Kennedy, William (b. Jan. 16, 1928, Albany, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. nov¬ elist and journalist. He worked as a journalist in New York and Puerto Rico before returning in 1963 to his native Albany, N.Y., which he con¬ sidered the source of his literary inspiration. His novels, which are set in Albany and contain elements of local history and the supernatural, include The Ink Truck (1969), Legs (1975), Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game (1978), and Ironweed (1983, Pulitzer Prize; film, 1987).
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Huge cultural com¬ plex (opened 1971) in Washington, D.C., with a total of six stages, designed by Edward Durell Stone. The complex, surfaced in marble, makes use of the ornamental facade screens for which the architect was known. The three main theaters are entered from the Grand Foyer, which faces the Potomac River. The Concert Hall, the largest auditorium, has been designated a national monument; its acoustics are considered exceptional, and its embossed ceiling and crystal chandeliers have been much admired.
Kenneth I or Kenneth MacAlpin (d. c. 858, Forteviot, Scot.) First king of the united Scots of Dalriada and the Picts. He inherited (834?) the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada from his father, Alpin, who is thought to have been killed by the Picts. He also gained control over Pictavia, and from 843 the two kingdoms were gradually joined, an important step in the making of a unified Scotland. The union was probably accomplished both by intermarriage and by conquest.
Kent Administrative (pop., 2001: 1,329,653), geographic, and historic county, southeastern England. It lies along the English Channel. The Romans ruled the area from ad 43, using Canterbury as a base. It was invaded by Jutes and Saxons in the 5th century and became one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The king of Kent welcomed St. Augus¬ tine’s Christian mission in 597; St. Thomas Becket was murdered in Can¬ terbury cathedral in 1170. It has long been known as the “Garden of England,” and such crops as apples, cherries, barley, and wheat are widely grown.
Kent, Earl of See Odo of Bayeux
Kent, Janies (b. July 31, 1763, Fredericksburgh, Putnam county, N.Y.—d. Dec. 12, 1847, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. jurist who helped shape common law in the U.S. A lawyer at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., from 1785 and a New York state legislator from 1790, he taught law at Columbia University (1793-98, 1823-26) and later served as chief justice of the New York Supreme Court (1804-14) and chancellor of the Court of Chan¬ cery (1814-23), then the state’s highest judicial office. As chancellor, he is said to have made U.S. equity jurisprudence effective for the first time. His Commentaries on American Law (1826-30) proved influential both in the U.S. and in England.
Kent, Rockwell (b. June 21, 1882, Tarrytown Heights, N.Y., U.S.—d. March 13, 1971, Plattsburgh, N.Y.) U.S. painter and illustrator. He stud¬ ied architecture at Columbia University but later chose to study painting with William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. He worked variously as an architectural draftsman, lobsterman, and ship’s carpenter in Maine and traveled in Tierra del Fuego, Newfoundland, Alaska, and Greenland, gath¬ ering material for his paintings and travel books. His dramatic pen-and- ink drawings, strongly resembling woodcuts, appeared in many books by contemporary and classic writers and made him one of the most popular artists in the U.S., despite harassment for his radical leftist politics.
Kenton, Stanley Newcombe) (b. Feb. 19, 1912, Wichita, Kan., U.S.—d. Aug. 25, 1979, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. pianist, composer, arranger, and leader of one of the most popular and controversial big bands in jazz. Kenton formed his first band in 1941. The group exhibited the influence of Jimmy Lunceford’s precise brass and gained a reputation for a bombastic orchestral approach. His players included saxophonist Art Pepper (1925-82), trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, drummer Shelly Manne (1920-84), and singers Anita O’Day (b. 1919) and June Christy (1925- 90). His efforts to organize the training of student musicians represent some of the earliest instances of formal jazz education.
Kentucky officially Commonwealth of Kentucky State (pop., 2000: 4,041,769), southeastern central U.S. Bordered by Ohio, West Vir¬ ginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, it covers 40,411 sq mi (104,664 sq km); its capital is Frankfort. Among its geographical features are the Appalachian Mountains of the east, the interior lowlands, including the Bluegrass region, and the rich lowlands along the Mississippi River. Before the arrival of white settlers, the region was a hunting ground for Indian tribes, including the Shawnee, Iroquois, and Cherokee. Daniel Boone, among the first white settlers, arrived in 1769; a wave of immi¬ gration followed the American Revolution. Settlements began as part of a district of Virginia, but in 1792 Kentucky entered the Union as the 15th state. It was a border state during the American Civil War, remaining in the Union but providing troops to both sides. The opening of rail lines into the eastern coal country and the introduction of a tobacco economy spurred growth in the late 19th century. In the 1970s a nationwide energy shortage created a demand for coal, from which Kentucky prospered, but demand dropped in the 1980s and many jobs were lost. Manufacturing is the leading source of income, while tobacco is the chief crop. Kentucky is known for its bourbon whiskey and Thoroughbred horses; the Kentucky Derby is run annually at Churchill Downs.
Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing’s coveted Triple Crown. The field is limited to three-year-olds. The track distance is 1.25 mi (2,000 m).
Kentucky Lake Reservoir, western Kentucky and western Tennessee, U.S. One of the world’s largest manmade lakes, it is 184 mi (296 km) long and has more than 2,300 mi (3,700 km) of shoreline. It was created in 1944 when the Kentucky Dam was built on the Tennessee River. The dam is the largest in the Tennessee Valley Authority system, and it regulates the flow from the Tennessee River into the Ohio River.
Kentucky River Tributary of the Ohio River in north-central Kentucky, U.S. It is formed by the confluence of North, Middle, and South forks, which originate in the Cumberland Mountains. It is navigable along its 259-mi (417-km) course by means of locks. It empties into the Ohio River at Carrollton.
Kenya officially Republic of Kenya Country, eastern Africa. Area: 224,961 sq mi (582,646 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 33,830,000. Capi¬ taclass="underline" Nairobi. With a small group of European settlers’ descendants, there are dozens of ethnic groups, including the Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kamba, Kalenjin, and Masai. Languages: Swahili, English (both official), Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, others. Religions: Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant, other Christians); also traditional beliefs, Islam. Currency: Kenya shilling. Kenya can be divided into five regions: the Lake Victoria basin in the southwest; the vast plateau of eastern Kenya; the 250-mi- (400-km-) long coastal belt along the Indian Ocean; the highlands of the Mau Escarpment on the western side of the Great Rift Valley in western Kenya; and the highlands and mountains of the Aberdare Range on the eastern side of the Rift Valley, including Mount Kenya. It is noted for such wildlife as lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, rhinoceroses, zebras, hippopotamuses, and crocodiles. About one-tenth of the land is arable, and more than one-third is used for grazing cattle, goats, and sheep. Agriculture employs much of the workforce, and tea and coffee are the leading exports. Kenya is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state and government is the president. The coastal region was dominated by Arabs until it was seized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The Masai people held sway in the north and moved into central Kenya in the 18th century, while the Kikuyu expanded from their home region in south-central Kenya. The interior was explored by European missionaries in the 19th century. After the British took control, Kenya was established as a British protectorate (1895) and a crown colony (1920). The Mau Mau rebellion of the 1950s