Jacques René Hébert
Hébert, Jacques René (1757–94), French revolutionary.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Healy, James Augustine to Hobart, Garret Augustus
Héloïse
Héloïse See: Abelard, Peter.
James Augustine Healy
Healy, James Augustine (1830–1900), first U.S. black bishop and priest of the Roman Catholic Church.
Hearing
Hearing See: Ear.
Hearing aid
Hearing aid, device to improve hearing by amplifying sound waves.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss See: Deafness.
Lafcadio Hearn
Hearn, Lafcadio (1850–1904), U.S. writer of Irish-Greek origin.
Samuel Hearne
Hearne, Samuel (1745–92), English explorer and fur trader.
Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Hearst, Phoebe Apperson (1842–1919), U.S. philanthropist; mother of William Randolph Hearst.
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst, William Randolph (1863–1951), U.S. newspaper and magazine publisher. Hearst's business acumen emerged early in his career, and he quickly built a huge, powerful newspaper empire. Spending big sums to attract readers, he competed with other publishers by employing sensationalistic journalism, printing splashy headlines, and pioneering color comics. By 1937, Hearst owned 25 dai…
Heart
Heart, muscular organ whose purpose is to pump blood through the body. The human heart is about the size of the closed fist, shaped like a blunt cone and is located in the chest cavity, slightly left of center. The heart is divided into right and left halves by a muscular partition. Each half is subdivided into two cavities, the upper (atrium) and the lower (ventricle). Blood from the veins of the…
American Heart Association
Heart Association, American (AHA), U.S. health organization that structures programs to fight heart disease.
Heart murmur
Heart murmur, abnormal sound heard on listening with a stethoscope to the chest over the heart.
Heat
Heat, internal energy of a body resulting from the motion of its atoms and molecules.
Heat capacity
Heat capacity, quantity of heat required to increase the temperature of a system or substance 1° of temperature.
Heat pipe
Heat pipe, device that moves heat while keeping the temperature relatively constant.
Heat pump
Heat pump, device that simultaneously transports heat and increases its temperature.
Heat rash
Heat rash See: Prickly heat.
Heath
Heath, low woody plants (family Ericaceae) found on poor, acidic soil in parts of Asia and Europe and naturalized in North America.
Edward Richard George Heath
Heath, Edward Richard George (1916– ), British prime minister, 1970–74.
Heath hen
Heath hen See: Prairie chicken.
Heating
Heating, process of providing heat and controlling the temperature in a particular environment.
Heatstroke
Heatstroke See: Sunstroke.
Heaven
Heaven, in many religions and cultures, the abode of God, gods or spirits, and the righteous after death.
Heaves
Heaves, or broken wind, lung disease of horses, resulting in difficult expiration and a chronic cough.
Heavy hydrogen
Heavy hydrogen See: Deuterium.
Heavy water
Heavy water, or deuterium oxide (D2O), chemical compound that occurs as 0.014% of ordinary water, which it closely resembles.
Hebe
Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera and in Greek mythology goddess of youth.
Hebrew
Hebrew, Semitic language in which the Old Testament was written, and official language of the modern nation of Israel.
Epistle to the Hebrews
Hebrews, Epistle to the, New Testament book of unknown authorship, traditionally ascribed to St.
Hebrides
Hebrides, group of about 500 islands off the northwest coast of Scotland, fewer than 100 of them inhabited.
Hebron
Hebron (pop. 80,000), city in Jordan, located near Jerusalem on the West Bank, one of the oldest cities in the world.
Hecate
Hecate, in Greek mythology, goddess of ghosts and black magic.
Ben Hecht
Hecht, Ben (1894–1964), U.S. dramatist, screenwriter, and novelist.
Isaac Thomas Hecker
Hecker, Isaac Thomas (1819–88), U.S.
Margaret Mary Heckler
Heckler, Margaret Mary (1931– ), U.S.
Hector
Hector, in Greek mythology, hero prince of Troy, eldest son of the Trojan King Priam and Queen Hecuba and the husband of Andromache.
Hecuba
Hecuba, in Greek mythology, second wife of Priam, king of Troy and mother to Hector, Paris, and Polydorus.
Hedge apple
Hedge apple See: Osage orange.
Hedgehog
Hedgehog, small insectivore (genus Erinaceus) of Asia, Africa, and Europe covered with spines.
Hedonism
Hedonism, philosophical doctrine that regards pleasure as the ultimate good.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich (1770–1831), German philosopher of idealism. During his life he was famous for his professorial lectures at the University of Berlin, and he wrote on logic, ethics, history, religion and aesthetics. The main feature of Hegel's philosophy was the dialectical method by which an idea (thesis) was challenged by its opposite (antithesis), the two ultimately …
Hegira
Hegira, also spelled hijra or hejira, flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622, which is the year from which Muslims date their calendar.
Martin Heidegger
Heidegger, Martin (1889–1976), German philosopher.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (pop. 136,200), historic city in western Germany, in Baden-Wüttemberg on the Neckar River.
Heidelberg man
Heidelberg man, prehistoric human thought to have lived over 300,000 years ago.
University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg, University of, oldest university in Germany, established in 1386.
Jascha Heifetz
Heifetz, Jascha (1901–87), Russian-born U.S. violinist.
Heimlich maneuver
Heimlich maneuver, emergency first-aid technique for choking victims whose breathing is blocked by food or a foreign element lodged in the airway.
Heinrich Heine
Heine, Heinrich (1797–1856), German romantic lyric poet and essayist.
Robert Anson Heinlein
Heinlein, Robert Anson (1907–88), U.S. author who specialized in science fiction for both adults and children.
Werner Karl Heisenberg
Heisenberg, Werner Karl (1901–76), German mathematical physicist generally regarded as the founder of quantum mechanics.
Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy (John W.
Hejira
Hejira See: Hegira.
Hel
Hel, in Scandanavian and early German mythology, cruel, greedy goddess of the dead, ruler of the underworld (Niflheim), and daughter of the evil Loki.
John Held Jr.
Held, John, Jr. (1889–1958), U.S. cartoonist and illustrator.
Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, most beautiful of all women.
Helena
Helena (pop. 24,569), state capital of Montana and seat of Lewis and Clark County.
Helgoland
Helgoland, or Heligoland, island in the North Sea.
Helicopter
Helicopter, exceptionally maneuverable aircraft able to take off and land vertically, hover, and fly in any horizontal direction without necessarily changing the alignment of the aircraft. Lift is provided by 1 or more rotors mounted above the craft and rotating horizontally about a vertical axis. Change in the speed of rotation or in the pitch (angle of attack) of all the blades at once alters th…
Heliopolis
Heliopolis (Greek, “city of the sun”), ancient Egyptian city located at the apex of the Nile Delta, 6 mi (10 km) from Cairo.
Helios
Helios, in Greek mythology, god of the sun and son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia.
Heliotrope
Heliotrope, fragrant plant (genus Heliotropium) once popular in gardens.
Helium
Helium, chemical element, symbol He; for physical constants see Periodic Table. Helium was discovered by Pierre J. Janssen during the solar eclipse of 1868, when he detected a new line in the spectrum of the sun's chromosphere. After hydrogen, it is the second most abundant element in the universe. It is important in the proton-proton reaction and the carbon cycle, which account for the ene…
Hell
Hell, in several religions, abode of evil spirits and of the wicked after death, usually thought of as an underworld or abyss.
Hell Gate
Hell Gate, channel in the East River in New York City.
Hellebore
Hellebore, any of a genus (Helleborus) of perennial plants of the crowfoot family, found mainly in Europe and Asia.
Hellenistic Age
Hellenistic Age, period in which Greco-Macedonian culture spread through the lands conquered by Alexander the Great.
Joseph Heller
Heller, Joseph (1923– ), U.S. novelist and playwright best known for Catch-22 (1961), a grotesquely humorous novel about a U.S. bombardier's “deep-seated survival anxieties” during World War II.
Hellespont
Hellespont, ancient name for the Dardanelles, the strait separating Asia Minor from Europe, named for the legendary Helle, who drowned here while fleeing to Colchis with her brother Phrixus.
Hellgrammite
Hellgrammite (Corydalus cronutus), large, brown, aquatic larva of the 4-winged dobsonfly.
Lillian Hellman
Hellman, Lillian (1905–84), U.S. playwright, screenwriter, and autobiographer.
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz
Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von (1821–94), German physiologist and physicist.
Jan Baptista van Helmont
Helmont, Jan Baptista van (1580–1644), Flemish chemist and physician, regarded as the father of biochemistry.
Jesse Alexander Helms
Helms, Jesse Alexander (1921– ) U.S. senator from North Carolina.
Helsinki
Helsinki (Swedish: Helsingfors; pop. 501,500), capital of Finland, situated on a rocky peninsula of southern Finland, in the Gulf of Finland.
Helsinki Accords
Helsinki Accords, final act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which began in 1972, on Aug. 1, 1975, by the United States, Canada, the USSR and 35 European countries.
Helvetia
Helvetia See: Switzerland.
Helvetians
Helvetians, tribe that lived just east of the Roman province of Gaul, now northwestern Switzerland.
Hemangioma
Hemangioma See: Birthmark.
Hematite
Hematite, common mineral consisting largely of iron oxide.
Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway, Ernest (1899–1961), U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
Hemisphere
Hemisphere (from the Greek hemisphairion, “half a sphere”), term referring to any half of the earth.
Hemlock
Hemlock, or poison hemlock (Conium macalatum), poisonous herb of the parsley family found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Hemlock
Hemlock, any of a genus (Tsuga) of evergreen trees belonging to the pine family.
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin (Hb), oxygen-carrying pigment found in the red blood cells of all vertebrates and some invertabrates.
Hemophilia
Hemophilia, hereditary disease in which the blood clots very slowly, such that a minor cut or bruise can cause prolonged bleeding, and there is a tendency to bleed internally without any obvious cause.
Hemorrhoid
Hemorrhoid, commonly called pile, varicose veins of the rectum or anus that may either be internal and bleed frequently, thus producing anemia, or become large and protrude from the anus, causing pain and discomfort.
Hemp
Hemp (Cannabis sativa), tall herbaceous plant of the mulberry family native to Asia but now widely cultivated for fiber, oil, and a narcotic drug called cannabis, hashish, or marijuana.
Fletcher Henderson
Henderson, Fletcher (1898–1952), jazz musician who first introduced the “big band” sound.
Thomas Andrews Hendricks
Hendricks, Thomas Andrews (1819–1885), U.S.
Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix, Jimi (1942–70), U.S. rock music performer.
Henequen
Henequen, fiber made from the henequen plant.
Henna
Henna (Lawsonia inermis), small shrub from whose leaves an orange dye is extracted.
Louis Hennepin
Hennepin, Louis (1640–1701?), Belgian Franciscan missionary and explorer.
Robert Henri
Henri, Robert (Robert Henry Cozad; 1865–1929), U.S. painter and art teacher, founder of the Ashcan School of realistic painters.
Henry (England)
Henry (England), name of 8 kings of England. Henry I (1068–1135), reigned 1100–35. The son of William I, he seized the English throne on the death of his brother William II, while his other brother, Robert, was on a Crusade. Henry II (1133–89), reigned 1154–89, was the grandson of Henry I. He founded the Plantagent line. In 1152 he married Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine,…
Henry (France)
Henry (France), name of 4 kings of France. Henry I (c.1008–60) reigned 1031–60. His rule was disturbed by feudal conflicts organized by his mother and brother. One of his chief enemies was the future William I of England. Henry II (1519–59) reigned 1547–59. In 1533 he married Catherine de Medícis, but he was dominated by his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, and his m…
Henry (Germany)
Henry (Germany), name of 7 kings of Germany, 6 of whom were also Holy Roman emperors. Henry I, or Henry the Fowler (c.876–936), reigned 919–36. He established Germany as a new kingdom. Henry II (973–1024) reigned 1002–24 and was emperor from 1014. By political astuteness he ensured secular and clerical support. He was canonized in 1146; his feast day is July 15th. Henry…
John Henry
Henry, John, African American folk hero.
Joseph Henry
Henry, Joseph (1797–1878), U.S. physicist best known for his electromagnetic studies.
Henry of Navarre
Henry of Navarre See: Henry (France).
Henry the Navigator
Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), Portuguese prince, third son of King John I of Portugal, whose active interest inaugurated Portuguese maritime exploration and expansion overseas.
O. Henry
Henry, O. (William Sidney Porter; 1862–1910), U.S. short-story writer noted for the “surprise ending.” He began writing stories while imprisoned in Ohio for embezzlement, and was already popular when released.
Patrick Henry
Henry, Patrick (1736–99), statesman, orator, and prominent figure of the American Revolution.
Jim Henson
Henson, Jim See: Muppets.
Matthew Alexander Henson
Henson, Matthew Alexander (1866–1955), African-American Arctic explorer who, with Robert Peary, discovered the North Pole in 1909.
Hans Werner Henze
Henze, Hans Werner (1926– ), German composer.
Hepatica
Hepatica, or liverwort, plant (genus Hepatica) of the buttercup family with 3-lobed leaves that derives its Latin and English names from its resemblance to the human liver.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused by a virus. The symptoms include fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and jaundice. At least two distinct forms of the disease are recognized. Hepatitis A (formerly called infectious, or epidemic, hepatitis) is spread by contaminated drinking water or food. In young children, the infections tend to be mild, but the clinical severity increases with the age o…
Katharine Hepburn
Hepburn, Katharine (1909– ), U.S. stage and film actress.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus, or Hephaistos, Greek god of fire.
George Hepplewhite
Hepplewhite, George (d. 1786), English furniture maker and designer, influenced by Robert Adam.
Heptarchy
Heptarchy (from the Greek for “rule of seven”), the 7 kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain before the 9th-century Danish conquests.
Dame Barbara Hepworth
Hepworth, Dame Barbara (1903–75), English sculptor.
Hera
Hera, in Greek mythology, queen of the Olympian gods and sister and wife of Zeus; the goddess of marriage and birth.
Heracles
Heracles See: Hercules.
Heraclitus
Heraclitus (c.540–c.480 B.C.), Greek philosopher.
Heraldry
Heraldry, system of devising designs or insignia displayed on shields or coats of arms to identify individuals, families, towns, universities, military regiments, or nations.
Herb
Herb, name applied to any plant with soft stems and leaves that die at the end of the growing season; more specifically, those plants of which leaves or other parts are used medicinally and as spices to flavor food.
Johann Friedrich Herbart
Herbart, Johann Friedrich (1776–1841), German philosopher and educator best remembered for his pedagogical system, which stressed the interrelated importance of ethics (to give social direction) and psychology (to understand the mind of the pupil).
George Herbert
Herbert, George (1593–1633), English poet and clergyman.
Victor Herbert
Herbert, Victor (1859–1924), Irish-born U.S. operetta composer and conductor.
Herbicide
Herbicide, chemical compound used to kill plants.
Herbivores
Herbivores, dietary classification of the animal kingdom including all animals that feed exclusively on plant materials.
Herblock
Herblock See: Block, Herbert Lawrence.
Hercegovina
Hercegovina See: Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Herculaneum
Herculaneum, ancient city at the foot of Mt.
Hercules
Hercules, or Heracles, in Greek mythology, hero famed for his strength and courage.
Hercules
Hercules, constellation located in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hercules beetle
Hercules beetle, any of a genus (Dynastes) of large beetles belonging to the scarab family and found in North America.
Johann Gottfried von Herder
Herder, Johann Gottfried von (1744–1803), German writer, critic, philosopher, and clergyman.
Heredity
Heredity, process by which characteristics are passed on to offspring.
Woody Herman
Herman, Woody (Woodrow Charles Herman; 1913–87), U.S. musician and band-leader.
Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite, organism with both male and female reproduction organs.
Hermes
Hermes, in Greek mythology, one of the 12 Olympian gods, son of Zeus, messenger of the gods, guard of roads and highways, and guide of souls to Hades.
Hermes of Praxiteles
Hermes of Praxiteles, statue of Hermes, messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, created by the Athenian sculptor Praxiteles in 330 B.C.
Hermit crab
Hermit crab, crustacean with soft body that occupies the empty shells of sea snails.
Hermitage
Hermitage, Russian art museum in St.
William Henry Herndon
Herndon, William Henry (1818–91), U.S lawyer and biographer (1889) of Abraham Lincoln, his friend and law partner from 1843.
Hernia
Hernia, protrusion of an internal organ through an opening in the wall surrounding it.
Hero and Leander
Hero and Leander, tragic lovers in Greek folklore.
Herod
Herod, dynasty ruling in Palestine for nearly 150 years around the time of Jesus.
Herodotus
Herodotus (484?–425? B.C.), Greek historian, often called “the Father of History” for his writings about the causes of the Persian Wars fought between Greece and Persia (499–479 B.C.).
Heroin
Heroin, highly addictive narcotic derivative of morphine.
Heron
Heron, long-billed, long-legged wading bird of the family Ardeidae.
Herpes
Herpes, virus with various forms, causing painful blisters usually on the lips or genitals.
Tomás Herrera
Herrera, Tomás (1804–54), Panamanian political leader.
Robert Herrick
Herrick, Robert (1591–1674), English lyric poet.
Herring
Herring, narrow-bodied blue and silver fish of the family Clupidae, common in the North Atlantic and the Pacific.
Edouard Herriot
Herriot, Edouard (1872–1957), French politician.
Herschel
Herschel, family of British astronomers of German origin.
John Richard Hersey
Hersey, John Richard (1914– ), U.S. author, Pulitzer Prize winner with his first novel, A Bell for Adano (1944).
Melville Jean Herskovits
Herskovits, Melville Jean (1895–1963), U.S. anthropologist, particularly interested in culture change and African ethnology.
Gustav Ludwig Hertz
Hertz, Gustav Ludwig (1887–1975), German physicist who shared with J.
Heinrich Rudolph Hertz
Hertz, Heinrich Rudolph (1857–94), German physicist who first broadcast and received radio waves (1886).
James Barry Munnik Hertzog
Hertzog, James Barry Munnik (1866–1942), South African prime minister (1924–39).
Aleksander Ivanovich Herzen
Herzen, Aleksander Ivanovich (1812–70), Russian writer and early advocate of socialism.
Theodor Herzl
Herzl, Theodor (1860–1904), Austrian writer and founder of the political Zionist movement.
Hesiod
Hesiod (8th century B.C.), Greek epic poet.
Hesperides
Hesperides, in Greek mythology, nymphs who guarded the golden apples, which were a wedding gift from Gaea, goddess of earth, to her children, Zeus and Hera, Hercules stole the apples as one of his 12 labors.
Hesperornis
Hesperornis, any of a genus (Hesperornis) of extinct birds that lived in North America during the Cretaceous Period, 60 to 125 million years ago.
Dame Myra Hess
Hess, Dame Myra (1890–1965), English pianist noted for her interpretations of Bach, Mozart, and Scarlatti.
Rudolf Hess
Hess, Rudolf (1894–1987), German Nazi leader, Hitler's deputy (1933–39).
Hesse
Hesse, state in western Germany, located along the Rhine River in an important agricultural and mining region.
Hermann Hesse
Hesse, Hermann (1877–1962), German-born Swiss poet and novelist.
Hessian fly
Hessian fly, small, biting insect (Mayetiola destructor) so named because it was brought to North America from Europe in straw used for the horses of Hessian soldiers employed by the British during the American Revolution.
Hessians
Hessians, German mercenaries, mostly from Hesse-Kassel, sold into British military service by their government to fight against the colonials in the American Revolutionary War.
Hestia
Hestia, in Greek mythology, goddess of the hearth.
Heterotropia
Heterotropia See: Strabismus.
George Charles de Hevesey
Hevesey, George Charles de (1885–1966), Hungarian chemist, awarded the 1943 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work on radioactive tracers.
Joseph Hewes
Hewes, Joseph (1730–79), American patriot.
Reinhard Heydrich
Heydrich, Reinhard (1904–42), German Nazi leader, head of the security police, chief deputy to Himmler, head of the SS and organizer of the extermination of European Jews.
Thor Heyerdahl
Heyerdahl, Thor (1914– ), Norwegian ethnologist and author best known for his expeditions to prove the feasibility of his theories of cultural diffusion.
Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse
Heyse, Paul Johann Ludwig von (1830–1914), German writer.
DuBose Heyward
Heyward, DuBose (1885–1940), U.S. author, best known for his novel Porgy (1925), about the plight of Southern blacks, on which George Gershwin based his opera Porgy and Bess.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
Heyward, Thomas, Jr. (1746–1809), American patriot.
Thomas Heywood
Heywood, Thomas (1574?–1651), English dramatist and actor.
Hezekiah
Hezekiah (d. c.686 B.C.), Judean king (c.715–c.686 B.C.).
Hi-fi
Hi-fi See: High fidelity.
Hibbing
Hibbing (pop. 18,046), city located in the heart of Minnesota's Mesabi Range.
Hibernation
Hibernation, protective mechanism whereby certain animals reduce their bodies' activity and sleep through winter.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus, any of various herbs, shrubs, and trees (genus Hibiscus) of the mallow family, having large showy flowers.
Wild Bill Hickok
Hickok, Wild Bill (James Butler Hickok; 1837–76), legendary U.S. frontier law officer.
Hickory
Hickory, tree (genus Carya) of the walnut family.
Edward Hicks
Hicks, Edward (1780–1849), U.S. painter.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Hidalgo y Costilla, Miguel (1753–1811), Mexican revolutionary priest, known as “the father of Mexican independence.” He organized a rebellion against Spanish rule in 1810 and won initial victories with an army made up mainly of Indian peasants.
Hidatsa
Hidatsa See: Gros Ventre.
Hideyoshi
Hideyoshi (Toyotomi Hideyoshi; 1536–98), Japanese military leader and dictator (1585–98).
Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics, writing system used in ancient Egypt and several other civilizations.
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth (1823–1911), U.S. pastor, abolitionist, and author.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure See: Hypertension.
High Desert
High Desert, or Great Basin, sparsely populated region of south-central Oregon, lying east of the Cascades and south of the Blue Mountains.
High fidelity
High fidelity, reproduction of an electronic signal or sound with a minimum of distortion, especially by phonographic equipment.
High jump
High jump, track and field event.
High priest
High priest, in Jewish history, head of the Israelite priesthood, whose duties included supervising worship in the temple of Jerusalem and conducting services on the Day of Atonement.
High seas
High seas, in maritime law, the sea beyond territorial waters, usually 200 nautical mi (370 km) from the coasts of nations that border the oceans.
Highlands
Highlands See: Scotland.
Hijacking
Hijacking, mid-air takeover of aircraft.
Hijra
Hijra See: Hegira.
Hiking
Hiking, exercise in the form of endurance walking.
James Jerome Hill
Hill, James Jerome (1838–1916), U.S. railroad magnate.
Joe Hill
Hill, Joe (Joseph Hillstrom; 1879–1915), legendary Swedish-born U.S. labor organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World.
Octavia Hill
Hill, Octavia (1838–1912), English social reformer.
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary
Hillary, Sir Edmund Percival (1919– ), New Zealand explorer and mountaineer.
Hillel
Hillel (c.70 B.C.–10 A.D.), Jewish scholar born in Babylonia, one of the founders of rabbinic Judaism, and ethical leader of his generation.
Nicholas Hilliard
Hilliard, Nicholas (1537–1619), English miniature painter.
Sidney Hillman
Hillman, Sidney (1887–1946), U.S. labor leader.
Carla Anderson Hills
Hills, Carla Anderson (1934– ), U.S. government official.
Hilo
Hilo (pop. 35,400), city on the eastern shore of Hawaii Island.
Conrad Nicholson Hilton
Hilton, Conrad Nicholson (1887–1979), U.S. hotel chain founder.
James Hilton
Hilton, James (1900–54), English novelist.
Himalayas
Himalayas, highest mountain system in the world, over 1,500 mi (2,410 km) long, extending from Pakistan through India, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan.
Heinrich Himmler
Himmler, Heinrich (1900–45), German Nazi leader.
Paul Hindemith
Hindemith, Paul (1895–1963), German-born U.S. composer and teacher.
Hindenburg
Hindenburg See: Airship.
Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line See: Siegfried Line.
Paul von Hindenburg
Hindenburg, Paul von (1847–1934), German general, president of Germany (1925–34).
Hindi
Hindi, official language of India, a written form of Hindustani.
Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush, mountain range in Asia, stretching about 500 m (800 km) from northeast Afghanistan to north Pakistan.
Hinduism
Hinduism, chief religion of India, embracing many different sects and trends. In terms of numbers of adherents, it is the third largest of the world's religions, after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is based on the Veda, sacred writings dating back some 3,000 years. The Veda comprised four types of writing: the Samhita, which in turn consists of 4 books of hymns, chants, and prayersȁ…
Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines
Hines, Earl ‘Fatha’ (1905–83), U.S. jazz musician, pianist and composer.
S(usan) E(loise) Hinton
Hinton, S(usan) E(loise) (1948– ), U.S. author of books for teenagers.
Hip
Hip, freely movable ball-and-socket joint formed by the cup-shaped hollow of the pelvic bone and the smooth, rounded head of the thighbone.
Hipparchus
Hipparchus (c.180 B.C.–125 B.C.), Greek scientist, pioneer of systematic astronomy.
Hipparchus
Hipparchus (6th century B.C.), Greek political figure.
Hippies
Hippies, anti-establishment subculture in the U.S. in the 1960s, principally people under 25 who rejected conservative values and traditional authority.
Hippocampus
Hippocampus See: Seahorse.
Hippocrates
Hippocrates (c.460–c.377 B.C.), Greek physician often called the father of medicine.
Hippodrome
Hippodrome, any open or closed structure for circuses or similar spectacles.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus, one of the largest living terrestrial mammals (Hippopotamus amphibius), distantly related to the pig, widespread in Africa.
Hirohito
Hirohito (1901–89), emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death.
Ando Hiroshige
Hiroshige, Ando (1797–1858), Japanese painter and printmaker of the ukiyo-e (popular) school led by Hokusai.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima (pop. 1,071,900), industrial city on Honshu Island, Japan, located on a bay in the Inland Sea, capital of Hiroshima Prefecture.
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans, in the United States, those who have come from Spanish countries or their descendants. There are approximately 20 million Hispanic Americans, making up some 8% of the U.S. population, the second-largest minority in the country after African Americans. Thanks to both a high birth rate and continued immigration, Hispanic Americans are expected to become the largest minorit…
Hispaniola
Hispaniola, second largest island in the West Indies, located west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba.
Alger Hiss
Hiss, Alger (1904– ), U.S. public official accused of spying for the USSR.
Histamine
Histamine See: Allergy; Antihistamine.
Histology
Histology, scientific study of the structure of the tissues that make up organisms.
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis, infectious disease that is endemic in parts of Africa, South America, and the United States, caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.
History
History, study of the past through documents, reports, and other artifacts. The past can be inferred through many sources—chronicles, myths, buildings, monuments, business documents, newspapers, works of art, archeological objects. Earlier times for which no such sources exist are known as prehistory. History as a branch of knowledge is generally confined to the written records of human act…
Lambert Hitchcock
Hitchcock, Lambert (1795–1852), U.S. cabinetmaker who, in 1818, established a furniture factory at Barkhamsted, Conn.
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock
Hitchcock, Sir Alfred Joseph (1899–1980), British film director known for his skillful suspense and macabre humor.
Adolf Hitler
Hitler, Adolf (1889–1945), Austrian-born dictator of Germany, founder of the Nazi party. Drafted in World War I, he was wounded and awarded the Iron Cross. He blamed the German defeat in the war on Jews and Communists, and in 1920 helped to found the National Socialist (Nazi) Workers Party. In 1923, after an abortive coup against the Bavarian government (the “beer hall putsch”…
Hittites
Hittites, Indo-European people of the Middle East in the 2nd millennium B.C.
Hives
Hives, or urticaria, itchy skin condition characterized by the formation of welts with surrounding erythema (reddening) due to histamine release in the body's tissues.
Hoatzin
Hoatzin (Opisthocomos hoatzin), bird that lives in the flooded forests bordering the rivers of northern South America.
James Hoban
Hoban, James (1762–1831), Irish-born U.S. architect.
Hobart
Hobart (pop. 183,500), capital of the island of Tasmania, south of the eastern tip of the Australian mainland.
Garret Augustus Hobart
Hobart, Garret Augustus (1844–99), U.S. vice president (1897–79) in the McKinley administration.