Professional Documents
Culture Documents
I have made this e-book to organize all of my quizzing notes, starting from my college quizzing
days to the present, into a single digital reference. This publication will also include entries that
have been added as of January 17, 2014.
My acknowledgments go to people who have helped me compile this work in one way or the other;
without them, I would not be able to compile the contents of this file. I also would like to thank
people who shared good memories and experiences in my life as a trivia aficionado, and as a person
in general.
I have done all possible efforts to ensure the accuracy and currency of the entries included in this
publication. Should you notice an error in this publication, please do not hesitate to drop a message
at askdavidnadora@facebook.com.
*
Documentation History
Architecture
34
Number of bathrooms in the White House
898
Number of steps in the Washington Monument
Aalto, Alvar
Finnish architect and designer who designed the Baker House and the Finlandia Hall
Abraj Al Bait
Also known as Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world’s
largest clock face and the building with the world’s largest floor area
Acanthus
Leaf design used by Callimachus for the sculpture decoration of Corinthian capitals
Al-Azhar Mosque
First mosque established in Cairo, Egypt
Apse
Semicircular end of the church sanctuary that contains the main altar
Arrowslit
Also called loophole, thin vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch
arrows
Atrium
Open central hall of a Roman house
Badigeon
Mixture of plaster and ground stone used to repair statuary or carring
Baluster
Moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of the various forms of spindle in woodwork,
made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing and supporting the
coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase
Barbican
Fortified outpost or gateway, such as an outer defense to a city or castle, or any tower situated over
a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes
Bergstrom, George
American architect of Norwegian heritage most noted for his design work on the Pentagon in
Arlington County, Virginia
Borglum, Gutzon
Architect who designed and carved the heads at Mount Rushmore
Bramante, Donato
Italian architect who drew up the first plan for St. Peter’s Basilica
Brutalist architecture
Style of architecture that flourished from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, spawned from the modernist
architectural movement
Examples are typically very linear, fortress-like and blockish, often with a predominance of
concrete construction
Burj Khalifa
Tallest structure in the world
Burnham, Daniel
American architect of the Flatiron Building (Fuller Building)
Capital
Broad crowning feature of a column
Capital Gate
Building in Abu Dhabi that holds the record of “world’s furthest leaning man-made tower”
Cartouche
In architecture, a decorative feature resembling a scroll
Cenotaph
Monument erected in honor of someone who has buried somewhere else
Chares of Lindos
Greek sculptor who constructed the Colossus of Rhodes
Château de Chambord
Châteaux served as a hunting lodge for François I of France, recognizable for its distinct French
Renaissance architecture
Commerzbank Tower
World’s first so-called ecological skyscraper
Coping
Consists of the capping or covering of a wall
Crepidoma
Stepped base of a Greek temple
Cupola
In architecture, small, most often dome-like, structure on top of a building
Cuypers, Pierre
Dutch architect of the Rijksmuseum
de Lesseps, Ferdinand
French developer of the Suez Canal
Dome
Element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper part of a sphere
Eiffel Tower
Painted in three different shades to give an impression of height
Elephant Building
One of the most famous buildings in Bangkok because it has the characteristics of an elephant
Embrasure
Opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons
Entablature
In Classical Orders, the entire horizontal mass of material carried on columns and pilasters above
the abaci
Faisal Mosque
Largest mosque in Pakistan
Fallingwater
5,330 square foot Frank Lloyd Wright design named Building of the Century by the American
Institute of Architects in 2000
Fanlight
Window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like
an open fan
Fereter
Permanent shrine in a church for Relics
Flying buttress
Specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture
Forbidden City
Landmark in China whose yellow rooftops and red walls symbolize royalty and happiness
Gargoyle
In architecture, a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey
water from a roof and away from the side of building thereby preventing rainwater from running
down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between
Gehry, Frank
Architect of the Experience Music Project, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Bilbao
Guggenheim
“God’s Architect”
Nickname given to Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, designer of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona,
Spain
Hardenberg, Henry
Designed the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Hoban, James
Irish architect best known for designing the White House in Washington, D.C.
Horta, Victor
Belgian architect and designer of Hôtel Tassel, House and Studio Victor Horta, Hôtel van Eetvelde,
Hôtel Solvay and Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels
Sometimes credited as the first to introduce the style to architecture from the decorative arts
Hradčany
Castle in Czech Republic said to be the biggest in the world
Jeanneret-Gris, Charles-Édouard
Real name of architect and urban planner Le Corbusier
Johnson, Phillip
American architect who designed the Glass House
Karlskirche
Widely considered the most outstanding baroque church in Vienna
La Casa Pacifica
Mansion known as President Richard Nixon’s Western White House, used while working away
from the official presidential residence, the White House
Lin, Maya
American architectural designer and artist best known as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Lintel
Beam of an aperture carrying the wall above and spanning between jambs
London Eye
Tallest ferris wheel in Europe and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom
Lutyens, Edwin
British architect best known for having an instrumental role in designing and building a section of
the metropolis of Delhi, known as New Delhi
Malbork Castle
Largest castle in the world by surface area
Mascaron
Term referring to the representation of a human or partly human face, more or less caricatured, used
as an architectural ornament, e.g. on a keystone over an arch
Metabolism
Post-war Japanese architectural movement that fused ideas about architectural megastructures with
those of organic biological growth
Mills, Robert
American architect known for designing the Washington Monument
Moat
Deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town,
historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defense
Mullion
Vertical element that forms a division between units of a window, door, or screen, or is used
decoratively
Naos
Inner cell or sanctuary of a Greek temple, equivalent to the Roman cella, containing the statue of
the deity
Nash, John
British architect who designed London’s Regent’s Park, Regent Street and Marble Arch
Obelisk
Tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top
Oculus
Term denoting a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall
Ossuary
Chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains
Pantheon
Building in Rome, Italy, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus as a
temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian about 126 CE
Parapet
Barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, or other structure
Paris Bourse
Historical Paris Stock Exchange known as the Euronext Paris from 2000 onwards, built to the
designs of architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart
Pavilion
Lightweight, ornamental building, whose uses include those of a pleasure-house or summerhouse in
a garden, or a building in a sports or cricket ground
Pediment
Element in classical, neoclassical and baroque architecture, and derivatives therefrom, consisting of
a gable, originally of a triangular shape, placed above the horizontal structure of the entablature,
typically supported by columns
Pelli, César
Designer of the Petronas Towers
Pergola
Two parallel rows of columns or piers carrying beams and astructure for climbing plants, flanking a
path, set in a garden and often attached toa dwelling
Petronas Towers
Tallest twin building in the world
Pickfair
56-acre estate in the city of Beverly Hills, California designed by architect Wallace Neff for silent
film actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford
Portico
Porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a
walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls
Princess Tower
101-storytall residential skyscraper in Dubai that became world’s tallest residential building since
2012
Year Winner
1979 Philip Johnson
1980 Luis Barragán
1981 Sir James Stirling
1982 Kevin Roche
1983 Ieoh Ming Pei
1984 Richard Meier
1985 Hans Holbein
1986 Gottfried Böhm
1987 Kenzo Tange
Gordon Bunshaft
1988
Oscar Niemeyer
1989 Frank Gehry
1990 Aldo Rossi
1991 Robert Venturi
1992 Álvaro Siza Vieira
1993 Fumihiko Maki
1994 Christian de Portzamparc
1995 Tadao Ando
1996 Rafael Moneo
1997 Sverre Fehn
1998 Renzo Piano
1999 Norman Foster
2000 Rem Koolhaas
2001 Herzog & de Meuron
2002 Glenn Murcutt
Year Winner
2003 Jørn Utzon
2004 Zaha Hadid
2005 Thom Mayne
2006 Paulo Mendes da Rocha
2007 Richard Rogers
2008 Jean Nouvel
2009 Peter Zumthor
Kazuyo Sejima
2010
Ryue Nishizawa
2011 Eduardo Souto de Moura
2012 Wang Shu
2013 Toyo Ito
Pylon
Greek term for a monumental gateway of an Egyptian temple
Q1
Tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Australia
Quoin
Masonry blocks at the corner of a wall
Reveal
Side of an opening in a wall between the framework such as a door or window frame and the outer
wall surface
Revivalism
Use of visual styles that consciously echo the style of a previous architectural era
Rotunda
Any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome
Ryugyong Hotel
105-storey pyramid-shaped skyscraper under construction in Pyongyang, North Korea
Most prominent feature of Pyongyang’s skyline
Tallest structure in North Korea
Saarinen, Eero
Finnish architect of the Gateway Arch
Salvi, Nicola
Italian architect of the famous Trevi fountain
Sauvestre, Stephen
Architect of the Eiffel Tower
Shoji
In traditional Japanese architecture, a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent
divider paper over a frame of wood that holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo
Smith, Adrian
Designed the Jin Mao Tower, Trump International Hotel and Burj Khalifa
Soleas
Extension of the sanctuary platform in an Eastern Orthodox temple
Sostratus of Cnidus
Designer of the Lighthouse of Alexandria
Stoa
Greek word for a roofed colonnade or portico with a wall on one sideerected as a separate building
near temples or gymnasia or in marketplaces as asheltered place in which to walk and talk or hold
meetings
Stupa
Mound-like or semi-hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of
Buddhist monks, used by Buddhists as a place of meditation
Taipei 101
Tallest and largest green building in the world, formerly named Taipei World Financial Center
Taj Mahal
Mausoleum commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for her wife Mumtaz Mahalknown for
reflecting the colors of the sky at different times of the day
The Shard
Tallest building in the European Union
The Tank
Name given to the room in Pentagon where the Joint Chiefs of Staff meet
Tokyo Skytree
Tallest tower in the world
Second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa
Tombul Mosque
Largest mosque in Bulgaria
Triangulation
Term referring to the construction in which rigidity is assured by means of struts and ties disposed
to form triangles in one or more planes
Triclinium
Formal dining room in a Roman building
Tumulus
Also called burial mounds, term referring to a mound of earth and stones raisedover a grave or
graves
Turning Torso
Tallest skyscraper in Sweden, designed by Santiago Calatrava
Tympanum
In architecture, semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a
lintel and arch
Utzon, Jorn
Designer of the Sydney Opera House
Vanbrugh, John
18th century architect best known for his designs of Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace
Vaulting shaft
Small shaft or colonnette which supports a vault rib or group of ribs at their springing
Willis Tower
Formerly named as Sears Tower, currently the tallest building in the United States
Wils, Jan
Dutch architect who designed the Olympic stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam
and won the Olympic gold medal for architectural design
Wren, Christopher
English architect who was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches in the City of London
after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral
Yakovlev, Postnik
Architect of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia
Yamasaki, Minoru
Architect of the World Trade Center Twin Towers
Literature and Mythology
3
• Number of performers in a trio
• Number of strings in a balalaika
• Number of witches in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
5
Number of lines in a limerick
9
Number of circles of Hell in Dante’s Divine Comedy
17
Number of syllables in a Haiku
24601
Prisoner number of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables
• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Storm of Swords
• A Feast for Crows
• A Dance with Dragons
• The Winds of Winter
• A Dream of Spring
A Study in Scarlet
Detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new characters,
“consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes and his friend and chronicler Dr. John Watson, who later
became two of the most famous literary characters in detective fiction
Acrostic
Poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or
other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message
Adams, Douglas
Best known as the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Adunis
Born Ali Ahmad Said Esber, Syrian poet who won the 2011 Goethe Prize
Aegis
Shield or buckler or breastplate of Athena or Zeus, famously bearing Medusa’s head
Aegisthus
In Greek mythology, lover of Clytemnestra
Aeschylus
Greek playwright of Seven Against Thebes and Oresteia
Often described as the father of tragedy
Æsir
Term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in the indigenous European religion known as
Norse paganism
Aesop
Ancient Greek fabulist or story teller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as
Aesop’s Fables
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War andwas
killed by his wife Clytemnestra
Ahab
Tyrannical captain of the Pequod who is driven by a monomaniacal desire to kill Moby Dick
Akutagawa, Ryunosuke
Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan regarded as the “Father of the Japanese short
story”
Alan Alexander
First and middle names of author A. A. Milne
Aldiss, Brian
English writer and anthologies editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories
Wrote the short story “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long”
Amaterasu
Goddess of the sun, but also of the universe in Shinto mythology
Ambrosia
In Greco-Roman mythology, food for the gods
Amenonuhoko
Name given to the spear in Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial landmass Onogoro-
shima from the sea
1990 Bushlips
1991 Mother of all
1992 Not!
1993 Information superhighway
1994 Cyber, morph
1995 Web, to newt
1996 Mom
1997 Millennium bug
1998 E-
1999 Y2K
2000 Chad
2001 9-11
2002 Weapons of mass destruction
2003 Metrosexual
2004 Red state, blue state, purple state
2005 Truthiness
2006 Plutoed
2007 Default
2008 Bailout
2009 Tweet
2010 App
2011 Occupy
2012 Hashtag
2013 —
Amis, Kingsley
Author of Lucky Jim and That Uncertain Feeling
Amis, Martin
British novelist whose best-known novels are Money and London Fields
Andhrimnir
Chief of the Aesir and einherjar in Norse mythology
Answered Prayers
Unfinished novel by Truman Capote
Antanaclasis
Figure of speech that makes a pun by repeating the same word or two words sounding alike but
with different senses
Anubis
Jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion
Aouda
Indian princess rescued by Phileas Fogg and Passepartout in the Jules Verne novel Around the
World in Eighty Days
Aphrodite
Greek goddess of love, born of sea-foam off the island of Cyprus
Aphthong
Letter or combination of letters employed in spelling a word but not pronounced
Apollo
Only Olympian god in Greek mythology to have the same name as his Roman counterpart
Aposiopesis
Rhetorical device in which the speaker suddenly breaks off in the middle of a sentence, leaving the
sense unfinished
Apsara
Female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology
Argo
Ship that transported Jason and his friends in their quest to steal the Golden Fleece
Argus Panoptes
In Greek mythology, guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor, primordial giant whose
epithet, “Panoptes”, “all-seeing”, led to his being described with multiple, often one hundred, eyes
Ariadne
In Greek mythology, helped Theseus to escape from Minotaur’s labyrinth
Ariana
Sister of Albus Dumbledore, mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Aristophanes
Comic playwright of ancient Greece whose works include The Clouds, The Wasps, Lysistrata, and
The Frogs
Arjuna
Only undefeated hero in Mahabharata
Arnakuagsak
Inuit goddess responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the
people remained healthy and strong
Arouet, François-Marie
Real name of author Voltaire
As I Lay Dying
William Faulkner novel that tells about the journey of the dysfunctional Bundrenfamily to bury
their mother
Ascalon
Lance that Saint George used to slay the dragon, named after the city Ashkelon
Asclepius
Greek god of medicine and healing
Asgard
Capital city of the Norse gods
Asimov, Isaac
Born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov, American author best known for his works of science fiction and for
his popular science books, especially his Foundationseries
His books have been published in nine out of ten major categories of the Dewey decimal
classification
Atalanta
In Greek mythology, a virgin huntress unwilling to marry and loved by the hero Meleager
Only female Argonaut
Atticus
Original title of Harper Lee novel To Kill a Mockingbird
Atwood, Margaret
Author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake, and
Surfacing
Auden, W. H.
Best known for his poems “Funeral Blues” and “September 1, 1939”
Auðumbla
Primeval cow of Norse mythology
Aura
In Greek and Roman mythology, the divine personification of the breeze
Auto-antonym
Also known as contronym, word with a homograph that is also an antonym
Autobiographies
Avalon
Legendary island which was the place where King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was forged and later
where Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds after the Battle of Camlann
Awdry, Wilbert
English Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast, and children’s author best known as the creator of
Thomas the Tank Engine, the central figure in his acclaimed Railway Series
Azkaban
In Harry Potter series, the prison where wizards that violate the laws of the British wizarding world
are sent
Baba Yaga
In Slavic mythology, supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears
as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman
Babieca
El Cid’s warhorse
Bakku-shan
Japanese term for the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from
the front
Balfour, David
Narrator in the Robert Louis Stevenson novel Kidnapped
Banshee
Female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the
Otherworld
Barnes, Jake
Protagonist of the Ernest Hemingway novel The Sun Also Rises
Baudelaire, Charles
French poet, author of Les Fleurs du mal
Bel Marduk
Chief god of Babylon
Bellerophon
In Greek mythology, known for killing the Chimera with the help of Pegasus
Bellow, Saul
Winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize for Literature, author of The Adventures of Augie March,
Henderson the Rain King, Herzog, Mr. Sammler’s Planet, Seize the Day, Humboldt’s Gift and
Ravelstein
Bemelmans, Ludwig
Author of the Madeline children’s book series
Benchley, Peter
American author best known for his novel Jaws
Bennett, Elizabeth
Heroine in the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice
Bierce, Ambrose
Author of The Devil’s Dictionary
Bifröst
Burning rainbow bridge that reaches between the world (Midgard) and Asgard, the realm of the
gods in Norse mythology
Bildungsroman
Literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to
adulthood (coming of age), and in which character change is thus extremely important
Black comedy
Comic work that employs black humor, which, in its most basic definition, is humor that makes
light of otherwise solemn subject matter, or gallows humor
Blackthorne, John
Hero of James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shogun
Bloomsday
Commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce during which the events of
his novel Ulysses, which is set on 16 June 1904, are relived
Bludso, Jim
In American folklore, Mississippi steamboat engineer who was burned to death while saving his
passengers from fire
Blyton, Enid
Creator of literary character Noddy
Boketto
Japanese term for the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name
Bomphiologia
Rhetorical technique wherein the speaker brags excessively
Boreas
Greek god of the cold north wind and the bringer of winter
Boston
Setting of the novel The Scarlet Letter
Boulle, Pierre
Author of the novels Planet of the Apes and The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Bowden, Mark
Author of Black Hawk Down
Boz
Pen name of Charles Dickens
Braille, Louis
Inventor of braille, a system of reading and writing used by people who are blind or visually
impaired
Breton, Andre
French writer and poet best known as the founder of Surrealism
Bridge to Terabithia
Work of children’s literature about two lonely children who create a magical forest kingdom written
by Katherine Paterson
Brooks, Max
Author of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Brown, Amanda
American novelist who wrote Legally Blonde
Browning, Robert
English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues,
made him one of the foremost Victorian poets
Buck, Pearl S.
First American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature
Bulwer-Lytton, Edward
Coined the phrases “the great unwashed”, “pursuit of the almighty dollar”, “the pen is mightier than
the sword”, and the famous opening line “It was a dark and stormy night”
Bushnell, Candace
Author of Sex and the City
Buttercup
Family cow in the Louisa May Alcott novel Little Men
Cadmus
Traditional founder of the city-state of Thebes
Caduceus
Short staff carried by Hermes or Mercury entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by
wings
Cafune
Brazilian Portuguese word for “tenderly running your fingers through your lover’s hair”
Caldwell, Erskine
American author of Tobacco Road and God’s Little Acre
Caliban
One of the primary antagonists in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the subhuman son of
the malevolent witch Sycorax
Calque
Another term for loan translation
Calypso
Nymph in Greek mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia, where she detained Odysseus for
several years
Canopus
In Greek mythology, pilot of the ship of King Menelaus of Sparta during the Trojan War
Capote, Truman
Born Truman Streckfus Persons, American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and
nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) and
the true crime novel In Cold Blood (1966), which he labeled a “nonfiction novel”
Captain Flint
Pet parrot of Long John Silver in Treasure Island
Carrie
First breakthrough novel of Stephen King
Carton, Sydney
Central character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, lawyer of Charles Darnay
Cassidy, Hopalong
Fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of
popular short stories and twenty-eight novels based on the character
Catastasis
Greek term for a play’s climax
Catch-11
Original title of Joseph Heller novel Catch-22
Caulfield, Holden
Narrator in the J. D. Salinger novel The Catcher in the Rye
Chaac
Mayan rain deity
Changeling
Creature found in European folklore and folk religion typically described as being the offspring of a
fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child
Charley
Pet poodle of John Steinbeck
Charlotte’s Web
Children’s novel by American author E. B. White which tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and
his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte
Charteris, Leslie
Created the fictional detective Simon Templar
Chiasmus
In rhetoric, figure of speech in which two or more clauses are related to each other through a
reversal of structures in order to make a larger point; that is, the clauses display inverted parallelism
Chiron
Known for mentoring heroes like Jason and Achilles, the wisest of the centaurs
Chollima
Mythical winged horse originated from the Chinese classics and is commonly portrayed in East
Asian cultures that is said to be too swift and elegant to be mounted
Cihuateteo
Spirits of women who died while giving birth in Aztec mythology
Closing Time
1994 novel and sequel to Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Colada
Other sword of El Cid
Colfer, Eoin
Best known for being the author of the Artemis Fowl series
Collins, Suzanne
Author of The Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay)
Used to be a writer for the American TV series Clarissa Explains It All
Collodi, Carlo
Pen name of Carlo Lorenzini, author of the fairy tale novel The Adventures of Pinocchio
Colophon
• Brief description of publication or production notes relevant to the edition
• Printer’s mark or logotype
Comstock, Gordon
Main protagonist of the George Orwell novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying
Condon, Richard
Author of the 1959 novel The Manchurian Candidate
Conrad, Joseph
Born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, author of Almayer’s Folly, An Outcast of the Islands,
Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo, The Secret Agent, The Duel, Victory, The Shadow Line,
and The Rover
Cookson, Catherine
Author of The Mary Ann series
Coraline
Horror/fantasy novella by British author Neil Gaiman, which won the 2003 Hugo Award for Best
Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work
for Young Readers
Cordelia
Favorite daughter of King Lear
Crab
Only dog featured in a Shakespeare play (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Crane, Ichabod
Fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow”, first published in 1820
Creasey, John
English crime and science fiction writer who wrote more than six hundred novels using twenty
eight different pseudonyms
Crux ansata
Another name for the ankh symbol
Cuneiform
One of the earliest known systems of writing, distinguished by its “wedge-shaped” marks on clay
tablets, made by means of a blunt reed for a stylus
Cunningham, Lowell
Author of the Men in Black graphic book
Cyberpunk
Postmodern science fiction genre noted for its focus on “high tech and low life” that featured
advanced science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a degree of
breakdown or radical change in the social order
Cynosura
In Greek mythology, nymph on Mount Ida, who nursed Zeus when he was being hidden from his
father Cronus with Helike
Daaé, Christine
Female protagonist of the Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, skillful craftsman and the father of Icarus and Iapyx
Creator of the Labyrinth
Dagger
Usually used to indicate a footnote
Dahl, Roald
Author of James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches,
Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Twits, George’s Marvellous Medicine and The BFG
Wrote the screenplay of the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
both written by Ian Fleming
Dark horse
Little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort
or a contestant that seems unlikely to succeed
Dawkins, Jack
Real name of Oliver Twist character The Artful Dodger
de Balzac, Honoré
French novelist and playwright whose magnum opus was a sequence of short stories and novels
collectively entitled La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of French life in the years
after the 1815 fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
De Profundis
Epistle written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol to Lord Alfred Douglas
Deadpan
Form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language,
usually speaking in a casual, monotone or cantankerous voice and expressing an unflappably calm,
archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor, often in spite of the ridiculousness of the subject
matter
Death
Main theme of the Harry Potter series according to author J. K. Rowling
Debut novels
Declension
Inflection of nouns, pronouns, adjectives and articles to indicate number, case or gender
Deep Thought
Fictional computer in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that was created by the pan-
dimensional, hyper-intelligent species of beings to come up with the Answer to The Ultimate
Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
Defoe, Daniel
English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy, now most famous for his novel Robinson
Crusoe
Also wrote Memoirs of a Cavalier, Moll Flanders and Roxana
Delarge, Alex
Narrator of the Anthony Burgess novelA Clockwork Orange
DeLillo, Don
American essayist, novelist, playwright, and short story writer whose works include White Noise,
Libra, Mao II and Underworld
Dementors
Guards of Azkaban prison
Deschain, Roland
Protagonist of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
Deus ex machina
Plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved, with the
contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object
Dickens, Charles
Author of The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House,
Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations
Dickinson, Emily
American poet whose works include “Wild Nights!” and “Because I could not stop for Death”
Dii Consentes
List of twelve major deities, six gods and six goddesses, in the pantheon of Ancient Rome
Dirge
Song of lamentation in mourning for someone’s death; or a poem in the form of such a song, and
usually less elaborate than an elegy
Dithyramb
Ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility
Ditloid
Type of word puzzle, in which a phrase, quotation, date or fact must be deduced from the numbers
and abbreviated letters from the clue, the name given by the Daily Express, originating from the
clue 1 = DitLoID (1 Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
Chee-Chee – monkey
Dab-Dab – duck
Gub-Gub – pig
Jip – dog
Polynesia – parrot
Too-Too – owl
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor
Russian author whose works include Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot
and The Brothers Karamazov
Dothraki
Language spoken by the fictional people of the same name in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by
George R. R. Martin
Dove, Rita
First African-American woman to hold the post of Poet Laureate of theUnited States, serving from
1993 to 1995
“Dr. Hug”
Nickname of Leo Buscaglia, self-help author of Living, Loving and Learning, also “Dr. Love”
Draupnir
In Norse mythology, gold ring possessed by Odin with the ability to multiply itself
Dreiser, Theodore
Author of The American Tragedy
Dryden, John
Only Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom to have been dismissed
Duchess
Mother of Black Beauty
Dupin, C. Auguste
Fictional detective created by Edgar Allan Poe
Eco, Umberto
Author of the novel The Name of the Rose
Egyptian gods
Einherjar
In Norse mythology, name given to the spirits of the warriors who died gloriously in battle
Ellison, Ralph
American novelist best known for his novel Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in
1953
Eliot, George
Pen name used by Mary Ann Evans, author of The Mill on the Floss and Middlemarch
Elysium
Conception of the afterlife that evolved over time and was maintained by certain Greek religious
and philosophical sects, and cults
Emendation
Term referring to a correction made to a text in the belief that the author’s original wording has
been wrongly altered, e.g. by scribal error, printer’s misreading, or the intervention of censorship
Emerald City
Capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, first described in The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Emilia
Wife of Iago and Desdemona’s maid servant in Shakespeare’s Othello
Empress of Blandings
Fictional pig featured in many of the Blandings Castle novels and stories by P. G. Wodehouse
Endymion
Shepherd loved by the moon goddess Selene
Ereshkigal
Sumerian and Akkadian ruler of the underworld
Erik
Title character from the Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera
Erinyes
In Greek mythology, also known as Furies, female chthonic deities of vengeance, composed of
Alecto, Megara and Tisiphone
Eroteme
Another term for question mark
Esquivel, Laura
Author of the novels Like Water for Chocolate and Malinche
Euripides
Greek playwright, author of Medea, Andromache, Electra, and The Trojan Women
Europa
Phoenician woman of high lineage who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull
Eurus
Greek deity representing the unlucky east wind
Exposition
Literary term referring to the setting forth of a systematic explanation of or argument about any
subject; or the opening part of a play or story, in which we are introduced to the characters and their
situation, often by reference to precedingevent
Fallboard
Hinged cover protecting the keyboard of a piano
Farfallino alphabet
Language game used primarily in Italy, which can be regarded as an elementary form of
substitution cipher
Fates
• Atropos
• Clotho
• Lachesis
Faulkner, William
Author of The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying and Light in August
Author of the Snopes trilogy (The Hamlet, The Town, The Mansion)
Fenrir
In Norse mythology, monstrous wolf and son of Loki that is foretold to kill the god Odin during the
events of Ragnarok, but will in turn be killed by Odin’s son Vidarr
Fielding, Henry
English novelist and dramatist known as the author of the novel Tom Jones
Fiesta
Original title of Ernest Hemingway novel The Sun Also Rises, used in foreign language editions
Fifth column
Group of people who undermine a larger group, such as a nation or a besieged city, from within
Figaro
Geppetto’s cat in Pinocchio
Fin de siècle
French for “end of the century”, term describing the movement inaugurated by the Decadent poets
of France and the movement called Aestheticism in England during this period
Fireside Poets
First Impressions
Original title of Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice
• Charlie Bucket
• Veruca Salt
• Mike Teavee (last child to be ejected from the tour)
• Violet Beauregarde
• Augustus Gloop (first person to find a Golden Ticket)
Akheron Sorrow
Kokytos Lamentation
Lethe Forgetfulness
Phlegethon Fire
Styx Hate
Flaubert, Gustave
Author of Madame Bovary
Follett, Ken
Welsh author of The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End
Foreshadowing
Literary device in which an author hints certain plot developments that perhaps will come later in
the story
Forsyth, Frederick
Author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Veteran, The Afghan, The
Cobra and The Fourth Protocol
Frankenstein, Victor
Fictional character and main protagonist in the Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern
Prometheus
Franzen, Jonathan
American author of The Corrections
Frollo, Claude
Main antagonist from Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Frommer, Paul
Creator of the language for the Na’vi, the fictional indigenous race in James Cameron’s 2009 film
Avatar
Fuentes, Gregorio
Cuban fisherman that became the inspiration of the title character in the Ernest Hemingway novella
The Old Man and the Sea
Fugard, Athol
South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director who writes in English, best known for his
political plays opposing the South African system of apartheid and for the 2005 Academy-Award
winning film of his novel Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood
Funke, Cornelia
Multiple award-winning German author of children’s fiction best known for her Inkheart trilogy
(Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath)
Gaiman, Neil
Author of novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book
Galsworthy, John
Author of The Forsyte Saga
Garuda
Large mythical bird or bird-like creature in Hindu mythology, usually the mount of the God Vishnu
Gernsback, Hugo
Popularly called “The Father of Science Fiction”, the annual Science Fiction Achievement awards
are named the “Hugos” in his honor
• Jacob Marley
• Ghost of Christmas Past
• Ghost of Christmas Present
• Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Gibran, Khalil
Lebanese-American poet chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The
Prophet
“Gift Outright”
Poem by Robert Frost recited on the inauguration of John F. Kennedy
Gilbert Keith
First and middle names of English writer G. K. Chesterton
Gjallarhorn
Mystical horn blown at the onset of Ragnarök associated with the god Heimdallr
Gleipnir
Magic chain that bound the wolf Fenrir in Norse mythology
Gloop, Augustus
First person to find a Golden Ticket in the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Gogol, Nikolai
Russian dramatist whose works include the novel Taras Bulba and the play Marriage, along with
the short stories “Diary of a Madman”, “The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan
Nikiforovich”, “The Portrait” and “The Carriage”
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, fleece of the winged ram stolen by the heroJason with the aid of his mistress
Medea
Golding, William
Author of the Lord of the Flies
Gondal
Imaginary world or paracosm created by Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë in their youth
Gonzo journalism
Style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part
of the story via a first-person narrative
Graces
• Aglaia
• Euphrosyne
• Thalia
Grafton, Sue
American author of detective novels best known as the author of the “alphabet series” featuring
private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California
Grahame, Kenneth
Scottish writer most famous for the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows
Granma
Official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party
Greek gods
Greene, Graham
English writer whose works include Brighton Rock, The Power and The Glory, The Heart of the
Matter and The End of the Affair
Greng-jai
Thai word for the feeling you get when you don’t want someone to do something for you because it
would be a pain for them
Griffonage
Term given for careless handwriting
Grimhilde
Real name of the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
GroKo
Acronym for Große Koalition (“grand coalition”), German word of the year in reference to the
upcoming governmental coalition in the Bundestag, formed by the CDU-CSU and SPD
Gullinkambi
In Norse mythology, rooster who lives in Valhalla
Gulliver, Lemuel
Protagonist and narrator of Jonathan Swift novel Gulliver’s Travels
Gummi Bears
• Gruffi
• Cubbi
• Tummi
• Zummi
• Sunni
• Gusto
• Grammi
Gumusservi
Turkish word for moonlight shining on water
Gungnir
In Norse mythology, spear of the god Odin
Haggard, H. Rider
Author of King Solomon’s Mines
Hallward, Basil
Artist who becomes infatuated with Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
Hamartia
Greek word for error or failure, used by Aristotle in his Poetics to designate the false step that leads
the protagonist in a tragedy to his or herdownfall
Hanuman
Hindu deity, an ardent devotee of Ramaaccording to the Hindu legends, who participated in Rama’s
war against the demon king Ravana
Hardy, Thomas
English novelist who wrote the novels Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge,
Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure
Harker, Mina
Protagonist of Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula
Harmon, John
Protagonist in the Charles Dickens’ novel Our Mutual Friend
Harpagon
Titular character in the Moliere play The Miser
Harpe
In Greek mythology, sword used by Perseus to decapitate the Medusa
Hartwell County
Setting of the Alice Walker novel The Color Purple
Hathaway, Anne
Wife of William Shakespeare
Havel, Vaclav
Czech dramatist who wrote The Garden Party and The Memorandum
Haven, Maine
Setting of the Stephen King novel The Tommyknockers
Haze, Dolores
Real name of the title character in Vladimir Nabokov’sLolita
Heaney, Seamus
Irish poet, playwright, translator, lecturer and recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature whose
notable works include District and Circle and The Spirit Level
Heart of Darkness
1899 short novel by Joseph Conrad which became the basis of the 1979 film Apocalypse Now
Hearts Insurgent
Original title of the Thomas Hardy novel Jude the Obscure
Helen of Troy
Wife of Menelaus whose abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War
Heller, Joseph
Author of Catch-22 and Something Happened
Henry Louis
First and middle names of American journalist H. L. Mencken, known as the “Sage of Baltimore”
and for writing The American Language
Hephaestus
Greek god who chained Prometheus to a rock
Herostratus
Arsonist who burned down the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in ancient Greece in 356 BCE
Hestia
Greek goddess of the hearth, architecture, and the right ordering of domesticity, the family and the
state
Hieroglyphs
Formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetical
elements
Hillegass, Clifton
Creator and publisher of CliffsNotes
Hippomenes
In Greek mythology, husband of Atalanta
Hiraoka, Kimitake
Real name of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, author of Sea of Fertility tetralogy and The Temple
of the GoldenPavilion
Hodr
In Norse mythology, brother of Baldr in Norse mythology who shot the mistletoe arrow which was
to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr after being tricked and guided by Loki
Hofud
In Norse mythology, sword of Heimdallr, the guardian of Bifröst
Hogg, James
Scottish poet and novelist best known for his novel Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified
Sinner
Homer
Author of the Iliad and the Odyssey
Hornberger, H. Richard
American writer and surgeon, born in Trenton, New Jersey, who wrote under the pseudonym
Richard Hooker whose most famous work was his novel MASH, based on his experiences during
the Korean War and written in collaboration with W. C. Heinz
Hornblower, Horatio
Fictional character well versed in Latin and Greek, played excellent whist, spoke French and
Spanish, was tone deaf and suffered from chronic seasickness
Hornby, Nick
English novelist, essayist, lyricist, and screenwriter best known for the novels High Fidelity and
About a Boy, as well as for the football memoir Fever Pitch
Houyhnhnms
Race of intelligent horses described in the last part of Jonathan Swift’s satirical Gulliver’s Travels
Hugo, Victor
French novelistwhose best-known works include Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-
Dame
Hugo Awards
Huitain
French stanza form consisting of eight lines of either 8 or 10 syllables each, usually rhyming
ababbcbc or abbaacac
Humpty-Dumpty
Nursery rhyme where the title of the Robert Penn Warren novel All the King’s Men was drawn
Hyacinth
In Greek mythology, divine hero loved by Apollo killed by Zephyrus by blowing Apollo’s discus
off course so as to injure and kill him
Ibsen, Henrik
Norwegian playwright, author of Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and
Galilean, A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm, and The Master
Builder
Ichor
In Greek mythology, ethereal golden fluid that is the blood of the gods and/or immortals
Idyll
Short poem describing an incident of country life in terms ofidealized innocence and contentment,
or any such episode in a poem or prose work
Iktsuarpok
Inuit word for the feeling of anticipation when one is waiting for someone to show up at your house
and you keep going outside to see if they’re there yet
Imagism
Movement in early 20th-century Anglo-American poetry that favored precision of imagery and
clear, sharp language
Inklings
Informal literary discussion group associated with the University of Oxford which praised the value
of narrative in fiction and encouraged the writing of fantasy
Interview
American magazine founded in late 1969 by Andy Warhol
Irving, Washington
American author best known for his short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van
Winkle”, both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
Isengard
Large fortress in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional universe of Middle-earth
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Author of The Remains of the Day
Isis
In Egyptian mythology, the consort of Osiris
Iving
In Norse mythology, river, which never freezes over, that separates Jotunheim from Asgard
“Jabberwocky”
Nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What
Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Jack Frost
Personification of frost and cold weather
James, Henry
Author of The Turn of the Screw
Jarndyce v. Jarndyce
Fictional court case in the English Court of Chancery in the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House by
which concerns the fate of a large inheritance which drags on for so many generations that legal
costs devour the entire estate
Jarnvidjur
In Norse mythology, race of witches who lived east of Midgard in a place called Jarnvid
Javert
Primary antagonist in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables
Jeeves, Reginald
Fictional character in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse, being the valet of Bertie
Wooster
Jerigonza
Spanish language game played by children in Spain and all over Latin America that consists of
adding the letter p after each vowel of a word, and repeating the vowel
Jerome David
First and middle names of author J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye
Jerusalem Prize
Biennial literary award given to writers whose works have dealt with themes of human freedom in
society
Jocasta
Queen consort of Thebes, wife of Laius and mother of Oedipus
John Henry
American folk hero and tall tale who worked as a “steel-driver”, a man tasked with hammering a
steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock away
Joro Kumo
In Japanese folklore, ghost resembling a spider woman, who lures men to their death
Joseph, Jenny
English poet best known for her poem “Warning”
Jotunheim
In Norse mythology, land of the frost giants located under one of the treeroots of Yggdrasil
Joukahainen
In the Finnish epic poem “Kalevala”, evil youth who entered into a contest with Vainamoinen and
was defeated
Junger, Sebastian
Author of The Perfect Storm
Junkie
First published work of William S. Burroughs (1953) considered as a seminal text on the lifestyle of
heroin addicts in the early 1950s
Kafka, Franz
German-language author of The Metamorphosis and The Trial
Kazantzakis, Nikos
Author of the novel Zorba the Greek
Keats, John
English Romantic poet whose poetry is characterized by sensual imagery, most notably in the series
of odes
Works include “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
Keene, Carolyn
Pseudonym of the authors of the Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls series
Kelpie
Supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of
Scotland and Ireland
Keneally, Thomas
Author of Schindler’s Ark
Kesey, Kenneth
American author best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Kilmer, Joyce
American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled “Trees” (1913)
Kinney, Jeff
Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series and designer of the online game Poptropica
Kipling, Rudyard
Author of The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, Just So Stories, and Kim
Koi No Yokan
Japanese phrase for the sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in
love
Korak
Son of Tarzan in the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Kronborg
Castle in Denmark that is immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet
Kummerspeck
German word for the excess weight gained from emotional overeating
Labyrinth
Complicated building or maze said to have been built by Daedalus for king Minos of Crete, where
the Minotaur was kept, and from which no one could escape
Lacuna
Gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting or musical work
Laertes
In Greek mythology, father of Odysseus
Larsson, Stieg
Swedish journalist best known for writing the “Millennium series” of crime novels, which were
published posthumously
Lasky, Kathryn
American author whose work includes several Dear America books, The Royal Diaries books,
Sugaring Time, The Night Journey, Wolves of the Beyond, and the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series
Laura
Name of the idealized love of Italian poet Petrarch
Le Carre, John
Creator of the fictional British MI6 spy George Smiley
Lear, Edward
English artist, illustrator and poet known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and
especially his limericks
Lee, William
Pen name used by William S. Burroughs
Legree, Simon
Cruel slave owner who killed the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Leitmotif
Frequently repeated phrase, image, symbol, or situation in a literary work, the recurrence of which
usually indicates or supports a theme
Leonard, Elmore
American novelist and screenwriter whose best-known works are Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Hombre,
Mr. Majestyk, and Rum Punch
Leprechaun
Type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat,
which enjoys partaking in mischief
Leroux, Gaston
French journalist best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera
Lessing, Doris
Nobel laureate, author of The Golden Notebook
Leto
In Greek mythology, mother of deities Apollo and Artemis
Levin, Ira
Author of Rosemary’s Baby
Lewis, Sinclair
First writer from the United States to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, author of the novels
Babbit, Main Street, Martin Arrowsmith and Elmer Gantry
Only person ever to decline a Pulitzer Prize for fiction for Arrowhead
Lindgren, Astrid
Swedish author and screenwriter best known for the Pippi Longstocking, Karlsson-on-the-Roof and
the Six Bullerby Children book series
Lingua franca
Language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a
mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues
Lipogram
Kind of constrained writing or word game consisting of writing paragraphs or longer works in
which a particular letter or group of letters is avoided—usually a common vowel, and frequently
“E”, the most common letter in the English language
Loki
In Norse mythology, father of the world serpent Jörmungandr
Longueur
French for “length”, literary term referring to any tediously prolonged passage or scene in a literary
work
Lönnrot, Elias
Finnish physician best known for compiling Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, from national
folk tales that he gathered during several expeditions in Finland, Russian Karelia, the Kola
Peninsula and Baltic countries
Loos, Anita
Author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Lope de Vega, Felix
Nicknamed “The Phoenix of Wits”and “Monster of Nature”by Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish
playwright and poet that was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque
literature
Lorenzo, Aldonza
Real name of fictional character Dulcinea del Toboso in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote
Lorien Legacies
Series of young adult science fiction books written by James Frey and Jobie Hughes under the
collective pseudonym Pittacus Lore
• I Am Number Four
• The Power of Six
• The Rise of Nine
• The Fall of Five
Lowry, Lois
American writer credited with more than thirty children’s books and an autobiography and won the
American Library Association annual Newbery Medal for both Number the Stars in 1989 and The
Giver in 1993
Lucas, Victoria
Pen name used by Sylvia Plath
Macbeth
Play written by William Shakespeare and is considered one of his darkest and most powerful
tragedies
Macron
Term for a diacritic placed above a vowel
Mag’s Diversion
Original title of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield
Mahfouz, Naguib
Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, the only Arab writer who has won
the award
Maid Marian
Love interest of the legendary English outlaw Robin Hood
Malapropism
Use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, often
humorous utterance
Mamihlapinatapa
Yaghan word that refer to a special look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the
other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do
Mangani
Name of a fictional species of great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of the
invented language used by these apes
Mann, Thomas
German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize
laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their
insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual
Notable works include Buddenbrooks, The Magic Mountain and Death in Venice
Man’yoshu
Oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled sometime after 759 CE during the Nara
period
Maquet, Auguste
French author best known as the chief collaborator of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, père, co-
writing such works as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers
Marginalia
Scribbles, comments and illuminations in the margins of a book
Markham, Robert
Pseudonym used by author Kingsley Amis to publish Colonel Sun in March 1968, the first
continuation James Bond novel following the death of Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming
Marlowe, Christopher
Author of The Jew of Malta, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and The Tragical History of the
Life and Death of Doctor Faustus
Martel, Yann
Canadian author best known for the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi
Martial
Latin poet from Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) best known for his twelve books of Epigrams,
published in Rome between 86 and 103 CE, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and
Trajan
Considered to be the creator of the modern epigram
Maruts
In Hindu mythology, wind gods who form part of the entourageof Indra or of Shiva
Mason, Richard
Author of The World of Suzie Wong
Mater Matuta
In Roman mythology, goddess of sea travel, originally anearly Italian goddess of birth, dawn,
harbors, and the sea, and as such identifiedwith the Greek Leucothea
Matheson, Richard
Author of the novel I Am Legend, that became the basis of the 2007 film of the same name
Max
Young boy in the Maurice Sendak story Where the Wild Things Are
McCarthy, Cormac
American novelist and playwright who has written ten novels, spanning the Southern Gothic,
Western, and Post-apocalyptic genres
McCrae, John
Canadian soldier best known for writing the famous war memorial poem “In Flanders Fields”
McCullough, Colleen
Australian author whose best-known work is The Thorn Birds
McGonagall, Minerva
Transfiguration professor of Hogwarts in Harry Potter
McKenna, Richard
Author of The Sand Pebbles
Megara
In Greek mythology, oldest daughter of Creon, king of Thebes who was offered to Heracles in
reward for his contribution to the defense of Thebes from the Minyans at Orchomenus in single-
handed battle
Meleager
In Greek mythology, host of the Calydonian Boar Hunt
Mellors, Oliver
The lover in D. H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Melmoth, Sebastian
Assumed name of author Oscar Wilde while living in Paris
Mencolek
Indonesian word for the old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from
behind to fool them
Menelaus
In Greek mythology, king of Mycenaean Sparta and the husband of Helen of Troy
Mephistopheles
Demon featured in German folklore that originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust
legend, and has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the Devil
Mercutio
Close friend to Romeo in the Shakespeare tragedy Romeo and Juliet
Mermen
Male counterpart of mermaids
2003 Democracy
2004 Blog
2005 Integrity
2006 Truthiness
2007 w00t
2008 Bailout
2009 Admonish
2010 Austerity
2011 Pragmatic
2012 Socialism / Capitalism
2013 Science
Metafiction
Literary term for describing fictional writing that self-consciously andsystematically draws
attention to its status as an artifact in posing questions about the relationship between fiction and
reality,usually using irony and self-reflection
Meyer, Stephenie
American young adult author and producer, best known for her vampire romance series Twilight
Mezrich, Ben
Author of the 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, which became the basis of the film The Social
Network
Millhone, Kinsey
Fictional character created by Sue Grafton for her “alphabet mysteries” series of novels
Milton, John
English poet best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost and its sequel Paradise Regained
Ministry of Truth
Organization where Winston Smith work in the George Orwell novelNineteen Eighty-Four
Minnehaha
Fictional Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem
“The Song of Hiawatha”
Mister Geppetto
Fictional character, the creator of Pinocchio in the 1883 novel
Mistletoe
Sacred plant Druids use to treat arthritis and epilepsy according to Pliny the Elder
Mistress Mary
Working title of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel The Secret Garden
Mitchell, Margaret
American journalist who wrote the novel Gone with the Wind
Mithras
In Persian mythology, god of life, heat, fertility, a mediator between the gods and men, and chief
aide to the good god, Ahura Mazda, in his war against the evil spirit, Ahriman
Mitokht
In Persian mythology, demon of falsehood and the son of the evil spirit, Ahriman
Moccia, Federico
Italian writer whose successful book and film I Want You made many people put love padlocks on
Ponte Milvio in Rome
Modesty cover
Plastic cover used when an adult magazine is displayed on store shelves
Mjölnir
Hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder
Moliere
Pseudonymof of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, French playwright whose works include Tartuffe, The
Misanthrope, The Learned Women, The School for Wives and L’Avare
Momotaro
In Japanese folktales, hero who emerged from a peach and defeated the demon Akandoji
Moore, Robin
American writer who is most known for his books The Green Berets, The French Connection: A
True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy
Morphology
Branch of linguistics concerned with analyzing the structure ofwords
Morris, Quincey
Last person to donate his blood to Lucy Westenra before her death in the Bram Stoker novel
Dracula
Muggle
In Harry Potter, someone who lacks magic
Mumpsimus
Action by a person, or the person themselves, who adheres to a routine, idea, custom, set of beliefs,
or a certain use of language that has been shown to be unreasonable or incorrect
Murasaki Shikibu
Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period best
known as the author of The Tale of Genji
Murakami, Haruki
Author of the novels Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-up BirdChronicle
Nadsat
Language spoken by teens in the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange
Nagini
Pet snake of Lord Voldemort
Naglfar
Boat made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead in Norse mythology
Naiads
In classical mythology, nymphs of springs, rivers, and lakes
Nash, Ogden
American poet well known for his light verse
Nathanson, E. M.
Author of the 1965 novel The Dirty Dozen, which was adapted into the film of the same name
Nelle
Real first name of author Harper Lee
Neoptolemus
In Greek mythology, son of Achilles who killed King Priam afterthe fall of Troy
Nesbit, Edith
Author of The Railway Children
Nidhoggr
In Norse mythology, a dragon who gnaws at a root of the World Tree, Yggdrasil
Nimbus Two-Thousand
Harry Potter’s first broomstick
Njord
In Norse mythology, god of winds, sea, fire, and wealth, and the father ofFrey and Freyja
Norse gods
Oceania
Nation ruled by Big Brother in the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
Okri, Ben
Nigerian author of Astonishing the Gods, A Way of Being Free and most famously The Famished
Road
Once-ler
Antagonist to the title character in the Dr. Seuss novel The Lorax
Ondaatje, Michael
Author of The English Patient
Onomatopoeia
Word that phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes
Ovid
Banished to Tomis, on the Black Sea, by the exclusive intervention of the Emperor Augustus,
without any participation of the Senate or of any Roman judge, an event which would shape all of
his following poetry
Year UK US
Year UK US
2004 Chav
2005 Sudoku Podcast
2006 Bovvered Carbon-neutral
2007 Carbon footprint Locavore
2008 Credit crunch Hypermiling
2009 Simples Unfriend
2010 Big society Refudiate
2011 Squeezed middle
2012 Omnishambles GIF
2013 Selfie
Oxymoron
Figure of speech that combines contradictory terms
Palamedes
In Greek mythology, prince of Nauplia who is said to have invented counting, currency, weights
and measures, jokes, dice and pessoi, as well as military ranks
Palindrome
Word, phrase, number or any other sequence of units which has the property of reading the same
forwards as it does backwards, character for character, sometimes disregarding punctuation,
capitalization and diacritics
Palladium
In Greek and Roman mythology, cult image of great antiquity on which the safety of Troy and later
Rome was said to depend, the wooden statue of Pallas Athena that Odysseus and Diomedes stole
from the citadel of Troy and which was later taken to the future site of Rome by Aeneas
Pana Po’o
Hawaiian word for the act of scratching one’s head in order to help remember something forgotten
Pangram
Term for a sentence which contains all 26 letters of the alphabet
Panem
Fictional nation that is the setting of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Papyrology
Study of ancient literature, correspondence, legal archives, etc., as preserved in manuscripts written
on papyrus, the most common form of writing material in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece,
and Rome
Parker, Dorothy
American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for
20th century urban foibles
Parvenu
Person who is a relative newcomer to a socioeconomic class
Pascal, Francine
Creator of the Sweet Valley High novel series
Passepartout
Name of the servant in the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days
Pathetic fallacy
Poetic convention whereby natural phenomena which cannot feel as humans do are described as if
they could: thus rainclouds may ‘weep’, or flowers may be ‘joyful’ in sympathy with the poet’s or
imagined speaker’s mood
Patterson, James
American author largely known for his novels about fictional psychologist Alex Cross, the
protagonist of the Alex Cross series
Paton, Alan
Author of Cry, the Beloved Country
Patusan
Fictional country in the novel Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
Paul Morrel
Original title of the D. H. Lawrence novel Sons and Lovers
Paz, Octavio
Winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature, Mexican author ofThe Monkey
Grammarian,TheLabyrinth of Solitude and The Sun Stone
Peake, Mervyn
English writer, artist, poet and illustrator best known for what are usually referred to as the
Gormenghast books
Pele
Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, fire and lightning
Pelinti
Ghanaian word meaning “to move hot food around in your mouth”
Penelope
In Greek mythology, wife of Odysseus
Penthesilea
Amazonian queen in Greek mythology who killed Hippolyta with a spear when they were hunting
deer that caused her so much grief that she wished only to die, but, as a warrior and an Amazon, she
had to do so honorably and in battle and therefore was easily convinced to join in the Trojan War,
fighting on the side of Troy’s defenders
Periphrasis
In linguistics, device by which grammatical meaning is expressed by one or more free morphemes,
instead of by inflectional affixes or derivation
Perrault, Charles
French author whose best known fairy tales include Le Petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding
Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots) and La Barbe bleue (Bluebeard)
Persephone
Greek goddess of death and Queen of the Underworld
Wife of Hades
Perseus
Killer of the Gorgon Medusa and claimed Andromeda
Legendary founder of Mycenae
Philoctetes
Greek hero, famed as an archer, and was a participant in the Trojan War
Pilgrim, Billy
Fictional character and protagonist of Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five
Pirrip, Philip
Real name of Great Expectations character Pip
Pitt, Dirk
Protagonist of a series of bestselling adventure novels written by Clive Cussler
Planchet
Servant of d’Artagnan
Pleonasm
Use of unnecessary, additional words or a phrase in which suchneedless repetition occurs
Poetic justice
Term referring to morally reassuring allocation of happy and unhappy fates to the virtuous and
vicious characters respectively, usually at the end of a narrative or dramatic work
Portnoy’s Complaint
1969 novel that made Philip Roth into a celebrity
Pratchett, Terry
English author of fantasy novels, especially comical works best known for the Discworld series of
about 40 volumes
Printer's devil
Apprentice in a printing establishment who performed a number of tasks, such as mixing tubs of ink
and fetching type
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who is credited with the creation of
man from clay and the theft of fire for human use, an act that enabled progress and civilization
Ptah
Egyptian god credited with saving Pelusium and forcing Sennacherib’sAssyrians to retreat in the
face of an army of rats
Puig, Manuel
Argentine author best known for his novels Betrayed by Rita Hayworth, Heartbreak Tango, and
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Pushkin, Alexander
Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and
the founder of modern Russian literature
Author of the play Boris Godunov and the novel Eugene Onegin
Putana
Demoness in Hindu mythology who tried to kill the infant-god Krishna by breastfeeding him
poisoned milk
Pynchon, Thomas Jr.
American author whose works include V., The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, and Mason &
Dixon
Pythia
Commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi, priestess at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, located on
the slopes of Mount Parnassus, beneath the Castalian Spring, widely credited for her prophecies
inspired by Apollo
Quetzalcoatl
Chiefgod of the Aztecs
Quijano, Alonso
Real name of the title character in the novel Don Quixote
Quilp, Daniel
Primary antagonist of the Charles Dickens novel The Old Curiosity Shop
Raggedy Ann
Fictional character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle
Ragnarök
Series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number
of major figures in Norse mythology, the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the
subsequent submersion of the world in water
Rand, Ayn
Born Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum, Russian-American novelist and philosopher known for her
two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged
Rankin, Ian
Scottish crime writer best known for his Inspector Rebus novels
“Richard Cory”
Narrative poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson which described a person who is wealthy, well
educated, mannerly, and admired by the people in his town and despite all this, he takes his own life
Rieux, Bernard
Narrator in Albert Camus’ The Plague
Riordan, Rick
American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series
Rocinante
Old horse of Don Quixote
Roman à clef
French for “novel with a key”, a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction
Roman gods
Apollo Sun
Bacchus Wine and ecstasy
Bellona War
Ceres Corn
Consus Seed sowing
Cupid Love
Diana Fertility and hunting
Epona Horses
Fauna Fertility
Faunus Crops and herbs
Feronia Spring flowers
Fides Honesty
Flora Fruitfulness and flowers
Fortuna Chance and fate
Janus Entrances, travel and the dawn
Juno Marriage, childbirth and light
Jupiter Sky
Liber Pater Agricultural and human fertility
Libitina Funeral rites
Luna Moon
Maia Fertility
Mars War
Mercury Messenger of the gods, merchants
Minerva War, craftsmen, education and the arts
Mithras Sun, regeneration
Neptune Sea
Ops Harvest
Orcus Death
Pales Flocks
Pax Peace
Penates Food and drink
Picus Words
Pluto Underworld
Pomona Fruit trees
Portunus Husbands
Proserpina Underworld
Rumina Nursing mothers
Saturn Fertility and agriculture
Silvanus Trees and forests
Venus Spring, gardens and love
Vertumnus Fertility
Vesta Hearth and household
Victoria Victory
Vulcan Fire
Rostam
Pre-Islamic hero of Persia whose deeds are recounted in Ferdowsi’s epic Shahnameh
Rostand, Edmond
French poet and dramatist best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Philip
Winner of the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for his novel American Pastoral
Rövarspråket
Swedish language game that became popular after the books about Kalle Blomkvist by Astrid
Lindgren, where the children use it as a code, both at play and in solving actual crimes
Rowling, J. K.
Confirmed in July 2013 that she penned a crime novel under the guise of male debut writer Robert
Galbraith
Author of the Harry Potter series
R.U.R.
1920 science fiction play in the Czech language by Karel Čapek that introduced the word “robot” to
the English language and to science fiction as a whole
Ruritania
Fictional country in central Europe which forms the setting for three books by Anthony Hope: The
Prisoner of Zenda, The Heart of Princess Osra and Rupert of Hentzau
Ryder, Charles
Narrator in the Evelyn Waugh novel Brideshead Revisited
Salinas Valley
Original title of the John Steinbeck novel East of Eden
Sanditon
Unfinished novel by Jane Austen
Sandleford
Original home of the rabbits in the novel Watership Down
Sandy
Pet dog of Little Orphan Annie
• Dasher
• Dancer
• Prancer
• Vixen
• Comet
• Cupid
• Donner
• Blitzen
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Saudade
Word describing a deep emotional state of nostalgic or deeply melancholic longing for an absent
something or someone that one loves
Scheherazade
Legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights
Selfishness
Main theme of the Charles Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit
Semele
Mortal mother of the Greek god Dionysus
Semiotics
Systematic study of signs, or, more precisely, of the production of meanings from sign-systems,
linguistic or non-linguistic
Semordnilap
Word, phrase, or sentence that has the property of forming another word, phrase, or sentence when
its letters are reversed
Sendak, Maurice
American illustrator and writer of children’s books best known for his book Where the Wild Things
Are
• Adrastus
• Hippomedon
• Polynices
• Amphiarus
• Capaneus
• Parthenopaeus
• Tydeus
Seven Dwarfs
• Bashful
• Doc
• Dopey
• Grumpy
• Happy
• Sleepy
• Sneezy
• Shit
• Piss
• Fuck
• Cunt
• Cocksucker
• Motherfucker
• Tits
Sewell, Anna
English novelist best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty
Sex
1926 play, written by, and starring, Mae West
Sexton, Anne
American poet known for her highly personal, confessional verse
Shadowfax
Horse of Gandalf
Shakespeare, William
Often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”
Shakespeare’s works
Comedy
Histories
• King John
• Richard II
• Henry IV, Part 1
• Henry IV, Part 2
• Henry V
• Henry VI, Part 1
• Henry VI, Part 2
• Henry VI, Part 3
• Richard III
• Henry VIII
Tragedies
Shangri-La
Fictional place described in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon
Sharp, Becky
Central character in the William Makepeace Thackeray novel Vanity Fair
Sharpe, Tom
English satirical author best known for his Wilt series of novels and Porterhouse Blue
Shemomedjamo
Georgian word for “I accidentally ate the whole thing”
Shepard, Sara
American author known for the bestselling Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game book series
Shibboleth
Word, sound, or custom that a person unfamiliar with its significance may not pronounce or
perform correctly relative to those who are familiar with it
Shylock
Jewish antagonist of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
Silverman, Sime
American newspaper publisher best known as the founder of the weekly Variety in New York in
1905 and the Hollywood-based Daily Variety in 1933
Skald
Old Norse word for a poet is usually applied to a Norwegian or Icelandic court poet or bard of the
period from the 9th to the 13th centuries
Skeleton Island
Island where the treasure is located in Treasure Island
Skeeter, Rita
In Harry Potter, reporter for the Daily Prophet who specializes in yellow journalism
Sleipnir
In Norse mythology, eight-legged horse that became Odin’s steed
Slice of life
Literary term for a storytelling technique that presents a seemingly arbitrary sample of a character's
life, which often lacks a coherent plot, conflict or ending
Smith, Winston
Fictional character and the protagonist of George Orwell’s 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
Snicket, Lemony
Pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler, author of several children’s biographies, serving as
the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series
Sobek
Deification of crocodiles in Egyptian mythology, as crocodiles were deeply feared in the nation that
was so dependent on the Nile River
Solanas, Valerie
American radical feminist writer best known for her assassination attempt on artist Andy Warhol
Solidus
Another term for the punctuation slash
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr
Russian author whose works include Cancer Ward, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The
Gulag Archipelago
Sontag, Susan
American writer and filmmaker, professor, literary icon, and political activist best known for her
works that include On Photography, Against Interpretation, The Way We Live Now, Illness as
Metaphor, Regarding the Pain of Others, The Volcano Lover and In America
Sophocles
Ancient greek playwright whose works include Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and
Antigone
South Africa
Setting of The Power of One and Cry, the Beloved Country
Southey, Robert
Author of The Story of the Three Bears, the original Goldilocks story
Spark, Muriel
Author of the novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Speos Artemidos
Rock cut temple dedicated to Egyptian god Pakhet
Spoonerism
Error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or
morphemes are switched
Spyri, Johanna
Swiss author of children’s stories, and is best known for her book Heidi
Starship Troopers
Robert A. Heinlein novel that was turned into a movie by Dutch director Paul Verhoeven about a
young soldier from the Philippines named Juan “Johnnie” Rico and his exploits in the Mobile
Infantry, a futuristic military service branch equipped with powered armor
Steepletop
Farmhouse home of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay
Steig, William
American cartoonist, sculptor and, later in life, an illustrator and writer of popular children’s
literature most noted for the picture books Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Abel’s Island and
Doctor De Soto, also the creator of Shrek!, who inspired the popular movie series of the same name
Stentor
Greek at the siege of Troy who could shout as loudly as fifty men
Strangelove ocean
Term taken from a 1960s movie satire on nuclear war that describes the lifeless seas resulting from
mass extinction events
Strategic incompetence
Art of avoiding certain tasks by pretending you don’t know how to do them
Streaking
Act of taking off one’s clothes and running naked through a public place
Strindberg, August
Considered the “father” of modern Swedish literature and his The Red Room has frequently been
described as the first modern Swedish novel
Stringer
Freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an
ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work
Stump speech
Standard speech used by a politician running for office
Styron, William
Author of Lie Down in Darkness, The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie’s Choice
Susann, Jacqueline
American novelist whose most famous work is Valley of the Dolls, also wrote The Love Machine
Svengali
Antagonist in George du Maurier’s 1894 novel Trilby
Swan song
Metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement
Swarup, Vikas
Indian novelist who wrote Q & A, which became the basis for the film Slumdog Millionaire
Swift, Jonathan
Author of A Modest Proposal and Gulliver’s Travels
Swift, Tom
Central character in five series of books, first appearing in 1910, totaling more than 100 volumes, of
American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention and
technology created by Edward Stratemeyer
Syncope
The loss of one or more sounds from the interior of a word, especially the loss of an unstressed
vowel
Synecdoche
Figure of speech in which a term for a part of something is used to refer to the whole of something,
or vice-versa
Synopsis
rief summary or pr cis of a work’s plot or argument
Szujet
Term used in Russian Formalism to denote the plot of a narrative work as opposed to the events of
its story
Tagore, Rabindranath
Bengali author of Gitanjali, first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913
Talaria
Winged sandals which is a symbol of the Greek messenger god Hermes
Tartle
Scottish word for the panicky hesitation just before introducing someone whose name you can’t
quite remember
Tartt, Donna
American writer and author of the novels The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch
Tashbaan
Capital of Calormen, fictional country south of Narnia
Teknonym
Name for an adult derived from that of a child, especially that of the eldest child
Telemachus
Son of Odysseus and Penelope
Tenderness
Original title of the D. H. Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Tengwar
Artificial script created by J. R. R. Tolkien
Tête-à-tête
Literally meaning “head to head”, an intimate get-together or private conversation between two
people
Thayer, Ernest
American writer and poet who wrote “Casey at the Bat”
The Heretic
Working title of the Robert A. Heinlein novel Stranger in a Strange Land
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the
Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account)
Full title of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield
The Seagull
First play of Anton Chekhov
The Strike
First title of the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged
Thenardier, Eponine
Also known as the Jondrette girl in Les Miserables
Therapy
Winning word at the 1940 National Spelling Bee
Theseus
In Greek mythology, killer of the Minotaur
Thetis
In Greek mythology, mother of Achilles
Thomas, Helen
American actress and news service reporter who became the first female officer of the National
Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents' Association
and the first female member of the Gridiron Club
Thor
God of Norse myth that wields the hammer Mjolnir and presides over thunder
Tittle
Small distinguishing mark such as a diacritic or the dot on a lowercase i or j
Tizona
El Cid's personal sword
Tlaloc
Aztec rain god
Tmesis
Linguistic phenomenon in which a word or phrase is separated into two parts, with other words
interrupting between them
Tolstoy, Leo
Russia author of Anna Karenina and War and Peace
Tragic flaw
Literary term referring to the defect of character that brings about the protagonist’s downfall in a
tragedy
Trishula
Trident of the Hindu deity Shiva
Trollope, Anthony
One of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era whose
some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around
the imaginary county of Barsetshire
Tsukuyomi
Moon god in Shinto and Japanese mythology
Tsoukalos, Giorgio A.
Swiss-born Greek writer, television presenter, and proponent of the idea that ancient astronauts
interacted with ancient humans
Tsundoku
Act of leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with such other unread
books
Tulpar
Winged or swift horse in Turkic mythology corresponding to Pegasus
Also in state emblems of Kazakhstan and Mongolia
Twilight
Original title of the William Faulkner novel The Sound and the Fury
Tybalt
Juliet’s short-tempered cousin, and Romeo’s rival
Uchchaihshravas
In Hindu mythology, even-headed flying horse, that was obtained during the churning of the milk
ocean
Ulysses in Dublin
Original title of the James Joyce novel Dubliners
Underworlds by mythology
Unicorn
National animal of Scotland
University wits
Name given by some modern literary historians to a group of English poets and playwrights who
established themselves in London in the 1580s and 1590safter attending university at either Oxford
or Cambridge
Updike, John
American novelist famous for his Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom series
Verisimilitude
Term referring to the semblance of truth or reality in literary works; or theliterary principle that
requires a consistent illusion of truth to life
Veritas
• Motto of the Dominican Order, translated in English as “Truth”
• Motto of Harvard University, translated in English as “Truth”
Vidopnir
In Norse mythology, a rooster that sits at the top of Mímameiðr, a tree often taken to be identical
with the World Tree Yggdrasil
Viracocha
Great creator-god in the pre-Inca mythology, worshipped as god of the sun and of storms
Virgil
Author of the epic poem Aeneid
Vonnegut, Kurt
Author of the novels Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions
Vulgaria
Fictional European barony in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Waldo
Nephew of Mr. (Quincy) Magoo
Warren, Rick
Author of The Purpose Driven Life
Warren, Robert Penn
Winner of the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Novel for his novel All the King's Men (1946)
Parts
Weisberger, Lauren
American novelist and author of the 2003 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, a speculated roman à
clef of her real life experience as a put-upon assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour
Wells, Martha
Author of the novel The Death of the Necromancer
West Egg
Setting of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby
Westeros
Fictional continent and primary setting of A Song of Ice and Fire series
Westmacott, Mary
Pseudonym used by English author Agatha Christie for her six romances
Wharton, Edith
Author of The Age of Innocence and The Buccaneers
“Whipple-Scrumpets”
Original name given to Oompa-Loompas before the publication of the novel Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory
Wilbur
Name of the pig that is the main character in the book Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Wilde, Oscar
Author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Salome, A Woman of No Importance, and The Importance of
Being Earnest
Williams, Tennessee
American writer who wrote plays such as A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Cat
on a Hot Tin Roof
Wilson, Myrtle
Mistress of Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby
Winkie Country
Country ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy “melted” her with a bucket of
water in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Wystan Hugh
First and middle names of author W. H. Auden
Wyvern
Legendary winged creature with a dragon’s head, reptilian body, two legs (sometimes none), and a
barbed tail, which may be said to breathe fire or possess a venomous bite
Xiuhtecuhtli
Aztec fire god
Yates, Richard
American novelist who wrote Revolutionary Road
Yellow
• Color of critters on the cover of Dr. Seuss classic children’s book Hop on Pop
• Commonly associated with gold, sunshine, reason, optimism and pleasure, but also with envy,
jealousy and betrayal
• Color most associated with weddings in Ancient Rome
Yellow journalism
Type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-
catching headlines to sell more newspapers
Yggdrasil
Immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology, in connection to which the nine worlds exist
Yomi
In Shinto mythology, place where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely
Yuri
First name of the title character in the Boris Pasternak novelDoctor Zhivago
Zamenhof, Ludwig Lazarus
Creator of Esperanto
Zeg
Georgian word meaning “the day after tomorrow”
Zhaghzhagh
Persian word for the chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage
12
Number of basic hues in the color wheel
32
Number of completed, numbered piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven
88
Number of piano keys
Adams, John
American minimalist composer of Nixon in China
Aida
Opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a
scenario often attributed to French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, although Verdi biographer Mary
Jane Phillips-Matz has argued that the scenario was actually written by Temistocle Solera; first
performed at the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo on 24 December 1871, conducted by Giovanni
Bottesini
Alfano, Franco
Italian composer best known for having completed Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot in 1926
Amazon Theatre
Opera house located in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and the location of
the annual Festival Amazonas de Ópera (Amazonas Opera Festival) and the home of the Amazonas
Philharmonic Orchestra
American Gothic
Painting by Grant Wood that shows a farmer standing beside his spinster daughter (figures were
modeled by the artist's sister and their dentist)
Amorino
Chubby, naked winged boy used in European decorative art from the Renaissance onwards
Aquarelle
Transparent watercolor painting
Arabesque
• Form of artistic decoration consisting of “surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of
scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils”or plain lines, often combined with other elements
• Used as a term in European art, including Byzantine art, is, on one definition, a decorative motif
comprising a flowing and voluted formalistic acanthus composition
• In classical ballet, ballet position, designed linearly, parallel to the balletic position, because the
body “spirals” from the crown of the head through the back and then straightens through the
extended leg
ArcelorMittal Orbit
114.5 meter tall sculpture and observation tower in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and London
designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond
Largest piece of public art in Great Britain
Aria
Self-contained piece for one voice, with or without orchestral accompaniment, normally part of a
larger work
Arpeggio
In music, chord whose notes are performed one after another instead of together, usually beginning
with the lowest note and ending with the highest
Avedon, Richard
American fashion and portrait photographer who designed the opening title sequence of the 1957
American musical film Funny Face
Babou
Pet ocelot of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis
Numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach
Bagpipe
Class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air
in the form of a bag
Ball, Harvey
American commercial artist recognized as the earliest known designer of the smiley, which became
an enduring and notable international icon
Balloon Dog
Work by Jeff Koons, sold at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York
for US$58.4 million in November 2013 that became the most expensive work by a living artist sold
at auction
Banksy
Pseudonymous United Kingdom-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter
whose satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti done in a
distinctive stenciling technique
Bansuri
Transverse flute of India made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes
Bartók, Béla
Hungarian composer and pianist regarded as one of Hungary’s greatest composers (the other being
Franz Liszt)
Bayreuth Festival
Music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th
century German composer Richard Wagner are presented
“Beautiful singing”
Literal meaning of Italian opera term bel canto
Becket, Marta
Actress, dancer, choreographer and painter who performed for more than four decades at her own
theater, the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, California
Berlioz, Hector
French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande
messe des morts (Requiem)
Big band
Term given to any band with 10 or more musicians
Blue Rider
Group of artists from Germany, lasting from 1911 to 1914 fundamental to expressionism
Body
Term used to describe the material pottery or porcelain is made from
Botticelli, Sandro
Born Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, Italian painter whose best known works include The
Birth of Venus and Primavera
Bourke-White, Margaret
First foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet industry
First female war correspondent and the first woman permitted to work in combat zones
First female photographer for Henry Luce’s Life magazine, where her photograph appeared on the
first cover
Brancusi, Constantin
Called the patriarch of modern sculpture, Romanian-born sculptor whose works include Bird in
Space, and The Endless Column
Brazing
Method of joining one piece of metal to another by making both red-hot so that the metal fuses
British Museum
Museum in London dedicated to human history and culture
Calligraphy
Most highly regarded and most fundamental element of Islamic art
Camaieu
Painting executed in several shades of a single color
Camerata
Small chamber orchestra or choir, with up to 40 to 60 musicians or choristers
Cameo
Small-scale, low relief sculpture, carved from banded or stratified material, usually a hardstone
such as onyx (black and white) or sardonyx
Canticle
Hymn, psalm or other song of praise taken from biblical texts other than the Psalms
Caravaggio
Painted the Death of the Virgin in 1606
Carillon
Musical instrument that is typically housed in the bell tower of a church or other municipal building
Carter, Kevin
South African photojournalist who was the recipient if a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph depicting
the 1933 famine in Sudan
Cartier-Bresson, Henri
French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism
Caruso, Enrico
Italian tenor whose 1904 recording of “Vesti la giubba” from Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci was
the first sound recording to sell a million copies
Cassatt, Mary
American Impressionist painter whose works include Tea and The Boating Party
Cel
Transparent sheet of celluloid that is drawn on to produce a single frame of an animated cartoon
Celesta
Struck idiophone operated by a keyboard
Cézanne, Paul
French post-Impressionist artist whose works include The Card Players, The Bathers and Rideau,
Crouchon et Compotier
Chant
Rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called
reciting tones
Chiaroscuro
In art, use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole
composition
Chinoiserie
French term referring to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century,
which reflect Chinese artistic influences
Chryselephantine
Term that refers to the sculptural medium of gold and ivory
Clef
Sign that fixes the pitch of a particular line
Coda
A passage which brings a movement or piece to a conclusion through prolongation
Coloratura
Musical term referring to a passage, sometimes for instruments but more often for voice, that
contains many elaborate musical ornaments, such as rapid runs, arpeggios and trills
Comin, Jacopo
Real name of Tintoretto, Venetian artist who painted Adoration of the Calf, The Miracle of the
Slave, TheOrigin of the Milky Way and Last Supper
Contrapposto
Term used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot
so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs
Coppélia
Comic ballet originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with
libretto by Charles Nuitter
Coquelicot
Shade of red, originally a French vernacular name for the wild corn poppy
Counterpoint
Two or more melodies played simultaneously
Crawford, Thomas
Sculptor of the Statue of Freedom
Crescendo
Passage of music in which there is a gradual increase in volume
Cubism
Early 20th century avant-garde art movement pioneered by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso
Da capo
Musical term denoting a direction to repeat a section or whole composition from the beginning
da Vinci, Leonardo
Italian polymath who painted the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man and Lady with an
Ermine
Dada
European artistic and literary movement of the early 20th century whose work was characterized by
anarchy, irrationality, and irreverence
Daggering
Form of erotic dance originating from Jamaica
Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Teaches concepts of rhythm, structure, and musical expression using movement
Dalí, Salvador
Prominent Spanish surrealist painter whose best known work is The Persistence of Memory,
completed in 1931
David, Jacques-Louis
Influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the
era whose cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in taste away from Rococo frivolity
toward a classical austerity and severity, heightened feeling chiming with the moral climate of the
final years of the Ancien Régime
Painted Oath of the Horatii, The Death of Marat, The Coronation of Napoleon and Napoleon at the
Saint-Bernard Pass
de Kooning, Willem
Dutch American artist whose works include Woman I, Easter Monday, Attic, and Excavation
Decoupage
Art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint
effects, gold leaf and so on
Degas, Edgar
French artist famous for his paintings that depict dancers
Delacroix, Eugène
French Romantic artist whose best known work is Liberty Leading the People
Delius, Frederick
Englishman who composed the operas Irmelin and Fennimore and Gerda
Deposition
Representation of the lowering of Christ’s body from the cross
Diaghilev, Sergei
Founder of Ballet Russes
Dosado
Basic dance step in such dances as square dance, contra dance, polka, various historical dances, and
some reels
Dramaturge
Professional position within a theatre or opera company that deals mainly with research and
development of plays or operas
Duchamp, Marcel
French-American painter, sculptor and writer whose works include Nude Descending a Staircase,
No. 2, Fountain, The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even and Étant donnés
Dürer, Albrecht
German printmaker whose works include the Knight, Death, and the Devil, Saint Jerome in his
Study and Melencolia I
Dvořák, Antonín
Czech composer whose best known works include the New World Symphony, the “American”
String Quartet, the opera Rusalka and his Cello Concerto in B minor
Ebauche
First coat or undercoat in an oil painting
Elgar, Edward
Composer of the Enigma Variations and Pomp and Circumstance
Elgin Marbles
Also known as the Parthenon Marbles, collection of classical Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions
and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the
Acropolis of Athens, currently located at the British Museum
Emblem
Visual image imbued with a symbolic meaning, usuallyaccompanied by an explanatory text
Epstein, Jacob
American-born British sculptor who was commissioned to create the tomb of Oscar Wilde in Père
Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
Ernst, Max
German artist who painted Ubu Imperator and L’Ange du Foyer
Escher, Maurits Cornelis
Dutch graphic artist known for his mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints
whose works include Relativity, Drawing Hands and Waterfall
Etching
Process of using strong acid or mordaut to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create
a design in intaglio in the metal
Expressionism
Artistic style that departs from the conventions of realism and naturalism and seeks to convey inner
experience by distorting rather than directly representing natural images
F-hole
Opening in the upper sound board of violin
Fidelio
Only opera of Ludwig van Beethoven
Fimbriation
Small stripes of color on flags
Fioritura
Musical term used for any embellishment or ornamentation of a melody, whether written out or
improvised by the performer
The Five
Circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev,
César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin
Flam
Drumbeat in which the accented stroke is preceded by one quick unaccented stroke
Fry, Roger
English artist, art critic and Bloomsbury Group member who coined the term post-impressionism
Fumage
Surrealist technique popularized by Wolfgang Paalen in which impressions are made by the smoke
of a candle or kerosene lamp on a piece of paper or canvas
Fuseli, Henry
Swiss painter of The Nightmare
Gainsborough, Thomas
English artist who painted Mr. and Mrs. Andrews and The Blue Boy
Gamelan
Traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Java and Bali, featuring
a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, kendang (drums) and gongs, bamboo
flutes, bowed and plucked strings
Gamut
Musical term refers to the entire range of a voice, instrument, or scale, that is, all the notes it can
produce or includes
Gauguin, Paul
French Post-Impressionist artist who was later recognized for his experimental use of colors and
synthetist style that were distinguishably different from Impressionism
Geisha
Traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing
various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance and games
Glissando
Execution of rapid scales by a sliding movement
Globe Theatre
Theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613
Goddess of Democracy
Name given to the 10-meter statue made of foam and papier-mâché created during the 1989
Tiananmen Square protests
Gorecki, Henryk
Composer of Beatus Vir
Gouache
Watercolor painting that uses opaque paint
Graham, Robert
American sculptor whose works include the Joe Louis Memorial in Detroit, MI and Olympic
Gateway in Los Angeles, CA
Grinding
Type of close partner dance where two or more dancers rub or bump their bodies against each other,
especially a male dancer rubbing his crotch against a female dancer’s buttocks, in imitation of rear-
entry or “doggie-style” intercourse
Gropius, Walter
Founder and first director of the Bauhaus School
Group
In music, assemblage of instruments or musicians with a common function or purpose, for example
an orchestral section of one class of instruments or a small ensemble that performs or records
together
Haiga
Style of Japanese painting that incorporates the aesthetics of haikai typically painted by haiku poets
and often accompanied by a haiku poem
Haka
Traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Maori people of New Zealand
Hals, Frans
Dutch Golden Age painter notable for his loose painterly brushwork, and helped introduce this
lively style of painting into Dutch art and whose works include Gipsy Girl and The Laughing
Cavalier
Hammond, Laurens
American engineer who invented the Hammond organ, the Hammond Clock, and the world’s first
polyphonic musical synthesizer, the Novachord
Hiffernan, Joanna
Believed to be the model of Gustave Courbet’s L’Origine du Monde
Hockney, David
English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer considered one of the
most influential British artists of the 20th century
Hofman, Florentijn
Dutch artist known for playful urban installations such as the Rubber duck sculpture
Homomonument
Memorial in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands that commemorates all gay
men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality
First monument in the world to commemorate gays and lesbians who were killed by the Nazis
Hopak
National dance of Ukraine
Iconography
Branch of art history which studies the identification, description and the interpretation of the
content of the images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so,
and other elements that are distinct from artistic style
Impasto
Application of oil paint in which solid masses to the canvas
Impresario
A person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas analogous to a film producer
or television producer
Indiana, Robert
American pop artist who is best known for creating the image of the word love in upper-case letters,
arranged in a square with a tilted letter O
Intaglio
Techniques in art in which an image is created by cutting, carving or engraving into a flat surface
Jingles
Metal discs on a tambourine
Jorrin, Enrique
Inventor of the Cuban dance music Cha-cha-cha
Kantele
Traditional plucked string instrument of the dulcimer and zither family native to Finland and
Karelia
Karsh, Yousuf
Armenian-Canadian portrait photographer known for the portrait of Winston Churchill on cover of
Life magazine
Katsushika Hokusai
Japanese ukiyo-e painter best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of
Mount Fuji
Kensington Gore
Trademark for fake blood used in films and in theatre
Kisaeng
Officially sanctioned Korean female entertainers or sometimes prostitutes
Kouros
Name given to a sculptured representation of a youth, found in Ionic architecture
Kitsch
Low-brow style of mass-produced art or design using popular or cultural icons
Klee, Paul
German-Swiss painter whose highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that
included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism
Klimt, Gustav
Austrian painter and designer, cofounder of the Vienna Secession,known for his decorative and
allegorical paintings and his portraits of women
Painted Judith and the Head of Holofernes, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, The Kiss and Danaë
Köchel-Verzeichnis
Chronological catalogue of all the compositions of W. A. Mozart
Kokoschka, Oskar
Austrian artist, poet and playwright best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and
landscapes
Koons, Jeff
American artist known for his reproductions of banal objects—such as Balloon animals produced in
stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces
Collaborated with Lady Gaga on the cover of the latter's studio album ARTPOP
La Sylphide
First ballet where dancing en pointe had an aesthetic rationale and was not merely an acrobatic
stunt, often involving ungraceful arm movements and exertions, as had been the approach of
dancers in the late 1820s
Landowski, Paul
Polish-French monument sculptor whose best-known work is the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
Leibovitz, Annie
Last person to professionally photograph John Lennon
Leoncavallo, Ruggero
Italian opera composer of Pagliacci
Lichtenstein, Roy
American pop artist whose works include Drowning Girl, Whaam!, Woman with Flowered Hat,
Look Mickey and Oh Jeff… I Love You Too… But…
Lind, Jenny
Swedish opera singer often known as the “Swedish Nightingale”
Lingten, Arthur
American physician who can recognize classical phonograph records with the naked eye
Lindy Hop
American dance that evolved in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and originally evolved with
jazz music
Liszt, Franz
Hungarian composer who invented the symphonic poem, developing the concept of thematic
transformation as part of his experiments in musical form and making radical departures in
harmony
The Louvre
World famous museum, at a cost of €100 million, that opened a new wingdedicated to Islamic art in
2012
Lover, Samuel
Anglo-Irish songwriter, novelist, and a painter of portraits, chiefly miniatures
Maestà
Iconic formula of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, whether or not accompanied with
angels and saints
Magritte, Rene
Belgian Surrealist known for The Treachery of Images, Time Transfixed and images of bowler hats
Mahler, Gustav
Late-Romantic Austrian composer
Man Ray
Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, American modernist artist best known in the art world for his avant-
garde photography, and is also noted for his work with photograms, which he called “rayographs”
in reference to himself
Manhwa
Korean equivalent of the Japanese manga
McCurry, Steve
American photojournalist best known for his photograph, “Afghan Girl” that originally appeared in
National Geographic magazine
Mediation
Term referring to an inflection in plainchant occurring at the end of first section ofa psalm-tune
Memento mori
Latin for “remember that you will die”, artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death
Method acting
Any of a family of techniques used by actors to create in themselves the thoughts and feelings of
their characters, so as to develop lifelike performances
Mezzo-soprano
Type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto
voice types
Mezzotint
Tonal technique of printmaking working from dark to light
Michelangelo
Italian Renaissance sculptor and painter whose works include David, The Creation of Adam, Pietà,
The Unfinished Slaves and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Millefiori
Glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware
Miss Kitty
Statue by Paolo Schmidlin that featured then Pope Benedict XVI wearing stockings and a blonde
wig and standing provocatively
Mon
Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual or family
Mondrian, Piet
Dutch painter whose works include Composition with Yellow, Blue, and Red and Broadway Boogie-
Woogie
Monet, Claude
Founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the
movement’s philosophy of expressing one’s perceptions before nature, especially as applied to
plein-air landscape painting
Works include Impression, Sunrise and Les Coquelicots
Morin khuur
Traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument considered a symbol of the Mongolian nation
Mukhina, Vera
Soviet sculptor of Worker and Kolkhoz Woman
Murrine
Italian term for colored patterns or images made in a glass cane that are revealed when cut in cross-
sections
Mussorgsky, Modest
Russian composer of Boris Godunov and Pictures at an Exhibition
My Bed
Work by British artist Tracey Emin that gained considerable media furore over the fact that the
bedsheets were stained with bodily secretions and the floor had items from the artist's room
Natya Shastra
Ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music that is very
important to the history of Indian classical music because it is the only text which gives such detail
about the music and instruments of the period
Neo-plasticism
Term coined by Piet Mondrian for his style of austerely geometrical abstract painting and more
broadly for the philosophical ideas about art that his work embodied
Neume
In plainsong, term referring to a prolonged group of notes sung to a single syllable, or the sign used
to indicate the melody
o vea alisme
Term coined by the French critic Pierre Restany in 1960 to characterize the work of a group of
artists who incorporated real objects in their work to make ironic comments on modern life
Offenbach, Jacques
German-born French composer remembered for his nearly 100 operettas and his uncompleted opera
The Tales of Hoffmann
O’Keeffe, Georgia
American artist known as the “Mother of American Modernism”
Orchestration
Study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for
another medium
Orientalism
Term used by art historians and literary and cultural studies scholars for the imitation or depiction
of aspects of Middle Eastern and East Asian cultures (Eastern cultures) by writers, designers and
artists in the West
Overacting
Also known as “chewing the scenery”, exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting
Pantograph
Mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one
pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen
Year Color
2000 Cerulean
2001 Fuchsia Rose
2002 True Red
2003 Aqua Sky
Year Color
2004 Tigerlily
2005 Blue Turquoise
2006 Sand Dollar
2007 Chili Pepper
2008 Blue Iris
2009 Mimosa
2010 Turquoise
2011 Honeysuckle
2012 Tangerine
2013 Emerald (smaragdine)
Passionato
Musical term denoting a direction to perform in a fervent, highly expressive manner
Pentimento
Alteration in a painting, evidenced by traces of previous work, showing that the artist has changed
his or her mind as to the composition during the process of painting
Peredvizhniki
Often called The Wanderers or The Itinerants, group of Russian realist artists who, in protest at
academic restrictions, formed an artists’ cooperative
Phidias
Greek sculptor who designed the statues of the goddess Athena on the Athenian Acropolis and the
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Photographic mosaic
Picture that has been divided into rectangular sections, each of which is replaced with another
photograph that matches the target photo
Photomontage
Process and result of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other
photographs
Pieta
Only work signed by Michelangelo
Pigment
Material that changes color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective
absorption
Pitch bend
Musical term referring to a slight raising or lowering of a note's pitch
Playbill
Program of a theatrical performance
Pointillism
Technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an
image developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac
Pomposo
Musical direction that denotes a direction to perform in a stately, dignified manner
Port Crayon
Literally meaning ‘chalk holder’, instrument for holding a piece of chalk, crayon, or pastel used for
drawing
Postlude
Closing piece of music, usually played by the organist at the endof a church music, while the
congregation is leaving
Precisionism
Name given to a type of painting which evolved in America in the 1920s,took its formal language
from Cubism and depicted forms in a sharply definedmanner
Presto
Musical tempo marking, sometimes used as a movement name, meaning “very fast”
Prokofiev, Sergei
Russian composer of the ballets Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet and the opera The Love for Three
Oranges
Puccini, Giacomo
Italian composer of Turandot and La Boheme
Additional citations
Putto
Chubby, naked child, represented in art since classical times,often as a decorative feature
Pyramidion
Small pyramid, such as that on the top of an obelisk
Rauschenberg, Robert
American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the pop art movement and is well
known for his “Combines” of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were
employed in innovative combinations
“Red Priest”
Nickname given to classical composer Antonio Vivaldi
Regalia
Term that refers to the emblems or symbols of royalty and may also refer to any insignia or
accouterments associated with authority or indicative of elevated status
Relief
Sculpture made so that all or part of it projects from a flat surface
Respighi, Ottorino
Italian composer, musicologist and conductor best known for his orchestral music, particularly the
three Roman tone poems: Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals
Retroussage
Method of removing excess ink from an intaglio printing plate after it has been inked, but prior to
printing
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai
Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five whose best-known
orchestral compositions include Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the
symphonic suite Scheherazade
Composer of the operas The Golden Cockerel and The Snow Maiden
Ritardando
Musical term denoting a direction to slow down gradually
Rocker
Spiked tool used for the preparatory work of roughening the plate in the mezzotint technique of
printmaking
Rodin, Auguste
French sculptor whose best known works include The Age of Bronze, The Walking Man, The
Burghers of Calais, and The Kiss
Rosso antico
Red unglazed stoneware created by Josiah Wedgwood used for designs based on Egyptian or Greek
prototypes
Rubato
Coming from the Italian word for stolen, musical term referring to a passage in which certain notes
are lengthened while others are shortened
Rubrication
One of several steps in the medieval process of manuscript making that usually entailed the addition
of red headings to mark the end of one section of text and the beginning of another
Ruiz y Picasso, Pablo
Spanish painter known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed
sculpture, the co-invention of collage and for the wide variety of styles that he helped developed
and explore
Works include Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Guernica, and The Weeping Woman
Ryom-Verzeichnis
Catalogue of compositions by Antonio Vivaldi
Saint-Saëns, Camille
Composer of the opera Samson and Delilah
Satie, Éric
French composer and pianist known for Gymnopédies
Sax, Adolphe
Inventor of the saxophone
Scarlatti, Alessandro
Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas and is considered
the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera
Schubert, Franz
Austrian composer who wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies, including the famous
“Unfinished Symphony”, liturgical music, operas, some incidental music and a large body of
chamber and solo piano music
Scorper
Metal tool used in wood engraving for clearing away large areas of the block or for engraving broad
lines
Sélavy, Rrose
Pseudonym of artist Marcel Duchamp
Selfie
Type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone
and is usually taken in a slightly tilted manner
Shade
Mixture of a color with black, which reduces lightness
Shakuhachi
Japanese end-blown flute
Shostakovich, Dmitri
Soviet Russian composer and pianist who wrote the Leningrad Symphony
Shunga
Japanese term for erotic art; most of them are a type of ukiyo-e, usually executed in woodblock
print format
Siccative
Material added to oil colors to speed their drying
Sightreading
Ability to perform a piece of music at first sight, without studying or practicing it beforehand
Smetana, Bedrich
Czech composer of “From My Life” string quartet as well as the operas Libuse and The Bartered
Bride and two sets of Czech dances
Spackling paste
Putty used to fill holes, small cracks, and other minor surface defects in wood, drywall or plaster
Staccato
Italian musical term denoting a direction to perform a note quickly, lightly and separated from the
notes before and after it
Stanislavski, Constantin
Founder of the Moscow Art Theatre
Stanton, Brandon
American photographer and blogger most known for his photo blog Humans of New York, started in
2010
State Hermitage
Largest art museum in the world
Statue of Freedom
Crowned the dome of the US Capitol
Stele
Stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative
purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed,
carved in relief, or painted onto the slab
Stieglitz, Alfred
American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in
making photography an accepted art form
Known for the New York art galleries that he ran in the early part of the 20th century, where he
introduced many avant-garde European artists to the US
Still life
Art form in which the subjects of the picture is made up of inanimate objects
Strapwork
Type of ornament consisting of interlaced bands and decorativeforms resembling strips of leather or
parchment that have been elaborately cut andpierced
Stravinsky, Igor
Russian composer of The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring
Sunset at Montmajour
First full-size painting by Vincent Van Gogh to be discovered since 1928
Surrealism
Early 20th-century movement in art and literature that tried to represent the subconscious mind by
creating fantastic imagery and juxtaposing ideas that seem to contradict each other
“Swan of Catania”
Nickname of Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini whose works include I Capuleti ed i
Montecchi, La sonnambula, Norma, Beatrice di Tenda, and I puritani
Swingout
Defining dance move of Lindy Hop
Symphony no. 41
Final symphony of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Taglioni, Marie
First ballerina to dance on pointes and to wear a tutu
Tampon
Drumstick with two heads
Tenebrism
Style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and
dark and darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image
Tessellation
Tiling of a plane using one or more geometric shapes, called tiles, with no overlaps and no gaps
The Scream
Painting by Edvard Munch that became the most expensive painting in 2012, sold for $119,922,600
The Slave of Duty
Subtitle of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance
Theotokópoulos, Doménikos
Real name of painter El Greco, best known for tortuously elongated figures and often fantastic or
phantasmagorical pigmentation, marrying Byzantine traditions with those of Western painting
whose works include El Expolio, The Assumption of the Virgin, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz,
View of Toledo and Opening of the Fifth Seal
Time signature
Sign placed after the clef and key-signature at the beginning of a piece of music, or during the
course of it, to indicate the time or meter of the music
Tincture
Colors used to emblazon a coat of arms
Tint
Mixture of a color with white, which increases lightness
Tour en l’air
In ballet, movement which involves the dancer turning while atthe same time jumping straight up
into the air
Tonguing
Term referring to the use of the tongue to articulate certain notes in playing of wind instruments
Tosca
Opera by Giacomo Puccini in which arias include “Vissi d’Arte”, “Vissi d’Amore”, “E Lucevan le
Stelle” and “Recondita Armonia”
Tranquillo
Musical term that denotes a direction to perform in a quiet, calm manner
Triptych
Three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open
Trumbull, John
American artist during the period of the American Revolutionary War notable for his Declaration
of Independence (1817)
Tudo, Pepita
Likely the model for Goya’s La maja desnuda
Turner, Joseph Mallord William
Known as “the painter of light”, British painter of The Fighting Temeraire, and Rain, Steam and
Speed
Twerking
Type of dancing in which an individual dances to popular music in a sexually provocative manner
involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance
Uccello, Paolo
Born Paolo di Dono, Italian painter notable for his pioneering work on visual perspective in art and
for his three paintings representing the Battle of San Romano
Vasari, Giorgio
Italian painter, architect, writer and historian, most famous today for his Lives of the Most Eminent
Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing
Vecelli, Tiziano
Known as Titian, Italian painter whose works include Assumption of the Virgin, Pesaro Madonna
and Venus of Urbino
Velázquez, Diego
Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV, painted the portrait of
Pope Innocent X,Las Meninas, Rokeby Venus, and The Surrender of Breda
Vellum
Mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books
Verdi, Giuseppe
Italian Romantic composer primarily known for his operas Rigoletto, La traviata, Nabucco, Il
trovatore and Aida
Verdigris
Technical term to the distinctive shade of green in the Statue of Liberty
Vermeer, Jan
Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life
Painted View of Delft, The Milkmaid and Girl With a Pearl Earring
Vibrato
Musical term referring to a slight wavering in pitch, occurring so quickly that it resembles a
vibration and sounds like a single pitch
Vignetting
In photography and optics, the reduction of an image’s brightness or saturation at the periphery
compared to the image center
Villa-Lobos, Heitor
South American composer who wrote a series of pieces inspired by Brazilian street music, h ros,
as well as Bachianas Brasileiras
Vivace
Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood and so usually in a fast tempo
Wagner, Richard
Composer of the opera Tristan and Isolde
Wagner-Werke-Verzeichnis
Catalogue of compositions by Richard Wagner
Warhol, Andy
Pop artist who designed album covers for John Lennon, Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground
Warping
Term referring to the crooked state of a canvas or stretcher produced by uneven expansion or
contraction
Water Lilies
Series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet that depict his
flower garden at Giverny and were the main focus of Monet's artistic production during the last
thirty years of his life
Wood, Grant
American Regionalist painter of Daughters of the Revolution and American Gothic
“Wooden sound”
Literal Greek meaning of the word xylophone
Xoanon
Archaic wooden cult image of Ancient Greece
Xylography
Art engraved on wood
Yoshizawa-Randlett system
Series of diagrams describing the art of origami
Zanelle
Artwork painted by a robot
Zills
Tiny metallic cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances
de Zurbarán, Francisco
Spanish painter known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and
for his still-lifes
Philosophy
Abelard, Peter
Medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician whose story of his
affair with and love for Heloise has become legendary
Argumentum ad hominem
General category of fallacies in which a claim or argument is rejected in the basis of some irrelevant
fact about the author of or person presenting the claim or argument
Averroes
Islamic philosopher considered to be the “founding father of secular thought in Western Europe”
Axiarchism
View that values rule or explain the natural order
Bentham, Jeremy
British philosopher considered as the “Father of Utilitarianism”
Berkeley, George
Irish philosopher who wrote the Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and
Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonus
Blavatsky, Helena
Founder of the Theosophical Society
Boethius
Roman philosopher who sought to interpret Greek philosophy to the Romans and expound orthodox
Christian doctrine, best known for The Consolation of Philosophy
Comte, Auguste
French philosopher who founded the discipline of sociology and the doctrine of positivism
Democritus
Pre-Socratic philosopher who formulated the atomic theory of the universe
Descartes, René
French philosopher dubbed the Father of Modern Philosophy, known for “Cogito ergo sum”,
method of doubt, Cartesian coordinate system, Cartesian dualism, ontological argument for the
existence of Christian God, and mathesis universalis
Diogenes of Sinope
Greek philosopher who became one of the founders of Cynic philosophy
Empedocles
Greek pre-Socratic philosopher best known for being the originator of the cosmogenic theory of the
four Classical elements (All matter is made up of four elements: water, earth, air and fire)
Epicurus
Greek founder of a school called The Garden who held the avoidance of pain and the seeking of
simple pleasure as the greatest good
Greek philosopher who espoused living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friendsand that good and
evil can be measured by pleasure and pain
Foucault, Michel
French philosopher best known for his critical studies of social institutions, most notably
psychiatry, the social anthropology of medicine, the human sciences, the prison system, and the
history of human sexuality
Freire, Paulo
Brazilian philosopher best known for his influential work Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Gramsci, Antonio
Italian philosopher renowned for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how states use
cultural institutions to maintain power in a capitalist society
Hedonism
School of ethic which argues that pleasure has an ultimate importance
Heidegger, Martin
Author of Being and Time, German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological
explorations of the “question of Being”
Henosis
In Classical Greek, word for mystical “oneness”, “union” or “unity”
In Platonism, goal is union with what is fundamental in reality: The One
Heraclitus of Ephesus
Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher famous for his insistence on ever-present change in the universe
Hume, David
Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist known especially for his philosophical
empiricism and skepticism
Husserl, Edmund
Philosopher and mathematician who founded the 20th century philosophical school of
phenomenology
Ibn Khaldun
Arab Muslim historiographer and historian, and one of the founding fathers of modern
historiography, sociology and economics, best known for his Muqaddimah
Idealism
Philosophical theory that maintains that the ultimate nature of reality is based on ideas
Kalam
In Islamic philosophy, process of adducing philosophical proofs to justify elements of religious
doctrine
Kant, Immanuel
German philosopher who argued that human perception structures natural law, and that reason is the
source of morality
Kierkegaard, Søren
Danish philosopher widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher
Kuon
Nickname given to Greek philosopher Diogenes
Laozi
Born Li Erh, philosopher of ancient China best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching
Lateral thinking
Popular term for a creative, imaginative approach to problem-solving that changes one’s
perceptions and conception of a problem, allegedly contrasted with ‘linear’ or ‘logical’ thinking
Locke, John
English philosopher who postulated that the mind was a blank state or tabula rasa
First philosopher to define the self through a continuity of consciousness
Logical atomism
Philosophical belief which holds that the world consists of ultimate logical facts that cannot be
broken down any further
Lukács, György
Hungarian philosopher who was one of the founders of Western Marxism, the interpretive tradition
that departed from the Marxist ideological orthodoxy of the USSR
Machiavelli, Niccolò
Italian philosopher best known as the author of The Prince
Mandate of Heaven
Traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy predicated on the conduct of
the ruler in question
Marx, Karl
Prussian-German philosopher and revolutionary socialist who played a significant role in the
establishment of the social sciences and the development of the socialist movement
Author of The Communist Manifesto and Capital, together with Friedrich Engels
McLuhan, Marshall
Canadian philosopher known for coining the expressions the medium is the message and the global
village
Nihilism
Philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life
Opportunism
Conscious policy and practice of taking selfish advantage of circumstances with little regard for
principles, or with what the consequences are for others
Perspectivism
Often confused with relativism and skepticism, concept which states that objectscannot be viewed
from all view point simultaneously, and knowledge is always biased
Phallocentrism
Neologism coined by Jacques Derrida to refer to the privileging of the masculine in the construction
of meaning
Phenomenalism
View that physical objects cannot justifiably be said to exist in themselves but only as perceptual
phenomena or sensory stimuli situated in time and in space
Plenum
In philosophy, conception of space as entirely filled with matter
Plotinus
Major philosopher of the ancient world
Protagoras
Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who is credited with having invented the role of the professional
sophists
Pythagoras of Samos
First man to call himself a philosopher or lover of wisdom
Smith, Adam
Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of political economy best known for two classic works:
The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of
Nations
Cited as the “father of modern economics”
Solipsism
Philosophical idea that only one’s own mind is sure to exist
Sophist
Specific kind of teacher in both ancient Greece and in the Roman Empire
Sophrosyne
Greek philosophical term etymologically meaning healthy-mindedness and from there self-control
or moderation guided by knowledge and balance
Spinoza, Baruch
Dutch philosopher whose magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, in which he opposed Descartes’s
mind–body dualism, has earned him recognition as one of Western philosophy’s most important
thinkers
Thales of Miletus
Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who attempted to explain natural phenomena without reference to
mythology
First to define general principles and set forth hypotheses
Tract
Short pamphlet or essay presenting some religious or politicalargument or doctrine
Veil of ignorance
Metaphorical description of the barrier against using special concerns in order to assess principles
of justice
Vico, Giambattista
Italian political philosopher, rhetorician, historian, and jurist who criticized the expansion and
development of rationalism and was an apologist of classical antiquity and is best known for his
magnum opus, the Scienza Nuova
Weber, Max
German philosopher who wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and Politics as a
Vocation
Wittgenstein, Ludwig
Austrian-British philosopher who authored Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
Yamaga Sokō
Japanese philosopher and strategist during the Tokugawa shogunate who applied Confucius’s idea
of the “superior man”to the samurai class of Japan
Zeno of Citium
Founder of the Stoic school of philosophy
Zeno of Elea
Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher best known for his paradoxes
Religion
8
• Number of Angels carrying The Holy Throne of Allah in heavens
• Number of Beatitudes
• Number of days in Hanukkah
9
As the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness in the Baha’i Faith
19
Number of angels guarding Hell according to the Qur’an
24
• Number of books in Tanakh
• Number of tirthankaras in Jainism
33
• Number of recorded miracles that Jesus performed
• Number of days that Pope John Paul I reigned
50
• Number of Gates of Wisdom (or Understanding) and Gates of Impurity in Kabbalah, respectively
• Number of chapters in Genesis
70
• Number of the dead among prophet Muhammad’s adversary during the Battle of Badr
• Number of Prophet Muhammad’s followers martyred at the Battle of Uhud
72
• Number of languages spoken at the Tower of Babylon
• Number of sects or denominations that are doomed to Hell, according to Hadith
• In Cao Dai, number of planets between hell and heaven
114
Number of chapters or suras in the Quran
140
Age that Job died
360
Number of idols inside the Kaaba, destroyed by the prophet Muhammad
Ablutions
Term referring to the washing of fingers and chalice by the celebrant after Communion in the
Eucharist
Ad extirpanda
Papal bull promulgated on Wednesday, May 15, 1252 by Pope Innocent IV which authorized in
limited and defined circumstances the use of torture by the Inquisition for eliciting confessions from
heretics
“Ad maiorem Dei gloriam”
Latin motto of the Society of Jesus, translated into English as “For the greater glory of God”
Adhan
Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day
Adi Granth
Holy book of Sikhism
Adrian IV
Born Nicholas Breakspear, only Englishman to become Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
Adrian VI
Born Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens, last non-Italian Pope of the Roman Catholic Church until
Blessed John Paul II 455 years later
Agape
Term used particularly by Christian writers to signify fraternal and filiallove, as opposed to eros or
sexual love
Aggadah
Homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism,
particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash
Agni
Hindu god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices
Agnus Dei
Latin for “lamb of God”, title for Jesus at appears in John 1:29
Ahimsa
Important tenet of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism that denotes kindness and non-violence
towards all living things including animals
Ahl al-Hadith
Term that has been used to refer to many Islamic movements, both historical and modern, that
emphasize the use of hadith in Islam
Ahura Mazda
Highest deity of worship in Zoroastrianism
Al-Masjid Al-Haram
Largest mosque in the world, located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and surrounds the Kaaba
Alexander III
Born Roland of Siena, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who laid the foundation stone for the
famous Notre-Dame de Paris
Alexander VI
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, father of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia
Elected in the first conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel
Excommunicated Girolamo Savonarola
Alpha course
Course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith, described as “an opportunity to
explore the meaning of life”
Amen
Last word in the Bible
St. Anne
Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Animism
Religious worldview that natural physical entities—including animals, plants, and often even
inanimate objects or phenomena—possess a spiritual essence
Antinomianism
Tendency in all religions, for some among those who believe to regard themselves as so possessed
of grace/salvation/enlightenment, etc., that existing laws are no longer applicable
Anusim
People compelled unwillingly to convert from Judaism to another faith
Aparigraha
In Jainism, concept of non-possessiveness
Apollinarism
View proposed by Apollinaris of Laodicea that Jesus could not have a human mind; rather, that
Jesus had a human body and lower soul but a divine mind
Apotheosis
Also called deification, glorification of a subject to divine level
Arihant
In Jainism, a step before becoming siddha
Armageddon
Site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location,
term also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario
As-Sirāt
Hair-narrow bridge which every person must pass on the Yawm ad-Din to enter Paradise
Aspersion
In religious context, act of sprinkling with water, especially holy water
Asteya
In Jainism, Sanskrit word meaning avoidance of stealing
Augsburg Confession
Primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church
Avesta
Primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism
Azrael
Islamic archangel of death
Bahá’u’lláh
Born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Núrí, founder of the ahá’í Faith
Balder
Norse god of light who was killed by a dart of mistletoe by Hoder
Bar Mitzvah
Jewish coming of age rituals
Barabbas
Insurrectionary whom Pontius Pilate freed at the Passover feast in Jerusalem, instead of Jesus Christ
Bardo
In Tibetan tradition, state of intermediate existence between two separate lives on earth
Barker, Robert
Printer of the King James Bible
Bat Mitzvah
Female equivalent of Bar Mitzvah
Beatific vision
Term referring to the ultimate direct self communication of God to the individual person, when she
or he reaches, as a member of redeemed humanity in the communion of saints, perfect salvation in
its entirety, that is the heaven
Becket, Thomas
Archbishop of Canterbury (1162-1170) who engaged in conflict with Henry II of England over the
rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by the followers of the king in Canterbury
Cathedral
Benedict IX
Only man to have been Pope on more than one occasion, the only man ever to have sold the papacy,
and the first verifiable person to have resigned the papacy
Benedict XVI
Born Josef Alois Ratzinger, first Roman Catholic pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415,
and the first to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294
Bernard of Clairvaux
French abbot, the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order
Black Stone
Eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba, the ancient stone building toward which Muslims pray, in the
center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic which, according to Muslim tradition, dates back to the
time of Adam and Eve
Bodhisattva
In Mahayana Buddhism, term referring to people who refrain from reachingnirvana in order to save
others
Boniface VIII
Born Benedetto Gaetani, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church best remembered for his feuds with
Dante, who placed him in the Eighth Circle of Hell in his Divine Comedy, among the simoniacs
Written by Moses
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
Wisdom Literature
18. Job
19. Psalms
20. Proverbs
21. Ecclesiastes
22. Song of Songs
Major Prophets
23. Isaiah
24. Jeremiah
25. Lamentations
26. Ezekiel
27. Daniel
Minor Prophets
28. Hosea
29. Joel
30. Amos
31. Obadiah
32. Jonah
33. Micah
34. Nahum
35. Habakkuk
36. Zephaniah
37. Haggai
38. Zechariah
39. Malachi
Epistles by Paul
45. Romans
46. 1 Corinthians
47. 2 Corinthians
48. Galatians
49. Ephesians
50. Philippians
51. Colossians
52. 1 Thessalonians
53. 2 Thessalonians
54. 1 Timothy
55. 2 Timothy
56. Titus
57. Philemon
General Epistles
58. Hebrews
59. James
60. 1 Peter
61. 2 Peter
62. 1 John
63. 2 John
64. 3 John
65. Jude
Booth, William
British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General
Borobudur
9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Indonesia
Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
“Butcher of Cesena”
Nickname given to Antipope Clement VII, the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism,
opposing Pope Urban VI
Cadaver Synod
Name commonly given to the posthumous ecclesiastical trial of Catholic Pope Formosus
Callixtus III
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who allegedly issued a bull against a comet in 1456
Canonization
Act by which the Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodox Church declares a deceased person to be a
saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints
Canopic jars
Sets of pottery containers served as receptacles for the organs ofmummies
Cao Dai
Asian syncretic monotheistic religion that reveres Charlie Chaplin and Victor Hugo
Celestine II
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church that became the first pope listed in the Prophecies of St.
Malachy
Chaturmas
Holy period of four months (July to October) in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, reserved the
year for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in holy rivers and religious observances for all
Chinjusha
Shinto shrine which enshrines a patron spirit that protects a given area, village, building or Buddhist
temple
Chinvat Bridge
In Zoroastrianism, sifting bridge which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead
Clement V
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, memorable in history for suppressing the order of the Knights
Templar and allowing the execution of many of its members, and as the Pope who moved the Curia
from Rome to Avignon, ushering in the period known as the Avignon Papacy
Clement VI
Most notable as the Pope who reigned during the time of the Black Death, during which he granted
remission of sins to all that died of the plague
Clement VII
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church notable for excommunicating Henry VIII of England
Clement XII
Born Lorenzo Corsini, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church known for building the new façade of
the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, beginning construction of the Trevi Fountain, and the
purchase of Cardinal Alessandro Albani’s collection of antiquities for the papal gallery
Converso
A Jew or Muslim who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th
and 15th centuries, or one of their descendants
Daibutsu
Japanese term, often used informally, for large statues of Buddha
Dakhma
Also known as Tower of Silence, circular, raised structure used by Zoroastrians for exposure of the
dead, particularly to scavenging birds
Daniel
Biblical character whose name means “God is my judge”
Darbar Sahib
Main hall within a Sikh gurdwara
Decretum de Judaeis
Name given to the series of draft documents of the Second Vatican Council which led to the
groundbreaking progress in the Catholic Church’s relations with Jews
Deism
Belief that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of a
Creator, accompanied with the rejection of revelation and authority as a source of religious
knowledge
Dhikr
Islamic devotional act which is a form of prayer in which the Muslim will express his or her
remembrance of God either within or overtly
Dispensation
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, the suspension by competent authority of general
rules of law in particular cases
Diwali
Hindu festival popularly known as the “festival of lights”
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, sacred era in which ancestral totemic
spirit beings created the world
Drukpa Kunley
Buddhist monk known for his crazy methods of enlightening other beings, mostly women, which
earned him the title “The Saint of 5,000 Women”, promising women a path to Nirvana through the
use of his penis or “Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom” as he called it
Eid al-Fitr
Important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the
Islamic holy month of fasting
En no Ozunu
Japanese ascetic, mystic, and apothecary, who was banished to Izu Ōshima on June 26, 699 CE and
traditionally held to be the founder of Shugendō, a syncretic religion incorporating aspects of
Taoism, Shinto, esoteric Buddhism (especially Shingon Mikkyō and the Tendai sect) and traditional
Japanese shamanism
Epiphany
Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
Eschatology
Branch of theology concerned with studying events taking place in the last days of the world
Esther
Only book in the Bible which does not explicitly mention God
Exsurge Domine
Papal bull issued on 15 June 1520 by Pope Leo X in response to the teachings of Martin Luther
which opposed the views of the papacy
Father Damien
Born Jozef de Veuster, Roman Catholic priest who won recognition for his ministry in Hawaii to
people with leprosy who have been placed under a government-sanctioned medical quarantine on
the island of Molokai
Canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009
Felici, Pericle
Roman Catholic cardinal who had the rare honor of giving twice the Habemus Papam
announcement, the first after the election of Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I, and the second,
after the election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II
Fire temple
Place of worship for Zoroastrians
Five Ks of Sikhism
Black Famine
Red Bloodshed and war
Pale Pestilence and Death
White Evil
Fox, George
English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the
Quakers or Friends
Francis
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, first Jesuit Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, the first pope from
the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere
First non-European pope since Gregory III, 1272 years earlier
First pope since Pius X to live outside the papal apartments
Fravashi
In Zoroastrianism, term referring to the guardian spirit mentioned in the Avestaof an individual,
who sends out the urvan, often translated as “soul”, into thematerial world to fight the battle of good
versus evil
Gabbai
A person who assists in the running of synagogues in some way
Gathas
17 hymns believed to have been composed by Zoroaster himself
Gautama, Siddharta
Known as “Buddha” or “the enlightened one”, founder of Buddhism
Gemara
Component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah
Golem
In Jewish folklore, animated anthropomorphic being created in times of danger to protect the Jews
Grace
In Christianity, term referring to the gift from God of power that makes salvationpossible
Grand Master
In Freemasonry, the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction
Great Spirit
Called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux and Gitche Manitou in Algonquian, a conception of a
supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures
Great Tribulation
Refers to tumultuous events that are described during the “signs of the times”, first mentioned by
Jesus in the Olivet discourse
Gregory IV
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church notable for his attempts to intervene in the quarrels between
the emperor Louis the Pious and his sons and saw the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in 843
Gregory VII
Roman Catholic pope best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy
First pope in several centuries to rigorously enforce the Catholic Church’s ancient policy of
celibacy for the Catholic clergy and attacked the practice of simony
Gregory IX
Roman Catholic pope known for instituting the Papal Inquisition, a mechanism that severely
punished people accused of heresy
Gregory XI
Last of the Avignon popes
Gregory XIII
Born Ugo Boncompagni, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church best known for commissioning and
being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar
Gregory XVI
Born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who opposed democratic
and modernizing reforms in the Papal States and throughout Europe, seeing them as fronts for
revolutionary leftism, and he sought to strengthen the religious and political authority of the papacy
Gurdwara
Place of worship for Sikhs
Guru
Sanskrit term for “teacher” or “master”, especially in Indian religions
Hadith
Collection of sayings and deeds of Muhammad, the second most important text in Islam that
complements the Qu’ran
Hafiz
Term used by modern Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Qur’an
Hajj
One of the five pillars of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out by every able-bodied
Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime
Halakha
Collective body of religious laws for Jews, including biblical law and later Talmudic and rabbinic
law, as well as customs and traditions
Hanukkah
Eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the
time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd Century BCE
Haraam
In Islamic jurisprudence, term used to refer to any act that is forbidden by God
Haredi
Most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism
Haredim
Termfor Jews who observe the tenets of their religion with care
Harmandir Sahib
Known as the Golden Temple, most well-known Gurdwara in Sikhism
Hasidim
Term referring to Jews who maintain the highest standard of religious observance and moral action
Heaven’s Gate
American UFO religion doomsday cult whose members committed mass suicide in 1997 in order to
reach what they believed was an alien space craft following the Comet Hale–Bopp, which was at its
brightest
Heresy
Any religious doctrine opposed to the dogma of a particular church, especially a doctrine held by a
person professing faith in the teachings of that church
Hermitage
Dwelling of a religious recluse, in the medieval period oftenassociated with religious foundations,
endowed for an anchorite in a churchyard or some other place, often attached to a monastery, and
frequently associated with an oratory
Hieros gamos
Term referring to a sexual ritual that plays out a marriage between a god and a goddess, especially
when enacted in a symbolic ritual where human participants represent the deities
Hi’iaka
Patroness of the hula dance
Hindu gods
Agni Fire
Brahma Creation
Indra Storms and war
Iswara Nature and soul
Kali Destruction
Kama Lust and desire
Lakshmi Wealth and good luck
Mara Death
Pushan Enlightenment
Radha Love
Sarasvati Art, learning and music
Shiva Creation and destruction
Soma Speech
Surya Sun
Varuna Sea
Vishnu Creation
Yama Death
Hitchens, Christopher
British-American author who was famously asked by the Vatican to testify against the beatification
of Mother Teresa in 2002
Holy of Holies
Term in the Hebrew Bible which refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the
Temple in Jerusalem where the Ark of the Covenant was kept during the First Temple, which could
be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur
Homoousion
Term used by Augustine to express the identity of the substance of the members of the trinity; the
principal doctrine affirmed in the Athanasian creed, drawn up to confute the Arian heresy
Honorius III
Roman Catholic pope who gave papal sanction to the Dominican Order and the Franciscan Order
Imam
Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community
Immersion
Method of Baptism whereby part of the candidate’s body is submerged in the baptismal water
which is poured over the remainder
In nomine Domini
Papal bull written by Pope Nicholas II in 1059 that caused major reforms in the system of papal
election, most notably establishing the cardinal-bishops as the sole electors of the pope with the
consent of the minorclergy
Incubation
Practice of sleeping in churches or their precincts in expectation of visions, revelations, and healing
from disease
Ineffabilis Deus
Apostolic constitution by Pope Pius IX that defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Inhibition
Episcopal order suspending from the performance of his office an incumbent whose conduct makes
such action advisable
Innocent III
Born Lothar of Segni, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who exerted a wide influence over the
Christian regimes of Europe, claiming supremacy over all of Europe's kings
Notable for using interdict and other censures to compel princes to obey his decisions
Innocent X
Born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj, head of the Catholic Church noted as one of the most politically
shrewd pontiffs of the era
Interdict
In the Roman Catholic canon law, ecclesiastical censure that excludes from certain rites of the
Church individuals or groups who nonetheless do not cease to be members of the Church
Intinction
In liturgical use, practice of absorbing some consecrated orunconsecrated wine into the Eucharistic
bread before Communion
Istita’ah
Term for the state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj
Jah
Shortened name for God YHWH, most commonly used in the Rastafari movement
Jamaraat Bridge
Pedestrian bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia used by Muslims during the stoning of the devil ritual of
the Hajj
Jansenism
Christian theological movement, primarily in France, that emphasized original sin, human
depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination originated from the posthumously
published work of the Dutch theologian Cornelius Jansen
Jatakas
Precursors to the various legendary biographies of the Buddha
Jesse
Father of King David
John
Most common name adopted by Roman Catholic popes
John XXII
Second Pope of the Avignon Papacy, faced controversy in theology involving his views on the
Beatific Vision, opposed the Franciscan understanding of the poverty of Christ and his apostles, and
canonized St. Thomas Aquinas
John Paul I
Born Albino Luciani, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who became the only Pope to have lived
his entire life in the 20th century
First pope to be born in the 20th century and the last pope to die in it
First pope to choose an investiture to commence his papacy rather than the traditional papal
coronation
Most recent Italian-born pope
Last pope to use the sedia gestatoria
Joseph of Arimathea
Man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after the latter’s crucifixion
Julius III
Head of the Catholic Church from 7 February 1550 to his death in 1555 who made only reluctant
and short-lived attempts at reform, mostly devoting himself to a life of personal pleasure
Kabbalah
Discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism
Kaddish
Hymn of praises to God found in the Jewish prayer service
Kali
Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy
Kami
General term for the divine being in the Shinto religion
Kanthaka
Favorite white horse of Gautama Siddharta
Kapparot
Jewish ritual practiced by some Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur where the person swings a live
chicken or a bundle of coins over one's head three times, symbolizing transferring one's sins to the
chicken or coins
Karaite Judaism
Jewish movement characterized by the recognition of the Tanakh alone as its supreme legal
authority in Halakha and theology
Ketubah
Special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish
marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride
Keyumars
Avestan name of the mythological first Man in Old Iranian culture
Khadijah
First wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and commonly regarded as the first Muslim and
“mother of Islam”
Khanda
Term for the emblem of Sikhism
Kiswah
Cloth that covers the Kaaba
Knox, John
Leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland
Considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland
Kumbh Mela
Mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river
Considered to be largest peaceful gathering in the world with over 100 million people visiting
during the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013
Lakshmi
Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and change
Lamech
• Father of Noah
• First polygamist mentioned in the Bible
Langar
Term used in the Sikh religion for common kitchen or canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara
to all the visitors for free
Langton, Stephen
Archbishop of Canterbury credited with having divided the Bible into the standard modern
arrangement of chapters used today
LaVey, Anton
American author, occultist, and musician who was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as the
author of The Satanic Bible
Lectern
Reading desk in a church, usuallymade of wood or brass but sometimes of stone or marble
Leo I
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who persuaded Attila the Hun not to attack Rome
Leo III
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him
Emperor and Augustus of the Romans
Leo X
Born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church best remembered for
granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter’s Basilica, which was
challenged by Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses
Leo XIII
Born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, oldest pope, reigning until the age of 93 and
known for intellectualism, the development of social teachings with his encyclical Rerum Novarum
and his attempts to define the position of the Church with regard to modern thinking
First Pope to fully embrace the concept of Mary as mediatrix
Liberation theology
Political movement in Catholic theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to
a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions
Lumen fidei
First encyclical of Pope Francis
Luther, Martin
German monk known for his Ninety-Five Theses and the seminal figure of Protestant Reformation
MacKillop, Mary
Only Australian thus far to be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint, canonized by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2010
Madrasa
Any type of religious school or college for the study of the Islamic religion, though this may not be
the only subject studied
Mahabodhi Temple
Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya where Siddharta Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment
Mahavir Jayanthi
Most important religious holiday in Jainism that celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahavira, the
last Tirthankara
Mahavira
Also known as Vardhamana, twenty-fourth and last tirthankara of Jainism
Malachi
Final book of the Old Testament in the Authorized King James Version of the Bible
Mandala
Sanskrit for “circle”, sacred diagram used in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially in secret rituals
known as Tantric rituals
Manichaeanism
Doctrine that the world is not governed by one perfect Being,but by a balance of the forces of good
and evil
Mara
Demon that tempted Gautama Buddha by trying to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women
who are often said to be her daughters
Marcellus II
Most recent Pope of the Roman Catholic Church to choose to retain his birth name as his regnal
name upon his accession, as well as only the second and most recent pope to date to take the name
“Marcellus”upon being elected
Marrano
Term referring to originally Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula who converted or been forced to
convert to Christianity, some of whom may have continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret
Masih ad-Dajjal
Literally meaning “the false Messiah”, evil figure in Islamic eschatology
Mawlid
Observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Mercurius
First pope to adopt a new name upon the elevation to the papacy
Midrash
In Judaism, body of homiletic stories told by Jewish rabbinic sages to explain passages in the
Tanakh
Mihrab
Semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla
Mikveh
Term referring to a Jewish ritual bath, used for ritual cleansing after contact withthe dead or after
menstruation
Minbar
Pulpit in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons
Minyan
Term for the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations
Miriam
Elder sister of Moses
Mishnah
First major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the “Oral Torah” and also the first
major work of Rabbinic Judaism
Monophysitism
Christological position that Christ has only one true nature
Monstrance
Vessel used for exposing relics or, more usually, the EucharisticHost for veneration
1. Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi’ al-awwal
4. Rabi’ al-thani
5. Jumada al-awwal
6. Jumada al-thani
7. Rajab
8. Sha’aban
9. Ramadan
10. Shawwal
11. Dhu al-Qi’dah
12. Dhu al-Hijjah
Moroni
Angel said to have appeared before Joseph Smith to inform him that he hadbeen chosen to restore
God’s church on earth
Moksha
In Indian religions, term for liberation or release
Mount Ararat
In Judeo-Christian tradition, associated with the “Mountains of Ararat” where, according to the
book of Genesis, Noah's ark came to rest
Mount Meru
Sacred mountain in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
Muezza
Said to have been the Islamic prophet Muhammad's favorite cat
Muezzin
Chosen person at the mosque who leads the call to Friday service and the five daily prayers from
one of the mosque’s minarets
Mustati
Muslim who fulfills the state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj
Mutawa
Religious police that patrol in Saudi Arabia to enforce morality based on Islamic teachings
Mutaween
Police force responsible for the enforcement of sharia in some Muslim-majority countries
Navratri
Festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga
Nestorianism
Christological doctrine that emphasizes the disunion between the human anddivine natures of Jesus
Niddah
Hebrew term describing a woman during menstruation, or a woman who has menstruated and not
yet completed the associated requirement of immersion in a mikveh
Nirvana
Ancient Sanskrit term used in Indian religions to describe the profound peace of mind that is
acquired with moksha
Nishan Sahib
Sikh holy triangular flag made of cotton or silk cloth, with a tassel at its end
1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
“Ora et labora”
Motto of the Benedictine Order, translated in English as “pray and work”
Orisha
Spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Yoruba spiritual or religious
system
Orphism
Ascetic cult of ancient Greece, stressing the transmigration of souls, moral and ritual purity, and
individual responsibility of guilt and having mystical rites of initiation and purification
Pacem in Terris
Last encyclical drafted by Pope John XXIII which argued that peace between all peoples must be
based on truth, justice, love and freedom
First encyclical that the Pope addressed to “all men of good will”, rather than only to Catholics
Padmasana
• Lotus throne in Hindu-Buddhist art
• Lotus position in yoga meditative position
Papabile
Unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologist to describe a Roman Catholic man who is
thought a likely or possible candidate to be elected pope
Pashkvil
Broadside or poster that has been situated on a public wall or location in an Orthodox Jewish
community
Pastor Bonus
Apostolic Constitution promulgated by Blessed John Paul II on June 28, 1988 instituting a number
of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Roman Catholic Church
Pastoralis Praeeminentiae
Papal bull issued by Pope Clement V ordering the arrest of all Knights Templar and seizure of their
properties on behalf of the Church
Patron saints
Paul II
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church allegedly died while being sodomized by a page boy
Paul III
Born Alessandro Farnese, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who convened the Council of Trent
in 1545 and to whom that Nicolaus Copernicus dedicated De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
Excommunicated Henry VIII of England
Paul IV
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who was instrumental in setting up the Roman Inquisition, and
was opposed to any dialogue with the emerging Protestant party in Europe
Paul VI
Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who
continued the Second Vatican Council and fostered ecumenical relations with Orthodox and
Protestants, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements
Discontinued most of the ceremonial functions of the old Roman nobility at the papal court by
virtue of his motu proprio apostolic letter Pontificalis Domus
Abolished the Palatine Guard and the Noble Guard, leaving the Swiss Guard as the sole military
order of the Vatican
First pope to visit six continents
First pope to visit the United States
First pope to visit the Holy Land
Pelagianism
Belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing
good or evil without special Divine aid
Photine
Name given to the Samaritan woman at the well in the Gospel of John
St. Pius V
Born Antonio Ghislieri, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church chiefly notable for his role in the
Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, the standardization of the Roman rite within the Latin
Church, declared Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church and patronized prominent sacred music
composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Pius IX
Born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, head of the Catholic Church who convened the First Vatican
Council and defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Longest reigning elected pope in the history of the Catholic Church
Last pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to Italian nationalist
armies and were incorporated to the Kingdom of Italy
Pius X
Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914 whose
most important reform was to publish the first Code of Canon Law, which collected the laws of the
Church into one volume for the first time
First pope since Pius V to be canonized
Pius XI
Born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who canonized
important saints including Thomas More, Petrus Canisius, Konrad von Parzham, Andrew Bobola,
Don Bosco, and Thérèse de Lisieux and created the feast of Christ the King in response to anti-
clericalism
Pius XII
Born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church whose
pontificate coincided with the Second World War and commencement of the Cold War
Served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio to
Germany (1917–1929), and Cardinal Secretary of State, in which capacity he worked to conclude
treaties with European and Latin American nations, most notably the Reichskonkordat with Nazi
Germany
Plagues of Egypt
1. Water, which turned to blood and killed all fish and other aquatic life (Exodus 7:14–25)
2. Frogs (Exodus 8:1–8:15)
3. Lice (Exodus 8:16–19)
4. Flies or wild animals (Exodus 8:20–30)
5. Disease on livestock (Exodus 9:1–7)
6. Incurable boils (Exodus 9:8–12)
7. Hail and thunder (Exodus 9:13–35)
8. Locusts (Exodus 10:1–20)
9. Darkness (Exodus 10:21–29)
10. Death of the first-born of all Egyptian humans and animals. To be saved, the Israelites had to
place the blood of a lamb on the front door of their houses. (Exodus 11, Exodus 12)
Pole, Reginald
Last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury
Pontius Pilate
Fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from 26–36, best known as the judge at the trial of
Jesus and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus
Popes of the Roman Catholic Church
Qibla
Direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during salat
Quas Primas
Encyclical of Pope Pius XI that introduced the Feast of Christ the King
Rama Navami
Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of
Ayodhya
Raphael
In Islam, angel responsible for signaling the coming of the Judgment Day by blowing the trumpet
Rapture
In popular Christian apocalyptic literature, term referring to a belief that before openly coming for
the Last Judgment of the Dead, Christ will secretly return to take those who truly believe in him
directly up to Heaven
Ravasi, Gianfranco
Italian cardinal who said that Jesus Christ was the first tweeter
Recapitulation
In the writings of the Christian fathers, term referring to the restoration of fallenhumanity to
communion with God through the obedience of Christ
Red heifer
Heifer that was sacrificed and whose ashes were used for the ritual purification
Requiem
Mass offered for the dead
Retrojection
Term referring to the possibility that Christian experience in the early Church has been put back by
the writers of the gospels into the lifetime and ministry of Jesus
Sabellanism
Nontrinitarian belief that the Heavenly Father, Resurrected Son and Holy Spirit are different modes
or aspects of one God
Salome
Daughter of Herodias who requested John the Baptist’s head on a platter
Samadhi
Term for a higher level of concentrated meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and
yogic schools
Samsara
Repeating cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth
Santeria
Religion similar to voodoo that combines elements of Yoruba and Roman Catholictraditions and is
noted for its animal sacrifices
Sawm
Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence
Scarab
Object symbolizing the holy beetle in Ancient Egypt
Sedia gestatoria
Ceremonial throne on which Popes were carried on shoulders until 1978
Semikhah
Jewish rite of ordination
Sergius III
First Pope to be depicted wearing the papal tiara and the only pope to have allegedly fathered an
illegitimate son who later became pope (John XI)
Servant of God
In the Catholic Church, title given to a deceased person of the Catholic Church whose life and
works are being investigated in consideration for official recognition by the Pope and the Catholic
Church as a saint in Heaven
• Luxuria (lechery/lust)
• Gula (gluttony)
• Avaritia (avarice/greed)
• Acedia (acedia/discouragement/sloth)
• Ira (wrath)
• Invidia (envy)
• Superbia (pride)
Seven Virtues
• Faith
• Hope
• Charity
• Justice
• Prudence
• Temperance
• Fortitude
Shabbat
Jewish day of rest and seventh day of the week, on which they remember the traditional creation of
the heavens and the earth in six days and the Exodus of the Hebrews, and look forward to a future
Messianic Age
Shakti
Meaning sacred force or empowerment, term referring to the primordial cosmic energy and
represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism
Shambhala
In Tibetan Buddhist and Indian Buddhist traditions, mythical kingdom hidden somewhere in Inner
Asia
Shoji
Cycle of birth and death in Japanese Buddhism
Simony
Act of paying to receive sacraments, including those for ordination to a holy office or other position
in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus
Sixtus IV
Born Francesco della Rovere, head of the Roman Catholic Church who saw the establishment of the
Sistine Chapel, furthered the agenda of the Spanish Inquisition and annulled the decrees of the
Council of Constance, and was personally involved in the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy
Soteriology
Study of religious doctrines of salvation
Stephen VI
Head of the Catholic Church from 22 May 896 to his death in 897 who is chiefly remembered in
connection with his conduct towards the remains of Pope Formosus
Stoup
Vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church
Sufism
Sect of Islam explores the inner, mystical and esoteric aspects of the religion,famous for its
Whirling Dervishes
Suizen
Zen practice of consisting of playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute as a means of attaining self-
realization
Sun Myung-moon
Founder of the Unification Church
Sunnah
Sayings and living habits of Muhammad
Susanoo
Shinto god of the sea and storms and also considered to be ruler of Yomi
Suttee
Social funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman
would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre
Swayambhunath
Ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city
Also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the
temple
Syllabus of Errors
Document issued by the Holy See under Pope Pius IX on the same day as the Pope's encyclical
Quanta Cura, which condemns a number of political propositions involving democracy, socialism
and freedom of speech and religion
Sylvester II
Born Gerbert d’Aurillac, first French Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who endorsed and
promoted study of Arab/Greco-Roman arithmetic, mathematics, and astronomy, reintroducing to
Europe the abacus and armillary sphere
Syncretism
Movement aimed at establishing a harmony between apparentlyopposing positions in philosophy or
theology
Synod
Council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application
Taffarel, Vincenza
Catholic nun who found the body of Pope John Paul I
Tekakwitha, St. Kateri
First Native American to be venerated and canonized
St. Telemachus
Monk that tried to stop a gladiator fight in a Roman amphitheater, and was stoned to death by the
crowd
Templeton Prize
Established in 1972, it is awarded to a living person who, in the estimation of the judges, “has made
an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight,
discovery, or practical works”
Tetragrammaton
Term referring to the Hebrew theonym transliterated to the Latin letters YHWH that may be derived
from the verb that means “to be”, and is considered in Judaism to be a proper name of the God of
Israel used in the Hebrew Bible
Tetzel, Johann
German Dominican preacher known for selling indulgences, which inspired Martin Luther to write
his Ninety-Five Theses
• Melchior
• Gaspar
• Balthazar
St. Timothy
Patron saint against intestinal disorders and stomach diseases
Tirthankara
In Jainism, a human being who helps in achieving liberation and enlightenment as an “Arihant”
Torana
Gateway seen in the Hindu and Buddhist architecture of the Indian subcontinent
Torii
Traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where
it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred
de Torquemada, Tomas
Dominican friar who eventually became the first Inquisitor-General of Spain, known as the “Black
Legend”
Transubstantation
In Roman Catholic theology, doctrine that, in the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and the wine
used in the sacrament is literally changed into the substance of the Body and the Blood of Jesus,
while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before
Twelfth Night
Festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the
Twelve Days of Christmas
Tzedakah
Term in Judaism referring to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism
emphasizes are important parts of living a spiritual life
Umrah
Pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of
the year
Unam sanctam
Papal bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII considered as one of the most extreme statements of papal
spiritual supremacy ever made
Urban II
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church best known for initiating the First Crusade and setting up the
modern-day Roman Curia in the manner of a royal ecclesiastical court to help run the Church
Urban VII
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for thirteen days in September 1590, the shortest papal reign in
history and gave rise to the world’s first known public smoking ban, as he threatened to
excommunicate anyone who “took tobacco in the porchway of or inside a church, whether it be by
chewing it, smoking it with a pipe or sniffing it in powdered form through the nose”
Ussher, James
Irish scholar who famously published a chronology that purported to establish the time and date of
the creation as the night preceding Sunday, 23 October 4004 BCE, according to the proleptic Julian
calendar
Vampirism
Phenomenon where the dead rise from their graves in order tofeast upon the living, most closely
associated with Count Dracula
Vermes, Géza
British scholar of Jewish Hungarian origin and writer on religious history, particularly Jewish and
Christian and a noted authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and ancient works in Aramaic such as the
Targums, and on the life and religion of Jesus
Vesak
Most important Buddhist festival, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha
Vulgate Bible
Late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible, largely the work of St. Jerome, who was
commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations
Wailing Wall
Most sacred site recognized by the Jewish faith outside of the Temple Mount itself
Waqf
Inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically donating a building or plot of land or
even cash for Muslim religious or charitable purposes
Well of Zamzam
Well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia believed to be a miraculously-
generated source of water from Allah
Wesley, John
Anglican cleric and Christian theologian largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as
founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar
manner to George Whitefield
Whitefield, George
English Anglican preacher who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the
British North American colonies
Wives of Muhammad
Yasna
Primary liturgical collection of texts of the Avesta as well as the name of the principal Zoroastrian
act of worship at which those verses are recited
Zakat
Pillar of Islam commands that those who have money above 20 gold mithqals or 200 silver dirhams
to give alms to the poor in the community
Zoroaster
Founder of Zoroastrianism
Sciences
2 Pallas
Second asteroid to have been discovered (1802) by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers
88
Number of constellations
206P/Barnard–Boattini
First comet to be discovered by photographic means
323 Brucia
First asteroid to be discovered by the use of astrophotography
433 Eros
First near-Earth asteroid to be found (by Carl Gustav Witt)
Aa
Lava characterized by a rough or rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinker
Accretion disc
Structure formed by diffuse material in orbital motion around a central body
Albert II
First monkey in space
Alluvium
Loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, which has been eroded, reshaped by water in some form,
and redeposited in a non-marine setting
Andromeda
First nebula to be reclassified as a galaxy in 1924
Ansari, Anousheh
First self-funded woman to fly to the International Space Station
Apollo 7
First mission in the United States’s Apollo program to carry a crew into space
First American space flight to carry astronauts into low-Earth orbit after a cabin fire killed the
Apollo 1 crew in 1967
Apollo 8
First manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit, reach the Earth’s moon, orbit it and return safely to
Earth
Apollo 11
Spaceflight that landed the first humans on the Moon
Apollo 17
Final mission of the United States’ Apollo lunar landing program, and was the sixth landing of
humans on the Moon
Most recent manned Moon landing and the most recent crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit
Longest manned lunar landing flight
Longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities
Largest lunar sample return
Longest time in lunar orbit
Ariel
Brightest of the 27 known moons of Uranus
Armstrong, Neil
American astronaut that became the first person to walk on the Moon
Took the picture of Buzz Aldrin while doing their moonwalk
Aryabhata
First satellite of India, launched by the Soviet Union in 1975
Asthenosphere
Region of the earth, located between 100 and 200 kilometers below the surface,lies just below the
lithosphere and is the soft region of the upper mantle
Axial precession
In astronomy, gravity-induced, slow, and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical
body's rotational axis
Bahia Emerald
Largest single shard of emerald ever discovered
Baltis Vallis
Longest known channel of any kind in the Solar System, located in Venus
Barnard’sStar
Very low-mass red dwarf star about six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of
Ophiuchus, the Snake-holder
Barometer
Device that measures atmospheric pressure and is often used to gauge altitude
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, common term for consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet
Beregoyov, Georgy
Soviet cosmonaut who commanded the space mission Soyuz 3 in 1968
Binary star
Star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass
Black hole
Region of spacetime bounded by an event horizon
Brahe, Tycho
Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary
observations
“Bud”
Childhood nickname of astronaut John Glenn
Burney, Venetia
First person to suggest the name Pluto for the dwarf planet discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930
C/2012 S1
Also known as Comet ISON, sungrazing comet discovered on September 21, 2012 that was fully
disintegrated from the Sun's heat and tidal forces in November 2013
C/2013 R1
Long-period comet discovered in September 2013 that came to perihelion on December 22, 2013
Caldera
Cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption,
coined by Leopold von Buch
Carpenter, Scott
Second American to orbit the Earth and the fourth American in space, following Alan Shepard, Gus
Grissom and John Glenn
Cassini Division
4,800 km (3,000 mi) wide region between the A Ring and B Ring of Saturn
Ceres
Only dwarf planet in the inner Solar System
Once the largest asteroid, and the first asteroid to be identified
Cernan, Eugene
Last man on the moon
Challenger
Space shuttle which exploded after liftoff in 1986
Second space shuttle to be launched
Chang’e 3
Lunar exploration mission operated by China National Space Administration, incorporating a
robotic lander and a rover, launched on December 1, 2013
China's first lunar rover
First spacecraft in 37 years to make a soft landing on the Moon since the Soviet Luna 24 mission
Charlie Brown
Callsign of Apollo 10’s Command Module
Cislunar space
Region outside Earth’s atmosphere and extending out to just beyond the Moon’s orbit, including the
Lagrangian points
Cloud
In meteorology, visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water or various chemical
suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body
Columbia
First space-worthy Space Shuttle in NASA’s orbital fleet
Comet
Only celestial objects that are typically named for their discoverers
Comet Hale-Bopp
Discovered in 1995, most widely observed comet of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen
for many decades
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet that broke apart and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation
of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects
Convection
In meteorology, process in which air, having been warmed close to the ground, rises
Copernicus, Nicolaus
Polish mathematician and astronomer who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe which
placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center
Coral Triangle
Geographical term referring to a roughly triangular area of the tropical marine waters of Indonesia,
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and East Timor that contain at least
500 species of reef-building corals in each ecoregion
Corona
Type of plasma that surrounds the Sun and other celestial bodies, including the Earth
Cosmic latte
Name assigned to the average color of the universe, given by a team of astronomers from the Johns
Hopkins University
Craton
Old and stable part of the continental lithosphere
Crux
Smallest of the 88 modern constellations
Curiosity
Car-sized robotic rover exploring Gale Crater on Mars as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory
mission
Cyclogenesis
Development or strengthening of cyclonic circulation in theatmosphere
Cynosura
Another name for Polaris
De Beers Diamond
Largest missing diamond in the world, part of the Patiala Necklace
Desertification
Term referring to the spread of desert-like conditions, particularly in arid or semi-arid areas due to
the influence of human activity and climatic change
Doldrums
Colloquial expression derived from historical maritime usage, in which it refers to those parts of the
Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-
pressure area around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm
Drake equation
Probabilistic argument used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial
civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy written in 1961 by Frank Drake
Drizzle
Light liquid precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain - generally
smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter
Drumlin
Elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting in
underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine
Dysnomia
Moon of the dwarf planet Eris
Eclipse
Astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by
passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it
Edwin Eugene
First and middle names of astronaut Buzz Aldrin
Elongation
In astronomy, angle between the Sun and the planet, with Earth as the reference point
Enos
First chimpanzee that was launched into space
Eridanus
Sixth largest of the modern constellations
Escarpment
Steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faultingand separates two relatively level areas
of differing elevations
Estuary
Semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and where fresh
water, derived from land drainage, is mixed with sea water
Etesian winds
Greek name for north-easterly, easterly, northerly, or north-westerly winds which blow between
May and September in the Aegean Sea
Europa
Smallest of Jupiter’s four Galilean satellites
Event horizon
Boundary around a black hole
Explorer 1
First Earth satellite of the United States, launched as part of its participation in the International
Geophysical Year
First spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt
Explorer 6
Transmitted the first pictures of Earth from orbit
Filament
In physical cosmology, one of the largest cosmic structures in the universe
Flamsteed, John
First Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom who catalogued over 3,000 stars
Foale, Michael
First British to walk in space
Foliation
In geology, repetitive layering in metamorphic rocks
Forward scatter
In astronomy, deflection of a portion of an incident electromagnetic wave
Freedom 7
First US manned spaceflight
Frost line
In astronomy or planetary science, also known as the snow line or ice line, refers to a particular
distance in the solar nebula from the central protosun where it is cool enough for hydrogen
compounds such as water, ammonia, and methane to condense into solid ice grains
Fulgurite
Variety of the mineraloid lechatelierite, natural hollow glass tubes formed by lightning strikes in
quartzose sand, silica or soil
Gaia
Unmanned space observatory of the European Space Agency to compile a 3D space catalogue of
approximately 1 billion astronomical objects
Galactic Center
Rotational center of the Milky Way galaxy
Gale Crater
Mars crater that is Curiosity's initial target and landing zone
Galilei, Galileo
Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the
Scientific Revolution and whose achievements include improvements to the telescope and
consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism
First person to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly catalogued it as a fixed star
Galle, Johann
First person to view the planet Neptune
Ganymede
Solar System’s largest natural satellite
Largest moon of Jupiter
Only Galilean moon namedfor a male
Garn
NASA’s unit of measure for symptoms resulting from space adaptation syndrome, the response of
the human body to weightlessness in space, named after US Senator Jake Garn, first sitting member
of the United States Congress to fly in space in 1985, who became exceptionally spacesick during
an orbital flight in 1985
Garneau, Marc
First Canadian in space
Genesis
First NASA sample return mission to return material since the Apollo Program
First to return material from beyond the orbit of the Moon
Georgian
Original name given to the planet Uranus
Giotto
European robotic spacecraft mission from the European Space Agency that flew by and studied
Halley's Comet and thereby become the first spacecraft to make close up observations of a comet
Glenn, John
First American to orbit the Earth
Oldest person to fly in space, and the only one to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle
programs, when, at age 77, he flew on Discovery (STS-95)
Globular cluster
Spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite
Golden Jubilee
Largest faceted diamond in the world, currently owned by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
Gravity assist
astronautical technique whereby a spacecraft takes up a tiny fraction of the orbital energy of a
planet that it is flying past, allowing it to change direction and speed
Gravity Probe B
Satellite that confirmed the two predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity
Grissom, Virgil
First NASA astronaut to fly into space twice
Hadfield, Chris
Retired Canadian astronaut who was the first Canadian to walk in space
Halley’s Comet
Only short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the only naked-
eye comet that might appear twice in a human lifetime
Hawking radiation
Black body radiation that is predicted to be released by black holes due to quantum effects near the
event horizon
Haze
Atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky
Heat wave
Term generally referring to a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, whichmay be
accompanied by high humidity
Herschel, John
Originated the use of the Julian day system in astronomy
Named seven moons of Saturn and four moons of Uranus
Hertzsprung–Russell diagram
Scatter graph of stars showing the relationship between the stars’ absolute magnitudes or
luminosities versus their spectral types or classifications and effective temperatures
Hewish, Antony
British radio astronomer who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974 together with fellow radio-
astronomer Martin Ryle for his work on the development of radio aperture synthesis and its role in
the discovery of pulsars
Howard, Luke
British manufacturing chemist and an amateur meteorologist whose lasting contribution to science
is a nomenclature system for clouds, which he proposed in an 1802 presentation to the Askesian
Society
Hurricane Hunters
Nickname for the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the only Department of Defense
organization still flying into tropical storms and hurricanes
Huygens, Christiaan
Dutch scientist known for early telescopic studies elucidating the nature of the rings of Saturn and
the discovery of its moon Titan, the invention of the pendulum clock and other investigations in
timekeeping, and studies of both optics and the centrifugal force
Ibuki
Also known as Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite or GOSAT, world’s first satellite dedicated to
greenhouse-gas-monitoring
Infiltration
Downward entry of water into soil
Innes, Robert
Scottish-South African astronomer best known for discovering Proxima Centauri (1915)
First astronomer to have seen the Great January Comet of 1910
Intelsat I
Nicknamed Early Bird, first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous
orbit
Interstellar medium
Matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy
Intrusion
Liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface
Io
With over 400 active volcanoes, most geologicallyactive object in the Solar System
Ionosphere
Region of the upper atmosphere that plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms
the inner edge of the magnetosphere, also has practical importance because, among other functions,
it influences radio propagation to distant places on the Earth
Isthmus
Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas, usually with water on either side
Jansky
Unit of flux density adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1973 and used throughout
the spectral range, especially for radio and far-infrared measurements
Janssen, Pierre
French astronomer who, along with the English scientist Joseph Norman Lockyer, is credited with
discovering the gas helium
Jemison, Mae
First African-American in space
Juno
First probe to Jupiter without atomic battery, launched August 8, 2011
Jupiter X
Former name of Jupiter moon Lysithea, discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson in 1938
Kármán line
Commonly used to define the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space
Kepler, Johannes
German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer best known for his eponymous laws of planetary
motion, codified by later astronomers, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi,
and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy
Kepler-37b
Smallest extrasolar planet ever discovered around a main sequence star, with a mass and radius
slightly greater than that of Earth's Moon
Kerberos
Fourth known moon of Pluto
Komarov, Vladimir
First human to be killed during a spaceflight
Korolev, Sergei
Lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer in the Space Race between the United States
and the Soviet Union during the 1950s and 1960s
Kuiper belt
Region of the Solar System beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune to
approximately 50 AU from the Sun that consists mainly of small bodies, or remnants from the Solar
System’s formation
Langsdorf, Martyl
American artist who created the Doomsday Clock image for the June 1947 cover of the Bulletin of
the Atomic Scientists
Lava tube
Natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow
Lehmann discontinuity
Boundary between the inner and outer core
Lemaître, Georges
Belgian priest and astronomer who was the first person to propose the theory of the expansion of
the Universe
First to derive what is now known as the Hubble's law and made the first estimation of what is now
called the Hubble constant
Proposed what became known as the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe, which he called
his “hypothesis of the primeval atom”
Leonov, Alexei
First human to conduct an extra-vehicular activity (EVA), also known as a space walk
Low-energy transfer
Route in space that allows spacecraft to change orbits using very little fuel
Liquefaction
In geology, process by which water-saturated, unconsolidated sediments are transformed into a
substance that acts like a liquid, often in an earthquake
Liu Yang
First Chinese woman astronaut launched into space
Luna 1
First spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon
First spacecraft to be placed in heliocentric orbit and the first spacecraft to leave geocentric orbit
Luna 2
First spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon
Luna 9
First spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, or any planetary body other than Earth, and
to transmit photographic data to Earth
Luna 10
First space probe to enter orbit around the Moon
Luna 16
First unmanned robotic sample return probe from the Moon
Luna 24
Last lunar spacecraft to be launched by the Soviet Union
Lunar Orbiter 1
First American spacecraft to orbit the Moon
Lunar Seas
• Lake of Death
• Lake of Dreams
• Southern Sea
• Sea of Crises
• Sea of Fertility
• Sea of Cold
• Humboldt’s Sea
• Sea of Moisture
• Sea of Showers
• Sea of Geniuses
• Marginal Sea
• Moscow Sea
• Sea of Nectar
• Sea of Clouds
• Eastern Sea
• Sea of Serenity
• Smyth’s Sea
• Foaming Sea
• Sea of Tranquility
• Sea of Waves
• Sea of Vapours
• Ocean of Storms
• Marsh of Epidemics
• Marsh of Mists
• Marsh of Decay
• Marsh of Sleep
• Bay of Heaths
• Bay of Rainbows
• Central Bay
• Bay of Dew
Lunokhod 1
First of two unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Soviet Union as part of its
Lunokhod program
First roving remote-controlled robot to land on another celestial body
Lyell, Charles
Best known as the author of Principles of Geology, which popularized James Hutton's concept of
uniformitarianism
Lyra
Visible from the northern hemisphere from spring through autumn, and nearly overhead, in
temperate latitudes, during the summer months
Malenchenko, Yuri
First person to marry in space (2003)
Mangalyaan
Planned Mars orbiter to be launched in October 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organization
Mariner 2
American space probe to Venus, the first robotic space probe to conduct a successful planetary
encounter
Mariner 4
Performed the first successful flyby of the planet Mars, returning the first pictures of the Martian
surface
Mariner 9
First spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars)
Mariner 10
First space probe to fly by Mercury
Mars 3
First soft landing on Mars
Massimino, Michael J.
First person to use Twitter in space
Maxwell Montes
Highest point in Venus
McCandless, Bruce II
Former NASA astronaut who made the first untethered space walk
Medicean stars
Term Galileo used to refer to the Jupiter moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
Membrane stress
Stress on a tectonic plate resulting from its motion over an Earth with a non-spherical shape
• Alan Shepard
• Gus Grissom
• John Glenn
• Scott Carpenter
• Wally Schirra
• Gordon Cooper
• Deke Slayton
Messier catalog
List, named after a French astronomer, that contains over one hundred objects including galaxies
and various star clusters, although it was originally designed onlyto determine comet from non-
comet
Metal
In astronomy, term referring to any element heavier than helium
Metonic cycle
For astronomy and calendar studies, period of very close to 19 years that is remarkable for being a
nearly common multiple of the solar year and the synodic lunar month
Milankovitch theory
Theory describing the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements upon its climate
Mimas
Moon of Saturn which was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel named after Mimas, a son of
Gaia in Greek mythology, and is also designated Saturn I
Smallest astronomical body that is known to be rounded in shape because of self-gravitation
Resembles the Death Star, a fictional space station known from the film Star Wars Episode IV: A
New Hope
Mohorovicic discontinuity
Separation of the crust from the underlying mantle, discoveredin 1909
Mons Huygens
Moon’s tallest mountain
Moonbow
Rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon, rather than direct sunlight,
refracting off moisture in the air
Moraine
Any landform directly deposited by a glacier or ice sheet
Musgrave, Story
Only astronaut to have flown missions on all five Space Shuttles
Nearside
Hemisphere of the Moon that is permanently turned toward the Earth because of the tidal
synchronization of the lunar day and the sidereal month
Nebular hypothesis
Most widely accepted model explaining the formation and evolution of the Solar System, where
stars form in massive and dense clouds of molecular hydrogen—giant molecular clouds
Neelanjali Ruby
Largest double star ruby in the world
Nephology
Study of clouds
Neptune
Fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third-largest by mass
Neritic zone
Part of the pelagic zone, zone that contains the waters over the shallowest part of the ocean, the
continental shelf
New Horizons
First probe to be launched to Pluto
Nikolayev, Andriyan
First person to float in microgravity
First person to make a television broadcast from space
Nova
Cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a white dwarf star
Oberth, Hermann
Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer considered one of the founding fathers of
rocketry and astronautics
Occultation
Event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the
observer
Okta
Unit of measurement used to describe the amount of cloud cover at any given location such as a
weather station
Olympic Australis
Largest and most valuable opal yet found, valued at 2,500,000 Australian dollars
Olympus Mons
Large shield volcano on the planet Mars, the tallest mountain on any planet in the Solar System
Oort, Jan
Dutch astronomer who became the first person to discover evidence of dark matter
Oort cloud
Hypothesized spherical cloud of predominantly icy planetesimals that may lie roughly 50,000 AU,
or nearly a light-year, from the Sun
Orogeny
Forces and events leading to a large structural deformation of the Earth's lithosphere due to the
engagement of tectonic plates
Panthalassa
Vast global ocean that surrounded Pangaea
Parsec
Abbreviated form of “a distance corresponding to a parallax of one arc second”, unit of length used
in astronomy, equal to about 30.9 trillion kilometers
Payne-Scott, Ruby
First female radio astronomer
Pelagic zone
Zone that encompasses the waters of the ocean
Petrification
In geology, process by which organic material is converted into stone through the replacement of
the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals
Photic zone
Depth of the water in a lake or ocean that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to
occur
Piazzi, Giuseppe
Discovered the dwarf planet Ceres
Pillow lava
Lava structure typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or subglacial
volcano or a lava flow enters the ocean
Pioneer 10
First spacecraft to achieve escape velocity from the Solar System
Pioneer 11
Also known as Pioneer G, the first probe to encounter Saturn and the second to fly through the
asteroid belt and by Jupiter
Polyakov, Valeri
Russian former cosmonaut who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight in human history,
staying aboard the Mir space station for more than 14 months (437 days 18 hours) during one trip
Pore
Void surrounded completely by soil or rock materials and created by the packing of mineral and
organic particles
Precession
Gradual circular motion of the Earth's axis of rotation which causes the position of the celestial
poles to describe a circle over a period of 25,800 years
Precipitation
In meteorology, any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity
Primeval nebula
Term referring to the cloud of interstellar gas – mainly hydrogen and helium –and dust grains from
which the Solar System developed
Project Stormfury
Project run by the United States Government from 1962 to 1983 in an attempt to weaken tropical
cyclones by flying aircraft into them and seeding with silver iodide
Psychrometer
Instrument measuring atmospheric humidity
Pulsar
Portmanteau of pulsating star, highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of
electromagnetic radiation
Quasar
Derived from “quasi-stellar object”, term used to denote an object far beyond our galaxy which
appears as a star on photographs
Astronomical body producing vast amounts of energy
Red giant
Star that has finished burning hydrogen in its core and that is experiencing hydrogen shell burning
Retrograde motion
In astronomy, term describing the orbit of a celestial body that runs counter to the direction of the
spin of that body which it orbits
Richter, Charles
Author of the 1958 book Elementary Seismology
Ride, Sally
First American woman to enter into low Earth orbit in 1983
Riparian zone
Interface between land and a river or stream
Roche limit
Minimum distance from a planet at which a satellite can remain intact, without being torn apart by
gravitational forces
Rogue waves
Relatively large and spontaneous ocean surface waves that occur far out at sea, and are a threat even
to large ships and ocean liners
Roscosmos
Government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace
research
Rosetta
Robotic spacecraft built and launched by the European Space Agency to perform a detailed study of
comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
Sagittarius A*
Bright and very compact astronomical radio source at the center of the Milky Way galaxy that is
believed to be a location of a supermassive black hole
Sakigake
Japan's first interplanetary satellite and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country
other than the US or the Soviet Union
Salyut 1
First space station of any kind, launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1971
Salt marsh
Vegetation often found on mud banks formed at river mouths, showing regular zonation reflecting
the length of time different areas are inundated by tides
Saprolite
Chemically weathered rock
Satellite
Relatively small natural body that orbits a planet
Saturn V
Only launch vehicle to transport human beings beyond low Earth orbit
Tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever brought to operational status and still holds the
record for the heaviest payload launched and heaviest payload capacity to low Earth orbit
Savitskaya, Svetlana
Second woman in space
First woman to walk in space on Salyut 7 in 1984
Schmitt, Harrison
Twelfth and last man to walk on the Moon
Only geologist to have walked on the Moon
Only person to have walked on the Moon who was never a member of the United States Armed
Forces
Schwarzschild radius
Radius of a sphere such that, if all the mass of an object is compressed within that sphere, the
escape speed from the surface of the sphere would equal the speed of light
Sea of Tranquility
Landing site for first manned landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969
Seismology
Study of elastic waves and how they are produced
Shenzhou 5
First human spaceflight mission of the People’s Republic of China
Shepard, Alan
Fifth person to walk on the moon
First American to travel into space
SK-1
First spacesuit ever used, developed specially for Yuri Gagarin
Skylab
First space station of the United States
Smithsonian Alexandrite
Largest faceted alexandrite in the world
Sojourner
Mars Pathfinder robotic Mars rover that landed onJuly 4, 1997 and explored Mars for around three
months
Solar constant
Amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area that would be incident on a plane
perpendicular to the rays
Space probe
Scientific space exploration mission in which a spacecraft leaves Earth and explores space
SpaceShipOne
First privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight
Spacetime singularity
Also called gravitational singularity, location where the quantities that are used to measure the
gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system
Spaghettification
In astrophysics, vertical stretching and horizontal compression of objects into long thin shapes in a
very strong gravitational field, and is caused by extreme tidal forces
Sputnik 1
First artificial Earth satellite
Sputnik 2
First spacecraft to carry a living animal, a dog named Laika
Stardust
300-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on February 7, 1999to collect dust samples
from the coma of comet Wild 2, as well as samples of cosmic dust, and return these to Earth for
analysis
Stevenson screen
Also called instrument shelter, enclosure to shield meteorological instruments against precipitation
and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around
them, designed by Thomas Stevenson
Stratigraphy
Branch of geology which studies rock layers and layering
Stratum
In geology, layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that
distinguish it from other layers
Strawn-Wagner Diamond
Only perfect diamond in the world so far found, graded a “perfect” 0/0/0 by the American Gem
Society in 1998
Styx
Fifth confirmed satellite of Pluto
Subduction
In geology, process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves
under another tectonic plate and sinks into the mantle as the plates converge
Sullivan, Kathryn D.
First American woman to walk in space
Sungrazing comet
Comet that passes extremely close to the Sun at perihelion,sometimes within a few thousand
kilometers of the Sun’s surface
Sunspot
Temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to
surrounding regions
Supergalactic plane
Dominant plane of the greatest concentration of nearby galaxy clusters in the sky which passes
through the Virgo cluster
Supermoon
Coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth
on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth
Supernova
Name given to the explosion produced by the destruction of a star, the light from which may be
seen as long as two years afterwards
Surveyor I
First U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on another world
Syncom 2
First geosynchronous communication satellite
Syncom 3
First geostationary communication satellite
Syzygy
Configuration arising when the Sun, Earth and either the Moon or a planet lie approximately in line
Taieb, Maurice
French geologist and paleoanthropologist who discovered the Hadar formation, recognized its
potential importance to paleoanthropology
Taikonaut
Chinese term for astronaut
Tektite
Gravel-size bodies that are composed of black, green, brown or gray, natural glass that are formed
from terrestrial debris ejected during extraterrestrial impacts
Tephra
Fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size or
emplacement mechanism
Tereshkova, Valentina
First woman to go to space
First civilian ever to go to space
Terminator
In astronomy, boundary between the illuminated and non-illuminated hemispheres of a planet or a
satellite
Till
Term for an unsorted glacial sediment
Titan
Largest moon of Saturn
Only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere
Only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been
found
Tito, Dennis
First space tourist to fund his own trip into space
Tombaugh, Clyde
American astronomer best known for discovering the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930
Tombolo
Deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such
as a spit or bar
Trans-lunar injection
Propulsive maneuver used to set a spacecraft on a trajectory which will cause it to arrive at the
Moon
Tree line
Edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing
Trojan
Minor planet or natural satellite (moon) that shares an orbit with a planet or larger moon, but does
not collide with it because it orbits around one of the two Lagrangian points of stability, which lie
approximately 60° ahead of and behind the larger body, respectively
Tychonic system
Geocentric model of the solar system published by Tycho Brahe in the late 16th century which
combined what he saw as the mathematical benefits of the Copernican system with the
philosophical and “physical” benefits of the Ptolemaic system
“Unnamed Brown”
First name given to the Golden Jubilee diamond
Vadose zone
Term given to the unsaturated region of the earth between the topsoil and the actual groundwater in
an aquifer
Valles Marineris
System of canyons that runs along the Martian surface east of the Tharsis region
Venera 1
First man-made object to fly-by another planet by passing Venus
Venera 3
Probe from the Soviet Union was the first man-made spacecraft to impact on another planet (Venus)
Venera 4
First spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet
Venera 7
First manmade spacecraft to land successfully on another planet and to transmit data from there
back to Earth
Venus Express
First Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency launched in 2005
Very Large Telescope
Telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert
of northern Chile
Virga
In meteorology, observable streak or shaft of precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates or
sublimes before reaching the ground
Void
In astronomy, vast empty spaces between filaments which contain very few or no galaxies
Vostok 6
First human spaceflight mission to carry a woman, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, into space
Voyager 1
First probe to provide detailed images of the two largest planets and their moons
Farthest man-made object from Earth and is currently traveling in a previously unknown region of
space
First probe to provide detailed images of Jupiter and Saturn and their moons
First human-made object to enter interstellar space
Voyager 2
Only spacecraft to have visited the two outer gas giant planets Uranus and Neptune
Weathering
Process of breakdown and alteration of rocks on the earth’ssurface by mechanical or chemical
processes
Westar 1
United States’ first domestic and commercially launched geostationary communications satellite,
launched by Western Union and NASA on April 13, 1974
Whiteout
Weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand
Wormhole
Common name for an Einstein-Rosen Bridge
X
Stands for a comet of unknown orbit
X-ray astronomy
Study of X-ray sources by rockets and balloons in the earth’satmosphere and by satellites beyond it
Yang Liwei
First man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5
Yellow dwarf
Another term for a G-type main-sequence star
Yutu
Meaning “jade rabbit”, name given to the Chinese lunar probe launched in December 2013
z8_GND_5296
Announced as the farthest and earliest galaxy whose distance has been confirmed by spectroscopy,
discovered in 2013
Zhai Zhigang
First Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk
Zhubov scale
Way of reporting polar sea ice coverage
Zodiacal light
Faint luminous glow in the sky that can be observed on a moonless night on the western horizon
after sunset or on the eastern horizon before sunrise
Zond 5
First spacecraft to circle the Moon and return to land on Earth
Biology
Achene
Type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants that contain a single seed
that nearly fills the pericarp but does not adhere to it
Acnestis
Part of an animal’s skin that it cannot reach to scratch itself, usually the space between the shoulder
blades
Adhesions
Fibrous bands that form between tissues and organs, often as a result of injury during surgery
Aestivation
State of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, characterized by inactivity and a lowered
metabolic rate, which is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions
Agility
Ability to change the body’s position efficiently, and requires the integration of isolated movement
skills using a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength and endurance
Allosteric regulation
In biochemistry, the regulation of an enzyme or other protein by binding an effector molecule at the
protein's allosteric site
Ambergris
Solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish color produced in the digestive system
of sperm whales
Ameboid movement
Crawling-like type of movement accomplished by protrusion of cytoplasm of the cell involving the
formation of pseudopodia
Amines
Organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair
Amino acids
Biologically important organic compounds made from amine and carboxylic acid functional groups,
along with a side-chain specific to each amino acid
Ampullae of Lorenzini
Special sensing organs called electroreceptors, forming a network of jelly-filled pores mostly
discussed as being found in cartilaginous fishes
Anobium pertinax
Scientific name of bookworm
Antirrhinium
Genus of plants commonly known as snapdragons
Apiary
Place where beehives of honeybees are kept
Apoptosis
Process of cell death that occurs naturally as part of the normal development, maintenance, and
renewal of tissues within an organism
Arrectores pilorum
Small muscles attached to hair follicles in mammals, in which its contraction causes the hairs to
stand on end, known colloquially as goose bumps
Auxins
Any of a group of plant hormones responsible for such processes as the promotion of growth by cell
enlargement, the maintenance of apical dominance and the initiation of root formation in cuttings
Aye-aye
World’s largest nocturnal primate
Banks, Joseph
English naturalist who took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage and credited with the
introduction to the Western world of the eucalyptus, the acacia and the genus Banksia
Barbary macaque
Only free-living primates in Europe
Basenji
Only dog that doesn’t bark
Basset hound
Breed of dog of Jason the Hush Puppies dog
Bat
Only flying mammal
Bauhinia blakeana
Flower in the flag of Hong Kong
Biodiversity hotspot
Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans
Biogeography
Study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological
time
Bottleneck
Term refers to a severe reduction in population size, often leading to a foundereffect
Bowerbird
Renowned for their unique courtship behavior, where males build a structure and decorate it with
sticks and brightly colored objects in an attempt to attract a mate
Box jellyfish
Cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae and are known for the
extremely potent venom produced by some species
Brush
Term for a tail of a fox
Bulb
Underground plant organ that enables a plant to survive from one growing season to the next
Bullfrog
Only animal that never sleeps
Bustard
Large and highly terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old
World
Butenandt, Adolf
German biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939 for his “work on sex
hormones”
Caenorhabditis elegans
First animal to have its genome sequenced
Caliology
Study of bird nests
Calla lily
Also known as the “lily of the Nile”
Capitalsaurus
Official dinosaur of Washington, D.C.
Capybara
World’s largest rodent
Carapace
Dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such
as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises
Carolina Parakeet
Only parrot native to eastern United States that became extinct in1918
Caryopsis
Type of simple dry fruit that resembles an achene, except that the pericarp is fused with the thin
seed coat
Caspian tiger
Extinct tiger subspecies that were formerly found in Chinese and Russian Turkestan, Afghanistan,
Iran and Turkey
Cellular respiration
Set of the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert
biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate and then release waste products
Cellulose
The structural component of the primary cell wall of green plants, many forms of algae and the
oomycetes
Chalaza
Structure inside bird and reptile eggs and plant ovules which attaches or suspends the yolk or
nucellus within the larger structure
• Rumen
• Reticulum
• Omasum
• Abomasum
Chamois
Goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of
Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus
Chihuahua
Smallest breed of dog
Chinese gooseberry
Another name for kiwi
Chloroplasts
Organelles found in plant cells and some other eukaryotic organisms that carry out almost all fatty
acid synthesis in plants, and are involved in a plant’s immune response
Chrysalis
Pupal stage of butterflies
Coccyx
Final segment of the vertebral column in tailless primates
Codon
Unit of the genetic code that determines the synthesis of oneparticular amino acid
Coffea charrieriana
Only known caffeine-free coffee plant from Cameroon
“Colored body”
Literal Greek meaning of chromosome
Commensalism
Association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor
harm
“Covered lizard”
Meaning of stegosaurus
Cuticularization
Secretion by the outer (epidermal) layer of cells of plants and many invertebrates of substances that
then harden to form a cuticle
Cytology
Study of microscopic study of individual cells
Cytosol
Also known as intracellular fluid or cytoplasmic matrix, liquid found inside cells
Darwin, Charles
English naturalist best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory
Established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors
Dawkins, Richard
English ethiologist who came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which
popularized the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme
de Vries, Hugo
Dutch botanist who introduced the term “mutation”
Deciduous
Term typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the
shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe
Dewclaw
Commonly referred to as a dog’s thumb, vestigial digit on the foot of many mammals, birds, and
reptiles
Dextrality
Scientific term for right-handedness
DNA sequencing
Process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule
Dork
Male organ of a whale
Draculin
Glycoprotein found in the saliva of vampire bats that functions as an anticoagulant, thus keeping the
blood of the bitten victim from clotting while the bat is drinking
Dragonfly
World’s fastest flying insect
Duff
Another name for plant litter, plant material that has fallen to the ground
Dwarf leopard
Another name for ocelot
Elytron
Wingcases of beetles
Emasculation
Removal of the anthers of a flower in order to prevent self-pollination or the undesirable pollination
of neighboring plants
Embryology
Science of the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage
Emu
Largest bird native to Australia
Endemism
Ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other
defined zone, or habitat type
Entomology
Study of insects
Ennui
Gripping listlessness or melancholia
Epistasis
In genetics, suppression or masking of a gene by another gene that is not its allele
Ergot
Small callosity on the underside of the fetlock of a horse or other equine
Evolution
Term referring to the change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over
successive generations
Excretion
Process by which waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials are elimination from
an organism
Fertilisation
Fusion of gametes to initiate the development of a new individual organism
Fibroblast
Term referring to the widely distributed cell in connective tissue that isresponsible for the
production of both the ground substance and of the precursors ofcollagen, elastic fibers, and
reticular fibers
Fission
Type of asexual reproduction occurring in some unicellular organisms, e.g. diatoms, protozoans,
and bacteria, in which the parent cell divides toform two or more similar daughter cells
Folivore
Organism that eat only leaves
Frigatebird
Appears on the flag of Kiribati
Gall
Abnormal growth or swelling in a plant
Gel electrophoresis
Method for separation and analysis of macromolecules (DNA, RNA and proteins) and their
fragments, based on their size and charge
Genus
Taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms that comes
above species and below family
Giant squid
Largest invertebrate animal
Gila monster
Only venomous lizard native to the United States
GloFish
First genetically modified animals to become publicly available as a pet
Goldfish
Only animal that can see both infrared and ultraviolet light
Golgi bodies
Eukaryotic organelle often called the “post office”of the cell because it receives molecules through
transport vesicles and chemically modifies them before shipping them out again
Gongylonema neoplasticum
Species of nematode previously known as Spiroptera carcinoma, as it became the basis of the
research that won Johannes Fibiger the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Used as one of the first demonstrations that an infection could be a carcinogen
Gorgonacea
Order of sessile colonial cnidarian found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the
tropics and subtropics
Also known as sea whips or sea fans
Gram staining
Method of differentiating bacterial species into two large groups
Granivore
Organism that eat only seeds
Great Dane
Breed of dog of Scooby Doo
Green anaconda
Largest snake in the world
Grey-crowned crane
Bird found in the flag of Uganda
Hales, Stephen
English clergyman best known for his Statical Essays, in which he accounts his experiment in plant
physiology, chemistry and animal physiology including the measurement of blood pressure
Halteres
Small knobbed structures modified from the hind wings in some two-winged insects
Harpy Eagle
Largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas, and among the largest extant species of
eagles in the world
Haemophilus influenzae
First free-living organism to have its entire genome sequenced
Heifer
Term for a young cow before she has had her first calf
Hemoglobin
Iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of all vertebrates, with the
exception of the fish family Channichthyidae, as well as the tissues of some invertebrates
Histology
Study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals
Holstein Friesians
Breed of cattle is known today as the world’s highest-production dairyanimals
Homoplasy
Phenomenon in which two or more organisms share characterswithout having descended from a
common organism
Humpback whale
Acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals
Hyphae
Thread-like filaments in the mycelium of fungi
Hyponome
Also known as “siphon”, organ used by cephalopods to expel water, a function that produces a
locomotive force
Imago
In biology, last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and
development
Imitation
Acquisition of patterns of behavior by repeating similar behavior observed in others, not necessarily
of the same species
Indian Peafowl
National bird of India
Indian ricegrass
Official state grass of Nevada and Utah
Informative site
In phylogenetics, nucleotide or amino acid site which is represented by at least two character states,
each represented by at least two sequences, from which a phylogenetic deduction can be reached
Inquilism
Intimate association between two animals in which one partner lives within the host, obtaining
shelter and, perhaps, a share of the host's food
Institute of Cetacean Research
Japanese non-profit research organization specializing in the “biological and social sciences related
to whales” which some environmental groups and governments oppose its programs, claiming it to
be a disguise for commercial whaling
Interferon
Substance produced by cells infected with a virus andhas the ability to inhibit viral growth
Iris
In anatomy, pigmented ring of muscular tissue, lying between the cornea and the lens, in the eyes of
vertebrates and some cephalopod mollusks
Jacaranda
Genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and
subtropical regions of Central America, South America, Cuba, Hispaniola and the Bahamas
Planted widely in Asia, especially in Nepal
Johannsen, Wilhelm
Danish botanist who coined the terms gene, phenotype and genotype
Koch, Robert
German scientist and physician who became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis (1877), the
Tuberculosis bacillus (1882) and Vibrio cholerae (1883)
Landsteiner, Karl
Austrian biologist noted for the development of the blood group system, discovery of the Rh factor
and the discovery of the poliovirus
Leatherback turtle
Largest of all living sea turtles
Leeuwenhoek, Antoni
Dutch naturalist who developed the microscope
Leveret
Term for a hare less than one year old
Limacology
Study of slugs
Locavore
Person interested in eating food that is locally produced, not moved long distances to market
Loganberry
Hybrid produced from pollination of a plant of blackberry by raspberry
Lolong
The largest crocodile in captivity measured at 20 feet 3 inches (6.17 m), making him one of the
largest crocodiles ever measured from snout-to-tail
Lonesome George
Male Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii) and the last known individual of the
subspecies
Lonicera periclymenum
Scientific name of the common honeysuckle
Lorenz, Konrad
Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch
Often regarded as one of the founders of modern ethology, developing an approach that began with
an earlier generation, including his teacher Oskar Heinroth
Lysosome
Particle in the cytoplasm of cells that contains enzymesresponsible for breaking down substances in
the cell and is bounded by a singlemembrane
Mandragora officinarum
Scientific name of mandrake, plant being used in magic rituals
Mandrill
World's largest monkey
McCarty, Maclyn
American geneticist best known for his part in the monumental discovery that DNA, rather than
protein, constituted the chemical nature of the gene
Meiosis
Type of cell division that produces four daughter cells, each having half the number of the
chromosomes of the original cell
Melzi, Francesco
Inherited the artistic and scientific works, manuscripts, and collections of Leonardo da Vinci, and
would henceforth faithfully administer the estate
Mendel, Gregor
Augustinian friar who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the new science of genetics and
who demonstrated that the inheritance of certain traits in pea plants follows particular patterns, now
referred to as the laws of Mendelian inheritance
Mephitis mephitis
Scientific name of the striped skunk
Migration
In biology, seasonal movement of complete populations ofanimals to a more favorable environment
Mimicry
In evolutionary biology, similarity of one species to another which protects one or both
Ming
Ocean quahog clam (Arctica islandica, family Veneridae) and the oldest living animal ever
discovered
Morbidity
Term referring to the proportion of individuals in a population suffering from aparticular disease
Mucophagy
Feeding on mucus of fishes or invertebrates; may also refer to consumption of mucus or dried
mucus in primates
Mule
State animal of Missouri
Myxomavirus
Virus introduced in Australia in 1950 to control the rabbit plague
Natural selection
Gradual, non-random process by which biological traits become either more or less common in a
population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers
Newfoundland
Breed of dog of Nana (the pet of the Darling family in Peter Pan)
Nymph
Term for juvenile stage of certain insects, such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, and earwigs, which
resembles the adult except that the wings and reproductive organs are undeveloped
Olinguito
First new carnivoran species found in the Americas in 35 years
Oliver
Common chimpanzee and a former performing ape once promoted as a missing link or
“Humanzee”due to his unusually human-like face and a tendency to walk upright
Onager
Also called the Asian wild ass
Operculum
Technical term for gill cover
Operon
In genetics, functioning unit of genomic DNA containing acluster of genes under the control of a
single regulatory signal or promoter
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Scientific name of the flower chincherinchee
Osmoregulation
Control of the water content and the concentration of salts inthe body of an animal or protist
Ossicones
Horn-like (or antler-like) protuberances on the heads of giraffes, male okapis, and their extinct
relatives, such as Sivatherium, and the climacoceratids, such as Climacoceras
Owen, Richard
British anatomist who invented the word dinosaur in 1841
Oxygen debts
Physiological state that exists in a normally aerobic animal when insufficient oxygen is available
for metabolic requirements
Panthera onca
Scientific name of jaguar
Peptidoglycan
Polymer consisting of sugar and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer outside the plasma
membrane of bacteria, forming the cell wall
Permineralization
Process of fossilization in which mineral deposits form internal casts of organisms
Peroxisome
Organelle found in the cytoplasm of virtually all plant and animal cellsthat contains several
enzymes involved in oxidation processes
Petrichor
Scent of rain on dry earth, or the scent of dust after rain
Pharmacology
Branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action
Philtrum
Vertical groove in the middle area of the upper lip, common to many mammals, extending from the
nose to the upper lip
Photosynthesis
Photochemical process green plants use to synthesize organic compounds from carbon dioxide and
water
Phylogenetics
Study of evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms, which are discovered through
molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices
Piddlin
Baby beluga whale
Pinna
In animal anatomy, visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head
Plastron
Nearly flat part of the shell structure of a turtle, what one would call the belly or ventral surface of
the shell
Plate count
Estimate of the number of viable cells in a culture
Platypus
Only animal known to have bird, reptile and mammal genomes in its genetic code
Polar bear
First animal to be added in 2008 to the list of endangered species due to climate change
Pollutant
Any substance, produced and released into the environment as a result of human activities, which
has damaging effects on living organisms
Polyembryony
In botany, the occurrence of many embryos in one ovule
Poodle
Name which comes from the German for “to splash about” as it was originally a water retriever
Pollen sac
Chamber in which the pollen is formed in the angiosperms and conifers
Potometer
Apparatus for measuring the rate of water uptake by a cut shoot or whole plant
Predation
Biological interaction where an organism that is hunting feeds on its prey
Proboscis
Term for the nose of a mammal especially when it is long and mobile, such as the trunk of an
elephant
Procambium
Plant tissue formed by the apical meristems of shoots and roots that consist of cells elongated
parallel to the long axis of the plant
Promession
“Environmentally friendly form of burial” in which human remains are disposed by way of freeze
drying invented by Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who founded Promessa Organic AB
in 1997
Prometea
First ever cloned horse
Pruning
Horticultural and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant such as
branches, birds or roots
Putrefaction
Microbial decomposition of organic matter, especially the anaerobic breakdown of proteinaceous
material with the production of foul-smelling amines
Quagga
Extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that lived in South Africa
First extinct animal to have its DNA analyzed
Quahog
Official shellfish of Rhode Island
Quarantine
Period of isolation imposed on an animal that moves from an area where particular diseases are
prevalent to an area where those diseases are not prevalent
Rachis
Biological term for a main axis or “shaft”
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
National bird of Papua New Guinea and silhouetted in the national flag
Reafference
Stimulation of an animal as a result of the movements of its own body
Resplendent Quetzal
National bird of Guatemala
Roan
Horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body
while the head, lower legs, mane and tail are mostly solid-colored
Roe
Fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain
marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins
Rosette
Rose-like marking or formation found on the fur and skin of some animals, particularly cats of the
family Felidae
Rubisco
Enzyme responsible for fixing carbon dioxide to ribulose in the first stage of the Calvin cycle
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America
Saprotrophic nutrition
Process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of dead or
decayed organic matter
Sarv-e Abarkuh
Also called the Zoroastrian Sarv, tree estimated to be over 4000 years old and may be the oldest
living thing in Asia
Scarabaeus sacer
Scientific name of the scarab beetle worshiped by Ancient Egyptians
Scarification
In botany, involves cutting the seed coat using abrasion, thermal stress or chemicals to encourage
germination
Sea cow
Another name for manatee
Shonisaurus
Official state fossil of Nevada
Shortfin mako
Fastest shark
Snuppy
World’s first cloned dog
Southern Cassowary
Also known by its scientific name Casuarius casuarius, third tallest and second heaviest living bird,
smaller only than the ostrich and emu
Spat
Settled larvae of shellfish such as oysters and scallops
Speleology
Scientific study of caves
Spencer, Herbert
Best known for coining the expression “survival of the fittest”
Spermology
Study of seeds
Spicules
Tiny spine-like structures that perform structural function in sponges
Spinneret
Silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect
Spirillum
In microbiology, bacterium with a cell body that twists like spiral
Staminode
Term for a sterile stamen
Stearic acid
Another name for beef fat
Succession
In ecology, series of changes in an ecological community that occur over time after a disturbance
Tapirus kabomani
Smallest tapir species announced in 2013
First odd-toed ungulate discovered in over 100 years
Teratogen
Any substance, agent, or process that induces the formation ofdevelopmental abnormalities in a
fetus
Tiergarten Schönbrunn
Oldest zoo in the world, located in Vienna, Austria
Topsy
Name of the circus elephant electrocuted by Thomas Edison during the War of the Currents
Toxoplasma gondii
Obligate, intracellular, parasitic protozoan that causes the disease toxoplasmosis
Has been shown to alter the behavior of infected rodents in ways thought to increase the rodents’
chances of being preyed upon by cats
Transcription
Process that encodes messenger RNA and precedes translation
Transformation
Permanent heritable change in a cell, particularly a bacterial cell, which occurs as a result of its
acquiring foreign DNA
Translation
Process in living cells in which the genetic information encoded in messenger RNA (mRNA) in the
form of a sequence of nucleotide triplets (codons) is translated into a sequence of amino acids in a
polypeptide chain during protein synthesis
Triceratops
State dinosaur of Wyoming
Tritonia khaleesi
Species of sea slug discovered off northeast Brazil and first described in 2013, named after the title
“Khaleesi” used by A Song of Ice and Fire character Daenerys Targaryen
Tulip
National flower of The Netherlands
Uncia uncia
Also Panthera uncia, scientific name of snow leopard
Vacuole
Space within the cytoplasm of a living cell that is filled with air,water or other liquid, sap, or food
particles
Vesicle
In cell biology, small bubble within a cell
Vibrissae
Type of mammalian hair that are typically characterized, anatomically, by their large size and large
and well-innervated hair follicle
Vivisection
Surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central
nervous system, to view living internal structure
Watermelon
Official state vegetable of Oklahoma
Whale shark
World’s largest shark
Wilting
Condition that arises in plants when more water is lost by evaporation than is absorbed from the soil
Wolverine
Largest land-dwelling species of the weasel family
Xenothrix mcgregori
Also known as Jamaican monkey, extinct species of monkey first uncovered at Long Mile Cave in
Jamaica by Harold Anthony in 1919
Xibalbanus tulumensis
Previously known as Speleonectes tulumensis, venomous, hermaphroditic crustacean found in
anchialine caves on the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea
Xylem
Tissue that transports water and dissolved mineral nutrients in vascular plants
Yellow fever
First human virus discovered
Yolk
Food stored in an egg for the use of the embryo
Yucca brevifolia
Scientific name of the Joshua tree
Zorilla
Common name for the striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus)
Zygote
From the Greek for “yoke”, cell formed when two gametes are joined by means of sexual
reproduction
Chemistry
15
Atomic number of phosphorus
24
Number of carats representing 100% pure gold
Acetylsalicylic acid
Chemical name of aspirin
Aerosol
Colloid of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas
Amalgam
Alloy of mercury with various metals used for dental fillings
Anastas, Paul
American scientist known as the “Father of Green Chemistry” for his ground-breaking work on the
design and manufacture of chemicals that are non-hazardous and environmentally benign
Analyte
Substance or chemical constituent that is of interest in an analytic procedure
Baking soda
Common name of sodium bicarbonate
Bastnasite
Principal ore of the element lanthanum
Bauxite
Main source of aluminum
Boiling
Rapid vaporization of liquid which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the
temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid
by the surrounding environmental pressure
Boiling point
Temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid
and the liquid changed into a vapor
Boyle, Robert
First modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of modern chemistry, and one of the
pioneers of modern experimental scientific method
Bunsen, Robert
German chemist who discovered caesium and rubidium and developed the Bunsen burner
Buoyancy
Upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object
Calvin, Melvin
American chemist most famed for discovering the Calvin cycle along with Andrew Benson and
James Bassham, for which he was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Carbon fixation
Conversion of inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide) to organic compounds by living organisms
Carbonado
Term for a black diamond
Cassiterite
Chief ore of tin
Catalysis
Increase in the rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of a substance called a catalyst
Cavendish, Henry
British scientist noted for his discovery of hydrogen
Charles' Law
Gas law which states that the volume and temperature of a gas are directlyproportional
Chemical equilibrium
In a chemical reaction, state in which both reactants and products are present at concentrations
which have no further tendency to change with time
Chirality
Property of existing in left- and right-handed structuralforms
Cinnabar
Common ore of mercury
Colloid
Substance microscopically dispersed throughout another substance
Combustion
Sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the
production of heat and conversion of chemical species
Concentration
In chemistry, abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture
Cosmochemistry
Study of the chemical, isotopic and mineralogical composition of materials originating in outer
space
Cullet
Term for the waste version of glass with impurities
Deacon process
Process used during the manufacture of alkalis by the Leblanc process
Decoction
Solution made by boiling material in water, followed by filtration
Density
Measure of how much of some entity is within a fixed amount of space
Dessication
Long-term loss of water associated with regional climaticchange
Dew point
Temperature below which the water vapor in air at constant barometric pressure condenses into
liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates
Dialysis
In biochemistry, process of separating molecules in solution by the difference in their rates of
diffusion through a semipermeable membrane, such as dialysis tubing
Distillation
Process of boiling a liquid and condensing the vapor, used to purify liquids or to separate
components of a liquid mixture
Effusion
Process in which a gas escapes through a small hole
Elution
Process of removing an adsorbed material from an adsorbent by washing it in a liquid
Emulsion
Mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible
Evaporation
Type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs from the surface of a liquid into a gaseous phase that is
not saturated with the evaporating substance
Excitation
Excited state of an atom
Fahlberg, Constantin
Discovered the sweet taste of anhydroorthosulphaminebenzoic acid in 1877–78 when analyzing the
chemical compounds in coal tar at Johns Hopkins University for Professor Ira Remsen
Fermat’s principle
In optics, principle that the path taken between two points by a ray of light is the path that can be
traversed in the least time
Flocculation
In chemistry, combining of the particles of a finely divided precipitate, such as a colloid, into larger
particles or clumps that sink and are easier to filter off
Fugacity
Tendency of a molecule to expand or escape its current phase
Gel
Solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough
Goldschmidt process
Process for extracting certain metals from their oxides by reduction with aluminum
Graham, Thomas
Nineteenth century Scottish chemist best remembered for his pioneering work in dialysis and the
diffusion of gases
Gregor, William
British clergyman and mineralogist who discovered the elemental metal titanium
Hahn, Otto
German chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission
Hardness
Term for the resistance of a solid substance to scratching or local deformation by indentation
Heat of solution
Energy liberated or absorbed when one mole of a given substance is completely dissolved in a large
volume of solvent
Hofmann, Albert
Swiss scientist best known for being the first person to synthesize, ingest and learn of the
psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide
First to isolate psylocybin and psylocin
Homeostasis
Property of a system in which variables are regulated so that the internal conditions remain stable
and relatively constant
Hydrolysis
Cleavage of chemical bonds by the addition of water
Hygroscope
Device that indicates the humidity of the air, often in the form ofa substance that changes color in
the presence of moisture
Hysteresis
Phenomenon in which two physical quantities are related in a manner that depends on whether one
is increasing or decreasing in relation to the other
Intermetallic compound
Compound consisting of two or more metallic elements present in definite proportions in an alloy
Internal conversion
Transition from a higher to a lower electronic state in a molecule or atom
Ionization
Process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing
electrons
Isotones
Two or more nuclides that have the same neutron numbers butdifferent proton numbers
Isotope
One of two or more atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons in their
nucleus but different numbers of neutrons
Krebs, Hans
German-born British physician and chemist best known for his identification of two important
metabolic cycles, the urea cycle and the citric acid cycle
Krokodil
Street name for the morphine derivative desomorphine
Langmuir, Irving
First industrial chemist to become a Nobel laureate, American chemist and physicist known for
inventing the high-vacuum tube
Lavoisier, Antoine
French scientist considered as “father of modern chemistry”
Coined the terms hydrogen and oxygen
Le Chatelier's principle
In chemistry, principle that can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions on a chemical
equilibrium
Lithium
Lightest metal and the least dense solid element
Magnetochemistry
Branch of chemistry concerned with measuring andinvestigating the magnetic properties of
compounds
Mendeleev, Dmitri
Russian chemist who developed the periodic table of elements
Mercury
Only metal that is liquid at room temperature
Metalloid
Chemical element that has properties that are in between or a mixture of those of metals and
nonmetals and is consequently difficult to classify unambiguously as either a metal or a nonmetal
Moissan, Henri
French chemist who succeeded in isolating fluorine
Monotropy
Existence of a single allotrope of an element that is always more stable than the other regardless of
temperature
Napalm
Substance in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers made by forming a gel of petrol with aluminum
soaps
Neutralization
Term referring to stoichiometric reaction of an acid and a base in volumetric analysis
Osmium
Densest naturally occurring element, with a density of 22.59 grams per cubic meter
Oxygen
Most abundant element by mass in the Earth’s crust
Pasteur, Louis
French chemist and microbiologist remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and
preventions of diseases and whose discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and created
the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax
Pauling, Linus
American chemist that became one of only two people to be awarded Nobel Prizes in different
fields (Chemistry and Peace), the other being Marie Curie (Chemistry and Physics)
Pearl
Only birthstone that comes from an animal
Peptide
Compound formed by linkage of two or more amino acid groups
Pewter
Common name for the alloy of lead and tin traditionally used for utensils
pH
Measure of the activity of the (solvated) hydrogen ion
Plunkett, Roy J.
American chemist who discovered polytetrafluoroethylene in 1938
Plutonium
Heaviest primordial element by virtue of its most stable isotope, plutonium-244, whose half-life of
about 80 million years is just long enough for the element to be found in trace quantities in nature
Pnictogens
Chemical elements in group 15 of the periodic table also known as the nitrogen family
Consists of the elements nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi)
and the synthetic element ununpentium (Uup)
Pneumatics
Study of air and gases
Pons, Stanley
American-French electrochemist known for his work with Martin Fleischmann on cold fusion in the
1980s and 1990s
Poison
General term referring to a substance that destroys catalyst activity
Priestley, Joseph
English chemist usually credited with the discovery of oxygen
Pyrolysis
Thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of
oxygen or any halogen
Radon
Heaviest of the noble gases
Raffinate
Liquid remained after the solvent extraction of a dissolvedsubstance
Reduction
Process in which a molecule, atom, or ion gains electrons or undergoes a decrease in oxidation state
Rhenium
Only element named after a river
Rutherford, Daniel
Scottish chemist famous for the isolation of nitrogen (1772)
S
Symbol for entropy
Saccharin
World’s oldest artificial sweetener, discovered in 1879 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University
Salt
In chemistry, electrically neutral compound that is produced by the reaction of an acid and a base
(with water as a by-product)
Shulgin, Alexander
American medicinal chemist credited with introducing MDMA (ecstasy) to psychologists in the late
1970s for psychopharmacological use
Smoke
Fine fine suspension of solid particles in a gas
Solder
Alloy used to join metal surfaces
Soot
Impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
Sternbach, Leo
First synthesized the drug diazepam
Supercritical drying
Process to remove liquid in a precise and controlled way
Superphosphate
First artificial fertilizer
Technetium
Discovered by Carlo Perrier and Emiliano Segre, first artificially-created element
Lowest atomic number element without any stable isotopes
Thiols
Used as odorants to assist in the detection of natural gas
Tibetan silver
Alloy of copper and sometimes tin or nickel with a small percentage of pure silver used primarily in
jewelry components
Titration
Also known as titrimetry, common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis that is used
to determine the unknown concentration of an identified analyte
Transuranium elements
Chemical elements with atomic numbers greater than 92
• Neptunium
• Plutonium
• Americium
• Curium
• Berkelium
• Californium
• Einsteinium
• Fermium
• Mendelevium
• Nobelium
• Lawrencium
• Rutherfordium
• Dubnium
• Seaborgium
• Bohrium
• Hassium
• Meitnerium
• Darmstadtium
• Roentgenium
• Copernicium
• Ununtrium
• Flerovium
• Ununpentium
• Livermorium
• Ununseptium
• Ununoctium
Twaddell scale
Hydrometer scale for reporting the measured specific gravity of a liquid relative to water
Tyndall scattering
Light scattering by particles in a colloid or particles in a fine suspension
Ultrafiltration
Process in which hydrostatic pressure causes water and smalldissolved molecules and ions to move
across a membrane against a concentrationgradient
Ultramarine
Deep blue color and a pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder
Uraninite
Another name for pitchblende
Valence
Combining power of an element to radical, equal to the numberof hydrogen atoms that will
combine with or displace one atom of the element
Verdigris
Common name for a green pigment obtained through the application of acetic acid to copper plates
or the natural patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or
seawater over a period of time
Water
Known as the universal solvent
Only common chemical compound to expand when it freezes
Yellowcake
Concentrated uranium oxide used in the preparation of fuel for nuclear reactors and in uranium
enrichment, one of the essential steps for creating nuclear weapons
Yield
Amount of product obtained in a chemical reaction
Ziegler process
Industrial process for the manufacture of high density polyethene using the catalysts of titanium
(IV) chloride and aluminum alkyls
Zymogen
Any inactive enzyme precursor that, following secretion, is chemically altered to the active form of
the enzyme
Physics
Acceleration
Rate at which the velocity of a body changes with time
Actinometer
Instrument used to measure the heating power of radiation
Adiabatic process
Any process occurring without gain or loss of heat within a system
Albedo
Term introduced into optics by Johann Heinrich Lambert in his 1760 work Photometria defined as
the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it
Angular momentum
Quantity of rotation of a body, which is the product of its moment of inertia and its angular velocity
Anodizing
Electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the
surface of metal parts
Bardeen, John
American physicist who invented the transistor together with William Shockley and Walter Brattain
Only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice
Barn
Unit of particle interaction cross section area used in nuclear and particle physics
Black rain
Also called nuclear fallout, residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere
following a nuclear blast or a nuclear reaction conducted in an unshielded facility
Bohr, Niels
Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and
quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922
Bremsstrahlung
Electromagnetic radiation produced by the deceleration of a charged particle when deflected by
another charged particle, typically an electron by an atomic nucleus
C
Letter generally used to represent the speed of light constant
Centripetal force
Force that makes a body follow a curved path
Cherenkov radiation
Electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle such as an electron passes through a
dielectric medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that medium
Chicago Pile-1
World’s first nuclear reactor
China Syndrome
Fictional nuclear reactor operations accident characterized by the sever meltdown of the core
components which then burn through the containment vessel then notionally through the crust and
body of the Earth until reaching the other side
Christin, Jean-Pierre
Inventor of the Celsius thermometer
Color confinement
Physics phenomenon that color charged particles such as quarks cannot be isolated singularly and
therefore cannot be directly observed
Compton scattering
Inelastic scattering of a photon by a free charged particle, usually an electron, which results in a
decrease in energy (increase in wavelength) of the photon (which may be an X-ray or gamma ray
photon), called the Compton effect
Coulomb's law
In physics, law that expresses a force as function of the electric charge of two bodies, the square of
their distance and the permittivity of free space
Criticality accident
Term for an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction
Curie, Marie
Polish physicist and chemist, working mainly in France, who is famous for her pioneering research
on radioactivity
Discoverer of polonium and radium
First woman to win a Nobel Prize, the only woman to win in two fields, and the only person to win
in multiple sciences
First female professor at the University of Paris (La Sorbonne)
First woman to be entombed on her own merits in Paris’ Panthéon
Cyclotron
Device for accelerating charged particles to high energies
Daghlian, Harry
American physicist with the Manhattan Project who accidentally irradiated himself on August 21,
1945, during a critical mass experiment at the remote Omega Site facility at Los Alamos National
Laboratory in New Mexico, resulting in his death 25 days later
Degeneracy pressure
Pressure that occurs in systems with degenerate fermions because of a combination of the
Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the Pauli exclusion principle
Demon core
6.2-kilogram (14 lb; 1 st), 3.5-inch-diameter (89 mm) subcritical mass of plutonium which went
briefly critical in two separate accidents at the Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946
Depolarizer
Substance used in a voltaic cell to prevent polarization
Distortion
Alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of something, such as an object, image,
sound or waveform
Doppler effect
Change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to its
source
Effusion
In physics, process in which individual molecules flow through a hole without collisions between
molecules
Eigengrau
Term for the uniform dark gray background that many people report seeing in the absence of light
Elastic limit
Point at which a material achieves its maximum elastic strain and beyond which strain is no longer
linearly related to stress
Electric current
Term referring to a flow of electric charge
Electrical impedance
Measure of the opposition that a circuit presents to a current when a voltage is applied
Electromotive force
Voltage developed by any source of electrical energy such as a battery or dynamo
Electron
Antiparticle of the positron
Enthalpy
Measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system thatincludes the internal energy, which is
the energy required to create a system, and the amount of energy required to make room for it by
displacing its environment and establishing its volume and pressure
Escape velocity
In physics, speed at which the kinetic energy plus the gravitational potential energy of an object is
zero
Event horizon
In general relativity, boundary in spacetime beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer
Excitation
Elevation in energy level above an arbitrary baseline energy state
Faraday, Michael
English scientist who discovered electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis
Fermion
In particle physics, any particle characterized by Fermi-Dirac statistics and following the Pauli
exclusion principle
Ferromagnetism
Basic mechanism by which certain materials (such as iron) form permanent magnets, or are
attracted to magnets
Fermi, Enrico
Italian theoretical and experimental physicist, best known for his work on the development of
Chicago Pile-1, the first nuclear reactor, and for his contributions to the development of quantum
theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics
Fermion
Any particle characterized by Fermi–Dirac statistics and following the Pauli Exclusion Principle
that includes all quarks and leptons
Flavors of quarks
• Up
• Down
• Strange
• Charm
• Bottom
• Top
Fluid
Substance that continually deforms or flows under applied stress, including liquids, gases and
plasmas
Fluid statics
Also known as hydrostatics, branch of fluid mechanics that studies fluids at rest
Fluorescence
Transformation of photons of relatively high energy to lower energy photons through interactions
with atoms
Fourier, Joseph
French mathematician and physicist best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series and
their applications to problems of heat transfer and vibrations and is also generally credited with the
discovery of the greenhouse effect
Made governor of Lower Egypt and secretary of the Institut d’Égypte by Napoleon Bonaparte
Fraunhofer lines
Dark lines in the solar spectrum that result from the absorptionby elements in the solar
chromosphere of some of the wavelengths of the visibleradiation emitted by the hot interior of the
sun
Frequency
Number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time
Fresnel
Formerly-used unit equal to one terahertz
Fresnel, Augustin-Jean
French engineer and physicist who contributed significantly to the establishment of the theory of
wave optics
Fulcrum
Support about which a lever pivots
Geiger, Hans
German physicist best known as the co-inventor of the Geiger counter and for the Geiger-Marsden
experiment which discovered the atomic nucleus
Gell-Mann, Murray
American physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in physics for his work on the theory of
elementary particles
Coined the term “quark”
“God particle”
Moniker given to the elementary particle Higgs Boson
Halo
Optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals creating colored or white arcs and spots in the sky
Incandescence
Emission of light from a hot body as a result of its temperature
Internal conversion
Radioactive decay process where an excited nucleus interacts electromagnetically with an electron
in one of the lower atomic orbitals, causing the electron to be emitted from the atom
Ionization energy
Energy needed to remove an electron from an atom in the gas phase
Isomerism
In physics, existence of atomic nuclei that have the same atomic number and the same mass number
but different energy states
Jablonski diagram
Diagram that represents the electronic energy levels, and their relative positions, of a molecule
Joule
SI unit of work and energy equal to the work done when the point of application of a force of one
newton moves, in the direction of the force, a distance of one meter
Kirlian photography
Collection of photographic techniques used to capture the phenomenon of electrical coronal
discharges
Knot
Unit of measurement equal to one nautical mile per hour
Magnetohydrodynamics
Study of how magnetic fields interact with conducting fluids
Maiman, Theodore
American physicist who is credited with being the inventor of the first laser
Marconi, Guglielmo
Italian inventor, known for his pioneering work on long distance radio transmission and for his
development of Marconi’s law and a radio telegraph system
Often credited as the inventor of radio
Meltdown
Informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating
Metrication
Conversion to the metric system of weights and measures
Mho
Reciprocal of one ohm
Migration
Movement of ions in an electric field
1 Talc
2 Gypsum
3 Calcite
4 Flourite
5 Apatite
6 Orthoclase Feldspar
7 Quartz
8 Topaz
9 Corundum
10 Diamond
Mouton, Gabriel
French scientist whose 1670 book Observationes diametrorum solis et lunae apparentium came to
form the basis of what was to become the metric system hundred years later
Müller, Walther
German physicist, most well known for his improvement of Hans Geiger’s counter for ionizing
radiation, now known as the Geiger-Müller tube
Optics
Branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions
with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it
Orbit
In physics, gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of
a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System
Oscilloscope
Type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages,
usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical
or y‑axis, plotted as a function of time (horizontal or x‑axis)
Phon
Unit of loudness of sound that measures the intensity of a sound relativeto a reference tone of
defined intensity and frequency
Piezometer
Either a device used to measure static liquid pressure in a system by measuring the height to which
a column of the liquid rises against gravity, or a device which measures the pressure (more
precisely, the piezometric head) of groundwater
Planck, Max
German theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1918
Plasticity
Tendency of a material to suffer a permanent deformation; i.e. not to return to its original
dimensions after a deforming stress has been removed
Polarimeter
Device for measuring the angle of rotation of a plane-polarized beam caused by an optically active
sample
Positron
Antimatter counterpart of electron
Popov, Alexander
Russian physicist who was the first to demonstrate the practical application of electromagnetic
waves
Poundal
Unit of force that is part of the foot–pound–second system of units
Prehensility
Quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding
Prism
Transparent optical element with flat, polished sides used to bend or disperse a beam of light
Pulley
Wheel on an axle that is designed to support movement of a cable or belt along its circumference
Quantization
Process of constructing a quantum theory for a system, using the original classical theory as a basis
Quark
Elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter
Coined by Murray Gell-Mann, inspired by the word “quark” in James Joyce’s book Finnegans
Wake
Radiant flux
Term referring to the total power emitted or received by a body in the form ofradiation, measured in
watts
Rankine scale
Thermodynamic absolute temperature scale named after the Glasgow University engineer and
physicist William John Macquorn Rankine
Rayleigh scattering
Elastic scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the
wavelength of the light
Réaumur scale
Temperature scale in which the freezing and boiling points of water are set to 0 and 80 degrees
respectively, named after René Antoine Fercahukt de Réaumur
Rectifier
Electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to
direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction
Rutherford, Ernest
New Zealand-born physicist and chemist who became known as the father of nuclear physics,
winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his investigations into the disintegration of the
elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances
Sakharov, Andrei
Soviet physicist best known as the designer of the Soviet Union’s Third Idea, a codename for Soviet
development of thermonuclear weapons; winner of the 1975 Nobel Peace Prize
Schrödinger, Erwin
Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental results in the field of quantum theory,
which formed the basis of wave mechanics
Scintillation
Flash of light produced in a transparent material by the passage of a particle
Screw
Simple machine effectively consisting of an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder
Self-energy
In classical physics, contribution to the energy of the system resulting from the interaction between
different parts of the system
SI base units
SI derived units
Solarisation
Phenomenon in photography in which the image recorded on a negative or on a photographic print
is wholly or partially reversed in tone
Solenoid
In electromagnetism, coil of wire, usually cylindrical, in which a magnetic field is created by
passing an electric current through it
Sonic boom
Shock wave that is created when an object is moving faster than the speed of sound in the
atmosphere of the Earth
Spacetime
In physics, any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven
continuum
Spinthariscope
Instrument for observing the scintillations produced by ionizing radiation when it strikes a zinc
sulfide screen
Statics
Branch of mechanics dealing with the forces on an object or in a system in equilibrium
Superfluidity
Property of flowing without friction or viscosity
Szilárd, Leó
Conceived the nuclear chain reaction in 1933
Wrote the letter for Albert Einstein’s signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the
atomic bomb
Tachyons
Hypothetical particles that travel faster than light
Term coined by Gerald Feinberg
Tesla
SI unit measure for magnetic field strength
Tesla, Nikola
Known for alternating current, arc light systems, bifilar coil, teleforce, electric power transmission,
electrogravitics, induction motor, lightning rods, magnifying transmitter, Tesla coil,
telegeodynamics, wireless transfer of electricity
Tevatron
Second highest energy particle collider in the world
Tokamak
Acronym for toroidal chamber with axial magnetic field, device using a magnetic field to confine
plasma in the shape of a torus invented by Soviet physicists Igor Tamm and Andrei Sakharov
Tonomura, Akira
Japanese physicist best known for his development of electron holography and his experimental
verification of the Aharonov-Bohm effect
Torque
Tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum or pivot
Torricelli, Evangelista
Italian physicist and mathematician, best known for his invention of the barometer
Transistor
Semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power
Tribology
Study of friction, lubrication and lubricants
Turbulence
Form of fluid flow in which the particles of the fluid move in a disordered manner in irregular
paths, resulting in an exchange of momentum from one portion of a fluid to another
Ultrasonics
Study and use of pressure waves that have a frequency in excess of 20,000 Hz
Umbra
Innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light is completely blocked by the occluding
body
Watt, James
Scottish inventor known for improving the steam engine and developed the concept of horsepower
Wave
Term for oscillation of water particles in oceans
Weight
Force by which a body is attracted to the earth
Zeeman Effect
Splitting of the spectrum line into several components by theapplication of a magnetic field
Mathematics and Social Sciences
6
In mathematics, first perfect number
19
• Minimum age that is legal to buy tobacco products in Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey, Utah and
several counties in New York
• Minimum age to marry in the state of Nebraska
36
Perfect score in ACT
2400
Perfect score on SAT tests administered after 2005
Adler, Alfred
Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology
whose emphasis on the importance of feelings of inferiority - the inferiority complex - is recognized
as isolating an element which plays a key role in personality development
al-Biruni
Muslim scholar regarded as the first anthropologist
Alexithymia
Personality construct characterized by the sub-clinical inability to identify and describe emotions in
the self
Archimedes of Syracuse
Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer credited with designing
innovative machines, including siege engines and the screw pump that bears his name
Australia
First first to develop and use polymer banknotes or plastic money
Binet, Alfred
French psychologist who invented the first usable intelligence test, known at the time as the Binet
test and today referred to as the IQ test
Boiler room
In business, outbound call center selling questionable investments by telephone
Burns, Ursula
First African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company (Xerox)
First woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company
Burrhus Frederic
First and middle names of psychologist B. F. Skinner
Casting couch
Term originated in the motion picture industry that refer to the trading of sexual favors by an
aspirant, apprentice employee or subordinate to a superior in return for entry into an occupation, or
for career advancement within an organization
Chaebol
Large Korean business conglomerate
Cliometrics
Systematic application of economic theory, econometric techniques and other formal or
mathematical methods to the study of history
CNN Effect
Theory in political science and media studies that postulates that the development of the popular 24-
hour international television news channel known as Cable News Network, or CNN, had a major
impact on the conduct of states’ foreign policy in the late Cold War period and that CNN and its
subsequent industry competitors have had a similar impact in the post-Cold War era
Codex Leicester
Also briefly known as Codex Hammer, collection of largely scientific writings by Leonardo da
Vinci
Compensation
In psychology, act or process of making amends or somethingdone or given to make up for a loss
Confidence limits
In statistics, probability that any value in a set of data will fall within a given range of the mean
Copyleft
Practice of using copyright law to offer the right to distribute copies and modified versions of a
work and requiring that the same rights be preserved in modified versions of the work
Corporate raid
In business, term referring to buying a large stake in a corporation and then using shareholder
voting rights to require the company to undertake novel measures designed to increase the share
value, generally in opposition to the desires and practices of the corporation’s current management
Domino theory
Political theory espoused by the United States during the Cold War which speculated that if one
state in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would
follow in a domino effect
Enclosure
In English social and economic history, process which ends traditional rights such as mowing
meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land formerly held in the open field system
Endowment effect
In behavioral economics, hypothesis that people ascribe more value to things merely because they
own them
Epicaricacy
Term referring to the human psychological response that entails the rejoicing at,taking joy in, or
getting pleasure from the misfortunes of others
Eratosthenes of Cyrene
First person to calculate the circumference of the Earth by using a measuring system called stades
First to calculate the tilt of the Earth’s axis
Founder of scientific chronology
Evergreening
Term referring to a variety of legal and business strategies by which technology producers with
patents over products that are about to expire retain royalties from them, by either taking out new
patents, or by buying out or frustrating competitors, for longer periods of time than would normally
be permissible under the law
Factorial
Product of all possible integers less than, or equal to, a given number, denoted by that number
followed by an exclamation mark
Fibonacci
Known as Leonardo of Pisa, Italian mathematician best known to the modern world for the
spreading of the Hindu-Arabic numerical system in Europe and for a number sequence named after
him
Flynn effect
Substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores
measured in many parts of the world
Freud, Anna
Psychologist whose work emphasized the importance of the ego and its ability to be trained socially
Freud, Sigmund
Austrian neurologist who became known as the founding father of psychoanalysis
Fröbel, Friedrich
German pedagogue who created the concept of the “kindergarten”
Gallup, George
American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful
statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion
Galois, Évariste
French mathematician who was the first to use the word “group” as a technical term in mathematics
to represent a group of permutations
Galtung, Johan
Norwegian sociologist who founded the discipline of peace and conflict studies
Green, Hetty
Nicknamed “The Witch of Wall Street”, American businesswoman, remarkable for her frugality
during the Gilded Age, as well as for being the first American woman to make a substantial impact
on Wall Street
Greer, Germaine
Australian academic and journalist who wrote The Female Eunuch
Gresham's Law
Economic principle that states “bad money drives out good”
Group of Eight
Forum for the governments of eight of the world’s eleven largest national economies
Gunboat Diplomacy
In international politics, term referring to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of
conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare,
should terms not be agreeable to the superior force
Harvard University
Oldest institution of higher learning in the United States
Heyerdahl, Thor
Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he
sailed 8,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the
Tuamotu Islands
Horney, Karen
German psychoanalyst whose theories questioned some traditional Freudian views, particularly her
theory of sexuality, as well as the instinct orientation of psychoanalysis and its genetic psychology,
founding Feminist Psychology
Horology
Art or science of measuring time
Industrial espionage
Form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security purposes
Inflation
In economics, rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period
of time
• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Yale University
Janov, Arthur
American psychologist, psychotherapist, and the creator of primal therapy, a treatment for mental
illness that involves repeatedly descending into, feeling, and expressing long-repressed childhood
pain
Jones, William
Welsh mathematician most noted for his proposal for the use of the symbol π to represent the ratio
of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
Jung, Carl
Swiss psychologist best known for his work on psychological types andarchetypes such as the
shadow and the persona
Kasner, Edward
American mathematician who introduced the term googol
Kinesics
Interpretation of body language such as facial expressions or gestures
Kon-Tiki
Raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the
Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands
Kübler-Ross Model
Another name for the five stages of grief
Library of Congress
Largest library in the world
Lima syndrome
Psychological phenomenon in which abductors develop sympathy for their hostages
Loan shark
Person or body that offers loans at extremely high interest rates
“Lux et veritas”
Motto of Yale University, Latin for “Light and Truth”
Macroeconomics
Branch of economics that deals with aggregates such as capitaland labor, and their interactions in an
economy as a whole
Mainstreaming
In psychology, practice of placing students who are markedly above or below average in academic
performance in the same classrooms with students who are in the average range in academic
achievement
Maslow, Abraham Harold
American psychologist best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of
psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-
actualization
Mead, Margaret
Anthropologist who wrote Coming of Age in Samoa
“Mens et Manus”
Motto of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, meaning “Mind and Hand”
Napier, John
Scottish mathematician best known as the discoverer of logarithms
Nelson, Ted
American sociologist who coined the terms “hypertext”and “hypermedia” in 1963
Octothorpe
Technical term for the number sign
Oedipus complex
Term in psychoanalytic theory denoting the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the
unconscious, via dynamic repression that concentrates upon a child's desire to sexually possess the
parent of the opposite sex
“Oracle of Omaha”
Nickname given to American business magnate Warren Buffett
Ostrom, Elinor
First, and to date, the only woman to win the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics
Presque vu
Also known as tip of the tongue phenomenon, failure to retrieve a word from memory, combined
with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent
Quesnay, François
French economist known for publishing the “Tableau économique”(Economic Table) in 1758,
which provided the foundations of the ideas of the Physiocrats
Quincunx
Geometric pattern consisting of five points arranged in a cross
Recorde, Robert
Welsh physician and mathematician who introduced the “equals”sign (=) and also the “plus”sign
(+) in 1557
Ricardo, David
Economist who wrote Principles of Political Economy and Taxation and advanced the “iron law of
wages”
Rotter, Julian
American psychologist known for developing influential theories including social learning theory
and locus of control
Sauvy, Alfred
French demographer who coined the term Third World (“Tiers Monde”) in reference to countries
that were unaligned with either the Communist Soviet bloc or the Capitalist NATO bloc during the
Cold War
Scatter diagram
In statistics, diagram obtained when two sets of observationsare plotted against each other and are
usually employed to visualize any correlationsthat may occur between two sets of observations
Sen, Amartya
Recipient of the 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare
economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society’s poorest
members
Somatology
Study or science of the human body as a branch of anthropology
Soros, George
American business magnate known as “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England”because of his
US$1 billion in investment profits during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crisis
Stern, Louis
German psychologist who invented the concept of the intelligence quotient
Stockholm syndrome
Psychological phenomenon in which hostages expresses empathy and sympathy, and have positive
feelings toward their captor, sometimes to the point of defending them
Symbolization
In psychoanalysis, defense mechanism whereby an unconsciousidea is expressed in the form of a
different idea, object, image, or concept, sometimesresulting in symptom formation
Terman, Lewis
American psychologist known for his revision of the Stanford-Binet IQ test
Tissot's indicatrix
Mathematical contrivance presented by French mathematician Nicolas Auguste Tissot in 1859 and
1871 in order to characterize distortions due to map projection
Twinkie Defense
Derisive label for an improbable legal defense coined by reporters as a catchall term during their
coverage of the trial of defendant Dan White for the murders of San Francisco city supervisor
Harvey Milk and mayor George Moscone
University of Timbuktu
World's first university established in 12th century composed of three schools (Masajid of
Djinguereber, Masajid of Sidi Yahya and Masajid of Sankore)
Working capital
Financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organization or other
entity, including governmental entity
Technology and Inventions
4
Number of funnels in the RMS Titanic
39
Japanese Internet chat slang for thank you when written in numbers
140
Twitter entry-character limit
160
Number of characters permitted in a standard short message service in Australia and Europe
201
First telephone area code, designated for northern New Jersey
672
Area code of Antarctica
Abrams, Jonathan
Creator of the social networking site Friendster in 2002
Accelerometer
Device that measures proper acceleration
Adobe Systems
Computer software company founded by Charles Geschke and John Warnock in 1982, named after
the creek that ran behind the house of Warnock
Adze
Ancient type of edge tool dating back to the Stone Age used for smoothing or carving wood in hand
woodworking, similar to an axe but with the head mounted perpendicular to the handle
Aerogel
Synthetic porous ultralight material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has
been replaced with a gas, first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931
Aileron
Hinged flight control surface usually attached to the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing
aircraft
Air Force One
Official air traffic control call sign of a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the
United States
Alderson, Samuel W.
Inventor best known for his development of the crash test dummy
Altimeter
Instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level
Anderson, Mary
American real estate developer, rancher, viticulturist and inventor of the windshield wiper blade
• Cupcake
• Donut
• Eclair
• Froyo
• Gingerbread
• Honeycomb
• Ice Cream Sandwich
• Jelly Bean
• KitKat
Apple
World’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics,
and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia founded by Steve Jobs,
Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976
Apple Campus
Corporate headquarters of Apple Inc., located at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California
Apple Macintosh
World's first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user
interface rather than a command line interface
Arecibo Observatory
Radio telescope in Puerto Rico that is the world's largest single-aperture telescope
Arktika
First surface ship to reach the North Pole, on August 17, 1977
Arobase
Another word for ampersat or at sign
Arquebus
Early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries
ASCII
Officially American Standard Code for Information Interchange, character-encoding scheme
originally based on the English alphabet
ASIMO
Acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, humanoid robot designed and developed by
Honda
Ask.com
Originally known as Ask Jeeves, question answering-focused web search engine founded in 1996
by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen in Berkeley, California
Aspdin, Joseph
Inventor of Portland cement
Awesome
Planned name for the Facebook like button
Bain, Alexander
Scottish inventor and engineer who was first to invent and patent the electric clock, also invented
facsimile machine
Barger, Jorn
Coined the term weblog to describe the process of “logging the web”as he surfed
Bathometer
Instrument that measures water depth
Baylis, Trevor
Inventor of the wind-up radio
Beaching
Process in which a ship or boat is laid ashore, or grounded deliberately in shallow water
BEAM Robotics
Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, Mechanics
Automatically moving machine based on analog electronics
Beidou
Chinese satellite navigation system
Bennett, Susan
American voice-over artist most known for being the female American voice of Apple's Siri
Benz, Karl
Generally regarded as the inventor of the gasoline-powered automobile
Bessemer process
First inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel
Bezos, Jeff
Founder and CEO of amazon.com
Purchased The Washington Post for US$ 250 million in cash
Bibendum
Real name of the Michelin Man
Bich, Marcel
Manufacturer and co-founder of Bic, the world’s leading producer of ballpoint pens
Big Blue
Nickname given to multinational technology firm IBM
Bipod
Attachment for either a photographical device or a weapon that creates a steady plane for whatever
it may be attached
Birdseye, Clarence
Considered to be the founder of the modern frozen food industry
Bitcoin
Cryptocurrency first described in a 2008 paper by pseudonymous developer Satoshi Nakamoto,
who called it a peer-to-peer, electronic cash system
Blériot, Louis
Famous for making the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier than air aircraft
Blogosphere
Term for the collective community of all blogs
Blue Angels
United States Navy's flight demonstration squadron
Blunderbuss
Muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle and
frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity
and/or caliber
BMW Z3
First modern mass-market roadster produced by BMW
First new BMW model assembled in the United States
Boeing, William
Founder of Boeing
Boeing 777
World’s largest twinjet
First entirely computer-designed commercial aircraft
Bohlin, Nils
Swedish inventor who invented the three-point safety belt while working at Volvo
Bombard
Cannon or mortar used in medieval times
Large caliber, muzzle-loading artillery piece mainly used during sieges to throw stone balls at
opponent’s walls
Booby trap
Device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a person, unknowingly triggered by the
presence or actions of the victim
Boom
• In sailing, a spar (pole), along the foot (bottom edge) of a fore and aft rigged sail, that greatly
improves control of the angle and shape of the sail
• In windsurfing, a piece of equipment that attaches to the mast, providing structural support for the
sail
Bradley, David
Credited for implementing the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination
BrahMos
World’s fastest cruise missile, traveling at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0
Brandenburg, Karlheinz
Inventor of the MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3)
Brazil
Country where the last factory in the world that produces the Volkswagen T2 (Kombi) is located
“Broadcast Yourself”
Slogan of the website YouTube
Brownie
Name of a long-running popular series of simple and inexpensive cameras made by Eastman Kodak
Brush
Device which conducts current between stationary wires and moving parts, most commonly in a
rotating shaft
Buffer
In computer science, region of physical memory storage used to temporarily store data while it is
being moved from one place to another
Buoyancy compensator
Piece of diving equipment containing a bladder which is worn by divers to establish neutral
buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy on the surface, when needed
Burgee
Distinguishing flag, regardless of its shape, of a recreational boating organization
Caboose
Railroad car with accommodations for the train crew typicallyattached to the end of the train
Calder Hall
Located in United Kingdom, world’s first nuclear power station to deliver electricity in commercial
quantities
Calypso
Jacques Cousteau’s research ship
Capacitor
Passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field
Carburetor
Device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine
Carlson, Chester
Best known for having invented the process of electrophotography, which produced a dry copy
rather than a wet copy, as was produced by the mimeograph process
Cartography
Study and practice of making maps
Catalytic converter
Vehicle emissions control device which converts toxic byproducts of combustion in the exhaust of
an internal combustion engine to less toxic substances by way of catalyzed chemical reactions
Cayley, George
Considered as the father of aerodynamics
Cellophane
Thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose in which its low permeability to air, oil,
greases, bacteria and water makes it useful for food production
Cerf, Vinton
Along with Robert Kahn, widely credited with the co-invention of theubiquitous TCP/IP protocol
American computer scientist, who is recognized as one of “the fathers of the Internet”, sharing this
title with American computer scientist Robert Kahn
Check digit
Form of redundancy check used for error detection on identification numbers which have been
input manually
Cheget
Russian term for “nuclear briefcase” and a part of the automatic system for the pinnacle command
and control of Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces
China
World’s largest source of intellectual property (IP) theft
China Clipper
First plane to offer transpacific air service
Circuit breaker
Automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage
caused by overload or short circuit
Cité de l’Automobile
Located in Mulhouse, France and houses the Schlumpf Collection of classic automobiles
Contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of Bugatti motor vehicles in the world
Closed platform
Software system where the carrier or service provider has control over applications, content, media
and restricts convenient access or content
Clutch
Mechanical device that provides for the transmission of power (and therefore usually motion) from
one component (the driving member) to another (the driven member) when engaged, but can be
disengaged
Coanda, Henri
Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coanda-1910
described by Coanda in the mid-1950s as the world’s first jet
Coathanger
Nickname given to the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Cochran, Jackie
First woman to break the sound barrier
Cohen, Bram
Creator of Bittorent
Colossus
World’s first electronic digital computer that was at all programmable, used by British codebreakers
during World War II to help in the cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher
Colt, Samuel
Inventor of the revolver
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
Meaning of the term CAPTCHA
Condenser
Device or unit used to condense vapor into liquid
Convair B-36
Largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made
Longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built
First bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its
two bomb bays without aircraft modifications
World’s first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range
Cookie
Small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser while a user is browsing
a website
Cooper, Martin
Conceived the first handheld mobile phone and led the team that developed it and brought it to
market, considered the “father of the cell phone” and is also cited as the first person in history to
make a handheld cellular phone call in public
Crampons
Traction devices used to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing
CSS H. L. Hunley
First combat submarine to sink an enemy warship
Cunningham, Howard G.
American computer programmer who developed the first wiki
Curtiss NC-4
First aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in New York State and making the crossing
as far as Lisbon, Portugal in May 1919
D’Aloisio, Nick
British-Australian entrepreneur, computer programmer and designer known for the creation of
Summly and its technology
Youngest person to receive a round of venture capital in technology at just 15 years of age
Daguerre, Louis
French artist and physicist recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of
photography
Daimler, Gottlieb
Inventor of the high-speed petrol engine and the first four-wheel automobile
Daimler Reitwagen
First gasoline internal combustion motorcycle
de Chardonnet, Hilaire
Inventor of artificial silk
De Forest, Lee
American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit and invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that
takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them
de Mestral, George
Electrical engineer who invented Velcro
Dead bolt
Locking mechanism distinct from a spring bolt lock because a deadbolt cannot be moved to the
open position except by rotating the lock cylinder
Deep Blue
Chess-playing supercomputer that defeated Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch,
becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format
Denier
Unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers
Devol, George
Recipient of the first patent for a robot
Dickson, Earle
American inventor best known for creating Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages
Diesel exhaust
Term for the exhaust gas of a diesel engine
Diode
Electronic device with two electrodes that exhibits rectifying action when a potential difference is
applied
Dive computer
Device used by an underwater diver to measure the time and depth of a dive so that a safe ascent
profile can be calculated and displayed so that the diver can avoid decompression sickness
Dolby, Ray
American engineer and inventor of the noise reduction system known as Dolby NR
Donovan, Marion
American inventor and entrepreneur who developed the first waterproof disposable diaper
Doping
In semiconductor production, process that intentionally introduced impurities into an extremely
pure semiconductor for the purpose of modulating its electrical properties
Dorsey, Jack
American web developer and businessman widely known as the creator of Twitter
Double Eagle II
Piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman, first balloon to cross the Atlantic
Ocean
Drogue parachute
Parachute designed to be deployed from a rapidly moving object in order to slow the object, or to
provide control and stability, or as a pilot parachute to deploy a larger parachute invented by
Giovanni Agusta in 1911
Druzhba pipeline
World's longest oil pipeline
Dummer, Geoffrey
British electronics engineer credited as being the first person to conceptualize and build a prototype
of the integrated circuit, commonly called the microchip, in the late-1940s and early 1950s
Dushanbe Flagpole
Tallest free-standing flagpole in the world, located in Tajikistan
Dyson sphere
Hypothetical megastructure originally described by Freeman Dyson as a system of orbiting solar-
power satellites meant to completely encompass a star and capture most or all of its energy output
Earhart, Amelia
First female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
Earl, Harley J.
Designer of the Chevrolet Corvette
Easton, Roger L.
Principal inventor and designer of the Global Positioning System
Echo sounding
Type of SONAR used to determine the depth of water by transmitting sound pulses into water
Electromote
World’s first vehicle run like a trolleybus invented by Ernst Werner von Siemens
Engelbart, Douglas
American inventor best known for his work on the challenges of human–computer interaction,
particularly while at his Augmentation Research Center Lab in SRI International, resulting in the
invention of the computer mouse, and the development of hypertext, networked computers, and
precursors to graphical user interfaces
ENIAC
Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer, first electronic general-purpose computer
Epidiascope
Technical term for an opaque projector
Ericsson
Inventor of the Bluetooth short-range wireless technology
Exhaust manifold
In automotive engineering, device that collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one
pipe
Exocet
French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels,
submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft
Facebook
Online social networking site founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg
Facial composite
Graphical presentation of an eyewitness’ memory of a face, as recorded by a composite artist
Fahlman, Scott
Credited with originating the first smiley emoticon
Fastener
Hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together
Fay, Samuel B.
Receiver of the first patent for a bent wire paper clip
Felucca
Traditional wooden sailing boat used in protected waters of the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean
Ferrule
Name for types of objects, generally used for fastening, joining, sealing or reinforcement
Finderscope
Small auxiliary telescope mounted atop the main astronomical telescope and pointed in the same
direction
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, combination of persistent memory and program code and data
stored in it
Flagship
Vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its
commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag
Flubber
Common name referring to a rubbery polymer formed by cross linking of polyvinyl alcohol with a
boron compound
“Flying Pencil”
Nickname of the World War II German light bomber Dornier Do 17
Fokker, Anthony
Dutch aircraft manufacturer often credited with having invented the synchronization device which
enabled World War I aircraft to fire through the spinning propeller
Ford, Henry
Founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line
technique of mass production
Recipient of the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the highest medal Nazi Germany could bestow
on a foreigner on his 75th birthday
Ford Focus
World’s best selling automobile nameplate, surpassing Toyota Corolla
Ford Quadricycle
First vehicle developed by Henry Ford
Forecastle
Upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors’
living quarters
“Fork-tailed devil”
Nickname given by the Luftwaffe to Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Foursquare
Created by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai in 2009, location-based social networking
website for mobile devices, such as smartphones, in which users “check in” at venues using a
mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application by selecting from a list of venues
the application locates nearby
Franklin, Benjamin
Generally credited with inventing bifocal lenses
Fry, Arthur
Co-creator of the Post-It note, together with Spencer Silver
Fuel injection
System for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine that become the primary fuel delivery
system used in automotive engines, having replaced carburetors during the 1980s and the 1990s
Fulton, Robert
American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially
successful steamboat
Fuse
Type of low resistance resistor that acts as a sacrificial device to provide overcurrent protection, of
either the load or source circuit
Gayetty, Joseph C.
Inventor of the first packaged bathroom tissue
General Purpose
Designation of the Jeep vehicle
Gentry, Violet
Best known for setting the non-refueling endurance record for women
Gesner, Abraham
Canadian physician and geologist who invented kerosene
Gibson, William
Coined the term “cyberspace” in his 1982 short story “Burning Chrome”
Glamorous Glennis
Named after the wife of Chuck Yeager, aircraft that broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947
GLONASS
An alternative to the United States’ Global Positioning System, onlyalternative navigational system
in operation with global coverage and of comparable precision
Acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema, radio-based satellite navigation
system operated by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces
Gnomon
Object that casts a shadow on a sundial
Goodyear, Charles
American inventor who developed a process to vulcanize rubber in 1839
Google
Internet and computer software company founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998
Google.com is the most visited website in the world in December 2012, according to Alexa Internet
Gorton, Mark
Creator of the free peer-to-peer sharing client program Limewire
Gosling, James
Canadian computer scientist best known as the father of the Java programming language
Grandfather paradox
Proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his
1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent (Future Times Three) which is described as following: the time
traveller went back in time to the time when his grandfather had not married yet and at that time,
the time traveller kills his grandfather, and therefore, the time traveller is never born when he was
meant to be
Graticule
Glass plate or cell bearing a grid, cross wires or graduated scalethat is set in the focal plane of the
eyepiece of a telescope and is used for positioningor measuring
Greenwood, Chester
Inventor of the earmuff
Gross, Alfred J.
Created and patented many communications devices, specifically in relation to an early version of
the walkie-talkie, Citizens’ Band radio, the telephone pager and the cordless telephone
Half-track
Civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the
back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load
Halyard
In sailing, rope that is used to hoist a ladder, sail, a flag or a yard
Handshaking
In information technology, automated process of negotiation that dynamically sets parameters of a
communications channel established between two entities before normal communication over the
channel begins
Hargreaves, James
Credited with inventing the spinning jenny in 1764
Harryhausen, Ray
American visual effects creator who invented a form of stop-motion model animation known as
“Dynamation”
Hawker Hurricane
British single-seat fighter aircraft that became renowned during the Battle of Britain, accounting for
60% of the Royal Air Force's victory in the battle
Heinkel He 178
World’s first aircraft to fly under turbojet power and the first practical jet aircraft
Hillebrand, Friedhelm
German engineer who conducted experiments to determine the length need for text messages and
found that 160 characters was sufficient
Hollerith, Herman
American statistician and inventor who developed a mechanical tabulator based on punched cards
to rapidly tabulate statistics from millions of pieces of data
Founder of the Tabulating Machine Company that later merged to become IBM
Widely regarded as the father of modern automatic computation
Holtom, Gerald
Designed the logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament that became more commonly known
as the peace sign
Honda Accord
First car from a Japanese manufacturer to be produced in the United States
Hopper, Grace
American computer scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral, one of the first programmers of
the Harvard Mark I computer
Developed the first compiler for a computer programming language
Credited with popularizing the term “debugging” for fixing computer glitches
Conceptualized the idea of machine-independent programming languages, which led to the
development of COBOL, one of the first modern programming languages
First person from the United States and the first woman of any nationality to be made a
Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society
Howdah
Chair used in transporting people by elephant
HTC Dream
First commercially released device to use the Linux-based Android operating system
Hubcap
Decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel
Hudl
Tablet computer marketed by British retailer Tesco in 2013
Hwang, Dennis
Graphic artist who designs the festive logos for Google on special days
Ice boat
Boat or purpose-built framework similar in functional design to a sail boat but fitted with skis or
runners and designed to run over ice instead of through water
Immortality Drive
Large memory device which was taken to the International Space Station in a Soyuz spacecraft on
October 12, 2008 that contained digitized DNA sequences of a select group of humans, such as
physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Stephen Colbert, Playboy model Jo Garcia, game designer
Richard Garriot, fantasy authors Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, pro wrestler Matt Morgan,
and athlete Lance Armstrong
Ingot
Material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing
Inoue, Daisuke
Inventor of the karaoke machine
INS Khukri
First warship sunk in action by a submarine since World War II
INS Vikrant
First aircraft carrier to be built in India
Instagram
Online photo-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures, apply
digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as media sites
including Facebook or Twitter, created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in 2010
Instamatic
Series of inexpensive, easy-to-load 126 and 110 cameras made by Kodak beginning in 1963
Integrated Electronics
Company founded in 1968 Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce now known as Intel Corporation
Intercom
Stand-alone voice communications system for use within a building or small collection of
buildings, functioning independently of the public telephone network
Ive, Jonathan
Lead designer of many of Apple’s products, including the MacBook Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, iPod,
iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, iPad Air and iPad Mini
Jib
Triangular staysail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel
Jiffy
Informal term for any unspecified short period of time
Kalashnikov, Mikhail
Designer of the AK-47, AKM and AK-74
Karp, David
American web developer and entrepreneur who founded the short-form blogging platformTumblr
Kay, John
• English clockmaker known for the scandal associated with the invention of the spinning frame
• Inventor of the flying shuttle
Kihara, Nobutoshi
Engineer at Sony best known for his work on the original Walkman cassette-tape player in the
1970s
Killick, Marie
Patented the truncated-tip sapphire stylus in 1945 for playing gramophones
Kinemacolor
First successful color motion picture process, first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre
in London in 1909
Kittinger, Joseph
Most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior in 1960, setting the
record longest skydive from a height greater than 31 kilometers (19 mi)
First man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon
First man to witness the curvature of the Earth
Klann linkage
Planar mechanism designed to simulate the gait of legged animal and function as a wheel
replacement
Klout
Website and mobile app that uses social media analytics to rank its users according to online social
influence via the “Klout Score”, which is a numerical value between 1 and 100
Kodachrome
Brand name for a non-substantive, color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935 and
discontinued in 2009
Kwangmyong
North Korean “walled garden”national intranet opened in 2000 that may be accessed by web
browsers, incorporates email services, news groups, and an internal web search engine
Kwolek, Stephanie
American chemist who invented polyparaphenylene terephtalamide, better known as Kevlar
La Gloire
First ocean-going ironclad in history
Laennec, René-Théophile-Hyacinthe
French physician who invented the stethoscope in 1816, while working at the Hôpital Necker and
pioneered its use in diagnosing various chest conditions
Lamborghini, Ferruccio
Founder of automobile manufacturer Lamborghini
Lamborghini Aventador
Used as patrol car in Dubai
Landmaster
Unique 12-wheeled amphibious articulated vehicle constructed by Dean Jeffries at Jeffries
Automotive in Universal City, California for the 1977 science fiction film Damnation Alley
Lanier, Jaron
Best known for popularizing the term “virtual reality”
Lexus SC 430
Last automobile from any manufacturer in the United States to ship with a cassette tape deck
Light meter
• Device used to measure the amount of light
• In photography, device often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph
Linux
UNIX-like and POSIX-compliant computer operating system assembled under the model of free
and open source software development and distribution
London Array
World’s largest offshore wind farm
Longeron
Thin strip of material to which the skin of the aircraft is fastened
Ma, Jack
Chinese Internet entrepreneur who is the Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group
First mainland Chinese entrepreneur to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine
Macintosh, Charles
Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof fabrics
Marconi, Guglielmo
Italian inventor known for his pioneering work on long distance radio transmission and for his
development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system
Marlinspike
Tool used in marine ropework to aid in such tasks as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots,
drawing marline tight using a marlinspike hitch, and as a toggle joining ropes under tension in a
belaying pin splice
Matsuda, Jujiro
Founder of Mazda
Maxwell
Brand of automobiles manufactured in the United States of America from about 1904 to 1925,
succeeded by the Chrysler Group
McAdam, John
Scottish engineer noted for inventing the process of “macadamization” of roads
Memory effect
Effect observed in nickel cadmium and nickel–metal hydride rechargeable batteries that causes
them to hold less charge
Meucci, Antonio
Italian-American inventor best known for developing a voice communication apparatus which
several sources credit as the first telephone
Microsoft
World’s largest personal-computer software company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen
Miguelin
20-foot tall robotic baby featured in the 2010 World Expo Exhibit in Spain
Monitor
Device that is used for checking the progress and operation of asystem
Morita, Akio
Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka
Morning Cloud
Name given by British politician Edward Heath to a series of five yachts which he owned between
1969 and 1983
Morris worm
Considered the first worm and was certainly the first to gain significant mainstream media attention
Morse, Samuel F. B.
American inventor who contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on
European telegraphs
Mosaic
Web browser credited with popularizing the World Wide Web, first graphical web browser,
developed by Marc Andreessen and James H. Clark
Motorola StarTAC
First ever clamshell or flip mobile phone
Multirotor
Rotorcraft with more than two rotors
Muuss, Mike
Author of the freeware network tool ping
Muzzle brakes
Devices that are either fitted to, or designed as a permanent part of, the muzzle of a firearm or
cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and
unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire
Muybridge, Eadweard
English photographer known for his pioneering work on animal locomotion in 1877 and 1878,
which used multiple cameras to capture motion in stop-action photographs, and his zoopraxiscope,
a device for projecting motion pictures that pre-dated the flexible perforated film strip used in
cinematography
Nakamoto, Satoshi
Pseudonymous entity that designed and created the original Bitcoin software
Nao
Autonomous, programmable humanoid robot developed by Aldebaran Robotics, a French robotics
company headquartered in Paris
Nash Rambler
Widely acknowledged to be the first successful modern American compact car
Nautilus
Often considered the first practical submarine, designed by Robert Fulton
Newcomen, Thomas
English inventor who created the first practical steam engine for pumping water
Nissan Maxima
First “talking” car available in the US
Nobel, Alfred
Inventor of dynamite
Nobel, Immanuel
Inventor of the rotary lathe used in plywood manufacturing
Nokia
World’s largest vendor of mobile phones from 1998 to 2012, founded by Fredrik Idestam and Leo
Mechelin as a forestry company
Nook
Brand of e-reader developed by Barnes & Noble
Noyce, Robert
Inventor of the integrated circuit
NS Savannah
First nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship
Octane rating
Standard measure of the performance of a motor or aviation fuel
Odometer
Instrument that indicates distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or automobile
Omega Speedmaster
First watch worn on the moon during Apollo 11
Omidyar, Pierre
French-born Iranian American entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is the founder and chairman of
the eBay auction site
Osborne 1
First commercially successful portable microcomputer
Pantograph
Apparatus mounted on the roof of an electric train or tram to collect power through contact with an
overhead catenary wire
Papworth, Neil
British software architect known as the sender of the first text message (“Merry Christmas” to his
boss at a staff Christmas party)
Paternoster
Passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments that move up slowly in a loop
up and down inside a building without stopping
Pedometer
Instrument for estimating the distance traveled on foot by recording the number of steps taken
Penny-farthing
Term used to describe a type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel that
was popular after the boneshaker
Philadelphia, PA
First US city to have a public water system
Phishing
Act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by
masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication
Ping
• Computer network tool used to test whether a particular host is reachable across an IP network
• Pulse of sound in active sonar
Pipe cleaner
Type of brush originally intended for removing moisture and residue from smoking pipes
Pixel
Physical point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a display device
Plimsoll Line
Line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water, in concept or reality
Pontiac Tempest
First American-built engine to use a belt to time the camshaft to the crankshaft rather than a chain
Porcelator
Little hole in the sink that drains out the water before they overflow
Porsche, Ferdinand
Best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz
SS/SSK
Prairie schooner
Covered wagon used by pioneers in the American old west
Psion Organiser II
Considered as the first usable personal digital assistant
Project Loon
Research and development project being developed by Google with the mission of providing
Internet access to rural and remote areas
Quenching
In metallurgy, rapid cooling of a metal by immersing it in a bath of liquid in order to improve its
properties
Radiosonde
Unit for use in things such as weather balloons that measures various atmospheric parameters and
transmits them to a fixed receiver
Radome
Structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave antenna
Rainbow Bridge
Suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront
development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Ramsey, Alice
First woman to drive across the United States
Rangefinder
Device that measures distance from the observer to a target
Readme file
File that is often included in the release of a software product, which normally contains information
such as the list of bugs eradicated in the release, last-minute information, and installation
instructions
Remington, Eliphalet
Designed the Remington rifle
Resolution
Ability of a telescope or other instrument to distinguish finedetail
Retina Display
Brand name used by Apple for liquid crystal displays which they claim have a high enough pixel
density that the human eye is unable to notice pixelation at a typical viewing distance
Retroreflector
Device or surface that reflect light back to its source with a minimum of scattering
Rhino
Nickname given to the phased out US fighter plane F-4 Phantom II
Ritty, James
Inventor of the cash register
RoboBee
Smallest man-made device to achieve flight
Rolls, Charles
First man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane
Rudder
Device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other conveyance that moves
through air or water
Russian Knight
First four-engine aircraft in the world
Rutan Voyager
First aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling
Samoa Air
Made headlines in April 2013 when they announced that they would base their fares on the weight
of the passengers and their luggage
Samovar
Metal vessels, mostly made of brass or copper that are widely used in Russia for boiling water and
are nowadays also appreciated as works of art
Samsung Electronics
Meaning “three stars” in Korean, world’s largest information technology company and the world’s
largest mobile phone maker
Scissor doors
Automobile doors that rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front of the door, rather than
outwardly as with a conventional door
Sculley, John
Apple Computer CEO who coined the term personal digital assistant
Scuttling
Act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull
Selden, George B.
Patent lawyer and inventor who was granted a US patent for an automobile in 1895
Semiconductor
Material which has electrical conductivity to a degree between that of a metal and that of an
insulator
Slashdot
Technology-related news website founded in 1997 as a blog titled Chips & Dips by Hope College
computer science students Rob Malda and Jeff Bates
Shepherd One
Nickname given by the Americans to the Pope’s aircraft
Shih, Stan
Founder of the hardware and electronics corporation Acer
Shock site
Website that is intended to be offensive, disgusting and/or disturbing to its viewers, containing
materials of high shock value which is also considered distasteful and crude, and is generally of a
pornographic, scatological, extremely violent, insulting, painful, profane, or otherwise provocative
nature
Short circuit
Electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path, often where essentially no
or a very low electrical impedance is encountered
Sigil
In computer programming, symbol attached to a variable name, showing the variable's datatype or
scope, usually a prefix
Sim, Jack
Founder of the Restroom Association of Singapore and World Toilet Organization
Singapore Flyer
Tallest Ferris wheel in the world
Siren
Device for producing loud sounds consisting of a disk with radial louvers which is rotated at high
speed
Skeumorph
Derivative object that retains ornamental design cues that was necessary in the original
Skype
Voice over IP service and software application written by Estonian developers Ahti Heinla, Priit
Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn and was bought by Microsoft in 2011 for US$8.5 billion
Slide rule
Mechanical analog computer, used primarily for multiplication and division
Snapchat
Photo messaging application developed by Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy, ten Stanford
University students
Snow
Term for the white noise on an analog video or television display
Sockpuppet
Online identity used for purposes of deception
Solenoid
Coil wound into a tightly packed helix
Term invented by French physicist André-Marie Ampère to designate a helical coil
Spirit of Ecstasy
Bonnet ornament or hood ornament on Rolls-Royce cars
Spruce Goose
Nickname given to Hughes H-4 Hercules
Largest flying boat ever built
SS Great Eastern
Largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers
around the world without refueling
SS Ideal X
World’s first successful container ship
SS United States
Largest ocean liner constructed entirely in the US
Fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction and even in her retirement retains the
Blue Riband given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the
record highest speed
Standby power
Also called phantom load, electric power consumed by electronic and electrical appliances while
they are switched off or in a standby mode
Star Alliance
World’s first and largest global airline alliance
Stepped Reckoner
Digital mechanical calculator invented by German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
around 1672 and completed in 1694
Stibitz, George
Bell Labs researcher known for his work in the 1930s and 1940s on the realization of Boolean logic
digital circuits using electromechanical relays as the switching element
Stiletto
Knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a stabbing
weapon
Stone, Marvin Chester
Best known as the inventor of the modern drinking straw
Streisand effect
Phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide or remove a piece of information has the unintended
consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet
Sundback, Gideon
Swedish-American electrical engineer known with his work on the development of the zipper
Sverdrup
Unit of measure of volume transport
Swing wing
Also known as variable-sweep wing, airplane wing that may be swept back and then returned to its
original position during flight
Symbol rate
Also called baud rate, number of symbol changes (waveform changes or signalling events) made to
the transmission medium per second using a digitally modulated signal or a line code
Tachometer
Instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine
Tacking
Sailing maneuver by which a sailing vessel, which is sailing approximately into the wind, turns its
bow through the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side to the
other
Taobao Marketplace
Website for online shopping in Chinese language, similar to eBay and Amazon, operated in the
People’s Republic of China by Alibaba Group
Taser
Electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles causing
“neuromuscular incapacitation”
Teflon
Common name is given to polytetrafluroethylene which was discovered byaccident by Roy Plunkett
in 1938 after a gas he was working with hardened in itscanister
Tethering
Term referring to connecting one device to another that allows sharing the Internet connection of
the phone or tablet with other devices such as laptops
Texas Instruments
Invented the first handheld calculator in 1967
Three Gorges Dam
World’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity
Tianhe-2
Currently the world’s fastest supercomputer according to the TOP500 list for June 2013
Tomlinson, Ray
US programmer who implemented an email system in 1971 on the ARPANET
Tower Bridge
Combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, over the River Thames close to the Tower of
London, from which it takes its name and has become an iconic symbol of London
Toyota Prius
First mass-produced hybrid vehicle
Trabant
Most common vehicle in East Germany
Trackball
Pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the
ball about two axes – like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball
Trans-Siberian Railway
Longest railway line in the world
TRANSIT
First satellite navigation system to be used operationally
Trevithick, Richard
British inventor, mining engineer and builder of the first working railway steam locomotive
Trieste
Swiss-designed, Italian-built deep-diving research bathyscaphe that reached a record maximum
depth of about 35,797 feet in the Challenger Deep in 1960
Trubshaw, Brian
First British pilot to fly Concorde in April 1969
Tsar Kolokol
World’s largest bell
Tukey, John W.
Coined the term software
Tull, Jethro
English farmer who invented the seed-planting drill in 1701
Tumbrel
Two-wheeled cart or wagon typically designed to be hauled by a single horse or ox
Tupolev Tu-144
First commercial transport to exceed Mach 2
First commercial supersonic transport aircraft
One of only two supersonic transport aircrafts to enter commercial service, the other being Anglo-
French Concorde
Turing, Alan
Widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence
Twimmolation
Destruction of a person’s career or reputation caused by lewd or insensitive Twitter posts
UNIVAC
Universal Automatic Computer I, Second commercial computer produced in the United States
designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly
Uriminzokkiri
Website that provides Korean language news and propaganda from North Korea’s central news
agency
Uzi
Family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns designed by Major Uziel Gal in
the late 1940s
One of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows the magazine to be housed in
the pistol grip for a shorter weapon
Vaporetto
Waterbus in Venice, Italy
Vaporware
Term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software,
that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially cancelled
Victoria
First ship to successfully circumnavigate the world
“Victorian Internet”
Term given by historians to the telegraph
Video card
Expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display
Viral video
Video that was created and becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically
through video sharing websites, social media and email
Volkswagen
Biggest German automaker and the second biggest automaker in the world
Volkswagen Beetle
Longest running and most manufactured car of a single design platform worldwide
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche
Wales, Jimmy
Founder of the Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia
Walker, John
English chemist who invented the friction match
Wall, Larry
Computer programmer most widely known as the creator of Perl programming language
Wankel, Felix
Only twentieth century engineer to have designed an internal combustion engine which went into
production
Watson, Thomas
• Assistant of Alexander Graham Bell
• Chairman and CEO of International Business Machines (IBM) who oversaw that company’s
growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956
Watt, James
Scottish inventor whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the
changes brought by Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world
Developed the concept of horsepower
Westinghouse, George
Inventor of the AC power system and the railway air brake
Whitney, Eli
American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin
Wiki
Web application which allows people to add, modify, or delete content in a collaboration with
others
Wilhite, Steve
Inventor of the Graphics Interchange Format file format
Windjammer
Ultimate type of large sailing ship built to carry cargo in the 19th and early 20th century
Wing tip
Part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft
Wing walking
Seen in airshows and barnstorming during the 1920s, the act of moving on the wings of an airplane
during flight
Xerox 914
First successful commercial plain paper copier which in 1959 revolutionized the document-copying
industry
Yeager, Chuck
First pilot to travel faster than sound in 1947
Zuckerberg, Mark
Founder of the social networking site Facebook, together with Eduardo Saverin, Andrew
McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes
Zune
Brand of digital media products and services developed by Microsoft, discontinued in 2011
Health and Human Body
9
Number of months in a human pregnancy
12
Pairs of ribs in a human body
17
Number of muscles needed to smile
27
Number of bones in a human hand
32
Number of teeth of a full set of teeth in an adult human, including wisdom teeth
33
Number of vertebrae when the bones that form the coccyx are counted individually in a normal
human spine
43
Number of muscles needed to frown
46
Number of chromosomes in a normal human body cell
72
• Average number of heart beats per minute for a resting adult
• Percentage of water of which the human body is composed
206
Number of bones in the typical adult human body
Acclimatization
Also known as acclimation, process in which an individual organism adjusts to a gradual change in
its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions
Acupuncture
Collection of procedures which involves the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of
techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that are then manipulated manually or by
electrical stimulation
Adderall
Psychostimulant medication that contains amphetamine, used for the treatment of attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy
Agatston, Arthur
Cardiologist who designed the South Beach Diet
Ageusia
Loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness,
bitterness, saltiness and umami
Alopecia
Medical term for baldness
Anamnesis
Technical term for medical history of a patient
Anodyne
Drug that was believed to relieve or soothe pain by lessening the sensitivity of the brain or nervous
system
Anosmia
Loss of smell
Anticoagulant
Substance that prevents clotting of blood
Antigen
In immunology, substance that evokes the production of one or more antibodies
Antigenic shift
Process by which two or more different strains of a virus, or strains of two or more different
viruses, combine to form a new subtype having a mixture of the surface antigens of the two or more
original strains
Aneurysm
Condition where a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel occurs
Anisocoria
Condition characterized by an unequal size of the eye's pupils
Aorta
Artery receives blood from the left ventricle and is responsible for sendingblood throughout the rest
of the body
Largest artery in the human body
Apgar score
Simple and replicable method to quickly and summarily assess the health of newborn children
immediately after birth
Aprosexia
Abnormal inability to pay attention, characterized by a near-complete indifference to everything
Ascites
Gastroenterological term for an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity
Asymptomatic carrier
Person or other organism that has contracted an infectious disease, but who displays no symptoms
Atrial fibrillation
Most common cardiac arrhythmia
Axilla
Also known as armpit, underarm or oxter, area of the human body directly under the joint where the
arm connects to the shoulder
Axon
Long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses away
from the neuron’s cell body
B Vitamins
B1 – thiamine
B2 – riboflavin
B3 – niacin
B5 – panthothenic acid
B6 – pyridoxine
B7 – biotin
B9 – folic acid
B12 – cyanocobalamin
Bartholin, Thomas
Danish physician best known for his work in the discovery of the lymphatic system in humans and
for his advancements of the theory of refrigeration anesthesia, being the first to describe it
scientifically
Bath, Patricia
American ophthalmologist known for the invention of Laserphaco Probe
First African-American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose
Bell’s palsy
Form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve)
causing an inability to control facial muscles on the affected side
Beriberi
Disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, name derived from the Thai expression “I can’t, I can’t”
Bigelow, Wilfred
Canadian heart surgeon known for his role in developing the artificial pacemaker and the use of
hypothermia in open heart surgery
Bile
Bitter-tasting, dark green to yellowish brown fluid, produced by the liver of most vertebrates, that
aids the process of digestion of lipids in the small intestine
Bishop score
Also known as cervix score, pre-labor scoring system to assist in predicting whether induction of
labor will be required
Bolus
Mass of food that has been chewed at the point of swallowing
Borborygmus
Scientific name for stomach rumbling
Borrelia burgdorferi
Agent of Lyme disease
Bowman’scaps le
Cup-like sac at the beginning of the tubular component of a nephron in the mammalian kidney that
performs the first step in the filtration of blood to form urine
Brachioplasty
Surgical procedure to remove loose skin and excess fat deposits in the upper arm
Buffy coat
Fraction of anticoagulated blood sample that contains most of the white blood cells and platelets
following density gradient centrifugation of the blood
Bundle of His
Collection of heart muscle cells specialized for electrical conduction that transmits the electrical
impulses from the AV node to the point of the apex of the fascicular branches
Calcaneal tendon
Another name for the Achilles tendon
Calciferol
Another name for Vitamin D
Canthus
Either corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet
Catatonia
State of neurogenic motor immobility and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor
Cementum
Specialized calcified substance covering the root of a tooth
Cerebral achromatopsia
Type of color-blindness caused by damage to the cerebral cortex of brain, rather than abnormalities
in the cells of the eye’s retina
Cerebrum
Largest and most highly developed part of the brain responsible for the initiation and coordination
of all voluntary activity in the body and governing the functioning of the lower parts of the nervous
system
Chikungunya
Literally meaning “that which bends up”, arthropod-borne virus of the genus Alphavirus that is
transmitted to humans b virus carrying Aedes mosquitoes that causes an illness with symptoms
similar to dengue fever followed by a prolonged arthralgic disease that affects the joints of the
extremities
Chignon
Temporary swelling left on an infant's head after delivery by a ventouse suction cap
Chondromalacia
Technical term for runner’s knee
Chorea
Jerky, involuntary movement particularly affecting the head, face or limbs
Chyme
Semi-fluid mass of partly digested food expelled by the stomach into the duodenum
Cirrhosis
Consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar
tissue and regenerative nodules, leading to loss of liver function
Clark, Barney
First person to receive a permanent artificial heart
Clavicle
Long curved bone that connects the upper part of the breastbone with the shoulder blade at the top
of each shoulder in humans
Colic
Form of pain which starts and stops abruptly that occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow
tube in attempt to relieve the obstruction by forcing content out
Colostrum
Containing vital antibodies, mother’s first breastproduct following birth, which occurs before the
milk flow begins
Colpasinquanonia
Act of estimating a woman's beauty based on the size of her chest
Columella nasi
In human anatomy, the fleshy external end of the nasal septum
Confection
Sweet substance that is combined with a medicinal preparation to make it suitable for
administration
Conjunctiva
Membrane that protects the cornea
Convulsion
Medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an
uncontrolled shaking of the body
Corona radiata
Name given to the layers of follicular cells attached to the zona pellucida,which are responsible for
supplying the ovum with nutrients
Corpus callosum
Broad band of nervous tissue that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, containing an estimated
300 million fibers
Coryza
Word describing the symptoms of a cold
Cryptomnesia
Memory bias that occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognized as such by
the subject who believes it is something new and original
Curettage
Scraping of the skin or the internal surface of an organ or body cavity by means of a spoon-shaped
instrument usually to remove diseased tissue or to obtain a specimen for diagnostic purposes
C shing’s syndrome
Conditions resulting from excess amounts of corticosteroidhormones in the body which symptoms
include weight gain, reddening of the face and neck, excess growth of body and facial hair, raised
blood pressure, osteoporosis, raised blood glucose levels, and sometimes mental disturbances
Cutis anserina
Also called goose bumps, bumps on a person’s skin at the base of body hairs which may
involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong emotions such as fear, nostalgia,
pleasure, euphoria, awe, admiration and sexual arousal
Dendrites
Branched projections of a neuron that act to conduct the electrochemical stimulation received from
other neural cells to the cell body, or soma, of the neuron from which the dendrites project
Denys, Jean-Baptiste
French physician notable for having performed the first fully documented human blood transfusion
Descemet’s membrane
Basement membrane that lies between Dua’s layer and the endothelial layer of the cornea
Desynchronosis
Medical term for jet lag, a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body’s
circadian rhythms resulting from rapid long-distance transmeridian travel on an aircraft
Diabetes mellitus
Most common type of diabetes
Dialysis
In medicine, process of removing waste and excess water in the blood, used primarily as an
artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure
Dicer
Endoribonuclease that facilitates the formation of the RNA-induced silencing complex
Dick test
Used to identify those susceptible to scarlet fever
Dimple
Also known as a gelasin, small natural indentation in the flesh on a part of the human body, most
notably in the cheek or on the chin
Down syndrome
Also known as trisomy 21, genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of
chromosome 21
Most common chromosome abnormality in humans
Dua’s layer
Newly discovered layer of the human cornea proposed in a scientific article by Harminder Dua in
June 2013 located between the corneal stroma and Descemet’s membrane
Dunning – Kruger effect
Cognitive bias in which unskilled individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating
their ability much higher than average
Duodenum
Shortest part of the small intestine, where most chemical digestion takes place
Dysania
State of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning
Dysentery
Inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea
containing blood and mucus in the feces with fever, abdominal pain, and rectal tenesmus (a feeling
of incomplete defecation), caused by any kind of infection
Dysgeusia
Distortion of the sense of taste
Dyspareunia
Painful sexual intercourse, due to medical or psychological causes
Eardrum
Also known as tympanic membrane, thin cone-shaped membrane that separates external ear from
the middle ear
List of –ectomies
Adenectomy - a gland
Adenoidectomy - adenoids
Adrenalectomy - one or both adrenal glands
Apicoectomy - tooth's root tip
Appendectomy - appendix
Arthrectomy - joint of the body
Bullectomy - bullae
Bunionectomy - bunion
Bursectomy - bursa
Cardiectomy - heart
Cephalectomy - head
Cervicectomy - cervix
Cholecystectomy - gallbladder
Choroidectomy - choroid layer of the eye.
Clitoridectomy - external part of the clitoris
Colectomy - colon
Craniectomy - cranium
Cystectomy - urinary bladder or cyst
Discectomy - extravasted segment of the intervertebral disc
Diverticulectomy - diverticulum
Duodenectomy - duodenum
Embolectomy - any type of embolism
Encephalectomy - brain
Endarterectomy - plaque from the lining of the artery otherwise constricted by a buildup of fatty
deposits
Esophagectomy - esophagus
Extrapleural pneumonectomy - entire lung along with the pleura, the lung lining and part of the
pericardium, the lining of the heart
Frenectomy - frenulum
Ganglionectomy - ganglion
Gastrectomy - stomach
Gingivectomy - gums
Glossectomy - tongue
Gonadectomy - gonads
Hemicolectomy - half the colon or the large intestine
Hemicorporectomy - entire body below the waist, including the legs, genitalia, urinary system,
pelvic bones, anus, and rectum
Hemispherectomy - one cerebral hemisphere.
Hemorrhoidectomy - hemorrhoid
Hepatectomy - liver
Hypophysectomy - pituitary gland
Hysterectomy - uterus
Iridectomy - iris
Jejunectomy - jejunum
Keratectomy - cornea
Laryngectomy - larynx
Lobectomy - lobe
Lumpectomy - lump from a breast
Mandibulectomy - mandible
Mastectomy - one or both breasts
Maxillectomy - maxilla
Myectomy - muscle
Myomectomy - fibroids
Nephrectomy - kidney
Neurectomy - nerve
Pancreatectomy - pancreas
Panniculectomy - panniculus
Parathyroidectomy - parathyroid glands
Penectomy - penis
Pharyngectomy - pharynx
Pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy - pharynx, larynx and esophagus
Pneumonectomy - lung
Posthectomy - foreskin of the penis
Proctocolectomy - colon or the large intestine and the rectum
Prostatectomy - prostate gland
Pulpectomy - pulp chamber and root canal of a tooth
Rhinectomy - nose
Salpingectomy - fallopian tubes
Septectomy - septum
Splenectomy - spleen
Thymectomy - thymus gland
Thyroidectomy - all or part of the thyroid gland
Tonsillectomy - tonsils
Tympanectomy - eardrum
Uretectomy - ureter
Uvulectomy - uvula
Vaginectomy - all or part of the vagina
Vesiculectomy - seminal vesicle
Vitrectomy - vitreous humor
Vulvectomy - vulva
Ectrodactyly
Involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot and is also
known as split hand/split foot malformation
Einstein syndrome
Term Thomas Sowell used to describe exceptionally bright people who experience a delay in
development of speech
Embolalia
Verbalization of different words or phrases that occur without the conscious effort of the individual
(Tooth) enamel
Hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the human body
Enanthem
Medical term for a rash on the mucous membranes
Encephalitis
Acute inflammation of the brain
Entomagraphy
Practice of eating insects
Epicondylitis
Medical term for tennis elbow
Epistaxis
Scientific term for nosebleed
Erogenous zone
Area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity, the stimulation of which may result in the
production of sexual fantasies, sexual arousal and orgasm
Eustachian tube
Also called auditory tube or pharyngotympanic tube, tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle
ear
Excrescence
Abnormal outgrowth on the surface of the body such as a wart
Expectoration
Medical term for producing phlegm and spitting out
Febricula
Fever of low intensity or short duration
Ferritin
Ubiquitous intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion
Fischer-Saller Scale
Used in physical anthropology and medicine to determine the shades of hair color
Fistula
Abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally
do not connect
Focal dystonia
Neurological condition that affects a muscle or group of muscles in a specific part of the body
causing involuntary muscular contractions and abnormal postures
Follicle
Small sac or cavity from which a hair grows
Follicle-stimulating hormone
Hormone found in humans and other animals that regulates the development, growth, pubertal
maturation, and reproductive processes of the body
Fomes
Any object that is used or handled by a person with a communicable disease and maybe therefore
become contaminated with the infective organisms and transmit the disease to a subsequent user
Fovea
Part of the eye is responsible for sharp central vision, which is necessary for humans in any activity
where visual detail is of primary importance
Fragile X Syndrome
Also known as Martin–Bell syndrome or Escalante's syndrome, genetic syndrome that is the most
widespread single-gene cause of autism and inherited cause of mental retardation among boys
Freckles
Also called ephelis, clusters of concentrated melanin that is most often visible on people with fair
complexion
Freudenberger, Herbert
Psychologist who coined the term burnout
Frotteurism
Paraphilic interest in rubbing, usually one’s pelvis or erect penis, against a non-consenting person
for sexual gratification
Funk, Casimir
Polish biochemist generally credited with the first formulation of the concept of vitamins in 1912
Galen of Pergamon
Prominent Greek-speaking Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher who contributed greatly to
the understanding of numerous scientific disciplines including anatomy, physiology, pathology,
pharmacology and neurology
Ganglion cyst
Also known as a Bible cyst or Bible bump, a benign soft tissue tumor that may occur in any joint,
but most often occurs on or around joints and tendons in the hands or feet
Gargalesis
Scientific term for laughter-inducing tickle
Gavriliu, Dan
Romanian surgeon who performed the first total surgical replacement of the human esophagus,
using sections of stomach to bypass damaged or deformed tissue
Genome
Entirety of an organism’s hereditary information
Ginglymus
Medical term for the hinge joint
Glabella
In humans, the space between the eyebrows and above the nose
Glioma
Type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine
Glomerulus
Network of blood capillaries contained within the cup-like end (Bowman's capsule) of a nephron
Site of primary filtration of waste products from the blood into the kidney tubule
Glucose
Sole source of energy for the brain
Gluteal sulcus
Area of the body of humans and great apes, described by a horizontal crease formed by the inferior
aspect of the buttocks and the posterior upper thigh
Glycemic index
Measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels
Glycogenesis
Term referring to conversion of glycogen to glucose, which occurs in the liver and is stimulated by
glucagon from the pancreas and adrenaline from the adrenal medulla
Goiter
Swelling of the thyroid gland
Gourmand syndrome
Rare, benign condition that sometimes occurs in people who sustain injuries to the right frontal
lobe, in which they develop a new, post-injury passion for gourmet food
Harvey, William
English physician who was the first to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation
and properties of blood being pumped to the brain and body by the heart
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
First disease to be recognized as an autoimmune disease
Haversian canals
Cylindrical units of which compact bone is made
Hayflick limit
Number of times a normal human cell population will divide until cell division stops
Heimlich, Henry
American physician who has received credit as the inventor of abdominal thrusts, more commonly
known as the Heimlich maneuver
Hematidrosis
Very rare condition in which a human sweats blood
Hemophilia
Group of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the body’s ability to control blood clotting or
coagulation, which is used to stop bleeding when a blood vessel is broken
Hepatitis
Medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of
inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ
Hernia
Protrusion of an organ or tissue out of the body cavity in whichit normally lies
Heterotopia
Displacement of an organ or part of the body from its normal position
Hilleman, Maurice
American microbiologist who developed 36 vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, hepatitis
A and hepatitis B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae bacteria
Hippocrates of Kos
Regarded as the father of western medicine
Credited with greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine, summing up the medical
knowledge of previous schools, and prescribing practices for physicians through the Hippocratic
Corpus and other works
Hirsutism
Presence of coarse pigmented hair on the face, chest, upperback or abdomen in a female as a result
of hyperandrogenism
Homeostasis
Physiological process by which the internal systems of the body (e.g. blood pressure, body
temperature, acid-base balance) are maintained at equilibrium, despite variations in the external
conditions
Horripilation
Technical term for goosebumps
Humerus
Long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow
Hyoid bone
Only bone that is not connected to another bone
Hypergargalesthesia
Condition of extreme sensitivity to tickling
Hypertrophy
Increase in the size of a tissue or organ due to an increase in the size of its component cells
Hypnagogia
Experience of the transitional states to and from sleep: the hypnagogic and the hypnopompic states
of consciousness
Hypomania
Mood state characterized by persistent and pervasive elevated or extreme happiness which is
sometimes followed by an irritable mood, as well as thoughts and behaviors that are consistent with
such a mood state
Hyponatremia
Medical term refers to the presence in the blood of an abnormally lowconcentration of sodium
which occurs in dehydration
Hypopnea
Medical term for a disorder which involves episodes of overly shallow breathing or an abnormally
low respiratory rate
Hypothermia
Condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism
and body functions which is defined as 35.0 degrees Celsius
Hypovolemia
Decreased volume of circulating blood in the body
Hysterectomy
Medical term for the surgical removal of the uterus
Iatrogenesis
Inadvertent adverse effect or complication resulting from medical treatment or advice
Ichthyosis
Genetically determined skin disorder in which there is abnormal scaling of the skin
Icterus
Another name for jaundice
Ileum
Final section of the small intestine in most of the higher vertebrates
Incisor
First four front teeth present in heterodont mammals
Index finger
Most sensitive finger on the human hand
Inflammation
Defense reaction of tissue to injury, infection or irritation bychemicals or physical agents
Insulin
Peptide hormone, produced by beta cells of the pancreas, central to regulating carbohydrate and fat
metabolism in the body
Intercostal muscles
Muscles located between the ribs surrounding the lungs
Interferon
Proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens such as viruses,
bacteria, parasites or tumor cells
Intertrigo
Inflammation of the body folds
Iridocyclitis
Inflammation of the iris and ciliary body of the eye
Irrigation
Process of washing out a wound or hollow organ with a continuous flow of water or medicated
solution
Ischemia
Term referring to the inadequate flow of blood to a part of the body, caused byconstriction or
blockage of the blood vessels supplying it
Ischuria
Medical term for the retention or suppression of the urine
Jejunum
Middle section of the small intestine in most of the higher vertebrates
Jenner, Edward
English physician who was the pioneer of smallpox vaccine
Keratitis
Inflammation of the cornea
Keshan disease
Congestive cardiomyopathy caused by a combination of dietary deficiency of selenium and the
presence of a mutated strain of Coxsackievirus
Kinesics
Interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures — or, more formally, non-
verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole
Kitasato Shibasaburō
Japanese physician and bacteriologist during the prewar period remembered as the co-discoverer of
the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong in 1894, almost simultaneously with
Alexandre Yersin
Knismesis
Scientific term for light, feather-type of tickling
Koplik’s spots
Prodromic viral enanthem of measles manifesting two days before the measles rash itself
Kraamzorg
Medical service in the Netherlands where postnatal care is provided to a new mother and her baby
in the initial 8 to 10 days immediately after birth
Landsteiner, Karl
Austrian biologist and physician noted for having first distinguished the main blood groups in 1900,
having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from his identification of the
presence of agglutinins in the blood, and having identified, with Alexander S. Wiener, the Rhesus
factor, in 1937, thus enabling physicians to transfuse blood without endangering the patient’s life
Laryngeal prominence
Technical name for the Adam’s apple
Laudanum
Tincture of opium containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight
Leuconychia
Medical term for the white spots on fingernails caused by minor injury
Levi-Montalcini, Rita
Italian neurologist who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology together with colleague Stanley
Cohen for their discovery of nerve growth factor
Oldest living Nobel laureate and the first ever to reach a 100th birthday
Levonorgestrel
Second generation synthetic progestogen used as an active ingredient in some hormonal
contraceptives
Libido
Person’s overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity
Ligament of Treitz
Thin muscle that wraps around the small intestine where the duodenum and jejunum meet
Limerence
Involuntary state of mind which results from a romantic attraction to another person combined with
an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one’s feelings reciprocated
Liotta, Domingo
Creator of multiple cardiac prostheses including the first total artificial heart used in a human being
Love handles
Informal term for deposits of excess fat at the side of one’s waistline
Lumpectomy
Also known as tylectomy, common surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually
a benign tumor or breast cancer, from an affected man’s or woman’s breast
Lunula
Crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail
Mallon, Mary
Better known as Typhoid Mary, first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic
carrier of the pathogen associated with typhoid fever
Manson, Sir Patrick
Scottish physician who made important discoveries in parasitology, and was the founder of the field
of tropical medicine
Marbe, Lauren
16-year-old teenager who got an IQ of 161 in a Mensa test
Marfan syndrome
Genetic disorder of the connective tissue in which people inflicted with it tend to be unusually tall,
with long limbs and long, thin fingers
Marsh fever
Another name for malaria
Marshall, Barry
Australian physician who hypothesized that ulcers were caused by Helicobacter pylori
Martin-Schultz scale
Standard scale color used in physical anthropology to establish more or less precisely the eye color
of an individual
Mastectomy
Medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely, usually done
to treat breast cancer
McClintock, Barbara
Only woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
McDowell, Ephraim
American physician who was the first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor
Medina, Lina
Youngest confirmed mother in medical history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months
and 17 days
Melanin
Primary determinant of skin color in humans, also found in hair, the pigmented tissue underlying
the iris of the eye, and the stria vascularis of the inner ear
Meningitis
Acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known
collectively as the meninges
Metastasis
Spread of a cancer from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part
Minamata disease
Neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning
Misophonia
Believed to be a neurological disorder characterized by negative experiences triggered by specific
sounds
Micturition
Discharge of urine from the bladder
Modiolus
Conical central pillar of the cochlea in the inner ear
Montagnier, Luc
French virologist and joint recipient with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen of the
2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency
virus
“Moth-patches”
Old term for freckles
Murkoff, Heidi
Author of the world’s best-selling pregnancy and parenting series, What to Expect that began with
What to Expect When You're Expecting
Murray, Joseph
American plastic surgeon who performed the first successful human kidney transplant on identical
twins Richard and Ronald Herrick on December 23, 1954
Myocardial infarction
Medical term for an event commonly known as a heart attack
Narcolepsy
Chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles
normally
Necrosis
Form of cell injury that results in the premature death of cells in living tissue caused by factors
external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma that result in the unregulated
digestion of cell components
Nephritis
Inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys
Nephron
Basic structural and functional unit of the kidney
Neurostimulator
In medical technology,battery powered device designed to deliverelectrical stimulation to the brain,
central and peripheral nervous system
Noma
Rapidly progressive, polymicrobial, opportunistic infection that occurs during periods of
compromised immune function
Norovirus
Most common cause of vital gastroenteritis in humans
Nosology
Branch of medicine that deals with classification of diseases
Obdormition
Medical term describing numbness in a limb, often caused by constant pressure on nerves or lack of
movement
Obstetrics
Branch of science that deals with the problems and management of pregnancy
Oncogene
Gene that has the potential to cause cancer
Oneirophrenia
Hallucinatory, dream-like state caused by several conditions such as prolonged sleep deprivation,
sensory deprivation, or drugs
Onychomycosis
Fungal infection of the nail
Onychophagia
Technical term for nail-biting
Opisthenar
Scientific term for the back of the hand
Orbit
Socket in the skull which contains the eye
Ototoxicity
Damage to the ear, specifically the cochlea or auditory nerve and sometimes the vestibular system,
by a toxin
Oxytocin
Mammalian neurohypophysial hormone that acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain
Plays roles in sexual reproduction, in particular during and after childbirth, released in large
amounts after distension of the cervix and uterus during labor, facilitating birth, maternal bonding,
and, after stimulation of the nipples, breastfeeding
p53
Protein crucial for multicellular organisms that regulates the cell cycle, thus functions as a tumor
suppressor that is involved in preventing cancer
(Palatine) uvula
Conic projection from the posterior edge of the middle of the soft palate composed of connective
tissue containing a number of racemose glands and some muscle fibers
Pandiculation
Act of yawning and stretching simultaneously
Panic attack
Brief, discrete period in which a person experiences intense fear or discomfort in the absence of any
realistic danger coupled with an inability to act and often accompanied by trembling, shortness of
breath, choking sensations, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, depersonalization, fear of insanity or
death, and chills and fever
Papanikolaou, Georgios
Greek pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection, and inventor of the “Pap smear”
Paracentesis
Process of drawing off fluid from a part of the body through ahollow needle or cannula
Paracelsus
Born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, Swiss-German Renaissance
physician who founded the discipline of toxicology
Known as a revolutionary for insisting upon using observations of nature, rather than looking to
ancient texts, in open and radical defiance of medical practice of his day
Paralysis
Impairment or loss of function of one or more voluntary muscles, usually resulting from a disorder
of the muscle, a neurological disorder, or a mental disorder
Paratenon
Tissue of a tendon sheath that fills up spaces round the tendon
Pareidolia
Psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus, often an image or sound, being
perceived as significant, a form of apophenia
Paresthesia
Sensation of tickling, tingling, burning, pricking, or numbness of a person’s skin with no apparent
long-term physical effect, more generally known as the feeling of “pins and needles” or of a limb
“falling asleep”
Parker, Janet
Last person to die from smallpox
Pasteur Institute
First to isolate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Patella
Medical term for the kneecap
Pathology
Precise study and diagnosis of disease
Pericardium
Membrane enclosing the heart consisting of an outer fibrouslayer and an inner double layer of
serous membrane
Perihepatitis
Inflammation of the membrane covering the liver
Peristalsis
Radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles which propagates in a wave down the
muscular tube, in an anterograde fashion
Pheromone
Secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species
Philtrum
Vertical groove in the middle area of the upper lip, common to many mammals, extending from the
nose to the upper lip
Phobias
Photodermatitis
Form of allergic contact dermatitis in which the allergen must be activated by light to sensitize the
allergic response, and to cause a rash or other systemic effects on subsequent exposure
Phrenology
Pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that
the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or
modules
Pica
Eating disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive such as ice, clay,
chalk, dirt, or sand
Pineal gland
Organ, thought by some to be vestigial, responsible for the production ofmelatonin
Podagra
Gout on the big toe
Presque vu
Sometimes called tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, failure to retrieve a word from memory,
combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent
Proctoscopy
Common medical procedure in which an instrument called a proctoscope is used to examine the
anal cavity, rectum or sigmoid colon
Progeria
Extremely rare genetic disease wherein symptoms resemblingaspects of aging are manifested at a
very early age
Progesterone
Steroid hormone that is secreted mainly by the corpus luteum is responsible for the maintenance of
pregnancy
Prostration
Placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position as a gesture
Pulmonary consolidation
Region of lung tissue filled with liquid, a condition marked by induration of a normally aerated lung
Pulmonary vein
Only vein in the human body that carries oxygenated blood back to theheart
Pyrosis
Technical term for heartburn
Quickening
Term referring to the first movement of a fetus in the uterus felt by the mother
Remission
State of absence of disease activity in patients known to have achronic illness that cannot be cured
Repression
Psychological attempt by an individual to repel one’s own desires and impulses towards pleasurable
instincts by excluding the desire from one’s consciousness and holding or subduing it in the
unconscious
Rhinotillexomania
Technical term for obsessive nosepicking
RICE
Mnemonic for a treatment method for soft tissue injuries which is an acronym for rest, ice,
compression and elevation
Rickets
Softening of bones in immature mammals due to deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D,
phosphorus or calcium, potentially leading to fractures and deformity
Rigor mortis
Stiffening of a body that occurs within some eight hours ofdeath, due to chemical changes in
muscle tissue
Rock, John
Best known for the major role he played in the development of the first hormonal contraceptive
Roseola
Disease of children whose manifestations are usually limited to a transient rash that occurs
following a fever of about three day's duration
Ross procedure
Cardiac surgery operation where a diseased aortic valve is replaced with the person’s own
pulmonary valve
Safe shake
Touching of elbows used as a handshake replacement to avoid spreading germs
Salk, Jonas
American medical researcher and virologist best known for his discovery and development of the
first successful polio vaccine
Savant syndrome
Condition in which a person with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder,
demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities and/or abilities far in excess of what would be
considered normal
Sclera
White outer layer of the eyeball
Sclerosis
Stiffening of a structure, usually caused by a replacement of the normal organ-specific tissue with
connective tissue
Secretin
Hormone that both controls the environment in the duodenum by regulating secretions of the
stomach and pancreas, and regulates water homeostasis throughout the body
First hormone to be identified
Senescence
Process of accumulative changes to molecular and cellular structure that disrupts metabolism with
the passage of time, resulting in deterioration and death
Singultus
Medical term for hiccup
Sinistrality
Scientific term for left-handedness
Situs ambiguus
Rare congenital defect in which the major visceral organs are distributed abnormally within the
chest and abdomen
Situs inversus
Congenital condition in which the major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal
positions
Situs solitus
Term for the normal position of thoracic and abdominal organs
Snellen chart
Eye chart used by eye care professionals and others to measure visual acuity
Somnolence
Also called drowsiness, state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep or sleeping for unusually long
periods
Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia
Medical term for brain freeze
Spleen
Organ that removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock
and also recycles iron
Stapes
Smallest and lightest bone in the human body
Starzl, Thomas E.
Performed the first successful human liver transplant in 1967
Stendhal syndrome
Psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even
hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or
a large amount of art is in a single place
Streptomycin
First antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis
Suffocation
Term referring to the cessation of breathing as a result of drowning, smothering, etc., leading to
unconsciousness or death
Sulcus
Crevice on the surface of the brain
Swarner, Sean
Believed to be the only person in the world to ever have been diagnosed with both Hodgkin’s
disease and later with Askin’s sarcoma
Synapse
Structure that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell
Tachycardia
Heart rate that exceeds the normal range
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
Also known as stress cardiomyopathy, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy in which there is a sudden
temporary weakening of the myocardium triggered by emotional stress such as the death of a loved
one, a break-up or constant anxiety
Tapetum lucidum
Layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrate animals
Contributes to the superior night vision of some animals
Telangitis
Inflammation of the smallest blood vessels
Tendinitis
Inflammation of a tendon
Teratology
Study of abnormalities of physiological development
Tibia
Also known as shinbone, larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in
vertebrates (the other being the fibula), and connects the knee with the ankle bones
Tinnitus
Perception of sound within the human ear when no actual sound is present
Tone deafness
Inability to distinguish between musical notes that are not dueto the lack of musical training or
education
To rette’s syndrome
Neurological disorder characterized by the presence of multiple physical or vocal tics, and in
extreme cases the shouting of obscene remarks, named for the French neurologist who first
described the symptoms
Tragus
Small pointed eminence of the external ear, situated in front of the concha, and projecting backward
over the meatus
Trapezium
Bone in the wrist below the base of the thumb
Trepanning
Oldest known surgery, consisting of drilling a hole in the human skull
Trichophagia
Compulsive eating of hair associated with trichotillomania (hair pulling)
Tumescence
Quality or state of being swollen
Tunnel vision
Also known as Kalnienk vision, loss of peripheral vision with retention of the central vision,
resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision
Ulnar nerve
Largest unprotected nerve in the body
Valsalva maneuver
Performed by moderately forceful attempted exhalation against a closed airway, usually done by
closing one’s mouth, pinching one’s nose shut while pressing out as if blowing up a balloon
Vitiligo
Condition that causes depigmentation of sections of skin that occurs when melanocytes, the cells
responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function
Vitreous humor
Transparent jelly-like material that fills the chamber behindthe lens of the eye
Vorarephilia
Paraphilia where arousal occurs from the idea of someone or something eating, or being eaten by,
someone or something
Wakefield, Andrew
Former British surgeon and medical researcher, known for his fraudulent 1998 research paper in
support of the now-discredited claim that there is a link between the administration of the measles,
mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the appearance of autism and bowel disease
Washkansky, Louis
Recipient of the world’s first human heart transplant
Winchell, Paul
First person to build and patent a mechanical artificial heart, implantable in the chest cavity
Withering, William
English botanist, geologist, chemist, physician and the discoverer of digitalis
Xiphoid process
Small cartilaginous process of the lower part of the sternum which is usually ossified in the adult
human
Yeo, Walter
World War I sailor thought to be the first person to benefit from advanced plastic surgery
Yersinia pestis
Type of bacterium that is believed to have been responsible for plagues of the early 1300s
Zygomatic bone
Also known as the cheek bone and malar bone, paired bone which articulates with the maxilla, the
temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone
History
70
Number of martyr among Imam Hussein’s followers during the tragedy of Karbala
88
Neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler”
116
Number of years in the Hundred Years’ War
46664
Prison number for Nelson Mandela from his imprisonment in 1964 to his release in 1990
Aachen
First German city to be captured by the Allies during World War II
Ab urbe condita
Latin phrase meaning “from the founding of the City (Rome)”, traditionally dated to 753 BCE,
year-numbering system used by some ancient Roman historians to identify particular Roman years
Abagnale, Frank
American security consultant known for his history as a former confidence trickster, check forger,
impostor, and escape artist and whose life story provided the inspiration for the feature film Catch
Me If You Can
Abbott, James
British army officer and administrator in colonial India whose the Pakistani city of Abbottabad was
founded and named by him
Abdul Hamid II
Last Sultan to exert absolute control over the Ottoman Empire
Abu Bakr
First Muslim Caliph
Abyssinia
Former name of Ethiopia
Acadia
Colony of New France in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the
Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine to the Kennebec River
Act of Supremacy
1534 act that named Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England, repealed by his daughter
Mary I in 1554, but reinstated in 1558 by Elizabeth I
Acta Diurna
Daily Roman official notices
Adams, Abigail
First US First Lady in the White House
Adams, John
First Vice-President of the United States of America
Second President of the United States of America
First US president with a college degree
Adams, Louisa
Only First Lady born outside of the United States
Adenauer, Konrad
First post-war chancellor of Germany who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a
productive and prosperous nation that forged close relations with old enemies France and the
United States
Africa
Roman name for the modern-day country Tunisia
Afrikaner Broederbond
Secret, exclusively male and Afrikaner Calvinist organization in South Africa dedicated to the
advancement of Afrikaner interests
Agoge
Rigorous education and training regimen mandated for all male Spartan citizens, except for the
firstborn son in the ruling houses, Eurypontid and Agiad
Training involved learning stealth, cultivating loyalty to the Spartan group, military training (e.g.
pain tolerance), hunting, dancing, singing and social (communicating) preparation
Aguateca
Maya site located in northern Guatemala’s Petexbatun Basin, in the department of Petén
Ahmad ibn Fadlan
10th century Arab traveler, famous for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the
Abbasid caliph of Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars
Aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the attack on Pearl Harbor
• Akagi
• Kaga
• Sōryū
• Hiryū
• Shōkaku
• Zuikaku
Akbar
Mughal emperor most appreciated for having a liberal outlook on all faiths and beliefs and during
his era, culture and art reached a zenith as compared to his predecessors
Akhenaten
Egyptian pharaoh noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship
centered on the Aten
Aktion T4
Name used after World War II for Nazi Germany's “euthanasia program”during which physicians
murdered thousands of people who were “judged incurably sick, by critical medical examination”
Akui, David
US soldier who became famous for capturing the first Japanese prisoner of war in World War II
al-Banna, Hassan
Founder of Muslim Brotherhood
al-Zaidi, Muntadhar
Iraqi broadcast journalist who threw his shoes at then US President George W. Bush during a
Baghdad press conference in 2008
Alaric I
King of the Visigoths most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in
the decline of the Roman Empire
Albion
Roman name for England
Albright, Madeleine
First woman US Secretary of State
Albuquerque, Afonso de
Portuguese general who advanced the three-fold Portuguese grand scheme of combating Islam,
spreading Christianity and securing the trade of spices and the establishment of a vast Portuguese
Asian empire
First European to enter the Persian Gulf and led the first voyage by a European fleet into the Red
Sea
Alexander II
Emperor of Russia whose most important achievement was the emancipation of serfs in 1861
Alfonsin, Raúl
First democratically elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the
National Reorganization Process
Alfonso XIII
King of Spain who was overthrown by Francisco Franco
Alhambra Decree
Known as the Edict of Expulsion, edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of
Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon (not from the
Kingdom of Navarre) and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year, formally revoked
on 16 December 1968, following the Second Vatican Council
Allen, Ethan
American Revolutionary War patriot known for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Leader of the Green Mountain Boys
Allende, Salvador
Chilean physician and politician, known as the first Marxist to become president of a Latin
American country through open elections
Amagiri
Japanese destroyer most famous for ramming the PT-109 commanded by Lieutenant John F.
Kennedy
Ames, Aldrich
Former CIA counterintelligence officer who was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and
Russia in 1994
Amin, Idi
Third President of Uganda, from 1971 to 1979, whose rule was characterized by human rights
abuse, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross
economic mismanagement
Amir, Yigal
Israeli assassin of Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin
Amoco Cadiz
Very large crude carrier that ran aground on the coast of Brittany, France in 1978 resulting in the
largest oil spill of its kind in history to that date
Anderson, Rudolf
First recipient of the Air Force Cross, the only person killed by enemy fire during the Cuban
Missile Crisis
Andropov, Yuri
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1982 to 1984, succeeding
Leonid Brezhnev
Anne
Last monarch of the House of Stuart
Anne of Cleves
Last of Henry VIII's wives to die
Only German wife of Henry VIII
Arafat, Yasser
Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), President of the Palestinian National
Authority (PNA), and leader of the Fatah political party and former paramilitary group
Archon
In ancient Greece, the chief magistrate in various Greek city-states
Arkhipov, Vasili
Soviet Navy officer who prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Armenia
First country to declare Christianity as state religion
Arminius
Chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg
Forest
Arnold, Benedict
General during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American
Continental Army but defected to the British Army
Arundel, Thomas
Archbishop of Canterbury who became an outspoken opponent of the Lollards
Asahara, Shoko
Founder of the Japanese new religious group Aum Shinrikyo who was convicted of masterminding
the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and several other crimes, for which he was
sentenced to death in 2004
Ashikaga, Takauji
Founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate
Askia Mohammad I
Emperor, military commander, and political reformer of the Songhai Empire who strengthened his
country and made it the largest country in West Africa’s history
Astor, Nancy
First woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons
Atahualpa
Last Sapa Inca (sovereign emperor) of the Tawantinsuyu (the Inca Empire) before the Spanish
conquest, defeated and executed his older half-brother Huáscar in a civil war sparked by the death
of their father, Inca Huayna Capac, from an infectious disease
Auchinleck, Claude
British army commander during World War II and served as Commander-in-Chief of India until
Partition in 1947 when he assumed the role of Supreme Commander of all British forces in India
and Pakistan until late 1948
Aung San
Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, founder of the modern Burmese army (Tatmadaw), and
considered to be the Father of modern-day Burma
Aurangzeb
Mughal emperor whose reign was marked by its expansion to the greatest extent
Baden-Powell, Robert
Founder of Boy Scouts
Baldwin, Stanley
Only British prime minister to serve under three different monarchs (George V, Edward VIII and
George VI)
Balfour, Arthur
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1902–1905)
Ballard, Robert
Known for the discoveries of the wrecks of RMS Titanic, Bismarck, USS Yorktown, and PT-109
Baltic Way
Peaceful political demonstration that occurred on August 23, 1989 wherein approximately two
million people joined their hands to form a human chain spanning over 600 kilometers across
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, then part of the Soviet Union
Banana, Canaan
First President of Zimbabwe from 18 April 1980 until 31 December 1987 who passed a law
forbidding citizens from making jokes about his name
Banzai charge
Term used by the Allied forces to refer to the Japanese human wave attacks mounted by infantry
units
Barton, Clara
Founder of the American Red Cross
Barton, Elizabeth
Catholic nun who was executed as a result of her prophecies regarding the marriage of Henry VIII
of England to Anne Boleyn, which had taken place against the wishes of the Pope
Bastille
Known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine, fortress that was stormed by a crowd on 14 July
1789 in the French Revolution, becoming an important symbol for the French Republican
movement
Battle of Actium
Historic battle that marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire
Battle of Adrianople
Fought between a Roman army led by the Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by
Fritigern, often considered the start of the final collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th
century
Battle of Adwa
Fought on 1 March 1896 between the Ethiopian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy near the town of
Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray
The climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War, securing Ethiopian sovereignty
Battle of Agincourt
Notable for the use of the English longbow, which Henry used in very large numbers, with English
and Welsh archers forming most of his army
Battle of Alcolea
Battle that forced Queen Isabella II of Spain into exile to France
Battle of Austerlitz
Also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, one of Napoleon’s greatest victories where the
French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition
Battle of Balaclava
Part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia’s
principal naval base on the Black Sea
Battle of Chrysopolis
Battle that effectively made Constantine I as the leader of the Roman Empire
Battle of Culloden
Final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising
Battle of Edgehill
First pitched battle of the First English Civil War
Battle of El Alamein
World War II battle that marked the turning point in Africa when British Lieutenant-General
Bernard Montgomery defeated German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and drove theNazis back into
Tunisia
Battle of Gergovia
Battle fought between a Roman Republican army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces
led by Vercingetorix
Battle of Hastings
1066 battle that resulted to a decisive Norman victory under William the Conqueror
Battle of Isandlwana
First major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War that resulted in a decisive Zulu victory
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
Battle fought during the War of the Fourth Coalition that resulted in the French occupation of
Prussia
Battle of Kursk
World War II event that became the largest tank battle in history
Battle of Leipzig
Largest battle in Europe prior to World War I
Resulted in the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine
Battle of Lepanto
Last major naval battle in the Mediterranean fought entirely between galleys and has been assigned
great symbolic importance
Battle of Lumphanan
Fought on 15 August 1057, between Macbeth, King of Scotland, and Máel Coluim mac Donnchada,
the future King Malcolm III
Battle of Manzikert
Fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuk Turks in 1071 in which the decisive defeat of the
Byzantine army and the capture of the Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes played an important role in
undermining Byzantine authority in Anatolia and Armenia, and allowed for the gradual
Turkification of Anatolia
Battle of Midway
One of the first battles fought almost entirely by aircraft carriers, World War II battle that resulted
in a crucial Japanese defeat and marked the turning point in the Pacific
Battle of Mohács
Decisive Ottoman victory that led to the partition of Hungary for several centuries between the
Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Principality of Transylvania
Battle of Okehazama
1560 battle where Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of
the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period of Japan
Battle of Pharsalus
Decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War that resulted in the defeat of Pompey the Great
Battle of Plassey
Battle that would give the British control of Bengal and make Robert Clive the founder of their vast
empire in India
Battle of Salamanca
Saw the Anglo-Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont’s
French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on 22 July 1812 during
the Peninsular War
Battle of Salamis
Decisive Greek victory that resulted to the failure of Persia to conquer the Peloponnese
Battle of Samugarh
Decisive struggle for the Mughal throne between the sons of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan that
resulted to the coronation of Aurangzeb
Battle of Sekigahara
Decisive battle that cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu
Battle of Singapore
Also known as the Fall of Singapore, World War II battle that resulted in the capture of Singapore
by the Japanese and the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history
Battle of Tannenberg
Engagement between Russia and Germany in the first days of World War I that resulted in the
almost destruction of the Russian Second Army
Notable particularly for a number of rapid movements of complete German corps by train, allowing
a single German army to concentrate its forces against each Russian army in turn
Battle of Tewkesbury
Decisive battle of the War of the Roses where the forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were
completely defeated by those of the rival House of York
Battle of Ulundi
Last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War that resulted in the defeat of the Zulu nation
Battle of Yorktown
Last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War
Bean, Joshua
First Mayor of San Diego, California
Bedell, Grace
American womannotable as the person who, as an eleven-year-old, influenced Abraham Lincoln to
grow his famous beard
Bedell-Smith, Walter
Signed the main instrument of surrender ending World War II on behalf of the Allied forces
Behistun Inscription
Multi-lingual inscription authored by Persian king Darius the Great
Belavezha Accords
Agreement that declared the Soviet Union effectively dissolved and established the Commonwealth
of Independent States in its place
Belgium
Officially created by the 1839 Treaty of London after breaking away from the Netherlands that is
composed of the regions of Flanders and Wallonia
(Flavius) Belisarius
General of the Byzantine Empire who was instrumental to Emperor Justinian’s ambitious project of
reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire
Bellingham, John
Assassin of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval
Benenson, Peter
British lawyer and the founder of human rights group Amnesty International
Benkei, Musashibo
Japanese warrior monk who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune commonly depicted as a man of great
strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore
Berengaria of Navarre
Only English queen never to set foot in England
Bergmann-Pohl, Sabine
Last head of state of East Germany
Berkowitz, David
Serial killer known as “Son of Sam”and the “.44 Caliber Killer”
Bersaglieri
Corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836
to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army
Bevan, Aneurin
British Minister of Health who spearheaded the establishment of the National Health Service, which
was to provide medical care free at point-of-need to all Britons
Bibi Aisha
Born Aisha Mohammadzai, Afghan woman whose mutilated face appeared on the cover of Time
magazine in summer 2010
Biggs, Ronnie
English thief known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963
Bishkek Protocol
Provisional ceasefire agreement that terminated the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Bismarck
At the Battle of Denmark Strait, engaged and destroyed the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the pride of
the Royal Navy, and forced the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to retreat
Black Thursday
Term referring to the start of the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Black Tuesday
Most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States that signaled the beginning
of the 10-year Great Depression that affected all Western industrialized countries
Blair, Tony
First British prime minister to have been born during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II
Blitzkrieg
Literally meaning “lightning war” in German, anglicized word describing all-motorized force
concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating
overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,
proceeding without regard to its flank
Blondi
Pet dog of Adolf Hitler
Blood, Thomas
Anglo-Irish officer and self-styled colonel best known for his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of
England from the Tower of London in 1671
Blunt, Anthony
British art historian who was exposed as a one-time Soviet spy and stripped of his knighthood
Bly, Nellie
Pen name of American journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, famous for a record-breaking trip
around the world in emulation of Jules Verne’s character Phileas Fogg
Boabdil
Last Nasrid ruler of Granada in Iberia
Bockscar
Name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the Fat Man nuclear weapon
over the Japanese city of Nagasaki in the second atomic bombing of World War II
Boer War
Event where the term concentration camp was first widely used
Bojinka Plot
Planned large-scale three phase Islamist attack by Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
that would involve a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II, an air bombing of 11 airliners flying
from Asia to the United States and their approximately 4,000 passengers, and a proposal to crash a
plane into the CIA’s headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia
Bokassa, Jean-Bédel
Head of state of the Central African Republic (1966 – 1976) and Emperor of the Central African
Empire (1976 – 1979)
Bondfield, Margaret
First woman Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom
Bong, Richard
United States' highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World
War II
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich
German Lutheran pastor who became known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship
Boothroyd, Betty
First female Speaker of the House of Commons
Bormann, Martin
Head of the Party Chancellery (Parteikanzlei) and private secretary to Adolf Hitler
Bose, Subhas Chandra
Also known as Netaji, Indian nationalist leader who attempted to gain India’s independence from
British rule by force during the waning years of World War II with the help of the Axis powers
Boudica
Also known as Boadicea, Queen of the British Iceni tribe, a Celtic tribe who led an uprising against
the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
Boutros-Ghali, Boutros
First Arab and first African to become secretary-general of the United Nations
Boxer Rebellion
Anti-foreign, proto-nationalist movement by the Righteous Harmony Society in China between
1899 and 1901, opposing foreign imperialism and Christianity
Bradley, Omar
First Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Last of only nine people to hold five-star rank in the United States Armed Forces
Bradley, Tom
Only African American mayor of Los Angeles
Brandt, Willy
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971
for his efforts to achieve reconciliation between West Germany and the countries of the Soviet bloc
Brockovich, Erin
American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school
education, or any legal education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993
Buccaneers
Pirates who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the 17th century
Bucephalus
Horse of Alexander the Great
Buffalo Soldiers
Originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on
September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Bullard, Eugene
First African-American military pilot
Burmese
Horse used by Queen Elizabeth II for Trooping the Colour from 1969 to 1986
Burr, Aaron
Vice President of the United States who killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel
Presided the Senate’s first impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase
Bush, George H. W.
Became the youngest pilot in the US Navy in 1943
Bushido
Literally “the way of the warrior”, Japanese word for the way of the samurai life, loosely analogous
to the concept of chivalry
Bussa
African-born Barbadian slave who in 1816 led a slave uprising in Barbados
“Butcher of Lyon”
Nickname given to Nazi captain Klaus Barbie for having personally tortured prisoners of the
Gestapo while stationed in Lyon, France
Buxtun, Peter
Former employee of the United States Public Health Service known as the whistleblower
responsible for ending the Tuskegee syphilis experiment
Byzantium
Ancient Greek city on the site that later became Constantinople, now modern Istanbul
Caesarion
Last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, who reigned jointly with his mother Cleopatra VII of
Egypt
Caligula
First Roman emperor to be assassinated
Callaghan, James
Only British politician in history to have served in all four of the “Great Offices of State”, having
been Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1964 to 1967, Home Secretary from 1967 to 1970, and
Foreign Secretary from 1974 until his appointment as Prime Minister in 1976
Calley, William
Former US Army officer found guilty of murder for his role in the My Lai Massacre on March 16,
1968, during the Vietnam War
Calvi, Roberto
Italian banker dubbed “God’s Banker” by the press because of his close association with the Holy
See
Camisards
French Protestants (Huguenots) of the rugged and isolated Cevennes region of south-central France,
who raised an insurrection against the persecutions which followed the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes in 1685
Campbell, Kim
First female prime minister of Canada
Camulodunum
Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today’s Colchester, a town in Essex, England
Claimed to be the oldest town in Britain as recorded by the Romans, existing as a Celtic settlement
before the Roman conquest, when it became the first Roman town, and eventually a settlement of
discharged Roman soldiers, known as Colonia Claudia Victricensis
Capone, Al
American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate
Caracalla
Roman emperor whose reign was notable for the Constitutio Antoniniana, granting Roman
citizenship to all freemen throughout the Roman Empire for the purposes of raising tax revenue
Carbonari
Groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy
Carpetbagger
Pejorative term Southerners gave to Northerners (also referred to as Yankees) who moved to the
South during the Reconstruction era, between 1865 and 1877
Carter, Howard
English archaeologist and Egyptologist known for discovering the tomb of the 14th-century BCE
pharaoh Tutankhamun
Carter, Jimmy
First President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro’s 1959
revolution
Only U.S. President to have received the Nobel Peace Prize after leaving office
First president sworn in using his nickname
First president to see a UFO
Cartier, Jacques
First European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint
Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas”
First European to reach Prince Edward Island
Carver, John
First governor of Plymouth Colony
Castro, Fidel
Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976
and President from 1976 to 2008
Target of the CIA’s psywar department's first national security use ofLSD – to be delivered in an
LSD-soaked cigar
Catherine of Aragon
First female ambassador in European history
Catholic Monarchs
Joint title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Cetshwayo kaMpande
Famously led the Zulu nation to victory against the British in the Battle of Isandlwana
Chae Jong-gi
Arsonist who set fire to the Namdaemun
Chamberlain, Neville
British prime minister best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his
signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to
Germany
Chambers, Julius
American investigative journalist who pretended to be mentally ill in order to discover how patients
were being mistreated at the Bloomingdale Asylum
Chambers, Whittaker
US journalist who accused Alger Hiss of Communist Party membership and ofpassing State
Department documents to Soviet agents
de Champlain, Samuel
French navigator known for exploration of New France, foundation of Quebec City, Canada, and
being called The Father of New France
Champollion, Jean-François
Decipherer of the Egyptian hieroglyphs who published the first translation of the Rosetta stone
hieroglyphs in 1822
Chang’an
Ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, presently known as Xi’an
Charles I of Austria
Also Charles IV of Hungary, last Emperor of Austria, last king of Hungary and last monarch of the
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Charles I of England
King of England whose reign is marked by a struggle for power with the Parliament of England,
attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst the Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which
Charles believed was divinely ordained and ended with the English Civil War
Charles II of England
English king popularly known as the “Merry Monarch”, in reference to both the liveliness and
hedonism of his court and the general relief at the return to normality after over a decade of rule by
Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans
Charles IV
First king of Bohemia to become Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI
Holy Roman Emperor who created the Principality of Liechtenstein in 1719
Charles VI of France
Famous for his delusions, believing he was made of glass or denying he had a wife and children
Charnock, Jobe
Servant and administrator of the English East India Company, traditionally regarded as the founder
of the city of Calcutta now Kolkata
Childe
In the Middle Ages, son of a nobleman who had not yet attained knighthood or had not yet won his
spurs
Chisholm, Shirley
First African-American woman elected to Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional
District
Cho Seung-hui
Korean spree killer who killed 32 people and wounded 17 others on April 16, 2007, at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia
Christian I of Denmark
Founder of the University of Copenhagen
Christina
Queen of Sweden who caused a scandal when she abdicated her throne and converted to Roman
Catholicism in 1654
Chuikov, Vasily
Soviet general that became the first Allied officer to learn about Adolf Hitler’s suicide
Chulalongkorn
King of Siam (Thailand) whose reign was characterized by the modernization of Siam, immense
government and social reforms, and territorial cessions to the British Empire and French Indochina
Churchill, Jack
British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow and a Scottish
broadsword
Ciano, Galeazzo
Italian Foreign Minister shot at the order of his father-in-law Benito Mussolini
City Line
Name given to a segment of the Green Line that divided the city of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967
Clay, Henry
US politician, nicknamed “The Great Compromiser”, who championed theMissouri Compromise
Cleveland, Frances
Youngest First Lady of the United States
First US First Lady to marry in the White House
First US First Lady to give birth in the White House
Cleveland, Grover
Only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885–1889 and 1893–1897) and therefore is the
only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents
First president to have hanged a man
Only president to wed in the White House
Code of Hammurabi
Well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating back to about 1772 BCE
One of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world
Cohen, Eli
Israeli spy best known for his work in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the
political and military hierarchy and became the Chief Adviser to the Minister of Defense which
claimed to have been an important factor in Israel’s success in the Six Day War
Columbia
Female personification of the United States of America
Columbus, Christopher
Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general
awareness of the American continents under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain
Commodus
First Roman emperor to have both a father and grandfather as two preceding emperors
First emperor born during his father’s reign
Concert of Europe
Term referring to the balance of power tat existed in Europe from the end of the Napoleonic Wars
to the outbreak of World War I
Condor Legion
Unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and from the German Army
(Wehrmacht Heer) which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to
March 1939
Confederation of the Rhine
Confederation of client states of the First French Empire formed initially from 16 German states by
Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz
Confessionalism
System of government that refers to de jure mix of religion and politics
Congress of Vienna
Conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Austrian statesman Klemenz Wenzel von
Metternich which aimed to provide a long-term peace for Europe by settling critical issues arising
from the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars
Consigliere
Position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia, acting as an adviser or
counselor to the boss
Constitutio Antoniniana
Also called the Edict of Caracalla, edict issued in 212 by the Roman Emperor Caracalla declaring
that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be given full Roman citizenship and all free women
in Empire were given the same rights as Roman women
Consul
Highest elected office of the Roman Republic
Containment
United States policy to prevent the spread of communism abroad
Continental System
Foreign policy of Napoleon I of France, an economic blockade, in his struggle against Great Britain
during the Napoleonic Wars
Cook, James
British explorer who achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of
Australia and the Hawaiian Islands and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand
Coolidge, Calvin
Only US president born on July 4
Wrote a syndicated news column after leaving office
Copenhagen
War horse of the Duke of Wellington, which he most famously rode at the Battle of Waterloo
Corday, Charlotte
Executed under the guillotine for the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat
Corn Laws
British prohibition of the importation of foreign grains unless British-grown grain exceeded 70
shillings per quarter
Cornwallis, Charles, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
British Army officer best remembered as one of the leading British generals in the American War
of Independence
Cossacks
Group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-
military and semi-naval communities in Ukraine and Southern Russia
Cranmer, Thomas
Leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII,
Edward VI and Mary I who helped build a favorable case for Henry’s divorce from Catherine of
Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See
Cresson, Édith
First and so far only woman to have held the office of Prime Minister of France
Crocea Mors
Sword of Julius Caesar
Croesus
King of Lydia until his defeat by the Persians
Cromwell, Oliver
English military and political leader and later Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England,
Scotland and Ireland
Cromwell, Thomas
English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from
1532 to 1540
Cuba
Last country in the Americas to abolish slavery
Curtis, Charles
31st Vice President of the United States
First person with significant acknowledged Native American ancestry and the first person with
significant acknowledged non-European ancestry to reach either of the two highest offices in the
United States government’s executive branch
Curzon Line
Put forward by the Allied Supreme Council after World War I as a demarcation line between the
Second Polish Republic and Bolshevik Russia and was supposed to serve as the basis for a future
border
Czechoslovakia
First country to impose strict seatbelt laws
da Gama, Vasco
Commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India
da Nova, João
Galician explorer credited as the discoverer of Ascension and Saint Helena islands
da Verrazzano, Giovanni
Renowned as the first European since the Norse expeditions to North America around 1000 CE to
explore the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including
New York Bay and Narragansett Bay in 1524
Dachau
First and oldest of the Nazi concentration camps
Dacia
Roman name for the area in modern-day Romania
Dacko, David
First and third president of the Central African Republic
Daimyo
Japanese feudal lords who were vassals of the shogun
Dallas, George
Vice President under James K. Polk
Danton, Georges
First President of the Committee of Public Safety, guillotined by the advocates of revolutionary
terror after accusations of venality and leniency to the enemies of the Revolution
D.A.R.E.
An acronym for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, international education program founded by
Daryl F. Gates that seeks to prevent use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent
behavior
Dare, Virginia
First child born in the Americas to English parents, Eleanor and Ananias Dare
Darius III
Persian emperor who fought Alexander the Great and lost his empire in the process
Dave’s Dream
Plane that dropped the first hydrogen bomb at the Bikini Atoll
Davis, Gray
Second governor to be recalled in American history (Governor of California from 1999 to 2003)
Davis, Jefferson
Only president of the Confederate States of America
Dawes Plan
Attempt in 1924 to solve the reparations problem, which had bedeviled international politics
following World War I
de Almagro, Diego
Credited as the first European discoverer of Chile
de Almagro, Diego, II
Assassin of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro
de Gaulle, Charles
French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II and later
founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969
de Soto, Hernando
Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the
territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the
Mississippi River
Dean, Millvina
Youngest passenger aboard and last remaining survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic
Dean, William F.
a major general in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War, the highest
ranking American officer captured by the North Koreans during the Korean War
Debs, Eugene V.
Founder of the United States Socialist Party
Decebalus
King of Dacia famous for fighting three wars and negotiating two interregnums of peace without
being eliminated against the Roman Empire under two emperors
Decimation
Form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large
groups guilty of capital offenses such as mutiny or desertion
Deep Throat
Pseudonym given to the secret informant, revealed to be former Federal Bureau of Investigation
Associate Director Mark Felt, who provided information to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of
The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon’s
administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal
Deepwell Horizon
Offshore oil drilling rig sank on April 22, 2010, causing the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history
Dejima
Small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634 by local merchants that
remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world
during the Edo period
Dekulakization
Soviet campaign of political repressions, including arrests, deportations and executions of millions
of better-off peasants and their families from 1929 to 1932
Derg
Short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army that
ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987
Desert Rats
Nickname given to the British 7th Armored Division
Diadochi
Rival generals, family and friends of Alexander the Great who fought for the control of Alexander’s
empire after his death in 323 BCE
Dias, Bartolomeu
Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European
known to have done so
Dinkins, David
First African-American to be elected Mayor of New York City
Dionysus Exiguus
Monk best known as the “inventor” of the Anno Domini (AD) era, which is used to number the
years of both the Gregorian calendar and the (Christianized) Julian calendar
Dogsbody
Nickname given to RAF fighter ace Douglas Bader
Domitian
Roman emperor who strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage, expanded the
border defenses of the Empire and initiated a massive building program to restore the damaged city
of Rome
First Roman Emperor who had demanded to be addressed as dominus et deus (master and god)
Last emperor of the Flavian dynasty
Dongmyeong
Founder of Koguryo
Dönitz, Karl
German navy officer who succeeded Adolf Hitler as Head of State of Nazi Germany following the
latter’s suicide
Donovan, William J.
US intelligence officer known as the wartime head of the Office of the Strategic Services, a
precursor to the CIA, during World War II
Doorman, Karel
Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily-organized multinational
naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack and
was killed during the Battle of the Java Sea
Douglas, Tommy
Premier of Saskatchewan whose government was the first democratic socialist government in North
America, and it introduced the continent’s first single payer, universal health care program
Douglass, Frederick
First African American nominated for Vice President of the United States as the running mate of
Victoria Woodhull on the impracticable and small Equal Rights Party ticket
Dresden Codex
Also known as the Codex Dresdensis, is a pre-Columbian Maya book of the eleventh or twelfth
century of the Yucatecan Maya in Chichén Itzá
Oldest book written in the Americans known to historians
Drexler, Anton
German far-right political leader of the 1920s, instrumental in the formation of the anti-communist
German Workers’ Party, the antecedent of the Nazi Party
Dreyfus, Alfred
French artillery officer of Jewish background whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of
treason became one of the tensest political dramas in modern French and European history
Druk Gyalpo
Title of the head of state of Bhutan
D bček, Alexander
Leader of Czechoslovakia who attempted to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring
Dukakis, Michael
Longest-serving Governor in Massachusetts history
Dunant, Henry
Founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Durendal
Sword of Roland
Earhart, Amelia
First person to make a solo flight from Hawaii to mainland United States
E-boat
Designation for fast attack craft of the Kriegsmarine during World War II
Edict of Nantes
Edict issued on 13 April 1598 by Henry IV of France that granted the Calvinist Protestants of
France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic,
only to be revoked by Louis XIV
Edward II of England
English king who lost the Battle of Bannockburn to Robert the Bruce
English king best remembered as the first monarch to establish colleges atCambridge and Oxford
Einsatzgruppen
Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany responsible for mass killings,
primarily by shooting, during World War II
Eisner, Kurt
German politician who organized the Socialist Revolution that overthrew the Wittelsbach monarchy
in Bavaria in November 1918
El Dorado
Name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dove
into the Guatavita Lake, which later became the name of a legendary “Lost City of Gold” that
fascinated explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors
El Mirador
Large pre-Columbian Mayan settlement, located in the north of the modern department of El Petén,
Guatemala
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Only person to have been, separately, Queen consort of France and Queen consort of England
Elizabeth Cross
Commemorative emblem given to the recognized next of kin of members of the British Armed
Forces killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack after the Second World War
Ellis, Ruth
Last woman hanged in Britain
Ellsberg, Daniel
Former US military analyst who released the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times and other
newspapers in 1971
Embree, Lee
American Army staff sergeant and photographer who took the first air-to-air photographs of the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941
Ems Dispatch
Telegram released by Otto von Bismarck that contained an inflammatory version of a conversation
between King Wilhelm and the French ambassador, intended to provoke France into declaring war
on Prussia
Enabling Act
1933 amendment to the Weimar Constitution that gave the German cabinet - in effect, Chancellor
Adolf Hitler - the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag
Endurance
Three-masted barquentine in which Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed for the Antarctic on the 1914
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition launched in 1912 from Sandefjord in Norway and was crushed
by ice, causing her to sink, three years later in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica
Enola Gay
First aircraft to drop an atomic bomb on an enemy target in a war
Enosis
Movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece
Entente Cordiale
Series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Third
Republic that recognized British control over Egypt, while Britain reciprocated regarding France in
Morocco
Ephor
Leaders of ancient Sparta and shared power with the Spartan kings
Erhard Plan
Plan which involved East Germany being bought from the Soviet Union to avoid the spread of
Communist culture and reunite Germany
Ericson, Leif
Norse explorer regarded as the first European to land in North America
Etruscans
First inhabitants of Italy
Evans, Arthur
British archaeologist most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of
Crete and for developing the concept of Minoan civilization from the structures and artifacts found
there and elsewhere throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the first to define Cretan scripts
Linear A and Linear B, as well as an earlier pictographic writing
Falaka
Also known as foot whipping, form of corporal punishment in which the soles of the feet are beaten
with an object such as a cane, rod or club, a stout leather bullwhip, or a flexible bat of heavy rubber
Farouk
Last king of Egypt
Farrakhan, Louis
Leader of the syncretic and mainly African-American religious movement Nation of Islam
Fashoda Incident
1898 event that became the climax of imperial territorial disputes between Britain and France in
Eastern Africa in which a French expedition to Fashoda on the White Nile sought to gain control of
the Nile River and thereby exclude Britain from the Sudan, and possibly force the British out of
Egypt as well
Fat Man
Codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on
August 9, 1945
Faustulus
Legendary shepherd who found Romulus and Remus and took care of them
Fieschi, Giuseppe Marco
Chief conspirator in an attempt on the life of King Louis-Philippe of France in July 1835
Figueroa, William
12-year old student who was involved when then US Vice President Dan Quayle misspelled the
word “potato”
Fillmore, Abigail
First US First Lady to have proper first lady etiquette
Final Solution
Nazi Germany’s plan during World War II to annihilate the Jewish people, resulting in the most
deadly phase of the Holocaust
Firdos Square
Site of the statue of Saddam Hussein that was torn down by U.S. coalition forces in a widely-
televised event during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
Fire ship
Used in the days of wooden rowed or sailing ships, a ship filled with combustibles, deliberately set
on fire and steered (or, where possible, allowed to drift) into an enemy fleet, in order to destroy
ships, or to create panic and make the enemy break formation
Famously used to great effect by the English against the Spanish Armada during the Battle of
Gravelines
Fireside Chats
series of thirty evening radio addresses given by USPresident Franklin Roosevelt between 1933 and
1944, which facilitated intimate and direct communication between the president and the citizens of
the United States of America
First Crusade
Campaign to recapture the Holy Land called at the Council of Clermont in 1095 by Pope Urban II
Fisher, Amy
American woman who became known as “the Long Island Lolita” by the media in 1992, when, at
the age of 17, she shot and severely wounded Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her lover Joey
Buttafuoco
Fisher, Geoffrey
Archbishop of Canterbury who presided over the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Foch, Ferdinand
Appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies in the spring of 1918
Ford, Gerald
First person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment
First and to date only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United
States without being elected by the Electoral College
Ford, Robert
Man who killed Jesse James
Frahm, Herbert
Real name of West German chancellor Willy Brandt
Fram
Ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers
Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912
France
First country to emancipate its Jewish population
Built the most number of tanks during World War I
Francis I of France
King of France known for his role in the development and promotion of a standardized French
language
Francis II of France
King of France whose reign was marked with the first stirrings of the French Wars of Religion and
the loss of French possessions in Corsica, Tuscany, Savoy and almost all of Piedmont under the
Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis
Franks, Tommy
U.S. general who led the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan in response to the September 11
attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon in 2001 and led the 2003 invasion of Iraq and
the overthrow of Saddam Hussein
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke of Austria-Hungary assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary’s declaration
of war against Serbia that started World War I
Frazier, Lynn
First American governor ever successfully recalled from office (Governor of North Dakota from
1917 to 1921)
Frederick II of Prussia
Prussian king best known for his brilliance in military campaigning and organization of Prussian
armies
Frederick William I of Prussia
King of Prussia reputed for his fondness for military display, leading to his special efforts to hire
the tallest men he could find in all of Europe for a special regiment nicknamed the Potsdam Giants
Freikorps
Term used between World War I and World War II for the paramilitary organizations that arose
during the Weimar period and formed the vanguard of the Nazi movement
Fritzsch, Karl
German concentration camp officer and deputy, who firstsuggested and experimented with using
Zyklon B gas for the purpose of massmurder
Frizer, Ingram
Assassin of poet Christopher Marlowe
Fronde
Series of civil wars in France from 1648 to 1653 in which the nobles rose in rebellion against
Cardinal Mazarin and the court during the minorityof Louis XIV
Fugger, Jakob
Major merchant, mining entrepreneur and banker of Europe between ca. 1495-1525
Fujimoto, Kenji
Pen name of a Japanese chef who claimed that he was former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s
personal sushi chef from 1988 to 2001
“The Gadget”
Code name given to the first bomb tested in the Trinity test
Gadsden Purchase
29,670-square-mile region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was
purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to
Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853
Last major territorial acquisition in the contiguous United States, adding a large area to the United
States
Gaius Marius
Roman general who held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career and
also noted for his important reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens,
eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the structure of the legions into
separate cohorts
de Galard, Genevieve
French nurse dubbed as the “Angel of Dien Bien Phu”
Galba
First emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors, remembered for his unpopular measures
Gandhi, Indira
Only woman to become Prime Minister of India, assassinated by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh
Gang of Eight
Officially known as the State Committee of the State of Emergency, group of high level of officials
within the Soviet government, the Communist Party and KGB who attempted a coup against
Mikhail Gorbachev on August 18, 1991
Garfield, James
First US president who could write in two languages
Garibaldi, Giuseppe
Called the “Hero of Two Worlds” because of his military enterprises in Brazil, Uruguay and Europe
“Gate of God”
Meaning of Babylon
Gein, Edward
American murderer and body snatcher that became the inspiration of several fictional killers
including Norman Bates (Psycho), Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Jame Gumb (The
Silence of the Lambs), Ezra Cobb (Deranged)
Geiseric
King of the Vandals famous for the capture and plundering of Rome in June 455
Gemonian Stairs
Flight of steps located in the ancient city of Rome infamous as a place of execution
Genda, Minoru
Japanese military aviator and politician best known for planning the Pearl Harbor attack
Genovese, Kitty
New York City woman who was stabbed to death near her home in the Kew Gardens neighborhood
of the borough of Queens in New York City, on March 13, 1964 which prompted investigation into
the social psychological phenomenon that has become known as the bystander effect
Georgia
American colony that did not send a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774
Gerard, Balthasar
French Roman Catholic who assassinated William I, Prince of Orange
Germany
Introduced the use of poison gas during World War I (at the Second Battle of Ypres)
Gerry, Elbridge
Vice President of the United States best known for being the namesake of gerrymandering, a
process by which electoral districts are drawn with the aim of aiding the party in power
First US Vice President not to run for president
Gestapo
Abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei, official secret police of Nazi Germany and German-
occupied Europe
Ghana
First African nation to achieve independence from the United Kingdom in 1957
Gibson, Violet
Irish aristocrat who attempted to assassinate Italian leader Benito Mussolini in 1926
Guillaume, Günter
Intelligence agent of Stasi that served as a close aide to West German Chancellor Willy Brandt
Gillibrand, Kirsten
Succeeded Hillary Clinton as senator from New York, following Clinton’s appointment as
Secretary of State in 2009
Gleichschaltung
Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian
control and coordination over all aspects of society
Glorious Revolution
1688 event in which William and Mary took the British throne bloodlessly from James II of
England
Göbekli Tepe
Archaeological site at the top of a mountain ridge in Anatolia, Turkey
Godfrey of Bouillon
First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, although he refused the title “King”; as he believed that the
true King of Jerusalem was Christ
Godse, Nathuram
Sole assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, shooting Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range in
1948
Goebbels, Joseph
Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 known for his zealous orations
and visceral and homicidal antisemitism
Golden Stool
Royal and divine throne of the Ashanti people
Gompers, Samuel
Founder of the American Federation of Labor
Goode, William
First Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
Gordievsky, Oleg
Former colonel of the KGB who was a double agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service from
1974 to 1985
Gosnold, Bartholomew
English explorer who led the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod
Governors-General of India
Grand Alliance
Called League of Augsburg before England joined, European coalition, consisting (at various times)
of Austria, Bavaria, Brandenburg, the Dutch Republic, England, the Holy Roman Empire, Ireland,
the Palatinate of the Rhine, Portugal, Savoy, Saxony, Scotland, Spain and Sweden originally
formed in an attempt to halt Louis XIV of France’s expansions
Grand Palace
Official residence of the Kings of Thailand since 1782
Granma
Yacht that was used to transport 82 fighters of the Cuban Revolution from Mexico to Cuba in
November 1956 for the purpose of overthrowing the regime of Fulgencio Batista
Great Depression
Term referring to the severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II
Great Society
Set of domestic programs in the United States announced by US President Lyndon B. Johnson at
Ohio University and subsequently promoted by him and fellow Democrats in Congress in the 1960s
that included laws that upheld civil rights, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental
protection, aid to education, and his “War on Poverty”
Green Gang
Chinese criminal organization that operated in Shanghai in the early 20th century
Griffin, Cyrus
Last president of the Continental Congress
Griffin’s Wharf
Place where the Boston Tea Party occurred
Griswold v. Connecticut
Landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court which ruled that the Constitution protected
a right to privacy and effectively legalizing the use of contraception by married couples
Grito de Dolores
Event that marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence
Pronunciamiento of the Mexican War of Independence by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Roman
Catholic priest
Groves, Leslie
United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and
directed the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II
Grynszpan, Herschel
German-born Jewish refugee who assassinated German diplomat Ernst von Rath that provided the
pretext for the Kristallnacht
GSF Explorer
Formerly USNS Glomar Explorer (T-AG-193), deep-sea drillship platform initially built for the
United States Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division secret operation Project
Azorian to recover the sunken Soviet submarine, K-129, lost in April 1968
Guderian, Heinz
German general during World War II who pioneered development of armored warfare, and was the
leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht
Gueffroy, Chris
Last person to be shot while trying to escape to West Berlin across the Berlin Wall
Guiteau, Charles
American lawyer convicted of assassinating U.S. President James A. Garfield
Gula, Sharbat
Afghan woman who was the subject of a famous photograph by journalist Steve McCurry
Gyanendra
Last king of Nepal
Gyokuon-hoso
Literally meaning “Jewel Voice Broadcast”, radio broadcast in which Japanese emperor Hirohito
read out the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, announcing to the Japanese people
that the Japanese Government had accepted the Potsdam Declaration demanding the unconditional
surrender of the Japanese military at the end of World War II
Haakon VII
First king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden
Haganah
Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to
1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces
Haig, Alexander
United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President
Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
Haile Selassie I
Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, revered as the
returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate in Rastafarianism
Hajduk
Term referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans and Central and Eastern
Europe
Hallstein Doctrine
Key doctrine in the foreign policy of West Germany after 1955 that established that the Federal
Republic would not establish or maintain diplomatic relations with any state that recognized the
German Democratic Republic
Halvorsen, Gail
Pilot in the United States Air Force known as the original Candy Bomber in Germany during the
Berlin Airlift
Hamilton, Alexander
First US Secretary of the Treasury
Hannibal
Punic Carthaginian military commander, generally considered one of the greatest military
commanders in history
Hanno
Pet white elephant given by King Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X at his coronation
Hansen, Robert
Former American FBI agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services against the
United States for 22 years from 1979 to 2001
Harel, Isser
Director of Mossad who oversaw the capture of Adolf Eichmann
Harrison, Benjamin
Only U.S. president from Indiana and the only one to be the grandson of another president
Harrison, Caroline
First US Lady to have the White House wired for electricity
Hartford Convention
Event in 1814–1815 in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, in which New England Federalists met
to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing War of 1812 and the political problems arising
from the federal government’s increasing power
Hastings, Warren
First Governor-General of Bengal, from 1772 to 1785
Haughland, Knut
Resistance fighter and noted explorer from Norway who accompanied Thor Heyerdahl on his
famous 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition
Haussmann, Georges-Eugène
Prefect of the Seine Department in France who was chosen by Emperor Napoleon III to carry out a
massive program of new boulevards, parks and public works in Paris
Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty
1903 treaty that established the Panama Canal Zone and the subsequent construction of the Panama
Canal
Hayes, Lucy
First US First Lady to host the White House Easter Egg Hunt
Hazelwood, Joseph
Captain of the Exxon Valdez during the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Heft, Robert G.
Designer of the current American 50-star flag as well as a designer of a submitted 51-star flag
proposal
Heian-kyō
One of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto
Capital of Japan from 794 to 1868
Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty
Also known as the Anglo-German Agreement of 1890, agreement between Great Britain and
Germany in which Germany gained the strategic island of Heligoland, which its navy needed to
control approaches to its North Sea coast while Germany gave up its rights in the Zanzibar region in
Africa
Hell ship
Term referring to a ship with extremely unpleasant living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty
among the crew, now generally refers to the ships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army to
transport Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and romushas (Asian forced laborers) out of the Dutch
East Indies, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore in World War
Helots
Subjugated population group that formed the main population of Laconia and Messenia (areas ruled
by Sparta)
Hennepin, Louis
Discovered the Niagara Falls and the Saint Anthony Falls (only waterfall on the Mississippi River)
Henry II of England
First Plantagenet king of England
Henry IV
Holy Roman Emperor best remembered for his dispute with Pope Gregory VII over lay investiture
and his penance in the snow at Canossa
Henry IV of England
First king from the House of Lancaster
Herzl, Theodor
Austro-Hungarian journalist and writer who is regarded as the father of modern political Zionism
Hess, Rudolf
Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1941, known to fly solo to Scotland in an attempt to
negotiate peace with the United Kingdom during World War II
Last man to be imprisoned in the Tower of London
Heydrich, Reinhard
High-ranking German Nazi official during World War II, and one of the main architects of the
Holocaust
Served as President of Interpol (the international law enforcement agency) and chaired the January
1942 Wannsee Conference, which formalized plans for the final solution to the Jewish Question:
the deportation and extermination of all Jews in German-occupied territory
Hibakusha
Term for surviving victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Highgate, Thomas
British soldier during the early days of the First World War, and the first British soldier to be
convicted of desertion and executed during that war
Hill, Anita
American attorney and academic who became a national figure in 1991 when she alleged that U.S.
Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had made harassing sexual statements when he was her
supervisor at the U.S. Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
Himmler, Heinrich
Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in Nazi Germany who established and oversaw the program
of systematic genocide of more than 6 million Jews and other disfavored groups between 1941 and
1945
Hindawi, Nezar
Jordanian who was found guilty of attempting to place a bomb on an El Al flight in Heathrow
airport, London on April 17, 1986
Hitler, Adolf
Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany (as Führer und
Reichskanzler) from 1934 to 1945
Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1938
HMS Endeavour
British Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded on his first voyage of
discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771
HMS Hermes
World’s first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier
HMS Victory
Flagship of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805
Ho Chi Minh
Led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-ruled
Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at the battle of
Dien Bien Phu
Hoge, William
American general who directed the construction of the 1,519-mile ALCAN Highway
Hollywood Ten
Holt, Harold
Prime Minister of Australia who disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea,
Victoria, and was presumed drowned
Holy Alliance
Coalition created by the monarchist great powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia created after the
ultimate defeat of Napoleon at the behest of Czar Alexander I of Russia
Homma, Masaharu
General in the Imperial Japanese Army noted for his role in the invasion and occupation of the
Philippines during World War II
Honecker, Erich
Chairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic (1976–1989)
Hong Xiuquan
Hakka Chinese who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty
Hoover, Herbert
First US president to have a telephone on his desk in the White House
First president to have an asteroid named after him
Hopkins, Oceanus
First child born on the Mayflower
Hōshō
World's first commissioned ship that was designed and built as an aircraft carrier
First aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Howard, Catherine
Wife of Henry VIII referenced as his rose without a thorn
Howard, John
Second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies
Hoxha, Enver
Communist leader of Albania from 1944 to 1985
Hundred Days
Marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on
March 20, 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on July 8, 1815
Hwang Jang-yop
North Korean politician who defected to South Korea in 1997, best known for being, to date, the
highest-ranking North Korean defector and was largely responsible for crafting Juche, North
Korea’s official state ideology
Hyde, Douglas
Irish scholar who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945
Ibn Battuta
Moroccan explorer of Berber descent known for his extensive travels, accounts of which were
published in the Rihla
Idris of Libya
First and only king of Libya (1951-1969), deposed in a coup d'etat by army officers led by
Muammar Gaddafi while in Turkey for medical treatment
If Day
Simulated Nazi invasion of the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and surrounding areas on
February 19, 1942, during World War II that raised 3 million Canadian dollars for the war effort
Immurement
Form of execution where a person is walled up within a building and left to die from starvation or
dehydration
Impressment
Act of taking men into a navy by force and with or without notice
Incitatus
Favored horse of Roman emperor Caligula
Intermarium
Plan pursued after World War I by Polish leader Józef Piłsudski for a federation, under Poland’s
aegis, of Central and Eastern European countries
International Brigades
Military units made up of volunteers from different countries, which traveled to Spain to fight for
the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939
Ireland
First country to leave the Commonwealth of Nations
Ivy Mike
Codename given to the first test of a thermonuclear device in which part of the explosive yield
came from nuclear fusion
Jackson, Andrew
First US President to ride on a train
James I of England
King of England and Scotland (as James VI) from the union of Scottish and English crowns after
the death of Elizabeth I
Youngest monarch to celebrate a Golden Jubilee
James II of England
King of England and Scotland (as James VII) until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of
1688
Last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland
James IV of Scotland
Last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all of Great Britain, to be killed in battle (Battle
of Flodden Field)
Jameson Raid
Botched raid on Paul Kruger’s Transvaal Republic carried out by a British colonial statesman
Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year
weekend of 1895–96 intended to trigger an uprising by the primarily British expatriate workers
(known as Uitlanders) in the Transvaal but failed to do so
Jamestown, Virginia
First permanent English settlement in the Americas
Jani Beg
Khan of the Golden Horde whose army has been thought to have catapulted infected corpses into
Kaffa in an attempt to use the Black Death to weaken the defenders
Janissaries
Elite corps of slave soldiers bound to the service of theOttoman sultans
Jay, John
First Chief Justice of the United States
Jayavarman II
Widely regarded as the founder of the Khmer Empire
Jebb, Gladwyn
Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations from October 1945 to February 1946
Jefferson, Thomas
Third president of the United States
Author of the American Declaration of Independence
Jellicoe, John
Commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland (May 1916)
Jéquier, Gustave
Member of Jacques de Morgan's 1901 Susa expedition which led to the discovery of the famous
Code of Hammurabi, now on display in the Louvre
Jiang Qing
Pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s last wife and major Communist Party of
China power figure Lǐ Shūm ng
Jigai
Ritual suicide practiced by the wives of samurai who have committed seppuku or brought dishonor
Jodl, Alfred
German military commander who signed the unconditional surrender of Germany as a
representative for German head of state Karl Dönitz
Joe 4
American nickname for the first Soviet test of a thermonuclear weapon on August 12, 1953
John
King of England whose reign was marked by a baronial revolt at the end of his reign led to the
sealing of the Magna Carta
John Bull
National personification of the United Kingdom in general, and England in particular, especially in
political cartoons and similar graphic works
Johnson, Andrew
First American president to be impeached
Only former president to serve in the Senate
Jones, Herbert
Horse racing jockey involved in a collision with Emily Davison in the Epsom Derby
Jones, Jim
Founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, best known for the cult murder/suicide in 1978, 909 of
its members in Jonestown, Guyana, and the murder of five individuals at a nearby airstrip
Jones, Margaret
First person to be executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts Bay Colony during a witch-hunt that
lasted from 1648 to 1663
Jonestown
Informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, communist international community in
northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple under the leadership of Jim Jones that became
internationally notorious when on November 18, 1978, 978 people died in the settlement, at the
nearby strip in Port Kaituma and in Georgetown
Joyce, William
Nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, Irish-American fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to
the United Kingdom during the Second World War
Joyeuse
Sword of Charlemagne
Junkers
Term referring to the members of the landed nobility in Prussia
Justinian I
Byzantine emperor, the last Roman Emperor to speak Latin as a first language, legacy was the
uniform rewriting of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in
many modern states
Ordered the construction of Hagia Sophia
Jyllands-Posten
Danish daily broadsheet newspaper that became the subject of a major controversy concerning
cartoons that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 2005-06 which sparked violent protests
around the world
K-141 Kursk
Oscar-II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy, lost with all hands
when it sank in the Barents Sea on 12 August 2000
Kaczynski, Theodore
Known as the Unabomber, American mathematician and serial murderer who engaged in a
nationwide bombing campaign against people involved with modern technology
Kaishakunin
Appointed second whose duty is to behead one who has committed seppuku, Japanese ritual
suicide, at the moment of agony
Kaiten
Manned torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of
World War II
Kalashnikov, Mikhail
Russian general famous for developing the AK-47 assault rifle, AKM, AK-74 and the PK machine
gun
Kalmar Union
Historiographical term describing a series of personal unions that intermittently joined under a
single monarch in the three kingdoms of Norway, Sweden and Denmark
Kamehameha I
Conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawai’i in 1810
Kaplan, Fanny
Russian political revolutionary who attempted to assassinate Vladimir Lenin in 1918
Kaunda, Kenneth
First president of Zambia
Keating, Charles
American financier most known for his role in the savings and loan scandal of the late 1980s
Kehlsteinhaus
Also known as Eagles Nest, a chalet-style structure intended as a 50th birthday present for Adolf
Hitler to serve as a retreat, and a place for him to entertain visiting dignitaries
Keitel, Wilhelm
De facto war minister under Adolf Hitler and one of Germany’s most senior military leaders during
World War II
Keller, Helen
First deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree
Kelly, Ned
Irish Australian bushranger considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded killer, while others
consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-
Australian ruling class
Kennedy, Jacqueline
First US First Lady to win an Emmy award
Kennedy, John F.
Only US president to win a Pulitzer Prize
Kensington System
Strict and elaborate set of rules designed by the Duchess of Kent along with her attendant, Sir John
Conroy, concerning the upbringing of the future Queen Victoria
Kentucky Cannibal
Nickname given to mountain man Boone Helm
Kerensky, Alexander
Served as the second Prime Minister of the Russian Provisional Government until it was
overthrown by the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin in the October Revolution
Khalistan
Name given to the proposed Sikh country
Khrushchev, Nikita
Soviet leader responsible for the partial de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union, for backing the
progress of the early Soviet space program, and for several relatively liberal reforms in areas of
domestic policy
Khufu
Ancient Egyptian pharaoh generally accepted as having built the Great Pyramid of Giza
Kibbutz
Collective community in Israel that is traditionally based on agriculture
Kigeli V Ndahindurwa
Last king of Rwanda
Kim Hyon-hui
Former North Korean agent responsible for the Korean Air Flight 858 bombing in 1987
Kim Il-sung
Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as North Korea, from
its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994
Designated as Eternal President since his death
Kim Jong-il
Appointed Eternal General Secretary of the Worker’s Party of Korea after his death
Kim Shin-jo
Only person captured by South Korean forces, of a 31-person team of North Korean commandos
sent to assassinate then South Korean President Park Chung Hee in the ‘ lue House Raid’ in
January 1968
Kimura, Jiroemon
Verified longest-lived man in history
First man in history verified to have reached 116 years of age
Last surviving verified man born in the 19th century since the death of 113-year-old James Sisnett
of Barbados on May 23, 2013
Knyaz Suvorov
Borodino-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Russian Navy that was sunk during
the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905
Koga, Hiroyasu
Kaishakunin responsible for the decapitations of Yukio Mishima and Masakatsu Morita during their
seppuku on November 25, 1970
Kohl, Helmut
German chancellor widely regarded as the main architect of the German reunification and, together
with French president François Mitterrand, the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European
Union
Kopechne, Mary Jo
Killed when then Senator Edward Kennedy’s car went of Dike Bridge inChappaquiddick in 1969
Korean War
First war in which jet aircraft played a central role
Known as 6–2–5 Upheaval in South Korea, Fatherland Liberation War in North Korea and War to
Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in China
Armistice was signed by U.S. Army Lieutenant General William Harrison, Jr., representing the
United Nations Command and North Korean General Nam Il, representing the North Korean
People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army
Koresh, David
Born Vernon Wayne Howell, American leader of the Branch Davidians religious sect, believing
himself to be its final prophet
Kotjebi
Term referring to North Korean homeless children
Kouchner, Bernard
Co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde
Krenz, Egon
Last Communist leader of East Germany
Kristallnacht
Also known as the Night of Broken Glass, pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and
parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary and civilians after the
assassination of the German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan, a German-born
Polish Jew resident in Paris
Kublai Khan
Fifth Khagan of the Mongol Empire and founder of the Chinese Yuan dynasty
Kulturkampf
Term referring to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic
Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck
Kulak
Category of relatively affluent farmers in the later Russian Empire, Soviet Russia and early Soviet
Union
Kuribayashi, Tadamichi
Best known for being the overall commander of the Japanese garrison during the Battle of Iwo Jima
Kutuzov, Mikhail
Field Marshal of the Russian Empire credited most with his brilliant leadership during the French
invasion of Russia
Lafayette Escadrille
American volunteer fighter squadron during World War I
Lattimer, John
First medical specialist not affiliated with the US government to examine the medical evidence
related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Lebensraum
“Living room”in German, Nazi policy of territorial expansionism
Leclerc, Jacques-Philippe
Alias used by French general Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque
Leekpai, Chuan
First Thai prime minister to come to power without either aristocratic or military backing
Lefortovo Prison
Infamous KGB prison and criminal investigation isolation ward in the Soviet Union for detainment
of political prisoners which include Raoul Wallenberg, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and several
members of the August Coup
Lei Áurea
Law that abolished slavery in Brazil
Leibing, Peter
German photographer known for his 1961 photographs of escaping East German border guard,
Conrad Schumann jumping a barbed wire fence during construction of the Berlin Wall
Leopold I
First king of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands
Leopold II
King of the Belgians chiefly remembered for the founding and exploitation of the Congo Free State
Lèse-majesté
Meaning “injured majesty”, the crime of violating majesty, an offense against the dignity of a
reigning sovereign or against a state
Levellers
Political movement during the English Civil War which emphasized popular sovereignty, extended
suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the
manifesto “Agreement of the People”
Lewis, John L.
First president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
Lex Hortensia
Law passed in Ancient Rome in 287 BCE which made all resolutions passed by plebeians binding
on all citizens
Lexington
Favorite horse of George Washington
Li Hongzhi
Founder and spiritual master of Falun Gong that was suppressed by the Chinese government
Licinia Eudoxia
Roman empress captured by Geiseric
Liliuokalani
Last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Lincoln, Abraham
Last US president to come under enemy soldiers’ fire while in office
First US president to be born outside the thirteen original states
First US president to be assassinated (by John Wilkes Booth)
First president from the Republican Party
Tallest US president
Liquidator
Generic name given in the former Soviet Union to civil and military personnel who were called
upon to deal with consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster on the site of the event
Little Boy
Codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29
Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron,
Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces, first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon
Liu Shaoqi
President of the People’s Republic of China from 1959 to 1968, during which he implemented
policies of economic reconstruction in China
Livingstone, David
British explorer who helped drive forward the obsession with discovering the sources of the River
Nile that formed the culmination of the classic period of European geographical discovery and
colonial penetration of the African continent
Livingstone, Ken
First elected Mayor of London
Lombardo, Rosalia
Italian child who was one of the last corpses to be admitted to the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo
in Sicily
Long, Huey
US Senator is best known for his Share Our Wealth program, created in 1934under the motto
“Every Man a King” that proposed new wealth redistribution measures in the form of a net asset tax
on corporations and individuals to curb the poverty and homelessness endemic nationwide during
the Great Depression
Long March
Military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China to evade the pursuit
of the Kuomintang army
Louis XV of France
King of France whose reign saw the incorporation of the territories of Lorraine and Corsica into the
kingdom of France
Louisiana
Only US state that still refer to the Napoleonic Code in its state law
Louisiana Purchase
Acquisition by the United States of America in 1803 of France’s claim to the territory of Louisiana
in which the US paid 50 million francs plus a cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs
Loving v. Virginia
Landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court which invalidated laws
prohibiting interracial marriage
Lucy
Common name of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone representing about 40% of the
skeleton of an individual Australopithecus afarensis
Ludendorff, Erich
German general who took part in the unsuccessful coups d'état of Wolfgang Kapp in 1920 and the
Beer Hall Putsch of Adolf Hitler in 1923
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Sometimes called the Swan King, commissioned the construction of two extravagant palaces and a
castle, the most famous being Neuschwanstein, and was a devoted patron of the composer Richard
Wagner
Lule, Yusuf
Provisional president of Uganda between 13 April and 20 June 1979, succeeding Idi Amin
Lustig, Victor
Con artist who undertook scams in various countries and became best known as “The man who sold
the Eiffel Tower. Twice.”
Lycurgus
Legendary lawgiver of Sparta, who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society
in accordance with the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Lynch, Jessica
American soldier captured by Iraqi forces during the Battle of Nasiriyah in 2003 whose subsequent
recovery was the first successful rescue of an American prisoner of war since Vietnam and the first
ever of a woman
Lyonesse
Legendary place most notable as the home of the hero Tristan
Lysander
Spartan general who won in the Battle of Aegospotami and installed the Thirty Tyrants to ensure
Spartan dominance in Greece after the Peloponnesian War
LZ 129 Hindenburg
Large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship that was destroyed by fire on May 6,
1937, at the end of the first North American transatlantic journey of its second season of service
Maathai, Wangari
First African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004
MacArthur, Douglas
Only man ever to become a field marshal in the Philippine Army
Led the United Nations Command in the Korean War until he was removed from command by
President Harry S. Truman in 1945
MacDonald, Ramsay
First Labour Prime Minister of United Kingdom
Machtergreifung
Term referring to the granting of governmental powers in the democratic and parliamentary Weimar
Republic to the Nazi Party and its national conservative allies on 30 January 1933
Machu Picchu
Often referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas”, it is perhaps the most familiar icon of Inca
civilization
Macuahuitl
Weapon shaped like a wooden sword whose name is derived from the Nahuatl language
Sides are embedded with prismatic blades made from obsidian, a volcanic glass stone
Madison, Dolley
First US First Lady to promote charity
Madison, James
First US president to weigh less than his IQ
First US president to wear long trousers
Hailed as the “Father of the Constitution”for being instrumental in the drafting of the United States
Constitution and as the key champion and author of the United States Bill of Rights
Magellan, Ferdinand
Portuguese explorer whose expedition of 1519–1522 became the first expedition to sail from the
Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean
Magikuchi, Tsunesaburo
Japanese educator who founded and became the first president of Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist
movement that aimed to integrate their Buddhist practice into their daily lives, following the Lotus
Sutra based teachings of Nichiren
Maginot Line
Line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapons installations that France constructed along its
borders with Germany during the 1930s
Magna Graecia
Name of the coastal areas of Southern Italy on the Tarentine Gulf that were extensively colonized
by Greek settlers
Mahal
Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers who went to Israel to fight in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
including Aliyah Bet
Mahmud of Ghazni
First ruler to carry the title Sultan
Majestic 12
Supposed code name of an alleged secret committee of scientists, military leaders, and government
officials, formed in 1947 to investigate the recovery of a UFO north of Roswell, New Mexico
during July 1947
Malayan Campaign
Notable for the Japanese use of bicycle infantry, which allowed troops to carry more equipment and
swiftly move through thick jungle terrain
Mallory, George
English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the
early 1920s
Manco Cápac
Legendary first Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco and a figure of Inca mythology
Mandela, Nelson
South African leader who was not removed from the U.S. terror watch list until 2008
Manetho
Egyptian historian who wrote the Aegyptiaca that is often used as evidence for the chronology of
the reigns of pharaohs
Manhattan Project
Research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs during World War II
Manifest Destiny
Widely held belief that American settlers were destined to expand across the continent
Manson, Charles
American criminal and musician who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-
commune that arose in California in the late 1960s, found guilty of conspiracy to commit the
murders of Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca carried out by members of the group at
his instruction
Mao Zedong
Founding father of the People's Republic of China
Marbury v. Madison
Landmark US Supreme Court case that saw the first use of the doctrine of judicial review
Marengo
Favorite horse of Napoleon Bonaparte
Margaret I
Founder of the Kalmar Union
Maria Theresa
Empress of Austria, only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of
Habsburg
Marie Antoinette
Queen of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1792
Marietta, Ohio
First permanent American settlement outside the original Thirteen Colonies
Marooning
Intentional leaving of someone in a remote area, such as an uninhabited island
Marshall, Thurgood
First African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court
Massachusetts
First state of the United States to set a minimum wage
First U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
Matsuoka, Yosuke
Japanese foreign minister best known for his defiant speech at the League of Nations in 1933,
ending Japan’s participation in that organization
Maximilian I
Only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire
Mayflower
Ship that in 1620 transported 102 English Pilgrims, including a core group of Separatists, to New
England
Mazzini, Giuseppe
Nicknamed “The Beating Heart of Italy”, Italian politician, journalist and activist for the unification
of Italy whose efforts helped bring about the independent and unified Italy in place of the several
separate states, many dominated by foreign powers that existed until the 19th century
Mbeki, Thabo
Succeeded Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa
McCarthy, Joseph
American politician who became the most visible public face of a period in which Cold War
tensions fueled fears of widespread Communist subversion
McGuire, Thomas
Second highest-scoring American air ace of World War II
McMahon, Thomas
IRA volunteer convicted of the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma
de Medina, Bartolomé
Soanish mining specialist who improved the process of amalgamization of silver with Mercury
while mining in Mexico
Mehmed II
Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople and brought an end to the Byzantine Empire,
transforming the Ottoman state into an empire
Mehmed VI
Last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Meir, Golda
First woman prime minister of Israel
Menelik II
Emperor of Ethiopia who became the first black African king in modern history to engage in
slavery of white European war captives held as slaves inside Ethiopia after defeating the Italians
Menes
Ancient Egyptian pharaoh credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower
Egypt, and as the founder of the first dynasty
Mengele, Josef
German SS officer and a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz infamous for
performing human experiments on camp inmates, including children, for which he was called the
“Angel of Death”
Metapolitefsi
Period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the
transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the
democratic period immediately after these elections
Michael I
First Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty whose reign marked the end of the Time of Troubles
Miki, Takeo
Made the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the
anniversary of the end of World War II
Miller, Doris
Cook in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941
First African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross
Milord
Pet dog of Russian emperor Alexander II
Miltiades
Often credited with devising the tactics that defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon
Minamoto no Yoritomo
Founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan
Mineral Revolution
Term used by historians to refer to the rapid industrialization and economic changes which occurred
in South Africa from the 1870s onwards
Minuit, Peter
Director of the Dutch colony of New Netherland and founded the Swedish colony of New Sweden
According to tradition, he purchased the island of Manhattan from Native Americans in 1626 for
goods valued at 60 Dutch guilders
Miranda v. Arizona
Landmark decision by the US Supreme Court which held that the Fifth Amendment privilege
against self-incrimination requires law enforcement officials to advise a suspect interrogated in
custody of his rights to remain silent and to obtain an attorney
Mitchell, Martha
Wife of US Attorney General John N. Mitchell who gained notoriety in the press during the Nixon
administration for her frequent phone calls to reporters and colorful comments on the state of the
nation
Mitchell, William
United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force
Mitterrand, François
Longest-serving President of France and the first figure from the left elected President under the
Fifth Republic
Miyamoto Musashi
Japanese swordsman who founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship
and the author of The Book of Five Rings
Moctezuma II
Also known as Montezuma, ninth tlatoani of Tenochtitlan who was killed during the initial stages
of the Spanish conquests of Mexico
Moika Palace
Site in St. Petersburg, Russia where Grigory Rasputin was murdered
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
Non-aggression pact that ensured a non-involvement of the Soviet Union in a European War, as
well as separating Germany and Japan from forming a military alliance, thus allowing Stalin to
concentrate on Japan in the battles of Khalkhin Gol
Monarchs of Belgium
1831–1865 Leopold I
1865–1909 Leopold II
1909–1934 Albert I
1934–1951 Leopold III
1951–1993 Baudouin
1993–2013 Albert II
2013–present Philippe
Monarchs of Jordan
1921–1951 Abdullah I
1951–1952 Talal
1952–1999 Hussein
1999–present Abdullah II
1839–1840 William I
1840–1849 William II
1849–1890 William III
1890–1948 Wilhelmina
1948–1980 Juliana
1980–2013 Beatrix
2013–present Willem-Alexander
Mondale, Walter
First US vice-president to move into the Number One Observatory Circle
Mongkut
King of Siam (Thailand) known as The King in the 1951 play and 1956 film The King and I
Nicknamed “the father of science and technology” in Siam
Mongol Empire
Then the largest contiguous land empire in human history
Monnet, Jean
French political economist and diplomat regarded by many as a chief architect of European unity
and one of the founding fathers of the European Union
Monroe, James
Fifth President of the United States
Last president who was a Founding Father of the United States
Monroe Doctrine
Policy of the United States which stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or
interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring US
intervention
Montana
First US state to require police get a warrant before tracking a suspect through a cell phone
Montgomery, Bernard
Commander of the British Eighth Army in the Second Battle of El Alamein
Moro, Aldo
Italian prime minister kidnapped by the Red Brigades and killed after 55 days of captivity
Moscoso, Mireya
Panama’s first female president, serving from 1999 to 2004
Moshav
Type of Israeli town or settlement pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah
Muhammed Edh-Dhib
Discoverer of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran
Muhlenberg, Frederick
First Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Mujahideen
Muslims who struggle in the path of Allah
Mukden Incident
Staged event engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part
of China, known as Manchuria, in 1931
Murad IV
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the
state and for the brutality of his methods
Murat, Joachim
Known as the “Dandy King”, king of Naples from 1808 to 1815
Murphy, Audie
Most decorated soldier of World War II
Murrow, Edward
American broadcast journalist that produced a series of TV news reports that helped lead to the
censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy
Musashi
Served as the flagship of Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto and Mineichi Koga in 1943
Mussolini, Benito
Also known as “Il Duce” leader of the National Fascist Party, ruling the country from 1922 to his
ousting in 1943
Also known as the “Bulldog of the Pontine Marshes”
Hired by MI5 to use his newspaper to keep Italy in World War I
Napoleon I
Emperor of the French who undertook many reforms across Europe, ending feudalism for example
Napoleon III
Born Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, first president of the French republic and later the ruler of the
Second French Empire
Last monarch of France
Nero
Roman emperor infamously known as the Emperor who “fiddled while Rome burned” and as an
early persecutor of Christians
Known for having captured Christians to burn them in his garden at night for a source of light
Nero Decree
Officially titled Demolitions on Reich Territory Decree, decree issued by Adolf Hitler on March 19,
1945 ordering the destruction of German infrastructure to prevent their use by Allied forces as they
penetrated deep within Germany
Nerva
First of the Five Good Emperors
Netanyahu, Yonatan
Only Israeli soldier killed in action during Operation Entebbe in Uganda
New Holland
Historic name for the island continent Australia
New Order
Term coined by then Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power
in 1966
Newton, Huey P.
African-American political and urban activist who, along with Bobby Seale, co-founded the Black
Panther Party in 1966
Nicaragua
First country to ratify the Charter of the United Nations
Nicholas II
Last emperor (czar) of Russia
Night Witches
Nickname given to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces
Nightingale, Florence
Nicknamed “The Lady with the Lamp”, celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the
founder of modern nursing who came to prominence while serving as a nurse during the Crimean
War, where she tended to wounded soldiers
Nineteen Propositions
List of proposals to King Charles I of England from the English Lords and Commons that
effectively sought a larger share of power in governance of the kingdom
Nineveh
Capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
Nishizawa, Hiroyoshi
Nicknamed “The Demon of Rabaul”, most successful Japanese fighter ace of World War II, with 87
victories
Nix v. Hedden
Decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that affirmed the lower court ruling that the
tomato should be classified under customs regulations as a vegetable rather than a fruit
Nixon, Pat
First US First Lady to wear pants in public
Njinga Mbande
17th century queen of the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms of the Mbundu people in southwestern
Africa
Nkrumah, Kwame
First President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana
No Kum-sok
Former lieutenant of the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War who flew his MiG-15 to
the Kimpo Air Base in South Korea in 1953
Nuon Chea
Born Lau Kim Lorn, former chief ideologist of Khmer Rouge and commonly known as “Brother
Number Two” as he was second in command to Pol Pot
Nyerere, Julius
First President of Tanzania
Octavian
Also known as Augustus, first emperor of the Roman Empire
Oda Nobunaga
Initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan
until the Meiji Restoration in 1868
Odoacer
Germanic soldier who became the first King of Italy
Oglethorpe, James
Founder of the American colony of Georgia
O’Higgins, Bernardo
Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule
in the Chilean War of Independence
“Old Hickory”
Nickname given to US President Andrew Jackson
Omura, Masujiro
Japanese military leader and theorist regarded as the “Father of the Modern Japanese Army”
Onager
Roman siege engine that is a type of Ballista that uses a torsional force to store energy for the shot
One-China policy
Term referring to the policy or view that there is only one state called “China”, despite the existence
of two governments that claim to be “China” which means that countries seeking diplomatic
relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) must break official relations with the Republic
of China (ROC), and vice versa
Onjo
Founder of Paekche
Onoda, Hiroo
Former Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer who fought in World War II and did not
surrender in 1945 and in 1974 his former commander traveled from Japan to personally issue orders
relieving him from duty
Operation 25
Codename for the Nazi invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II
Operation Active Endeavour
NATO maritime operation in the Mediterranean designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or
weapons of mass destruction
Operation Attila
Codename given to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974
Operation Anthropoid
Codename for the assassination attempt on Nazi general Reinhard Heydrich
Operation Anvil
• Original name for the Allied landing in southern France in August 1944, Operation Dragoon
• Military control of Nairobi, Kenya, by British security forces from April 24, 1954, in an attempt
to sever rebel supply lines during the Mau Mau Uprising
• Series of 21 underground nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site in 1981 and 1982
• Garda Síochána operation targeting organized crime and criminal gangs and associates
Operation Bagration
Codename for the Soviet 1944 Belorussian Strategic Offensive Operation during World War II,
which cleared German forces from the Belorussian SSR and eastern Poland
Operation Barbarossa
Code name for Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during the Second World War
Operation Bodenplatte
Attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World
War
Operation Bootstrap
Name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century
Operation Citadel
German codename for the Battle of Kursk
Operation Compass
First major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II
Operation Cyclone
Codename for the United States Central Intelligence Agency program to arm and finance the
Afghan mujahideen prior to and during the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Operation Eiche
Codename for the rescue of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini by German paratroopers led by Major
Otto-Harald Mors and Waffen-SS commandos in September 1943
Operation Marita
Codename for the invasion of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941
Operation Mincemeat
Successful British disinformation plan during World War II intended to cover the invasion of Italy
from North Africa
Operation Mo
Codename of the Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during
World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific with the goal of isolating Australia and
New Zealand from their ally the United States
Operation Moolah
United States Air Force effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable
Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter
Operation Overlord
Code name for the Battle of Normandy
Operation Paperclip
Office of Strategic Services (OSS) program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for
employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II
Operation Pluto
World War II operation by British scientists, oil companies and armed forces to construct undersea
oil pipelines under the English Channel between England and France
Operation Ring
Codename for the May 1991 military operation conducted by Soviet Internal Security Forces and
OMON units in the region of Shahumyan, north of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of
the Azerbaijan SSR, that resulted in the deportation of thousands of Armenians from the region
Operation Sandblast
Codename for the first submerged circumnavigation of the world executed by the United States
Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) in 1960 while under the
command of Captain Edward L. Beach, USN
Operation Searchlight
Planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist
movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971
Operation Solomon
1991 covert Israeli military operation to take Ethiopian Jews to Israel
Operation Sunbeam
Last nuclear test series on the Nevada Test Site conducted in the atmosphere by the United States
Operation Ten-Go
Last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II
Operation Torch
British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African
Campaign started in 1942
Operation Valkyrie
German World War II emergency continuity of government operations plan issued to the Territorial
Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order
of the nation
Operation Weserübung
Codename for Germany’s assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War
Oriental Nicety
Formerly named Exxon Valdez, oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince
William Sound spilling hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil in Alaska
Osirak
Iraq’s nuclear facility that was destroyed by the Israelis in an airstrike in the 1980s
Ostpolitik
Term for the normalization of relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Eastern
Europe, particularly the German Democratic Republic beginning in 1969
Ostracism
Procedure under the Athenian democracy in which any citizen could be expelled from the city-state
of Athens for ten years
Otho
Second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors
Otto I
Also known as Otto the Great, founder of the Holy Roman Empire
Pachacuti
Ninth Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco which he transformed into the empire Tawantinsuyu or
the Inca Empire
Packer, Alferd
American prospector who was accused of cannibalism during the winter of 1873-1874
Pact of Steel
Known formally as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, was originally
intended to be a tripartite military alliance between Japan, Italy, and Germany
Paine, Thomas
English-American political activist, author, political theorist and revolutionary who wrote the
pamphlet Common Sense
Palace of Versailles
Symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime
Paladin
Sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, foremost warriors of Charlemagne’s court, according to the
literary cycle known as the Matter of France
Pale of Settlement
Term given to a region of Imperial Russia in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and
beyond which Jewish permanent residency was generally prohibited
Pancasila
Official philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state
Pankhurst, Emmeline
British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement that helped women win the
right to vote
“Papa Doc”
Nickname of Haitian dictator François Duvalier
Park Hyeokgeose
Founder of Silla
Parks, Rosa
African-American civil rights activist who refused to obey bus driver James F. Blake’s order that
she give up her seat in the colored section to a white passenger, after the white section was filled
Parr, Catherine
Last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England
Parsons, William
American naval officer best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay
Patent of Toleration
Edict issued in 1781 by the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II of Austria that extended religious
freedom to non-Catholic Christians living in Habsburg lands, including Lutherans, Calvinists, and
the Greek Orthodox
Pathet Lao
Communist nationalist group in Laos that was founded in 1950 and took control of the country in
1975
Patil, Pratibha
First woman to hold the office of the President of India, serving from 2007 to 2012
Patrician
Original aristocratic families of Ancient Rome
Patten, Chris
Also known as Baron Patten of Barnes, last British governor and commander-in-chief of Hong
Kong
Paulus, Friedrich
German military officer best known for having commanded the Sixth Army in the Battle of
Stalingrad
Pavelic, Ante
Croatian fascist leader and politician who led the Ustase movement and who during World War II
ruled the Independent State of Croatia, a puppet state of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in part of
the occupied Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pursuing genocidal racial policies against minorities
Peace of Augsburg
Treaty between Charles V and the Schmalkaldic League that officially ended the religious struggle
between the two groups and made the legal division of Christendom permanent within the Holy
Roman Empire
Pearl, Daniel
Wall Street Journal bureau chief was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan in January of 2002
Pearson, Lester
First Canadian to win the Nobel Peace Prize
Peary, Robert
American explorer who claimed to have led the first expedition, on April 6, 1909, to reach the
geographic North Pole
Pelagius of Asturias
Founder of the Kingdom of Asturias and credited with beginning the Reconquista
Perceval, Spencer
Only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated
Percival, Arthur Ernest
British Army officer most noted for his involvement in World War II, when he commanded the
forces of the British Commonwealth during the Battle of Malaya and the subsequent Battle of
Singapore
Pereira, Fernando
Freelance Dutch photographer, of Portuguese origin, who drowned when French intelligence
sabotaged and sank the Rainbow Warrior ship, owned by the environmental organization
Greenpeace
Pericles
Greek statesman who turned the Delian League into an Athenian Empire and led his countrymen
during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War
Perón, Isabel
First female President of Argentina
Persepolis
Ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire
Location of the ruins of the Gate of All Nations, the Throne Hall and the Apadana Palace
Personal union
Combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries,
their laws and their interests remain distinct
Pertinax
First emperor of the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors
Peruggia, Vincenzo
The man who stole the Mona Lisa in 1911
Petacci, Clara
Mistress of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
Pétain, Philippe
French general and statesman who established Vichy France during World War II, a puppet
government for Nazi Germany
Philby, Kim
High-rankin member of British intelligence who worked as a double agent before defecting to the
Soviet Union in 1963
Phillips, Richard
Former captain of the MV Maersk Alabama at the time it was held hostage by Somali pirates during
the cargo ship’s hijacking in April 2009
Pickelhaube
Spiked helmet worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by German military, firefighters, and police
Piechowski, Kazimierz
Polish soldier known for his famous escape from Auschwitz I along with three other prisoners
dressed as members of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, fully armed in a stolen SS staff car, in which
they drove out the main gate
Pierce, Franklin
Only US President from New Hampshire
First president elected to be born in the 19th century
First president who chose to “affirm” his oath of office rather than swear it
First president to recite his inaugural address from memory
First president to hire a full-time bodyguard
First president to have a Christmas tree in the White House
Pinochet, Augusto
Army general and dictator of Chile from 1973 until transferring power to a democratically elected
president in 1990
Pizarro, Francisco
Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire
Pogrom
Violent mob attack generally against Jews, and often condoned by the forces of law, characterized
by killings and/or destruction of homes and properties, businesses, and religious centers
Poignard
Long, lightweight thrusting knife with a continuously tapering, acutely pointed blade and
crossguard, historically worn by upper class, noblemen or the knighthood
Pony Express
Mail service delivering messages and mail from St. Joseph, Missouri across the Great Plains, over
the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento, California by horseback, using a series
of relay stations
Powell, Enoch
British politician who attained most prominence in 1968, when he made controversial speech on
race and immigration, now widely referred to as the “Rivers of Blood” speech
Pragmatic sanction
Sovereign’s solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law
Prajadhipok
Last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of Siam (Thailand)
Prasad, Rajendra
First president of India
Pravda
Central organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Prince of Asturias
Title given to the heir to the Spanish throne
Prince of Orange
Title carried by the heirs to the crown of the Netherlands
Prince of Wales
Title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms
Princip, Gavrilo
Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess
of Hohenberg in 1914, sparking World War I
Project 571
Numeric codename given to an alleged plot to execute a coup d’etat against Chinese leader Mao
Zedong in 1971 by the supporters of Lin Biao, then Vice-Chairman of the Communist Party of
China
Project MKUltra
Codename of a U.S. government covert research operation experimenting in the behavioral
engineering of humans (mind control) through the CIA’s Scientific Intelligence Division and
involved the use of many methodologies to manipulate people’s individual mental states and alter
brain functions, including the surreptitious administration of drugs (especially LSD) and other
chemicals, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal and sexual abuse, as well as various
forms of torture
Project Plowshare
Overall United States term for the development of techniques to use nuclear explosives for peaceful
construction purposes
Prometheism
Political project initiated by Poland’s Józef Piłsudski aimed at weakening the Russian Empire and
its successor states, including the Soviet Union, by supporting nationalist independence movements
among the major non-Russian peoples that lived within the borders of Russia and the Soviet Union
PT-109
Boat commanded by John F. Kennedy during World War II
Pulitzer, Joseph
Hungarian-American newspaper publisher who introduced the techniques of “new journalism” to
the newspapers he acquired in the 1880s
Puyi
Last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty, declared the Kangde
Emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo by the Empire of Japan during World War II
Pyrrhus of Epirus
King of Epirus and Macedon who became one of the strongest opponents of early Rome
Pyrrhic victory was named after him
Qin Shihuangdi
First emperor of unified China
Quantrill’s Raiders
Loosely organized force of pro-Confederate Partisan rangers, “bushwhackers”, who fought in the
American Civil War under the leadership of William Clarke Quantrill
Quisling, Vidkun
Norwegian politician who seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d’ tat and served as Minister-
President of Norway from 1942 to 1945
Radcliffe Line
Boundary demarcation line between India and Pakistan upon the Partition of India
Raden Wijaya
Founder and first monarch of the Majapahit Empire
Raeder, Erich
German naval leader who led the Kriegsmarine for the first half of the war
Rainbow Warrior
Greenpeace ship sunk whilst in harbor in New Zealand by operatives of the French intelligence
service in 1985 killing one of the activists
Rajaratnam, Thenmozhi
Assassin who killed Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rameses II
Often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire
Randolph, Edmund
First Attorney General of the United States
Randolph, Peyton
First president of the Continental Congress
Rani
Female equivalent of Raja
Rankin, Jeannette
First woman elected to the United States Congress
Only member of United States Congress to vote against both World Wars
Rasputin, Grigori
Russian mystic and advisor to the Romanovs
“Red Eminence”
Nickname given to Cardinal Richelieu
Reichelt, Franz
Remembered for his accidental death by jumping from the Eiffel Tower while testing a wearable
parachute of his design
Requerimiento
Written declaration of sovereignty and war, read by Spanish military forces to assert their
sovereignty over the Americas
Revere, Paul
American silversmith most famous for alerting the Colonial militia to the approach of British forces
before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s
poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Revolution of Roses
Phrase referring to the change of power in Georgia in November 2003, which took place after
widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary election that forced then President Eduard
Shevardnadze to resign in 2003
Rhode Island
First American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III
Last of the thirteen original colonies to ratify the United States Constitution
Richard II of England
First English monarch to abdicate
Rickenbacker, Edward
America’s most successful fighter ace in World War I, with 26 aerial victories
Scripted a popular comic strip called Ace Drummond
RMS Carpathia
Famous for rescuing the survivors of RMS Titanic after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15
April 1912
RMS Lusitania
British ocean liner, holder of the Blue Riband and briefly the world’s biggest ship launched by the
Cunard Line in 1907 and was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in 1915
RMS Titanic
British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after colliding with
an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City
Roaring Twenties
Phrase used to describe 1920s to emphasize the period’s social, artistic and cultural dynamism
Robespierre, Maximilien
Nicknamed “The Incorruptible” by his supporters, French lawyer and politician, best known as the
leader of the Jacobins during the Reign of Terror
Robinson, Doane
State historian of South Dakota who conceived of the idea for the Mount Rushmore National
Memorial
Robinson, Mary
First female president of Ireland
Rockall
Rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean that became the final territorial acquisition of the British
Empire in 1955
Roggeveen, Jacob
Dutch explorer who was sent to find Terra Australis, but he instead came across Easter Island
Röhm, Ernst
Co-founder of the Sturmabteilung, the Nazi Party militia, executed on Adolf Hitler’s orders in 1934
as part of the Night of the Long Knives
Romulus
Founder and first king of Rome
Romulus Augustulus
Last Western Roman Emperor
Romusha
Forced laborers during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in World War II
Roosevelt, Eleanor
First US First Lady to represent the United States at the United Nations
Roosevelt, Theodore
First US president to call the White House as White House
Rosetta Stone
Ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BCE on
behalf of King Ptolemy V
Ross, Betsy
Widely credited with making the first American flag
Rough Riders
Name given to Theodore Roosevelt’s Spanish-American War volunteer group
Royall, Kenneth Claiborne
Last person to hold the office of Secretary of War
Rump Parliament
English parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on December 6, 1648 of those
hostile to the Grandees’ intention to try King Charles I of high treason
Rupert
British Army slang for an officer
Rusesabagina, Paul
Rwandan hotel manager known for hiding and protecting 1,268 refugees during the Rwandan
Genocide
Rutledge, John
Second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Ryan, Leo J.
Only U.S. Member of Congress killed in the line of duty after being assassinated in Guyana by
members of the Peoples Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre in 1978
Sabaton
Part of a knight's armor that covers the foot
Sadat, Anwar
President of Egypt, led the in the October War of 1973 to re-acquire Egyptian territory lost to Israel
in the 1967 Six-Day War, and engaged in negotiations with Israel afterwards
Sakamaki, Kazuo
First Japanese prisoner of war of World War II captured by American forces
Samoset
First Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims
Sampan, Khieu
President of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 to 1979
Samurai
Military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan
Sansepolcrismo
Term used to refer to Italian Fascist supporters who are known as the original supporters of the
movement
Santa Clara
Original name of Christopher Columbus' ship Nina
Sargon of Akkad
Semitic Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 23rd and 22nd
centuries BCE
Sarjeant, Marcus
Notable for firing six blank shots at Elizabeth II during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1981
Satrap
Name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid (Persian)
Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires
SAVAK
Secret police, domestic security and intelligence service established by Iran’s Mohammad Reza
Shah Pahlavi with the help of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency
Savonarola, Girolamo
Dominican priest and enemy of the Medici who conductedthe Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497 and
transformed Florence into a Christianrepublic
Schabowski, Günter
Former official of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany who gained worldwide fame in November
1989 when he improvised a slightly mistaken answer to a press conference question, raising popular
expectations so rapidly that massive crowds gathered the same night at the Berlin Wall, forcing its
opening after 28 years
Scharnhorst
German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, saw action in World
War II and was sunk at the Battle of the North Cape
Schengen Agreement
Proposed the gradual abolition of border checks at the signatories’ common borders, led to the
creation of the Europe’s borderless Schengen Area in 1995
Schinas, Alexandros
Greek anarchist who assassinated King George I of Greece in Thessaloniki in 1913
Schindler, Oskar
German industrialist credited with saving the lives of over 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by
employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories
Schliemann, Heinrich
German archaeologist who discovered the ruins of Troy
Schmalkaldic League
Defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire
Schmalkaldic War
Short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Charles
V and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the Holy Roman Empire
Schultz, Dutch
Born Arthur Flegenheimer, American mobster of the 1920s and 1930s who made his fortune in
organized crime-related activities such as bootlegging alcohol and the numbers racket
Schwarzkopf, H. Norman
Nicknamed “Stormin’ Norman”, US Army general who led all coalition forces in the Persian Gulf
War in 1991
Schweitzer, Albert
Medical missionary in Africa best known for his interpretive life of Jesus who received the 1952
Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of “Reverence for Life”
Scott, Frank
First enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces to lose his life in an aircraft accident
Sendero Luminoso
Also known as “Shining Path”, Maoist guerrilla insurgent organization in Peru founded by Abimael
Guzmán
Senkaku Islands
Group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea, disputed by the People’s
Republic of China and the Republic of China following the transfer of administration from the
United States to Japan in 1971
Sepoy
Designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power
“Seward’sFolly”
Nickname given to the 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia, engineered by US Secretary of State
William Henry Seward
Seymour, Jane
Only one of Henry’s wives to receive a queen’s funeral, and his only consort to be buried beside
him in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, as she was the only consort to have a male heir to
survive infancy
Seyss-Inquart, Arthur
Austrian National Socialist official who served as Chancellor of Austria for two days – 11–13
March 1938 – before the Anschluss that merged Austria with Nazi Germany
Shah Jahan
Fifth Mughal emperor whose reign was the golden age of Mughal architecture and erected many
splendid monuments including the Taj Mahal
Sharashka
Informal name for secret research and development laboratories in the Soviet Gulag labor camp
system
Sherman, Roger
Only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States
Shields, James
Only person in United States history to serve as a U.S. Senator for three different states (Illinois,
Minnesota and Missouri)
Shin Bet
Israel’s internal security service
Shinano
Third of the Yamato-class battleships that was converted into an aircraft carrier
Shipley, Jenny
First female prime minister of New Zealand
Shirayuki
Horse of Emperor Hirohito
Shoah
Hebrew word for the Holocaust
Shoda, Michiko
Empress of Japan, first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family
Shoho
First Japanese aircraft carrier to be sunk during World War II
Shomron, Dan
Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces most remembered for planning and commanding
Operation Entebbe
Shrapnel, Henry
British Army officer and inventor, most famously, of the “shrapnel shell”
Shunzhi Emperor
Third emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the first Qing emperor to rule over China
Sicilian Vespers
Name given to the successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out on the Easter of 1282
against the rule of the French/Capetian king Charles I, who had ruled the Kingdom of Sicily since
1266
Siege of Compiegne
Last battle fought by Joan of Arc
Siegfried Line
• Line of defensive forts and tank defenses built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line in
northern France during World War I
• Defensive line built during the 1930s, opposite the French Maginot Line which served a
corresponding purpose
Siekmann, Ida
First person to die at the Berlin Wall
Sigurimi
State security, intelligence and secret police service of the Socialist People’s Republic of Albania
Silberbauer, Karl
Nazi officer who arrested Anne Frank and her family in their hiding place in 1944
Singapore
First and only country to date to gain independence unwillingly
Singh, Manmohan
First Sikh prime minister of India
Sipple, Oliver
US Marine and Vietnam War veteran widely known for saving the life of then US President Gerald
Ford during an assassination attempt by Sara Jane Moore in San Francisco on September 22, 1975
Sirhan, Sirhan Bishara
Convicted for the assassination of United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Sirica, John
Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, where he became
famous for his role in the Watergate scandal when he ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over
his recordings of White House conversations
• Catherine of Aragon
• Anne Boleyn
• Jane Seymour
• Anne of Cleves
• Catherine Howard
• Catherine Parr
Skorzeny, Otto
German field commander who carried out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini from captivity
Sloop-of-war
In the British Navy, warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns
Smith, Edward
Best known as the captain of RMS Titanic
Smuts, Jan
Only person to sign the charters of both the League of Nations and the United Nations
Solidarity
First non-communist party-controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country
Somerset, FitzRoy, 1st Baron Raglan
Commanded the British troops sent during the Crimean War
Song Dynasty
Chinese dynasty that developed gunpowder
Songbun
System of ascribed status in North Korea based on political, social and economic background for
direct ancestors as well as behavior by relatives and used to determine whether the individual is
trusted with responsibility or given opportunities in North Korea
Songun
North Korean policy of prioritizing the Korean People’s Army in the affairs of the state and
allocating resources to the army first
Spanish Armada
Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in
1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England and putting an end to her
involvement in the Spanish Netherlands and in privateering in the Atlantic and Pacific
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, term referring to the mainland of the American
continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico
Speakeasy
Term designating illegal purveyors of alcohol during the early 20th-century Prohibition era
Speer, Albert
Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich and Adolf Hitler’s chief architect
before assuming ministerial office
Year Winner
1915 Ernest E. Just
1916 Col. Charles Young
1917 Harry T. Burleigh
1918 William Stanley Braithwaite
1919 Archibald H. Grimké
Year Winner
1920 William E. B. Du Bois
1921 Charles S. Gilpin
1922 Mary B. Talbert
1923 George Washington Carver
1924 Roland Hayes
1925 James Weldon Johnson
1926 Carter G. Woodson
1927 Anthony Overton
1928 Charles W. Chesnutt
1929 Mordecai W. Johnson
1930 Henry A. Hunt
1931 Richard B. Harrison
1932 Robert Russa Motion
1933 Max Yergan
1934 William T. B. Williams
1935 Mary McLeod Bethune
1936 John Hope
1937 Walter F. White
1938 —
1939 Marian Anderson
1940 Louis T. Wright
1941 Richard N. Wright
1942 A. Philip Randolph
1943 William H. Hastie
1944 Charles R. Drew
1945 Paul Robeson
1946 Thurgood Marshall
1947 Percy L. Julian
1948 Channing Heggie Tobias
1949 Ralph J. Bunche
1950 Charles Hamilton Houston
1951 Mabel Keaton
Year Winner
1952 Harry T. Moore
1953 Paul R. Williams
1954 Theodore K. Lawless
1955 Carl J. Murphy
1956 Jack R. Robinson
1957 Martin Luther King, Jr.
1958 Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine
1959 Edward “Duke” Ellington
1960 J. Langston Hughes
1961 Kenneth B. Clark
1962 Robert C. Weaver
1963 Medgar W. Evers
1964 Roy Wilkins
1965 Leontyne Price
1966 John Howard Johnson
1967 Edward W. Brooke III
1968 Sammy Davis, Jr.
1969 Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.
1970 Jacob Lawrence
1971 Leon Howard Sullivan
1972 Gordon Parks
1973 Wilson Riles
1974 Damon J. Keith
1975 —
1976 Henry L. Aaron
1977 Alvin Ailey, Jr., Alexander P. Haley
1978 —
1979 Andrew Young, Rosa L. Parks
1980 Rayford W. Logan
1981 Coleman A. Young
1982 Benjamin Mays
1983 Lena Horne
Year Winner
1984 —
1985 Thomas Bradley, William H. Cosby, Jr.
1986 Benjamin Hooks
1987 Percy Sutton
1988 Frederick Douglass Patterson
1989 Jesse L. Jackson
1990 L. Douglas Wilder
1991 Gen. Colin L. Powell
1992 Barbara C. Jordan
1993 Dorothy I. Height
1994 Maya Angelou
1995 John Hope Franklin
1996 Aloysius Leon Higginbotham
1997 Carl T. Rowan
1998 Myrlie Evers-Williams
1999 Earl G. Graves
2000 Oprah Winfrey
2001 Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.
2002 John Lewis
2003 Constance Baker Motley
2004 Robert L. Carter
2005 Oliver W. Hill
2006 Benjamin Carson
2007 John Conyers
2008 Ruby Dee
2009 Julian Bond
2010 Cicely Tyson
2011 Frankie Muse Freeman
2012 —
2013 Harry Belafonte
2014
“Spiritual Leader of the Nation”
Title bestowed to Evita Peron by the Argentine Congress in 1952
SS Californian
Leyland Line steamship best known for the controversy surrounding her location during the sinking
of the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
American Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the
loss of the entire crew of 29
SS Mayaguez
U.S.-flagged container ship that attained notoriety for its 12 May 1975 seizure by Khmer Rouge
forces of Cambodia, which resulted in a confrontation with the United States at the close of the
Vietnam War
SS Nomadic
Steamship of the White Star Line built as a tender to RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic
Last surviving White Star Line vessel
Standish, Myles
English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony and played a
leading role in the administration and defense of Plymouth Colony from its inception
Statute of Anne
First statute to provide for copyright regulated by the government and courts, rather than by private
parties
Stephen I
First king of Hungary
Stern, Itzhak
Credited with typing the list of names known for Schindler’s List
Stonewall
Nickname given to Confederate general Thomas Jonathan Jackson
Stone of Scone
Block of sandstone on which medieval Scottish kings werecrowned
Stroessner, Alfredo
President of Paraguay whose 35-year long rule, marked by an uninterrupted period of repression in
his country, was the longest unbroken rule by one individual in South America in the twentieth
century
Stuyvesant, Peter
Last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded
provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York
Sullivan, Anne
Irish-American teacher best known for being the instructor and companion of Helen Keller
Summer of Love
Social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people
converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, initiating a major cultural and
political shift
Sun Yat-sen
Chinese revolutionary who became the first president and founding father of the Republic of China
in 1912
Known as the “George Washington of China”
“Supermac”
Nickname given to British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
Supersemar
Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret (Order of March the Eleventh), document
signed by the Indonesian President Sukarno on 11 March 1966, giving the army commander Lt.
Gen. Suharto authority to take whatever measures he “deemed necessary” to restore order to the
chaotic situation during the Indonesian killings of 1965–66
Surratt, Mary
American boarding house owner convicted of taking part in the conspiracy to assassinate President
Abraham Lincoln
First woman executed by the United States federal government
Suryavarman II
King of the Khmer Empire who saw the construction of the Angkor Wat
Sweeney, Charles
Officer in the United States Air Force known as the pilot who flew Bockscar carrying the Fat Man
atomic bomb to Nagasaki on August 9, 1945
Swinton, Ernest
Credited with influencing the development and adoption of the tank
Sword of Attila
Also called the Sword of Mars or Sword of God, legendary weapon carried by Attila the Hun
“Sword of Islam”
Title that Timur the Lame, founder of the Timurid dynasty, referred to himself
Sydney
Site of the first British colony in Australia
Tabun
Organophosphorus nerve gas developed in Germany during World War II
Tacitus
Roman Historian who examined the reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and the Year of the Four
Emperors
Tafero, Jesse
Convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the state of Florida for the murders of
Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip Black and Donald Irwin, a visiting Canadian constable and
friend of Black
Taft, Nellie
First US First Lady to drive a car
Tagma
Term referring to the elite regiments formed by Byzantine emperor Constantine V and comprising
the central army of the Byzantine Empire in the 8th to 11th centuries
Taille
Direct land tax on the French peasantry and non-nobles in Ancien Régime France
Taisei Yokusankai
Japanese para-fascist organization created by then PrimeMinister Fumimaro Konoe that evolved
into a statist ruling party
Taksim
Turkish Cypriot political belief in the partition of Cyprus in the Cyprus dispute
Tancred
Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became the Prince of Galilee and regent of the
Principality of Antioch
Tania
Name adopted by Patty Hearst when she joined the Symbionese Liberation Army, inspired by the
nom de guerre of Tamara Bunke, Che Guevara's comrade
Taro, Gerda
Regarded as the first female photojournalist to cover the front lines of a war and to die while doing
so
Teach, Edward
Real name of the pirate Blackbeard
Tenochtitlan
Nahua altepetl (city-state) located on an island in Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico
Ancient capital of the Aztec Empire
Texas
First US state to authorize voting rights in space
Than Shwe
Burmese politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) from
1992 to 2011
Thant, U
First Asian secretary-general of the United Nations
Themistocles
Greek general who led the Greek fleet that defeated the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis
Theodora
Empress of Byzantium who convinced Justinian I not to flee the city during the riots of 532 CE
Thomas, Clarence
Second African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court, succeeding Thurgood
Marshall
Thompson, Robert
Technical Sergeant who is driving the truck that collided with the car carrying US general George
S. Patton
Thorvald Eiriksson
Son of Erik the Red and brother of Leif Erikson reputed to be part of an expedition for the
exploration of Vinland and the first European to die in North America
Thurmond, Strom
US Senator who conducted the longest filibuster ever by a lone senator (24 hours, 18 minutes in
length, non-stop)
Only senator ever to serve at the age of 100
Year Recipient
1927 Charles Augustus Lindbergh
1928 Walter P. Chrysler
1929 Owen D. Young
1930 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
1931 Pierre Laval
Year Recipient
1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1933 Hugh Samuel Johnson
1934 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1935 Haile Selassie I
1936 Wallis Warfield Simpson
1937 Chang Kai-shek, Soong May-ling
1938 Adolf Hitler
1939 Joseph Stalin
1940 Winston Chuchill
1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1942 Joseph Stalin
1943 George Catlett Marshall
1944 Dwight David Eisenhower
1945 Harry S Truman
1946 James F. Byrnes
1947 George Catlett Marshall
1948 Harry S Truman
1949 Winston Churchill
1950 The American Fighting-Man (representing Korean War troops)
1951 Mohammed Mossadegh
1952 Elizabeth II of United Kingdom
1953 Konrad Adenauer
1954 John Foster Dulles
1955 Harlow Herbert Curtice
1956 Hungarian Freedom Fighter
1957 Nikita Khrushchev
1958 Charles de Gaulle
1959 Dwight David Eisenhower
1960 U.S. Scientists (represented by George Beadle, Charles Draper, John Enders, Donald
A. Glaser, Joshua Lederberg, Willard Libby, Linus Pauling, Edward Purcell, Isidor
Rabi, Emilio Segrè, William Shockley, Edward Teller, Charles Townes, James Van
Allen, and Robert Woodward)
1961 John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Year Recipient
1962 Blessed Pope John XXIII
1963 Martin Luther King, Jr.
1964 Lyndon Baines Johnson
1965 General William Childs Westmoreland
1966 The Inheritor (A generation: the man—and woman—of 25 and under)
1967 Lyndon Baines Johnson
1968 The Apollo 8 astronauts (William Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell)
1969 The Middle Americans (Also referred to as the Silent Majority)
1970 Willy Brandy
1971 Richard Milhous Nixon
1972 Richard Milhous Nixon, Henry Kissinger
1973 John J. Sirica
1974 King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
1975 American Women (represented by Susan Brownmiller, Kathleen Byerly, Alison
Cheek, Jill Conway, Betty Ford, Ella Grasso, Carla Hills, Barbara Jordan, Billie Jean
King, Carol Sutton, Susie Sharp, and Addie Wyatt)
1976 Jimmy Carter
1977 Anwar Sadat
1978 Deng Xiaoping
1979 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
1980 Ronald Reagan
1981 Lech Walesa
1982 The Computer
1983 Ronald Reagan, Yuri Andropov
1984 Peter Ueberroth
1985 Deng Xiaoping
1986 Corazon Aquino
1987 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
1988 The Endangered Earth
1989 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
1990 George Herbert Walker Bush
1991 Ted Turner
Year Recipient
1992 William Jefferson Clinton
1993 The Peacemakers (represented by Yasser Arafat, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela,
and Yitzhak Rabin)
1994 Blessed Pope John Paul II
1995 Newt Gingrich
1996 Dr. David Ho
1997 Andy Grove
1998 William Jefferson Clinton, Kenneth Starr
1999 Jeff Bezos
2000 George Walker Bush
2001 Rudolph Giuliani
2002 The Whistleblowers (represented by Cynthia Cooper [WorldCom], Coleen Rowley
[FBI] and Sherron Watkins [Enron])
2003 The American Soldier
2004 George Walker Bush
2005 Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Bono
2006 You (represented by the individual content creator on the World Wide Web)
2007 Vladimir Putin
2008 Barack Obama
2009 Ben Bernanke
2010 Mark Zuckerberg
2011 The Protester (representing many global protest movements – for example, the Arab
Spring, the Indignants Movement, Tea Party movement and Occupy Movement – as
well as protests in Greece, India and Russia, among others)
2012 Barack Obama
2013 Pope Francis
Tisquantum
Also known as Squanto, Native American who assisted the Pilgrims after their first winter in the
New World and was integral to their survival
Titus
First Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father
Besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple in 70 CE
Best known for completing the Colosseum and for his generosity in relieving the suffering caused
by two disasters, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and a fire in Rome in 80 CE
Togo, Heihachiro
Japanese admiral who engaged the Russian navy at Port Arthur and the Yellow Sea in 1904, and
destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, a battle which shocked the
world
Tojo, Hideki
Japanese prime minister directly responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor and led Japan into
World War II
Tokugawa, Ieyasu
Founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan
Tonton Macoute
Haitian paramilitary force created in 1959 by dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier
Total war
Term referring to a war in which a belligerent engages in the complete mobilization of fully
available resources and population
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Preeminent daimyo, warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period who is regarded as
Japan’s second “great unifier”
Trajan
Roman emperor remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presided over the greatest
military expansion in Roman history, leading the empire to attain its maximum territorial extent by
the time of his death
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1918 peace treaty marking Russia’s exit from World War I
Treaty of Cordoba
1821 treaty that granted independence to Mexico
Treaty of Ghent
Peace treaty that ended the War of 1812
Treaty of Maastricht
1995 treaty that established the European Union
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Treaty of Sevres
Peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies (1920)
Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty that ended the First Sino-Japanese War
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treaty that divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Portugal and Spain along a
meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands
Treaty of Utrecht
Series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the
War of Spanish Succession that ended the war
Treetops Hotel
Hotel in Kenya known as the location where Princess Elizabeth acceded to the thrones of the United
Kingdom and Commonwealth realms upon the death of her father George VI
Trinity
Code name of the first detonation of a nuclear device
Triple Entente
Name given to the alliance between France, Britain, and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-
Russian Entente on August 31, 1907
Trudeau, Pierre
15th Prime Minister of Canada
Trujillo, Rafael
Nicknamed El Jefe, ruled as a dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination
in 1961
Truman, Harry
33rd President of the United States
US president whose inauguration was the first ever televised nationally
First president to buzz the White House in an airplane
Associated with the Fair Deal legislative program
First US president to pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving Day
Tsafendas, Dimitri
Parliamentary messenger who assassinated the so-called “Architect of Apartheid”, South African
Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd on September 6, 1966
Tsar Bomba
Nickname for the AN602 hydrogen bomb, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated
Tsar Cannon
Largest bombard by caliber in the world
Tube Alloys
Codename of the clandestine research and development program, authorized by the Government of
the United Kingdom with participation from Canada, aiming to develop atomic weapons for Great
Britain’s nuclear program during World War II
Tudor Rose
Traditional floral heraldic emblem of England
Türkmenbashi
Meaning “Leader of Turkmen”, self-given title of Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan
from 1990 to 2006, reputed for imposing his personal eccentricities upon the country, which
extended to renaming months, which had been borrowed Russian words, after members of his
family
Tuskegee Airmen
Nickname given to the 332nd Fighter Group of World War II
Tutu, Desmond
South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during
the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid
Tyler, John
First US president to succeed to the office of President on the death of the incumbent
First President to be born after the adoption of the Constitution
First president to elope while in office
First President to marry in the White House
Tzompantli
Type of wooden rack or palisade documented in several Mesoamerican civilizations, which was
used for the public display of human skulls, typically those of war captives or other sacrificial
victims
U-505
First warship to be captured by U.S. forces on the high seas since the War of 1812
Udet, Ernst
Second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I
Ujamaa
Concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere’s social and economic development policies in
Tanzania after it gained independence from Britain in 1961
Ulbricht, Walter
First General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Umberto II
Last king of Italy
Unification or Death
Unofficially known as the Black Hand, secret military society formed in 1901 aimed at uniting all
of the territories with majority South Slavic population not ruled by the Kingdom of Serbia or
Kingdom of Montenegro in the manner of earlier national unification processes
Unit 684
Black operation team of the Republic of Korea Air Force whose only given task was to assassinate
North Korea’s premier Kim Il-sung
USS Constitution
Nicknamed “Old Ironsides”, world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat
USS Housatonic
First ship in history to be sunk by a submarine
USS Kearsarge
Only US battleship not named for a US state
Vajiravudh
King of Siam known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism
Valeria Messalina
Third wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius
Valide Sultan
The title held by the mother of a ruling Sultan in the Ottoman Empire
Veillantif
Horse of Roland
Ventris, Michael
Deciphered the Linear B script in 1952
Vercingetorix
Chieftain of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in a revolt against Roman forces during the last
phase of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars
VERDI
Acronym of Vittorio Emanuele Re D’Italia (referring to Victor Emmanuel II of Italy)
Vespasian
Roman emperor who introduced pay toilets to Rome
Founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire for a quarter century
Reformed the financial system at Rome after the campaign against Judaea and built several
ambitious projects
Built the Flavian Amphitheatre, better known today as the Roman Colosseum
First Roman Emperor to be directly succeeded by his own son (Titus)
Vespucci, Amerigo
Italian explorer and cartographer who first demonstrated that Brazil and West Indies did not
represent Asia's eastern outskirts as initially conjectured from Columbus' voyages, but instead
constituted an entirely separate landmass hitherto unknown to Afro-Europeans
Victor Emmanuel II
First king of unified Italy
Villeneuve, Pierre-Charles
Commander of the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar
Vitellius
First Roman emperor to add the honorific cognomen Germanicus to his name instead of Caesar
upon his accession
Völkischer Beobachter
Official newspaper of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
Volkssturm
German national militia of the last months of World War II set up by the Nazi Party on the orders of
Adolf Hitler that conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already
serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard
Walker, Scott
First U.S. governor (Wyoming) to survive a recall election
Walker, William
Only native-born American ever to become president of a foreign nation (Nicaragua, from 1856 to
1857)
Wallace, DeWitt
Co-founded Reader's Digest with his wife Lila Wallace and published the first issue in 1922
Wallenberg, Raoul
Swedish diplomat widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue tens of thousands to about
one hundred thousand Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from Hungarian
Fascists and the Nazis during the later stages of World War II
Wang Jingwei
Served as the head of state for the Japanese puppet government in China
Wannsee Conference
Meeting of senior officials of the Nazi German regime in 1940 where the Final Solution was
presented
War is Hell
Korean War drama being played when Lee Harvey Oswald ran into the Texas Theatre in Dallas
during the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963
Warren, Earl
14th Chief Justice of the United States, best known for the decisions of the Warren Court in Brown
v. Board of Education and Miranda v. Arizona
Chaired the commission formed to investigate the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Washington Post
Name of the pet parrot of US President William McKinley
Washington, George
First President of the United States, elected as the unanimous choice of the 69 electors in 1788, and
served two terms in office
Washington, Martha
First First Lady of the United States
Watanabe, Takeshi
First president of the Asian Development Bank
Waters, Walter W.
Leader of the Bonus Army on their march to Washington D.C.
Weimar Republic
Name given by historians to the federal republic and parliamentary representative democracy
established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government
Weizmann, Chaim
First President of the State of Israel
Wenck, Walther
Youngest general in the German Army during World War II
Whiskey Rebellion
Tax protest in the United States that demonstrated that the new national government had the
willingness and ability to suppress violent resistance to its laws
White, Dan
San Francisco supervisor who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor
Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall
White Army
Loose confederation of anti-Communist forces that fought the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War
White Lotus
Religious and political movement that appealed to many Han Chinese, who found solace in worship
of the “Unborn or Eternal Venerable Mother”, who was to gather all her children at the millennium
into one family
White Tights
Russian urban myth surrounding the alleged participation of female sniper mercenaries in combat
against Russian forces in various armed conflicts from late 1980s
Whitlam, Gough
Only Australian Prime Minister to have his commission dismissed by the Governor General
Whittington, Harry
American lawyer who received international media attention in 2006 when he was accidentally shot
by then US Vice President Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Texas
Wilder, Douglas
First elected African-American governor in the United States (Virginia)
Willcox, Peter
American Greenpeace activist best known for being captain of the ship the Rainbow Warrior when
it was bombed by French agents in 1985
William I
King of Prussia and first German Emperor
Williams, Jody
American political activist known around the world for her work in banning anti-personnel
landmines, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work toward the banning and clearing of
anti-personnel mines
Wills, Frank
Janitor who discovered the Watergate break-in
Wilson, Woodrow
Nicknamed “Schoolmaster of Politics” and “The Phrase Maker”, 28th President of the United States
US President featured on the US$100,000 bill
Wingate, George
Founder of the National Rifle Association
Winter Line
Series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organization
Todt
Wobblies
Nickname for the international industrial union Industrial Workers of the World
Wolf’s Lair
Adolf Hitler’s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II
Wonga Coup
Alleged coup attempt against the government of Equatorial Guinea in 2004
Woodhull, Victoria
First woman candidate to the United States presidency
Xanadu
Summer capital of Yuan dynasty of China
Yad Vashem
Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust
Yamaguchi, Tsutomu
Only person to have been officially recognized by the government of Japan as surviving both the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings during World War II
Yamamoto, Isoroku
Japanese admiral responsible for major battles during World War II such as Pearl Harbor and
Midway
Yamashita, Tomoyuki
Imperial Japanese Army general during World War II famous for conquering the British colonies of
Malaya and Singapore
Yamato
Lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during
World War II
Yasukuni Shrine
Shinto shrine created by Emperor Meiji to commemorate the individuals who had died in service to
the Empire of Japan
• Pertinax
• Didius Julianus
• Pescennius Niger
• Clodius Albinus
• Septimius Severus
• Galba
• Otho
• Vitellius
• Vespasian
• Maximinus Thrax
• Gordian I
• Gordian II
• Pupienus
• Balbinus
• Gordian III
Year Zero
Term applied to the takeover of Cambodia in 1975 by Pol Pot
Yellow badge
Also referred to as a Jewish badge, cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer
garments to mark them as Jews in public
Yellow Peril
Color metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with Chinese immigrants as
coolie slaves or laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later
associated with the Japanese during the mid-20th century, due to Japanese military expansion and
eventually all Asians of East and Southeast Asian descent
Yeltsin, Boris
First president of Russian Federation
Yezhov, Nikolai
Head of the NKVD from 1936 to 1938, during the most severe period of Stalin's Great Purge
Yi Sun-shin
Korean naval commander famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in
the Joseon Dynasty
Yongle Emperor
Third Ming emperor of China who employed Zheng He to launch major voyages of exploration into
the South Pacific and Indian Oceans and directed the construction of the Forbidden City
Yongzheng Emperor
Chinese emperor who gave an edict prohibiting the smoking of madak, a blend of tobacco and
opium in 1729
Young, Alse
First person to be executed for witchcraft in the American colonies
Young Plan
Program for settlement of German reparations debts after World War I written in 1929 and formally
adopted in 1930
Yousef, Ramzi
One of the main perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a co-conspirator in the
Bojinka plot
Yuan Shikai
Chinese general and politician, famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in
the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the
second President of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attempt to revive the Chinese
monarchy, with himself as the “Great Emperor of China”
Zaibatsu
Large Japanese business conglomerate
Zamindar
Tax collector or landlord in India under the Mughal Empire
Zangara, Giuseppe
Assassin of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak
Zapruder, Abraham
American manufacturer of women’s clothing best known for his home movie documenting the
assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963
Zaytsev, Vasily
Soviet sniper noted for his activities during the Battle of Stalingrad, killing 225 soldiers including
11 enemy snipers
Zhao Ziyang
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1987 to 1989 whose economic reform
policies and sympathies to student demonstrators during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
placed him at odds with some members of the party leadership and placed under house arrest after
the Tiananmen Square protests until his death in 2005
Zhivkov, Todor
Communist head of state of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria from 1954 to 1989
Longest-serving leader of any Eastern Bloc nation
Zhou Enlai
First Premier of the People’sRepublic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in
January 1976
Zhu Yuanzhang
Also known as Hongwu Emperor, founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China
Zhukov, Georgy
Soviet career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in
leading the Red Army drive through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other
nations from the occupation of the Axis Powers and ultimately, to conquer the capital of Germany
itself, Berlin
Zog of Albania
Ruler of Albania from 1925 to 1939, first as President and as King
Only national leader in modern times to return fire during an assassination attempt
Current Events (2011 to present)
9
Number of justices that sit on the United States Supreme Court
35
Minimum age of candidates for election to the United States Presidency
Adoboli, Kweku
Ghanian-born British trader at Swiss bank U S’Global Synthetic Equities Trading team in London
and is best known for his role in the 2011 UBS rogue trader scandal
Akihito
125th and current Emperor of Japan
Alexis, Aaron
Sole gunman in the 2013 Washington Navy Yard shooting
Arctic Sunrise
Ice-strengthened vessel operated by Greenpeace involved in a criminal case opened by the
Investigative Committee of Russia following an attempt to board a Russian oil-rig by a group of
Greenpeace activists against oil exploration near the Prirazlomnaya oil rig in the Barents Sea
Assange, Julian
Founder of Wikileaks
Awarded the Sydney Peace Foundation’s gold medal for “exceptional courage in pursuit of human
rights”
“Baby Doc”
Nickname of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier
Bales, Robert
Former United States Army staff sergeant who fatally shot sixteen Afghan civilians in Panjwai,
Kandahar, Afghanistan on March 11, 2012
“The Base”
Literal meaning of the name of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda
Batkid
Superhero name of Miles Scott, a five-year old kindergartener and cancer survivor who is currently
in remission
Berlusconi, Silvio
Longest-serving post-war Prime Minister of Italy
Owner of AC Milan football club
Bezos, Jeff
Billionaire who agreed to purchase The Washington Post for $250 million in cashin August 2013
Bhumibol Adulyadej
World’s longest-serving current head of state
Longest-reigning monarch in Thai history
Bouazizi, Mohamed
Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 that became a catalyst for the
Arab Spring
Boylston Street
Major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts where two bombs exploded during the running of the
117th Boston Marathon, which killed 3 people and wounded at least 264
Canada
First country to withdraw from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Castro, Ariel
American criminal who committed suicide after being sentenced to 1,000 years for rape and
kidnapping and other crimes
Castro, Raúl
President of Cuba since 2008
Chakri Dynasty
Current ruling royal house of the Kingdom of Thailand
Chavez, Hugo
President of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013, used on implementing socialist reforms in the country
as a part of a social project known as the Bolivarian Revolution
Chen Guangcheng
Chinese civil rights activist who worked on human rights issues in rural areas of the People’s
Republic of China best known for exposing abuses in official family-planning practices, often
involving claims of violence and forced abortions
Colorado
First US state to legally allow sale of recreational marijuana
Comey, James
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, appointed in September 2013
Costa Concordia
Cruise ship that hit a rock off Isola del Giglio in Italy in 2012
Croatia
Became the 28th member of the European Union in July 2013
Ford, Rob
Mayor of Toronto, Canada who became embroiled in a substance abuse scandal, which was widely
reported in the national and international media in 2013
Fukushima 50
Alias given by the media to a group of employees at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Plant
Gaddafi, Muammar
Libyan revolutionary who served as the ruler of the Libya from 1969 to 2011 whose authoritarian
administration oversaw multiple human rights abuses and supported international terrorism
Gillard, Julia
First woman prime minister of Australia, served from 2010 to 2013
Hussain, Mamnoon
Elected as president of Pakistan in September 2013
Jang Sung-taek
Leading figure in the government of North Korea executed in December 2013 after being accused
of being a counter-revolutionary
Jantjie, Thamsanqa
Known as the “fake” interpreter during the Nelson Mandela memorial
Latvia
18th European Union member state to adopt the Euro (2014)
Liaoning (16)
First aircraft carrier commissioned into the People’s Liberation Army Navy
Mansour, Adly
Installed as the new president of Egypt in July 2013, following the ouster of Mohamed Morsi
Mallya, Vijay
Indian industrialist who bought five personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi (his iconic eyeglasses,
a pocket watch, leather sandals he had made by hand, and a plate and bowl from which he had eaten
his last meal) for US$1.8 million in a New York auction that had caused an uproar in India
Martin, Trayvon
African-American teenager who was shot and killed byGeorge Zimmerman, the local neighborhood
watch coordinator in Florida, after abrief physical confrontation
Merkel, Angela
First female chancellor of Germany
First female leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Merkel-Raute
German for “Merkel rhombus”, hand gesture made by resting one's hands in front of the stomach so
that the fingertips meet, with the thumbs and index fingers forming a rough quadrangular shape
Signature gesture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Morsi, Mohamed
President of Egypt from 2012 to 2013, considered by most to be the first democratically elected
head of state in Egyptian history
Napolitano, Giorgio
First Italian president to win a second term in office
Obama, Barack
First African American to hold the office of the President of the United States, named the 2009
Nobel Peace Prize laureate
First sitting US president to publicly support the rights of same-sex couples to legally marry in 2012
First President to have been born in Hawaii
Won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Spoken Word Recording
First president to brew beer in the White House
Obama, Michelle
First US First Lady to plant her own White House vegetable garden
First US First Lady to hold a degree from Harvard Law School
Petraeus, David
Retired American general who served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010 to
2012 who was involved in an extramarital affair which was reportedly discovered in the course of
an FBI investigation
Pierson, Julia
First woman to head the United States Secret Service in 2013
Pink tide
Phrase used in contemporary 21st century political analysis in the media and elsewhere to describe
the perception that leftist ideology in general, and left-wing politics in particular, are increasingly
influential in Latin America
Rana Plaza
Eight-story commercial building that collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh in April 2013
Ri Chun-hee
Retired female news anchor for North Korean broadcaster Korean Central Television most notable
for her characteristic emotional and sometimes vitriolic tone
Made the official announcements of the deaths of Kim Il-sung in 1994 and Kim Jong-il in 2011
Rouhani, Hassan
Succeeded Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President of Iran in August 2013
Rudd, Kevin
First former Australian Prime Minister to return to the office since Robert Menzies in 1949
Sanli, Ecevit
Perpetrator of the 2013 United States embassy bombing in Ankara, Turkey
Sebelius, Kathleen
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services known for being a staunch advocate of the
Affordable Care Act
Sharif, Nawaz
Current prime minister of Pakistan, commonly known as the “Lion of the Punjab”
Shinawatra, Yingluck
First female prime minister of Thailand
Sigurdardottir, Johanna
Prime Minister of Iceland from 2009 to 2013
First openly lesbian head of government
Sirte
Final major stronghold of loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan civil war
Smith, Lamar
US Representative for Texas's 21st congressional district who sponsored the Stop Online Piracy Act
(SOPA), and the Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act (PCIP)
Snowden, Edward
American technical contractor who released classified material on top secret US National Security
Agency programs, including the PRISM surveillance program, to The Guardian and The
Washington Post in June 2013
Switzerland
Country who voted against limiting executive pay twelve times that of the lowest-paid employees
Uruguay
First country to legalize the trade in marijuana from cultivation through to consumption
Virginia
Currently the only state in the U.S. in which governors cannot serve consecutive terms
Willem-Alexander
First male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of William III in 1890, and the youngest of
Europe’s current crowned heads
Yousafzai, Malala
Pakistani school pupil known for her education and women’s rights activism in the Swat Valley
who was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning
home on a school bus in October 2012
Youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in history
98
Number of people who signed the Declaration of Independence
A Child of Sorrow
Zoilo Galang novel that is reputedly the first English novel written by a Filipino
Abad, Juan
Author of Tanikalang Ginto and Isang Punlo ng Kaaway
Abelardo, Nicanor
Referred to as the “father of kundiman”
Aglipay, Gregorio
Appointed Military Vicar General by Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898
Aguilar, Faustino
Author of Busabos ng Palad and Nangalunod sa Katihan which dealt with the abuses of landlords
Aguinaldo, Baldomero
Leader of the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan
Al Martir de Bagumbayan
First prize winner of the design competition for the Rizal Monument, designed by Carlos Nicoli
Alaminos, Juan de
Spanish governor general
Alejandrino, Cheridel
Known as the “Elevator Girl”
Alvarez, Mariano
Leader of the Magdiwang faction of the Katipunan
Amorsolo, Fernando
First National Artist of the Philippines
Anti-Dummy Law
1939 law punishing Filipinos fronting for alien investors
Arellano, Cayetano
First Chief Justice of the Philippines
Arellano, Deodato
First president of the Katipunan
Avelino, Librada
Founder of Centro Escolar University
Babaylan
Name given to the community shaman and medicine man, usually a woman, particularly in Panay
island
Barasoain Church
Church in Malolos, Bulacan where the First Philippine Republic was inaugurated in 1899
Basa, Roman
Second president of the Katipunan
Battle of Bangkusay
Battle where forces of Rajah Sulayman engaged the Spanish invaders led by Martin de Goiti
Beaterio
Exclusive college for daughters of elite Spaniards who want to be secluded
Bengzon, Cesar
Chief Justice of the Philippines who became the first Filipino to become a member of the
International Court of Justice
Bicol Martyrs
• Gabriel Prieto
• Severino Diaz
• Inocencio Herrera
• Manuel Abella
• Domingo Abella
• Camilo Jacob
• Tomas Prieto
• Florencio Lerma
• Macario Valentin
• Cornelio Mercado
• Mariano Melgarejo
Bodong
Peace pact among Ifugao villages and other tribes of the Cordilleras
Borak
White powder made from ground rice that functions as cosmetic for ritual face masks in a Badjao
wedding
Buscayno, Bernabe
NPA leader known as “Commander Dante”
Calderon, Felipe
Author of the Malolos Constitution
Carigara
Capital of the unified province of Samar and Leyte in 1735
Comun
Annual tribute of one real fuerte collected during the Spanish regime
Corregimientos
Unpacified military zones during the Spanish regime
Cortez, Doroteo
Led the only anti-friar demonstration in March 1888
Dagohoy, Francisco
Boholano who led the longest revolt against the Spaniards (1744-1829)
De la Rama, Honorata
Considered the “queen of kundiman and the zarzuela”
De Vargas, Juan
Spanish governor general who was forced by religious authorities to stand at the entrance of
churches wearing sackcloth with a rope around his neck
Diario de Manila
Third daily newspaper in the Philippines
Diokno, Jose
Secretary of Justice who exposed widespread graft and corruption during the Stonehill affair in
1962
Domingo, Damian
Known as the “father of Filipino painting”
Evangelista, Edilberto
Best remembered as the “hero of the Battle of Zapote Bridge”
Felipe, Julian
Commissioned by Emilio Aguinaldo to compose a melody for the Declaration of Independence in
1898
Felipe, Salvador
Nicknamed “Apo Ipe”, leader of the Santa Iglesia movement in Central Luzon against the US in the
early 1900s
Goiti, Martin de
Led the Spanish invasion of Manila
Gomez, Dominador
Persuaded Macario Sakay to surrender
Gonzales, Joaquin
First president of the Literary University of the Philippines
Himaraw
Amount of money given by a man to his bride's parents for feeding the girl when she was a baby
Homma, Masaharu
Commander in chief of the Japanese forces during the fall of Bataan in 1942
Huertas, Felix
Founder of Monte de Piedad, the oldest savings bank in the Philippines
Insulares
Spaniards born in the Philippines
Jomapa
Pen name of Jose Ma. Panganiban
“Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika”
Winner of the Grand Prize of the First Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (1978)
La Democracia
First Filipino newspaper to recognize the sovereignty of the United States
de Lavezares, Guido
Appointed as regidor of La Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
Leyte
First island to be named “Filipinas” by the Spaniards
Formerly known as “Tandaya”
Lim, Vicente
First Filipino to graduate from the US Military Academy in West Point
Limokon
Mythical talking bird from whose eggs came out the first man and woman
Lumbreras, Jacinto
Presiding officer during the Tejeros Convention
Magtangaga, Luis
Led the Gaddangs and Itawis in a revolt in Cagayan in 1718
Ma-i
Name given to Philippines in ancient Chinese annals
Malvar, Miguel
Filipino general who took over the leadership of the government after the capture of Emilio
Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela in 1901
Manalo, Felix
Founder of Iglesia ni Cristo
Manama
In Manuvu and Bagobo cosmology, creator-god who caused the flood to destroy the wicked and
then re-peopled the earth
Marcha Filipina Magdalo
Original title of the composition of what was to be the Philippine National Anthem
Marcos, Ferdinand
Longest-serving President, with 7,362 days
Martinez, Placido
Defense attorney of Andres Bonifacio during his trial
de Mas, Sinibaldo
Spaniard diplomat who became the first to favor independence for the Philippines
Mediquillos
Filipino pseudo-doctors who had medical experience but no title
Merritt, Wesley
First American governor-general in the Philippines
Mickey Mouse
Money manufactured by the Japanese for the Philippines during World War II
Mirandiola, Andres
Wrote to the King of Spain enumerating the gold mines discovered in the Philippines and other
advantages possessed by the islands
Motto Stella
Meaning “guiding star”, original name of the Rizal Monument designed by Richard Kissling
Mudum
Arabian scholar who introduced Islam to Sulu during the 14th century
Murphy, Frank
First US High Commissioner of the Philippines
Nakpil, Juan
First National Artist for Architecture
Orang Dampuan
Men from Champa who established commercial trading posts in the south during the turn of the
second millennium
Osmeña, Sergio
Shortest-serving President, with 666 days
Paterno, Pedro
Elected President of the Malolos Congress in 1898
Pecson, Geronima
First woman to be elected senator (1947)
Pelaez, Pedro
Considered the “father of secularization in the Philippines”
PHILCAG
Unit that the Philippines sent as its contribution to the United States war effort in the Vietnam War
Pigafetta, Antonio
Italian chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan’s ill-fated expedition
Pinpin, Tomas
First known Filipino printer
Ramos, Benigno
Leader of the 1935 Sakdal Uprising
Recto, Claro M.
Elected as the president of the Constitutional Convention in July 1934
Reduccion
Spanish policy of resettlement of Filipinos into pueblos so that they can be controlled easier
Residencia
Judicial review during the Spanish regime used to conduct investigations on officials at the end of
their terms
Reyes, Nicanor
Founder of the Far Eastern University
Rodriguez, Jose
Author of Caingat Cayo which criticized Jose Rizal
Roxas, Manuel
First President of the Third Republic
Sakay, Macario
Established a Tagalog Republic in the Sierra Madre during the American occupation
Salamanca, Olivia
First Filipino woman doctor
Salcedo, Juan de
Known as the conqueror of Luzon
Salvador, Ambrosio
Named president of La Liga Filipina in 1892
Sanduguan
Blood compact used to conclude pacts of amity
Santiago, Francisco
Dubbed as the “father of Kundiman”, first Filipino director of the Conservatory of Music
Santos, Lope K.
Author of Banaag at Sikat
Smith, Jacob
American soldier who led the merciless massacre of Filipinos in Balangiga, Samar which was
turned into a “howling wilderness”
SS Astrea
First American trading vessel to reach the Philippines under captain Henry Prince
SS Mayon
Ship that took President Manuel Quezon from Manila to Corregidor on December 24, 1941
Sulu Sultanate
First nation-state in the Philippines
Swordfish
Submarine that took President Manuel Quezon from the Philippines to Australia in February 1942
Syncopation
Title of the first “sound picture” to reach the Philippines in 1920
Tagabulag
Amulet used by Tagalogs that is said to bestow the wearer the power of invisibility
Tamblot
Filipino babaylan who exhorted the people of Bohol to return to the faith of their forefathers
Tecson, Pablo
Casted the deciding Congress vote in separating the Church from the State during the discussions
on the Malolos Constitution
Tolentino, Aurelio
Author of the play Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas
Tun Masha’ika
Credited with introducing Islam to Sulu
Tydings-Kocialkowski Act
Also known as the Philippine Economic Adjustment Act
Umalohokan
Town crier who announces a new law as he goes around the barangay
de Valderrama, Pedro
Celebrated the first mass in the Philippines
Vicos, Miguel
Assassinated Diego Silang
Villamor, Ignacio
First president of the University of the Philippines
Villaruel, Rosario
Inducted as the first member of the masonic auxiliary for women
Villegas, Pantaleon
Real name of Leon Kilat
Viola, Maximo
Friend of Jose Rizal who was responsible for financing the publication of Noli Me Tangere
Weyler, Valeriano
Spanish governor who issued a decree prohibiting the use of any language or dialect other than
Spanish in all educational institutions in the country
Wood, Leonard
First American governor of Moro Province and the leader of the massacre at Bud Dajo in 1906
Zaldua, Francisco
Star witness of the Gomburza trial
General Information
Entertainment
1 Night in Paris
2004 pornographic video depicting Paris Hilton having sexual intercourse in 2001 with
RickSalomon
5 feet, 11 inches
Height of Clark Kent
5-O
Slang for police officers and/or a warning that police are approaching
6 feet, 2 inches
Height of Superman
8 feet, 2 inches
Height of Sesame Street character Big Bird
12
Number of studio albums the band The Beatles released
Number of districts in the fictional country of Panem in The Hunger Games trilogy
14AAAAAA
Shoe size of Olive Oyl
15 minutes of fame
Expression for short-lived media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon coined by
Andy Warhol
18
Russ Wheeler’s car number in the film Days of Thunder
19-19-19
Vital statistics of Olive Oyl
22
Number of stars surrounding the mountain on the Paramount Pictures logo
24
• Alias used by Patrick Star in the animated TV series Spongebob Squarepants when attending
driving school
• Television series starring Kiefer Sutherland in which each episode covers one hour, with 24
episodes making up one entire “day”
• Number of frames per second at which motion picture film is usually projected
27 Club
Term used to refer to popular musicians who have died at the age of 27, often as a result of drug
and alcohol abuse
• Alexandre Levy
• Louis Chauvin
• Robert Johnson
• Nat Jaffe
• Jesse Belvin
• Rudy Lewis
• Malcolm Hale
• Dickie Pride
• Brian Jones
• Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson
• Jimi Hendrix
• Janis Joplin
• Arlester “Dyke” Christian
• Jim Morrison
• Linda Jones
• Leslie Harvey
• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
• Roger Lee Durham
• Wallace Yohn
• Dave Alexander
• Pete Ham
• Gary Thain
• Cecilia
• Helmut Köllen
• Chris Bell
• Jacob Miller
• D. Boon
• Alexander Bashlachev
• Jean-Michel Basquiat
• Pete de Freitas
• Mia Zapata
• Kurt Cobain
• Kristen Pfaff
• Richey Edwards
• Fat Pat
• Freaky Tah
• Rodrigo Bueno
• Sean Patrick McCabe
• Maria Serrano Serrano
• Jeremy Michael Ward
• Bryan Ottoson
• Valentín Elizalde
• Amy Winehouse
• Richard Turner
32
Number of pages in the average comic book (not including the cover)
33
Title of the first episode of the 2004 Battlestar Galactica television series in which the Cylons came
every 33 minutes
Jersey number of Tom Cruise’s character in the 1983 film All The Right Moves
42
Number that received considerable attention in popular culture as a result of its central appearance
in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the
Universe, and Everything”
55 Days at Peking
Dramatization of the Battle of Peking during the Boxer Rebellion
70
Numbers of years that Captain America had been sleeping in ice before he was awoken in The
Avengers movie
83AAA
Shoe size of Bozo the Clown
2211
Dirty Harry’s badge number
$3,000
Working title of the 1990 film Pretty Woman
24601
Prisoner number of The Simpsons character Sideshow Bob
A Beautiful Mind
2001 American biographical drama film based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in
Economics directed by Ron Howard and inspired by a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1998
book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar
Abu
Pet monkey of the title character in the Disney animated film Aladdin
Ace of Spades
Fourth album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead
Action Comics #1
Featured the first appearance of the Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster creation Superman
1. William Hartnell
2. Patrick Troughton
3. Jon Pertwee
4. Tom Baker
5. Peter Davison
6. Colin Baker
7. Sylvester McCoy
8. Paul McGann
9. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant
11. Matt Smith
12. Peter Capaldi
Adam
Main antagonist in the 2012 film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Adamantium
Fictional indestructible alloy best known for being the substance bonded to Wolverine's skeleton
and bone claws
Adams, Scott
American creator of the Dilbert comic strip
Adrian, Lauren
Name of the character portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in the 2006 film Bordertown
Aerosmith
First band to receive its own dedicated edition of Guitar Hero
1. Doctor Zhivago
2. The Birth of a Nation
3. From Here to Eternity
4. Amadeus
5. All Quiet on the Western Front
6. The Third Man
7. Fantasia
8. Rebel Without a Cause
9. Stagecoach
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
11. The Manchurian Candidate
12. An American in Paris
13. Wuthering Heights
14. Dances with Wolves
15. Giant
16. Fargo
17. Mutiny on the Bounty
18. Frankenstein
19. Patton
20. The Jazz Singer
21. My Fair Lady
22. A Place in the Sun
23. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Agent 86
Codename of Get Smart character Maxwell Smart, played by Don Adams
Agony aunt
Advice columnist writing an advice column
Agrabah
Setting of the Disney animated film Aladdin
Ah Mui
Character played by Zhao Wei in Shaolin Soccer
AKB48
Japanese girl group that holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's “largest pop group”
Albertson, Jeff
Real name of The Simpsons character Comic Book Guy
Aldrich, Robert
American film director, writer and producer, notable for such films as Kiss Me Deadly, The Big
Knife, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Flight of the
Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen, and The Longest Yard
Algren, Nathan
Fictional US Army captain portrayed by Tom Cruise in the film The Last Samurai
Allen, Lily
English recording artist whose hit singles include “The Fear” and “Fuck You”
Allen, Rick
Drummer for the English band Def Leppard
Alliance of Twelve
Fictional international organized crime group in the American television series Alias
Alnwick Castle
Castle in England used to film Hogwarts scenes in the Harry Potter films
Alpert, Herbert
American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana
Brass, Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, or TJB
Altman, Robert
American film director whose works include MASH, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and Nashville
Alyn, Kirk
American actor best known for being the first actor to play Superman on screen in the 1948 film
serial Superman and its 1950 sequel Atom Man vs. Superman
Amanpour, Christiane
Chief International Correspondent for CNN and host of CNN International’s nightly interview
program Amanpour
American Idol winners
Year Winner
2002 Kelly Clarkson
2003 Ruben Studdard
2004 Fantasia Barrino
2005 Carrie Underwood
2006 Taylor Hicks
2007 Jordin Sparks
2008 David Cook
2009 Kris Allen
2010 Lee DeWyze
2011 Scotty McCreery
2012 Phillip Phillips
2013 Candice Glover
“America’s Sweetheart”
Nickname given to actress Mary Pickford
Amphlett, Chrissy
Australian singer who was the frontwoman of the Australian rock band Divinyls
An Innocent Man
1983 studio album by Billy Joel
Anderson, Pamela
Played CJ Parker in the TV series Baywatch
Appeared on more Playboy covers than anyone else
Anderson, Stig
Best known as the manager of the pop group ABBA
Andrew
Middle name of Michael J. Fox
Anna Marie
Real name of X-Men member Rogue
Annie Award
American award for accomplishments in animation presented by ASIFA-Hollywood
Year Winner
1992 Beauty and the Beast
1993 Aladdin
1994 The Lion King
1995 Pocahontas
1996 Toy Story
1997 Cats Don't Dance
1998 Mulan
1999 The Iron Giant
2000 Toy Story 2
2001 Shrek
2002 Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)
2003 Finding Nemo
2004 The Incredibles
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-
2005
Rabbit
2006 Cars
2007 Ratatouille
2008 Kung Fu Panda
2009 Up
2010 How to Train Your Dragon
2011 Rango
Year Winner
2012 Wreck-It Ralph
Antonucci, Danny
Canadian animator, cartoonist director, producer and screenwriter who created the animated
comedy series Ed, Edd n Eddy, Lupo the Butcher, Cartoon Sushi and The Brothers Grunt
Applegate, Christina
American actress who gained fame as a teenage actress, playing the role of Kelly Bundy on the Fox
sitcom Married... with Children
Aqua
Danish-Norwegian dance pop group that performed thesong “Barbie Girl”
Argento, Dario
Italian film director, producer and screenwriter best known for his work in the horror film genre,
particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror movies
Arliss, George
First British actor to win an Academy Award
Armstrong, Louis
Oldest male artist to top the Hot 100 with “Hello, Dolly!” in May 9, 1964
Aronofsky, Darren
Director of the film Black Swan
Arrambam
2013 Indian Tamil action thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan
Arthurs, Paul
English musician and one of the founding members of the English rock band Oasis, best known as
their rhythm guitar player from 1991-1999
Assia, Lys
Swiss singer who won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956
Astin, Sean
American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise
Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of
Rudy
In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24and currently voices Raphael in
the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series and Oso in the Disney Junior show
Special Agent Oso
Astor, Mary
Born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke, American actress best remembered for her role as Brigid
O’Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon
Astro
Pet dog in The Jetsons
Audley, Eleanor
Best remembered on television as Eunice Douglas on Green Acres and for many, for providing
Disney animated features with their most outstanding and memorable villainess voices, most
notably Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty and Lady Tremaine in Cinderella
Audrey II
Monster plant in the film Little Shop of Horrors
Austerlitz, Frederick
Real name of stage dancer Fred Astaire
Austin, Steve
Fictional character created by Martin Caidin for his 1972 novel, Cyborg, who later became a 1970s
television icon as portrayed by Lee Majors in the 1974-1978 series The Six Million Dollar Man
Autry, Gene
Only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Avatar
2009 film by James Cameron that became the highest-grossing film of all time
Avery, James
American actor, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch and attorney (later judge) Philip
Banks, Will Smith’s character’s uncle, in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Provided the voice of Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series
Avery, Tex
Creator of cartoon characters Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Droopy, and Screwy Squirrel
Avildsen, John
Director of the film Rocky
Babenco, Héctor
Director of the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman
Bacall, Lauren
Born Betty Joan Perske, American actress who won an Academy Award in 1997 for the film The
Mirror Has Two Faces
Baldwin, Alec
American actor who starred as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock
Bale, Christian
Played Bruce Wayne in the 2005 film Batman Begins
Banks, Tyra
Creator and host of the UPN/The CW reality television show America’s Next Top Model
Barry
First name of The Simpsons character Duffman
Bashir, Martin
British journalist who resigned from his position at MSNBC after he made “ill-judged” comments
about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Basinger, Kim
American actress known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never
Again, and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman
Played Celeste Martin in the film My Stepmother is an Alien
Bassett, Angela
Played Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It, Betty Shabazz in Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks
in The Rosa Parks Story
Battleship Potemkin
1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein that presents a dramatized version of the mutiny that
occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against their officers of
the Tsarist regime
Bay, Michael
American film director and producer known for directing high-budget action films characterized by
their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects
Films include Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Transformers film series
Beatty, Ned
Provided the voice of antagonist Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear in Toy Story 3, which nominated him for a
MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Becky Sharp
First feature made entirely in three-color Technicolor
• Barry Gibb
• Robin Gibb
• Maurice Gibb
Bender
Fictional robot in the animated TV series Futurama, full name is Bender Bending Rodriguez
Bergen, Candice
American actress known for her role as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown
and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal
Bergman, Ingmar
Swedish director whose works include The Virgin Spring, Through a Glass Darkly and Fanny and
Alexander
Berkeley, Busby
Highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer, famous for his elaborate
musical production number that often involved complex geometric patterns
Berlin, Irving
Born Israel Isidore Beilin, composer of the musicals “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Call Me Madam”
Only Academy Award presenter to give an Oscar to himself
Bernhardt, Sarah
19th century French artist who popularized the fedora hat
Berry, Halle
Represented USA in the Miss World pageant
Only woman of African-American descent to win an Oscar for a leading role
Bertolucci, Bernardo
Italian director whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor,
The Sheltering Sky and The Dreamers
Best, Pete
British musician principally known as the original regular drummer in the Beatles
Beyoncé
Album by American singer Beyoncé Knowles thatbecame the fastest selling album in the history of
the iTunes Store, selling 828,773 copies worldwide in just three days, and peaking at number one in
104 countries in December 2013
Bezençon, Marcel
Creator of the Eurovision Song Contest
B.G.
Stage name of American rapper Christopher Dorsey whose single “Bling Bling” helped give
mainstream popularity to the hip-hop slang term “bling bling,” a term denoting shiny jewelry,
flashy, elaborate dress or decadent shows of wealth
Bickle, Travis
Name of the taxi driver played by Robert de Niro in the 1976 film Taxi Driver
Bigelow, Kathryn
First woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker
First woman to win the Saturn Award for Best Director in 1995 for Strange Days
“Billie Jean”
First video by a black artist to be aired in MTV
Birth of a Nation
1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith based on the novel and play The Clansman by
Thomas Dixon, Jr.
First motion picture to be shown at the White House
Black, Rebecca
American pop singer and dancer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single
“Friday”
Black Beauty
Car of the Green Hornet
Blacula
First film to receive an award for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards
Blanchett, Cate
Australian actress who came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the
1998 film Elizabeth
Only Oscar winner who portrayed an Oscar winner (Katharine Hepburn)
“Bleeding Love”
Pop/R&B ballad recorded by British singer Leona Lewisfrom her debut albumSpirit that became
the best-selling single of 2008 worldwide
Blomkamp, Neill
Best known as the co-writer and director of critically acclaimed District 9 and the science fiction
film Elysium
Blood Feast
1963 American low budget horror gore film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis that is considered
the first splatter film, and notable for its groundbreaking depictions of on-screen gore
Blue
Sir Lancelot’s favorite color in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
“Blue Harvest”
Fake working title of Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi
Bolan, Marc
Born Mark Feld, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet best known as the frontman of glam
rock group T. Rex and also known as Toby Tyler
Bollywood
Nickname given to Mumbai, India’s moviemaking capital
Bombeck, Erma
Columnist of the newspaper column At Wit’s End
Borgnine, Ernest
American film and television actor who won an Oscar in 1955 for Marty
Played Quinton McHale in the 1962–1966 series McHale's Navy and co-starred in the mid-1980s
action series Airwolf
Original voice of Mermaid Man on SpongeBob SquarePants from 1999 to 2012
Bossa nova
Well-known style of Brazilian music developed and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s which is a
lyrical fusion of samba and jazz
Bounds, Lillian
Wife of Walt Disney
Bowles, Sally
Nightclub singer in the musical Cabaret
Boyd, Pattie
Model said to be the inspiration of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and “Layla”
Bradshaw, Carrie
Character played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the American TV series Sex in the City
Brain
Pet dog of Inspector Gadget
Branigan, Laura
American singer-songwriter and actress best remembered for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit
“Gloria” and for the Top Ten single “Self Control”
“Brass in Pocket”
First successful single of The Pretenders, seventh video played during MTV’s launch on 1 August
1981
Breakout role
Also known as breakthrough role, term in the film industry to describe the performance of an actor
or actress in a film that contributed significantly to the development of their career
Brief Encounter
1945 British film directed by David Lean based on Noel Coward's 1936 play Still Life
Brissette, Tiffany
American actress best known for her role as VICI the Robot in the American sitcom Small Wonder
Britney Jean
Eighth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears released on November 29, 2013
First studio album since the dissolution of her long-time record label Jive Records in 2011
Broadbent, Jim
Played William IV of United Kingdom in The Young Victoria and Denis Thatcher in The Iron Lady
Played Professor Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Broderick, Matthew
American actor who played the title character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, provided the voice of
Simba in The Lion King and portrayed Leo Bloom in the Hollywood and Broadway productions of
The Producers
Youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
Brown, Alden
Real name of pornographic actor Peter North
Brown, Stephanie
Fictional character who served as Spoiler, Robin and Batgirl in the DC Comics universe
Brynner, Yul
Russian-born American stage and film actor best known for his portrayal of the King of Siam in the
Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won two Tony Awards and an
Academy Award for the film version, Rameses II in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille blockbuster The Ten
Commandments, General Bounine in the 1956 film Anastasia and Chris Adams in The Magnificent
Seven
Bubblegum pop
Genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and
teenagers that may be produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers and often using
unknown singers
“Bud”
Childhood nickname of actor Marlon Brando
Bugs Bunny
Second cartoon character to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Bujold, Geneviève
Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in the 1969 film Anne of the
Thousand Days, for which she won a Golden Globe award for best actress
Burka Avenger
Pakistani animated TV series that features Jiya, a teacher at a girls school whose alter-ego is a
burka-wearing superheroine who uses her martial arts skills to fight crime
Burton, Tim
Director of the 2010 film version of Alice in Wonderland
Bush, Kate
English singer-songwriter who became the first British solo female artist to top the UK album
charts and the first female artist ever to enter the album chart at Number 1
Buzz Buzzard
Antagonist of Woody Woodpecker
Bwana Devil
1952 film based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters and film with the Natural Vision 3-D
system
Notable for sparking the first 3-D film craze in the motion picture industry, as well as the first 3-D
feature film entirely in color and first 3-D sound feature in English
C3PO
Robot character from the Star Wars universe that is fluent in “over six million forms of
communication”
Cagney, James
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Cain, Cassandra
Fictional character in the DC Comics universe, one of several who has served as Batgirl
Cahill, Thaddeus
Widely credited with the invention of the first electromechanical musical instrument, which he
dubbed the telharmonium
Calypso
Album by Harry Belafonte that became the first LP album to sell over one million copies
Calypso music
Style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to mid 20th
century characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals, which was most often sung in a
French creole and led by a griot
Campbell, Mary
Only woman to win Miss America twice (1922 & 1923)
Canadian Bacon
Only film directed by Michael Moore that is not a documentary
Cannibal Holocaust
1980 Italian cannibal film directed by Ruggero Deodato from a screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici
marketed as having been banned in over 50 countries
Capaldi, Peter
Scottish actor who portrays the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running TV series
Doctor Who
“Careless Whisper”
George Michael's first solo single
Carey, Mariah
Named the best-selling female artist of the millennium in 2000
Carmichael, Hoagy
American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader best known for composing the music for
“Stardust”, “Georgia on My Mind”, “The Nearness of You”, and “Heart and Soul”, four of the
most-recorded American songs of all time
Carradine, David
American actor and martial artist, best known for his leading role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang
Caine, in the 1970s television series Kung Fu
Carrey, Jim
Canadian American actor who played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Bruce in
Bruce Almighty
Carter, Chris
American television and film producer, director and writer who created the TV series The X-Files
Carter, Lynda
American actress and singer best known for being Miss World USA in 1972 and as the star of the
DC Comics TV series Wonder Woman
Carvey, Dana
American actor and stand-up comedian, well known for his impersonation of George H. W. Bush
on Saturday Night Live
Cattle call
Audition for actors, in a movie, musical or a TV show
Cattrall, Kim
Played Lt. Valeris in Star Trek VI and Samantha Jones in Sex and the City
Cazale, John
American actor who appeared in five films during his six-year film career, each of which was
nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather, The Conversation, The
Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter
“Centerfold”
Single released by The J. Geils Band from their album Freeze Frame about a man who is shocked to
discover that his high school crush appeared in a centerfold spread for a men’s magazine
Cerf, Bennett
American publisher and one of the founders of American publishing firm Random House
Challis, John
English actor best known for his role as Terrance Aubrey “Boycie” Boyce in the long running BBC
television comedy series Only Fools and Horses, and its 2005 spin-off The Green Green Grass
Chancellor, John
Anchor of the NBC Nightly News from 1970 to 1982
Chaney, Lon
Nicknamed “The Man of a Thousand Faces”, American actor known for his starring roles in silent
horror films The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera
Chang, Cho
Best known for being Harry Potter’s first kiss
Chaparro, Janelee
Inaugural winner of Miss Grand International (2013)
Chaplin, Charlie
Only celebrity who got an autograph of Albert Einstein for free
Charice
First Asian solo singer in history to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart
“Chattanooga Choo-Choo”
First to be certified a gold disc in 1942 for 1,200,000 sales
Cher
Oldest female artist to top the Hot 100 with “Believe” from March 13, 1999 to April 3, 1999
Cherrill, Virginia
American actress known for her role as the blind flower girl in Charlie Chaplin's City Lights
Chess
Musical that involves a romantic triangle involving two chess grandmasters, an American and a
Soviet, fighting over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other, all in the context
of a politically-driven, Cold War-era tournament between the two men
Children's Activities
Magazine where Hugh Hefner worked to raise money to start Playboy magazine
Chiptune
Synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers, video
game consoles, and arcade machines, as well as with other methods such as emulation
Chopra, Priyanka
Indian film actress and singer who won the 2000 Miss World pageant
chunkylover53@aol.com
Email address of Homer Simpson
Cinéma vérité
Term referring to a style of documentary filmmaking, invented by Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga
Vertov’s theory about Kino-Pravda and influenced by Robert Flaherty’s films that combines
improvisation with the use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subjects hidden behind crude
reality
Clampett, Bob
Creator of cartoon characters Porky Pig and Tweety
Clapton, Eric
Only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as
a member of the Yardbirds and Cream
Clarke, Emilia
English actress best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO series Game of Thrones
Clarkson, Kelly
Winner of the first season of American Idol in 2002, widely known for her vocal versatility, range,
and heroine image
Coke bottle
Object that fell out of the sky in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy
Coldplay
British band famous for songs “Speed of Sound” and “Viva La Vida”
Cole, Natalie
First African-American to win the Best New Artist in the Grammy Awards in 1975
Collins, Joan
Played Fontaine Khaled in the 1979 British film The Bitch
Collins, Mary Kathleen
Real name of Bo Derek, American film and television actress, movie producer, and model perhaps
best known for her role in the 1979 film 10
Collins, Michael
Alter ego of fictional Marvel Comics antihero Deathlok
Colonel Tigh
Executive officer of Galactica in Battlestar Galactica
“Come Together”
Opening track on the Beatles album Abbey Road
“Comme d’habitude”
French song written in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux that became the basis of Frank
Sinatra hit “My Way”
Conried, Hans
American comedian, character actor and voice actor best known for providing the voices of Captain
Hook in Walt Disney’s version of Peter Pan and Snidely Whiplash on The Rocky and Bullwinkle
Show, and for playing the title role in The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
Connery, Sean
Scottish actor who played William of Baskerville in The Name of the Rose and James Bond starring
in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983
Coogan, Jackie
Played Uncle Fester in the 1960s sitcom The Addams Family
Coppola, Sofia
American screenwriter, film director, producer and actress who received the Academy Award for
Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation in 2003
First American woman to win the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival
Corazon, Sunshine
Character portrayed by Filipino singer Charice in the TV series Glee
Cosgrove, Miranda
Listed in the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records as the Highest Paid Child Actress for iCarly
Covington, Julie
English singer and actress best known for recording the original version of “Don’t Cry for Me,
Argentina”
Cox, Courteney
American actress best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale
Weathers in the horror series Scream, and as Jules Cobb in the ABC/TBS sitcom Cougar Town
Cox, Laverne
Played Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black
Crane, Denny
Character portrayed by William Shatner in the TV series Boston Legal
Crane, Jonathan
Alter ego of Batman villain Scarecrow
Cranston, Bryan
Best known for his roles as Hal in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle and as Walter White in the
AMC drama series Breaking Bad
“Creep”
Grammy-winning first single by American R&B group TLC from their second studio album
CrazySexyCool, released in 1994
Croker, Charlie
Character played by Michael Caine in the film The Italian Job
Cromwell, James
Played Farmer Arthur Hoggett in the 1995 film Babe
Crosby, Bing
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Father Chuck O’Malley in the 1944
motion picture Going My Way
Cross-cutting
Editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two
different locations
Crumb, Robert
Creator of Fritz the Cat
Cruz, Penélope
Played Sofia in the 1997 film Open Your Eyes
Cumberbatch, Benedict
Played Sherlock Holmes in the modern BBC adaptation series Sherlock
Portrayed the main antagonist, Khan Noonien Singh, in J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness and
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate
Cuoco, Kaley
Played Penny on the TV series The Big Bang Theory
Cyrus, Miley
Born Destiny Hope Cyrus, American actress and recording artist known for playing Miley Stewart
in the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana
“D’oh!”
Catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running American
animated sitcom The Simpsons
Dalton, Timothy
British actor known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill
Daly, Carson
American television personality and the host of the late-night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly
and the American version of The Voice
Davis, Bette
First person to accrue 10 Academy Award nominations for acting
First woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute
First female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Day-Lewis, Daniel
The only male actor in history to garner three wins in Academy Award for Best Actor
Daytona, Randy
Character played by Dan Fogler in the 2007 American sports comedy film Balls of Fury
de Havilland, Olivia
British-American actress who played Jody Norris in To Each His Own and Catherine Sloper in The
Heiress
De Mol, John
Creator of the reality singing competition The Voice
De Rossi, Portia
Australian-American actress, model and philanthropist known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter
on the TV series Ally MacBeal and Lindsay Fünke on the sitcom Arrested Development
Spouse of American stand-up comedian Ellen DeGeneres
Deados
In the 2013 film R.I.P.D., name given to the spirits that failed to cross over andreturn to Earth as
monstrous ghosts
Dean, James
First actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor
Debut albums
Debut films
Dee, Kiki
Born Pauline Matthews, first white woman to sing for Motown Records
Deen, Paula
American celebrity chef and host of Paula's Best Dishes
Deep Throat
1972 American pornographic film written and directed by Gerard Damiano and starred Linda
Lovelace that became one of the first pornographic films to feature a plot, character development
and relatively high production standards
Depardieu, Gérard
Played the title role in the 1990 film Cyrano de Bergerac
Deschanel, Zooey
Played the role of Summer Finn in the film (500) Days of Summer
DeVito, Danny
Director of the film The War of the Roses
Diego
Smilodon in the Ice Age animated film series, voiced by Denis Leary
Diesel, Vin
Born Mark Sinclair, American actor first became known for appearing in Steven Spielberg's Saving
Private Ryan and most known for his portrayals of Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick trilogy and
of Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious film series
Dinklage, Peter
Starred as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s
series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire
Directorial debuts
Director Film
Abrams, J.J. Mission: Impossible III
Affleck, Ben Gone Baby Gone
Aldrich, Robert Big Leaguer
Allen, Woody What's Up, Tiger Lily?
Almodovar, Pedro Pepi, Luci, Bom
Attenborough, Richard Oh! What a Lovely War
Avildsen, John G. Turn on to Love
Beatty, Warren Heaven Can Wait
Benton, Robert Bad Company
Bertolucci, Bernardo La commare secca
Bigelow, Kathryn The Loveless
Borzage, Frank The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine
Boyle, Danny Shallow Grave
Brooks, James L. Terms of Endearment
Cameron, James Piranha II: The Spawning
Capra, Frank The Strong Man
Carpenter, John Dark Star
Chan, Jackie The Fearless Hyena
Chaney, Lon Sr. The Stool Pigeon
Chaplin, Charlie Caught in the Rain
Cimino, Michael Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Coppola, Francis Ford Dementia 13
Coppola, Sofia The Virgin Suicides
Director Film
Costner, Kevin Dances with Wolves
Cukor, George Grumpy
Curtiz, Michael Utolsó bohém, Az
Darabont, Frank The Shawshank Redemption
DeMille, Cecil B. The Squaw Man
Demme, Jonathan Caged Heat
DeNiro, Robert A Bronx Tale
DeVito, Danny Throw Momma from the Train
Eastwood, Clint Play Misty for Me
Ephron, Nora This Is My Life
Flaherty, Robert J. Nanook of the North
Fleming, Victor When the Clouds Roll By
Ford, John The Tornado
Forman, Miloš Black Peter
Fosse, Bob Sweet Charity
Freeman, Morgan Bopha!
Gibson, Mel The Man Without a Face
Griffith, D. W. The Adventures of Dollie
Hazanavicius, Michel OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
Hill, George Roy Period of Adjustment
Hitchcock, Alfred Number 13
Hoffman, Philip Seymour Jack Goes Boating
Hooper, Tobe The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Hooper, Tom Red Dust
Howard, Ron Grand Theft Auto
Huston, John The Maltese Falcon
Jackson, Peter Bad Taste
Kazan, Elia A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
King, Stephen Maximum Overdrive
Kubrick, Stanley Fear and Desire
Kurosawa, Akira Sanshiro Sugata
Director Film
Lang, Fritz Halbblut
Lean, David In Which We Serve
Lee, Ang Pushing Hands
Levinson, Barry Diner
Lloyd, Frank The Law of His Kind
Lucas, George THX-1138
Malick, Terrence Badlands
Mankiewicz, Joseph L. Backfire
McCarey, Leo Society Secrets
Mendes, Sam American Beauty
Milestone, Lewis Seven Sinners
Minghella, Anthony Truly, Madly, Deeply
Minnelli, Vincente Cabin in the Sky
Nichols, Mike Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nolan, Christopher Following
Pacino, Al Looking for Richard
Parker, Alan Bugsy Malone
Polanski, Roman Knife in the Water
Pollack, Sydney The Slender Thread
Pytka, Joe Let It Ride
Redford, Robert Ordinary People
Reed, Carol It Happened in Paris
Richardson, Tony Look Back in Anger
Schlesinger, John A Kind of Loving
Scorsese, Martin Who's That Knocking on My Door
Scott, Ridley The Duellists
Sinatra, Frank None But the Brave
Soderbergh, Steven Sex, Lies and Videotape
Spielberg, Steven Duel
Stallone, Sylvester Paradise Alley
Stevens, George A Divorce Courtship
Director Film
Stiller, Ben Reality Bites
Stone, Oliver Seizure
Taurog, Norman Lucky Boy
von Trier, Lars The Element of Crime
Wilder, Billy Mauvaise Graine
Wise, Robert The Curse of the Cat People
Wyler, William Lazy Lightning
Zemeckis, Robert I Wanna Hold Your Hand
“Disturbia”
Song by Rihanna that was originally considered to be part of the re-release edition of Brown’s
album, Exclusive
Dizzy Dishes
Animated short film created by the Fleischer Studios in 1930 as part of the Talkartoon series,
famous as a debut cartoon of Betty Boop
DJ Kool Herc
Born Clive Campbell, Jamaican-born American DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music
in the early 1970s in The Bronx, New York City
Doctor Doom
Also known as Victor von Doom of Latveria, archenemy of the Fantastic Four, and leader of the
fictional nation of Latveria
Dogme 95
Avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and
Thomas Vinterberg, who created rules to create filmmaking based on the traditional values of story,
acting, and theme, and excluding the use of elaborate special effects or technology
D’Onofrio, Vincent
American actor known for his roles as Private Leonard Lawrence (“Gomer Pyle”) in the war film
Full Metal Jacket, “Edgar” in Men in Black and Detective Robert Goren in the crime TV series Law
& Order: Criminal Intent
Douglas, Kirk
Born Issur Danielovitch, American film and stage actor, film producer and author whose popular
films include Out of the Past, Champion, Ace in the Hole, The Bad and the Beautiful, 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea, Lust for Life, Paths of Glory, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Vikings,
Spartacus, Lonely Are the Brave, Seven Days in May, The Heroes of Telemark and Tough Guys
Dr. Cyclops
First American science fiction film made in Technicolor (1940), directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack
Dr. No
First James Bond movie
Dracula
Most portrayed character in the movies
Drayton, Matt
Character played by Spencer Tracy in the 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Dubstep
Genre of electronic dance music that generally features syncopated drum and percussion patterns
with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies
Dufresne, Andy
Name of the character portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption
Dunst, Kirsten
Played the role of Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man trilogy
Duran Duran members
• Nick Rhodes
• John Taylor
• Roger Taylor
• Simon Le Bon
Eastwood, Clint
Directed and played the title role in the 1976 western The Outlaw Josey Wales
Eclipse
Original title of the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon
Ecstasy
First non-pornographic movie to portray sexual intercourse and female orgasm
Ecto-1
Name of the Ghostbusters’ vehicle
Eddie
• Mascot of the rock band Iron Maiden
• Shipboard computer on the starship Heart of Gold in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Edwards, Blake
Born William Blake Crump, director of Experiment in Terror, The Great Rage, the Pink Panther
series, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Days of Wine and Roses
Eisenberg, Jesse
American actor who played the role of Mark Zuckerberg in the film The Social Network
Elden, Spencer
Name of the infant on the cover of Nirvana album Nevermind
Elmo
Only non-human ever to testify before the US Congress
Emmerich, Roland
Directed the 2009 film 2012
Endemol
International television production and distribution company that created the game show franchises
such as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Big Brother and Deal or No Deal
Endora
Magical mother-in-law portrayed by Agnes Moorehead on the TV sitcom Bewitched
Engineers
Race of aliens, forerunners of humanity, from the 2012 film Prometheus
Epstein, Brian
Best known for being the manager of the Beatles until his death in 1967
Eternia
Fictional planet that serves as a setting for He-Man Masters of the Universe
Everett, Bill
Comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil
for Marvel Comics
Evergreen Terrace
Metalcore band named after the street where the Simpson family lives
Fagan, Eleanora
Real name of American jazz singer Billie Holiday, famous her songs such as “God Bless the
Child”, “Don’t Explain”, “Fine and Mellow”, and “Lady Sings the Blues”
Fairbanks, Douglas
Born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman, American actor best known for his swashbuckling roles in
silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro
Falk, Peter
American actor, best known for his role as Lt. Columbo in the television series Columbo
Family Plot
Last film made by Alfred Hitchcock in 1976
Farrow, Mia
Born Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow, American actress, humanitarian and former fashion model
who first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera
Peyton Place
Appeared on the cover of the first issue of People
Fauntleroy
Middle name of Donald Duck
Fawcett, Farrah
American actress who rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill
Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie’s Angels in 1976
Fellini, Federico
Italian film director who became the person who won the highest number of Oscars for Best
Foreign Language Film in history
Director of the films La Dolce Vita, I Vitelloni and 8 1/2
Felton, Verna
Original voice of Pearl Slaghoople (Wilma Flintstone’s mother), voicing the character as a semi-
regular on The Flintstones from 1960 to 1964
Ferrera, America
American actress best known for her leading role as Betty Suarez on the ABC TV series Ugly Betty
from 2006 to 2010
Fey, Tina
American actress, comedienne, writer and producer known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy
series Saturday Night Live, the critically acclaimed NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and such films as
Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Date Night, and Admission
Fierce, Sasha
Alter ego of singer Beyoncé Knowles
Film noir
Cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that
emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations
Finlayson, James
Scottish actor known for his trademark comic mannerism
First appearance of comic book characters
Fisher, Bud
American cartoonist who created Mutt and Jeff, the first successful daily comic strip in the United
States
Fisher, Carrie
American actress best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy
Also known for her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge
Fitzgerald, Ella
Also known as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”, American jazz vocalist
with a vocal range spanning three octaves (Db3 to Db6) and noted for her purity of tone,
impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly
in her scat singing
Flashdance
1983 American romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne
Fleischer, Max
Creator of Betty Boop
Fleming, Art
Original host of the NBC television game show Jeopardy!
Flight attendant
First job of Barbie in 1961
Flockhart, Calista
American actress widely known for playing the title character in the Fox television comedy-drama
series Ally McBeal — for which she won a Golden Globe Award — as well as for the character
Kitty Walker McCallister on the ABC drama, Brothers & Sisters
Flowers, Gennifer
Model and actress who famously claimed to have a sexual relationship with Bill Clinton
Flynn, Errol
Actor who starred in the films Captain Blood in 1937 and Mutiny on the Bounty in1935
Foley, Alex
Main protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film series, played by Eddie Murphy
Fong, Kato
Houseboy of Inspector Clouseau
Fontaine, Joan
Born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, British-American actress who won the Academy Award for
Best Actress for Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion, making her the only actress to ever win an Academy
Award in a film directed by Hitchcock
Foo Fighters
Got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft
pilots in World War II, which were known collectively as foo fighters
Ford, Harrison
American film actor and producer famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star
Wars trilogy and the title character of the Indiana Jones film series
Forman, Miloš
Czech-American director whose films One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, have
acquired particular renown, both gaining him an Academy Award for Best Director
Forrest, Steve
American actor well known for his role as Lt. Hondo Harrelson in the short lived television series
S.W.A.T.
Forsythe, John
Provided the voice of Charlie in the TV series Charlie’s Angels
Fortress of Solitude
Place of solace and occasional headquarters for Superman in DC Comics
Foster, Jane
Nurse employed by Dr. Donald Blake, Thor's human host
Foster, Jodie
First to be offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars
• Ric Flair
• Arn & Ole Anderson
• Tully Blanchard
Fox, Megan
Played the role of Mikaela Banes in the blockbuster film Transformers
Fox, Michael J.
Played Marty McFly in Back to the Future trilogy
Fox Plaza
Used as the fictional Nakatomi Plaza in the 1988 action movie Die Hard
Frazetta, Frank
American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers,
paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media
Fred
Pet cockatoo of Tony Baretta
Freed, Alan
Also known as Moondog, American disc jockey internationally known for promoting the mix of
blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the
name of rock and roll
Freeman, Jonathan
Tony-nominated American actor known for voicing the villainous Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin
Freeman, Morgan
American actor who received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart,
Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won in 2005 for Million Dollar
Baby
Frehley, Ace
American musician best known as the former lead guitarist and founding member of the rock band
Kiss
French, Philip
British film critic of The Observer from 1978 to 2013
Friedkin, William
American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection
in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director
Fripp, Robert
English guitarist for the progressive rock band King Crimson who contributed sounds to the
Windows Vista operating system
Fuller, Simon
British entrepreneur best known for being the creator of the Idol franchise
Fulquard, Audrey
Love interest of Seymour Krelboyne (played by Jonathan Haze) in the film The Little Shop of
Horrors, played by Jackie Joseph
Funt, Allen
American television producer, director and writer, television personality, best known as the creator
and host of Candid Camera
Furlong, Edward
American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and
Daniel Vinyard in American History X
Gabriel, Peter
Founder of World of Music, Arts and Dance
Gadot, Gal
Israeli actress and model known for her role as Gisele Harabo in The Fast and the Furious film
series
Gallagher, Liam
Best known as the frontman of Oasis
Gallifrey
Home world of the Doctor in Doctor Who
Gandolfini, James
American actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos
“Gangnam Style”
K-pop single by South Korean musician PSY that became the first YouTube video to reach a billion
views on December 21, 2012
Garner, James
Played Old Noah Calhoun in the 2004 film The Notebook
Garrick, Jay
Fictional character in the DC Comics universe and is the first superhero to bear the name Flash
Gary
Pet snail of Spongebob Squarepants
Gearloose, Gyro
Anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for the Walt Disney Company as part of the
Scrooge McDuck universe as friend of Donald Duck
First appeared in Gladstone's Terrible Secret (Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #140)
Gekko, Gordon
Character played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film Wall Street
“Gentleman”
K-pop song by PSY that set YouTube records for most views in its first 24 hours, most views in any
24 hours, fastest music video to reach 100 million views, 200 million views, and 300 million views
Gibbons, Cedric
Credited as the designer of the Oscar statuette in 1928
Gibson, Debbie
Youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 when her song
“Foolish Beat” topped the chart on June 25, 1988
Gibson, Mel
First person selected as People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”
Gillespie, Bobby
Lead singer and founding member of the alternative rock band Primal Scream
Gilliam, Terence
Only “Python” not born in Britain
Gillies, Elizabeth
Played Jade West in Victorious
Gobb, Irma
Girlfriend of Mr. Bean
God
Only recurring character on TV’sThe Simpsons always drawn with five fingers on each hand, rather
than the usual four
Goddard
Pet robotic dog of Jimmy Neutron
Going Merry
Ship of Monkey D. Luffy in the manga series One Piece
Musical / Comedy
Year Musical / Comedy Musical / Comedy Actor
Actress
Fred Astaire, Three Little Judy Holliday, Born
1950 An American in Paris
Words Yesterday
Danny Kaye, On the June Allyson, Too Young
1951 An American in Paris
Riviera to Ki
Donald O’Connor, Susan Hayward, With a
1952 With a Song In My Heart
Singin’ in the Rain Song In My Heart
David Niven, The Moon Ethel Merman, Call Me
1953 —
Is Blue Madam
James Mason, A Star Is Judy Garland, A Star is
1954 Carmen Jones
Born Born
Tom Ewell, The Seven Jean Simmons, Guys and
1955 Guys and Dolls
Year Itch Dolls
Cantinflas, Around the Deborah Kerr, The King
1956 The King and I
World in Eighty Days and I
Taina Elg, Kay Kendall,
1957 Les Girls Frank Sinatra, Pal Joey
Les Girls
Danny Kaye, Me and the Rosalind Russell, Auntie
1958 Auntie Mame
Colonel Mame
Jack Lemmon, Some Like Marilyn Monroe, Some
1959 Some Like It Hot
It Hot Like It Hot
Jack Lemmon, The Shirley MacLaine, The
1960 The Apartment
Apartment Apartment
Musical / Comedy
Year Musical / Comedy Musical / Comedy Actor
Actress
Glenn Ford, Pocketful of Rosalind Russell, A
1961 A Majority of One
Miracles Majority of One
Marcello Mastroianni,
1962 That Touch of Mink Rosalind Russell, Gypsy
Divorce, Italian Style
Shirley MacLaine, Irma
1963 Tom Jones Alberto Sordi, The Devil
la Douce
Rex Harrison, My Fair Julie Andrews, Mary
1964 My Fair Lady
Lady Poppins
Julie Andrews, The
1965 The Sound of Music Lee Marvin, Cat Ballou
Sound of Music
Alan Arkin, The Russians
The Russians Are Coming Lynn Redgrave, Georgy
1966 Are Coming The Russians
The Russians Are Coming Girl
Are Coming
Anne Bancroft, The
1967 The Graduate Richard Harris, Camelot
Graduate
Barbra Streisand, Funny
1968 Oliver! Ron Moody, Oliver
Girl
The Secret of Santa Peter O’Toole, Goodbye
1969 Patty Duke, Me, Natalie
Vittoria Mr. Chips
Carrie Snodgress, Diary
1970 MASH Albert Finney, Scrooge
of a Mad Housewife
Topol, Fiddler on the
1971 Fiddler on the Roof Twiggy, The Boy Friend
Roof
1972 Cabaret Jack Lemmon, Avanti! Liza Minnelli, Cabaret
George Segal, A Touch of Glenda Jackson, A Touch
1973 American Graffiti
Class of Class
Art Carney, Harry and Raquel Welch, The Three
1974 The Longest Yard
Tonto Musketeers
Walter Matthau, The
1975 The Sunshine Boys Ann-Margret, Tommy
Sunshine Boys
Kris Kristofferson, A Star Barbra Streisand, A Star
1976 A Star Is Born
Is Born Is Born
Diane Keaton, Annie Hall
Richard Dreyfuss, The
1977 The Goodbye Girl Marsha Mason, The
Goodbye Girl
Goodbye Girl
Ellen Burstyn, Same Time
Warren Beatty, Heaven Next Year
1978 Heaven Can Wait
Can Wait Maggie Smith, California
Suite
Musical / Comedy
Year Musical / Comedy Musical / Comedy Actor
Actress
1979 Breaking Away Peter Seller, Being There Bette Midler, The Rose
Ray Sharkey, The Sissy Spacek, Coal
1980 Coal Miner’s Daughter
Idolmaker Miner’s Daughter
Dudley Moore, Bernadette Peters,
1981 Arthur
Arthur Pennies from Heaven
Dustin Hoffman, Julie Andrews,
1982 Tootsie
Tootsie Victor Victoria
Michael Caine, Julie Walters,
1983 Yentl
Educating Rita Educating Rita
Dudley Moore, Kathleen Turner,
1984 Romancing the Stone
Micki + Maude Romancing the Stone
Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner,
1985 Prizzi’s Honor
Prizzi’s Honor Prizzi’s Honor
Paul Hogan, Sissy Spacek,
1986 Hannah and Her Sisters
“Crocodile” Dundee Crimes of the Heart
Robin Williams, Cher,
1987 Hope and Glory
Good Morning, Vietnam Moonstruck
Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith,
1988 Working Girl
Big Working Girl
Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy,
1989 Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy Driving Miss Daisy
Gérard Depardieu, Julia Roberts,
1990 Green Card
Green Card Pretty Woman
Robin Williams, Bette Midler,
1991 Beauty and the Beast
The Fisher King For the Boys
Tim Robbins, Miranda Richardson,
1992 The Player
The Player Enchanted April
Angela Bassett,
Robin Williams,
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire What’s Love Got to Do
Mrs. Doubtfire
with It
Hugh Grant,
Jamie Lee Curtis,
1994 The Lion King Four Weddings and a
True Lies
Funeral
John Travolta, Nicole Kidman,
1995 Babe
Get Shorty To Die For
Tom Cruise, Madonna,
1996 Evita
Jerry Maguire Evita
1997 As Good as It Gets Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt,
Musical / Comedy
Year Musical / Comedy Musical / Comedy Actor
Actress
As Good as It Gets As Good as It Gets
Michael Caine, Gwyneth Paltrow,
1998 Shakespeare in Love
Little Voice Shakespeare in Love
Jim Carrey, Janet McTeer,
1999 Toy Story 2
Man on the Moon Tumbleweeds
George Clooney,
Renée Zellweger,
2000 Almost Famous O Brother, Where Art
Nurse Betty
Thou?
Gene Hackman, Nicole Kidman,
2001 Moulin Rouge!
The Royal Tenenbaums Moulin Rouge!
Richard Gere, Renée Zellweger,
2002 Chicago
Chicago Chicago
Bill Murray, Diane Keaton,
2003 Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation Something’s Gotta Give
Jamie Foxx, Annette Bening,
2004 Sideways
Ray Being Julia
Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon,
2005 Walk the Line
Walk the Line Walk the Line
Sacha Baron Cohen, Meryl Streep,
2006 Dreamgirls
Borat The Devil Wears Prada
Johnny Depp,
Sweeney Todd: The
Sweeney Todd: The Marion Cotillard,
2007 Demon Barber of Fleet
Demon Barber of Fleet La Vie en Rose
Street
Street
Colin Farrell, Sally Hawkins,
2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona
In Bruges Happy-Go-Lucky
Robert Downey, Jr., Meryl Streep,
2009 The Hangover
Sherlock Holmes Julie & Julia
Paul Giamatti, Annette Bening,
2010 The Kids Are All Right
Barney’s Version The Kids Are All Right
Jean Dujardin, Michelle Williams,
2011 The Artist
The Artist My Week with Marilyn
Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence,
2012 Les Misérables
Les Misérables Silver Linings Playbook
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Amy Adams, American
2013 American Hustle
Wolf of Wall Street Hustle
Gomez, Selena
Played Gianna in the children's TV series Barney & Friends, lasting from 2002to 2004
Goodman, Benny
American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader known as the “King of Swing”
Goodman, Sam
Fictional lawyer in the American TV drama series Breaking Bad portrayed by Bob Odenkirk
Gordon, Barbara
Alter ego of Batgirl and later Oracle
Gordy, Berry
Founder of the Motown record label
Gorman, Margaret
Best known for being the first Miss America
Gort
Fictional humanoid robot in The Day The Earth Stood Still
Goulding, Ellie
Second artist to both top the BBC’s annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics’ Choice Award at
the Brit Awards in the same year, following Adele’s win of both in 2008
Grable, Betty
American actress, dancer, and singer celebrated for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood
and studio publicity widely dispersed photos featuring them that were famously insured by her
studio for $1,000,000 with Lloyds of London
Grammer, Kelsey
American actor and comedian best remembered for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr.
Frasier Crane on the hit NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier
Grammy Awards
Grand Illusion
First foreign language film to be nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture
Grant, Cary
Born Archibald Alexander Leach, nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his
role in the films Penny Serenade and None But the Lonely Heart
Graves, Peter
American film and television actor best known for his starring role in the CBS television series
Mission: Impossible
Grawlix
Term coined by Mort Walker for a string of typographical symbols used to represent an obscenity
or swearword
Gray, Linda
American actress best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the long-running CBS television
drama series Dallas
Greendale
Setting for the British children’s TV series Postman Pat
Grey, Jennifer
American actress known for her roles in the 1980s films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Dirty
Dancing, the latter for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
Griffin, Merv
Creator of TV game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune
Griffith, Gordon
First actor to portray Tom Sawyer and Tarzan on film
Griffiths, Richard
Known for his portrayal of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, Uncle Monty in Withnail and
I, Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky, and King George II in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger
Tides
Grint, Rupert
Played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series
Grip
Lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries
Groening, Matt
American cartoonist who created the the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television
series, The Simpsons and Futurama
Grohl, Dave
American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and film director, who is the lead
vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and founder of the Foo Fighters
“Group Hug”
Production title of 2012 film The Avengers
Guccione, Bob
Founder and publisher of the adult magazine Penthouse until his resignation in November 2003
Guevara, Max
Character played by Jessica Alba in the TV series Dark Angel
Gunzburg, Milton
American journalist who developed the Natural Vision stereoscopic 3-D system
“Gwiyomi Song”
Digital single by South Korean indie singer Hari that started a viral trend of people uploading their
own “Gwiyomi Song” videos to YouTube
Gwynne, Fred
American actor who played Judge Chamberlain Haller in My Cousin Vinny
Gyllenhaal, Jake
Played Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain
Hale, Lucy
American actress and singer best known for her role as Aria Montgomery on the ABC Family series
Pretty Little Liars
Hamill, Mark
American actor best known for his performance as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy
Hammerstein, Oscar
Only person called Oscar to win an Oscar
HandMade Films
British film production and distribution company formed by former Beatle George Harrison and
Denis O'Brien whose notable films include Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail
and I and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Haneke, Michael
Austrian film director best known for his films such as Caché, Funny Games, The White Ribbon
and Amour
“Hang On Sloopy”
Official state rock song of Ohio
Hannigan, Alyson
Played Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie film series
Played Lily Aldrin in the TV series How I Met Your Mother
Happy talk
Additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into news programs by news anchors
and others on set
Harajuku Girls
Four Japanese and Japanese American backup dancers featured in stage shows and music videos for
Gwen Stefani during her solo pop/R&B/dance-record phase
Hardy, Juliette
Character played by Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman
Hare
Luna Lovegood's patronus in the Harry Potter movies
Harpo
Production company of television host Oprah Winfrey
Harrelson, Woody
Played bounty hunter Carson Wells in No Country for Old Men, conspiracy nut Charlie Frost in
2012 and Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games film series
Harrison, Rex
Played King Mongkut in the 1946 film Anna and the King of Siam, Julius Caesar in the 1963 film
Cleopatra and Professor Henry Higgins in the 1964 film My Fair Lady
Harry, Debbie
American singer-songwriter and actress best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and
new wave band Blondie
Hartley, Justin
Played Green Arrow in the TV series Smallville
Hartnell, William
First person to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science-fiction TV series Doctor Who
Hatari!
1962 film directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne
Hatch, Richard
First winner of the Survivor series
Hattangadi, Rohini
Only Indian actress to win the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her
performance as Kasturba Gandhi in the 198 film Gandhi
Haughton
Real last name of singer Aaliyah
Hawaii
US state which require film crews to be blessed by a local priest before they can begin shooting
Hawkins, Jamesetta
Real name of singer Etta James
Hawn, Goldie
Played Pvt. Judy Benjamin in the 1980 film Private Benjamin
Hay, George D.
American radio personality who was the founder of the original Grand Old Opry radio program on
WSM-AM in Nashville, TN
Haysbert, Dennis
Known for portraying baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, President
David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the drama
series The Unit
Hazel
Pet Labrador retriever of actor Jim Carrey
Headon, Topper
Drummer of the punk rock band The Clash
“Heartbreak Hotel”
First number one pop record and first million-seller of Elvis Presley
Heartbreak Ridge
1000th film to be released in Dolby Stereo
Heaven 17
English New Wave synthpop band who took their name from a fictional pop group mentioned in
Anthony Burgess’s novel A Clockwork Orange
Hefner, Hugh
Founder and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises
Helm, Brigitte
German actress best remembered for her dual role as Maria and her double, the Maschinenmensch
(first robot ever depicted in cinema) in Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film Metropolis
Henderson, Shirley
Scottish actress best known for her role as Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Hendrix, Jimi
Sang the “Star Spangled Banner” in the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival
Henry
Actual first name of Indiana Jones
Henson, Jim
American puppeteer, screenwriter, director and producer, best known as the creator of The Muppets
Hepburn, Audrey
Played Princess Ann in the 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday
Herbie
Anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that is featured in several Disney motion pictures
starting with the 1969 feature film The Love Bug
Hergé
Born Georges Prosper Remi, Belgian comic book writer and artist best known for creating 23
completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series
Hermann, Eva
Character played by Hedy Lamarr in the film Ecstasy
Herrick, Margaret
Librarian and director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences generally credited with
naming the Academy Award an “Oscar”, declaring the statuettes “looked just like my Uncle Oscar”
Herriman, George
American cartoonist best known for the comic strip Krazy Kat
Hibbert, Julius
Family doctor of the title family in The Simpsons
Hill, Benny
Played Professor Simon Peach in the 1969 British caper film The Italian Job
Hill, Bernard
English actor who played Captain Edward smith in Titanic, and King Théoden in The Lord of the
Rings film trilogy
Hillenburg, Stephen
American marine biologist best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants
Hitchcock, Alfred
Director of the romance film Notorious
Hoffman, Dustin
Winner of two Academy Awards for his performances in Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man
Holly, Buddy
One of the inaugural inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
Hope, Bob
Born Leslie Townes Hope, English-born American comedian noted for his numerous United
Service Organizations shows entertaining American military personnel from 1941 and 1991
Only movie actor to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor
Hosted the Academy Awards fourteen times in the period from 1941 to 1978
Hopkin, Mary
Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single “Those Were The Days” and one
of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles’ Apple label
Hopkins, Gaynor
Real name of Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler
Hoppus, Mark
Bass guitarist of Blink-182
Horowitz
Real last name of actress Winona Ryder
Houston, Thelma
American singer and actress who scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her cover version of the
song “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, which won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal
Performance
Houston, Whitney
Only recording artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits
Performed “The Star Spangled Banner” for Super Bowl XXV
“How Do I Live”
Song recorded by LeAnn Rimes that has spent the most time in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10
Hudson, Kate
Played the role of Penny Lane in the 2000 film Almost Famous
Huggy Bear
Character played by Antonio Fargas on the 1970s TV show Starsky and Hutch, and played by
Snoop Dogg in the 2004 film
“Humanoid Boogie”
Song by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band that became the first pop song about robots
“Hung Up”
Madonna’s first track to be released to iTunes Store for digital download
Hungry Bitches
Unofficially nicknamed for its trailer as 2 Girls 1 Cup, 2007 scat-fetish pornographic film produced
by MFX Media in which the trailer features two women conducting themselves in fetishistic
intimate relations, including defecating into a cup, taking turns in what appears to be consuming the
excrement, and vomiting it into each other’s mouths
Hunt, Ethan
Name of the protagonist of the Mission: Impossible film series, played by Tom Cruise
Hunter, Holly
American actress who starred in The Piano, for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress
in a Leading Role and Academy Award for Best Actress
Huston, Anjelica
Played Morticia Addams in the film The Addams Family
Huston, John
American film director, screenwriter and actor who wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature
films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure
of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The Asphalt Jungle, The African Queen, Moulin Rouge, The
Misfits, and The Man Who Would Be King
Huxley, David
Character played by Cary Grant in the film Bringing Up Baby
“I Dreamed a Dream”
Solo sung by the character Fantine during the first act of the musical Les Misérables
Best known as the song that catapulted British singer Susan Boyle to super-stardom
“I Me Mine”
Last song recorded by the Beatles
“I Will Survive”
1978 single by Gloria Gaynor frequently recalled as a symbol of female strength and as a gay
anthem
“I’m Yours”
Single by Jason Mraz that holds the record for most weeks spent on the Billboard charts
Icon Productions
American independent production company founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson
and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey
Ident
Also known as station identification, practice of radio and television stations or networks
identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name
Iglesias, Enrique
Holds the record for producing 23 number-one Spanish-language singles on the Billboard’s Hot
Latin Tracks
Imbruglia, Natalie
Played Lorna Campbell in the film Johnny English
In the Zone
Fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears with themes ranging from love,
dancing, empowerment, and in the case of songs such as “Touch of My Hand”, sex and
masturbation
“Iris”
Song by Goo Goo Dolls originally written for the soundtrack of the 1998 film City of Angels
Irons, Jeremy
Provided the voice of Scar in 1994 film The Lion King
Isla de Muerta
Island featured in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
“The It Girl”
Nickname given to American actress Clara Bow
Jackson, Samuel L.
Once served as Bill Cosby’s stand in on The Cosby Show
Jacobs, Jim
American composer, lyricist, and writer known for writing the book, lyrics and music, with Warren
Casey, for the stage and film musical Grease
Jagger, Mick
Lead vocalist and a founder member of The Rolling Stones
James
Real first name of Paul McCartney
Jamison, Jimi
Frontman of Survivor
Janssen, David
American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in
the television series The Fugitive
Jarvis, Edwin
Only one to stay with the Avengers for their entire existence
Jaws
First film to reach $100 million in rentals
First movie to earn $100 million
First movie to earn $200 million
Jaxx, Stacee
Character played by Tom Cruise in the film Rock of Ages
Jennings, Ken
Holds the record for the most consecutive wins in Jeopardy!, with 74
Jennings, Peter
Sole anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight from 1983 to 2005
Jess
Pet cat of Postman Pat
Jessup, Nathan
Character played by Jack Nicholson in the film A Few Good Men
Jobim, Antônio Carlos
Brazilian songwriter who was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style and
widely known as the composer of “The Girl From Ipanema”
Johansson, Scarlett
Winner of the BAFTA award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Sofia Coppola film
Lost in Translation
John Birks
Real first and middle names of American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
Johnson, Holly
Born William Johnson, English artist, musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and former bassist for Big in Japan
Jones
Ripley's cat in the Alien series
Jones, Grace
Jamaican singer whose hits include “Pull Up to the Bumper”, “I’ve Seen That Face Before
(Libertango)”, “Private Life”, “Slave to the Rhythm” and “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect for
You)”
Joseph, Jenny
Model for the Columbia Pictures logo
Judge, Mike
American actor best known as the creator of the animated TV series Beavis and Butt-Head, King of
the Hill, and The Goode Family
Junstrom, Larry
Original bassist of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Justice, Victoria
American actress, singer-songwriter, and dancer who appeared in several films and television series
including the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 and Victorious
K-9
Pet dog of Marvin the Martian
Kabuto, Kouji
Pilot of Mazinger Z
Kaiju
Japanese word that literally translates to “strange creature” however translated and defined in
English as “monster” or “giant monster” and refers to unnatural creatures of immense size featured
in science fiction films from Asia, particularly from Japan
Kamio, Yoko
Japanese manga artist most famous for Boys Over Flowers
Kane, Bob
Creator of Batman
Kane, Helen
American popular singer who likely became the basis of Betty Boop
Kane, Sugar
Character portrayed by Marilyn Monroe in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot
Karloff, Boris
Born William Henry Platt, English actor best remembered for his roles in horror films and his
portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and Son of
Frankenstein
Kasem, Casey
American radio personality and voice actor known for being the host of the nationally syndicated
Top 40 countdown show American Top 40 and for voicing the character Shaggy in the popular
Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo
Kashyyyk
Planet in the Star Wars universe, tropical, forested home world of the Wookiees
Kato
Sidekick of The Green Hornet
Katrina and the Waves
English rock band best known for the 1985 hit “Walking on Sunshine” and also won the 1997
Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Love Shine a Light”
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, portrayal of staged events within the industry as “real” or “true”
Kazantip
Electronic dance festival held every year on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine
Keeble, John
Drummer of the 1980s new wave band Spandau Ballet
Keiko
Performing killer whale best known for the film Free Willy
Kelly, Minka
American actress most known for her roles in the TV series Friday Night Lights (2006),
Parenthood (2010), and Charlie’s Angels (2011) and also known for her role in The Roommate
(2011) and in the 2013 film The Butler, as Jackie Kennedy
Kelly, Moira
Played Kate Moseley in The Cutting Edge
Kemosabe
Term of endearment and catchphrase used by the intrepid and ever-faithful Tonto
Kerry, Margaret
Born Peggy Lynch, American actress, motivational speaker and radio host best known for her 1953
work as the model for Tinker Bell in the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature, Peter Pan
Khambatta, Persis
Indian actress and model best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the 1979 feature film Star
Trek: The Motion Picture
Kidman, Nicole
Played the Russian mail-order bride in the 2001 film Birthday Girl
Kiss
American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 well known for its members’ black
and white face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late
1970s with their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking
guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics
Kit Carson
First Western movie
Kitty
Girlfriend of Felix the Cat
Kristel, Sylvia
Dutch actress who played the lead character in four of the seven Emmanuelle films
Kubrick, Stanley
American director whose films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, A
Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and Full Metal Jacket
Kunis, Mila
American actress who played Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and provided the
voice of Meg Griffin in Family Guy
Played Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mona Sax in Max Payne, Jamie in Friends
with Benefits, Lori in Ted and Theodora in Oz the Great and Powerful
Kurosawa, Akira
Japanese film director whose works include Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Kagemusha
Kutcher, Ashton
Played Michael Kelso in That '70s Show
Kwik-E-Mart
Convenience store in the TV animated sitcom The Simpsons
Kyle, Selina
Real name of Batman opponent Catwoman
La boheme
Giacomo Puccini opera that inspired the Jonathan Larson musical Rent
La Verne, Lucille
Provided the voice of the Wicked Queen, and her alter ego, the old crone from Disney’s 1937 film
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Laemmle, Carl
Founder of Universal Studios
Lagasse, Emeril
American celebrity chef most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of
Emeril as well as the catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and “Bam!”
Lambert, Adam
First openly gay artist to debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts, with his album
Trespassing
Lamichhane, Rabi
Nepali television presenter who set the world record for hosting the longest-ever television talk
show in April 2013
Lampkin, Romo
Fictional character in the television remake of Battlestar Galactica portrayed by Mark Sheppard
Lange, Jessica
American actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film
Tootsie and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1994 film Blue Sky
Lansbury, Angela
Played Mame Dennis in the play Mame
Played Mrs. Nellie Lovett in the 1979 play Sweeney Todd
Lara
Mother of Superman in the DC universe
Larson, Glen
American television producer and writer best known as the creator of the television series Battlestar
Galactica, Quincy, M.E., B. J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider
Larter, Ali
American actress best known for playing the dual roles of Niki Sanders and Tracy Strauss on the
NBC science fiction drama Heroes
Last films
Lauper, Cyndi
American singer-songwriter whose hits include “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “Time After Time”,
“She Bop”, “All Through the Night”, “True Colors” and “Change of Heart”
First artist to top the Dance charts with a Broadway single in over 25 years in 2013
First female singer to have four top five singles on the Hot 100 from one album (She’s So Unusual)
Laurie, Hugh
English actor who played Dr. Gregory House, the protagonist of the American TV series House, for
which he received two Golden Globe awards, two Screen Actors Guild awards and six Emmy
nominations
Lawgiver
Fictional weapon used by the Judges in Judge Dredd
Lawrence, Florence
Canadian silent film actress often referred to as “The First Movie Star”, “The Biograph Girl”, “The
Imp Girl”, and “The Girl of a Thousand Faces”
Lawrence, Jennifer
American actress who achieved international recognition starring as the heroine Katniss Everdeen
in The Hunger Games
Played Tiffany Maxwell in the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook
Lawson, Nigella
English journalist and food writer often called the “queen of food porn”
Lazenby, George
Youngest actor to play James Bond (30)
Lee, Ang
Directed the films Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi
Lee, Christopher
English actor best known for playing Count Dracula in a string of popular Hammer Horror films,
Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Count Dooku in the final two films of the Star
Wars prequel trilogy
Lee, Jason
American actor best known for his roles as the title character on the NBC television seriesMy Name
is Earl, Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, and Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks
films
Lee, Peggy
Provided the voices of Darling, Si, Am, and Peg in the 1955 American animated romance film Lady
and the Tramp
Leguizamo, John
Provided the voice of Sid in Ice Age films
Leigh, Vivien
Born Vivian Mary Hartley, English actress best known for her performances as Scarlett O’Hara in
Gone with the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire
Played the character Myra in the film Waterloo Bridges
Lemmy
Born Ian Fraser Kilmister, English rock musician best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, principal
songwriter and the founding and sole constant member of the rock band Motörhead
Leo
Name of the MGM lion
Lerman, Logan
Played the title character in the Percy Jackson film franchise
Letterman, David
Holds the record for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States of America
Levine, Adam
Lead vocalist of the pop rock band Maroon 5
Levinson, Barry
American screenwriter, Academy Award winning film director, actor, and producer of film and
television whose notable films include The Natural, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, Bugsy, and
Bandits
Liberace
Musician known as “Mr. Showmanship”
Lifetime
American cable television specialty channel devoted to films, situation comedies and dramas, all of
which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles
“Lily”
Code name used for the Beyoncé Knowles album Beyoncé
Lincoln, Elmo
American film actor best known in his silent movie role as the first Tarzan in 1918’s Tarzan of the
Apes as an adult
Lipton, Leonard
Wrote the lyrics of “Puff the Magic Dragon”
Little Green Men
Name given to the three-eyed rubber aliens in the Toy Story film franchise
Little monsters
Term for fans of the American singer Lady Gaga
Littlefeather, Sacheen
Born Marie Louise Cruz, Native American civil rights activist best known for presenting a speech
on behalf of actor Marlon Brando, for his performance in The Godfather, when he boycotted the
45th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 1973, in protest of the treatment of Native
Americans by the film industry
Lloyd, Christopher
American actor whose best known roles include Emmett “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future
trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Logan, Lara
South African journalist who is currently the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News
Lola-Lola
Name of the character played by Marlene Dietrich in the film The Blue Angel
Lom, Herbert
Czech-born film actor best known for his roles in The Ladykillers and The Pink Panther film series
Lorde
Born Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor, New Zealand singer-songwriter known for her single
“Royals”
Lorre, Chuck
Creator of sitcoms Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory
Lorre, Peter
Best known for his role as Hans Beckert in the 1931 German drama-thriller M
Louis-Dreyfus, Julia
American actress who played the roles of Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, Christine Campbell on The New
Adventures of Old Christine and Selina Meyer on Veep
“Love Me Do”
First single of The Beatles
Lucasfilm Limited
American film and television production company best known for its films, such as the Star Wars
and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound and
computer animation for film.
Bought by the Walt Disney Company in 2012 at a valuation of $4.05 billion
Lucifer
Tremaines’ pet cat in the 1950 film Cinderella
Ludovico technique
Fictional aversion therapy from the novel A Clockwork Orange administered by Dr. Brodsky with
the approval of the UK Minister of the Interior that involved forcing a patient to watch, through the
use of specula to hold the eyes open, violent images for long periods of time, while under the effect
of a nausea-inducing drug
Lugosi, Bela
Born Béla Ferenc Dezso Blaskó, Hungarian actor best known for playing the character Dracula in
the 1931 film
Luhrmann, Baz
Director of Romeo and Juliet
Lumet, Sidney
Director of the films 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network and The Verdict
Lundgren, Dolph
Played Ivan Drago in the film Rocky IV
Luxo Jr.
First CGI film nominated for an Academy Award (Best Animated Short Film)
Lynch, David
American filmmaker whose works include Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, The
Elephant Man, and Eraserhead
MacArthur, James
American actor best known for the role of Danny “Danno” Williams, the reliable second-in-
command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad Hawaii Five-O
MacDougal
Last name of The Simpsons character Groundskeeper Willie
MacNicol, Peter
Best known for the roles of the eccentric lawyer John Cage in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal,
as Tom Lennox in the sixth season of action-thriller 24, Alan Birch in the Medical drama Chicago
Hope, and as physicist Dr. Larry Fleinhardt on the CBS crime drama NUMB3RS
Mad Men
First and only basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning it
in each of its first four seasons in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011
Magical Negro
Supporting stock character in American cinema who is portrayed as coming to the aid of a film’s
white protagonists
Majorino, Tina
Hollywood child star appeared in the music video of Pink's “Fuckin' Perfect”
“Makes Me Wonder”
Maroon 5's first number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Maleficent
Fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney’s 1959 film Sleeping Beauty
Malick, Terrence
American film director who won the Golden Bear at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival for
The Thin Red Line, the Palme d’Or at the 64th Cannes Film Festival for The Tree of Life, and the
SIGNIS Award at the 69th Venice International Film Festival for To the Wonder
“Manic Monday”
Song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second
studio album Different Light, written by Prince using the pseudonym “Christopher”
Mankiewicz, Joseph
Director of the 1950 film All About Eve
Mann, Michael
American film director whose films include Heat, The Insider, Collateral, Ali and Miami Vice
Marlohe, Bérénice
French actress well known for playing anti-hero Bond girl Sévérine in the twenty-third James Bond
film, Skyfall
Marquand, Richard
Welsh film director best known for directing the 1983 blockbuster Star Wars film, Return of the
Jedi
Marrow, Tracy
Real name of American rapper Ice-T
Marsh, Dave
First music critic to employ the term punk rock
Martin, Chris
English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and is the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm
guitarist and one of the founders of the band Coldplay
Martin, Steve
American comedian who played Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko in the film Sgt. Bilko
Martini shot
Hollywood term that describes the final shot set-up of the day
Marvin, Hank
English guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows
Mary Elizabeth
Real first and middle names of actress Sissy Spacek, winner of the Academy Award for Best
Actress for her role as country star Loretta Lynn in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter
Mathers, Marshall
Real name of rapper Eminem
Matsumoto, Kazuhiko
Prominent Japanese adult video director credited with inventing the bukkake genre of Japanese
pornography
Maverick
Call sign of the main character, played by Tom Cruise, in the film Top Gun
Max Headroom
Fictional British artificial intelligence (AI), known for his wit and stuttering, distorted,
electronically sampled voice, portrayed by Matt Frewer as “The World's first computer-generated
TV host”
Maximum Overdrive
Only directorial effort of novelist Stephen King
Mayhew, Peter
English actor best known for playing Chewbacca in the Star Wars films
McAdams, Rachel
Canadian actress who played Irene Adler in the films Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A
Game of Thrones, Becky Fuller in Morning Glory, Inez in Midnight in Paris and Paige Collins in
The Vow
McBrayer, Jack
American comedic actor who gained national exposure for his characters on Late Night with Conan
O’Brien and is known for portraying Kenneth Parcell on the television series 30 Rock
McDaniel, Hattie
First African American to win an Academy Award, winning the award for Best Supporting Actress
for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind
First black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp
McDiarmid, Ian
Scottish theatre actor most famous for his role as Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars film series
McFadden
Surname of Casper the Friendly Ghost
McKimson, Richard
Original creator of Speedy Gonzales
McMahon, Ed
American comedian, game show host and announcer most famous for his work on television as
Johnny Carson’s sidekick, announcer, and second banana on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992
Hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995 and co-hosted TV’s
Bloopers & Practical Jokes with Dick Clark from 1982 to 1998
McManus, Louis
American television engineer, film editor, and designer of the 1930s and 1940s best known as the
designer for the appearance of the Emmy award and symbol for the Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences
“Mean”
Single by Taylor Swift that holds the Billboard Hot 100 record for the biggest drop off the Hot 100
Melange
Name of the fictional drug central central to the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank
Herbert and derivative works
Melford, George
Director of the 1921 film The Sheik
Melmac
Fictional planet and homeworld to the alien life form in the eponymously titled sitcom ALF
Mendes, Sam
Director of the 1999 film American Beauty
Mercouri, Melina
Greek actress who met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra,
Topkapi and Promise at Dawn
First female Minister for Culture of Greece in 1981
Merrick, Joseph
English man with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human curiosity named the Elephant
Man
Mesmer, Otto
Creator of Felix the Cat
Michael, George
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panagiòtou, English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his
school friend, Andrew Ridgeley
Mickey Mouse
First cartoon character to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Midnight Cowboy
Only X-rated film ever to win Academy Award for Best Picture
Milano, Alyssa
American actress best known for portraying Phoebe Halliwell on The WB television series
Charmed
Millar, Christopher John
Better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, musician best known for his tenure as the drummer
for The Damned
Milli Vanilli
Pop and dance project whose Grammy was revoked after LA Times author Chuck Philips revealed
that lead vocals on the record were not the voices of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus
Mills, Hayley
English actress best known for her dual role as twins Susan and Sharon in the 1961 Disney film The
Parent Trap
Ming Tea
Rock band led by the title character, portrayed by Mike Myers, in the Austin Powers film series
Mitchell, Mitch
English drummer best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Mohr, Hal
Only person to have won a competitive Academy Award without being nominated for it (Best
Cinematography for the 1935 film A Midsummer Night's Dream)
• Peter Tork
• Mickey Dolenz
• Davy Jones
• Michael Nesmith
Montage
Film editing technique introduced by Russian director Sergei Eisenstein in which a series of short
shots are edited into a sequence to condense time, space and information
Montieth, Cory
Best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox TV series Glee
Moonwalk
Dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to
walk forward, popularized by Michael Jackson during a performance of “Billie Jean”on Motown
25: Yesterday, Today, Forever in 1983
Moore, Alan
English writer who wrote the graphic novels Watchmen and V for Vendetta
Morgan, Piers
Born Piers Stefan O'Meara, British journalist, television host and former television talent
competition judge currently working in the United States, working as the editorial director of First
News, a national newspaper for children published in the UK and host of Piers Morgan Live on
CNN, which he began hosting on 17 January 2011
Morimoto, Kozueko
Creator of the manga series Gokusen
Morita, Pat
American film and television actor who was well known for playing the roles of Matsuo
“Arnold”Takahashi on Happy Days and Keisuke Miyagi in the The Karate Kid movie series, for
which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984
Morley, Eric
Founder of the Miss World pageant
Mortensen, Viggo
American actor who played the role as Aragorn in the epic film trilogy The Lord of the Rings
Mötley Crüe
American heavy metal band described through the years as the World's Most Notorious Rock Band
Mouse, Timothy Q.
Friend of Dumbo
Movie coda
Alternative name for a post-credits scene
Best Female
Year Best Movie Best Male Performer
Performer
Arnold
Linda Hamilton,
Terminator 2: Schwarzenegger,
1992 Terminator 2:
Judgment Day Terminator 2:
Judgment Day
Judgment Day
Denzel Washington, Sharon Stone, Basic
1993 A Few Good Men
Malcolm X Instinct
Tom Hanks, Janet Jackson, Poetic
1994 Menace II Society
Philadelphia Justice
Brad Pitt, Interview
1995 Pulp Fiction Sandra Bullock, Speed
with the Vampire
Jim Carrey, Ace
Alicia Silverstone,
1996 Se7en Ventura: When Nature
Clueless
Calls
Tom Cruise, Jerry Claire Danes, Romeo
1997 Scream
Maguire + Juliet
Leonardo DiCaprio, Neve Campbell,
1998 Titanic
Titanic Scream 2
There’s Something Jim Carrey, The Cameron Diaz, There’s
1999
About Mary Truman Show Something About Mary
Keanu Reeves, The Sarah Michelle Gellar,
2000 The Matrix
Matrix Cruel Intentions
Tom Cruise, Mission: Julia Roberts, Erin
2001 Gladiator
Impossible 2 Brockovich
The Lord of the Rings:
Nicole Kidman,
2002 The Fellowship of the Will Smith, Ali
Moulin Rouge!
Ring
The Lord of the Rings: Kirsten Dunst, Spider-
2003 Eminem, 8 Mile
The Two Towers Man
Johnny Depp, Pirates
The Lord of the Rings: Uma Thurman, Kill
2004 of the Caribbean: The
The Return of the King Bill, Vol. 1
Curse of the Black
Best Female
Year Best Movie Best Male Performer
Performer
Pearl
Leonardo DiCaprio, Lindsay Lohan, Mean
2005 Napoleon Dynamite
The Aviator Girls
2006 Wedding Crashers Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Pirates of the
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
2007 Caribbean: Dead
Man’s Chest
Man’s Chest
Will Smith, I Am
2008 Transformers Ellen Page, Juno
Legend
Zac Efron, High
Kristen Stewart,
2009 Twilight School Musical 3:
Twilight
Senior Year
Robert Pattinson, The Kristen Stewart, The
The Twilight Saga:
2010 Twilight Saga: New Twilight Saga: New
New Moon
Moon Moon
The Twilight Saga: Robert Pattinson, The Kristen Stewart, The
2011
Eclipse Twilight Saga: Eclipse Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Twilight Saga:
Josh Hutcherson, The Jennifer Lawrence,
2012 Breaking Dawn – Part
Hunger Games The Hunger Games
1
Jennifer Lawrence,
Bradley Cooper, Silver
2013 Marvel’s The Avengers Silver Linings
Linings Playbook
Playbook
Murch, Walter
Sound editor responsible for the utterance which sparked the name for Star Wars character R2D2
Murnau, F. W.
German film director whose best known film is Nosferatu
Murphy, Alex
Real name of the fictional character RoboCop
Murphy, Donna
Provided the voice of Mother Gothel in the 2010 film Tangled
Murray, Mae
First person to dunk a doughnut into a cup of coffee
Mushu
In the movie Mulan, dragon that protected Mulan during her secretdeparture to fight in the war
My Fair Lady
Musical derived from the George Bernard Shaw novel Pygmalion
My Man Godfrey
1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava that became the first movie to
be nominated in all four Academy Award acting categories
Only film in Oscar history to receive a nomination in all four acting categories and not be
nominated for Best Picture
Only film to be nominated in the six categories and not receive an award
Myers, Stanley
British film composer best known for his guitar piece “Cavatina” that served as the signature theme
for Michael Cimino's 1978 film The Deer Hunter
“Mystery Machine”
Van painted with psychedelic colors and flower power imagery in the animated cartoon franchise
Scooby Doo
Nast, Thomas
German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the “Father of
the American Cartoon” whose notable works include the creation of the modern version of Santa
Claus and the political symbol of the elephant for the Republican Party
NCC-1701
Registry number of the USS Enterprise, the central starship in Star Trek
Neeson, Liam
Irish actor best known for his roles in Schindler’s List, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,
Michael Collins, Taken, Kinsey, Batman Begins and Darkman
Nemo’s
Name of the restaurant in the TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond
Neon Trees
American alternative rock band from Provo, Utah whose first single is “Animal”
Neuralyzer
Device used to make people forget in the Men in Black film franchise
Newman, Alfred
American composer who won nine Academy Awards, more than any other composer in Oscar
history
Newton, John
English clergyman who wrote the words of the Christian hymn “Amazing Grace”
Nichols, Dudley
American screenwriter who became the first artist to refuse an Academy Award
Nightlock
Name given to the wild plant with poisonous berries that Katniss Everdeenand Peeta Mellark used
to win the 74th Hunger Games
Nigma, Edward E.
Alter-ego of Batman adversary The Riddler
Noo-noo
Teletubbies’ guardian and housekeeper
Norman, Steve
English musician who plays saxophone, guitar, percussion, and other instruments, for Spandau
Ballet
North by Northwest
American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock that is generally cited as the first to feature
extended use of kinetic typography in its opening credits
O’Donoghue, Danny
Frontman of The Script
O’Loughlin, Alex
Australian actor who currently stars in CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 as Lieutenant Commander Steve
McGarrett
O’Neill, Oona
Fourth and last wife of British comic and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin
O'Riordan, Dolores
Irish singer, guitarist and songwriter who led the rock band The Cranberries to worldwide success
for thirteen years before the band took a break from 2003 until it reunited in 2009
O'Sullivan, Maureen
Irish actress best known for playing Jane in the Tarzan film series starring Johnny Weissmüller
O'Toole, Peter
Irish-born British reared actor who achieved stardom playing T. E. Lawrence in the 1962 film
Lawrence of Arabia
Provided the voice of Anton Ego in Ratatouille
Holds the record for the most Academy Award acting nominations without a win
Oakley, Annie
Famous markswoman once shot a cigarette from themouth of Kaiser Wilhelm II on a tour to Europe
Oda, Eiichiro
Japanese manga artist, best known for his long-running series One Piece, which is the highest-
selling manga series of all time
Oka, Masayori
Japanese-American actor and digital effects artist became widely known for his role on NBC’s
Heroes as Hiro Nakamura
Oklahoma!
First gold album to be certified by RIAA (1958)
Oldboy
2003 South Korean mystery thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook that won the Grand Prix at
the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Olive
Real first name of singer Marie Osmond
Oliver
First name of Little Orphan Annie character “Daddy” Warbucks
Olsson
Real surname of Swedish-American actress Ann-Margret
Opel, Robert
Man who streaked during the 46th Academy Awards (1974)
Orbison, Roy
Also known by the nickname The Big O, American singer-songwriter, best known for his
distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads whose hits include
“Only the Lonely”, “Crying”, and “Oh, Pretty Woman”
Orion Pax
Original name of Optimus Prime
Orr, Benjamin
Bassist and vocalist for the rock band The Cars
Osbourne, Ozzy
English musician who rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the pioneering
English rock band Black Sabbath
Otaku
Japanese term for “obsessed anime fan”
Our World
First live, international, satellite television production, which was broadcast on 25 June 1967
Pacino, Al
Played Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and Tony Montana in Scarface
Played Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman
Palicki, Adrianne
Played Lady Jaye in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Paquin, Anna
Canadian-born New Zealand actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for
her role in the film The Piano
Pardo, Don
American radio and TV announcer best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch
comedy show Saturday Night Live
Parker, Alan
English film director whose works include Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame, The
Commitments, Evita and The Life of David Gale
Parker, CJ
Character played by Pamela Anderson in the TV series Baywatch
Parker, Peter
Alter-ego of Spider-Man
Pathé Frères
French company that invented the newsreel that was shown in theaters prior to a feature film
Pattinson, Robert
Played Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer
“Peacock Network”
Moniker for the American TV network National Broadcasting Corporation
Peckinpah, Sam
American film director and screenwriter who achieved prominence following the release of the
Western epic The Wild Bunch
Peppard, George
Played the role of Paul Varjak in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's
Perlman, Rhea Jo
American actress best known for her role as Carla Tortelli on the sitcom Cheers
Perrine, Valerie
Played Eve Teschmacher in the 1978 film Superman
Pesci, Joe
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the psychopathic mobster
Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas
Pet Shop Boys
English electronic pop duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and
occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasional vocals
Petersen, Wolfgang
German film director and screenwriter whose works include Das Boot, The Neverending Story,
Enemy Mine, In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy, and Poseidon
Petty, Tom
Front man of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s
supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch
Philadelphia
1993 American drama film that became one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to
acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia
Phillips, Julia
First female producer to win an Academy Award for Best Film (The Sting)
Piano
Musical instrument of jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton
Pickens, Slim
Born Louis Burton Lindley, Jr., American rodeo performer and film and television actor who
epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles,
notably in Dr. Strangelove and Blazing Saddles
Rode in a dropped H-bomb to a certain death, whooping and waving his cowboy hat (in the manner
of a rodeo performer bronc riding or bull riding), not knowing its detonation will trigger a Russian
doomsday device in Dr. Strangelove
Pikasso Guitar
Instrument designed and built by Canadian master luthier Linda Manzer
Pinewood Studios
Home of the Carry On, Superman, and James Bond film series
Pinheiro, Heloísa
Brazilian model and businesswoman who inspired the lyrics to the song “The Girl From Ipanema”
Pink film
Broad cinematic term used to categorize a wide variety of Japanese films with adult content
The Pips
Backing group of Gladys Knight
Plan B Entertainment
American film production company founded by Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, and Jennifer Aniston
Plane Crazy
American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks released in 1929 by The
Walt Disney Studio, which was the first creation of the character Mickey Mouse
Plant, Robert
Lead vocalist and lyricist of Led Zeppelin
Pleasance, Donald
English actor whose most notable film roles include psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis in the Halloween
series, the villain Ernest Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and RAF
Lieutenant Colin Blythe in The Great Escape
Plummer, Christopher
Oldest actor and person ever to win an Academy Award, provided the voice of Charles Muntz in
the animated film Up
Pointy-haired boss
Title character’s boss in the Dilbert comic stip
Poitier, Sydney
First black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field
First African American to receive the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Portman, Natalie
Born Natalie Hershlag, winner of the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA
Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Independent Spirit Award for her lead performance
as Nina Sayers in Black Swan
Played Mathilda in the 1994 film Léon (The Professional)
Pottsylvania
Fictional country led by the Fearless Leader that appeared in the TV series Rocky and his Friends
and The Bullwinkle Show
Presley, Elvis
Best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music
Previn, Andre
German-American pianist, conductor, and composer considered one of the most versatile musicians
in the world and is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards
for his recordings
Pride
Last name of Woody
Prince
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, American singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist and actor
whose hit singles include “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover”
Prince, Diana
Alter ego of Wonder Woman
Psycho
1960 Alfred Hitchcock film released along with manuals to theaters that gave explicit instructions
not to let any movie-goer in after the movie began
Pukkelpop
Annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August
Pumbaa
First character to fart in a Disney movie
Pygmalion
Play by George Bernard Shaw that was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady
Pyle, Denver
American actor best remembered for having portrayed Briscoe Darling on several episodes of The
Andy Griffith Show and also as Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985
Pytka, Joe
Director of 1996 film Space Jam
Quaid, Randy
Played Russell Casse in Independence Day and Joe in Brokeback Mountain
The Quarrymen
British skiffle and rock and roll group, formed by John Lennon in Liverpool in 1956, which
eventually evolved into the Beatles in 1960
Queen, Oliver
Alter ego of Green Arrow
“Queen of Soul”
Nickname given to American singer Aretha Franklin whose hits include “I Never Loved a Man
(The Way I Love You)”,”(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”,”Think”, “Chain of Fools”
and “Respect”
Queen’s Hall
Home of the promenade concerts (“The Proms”) founded by Robert Newman together with Henry
Wood from 1895 until 1941
Questel, Mae
American actress best known for providing the voices for the animated characters Betty Boop and
Olive Oyl
Quintanilla-Pérez, Selena
The only female artist to have five albums in U.S. Billboard 200 at the same time, murdered at the
age of 23 on March 31, 1995 by Yolanda Saldívar, the former president of her fan club
“Radio Ga Ga”
Queen song that became the basis of Lady Gaga’s stage name
Raimbaud, Jean-Yves
Creator of French animated comedy series Oggy and the Cockroaches
Raja Harischandra
First full-length Indian feature film
Ramsay, Gordon
British chef known for presenting TV programs about competitive cookery and food, such as the
British series Hell’s Kitchen, The F Word, Ramsay’s Best Restaurant, Ramsay’s Kitchen
Nightmares, Gordon’s Great Escape, Gordon Behind Bars, and Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate
Cookery Course, along with the American versions of Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares,
MasterChef, and Hotel Hell
Randolph, Boots
American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit “Yakety Sax”
Ranier, Luise
First person ever to win two consecutive Academy Awards
Rastapopoulos
Primary antagonist of The Adventures of Tintin comic series
Rawhide
Only Hollywood movie in which Lou Gehrig made a screen appearance
Record of a Sneeze
World’s first copyrighted motion picture made by Thomas Edison
Redgrave, Lynn
Played the title role in the 1966 film Georgy Girl
Redgrave, Vanessa
English actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1977
film Julia
Reed, Lou
Principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground
Rees, David
American cartoonist and humorist whose best-known work combines bland clip art with outrageous
“trash talk”to incongruous effect
Reeve, Christopher
American actor who achieved stardom for his acting achievements, in particular his motion-picture
portrayal of the fictional superhero Superman
“Reflection”
Debut single by American recording artist Christina Aguilera
Regeneration
Biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet
Gallifrey, in the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who which allows a
Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new physical form
and a somewhat different personality
“Rehab”
Signature song of Amy Winehouse
Reichardt, Patricia
Real name of Peanuts character Peppermint Patty
Reichs, Kathy
American forensic anthropologist who is the producer for the TV series Bones
Remy
Name of the rat who wants to be a chef in the animated film Ratatouille
Resnais, Alain
French film director whose works include Nuit et Brouillard, Hiroshima mon amour, Last Year at
Marienbad, and Muriel
Reznor, Trent
Founder of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails
Richards, Michael
American actor, comedian, writer and television producer best known for his portrayal of Cosmo
Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld
Richards, Reed
Alter ego of Mister Fantastic
Rickman, Alan
Provided the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in the 2005 film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy
Played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series
Riefenstahl, Leni
German film director best known for directing the documentary film Triumph of the Will
Rigel IV
Home planet of The Simpsons characters Kang and Kodos
Riverdale
Fictional setting for the characters in the Archie comics
Robbins, Tim
Tallest actor ever to win an Academy Award (6’5”)
Rock Werchter
Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1976
Rockatansky, Max
Title character and main protagonist of the Mad Max film franchise portrayed by Mel Gibson
Roddenberry, Gene
American television screenwriter best known for creating the original Star Trek television series
and the Star Trek science fiction franchise
Rogers, Norville
Real name of Scooby-Doo character Shaggy
Rogers, Steve
Alter ego of Captain America
Romano, Ray
American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter and voice actor, best known for his roles on the
sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series
Rooney, Mickey
Portrayed Thomas Edison in the 1940 film Young Tom Edison
Roskilde Festival
Festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the largest music festivals in Europe,
created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and
promoter Carl Fischer
Rotoscoping
Animation technique invented by Max Fleischer in which animators trace over footage, frame by
frame, for use in live-action and animated films
Roxette
Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals) and Per Gessle (vocals and guitar)
whose hits include “The Look”, “Listen to Your Heart”, “It Must Have Been Love”, and “Joyride”
Russell, Keri
American actress and dancer who came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the
TV series Felicity
Rutter, Brad
All time highest earner in Jeopardy!, with total earnings of $3,370,102
Rzeznik, John
Frontman of the Goo Goo Dolls
Savage Garden
Australian pop rock duo consisting of Darren Hayes as vocalist and Daniel Jones as instrumentalist,
whose hit singles include “I Want You”, “To the Moon and Back”, “Truly Madly Deeply”, “The
Animal Song” and “I Knew I Loved You”
Named after a phrase from The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Scherzinger, Nicole
Lead singer and front-woman of The Pussycat Dolls
Schreck, Max
German actor most often remembered today for his lead role in the 1922 film Nosferatu, named
Count Orlok
Schwartz, Sherwood
American television producer who created the television series Gilligan’s Island on CBS and The
Brady Bunch on ABC
Scoobert Doo
Real name of Scooby Doo
Scorsese, Martin
American film director whose works include Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas,
and The Departed
Scott, Ridley
Directed the films White Squall, 1492: Conquest of Paradise and Thelma andLouise
“Scrambled Eggs”
Working title of The Beatles song “Yesterday”
Scrat
Fictional species in the Ice Age film franchise who is obsessed with collecting acorns, constantly
putting his life in danger to obtain and defend them
Scully, Dana
Fictional character portrayed by Gillian Anderson in the TV series The X-Files
Seacrest, Ryan
Host of American Top 40 and American Idol
Selleck, Tom
American actor best known for his starring role as the private investigator Thomas Magnum in the
television series Magnum, P.I.
Sellers, Peter
Portrayed Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the Pink Panther series
Sennett, Mack
Canadian-born American director and actor and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in
film
Serkis, Andy
English actor popularly known for playing through performance capture to animate and voice
computer-generated characters: Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit
prequels, King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and
Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin
Settings of TV shows
“Sex on Fire”
First single released from American Alternative Rock band Kings of Leon’s fourth studio album
Only by the Night
Seyfried, Amanda
Played Linda Lovelace in the biopic Lovelace
Shag
State dance of South Carolina
Shaguar
Personal Jaguar of Austin Powers
Sharif, Omar
Born Michel Demitri Shalhoub, Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including
Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl
Sheen, Charlie
Fired from Two and a Half Men by CBS and Warner Bros. in March 2011
Shepard, Cybill
Played Betsy in Taxi Driver and Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting
Shields, Brooke
Played Violet in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, Emmeline Lestrange in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon,
and Jade Butterfield in the 1981 film Endless Love
Played Susan Stewart (title character's mother) in Hannah Montana
Shock jock
Type of radio broadcaster or disc jockey who entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor
and/or melodramatic exaggeration that a notable portion of the listening audience may find
offensive
Shoegazing
Subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s by bands
such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride
Shore, Howard
Composer of the musical score for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy
Shuttlesworth, Jesus
Character played by NBA player Ray Allen in the film HeGot Game
Shyriiwook
Native language of the Wookiee race in Star Wars
Sigur Rós
Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi
Birgisson’s falsetto vocals, and the use of bowed guitar
Named after Jónsi’s sister Sigurrós Elin
Sinise, Gary
American actor who played Lieutenant Dan in the film Forrest Gump
Sirtis, Marina
English-American actress best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Ska
Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s that combined elements of Caribbean
mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues and characterized by a walking bass
line accented with rhythms on the upbeat
Skinjob
In Battlestar Galactica, term used to describe humanoid cylons
Skynet
Fictional, self-aware artificial intelligence system which features centrally in the Terminator
franchise and serves as the franchise’s main antagonist
Slimey
Oscar the Grouch’s pet worm
Slovak, Hillel
Israeli-American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the Los
Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sluizer, George
Dutch filmmaker best known for directing two versions of The Vanishing (originally titled
Spoorloos)
Smythe, Reg
British cartoonist who created the popular, long-running Andy Capp comic strip
Snowball II
Pet cat of the Simpson family in The Simpsons
Snyder, Zack
Director of the films Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of
Ga’Hoole, Sucker Punch, and Man of Steel
Sonic screwdriver
Fictional multifunctional tool used by The Doctor in the British science fiction television series
Doctor Who and its spinoffs
“SOS”
Only palindromic song by a palindromic band (ABBA)
Soundgarden
American rock band that had the Grammy Award-winning singles “Black Hole Sun” and
“Spoonman”
Spacey, Kevin
Born Kevin Spacey Fowler, American actor who played Roger “Verbal” Kint in The Usual
Suspects, Hopper in A Bug's Life, Lester Burnham in American Beauty and Francis “Frank”
Underwood in House of Cards
• Tony Hadley
• Gary Kemp
• Steve Norman
• John Keemble
• Martin Jemp
Speech balloons
Graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comic strips and cartoons to allow words
to be understood as representing the speech or thoughts of a given character in the comic
Spelvin, George
Traditional pseudonym used in programs in American theater
Spelvin, Georgina
Stage name of Michelle Graham, former American pornographic performer who is best known as
the star of the classic pornographic film The Devil in Miss Jones
Spiegelman, Art
American cartoonist best known for his graphic novel Maus
Spiner, Brent
American actor best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the TV
series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Spinney, Carroll
American puppeteer most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street
Splatter film
Subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence
Spongebob Squarepants
First Nicktoon to have 200 or more episodes
Springfield, Jebediah
Founder of the fictional city of Springfield in The Simpsons
• Hyperion
• Nighthawk
• Doctor Spectrum
• Power Princess
• The Whizzer
SS Minnow
Fictional charter boat on the hit 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island
Stanley, George
American sculptor who designed the Academy Award of Merit or Oscar
Star Warsmovies
Stark, Tony
Real name of Iron Man
Fifth wealthiest fictional character of all time by Forbes in the most recent edition of the
publication’s annual “Fictional 15” list
“Starships”
Single by Nicki Minaj that hold the Billboard Hot 100 record of most consecutive weeks in top ten
after debuting in top ten
Statham, Jason
Played Frank Martin in the Transporter films
Steamboat Willie
First cartoon to feature a fully post-produced soundtrack and considered the debut of Mickey
Mouse
Stewart, Kristen
American actress best known for playing Bella Swan in the Twilight saga
Highest paid actress in 2012 with total earnings of $34.5 million according to Forbes magazine
Stills, Stephen
American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo
Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Stone, Oliver
American film director, screenwriter, and producer who came to public prominence between the
mid-1980s and the early 1990s for writing and directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, in
which he had participated as an infantry soldier
Directed the film Midnight Express
Streep, Meryl
Born Mary Louise Streep, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in
Sophie’s Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011)
Received 17 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 27 Golden Globe nominations,
winning eight, more nominations than any other actor in the history of either award
Street Survivors
Final album of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Streisand, Barbra
American singer-songwriter, actress, writer, film producer, and director who won two Academy
Awards, eight Grammy Awards, five Emmy Awards including one Daytime Emmy, a Special Tony
Award, an American Film Institute award, a Kennedy Center Honors award, a Peabody Award, and
is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award
Only recipient of a star in Hollywood Walk of Fame who has failed after agreeing to do so in 1976
“Strip Me”
Song by Natasha Bedingfield that was the official theme song for the 2010 film Morning Glory
Strong, Arnold
First screen name of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sugababes
English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and
Jade Ewen
“Suicide Is Painless”
Song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics), which is best known for having
been featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H
Summer, Donna
First artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the United States
Billboard album chart and charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month
period
“Summer Nights”
Popular song from the musical Grease, best-known version was recorded by John Travolta and
Olivia Newton-John
Sutcliffe, Stuart
Scottish-born musician best known as the original bassist for the Beatles
Sutherland, Donald
Canadian actor who played President Snow in The Hunger Games trilogy
Swann, Elizabeth
Character played by Keira Knightley in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise
Swanson, Kristy
American actress who played Buffy Summers in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Swift, Taylor
Youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on the country chart with
the song “Our Song”
Synthpop
Also known as electropop or technopop, genre of popular music that first became prominent in the
1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument
“Take a Bow”
Madonna’s longest-running number-one hit in the United States
• Gary Barlow
• Howard Donald
• Jason Orange
• Mark Owen
• Robbie Williams
Takei, George
Played Sulu in the original Star Trek series
Tandy, Jessica
Oldest actress to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Driving Miss Daisy
Tarantino, Quentin
American film director whose works include Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious
Basterds and Django Unchained
Tardar Sauce
Real name of Internet celebrity Grumpy Cat, known for her grumpy facial expression
Tate, Sharon
Wife of film director Roman Polanski who was murdered by followers of Charles Manson in 1969
Tautou, Audrey
Played Coco Chanel in the film Coco Before Chanel
Taylor, Alan
Director of the films The Emperor’s New Clothes and Thor: The Dark World
Taylor, Elizabeth
First woman to get a US$1 million film contract for her role in Cleopatra
Taynton, William
First person on television as a test subject in 1938
Technicolor
Color motion picture process invented in 1916 and then improved over several decades, founded by
Herbert Kalmus, Daniel Frost Comstock, and W. Burton Wescott
Tejada, Jo Raquel
Real name of American actress Raquel Welch
“Telephone”
Song co-written and performed by Lady Gaga, originally written for Britney Spears but rejected by
the latter
Telerecords
Original name given to music videos
Temple, Shirley
Shortest actress ever to win an Academy Award (3'5”)
Tezuka, Osamu
Japanese cartoonist best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack
and is often credited as the “Godfather of Anime”
The Beatles
Holds the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with 20
The Edge
Born David Howell Evans, best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the
Irish rock band U2
The Go-Go’s
First all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the
Billboard album charts
The Goldbergs
First television sitcom
The Honeymooners
American sitcom that became the basis of the animated TV series The Flintstones
The Kiss
First romantic kiss on screen
The Office
First British sitcom to win the Best Comedy prize at the Golden Globe Awards
The Producers
Favorite movie of Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Proms
More formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by
the BBC, an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other
events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London
The Simpsons
Longest running primetime animated TV series, debuted in 1989
The Sopranos
Named by the Writers Guild of America as the best-written series in television history in 2013
“The Stripper”
Instrumental composed by David Rose recorded in 1958 that evinces a jazz influence with
especially prominent trombone lines, and evokes the feel if music used to accompany striptease
artists
The Supremes
Originally founded as the Primettes, American female singing group and the premier act of Motown
Records during the 1960s
The Tropicana
Name of the fictional New York City nightclub where Ricky Ricardo served as bandleader on the
classic 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy
“The Twist”
Single by Chubby Checker known for being the only single to reach No. 1 in two different chart
runs
The Ventures
American instrumental rock band known for their moniker “The Band that Launched a Thousand
Bands”
Theed
Capital of Naboo
Thermopolis, Mia
Fictional character and the protagonist of The Princess Diaries novels by Meg Cabot, portrayed in
film by Anne Hathaway
Theron, Charlize
First South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category for her role in the film
Monster
Played the title role in the film Æon Flux
Played Queen Ravenna in the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman
Thomas, Rob
American producer best known as the author of the 1996 novel Rats Saw God and creator of the
critically acclaimed TV series Veronica Mars
Thompson, Emma
Played the title role in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee
“TiK ToK”
2009 single by Kesha that became the best-selling single worldwide in 2010, selling 12.8 million
copies in that year alone
Time shifting
Recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a more convenient
time to the consumer
Tisdale, Ashley
American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney
Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High
School Musical film series
First female artist to debut with two songs simultaneously on the chart with “What I’ve Been
Looking For” and “Bop to the Top”, both tracks from the High School Musical film’s soundtrack
Toriyama, Akira
Japanese manga artist and game artist best known for his manga series Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball
Toy Story
First feature-length computer-animated film
First film produced by Pixar
Treehouse of Horror
Series of Halloween specials in the animated TV series The Simpsons
Tribbles
Fictional animals in the Star Trek universe depicted as small, furry, soft, gentle and slow-moving
Trigger
• Name of the Martin N-20 guitar played by Willie Nelson
• Switch in a trombone that enables a trombonist to switch from one set of tubing to another
Troyer, Verne
Played the character Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film franchise
Trujillo, Victor
Mexican comedian known for his character Brozo el Payaso Tenebroso who could criticize
politicians freely and poignantly
Truffaut, François
Director of the film The 400 Blows
Trumbo, Dalton
American screenwriter who won two Academy Awards while blacklisted; one was originally given
to a front writer, and one was awarded to “Robert Rich”, Trumbo’s pseudonym
Tudyk, Alan
Provided the voice and body movements for the robot Sonny in the film I, Robot
Turner, Ted
Nicknamed “The Mouth of the South” and “Captain Outrageous”, founder of the cable news
network CNN, the first 24-hour cable news channel
Twister
1996 film that became the first Hollywood feature film to be released on DVD format and one of
the last to be released on HD DVD
Tyler, Judy
American actress known for playing Princess Summerfall Winterspring in the TV series Howdy
Doody
Tyler, Steven
Born Steven Victor Tallarico and nicknamed the “Demon of Screamin'“, American singer,
songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-
based rock band Aerosmith
Ulrich, Lars
Danish-American drummer of the American heavy metal band Metallica
Umeki, Miyoshi
First and only Asian woman to win an Academy Award for acting for her role as Katsumi in the
1957 film Sayonara
Underwood, Carrie
American Idol winnerknown for her hits “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Before He Cheats”
Female country artist with the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country songs chart
United Artists
American film studio founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and
Douglas Fairbanks, with the intention of controlling their own interests rather than depending upon
the powerful commercial studios
Unobtainium
Mineral ore that the humans have ventured to the moon of Pandora for as it is considered highly
valuable in the James Cameron film Avatar
Up
First animated film or a film in 3-D that opened the Cannes Film Festival
“Up to eleven”
Idiom from popular culture, carried in the movie This Is Spinal Tap, which has come to refer to
anything being exploited to its utmost abilities or apparently exceeding them
Urban, Karl
Played the title role in the 2012 film Dredd
Urban, Keith
New Zealand born and Australian raised country music singer, songwriter and guitarist known for
his roles as a coach on the Australian version of the singing competition The Voice, and as a judge
on American Idol
Ursula
Name of the sea witch in the film The Little Mermaid
Uru
Fictional metal in Marvel Comics from which Thor's hammer Mjolnir is made
Vadim, Roger
French director whose works include And God Created Woman, Spirits of the Dead and Barbarella,
Queen of the Galaxy
Valentino, Rudolph
Born Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla, Italian actor
who starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,
The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik
Vega, Makenzie
Played the role of Grace Florrick in the American TV legal drama The Good Wife
Verne
Name of the turtle in the comic strip and animated film Over the Hedge
“Veronica”
Single from Elvis Costello’s 1989 album Spike and Costello’s highest-charting Top 40 hit in the
United States, peaking at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart
Vicious, Sid
Born John Simon Ritchie, English musician who was the bass guitarist of the influential punk group
the Sex Pistols
Visual Kei
Movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair
styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics
Voight-Kampff Test
Test that determines whether an individual is human or replicant in Blade Runner
Wadih El Safi
Lebanese singer-songwriter known as the “Voice of Lebanon”
Wagner, Lindsay
American actress best known for her portrayal of Jaime Sommers in the 1970s television series The
Bionic Woman
Walker, Mort
American comic artist best known for creating newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and
Lois
Author of the 1980 book The Lexicon of Comicana
Walker, Paul
American actor best known for starring as Brian O'Conner in The Fast and the Furious film series
Wallace, Christopher
Real name of rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
Wallace, Marcia
American character actress best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester on the 1970s
sitcom The Bob Newhart Show, and as the voice of elementary school teacher Edna Krabappel on
the animated series The Simpsons
Walsh, John
American television personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate and the
host, as well as creator of the television series America’s Most Wanted
Walters, Barbara
First female co-anchor of any network evening news, working with Harry Reasoner on the ABC
News flagship program ABC Evening News
Waltz, Christoph
Austrian-German actor best known for his works with American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and
received acclaim for his supporting roles as SS-Colonel Hans Landa in Tarantino’s Inglourious
Basterds and bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz in Tarantino’s Django Unchained
Warriors Three
Group of fictional characters who served as supporting cast members in Thor, published by Marvel
Comics, made up of the Asgardians Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg
Washington, Kerry
American actress who played Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal
Played Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland and Broomhilda von Schaft in Django
Unchained
Waters, Jennifer
Alter-ego of She-hulk
Watson, Emma
English actress and model who rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter
film series
Watterson, Bill
American artist and the author of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes
Wayne, Bruce
Alter-ego of Batman
Weaver, Sigourney
Narrator of the 2002 film The Tale of Despereaux
Webb, Jack
American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as
Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet
Weiland, Scott
Born Scott Richard Kline, American musician best known as the former frontman for the successful
rock band Stone Temple Pilots, as well as the supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008
Weisz, Erik
Real name of escapologist Harry Houdini
Welland, May
Character played by Winona Ryder in the 1993 film The Age of Innocence
Welles, Orson
American actor best remembered for his role in Citizen Kane
Wells, Julia
Real name of Julie Andrews
Welsh, Pat
American film actress known as the voice of E.T.
Wensleydale
Favorite cheese of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit
Wentworth, Martha
Provided the voice of Madame Mim in The Sword in the Stone
Wepner, Chuck
Former heavyweight boxer who became the inspiration for the movie Rocky
West, Adam
American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series on ABC and the 1966 Batman
feature film
Wheeler-Nicholson, Malcolm
American pulp magazine writer and entrepreneur who founded National Allied Publication, which
would evolve into DC Comics
Whitaker, Forest
Winner of an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film
The Last King of Scotland
White, Betty
First female game-show host to win an Emmy award for Just Men!
White, Richard
Provided the voice of Gaston in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
White, Vanna
Born Vanna Marie Rosich, American television personality and film actress best known as the
hostess of Wheel of Fortune since 1982
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as “television’s most frequent clapper” in
1992
Wicked Game
1991 album by singer-songwriter Chris Isaak
Wife Beware
First movie shown in a drive-in theatre in 1933
Wild Strawberries
1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman about an old man recalling his past
Wilder, Gene
Born Jerome Silberman, American actor best known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy
Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Wilkins, Toby
Director of the 2009 film The Grudge 3
Williams, Vanessa
First African-American woman crowned Miss America
First Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown after nude photos of her appeared in
Penthouse magazine
Willis, Bruce
German-American actor best known for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard series
Played Harry Stamper in Armageddon, Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction, Dwayne Hoover in
Breakfast of Champions and Dr. Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense
Willis, Victor
Original lead singer of the disco group Village People
Wilson, Jackie
American singer and performer known as “Mr. Excitement”
Wilson, John J. B.
American copywriter who founded the Golden Raspberry Awards
Wilson, Mara
Played Matilda Wormwood in Matilda
Wilson, Torrie
American model, fitness competitor, actress, and retired professional wrestler best known for her
tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Winchell, Paul
American ventriloquist widely known for being the original voice of Tigger
Winehouse, Amy
English singer-songwriter known for her deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical
genres including R&B, soul and jazz
First British female to win five Grammys for her album Back to Black
Winger, John
Name of the character played by Bill Murray in the 1981 American comedy film Stripes
Wings
Only silent film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture
Winkler, Henry
American actor best known for his role as Fonzie in the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days
First to be offered the role of Danny Zuko in the film Grease
Winter, Alex
English-born American actor, film director and screenwriter best known for his role as Bill S.
Preston Esq. in the 1989 film Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its 1991 sequel Bill & Ted’s
Bogus Journey
Winters, Jonathan
Played Mearth in the TV series Mork & Mindy
Wintour, Anna
English editor-in-chief of American Vogue since 1988
Wisteria Lane
Name of a fictional street at the center of U.S. television drama series Desperate Housewives
Wladziu Valentino
First and middle names of American pianist Liberace
Wolf, Dick
Produced the TV series Miami Vice and Law and Order
Woman Haters
First short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges
Wonder, Stevie
Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, American singer-songwriter who has been blind since bird, most
famous for the song “Superstition”
Youngest male artist to top the Hot 100 with “Fingertips Pt. 2” from August 10, 1963 to August 24,
1963
Woo, John
Hong Kong film director whose films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission:
Impossible II
Wood, Elijah
American actor who made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II and best
known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed The Lord
of the Rings trilogy
Woods, Elle
Protagonist of the film Legally Blonde, played by Reese Witherspoon
Woods, James
Provided the voice of Hades in the 1997 film Hercules
Woodstock
Snoopy’s closest friend and, after Snoopy, the most recognized non-human in the comic strip
Peanuts
Woodward, Joanne
American actress and producer of television and theatre best known for her Academy Award-
winning role (Eve White / Eve Black / Jane) in The Three Faces of Eve
Wormer, Vernon
Dean of Faber College in the film National Lampoon’s Animal House, played by John Vernon
“Wrecking Ball”
First number one single of Miley Cyrus in the United States
Wright, Robin
Played Jenny Curran in the film Forrest Gump
Xanadu
49,000-acre Florida estate of Charles Foster Kane, played by Orson Welles, in the film Citizen
Kane
“Yellow Submarine”
1966 song by the Beatles that won an Ivor Novello Award for the highest certified sales of any
single issued in the UK in 1966
Yes, Giorgio
1982 musical/comedy film starring Luciano Pavarotti, his only venture in film acting
“Y.M.C.A.”
Biggest hit of Village People
YOLO
Acronym for “you only live once”, used in youth culture and music, and were popularized by the
2011 song “The Motto” by Canadian rapper Drake
Young, Chic
American cartoonist who created the popular, long-running comic strip Blondie
Yunupingu, Mandawuy
Aboriginal Australian musician notable for being the front man of the band Yothu Yindi
Zebra Three
Radio code name, more accurately known as a call sign, given by the fictional “Bay City,
California” police department of the iconic 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch to Robbery-
Homicide Division detectives David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson
Zeffirelli, Franco
Italian film director principally known for his 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet
Zellweger, Renée
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 2003 drama
Cold Mountain
Zenga Zenga
Auto-tuned somg and viral YouTube video that parodied the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
Zeta-Jones, Catherine
Welsh actress who came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies including the 1998 action
film The Mask of Zorro and the 1999 crime thriller film Entrapment
Zorin, Max
Main antagonist in the James Bond movie A View to Kill, portrayed by Christopher Walken
Zukor, Adolph
Founder of Paramount Pictures
ZZ Top
Played the Hill Valley Town Festival band in Back to the Future III
Geography
8
Number of countries that lie within the Arctic Circle
10 Downing Street
Official residence of the British prime minister
24 Sussex Drive
Official residence of the Canadian prime minister
38th parallel
Serves as boundary between North Korea and South Korea
49th parallel
Serves as Canada-United States border
50
Speed limit, in kilometers per hour, of Australian roads with unspecified limit
158
Number of verses in the Greek national anthem
Aberdeen
Scottish seaport that lie within the rivers Dee and Don
Aconcagua
Highest mountain in the Americas
Adam's Peak
Tall conical mountain located in Sri Lanka well known for the Sri Pada, a rock formation which in
Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in
Islamic and Christian tradition that of Adam
Adelaide
Capital of South Australia named after the wife of William IV of United Kingdom
Africa
Roman name for the modern-day Tunisia
Akihabara
Literally meaning “Field of Autumn Leaves”, major shopping area in Tokyo, Japan for electronic,
computer, anime, games and otaku goods
Algarve
Southernmost region of mainland Portugal
Algeria
Largest country in Africa by area
Altai Mountains
Mountain range in East-Central Asia where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come
together and are where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters
Altiplano
Most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet
Ambergris Caye
Largest island of Belize
Amritsar
Spiritual center of the Sikhism
Andorra la Vella
Highest capital city in Europe
Anitkabir
Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, located in Ankara
Ankara
Capital of Turkey and second largest city after Istanbul
Annapurna I
Tenth highest mountain in the world
Antarctica
Driest continent on Earth
Aokigahara
Forest at the base of Mount Fuji associated with demons in Japanese mythology and a popular place
for suicides
Aoraki
Also known as Mount Cook, highest mountain in New Zealand
Aras an Uachatarain
Official residence of the president of Ireland
Arroyo
Dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain
Atacama Desert
Found in Chile, considered the driest location on Earth
Bangkok
Capital of Thailand
Full name: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop
Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit
Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit (City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine
gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at
Indra’s behest)
Bay of Bengal
World’s largest bay
Beck, Harry
English technical draftsman best known for creating the present London Underground tube map
Belize
Only country in Central America that has no frontage on the Pacific Ocean
Only English-speaking country in Central America
Bhutan
First country to institute a total ban on tobacco
Billabong
Wiradjuri word that is used for an isolated pond that is left behind after a river changes course
Blue Banana
Term for the discontinuous corridor of urbanization in Western Europe, with a population of around
110 million, which stretches approximately from North West England in the north to Milan in the
south
Bohai Sea
Innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea
• Manhattan
• The Bronx
• Brooklyn
• Queens
• Staten Island
Boston Commons
America’s first public park established in 1634
Bouvet Island
Most remote island in the world
Brussels
Headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Bytown
Former name of Ottawa, Canada
Caldera
Cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption
Calypso Deep
The deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea
Candia
Archaic name for Heraklion, Crete
Canton
• Former name of the Chinese city Guangzhou
• Territorial/administrative subdivision in Switzerland
Cape of Storms
Old name for the Cape of Good Hope
Capri
Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in
the Campania region of Italy, which has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic
Caprivi Strip
Narrow protrusion of Namibia eastwards from the Okavango region about 450 km, between
Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north
Cascade Range
Major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia
through Washington and Oregon to northern California
Caspian Sea
Source of half the world’s oil by the dawn of the 20th century
Largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by area
Challenger Deep
Deepest known point in the Earth’s sea floor hydrosphere, with a depth of 10,898 m (35,755 ft) to
10,916 m (35,814 ft) by direct measurement from submersibles, and slightly more by sonar
bathymetry
Chang
Most common last name in the world
Changsha
Capital city of Hunan, China
Cheomseongdae
Oldest surviving observatory in East Asia
Chennai
Also known as Madras, capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Chimborazo
Highest peak in Ecuador
Highest peak in close proximity to the equator
Farthest point on the Earth’s surface from the Earth’s center
China
World's largest country with a single time zone
Ciudad Juárez
Mexican city declared as the most violent zone in the world outside of declared war zones in 2009
Commonwealth Bay
Open bay in Antarctica listed in the Guinness World Records as the windiest place on Earth with
winds regularly exceeding 240 kilometers per hour
Coober Pedy
Town in South Australia that is referred to as the “opal capital of the world”
Corcovado
Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil known worldwide for the 38-meter (125 ft) statue of Jesus atop
its peak, entitled Cristo Redentor or “Christ the Redeemer”
Costa Rica
Only country in the Western hemisphere that doesn’t have any military
Only Latin American country in the list of the world’s 22 older democracies
Only country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability
The greenest country in the world
First country in the American continent to ban recreational hunting after the country’s legislature
approved the popular measure by a wide margin
Known as the “Switzerland of Central America”
Cotopaxi
Highest active volcano in the world
Cozumel
Largest island off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula
Cyclone Nargis
Strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Burma
Dâmbovita
River that passes through Bucharest, Romania
Dammam No. 7
Name given to the first of the Saudi wells to produce oil in 1936
Dannebrog
Flag of Denmark, “oldest state flag” in the world still in use by a nation
Darién Gap
Large swath of undeveloped swampland and forest separating Panama's Darién Province in Central
America from Colombia in South America
Dead Sea
Deepest hypersaline lake in the world
Devil’s Island
Island off the coast of French Guiana famous due to its use of internal exile of political prisoners
Devil’s Tower
First declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President
Theodore Roosevelt
Diego Garcia
Tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the Indian Ocean that is part of
the British Indian Ocean Territory
In 1965, 2,000 inhabitants were expelled by the British government to Mauritius and Seychelles to
allow the United States to establish a military base on the island
Dijon
Capital of Cote-d’Or and Burgundy region in France
Douglas
Capital of Isle of Man
Drakensberg
Literally meaning “Dragon Mountains” in Afrikaans, highest mountain range in Southern Africa,
rising to 3,482 meters (11,424 ft) in height
Eagan, Minnesota
The “Onion Capital of the United States”
East Sea
Name given by Vietnam to South China Sea
East Timor
Only Asian country that lies completely in the Southern Hemisphere
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Capital of Tristan da Cunha
Edwinton
Former name of Bismarck, North Dakota
El Salvador
Smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America
Ellice Islands
Former name of Tuvalu
Endorheic basin
Closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water
such as rivers or oceans, but converges instead into lakes or swamps, permanent or seasonal, that
equilibrate through evaporation
English Channel
World’s busiest seaway
Erdapfel
Produced by explorer Martin Behaim in 1492, considered to be the oldest surviving terrestrial globe
Euphrates
The longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia
Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia
Farallon Islands
Group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco,
California
“Father of Deer”
Literal meaning of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates
Favela
Term for a shanty town in Brazil
Fjord
Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity
Flag of Guatemala
Prominently displays its exact date of independence
Flag of Paraguay
Only national flag with different emblems on its obverse and reverse sides
Forbidden City
Listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world
Fuchs, Vivian
First person to cross Antarctica
The Gambia
Smallest country in Africa
Geneva
Home to the headquarters of the International Red Cross
Goa
India’s smallest state by area
Gorky
Former name of the Russian city of Nizhni Novgorod
Gracie Mansion
Official residence of the Mayor of New York CIty
Graz
Capital of the Austrian state of Styria
Great Lakes
Michigan
Huron
Superior
Erie
Ontario
Guadalajara
Capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco
Guyana
Only South American nation whose official language is English
Hanga Roa
Capital of Easter Island
Harmattan
Dry and dusty West African trade wind
Heraklion
Largest city, capital and administrative center of Crete
Hispaniola
Second largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba
Most populous island in the Americas
Hong Kong
Has the longest life expectancy of any country/special administrative region in the world in 2012,
surpassing Japan
Honshu
Largest and most populous island of Japan
Hortobágy
Located in Hungary, largest semi-natural grassland in Europe
Hotel Chelsea
New York City hotel where Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey while staying at the
Chelsea, and poets Allen Ginsberg, and Gregory Corso chose it as a place for philosophical and
artistical exchange, where the writer Dylan Thomas was staying when he died of pneumonia in
1953 and where Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, was found stabbed to
death in 1978
Huangpu River
113 kilometer-long river in China flowing through Shanghai
Last significant tributary of the Yangtze before it empties into the East China Sea
Humboldt Current
Cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the west coast of South America from the
southern tip of Chile to northern Peru
Hurricane Sandy
Deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the
second-costliest hurricane in United States history
Hutton, James
Scottish geologist, physician, chemical manufacturer, naturalist, and experimental agriculturalist
credited as being the originator of uniformitarianism which explains the features of the Earth’s crust
by means of natural processes over geologic time
Iguazu Falls
Waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of Brazil and Argentina, discovered by Spanish
conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
IJsselmeer
Largest lake in Western Europe
Île de la Cité
One of two remaining natural islands in the Seine within the city of Paris, the other being the Île
Saint-Louis
Location of the Notre Dame
Inselberg
Isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or
virtually level surrounding plain
Inside Passage
Coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands
on the Pacific coast of North America
'Iolani Palace
Only royal palace in the United States used as an official residence by a reigning monarch
Iqaluit
Formerly called Frobisher Bay, largest city and territorial capital of the Canadian territory of
Nunavut
Irazú Volcano
The highest active volcano in Costa Rica where, from the top, it is possible to see both the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans on a clear day
Isle Royale
Largest natural island in Lake Superior
Isobar
Line on a weather chart which join points of equal pressure
Isostasy
Term used in geology to refer to the state of gravitational equilibrium between the earth’s
lithosphere and asthenosphere such that the tectonic plates “float” at an elevation which depends on
their thickness and density
Issei
Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify
the Japanese people first to immigrate
Isthmus of Suez
Narrow strip of land that lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, linking Africa and
Asia
Itaipu Dam
Largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of annual energy generation
Jakarta
World’s most active city in Twitter
Java
World’s most populous island
Jeju
Largest island of South Korea
Kazakhstan
World’s largest landlocked country
Kanak flag
Second official flag of New Caledonia
Kandy
City in Sri Lanka that is home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic
Kaokoveld Desert
Coastal desert of northern Namibia and southern Angola
Karakoram Highway
Highest pave highway in the world
Kata Tjuta
Also called “The Olgas”, large domed rock formation southwest of Ayers Rock
Katabatic wind
Technical name for a drainage wind, a wind that carries high density air from a higher elevation
down a slope under the force of gravity
Kazan
Capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
Kelimutu
Volcano in Flores Island, Indonesia which contain three striking crater lakes of varying colors
Khlong
General name for a canal in the central plain of Thailand
Kibbutz
Collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture
Kiel Canal
World’s busiest artificial waterway
Kijong-dong
One of the two villages permitted to remain in the 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone set up
under the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War, the other is the South Korean village of Daesong-
dong
Knesset
Unicameral parliament of Israel
Konigsberg
Former name of Kaliningrad, Russia
“Koshkar-muiz”
Literally meaning “the horns of the ram”, national ornamental pattern in the hoist side of the flag of
Kazakhstan
Kukuczka, Jerzy
Second man, after Reinhold Messner, to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world
Kunlun Mountains
One of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km
Kuroshio
North-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean
KV
Acronym referring to tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Lahar
Type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and
water
Lake Assal
Crater lake in Djibouti that is the lowest point on land in Africa and the third lowest land depression
on Earth after the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee
Lake Baikal
Deepest freshwater lake in the world
Most voluminous freshwater lake in the world
Lake Iliamna
Largest lake in Alaska
Lake Malawi
African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between
Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania
Third largest and second deepest lake in Africa
Lake Mead
Largest reservoir in the United States in maximum water capacity
Lake Natron
Salt lake located in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border, in the eastern branch of the East
African Rift
Lake Nicaragua
Boasts the only freshwater sharks in the world
Lake Nyos
Lake in Cameroon identified as one of only three known exploding lakes to be saturated with
carbon dioxide in this way, the others being Lake Monoun, also in Cameroon, and Lake Kivu in
Democratic Republic of Congo
Suffocated 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in nearby towns and villages as a result of a landslide
in 1986
Lake Okeechobee
Largest freshwater lake in Florida
Lake Pontchartrain
Brackish estuary located in southern Louisiana
Lake Superior
Largest of the five traditionally demarcated Great Lakes of North America
Lake Titicaca
Largest lake in South America by volume of water
Lake Urmia
Largest lake in the Middle East
Lake Victoria
Africa’s largest lake by area, and largest tropical lake in the world
Lake Volta
Largest artificial lake in the world
Lake Vostok
Largest of Antarctica's 400 known subglacial lakes
Lampedusa
Largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea
Land’s End
Most westerly point of England
Lanzarote
Easternmost of the Canary Islands
Las Tortugas
Name given by Christopher Columbus on Cayman Islands
Le Havre
Second-largest port in France after Marseille
Liberia
Second-largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama, with 3,500 vessels registered under
its flag accounting for 11% of ships worldwide
Limmat
River the flows into Zurich, Switzerland
Limon Bay
Caribbean entrance of the Panama Canal
Lipari
Largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the north coast of Sicily
Lisbon
Capital city of Portugal and oldest city in Western Europe
Loch Lomond
Largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain by surface area
Logting
Unicameral parliament of the Faroe Islands
Luoyang
Chinese city known as the cradle of Chinese civilization
Maelstrom
Very powerful whirlpool
Mahé
Largest island of Seychelles
Makepeace Island
Small heart-shaped island resort located in the Noosa River on Australia’s Sunshine Coast currently
owned by Sir Richard Branson
Maldives
Country with the lowest natural highest point in the world
Earth’s lowest country
Manhattanhenge
Circumstance which occurs twice a year, during which the setting sun aligns with the east–west
streets of the main street grid in the borough of Manhattan in New York City
Marmolada
Highest mountain of the Dolomites
Masada
Ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau on
the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea
Mata-Utu
Capital of Wallis and Futuna
Mauretania
Roman name for the modern-day Morocco
Medina
Name given to the oldest, often maze-like districts in old North African cities
Mercator, Gerardus
Cartographer best known for his work on the world map of 1569 based on a new projection which
represented sailing courses of constant bearing as straight lines
First to use the term Atlas for a collection of maps
Mexico
Has the world’s largest community of American expatriates
Milan
Second largest city of Italy
Minsk
Capital and largest city of Belarus
Administrative center of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Mohorovicic discontinuity
The boundary between the Earth’s crust and the mantle
Mongolia
Most sparsely populated independent country in the world
Mont Blanc
Highest mountain in the European Alps
Montana
Only US state that borders three different Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia,
Saskatchewan)
Montevideo
Spanish for “I see a mountain”, capital of Uruguay
Moshaweng
Original name of Gaborone, capital of Botswana
Mosi-oa-Tunya
Local name of Victoria Falls, literally meaning “the smoke that thunders”, discovered by David
Livingstone
Mossad
National intelligence agency of Israel
Mount Ararat
Can be seen on the Coat of arms of Armenia
Mount Erebus
Second highest volcano in Antarctica after Mount Sidley and the most southerly volcano on earth
Mount Etna
Highest and most active volcano in Europe
Mount Everest
Highest mountain in the Earth, called Chomolungma by Tibetans
Mount Fumaiolo
Source of the Tiber
Mount Kailash
Peak in the Kailas range in Tibet considered a sacred place in Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism and
Jainism
Mount Kilimanjaro
Highest mountain in Tanzania
Highest mountain in Africa
Highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters or 19,341 feet above sea level
Mount Korab
Pictured in the coat of arms of Macedonia
Mount Suribachi
Highest point of Iwo Jima
Mount Vesuvius
Best known for its eruption in 79 CE that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of
Pompeii and Herculaneum
Mozambique
Holds the record for the largest percentage of its population of age 64 in its workforce
Muristan
Complex of streets and shops in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and also the
location of the first hospital of the Knights Hospitaller
Murmansk, Russia
Largest city north of the Arctic Circle
Namdaemun
First National Treasure of South Korea
Naples
Most-bombed Italian city in World War II
National capitals
Netherlands
First nation to recognize same-sex marriage in 2001
Nettilling Lake
Cold freshwater lake located toward the south end of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
World's largest lake on an island
Nevada
Driest state in the United States
Only US state to legalize prostitution
US state which hosted the most nuclear tests
“New Flower”
Literal meaning of the name of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
Nicknames of Aberdeen
• Granite City
• Oil Capital of Europe
• Silver City
Niue
Nicknamed “Rock of Polynesia”, became the world’s first “Wi-Fi nation” in 2003
Nordraak, Rikard
Composer of the Norwegian national anthem
North Dakota
Only US state never to have had an earthquake
Numidia
Roman name given to the present-day Algeria
Nunavut
Meaning “our land” in Inuktitut, largest, northernmost and newest territory of Canada
Nurzhol Boulevard
National boulevard of Kazakhstan
Oklo
Region near the town of Franceville, Gabon where several natural nuclear fission reactors were
discovered in the uranium mines in the region in 1972
Ometepe
Largest island in Lake Nicaragua
Largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world
Pahoehoe
Basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface
Palau
Last UN Trust Territory to become independent
Palermo
Capital of Sicily
Palk Strait
Strait between India and Sri Lanka that connects the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Mannar
Palma, Emilio
Argentine national who is the first person known to be born on the continent of Antarctica
Palmer, Nathaniel
First American to see Antarctica
Pan-American Highway
Network of roads measuring about 48,000 kilometers in length
Panama
Only country in the world where the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic
Paraside Valley
Former name of Hollywood
Peak XV
Name given to Mount Everest until 1865
Pedra Branca
Easternmost point of Singapore
Pennsylvania
First US state to list its website on its license plate
Permafrost
In geology, soil at or below the freezing point of water 0 °C (32 °F) for two or more years
Pietermaritzburg
Capital of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province
Pillars of Hercules
Phrase that was applied in Antiquity to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of
Gibraltar
Pitcairn Islands
World’s smallest democracy
Plains of Abraham
Historic area in Quebec City
Pláka
Also known as the “Neighborhood of the Gods”, old historical neighborhood of Athens, Greece
Pleasant Island
Former name of Nauru, the world’s smallest republic
Point break
Place where waves hit a point of land or rocks jutting out from the coastline
Poland
First country to ban corporal punishment in schools in 1783
Polynya
Area of open water surrounded by sea ice
Ponte Milvio
Bridge in Rome that began attracting couples, who use a lamppost on the bridge to attach love
padlocks as a token of love
Port of Rotterdam
Largest port in Europe
Port of Shanghai
World’s busiest container port
Porto
Second-largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon
Praia
Capital of Cape Verde
Punta La Marmora
Highest point in the Mediterranean island of Sardinia
Putrajaya
Planned city that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia
Pyrenees
Range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain
Qaasuitsup
Largest municipality in the world by area (Greenland)
Racetrack Playa
A scenic dry lake feature with “sailing stones”that leave linear “racetrack”imprints located in the
Death Valley
“Red or Green?”
Official state question of New Mexico
Registan
Heart of the ancient city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan
Rhodes
Largest of the Dodecanese islands in Greece
Rift valley
Linear-shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a
geologic rift or fault
Rikers Island
New York City’s main jail complex
Ripon Falls
Located at the northern end of Lake Victoria in Uganda, often considered the source of the river
Nile
Roaring Forties
Name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the
latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees
Rokel
Largest river in Sierra Leone
Rub’ al Khali
Literally meaning “empty quarter”, largest sand desert in the world
Russia
Largest country in the world, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth’s inhabited land area
World’s largest reserves of mineral and energy resources
Largest producer of oil and natural gas globally
World’s largest forest reserves
Possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction
Rwenzori Mountains
Also called “Mountains of the Moon”, snow-capped mountain range in Africa
St. Helena
Island where Napoleon died and where Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo and 5000 Boer prisoners were
exiled
United Kingdom's second oldest remaining colony
Sakhalin
Russia’s largest island
Salar de Uyuni
World’s biggest salt flat
Saldanha, António de
First European who made the first recorded ascent of Table Mountain
Salzburg, Austria
Setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music
Sapporo
Capital of the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan
Sar Mountains
Mountain range in the Balkans, extending from Kosovo to Albania to Macedonia
Sargasso Sea
Distinctive for its deep blue color and exceptional clarity, with underwater visibility of up to 200
feet
Only sea that has no boundaries
Sea of Marmara
Inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey’s Asian and
European parts
Second Street
Most common street name in the United States
Seikan Tunnel
Located beneath the Tsugaru Strait, longest and the deepest operational rail tunnel in the world
Sejm
Lower house of parliament in Poland
Seoraksan
Highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in South Korea
Serein
Rain falling from a cloudless sky
Severn
Longest river in the United Kingdom
Shenyang
Capital and largest city of China’s Liaoning Province
Shishapangma
Fourteenth-highest mountain in the world and, at 8,013 m
Lowest of the eight-thousanders
Last 8,000-meter peak to be climbed
Silhouette Island
Third largest island of Seychelles
Sirocco
Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and
Southern Europe
Skeleton Coast
Northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia and south of Angola from the Kunene River
south to the Swakop River, although the name is sometimes used to describe the entire Namib
Desert coast
Slocum, Joshua
First man to sail single-handedly around the world
Southern Alps
Mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand’s South Island, reaching its
greatest elevations near the island’s western side
Soyombo symbol
Special character out of the Mongolian Soyombo script that serves as a national symbol of
Mongolia, to be found on the Flag of Mongolia, the Coat of arms of Mongolia, and on many other
official documents
Spain
Only nation that currently grants automatic citizenship to the descendants of Jews expelled during
the European medieval evictions
Steppe
Ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and
shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and
lakes
Strait of Malacca
Body of water that separates Sumatra from the Malay Peninsula
Strait of Messina
Narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in the south of
Italy
Strasbourg
Capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the
European Parliament
Stromboli
Small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea known for being the inspiration behind Mordor, from J.R.R.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
Sundarbans
Largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world, located in Bangladesh and
India's West Bengal state
Table Mountain
Flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South
Africa
Tarahumara
Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running
ability
Taklamakan
Desert in the southwest portion of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China
Tamu Massif
Inactive submarine shield volcano located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean that is the largest
volcano on Earth, discovered in 2013
Te Ika-a-Maui
Literally meaning “the fish of Maui”, official Maori name of New Zealand’s North Island
Te Waipounamu
Literally meaning “the waters of greenstone”, official Maori name of New Zealand’s South Island
Tennessee
US state with the most neighbors, borders eight other states
The Bottom
Capital and largest town of the island of Saba, the Caribbean Netherlands
Thor Peak
Mountain in Canada that features the Earth’s greatest purely vertical drop at 1,250m with an
average angle of 105 degrees
Tonlé Sap
Largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia
Torre Pendente
Italian name for the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Torshavn
Capital of the Faroe Islands
Tribeca
Sometimes written as TriBeCa and an acronym from “Triangle Below Canal Street”, neighborhood
in Lower Manhattan, New York City
Trieste
City in Italy listed in 2012 by Lonely Planet as the world's most underrated travel destination
Tristan da Cunha
Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world
Trondheim
Third largest city in Norway and the capital of Norway until 1217
Tundra
Biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons
Turkey
First country to celebrate Children’s Day as a national holiday
• Abu Dhabi
• Ajman
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Ras al-Khaimah
• Sharjah
• Umm al-Qaiwain
Valdes Peninsula
Lowest point in Argentina
Vatican City
Had its first drug bust in 2007
Victoria
Capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia
Volcán de Fuego
Active stratovolcano in Guatemala
Volga
Longest river in Europe
Vosges Mountains
Range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany
Waldseemüller, Martin
First cartographer to put “America” on the map
Wallenda, Nik
First person to successfully tightrope walk over Niagara Falls
First person to high-wire walk across a Grand Canyon area gorge
Walvis Bay
City in Namibia that is the country’s only deepwater harbor
Warehouse City
Nickname given to the English city of Manchester
Whitley, Hobart J.
Real estate developer who helped create the Hollywood subdivision in Los Angeles, Southern
California
Willis, Betty
American graphics designer known for having been the designer of the Welcome to Fabulous Las
Vegas sign
Wuhan
Capital of China’s Hubei Province
Yamuna
Largest tributary river of the Ganges in India, highly venerated in Hinduism and worshipped as
goddess Yamuna, throughout its course, bathing in its sacred waters frees one from the torments of
death
Yangtze
Longest river in Asia
Yellow Sea
Name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, located between mainland China and the
Korean Peninsula
Zagros Mountains
Largest mountain range of Iran and Iraq
Zanzibar
Also known as Spice Islands, located off the coast of Africa
Zhengzhou
Capital of China’s Henan province
Zugspitze
Highest mountain in Germany
Zurbriggen, Matthias
First to reach the summit of Aconcagua
Lifestyle
4/20
Code-term used primarily in North America that refers to the consumption of cannabis and, by
extension, a way to identify oneself with cannabis subculture
8
Number of vegetables in a V8 juice
15
Number corresponding to The Devil in tarot cards
28
Number of cookies in each box of Thin Mints
A la Florentine
Culinary term that means served with spinach, sometimes napped with cheese sauce, usually used
of fish or eggs
Abbey Dawn
Clothing line designed by musician Avril Lavigne
Advocaat
Traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar and brandy
Agal
Black cord, worn doubled, used to keep the keffiyeh in place on the wearer’s head
Aglet
Term for the sheath at the tip of a shoelace
Agnelli, Giovanni
Founder of automobile company Fiat, established in 1899
Aioli
Garlic pounded with egg yolk and salt then made into a mayonnaise in standard fashion
Alcohol by volume
Standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage, defined as the
number of milliliters of pure ethanol present in 100 milliliters of solution at 20 degrees Celsius
Alderton, Charles
Creator of Dr. Pepper
Alligator pear
Another name for avocado
Allspice
Also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, pimento, English pepper or newspice,
spice that is the dried unripe fruit (“berries”) of Pimenta dioica, a mid-canopy tree native to the
Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the
world
Aloha shirt
Style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii
Amarula
Cream liqueur from South Africa made with sugar, cream and the fruit of the African marula tree
Ambrosia
Italian dessert is made from layers of thinly sliced oranges, sliced bananas,fresh pineapple,
desiccated coconut and caster sugar
Amedei Porcelana
World’s most expensive chocolate
Angel’s share
Term for the portion of a wine or volume in a distilled spirit that is lost to evaporation during aging
in oak barrels
Angelica wine
Historic sweet fortified wine usually from California made typically from the Mission grape
Angels on horseback
Hot appetizer made of oysters wrapped with bacon
Apéritif
Alcoholic drinks that are normally served before a meal
Apotropaic magic
Type of magic intended to “turn away”harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or
averting the evil eye
Arrack
Distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in South Asia and Southeast Asia made from either the
fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugarcane, grain or fruit
Arend, Rene
McDonald’s executive chef who created the Chicken McNugget in 1979
Aspartame
Artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages
Astral projection
Interpretation of out of body experience that assumes the existence of an astral body separate from
the physical body and capable of traveling outside it
Baba ghanoush
Lebanese dish of aubergine mashed and mixed with virgin olive oil and various preparations
include the eggplant to be baked or boiled over an open flame before peeling
Bacardi
Largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world, originally known for its
eponymous Bacardi white rum
Baguette
Long thin loaf of French bread distinguishable by its length and crisp crust
Bain-marie
French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently
and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time
Baklava
Rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with
syrup or honey
Balaclava
Form of cloth headgear that covers the whole head, exposing only part of the face
Bananas Foster
Dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, with the sauce made from butter, brown sugar,
cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur
Banchan
Name given to the shared side dishes in Korean cuisine served as part of a main meal (e.g. kimchi,
namul, bokkeum)
Barmbrack
Yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins
Basting
Cooking technique that involves cooking meat with either its own juices or some type of
preparation such as a sauce or marinade
Bateaux mouches
Open excursion boats that provide visitors to Paris with a view of the city from along the river
Seine
Baur, Fredric
American chemist and food storage technician notable for designing and patenting the Pringles
packaging
Bbopgi
Korean sweet made from melted sugar and baking soda
Beaujolais nouveau
Red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France
Most popular vin de primeur, fermented for just a few weeks before being released for sale on the
third Thursday of November
Beef bourguignon
Traditional French dish, a stew prepared with beef braised in red wine, traditionally red Burgundy,
and beef broth, generally flavored with garlic, onions and a bouquet garni, with pearl onions and
mushrooms added towards the end of cooking
Beef Stroganoff
Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with smetana or sour cream
Beeswing
Froth found on top of aged wine
Belgian bun
Sweet bun containing sultanas and usually topped with fondant icing and half a glace cherry
Bell, Glen
Founder of the fast food chain Taco Bell
Bell-bottoms
Style of pants that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the pant
leg
Bergamot
Flavoring distinct in Earl Grey Tea
BIC Boy
Name of the little BIC pen logo guy
Biltong
Kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa
Biretta
Square cap worn by Roman Catholic clergymen
Black bun
Type of fruit cake that typically contains raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, allspice, ginger,
cinnamon and black pepper, originally eaten on Twelfth Night but now enjoyed at Hogmanay
Black Velvet
Drink consisting of a mixture of stout and champagne
Bloody Mary
Popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as
Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, piri piri sauce, beef consommé or bouillon, horseradish,
celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt
Blue cheese
General classification of cow's milk, sheep's milk or goat's milk cheeses that have had cultures of
the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-
gray or blue-green mold and carries a distinct smell, either from that or various specially cultivated
bacteria
Blue Flag
Award made by the European Union to seaside resorts with clean beaches
Boater
Kind of men's formal summer hat normally made of stiff sennit straw and has a stiff crown and
brim, typically with a solid or striped grosgrain ribbon around the crown
Body
Term for the consistency, thickness and substance of a wine
Bougatsa
Greek breakfast pastry consisting of semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between
layers of phyllo
Bouquet garni
Bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock and various
stews
Boysenberry
Cross between a European raspberry, a common blackberry, an American dewberry and a
loganberry
Brad’s Drink
Original name of Pepsi-Cola
Bradham, Caleb
Inventor of the soft drink Pepsi-Cola
Braising
Combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat
Brandy
Spirit produced by distilling wine
Brannock device
Measuring instrument invented by Charles F. Brannock for measuring a person's shoe size
Brassard
Armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military
uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing
Brigandine
Form of body armor from the Middle Ages that is a cloth garment, generally canvas or leather, lined
with small oblong steel plates riveted to the fabric
Brogue
Style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers
with decorative perforations and serration along the pieces’ visible edges
Bruschetta
Antipasto from Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century that consists of grilled bread
rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper
Buckskin
Soft sueded leather from the hide of deer or elk
Bukkake
Group sex act in which several men take turns ejaculating on a man or a woman
Bulgogi
Korean dish that usually consists of grilled marinated beef
Bündchen, Gisele
Placed first on the Forbes top-earning models list in 2012, estimated to have earned $45 million in
one year
Highest paid model in the world
Burberry, Thomas
Founder of Burberry and inventor of Gabardine
Cacciatore
Meal prepared “hunter-style” with tomatoes, onions, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine,
popularly made with braised chicken or rabbit
Cade, Robert
Widely remembered as the leader of the research team that formulated the sports drink Gatorade
Calumet
Ceremonial smoking pipe used by some indigenous American nations, traditionally being smoked
to seal a covenant or treaty or to offer prayers in a religious ceremony
Camel toe
Slang term that refers to the outline of a human female’s labia majora
Canada
First nation to require gruesome photos of diseased body parts oncigarette packs
Candy
Most shoplifted food in the US
Carambola
Another name for starfruit
Carbonara
Italian pasta dish based on eggs, cheese, bacon, and black pepper
Cardin, Pierre
Italian-born French designer known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs
Carhop
Waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants
Carpaccio
Dish of raw meat or fish thinly sliced or pounded thin and served mainly as an appetizer
Carrageenan
Family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red seaweeds widely used in the
food industry, for their gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties
Cartomancy
Fortune-telling by interpreting a random selection of playing cards
Cassoulet
Rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat (typically pork
sausages, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans
Catgut
Type of cord that is prepared from the natural fiber found in the walls of animal intestines
Catherine wheel
Type of firework consisting of a powder-filled spiral tube or an angled rocket mounted with a pin
through its center
Champagne bottles
• Baby (1/8)
• Nip (1/4)
• Bottle
• Magnum (2)
• Jeroboam (4)
• Rehoboam (6)
• Methuselah (8)
• Salamanzar (12)
• Balthazar (16)
• Nebuchadnezzar (20)
Chaps
Sturdy coverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt
Chardonnay
Green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine
Chaser
Mild drink consumed immediately after a drink of hard liquor
Château Frontenac
Most photographed hotel in the world
Cheek, Joel
Developer of instant coffee
Cheese
Most shoplifted food in Europe
Cheesecloth
Loose-woven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking
Cherries jubilee
Dessert dish made with cherries and liqueur which is subsequently flambéed and commonly served
as a sauce over vanilla ice cream
Chhaang
Tibetan barley beer
Chicken à la King
Dish consisting of diced chicken in a cream sauce, and often with sherry, mushrooms, and
vegetables, served over rice, pasta or bread
Chignon
Hairstyle with the hair in a “bun”
Child, Julia
Recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook,
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Choux pastry
Light pastry dough used to make profiteroles, croquembouches, éclairs, French crullers, beignets,
St. Honoré cake, Indonesian kue sus, and gougères
Chow mein
Stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat, onions and celery often served as a specific dish at
westernized Chinese restaurants
Chung Ju-yung
Founder of Hyundai
Churros
Sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, fried-dough pastry, predominantly choux, based
snack
Ciabatta
Italian white bread made from wheat flour and yeast
Claret
Name primarily used in British English for red Bordeaux wine
Clementine
Variety of mandarin orange
Cobb salad
Main-dish American garden salad made from chopped salad greens, tomato, crisp bacon, boiled or
roasted chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado, chives, Roquefort cheese and red wine vinaigrette
Cocoa butter
Also called theobroma oil, pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean used to
make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals
Coir
Natural fiber extracted from the husk of coconut
Colgate, William
English manufacture who founded what became the Colgate toothpaste company in 1806
Consommé
Clear soup made from boiling meat or bones
Coopers Hill
Place in Gloucestershire, England famous for the Cheese Rolling Festival
Copra
Dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut
Courrèges, André
French fashion designerknown for his ultra-modern designs
Couscous
Traditional Berber dish of semolina (tiny granules of durum wheat) which is cooked by steaming
and traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it
Crawford, Cindy
American model known for her trademark mole just above her lip
Crème de cassis
• Sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants
• Favorite drink of fictional detective Hercule Poirot
Crème fraîche
Soured cream containing 30-45% butterfat and having a pH of around 4.5
Crépinette
Small, flattened sausage, sometimes referred to as a sausage parcel
Cronut
Croissant-doughnut pastry attributed to Chef Dominique Ansel for Dominique Ansel Bakery in
New York City
Croquembouche
French dessert consisting of choux pastry balls piled into a cone and bound with threads of toffee
Crouton
Piece of sautéed or rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add texture and flavor
to salads, as an accompaniment to soups or eaten as a snack food
Cuba Libre
Highball made of cola, lime, and white rum
Cullinan Diamond
Largest gem-quality diamond ever found
Cup Noodles
Brand of instant ramen noodle snack manufactured by Nissin, packaged in a foam food container,
hard plastic or paper cup
Daiquiri
Family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, citrus (typically lime juice) and sugar or other
sweetener
Dashiki
Loose, brightly colored shirt or tunic that covers the top half of thebody worn by men in West
Africa
Dassler, Adi
Founder of shoe company Adidas
Dassler, Rudi
Founder of shoe company Puma
Davidson, Carolyn
Designer of the Nike Swoosh logo
Day, Robin
British chartered industrial and furniture designer best known for the injection moulded
polypropylene stacking chair
De Wallen
Largest and best known red-light district in Amsterdam
Deerstalker
Type of hat that is typically worn in rural areas, often for hunting, especially deer stalking,
popularly associated with Sherlock Holmes
Delligatti, Jim
Creator of the Big Mac
Devi, Shakuntala
Popularly known as “Human Computer”,Indian prodigy mental calculator
Deviled egg
Hard-boiled eggs, shelled, cut in half and filled with the hard-boiled egg's yolk mixed with other
ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard usually served cold and are served as a side dish,
appetizer or a main course, and are a common holiday or party food
Devils on horseback
Variation of angels on horseback, made by replacing oysters with dried fruit
Deyo, Yaacov
Inventor of speed dating in 1999
Dhansak
Popular Indian dish, especially popular among the Parsi Zoroastrian community, consists of lentils,
vegetables, spices, cumin seeds, ginger, and garlic together with meat and either gourd or pumpkin
Diat, Louis
Head chef of Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York credited with inventing vichyssoise
Digestif
Alcoholic drinks that are normally served after a meal
Dippin' Dots
Ice cream snack invented by Curt Jones created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen
Do Won Chang
Korean-born American businessman best known for founding the clothing retail store Forever 21
Dollywood
Theme park owned by Dolly Parton located in Tennessee
Domino's Pizza
First fast-food chain to ban transfats from its products (2007)
Doner kebab
Turkish dish made of meat cooked on a vertically spit, normally lamb, but also a mixture of veal or
beef with these, or sometimes chicken
Doppelganger
Term for paranormal double of a living person
Dr. Martens
British footwear brand distinguished by its air-cushioned sole, upper shape, welted construction and
yellow stitching
Dreamcatcher
In some Native American cultures, handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a
loose net or web and then decorated with sacred items such as feathers and beads
Dukan diet
Popular French diet that advocates for high-protein consumption
Dundee cake
Famous traditional Scottish fruit cake with a rich flavor
Eau de Cologne
Generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2%–5% essential oils or a blend
of extracts, alcohol, and water
Eau de toilette
Lightly scented perfume used as a skin freshener
Eclair
Oblong pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing
Edam cheese
Semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, named after the town of Edam in the province
of North Holland and is traditionally sold in spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat of red
paraffin wax
Eggnog
Sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, and whipped
eggs
Eggs Benedict
American dish that consists of two halves of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached
eggs, and Hollandaise sauce
Eichberg, Robert
Founder of National Coming Out Day
En brochette
Culinary term for food cooked and sometimes served on skewers
En papillote
Method of cooking in which food is put into a folded pouch or parcel made from folded parchment
paper and then baked
En primeur
Method of purchasing wines early while a vintage is still in a barrel, offering the customer the
opportunity to invest in a particular wine before it is bottled
Epaulette
Type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other
organizations
Epperson, Frank
Inventor of the popsicle
Escargot
Dish of cooked land snails usually served as an appetizer in France
Escoffier, Auguste
French chef who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods and published Le
Guide Culinaire
Espadrille
Normally casual flat, but sometimes high heeled shoes originating from the Pyrenees, which usually
have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of rope or rubber material moulded to
look like rope
Evangelista, Linda
Canadian model mostly known for being the longtime muse of photographer Steven Meisel, as well
as coining the phrase “We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day”
Falafel
Deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both
Fanta
Global brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by The Coca-Cola Company
Fashion 21
Original name of clothing retail store Forever 21
Fauxhawk
Copies the style of a mohawk, but without shaving the sides of the head
Feijoada
Stew of beans with beef and pork, which is a typical dish in Portugal, usually served with rice and
assorted sausages
National dish of Brazil
Ferragamo, Salvatore
Italian fashion designer whose scientific and creative approach to shoes spawned many innovations
such as the wedge heel and cage heel
Ferrero, Michele
Owner of the eponymous chocolate maker Ferrero SpA (maker of Nutella, Kinder Chocolate and
Ferrero Rocher)
Festivus
Secular holiday celebrated on December 23 which serves as an alternative to participating in the
pressures and commercialism of the Christmas holiday season, which begins with the “Airing of
Grievances” and ends with “Feats of Strength”
Fettucine Alfredo
Pasta dish made from fettucine pasta tossed with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and butter
Fines herbes
Combination of herbs that forms a mainstay of Mediterranean cuisine, composed of fresh parsley,
chives, tarragon and chervil
First-foot
In Scottish and Northern English folklore, first person to enter the household of a home on New
Year’s Day and a bringer of good fortune for the coming year
Flambé
Cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames
Flapper
Term for a “new breed” of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts, bobbed their
hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior
Flash mob
Group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and seemingly
pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire,
and artistic expression
Focaccia
Flat oven-baked Italian bread which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients
Fondue
Swiss, French, and Italian dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot (caquelon) over a
portable stove (réchaud), and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese
Food combining
Also known as trophology, term for a nutritional approach that advocates specific combinations of
foods as central to good health and weight loss
Free love
Social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social and financial bondage
French parsley
Another name for chervil
Fricassee
Method of cooking meat in which the meat is cut up, sautéed, and braised, and served with its
sauce, traditionally a white sauce
Friend zone
In popular culture, term referring to a platonic relationship wherein one person wishes to enter into
a romantic or sexual relationship, while the other does not
Frittata
Egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche, enriched with additional
ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta
Fruit Smack
Predecessor of Kool-Aid
Furisode
Most formal style of kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan
Futanari
Japanese word for hermaphroditism
Futon
Traditional Japanese bedding consisting of padded mattresses and quilts pliable enough to be folded
and stored away during the day, allowing the room to serve for purposes other than as a bedroom
Gache
Big wig worn by Korean women
Gaiters
Garments worn over the shoe and lower pants leg, and used primarily as personal protective
equipment
Gamay
Purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the
Loire Valley around Tours
Garnish
Item or substance used as a decoration or embellishment accompanying a prepared food dish or
drink
Gastropub
Bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food
Gat
Type of Korean traditional hat worn by men along with hanbok during the Joseon Dynasty
Gaultier, Jean Paul
Designer of the infamous cone bra for Madonna’s 1990 Blond Ambition Tour
Designer of the costumes for the 1997 film The Fifth Element
Gazpacho
Tomato-based, vegetable soup, traditionally served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region
of Andalucía
Gehrig, Lou
First athlete to appear on a Wheaties box in 1934
Gentleman’s Relish
Type of anchovy paste that has a strong, very salty and slightly fishy taste and contains anchovies,
butter, herbs and spices
Gernreich, Rudi
American fashion designer who introduced the single-piece topless monokini
Glogg
Term used for mulled wine in the Nordic countries
Gluten
Protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley
and rye
Golofski, Hannah
Real name of fashion designer Anne Klein
Gorget
Band of linen wrapped around a woman’s neck and head in the medieval period, or the lower part
of a simple chaperon hood
Gougère
Baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese
Goulash
Soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables, especially potato, seasoned with paprika and other
spices originated within the historical Hungarian ethnic area
Granny Smith
Tip bearing apple cultivar originated in Australia in 1868 named after Maria Ann Smith who
propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling
Gravlax
Nordic dish consisting of raw salmon, cured in salt, sugar, and dill
Gravy
Sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking
GUESS
Clothing line that got its name from a McDonald's billboard
Gyro
Greek dish of meat roasted on a vertical spit
Haagen-Dasz
Brand of ice cream established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in 1961
Haas, Eduard
Austrian businessman who developed the Pez confectionery in 1927
Hachimaki
Stylized headband or bandana in Japanese culture, usually made of red or white cloth, worn as a
symbol of perseverance, effort, and/or courage by the wearer
Hagiwara, Makoto
Japanese American immigrant and landscape designer often credited with the invention of the
fortune cookie in California
Hakama
Type of traditional Japanese clothing worn over a kimono
Hall, Joyce
Founder of Hallmark Cards
Halloumi
Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk
Hamsa
Palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and commonly used in
jewelry and wall hangings
Hampton, David
Creator of Furby
Hanbok
Traditional Korean dress often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets
Handler, Ruth
Creator of the Barbie doll
Harvey Wallbanger
Cocktail made with vodka, Galliano and orange juice
Hatcher, Claude A.
Inventor of the Royal Crown Cola
Hawaii
Only U.S. state that grows coffee, cacao, and vanilla beans
Hayakawa, Tokuji
Founder of the present-day Sharp Corporation
Head, Edith
Known as the “First Lady of Hollywood Fashion”
Heliciculture
Process of farming or raising land snails specifically for human consumption and to obtain snail
slim for cosmetics use
Highball
Family of mixed drinks that are composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a
non-alcoholic mixer
Hikikomori
Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive adolescents or young adults who withdraw
from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement
Hogmanay
Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in
the Scottish manner
Hollandaise sauce
Emulsion of egg yolk and liquid butter, usually seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and a little white
pepper or cayenne pepper
Homburg
Formal felt hat characterized by a single dent running down the center of the crown (called a “gutter
crown”), a stiff brim shaped in a “kettle curl” and a bound edge trim
Hongi
Traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand that is done by pressing one’s nose and forehead (at the
same time) to another person at an encounter
Hornbook
Primer for children consisting of a sheet containing the letters of the alphabet, mounted on wood,
bone, leather or stone and protected by a thin sheet of transparent horn or mica
Hors d'oeuvre
Food items served before the main courses of a meal
Horse radish
First of H. J. Heinz's 57 varieties
Huarache
Type of Mexican sandal that gained popularity in the United States in 1950s
Humidor
Any kind of box or room with constant humidity that is used to store cigar, cigarettes, or pipe
tobacco
Hushpuppy
Savory, starch-based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or
sphere shapes, or occasionally oblong shapes
Idestam, Fredrik
Finnish mining engineer and businessman best known as a founder of Nokia
Ikebana
Japanese art of flower arrangement
Indigo children
According to a pseudoscientific New Age theory, children who are believed to possess special,
unusual and sometimes supernatural traits or abilities, idea based on concepts developed in the
1970s by Nancy Ann Tappe
Insta-Burger King
Original name of the fast food chain Burger King
Iwasaki, Yataro
Japanese financier and shipping industrialist who founded Mitsubishi
Jajangmyeon
Noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced pork
and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood
Jammie Dodgers
Popular British biscuit made from shortbread with a raspberry flavored jam filling
Jāni
Latvian festival held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice
(Midsummer), the shortest night and longest day of the year
Jatguksu
Korean noodle dish consisting of wheat flour or buckwheat noodles in a bowl of cold broth made
from ground pine nuts
Jheri curl
Permed hairstyle that was common and popular in the African-American, Black Canadian and
Black British communities during the 1970s and 1980s invented by the hairdresser Jheri Redding
Jingishkan
Japanese grilled mutton dish prepared on a convex metal skillet or other grill
Jinro
World’s largest producer of soju
Jokduri
Type of Korean traditional coronet worn by women for special occasions such as weddings
Jorgensen, Christine
Born George Jorgensen, first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex
reassignment surgery—in this case, male to female
Joulupöytä
Name of the traditional assortment of foods served at Christmas in Finland, similar to the Swedish
smorgasbord
Juk
Predominantly Korean porridge made of grains such as cooked rice, beans, sesame and azuki beans
Kahlúa
Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur
Kakigori
Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and condensed milk
Karoshi
Japanese term for occupational sudden death, translated literally as “death from overwork”
Kawaii
Term referring to the quality of cuteness in the context of Japanese culture
Keffiyeh
Traditional Arab headdress fashioned from a square usually cotton scarf
Kepi
Cap with a flat circular top and a visor most commonly associated with French military and police
uniforms
Kerchief
Also known as a bandana, triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head or around the
neck for protective or decorative purposes
Kippah
Also known as yarmulke, hemispherical or platter-shaped cap, usually made of cloth, often worn by
Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement held by some orthodox halachic
authorities that their head be covered at all times
Kir
Popular French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up
with white wine
Kirsch
Clear, colorless fruit brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morello cherries
Kitel
White robe which serves as a burial shroud for male Jews
Klum, Heidi
First German model to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel
Knight, Phil
Co-founder of shoe company Nike
Knit cap
Headgear originally made of wool designed to provide warmth in cold weather
Kokeshi
Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan, handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an
enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face
Kool-Aid
Official soft drink of Nebraska
Kors, Michael
Born Karl Anderson, Jr., fashion designer based in New York City best known for designing classic
American sportswear for women
Kouros
Brand of aftershave made by Yves Saint Laurent
Kroc, Ray
Founder of McDonald's Corporation
Kvass
Fermented beverage made from black or regular rye bread
La Tomatina
Festival that is held on the last Wednesday of August in the Valencian town of Buñol, a town
located 30 km from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in
this tomato fight purely for fun
LaMotta, Richard
Inventor and principal promoter of the Chipwich ice cream sandwich
Lay, Herman
American businessman who was involved in potato chip manufacturing with his eponymous brand
of Lay’s potato chips
Leblouh
Practice of force-feeding teenage girls and including girls as young as five in Mauritania, where
obesity was traditionally regarded as desirable
Lederhosen
Breeches made of leather that may be either short or knee-length
Leisure suit
Casual suit consisting of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers often associated with American-
influenced fashion and fads of the 1970s
Leotard
Unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free that was made
famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard
Libra
Last and the only sign to be introduced by the Romans
“Little water”
Literal meaning of vodka, derived from the Slavic term voda
Liz Claiborne
First company founded by a woman to be listed in the Fortune 500
London
City where the first Hard Rock Café was opened
Lonely Planet
Largest travel guide book publisher in the world
Luau
Traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment which may feature
food such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer and entertainment such as
traditional Hawaiian music and hula
Lughnasadh
Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season
Luopan
Compass-like device used by feng shui experts to detect or determine the exact direction of a
structure or item to ensure good fortune
Lycanthropy
Power of turning a human being into a wolf by magic or witchcraft
Mahout
Person who works and rides with elephants
Mai Tai
Alcoholic cocktail based on rum, Curaçao liqueur and lime juice, popular in “Polynesian-style”
settings
Maneki-neko
Common Japanese figurine that depicts a cat beckoning an upright paw, usually made of ceramic in
modern times, which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner
Mankini
Type of sling swimsuit worn by men and popularized by Sacha Baron Cohen
Maple syrup
Syrup usually made from the xylem sap of maple tress, often eaten with pancakes, waffles, French
toast, or oatmeal and porridge
Mardi Gras
French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before
the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday
Margarita
Mexican cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with Cointreau or similar orange-flavored liqueur and
lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim
Marzipan
Confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal, sometimes augmented with
almond oil or extract
Mate
Traditional South American caffeine-induced drink, prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba
mate in hot water
Matryoshka doll
Set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other
Matzo
Unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday
Maxim's
Restaurant in Paris, France known for its Art Nouveau interior décor
McConnell, David H.
Founder and president of the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon Products
McDonald, Ronald
Chief Happiness Officer of McDonald’s
McDonald’s
World’s largest toy distributor
McQuade, Marian
Founder of National Grandparents Day
Meal, Ready-to-Eat
Self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging bought by the United States military
for its service members for use in combat or other field conditions where organized food facilities
are not available
Melba toast
Dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast, often served with soup and salad or topped with either melted
cheese or pâté
Meunière
Meaning “miller’s wife”, term referring to both a sauce and a method of preparation
Meze
Selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Balkans as breakfast, lunch
or even dinner, with or without drinks
Michelin Guide
Series of annual guide books published by the French company Michelin for more than a dozen
countries
Term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and
restaurant reference guide, which awards Michelin stars for excellence to a select few
establishments
Mickey Finn
Drink laced with a drug given to someone without their knowledge in order to incapacitate them
Mikimoto, Kokichi
Japanese entrepreneur who is credited with creating the first cultured pearl and subsequently
starting the pearl industry with the establishment of his luxury pearl company Mikimoto
Milton
Name of the talking toaster that used to advertise Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts
Mint julep
Mixed alcoholic drink or cocktail associated with the cuisine of southern United States, traditionally
made with mint leaf, bourbon, sugar and water
Mirepoix
Traditional French culinary combination of onions, carrots and celery aromatics
Miso
Traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans with salt and
the fungus kojikin
Miyake, Issey
Japanese fashion designer known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and
fragrances
Mizu shōbai
Traditional euphemism for the night-time entertainment business in Japan, provided by hostess or
snack bars, bars, and cabarets
Moccasin
Shoe made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of
leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp
Mohair
Silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat
Mojito
Cuban cocktail, popular in the late 1980s, made of meddled spearmint,sugar, rum, lime and
carbonated water
Mondelēz International
American multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate that comprises the global
snacking and food brands of the former Kraft Foods
Moose knuckle
Male version of the camel toe
Morel
Type of edible mushrooms closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi
Mornay sauce
Bechamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added
Mousse
Prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture
Movember
Annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise
awareness of men’s health issues and associated charities
Mozzarella
Fresh cheese, originally from southern Italy, traditionally made from Italian buffalo and later cow’s
milk by the pasta filata method
Mozzetta
Short elbow-length sartorial vestment cape that covers the shoulders and is buttoned over the breast
Mullet
Hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back
Muscat
Variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera that is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes
Muumuu
Loose dress of Hawaiian origin that hangs from the shoulder
Nachos
Popular food based on nixtamalized corn of Mexican origin that can be either made quickly to serve
as a snack prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal
Nasi goreng
literally meaning “fried rice” in Indonesian, can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a meal
including stir fried rice in small amount of cooking oil or margarine, typically spiced with kecap
manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chili and accompanied with other ingredients,
particularly egg, chicken and prawns
NECCO Wafers
America’s oldest candy brand, sold since 1847
Neroli oil
Plant oil produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree
Nescafé
Brand of instant coffee made by Nestlé, created by Vernon Chapman and Max Morgenthaler
New Thought
Sometimes known as Higher Thought, promotes the ideas that Infinite Intelligence, or God, is
everywhere, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a
force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and “right thinking”has a healing effect
Nigglywiggly
Small strip of paper that comes inside Hershey’s Kisses
Nooyi, Indra
Indian-American business executive and the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business in the world by net revenue
Note
In perfumery, descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume
Nouveau
French wine which may be sold in the same year it was harvested
Nutmeg
Spice that appear in the flag of Grenada
Obi
Sash for traditional Japanese dress, keikogi worn for Japanese martial arts, and part of kimono
outfits
Oenophile
Term for wine connoisseurs
Okróshka
Cold soup of Russian origin that is also found in Ukraine
Olavsoka
Biggest midsummer festival in the Faroe Islands
Omelette
Dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded
around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat or some combination of the above
Orujo
Pomace brandy from northern Spain
O-shibori
Wet hand towel offered to customers in places such as restaurants or bars in Japan and in Japanese
restaurants worldwide
Ouzo
Anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus
Oysters Rockefeller
Dish consisting of oysters on the half-shell that have been topped with various other ingredients and
are then baked or broiled
Özbek, Rifat
Turkish-born fashion designer, known for his exotic, ethnically-inspired outfits and He was named
British Designer of the Year in 1988 and 1992
Paladar
Term used in Cuba to refer to restaurants run by self-employers
Pancetta
Dry cured meat similar to bacon
Pannetone
Tall yeast-raised cake from Milan containing nuts, spices, sultanas and candied peel often
associated with Christmas and New Year’s Eve
Pantsuit
Woman’s suit of clothing consisting of trousers and a matching or coordinating coat or jacket
Parasite single
In Japan, term referring to a single person who lives with their parents beyond their late twenties in
order to enjoy a carefree and comfortable life
Pastel de nata
Portuguese egg tart
Pate
Mixture of cooked ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste
Peach
First fruit eaten on the moon
Peach Melba
Dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream invented by French chef Auguste
Escoffier to honor the Australian soprano Nellie Melba
Pegging
Sexual practice in which a woman penetrates a man’s anus with a strap-on dildo
Penny Black
World’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system, issued in Britain in 1840
Perkins, Edwin
American inventor of the Kool-Aid powder drink mix
Perrier
Brand of water that claims to contain 50 million bubbles per bottle
Pesto
Sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy and traditionally consists of
crushed garlic, basil, and European pine nuts blended with olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano
(Parmesan cheese), and Fiore Sardo (cheese made from sheep’s milk)
Peter Cat
Name of the coffee house and jazz bar opened by author Haruki Murakami and his wife in Tokyo
Petiot, Fernand
Bartender who claimed to have created the cocktail Bloody Mary
Pho
Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles, a few herbs and meat
Phubbing
Habit of snubbing someone in favor of a mobile phone/tablet PC in a social setting, which many see
as rude habit gone unchecked
Pilsner
Glass used for many types of light beers, including pale lager or pilsner
Playing cards
First main product line of Nintendo
Piña colada
Sweet, rum-based cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice, usually served
either blended or shaken with ice
Pisco
Colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and
Chile
Pixie Cut
Short hairstyle worn by women, generally short on the back and sides of the head and slightly
longer on the top
Pizza
Oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings
Pizza saver
Also called box tent, pizza table or package saver, a device used to prevent the top of a food
container, such as a pizza box or cake box, from collapsing in at the center and touching the food
inside
Poaching
Process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally milk, stock or wine
Poland
• First country to make vodka its national drink
• First country to export vodka
Polenta
Coarsely or finely ground yellow or white cornmeal boiled with water or stock into a porridge and
eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled
Poplin
Strong fabric in a plain weave of any fiber or blend, with crosswise ribs that typically gives a
corded surface
Poppin’ Fresh
Real name of the Pillsbury Doughboy
Powhiri
Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and finally the hongi
Prada, Mario
Founder and original designer of fashion label Prada, a company specializing in many high fashion
goods for both men and women
Presidente
Brand of Pilsner owned and produced by Cervecería Nacional Dominicana at several breweries in
the Dominican Republic
Prêt-a-porter
Another term for ready-to-wear clothing
Profiterole
French dessert choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream, pastry cream or ice cream
Punt
Indented bottom of a wine bottle
Pyruvate scale
Measures pungency in onions and garlic
Quiche
Savory, open-faced pastry crust with a filling of savory custard with cheese, meat, seafood or
vegetables
Quimby, Phineas
American spiritual teacher whose work is widely recognized as leading to the New Thought
movement
Rack rate
Travel industry term for the published full price of a hotel room, which the customer would pay if
he or she walked into the hotel off the street and asked for a room
Rakia
Popular alcoholic beverage in the Balkans produced by distillation of fermented fruit
Ratatouille
Traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice
Raymond, Roy
American businessman who founded the Victoria’s Secret lingerie retail store
Relish
Cooked, pickled or chopped vegetable or fruit food item typically used as a condiment in particular
to enhance a staple
Retsina
Greek resonated wine
Riesling
White grape variety originated in the Rhine region of Germany that is used to make dry, semi-
sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines
Roddick, Anita
Best known as the founder of cosmetic shop The Body Shop
Roquefort
Cheese made from the milk of an ewe
Rotisserie
Style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit
Ruyi
Curved decorative object that is a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman
symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore
Saffron
Most expensive spice in the world
Saint-Laurent, Yves
First major French fashion designer to produce a ready-to-wear line
Sake
Alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin that is made from fermented rice
Salisbury steak
Dish invented by American physician J. H. Salisbury made from a blend of minced beef and other
ingredients which is shaped to resemble a steak and is usually served with gravy or brown sauce
Salsa
Spanish term for sauce
Samosa
Fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, ground
lamb, ground beef or ground chicken
Sangria
Wine punch typical of Spain, Portugal and Argentina normally consists of wine, chopped fruit, a
sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy
Sari
Strip of unstitched cloth, worn by women, ranging from four to nine yards in length that is draped
over the body in various styles which is native to the Indian Subcontinent
Sassoon, Vidal
British hairdresser credited with creating a simple geometric, “Bauhaus-inspired” hair style, also
called the wedge bob
Saucier
Position in the classical brigade style kitchen, which is still used in large commercial kitchens such
as some restaurants that preparing sauces, stews, hot hors d’œuvres, and sautés food to order
Saunders, Clarence
American grocer who first developed the modern retail sales model of self-service
Sauvignon blanc
Green-skinned grape variety that originated from Bordeaux, France
Saville Row
London street famous for its tailor shops
Schiaparelli, Elsa
Italian fashion designer who famously dressed Mae West for Every Day’s a Holiday using a
mannequin based on West’s measurements, which inspired the torso bottle for Shocking perfume
Schnitzel
Boneless meat, thinned with a hammer, coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then
fried
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
German name of the Black Forest gateau
Scoville, Wilbur
American pharmacist best known for his creation of the Scoville Organoleptic Test to measure
piquancy of various chili peppers
Scoville scale
The measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers
1,500,000–2,000,000 – Most law enforcement grade pepper spray, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
855,000–1,463,700 – Naga Viper pepper, Infinity Chilli, Bhut Jolokia chili pepper, Trinidad
Scorpion Butch T pepper, Bedfordshire Super Naga
350,000–580,000 – Red Savina habanero
100,000–350,000 – Habanero chili, Scotch bonnet pepper, Datil pepper, Rocoto, Madame Jeanette,
Peruvian White Habanero, Jamaican hot pepper, Guyana Wiri Wiri
50,000–100,000 – Byadgi chilli, Bird’s eye chili (aka. Thai Chili Pepper), Malagueta pepper,
Chiltepin pepper, Piri piri (African bird’s eye), Pequin pepper
30,000–50,000 – Guntur chilli, Cayenne pepper, Ají pepper, Tabasco pepper, Cumari pepper
(Capsicum Chinese), Katara (spicy)
10,000–23,000 – Serrano pepper, Peter pepper, Aleppo pepper
3,500–8,000 – Espelette pepper, Jalapeño pepper, Chipotle, Guajillo pepper, New Mexican varieties
of Anaheim pepper, Hungarian wax pepper, Tabasco sauce
1,000–2,500 – Anaheim pepper, Poblano pepper, Rocotillo pepper, Peppadew
100–900 – Pimento, Peperoncini, Banana pepper
No significant heat – Bell pepper, Cubanelle, Aji dulc
Scroop
Term for the rustling sound from friction between silk fibers
Scrubs
Shirts and trousers or gowns worn by nurses, surgeons and midwives
Schnapps
Meaning “swallow”, term referring to any kind of strong alcoholic beverage
Searing
Cooking technique in which the surface of the food is cooked at high temperature so a caramelized
crust forms
Senninbari
Also known as Thousand stitch belt, strip of cloth, approximately one meter in length, decorated
with 1000 stitches each made by a different woman, given as an amulet by women to soldiers on
their way to war as a part of the Shinto culture of Imperial Japan
Shako
Tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top
Shawarma
Arab meat preparation, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal or mixed meats are placed on a spit
and may be grilled for as long as a day
Shchi
Russian soup with cabbage as the primary ingredient
Sherry types
• Fin
• Manzanilla
• Manzanilla Pasada
• Amontillado
• Oloroso
• Palo Cortado
• Jerez Dulce
• Cream
Shooter
Neologism for an alcoholic mixed drink that contains one ounce of two or more spirits
Shtreimel
Fur hat worn by many married haredi Jewish men
Sigil
Symbol used in magic, usually referred to a type of pictorial signature of a demon or other entity
Smetana
Dairy product produced by souring heavy cream similar to crème fraîche
Smith, Frederick W.
Founder of Federal Express (FedEx), the world’s first overnight express delivery company
Smörgåsbord
Type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple cold dishes of various foods on a
table, originating in Sweden
Snifter
Short-stemmed grass whose vessel has a wide bottom and a relatively narrow top
Snood
Type of hair net used to protect and shape mustaches
Soba
Thin noodle made from buckwheat flour
Soirée
French word for an evening party
Soju
Distilled beverage native to Korea
Songkran
Festival celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day from 13 to 16 April
Sourdough
Bread product made by a long fermentation of dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and
yeasts
Soybean
Most common bean in the Old World before Christopher Columbus returned from the Americas
Speedee
First McDonald’s mascot
Sporran
Pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt
Squatcho
Button at the top of a baseball cap
Staycation
A period in which an individual or family stays home and participates in leisure activities within
driving distance, sleeping in their own beds at night
Stein
English neologism for either traditional beer mugs made out of stoneware or specifically
ornamental beer mugs that are usually sold as souvenirs or collectibles
Stiletto heel
Long, thin, high heel found on some boots and shoes, usually for women named after the stiletto
dagger
Stillman, Alan
Founder of the restaurant chain T.G.I. Friday’s
Strauss, Levi
American businessman of German Jewish descent who founded the first company to manufacture
blue jeans
Sufganiyah
Deep-fried round doughnut filled with jelly or custard and topped with powdered sugar, eaten in
Israel on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah
Sui, Anna
American fashion designer known for her timeless designs and ability to transcend eras with
historical and culturally inspired collections
Swanepoel, Candice
South African model best known for her work with Victoria’s Secret
In 2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models list
Swatch
World’s largest watch company, owns the brands Breguet, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz, Glashütte
Original, Léon Hatot, Omega, Tiffany Watch Co., Rado, Longines, Union Glashütte, Tissot, ck
watch & jewelry, Certina, Mido, Pierre Balmain, Hamilton, Flik Flak and Endura
Sweet N Low
One millionth trademark issued by the US Patent Office
Sweetbread
Culinary term for the thymus or pancreas of calf or lamb
Swinging London
Catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London in the 1960s
Swizzle stick
Small stick used to hold fruit garnishes or stir drinks
Sylvius, Franciscus
Credited with the invention of gin
Tabun
Clay oven, shaped like a truncated cone, with an opening at the bottom from which to stoke the fire
Taco Bell
US fast-food chain developed based on McDonald’s assembly line system
Tam o’ Shanter
19th century nickname for the traditional Scottish bonnet worn by men
Tandoor
Cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking
Taramasalata
Greek and Turkish meze traditionally made from taramas, the salted and cured roe of the cod or the
carp, though blends based on other forms of fish roe have become more common
Tarte Tatin
Upside-down tart in which the fruit (usually apples) are caramelized in butter and sugar before the
tart is baked
Taverna
Small restaurant serving Greek cuisine
Tayberry
Cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry
Tempura
Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried
Teppanyaki
Style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food
Teriyaki
Cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy
sauce, mirin and sugar
Tetrazzini
American dish often made with diced fowl or seafood, mushrooms, and almonds in a butter/cream
and parmesan sauce flavored with wine or sherry and stock vegetables such as onions, celery and
carrots often served hot over spaghetti or some similarly thin pasta, named after Italian opera star
Luisa Tetrazzini
Thanksgivukkah
Holiday name portmanteau neologism given to the convergence of the American holiday of
Thanksgiving and the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on November 28, 2013
Tilaka
In Hinduism, mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body
Tiramisu
Literally meaning “lift me up”, Italian dessert made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a
whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone cheese, and flavored with Marsala wine and cocoa
Tiropita
Greek layered pastry food in the burek family, made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a
cheese-egg mixture
Toque
Type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all, primarily known as the traditional headgear for
professional cooks
Torchère
Portable stand for a candle or lamp, normally made like a tall table with a very small top
Toupee
Hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical
purposes
Traf-O-Data
First company of Bill Gates
Trenta
31 oz. Starbucks beverage size which was introduced in 2011
Trepanging
Act of collection or harvesting of sea cucumbers
Triticale
Hybrid of wheat and rye first bred in laboratories during the late 19th century
Tutu
Skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance
Typhoon Lagoon
Water park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
that is home to the world’s largest outdoor wave pool
Tzatziki
Greek sauce served with grilled meats
Ushanka
Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to
protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold
Vanilla
Most popular ice cream flavor
Veritably
First name of Mr. Clean
Verjuice
Highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, crab-apples or other sour fruit
Vinaigrette
Emulsion of vinegar and a form of oil, such as soybean oil, canola oil, olive oil, corn oil, sunflower
oil, safflower oil, peanut oil or grape seed oil, and sometimes flavored with herbs, spices and other
ingredients
Viticulture
Science, production and study of grapes
Welsh rarebit
Dish made with a savory sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot
Wendy’s
First burger joint to offer a value menu or $1
Wheeler, Tony
English – Australian publishing entrepreneur, businessman, and co-founder of the Lonely Planet
guidebook company with his wife Maureen Wheeler
Whiskey
Type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash
Wilsdorf, Hans
German watchmaker and the founder of Rolex and Tudor
Wimple
Garment worn around the neck and chin and which usually covers the head, which was worn by
women in early medieval Europe
Witch ball
Hollow sphere of plain or stained glass hung in cottage windows in 18th century England to ward
off evil spirits, witch’s spells or ill fortune
Worcestershire sauce
Fermented liquid condiment, primarily used to flavor meat or fish dishes made by John Wheeley
Lea and William Henry Perrins
Yakiniku
Japanese term that refers to grilled meat dishes
Yamauchi, Hiroshi
Japanese businessman credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making
company in Japan to a multi-billion dollar video game company
Yamaha
Japanese multinational corporation established in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer by
Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki Company Limited
Yashmak
Turkish type of veil or niqab worn by some Muslim women to cover their faces in public
Yukata
Japanese garment, casual summer kimono usually made of cotton
Yum! Brands
US company that operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and WingStreet restaurants
worldwide
Yurt
Circular collapsible tent of felt or skins used by Mongolian nomads
Zabaglione
Warm dessert made from Marsala, egg yolks and sugar
Zarf
Holder, usually of ornamental metal, for a coffee cup without a handle
Zoot suit
Men’s suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers and a long coat with wide
lapels and wide padded shoulders
Zuchetto
Small, hemispherical, form-fitting ecclesiastical skullcap worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic
Church
Sport and Games
1
• Lowest number permitted for use by players of the National Hockey League
• In basketball, point awarded for a successful free throw
• In basketball, number used to designate the point guard position
3
• Number of bases in softball
• Number of strikes before the batter is out and the number of outs per side per inning in baseball
• Number of periods in a ice hockey game
• In Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, a “goal”,with a scoring value of 3, is awarded when the
attacking team legally sends the ball into the opponent’s goal
• Number of points received for a successful field goal in both American football and Canadian
football
4
• Number of quarters in an NBA or NFL game
• Number assigned to the second baseman
5
• Number of dice used in playing Yahtzee
• In chess, minimum number of moves a pawn must make to become a queen
6
Number of players per team in ice hockey, including the goaltender, that are on the ice at any one
time, excluding penalty situations
9
• Number of innings in a regulation, non-tied game of baseball
• In rugby league, the jersey number assigned to the hooker
• Number of strokes that make up a quadruple bogey on a part five golf hole
12
• Number of players on a team in Canadian football
• In ten-pin bowling, number of strikes needed for a perfect game
15
• In all four of the major Gaelic games—hurling, Gaelic football for men and women, and
camogie—each team has 15 players on the field at any given time
• Number of players in a team on the field at any given time in rugby union
• Represents the first point gained in a game of tennis
• Number of checkers each side at the start of a backgammon game
• Number of balls in the eight ball variant of billiards
16
Number of pawns at the start of a chess game, 8 black, 8 white
18
• Slang term for the penalty area in football
• Number of holes on a regulation golf course
• Number of players on a team on the field during play in Australian rules football
23
In darts, the lowest score that cannot be gained with the throw of a single dart
32
• In chess, total number of black squares on the board, the total number of white squares, and the
total number of pieces (black and white) at the beginning of the game
• Number of teams in the National Football League
33
Number of innings played in the longest baseball game in history
36
• Most number of runs one can hit of a non-penalized over in cricket
• Number of vehicles that run in each race of NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series
72
Number of spaces in a game of Parcheesi, from start space to “home”
180
Maximum possible score in one turn at darts
300
In bowling, a perfect score, achieved by rolling strikes in all ten frames (a total of twelve strikes)
#4 Christian Laettner
#5 David Robinson
#6 Patrick Ewing
#7 Larry Bird
#8 Scottie Pippen
#9 Michael Jordan
#10 Clyde Dexter
#11 Karl Malone
#12 John Stockton
#13 Chris Mullin
#14 Charles Barkley
#15 Magic Johnson
Aaron, Hank
Nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank” American baseball player who holds the MLB records for the most
career runs batted in (RBI) (2,297), the most career extra base hits (1,477), and the most career total
bases (6,856)
Abbott, Margaret
First American woman to take first place in an Olympic event (women’s golf at the 1900 Paris
games)
Abbott, Senda Berenson
Pioneer of women’s basketball, authoring the first basketball guide for women
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem
Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., NBA’s all-time leader in points scored, games played, minutes
played, field goals made, field goal attempts, blocked shots, defensive rebounds, and personal fouls
Known for his hook shot nicknamed “skyhook”
Played co-pilot Roger Murdock in Airplane!
Abertondo, Antonio
First person to complete a two way swim of the English Channel
Abrahamian, Ara
Swedish wrestler who rejected his bronze medal in 84kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2008
Summer Olympics in protest over the judging of a semifinal match
Ace of Spades
Also known as the “Death Card”
Acey-deucey
Variant of backgammon
Favorite game of the US Navy
Acuff, Amy
Track and field athlete from the United States who competed in the 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and
2012 Olympic Games as a member of USA Track and Field
Adams, Nicola
First woman and first openly LGBT person to win an Olympic boxing Gold medal, at the 2012
Summer Olympics
1957 Egypt
1959 United Arab Republic
1962 Ethiopia
1963 Ghana
1965 Ghana
1968 Democratic Republic of Congo
1970 Sudan
1972 Congo
1974 Zaire
1976 Morocco
1978 Ghana
1980 Nigeria
1982 Ghana
1984 Cameroon
1986 Egypt
1988 Cameroon
1990 Algeria
1992 Cote d’Ivoire
1994 Nigeria
1996 South Africa
1998 Egypt
2000 Cameroon
2002 Cameroon
2004 Tunisia
2006 Egypt
2008 Egypt
2010 Egypt
2012 Zambia
2013 Nigeria
Agostini, Giacomo
Nicknamed “Ago”, Italian multi-title world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road race with 122
Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles
Aintree Racecourse
Best known for annually holding the world famous Grand National steeplechase
Akebono, Tarō
First non-Japanese born sumo wrestler ever to reach yokozuna
Alekseyev, Vassily
Soviet weightlifter who won gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer
Olympics
Allen, Kate
Australian-Austrian triathlete who won the gold medal in the women’s triathlon at the 2004
Summer Olympics in Athens
Allhusen, Derek
English equestrian who was a 54-year-old grandfather when he rode Lochinvar to team gold and
individual silver medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Ali, Muhammad
Born Cassius Clay Jr., winner of the Olympic gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the
1960 Summer Olympics
Special referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event
Allegedly threw his Olympic medal into the Ohio River
Alley-oop
In basketball, an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate
who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and immediately scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk
Altered Beast
1988 beat ‘em up arcade game developed and manufactured by Sega set in Ancient Greece, and
follows a centurion who is resurrected by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena, and to do so becomes
able to turn into beasts such as the werewolf with the use of power-ups
Anand, Viswanathan
Indian chess Grandmaster and World Chess Champion (2006-2013)
Anchor
Competitor of the last leg in a relay race
Andretti, Mario
Only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and the Formula One World
Championship
Armstrong, Henry
Nicknamed “Homicide Hank”, only boxer to hold three world championships at the same time
Armstrong, Lance
American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven
consecutive times between 1999 and 2005 before being disqualified from those races and banned
from competitive cycling for life for doping offenses by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in
2012
Ashe, Arthur
Only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open
Athens, Greece
Site of the first modern-day Olympics
Avantouinti
Ice swimming popular in Finland
Azeroth
Fictional universe that is the setting of the video game Warcraft
Backstroke
One of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back
Oldest swimming stroke
Baize
Coarse woolen cloth most often used on snooker and billiards tables to cover the slate and cushions,
and is often used on other kinds of gaming tables such as those for blackjack, baccarat, craps and
other casino games
Bale, Gareth
Welsh footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Wales national team as a winger
Ball hog
In basketball, term for a player who does not pass the ball
Baltimore Ravens
Only NFL team named after a poem
Barnes, Ross
First player to hit a home run in the major leagues in 1876
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
1903 Boston Jimmy AL 5–3 Pittsburgh Fred Clarke NL
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
Americans Collins Pirates
1904 No World Series was played in 1904.
New York John Philadelphia Connie
1905 NL 4–1 AL
Giants McGraw Athletics Mack
Chicago White Fielder Chicago Frank
1906 AL 4–2 NL
Sox Jones Cubs Chance
Frank 4–0– Detroit Hugh
1907 Chicago Cubs NL AL
Chance (1) Tigers Jennings
Frank Detroit Hugh
1908 Chicago Cubs NL 4–1 AL
Chance Tigers Jennings
Pittsburgh Detroit Hugh
1909 Fred Clarke NL 4–3 AL
Pirates Tigers Jennings
Philadelphia Connie Chicago Frank
1910 AL 4–1 NL
Athletics Mack Cubs Chance
Philadelphia Connie New York John
1911 AL 4–2 NL
Athletics Mack Giants McGraw
Boston Red 4–3– New York John
1912 Jake Stahl AL NL
Sox (1) Giants McGraw
Philadelphia Connie New York John
1913 AL 4–1 NL
Athletics Mack Giants McGraw
George Philadelphia Connie
1914 Boston Braves NL 4–0 AL
Stallings Athletics Mack
Boston Red Philadelphia
1915 Bill Carrigan AL 4–1 Pat Moran NL
Sox Phillies
Boston Red Brooklyn Wilbert
1916 Bill Carrigan AL 4–1 NL
Sox Robins Robinson
Chicago White Pants New York John
1917 AL 4–2 NL
Sox Rowland Giants McGraw
Boston Red Chicago Fred
1918 Ed Barrow AL 4–2 NL
Sox Cubs Mitchell
Cincinnati Chicago
1919 Pat Moran NL 5–3 Kid Gleason AL
Reds White Sox
Cleveland Brooklyn Wilbert
1920 Tris Speaker AL 5–2 NL
Indians Robins Robinson
New York John New York Miller
1921 NL 5–3 AL
Giants McGraw Yankees Huggins
1922 New York John NL 4–0– New York Miller AL
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
Giants McGraw (1) Yankees Huggins
New York Miller New York John
1923 AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Huggins Giants McGraw
Washington Bucky New York John
1924 AL 4–3 NL
Senators Harris Giants McGraw
Pittsburgh Bill Washington Bucky
1925 NL 4–3 AL
Pirates McKechnie Senators Harris
St. Louis Rogers New York Miller
1926 NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Hornsby Yankees Huggins
New York Miller Pittsburgh
1927 AL 4–0 Donie Bush NL
Yankees Huggins Pirates
New York Miller St. Louis Bill
1928 AL 4–0 NL
Yankees Huggins Cardinals McKechnie
Philadelphia Connie Chicago Joe
1929 AL 4–1 NL
Athletics Mack Cubs McCarthy
Philadelphia Connie St. Louis
1930 AL 4–2 Gabby Street NL
Athletics Mack Cardinals
St. Louis Philadelphia Connie
1931 Gabby Street NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Athletics Mack
New York Joe Chicago Charlie
1932 AL 4–0 NL
Yankees McCarthy Cubs Grimm
New York Washington
1933 Bill Terry NL 4–1 Joe Cronin AL
Giants Senators
St. Louis Detroit Mickey
1934 Frank Frisch NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Tigers Cochrane
Mickey Chicago Charlie
1935 Detroit Tigers AL 4–2 NL
Cochrane Cubs Grimm
New York Joe New York
1936 AL 4–2 Bill Terry NL
Yankees McCarthy Giants
New York Joe New York
1937 AL 4–1 Bill Terry NL
Yankees McCarthy Giants
New York Joe Chicago Gabby
1938 AL 4–0 NL
Yankees McCarthy Cubs Hartnett
New York Joe Cincinnati Bill
1939 AL 4–0 NL
Yankees McCarthy Reds McKechnie
Cincinnati Bill Detroit
1940 NL 4–3 Del Baker AL
Reds McKechnie Tigers
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
New York Joe Brooklyn Leo
1941 AL 4–1 NL
Yankees McCarthy Dodgers Durocher
St. Louis Billy New York Joe
1942 NL 4–1 AL
Cardinals Southworth Yankees McCarthy
New York Joe St. Louis Billy
1943 AL 4–1 NL
Yankees McCarthy Cardinals Southworth
St. Louis Billy St. Louis
1944 NL 4–2 Luke Sewell AL
Cardinals Southworth Browns
Steve Chicago Charlie
1945 Detroit Tigers AL 4–3 NL
O’Neill Cubs Grimm
St. Louis Boston Red
1946 Eddie Dyer NL 4–3 Joe Cronin AL
Cardinals Sox
New York Bucky Brooklyn
1947 AL 4–3 Burt Shotton NL
Yankees Harris Dodgers
Cleveland Lou Boston Billy
1948 AL 4–2 NL
Indians Boudreau Braves Southworth
New York Casey Brooklyn
1949 AL 4–1 Burt Shotton NL
Yankees Stengel Dodgers
New York Casey Philadelphia Eddie
1950 AL 4–0 NL
Yankees Stengel Phillies Sawyer
New York Casey New York Leo
1951 AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Stengel Giants Durocher
New York Casey Brooklyn Charlie
1952 AL 4–3 NL
Yankees Stengel Dodgers Dressen
New York Casey Brooklyn Charlie
1953 AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Stengel Dodgers Dressen
New York Leo Cleveland
1954 NL 4–0 Al Lopez AL
Giants Durocher Indians
Brooklyn Walter New York Casey
1955 NL 4–3 AL
Dodgers Alston Yankees Stengel
New York Casey Brooklyn Walter
1956 AL 4–3 NL
Yankees Stengel Dodgers Alston
Milwaukee New York Casey
1957 Fred Haney NL 4–3 AL
Braves Yankees Stengel
New York Casey Milwaukee
1958 AL 4–3 Fred Haney NL
Yankees Stengel Braves
1959 Los Angeles Walter NL 4–2 Chicago Al Lopez AL
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
Dodgers Alston White Sox
Pittsburgh Danny New York Casey
1960 NL 4–3 AL
Pirates Murtaugh Yankees Stengel
New York Cincinnati Fred
1961 Ralph Houk AL 4–1 NL
Yankees Reds Hutchinson
San
New York
1962 Ralph Houk AL 4–3 Francisco Alvin Dark NL
Yankees
Giants
Los Angeles Walter New York
1963 NL 4–0 Ralph Houk AL
Dodgers Alston Yankees
St. Louis Johnny New York
1964 NL 4–3 Yogi Berra AL
Cardinals Keane Yankees
Los Angeles Walter Minnesota
1965 NL 4–3 Sam Mele AL
Dodgers Alston Twins
Baltimore Los Angeles Walter
1966 Hank Bauer AL 4–0 NL
Orioles Dodgers Alston
Red
St. Louis Boston Red Dick
1967 Schoendiens NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Sox Williams
t
St. Louis Red
1968 Detroit Tigers Mayo Smith AL 4–3 NL
Cardinals Schoendienst
New York Baltimore
1969 Gil Hodges NL 4–1 Earl Weaver AL
Mets Orioles
Baltimore Cincinnati Sparky
1970 Earl Weaver AL 4–1 NL
Orioles Reds Anderson
Pittsburgh Danny Baltimore
1971 NL 4–3 Earl Weaver AL
Pirates Murtaugh Orioles
Oakland Dick Cincinnati Sparky
1972 AL 4–3 NL
Athletics Williams Reds Anderson
Oakland Dick New York
1973 AL 4–3 Yogi Berra NL
Athletics Williams Mets
Oakland Los Angeles Walter
1974 Alvin Dark AL 4–1 NL
Athletics Dodgers Alston
Cincinnati Sparky Boston Red Darrell
1975 NL 4–3 AL
Reds Anderson Sox Johnson
Cincinnati Sparky New York
1976 NL 4–0 Billy Martin AL
Reds Anderson Yankees
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
New York Los Angeles Tom
1977 Billy Martin AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Dodgers Lasorda
New York Los Angeles Tom
1978 Bob Lemon AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Dodgers Lasorda
Pittsburgh Chuck Baltimore
1979 NL 4–3 Earl Weaver AL
Pirates Tanner Orioles
Philadelphia Kansas City
1980 Dallas Green NL 4–2 Jim Frey AL
Phillies Royals
Los Angeles Tom New York
1981 NL 4–2 Bob Lemon AL
Dodgers Lasorda Yankees
St. Louis Whitey Milwaukee Harvey
1982 NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Herzog Brewers Kuenn
Baltimore Philadelphia
1983 Joe Altobelli AL 4–1 Paul Owens NL
Orioles Phillies
Sparky San Diego Dick
1984 Detroit Tigers AL 4–1 NL
Anderson Padres Williams
Kansas City Dick St. Louis Whitey
1985 AL 4–3 NL
Royals Howser Cardinals Herzog
New York Davey Boston Red John
1986 NL 4–3 AL
Mets Johnson Sox McNamara
Minnesota St. Louis Whitey
1987 Tom Kelly AL 4–3 NL
Twins Cardinals Herzog
Los Angeles Tom Oakland Tony La
1988 NL 4–1 AL
Dodgers Lasorda Athletics Russa
San
Oakland Tony La
1989 AL 4–0 Francisco Roger Craig NL
Athletics Russa
Giants
Cincinnati Oakland Tony La
1990 Lou Piniella NL 4–0 AL
Reds Athletics Russa
Minnesota Atlanta
1991 Tom Kelly AL 4–3 Bobby Cox NL
Twins Braves
Toronto Blue Atlanta
1992 Cito Gaston AL 4–2 Bobby Cox NL
Jays Braves
Toronto Blue Philadelphia
1993 Cito Gaston AL 4–2 Jim Fregosi NL
Jays Phillies
1994 No World Series was played in 1994 due to the 1994–95 strike.
1995 Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox NL 4–2 Cleveland Mike AL
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
Indians Hargrove
New York Atlanta
1996 Joe Torre AL 4–2 Bobby Cox NL
Yankees Braves
Cleveland Mike
1997 Florida Marlins Jim Leyland NL 4–3 AL
Indians Hargrove
New York San Diego
1998 Joe Torre AL 4–0 Bruce Bochy NL
Yankees Padres
New York Atlanta
1999 Joe Torre AL 4–0 Bobby Cox NL
Yankees Braves
New York New York Bobby
2000 Joe Torre AL 4–1 NL
Yankees Mets Valentine
Arizona New York
2001 Bob Brenly NL 4–3 Joe Torre AL
Diamondbacks Yankees
San
Anaheim Mike
2002 AL 4–3 Francisco Dusty Baker NL
Angels Scioscia
Giants
Jack New York
2003 Florida Marlins NL 4–2 Joe Torre AL
McKeon Yankees
Boston Red Terry St. Louis Tony La
2004 AL 4–0 NL
Sox Francona Cardinals Russa
Chicago White Ozzie Houston
2005 AL 4–0 Phil Garner NL
Sox Guillén Astros
St. Louis Tony La Detroit
2006 NL 4–1 Jim Leyland AL
Cardinals Russa Tigers
Boston Red Terry Colorado
2007 AL 4–0 Clint Hurdle NL
Sox Francona Rockies
Philadelphia Charlie Tampa Bay
2008 NL 4–1 Joe Maddon AL
Phillies Manuel Rays
New York Philadelphia Charlie
2009 Joe Girardi AL 4–2 NL
Yankees Phillies Manuel
San Francisco Texas Ron
2010 Bruce Bochy NL 4–1 AL
Giants Rangers Washington
St. Louis Tony La Texas Ron
2011 NL 4–3 AL
Cardinals Russa Rangers Washington
San Francisco Detroit
2012 Bruce Bochy NL 4–0 Jim Leyland AL
Giants Tigers
2013 Boston Red John Farrell AL 4–2 St. Louis Mike NL
Winnin Losin
Winning Losing Losing
Year Winning team g Games g
manager team manager
league league
Sox Cardinals Matheny
Battleship
Guessing game for two players known worldwide as a pencil and paper game which dates from
World War I published by various companies as a pad-and-pencil game in the 1930s, and was
released as a plastic board game by Milton Bradley in 1967
Baumgartner, Felix
First person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power on his descent
Bayne, Trevor
Youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 (2011)
Baze, Robert
Holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history
Beard, Amanda
American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic medalist who is a former world record holder in the
200-meter breaststroke
Becker, Boris
Youngest ever winner of the men’s singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17
1926 Crusader
1927 Chance Shot
1928 Vito
1929 Blue Larkspur
1930 Gallant Fox
1931 Twenty Grand
1932 Faireno
1933 Hurryoff
1934 Peace Chance
1935 Omaha
1936 Granville
1937 War Admiral
1938 Pasteurized
1939 Johnstown
1940 Bimelech
1941 Whirlaway
1942 Shut Out
1943 Count Fleet
1944 Bounding Home
1945 Pavot
1946 Assault
1947 Phalanx
1948 Citation
1949 Capot
1950 Middleground
1951 Counterpoint
1952 One Count
1953 Native Dancer
1954 High Gun
1955 Nashua
1956 Needles
1957 Gallant Man
1958 Cavan
1959 Sword Dancer
1960 Celtic Ash
1961 Sherluck
1962 Jaipur
1963 Chateaugay
1964 Quadrangle
1965 Hail To All
1966 Amberoid
1967 Damascus
1968 Stage Door Johnny
1969 Arts and Letters
1970 High Echelon
1971 Pass Catcher
1972 Riva Ridge
1973 Secretariat
1974 Little Current
1975 Avatar
1976 Bold Forbes
1977 Seattle Slew
1978 Affirmed
1979 Coastal
1980 Temperence Hill
1981 Summing
1982 Conquistador Cielo
1983 Caveat
1984 Swale
1985 Creme Fraiche
1986 Danzig Connection
1987 Bet Twice
1988 Risen Star
1989 Easy Goer
1990 Go And Go
1991 Hansel
1992 A. P. Indy
1993 Colonial Affair
1994 Tabasco Cat
1995 Thunder Gulch
1996 Editor’s Note
1997 Touch Gold
1998 Victory Gallop
1999 Lemon Drop Kid
2000 Commendable
2001 Point Given
2002 Sarava
2003 Empire Maker
2004 Birdstone
2005 Afleet Alex
2006 Jazil
2007 Rags to Riches
2008 Da’Tara
2009 Summer Bird
2010 Drosselmeyer
2011 Ruler on Ice
2012 Union Rags
2013 Palace Malice
Berra, Yogi
First baseball player to have an agent
Berwanger, Jay
First player to be drafted by the National Football League in its inaugural draft
First winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy (also known as Heisman Trophy) in 1935
Best, George
Northern Irish footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland
football team
Biasone, Daniel
Sports manager mostly known for advocating the use of the shot clock in basketball
Biathlon
Started as a training system for the Norwegian army, composed of cross-country skiing and
shooting
Bikila, Abebe
Double Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia, most famous for winning a marathon gold
medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics while running barefoot
Biondi, Matt
Nicknamed “The California Condor”, American swimmer who won five gold medals at the 1988
Summer Olympic Games, setting world records in the 50-meter freestyle and three relay events
Black Caps
Nickname of the New Zealand national cricket team
Black dog
Term in darts for hitting the bull’s eye twice
“Black Mamba”
Nickname given to basketball player Kobe Bryant, youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000
career points
Blankers-Koen, Fanny
Dutch athlete best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London
Blomqvist, Stig
Swedish rally driver who won the World Rally Championship drivers’ title in 1984
Boarding
Penalty called in ice hockey when an offending player violently pushes or checks an opposing
player into the boards of the hockey rink
Bogues, Muggsy
Shortest player ever to play in the NBA
Boin, Victor
Belgian swimmer and fencer who took the first Olympic Oath at the 1920 Olympic Games
Bokken
Japanese wooden sword used for training
Bolt, Usain
Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person ever
First man to hold both the 100 meters and 200 meters world records since fully automatic time
measurements became mandatory in 1977
First man to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting
Booby prize
Joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance
Borg, Björn
Only player to win three majors without dropping a set
First male player to win more than 10 majors during the open era
First “rock star” of professional tennis
First player to earn more than one million dollars in prize money in a single season (1979)
Borg-Warner Trophy
Trophy awarded to the Indianapolis 500 Champion
Bossaball
Sport invented in Spain by Filip Eyckmans in 2004 that is similar to volleyball but also includes
elements of football, gymnastics and capoeira
Botham, Ian
Former England Test cricketer who holds the record for the highest number of wickets taken by an
England bowler
Boundary
In cricket, edge of the playing field, or a scoring shot where the ball is hit to or beyond that point
Braddock, James J.
Nicknamed “Cinderella Man”, American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from
1935 to 1937
Brasher, Chris
British athlete who won the gold medal in 3000 meter steeplechase at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Co-founder of the London Marathon
Brazil
Only nation to qualify for all 16 FIFA World Cups in the 20th century
Brett, George
Only player in MLB history to win a batting title in three different decades
Bruno, Frank
British former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC heavyweight championship in
1995
Budge, Don
First player, male or female, and only American male to win in a single year the four tournaments
that comprise the Grand Slam of tennis and second male player to win all four Grand Slams in his
career after Fred Perry
Buffer, Michael
American ring announcer for boxing and professional wrestling matches known for his trademarked
catchphrase, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” and for pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he
rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to a fighter’s name
Bunker
Depression near the green or fairway that is usually filled with sand
Burke, Thomas
First Olympic champion in 100- and 400-meter dash races
First Olympian in history to win a gold medal
Bushnell, Nolan
Founder of the video game company Atari
Butterfly
Swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously, accompanied by the
butterfly kick, also known as the “dolphin kick”
Butyrskaya, Maria
Russian figure skater who became the oldest skater and the first Russian to win the World ladies’
title and the oldest skater to win the European ladies’ title
Caber toss
Traditional Scottish athletic event practiced at the Scottish Highland Games involving the tossing of
a large wooden pole (caber)
California
Only US state that has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games
Camacho, Héctor
First boxer to be recognized as a septuple champion
Candlestick Park
Only NFL stadium that began as a baseball-only facility and underwent extensive reconstruction to
accommodate football
Venue of the final full concert of The Beatles
Cannavaro, Fabio
Most capped football player in Italian history
Canseco, Jose
Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder, and designated hitter who
admitted using performance enhancing drugs during his playing career, and in 2005 wrote a tell-all
book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ’Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, in which he
claimed that the vast majority of MLB players use steroids
Cap
In sport, metaphorical term for a player’s appearance on a select team, such as a national team
Cape Verde
Disqualified from qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup after fielding a suspended player
(Fernando Varela) against Tunisia
Carom billiards
Overarching title of a family of billiards games generally played on cloth-covered, 5 by 10 feet
pocketless tables, which often feature heated slate beds
Cartwright, Alexander
Thought to be the first person to draw a diagram of a diamond shaped baseball field, and the rules
of the modern game are based on the Knickerbocker Rules developed by Cartwright and a
committee from his club, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club
Casillas, Iker
Most capped goalkeeper of all time in the UEFA champions League and the most capped player of
all time for the Spanish national team
Caslavska, Vera
Most decorated Czech gymnast in history
Castling
Special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same
color, consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player’s first rank, then
moving the rook onto the square over which the king crossed
Only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time
“Charlie Hustle”
Nickname for former Major League Baseball player Pete Rose
Chess boxing
Hybrid sport that combines chess with boxing in alternating rounds, invented by James and Stewart
Robinson
Chicane
Artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on streets to slow traffic
for safety
Choi Hong-hi
South Korean army general regarded by many as the “Founder of Taekwondo”, most often by
International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) organizations
Christie, Linford
Only British man to have won gold medals in the 100m at the Olympic Games, the World
Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games
First European to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m
Oldest man to win gold in 100m
Chun Kuk Do
Korean-based, American hybrid martial art style founded in 1990 by Chuck Norris
Churchill Downs
Race course that is the venue of the annual Kentucky Derby
Chusovitina, Oksana
Only female gymnast ever to compete in six Olympic Games, and is one of only two female
gymnasts to compete at the Olympics under three different national teams
Claret Jug
Trophy awarded to the winner of The Open Championship
Clark, Jim
Formula One World Champion in 1963 and 1965
Clue
Originally named “Murder”,board game designed by English law clerk Anthony Pratt to pass time
during World War II air raids
Coleman, David
English sports commentator who became the first broadcaster to receive the Olympic Order award
in 2000
Collectors
Collins, Jason
American professional basketball center (Washington Wizards) who became the first active male
professional athlete in a major North American team sport to come out publicly as gay in April
2013
Color commentator
Sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play
is not in progress
Comaneci, Nadia
First female gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event
Only athlete to be awarded the Olympic Order twice (1984, 2004), as well as being its youngest
ever recipient
Commander Jameson
Name of the player’s character in the video game Elite
Commissioner’s Trophy
Trophy awarded to Major League Baseball’s World Series Champion
Computer Space
First commercially available coin-operated game
Connolly, Maureen
First woman to win all four tennis Grand Slam tournaments during the same calendar year
Connors, Jimmy
Second male in the open era to win three or more Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year
Only person to win US Open singles championships on grass, clay, and hard courts
First male player to rank no. 1 for more than 200 weeks in total and the first male player to be no. 1
for more than five years in total.
Only male player in the open era to win more than 100 singles titles during his career and also holds
the record for most major quarterfinals (41) reached
Cook
Occupation of the winner of the 192m running race in the first recorded Olympics in 776 BCE
Cooper-Dyke, Cynthia
First player in WNBA history to score 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,500 career points
Cosic, Kresimir
Only non-American player in the NBA hall of fame
Coughlin, Natalie
First US female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad (2008)
First woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold medal in two consecutive Olympics (2004,
2008)
Couture, Randy
First fighter to hold two UFC championship titles in two different divisions (heavyweight and light
heavyweight)
Only person over the age of 40 to have won a UFC championship fight, having done so four times
Only athlete in UFC history to win a championship after becoming a Hall of Fame member and is
the oldest title holder ever (in the UFC and MMA)
Curveball
Type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward
spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate
Dæhlie, Bjørn
Norwegian cross-country skier who is the most successful winter Olympic champion of all time
Dakyu
Japanese equestrian sport with some similarities to polo
Daley, Tom
English diver who won the bronze medal in 10 meter platform at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Dancer’s Image
American thoroughbred racehorse who is the only winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby to
have been disqualified after traces of phenylbutazone were discovered in the mandatory post-race
urinalysis
Dangerous, Guy
Name of the default explorer in Temple Run 2
Darcis, Steve
First player ever to defeat Rafael Nadal in the first round of any tennis Major
Darrow, Charles
American best known as the purported inventor of the Monopoly board game
Davis, Shani
First black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games (2006,
speedskating 1000 meters)
First man to successfully defend the 1000 meter gold medal
Decathlon events
Men
• 100 metres
• Long jump
• Shot put
• High jump
• 400 metres
• 110 metres hurdles
• Discus throw
• Pole vault
• Javelin throw
• 1500 metres
Women
• 100 metres
• Discus throw
• Pole vault
• Javelin throw
• 400 metres
• 100 metres hurdles
• Long jump
• Shot put
• High jump
• 1500 metres
Di Stéfano, Alfredo
Nicknamed “Saeta rubia”, Argentine football player most associated with Real Madrid and was
instrumental in their domination of the European Champions’ Cup during the 1950s, a period in
which the club won the trophy in five consecutive seasons from 1956
DiMaggio, Joe
American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New
York Yankees and best known for his 56-game hitting streak
Dimple
One of the indentations on a golf ball
Dod, Charlotte
Youngest Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion
Dohyo
Ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held
Dolly Parton
Term for card combination of a 9 and 5 in poker
Dong Dong
Chinese male trampoline gymnast who won the bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics at
Beijing, and the gold medal four years later in the 2012 Summer Olympics at London
Double fault
Term in tennis for missing on first and second service
“Dr. J”
Nickname of basketball player Julius Erving
Drogba, Didier
First African player to score 100 Premier League goals
First African footballer to win the prestigious Golden Foot while playing for Galatasaray
Only player in history to score in four separate FA Cup finals
Duathlon
Athletic event consisting of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in
a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons
Duran, Roberto
Nicknamed “Manos de Piedra”, retired Panamanian professional boxer widely regarded as one of
the greatest boxers of all time
Second boxer to have fought a span of five decades
Eagle
Score of two under par on any given hole in the sport of golf
Eclipse
Outstanding, undefeated 18th century British Thoroughbred racehorse who won 18 races including
11 King’s Plates
Ederle, Gertrude
First woman to swim the English Channel in 1929
Eliscu, Frank
Sculptor who designed and created the Heisman Memorial Football Trophy in 1935
Elo, Arpad
Creator of the Elo rating system for two-player games such as chess
Els, Ernie
Leading career money winner on the European Tour until overtaken by Lee Westwood in 2011, and
was the first member of the tour to earn over 25 million Euros from European Tour events
Épée
Modern derivative of the dueling sword, the smallsword, used in sport fencing
Eto’o, Samuel
Cameroonian footballer who is believed to be the highest earning footballer in the world
Most decorated African player of all time having won the African Player of the Year award a record
four times
Evert, Chris
American professional tennis player who wrote the World Book encyclopedia article on tennis
Farina, Giuseppe
First ever Formula One World Champion
Favre, Brett
Only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 70,000 yards, over 500 touchdowns, over 300
interceptions, over 6,000 completions, and over 10,000 pass attempts
Federer, Roger
Swiss tennis player who won the most prize money of any other player in history, with over
$75,000,000
Fey, Charles
San Francisco mechanic best known for inventing the slot machine
1950 Argentina
1954 United States
1959 Brazil
1963 Brazil
1967 Soviet Union
1970 Yugoslavia
1974 Soviet Union
1978 Yugoslavia
1982 Soviet Union
1986 United States
1990 Yugoslavia
1994 United States
1998 Yugoslavia
2002 Yugoslavia
2006 Spain
2010 United States
2014
FIFA Ballon d’Or (FIFA World Player of the Year)
1992 Argentina
1995 Denmark
1997 Brazil
1999 Mexico
2001 France
2003 France
2005 Brazil
2009 Brazil
2013 Brazil
Fingers, Rollie
Second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, known for his neatly groomed
handlebar mustache
Fischer, Birgit
German kayaker, who has won eight gold medals over six different Olympic Games, a record she
shares with Aladár Gerevich, spanning seven Olympiads
Five-hole
Nickname for the space between a goaltender’s legs in ice hockey
Fleck, Jack
American professional golfer best known for winning the 1955 U.S. Open
Oldest living U.S. Open champion
Fleming, Peter
Best known for his successful doubles partnership with John McEnroe
Flemington Racecourse
Notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup
Flowers, Vonetta
First black US athlete to win gold in a Winter Olympic Games (bobsledding)
Flush
Poker hand with five cards of the same suit
Flutie, Doug
Last USFL player in the National Football League, known for his “Hail Mary” touchdown pass
Fly fishing
Angling method in which an artificial “fly” is used to catch fish
Fool’s mate
Also known as the “Two-Move Checkmate”, the quickest possible checkmate in chess
Football
First discipline or event of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Ford, Christopher Joseph
Credited with scoring the NBA’s first three-point shot for the Boston Celtics on October 12, 1979 in
a game against the Houston Rockets at Boston Garden
Foreman, George
American professional boxer, former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Olympic gold
medalist (1968), ordained Baptist minister, author, and entrepreneur
Fosbury, Dick
US athlete who won the Olympic gold medal for high jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Fosbury flop
Style used in high jump popularized and perfected by US athlete Dick Fosbury
Fossett, Steve
First person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon
Foster, Tim
First British rower to win gold medals at two consecutive Junior Worlds
“The Franchise”
Nickname of Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Seaver
Frazier, Joe
American professional boxer who won the gold medal at men’s boxing at the 1964 Summer
Olympics and the Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion in 1970
Made a cameo appearance in Rocky
Fredericks, Frankie
Namibia’s only Olympic medalist (four silver medals in 100- and 200-m men’s athletics)
Freeman, Cathy
Former Australian sprinter who won the gold medal for women’s 400 meters at the 2000 Summer
Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic flame
French Open
Only one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments not to use the Hawk-Eye instant replay system
Fronton
Two-walled or single-walled court used as playing area for Basque pelota
Gagarin Cup
Trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs
Ganna, Luigi
First winner of Giro d’Italia in 1909
Gardner, Rulon
American Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games, winning the gold medal in Greco-
Roman wrestling upon defeating Russian Aleksandr Karelin, who was previously undefeated in 13
years of international competition
Garin, Maurice
Road bicycle driver best known for winning the inaugural Tour de France
Gaul, Charly
Professional cyclist who earned the nickname of “The Angel of the Mountains” in the 1958 Tour de
France, which he won with four stage victories
Gavaskar, Sunil
Former cricketer who played during the 1970s and 1980s for Bombay and India, widely regarded as
one of the greatest opening batsmen in cricket history and set world records during his career for the
most Test runs and most Test centuries scored by any batsman
Gehrig, Lou
First player in Major League Baseball history to have his number retired
“Gentleman Jim”
Nickname given to James J. Corbett, American boxer who defeated John L. Sullivan
Geocaching
Outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS)
receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called
“geocaches” or “caches”, anywhere in the world
Gerevich, Aladar
Fencer from Hungary regarded as “the greatest Olympic swordsman ever”
Giambi, Jason
Oldest MLB player to hit a walk-off home run
Gibson, Althea
American tennis player and professional golfer, and the first black athlete of either gender to cross
the color line of international tennis
First person of color to win a Grand Slam title (1956 French Open)
First black player to compete on the women’s professional golf tour
Glaciarium
World’s first mechanically frozen ice rink
Gleneagles Agreement
Agreement unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles,
Scotland in 1977, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to
discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organizations, teams or
individuals from South Africa
Gooden, Dwight
Youngest-ever recipient of the Cy Young Award and Pitcher of the Year Award
Gordon, Jeff
First NASCAR driver to reach US$100 million in career winnings
Graf, Steffi
German tennis player who became the first and only to achieve the Calendar Year Golden Slam by
winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year
Green, Richard
Referee for the WBA Lightweight Title fight between Ray Mancini and Duk Koo Kim on
November 13, 1982
Griffin, Archie
College football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner
Griffith-Joyner, Florence
Considered the fastest woman of all time
Grim Fandango
Dark comedy neo-noir Windows adventure game released by LucasArts in 1998, primarily written
by Tim Schafer
First adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered, static
backgrounds
Guthrie, Janet
First woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500
Gyoji
Referee in professional sumo wrestling in Japan
Hagen, Walter
First native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on to win four times in total
Hail-keeper
Term for the goalkeeper in shinty
Häkkinen, Mika
Formula One World Champion (1998 – 1999)
Half volley
In tennis, shot that is hit immediately after the ball bounces before it reaches the apex of its flight
Hall, Halsey
Sports reporter and announcer who originated the phrase “Holy cow!”
Hamill, Dorothy
American figure skater who is the 1976 Olympic champion in ladies’ singles and the 1976 World
champion
Hanafuda
Playing cards of Japanese origin that are used to play a number of games
Hann, Quinten
Australian professional snooker player who was given an eight-year ban from snooker in February
2006 after agreeing to lose his opening match against Ken Doherty at the China Open in return for
large amounts of money
Hargreaves, Alison
First woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas
Harness racing
Form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait
Hash marks
Short lines, running perpendicular to sidelines or sideboards, used to mark locations, primarily in
sports
Hat-trick
In sports, achievement of a positive feat three times or more during a game or other achievement
based on threes
Haugen, Anders
First American to win an Olympic medal for ski jumping (1924)
Hawk-Eye
Computer system used to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a record of its most
statistically likely path as a moving image
Hazard
Area of a golf course which provides a difficult obstacle
Healy, David
Holds the record for the highest scoring tally during a UEFA European Championship qualifying
campaign with 13
Hearns, Thomas
Nicknamed the “Motor City Cobra” and more famously “The Hitman”, first fighter in history to
win five world titles in five different divisions
Heisman, John
American football player whose trophy is named after him, awarded annually to the season’s most
outstanding college football player
Henderson, Rickey
Nicknamed “The Man of Steal”, American baseball player who holds records for career stolen
bases, runs scored, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs
Hendry, Stephen
Nicknamed “The King of Crucible”, youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21
Henie, Sonja
Credited with being the first figure skater to adopt the short skirt costume in figure skating, wear
white boots and make use of dance choreography
Henman, Tim
First player ever to be disqualified from the Wimbledon tournament in 1995 after he thrashed a ball
in a fit of pique during a doubles match, striking ball girl Caroline Hall on the head
Henry, Thierry
French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer
Hershiser, Orel
American Major League Baseball starting pitcher who holds the Major League record for most
consecutive scoreless innings pitched, pitching 59 consecutive innings without giving up a run from
August 30, 1988 to September 28, 1988
Hextall, Ron
First NHL goaltender to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opponent’s empty net
Heynckes, Jupp
Third highest goalscorer in the history of the Bundesliga, with 220 goals
Heyns, Penelope
South African swimmer best known for being the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games
to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events – at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games –
making her South Africa’s first post-apartheid Olympic gold medallist following South Africa’s re-
admission to the Games in 1992
Higinbotham, William
Creator of Tennis for Two, the first interactive analog computer game and one of the first electronic
games to use a graphical display
Hill, Calvin
First Dallas Cowboys runningback to have a 1,000-yard rushing season
Hines, Jim
Former American track and field athlete who was the first sprinter to officially break the 10-second
barrier in the 100 meters, running an electronically timed 9.95 to win the 1968 Olympics at altitude
in Mexico City
Hogan, Ben
Nicknamed “The Hawk”, American golfer notable for his profound influence on the golf swing
theory and his legendary ball-striking ability, for which he remains renowned among players and
fans
Hoketsu, Hiroshi
Japanese equestrian who became the oldest Olympian to ever compete for Japan, and is the third
oldest Olympian to compete ever
Holmunkollen medal
Norwegian skiing’s highest award for competitors
Hong Un-jong
First Olympic medalist for a North Korean woman in Olympic gymnastics
Hook shot
In basketball, play in which the offensive player usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently
throws the ball with a sweeping motion of his arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which
ends over his head
Hopkins, Bernard
Oldest boxer to win a major title
Hopscotch
Popular playground game in which players toss a small object into numbered spaces of a pattern of
rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces to retrieve the object
Hornung, Paul
First in pro football history to have won the Heisman Trophy, been selected as first overall selection
in the NFL Draft, won the NFL most valuable player award, and been inducted into both the
professional and college football halls of fame
Hubbard, DeHart
Track and field athlete who was the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal in an
individual event
Hunt, Lamar
First used the term “Super Bowl”
Hurling
Thought to be the world’s fastest field team game in terms of game play
1920 Canada
1924 Canada
1928 Canada
1930 Canada
1931 Canada
1932 Canada
1933 United States
1934 Canada
1935 Canada
1936 Great Britain
1937 Canada
1938 Canada
1939 Canada
1947 Czechoslovakia
1948 Canada
1949 Czechoslovakia
1950 Canada
1951 Canada
1952 Canada
1953 Sweden
1954 Soviet Union
1955 Canada
1956 Soviet Union
1957 Sweden
1958 Canada
1959 Canada
1960 United States
1961 Canada
1962 Sweden
1963 Soviet Union
1964 Soviet Union
1965 Soviet Union
1966 Soviet Union
1967 Soviet Union
1968 Soviet Union
1969 Soviet Union
1970 Soviet Union
1971 Soviet Union
1972 Czechoslovakia
1973 Soviet Union
1974 Soviet Union
1975 Soviet Union
1976 Czechoslovakia
1977 Czechoslovakia
1978 Soviet Union
1979 Soviet Union
1981 Soviet Union
1982 Soviet Union
1983 Soviet Union
1985 Czechoslovakia
1986 Soviet Union
1987 Sweden
1989 Soviet Union
1990 Soviet Union
1991 Sweden
1992 Sweden
1993 Russia
1994 Canada
1995 Finland
1996 Czech Republic
1997 Canada
1998 Sweden
1999 Czech Republic
2000 Czech Republic
2001 Czech Republic
2002 Slovakia
2003 Canada
2004 Canada
2005 Czech Republic
2006 Sweden
2007 Canada
2008 Russia
2009 Russia
2010 Czech Republic
2011 Finland
2012 Russia
2013 Sweden
1938 Germany
1954 Sweden
1958 Sweden
1961 Romania
1964 Romania
1967 Czechoslovakia
1970 Romania
1974 Romania
1978 West Germany
1982 Soviet Union
1986 Yugoslavia
1990 Sweden
1993 Russia
1995 France
1997 Russia
1999 Sweden
2001 France
2003 Croatia
2005 Spain
2007 Germany
2009 France
2011 France
2013 Spain
1949 Hungary
1956 Romania
1957 Czechoslovakia
1960 Romania
1962 Romania
1965 Hungary
1971 East Germany
1973 Yugoslavia
1975 East Germany
1978 East Germany
1982 Soviet Union
1986 Soviet Union
1990 Soviet Union
1993 Germany
1995 South Korea
1997 Denmark
1999 Norway
2001 Russia
2003 France
2005 Russia
2007 Russia
2009 Russia
2011 Norway
2013 Brazil
Impey, Daryl
First South African leader of Tour de France
1911—Ray Harroun
1912—Joe Dawson
1913—Jules Goux
1914—Rene Thomas
1915—Ralph DePalma
1916—Dario Resta
1917—No award given
1918—No award given
1919—Howdy Wilcox
1920—Gaston Chevrolet
1921—Tommy Milton
1922—Jimmy Murphy
1923—Tommy Milton
1924—Lora L. Corum/ Joe Boyer
1925—Peter DePaolo
1926—Frank Lockhart
1927—George Souders
1928—Louis Meyer
1929—Ray Keech
1930—Billy Arnold
1931—Louis Schneider
1932—Fred Frame
1933—Louis Meyer
1934—Bill Cummings
1935—Kelly Petillo
1936—Louis Meyer
1937—Wilbur Shaw
1938—Floyd Roberts
1939—Wilbur Shaw
1940—Wilbur Shaw
1941—Floyd Davis/ Mauri Rose
1942—No award given
1943—No award given
1944—No award given
1945—No award given
1946—George Robson
1947—Mauri Rose
1948—Mauri Rose
1949—Bill Holland
1950—Johnnie Parsons
1951—Lee Wallard
1952—Troy Ruttman
1953—Bill Vukovich
1954—Bill Vukovich
1955—Bob Sweikert
1956—Pat Flaherty
1957—Sam Hanks
1958—Jimmy Bryan
1959—Rodger Ward
1960—Jim Rathmann
1961—A. J. Foyt
1962—Rodger Ward
1963—Parnelli Jones
1964—A. J. Foyt
1965—Jim Clark
1966—Graham Hill
1967—A. J. Foyt
1968—Bobby Unser
1969—Mario Andretti
1970—Al Unser
1971—Al Unser
1972—Mark Donohue
1973—Gordon Johncock
1974—Johnny Rutherford
1975—Bobby Unser
1976—Johnny Rutherford
1977—A. J. Foyt
1978—Al Unser
1979—Rick Mears
1980—Johnny Rutherford
1981—Bobby Unser
1982—Gordon Johncock
1983—Tom Sneva
1984—Rick Mears
1985—Danny Sullivan
1986—Bobby Rahal
1987—Al Unser
1988—Rick Mears
1989—Emerson Fittipaldi
1990—Arie Luyendyk
1991—Rick Mears
1992—Al Unser Jr.
1993—Emerson Fittipaldi
1994—Al Unser Jr.
1995—Jacques Villeneuve
1996—Buddy Lazier
1997—Arie Luyendyk
1998—Eddie Cheever Jr.
1999—Kenny Brack
2000—Juan Pablo Montoya
2001—Helio Castroneves
2002—Helio Castroneves
2003—Gil de Ferran
2004—Buddy Rice
2005—Dan Wheldon
2006—Sam Hornish Jr.
2007—Dario Franchitti
2008—Scott Dixon
2009—Helio Castroneves
2010—Dario Franchitti
2011—Dan Wheldon
2012—Dario Franchitti
2013—Tony Kanaan
Iness, Sam
Winner of the Olympic gold medal in discus throw at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Iniesta, Andres
Scored the winning goal for Spain in the final against The Netherlands in 2010 FIFA World Cup
Jamboree
Large gathering of Scouts who rally at a national or international level
Jeet Kune Do
Eclectic/hybrid system and philosophy of life founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non-
classical, and straightforward movements
Jeter, Derek
American baseball player (shortstop) who has played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the
New York Yankees
Yankees’ all-time career leader in hits (3,316), games played (2,602), stolen bases (348), and at bats
(10,614)
28th player to reach 3,000 hits
“Jinx”
Nickname of retired American boxer Michael Spinks
Johansson, Ingemar
Swedish boxer who was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside the United States
Defeated Floyd Patterson by TKO in the third round in 1959
Johnson, Ben
Canadian former sprinter, who enjoyed a high-profile career during most of the 1980s, winning two
Olympic bronze medals and an Olympic gold, which was subsequently rescinded for doping
Johnson, Jack
First African-American world heavyweight boxing champion
First boxer to have fought a span of five decades
Jones, Bobby
American amateur golfer famous for his unique “Grand Slam”, consisting of his victory in all four
major golf tournaments of his era in a single calendar year (1930)
Jones, Marion
First woman to win five track and field medals at a single Olympics in 2000 (later forfeited)
Jordan, Michael
Named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN
Jousting
Martial game between two horsemen and using lances, often as part of a tournament
Jumpman
Original name used for Mario in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong
Jungle gym
Another name for monkey bars
Kabbadi
National sport of Bangladesh
Kalas, Harry
American sportscaster known for being the lead play by play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies
Kano, Jigoro
Founder of Judo
Karelin, Aleksandr
Dominant Greco-Roman wrestler for the Soviet Union and Russia and universally considered the
greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time
Karnicar, Davo
First man that skied down from the summit of Mount Everest on October 7, 2000
Kasparov, Garry
Born Garik Kimovich Weinstein, Russian chess grandmaster who became the youngest ever
undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22 by defeating then-champion Anatoly
Karpov
First world champion to lose a match to a computer under standard time controls, when he lost to
Deep Blue in 1997
Keleti, Agnes
Hungarian gymnast who became the most successful athlete at the 1956 Summer Olympic Games
Kendo
Meaning “The Way of the Sword”, modern Japanese sport/martial art, which descended from
swordsmanship (kenjutsu) and uses bamboo swords (shinai) and protective armor (bōgu)
1875 Aristides
1876 Vagrant
1877 Baden-Baden
1878 Day Star
1879 Lord Murphy
1880 Fonso
1881 Hindoo
1882 Apollo
1883 Leonatus
1884 Buchanan
1885 Joe Cotton
1886 Ben Ali
1887 Montrose
1888 Macbeth II
1889 Spokane
1890 Riley
1891 Kingman
1892 Azra
1893 Lookout
1894 Chant
1895 Halma
1896 Ben Brush
1897 Typhoon II
1898 Plaudit
1899 Manuel
1900 Lieut. Gibson
1901 His Eminence
1902 Alan-a-Dale
1903 Judge Himes
1904 Elwood
1905 Agile
1906 Sir Huon
1907 Pink Star
1908 Stone Street
1909 Wintergreen
1910 Donau
1911 Meridian
1912 Worth
1913 Donerail
1914 Old Rosebud
1915 Regret
1916 George Smith
1917 Omar Khayyam
1918 Exterminator
1919 Sir Barton
1920 Paul Jones
1921 Behave Yourself
1922 Morvich
1923 Zev
1924 Black Gold
1925 Flying Ebony
1926 Bubbling Over
1927 Whiskery
1928 Reigh Count
1929 Clyde Van Dusen
1930 Gallant Fox
1931 Twenty Grand
1932 Burgoo King
1933 Brokers Tip
1934 Cavalcade
1935 Omaha
1936 Bold Venture
1937 War Admiral
1938 Lawrin
1939 Johnstown
1940 Gallahadion
1941 Whirlaway
1942 Shut Out
1943 Count Fleet
1944 Pensive
1945 Hoop Jr.
1946 Assault
1947 Jet Pilot
1948 Citation
1949 Ponder
1950 Middleground
1951 Count Turf
1952 Hill Gail
1953 Dark Star
1954 Determine
1955 Swaps
1956 Needles
1957 Iron Liege
1958 Tim Tam
1959 Tomy Lee
1960 Venetian Way
1961 Carry Back
1962 Decidedly
1963 Chateaugay
1964 Northern Dancer
1965 Lucky Debonair
1966 Kauai King
1967 Proud Clarion
1968 Forward Pass
1969 Majestic Prince
1970 Dust Commander
1971 Canonero II
1972 Riva Ridge
1973 Secretariat
1974 Cannonade
1975 Foolish Pleasure
1976 Bold Forbes
1977 Seattle Slew
1978 Affirmed
1979 Spectacular Bid
1980 Genuine Risk
1981 Pleasant Colony
1982 Gato Del Sol
1983 Sunny's Halo
1984 Swale
1985 Spend A Buck
1986 Ferdinand
1987 Alysheba
1988 Winning Colors
1989 Sunday Silence
1990 Unbridled
1991 Strike the Gold
1992 Lil E. Tee
1993 Sea Hero
1994 Go for Gin
1995 Thunder Gulch
1996 Grindstone
1997 Silver Charm
1998 Real Quiet
1999 Charismatic
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
2001 Monarchos
2002 War Emblem
2003 Funny Cide
2004 Smarty Jones
2005 Giacomo
2006 Barbaro
2007 Street Sense
2008 Big Brown
2009 Mine That Bird
2010 Super Saver
2011 Animal Kingdom
2012 I'll Have Another
2013 Orb
Kerrigan, Nancy
American figure skater who was infamously clubbed in the knee in 1994
Kid Blackie
Pseudonym used by boxer Jack Dempsey
Kim Duk-koo
South Korean boxer who died following a boxing match against Ray Mancini, sparking a number of
reforms in the sport aimed to better protect the health of fighters
Kim, Nellie
First woman in Olympic history to earn a perfect 10 score on the vault
Kim Yuna
South Korean figure skater who won the gold medal at ladies' singles figure skating at the 2010
Winter Olympics
Current record holder for ladies in the short program, the free skating, and the combined total under
the ISU Judging System
Kinect
Motion sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows PCs
“The King”
Nickname given to American golfer Arnold Palmer, one of golf’s most popular stars, because he
was the first superstar of the sport’s television age, which began in the 1950s
King, Don
American boxing promoter of “The Rumble in the Jungle” and the “Thrilla in Manila”
King of Hearts
Only king without a mustache in a standard deck of cards
Kingda Ka
World’s tallest roller coaster
Kirk, Oliver
Only boxer in Olympic history to ever win two gold medals in two separate weight divisions at the
same Olympics
Kiss, Laszlo
Hungarian football player who became the first substitute player to score three goals in a World
Cup match
Kjus, Lasse
Only man to medal in all 5 alpine disciplines at the same World Ski Championships in 1999
Klammer, Franz
Former champion alpine ski racer who overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four
consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78)
Gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel in
dramatic fashion
Klinsmann, Jurgen
German football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of the United States
national team
Klitschko, Vitali
Nicknamed “Dr. Ironfist”, first professional boxing world champion to hold a PhD degree
Klusener, Lance
Nicknamed “Zulu”, former South African cricketer known for his aggressive batting and his fast-
medium swing bowling
“Knick Killer”
Nickname given to basketball player Reggie Miller
Knievel, Evel
American daredevil whose over 433 broken bones he suffered during his career earned him an entry
in the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of “most bones broken in a lifetime”
Knox-Johnston, Robin
First man to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe
Knuckleball
Baseball pitch thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic,
unpredictable motion
Kojima, Hideo
Creator, director and writer of a number of successful video games, including the Metal Gear series
of stealth games and the adventure games Snatcher and Policenauts
Kraenzlein, Alvin
First sportsman to win four Olympic titles in a single Olympic Games
Krajicek, Richard
Only Dutch player to win the Men’s Singles title at Wimbledon
Krav Maga
Non-competitive tactical self-defense system developed in Israel that consists of a wide
combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling,
and grappling, along with realistic fight training
Kuerten, Gustavo
Also known as “Guga”, only player to defeat Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the same major
tournament
La Conquete du Monde
Literally meaning “The Conquest of the World”, original name of the strategic board game Risk
La Rascasse
Corner in Circuit de Monaco remembered for a long time as the location of one of the most
suspicious maneuvers in recent Formula One history after the 2006 season when Michael
Schumacher appeared to deliberately stop his car in qualifying so as to prevent Fernando Alonso
and Mark Webber from out-qualifying him
Lambot, Firmin
Belgian bicycle racer who became the first to win the Tour de France without winning the stage
Oldest Tour de France winner to date
Lammens, Hank
Sailor who was disqualified for failing to bring a life jacket aboard in a 1992 Olympic regatta
Lamorisse, Albert
Inventor of the board game Risk
LaMotta, Jake
American boxer who became the first to defeat Sugar Ray Robinson
Larsen, Don
American Major League Baseball pitcher whose most notable accomplishment was pitching the
only perfect game in the history of the World Series
Latynina, Larisa
Soviet gymnast who holds the record for most career Olympic medals by a woman
Lawrence Peter
Real first and middle names of baseball player Yogi Berra
Leather, Diane
First woman to run a mile in less than 5 minutes
Lecomte, Benoit
First man to swim across the Atlantic Ocean without a kick board in 1998
Lee Lai-shan
Only athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong, not as part of China (gold for
board [mistral] at the 1996 Summer Olympics)
“Lefty”
Nickname given to the professional golfer Phil Mickelson
Lemieux, Mario
Only person to have his name on the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner
Only NHL player to score goals in five different ways (even strength, shorthanded, power play,
penalty shot and emptyhand)
LeMond, Greg
First American to win the Tour de France (1996)
Lenglen, Suzanne
French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926
Leslie, Lisa
First player to dunk in a WNBA game
Levi’s Stadium
Football stadium under construction set to become the new home of the San Francisco 49ers and
will host the Super Bowl L
Lewis, Carl
American former track and field athlete and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, who won 10
Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, including 8 gold
Li Ning
Chinese gymnast most famous for winning 6 medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which was the
first Olympics in which the People’s Republic of China participated
First Chinese inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (2000)
“Lightning Bolt”
Nickname of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, first man to hold both the 100 meters and 200 meters
world records since fully automatic time measurements became mandatory in 1977 and first man to
win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting
Lineker, Gary
English former footballer who holds England’s record for goals scored in FIFA World Cup finals,
with ten
Lipinski, Tara
American figure skater who won the ladies’ singles Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the
1998 Winter Olympics
Youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games
Liston, Sonny
Nicknamed “The Big Bear”, American boxer who became World Heavyweight Champion in 1962
by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round
“Livermore Larupper”
Nickname given to American boxer Max Baer
Lloris, Hugo
French footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur and is the captain of the French
national team
Lockyer, Darren
Australian rugby league player who set all-time records for most National Rugby League matches,
most State of Origin matches, most games as captain and most tries for the Australian national
team, and highest ever point-scorer for the Broncos
Lombardi, Vince
American football player, coach and executive best known as the head coach of the Green Bay
Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total league
championships in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and
1967 NFL seasons
Coined the term “game plan”
Lomu, Jonah
Former New Zealand rugby union player generally regarded as the first true global superstar of
rugby union
Los Pumas
Nickname given to the Argentinian national rugby union team
Lowe, John
First player to win the BDO World Darts Championship in three separate decades (1979, 1987,
1993)
First player to hit a televised nine dart finish
Luque, Adolfo
First Latin baseball player to appear in a World Series
Madhouse
Nickname given to Double One in darts
Magnavox Odyssey
World’s first commercial home video game console
Makuuchi
Top division of professional sumo
Maldonado, Pastor
First Venezuelan to win a Formula One Grand Prix (Spanish GP in 2012)
Maleeva, Magdalena
Opponent of Monica Seles at a tournament in Germany when the latter was stabbed by Günter
Parche
Malivoire, Bernard
Youngest medalist and gold medalist at the 1952 Games with 14 years and 95 days
Mallory, Edgar
Real name of the policeman in Monopoly
Malone, Moses
First player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding for five consecutive seasons
Manchester United
First sports team in the world to be valued at $3 billion
Mandrillon, Camille
French biathlete who became the first to take the Olympic Oath for the Winter Olympic Games
Mangiarotti, Edoardo
Italian fencer who won more Olympic titles (6 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 2 bronze medals)
and World Championships (13 gold medals, 8 silver medals and 5 bronze medals) than any other
fencer in the history of the sport
Mano-a-mano
Term used originally for bullfights where two matadors alternate competing for the admiration of
the audience
Maradona, Diego
Argentine footballer who scored two goals in the quarter-final match against England of 1986 FIFA
World Cup, including the “Hand of God” and “The Goal of the Century”
Maris, Roger
Major League Baseball right fielder who hit a Major League record 61 home runs during the 1961
season for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60 home runs in
1927
Masterton, Bill
Only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of
massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968, contest against the
Oakland Seals
Matthews, Stanley
First British footballer to be knighted
Matthias, Bob
American decathlete who won the Olympic gold medal at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics
Matthäus, Lothar
Captained the West Germany team to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup
First ever FIFA World Player of the Year
Mawashi
In sumo, the belt that the rikishi or sumo wrestler wears during training or in competition
Mayol, Jacques
First free diver to descend to 100 meters
Maze, Tina
Slovenian World Cup alpine ski racer who is one of just six women who have won in all five World
Cup events
McCardel, Chloe
Australian endurance swimmer who is attempting to become the first person to swim from Havana
to Florida without a cage to protect her from shark attacks
McCrum, William
Wealthy Irish linen manufacturer and sportsman, most famous for being the inventor in 1890 of the
penalty kick in football
McEnroe, John
American professional tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles
McFadden, Tatyana
Russian-born United States Paralympian athlete who won 10 Paralympic medals on multiple
Summer Paralympic Games
McGee, Max
Scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history
McIlroy, Rory
Youngest golf player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the European Tour in 2012
Youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour in 2012
McVicker, Joseph
Inventor of the Play-Doh
Mediate, Rocco
American professional golfer who has won six times on the PGA Tour, notable for finishing runner-
up after losing in an 18-hole playoff to Tiger Woods in the 2008 US Open
Medicine ball
Weighted ball roughly the diameter of the shoulders often used for rehabilitation and strength
training
Mega Drive
Name of Sega Genesis when it was released in Japan in 1988
Meilutyte, Ruta
Youngest Lithuanian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal (women’s 100m breaststroke, 2012)
Holds the world record for women’s 100m (long course)
1861 Archer
1862 Archer
1863 Banker
1864 Lantern
1865 Toryboy
1866 The Barb
1867 Tim Whiffler
1868 Glencoe
1869 Warrior
1870 Nimblefoot
1871 The Pearl
1872 The Quack
1873 Don Juan
1874 Haricot
1875 Wollomai
1876 Briseis
1877 Chester
1878 Calamia
1879 Darriwell
1880 Grand Flaneur
1881 Zulu
1882 The Assyrian
1883 Martini-Henry
1884 Malua
1885 Sheet Anchor
1886 Arsenal
1887 Dunlop
1888 Mentor
1889 Bravo
1890 Carbine
1891 Malvolio
1892 Glenloth
1893 Tarcoola
1894 Patron
1895 Auraria
1896 Newhaven
1897 Gaulus
1898 The Grafter
1899 Merriwee
1900 Clean Sweep
1901 Revenue
1902 The Victory
1903 Lord Cardigan
1904 Acrasia
1905 Blue Spec
1906 Poseidon
1907 Apologue
1908 Lord Nolan
1909 Prince Foote
1910 Comedy King
1911 The Parisian
1912 Piastre
1913 Posinatus
1914 Kingsburgh
1915 Patrobas
1916 Sasanof
1917 Westcourt
1918 Night Watch
1919 Artilleryman
1920 Poitrel
1921 Sister Olive
1922 King Ingoda
1923 Bitalli
1924 Backwood
1925 Windbag
1926 Spearfelt
1927 Trivalve
1928 Statesman
1929 Nightmarch
1930 Phar Lap
1931 White Nose
1932 Peter Pan
1933 Hall Mark
1934 Peter Pan
1935 Marabou
1936 Wotan
1937 The Trump
1938 Catalogue
1939 Rivette
1940 Old Rowley
1941 Skipton
1942 Colonus
1943 Dark Felt
1944 Sirius
1945 Rain Bird
1946 Russia
1947 Hiraji
1948 Rimfire
1949 Foxzami
1950 Comic Court
1951 Delta
1952 Dalray
1953 Wodalla
1954 Rising Fast
1955 Toparoa
1956 Evening Peal
1957 Straight Draw
1958 Baystone
1959 Macdougal
1960 Hi Jinx
1961 Lord Fury
1962 Even Stevens
1963 Gatum Gatum
1964 Polo Prince
1965 Light Fingers
1966 Galilee
1967 Red Handed
1968 Rain Lover
1969 Rain Lover
1970 Baghdad Note
1971 Silver Knight
1972 Piping Lane
1973 Gala Supreme
1974 Think Big
1975 Think Big
1976 Van der Hum
1977 Gold and Black
1978 Arwon
1979 Hyperno
1980 Beldale Ball
1981 Just A Dash
1982 Gurner’s Lane
1983 Kiwi
1984 Black Night
1985 What A Nuisance
1986 At Talaq
1987 Kensei
1988 Empire Rose
1989 Tawriffic
1990 Kingston Rule
1991 Let’s Elope
1992 Subzero
1993 Vintage Corp
1994 Jeune
1995 Doriemus
1996 Saintly
1997 Might and Power
1998 Jezabeel
1999 Rogan Josh
2000 Brew
2001 Ethereal
2002 Media Puzzle
2003 Makybe Diva
2004 Makybe Diva
2005 Makybe Diva
2006 Delta Blues
2007 Efficient
2008 Viewed
2009 Shocking
2010 Americain
2011 Dunaden
2012 Green Moon
2013 Fiorente
Merckx, Eddie
Belgian rider who won the Tour de France five times despite the doctor’s advice against competing
as he eventually had abnormalities in his heart rhythm
Messner, Reinhold
Italian mountaineer renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without
supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all fourteen “eight-thousanders”
Meyer, Debbie
Only woman Olympian to win three individual freestyle swimming gold medals in one Olympics,
namely the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle events
Michtom, Morris
Russian Jewish immigrant, who with his wife Rose invented the Teddy Bear
Milburn
Real first name of Monopoly Mascot Uncle Pennybags
Milner, James
Youngest player to score in the Premier League
Miura, Yuichiro
Oldest man to climb Mount Everest
Miyamoto, Shigeru
Japanese video game designer and producerbest known as the creator of some of the best-selling,
most critically acclaimed, most enduring, and most influential games and franchises of all time such
as Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, and the Wii series
MLB Stadiums
Montera
Hat traditionally worn by bullfighters, introduced to the ritual event in 1835 by Francisco “Paquiro”
Montes as accompaniment to the traje de luces, or “suit of lights”
Moon, Warren
American professional gridiron football quarterback who held the record for most passing yardage
in professional football (CFL + NFL career) until surpassed by Damon Allen on September 4, 2006,
Held the record for most passing touchdowns in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre
on November 22, 2007,
Held the record for most pass completions in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre on
December 23, 2007
Held the record for most pass attempts in professional football history until surpassed by Brett
Favre on December 14, 2008
Morrow, Patrick
First person in the world to have climbed the highest peaks of all seven continents
Mourning, Alonzo
First Miami Heat player to have his number retired
Moyes, David
Scottish football manager and former player who succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager of
Manchester United since July 2013
Mr. Toffee
Tall man with orange hair in Candy Crush Saga
Muldowney, Shirley
Also known professionally as “Cha Cha” and the “First Lady of Drag Racing”, first woman to
receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to drive a Top Fuel dragster
Müller, Gerd
German footballer who was elected European Footballer of the Year in 1970 after a successful
season with Bayern Munich and scoring ten goals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
Mulligan
In a game, practice that happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or
action
Murderer’s Row
Nickname given to the New York Yankees baseball team of the late 1920s, in particular the first six
hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel
and Tony Lazzeri
Murray, Andy
Only British male to become a Grand Slam champion during the Open Era
First British player since 1977 and the first British man since 1936 to win a Grand Slam singles
tournament
Only man to win the Olympic gold and the US Open back-to-back
Naidangiin Tüvshinbayar
Judoka who became the first Mongolian ever to win a gold medal at the Olympics
Naismith, James
Invented the sport of basketball in 1891 and often credited with introducing the first football helmet
Namath, Joe
Nicknamed “Broadway Joe”, former American football quarterback known for once boldly
guaranteeing a New York Jets victory over Don Shula’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and then
making good on his prediction with a 16-7 win
Nash, Steve
First Canadian to be named Most Valuable Player of NBA
Nastase, Ilie
Romanian tennis player who became the first to be ranked No. 1 by a computer after ATP began
issuing computer-generated rankings in 1973
Nathanson, Abraham
American graphic designer who created Bananagrams
Nati
Nickname for the Swiss national football team
Navratilova, Martina
Recorded the longest winning streak in the open era (74 consecutive matches) and three of the six
longest winning streaks in the women’s open era
NBA arenas
BAA champions
NBA champions
Nelson, Byron
American PGA Tour golfer mostly remembered today for having won 11 consecutive tournaments
and 18 total tournaments in 1945
Second recipient of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997
Netzer, Günter
Footballer of the Year in Germany (1972, 1973)
NFL Stadiums
NHL arenas
Nicklaus, Jack
Nicknamed “The Golden Bear”, American professional golfer widely regarded as the most
accomplished professional golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships
Also called “Ohio Fats”and “Blobbo”
Nine-dart finish
Perfect leg in a game of darts
Nissen, George
American gymnast and inventor who developed the modern trampoline and made trampolining a
worldwide sport
Noah, Yannick
French professional tennis player best known for winning the French Open in 1983
Noble, Richard
Scottish entrepreneur who was holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997
Norton, Ken
American heavyweight boxer and WBC world Heavyweight Champion best known for his 12-
round victory over Muhammad Ali, when he famously broke Ali’s jaw, on March 31, 1973,
becoming only the second man to defeat a peak Ali as a professional
Nurmi, Paavo
Finnish runner nicknamed “Flying Finn”, became the first, and so far only, runner to hold the mile,
the 5,000 m and the 10,000 m world records at the same time in 1923
Nyad, Diana
First person to swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, without the assistance of a shark
cage or swim fins in 2013
Ochoa, Lorena
First Mexican golfer of either gender to be ranked number one in the world
Oh, Sadaharu
Retired Japanese–Taiwanese baseball player and managerwho holds the world lifetime home run
record, having hit over 100 more than the American record holder Barry Bonds
Ohno, Apolo Anton
American short track speed skating competitor who is the most decorated American Winter
Olympic athlete of all time
Olympic Order
Highest award of the Olympic Movement and is awarded for particularly distinguished
contributions to the Olympic Movement
Onishchenko, Boris
Member of the Soviet Union’s modern pentathlon team in the 1976 Summer Olympics, infamous
for being disqualified for cheating
Optic yellow
Color of a regulation tennis ball
Orr, Bobby
Only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies and holds the
record for most points and assists in a single season by a defenceman
O’Sullivan, Ronnie
Nicknamed “The Rocket”, English professional snooker player who holds the record for the fastest
maximum break at 5 minutes 20 seconds, which he compiled at the 1997 World Championship
Ottey, Merlene
Female athlete who holds the record for competing at the most consecutive Olympic Games, seven
in all, between 1980 and 2008
Owens, Jesse
American track and field athlete who participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin,
Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100
meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4 x 100 meter relay team
Pacquiao, Manny
Only boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions
Paderina, Natalia
Russian sport shooter who shared a kiss with Nino Salukvadze of Georgia at the podium during the
Women’s 10m air pistol event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Pajeau, Charles H.
Creator of the Tinkertoy
Pajitnov, Alexey
Russian computer engineer who developed the popular game Tetris
Palinkas, Patricia
Credited as the first and, until Katie Hnida signed with the Fort Wayne Firehawks in 2010, only
woman to play American football professionally in a league made predominately of men
Pak Doo-ik
North Korean footballer who scored the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Italy at the 1966 FIFA
World Cup in England
Panhellenic Games
• Olympic Games
• Pythian Games
• Nemean Games
• Isthmian Games
Panning
In photography, term referring to the rotation in a horizontal plane of a still camera or video camera
Pantani, Marco
Nicknamed “Pirate”, cyclist who won the 1998 Tour de France
Park, Inbee
Youngest player to win the U.S. Women’s Open
Fourth LPGA Tour player to win three majors in a calendar year
Parkour
Holistic training discipline using movement that developed out of military obstacle course training
Parche, Günter
Deranged fan of Steffi Graf who stabbed tennis player Monica Seles
Patterson, Floyd
First heavyweight boxer to regain the world heavyweight title
Youngest undisputed heavyweight champion
Peloton
Main cluster of riders in a bicycle race
• Long jump
• Javelin throw
• Greek style discus throw
• Stadion
• Wrestling
• Shooting
• Swimming
• Fencing
• Equestrian
• Cross-country running
Perfect game
Defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher or combination of pitchers pitches
a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base
Perry, Fred
Last British player to win the men’s Wimbledon championship, in 1936
Last British player to win a Men’s singles Grand Slam title until Andy Murray won the US Open in
2012
Perry, Gaylord
First pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in each league
Pheidippides
Hero of Ancient Greece, the central figure in a story that was the inspiration for the modern
sporting event marathon
Phelps, Michael
American swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 22 medals
First person to win eight gold medals in one Olympic Games
“The Phenomenon”
Nickname of footballer Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, one of only three men to have won the
FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi
Phinney, Davis
First American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France
Photobombing
The act of inserting oneself into the field of view of a photograph, often in order to play a practical
joke on the photographer or the subjects
Pienaar, Francois
Best known for leading South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Piñata
Container often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, decorated, and filled with small toys or
candy, or both, and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration
Pips
Term for the spots in dice and dominoes
Piste
• Marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding or other mountain sports
• In fencing, term given to the playing area
Pistorius, Oscar
First amputee to win an able-bodied world track medal, first double leg amputee to participate in the
Olympics when he entered the men’s 400 meters and 4 × 400 meters relay races
Pitching machine
Machine that automatically pitches a baseball to a batter at different speeds and styles
Planking
2011 fad described as the practice of lying down flat with arms to the side to mimic a wooden plank
Platini, Michel
Former French footballer who holds the record for most goals (9) scored in European
Championship final tournaments
Player, Gary
Nicknamed The Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, International Ambassador of Golf, South African golfer
who became the only non-American to win all four majors, known as the career Grand Slam
Plexicushion
Acrylic-based hard court tennis surface
Poaching
Act of illegally snowboarding at a resort where snowboards are explicitly prohibited
Pollard, Fritz
First African American head coach in the National Football League
Ponomariov, Ruslan
Ukrainian chess player who became the first player to be disqualified at a major event for allowing
his mobile telephone to ring during a game
de Pourtalès, Hélène
First female Olympic champion (1900, open sailing)
Powell, Mike
Former American track and field athlete and the holder of the long jump world record
Power play
Term in ice hockey referring to a team when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and
the team has a numerical advantage on the ice
1873 Survivor
1874 Culpepper
1875 Tom Ochiltree
1876 Shirley
1877 Cloverbrook
1878 Duke of Magenta
1879 Harold
1880 Grenada
1881 Saunterer
1882 Vanguard
1883 Jacobus
1884 Knight of Ellerslie
1885 Tecumseh
1886 The Bard
1887 Dunboyne
1888 Refund
1889 Buddhis
1890 Montague
1891 —
1892 —
1893 —
1894 Assignee
1895 Belmar
1896 Margrave
1897 Paul Kauvar
1898 Sly Fox
1899 Half Time
1900 Hindus
1901 The Parader
1902 Old England
1903 Flocarline
1904 Bryn Mawr
1905 Cairngorm
1906 Whimsical
1907 Don Enrique
1908 Royal Tourist
1909 Effendi
1910 Lay Minister
1911 Watervale
1912 Colonel Holloway
1913 Buskin
1914 Holiday
1915 Rhine Maiden
1916 Damrosch
1917 Kalitan
1918 Jack Hare, Jr. / War Cloud
1919 Sir Barton
1920 Man ’O War
1921 Broomspun
1922 Pillory
1923 Vigil
1924 Nellie Morse
1925 Coventry
1926 Display
1927 Bostonian
1928 Victorian
1929 Dr. Freeland
1930 Gallant Fox
1931 Mate
1932 Burgoo King
1933 Head Play
1934 High Quest
1935 Omaha
1936 Bold Venture
1937 War Admiral
1938 Dauber
1939 Challedon
1940 Bimelech
1941 Whirlaway
1942 Alsab
1943 Count Fleet
1944 Pensive
1945 Polynesian
1946 Assault
1947 Faultless
1948 Citation
1949 Capot
1950 Hill Prince
1951 Bold
1952 Blue Man
1953 Native Dancer
1954 Hasty Road
1955 Nashua
1956 Fabius
1957 Bold Ruler
1958 Tim Tam
1959 Royal Orbit
1960 Bally Ache
1961 Carry Back
1962 Greek Money
1963 Candy Spots
1964 Northern Dancer
1965 Tom Rolfe
1966 Kauai King
1967 Damascus
1968 Forward Pass
1969 Majestic Prince
1970 Personality
1971 Canonero II
1972 Bee Bee Bee
1973 Secretariat
1974 Little Current
1975 Master Derby
1976 Elocutionist
1977 Seattle Slew
1978 Affirmed
1979 Spectacular Bid
1980 Codex
1981 Pleasant Colony
1982 Aloma’s Ruler
1983 Deputed Testamony
1984 Gate Dancer
1985 Tanks’s Prospect
1986 Snow Prospect
1987 Alysheba
1988 Risen Star
1989 Sunday Silence
1990 Summer Squall
1991 Hansel
1992 Pine Bluff
1993 Prairie Bayou
1994 Tabasco Cat
1995 Timber Country
1996 Louis Quatorze
1997 Silver Charm
1998 Real Quiet
1999 Charismatic
2000 Red Bullet
2001 Point Given
2002 War Emblem
2003 Funny Cide
2004 Smarty Jones
2005 Afleet Alex
2006 Bernardini
2007 Curlin
2008 Big Brown
2009 Rachel Alexandra
2010 Lookin at Lucky
2011 Shackleford
2012 I’ll Have Another
2013 Oxbow
“The Professor”
Nickname of French racing driver Alain Prost, four-time winner of the Formula One World
Driver’s Championship (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)
Puck
Hard disk of vulcanized rubber in ice hockey
Puck-Man
Original name of Pac-Man before being released in the United States
Pujols, Albert
American professional baseball player who is the only player in history to bat at least .300 with 30
or more home runs and 100 or more runs batted in in his first 10 seasons
First player to accumulate at least 500 doubles in his first 12 seasons
“Punter”
Nickname of Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting
Puskás, Ferenc
Hungarian footballer and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time
Quiver
Container for arrows, bolts, or darts
ăd can, Andreea
First gymnast to be stripped of a medal after testing positive for pseudoephedrine, at the time a
prohibited substance
Rags to Riches
First filly to win the Belmont Stakes in over a century
Rapture
Fictional underwater world that is the setting of the video game series Bioshock
Red ball
In snooker, any of the 15 balls worth 1 point each that can be potted in any order
Red flag
Used in auto racing when conditions are too unsafe to continue the session on which cars are
directed to proceed to pit road, or to stop at a specific spot
Reich, Frank
Former American football quarterback in the National Football League who had the distinction of
having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate and professional
ranks
Reimer, Eli
First teenager with Down syndrome to climb to Everest Base Camp
Rejection
In basketball, slang term for a block
Red jersey
Cycling jersey given to the leader of the general classification in the Vuelta a España
Reshevsky, Samuel
Famous chess prodigy who was an eight-time winner of the US Chess Championship
Ribéry, Franck
French international footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and
for the France national team
Richard, Maurice
First ice hockey player to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50 games
First to score 50 goals in one season
Richardson, Albert
Traveling salesman for Parker Brothers that became the model for Monopoly’s Rich Uncle
Pennybags
Richmond, Lee
Pitched the first perfect game in baseball history
Riddles, Libby
First woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race (1985)
Riley, Pat
First and so far only NBA figure to win an NBA championship as a player, coach and executive
Ripken, Cal
American former baseball shortstop and third baseman best known for breaking Lou Gehrig’s
record for consecutive games played, a record that had stood for 56 years and many deemed
unbreakable
Riposte
In fencing, an offensive action with the intent of hitting one’s opponent made by the fencer who has
just parried an attack
Roberts, Xavier
Inventor and manufacturer of Cabbage Patch Kids
Robinson, Betty
Winner of the first Olympic 100-meter dash for women
Robinson, Frank
Only baseball player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues
Robinson, Jackie
First African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era
Rose, Justin
First English player to win a major since Nick Faldo in 1996 and the first to win the U.S. Open
since Tony Jacklin in 1970
Rose Bowl
Annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena, California
Roshambo
Another term for rock-paper-scissors
Rossi, Valentino
Nicknamed “The Doctor”, Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World
Champion
Rothstein, Arnold
Jewish-American racketeer widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics,
conspiring in the fixing of the 1919 World Series
Rovio Entertainment
Finnish video game developer and entertainment company best known for its video game franchise
Angry Birds and Bad Piggies
Rowley, Arthur
English football player and cricketer who hold the record for the most goals in the history of
English league football, scoring 434 from 619 league games
Royal flush
Poker hand that is ranked highest
Rozelle, Pete
Commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989 who is
credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world
Rubik, Erno
Hungarian inventor best known for the invention of mechanical puzzles including Rubik’s Cube
(1974), Rubik’s Magic, Rubik’s Magic: Master Edition, Rubik’s Snake and Rubik’s 360
Ruth, Babe
First baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run
Ruy Lopez
Also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6 and 3. Bb5
Ryan, Nolan
Nicknamed “The Ryan Express”, American baseball player who holds the record for the all-time
leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher
Sabermetrics
Specialized analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics that
measure in-game activity
Sailer, Toni
Austrian alpine ski racer who won three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics,
becoming the only triple gold medalist from that Games and thus the most successful athlete in
1956
Salchow
Term for a jump in which the skater takes off from the back inside edge of one skate, spins in the
air, then lands on the back outside edge of the other skate first performed by the Swedish figure
skater Ulrich Salchow
Sampras, Pete
Last American male to win Wimbledon (2000) and the ATP World Tour Finals (1999)
Sanders, Deion
Only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series
Santos-Dumont, Alberto
Winner of the Deutsche de la Meurthe prize in 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower
Sarazen, Gene
Invented the modern sand wedge
Savate
Traditional French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of
western boxing with graceful kicking techniques
Schmeling, Max
Nicknamed “Black Uhlan of the Rhine”, German boxer who became the first to win the
heavyweight championship by disqualification in 1930, after opponent Jack Sharkey knocked him
down with a low blow in the fourth round
Hailed by Adolf Hitler as a paragon of Teutonic manhood
Schumacher, Michael
German racing driver who holds many of Formula One’s driver records, including most
championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, points scored and most races won in a
single season – 13 in 2004 (broken by Sebastian Vettel in 2013)
Scott, Leslie
Inventor of Jenga
“The Scud”
Nickname given to Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis
Šebrle, Roman
First decathlete ever to achieve over 9,000 points, setting the record at 9,026 points
Seles, Monica
Youngest-ever French Open champion
Senna, Ayrton
Brazilian racing driver who won three Formula One world championships and was killed in an
accident while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix
SG 1000
Sega’s first home video console
Shaker, Samir
Iraqi footballer who received a ban for a year by FIFA after spitting at the referee
Shinai
Weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword
Shodan
Lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts
Silk
Term referring to the racing colors worn by jockeys
Silva, Anderson
Brazilian mixed martial artist who holds the longest title defense streak in UFC history (2006-2013)
which ended in 2013 with 16 consecutive wins and 10 title defenses
Silver Arrows
Name given by the press to Germany’s dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix
motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939, and also later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula
One and sports cars in 1954 and 1955
Simonsen, Allan
Danish racing driver who died after an accident during the third lap of the 2013 24 Hours of Le
Mans
Sir Barton
First winner of the US Triple Crown
Skittles
Old European lawn game from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, candlepin bowling and
five-pin bowling are descended
Skurfing
Original name for wakeboarding
Slacklining
Practice in balance that typically uses nylon or polyester webbing tensioned between two anchor
points
Slammin’ Sammy
Nickname given to golfer Sam Snead, admired by many for having the so-called “perfect swing”
Sloan, Bonnie
First deaf football player in National Football League history
Smetanina, Raisa
First woman in history to win ten Winter Olympic medals
Smith, Ed
American football quarterback who posed for the Heisman Trophy study with the now-iconic
straight or “stiff arm”
Smith, Emmitt
One of only two non-kickers in NFL history to score more than 1,000 career points (the other being
Jerry Rice)
Only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award,
the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season
Smith, Graeme
Captain of the South African cricket team
Smokin’Joe
Nickname of American boxer Joe Frazier
Solitaire
Any tabletop game which one can play by himself
Sörenstam, Annika
Only female golfer to have shot a 59 in competition
Southgate, Gareth
English former footballer and manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006 to October 2009
Spelunking
The recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems
Spinks, Leon
Nicknamed “Neon Leon”,American former boxer who won the undisputed world heavyweight
championship when he beat Muhammad Ali on February 15, 1978, in what was considered one of
the biggest upsets in boxing history
“Spirit in Motion”
Motto of the Paralympic Games
Spirograph
Geometric drawing toy that produces mathematical roulette curves of the variety technically known
as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids
Invented by Bruno Abakanowicz
Spitz, Mark
American swimmer, the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics
“The Squire”
Nickname given to professional golfer Gene Sarazen
Stableford
Scoring system used in the sport of golf
Starch, Tony
Name of the Iron Man edition of Mr. Potato Head
Stevenson, Teófilo
Cuban amateur boxer who is one of only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside
Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón
Stotz, Carl
Founder of the Little League Baseball
Strawberry, Darryl
American Major League Baseball outfielder named National League's Rookie of the Year in 1983
Strike
Term used in bowling to indicate that all of the pins have been knocked down with the first ball of a
frame
Sucker punch
Punch made without warning, allowing no time for preparation or defense on the part of the
recipient
Sudden death
In sports, overtime period added to a tied game with the winner being the first to score
“Sugar”
Nickname of mixed martial artist Rashad Evans
1988: Komduri
1992: Petra
1996: Blaze
2000: Lizzie
2004: Proteas
2008: Fu Niu LeLe
2012: Mandeville
Winning
Game Date Score Losing team Venue City
team
Los Angeles
January 15, Green Bay Kansas City Los Angeles,
I 35–10 Memorial
1967 Packers Chiefs California
Coliseum
January 14, Green Bay Oakland Miami,
II 33–14 Orange Bowl
1968 Packers (2) Raiders Florida
January 12, New York Baltimore Orange Bowl Miami,
III 16–7
1969 Jets Colts (2) Florida (2)
January 11, Kansas City Minnesota Tulane New Orleans,
IV 23–7
1970 Chiefs (2) Vikings Stadium Louisiana
January 17, Baltimore Dallas Orange Bowl Miami,
V 16–13
1971 Colts (2) Cowboys (3) Florida (3)
January 16, Dallas Miami Tulane New Orleans,
VI 24–3
1972 Cowboys (2) Dolphins Stadium (2) Louisiana (2)
Los Angeles
January 14, Miami Washington Los Angeles,
VII 14–7 Memorial
1973 Dolphins (2) Redskins California (2)
Coliseum (2)
January 13, Miami Minnesota Houston,
VIII 24–7 Rice Stadium
1974 Dolphins (3) Vikings (2) Texas
January 12, Pittsburgh Minnesota Tulane New Orleans,
IX 16–6
1975 Steelers Vikings (3) Stadium (3) Louisiana (3)
January 18, Pittsburgh Dallas Orange Bowl Miami,
X 21–17
1976 Steelers (2) Cowboys (3) (4) Florida (4)
January 9, Oakland Minnesota Pasadena,
XI 32–14 Rose Bowl
1977 Raiders (2) Vikings (4) California (3)
XII January 15, Dallas 27–10 Denver Louisiana New Orleans,
Winning
Game Date Score Losing team Venue City
team
1978 Cowboys (4) Broncos Superdome Louisiana (4)
January 21, Pittsburgh Dallas Orange Bowl Miami,
XIII 35–31
1979 Steelers (3) Cowboys (5) (5) Florida (5)
January 20, Pittsburgh Los Angeles Pasadena,
XIV 31–19 Rose Bowl (2)
1980 Steelers (4) Rams California (4)
Louisiana
January 25, Oakland Philadelphia New Orleans,
XV 27–10 Superdome
1981 Raiders (3) Eagles Louisiana (5)
(2)
January 24, San Francisco Cincinnati Pontiac Pontiac,
XVI 26–21
1982 49ers Bengals Silverdome Michigan
January 30, Washington Miami Pasadena,
XVII 27–17 Rose Bowl (3)
1983 Redskins (2) Dolphins (4) California (5)
January 22, Los Angeles Washington Tampa Tampa,
XVIII 38–9
1984 Raiders (4) Redskins (3) Stadium Florida
January 20, San Francisco Miami Stanford Stanford,
XIX 38–16
1985 49ers (2) Dolphins (5) Stadium California
Louisiana
January 26, New England New Orleans,
XX Chicago Bears 46–10 Superdome
1986 Patriots Louisiana (6)
(3)
January 25, New York Denver Pasadena,
XXI 39–20 Rose Bowl (4)
1987 Giants Broncos (2) California (6)
January 31, Washington Denver Jack Murphy San Diego,
XXII 42–10
1988 Redskins (4) Broncos (3) Stadium California
January 22, San Francisco Cincinnati Joe Robbie Miami,
XXIII 20–16
1989 49ers (3) Bengals (2) Stadium Florida (6)
Louisiana
January 28, San Francisco Denver New Orleans,
XXIV 55–10 Superdome
1990 49ers (4) Broncos (4) Louisiana (7)
(4)
January 27, New York Tampa Tampa,
XXV 20–19 Buffalo Bills
1991 Giants (2) Stadium (2) Florida (2)
January 26, Washington Buffalo Bills Minneapolis,
XXVI 37–24 Metrodome
1992 Redskins (5) (2) Minnesota
January 31, Dallas Buffalo Bills Pasadena,
XXVII 52–17 Rose Bowl (5)
1993 Cowboys (6) (3) California (7)
January 30, Dallas Buffalo Bills Atlanta,
XXVIII 30–13 Georgia Dome
1994 Cowboys (7) (4) Georgia
January 29, San Francisco San Diego Joe Robbie Miami,
XXIX 49–26
1995 49ers (5) Chargers Stadium (2) Florida (7)
Winning
Game Date Score Losing team Venue City
team
January 28, Dallas Pittsburgh Sun Devil Tempe,
XXX 27–17
1996 Cowboys (8) Steelers (5) Stadium Arizona
Louisiana
January 26, Green Bay New England New Orleans,
XXXI 35–21 Superdome
1997 Packers (3) Patriots (2) Louisiana (8)
(5)
January 25, Denver Green Bay Qualcomm San Diego,
XXXII 31–24
1998 Broncos (5) Packers (4) Stadium (2) California (2)
January 31, Denver Atlanta Pro Player Miami,
XXXIII 34–19
1999 Broncos (6) Falcons Stadium (3) Florida (8)
January 30, St. Louis Tennessee Georgia Dome Atlanta,
XXXIV 23–16
2000 Rams (2) Titans (2) Georgia (2)
Raymond
January 28, Baltimore New York Tampa,
XXXV 34–7 James
2001 Ravens Giants (3) Florida (3)
Stadium
Louisiana
February 3, New England St. Louis New Orleans,
XXXVI 20–17 Superdome
2002 Patriots (3) Rams (3) Louisiana (9)
(6)
January 26, Tampa Bay Oakland Qualcomm San Diego,
XXXVII 48–21
2003 Buccaneers Raiders (5) Stadium (3) California (3)
February 1, New England Carolina Reliant Houston,
XXXVIII 32–29
2004 Patriots(4) Panthers Stadium Texas (2)
February 6, New England Philadelphia ALLTEL Jacksonville,
XXXIX 24–21
2005 Patriots (5) Eagles (2) Stadium Florida
February 5, Pittsburgh Seattle Detroit,
XL 21–10 Ford Field
2006 Steelers (6) Seahawks Michigan (2)
February 4, Indianapolis Chicago Bears Dolphin Miami,
XLI 29–17
2007 Colts (3) (2) Stadium (4) Florida (9)
University of
February 3, New York New England Glendale,
XLII 17–14 Phoenix
2008 Giants (4) Patriots (6) Arizona
Stadium
Raymond
February 1, Pittsburgh Arizona Tampa,
XLIII 27–23 James
2009 Steelers (7) Cardinals Florida (4)
Stadium (2)
February 7, New Orleans Indianapolis Sun Life Miami,
XLIV 31–17
2010 Saints Colts (4) Stadium (5) Florida (10)
February 6, Green Bay Pittsburgh Cowboys Arlington,
XLV 31–25
2011 Packers (5) Steelers (8) Stadium Texas
February 5, New York New England Lucas Oil Indianapolis,
XLVI 21–17
2012 Giants (5) Patriots(7) Stadium Indiana
Winning
Game Date Score Losing team Venue City
team
Mercedes-
February 3, Baltimore San Francisco Benz New Orleans,
XLVII 34–31
2013 Ravens (2) 49ers (6) Superdome Louisiana (10)
(7)
1967Bart Starr
1968Bart Starr
1969 Joe Namath
1970 Len Dawson
1971 Chuck Howley
1972 Roger Staubach
1973 Jake Scott
1974 Larry Csonka
1975 Franco Harris
1976 Lynn Swann
1977 Fred Biletnikoff
1978Harvey Martin
1979Terry Bradshaw
1980 Terry Bradshaw
1981 Jim Plunkett
1982 Joe Montana
1983 John Riggins
1984 Marcus Allen
1985 Joe Montana
1986 Richard Dent
1987 Phil Simms
1988 Doug Williams
1989Jerry Rice
1990 Joe Montana
1991 Ottis Anderson
1992 Mark Rypien
1993Troy Aikman
1994 Emmitt Smith
1995Steve Young
1996 Larry Brown
1997Desmond Howard
1998 Terrell Davis
1999 John Elway
2000 Kurt Warner
2001Ray Lewis
2002 Tom Brady
2003Dexter Jackson
2004Tom Brady
2005Deion Branch
2006 Hines Ward
2007 Peyton Manning
2008 Eli Manning
2009 Santonio Holmes
2010 Drew Brees
2011 Aaron Rodgers
2012 Eli Manning
2013 Joe Flacco
Surtees, John
Only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels
Sutter, Bruce
First pitcher to make effective use of the splitter
Swahn, Oscar
Swedish shooter who became oldest athlete ever to compete in the Olympics
Tabb, Michaela
First woman to officiate at a World Snooker Championship final in May 2009
Tabei, Junko
First woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest
Tanner, Roscoe
Former American professional tennis player known for winning the men’s singles title at the first of
two Australian Open tournaments held in 1977
Taylor, John
American track and field athlete notable as the first African American to win an Olympic gold
medal
Taylor, Meldrick
Former Olympic gold medalist and world boxing champion in two weight classes
Tendulkar, Sachin
First Indian to aggregate 50,000 runs in all recognized cricket
Only player to have scored one hundred international centuries
First player to score a double century in a One Day International
Only player to complete 30,000 runs in international cricket
First sportsperson ever and youngest recipient of the Bharat Ratna to date
Wojtek Fibak
Gene Mayer (1/2) Bob Hewitt (9/9) Robert Lutz (4/5)
1978 Kim Warwick (1/4)
(Dec) Hank Pfister (1/2) Frew McMillan (5/5) Stan Smith (4/5)
Peter McNamara
(1/3) Gene Mayer (2/2) Peter Fleming (1/7) Peter Fleming (2/7)
1979
Paul McNamee (1/4) Sandy Mayer (2/2) John McEnroe (1/9) John McEnroe (2/9)
(Dec)
Mark Edmondson
Peter McNamara
(1/5) Victor Amaya Robert Lutz (5/5)
1980 (2/3)
Kim Warwick (2/4) Hank Pfister (2/2) Stan Smith (5/5)
(Dec) Paul McNamee (2/4)
Mark Edmondson
(4/5) Henri Leconte Peter Fleming (7/7) John Fitzgerald (2/7)
1984
Sherwood Stewart Yannick Noah John McEnroe (7/9) Tomáš Šmíd (1/2)
(3/3) (Dec)
Paul Annacone Mark Edmondson Heinz Günthardt
Ken Flach (1/4)
1985 Christo van (5/5) (2/2)
Robert Seguso (1/4)
Rensburg (Dec) Kim Warwick (4/4) Balázs Taróczy (2/2)
John Fitzgerald
Joakim Nyström Andrés Gómez (1/2)
1986 no competition (3/7)
Mats Wilander Slobodan Živojinović
Tomáš Šmíd (2/2)
Stefan Edberg (1/3) Anders Järryd (3/8) Ken Flach (2/4) Stefan Edberg (2/3)
1987
Anders Järryd (2/8) Robert Seguso (2/4) Robert Seguso (3/4) Anders Järryd (4/8)
Rick Leach (1/5) Andrés Gómez (2/2) Ken Flach (3/4) Sergio Casal (1/2)
1988
Jim Pugh (1/3) Emilio Sánchez Robert Seguso (4/4) Emilio Sánchez (2/3)
Year Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
(1/3)
John McEnroe (8/9)
Rick Leach (2/5) Jim Grabb (1/2) John Fitzgerald (4/7)
1989 Mark Woodforde
Jim Pugh (2/3) Patrick McEnroe Anders Järryd (5/8)
(1/12)
Sergio Casal (2/2)
Pieter Aldrich (1/2) Rick Leach (3/5) Pieter Aldrich (2/2)
1990 Emilio Sánchez
Danie Visser (1/3) Jim Pugh (3/3) Danie Visser (2/3)
(3/3)
John Fitzgerald
Scott Davis John Fitzgerald (6/7) John Fitzgerald (7/7)
1991 (5/7)
David Pate Anders Järryd (7/8) Anders Järryd (8/8)
Anders Järryd (6/8)
Todd Woodbridge
Jim Grabb (2/2)
(1/16) Jakob Hlasek John McEnroe (9/9)
1992 Richey Reneberg
Mark Woodforde Marc Rosset Michael Stich
(1/2)
(2/12)
Todd Woodbridge
Danie Visser (3/3) Luke Jensen (2/16) Ken Flach (4/4)
1993
Laurie Warder Murphy Jensen Mark Woodforde Rick Leach (4/5)
(3/12)
Todd Woodbridge
Jacco Eltingh (1/6) Byron Black (3/16) Jacco Eltingh (2/6)
1994
Paul Haarhuis (1/6) Jonathan Stark Mark Woodforde Paul Haarhuis (2/6)
(4/12)
Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge
Jared Palmer (1/2)
Jacco Eltingh (3/6) (4/16) (5/16)
1995 Richey Reneberg
Paul Haarhuis (3/6) Mark Woodforde Mark Woodforde
(2/2)
(5/12) (6/12)
Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge
Yevgeny
Stefan Edberg (3/3) (6/16) (7/16)
1996 Kafelnikov (1/4)
Petr Korda Mark Woodforde Mark Woodforde
Daniel Vacek (1/3)
(7/12) (8/12)
Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge
Yevgeny Yevgeny Kafelnikov
(8/16) (9/16)
1997 Kafelnikov (2/4) (3/4)
Mark Woodforde Mark Woodforde
Daniel Vacek (2/3) Daniel Vacek (3/3)
(9/12) (10/12)
Jonas Björkman (1/9) Jacco Eltingh (5/6) Jacco Eltingh (6/6) Cyril Suk
1998
Jacco Eltingh (4/6) Paul Haarhuis (4/6) Paul Haarhuis (5/6) Sandon Stolle
Mahesh Bhupathi Mahesh Bhupathi
Jonas Björkman (2/9) Sébastien Lareau
1999 (1/4) (2/4)
Patrick Rafter Alex O’ rien
Leander Paes (1/8) Leander Paes (2/8)
Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge
Ellis Ferreira (10/16) (11/16) Lleyton Hewitt
2000
Rick Leach (5/5) Mark Woodforde Mark Woodforde Max Mirnyi (1/6)
(11/12) (12/12)
Year Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
Jonas Björkman (3/9) Mahesh Bhupathi
Donald Johnson Wayne Black (1/2)
2001 Todd Woodbridge (3/4)
Jared Palmer (2/2) Kevin Ullyett (1/2)
(12/16) Leander Paes (3/8)
Jonas Björkman
Paul Haarhuis (6/6) Mahesh Bhupathi
Mark Knowles (1/3) (4/9)
2002 Yevgeny (4/4)
Daniel Nestor (1/8) Todd Woodbridge
Kafelnikov (4/4) Max Mirnyi (2/6)
(13/16)
Jonas Björkman
Jonas Björkman (6/9)
Michaël Llodra (1/3) Bob Bryan (1/15) (5/9)
2003 Todd Woodbridge
Fabrice Santoro (1/2) Mike Bryan (1/15) Todd Woodbridge
(15/16)
(14/16)
Jonas Björkman
Michaël Llodra (2/3) Xavier Malisse (7/9) Mark Knowles (2/3)
2004
Fabrice Santoro (2/2) Olivier Rochus Todd Woodbridge Daniel Nestor (2/8)
(16/16)
Jonas Björkman
Wayne Black (2/2) Stephen Huss Bob Bryan (2/15)
2005 (8/9)
Kevin Ullyett (2/2) Wesley Moodie Mike Bryan (2/15)
Max Mirnyi (3/6)
Jonas Björkman
Bob Bryan (3/15) Bob Bryan (4/15) Martin Damm
2006 (9/9)
Mike Bryan (3/15) Mike Bryan (4/15) Leander Paes (4/8)
Max Mirnyi (4/6)
Bob Bryan (5/15) Mark Knowles (3/3) Arnaud Clément Simon Aspelin
2007
Mike Bryan (5/15) Daniel Nestor (3/8) Michaël Llodra (3/3) Julian Knowle
Daniel Nestor (4/8)
Jonathan Erlich Pablo Cuevas Bob Bryan (6/15)
2008 Nenad Zimonjic
Andy Ram Luis Horna Mike Bryan (6/15)
(1/3)
Daniel Nestor (5/8)
Bob Bryan (7/15) Lukás Dlouhy (1/2) Lukás Dlouhy (2/2)
2009 Nenad Zimonjic
Mike Bryan (7/15) Leander Paes (5/8) Leander Paes (6/8)
(2/3)
Daniel Nestor (6/8) Jürgen Melzer (1/2)
Bob Bryan (8/15) Bob Bryan (9/15)
2010 Nenad Zimonjic Philipp Petzschner
Mike Bryan (8/15) Mike Bryan (9/15)
(3/3) (1/2)
Jürgen Melzer (2/2)
Bob Bryan (10/15) Max Mirnyi (5/6) Bob Bryan (11/15)
2011 Philipp Petzschner
Mike Bryan (10/15) Daniel Nestor (7/8) Mike Bryan (11/15)
(2/2)
Leander Paes (7/8) Max Mirnyi (6/6) Jonathan Marray Bob Bryan (12/15)
2012
Radek Stepanek (1/2) Daniel Nestor (8/8) Frederik Nielsen Mike Bryan (12/15)
Bob Bryan (13/15) Bob Bryan (14/15) Bob Bryan (15/15) Leander Paes (8/8)
2013
Mike Bryan (13/15) Mike Bryan (14/15) Mike Bryan (15/15) Radek Štěpánek (2/2)
Łukasz Kubot
2014
Robert Lindstedt
Tennis Grand Slam Men's Singles
Tessenjutsu
Martial art of the Japanese war fan
The Brickyard
Nickname of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the
Brickyard 400 and the highest-capacity stadium-type facility in the world
Thorpe, Ian
Australian swimmer who became the first person to win six gold medals in one World
Championship
Tiffi
Main character of Candy Crush Saga (blonde girl with pigtails)
“Tom Terrific”
Nickname of Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Seaver
Tomba, Alberto
Former World Cup alpine ski racer from Italy who was the dominant technical skier (slalom and
giant slalom) in the late 1980s and 1990s
Torres, Dara
First and only swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988,
1992, 2000, 2008)
Oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the US Olympic Team
Traa, Kari
Norwegian freestyle skier who won the Olympic gold medal in the moguls event at the 2002 Winter
Olympics
Traje de luces
Traditional clothing that Spanish bullfighters wear in the bullring
Trueman, Fred
English cricketer who became the first bowler to take 300 wickets in a Test career
Turkey
Bowling term used to denote three consecutive strikes
“Tutta”
Nickname of Norwegian professional golfer Suzann Pettersen
Types of toreros
• Matador
• Picador
• Banderillero
Tyson, Mike
First heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles
Only heavyweight to successively unify the WBA, WBC and IBF titles
Only person to defeat Michael Spinks in his professional career
Uemura, Naomi
First person ever to reach the North Pole solo
First ever to raft the Amazon solo
First ever to climb Mount McKinley solo
Ueshiba, Morihei
Founder of the martial art of aikido
Unser, Bobby
US automobile racer who is one of nine drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three times, and one of
only two to have won the 500 in three different decades
Upset
Only thoroughbred horse to defeat the racehorse Man o' War
Vault 101
Starting area of Fallout 3
Vettel, Sebastian
German Formula One racing driver who became the youngest driver to have taken part in an
official practice session of a Grand Prix, to score championship points, to lead a race, to secure pole
position, and to win a race
Youngest triple champion in the history of Formula One
Youngest quadruple champion in the history of Formula One
First Formula One driver to take nine successive victories in a single year
Villeneuve, Jacques
Only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship
Volleyball
National sport of Sri Lanka
Vos, Marianne
Dutch cyclist who won the Olympic gold medal in the women's road race at the 2012 Summer
Olympics
Wade, Virginia
Only British woman in history to have won titles at all four Tennis Grand Slam tournaments
Waitt, Charlie
American baseball player best known for being one of the first baseball players to wear a glove
Wald, Karl
German football referee who had first proposed the shoot-out in 1970
Waldner, Jan-Ove
Swedish table tennis player known as the “Mozart of Table Tennis”
Wallace, Les
Nicknamed “McDanger”, winner the 1997 BDO World Darts Championship
First left-handed darts player to win a World Championship
“The Walrus”
Nickname given to American golfer Craig Stadler
Walton, Bill
Only player to have ever won an NBA Finals MVP, Sixth Man Award, and regular season MVP
Wang Zhizhi
First NBA player from China
Watanabe, Tamae
Oldest female to climb the summit of Mount Everest
Water polo
First team sport introduced at the 1900 Olympic Games, along with cricket, rugby, football, polo
(with horses), rowing and tug of war
Watson, Jessica
Youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world, although her route did not meet
World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) criteria for circumnavigation of the globe
Webb, Matthew
First recorded person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids
Weber, Shea
Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently serves as captain of the Nashville
Predators of the National Hockey League
Weidman, Chris
American mixed martial artist who is the current UFC Middleweight Champion
Weir, Mike
Canadian professional golfer best known for winning the Masters in 2003
Weise, Markus
First coach in the history of field hockey yo win an Olympic gold medal in both the men’s as well
as the women’s competition
West, Jerry
Also known by the nicknames “Mr. Clutch”, “The Logo” and “Zeke from Cabin Creek”, retired
American basketball player whose silhouette was incorporated into the NBA logo
Whitworth, Kathy
First woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour
Whoopee cushion
A practical joke device, used in a form of flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling a
raspberry or human flatulence
Wightman Cup
Team tennis competition for women contested from 1923 through 1989, except during World War
II, between teams from the United States and Great Britain
“Wild Thing”
Nickname of former Harlem Globetrotters player Michael Wilson, who also holds the record for the
highest dunk
Williams, Ted
Nicknamed “The Kid”, “The Splendid Splinter”,”Teddy Ballgame”, “The Thumper”and “The
Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived”, regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history
1968: Schuss
1976: Schneemann
1980: Roni
1984: Vucko
1988: Hidy and Howdy
1992: Magique
1994: Håkon and Kristin
1998: Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki
2002: Powder, Copper and Coal
2006: Neve and Gliz
2010: Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk
2014: Bely Mishka, Snow Leopard and Zaika
1992: Alpy
1994: Sondre
1998: Parabbit
2002: Otto
2006: Aster
2010: Sumi and Mukmuk
2014: Fire Boy and Snow Girl
Witt, Katarina
German figure skater and model who won two Olympic gold medals for East Germany
U.S. Women’s
Kraft Nabisco LPGA The Evian
Year Women’s British
Championship Championship Championship
Open Open
Inbee Park Stacy Lewis Suzann Pettersen
2013 Inbee Park (2/4) Inbee Park (3/4)
(4/4) (2/2) (2/2)
Woodard, Lynette
Retired American basketball player who made history by becoming the first female member of the
Harlem Globetrotters
“Woosie”
Nickname given to Welsh golfer Ian Woosnam
“The Worm”
Nickname of basketball player Dennis Rodman
Worrell, Frank
Jamaican cricketeer who became the first ever black captain of the West Indies cricket team
Wrigley Field
Baseball venue located in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of
the Chicago Cubs since 1916
Wynne, Arthur
British-born inventor of the crossword puzzle
X
Symbol for a strike in bowling
Yips
Apparent loss of fine motor skills without apparent explanation, in one of a number of different
sports
Yokozuna
Highest rank in sumo
Young, Cy
American baseball pitcher who holds the record for most career innings pitched (7,355), most
career games started (815), and most complete games (749)
Zátopek, Emil
Nicknamed “the Czech Locomotive”, Czech long-distance runner best known for winning three
gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki gold in the 5,000meters and 10,000 meters
runs, but his final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the first marathon
of his life
Zhang Ning
Only female badminton player to win consecutive Olympic singles gold medals
Zico
Born Arthur Antunes Coimbra, former Brazilian footballer often called the “White Pelé”
Zidane, Zinedine
French footballer named best European footballer of the past 50 years by UEFA
Zorbing
Recreation or sport of rolling downhill inside an orb, generally made of transparent plastic
Zou Shiming
Most successful amateur boxer from the People’s Republic of China who won two consecutive
Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Light flyweight division and 2012
Summer Olympics in the Light flyweight
Zugzwang
Situation found usually in chess, but also in various other games, where one player is put at a
disadvantage because he has to make a move when he would prefer to pass and make no move
#
Chess notation for checkmate
University History and Information
54
Number of Thomasian alumni-delegates to the First Philippine Assembly
55.00 pesos
Total cost of constructing the UST Gymnasium
1,500,000 pesos
Total cost of the construction of the Main Building
Total budget that Fr. Roque Ruaño proposed for the entire development of the Sulucan campus
Aeterni Patris
Papal brief issued by Pope Leo XIII that promoted Thomistic philosophy tocombat the spread of
Liberalism
Alfageme, Acisclo
Rector of the University
Alimurung, Mariano
First corps commander to hold the gold saber of high command
Amat, Felix
Author of the manual Institutiones Philosophiae
Anido, Pablo T.
First editor-in-chief of The Varsitarian
Arellano, Manuel
Rector of the University
• Women admitted for the first time in the Faculty of Pharmacy (1924)
• Pre-medical course opened
• University shifted to English as medium of instruction
• College of Education and College of Liberal Arts established (1926)
• Ordered that the students will receive religious subjects once a week in class, with 2 units
ofreligion, and 3 units of Theology
Ayala, Vicente
University rector became involved in the implementation of educational reforms decreed by
thegovernment in the 1830s and 1840s
Benavides, Miguel de
Burillo, Jose
First Dominican to receive a doctorate in theology by virtue of the statutes of 1785
Capistas
Boys from families of modest means who received education in exchange for doingdomestic chores
in the college
Carissimo in Christo
Papal bull issued by Pope Paul V that authorized the Dominicans to grant Philosophy and Theology
degrees
Castañon, Jesus
Rector of the University
Charles III
Spanish monarch who bestowed the title “Royal” to the University
Claustro
Highest governing body of the University of Santo Tomas during its early years which was
composed of the Rector, the university professors or lectores, university graduates, the university
regent and the university student master
Collantes, Domingo
University rector when the title “Royal University” was bestowed
College Rectors
Cuartistas
Term referring to children studying the subjects contained in the first three books in Grammar and
the fourth book Liber Quartus by Spanish humanist Antonio de Nebrija
De Blas, Angel
Rector of the University
De Vera, Ana
Provided the hut where the Clarisas lived in
Diaz, Jesus
Rector of the University
Dilectissima Nobis
Papal encyclical by Pius XI which condemned the actions of the Spanish government against the
Church in Spain
Estudiantina
Musical rondalla organized by Dr. Ramon Lopez, whose participants were dressed in verycolorful
costumes, to provide music for musical-literary soirees
Faculties or colleges of the University that remained open during World War II
• Faculty of Theology
• Faculty of Canon Law
• Faculty of Philosophy
• Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
• College of Liberal Arts
Faculty of Pharmacy
Oldest school of pharmacy in the Philippines
Ferrando, Juan
Rector of the University removed upon the orders of the government
Franco, Francisco
Spanish dictator named Honorary Rector by Fr. Silvestre Sancho
Galan, Pedro
Prior provincial who ordered to compose the Statutes of 1801
Gomes, Luis
First rector of the Colegio de San Jose
Gonzalez, Julio
Directed the velada for the fund-raising event Fiestas da la Pobres during the
Tercentenarycelebrations
Goudin, Antoine
Author of the textbook Philosophia Thomistica
Hayashi, Toshio
Last commandant of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp
Izquierdo, Emeterio
University treasurer who presented the financial report before the Academic Senate
Jacinto, Nicanor
First director of the UST Hospital
Jordan, Eugenio
Vice Rector of the University and served as Acting Rector during World War II
Larraga, Francisco
Author of Pontuario de Teologia Moral
Latin
Original language of the diplomas issued by the University
Legaspi, Leonardo
Rector of the University
Metropolitan Theatre
Inspired the UST Gymnasium
Miñano, Jesualdo
Member of the Provincial Council that broke the deadlock regarding Fr. Juan Ferrando's removal as
rector of the university
Minayo, Francisco
Prior of the Santo Domingo Convent who signed to the Act of Foundation
Minimistas
Term referring to children studying the subjects contained in the first three books in Grammar
Moret, Segismundo
Spanish Minister of Colonies that issued two decrees that totally reorganized the Philippine
education system
Narusawa, Tomiji
Lieutenant colonel, head of the religious pacifications operations section of the Imperial Japanese
Army
Narvasa, Andres
19th Chief Justice of the Philippines, vice-rector for student affairs (1969–1972), dean of the
Faculty of Civil Law (1967–1973)
Noval, Jose
Rector of the University
Ocampo, Fernando
Filipino architect who designed the Father's Residence and Central Seminary and the UST
Gymnasium
O’Doherty, Michael
Archbishop of Manila
Canonically inaugurated the Santisimo Rosario Parish on April 26, 1942
Osmeña, Esperanza
Sponsor during the solemn blessing of the UST Hospital in 1946
Pablo, Carmelo
Built the Arch of the Centuries (C. F. Pablo and Sons)
Paso
Term referring to a group discussion of classmates conducted under the direction of one of their
fellows in order to review the lessons assigned by the professor in preparation for the next class
Paya, Santiago
Rector of the University
Piani, Guglielmo
Pius VII
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church who made the painful decision of removing the Dominican
Provinces of Spain and its overseas colonies from the direct jurisdiction of the Master General of
the Dominican Order
Pius XI
Pope issued the apostolic constitution Deus Scientiarum Dominus in 1931 to update Catholic higher
education and to assure that Catholic universities and the ecclesiastical faculties distinguish
themselves by the dignity and solidity of the courses they offer
Pius XII
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, granted the title “Catholic University” to the University in
1947
Quema, Enrique
First corps commander of UST-ROTC
Quintistas
Term referring to fifth year grammarians that take the subjects of Rhetoric and Poetry
Quonset Hut
Dubbed as the “concert hut”, structure that housed the Conservatory of Music located between the
UST Hospital and Ro ue Rua o Building demolished in 1964 to give way to the construction of
Albertus Magnus Building
Refectorio
Term referring to formal luncheon held at the Father's Residence
Rivas, Francisco
University rector who wrote the textbook entitled Curso de Historica Eclesiastica
Robles, Juan
University rector who proposed the construction of barracks of bamboo and nipa outside the city of
Manila to house the soldiers but was ignored by the Spanish governor
Ruano, Roque
Dominican priest who designed the Main Building
Sancho, Silvestre
Rector of the University
• New set of statutes was enforced in the University that included the formation of the Academic
Senate
• Department of Foreign Service established
• Graduate School established
• Organized the First Annual National Painting Competition and Exhibition in 1941
Santo Evangelio
Title of the book that the Benavides statue is holding
Santos, Hermogenes
Suggested for the separation of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery from the University in 1953
Serrano, Emiliano
Appointed as the first parish priest of the Santisimo Rosario Parish
Stevens, Frederic H.
Chairman of the American Emergency Committee who asked permission from the Dominicans in
UST to use the campus as a place of internment when the Japanese Army arrived
Tamayo, Serapio
Rector of the University
Tascon, Tomas
Dominican Provincial and Vice-Chancellor of the University prior to the outbreak of World War II
Tomayasu, Hitoshi
First commandant of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp
“The Modern and Thomistic Views regarding the Constitution of Psychological Personality”
Title of the discourse delivered by Fr. Angel de Blas during the Discurso de Apertura in 1941
University Rectors
Vargas, Benito
First Filipino Dominican
Velazquez, Raimundo
Rector of the University
Ylla, Juan
Rector of the Central Seminary
Zamora, Crispulo
Designed the bronze commemorative medal during the Tercentenary celebrations