YoungArm

Arnsberg

2005-04-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), east-central North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. Arnsberg is bordered by Hesse Land to the east, Rhineland-Palatinate Land to the southwest, and the Regierungsbezirke of Köln and Düsseldorf to the west and Münster and Detmold to the north. The largest of five districts in North Rhine–Westphalia, it occupies

West Hartford

2005-04-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Urban town (township), Hartford county, central Connecticut, U.S. Founded in 1679 as an agricultural community, it was known as West Division Parish or West Society. It became a wealthy residential suburb of Hartford, was named West Hartford in 1806, and was separately incorporated in 1854. Industry is restricted to a relatively small zone in the south end. The town is the birthplace

Peter The Apostle, Saint

2005-04-04T01:17:00.000-07:00

Original name Simeon, or Simon disciple of Jesus Christ, recognized in the early Christian church as the leader of the disciples and by the Roman Catholic church as the first of its unbroken succession of popes. Peter, a fisherman, was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. He received from Jesus the name Cephas (i.e., Rock, hence Peter, from the Latin petra).

Babrius

2005-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Most of the Babrius

Yggdrasill

2005-04-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Old Norse Mimameidr in Norse mythology, the world tree, a giant ash supporting the universe. One of its roots extended into Niflheim, the underworld; another into Jötunheim, land of the giants; and the third into Asgard, home of the gods. At its base were three wells: Urdarbrunnr (Well of Fate), from which the tree was watered by the Norns (the Fates); Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle), in which dwelt Nidhogg

East Sea

2005-04-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

(Pacific Ocean): see Japan, Sea of.

Adam, Robert

2005-04-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Having nearly exhausted his money and anxious to return to England, Adam had to forgo the pleasures of further expeditions to Greece and Egypt. He returned to London in January 1758, his head full of details of Roman antiquities. Palladianism was losing its appeal, and the public was ready for a new architectural style. Adam lost no time in making his reputation, and by the

Lismore

2005-03-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern New South Wales, Australia, on the north arm of the Richmond River. It is situated between rainforest and sea, 18 miles (29 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean, and has its outport at Ballina. Ward Stephens first settled the site in 1843; it was later occupied by William Wilson and named by him, probably for the Scottish island of Lismore. It is a farm processing centre

Cabimas

2005-03-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern Zulia estado (“state”), northwestern Venezuela. It lies on the northeastern shore of Lake Maracaibo and is an important centre for the Ambrosio oil fields. Just to the south of the city is La Salina refinery. Cabimas is linked by highway to other oil centres on the lakeshore and, via the General Urdaneta Bridge, to Maracaibo, 20 miles (30 km) to the northwest across

Armenian

2005-03-30T06:44:00.000-08:00

Armenian Hay, plural Hayq or Hayk member of a people with an ancient culture who originally lived in the region known as Armenia, which comprised what is now northeastern Turkey and the Republic of Armenia. Although some remain in Turkey, more than three million Armenians live in the republic; large numbers also live in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and other areas of the Caucasus and the Middle East. Many other

Lur

2005-03-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

The Lurs and their neighbours, the Bakhtyari, are partly agricultural and partly pastoral tribes. Lush grazing pastures between the mountain ranges enabled the

Baseball

2005-03-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

In January former

Widor, Charles-marie

2005-03-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

The son and grandson of organ builders, Widor began his studies under his father and at the age of 11 became organist at the secondary school of Lyon. After studies in organ and composition in Brussels, he returned to Lyon (1860) to succeed his father as organist at Saint-François, where he remained for a decade.

Maxwell, James Clerk

2005-03-27T04:23:00.000-08:00

In 1865 Maxwell resigned his professorship at King's College and retired to the family estate in Glenlair. He continued to visit London every spring and served as external examiner for the Mathematical Tripos (exams) at Cambridge. In the spring and early summer of 1867 he toured Italy. But most of his energy during this period was devoted to writing his famous treatise on electricity

Amelung Glass

2005-03-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

American glass produced from 1784 to about 1795 by John Frederick Amelung, a native of Bremen in Germany. Financed by German and American promoters, Amelung founded the New Bremen Glassmanufactory near Frederick, Md., U.S., and attempted to establish a self-sufficient community, importing glassworkers and other craftsmen from Germany. The enterprise was encouraged by such

Norian Stage

2005-03-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Middle of three divisions in the Upper Triassic Series, representing those rocks deposited worldwide during Norian time (221 million to 210 million years ago) in the Triassic Period. The stage was named after an ancient Roman province south of the Danube River in present-day Austria. The stratotype for the Norian is a formation known as the beds with Cyrtopleurites

Radar, Electronically scanned phased-array radar

2005-03-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

An electronically scanned phased-array antenna can position its beam rapidly from one direction to another without mechanical movement of large antenna structures. Agile, rapid beam switching permits the radar to track many targets simultaneously and to perform other functions as required.

Hargreaves, Alison

2005-03-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

British mountaineer who died in a blizzard while descending from an apparently successful assault on the Himalayan peak K2 only weeks after she had become the first woman to scale Mt. Everest alone and without bottled oxygen (b. Feb. 17, 1962--d. Aug. 13, 1995).

Eyre Peninsula

2005-03-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Large promontory of South Australia, projecting into the Indian Ocean. A broad-based triangular formation about 200 miles (320 km) on each side, it extends from a base along the Gawler Ranges and lies between the Great Australian Bight to the west and Spencer Gulf to the east. Generally sandy and rocky, it rises from an irregular coastline to a maximum elevation of 1,550 feet (472 m) at Nukey

Terhune, Albert Payson

2005-03-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

After schooling in Europe, Terhune graduated from Columbia University in 1893, traveled in Egypt and Syria, and joined the staff of the New York Evening World in 1894. His first book was Syria from the Saddle (1896); his first novel, Dr. Dale (1900), was written

Halicarnassus

2005-03-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

Ancient Greek city of Caria, situated on the Gulf of Cerameicus. According to tradition, it was founded by Dorian Troezen in the Peloponnese. Herodotus, a Halicarnassian, relates that in early times the city participated in the Dorian festival of Apollo at Triopion, but its literature and culture appear thoroughly Ionic. The city, with its large sheltered harbour

Biblical Literature, The conquest of Canaan

2005-03-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

As told by the Deuteronomist, the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and the Israelite tribes was swift and decisive. No conquest of central Canaan (in the region of Shechem), however, is mentioned in the book; and some scholars interpret this to mean that the central hill country was already occupied either by ancestors of the later Israelite tribes prior to the time of Moses

Indium

2005-03-20T01:25:00.000-08:00

(In), chemical element, rare metal of main Group IIIa, or boron group, of the periodic table. Of a brilliant, silvery-white lustre, indium was discovered (1863) by Ferdinand Reich and Theodor Richter while they were examining zinc ore samples. The presence of a predominant indigo spectral line suggested the name. Softer than lead and quite plastic, indium can be scratched with

The Peoples Known As Mimi

2005-03-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Mimi of Nachtigal and the Mimi of Gaudefroy-Demombynes, both of which speak a Maban language of the Nilo-Saharan language family, are identified by the names of their first investigators—Gustav Nachtigal and Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes, respectively. The name Mimi sometimes is applied to a people who call themselves Amdang and are also known as Biltine; although

Latin American Central Of Workers

2005-03-19T05:57:00.000-08:00

Spanish Central Latinoamericana de Trabajadores (CLAT), regional Christian Democrat trade union federation linked to the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). Its affiliated member groups represent some 10,000,000 workers in more than 35 Latin-American and Caribbean countries and territories. Its headquarters are in Caracas, Venez. From its founding in 1954 until 1971 it was known as the Latin American Federation of Christian Trade

Steer Wrestling

2005-03-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

Also called bulldogging rodeo event in which a mounted cowboy chases a full-grown steer, dives from his horse on top of the animal, grasps its horns, digs his heels in the ground to bring the animal to a stop, and twists it to the ground. The event is timed from the moment a barrier in front of the cowboy is released to the moment the steer is judged down—i.e., flat on its side with all four legs and head in

Madhya Pradesh, Education

2005-03-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

More than one-third of the state's population is literate. There are schools for primary, middle, and high school education, as well as schools for polytechnics, industrial arts, and crafts. Madhya Pradesh has 12 state universities; among these, the schools located at Sagar and Ujjain are the oldest and best-known, while the music school at Khairagarh is one of the finest in

Chibcha

2005-03-18T02:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Muisca, South American Indians who at the time of the Spanish conquest occupied the high valleys surrounding the modern cities of Bogotá and Tunja in Colombia. With a population of more than 500,000, they were notable for being more centralized politically than any other South American people outside the Inca empire. Numerous small districts, each with its own chief, had been consolidated

Culross

2005-03-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

Small, picturesque royal burgh (town) in Fife council area and historic county, Scotland, on the northern bank of the Firth of Forth. The burgh has early religious associations with the Celtic saints Serf and Mungo (5th century). A Cistercian abbey was founded there in 1217, and its tower and choir remain in the parish church. The burgh is a remarkable example of 16th- and 17th-century

Abruzzi, Luigi Amedeo Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco, Duke (duca) D'

2005-03-17T00:29:00.000-08:00

The son of King Amadeus of Spain (who was also the Duke d'Aosta in Italy), Abruzzi was the first to ascend Mount St. Elias in Alaska (1897). His 1899 Arctic expedition reached latitude 86°34¢ N—a record for the time.

Carloman

2005-03-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

Eldest son of Louis II the German and father of the emperor Arnulf. Carloman rebelled against his father in 861 and 863 but in 865 was entrusted by Louis with a share in his authority, being granted jurisdiction over Bavaria and Carinthia. After this he remained loyal to his father, even helping to suppress the rebellion of his two younger brothers

Bafatá

2005-03-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Town, east-central Guinea-Bissau. It lies along the Gêba River, which is navigable to that point. Bafatá is an important trading centre for the interior regions of Guinea-Bissau. There also is intensive agriculture around the town. The town produces peanuts (groundnuts) for export and livestock for domestic consumption. Roads connect Bafatá with Senegal to the north

Largo Caballero, Francisco

2005-03-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

Largo Caballero worked in Madrid as a plasterer before joining the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español; PSOE) in 1894. He soon became an official in the party's

Arts, South Asian, North India

2005-03-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

The most common vocal form in North Indian classical music at the present time is the khyal, a Muslim word meaning “imagination.” The khyal is contrasted with the dhruvapada (now known as dhrupad), which means “fixed words.” The two forms existed side by side in the Islamic period, and it is only in the last century or two that khyal has achieved ascendancy. There are two types of

Alexander Of Aphrodisias

2005-03-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of the 2nd century, Alexander became head of the Lyceum at Athens, an academy then dominated by the syncretistic philosophy of Ammonius Saccas, who blended the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle. Alexander's commentaries were intended

Biblical Literature, The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

2005-03-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

In all probability I Thessalonians is the earliest of Paul's letters, particularly because the memory of the events that led to the founding of that congregation are still fresh in the mind of the Apostle. The letter was written from Corinth. According to I Thessalonians, chapter 3, verse 2, Paul had sent Timothy to Thessalonica from Athens during his brief stay there,

Ligurian Language

2005-03-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

Language spoken by the Ligurians in northwestern Italy (and perhaps also in southern France and northeastern Spain) in pre-Roman and early Roman times. It is apparently an Indo-European language. Some scholars have maintained that Ligurian is closely related to the Italic and Celtic languages, holding an intermediate linguistic position between them. The language

Lahun, Al-

2005-03-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled El Lahun, or Illahun, ancient Egyptian site situated just north of the turn of the Bahr Yusuf canal into the Fayum in al-Fayyum muhafazah (governorate); it was the location of a Middle Kingdom (1938–c. 1600? BC) pyramid and of a workmen's village of approximately the same date. The pyramid, built by King Sesostris II (reigned 1844–37 BC), fourth of the eight kings of the 12th dynasty, was unusual in that the entrance to the burial chamber

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

2005-03-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

His earlier literary and philosophical activity, however, led to the publication of his Mélanges de littérature, d'histoire et de philosophie (1753). This work contained the impressive Essai sur les gens de lettres, which exhorted writers to pursue “liberty, truth and poverty” and also urged aristocratic patrons to respect the talents and independence of such

Wu Changshuo

2005-03-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Wu was born into a scholarly family and began writing poems and carving seals by age 10. As a young man, Wu passed the civil service examinations and started a family, while still pursuing art and poetry during his free

Colfax

2005-03-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

County, northeastern New Mexico, U.S., bordered on the north by Colorado. Its westernmost section is in the Southern Rocky Mountains and includes the Cimarron range, topped by 12,441-foot (3,782-m) Baldy Peak, and the Sangre de Cristo range, which rises to more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and includes the Carson National Forest. Between the two mountain ranges is Eagle Nest Lake, the county's largest body

Rowell, Newton Wesley

2005-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Rowell was called to the bar in 1891 and made king's counselor in 1902. As a member of the Ontario legislative assembly in 1911, he became leader of the Liberal opposition. He entered the Dominion House of Commons in 1917 and served in Sir Robert Laird Borden's Unionist

Saalfeld

2005-03-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

City, Thuringia Land (state), east-central Germany, on the Saale River, at the northeast edge of the Thüringer Wald (forest), south of Weimar. First mentioned in 899 as a royal palace, it was the site of a Benedictine monastery founded in 1071. The present town dates from 1200. It was sold by the counts of Schwarzburg in 1389 to the House of Wettin and was the seat of the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld from

Magnus Vi

2005-03-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Magnus succeeded his father, Haakon IV Haakonsson, in 1263 and quickly made peace with the Scottish king Alexander

Thomas, Edward

2005-03-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Thomas was educated at St. Paul's School and the University of Oxford and spent most of his life unhappily

Rushcliffe

2005-03-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Nottinghamshire, central England, immediately southeast of the city of Nottingham. Rushcliffe is a rural agricultural area of open, rolling uplands (wolds) and flat plains. The wolds in the south rise to 200–300 feet (60–90 metres) in elevation and are an extension of higher areas in the adjacent county of Leicestershire.

Endangered Species

2005-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

A number of agencies, both international and national, work to maintain lists of endangered species, to protect and preserve natural habitats, and to promote programs for recovery and reestablishment of these species. One such international agency is the Survival Service Commission of the International

Asafetida

2005-03-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

Gum resin prized as a condiment in India and Iran, where it is used to flavour curries, meatballs, and pickles. It has been used in Europe and the United States in perfumes and for flavouring. Acrid in taste, it emits a strong onionlike odour because of its organic sulfur compounds. It is obtained chiefly from the plant Ferula foetida of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae).

Clairon, Mlle

2005-03-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

She began her career as a soubrette but made her debut at the Comédie-Française in 1743 as Phèdre in the tragedy by Racine. She also portrayed Corneille's heroines, who combined nobility of

Trevelyan, G(eorge) M(acaulay)

2005-03-07T02:35:00.000-08:00

The third son of Sir George Otto Trevelyan, he was educated

Stainer, Sir John

2005-03-06T01:21:00.000-08:00

As a boy Stainer sang in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral (1847–56). At the age of 16 he was appointed organist at the newly opened St. Michael's College, Tenbury, a school for church musicians. Named organist at St. Paul's in 1872, Stainer served in that prestigious position until 1888, when

San Andreas Fault

2005-03-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

Major fracture of the Earth's crust in extreme western North America. The fault trends northwestward for more than 800 miles (1,300 km) from the northern end of the Gulf of California through western California, U.S., passing seaward into the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of San Francisco. Tectonic movement along the fault has been associated with occasional large earthquakes

Binswanger, Ludwig

2005-03-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Swiss psychiatrist and writer who applied the principles of existential phenomenology, especially as expressed by Martin Heidegger, to psychotherapy. Diagnosing certain psychic abnormalities (e.g., elation fixation, eccentricity, and mannerism) to be the effect of the patient's distorted self-image and his inadequate

Kildonan

2005-03-05T04:48:00.000-08:00

Historic district within the city of Winnipeg, southern Manitoba, Canada. Situated on both sides of the Red River, it comprises the former cities of East Kildonan and West Kildonan and the former municipalities of Old Kildonan and North Kildonan. The original colony was one of the historic parishes of the Red River Settlement, founded by the Scottish philanthropist

Sabae

2005-03-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

City, Fukui ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, in the northern end of the Takefu basin. The city first formed around the Buddhist Josho temple and became a post town after 1720. An administrative centre in the late 19th century, it gained importance as a centre for the production of silk and synthetic fibres. Specialized industries, such as the manufacture of optical frames and roof

Van

2005-03-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

City, eastern Turkey. It lies on the eastern shore of Lake Van at an altitude of about 5,750 feet (1,750 m). The city lies in an oasis at the foot of a hill crowned by an ancient ruined citadel. A ruined stone building near the foot of the rocky spur bears cuneiform inscriptions dating from the 8th and 7th centuries BC, when Van was the chief centre of the Urartu Kingdom. After the fall of Nineveh

Nature Worship, Earth

2005-03-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Although in polytheistic religions the earth is usually represented as a goddess and associated with the god of heaven as her spouse, only rarely is there an elaborate or intensive cult of earth worship. There are in many religions mother goddesses who have elaborate cults and who have assumed the function of fertility for land and man, but they hardly have a chthonic

Cambrai, League Of

2005-03-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

An alliance of Pope Julius II, the Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I, Louis XII of France, and Ferdinand II of Aragon, formed Dec. 10, 1508, ostensibly against the Turks but actually to attack the Republic of Venice and divide its possessions among the allies. Mantua and Ferrara, both of which had lost possessions to Venice, were included in the league and were promised that their

Farini, Luigi Carlo

2005-03-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

After participating in the revolutionary uprisings of 1831, Farini received his medical degree at Bologna and went into practice. Exiled from the Papal States and from Tuscany, he drafted the manifesto

Wigeon

2005-03-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Widgeon, any of four species of dabbling ducks (family Anatidae), popular game birds and excellent table fare. The European wigeon (Anas, or Mareca, penelope) ranges across the Palaearctic and is occasionally found in the Nearctic regions. The American wigeon, or baldpate (A. americana), breeds in northwestern North America and winters along the U.S., Mexican, Central American, and

Leaf-rolling Grasshopper

2005-03-01T03:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Wingless Cricket (family Gryllacrididae), any of a group of orthopteran insects that are wingless or nearly wingless and have long cerci and antennae. The California leaf roller (Camptonotus carolinensis), about 15 mm (0.5 inch) long, is active at night, as are other members of this family. The leaf-rolling grasshopper spends the day in a leaf that it rolls and ties with silk; at night the insect

Danao

2005-02-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

City, eastern Cebu Island, Philippines, about 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Cebu City. It was founded in 1844 and is a port on the Camotes Sea for nearby coalfields. It is also a service centre for the coastal agricultural area that produces rice and corn (maize). Its name is derived from danawan, a local word meaning “shallow lagoon”; there are beaches for swimming nearby. Inc. city, 1961. Pop. (1980) 56,967.

American Literature, Henry Adams

2005-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

One of the most devastating and most literate attacks on modern life was an autobiography of a scion of an ancient New England family, the Adamses. Educated at Harvard and abroad, Henry Adams was a great teacher and historian (History of the United States [1889–91] and Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres [1904]). The Education of Henry Adams (printed privately 1906; published 1918), however, complained

Abbot

2005-02-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

Late Latin and Greek Abbas, the superior of a monastic community that follows the Benedictine Rule (Benedictines, Cistercians, Camaldolese, Trappists) and of certain other orders (Premonstratensians, canons regular of the Lateran). The word derives from the Aramaic ab (“father”), or aba (“my father”), which in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) and in New Testament Greek was written

Nitti, Frank

2005-02-27T02:17:00.000-08:00

Starting as a barber, Nitti became a fence for stolen goods and about 1920 joined Capone's gang. He was sent to prison for 18 months after pleading guilty in 1930 to income-tax evasion, but thereafter he nominally

Kagawa Toyohiko

2005-02-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

As a youth Kagawa enrolled in a Bible class to learn English and was soon converted to Christianity. He continued his Christian studies in Japan and the United States. When he returned to Japan he became

Fuse

2005-02-26T05:24:00.000-08:00

The blasting safety fuse, employed to fire an explosive from a distance or after a delay, is a hollow cord filled with a mixture resembling black powder and designed to propagate burning at a slow and steady rate. The far end of the fuse is usually

Locust

2005-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

Species of short-horned grasshopper (orthopteran family Acrididae) that often increases greatly in number and migrates long distances in destructive swarms. In Europe the word locust connotes large size; smaller acridids are called grasshoppers. In North America the names locust and grasshopper are used for any acridid. A cicada (order Homoptera) also may be called

Sol

2005-02-25T03:34:00.000-08:00

In physical chemistry, a colloid (aggregate of very fine particles dispersed in a continuous medium) in which the particles are solid and the dispersion medium is fluid. If the dispersion medium is water, the colloid may be called a hydrosol; and if air, an aerosol. Lyophobic (Greek: “liquid-hating”) sols are characterized by particles that are not strongly attracted to

Keel

2005-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

In shipbuilding, the main structural member and backbone of a ship or boat, running longitudinally along the centre of the bottom of the hull from stem to stern. It may be made of timber, metal, or other strong, stiff material. Traditionally it constituted the principal member to which the ribs were attached on each side and to which the stem and sternpost were also attached.

'ubayd, Tall Al-

2005-02-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Tell El-ubaid, ancient site that gave its name to a prehistoric cultural period, the Ubaid, in Mesopotamia; it is located near the ruins of ancient Ur in present-day southeastern Iraq. Excavations have uncovered Ubaidian remains throughout southern Mesopotamia. The hallmark of the period was a painted pottery decorated with geometric and sometimes floral and animal designs

Euripides

2005-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

It is possible to reconstruct only the sketchiest biography of Euripides. His mother's name was Cleito; his father's name was Mnesarchus or Mnesarchides. One tradition states that his mother was a greengrocer who sold herbs in the marketplace. Aristophanes joked about this in comedy after comedy; but there is better indirect evidence that Euripides came of a well-off

Literature, Spain.

2005-02-23T03:22:00.000-08:00

Juan Marsé won the National Prize for Narrative with Rabos de lagartija (2000), another

Poland, History Of, The Saxons

2005-02-22T23:41:00.000-08:00

The “Saxon Era” lasted for more than 60 years and marked the lowest point in Polish history. Research since the 1980s has somewhat corrected the largely negative picture of Augustus II and Augustus III by stressing the context in which they operated: anarchic political life dominated by factions of struggling oligarchs and open to meddling by the neighbouring powers.

Lin Shu

2005-02-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Lin Shu translator who first made available to Chinese readers more than 171 works of Western literature, even though he himself had no firsthand knowledge of any foreign language and had never traveled abroad. Working through oral interpreters, Lin Shu translated fiction from England, the United States, France, Russia, Switzerland,

Military Aircraft, Reconnaissance

2005-02-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

Reconnaissance aircraft also carried ECM devices and relied heavily on electronic and infrared sensors to supplement their film cameras. Their tasks were to locate and photograph targets, using radar and conventional photographic techniques, and to probe enemy electronic defense systems to discover and evaluate the types of radio and radar equipment that

Biblical Literature, The Second Letter of John

2005-02-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

II John warns a specific church (or perhaps churches), designated as “the elect lady and her children,” against the influence of the Docetic heresy combatted in I John, whose proponents lured Christians from “following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.” In II John, as in the Gospel According to John and I John, the light–darkness images are similar to those

Arundel, Thomas Howard, 2nd (or 14th) Earl Of, Earl Of Surrey, Earl Of Norfolk

2005-02-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

The son of Philip Howard, the first earl of the Howard line, he was educated at Westminster School and at Trinity College, Cambridge. On April 18, 1604, he was restored to his father's earldom of Arundel and to the

Moll Cutpurse

2005-02-20T11:59:00.000-08:00

London-born, she began her career as a pickpocket, or cutpurse, but after being caught four times, she assumed male attire and turned to highway robbery, until she was apprehended and jailed briefly at Newgate. She then achieved a

Ely, Isle Of

2005-02-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

Historic region of England, part of the administrative and historic county of Cambridgeshire. The Isle of Ely consists of a hill about 7 miles (11 km) long and 4 miles (6 km) wide that rises above the surrounding fens (low-lying lands that were partly covered by water). The Isle of Ely is the highest point in these fenlands and was formerly an island surrounded by marshes and swamps;

Toomer, Jean

2005-02-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

After attending the University of Wisconsin and the City College of New York, Toomer taught briefly in the Sparta, Ga., public schools and then turned to lecturing and writing. Cane (1923; reprinted 1967) is an experimental novel which celebrates the Negro through the symbol of the title. It is considered his best work. Toomer

Transportation, History Of, Formation of airlines

2005-02-17T23:24:00.000-08:00

With practical planes in hand in 1918 the organization of an airline to operate these craft on a scheduled basis over a consistent route was attempted. The first airline was formed in Germany; the Deutsche Luftreederie began service from Berlin to Leipzig and Weimar on Feb. 5, 1919, followed only three days later by the French Farman Company on the trans-channel crossing from

Gabbai

2005-02-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

Plural Gabbaim, or Gabbais, treasurer or honorary official of a Jewish Orthodox congregation, often placed in charge of funds used for charity. The office is a carry-over from former times, when men whose reputations were above reproach collected funds for charity. These gabba'e tzedaqa were so esteemed that no financial reports were ever asked for. The Talmud, nonetheless, insisted that they

Bruck

2005-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

Also called Bruck An Der Mur, town, Steiermark Bundesland (federal state), southeast-central Austria. It lies at the junction of the Mur and Mürz rivers north of Graz. First mentioned in 860 as a possession of the archbishops of Salzburg, it was chartered in 1263. The earliest bridge (Brücke) on the site, probably from Roman times, gave the town its name. Notable landmarks are the magnificent Gothic Kornmesserhaus

Arndt, Johann

2005-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Arndt studied at Helmstadt, Wittenberg, Strasbourg, and Basel. In 1583 he became a pastor at Badeborn, but in 1590 he was deposed for refusing to remove pictures from his church and to discontinue the use of exorcism in Baptism. Both were

Loch (of Drylaw), Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron

2005-02-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

A career soldier, Loch began his service in India (1844–53) and fought in the Crimean War (1853–56) and in the second and third China wars (1857–58 and 1860). After 1860 he held civil appointments. From

Afonso Iv

2005-02-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

Afonso IV was the son of King Dinis and of Isabella, daughter of Peter II of Aragon. Afonso resented his father's generosity toward two illegitimate sons and in 1320 demanded to be given power, remaining in open revolt until May 1322. His mother reconciled them, but the conflict broke out again. When Dinis died, Afonso succeeded to

Orwell, George

2005-02-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Born Eric Arthur Blair, Orwell never entirely abandoned his original name, but his first book (Down and Out in Paris and London) appeared as the work

Earthquake

2005-02-15T03:43:00.000-08:00

Any sudden disturbance within the Earth manifested at the surface by a shaking of the ground. This shaking, which accounts for the destructiveness of an earthquake, is caused by the passage of elastic waves through the Earth's rocks. These seismic waves are produced when some form of stored energy, such as elastic strain, chemical energy, or gravitational energy, is

Han Yongun

2005-02-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Han participated in the famous Tonghak Revolt of 1894, a social reform movement directed by leaders of the apocalyptic Tonghak sect. With the failure of the movement, Han escaped to Mount Solok, where he began to study Buddhism, entering the priesthood in 1905. He immediately became a leader of the struggle

Fiedler, Leslie A.

2005-02-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

Fiedler attended the University of Wisconsin (M.A., 1939; Ph.D., 1941), and, after service in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1946, he did further research at Harvard University. Thereafter he taught at many universities both

Steeplechase

2005-02-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

The sport dates back to a cross-country race at the University of Oxford in 1850. As an Olympic track event (for men only), it was first run in the 1900 Games, and by the 1920 Games it was standardized at 3,000 metres, or about 7.5 laps on a 400-metre track. The steeplechase

Orange, House Of

2005-02-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

The counts of Orange became independent upon the disintegration of the feudal kingdom of Arles. They were vassals of the Holy Roman emperors from the 12th

Kirk Range

2005-02-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

Plateau in southwestern Malawi, extending in a north-south direction and skirting the southwestern shore of Lake Nyasa and the western border of the Shire River valley. The northern scarp overlooks the Central Region Plateau, while the southern limits merge into the lower Shire Highlands. The plateau's height decreases in a southerly direction, from 5,500 feet (1,676 m) at Dedza

Fusarium Wilt

2005-02-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Also called Yellows, widespread plant disease caused by many forms of the soil-inhabiting fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Several hundred plant species are susceptible at soil temperatures above 75° F (24° C). Infected plants are usually stunted; their leaves turn pale green to golden yellow and later wilt, wither, die, and drop off progressively upward from the stem base. Dark streaks occur in vascular

Ascomycetes

2005-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

The sac fungi are separated into subgroups based on whether asci arise singly or are borne in one of several types of fruiting structures, or ascocarps, and

Sales Tax

2005-02-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Levy imposed upon the sale of goods and services. A sales tax levied on the manufacture, purchase, sale, or consumption of a specific type of commodity is known as an excise tax. American terminology in this matter tends to differ from that used in the United Kingdom and former British colonies, however. In the United States, excises apply to imports as well as to domestic

Papen, Franz Von

2005-02-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

The scion of a wealthy Catholic landowning family, Papen began his career as a professional soldier. At the beginning of World War I, he was military attaché in Washington, but after

Qatar, Flag Of

2005-02-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

The Ottoman Empire, Iran, and Britain all had an interest in finding allies among the small Arab sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf during the 19th century. A treaty signed in 1868 between Britain and one of those states, Qatar, may have been the occasion for the creation of the distinctive Qatari flag. Later the Turkish flag flew there, but during World War I, when the United Kingdom

Aholehole

2005-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of fishes constituting the family Kuhliidae (order Perciformes). Various members of the genus Kuhlia inhabit marine or fresh waters in the Indo-Pacific region, whereas representatives of the other two genera are restricted to freshwater or brackish habitats of Australia. Superficially the aholeholes resemble the freshwater sunfishes