ViolentButton

Pacific, University Of The

2005-03-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Stockton, Calif., U.S. The university includes the College of the Pacific, Gladys L. Benerd School of Education, the Conservatory of Music, and schools of Business and Public Administration, Engineering, International Studies, and Pharmacy. The university's McGeorge School of Law is in Sacramento, and the School

Hull House

2005-03-16T01:29:00.000-08:00

One of the first social settlements in North America. It was founded in Chicago in 1889 when Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr rented an abandoned residence at 800 South Halsted Street that had been built by Charles G. Hull in 1856. Twelve large buildings were added from year to year until Hull House covered half a city block and included a nearby playground and a large camp in

Duck

2005-03-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

The fabric, in its various qualities and colours, is used for an enormous variety

Jewel Orchid

2005-03-12T02:40:00.000-08:00

Downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), native to eastern North America, has dark green leaves with silver and white veins. Its small white flowers are borne on a spike, as are those

Pavese, Cesare

2005-03-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

Born in a small town in which his father, an official, owned property, he moved with his family to Turin, where he attended high school and the university. Denied an outlet for his creative powers by Fascist control of literature,

Baiae

2005-03-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

Italian Baia ancient city of Campania, Italy, located on the west coast of the Gulf of Puteoli (Pozzuoli) and lying 10 miles (16 km) west of Naples and 2 1/2 miles (4 km) from Cumae, of which it was a dependency. According to tradition, Baiae was named after Baios, the helmsman of Ulysses. In 178 BC the city is mentioned as Aquae Cumanae, because of its curative sulfur springs. Baiae's mild climate, thermal springs,

La Hontan, Louis-armand De Lom D'arce, Baron De

2005-03-07T00:41:00.000-08:00

La Hontan went to Canada in 1683 as a marine lieutenant. He participated in an unsuccessful campaign against the Iroquois Indians on Lake Ontario in 1684 and commanded

Botrytis Blight

2005-03-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

Also called botrytis rot , or gray mold blight disease of plants growing in humid areas that is usually caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Most vegetables, fruits, flowers, and woody plants are susceptible; injured, old, and dead plant parts become infected first. Soft, tan to brown spots or blotches become covered with a dusty mold in moist weather. Seedlings, young shoots, or leaves may wither and collapse; buds

Cell Culture

2005-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

The maintenance and growth of the cells of multicellular organisms outside the body in specially designed containers and under precise conditions of temperature, humidity, nutrition, and freedom from contamination. In a broad sense, cells, tissues, and organs that are isolated and maintained in the laboratory are considered the objects of tissue culture. The

Elgar, Sir Edward

2005-03-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

The son of an organist and music dealer, Elgar left school at age 15 and worked briefly in

Chagres River

2005-02-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Chagres stream in Panama forming part of the Panama Canal system. It rises in the Cordillera de San Blas, flows south-southwest, and broadens to form Madden Lake (22 square miles [57 square km]) at Madden Dam, which was built in 1935 for navigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power. Below the dam it continues southwest to Gamboa, where it joins the Panama Canal at the north end of the Gaillard

Biblical Literature, The final period of the kingdom of Judah

2005-02-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah was to have another century and a half of existence before a similar and even grimmer fate befell it. Hezekiah (reigned c. 715–c. 686), who instituted a religious reform to return worship to a pure Yahwist form, also displayed political independence, joining a coalition of Palestinian states against Assyria. But the coalition was soon

Turgenev, Ivan Sergeyevich

2005-02-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

Russian novelist, poet, and playwright, whose major works include the short-story collection A Sportsman's Sketches (1852) and the novels Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860), and Fathers and Sons (1862). These works offer realistic, affectionate portrayals of the Russian peasantry and penetrating

Magnus V Erlingsson

2005-02-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

The son of Erling the Crooked, Magnus became king in 1162 when his supporters, led by his father, defeated the forces of the incumbent king, Haakon II Sigurdsson.

I Novel

2005-02-17T04:15:00.000-08:00

The I novel grew out of the naturalist movement that dominated Japanese literature during the early decades of the 20th century. The term is used to describe two different types of novel, the confessional novel (characterized

U2

2005-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

Ustyurt Plateau

2005-02-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Kazak Üstirt , Turkmen Üstyurt plateau in Uzbekistan and Kazakstan, lying between the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya (river) delta in the east and the Mangyshlak (Tupqarghan) Plateau and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol (Garabogazköl; an inlet of the Caspian Sea) in the west. It has an area of about 77,000 square miles (about 200,000 square km) and an average elevation of about 500 feet (about 150 m), rising to a maximum of 1,200 feet (365 m) in the southwest. At its

Jackfruit

2005-02-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

(species Artocarpus heterophyllus), tree native to tropical Asia and widely grown throughout the wetland tropics for its large fruits and durable wood. Like its relative the breadfruit, it belongs to the mulberry family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is 15 to 20 m (50 to 70 feet) tall at maturity, has large stiff, glossy green leaves 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long, and fruit up to 60 cm (about 2 feet) long

Ramanujan, Srinivasa

2005-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

When he was 15 years old, he obtained a copy of George Shoobridge Carr's Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, 2 vol. (1880–86). This collection of some 6,000 theorems (none of the material

Hindustani Music

2005-02-07T00:26:00.000-08:00

The music of northern India and Pakistan that developed as a distinct type from the late 12th or early 13th century, when the Islamic conquest of the northern parts of the subcontinent brought special emphasis to Arabic and Iranian musical practices, which merged with ancient Hindu traditions. The latter traditions, less affected by foreign influences, remain in the

Journalism

2005-02-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

The collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such media as pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, radio, motion pictures, television, and books. The word journalism was originally applied to the reportage of current events in printed form, specifically newspapers, but with the advent of radio

Gir Range

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

Low mountain range in western Gujarat state, west-central India, on the southern Kathiawar Peninsula. The range is extremely rugged with a steep slope seaward to the south and a gradual slope inland to the north. From it to the north runs a low, narrow, dissected range rising to Gorakhnath (3,665 feet [1,117 m], believed to be an extinct volcano) in the broad mass of the Girnar Hills. The Gir Range

Wyndham, George

2005-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Wyndham was an enthusiast of the British Empire,

Mordvinia

2005-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Mordvinia occupies a gently rolling plain crossed by the broad, shallow, often swampy valley of the Moksha River in the west and the Sura, a direct tributary of the Volga, in the east. The climate is markedly continental. The average January temperature is 10° F (-12° C), but cold air from the north

Grayback

2005-01-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

Any of several North American fishes including the alewife (q.v.), cisco (see whitefish), and Menominee whitefish.

Insurance, Life insurance

2005-01-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

Life insurance may be defined as a plan under which large groups of individuals can equalize the burden of loss from death by distributing funds to the beneficiaries of those who die. From the individual standpoint life insurance is a means by which an estate may be created immediately for one's heirs and dependents. It has achieved its greatest acceptance in Canada,

Cracticidae

2005-01-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

Songbird family, of the order Passeriformes, that includes species of the bell-magpie, butcherbird, and currawong (qq.v.) groups of Australia. They are sometimes collectively called songshrikes, from their vocal powers and their shrikelike behaviour.

Salandra, Antonio

2005-01-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

Salandra was educated in law and taught public administration at the University of Rome before entering politics. A member of a wealthy family and a conservative, he rose to become minister of agriculture in 1899 and finance minister in 1906 and again

Jewish Revoltsecond

2005-01-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

(AD 132–135), Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in Judaea. The revolt was preceded by years of clashes between Jews and Romans in the area. Finally, in AD 132, the misrule of Tinnius Rufus, the Roman governor of Judaea, combined with the emperor Hadrian's intention to found a Roman colony on the site of Jerusalem and his restrictions on Jewish religious freedom and observances, roused

Powell, Eleanor

2005-01-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

Powell studied ballet at age six and began dancing in Atlantic City nightclubs before she was a teenager. She joined the Co-Optimists

Marquis, Don

2005-01-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

Educated at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., Marquis worked as a reporter on The Atlanta Journal. When in 1907 Joel Chandler Harris established the Uncle Remus's Magazine, Marquis became

Mexico, History Of

2005-01-11T00:52:00.000-08:00

Diego Velázquez, governor of Cuba, laid the foundation for the conquest of Mexico. In 1517 and 1518 Velázquez sent out expeditions headed by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalva that explored the coasts of Yucatán and the Mexican Gulf. Velázquez commissioned Hernán Cortés to outfit an expedition to investigate their tales of great wealth in the area. Spending

Dabbling Duck

2005-01-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Also called Dipping, Surface-feeding, Pond, River, or Freshwater Duck, any of about 38 species of Anas and about 5 species in other genera, constituting the tribe Anatini, subfamily Anatinae, family Anatidae (q.v.; order Anseriformes). They feed mainly on water plants, which they obtain by tipping-up in shallows—uncommonly by diving (with opened wings); they often forage near the shore for seeds and insects. The bill is flat and broad, the

B-52

2005-01-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Stratofortress, U.S. long-range heavy bomber, designed in 1948 and first flown in 1952. Though originally intended to be an atomic-bomb carrier capable of reaching the Soviet Union, it proved adaptable to a number of missions, and some B-52s were thus expected to remain in service for the rest of the 20th century. The B-52 has a wingspan of 185 feet (56 m) and a length of 160 feet 10.9 inches (49 m). It is powered by eight jet engines

Kekkonen, Urho Kaleva

2005-01-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

A northern lumberman's son, Kekkonen studied at the University of Helsinki, receiving bachelor's and doctoral degrees in civil law in 1928 and 1936, respectively. While working as an attorney, he became increasingly involved, from the 1920s, in the agrarian movement

Augite

2004-12-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

The most common pyroxene mineral (a silicate of calcium, magnesium, iron, titanium, and aluminum). It occurs chiefly as thick, tabular crystals in basalts, gabbros, andesites, and various other dark-coloured igneous rocks. It also is a common constituent of lunar basalts and meteorites rich in basaltic material. Augites with a composition similar to that of diopside

Marriner, Neville

2004-12-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

Marriner graduated from the Royal College of Music in London in 1944 and went on to study for five years with René Benedetti at the Paris Conservatory. His early career was as

Wright, Frank Lloyd

2004-12-26T01:08:00.000-08:00

Original name Frank Lincoln Wright architect and writer, the most abundantly creative genius of American architecture. His “Prairie style” became the basis of 20th-century residential design in the United States.

Elision

2004-12-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

(Latin: “striking out”), in prosody, the slurring or omission of a final unstressed vowel that precedes either another vowel or a weak consonant sound, as in the word heav'n. It may also be the dropping of a consonant between vowels, as in the word o'er for over. Elision is used to fit words into a metrical scheme, to smooth the rhythm of a poem, or to ease the pronunciation of words.

Cohesion

2004-12-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

In physics, the intermolecular attractive force acting between two adjacent portions of a substance, particularly of a solid or liquid. It is this force that holds a piece of matter together. Intermolecular forces act also between two dissimilar substances in contact, a phenomenon called adhesion. These forces originate principally because of coulomb (electrical)

Qarakhanid Dynasty

2004-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Qarakhanids, who belonged to the Qarluq tribal confederation, became prominent during the 9th century. With the disintegration of the Iranian Samanid dynasty, the Qarakhanids took over the Samanid territories in Transoxania. In 999 Harun (or Hasan) Bughra Khan, grandson of the paramount tribal chief of the Qarluq confederation,

Domeykite

2004-12-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

A copper arsenide mineral (formulated Cu3As) that is often intergrown with algodonite, another copper arsenide. Both are classified among the sulfide minerals, although they contain no sulfur. They occur in Chile, in Keweenaw County, Mich., and in other localities. Domeykite crystallizes in the isometric system. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide

Induction, Electromagnetic

2004-12-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

In physics, the induction of an electromotive force in a circuit by varying the magnetic flux linked with the circuit. See Faraday's law of induction.

Scimitar-babbler

2004-12-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

Any of about 12 species of songbirds of the babbler family Timaliidae (order Passeriformes), which have long, curved bills used for uncovering insects in ground litter. Scimitar-babblers are 18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) in length, with fairly long tails. Their plumage is mostly brown. They range through southern Asia to Australia and the Philippines. An example is the slaty-headed

Beverley

2004-12-13T03:42:00.000-08:00

Town, unitary authority of East Riding of Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, England, just north of Kingston upon Hull. The town of Beverley grew in close association with a monastery established in the 7th century. Destroyed by the Danes in 806, the monastery was refounded by the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan (reigned 925–939). The great Beverley Minster that dominates the town

Vigny, Alfred-victor, Comte De

2004-12-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Poet, dramatist, and novelist who was the most philosophical of the French Romantic writers.

Bhave, Vinoba

2004-12-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

Born of a high-caste Brahman family, he abandoned his high-school studies in 1916 to join Gandhi's ashram (ascetic community). Gandhi's teachings led Bhave to a life of austerity, dedicated

Theatre, Western, Off-Broadway

2004-12-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

This phenomenon developed as a reaction to the commercialism of New York theatre. More experimental plays could be presented in smaller buildings outside the main theatre district. The artistic success of many of these productions meant that some writers (Edward Albee, for example), could graduate to Broadway. Off-Broadway also enabled black playwrights such

Technetium

2004-12-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

(Tc), chemical element, synthetic radioactive metal of Group VIIb of the periodic table, the first element to be artificially produced. The isotope technetium-97 (2,600,000-year half-life) was discovered (1937) by the Italian mineralogist Carlo Perrier and the Italian-born American physicist Emilio Segrè in a sample of molybdenum that had been bombarded by deuterons in the Berkeley (California)

Venice

2004-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Italian Venezia city, major seaport, and capital of both the provincia of Venezia and the regione of Veneto, northern Italy. An island city, it was once the centre of a maritime republic. It was the greatest seaport in late medieval Europe and the continent's commercial and cultural link with Asia. Venice is unique environmentally, architecturally, and historically, and in its days as

Bailey, Ann

2004-11-29T00:33:00.000-08:00

Ann Hennis moved to America, probably as an indentured servant, in 1761. Her first husband, Richard Trotter, a Shenandoah Valley settler and survivor of General Edward Braddock's disastrous expedition of 1755, was killed

Insurance, Business liability insurance

2004-11-27T01:45:00.000-08:00

Business liability contracts commonly written include the following: liability of a building owner, landlord, or tenant; liability of an employer for acts of negligence involving employees; liability of contractors or manufacturers; liability to members of the public resulting from faulty products or services; liability as a result of contractual agreements

China, Incipient Neolithic

2004-11-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Study of the historical reduction of the size of human teeth suggests that the first human beings to eat cooked food did so in South China. The southern sites of Hsien-jen-tung in Kiangsi and Tseng-p'i-yen in Kwangsi have yielded artifacts from the 10th to the 7th millennium BC that include low-fired, cord-marked sherds with some incised decoration and mostly chipped stone

China, The North China Plain

2004-11-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

Comparable in size to the Manchurian Plain, most of this plain lies at heights below 150 feet, and the relief is monotonously flat. It was formed by enormous sedimentary deposits brought down by the Huang Ho and Huai River from the Loess Plateau; the Quaternary deposits alone (i.e., those from 10,000 to 2,500,000 years old) reach thicknesses of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. The river channels, which are higher than

Dæhlie, Bjørn

2004-11-18T03:06:00.000-08:00

Norwegian cross-country skiing legend Bjørn Dæhlie rocketed into the record books in 1998 by shattering the previous marks for gold medals and total medals won by an individual in Winter Olympics competition. With victories at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, in the 10-km race, 50-km race, and 4 ´10-km relay, he established himself as one of the greatest Nordic skiers of all time. "The Rocketman,"

Degenerate Gas

2004-11-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

In physics, a particular configuration, usually reached at high densities, of a gas composed of subatomic particles with half-integral intrinsic angular momentum (spin). Such particles are called fermions, because their microscopic behaviour is regulated by a set of quantum mechanical rules—Fermi-Dirac statistics (q.v.). These rules state, in particular, that there

Jacobs, Jane

2004-11-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

After graduating from high school, she became a reporter on the Scranton Tribune, moving to New York City about a year later. While working as a free-lance writer, she met and married an architect, Robert Hyde Jacobs. Already keenly interested

Switzerland, Architecture

2004-11-12T02:14:00.000-08:00

The 12th-century Romanesque style found particularly rich expression in the cathedrals of Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Sion, and Chur and in the many castles and fortresses. The Gothic style was expressed in the cathedrals of Zug, Zürich, and Schaffhausen. Notable examples of Baroque churches are located in Einsiedeln, east of Zug, and in St. Gall. In the Renaissance period

Akzo Nobel Nv

2004-11-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Akzo NV had its origins in the German chemical manufacturer Vereinigte Glanzstoff-Fabriken, which was formed in 1899 and made rayon and paints. Vereinigte merged with a Dutch

Seacole, Mary

2004-11-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

Her father was a Scottish soldier and her mother a free black Jamaican woman who was skilled in traditional medicine and provided care for invalids at her boardinghouse. In 1836 Grant married Edwin Horatio Seacole, and, during their trips to

Black And Tan

2004-11-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

Member of a British auxiliary police force employed in Ireland against the republicans from July 1920 to July 1921. Their popular name derived from the name of a variety of hunting dogs, applied to the police because of their attire of khaki coats, black belts, and dark green trousers and caps. When Irish nationalist agitation intensified after World War I, a large proportion

Frederick I

2004-11-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

An implacable enemy of the Bohemian followers of Jan Hus, church reformer and accused heretic, Frederick aided the Holy Roman emperor Sigismund against them from 1420 on. When the last Saxon elector

Pacific Islands, Interaction with Western societies

2004-11-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

During almost five centuries of contact with, first, Europeans and, then, Americans and Asians, island societies fluctuated between change and disorganization on the one hand and stability and reintegration on the other. Relatively balanced ecosystems of prehistoric times were disrupted when islanders, reacting to the novelty and authority of Western civilization,

Pre-columbian Civilizations, The nature of Andean civilization

2004-10-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

The coastal desert was inhabited for millennia by fishermen, and many of their settlements have been studied by archaeologists. The people in these communities were familiar with the sea and depended heavily on its products, but from very early times they also used and possibly cultivated native varieties of cotton. Textiles have been the major art form in the

Integrator

2004-10-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

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,

Great Sand Dunes National Monument And Preserve

2004-10-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Federal legislation enacted in 2000 created Great Sand

Frederick Ii

2004-10-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

After joining his uncles John and Adolphus, dukes of

Race, The problem of labour in the New World

2004-10-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest problems faced by settlers in the New World, particularly in the southern colonies, was the shortage of labour. Within a few decades after the settlement of Jamestown, planters had established indentured servitude as the main form of labour. Under this system, young men (and some women) worked for masters, to whom they were indebted for their transportation,

Race

2004-10-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

The idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences. Genetic studies in the late 20th century denied the existence of biogenetically distinct races, and scholars now argue that “races” are cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different

Welch, William Henry

2004-10-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Undertaking graduate medical study in Germany (1876–78), Welch was working in the

Tarakan Island

2004-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Indonesian Pulau Tarakan island in Kalimantan Timur provinsi (“province”), Indonesia. It is situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of 117 square miles (303 square km) and has a length of approximately 10 miles (16 km). Its coastal area is low and swampy, and there are oil fields on the southwestern coast. During World War II the island was captured (January

Tu-16

2004-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

The TU-16 carried a crew of six and

Heron

2004-10-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Any of about 60 species of long-legged wading birds of the subfamily Ardeinae of the family Ardeidae (order Ciconiiformes) and generally including several species usually called egrets (see egret). The Ardeidae also include the bitterns (subfamily Botaurinae). Herons are widely distributed over the world but are most common in the tropics. They usually feed while wading

Cameron, Julia Margaret

2004-10-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

The daughter of an officer in the East India Company, Julia Margaret Pattle married jurist Charles Hay Cameron in 1838. The couple had six children, and in 1860 the family settled on the Isle of Wight.

Lipton, Sir Thomas Johnstone, 1st Baronet

2004-10-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Lipton, whose Irish parents ran a small grocery, immigrated to the United States in 1865. After five years at various jobs, he returned to Glasgow and opened a small provision shop, whose success led him to open other shops throughout the United Kingdom. To supply his retail

Hohe Tauern

2004-10-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

Segment of the Eastern Alps in southern Austria, extending for 70 miles (110 km) between the Zillertal Alps and the Italian border (west) and Katschberg Pass (east). Within the range lie many lofty peaks, including Grossglockner (q.v.; 12,457 feet [3,797 m]), the highest point in Austria. The range is crossed by road through the Felber Tauern Tunnel (east of Grossvenediger) and through the Hochtor

Ford, Betty

2004-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

After Gerald Ford narrowly lost the election of 1976 to Jimmy Carter, the Fords retired to Rancho Mirage, California, where Betty's dependence on prescription drugs continued. In early 1978, under pressure from her family, she agreed to enter a treatment centre in Long Beach, California. After her successful stay she founded the Betty Ford Center to treat others with similar addictions; the centre became very popular and attracted patients from all walks of life. Although much about her life was traditional, Betty Ford compiled a remarkably independent record as first lady, and she became enormously popular for her honesty and candour.

Arran, James Stewart, Earl Of

2004-09-29T02:04:00.000-07:00

Both Stewart and his rival, Esmé, duke of Lennox, were deprived of office when the Protestant lords seized power by the raid of Ruthven (1582); but a year later they in turn were overthrown and driven into exile by Stewart. His tyranny and insolence, however,

Ryabushinsky Family

2004-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mikhayl Y. Ryabushinsky purchased a fabric store in Moscow in 1844 and two years later opened a cloth factory. His sons, Pavel and Vasily

Scandinavian Literature, Norwegian and Icelandic literature

2004-09-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

The roots of Norwegian literature reach back more than 1,000 years and become inextricably intertwined with early Icelandic literature. Although a large part of this early literature was composed either in Iceland or elsewhere in Scandinavia by Icelanders, the Norwegian element in it is considerable and indisputable, even though this cannot always be isolated

Kamen-na-obi

2004-09-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

City and administrative centre of Kamensky rayon (sector), Altay kray (region), south-central Russia. A port on the Ob River, it was founded in 1670 and designated an urban settlement in 1915 and became a city in 1925. Its economic base is the food-processing industry; other factories produce bricks and furniture. Teacher-training and veterinary colleges are located in the city. Pop. (1993 est.)

Maya Languages

2004-09-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

The family may be subdivided into the Huastec, Yucatec, Western Maya, and Eastern Maya groups. The most important Eastern Maya languages are Quiché and Cakchiquel; but there are also Mam, Teco,

Leng-hu

2004-09-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Lenghu, town, northwestern Tsinghai sheng (province), western China. Leng-hu is situated in the northwestern part of the Tsaidam Basin, to the southwest of Tang-chin Pass, which leads from the Tsaidam into western Kansu province and to the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang. Leng-hu is one of the major centres of the oil fields developed in the Tsaidam Basin during the 1960s and

Harcourt, Sir William

2004-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

A lawyer from 1854, Harcourt briefly taught international law at the University of Cambridge. Entering the House of Commons in 1868, Harcourt served Prime

Pacheco, José Emilio

2004-09-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

Pacheco was educated at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He wrote several plays there that were never produced, and he edited the literary supplement of the review Estaciones (1957–58). His first published

Kiangsi, Relief

2004-09-14T02:02:00.000-07:00

Topographically, Kiangsi corresponds to the drainage basin of the Kan River, which runs northeastward in descending elevation from the southern tip of the province to P'o-yang Lake and the Yangtze in the north. This basin is surrounded by hills and mountains that rim the province from all sides. Among the more important ranges are the Huai-yü Mountains, to the northeast;

Tswana

2004-09-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Tswana live in a grassland environment where they practice animal

Delors, Jacques

2004-09-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

The son of a courier at the Banque de France, Delors himself joined the bank in 1945, later earning a degree in economics from the Sorbonne. He became active in the Christian Trade Union Confederation (renamed the Democratic Trade Union

Aldanov, Mark

2004-09-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

In 1919 Aldanov emigrated to France, which he left for the United States in 1941. He wrote an essay on Lenin (1921); Deux Révolutions (1921; “Two Revolutions”), a work comparing the Russian and French revolutions; Actinochimie (1936; “Actinic Chemistry”), a scientific

I Li

2004-09-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Yi li collection of Chinese rituals probably compiled during Western Han times (206 BC–AD 8) and listed, along with two other ritual texts (Li chi, “Collection of Rituals”; Chou li, “Rites of Chou”), among the Nine, Twelve, and Thirteen Classics of Confucianism. Its subject matter is somewhat different from the other ritual classics in that it gives special emphasis to such events as weddings,

Scale Insect

2004-09-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

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

Edward V

2004-09-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

The eldest surviving son of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth (Woodville), Edward was born at Westminster Abbey while his father, momentarily deposed, was in exile in Holland. In June 1471, after Edward IV had crushed his foes and reclaimed his crown, young Edward was made

Tiglath-pileser Ii

2004-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

King of Assyria (c. 965–c. 932 BC). He apparently ruled effectively, as a successor addressed him by a title reserved for mighty monarchs. Otherwise, little is known of the period other than that Assyria was beginning to emerge from its collapse of a century before.

Armenian Rite

2004-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

The system of liturgical practices and discipline observed by both the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church and the Armenian Catholics. The Armenians, who regard themselves as the “first Christian nation,” were converted to Christianity by St. Gregory the Illuminator about AD 300. The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Illuminator, used by both Apostolic and Catholic Armenians,

Probabilism

2004-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

In casuistry, a principle of action grounded on the premise that, when one does not know whether an action would be sinful or permissible, he may rely on a “probable opinion” for its permissibility even though a more probable opinion calls it sinful. An opinion is considered probable either if sound, logical arguments can be cited in its favour (intrinsic probability)

Strange Particle

2004-08-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Subatomic particle, either a meson or baryon, that contains a strange quark (q.v.).

Mesopotamia, History Of, The classical and medieval views of Mesopotamia; its rediscovery in modern times

2004-08-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Before the first excavations in Mesopotamia, about 1840, nearly 2,000 years had passed during which knowledge of the ancient Middle East was derived from three sources only: the Bible, Greek and Roman authors, and the excerpts from the writings of Berosus, a Babylonian who wrote in Greek. In 1800 very little more was known than in AD 800, although these sources had served to stir the imagination

Parade

2004-08-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

A type of pageant (q.v.) whose main feature is a public procession.

Computers And Information Systems

2004-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

A flurry of legal and Internet activity swirled around the computer industry in 2003, contrasting sharply with slowed sales for computers and software. While industry sales languished and layoffs continued, consumers and businesses experienced the wrath of Internet worms and viruses. Junk e-mail, called spam, clogged e-mail inboxes everywhere, and legislators mobilized

Amman

2004-08-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

Its focus of settlement throughout history has been the small, high, triangular plateau (modern