Be

1. To exist. "I want only to be, and that is enough." "God is" (a way some theists assert their theism). "There's no sense in making a scientific inquiry about what species the Loch Ness Monster is, without first establishing that the Loch Ness Monster indeed is."
2. Identity. "I only want to be myself." "When the area behind the dam fills, it will be a lake." "The Morning Star is the Evening Star." "Boys will be boys." "I yam what I yam" (Popeye).
3. Class membership. To belong to a set or class: "She could be married." "Dogs are canines." "Moscow is a large city."
4. Predication (property and relation attribution): "It hurts to be blue." "Will that house be big enough?" "The hen is next to the rooster." "I am confused." Such attributes may also relate to temporary conditions as well as inherent qualities: "I will be tired after running." "Will you be going to the play tomorrow?" (In this latter form, some grammarians might consider "be going" single verb phrase with "be" as a "helper verb", while others consider the gerund "going" to be used as an adjective describing a condition parallel to the "tired" example. This latter interpretation is more consistent with other Germanic languages).

In Indo-European languages, the words meaning "to be" and "to eat" (originating in stems *es and *ed, respectively) often sound similar to each other. Due to the high frequence of their use, their inflection retains a considerable degree of similarity in some cases. Thus, for example, the English form "is" is an apparent cognate of Russian yest' , in spite the fact that the two belong to language groups that had split at least three thousand years ago and have had very little interaction since (20th century borrowings notwithstanding).

Other languages have multiple words for the verb "to be", dividing its uses in different ways. For example, the Japanese language has two forms: "arimasu" for the existence, and "desu" for identity and the property-possession uses.

The Spanish language also has two words, but divided differently: "ser" for uses expressing permanence (whether existence or attributes) and "estar" primarily for temporary conditions, either of existence or attributes. These are the kinds of issues that make machine translation difficult. For example, the English sentence "I am strong" would become two different Spanish sentences depending on whether the speaker intended to express that this was an inherent quality he possessed ("Soy fuerte"), or a present condition based on circumstances ("Estoy fuerte"). The Portuguese language also has the same distinction between "ser" and "estar".

Finally, the divisions often have exceptions.

To say that "a book is on the table", for example, Japanese would use the "arimasu" form, saying "Hon wa, taberu ni arimasu," meaning roughly "as for the book, there exists on the table", while Spanish would use the "estar" form "El libro está en la mesa", meaning roughly "the book presently possesses the property of being on the table" (this is so even for things that are always where they are - La Torre Eiffel está en París.)

In the Russian language, the verb byt' is the infinitive of "to be." The third person singular, yest' means "is" (and, interestingly enough, it is a homonym of the infinitive "to eat"). As a copula, it can be inflected into the past (byl), future (budet) and subjunctive (byl by) forms. A present tense (yest' ) exists, however it is not used as a copula, but rather omitted altogether or replaced by the verb yavlatsa (to be in essence). Thus one can say:

• Ona byla krasivoy - she was beautiful (adjective in instrumental case)
• Ona krasivaya - she is beautiful (adjective in the nominative case)
• Ona yavlayetsya krasivoy - she is beautiful (adjective also in instrumental)

• *Ona yest' krasivaya - she is beautiful (no such form)

See also ontology; grammar; copula.

In Belgium the main religion is Roman Catholicism, which consists of between 75 and 80% of the Belgian population. Other religions practiced in Belgium are Islam, Protestantism, and Judaism.

Belgium consists of so many Roman Catholics since it was formed on that basis; catholicism was one of the differences that lead the Belgians to want to separate from the protestant Netherlands in 1830. So it is not surprising that, nowadays, the dominant religion in Belgium is still Catholicism.

But this is not the only reason. Also another event, which many Christians dislike and regret, influenced the religion in Belgium. This event was the Spanish Inquisition. This horrible event happened before Belgium was Belgium, back when Belgium was Spain. Spanish King Ferdinand V requested the start of the Inquisition to the Pope, who agreed. It started off slowly, but after a while, especially under the rule of Phillip II, it grew to the execution of thousands of supposed heretics (people who weren't Christians). This led to the massacre of thousands of Jews, Protestants, and Muslims. And, since Belgium was part of Spain at the time, it also had an effect on the local religion there. At that time, trouble was brewing in Holland, talk of revolution and separation. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V introduced the Inquisition in the Netherlands, but it failed to get rid of Protestantism.

Geographically and culturally, Belgium is at the crossroads of Europe, and during the past 2,000 years has witnessed a constant ebb and flow of different races and cultures.

Consequently, Belgium is one of Europe's true melting pots with Celtic, Roman, Germanic, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Austrian cultures having made an imprint.

People were living in modern-day Belgium 100,000 years ago. They were called "Belgae" (hence the name Belgium), and lived from hunting and gathering. They were conquered, in around the year 0, by the Roman Empire, under the rule of Julius Caesar. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the Franks took over, and created the short-lived Merovingian Empire.
When it, in its turn, declined, around the year 511AD, the Frankish lands broke up and did not get together again until the Holy Roman Empire conquered them again, this time under the rule of Charlemagne. In 1419 Philip the Good took over, and the Burgundian Empire began to flourish. But, when Philip II ascended the Spanish throne, he tried to abolish all Protestantism. So he sent troops to Holland and Belgium. Holland didn't like this, and continued to struggle until it gained independence in 1648. The Southern states, (modern-day Belgium) remained loyal to Spain.

Then, in 1789, a revolution happened in France. In 1790 Belgium first gained independence in 1790, but Austria quickly regained control. Napoleon rose on the throne in France. He conquered Belgium and most of Europe. After he fell, the major powers in Europe agreed that Belgium would become a part of the Netherlands, under the rule of a protestant king, namely William of Orange. The Belgian Catholics didn't agree with that, and in 1830 revolted.
The major powers in Europe agreed, and in the 21st of July, 1831, the first king of Belgium, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, more commonly known nowadays as Leopold I, was crowned. He built the first railway in continental Europe in 1935, between Brussels and Mechelen. The Netherlands still fought persistently for 8 years, but in 1839 a treaty was signed between the 2 countries. The next king was Leopold II. He, in 1885, made Congo under his personal sovereignty. This was the first, and last, colony Belgium would ever have. The King after that was Albert I, who was most known for his resistance against the German forces long enough, so that the British and French could prepare for the battle of the Marne. After Albert I came Leopold III, who, as a teenager, fought in the Belgian army during WWI. He, during WWII, quickly surrendered to the Germans in order to reduce blood loss, but this was met with general Belgian protests, and he was charged with treason. After the war, in order to avoid the country being torn apart, he abdicated the throne to his son, Baudouin. During Baudouin's reign, Congo declared independence, and he founded the King Baudouin Foundation, whith the purpose of improving the living conditions of the Belgian people. When he died due to heart failure, his brother, namely Albert II, took over. He is still king today.

Since the country's federalisation there are many governmental entities; apart from the Federal Government there is a subdivision according to language in communities, with the French speaking Community, The Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community, and another subdivision (see also the next section) with the Walloon Region, the Flemish Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. However, the Flemish Community and The Flemish Region have been joined together to form one government, see Flanders.

• Federal government: Jurisdiction over matters of national interest. (e.g. the Military)
• Community governments: Language, culture and education. (e.g. Schools, Libraries, Theatre, etc.)
• Regional governments: Land and property based issues within their area (zoning, housing, transportation, etc.)

Belgium is divided into 3 federal regions; 2 regions are each divided into 5 provinces, together 10. Between brackets is the local name of each province, in either French or Dutch:

1. Flanders (Dutch speaking; Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre or Flandres in French):
   • Antwerp (Antwerpen)
   • Limburg
   • East Flanders (Oost-Vlaanderen)
   • West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen)
   • Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant)
2. Wallonia (French speaking; Wallonie in French, Wallonië in Dutch):
   • Walloon Brabant (Brabant Wallon)
   • Namur
   • Liège
   • Hainaut
   • Luxembourg
3. The Brussels capital region (Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest in Dutch, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale in French, Die Region Brüssel-Hauptstadt in German).

Map

The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Polders are areas of land, close to or below sea level, that have been reclaimed from the sea from which they are protected by dikes, or, further inland, fields that have been drained by canals.

The second physical region, the central plateau, lies further inland. This is a smooth, slowly rising area which has many fertile valleys and is irrigated by many waterways. Here we can also find rougher land, including caves and gorges. The third physical region (called the Ardennes) is somewhat more rugged than the first two. It is a thickly forested plateau, very rocky and not very good for farming, which extends into northern France. This is where much of Belgium's wildlife can be found.

The two main rivers in Belgium are the Schelde and the Maas. These two rivers bring prosperity to Tournai, Gent, Antwerpen, Brugge, Liège. The highest point in Belgium is the Botrange, with a height of only 694 metres, and is located in the third physical region, the Ardennes.

Turning to the manmade features, Belgium is divided into three manmade regions, usually classified by their language: Brussels (both Dutch- and French-speaking, population 960,000), Flanders (Dutch-speaking, population 6,000,000), and Wallonia (French-speaking, population 3,300,000). Belgium is further divided into 10 provinces: Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant, East Flanders, West Flanders, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, and Namur. The main cities and their population are Brussels (959,318), Antwerp (445,570), Ghent (224,685), Charleroi (200,233), and Liège (184,550).

Although generally flat, the terrain becomes increasingly hilly and forested in the southeast (Ardennes) region, where one can find Belgium's highest point, the Signal de Botrange at 694m.

The climate is cool, temperate, and rainy; summer temperatures average 25°C / 77°F, winters average 7.2°C / 45°F. Annual extremes (rarely attained) are -12.2°C / 10°F and 32.2°C / 90°F.

Densely populated Belgium is located at the heart of one of the world's most highly industrialised regions. The first country to undergo an industrial revolution on the continent of Europe in the early 1800s, Belgium developed an excellent transportation infrastructure of ports, canals, railways, and highways to integrate its industry with that of its neighbours. One of the founding members of the European Union, Belgium strongly supports deepening the powers of the EU to integrate European economies. Belgium became a first-tier member of the Euro, the single European currency, in January 1999 and the Belgian franc was completely replaced by euro coins and banknotes in early 2002. This chapter is about Belgian economy. Firstly, these are some hard facts about the economy: The current currency is the Euro (±1.30$). The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita is $24.285, which classifies Belgium as 7th in the world classification of GDP per capita. The GDP grows at approximately 3.8%. The export revenues are around 76% of the GDP. Belgium exports around ¾ of its products to other European countries. Belgium is ranked as number 1 in the world classification of exports per capita.

Belgium is known as "The heart of Europe". This is not only because of its geographical location, but also due to many international institutions having their headquarters in Brussels. This, in its turn, is because it has an excellent transportation system. It has a modern and toll-free road system, is connected to the European railway system, and Antwerpen is the second largest European port.

The economy in Belgium greatly depends on its imports and exports. Its main imports are: food products, machinery, rough diamonds, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, clothing and accessories, and textiles, and its main trade partners are Germany, The Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Spain. Its main exports are automobiles, food and food products, iron and steel, diamonds, textiles, plastics, petroleum products, and nonferrous metals. Trade is made together with Luxembourg, since these 2 countries created a customs and currency union in 1922.

The currency in Belgium was the Belgian franc (±40BEF per 1$), until the year 2002, when it officially disappeared from circulation and when the Euro took its spot. Belgium, together with 11 other countries, changed their currencies to the Euro.

The growth of the economy in Belgium sharply decreased in 2001, due to world economic slowdown. Belgium is largely dependant on the world economic state.

The population density is the second-highest in Europe, after the Netherlands.

There are three official languages, Dutch, French and German. More than half of the country is Dutch speaking (55%), French is the second largest (44%), German is spoken by a minority (1%). Brussels, the capital, is mostly French speaking, but officially French/Dutch bilingual.

This country is well known for its art, its great architecture, its beer, its food, and its chocolate.

Belgium has a variety of famous artists. These include Peter Paul Rubens, René Magritte, Jan van Eyck, Breughel, Memling, Ensor, Delvaux. René Magritte is probably the most famous Belgian artist. He, together with Paul Delvaux, are two major artists of the surrealistic style. Many great French authors went to Belgium for refuge. Another type of art is music. Belgium isn't behind in music either. For example, Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in around 1840. He appears on the Belgian notes of 100 BEF.

In Architecture the name Victor Horta is well known. He was one of the originators of the Art Nouveau architecture, a style of architecture which had a major impact upon 20th century buildings.

Entertainment. Belgium has a large variety of museums, expositions. Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in Antwerpen, which has an admirable collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens, and The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods.

The national sport in Belgium is soccer. The national team is called the Red Devils, and they are ranked as 16th by FIFA. Belgians are fanatics of soccer, but that's not the only thing they're good at. Belgium has 2 female tennis players in the top 20; Kim Clijsters (#1) and Justine Henine-Hardenne (#2). Belgium also has been good in cycling. One of the greatest cyclists ever, Eddy Merckx, who won 5 Tours de France; five Tours of Italy, one Tour of Spain, two Tours of Belgium, and one Tour of Switzerland, was Belgian. We also have world champions in motocross and judo. As you can see, Belgium is also well represented in the sport's world.

Now, gastronomy. Gastronomy means national kitchen, or food. A lot of gourmets think that Belgium has the 2nd best food in Europe, after French food. Everybody knows Belgian chocolate, for example. The praline was actually invented in Belgium, although chocolate wasn't. We have brands like Neuhaus, Cote d'Or, Leonidas. And then beer. In Belgium you can find over 450 different kinds of beer. The beer with the most prestige is that of the Trappist monks. Technically, it is an ale and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). The inhabitants of this country have a reputation for loving French fries. The fried potato strips are sold at many small shops and stands (often at train stations) and are known locally as frieten in Dutch and frites in French (not identified as French, though).

Some is exported all over the world. Other less known snacks are speculaas (a sweet, crunchy cookie) and waffles. And, of course, French fries (invented by us). As main courses we have mussels with French fries, endive prepared in a special way, Brussels sprouts, Gentse waterzooi (a casserole made up of chicken and vegetables).

Now for education. Belgium has an excellent educational system. Over 98% of the adult population is literate. School is obligatory from the age of 6 until the age of 18, but most Belgian students keep on studying until the age of 23. This makes Belgium's education system the second highest in Europe, after England. As a child, there are 3 kindergartens before you go to 1st grade. Then there are 6 grades, which you must complete before moving on to the next 6 grades. After you finish those, you can do what you want. Most Belgian students choose to then keep on studying.

The Belgians are a folk with many different customs. Holidays: There is one very big holiday in December the 6th. This is Sinterklaas dag, which, in English, would mean the day of Saint Nicholas. This is sort of an early Christmas, where the kids put there shoe by the hearth with some water and a carrot for the horse, and supposedly St. Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the carrot and the water, puts down presents, goes back up, feeds his horse, and continues his course. He also knows whether you have been good or bad. This is a major children's holiday in Belgium.

Belgians also celebrate a variety of international, but mostly Christian holidays; such as Christmas, Epiphany (Three King's Day), Easter, New Year, Valentine's Day.

Festivals play a major role in Belgium's cultural life. Nearly every city and town has its own festival, some that date back several centuries. And these aren't just tricks for tourism, but real, authentic celebrations that took months to prepare. Two of the biggest festivals are the three-day carnival at Binche, near Mons, held just before Lent (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Brugge in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles" lead the procession, which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes.

Another part of Belgian traditions is the comic strip. Belgium has numerous cartoonists, such as Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske), Hergé (Tintin), Morris (Lucky Luke), Peyo (De Smurfen), Marc Sleen (Nero).

As you can see, Belgians are very colorful people.

See also:

• Music of Belgium

Miscellaneous

Belgium is a curse word in the famed series Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy

Reference

• Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.

External links

History

The name beryllium comes from the Greek beryllos, beryl. At one time beryllium was referred to as glucinium (from Greek glykys, sweet), due to the sweet taste of its salts. This element was discovered by Vauquelin in 1798 as the oxide in beryl and in emeralds. Friedrich Wöhler and A. A. Bussy independently isolatated the metal in 1828 by reacting potassium on beryllium chloride.

The canton of Bern includes various districts which the town of Bern acquired by conquest or by purchase in the course of time. Such districts include (with dates of acquisition):

• Laupen (1324)
• Hash and Meiringen (1334)
• Thun and Burgdorf (1384)
• Unterseen and the Upper Simme valley (1386)
• Frutigen, etc. (1400)
• Lower Simme valley (1439 - 1449)
• Interlaken, with Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Brienz (1528, all the suppression of the Austin Canons of Interlaken)
• Saanen or Gessenay (1555)
• Koniz (1729)
• the Bernese Jura with Bienne (1815, from the bishopric of Basel).

Certain French-speaking portions of Canton Berne broke away from the canton only in the late 20th century and now comprise the Canton of Jura.

Location of the canton

Some text from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.

• BRU Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (fr), Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (nl)
• VLG Flanders (nl Vlaams Gewest)
• WAL Wallonia (fr Région wallone)

Coding list

Provinces

• BE-VAN Antwerpen
• BE-WBR Brabant Wallon
• BE-WHT Hainaut
• BE-WLG Liège
• BE-VLI Limburg
• BE-WLX Luxembourg
• BE-WNA Namur
• BE-VOV Oost-Vlaanderen
• BE-VBR Vlaams Brabant
• BE-VWV West-Vlaanderen

Decoding list

• BE-VAN Antwerpen
• BE-VBR Vlaams Brabant
• BE-VLI Limburg
• BE-VOV Oost-Vlaanderen
• BE-VWV West-Vlaanderen
• BE-WBR Brabant Wallon
• BE-WHT Hainaut
• BE-WLG Liège
• BE-WLX Luxembourg
• BE-WNA Namur

See also

• ISO 3166-2, the reference table for all country region codes.
• ISO 3166-1, the reference table for all country codes, as used for domain names on the internet.

• Beach, Amy, (1867-1944), composer
• Beach, Sylvia, (born 1887), publisher
• Beagle, Peter S, (born 1939), US fantasy author
• Beals, Jennifer (born 1963) US actress
• Beaumier, Colleen, Canadian politican
• Beamon, Bob, (born 1946), athlete
• Bean, Alan, (born 1932), astronaut
• Beard, Charles A, (born 1874), historian
• Bear, Greg, (born 1951), US science fiction author
• Bearden, Romare, (1914-1988), painter
• Beard, James, (1903-1985), chef, cookbook writer
• Beardsley, Aubrey, (1872-1898), illustrator
• Béart, Emmanuelle, (born 1965), French actor
• Beard, Stephanie, Canadian radio and television personality, voice actress
• Beard, Stymie, (1925-1981), actor
• Beard, Thomas, (born 1962), musician, composer
• Beatrice, Princess of Portugal, (1372-1410), heiress to the throne and wife of John I of Castile
• Beatrice of Spain
• Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands, (born 1938)
• Beattie, Ann, (born 1947), writer
• Beatty, Clyde, (1903-1965), circus performer, hunter
• Beatty, David, (1871-1936), British
• Beatty, Ned, (born 1937), actor
• Beatty, Sir Alfred Chester, (1875-1968)
• Beatty, Warren, (born 1937), US film director
• Beauchamp-Proctor, Andrew, (1894-1921), fighter pilot
• Beaudoin, Gerald A, Canadian senator
• Beaufort, John, 1st Earl of Somerset
• Beaufort, Margaret, (1443-1509), mother of Henry VII of England
• Beaumarchais, Pierre-Augustin Caron de, (1732-1799), comedy playwright
• Beaumont, Charles, (died 1967), writer
• Beaumont, Francis, (1586-1616), poet
• Beauregard, Alcide, SOE agent, WW II hero
• Beauregard, P.G.T, (1818-1893), general
• Beausoleil, musician
• Beauvoir, Simone de, (1908-1986), French author
• Beaux, Cecilia, painter
• Beaven, Robert
• Beaverbrook, Maxwell Aitken, (1879-1964), UK politician & newspaper tycoon

Beb

• Bebel, August, (1840-1913), politician
• Bebeto, soccer player

Bec

• Bécaud, Gilbert, (died 2001), musician
• Beccaria, Giovanni Battista, (1716-1781)
• Bechdel, Alison, US cartoonist
• Becher, Ulrich, dramatist, author
• Bechet, Sidney, (1897-1959), jazz musician
• Bechstein, Carl, (1826-1900), piano manufacturer
• Bechstein, Ludwig, (1801-1860), narrator and poet
• Bechtle, Robert, (born 1932), painter
• Beck, (born 1970), singer-songwriter, musician
• Beck, Aaron, psychologist
• Beck, Beatrix, (born 1914), writer
• Beck, C.C, (1910-1989), creator of the original Captain Marvel
• Becker, Jurek, dramatist, author
• Becker, Jürgen, dramatist, author
• Beckett, Arthur William a, (died 1909), British journalist
• Beckett, Gilbert Arthur a, (died 1891), British writer
• Beckett, Margaret
• Beckham, Brice, (born 1976), actor.
• Beckinsale, Kate, (born 1973), actress
• Beck, Jeff, (born 1944), singer-songwriter, musician
• Beck, Joe, musician
• Beck, Kimberly, (born 1956), actor
• Beck, Ludwig, (1880-1944), General and member of the July Plot
• Beckenbauer, Franz, (born 1945), footballer
• Becker, Boris, (born 1967), (Germany)
• Becker, Donald, Linux programmer
• Becker, Gary, (born 1930), economist
• Becket, Thomas
• Beckett, Gilbert Abbott a, (1811-1856), writer
• Beckett, Samuel, (1906-1989), Irish-born playwright
• Beckham, David, (born 1975), association football player
• Beckman, Joshua, poet
• Beckmann, Max, (1884-1950), painter
• Becquer, Gustavo Adolfo, (1836-1870), poet
• Becquerel, Antoine Henri, (1852-1908), French physicist
• Bédard, Myriam, (born 1969), Olympic Gold Medal
• Becue, Brigitte, swimmer

Bed

• Beddoes, English writer in Germany
• Bede, (c. 672-735 C.E.), scholastic philosopher, historian
• Bedford, David, (born 1937), composer
• Bedi, Kabir, (born 1946), actor
• Bedrich, (1172-1173), Bohemian aristocrat

Bee

• Beebe, Charles William, (1877-1962), biologist
• Beefheart, Captain, (born 1941), avant garde blues musician and painter
• Beekman, Yolande, (1911-1944), SOE agent, WW II heroine
• Beerbohm, Max, (1873-1956), theater critic
• Beer, Wilhelm, (1797-1850), astronomer
• Beernaert, Auguste, Nobel Peace Prize 1908
• Beery, Noah, (died 1946), actor
• Beery, Wallace, (1885-1949), actor
• Beethoven, Ludwig van, (baptized 1770-1827), German-born composer

Beg

• Beg, Ulugh, (1394-1394), astronomer
• Beghal, Djamel, alleged Al-Qaida terrorist
• Beghe, Jason, actor
• Begin, Menachmen, (1913-1992), Israeli prime minister
• Begley, Donal, Chief Herald of Ireland, 1981-95
• Begley, Ed, Jr, (born 1949), actor
• Bégué, Georges, (1911-1993), SOE agent, WW II hero

Beh

• Behaim, Martin, (1436-1507), cartographer
• Behan, Brendan, (1923-1964), playwright, novelist
• Behan, John, sculptor, Aosdána
• Beheim-Schwarzenbach, Martin, (1900-1985), narrator, lyricist and essayist
• Behlendorf, Brian, Apache
• Behn, Aphra, (1640-1689), poet
• Behn, Ari, (born 1972), author
• Behring, Emil Adolf von, (1854-1917), winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901
• Behr, Jason, (born 1973), actor

Bei

• Beiderbecke, Bix, (1903-1931), jazz trumpeter
• Beinhorn, Elly, (born 1907), pilot
• Beissel, Henry, (born 1929), Canadian writer

Bek

• Bekkos, John, patriarch of Constantinople

Bel

• Belafonte, Harry, (born 1927), US singer
• Belafonte, Shari, (born 1954), US actor and singer
• Belasco, David, (died 1931), writer, producer
• Belasco, Lionel, (1881-1967), musician
• Belen, Ana, musician
• Belgrano, Manuel
• Belisarius, (505-565), Roman general
• Belitt, Ben, poet
• Beliveau, Jean, ice hockey player
• Belkom, Edo Van, Canadian writer
• Bell, Alexander Graham, (1847-1922), inventor
• Bell, Arthur William, (1929-1935), British bailiff
• Bell, Chris, musician
• Bell, Derek, harpist
• Bell, Eric Temple, (1883-1960), mathematician
• Bell, Gertrude, (1868-1926), archaeologist, writer, spy
• Bell, Gordon, (born 1934), computer engineer
• Bell, Jamie, (born 1986), actor
• Bell, Jocelyn, astronomer
• Bell, Karen Nelson, producer, director and musician
• Bell, Madison Smartt, Waiting for the End of the World (1985), and A Soldier's Joy (1989) amongst others
• Bell, Marilyn, first person to swim Lake Ontario
• Bell, Mary, British woman who killed two children at ages 10 and 11
• Bell, Marvin, poet
• Bell, Peter Hansbrough, (1849-1853), American Governor of Texas
• Bell, Robert, (born 1950), bassist, singer
• Bell, Steve, (born 1951), contemporary British political cartoonist
• Bell, Vanessa, (1879-1961), painter
• Bell, William, Canadian musician, writer
• Bella, Ivan, astronaut
• Bellairs, John, (1938-1991), author
• Bellamy, Ralph (1904-1991), actor
• Bellamy, Edward, US author
• Beller, Kathleen, (born 1956), actress
• Belli, Giuseppe Gioacchino, (Roman dialect)
• Belli, Gioconda, (born 1948), poet
• Belli, Melvin, (1907-1996), attorney, actor
• Bellingham, John, assassin
• Bellini, Gentile, (c.1429-1507), Italian painter
• Bellini, Giovanni, (c.1430-1516), Italian painter
• Bellini, Jacopo, (c.1400-1470), Italian painter
• Bellini, Vincenzo, (1801-1835), Italian composer
• Bellisario, Donald P, (born 1936), US television producer
• Bellit, Francesco
• Bellman, Carl Michael, (1740-1795), Swedish musician
• Bello C., Emiliano, Chilean president
• Bello, Frank, (born 1965), bassist in the Anthrax rock band
• Belloc, Hilaire, poet
• Bellocchio, Marco, film director
• Bellocq, Ernest J, (1873-1949), photographer
• Belloni, Allessandra, musician
• Bellotto, Bernardo, Polish painter
• Bellow, Saul, (born 1915), writer
• Bellows, George Wesley, (1882-1925), American painter
• Belmondo, Jean-Paul, (born 1933), French actor
• Belson, Louie, musician
• Belushi, Jim, (born 1954), US actor
• Belushi, John, (1949-1982), US comedian
• Bely, Andrey, (1880-1934), poet and author
• Belyayev, Pavel, (1925-1970), astronaut
• Belyayev, Pavel Ivanovich, (1925-1970), cosmonaut
• Belzer, Richard, (born 1944), actor, comedian

Bem

• Bembo, Pietro, (1470-1547), Italian cardinal
• Bemelmans, Ludwig, (1898-1962), painter

Ben

• Benaderet, Bea, (died 1968), actress
• Benante, Charlie, (born 1962), musician
• Benatar, Pat (born 1953), US singer
• Benaud, Richie, (born 1930), Australian cricket player
• Ben, Gottfried, German poet
• Ben Bella, Ahmed, Algerian pro-independence leader
• Ben-Gurion, David, (1886-1973), founder and prime minister of Israel
• Benacerraf, Paul, philosopher
• Benatzky, Ralph, (1884-1957), songwriter
• Bench, Johnny, (born 1947), Baseball Hall of Famer
• Benchley, Robert, (1889-1945), writer, actor
• Bendix, William, (1906-1964), actor
• Benedict of Nursia, scholastic philosopher
• Benedict, Julius, (born 1804), composer
• Benedict of Aniane, (died 821), monastic founder and saint
• Benedict I, Pope, (pope 575-579)
• Benedict II, Pope, (pope 682-683)
• Benedict III, Pope, (pope 855-858)
• Benedict IV, Pope, (900-903)
• Benedict V, Pope, (pope 964-965)
• Benedict VI, Pope, (pope 972-974)
• Benedict VII, Pope, (pope 975-983)
• Benedict VIII, Pope, (pope 1012-1024)
• Benedict IX, Pope, (Theophylactus, c. 1012-maybe 1055 or 1065)
• Benedict X, Pope, (reigned 1058-1059; died c. 1073 or 1080)
• Benedict XI, Pope, (pope 1303-1304), (possibly poisoned)
• Benedict XII, Pope, (pope 1334-1342)
• Benedict XIII, Pope, (pope 1724-1730)
• Benedict XIV, Pope, (1740-1758),
• Benedict XV, Pope, (1914-1922)
• Benedict, Ruth
• Benediktsson, Bjarni, (1963-1970), prime minister
• Beneke, Tex, (1914-2000), bandleader, singer, saxophone player
• Benes, Edvard, (1884-1948), Czech president-in-exile
• Benet, Eric, (born 1970), singer
• Benet Rose, William, poet
• Benét, Stephen Vincent, (1898-1943), poet
• Benford, Gregory, (born 1941), US science fiction author
• Benhadugah, Abdelhamid, (born 1925), novelist
• Benigni, Roberto, (born 1952), Italian actor
• Bening, Annette, (born 1958), US actor
• Benitez, Clara, matriarch of famous boxing family
• Benitez, John
• Benitez, Lucecita singer
• Benitez, Wilfredo, (born 1958), world champion boxer
• Benjamin II of Alexandria, (1327-1339), Coptic Pope
• Benjamin I, Patriarch, patriarch of Constantinople
• Benjamin, Judah, (1811-1884), Secretary of State for the Confederate States of America
• Benjamin, Richard, (born 1938), actor
• Benjamin, Walter, (1892-1940), literary critic and writer
• Bennett, Bruce, (born 1909), actor
• Bennett, Constance, (1904-1965), actress
• Bennett, Henry Gordon, Major General of Australian Imperial Forces
• Bennett, James Gordon, Jr, (1841-1918), publisher
• Bennett, Joan, (1910-1990), actress
• Bennett, Richard Bedford, (1870-1947), eleventh Prime Minister of Canada
• Bennett, William, (born 1943), former Secretary of Education and "drug czar"
• Bennett, William Andrew Cecil, (1952-1972)
• Bennett, William Richards, (1975-1986)
• Benn, Gottfried, (1886-1956), dramatist, author
• Bennington, Chester, (born 1976), musician
• Benn, Nigel, (born 1964), world champion boxer
• Benn, Tony, (1925-), British politician
• Bennett, Arnold, (1867-1931), English novelist
• Bennett, Donald, Air Vice-Marshal of RAF
• Bennett, Duster, musician
• Bennett, Gwendolyn B, poet
• Bennett, Nigel, Canadian writer
• Bennett, Oli, (1972-2001), financial journalist, WTC attack victim
• Bennett, Tony, (born 1926), musician
• Bennett, W.A.C, (1900-1979), Canadian politician
• Bennett, William R, (born 1932), Canadian politician
• Benni, Stefano, (born 1947)
• Bennit, Nigel, actor
• Benny, Jack, (1894-1974), actor, comedian
• Benoist, Robert, (1895-1944), race car driver, war hero
• Bense, Max, (1910-1990), philosopher
• Benso, Camillo, count of Cavour
• Benson, Edward White, (1829-1896), Archbishop of Canterbury
• Benson, Frank Weston, (1862-1951), American painter
• Benson, George, (born 1943), musician
• Bent, Charles, (died 1847), New Mexico pioneer
• Bentham, Jeremy, (1748-1832), lawyer, eccentric, and philosopher
• Bentine, Michael, (1922-1996)
• Bentley, Edmund Clerihew, (1875-1956), author
• Bentley, Robert, (died 1958), humorist, actor
• Benton, Bernard, world boxing champion
• Benton, Brook, (1931-1988), musician
• Benton, George, former boxer, noted boxing trainer
• Benton, Robert, film director
• Benton, Thomas Hart, (1889-1975), painter
• Benvenuti, Nino, (born 1938), world boxing champion
• Ben-Yehuda, Eliezer, (born 1858), responsible for revival of Hebrew language
• Benzinger, Todd, (born 1963), American baseball player.
• Benz, Karl, (1844-1929), automotive pioneer

Ber

• Bercovici, Leonardo, (died 1995), writer, director
• Berdarin, Alain, (died 1994), founder/owner of "Le Crazy Horse Saloon" - Paris
• Beregovoi, Georgi, (1921-1995), astronaut
• Beregovoi, Georgi Timofeyevich, (1921-1995), cosmonaut
• Bérégovoy, Pierre, (died 1993), Prime Minister of France
• Berenger, Tom, (born 1949), US actor
• Berenguela of Castile, (1180-1246), Castilian monarch
• Beresford, Bruce, (born 1940), film director
• Berezhnaya, Elena, (born 1977), figure skating star
• Berezovoy, Anatoly, astronaut
• Berg, Alan, (died 1984), radio talk show host
• Berg, Alban, (1885,-1935), Austrian composer
• Berg, Carol, author
• Berg, Dave, (1920-2002), cartoonist for Mad magazine
• Berg, Moe, US spy and baseball player
• Berge, Abraham, Norwegian Prime Minister
• Bergen, Candice, (born 1946), actress
• Bergen, Edgar, (1903-1978), US ventriloquist
• Berger, Helmut, (born 1944), actor
• Berger, Peter, (born 1925), British Vice-Admiral
• Berger, Senta, (born 1941), actress
• Berger, Wilhelm Peterson, Swedish musician
• Berg, Gertrude, (1899-1966), actress
• Berghaus, Ruth, (1927-1996), choreographer, film director
• Bergh, Henry, (1811-1888), founder of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Berghmans, Ingrid, judoka
• Bergier, Arnold Henry, sculptor
• Bergkamp, Dennis, (born 1969), athlete
• Bergman, Ingmar, (1918-), Swedish film director
• Bergman, Ingrid, (1915-1982), Swedish-born actress
• Bergner, Elisabeth, (died 1986), actress
• Bergomi, Giuseppe, athlete
• Bergonzoli, Annibale, Lieutenant-General at Bardia
• Bergson, Henri, (1859-1941), Nobel Prize Winner
• Beria, Lavrenty, (1899-1953), Soviet leader of NKVD
• Bering, Vitus, (1680-1741)
• Berio, Luciano, (1925-2003), opera composer
• Berisha, Sali, (1992-1997), Albanian president
• Berkeley, Anthony, mystery writer
• Berkeley, Busby, (1895-1976), film director
• Berkeley, George, (1685-1753), philosopher
• Berkowitz, David, "Son of Sam", US serial killer
• Berlage, Henrik Petrus, architect
• Berle, Milton, (1908-2002), US actor, comedian
• Berliner, Emil, (1851-1929), telephone and recording pioneer
• Berlin, Irving, (1888-1989), composer, songwriter, musician
• Berlin, Isaiah, (1909-1997), philosopher
• Berliner, Emile, (1851-1929) gramophone inventor
• Berlinguer, Enrico, (1922-1984), politician
• Berlinguer, Mario
• Berlioz, Hector, (1803-1869), French composer
• Berlusconi, Silvio, (born 1936)
• Bermudo I of Asturias, Asturian monarch
• Bernadotte, Folke, (1895-1948), Swedish count and diplomat
• Bernall, Cassie, victim of the Columbine High School massacre
• Bernardi, Herschel, (1923-1986), actor
• Bernard of Chartres, scholastic philosopher
• Bernard of Clairvaux, (1090-1153), French scholastic philosopher
• Bernard, Carlos, actor
• Bernard Prince of Netherlands
• Bernard, Emerik, (born 1927), painter.
• Bernard, Francis, (1712-1779), colonial governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts
• Bernard, Nejc, (born 1970), poet
• Bernard, Sue, (born 1948), Playboy playmate
• Bernard, Tristan, (1866-1947), writer
• Bernardo, Paul, (born 1964)
• Bernays, Jakob, (died 1881), philologist
• Berne, Eric, (1910-70), US psychiatrist, founder of Transactional Analysis
• Berners-Lee, Tim, inventor of the World Wide Web
• Bernhard of the Netherlands, Prince
• Bernhard, Prince
• Bernhard, Sandra
• Bernhard, Thomas, (1931-1989), dramatist, author
• Bernhardt, Sarah, (1844-1923), French actor
• Bernier, Sylvie, Canada's first gold medal in Olympic diving
• Bernik, Janez, (born 1933), painter and graphic artist
• Bernini, Gian Lorenzo, (1598-1680), Italian architect, sculptor, painter
• Bernoulli, Daniel, (1700-1782), Switzerland
• Bernoulli, Jakob, (1654-1705), Swiss mathematician
• Bernoulli, Johann, (1667-1748), Swiss mathematician
• Bernoulli, Johann, III, (born 1744), Swiss mathematician
• Berns, Bert, songwriter
• Bernsen, Corbin, (born 1954), US actor
• Bernstein, Elmer, (born 1922), composer
• Bernstein, Leonard, (1918-1990), US composer
• Bérout, Stephen, scholastic philosopher
• Berra, Yogi, (born 1925), US baseball player
• Berrigan, Bunny, musician
• Berrigan, Daniel, poet
• Berrigan, Philip, (1923-2002), anti-war activist
• Berrios, Angel O, mayor
• Berrios, Ruben, (born 1939), politician
• Berroa, Ignacio, musician
• Berruguete, Alonso, (1480-1561)
• Berry, Chu, musician
• Berry, Chuck, (born 1926), US musician
• Berry, Fred, (1951-2003), US actor
• Berry, Halle, (born 1966), US actor
• Berry, Ken, (born 1933), actor
• Berry, Richard, musician
• Berry, Sir Anthony, (1925-1984), British politician
• Berry, Wendell, poet
• Berryman, John, poet
• Berthelm, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Berthier, Pierre, chemist
• Berthlaume, Treffle, (1803-1884), sculptor
• Berthold, of Moosburg, scholastic philosopher
• Berthollet, Claude Louis, (1748-1822)
• Bertolucci, Bernardo, (born 1940), film director
• Berton, Pierre, (born 1920), popularizer of Canadian history, TV personality, columnist
• Bertram, Laura, actor
• Bertrand, Joseph Louis Francois, (1822-1900), mathematician
• Bertwald, (St.) 693
• Berwald, Frans, (1796-1868), composer
• Berwanger, Jay, (1914-2002), American football star, winner of the first Heisman Trophy
• Berwick, Dennison, (born 1956), literary travel author now working in fiction
• Berzelius, Jöns Jacob, (1779-1848), chemist

Bes

• Besant, Annie, (1847-1933), British mystic
• Besemer, Jen, (born 1970), surrealist poet and painter
• Beskow, Elsa, (1874-1953), painter
• Bessel, Friedrich Wilhelm, (1784-1846), astronomer, mathematician
• Bessemer, Henry, (1813-1898), investor of Bessemer steel
• Besser, Joe, (1907-1988), US actor, member of the Three Stooges
• Bessette, Gerard, (born 1920), Quebecois author
• Besson, Luc, (born 1959), French film director
• Best, Charles, (1899-1978), medical scientist, co-discovered insulin
• Best, George, (born 1946), footballer
• Bester, Alfred, (1913-1987), US science fiction writer
• Best, Pete, (born 1941), drummer

Bet

• Betancourt, Ingrid, (born 1961), Colombian politician
• Betancourt, Rómulo, Venezuelan president
• Betanzos, Miguel
• Bethge, Hans, (born 1876), writer
• Bethmann-Hollweg, Theobald von, (died 1917), Prussian Prime Minister
• Bethune, Norman, (1890-1939), battlefield surgeon
• Betjeman, John, (1906-1984), poet
• Bettauer, Hugo, novelist
• Bettelheim, Bruno, (1903-1990), child psychologist, psychiatrist
• Bettencourt, Liliane, majority owner of L'Oreal, wealthiest person in France
• Bettenhausen, Gary, (born 1941), race car driver
• Bettenhausen, Tony, (1916-1961), race car driver
• Betts, Dickie, (born 1943), musician (The Allman Brothers).

Beu

• Beurling, George, (1921-1948), fighter ace
• Beuys, Joseph, (1921-1986), artist

Bev

• Bevan, Aneurin, (1897-1960), politician
• Bevc, Joze, (born 1925), film director
• Bevilacqua, Alberto, novelist
• Bevin, Ernest, British politician
• Bevington, Helen
• Bevk, Ivan, (1890-1970), author

Bew

• Bewick, Pauline, Aosdána

Bey

• Beyer, Henryka, Polish painter
• Bey, Tanburi Cemil, musician

Bez