SeparateKnot

Andean Peoples

2005-03-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

Although the Andes Mountains extend from Venezuela to the southern tip of the continent, it is conventional to call “Andean” only the people who were once part of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire in the Central Andes, or those influenced by it. Even so, the Andean region is very wide. It encompasses

Vajiravudh

2005-03-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Vajiravudh was educated at Oxford University, where he read history and law; he also received military training at Sandhurst and served briefly with the British Army. Having been named heir apparent in 1895, he returned to Siam in 1903 and succeeded

Neorealism

2005-03-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

The movement was rooted in the 1920s and, though suppressed for nearly two decades by Fascist control, emerged in great strength after the Fascist regime fell at the end of World War II. Neorealismo is similar in general aims to the earlier Italian movement verismo (Realism), from which it originated, but differs in that its upsurge was brought about by the intense feelings,

Pacher, Michael

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

Little is known of Pacher's early life, but he is thought to have gone to Italy, where he was much impressed by the experiments in perspective of two eminent northern Italian

Alaskan Brown Bear

2005-03-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

Race or subspecies of grizzly bear (q.v.).

Kean University

2005-03-09T01:13:00.000-08:00

Public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Union, New Jersey, U.S. It comprises schools of Business, Government and Technology; Education; Liberal Arts; and Natural Sciences, Nursing and Mathematics. Master's degree programs are available in education, psychology, business, liberal studies, speech pathology, nursing, and public administration. Campus

Encke's Comet

2005-03-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Faint comet having the shortest orbital period (about 3.3 years) of any known; it was also only the second comet (after Halley's) to have its period established. The comet was first observed in 1786 by Pierre Méchain. Johann Franz Encke in 1819 calculated that sightings of apparently different comets in 1786, 1795, 1805, and 1818 were in fact appearances of the same comet, whose short orbital period he was

Nephrology

2005-03-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Branch of medicine concerned with the study of kidney functions and the treatment of kidney diseases. The first scientific observations of the kidney were made by Lorenzo Bellini and Marcello Malpighi in the middle of the 17th century, but true physiological understanding of the kidney began with Carl Ludwig's 1844 hypothesis that blood pressure forces waste fluids

Channel-port Aux Basques

2005-03-02T04:56:00.000-08:00

Town on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, Canada. It is the terminal for car ferries across Cabot Strait from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and is the connecting point for the 570-mile (917-kilometre) semicircular final stage of the Trans-Canada Highway to St. John's (east). Fishing and fish processing are local industries. A monument commemorates those who died when the ferry

Yin-ch'uan

2005-02-28T03:13:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Yinchuan , conventional Yinchwan capital of Hui Autonomous Region of Ningsia, north-central China. The city is located near the western bank of the upper course of the Huang Ho, near the western end of the Great Wall of China in the south-central section of the Ho-lan Mountains and Ordos Desert. It is served by a river port at Heng-ch'eng, about 9.5 miles (15 km) to the east. Until the 1950s the river, which is navigable downstream

Irish Moss

2005-02-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Carrageen (Chondrus crispus), species of red algae, a small, tufted seaweed with thin fronds from 5 to 25 cm (2 to 10 inches) long, that grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of the British Isles, Europe, and North America. The name is also used loosely for several other red seaweeds found associated with Chondrus. Other names descriptive of its appearance are pearl moss,

Gadsden Purchase

2005-02-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

(signed Dec. 30, 1853, Mexico City; revised treaty ratified April 25, 1854), transaction that followed the conquest of much of northern Mexico by the United States in 1848. It assigned to the United States nearly 30,000 additional square miles (78,000 square kilometres) of northern Mexican territory, now southern Arizona and southern New Mexico. Prompted by advocates of a southern transcontinental

Thomas, William

2005-02-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Originally a land surveyor, Thomas was ordained in the Calvinistic Methodist ministry in 1859. From

Allen, Fred

2005-02-21T17:18:00.000-08:00

While working as a stack boy in the Boston Public Library, the young Sullivan came across a book on juggling from which he picked up that craft. He began juggling on amateur entertainment circuits and

Monadhliath Mountains

2005-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Grey Hills mountain range in the Highland council area, Scotland, between Loch Ness in the northwest and the River Spey in the southeast. The range has several summits with elevations greater than 3,000 feet (900 metres), the highest being Carn Mairg at 3,087 feet (941 metres), the haunt of eagles and wild cats. The River Findhorn rises on the northwestern slopes of Carn Mairg and flows northward to

Arts, Central Asian

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

Szell, George

2005-02-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

A child prodigy on the piano, Szell was educated in Vienna. His conducting debut came at the age of 16 with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Neptune

2005-02-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

Neptune's festival (Neptunalia) took place in the heat of the summer (July 23), when water was scarcest; thus, its purpose was probably the propitiation of the

Nagaland, The land

2005-02-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Nearly all of Nagaland is mountainous. In the north, the Naga Hills rise abruptly from the Brahmaputra valley to about 2,000 feet (610 metres) and then increase in elevation toward the southeast to more than 6,000 feet. The mountains merge with the Patkai Range along the Myanmar border, reaching a maximum height of 12,552 feet (3,826 metres) at Mount Saramati. The region is deeply dissected by rivers:

Beagle

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

Small hound-dog breed popular as both a pet and a hunter. It looks like a small foxhound and has large brown eyes, hanging ears, and a short coat, usually a combination of black, tan, and white. The beagle is a solidly built dog, heavy for its height. It generally excels as a rabbit hunter and is typically an alert, affectionate dog. There are two sizes recognized in the breed: beagles

Keyboard Instrument, Germany

2005-02-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

From 1500 to 1800 Germany led the world in organ building and the composition of organ music. The organ builders reached the peak of their achievement about 1700 in the work of Arp Schnitger. Schnitger made organs with four manuals, pedals, and as many as 60 speaking stops, but he made some instruments with fewer than 30 speaking stops that are capable of dealing with the whole pre-Romantic

Arts, Central Asian, Tashtyk tribe

2005-02-05T05:44:00.000-08:00

On the Yenisey River the Bronze Age Tagar culture was replaced by the Tashtyk culture, dating from the 1st to the 4th century AD. The physical appearance of the Tashtyk people has been preserved by a seriesof masks, some of them modelled, others cast from the dead. They were painted with the features rendered in blue, red, and green against a yellow ground. Spirals disposed

Iraq, Housing

2005-02-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

The availability of adequate housing remained a problem in Iraq at the beginning of the 21st century. This was partly attributable to the major demographic shifts that had occurred in preceding decades, with large numbers of Shi'ites fleeing the south to overcrowded Baghdad and large groups of Kurds, Turkmens, and Assyrians being displaced by government policy in

Friuli-venezia Giulia

2005-01-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

Regione of northeastern Italy, bordering north and east on Austria and Slovenia, south on the Adriatic Sea, and west on Veneto regione; it has an area of 3,030 square miles (7,847 square km) and comprises the provincias of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, and Trieste. In the north the solid wall of the Carnine Alps, broken only by the Plöcken Pass (Passo di Monte Croce) and the low Tarvisio saddle,

Buber, Martin

2005-01-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

Buber's manifold activities were inspired by his philosophy of encounter—of man's meeting with other beings. An early mystical period culminated in Daniel (1913), five dialogues on orientation and realization, man's two basic stances toward the world. Orientation takes the world as a static state of affairs governed by comprehensible laws. It is a receptive, analytical,

Qatar

2005-01-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

A monarchy (emirate) on the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar occupies a desert peninsula and the nearby small Hawar Islands (also claimed by Bahrain) on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. Area (including Hawar Islands): 11,427 sq km (4,412 sq mi). Pop. (1996 est.): 590,000. Cap.: Doha. Monetary unit: Qatar riyal, with (Oct. 11, 1996) an official rate of 3.64 riyals to U.S. $1 (5.73 riyals = £1 sterling). Emir and prime minister in 1996, Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifah

Ithna 'ashariyah

2005-01-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

Each of the imams—'Ali, his sons Hasan and Husayn, 'Ali Zayn al-'Abidin, Muhammad al-Baqir, Ja'far as-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim, 'Ali ar-Rida, Muhammad al-Jawad, 'Ali al-Hadi, Hasan al-'Askari, and Muhammad

Domenico Veneziano,

2005-01-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

Domenico was probably first trained in the International Gothic manner in Venice, where it is likely he saw paintings by northern European artists. He settled in Florence about 1439 and, except for brief periods, worked there until his

Gunasthana

2005-01-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

The initial stages of development are: (1) mithyatva

Codreanu, Corneliu (zelea)

2005-01-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Early exposed to anti-Semitism, Codreanu participated widely in anticommunist and anti-Semitic activities during his university years at Iasi (1919–22). In 1922 he helped found the Association of Christian Students, which, from

Mardalsfossen

2005-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Waterfall at the head of Eikesdalsvatnet (lake), east-southeast of Åndalsnes, Nor. It consists of two cataracts in Mardøla district of Møre og Romsdal fylke (county), western Norway. The falls rank among the highest in the world, with their total drop of 1,696 ft (517 m) and individual descents of 974 and 722 ft. During the period of maximum snow melting in the spring, the waterfalls, descending

Biblical Literature, Pseudepigrapha connected with the Dead Sea Scrolls

2005-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

There are three Pseudepigrapha that are closely connected with the writings of the Dead Sea sect: the Book of Jubilees, the Ethiopic Book of Enoch, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. It is not accidental that fragments of the two first books and of two sources of the third were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Earth Sciences, Probes, satellites, and data transmission

2005-01-14T23:50:00.000-08:00

In the 1920s the radio replaced the telegraph and telephone as the principal instrument for transmitting weather data. By 1936 the radio meteorgraph (radiosonde) was developed, with capabilities of

Aesthetics, The aesthetic recipient

2005-01-11T00:07:00.000-08:00

Whichever approach we take, however, there is an all-important question upon the answer to which the course of aesthetics depends: the question of the recipient. Only beings of a certain kind have aesthetic interests and aesthetic experience, produce and appreciate art, employ such concepts as those of beauty, expression, and form. What is it that gives these beings

China, From Ch'eng-ti to Wong Mang

2005-01-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

In the reigns of Ch'eng-ti (33/32–7/6), Ai-ti (7/6–1 BC), and P'ing-ti (1 BC–AD 6) the conduct of state affairs and the atmosphere of the court were subject to the weakness or youth of the emperors, the lack of an heir to succeed Ch'eng-ti, and the rivalries between four families of Imperial consorts. It was a time when considerable attention was paid to omens. Changes that were first introduced in the state religious

Qatar, Government

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

The emir's power is constrained

Amazonas

2005-01-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

Departamento, southeastern Colombia, located in the warm, humid Amazon River basin. It is bounded on the northwest by the Caquetá River, on the northeast by the Apaporis River, on the east by Brazil, and on the south by Peru and the Putumayo River. Colombia's only direct contact with the Amazon River is through Amazonas. It is the largest departamento in Colombia but is

Francesca Da Rimini

2005-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Dante was the first to make a literary

Ibrahim Pasa

2005-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ibrahim's first military expedition was to Egypt (1524), where he reestablished order and introduced administrative and fiscal measures that solidified Ottoman authority there.

Capuchin

2005-01-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Member of Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M.Cap.) an autonomous branch of the Franciscan order of religious men, begun as a reform movement in 1525 by Matteo da Bascio, who wanted to return to a literal observance of the rule of St. Francis of Assisi and to introduce elements of the solitary life of hermits. Matteo was concerned that the habit, or religious uniform, worn by the Franciscans was not one that St. Francis had worn;

France, History Of, The Second Empire, 185270

2004-12-31T03:07:00.000-08:00

Posterity's image of Napoleon III and his regime has not been uniform. Some historians have seen him as a shallow opportunist whose only asset was a glorious name. Others have described him as a visionary reformer and patron of progress, a man who successfully attempted to reconcile liberty and authority, national prestige and European cooperation. The emperor's

Pius Ix

2004-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

The year of revolutions began in Sicily; soon all Europe was ablaze and Pius was faced with demands, both liberal and nationalist, much beyond what he had been prepared to grant (see Revolutions of 1848). On March 14 he was compelled to grant a constitution establishing a two-chamber parliament with full legislative and fiscal powers subject only to the pope's personal veto. On

Seton, George Seton, 5th Lord

2004-12-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

He was the eldest son of the 4th Lord Seton (d. 1549) and was educated in France. He was present at Mary's marriage with the dauphin (afterward Francis II of France) in 1557, and three years later he was again in France because of his adherence to Roman Catholicism. When Mary returned to Scotland (1561), he became privy councillor

Baia Mare

2004-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hungarian Nagybánya, city, capital of Maramures judet (county), northwestern Romania. It is situated in the Sasar River valley, surrounded by mountains. This location affords the city protection from the cold northeastern winds and sustains a quasi-Mediterranean vegetation. Founded in the 12th century by Saxon immigrants, it was first known as Neustadt. The first document mentioning the name

Gadus

2004-12-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

Fish genus of the family Gadidae, including the individuals and groups known as bib, cod, pollock, and whiting (qq.v.).

Biblical Literature, Purification laws

2004-12-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

With chapter 11 begin the regulations on ritual cleanness and uncleanness, starting with animals and other living things fit and unfit to eat—the basis of the famous Jewish dietary laws. Then come the uncleanness and required purification of women after childbirth, skin diseases, healed lepers, infected houses, and genital discharges. Chapter 16, which belongs in the

Gumma

2004-12-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sericulture and wheat cultivation are major economic activities.

Camaieu

2004-12-22T02:17:00.000-08:00

Plural Camaieux, painting technique by which an image is executed either entirely in shades of a single colour or in several tints unnatural to the object, figure, or scene represented. When a picture is monochromatically rendered in gray, it is called grisaille; when in yellow, cirage. Originating in the ancient world, camaieu was used in miniature painting to simulate cameos and

Philaret

2004-12-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

During the reign (1584–98) of his cousin, Tsar Fyodor I, Philaret served in the military campaign against the Swedes in 1590 and later (1593–94) conducted diplomatic negotiations with them. After Fyodor's death, Philaret was banished to a monastery by Boris Godunov (reigned 1598–1605). On Godunov's

Malcolm I

2004-12-21T04:50:00.000-08:00

Malcolm succeeded to the crown when his cousin Constantine II entered a monastery (943). He annexed Moray to the kingdom for the first time. After driving the Danes from York, the English king Edmund turned Cumbria over to Malcolm, apparently as a fief or seal of alliance. Later, when Norsemen again invaded the land, the Scots sent raids against

Anthony Of Kiev

2004-12-19T01:20:00.000-08:00

Seeking a solitary life, Anthony became a monk about 1028 at the Greek Orthodox monastery of Esphigmenon on Mount Athos, in Greece. According to an account contained in the 12th-century The Russian Primary Chronicle (Povest vremennykh let), Anthony

Jackson, Reggie

2004-12-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

Jackson was encouraged in sports by his father and became a star athlete at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania, excelling in track and football as well as baseball. He was a good pitcher as well as a hitter, batting and throwing left-handed. He continued his athletic career at Arizona State University

Alaska, Political growth

2004-12-18T05:33:00.000-08:00

As a U.S. possession Alaska was governed by military commanders for the War Department until 1877. During these years there was little internal development, but a salmon cannery built in 1878 was the beginning of what became the largest salmon industry in the world. In 1884 Congress established Alaska as a judicial land district, federal district courts were established, and a

Powder-post Beetle

2004-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

Any member of the approximately 90 species of the small, widely distributed insect family Lyctidae (order Coleoptera). These beetles range in colour from reddish brown to black and in size from 1 to 7 mm (up to 0.3 inch). The larvae bore through seasoned wood, reducing it to a dry powder; they do not, however, enter varnished or painted wood. Powder-post beetle holes are often erroneously

Aetolia

2004-12-16T04:46:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aitolia, district of ancient Greece, located directly north of the Gulf of Corinth and bounded by Epirus (north), Locris (east), and Acarnania (west). In modern Greece, Aetolia is linked with Acarnania in the department of Aitolía kai Akarnanía. Aetolia, particularly its cities Pleuron and Calydon, figures prominently in early legend. During the great migrations (1200–1000 BC) most of the region's

Ducetius

2004-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

A Hellenized leader of the Siculi, an ancient people of Sicily, who for a short time welded the native communities of east Sicily into a powerful federation. He seized his opportunity during the confusion that followed the collapse of tyranny in Syracuse and other Sicilian states in 460. Enjoying the goodwill of the Syracusan democracy, he enlisted its help in driving

Ca Mau Peninsula

2004-12-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

Peninsula, the southernmost projection of Vietnam, lying between the South China Sea on the east and the Gulf of Thailand on the west, with drainage to each. The flat, triangular peninsula, with lengths ranging from 110 to 130 miles (180 to 210 km), averages about 7 feet (2 m) above sea level and owes its configuration largely to shore deposits of the Mekong River, which are also responsible

Anglo-saxon Chronicle

2004-12-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Chronological account of events in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, a compilation of seven surviving interrelated manuscript records that is the primary source for the early history of England. The narrative was first assembled in the reign of King Alfred (871–899) from materials that included some epitome of universal history: the Venerable Bede's Historia ecclesiastica

Moses, Edwin

2004-12-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Moses competed in cross-country, track, and gridiron football in high school and studied physics at Morehouse College (B.S., 1978) in Atlanta, Georgia. There he first ran the 400-metre race and the 120-yard high hurdles but began running

Babuyan Islands

2004-12-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

Island group of the Philippines that is a northerly extension of the Philippine archipelago. The Babuyan Islands lie in the Luzon Strait, south of the Batan Islands and Balintang Channel. They lie 20 miles (32 km) north of Luzon across the Babuyan Channel. With a total area of 230 square miles (600 square km), they comprise 24 volcanic-coralline islands, the chief of which are Babuyan,

Mcphee, John

2004-12-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Princeton University (A.B., 1953), McPhee studied for a year at

Northern Territory, Transportation

2004-12-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

The transport system is relatively undeveloped by Western standards, reflecting the small population base and the vast distances to be traversed. The backbone of the road system is provided by the Stuart Highway, which runs south from Darwin to the South Australian border and connects most of the territory's urban centres. Upgraded by the military in World War

Estado De S. Paulo, O

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

Influential newspaper published daily in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city. O Estado is widely respected for its thorough coverage of national and international news, its publication of the texts of speeches of important government officials, and other matter usually found in a country's newspaper of record. O Estado is sometimes called the “New York Times of Latin

Mars, Canals Of

2004-12-07T03:38:00.000-08:00

Apparent systems of long, straight linear markings on the surface of Mars that are now known to be illusions caused by the chance alignment of craters and other natural surface features seen in telescopes near the limit of resolution. They were the subject of much controversy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and influenced popular thinking about the possibility

Cabrera Infante, Guillermo

2004-12-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

In the 1940s Cabrera Infante moved to Havana with his impoverished

Offaly

2004-12-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Irish Uibh Fhailaí county in the province of Leinster, Ireland. With an area of 771 square miles (1,998 square km), it is bounded by Counties Westmeath and Meath (north), Kildare (east), Laoighis and Tipperary (south), and Galway and Roscommon (west). The River Shannon forms its western boundary. Offaly consists mainly of a large section of the central lowland, though its southwestern boundary runs along

Computers, Early computer enthusiasts

2004-12-03T01:17:00.000-08:00

Though the young engineering executives at Intel could sense the ground shifting upon the introduction of their new microprocessors, the leading computer manufacturers did not. It should not have taken a visionary to observe the trend of cheaper, faster, and more powerful devices. Nevertheless, even after the invention of the microprocessor, few could imagine

Kylix

2004-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cylix, in ancient Greek pottery, wide-bowled drinking cup with horizontal handles, one of the most popular pottery forms from Mycenaean times through the classical Athenian period. There was usually a painted frieze around the outer surface (see photograph), depicting a subject from mythology or everyday life, and on the bottom of the inside a painting often depicting

Biblical Literature, Habakkuk

2004-11-29T02:48:00.000-08:00

The Book of Habakkuk, the eighth book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, was written by a prophet difficult to identify. He may have been a professional prophet of the Temple from the 7th century BCE (probably between 605–597 BCE). Containing three chapters, Habakkuk combines lamentation and oracle. In the first chapter, he cries out for Yahweh to help his people: “O Lord, how long shall I cry for

Chandos, Sir John

2004-11-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

Chandos was a lifelong follower and companion of Edward the Black Prince, fighting under him at Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Nájera (1367). Given the lands of the Viscount de Saint-Sauveur in the Cotentin, Chandos was made constable of Guyenne in 1362 and was seneschal of Poitou

Narameikhla

2004-11-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

When Arakan became the scene of a struggle between rival centres of power in the 15th century, Narameikhla, the son of King Rajathu (reigned 1397–1401), was forced in the first year

Nabu-rimanni

2004-11-26T04:03:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Naburianos, Naburiannuos, Naburiannu, or Naburimannu the earliest Babylonian astronomer known by name, who devised the so-called System A, a group of ephemerides, or tables, giving the positions of the Moon, Sun, and planets at any given moment. Based on centuries of observation, these tables were nonetheless somewhat crude and were superseded about a century later by Kidinnu's System B, a refined mathematical

Colette, Saint

2004-11-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

The daughter of a carpenter at the monastery of Corbie, she was orphaned at 17 and entered the third order of St. Francis, living in a hermitage given her by the abbot of Corbie. In a vision, St. Francis directed Colette to restore the Poor Clares

Bon

2004-11-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Also called Bon Matsuri, or Urabon, one of the most popular annual festivals in Japan, observed July 13–15 (August 13–15 in some places), honouring the spirits of deceased family ancestors and of the dead generally. It is, along with the New Year festival, one of the two main occasions during the year when the dead are believed to return to their birthplaces. Memorial stones are cleaned, community dances performed,

Macdiarmid, Hugh

2004-11-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

The son of a postman, MacDiarmid was educated at Langholm Academy and the University of Edinburgh. After serving in World War I he became a journalist in Montrose, Angus, where he edited three issues of the first

Süchow

2004-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Süchow is located in the gap in the Shantung Hills that forms a southwestern extension into the North China Plain. Through this gap flows

Cosmology

2004-11-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

Three great ages of scientific cosmology can be distinguished. The first began in Greece in the 6th century BC when the Pythagoreans introduced the concept of a spherical Earth and, unlike the Babylonians

Adams, William Taylor

2004-11-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Although he never graduated from college, Adams was a teacher and principal in Boston elementary schools for more than 20 years. Under the pen name Oliver Optic, he wrote

Backpacking

2004-11-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

Sport of hiking while carrying clothing, food, and camping equipment in a pack on the back. Originally, in the early 20th century, backpacking was practiced in the wilderness as a means of getting to areas inaccessible by car or by day hike. It demands physical conditioning and practice, knowledge of camping and survival techniques, and selection of equipment of a minimum

Settling

2004-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Settling also refers to movement of structures located above deep beds of soft

O'grady, Standish James

2004-11-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

O'Grady graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1868. Introduced to the ancient heroic and romantic literature

France, History Of, German reparations

2004-11-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

The general elections of November 1919 resulted in a massive majority for the right-wing coalition called the Bloc

Pa-an

2004-11-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Burmese Hpa-an town, southern Myanmar (Burma). Situated on the left bank of the Salween River, 27 miles (43 km) north of Moulmein (Mawlamyine), it has an airfield and is linked by road west to Thaton and across the Dwana Range to Thailand. Pop. (1983) 41,501.

Extraterritoriality

2004-11-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

Also called Exterritoriality, or Diplomatic Immunity, in international law, the immunities enjoyed by foreign states or international organizations and their official representatives from the jurisdiction of the country in which they are present. Extraterritoriality extends to foreign states or international organizations as entities and to their heads, legations, troops in passage, war vessels, mission premises,

Oglethorpe, James Edward

2004-11-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford, he entered the army in 1712 and joined the Austrian army fighting the Turks in 1717. On his return to England in 1722, he entered Parliament. In 1729 he presided over a committee that brought about prison reforms.

Gambling

2004-11-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

Gambling games may vary in complexity from betting on the outcome of the toss of a coin, in which the

China, Expulsion of Communists from the KMT

2004-11-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

The climax of the conflict came after Nationalist armies had taken Shanghai and Nanking in March. Nanking was captured on March 23, and the following morning Nationalist troops looted foreign properties, attacked the British, U.S., and Japanese consulates, and killed seven foreigners. In Shanghai a general strike led by Communists aroused fears that Chinese might

Vacuum Technology

2004-11-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

All processes and physical measurements carried out under conditions of below-normal atmospheric pressure. A process or physical measurement is generally performed in a vacuum for one of the following reasons: (1) to remove the constituents of the atmosphere that could cause a physical or chemical reaction during the process (e.g., vacuum melting of reactive metals

Tsimlyansk Reservoir

2004-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Russian Tsimlyanskoye Vodokhranilishche, reservoir created by a giant barrage (dam) at the great bend of the Don River, near the town of Tsimlyansk in Rostov oblast (province), southern Russia. The reservoir, about 160 miles (257 kilometres) long, was constructed in 1950–51 in connection with the building of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal. It provides hydroelectric power and irrigation water for the extensive vineyards and market

Tasmania, Cultural life

2004-11-08T05:31:00.000-08:00

For the smallness and dispersion of its population, Tasmania has a remarkably vigorous cultural life. At the amateur level, there are many musical groups, ranging from the full orchestra to the ensemble, as well as choral societies and repertory companies. The University of Tasmania has a conservatorium of music and a school of art. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation,

Kerogen

2004-11-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Complex mixture of compounds with large molecules containing mainly hydrogen and carbon but also oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. It is the organic component of oil shales, hence their alternative names of kerogen shales or kerogenites. Kerogen is insoluble in water; upon heating, it breaks down into recoverable gaseous and liquid substances resembling petroleum.

Medicine, China

2004-11-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Health services in China since the Cultural Revolution have been characterized by decentralization and dependence on personnel chosen locally and trained for short periods. Emphasis is given to selfless motivation, self-reliance, and to the involvement of everyone in the community. Campaigns stressing the importance of preventive measures and their implementation

Oaks

2004-11-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

One of the English Classic horse races (along with the Derby, Saint Leger, Two Thousand Guineas, and One Thousand Guineas), an event for three-year-old fillies, established in 1779, and run over a 1.5-mile (about 2,400-metre) course at Epsom Downs, Surrey, also the site of the Derby. The Oaks was named for the nearby residence of the 12th Earl of Derby, whose horse Bridget won the first running.

Drilling Machinery

2004-11-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

Most modern drilling machines are either percussive (chipping rock or ground intermittently

Balanophoraceae

2004-11-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

The balanophora family of flowering plants, which includes about 18 genera containing more than 100 species of root parasites that are distributed primarily throughout the tropics. The Balanophoraceae are sometimes placed in their own order, Balanophorales, although they are usually considered to be members of the sandalwood order (Santalales). The club-shaped flower

Alagoinhas

2004-11-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern Bahia state, northeastern Brazil, lying 35 miles (56 km) inland from the Atlantic coast at 607 feet (185 metres) above sea level. It was elevated to city rank in 1880, and its municipality is the largest orange-producing region in the state. Bananas, lemons, and cassava (manioc) are also cultivated, and dairying is widespread. Tanning, coal mining, and lumbering are also important.

Munch, Peter Andreas

2004-10-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Writing during the period of romantic nationalism, Munch, along with Jakob Rudolf Keyser, promoted the idea that the Norwegians, as opposed to the Danes and Swedes, arrived in Scandinavia

Adobe Systems Incorporated

2004-10-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

The company was founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke. While employed at Xerox Corporation's Palo Alto (California) Research Center (PARC), the two computer scientists had developed a programming language specially designed to describe the precise position, shape, and size of objects on a computer-generated page. This page description language, later known

Interior Design, Renaissance to the end of the 18th century

2004-10-29T00:59:00.000-07:00

The Renaissance was a revival of the old classical styles, and it is not surprising that it first showed itself to a marked degree in Italy. The Gothic style had made comparatively little headway in Italy, where it was regarded as barbarous except in some of the more northerly towns, such as Milan and Venice. The style had more or less coincided with a period of primitive

Valdemar Ii

2004-10-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

The son and brother, respectively, of the Danish kings Valdemar I and Canute IV, Valdemar acted as the duke of Schleswig from 1188 and conquered