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April Fool's Day

(Encyclopedia)April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day, holiday of uncertain origin, known for practical joking and celebrated on the first of April. Prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1564, the date was ...

Fabre d'Églantine, Philippe François Nazaire

(Encyclopedia)Fabre d'Églantine, Philippe François Nazaire fēlēpˈ fräNswäˈ näzĕrˈ fäˈbrə dāgläNtēnˈ [key], 1755–94, French dramatist and revolutionist. His chief work, Le Philinte de Molière (1...

sans-culottides

(Encyclopedia)sans-culottides säN-külôtēdˈ [key], the last five days of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, thus named in honor of the sans-culottes. ...

Christian I

(Encyclopedia)Christian I krĭsˈchən [key], 1426–81, king of Denmark (1448–81), Norway (1450–81), and Sweden (1457–64), count of Oldenburg, and founder of the Oldenburg dynasty of Danish kings. In 1460 he...

Christian V

(Encyclopedia)Christian V, 1646–99, king of Denmark and Norway (1670–99), son and successor of Frederick III. His minister, Griffenfeld, who until his fall in 1676 dominated Christian's reign, made the monarchy...

Christian X

(Encyclopedia)Christian X, 1870–1947, king of Denmark (1912–47) and Iceland (1912–44), son and successor of Frederick VIII and brother of King Haakon VII of Norway. He granted (1915) a new constitution that i...

pontifex maximus

(Encyclopedia)pontifex maximus pŏnˈtĭfĕks măkˈsĭməs [key], highest priest of Roman religion and official head of the college of pontifices. As the chief administrator of religious affairs he regulated the c...

international date line

(Encyclopedia)international date line, imaginary line on the earth's surface, generally following the 180° meridian of longitude, where, by international agreement, travelers change dates. Traveling eastward acros...

ember days

(Encyclopedia)ember days, in the Western Church, traditionally the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the first Sunday in Lent; Whitsunday; Sept. 14 (Exaltation of the Cross); and Dec. 13 (St. Lucy's Day). T...

National Museum of Anthropology

(Encyclopedia)National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City. The present building, designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and inspired by ancient Mexican architecture, was opened in 1964 and houses choice and extensive...