Davis, Sir Colin (Rex) (b. Sept. 5, 1927, Weybridge, Surrey, Eng.) British conductor. Self-taught as a conductor, he first earned acclaim with a 1958 production of Mozart’s opera The Abduction from the Seraglio. His reputation was established when he filled in for Otto Klemperer the next year. He was music director of Co vent Garden (1971-86) and prin¬ cipal conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony (1983-92); he was appointed principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1995. He has a special affinity for the music of Hector Berlioz and Jean Sibelius.
Davis, David (b. March 9, 1815, Cecil county, Md., U.S.—d. June 26, 1886, Bloomington, Ill.) U.S. jurist. He earned a law degree from Yale in 1835 and established a law practice in Bloomington the following year. He was elected to the Illinois legislature in 1844. As a state circuit-court judge (1848-62) he became a close friend of Abraham Lincoln, and he worked assiduously for Lincoln’s election as president in 1860. In 1862 Lincoln appointed him to the Supreme Court of the United States (1862— 77). He resigned his seat on the court to accept election to the U.S. Sen¬ ate (1877-83).
Davis, Jefferson (b. June 3, 1808, Christian county, Ky., U.S.—d. Dec. 6, 1889, New Orleans, La.) U.S. political leader, president of the Confederate States of America (1861-65). He graduated from West Point and served as a lieutenant in the Wisconsin Territory and later in the Black Hawk War. In 1835 he became a planter in Mississippi. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1845-46), he resigned to serve in the Mexican War, in which he distinguished himself at the Battle of Buena Vista. A national hero, he served in the U.S. Senate (1847-51) and as Pres. Franklin Pierce’s secretary of war (1853-57). He returned to the Senate in 1857, where he advocated states' rights but tried to discourage secession. After Mississippi seceded in 1861, he resigned and was chosen president of the Confederacy. He conducted the South’s war effort despite short¬ ages of manpower, supplies, and money and opposition from radicals within his administration. After Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered without Davis’s approval in April 1865, Davis fled Richmond, Va., the Confed¬ erate capital, hoping to continue the fight until he could secure better terms from the North. Captured and indicted for treason, he was never tried. After two years imprisonment, he was released in poor health in 1867. He retired to Mississippi. His citizenship was restored posthumously in 1978.
Davis, Miles (Dewey) (b. May 26, 1926, Alton, Ill., U.S.—d. Sept. 28, 1991, Santa Monica, Calif.) U.S. trumpeter and bandleader. Davis grew up in East St. Louis, Mo., and began study at the Juilliard School in New York City in 1944. He worked with Charlie Parker (1946-48). His early efforts as a bandleader resulted in recordings known as Birth of the Cool (1949), in which a relaxed aes¬ thetic replaced the more frenetic bebop with the “cool jazz” of the 1950s. From 1955 Davis’s groups framed his spare, lyrical approach in contrast to the dense complexity of saxophonists such as John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. His dark, brooding tone, logically paced improvisa¬ tions, and frequent use of the metal mute were major influences on jazz trumpet soloists. The 1959 album Kind of Blue was a pioneering example of modal harmonic jazz. His music became more aggressive during the 1960s, and his use of electronic instruments by the end of the decade (.Bitches Brew, 1969) gave rise to the jazz-rock fusion of the 1970s. Davis was one of the most original and influential jazz musicians.
Davis, Stuart (b. Dec. 7, 1894, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.—d. June 24, 1964, New York, N.Y.) U.S. abstract painter. His father was a graphic art¬ ist who encouraged his interest in art. He studied in New York City with Robert Henri (1909-12), made drawings for the periodical The Masses,
associated with the Ash Can school, and exhibited in the Armory Show. A visit to Paris in 1928-29 inspired his own version of Cubism; he began rearranging natural forms from everyday life into flat posterlike patterns with sharp outlines and contrasting colours—the dissonant colours and repetitive rhythms reflecting his interest in jazz—in a style that eventu¬ ally led to totally abstract patterns. He is considered the outstanding U.S. artist who worked in the Cubist style.
Davis Cup Trophy awarded to the winning team of an international ten¬ nis tournament for men. It was donated in 1900 by Dwight F. Davis, him¬ self a player in the first two matches (called ties), for a competition between teams from the U.S. and Britain. Since then, the tournament has developed into a truly international event. More than 100 nations have participated, but winners have been largely confined to the U.S, Austra¬ lia, France, Britain, and Sweden.
Davis Strait Strait, northern Atlantic Ocean. Lying between southeast¬ ern Baffin Island and southwestern Greenland, it separates Baffin Bay to the north from the Labrador Sea to the south, and forms part of the Northwest Passage. About 400 mi (650 km) north to south and 200-400 mi (325-650 km) wide, it was explored in 1585 by the English navigator John Davis. Along the coast of Greenland, the Greenland Current carries relatively warm water northward, while the cold Labrador Current trans¬ ports icebergs southward along Baffin Island’s eastern shore.
Davos \da-‘vos\ Commune (pop., 2000: 11,417), eastern Switzerland. It consists of two villages, Davos-Platz and Davos-Dorf, located in a val¬ ley of the Alps. First inhabited by Romansh-speaking people, it was settled in the 13th century by German speakers. It became the capital of the League of Ten Jurisdictions (or Courts) in 1436 and was ruled by Austria from 1477 to 1649. After the 1860s it became a fashionable health resort, and in the 20th century it developed into a centre for skiing and other winter sports. In the 1990s Davos became famous for hosting the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering of international politicians and fin¬ anciers who represented a transnational elite.
Davout \da-'vii\, Louis-Nicolas, Prince d'Eckmuhl Ndek-'mlelX (b. May 10, 1770, Annoux, France—d. June 1, 1823, Paris) French gen¬ eral in the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his noble origins, in 1790 he led his regiment in a pro-Revolutionary revolt, and he performed with merit in the Belgian campaign of 1792-93. He accompanied Napoleon to Egypt (1798-99) and was promoted to division general. As a coips commander, he had a significant impact on the victories at Austerlitz (1805), Auerstedt (1806), Jena (1806), Eylau (1807), Eckmtihl (1809), and Wagram (1809). Created a duke (1808) and prince (1809) by Napoleon, Davout served as minister of war during the Hundred Days.
Davy, Sir Humphry (b. Dec. 17, 1778, Penzance, Cornwall, Eng.—d. May 29, 1829, Geneva, Switz.) English chemist. By his early 20s his work on gases had established his reputation. His discovery of the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide in 1799 was a major contribution to surgery. He also did early research on voltaic cells and batteries, tanning, electrolysis, and mineral analysis. In Elements of Agricultural Chemistry (1813) he became the first to apply chemical principles systematically to farming. He was the first to isolate potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, magnesium, and cal¬ cium; he also discovered boron and studied chlorine and iodine extensively. He analyzed many pigments and proved that diamond is a form of carbon. He was one of the greatest exponents of the scientific method. His research on mine explosions and flame and his invention of the safety lamp brought him great prestige, and in 1820 he was made president of the Royal Soci¬ ety of London.
daw See jackdaw
Dawenkou culture \'da-wen-,ko\ or Ta-wen-k'ou culture Chi¬ nese Neolithic culture of c. 4500-2700 bc. It was characterized by the emergence of delicate wheel-made pots of various colours; ornaments of stone, jade, and bone; walled towns; and high-status burials involving ledges for displaying grave goods, coffin chambers, and the burial of ani¬ mal teeth, pig heads, and pig jawbones. See also Erlitou culture; Hong- shan culture; Longshan culture; Neolithic Period.