RoundCart

Shiloh

2005-03-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

Canaanite town that became the central sanctuary site of the Israelite confederacy during the period of the judges (12th–11th century BC). After the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant were installed in Shiloh until the Ark was captured by the Philistines (c. 1050 BC) in a battle with the Israelites at Ebenezer (site unknown), and Shiloh was soon thereafter

Race, Transforming race into species

2005-03-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

One of those whose direct experience of African slaves and assessment of them was given great weight was Edward Long (1734–1813), a former plantation owner and jurist in Jamaica. In a book entitled The History of Jamaica (1774), Long asserted that “the Negro” was “void of genius” and “incapable” of civilization; indeed, he was so far inferior as to constitute a separate species of mankind. Long's

Hardwick, Elizabeth

2005-03-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Hardwick attended the University of Kentucky (B.A., 1938; M.A., 1939) and Columbia University in New York City. Her experience as a young Southern woman in Manhattan provided the backdrop for her somber, introspective first novel, The Ghostly

Philby, H. Saint John

2005-03-17T05:05:00.000-08:00

Philby was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and joined the Indian Civil Service in 1907. In 1917, as political officer of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary force, he was dispatched on a diplomatic

Artaxerxes I

2005-03-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

He was surnamed in Greek Macrocheir (“Longhand”) and in Latin Longimanus. A younger son of Xerxes I and Amestris, he was raised to the throne by the commander of the guard, Artabanus, who had murdered Xerxes. A few months later, Artaxerxes slew Artabanus in a hand-to-hand fight. His reign, though generally peaceful, was

Francis I

2005-03-13T03:47:00.000-08:00

Also called (until 1515) Francis Of Angoulême, French François D'angoulême king of France (1515–47), the first of five monarchs of the Angoulême branch of the House of Valois. A Renaissance patron of the arts and scholarship, a humanist, and a knightly king, he waged campaigns in Italy (1515–16) and fought a series of wars with the Holy Roman Empire (1521–44).

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint, Philosophical treatises

2005-03-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

De ente et essentia (before 1256; On Being and Essence, 1949); Contra impugnantes Dei cultum et religionem (1256; An Apology for the Religious Orders, 1902); De regno (De regimine principum) ad regem Cypri (1266; On Kingship, 1949); De perfectione vitae spiritualis (1269–70); De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas (1270; The Unicity of the Intellect, 1946); De aeternitate mundi contra murmurantes (1270–72); De substantiis separatis, seu de angelorum natura (undated; Treatise on Separate Substances, 1959).

Vending Machine

2005-03-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Coin-actuated machine through which various goods may be retailed. Vending machines should not be confused with coin-operated amusement games or music machines. The first known commercial use of vending machines came early in the 18th century in England, where coin-actuated “honour boxes” were used to sell snuff and tobacco. These devices were also in use in the British-American

West Flanders

2005-03-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

Drained

Saranac Lake

2005-03-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Saranac Lake lies 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Lake Placid. It originated in 1819 as a lumber community and became an early rendezvous for mountain guides. The name, from the

Min Mountains

2005-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Wade–Giles romanization and Pinyin Min Shan, range in southwestern Kansu and northwest Szechwan sheng (provinces), China. The Min Mountains are a branch of the Kunlun Mountains and have a roughly northwest to southeast axis. The range is made up of extremely rugged limestone, with an average elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 m) above sea level; individual peaks reach much higher elevations. In the western section of the range,

Steelhead

2005-03-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

Saltwater form of rainbow trout (q.v.).

Quantz, Johann Joachim

2005-02-27T01:10:00.000-08:00

Quantz obtained posts at Radeberg and Dresden and in 1717 studied counterpoint in Vienna with Johann Zelenka and Johann Fux. In 1718 he became oboist in the Polish court

Pacific Ocean

2005-02-26T06:23:00.000-08:00

The wind and pressure systems of the Pacific conform closely with the so-called planetary system—i.e., the patterns of air pressure and the consequent wind patterns that develop in the atmosphere of the Earth as a result of its rotation (Coriolis force) and the inclination of its axis (ecliptic) toward the Sun. They are, in essence, a three-celled latitudinal arrangement

Hysteresis

2005-02-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Lagging of the magnetization of a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, behind variations of the magnetizing field. When ferromagnetic materials are placed within a coil of wire carrying an electric current, the magnetizing field, or magnetic field strength H, caused by the current forces some or all of the atomic magnets in the material to align with the field. The

D-day

2005-02-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

(in World War II), first day of the Allied landing in Normandy, France. See Normandy Invasion.

Moses, Sir Charles (joseph Alfred)

2005-02-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

Moses graduated from the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, Eng. (1918), and was stationed with the British army in Ireland before immigrating

Appleton

2005-02-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1851) of Outagamie county, east-central Wisconsin, U.S. The city lies along the Fox River near its outflow from Lake Winnebago, 31 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay. The settlement of the area was encouraged by the presence of Lawrence College (chartered 1847, now a university), founded by Amos A. Lawrence of Boston, and of abundant waterpower. First called Grand Chute, the settlement

Nicodemus The Hagiorite, Saint

2005-02-15T05:49:00.000-08:00

Forced to flee Turkish persecution in the midst of his studies at Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey), Nicodemus entered a monastery on Mount

Arrowhead

2005-02-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Any freshwater plant of the genus Sagittaria, consisting of about 20 species distributed worldwide, having leaves resembling arrowpoints. Arrowhead is a perennial herb with fleshy, or tuberous, roots that grows in shallow lakes, ponds, and streams. The flowers have three rounded petals. The tubers of some North American species were eaten by Indians and

Graf Spee

2005-02-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

After sinking several merchant ships in the Atlantic, the Graf Spee was sighted on Dec. 13, 1939, off the Río de la Plata estuary by a British search group consisting of the cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles, commanded by

Hancock, Winfield Scott

2005-02-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

A West Point graduate (1844), he served with distinction in the Mexican War (1846–48). Hancock was appointed a

Olympic Games, Flag Of The

2005-02-07T02:02:00.000-08:00

In 1914, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held its 20th anniversary meeting in Paris, the Olympic flag was displayed for the first time. The design had been conceived by the French educator Pierre, baron de Coubertin, who developed the modern Olympic movement. It has been claimed that Coubertin found the design of five interlocked rings on an ancient altar in

Argentina, Education

2005-02-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

Argentina has one of the more educated populations in Latin America, which is reflected in its large number of schools and high literacy rate. Primary education is compulsory and free; secondary and higher education is offered in free public schools and in private schools subsidized by the state. Higher education in Argentina was seriously hampered by the censorship

Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer

2005-02-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

A Polish Jew, Jhabvala immigrated to England with her family in 1939. After receiving an M.A. in English (1951) from Queen Mary College, London, she married an Indian architect and moved to India, where she lived for the next 24 years. After 1975 she lived

France, History Of, Austrasian hegemony and the rise of the Pepinids

2005-02-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

The murder of Ebroïn (680 or 683) reversed the situation in favour of Austrasia and the Pepinids. Pepin II, who defeated the Neustrians at Tertry in 687, reunified northern Francia under his own control during the next decade. Austrasia and Neustria were reunited under a Merovingian figurehead, but Pepin II governed by virtue of his position as mayor of the palace. At the same time,

Wagga Wagga

2005-01-30T01:28:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Murrumbidgee River. A service centre for the fertile Riverina district (chiefly wheat and sheep), it is also the site of an agricultural college and research institute, a college of advanced education, a soil-conservation research station, and a Royal Australian Air Force base. Secondary industries include

Kiriath-sepher

2005-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Also called Debir , or Lo-debar , modern Tall Bayt Mirsham ancient town of Palestine, located near Hebron (in the Israeli-occupied West Bank). According to the Bible, the town was taken from the Canaanites either by Caleb's son-in-law Othniel or by Joshua himself. Tall Bayt Mirsham (Tell Beit Mirsim) was excavated (1926–32) by W.F. Albright, who uncovered exceptionally clear stratification from which he was able to give the first comprehensive

Pacific Islands, Micronesia

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

Eight or 10 cultural-linguistic areas in Micronesia attest to its greater heterogeneity. Palau, Yap, and the Mariana Islands, in western Micronesia, suggest affinities with Melanesia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The customary siting of island farmsteads and hamlets near the shore reflects the prevailing interest in fishing, canoeing, and interisland trade. Except

Ghazipur

2005-01-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Town, administrative headquarters of Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh state, northern India, northeast of Varanasi (Benares), on the Ganges River. Its ancient name of Gadhipur was changed to Ghazipur in about 1330, reputedly in honour of Ghazi Malik, a Muslim ruler. The town was a strategically important river port under the British, whose former cantonment now contains a college, a

Wolseley (of Wolseley), Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount, Baron Wolseley Of Cairo And Of Wolseley

2005-01-23T03:07:00.000-08:00

The son of an army major, Wolseley entered the army as second lieutenant in 1852 and fought with distinction in the Second Anglo-Burmese War, the Crimean War, and the Indian Mutiny. Surviving

Atoll

2005-01-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

Most of the reef itself is a submarine feature, rising from the abyssal floors of the ocean to just beneath high-tide level.

Saiki

2005-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saeki, city, Oita ken (prefecture), Kyushu, Japan, facing Saiki Bay. It developed as a castle town on the small delta of the Banjo River during the Muromachi era (1338–1573) and came into the possession of the Mori daimyo family in 1601. Because of its good harbour, Saiki was selected for a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1933. After World War II most of the military facilities were converted to industrial

Aalen

2005-01-16T23:57:00.000-08:00

City, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southern Germany, on the Kocher River, at the northern foot of the Schwäbische Alb (Swabian Alps), 30 miles (48 km) north of Ulm. It originated around a large Roman fort, much of which remains; nearby are the remains of the Roman limes (frontier wall). It became a free imperial city in 1360 and was severely damaged by fire in 1634. It passed to Württemberg in

Kuala Terengganu

2005-01-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

Formerly Kuala Trengganu, town, northeastern West Malaysia (Malaya), at the mouth of the Sungai (River) Terengganu, on the South China Sea. A sprawling town with wooden houses set on stilts amid trees, it is a collecting centre for the agricultural products of the river's delta. It is also a port engaged in coastwise trade, with extensive road facilities and an airport at Seberang; and it is the residence

Yi Chong

2005-01-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

The great-great-grandson of King Sejong (1397–1450), Yi is said to have personified the ideal Korean aristocrat. He is as famous for his regal and generous disposition and his scholarly tastes as he is for his painting, and he is also well known as a poet and calligrapher.

Arendal

2005-01-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Town, port, and seat of Aust-Agder fylke (county), southern Norway. Its excellent harbour is on Tromøy Sound, a protected sound sheltered by the offshore island of Tromøy. A port since the 14th century, Arendal had the largest fleet in Norway before the steamship era. From the 16th century it prospered from timber exports. Some timber is still floated down the Nidelva (river), which

Francescatti, Zino

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

A child prodigy, he studied violin from age three. He made his debut at five, soloed successfully in Beethoven's Violin Concerto at 10, and was an

Oak Ridge

2005-01-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

City, Anderson and Roane counties, eastern Tennessee, U.S. It lies in a valley between the Cumberland and Great Smoky mountains, about 20 miles (30 km) west of Knoxville, and is a part of that city's metropolitan area. A tract of land covering about 94 square miles (243 square km) was selected in 1942 as a major site of the U.S. wartime atomic energy program known as the Manhattan Project. Originally

Military Aircraft, Bombers

2005-01-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Stuka dive-bomber was used to great effect during the invasions of Poland, France, and the Low Countries in 1939–40, but its slow speed rendered it vulnerable to fighter attack. The Germans' principal bombers of the Battle of Britain were the twin-engined Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17, and Ju 88. The Ju 88 was fast, with a top speed of 280 miles per hour, but it carried a modest bombload; the other

Montserrat

2005-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Island and overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Located in the Lesser Antilles chain, this pear-shaped island is known as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.” The de facto capital is St. John's, in the northern part of the island. Plymouth, on the southwestern coast, was the capital and only port of entry until 1997, when volcanic eruptions destroyed much of the town and the

Toponymy

2005-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

Taxonomic study of place-names, based on etymological, historical, and geographical information. A place-name is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. A habitation name denotes a locality that is peopled

Iron Crown Of Lombardy

2004-12-29T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Iron Crown of Lombardy is composed of a broad circle of six plates of gold joined to each other by hinges and

Yonezawa

2004-12-28T02:43:00.000-08:00

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

Udall, Nicholas

2004-12-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

Udall was educated at the University of Oxford, where he became a lecturer and fellow. He became a schoolmaster in 1529 and was teaching in London in 1533 when he wrote “ditties and interludes” for Anne

1812, War Of

2004-12-24T00:30:00.000-08:00

(June 18, 1812–Dec. 24, 1814), inconclusive British–U.S. conflict arising chiefly out of U.S. grievances over oppressive maritime practices during the Napoleonic Wars. The long struggle between Great Britain and France, fought intermittently between 1793 and 1815, led both belligerents to infringe on the rights and impair the interests of neutrals. Napoleon averted hostilities

T'u-chia

2004-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Tujia, any member of a people distributed over southwestern Hunan and southwestern Hupeh provinces in China. The T'u-chia numbered about 5,940,000 in the late 20th century. Chinese is their native language, though many also understand the language of the neighbouring Miao people, to whom they are related. Like the Miao, the T'u-chia grow corn (maize) on small terraced fields in the foothills

Alkaline Phosphatase

2004-12-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Enzyme that is normally present in high concentrations in growing bone and in bile. It is essential for the deposition of minerals in the bones and teeth. Alkaline phosphatase deficiency is a hereditary trait called hypophosphatasia, which results in bone deformities. In severe cases, the deficiency leads to early death from infection. Alkaline phosphatase is

Clog Dance

2004-12-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

Kind of dance in which the dancer accentuates the rhythm of his feet by wearing wooden-soled shoes, or clogs. Clog dancing appears in many dance forms—e.g., in some bourrées of Auvergne, in Swiss ländler, and often in Irish step dances (solo jigs, reels, and hornpipes). In northern England, notably among the miners of Northumbria and Durham, dances such as the Lancashire and

Grace

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

In Christian theology, the spontaneous, unmerited gift of the divine favour in the salvation of sinners, and the divine influence operating in man for his regeneration and sanctification. The English term is the usual translation for the Greek charis, which occurs in the New Testament about 150 times (two-thirds of these in writings attributed to Paul). Although the word

Aliákmon River

2004-12-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

Modern Greek Aliákmon Potamós, river, the longest in Greek Macedonia. The river's total length is 185 miles (297 km). Rising in the Grámmos Mountains of the eastern Pindus Range on the Albanian frontier, the Aliákmon River flows southeast through gentle valleys and basins and is joined by a tributary, sometimes also called the Aliákmon, which rises near the Albanian border. After collecting the drainage

Rodin, Auguste

2004-12-10T04:20:00.000-08:00

In full François-Auguste-René Rodin French sculptor of sumptuous bronze and marble figures, considered by some critics to be the greatest portraitist in the history of sculpture. His La Porte de l'Enfer (The Gates of Hell; see photograph), commissioned in 1880 for the future Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, remained unfinished at his death but nonetheless

Tibet, Settlement patterns

2004-12-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Tibet was traditionally divided into three regions, or Chol-kha-gsum (Chol-kha means “region”; gsum means “three”). The Dbus-Gtsang region stretches from Mnga'-ris skor-gsum at the border of Jammu and Kashmir to Sog-la skya-bo near the town of Sog. The Khams, or Mdo-stod, region consists of the territory between Sog-la skya-bo and the upper bend of the Huang Ho (Yellow River), now located

Latrobe, Benjamin (henry)

2004-12-06T00:35:00.000-08:00

Latrobe attended the Moravian college at Niesky, Saxony, and traveled in France and Italy, acquiring a knowledge

New Caledonia

2004-12-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

Officially Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies , French Territoire de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances French overseas territory in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 900 miles (1,500 kilometres) east of Australia. It includes the island of New Caledonia (the Grande Terre, or mainland), where the capital, Nouméa, is located; the Loyalty Islands; the Bélep Islands; and the Isle of Pines. These islands, which form more than 99 percent of the total land area of about 7,300 square miles (19,000 square

Claudius Pulcher, Publius

2004-12-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Son of Appius Claudius Caecus and commander of the fleet that suffered the only serious Roman naval defeat of the First Punic War (264–241 BC). The setback occurred in 249, when Claudius was consul. He attacked the Carthaginian fleet in the harbour of Drepanum (modern Trapani, Sicily) and lost 93 of his 123 vessels. It was popularly believed that Claudius failed because he had committed

Lance Missile

2004-11-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Lance is about 20 feet (6 m) long and is launched from a light trailer or a modified personnel carrier. It is propelled by a liquid-fueled rocket engine to ranges of 5 to 75 miles (8 to 120 km), depending on the warhead.

Trail

2004-11-27T05:46:00.000-08:00

The modern city's economy rests on the mining and smelting of metals (especially silver, zinc, and lead) and on the production of chemicals and fertilizers,

Economic Indicator

2004-11-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

Statistic used, along with other indicators, in an attempt to determine the state of general economic activity, especially in the future. A “leading indicator” is one of a statistical series that fairly reliably turn up or down before the general economy does. Common leading indicators are building permits (suggesting the future volume of new construction), common

Carlsbad

2004-11-23T03:12:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1889) of Eddy county, southeastern New Mexico, U.S. It lies on the right bank of the Pecos River. Founded in 1887 and first known as Eddy (for its founder Charles B. Eddy), it was renamed in 1899 for the European spa of Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), because of nearby mineral springs that reputedly had the same mineral content as that of their namesake. The centre (since

Coolidge, William D(avid)

2004-11-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

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

United States, The Jeffersonian Republicans in power

2004-11-19T01:10:00.000-08:00

By the start of Jefferson's second term in office, Europe was engulfed in the Napoleonic Wars. The United States remained neutral, but both Britain and France imposed various orders and decrees severely restricting American trade with Europe and confiscated American ships for violating the new rules. Britain also conducted impressment raids in which U.S. citizens were sometimes seized. Unable to agree to treaty terms with Britain, Jefferson tried to coerce both Britain and France into ceasing to violate “neutral rights” with a total embargo on American exports, enacted by Congress in 1807. The results were catastrophic for American commerce and produced bitter alienation in New England, where the embargo (written backward as “O grab me”) was held to be a Southern plot to destroy New England's wealth. In 1809, shortly after Madison was elected president, the embargo act was repealed.

Macdonough, Thomas

2004-11-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Entering the navy as a midshipman in 1800, Macdonough saw service during the U.S. war with Tripoli (1801–05). When war broke out with England, his major assignment

China, Finance

2004-11-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

China's financial institutions are owned by the state. The principal instruments of fiscal and financial control are the People's Bank of China and the Ministry of Finance, both subject to the authority of the State Council. The People's Bank, which replaced the Central Bank of China in 1950 and gradually took over private banks, fulfills many of the functions of Western

Uitenhage

2004-11-14T22:49:00.000-08:00

Town, Eastern province, South Africa, near the Indian Ocean, northwest of Port Elizabeth. It was founded in 1804 by J.A. Uitenhage de Mist, a Dutch governmental official sent to the Cape Colony by the government of the Batavian Republic, and it contains a number of 19th-century buildings, including the Drostdy (1815), Town Hall (1882, extended in 1952), and Court House (1898). Uitenhage is an industrial town,

Brazil, Literature

2004-11-12T23:47:00.000-08:00

Brazil has had many world-renowned literary figures whose cumulative writings are regarded by many to be richer than those of Portugal because of their variety of ethnic and regional themes. Joaquim Machado de Assis, the son of a freed slave, was a leading voice of the 19th century with his romantic novels. In the 20th century the Northeast produced a particularly wide

Ziguinchor

2004-11-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

River-port town, southwestern Senegal, lying along the Casamance River. Ziguinchor has long been known and visited by European mariners. In 1457 the Venetian navigator Alvise Ca' da Mosto (Cadamosto), envoy of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator, reconnoitred the harbour. In 1886 the Portuguese ceded Ziguinchor to the French. The town's industries include a peanut- (groundnut-)

Requests, Court Of

2004-11-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Called the Court of Poor Men's Causes until 1529, it was a popular court because of the limited expense of bringing suit before it. Modeled after the French Chambre

Allen, Steve

2004-11-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Allen's mother was a comedienne, and his father was a singer and foil for her in their vaudeville act. When Allen was 18 months old, his father died, and

Pollard, Fritz

2004-11-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

Byname of Frederick Douglass Pollard, Sr. pioneering African American player and coach in American collegiate and professional gridiron football. He was the first African American selected to a backfield position on Walter Camp's All-America team (1916) and the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Akron Pros

Brun, Rudolf

2004-11-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

Although a member of the old Zürich nobility, Brun put himself at the head of a coalition of discontented knights and artisans that in 1336 overthrew the old oligarchical

Smith, Joseph F(ielding)

2004-10-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

After his uncle Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and his father, Hyrum Smith, were murdered in Carthage, Ill., in 1844, he and his mother fled with the majority of the Mormons to Utah. Made an apostle of the church

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

2004-10-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Spanish Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) socialist party that played an important role in 20th-century Spanish politics. The party was founded in 1879 by the Madrid typographer Pablo Iglesias. He was also the founder in 1888 of the party's affiliated trade union confederation, the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT; General Union of Workers). The party grew slowly at first, partly because the UGT had to compete with the

Poland

2004-10-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

Parliamentary elections in September 1997 brought a dramatic reversal in Polish politics. The Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS), a loose coalition of some 30 right-wing groups dominated

Eadwig

2004-10-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Early historical sources are biased against Eadwig. According to one writer, he hated the great monastic reformer Dunstan because he made Eadwig return to his coronation

Denitrifying Bacteria

2004-10-22T03:32:00.000-07:00

Microorganisms whose action results in the conversion of nitrates in soil to free atmospheric nitrogen, thus depleting soil fertility and reducing agricultural productivity. Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, and some species of Serratia, Pseudomonas, and Achromobacter are implicated as denitrifiers. Pseudomonas aeruginosa can,

Wryneck

2004-10-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

Cossack

2004-10-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Russian Kazak (from Turkic kazak, “adventurer,” or “free man”), member of a people dwelling in the northern hinterlands of the Black and Caspian seas. They had a tradition of independence and finally received privileges from the Russian government in return for military services. Originally (in the 15th century) the term referred to semi-independent Tatar groups, which formed in the Dnieper

Sublimation

2004-10-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

In physics, conversion of a substance from the solid to the vapour state without its becoming liquid. An example is the vaporization of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) at ordinary atmospheric pressure and temperature. The phenomenon is the result of vapour pressure and temperature relationships. Freeze-drying of food to preserve it involves sublimation of water

Salzkammergut

2004-10-15T03:40:00.000-07:00

Region, comprising parts of the Bundesländer (federal states) of Oberösterreich, Steiermark, and Salzburg, north-central Austria. The region consists mainly of the Traun River basin and is renowned for its lake and mountain scenery. Often called the Austrian “Lake District,” it has more than 30 lakes, including the Atter, Traun, Mond, Wolfgang (Aber), and Hallstätter. The highest

Hashimiyah

2004-10-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Also called Rawandiyah, Islamic religiopolitical sect of the 8th–9th century AD, instrumental in the 'Abbasid overthrow of the Umayyad caliphate. The movement appeared in the Iraqi city of Kufah in the early 700s among supporters (called Shi'ites) of the fourth caliph 'Ali, who believed that succession to 'Ali's position of imam, or leader, of the Muslim community had devolved on Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyah (d. c. 700), one

Facial Nerve

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

Nerve that originates in the area of the brain called the pons and that has three types of nerve fibres: (1) motor fibres to the superficial muscles of the face, neck, and scalp and to certain deep muscles, known collectively as the muscles of facial expression; (2) sensory fibres, carrying impulses from the taste sensors in the front two-thirds of the tongue and general sensory

English Literature, The Edwardians

2004-10-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

The 20th century opened with great hope but also with some apprehension, for the new century marked the onset of a new millennium. For many, mankind was entering upon an unprecedented era. H.G. Wells's utopian studies, the aptly titled Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought (1901) and A Modern Utopia (1905), both captured and

Zaharias, Babe Didrikson

2004-10-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

From 1930 through 1932, Didrikson was a member of the women's All-America basketball team. During the same period she also won eight events and tied in a ninth in national championship competition

Elgin, Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl Of

2004-10-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

He was the son of the 8th earl and was educated at Eton and at Balliol College, Oxford. In politics a Liberal of right-wing tendencies, Elgin was first commissioner of works under William Gladstone in 1886. Emulating his father, whom he succeeded in 1863, he became viceroy of India in 1894. His viceroyalty

Kahn, Otto Hermann

2004-10-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

In 1888 Kahn was sent to the London branch of Berlin's Deutsche Bank and became a British citizen. The banking house of Speyer & Co. offered him a position in New York City in 1893. In 1897 he became a partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and stayed with the

Lenin's Testament

2004-09-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

Formally Letter to the Congress , Russian Pismo K Syezdu two-part document dictated by Vladimir I. Lenin on Dec. 23–26, 1922, and Jan. 4, 1923, and addressed to a future Communist Party Congress. It contained guideline proposals for changes in the Soviet political system and concise portrait assessments of six party leaders (Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Grigory Y. Zinovyev, Lev B. Kamenev, Nikolay Bukharin, and Georgy Pyatakov). The testament, written

Malaysia, Sabah

2004-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sabah (North Borneo) was the last region to be brought under British control. In the early 1700s Brunei transferred its claims over much of Sabah to the sultan of Sulu, but, except in the northeast, actual Sulu power remained limited. Occasional resistance to Brunei or Sulu influence, as well as extensive coastal raiding and confusion of suzerainty, invited Western interest

Ramanathapuram

2004-09-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ramanathapuram district occupies part of the flat southern coastal plain, including the island of Rameswaram. Protected

Aquatic Locomotion

2004-09-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Free-swimming locomotion is found in animals ranging from protozoans to whales. For effective swimming the animal controls its buoyancy and has a propulsion system able to compete with the resistance of water movements. Many invertebrates

Udi-nsukka Plateau

2004-09-23T03:20:00.000-07:00

Pair of plateaus in south-central Nigeria that form a nearly continuous elevated area. The Nsukka Plateau, which forms the main eastward-facing escarpment, extends about 80 miles (130 km) from Nsukka in the north to Enugu in the south. The Udi Plateau continues southward for about 100 miles (160 km) to a point near Okigwi. The average elevation is slightly more than 1,000 feet (300 m), and the highest

Biblical Literature, Offerings, sacrifices, and priestly worship

2004-09-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

The first verse attributes these regulations to YHWH, who speaks to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, beginning with the rules for offerings by the individual layman. These include burnt, cereal, peace, sin, and guilt offerings, all described in precise details. The prescription for priestly offerings is about the same, with some slight differences in the order of actions,

Lock Haven University Of Pennsylvania

2004-09-18T02:26:00.000-07:00

Public coeducational institution of higher learning in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, U.S. It is part of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education and comprises colleges of Arts and Sciences, and Education and Human Services. The university offers a range of bachelor's degree programs and several master's degree programs. It also offers a cooperative engineering

Duckpins

2004-09-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Bowling game played on a standard tenpin lane with smaller pins and balls. Duckpins are 9.4 inches (23.3 cm) tall. The ball that is used to knock the pins down is a maximum of 5 inches in diameter and 3 pounds 12 ounces (1.7 kg) in weight, and it has no finger holes. Three balls may be rolled in each frame of the 10-frame game. There is no bonus for knocking down all 10 pins with three balls. Other rules are

Equatorial Guinea, Linguistic composition

2004-09-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

While each ethnic group speaks its own language, other linguistic influences are at work. The first is Spanish, the official language of the republic, which is taught in schools and used by the press and is the only means of communication common to both Bioko and the mainland. The second influence is pidgin English, which is used extensively in petty commerce and forms

Chuang-tzu

2004-09-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Zhuangzi, personal name (Wade-Giles romanization) Chou the most significant of China's early interpreters of Taoism, whose work (Chuang-tzu) is considered one of the definitive texts of Taoism and is thought to be more comprehensive than the Tao-te Ching, which is attributed to Lao-tzu, the first major patriarch of Taoism. Chuang-tzu's teachings also exerted a great influence on the development of Chinese Buddhism and had

Crakow

2004-09-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Also spelled crackowe long, pointed, spiked shoe worn by both men and women first in the mid-14th century and then condemned by law. Crakows were named after the city of Kraków (Cracow), Pol., and they were also known as poulaines (Polish). Crakows were admired on the feet of the courtiers of Anne of Bohemia, who married Richard II of England. The exaggerated toes were imitated even in

Ramana Maharshi

2004-09-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

Original name Venkataraman Aiyer Hindu philosopher and yogi called “Great Master,” “Bhagavan” (the Lord), and “the Sage of Arunachala,” whose position on monism (the identity of the individual soul and the creator of souls) and maya (illusion) parallels that of Sankara (c. AD 700–750). His original contribution to yogic philosophy is the technique of vicara (self-“pondering”

Adams, Brooks

2004-09-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Adams graduated from Harvard in 1870 and practiced law in Boston until 1881. Son of the diplomat Charles Francis Adams and grandson of Pres. John Quincy Adams, he was enabled by a substantial inheritance

Lenz's Law

2004-09-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

Thrusting a pole of a permanent bar magnet through a coil of wire, for example, induces an electric current in the coil; the current in turn sets