(Encyclopedia) French literature, writings in medieval French dialects and standard modern French. Writings in Provençal and Breton are considered separately, as are works in French produced abroad (…
Medal standings by sport: Choose a sport...Alpine SkiingBiathlonBobsleighCross-Country SkiingCurlingFigure SkatingFreestyle SkiingIce HockeyLugeNordic…
(Encyclopedia) materialism, in philosophy, a widely held system of thought that explains the nature of the world as entirely dependent on matter, the fundamental and final reality beyond which…
(Encyclopedia) Messiaen, OlivierMessiaen, Olivierôlēvyāˈ mĕsyäNˈ [key], 1908–92, French composer and organist, b. Avignon. Messiaen was a pupil of Paul Dukas at the Paris Conservatory. He became…
(Encyclopedia) Louis XIII, 1601–43, king of France (1610–43). He succeeded his father, Henry IV, under the regency of his mother, Marie de' Medici. He married Anne of Austria in 1615. Even after…
(Encyclopedia) parachute, umbrellalike device designed to retard the descent of a falling body by creating drag as it passes through the air. The development of modern aircraft has led to many…
(Encyclopedia) Tonti or Tonty, Henri deTonti or Tonty, Henri deboth: äNrēˈ də tôNtēˈ [key], c.1650–1704, French explorer in North America, b. Italy. Serving in the French army, he lost a hand in…
(Encyclopedia) Sendak, Maurice Bernard, 1928–2012, American writer and illustrator of children's books, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Largely self-taught, he was widely acclaimed as the 20th-century's most…
(Encyclopedia) Saint Laurent, YvesSaint Laurent, Yvesēv [key]Saint Laurent, Yves săN lôräNˈ [key], 1936–2008, French fashion designer, b. Oran, Algeria, as Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent.…
