ThickRiver

Aerospace Industry, Working of materials

2005-04-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Metals are cut, shaped, bored, bent, and formed by tools and machines operated manually or, increasingly, under the control of computers programmed to guide the necessary operations consistently and with greater precision than can normally be provided by humans. The parallels for electrical and electronic fabrication are robotic tools for insertion of components

Málaga

2005-04-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Port city and capital of Málaga provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Andalusia, southern Spain. It lies along a wide bay of the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Guadalmedina River in the centre of the Costa del Sol. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the 12th century BC, conquered successively by the Romans and the Visigoths, and taken by the

Anticoagulant

2005-03-31T15:25:00.000-08:00

Any drug that, when added to blood, prevents it from clotting. Anticoagulants achieve their effect by suppressing the synthesis or function of various clotting factors that are normally present in the blood. Such drugs are often used to prevent blood clots (thrombi) from forming in the veins or arteries. Anticoagulants are generally of two types. One type is heparin

China, Sui and T'ang periods

2005-03-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

The best general account of Chinese relations with its northern neighbours in the steppes is Rene Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes (1970; originally published in French, 1939; 4th French ed., 1960). On Chinese overseas trade and relations with Southeast Asia, see Gungwu Wang, The Nanhai Trade: A Study of the Early History of Chinese Trade in the South China Sea (1958).

Tyre

2005-03-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Tyre, built on an island and on the neighbouring mainland, was probably originally founded as a colony of Sidon. Mentioned in Egyptian records of the

Grub Street

2005-03-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

The world of literary hacks, or mediocre, needy writers who write for hire. The term originated in the 18th century. According to Dr. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, Grub Street was “originally the name of a street in Moorfields in London, much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems; whence any mean production is called grubstreet.” The street

Location Theory

2005-03-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

In economics and geography, theory concerned with the geographic location of economic activity; it has become an integral part of economic geography, regional science, and spatial economics. Location theory addresses the questions of what economic activities are located where and why. The location of economic activities can be determined on a broad level such

Balboa, Vasco Núñez De

2005-03-22T03:55:00.000-08:00

Spanish conquistador and explorer, who was head of the first stable settlement on the South American continent (1511) and who was the first European to sight the Pacific Ocean (on Sept. 25 [or 27], 1513, from “a peak in Darién”).

Natchitoches

2005-03-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1807) of Natchitoches parish, west-central Louisiana, U.S., on Cane River Lake, 68 miles (109 km) southeast of Shreveport. The oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory, it was founded about 1714 as Fort St. Jean Baptiste by the French-Canadian explorer and soldier Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis to forestall Spanish occupation of the area and to set up a

Aerosmith

2005-03-17T22:29:00.000-08:00

The year 2001 was one of the highest peaks in the roller-coaster career of hard-rock survivors Aerosmith; the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and enjoyed the runaway success of its first self-produced album, Just Push Play. Overcoming the legendary excess that had brought its career to a screeching halt in the early 1980s, Aerosmith returned with even greater

Alexander Nevsky, Saint

2005-03-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Russian Aleksandr Nevsky, original name Aleksandr Yaroslavich prince of Novgorod (1236–52) and of Kiev (1246–52) and grand prince of Vladimir (1252–63), who halted the eastward drive of the Germans and Swedes but collaborated with the Mongols in imposing their rule on Russia. By defeating a Swedish invasion force at the confluence of the Rivers

Rab

2005-03-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

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

Tsun-i

2005-03-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

The city was brought under regular Chinese administration only in the early 7th century AD. A county was set up there in 640, and its present name, Tsun-i, was given in 642. It remained the seat of Tsun-i hsien (county), but the area did not begin to be developed

Aviary

2005-03-14T02:40:00.000-08:00

A structure for the keeping of captive birds, usually spacious enough for the aviculturist to enter. Aviaries range from small enclosures a metre or so on a side to large flight cages 30 m (100 feet) or more long and as much as 15 m high. Enclosures for birds that fly only little or weakly (e.g., rails, pheasants) are often only one metre high. The private aviary often consists of a room

Hermes

2005-03-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Greek god, son of Zeus and Maia; often identified with the Roman Mercury (q.v.) and with Casmilus or Cadmilus, one of the Cabeiri (q.v.). His name is probably derived from herma (see herm), the Greek word for a heap of stones, such as was used in the country to indicate boundaries or as a landmark. The earliest centre of his cult was probably Arcadia, where Mt. Cyllene was reputed to be

Gautier D'arras

2005-03-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

An official of Philippe d'Alsace, Count of Flanders, Gautier is named in many charters between

Euclidean Geometry, Axioms of congruence

2005-03-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Five axioms (see Box

Bhadracarya-pranidhana

2005-03-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Samantabhadra-carya-pranidhana (“Practical Vows of Samantabhadra”), a Mahayana (“Greater Vehicle”) Buddhist text that has also made an important contribution to the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet. Closely related to the Avatamsaka-sutra (“Discourse on the Adornments of the Buddha”) and sometimes considered its final section, the Bhadracarya-pranidhana presents a universe of totally interdependent phenomena

Góngora Y Argote, Luis De

2005-03-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

The son of a judge, Góngora profited from his father's fine library and from relatives

Fair

2005-03-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

Temporary market where buyers and sellers gather to transact business. A fair is held at regular intervals, generally at the same location and time of year, and it usually lasts for several days or even weeks. Its primary function is the promotion of trade. Historically, fairs displayed many different kinds of products in specific commodity or industrial groupings.

Nagaland

2005-03-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Nagaland has no early written history, although medieval chronicles of the neighbouring Ahom kingdom of Assam tell of the Naga tribes, their economy, and their customs. The 1816 Myanmar invasion of Assam led to oppressive Myanmar rule from 1819 until the establishment of British rule over Assam in 1826. The advent of British administration, which by 1892 encompassed the whole of Naga territory

Rowan, Carl

2005-03-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

After serving as a communications officer in the navy, he earned a degree in mathematics from Oberlin (Ohio) College (B.A., 1947) and studied journalism at the University

Nagaland

2005-03-05T03:39:00.000-08:00

Formed at the urging of Britain and the United States, the Central Treaty Organization was intended to counter the threat of Soviet

Ayrshire

2005-03-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

The county has a concave western coastline along the Firth of Clyde

Smilax

2005-03-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Genus of plants in the family Smilacaceae, consisting of about 300 species of woody or herbaceous vines, variously known as catbriers and greenbriers, native to tropical and temperate parts of the world. The stems of many species are covered with prickles; the lower leaves are scalelike; and the leathery upper leaves have untoothed blades with

Azide

2005-02-28T02:02:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of chemical compounds containing three nitrogen atoms as a group, represented as (-N3). Azides are considered as derived from hydrazoic acid (HN3), an inorganic salt such as sodium azide (NaN3), or an organic derivative in which the hydrogen atom of hydrazoic acid is replaced by a hydrocarbon group as in alkyl or aryl azide (RN3), or by an acyl (carboxylic acid) group

Arabia, History Of, Prehistory and archaeology

2005-02-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Stone

Asthma

2005-02-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

A chronic disorder of the lungs in which inflamed airways are prone to constrict, causing episodes of breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness that range in severity from mild to life-threatening. Inflamed airways become hypersensitive to a variety of stimuli, including dust mites, animal dander, pollen, air pollution, cigarette smoke, medications,

Asylum

2005-02-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

In international law, the protection granted by a state to a foreign citizen against his own state. The person for whom asylum is established has no legal right to demand it, while the sheltering state, which has the legal right to grant asylum, is under no obligation to give it. Asylum is thus a right of the state, not of the individual. The right of asylum falls into three

Augsburg

2005-02-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

Traces of an Early Bronze Age settlement have been found at the site. The town was founded as a Roman colony

Silkeborg

2005-02-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

City, Århus amtskommune (county), eastern Jutland, Denmark, on the Gudenå (river) and Langsø, a small lake, west of Århus. An episcopal town of some importance in the Middle Ages, its castle became a royal hunting and fishing base after the Reformation. The present city, dating from 1845 (chartered 1900), grew up around a paper mill. Now a rail junction, its products in addition to paper include

Francis I

2005-02-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

Duke of Brittany (from 1442), son of John V (or VI). He had his brother Gilles thrown into prison and put to death for allegedly spying for the English, with whom he warred (1449–50). The king of France intervened and expelled the English from Normandy.

Chianciano Terme

2005-02-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

Town and mineral spa, Siena provincia, Toscana (Tuscany) regione, central Italy. It lies at an elevation of 1,500 feet (450 m), just southeast of Montepulciano. The mineral springs, which have been frequented since Etruscan times, are located about 1.25 miles (2 km) from the town; they are a popular tourist attraction, and there are numerous hotels for the accommodation of visitors. The town

Keen, William Williams

2005-02-20T01:28:00.000-08:00

After graduating (M.D., 1862) from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Keen was a surgeon for the U.S. Army in 1862–64 during the American Civil War. The next two years he did postgraduate work in Paris and Berlin. On his return to the United States, he became a lecturer in surgical pathology

Devonshire, William Cavendish, 1st Duke Of, Marquess Of Hartington, Earl Of Devonshire, Baron Cavendish Of Hardwick

2005-02-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Cavendish was the eldest son of the 3rd earl of Devonshire (and succeeded to the title in 1684). On his return from a youthful grand

Teriyaki

2005-02-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: “glossy broil”), in Japanese cuisine, foods grilled with a highly flavoured glaze of soy sauce and sake or mirin (sweet wine). Garlic and fresh ginger are sometimes added to the mixture. In westernized Japanese cooking, the teriyaki sauce is frequently used as a marinade as well as a basting sauce. Beef, chicken, and fish are commonly prepared teriyaki style.

Ichikawa Family

2005-02-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Kabuki actors flourishing in Edo (modern Tokyo) from the 17th century to the present. The most famous names are Danjuro, Ebizo, Danzo, and Ebijuro, and, according to kabuki convention, these names were assumed by a natural or adopted son of the Ichikawa family when his skill entitled him to inherit the mantle of a famous ancestor. Thus, there have been 12 Danjuros (the highest honorific

Irish Rebellion

2005-02-13T03:07:00.000-08:00

During 1795 an alliance between radicals and discontented sections of the working class had brought a new association of United Irishmen into being; it was secret and organized on military lines and aimed at a radical reform of the Irish Parliament and “a national

Thompson, Francis

2005-02-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

Thompson was educated in the Roman Catholic faith at Ushaw College, a seminary in the north of England. He studied medicine at Manchester, but not conscientiously, and went to London to seek a

Drug Use, Addiction, habituation, and dependence

2005-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

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

Abbottabad

2005-02-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

City, east-central North-West Frontier Province, northern Pakistan. It is situated 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Rawalpindi. A hill station (4,120 feet [1,256 metres]), it lies on a plateau at the southern corner of the Rash (Orash) Plain and is the gateway to the picturesque Kagan Valley. It is connected by road with the Indus Plain and Kashmir and by railhead (at Havelian, 10 miles [16 km] south) with Peshawar.

Egypt, Arabization

2005-02-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Arabization of Egypt continued at a gradual pace. The early Fatimids' reliance on Berber troops was soon balanced by the importation of Turkish, Sudanese, and Arab contingents. The Fatimids are said to have used thousands of nomadic Arabs in the Egyptian cavalry and to have further stimulated Arabization by settling large numbers of Arabian tribesmen in Upper Egypt

Hippias

2005-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Tyrant of Athens from 528/527 to 510 BC. He was a patron of poets and craftsmen, and under his rule Athens prospered. After the assassination of his brother Hipparchus (514), however, Hippias was driven to repressive measures. An attempt by nobles in exile to force their way back failed, but in 510 the Spartans under Cleomenes I invaded Attica, besieged the tyrant's party on the acropolis, and

Flood, Henry

2005-02-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

The illegitimate son of Warden Flood, chief justice of the King's Bench in Ireland, Henry entered the Irish Parliament in 1759. Irish Protestants were becoming impatient with the British Parliament's right to legislate

Caracas, Transportation

2005-01-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

Caracas is linked directly with other major urban centres of the world by air and ocean transport. Maiquetía Airport, located 10 miles by road from Caracas on the coast, provides international connections as well as domestic flights to all parts of the republic. Two smaller airports, La Carlota and Francisco de Miranda, also serve the city. La Guaira and, to a lesser extent,

Aid

2005-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

A feudal lord could ask his vassals for an aid because they owed him help and counsel. In the course of time, however, the occasions on which

Spadefish

2005-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

(family Ephippidae), any of about 17 species of marine fishes (order Perciformes), predominantly tropical though also found in temperate regions. In appearance the spadefishes are deep-bodied and laterally compressed, with five or six vertical black bands on a silvery body. The vertical bars may disappear with age, the adults being solid white, black, or, more commonly,

Arabia, History Of, Sabaean and Minaean Kingdoms

2005-01-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Greek writer Eratosthenes (3rd century BC) described “Eudaimon Arabia” (i.e., Yemen) as inhabited by four major peoples (ethne), and it is on the basis of his nomenclature for these groups that modern scholars are accustomed to speak of Minaeans, Sabaeans, Qatabanians, and Hadramites. The fourfold categorization does indeed correspond to the linguistic data, but the political

Dagger

2005-01-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Short stabbing knife, ostensibly the diminutive of the sword, though in ancient and medieval times the distinction between a long dagger and a short sword was often obscure. From approximately 1300 the European dagger was consistently differentiated from the sword; in the 16th century a school of fencing developed in which a specially designed dagger with a large guard

Arts, Islamic, Decentralization of Islamic literatures

2005-01-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

Safavid Iran, as it happened, lost most of its artists and poets to the neighbouring countries: there were no great masters of poetry in Iran between the 16th and 18th centuries. And while the Persian Shah Esma'il wrote Turkish mystical verses, his contemporary and enemy, Sultan Selim I of Turkey (died 1520), composed quite elegant Persian ghazals. Babur (died 1530), in turn, composed his autobiography

Mon Language

2005-01-18T02:43:00.000-08:00

Also called Talaing, or Peguan, Mon-Khmer language spoken by the Mon people of southeastern Myanmar (Lower Burma) and several Mon communities in Thailand. The oldest inscriptions, dating from the 6th century, are found in central Thailand in archaeological sites associated with the Dvaravati kingdom. Numerous Old Mon inscriptions date from the later Mon kingdoms of Thaton and Pegu. The Old Mon

Eisenstadt

2005-01-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

City, capital (since 1925) of Burgenland Bundesland (federal state), eastern Austria. It lies at the southern end of the Leitha Mountains, south of Vienna. Mentioned in 1264, it was a free city of Hungary from 1648 until Burgenland was ceded to Austria in 1920. Eisenstadt's notable landmarks include the former castle of the Esterházy princes (14th century; rebuilt 1663–72); the Mount Calvary Church (Kalvarienbergkirche),

Rabaut, Paul

2005-01-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

At age 16 Rabaut met Jean Bétrine, an itinerant preacher of the French Reformed Church, who was highly unpopular with the Roman Catholic government. Rabaut's consequent theological training, which led to his certification

Kirkland Lake

2005-01-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

Town, Timiskaming district, eastern Ontario, Canada. It is situated 125 miles (200 km) north-northwest of North Bay. Since the discovery of gold in the vicinity in 1911, at the time of the construction of the Ontario Northland Railway, the town has grown to become one of Canada's largest gold producers. During the bonanza years of 1927–28, dozens of mines sprang up along its “Golden Mile,” including

Elgon, Mount

2005-01-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Extinct volcano on the Kenya-Uganda boundary. Its crater, about 5 miles (8 km) in diameter, contains several peaks, of which Wagagai (14,178 feet [4,321 m]) is the highest. Its extrusions cover about 1,250 square miles (3,200 square km) and consist largely of fragmental rocks and only a smattering of lavas. The mountain slope is gentle and the outline unimpressive. On the east and southeast at about 6,200 feet

Keely, John E.w.

2005-01-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Keely was orphaned in early childhood. He is said to have been an orchestra leader, a circus performer, and a carpenter. In 1873 he announced that he had discovered a new physical force, one that, if harnessed, would produce unheard-of power. He claimed, for example, to be able to produce from a quart of water enough fuel

Balarama

2005-01-06T04:08:00.000-08:00

In Hindu mythology, the elder half-brother of Krishna, with whom he shared many adventures. Sometimes Balarama is considered one of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of the god Vishnu, particularly among those members of Vaisnava sects who elevate Krishna to the rank of a principal god. Other legends identify him as the incarnation in human form of the serpent Sesa, and he may originally

Saho

2005-01-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Sao, Shaho, Shoho, or Shiho, also called Afar-saho, language spoken by several peoples, most of whom inhabit the coastal plains of southern Eritrea. Saho is generally classified as an Eastern Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic (formerly Hamito-Semitic) language family. The Saho-speaking peoples are bordered to the north by the Tigre, to the west by the Tigray, and to the south and east by the Afar, with whose language

Giotto Di Bondone

2004-12-31T04:20:00.000-08:00

In January 1330, King Robert of Naples promoted Giotto to the rank of “familiar” (member of the royal household), which implies that he had been in Naples for some while, possibly since 1329, and he remained there until 1332–33. All the works he executed there have been lost, but traces of his style may be distinguished in the local school. On April 12, 1334, he was appointed capomastro, or surveyor, of

Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey

2004-12-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Formerly Port of New York Authority self-supporting corporate agency formed in 1921 by agreement between the states of New York and New Jersey for the purpose of developing and operating trade and transportation facilities in the northern New Jersey–New York City region. Twelve nonsalaried commissioners, six appointed by the governor of each state, plan and oversee the operations of a variety of services

Tsévié

2004-12-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Togo, West Africa. It is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Lomé, the national capital. The town constitutes an important centre for palm oil processing and a major market for commercial trade among Togo's régions. Tsévié has road and railway links with Notsé, Atakpamé, and Blitta to the north and with Lomé to the south. The Ewe people inhabit Tsévié and the surrounding

Claes, Ernest

2004-12-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

Claes treated several subjects. Animals and children were the subject of such works as Floere het fluwijn (1950; “Floere the Polecat”)

Sorrel

2004-12-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Any of several hardy perennial herbs of the Polygonaceae, or buckwheat, family that are widely distributed in temperate regions. Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a weed that is native to Europe and has become widespread in North America. It is an attractive but troublesome invader that occurs in lawns and gardens as well as meadows and grassy slopes. It sprouts from

Tooth Squeeze

2004-12-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

Also called Aerodontalgia, pain caused by the expansion or contraction of air beneath the filling of a tooth when pressure within the mouth cavity is increased or decreased. Aircraft pilots and underwater divers are common victims of tooth squeeze, as the pressures that they experience vary widely from the normal atmospheric pressures. As one goes deeper under water, pressure increases.

Mckellen, Sir Ian (murray)

2004-12-18T05:46:00.000-08:00

McKellen attended St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, where as a student actor he was often directed by John Barton, later of the Royal Shakespeare Company. After receiving a bachelor's degree in 1961, McKellen made his professional

Afghanistan, Nadir Shah

2004-12-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

In 1738, after a year's siege, the city of Kandahar fell to Nadir Shah's army of 80,000 men. Nadir Shah seized Ghazna and Kabul and occupied the Mughal capital at Delhi in 1739. His booty included

Military Affairs

2004-12-14T03:12:00.000-08:00

The devastating aerial attacks by terrorists in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, caused untold chaos and horror and initiated a flood of events that affected all aspects of life in all corners of the world. The United States declared a “war on terrorism” and promptly focused on the international al-Qaeda group and its Taliban protectors in Afghanistan. (Al-Qaeda [“the

Baba-yaga

2004-12-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Baba-jaga, in Russian folklore, an ogress who steals, cooks, and eats her victims, usually children. A guardian of the fountains of the water of life, she lives with two or three sisters (all known as Baba-Yaga) in a forest hut which spins continually on birds' legs; her fence is topped with human skulls. Baba-Yaga can ride through the air—in an iron kettle or in a mortar that she drives with

Briard

2004-12-10T01:10:00.000-08:00

French sheepdog breed mentioned in French records of the 12th century and depicted in medieval French tapestries. It is known in France as berger de Brie (sheepdog of Brie) but is found throughout the French provinces. The briard is a lithe, strongly built dog with bushy brows and a long, more-or-less waterproof coat. It stands 56 to 69 cm (22 to 27 inches), weighs about 36 kg (80 pounds), and is

Liqueur

2004-12-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

The word liqueur is derived from the Latin liquefacere,

France, History Of, Institutions

2004-12-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

The institutions of government underwent great changes under the Frankish monarchs.

Anta

2004-12-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

The bases

Rush, Benjamin

2004-12-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

American physician and political leader, a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His encouragement of clinical research and instruction was frequently offset by his insistence upon bloodletting, purging, and other debilitating therapeutic

Osborn, Henry Fairfield

2004-12-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

At Princeton University, Osborn conducted studies of brain anatomy while serving as assistant professor of natural sciences (1881–83) and professor of

France, History Of, The Fourth Republic

2004-11-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

Shortly after his return to Paris, de Gaulle announced that the citizens of France would determine their future governmental system as soon as the absent prisoners and deportees could be repatriated. That process was largely completed by midsummer 1945, soon after Germany's defeat, whereupon de Gaulle scheduled a combined referendum and election for October. Women,

Papen, Franz Von

2004-11-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

The scion of a wealthy Catholic landowning family, Papen began his career as a professional soldier. At the beginning of World War I, he was military attaché in Washington, but after

'akko

2004-11-24T23:37:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Acre , or 'Akka city, northwest Israel. It lies along the Mediterranean Sea, at the north end of the Bay of Haifa (formerly Bay of Acre). Its natural harbour was a frequent target for Palestine's many invaders over the centuries. The earliest mention of 'Akko is in an Egyptian text dating from the 19th century BC. The Bible (Judges 1) states that the city did not fall to the Jews under Joshua and his

Nagarjuna

2004-11-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

Indian Buddhist monk-philosopher and founder of the Madhyamika (“Middle Path”) school whose clarification of the concept of sunyata (“emptiness”) is regarded as an intellectual and spiritual achievement of the highest order. He is recognized as a patriarch by several later Buddhist schools. The two basic works that are substantially his and that have remained available

Kabila, Laurent-désiré

2004-11-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

Congolese political leader (b. Nov. 27, 1939, Jadotville, Katanga province, Belgian Congo—confirmed dead on Jan. 18, 2001, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC; formerly Zaire]), was president of the DRC from 1997 until his death. In 1960, after studying in France and Tanzania, Kabila became a youth leader in a political party allied to Congo's first postindependence prime minister, Marxist-Maoist

Shariqah, Ash-

2004-11-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

English Sharjah constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States, or Trucial Oman). Some of ash-Shariqah's interior boundaries are only presumptive, but its main portion is an irregularly shaped tract, oriented northwest–southeast, stretching about 60 miles (100 km) from the Persian Gulf (northwest) to the central inland region of the Oman promontory (southeast).

Rabin, Leah

2004-11-16T01:40:00.000-08:00

German-born Israeli consort and peace activist (b. April 8, 1928, Königsberg, Ger. [now Kaliningrad, Russia]—d. Nov. 12, 2000, Tel Aviv, Israel), was the wife of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995. She grew up in Tel Aviv and met her husband while both were serving in the Palmach, a Jewish militia unit. The two were married during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948–49. Leah Rabin

Eads, James B.

2004-11-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

Eads was named for his mother's cousin James Buchanan, a Pennsylvania congressman who later became president of the United

Egypt, Political life

2004-11-12T03:32:00.000-08:00

The political history of the Mamluk state is complex; during their 264-year reign, no fewer than 45 Mamluks gained the sultanate, and once, in desperate circumstances, a caliph (in 1412) was briefly installed as sultan. At times individual Mamluks succeeded in establishing dynasties, most notably Sultan Qala'un (ruled 1279–90), whose progeny ruled Egypt, with two short interruptions, until 1382. Often

Abbess

2004-11-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

To be elected, an abbess must be at least 40 years old and a professed nun for at least 10 years. She is solemnly blessed

Sevagram

2004-11-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern Maharashtra state, western India. Originally called Segaon, the village was given its present name (Hindi: Village of Service) by Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian nationalist leader. In 1936 he left his ashram (hermitage) on the Sabarmati River, near Ahmadabad, and settled at Sevagram. There he founded another ashram and directed the independence movement. Within this he

Cole, Nat King

2004-11-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Cole grew up in Chicago where, by age 12, he sang and played organ in the church

Auslander, Joseph

2004-11-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

Auslander's

France, History Of, Urban prosperity

2004-11-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Town life continued to flourish. A few places, favoured by political and ecclesiastical as well as by economic circumstances, grew far larger than the rest. Paris could probably count more than 100,000 inhabitants by the late 13th century, possibly many more than that; some great provincial centres—e.g., Toulouse, Bordeaux, Arras, Rouen—may have surpassed 25,000, but most of the older cities

Aesthetics, The origins of modern aesthetics

2004-10-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

Francis Bacon wrote essays on beauty and deformity, but he confined his remarks to the human figure. René Descartes produced a treatise on music, although it contains little that would be recognized as aesthetics in the modern sense. During the first decades of modern philosophy, aesthetics flourished, not in the works of the great philosophers, but in the writings

Earthshine

2004-10-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

At this time an observer on the Moon would see the Earth as a bright body, four times the diameter of the Moon as seen from Earth, almost completely illuminated

Kafr Ash-shaykh

2004-10-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Kafr El-sheikh, town, capital of Kafr ash-Shaykh muhafazah (governorate) of the central Nile Delta, Lower Egypt, bordering the Mediterranean. The town is situated in a fertile plain about 25 miles (40 km) north-northwest of Tanta. Industries in the town include cotton-processing plants and factories producing cigarettes, rice strawboard, rice chaff oil, and chemical products. A former royal palace

Radar, Interference

2004-10-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

Signals from nearby radars and other transmitters can be strong enough to enter a radar receiver and produce spurious responses. Well-trained operators are not often deceived by interference, though they may find it a nuisance. Interference is not as easily ignored by automatic detection and tracking systems, however, and so some method is usually needed to recognize

Baburen, Dirck Van

2004-10-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

After studying painting with a portraitist and history painter in Utrecht, Baburen traveled to Rome about 1612. His most important Italian commission was the decoration of a chapel in the

Adams, Henry

2004-10-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Henry Adams, The Degradation of the Democratic Dogma (1919, reprinted 1969), a collection of Adams' theoretical essays with a lengthy introduction by his brother Brooks; “The Great Secession Winter 1860–1861,” Proceedings, Massachusetts Historical Society, 43:656–687 (1909–10), an essay, written during the secession crisis of 1860–61 but not published for 50 years, which analyzed the political developments that led to the Civil War; Essays in Anglo-Saxon Law (1876), a collection of studies in early British history written by Adams and his seminar students; Historical Essays (1891), a reprint of articles Adams had previously published in various journals; and introductions to Documents Relating to New England Federalism (1877), which shed light on the politics of the early national period; Ernest Samuels (ed.), The Education of Henry Adams (1973), is the definitive edition in which collation is made between the privately printed text and the revised text of the published edition. Worthington Chauncey Ford (ed.), A Cycle of Adams Letters, 1861–1865, 2 vol. (1920, reprinted in 1 vol. 1969), Letters of Henry Adams, 1858–1891 (1930, reprinted 1969), and Letters of Henry Adams, 1892–1918 (1938, reprinted 1969), all contain a rich selection of Adams' letters; Ernest Samuels, The Young Henry Adams (1948), Henry Adams: The Middle Years (1958), and Henry Adams: The Major Phase (1964), the most comprehensive and distinguished biography of Adams; J.C. Levenson, The Mind and Art of Henry Adams (1957), an unexcelled interpretative work centring upon both the man and his writings; Melvin Lyon, Symbol and Idea in Henry Adams (1970), an examination of the problem of illusion and reality, which Adams often expressed through symbols, as seen in his six major works; Vern Wagner, The Suspension of Henry Adams: A Study of Manner and Matter (1969), a discussion of Adams' writing style as an example of unique literary artistry; Frederic Cople Jaher, Doubters and Dissenters: Cataclysmic Thought in America, 1885–1918 (1964), a critical study of Adams, seeing him as a displaced Brahmin afloat in an industrialized world he was helpless to understand; William Dusinberre, Henry Adams: The Myth of Failure (1980), is a reconsideration.

Affreightment

2004-10-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Essentially, such a contract is an agreement between two parties, the carrier and the shipper. The carrier undertakes to carry the goods to

Ardagh Chalice

2004-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Large, two-handled silver cup, decorated with gold, gilt bronze, and enamel, one of the best-known examples of Irish ecclesiastical metalwork. It was discovered in 1868, together with a small bronze cup and four brooches, in a potato field in Ardagh, County Limerick, Ire. The decoration consists mainly of panels of fine gold and silver filigree applied to the otherwise plain

Interest

2004-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Interest may also be viewed as the income derived from the possession of contractual promises from others to pay sums in the future. The question may be asked, “What is the value today of a promise to pay $100 a year from now?” If the answer is $100, then no interest income is generated.

Turkey, Flag Of

2004-10-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

Various myths are associated with the symbolism of the red colour and the star and crescent, but none really explains their origins. Although the star and crescent are often seen as typical Muslim symbols, in fact they have a history long predating the rise of Islam. Ancient civilizations throughout the Middle East used a crescent moon as a religious symbol, and the

Diamond Cutting

2004-10-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

From the girdler the diamond goes to the lapper, or blocker, who specializes in placing the first 18 main facets on a brilliant-cut diamond. It then goes to the brillianteer, the worker who places and polishes the remaining 40 facets, if the stone is being cut in the standard 58-facet brilliant cut. Placing and polishing are done by setting the stone either in a lead dop or a mechanical

Essex, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl Of, Viscount Hereford Lord Ferrers, Lord Bourchier

2004-10-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

Because his father, Robert Devereux, 2nd earl of Essex, had been executed for treason (1601), Devereux had to obtain special permission from Parliament to succeed (1604) to his family titles