ChemicalHorn

Ambulatory

2005-03-18T07:15:00.000-08:00

In architecture, continuation of the aisled spaces on either side of the nave (central part of the church) around the apse (semicircular projection at the east end of the church) or chancel (east end of the church where the main altar stands) to form a continuous processional way. The ambulatory often provided improved sites for the numerous altars for saints, which formerly

Biblical Literature, Redaction criticism

2005-03-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Redaction criticism concentrates on the end product, studying the way in which the final authors or editors used the traditional material that they received and the special purpose that each had in view in incorporating this material into his literary composition. It has led of late to important conclusions about the respective outlooks and aims of Matthew,

Smorgasbord

2005-03-14T03:01:00.000-08:00

Swedish Smörgåsbord, in Swedish cuisine, buffet offering a variety of fish, cheeses, and hot and cold dishes. In the country districts of Sweden, it was customary for guests to contribute to the fare at large gatherings. The foods were set out on long tables from which the diners helped themselves. By the 18th century, festive meals were preceded by appetizers from a bannvinsbord, offering aquavit,

Hadi, Al-

2005-03-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Al-Hadi's persecution of the 'Alids, representatives of the Shi'ite sect of Islam, precipitated revolts in Medina, Egypt, and Iraq, all of which were put down brutally. Throughout his short reign, he struggled with the question of succession, attempting to annul the rights of his brother, Harun ar-Rashid, who was later to become one of the

Qadiriyah

2005-03-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Probably the oldest of the Muslim mystic (Sufi) orders, founded by the Hanbali theologian 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1078–1166) in Baghdad. Al-Jilani may have intended the few rituals he prescribed to extend only to his small circle of followers, but his sons broadened this community into an order and encouraged its spread into North Africa, Central Asia, and India. The order, which stresses philanthropy,

San Blas

2005-03-08T05:12:00.000-08:00

Traditional region, eastern Panama, stretching about 100 miles (160 km) along the Caribbean Sea from the Colombian border to the Gulf of San Blas. The narrow strip of land includes the San Blas (formerly Mulatas) Archipelago. Agriculture—chiefly coconuts, yams, and plantains—and fishing are the principal economic activities in San Blas. The population consists largely of

Malar, Lake

2005-03-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Swedish Mälaren, lake in eastern Sweden, located just west of Stockholm, which lies at the lake's junction with Salt Bay, an arm of the Baltic Sea. At one time Lake Malar was a bay of the Baltic, and seagoing vessels using it were able to sail far into the interior of Sweden. Because of movements of the Earth's crust, however, the rock barrier at the mouth of the bay had become so shallow by about

Yamamoto Gonnohyoe, Count

2005-03-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Yamamoto's well-placed political contacts aided his rapid rise in the navy. During the Sino-Japanese War he served as aide-de-camp to general headquarters and in 1898 was appointed minister of the navy in the Japanese cabinet with the rank of vice admiral. Promoted

Utrecht

2005-03-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

Provincie, central Netherlands, the country's smallest, with an area of 514 square miles (1,331 square km). It extends southward from the narrow Lake Eem, which separates Utrecht provincie from the South Flevoland polder of Flevoland provincie. Utrecht provincie lies between the provincies of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland (west) and Gelderland (east). Its history is closely

France, History Of, Kingship

2005-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

Kingship was the basic institution in the Merovingian kingdom. Since Clovis' reign, the power of the king had extended not only over a tribe or tribes but also over a territory inhabited by Germans of divergent backgrounds and by Gallo-Romans as well. The king exercised power with legal limitations, which, when violated, led to efforts to reestablish political equilibrium

Earth Sciences, Louis Agassiz and the ice age

2005-02-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

Huge boulders of granite resting upon limestone of the Jura Mountains were subjects of controversy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Saussure described these in 1779 and called them erratics. He concluded that they had been swept to their present positions by torrents of water. Saussure's interpretation was in accord with the tenets of diluvial geologists, who

Field Archery

2005-02-24T04:09:00.000-08:00

Also called roving form of archery in which targets of different sizes or shapes are placed at varying distances in uneven, often wooded, terrain in an attempt to simulate hunting conditions. As an organized sport it dates from the formation in 1939 of the National Field Archery Association of the United States. In 1969 a field event was included for the first time in the world archery championships

Iapetus

2005-02-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

Exterior moon in the Saturn system, extraordinary because of its surface markings. Discovered by Gian Domenico Cassini in 1671, Iapetus orbits Saturn once every 79.33 Earth days at a distance of 3,561,000 km (2,212,800 miles). The satellite's radius and mass are, respectively, 730 ± 10 km (454 ± 6 miles) and 1.88 ± 0.12 ´ 1024 grams, implying a bulk density of 1.16 ± 0.09 grams per cubic centimetre. A solid object with so low a density must be composed

Guenon

2005-02-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

Any of about 20 species of widely distributed African monkeys of the genus Cercopithecus, family Cercopithecidae. Guenons are slim, graceful, quadrupedal monkeys with long arms and legs, short faces, and nonprehensile tails that are longer than the combined head and body length of about 30–65 cm (12–26 inches). Guenons are known for the beauty of their soft,

Pappenheim, Gottfried Heinrich, Count (graf) Zu

2005-02-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Pappenheim served with the Catholic League, headed by the elector Maximilian I of Bavaria and commanded by Johann Tserclaes, Graf von Tilly. Idolized by his regiment of cuirassiers, the Pappenheimers, he proved a tempestuous cavalry officer, always

Sinkiang, Uighur Autonomous Region Of

2005-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Hsin-chiang Wei-wu-erh Tzu-chih-ch'ü , Pinyin Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu autonomous region occupying the northwestern corner of the People's Republic of China. The region is bordered by Mongolia to the northeast, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to the northwest, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the southwest, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the southeast, and the Chinese provinces of Tsinghai and

Western Indian Bronze

2005-02-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

Important hoards have been discovered at Akota, near

Permafrost, Air temperature and ground temperature

2005-02-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

In areas where the mean annual air temperature becomes colder than 0° C, some of the ground frozen in the winter will not be completely thawed in the summer; therefore, a layer of permafrost will form and continue to grow downward gradually each year from the seasonally frozen ground. The permafrost layer will become thicker each winter, its thickness controlled by

Accused, Rights Of

2005-02-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

All legal systems provide, at least on paper, guarantees

Alizarin

2005-02-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Alizarine, a red dye originally obtained from the root of the common madder plant, Rubia tinctorum, in which it occurs combined with the sugars xylose and glucose. The cultivation of madder and the use of its ground root for dyeing by the complicated Turkey red process were known in ancient India, Persia, and Egypt; the use spread to Asia Minor about the 10th century and was introduced

Orangutan

2005-02-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Orangoutan, also called Orang (species Pongo pygmaeus), large manlike ape (family Pongidae) that is now restricted to lowland swamp forests in Borneo and a small part of Sumatra. Orangutans formerly lived in the jungles of mainland Southeast Asia as well, and the principal cause of the extreme shrinkage of their range in the last few thousand years seems to have been hunting by

Lawes, Lewis Edward

2005-02-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

Assuming the office of warden of Sing Sing State Prison (now Ossining Correctional Facility), Ossining, N.Y., in 1920, Lawes instituted such reforms as the establishment of theatricals, film showings, and athletics;

Sable

2005-02-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

(Martes zibellina), graceful carnivore of the weasel family, Mustelidae, found in the forests of northern Asia and highly valued for its fine fur. The common name is sometimes also applied to related European and Asian species and to the American marten. The sable ranges from about 32 to 51 centimetres (13 to 20 inches) long, excluding the 13–18-cm tail, and weighs 0.9–1.8 kilograms

Aetolian League

2005-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

Federal state or “sympolity” of Aetolia, in ancient Greece. Probably based on a looser tribal community, it was well-enough organized to conduct negotiations with Athens in 367 BC. It became by c. 340 one of the leading military powers in Greece. Having successfully resisted invasions by Macedonia in 322 and 314–311, the league rapidly grew in strength during the ensuing period of Macedonian

Guimarães, Bernardo (joaquim Da Silva)

2005-01-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

After a youthful bohemian life in São Paulo, Guimarães retired to his native Minas Gerais to write and teach school. Guimarães' subject, like that

New York City, Greater New York

2005-01-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Democratic machine reigned, its excesses became apparent, reformers arose and were temporarily triumphant, and then voters restored a chastened Tammany to power. A generation after Tweed fell, the Croker regime was successfully challenged by reformers who elected Mayor William Strong. Once consolidation won voter support, the

La Follette, Robert M

2005-01-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

As a boy growing up in moderately prosperous rural areas, as a student at the University of Wisconsin (1875–79), as a county district attorney (1880–84) and congressman from southwestern Wisconsin, La Follette developed the personality and style that made him a popular leader. He combined an unusually outgoing personality, which made it natural for him to absorb the ideas and prejudices

Priestley, J(ohn) B(oynton)

2005-01-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

Priestley served in the infantry in World War I (1914–19) and then studied English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1922). He thereafter worked as a journalist and first

Düren

2005-01-20T01:40:00.000-08:00

City, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. It lies along the Ruhr River, on the northeastern slopes of the Eifel Hills. A Frankish settlement first mentioned in 748, it grew from the Villa Duria of Pippin III the Short, the king of the Franks. It was subsequently the seat of diets and synods under Charlemagne and the base for several of his Saxon campaigns. After

Kore

2005-01-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

Plural Korai, type of freestanding statue of a maiden—the female counterpart of the kouros, or standing youth—that appeared with the beginning of Greek monumental sculpture in about 660 BC and remained to the end of the Archaic period in about 500 BC. Over this period the kore remained essentially the same, although, as in all Greek art, it evolved from a highly stylized form to a more naturalistic

Animal Communication

2005-01-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

The transmission of information from one animal to another by means of sound, visible sign or behaviour, taste or odour, electrical impulse, touch, or a combination of these mediums. In general, communication is employed by animals to attract or repel other individuals of particular groups and to establish and maintain distinct forms of social organization that

Saint Bernard

2005-01-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Working dog credited with saving the lives of some 2,500 people in 300 years of service as pathfinder and rescue dog at the hospice founded by St. Bernard of Montjoux in Great St. Bernard Pass in the Pennine Alps. Probably descended from mastifflike dogs that were introduced from Asia to Europe by the Romans, the St. Bernard appears to have been brought to the hospice in the late

Neotropical Region

2005-01-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

Also called Neogaean Realm, or South American Region, one of the six major biogeographic areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It extends south from the Mexican desert into South America as far as the subantarctic zone. It includes such animals as the llama, tapir, deer, pig, jaguar, puma, a variety of opossums, many rodents and fishes, and extremely rich insect and bird populations. The

Range

2005-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

In radioactivity, the distance that a particle travels from its source through matter. The range depends upon the type of particle, its original energy of motion (kinetic energy), the medium through which it travels, and the particular way in which range is further defined. Range applies especially to charged particles, such as electrons and alpha particles. Charged

Lima

2005-01-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Peru and of Lima department. It is the country's commercial and industrial centre. Central Lima is located at an elevation of 512 feet (156 metres) on the south bank of the Río Rímac, about eight miles (13 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean port of Callao, and has an area of 27 square miles (70 square km). Its name is a corruption of the Quechua Indian name Rímac, meaning “Talker.” The

Lajpat Rai, Lala

2005-01-06T00:31:00.000-08:00

After studying law at the Government College, Lahore, Lajpat Rai practiced at Hissar and Lahore, where he helped to establish the nationalistic Dayananda Anglo-Vedic

Azorín

2005-01-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Azorín studied law at Valencia, Granada,

Earth

2004-12-31T00:30:00.000-08:00

The mean distance of the Earth from the Sun is approximately 1.5 ´ 108 kilometres. The planet orbits the Sun in a path that is presently more nearly a circle than are the orbits of most other planets. The direction of the Earth's revolution—counterclockwise as viewed down from the north—is in the same sense (direction) as the rotation of the Sun; the Earth's spin, or rotation about

Eames, Charles; And Eames, Ray

2004-12-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

John Neuhart, Marilyn Neuhart, and Ray Eames, Eames Design: The Work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames (1989); Pat Kirkham, Charles and Ray Eames: Designers of the Twentieth Century (1995); and Donald Albrecht et al., The Work of Charles and Ray Eames (1997), discuss their work.

Table Tennis

2004-12-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

Invented in England in the early days of the 20th century, the game was originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. The name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong Association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had broken up about 1905, though apparently the game continued to be played in parts of England outside London and by the 1920s was being played in

Shamanism, Southeast Asia and Oceania

2004-12-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Shamanism is prevalent in the Malay Peninsula and in Oceania. Among the Negritos of the Malay Peninsula, the shaman heals with the help of celestial spritis or by using crystals of quartz. But the influence of Indo-Malayan beliefs is noticeable, too (the shaman changing into a tiger, trance achieved by dancing, etc.). In the Andaman Islands the shaman gets his power from

Dysentery

2004-12-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

There are two major types of dysentery: bacillary and amebic, caused, respectively, by bacteria and amoebas. Bacillary dysentery, or shigellosis, is caused by bacilli of the genus Shigella. Symptomatically,

Elijah

2004-12-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Elias, or Elia, Hebrew Eliyyahu Hebrew prophet who ranks with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being corrupted by the nature worship of Baal. Elijah's name means “Yahweh is my God” and is spelled Elias in some versions of the Bible. The story of his prophetic career in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah is told in 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 1–2 in the Old Testament.

Auersperg, Johann Weikhart, Prince (fürst) Von

2004-12-21T03:18:00.000-08:00

After serving briefly as a Habsburg court councillor, Auersperg was sent to The Hague (1641), and later he took part in peace negotiations at Osnabrück, which ultimately ended the Thirty Years'

Barada

2004-12-20T03:35:00.000-08:00

Greek Chrysorrhoas, river of western Syria. It rises in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and flows southward for 52 miles (84 km) through Damascus to intermittent Lake Al-'Utaybah and its marshes. The Barada sets out peacefully on its course only to become within 20 miles a raging torrent, its volume almost doubled by the Fijah Spring (this spring has been tapped to bring drinking water to Damascus). Without

Lan Xang

2004-12-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Lan Chang, Laotian kingdom that flourished from the 14th century until it was split into two separate kingdoms, Vien Chang and Luang Prabang, in the 18th century. Conflict with its Myanmar (Burmese) and Thai (Siamese) neighbours forced the kingdom's rulers to transfer the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane (1563), but the kingdom maintained its power and was at the height of its glory

Witches' Sabbath

2004-12-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Nocturnal gathering of witches, a colourful and intriguing part of the lore surrounding them in Christian European tradition. The concept dates from the mid-14th century when it first appeared in Inquisition records, although revels and feasts mentioned by such classical authors as the Romans Apuleius and Petronius Arbiter may have served as inspiration. The

French Literature, The novel between the wars

2004-12-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali

2004-12-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Born into a noble Rajput family that had accepted Islam, Bhutto was the son of a prominent political figure in the Indian colonial government. He was educated in Bombay and at the University

Malcolm I

2004-12-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

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

Habit

2004-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

In psychology, any regularly repeated behaviour that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate. A habit—which can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting—is developed through reinforcement and repetition. Reinforcement encourages the repetition of a behaviour, or response, each time the stimulus

Green Mountain Boys

2004-12-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Patriot militia in the American Revolution. The Green Mountain Boys began in 1770 at present-day Bennington, Vermont, as an unauthorized militia organized to defend the property rights of local residents who had received land grants from New Hampshire. New York, which then claimed present-day Vermont, disputed New Hampshire's right to grant land west of the Green Mountains.

Nataraja

2004-12-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

In the most common type of images, which includes the magnificent Cola bronzes of the 10th–11th century, Siva is shown with four arms and flying locks dancing on the figure of a dwarf, the Apasmarapurusa (a symbol of man's ignorance; puru

Dubayy

2004-12-10T04:19:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Dubai constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States or Trucial Oman). The second most populous and second largest state of the federation (area 1,510 square miles [3,900 square km]), it is roughly rectangular, with a frontage of about 45 miles (72 km) on the Persian Gulf. The capital, Dubayy town, the largest town of the federation, is on a small creek in the northeast part

Music, Western, Ancient Greece

2004-12-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

Of the eastern Mediterranean cultures, it was undoubtedly that of the Greeks that furnished the most direct link with musical development in western Europe, by way of the Romans, who defeated them but adopted much of Greek culture intact. Entering historical times relatively late, c. 1000 BC, the Greeks soon dominated their neighbours and absorbed many elements of earlier

Boxing

2004-12-07T03:56:00.000-08:00

The most positive note in an otherwise disappointing year for boxing was the crowning of a new undisputed heavyweight champion on Nov. 13, 1999, when the World Boxing Council (WBC) titleholder, British/Canadian Lennox Lewis (see Biographies), defeated Evander Holyfield (U.S.), the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, in a lacklustre

Anthracnose

2004-12-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

Plant disease of warm humid areas that infects a variety of plants from trees to grasses. It is caused by certain fungi (usually Colletotrichum or Gloeosporium) producing spores in tiny, sunken, saucer-shaped fruiting bodies (acervuli). Symptoms include sunken spots of various colours in leaves, stems, fruits, or flowers. The spots often enlarge, leading to wilting, withering,

Mashriq

2004-12-06T03:35:00.000-08:00

The Mashriq comprises two major physical regions. One consists of barren

K.g.

2004-12-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

Knight of the Garter, member of one of the most exclusive orders of knighthood in the world. See Garter, The Most Noble Order of the.

Eclipse

2004-12-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

The Sun is eclipsed when the Moon comes between it and the Earth; the Moon is eclipsed when it moves into the shadow of the Earth cast by the Sun. Eclipses of natural or artificial satellites of a planet occur as the satellites move

Sorin, Edward Frederick

2004-12-02T05:01:00.000-08:00

Sorin was ordained a priest in 1838, and two years later he joined the Congregation of Holy Cross, a group of priests and brothers organized at Le Mans, Fr. Sorin and six brothers went to Vincennes, Ind., in 1841 at the invitation of Bishop Célestine

Tunis

2004-12-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

Tunis was founded by the Libyans, who in the 9th century BC surrendered the site of Carthage to

Motion Picture, History Of The, Great Britain

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

In Great Britain the post-World War II cinema was even more literary than in France, relying heavily on the adaptation of classics in the work of such directors as Laurence Olivier (Henry V, 1944; Hamlet, 1948; Richard III, 1955), David Lean (Great Expectations, 1946; Oliver Twist, 1948), and Anthony Asquith (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1952). Even less-conventional films had literary sources (Carol

Biblical Literature, The succession of Solomon to the throne

2004-11-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

I Kings (chapters 1 and 2) continues the story of David and the struggle for the succession of his throne. The sides were drawn between Adonijah, David's eldest living son, and Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba. Supporting Adonijah were the “old guard”—the general Joab and the priest Abiathar—and supporting Solomon were the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and the captain

Scandinavian Literature, Faeroese literature

2004-11-29T04:22:00.000-08:00

Modern Faeroese literature emerged during the second half of the 19th century. Until this time, the literary tradition of the Faeroese was almost exclusively oral. It consisted principally of ballads, epic and fantastic in style and centred on legends such as that of Sigurd. A new, national written literature in Faeroese became possible only after the orthography

Pereskia

2004-11-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

P. pititache, the native Mexican

Cladophora

2004-11-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

Genus of green algae found growing attached to rocks or timbers submerged in shallow lakes and streams; there are some marine species. Coarse in appearance, with regular-branching filaments that have cross walls separating multinucleate segments, Cladophora grows in the form of a tuft or ball that may range up to 13 cm (5 inches) in length. Asexual reproduction involves

Abbot, Charles Greeley

2004-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

An informal autobiography is provided by Charles Greeley Abbot, Adventures in the World of Science (1958). David H. DeVorkin, “Charles Greeley Abbot,” in Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 73, pp. 3–23 (1998), is a short biography; and David H. DeVorkin, “Defending a Dream: Charles Greeley Abbot's Years at the Smithsonian,” Journal for the History of Astronomy, vol. 21, part 1, no. 63, pp. 121–136 (February 1990), discusses Abbot's influence on the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Bynkershoek, Cornelis Van

2004-11-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Bynkershoek studied law at Franeker and was admitted to the bar at The Hague. In 1703 he was appointed a member of the supreme court of Holland and Zeeland, becoming president of the court in 1724. Although engaged in a demanding judicial career, he found time

Sänger, Eugen

2004-11-23T02:19:00.000-08:00

German rocket propulsion engineer whose projected “antipodal bomber,” with a range far greater than that made possible by its fuel capacity alone, greatly interested the major Western governments and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The development of long-range missiles and the difficulties of

Anderson, Philip W.

2004-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Educated at Harvard University, Anderson received his doctorate in 1949. From 1949 to 1984 he worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. From 1967 to 1975 he was professor

Bugs Bunny

2004-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Bugs Bunny was conceived at Leon Schlesinger's animation unit at Warner Bros. studios. Nicknamed “Termite Terrace” because of its spartan accommodations on the Warner lot, the unit boasted some of the top names in animation, including Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob

Saldanha Bay

2004-11-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

Afrikaans Saldanhabaai, deep, essentially landlocked harbour of the Atlantic Ocean, situated on the southwest coast of South Africa. Named after the early 16th-century Portuguese navigator António de Saldanha, the bay is both larger and safer than Table Bay, which is located 65 miles (105 km) farther south-southeast. Saldanha Bay's former abundance of seals, fish, and guano deposits was long contested

Ascii-type Printing Telegraphs

2004-11-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

As embodied in the AT&T Teletype model 37 of 1968, the seven-level ASCII code was signaled by holes punched in an eight-level tape, as illustrated in the Figure. The circles in the Figure represent the holes, which were punched when the operator depressed keys located on a four-row keyboard. The top row of the keyboard consisted of control keys;

Pacing

2004-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

In horse racing, one of two gaits seen in harness racing (q.v.).

France, History Of, The Army of the Republic

2004-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Jacobin dictatorship had been an unstable blend of exalted patriotism, resolute political leadership, ideological fanaticism, and populist initiatives. The rhetoric and symbolism of democracy constituted a new civic pedagogy, matched by bold egalitarian policies. The army was a primary focal point of this democratic impetus. Back in 1790 the National Assembly

Crocus

2004-11-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Genus of about 75 low-growing, cormose species of plants of the iris family (Iridaceae), native to the Alps, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean area and widely grown for their cuplike blooms in early spring or fall. The spring-flowering sorts have a floral tube so long that the ovary is belowground, sheltered from climatic changes. The flowers close at night and

Mitchell, Charles E(dwin)

2004-11-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

Mitchell took his first job with the Western Electric Company in Chicago and became the president's assistant in 1903. Three years later he left the firm and became assistant to the president at The Trust Company of America in New York City, a position he held for five years.

China, Riots and protests

2004-11-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

On May 4, 1919, patriotic students in Peking protested the decision at the Versailles Peace Conference that Japan should retain defeated Germany's rights and possessions in Shantung. Many students were arrested in the rioting that followed. Waves of protest spread throughout the major cities of China. Merchants closed their shops, banks suspended business, and workers

Latinus

2004-11-13T02:07:00.000-08:00

According to the

France, History Of, The Grand Empire

2004-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Napoleon now had a free hand to reorganize Europe and numerous relatives to install on the thrones of his satellite kingdoms. The result was known as the Grand Empire. Having annexed Tuscany, Piedmont, Genoa, and the Rhineland directly into France, Napoleon placed the Kingdom of Holland (which until 1806 was the Batavian Commonwealth) under his brother Louis, the Kingdom

Chemical Compound, Aldehydes and ketones

2004-11-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

Similar to the double bond of alkenes, the carbon-oxygen double bond is made up of a s bond, whose electron pair lies between the bonded

La Grande

2004-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1905) of Union county, northeastern Oregon, U.S., between the Blue Mountains (west) and Wallowa Mountains (east), on the Grande Ronde River. The region was once roamed by Umatilla Indians. The city was founded in 1864 as a way station along the Oregon Trail. It developed as a shipping centre for ores, timber, and cattle; the cattle and lumber industries remain the economic mainstays

France, History Of, Seeds of discord

2004-11-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

Security could not be taken for granted, however, because the Revolution progressively alienated or disappointed important elements of French society. Among the elites, opposition began almost immediately when some of the king's close relatives left the country in disgust after July 14, thus becoming the first émigrés. Each turning point in the Revolution touched

Display Behaviour

2004-11-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

Ritualized behaviour by which an animal provides specific information to others, usually members of its own species. Virtually all higher animals use displays to some extent. The best-known displays are visual ones—and some biologists restrict the term display to visual signals or gestures—but many also incorporate sound, smell, or even touch. Displays evolve

Gracchus, Gaius Sempronius

2004-11-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

Gaius Sempronius was the son of a Roman aristocrat whose family had regularly held the highest offices of state for the past century and was connected to the most

Gumel

2004-11-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Gummel town and traditional emirate, northern Jigawa state, northern Nigeria. The emirate was founded about 1750 by Dan Juma of Kano city (75 miles [121 km] southwest) and his followers of the Manga (Mangawa) tribe. Shortly after his death in 1754, it became a tributary state of the Bornu kingdom. The emirate survived the Fulani attacks of Usman dan Fodio's jihad (“holy war”) in the early 19th century and

Rin-chen-bzang-po

2004-11-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Richen Zampo Tibetan Buddhist monk, called the “Great Translator,” known primarily for his extensive translations of Indian Buddhist texts into Tibetan, thus furthering the subsequent development of Buddhism in Tibet. First sent to India in the late 10th century under Tibetan royal patronage, Rin-chen-bzang-po eventually succeeded in bringing back to Tibet a number of Indian

Ahithophel

2004-11-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Achitophel, in the Old Testament, one of King David's most trusted advisers. He took a leading part in the revolt of David's son Absalom, and Ahithophel's defection was a severe blow to David. Having consulted Ahithophel about his plans to proceed against David, Absalom then sought advice from Hushai, another of David's counselors. Hushai, who remained secretly loyal to the king, betrayed

Wyoming

2004-11-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

The county was formed in 1842; its name was derived from a Delaware Indian word meaning

Solaro Della Margarita, Clemente, Count

2004-11-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Entering the Piedmontese diplomatic service in 1816, Solaro della Margarita rose to become foreign minister in 1835. He pursued a policy of cautious neutrality between France and Austria while opposing constitutional reform at home. When agitation

Italian Literature

2004-10-31T04:57:00.000-08:00

The body of written works produced in the Italian language that had its beginnings in the 13th century. Until that time nearly all literary work composed in the Middle Ages was written in Latin. Moreover, it was predominantly practical in nature and produced by writers trained in ecclesiastical schools. Literature in Italian developed later than literature in French

P-51

2004-10-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Also called Mustang one of the finest fighter aircraft of World War II, a single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane that was produced by North American Aviation for Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) and later was adopted by the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Its prototype was designed to British specifications and first flew in late 1940, just months after the design work began. It went into service

Field Emission

2004-10-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Also called Cold Emission, discharge of electrons from the surface of a material subjected to a strong electric field. In the absence of a strong electric field, an electron must acquire a certain minimum energy, called the work function, to escape through the surface of a given material, which acts as a barrier to electron passage. If the material is placed in an electric circuit that renders

Bond

2004-10-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

In finance, a loan contract issued by local, state, and national governments and by private corporations specifying an obligation to return borrowed funds. The borrower promises to pay interest on the debt when due (usually semiannually) at a stipulated percentage of the face value and to redeem the face value of the bond at maturity in legal tender. Bonds usually

Córdoba, Mosque-cathedral Of

2004-10-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

The original structure was built by the Umayyad ruler 'Abd ar-Rahman I in 784–786 with extensions in the 9th and 10th centuries that doubled its size, ultimately making it one of the largest sacred buildings in the Islamic world. The ground plan of the completed building forms a vast rectangle

Tasmania, Government and politics

2004-10-27T01:50:00.000-07:00

The state parliament comprises a House of Assembly and a Legislative Council, the latter by tradition a largely nonparty house. The system of elections for the House of Assembly is proportional representation by the single transferable vote; the system for the Legislative Council is the preferential system, with an obligation to record preferences, used for

Amphibian, Size range and diversity of structure

2004-10-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

The three living groups of amphibians vary greatly in size and structure. Long tails and two pairs of limbs of about equal size distinguish the salamander, although members of the family Sirenidae have no hindlimbs. Their total length varies greatly; a diminutive terrestrial species in Mexico measures 27 millimetres (1.06 inches) long, and the giant aquatic salamander

Rhyme Royal

2004-10-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Rhyme also spelled rime seven-line iambic pentameter stanza rhyming ababbcc. The rhyme royal was first used in English verse in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde and The Parlement of Foules. Traditionally, the name rhyme royal is said to derive from The Kingis Quair (“The King's Book), attributed to James I of Scotland (1394–1437), but some critics trace the name to the French chant

Farim

2004-10-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Town, north central Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, on the Rio Cacheu. It is a market centre for the agricultural products of the interior; peanut (groundnut) cultivation, concentrated around the town, is mainly for export, and cattle are raised for domestic consumption in the northern savannas of the region. There are phosphate deposits near the town. Farim is connected