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Chaitanya

(Encyclopedia)Chaitanya chītŭnˈyə [key], 1485–1533, Indian mystic, also called Gauranga (“the Golden”). He was born of Brahman parents in Nabadwip, Bengal, a center of Sanskrit learning. As a young man he...

Antirent War

(Encyclopedia)Antirent War, in U.S. history, tenant uprising in New York state. When Stephen Van Rensselaer, owner of Rensselaerswyck, died in 1839, his heirs attempted to collect unpaid rents. Tenants on the estat...

Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von

(Encyclopedia)Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von hĕrˈmän lo͞otˈvĭkh fĕrˈdēnänt fən hĕlmˈhôlts [key], 1821–94, German scientist. Although known especially as a physicist and biologist, he was al...

honeyguide

(Encyclopedia)honeyguide, small plainly colored Old World bird of the family Indicatoridae, known for its habit of leading man and some lower animals (notably the honey badger) to the nests of wild bees. Honeyguide...

Hijuelos, Oscar Jerome

(Encyclopedia)Hijuelos, Oscar Jerome ēhwāˈlōs [key], 1951–2013, Cuban-American novelist, b. New York City, grad. City College (B.A., 1975; M.F.A., 1976). The son of Cuban immigrants, he typically wrote about ...

Height, Dorothy Irene

(Encyclopedia)Height, Dorothy Irene, 1912–2010, American civil-rights leader, b. Richmond, Va., grad. New York Univ. (B.A. 1933, M.A. 1935). A leader of the African-American and women's rights movements, she bega...

Hermes, in Greek religion and mythology

(Encyclopedia)Hermes, in Greek religion and mythology, son of Zeus and Maia. His functions were many, but he was primarily the messenger of the gods, particularly of Zeus, and conductor of souls to Hades. He was go...

Gokhale, Gopal Krishna

(Encyclopedia)Gokhale, Gopal Krishna gōpäl krĭshˈnə gōkäˈlā [key], 1866–1915, Indian nationalist leader. A Brahman from Maharashtra, he was educated in India and became involved in the nationalist moveme...

flying lemur

(Encyclopedia)flying lemur, gliding mammal native to the tropical lowland forests of S Asia, Malaya, and the Philippines. Also called the colugo, the flying lemur is brownish or grayish above and paler below. It ra...

American Museum of Natural History

(Encyclopedia)American Museum of Natural History, incorporated in New York City in 1869 to promote the study of natural science and related subjects. Buildings on its present site facing Central Park were opened in...