CheapSand

Peter Of Alcántara, Saint

2005-04-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Of noble birth, he entered the Franciscan Order at Alcántara in 1515 and was ordained priest in 1524. As a friar, Peter emphasized the penitential aspects

Cacique

2005-04-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Any of a dozen tropical American birds belonging to the family Icteridae (order Passeriformes) and resembling the related oropendolas. Caciques are smaller than oropendolas and have a less-powerful bill, which lacks a frontal shield. These striking black-and-yellow or black-and-red birds make hanging nests. A common species is the all-black, yellow-billed cacique

Biblical Literature, Kings: background and Solomon's reign

2005-04-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

The fourth book of the Former Prophets (I and II Kings in the Septuagint) continues the history of the nation Israel from the death of David, the reign of Solomon, and the divided monarchy through the collapse of both Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom). Whereas Samuel was composed primarily of the early and the later sources with some editing

Right Ascension

2005-04-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

In astronomy, the east–west coordinate by which the position of a celestial body is ordinarily measured; more precisely, it is the angular distance of a body's hour circle east of the vernal equinox, measured along the celestial equator. It is often expressed in units of time rather than degrees of arc. Right ascension and declination define the position of a celestial

Aerodynamics

2005-04-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Branch of physics that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and with the forces acting on bodies passing through such a fluid. Aerodynamics seeks, in particular, to explain the principles governing the flight of aircraft, rockets, and missiles. It is also concerned with the design of automobiles, high-speed trains, and ships, as well as with the construction

Aymara

2005-04-02T02:22:00.000-08:00

Large South American Indian group living in the vast windy Titicaca plateau of the central Andes in modern Peru and Bolivia. They speak languages of the Aymaran group. In colonial times the Aymara tribes were the Canchi, Colla, Lupaca, Collagua, Ubina, Pacasa, Caranga, Charca, Quillaca, Omasuyo, and Collahuaya. In addition, the Aymaran language was anciently spoken in

Wapentake

2005-03-31T22:40:00.000-08:00

An administrative division of the English counties of York, Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, and Rutland, first clearly referred to at the end of the 10th century and corresponding to the “hundred” in other parts of England. The term wapentake is of Scandinavian origin and meant the taking of weapons; it later signified the clash of arms by which the people assembled

Devey, George

2005-03-31T18:02:00.000-08:00

Devey was educated in London and studied painting before he trained as an architect. His considerable, and exclusively domestic, practice included designs for lodges, cottages, and country mansions containing design

Anders, Wladyslaw

2005-03-31T04:46:00.000-08:00

After service in the Russian army during World War I, Anders entered the armed forces of the newly reconstituted Polish

Taeuber, Conrad; And Barnes Taeuber, Irene

2005-03-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

Conrad Taeuber was educated at the University of Minnesota (Ph.D., 1931). He held a number of positions in

China, Phase three: approaching crisis (194445)

2005-03-30T05:27:00.000-08:00

China was in crisis in 1944. Japan faced increasing pressure in the Pacific and threats to its supply bases and communications lines in China as well as to nearby shipping. Its response was twofold—first, to attack from Burma toward Assam to cut the supply lines or capture the airfields at the western end of the Hump, and, second, to capture the railway system in China from

Prokop The Bald

2005-03-29T01:35:00.000-08:00

Initially Prokop was a conservative (Utraquist) priest, but then he joined the heretical religious movement that had sprung from the teachings of the martyred Bohemian Reformer Jan Hus (d. 1415). Prokop effectively defended Hussite

France, History Of, The political history of France (c. 8501180)

2005-03-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

The fragmentation of political power meant that the kings of France were forced into rivalries, alliances, and conflicts with the princes, who were for many generations the real rulers of France.

Tzaddiq

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

Also spelled Tsaddik, or Zaddik (Hebrew: “righteous man”), plural Tzaddiqim, Tsaddikim, or Zaddikim, one who embodies the religious ideals of Judaism. In the Bible, a tzaddiq is a just or righteous man (Genesis 6:9), who, if a ruler, rules justly or righteously (II Samuel 23:3) and who takes joy in justice (Proverbs 21:15). The Talmud (compendium of Jewish law, lore, and commentary) asserts that the continued existence of the world is due to the merits of 36 individuals, each of whom is gamur

Anthony, Susan B.

2005-03-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

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

Switzerland

2005-03-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

Etruscans, Rhaetians, Celts, Romans, and Germanic peoples have left their imprint on Switzerland in the course of its historical evolution. The present population shows traces mainly of the Alpine, “Nordic,” and southern Slav or Dinaric peoples. To survive as a cohesive unit, the disparate elements of the Swiss people have had to learn a mutual cooperation to protect

Smith, Seba

2005-03-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Bowdoin College, Smith founded (1829) the Portland Courier, in which the Major's fictional letters first appeared in January 1830, continuing later in the National Intelligencer until July 1853. Major Jack was a common man magnified as oracle, a Yankee

Maranville, Rabbit

2005-03-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

Maranville, who batted and threw right-handed, played minor league baseball during the years 1911–12 for a team in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He joined the National League Boston Braves in 1912, playing with them through

Habitual Offender

2005-03-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

A classic account of habitual offenders is Norval Morris, The Habitual Criminal (1951, reprinted 1973). Works examining habitual-offender laws include David Shichor and Dale K. Sechrest (eds.), Three Strikes and You're Out: Vengeance as Public Policy (1996); and John Clark, James Austin, and D. Alan Henry, “Three Strikes and You're Out”: A Review of State Legislation (1997). John E. Hodge, Mary McMurran, and Clive R. Hollin (eds.), Addicted to Crime? (1997), discusses persistent criminals in terms of addiction.

écorché

2005-03-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

From roughly the 15th century, Western artists began to concern themselves with accurate representation of the body—and, in particular, the working of muscles. Often artists witnessed (and sometimes performed) dissections on cadavers to determine

Halfbeak

2005-03-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Any of about 70 species of marine and freshwater fishes of the family Exocoetidae (order Atheriniformes), sometimes placed in the family Hemirhamphidae. Halfbeaks are named for their unusual jaws—the upper is short and triangular, and the lower is long, slim, and beaklike. The fish are silvery, slender, and up to about 45 centimetres (18 inches) long. They can skip across the water

1054, Schism Of

2005-03-22T05:09:00.000-08:00

The relation of the Byzantine Church to the Roman may be described as

Silicon Valley

2005-03-22T01:15:00.000-08:00

Industrial region around the southern shores of San Francisco Bay, California, U.S., with its intellectual centre at Palo Alto, home of Stanford University. Silicon Valley includes northwestern Santa Clara county as far inland as San Jose, as well as the southern bay regions of Alameda and San Mateo counties. Its name is derived from the dense concentration of electronics

Minden

2005-03-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Kearney county, southern Nebraska, U.S., on a branch of the Little Blue River, 16 miles (26 km) south-southeast of Kearney city. Founded in 1876 and named for Minden, Ger., it became a service point for a diversified farming area (grain, livestock, dairying, poultry). Minden is mainly known for the Harold Warp Pioneer Village, which is one of the state's top tourist attractions

Acropolites, George

2005-03-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Acropolites was reared at the imperial court, then at Nicaea in Asia

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

2005-03-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

The illegitimate son of a famous hostess, Mme de Tencin, and one of her lovers, the chevalier Destouches-Canon, d'Alembert was abandoned on the steps of the Parisian church of Saint-Jean-le-Rond, from which he derived his Christian names. Although Mme de Tencin never recognized her son, Destouches eventually sought out the child and entrusted him to a glazier's wife, whom

Dæhlie, Bjørn

2005-03-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Norwegian cross-country skiing legend Bjørn Dæhlie rocketed into the record books in 1998 by shattering the previous marks for gold medals and total medals won by an individual in Winter Olympics competition. With victories at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, in the 10-km race, 50-km race, and 4 ´10-km relay, he established himself as one of the greatest Nordic skiers of all time. "The Rocketman,"

Hesychius Of Alexandria

2005-03-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Although nothing is known of his life, Hesychius indicated the comprehensive design of his lexicon in a letter prefacing the work. Entitled Synagoge pason

Offa

2005-03-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Town, Kwara state, southwestern Nigeria. It lies along the railroad from Lagos and at the intersection of roads from Ilorin town, Lafiagi, and Ikirun. A traditional settlement of the Yoruba people in a savanna area, it now serves as a collecting point for the yams, cassava, corn (maize), sorghum, and shea nuts grown in the surrounding area. Cotton weaving and dyeing (with locally

Watanabe Kazan

2005-03-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

The son of a poor retainer of a lesser lord, Watanabe studied painting to earn a living. In 1832 Watanabe, who was in the service of Lord Tawara of Mikawa,

Carnivore

2005-03-17T06:22:00.000-08:00

Any member of the order Carnivora, literally “meat eaters.” The order includes 10 families of living mammals: Canidae (dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes), Ursidae (bears), Procyonidae (raccoons), Mustelidae (skunks, mink, weasels, badgers, and otters), Viverridae (civets and mongooses), Hyaenidae (hyenas), Felidae (cats), Otariidae (eared seals), Odobenidae (walrus), and Phocidae (earless seals).

Yamana Mochitoyo

2005-03-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

Yamana's attempts to increase his family's rank and influence brought him into conflict with a rival clan in eastern Japan and resulted in the Onin War (1467–77), which was followed by a century of internecine strife. As a Buddhist monk, he took the name Sozen, and, because of his quick temper

Ear Disease

2005-03-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

Ear diseases and hearing disorders are discussed in Michael E. Glasscock III, George E. Shambaugh, Jr., and Glenn D. Johnson (eds.), Surgery of the Ear, 4th ed. (1990), a well-illustrated text on diseases of the ear and their surgical correction; James Jerger (ed.), Hearing Disorders in Adults (1984); John Ballantyne, M.C. Martin, and Antony Martin (eds.), Deafness, 5th ed. (1993); Robert Thayer Sataloff and Joseph Sataloff, Hearing Loss, 3rd ed., rev. and expanded (1993); and David M. Vernick et al., The Hearing Loss Handbook (1993). George E. Shambaugh, “A Restudy of the Minute Anatomy of Structures in the Cochlea with Conclusions Bearing on the Solution of the Problem of Tone Perception,” The American Journal of Anatomy, 7(2):245–257 (Aug. 1, 1907), was the first detailed description of the hearing-nerve end organ in the cochlea, where sound waves are converted into nerve impulses depending upon the pitch of the tone. George E. Shambaugh, Jr., and Alexandre Petrovic, “Effects of Sodium Fluoride on Bone: Application to Otosclerosis and Other Decalcifying Bone Diseases,” JAMA, 204(11):969–973 (June 10, 1968), summarizes research on the arrest, by means of sodium fluoride, of progressive deafness caused by otosclerosis. Philip H. Beales, Noise, Hearing, and Deafness (1965), is a useful review in lay language of the problem of deafness and the adverse influence on hearing of excess noise exposure; a more recent text is Karl D. Kryter, The Handbook of Hearing and the Effects of Noise: Physiology, Psychology, and Public Health (1994). Brief reports by panels of experts assembled by the National Institutes of Health are issued as NIH Consensus Statements; several statements are of clinical concern in the field of hearing and deafness: “Noise and Hearing Loss,” 8(1):1–24 (Jan. 22–24, 1990), also available with the same title in JAMA, 263(23):3185–3190 (June 20, 1990), “Early Identification of Hearing Impairment in Infants and Young Children,” 11(1):1–24 (Mar. 1–3, 1993), and “Cochlear Implants in Adults and Children,” 13(2):1–30 (May 15–17, 1995), also available with the same title in JAMA, 274(24):1955–1961 (Dec. 27, 1995). More information on the success of cochlear implants is available in Jeffrey P. Harris, John P. Anderson, and Robert Novak, “An Outcomes Study of Cochlear Implants in Deaf Patients,” Archives of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, 121(4):398–404 (April 1995).

Ford, Edmund Brisco

2005-03-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Ford joined the faculty at the University of Oxford in 1927; he was made professor of ecological genetics in 1963, becoming emeritus professor in 1969. He

Monocacy, Battle Of

2005-03-16T00:46:00.000-08:00

(July 9, 1864), American Civil War engagement fought on the banks of the Monocacy River near Frederick, Md., in which Confederate troops under Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early routed Union forces under Major General Lewis Wallace. Although the Union forces were defeated, the delay caused by the battle gave General Ulysses S. Grant time to send reinforcements for the defense

Carnivore

2005-03-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

English Vietnamese Nationalist Party the first large-scale revolutionary nationalist organization in Vietnam. Founded officially in 1927, the VNQDD was modeled after the revolutionary Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) of China. Its aim, like that of the Nationalist Party, was the establishment of a republican democratic government free from foreign interference. Gaining the allegiance of many military

Valence Electron

2005-03-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

Any of the fundamental negatively charged particles in the outermost region of atoms that enters into the formation of chemical bonds. Whatever the type of chemical bond (ionic, covalent, metallic) between atoms, changes in the atomic structure are restricted to the outermost, or valence, electrons. They are more weakly attracted to the positive atomic nucleus than

Vaishravana

2005-03-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

Alternate name for Kubera, the popular god of wealth in Hindu, Jaina, and Buddhist mythology. Among the four guardians of the world (lokapala), he is ruler of the North.

Amazon River, Physiography of the river course

2005-03-13T00:57:00.000-08:00

The Amazon River has its main outlet north of Marajó Island, a lowland somewhat larger in size than Denmark, through a cluster of half-submerged islets and shallow sandbanks. Here the mouth of the river is 40 miles (64 kilometres) wide. The port city of Belém is on the deep water of the Pará River, an estuary marking the south side of Marajó, which is fed chiefly by the Tocantins

Thomas, E. Donnall

2005-03-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Thomas studied at the University of Texas (B.A., 1941; M.A., 1943) and the Harvard

Genda Minoru

2005-03-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Genda, a graduate of the Japanese Naval Academy (1924), was a fighter

Pacific Islands

2005-03-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Alfonso Vi

2005-03-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Byname Alfonso the Brave , Spanish Alfonso el Bravo king of Leon (1065–70) and king of reunited Castile and Leon (1072–1109), who by 1077 had proclaimed himself “emperor of all Spain” (imperator totius Hispaniae). His oppression of his Muslim vassals led to the invasion of Spain by an Almoravid army from North Africa (1086). His name is also associated with the national hero of Spain, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), who was alternatively

Biblical Literature, Theological and political biases

2005-03-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

Containing two primary sources, the book of Samuel is the result of the editorial skill of the Deuteronomic historians of the post-exilic period. The early source, which is pro-monarchical and may have been written by a single author, is found in I Samuel, chapter 9, verse 1, through chapter 10, verse 16, as well as chapter 11 and most of II Samuel. The chapters just noted were probably

Guadix

2005-03-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

Town, Granada provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Andalusia, southern Spain, northeast of Granada city. The town originated as the Acci of the Romans; its present name was corrupted from the Arabic Wadi-Ash (“River of Life”). Outstanding landmarks include the Moorish Alcazaba (fortress); the 18th-century Renaissance and Baroque cathedral built on

Wiesel, Elie

2005-03-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Wiesel's early life, spent in a small Hasidic community in the town of Sighet, was a rather hermetic existence of prayer and contemplation. In 1940 Sighet was annexed

Mars Global Surveyor

2005-03-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Mars Global

Aptronym

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

A name that fits some aspect of a character, as in Mr. Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wiseman in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress or Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The Rivals. The term aptronym was allegedly coined by the American newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams, by an anagrammatic reordering of the first letters of patronym (to suggest apt) to denote

Pyrometer

2005-03-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

Device for measuring relatively high temperatures, such as are encountered in furnaces. Most pyrometers work by measuring radiation from the body whose temperature is to be measured. Radiation devices have the advantage of not having to touch the material being measured. Optical pyrometers, for example, measure the temperature of incandescent bodies by comparing

Marie (-catherine) Leszczynska

2005-03-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Marie's father, Stanislaw Leszczynski, was elected King Stanislaw I of Poland in 1704. After

Laboulbeniomycetes

2005-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Group of fungi (division Mycota) in the class Ascomycetes. It includes more than 1,500 species, which live off the chitin (exoskeleton) of arachnids (e.g., spiders) and insects. The minute species are highly specialized, some attacking only specific areas on one sex of the host species. Asexual reproduction does not occur.

Burgkmair, Hans, The Elder

2005-03-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

The son of a painter, he became a member of the painters' guild in Strasbourg in 1490 and in Augsburg in 1498. Some 700 woodcuts are ascribed to him, including his principal work, a series of 135 prints celebrating the triumphs of the emperor Maximilian I. His

Viet Minh

2005-03-06T02:59:00.000-08:00

In late 1943 members of the Viet Minh, led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, began to infiltrate

Earth Sciences, Ore deposits and mineralogy

2005-03-05T01:31:00.000-08:00

The German scientist Georgius Agricola has with much justification been called the father of mineralogy. Of his seven geologic books, De natura fossilium (1546; “On Natural

Ariano Irpino

2005-03-05T01:08:00.000-08:00

Town, Avellino provincia, Campania regione, southern Italy. It is situated on a rocky eminence in the Apennines, east of Benevento, in a fertile district that has often been devastated by earthquakes. There is a castle of Norman origin and a 16th-century cathedral in Ariano Irpino. Cave dwellings can still be seen in the vicinity. Cement, pottery, and textiles are manufactured

Carthage

2005-03-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hancock county, western Illinois, U.S., near the Mississippi River. Laid out in 1833 and named for the ancient North African city, the community was hostile to the Mormons who had settled at nearby Nauvoo. On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and his brother Hyrum, who were in the Carthage City Jail awaiting trial on charges of treason, were shot to death

Biblical Literature, Early theories about the Synoptic problem

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

Since the 1780s, Matthew, Mark, and Luke have been referred to as the Synoptic Gospels (from synoptikos, “seen together”). The extensive parallels in structure, content, and wording of Matthew, Mark, and Luke make it even possible to arrange them side by side so that corresponding sections can be seen in parallel columns. John Calvin, the 16th-century Reformer, wrote a commentary

Mola

2005-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

The mola (Mola mola; see photograph) is an enormous, gray or brownish

Spahi

2005-03-03T01:24:00.000-08:00

Feudal cavalryman of the Ottoman Empire whose status resembled that of the medieval European knight. The spahi (from Persian for “cavalryman”) was holder of a fief (timar; Turkish: timar) granted directly by the Ottoman sultan and was entitled to all of the income from it in return for military service. The peasants on the land were subsequently attached to the land and

Nixon, Richard M.

2005-03-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

In full Richard Milhous Nixon 37th president of the United States (1969–74), who, faced with almost certain impeachment for his role in the Watergate Scandal, became the first American president to resign from office. He was also vice president (1953–61) under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. (For a discussion of the history and nature of the presidency, see presidency of the United States of America. See also Cabinet of President Richard M. Nixon.)

Alcatraz Island

2005-03-02T05:16:00.000-08:00

The island had little vegetation and was a seabird habitat when it was explored in 1775 by Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala, who named it Isla de los Alcatraces (“Isle of the Pelicans”). Sold in 1849 to the U.S. government, Alcatraz has the distinction of being the site of the first

Salado Formation

2005-03-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Salado Formation is a division of the Ochoan Stage of the Upper Permian Series of rock strata (formed from 256 to 248 million years ago). It overlies the Castile

Rush

2005-03-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

Any of several flowering plants distinguished by cylindrical stalks or hollow, stemlike leaves. They are found in temperate regions and particularly in moist or shady locations. The rush family (Juncaceae) includes Juncus, the common rushes, and Luzula, the woodrushes. Common rushes are used in many parts of the world for weaving into chair bottoms,

Siberut Island

2005-02-28T04:34:00.000-08:00

Indonesian Pulau Siberut , also spelled Siberoet largest island in the Mentawai group of islands, Sumatera Barat provinsi (province), Indonesia. Siberut lies off the western coast of Sumatra, about 90 miles (145 km) west-southwest of and across the Mentawai Strait from Padang city. The island is 25 miles (40 km) wide and 70 miles (110 km) long. Its terrain is generally low, rising to about 1,260 feet (384 m) in the western portion. Rainfall is heavy, and the

Calamity Jane

2005-02-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

She allegedly moved westward on a wagon train when still quite young—her mother dying en

Karakum Desert, Climate

2005-02-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

The climate of the Turkmen Karakum is continental, with long, hot, dry summers and unpredictable but relatively warm winters. The average temperature in July in the north and along the shore of the Caspian Sea ranges from 79 to 82 °F (26 to 28 °C), and in the central part of the Central Karakum from 86 to 93 °F (30 to 34 °C). In January, average temperatures are 25 °F (-4 °C) in the north and 39 °F (4 °C) in the south, but temperatures

Metacom

2005-02-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

Metacom was the second son of Massasoit, a Wampanoag chief who had managed to keep peace with the Massachusetts and Rhode Island settlers for many decades. Upon Massasoit's

Hisham Ibn 'abd Al-malik

2005-02-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

Before his accession to the throne in 724, Hisham led a quiet life in the Umayyad court, holding no important public offices. He reigned during a time of relative calm. Hisham easily maintained internal security but was forced to mount a number

Bahadurpur, Battle Of

2005-02-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Shuja', the second son—who had quickly set himself up as the independent governor of Bengal—was defeated at Bahadurpur, 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Varanasi (Benares) in

Argali

2005-02-25T04:58:00.000-08:00

(Ovis ammon), the largest living wild sheep, found in the highlands of eastern Central Asia. It may stand 1.3 m (4 feet) high at the shoulders and weigh more than 140 kg (300 pounds). Large horns, present in the rams, are especially massive in the Pamir argali, or Marco Polo sheep, in which they may be 1.8 m (6 feet) or more in length.

Alexander Aetolus

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

Greek poet of Pleuron, in Aetolia. He was appointed by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Macedonian king of Egypt, to arrange and catalog the tragedies in the library at Alexandria. Nothing remains of his own tragic writing except the title of one play, Astragalistae (“The Dice Players”). A few fragments of his shorter writings are extant, including a brief appreciation of Euripides.

Scandinavian Literature, Notable 20th-century prose writers

2005-02-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

Several writers of this time showed a keen eye for character and an understanding of human feelings and of the stark life of rural Iceland: Jón Trausti (Gudmundur Magnússon), who wrote the cycle Heidarbýlid (4 vol., 1908–11; “The Mountain Cot”); Gunnar Gunnarsson, whose Kirken på bjerget (1923–28; “The Church on the Mountain”) was written in Danish; and Gudmundur Hagalín. The outstanding modern

Great Lakes

2005-02-24T03:13:00.000-08:00

Chain of lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakes—some 94,850 square miles (245,660 square kilometres)—represents the largest surface of fresh water in

Scab

2005-02-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

In pathology, secondary skin lesion composed of dried serum, blood, or pus. See wound.

Joyce, William

2005-02-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

Though his father was a naturalized U.S. citizen, Joyce lived most of his life in Ireland and England. He was active in Sir Oswald Mosley's British fascist organization and was also a cofounder

Deer

2005-02-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

(family Cervidae), any of the ruminant mammals (order Artiodactyla) having two large and two small hooves on each foot and having antlers in the males of most species and in the females of some species. Indeed, the feature most commonly associated with deer is the presence of antlers. Deer occur mainly in forests but may be found in habitats as diverse as deserts, tundra,

Gauge

2005-02-22T05:44:00.000-08:00

Also called Railway Gauge, in railroad transportation, the width between the inside faces of running rails. Because the cost of construction and operation of a rail line is greater or less depending on the gauge, much controversy has surrounded decisions in respect to it, and a proliferation of gauges has developed throughout the world. A narrow gauge has, in addition to cost advantages, a capability

Quadruple Alliance

2005-02-22T00:47:00.000-08:00

Alliance formed on April 22, 1834, between Britain, France, and the more liberal claimants to the thrones of Spain and Portugal against the conservative claimants to those thrones. The alliance successfully supported Maria Cristiana, who was acting as regent for Isabella II in Spain and had allied herself with the liberals against the pretender Don Carlos in the First

López Velarde, Ramón

2005-02-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

López Velarde studied law and was a journalist and civil servant. His first book of poems, La sangre devota (1916; “Devout Blood”), treats the simplicity of country life, the tension between sensuality and spirituality, and

Mitchell, Wesley C.

2005-02-20T03:17:00.000-08:00

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

Nithard

2005-02-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

A son of Charlemagne's daughter Bertha and the renowned poet and imperial chancellor Angilbert, Nithard was reared at court. On the death of the

Sandys, Sir Edwin

2005-02-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sandys was the son of Edwin Sandys, bishop of Worcester and later archbishop of

Calder, Alexander (stirling)

2005-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

U.S. sculptor best known as the originator of the mobile, a type of kinetic sculpture, the delicately balanced or suspended components of which move in response to motor power or air currents; by contrast, Calder's stationary sculptures are called stabiles. He also produced numerous wire figures, notably for a vast miniature

Philip I

2005-02-18T20:37:00.000-08:00

Philip was the elder son of Henry I of France by his second wife, Anne of Kiev.

Arusha

2005-02-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

Formerly Northern Region administrative region, northern Tanzania, East Africa. Established in 1963, it has an area of about 33,250 square miles (86,100 square km), including 950 square miles (2,460 square km) of water area. It is bordered on the north by Kenya. The Serengeti Plain lies in the northwest, and the Masai Steppe, broken only by isolated gneiss hills, lies in the south. In the central area of the region are the Crater

Great Eastern

2005-02-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

Steamship considered to be the prototype of the modern ocean liner. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Scott Russell for the Eastern Navigation Company to carry cargo and passengers between England and India, it was the largest ship in the world at the time of its launching (1858), displacing 32,160 tons and measuring 692 feet (211 metres) overall. It had a projected speed of

Fisk, Wilbur

2005-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Fisk studied at Peacham Academy and the University of Vermont and graduated from Brown University in 1815 (he received an M.A. in 1818). Licensed as a local preacher at Lyndon, Vt., in 1818, he was received into the New England

Water

2005-02-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

A substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. Water is one of the most plentiful and essential of compounds. It is vital to life, participating in virtually every process that occurs in plants and animals. Although the molecules of water are simple in structure (H2O), the physical and chemical properties

Argentina, The return to democracy

2005-02-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

The subsequent process of democratization is discussed in Philip O'Brien and Paul Cammack (eds.), Generals in Retreat: The Crisis of Military Rule in Latin America (1985); Jimmy Burns, The Land that Lost its Heroes: The Falklands, the Post-War, and Alfonsín (1987); Mónica Peralta-Ramos and Carlos H. Waisman (eds.), From Military Rule to Liberal Democracy in Argentina (1987); Colin M. Lewis and Nissa Torrents (eds.), Argentina in the Crisis Years, 1983–1990: From Alfonsín to Menem (1993); and Peter Calvert, “Argentina: Decline and Revival,” in Jan Knippers Black (ed.), Latin America, Its Problems and Its Promise: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, 3rd ed. (1998).

Gao Xingjian

2005-02-16T01:40:00.000-08:00

Gao was educated in state schools and from 1957 to 1962 attended the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute,

Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich

2005-02-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Herzen also spelled Hertzen, or Gertsen political thinker, activist, and writer who originated the theory of a unique Russian path to socialism known as peasant populism. Herzen chronicled his career in My Past and Thoughts (1861–67), which is considered to be one of the greatest works of Russian prose.

Hole

2005-02-14T01:33:00.000-08:00

According to the band

Solar Deity

2005-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

God or goddess conceived of as sovereign, steady, and all-seeing, often identified with the supreme deity of a culture or with the king or ruler. See sun worship.

Creativity

2005-02-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Studies of known living creative people and research gleaned from biographies of recognized past creative geniuses have yielded some ideas about the characteristics of the creative process. The single most important element in the creative process, however, is believed to be originality, or uniqueness. A great deal of research has been carried out on the nature,

Gender Identity

2005-02-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

An individual's self-conception as being male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex. For most persons, gender identity and biological characteristics are the same. There are, however, circumstances in which an individual experiences little or no connection between sex and gender; in transsexualism, for example, biological sexual characteristics

Andreis, Felix De

2005-02-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

Ordained at Piacenza (Italy) in 1802, Andreis was transferred (1806) to Rome, where he served as preacher, professor of theology, and apostle to the poor. While on a visit to Rome in 1815, William Du Bourg, the bishop of Louisiana, arranged for Andreis to serve his

Trichur

2005-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Town, administrative headquarters of Trichur district, central Kerala state, southwestern India. The town is located 12 mi (19 km) inland on an extensive lagoon system. A commercial and cultural centre, it is considered to be the oldest town on the west coast of India; its name means “small sacred place.” Trichur is built around a hillock topped by the Vatakkunatha temple, the focus

Alakol, Lake

2005-02-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Kazak Alaköl , Russian Ozero Alakol , also called Ozero Ala-Kul salt lake in Kazakstan, 110 miles (180 km) east of Lake Balqash, near the border with the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, China. Lake Alakol has a drainage basin of about 26,500 square miles (68,700 square km), an area of 1,025 square miles, reaches a depth of about 148 feet (45 m), and receives the Urdzhar River (north).

Bloc National

2005-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Right-wing coalition elected to the French Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the legislature) on a wave of nationalist sentiment at the end of World War I; it controlled the French government until 1924. The Bloc gained about three-fourths of the seats in the elections of November 1919, one of the largest conservative majorities in the history of the Third Republic (1870–1940). The Chamber

Flint, F.s.

2005-02-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

The son of a commercial traveler, Flint left school at the age of 13 and worked at a variety of jobs. At the age of 17 his reading of a volume by the 19th-century Romantic poet John

CheapSand

Peter Of Alcántara, Saint

Cacique

Biblical Literature, Kings: background and Solomon's reign

Right Ascension

Aerodynamics

Aymara

Wapentake

Devey, George

Anders, Wladyslaw

Taeuber, Conrad; And Barnes Taeuber, Irene

China, Phase three: approaching crisis (194445)

Prokop The Bald

France, History Of, The political history of France (c. 8501180)

Tzaddiq

Anthony, Susan B.

Switzerland

Smith, Seba

Maranville, Rabbit

Habitual Offender

écorché

Halfbeak

1054, Schism Of

Silicon Valley

Minden

Acropolites, George

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

Dæhlie, Bjørn

Hesychius Of Alexandria

Offa

Watanabe Kazan

Carnivore

Yamana Mochitoyo

Ear Disease

Ford, Edmund Brisco

Monocacy, Battle Of

Carnivore

Valence Electron

Vaishravana

Amazon River, Physiography of the river course

Thomas, E. Donnall

Genda Minoru

Pacific Islands

Alfonso Vi

Biblical Literature, Theological and political biases

Guadix

Wiesel, Elie

Mars Global Surveyor

Aptronym

Pyrometer

Marie (-catherine) Leszczynska

Laboulbeniomycetes

Burgkmair, Hans, The Elder

Viet Minh

Earth Sciences, Ore deposits and mineralogy

Ariano Irpino

Carthage

Biblical Literature, Early theories about the Synoptic problem

Mola

Spahi

Nixon, Richard M.

Alcatraz Island

Salado Formation

Rush

Siberut Island

Calamity Jane

Karakum Desert, Climate

Metacom

Hisham Ibn 'abd Al-malik

Bahadurpur, Battle Of

Argali

Alexander Aetolus

Scandinavian Literature, Notable 20th-century prose writers

Great Lakes

Scab

Joyce, William

Deer

Gauge

Quadruple Alliance

López Velarde, Ramón

China, Phase three: approaching crisis (194445)

France, History Of, The political history of France (c. 8501180)