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204 I Berkeley ► Berlin blockade
Berkeley, Busby orig. William Berkeley Enos (b. Nov. 29,1895, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.—d. March 14, 1976, Palm Springs, Calif.) U.S. film director and choreographer. The son of itinerant actors, he acted and danced in comedies from age five. After choreographing over 20 Broad¬ way musicals, he was summoned to Hollywood to direct dance numbers for Whoopee (1930). His elaborate production numbers, innovative cam¬ era techniques, and opulent sets in such films as Gold Diggers of 1933 and Footlight Parade (1933) revolutionized the musical and offered escapist fare for moviegoers during the Great Depression. When rising production costs made such extravaganzas unfeasible, he directed less innovative but still popular films such as The Gang’s All Here (1943).
Berkeley \'bark-leV George known as Bishop Berkeley (b.
March 12, 1685, near Dysert Castle, near Thomastown?, County Kil¬ kenny, Ire.—d. Jan. 14, 1753, Oxford, Eng.) Irish bishop, philosopher, and social activist. He worked principally at Trinity College, Dublin (to 1713), and as bishop of Cloyne (1734-52). He is best known for his con¬ tention that, for material objects, to be is to be perceived (“Esse est per- cipi”). His religious calling may have prompted his qualification that, even if no human perceives an object, God does, thereby ensuring the contin¬ ued existence of the physical world when not perceived by any finite being. With John Locke and David Hume, he was one of the founders of modern empiricism. Unlike Locke, he did not believe that there exists any material substance external to the mind, but rather that objects exist only as collections of sensible ideas. His works include An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision (1709), Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710), and Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous (1713). He spent part of his career in America, where he advo¬ cated educating Native Americans and blacks. The city of Berkeley, Calif., U.S., is named for him.
Berkeley, Sir William (b. 1606, Somerset, Eng.—d. July 9, 1677, Twickenham, Middlesex) British colonial governor of Virginia. Appointed governor in 1641, he introduced crop diversification, encouraged manu¬ facturing, and promoted peace with the Indians. A strong monarchist, he was forced to retire to his Virginia plantation during the Commonwealth period in England (1652-59). Reappointed in 1660, he faced crop failures and Indian attacks on the frontier. In 1676 Nathaniel Bacon mounted an expedition against the Indians in defiance of Berkeley’s policy of foster¬ ing trade. Berkeley fought Bacon for control of the colony, which he eventually regained.
Berkshire Vbark-shorX Geographic county, southern England. It occu¬ pies the river valleys of the middle Thames and its tributary, the Kennet, immediately west of London. Settlement of the area dates from the Iron Age, and the Belgic site at Silchester later became a Roman route centre. With the Norman Conquest the Thames valley’s strategic importance was recognized, and the first Windsor Castle was built. Windsor and Eton, on Berkshire’s eastern boundary, contain the county’s most noted structures. With its seat at Reading, it was an administrative county from 1974 to
Berkshire Hills Segment of the Appalachian Mtns., western Massachu¬ setts. Many of its summits exceed 2,000 ft (600 m), including Mount Greylock (3,491 ft, or 1,064 m), the highest point in the state. The wooded hills are a continuation of the Green Mtns. of Vermont; they include the Hoosac and Taconic ranges. Crossed by the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Berkshires contain state parks and forests and are the home of the Tanglewood summer music festival (in Lenox).
Berlage Vber-lak-oV, Hendrik Petrus (b. Feb. 21, 1856, Amsterdam, Neth.—d. Aug. 12, 1934, The Hague) Dutch architect. After studies in Zurich, he began his practice in Amsterdam (1889). His best-known work is the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (1897-1903), notable for its forthright use of structural steel and traditional Dutch brickwork. While visiting the U.S. (1911), he was exposed to the work of Louis H. Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright and later introduced their methods and ideas to Europe. His work was characterized by the honest use of materials based on their fun¬ damental properties and the avoidance of meaningless ornamentation.
Berle VbsrlV, Milton orig. Milton Berlinger (b. July 12, 1908, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. March 27, 2002, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. come¬ dian. He appeared in vaudeville from age 10 and later acted in more than 50 silent films. He worked chiefly as a nightclub comedian (1939-49) while vainly seeking a radio audience. His slapstick routines and facial contortions, however, were more suited to a visual medium, and between 1937 and 1968 he appeared in 19 movies. His greatest success came with
the television variety show Texaco Star Theater (1948-54), a show so popular that many people are said to have bought television sets just to watch “Uncle Miltie.”
Berlin City and state (pop., 2002 est: city, 3,388,000; metro, area, 4,101,000), capital of Germany. Founded in the early 13th century, it was a member of the Hanseatic League in the 14th century. It became the resi¬ dence of the Hohenzollerns and the capital of Brandenburg. It was suc¬ cessively the capital of Prussia (from 1701), the German Empire (1871- 1918), the Weimar Republic (1919—32), and the Third Reich (1933^15). In World War II much of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing. In 1945 it was divided into four occupation zones: U.S., British, French, and Soviet. The three Western powers integrated their sectors into one eco¬ nomic entity in 1948; the Soviets responded with the Berlin blockade. When independent governments were established in eastern and western Ger¬ many in 1949, East Berlin was made the capital of East Germany, and West Berlin, though surrounded by East Germany, became part of West Germany. Continuing immigration from East to West Berlin through the 1950s prompted the 1961 erection of the Berlin Wall. The area immedi¬ ately became the most vivid focal point of the Cold War. The dramatic dismantling of the wall in 1989 marked the international upheaval that accompanied the end of the Soviet Union. Berlin became reunified as Germany’s official capital in 1991; the transfer of government from Bonn was completed in 1999. It is the site of the University of Berlin, Charlot- tenburg Palace, Brandenburg Gate, and Berlin Zoo and is home to the Berlin Opera and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Berlin, Congress of (June 13-July 13, 1878) Diplomatic meeting of the major European powers at which the Treaty of Berlin replaced the Treaty of San Stefano. Dominated by Otto von Bismarck, the congress solved an international crisis by revising the peace settlement to satisfy the interests of Britain and Austria-Hungary. By humiliating Russia and failing to acknowledge adequately the aspirations of the Balkan peoples, it laid the foundation for future Balkan crises.
Berlin, Irving orig. Israel Baline (b. May 11, 1888, Mogilyov, Russia—d. Sept. 22, 1989, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. songwriter. The son of a Russian Jewish cantor, he and his family immigrated to New York City in 1893. He worked as a street singer and singing waiter, then began writing songs. His first published song, “Marie from Sunny Italy,” appeared in 1907; a printer’s error named him Irving Berlin. In 1911 he wrote the great hit of Tin Pan Alley’s ragtime vogue, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” He may have written more than 1,500 songs. Some of his songs include “Cheek to Cheek” and “God Bless America.” He scored many successful films; his score for Holiday Inn (1942) introduced “White Christmas,” one of the best-selling songs of all time. Altogether Berlin wrote the scores for 19 Broadway shows (including Annie Get Your Gun, 1946) and 18 films.