SharpScissors

Bach, Johann Sebastian, Early years

2005-04-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

J.S. Bach was born at Eisenach, Thuringia, on March 21, 1685, the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. Ambrosius was a string player, employed by the town council and the ducal court of Eisenach. Johann Sebastian started school in 1692 or 1693 and did well in spite of frequent absences. Of his musical education at this time, nothing definite is known; however,

Durisol

2005-04-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

One of the 30 soil groups in the classification system of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Durisols are soils in semiarid environments that have a substantial layer of silica within 1 metre (39 inches) of the land surface. The silica occurs either as weakly cemented nodules or as hardpan and accumulates as a result of downward translocation (migration) when solubilized

Wagner-jauregg, Julius

2005-04-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

Original name Julius Wagner, Ritter (Knight) von Jauregg Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist whose treatment of syphilitic meningoencephalitis, or general paresis, by the artificial induction of malaria constituted the first example of shock therapy. The method brought a previously incurable fatal disease under medical control and earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or

Panama

2005-04-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

Electoral campaigning began in preparation for the May 2004 general elections. Three candidates emerged as the leading contenders: Martin Torrijos, who

Porirua

2005-03-31T02:17:00.000-08:00

City, Wellington local government region, southern North Island, New Zealand. It is located about 13 miles (21 km) north of Wellington city, at the head of Porirua Harbour. The earliest inhabitants were aboriginal moa hunters in the 12th century. European whalers and traders occupied nearby Mana Island from 1832 to 1834, and in 1836 a permanent whaling station was built near Porirua. The city

China, Cultural developments

2005-03-31T01:07:00.000-08:00

The Han emperors and governments posed as having a temporal dispensation that had received the blessing of Heaven together with its instructions to spread the benefits of a cultured life as widely as possible. By a cultured life the Chinese had in mind a clear distinction between their own settled agriculture and the delights of the cities, as opposed to the rough

Biblical Literature, Astrology

2005-03-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

There were elements in the Greek world that may have come from the East, partly Egyptian and Babylonian, which gave rise to astrology. The basic conviction of astrology was that the heavenly bodies were deities that in a direct way control life and events on earth. An older idea of tyche, or “fate,” originally signified the chance element in the universe, a capriciousness

Staffordshire Ware

2005-03-30T02:32:00.000-08:00

Lead-glazed earthenware and unglazed or salt-glazed stoneware made in Staffordshire, England, from the 17th century onward. Abundance of local clays and coal gave rise to a concentration of pottery factories that made Staffordshire one of the foremost pottery centres in Europe. Porcelain was first made at Longton Hall c. 1750. Among the distinguished factories located

Hilo

2005-03-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hawaii county, northeastern Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S. It lies along Hilo Bay and is the island's business centre. The city is surrounded by sugarcane fields and supports a thriving orchid industry. Its deepwater harbour (once a whaling port) is protected by a breakwater and has bulk sugar-loading facilities. Exports also include orchids, anthuriums, macadamia

Ear Disease, Ototoxic drugs

2005-03-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

Ototoxic (harmful to the ear) drugs can cause temporary and sometimes permanent impairment of auditory nerve function. Salicylates such as aspirin in large enough doses may cause ringing in the ears and then a temporary decrease in hearing that ceases when the person stops taking the drug. Quinine can have a similar effect but with a permanent impairment of auditory

Atakpamé

2005-03-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Town, south-central Togo. It lies along the railroad running north from Lomé, the capital, to Blitta. Atakpamé dates from the 19th century and was first settled by Ewe and Yoruba peoples. It developed as both a commercial centre on a major north-south caravan route and as a haven for refugees fleeing from Dahomean attacks. As a consequence, Atakpamé experienced numerous

Athenagoras I

2005-03-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

Athenagoras was the son of a physician. He attended the seminary on the island of Halki, near Constantinople, and was ordained a deacon in 1910. He then moved to Athens, where he served as archdeacon to the archbishop Meletios, who later

Religion

2005-03-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

During January and February 1995, an estimated 18 million Hindu pilgrims from around the world journeyed to Allahabad to bathe in the sacred Ganges River as part of the triennial Kumbh Mela, "Festival of the Pot." Allahabad is regarded as particularly holy because it lies

Gatton

2005-03-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Town and shire, southern Queensland, Australia. It lies along Lockyer Creek, about 58 miles (93 km) west of Brisbane. Probably named after Gattonside near Roxburgh in the Borders region, Scotland, it was gazetted as the site for a village in 1855 and by 1858 was a place of call for travelers between Brisbane and the Darling Downs. Gatton is now the service centre for a mixed-farming district

Novomoskovsk

2005-03-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1934) Bobriki , or (1934–61) Stalinogorsk city, Tula oblast (province), western Russia, situated on the upper Don River. Founded in 1930 as Bobriki, the town developed as a major chemical centre, making fertilizers and plastics and mining lignite (brown coal). Pop. (1993 est.) 145,000.

Ercker, Lazarus

2005-03-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

Ercker studied at the University of Wittenberg (1547–48) and in 1554 was appointed assayer at Dresden, the first of many such positions he held in the state bureaucracy of Saxony. After 1567 he became control tester of coins at Kutná Hora, near Prague. In his great work, Beschreibung

Metallography

2005-03-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

Metal surfaces and fractures examined with the unaided eye or with a magnifying glass or metallurgical or binocular microscope at magnifications less than 10 diameters can reveal valuable information as to the crystalline, chemical,

Euphronius

2005-03-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Among the vases signed by Euphronius

Duck Mountain

2005-03-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Plateau in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, forming the highest part of the Manitoba Escarpment. It extends southeastward from the Saskatchewan border for 50 miles (80 km), culminating in Baldy Mountain (2,730 feet [832 m]), 36 miles northwest of Dauphin. A large part of the plateau is embraced by Duck Mountain Provincial Park, established in 1962 to preserve the region's dense forests, numerous

Tectonic Landform

2005-03-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

Whereas erosion shapes landforms, their origins lie in tectonic processes that build the major structures of the Earth. The word tectonic is derived from the Greek word tekton, which

Ricercare

2005-03-21T01:39:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ricercar (Italian: “to seek out”), plural Ricercari, musical composition for instruments in which one or more themes are developed through melodic imitation; it was prominent in the 16th and 17th centuries. The earliest ricercari, which were for the lute, appeared in 1507. Well-suited to the technical capabilities of the lute, they mixed passages in chordal style, running scale passages, and alternation of high and low phrases

Wichale, Treaty Of

2005-03-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

Article XVII of the Treaty of Wichale stated that the emperor of Ethiopia “could” have

Ocean Ranching

2005-03-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

The rearing of fish and shellfish under artificially controlled conditions to restock the sea. See aquaculture.

Deggendorf

2005-03-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

City, Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany, on the Danube River, 2.5 miles (4 km) above its confluence with the Isar River. It lies at the western foot of the Bavarian and Bohemian forests, east of Straubing. Founded about 750, it passed to the dukes of Bavaria in 1242 and was chartered in 1316. The river and the forested mountains form a picturesque setting for the city, which retains its

United States Naval Academy

2005-03-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

The academy was founded as a Naval School on Oct. 10, 1845, by George Bancroft, historian, educator, and secretary of the Navy, to improve the then-unsatisfactory

Biblical Literature, Tradition criticism

2005-03-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

Tradition criticism takes up where literary criticism leaves off; it goes behind the written sources to trace the development of oral tradition, where there is reason to believe that this preceded the earliest documentary stages, and attempts to trace the development of the tradition, phase by phase, from its primary life setting to its literary presentation.

Tapestry, General works

2005-03-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

W.G. Thomson, A History of Tapestry from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, 3rd ed. rev. and ed. by F.P. Thomson and E.S. Thomson (1973), a standard work on the history of tapestry, which has been updated by F.P. Thomson, Tapestry: Mirror of History (1980); M.J. Guiffrey, E. Muntz, and A. Pinchart, Histoire generale de la tapisserie, 3 vol. (1978–85), French tapestries discussed by Guiffrey, Italian tapestries by Muntz, Flemish tapestries by Pinchart; M. Fenaille, État general des tapisseries de la manufacture des Gobelins depuis son origine jusqu'a nos jours, 1600–1900, 6 vol. (1903–23), a work of primary importance, presenting a detailed history of the Gobelins factory; J. Badin, La Manufacture de tapisseries de Beauvais, depuis ses origines jusqu'a nos jours (1909), a basic reference for the history of tapestry production at the Beauvais factory; Wandteppiche, 6 vol. (1923–34; Eng. trans. of pt. 1, Tapestries of the Lowlands, 1924), a general worldwide treatment of tapestry, with numerous black and white illustrations, although many of the European medieval attributions have been questioned or rejected; G.L. Hunter, The Practical Book of Tapestries (1925), precise and useful descriptions, with numerous reproductions; C.G. Janneau, Évolution de la tapisserie (1947), illustrations and technical information on collections of European tapestries, some of which have been subsequently disbanded with works relocated; D. Heinz, Europäische Wandteppiche, vol. 1, Von den Anfängen der Bildwirkerei bis zum Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts (1963), a thorough treatment of tapestry up to the end of the 16th century, with a typological index, an extensive bibliography, and numerous illustrations; R.A. Weigert, La Tapisserie et le tapis en France (1964), a scholarly discussion of the history of French tapestry; P. Verlet et al., La Tapisserie: histoire et technique du 14e au 20e siecle (1977; Eng. trans., The Book of Tapestry: History and Technique, 1978), a well-illustrated volume on Western tapestry from the Middle Ages to the 20th century; Madeleine Jarry, La Tapisserie des origines a nos jours (1968; Eng. trans., World Tapestry, 1969), a well-documented study of tapestry throughout the world, including an extensive bibliography and many black and white and colour illustrations, and La Tapisserie: art du 20e siecle (1974), a study of the worldwide renascence of tapestry during the 20th century; V. Fougre, Tapisseries de notre temps (1969), a brief study of contemporary French tapestry, with an index of tapestry artists and illustrated with black and white and colour reproductions; R.A. d'Hulst, Flemish Tapestries (1967), an elaborate study of Flemish tapestry from the Middle Ages to the Baroque periods, with many colour illustrations; R. Kaufmann, The New American Tapestry (1968), a well-illustrated text dealing with technique as well as with the works of leading American tapestry designers and weavers; G. Sutherland, Coventry Tapestry (1964), an interesting account of the design, weaving, and installation of Sutherland's tapestry for Coventry cathedral; M.B. Freeman, The Unicorn Tapestries (1976), a detailed and well-illustrated history of these tapestries, which are housed at the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; P. Ackerman, Tapestry: The Mirror of Civilization (1933, reprinted 1970), one of the classic works in English dealing with the historical development of European tapestry. Laya Brostoff, Weaving a Tapestry (1982), is a brief overview with bibliography.

Pacific Islands, Transportation and communication

2005-03-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

Most islanders, by resorting to some combination of road, canoe, motorboat, interisland freighter, local air service, or international airline, can travel within a week or two to such distant cities as Sydney, Auckland, San Francisco, Vancouver, Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong, or Singapore. Because of infrequent or irregular travel schedules, inhabitants of more remote islands

Domagk, Gerhard

2005-03-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Domagk earned a medical degree from the University of Kiel in 1921. After teaching at the universities

Doxology

2005-03-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

1. The greater doxology, or Gloria in Excelsis, is the Gloria of the Roman Catholic and Anglican masses, and in its hundreds of musical settings it is usually sung in Latin. It is used in the Roman Catholic liturgy in a contemporary translation and is used liturgically, often in older

Biblical Literature, The prophecies of First Isaiah

2005-03-16T03:38:00.000-08:00

First Isaiah contains the words and prophecies of Isaiah, a most important 8th-century BCE prophet of Judah, written either by himself or his contemporary followers in Jerusalem (from c. 740 to 700 BCE), along with some later additions, such as chapters 24–27 and 33–39. The first of these two additions was probably written by a later disciple or disciples of Isaiah about 500 BCE; the second addition is divided

Biblical Literature, Sources of the Septuagint

2005-03-15T01:51:00.000-08:00

A Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint because there allegedly were 70 or 72 translators, six from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, and designated LXX, is a composite of the work of many translators labouring for well over 100 years. It was made directly from Hebrew originals that frequently differed considerably from the present Masoretic text. Apart

Romanus

2005-03-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Romanus was a cardinal when elected pope in August amidst the chaotic aftermath of Pope Stephen VI's murder. For exhuming and desecrating Pope Formosus' corpse and annulling his pontificate in the “Cadaver Synod,” Stephen had been imprisoned and probably strangled by Formosus' supporters,

Cohen, Stanley

2005-03-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

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

Annapolis Convention

2005-03-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Growing out of an earlier meeting of representatives of Maryland and Virginia to discuss ways of improving navigation on the Potomac River, the convention of delegates

Kakongo

2005-03-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

Former African state, founded about the 15th century on the Atlantic coast between the kingdoms of Loango (north) and Ngoy (south). It extended from what is now central Cabinda eastward into Congo (Kinshasa). The main town was Malemba, a port that grew in importance after 1700 as a centre for the export of slaves; port facilities were expanded from that time to handle increasing

Muqanna', Al-

2005-03-12T01:17:00.000-08:00

Byname of Hashim Ibn Hakim religious leader, originally a fuller (cloth processor) from Merv, in Khorasan, who led a revolt in that province against the 'Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi. Preaching a doctrine combining elements of Islam and Zoroastrianism, al-Muquanna' carried on warfare for about three years in the field and for two years longer in his fortress of Sanam before he was eventually defeated and

Abd El-krim

2005-03-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

In full Muhammad Ibn 'abd Al-karim Al-khattabi leader of a resistance movement against Spanish and French rule in North Africa and founder of the short-lived Republic of the Rif (1921–26). A skilled tactician and a capable organizer, he led a liberation movement that made him the hero of the Maghrib (northwest Africa). A precursor of the anticolonial struggle for independence, Abd el-Krim was defeated

Bonnie And Clyde

2005-03-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

Barrow had been a criminal long before he met Parker in January 1930. After 20 months in prison

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of

2005-03-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

Uygur also spelled Uighur, Chinese (Wade-Giles) Hsin-chiang Wei-wu-erh Tzu-chih-ch'ü, (Pinyin) Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu, autonomous region occupying the northwestern corner of China. It is bordered by Mongolia to the northeast, Russia to the north, Kazakstan to the northwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the west, Afghanistan and the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the southwest, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the southeast, and the Chinese provinces of Tsinghai and Kansu

Losey, Joseph

2005-03-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Dartmouth College (B.A., 1929) and Harvard University (M.A., 1930), Losey wrote book and theatre reviews. In 1935, while working as a European-based reporter for Variety, the

Anthropology And Archaeology, Eastern Hemisphere.

2005-03-10T00:23:00.000-08:00

The year 2002 yielded a number of stunning archaeological discoveries. A 50-cm (20-in)-long limestone ossuary, or box for storage of bones, bearing a text in Aramaic, was hailed as the first archaeological evidence for the historical Jesus. The ossuary, found near Jerusalem, was carved with a single line of text reading, “Ya'akov bar Yosef akhui diYeshua,” or “James, son of Joseph, brother

Vilar, Jean

2005-03-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Vilar trained as an actor and stage manager, then toured with an acting company throughout France. In 1943 he began his career as a director with a season in a small Paris theatre. Invited to direct the first

Skene

2005-03-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

(from Greek skene, “scene-building”), in ancient Greek theatre, a building behind the playing area that was originally a hut for the changing of masks and costumes but eventually became the background before which the drama was enacted. First used c. 465 BC, the skene was originally a small wooden structure facing the circle of spectators. It developed into a two-story edifice decorated

Bread Palm

2005-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Kaffir Bread, any of several species of Encephalartos, cycads (palmlike gymnosperms) native to southern Africa. The names are derived from a breadlike foodstuff prepared from the mealy, starchy centre of the stem and perhaps also from the seeds, which have fleshy coverings. The trees, reaching nearly 20 feet (6 metres) in height, have very stiff, spreading pinnate leaves 3 to 4 ft long and

Javorníky

2005-03-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

Mountains in central Czechoslovakia, on the western fringe of the Carpathian Mountains and forming part of the boundary between Moravia and Slovakia. The ridge of the Javorníky peaks—the highest, at 3,514 feet (1,071 m), is Velký Javorník, overlooking the village of Velké Karlovice—divides the Becva-Oder river systems to the north and west from the Váh River to the east. Climate

Lur

2005-03-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Lurs and their neighbours, the Bakhtyari, are partly agricultural and partly pastoral tribes. Lush grazing pastures between the mountain ranges enabled the

China, The chief councillors

2005-03-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

The later Nan Sung emperors preferred not to take on the awesome burden of managing the huge and complex bureaucracy. Most of them were concerned chiefly with security and the status quo. The Nan Sung court delegated a tremendous amount of power and thus had a series of dominant chief councillors; none of them, however, ever was a potential usurper. No bureaucrat during

Cartwright, Peter

2005-03-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

His father, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, took his family to Kentucky in 1790. There Cartwright had little opportunity for schooling but was exposed to the rude surroundings of the frontier, becoming a gambler at cards and horse racing. This way of life came to

Andean Peoples

2005-03-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

Studies of the pre-Columbian history and culture of this area may be found in the bibliography of the article pre-Columbian civilizations. The best account of Andean cultures as they appeared to an eyewitness of the early years (16th century) of European rule is Pedro de Cieza de León, The Incas (1959, reissued 1969; originally published in Spanish, 1554). An introduction to Andean archaeology may be found in John Howland Rowe and Dorothy Menzel (eds.), Peruvian Archaeology (1967), with selections mainly by American scholars. The role of irrigation in the cultural and political elaboration of coastal kingdoms is well illustrated in Paul Kosok, Life, Land, and Water in Ancient Peru (1965). Special regional problems are introduced in Louis C. Faron, Mapuche Social Structure (1961), a study of the reintegration of these people of Chile since the time of conquest; L.C. Faron, Hawks of the Sun (1964), on the Southern Andes; Betty J. Meggers, Ecuador (1966); Donald W. Lathrap, The Upper Amazon (1970); Paul T. Baker and Michael A. Little (eds.), Man in the Andes: A Multidisciplinary Study of High-Altitude Quechua (1976); Kevin Kling, Ecuador: Island of the Andes (1988; originally published in French, 1987), focusing on Indian culture and life and illustrated with photographs; and Steve J. Stern, Peru's Indian Peoples and the Challenge of Spanish Conquest: Huamanga to 1640, 2nd ed. (1993).

'arad

2005-03-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Israel, in the northeast Negev, named for the biblical Arad, the ruins of which are visible at Tel 'Arad, about 5 1/2 miles (9 km) east-northeast. The book of Numbers (21:1–3) tells how the Canaanite king of 'Arad fought the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt, but his cities were “utterly destroyed” by Israel's armies. The city's name appears on the Temple of Amon, al-Karnak, Egypt,

Cam

2005-03-04T03:58:00.000-08:00

Cams are made in a variety of forms, such as: (1) a rotating disk

Dowitcher

2005-03-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Dowitchers

Switzerland, Relief and drainage

2005-03-03T04:17:00.000-08:00

Situated at the hydrographic centre of Europe, Switzerland is the source of many major rivers. The two most important are the Rhône, which flows into the Mediterranean, and the Rhine, which empties into the North Sea. Switzerland's small area contains an unusual diversity of topographic elements, which are divisible into three distinct regions: the Jura

Sabatier, (louis-) Auguste

2005-03-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

French Protestant theologian and educator who helped revolutionize biblical interpretation by applying methods of historical criticism and promoted the development of liberal theology and the Roman Catholic Modernist movement by his interpretation of Christian doctrine as the symbolism of religious feelings. Among his principal

Ob River

2005-03-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Ob, one of western Siberia's principal means of transportation, is navigable for about 190 days of the year on its upper reaches and for 150 on its lower. Both imports and exports are shipped along the river. Most goods are transported to and from it along the northern sea route, which stretches across the Arctic. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Irtysh at Omsk and the

Ibycus

2005-03-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

Ibycus left Sicily for the Aegean island of Samos, where the tyrant Polycrates became his patron. Ancient authorities found it hard to distinguish his early work from that of Stesichorus, but even in the few surviving

China, The barbarians: Tangut, Khitan, and Juchen

2005-02-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

On the frontier the far-reaching influence of T'ang culture affected various nomadic, seminomadic, and pastoral peoples.

Dialect

2005-02-28T01:22:00.000-08:00

A variety of a language. The word comes from the Ancient Greek dialektos “discourse, language, dialect,” which is derived from dialegesthai “to discourse, talk.” A dialect may be distinguished from other dialects of the same language by features of any part of the linguistic structure—the phonology, morphology, or syntax. In the sound system of American English, for example,

Shiloh, Battle Of

2005-02-27T23:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Battle of Pittsburg Landing (April 6–7, 1862), second great engagement of the American Civil War, fought in southwestern Tennessee, resulting in a victory for the North and in large casualties for both sides. In February, Union General Ulysses S. Grant had taken Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland. The Confederates had acknowledged the importance of these forts by abandoning

Boufflers, Louis-françois, Duc De (duke Of)

2005-02-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

Born into an ancient Picard family, he entered the French army in 1662 and distinguished himself as a commander of the royal dragoons during the Dutch War (1672–78). Boufflers became a marshal of France in 1693 during the War of the Grand Alliance (1689–97) between France and other major European

San Francisco

2005-02-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern Córdoba provincia, north-central Argentina, on the border of Santa Fé provincia at the northern edge of the Pampa. Founded in 1886 and given city status in 1915, it has been a railroad centre since the 19th century and is a commercial and manufacturing centre for an agricultural (grain and flax) and pastoral area. Light manufacturing is important, as are dairy

Brucite

2005-02-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

Mineral composed of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2. It generally forms soft, waxy to glassy, white or pale-green, gray, or blue crystals, plate aggregates, or fibrous masses associated with other magnesium minerals (e.g., magnesite and dolomite). It commonly is present in serpentine and sometimes in phyllites, crystalline schists, and metamorphosed magnesian limestone. Notable

China, Relief

2005-02-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

The relief of China is high in the west and low in the east; consequently, the direction of flow of the major rivers is generally eastward. The surface may be divided into three steps, or levels. The first level is represented by the Plateau of Tibet, which is located in both the Tibet Autonomous Region and the province of Tsinghai and which, with an average elevation of

Fabricius, Johannes

2005-02-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

Dutch astronomer who may have been the first observer of sunspots (1610/1611) and was the first to publish information on such observations. He did so in his Narratio de maculis in sole observatis et apparente earum cum sole conversione (1611; “Account of Spots Observed on the Sun and of Their Apparent Rotation with the Sun”). The son of the astronomer David Fabricius,

Wang Wei

2005-02-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Wang Wei, also called Wang Mo-ch'i one of the most famous men of arts and letters during one of the golden ages of Chinese cultural history. Wang Wei is popularly known as a model of humanistic education as expressed in poetry, music, and painting. In the 17th century, the writer on art Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (q.v.) established him as the founder of the revered Southern school of painter-poets,

Leo Ix, Saint

2005-02-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

After their settlement in Sicily in the second decade of the 11th century, the Normans presented considerable dangers to the existence of the papal state. In their marauding expeditions they plundered and

France, History Of, The Grand Empire

2005-02-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

Napoleon now had a free hand to reorganize Europe and numerous relatives to install on the thrones of his satellite kingdoms. The result was known as the Grand Empire. Having annexed Tuscany, Piedmont, Genoa, and the Rhineland directly into France, Napoleon placed the Kingdom of Holland (which until 1806 was the Batavian Commonwealth) under his brother Louis, the Kingdom

Protein, Protamines and histones

2005-02-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Protamines are found in the sperm cells of fish. The most thoroughly investigated protamines are salmine from salmon sperm and clupeine from herring sperm. The protamines are bound to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), forming nucleoprotamines. The amino acid composition of the protamines is simple; they contain, in addition to large amounts of arginine, small amounts

Cumali, Necati

2005-02-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

At the age of 18 Cumali began publishing poetry. After graduating from what is now Ankara (Turkey) University in 1941, he held a variety of jobs and practiced law from

Waitemata Harbour

2005-02-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Harbour in northern North Island, New Zealand. The focal point of the Auckland region, it opens into Hauraki Gulf (east) through Stanley Bay. Its shore has many lesser embayments, containing Island, Soldiers, and Onetaunga bays in the northwest, Herne Bay in the southeast, and Stanley and Freemans bays in the east. Several tidal rivers, including Henderson and Whau creeks,

Eisenhüttenstadt

2005-02-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

City, Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. The city lies along the Oder River at the Polish border, southeast of Frankfurt an der Oder. It was formed in 1961 by the union of Fürstenberg, Stalinstadt, and Schönfliess. Stalinstadt was a planned-residence town for workers employed in a metallurgical complex established in 1951 just west of the old town of Fürstenberg. Now one

Quin, James

2005-02-21T00:08:00.000-08:00

Quin made his first stage appearance at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, in 1712. He was engaged for small parts at London's Drury Lane Theatre, where his remarkable memory enabled him to fill in at short notice as Bajazet in Nicholas Rowe's Tamerlane, in which he had great success.

Maurel, Victor

2005-02-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Maurel studied voice at the School of Music in Marseille then continued at the Paris Conservatoire, where in 1867 he won first prize. In the following year he made his debut at the Paris Opéra as the Count de Nevers in Giacomo

Chaco Boreal

2005-02-19T23:34:00.000-08:00

Region of distinctive vegetation occupying about 100,000 square miles (259,000 square km) in northwestern Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina. The region is part of the vast, arid lowland known as the Gran Chaco (q.v.). The Chaco Boreal's land is flat and is marked by deciduous scrub woodlands to the west of the Paraguay River that include the quebracho, a tree valuable

China, Waterways

2005-02-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

The high cost of construction prevents railways from being built extensively, and rail transport conditions are often congested. Freight volume carried by highways is limited, and highways are not suitable for moving bulky goods. China's water transport potential is great, but it is still far from being fully developed. Nonetheless, there are more than 68,000 miles of

Rhyme-tag

2005-02-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

A word or phrase used primarily to produce a rhyme. Rhyme-tags are used to comic effect in much light verse, as in W.S. Gilbert's “The Modern Major-Gineral,” which reads in partI am the very pattern of a modern Major-Gineral,I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral;I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,From Marathon to Waterloo, in order

Macapagal, Diosdado

2005-02-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

After receiving his law degree, Macapagal was admitted to the bar in 1936. During World War II he practiced law in Manila and aided the anti-Japanese resistance. After the war he worked in a law firm and in 1948 served as second secretary to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. The following

Mughal Carpet

2005-02-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Mogul, any of the handwoven floor coverings made in India in the 16th and 17th centuries for the Mughal emperors and their courts. Aside from patterns in the Persian manner, a series of distinctively Indian designs were developed, including scenic and landscape carpets; animal carpets with spirited chases backward and forward across the field; elaborate architectural latticeworks

Godard, Jean-luc

2005-02-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

Godard spent his formative years on the Swiss side of Lake Geneva, where his father directed a clinic. His higher education consisted of study for a degree in ethnology at the University of Paris, interminable student café conversations,

Grace, William R.

2005-02-17T00:59:00.000-08:00

Grace ran away to New York at the age of 14 but later returned to Ireland. In 1850 he visited Callao, Peru, where he entered

Sun Orchid

2005-02-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

A sun orchid derives its name from its habit of remaining closed except in strong sunlight. Some self-pollinating species never open their flowers. The lemon orchid

Calanthe

2005-02-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Many species of Calanthe lack pseudobulbs (bulblike stems); those that do occur are large and usually are accompanied by large leaves.

Madanin

2005-02-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Médenine, town, southern Tunisia. The town lies in the semiarid plain of al-Jifarah (Jeffara). It was the capital of the Ouerghemma League of three Berber groups and was the chief town of the Southern Military Territories during the French Protectorate (1881–1955). The honeycomb-like, aboveground granaries (ghorfas) that belonged to the Ouerghemma are features of the locality. The town is

Temple, Shirley

2005-02-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

At age three Temple was picked from her dancing class to appear in Baby Burlesks, a series of one-reel comedies. In 1934 she gained recognition in her first feature film, the musical Stand Up and

Maastricht Treaty

2005-02-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Formally Treaty on European Union international agreement approved by the heads of government of the states of the European Community (EC) in Maastricht, Netherlands, in December 1991. Ratified by all EC member states (voters in Denmark rejected the original treaty but later approved a slightly modified version), the treaty was signed on February 7, 1992, and entered into force on November 1, 1993. The treaty established

Smith, Dame Maggie

2005-02-14T02:35:00.000-08:00

Smith studied acting at the Oxford Playhouse School and began appearing in revues in Oxford in 1952 and London in 1955. She first achieved recognition in the Broadway revue New Faces of 1956 and held the lead comedienne role in the London revue Share My Lettuce (1957–58). She then

Verdure Tapestry

2005-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

Such famous tapestry factories as Aubusson and

Schlaak, Evelin

2005-02-12T23:21:00.000-08:00

Schlaak began throwing the discus at the age of 13, winning the European junior championship in 1973 and setting a world junior record the following year.

Vale Of White Horse

2005-02-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

District, administrative county of Oxfordshire, historic county of Berkshire, England, lying southwest of Oxford. It encompasses the northern part of the historic county of Berkshire. Its principal feature is a rich clay valley that lies north of the chalk Berkshire Downs. The vale stretches 17 miles (27 km) from Shrivenham to Abingdon and is drained by the River Ock, a tributary

Temple, Shirley

2005-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

French Cour internationale de Justice, byname World Court the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). The idea for the creation of an international court to arbitrate international disputes first arose during the various conferences that produced the Hague Conventions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The body subsequently established, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, was the precursor of the Permanent

Argentina, The conservative regime, 18801916

2005-02-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

The entire country was now dominated by the National Autonomist Party, which had originally supported Avellaneda's candidacy and was now an alliance of the various groups supporting Roca. These included many of the big ranchers, as well as commercial and business interests who were more than happy with Roca's formula of “peace and efficient administration.” Argentina's

World War I

2005-02-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

Dwight E. Lee (ed.), The Outbreak of the First World War: Causes and Responsibilities, 4th ed. (1975), is a good introduction to the debate on the origins of World War I. A more detailed account is provided in Luigi Albertini, The Origins of the War of 1914, 3 vol. (1952–57, reprinted 1980; originally published in Italian, 1942–43). A comprehensive general account of the war is Bernadotte E. Schmitt and Harold C. Vedeler, The World in the Crucible, 1914–1919 (1984). The standard military histories are Basil Henry Liddell Hart, A History of the World War, 1914–1918, enl. ed. (1934, reprinted 1970); Cyril B. Falls, The Great War (1959); and Marc Ferro, The Great War, 1914–1918 (1973, reprinted 1987; originally published in French, 1969). J.E. Edmonds (comp.), A Short History of World War I (1951, reprinted 1968); and John Terraine, The Great War, 1914–1918: A Pictorial History (1965, reprinted 1978), are useful introductions. Naval operations during the war are discussed in Arthur J. Marder, From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919, 5 vol. (1961–70). International diplomacy during the war is treated in Z.A.B. Zeman, The Gentlemen Negotiators (1971; U.K. title, A Diplomatic History of the First World War).

Jackling, Daniel Cowan

2005-02-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

A graduate of the Missouri School of Mines, Rolla, in 1892, Jackling taught chemistry and metallurgy there (1891–93) and then worked (1894–95) as a chemist and metallurgist

Kinship

2005-02-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Freud's concern was with the origin of the incest taboo, which is practically universal in human society. He believed that children have a secret desire to commit incest

Ibn Zuhr

2005-02-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

An intensely practical man, Ibn Zuhr disliked medical speculation; for that reason, he opposed the teachings of the Persian master physician Avicenna. In his Taysir fi al-mudawat wa al-tadbir (“Practical Manual of Treatments and Diet”), later translated

Sora

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

Town, Frosinone provincia, Lazio (Latium) regione, south-central Italy. In ancient times the town was the scene of fighting between the Romans and the Samnites (a warlike Italic tribe) and experienced a turbulent history during the numerous wars that ravaged the Italian peninsula before Rome's rise to dominance. The town was damaged several times by earthquakes, including

Indri

2005-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

(Indri indri), slender, long-limbed primate of the family Indriidae, found in Madagascan forests. The largest of existing Madagascan lemurs, the indri is about 70 cm (28 inches) long and has a rudimentary tail, large hands and feet, and a round head with pointed face and round, furry ears. Its colour is usually black with white on the head, throat, forearms, and buttocks.

Itsuku Island

2005-02-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Miya Island , English Shrine Island offshore island, Hiroshima ken (prefecture), Japan, in the Inland Sea. The small island, one of Japan's most scenic spots, is 19 miles (31 km) in circumference and occupies an area of 12 square miles (31 square km). It is best known for its 6th-century Itsuku island-shrine, which was built on tidal land and has the appearance of floating on the sea during high tide. It was named after one of the

Brumaire, Coup Of 1819

2005-02-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

In the final days of the Directory, Abbé Sieyès and Talleyrand planned the coup with the aid of General Napoleon Bonaparte,

SharpScissors

Bach, Johann Sebastian, Early years

Durisol

Wagner-jauregg, Julius

Panama

Porirua

China, Cultural developments

Biblical Literature, Astrology

Staffordshire Ware

Hilo

Ear Disease, Ototoxic drugs

Atakpamé

Athenagoras I

Religion

Gatton

Novomoskovsk

Ercker, Lazarus

Metallography

Euphronius

Duck Mountain

Tectonic Landform

Ricercare

Wichale, Treaty Of

Ocean Ranching

Deggendorf

United States Naval Academy

Biblical Literature, Tradition criticism

Tapestry, General works

Pacific Islands, Transportation and communication

Domagk, Gerhard

Doxology

Biblical Literature, The prophecies of First Isaiah

Biblical Literature, Sources of the Septuagint

Romanus

Cohen, Stanley

Annapolis Convention

Kakongo

Muqanna', Al-

Abd El-krim

Bonnie And Clyde

Sinkiang, Uygur Autonomous Region Of

Losey, Joseph

Anthropology And Archaeology, Eastern Hemisphere.

Vilar, Jean

Skene

Bread Palm

Javorníky

Lur

China, The chief councillors

Cartwright, Peter

Andean Peoples

'arad

Cam

Dowitcher

Switzerland, Relief and drainage

Sabatier, (louis-) Auguste

Ob River

Ibycus

China, The barbarians: Tangut, Khitan, and Juchen

Dialect

Shiloh, Battle Of

Boufflers, Louis-françois, Duc De (duke Of)

San Francisco

Brucite

China, Relief

Fabricius, Johannes

Wang Wei

Leo Ix, Saint

France, History Of, The Grand Empire

Protein, Protamines and histones

Cumali, Necati

Waitemata Harbour

Eisenhüttenstadt

Quin, James

Maurel, Victor

Chaco Boreal

China, Waterways

Rhyme-tag

Macapagal, Diosdado

Mughal Carpet

China, The barbarians: Tangut, Khitan, and Juchen

Argentina, The conservative regime, 18801916

Brumaire, Coup Of 1819