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Bezos, Jeffrey Preston

(Encyclopedia)Bezos, Jeffrey Preston bāˈzōs [key], 1964– American business executive and on-line retailing pioneer, b. Albuquerque, N.M., grad. Princeton (B.S.E., 1986). He worked in computer technology for se...

Acuña, Cristóbal de

(Encyclopedia)Acuña, Cristóbal de krēstōˈbäl dā ako͞oˈnyä [key], 1597–1676?, Spanish Jesuit missionary and explorer in South America, rector of the Jesuit college at Cuenca, Ecuador. In 1638 he was sent...

Helios

(Encyclopedia)Helios hēˈlēŏs [key] [Gr.,=sun], in Greek religion and mythology, the sun god, son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Each morning he left a palace in the east and crossed the sky in a golden chari...

Midas

(Encyclopedia)Midas mīˈdəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of Phrygia. Because he befriended Silenus, the oldest of the satyrs, Dionysus granted him the power to turn everything into gold by touch. But when even...

Orellana, Francisco de

(Encyclopedia)Orellana, Francisco de fränthēsˈkō ᵺā ōrālyäˈnä [key], d. c.1546, Spanish explorer of the Amazon River. He took part in the conquest of Peru and was a lieutenant of Gonzalo Pizarro on the ...

Kronos

(Encyclopedia)Kronos or Cronus both: krōˈnəs [key], in Greek religion and mythology, the youngest Titan, son of Uranus and Gaea. With the help of his mother, he led the Titans in the revolt against Uranus and ru...

Danaüs

(Encyclopedia)Danaüs dănˈāəs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Belus and Anchinoe and twin of Aegyptus. Danaüs, who had 50 daughters, the Danaïds, and Aegyptus, who had 50 sons, ruled Libya and Arabia. When ...

Olympian

(Encyclopedia)Olympian, in Greek religion and mythology, one of the 12 important gods who succeeded the Titans as rulers of the universe. The divine family of the Olympians was headed by Zeus, who ruled the heavens...

Thales

(Encyclopedia)Thales thāˈlēz [key], c.636–c.546 b.c., pre-Socratic Greek philosopher of Miletus and reputed founder of the Milesian school of philosophy. He is the first recorded Western philosopher. Thales ta...

Iquitos

(Encyclopedia)Iquitos ēkēˈtōs [key], city, capital of Loreto dept., NE Peru, on the Amazon River, c.2,3...