ShortBoot

Race, General histories

2005-03-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Histories dealing with the origin of the concept of race include Ivan Hannaford, Race: The History of an Idea in the West (1996); and Audrey Smedley, Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview, 2nd ed. (1999).

Akron

2005-03-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1842) of Summit county, northeastern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Cuyahoga River, 41 miles (66 km) south-southeast of Cleveland. Akron is the centre of a metropolitan area that includes the cities of Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge, and Stow and several villages. At 1,200 feet (370 m) above sea level, it was named for its “high place” (Greek: akros) on the watershed between the Mississippi River and

Atmosphere, Ionospheric variations

2005-03-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

The ionosphere is variable in space and time. Some of the changes are chemical in origin and can be readily understood on the basis of the general considerations outlined above. There is a systematic variation, for example, as a function of time of day. In the early morning the Sun is relatively low in the sky. Radiation must penetrate a large column of air before reaching

Yale, Linus

2005-03-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

At first Yale tried portrait painting, but he became interested in locks after his father began to manufacture bank locks in Newport, N.Y., about 1840. His first achievement was the Yale Infallible Bank Lock in 1851. Later he opened his own shop in Shelburne

Integrator

2005-03-10T01:51:00.000-08:00

The earliest integrator was a mechanical instrument called the planimeter (q.v.). The illustration (top) shows a simple mechanical integrator of the disk-and-wheel variety,

Ilerda, Campaign Of

2005-03-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

(49 BC), the campaign leading to the victory of Julius Caesar over Pompey's forces in Spain. In the spring of 49 BC, Caesar sent six legions from Gaul into Spain under Gaius Fabius and joined them at Ilerda (Lérida) on the Sicoris (Segre) River. Five Pompeian legions, together with many Spanish auxiliaries, commanded by Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius, were concentrated against

France, History Of, The Dreyfus affair

2005-03-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

The 1890s also saw the Third Republic's greatest political and moral crisis—the Dreyfus affair. In 1894 Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a career army officer of Jewish origin, was charged with selling military secrets to the Germans. He was tried and convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island off the South American coast. Efforts by the Dreyfus

Cone Shell

2005-03-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Any of several marine snails of the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda) comprising the genus Conus and the family Conidae. The shell is typically straight-sided, with a tapering body whorl, low spire, and narrow aperture (the opening into the shell's first whorl). Cones inject a paralyzing toxin by means of a dart; a few of the larger species have fatally

Arts, Central Asian, Mongols

2005-03-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Genghis Khan (died 1227), the renowned Mongol conqueror, sacked and destroyed Bukhara in 1224, sparing only the 12th-century Kalyan tower, which was used for throwing criminals to their death. The 14th-century Turkic conqueror Timur, however, endowed Samarkand with new glory by building a series of religious monuments widely renowned for their splendour and decorative use of glazed

Wolseley (of Wolseley), Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount, Baron Wolseley Of Cairo And Of Wolseley

2005-03-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

The son of an army major, Wolseley entered the army as second lieutenant in 1852 and fought with distinction in the Second Anglo-Burmese War, the Crimean War, and the Indian Mutiny. Surviving

Arts, Central Asian, Mongols

2005-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Byname Rio Grande former American railroad chartered in 1870 as the Denver and Rio Grande Railway (D&RG). It began with a narrow-gauge line extending from Denver, Colorado, south to New Mexico and west to Salt Lake City, Utah. Conversion to standard-gauge track began in 1888. In 1930 the D&RG took possession of the Denver & Salt Lake line (formerly Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railroad), thereby acquiring

Obelisk

2005-02-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

Tapered monolithic pillar, originally erected in pairs at the entrances of ancient Egyptian temples. The Egyptian obelisk was carved from a single piece of stone, usually red granite from the quarries at Aswan. It was designed to be wider at its square or rectangular base than at its pyramidal top, which was often covered with an alloy of gold and silver called electrum.

Florence, University Of

2005-02-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

Italian Università Degli Studi Di Firenze, university that originated in Florence in 1321 and became later in the century, through the activities of the writer Giovanni Boccaccio, an early centre of Renaissance Humanism. Boccaccio secured a post there for Leonzio Pilato, whose rough Latin translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey introduced Homer to Italian scholars. In 1396 the first university chair in Greek

Abu Muslim

2005-02-27T04:12:00.000-08:00

There are numerous versions of Abu Muslim's background, but it seems most likely that he was descended from a slave of Persian origin and was therefore a mawali (non-Arab

Annelid, Size range and diversity of structure

2005-02-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

The length of annelids varies from a fraction of an inch to more than six metres (about 20 feet). The width may exceed 2.5 centimetres (about one inch) in the contracted state. Free-moving polychaetes and earthworms include the largest species. Leeches attain lengths of about 0.4 metre in the contracted state.

Hove

2005-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

Town, unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, historic county of Sussex, England, on the English Channel, adjoining Brighton to the east and Portslade to the west. Hove, which grew with Brighton as a seaside resort and residential town in the 19th century, has excellent road and rail connections with London to the north. Pop. (1991) 67,602.

Middleton, Arthur

2005-02-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

After completing his education in England, Middleton returned to South Carolina in 1763 and was elected to the colonial legislature. In 1775–76 he was a member of the Council

Quinet, Edgar

2005-02-22T01:57:00.000-08:00

After moving to Paris in 1820, Quinet forsook the faith of his Protestant mother, became greatly attracted to German philosophy, and published in 1827–28, as his first major work, a translation of Herder's

Zadar

2005-02-21T02:13:00.000-08:00

The old town on the peninsula dates from the 9th century BC, when it was a Liburnian settlement

Roberts, Elizabeth Madox

2005-02-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Educated in schools in Springfield, a village near her birthplace, Roberts taught school from 1900 to 1910. After 1910 she stayed for a time in

Mindszenty, József

2005-02-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

Politically active from the time of his ordination as a priest in 1915, Mindszenty was arrested as an enemy of totalitarian

Mckeesport

2005-02-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

City, Allegheny county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S. It is situated at the junction of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers, 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. First settled about 1769 by David McKee, a ferry operator, the town was laid out in 1795 by his son John. In 1794 it was a centre of dissident activity during the Whiskey Rebellion (an insurrection against an excise tax on

Baikalsky Nature Reserve

2005-02-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

Natural area set aside for research in the natural sciences, on the southern shore of Lake Baikal, southeastern Russia. The reserve was established in 1969 and has an area of 640 square miles (1,657 square km). It includes part of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. The park's vegetation includes poplar forests in the lowlands; taiga of spruce, fir, and larch on the mountain slopes; and thickets

Aalto, Alvar

2005-02-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Aalto, whose work exemplifies the best of 20th-century Scandinavian architecture, was one of the first to depart from the stiffly geometric designs common to the early period of the modern movement and to stress informality and personal expression. His style is regarded as both romantic and regional. He used complex forms and varied materials, acknowledged the character

Kamchatka River

2005-02-15T04:01:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kamcatka, river, far eastern Russia. It rises in the Sredinny (“Central”) Range of the Kamchatka Peninsula and flows north and east about 478 miles (758 km) past Milkovo, head of shallow-draught navigation, to the Bering Sea. The river freezes from November until May, except in places where hot springs come to the surface. The Kamchatka is used for timber transport. The port of Ust-Kamchatsk

Austin

2005-02-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1857) of Mower county, southeastern Minnesota, U.S. It lies along the Cedar River, in a farming area specializing in corn (maize) and livestock. It was settled in 1853, laid out in 1856, and named for its first settler, Austin R. Nicholas. Austin Community College (1940) and the Mower County Historical Center are there. George A. Hormel and Company's meat-packing and food-processing plant

Cyprus

2005-02-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Greek Kípros , Turkish Kibris island located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Turkey, 60 miles (97 km) west of Syria, and 480 miles (772 km) southeast of mainland Greece. Its maximum length, from Cape Arnauti in the west to Cape Apostolos Andreas at the end of the northeastern peninsula, is 140 miles (225 km); the maximum north-south extent is 60 miles (97 km). With an area of 3,572 square miles (9,251 square km), it is the third

Jane Seymour

2005-02-11T01:41:00.000-08:00

Jane's father was Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall, Savernake, Wiltshire. She became a lady in waiting to Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and then to Anne Boleyn,

Amphitryon

2005-02-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns. Having accidentally killed his uncle Electryon, king of Mycenae, Amphitryon fled with Alcmene, Electryon's daughter, to Thebes, where he was cleansed from the guilt by Creon, his maternal uncle, king of Thebes. Alcmene refused to marry Amphitryon until he had avenged the death of her brothers, all of whom except one had

García Lorca, Federico

2005-02-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

The publication in 1928 of Romancero gitano (written 1921–27; Gypsy Ballads), a poetry sequence inspired by the traditional Spanish romance, or ballad, catapulted Lorca into the national spotlight. A lyrical evocation of the sensual world of the Andalusian Gypsy, the collection enthralled Spanish readers, many of whom mistook Lorca for a Gypsy. The book's first edition sold out

'abd Al-mu'min

2005-02-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

In full 'Abd al-Mu'min ibn 'Ali Berber caliph of the Almohad dynasty (reigned 1130–63), who conquered the North African Maghrib from the Almoravids andbrought all the Berbers under one rule.

Gabija

2005-02-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled gabieta (Lithuanian) , Latvian uguns mate , Old Prussian panicke in Baltic religion, the domestic hearth fire. In pre-Christian times a holy fire (šventa ugnis) was kept in tribal sanctuaries on high hills and riverbanks, where priests guarded it constantly, extinguishing and rekindling it once a year at the midsummer festival. Eventually this tradition was moved into the home as the gabija, and its care became the responsibility

International Payment And Exchange, Special Drawing Rights

2005-02-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

To deal with the inability of the existing system to create an adequate quantity of reserves without requiring the United States to run large deficits, a new kind of reserve called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) was devised by the International Monetary Fund. Members of the Fund were to be allocated SDRs, year by year, in prearranged quantities to be used for the discharge

Giordano, Luca

2005-02-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

The most celebrated and prolific Neapolitan painter of the late 17th century. His nickname Luca fa presto (“Luca, work quickly”) is said to derive from his painter-copyist father's admonitions, which were certainly heeded. His other nickname, Proteus, was acquired as a result of his reputed skill in producing pastiches in the style of almost any artist.

Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke Of, Earl Of Surrey, Earl Marshal

2005-02-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

Howard was the brother-in-law of King Henry VII and the son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. In May 1513 he became lord high admiral,

Hou I

2005-02-03T23:08:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Hou Yi, the Lord Archer of Chinese mythology, whose prowess with a bow earned him undying fame. With his bow and arrow he saved the moon during an eclipse and rescued the country from a variety of plagues, one of which involved a wind monster who was wreaking havoc across the land. Hou I is also said to have shot down 9 of 10 suns (one account says 8 of 9 suns) that were burning up the earth

Xiaozhuan

2005-02-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization hsiao-chuan in Chinese calligraphy, a standardized and simplified form of the earlier dazhuan script, in which all lines are of even thickness and curves and circles are relatively predominant. Its development during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) is traditionally attributed to Li Si, a minister of that dynasty. The Qin dynasty created the first Chinese empire, under which customs, laws, and

New Brunswick

2005-02-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Middlesex county, eastern New Jersey, U.S. It lies on the Raritan River, at the terminus of the old Delaware and Raritan Canal, 21 miles (33 km) south-southwest of Newark. The site, first known as Prigmore's Swamp, was settled in 1681 by John Inian. Called Inian's Ferry (1713), it was renamed about 1724 for George I of England, who was also the duke of Brunswick. George II granted it a town charter

Astome

2005-01-31T15:53:00.000-08:00

Any uniformly ciliated protozoan of the order Astomatida, commonly found in annelid worms and other invertebrates. As the name implies, this parasite has no mouth. Some astomes attach themselves to their hosts by suckers; others use various types of hooks or barbs. Asexual reproduction is by transverse fission. In some cases, chains of individuals form by repeated

Ujjain

2005-01-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Lying on the first meridian of the ancient Hindu geographers, it was the capital (as Ujjayini) of the Aryan Avanti kingdom (6th–4th century BC). In the 2nd century BC, Ujjain was the seat of the emperor A

Armidale

2005-01-30T05:25:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the valley slopes of Dumaresq Creek in the New England Range. Founded in 1839 by G.J. Macdonald, commissioner of crown lands, and named for his father's Scottish baronial estate on the Isle of Skye, it developed a pastoral-agricultural economy. It has become a regional cultural centre with Anglican and Roman Catholic

Mesopotamia, History Of, Ethnic, geographic, and intellectual constituents

2005-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

From the ethnic point of view, Mesopotamia was as heterogeneous at the end of the 3rd millennium as it had been earlier. The Akkadian element predominated, and the proportion of speakers of Akkadian to speakers of Sumerian continued to change in favour of the former. The third group, first mentioned under Shar-kali-sharri of Akkad, are the Amorites. In Ur III some members

Toradja

2005-01-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

Group of peoples of central Celebes (Sulawesi), Indonesia. They are believed to be descendants of the invading Austronesian-speaking people that overran the island and absorbed or exterminated the aboriginal population. Later they were driven back from the coasts by Muslim Indonesians such as the Buginese. Their warfare and headhunting made it necessary to locate

Hojo Tokimasa

2005-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

Japanese warrior who aided Minamoto Yoritomo in establishing the Kamakura shogunate, the military government by which Yoritomo ruled the country from his base at Kamakura in central Japan, while the emperor continued to rule only symbolically from his residence at Kyoto, to the southwest. After Yoritomo's death, Tokimasa transferred

Chatham Strait

2005-01-26T06:03:00.000-08:00

Narrow passage of the eastern North Pacific through the northern Alexander Archipelago, southeastern Alaska, U.S. It extends for 150 miles (240 km) from the junction of Icy Strait and Lynn Canal, past Chichagof and Baranof islands (west) and Admiralty and Kuiu islands (east), to Coronation Island and the open sea. The deep, fault-formed strait, 3–10 miles (5–16 km) wide, is navigable and forms

Seabiscuit

2005-01-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

A light bay colt

Ringtailed Cat

2005-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

Carnivorous mammal, a species of cacomistle (q.v.).

William I

2005-01-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

Also called William Longsword, French Guillaume Longue-épée son of Rollo and second duke of Normandy (927–942). He sought continually to expand his territories either by conquest or by exacting new lands from the French king for the price of homage. In 939 he allied himself with Hugh the Great in the revolt against King Louis IV; through the mediation of the pope, the war ended, and Louis renewed William's investiture of Normandy

Rocket And Missile System

2005-01-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

Strategic missiles represent a logical step in the attempt to attack enemy forces at a distance. As such, they can be seen as extensions of either artillery (in the case of ballistic missiles) or manned aircraft (in the case of cruise missiles). Ballistic missiles are rocket-propelled weapons that travel by momentum in a high, arcing trajectory after they have been launched

Hebrew Literature, Adoption of Arabic metre

2005-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Biblical Hebrew was re-established as the literary idiom about 900 by Sa'adia ben Joseph, grammarian and religious polemicist. The Arabic system of quantitative metre was adapted for Hebrew during this period (900–1000), probably by Dunash ben Labrat. At first the piyyut form was retained for religious poems, and the new metres were used only for secular poetry, which closely imitated

Brunei, Flag Of

2005-01-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Although a few countries have half of their national flag in yellow, Brunei alone has a yellow background. The avoidance of yellow in other flags may in part be due to the association of the colour with royalty, as in the former imperial flags of Austria and Russia, and with disease (yellow flags are internationally recognized as symbols of quarantine). Among the smaller

France, History Of, The development of institutions in the Carolingian age

2005-01-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Carolingians contented themselves with refining their administrative system in order to strengthen royal control and to solve the problems posed by a large empire. The kingdom's cohesion was augmented by an oath of fidelity, which Charlemagne exacted from every free man (789, 793, 802), and by the publication of legislation—the capitularies—which regulated the administration

Grande Encyclopédie, La

2005-01-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

(French: “The Great Encyclopaedia”), French general encyclopaedia, lavishly illustrated in 21 volumes and published in Paris (1971–78). The work has a French slant and an emphasis on 20th-century achievements in the fields of science and technology, political and social economy, and the social sciences. A completely new encyclopaedia, it is intended both to supplement and to replace

Insurance, Business property insurance

2005-01-16T02:22:00.000-08:00

Insurance for business property follows a pattern that is similar in many ways to the one for individual property. A commonly used form is the “building and personal property coverage form” (BPP). This form permits a business owner to cover in one policy the buildings, fixtures, machinery and equipment, and personal property used in business and the personal property

China, General works

2005-01-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Denis Twitchett and John K. Fairbank (eds.), The Cambridge History of China (1978– ), will be the standard multivolume reference work for all aspects of Chinese history when it is completed. The following are comprehensive works: John K. Fairbank, China: A New History (1992), covering the span from paleolithic cultures to the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989, with an excellent bibliography; Wolfram Eberhard, A History of China, 4th ed. (1977, reissued 1987; originally published in German, 1948); John K. Fairbank and Edwin O. Reischauer, China: Tradition and Transformation, rev. ed. (1989); Otto Franke, Geschichte des chinesischen Reiches, 2nd ed., 5 vol. (1948–65); Jacques Gernet, A History of Chinese Civilization (1982; originally published in French, 1972), a detailed survey of China's intellectual, social, and economic history from the neolithic cultures up to the Cultural Revolution of 1966; Charles O. Hucker, China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (1975), to 1850; and John Meskill (ed.), An Introduction to Chinese Civilization (1973), which includes a survey of Chinese history and ten essays on such aspects of Chinese civilization as anthropology, economy, geography, and religion, among others.

Giorgione

2005-01-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Giorgio Da Castelfranco , original name Giorgio Barbarelli extremely influential Italian painter who was one of the initiators of a High Renaissance style in Venetian art. His qualities of mood and mystery were epitomized in “The Tempest” (c. 1505), an evocative pastoral scene, which was among the first of its genre in Venetian painting.

Earth Sciences, The origin of the Nile

2005-01-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

Speculations on the strange behaviour of the Nile were many, varied, and mostly wrong. Thales suggested that the strong

Teriyaki

2005-01-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: “glossy broil”), in Japanese cuisine, foods grilled with a highly flavoured glaze of soy sauce and sake or mirin (sweet wine). Garlic and fresh ginger are sometimes added to the mixture. In westernized Japanese cooking, the teriyaki sauce is frequently used as a marinade as well as a basting sauce. Beef, chicken, and fish are commonly prepared teriyaki style.

tefánik, Milan (rastislav)

2005-01-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

After study at the University of Prague, from which he received a doctorate of philosophy in 1904, Štefánik went to Paris. Joining the staff of the astronomical

Alabama Claims

2005-01-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

Maritime grievances of the United States against Great Britain, accumulated during and after the American Civil War (1861–65). The claims are significant in international law for furthering the use of arbitration to settle disputes peacefully and for delineating certain responsibilities of neutrals toward belligerents. The dispute centred on

Alcove

2005-01-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Recess opening off a room or other space enclosed by walls or hedges. In medieval architecture it was commonly used as a sleeping space off the main body of a drafty hall. The separation of the alcove from the main space was accomplished at first by means of curtains and later by timber partitions to form independent rooms and thus conserve heat. In later centuries

Spalding, Henry Harmon

2005-01-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Spalding was educated at Plattsbury (N.Y.) Academy, Western Reserve College (Ohio), and Lane Theological Seminary (Cincinnati) and was ordained in the Presbyterian ministry

Varthema, Lodovico De

2005-01-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

De Varthema also spelled Di Barthema, Latin Vartomanus, or Vertomannus, intrepid Italian traveler and adventurer whose account of his Middle Eastern and Asiatic wanderings was widely circulated throughout Europe and earned him high fame in his own lifetime. He made significant discoveries (especially in Arabia) and made many valuable observations of the peoples he visited; his ready wit enabled

Minehead

2005-01-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), West Somerset district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, England. The town owes its origin and growth to its harbour. Minehead was first incorporated in 1558. Its older buildings include St. Michael's Church (1450), the almshouses (1630), the old manor office, and the 17th-century cottages along Quay Street. The present harbour was built in 1616. Minehead's trade with

Spalding, Henry Harmon

2005-01-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

Camarasaurs grew to a length of about 18 metres (59 feet) and were somewhat smaller than other sauropods of the time such as diplodocids and brachiosaurs. Camarasaurs

Aquarium

2005-01-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

The earliest known aquarists were the Sumerians, who kept fishes in artificial ponds at least 4,500 years ago; records of fish keeping also date from ancient Egypt and Assyria. The Chinese, who raised carp for food as early as 1000 BC, were probably the first to breed fish with any degree of success. Their selective breeding of ornamental goldfish was later introduced to Japan, where

Tasmania, Ethnic and religious groups

2005-01-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

The original Tasmanians were an anthropologically interesting Negritoid people, with the widest nasal index ever recorded and shorter and broader heads than the Aboriginal peoples of the continental mainland. They may originally have drifted across from the mainland or arrived from as far as the New Hebrides, several thousand miles to the northeast. Estimates

Computers, From Star Trek to Microsoft

2005-01-02T03:27:00.000-08:00

The first programs developed for the hobbyists' microcomputers were games. With the early machines limited in graphic capabilities, most of these were text-based adventure or role-playing games. However, there were a few graphical games, such as Star Trek, which were popular on mainframes and minicomputers and were converted to run on microcomputers. One company

Croly, Herbert David

2005-01-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

The son of widely known journalists, Croly was educated at Harvard University and spent his early adult years editing or contributing to architectural journals. In 1914 he founded the liberal weekly The New Republic, “A Journal of Opinion.” In its pages

Porch

2004-12-31T11:14:00.000-08:00

There is little material evidence of the existence of the porch before the period of Classical antiquity, although Egyptian

Bahía Blanca

2004-12-29T00:52:00.000-08:00

Explorers in the 18th century named the area Bahía Blanca (“White Bay”), but the settlement that grew up around a military outpost,

Felsic Rock

2004-12-29T00:50:00.000-08:00

Igneous rock dominated by the light-coloured, silicon- and aluminum-rich minerals feldspar and quartz (qq.v.). The presence of these minerals gives felsic rock its characteristic light gray colour. The silica (SiO2) content of felsic rock is greater than about 60 percent by weight. Slight colour variations result from the presence of small amounts of mafic minerals (i.e., dark

Novello, Antonia

2004-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Antonia Coello suffered from a painful colon condition from birth until she underwent corrective surgery at age 18. This experience influenced her to train as a physician in order to help minimize suffering in others. After

Jabotinsky, Vladimir

2004-12-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

Jabotinsky began his career in 1898 as a foreign correspondent, but his popularity as a journalist led to his recall to Odessa

Ufa Plateau

2004-12-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Russian Ufimskoye Plato, plateau lying immediately to the west of the central Ural Mountains in Bashkortostan and in Sverdlovsk oblast (province), west-central Russia. The plateau embraces parts of the basins of the Ufa, Yuryuzan, and Ay rivers. It has a total north-south length of 95 miles (150 km). The plateau varies in elevation from 1,300 to 1,650 feet (400 to 500 m), reaching its highest point at 2,270 feet. It is a gentle anticline

Aesthetic Distance

2004-12-25T03:30:00.000-08:00

The frame of reference that an artist creates by the use of technical devices in and around the work of art to differentiate it psychologically from reality. German playwright Bertolt Brecht built his dramatic theory known in English as the alienation effect to accomplish aesthetic distance.

Turishcheva, Lyudmila Ivanovna

2004-12-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

Turishcheva graduated from the Rostov Pedagogical Institute in 1974. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she won a gold medal as a team member in the combined exercises, as she also did at the 1972 Games in Munich and the 1976 Games in Montreal. She won a gold medal for individual

Pietersburg

2004-12-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

Town and capital of Northern province, South Africa. It is located about midway between Pretoria and the Zimbabwe border, at an elevation of 4,199 feet (1,280 m). The town was founded by Voortrekkers (Afrikaans: “Pioneers”) in 1886 on land purchased in 1884 from a local farmer and was named after Petrus (Piet) Joubert, a Boer general. It was the temporary capital in 1900 of both the Transvaal and the Orange

Gte Corporation

2004-12-21T02:07:00.000-08:00

General Telephone was founded in 1926 as Associated Telephone Utilities by Sigurd Odegard, a Wisconsin phone-company owner who wanted to acquire small independent phone companies.

Cosgrave, William Thomas

2004-12-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

At an early age, Cosgrave was attracted to the Irish nationalist movement Sinn Féin. He became a member of the Dublin Corporation in 1909 and was subsequently reelected in the Sinn Féin interest. When Britain entered World War I, he joined the Irish Volunteers; but when this group split

France, History Of, The parceling up of the kingdom

2004-12-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

Internal struggles resulted in the emergence of new political configurations. At the time of the partitions of 561 and 567, new political geographic units began to appear within Gaul. Austrasia was created from the Rhine, Moselle, and Meuse districts, which had formerly been the kingdom of Reims, and the areas east of the Rhône conquered by Theodoric and his son Theodebert;

Nicholas Of Cusa

2004-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

At the Council of Basel in 1432, he gained recognition for his opposition to the candidate put forward by Pope Eugenius IV for the archbishopric of Trier. To his colleagues

Aeacus

2004-12-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, son of Zeus and Aegina, the daughter of the river god Asopus. His mother was carried off by Zeus to the island of Oenone, afterward called by her name. Aeacus was celebrated for justice and in Attic tradition became a judge of the dead, together with Minos and Rhadamanthus. His successful prayer to Zeus for rain during a drought was commemorated by a

Saint Andrews

2004-12-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

City, royal burgh (1160), university town, golfing mecca, and former fishing port in Fife council area and historic county, Scotland. Located on St. Andrews Bay of the North Sea 13 miles (20 km) southeast of Dundee, it occupies a plateau of sandstone rock about 50 feet (15 metres) in elevation, which breaks off to the north in precipitous cliffs. The Eden River enters St. Andrews Bay northwest

Theodosius I

2004-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

In 379 and 380 Theodosius resided chiefly in Thessalonica. He sought first to rebuild the army, the discipline of which was considerably impaired, and to consolidate Rome's position on the Balkan peninsula. Military unpreparedness could not be overcome by conscription alone, which applied only to certain classes. Theodosius therefore directed that large numbers of

Konovalov, Aleksandr Ivanovich

2004-12-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

Born into a prosperous family engaged in textile manufacturing, Konovalov was educated in England

Music, Western, Modification and expansion of older forms

2004-12-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Dance pairs of the Renaissance grew, about the middle of the 17th century, into dance suites consisting basically of four dances: allemande, courante, saraband, and gigue, with optional dances such as the gavotte, the bourrée, and the minuet sometimes inserted before the final movement. Variation forms—the chaconne (in which a set of harmonies or a bass theme is continuously

Insurance, Abandonment clause

2004-12-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

If salvaging or rehabilitating a ship or cargo following a marine loss costs more than the goods are worth, the loss is said to be constructively total. Under such conditions, the ocean marine policy permits the insured to abandon the damaged ship or cargo to the insurer and make a claim for the entire value. In this case, the salvage belongs to the insurer, who may dispose

Libya, Drainage

2004-12-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

There are no perennial rivers in Libya. The numerous wadis that drain the uplands are filled by flash floods during the rains and quickly dry up or are reduced to a trickle. The largest wadi systems are the Wadi Zamzam and Wadi Bayy al-Kabir, both of which reach the western coast of the Gulf of Sidra. Other large wadis drain the interior basins of Surt, Zaltan, and the Fezzan.

Narbonensis

2004-12-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

The area first entered ancient history when the Greek colony of Massilia (modern Marseille) was founded about 600 BC. Roman armies first entered the area in 154 BC to help defend Massilia against Celtic invaders. The Romans conquered

Lip Ring, Lip Plug, And Lip Plate

2004-12-09T05:24:00.000-08:00

In South America at the time of the Spanish conquests, lip plugs, usually made of stone, gold, or rock crystal, were worn by the indigenous peoples. In several parts of Africa, especially in Congo (Kinshasa), Tanzania,

More, Paul Elmer

2004-12-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

More was educated at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., and at Harvard, where he met Irving Babbitt and where, from 1894 to 1895, he was assistant in Sanskrit. In 1895–97 he was associate in Sanskrit and classical literature at Bryn Mawr

Charpak, Georges

2004-12-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

Charpak's family moved from Poland to Paris when he was seven years old. During World War II Charpak served in the resistance and was imprisoned by Vichy authorities in 1943. In 1944 he was deported

Sangareddi

2004-12-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sangareddy , also called Sangareddipet town, administrative headquarters of Medak district, Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, on the Deccan Plateau near the Manjra River. The town has mainly an agricultural economy (rice, sugarcane, and oilseeds) and is noted for the manufacture of brass, silverware, and silk cloth. Pop. (1981) 31,360.

Kunlun Mountains

2004-12-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

The northern rim of the Kunlun Mountains, skirting the Tarim Basin, served for centuries as the southerly branch of the Silk Road that, until the 16th century, connected China with Central and West Asia. Wool and salt were the main products brought down from the heights of the Kunluns to the oases on the edge of the Takla Makan Desert. Small regional Buddhist monasteries

Reference Frame

2004-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Also called Frame Of Reference, in dynamics, system of graduated lines symbolically attached to a body that serve to describe the position of points relative to the body. The position of a point on the surface of the Earth, for example, can be described by degrees of latitude, measured north and south from the Equator, and degrees of longitude, measured east and west from the great circle passing through

Pacific Mountain System

2004-12-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

The geography and geology of the Pacific mountain system are treated in James G. Ashbaugh (ed.), The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives (1994), covering climate, vegetation, agriculture, and the economy; Stewart T. Schultz, The Northwest Coast (1990), a popular, comprehensive view of the people, economy, and landforms of the region; Paul E. Hammond, Guide to Geology of the Cascade Range (1988), a well-written work; John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, and Sam C. Sargent, Cataclysms on the Columbia (1986), a fine overall exploration of the Missoula floods; and A. Jon Kimmerling and Philip L. Jackson, Atlas of the Pacific Northwest, 7th ed. (1985). A good explanation of how the ocean has shaped the Oregon coast, producing different landforms between California and Washington, may be found in Paul D. Komar, “Ocean Processes and Hazards Along the Oregon Coast,” Oregon Geology, 54(1):3–19 (January 1992).

Hackney Pony

2004-12-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Heavy harness pony breed derived from the cross of a Hackney horse and a Welsh pony, used almost entirely as a show pony. It has the conformation and high-stepping action of the Hackney horse. Hackney ponies are shown in classes determined by height, which varies from 11.2 to 14.1 hands (about 46 to 57 inches, or 117 to 145 centimetres). They are registered in the same studbook as the Hackney horse

Anderson, Carl David

2004-12-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

Anderson received his Ph.D. in 1930 from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, where he worked with physicist Robert Andrews Millikan.

Producer Gas

2004-11-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

Mixture of flammable gases (principally carbon monoxide and hydrogen) and nonflammable gases (mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide) made by the partial combustion of carbonaceous substances, usually coal, in an atmosphere of air and steam. Producer gas has lower heating value than other gaseous fuels, but it can be manufactured with relatively simple equipment;

ShortBoot

Race, General histories

Akron

Atmosphere, Ionospheric variations

Yale, Linus

Integrator

Ilerda, Campaign Of

France, History Of, The Dreyfus affair

Cone Shell

Arts, Central Asian, Mongols

Wolseley (of Wolseley), Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount, Baron Wolseley Of Cairo And Of Wolseley

Arts, Central Asian, Mongols

Obelisk

Florence, University Of

Abu Muslim

Annelid, Size range and diversity of structure

Hove

Middleton, Arthur

Quinet, Edgar

Zadar

Roberts, Elizabeth Madox

Mindszenty, József

Mckeesport

Baikalsky Nature Reserve

Aalto, Alvar

Kamchatka River

Austin

Cyprus

Jane Seymour

Amphitryon

García Lorca, Federico

'abd Al-mu'min

Gabija

International Payment And Exchange, Special Drawing Rights

Giordano, Luca

Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke Of, Earl Of Surrey, Earl Marshal

Hou I

Xiaozhuan

New Brunswick

Astome

Ujjain

Armidale

Mesopotamia, History Of, Ethnic, geographic, and intellectual constituents

Toradja

Hojo Tokimasa

Chatham Strait

Seabiscuit

Ringtailed Cat

William I

Rocket And Missile System

Hebrew Literature, Adoption of Arabic metre

Brunei, Flag Of

France, History Of, The development of institutions in the Carolingian age

Grande Encyclopédie, La

Insurance, Business property insurance

China, General works

Giorgione

Earth Sciences, The origin of the Nile

Teriyaki

tefánik, Milan (rastislav)

Alabama Claims

Alcove

Spalding, Henry Harmon

Varthema, Lodovico De

Minehead

Spalding, Henry Harmon

Aquarium

Tasmania, Ethnic and religious groups

Computers, From Star Trek to Microsoft

Croly, Herbert David

Porch

Bahía Blanca

Felsic Rock

Novello, Antonia

Jabotinsky, Vladimir

Ufa Plateau

Aesthetic Distance

Turishcheva, Lyudmila Ivanovna

Pietersburg

Gte Corporation

tefánik, Milan (rastislav)