Germans.

Tony Robbins: …Not Your Guru, directed by Joe Berlinger, was released in 2016.

Milton Berle was an American comedian who, as a popular entertainer in the early days of television in the United States, came to be known as “Mr. Television.” Berle first appeared on the vaudeville stage at age 10. With his mother’s encouragement, he continued in vaudeville throughout his youth,

Bonaventura Berlinghieri was an Italian painter from Lucca, Italy, known for his poignant and detailed scenes from the life of St. Francis on the predella (base of the altarpiece) of the Church of San Francesco at Pescia. Bonaventura was the son of the painter Berlinghiero of the Berlinghieri

Berlingske, morning daily newspaper published in Copenhagen, generally regarded as Denmark’s leading paper. Established in 1749 by a German printer, Ernst Heinrich Berling, as a semiweekly called the Københavnske Danske Post-Tidende, it became a daily in 1841. It managed to operate with some degree

Berlingske, morning daily newspaper published in Copenhagen, generally regarded as Denmark’s leading paper. Established in 1749 by a German printer, Ernst Heinrich Berling, as a semiweekly called the Københavnske Danske Post-Tidende, it became a daily in 1841. It managed to operate with some degree

Enrico Berlinguer was the secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano) from March 1972 until his death. He was a leading spokesman for “national communism,” seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements. Berlinguer

Roberto Benigni: …Berlinguer, ti voglio bene (1977; Berlinguer: I Love You). A string of movies followed, and in 1983 he made his directorial debut with Tu mi turbi (You Upset Me), which he also wrote and starred in. The film featured his wife, actress Nicoletta Braschi, who frequently appeared in his work…

Roberto Benigni: …Berlinguer, ti voglio bene (1977; Berlinguer: I Love You). A string of movies followed, and in 1983 he made his directorial debut with Tu mi turbi (You Upset Me), which he also wrote and starred in. The film featured his wife, actress Nicoletta Braschi, who frequently appeared in his work…

Hector Berlioz was a French composer, critic, and conductor of the Romantic period, known largely for his Symphonie fantastique (1830), the choral symphony Roméo et Juliette (1839), and the dramatic piece La Damnation de Faust (1846). His last years were marked by fame abroad and hostility at home.

Hector Berlioz was a French composer, critic, and conductor of the Romantic period, known largely for his Symphonie fantastique (1830), the choral symphony Roméo et Juliette (1839), and the dramatic piece La Damnation de Faust (1846). His last years were marked by fame abroad and hostility at home.

Silvio Berlusconi was an Italian media tycoon who served three times as prime minister of Italy (1994, 2001–06, and 2008–11). After graduating from the University of Milan with a degree in law, Berlusconi became a real-estate developer, amassing a considerable fortune by the 1970s. He created the

berm, terrace of a beach that has formed in the backshore, above the water level at high tide. Berms are commonly found on beaches that have fairly coarse sand and are the result of the deposition of material by low-energy waves. They have a marked change of slope at their seaward edge and a flat

Pavement: …begun a side project with David Berman, recording as Silver Jews. Malkmus also recorded the solo albums Groove Denied (2019) and Traditional Techniques (2020). Kannberg’s post-Pavement band, Preston School of Industry, proved less interesting than either of Malkmus’s groups.

reality TV: Social impacts and criticism: …2022 Time magazine TV critic Judy Berman argued that, “to the extent that the U.S. has become a harsher, shallower, angrier, more divided place in the 21st century, reality TV—which has helped normalize cruelty, belligerence, superficiality, and disloyalty, and rewarded people who weaponize those traits—bears a share of the blame.”

stand-up comedy: The new wave: Bob Newhart, Shelley Berman, and the comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May created extended improv-style bits—one-sided phone conversations, people talking to their psychiatrists—that satirized various aspects of an uptight conformist era. Jonathan Winters blew apart the set-up/punch-line structure of traditional stand-up,

Robert Durst: A disappearance and two deaths: …where he became friends with Susan Berman, the daughter of a mobster. Durst later returned to New York City, and in 1973 he married Kathleen McCormack, a dental hygienist. That year he also began to sporadically work at his family’s business. According to various reports, by 1981 Durst’s marriage was…

Georgius Agricola: Life: …of his books, beginning with Bermannus; sive, de re metallica (1530), a treatise on the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) mining district. There are indications that he owned a share in a silver mine.

Bermejo Pass, mountain pass at 12,917 feet (3,937 metres) in the southern Andes Mountains, between Argentina and Chile, directly south of Mount Aconcagua. It is the site of the Cristo Redentor (Christ of the Andes) statue, dedicated in 1904 and erected to commemorate a series of peace and boundary

Bermejo River, western tributary of the Paraguay River, south-central South America. It rises near Tarija, Bolivia and, after a rapid plunge to the Chaco lowlands at the border with Argentina, receives the major tributaries Grande de Tarija and San Francisco. It then meanders southeastward in

Bartolomé Bermejo was a painter, a cultivator of the Flemish style, who was considered the finest painter in Spain before El Greco. Bermejo helped introduce Renaissance style to Spain, and his work was emulated by many painters of his era. Little is known of Bermejo’s early activity. By the late

Gulf of California, large inlet of the eastern Pacific Ocean along the northwestern coast of Mexico. It is enclosed by the Mexican mainland to the east and by the mountainous peninsula of Baja California to the west. There are two schools of thought as to the origin of the gulf. One holds that it

Bermejo Pass, mountain pass at 12,917 feet (3,937 metres) in the southern Andes Mountains, between Argentina and Chile, directly south of Mount Aconcagua. It is the site of the Cristo Redentor (Christ of the Andes) statue, dedicated in 1904 and erected to commemorate a series of peace and boundary

Bermejo Pass, mountain pass at 12,917 feet (3,937 metres) in the southern Andes Mountains, between Argentina and Chile, directly south of Mount Aconcagua. It is the site of the Cristo Redentor (Christ of the Andes) statue, dedicated in 1904 and erected to commemorate a series of peace and boundary

Bermejo River, western tributary of the Paraguay River, south-central South America. It rises near Tarija, Bolivia and, after a rapid plunge to the Chaco lowlands at the border with Argentina, receives the major tributaries Grande de Tarija and San Francisco. It then meanders southeastward in

Bermondsey, area in the London borough of Southwark. It is located east of Newington, southeast of London Bridge, and west of Rotherhithe. The name Bermondsey, probably meaning “dry ground in a marsh,” was first recorded (as Vermundesei) in the early 8th century ad, and it was written as

Baltic War of Liberation: Pavel Bermondt-Avalov and participated in his attacks on Riga and on northwestern Lithuania. Bermondt’s campaign, however, was unsuccessful, and by December 15 all German troops had finally abandoned Latvia and Lithuania.

Bermuda, self-governing British overseas territory in the western North Atlantic Ocean. It is an archipelago of 7 main islands and about 170 additional (named) islets and rocks, situated about 650 miles (1,050 km) east of Cape Hatteras (North Carolina, U.S.). Bermuda is neither geologically nor

Oxalis: cernua, known as Bermuda buttercups, with showy yellow flowers, native to southern Africa and naturalized in Florida and the Bermudas. Another yellow-flowered kind is the weedy, creeping oxalis (O. corniculata). Both O. stricta and O. corniculata are widely naturalized in the Old World. The tubers of O. tuberosa,…

Bermuda grass, (Cynodon dactylon), perennial turfgrass of the family Poaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. Bermuda grass is used in warm regions around the world as a lawn and pasture grass and for golf greens. It is considered an invasive species in Bermuda and various other places outside

Azores high, large persistent atmospheric high-pressure centre that develops over the subtropical region of the eastern North Atlantic Ocean during the winter and spring seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a subtropical high-pressure cell that moves westward during the summer and fall, when

onion: Onion products, varieties, and cultivars: Bermuda onions are large and flat, with white or yellow colour and fairly mild taste. They are often cooked and may be stuffed, roasted, or french-fried. They are also sliced and used raw in salads and sandwiches. Spanish onions are large, sweet, and juicy, with…

petrel: …the endangered Bermuda petrel, or cahow (Pterodroma cahow, sometimes considered a race of P. hasitata); the dark-rumped petrel, also called the Hawaiian petrel (P. phaeopygia), another endangered species, now concentrated almost entirely on the island of Maui; the phoenix petrel (P. alba), which breeds on several tropical archipelagos; and the…

Bermuda Race, one of the world’s major ocean races for sailing yachts. Originating in 1906, it has been held biennially since 1924 (except during World War II); since 1936 it has covered the 635-nautical-mile (1,176-kilometre) distance from Newport, R.I., U.S., to Bermuda. The race is cosponsored

Bermuda Triangle, section of the North Atlantic Ocean off North America in which more than 50 ships and 20 airplanes are said to have mysteriously disappeared. The area, whose boundaries are not universally agreed upon, has a triangular shape that reaches approximately from the Atlantic coast of

Bermuda, self-governing British overseas territory in the western North Atlantic Ocean. It is an archipelago of 7 main islands and about 170 additional (named) islets and rocks, situated about 650 miles (1,050 km) east of Cape Hatteras (North Carolina, U.S.). Bermuda is neither geologically nor

British overseas territorial flag consisting of a red field (background) with the Union Jack in the upper hoist corner and, at the fly end, a badge bearing the Bermudian coat of arms—a shield bearing a lion holding a smaller gold-bordered shield that depicts a sinking ship; the flag may be

Azores high, large persistent atmospheric high-pressure centre that develops over the subtropical region of the eastern North Atlantic Ocean during the winter and spring seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a subtropical high-pressure cell that moves westward during the summer and fall, when

pitch lake: An example is Guanoco Lake (also known as Bermúdez Lake) in Venezuela, which covers more than 445 hectares (1,100 acres) and contains an estimated 6,000,000 tons of asphalt. It was used as a commercial source of asphalt from 1891 to 1935. Smaller deposits occur commonly where Paleogene and…

Bermuda: History of Bermuda: …their discovery to his countryman Juan Bermúdez, possibly as early as 1503.

Alfonso V: …999 to 1028, son of Bermudo II. He came to the throne because the devastating campaigns of Almanzor (see Manṣūr, Abū ʿĀmir al-) had forced his father to accept Almanzor’s de facto suzerainty over Leon. The Leonese were forced to take part in the Moorish campaign against the Catalans (1003)…

Ferdinand I: …Sancha, sister and heiress of Bermudo III of Leon. Ferdinand’s Castilians defeated and killed Bermudo at Tamarón in 1037, and he had himself crowned emperor in the city of León in 1039. In 1054 his Castilian troops defeated and killed his elder brother, García III, at Atapuerca, and he added…

Western painting: Central Europe: …to Augsburg in Swabia, where Johann Georg Bermüller became the director of the Academy in 1730; but his frescoes, as well as those of Franz Joseph Spiegler and Gottfried Bernhard Goetz, are perhaps more representative of the Late Baroque than the Rococo. The frescoes of Matthäus Günther, who became director…

Bern, canton, west-central Switzerland. It is the second most populous and second largest of the Swiss cantons; about 100 square miles (260 square km) are occupied by glaciers. Bordering Jura canton (until 1979 part of Bern canton) and Solothurn canton to the north, it is bounded on the west by the

Bern, city, capital of Switzerland and of Bern canton, in the west-central part of the country. It lies along a narrow loop of the Aare River. The existence of the ancient castle of Nydegg, guarding a crossing over the Aare, probably led Berthold V, duke of Zähringen, to found Bern in 1191 as a

Berne Convention, international copyright agreement adopted by an international conference in Bern (Berne) in 1886 and subsequently modified several times (Berlin, 1908; Rome, 1928; Brussels, 1948; Stockholm, 1967; and Paris, 1971). Signatories of the Convention constitute the Berne Copyright

Bern: The University of Bern was founded in 1834 and incorporates the Theological School (founded 1528). The City and University Library (1528) contains many manuscripts and rare books. The Swiss National Library (1895) is also in Bern, as is the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank. The…

children’s literature: The 20th century: One is Paul Berna, who has worked in half a dozen genres, including detective stories and science fiction. His Cheval sans tête (1955) was published in England as A Hundred Million Francs and in the United States as The Horse Without a Head and was made into…

St. Bernadette of Lourdes ; canonized December 8, 1933; feast day April 16, but sometimes February 18 in France) was a French saint whose visions led to the founding of the Marian shrine of Lourdes. Frail in health, Bernadette was the eldest of nine children from a poverty-stricken family; her

Greve Folke Bernadotte (af Wisborg) was a Swedish soldier, humanitarian, and diplomat who was assassinated while serving the United Nations (UN) as mediator between the Arabs and the Israelis. Bernadotte, a nephew of King Gustav V of Sweden, was commissioned in the Swedish army in 1918. He became

House of Bernadotte, royal dynasty of Sweden, from 1818. The name derives from a family of old lineage of Béarn, France, whose earliest known member (17th century) owned an estate in Pau known as “Bernadotte.” In 1810, Jean-Baptiste-Jules Bernadotte, a celebrated marshal of France under Napoleon,

Charles XIV John was a French Revolutionary general and marshal of France (1804), who was elected crown prince of Sweden (1810), becoming regent and then king of Sweden and Norway (1818–44). Active in several Napoleonic campaigns between 1805 and 1809, he subsequently shifted allegiances and formed

John Desmond Bernal was a physicist known for his studies of the atomic structure of solid compounds, during which he made major contributions to X-ray crystallography. Following graduation from the University of Cambridge (1922), Bernal did research under William Bragg at the Davy-Faraday

Afrocentrism: Criticism of Afrocentrism: (1987–91), by white historian Martin Bernal. Since that time, Afrocentrism has encountered significant opposition from mainstream scholars who charge it with historical inaccuracy, scholarly ineptitude, and racism. In her book Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History (1996), the American classicist Mary…

Ben Bernanke is an American economist who served as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“the Fed”), the central bank of the United States, from 2006 to 2014. In 2022 he and two other economists, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig, were awarded the Nobel Prize for

Ben Bernanke is an American economist who served as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“the Fed”), the central bank of the United States, from 2006 to 2014. In 2022 he and two other economists, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig, were awarded the Nobel Prize for

Georges Bernanos was a novelist and polemical writer whose masterpiece, The Diary of a Country Priest, established him as one of the most original and independent Roman Catholic writers of his time. Bernanos began life as a Royalist journalist and later worked as an inspector for an insurance

Louis I: The challenges of empire: When Louis’s nephew, King Bernard of Italy, challenged the emperor’s authority in 817, Louis swiftly quashed the rebellion, blinding Bernard and exiling the other conspirators. To forestall further dynastic challenges, Louis had his half-brothers, Drogo, Hugo, and Theoderic, tonsured and placed in monasteries.

Alfonso I: …her second husband; and because Bernard, the French Cluniac archbishop of Toledo, wanted to see his protégé, Alfonso Ramírez (infant son of Urraca and her Burgundian first husband), on the imperial throne. At Bernard’s prompting, the Pope declared the Aragonese marriage void, but Alfonso continued to be involved in civil…

Wales: Gwynedd, Powys, and Deheubarth: Even so, Bernard, bishop of St. David’s in 1115–48, claimed the status of an archbishop and, in furthering his campaign, appealed to the historical legacy of an early independent Welsh church. His bid was revived at the end of the century by Giraldus Cambrensis. But no less…

Susan Sarandon: … in the HBO television movie Bernard and Doris. She also was cast in HBO’s You Don’t Know Jack (2010), which examined the life of Jack Kevorkian, a doctor who was a vocal supporter of physician-assisted suicide. In 2017 Sarandon appeared in the TV anthology series Feud, which recounts various famous…

Saint Bernard de Menthon ; feast day May 28) was the vicar general of Aosta diocese (now in Italy) who reestablished and was patron of hospices at the summits of two Alpine passes, renamed after him the Great and Little St. Bernard passes. Also named for him in time were the hospices’ St. Bernard

Bernard de Chartres was a humanist and philosopher, head of the celebrated school of Chartres, in France. His attempt to reconcile the thought of Plato with that of Aristotle made him the principal representative of 12th-century Platonism in the West. A teacher of logic and grammar at the cathedral

Bernard de Cluny was a monk, poet, and Neoplatonic moralist whose writings condemned humanity’s search for earthly happiness and criticized the immorality of the times. He is also noted for his valuable chronicle of monastic customs. Among the scant references to Bernard’s life is an unconfirmed

Saint Bernard de Menthon ; feast day May 28) was the vicar general of Aosta diocese (now in Italy) who reestablished and was patron of hospices at the summits of two Alpine passes, renamed after him the Great and Little St. Bernard passes. Also named for him in time were the hospices’ St. Bernard

Bernard de Cluny was a monk, poet, and Neoplatonic moralist whose writings condemned humanity’s search for earthly happiness and criticized the immorality of the times. He is also noted for his valuable chronicle of monastic customs. Among the scant references to Bernard’s life is an unconfirmed

Bernard de Ventadour was a Provençal troubadour whose poetry is considered the finest in the Provençal language. Bernard is known to have traveled in England in 1152–55. He lived at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine and then at Toulouse, in later life retiring to the abbey of Dalon. His short love

Billung dynasty: Bernard I obtained guarantees of the special privileges and customs of the Saxons from the emperor Henry II; Bernard II (d. 1059) obtained similar guarantees from the emperor Conrad II. Both Bernard II and his son Ordulf (d. 1072) had to defend their territories against…

Billung dynasty: …from the emperor Henry II; Bernard II (d. 1059) obtained similar guarantees from the emperor Conrad II. Both Bernard II and his son Ordulf (d. 1072) had to defend their territories against the encroachments of Adalbert, archbishop of Bremen. The family came to embody the Saxon national resentment toward the…

Germany: The fall of Henry the Lion: …Westphalia, while an Ascanian prince, Bernard of Anhalt, received the eastern half of Henry’s duchy. Neither Bernard nor the archbishop, however, could make much out of their dukedoms, except in the regions where they already had lands and local jurisdictions. All over the empire these and regalian rights, such as…

Saint Bernard de Menthon ; feast day May 28) was the vicar general of Aosta diocese (now in Italy) who reestablished and was patron of hospices at the summits of two Alpine passes, renamed after him the Great and Little St. Bernard passes. Also named for him in time were the hospices’ St. Bernard

St. Bernard of Clairvaux ; canonized January 18, 1174; feast day August 20) was a Cistercian monk and mystic, founder and abbot of the abbey of Clairvaux and one of the most influential churchmen of his time. Born of Burgundian landowning aristocracy, Bernard grew up in a family of five brothers

St. Bernard of Clairvaux ; canonized January 18, 1174; feast day August 20) was a Cistercian monk and mystic, founder and abbot of the abbey of Clairvaux and one of the most influential churchmen of his time. Born of Burgundian landowning aristocracy, Bernard grew up in a family of five brothers

Saint Bernard de Menthon ; feast day May 28) was the vicar general of Aosta diocese (now in Italy) who reestablished and was patron of hospices at the summits of two Alpine passes, renamed after him the Great and Little St. Bernard passes. Also named for him in time were the hospices’ St. Bernard

canon law: The Corpus Juris Canonici (c. 1140–c. 1500): , not yet collected) of Bernard of Pavia, introduced a system inspired by the codification of Justinian, a division of the material into five books, briefly summarized in the phrase judex, judicium, clerus, connubium, crimen (“judge, trial, clergy, marriage, crime”). Each book was subdivided into titles and these in turn…

Blessed Eugenius III ; beatified 1872) ; feast day July 8) was the pope from 1145 to 1153. Possibly a member of the family Paganelli di Montemagno, he was a disciple of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and a Cistercian abbot of the monastery of SS. Vincent and Anastasius when he was elected on February 15.

André Maurois: His novels, including Bernard Quesnay (1926) and Climats (1928; Whatever Gods May Be), focus on middle-class provincial life, marriage, and the family. As a historian he demonstrated his interest in the English-speaking world with his popular histories: Histoire de l’Angleterre (1937; “History of England”) and Histoire des États-Unis…

Michael Holroyd: His four-volume biography of Shaw, Bernard Shaw (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992; one-volume abridgement 1997), took Holroyd 15 years to research. He also wrote a group biography, A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families (2008), which documents the partnership between the titular…

Armagnac: …made it possible for Count Bernard VII to play a major role in France’s internal conflicts of the early 15th century. The Armagnac party was formed in opposition to the Burgundians as a result of the murder of Louis, duke of Orléans (brother of the mad king Charles VI), by…