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Singer, Israel Joshua

(Encyclopedia)Singer, Israel Joshua, 1893–1944, Polish-American novelist and playwright who wrote in Yiddish, older brother of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Living variously in Poland and Russia, he earned a literary re...

centaur

(Encyclopedia)centaur sĕnˈtôr [key], in Greek mythology, creature, half man and half horse. The centaurs were fathered by Ixion or by Centaurus, who was Ixion's son. Followers of Dionysus, they were uncouth and ...

Snow, C. P.

(Encyclopedia)Snow, C. P. (Charles Percy Snow, Baron Snow of Leicester), 1905–80, English author and physicist. Snow had an active, varied career, including several important positions in the British government. ...

Eyck, van

(Encyclopedia)Eyck, van văn īk [key], family of Flemish painters, the brothers Hubert van Eyck, c.1370–1426, and Jan van Eyck, c.1390–1441. Of the van Eycks' works that have survived, the largest is an alta...

Taylor, Robert Love

(Encyclopedia)Taylor, Robert Love, 1850–1912, U.S. politician, governor of Tennessee (1887–91, 1897–99), b. Carter co., Tenn. A lawyer, he was a Democrat in Congress (1879–81) and in 1886 defeated his broth...

Constantine II, Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Constantine II, 316–40, Roman emperor, son of Constantine I. When the empire was divided at the death (337) of Constantine I, among the brothers Constantius II, Constans I, and Constantine II, Const...

Childebert I

(Encyclopedia)Childebert I chĭlˈdəbərt [key], d. 558, Frankish king, son of Clovis I. On his father's death (511) he and his three brothers shared equally in the Frankish kingdom. His capital was at Paris. When...

Jungfrau

(Encyclopedia)Jungfrau –yôkhˌ [key] is a mountain saddle 11,333 ft (3,454 m) high, the highest point in Europe reached by rail. It has a scientific institute and is popular with tourists. A meteorological stati...

Montgolfier, Joseph Michel

(Encyclopedia)Montgolfier, Joseph Michel zhäk ātyĕnˈ [key], 1745–99, French inventors, brothers. Together they invented the first practical balloon. On June 5, 1783, they sent up at Annonay, near Lyons, a lar...

Corte Real, Gaspar

(Encyclopedia)Corte Real or Corte-Real, Gaspar gəshpärˈ kôrˈtə rĕälˈ [key], c.1450–1501?, Portuguese explorer. Sent by King Manuel I to search for the Northwest Passage, he is said to have discovered Gre...