Games, Hobbies & Recreational Activities, GRE-MEL
Not every passion needs a scoreboard. From hands-on crafts and tabletop challenges to outdoor pursuits, games, hobbies, and recreational activities bring together creativity, skill, and enjoyment.
Games, Hobbies & Recreational Activities Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Greene, Belle da Costa
Belle da Costa Greene was an American librarian and bibliographer, the moving force in organizing and expanding......
Grossman, Natalia
Natalia Grossman is a multidiscipline sport climber who is considered one of the leading competitors in bouldering.......
Guggenheim, Peggy
Peggy Guggenheim was an American art collector who was an important patron of the Abstract Expressionist school......
Guggenheim, Solomon
Solomon Guggenheim was a businessman and art collector. He became a partner in his fatherâs Swiss embroidery import......
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero, popular electronic game series developed and released by American companies RedOctane, Harmonix Music......
Gulbenkian, Calouste
Calouste Gulbenkian was a Turkish-born British financier, industrialist, and philanthropist. In 1911 he helped......
Half-Life
Half-Life, electronic game released by American game developer Sierra Studios in 1998 for personal computers (PCs)......
Hall, Rob
Rob Hall was a New Zealand mountaineering guide and entrepreneur who made five ascents of Earthâs highest peak,......
Halma
Halma, (Greek: âjumpâ), checkers-type board game, invented about 1880, in which players attempt to move a number......
Halo
Halo, first-person shooter (played from the point of view of the shooter) electronic game developed by Bungie Studios......
Hammer, Armand
Armand Hammer was an American petroleum executive, entrepreneur, and art collector. The son of a doctor, Hammer......
hanafuda
hanafuda, (Japanese: âflower cardsâ), deck of 48 cards divided into 12 suits of four cards. Each suit is named......
handicap
handicap, in sports and games, method of offsetting the varying abilities or characteristics of competitors in......
hang gliding
hang gliding, sport of flying in lightweight unpowered aircraft which can be carried by the pilot. Takeoff is usually......
hazard
hazard, dice game dating at least to the 13th century and possibly of Arabic origin: the word hazard derives from......
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
The protagonist of Mattel, Inc.âs Masters of the Universe (MOTU) franchise, He-Man is a fictional superhero originally......
hearts
hearts, card game in which players aim to avoid taking tricks that contain hearts. Hearts first appeared in the......
HektoroviÄ, Petar
Petar HektoroviÄ was a poet and collector of Dalmatian songs, an important figure in the Ragusan (Dubrovnik) Renaissance......
hide-and-seek
hide-and-seek, old and popular childrenâs game in which one player closes his or her eyes for a brief period (often......
Hillary, Edmund
Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountain climber and Antarctic explorer who, with the Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer......
Honnold, Alex
Alex Honnold is an American professional big-wall rock climber known for his daring free solo (climbing without......
hoop
hoop, circular toy adaptable to many games, childrenâs and adultsâ, probably the most ubiquitous of the worldâs......
hopscotch
hopscotch, age-old childrenâs game based on an idea of not treading on lines. Variations of the game are played......
Hou Yifan
Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess player who was the youngest person to win the womenâs world championship, in 2010;......
Hoyle, Edmond
Edmond Hoyle was an English writer, perhaps the first technical writer on card games. His writings on the laws......
Hula Hoop
Hula Hoop, hoop-shaped toy, typically a hollow plastic tube, that is kept revolving around the waist by swiveling......
Hunt, John Hunt, Baron
John Hunt, Baron Hunt was a British army officer, mountaineer, and explorer who led the expedition on which Edmund......
Huntington, Henry E.
Henry E. Huntington was an American railroad magnate and collector of rare books. Henry was the nephew of the railroad......
Indy, Vincent dâ
Vincent dâIndy was a French composer and teacher, remarkable for his attempted, and partially successful, reform......
Isham, Ralph Heyward
Ralph Heyward Isham was an American collector of rare manuscripts who discovered the long-missing manuscripts of......
jacks
jacks, game of great antiquity and worldwide distribution, now played with stones, bones, seeds, filled cloth bags,......
Jacoby, Oswald
Oswald Jacoby was a U.S. Bridge player and authority, actuary, and skilled player of backgammon and of games generally.......
jigsaw puzzle
jigsaw puzzle, any set of varied, irregularly shaped pieces that, when properly assembled, form a picture or map.......
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer widely known for his bestselling non-fiction books Into the......
Jones, Henry
Henry Jones was an English surgeon, the standard authority on whist in his day, who also wrote on other games.......
Jovius, Paulus
Paulus Jovius was an Italian historian, author of vivid historical works in Latin, and the owner of a famous art......
Ju Wenjun
Ju Wenjun is a Chinese chess player who became the womenâs world chess champion in 2018. Ju learned to play chess......
jump rope
jump rope, childrenâs game played by individuals or teams with a piece of rope, which may have handles attached......
jump rope rhyme
jump rope rhyme, any of innumerable chants and rhymes used by children, traditionally girls, to accompany the game......
Kahnweiler, Daniel-Henry
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler was a German-born French art dealer and publisher who is best known for his early espousal......
kaleidoscope
kaleidoscope, optical device consisting of mirrors that reflect images of bits of coloured glass in a symmetrical......
Kaltenbrunner, Gerlinde
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is an Austrian mountain climber, one of the first women to climb all 14 of the worldâs âeight-thousandersââpeaks......
KaradĆŸiÄ, Vuk StefanoviÄ
Vuk StefanoviÄ KaradĆŸiÄ was a language scholar and the father of Serbian folk-literature scholarship, who, in reforming......
Kasparov, Garry
Garry Kasparov is a Soviet-born chess master who became the world chess champion in 1985. Kasparov was the youngest......
Kelly, Piper
Piper Kelly is an American speed climber and a rising star in the sport. In 2023 Kelly won a gold medal at the......
keno
keno, gambling game played with cards (tickets) bearing numbers in squares, usually from 1 to 80. A player marks......
Keres, Paul
...
kho-kho
kho-kho, traditional Indian sport, a form of tag, that is one of the oldest forms of outdoor sport, dating back......
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts, electronic game released by Japanese game manufacturer SquareSoft (now Square Enix, Inc.) in 2002......
kite
kite, oldest known heavier-than-air craft designed to gain lift from the wind while being flown from the end of......
klaberjass
klaberjass, two-player trick-taking card game, of Dutch origin but especially popular in Hungary (as klob) and......
knitting
knitting, production of fabric by employing a continuous yarn or set of yarns to form a series of interlocking......
Knudstorp, JĂžrgen Vig
JĂžrgen Vig Knudstorp is a Danish business executive who was CEO (2004â16) and executive chairman (2017â ) of the......
KodĂĄly, ZoltĂĄn
ZoltĂĄn KodĂĄly was a prominent composer and authority on Hungarian folk music. He was also important as an educator......
Komitas
Komitas was an ethnomusicologist and composer who created the basis for a distinctive national musical style in......
Korchnoi, Viktor
Viktor Korchnoi was a world chess champion contender who was one of the fiercest competitors in the history of......
kottabos
kottabos, one of the earliest known drinking games, a staple at aristocratic banquets (called symposia) of the......
Kramnik, Vladimir
Vladimir Kramnik is a Russian international chess grandmaster who defeated his countryman Garry Kasparov to win......
Kress, S.H.
S.H. Kress was an American merchant and art collector who used the wealth from his chain of five-and-ten-cent stores......
KrÄvÄ-MickieviÄius, Vincas
Vincas KrÄvÄ-MickieviÄius was a Lithuanian poet, philologist, and playwright whose mastery of style gave him a......
Königsberg bridge problem
Königsberg bridge problem, a recreational mathematical puzzle, set in the old Prussian city of Königsberg (now......
Labubu doll
Labubu doll, line of globally popular collectible plush dolls and figurines created by Hong Kong-born illustrator......
Laetus, Julius Pomponius
Julius Pomponius Laetus was an Italian humanist and founder of the Academia Romana, a semi-secret society devoted......
Lane, Sir Hugh Percy
Sir Hugh Percy Lane was an Irish art dealer known for his collection of Impressionist paintings. Lane travelled......
Lasker, Emanuel
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess master, the world champion from 1894 to 1920, who is often regarded as one of......
Laufer, Berthold
Berthold Laufer was a U.S. scholar who, for 35 years, was virtually the only sinologist working in the United States.......
Legend of Zelda, The
The Legend of Zelda, electronic action-adventure game franchise in which players take on the role of a young adventurer......
LEGO
Letâs start with this: One of the ubiquitous Danish building blocks is a LEGO. Two of those same blocks is two......
Leland, John
John Leland was a chaplain and librarian to King Henry VIII. He was the earliest of a notable group of English......
Lenox, James
James Lenox was an American philanthropist and pioneer book collector. Lenoxâs father was a wealthy Scottish merchant......
Levy, Julien
Julien Levy was an American art dealer, who was known for launching the careers of some of the most significant......
Lineage
Lineage, online multiplayer fantasy role-playing game released by South Korean game developer NCsoft in 1998. Although......
list of chess players
This is a list of notable chess players ordered alphabetically by country of origin or residence. The years of......
List of Childrenâs Games and Toys in Antiquity
Children love to play, regardless of the era in which they are born. Playtime is an essential part of growing up;......
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, electronic platform game, created by the British game-development company Media Molecule and released......
logic puzzle
logic puzzle, puzzle requiring the use of the process of logical deduction to solve. Many challenging questions......
London Bridge
London Bridge, childrenâs singing game in which there are several players (usually eight or more), two of whom......
loo
loo, gambling card game often mentioned in English literature. The name derives from the French lanturlu, the refrain......
LoterĂa
LoterĂa, Mexican card game of chance, played using a deck of 54 cards with images. It is similar to bingo, and......
lottery
lottery, procedure for distributing something (usually money or prizes) among a group of people by lot or by chance.......
Louis I
Louis I was the king of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, a liberal and a German nationalist who rapidly turned conservative......
Loyd, Sam
Sam Loyd was an American puzzle maker who was best known for composing chess problems and games, including Parcheesi.......
LĂłpez de Segura, Ruy
Ruy LĂłpez de Segura was a Spanish priest, the first modern Chess writer and analyst, and developer (though not......
Madden NFL
Madden NFL, video game sports-simulation series created by EA Sports, a division of the American company Electronic......
Madox, Thomas
Thomas Madox was an English legal antiquary and historian whose critical studies of medieval English documents......
magic square
magic square, square matrix often divided into cells, filled with numbers or letters in particular arrangements......
MagnĂșsson, Ărni
Ărni MagnĂșsson was a Scandinavian antiquarian and philologist who built up the most important collection of early......
mah-jongg
mah-jongg, game of Chinese origin, played with tiles, or pais, that are similar in physical description to those......
Mahillon, Victor-Charles
Victor-Charles Mahillon was a Belgian musical scholar who collected, described, and copied musical instruments......
Maitland, Sir Richard, Lord Lethington
Sir Richard Maitland, Lord Lethington was a Scottish poet, lawyer, statesman, and compiler of one of the earliest......
Mallory, George
George Mallory was a British explorer and mountaineer who was a leading member of early expeditions to Mount Everest.......
marble
marble, small, hard ball that is used in a variety of childrenâs games and is named after the 18th-century practice......
March Madness mascot challenge
Itâs March Madness! But donât forget about the mascots. Since Yale University introduced the first collegiate mascot,......
Marsh, Sir Edward Howard
Sir Edward Howard Marsh was a scholar, civil servant, and art collector who influenced the development of contemporary......
Mattel, Inc.
Mattel, Inc. is an American toy and game creator and manufacturer known for such iconic toy brands as Barbie dolls,......
McMurtry, Larry
Larry McMurtry was an award-winning American writer noted for his novels set on the frontier, in contemporary small......
Mellon, Andrew
Andrew Mellon was an American financier, philanthropist, and secretary of the treasury (1921â32) who reformed the......