H-bomb
H-bomb See: Nuclear weapon.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Haeckel, Ernst von to Health Insurance, National
Ernst von Haeckel
Haeckel, Ernst von (1834–1919), German biologist best remembered for his vociferous support of Darwin's theory of evolution and for his own theory that ontogeny (the development of an individual organism) recapitulates phylogeny (its evolutionary stages), a theory now discredited.
Hafiz
Hafiz (Shams ad-din Mohammed; c.1325–c.90 B.C.), Persian lyric poet and courtier at Shiraz, considered one of the greatest medieval Islamic poets.
Hafnium
Hafnium, chemical element, symbol Hf; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Hagar
Hagar See: Ishmael.
Hagfish
Hagfish, any of a family (Myxinidae) of predatory marine fishes related to the lamprey.
Book of Haggai
Haggai, Book of, book of the Old Testament, 10th of the Old Testament Minor Prophets, dated 520–519 B.C.
Sir Henry Rider Haggard
Haggard, Sir Henry Rider (1856–1925), English author of romantic adventure novels with authentic African backgrounds.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia, or Santa Sophia, massive cathedral raised in Constantinople (now Istanbul) by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I; completed in A.D. 537.
The Hague
Hague, The (Dutch: Gravenhage or Den Haag; pop. 445,700), seat of government of the Netherlands, capital of South Holland province, and headquarters of the International Court of Justice.
Frank Hague
Hague, Frank (1876–1956), U.S. politician, mayor of Jersey City, N.J., for 30 years, and controller of one of the United State's most powerful political machines.
Hague Peace Conferences
Hague Peace Conferences, 2 conferences (1899, 1907) held at The Hague, the Netherlands, at Russia's request, to discuss belligerency rules and war conventions.
Hague Tribunal
Hague Tribunal, or International Permanent Court of Arbitration, court established by the first Hague Peace Conference (1899).
Otto Hahn
Hahn, Otto (1879–1968), German chemist awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his splitting of the uranium atom in 1939 and his discovery of the possibility of chain reactions.
(Christian Friedrich) Samuel Hahnemann
Hahnemann, (Christian Friedrich) Samuel (1755–1843), German physician and founder of homeopathic medicine.
Haida
Haida, tribe of Native Americans of the Pacific northwest, living primarily on islands off the coast of British Columbia and Alaska.
Haifa
Haifa (pop. 251,000), port city in northern Israel, an important manufacturing and transportation center.
Alexander Meigs Haig Jr.
Haig, Alexander Meigs, Jr. (1924– ), U.S. general and secretary of state (1981–82).
Douglas Haig t Earl (1s)
Haig, Douglas, 1st Earl (1861–1928), British commander in World War I, blamed for the misconduct of the Somme and Ypres campaigns (1916–17).
Haiku
Haiku, traditional unrhymed Japanese poem of 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
Hail
Hail, ice pellets that sometimes fall during thunderstorms.
Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie (1891–1975), reigning name of Ras Tafari, emperor of Ethiopia (1930–74).
Haiphong
Haiphong (pop. 1,447,500), city in northeast Vietnam, on the Red River delta near the Gulf of Tonkin.
Hair
Hair, outgrowth of the skin in mammals, sometimes thickening to form wool or fur.
Hair snake
Hair snake See: Horsehair worm.
Hairdressing
Hairdressing, care and arranging of hair, including cutting, setting, styling, tinting, bleaching, straightening, waving, and other procedures.
Hairworm
Hairworm See: Horsehair worm.
Fred Wallace Haise Jr.
Haise, Fred Wallace, Jr. (1933– ), U.S. astronaut (1966–79), pilot of the lunar module of the Apollo 13 mission (1970), during which an explosion disabled the command module and prevented the lunar landing.
Republic of Haiti
Haiti, Republic of, independent country occupying the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic occupies the rest of the island. The capital is Port-au-Prince. Haiti is mountainous, dominated by two peninsulas extending westward into the Windward Passage, which separates Hispaniola from Cuba. Between the peninsulas is the Gulf of Gonaïves, with G…
Hajj
Hajj, or Hadj, pilgrimage to the Muslim world's holiest city, Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia.
Hake
Hake, any of various fish of the family Merlucciidae, related to the cod but with a different arrangement of fins.
Richard Hakluyt
Hakluyt, Richard (1552?–1616), English geographer and promoter of exploration and colonization.
George Stanley Halas
Halas, George Stanley (1895–1983), founder, owner, and coach of the Chicago Bears (originally called the Decatur Staleys), one of the founding teams of the National Football League (NFL).
Halcyon days
Halcyon days, period of tranquility.
H.R. Haldeman
Haldeman, H.R.
Sir Frederick Haldimand
Haldimand, Sir Frederick (1718–91), Swiss-born British general and governor of Quebec (1778–86).
Edward Everett Hale
Hale, Edward Everett (1822–1909), U.S. author, editor, and Unitarian minister, best known for his short novel The Man Without a Country (1863).
George Ellery Hale
Hale, George Ellery (1868–1938), U.S. astronomer who discovered the magnetic fields of sunspots and invented (c.1890) the spectroheliograph.
Nathan Hale
Hale, Nathan (1755–1776), American revolutionary who was caught in disguise behind British lines on Long Island and hanged as a spy on Sept. 22, 1776.
Hale Observatories
Hale Observatories See: Mount Wilson Observatory; Palomar Observatory.
Sarah Josepha Hale
Hale, Sarah Josepha (1788–1879), U.S. feminist journalist, editor of Ladies' Magazine (1828–37) and Godey's Lady's Book (from 1837).
Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park, park on the island of Maui, in Hawaii, encompassing the dormant volcano Mt.
Judah Halevi
Halevi, Judah (1085?–1141?), Jewish rabbi, philosopher, and poet who lived and worked in Muslim Spain.
Alex Palmer Haley
Haley, Alex Palmer (1921–92), U.S. author.
Half-life
Half-life See: Radioactivity.
Halibut
Halibut, any of various fish of the family Hippoglossidae.
Halifax
Halifax (320,500), capital of Nova Scotia and eastern Canada's chief winter (ice free) port.
Halite
Halite See: Salt.
Hall effect
Hall effect, electrical effect produced when current flows through a magnetic field.
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame (formerly The Hall of Fame for Great Americans), memorial to Americans who have achieved great fame in various fields.
Granville Stanley Hall
Hall, Granville Stanley (1844–1924), U.S. psychologist and educator best known for founding the American Journal of Psychology (1887), the first U.S. psychological journal.
James N. Hall
Hall, James N.
Lyman Hall
Hall, Lyman (1724–90), American Revolutionary leader.
Prince Hall
Hall, Prince (1748–1807), founder of the African Lodge, the first all-black Masonic lodge in America (chartered by the English Masons 1787).
Henry Wager Halleck
Halleck, Henry Wager (1815–72), U.S.
Albrecht von Haller
Haller, Albrecht von (1708–77), Swiss biologist.
Edmund Halley
Halley, Edmund (1656–1742), English astronomer.
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet, first periodic comet to be identified (by Edmund Halley) and the brightest of all recurring comets.
Richard Halliburton
Halliburton, Richard (1900–39), U.S. explorer and writer.
Halloween
Halloween, festival held on Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints' Day, a holiday of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches held to honor all the saints.
Hallucinogenic drug
Hallucinogenic drug, consciousness-altering drug that causes hallucinations or illusions, usually visual, together with personality and behavior changes.
Halo
Halo, in meteorology, luminous ring sometimes observed around the sun or the moon, caused by refraction and reflection of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere of the earth.
Halogen
Halogen, any of the group of 5 elements consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine.
Halothane
Halothane, chemical compound (C2HBrClF3) used as a general anesthetic.
Frans Hals
Hals, Frans (c.1580–1666), Dutch portrait painter.
William Frederick ‘Bull’ Halsey Jr.
Halsey, William Frederick ‘Bull’, Jr. (1882–1959), U.S. admiral during World War II.
Ham
Ham, cured thigh, buttock, or leg of a hog.
Hamadryas
Hamadryas See: Baboon.
Hamburg
Hamburg (1,660,700), historic seaport, capital city of Hamburg state; largest city in western Germany, near the mouth of the Elbe River.
Hamilcar Barca
Hamilcar Barca (d. c.228 B.C.), Carthaginian general, father of Hannibal.
Hamilton
Hamilton (pop. 2,000), capital and principal port of Bermuda, situated on Main Island.
Hamilton
Hamilton (pop. 599,800), city in the province of Ontario, Canada, built on the plain between a landlocked harbor on Lake Ontario and the 250-ft (76-m) Niagara escarpment.
Hamilton
Hamilton (pop. 62,368), industrial town in southwest Ohio on the Great Miami River, seat of Butler County.
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton, Alexander (1775–1804), U.S. political leader, a founder of the country. He was George Washington's secretary during the American Revolution, later serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress (1782–83). A delegate (from New York) to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, he was a strong supporter of the Constitution and was instrumental in getting it adopted. A …
Alice Hamilton
Hamilton, Alice (1869–1970), U.S. physician and social reformer.
Emma Hamilton Lady
Hamilton, Emma, Lady (1765–1815), celebrated English beauty who became the mistress of Lord Nelson and the subject of many portraits by leading artists.
Virginia Hamilton
Hamilton, Virginia (1936– ), U.S. author of children's books.
Hamites
Hamites, peoples inhabiting eastern Africa, especially Somalia and Ethiopia, and northern Africa, where they are known as Berbers.
Hannibal Hamlin
Hamlin, Hannibal (1809–91), U.S. vice president under Abraham Lincoln, 1861–65.
Dag Hammarskjöld
Hammarskjöld, Dag (1905–61), Swedish politician, UN secretary general 1953–61.
Hammer throw
Hammer throw, Olympic sports event in which the athlete throws a 16-lb (7.26-kg) “hammer” (actually a metal sphere with a handle), spinning in place to gain momentum before releasing it.
Hammerstein
Hammerstein, name of 2 U.S. theatrical producers.
(Samuel) Dashiell Hammett
Hammett, (Samuel) Dashiell (1894–1961), U.S. writer and left-wing political activist.
Hammond
Hammond (pop. 93,700), industrial city in northwest Indiana, in the Calumet region, near Lake Michigan.
Hammurabi
Hammurabi, or Hammurapi, sixth king of the first dynasty of Babylonia (r. 1792–50 B.C.).
Hampton Court Conference
Hampton Court Conference, meeting held at Hampton Court Palace, England, in 1604 to consider Puritan demands for reform in the Church of England, especially of the episcopal system of Church government and the Book of Common Prayer.
Lionel Hampton
Hampton, Lionel (1913– ), U.S. jazz vibraphonist and bandleader.
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads, natural harbor and port in southeast Virginia formed by the confluence of 3 rivers—the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth—that flow into Chesapeake Bay.
Battle of Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads, Battle of See: Monitor and Merrimack.
Hampton Roads Conference
Hampton Roads Conference, meeting held on Feb. 3, 1865 aboard the River Queen, anchored in Chesapeake Bay, in an attempt to end the Civil War.
Hampton University
Hampton University, private college in Hampton, Va., founded 1868 to educate freed slaves and later funded for the education of Native Americans.
Wade Hampton
Hampton, Wade (1818–1902), U.S. politician and soldier.
Hamster
Hamster, any of various short-tailed rodents of Europe and Asia.
Knut Hamsun
Hamsun, Knut (1859–1952), Norwegian novelist.
Han dynasty
Han dynasty, dynasty that ruled China 202 B.C.–220 A.D.
Han Kao-tsu
Han Kao-tsu See: Liu Bang.
John Hancock
Hancock, John (1737–93), U.S. revolutionary leader, president of the Continental Congress (1775–77) and first signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Winfield Scott Hancock
Hancock, Winfield Scott (1824–86), U.S. general and politician.
Learned Hand
Hand, Learned (1872–1961), U.S. jurist noted for his profoundly reasoned rulings in almost 3,000 cases.
Handball
Handball, court game played by 2 to 4 people.
George Friedrich Handel
Handel, George Friedrich (1685–1759), German-born composer who settled in England in 1712, one of the greatest composers of the baroque period.
Handicap
Handicap, physical or mental disability, congenital or acquired, that inhibits a person from participating in normal life.
Handicraft
Handicraft, name given to the process of making objects by hand; also refers to the products of that process.
Handwriting on the wall
Handwriting on the wall, incident in the Old Testament (Book of Daniel).
W(illiam) C(hristopher) Handy
Handy, W(illiam) C(hristopher) (1873–1958), U.S. songwriter, bandleader, and jazz composer.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Hanging Gardens of Babylon See: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Hangzhou
Hangzhou, or Hangchow (pop. 1,340,000), city of eastern China, capital of Zhejiang province.
Hankou
Hankou See: Wuhan.
Mark Hanna
Hanna, Mark (1837–1904), U.S.
Hannibal
Hannibal (247–183? B.C.), Carthaginian general who almost defeated Rome in the Second Punic War (218–201 B.C.).
Hannibal
Hannibal (pop. 18,046), town in Marion county, northeastern Missouri, on the Mississippi River.
Hanoi
Hanoi (pop. 3,056,100), capital of North Vietnam (1954–76) and of united Vietnam since 1976.
Hanover
Hanover, or Hannover, region of northwest Germany.
Hanover
Hanover (pop. 514,400), or Hannover, city on the Leine River in northwest Germany, capital of the state of Lower Saxony.
House of Hanover
Hanover, House of, reigning family of Hanover, in Germany, and of Great Britain (1714–1901).
Lorraine Hansberry
Hansberry, Lorraine (1930–65), African American playwright and civil rights activist.
Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League, medieval confederation of North German towns and merchants organized to protect their trading interests in the Baltic Sea and throughout Europe.
Hansen's disease
Hansen's disease See: Leprosy.
Howard Hanson
Hanson, Howard (1896–1981), U.S. conductor, teacher, and composer in the Romantic tradition.
John Hanson
Hanson, John (1721–83), U.S. political leader, first president of the Congress of Confederation, under the Articles of Confederation (1781).
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 164 B.C. after Judas Maccabeus's victory over the Hellenic king Antiochus IV.
Hanyang
Hanyang See: Wuhan.
House of Hapsburg
Hapsburg, House of See: Habsburg, House of.
Hara-kiri
Hara-kiri, or seppuku, ancient Japanese act of ceremonial suicide, in which a short sword was used to slash the abdomen from left to right, then upward.
Harappa
Harappa See: Indus Valley civilization.
Harare
Harare (formerly Salisbury; pop. 656,000), capital and largest city of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Harbin
Harbin (pop. 2,830,000), city in northeast China on the Sungari River, capital of Heilongjiang province.
Hardening of the arteries
Hardening of the arteries See: Arteriosclerosis.
Warren Gamaliel Harding
Harding, Warren Gamaliel (1865–1923), 29th president of the United States. Harding's administration was marred by scandals, and his imprudent political appointments and lack of personal decisiveness have made historians rank him as one of the weakest presidents in U.S. history. Harding studied law, sold insurance, and taught school before finding his vocation—journalism—…
Hardness
Hardness, measure of the resistance of a substance to being scratched by another substance.
Oliver Hardy
Hardy, Oliver See: Laurel and Hardy.
Thomas Hardy
Hardy, Thomas (1840–1928), English novelist and poet.
Hare
Hare, any of various species (genus Lepus) of herbivorous mammals of the rabbit family, including the jackrabbit.
Hare Krishnas
Hare Krishnas, popular name for members of a Hindu sect (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness), known for their orange robes, shaved heads, and public chanting of “Hare Krishna” in praise of the Hindu god Krishna.
Harebell
Harebell See: Bluebell.
Harelip
Harelip See: Cleft palate.
James Hargreaves
Hargreaves, James (1720?–78), British inventor of the spinning jenny (1764), a machine for spinning several threads at once.
Hari-kari
Hari-kari See: Hara-kiri.
William Draper Harkins
Harkins, William Draper (1873–1951), U.S. chemist who predicted the existence of the neutron (1927) and theorized the possibility of nuclear fusion: the combination of 4 hydrogen atoms to become 1 helium atom with a minute extra mass converted into energy.
Harlan
Harlan, 2 associate justices of the U.S.
Harlem
Harlem, neighborhood in the northern part of the borough of Manhattan, New York City.
Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance, period of cultural development among U.S. blacks, centered on Harlem, New York City, in the 1920s.
Harlequin snake
Harlequin snake See: Coral snake.
Harry Frederick Harlow
Harlow, Harry Frederick (1905–81), U.S. psychologist who studied the effects in monkeys of deprivation of maternal love and other social contact.
Jean Harlow
Harlow, Jean (1911–37), platinum-blonde U.S. film actress who began her career as a sex symbol and developed into a gifted comedienne.
Harmonic motion
Harmonic motion, vibrating or oscillating motion that repeats itself in equal time intervals, as in the motion of a swinging pendulum.
Harmonica
Harmonica, or mouth organ, musical instrument that contains a number of small metal reeds of graduated size enclosed in slots in a short narrow box.
Harmonics
Harmonics, basic compounds of a musical tone, consisting of the various vibrations of sound that produce what sounds like a single tone.
Harmonium
Harmonium, small reed organ with pedals for pumping air past the reeds.
Harmony
Harmony, in music, the simultaneous sounding of 2 or more tones or parts; also the relation and progression of chords and the rules governing their relationship.
Harness racing
Harness racing, form of horse racing in which each horse draws a lightweight, two-wheeled cart (called a sulky) driven by a driver.
William Michael Harnett
Harnett, William Michael (1848–92), Irish-born U.S. painter.
Harold
Harold, name of two kings of England.
Harold
Harold, kings of Norway.
Harp
Harp, musical instrument consisting of a number of strings of different lengths stretched across a frame.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins (1825–1911), African-American writer and lecturer.
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry (pop. 400), town in eastern West Virginia, site of a federal armory established by George Washington.
Harpsichord
Harpsichord, keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked by quills rather than hit by felt hammers as in a piano.
Harpy
Harpy, in Greek mythology, birdlike monster with the head of a woman.
Harpy eagle
Harpy eagle, large bird of prey (Harpia harpyja) of the hawk family, native to tropical forests of the Western Hemisphere.
Harrier
Harrier, breed of dog developed for fox and hare hunting, possibly as long ago as A.D. 1,000 Harriers stand about 21 in. (50 cm) tall and weigh 35 to 55 lbs (16 to 25 kg).
Harriman
Harriman, family name of a father and son prominent in U.S. commerce and government. Edward Henry Harriman (1848–1909) was a railroad tycoon and stockbroker who, after financial struggles with J.J. Hill, joined with Hill and J.P. Morgan to create a holding company designed to prevent competition on the railroads. It was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 1904. His son, W(illiam) Averell Harr…
James Harrington
Harrington, James (1611–77), English philosopher best known for his Commonwealth of Oceana (1656), a treatise on the ideal state ruler.
Benjamin Harris
Harris, Benjamin (1673–1716), English-American bookseller and writer, publisher of the first newspaper in America (1690).
Frank Harris
Harris, Frank (1856–1931), British author best known for his biographies of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and G.
Joel Chandler Harris
Harris, Joel Chandler (1848–1908), U.S. southern journalist and regional author.
Patricia Roberts Harris
Harris, Patricia Roberts (1924–85), U.S. public official, first African-American woman to be a U.S. ambassador, to hold a cabinet post, and to serve as a director of a U.S. corporation.
Roy Harris
Harris, Roy (1898–1979), U.S. composer.
Harrisburg
Harrisburg (pop. 587,986), state capital of Pennsylvania and seat of Dauphin County.
Benjamin Harrison
Harrison, Benjamin (1726–91), American Revolutionary leader.
Benjamin Harrison
Harrison, Benjamin (1833–1901), 23rd president of the United States. Harrison, the grandson of President William Henry Harrison, gained the presidency at a time when labor unrest, agricultural depression, and fiscal controversies were beginning to shake the Republican party's hold over national affairs. After graduating from Miami University of Ohio in 1852, Harrison studied law in C…
George Harrison
Harrison, George See: Beatles.
William Henry Harrison
Harrison, William Henry (1773–1841), 9th president of the United States. Harrison, a military hero and the first successful candidate of the Whig party, died 1 month after taking office—the briefest term of any U.S. chief executive. Harrison's father was a prominent figure in Virginia politics and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The young Harrison attended Hampden…
Harsha
Harsha, or Harshavardhana (A.D. 590?–47), king of northern India (606–47), patron of the arts, and writer.
Hart
Hart See: Red deer.
Gary Warren Hart
Hart, Gary Warren (1936– ), U.S. politician.
John Hart
Hart, John (1711?–79), American Revolutionary leader.
Lorenz Milton Hart
Hart, Lorenz Milton (1895–1943), U.S. lyricist who collaborated with Richard Rodgers on 29 musical comedies.
Moss Hart
Hart, Moss (1904–61), U.S. dramatist and director.
Bret Harte
Harte, Bret (Francis Brett Harte; 1836–1902), U.S. writer whose short stories of frontier life helped create the mythology of the West.
Hartebeest
Hartebeest, large antelope (genus Alcelaphus) with a long and narrow head and lyre-shaped horns.
Hartford
Hartford (pop. 136,400), capital and largest city of Connecticut, situated near the center of the state on the Connecticut River.
Hartford Convention
Hartford Convention, assembly of Federalist delegates from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, held secretly in Hartford, Conn., Dec. 1814, to Jan. 1815.
George Huntington Hartford
Hartford, George Huntington (1833–1917), U.S. merchant, cofounder of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P).
Marsden Hartley
Hartley, Marsden (1877–1943), U.S. artist who experimented with cubism and abstraction and later returned to impressionistic but realistic depictions of natural scenes.
Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid (ar-Rashid; 766–809), fifth Abbasid caliph of Baghdad (r. 786–809) whose empire extended from northern Africa to the Indus River in India.
Harunobu
Harunobu (Suzuki Harunobu; 1725–70), Japanese artist who perfected multi-colored printmaking.
John Harvard
Harvard, John (1607–38), U.S. cleric, first benefactor of Harvard College.
Harvard University
Harvard University, oldest university in the United States, founded by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1636.
Harvest mite
Harvest mite See: Chigger.
Harvest moon
Harvest moon, popularly, the full moon that occurs nearest to the time of the autumnal equinox (around Sept. 23).
Harvestman
Harvestman See: Daddy longlegs.
William Harvey
Harvey, William (1578–1657), British physician who pioneered modern medicine, discovering the circulation of blood.
Hashemite Dynasty
Hashemite Dynasty, Arab royal family claiming descent from the grandfather of the prophet Muhammad, hereditary sharifs of Mecca from the 11th century until 1919.
Hashish
Hashish, drug produced from a resin obtained from the top and the flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Hasidism
Hasidism, Jewish pietistic movement, that can be divided into 3 distinct historical eras.
Haskalah
Haskalah (Hebrew, “enlightenment”), cultural movement that attempted to reform traditional Jewish customs.
Childe Hassam
Hassam, Childe (1859–1935), U.S. painter and graphic artist.
Hassan II
Hassan II (1929– ), king of Morocco since 1961.
William Henry Hastie
Hastie, William Henry (1904–76), first black judge appointed to the U.S.
Battle of Hastings
Hastings, Battle of, first decisive military encounter of the Norman conquest of England, fought between the troops of King Harold of England and Duke William of Normandy on Oct. 14, 1066.
Warren Hastings
Hastings, Warren (1732–1818), first governor-general of British India (1774–84).
Hat
Hat, head covering, usually with a brim all around it, as distinct from a brimless cap or hood.
Hatch Act
Hatch Act, U.S. law sponsored by Sen.
Richard Gordon Hatcher
Hatcher, Richard Gordon (1933– ), U.S. politician.
Hathor
Hathor, or Athyr, in ancient Egyptian religion, goddess of the sky.
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut (d. 1481 B.C.), queen of Egypt, 18th dynasty.
Gerhart Hauptmann
Hauptmann, Gerhart (1862–1946), German author and playwright who pioneered naturalism in the German theater.
Hausa
Hausa, people of northwest Nigeria and neighboring Niger, numbering about 9 million, predominantly Muslim since the 14th century.
Havana
Havana (pop. 2,100,000), capital and largest city of Cuba, on the Gulf of Mexico.
Václav Havel
Havel, Václav (1936– ), Czech playwright and political leader, elected president of Czechoslovakia in 1989.
Haversian canals
Haversian canals, minute passages in the outer bone layers.
Haw
Haw See: Hawthorn.
Hawaii
Hawaii, fiftieth state of the United States, a chain of 8 major and more than 100 minor islands in the central Pacific Ocean, about 2,100 mi (3,380 km) from the U.S. mainland. Hawaii's islands are of volcanic origin, although all but the 8 major islands at the southeastern end of the chain have been reduced to coral atolls and small rock outcroppings. The largest island, Hawaii, which has g…
Hawaii Volcanos National Park
Hawaii Volcanos National Park, on Hawaii Island, established 1916, has among the largest and most active volcanos in the world.
Hawaiian goose
Hawaiian goose See: Nene.
Hawaiian honeycreeper
Hawaiian honeycreeper, any of a family (Drepanididae) of small songbirds exclusive to Hawaii.
Hawk moth
Hawk moth, member of the Sphinx moth family.
Robert James Lee Hawke
Hawke, Robert James Lee (1929– ), prime minister of Australia 1983–90.
Stephen William Hawking
Hawking, Stephen William (1942– ), British theoretical physicist and cos-mologist who has applied general relativity and quantum mechanics to the theory of black holes in novel ways and produced results of great originality.
Coleman Hawkins
Hawkins, Coleman (1904–69), U.S. tenor saxophonist.
Sir John Hawkins
Hawkins, Sir John (1532–95), British admiral.
Howard Hawks
Hawks, Howard (1896–1977), U.S. film director who specialized in sharp dialogue and visual clarity.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn, any of several hundred species of shrubs and small trees (genus Crataegus) of the rose family.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804–64), major U.S. novelist and short story writer whose novels The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851) are considered masterpieces of psychological portraiture, capturing the dark atmosphere of Puritan New England.
Hay fever
Hay fever, common allergy to the pollen of grasses and trees.
Hay-Herrán Treaty
Hay-Herrán Treaty, agreement (1903) between the United States and Colombia that would have given the United States rights to the Panama Canal Zone.
John Milton Hay
Hay, John Milton (1838–1905), U.S. politician and author, secretary to President Lincoln (1860–65).
Hay-Pauncefote Treaties
Hay-Pauncefote Treaties, agreements between the United States and Great Britain negotiated in 1899 and 1901, giving the United States the sole right to construct and control the proposed Panama Canal.
S(amuel) l(chiyé) Hayakawa
Hayakawa, S(amuel) l(chiyé) (1906– ), Canadian-born U.S. language expert, specializing in the study of semantics.
Melissa Hayden
Hayden, Melissa (Mildred Herman; 1923– ), Canadian-born U.S. ballet dancer, teacher, and director.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732–1809), Austrian composer who established the accepted classical forms of the symphony, string quartet, and piano sonata.
Helen Hayes
Hayes, Helen (Helen Hayes Brown; 1900–93), U.S. actress.
Rutherford Birchard Hayes
Hayes, Rutherford Birchard (1822–93), 19th president of the United States. Hayes, who won office in a bitterly contested election, began his term during a period of sectional and economic crisis. By the time he left office, economic prosperity had been restored and Reconstruction in the South brought to a close. These accomplishments carried a high price, however: For Southern blacks, the e…
Haymarket Square Riot
Haymarket Square Riot, violent confrontation between labor organizers and police in Chicago's Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886.
Robert Young Hayne
Hayne, Robert Young (1791–1839), U.S. politician.
William Dudley Haywood
Haywood, William Dudley (1869–1928), U.S. labor leader and principal organizer of the Industrial Workers of the World (1905).
Hazardous wastes
Hazardous wastes, chemicals and their byproducts that are dangerous to humans or pollute the environment.
Hazel
Hazel, shrub or small tree (genus Corylus) that produces catkins early in the spring.
William Hazlitt
Hazlitt, William (1778–1830), English literary critic and essayist.
Head Start
Head Start, U.S. government program established in 1964 by the Economic Opportunity Act to prepare disadvantaged children for school and to involve parents and local communities in the effort.
Headache
Headache, common ailment and manifestation of many diseases and disorders involving the brain, eyes, nose, throat, teeth, and ears.
Headhunter
Headhunter, one who cuts off the head of a defeated enemy to preserve it as a trophy or for religious reasons or in the belief that it strengthens one's own tribe while weakening the enemy.
Headphones
Headphones, device that allows a person to hear sound reproductions in private.
Health
The practices that help a person to maintain health —including proper nutrition, exercise, and cleanliness— are called hygiene.
Education Health and Department of Welfare
Health, Education, and Welfare, Department of See: Health and Human Services, U.S.
Health and U.S. Department of Human Services
Health and Human Services, U.S.
National Health Insurance
Health Insurance, National (NHI), program that provides health care for a country's citizens.
National Institutes of Health
Health, National Institutes of See: National Institutes of Health.
public Health
Health, public See: Public health.