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Comprehensive
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Burma a country in southeastern Asia. Burma became known as Myanmar in 1989. Rangoon (or Yangon) is the capital of Burma.
colonial of or related to the thirteen British colonies that became the United States, or to the period before they became independent. [1/2 definitions]
complement in grammar, a word or phrase that is necessary to complete a construction, such as "happy" in the sentence "He seems happy," or "a judge" in the sentence "She became a judge." [1/7 definitions]
dinosaur one of a group of extinct animals. Some kinds of dinosaurs were the largest animals that ever lived on land. Other dinosaurs were as small as chickens. The first kinds of dinosaurs developed over two hundred million years ago. The last kinds became extinct about sixty-five million years ago.
Eocene of, relating to, or designating the geological epoch between the Paleocene and Oligocene of the Tertiary Period, from approximately 54 million to 38 million years ago, when modern mammals became dominant. [1/2 definitions]
Falange a fascist organization established in 1933 that became the only official political party of Spain under the dictatorship of Franco. [1/2 definitions]
great auk a large flightless North Atlantic auk that became extinct in the mid-nineteenth century.
Great Wall of China a defensive fortification in northern China which stretches for thousands of miles. Parts of the structure were built as early as the seventh century BCE. These and other parts were connected in the third century BCE, beginning the creation of what became considered the Great Wall. Later parts were eventually added, especially in the fourteenth through seventeenth centuries CE.
Harriet Tubman American abolitionist who escaped slavery yet returned to the South to rescue others, making use of the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, Tubman acted as a scout and spy for the Union Army. After the war, she became an activist for the rights of women. (b. 1822?--d. 1913).
Helen Keller deaf-blind pupil of Anne Sullivan who became a celebrated U.S. author, lecturer, and social activist (b.1880--d.1968).
Jackie Robinson born Jack Roosevelt Robinson, U.S. professional baseball player who in 1947 became the first African American to play in major league baseball (b.1919--d.1972).
Juneteenth the anniversary and celebration of the day, June 19, 1865, on which the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states was announced in Texas by Union Army forces. Before this date, slaves in Texas, part of the Confederacy, had no way of knowing that they had been freed on January 1, 1863 by the Emancipation Proclamation; thus, June 19th, now a Federal holiday, is celebrated each year in commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Technically, all slaves became free in the United States upon the adoption of the 13th Amendment at the end of 1865. The amendment abolished slavery everywhere, including in those slave-owning states that had not joined the Confederacy.
Lynette Woodard U.S. professional basketball player, who in 1985 became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters (b. 1959).
mastodon a very large extinct mammal. Several kinds of mastodons lived in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America tens of thousands of years ago. The last kind of mastodon became extinct at the end of the last Ice Age. Mammoths and modern elephants may have developed from earlier mastodons.
Mesozoic of, relating to, or designating the geological era between the Paleozoic and the Cenozoic, from approximately 220 million to 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs appeared and became extinct and ferns were abundant. [1/2 definitions]
MIA abbreviation of "missing in action," used to describe members of the armed forces who became missing during a war.
Mia Hamm U.S. professional soccer player and Olympic gold medalist, who at the age of 19 became the youngest woman to win a World Cup championship; born Mariel Margaret Hamm (b.1972).
Nelson Mandela South African statesman, anti-apartheid activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was held as a political prisoner for 27 years and became the first democratically elected and first black President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 (b. 1918).
Permian of, relating to, or designating the last geological period of the Paleozoic Era, from approximately 280 million to 220 million years ago, when reptiles became prominent, major mountain ranges such as the Appalachians formed, and great glaciers appeared in the Southern Hemisphere. [1/2 definitions]
Plymouth a U.S. town in southeastern Massachusetts. In 1620, English colonists known as the Pilgrims established a settlement called Plymouth Colony in this location, which later became the town of Plymouth.
pterodactyl a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs. Pterodactyls had wings covered with skin. Some were huge and glided over the oceans and caught fish. They became extinct over sixty-five million years ago.