BitterChin

Later Ly Dynasty

2005-03-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

Vietnamese Nha Hau Ly (1009–1225), first of the three great dynasties of Vietnam. The kingdom, known later as Dai Viet, was established by Ly Thai To in the Red River Delta area of present northern Vietnam. Its capital was Thang Long (Hanoi). (It is “later” with respect to the Earlier Ly dynasty, founded by Ly Bon and lasting from 544 to 602/603.) The Later Ly was the first stable Vietnamese dynasty and helped establish many

New Hampshire, Flag Of

2005-03-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

The seal of New Hampshire was adopted in 1784 following the Revolutionary War. On December 28, 1792, a regulation was adopted by the legislature that required regiments in the state militia to carry the national flag and regimental colours displaying the state seal. More than a century passed, however, before the adoption of a state flag for general purposes. The 1909 flag law provided

Accent

2005-03-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

Also called Stress, in music, momentary emphasis on a particular rhythmic or melodic detail; accent may be implied or specifically indicated, either graphically for example, >, —) or verbally (sforzato, abbreviated sfz). In metrically organized music, accents serve to articulate rhythmic groupings, especially in dances where regular accentuation facilitates the patterning of steps.

Ireland, Air facilities

2005-03-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

International airports are located at Dublin, Shannon, and Cork, and there are several regional airports. Aer Rianta, a public limited-liability company, has responsibility for the operation, management, and development of the three major international airports. Shannon was the world's first duty-free airport; a state-sponsored company offers substantial tax breaks

Arfons, Art

2005-03-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Arfons worked in his father's feed-mill business in Akron, Ohio, before and after service in the U.S. Navy (1943–46), which trained him in diesel mechanics. He began his career as a drag racer in the early 1950s with his brother Walter, with whom he built a series of racing

Shijo School

2005-03-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Also called Maruyama School, Japanese school of naturalistic painting that was founded in the late 18th century by Maruyama Masataka (Okyo) and was made popular by his pupils, among them Matsumura Gekkei, called Goshun, from whose residence on Fourth Street (Shijo), in Kyoto, the movement took its name. Among the most important artists associated with the school were Matsumura Keibun and Okamoto

Glazov

2005-03-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

City and administrative centre of Glazov rayon (sector) in Udmurtiya republic, Russia. Founded in 1780 as a point of Udmurt settlement, it is on the Cheptsa River. Industrial activities include timber milling, woodworking, metal working, and food processing. Glazov has a teacher-training and an agricultural college. Pop. (1991 est.) 106,000.

Ascoli Piceno

2005-03-10T23:16:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Ascoli Piceno provincia, Marche regione, central Italy. Ascoli Piceno lies at the confluence of the Tronto and Castellano rivers. The ancient centre of the Picenes (early inhabitants of the Adriatic coast), it was conquered in the 3rd century BC by the Romans, who knew it as Asculum Picenum. After 1006 the city was ruled by its bishops and successive feudatories

Hanks, Tom

2005-03-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

For his gripping portrayal in the film Philadelphia--as a gay, AIDS-stricken lawyer embroiled in a discrimination suit against the law firm that had fired him--U.S. actor Tom Hanks was presented in 1994 with both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe award. The dramatic role, for which he shed 35 pounds and thinned his hair, was a vast departure from his many performances in light

Accelerator

2005-03-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

The use of alkaline compounds of metals as vulcanization

Epistemology, Necessary versus contingent propositions

2005-03-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

A proposition is said to be necessary if it holds (is true) under all possible circumstances or conditions. “All husbands are married” is such a proposition. There are no possible or conceivable conditions under which this statement would not be true (on the assumption, of course, that the words “husband” and “married” are taken to mean what they ordinarily mean). In contrast,

Environmental Works, Developments in supply systems

2005-03-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Water was an important factor in the location of the earliest settled communities, and the evolution of public water supply systems is tied directly to the growth of cities. In the development of water resources beyond their natural condition in rivers, lakes, and springs, the digging of shallow wells was probably the earliest innovation. As the need for water increased

Aerospace Engineering

2005-02-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

C. Hart, The Prehistory of Flight (1985), covers early concepts of the nature of flight and early attempts to construct flying machines. Charles H. Gibbs-Smith, Flight Through the Ages (1974), surveys aeronautics from its early period to the age of space exploration. Tom D. Crouch, A Dream of Wings (1981), traces the history of U.S. aeronautics. P.A. Hanle, Bringing Aerodynamics to America (1982), focuses on the European influences that led to the establishment of the science of flight as an exact science in the United States. Roger E. Bilstein, Orders of Magnitude: A History of the NACA and NASA, 1915–1990, rev. ed. (1989), chronicles the growth of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Jerome Lederer, “Highlights in the Development of Civilian Aircraft,” Automotive Engineering, 88(12):33–43 (December 1980), is a review that dwells on the prominent technical concepts and development of civil air transportation. John D. Anderson, Jr., Introduction to Flight, 3rd ed. (1989), deals with theoretical questions of aerodynamics and describes the design and construction of airplanes. Other useful works include J.H. Hughes, Jr., and J.S. Priamos, Aerospace (1977); Barnes W. McCormick, Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics (1979); Leland M. Nicolai, Fundamentals of Aircraft Design, rev. ed. (1984); and Richard S. Shevell, Fundamentals of Flight, 2nd ed. (1989).

Biblical Literature, Canonical standards of the 3rd and 4th centuries

2005-02-25T01:43:00.000-08:00

Clement of Alexandria, a theologian who flourished in the late 2nd century, seemed to be practically unconcerned about canonicity. To him, inspiration is what mattered, and he made use of the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Egyptians, the Letter of Barnabas, the Didache, and other extracanonical works. Origen (died c. 254), Clement's pupil and one of the greatest thinkers

Delors, Jacques

2005-02-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

The son of a courier at the Banque de France, Delors himself joined the bank in 1945, later earning a degree in economics from the Sorbonne. He became active in the Christian Trade Union Confederation (renamed the Democratic Trade Union

Microtonal Music

2005-02-22T03:15:00.000-08:00

Much of the world's music, however, of both past and present times, uses intervals greater or smaller than 100 cents.

Ripken, Cal, Jr.

2005-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Ripken joined the Orioles' major league team in 1982 after

Prodromus, Theodore

2005-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

He wrote many occasional pieces for a widespread circle of patrons at the imperial court. Some of the work attributed to him is unpublished and some of it may be wrongly attributed to him. Even so, there does emerge from these writings the figure of an author in reduced circumstances,

Armfelt, Gustaf Mauritz

2005-02-16T01:06:00.000-08:00

Appointed gentleman to Gustav III of Sweden in 1781, Armfelt was employed in the negotiations with Catherine II of Russia (1783) and with the Danish government (1787) and was one of the king's

East Friesland

2005-02-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

German Ostfriesland, cultural region bordering the North Sea and encompassing the coastal marshlands and East Frisian Islands (Ostfriesische Inseln) of northwestern Lower Saxony Land (state), north-central Germany. The region has close cultural ties with West Friesland in The Netherlands and North Friesland on the west coast of the Jutland Peninsula. The Frisians, traditionally

Arena

2005-02-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

Central area of an amphitheatre (q.v.).

Amanita

2005-02-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

Among the deadliest of all mushrooms are the destroying angels

Vasily Ii

2005-02-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Although the 10-year-old Vasily II was named by his father Vasily I (ruled Moscow 1389–1425) to succeed him as the grand prince of Moscow and of Vladimir, Vasily's rule was challenged by his uncle Yury and his cousins Vasily the Squint-Eyed and Dmitry Shemyaka. After a long, chaotic, and bitter struggle, during which Vasily not only temporarily

Jungle Babbler

2005-02-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

Any of about 32 species of songbirds constituting the tribe Pellorneini of the babbler family Timaliidae. Found from Africa to Malaysia and the Philippines, these drab birds with slender, often hook-tipped bills skulk in forest undergrowth. An example is the striped jungle babbler, or spotted babbler (Pelloreum ruficeps), of Southeast Asia—16 centimetres (6 1/4 inches) long,

Apollonius Of Tralles

2005-02-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

Greek sculptor from the province of Caria, in Asia Minor, known for his execution in collaboration with his brother Tauriscus of a marble group known as the “Farnese Bull.” The work represented Zethus and Amphion, the twin builders of Thebes, tying their stepmother, Dirce, to the horns of a wild bull in punishment for her torment of their mother, Antiope.

Swan

2005-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Largest waterfowl species of subfamily Anserinae, family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Most swans are classified in the genus Cygnus. Swans are gracefully long-necked, heavy-bodied, big-footed birds that glide majestically when swimming and fly with slow wingbeats and with necks outstretched. They migrate in diagonal formation or V-formation at great heights:

Abdülaziz

2005-01-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

Like his brother Abdülmecid I, whom he succeeded as sultan on June 25, 1861, Abdülaziz was an ardent admirer of the material progress in western

Swanscombe Skull

2005-01-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

Human fossil remnants, consisting of two fossil parietals and the occipital of a young female, found in well-stratified gravels of the River Thames, Swanscombe, Kent, Eng., in 1935, 1936, and 1955. Chemical tests and associated faunal remains and Acheulian hand axes date the human bones accurately to the Second (Mindel-Riss) Interglacial Period (about 200,000 years ago). Detailed study of the

Sarda River

2005-01-27T01:56:00.000-08:00

River rising in the Himalayas and flowing south-southeast along the India–Nepal border to join the Ghaghara River after a course of about 300 miles (480 km). In its upper course, where the stream is known as the Kali River, it enters the Gangetic Plain at Barmdeo Mandi, widening there above the Sarda Barrage; below this point it is known as the Sarda River. Its major tributaries are the

Hanks, Tom

2005-01-25T02:37:00.000-08:00

After a nomadic childhood, Hanks majored in drama at California State University and performed in summer stock

Vadianus, Joachim

2005-01-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

Crowned poet laureate by the Habsburg emperor Maximilian (1514), Vadianus served as rector at the University of Vienna (1516–17) and supervised the publication of the works of various ancient writers, notably Ovid and Pliny the

Uzbek

2005-01-21T03:20:00.000-08:00

Any member of a Central Asian people found chiefly in Uzbekistan, but also in other parts of Central Asia and in Afghanistan. The Uzbeks speak either of two dialects of Uzbek, a Turkic language of the Altaic family of languages. More than 16 million Uzbeks live in Uzbekistan, 2,000,000 in Afghanistan, 1,380,000 in Tajikistan, 570,000 in Kyrgyzstan, and smaller numbers in Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, and

Malolos

2005-01-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

Town, south-central Luzon, Philippines. It lies at the head of the Pampanga River delta, near the northern shore of Manila Bay. During a revolt against U.S. administration, the insurgent congress met there in the Barasoain Church, where they framed the “Malolos Constitution” and proclaimed a republic on January 23, 1899. The insurgent leader, Emilio Aguinaldo, established his

Devil's Advocate

2005-01-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

Latin Advocatus Diaboli, in the Roman Catholic church, the promoter of the faith, who critically examines the life of and miracles attributed to an individual proposed for beatification or canonization. He is popularly called the devil's advocate because his presentation of facts includes everything unfavourable to the candidate. Pope Leo X, in the early 15th century, seems to have introduced

Yemen

2005-01-14T04:13:00.000-08:00

Most of Yemen's northern frontier with Saudi Arabia traverses the great desert of the peninsula, the Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter), and remains undemarcated, as does the eastern frontier with Oman. In the west and the south, Yemen is bounded by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, respectively. Its territory

Pragmatism

2005-01-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Pragmatism has been vulnerable to certain criticisms. It has often been portrayed as a rationalization of the American business ethos—a portraiture perhaps inspired, but not by any scrutiny of the writings of the philosophers themselves. Similarly, the Pragmatic theory of truth has been assailed. Concerning an idea or belief, James had held that one can say: “ ‘It is

Paul

2005-01-10T01:46:00.000-08:00

Son of Peter III (reigned 1762) and Catherine II the Great (reigned 1762–96), Paul was reared by his father's aunt, the empress Elizabeth (reigned 1741–61). After 1760 he was tutored by Catherine's close adviser, the learned diplomat Nikita Ivanovich Panin, but the boy never developed good relations with his

Abstract Expressionism

2005-01-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

Broad movement in American painting that began in the late 1940s and became a dominant trend in Western painting during the 1950s. The most prominent American Abstract Expressionist painters were Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Mark Rothko. Others included Clyfford Still, Philip Guston, Helen Frankenthaler, Barnett Newman, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert

Arnim, Bettina Von

2005-01-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Von Arnim was unconventional to the point of eccentricity; wayward, yet a loyal wife (she married Achim

Fucino Basin

2005-01-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

Italian Conca Del Fucino, formerly Lago Fucino, or Lago Di Celano, Latin Lacus Fucinus, former lake bed in L'Aquila province, Abruzzi region, central Italy, just east of Avezzano. The lake was once 37 mi (59 km) in circumference and about 100 ft (30 m) deep, although its level was subject to great variations because of the lack of an outlet. As early as AD 52 the emperor Claudius had a tunnel constructed, 3 1/2 mi (5 1/2 km) long, as an outlet to the Liri (Liris) River. The tunnel, still evident but no

Mystery Religion, The Hellenistic period

2005-01-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

In the Messenian town of Andania mysteries were celebrated

Guhyasamaja-tantra

2004-12-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Guhyasamaja

Jordan, Biblical associations

2004-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

Biblical accounts of the area, dating from the Middle Bronze Age onward, mention kingdoms such as Gilead in the north, Moab in central Jordan, and Midian in the south. At the time of the Exodus, the Israelites tried to pass through Edom in southern Jordan but were refused permission. They were at first repelled by the Amorites, whom they later defeated. The Israelite tribes

Welfare Economics

2004-12-27T00:37:00.000-08:00

Earlier writers conceived of welfare as simply the sum of the satisfactions accruing to all individuals within an economic system. Later theorists became

Alliteration

2004-12-25T21:59:00.000-08:00

Alliteration

Dubna

2004-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

City, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia. The city lies along the Volga River where it is joined by the Moscow Canal (completed 1937). Dubna is a new city, incorporated in 1956; in 1960 it absorbed the town of Ivankovo on the opposite bank. It is one of several planned “science cities,” its existence depending on the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, which employs scientists from

Mckay, David O(man)

2004-12-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

He served as a missionary in Scotland (1897–99) and then returned to Utah to become instructor and principal (1899–1908) of the Weber State Academy, now Weber State College. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and in 1950 he

Epistemology, Implications

2004-12-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

First, as the divergent perceptions about the stick indicate, things cannot just be as they appear to be. People believe that the stick which looks bent when it is in the water is really straight, and they also believe that the stick which

Mondovì

2004-12-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1198 by refugees from the regional wars between the city-states and communes, it was independent until the 13th century, when it was subordinated to the Angevins (French counts of Anjou). Regaining its freedom in 1290, it fell to Anjou again

Chaucer, Geoffrey

2004-12-16T04:05:00.000-08:00

The outstanding English poet before Shakespeare and “the first finder of our language.” His The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the greatest poetic works in English. He also contributed importantly in the second half of the 14th century to the management of public affairs as courtier, diplomat, and civil servant. In that career he was trusted and

Zaltys

2004-12-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

On special occasions the snake was asked to the table to share the family meal from their

Gray Fox

2004-12-12T03:17:00.000-08:00

(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), grizzled, gray-furred New World fox of the family Canidae. It is found in forested, rocky, and brush-covered country from Canada to northern South America. Distinguished by the reddish colour on its neck, ears, and legs, the gray fox grows to a length of about 50–75 cm (20–30 inches), excluding its 30–40-centimetre tail, and a weight of about

Moore

2004-12-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

City, Cleveland county, central Oklahoma, U.S., a southern suburb of Oklahoma City. First settled in 1887 and originally called Verbeck, it was renamed for a conductor of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Its population remained small until the 1960s when planned urban and industrial development began. Industries include the manufacture of aircraft parts, building

Black Panther Party

2004-12-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

Original name Black Panther Party For Self-defense, American black revolutionary party founded in 1966 in Oakland, Calif., by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The party's original purpose was to patrol black ghettoes to protect residents from acts of police brutality. The Panthers eventually developed into a Marxist revolutionary group that called for the arming of all blacks, the exemption of blacks from the draft and from

Arias (madrid), Arnulfo

2004-12-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

The younger brother of Harmodio Arias (Panamanian president, 1932–36), Arias was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School (to become a surgeon) and was minister of agriculture and public works in the 1930s during the presidency

Waterbuck

2004-12-03T03:46:00.000-08:00

Antelope species of the genus Kobus (q.v.).

Natchitoches

2004-12-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1807) of Natchitoches parish, west-central Louisiana, U.S., on Cane River Lake, 68 miles (109 km) southeast of Shreveport. The oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, it was founded about 1714 as Fort St. Jean Baptiste by the French-Canadian explorer and soldier Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis to forestall Spanish occupation of the area and to set up a

Cabinet

2004-11-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

In furniture design, originally a small room for displaying precious objects and later a piece of furniture composed of a network of small drawers commonly enclosed by a pair of doors. Cabinets were first used in Italy during the late Renaissance. In many parts of Europe, cabinets became the most sumptuous pieces of furniture, with great displays of marquetry, carving,

Byzantine Empire, Cultural revival

2004-11-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

Materially, the empire seemed almost beyond hope of recovery in the early 14th century, but spiritually and culturally it showed a remarkable vitality. The church, no longer troubled over the question of union with Rome, grew in prestige and authority. The patriarchs of Constantinople commanded the respect of all the Orthodox churches, even beyond the imperial boundaries;

Switzerland, The Reformation

2004-11-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Shortly after the peace settlement with the French, the impact of the Reformation reached Switzerland. A period of internal strife ensued that was instrumental in shaping the human geography of the country. The cities, particularly the major centres of Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Schaffhausen, and Zürich, were far more receptive to the reform preaching of such

Police

2004-11-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

All societies need some way to maintain order. In the smallest societies, informal sanctions discourage deviation. In

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, China

2004-11-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Chinese philosophers from the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) onward often used extended metaphors (from which fable is the logical development) to make their points. This is believed to reflect the fact that, as “realistic” thinkers, the Chinese generally did not favour more abstract argument. Thus simple allegory helped to stimulate audience interest and to increase the force of

China, The Loess Plateau

2004-11-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

This plateau forms a unique region of loess-clad hills and barren mountains situated between the North China Plain and the deserts of the west. In the north, the Great Wall of China forms the boundary, while the southern limit is the Tsinling Mountains, in Shensi Province. The average altitude of the surface is between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, but individual ranges of bedrock are higher,

Rodin, Auguste

2004-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

Afonso Iii

2004-11-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

The younger son of Afonso II and Urraeca, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile, Afonso emigrated and became, by marriage, count of Boulogne. His elder brother, Sancho II, was deposed by order of the pope, who granted Afonso

Fish Louse

2004-11-13T02:22:00.000-08:00

Also called Carp Louse, plural Fish Lice, or Carp Lice, any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater fishes. Of the approximately 120 known species, most belong to the genus Argulus. The fish louse has a very distinctive oval-shaped, flattened body formed by a broad carapace. Other notable physical features include compound eyes, a pair of large suckers, four pairs

Alka

2004-11-12T23:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Alkas, in Baltic religion, an open-air religious site, a natural sanctuary—forest, hill, river—that was sacred and inviolate. Trees could not be cut in such forests, sacred fields could not be plowed, and fishing was not allowed in the holy waters. The rituals of various religious cults, involving animal sacrifice and human cremation, took place at the alkas. The sense of the ancient

Baruch, Bernard

2004-11-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the College of the City of New York in 1889, Baruch worked as an office boy in a linen business and later in Wall Street brokerage houses. Over the years he amassed a fortune as a stock market speculator. In 1916 he was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the Advisory

Buraq

2004-11-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

In Islamic tradition, a creature said to have transported the Prophet Muhammad to heaven. Described as “a white animal, half-mule, half-donkey, with wings on its sides . . . ,” Buraq was originally introduced into the story of Muhammad's night journey (isra') from Mecca to Jerusalem and back, thus explaining how the journey between the cities could have been completed in a single night.

Jujuy

2004-11-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Provincia, extreme northwestern Argentina, bordering Chile (west) and Bolivia (north), having an area of 20,548 square miles (53,219 square km). It comprises several cordilleras of the Andes—reaching elevations of 16,500 feet (5,000 m) and separated by a bleak plateau 11,500 feet (3,500 m) high called the Puna de Atacama—that descend on the east to form sub-Andean ranges and valleys. The eastern Andean and sub-Andean

Szentkuthy, Miklos

2004-10-31T21:56:00.000-08:00

After attending Budapest University, Szentkuthy taught secondary school in Budapest (1932–57). After publishing several avant-garde novels, including the

Computers, The first computer network

2004-10-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

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

Insurance, Group life insurance

2004-10-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

Under group life insurance an employer signs a master contract with the insurance company outlining the provisions of the plan. Each employee receives a certificate that gives evidence of participation in the plan. The amount of insurance depends on the employee's salary or job classification; usually the employer pays a portion of the premium and the employee

Chatelaine

2004-10-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ornament, used by both men and women and usually fastened to belt or pocket, with chains bearing hooks on which to hang small articles such as watches, keys, seals, writing tablets, scissors, and purses. The word chatelaine is derived from a word meaning the keeper of a castle, thus the person entrusted with the keys. During the 18th century, chatelaines were particularly

Tyson, Cicely

2004-10-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Tyson, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean island of Nevis, grew up in a devoutly religious household in Harlem. Discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine, she quickly rose to the top of the modeling world. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway

Adelard Of Bath

2004-10-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Adelard translated into Latin an Arabic version of Euclid's Elements, which for centuries served as the chief geometry textbook in the West. He studied and taught in France and traveled in Italy, Cilicia, Syria, Palestine, and perhaps also in Spain (c. 1110–25) before returning

Kogalniceanu, Mihail

2004-10-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

In 1840 Kogalniceanu undertook the publication of a national literary review (Dacia literara) and a scientific

Theophrastus

2004-10-23T01:35:00.000-07:00

Theophrastus was one of the few Peripatetics who fully

Basaltes Ware

2004-10-22T02:55:00.000-07:00

The fine-grained basaltes stoneware reflected Wedgwood's Neoclassicism:

Lode

2004-10-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

In mining, ore body disseminated within definite boundaries in unwanted rock. See vein.

Theatre, Developments in staging

2004-10-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

In the latter half of the 16th century, intermezzi became a popular element of theatrical production. These entertainments, inserted between the acts of a play and totally unrelated to it, were generally on classical themes and were originally mounted during masked balls and banquets. The need to change settings rapidly for the alternating segments of plays and

Radical Empiricism

2004-10-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

A theory of knowledge and a metaphysics (theory of Being) advanced by William James, an American pragmatist philosopher and psychologist, based on the pragmatic theory of truth and the principle of pure experience, which contends that the relations between things are at least as real as the things themselves, that their function is real, and that no hidden substrata

Jordan, Plant and animal life

2004-10-16T03:44:00.000-07:00

The plant and animal life of Jordan falls into three distinct types: Mediterranean, steppe (treeless plains), and desert. In the uplands the Mediterranean type predominates with scrubby, dense bushes and small trees, while in the drier steppe region to the east sagebrush is most frequent. Grassland is the prevalent vegetation on the steppe, but isolated trees and shrubs,

Uzziah

2004-10-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

During the period of Uzziah's

Fu-shun

2004-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Pinyin Fushun, city in central Liaoning sheng (province), northeastern China. It is situated some 25 miles (40 km) east of Shen-yang (Mukden) on the Hun River. In earlier times this area was on the frontier of Chinese settlement. It was the site of a customs station under the T'ang dynasty (618–907) in the 8th century, and again under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when it received the name Fu-shun. It was not until 1902 that settlement

Pitoëff, Georges

2004-10-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Russian-born director and producer, noted for his popularization in France of the works of contemporary foreign playwrights, especially Pirandello, Shaw, Chekhov, Schnitzler, and O'Neill. He was a member of the Cartel des Quatre (Group of Four), a group including Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, and Gaston Baty, dedicated to rejuvenating the

Balaguer, Joaquín

2004-10-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Balaguer earned a law degree from the University of Santo Domingo and a Ph.D. from the University of Paris. Between 1932 and 1957, he held numerous executive

Hypostyle Hall

2004-10-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

In architecture, interior space whose roof rests on pillars or columns. The word means literally “under pillars,” and the design allows for the construction of large spaces—as in temples, palaces, or public buildings—without the need for arches. It was used extensively in ancient Egypt—where the Temple of Amon at Karnak provides a good example—and in Persia—where the

Ziguinchor

2004-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

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-)

Halfdan

2004-10-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

After participating in raids on Anglo-Saxon lands to the south, Halfdan and his followers invaded the mouth of the Tyne (874) and engaged in warfare with both Picts and the Britons of Strathclyde. In 876 he distributed the large region of York among his men and may then

Frelinghuysen, Frederick Theodore

2004-10-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

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,

Allegany

2004-10-08T03:38:00.000-07:00

County, southwestern New York state, U.S., bordered to the south by Pennsylvania and comprising a region of moderate relief. The principal waterways are the Genesee River and Rushford and Cuba lakes. Public lands include the Oil Spring Indian Reservation and state wildlife management areas at Hanging Bog, Rattlesnake Hill, and Keaney Swamp. The main forest types are

Kireyevsky, Ivan Vasilyevich

2004-10-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Born into an aristocratic family, Kireyevsky studied metaphysics in Germany in 1830. Upon his return to Russia he founded in 1832 a literary journal called Yevropeyets (“European”), which was banned

Anthony, Susan B.

2004-10-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Anthony was reared in the Quaker tradition in a home pervaded by a tone of independence

Amphibian, Economic importance

2004-10-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Amphibians, especially anurans, are economically useful in reducing the number of insects that destroy crops or transmit diseases. Frogs are commercially exploited as food, notably by Europeans; the French are the principal consumers, and they import thousands of tons of frog legs annually. The skin secretions of various tropical anurans are known to have hallucinogenic

Barangay

2004-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Barangay villages sometimes grew to include 30 to

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

2004-10-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

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

Prichard

2004-10-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

City, Mobile county, southwestern Alabama, U.S., a northern industrial suburb of Mobile. It was named for Cleveland Prichard, who purchased a tract of land (1879) on the east side of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad track and developed it into a vegetable-shipping point for markets in the North and East. The city's industries now include shipbuilding and the manufacture of chemicals,

Adams

2004-10-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

County, southern Pennsylvania, U.S., mostly consisting of a piedmont region bordered by Maryland to the south and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and north. The principal waterways are Lakes Meade and Heritage and Long Pine Run Reservoir, as well as Conewago, Toms, and Rock creeks. Parklands include parts of Caledonia State Park and Michaux State Forest, as well as

Rabin, Yitzhak

2004-10-01T03:56:00.000-07:00

Israeli soldier, politician, and statesman (b. March 1, 1922, Jerusalem--d. Nov. 4, 1995, Tel Aviv, Israel), was for some five decades a central figure in shaping his country's history while serving as both a brilliant military strategist and a peace-seeking prime minister. In one of the more memorable moments in recent history, Rabin, at the urging of U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton, shook the hand of Palestine