PresentBlade

Jackrabbit

2005-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Any of several North American species of hare (genus Lepus).

Water Milfoil

2005-04-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

Any member of the genus Myriophyllum (family Haloragaceae), about 45 widely distributed species of submerged freshwater plants with whorls of feathery leaves and emergent, wind-pollinated flowers. Some species are cultivated in pools and aquariums, especially the parrot's feather, or water feather, (M. aquaticum) and the myriad leaf (M.

Fabry, Charles

2005-04-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

Fabry joined the staff of Marseilles University in 1894. His early studies centred on light interference, in which a primary research instrument

Almond, Gabriel Abraham

2005-04-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Almond received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1938 and taught at Brooklyn College from 1939 to 1946, except during his service in the U.S. Office of War Information (1942–45). After

Turin Papyrus

2005-04-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Also called Turin Papyrus Of Kings, or Turin Canon, hieratic manuscript of the 19th dynasty of Egypt, listing the kings of Egypt from earliest times to the reign of Ramses II (1279–13 BC), under whom it was written. Although the papyrus, now in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy, is in very fragmentary condition, it is still considered the most detailed and reliable of the existing Egyptian king lists. It lists not only names but also

Orange, Councils Of

2005-04-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

Two church synods held in Orange, France, in 441 and 529. The first, under the presidency of St. Hilary of Arles, dealt mainly with disciplinary matters. The second, and by far the more important, was concerned with refuting the Semi-Pelagianism of Faustus of Riez. It was attended by 15 bishops and was under the presidency of Caesarius of Arles. Caesarius had sought the aid of Rome against

Syracuse

2005-03-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

The site, once the territory of the Onondaga Indians and headquarters of the Iroquois Confederacy, was visited by explorers Samuel de Champlain in 1615 and Pierre Esprit, sieur de Radisson (while a captive of the Mohawks), in 1651. The Jesuit

Turina, Joaquín

2005-03-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

After studying in Sevilla (Seville) and Madrid, Turina went in 1905 to Paris, where he was a pupil of Moritz Moszkowski for piano and Vincent d'Indy for composition. Though he absorbed elements of the French style, he was inspired in Paris by Isaac

Ibn 'abbad

2005-03-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

Attracted to Morocco by the famous madrasahs (religious colleges), Ibn 'Abbad emigrated there at an early age. He abandoned legal studies in a quest for mystical knowledge. In 1359 he

Altruism

2005-03-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

In ethics, a theory of conduct that regards the good of others as the end of moral action. The term (French altruisme, derived from Latin alter, “other”) was coined in the 19th century by Auguste Comte, the founder of Positivism, and adopted generally as a convenient antithesis to egoism. As a theory of conduct, its adequacy depends on an interpretation of “the good.” If the term

Leaf Cactus

2005-03-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

Common names are leaf cactus—for the mostly flattened, nonspiny stems that function as leaves—or orchid cactus—for the spectacular large flowers

Brunel, Isambard Kingdom

2005-03-28T06:18:00.000-08:00

The only son of the engineer and inventor Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, he was appointed resident engineer when work on the Thames Tunnel began, under his father's direction, in 1825. He held the post until 1828, when

I Am Movement

2005-03-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

Although not consistent in their teachings, the Ballards essentially

Spotlight: Sub-saharan Africa In A New Era

2005-03-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

Although 41 of the 48 governments in the region had committed themselves to establishing multiparty parliamentary systems, by year's end only 9 could be judged to have met the criteria for pluralism

Cahan, Abraham

2005-03-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Himself an immigrant, Cahan arrived in the United

Hypsometric Curve

2005-03-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

Also called Hypsographic Curve, cumulative height frequency curve for the Earth's surface or some part thereof. A hypsometric curve is essentially a graph that shows the proportion of land area that exists at various elevations by plotting relative area against relative height. In the hypsometric curve of the total Earth surface there exist two maxima of frequencies—at the 100-metre (109-yard) and the

Daikoku

2005-03-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

In Japanese mythology, one of the Shichi-fuku-jin (Seven Gods of Luck); the god of wealth and guardian of farmers. He is depicted in legend and art as dark-skinned, stout, carrying a wish-granting mallet in his right hand, a bag of precious things slung over his back, and sitting on two rice bags. Rats are sometimes shown nibbling at the rice, further emphasizing the theme of

Kathiri Sultanate

2005-03-23T22:14:00.000-08:00

Former semi-independent state in the southern Arabian Peninsula, in the inland Hadhramaut region now included in Yemen. The sultanate, with its capital at Saywun (Say'un), once extended from the Wadi Hadramawt, an intermittent stream, northward to the Rub' al-Khali, the vast southern Arabian desert. The Kathiri tribe dominated the Hadhramaut from about 1500 until the early 19th century,

Puerto Barrios

2005-03-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Town, northeastern Guatemala, on Amatique Bay, off the Gulf of Honduras. Until the 1970s it was the principal port of Guatemala, used primarily for shipping agricultural commodities. It was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century as the Caribbean terminus of the railway built by foreign contractors from the coast to Guatemala City, which realized a century-old

Yamanashi

2005-03-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Yamanashi

Agrínion

2005-03-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

Chief town of the nomós (department) of Aetolia and Acarnania, west-central Greece. It lies 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Lake Trikhonís, about midway between the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Patras. Formerly called Vrakhóri (an abbreviation of Evrekori, “Town of the Jews”), it has reverted to the name of an ancient Aetolian centre on the Achelous River that was just northwest of the

Ramjet

2005-03-21T00:53:00.000-08:00

Air-breathing jet engine that operates with no major moving parts. It relies on the craft's forward motion to draw in air and on a specially shaped intake passage to compress the air for combustion. After fuel sprayed into the engine has been ignited, combustion is self-sustaining. As in other jet engines, forward thrust is obtained as a reaction to the rearward rush

Van Horne, Sir William Cornelius

2005-03-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Van Horne worked as a telegraph operator on the Illinois Central Railroad. By 1880 he was general superintendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad system. In 1881 he became general manager of the Canadian Pacific

Chastushka

2005-03-20T05:24:00.000-08:00

A rhymed folk verse usually composed of four lines. The chastushka is traditional in form but often has political or topical content. The word is a derivative of the Russian chastyi, “frequent” or “in quick succession,” and probably originally referred to the refrain of a song.

Ch'i-lin

2005-03-20T00:27:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Qilin, in Chinese mythology, the unicorn whose rare appearance often coincides with the imminent birth or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. (The name is a combination of the two characters ch'i, “male,” and lin, “female.”) A ch'i-lin has a single horn on its forehead, a yellow belly, a multicoloured back, the hooves of a horse, the body of a deer, and the tail of an ox. Gentle of disposition,

Chaibasa

2005-03-19T23:36:00.000-08:00

City, southern Bihar state, northeastern India. It lies just west of the Raru River, which is a tributary of the Subarnarekha. Although known as a road and agricultural-trade centre, the city is also heavily engaged in the mining (especially chromite) industry. Shellac is manufactured, and silk growing is important. Chaibasa became a municipality in 1875. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 56,657.

Aymaran Languages

2005-03-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

A group of South American Indian languages spoken over a fairly large region in the southern Peruvian highlands and adjacent areas of Bolivia. Some scholars classify the Aymaran group and the Quechuan group together in the Quechumaran stock. See Quechuan languages.

Pencil Drawing

2005-03-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

Drawing executed with an instrument composed of graphite enclosed in a wood casing and intended either as a sketch for a more elaborate work in another medium, an exercise in visual expression, or a finished work. The cylindrical graphite pencil, because of its usefulness in easily producing linear gray-black strokes, became the successor of the older, metallic

Rab

2005-03-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Italian Arbe, island in the Adriatic Sea forming the northernmost part of Dalmatia in Croatia. With an area of 35 sq mi (91 sq km), it reaches a maximum altitude of 1,339 ft (408 m) at Mt. Kamenjak and comprises three ridges of limestone. Over 300 freshwater springs provide a valuable water supply to the population of the island—which, in contrast to most of the Adriatic islands, is increasing, in part because

Venizélos, Eleuthérios

2005-03-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

In full Eleuthérios Kyriakos Venizélos prime minister of Greece (1910–15, 1917–20, 1924, 1928–32, 1933), the most prominent Greek politician and statesman of the early 20th century. Under his leadership Greece doubled in area and population during the Balkan Wars (1912–13) and also gained territorially and diplomatically after World War I in negotiations with Italy, Bulgaria, and

Pierce, Sarah

2005-03-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

The school Pierce opened in her home in 1792 was so successful that in 1798 a group of Litchfield citizens presented her with a building to house

Painting, Western, Archaic period (c. 625500 BC)

2005-03-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Corinth remained the leading exporter of Greek vases until about 550 BC, though mass production quickly led to a drop in quality. These later vases were decorated with unambitious and stereotyped groups of animal or human figures; there was little or no interest in narrative. By the late 7th century BC Athenian artists had adopted many of the stylistic features of Corinthian

Nove Ware

2005-03-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Primarily majolica, or tin-glazed earthenware, made in Nove, Italy, in the 18th century. The factory was founded by Giovanni Battista Antonibon in 1728, and in the latter part of the century it had connections with a factory in nearby Bassano, where majolica had been made two centuries earlier. Most Nove ware was in the prevalent Rococo style. From 1752 the factory also produced a

Arts, Central Asian, Painting: frescoes and temple banners

2005-03-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

Temple interiors are usually covered with frescoes and often hung with painted banners, or tanka (thang-ka). For the preparation of the latter, a taut cotton cloth is impregnated with a mixture of chalk and glue, rubbed smooth by some suitable object; for example, a flat polished stone. A religious painter trained in the tradition draws in the outline, often using printed

Wyatt, John

2005-03-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

Wyatt began his career as a carpenter in the village of Thickbroom, near Lichfield, but by 1730, with financial support from the Birmingham inventor Lewis Paul, he was working on machines for boring metal and making files. The spinning

San Fernando De Apure

2005-03-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Apure estado (“state”), west-central Venezuela, on the Apure River. A Llanos (plains) port, it is vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season, despite its great distance from the sea, because it has an elevation of only 200 feet (60 m). Live cattle, beef, and cattle hides are the city's leading products. It is a port of call for small boats on both the Orinoco and the Apure

Mitchell, Wesley C.

2005-03-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Mitchell was educated at the University of Chicago, where he came under the influence of Thorstein Veblen and John Dewey. He taught at numerous universities, including the University of Chicago (1900–02), the University of California (1902–12), Columbia University

Macpherson, Sir David (lewis)

2005-03-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

Macpherson emigrated in 1835 from Scotland to Montreal, where he amassed a large fortune in shipping. He moved to Toronto in 1853 and obtained a contract to build a railway line in Canada West (now in Ontario)

Hooper, Franklin Henry

2005-03-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

In 1899 Hooper joined the staff of the Britannica, in which his brother Horace, James Clarke, and others had acquired an interest. Franklin Hooper was connected with five editions of the Britannica in the ensuing

Adams, John, Special topics

2005-03-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, seminal essays on Adams's personality and ideology can be found in several books that focus on larger themes during the Revolutionary era. These include Bernard Bailyn, Faces of Revolution: Personalities and Themes in the Struggle for American Independence (1990, reissued 1992); Edmund S. Morgan, The Meaning of Independence: John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson (1976, reissued 1978); and Gordon S. Wood, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787 (1969, reissued 1998).

Latite

2005-03-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Also called trachyandesite extrusive igneous rock very abundant in western North America. Usually coloured white, yellowish, pinkish, or gray, it is the volcanic equivalent of monzonite (q.v.). Latites contain plagioclase feldspar (andesine or oligoclase) as large, single crystals (phenocrysts) in a fine-grained matrix of orthoclase feldspar and augite. They also contain phenocrysts of diopside,

Roosevelt, Franklin D., Declining health and death

2005-03-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

Roosevelt had been suffering from advanced arteriosclerosis for more than a year before the Yalta Conference. His political opponents had tried to make much of his obviously declining health during the campaign of 1944, when he ran for a fourth term against Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York. But Roosevelt campaigned actively and won the election by a popular vote of 25 million to 22 million and an electoral college vote of 432 to 99. (See primary source document: Fourth Inaugural Address.) By the time of his return from Yalta, however, he was so weak that for the first time in his presidency he spoke to Congress while sitting down. Early in April 1945 he traveled to his cottage in Warm Springs, Georgia—the “Little White House”—to rest. On the afternoon of April 12, while sitting for a portrait, he suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage, and he died a few hours later. With him at his death were two cousins, Laura Delano and Margaret Suckley, and Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd (by then a widow), with whom he had renewed his relationship a few years before.

Wu-hsi

2005-03-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Wu-hsi is one of the older cities in the

Korean War, Back to the 38th parallel

2005-03-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

As UNC troops crossed the 38th parallel, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong received a plea for direct military aid from Kim Il-sung. The chairman was willing to intervene, but he needed assurances of Soviet air power. Stalin promised to extend China's air defenses (manned by Soviets) to a corridor above the Yalu, thus protecting air bases in Manchuria and hydroelectric

Condell, Henry

2005-03-09T23:31:00.000-08:00

Condell may have been acting as early as 1590–91, but he first certainly appeared

Kylver Stone

2005-03-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

The runes faced the inside of a coffin and probably were intended either to protect the grave or to bind the dead person to it. In addition to the runic alphabet, the rune carver also carved

Jhelum River

2005-03-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Jhelum rises from a deep spring at Vernag, in the Indian-held sector of Jammu and Kashmir state. The river meanders northwestward from the northern slope of the Pir Panjal Range through the Vale of Kashmir to Wular Lake, which controls its flow. Emerging from the

Visconti, Matteo I

2005-03-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

Installed as captain of the people in 1287 with the help of his great-uncle Ottone Visconti, archbishop of Milan, Matteo succeeded in extending his six-month term to five years and in being several times reelected. In 1294 the German king Adolf of Nassau

Earth Exploration, Remote sensing

2005-03-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

This comprises measurements of electromagnetic radiation from the ground, usually of reflected energy in various spectral ranges measured from aircraft or satellites. Remote sensing encompasses aerial photography and other kinds of measurements that are generally displayed in the form of photograph-like images. Its applications involve a broad range

Aeolian Harp

2005-03-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

(from Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds), stringed musical instrument played by the wind. It is made of a wooden sound box about 3 feet by 5 inches by 3 inches (1 m by 13 cm by 8 cm) that is loosely strung with 10 or 12 gut strings. These strings are all of the same length but vary in thickness and hence in elasticity. The strings are all tuned to the same pitch. In the wind they vibrate in aliquot

Balatonfüred

2005-03-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Resort town, Veszprém megye (county), central Hungary, on the north shore of Lake Balaton. The town has been known for at least 250 years as a health spa and resort. In the town centre is Gyógy Tér (“Healing Square”), where the waters of volcanic springs rise up under a pavilion. There are 11 medicinal springs in the area that are said to have a stimulating effect on the heart and nerves.

Nechung Oracle

2005-03-06T00:26:00.000-08:00

Oracle-priest of Tibet who, until the conquest of Tibet in 1959 by the People's Republic of China, was consulted on all important occasions. The priest chosen to be the Nechung oracle was the chief medium of Pe-har, a popular folk divinity incorporated into Buddhism, and resided at the Nechung (Gnas-chung-lcog) monastery near Drepung ('Bras-spungs), the centre of the Pe-har cult.

Earth Sciences, Knowledge of the tides

2005-03-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

By contrast, the tides along the eastern shores of Asia generally have a considerable range and were the subject of close observation and much speculation among

Shilka River

2005-03-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Šilka river, Chita oblast (province), southeastern Russia, formed by the union of the Onon and Ingoda rivers. It flows 348 miles (560 km) northeast to unite with the Argun to form the Amur River on the Russia–China border. The area of its drainage basin is 80,000 square miles (206,000 square km). The river is navigable for its entire length.

Boilly, Louis-léopold

2005-03-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Boilly, the son of a wood-carver, painted portraits for a living before moving to Paris in 1785. There he began to paint the detailed anecdotal pictures of fashionable

Armoured Vehicle

2005-03-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Armoured also spelled Armored, motor vehicle that is fitted with partial or complete armour plating for protection against bullets, shells, or other projectiles. Armoured vehicles for military use can move either on wheels or on two endless metal chains called tracks. The tank (q.v.) is the principal fighting armoured vehicle. Other military types include armoured personnel carriers, armoured

Vedantadesika

2005-03-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Vedantadesika was born into a distinguished Srivaisnava family that followed the teachings of Ramanuja, an 11th–12th-century

Spanish Literature, Poetry

2005-03-02T04:08:00.000-08:00

Modernism heralded

War

2005-03-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

In the popular sense, a conflict among political groups involving hostilities of considerable duration and magnitude. In the usage of social science certain qualifications are added. Sociologists usually apply the term to such conflicts only if they are initiated and conducted in accordance with socially recognized forms. They treat war as an institution

Affre, Denis-auguste

2005-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Affre was ordained a priest in 1818 and became a Sulpician and a teacher of theology in 1819. He successively became vicar-general of the French dioceses of Luçon (1821), Amiens (1823), and Paris

Islam, The teachings of Twelver Shi'ism and the school of Esfahan

2005-02-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

After Ibn al-'Arabi, the new wisdom developed rapidly in intellectual circles in eastern Islam. Commentators on the works of Avicenna, as-Suhrawardi, and Ibn al-'Arabi began the process of harmonizing and integrating the views of the masters. Great poets made them part of every educated man's literary culture. Mystical fraternities became the custodians of such works, spreading

Rakshasa

2005-02-27T02:40:00.000-08:00

Sanskrit (male) Raksasa , or (female) Raksasi in Hindu mythology, a type of demon or goblin. Rakshasas have the power to change their shape at will and appear as animals, as monsters, or in the case of the female demons, as beautiful women. They are most powerful in the evening, particularly during the dark period of the new moon, but they are dispelled by the rising sun. They especially detest sacrifices and prayer. Most

Squire, Sir J(ohn) C(ollings)

2005-02-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Squire was educated at Blundell's School and at St. John's College, Cambridge University. He was appointed literary editor of the New Statesman in 1913, and acting editor in 1917. From 1919 to 1934 he was editor of the London

Race

2005-02-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

Anthropometric measurements did not provide any data to prove group superiority or inferiority. As various fields of study emerged in the late 19th century, some scholars began to focus on mental traits as a means to examine and describe human differences. Psychology as a growing field began developing its own programmatic interests in discovering race

Guadalquivir River

2005-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Guadalquivir is the second longest river of Spain (after the Ebro), and it has several distinctive characteristics.

Earth, Energy sources for convection

2005-02-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

Measurements of temperature in deep mines and oil wells indicate that there is a substantial temperature increase with depth. In part, this is due to the weight of overlying rocks. Such temperature increases are not accompanied by a change in heat content and are referred to as adiabatic temperature increases. Convection within the Earth occurs only if the temperature

Loyal Publication Society

2005-02-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

In addition to distributing materials “of unquestionable loyalty,” the societies were active in both state and national politics, allied with the Republican

Uwajima

2005-02-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

City, Ehime ken (prefecture), Shikoku, Japan. It faces the Bungo Channel between the Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Uwajima developed as a castle town in the late 16th century. Connected by rail to major ports on the Inland Sea in 1945, it became the transport hub of southwestern Shikoku. The port is an active fishing centre; associated industries produce ships, processed foods,

Tasmania, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

2005-02-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

Less than a third of Tasmania's area is agricultural land; almost all of it is used for grazing; just under half is sown pasture, and the rest is used for rough grazing or is open forest. Crops occupy only 4 percent of agricultural land but contribute one-third of the total value of agricultural production. Seasonal irrigation, mainly spray for crops and some pasture, is

Roundhead

2005-02-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

Adherent of the Parliamentary Party during the English Civil War (1642–51) and after. Many Puritans wore their hair closely cropped in obvious contrast to the long ringlets fashionable at the court of Charles I. Roundhead appears to have been first used as a term of derision toward the end of 1641, when debates in Parliament on the Bishops' Exclusion Bill were causing riots at Westminster.

Atherton

2005-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Town in the metropolitan borough of Wigan, metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, historic county of Lancashire, England. The manor was held by the Atherton family from the early 13th century to 1738. Atherton was an early centre of Presbyterianism, a chapel being built in 1645 and replaced in 1722; this is now the Chowbent (the name of the old part of the town) Unitarian Chapel. Cotton

Jackson, Reggie

2005-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jackson was encouraged in sports by his father and became a star athlete at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania, excelling in track and football as well as baseball. He was a good pitcher as well as a hitter, batting and throwing left-handed. He continued his athletic career at Arizona State University

Xenarthran

2005-02-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sloths and anteaters are the living members of the order Pilosa, whose name refers to the animals' hairiness. Three families exist today, encompassing five genera and nine species. Six families, primarily ground sloths, are extinct. The order Pilosa is further subdivided into the suborder Vermilingua, literally “worm-tongue,” which is

Squash

2005-02-19T00:59:00.000-08:00

With most of the world's top squash players participating at the Commonwealth Games, held on July 25–August 4 in Manchester, Eng., the singles events became something of an unofficial world championships. The men's final saw another duel between the number one and number two players, Peter Nicol of England and Jonathon Power of Canada. Nicol had taken the title four years

Pucallpa

2005-02-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Coronel Portillo provincia and Ucayali departamento, eastern Peru. It lies on the Ucayali River in the hot, humid Amazonian rain forest. Although the community dates from the early colonial era (1534), it remained isolated until 1945, when the Lima-Pucallpa highway, 526 miles (846 km) long, was completed. The largest community in Ucayali departamento, Pucallpa can be reached

Yan Liben

2005-02-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yan was a high official within the imperial court, but his fame derives from his skill as a painter. He is recorded as having painted Buddhist and Daoist subjects and as having received various imperial commissions; but among the extant works attributed to him, the most important

Costanoan

2005-02-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

Any of several dialectally related California Indian peoples speaking a Penutian language and originally living in an area stretching from the San Francisco Bay region southward to Point Sur. The people were scattered in villages, and groupings were only later identified on the basis of proximity to the Franciscan missions established among them (see Mission

Moscow

2005-02-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Russian Moskva oblast (province), western Russia. The oblast surrounds and includes the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia. Moscow oblast was formed in 1929. The main feature of its relief is the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge, which stretches roughly east-west across the oblast, north of Moscow city. The ridge, a line of terminal moraines, reaches a height of 1,000 feet (300 metres) with a steep northern slope to

Bridel, Philippe-sirice

2005-02-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

While serving as a pastor at Basel, Châ

Tábor

2005-02-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

City, Jihoceský kraj (region), Czech Republic. It lies along a bend in the Luznice River 50 miles (80 km) south of Prague. Founded in 1420 by Jan Zizka and other followers of the Bohemian religious reformer Jan Hus, Tábor became the radical centre of the more militant members of the movement, known as the Taborites. These people fostered the national spirit and the preservation of the Czech

Epistemology, Tautological versus significant propositions

2005-02-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

A proposition is said to be tautological if its constituent terms repeat themselves or if they can be reduced to terms that do, so that the proposition is of the form “a = a.” In such a case the proposition is said to be trivial and empty of cognitive import. A proposition is said to be significant if its constituent terms are such that the proposition does provide new information

Xankändi

2005-02-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

Formerly Stepanakert, city, southwestern Azerbaijan. Situated at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Karabakh Range, the city was founded after the October Revolution (1917) on the site of the village of Khankendy and was renamed Stepanakert in 1923 for Stepan Shaumyan, a Baku Communist leader. After Azerbaijan gained independence the name was changed to Xankändi, though Armenians continue to

Theatre, Western, Native traditions

2005-02-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

In spite of the lack of originality shown by dramatists, there were in Italy a number of native comic traditions that helped to shape the style of Roman comedy. The Fescennine verses (fescennia locatio) were bawdy, improvised exchanges sung by clowns at local harvest festivals and marriage ceremonies. These are thought to have combined with a tradition of performances

Islam, The legacy of Muhammad

2005-02-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

From the very beginning of Islam, Muhammad had inculcated a sense of brotherhood and a bond of faith among his followers, both of which helped to develop among them a feeling of close relationship that was accentuated by their experiences of persecution as a nascent community in Mecca. The strong attachment to the tenets of the Qur'anic revelation and the conspicuous

Caballé, Montserrat

2005-02-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Spanish operatic soprano, admired for her versatility and phrasing and for her performances in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti, and Richard Strauss. She began her studies as a child at the Conservatorio del Liceo in Barcelona with Eugenia Kenny and later continued with Napoleone Annovazzi and Conchita Badía. In 1956 she joined the Basel

Equestrian Sports, International.

2005-02-10T00:27:00.000-08:00

In 2003 the introduction of North American-style alternatives to turf courses was accelerating in European Thoroughbred racing. Sweden, Germany, and Belgium had been the first European countries to introduce dirt racing, and Lingfield Park had opened the first British “all-weather” track in October 1989. Cagnes-sur-Mer and Pau, two winter courses in the south of France, first

Wade-giles Romanization

2005-02-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

System of romanizing the modern Chinese written language, originally devised to simplify Chinese language characters for the Western world. Initiated by Sir Thomas Francis Wade (q.v.), the system was modified by the Cambridge professor Herbert Allen Giles in his Chinese–English Dictionary (1912). With Giles's syllabic changes, Wade-Giles became the preferred Chinese

Metallogenic Province

2005-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Among the examples of metallogenic provinces in North America are the gold

Leninism

2005-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

In the Communist

Gravina In Puglia

2005-02-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

Walled town, Bari provincia, Puglia (Apulia) regione, southern Italy. The town's cathedral and the castle of the Orsini family are notable local monuments, and there are numerous cave dwellings in the locality. The town also has museums of local costumes and of archaeology and pottery. Local crops are chiefly cereals; there are limestone quarries in the neighbourhood.

Hillegom

2005-02-06T22:46:00.000-08:00

Gemeente (commune), Zuid-Holland provincie, western Netherlands, on the Ringvaart, a canal around the Haarlemmermeer polder. With Lisse it is one of the two great commercial centres of Holland's bulb-growing district and is the site of the Treslong Demonstration Garden (1949) and bulb exchange. The annual Bulb Parade held on a Saturday in late April passes through Hillegom.

Lignin

2005-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Complex oxygen-containing organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief constituent of wood. It is second only to cellulose as the most abundant organic material on Earth, though it has found relatively few industrial uses other than as a fuel. It is a mixture of complex, apparently polymeric compounds of poorly known structure. Lignin is concentrated

Lenin's Testament

2005-02-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

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

Germanic Religion And Mythology, The gods

2005-02-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Old Norse sources name a great number of deities. The evidence of place-names suggests that one cult succeeded another. Names, especially those in southeastern Norway and southern Sweden, suggest that there was once widespread worship of a god Ull (Ullr). Indeed, an early poem reports an oath on the ring of Ull, suggesting that he was once one of the highest gods, at least

Star Cluster, OB and T associations

2005-02-03T00:26:00.000-08:00

The chief distinguishing feature of the members of a stellar association is that the large majority of constituent stars have similar physical characteristics. An OB association consists of many hot, blue giant stars, spectral classes O and B, and a relatively small number of other objects. A T association consists of cooler dwarf stars, many of which exhibit irregular

Insurance, Types of policies

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

Hospitalization insurance indemnifies for room

Calabria

2005-02-02T02:38:00.000-08:00

Most of the region is mountainous

Zaccaria, Benedetto

2005-02-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

In 1264 Zaccaria was named Genoese ambassador to the Byzantine emperor, Michael VIII Paleologus, who bestowed on him and his brother Manuele the fief of Phocaea, north of Smyrna, with its alum mines. On this foundation the brothers built a commercial empire,

Japan, Ancient Japan

2005-01-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

The Nara and Heian periods are discussed in Robert Borgen, Sugawara no Michizane and the Early Heian Court (1986, reissued 1994); G. Cameron Hurst III, Insei: Abdicated Sovereigns in the Politics of Late Heian Japan, 1086–1185 (1976); Allan G. Grapard, The Protocol of the Gods: A Study of the Kasuga Cult in Japanese History (1992); Ivan Morris, The World of The Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan (1964, reissued 1994); Karl F. Friday, Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan (1992); and William Wayne Farris, Population, Disease, and Land in Early Japan, 645–900 (1985), and Heavenly Warriors: The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500–1300 (1992).

Water Hen

2005-01-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

Bird species also called common gallinule. See gallinule.

PresentBlade

Jackrabbit

Water Milfoil

Fabry, Charles

Almond, Gabriel Abraham

Turin Papyrus

Orange, Councils Of

Syracuse

Turina, Joaquín

Ibn 'abbad

Altruism

Leaf Cactus

Brunel, Isambard Kingdom

I Am Movement

Spotlight: Sub-saharan Africa In A New Era

Cahan, Abraham

Hypsometric Curve

Daikoku

Kathiri Sultanate

Puerto Barrios

Yamanashi

Agrínion

Ramjet

Van Horne, Sir William Cornelius

Chastushka

Ch'i-lin

Chaibasa

Aymaran Languages

Pencil Drawing

Rab

Venizélos, Eleuthérios

Pierce, Sarah

Painting, Western, Archaic period (c. 625500 BC)

Nove Ware

Arts, Central Asian, Painting: frescoes and temple banners

Wyatt, John

San Fernando De Apure

Mitchell, Wesley C.

Macpherson, Sir David (lewis)

Hooper, Franklin Henry

Adams, John, Special topics

Latite

Roosevelt, Franklin D., Declining health and death

Wu-hsi

Korean War, Back to the 38th parallel

Condell, Henry

Kylver Stone

Jhelum River

Visconti, Matteo I

Earth Exploration, Remote sensing

Aeolian Harp

Balatonfüred

Nechung Oracle

Earth Sciences, Knowledge of the tides

Shilka River

Boilly, Louis-léopold

Armoured Vehicle

Vedantadesika

Spanish Literature, Poetry

War

Affre, Denis-auguste

Islam, The teachings of Twelver Shi'ism and the school of Esfahan

Rakshasa

Squire, Sir J(ohn) C(ollings)

Race

Guadalquivir River

Earth, Energy sources for convection

Loyal Publication Society

Uwajima

Tasmania, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Roundhead

Atherton

Jackson, Reggie

Xenarthran

Squash

Pucallpa

Yan Liben

Costanoan

Moscow

Bridel, Philippe-sirice

Painting, Western, Archaic period (c. 625500 BC)