CompleteRail

Gastronomy, Japanese

2005-04-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Traditionally the Japanese bride received as many as 50 different kinds of dishes as wedding gifts, and she might use a dozen at one meal. She would

Automobile Racing

2005-04-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

The stunning success of Nigel Mansell, 1992 Formula One champion, in his first year in U.S. IndyCar competition highlighted a year in which virtuosity and tragedy shared centre stage. The 40-year-old Englishman, driving a Lola-Ford Cosworth for Newman-Haas Racing, edged 1993 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi for the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) championship. Mansell

Spalding, Henry Harmon

2005-04-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Spalding was educated at Plattsbury (N.Y.) Academy, Western Reserve College (Ohio), and Lane Theological Seminary (Cincinnati) and was ordained in the Presbyterian ministry

Saptamatrka

2005-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Representations of the goddesses are found in shrines throughout

Divination, Inductive divination

2005-04-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

To speculate that inductive divination from natural phenomena must be very old—i.e., that it arose from an early intimate acquaintance with nature—is tempting but inaccurate. In fact, there is little evidence that preliterate peoples viewed nature as a system, and this is particularly true in respect to astral observation. Divination from the skies is concerned

Biblical Literature, Gospels

2005-04-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

A few papyrus fragments come from gospels not known by name (e.g., Egerton Papyrus 2, Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 840, Strasbourg Papyrus 5–6). There are also the Gospel produced in the 2nd century by Marcion (a “semi-Gnostic” heretic from Asia Minor), who removed what he regarded as interpolations from the Gospel According to Luke; the lost Gnostic Gospel of Perfection; and the Gospel of

Indo-esfahan Carpet

2005-04-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Indo-isfahan, type of floor covering ranging from small to extremely large, handmade in India, primarily in the 17th century, as free imitations of Herat designs (see Herat carpet). The name Esfahan was applied in the belief that Persian carpets sold better than Indian. They appear to have been exported in quantity to Europe, especially to Portugal and the Low Countries, by the various East

Coster, Laurens Janszoon

2005-04-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

Little is known of this early printer, whose last name means “sacristan,” his title as an official of the Great Church of Haarlem. He is mentioned several times in records between 1417 and 1434 as alderman, tax assessor, and treasurer and is presumed to have died in a plague that struck

Hu-lun Lake

2005-03-31T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hu-lun Lake has varied considerably in area according to variations in the climate. At one time it was part of a large lake that included Pei-erh Lake, a somewhat

Yogyakarta

2005-03-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

Most of the western half of the special district comprises coastal plains, as much as 15 miles (24 km) wide, consisting of lava and ash soils that are

Triangle

2005-03-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

Percussion instrument consisting of a steel rod bent into a triangle with one corner left open. It is suspended by a gut or nylon loop and struck with a steel rod. It is theoretically an instrument of indefinite pitch, for its fundamental pitch is obscured by its inharmonic partials (component

Mana

2005-03-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Among Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, a supernatural force or power that may be ascribed to persons, spirits, or inanimate objects. Mana may be either good or evil, beneficial or dangerous. The term was first used in the 19th century in the West during debates concerning the origin of religion. It was first used to describe what apparently was interpreted to be an impersonal,

Mollien, Nicolas-françois, Count (comte)

2005-03-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Mollien worked in the office that controlled the activities of the farmers general (private contractors who collected oppressive taxes from the peasants, often by harsh measures) from 1781, and in 1786 he drew up a contract whereby these tax collectors' payments to the Royal Treasury

Great Dionysia

2005-03-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

The

Bulgaria, Flag Of

2005-03-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

In the 14th century the coat of arms of Tsar Ivan Shishman, the most powerful Bulgarian ruler, was a lion represented in gold on a red shield. This design was incorporated in some early Bulgarian revolutionary flags raised against the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Nevertheless, the national flag was derived from a different source—the ethnic association of Bulgarians

Arctic Regions

2005-03-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

During 1997 U.S. and Canadian oil and gas companies made renewed efforts to proceed with exploration and development in environmentally sensitive areas of arctic Alaska and the northern part of Canada's Yukon. In January BP Exploration Alaska Inc. announced plans to increase capital spending in Alaska by $1 billion to $3.5 billion over the next five years and reverse the fall

Anchor

2005-03-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ancient anchors consisted of large stones, basketfuls of stones, sacks filled with sand, or logs of wood loaded with lead; these held the vessel merely by their weight

Nabataean Alphabet

2005-03-24T00:57:00.000-08:00

Writing system used between approximately 150 BC and AD 150 in the Nabataean kingdom of Petra in the Arabian Peninsula. Used by the Nabataeans to write the Aramaic language, this alphabet was related to the Aramaic alphabet, one of the major Semitic scripts. The Nabataean script gave rise to the neo-Sinaitic alphabet, the ancestor of the Arabic alphabet. Like its Semitic precursors,

Charadriiform, Molt

2005-03-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

Most Charadriiformes have two molts between breeding periods, which are on an annual cycle in all except some populations of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata). A partial body molt generally precedes breeding, and a complete molt follows breeding. In some species flight feathers of the wing and tail are molted before the fall migration; in others they are retained through

Utrecht School

2005-03-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

Principally a group of three Dutch painters—Dirck van Baburen (c. 1590–1624), Gerrit van Honthorst (1590–1656; see photograph), and Hendrik Terbrugghen (1588–1629)—who went to Rome and fell fully under the pervasive influence of Caravaggio's art before returning to Utrecht. Although none of them ever actually met Caravaggio (d. 1610), each had access to his paintings, knew his former patrons, and was influenced

Jackal

2005-03-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of wolflike carnivores of the dog genus Canis, family Canidae, sharing with the hyena an exaggerated reputation for cowardice. Three species are usually recognized: the golden, or Asiatic, jackal (C. aureus), found from eastern Europe and northeast Africa to Southeast Asia, and the black-backed (C. mesomelas) and side-striped (C.

Earth Sciences, Knowledge of Earth history

2005-03-22T02:57:00.000-08:00

The occurrence of seashells embedded in the hard rocks of high mountains aroused the curiosity of early naturalists and eventually set off a controversy on the origin of fossils that continued through the 17th century. Xenophanes of Colophon (flourished c. 560 BC) was credited by later writers with observing that seashells occur “in the midst of earth and in mountains.” He

Kafue

2005-03-22T00:03:00.000-08:00

Town, south-central Zambia, about 25 miles (40 km) south of Lusaka, the national capital. The town is located on the northern bank of the Kafue River, whose water is diverted northward by channel to Chilanga and Lusaka. The town's industrial area, which gets its power supply from the Kafue hydroelectric scheme, houses an ammonium nitrate fertilizer plant, a textile mill, an iron

Nalchik

2005-03-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Nalcik, city and capital of Kabardino-Balkariya, southwestern Russia. The city lies along the Nalchik River where the latter leaves the Caucasian foothills. Founded as a Russian fortress in 1818, the town remained unimportant until after the October Revolution (1917). Now it is a popular holiday, climbing, and health resort, with several sanatoriums. There is considerable industry,

Turgot, Anne-robert-jacques, Baron De L'aulne

2005-03-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

French economist, who was an administrator under Louis XV and served as the comptroller general of finance (1774–76) under Louis XVI. His efforts at instituting financial reform were blocked by the privileged classes.

Kuznets, Simon

2005-03-18T16:53:00.000-08:00

Kuznets immigrated to the United States in 1922, 15 years after the arrival there of his father (who changed the family name to Smith, though the young Kuznets preferred the original

Pigment

2005-03-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

Pigments are insoluble and are applied not as solutions but as finely ground solid particles mixed with a liquid. In general, the same pigments are employed in oil- and water-based paints, printing inks, and plastics. Pigments may be organic (i.e., contain carbon) or inorganic.

Aletsch Glacier

2005-03-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Alps' largest and longest glacier, lying in the Bernese Alps of south-central Switzerland. Covering an area of 66 square miles (171 square km), it is divided into the Great Aletsch (main) and the Middle and Upper Aletsch (branches). The main glacier is 15 miles (24 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. It extends generally southward from the Concordia Platz (where several other glaciers meet) to

Tyutchev, Fyodor Ivanovich

2005-03-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

The son of a wealthy landowner, educated at home and at Moscow University, Tyutchev served his

Burundi, Climate

2005-03-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

Altitude is a major factor in Burundi's climate, greatly moderating its tropical character. The country's high average elevation produces relatively cool temperatures, which average only about 70 °F (21 °C) throughout the year in the central plateau area and usually drop to below 60 °F (15 °C) at night. At lower elevations the annual average is only slightly higher—for example, at Bujumbura

Gravitational Radius

2005-03-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

The gravitational radius (Rg) of an object of mass M is given by the following formula, in which G is the universal gravitational

Crabeater Seal

2005-03-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

(species Lobodon carcinophagus), southern seal of the family Phocidae found among drifting ice packs around the Antarctic continent. A slender animal measuring about 2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 feet) long and up to about 225 kg (500 pounds) in weight, the crabeater seal feeds on krill (planktonic crustaceans and larvae), rather than on crabs as its name implies. Its teeth are elaborately

O'casey, Sean

2005-03-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

O'Casey was born into a lower middle-class Irish Protestant family. His father died when John was six, and thereafter the family became progressively poorer.

Arabian Religion

2005-03-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

In the polytheistic religions of Arabia most of the gods were originally associated with heavenly bodies, to which were ascribed powers of fecundity, protection, or revenge against enemies. Aside from a few deities common to various populations, the pantheons show a marked local particularism. But many religious practices were in general use. The study of these

Alexis

2005-03-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Alexis came from Thurii but apparently lived most of his long life in Athens; he was said to have been Menander's uncle. According to Plutarch, he lived to the age of 106 and died on the stage while being crowned. Alexis is

Coin Collecting

2005-03-13T04:23:00.000-08:00

The history of coin collecting begins with the Italian Renaissance, and the 14th-century poet Petrarch was characteristic of his time in forming a series of ancient classical coins. During the 15th and 16th centuries many collections were made by princely or noble

China, The end of Mongol rule

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

The basic dilemma of Mongol rule in China—the Mongols' inability to achieve a durable identification with Chinese civilian institutions and to modify the military and colonialist character of their rule—became more apparent under Kublai's successors and reached a maximum under Togon-temür, the last Yüan ruler. Togon-temür was not unfriendly toward Chinese civilization,

Ribas, óscar

2005-03-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

The son of a Portuguese father and an Angolan mother, Ribas gradually went blind during his early 20s but remained an indefatigable researcher and writer. He began his literary career as a writer of romantic tales. The publication of Uanga-feiti

Ado-ekiti

2005-03-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Town, Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria. It lies in the Yoruba Hills, at the intersection of roads from Akure, Ilawe, Ilesha, Ila (Illa), and Ikare, and is situated 92 miles (148 km) east-northeast of Ibadan. An urban and industrial centre of the region, it was founded by the Ekiti people, a Yoruba subgroup whose members belonged to the Ekiti-Parapo, a late 19th-century confederation of Yoruba

Calash

2005-03-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

(from Czech kolesa: “wheels”), also called Calèche, or Barouche, any of various open carriages, with facing passenger seats and an elevated coachman's seat joined to the front of the shallow body, which somewhat resembled a small boat. A characteristic falling hood over the rear seat gave the name calash to any folding carriage top. Most of the vehicles had four wheels, but

Wolf

2005-03-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

The gray wolf has a larger natural

Zaghwan

2005-03-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Zaghouan, town, northeastern Tunisia. It lies on the fertile, northern slope of Mount Zaghwan at an elevation of 4,247 feet (1,295 m). It is built on the ancient Roman site of Zigus. Parts of a Roman aqueduct and canal network built in the 2nd century BC under the emperor Hadrian are still used to bring water from Zaghwan to Tunis. The importance of Zaghwan water is reflected in the location there of a Roman

Jordan, Transjordan, the Hashimite Kingdom, and the Palestine war

2005-03-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

During World War I the Arabs joined the British against the Ottomans. In a revolt of 1916, in which they were assisted by Colonel T.E. Lawrence, the Arabs severed the Hejaz Railway. In July 1917 the army of Prince Faysal ibn Husayn (of the Hashimite dynasty) captured Al-'Aqabah, and by October 1918 Amman and Damascus were in Allied hands. In 1920 the Conference of San Remo in Italy created two mandates

Sun River

2005-03-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

River in northwest-central Montana, U.S. It rises in Flathead National Forest, in Teton county near the Continental Divide, and flows southeastward for a course of 130 miles (209 km) into the Missouri River at Great Falls. The Sun River irrigation project includes a system of dams, reservoirs, and canals. Its three reservoirs are Gibson, Pishkun, and Willow Creek.

Hen-and-chickens

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

Also called Hen-and-chicks, any of a number of succulent plants of the genera Echeveria (q.v.) and Sempervivum, the latter commonly known as houseleek (q.v.).

Paraffin Wax

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

Colourless or white, somewhat translucent, hard wax consisting of a mixture of solid straight-chain hydrocarbons ranging in melting point from about 48° to 66° C (120° to 150° F). Paraffin wax is obtained from petroleum by dewaxing light lubricating oil stocks. It is used in candles, wax paper, polishes, cosmetics, and electrical insulators. It assists in extracting perfumes from flowers,

Absolute Zero

2005-03-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

The notion that there is an ultimately lowest temperature was suggested by the behaviour of gases at low pressures: it was noted that gases seem to contract indefinitely as the temperature is decreased. It appeared that an ideal

Blood Cell Formation

2005-03-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Blood cells do not

Coral-bells

2005-03-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

(Heuchera sanguinea), hardy garden perennial, of the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae), native to North America from Mexico to the Arctic. Coral-bells is a compact, bushy plant growing in tufts, with flower stems about 45 centimetres (18 inches) tall. It has spikes covered with pendant coral-coloured flowers about the size of lily of the valley bells. The leaves

Targum

2005-03-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

The earliest Targums date from the time after the Babylonian Exile when Aramaic had

Ileum

2005-03-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

Final and longest segment of the small intestine. It is specifically responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12 and the reabsorption of conjugated bile salts. The ileum is about 4 m (13 feet) in length and extends from the jejunum (the middle section of the small intestine) to the ileocecal valve, which empties into the colon (large intestine). The ileum is suspended from

Oakley, Kenneth (page)

2005-03-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Oakley received a B.S. in geology with first-class honours from University College, London, in 1933, and a Ph.D. from the same institution in 1938. He was long associated with the British

Abscess

2005-03-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

A localized collection of pus in a cavity formed from tissues that have been broken down by infectious bacteria. An abscess is caused when such bacteria as staphylococci or streptococci gain access to solid tissue (e.g., by means of a small wound on the skin). The toxins released by these multiplying bacteria destroy cells and thus trigger an acute inflammation at the

Building Construction, Concrete

2005-03-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Reinforced concrete is also a major structural material in these buildings. Indeed, outside of North America and western Europe, it is the dominant industrialized building material. Its component parts are readily available throughout the world at fairly low cost. Portland cement is easily manufactured by burning shale and limestone; aggregates such as sand

Belarus, Flag Of

2005-03-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Slavic peoples of what is now Belarus were in the past ruled by Prussia, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. Consequently no distinctive national symbols were developed until the 20th century, when for the first time Belarus became independent. With the breakup of the Russian Empire near the end of World War I, a Belarusian state existed briefly. Its first flag was plain

Adams, Robert

2005-03-03T04:19:00.000-08:00

Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Adams studied medicine in Europe and then returned to Dublin,

Constance, Lake

2005-03-02T20:49:00.000-08:00

Also called Lake of Constance , Constance also spelled Konstanz , German Bodensee , Latin Lacus Brigantinus lake bordering Switzerland, Germany, and Austria and occupying an old glacier basin at an elevation of 1,299 feet (396 m). It has an area of 209 square miles (541 square km) and is about 40 miles (65 km) long and up to 8 miles (13 km) wide, with an average depth of 295 feet (90 m) and a maximum depth of 827 feet (252 m). It has about 125 miles (200 km) of shoreline. In the west, near Konstanz (Constance), it is divided by the Bodan mountain ridge

Sarajevo

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

Capital and cultural centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the narrow valley of the Miljacka River at the foot of Mount Trebevic. The city retains a strong Muslim character, having many mosques, wooden houses with ornate interiors, and the ancient Turkish marketplace (the Bašcaršija); much of the population is Muslim. The city's principal mosques are the Gazi Husreff-Bey's

Lowestoft

2005-03-02T01:35:00.000-08:00

Town, Waveney district, administrative and historic county of Suffolk, England, that originated as a Danish settlement on Lowestoft Ness, the most easterly point in the United Kingdom. From 1757 until 1802 Lowestoft china, a soft-paste porcelain, was manufactured in the town. The present harbour was built in 1831 by linking Lake Lothing with the sea. After the railway came in 1847, the town

Crab Spider

2005-03-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

The body of the crab spider is gray or brown in colour and is about 12 mm (0.5 inch) long. Members of Misumena

Brabham, Sir Jack

2005-02-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II, Brabham set up his own engineering business in 1946. He drove in midget racing (1946–52) in Australia, and in 1955 he moved to England to drive for the Cooper team in Grand Prix racing. He won

Conté Crayon

2005-02-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

French Crayon Conté, drawing pencil named after Nicolas-Jacques Conté, the French scientist who invented it late in the 18th century. The conté crayon is an especially hard pencil, made of an admixture of graphite and clay that can be varied for different degrees of hardness. It is usually made in black, red, or brown and is used as a drawing medium in any combination of these colours.

Pyrex

2005-02-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

(trademark), a type of glass and glassware that is resistant to heat, chemicals, and electricity. It is used to make chemical apparatus, industrial equipment, including piping and thermometers, and ovenware. Chemically, Pyrex contains borosilicate and expands only about one-third as much as common glass (silicate) when heated. As a result, it is less apt to break when subjected

China, Farming and forestry

2005-02-28T02:50:00.000-08:00

As a result of topographic and climatic features, the area suitable for cultivation is relatively small: only about 10 percent of China's total land area. Of this, slightly more than half is unirrigated, and the remainder is divided roughly equally between paddy fields and irrigated areas. Nevertheless, about 80 percent of the population lives in the countryside, and until

Torch Cactus

2005-02-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

T. pasacana, a stout tree up to 10.5 m in height,

Lippi, Filippino

2005-02-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

The son of Fra Filippo Lippi and his wife, Lucrezia Buti, he was a follower of his father and of Botticelli. After Fra Filippo Lippi's death, Filippino entered the workshop of Botticelli. By 1473 he had finished his

Abaca

2005-02-25T05:46:00.000-08:00

The plant, native to the Philippines

Arad

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

The site became a Roman outpost south of the river at Aradu Nou (“New Arad”). The first documented mention of Arad dates from 1156. Arad was in Turkish hands, with brief

Cozens, Alexander

2005-02-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

Son of Richard Cozens, shipbuilder to the tsar of Russia, Alexander settled in England after visiting Rome in 1746 and became a fashionable drawing master. William Beckford, author of the Oriental

Bohemian Massif

2005-02-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

Dissected quadrangular plateau, with an area of about 60,000 square miles (about 158,000 square km), occupying Bohemia, Czech Republic. Centring on Prague, it reaches a maximum elevation of 5,256 feet (1,602 m) and is bounded by four ranges: the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory, or Erzgebirge) in the northwest, the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše, or Riesengebirge) in the northeast, the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands

Mauretania

2005-02-23T18:15:00.000-08:00

Transatlantic passenger liner of the Cunard Line, called the “Grand Old Lady of the Atlantic.” It was launched in 1906 and made its maiden voyage in 1907; thereafter, it held the Atlantic Blue Riband for speed until 1929, challenged only by its sister ship, the Lusitania (sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915). During World War I the Mauretania worked as a transport and hospital ship. During

Atyrau

2005-02-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

Kazak Atyrau , also spelled Aterau , formerly (until 1992) Guryev , also spelled Gurev, Guriev , or Gurjev city, western Kazakstan. It is a port on the Ural (Zhayyq) River near its mouth on the Caspian Sea. Founded as a fishing settlement in the mid-17th century by the fishing entrepreneur Mikhail Guryev, it soon became a fort on the Ural fortified line manned by the Ural Cossacks. Fishing and trade were the main economic activities until Soviet times. Now, in addition to a large

V-1 Missile

2005-02-23T01:35:00.000-08:00

More than 8,000 V-1s were launched against London from June 13, 1944, to March 29, 1945, with about 2,400 hitting the target area. A smaller number were fired against Belgium. The rockets were launched from the Pas-de-Calais area on the northern coast of France and subsequently from other sites in German-occupied

Jurassic Period, Eurasia and Gondwana

2005-02-22T04:50:00.000-08:00

The Tethyan geosyncline on the margins of both Eurasia and Gondwana accumulated thick sequences of Jurassic rock ranging from carbonates and evaporites to sandstone. The carbonates include shallow-water marl, limestone and reefs, and deep-water siliceous limestone. The presence of radiolarian cherts strongly indicates a deep-water origin for some of the sediments.

Alcántara

2005-02-22T01:26:00.000-08:00

Town, Cáceres provincia, in the Extremadura comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), western Spain, on a rock above the southern bank of the Tagus (Tajo) River just east of the Portuguese frontier. The walled town was named by the Moors after the six-arched Roman bridge Al-Qantarah (Arabic: “The Bridge”), which there spans the Tagus. Built in AD 105–106 in honour of the emperor Trajan,

Canterbury

2005-02-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

Local government region, east-central South Island, New Zealand, centred on the Canterbury Plains. The region borders the Pacific Ocean to the east and extends southward from the vicinity of Kaikoura to the Waitaki River and includes the city of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Canterbury's area also stretches westward to include the eastern slopes of the Southern

Cyprus

2005-02-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

Greek Kípros , Turkish Kibris island located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Turkey, 60 miles (97 km) west of Syria, and 480 miles (772 km) southeast of mainland Greece. Its maximum length, from Cape Arnauti in the west to Cape Apostolos Andreas at the end of the northeastern peninsula, is 140 miles (225 km); the maximum north-south extent is 60 miles (97 km). With an area of 3,572 square miles (9,251 square km), it is the third

Crocidolite

2005-02-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Crocidolite is often replaced

Isidore Of Sevilla, Saint

2005-02-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saint Isidore of Seville , Latin Isidorus Hispalensis theologian, last of the Western Latin Fathers, archbishop, and encyclopaedist, whose Etymologies, an encyclopaedia of human and divine subjects, was one of the chief landmarks in glossography (the compilation of glossaries) and was for many centuries one of the most important reference

Albert Of Saxony

2005-02-19T00:08:00.000-08:00

He studied at Prague and then at the University of Paris, where he was a master of arts from 1351 to 1362 and rector in 1353. Most probably he is to be identified with the Albert of Ricmestorp, or Rückmersdorf, who was rector of the University of Vienna in 1365 and bishop

Tihamat 'asir

2005-02-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

Coastal plain of the Asir region, southwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the central southern section of the great Tihamah (coastal plain), running down the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is situated between the mountains of western Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea and is immediately north of Yemen. Approximately 40 miles (64 km) in width, its salty tidal plain is of limited agricultural

Roman Republican Calendar

2005-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Dating system that evolved in Rome prior to the Christian era. According to legend, Romulus, the founder of Rome, instituted the calendar in about 738 BC. This dating system, however, was probably a product of evolution from the Greek lunar calendar, which in turn was derived from the Babylonian. The original Roman calendar appears to have consisted only of 10 months and of a year

Annelid, Digestive system

2005-02-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

The polychaete digestive system is generally a straight tube; a mouth leads into an esophagus, which is followed by the intestine and the anus. Some free-moving forms have a proboscis that can be thrust forward by being turned inside out—that is, the proboscis is eversible. In oligochaetes such as the earthworm, the mouth opens into a muscular pharynx, which opens to

Computers, The Atanasoff-Berry Computer

2005-02-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

It was generally believed that the first electronic digital computers were the Colossus, built in England in 1943, and the ENIAC, built in the United States in 1945. However, the first special-purpose electronic computer may actually have been invented by John Vincent Atanasoff, a physicist and mathematician at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), during 1937–42. (Atanasoff

Oaxaca

2005-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

Oaxaca is noted for its 16th-century art and

Azikiwe, Nnamdi

2005-02-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Azikiwe received much of his early education in the United States (1925–34). In 1934 he went to the Gold Coast (now Ghana), where he worked as a newspaper editor before returning to Nigeria in 1937. There he founded a chain of newspapers and also became directly involved

Rousseau, Jean-jacques

2005-02-15T04:13:00.000-08:00

Rousseau was the least academic of modern philosophers and in many ways was the most influential. His thought marked the end of the Age of Reason. He propelled political

Pavia

2005-02-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

Pavia originated as Ticinum, a settlement of the Papiria tribe, which was conquered by Rome c. 220 BC and later became a key point in the Roman defense

Dacke War

2005-02-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

Led by Nils Dacke, an outlaw, the peasants of the province of Småland took up arms against the King in the spring of 1542 in protest against the royal

Locke, John, Empiricism

2005-02-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

As for “the original,” the answer was plain. Knowledge of the world began in sense perception, and self-knowledge in introspection, or “reflection” in Locke's language. It did not begin in innate knowledge of maxims or general principles, and it did not proceed by syllogistic reasoning from such principles. In the 17th century there had been much vague talk about innate knowledge,

Tyrannosaur

2005-02-14T05:06:00.000-08:00

Tyrannosaurus rex is the best-known

Poznan

2005-02-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

Beginning as a small stronghold in the 9th century, Poznan became the capital of Poland (with Gniezno) and the residence of Poland's first two sovereigns. The first Polish cathedral was erected there

Farim

2005-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

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

Nepal, Drainage

2005-02-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

The Kathmandu Valley, the political and cultural hub of the nation, is drained by the Baghmati River, flowing southward, which washes the steps of the sacred temple of Pasupatinatha (Pashupatinath) and rushes out of the valley through the deeply cut Chhobar gorge. Some sandy layers of the lacustrine beds act as aquifers (water-bearing strata of permeable rock, sand, or gravel),

Aholehole

2005-02-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of fishes constituting the family Kuhliidae (order Perciformes). Various members of the genus Kuhlia inhabit marine or fresh waters in the Indo-Pacific region, whereas representatives of the other two genera are restricted to freshwater or brackish habitats of Australia. Superficially the aholeholes resemble the freshwater sunfishes

Pembroke, William Marshal, 1st Earl Of

2005-02-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

Marshal's father, John (FitzGilbert) the Marshal (d. 1165), fought for the empress Matilda (widow of the German emperor Henry V and daughter of Henry I of England) in her unsuccessful struggle to gain the throne

Azua

2005-02-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

In full Azua De Compostela, city, southwestern Dominican Republic. Founded in 1504 on the Caribbean coast, the original town was destroyed by an earthquake; the town was reestablished 3 miles (5 km) inland at its present site at the foot of the Ocoa Mountains. It is one of the leading cities in the region, trading mainly in agricultural products grown in the surrounding region: sugarcane, coffee, rice, corn

Ahmad Ibn Tulun, Mosque Of

2005-02-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Huge and majestic red brick building complex built in 876 by the Turkish governor of Egypt and Syria. It was built on the site of present-day Cairo and includes a mosque surrounded by three outer ziyadahs, or courtyards. Much of the decoration and design recalls the 'Abbasid architecture of Iraq. The crenellated outside walls have merlons that are shaped and perforated

Abruzzo, Ben L.

2005-02-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Abruzzo graduated from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) in 1952 and served two years in the U.S. Air Force at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. (1952–54). He settled in Albuquerque

Traditional Ceramics

2005-02-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

Ceramic materials that are derived from common, naturally occurring raw materials such as clay minerals and quartz sand. Through industrial processes that have been practiced in some form for centuries, these materials are made into such familiar products as china tableware, clay brick and tile, industrial abrasives and refractory linings, and portland cement.