castor oil, nonvolatile fatty oil obtained from the seeds of the castor bean, Ricinus communis, of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is used in the production of synthetic resins, plastics, fibres, paints, varnishes, and various chemicals including drying oils and plasticizers. Castor oil is

Daniel Handler: He wrote screenplays for Rick (2003), which was based on the Giuseppe Verdi opera Rigoletto, and Kill the Poor (2003), an adaptation of the novel by Joel Rose. Handler also contributed to the screenplay for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004). He later adapted the novels for…

In the early 1980s, as radio became increasingly competitive—with every major music format fragmented to serve more and more specific groups of listeners—stations in large markets were content when they drew 3 or 4 percent of the total listening audience. Led by Rick Dees, a fresh-faced deejay out

Rick Mercer: …and Lunz in 2004 introduced Rick Mercer’s Monday Report, a comedic news-focused program that drew comparisons to American television’s The Daily Show. Like that program’s host, Jon Stewart, Mercer was commended not only as a satirist but as a trustworthy news source. Mercer, however, was quick to define his role…

Rick Mercer: …and Lunz in 2004 introduced Rick Mercer’s Monday Report, a comedic news-focused program that drew comparisons to American television’s The Daily Show. Like that program’s host, Jon Stewart, Mercer was commended not only as a satirist but as a trustworthy news source. Mercer, however, was quick to define his role…

Tex Rickard was an American gambler and fight promoter who made boxing fashionable and highly profitable. His promotions featuring Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926, attracted the first five “million-dollar gates” ($1,000,000 or more in ticket receipts). (Read Gene Tunney’s

Tex Rickard was an American gambler and fight promoter who made boxing fashionable and highly profitable. His promotions featuring Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926, attracted the first five “million-dollar gates” ($1,000,000 or more in ticket receipts). (Read Gene Tunney’s

rickardite, copper telluride mineral with the formula Cu7Te5, the purple-red masses of which resemble tarnished bornite. It was discovered at Vulcan, Colo., where it is accompanied by weissite, another copper telluride (Cu2−XTe). For chemical formulas and detailed physical properties, see sulfide

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was a pilot, industrialist, and the most celebrated U.S. air ace of World War I. Rickenbacker developed an early interest in internal-combustion engines and automobiles, and, by the time the United States entered World War I, he was one of the country’s top three racing

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was a pilot, industrialist, and the most celebrated U.S. air ace of World War I. Rickenbacker developed an early interest in internal-combustion engines and automobiles, and, by the time the United States entered World War I, he was one of the country’s top three racing

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games: Notable Events from the Vancouver Winter Games: February 17:

Heinrich Rickert was a German philosopher who founded the Baden school of Neo-Kantian thought in southwestern Germany and advanced an axiological approach to the Kantian theory of epistemology, allowing for greater objectivity in his metaphysical hypothesis of values. After receiving a degree from

rickets, disease of infancy and childhood characterized by softening of the bones, leading to abnormal bone growth and caused by a lack of vitamin D in the body. When the disorder occurs in adults, it is known as osteomalacia. Vitamin D (or, more specifically, calcitriol) is a steroid hormone that

bone disease: Metabolic bone disease: …a hereditary disorder known as familial hypophosphatemia; the phosphate leak causes low concentration of blood phosphate and, in turn, deficient mineralization of bone tissue, rickets, and osteomalacia. Familial hypophosphatemia is the most common cause of rickets in Europe and the United States. The basic deficiency is treated with high oral…

John Steinbeck: …life with the freelance biologist Edward F. Ricketts, and the two men collaborated in writing Sea of Cortez (1941), a study of the fauna of the Gulf of California. During World War II Steinbeck wrote some effective pieces of government propaganda, among them The Moon Is Down (1942), a novel…

Howard T. Ricketts was an American pathologist who discovered the causative organisms and mode of transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and epidemic typhus (known in Mexico, where Ricketts worked for a time and died of typhus, as tabardillo). Ricketts graduated in medicine from Northwestern

Howard T. Ricketts was an American pathologist who discovered the causative organisms and mode of transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and epidemic typhus (known in Mexico, where Ricketts worked for a time and died of typhus, as tabardillo). Ricketts graduated in medicine from Northwestern

Second Battle of Bull Run: The armies gather: James Ricketts, driving it back to Gainesville. That evening Jackson’s corps held a 2-mile (3.2-km) line from Sudley Springs to Groveton, with his right wing near Groveton opposing Union Brig. Gen. Rufus King’s division. Longstreet held Thoroughfare Gap, facing Ricketts at Gainesville. On Ricketts’s right…

circus: John Bill Ricketts and the American circus: By the late 18th century the circus had spread throughout Europe and had gained a fragile foothold in the United States. In 1793 John Bill Ricketts, a Scottish rider and former student of Hughes, presented exhibitions in Philadelphia…

rickettsia, (family Rickettsiaceae), family of bacteria, made up of two genera, Rickettsia and Orientia. The term rickettsia is sometimes also used to refer to organisms of the order Rickettsiales. The rickettsiae are rod-shaped or variably spherical, nonfilterable bacteria, and most species are

rickettsia: …which bloodsucking arthropods acquire the rickettsial bacteria and in turn transmit them to other animals and, occasionally, humans.

Q fever: …disease caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. Q fever spreads rapidly in cows, sheep, and goats, and in humans it tends to occur in localized outbreaks. The clinical symptoms are those of fever, chills, severe headache, and pneumonia. The disease is usually mild, and complications are rare. Treatment with

boutonneuse fever: …fever caused by the bacterium Rickettsia conorii conorii and transmitted by the dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The disease is endemic to the Mediterranean region. Similar forms of boutonneuse fever occur in Africa, India, and southern Europe but are caused by different subspecies of R. conorii—for example, Indian tick typhus, caused…

typhus: Other forms of typhus: or murine, typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, has as its principal reservoir of infection the Norway rat; occasionally, the common house mouse and other species of small rodents have also been found to be infected. The rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis is the principal carrier of the disease, and transmission to…

typhus: Epidemic typhus: …is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and is conveyed from person to person by the body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus. The louse is infected by feeding with its powerful sucking mouth on a person who has the disease. As the louse sucks the person’s blood, rickettsiae pass into the…

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: …States, caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by certain species of ticks. Although historically known from the Rocky Mountain region, particularly the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana, today Rocky Mountain spotted fever is most common on the eastern coast of the United States and has been found…

scrub typhus: …is caused by the parasite Orientia tsutsugamushi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of certain kinds of trombiculid mites, or chiggers. The causative agent of scrub typhus, the bacterium O. tsutsugamushi, is primarily a parasite of certain mites, of which two closely related species, Leptotrombidium (Trombicula) akamushi and…

typhus: Other forms of typhus: or murine, typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, has as its principal reservoir of infection the Norway rat; occasionally, the common house mouse and other species of small rodents have also been found to be infected. The rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis is the principal carrier of the disease, and transmission to…

rickettsia, (family Rickettsiaceae), family of bacteria, made up of two genera, Rickettsia and Orientia. The term rickettsia is sometimes also used to refer to organisms of the order Rickettsiales. The rickettsiae are rod-shaped or variably spherical, nonfilterable bacteria, and most species are

Q fever, acute self-limited systemic disease caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. Q fever spreads rapidly in cows, sheep, and goats, and in humans it tends to occur in localized outbreaks. The clinical symptoms are those of fever, chills, severe headache, and pneumonia. The disease is

Branch Rickey was an American professional baseball executive who devised the farm system of training ballplayers (1919) and hired the first Black players in organized baseball in the 20th century. Rickey started his professional playing career while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, spent two

Branch Rickey was an American professional baseball executive who devised the farm system of training ballplayers (1919) and hired the first Black players in organized baseball in the 20th century. Rickey started his professional playing career while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, spent two

Jonathan Demme: Ricki and the Flash (2015) was a dark comedy about an aging rock-and-roll singer (Meryl Streep) who reconnects with her family.

Television in the United States: Tabloid TV: …of a sexual nature, and Ricki Lake (syndicated, 1993–2004) was designed especially for younger female audiences. Jerry Springer (syndicated, begun 1991) was the most extreme and notorious of the shows, presenting shocking guests, stories, and conflicts. Many episodes featured fistfights, intervention by security employees, and an audience reveling in blood…

Don Rickles was an American comedian and actor known for a cheerfully belligerent brand of humor that relied heavily on ad-libbed insults and broad cultural stereotypes. Rickles grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, the only child of Jewish parents. At age 18 he enlisted in the navy and

Don Rickles was an American comedian and actor known for a cheerfully belligerent brand of humor that relied heavily on ad-libbed insults and broad cultural stereotypes. Rickles grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, the only child of Jewish parents. At age 18 he enlisted in the navy and

Alan Rickman was a British actor who had a distinguished career portraying a vast array of characters, both virtuous and nefarious, in theatre, film, and television productions. As Hans Gruber, the sinister villain in the hit action movie Die Hard (1988), Rickman created one of the most memorable

Alan Rickman was a British actor who had a distinguished career portraying a vast array of characters, both virtuous and nefarious, in theatre, film, and television productions. As Hans Gruber, the sinister villain in the hit action movie Die Hard (1988), Rickman created one of the most memorable

Thomas Rickman was a Gothic Revival architect, whose book An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of English Architecture (1817) established the classification of English medieval architecture and the use of such terms as decorated and perpendicular Gothic. Originally a pharmacist’s assistant,

Hyman G. Rickover was an American naval officer and engineer who developed the world’s first nuclear-powered engines and the first atomic-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, launched in 1954. He then went on to supervise plans for harnessing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Brought up in

Hyman G. Rickover was an American naval officer and engineer who developed the world’s first nuclear-powered engines and the first atomic-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, launched in 1954. He then went on to supervise plans for harnessing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Brought up in

rickshaw, (from Japanese: “human-powered vehicle”), two-wheeled vehicle with a doorless, chairlike body and a collapsible hood, which holds one or two passengers and is drawn by a man between two shafts. It was used widely in the Orient but was largely superseded by the pedicab, a rickshaw driven

Chinese literature: 1927–37: …denizen of China’s “lower depths”—Luotuo Xiangzi (1936; “Camel Xiangzi,” published in English in a bowdlerized translation as Rickshaw Boy, 1945).

rickshaw, (from Japanese: “human-powered vehicle”), two-wheeled vehicle with a doorless, chairlike body and a collapsible hood, which holds one or two passengers and is drawn by a man between two shafts. It was used widely in the Orient but was largely superseded by the pedicab, a rickshaw driven

Chinese literature: 1927–37: …denizen of China’s “lower depths”—Luotuo Xiangzi (1936; “Camel Xiangzi,” published in English in a bowdlerized translation as Rickshaw Boy, 1945).

Ricky Gervais: In 2005–06 Gervais hosted The Ricky Gervais Show, an Internet podcast in which he, Merchant, and Karl Pilkington engaged in casual (if sometimes bizarre) banter. The weekly show was downloaded by more than 500,000 listeners per episode, making it at the time the most downloaded podcast ever. The audio…

Ricky Gervais: …of the program, also called The Ricky Gervais Show (2010–12). Gervais and Merchant later created and appeared as fictionalized versions of themselves in the TV series Life’s Too Short, which, like Extras, lampooned the entertainment industry. The show debuted in 2011 and concluded with a special two years later. In…

Ricky Martin: Solo career and breakthrough in the United States: …released his first English-language album, Ricky Martin, his second self-titled record. Chief among the songs is “Livin’ la Vida Loca” (“Living the Crazy Life”), which became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Martin was credited with helping jump-start the so-called “Latin explosion” at the turn of the millennium,…

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), U.S. federal statute targeting organized crime and white-collar crime. Since being enacted in 1970, it has been used extensively and successfully to prosecute thousands of individuals and organizations in the United States. Part of the

grandee: …Ages by certain of the ricos hombres, or powerful magnates of the realm, who had by then acquired vast influence and considerable privileges, including one—that of wearing a hat in the king’s presence—which later became characteristic of the dignity of grandee. The title was given a formal character in 1520…

Portugal: Medieval social and economic development: …of the greater aristocracy, the ricos-homens, who might be at court. The ricos-homens also comprised the bishops and abbots and masters of the orders of knighthood; many held private civil or military authority. The lesser nobility were without such rights. Below them came various classes of free commoners, such as…

ricochet, in gunnery, rebound of a projectile that strikes a hard surface, or the rebounding projectile itself. At one time a form of fire known as ricochet was widely used; artillery was aimed to permit the shot to strike and rebound in a succession of skips. The invention of this type of fire in

locomotion: Saltation: The locomotor pattern of saltation (hopping) is confined mainly to kangaroos, anurans (tailless amphibians), rabbits, and some groups of rodents in the vertebrates and to a number of insect families in the arthropods. All saltatory animals have hind legs that are approximately twice as…

Paul Ricoeur was a French philosopher and historian, who studied various linguistic and psychoanalytic theories of interpretation. Ricoeur graduated from the University of Rennes in 1932 and engaged in graduate studies of philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris, receiving master’s (1935) and doctoral

Paul Ricoeur was a French philosopher and historian, who studied various linguistic and psychoanalytic theories of interpretation. Ricoeur graduated from the University of Rennes in 1932 and engaged in graduate studies of philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris, receiving master’s (1935) and doctoral

Italian literature: The Risorgimento and after: …memoirs of Luigi Settembrini (Ricordanze della mia vita [1879–80; “Recollections of My Life”]) and Massimo D’Azeglio (I miei ricordi [1868; Things I Remember]). D’Azeglio’s historical novels and those of Francesco Guerrazzi now have a rather limited interest; and Mazzini’s didactic writings—of great merit in their good intentions—are generally regarded…

Francesco Guicciardini: …of maxims and observations, the Ricordi. His political thought is frequently akin to, and sometimes more radical than, that of his friend Niccolò Machiavelli, with whom he shared, despite his long service with the papacy, a criticism of the contemporary church. He disagreed, however, in his Considerazioni intorno ai “Discorsi”…

Giuseppe Verdi: Late years: …the initiative of his publisher, Giulio Ricordi. Reluctant to allow his most profitable composer to rest on his laurels, Ricordi contrived a reconciliation with Arrigo Boito, who had offended Verdi by some youthful criticism. A proposal that Boito should write a libretto based on Shakespeare’s Othello attracted the old composer,…

ricotta, whey cheese with a creamy texture and mild taste. Italian in origin and yellowish white in colour, ricotta is traditionally made with whey from fresh sheep’s milk, although the whey can also come from the milk of goats, Italian water buffaloes, or cows. In Italian, the word ricotta means

Seven Holy Founders: Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione. Formally Ordo Fratrum Servorum Sanctae Mariae (“Order of Friar Servants of St. Mary”), the order is a Roman Catholic congregation of mendicant friars dedicated to apostolic work.

dinosaur: Growth and life span: … studies of fossilized bone by Armand de Ricqlès in Paris and R.E.H. Reid in Ireland showed that dinosaur skeletons grew quite rapidly. The time required for full growth has not been quantified for most dinosaurs, but de Ricqlès and his colleagues have shown that duckbills (hadrosaurs) such as Hypacrosaurus and…

Vilhelm Moberg: …oppression, Rid i natt! (1941; Ride This Night!), in which he dramatizes the necessity of men acting in the cause of freedom and justice.

PJ Harvey: …recorded Harvey’s most challenging album, Rid of Me (1993); a softer version of some of the same material, 4-Track Demos, came out later the same year. Following the tour in support of these releases, Ellis and Vaughan left PJ Harvey, which became the moniker for Harvey as a solo artist.…

maqām: …sorrows; (7) the maqām of riḍā (satisfaction), a state of quiet contentment and joy that comes from the anticipation of the long-sought union.

scrapie, fatal neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. Scrapie has been endemic in British sheep, particularly the Suffolk breed, since the early 18th century. Since that time the disease has been detected in countries worldwide, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, as well as in

riddah, series of politico-religious uprisings in various parts of Arabia circa 632 ce during the caliphate of Abū Bakr (reigned 632–634). Despite the traditional resistance of the Bedouins to any restraining central authority, by 631 Muhammad was able to exact from the majority of their tribes at

India: The period of disorder, 1760–72: …Clive appointed a deputy divan, Muḥammad Riḍā Khan, who was at the same time appointed the nawab’s deputy. The chain was thus complete. The company, acting in the name of the emperor and using Indian personnel and the traditional apparatus of government, now ruled Bengal. The company’s agent was Riḍā…

Bill Hartack: …Belmont Stakes in 1960 and Ridan in the Arlington Futurity in 1961. In 1972 Hartack became the fifth jockey ever to win more than 4,000 races. He retired in 1980.

riddah, series of politico-religious uprisings in various parts of Arabia circa 632 ce during the caliphate of Abū Bakr (reigned 632–634). Despite the traditional resistance of the Bedouins to any restraining central authority, by 631 Muhammad was able to exact from the majority of their tribes at

Gamla Stan: Stads Island, Helgeands Island, and Riddar Island. Most of the buildings in this area date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are legally protected from renovation. Stads Island contains the Royal Palace; Storkyrkan, also called the Cathedral, or Church, of St. Nicolas; the German Church; the House of Lords;…

Stockholm: …Island is dominated by the Riddarholm Church. The House of Parliament and the National Bank are on Helgeands Island.

Gamla Stan: Stads Island, Helgeands Island, and Riddar Island. Most of the buildings in this area date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are legally protected from renovation. Stads Island contains the Royal Palace; Storkyrkan, also called the Cathedral, or Church, of St. Nicolas; the German Church; the House of Lords;…

electroless plating: Riddell, electroless plating involves the deposition of such metals as copper, nickel, silver, gold, or palladium on the surface of a variety of materials by means of a reducing chemical bath. It is also used in mirroring, in which a clean surface of glass is…

Walter Alexander Riddell was a Canadian clergyman, statesman, and labour specialist who helped bring about enactment of such important benefits as employment exchanges, a mother’s allowance, and minimum wages during the deflation following World War I. Riddell was ordained in 1910 and went to work

Ridder, city, northeastern Kazakhstan. The city is situated in the southwestern Altai Mountains, along the Ulba River, at an elevation higher than 3,300 feet (1,000 metres). An Englishman, Philip Ridder, discovered a small mine containing gold, silver, copper, and lead there in 1786, and systematic

Willem Elsschot was a Flemish novelist and poet, the author of a small but remarkable oeuvre, whose laconic style and ironic observation of middle-class urban life mark him as one of the outstanding Flemish novelists of the first half of the 20th century. Elsschot’s first work, Villa des roses

Vin Diesel: …Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Riddick (2013).

riddle, deliberately enigmatic or ambiguous question requiring a thoughtful and often witty answer. The riddle is a form of guessing game that has been a part of the folklore of most cultures from ancient times. Western scholars generally recognize two main kinds of riddle: the descriptive riddle

mystery story: Riddle stories, too, have an ancient heritage. The riddle of Samson, propounded in the Bible (Judges 14:12–18), is the most famous early example, but puzzles were also popular among the ancient Egyptians and the Greeks. The distinguishing feature of the riddling mystery story is that…

Nelson Riddle was an American popular-music arranger, conductor, and composer, regarded as the premier 20th-century arranger for popular singers. Riddle began his career in the 1940s as a trombonist-arranger for the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Charlie Spivak, and Jerry Wald. His first

Man o’ War: Breeding and early racing career: His owner, Samuel Doyle Riddle, had a long-standing aversion to entering any of his horses in the classic race. Riddle detested racing in the “West” (which for him included Churchill Downs), because it was away from the stomping grounds of high society. Perhaps his most cogent reason…

Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey of Riddlesden was a British economist, statesman, writer, and chancellor of the Exchequer (1974–79). Healey grew up in Keighley, Yorkshire, and had a brilliant academic career at Balliol College, Oxford. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire

Russell Hoban: Riddley Walker (1980), probably Hoban’s best-known novel, is set in the future in an England devastated by nuclear war. Events are narrated in a futuristic form of English. Hoban’s later writings include the novels Pilgermann (1983); The Medusa Frequency (1987), the story of an author…

champagne: This procedure, called riddling, or remuage, has been largely mechanized since the 1970s. When the wine is mature and ready for the market, the deposits are removed in a process called dégorgement. In this process, the cork is carefully pried off, allowing the internal pressure in the bottle to shoot…

Helen Hunt: …wrote, directed, and starred in Ride (2014), about a writer who follows her son to California when he drops out of college. In 2018 Hunt played a coach of a high-school girls’ volleyball team that is mourning the death of its star player in The Miracle Season, which was based…

Portishead: …groups that included Primal Scream, Ride, and Depeche Mode. During this time, Portishead’s core lineup was completed with the additon of Utley, a veteran jazz guitarist who had previously recorded with guitar viruoso Jeff Beck.

Peter Handke: …Ritt über den Bodensee (1971; The Ride Across Lake Constance).

Arthur Miller: Miller’s later plays included The Ride Down Mount Morgan (1991), Mr. Peters’ Connections (1998), and Resurrection Blues (2002).

Budd Boetticher: Westerns: …of murder, while the intelligent Ride Lonesome (1959) featured the actor as a bounty hunter searching for his wife’s killer (Lee Van Cleef). Kennedy’s absence was notable on Westbound (1959), which was one of the series’ lesser entries. In 1960 the last picture in the cycle, Comanche Station, was released.…

mass transit: Alternative service concepts: …agencies and employers have subsidized vanpooling, ride sharing in 8- to 15-passenger vans provided by the sponsor. One worker is recruited to drive the van to and from work in return for free transportation and limited personal use of the van. Passengers pay a monthly fee to the sponsor. Van…

mass transit: Alternative service concepts: …better parking arrangements to encourage carpooling, the sharing of auto rides by people who make similar or identical work trips. Car-pool vehicles are privately owned, the guideways (roads) are in place, drivers do not have to be compensated, and vehicle operating costs can be shared. On the other hand, carpoolers…

Susan Sarandon: …the animated Fearless (2020); and Ride the Eagle (2021), a dramedy in which she was cast as a mother estranged from her son.

Ride the High Country, American western film, released in 1962, that was a revisionist take on the genre. It was the second movie by director Sam Peckinpah, and its embittered characters and realistic gunplay began to establish the formulas for which he became famous. Ex-lawman Steve Judd (played

Metallica: The band followed with Ride the Lightning (1984), an album that shattered notions of what defined heavy metal. With social and political themes that seemed more suited to art rock, Ride the Lightning demonstrated that the band was willing to stretch the boundaries of heavy metal—perhaps most notably with…

film noir: The cinema of the disenchanted: Blue Dahlia (1946), Robert Montgomery’s Ride the Pink Horse (1947), and John Cromwell’s Dead Reckoning (1947), share the common story line of a war veteran who returns home to find that the way of life for which he has been fighting no longer exists. In its place is the America…

Yo La Tengo: …Yo La Tengo’s debut album, Ride the Tiger (1986). Schramm and Lewis departed before recording began on the band’s sophomore release, New Wave Hot Dogs (1987), featuring Kaplan on lead guitar and Stephan Wichnewski on bass. By the time President Yo La Tengo (1989) was released, the band’s sound had…

Vilhelm Moberg: …oppression, Rid i natt! (1941; Ride This Night!), in which he dramatizes the necessity of men acting in the cause of freedom and justice.

Mark Ruffalo: …Ang Lee’s Civil War movie Ride with the Devil (1999). For Lonergan’s first movie, he cast Ruffalo as the irresponsible brother who upends the narrow life of his sister (Laura Linney) in the acclaimed You Can Count on Me (2000), and this proved to be a breakthrough for Ruffalo.

Sally Ride was an American astronaut, the first American woman to travel into outer space. Only two other women preceded her: Valentina Tereshkova (1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (1982), both from the former Soviet Union. Ride showed great early promise as a tennis player, but she eventually gave up

Sally Ride was an American astronaut, the first American woman to travel into outer space. Only two other women preceded her: Valentina Tereshkova (1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (1982), both from the former Soviet Union. Ride showed great early promise as a tennis player, but she eventually gave up