YellowPebble

Exterminator

2005-04-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Byname Old Bones (foaled 1915), American racehorse (Thoroughbred), a dependable and durable horse who won 50 of 100 races in eight seasons. Because of the length of his career and his extraordinary ability to win sprints and long-distance races under heavy weights, some horsemen considered him superior to Man o' War, his greatest contemporary and doubtless the fastest American horse of the time.

Jakarta, The city layout

2005-04-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Although the Dutch were the first to attempt to plan the city, the city layout is probably more British than Dutch in character, as can be seen from such large squares as the Medan Merdeka (“Freedom Field”) and Lapangan Banteng (meaning “place of the gaur [large wild ox]”). The Oriental style, or “indische” style, as the Dutch call it, is apparent not only in the city's way of life but

Yakima

2005-04-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1886) of Yakima county, south-central Washington, U.S., on the Yakima River. In 1884 the Northern Pacific Railway selected the site of Yakima City (now Union Gap) as a construction headquarters. This plan was abandoned and a new settlement, known as North Yakima, was established 4 miles (6 km) north. With its desirable location on a railroad, North Yakima became a depot and cattle-shipping

Epistolary Novel

2005-04-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

A novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters. Originating with Samuel Richardson's Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), the story of a servant girl's victorious struggle against her master's attempts to seduce her, it was one of the earliest forms of novel to be developed and remained one of the most popular up to the 19th century. The epistolary

Reproductive System Disease, Inflammatory conditions

2005-03-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

Balanitis, or inflammation of the glans penis, and posthitis, or infection of the prepuce, result from the retention of secretions and bacteria beneath the foreskin and can be prevented with good sexual hygiene. Balanitis can also develop as a complication of certain sexually transmitted diseases. Acute prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate gland, may be caused

China, Royal burials

2005-03-30T05:54:00.000-08:00

The royal cemetery lay less than two miles northwest of Hsiao-t'un, at Hsi-pei-kang. The hierarchy of burials at this and other cemeteries in the area reflected the social organization of the living. Large pit tombs, some nearly 42 feet deep, were furnished with four ramps and massive grave chambers for the kings. Retainers who accompanied their lords in death lay in or near

Widsith

2005-03-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

Modern English Far Traveler Old English poem, probably from the 7th century, that is preserved in the Exeter Book, a 10th-century collection of Old English poetry. “Widsith” is an idealized self-portrait of a scop (minstrel) of the Germanic heroic age who wandered widely and was welcomed in many mead halls, where he entertained the great of many kingdoms. Because the heroic figures the minstrel claims

Syv Systre

2005-03-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Also called Knivsflåfoss, waterfalls in the fylke (county) of Møre og Romsdal, west-central Norway. The falls have their sources in Geit Mountain. The water flows over a high perpendicular cliff and plunges several hundred feet into Geiranger Fjord below. The name, which in English means “seven sisters,” is derived from the seven separate streams that join at the top of the falls. East of the falls,

Swanton, John Reed

2005-03-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Swanton studied with anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University for two years but received

Van Nu En Straks Circle

2005-03-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

Group of writers associated with an influential Flemish review, Van Nu en Straks (“Today and Tomorrow”; 1893–94 and 1896–1901). Though holding a variety of opinions, they strove for an art that should comprehend all human activity and give universal significance to individual feelings. Led by August Vermeylen, they included Prosper van Langendonck, Emmanuel Karel de Bom, and Alfred Hegenscheidt.

Tigré Language

2005-03-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

Semitic language of the Tigre people of northwestern Eritrea and smaller areas of neighbouring Sudan. It is closely related to the ancient Ge'ez language and modern Tigrinya. A few religious texts prepared by mission societies are the only documents in the language. Tigré serves as a second language for many nearby Cushitic and Nilotic peoples. There were more

Calligraphy

2005-03-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

In the 7th and 8th centuries AD the Arab armies conquered for Islam territories stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to Sind (now in Pakistan). Besides a religion, they brought to the conquered peoples a language both written and spoken. The Arabic language was a principal factor in uniting peoples who differed widely in race, language, and culture. In the early centuries

Sanno Ichijitsu Shinto

2005-03-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Ichijitsu Shinto , or Tendai Shinto in Japanese religion, the syncretic school that combined Shinto with the teachings of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. Shinto-Buddhist syncretism developed from the Japanese concept that Shinto deities (kami) were manifestations of Buddhist divinities. The earliest of these schools, Ryobu Shinto, was founded on the belief that Amaterasu Omikami, the chief Shinto deity, corresponded

Bulawayo

2005-03-24T05:38:00.000-08:00

The second largest city in Zimbabwe and the chief city of Matabeleland (i.e., the Ndebele-dominated western third of the country). The city lies along the Matsheumlope River in the southwestern part of the country, 4,405 feet (1,341 m) above sea level in undulating savanna terrain. The original site was the kraal (headquarters) of Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, who fought a major battle

Boughton, Rutland

2005-03-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

Boughton studied at the Royal College of Music in 1900 but was otherwise self-taught. He had the idea of writing a series of music dramas based on Arthurian legends and of creating a festival theatre for their performance

Jack The Ripper

2005-03-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

All but one of Jack the Ripper's victims were killed while soliciting customers on the street. In each instance the victim's throat was cut, and the body was usually

Chinese Languages

2005-03-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

Modern Standard Chinese is based on the Peking (Beijing) dialect, which is of the Northern, or Mandarin, type. It employs about 1,300 different syllables. There are 22 initial consonants, including stops (made with momentary, complete closure in the vocal tract), affricates (beginning as stops but ending with incomplete closure), aspirated consonants, nasals, fricatives, liquid

Family, The

2005-03-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

Formerly Children of God, Teens for Christ , and The Family of Love millenarian Christian communal group that grew out of the ministry of David Berg (1919–1994) to the hippies who had gathered in Huntington Beach, California, in the late 1960s. It teaches a message of Christian love based on scripture and the prophecies of Berg. The focus of the first anticult organization—the Parents' Committee to Free Our Children from the Children of God

Early Christian Art

2005-03-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Paleo-christian Art, or Primitive Christian Art, architecture, painting, and sculpture from the beginnings of Christianity until about the early 6th century, particularly the art of Italy and the western Mediterranean. (Early Christian art in the eastern part of the Roman Empire is usually considered to be part of Byzantine art; q.v.) The Christian religion was part of a general trend in the late Roman Empire toward

Cabal

2005-03-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

A private organization or party engaged in secret intrigues; also, the intrigues themselves. In England the word was used during the 17th century to describe the mystical interpretation of the Hebrew scripture (the Cabala, or Kabbala), as well as to describe any secret or extralegal council of the king, especially the foreign committee of the Privy Council. The term took

Athlone

2005-03-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Irish Baile Átha Luain town, County Westmeath, Ireland. It lies on the River Shannon just south of Lough (lake) Ree. Located at a major east-west crossing of the Shannon, it has always been an important garrison town. In the 12th century the area, previously fortified by the kings of Uí Maine and Connaught (Connacht), was seized by the Anglo-Normans. Their motte (palisade) castle was built in 1210 and underwent

Scandinavian Literature

2005-03-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Recommended anthologies are Elias Bredsdorff (ed.), Contemporary Danish Plays (1955, reissued 1970), and Contemporary Danish Prose (1958, reprinted 1974); Modern Nordic Plays: Denmark (1974); Hedin Brønner (trans. and ed.), Faroese Short Stories, trans. from Faroese and Danish (1972); Janet Garton and Henning Sehmsdorf (trans. and eds.), New Norwegian Plays (1989); Frederic Fleisher (trans. and ed.), Seven Swedish Poets (1963); and Gunilla M. Anderman (compiler), New Swedish Plays (1992).

Switzerland, Settlement patterns

2005-03-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

The diversity of geomorphology, climate, and plant distribution in Switzerland provides a wide variety of sites for the formation of settlements, a variety further enhanced by the country's central European location. Because of its distinct cultural differences, Switzerland provides varied examples for the study of the geography of settlements. For example,

Devil

2005-03-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

In the monotheistic Western religions, the devil is viewed as a fallen angel who in pride has tried to usurp the position of

Christian-jaque

2005-03-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Christian-Jaque was educated at the School of Fine Arts and the School of Decorative Arts, both in Paris. He started his career as a journalist and film critic and in 1926 entered the film industry

Atheism

2005-03-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

In general, the critique and denial of metaphysical beliefs in God or spiritual beings. As such, it is usually distinguished from theism, which affirms the reality of the divine and often seeks to demonstrate its existence. Atheism is also distinguished from agnosticism, which leaves open the question whether there is a god or not, professing to find the questions

Duque De Caxias

2005-03-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

City, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil, suburb of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Until 1931 it was known as Meriti Station and from 1931 to 1943 as Caxias; it became the seat of the district of Caxias in 1931 and seat of the municipality of Duque de Caxias in 1943. The Duquecaxiense Academy of Letters is located there. The duke for whom the city was named was Luis Alves de Lima e Silva, soldier

Kadoma

2005-03-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

City, Osaka fu (urban prefecture), Honshu, Japan, bordering Osaka city. The city is located on the left bank of the Yodo River and is known for its cultivation of lotus flowers. After the establishment of a railway connection to Osaka in 1909, industrialization was rapid. The Matsushita Electric Industrial Company moved to Kadoma in 1933 to establish factories producing electrical

Requiem Mass

2005-03-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

Musical setting of the Mass for the Dead (missa pro defunctis), named for the beginning of the Latin of the Introit “Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine” (“Give them eternal rest, O Lord”). The polyphonic composition for the requiem mass differs from the normal mass in that it not only includes certain items of the Ordinary—e.g., Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (the joyful portions, Gloria

Power Steering

2005-03-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

System to aid the steering of an automobile by use of a hydraulic device (driven from the engine) that amplifies the turning moment, or torque, applied to the steering wheel by the driver. To reduce the torque required from the driver as cars became heavier and tires softer, gears were introduced between the steering wheel shaft and the linkage that turns the wheels.

Coving

2005-03-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

Rococo architecture exploits

Cabral, Amílcar

2005-03-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

Educated in Lisbon, Cabral there helped to

Pachmann, Vladimir Von

2005-03-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Also called Vladimir de Pachman Russian pianist known for his performances of the music of Frédéric Chopin. Pachmann studied in Vienna and made his debut in 1869 in Odessa. Though his early concerts were successful, he was extremely self-critical and withdrew for long periods of study. He later toured widely in Europe and the United States. Pachmann's

Arts, Islamic, Other classic mosques

2005-03-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

Either in its simplest form, as in Medina, or in its more formalized shape, as in Damascus, the hypostyle tradition dominated mosque architecture from 715 to the 10th century. As it occurs at Nishapur in northeastern Iran, Siraf in southern Iran, al-Qayrawan (Kairouan) in Tunisia, and Córdoba in Spain, it can indeed be considered as the classic early Islamic type. Its masterpieces occur

Literature

2005-03-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

Mahan, Larry E.

2005-03-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

In 1962 Mahan won the all-around Oregon championship and also won the bareback bronc and bulldogging

Turbine

2005-03-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

Any of various devices that convert the energy in a stream of fluid into mechanical energy. The conversion is generally accomplished by passing the fluid through a system of stationary passages or vanes that alternate with passages consisting of finlike blades attached to a rotor. By arranging the flow so that a tangential force, or torque, is exerted on the rotor

Andaman And Nicobar Islands

2005-03-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

Linked administratively by the British in 1872, the two groups became a union territory of the Republic of India in 1956. The territory

Pet

2005-03-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

While a pet is generally kept for the pleasure that it can give to its owner, often, especially with horses, dogs, and cats, as well as with some other animals, this pleasure appears to be mutual. Thus, pet keeping can be described as a symbiotic relationship, one that benefits both animals and human

Nitroso Compound

2005-03-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Nitroso compounds are usually prepared

Mahan, Larry E.

2005-03-09T04:13:00.000-08:00

Founded in New York City in 1976 as little more than a social club, the charter organization of the AWU grew into a major clearinghouse and support agency for Asian and Pacific American women in the United States. Having absorbed several scattered

San Gabriel

2005-03-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

City, Los Angeles county, southern California, U.S. It lies in the San Gabriel Valley, east of downtown Los Angeles. Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, founded in 1771 by Father Junípero Serra and the fourth in the California chain of 21 missions, was moved 4.5 miles (7 km) to its present site in 1775. The fortresslike mission church resembling the Córdoba Mosque (Spain) formed the nucleus of a mixed-farming

Reformed Church Of France

2005-03-08T00:44:00.000-08:00

French Église Reformée De France, church organized in 1938 by merging several Reformed groups that had developed in France during and after the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. During the early part of the Reformation, Protestant movements made slow progress in France. Yet reforming movements within the Roman Catholic Church had appeared early. Before Martin Luther had emerged as a Reformer in

Ujung Pandang

2005-03-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

Already a flourishing port when the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, Makasar subsequently came under control of the Dutch, who built a trading station in 1607 and finally deposed the sultan in 1667. It was

Ushabti Figure

2005-03-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Any of the small statuettes made of wood, stone, or faience that are often found in large numbers in ancient Egyptian tombs. The figures range in height from 4 to 9 inches (10 to 23 cm) and often held hoes in their arms. Their purpose was to act as a magical substitute for the deceased owner when the gods requested him to undertake menial tasks in the afterlife. The word ushabti is

Visayas

2005-03-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Also called Bisayas island group, central Philippines. The Visayas group consists of seven large and several hundred smaller islands clustered around the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. They have a total area of 23,582 square miles (61,077 square km). The seven main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar (qq.v.). These islands and their smaller neighbours make up the central group

Ouzel

2005-03-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ousel, also called Ring-ouzel (species Turdus torquatus), a thrush of the family Turdidae (order Passeriformes), characterized by a white crescent on the breast. A blackish bird, 24 cm (9.5 inches) long, it breeds locally in uplands from Great Britain and Norway to the Middle East. The name ouzel was formerly applied to a closely related European blackbird (T. merula; see blackbird). For a related bird in Mexico,

Architecture, History Of Western, From the 17th to the 19th century

2005-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

A Gothic Revival was in a sense initiated early in England during the late 16th century under the influence of Elizabethan and Jacobean notions of chivalry and again between 1620 and 1630 under the impetus of William Laud's Anglicanism; but it is in the Gothic experimentalism of the late 17th century, particularly that of Wren's circle, in which seeds of a Gothic Revival can be discerned.

Florida Keys

2005-03-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

The keys

Scale Insect

2005-03-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Any member of several families of the insect order Homoptera. The females are wingless, with reduced legs and antennae; the males have one pair of delicate wings, well-developed legs and antennae, and no mouthparts. The body is covered by a protective waxy shell, often resembling scales or cottony cushions, that gives these insects their common name. The eggs are always

Qatar

2005-03-04T02:57:00.000-08:00

The Qatar peninsula is about 100 miles (160 km) from north to south, 50 miles (80 km) from east to west, and is generally rectangular in shape. Most of its area is flat, low-lying desert, which rises from the east to a central limestone plateau; hills rise to about 130 feet (40 metres) along the western and northern coasts. Sand dunes and salt flats, or sabkhahs, are the chief topographical features

Bethel

2005-03-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

Ancient city of Palestine, located just north of Jerusalem. Originally called Luz and in modern times Baytin, Bethel was important in Old Testament times and was frequently associated with Abraham and Jacob. Excavations, carried out by the American School of Oriental Research and the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary, suggest that Bethel may have been the

Auburn System

2005-03-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

Penal method of the 19th century in which persons worked during the day and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times. The silent system evolved during the 1820s at Auburn Prison in Auburn, N.Y., as an alternative to and modification of the Pennsylvania system of solitary confinement, which it gradually replaced in the United States. Later

Lithuania

2005-03-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

Energy—including its impact on foreign relations—was a top issue in Lithuania in 2002. In August a series of negotiations resulted in the Lithuanian energy giant, the Mazeikiu Nafta oil refinery, coming under the control of a Russian company, which raised economic and political concerns in the country. An American corporation, Williams International, controlled 27% of

Spookfish

2005-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Any of about 11 species of small marine fishes constituting the family Opisthoproctidae (order Salmoniformes), with representatives in each of the major oceans. The name spookfish, or barreleye, as they are sometimes called, originates from their unusual eyes, which are pointed upward and are borne at the end of short tubular stalks. Specimens have been collected at

Ogilby, John

2005-03-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

Ogilby's early career as a dancing master and theatre owner in Ireland, crowned by the success of a theatre he built in Dublin, ended in 1641 with

Anshan

2005-02-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Anzan, city and territory of ancient Elam, north of modern Shiraz, southwestern Iran. The city's ruins, covering 350 acres, have yielded major archaeological finds, including examples of early Elamite writing. Anshan came to prominence about 2350 BC as an enemy of the Mesopotamian dynasty of Akkad. Its greatest period, however, was during the 13th and 12th centuries BC, when, as “kings of Anshan and

Osaka-kobe Metropolitan Area, Cultural life

2005-02-28T05:32:00.000-08:00

Osaka and Kyoto long have been leading centres of culture—Osaka, famous for its cuisine, has a more bustling, democratic tone than Kyoto, which is one of the great centres of Japanese culture. Traditional and modern Japanese drama and music are performed at theatres and halls in the metropolitan area, as are Western music, operas, and plays. There are numerous museums, galleries,

Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr Von (baron Of)

2005-02-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

German jurist and historian, best known for his defense of the idea of natural law. He was created a baron in the last year of his life.

Astringent

2005-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

Any of a group of substances that cause the contraction or shrinkage of tissues and that dry up secretions. Astringents are usually classified into three groups according to their mode of action: (1) those that decrease the blood supply by narrowing the small blood vessels (e.g., epinephrine and cocaine), (2) those that abstract water from the tissue (e.g., glycerol and alcohol

Abu Al-'atahiyah

2005-02-27T01:07:00.000-08:00

Abu al-'Atahiyah (“Father of Craziness”) came from a family of mawlas, poor non-Arabs who were clients of the 'Anaza Arab tribe. The family's poverty prevented Abu al-'Atahiyah from receiving

Gore, Albert A., Jr.

2005-02-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

In the voting held on Nov. 7, 2000, Democrat Albert A. Gore, Jr., the country's vice president, lost his bid for the U.S. presidency to Republican George W. Bush (q.v.), governor of Texas. It was the closest presidential election in more than 100 years. Although Gore won the popular contest by more than 500,000 votes out of some 105,000,000 cast, he lost the electoral college 271–266. The final electoral vote, which hinged

Paddle Wheel

2005-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

The device is highly efficient and is competitive even

Nilus Of Rossano, Saint

2005-02-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Also called Nilus The Younger abbot and promoter of Greek monasticism in Italy, who founded several communities of monks in the region of Calabria following the Greek rule of St. Basil of Caesarea. A supporter of the regular successors to the papal crown in their controversies with antipopes,

Scandinavian Languages

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

Languages forming the North Germanic branch of the Germanic languages. The modern standard languages are Danish, Swedish, Norwegian (Dano-Norwegian and New Norwegian), Icelandic, and Faroese. These languages are usually divided into East Scandinavian (Danish and Swedish) and West Scandinavian (Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese) groups. They developed from the dialects

Torbernite

2005-02-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Hydrated copper uranate phosphate mineral, Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2×8–12H2O, that is one of the principal uranium-bearing minerals. Usually associated with autunite, it occurs as green crystals or micalike masses that are weathering products of uraninite. Torbernite is abundant in Cornwall, Eng., and in Katanga province, Congo (Kinshasa). For detailed physical properties, see phosphate

Luxembourg, François-henri De Montmorency-bouteville, Duc De

2005-02-24T01:36:00.000-08:00

The posthumous son of François de Montmorency-Bouteville, he was reared by a distant relative, Charlotte de Montmorency, princesse de Condé. Although Bouteville was hunchbacked and physically weak, the princesse's son Louis II de Bourbon,

French Literature, The novel between the wars

2005-02-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

With a few notable exceptions, novels were less technically innovative in the second quarter of the century. The Surrealists made their contribution with André Breton's Nadja (1928; Eng. trans., Nadja) and Louis Aragon's Le Paysan de Paris (1926; The Night-Walker), and they influenced the works of Raymond Queneau. The tradition of the family novel was continued by Roger Martin du

Yogurt

2005-02-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Yoghurt, Yourt, or Yoghourt, semifluid fermented milk food having a smooth texture and mildly sour flavour because of its lactic acid content. Yogurt may be made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, or water buffalo. Cow's milk is used in the United States and north-central Europe; sheep's and goat's milk are preferred in Turkey and southeastern Europe; milk from the water buffalo is most commonly used

'amr Ibn Al-'as

2005-02-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

A wealthy member of the Banu Sahm clan of the important tribe of Quraysh, 'Amr accepted Islam in 629–630. Sent to Oman, in southeastern Arabia, by the Prophet Muhammad, he successfully completed his first mission by converting its rulers to Islam. As the leader of one of the three military forces sent to Palestine by the caliph Abu Bakr, he took

India, From Banda Singh Bahadur to Ranjit Singh

2005-02-22T04:43:00.000-08:00

The quelling by Mughal forces of the Sikhs under Banda did not mean an end to Sikh resistance to Mughal claims. In the 1720s and '30s, Amritsar emerged as a centre of Sikh activity, partly because of its preeminence as a pilgrimage centre. Kapur Singh, the most important of the Sikh leaders of the time, operated from its vicinity and gradually set about consolidating a revenue-cum-military

X-ray Telescope

2005-02-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

Instrument designed to detect and resolve X rays from sources outside the Earth's atmosphere. Because of atmospheric absorption, X-ray telescopes must be carried to high altitudes by rockets or balloons or placed in orbit outside the atmosphere. Balloon-borne telescopes are used to detect the more penetrating (harder) X rays, whereas those carried aloft by rockets

Switzerland, Switzerland from 1848 to the present

2005-02-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

The turning point, then, in modern Swiss history was 1848. Before that date internal conflict was a fact of Swiss political life; since then there has been an absence of major internal crises along ethnic and religious lines, and the country has prospered. With political stability, the Swiss could spend a greater portion of their time and efforts developing industry, agriculture,

Bellanca, Dorothy Jacobs

2005-02-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

Dorothy Jacobs immigrated with her family to the United States from Latvia in 1900. They settled in Baltimore, Maryland. At age 13 Jacobs left school and went to work in a clothing factory. Working conditions quickly led her to the cause

Sorbon, Robert De

2005-02-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

Born into a poor rural family, Sorbon was educated in Reims and in Paris, where his piety and diligence drew the patronage of the comte d'Artois and King Louis IX. In 1251 he became canon

Bedreddin

2005-02-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

A convert to Sufism (Islamic mysticism), in 1383 Bedreddin undertook the pilgrimage to Mecca, and, upon his return to Cairo, he was appointed tutor to the Mamluk crown prince of Egypt. He

Sea Snake

2005-02-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

Any of more than 50 species of venomous marine snakes of the family Hydrophiidae. In adaptation to marine life, sea snakes have oarlike tails and flattened bodies. Their nostrils have valvelike closings and are usually on top of the snout. Several sea snakes have bodies much thicker than their heads and necks affording them greater stability

Barani, Ziya'-ud-din

2005-02-19T01:44:00.000-08:00

Using mainly hearsay evidence and his personal experiences at court, Barani in 1357 wrote the Tarikh-e Firuz Shahi (“History of Firuz Shah”), a didactic work setting down the duties of the Indian sultan toward Islam. In his Fatawa-ye jahandari (“Rulings

Jabotinsky, Vladimir

2005-02-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

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

Tatarstan

2005-02-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Volga flows north-south across the western end of the republic, while the Kama, the Volga's largest tributary, forms a roughly east-west axis through the greater part. The Vyatka and the Belaya

Earth, The nature of gravity

2005-02-17T04:36:00.000-08:00

It is a familiar phenomenon that an object released above the Earth's surface accelerates toward the Earth. This phenomenon is a special case of universal gravitation—all mass within the universe attracts all other mass. The acceleration in this special case is known as the acceleration due to gravity, denoted g. Reference has already been made above to the fact that

Aptitude Test

2005-02-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

Examination that attempts to determine and measure those characteristics of a person that are regarded as indices of his capability to acquire, through future training, some specific set of responses (intellectual, motor, and so on). The tests assume that people differ in their special abilities and that these differences are related in a predictable manner to

Korea, South

2005-02-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Korea , Korean Taehan Min'guk country in East Asia. It occupies the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. The country is bordered by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) to the north, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west; to the southeast it is separated from the Japanese island of Tsushima by the Korea Strait. South Korea

Hypophosphatemia

2005-02-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

Reduction in the concentration of phosphate in the blood serum, thus disrupting the body's energy metabolism and impairing the delivery of oxygen through the bloodstream to the tissues. Hypophosphatemia usually occurs in conjunction with other metabolic disturbances that affect the normal equilibrium between the blood circulation, the intestinal absorption

Intelligence

2005-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Military intelligence is as old as warfare itself. Even in biblical times, Moses sent spies to live with the Canaanites in order to learn about their ways and about their strengths and weaknesses. In the American Revolution George

Bulge, Battle Of The

2005-02-14T01:08:00.000-08:00

Also called Battle Of The Ardennes (Dec. 16, 1944–Jan. 16, 1945), the last German offensive on the Western Front during World War II; an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory. The name Battle of the Bulge was appropriated from Winston Churchill's optimistic description, in May 1940, of the resistance that he mistakenly supposed was being offered to the Germans' breakthrough in that area just

Table Tennis

2005-02-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Chinese continued their domination of table tennis in 1996, collecting all the gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games. Liu Guoliang, the men's singles runner-up in 1995, won men's singles by besting Wang Tao of China. Deng Yaping, the women's world singles champion in 1991 and 1995, successfully defended her 1992 Olympic singles title by beating Chen Jing of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). Liu joined the

Toadfish

2005-02-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Any of about 45 species of bottom-living fishes constituting the family Batrachoididae and the order Batrachoidiformes. They are found chiefly in the New World and mostly in warm seas—occasionally in freshwater. Toadfishes are heavy-bodied fishes with broad, flattened heads and large mouths equipped with strong teeth. They grow to a maximum of about 40 cm (16 inches) and

Brian, Havergal

2005-02-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

In his youth Brian played the violin, organ, piano, and cello. His chief love, however, came to be composition. Between the ages of 20 and 45, he wrote more than 100 songs and some dozen orchestral works, in addition to two cantatas and an opera, The Tigers (begun in 1916), considered a remarkably

Accessory Mineral

2005-02-12T01:54:00.000-08:00

Any mineral in an igneous rock not essential to the naming of the rock. When it is present in small amounts, as is common, it is called a minor accessory. If the amount is greater or is of special significance, the mineral is called a varietal, or characterizing, accessory and may give a varietal name to the rock (e.g., the mineral biotite in biotite granite). Accessory minerals

Mauretania

2005-02-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Its native inhabitants, seminomadic pastoralists of Berber stock, were known to the Romans as the Mauri (i.e., Moors) and the Massaesyli. From the 6th century BC the Phoenicians and Carthaginians also settled at points along the coast.

Galty Mountains

2005-02-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Galtee Mountains, mountain range, extending across the border between southwestern County Tipperary and southeastern County Limerick, southern Ireland. The range has the east–west trend characteristic of the extreme south of the country. The highest peaks are formed of sandstone, the highest point being Galtymore (3,018 feet [920 m]). The mountains bear strong evidence of glaciation, notably

Sri Lanka, Relief

2005-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

The Central Highlands

Habitual Offender

2005-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Person who frequently has been convicted of criminal behaviour and is presumed to be a danger to society. In an attempt to protect society from such criminals, penal systems throughout the world provide for lengthier terms of imprisonment for them than for first-time offenders. In the 1990s habitual-offender laws became harsher, and in extreme cases some offenders

Ezekiel

2005-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ezechiel, Hebrew Yehezqel prophet-priest of ancient Israel and the subject and in part the author of an Old Testament book that bears his name. Ezekiel's early oracles (from c. 592) in Jerusalem were pronouncements of violence and destruction; his later statements addressed the hopes of the Israelites exiled in Babylon. The faith of Ezekiel in the ultimate establishment of a new covenant

La Taille, Jean De

2005-02-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

While studying in Paris La Taille came under the influence, shown in his minor poems, of Pierre de Ronsard and Joachim du Bellay. His chief poems, prosaic but forceful, are

Walter Of Coventry

2005-02-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Walter was not a historian or chronicler in his own right; he merely brought together the works of Marianus Scotus, Florence of Worcester, Henry of Huntingdon, Roger of Hoveden, and

Coello, Claudio

2005-02-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

The son of a famous Portuguese sculptor, Faustino Coello, he studied under Francisco

Tabari, At-

2005-02-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

The young at-Tabari demonstrated a precocious intellect and journeyed from his native town to study in the major centres of learning in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Over the course of many years he collected oral and written material from numerous scholars and libraries for his later work. At-Tabari enjoyed sufficient financial independence to enable him to devote the latter

Udayanacarya

2005-02-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Of the two schools, the old Nyaya system was concerned with the critical examination of