CruelPlate

Basketball, International competition

2005-03-19T00:56:00.000-08:00

The success of international basketball was greatly advanced by Forrest C. (“Phog”) Allen, a Naismith disciple and a former coach at the University of Kansas, who led the movement for inclusion of basketball in the Olympic Games in 1936 and thereafter. Basketball has also been played in the Pan-American Games since their inauguration in 1951. The international game is governed

Antibes

2005-03-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Port town, Alpes-Maritimes département, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur région, France, on the eastern side of the Garoupe Peninsula across the Baie des Anges (Bay of the Angels) from Nice. Originally Antipolis, a Greek trading post established by Phocaeans from Marseille, it became a Roman town, and from 1384 to 1608 it was a fief of the coast-ruling Grimaldi family. The Grimaldi château,

Nuisance

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

In law, a human activity or a physical condition that is harmful or offensive to others and gives rise to a cause of action. A public nuisance created in a public place or on public land, or affecting the morals, safety, or health of the community, is considered an offense against the state. Such activities as obstructing a public road, polluting air and water, operating

Abbott, Diane

2005-03-13T04:47:00.000-08:00

In full Diane Julie Abbott British politician, the first woman of African descent elected to the House of Commons. Abbott's parents, originally from Jamaica, immigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1950s. She was educated at Harrow County Grammar School for Girls and received a degree in history from the University of Cambridge in 1973. Abbott worked as a civil servant

Alessandria

2005-03-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Alessandria provincia, in the Piemonte (Piedmont) regione of northwestern Italy. The city lies at the confluence of the Bormida and Tanaro rivers, southeast of Turin (Torino). It was founded in 1168 by the towns of the Lombard League as an Alpine-valley stronghold against the Holy Roman emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. The town was first called Civitas Nova,

César

2005-03-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

Departamento, northern Colombia, bounded on the northeast by Venezuela and on the southwest by the Magdalena River. Created in 1967, the departamento, with an area of 8,844 square miles (22,905 square km), descends from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north and the Sierra de Perijá in the northeast to the lowlands of the Magdalena River valley. It is traversed by the César River,

Anshar And Kishar

2005-03-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

In Mesopotamian mythology, the male and female principles, the twin horizons of sky and earth. Their parents were either Apsu (the watery deep beneath the earth) and Tiamat (the personification of salt water) or Lahmu and Lahamu, the first set of twins born to Apsu and Tiamat. Anshar and Kishar, in turn, were the parents of Anu (An), the supreme heaven god.

Anchovy Pear

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

(Grias cauliflora), evergreen tree of the family Lecythidaceae, native to the West Indies. The name is also applied to its edible fruit, for which the tree is cultivated. The plant grows to about 15 m (50 feet) tall and bears spear-shaped, glossy leaves about 90 cm long that are produced in palmlike tufts. The fragrant yellow flowers are about 5 cm across. The fruit, which contains one

Philae

2005-02-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Arabic Jazirat Filah (“Philae Island”), or Jazirat al-Birba (“Temple Island”),

Xenon

2005-02-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

(Xe), chemical element, heavy and extremely rare gas of Group 0 (noble gases) of the periodic table. It was the first noble gas found to form true chemical compounds. More than 4 1/2 times heavier than air, xenon is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. Solid xenon belongs to the face-centred cubic crystal system, which implies that its molecules, which consist of single atoms, behave

Arête

2005-02-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

(French: “ridge”), in geology, a sharp-crested serrate ridge separating the heads of opposing valleys (cirques) that formerly were occupied by Alpine glaciers. It has steep sides formed by the collapse of unsupported rock, undercut by continual freezing and thawing (glacial sapping; see cirque). Two opposing glaciers meeting at an arête will carve a low, smooth gap, or col

Metalmark

2005-02-23T02:11:00.000-08:00

Most males possess reduced front legs; females have functional

Vendsyssel-thy

2005-02-21T00:29:00.000-08:00

Danish Nørrejyske Ø (North Jutland Island), island at the north end of Jutland, Denmark, known as Vendsyssel in the east and Thy in the west. The Limfjorden separates it from the mainland, to which it was attached until 1825, when water erosion cut a channel through the narrow isthmus at Thyborøn. Several bridges, ferries, and a tunnel connect the island with the rest of Jutland. It is the second largest

López De Ayala, Pedro

2005-02-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Ayala had a long and distinguished civil

Mondoñedo

2005-02-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

City, Lugo province, comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Galicia, northwestern Spain. It lies along the Masma River, 27 miles (43 km) north of Lugo, the provincial capital. Mondoñedo occupies a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains. The city has been an episcopal see since the 12th century. The principal building is the cathedral

Trademark

2005-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

Any visible sign or device used by a business enterprise to identify its goods and distinguish them from those made or carried by others. Trademarks may be words or groups of words, letters, numerals, devices, names, the shape or other presentation of products or their packages, colour combinations with signs, combinations of colours, and combinations of any of the

Pa Hsien

2005-02-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

In Chinese art they sometimes also

Bienville, Jean-baptiste Le Moyne De

2005-02-11T00:27:00.000-08:00

Jean-Baptiste was the eighth son of Canadian pioneer Charles Le Moyne. He entered the French navy at age 12 and served with his noted elder brother, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, in naval engagements (1696–97) in Hudson Bay and the North Atlantic during

Bottle Gourd

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

Many forms of the bottle gourd have been cultivated for specific purposes, and the sizes of the vines, leaves, and flowers, as well as the sizes and shapes of the fruits, vary greatly.

Dandelion

2005-02-07T01:11:00.000-08:00

It has a rosette of leaves at the base of the plant; a deep taproot; a smooth, hollow stem; leaves that may be nearly smooth-margined, toothed, or deeply cut; and

Cabanilles, Juan Bautista José

2005-02-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

His surviving works include many pieces for organ and the other keyboard

Eastern Orthodoxy, In Bulgaria

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

The reestablishment of the Church of Bulgaria eventually was secured, but not without tragedy and even a schism; this happened mainly because the issue of reestablishing the autocephalous church arose at a time when both Greek and Bulgarian populations lived side by side in Macedonia, Thrace, and Constantinople itself, though still within the framework of the

Welfare Economics

2005-01-31T19:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier writers conceived of welfare as simply the sum of the satisfactions accruing to all individuals within an economic system. Later theorists became

Nakhon Phanom

2005-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Town, northeastern Thailand. Nakhon Phanom is a commercial centre lying along the Mekong River opposite Thakhek, Laos; it is linked by road to Udon Thani (west), Ubon Ratchathani (south), and Laos and has an airport with scheduled domestic flights. An infertile sandy loam that retains little moisture makes agriculture difficult in much of the surrounding area. There

Sunfish

2005-01-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous species of North American freshwater fishes placed with the crappies and black basses in the family Centrarchidae (order Perciformes). The family contains about 30 species, all native to North America and all, with the exception of the Sacramento perch (Archoplites interruptus), native to waters east of the Rocky Mountains. Several species, such as the

Insurance, Limits of liability

2005-01-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

Practically all liability insurance policies contain limitations on the maximum amount of a judgment payable under the contract. Further, the cost of defense, supplementary payments, and punitive damages may or may not be paid in addition to the judgment limits. Separate limits often apply to claims for property damage and bodily injury. An annual aggregate limit

Fabliau

2005-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

About 150 fabliaux are extant. Many of them are based on elementary jokes or puns—such as one called Estula,

Palestine, History Of, Israeli Arabs

2005-01-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

In the years following the 1967 war, circumstances changed dramatically for Israeli Arabs. As a result of their resumed contact with the Palestinians of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, they began to recover from their long period of inactivity. Following the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, Arab Israelis took a greater part in Israeli institutions. They also were significantly

Davenport Ware

2005-01-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

Cream-coloured earthenware made by John Davenport of Longport, Staffordshire, Eng., beginning in 1793. Davenport had great success with pierced openwork-rimmed plates, either painted or transfer printed. He produced domestic bone china from 1800 and by 1810 was operating on a large scale; the business continued until 1887. Gilding, an extensive use of coloured grounds, flower-encrusted

Lignin

2005-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

Complex oxygen-containing organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief constituent of wood. It is second only to cellulose as the most abundant organic material on Earth, though it has found relatively few industrial uses other than as a fuel. It is a mixture of complex, apparently polymeric compounds of poorly known structure. Lignin is concentrated

Marc, Franz

2005-01-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Marc's early works were done in a self-consciously academic style, but in 1903 his stolid naturalism was lightened by his exposure to French Impressionist painting and later to

Annelid, Excretory system

2005-01-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Ammonia

Chiastolite

2005-01-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

A variety of the mineral andalusite (q.v.).

Faridkot

2005-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

Town, southwestern Punjab state, northwestern India, 70 miles (116 km) southwest of Ludhiana town. It was founded by Bhallan of the Burai Jat (a warrior community of northern India) during the 16th-century reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. It later came under British rule. Seized in 1803 by Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler of the historic Punjab, it was subsequently restored to the British by

Czech Republic, History Of

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

The Czech Republic came into being on Jan. 1, 1993, upon the dissolution of the Czechoslovak federation. At the time of separation, the federation's assets were divided at a ratio of two to one

Keratin

2005-01-06T01:50:00.000-08:00

Of the amino acids in keratin, cystine may account for as much as 24 percent. The numerous disulfide bonds formed by cystine are responsible

Augustine, Saint, Controversial writings

2005-01-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Of his works against the Manichaeans, the Confessions probably remains the most attractive and interesting; the sect itself is too little known today for detailed

La Spezia

2005-01-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

Formerly Spezia, capital of La Spezia province, Liguria region, northern Italy. The city, a major naval base, is located at the head of the Golfo della Spezia, southeast of Genoa. The site was inhabited in Roman times, but little is known of its history before 1276, when it was sold to Genoa by the Fieschi family. It became a maritime prefecture in the French Empire and then part of the Duchy of Genoa

Dowa Highlands

2004-12-30T01:24:00.000-08:00

Also called Chitembwe-mwera Highlands, central Malawi, rectangular formation covering an area of about 360 square miles (930 sq km); they comprise rolling hills crowned by high ridges including the heights of Dowa (5,571 feet [1,698 m]) and Ntchisi peaks. The highlands are bounded on three sides by steep slopes, forming the Eastern (Great) Rift Valley wall to the east and overlooking the Bua and Lilongwe river valleys to the north

Palestine, History Of, The Crusades

2004-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

A year after the capture of Jerusalem by the crusaders, the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem was established (Christmas Day, 1100). Thereafter, there was no effective check to the expansion of the crusaders' power until the capture of their stronghold at Edessa (modern Urfa, Tur.) by the atabeg of Mosul, 'Imad ad-Din Zangi ibn Aq Sonqur, in 1144. Zangi's anticrusader campaign was carried on after

Macaulay, Dame (emilie) Rose

2004-12-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Daughter of a university instructor, she grew up in an intellectually stimulating and liberal-minded home environment. She first attracted attention as a social satirist with a series of novels, Potterism (1920), Dangerous Ages (1921), Told by

Van Diemen's Land

2004-12-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

(1642–1855), the southeastern Australian island colony that became the commonwealth state of Tasmania. Named for Anthony van Diemen, governor general of the Dutch East Indies, the island was discovered and named in 1642 by Abel J. Tasman, a celebrated navigator under Van Diemen's command. The first British settlers in the early 19th century retained the name. After being a part of the

Trinidad And Tobago

2004-12-21T03:28:00.000-08:00

The nation's new coalition government

Ch'i

2004-12-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

Neo-Confucian philosophers

Terminal Velocity

2004-12-17T04:51:00.000-08:00

Steady speed achieved by an object freely falling through a gas or liquid. A typical terminal velocity for a parachutist who delays opening the chute is about 150 miles (240 kilometres) per hour. Raindrops fall at a much lower terminal velocity, and a mist of tiny oil droplets settles at an exceedingly small terminal velocity. An object dropped from rest will increase its

Jackson, A.v. Williams

2004-12-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

Jackson became an instructor at Columbia University soon after receiving his Ph.D. (1886). During a leave of absence in Europe, he continued to study Sanskrit,

Kermes

2004-12-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Either the scale insect (Kermes ilicis) or the bright-red dye obtained from the dried bodies of these insects. The dye was often part of the tribute paid to conquering Roman armies, and, in the Middle Ages, landlords accepted it as payment for rent. The oldest known red dyestuff, resembling but inferior to cochineal, it was used by the early Egyptians.

France, History Of, Henry IV

2004-12-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

The restoration of royal authority was not, of course, simply a matter of adjusting theories of kingship; there was a clear practical reason for Henry's success. The country had tottered on the brink of disintegration for three decades. By the time of Henry's succession, it was generally recognized that only a strong personality, independent of faction, could guarantee

Suckling, Sir John

2004-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

He was educated at Cambridge and inherited his father's considerable estates at the age of 18. He entered Gray's Inn in 1627 and was knighted in 1630. He became a prominent figure at court with a reputation for being “the greatest gallant of his time, and the greatest

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Allegory

2004-12-06T21:03:00.000-08:00

In terms of allegory, the Greco-Roman and Hebraic-Christian cultures both have a common

Aryabhata

2004-12-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

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

Burges, William

2004-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

During Burges' apprenticeship he studied medieval architecture, visiting the Continent to gain firsthand impressions. In 1856 he received the first award in an international competition for the Cathedral of Lille, France. He designed the Cathedral

Judaism, Historiated Bibles and legendary histories

2004-12-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

When, in 330 BCE, Alexander the Great completed his conquest of the Middle East, Judaism entered a new phase. The dominant features of the ensuing Hellenistic age were an increasing cosmopolitanism and a fusion of Oriental and Greek cultures. These found expression in Jewish myth and legend in the composition (in Greek) of stories designed to link the Bible with general history,

Alanbrooke (of Brookeborough), Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount, Baron Alanbrooke Of Brookeborough

2004-11-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

Educated in France and at the Royal Military Academy (Woolwich), he served in World War I. Between the world wars he distinguished himself in staff duties and was in charge of military training (1936–37). Brooke began service in World

Fisher, Alan (wainwright)

2004-11-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

Fisher left secondary school in 1939 to join the local office of NUPE as a junior clerk, later

Arabia Felix

2004-11-24T20:12:00.000-08:00

In ancient geography, the comparatively fertile region in southwestern and southern Arabia (in present-day Asir and Yemen), a region that contrasted with Arabia Deserta in barren central and northern Arabia and with Arabia Petraea (“Stony Arabia”) in northwestern Arabia, which came under the suzerainty of imperial Rome. The Greeks and Romans chose the name because

Pribilof Islands

2004-11-23T02:16:00.000-08:00

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

Elizabeth

2004-11-21T04:49:00.000-08:00

The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the youngest

Voyager

2004-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Voyager 2, launched on Aug. 20, 1977, traveled more slowly than its

Lenca

2004-11-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Indians of the northern highlands of Honduras and El Salvador who are somewhat intermediate culturally between the Maya to the north and circum-Caribbean peoples such as the Kuna to the south. The aboriginal culture of the Lenca has virtually disappeared and is not well known. It is thought that formerly each village was autonomous, controlled by a chief and a council

Schmidt, Arno

2004-11-15T02:40:00.000-08:00

In full Arno Otto Schmidt novelist, translator, and critic, whose experimental prose established him as the preeminent Modernist of 20th-century German literature. With roots in both German Romanticism and Expressionism, he attempted to develop modern prose forms that correspond more closely to the workings of the conscious and subconscious mind

Asbestos

2004-11-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

Any of several minerals that readily separate into long, flexible fibres. Chrysotile, the fibrous form of the mineral serpentine, is the best-known type and accounts for about 95 percent of all asbestos in commercial use. It is a hydrous magnesium silicate with the chemical composition of Mg3Si2O5(OH)4. The other types all belong to the amphibole group of minerals and include

Europe, History Of, The revolutions of 1848

2004-11-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

France's monarchy had turned toward greater repression in the 1840s, spurring new liberal agitation. Artisan concerns also had quickened, against their loss of status and shifts in work conditions following from rapid economic change; a major recession in 1846–47 added to popular unrest. Some socialist ideas spread among artisan leaders, who urged a regime in which workers

Quill

2004-11-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Calamus, hollow, horny barrel of a bird's feather, used as the principal writing instrument from the 6th century until the mid-19th century, when steel pen points were introduced. The strongest quills were obtained from living birds in their new growth period in the spring. Only the five outer wing feathers (follicles) were considered suitable for writing; the second and third were

Ibn 'aqil

2004-11-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

In 1055–66 Ibn 'Aqil received instruction in Islamic law according to the tenets of the

Micronesia

2004-11-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

To the west of the Federated States

Aerospace Industry, Verification

2004-11-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Critical for all aerospace vehicles, once they are assembled, are the methods for ensuring the quality of the manufacturing and assembly processes. In the case of aircraft this involves extensive inspections of structural and mechanical items, including functional verification of equipment such as control surfaces and systems, landing-gear operation, avionics

Ipiutak Culture

2004-11-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Eskimo culture of northwestern Alaska, probably dating from the 2nd to the 6th century AD. A Siberian origin has been suggested, based on similarities in burial practices and ceremonialism, animal carvings and designs, and some use of iron; but evidence is not conclusive. There seem to be links with the Kachemak culture (q.v.) as well as with some areas of southwestern and western

Amplitude

2004-11-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

In physics, the maximum displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave measured from its equilibrium position. It is equal to one-half the length of the vibration path. The amplitude of a pendulum is thus one-half the distance that the bob traverses in moving from one side to the other. Waves are generated by vibrating sources, their amplitude being

Metapontum

2004-11-01T01:26:00.000-08:00

Greek Metapontion, ancient Greek city in Italy on the Gulf of Tarentum, near the mouth of the Bradanus (Bradano) River. It was founded by an Achaean colony from Sybaris and Croton about 700 BC. Pythagoras died at Metapontum c. 500. The city declined after 207 when its inhabitants, who had supported Hannibal in the years following his victory at the Battle of Cannae (216), followed the defeated Carthaginian

Utility And Value

2004-10-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

The modern industrial economy is characterized by a high degree of interdependence of its parts. The supplier of components or raw materials, for example, must deliver the desired quantities of his products at the right moment and in the desired specifications. In economies such as those of western

Gadara

2004-10-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

Modern Umm Qays ancient city of Palestine, a member of the Decapolis, located just southeast of the Sea of Galilee in Jordan. Gadara first appeared in history when it fell to the Seleucid Antiochus the Great (218 BC); the Jewish king Alexander Jannaeus took it after 10 months' siege (c. 100 BC). It was restored by the Roman general Pompey, and Augustus gave it to Herod the Great (30 BC). Archaeological remains include

Italian Labour Union

2004-10-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

Italian Unione Italiana Del Lavoro (UIL) Italian trade union federation with more than a million and a half members. The UIL was formed in 1950 in opposition to the communist-dominated Italian General Confederation of Labour, Italy's largest trade union federation, and the Roman Catholic-supported Italian Confederation of Syndicated Labourers. The federation is affiliated with the International Confederation

Domeykite

2004-10-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

A copper arsenide mineral (formulated Cu3As) that is often intergrown with algodonite, another copper arsenide. Both are classified among the sulfide minerals, although they contain no sulfur. They occur in Chile, in Keweenaw County, Mich., and in other localities. Domeykite crystallizes in the isometric system. For detailed physical properties, see sulfide

Tag

2004-10-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Also called touch , or tig children's game in which, in its simplest form, one player (“it,” or “he”) chases the others and tries to touch one of them, making the person touched “it.” The game is known by many other names. In some games, it is pretended that the touch carries some form of contagion—e.g., plague (Italy), leprosy (Madagascar), fleas (Spain), or “lurgy fever” (Great Britain). In others, a method of achieving immunity

Culture Area

2004-10-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Among the most important writers on the subject of culture areas were Sir Halford Mackinder

'attar, Farid Od-din

2004-10-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

As a young man Farid od-Din traveled widely, visiting Egypt, Syria, Arabia, India, and Central Asia. He finally settled in his native town, Nishapur, in northeastern Iran, where he spent

Belgium

2004-10-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Belgian Parliament approved a further decentralization of power to the country's three regions during 2001. After six months of intense negotiations between the major political parties, it was agreed in July that responsibility for agricultural policy, foreign trade, development cooperation, and control over communal and provincial councils would pass from

Alexander Of Tralles

2004-10-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Latin Alexander Trallianus (c. 525–c. 605), Byzantine physician who practiced and taught in Rome, best known for his treatise on pathology and therapy (in 12 books), which served as a basis for instruction long after his death. It was translated into Arabic and Latin (Libri duodecim de re medica) and was printed in Greek, Latin, and Greco-Latin editions throughout the 16th century.

Anthimus Of Iberia

2004-10-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Romanian Antim Ivireanul metropolitan of Walachia (now part of Romania), linguist, typographer, and ecclesiastical writer who contributed greatly to the development of the Romanian language and literature by his translation and printing of biblical and liturgical texts and by his own writings in ethics and asceticism. He is also honoured as one of the earliest Romanian

Shensi, The people

2004-10-21T04:43:00.000-07:00

The people are nearly all Han (Chinese) and speak the Northwest Mandarin dialect. Some Hui (Chinese Muslim) communities remain in the south and northwest of the province. Most of the population is settled in the Wei and Han valleys; the uplands are more sparsely settled. The chief cities are Sian, Pao-chi, Hsien-yang, T'ung-ch'uan, and Han-chung. Other cities include An-k'ang,

Saale River

2004-10-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Left tributary of the Elbe River, 265 miles (426 km) long and draining 9,165 square miles (23,737 square km). It rises in the Fichtelgebirge, a Bavarian highland area in southern Germany, and flows north and northwest past Hof, Saalfeld, Rudolstadt, Jena, Naumburg, Weissenfels, Merseburg, Halle, Bernburg, and Niemberg to join the Elbe just above Barby. Initially passing through well-wooded hills,

Allon, Yigal

2004-10-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Allon was one of the first commanders of the Palmach, an elite branch of the Haganah, a Zionist military organization

Aalto, Alvar

2004-10-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

A definitive review of Aalto's work, extremely well illustrated with photographs and plans, is the two-volume work edited by Karl Fleig: Alvar Aalto (1963) and Alvar Aalto 1963–1970 (1971). A brief essay by Farederick Gutheim, Alvar Aalto (1960), contains descriptive and critical comments as well as many photographs. A similar book is George Baird, Alvar Aalto (1970). A substantial chapter on Aalto appears in Sigfried Giedion, Space, Time and Architecture, 5th ed. rev. (1967), and is an excellent critical treatment of Aalto's architecture. No purely biographical work exists.

Moiseiwitsch, Benno

2004-10-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

His early training was with Dmitry Klimov in Odessa; Moiseiwitsch won the Rubinstein Prize at the age of nine. He studied with Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna from 1904 to 1908, then joined his family in England, making

Ray, James Earl

2004-10-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Ray had been a small-time crook, a robber of gas stations and stores, who had served time in prison, once in Illinois and twice in Missouri, and received a suspended sentence in Los Angeles. He escaped from the Missouri State Penitentiary on April 23, 1967; and in Memphis,

Arabian Desert

2004-10-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

People have inhabited the Arabian Desert since early Pleistocene times. Artifacts have been found widely, including at Neolithic sites in Qatar and Dubai, but are most abundant in the southwestern Rub' al-Khali. Archaeological research sponsored by the Saudi government has uncovered many Paleolithic sites. Remains of cultures from the past 3,000 years occur in many

East Flanders

2004-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Flemish Oost-Vlaanderen , French Flandre Orientale province, northwestern Belgium, extending southward from the Netherlands border. Drained by the Leie, Schelde (Escaut or Scheldt), and Dender (Dendre) rivers, it is divided into six administrative arrondissements (Aalst, Dendermonde, Eeklo, Ghent, Oudenaarde, and Sint-Niklaas). It was formerly part of the old principality of Flanders, other parts of which are contained

West Bridgewater

2004-10-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Town (township), Plymouth county, eastern Massachusetts, approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Boston. The area was deeded by Massasoit, a Wampanoag Indian chief and sachem (intertribal leader) of all Wampanoags, to six people in trust for 56 proprietors of Duxbury plantation for the price of knives, hatchets, hoes, coats, and cotton. It was settled by colonists in 1656. Some mills were

Maser

2004-10-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Device that produces and amplifies electromagnetic radiation mainly in the microwave region of the spectrum. The maser operates according to the same basic principle as the laser (the name of which is formed from the acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”) and shares many of its characteristics. The first maser was built by the American

Dance Fly

2004-10-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

Courtship involves the presentation of a dead fly to the female by the male. Mating does not take place until the

Cantus Firmus

2004-10-09T04:15:00.000-07:00

Plural Cantus Firmi, preexistent melody, such as a plainchant excerpt, underlying a polyphonic musical composition (one consisting of several independent voices or parts). The 11th- and 12th-century organum added a simple second melody (duplum) to an existing plainchant melody (the vox principalis, or principal voice), which by the end of the 12th century was stretched so as to accommodate a melody.

Calas, Jean

2004-10-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 13, 1761, Calas's eldest son, MarcAntoine, was found hanged in his father's textile shop in Toulouse. Anti-Huguenot hysteria broke out among the local Roman Catholic populace,

Wainscot Chair

2004-10-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Also called Panel Chair, a joined wooden chair, usually made of oak, hence the name wainscot, which was used to describe a fine grade of oak usually used for paneling. Like many terms used in reference to furniture, it has a general and a particular meaning. The general sense is any heavy wooden chair of fairly simple construction. The more specific reference is to a wooden chair with turned (shaped

Carnivore, Natural history

2004-10-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Canids are basically meat eaters, although some vegetable matter is taken. The gray or timber wolf (Canis lupus), the African hunting dog (Lycaon pictus), and the dhole, or wild dog of India (Cuon alpinus), are strictly carnivorous. The various foxes and jackals, coyotes, and the raccoon dog eat whatever food is abundant—small mammals, birds, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fruits,

Fujiwara Tadahira

2004-10-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Japanese statesman who assumed the leadership of the Fujiwara family in 909 upon the death of his brother Tokihira. Although in his later years Tokihira had begun to dominate the government, he had never assumed the title of kampaku (chancellor). The post had been created and first assumed by their father, Fujiwara Mototsune, and allowed to lapse by the emperor

France, History Of, The partitioning of the Carolingian empire

2004-10-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

After the death of Louis I the Pious (840), his sons continued their plotting to alter the succession. Louis II the German and Charles II the Bald affirmed their alliance against Lothair I (Oath of Strasbourg, 842).

Wakan

2004-10-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

Also called Wakonda, or Wakanda, among various American Indian groups, a great spiritual power of supernatural origin belonging to some natural objects. Wakan may be conceived of as a weak or strong power; the weak powers can be ignored, but the strong ones must be placated. Poisonous plants and reptiles can contain wakan, as can intoxicating drinks. Wakan beings are the immortal supernatural powers

Ghent, State University Of

2004-10-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Dutch Rijksuniversiteit Te Gent, state-financed coeducational institution of higher learning with limited autonomy in Ghent, Belg. Founded in 1817 under King William I of The Netherlands, the university at first conducted its instruction in Latin; in 1830 the language was changed to French; in 1916, during the German occupation of World War I, to Flemish (Dutch); in 1918 back to French; and by 1930 back permanently to Flemish.

Race, Enlightenment philosophers and taxonomists

2004-10-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

The development of the idea and ideology of race coincided with the rise of science in American and European cultures. Much of the inspiration for the growth of science has been credited to the period known as the Enlightenment that spanned most of the 18th century. Many early Enlightenment writers believed in the power of education and fostered very liberal ideals