AutomaticPebble

Luthuli, Albert John

2005-04-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Albert John Mvumbi (Zulu: “Continuous Rain”) Luthuli was born in Rhodesia, where his father, John Bunyan

Bradford, Roark (whitney Wickliffe)

2005-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Bradford had little formal education; instead, he found the substance for his career in the people around him. When he began work as a reporter in 1920, he met the colourful characters of various Southern

Ashe, Arthur (robert)

2005-04-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

Ashe began to play tennis at the age of seven in a neighbourhood park. He was coached by Walter Johnson of Lynchburg, Va., who had coached tennis champion Althea Gibson. Ashe moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he was coached by Richard Hudlin, before he entered

Ayodhya

2005-04-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

An ancient city, Ayodhya is regarded as one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus, revered because of its association, in the great Indian epic poem Ramayana, with the birth of Rama and with the rule of his father, Dasaratha. According to this source, the city was prosperous

Anchovy Pear

2005-04-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

(Grias cauliflora), evergreen tree of the family Lecythidaceae, native to the West Indies. The name is also applied to its edible fruit, for which the tree is cultivated. The plant grows to about 15 m (50 feet) tall and bears spear-shaped, glossy leaves about 90 cm long that are produced in palmlike tufts. The fragrant yellow flowers are about 5 cm across. The fruit, which contains one

Tura

2005-04-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

Urban settlement and administrative centre of Evenky autonomous okrug (district), Krasnoyarsk kray (region), east-central Russia. The settlement lies along the Nizhnaya (Lower) Tunguska River at its confluence with the Kochechum. Tura is a transshipment point on the river. It is also the site of an institute of agriculture of the far north and a regional museum. Pop. (1991 est.)

Zamora

2005-03-31T19:12:00.000-08:00

In full Zamora De Hidalgo, city, northwestern Michoacán state, west-central Mexico. It lies at an elevation of 5,141 feet (1,567 m) above sea level in the Zamora valley, formed by the Duero River. It was founded in 1540 as an outpost to guard against Indians. Commerce, agriculture, and livestock raising are the principal sources of income. Corn (maize), wheat, beans, and numerous fruits and vegetables are grown in the

France, History Of, The interwar years

2005-03-31T05:35:00.000-08:00

Frenchmen concentrated much of their energy during the early 1920s on recovering from the war. The government undertook a vast program of reconstructing the devastated areas and had largely completed that task by 1925. To compensate for manpower losses, immigration barriers were lowered, and two million foreign workers flooded into the country. Underlying all other

John I Albert

2005-03-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

The second son of King Casimir IV of Poland and Elizabeth of Habsburg, John Albert proved his military ability by defeating the Tatars at Kopystrzyn in 1487 and at Zaslaw in 1491. After his father's death he was elected king of Poland by nobles in the privy

Actinium

2005-03-30T02:08:00.000-08:00

(Ac), radioactive chemical element, in Group IIIb of the periodic table, atomic number 89. Actinium was discovered (1899) by André-Louis Debierne in pitchblende residues left after Pierre and Marie Curie had extracted radium and was also discovered (1902) independently by Friedrich Otto Giesel. A ton of pitchblende ore contains about 0.15 mg of actinium. The rare, silvery-white metal

Cartier-bresson, Henri

2005-03-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Cartier-Bresson

Ka'bah

2005-03-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

The cube-shaped

Elfin Woodland

2005-03-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Stunted forest at high elevations in warm, moist areas. Its low, gnarled trees are heavily draped with air plants, and its floor is cushioned by mosses and other primitive plants. Elfinwood, or Krummholz, is a similar stunted forest characteristic of most Alpine regions. See also cloud forest.

China, An intellectual revolution

2005-03-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

An intellectual revolution took place during the first decade of the republic, sometimes referred to as the New Culture Movement. It was led by many of the new intellectuals, who held up for critical scrutiny nearly all aspects of Chinese culture and traditional ethics. Guided by concepts of individual liberty and equality, a scientific spirit of inquiry, and a pragmatic

Svay Rieng

2005-03-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

The surrounding region is important for its agriculture; rice, corn (maize), potatoes, bananas, mulberry, and cotton are grown. Pop. (1987 est.) town, 14,000.

Armenian

2005-03-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

Armenian Hay, plural Hayq or Hayk member of a people with an ancient culture who originally lived in the region known as Armenia, which comprised what is now northeastern Turkey and the Republic of Armenia. Although some remain in Turkey, more than three million Armenians live in the republic; large numbers also live in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and other areas of the Caucasus and the Middle East. Many other

Talas

2005-03-25T03:30:00.000-08:00

Oblasty (province), northwestern Kyrgyzstan, centred on the Talas River valley that follows an essentially east-west axis through the northern portion of the oblasty. Reconstituted in 1990, the oblasty was formed in 1944 and remained in existence until 1956. It was reestablished in 1980–88 and once again re-formed in 1990. The population of Talas includes a large concentration of non-Central

Biblical Literature, Micah

2005-03-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

The Book of Micah, the sixth book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, was written by the prophet Micah in the 8th century BCE. Composed of seven chapters, the book is similar in many ways to the Book of Amos. Micah attacked the corruption of those in high places and social injustice, and the book is divided into two sections: (1) judgments against Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 1–3); and (2) promises

Balakirev, Mily

2005-03-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Balakirev received his early musical education from his mother. He also studied with Alexander Dubuque and with Karl Eisrich, music director to A.D. Ulibishev,

Akshak

2005-03-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

Ancient city of Mesopotamia on the northern boundary of Akkad, identified by some authorities with the Babylonian city of Upi (Opis). About 2500 BC Akshak was conquered by Eannatum, king of Lagash. About a century later Akshak temporarily established its hegemony over Sumer and Akkad. The location of Akshak is uncertain, although the Mari letters (from the royal archives

Space Shuttle

2005-03-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

Partially reusable rocket-launched vehicle designed to go into orbit around Earth, to transport people and cargo to and from orbiting spacecraft, and to glide to a runway landing on its return to Earth's surface. The first vehicle of this type was developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Formally called the Space Transportation System

Alabama, Plant and animal life

2005-03-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

The warm climate of Alabama has nurtured a rich plant cover, including more than 125 tree varieties. Most of the thick forests are in the north and northeast. Pine trees predominate, and live oaks are also found statewide, lending grace to the streets of the older towns and cities. Sweet gum and black walnut are also common, while the colourful red cedar is most abundant in

Saavedra (ramírez De Baquendano), ángel De, Duque De Rivas

2005-03-21T05:53:00.000-08:00

After entering politics Saavedra was condemned to death in 1823 for his extreme liberal views. He fled to London and lived subsequently in Italy,

Kirchhoff, Gustav Robert

2005-03-20T16:15:00.000-08:00

In 1845 Kirchhoff first announced Kirchhoff's

Quantum Field Theory

2005-03-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Body of physical principles designed to account for subatomic phenomena. The theory also has found applications in other branches of physics. The theory arises from the attempt to combine the principles of quantum mechanics with those of relativity in an effort to describe processes such as high-energy collisions in which particles may be created or

Hirah, Al-

2005-03-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

(from Syriac hirta, “camp”), English Hira, ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq; it was prominent in pre-Islamic Arab history. The town was originally a military encampment, but in the 5th and 6th centuries AD it was the capital of the Lakhmids, who were Arab vassals of Sasanian Persia (Iran). As such it was a centre of diplomatic, political, and military activities

Guinea

2005-03-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

The shortage

Argentina, The Pampean zone

2005-03-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

The Pampas occupy a transitional area between high summer temperatures to the north and cooler summers to the south. Buenos Aires, located on the northern edge of the Pampas, has a climate similar to that of cities in the southeastern United States, with hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters. The range of mean temperatures for summer months (December to February)

A Moving Habitat:

2005-03-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

About once a week the three-toed sloth of Central and South America (Bradypus variegatus) descends from the trees, where it lives among the branches. For this slow-moving mammal, the journey is a dangerous and laborious undertaking, but it is one of great importance to members of the community among and aboard the sloth. Once the sloth has reached

Armenia

2005-03-17T04:31:00.000-08:00

In full Republic of Armenia, Armenian Hayastan, or Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun, country of Transcaucasia, lying just south of the great mountain range of the Caucasus and fronting the northwestern extremity of Asia. It covers an area of 11,500 square miles (29,800 square kilometres). To the north and east Armenia is bounded by Georgia and Azerbaijan, while its neighbours to the southeast and west are, respectively, Iran and Turkey. Naxçivan, an exclave of Azerbaijan,

Anderson, Laurie

2005-03-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

Anderson began studying classical violin at five years of age and later performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony. In 1966 she moved to New York City, where she attended Barnard College (B.A., 1969) and Columbia University

Sardana

2005-03-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

Communal dance intimately bound up with Catalan national consciousness. It is danced by men and women who join hands alternately in a closed circle. As they dance to the music of tenores and tabales (shawms and small drums), their faces remain solemn and dignified. The basic pattern of the sardana is a series of long (llarg) and short (curt) steps; the precise combination

Binney, Horace

2005-03-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

Binney graduated from Harvard in 1797 and was admitted to the bar in 1800. He became an expert on marine-insurance and land-title law, and from 1809 to 1814 he published six volumes of authoritative court reports of cases heard in the state

Corbel Table

2005-03-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

In architecture, a continuous row of corbels (a block of stone projecting from a wall and supporting some heavy feature), usually occurring just below the eaves of a roof in order to fill in beneath a high-pitched roof and to give extra support. It was a popular architectural feature in early medieval churches, particularly in Romanesque buildings, in which the corbels

Karakol

2005-03-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1889–1921, 1939–91) Przhevalsk, city, eastern Ysyk-köl oblast (province), Kyrgyzstan, at the northern foot of the Terskey-Alatau Mountains at an elevation of 5,807 feet (1,770 m) on the Karakol River. The city was founded in 1869 as a Russian military and administrative outpost; it was renamed for the Russian explorer Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky, who died there in 1888. It has many food and other light industries, a teacher-training

Papal Infallibility

2005-03-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

In Roman Catholic theology, the doctrine that the pope, acting as supreme teacher and under certain conditions, cannot err when he teaches in matters of faith or morals. As an element of the broader understanding of the infallibility of the church, this doctrine is based on the belief that the church has been entrusted with the teaching mission of Jesus Christ and

Pug

2005-03-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

Breed of toy dog that probably originated in China and was introduced to England near the end of the 17th century by Dutch traders. The pug has a short muzzle and a tightly curled tail. It is a squarely built, muscular dog, with a large head, prominent dark eyes, and small, drooping ears. At maturity, it stands 10 to 11 inches (25.5 to 28 centimetres) and weighs about 13 to 18 pounds (6 to 8 kilograms). Its

Cumberland Narrows

2005-03-13T04:31:00.000-08:00

Scenic gorge 1,000 feet (305 metres) deep in Allegany county, northwestern Maryland, U.S., just northwest of Cumberland city. Cut by Wills Creek, it provides a natural east-west gateway, located between Wills and Haystack mountains, across the Allegheny Mountains. The gap, which was initially an Indian footpath, was discovered in 1755 by a vanguard unit of British and colonial troops

Felix (ii)

2005-03-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Antipope from 355 to 358. Originally an archdeacon, Felix was irregularly installed as pope in 355 after the emperor Constantius banished the reigning pope, Liberius. In May 357 the Roman laity, which had remained faithful to Liberius, demanded that Constantius recall the true pope. The Emperor planned to have Felix and Liberius rule jointly, but Felix was forced

Zakarpattya

2005-03-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

Russian Zakarpatskaya, also spelled Zakarpatskaia, or Zakarpatskaja, oblast (province), western Ukraine. It is bounded by Slovakia and Hungary on the west, Poland on the northwest, and Romania on the south. The oblast extends from the northwest-southeast–trending Carpathian Mountain crestline (the Verkhovyna and Gorgany ranges, respectively), across the successive parallel Polonina and Vulhanichnyy ranges, and southwestward down

Conemaugh Series

2005-03-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

The Conemaugh Series overlies rocks of the Allegheny

Indian Philosophy, Concepts of bhedabheda

2005-03-11T05:48:00.000-08:00

Among pre-Sankara commentators on the Vedanta-sutras, Bhartrprapañca defended the thesis

La Tour, Georges De

2005-03-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

La Tour became a master painter and eventually settled in Lunéville.

Yakub Beg

2005-03-10T03:39:00.000-08:00

Tajik adventurer who entered northwest China in 1864 and through a series of military and political maneuvers took advantage of the anti-Chinese uprisings of its Muslim inhabitants to establish himself as head of the kingdom of Kashgaria. Expanding northward in the area of modern Sinkiang

China, Hsi (Western) Han

2005-03-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Since at least as early as the Shang dynasty the Chinese had been accustomed to acknowledging the temporal and spiritual authority of a single leader and its transmission within a family, at first from brother to brother and later from father to son. Some of the early kings had been military commanders, and they may have organized the corporate work of the community,

Kilauea

2005-03-09T04:06:00.000-08:00

The world's largest active volcanic mass, located on southeastern Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S. The central feature of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea (“Much Spreading”) is an elongated dome built of lava eruptions from a central crater and from lines of craters extending along east and southwest rifts, or fissures. The volcano's 4,090-foot (1,250-metre) summit has collapsed

Tibet, The unification of Tibet

2005-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

In 1642 with exemplary devotion, Güüshi enthroned the Dalai Lama as ruler of Tibet, appointing Bsod-nams chos-'phel as minister for administrative affairs and himself taking the title of king and the role of military protector. These three forceful personalities methodically and efficiently consolidated the religious and temporal authority of the Dge-lugs-pa. Lhasa,

Endrin

2005-03-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

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

French Literature, Secular drama

2005-03-07T23:37:00.000-08:00

The earliest comic plays extant date from the second half of the 13th century. Le Garçon et

Laos, Lan Xang

2005-03-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Recorded Laotian history begins with Fa Ngum, the ruler who founded the first Laotian state, Lan Xang (“Kingdom of the Million Elephants”), with the help of the Khmer sovereign at Angkor. Fa Ngum was a great warrior, and between 1353 and 1371 he conquered territories that included all of present-day Laos and much of what is today northern and eastern Thailand. He extended the Indo-Khmer

Lorena

2005-03-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern São Paulo estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies along the Paraíba do Sul River, at 1,719 feet (524 m) above sea level. Formerly known as Pôrto de Guaipacaré and Freguesia de Nossa Senhora da Aparecida, it was given town status in 1782 and was made the seat of a municipality in 1788. The city is a trade centre for an agricultural hinterland in which rice, corn (maize), feijão (beans), potatoes,

Levi-montalcini, Rita

2005-03-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Levi-Montalcini studied medicine at the University of Turin and did research there on the

Lévka Mountains

2005-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Bearing a stream during the

Pramana

2005-03-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

The three principal means of knowledge are (1) perception, (2) inference,

Yonezawa

2005-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

City, Yamagata Prefecture (ken), Honshu, Japan, on the Ou Line (railway). From the Muromachi period (1338–1573) to the Meiji Restoration (1868) it was a castle town of the Uesugi daimyo family (see Uesugi family). The ruling family initiated agrarian reforms by constructing irrigation systems and allowing samurai (warriors) to cultivate the fields and manufacture silk. Industrialization

Ammassalik

2005-03-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Angmagssalik, town, southeastern Greenland, on the south coast of Ammassalik Island. The island is 25 miles (40 km) long and 12–20 miles (19–32 km) wide, with a high point of 4,336 feet (1,322 m). Although Europeans landed as early as 1472, the region was not explored until 1884, when Gustav Holm, a Dane, mapped the coast. A trading and mission station was established in 1895 to help sustain the Greenlandic (Eskimo) population with imported

Buber, Martin

2005-03-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

German-Jewish religious philosopher, biblical translator and interpreter, and master of German prose style. Buber's philosophy was centred on the encounter, or dialogue, of man with other beings, particularly exemplified in the relation with other men but ultimately resting on and pointing to the relation with God. This thought

China, Effects of the rebellions

2005-03-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

To meet the large popular uprisings, the Ch'ing authorities had to rely on local armies, which were financed by the provincial and local gentry class. To meet this need, a special tax on goods in transit (called the likin) was started in 1853, the proceeds of which remained largely outside the control of the central government. The provincial governors-general and governors

Mahalwari System

2005-03-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

For revenue purposes the name was applied to any compact area containing one or more villages, which were called “estates.” The

Mammal, Muscles

2005-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

The panniculus carnosus is a sheath

Ichikawa Family

2005-03-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Kabuki actors flourishing in Edo (modern Tokyo) from the 17th century to the present. The most famous names are Danjuro, Ebizo, Danzo, and Ebijuro, and, according to kabuki convention, these names were assumed by a natural or adopted son of the Ichikawa family when his skill entitled him to inherit the mantle of a famous ancestor. Thus, there have been 12 Danjuros (the highest honorific

Kirkcaldy (of Grange), Sir William

2005-03-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

Kirkcaldy was one of the Protestant conspirators who murdered the powerful cardinal David Beaton at St. Andrews Castle in May 1546. From 1550 to 1556 he served in France as a secret agent for England. He returned to Scotland in 1557 and two years later joined the Protestant lords

Tabasco

2005-02-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

State, southeastern Mexico, bounded on the northwest by the Bay of Campeche of the Gulf of Mexico, east by Campeche, southeast by Guatemala, south by Chiapas, and west by Veracruz. Tabasco's 9,756-sq-mi (25,267-sq-km) territory is generally low and flat, largely covered with lagoons and swamps but with a higher area in the south and southeast. It is drained by the Grijalva (also known as the

Myanmar, Traditional regions

2005-02-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

Speakers of Burmese and Mon historically have lived in the plains, while speakers of a dialect of Burmese retaining archaic features occupied the Arakan and Tenasserim coastal plains. The hills were inhabited by those speaking Shan, Kachin, Chin, and numerous other languages. In the plains the division between northern and southern Myanmar (Upper and Lower Burma,

Lo-johansson, Ivar

2005-02-27T02:45:00.000-08:00

Lo-Johansson was first recognized in the mid-1930s for his detailed and realistic depiction of the plight of landless Swedish peasants, known as statare, in two volumes of

Tasmania, Soils

2005-02-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Most Tasmanian soils are leached, acidic, poorly drained, high in humus, and low in fertility. Least fertile and most extensive are the soils, especially the moor peats, of the west and northeast. Fertile areas occur extensively in the northwest and locally elsewhere, notably in the northeast. Brown earths occupy the drier areas east of the Central Plateau; black earths,

Arnold, Harold Deforest

2005-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

Arnold studied at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he received a Ph.B. (1906) and a M.S. (1907), and in 1911 he earned a doctorate at the University of Chicago. While working for the Western Electric

Domestic System

2005-02-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Also called Putting-out System production system widespread in 17th-century western Europe in which merchant-employers “put out” materials to rural producers who usually worked in their homes but sometimes laboured in workshops or in turn put out work to others. Finished products were returned to the employers for payment on a piecework or wage basis. The domestic system differed from the handicraft

Atatürk, Kemal

2005-02-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

Mustafa Kemal then embarked upon the reform of his country, his goal being to bring it into the 20th century. His instrument was the Republican People's Party, formed on Aug. 9, 1923, to replace the defense-of-rights associations. His program was embodied in the party's “Six Arrows”: republicanism, nationalism, populism, statism (state-owned and state-operated industrialization

Tabasco

2005-02-25T02:06:00.000-08:00

Chemically induced change in electric potential of the motor end plate, the portion of the muscle-cell membrane that lies opposite the terminal of a nerve fibre at the neuromuscular junction. The end-plate membrane is electrically polarized, the inside being negative with respect to the outside because of an uneven distribution of ions. When a nerve impulse releases

Costa Rica, Flag Of

2005-02-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

Like other parts of the United Provinces of Central America, Costa Rica originally flew the federal flag of blue-white-blue stripes with a coat of arms in the centre. Adopted when Central America freed itself from Mexico in 1823, it drew its design inspiration from the flag of Argentina, one of the earliest Spanish colonies to proclaim independence. Even after the five

Regium Donum

2005-02-24T02:27:00.000-08:00

(Latin: “royal gift”), annual grant made from public funds to Presbyterian ministers in Ireland and to Nonconformist ministers (those not part of the Church of England) in Great Britain. It originated in Ireland in 1690, when the English king William III made a grant to Presbyterian ministers in Ulster as a reward for their services during his struggles with former king James

Lahaina

2005-02-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Lahaina was actively associated during the 19th century with the Hawaiian royal family, European whalers, and American missionaries.

Gaudin, Martin-michel-charles, Duc (duke) De Gaëte

2005-02-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

From 1773 Gaudin worked in those bureaus of the Contrôle Générale des Finances that handled the collection of taxes, and he eventually rose to be a head of the tax department. In 1791, during the French Revolution, he was made a

Swaziland, Flag Of

2005-02-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

The Swazi, famed as warriors, have a traditional shield that is made of black-and-white ox hide stretched over a wooden frame. A representation of such a shield appeared briefly on a Swazi flag flown in the late 19th century when they administered their land jointly with the (Boer) South African Republic and the British. The current national flag, however, dates to 1941. At that

Mosander, Carl Gustaf

2005-02-22T02:08:00.000-08:00

In 1826 Mosander was placed in charge of the chemical laboratory of the Caroline Medical Institute, Stockholm, and in 1832 became professor of chemistry and mineralogy. While studying a compound of cerium, he discovered

Willard, Emma

2005-02-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Emma Hart was the next-to-last of 17 children; her younger sister was educator and writer Almira Hart (Lincoln Phelps). Encouraged

Kael, Pauline

2005-02-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

Kael graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1940. For a number of years she made a precarious living with various minor jobs. She had been an avid fan of the movies since childhood, and in 1953 she published her first

Antarctica, Structural framework

2005-02-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

Most of the Antarctic geologic record lies hidden beneath the vast regions of snow and ice that make up more than 95 percent of the continent's surface terrain. No one knows what important segments of the record lie concealed in buried ranges such as the Gamburtsev Mountains, the topography of which has been mapped only by seismic reflections through the great East

La Baule-escoublac

2005-02-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

Also called La Baule, fashionable resort, Loire-Atlantique département, Bretagne région, France. It lies along the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Loire River, west of Saint-Nazaire. Facing south and protected from the north wind by 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of dune-stabilizing maritime pines, it is on a crescent-shaped bay in the centre of a fine sand beach 5 miles (8 km) long. Headlands at each end of

Syrian And Palestinian Religion

2005-02-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

Beliefs of Syria and Palestine between 3000 and 300 BC. These religions are usually defined by the languages of those who practiced them: e.g., Amorite, Hurrian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, and Moabite. The term Canaanite is often used broadly to cover a number of these, as well as the religion of early periods and areas from which there are no written sources. Knowledge of the religions

Pietersburg

2005-02-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Town and capital of Northern province, South Africa. It is located about midway between Pretoria and the Zimbabwe border, at an elevation of 4,199 feet (1,280 m). The town was founded by Voortrekkers (Afrikaans: “Pioneers”) in 1886 on land purchased in 1884 from a local farmer and was named after Petrus (Piet) Joubert, a Boer general. It was the temporary capital in 1900 of both the Transvaal and the Orange

Ziyarah

2005-02-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “visit”), in Islam, a visit to the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in the mosque at Medina, Saudi Arabia; also a visit to the tomb of a saint or a holy person. The legitimacy of these latter visits has been questioned by many Muslim religious authorities, particularly by the Wahhabiyah, who consider ziyarah a bid'ah (innovation) that should be condemned by all true believers. The

Cancer

2005-02-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

Group of more than 100 distinct diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer affects one in every three persons born in developed countries and is a major cause of sickness and death throughout the world. Though it has been known since antiquity, significant improvements in cancer treatment have been made since the middle

Leningrad Affair

2005-02-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

(1948–50), in the history of the Soviet Union, a sudden and sweeping purge of Communist Party and government officials in Leningrad and the surrounding region. The purge occurred several months after the sudden death of Andrey A. Zhdanov (Aug. 31, 1948), who had been the Leningrad party boss as well as one of Joseph Stalin's most powerful lieutenants in the postwar period. The purge, which

Ibogaine

2005-02-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

Hallucinogenic drug and the principal iboga alkaloid, found in the stems, leaves, and especially in the roots of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. Ibogaine was isolated from the plant in 1901 and was synthesized in 1966. In small doses it acts as a stimulant. The peoples of West Africa and the Congo region have used iboga extracts or chewed the root of the plant in order to remain

Earth Sciences, Paleontology and stratigraphy

2005-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

During the 17th century the guiding principles of paleontology and historical geology began to emerge in the work of a few individuals. Nicolaus Steno, a Danish scientist and theologian, presented carefully reasoned arguments favouring the organic origin of what are now called fossils. Also, he elucidated three principles that made possible the reconstruction

Lama

2005-02-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Tibetan Bla-ma (“superior one”) in Tibetan Buddhism, a spiritual leader. Originally used to translate “guru” (Sanskrit: “venerable one”) and thus applicable only to heads of monasteries or great teachers, the term is now extended out of courtesy to any respected monk or priest. The common Western usage of “lamaism” and “lamasery” are, in fact, incorrect terms of reference for Tibetan Buddhism and a Tibetan

Leaf

2005-02-14T22:23:00.000-08:00

In botany, any usually flattened green outgrowth from the stem of a vascular plant. Leaves manufacture food for plants, which in turn ultimately nourish and sustain all land animals. Botanically, leaves are an integral part of the stem system, and they are initiated in the apical bud along with the tissues of the stem itself. Certain organs that are superficially very

Metacarpal

2005-02-14T15:59:00.000-08:00

Any of several tubular bones between the wrist (carpal) bones and each of the forelimb digits in land vertebrates, corresponding to the metatarsal bones of the foot. Originally numbering five, metacarpals in many mammals have undergone much change and reduction during evolution. The lower leg of the horse, for example, includes only one strengthened metacarpal;

World War Ii, Iwo Jima and the bombing of Tokyo

2005-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

With U.S. forces firmly established in the Mariana Islands, the steady long-range bombing of Japan by B-29s under the command of General Curtis E. LeMay continued throughout the closing months of 1944 and into 1945. But it was still 1,500 miles from Saipan to Tokyo, a long flight even for the B-29s. Strategic planners therefore fixed their attention on the little volcanic island of Iwo

Murad V

2005-02-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

A man of high intelligence, Murad received a good education and was widely read in both Turkish and European literature. In 1867 he accompanied Abdülaziz

Auslander, Joseph

2005-02-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

Auslander's

Quadrangle

2005-02-11T20:30:00.000-08:00

Byname Quad, in architecture, rectangular open space completely or partially enclosed by buildings of an academic or civic character. The grounds of a quadrangle are often grassy or landscaped. Such a quadrangular area, intended as an environment for contemplation, study, or relaxation, was a feature of monastic establishments and thus of the colleges that evolved from them.

Black Hand

2005-02-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

Italian Mano Nera, any of several extortion rackets run by immigrant Sicilian and Italian gangsters in the Italian communities of New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, and other U.S. cities from about 1890 to 1920. It consisted of sending threatening notes to local merchants and other well-to-do persons—notes printed with black hands, daggers, or other menacing symbols and extorting

Vitamin, Vitamin K group

2005-02-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Vitamin K1 (20) is synthesized by plants; the members of the vitamin K2 (30) series are of microbial origin. Vitamin K2 (20) is the important form in mammalian tissue; all other forms are converted to K2 (20) from vitamin K3. Since vitamin K3 does not accumulate in tissue, it does not furnish any dietary vitamin K. Vitamins K4, K5, K6, and K7 have been synthesized and have vitamin K activity, but they are

Afonso V

2005-02-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

The son of King Edward (Duarte) and Queen Leonor, daughter of King Ferdinand I of Aragon, Afonso succeeded to the throne at the age of six. In 1440 his mother was deprived of the regency by his uncle Pedro, Duke de Coimbra, whose daughter Isabella Afonso married. The regent was in turn

Eyelid

2005-02-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Movable shield of skin and tissue that protects the eyeball from mechanical injury and helps to provide the moist chamber essential for the normal functioning of the conjunctiva and cornea. The conjunctiva is the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and covers all the visible portion of the eyeball except the cornea, the transparent part of the eyeball that

Kofoid, Charles Atwood

2005-02-09T02:12:00.000-08:00

Kofoid graduated from Harvard University (1894) and in 1900 began a long affiliation with the University of California at Berkeley. He became a full professor there in 1910, and for most

Tapestry, 14th century

2005-02-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

In the 14th century the western European tradition of tapestry became firmly established. At that time the most sophisticated centres of production were in Paris and Flanders. Large numbers of tapestries are recorded in inventories. The more luxurious standards of living being adopted by the wealthy of the Gothic period extended the use of tapestries beyond the