HighGun

Fry, Christopher

2005-04-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

Fry adopted his mother's surname after he became a schoolteacher at age 18, his father having died many years earlier. He was for many years an actor, director, and writer of revues and plays before he gained fame as a playwright with The Lady's Not for Burning (1948), an ironic medieval comedy whose heroine is charged

Brecht, Bertolt

2005-04-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Until 1924 Brecht lived in Bavaria, where he was born, studied medicine (Munich, 1917–21), and served in an army hospital (1918). From this period date his

Porbandar

2005-03-31T05:42:00.000-08:00

Town, Junagadh district, Gujarat state, west central India, on the Arabian Sea. The birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, it was controlled by the Jethwa Rajputs from about the 16th century. Porbandar was the capital of the former princely state of Porbandar (1785–1948) before it became a district. It is famous for its building stone, and it also produces a variety of manufactures. The town is served

Biblical Literature, The Wycliffite versions

2005-03-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

By the middle of the 13th century the English component in the Anglo-Norman amalgam had begun to assert itself and the close of the century witnessed a Northumbrian version of the Psalter made directly from Latin, which, because it survived in several manuscripts, must have achieved relatively wide circulation. By the next century, English had gradually superseded

Mauldin, Bill

2005-03-25T06:58:00.000-08:00

After studying cartooning at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts,

Montesquieu, Charles-louis De Secondat, Baron De La Brède Et De

2005-03-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

French political philosopher whose major work, The Spirit of Laws, was a major contribution to political theory.

Cyzicus

2005-03-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

With the collapse of Lydia (c. 544), Cyzicus came under Persian rule, but it joined the Delian League after the defeat of Xerxes and remained loyal to Athens

Fu Hsing

2005-03-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Fu Xing, in Chinese mythology, star god of happiness, one of the three stellar divinities known collectively as Fu-Shou-Lu. He is one of many Chinese gods who bestow happiness on their worshipers. Some say he is the same as Fu Shen (q.v.), the spirit of happiness. If so, Fu Hsing was a historical personage, probably a 6th-century mandarin called Yang Ch'eng, who was deified by the local residents

Peter Ii

2005-03-21T01:23:00.000-08:00

After the death of his father, John IV, in 1656, Peter's

Pridi Phanomyong

2005-03-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

After studies at the Royal Law School, Pridi won a government scholarship to study law in France; he earned a doctorate in law from Paris in 1927. While in Paris he was strongly influenced by French socialism,

Cimarron River

2005-03-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

River rising in northeastern New Mexico, U.S., near Capulin Mountain National Monument and flowing 698 mi (1,123 km) to enter the Arkansas River near Tulsa, Okla. From its source, the Cimarron flows east past Black Mesa, a peak 4,973 ft (1,516 m) high, through the northern Oklahoma Panhandle and bends northward through the southeastern corner of Colorado and the southwestern corner of Kansas.

Zanjan

2005-03-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Zenjan, city, northwestern Iran. It lies in an open valley about halfway along the Tehran–Tabriz railway line. It is the principal city of the Zanjan region. It was ravaged by Mongols in the 13th century. Once the seat of a lively caravan trade, the city is now the centre of an agricultural area with abundant harvests of grain. Prior to the Iranian Revolution, the city witnessed fighting

Housefly

2005-03-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

(Musca domestica), a common insect of the family Muscidae (order Diptera). About 90 percent of all flies occurring in human habitations are houseflies. Once a major nuisance and hazard to public health in cities, houseflies are still a problem wherever decomposing organic waste and garbage are allowed to accumulate. The adult housefly is dull gray with

Vitamin A

2005-03-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

A fat-soluble alcohol, most abundant in fish and especially in fish-liver oils. Vitamin A is also found in butter and in the liver fat of various animals. Vitamin A is not present in plants, but many vegetables and fruits contain one or more of a class of pigments that can be converted to vitamin A in the body; of these pigments, b-carotene (provitamin A) is an excellent source

Silistra

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

Town, extreme northeastern Bulgaria, on the Danube River opposite Romania. To the south and southeast are the remains of the old fortifications. The Romans founded a fortified camp at Durostorum in the early 2nd century AD. The Turks gained possession of the town in the early 15th century, and it became a trade centre and a major Turkish fortress. It was fought over several

Fichtel Hills

2005-03-14T01:35:00.000-08:00

German Fichtelgebirge , Czech Smrciny mountains in northeastern Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany. They lie at the Czech border between the Franconian Forest in the northwest, the Ore Mountains (in German, Erzgebirge; in Czech, Krušné Hory) in the northeast, and the Upper Palatinate Forest (a section of the Bohemian Forest) in the south. The rectangular plateau of the Fichtel Hills forms a watershed

Sabine

2005-03-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

Latin Sabinus , plural Sabini member of an ancient Italic tribe located in the mountainous country east of the Tiber River. They were known for their religious practices and beliefs, and several Roman institutions were said to have derived from them. The story recounted by Plutarch that Romulus, the founder of Rome, invited the Sabines to a feast and then carried off (raped) their women, is legendary.

Ballad Opera

2005-03-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Characteristic English type of comic opera, originating in the 18th century and featuring farcical or extravaganza plots. The music was mainly confined to songs or interludes interspersed in spoken dialogue. It was based at first on ballads or folk songs to which new words were adapted; later, tunes were borrowed from popular operas, or music was occasionally newly

Roddenberry, Gene

2005-03-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

Roddenberry briefly attended Los Angeles City College, flew B-17 bombers during World War II, and was an airline

Hinayana

2005-03-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: “Lesser Vehicle”), the more orthodox, conservative schools of Buddhism; the name Hinayana was applied to these schools by the followers of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in ancient India. The name reflected the Mahayanists' evaluation of their own tradition as a superior method, surpassing the others in universality and compassion; but the name was not accepted

Abbot, Charles Greeley

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

An informal autobiography is provided by Charles Greeley Abbot, Adventures in the World of Science (1958). David H. DeVorkin, “Charles Greeley Abbot,” in Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 73, pp. 3–23 (1998), is a short biography; and David H. DeVorkin, “Defending a Dream: Charles Greeley Abbot's Years at the Smithsonian,” Journal for the History of Astronomy, vol. 21, part 1, no. 63, pp. 121–136 (February 1990), discusses Abbot's influence on the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Asafetida

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

Gum resin prized as a condiment in India and Iran, where it is used to flavour curries, meatballs, and pickles. It has been used in Europe and the United States in perfumes and for flavouring. Acrid in taste, it emits a strong onionlike odour because of its organic sulfur compounds. It is obtained chiefly from the plant Ferula foetida of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae).

China, Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms, and Sung periods

2005-03-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

Further general information is available in the following: Edward A. Kracke, Jr., Civil Service in Early Sung China, 960–1067 (1953), a monumental work; James T.C. Liu, Ou-yang Hsiu, an Eleventh-Century Neo-Confucianist, trans. from the Chinese (1967), and Reform in Sung China: Wang An-shih (1021–1086) and His New Policies (1959), both works attempting to relate general trends through historical figures; and Brian E. McKnight, Village and Bureaucracy in Southern Sung China (1971), an account coming down to the later period as well as the local scene. Jacques Gernet, Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250–1276 (1962; originally published in French, 1959), provides vivid descriptions. See also Patricia Buckley Ebrey (ed. and trans.), Family and Property in Sung China: Yüan Ts'ai's Precepts for Social Life (1984), an excellent picture of family relations as studied in the 12th-century work by Yüan Ts'ai; Thomas H.S. Lee, Government Education and Examinations in Sung China (1985), a description of education and its relationship to the civil service; and Brian E. McKnight (trans.), The Washing Away of Wrongs: Forensic Medicine in Thirteenth-Century China (1985), a translation of an early work on the topic.

Agapetus I, Saint

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

Pope from 535 to 536. Of noble birth, he was an archdeacon at the time of his election (May 13, 535). At the urging of the Ostrogothic king Theodahad, he headed an unsuccessful mission to Constantinople to deter the emperor Justinian I from his plans to reconquer Italy. While there he secured the election of, and consecrated,

Drug Use, Addiction, habituation, and dependence

2005-03-04T03:44:00.000-08:00

The traditional distinction between “addiction” and “habituation” centres on the ability of a drug to produce tolerance and physical dependence. The opiates clearly possess the potential to massively challenge the body's resources, and, if so challenged, the body will make the corresponding biochemical, physiological, and psychological readjustment to the stress.

Middelburg

2005-03-03T23:48:00.000-08:00

Gemeente (commune) and capital, Zeeland provincie, southwestern Netherlands, on the former Walcheren Island. Named for its central position on the island, Middelburg was a flourishing medieval town that traded in wine and cloth and that later prospered through the activities of the Dutch East India Company. It was one of the first towns captured by the Sea

Biogeographic Region

2005-03-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

It is a matter of general experience that the plants and animals of the land and inland waters differ to a greater or lesser degree from one part of the world to another. Why should this be? Why should the same species not exist wherever suitable environmental conditions

Gull, Sir William Withey, 1st Baronet

2005-03-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

Gull received his M.D. from the University of London in 1846 and became lecturer on physiology and anatomy and then physician, at Guy's, where he taught or served as consulting physician for the rest of his life. He

Lurton, Horace H(armon)

2005-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Lurton enlisted in the Confederate army at the outbreak of the war and was twice taken prisoner, but he was paroled by President Abraham Lincoln the second time upon his mother's appeal, pleading illness. After the war he finished his studies and established a successful

Wage And Salary

2005-02-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

Analyses of economic distribution appear in David Ricardo, Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817, reissued 1981), the classical subsistence theory of wages; Karl Marx, Capital, vol. 1 (1886; originally published in German, 1867), also available in many later editions, treating the process of distribution as pure conflict; John Bates Clark, Distribution of Wealth (1899, reissued 1965), the classic work on marginal productivity theory whereby distribution is viewed as a harmonious process in which the factors of production receive as income what they contribute to the product; Frank H. Knight, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (1921, reprinted 1985), an analysis of profits viewed as a result of imperfect foresight and as a remuneration for risk-bearing; Joseph Schumpeter, The Theory of Economic Development (1934, reprinted 1987; originally published in German, 1912), an analysis of economic development as a result of the innovations of entrepreneurs motivated by profit; Paul H. Douglas, The Theory of Wages (1934, reissued 1964), marginalist theory based on statistical research which sets forth the famous Cobb–Douglas function; K.J. Arrow et al., “Capital–Labor Substitution and Economic Efficiency,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, 43:225–250 (1961), an econometric study explaining the falling share of capital in the national income by the elasticity of substitution; J.R. Hicks, The Theory of Wages, 2nd ed. (1963, reissued 1973), a sophisticated treatment of marginal productivity theory; and Nicholas Kaldor, “Alternative Theories of Distribution,” in his Essays on Value and Distribution, 2nd ed. (1980), a discussion of various theories from Ricardo to Keynes. Dan Usher, The Economic Prerequisite to Democracy (1981), suggests that democracy requires broad agreement on how an economic system will distribute wealth. Other works in this area are Alan S. Blinder, Toward an Economic Theory of Income Distribution (1974); and Ronald G. Ehrenberg and Robert S. Smith, Modern Labor Economics: Theory and Public Policy, 5th ed. (1994).

Cohens V. Virginia

2005-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

(1821), U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court reaffirmed its right to review all state court judgments in cases arising under the federal Constitution or a law of the United States. The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for mandatory Supreme Court review of the final judgments of the highest court of any state in cases “where is drawn in question the validity of a treaty or statute

Epistemology, René Descartes

2005-02-25T00:47:00.000-08:00

Both the rise of modern science and the rediscovery of Skepticism were important influences on René Descartes (1596–1650). While he believed that humans were capable of knowledge and certainty and that modern science was developing the superstructure of knowledge, he thought that Skepticism presented a legitimate challenge that needed an answer, one that only he could

Swatow

2005-02-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Wade-Giles) Shan-t'ou, or (Pinyin) Shantou, city in eastern Kwangtung sheng (province), southern China. Swatow lies on the coast of the South China Sea a few miles west of the mouth of the Han River, which, with its tributary, the Mei River, drains most of eastern Kwangtung. The Han forms a delta, and Swatow is on an inlet that extends some 9.5 miles (15 km) inland on the southwest part of the delta. The city stands at the narrow seaward

Melancholia

2005-02-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

A mental condition characterized by extreme depression (q.v.) and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. It is especially a part of manic-depressive psychosis (q.v.).

Ibn Gabirol

2005-02-22T21:36:00.000-08:00

In full Solomon Ben Yehuda Ibn Gabirol, Arabic Abu Ayyub Sulayman Ibn Yahya Ibn Gabirut, Latin Avicebron, or Avencebrol one of the outstanding figures of the Hebrew school of religious and secular poetry during the Jewish Golden Age in Moorish Spain. He was also an important Neoplatonic philosopher.

Sanibel Island

2005-02-21T02:34:00.000-08:00

Sanibel Island

Ocean, Spreading centre zones and associated phenomena

2005-02-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Spreading centres are divided

Welded Tuff

2005-02-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Rock composed of compacted volcanic ejecta (see tuff).

Addams, Charles (samuel)

2005-02-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

Addams attended various schools from 1929 to 1932; thereafter, aside from a brief period as a commercial artist, he was a free-lance cartoonist, selling his first work to The New Yorker in 1933. His cartoons

Anhydrite

2005-02-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

An important rock-forming mineral, anhydrous calcium sulfate (CaSO4). It differs chemically from gypsum (to which it alters in humid conditions) by having no water of crystallization. Anhydrite occurs most often with salt deposits in association with gypsum, as in the cap rock of the Texas-Louisiana salt domes. Anhydrite is one of the major minerals in evaporite deposits;

Einem, Gottfried Von

2005-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

The son of an Austrian military attaché, Einem was educated in Germany and England. He helped several people escape from Nazi Germany, and in 1938 he was arrested by the Gestapo and was imprisoned

Abbott, Edith

2005-02-15T01:54:00.000-08:00

Edith Abbott was the older sister of Grace Abbott, who would serve as chief of the United States Children's Bureau from 1921 to 1934. Both sisters were influenced by

Beinum, Eduard (alexander) Van

2005-02-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

At 17 van Beinum entered the Amsterdam Conservatory after a year of playing in the string section of the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra. A series of minor appointments led to conductorships of the Haarlem Orchestra and Haarlem Roman Catholic

Aids

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

Byname of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome transmissible disease of the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV slowly attacks and destroys the immune system, the body's defense against infection, leaving an individual vulnerable to a variety of other infections and certain malignancies that eventually cause death. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, during which time

Victor (iv)

2005-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Made cardinal by Pope Innocent II in 1138, he was elected by a minority of cardinals in September 1159, while, concurrently, a majority elected Alexander

Azores

2005-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Portuguese in full Arquipélago Dos Açores, archipelago composed of nine major islands, in the North Atlantic Ocean; they lie roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) west of Portugal and are a part of that nation. The islands, which have a total land area of 868 square miles (2,247 square km), are divided into three widely separated groups: the eastern group, consisting of São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas islets; the central, of Faial, Pico,

Human Evolution, Examination and analysis of fossils

2005-02-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

Although it appears that at the time of discovery the remains of more than 10 individuals existed at Cro-Magnon, only fragments from some five individuals were preserved and studied, among them the cranium and mandible of a male about 50 years old. Considered representative of the Cro-Magnon type, this specimen is known as the “Old Man of Cro-Magnon.” Also preserved were skull

Botosani

2005-02-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Botosani judet (county), northeastern Romania. It lies in a rich farming area of northern Moldavia, near the border with Moldova. As a settlement, it was first documented in 1439. The Popauti Church dates from 1496. Long known as a market centre for agricultural produce and wines, Botosani has also become an industrial centre, particularly in textiles. Pop. (1989 est.) 119,563.

U2

2005-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Bill Flanagan, U2 at the End of the World (1995), is an insightful, if frequently meandering, critical overview.

Tepe Yahya

2005-02-08T01:31:00.000-08:00

Ancient Iranian site located northeast of Dowlatabad in southeastern Iran; it has yielded valuable information on the economic exchange patterns of the 3rd millennium BC. Excavations (1968–70) by the American School of Prehistoric Research have revealed that Tepe Yahya was almost continuously occupied from the middle of the 5th millennium to the end of the 3rd millennium BC. It

Stagnelius, Erik Johan

2005-02-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Both his works

Adelantado

2005-02-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

(Spanish: “one who goes before”), representative of the kings of Castile (Spain) who in the early European Middle Ages headed military expeditions and, from the reign of Ferdinand III (1217–52) until the 16th century, held judicial and administrative powers over specific districts. Greater adelantados (adelantados mayores) served as appeal judges and in times of war were responsible

Karachi, Transportation

2005-02-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Karachi is the terminus of Pakistan's railway

Tsinling Mountains

2005-02-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Ch'in Ling, Pinyin Qin Ling, mountain range in North China, extending east-west from southeast Kansu province into Shensi and Honan provinces. It is considered to be an extension of the Kunlun Mountains. It constitutes a watershed between the Wei and Han rivers and reaches a height of 12,359 feet (3,767 m) at T'ai-pai (mount). The range forms a sharp physical divide, of climatic as well as topographic significance,

Daumier, Honoré

2005-02-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

He did not do so, however, for he had become preoccupied with new technical studies; earlier than others, he had discovered Impressionism—faces and bodies devoured by the surrounding light and becoming one with the atmosphere. He painted a great deal, and the more so as his studies in the new technique did not interest the satirical journals to which he now submitted

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint

2005-02-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

In 1259 Thomas was appointed theological adviser and lecturer to the papal Curia, then the centre of Western humanism. He returned to Italy, where he spent two years at Anagni at the end of the reign of Alexander IV and four years at Orvieto with Urban IV. From 1265 to 1267 he taught at the convent of Santa Sabina in Rome and then, at the request of Clement IV, went to the papal Curia in Viterbo.

Mongolia

2005-01-31T19:27:00.000-08:00

Contemporary cultural life in Mongolia is a unique amalgam of traditional elements—the heritage of centuries—and a growing modern element.

Bradford, William

2005-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

He was a Quaker and a self-taught artist, painting the ships and the marine views he saw along the coasts of Massachusetts, Labrador, and Nova Scotia; he went on several Arctic expeditions with Isaac Hayes and was the first

Braccio Da Montone

2005-01-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

Born of a noble Perugian family, Braccio became the pupil of Alberico da Barbiano, the first great Italian condottiere, initiating a lifelong rivalry with another

Traditional Ceramics

2005-01-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

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.

Appiah, Kwame Anthony

2005-01-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

Appiah was the son of Joseph Appiah, a Ghanaian-born barrister, and Peggy Cripps, daughter of the British statesman Sir Stafford

Mexico, History Of

2005-01-26T20:06:00.000-08:00

Diego Velázquez, governor of Cuba, laid the foundation for the conquest of Mexico. In 1517 and 1518 Velázquez sent out expeditions headed by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalva that explored the coasts of Yucatán and the Mexican Gulf. Velázquez commissioned Hernán Cortés to outfit an expedition to investigate their tales of great wealth in the area. Spending

Alcántara

2005-01-25T03:30:00.000-08:00

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,

Bhadravati

2005-01-24T03:17:00.000-08:00

City, central Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, southern India. It lies along the Bhadra River, near the Baba Budan Range. The proximity of iron, manganese, and limestone deposits, along with the Bhadra hydropower project, have made the site an ideal location for steelmaking and other industrial enterprises. Bhadravati has become a planned modern city with accompanying

Xanthophyta

2005-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

Division or phylum of algae commonly known as yellow-green algae (q.v.).

Additive

2005-01-22T01:22:00.000-08:00

In foods, any of various chemical substances added to foods to produce specific desirable effects. The term additive may also be expanded to include substances—possibly useless or deleterious—that enter foods unintentionally. Additives include such substances as artificial or natural colourings and flavourings; stabilizers, emulsifiers, texturizers, and

Xia Gui

2005-01-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Xia's birth and death dates are unknown. According to most Chinese sources, however, he served in the Imperial Academy (Yuhuayuan) under the emperor Ning Zong (reigned 1194/95–1224/25), eventually attaining the rank of daizhao, or “painter in attendance,” and being awarded the highest honour a court painter could receive, the Golden Belt. The earliest source of information on him, however,

Grosz, Karoly

2005-01-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hungarian communist politician (b. Aug. 1, 1930, Miskolc, Hung.--d. Jan. 7, 1996, Godollo, Hung.), as prime minister (1987-88), initiated economic reforms that led to his party's collapse. Despite his loyalty to the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (HSWP), his program of austerity steered the government away from communism, prompting more radical politicians to replace him in order to accelerate the

League Of Women Voters

2005-01-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

First proposed by Carrie Chapman Catt at a convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1917, the League was organized at a national convention on March 24–29, 1919, in St. Louis, Missouri,

Sinaitic Inscriptions

2005-01-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

Also called Proto-sinaitic Inscriptions, archeological remains that are among the earliest examples of alphabetic writing; they were inscribed on stones in the Sinai Peninsula, where they were first discovered in 1904–05 by the British archaeologist Sir William Flinders Petrie. Apparently influenced both by Egyptian hieroglyphic writing and by the Canaanitic writing system (1900–1800 BC; probably ancestral to the North

Aksakov, Konstantin Sergeyevich

2005-01-17T01:31:00.000-08:00

The son of the novelist Sergey Timofeyevich Aksakov, he entered Moscow University, where he was influenced by the work of the German philosopher G.W. Hegel. From the mid-1830s Aksakov focused, along with Yury F. Samarin

Prophets, The Lives Of The

2005-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Pseudepigraphal collection (not in any scriptural canon) of folk stories and legends about the major and minor biblical prophets and a number of other prophetic figures from the Old Testament books of I Kings, II Chronicles, and Nehemiah. The work demonstrates the popularity of religious and philosophical biography in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern areas

Kara Koyunlu

2005-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

The Kara Koyunlu were vassals of the Jalayirid dynasty of Baghdad and Tabriz from about 1375, when the head of their leading tribe, Kara Muhammad Turmush (reigned c. 1375–90), ruled Mosul. The federation secured its independence with the seizure of Tabriz (which became its capital) by Kara Yusuf (reigned 1390–1400; 1406–20). Routed by the

Aubrey, John

2005-01-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Antiquarian and writer, best known for his vivid, intimate, and sometimes acid biographical sketches of his contemporaries. Educated at Oxford at Trinity College, he studied law in London at the Middle Temple. He early displayed his interest in antiquities by calling attention to the prehistoric stones at Avebury,

Ambo

2005-01-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

In the Christian liturgy, a raised stand formerly used for reading the Gospel or the Epistle, first used in early basilicas. Originally, the ambo took the form of a portable lectern. By the 6th century it had evolved into a stationary church furnishing, which reflected the development and codification of the Christian liturgy. By the Byzantine and early Romanesque

Cohenite

2005-01-12T05:12:00.000-08:00

The mineral iron and nickel carbide [(Fe,Ni)3C] that occurs as an accessory constituent of several iron meteorites, of all coarse octahedrites containing 7 percent or less nickel, and of at least one stony meteorite, an enstatite chondrite. Cohenite closely resembles the meteoritic mineral schreibersite, and it may be more common in meteorites than is supposed. When

Dahriyah

2005-01-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

The Dahriyah are portrayed in Islamic theological literature

Croissy, Charles Colbert, Marquis De

2005-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Colbert de Croissy was the younger brother of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's great financial minister (1665–83). Appointed intendant (royal agent)

Computers, Embedded systems

2005-01-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

One can look at the development of the electronic computer as occurring in waves. The first large wave was the mainframe era, when many people had to share single machines. (The mainframe era is covered in the section The age of Big Iron.) In this view, the minicomputer era can be seen as a mere eddy in the larger wave, a development that allowed a favoured few to have greater

Art, Antiques, And Collections

2005-01-08T00:54:00.000-08:00

The ways that photographs were bought, sold, auctioned, and merchandised as art increased dramatically during 1999 with the Internet's explosive growth. Whereas the world's first on-line photography auction had taken place only a year previously, by the end of 1999 such auctions had become commonplace. Swann Galleries in New York City was experimenting with the idea, and Sotheby's

Ghiberti, Lorenzo

2005-01-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

Important early Italian Renaissance sculptor, whose doors (“Gates of Paradise”; 1425–52) for the Baptistery of the cathedral of Florence are considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian art in the Quattrocento. Other works include three bronze statues for Or San Michele (1416–25) and the reliefs for Siena cathedral (1417–27). Ghiberti also wrote three

Mcnally, David Arthur

2005-01-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

American professional baseball player (b. Oct. 31, 1942, Billings, Mont.—d. Dec. 1, 2002, Billings), was a phenomenal left-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles; he completed four consecutive 20-win seasons between 1968 and 1971, appeared in three All-Star games (1969, 1970, and 1972), and helped his team win World Series titles in 1966 and 1970. McNally also took part in the landmark 1975 arbitration case that ended baseball's “reserve

John

2005-01-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

John began his public career in 1505 as a member of the Diet of Rákos; it was upon his motion that the Diet voted that no foreign prince would ever again be elected king of Hungary after the death of King Ulászló II, who also

Biblical Literature, Numbers

2005-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

In the Hebrew Bible this book is entitled Bemidbar (In the Wilderness) after one of its opening words, while in English versions it is called Numbers, a translation of the Greek Septuagint title Arithmoi. Each of the titles gives an indication of the content of the book: (1) the narrative of “40 Years” of wanderings in the wilderness, or desert, between Sinai and Canaan; and (2) the

Houston

2005-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

The first settlement in the area, Harrisburg (1826), was

Ski Patrol

2005-01-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

Group of paid or volunteer workers at ski resorts whose primary function is to promote skiing safety and provide first aid for injured skiers. Ski patrolmen are proficient skiers trained in first aid and cold weather rescue and survival techniques. One of the largest such organizations in the world is the National Ski Patrol System of the United States, founded

Settee

2004-12-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

Also called Sofa, an upholstered seat with back and arms (sometimes upholstered), designed for two or more people in a sitting or reclining position. The earliest surviving types, dating back to the 17th century in Europe, have sides that let down for conversion into a bed. Variations of backrests and armrests appeared, and the precedent, still followed in the 20th century, was established

Essex

2004-12-30T05:20:00.000-08:00

County, northeastern New York state, U.S. It comprises a mountainous region bounded by the Ausable River to the northeast, Vermont to the east (Lake Champlain constituting the border), Lake George to the southeast, and the Hudson River to the southwest. Other waterways include the Cold, Chubb, Bouquet, and Boreas rivers and Schroon and Paradox lakes; Lake Tear of the Clouds

Lord's Cricket Ground

2004-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Headquarters and home ground of the Marylebone Cricket Club, long the world's foremost cricket organization, and the scene of Test Matches between England and visiting national teams and of matches of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, Oxford versus Cambridge, and Eton versus Harrow. Various cup finals and one-day international matches also take place there. The

Choiseul, étienne-françois De Choiseul, Duc De (duke Of )

2004-12-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

Choiseul, the son of François-Joseph de Choiseul, Marquis de Stainville, adopted the title Count de Stainville, entered the French army, and served with distinction against the British and Austrians in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48). At the end of the conflict,

Joyeuse, Anne, Duke (duc) De

2004-12-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

The eldest son of Guillaume, Viscount de Joyeuse, Anne when very young was admitted to the royal court, where he carried the title of Marquis d'Arques (after one of his father's lands). King Henry III,

Object Language

2004-12-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

In semantics and logic, the ordinary language used to talk about things or objects in the world—as contrasted with metalanguage, an artificial language used by linguists and others to analyze or describe the sentences or elements of object language itself. The concept was developed by such 20th-century logical positivists as Polish-American Alfred Tarski and German-American

Pribilof Islands

2004-12-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Fur Seal Islands, islands of Alaska, U.S., including St. Paul (35 square miles [91 square km]), St. George (27 square miles), and two islets lying in the Bering Sea, about 300 miles (500 km) west of the mainland and 180 miles north of the Aleutian Islands. The islands were first visited in 1786 by Gavril Pribylov, a Russian sea captain, who discovered their fur seal rookeries. Control of the islands was transferred from Russia

Metasomatic Replacement

2004-12-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

The process of simultaneous solution and deposition whereby one mineral replaces another. It is an important process in the formation of epigenetic mineral deposits (those formed after the formation of the host rock), in the formation of high- and intermediate-temperature hydrothermal ore deposits, and in supergene sulfide enrichment (enriched by generally

Sarawak

2004-12-22T08:21:00.000-08:00

Historic region that is now a state of Malaysia. It comprises the northwestern part of the island of Borneo and is bounded by the sultanate of Brunei and Sabah (Malaysia) on the north and by Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) on the east and south. Sarawak has a low-lying and heavily indented coastline along the South China Sea. Much of its area is covered by primary rain forest.

Halévy, Ludovic

2004-12-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

The son of the writer Léon Halévy and the nephew of the operatic composer Fromental Halévy, Ludovic began writing for the stage while

Actin

2004-12-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

Protein that is an important contributor to the contractile property of muscle and other cells. It exists in two forms: G-actin (monomeric globular actin) and F-actin (polymeric fibrous actin), the form involved in muscle contraction. In muscle, two long strands of beadlike actin molecules are twisted together to form a thin filament, bundles of which alternate and interdigitate

Ueno

2004-12-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

City, Mie ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies in an intermontane basin at the head of the Kii Peninsula. The city developed around a castle built in 1611 and still retains some of its early character. Hakuho Park is on the site of the old castle, which was rebuilt in 1953. The Aizen Temple in Ueno is dedicated to the god of love. The industry of the city includes the traditional manufacture

Hunt Of Llanfairwaterdine, (henry Cecil) John Hunt, Baron

2004-12-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

British soldier and mountaineer who was the leader of the 1953 British expedition during which Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first persons to climb to the top of Mt. Everest; he was created C.B.E. in 1945, knighted in 1953, made a life peer in 1966, and named a Knight of the Garter in 1979 (b. June 22, 1910, India--d. Nov. 7/8, 1998, Henley-on-Thames, Eng.).

China, Industry

2004-12-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

The development of industry has been given considerable attention since the advent of the Communist regime. Overall industrial output has grown at a rate of more than 10 percent per year, and China's industrial work force probably exceeds the combined total for all other developing countries. Industry has surpassed all other sectors in economic growth and degree