Leisure & Nightlife, LOG-PAC
When it comes to free time, everyone has his or her own activity of choice. While some may like to repose with a nice game of bridge, poker, or chess, others may find bungee jumping or bullfighting to be more engaging, and still others would rather opt for hiking or archery. Luckily, there's no shortage of leisure activities available for those who have the time, resources, and inclination to pursue them.
Leisure & Nightlife Encyclopedia Articles By Title
London Bridge
London Bridge, childrenâs singing game in which there are several players (usually eight or more), two of whom......
London Marathon
London Marathon, annual 26.2-mile (42.2-km) footrace through the streets of London that takes place in April. The......
London Prize Ring rules
London Prize Ring rules, set of rules governing bareknuckle boxing, which were adopted in 1838 and revised in 1853.......
long jump
long jump, sport in athletics (track-and-field) consisting of a horizontal jump for distance. It was formerly performed......
long-distance running
long-distance running, in athletics (track and field), footraces ranging from 3,000 metres through 10,000, 20,000,......
Lonsdale Belt
Lonsdale Belt, British boxing award originated in 1909 by Lord Lonsdale, president of the National Sporting Club.......
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.......
Loyd, Sam
Sam Loyd was an American puzzle maker who was best known for composing chess problems and games, including Parcheesi.......
LPGAâs Evian Championship
The Ladies Professional Golf Associationâs (LPGA) Evian Championship begins on September 10 at the Evian Resort......
ludi publici
ludi publici, (Latin: âpublic gamesâ), ancient Roman spectacles, primarily consisting of chariot races and various......
luge
luge, form of small-sled racing. Luge sledding is distinctive from bobsledding and skeleton sledding in that the......
Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games, international games held in Palestine (later Israel) from 1932, sponsored by the World Maccabi......
magic square
magic square, square matrix often divided into cells, filled with numbers or letters in particular arrangements......
mah-jongg
mah-jongg, game of Chinese origin, played with tiles, or pais, that are similar in physical description to those......
marathon
marathon, long-distance footrace first held at the revival of the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. It commemorates......
marble
marble, small, hard ball that is used in a variety of childrenâs games and is named after the 18th-century practice......
March Madness
March Madness, informal term that refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I menâs......
March Madness mascot challenge
Itâs March Madness! But donât forget about the mascots. Since Yale University introduced the first collegiate mascot,......
Marquess of Queensberry rules
Marquess of Queensberry rules, code of rules that most directly influenced modern boxing. Written by John Graham......
Marriott, J(ohn) Willard
J. Willard Marriott was an American businessman who founded one of the largest hotel and restaurant organizations......
martial art
martial art, any of various fighting sports or skills, mainly of East Asian origin, such as kung fu (Pinyin gongfu),......
Masters Tournament
Masters Tournament, invitational golf tournament held annually since 1934 from Thursday through Sunday during the......
Masterson, Bat
Bat Masterson was a gambler, saloonkeeper, lawman, and newspaperman who made a reputation in the old American West.......
matador
matador, in bullfighting, the principal performer who works the capes and usually dispatches the bull with a sword......
Maxwell, Elsa
Elsa Maxwell was an American columnist, songwriter, and professional hostess, famous for her lavish and animated......
Maxwell, Ghislaine
Ghislaine Maxwell is a former British and American socialite who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking of underage......
McDonaldâs
McDonaldâs Corporation is one of the worldâs largest and most recognized fast-food chains, known for its hamburgers,......
Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup, annual horse race, first held in 1861, that is the most important Australian Thoroughbred race of......
Mermaid Tavern
Mermaid Tavern, famous London tavern that stood to the east of St. Paulâs Cathedral, with entrances in Bread Street......
Michigan vs. Ohio State: History and Results
College football is all about rivalries, often colorfully nicknamed or contested for trophies. Thereâs the Old......
middle-distance running
middle-distance running, in athletics (track and field), races that range in distance from 800 metres (roughly......
midget-car racing
midget-car racing, form of automobile racing, popular in the United States, in which miniature front-engine racing......
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia remains the most famous Italian road race for automobiles, even though it was last contested in......
Miss America
Miss America, competition held annually in which young women representing each of the U.S. states, as well as the......
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a hybrid combat sport incorporating techniques from boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu,......
Mixue
Mixue Bingcheng, commonly known as Mixue, is a Chinese fast-food company specializing in ice cream, tea-based drinks,......
Monopoly
Monopoly, real-estate board game for two to eight players, in which the playerâs goal is to remain financially......
Monty Hall problem
Monty Hall problem, probability puzzle named for Monty Hall, the host of the American television game show Letâs......
Morgan, Helen
Helen Morgan was an American actress and singer whose talent was shown to greatest effect in the 1920s and â30s......
motocross
motocross, form of motorcycle racing in which cyclists compete on a course marked out over open and often rough......
motor-paced race
motor-paced race, in bicycle racing, a form of competition in which each bicycle racer competes behind a motorbike......
motorcycle racing
motorcycle racing, the recreational and competitive use of motorcycles, a sport practiced by both professionals......
motorcycle trial
motorcycle trial, either of two forms of motorcycle competition based on point systems, as opposed to a race for......
mountaineering
mountaineering, the sport of attaining, or attempting to attain, high points in mountainous regions, mainly for......
Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia, annual bodybuilding competition sanctioned by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation......
muggins
muggins, domino game similar to the regular drawing game except for the rule that if a player can play a piece......
mumblety-peg
mumblety-peg, game of skill played with a knife, usually a jackknife. The game was played as early as the 17th......
mĂȘlĂ©e
mĂȘlĂ©e, ancient and medieval game, a predecessor of modern football (soccer), in which a round or oval object, usually......
nap
nap, gambling card game played throughout northern Europe under various names and guises. It reached England in......
National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament (NIT), collegiate basketball competition initiated in the United States in 1938......
National Spelling Bee
National Spelling Bee, spelling bee held annually in the Washington, D.C., area that serves as the culmination......
naumachia
naumachia, in ancient Rome, a mimic sea battle and the specially constructed basin in which such a battle sometimes......
Negro league
Negro league, any of the associations of African American baseball teams active largely between 1920 and the late......
Nemean Games
Nemean Games, in ancient Greece, athletic and musical competitions held in honour of Zeus, in July, at the great......
Nerd Nostalgia: 7 Classic Video Games to Know
Video games are currently a billion-dollar industry, with games available for everything from your phone to your......
net
net, an open fabric of thread, cord, or wire, the intersections of which are looped or knotted so as to form a......
netball
netball, popular game in girlsâ schools in England and several other British Commonwealth countries, similar to......
New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon, 26.2-mile footrace held every November through the five boroughs of New York City. The......
nim
nim, ancient game of obscure origin in which two players alternate in removing objects from different piles, with......
Nine Menâs Morris
Nine Menâs Morris, board game of great antiquity, most popular in Europe during the 14th century and played throughout......
ninepins
ninepins, bowling game that probably originated in continental Europe during the Middle Ages. Many regional variations......
Nintendo console
Nintendo console, groundbreaking eight-bit video game console created by Japanese designer Uemura Masayuki. The......
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Wii, electronic game console, released by the Nintendo Company of Japan in 2006. Instead of directly competing......
Nordic combined
Nordic combined, competitive winter sport that blends ski jumping and cross-country skiing. It was one of the six......
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing, techniques and events that evolved in the hilly terrain of Norway and the other Scandinavian countries.......
Notable Afghan cricketers
Afghanistan is a relatively new entrant to international cricket, with the sport gaining popularity in refugee......
number game
number game, any of various puzzles and games that involve aspects of mathematics. Mathematical recreations comprise......
- Introduction
- Pioneers, Imitators
- Puzzle, Strategy, Mental
- Paradoxes, Fallacies
- Pythagorean Triples
- Geometry, Topology, Recreations
- Mazes, Puzzles, Logic
- Graphs, Networks, Math
- Manipulative, Recreations
- Puzzle, Sliding Tiles, Challenge
- Soma Cubes, Puzzle, Logic
- Logic, Inference, Puzzles
- Logical Paradoxes
numbers game
numbers game, the most widespread lottery game in the United States before lottery games were legalized in many......
nyout
nyout, ancient Korean cross-and-circle board game. The nyout board, usually made of paper, consists of 29 marks......
Oaks
Oaks, one of the English Classic horse races (along with the Derby, Saint Leger, Two Thousand Guineas, and One......
offroad racing
offroad racing, form of motor racing conducted over rough, unmarked, often desert terrain. An outgrowth of the......
old maid
old maid, simple card game popular with young children. It takes its name from a 19th-century specially illustrated......
Olympic Games
Olympic Games, athletic festival that originated in ancient Greece and was revived in the late 19th century. Before......
- Introduction
- Women, History, Sport
- Corruption, Scandals, Bribery
- Sports, Nations, Medals
- Torch, Rings, Anthem
- Ancient Greece, Sports, Medals
- London 1908, Sports, Medals
- Berlin 1936, Nazi Germany, Jesse Owens
- Rome 1960, Italy, Sports
- Munich, Terror Attack, Medals
- Barcelona, Spain, 1992
- Beijing 2008, China, Sports
- Winter Sports, Medals, Nations
- Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Bobsleigh
- Innsbruck, Austria, 1964
- Lake Placid, 1980, US
- Nagano, Japan, 1998
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2010
Olympic Games host cities
What do Paris, Helsinki, Atlanta, Beijing, and Tokyo have in common? They all have hosted the Olympics. As the......
Olympics: A Survey of Banned Substances
The use of performance-enhancing drugs among athletes competing in the Olympic Games is not newâas early as 1904,......
Olympics: Artistic Gymnastics
With qualifications beginning on August 6, 2016, artistic gymnastics is a highly anticipated international sport.......
Olympics: Athletics
Olympic athletics begins in Rio de Janeiro with the preliminary competitions. The popular sport known widely as......
Olympics: Basketball
Basketball has been played at the Olympic Games for 80 years and is the rare team spectator sport that maintains......
Olympics: Boon or Curse?
In September 2015 the International Olympic Committee announced five candidate cities for the 2024 Summer Olympics:......
Olympics: Cycling
Cycling has been a part of the Olympic Games since the first modern Summer Olympics in 1896. Though there are four......
Olympics: Equestrian
Three equestrian disciplines are featured at the Rio Olympics in both team and individual events: dressage, jumping,......
Olympics: Football (Soccer)
Whether you call it football or soccer, one thing is certain: it is the worldâs most popular sport. According to......
Olympics: Martial Arts
Fighting sports were among the first contests to be included in the ancient Olympic Games. Only footraces predated......
Olympics: New Sports for 2016
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro welcome back two sports to the Games: golf and rugby. Both sports earned......
Olympics: Racket Sports
Tennis, badminton, and table tennis are the three racket sports featured during the Summer Olympics. Though all......
Olympics: The Genetics of Success
For decades, athletes have run, jumped, skated, and skied their way into Olympic history. The rest of us watch......
Olympics: Volleyball
Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1964, but before it became a competitive worldwide sport, it......
ombre
ombre, Anglicized version of the classic Spanish card game originally called hombre (meaning âmanâ) and now known......
One Thousand Guineas
One Thousand Guineas, one of the five English Classic horse races, run over a straight mile (1.6 km) on the Rowley......
One Ton Cup
One Ton Cup, international racing trophy for sailing yachts of about one-ton displacement. From 1907 to 1955 the......
online gaming
online gaming, electronic game playing over a computer network, particularly over the Internet. Electronic game......
Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl, American college postseason football game played on New Yearâs Eve or New Yearâs Day in Miami Gardens,......
orienteering
orienteering, outdoor competitive sport that is similar to cross-country running, but with emphasis on map-reading......
Origins of the Olympic Winter Games
Origins of the Olympic Winter Games, The first organized international competition involving winter sports was......
otaku
otaku, people who pore over anime frames, memorize manga timelines, collect game art books, and sometimes build......
Pachisi
Pachisi, board game that was created in India in about the 4th century CE. Four players in opposing partnerships......
pacing
pacing, in horse racing, one of two gaits seen in harness racing...
paddle tennis
paddle tennis, small-scale form of tennis similar to a British shipboard game of the 1890s. Frank P. Beal, a New......