BrownWalk

Racine, Jean

2005-04-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Racine was born into a provincial family of minor administrators. His mother died 13 months after he was born, and his father died two years later. His paternal grandparents took him in, and when his grandmother, Marie des Moulins, became a widow, she brought Racine, then age nine, with her to the convent of Port-Royal des Champs near Paris. Since a group of devout scholars and

Medicine

2005-04-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

It is generally the goal of most countries to have their health services organized in such a way to ensure that individuals, families, and communities obtain the maximum benefit from current knowledge and technology available for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. In order to play their part in this process, governments and other agencies are

Wryneck

2005-04-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Either of two species of birds that constitute the subfamily Jynginae of the woodpecker family (Picidae) but may be separated as the family Jyngidae. Wrynecks are gray-brown birds of open woods and brushlands, named for their habit of twisting their necks snakily when alarmed. They flick up ants from the ground or insects from trees with their long tongues, and they

Hythe

2005-04-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), Shepway district, administrative and historic county of Kent, England, on the English Channel coast at the eastern end of Romney Marsh and on the Royal Military Canal. (The canal was built as a defensive moat when Napoleon threatened invasion of Britain.) The old town lies on the hillside inland from the canal, and the modern town, a seaside resort, lies between

Staircase

2005-03-31T21:07:00.000-08:00

The origin of the staircase is uncertain. On the road up Tai Shan (mountain) in China there are many great flights of ancient granite steps; the earliest staircases seem to have been built with walls on both

Grafton, Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke Of, Earl Of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, Baron Sudbury

2005-03-31T02:23:00.000-08:00

He was provided for by a rich marriage in 1672 to Isabella, daughter and heiress of Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington,

Harcourt, Sir William

2005-03-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

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

Fisher, Irving

2005-03-29T03:06:00.000-08:00

Fisher was educated at Yale University (B.A., 1888; Ph.D., 1891), where he remained to teach mathematics (1892–95) and economics (1895–1935). In The Purchasing Power of Money (1911), he developed the modern concept

Liliidae, Phytochemistry

2005-03-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

As might be expected from so large a group, Liliidae are very diverse in their flavonoids. These compounds have systematic importance only at the generic level. The unusual steroid saponins, however, characterize Liliidae to a remarkable degree, although they are absent from several groupings—notably Lilium and its close allies as well as several genera with alkaloids

Baccarat Glass

2005-03-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Glassware produced by an important glasshouse founded in 1765 at Baccarat, Fr. Originally a producer of soda glass for windows, tableware, and industrial uses, Baccarat was acquired by a Belgian manufacturer of lead crystal in 1817 and since then has specialized in producing this type of glass. In 1823 the firm won its first gold medal in an international exposition for glass, and

Kymi

2005-03-25T04:33:00.000-08:00

In full Kymen Lääni, Swedish Kymmene Län, lääni (province), southeastern Finland, bounded by the Gulf of Finland (south) and by Russia (east). The province has a land area of 4,145 square miles (10,736 square km) and includes the southern section of the Saimaa lake system, which is drained by the Kymijoki and Vuoksi rivers. Kymijoki valley industries include timber processing and wood products, iron and steel, textile milling,

Ribot, Théodule-armand

2005-03-24T20:21:00.000-08:00

Ribot received his doctorate from the École Normale Supérieure.

Radio Telescope

2005-03-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

The first radio telescope, built

George

2005-03-22T06:01:00.000-08:00

Byname George of Podebrady, Czech Jirí z Podebrad king of Bohemia from 1458. As head of the conservative Utraquist faction of Hussite Protestants, he established himself as a power when Bohemia was still under Habsburg rule, and he was thereafter unanimously elected king by the estates. A nationalist and Hussite king of a prosperous state, he incurred the enmity

Ariel

2005-03-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

Ariel orbits at a distance of 191,020 km (118,432 miles) from the centre of the planet. It has a period of 2.52 days. Ariel's estimated diameter is 1,330 km (825 miles), and its mass is thought to be about 1.8 ´ 10-5 that of Uranus.

Syrian Wars

2005-03-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

(3rd century BC), five conflicts fought between the leading Hellenistic states, chiefly the Seleucid kingdom and Ptolemaic Egypt, and, in a lesser way, Macedonia. The complex and devious diplomacy that surrounded the wars was characteristic of the Hellenistic monarchies. The main issue in dispute between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies was control of southern Syria.

Averroës

2005-03-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

Medieval Latin Averrhoës , also called Ibn Rushd , Arabic in full Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Rushd influential Islamic religious philosopher who integrated Islamic traditions with ancient Greek thought. At the request of the Almohad caliph Abu Ya'qub Yusuf, he produced a series of summaries and commentaries on most of Aristotle's works (1169–95) and on Plato's Republic, which exerted considerable influence in

Episome

2005-03-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

In bacteria, one of a group of extrachromosomal genetic elements called plasmids, consisting of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and capable of conferring a selective advantage upon the bacteria in which they occur. Episomes may be attached to the bacterial cell membrane (such a cell is designated F+) or become integrated into the chromosome (such a cell is designated

Schally, Andrew V.

2005-03-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

In full Andrew Victor Schally Polish-born American endocrinologist and corecipient, with Roger Guillemin and Rosalyn Yalow, of the 1977 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. He was noted for isolating and synthesizing three hormones that are produced by the region of the brain known as the hypothalamus; these hormones control the activities of other

Grotesque

2005-03-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

First revived in the Renaissance by the school of Raphael

Athlone

2005-03-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Irish Baile Átha Luain town, County Westmeath, Ireland. It lies on the River Shannon just south of Lough (lake) Ree. Located at a major east-west crossing of the Shannon, it has always been an important garrison town. In the 12th century the area, previously fortified by the kings of Uí Maine and Connaught (Connacht), was seized by the Anglo-Normans. Their motte (palisade) castle was built in 1210 and underwent

Queen Anne's

2005-03-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

County, eastern Maryland, U.S., bordered by the Chester River to the north, Delaware to the east, and Chesapeake Bay to the west. It consists of a coastal lowland and includes Kent Island, which is linked across the bay to Anne Arundel county by the William Preston Lane, Jr., Memorial Bridge (completed 1952). The southeastern corner of the county includes part of Tuckahoe State

Cahan, Abraham

2005-03-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Himself an immigrant, Cahan arrived in the United

Commercial Fishing, Aquaculture

2005-03-14T03:10:00.000-08:00

Aquaculture is the propagation and husbandry of aquatic plants and animals for commercial, recreational, and scientific purposes. This includes production for supplying other aquaculture operations, for food and industrial products, for stocking sport fisheries, for producing aquatic bait animals, for fee fishing, for ornamental purposes, and for use by the

Powhatan War

2005-03-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

(1622–44), relentless struggle between the Powhatan Indian confederacy and early English settlers in the tidewater section of Virginia and southern Maryland. The conflict resulted in the destruction of the Indian power. English colonists who had settled in Jamestown (1607) were at first strongly motivated by their need of native corn (maize) to keep peace with the Powhatans

Sesostris Ii

2005-03-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Following the established practice of his dynasty, Sesostris spent three years as his father's coregent. In year 1 of this period, a

Tyrrell, Sir James

2005-03-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Tyrrell fought on the Yorkist side in their victory over the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury

Philastre, Paul-louis-félix

2005-03-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

French administrator and diplomat who, in the formative years of colonialism in French Indochina, played a crucial role in mitigating relations between the European colonialists and the French administration, on the one hand, and the indigenous population and its royal court at Hue, in central Vietnam. He was considered

Independence Day

2005-03-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

The Congress had voted in favour of independence from Great Britain on July 2 but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence, originally

Maurepas, Jean-frédéric Phélypeaux, Count (comte) De

2005-03-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

Secretary of state under King Louis XV and chief royal adviser during the first seven years of the reign of King Louis XVI. By dissuading Louis XVI from instituting economic and administrative reforms, Maurepas was partially responsible for the governmental crises that eventually led to the outbreak of the French

Tyrrell, Sir James

2005-03-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

Its functions include making multilateral

Permafrost, Permafrost thawing and frost heaving

2005-03-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Because thawing of permafrost and frost action are involved in almost all engineering problems in polar areas, it is advisable to consider these phenomena generally. The delicate thermal equilibrium of permafrost is disrupted when the vegetation, snow cover, or active layer is compacted. The permafrost table is lowered, the active layer is thickened, and considerable

Cottage Furniture

2005-03-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Cottage

Yahya Khan, Agha Mohammad

2005-03-07T04:04:00.000-08:00

Yahya was born to a family that was descended from the elite soldier class of Nader Shah, the Persian ruler who conquered Delhi in the 18th century. He was educated at Punjab University and later graduated first in his class

Arcadelt, Jacob

2005-03-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Arcadelt's reputation rests on about

Fabales

2005-03-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

O.N. Allen and Ethel K. Allen, The Leguminosae: A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses, and Nodulation (1981), a descriptive summary, with an alphabetical listing of legume genera; J.B. Harborne, D. Boulter, and B.L. Turner (eds.), Chemotaxonomy of the Leguminosae (1971); R.M. Polhill and P.H. Raven (eds.), Advances in Legume Systematics (1981– ), an updated evolutionary classification of the Fabales; R.J. Summerfield and A.L. Bunting (eds.), Advances in Legume Science (1980); C.H. Stirton and J.L. Zarucchi (eds.), Advances in Legume Biology (1989); James A. Duke, Handbook of Legumes of World Economic Importance (1981), also with an alphabetical listing of genera; D. Isely, “Leguminosae and Homo sapiens,” Economic Botany, 36(1):46–70 (1982), a succinct summary of the contributions of legumes to human welfare; National Research Council (U.S.), Advisory Committee on Technology Innovation, Tropical Legumes: Resources for the Future (1979), a descriptive listing of utilized but undeveloped tropical legumes; J. Smartt, Tropical Pulses (1976); Harold J. Evans (ed.), Enhancing Biological Nitrogen Fixation (1975); J.R. Postgate, The Fundamentals of Nitrogen Fixation (1982); R.O.D. Dixon and C.T. Wheeler, Nitrogen Fixation in Plants (1986); J.M. Vincent (ed.), Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes (1982); W.J. Broughton (ed.), Nitrogen Fixation, vol. 3, Legumes (1982); J. Smartt, Grain Legumes: Evolution and Genetic Resources (1990); A. Geoffrey Norman (ed.), Soybean Physiology, Agronomy, and Utilization (1978); C. Webb and G. Hawtin (eds.), Lentils (1981).

Beinum, Eduard (alexander) Van

2005-03-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

At 17 van Beinum entered the Amsterdam Conservatory after a year of playing in the string section of the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra. A series of minor appointments led to conductorships of the Haarlem Orchestra and Haarlem Roman Catholic

Intention

2005-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

(Latin: intentio), in scholastic logic and psychology, a concept used to describe a mode of being or relation. In knowing, the mind is said to “intend” or “tend toward” its object, and a thing as known, or in the knowing mind, has “intentional being.” Intention may mean either the mind knowing or the knowledge itself, analogous to the use of perception for the act of perceiving or for

Maccabeus, Jonathan

2005-03-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Apphus, Maccabeus also spelled Maccabaeus Jewish general, a son of the priest Mattathias, who took over the leadership of the Maccabean revolt after the death of his elder brother Judas. A brilliant diplomat, if not quite so good a soldier as his elder brother, Jonathan refused all compromise with the superior Seleucid forces, taking advantage of their internal troubles to free Judaea again from external

Zion

2005-03-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

In the Old Testament, the easternmost of the two hills of ancient Jerusalem. It was the site of the Jebusite city captured by David, king of Israel and Judah, in the 10th century BC (2 Samuel 5:6–9) and established by him as his royal capital. Some scholars believe that the name also belonged to the “stronghold of Zion” taken by David (2 Samuel 5:7), which may have been the fortress of the city. The

Managua, Lake

2005-03-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Spanish Lago De Managua, lake in western Nicaragua, in a rift valley at an elevation of 128 feet (39 m) above sea level. The lake, 65 feet (20 m) in depth, is 36 miles (58 km) from east to west and 16 miles (25 km) from north to south; its area is 400 square miles (1,035 square km). Also known by its Indian name, Xolotlán, the lake is fed by numerous streams rising in the central highlands and the Diriamba Highlands. It is drained by the Tipitapa River,

C.b.

2005-03-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

Companion of the Bath, member of a British order of knighthood, although this rank does not confer knighthood. See Bath, The Most Honourable Order of the.

Pen

2005-03-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

Tool for writing or drawing with a coloured fluid, such as ink. The earliest ancestor of the pen probably was the brush used for writing by the Chinese by the 1st millennium BC. The early Egyptians employed thick reeds for penlike implements about 300 BC. A specific allusion to the quill pen occurs in the 7th-century writings of St. Isidore of Sevilla, but such pens made of bird feathers

Arabia, History Of, Saudi Arabia

2005-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Ibn Sa'ud's zealous Wahhabi followers, arriving in the more cosmopolitan atmosphere of Hejaz society, were now exposed to the world of Islam at large. Ibn Sa'ud managed the resulting problems with firmness and tact. He had furthermore to enforce his rule over the tribes impatient with centralized government. His tough action with them won, and he set out to develop security,

Caraway

2005-02-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

The dried fruit, commonly called seed, of Carum carvi, a biennial herb of the parsley family (Apiaceae, or Umbelliferae), native to Europe and western Asia and cultivated since ancient times. Caraway has a distinctive aroma reminiscent of anise and a warm, slightly sharp taste. It is used as a seasoning in meat dishes, breads, and cheese and in such vegetables as sauerkraut

Chile, Political uncertainty, 192038

2005-02-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

In the decade following World War I, falling saltpetre sales and rising inflation fueled dissatisfaction among the middle and working classes. They supported the election of the reformist president Arturo Alessandri Palma in 1920. When the legislature blocked his initiatives, discontent spread to middle-class army officers. They intervened in 1924 to force parliamentary

Christianity, Moral arguments

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

Moral theistic argument belongs primarily to the modern world and perhaps reflects the modern lack of confidence in metaphysical constructions. Kant, having rejected the cosmological, ontological, and design proofs, argued in the Critique of Practical Reason (1788) that the existence of God, though not directly provable, is a necessary postulate of the moral life. To

Uyo

2005-02-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Akwa Ibom state, southeastern Nigeria. Uyo lies on the road from Oron to Ikot Ekpene. A collecting station for palm oil and kernels, it is also a local trade centre (yams, cassava, palm produce) for an area inhabited mainly by the Ibibio people. The town has a brewery and a textile mill. It is the site of the University of Uyo (1983). Pop. (1991 est.) 66,860.

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

2005-02-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

His earlier literary and philosophical activity, however, led to the publication of his Mélanges de littérature, d'histoire et de philosophie (1753). This work contained the impressive Essai sur les gens de lettres, which exhorted writers to pursue “liberty, truth and poverty” and also urged aristocratic patrons to respect the talents and independence of such

Glassware, Venice and the façon de Venise

2005-02-25T02:47:00.000-08:00

A glass industry was already established near Venice in the 7th century, and vessel glass was made there by the last quarter of the 10th century. In 1291 the glass furnaces were removed to the neighbouring island of Murano to remove the risk of fire from the city. Although Venice had constant contact with the East, there is no evidence that it was indebted to that source for its

Abacha, Sani

2005-02-24T02:54:00.000-08:00

Nigerian military leader (b. Sept. 20, 1943, Kano, Nigeria--d. June 8, 1998, Abuja, Nigeria), participated in the overthrow of three successive military governments before gaining control of the country himself in 1993. Having entered the army at age 18, Abacha was educated at military schools in Nigeria, England, and the United States and rose to brigadier by 1980. He participated in the ouster of Pres.

Puerto Rico, Flag Of

2005-02-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

In the late 19th century, as pro-independence sentiment grew in the Caribbean islands under Spanish dominion, many activists in Cuba and Puerto Rico were exiled to the United States or elsewhere. In New York City a flag was chosen in exile by the Puerto Rican section of the Cuban Revolutionary Party on December 22, 1895. The design was simply the Cuban flag with a reversal of the

Nafusah Plateau

2005-02-22T01:24:00.000-08:00

Arabic Jabal Nafusah, Nafusah also spelled Nefusa, hilly limestone massif, northwestern Libya. It extends in a west-northeasterly arc between Al-Jifarah (Gefara) plain and Al-Hamra' Plateau. With heights ranging from 1,500 to 3,200 feet (460 to 980 m), the plateau runs east for 120 miles (190 km) from the Tunisian border to the Kiklah Trough and then curves northeast for 93 miles (150 km), ending in hills near the Mediterranean coast at Al-Khums. It is crowned by a

Biblical Literature, The significance of Elisha

2005-02-22T00:06:00.000-08:00

The stories of Elijah and his successor, Elisha, are of a different literary genre from the historical accounts of the political developments of the 9th century. The historical accounts are based on the viewpoints and biases of the monarchy, nobility, and military leaders. The stories of Elijah and Elisha are legendary, popular accounts, probably having arisen among

Biblical Literature, The Nevi'im

2005-02-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

The model of the Pentateuch probably encouraged the assemblage and ordering of the literature of the prophets. The Exile of the Jews to Bablylonia in 587/586 and the restoration half a century later enhanced the prestige of the prophets as national figures and aroused interest in the written records of their teachings. The canonization of the Nevi'im could not have taken

Lochgilphead

2005-02-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

Burgh (town) and holiday resort, Argyll and Bute council area, historic county of Argyllshire, Scotland, situated at the head of Loch Gilp (a marine inlet of Loch Fyne) by the side of the Crinan Canal (built 1793–1801). The burgh developed from an older herring fishing village and is now a tourist centre and the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. Pop. (1991) 2,421.

Eusebio

2005-02-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

Eusebio began his career in the then Portuguese territory of Mozambique by playing on the Sporting Lourenço Marques. The Lisbon team of Benfica acquired

Sailer, Anton

2005-02-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sailer, a 20-year-old plumber, was the youngest

Holiday, Billie

2005-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Eleanora Fagan was the daughter of Clarence Holiday, a professional musician who for a time played guitar with the Fletcher Henderson band. She later adopted the name Billie from a favourite movie actress, Billie Dove. In 1928 she moved with her

India, The Bangladesh war

2005-02-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

In December 1970 Pakistan held general elections, its first since independence. The Awami League, headed by East Pakistan's popular Bengali leader Mujibur Rahman (Sheikh Mujib; 1920–75), won a majority of seats in the new assembly, but West Pakistan's chief martial law administrator and president, General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan, refused to honour the democratic choice of his

Znaniecki, Florian (witold)

2005-02-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

Znaniecki's earliest work was as a poet. After being expelled from

Yuzhno-sakhalinsk

2005-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Iuzhno-sakhalinsk, or Juzno-sachalinsk, city and administrative centre of Sakhalin oblast (province), far eastern Russia. It lies in the south of Sakhalin Island on the Susuya River, 26 miles (42 km) north of the port of Korsakov. Originally the Japanese settlement of Toyohara, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk passed to the Soviet Union in 1945 and was given its present name in 1946. It is a communications hub, with railways that extend to

Flores

2005-02-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

Capital, Petén department, northern Guatemala, built on San Andrés island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá, only 449 ft (137 m) above sea level. Once capital of the Itzá Indians (Mayas who successfully resisted Spanish attempts to conquer them until 1697), Flores is a major trade centre for the Petén region. Chicle, timber, rubber, sugarcane, and cacao are the principal products

Gadsden

2005-02-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1866) of Etowah county, northeastern Alabama, U.S. It is situated on the Coosa River in the Appalachian foothills, 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Birmingham. The original farming settlement was known as Double Springs, and the town was founded there in 1846 as a steamboat station. It was renamed for James Gadsden, who later negotiated the Gadsden Purchase (1853) of territory from Mexico.

Computers, The first computer network

2005-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

Between 1940 and 1946 George Stibitz and his team at Bell Laboratories built a series of machines with telephone technologies, i.e., employing electromechanical relays. These were the first machines to serve more than one user and the first to work remotely over telephone lines. However, because they were based on slow mechanical relays rather than electronic switches, they

Earth Sciences

2005-02-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

Ryan, T. Claude

2005-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ryan learned to fly in 1917, trained with the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1919 at Marsh Field, California, and served with the U.S. Aerial Forest Patrol until 1922. Ryan established a flight school and a business

Aurangzeb

2005-02-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

Relevant historical background is provided in S.M. Edwardes and H.L.O. Garrett, Mughal Rule in India (1930, reprinted 1976); and Robert C. Hallissey, The Rajput Rebellion Against Aurangzeb: A Study of the Mughal Empire in Seventeenth-Century India (1977). Kalika-Ranjan Qanungo, Dara Shukon, 2nd ed. (1952), analyzes the rivalry for the throne. Detailed biographies are Jadunath Sarkar, History of Aurangzib: Based on Original Sources, 5 vol. (1924–30, reprinted in 4 vol., 1972–74); and Muni Lal, Aurangzeb (1988).

Alarcos, Battle Of

2005-02-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

(July 18, 1195), celebrated Almohad victory in Muslim Spain over the forces of King Alfonso VIII of Castile. In 1190 the Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub forced an armistice on the Christian kings of Castile and Leon, after repulsing their attacks on Muslim possessions in Spain. At the expiration of the truce (c. 1194) Alfonso invaded the province of Sevilla (Seville), prompting Abu Yusuf to leave

Saigyo

2005-02-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Sato Norikiyo Japanese Buddhist priest-poet, one of the greatest masters of the tanka (a traditional Japanese poetic form), whose life and works became the subject matter of many narratives, plays, and puppet dramas. He originally followed his father in a military career, but, like others of his day, he was oppressed by the sense of disaster that overwhelmed Japan as

Cabal

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

A private organization or party engaged in secret intrigues; also, the intrigues themselves. In England the word was used during the 17th century to describe the mystical interpretation of the Hebrew scripture (the Cabala, or Kabbala), as well as to describe any secret or extralegal council of the king, especially the foreign committee of the Privy Council. The term took

Hydra

2005-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Genus of invertebrate freshwater animals of the class Hydrozoa (phylum Cnidaria). The body of such an organism consists of a thin, usually translucent tube that measures up to about 30 millimetres (1.2 inches) long but is capable of great contraction. The body wall is comprised of two layers of cells separated by a thin, structureless layer of connective tissue called the

Abacus

2005-02-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

The earliest “abacus” likely was a board or slab on which a Babylonian spread sand so he could trace letters for general writing purposes. The word abacus is probably derived, through its Greek form abakos, from a

Cabal

2005-02-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

From the time of its inception in 1943 until the time of its demise in 1954, the AAGPBL included some 545 women, who were recruited from the United States, Canada, and Cuba. The league's founder was Chicago Cubs owner

Ahmad Khan, Sir Sayyid

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

Altaf Husan Hali, Hayat-i-Javid (1901), the only comprehensive account of Sayyid Ahmad's life and work; G.F.I. Graham, The Life and Work of Syed Ahmed Khan, rev. ed. (1909); J.M.S. Baljon, The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1949); and Hadi Hussain, Syed Ahmed Khan: Pioneer of Muslim Resurgence (1970).

Argenteuil

2005-02-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Town, Val-d'Oise département, Île-de-France région, France. It lies along the north bank of the Seine River, northwest of Paris. The town's name comes from silver (argent) deposits exploited there by the Gauls. Argenteuil grew up around a convent that was founded there in the 7th century and of which Charlemagne's daughter Théorade may have been an early abbess. Héloïse, of the

Chechnya

2005-02-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia republic in southwestern Russia, situated on the northern flank of the Greater Caucasus range. Chechnya is bordered by Russia proper on the north, Dagestan republic on the east and southeast, Georgia on the southwest, and Ingushetia republic on the west. Chechnya falls into three physical regions from south to north. In the south is the Greater Caucasus, the crest

Ashgabat

2005-02-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Formerly Ashkhabad, Ashkabad, Askhabad, or (1919–27) Poltoratsk, city and capital of Turkmenistan. It lies in an oasis at the northern foot of the Kopet-Dag (Turkmen: Köpetdag) Range and on the edge of the Karakum (Turkmen: Garagum) Desert, about 19 miles (30 km) from the Iranian frontier. It was founded in 1881 as a Russian military fort and took the name of the nearby Turkmen settlement of Askhabad. It became the administrative centre of the Transcaspian

Nadiad

2005-02-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

City, east-central Gujarat state, west-central India. It is situated in the lowlands between the Vindhya Range and the Gulf of Cambay (an extension of the Arabian Sea). Nadiad is a major industrial and commercial centre and a road and rail junction. Pop. (1991) 167,051.

Diémer, Louis-joseph

2005-02-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

He was a student at the Paris Conservatoire from 1855 to 1861, and from 1863 he performed regularly, playing at the Alard, Pasdeloup, Colonne, Lamoureux, and Conservatoire concerts with great success; his repertoire included pieces written for him by Charles-Marie

Akiba Ben Joseph

2005-02-04T02:03:00.000-08:00

The subject of numerous popular legends, Akiba is said to have been an illiterate shepherd who

Colfax, Schuyler

2005-02-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

At the end of his term, Colfax returned to private life under a cloud but managed to make a living by delivering popular lectures.

Quantitative Verse

2005-02-03T00:37:00.000-08:00

In prosody, a metrical system based on the duration of the syllables that make up the feet, without regard for accents or stresses. Quantitative verse is made up of long and short syllables, the duration of which is determined by the amount of time needed for pronunciation. This system has only rarely been used successfully in English poetry because of the strongly

Religion

2005-02-02T00:18:00.000-08:00

The year 1993 began amid the turmoil generated by the destruction on Dec. 6, 1992, of the medieval mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, by Hindu militants, who believed the building was originally an ancient Hindu temple marking the birthplace of the god Rama. The ensuing bloody clashes between Hindus and Muslims throughout the nation claimed at least 2,000 lives within a few weeks, most

Wild Mango

2005-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Dika (Irvingia gabonensis), tropical African tree, of the family Ixonanthaceae (Irvingiaceae), notable for its edible yellow fruit, which somewhat resembles the mango. The seed is rich in a fat used locally to make both bread and a type of butter. The wood is very hard and is used locally in building construction.

Plymouth

2005-02-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

Named Sudtone in Domesday Book (1086), Plymouth's original harbour is still called Sutton Harbour. A developing trade and the shipment of armies

Kerogen

2005-01-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

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

Aerospace Industry

2005-01-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

Assemblage of manufacturing concerns that deal with vehicular flight within and beyond the Earth's atmosphere. (The term aerospace is derived from the words aeronautics and spaceflight.) The aerospace industry is engaged in the research, development, and manufacture of flight vehicles, including unpowered gliders and sailplanes (see gliding), lighter-than-air craft

Nervous System Disease, Vestibulocochlear nerve

2005-01-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

When both divisions of the vestibulocochlear nerve are affected by disease, symptoms may include ringing in the ear (tinnitus), a sensation of spinning (vertigo), and other symptoms such as deafness. Deafness, if not caused by middle-ear disease, suggests damage to the cochlear portion of the nerve. Compression of the nerve at the cerebellopontine angle by a tumour, an

Ibogaine

2005-01-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

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

Tetrameter

2005-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

Line of poetic verse that consists of four metrical feet. In English versification, the feet are usually iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, as in the word {breve}be|cause¢ ), trochees (a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one, as in the word ti¢|ger),{breve} or a combination of the two. Iambic tetrameter is, next to iambic pentameter, the most common

Disasters

2005-01-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

January 8, Charlotte, N.C. A commuter plane, a Beechcraft 1900 twin-engine turboprop operated by US Airways Express, crashes into a hangar on takeoff, killing 21 passengers and crew members; the cause of the crash is believed to be

Aqhat Epic

2005-01-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

Ancient West Semitic legend probably concerned with the cause of the annual summer drought in the eastern Mediterranean. The epic records that Danel, a sage and king of the Haranamites, had no son until the god El, in response to Danel's many prayers and offerings, finally granted him a child, whom Danel named Aqhat. Some time later Danel offered hospitality to the divine

Lahaina

2005-01-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

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

Social Behaviour In Animals, Parental behaviour among simple organisms

2005-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Bacteria, only a few steps up the evolutionary scale beyond viruses, also show parent–young colonies. Diplococci, which

Mcqueen, Steve

2005-01-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

McQueen drifted through odd jobs and three years of service in the marines before he began performing at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in 1952. He did occasional theatre work, making his screen

Mole Crab

2005-01-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

Also called sand bug (Emerita, or Hippa, talpoida) crab of the Atlantic beaches from New England to Mexico. It is so named from its digging mole-fashion in sand. The shell is about 3.75 centimetres (1.5 inches) long, somewhat egg shaped and yellowish white with purplish markings. It lives on beaches in the intertidal zone. E. analoga, a broader and flatter species, occurs on the California coast.

Hojo Masako

2005-01-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Masako fell in love with Yoritomo when he was exiled from the capital by his family's rivals, the Taira clan, and put under the watch of Masako's father.

Canary Current

2005-01-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

Also called Canaries Current, part of a clockwise-setting ocean-current system in the North Atlantic Ocean. It branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwestward along the northwest coast of Africa as far south as Senegal before turning westward to eventually join the Atlantic North Equatorial Current. The cool temperature of the water is produced by upwelling caused

Florida Keys

2005-01-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

The keys

BrownWalk

Racine, Jean

Medicine

Wryneck

Hythe

Staircase

Grafton, Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke Of, Earl Of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, Baron Sudbury

Harcourt, Sir William

Fisher, Irving

Liliidae, Phytochemistry

Baccarat Glass

Kymi

Ribot, Théodule-armand

Radio Telescope

George

Ariel

Syrian Wars

Averroës

Episome

Schally, Andrew V.

Grotesque

Athlone

Queen Anne's

Cahan, Abraham

Commercial Fishing, Aquaculture

Powhatan War

Sesostris Ii

Tyrrell, Sir James

Philastre, Paul-louis-félix

Independence Day

Maurepas, Jean-frédéric Phélypeaux, Count (comte) De

Tyrrell, Sir James

Permafrost, Permafrost thawing and frost heaving

Cottage Furniture

Yahya Khan, Agha Mohammad

Arcadelt, Jacob

Fabales

Beinum, Eduard (alexander) Van

Intention

Maccabeus, Jonathan

Zion

Managua, Lake

C.b.

Pen

Arabia, History Of, Saudi Arabia

Caraway

Chile, Political uncertainty, 192038

Christianity, Moral arguments

Uyo

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

Glassware, Venice and the façon de Venise

Abacha, Sani

Puerto Rico, Flag Of

Nafusah Plateau

Biblical Literature, The significance of Elisha

Biblical Literature, The Nevi'im

Lochgilphead

Eusebio

Sailer, Anton

Holiday, Billie

India, The Bangladesh war

Znaniecki, Florian (witold)

Yuzhno-sakhalinsk

Flores

Gadsden

Computers, The first computer network

Earth Sciences

Ryan, T. Claude

Aurangzeb

Alarcos, Battle Of

Saigyo

Cabal

Hydra

Abacus

Cabal

Ahmad Khan, Sir Sayyid

Argenteuil

Chechnya

Ashgabat

Nadiad

Chile, Political uncertainty, 192038