Lelang See Nangnang
LemaTtre Us-'me-trA, Georges (b. July 17,1894, Charleroi, Belg.—d. June 20, 1966, Louvain) Belgian astronomer and cosmologist. He served in the Belgian army during World War I, then entered a seminary and became a priest. In 1927 he became a professor of astrophysics at the University of London and proposed the big-bang model of the formation of the universe. Lemaitre’s theory, as modified by George Gamow, has become the leading theory of the universe’s origin. Lemaitre also studied cosmic rays and the three-body problem, which concerns the mathemati¬ cal description of the motion of three mutually attracting bodies in space.
LeMay, Curtis E(merson) (b. Nov. 15, 1906, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.—d. Oct. 1, 1990, March Air Force Base, Calif.) U.S. Air Force officer. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1928. In World War II he devel¬ oped advanced strategic bombardment techniques, including pattern bombing, and led bomber commands in Europe and the Pacific, where he launched firebombing raids on Japanese cities. As commander of U.S. air forces in Europe from 1945 to 1948, he directed the Berlin airlift (see Berlin blockade and airlift). From 1948 to 1957 he headed the U.S. Stra¬ tegic Air Command, building it into a global strike force. He was chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1965. In 1968 he was the vice-presidential candidate on the third-party ticket headed by George Wallace.
Lemieux \l9-'myu\, Mario (b. Oct. 5, 1965, Montreal, Que., Can.) Canadian ice-hockey player. In 1984 he made his professional debut as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and quickly became one of the sport’s leading offensive threats, earning the nickname “Super Mario.” He led his team to two Stanley Cup victories (1991-92). In 1992 Lemieux was found to have Hodgkin disease, but after surgery and radiation he returned to lead his team on a 17-game winning streak, an NHL record. He retired after the 1995-96 season with 613 goals and 881 assists. In 1999 he headed a group of investors that purchased the Penguins. He returned as a player in 2001, becoming the first owner-player in the history of mod¬ em sports. At the 2002 Winter Olympics he won a gold medal as a mem¬ ber of the Canadian men’s hockey team.
lemming Any of several species of small rodents belonging to the fam¬ ily Cricetidae and found primarily in northern temperate and polar regions of North America and Eurasia. Lemmings have short legs, small ears, and long, soft fur. They are 4-7 in. (10-18 cm) long, including the stumpy tail, and are grayish or reddish brown above, paler below. They feed on roots, shoots, and grasses and live in burrows or rock crevices. They are noted for regular population fluctuations, and for their periodic migrations in spring and fall. Those of the Norway lemming ( Lemmus lemmus ) are the most dramatic, because many of the migrants drown in the sea. How¬ ever, lemmings are hesitant to enter water and, contrary to legend, do not plunge into the sea in a deliberate death march.
Lemmon, Jack orig. John Uhler Lemmon III (b. Feb. 8, 1925, Boston, Mass., U.S.—d. June 27, 2001, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. actor. He attended Harvard University and acted in radio and television dramas before making his Broadway debut in 1953. He established his movie career in Mister Roberts (1955, Academy Award) and became noted for his character portrayals, often playing excitable, baffled individuals in movies such as Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), The Odd Couple (1968), and The Out-of-Towners (1970). His many other films include Save the Tiger (1973, Academy Award), The China Syndrome (1979), Missing (1982), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He received an
Emmy Award for his portrayal of a dying college professor in the tele¬ vision film Tuesdays with Morrie (1999).
lemon Small thorny tree or spreading bush ( Citrus limon) of the rue (or citrus) family and its edible fruit.
Under the yellow outer rind or peel is the white, spongy inner peel, the source of commercial pectin. The juicy pulp is acidic and rich in vita¬ min C and contains smaller amounts of B vitamins. The climates of coastal Italy and California are espe¬ cially favourable for the cultivation of lemon trees, which in these regions produce fruit 6-10 times a year. Lemon juice enhances many dishes, and lemonade is a popular warm-weather beverage. Lemon by-products are used in beverages (citric acid), fruit jellies (pectin), and
lemon balm See balm
lemur Vle-morV In general, any of the prosimian primates (including gala¬ gos), all of which have a naked, moist tip to their muzzle; comblike, forward-directed lower front teeth; and clawlike nails on the second toes of the feet. More strictly, the name refers to the typical lemurs (the nine species in the family Lemuridae), found only on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, which have large eyes; a foxlike face; a slender, mon¬ keylike body; and long hind limbs. All lemurs are docile and gregarious. Species range from 5 in. (13 cm) to about 2 ft (60 cm) long. The bushy tail may be longer than the body, and the woolly fur is reddish, gray, brown, or black. Most are active at night and spend most of their time in trees, eating fruits, leaves, buds, insects, and small birds and birds’ eggs. A number of species are listed as endangered.
Lena Vle-no, 'la-no \ River River, east-central Russia, one of the longest rivers in the world. From its source in a Siberian mountain lake west of Lake Baikal, it flows 2,734 mi (4,400 km) north across Russia to enter the Arctic Ocean. Its basin covers an area of 961,000 sq mi (2,490,000 sq km), and it has many tributaries, including the Vitim and Olekma rivers. The land along its upper course and tributaries is rich in minerals, includ¬ ing gold and coal. Explorers first reached its delta on the Laptev Sea in the early 1630s.
lend-lease System promulgated by Pres. Franklin Roosevelt to give aid to U.S. allies in World War II. Faced with Britain’s inability to pay cash for war materials and food, as required by U.S. law, Roosevelt asked Congress to allow repayment “in kind or property” from countries vital to U.S. defense. The Lend-Lease Act was passed in March 1941, despite arguments that it led the U.S. closer to war. Much of the $49 billion in aid went to British Commonwealth countries; the Soviet Union, China, and 40 other countries also received assistance. U.S. troops stationed abroad received about $8 billion in aid from the Allies.
L'Enfant \la n -'fa n ,\ English \'lan-,fant\, Pierre-Charles (b. Aug. 2, 1754, Paris, France—d. June 14, 1825, Prince Georges county, Md., U.S.) French-born U.S. engineer, architect, and urban planner. After studying in Paris, he volunteered as a soldier and engineer in the American Revolu¬ tionary Army. Congress made him major of engineers in 1783. In 1791 George Washington had him prepare a plan for a federal capital on the Potomac River. He designed a gridiron of blocks on which broad diago¬ nal avenues were superimposed; focusing on the Capitol and presidential mansion, the plan incorporated green spaces and provided vistas of street intersections where monuments and fountains could be placed. Though he was dismissed in 1792 for his imperious attitude and died in poverty, his plan was later generally followed.
L'Engle Vleq-golV Madeleine orig. Madeleine L'Engle Camp
(b. Nov. 29, 1918, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. author of children’s books. L’Engle pursued a career in theatre before publishing her first book, The Small Rain (1945). In A Wrinkle in Time (1962), she introduced a group of children who engage in a cosmic battle against a great evil; their adven¬ tures continue in A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) and other books. Her works often explore such themes as the conflict of good and evil, the nature of God, individual responsibility, and family life. She also has written adult fiction, poetry, and autobiography.
Lemon (Citrus limon )
J. HORACE MCFARLAND CO.