MedicalDress

Adamawa Plateau

2005-04-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Adamaoua Plateau, volcanic upland in west-central Africa. Though chiefly in north-central Cameroon, part of the plateau, known as the Gotel Mountains, is in southeastern Nigeria. The plateau is the source of the Benue River. Its highest elevations are more than 8,700 feet (2,650 m) above sea level. Many craters and small lakes attest to the region's volcanic origin. Vegetation is chiefly savanna, with

Arts, Central Asian, Architecture

2005-04-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

There is only one Nepalese architectural style, varied according to its function as private dwelling, palace, Buddhist monastery, or Buddhist or Hindu temple. The style is the protracted local flowering of an Indian architectural tradition—of brick and wood architecture with tiered, sloping roofs—other varieties of which are found in the western Himalayas and

Lod

2005-04-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Also called Lydda, city, central Israel, on the Plain of Sharon southeast of Tel Aviv–Yafo. Of ancient origin, it is mentioned several times in the Bible: in a New Testament account (Acts 9:32), the apostle Peter healed the paralytic at Lod. The city was a well-known centre of Jewish scholars and merchants from the 5th century BC until the Roman conquest in AD 70. It was the Roman colony of Diospolis after AD 200 and

Levin, Meyer

2005-03-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

Levin first became known with the novel Yehuda (1931). In 1945 he wrote and produced the first Palestinian feature film, My Father's House (book, 1947), which tells of Jews who are driven out of Poland and reunite in Palestine. Other major works are Citizens (1940)—about the

Zaltys

2005-03-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

On special occasions the snake was asked to the table to share the family meal from their

Boxing, Professional boxing

2005-03-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

The man who made boxing into big business was George (“Tex”) Rickard, the sport's first great promoter. After staging the world's lightweight championship bout between Joe Gans and Oscar (“Battling”) Nelson to publicize the mining town of Goldfield, Nevada, in 1906, he realized the potential of prizefighting. Rickard made an art of boxing publicity, playing on the public's prejudices

Olympio, Sylvanus

2005-03-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

A leader of the Committee of Togolese Unity after World War II, Olympio was elected president of the first territorial assembly in 1946 and by 1947 was in open (though nonviolent) conflict

Quadruple Alliance

2005-03-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Alliance first formed in 1813, during the final phase of the Napoleonic Wars, by Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, for the purpose of defeating Napoleon, but conventionally dated from Nov. 20, 1815, when it was officially renewed to prevent recurrence of French aggression and to provide machinery to enforce the peace settlement concluded at the Congress of Vienna. The members

Ambartsumian, Viktor Amazaspovich

2005-03-20T01:51:00.000-08:00

Ambartsumian was born of Armenian parents. His

Einsteinium

2005-03-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

(Es), synthetic chemical element of the actinide series in Group IIIb of the periodic table, atomic number 99. Not occurring in nature, einsteinium (as the isotope einsteinium-253), produced by intense neutron irradiation of uranium-238, was identified in December 1952 by Albert Ghiorso and co-workers at Berkeley, Calif., in debris taken from the first thermonuclear or hydrogen-bomb

Fischer, Bobby

2005-03-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Fischer learned the moves of chess

Olympia

2005-03-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

Dyer, Sir Edward

2005-03-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford, Dyer went to court under the patronage of the Earl of Leicester. Dyer was a friend of Sir Philip Sidney, on whose death he wrote an elegy

Moschops

2005-03-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of mammallike reptiles found as fossils in rocks of Permian age (286 to 245 million years ago) in southern Africa. Moschops, which is representative of a group of mammallike reptiles (see therapsid) that became adapted to a diet of plant food, was about 2.6 m (8 feet) long. The body was massive; the skull was high and shortened front to back. Numerous chisel-edged teeth suitable

New Castle

2005-03-13T03:03:00.000-08:00

County, northern Delaware, U.S., bounded by Pennsylvania to the north, New Jersey to the east (the Delaware River constituting the border), the Smyrna River to the south, and Maryland to the west. The county is bisected east-west by the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (completed 1829), around which are state parks and wildlife areas. Other waterways are the Christina River and the

Smith, Margaret Chase

2005-03-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Margaret Chase attended high school in her native Skowhegan, Maine, graduating in 1916. She then taught school briefly, held a series of other jobs, and served as president of the Maine Federation of Business and Professional

Biblical Literature, IV Maccabees

2005-03-12T01:07:00.000-08:00

Another Jewish Hellenistic work combining history and philosophy is The Fourth Book of Maccabees. The theme of the book, reflecting the views of the Greek Stoics, is “whether the Inspired Reason is supreme ruler over the passions.” This thesis is demonstrated by the martyrdom of the elderly scribe Eleazar and the unnamed seven brothers and their mother, taken from

Hinduism, Vaishnavism

2005-03-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Vaishnavism is the worship of Vishnu and his various incarnations. During a long and complex development from Vedic times, there arose many Vaishnava groups with differing beliefs and aims. Some of the major Vaishnava groups include the Srivaisnavas and Dvaitins (“philosophical or religious dualists”) of South India, the followers of the teachings of Vallabha in western

Anthropology

2005-03-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

The discovery of fossil evidence in Ethiopia supporting the evolutionary divergence of humans and apes roughly 4.5 million to 6 million years ago, long predicted on the basis of molecular evidence, was announced in 1994. Consisting of teeth, jaw fragments, a skull base, and an arm, the fossils were classified as a new species of hominid, Australopithecus ramidus. The bones, which

Ryukyu Trench

2005-03-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Nansei-Shoto Trench deep ocean trench running north along the eastern edge of the Ryukyu Islands (Japan) in the Philippine Sea, between Taiwan and the Japanese archipelago. The Ryukyu Trench reaches a maximum depth of 24,629 feet (7,507 m) about 60 miles (90 km) south of Okinawa. It is 1,398 miles (2,250 km) long, and its mean width is 37 miles (60 km). Its floor area extends over some 52,000 square miles (135,000 square km), mostly covered by red

Indian Philosophy, Concepts of bhedabheda

2005-03-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

Among pre-Sankara commentators on the Vedanta-sutras, Bhartrprapañca defended the thesis

Nagappattinam

2005-03-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Formerly Negapattam, port city, east-central Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India, on the Bay of Bengal. An ancient port known to have traded with Europe in Greek and Roman times, it became a Portuguese and later a Dutch colony. Its influence declined with the growth of Madras, 250 miles (400 km) north. Its industry includes ship repair, fishing, steel rolling, and the manufacture of metal goods. Pop. (1991 prelim.)

Corbusier, Le

2005-03-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Byname of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret internationally influential Swiss architect and city planner, whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He belonged to the first generation of the so-called International school of architecture and was their most able propagandist

Stainless Steel

2005-03-04T02:04:00.000-08:00

Any one of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10 to 30 percent chromium. In conjunction with low carbon contents, chromium imparts remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. Other elements such as nickel, molybdenum, titanium, aluminum, niobium, copper, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and selenium may be added to increase corrosion resistance to specific environments,

Togo

2005-03-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

The political crisis arising out of Pres. Gnassingbé Eyadéma's disputed victory in the 1998 presidential elections deepened during 1999. Major opposition parties and their supporters boycotted the parliamentary elections on March 21. As a result, 79 of the 81 seats went to the ruling Rally of the Togolese People, with many candidates running unopposed. On May 21 Eyadema chose Eugene

Nervous System, Human, Reciprocal innervation

2005-03-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

Any cold, hot, or noxious stimulus striking the skin of the foot contracts the flexor muscle of that limb, relaxes the extensor muscles of the same limb, and extends the opposite limb. The purpose of these movements is to remove one limb from harm while shifting weight to the opposite limb. That is the first and immediate response, but a slower and longer-lasting reflex

New Iberia

2005-03-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1868) of Iberia parish, southern Louisiana, U.S., on Bayou Teche (connected via canal with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway), 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Lafayette. Founded in the late 18th century by French, Spanish, and Acadian settlers, it was laid out in 1835. It was first called Iberia, the ancient name for Spain, but the name was changed when the parish was created. The city was occupied

Biblical Literature, Esdras

2005-03-01T02:44:00.000-08:00

The “Greek Ezra,” sometimes named I (or II or III) Esdras, enjoyed considerable popularity in the early church but lost its prestige in the Middle Ages in the Latin Church. At the reforming Council of Trent (1545–63), the Roman Catholic Church no longer recognized it as canonical and relegated it in the Latin Bible to the end, as an appendix to the New Testament. One of the reasons for

Sasolburg

2005-02-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

Town, northern Free State province, South Africa, south of Johannesburg. Established in 1954, it was built by Sasol Ltd. (the former South African Coal, Oil, and Gas Corporation Ltd.) to house employees at the world's first oil-from-coal plant producing commercial quantities of oil. The location was selected for its proximity to large coal deposits, the Vaal River, and the Witwatersrand

ibenik

2005-02-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

Italian Sebenico, port in Croatia. It lies along the estuary of the Krka River formed as the latter flows into the Adriatic Sea. Linked by a rail line to Zagreb, Šibenik is a coastal shipping station, with major exports of bauxite, timber, building stone, wines, and liqueurs. There is a shipyard, a ferrous-alloy plant, and an aluminum plant (at Lozovac). Electricity from Krka Falls powers an electrochemical

Robert De Torigni

2005-02-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

Robert was born to a family apparently of high rank. In 1128 he joined the monastery at Bec, where he was ordained deacon (1131) and elected prior (1149). He became abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel in

Madariaga Y Rojo, Salvador De

2005-02-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

The son of a Spanish army officer, Madariaga was trained at his father's insistence as an engineer in Paris but abandoned his career to become a journalist. In 1921 he joined

Diebitsch, Johann (karl Friedrich Anton), Graf

2005-02-24T03:03:00.000-08:00

Although he was of German parentage and was educated at the Berlin cadet school, Diebitsch joined the Russian Army in 1801, and, after fighting against Napoleon in the battles of Austerlitz, Eylau, Friedland,

Campa

2005-02-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

Campa is often mentioned in early Buddhist literature as a city of importance and was one

Indiana, Flag Of

2005-02-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

In 1916, the centennial of Indiana statehood, the Daughters of the American Revolution held a flag design competition. The winning design, by Paul Hadley, was approved as the “state banner” on May 31, 1917. The flag is defined by law as having design elements in either gold or buff, although in practice gold (actually golden yellow) is almost always used. The torch, symbolic of enlightenment

Klammer, Franz

2005-02-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

Winner of eight of the nine downhill races on the World Cup tour in 1975, Klammer was the favourite at the 1976 Olympics but faced stiff competition from defending

Suyuti, Al-

2005-02-20T02:12:00.000-08:00

The son of a judge, al-Suyuti was tutored by a Sufi (Muslim mystic) friend of his father. He was precocious and was already a teacher in 1462. In 1486 he was appointed to a chair in the mosque of Baybars in Cairo. When in 1501 he tried to reduce

Atalanta

2005-02-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, a renowned and swift-footed huntress, probably a parallel and less important form of the goddess Artemis. Traditionally, she was the daughter of Schoeneus of Boeotia or of Iasus and Clymene of Arcadia. Her complex legend includes the following incidents: at her father's instance she was left to die at birth but was suckled by a she-bear; she took part

Furniture, Inlay and marquetry

2005-02-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

Inlaid woodwork, in which decorative material such as wood or ivory is set into the surface of the veneer, has accompanied the art of furniture making for thousands of years. Ivory inlay can be seen in Egyptian furniture, particularly in small, meticulously executed toilet caskets, but it is difficult to locate in Greek and Roman furniture, today known almost exclusively

Vitamin B Complex

2005-02-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

Most of the B vitamins have been recognized

France, History Of, Economic life

2005-02-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Agriculture was the principal economic activity, and during the entire Frankish age the great estate, inherited from antiquity, remained the predominant characteristic of rural life. These estates were the residence and principal source of income of the aristocracy. The estates appear to have long been placed under cultivation by servile labour, which was abundant

Caucasian Languages, Georgian

2005-02-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Georgian (self-designation: kartuli ena), used as the language of literature and instruction, is the state language of the Republic of Georgia. It is common to all speakers of the Kartvelian languages within Georgia. Beyond the borders of Georgia, Georgian is spoken in the adjacent regions of Azerbaijan and northeastern Turkey. There are also 14 villages of Georgian

Domesday Book

2005-02-12T01:21:00.000-08:00

The original record or summary of William I the Conqueror's survey of England. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as “the description of England,” but the popular name Domesday—i.e., “doomsday,” when men face the record from which there is no appeal—was in general use by the mid-12th century. The survey, in the scope of its detail and the speed of its execution, was perhaps

Narcolepsy

2005-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

The syndrome usually occurs in youth or early adult life and is presumably due to dysfunction of the diencephalic reticular system. The narcoleptic can fall asleep anywhere, anytime—while in conversation, at work, while eating,

Lilburne, John

2005-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

Coming from a family of gentry, Lilburne was apprenticed from about 1630 to 1636 to a London cloth merchant. Meanwhile, he joined the Puritan opposition to the Anglican High Church policies of King Charles I, and by 1638 he

General Will

2005-02-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 18th-century French political philosopher, that in a democratic society the state represents the general will of the citizens, and that in obeying its laws each citizen is pursuing his own real interest. Rousseau distinguished the “general will” from particular wills. The general will is a moral will, a will that aims at the common

Orumiyeh

2005-02-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

For long periods

Agra

2005-02-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

City, west-central Uttar Pradesh state, north-central India, on the Yamuna (Jumna) River. Founded by Sikandar Lodi in the early 16th century, it was the Mughal capital during some periods of their empire. In the late 18th century the city fell successively to the Jats, the Marathas, the Mughals, and the ruler of Gwalior and, finally, to the British in 1803. It was the capital of Agra (later North-Western)

Agustini, Delmira

2005-02-05T01:09:00.000-08:00

Agustini was the first woman in Latin-American literature to deal boldly with the themes of sensuality and passion, and her poems have a force lacking from most Modernist poetry of the period. Her life ended tragically when she was murdered by her estranged husband. Her chief

Burgos

2005-02-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Burgos province, in the Castile-León comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), northern Spain. It is located on the lower slopes of a castle-crowned hill overlooking the Arlanzón River, about 2,600 feet (800 m) above sea level. Founded in 884 as an eastern outpost of the Asturian kingdom by the Castilian count Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, it became the capital of the

Jehoshaphat

2005-02-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Josaphat, Hebrew Yehoshaphat, king (c. 873–c. 849 BC) of Judah during the reigns in Israel of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, with whom he maintained close political and economic alliances. Jehoshaphat aided Ahab in his unsuccessful attempt to recapture the city of Ramoth-gilead, joined Ahaziah in extending maritime trade, helped Jehoram in his battle with Moab, and married his son and successor, Jehoram, to Athaliah,

Albano, Lake

2005-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Italian Lago Albano, crater lake in the Alban Hills (Colli Albani), southeast of Rome. Elliptical in shape, formed by the fusion of two ancient volcanic craters, it lies 961 feet (293 m) above sea level and has an area of 2 square miles (5 square km) and a maximum depth of 558 feet (170 m). It is fed by underground sources and drained by an artificial outlet, reputedly built in 398–397 BC because the oracle at Delphi said that the

Dowlaiswaram

2005-01-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

Town, East Godavari district, northeastern Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, on the Godavari River Delta. Dowlaiswaram is located at the source of the great delta, and a dam 2 mi (3.2 km) long crosses the river at this point, supplying canals that irrigate 1,000,000 ac (400,000 ha). Rice fields, gardens, and villages are scattered over the deltaic region that surrounds the mainly agricultural

Botosani

2005-01-31T06:27:00.000-08:00

Judet (county), northeastern Romania, occupying an area of 1,946 square miles (4,965 square km), and bounded on the north by Ukraine and on the east by Moldova. The Prut and Siret rivers are, respectively, the county's eastern and western borders. Both rivers drain southeastward. Botosani (q.v.) city, a textile centre, is the county capital. Other towns include Trusesti, Nicolae Balcescu, Dorohoi,

Ghatam

2005-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

Large, narrow-mouthed earthenware water pot used as a percussion instrument in India. Unlike other Indian percussion instruments, such as the tabla and mridanga, the ghatam does not have a membrane over its mouth. Ghatam produce a distinctive metallic sound and are made in several sizes, each size having a different pitch. As used in Carnatic music, the ghatam is positioned

Yemen

2005-01-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

A republic of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has coastlines on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. Area: 527,970 sq km (203,850 sq mi), including 55,871 sq km of undemarcated area bordered by Saudi Arabia and claimed by the former Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen). Pop. (1995 est.): 13,058,000. Cap.: San'a`. Monetary unit: Yemen Rial, with (Oct. 6, 1995) an official par value of YRls 50 to U.S. $1 (YRls 79.04 = £1 sterling) and a free

Jack-o'-lantern

2005-01-28T01:34:00.000-08:00

In American holiday custom, a hollowed-out-pumpkin lantern that is displayed on Halloween. The surface of the pumpkin is carved to resemble a face. Light from a candle inserted inside can be seen flickering through the jack-o'-lantern's cutout eyes, nose, and usually grotesquely grinning mouth. The custom originated in the British Isles, with a large turnip or other vegetable

Calligraphy, Chinese calligraphy

2005-01-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

The earliest known Chinese logographs are engraved on the shoulder bones of large animals and on tortoise shells. For this reason, the script found on these objects is commonly called jiaguwen, or shell-and-bone script. It seems likely that each of the ideographs was carefully composed before it was engraved. Although the figures are not entirely uniform in size,

Jewelry

2005-01-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

It is probable that prehistoric

Lusignan Family

2005-01-23T23:13:00.000-08:00

Noble family of Poitou (a province of western France) that provided numerous crusaders and kings of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Lesser Armenia. A branch of the family became counts of La Marche and Angoulême and played a role in precipitating the baronial revolt in England against King Henry III. The castle of Lusignan is associated with the medieval legend of Mélusine.

Ponca

2005-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

North American Indian people of the Dhegiha branch of the Siouan linguistic stock. Under pressure of settlement by whites, the Ponca migrated westward from the Atlantic coast, settling first in Virginia and the Carolinas. After a time they moved to what is now western Missouri. The Ponca then moved north to present-day Minnesota, where they lived until the late 17th

Caucasian Languages, Linguistic characteristics

2005-01-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Correspondences between sounds and meanings in words and word elements provide a basis for considering the Kartvelian languages as being closely related and descended from a common ancestral language (a protolanguage).

China, Political developments

2005-01-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Polarimetry

2005-01-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

In analytic chemistry, measurement of the angle of rotation of the plane of polarized light (that is, a beam of light in which the vibrations of the electromagnetic waves are confined to one plane) that results upon its passage through certain transparent materials. Polarimetry is of interest to the chemist because the ability of a substance to affect polarized

Karaïskákis, Geórgios

2005-01-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

A native of the district of Ágrafa in Epirus, a region known for its bandits and rebels, Karaïskákis served in the armatoli, or militia, and participated in the struggles

France, History Of, The development of central government

2005-01-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

Louis's inner council was on the model of the royal council in Richelieu's days, a High Council (Conseil d'en Haut) consisting of only three or four members and excluding the king's own relatives. Members of this council were known as ministers, but they held no formal right to the title and ceased to be minister if the king chose not to summon them. The first of these great

Togo, Government

2005-01-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

The military coup d'état of 1967 abolished the constitution of 1963 and dissolved the National Assembly. Togo had been ruled since 1969 by the Rally of the Togolese People, the sole political party until 1991 when parties were legalized. A new constitution in 1992 established the president as head of state and an elected multiparty National Assembly. The president appoints the prime minister

Bearded Seal

2005-01-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

(Erignathus barbatus), nonmigratory seal of the family Phocidae, distinguished by the bushy, bristly whiskers for which it is named; it is also known as “squareflipper” after the rectangular shape of the foreflipper. Highly valued by Eskimos for its hide, meat, and blubber, the bearded seal is a grayish or yellow-brown animal that lives alone or in small groups in coastal

Roman Script

2005-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Antiqua Script, Italian Lettera Antica, in calligraphy, script based upon the clear, orderly Carolingian writing that Italian humanists mistook for the ancient Roman script used at the time of Cicero (1st century BC). They used the term roman to distinguish this supposedly classical style from black-letter and national hands. It was upon the model of antica, or roman, scripts that Renaissance scribes evolved

Spanish Literature, Revival of the Spanish novel

2005-01-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

For more than two centuries the novel, with which Spain had made its greatest contribution to literature, had been almost extinct. The first novels of the revival were more interesting for powers of observation and description (a continuation of costumbrismo) than for imaginative or narrative quality. A woman novelist, Fernán Caballero, determined the technique

Nepal

2005-01-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Officially Kingdom of Nepal , Nepali Nepal Adhirajya country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory, which has an area of 56,827 square miles (147,181 square kilometres), extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. The

Hussite

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

Any of the followers of the Bohemian religious reformer Jan Hus, who was condemned by the Council of Constance (1414–18) and burned at the stake. After his death in 1415 many Bohemian knights and nobles published a formal protest and offered protection to those who were persecuted for their faith. The movement's chief supporters were Jakoubek of Stríbro (died 1429), Hus's successor as preacher

Capital

2005-01-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

Capital may be so broadly defined as to include all possible material, nonmaterial, and human inputs into a productive system, but it is usually more useful to confine the

Dynamo Theory

2005-01-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Geophysical theory that explains the origin of the Earth's main magnetic field in terms of a self-exciting (or self-sustaining) dynamo. In this dynamo mechanism, fluid motion in the Earth's outer core moves conducting material (liquid iron) across an already existing, weak magnetic field and generates an electric current. (Heat from radioactive decay in the core is thought

Muhammad, Elijah

2005-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

The son of sharecroppers and former slaves, Muhammad moved to Detroit in 1923 where, around 1930, he became assistant minister to the founder of the sect, Wallace D. Fard, at Temple No. 1. When Fard disappeared in 1934 Muhammad

Venango

2005-01-05T03:36:00.000-08:00

Venango county was formed in 1800; its name was derived from an Iroquoian Indian word probably meaning “bull thistle.” In August 1859 Edwin L. Drake triggered Pennsylvania's oil boom

Peter Iv

2005-01-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Peter was the most cultivated of Spanish 14th-century kings but was also an inveterate political intriguer whose ability to dissemble was notorious. Through his voluminous correspondence, the workings of his mind are far better known than those of any contemporary Spanish

Malalas, John

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

Malalas' Chronographia in 18 books is a compilation of history from the Creation certainly to 565, perhaps to 574, but the single extant manuscript ends with events of 563. The greater part of it stresses the importance of Antioch and has a Monophysite flavour. The last part of Book 18 appears to

Minangkabau

2005-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

Malay Urang Padang (People of Padang) largest ethnic group on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, whose traditional homeland is the west central highlands. Their numbers have been variously estimated at between 2,000,000 and 5,000,000. Although Muslim, the Minangkabau are matrilineal—i.e., they trace descent and inheritance through the female line. Traditionally, the wife remained with her maternal relatives after marriage,

Conti, Louis-armand Ii De Bourbon, Prince De

2004-12-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

Only surviving son of François-Louis, the Great Conti. He was treated with great liberality by Louis XIV and also by the regent, Philippe, duc d'Orléans. He served under Marshal Villars in the War of the Spanish Succession, but he lacked the soldierly qualities of his father. In 1713 he married Louise-Élisabeth (1693–1775), daughter of Louis-Henri de Bourbon, 7th prince

Ueno Zoological Garden

2004-12-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

Japanese Ueno Dobutsuen, oldest and most famous zoological garden in Japan. It was founded in 1882, and its administration was transferred to the Tokyo city government in 1924. Occupying a 32-acre (13-hectare) site in the Ueno district of Tokyo, it is landscaped in traditional Japanese style. The zoo saw much damage in World War II but was rebuilt within 10 years, mainly along prewar lines. A modernization program

Scandinavian Literature, Poetic Realism

2004-12-27T00:54:00.000-08:00

About 1830, early Romanticism gave way to a less naive poetic realism, more contemplative and more concerned with form than with content. Johan Ludvig Heiberg, who led this movement, attempted to revivify Danish drama by importing French vaudeville, and in his serious romantic plays Elverhøj (1828; “The Elfinhill”) and Syvsoverdag (1840; “Day of the Seven Sleepers”) he juxtaposed poetic

Constantia

2004-12-25T02:37:00.000-08:00

Residential area, Western Cape province, South Africa, near Cape Town. It is located in Constantia Valley, famous since the 18th century for wines produced on both government and private farms. The Groot Constantia homestead there was built about 1685 by Governor Simon van der Stel and named for his wife, Constance; a fine example of Cape Dutch architecture, it has been restored

Abéché

2004-12-25T01:06:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern Chad, between the wadis Chao and Sao. Historically it was the site of the capital of the Muslim sultanate of Ouaddaï (q.v.), which dominated much of the area of Chad before French conquest was accomplished in 1912. The remains of the ancient capital include a palace, tombs of former sultans, and the ruins of a mosque, all surrounded by a thick wall. The town has many

Xyz Affair

2004-12-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

Diplomatic incident that, when made public in 1798, nearly involved the United States and France in war. Pres. John Adams dispatched three ministers to France in 1797 to negotiate a commercial agreement to protect U.S. shipping. In Paris the ministers were approached by three French agents who suggested a bribe of $250,000 to Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, and a loan of $10,000,000 to France

Blood Brotherhood

2004-12-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

Special alliance or tie that binds persons together in a fashion analogous to, but distinct from, kinship ties. The relationship derives its name from the ritual commingling of the blood of the participants. The nature of the alliance thus formed typically enjoins the members to mutual support, loyalty, or affection. When practiced between groups, blood brotherhood

Lynch, Charles Birchell

2004-12-22T01:30:00.000-08:00

Canadian journalist and author (b. Dec. 3, 1919, Cambridge, Mass.--d. July 21, 1994, Ottawa, Ont.), was a gifted storyteller who attracted a wide and loyal readership as the longtime (1958-84) Ottawa syndicated columnist for Southam News Services. Lynch's folksy approach endeared him to English-speaking readers throughout much of the country. In his political commentaries, he boasted of "slipping

Music, Orchestras and Festivals.

2004-12-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

A series of major snowstorms early in the year played havoc with concert producers in the eastern United States. One storm made Philadelphia's Academy of Music inaccessible to many of the Philadelphia Orchestra's musicians, but with the soloists for the February 11 concert of Wagner opera excerpts housed in nearby hotels, music director Wolfgang Sawallisch decided

Greek Civil War

2004-12-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

The first stage of the civil war began only months before Nazi Germany's occupation of Greece ended in October 1944. The German occupation had been resisted by two principal Greek guerrilla forces, the communist-controlled EAM-ELAS (Ethnikón

Masochism

2004-12-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

Psychosexual disorder in which erotic release is achieved through having pain inflicted on oneself. The term derives from the name of Chevalier Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, an Austrian who wrote extensively about the satisfaction he gained by being beaten and subjugated. The amount of pain involved can vary from ritual humiliation with little violence to severe

Sokollu, Mehmed Pasa

2004-12-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ottoman grand vizier (chief minister) from June 1565, under the sultans Süleyman the Magnificent and Selim II, and perhaps the real ruler of the empire until the death of Selim in 1574. During his tenure, a war was fought with Venice (1570–73), in which the Ottoman navy was defeated in the famous Battle of Lepanto (Oct. 7, 1571), but

Fish Louse

2004-12-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Carp Louse, plural Fish Lice, or Carp Lice, any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater fishes. Of the approximately 120 known species, most belong to the genus Argulus. The fish louse has a very distinctive oval-shaped, flattened body formed by a broad carapace. Other notable physical features include compound eyes, a pair of large suckers, four pairs

Norway, Daily life and social customs

2004-12-15T04:50:00.000-08:00

Although Norway is in most ways very modern, it has maintained many of its traditions. Storytelling and folklore, in which trolls play a prominent role, are still common. On festive occasions folk costumes are worn and folk singing is performed—especially on Grunnlovsdagen (Constitution Day), commonly called Syttende Mai (May 17), the date of its celebration. Other popular

Animals, The

2004-12-15T00:08:00.000-08:00

Five-piece rock group from northeastern England whose driving sound influenced Bob Dylan's decision, in 1965, to begin working with musicians playing electric instruments. The principal members were Eric Burdon (b. May 11, 1941, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, Eng.), Alan Price (b. April 19, 1942, Fatfield, Durham), Hilton Valentine (b. May 21, 1943, North Shields, Tyne and Wear), Chas Chandler (byname of Bryan

Minden

2004-12-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Kearney county, southern Nebraska, U.S., on a branch of the Little Blue River, 16 miles (26 km) south-southeast of Kearney city. Founded in 1876 and named for Minden, Ger., it became a service point for a diversified farming area (grain, livestock, dairying, poultry). Minden is mainly known for the Harold Warp Pioneer Village, which is one of the state's top tourist attractions

Lira

2004-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Plural lire the former monetary unit of Italy. The lira was introduced in Europe by Charlemagne, who based it on the pound (libra) of silver. No lira coins were struck during the Middle Ages, and the lira remained strictly a money of account. By the 16th century several of the Italian states actually struck lira coins, but they varied considerably in weight. One of the states that used

Orumiyeh

2004-12-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

For long periods

Marvin, Lee

2004-12-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Marvin took up acting after a stint in marine service during World War II and appeared in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows until his film debut in 1951. For the better part of 14 years, he appeared in smaller roles; his tall, lean, brutal, stone-faced

Musical

2004-12-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

The antecedents of the musical can be traced to a number of 19th-century forms of entertainment including the music hall, comic opera, burlesque, vaudeville, variety shows, pantomime, and the minstrel show.

Faraday, Michael

2004-12-09T03:26:00.000-08:00

Faraday, who became one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century, began his career as a chemist. He wrote a manual of practical chemistry that reveals his mastery of the technical aspects

MedicalDress

Adamawa Plateau

Arts, Central Asian, Architecture

Lod

Levin, Meyer

Zaltys

Boxing, Professional boxing

Olympio, Sylvanus

Quadruple Alliance

Ambartsumian, Viktor Amazaspovich

Einsteinium

Fischer, Bobby

Olympia

Dyer, Sir Edward

Moschops

New Castle

Smith, Margaret Chase

Biblical Literature, IV Maccabees

Hinduism, Vaishnavism

Anthropology

Ryukyu Trench

Indian Philosophy, Concepts of bhedabheda

Nagappattinam

Corbusier, Le

Stainless Steel

Togo

Nervous System, Human, Reciprocal innervation

New Iberia

Biblical Literature, Esdras

Sasolburg

ibenik

Robert De Torigni

Madariaga Y Rojo, Salvador De

Diebitsch, Johann (karl Friedrich Anton), Graf

Campa

Indiana, Flag Of

Klammer, Franz

Suyuti, Al-

Atalanta

Furniture, Inlay and marquetry

Vitamin B Complex

France, History Of, Economic life

Caucasian Languages, Georgian

Domesday Book

Narcolepsy

Lilburne, John

General Will

Orumiyeh

Agra

Agustini, Delmira

Burgos

Jehoshaphat

Albano, Lake

Dowlaiswaram

Botosani

Ghatam

Yemen

Jack-o'-lantern

Calligraphy, Chinese calligraphy

Jewelry

Lusignan Family

Ponca

Caucasian Languages, Linguistic characteristics

China, Political developments

Polarimetry

Karaïskákis, Geórgios

France, History Of, The development of central government

Togo, Government

Bearded Seal

Roman Script

Spanish Literature, Revival of the Spanish novel

Nepal

Hussite

Capital

Dynamo Theory

Muhammad, Elijah

Venango

Peter Iv

Malalas, John

Minangkabau

ibenik