IllMoon

Brown, Ronald Harmon

2005-03-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

U.S. politician (b. Aug. 1, 1941, Washington, D.C.--d. April 3, 1996, near Dubrovnik, Croatia), was regarded as an adroit deal maker and political strategist who helped resuscitate both the Democratic Party as its national chairman (1989-93) and the U.S. Department of Commerce as its secretary (1993-96). A prominent member of Pres. Bill Clinton's Cabinet, he wielded heavy influence in international trade but was

Toots And The Maytals

2005-03-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Formed in 1962 as a ska group fronted by the charismatic Hibbert, the Maytals (originally known as the Vikings, then as

Music

2005-03-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

In 1994 several pioneers of free improvisation were especially newsworthy. Anthony Braxton (see BIOGRAPHIES) was one of two jazz artists to receive a MacArthur Foundation fellowship during the year. Only a fraction of his music had been documented on recordings, so the appearance of Composition No. 96 (Leo), played by an orchestra directed by Braxton, was welcome even if it

Noord-brabant

2005-03-13T01:55:00.000-08:00

English North Brabant provincie (province), second largest of The Netherlands, extending northward from the Belgium border, between the provinces of Zeeland (west) and Limburg (east), to the Maas (Meuse) and Merwede rivers. It is drained by the Mark (Merk) and Dommel rivers and the Zuidwillemsvaart and Wilhelmina canals. Its capital is 's Hertogenbosch. Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age remains attest

Madison, James

2005-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

During eight years as Jefferson's secretary of state (1801–09), Madison used the words “The President has decided” so regularly that his own role can be discovered only in foreign archives. British diplomats dealing with Madison encountered “asperity of temper and fluency of expression.” Senators John Adair and Nicholas Gilman agreed in 1806 that he “governed the President,” an opinion held also by French minister Louis-Marie Turreau.

Argentina, The Videla regime and the Dirty War

2005-03-04T04:45:00.000-08:00

Five days after the coup a three-man military junta filled the presidency with Lieutenant General Jorge Rafaél Videla. The junta closed Congress, imposed censorship, banned trade unions, and brought state and municipal government under military control. Meanwhile Videla initiated the infamous Process of National Reorganization, known subsequently as the

Aaron

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

Aaron continued to live as a symbol in Jewish religion and traditions, and the position of the priests was strengthened after the exile. Also, in the Qumran sect, a Jewish community that flourished in the era just before and contemporary with the birth of Christianity, Aaron was a symbol for a strong priesthood, as can be seen from the Dead Sea Scrolls. At the end of time,

Literature, United States.

2005-03-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

For all of the moaning and groaning about the state of the literary arts in the United States--and from writers to editors to critics to booksellers to readers, all had done some of it--it had to be admitted that when people argued about books, and the quarrels made newspaper headlines, something valuable was taking place. In 1994 critic Harold Bloom stirred up the biggest

Mountain

2005-02-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

Detailed introductions to the European Alps are E.R. Oxburgh, The Geology of the Eastern Alps (1968), concentrating on Austria; and R. Trümpy, An Outline of the Geology of Switzerland, vol. 1 of Geology of Switzerland: A Guide-Book, ed. by the Schweizerische Geologische Kommission (1980). Introductory articles on other mountain belts of the world are found in Scientific American, including the following: Don L. Anderson, “The San Andreas Fault,” 225(5):52–68 (November 1971); Peter Molnar and Paul Tapponnier, “The Collision Between India and Eurasia,” 236(4):30–41 (April 1977), describing the evolution of mountain belts in eastern Asia; and David L. Jones et al., “The Growth of Western North America,” 247(5):70–84 (November 1982), describing the accretion of exotic terrains to that area. Two useful articles in Geological Society of America Bulletin are Tanya Atwater, “Implications of Plate Tectonics for the Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of Western North America,” 81(12):3513–35 (December 1970), a classic article that changed the way geologists view that region; and John F. Deway et al., “Plate Tectonics and the Evolution of the Alpine System,” 84(10)3137–80 (October 1973), a summary of motions of lithospheric plates and mountain building in the Mediterranean area. See also Peter Molnar, “The Geologic History and Structure of the Himalaya,” American Scientist, 74(2):144–154 (March-April 1986), describing how the structure of the Himalayas allows the chain to achieve its great height.

Insurance, Contract law

2005-02-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

To meet the requirement of legal purpose, the insurance contract must

Mercouri, Melina

2005-02-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

Mercouri came from a politically prominent family. She graduated from the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece. Her first major role, at the age of 20, was Lavinia in Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra,

Coolidge, Grace

2005-02-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Eventually she built her own house, which she lent to navy personnel during World War II. She died of heart disease in 1957 and was buried beside her husband and son at the Plymouth Notch Cemetery in Plymouth, Vermont. Like other presidents' wives, she lamented that she had to subjugate her private self to her public role: “This was I and yet not I—this was the wife of the President of the United States and she took precedence over me.” In the process, however, Grace Coolidge joined that small group of first ladies who are rated as more successful at their jobs than their husbands were at their presidencies.

Xipe Totec

2005-02-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

As a symbol of the new vegetation, Xipe Totec wore the skin of a human victim—the “new skin” that covered the Earth in the spring. His statues and stone masks always show him wearing a freshly flayed skin. Described

Round, Henry Joseph

2005-02-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

Round worked with Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Ltd., from 1902 to 1914, first in the United States, where he improved the tuning components of radio receivers and built early radio direction

Adamic, Louis

2005-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Adamic immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia at age 14 and was naturalized in 1918. He wrote about what he called the failure of the American melting pot in Laughing

Demaratus

2005-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

King of Sparta, together with Cleomenes I, who frustrated Cleomenes' designs on both Athens and Aegina. He was consequently dethroned by Cleomenes on a false charge of illegitimacy, upon which he fled to Persia and was given some small cities in northwestern Asia Minor, which his descendants held in Xenophon's time. The historian Herodotus told several

Hooper, Franklin Henry

2005-02-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

In 1899 Hooper joined the staff of the Britannica, in which his brother Horace, James Clarke, and others had acquired an interest. Franklin Hooper was connected with five editions of the Britannica in the ensuing

Juvarra, Filippo

2005-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Juvarra studied in Rome (1703–14) under the architect Carlo Fontana and was commissioned to design scenes for Cardinal Ottoboni's theatre in the Cancelleria Palace. He was also asked to do stage designs for the queen of Poland, Maria

Duck

2005-02-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Any of several genera of relatively small, short-necked, large-billed waterfowl that belong to the subfamily Anatinae, family Anatidae (q.v.), order Anseriformes. In true ducks, i.e., those classified in Anatinae, the legs are placed rearward, as in swans, resulting in a waddling gait. Most true ducks, including a few inaccurately called geese by reason of size and build, differ

Conti, Louis-armand I De Bourbon, Prince De

2005-02-04T03:15:00.000-08:00

Eldest surviving son of Armand I de Bourbon, prince of Conti; he succeeded his father in 1666. His marriage (1680) to Marie-Anne de Bourbon (1666–1739), daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière, was the first union between a prince of the blood and one of the King's bastards. He served with distinction in Flanders in 1683 and, against the wish of the king, went to

Essexite

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

Dark gray to black, fine-grained, intrusive igneous rock that occurs in Essex County, Mass.; at Mount Royal, near Montreal; near Oslo, Nor.; at Roztoky, Czech Republic; and at Carclout, Scot. It contains plagioclase as the dominant feldspar, as well as orthoclase feldspar, augite, biotite, hornblende, olivine, and nepheline. As the proportion of nepheline increases, essexite

Duala

2005-02-01T05:04:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Douala, Bantu-speaking people of the forest region of southern Cameroon living on the estuary of the Wouri River. By 1800 the Duala controlled Cameroon's trade with Europeans, and their concentrated settlement pattern developed under this influence. Their system of chieftaincy was partly founded on trading wealth. For much of the 19th century there were two political–commercial

Scabious

2005-01-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Scabiosa (genus Scabiosa), any of about 100 species of annual and perennial herbs of the teasel family, Dipsacaceae, order Dipsacales. They are native to temperate Eurasia, the Mediterranean region, and the mountains of eastern Africa. Some are important garden plants. All species have basal leaf rosettes and leafy stems. The flower heads have many crowded, small,

Coolidge, William D(avid)

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

After teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge; 1897, 1901–05) and the University of Leipzig (1899), in 1905 he joined the General Electric (GE) Research Laboratory.

Port

2005-01-25T00:36:00.000-08:00

Also called Porto, specifically, a sweet, fortified, usually red wine of considerable renown from the Douro region of northern Portugal, named for the town of Oporto where it is aged and bottled; also, any of several similar fortified wines produced elsewhere. The region of true port production is strictly delimited by Portuguese law. The soil and grapes, and the skill of Oporto vintners

Aaron

2005-01-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

Scholars have long been aware that the figure of Aaron as it is now found in the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Old Testament, is built up from several sources or layers of traditions. According to Julius Wellhausen, a German biblical scholar, and his followers, the Yahwist source was the oldest one, followed in order by the Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly

Wilder, Thornton (niven)

2005-01-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

His first novel, The Cabala (1926), while set in 20th-century Rome,

Aeschylus

2005-01-19T00:22:00.000-08:00

Aeschylus' influence on the development of tragedy was fundamental. Previous to him, Greek drama was limited to one actor and a chorus engaged in a largely static recitation. (The chorus was a group of actors who responded to and commented on the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation.) The actor could assume different roles by changing masks and costumes,

Sucre, Antonio José De

2005-01-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

At the age of 15 Sucre entered the

Literature, Poetry.

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

Poet and MacArthur fellow Jim Powell brought out Sappho: A Garland, new translations of the poems and fragments of the 6th-century BC poet from the Mediterranean island of Lesbos. The power of Sappho's poetry resonates throughout the brief 25 pages of this new rendering of her work. Twenty-one living American poets offered their versions of the cantos in Dante's

Fyodor Iii

2005-01-13T23:55:00.000-08:00

The eldest son of Alexis (reigned 1645–76), Fyodor not only was educated in the traditional subjects of Russian and Church

Fyodor Iii

2005-01-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

The AAUW was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1881 by 17 college women. At the time, many barriers hindered women from pursuing higher education and obtaining work in specialized fields. The AAUW had as its objective the betterment of women's lives and their personal

World War I, Forces and resources of the combatant nations in 1914

2005-01-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

All the initial belligerents

Macedo, José Agostinho De

2005-01-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

Macedo took vows as an Augustinian in 1778. Because of his turbulent character he spent much time in prison and was constantly transferred from one community to another. In 1792 he was unfrocked but obtained a papal brief that gave him the status of a secular priest. He was

Clovis

2005-01-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1909) of Curry county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., in the High Plains (4,260 feet [1,298 metres] above sea level) near the Texas state line. It was founded in 1906 as a division point for the Santa Fe Railway. Centre of an irrigated farm and ranch area, it has extensive livestock-auction and cattle-feeding facilities and also markets sugar beets, sorghum, wheat, cotton, vegetables, poultry, and

Swarthmore

2005-01-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

Borough (town), Delaware county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. It is a southwestern suburb of Philadelphia. The community developed around Swarthmore College, which was founded in 1864. The borough is mainly residential, its economy based on services associated with the college. Inc. 1893. Pop. (1990) 6,157; (2000) 6,170.

Kernite

2004-12-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

Also called Rasorite, borate mineral, hydrated sodium borate (Na2B4O7×4H2O), that was formerly the chief source of borax (q.v.). It forms very large crystals, often 60 to 90 centimetres (2 to 3 feet) thick; the largest observed measured 240 by 90 cm. The crystals are colourless and transparent but are usually covered by a surface film of opaque white tincalconite. Kernite is associated with other borate minerals as

Aramaic Alphabet

2004-12-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Aramaic language and script were used as a lingua franca over all of the Middle

Scale

2004-12-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

The specific selection of different tones in any piece of music generally reveals a pattern of relationships among its pitches that can be expressed as a series of fixed distances (intervals) from one pitch to another within the span of an octave. The interval relationships

Endrin

2004-12-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

Chlorine-containing organic compound used as an insecticide. See aldrin.

Heidenstam, Verner Von

2004-12-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

Ill health forced Heidenstam to spend most of his youth in the central and eastern Mediterranean countries. His first

Arnulf

2004-12-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

Arnulf was the illegitimate son of Charles the Fat's eldest brother, Carloman, who was king of Bavaria. Arnulf inherited the march of Carinthia from his father but was excluded from the succession to the kingdom

Israel, Israel under Likud

2004-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

To general surprise, the Likud Party, led by Menachem Begin, won the May 1977 election, inaugurating the first non-Labour-led government in Israel's history. Begin's campaign benefited immensely from Sephardic resentment over the patronizing attitude of the Labour establishment and its treatment of non-European Jewish immigrants as second-class citizens. The Sephardim

Ancient Rome, The beginning of Germanic hegemony in the West

2004-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

During the first half of the 5th century the barbarians gradually installed themselves, in spite of the efforts of the Roman general Aetius at the head of a small army of mercenaries and of Huns. Aetius took back Arles and Narbonne from the Visigoths in 436, either pushed back the Salian and Ripuarian Franks beyond the Rhine or incorporated them as federates, settled the

Bae Systems

2004-12-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Major British manufacturer of aircraft, missiles, avionics, and other aerospace and defense products. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of British Aerospace PLC (BAe) with Marconi Electronic Systems, formerly part of General Electric Company PLC. BAe, in turn, dates to the merger in 1977 of British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, and two other firms. Headquarters

Nord-norge

2004-12-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

English Northern Norway geographic region of Norway. It reaches from Nordland about 575 miles (925 km) northward to the North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost point in Europe. It includes the fylker (counties) of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark. An arm of the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Current, which flows past its coast, provides a relatively mild maritime climate. Commonly known as the “Land of the Midnight

Calabash Tree

2004-12-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

(Crescentia cujete), tree of the family Bignoniaceae, 6 to 12 m (20 to 40 feet) tall, that grows in Central and South America, the West Indies, and extreme southern Florida. It is often grown as an ornamental. The calabash tree produces large spherical fruits, up to 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter, the hard shells of which are useful as bowls, cups, and other water containers when hollowed out. The

Judaism, Prophecy in the southern kingdom

2004-12-07T04:12:00.000-08:00

Judah was subjected to such intense pressure to join an Israelite–Aramaean coalition against Assyria that its 8th-century-BCE king Ahaz chose to submit himself to Assyria in return for relief. Ahaz introduced a new Aramaean-style altar in the Jerusalem Temple and adopted other foreign customs that are counted against him in the book of Kings. It was at this time that

Judaism, Prophecy in the southern kingdom

2004-12-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

In the United Kingdom, television network consisting of a consortium of private companies in competition with the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, which was originally the Independent Television Authority. The ITV network was authorized by act of Parliament in 1954, when the BBC's monopoly over radio

Judaism, Prophecy in the southern kingdom

2004-12-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

Also called ringtail any of two to seven species (depending on the authority) of small, nocturnal carnivores constituting the genus Procyon (family Procyonidae) and characterized by bushy, ringed tails. The typical North American raccoon, or “coon” (Procyon lotor; see photograph), is a stout animal with short legs, pointed muzzle, and small, erect ears. It is 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 inches) long, including

Axinite

2004-12-01T01:25:00.000-08:00

Borosilicate mineral that occurs most commonly in contact metamorphic rocks and also in basic igneous rocks. Particularly beautiful crystals occur at Le Bourg d'Oisans, Isère, France, and in San Diego County, Calif., U.S. Transparent axinite of the usual clove-brown colour is sometimes cut as a gem. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see silicate

Güyük

2004-11-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

Güyük was elected to the throne in 1246, partly through the maneuvering of his mother. He was strongly influenced by Nestorianism, a form of Christianity considered a heresy by Western Christians, and he favoured Christian

Xu Beihong

2004-11-28T05:17:00.000-08:00

Xu was first taught art in his childhood by his father, Xu Dazhang, a locally known portrait painter. Xu became an itinerant professional

Aleksandriya

2004-11-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aleksandrija or Aleksandriia city, Kirovograd oblast, Ukraine, on the Ingulets River. Founded as Usovka in 1754, it was incorporated and renamed in the same year. The city is now the centre of a lignite (brown coal) field that has been utilized since the 1950s to power local rayon fibre engineering and other plants. Pop. (1998 est.) 101,000.

Ramenskoye

2004-11-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ramenskoje , or Ramenskoe city and centre of a rayon (sector), Moscow oblast (province), western Russia. It lies southeast of the city of Moscow. In the 1820s Ramenskoye became the site of one of Russia's first cotton factories and soon developed as an industrial village. Incorporated in 1926, the city is now a textile and engineering centre as well as a residential suburb of Moscow. It has a medical school and

Hounsfield, Sir Godfrey Newbold

2004-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

English electrical engineer who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Allan Cormack for his part in developing the diagnostic technique of computerized axial tomography (CAT), or computerized tomography (CT). In this technique, information obtained from X rays taken by scanners

Akita

2004-11-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Breed of working dog that originated in the mountains of northern Japan. In 1931 the Japanese government designated the breed as a national treasure. It was employed as a hunting and fighting dog and is now trained for police and guard work. The Akita is a powerful, muscular dog with a broad head, erect, pointed ears (small in relation to head size), and a large curved tail carried

African American Literature, The Black Arts movement

2004-11-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

The assassination of Malcolm X, eloquent exponent of black nationalism, in 1965 in New York and the espousal of “Black Power” by previously integrationist civil rights organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) helped to galvanize a generation of young black writers into rethinking the purpose

Balanophoraceae

2004-11-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

Al-

2004-11-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Arabic definite article, meaning “the.” It often prefixes Arabic proper nouns, especially place-names; an example is Al-Jazirah (Arabic: “The Island”), the name of an interfluvial region in The Sudan. The article is often used in lowercase form, hence al-Jazirah. Reference works, including Encyclopædia Britannica, often alphabetize names beginning with al- under the main part

Xenicidae

2004-11-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

Formerly Acanthisittidae, bird family of the order Passeriformes; its members are commonly known as New Zealand wrens. The three living species are the rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) and the rare bush wren (X. longipes) on South Island and, common to both islands, the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris). A fourth species, the Stephen Island wren (X. lyalli), was discovered in 1894 by a lighthouse keeper and

Argentina

2004-11-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

The federal republic of Argentina occupies the eastern section of the Southern Cone of South America, along the Atlantic Ocean. Area: 2,780,400 sq km (1,073,518 sq mi). Pop. (1993 est.): 33,507,000. Cap.: Buenos Aires. Monetary unit: peso, with (Oct. 4, 1993) an official rate of 1 peso to U.S. $1 (1.52 pesos = £ 1 sterling). President in 1993, Carlos Saúl Menem.

Holarctic Region

2004-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

One of the six major land areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It is part of the Megagaean realm; it encompasses all the nontropical parts of Europe and Asia, Africa north of the Sahara, and North America south to the Mexican desert region. This vast region is often subdivided into the Palaearctic (Old World) and Nearctic (New World)

Chase, Mary Ellen

2004-11-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Chase grew up in Maine, graduating from the University of Maine in 1909. Three autobiographical works describe her background and early experiences: A Goodly Heritage (1932), A Goodly Fellowship (1939), and The White Gate:

Sa'adia Ben Joseph

2004-11-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

Little is known of Sa'adia's early years. When he departed from Egypt, at the age of about 23, he left behind, besides his wife and two sons, a distinguished group of devoted students. By that time he had already composed a Hebrew-Arabic dictionary, later expanded and issued under the name ha-Egron. For unknown reasons he migrated to Palestine. There he found a growing community

Belalcázar, Sebastián De

2004-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Going to the New World in 1519, Belalcázar became an officer in the forces of Pedro Arias Dávila and in 1524 conquered Nicaragua. Joining Francisco Pizarro's

Scandinavian Literature, Contemporary trends

2004-11-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

In reaction to the literature of the 1940s and 1950s, which was much concerned with artistic form and the individual approach to life, the 1960s was a period of political and social commitment in poetry and fiction alike. Recurrent topics were the war in Vietnam and bitter onslaughts on the Swedish welfare state. Inde pendent lyric poetry, however, continued to be produced by writers

Argand Burner

2004-11-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

First scientifically constructed oil lamp, patented in 1784 in England by a Swiss, Aimé Argand. The first basic change in lamps in thousands of years, it applied a principle that was later adapted to gas burners. The Argand burner consisted of a cylindrical wick housed between two concentric metal tubes. The inner tube provided a passage through which air rose into the

Insurance, Types of contracts

2004-11-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

The major types of life insurance contracts are term, whole life, and universal life, but innumerable combinations of these basic types are sold. Term insurance contracts, issued for specified periods of years, are the simplest. Protection under these contracts expires at the end of the stated period, with no cash value remaining. Whole life contracts, on the other

Soignies

2004-11-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

(French), Flemish Zinnik town (commune), Hainaut province, south-central Belgium. It lies along the Senne River, just northeast of Mons. There was a Roman castrum (fortress) at the site, and the town was said to have been founded in the 7th century by St. Vincent, who built a monastery there. A procession during Pentecost honours St. Vincent. The former conventual church (10th–13th century), one of Belgium's best-preserved

Say, Thomas

2004-11-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

Say accompanied various expeditions in North American territory, including an exploration of the Rocky Mountains led by Stephen

Clouet, François

2004-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

The son of Jean Clouet, he was known also under his father's byname, Janet, a circumstance that created a persistent confusion between the works of these two painters. François worked with Jean possibly as early as 1536 and replaced him in 1540 as official painter

Grable, Betty

2004-11-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Grable was set on the road to stardom by her mother,

Gagern, Hans Christoph, Freiherr Von

2004-11-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

Conservative German administrator, patriotic politician, and writer who unsuccessfully called for arming the entire German nation during the French Revolutionary Wars. He represented The Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna (1814–15) and favoured restoring the Holy Roman Empire to protect Germany's

Aelfric

2004-11-06T01:16:00.000-08:00

Anglo-Saxon prose writer, considered the greatest of his time. He wrote both to instruct the monks and to spread the learning of the 10th-century monastic revival. His Catholic Homilies, written in 990–992, provided orthodox sermons, based on the Church Fathers. He also wrote a Latin grammar, hence his nickname Grammaticus, and Lives of the Saints.

Tasmania, Flag Of

2004-11-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

The first official local flags of Tasmania, ordered by Governor Frederick Aloysius Weld, were published in the colony's gazette on November 9, 1875. The usual British Blue Ensign and Red Ensign (for use respectively by government vessels and by those privately owned) were to have a white cross added. At the fly end of each flag a Southern Cross was to be formed of white stars

Trans-kalahari Highway

2004-11-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

In March 1998 the residents of Botswana and Namibia met at Buitepos on the border between the two countries to inaugurate formally the Trans-Kalahari Highway. The new road formed part of the strategic coast-to-coast route that linked Maputo, Mozambique, on the Indian Ocean to Walvis Bay on the Atlantic coastline of Namibia. It was designed to serve as the backbone of an

Bahubali

2004-11-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

After winning a duel with his half-brother for control of the kingdom, Bahubali is believed by the Jains to have realized the transience of temporal affairs and renounced the world. According

Gore, Albert A., Jr.

2004-11-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

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

Abelard, Peter

2004-10-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

The outline of Abelard's career is well known, largely because he described so much of it in his famous Historia calamitatum (“History of My Troubles”). He was born the son of a knight in Brittany south of the Loire River. He sacrificed his inheritance and the prospect of a military career in order to study philosophy, particularly logic, in France. He provoked bitter quarrels

Obi

2004-10-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

The contemporary, wide obi evolved in the early 18th century. It is frequently

Almond, Gabriel Abraham

2004-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Almond received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1938 and taught at Brooklyn College from 1939 to 1946, except during his service in the U.S. Office of War Information (1942–45). After

Kagamigahara

2004-10-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

City, Gifu ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, east of Gifu city. Upon the Meiji Restoration in 1868, an army base was established in the city. It was taken over by the U.S. Army after World War II and is now used by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. The city contains aircraft and transport equipment factories and textile mills. It is included in the Chukyo Industrial Region. Pop. (1989 est.)

Balas, Iolanda

2004-10-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Balas cleared the bar in a variation of the scissors method; her coach was Ion Söter, an outstanding high-jumper whom she later married. She already held the women's

Azamgarh

2004-10-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Town, eastern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It lies along the Tons River, a tributary of the Ghaghara, north of Varanasi (Benares). Founded in 1665 by A'zam Khan, a local chief for whom it is named, the compact town sits on a level plain and is enclosed on three sides by the river, which occasionally floods. Principal industries are sugar milling and cotton weaving. The town is served

Nizam-i Cedid

2004-10-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

In 1792–93 Selim III, assisted by a committee, promulgated a series of reforms that included new regulations on provincial governorships and taxation, on land

La Chalotais, Louis-rené De Caradeuc De

2004-10-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

La Chalotais became advocate general in the Breton Parlement at Rennes in 1730 and attorney general in 1752. In

Cup Fungus

2004-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Any member of the series Discomycetes, a large group of fungi (kingdom Fungi) in the class Ascomycetes and typically characterized by a disk- or cup-shaped structure (apothecium) bearing spore sacs (asci) on its surface. Some of the cup fungi are important plant pathogens, such as Monilinia (Sclerotinia), causing brown rot in peach and other stone fruits. Others are saprobes,

Hernici

2004-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ancient people of Italy, whose territory was in Latium between the Fucine Lake (modern Fucino) and the Trerus (modern Sacco) River, bounded by the Volsci on the south and by the Aequi and the Marsi on the north. In 486 BC they were still strong enough to conclude a treaty with the Romans on equal terms. They broke away from Rome in 362–358. In 306 their chief town, Anagnia (Anagni), was taken by the

Asbury, Francis

2004-10-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

After limited schooling Asbury was licensed as a local preacher, and at the age of 21 he was admitted to the Wesleyan Conference. For four years

Seaborg, Glenn T.

2004-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Seaborg was educated at the University of California at Los Angeles (A.B., 1934) and the University

Moree

2004-10-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

Town, northern New South Wales, Australia, on the Gwydir River, in the Western Slopes district. Originating in 1848 as a livestock station, it became a village in 1852, a town in 1862, and a municipality in 1890. Its name comes from an Aboriginal word for “rising sun,” “long spring,” or “water hole.” At the junction of the Gwydir and Newell highways, with regular air and rail service to Sydney (319 mi [513 km] southeast),

African Methodist Episcopal Church

2004-10-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Black Methodist church in the United States, formally organized in 1816. It developed from a congregation formed by a group of blacks who withdrew in 1787 from St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia because of restrictions in seating; blacks had been confined to the gallery of the church. Those who withdrew formed the Free African Society, the forerunner

Lippi, Filippino

2004-10-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

The son of Fra Filippo Lippi and his wife, Lucrezia Buti, he was a follower of his father and of Botticelli. After Fra Filippo Lippi's death, Filippino entered the workshop of Botticelli. By 1473 he had finished his

Aubigné, Théodore-agrippa D'

2004-10-16T04:58:00.000-07:00

Major late 16th-century poet, renowned Huguenot captain, polemicist, and historian of his own times. After studies in Paris, Orléans, Geneva, and Lyon, he joined the Huguenot forces and served throughout the Wars of Religion on the battlefield and in the council chamber. He was écuyer (“master of horse”) to Henry of Navarre. After Henry's accession to

Biblical Literature, Kings: the second book

2004-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Second Book of Kings continues the history of the monarchies of Israel and Judah and of the prophetic movement. Ahaziah fell from an upper chamber of his palace in Samaria and sought help from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah met the messengers to castigate them for not seeking aid from Yahweh, the God of Israel, and told a third delegation that had been sent out

Silk Spider

2004-10-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Also called Golden Silk Spider (Nephila), any of a genus of the class Arachnida (phylum Arthropoda), so named because of the great strength of their silk and the golden colour of their huge orb webs. These webs often measure one metre (about three feet) or more in diameter and are suspended between trees by guy lines. About 60 species are known to live in the warmer regions of the world. Adult females are very

Alagoinhas

2004-10-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Wu Zhen

2004-10-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

Wu, like others of the group, sought stylistic inspiration in the past (especially from Five Dynasties masters such as Juran),

Tasmania, Education

2004-10-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

School attendance is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 16. Government-supported schools include infant, primary (some with preschool facilities), area, district, and high schools (nonselective, comprehensive, mostly coeducational), together with matriculation colleges (secondary colleges that prepare students in their final one or two years for the