Benet's Surfed

Three things I found in Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia that I'd never heard of:

1. The Girondists. A political party circa French Revolution.  In France.  These were middle class guys who wanted the monarchy overthrown. They themselves were overthrown in June1793. Oh the i-ron-y.   p. 402 

2.  King's evil.  Scrofula was called king's evil because the British were under the impression that it could be cured by the touch of a royal personage.  This notion lasted from Edward the Confessor (1042) to Queen Anne (1702).   p.558  
By the way, "Scrofula is a tuberculous infection of the skin on the neck."*  Ick. 
3. Kulak.  A rich Russian peasant.  Soviet authorities named them for the word fist, and they didn't mean that in a good way.  The Soviets got rid of the kulaks in the 1920's so farming could be collectivized.  p. 569

Thank you, Monsieur Benét. 
Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia
*Source:  MedlinePlus