Bach, Johann Sebastian • Beethoven,
Ludwig van • Folk Music • Mozart,
Wolfgang Amadeus • Music • Opera
• Orchestra • Popular Music
Claw
#see Nail and Claw.
Clay
Clay is a natural material made up of
tiny particles of rock. When clay is
mixed with enough water, it feels like
soft, gluey mud. Unlike plain mud,
however, clay holds its shape. Clay can
be pinched, rolled, cut, or built up in
layers to form shapes of all kinds.
Wet clay makes a very useful building
material because it hardens as it dries.
Clay baked, or fired, in an oven becomes
especially hard and may last a very long
time. Archaeologists have found pots
The ancient
Greeks
selected and
arranged the
tones, or
sounds, on
which Western
classical music
is based.
132 Claw BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
and bowls made of clay that are thousands
of years old.
Like many other minerals, clay is mined,
or dug up, from the ground. Before clay
can be used, it must be cleaned. Cleaning
removes small pieces of rock and
other debris, or unneeded materials.
Sometimes workers add sand to the clay
to make it stronger.
People use different types of clay to
make many things, including dishes,
flowerpots, tiles, sewer pipes, sinks, toilets,
and bricks. Kaolin, or china clay, is
the most valuable type of clay. It is
important in the manufacture of fine
china and porcelain. It is also used to
make rubber, paint, and paper. A very
fine coating of kaolin gives certain
papers a smooth surface. Kaolin is usually
white in color. Other types of clay
may be tan, brown, red, or gray.
Craftspeople who make things from clay
sometimes use a pottery wheel to shape
the clay. A pottery wheel is a round, flat
surface that rotates, or spins. Clay placed
on a pottery wheel can be shaped into
such objects as vases, jars, and pots.
#More to explore
Brick and Tile • Pottery
Cleary, Beverly
Beverly Cleary is a popular author of
lively, funny children’s books. Her stories
are often based on her own adventures
as a child in Portland, Oregon.
Early Life
Beverly Bunn was born in McMinnville,
Oregon, on April 12, 1916. She moved
to Portland with her family when she
was 6. Beverly struggled with reading as
a child. But with the help of her mother,
she learned to read at the age of 8. She
developed a great love for reading and
often visited the local library.
Career
In 1940 Beverly married Clarence
Cleary. She decided to become a fulltime
author after working as a librarian
in the 1940s. Her books are about kids
A worker makes pipes from clay in China.
Beverly Cleary
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Cleary, Beverly 133
and their adventures—subjects that she
would have liked to read about as a
child.
Cleary published her first book, Henry
Huggins, in 1950. Since then she has
published more than 35 books. Her
best-known books include The Mouse
and the Motorcycle (1965), Ramona and
Her Father (1977), Ramona Quimby, Age
8 (1981), Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983),
Beezus and Ramona (1987), and Muggie
Maggie (1990).
Cleary’s books have been published in
many different languages. Cleary has
won the Newbery Medal three times.
The Newbery is a yearly prize awarded
to outstanding books for children.
Clemens, Samuel
Langhorne
#see Twain, Mark."
Cleopatra
Cleopatra was a queen of ancient
Egypt. She wanted to make her country
more powerful. To do so, she got the
help of two leaders of ancient Rome:
Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
However, a third Roman leader,
Augustus, defeated her.
Early Years
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC in the city
of Alexandria in Egypt. Her family originally
came from Macedonia in Europe,
but it had ruled Egypt for more than
200 years. Cleopatra and her brother,
Ptolemy XIII, became rulers together
after their father died in 51 BC. However,
her brother had followers who soon
drove Cleopatra from power.
Help from Caesar
Cleopatra went for help to Julius Caesar,
a powerful Roman ruler who was then
in Egypt. In 47 BC Caesar defeated
Ptolemy XIII’s forces, and Ptolemy died.
Cleopatra returned to the throne. Her
youngest brother, Ptolemy XIV, became
co-ruler.
Cleopatra soon followed Caesar to
Rome. She stayed there until he was
murdered in 44 BC. Ptolemy XIV died
in the same year. Cleopatra probably
had him poisoned.
Cleary used
her own twins
as the basis
for the characters
Mitch and
Amy in her
books.
Cleopatra was a queen of ancient Egypt.
She remains a symbol of beauty and power
today.
134 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mark Antony
After Caesar’s death, Mark Antony
became one of the three leaders of
Rome. Cleopatra knew he could help
her to gain more power. She charmed
Antony, and he fell in love with her.
Antony eventually left his wife Octavia
to live with Cleopatra. This angered
Octavia’s brother Octavian, who later
became the emperor Augustus. He soon
declared war against Antony and Cleopatra.
Augustus defeated Antony and Cleopatra
in the battle of Actium in 31 BC.
The couple fled to Alexandria. About 10
months later, Augustus captured Alexandria.
Antony killed himself. Shortly
afterward, in 30 BC, Cleopatra also died.
According to legend, she let a poisonous
snake bite her. After Cleopatra’s death,
