BrownTray

Soubise, Benjamin De Rohan, Seigneur De

2005-04-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

Soubise apprenticed as a soldier under Prince Maurice of Orange-Nassau in the Low Countries. In the Huguenot rebellions that rocked France in the 1620s, his elder brother chiefly commanded the Huguenots' forces on land and in the south, while Soubise commanded those

Alciphron

2005-04-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Rhetorician who wrote a collection of fictitious letters, a form of literature popular in his day. More than 100 of the letters have survived. The background of them all is the Athens of the 4th century BC, and the imaginary writers are farmers, fishermen, and courtesans. The material of the letters is largely derived from the writers of the so-called

Aeolus

2005-04-03T03:33:00.000-07:00

In Greek mythology, mythical king of Magnesia in Thessaly, the son of Hellen (the eponymous ancestor of the true Greeks, or Hellenes) and father of Sisyphus (the “most crafty of men”). Aeolus' daughter Canace and son Macareus committed incest and then took their own lives. Their story provided the subject of Euripides' lost Aeolus. Aeolus gave his name to Aeolis, a territory

Rumor, Mariano

2005-04-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

After graduation from the University of Padua, Rumor became a teacher. During World War II he served as an officer in the artillery, and in 1943 he joined the partisans to fight against the Fascist and German forces. In 1945 he became a member of the Christian

Steeplechase

2005-04-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

The sport dates back to a cross-country race at the University of Oxford in 1850. As an Olympic track event (for men only), it was first run in the 1900 Games, and by the 1920 Games it was standardized at 3,000 metres, or about 7.5 laps on a 400-metre track. The steeplechase

Romanus Iv Diogenes

2005-04-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

In 1068 Romanus married Eudocia Macrembolitissa, widow of the emperor Constantine X Ducas. He led military expeditions against the Seljuq Turks but was defeated and captured by them at the Battle of Manzikert (1071). On his release Romanus found that

Burn

2005-04-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

The use of topical antibacterial agents has reduced the incidence of post-burn infection, but infection remains one of the most serious complications of burns. Burn surgeons often obtain cultures of the burn wound and of sputum and other body secretions; these are examined for signs of infection. Early detection and prompt treatment of infection with antibiotics

Wa

2005-03-31T04:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Lawa, Va, Hkawa, Kawa, or Kala, hill-dwelling peoples of eastern Myanmar (Burma), where they are generally called Lawa, and southwestern Yunnan province of China, where they are generally called Va, or Wa. They speak an Austro-Asiatic language related to Mon-Khmer. The pagan, or “wild,” Wa are concentrated in the isolated northern and central Wa states of Myanmar; they are known as headhunters who believe

Hadley, George

2005-03-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

Though educated in law, Hadley preferred physics to legal work. A pamphlet describing the quadrant and a Latin translation of this

Margaret Of Scotland, Saint

2005-03-30T03:53:00.000-08:00

Margaret was brought up at the Hungarian court, where her father, Edward, was in exile. After the Battle of Hastings, Edward's widow and children fled for safety to Scotland. Her brother Edgar the Aetheling, defeated

Shagari, Alhaji Shehu (usman Aliyu)

2005-03-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

A member of the Muslim Fulani people of northern Nigeria and a descendant of a tribe that had founded his home village, Shagari studied at a secondary school in Kaduna and taught school briefly before entering politics in 1954 and being elected to the federal House of Representatives. Thereafter

Cambon, Paul

2005-03-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

A law graduate (1870) and an ardent republican, Cambon served as secretary to the future statesman Jules Ferry, then mayor of Paris. Sent to the département of Bouches-du-Rhône as secretary-general of the prefecture

Lake Geneva

2005-03-27T00:40:00.000-08:00

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

Vulcanization

2005-03-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

The process was discovered in 1839 by the U.S. inventor

Wars Of Yahweh, Book Of The

2005-03-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

Lost document referred to and quoted in the Old Testament (Num. 21:14ff.). The book is probably a collection of early Israelite war songs including hymns of victory, curses, mocking songs, and other literary genres recounting the victories of Yahweh, the God of Israel, over his enemies; it indicates that biblical books rely on both written and oral tradition. Similar to the Book

Capone, Al

2005-03-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Capone's parents immigrated to the United States from Naples in 1893; Al, the fourth of nine children, quit school in Brooklyn after the sixth grade and joined Johnny Torrio's James Street Boys gang, rising eventually to the Five Points Gang. In a youthful

Cohen, Stanley

2005-03-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

Cohen was educated at Brooklyn College (B.A., 1943), Oberlin College (M.A., 1945), and at the University of Michigan, where he received a Ph.D. in

E-mail

2005-03-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

On most networks, data can be simultaneously sent to a universe of users or to a select group or individual. Network users typically have an electronic mailbox

India, From Banda Singh Bahadur to Ranjit Singh

2005-03-23T02:42:00.000-08:00

The quelling by Mughal forces of the Sikhs under Banda did not mean an end to Sikh resistance to Mughal claims. In the 1720s and '30s, Amritsar emerged as a centre of Sikh activity, partly because of its preeminence as a pilgrimage centre. Kapur Singh, the most important of the Sikh leaders of the time, operated from its vicinity and gradually set about consolidating a revenue-cum-military

Celandine

2005-03-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

Any of several distinct flowering plants of similar appearance. The celandine proper, or greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), once a valued plant of the Old World herbalist, is now grown somewhat in wild gardens. A member of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), it has poisonous orange sap, coarsely toothed, divided leaves, and four-petaled yellow blooms

Welch, William Henry

2005-03-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Undertaking graduate medical study in Germany (1876–78), Welch was working in the

Kerr, Roy P(atrick)

2005-03-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Kerr received an M.S. (1954) from New Zealand University (now dissolved) and his Ph.D. (1960) from Cambridge University. He served on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin

Lahar

2005-03-21T01:01:00.000-08:00

Mudflow of volcanic material. Lahars may carry all sizes of material from ash to large boulders and produce deposits of volcanic conglomerate. Lahars may be the result of heavy rain on loose ash material such as deposits of nuées ardentes (dense clouds of gases charged with incandescent dust, discharging volcanic sand in avalanche fashion); or they may result from

Atmosphere, Transition to an aerobic environment

2005-03-20T04:25:00.000-08:00

Pyrite and uraninite are minerals of iron and uranium, respectively, that are not stable in the presence of O2. Though they can be found in some modern river sediments, neither can survive in them for thousands of years. Yet, many sediments older than about 2,200,000,000 years contain well-rounded grains of these minerals. Their shapes and locations indicate prolonged exposure and

Visvakarman

2005-03-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: “All Accomplishing”), in Hindu mythology, the architect of the gods. The name was originally used as an epithet of any powerful god but later came to personify creative power. Visvakarman is the divine carpenter and master craftsman who fashioned the weapons of the gods and built their cities and chariots. He is the architect of the mythical city, Lanka, and is also

Florida, Flag Of

2005-03-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

The first flag of Florida was hoisted on June 25, 1845, at the inauguration of its first governor, William D. Moseley. It had five horizontal stripes (blue, orange, red, white, and green) and a ribbon with the inscription “Let us alone.” The U.S. flag served as a canton. The states' rights and antifederalist symbolism in the design is clear, but the associations of the colours are unknown;

Andean Geosyncline

2005-03-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

A linear trough in the Earth's crust in which rocks of the Mesozoic Era (245 to 66.4 million years ago) and Cenozoic Era (66.4 years ago to the present) were deposited in South America. An intense orogenic (mountain-building) event affected the older sediments in the geosyncline in the Late Cretaceous Epoch (97.5 to 66.4 million years ago) and, combined with later deformational episodes, produced

Spallation

2005-03-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

High-energy nuclear reaction in which a target nucleus struck by an incident (bombarding) particle of energy greater than about 50 million electron volts (MeV) ejects numerous lighter particles and becomes a product nucleus correspondingly lighter than the original nucleus. The light ejected particles may be neutrons, protons, or various composite particles equivalent

Astrakhan

2005-03-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

Oblast (province), Russia, occupying an area of 17,027 square miles (44,100 square km) along the lower Volga River. The Volga and its parallel distributary, the Akhtuba, form the axis of the oblast, ending in a large delta. The majority of the population lives in the delta area around the city of Astrakhan, the administrative centre. Vegetables and fruit are grown on the fertile fields

Accidental

2005-03-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

In music, sign placed immediately to the left of a note to show that the note must be changed in pitch. A sharp () raises a note by a semitone; a flat () lowers it by a semitone; a natural ({natural}) restores it to the original pitch. Double sharps (´) and double flats () indicate that the note is raised or lowered by two semitones. A single natural cancels a double sharp or flat; a natural next

Military Aircraft, Mach 2

2005-03-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

A fourth generation of fighters began to appear in the 1960s, capable of maximum speeds ranging from about Mach 1.5 to 2.3. Top speeds varied with the intended mission, and increasing engine power, aerodynamic sophistication, and more compact and capable radars and avionics began to blur the differences between two-seat, all-weather fighters and single-seat air-superiority

Armentières

2005-03-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Town, Nord département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais région, northern France. It lies along the Lys River, near the Belgian frontier. The town was entirely rebuilt after being destroyed in World War I, and its red brick buildings present a uniform appearance. Armentières was 2 miles (3 km) behind the battle line throughout most of World War I, and from April until October 1918 it was occupied

Japanese Deer

2005-03-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hoofed mammal, a subspecies of sika (q.v.).

Crowe, Dame Sylvia

2005-03-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

British landscape architect who created designs for gardens at nuclear power stations, colleges, churchyards, reservoirs, office buildings, and new towns and wrote a number of books on the subject; she was created C.B.E. in 1967 and advanced to D.B.E. in 1973 (b. Sept. 15, 1901--d. June 30, 1997).

Biblical Literature, Philological criticism

2005-03-15T02:07:00.000-08:00

Philological criticism consists mainly in the study of the biblical languages in their widest scope, so that the vocabulary, grammar, and style of the biblical writings can be understood as accurately as possible with the aid not only of other biblical writings but of other writings in the same or cognate languages. New Testament Greek, for example, is a representative

Baden

2005-03-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

Town, Aargau canton, northern Switzerland, on the Limmat River, northwest of Zürich. The hot sulfur springs, mentioned as early as the 1st century AD by the Roman historian Tacitus, still attract large numbers of people. The town, founded by the Habsburgs in 1291, was conquered in 1415 (with Aargau) by the Swiss Confederation. The Diet of the Swiss Confederation met at Baden from 1424 to 1712 in

Mithradates Vi Eupator

2005-03-14T05:05:00.000-08:00

Byname Mithradates The Great king of Pontus in northern Anatolia (120–63 BC). Under his energetic leadership, Pontus expanded to absorb several of its small neighbours and, briefly, contested Rome's hegemony in Asia Minor.

Glassware, After the War of 1812

2005-03-14T01:48:00.000-08:00

The few houses that survived the 1790s and the depression after the War of 1812 had multiplied to more than 90 by 1830. For convenience, the glassworks are divided into three geographical groups: New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the Midwest. Until that time, they had produced little more than simple imitations of European glasses, at best interesting and often very handsome combinations

Sculpture, Western, Romanesque

2005-03-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

The term Romanesque—coined in 1818 —denotes in art the medieval synthesis of the widespread Roman architectural and artistic heritage and various regional influences, such as Teutonic, Scandinavian, Byzantine, and Muslim. Although derived primarily from the remains of a highly centralized imperial culture, the Romanesque flowered during a period of fragmented

Ogbomosho

2005-03-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

Town, Oyo state, southwestern Nigeria. It lies on the Plateau of Yorubaland (elevation 1,200 feet [366 m]) in an area of savanna and farmland and at the intersection of roads from Oyo, Ilorin, Oshogbo, and Ikoyi. Founded in the mid-17th century, it remained a minor outpost of the Yoruba Oyo empire until the beginning of the Muslim Fulani conquests of Oyo in the early 19th century. By surviving

Macaulay (of Rothley), Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

2005-03-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

English Whig politician, essayist, poet, and historian best known for his History of England, 5 vol. (1849–61); this work, which covers the period 1688–1702, secured his place as one of the founders of what has been called the Whig interpretation of history. He was raised to the peerage in 1857.

Marryat, Frederick

2005-03-11T06:01:00.000-08:00

Marryat entered the Royal Navy at the age of 14 and served with distinction in many parts of the world before retiring in 1830 with a captain's rank. He then began a series of adventure novels marked

Papinian

2005-03-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Papinian held high public office under the emperor Septimius Severus (reigned AD 193–211) and became vice president of the Consilium Principis,

Kahn, Albert

2005-03-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

Kahn's father, a rabbi, brought his family to the United States in 1881. Kahn had little schooling but was taken on

Muwatallis

2005-03-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

Muwatallis was the son and successor of Mursilis II. Although Muwatallis' accession was unmarred by the customary flurry of revolts among the Hittite vassal states, a struggle with resurgent Egypt for the domination of Syria became imminent after Egypt reconquered Palestine and made the Orontes River

Pahlavi Language

2005-03-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Pehlevi major form of the Middle Persian language (see Persian language), which existed from the 3rd to the 10th century and was the official language of the Sasanian empire (AD 226–652). It is attested by Zoroastrian books, coins, and inscriptions. Pahlavi books were written in a confusing writing system of Aramaic origin called the Pahlavi alphabet. The major part of Pahlavi literature is

Myo-o

2005-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

In the Buddhist mythology of Japan, fierce protective deities, corresponding to the Sanskrit Vidyaraja (“King of Knowledge”), worshiped mainly by the Shingon sect. They take on a ferocious appearance in order to frighten away evil spirits and to destroy ignorance and ugly passions. They are depicted with angry expressions, with a third eye in the middle of their foreheads,

Karachay-cherkessia

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

Also called Karachayevo-cherkessiya, republic, Stavropol kray (region), southwestern Russia. It extends south from the foreland plains across the northern ranges and deep intervening valleys and gorges of the Greater Caucasus range as far as the crestline, which reaches 13,274 feet (4,046 m) in Mount Dombay-Ulgen. Cherkessk is the administrative centre. The republic's scenery is spectacular, with densely forested

Kaduna

2005-03-08T04:25:00.000-08:00

State, north-central Nigeria. Its area includes the traditional emirate of Zaria and Jemaa town. Kaduna was substantially reduced in size when its northern half became Katsina state in 1987. Kaduna is bordered by the states of Sokoto, Katsina, and Kano to the north; Bauchi to the east; Plateau to the east and south; and Niger to the west. Abuja Federal Capital Territory also

Khons

2005-03-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Khonsu, Khensu, or Chons, in ancient Egyptian religion, moon god who was generally depicted as a youth. A deity with astronomical associations named Khenzu is known from the Pyramid Texts (c. 2350 BC) and is possibly the same as Khons. In Egyptian mythology, Khons was regarded as the son of the god Amon and the goddess Mut. In the period of the late New Kingdom (c. 1100 BC) a major temple was built for Khons in the Karnak

Switzerland

2005-03-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

Swiss economic development has been affected by specific physical and cultural geographic factors. In the first instance, there was a paucity of raw materials; precipitation and soil quality to a large extent determined the type and size of cultivation; urban and industrial expansion encroached on the limited amount of cultivable land; a central location, situated

Närke

2005-03-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

Landskap (province) lying mostly in the administrative län (county) of Örebro, south-central Sweden. Its land area of 1,592 square miles (4,122 square km) lies between the traditional landskap (provinces) of Västmanland on the north, Södermanland on the east, Östergötland on the southeast, Västergötland on the southwest, and Värmland on the west. Dominating its landscape is the great

Hydaspes, Battle Of The

2005-03-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

(326 BC), fourth and last pitched battle fought by Alexander the Great during his campaign of conquest in Asia. It took place after Alexander's conquest of the Achaemenidian Empire and immediately before his army began the journey homeward to Macedonia. Porus, the Indian ruler of the territory between the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers (in modern Pakistan), was his opponent. After

Van Der Waals Forces

2005-03-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

Relatively weak electric forces that attract neutral molecules to one another in gases, in liquefied and solidified gases, and in almost all organic liquids and solids. The forces are named for the Dutch physicist Johannes van der Waals, who in 1873 first postulated these intermolecular forces in developing a theory to account for the properties of real gases. Solids

Sa Dec

2005-03-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Formerly Sa Dac, town on the Mekong River delta, southern Vietnam. It is a river port, agricultural trading centre, and transshipment point for small craft on the left bank of the shallow Bassac River (Song Han Giang), 88 miles (140 km) southwest of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). It is linked by highway to Rach Gia, on the Gulf of Thailand, via Long Xuyen. It is crossed east-west by a waterway linking

Zomba Massif

2005-03-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

Isolated mass of syenite (igneous rock composed chiefly of feldspar) rising from the Shire Highlands, southern Malawi. Occupying an area of about 50 square miles (130 square km), it reaches an elevation of 6,846 feet (2,087 m) in Zomba Peak. Sheer scarps to the east and south drop 2,500 feet (750 m) to the surrounding plains, and the western wall (4,000 feet [1,200 m]) bounds part of the Shire rift valley. The massif is divided

Kidderminster

2005-03-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Town, Wyre Forest district, administrative and historic county of Worcestershire, England. It is situated along the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Recorded as Stour-in-Usmere in 736 CE, it was given to the comes (count) Cyneberght by King Aethelbald (reigned 716–757). Later it passed to the bishop of Worcester and thence to Cenwulf, king of Mercia (816), and it

Aryabhata

2005-03-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

First unmanned Earth satellite built by India. It was named for a prominent Indian astronomer and mathematician of the 5th century AD. The satellite was assembled at Peenya, near Bangalore, but was launched from within the Soviet Union by a Russian-made rocket on April 19, 1975. Aryabhata weighed 794 pounds (360 kilograms) and was instrumented to explore conditions in the Earth's ionosphere,

Gabon

2005-03-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

Gabon's economy has more links with European and American markets than with those in neighbouring states (with the exception of Cameroon) or elsewhere in Africa. The economy shares some of the characteristics of those of other tropical African states: strong links with the former colonial ruler, a large degree of foreign investment and control, dependence on foreign

Gaddi, Taddeo

2005-03-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

His earliest authenticated work is a small triptych with the Virgin enthroned with Child and saints, signed and

Strand, Paul

2005-03-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

When he was 17 years old, Strand began to study photography with Lewis W. Hine, who was later noted for his photographs of industrial workers and immigrants. At Hine's urging, Strand began

Baseball

2005-02-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

Game played with a bat, a ball, and gloves between two teams of nine players each on a field with four white bases laid out in a diamond (i.e., a square oriented so that its diagonal line is vertical). Teams alternate positions as batters (offense) and fielders (defense), exchanging places when three members of the batting team are “put out.” As batters, players try to hit the ball

Jacobs, Helen Hull

2005-02-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

Jacobs was the national junior tennis champion in 1924–25 and attended the University of California, Berkeley, from 1926 to 1929. She was defeated by Helen Wills in the 1928 finals at Forest Hills, New York, and in the Wimbledon

Aleixandre, Vicente

2005-02-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Kessel Schwartz, Vicente Aleixandre (1970), introduces his life and writings. Santiago Daydí-Tolson (ed.), Vicente Aleixandre: A Critical Appraisal (1981), is a collection of essays that examine his work.

Mitnagged

2005-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Misnagid (Hebrew: Opponent), plural Mitnaggedim, or Misnagidim, member of a group of tradition-minded Jews who vigorously opposed the mid-18th-century Hasidic movement of eastern Europe when it threatened to encompass large numbers of Jews. Under the leadership of Elijah ben Solomon, called the Vilna Gaon, the Mitnaggedim excommunicated all Hasidic groups from Orthodox Jewish communities. The Hasidim were accused of espousing

Wieland, Christoph Martin

2005-02-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Wieland was the son of a Pietist parson, and his early writings from the 1750s were sanctimonious and strongly devotional. During the

Isabella I

2005-02-25T03:40:00.000-08:00

Byname Isabella the Catholic , Spanish Isabel la Católica queen of Castile (1474–1504) and of Aragon (1479–1504), ruling the two kingdoms jointly from 1479 with her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon (Ferdinand V of Castile). Their rule effected the permanent union of Spain and the beginning of an overseas empire in the New World, led by Christopher Columbus under Isabella's

France, History Of, Society since 1940

2005-02-25T03:18:00.000-08:00

The surge of economic growth that lasted from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s brought extensive changes in French lifestyles and in some of the society's basic structures. As the century neared its end, most French people had come to enjoy greater comfort and security than their forebears; they took for granted such luxuries as automobiles, modern household appliances, and

Naguib, Muhammad

2005-02-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

A professional soldier, Naguib distinguished himself during the Egyptian defeat at the hands of Israel (1948) and won the respect of the Free Officers, a nationalist military group led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1952 the Free

Sarajevo

2005-02-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

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

Cartimandua

2005-02-24T02:29:00.000-08:00

After concluding a treaty with the emperor Claudius early in his conquest of Britain, which began in AD 43, Cartimandua was faced with a series of revolts by anti-Roman elements among her subjects. In 48, Roman forces intervened for the first

Golden Eagle

2005-02-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

In North America the golden eagle ranges

Jehovah

2005-02-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

Judeo-Christian name for God, derived from Yahweh (q.v.).

Ubayyid, Al-

2005-02-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled el-Obeid town, central Sudan. It lies on a sandy, scrub-covered plateau at an elevation of 1,869 feet (570 m). Founded by the Egyptians in 1821, the town was captured and largely destroyed by the Mahdist forces in 1882, but it was rebuilt after Kurdufan was federated with the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1899. Al-Ubayyid is encircled by a forest reserve that tends to alleviate dust storms. Located on a spur of the

Wrigley, William, Jr.

2005-02-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Wrigley went to work as a traveling soap salesman for his father's company at age 13. In 1891 he went to Chicago as a soap distributor and there started offering baking powder as a premium with each box of soap.

Azov Upland

2005-02-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Ukrainian Pryazovska Vysochyna hilly region, Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk oblasti (provinces), southeastern Ukraine. Part of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield, the Azov Upland is an area of denuded mountains, extending from the Dnieper River for 100 miles (160 km) to the Donets Ridge and sloping gently down southeastward to the Sea of Azov. The highest point is Mount Mohyla-Belmak (1,063 feet [324 m]), 65 miles (105 km) southwest of

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Parable

2005-02-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

A.M. Hunter, The Parables: Then and Now (1971); Eta Linnemann, Gleichnisse Jesu, 3rd ed. (1964; Eng. trans., The Parables of Jesus, 1966); T.W. Manson (ed.), The Sayings of Jesus as Recorded in the Gospels According to St. Matthew and St. Luke (1949); D.C. Allen, The Legend of Noah: Renaissance Rationalism in Art, Science and Letters (1963); Heinz Politzer, Franz Kafka: Parable and Paradox (1962).

Frederick Vi

2005-02-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

The son of the mentally incompetent king Christian VII and Queen Caroline Matilda, Frederick was reared largely by his father's stepmother, the queen dowager Juliana Maria, who, with her son Prince Frederick and Ove Höegh-Guldberg, virtually ruled Denmark until 1784. In April

Independent Fundamental Churches Of America

2005-02-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

Fellowship of conservative, independent Christian churches stressing biblical truth. It was organized in Cicero, Ill., U.S., in June 1930 as the successor of the American Conference of Undenominational Churches. Member churches are forbidden to affiliate with any denomination, and the fellowship, administered by annually elected trustees, cannot organize itself as

Chaban-delmas, Jacques

2005-02-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Delmas was educated in political science and law and worked as a journalist before joining the army in 1938. As one of the early members of the Résistance (joined December 1940), he used Chaban as his code name, which he later legally added to his own. He was extremely active in

Lenormand, Louis-sebastien

2005-02-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

Information about Lenormand's life is scanty, but it is believed that he made his first jump from the top of a tree; in December 1783 he mounted

Naha

2005-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

City and capital, Okinawa ken (prefecture), Japan. It lies on southwestern Okinawa Island, which is one of the Ryukyu Islands. Long the chief city of the archipelago, it contains the Sogen Temple, burial place of the rulers of the early Okinawa kingdom. The Shurei Gate is a fine example of Ryukyuan architecture. Naha was the seat of the post-World War II U.S. military and Okinawan

Iowa, Cultural life

2005-02-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

A widely dispersed population with small urban centres makes it difficult for Iowans to support many of the cultural amenities that exist in large urban settings. Traveling shows, including theatre and dance, symphonies, and guest artists visit many places in the state each year. The major cultural centres are the universities and colleges. The fine arts are notably

Argentia

2005-02-16T00:07:00.000-08:00

Formerly a herring- and salmon-fishing port known as Little Placentia, it was renamed Argentia (derived from argentum, Latin for “silver”) when silver was discovered in the vicinity. Most

Târgu-neamt

2005-02-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Tîrgu-neamt, town, Neamt judet (county), northeastern Romania, on the Neamt River. It has long been a local market centre and a major focus of culture in Moldavia. West of the town is Neamt Monastery, founded by Stephen (Stefan) the Great in 1497. On the north bank of the Neamt River stands the ruins of the Fortress of Neamt, founded in the late 14th century. To the west is Agapia Monastery, founded in 1585. Textiles

France, History Of, The conquests

2005-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Charlemagne consolidated his authority up to the geographic limits of Gaul. Though he put down a new insurrection in Aquitaine (769), he was unable to bring the

Antarctica, Biological resources

2005-02-15T04:12:00.000-08:00

Resources of the sea first attracted people to Antarctica and provided the only basis for commercial activity in this region for many years. Commercial fur sealing began about 1766 in the Falkland Islands and rapidly spread to all subantarctic islands in the zeal to supply the wealthy markets of Europe and China. Immense profits were made, but the toll was equally immense.

Fyodor Ii

2005-02-14T03:33:00.000-08:00

The son of Boris Godunov (reigned 1598–1605), Fyodor received an excellent education and was well acquainted with state affairs when his father unexpectedly died and he ascended the Russian throne (April 13 [April 23], 1605). His rule was immediately challenged, however, by the first False

West Coast

2005-02-14T02:53:00.000-08:00

Local government region in west-central South Island, New Zealand. It is bounded by the Tasman Sea (west), the unitary authority of Tasman (north), and the local government regions of Canterbury and Otago (east) and Southland (south). The Southern Alps, with their towering peaks and rugged terrain, contribute to its isolation and varied landscape. Mount Cook (12,316 feet [3,754 metres]) is

Jesus Christ, First-century Judaism

2005-02-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

The standard account of all aspects of 1st-century Judaism, though it is weak on the Jewish religion, is Emil Schürer, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C.– A.D. 135), trans. from German, rev. and ed. by Geza Vermes and Fergus Millar, 3 vol. in 4 (1973–87). E.P. Sanders, Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63 BCE–66 CE (1992, reprinted with corrections 1994), provides a good overview of the Jewish religion in the 1st century. Geza Vermes, An Introduction to the Complete Dead Sea Scrolls, rev. ed. (2000), is a good study of the collection at Qumran. Yigael Yadin (ed.), The Temple Scroll, 3 vol. in 4 (1977–83; originally published in Hebrew, 1977), is a valuable study of the longest and most important scroll from Qumran.

Basel, Council Of

2005-02-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

A general council of the Roman Catholic church held in Basel, Switz. It was called by Pope Martin V a few weeks before his death in 1431 and then confirmed by Pope Eugenius IV. Meeting at a time when the prestige of the papacy had been weakened by the Great Schism (1378–1417), it was concerned with two major problems: the question of papal supremacy and the Hussite heresy. (The Hussites were

Mondovì

2005-02-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

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

Alegrete

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

City, western Rio Grande do Sul estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies along the Ibirapuitã River at 292 feet (89 metres) above sea level. It was founded in 1817 and given city status in 1857. The municipio (“municipality”) of which Alegrete is the seat supports large cattle herds and substantial numbers of sheep. The city is a meat-processing centre. A railroad junction west of Pôrto Alegre, it can also

Main Range

2005-02-12T03:04:00.000-08:00

Also called Central Range , or Buffalo Range mountain range in West Malaysia, the most prominent mountain group on the Malay Peninsula. Composed of granite with some patches of altered stratified rocks, the range extends southward for 300 miles (480 km) from the Thai border, with elevations rarely less than 3,000 feet (900 m) and some peaks exceeding 7,000 feet (2,100 m; high point Mount Korbu [Kerbau], or Buffalo Mountain, 7,162 feet [2,183 m]). The heavily forested

Bürgi, Joost

2005-02-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

Bürgi served as court watchmaker to Duke Wilhelm IV of Hesse-Kassel from 1579 to 1592 and worked in the royal observatory at Kassel, where he developed geometrical and astronomical instruments. Word of his exceptional instruments

Abu Muslim

2005-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

There are numerous versions of Abu Muslim's background, but it seems most likely that he was descended from a slave of Persian origin and was therefore a mawali (non-Arab

Sisaket

2005-02-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Si Sa Ket, or Srisaket, town, eastern Thailand. Sisaket lies on the railway between Nakhon Ratchasima and Udon Thani. The surrounding area is one of Thailand's poorest regions; rice and tobacco are the main products. The region borders Cambodia and has a substantial Khmer-speaking population. Pop. (1986 est.) town, 21,577.

Communist Party Of Cuba

2005-02-10T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Cuban Communist Party (Partido Comunista Cubano) was

Biblical Literature, Composition and authorship

2005-02-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Torah, or Pentateuch (Five Scrolls), traditionally the most revered portion of the Hebrew canon, comprises a series of narratives, interspersed with law codes, providing an account of events from the beginning of the world to the death of Moses. Modern critical scholarship tends to hold that there were originally four books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers)

Levi, Primo

2005-02-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Levi was brought up in the small Jewish community in Turin, studied at the University of Turin, and graduated summa cum laude in chemistry in 1941. Two years later he joined friends