AngryDrain

Aurgelmir

2005-04-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

Also called Ymir in Norse mythology, the first being, a giant who was created from the drops of water that formed when the ice of Niflheim met the heat of Muspelheim. Aurgelmir was the father of all the giants; a male and a female grew under his arm, and his legs produced a six-headed son. A cow, Audumla, nourished him with her milk. Audumla was herself nourished by licking salty, rime-covered

Alla Rakha Khan

2005-04-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

Indian musician (b. April 29, 1919, Phagwal, Jammu province, India—d. Feb. 3, 2000, Mumbai [Bombay], India), was a maestro of the tabla, small drums used in classical Indian music, and was the first tabla player to give solo concerts. Alla Rakha, who was awarded the honorific ustad (“master”), supplemented his virtuoso classical performances with occasional work in jazz, on the radio, and as music director

Kahn, Robert Elliot

2005-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

After receiving an engineering degree from City College of New York in 1960, Kahn received his M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. (1964) in electrical engineering from Princeton University. Immediately after completing his doctorate, Kahn worked for Bell Laboratories and subsequently

Earth, Activity along plate boundaries

2005-04-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

In addition to earthquakes, most of the faulting, folding, igneous activity, metamorphism, and mountain building on the Earth occurs at or near plate boundaries.

China, Intellectual movements

2005-04-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

A new intelligentsia had also emerged. The educational reforms and the ending of the governmental examination system during the final Ch'ing years enabled thousands of young people to study sciences, engineering, medicine, law, economics, education, and military skills in Japan. Others went to Europe and the United States. Upon their return they took important positions

Pérez De Ayala, Ramón

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

Pérez de Ayala studied law at Oviedo University and philosophy and literature at the University of Madrid. During World War I he covered France, Italy, England, South America, and the United States as a correspondent for the Buenos Aires periodical

Earth, Physiographic expressions of crustal deformation

2005-04-01T06:08:00.000-08:00

Folding and faulting of the Earth's crust produces mountains, such as the Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Himalayas, and Alps. Jointing, by contrast, plays only a minor role in shaping the terrestrial surface.

Haedo Range

2005-03-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

Also called Haedo Ridge, or Haedo Hills, Spanish Cuchilla de Haedo, range of hills, north-central Uruguay. With the Grande Range (Cuchilla Grande) to the east, it defines the basin of the Negro River, Uruguay's major river. The range extends southward from a rugged highland area near the Brazilian border for approximately 125 miles (200 km) and terminates at the confluence of the Negro and Uruguay rivers, the Rincón de las Gallinas. It separates

Oranjemund

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

Planned company town in one of the principal gem-diamond producing areas of the world, in extreme southwestern Namibia. It is located near the Atlantic coast about 5 miles (8 km) north of the mouth of the Orange River, in the sand dunes of the extremely arid Namib Desert. Gem-quality diamonds were discovered in the vicinity in the late 1920s, and in 1943 Oranjemund became the headquarters

Qatar, Resources

2005-03-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Qatar's petroleum reserves, found both onshore along the western coast at Dukhan and offshore from the eastern coast, are modest by regional standards and are expected to last only until the early decades of the 21st century at present rates of production. Oil continues to dominate Qatar's economy, however, accounting for the great bulk of government revenues and one-third

Insurance, Costs

2005-03-30T02:42:00.000-08:00

Following the publication in the early 1970s of about 40 studies revealing inadequacies in workers' compensation in the United States, most states passed laws increasing the number of workers covered, raising weekly benefits to equal or exceed 66 2/3 percent of the average weekly wage, and making other improvements. Compensable claims now include those involving back pain,

Reforming

2005-03-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

In chemistry, processing technique by which the molecular structure of a hydrocarbon is rearranged to alter its properties. The process is frequently applied to low-quality gasoline stocks to improve their combustion characteristics. Thermal reforming alters the properties of low-grade naphthas by converting the molecules into those of higher octane number

Frelinghuysen, Frederick Theodore

2005-03-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

Frelinghuysen was born into a family that had long been prominent in politics. Left an orphan at the age of three, he was adopted by his uncle, Theodore Frelinghuysen. He graduated from Rutgers College in 1836, studied law in his uncle's law office,

Bruegel, Jan, The Elder

2005-03-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

The second son of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, born just before his father's death, he was reared by a grandmother and learned his art in Antwerp. In his youth, he went to Italy, where he painted under the patronage of Cardinal Federigo Borromeo, and later, in 1610, he was

Alexander I

2005-03-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

The son of Prince Alexander of Hesse (previously created prince of Battenberg upon his morganatic marriage) and a favourite nephew of Alexander II of Russia, Alexander served during 1877 with the Russian forces in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), which resulted in the autonomy of Bulgaria.

Ta-t'ung

2005-03-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the region was the headquarters for the eastern frontier command of the Han armies protecting the region

Aerophone

2005-03-25T00:09:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of musical instruments in which a vibrating mass of air produces the initial sound. The basic types include woodwind, brass, and free-reed instruments, as well as instruments that fall into none of these groups, such as the bull-roarer and the siren. Bagpipes and organs are hybrids with different kinds of pipes. The word aerophone replaces the term wind

Saar, Betye

2005-03-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Saar studied design at the University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1949) and education and printmaking at California State University at Long Beach. In the early 1960s she created etchings

Brühl, Heinrich, Graf Von (count Of)

2005-03-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

Rising rapidly under Augustus II the Strong,

Zealand

2005-03-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

Danish Sjælland largest and most populous island of Denmark, between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea, separated from Sweden by The Sound (Øresund) and from Funen (Fyn) island by the Great Belt. Zealand is divided into seven major administrative units: the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg and the amtskommuner (counties) of København, Frederiksborg, Vestsjælland, Roskilde

New Delhi

2005-03-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

The capital of India, constituting part of the city and union territory of Delhi (q.v.).

Eye Rhyme

2005-03-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

In poetry, an imperfect rhyme in which two words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently (such as move and love, bough and though, come and home, and laughter and daughter). Some of these (such as flood and brood) are referred to as historical rhymes because at one time they probably had the same pronunciation.

Latin America, History Of, Cities

2005-03-20T02:23:00.000-08:00

In the late 15th century most of Iberia was consolidated into three kingdoms—Portugal, Castile, and Aragon—of which the last two were united through royal marriage. But society itself was still quite provincial. The most important entity for purposes of organization and affiliation was the city and the large territory attached to it. More people were engaged in agricultural

Burbage, Richard

2005-03-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

The son of the actor and theatre manager and owner James Burbage, Richard had attained wide popularity as an actor by age 20. He was a member of the Earl of Leicester's company and remained with it through its evolution into the King's Men in 1603. He

Floor Covering, Construction

2005-03-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

The basic structure of traditionally manufactured carpets consists of the backing fabric and the pile, which is bound under and between the weft. Pile is formed on Axminster looms by inserting weft, with reciprocating needles, across the warp chain yarns. A central stuffer warp usually separates top from bottom weft. In Jacquard Wilton and Brussels carpet, the pile

Mesopotamia, History Of, Shalmaneser III and Shamshi-Adad V of Assyria

2005-03-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

The son and successor of Ashurnasirpal was Shalmaneser III (858–824). His father's equal in both brutality and energy, he was less realistic in his undertakings. His inscriptions, in a peculiar blend of Assyrian and Babylonian, record his considerable achievements but are not always able to conceal his failures. His campaigns were directed mostly against Syria. While he was

Hyaenodon

2005-03-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of early, primitive mammalian carnivores that first appears in the fossil record in late Eocene time and persists through the Oligocene (the Oligocene Epoch, which followed the Eocene, began 36.6 million years ago and lasted 12.9 million years). Hyaenodon, a creodont (see Creodonta), was a large and efficient predator. Its skull was long and narrow, with teeth that

Thought, Artistic versus scientific creativity

2005-03-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

While the processes of creative thinking in artistic and scientific pursuits have much in common, there are also distinctive differences. The artist places more importance on feeling and individual expression, often going to extremes to divorce himself from environmental constraints. The scientist relies more on disciplined, logical thinking to lead him

Aramaic Language

2005-03-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

Aramaic is thought to have first appeared among the Aramaeans about the late 11th century

Medicine, India

2005-03-16T00:31:00.000-08:00

Ayurvedic medicine is an example of a well-organized system of traditional health care, both preventive and curative, that is widely practiced in parts of Asia. Ayurvedic medicine has a long tradition behind it, having originated in India perhaps as long as 3,000 years ago. It is still a favoured form of health care in large parts of the Eastern world, especially in India, where

Arts, East Asian, Sculpture

2005-03-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Sculpture did not enjoy a great infusion of creativity during the Edo period. More obviously mannered and stylized interpretations of Buddhist deities and worthies were regularly produced. There were, of course, some sculptors of exceptional talent. Shoun Genkei (1648–1710) is renowned for his production (1688–95) of a set of 500 arhats (disciples of the Buddha) at Gohyaku Rakan Temple in

Croker, John Wilson

2005-03-14T04:35:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Trinity College, Dublin, and studying law at Lincoln's Inn, London, Croker was called to the Irish bar in 1802. He entered Parliament in 1807 and from 1810 to 1830 was secretary of the Admiralty during the long Tory

Mays, Willie

2005-03-14T03:32:00.000-08:00

Both Mays's

Han Hsiang

2005-03-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Han Xiang, in Chinese mythology, one of the Pa Hsien, the Eight Immortals of Taoism. He desired to make flowers bloom in an instant and to produce fine-tasting wine without using grain. When his uncle scoffed at the idea, Han Hsiang performed the impossible before his uncle's eyes: flowers suddenly appeared in bloom from a clod of earth. In addition, a mysterious poem of 14 golden characters

Neoprioniodiform

2005-03-13T23:37:00.000-08:00

Conodont, or small toothlike phosphatic fossil of uncertain affinity, that is characterized by a main terminal cusp, varying numbers of subsidiary cusps or denticles that may be completely fused, and an underside region that is deeply grooved. Several genera are included in the neoprioniodiforms, including excellent guide fossils for the Ordovician

Costello, Frank

2005-03-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

Arriving in New York City at the age of four with his immigrant Calabrian parents, Costello grew up in East Harlem and became head of the 104th Street Gang, a group of young Italian hoodlums. In 1915 he went to prison for a year for

Ovum

2005-03-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

The outer surface of each ovary is covered by a layer of cells (germinal epithelium); these surround the immature egg cells, which are present in the ovaries from the time of

Adams, John

2005-03-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

In 1784 Jefferson arrived in Paris to replace Franklin as the American minister at the French court. Over the next few months, Jefferson became an unofficial member of the Adams family, and the bond of friendship between Adams and Jefferson was sealed, a lifelong partnership and rivalry that made the combative New Englander and the elegant Virginian the odd couple of the American Revolution. Jefferson also visited the Adams family in England in 1785, after Adams had assumed his new post as American ambassador in London. The two men also joined forces, though Adams as the senior figure assumed the lead, in negotiating a $400,000 loan from Dutch bankers that allowed the American government to consolidate its European debts.

Gambia, The, History Of

2005-03-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

History of the area from precolonial times to the present.

Brunet, Jacques-charles

2005-03-11T04:52:00.000-08:00

The son of a bookseller, Brunet acquired a taste for bibliography at an early age and published a supplement to the Dictionnaire bibliographique de livres rares (1810; “Dictionary of Rare Books”), brought out a few years earlier. The first edition of Brunet's Manuel du libraire et de l'amateur de livres

Amara, Lucine

2005-03-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

Amara studied singing in San Francisco, where she sang in the chorus of the San Francisco Opera (1945–46) and made her concert debut at the War Memorial Opera House (c. 1946). She continued her studies at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif. (1947), and won a contest leading to an

Rodeo

2005-03-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

The five standard rodeo events are calf roping, bull riding, steer wrestling (bulldogging), saddle bronc-riding, and bareback bronc-riding. (A bronc [bronco,

Ucayali River

2005-03-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Ucayali, headwater of the Amazon, formed by the junction of the Apurímac and Urubamba rivers in east-central Peru. The Ucayali meanders northward from this junction for about 910 miles (1,465 km) through a densely forested floodplain east of the Andes to its junction with the Marañón River, 55 miles (90 km) south-southwest of Iquitos. This confluence is considered to mark the head of the Amazon.

X Ray

2005-03-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

According to classical electromagnetic theory, the deceleration of electrons will produce electromagnetic radiation, in the same way that accelerated electrons in a radio antenna produce radio waves. The failure of magnetic fields to deflect an X-ray beam seems to confirm this classical idea of the origin of X rays. Crucial evidence for the existence of waves

Clambake

2005-03-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Seafood picnic traditional in the New England region of the United States. Early settlers on the Atlantic Coast adopted and elaborated the practice from the coastal Indians, who steamed shellfish over hot stones under a covering of seaweed. Clambakes, best undertaken on a large scale, have long been a feature of civic and fraternal celebrations in areas where clams,

Earth, Earth dimensionsdiameter, mass, density

2005-03-08T02:42:00.000-08:00

As previously noted, terrestrial arc measurements are capable of yielding a value of the equatorial radius of the Earth, but satellite measurements are greatly superior for determining the flattening. After 10 years of satellite observations the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics adopted the Geodetic Reference System 1967, defining aequatorial, MG, and J2, o. Minor

Tale Of Genji, The

2005-03-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

Japanese Genji Monogatari, masterpiece of Japanese literature by the Lady Murasaki Shikibu, written toward the start of the 11th century. It is considered the oldest full novel in the world and one of the finest. Most of the story is concerned with the loves of Prince Genji and the different women in his life, each of whom is exquisitely delineated. The work is supremely sensitive to human emotions

Europop

2005-03-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

The first major Europop hit is generally considered Los Bravos' “Black

Ila

2005-03-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Illa , also called Ila Orangun town, Osun state, southwestern Nigeria. The town lies in the Yoruba Hills and on the road from Oshogbo to Omu-Aran. One of the oldest settlements of the Yoruba people, it was founded according to tradition by the orangun (“ruler”) of Ila, a son of Oduduwa, the deity who is said to have spread earth on the primeval water. Modern Ila is a collecting centre for locally produced cotton

Pyrogallol

2005-03-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

Pyrogallol was first obtained in 1786 from gallic acid, obtainable from galls and barks of various trees. It is converted to pyrogallol by heating with water under pressure. Pyrogallol is the oldest photographic developer, its rapid deposition

Itbay

2005-03-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

Also called 'atbay, mountainous region of southeastern Egypt and the northeastern part of The Sudan, paralleling the Red Sea. It lies largely south of Egypt's administrative boundary with The Sudan and separates the coastal lowland of the Red Sea from the Nile River valley. The north-south–trending mountain chains in the Itbay region are called the Red Sea Hills.

Guas, Juan

2005-03-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

Guas also spelled Was architect, the central figure of the group of Spanish architects who developed the Isabelline (q.v.) style, a combination of medieval structure, Mudéjar (Spanish Muslim) ornament, and Italian spatial design. Considered the finest architect of late 15th-century Spain, he originated designs for churches and residences that set the pattern for generations

Wrangel, Pyotr Nikolayevich, Baron

2005-03-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

A member of an old German baronial family, he served in the Russian imperial guards and became commander of a Cossack division during World War I. He continued to serve in the army after the February

Abakanowicz, Magdalena

2005-03-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

A descendant of Polish nobility, Abakanowicz studied at the School of Fine Arts in Sopot, Poland (1949), and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1955). She began working as an independent artist in 1956 and initially earned success for large, three-dimensional

Goat

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

Domesticated

Metaphysical Painting

2005-03-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

Style of painting that flourished mainly between 1911 and 1920 in the works of the Italian artists Giorgio De Chirico, Carlo Carrà, and Giorgio Morandi. These painters' representational but bizarre and incongruous imagery produces strange, disquieting effects on the viewer. Juxtaposing disparate objects set into deep perspectives, these works strongly influenced the

Waffle

2005-03-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Crisp raised cake baked in a waffle iron, a hinged metal griddle with a honeycombed or fancifully engraved surface that allows a thin layer of batter to cook evenly and crisply. Baking powder is the typical leavening in American waffles, and yeast waffles are eaten in Belgium and France. In the United States and Canada waffles are a popular breakfast food, topped with

Nat

2005-02-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

In Burmese folk religion, any of a group of spirits that are the objects of an extensive, probably pre-Buddhist cult; in Thailand a similar spirit is called phi. Most important of the nats are a group collectively called the “thirty-seven,” made up of spirits of human beings who have died violent deaths. They are capable of protecting the believer when kept properly propitiated

Hvar

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

Italian Lesina island in the Adriatic Sea, part of Croatia. At 116 square miles (300 square km) in area and 43 miles (69 km) in length, it is the longest island in the Adriatic. A rocky island, it reaches 2,054 feet (626 m) in elevation at Mount Sveti Nikola and is separated from the island of Brac by a narrow channel. The Mediterranean climate is favourable to the production of various fruits, honey, lavender, rosemary,

Philadelphia

2005-02-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1833) of Neshoba county, east-central Mississippi, U.S., and headquarters of the Choctaw Indian Agency, 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Jackson. It was settled on an old Native American site, Aloon Looanshaw, following the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830) and named for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The agency was established in 1918, and the majority of the state's several thousand

Basil, Colonel W. De

2005-02-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Original name Vasily Grigorievich Voskresensky Russian impresario who in 1932 became codirector with René Blum of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He lost the celebrated premier danseur Léonide Massine and several other dancers to Blum, who, with a U.S. sponsoring agency (World Art), reorganized the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo with Massine as director. De Basil then formed a

Chanel, Gabrielle

2005-02-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

Byname Coco French dress designer who ruled over Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. Her elegantly casual designs inspired women of fashion to abandon complicated, uncomfortable clothes and to adopt her now-classic innovations—i.e., jersey dresses and suits, bell-bottom trousers, bobbed hair, trench coats, turtleneck sweaters, costume jewelry,

Guadalupe Peak

2005-02-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Highest point (8,749 feet [2,667 metres]) in Texas, U.S. The peak is situated in Culberson county, 100 miles (160 km) east of the city of El Paso. Guadalupe Peak is part of the Guadalupe Mountains (a division of the Sacramento Mountains), and together with its twin, El Capitan (8,078 feet [2,462 metres]), it forms the focus of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Gaultheria

2005-02-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

Genus of about 100 species of upright or prostrate evergreen shrubs, of the heath family (Ericaceae), occurring in North and South America, Asia, and Australia. The plants are distinguished by alternate, ovate leaves, white or pink flowers, and round fruit that contains numerous minute seeds. G. shallon, the salal or lemonleaf of florists, is a slender, diffuse

Computers, Bigger brains

2005-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

The computers built during the war were built under unusual constraints. The British work was largely focused on code breaking, the American work on computing projectile trajectories and calculations for the atomic bomb. The computers were built as special-purpose devices, although they often embodied more general-purpose computing capabilities than their

Diethylcarbamazine

2005-02-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Synthetic anthelmintic drug effective against certain parasitic filarial worms, which are endemic throughout most of the subtropical and tropical regions of the world. These parasites infect the blood and lymph channels in humans, causing the debilitating disease filariasis. Diethylcarbamazine is effective in treating filariasis caused by Wuchereria

Spontini, Gaspare (luigi Pacifico)

2005-02-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Entering the Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini in Naples in 1793, he studied music with Nicola Sala

Egypt, Hydroelectric and other power resources

2005-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Nile constitutes an incomparable source of energy; further sources are represented by coal, oil, and gas deposits. Almost half of Egypt's electrical energy comes from thermal stations; hydroelectric plants, including those at the Aswan High Dam, supply the remainder.

Alexander City

2005-02-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

City, Tallapoosa county, east-central Alabama, U.S., 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Birmingham. Early settlement began in 1836, and gold was discovered in the area in the early 1840s. It was known as Youngsville until 1873, when it was named for General Edward Porter Alexander, president of the Savannah and Memphis (Central of Georgia) Railroad. To the south, Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River provides

Gable, Christopher Michael

2005-02-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

British ballet dancer and actor (b. March 13, 1940, Hackney, London, Eng.--d. Oct. 23, 1998, near Halifax, Yorkshire, Eng.), was a popular star of the Royal Ballet, and his strong dramatic ability paved the way for him to make a smooth transition to theatre and motion pictures. When he was a young boy, Gable, having seen dance numbers in films, asked for lessons. His mother consented, if he also studied

General Mills, Inc.

2005-02-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

General Mills was incorporated in 1928 to acquire Washburn Crosby Company, a flour-milling company formed in 1866, and four other milling companies. Specializing in cereals and flour products, the

Skandha

2005-02-22T02:33:00.000-08:00

Pali Khandha according to Buddhist thought, the five elements that sum up the whole of an individual's mental and physical existence. The self (or soul) cannot be identified with any one of the parts, nor is it the total of the parts. They are: (1) matter, or body (rupa), the manifest form of the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water; (2) sensations, or feelings (vedana); (3) perceptions of sense objects (Sanskrit:

Madgaon

2005-02-21T03:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Margao, town, west-central Goa state, western India. Madgaon is situated on the railway that extends from Marmagao port to Castle Rock in Karnataka state. The third largest city in Goa, it gained importance with the development of Marmagao port, the best harbour between Bombay and Cochin. An industrial estate just outside the city, a cold-storage plant for fish, and a large agricultural-produce

Roux, Wilhelm

2005-02-21T02:55:00.000-08:00

A student of German biologist Ernst Haeckel, Roux studied in Jena, Berlin, and Strasbourg. He was an assistant at the Institute of

Lake Geneva

2005-02-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

City, Walworth county, southeastern Wisconsin, U.S., on the northeastern shore of Lake Geneva at its outlet (the White River), 52 mi (84 km) southwest of Milwaukee. Named for Geneva, N.Y., it developed after 1840 and has been a popular year-round resort for more than a century, with many summer homes and estates (most of which are now permanent residences) on the lake and the wooded hills. The

Pendleton, George (hunt)

2005-02-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Admitted to the bar in 1847, Pendleton, a Democrat, practiced law in Cincinnati and in 1853 was elected to the state senate. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1857–65), he opposed

Dacorum

2005-02-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Hertfordshire, England. The borough, in the northwestern corner of the county, includes part of the range of chalk hills known as the Chilterns, which border the London Basin on the north. Dacorum embraces a number of the outer suburban communities of London, including the new town of Hemel Hempstead, 25 miles (40 km)

Dubrovnik

2005-02-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Italian Ragusa, port of Dalmatia in Croatia. Situated on the southern Adriatic coast, it is usually regarded as the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian coast. It occupies a promontory jutting into the sea under the bare limestone mass of Mount Srdj. The port's sea fortifications rise directly from the water's edge, and a massive round tower dominates the city on the landward

Plymouth

2005-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

Town (township), Plymouth county, southeastern Massachusetts, U.S. It lies on Plymouth Bay, 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Boston. It was the site of the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England, Plymouth colony, known formally as the colony of New Plymouth. The town was founded by Pilgrims (separatists from the Church of England) who, in their search for religious toleration,

Nitrogen Cycle

2005-02-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Circulation of nitrogen in various forms through nature. Nitrogen, a component of proteins and nucleic acids, is essential to life on Earth. Although 78 percent by volume of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas, this abundant reservoir exists in a form unusable by most organisms. Through a series of microbial transformations, however, nitrogen is made available to plants,

Hale Observatories

2005-02-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

The Palomar and Wilson observatories were operated

Cordaitales

2005-02-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

An order of coniferophytes (class, sometimes division, Coniferophyta), fossil plants dominant during the Carboniferous Period (360 to 286 million years ago). It is believed to be directly ancestral to the conifers (order Coniferales). Many were trees up to 30 metres (100 feet) tall, branched, and crowned with large, leathery, strap-shaped leaves. Three families are included—Pityaceae,

Pencil Fish

2005-02-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

Any of several slender South American fishes belonging to three groups of characins, treated by some authorities as three separate families and by others as a single family, Characidae. Pencil fish pick animal food from the bottom or from plant surfaces. Most species inhabit slow-moving water and all live in fresh water. Some habitually swim at an angle, tail down,

Wurtz, Charles-adolphe

2005-02-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Following medical studies and a period of teaching, Wurtz studied at Giessen and then at Strasbourg (1843). He became an assistant (1845) to Jean-Baptiste-André Dumas, whom he succeeded at the School of Medicine (1852). He was the first

Tractor

2005-02-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

High-power, low-speed traction vehicle and power unit mechanically similar to an automobile or truck but designed for use off the road. The two main types are wheeled, which is the earliest form, and continuous track. Tractors are used in agriculture, construction, road building, etc., in the form of bulldozers, scrapers, and diggers. A notable feature of tractors in many

Alexander City

2005-02-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Aniliidae

2005-02-14T03:08:00.000-08:00

Family of harmless burrowing snakes, composed of three genera and more than 10 species with primitive features such as a vestigial pelvic girdle, an external claw on each side of the anal opening, and two lungs. One genus, the false coral snake (Anilius), is South American. Its most common species, A. scytale, has red and black rings, grows to 75 cm (30 inches), and eats other snakes and

Baia Mare

2005-02-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Hungarian Nagybánya, city, capital of Maramures judet (county), northwestern Romania. It is situated in the Sasar River valley, surrounded by mountains. This location affords the city protection from the cold northeastern winds and sustains a quasi-Mediterranean vegetation. Founded in the 12th century by Saxon immigrants, it was first known as Neustadt. The first document mentioning the name

Aurelian

2005-02-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

Aurelian, born near the Danube River, had established himself as an army officer when, about 260, from outside pressure and

Caddo

2005-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

One of a confederacy of tribes of North American Indians that composed the Caddoan linguistic family. The Caddo proper originally occupied the lower Red River area in what are now Louisiana and Arkansas. In the late 17th century they numbered 8,000 persons living in villages scattered along the Red River and its tributaries. This is also the region of the Caddoan archaeological

Viscaceae

2005-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Members of the Viscaceae are primarily tropical in distribution and are parasites on the branches of many tree species.

Narew River

2005-02-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

East-bank tributary of the Vistula River that rises in western Belarus and flows into eastern Poland. The Narew River is 272 miles (438 km) long and drains an area of more than 10,800 square miles (28,000 square km). It rises in the Belovezhskaya Forest in western Belarus and flows westward through wooded plains and marshlands. After entering Poland it swings north near Bialystok before

Earthshine

2005-02-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

At this time an observer on the Moon would see the Earth as a bright body, four times the diameter of the Moon as seen from Earth, almost completely illuminated

Low Countries, History Of

2005-02-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

For historical purposes, the name Low Countries is generally understood to include the territory of what is today The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as parts of northern France. However, Belgium, although it was not constituted as an independent kingdom until 1831, became a distinct entity after 1585, when

Torez

2005-02-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1964) Chistyakovo city, Donetsk oblast (province), Ukraine. Torez is a typical coal-mining centre of the Donets Basin coalfield, but in Soviet times its industrial base was considerably widened. It is now a centre for engineering industries, especially electrical engineering, and for building materials. The city of Torez has been replanned in modern style, and its streets have been widened.

Shahdol

2005-02-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

The surrounding

Lutheran Synodical Conference

2005-02-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Cooperative agency organized in 1872 by several conservative U.S. Lutheran groups. Its members accepted strict conservative interpretations of the Bible and the Lutheran confessions and insisted that fellowship among Lutheran groups could take place only after agreement was reached on doctrine and church practices. Over the years some of the original members

La Tour, Maurice-quentin De

2005-02-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

Early in his youth La Tour went to Paris, where he entered the studio of the Flemish painter Jacques Spoede. He then went to Reims, Cambrai (1724), and England (c. 1725), returning to Paris to resume

Distinguished Service Order

2005-02-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

British military decoration awarded to officers who have performed meritorious or distinguished service in war. The decoration, instituted by Queen Victoria in 1886, entitles recipients to add D.S.O. after their names. Foreign officers associated with British forces can become holders of the award as “honorary members.” The badge of the order is a white and gold cross

Daniell, John Frederic

2005-02-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

In 1820 Daniell invented a dew-point hygrometer (a device that indicates atmospheric humidity), which came into widespread use. In his Meteorological Essays and Observations (1823), Daniell

AngryDrain

Aurgelmir

Alla Rakha Khan

Kahn, Robert Elliot

Earth, Activity along plate boundaries

China, Intellectual movements

Pérez De Ayala, Ramón

Earth, Physiographic expressions of crustal deformation

Haedo Range

Oranjemund

Qatar, Resources

Insurance, Costs

Reforming

Frelinghuysen, Frederick Theodore

Bruegel, Jan, The Elder

Alexander I

Ta-t'ung

Aerophone

Saar, Betye

Brühl, Heinrich, Graf Von (count Of)

Zealand

New Delhi

Eye Rhyme

Latin America, History Of, Cities

Burbage, Richard

Floor Covering, Construction

Mesopotamia, History Of, Shalmaneser III and Shamshi-Adad V of Assyria

Hyaenodon

Thought, Artistic versus scientific creativity

Aramaic Language

Medicine, India

Arts, East Asian, Sculpture

Croker, John Wilson

Mays, Willie

Han Hsiang

Neoprioniodiform

Costello, Frank

Ovum

Adams, John

Gambia, The, History Of

Brunet, Jacques-charles

Amara, Lucine

Rodeo

Ucayali River

X Ray

Clambake

Earth, Earth dimensionsdiameter, mass, density

Tale Of Genji, The

Europop

Ila

Pyrogallol

Itbay

Guas, Juan

Wrangel, Pyotr Nikolayevich, Baron

Abakanowicz, Magdalena

Goat

Metaphysical Painting

Waffle

Nat

Hvar

Philadelphia

Basil, Colonel W. De

Chanel, Gabrielle

Guadalupe Peak

Gaultheria

Computers, Bigger brains

Diethylcarbamazine

Spontini, Gaspare (luigi Pacifico)

Egypt, Hydroelectric and other power resources

Alexander City

Gable, Christopher Michael

General Mills, Inc.

Skandha

Madgaon

Roux, Wilhelm

Lake Geneva

Pendleton, George (hunt)

Dacorum

Dubrovnik

Plymouth

Earth, Earth dimensionsdiameter, mass, density