Cyril Leslie Beeching Livres

The English language contains a large number of eponymic words--words derived from the names of people because of their close association with the product, service, or concept. Eponymic words fall into three those derived from mythological or fictitious names; those whichdescribe the person or his works (as, for example Shakespearian or Shavian); and the "true" eponymic words which come from the names of people who actually exist or once existed.This lively, compact, and entertaining reference book presents four hundred "true" eponyms that cover virtually every field of human activity, originating from a vast cross-section of foreign, as well as English, names. Cyril Leslie Beecher, the compiler of the dictionary, informs us that theterm "ampere" comes from the name of the French scientist, André Marie Ampère; that the "cardigan" gets its name from James Thomas Brudenell, the seventh Earl of Cardigan; that the "zeppelin" comes from the name of a German soldier and airship designer and manufacturer, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin;and the list goes on. A short account of the originator's history and claim to this unusual form of immortality accompanies the definition for each word. The dictionary also includes a subject index which enables readers to satisfy their curiosity about specific areas. Presenting a wide variety ofeponymic words whose human association makes them particularly fascinating, this highly readable and comprehensive dictionary provides the perfect opportunity for browsing and obtaining a vast amount of unusual information.

Which U.S. Presidents were born on the Fourth of July? When did Alexander Graham Bell make the first telephone call? Catherine the Great, Jerome K. Jerome, Baron von Richthofen, Bing Crosby, and Dr. Spock were all born on the same day of the year, but which? Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two - but on what day did he set sail? The compiler of the London Observer's immensely popular weekly dates column, Cyril Leslie Beeching here provides an informative and entertaining listing of important anniversaries for each day of the year. Revealing a remarkable number of coincidences, he records births and deaths of famous people, as well as significant and unusual events in history. With the bonus of a chronology of world events from the earliest times to the present day, and a full index, this is an invaluable reference book for anyone with an interest in history or just plain fascinating facts. A Dictionary of Dates offers these important features: a handy day-by-day listing of famous births, deaths, and other anniversaries; a comprehensive chronology of world events from the earliest times to the present day; complete, international coverage; a full index and special chronology of scientific developments and hours of enjoyable browsing