People have lived in the Hanoi area since
ancient times. The city has long been a
center of government. It was the capital
of Vietnam from 1010 until 1802.
French troops took over Vietnam in the
late 1800s. In 1902 the French made
Hanoi the capital of all their colonies in
Southeast Asia.
The French left Vietnam in 1954. Vietnam
was then split into two parts—
North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam.
The two parts of Vietnam fought
the long VietnamWar. The United
States helped South Vietnam. Hanoi
suffered great damage from U.S. bombing.
The war lasted until 1975.
Hanoi has many historical and scenic
places, including buildings called pagodas.
Pagodas are a feature of many Buddhist
temples.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hanoi 13
In 1976 the two parts of Vietnam again
formed one unified country. Hanoi
became the capital of all of Vietnam.
#More to explore
Vietnam • VietnamWar
Hansberry,
Lorraine
Lorraine Hansberry was a U.S. writer in
the mid-1900s. In 1959 her play A Raisin
in the Sun opened on Broadway, an
important theater district in New York
City. It was the first play written by an
African American woman to appear on
Broadway.
Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago,
Illinois, on May 19, 1930. Lorraine’s
parents fought for equality for
African Americans. At the time, African
Americans did not have the same rights
as whites did.
After going to college at the University
ofWisconsin, Hansberry moved to New
York City. She began her writing career
in New York. She was an editor and
writer for a magazine called Freedom.
A Raisin in the Sun was the first play
Hansberry wrote. It is about an African
American family living in Chicago and
dealing with racism. The play won several
awards and was made into a movie
in 1961.
Hansberry went on to write another
play and other works. She died from
cancer on January 12, 1965. After her
death, her ex-husband took some of her
writings and created a play. This play,
called To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,
was produced in 1969.
#More to explore
African Americans • Theater
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or
Chanukkah) is a Jewish holiday that
lasts for eight nights and usually occurs
in December. It is also known as the
Festival of Lights.
Hanukkah celebrates a military victory
of the Jews over foreign rulers. The
Seleucid kingdom from neighboring
Syria took control of Jerusalem in about
198 BC. Some 30 years later the ruler
Antiochus tried to force the Jews to give
Lorraine Hansberry up their religious practices.When he
14 Hansberry, Lorraine BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
also took over their Temple they rose up
against him. The leader of the rebellion
was named Judas Maccabeus. He soon
defeated the Seleucids. The Jews then
cleaned, rebuilt, and rededicated the
Temple in 164 BC.
According to tradition, the Jews found
only one small jar of lamp oil when they
entered the Temple, enough for just one
night.With the oil, they relit the Temple’s
lamps. Miraculously, the oil lasted
for eight nights until more oil was
obtained.
To celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah
people light candles on a branched
candlestick called a menorah. They start
with one candle and add a new candle
each night. In addition, children receive
gifts and money, which is often in the
form of chocolate coins. Children also
play a Hanukkah game with a four-sided
top called a dreidel.
#More to explore
Festival and Holiday • Judaism
Hapsburgs
The Hapsburgs (or Habsburgs) were a
royal German family that ruled Austria
from the late 1200s until 1918. They
ruled many other countries of Europe
for shorter times. Those countries
included Bohemia (now part of the
Czech Republic), Hungary, and Spain.
The family’s name comes from the
Castle of Hapsburg, or Hawk’s Castle, in
what is now Switzerland. Ancestors of
the family built the castle in 1020.
Rise
The first Hapsburg ruler was Rudolf I.
He was crowned king of Germany in
1273. A few years later Rudolf took control
of Austria. From then on Austria
was the center of Hapsburg power.
Frederick V was crowned emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire in 1452. Then he
was called Frederick III. The Holy
Roman Empire included much of western
and central Europe. Between 1452
The most important custom during Hanukkah
is the lighting of the menorah. A blessing
is usually offered as the candles are lit.
A painting shows Rudolph I, a Hapsburg,
riding into a city. The Hapsburgs began
ruling Germany in 1273.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hapsburgs 15
and 1806, all but one of the Holy
Roman emperors were Hapsburgs.
AWorld Power
The power of the Hapsburgs was at its
greatest in the 1500s under Charles V.
Charles was Holy Roman emperor and
the king of Spain. His lands included all
of Europe except for England, France,
and Russia. Across the Atlantic Ocean,
Charles’s armies conquered rich empires
in Mexico and Peru.
Before his death, Charles divided his
lands between his brother and his son.
This created two Hapsburg branches.
One branch ruled Spain until 1700. The
other branch ruled the rest of the
empire. Beginning in 1804 the land
ruled by the Hapsburgs was called the
