WetBeach

Astronaut

2005-04-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Person trained to pilot a spacecraft, operate any of its various systems, or conduct scientific experiments aboard such a craft during spaceflights. The term is commonly applied to those participating in U.S. space missions, as opposed to the designation cosmonaut used to refer to Soviet space travelers. The U.S. Department of Defense awards the rating of astronaut

Mercer, Johnny

2005-04-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Educated in Virginia, Mercer arrived in New York City in the late 1920s and acted in bit parts until his collaboration with Everett Miller on “Out of Breath and Scared to Death of You” was accepted for the revue Garrick

France, History Of, The Army of the Republic

2005-04-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Jacobin dictatorship had been an unstable blend of exalted patriotism, resolute political leadership, ideological fanaticism, and populist initiatives. The rhetoric and symbolism of democracy constituted a new civic pedagogy, matched by bold egalitarian policies. The army was a primary focal point of this democratic impetus. Back in 1790 the National Assembly

Cape Verde

2005-04-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund structural-adjustment programs had profound implications for national politics in Cape Verde in 2000. Designed to help attract foreign investment, the government's privatization program—especially the privatization of the state petroleum company Enacol—was strongly criticized by the main opposition party, the

Tu Duc

2005-04-03T04:01:00.000-07:00

The son of Emperor Thieu Tri, Prince Nguyen Phuoc Hoang Nham was chosen over his older brother to succeed his father. He ascended the throne in 1847, taking the reigning name Tu

Baseball

2005-04-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

As part of its millennium celebration, major league baseball conducted fan balloting to honor the All-Century Team. Twenty-five players were selected via the voting process; five others were added to bring the roster to 30; and the living members of the elite squad were sent to Atlanta for a ceremony before game two of the World Series. Among those present was Pete Rose,

Moses De León

2005-04-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

The details of Moses de León's life, like those of most Jewish mystics,

Osage River

2005-04-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

River rising as the Marais des Cygnes (French: “Swan Marshes”) in the Flint Hills near Eskridge, Kan., U.S. It becomes the Osage (named for the Osage Indians) after its junction with the Little Osage near Rich Hill, Mo., and then flows east through the Ozark highlands to enter the Missouri River near Jefferson City. The river is 500 miles (800 km) long and drains 15,300 square miles (39,600 square km). Along

Ulanova, Galina

2005-03-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

The daughter of dancers Sergey Ulanov and Marie Romanova of the Mariinsky Ballet (called the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet during the Soviet period), Ulanova was trained in the

Plomer, William (charles Franklyn)

2005-03-30T03:59:00.000-08:00

Plomer was educated in England but returned with his family to South Africa after World War I. His experience as an apprentice on a remote farm in the eastern Cape when he was 17 alerted

Holcroft, Thomas

2005-03-29T05:38:00.000-08:00

The son of a peddler, Holcroft worked as a stableboy, cobbler, and teacher before he was able to make his living as a writer. He is remembered for his melodrama The Road to Ruin (performed 1792, often revived); his translation of Beaumarchais's play Le Mariage de Figaro (Paris, 1784) under the title The Follies

Daily World

2005-03-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

The Daily Worker was variously the organ and the “semi-official” voice of the party, and its readers have included numerous U.S. government intelligence agents, who also have monitored its list of subscribers. In 1958 the paper became a weekly as The

Mussato, Albertino

2005-03-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

Mussato earned his living as a copyist while studying for the profession of notary. He was knighted in 1296 and, after becoming a member of the Council of Padua, was sent in 1302 as ambassador to Pope Boniface VIII. In 1311 he

Hardie, J(ames) Keir

2005-03-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

British labour leader, first to represent the workingman in Parliament as an Independent (1892) and first to lead the Labour Party in the House of Commons (1906). A dedicated socialist, he was also an outspoken pacifist (from the time of the South African, or Boer, War, 1899–1902) and the chief adviser (from 1903) to the militant suffragists headed by Emmeline

Amram Bar Sheshna

2005-03-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Head of the Talmudic academy at Sura, Babylonia, traditionally regarded as the first Jewish authority to write a complete domestic and synagogal liturgy for the year, the Siddur Rav Amram (“Order of Prayers of Rabbi Amram”). Amram's work, forerunner in this field of those of Sa'adia ben Joseph and Maimonides, laid the foundations for the liturgies of both the Sephardim

World War I, The Balkan front, 1918

2005-03-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

At Salonika the Allies' politically ambitious but militarily ineffective commander in chief, General Sarrail, was replaced at the end of 1917 by General Guillaumat, who was in turn succeeded in July 1918 by General L.-F.-F. Franchet d'Esperey, who launched a major offensive in September with six Serbian and two French divisions against a seven-mile front held by only one Bulgarian

Muffat, Georg

2005-03-26T01:32:00.000-08:00

Muffat held positions as organist at Molsheim and Strasbourg cathedrals and in 1678 became organist to the archbishop of Salzburg. In 1681 he went to Italy and in Rome studied with

Ester

2005-03-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Carboxylic acid esters, formula RCOOR¢ (R and R¢ are any organic combining groups), are commonly prepared by reaction of carboxylic acids and alcohols in the presence of hydrochloric acid or sulfuric

Middlebury

2005-03-24T17:33:00.000-08:00

Town (township), seat of Addison county, west-central Vermont, U.S. The area was chartered in 1761, along with Salisbury and New Haven, and named for its location midway between the other two. Settled in 1773 by Benjamin Smalley, it was temporarily abandoned (1778–83) because of Tory and Indian attacks. Middlebury College (noted for its summer Bread Loaf Writers' Conference) was chartered in

Culverin

2005-03-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

The culverin was adapted to field use by the French in the mid-15th century and to naval use by the English in the late 16th century. During the 17th century, cannons were classified according to the weight of projectiles fired, and

Polar Wandering

2005-03-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

The migration over the surface of the Earth of the magnetic poles of the Earth through geological time. It was long recognized that the directions of magnetization of many rocks do not correspond to the present direction of the geomagnetic field at their sites; but not until the 1950s was there sufficient paleomagnetic data to suggest that the poles had moved in a systematic

Mauritius Hemp

2005-03-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Although the plant is native to Brazil, commercial production of the fibre did not begin there until about 1875. The plant was introduced to Mauritius in the late 18th century. Fibre from the highland is referred to as “aloe malgache,” and from the lower

Iraq, Recurrence of military coups, 196368

2005-03-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

The military faction that brought about the collapse of the Qasim regime preferred to remain behind the scenes rather than assume direct responsibility. The Ba'th Party, a group of young activists who advocated Arab nationalism and socialism, was entrusted with power. Ba'th leaders invited 'Abd al-Salam 'Arif to assume the presidency. A National Council for Revolutionary

Crochet

2005-03-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Craft that developed in the 19th century out of a form of chain-stitch embroidery done with a hook instead of a needle. In crochet work the hook is used, without a foundation material, to make a texture of looped and interlinked chains of thread. In the late 1840s crochet was introduced into Ireland as a famine relief measure. In southern Ireland the industry centred in Cork,

Likoma Island

2005-03-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

Island in Lake Nyasa, Malawi, just northwest of Cóbuè, Mozambique. Located near the lake's eastern shore, the rocky and barren island has an area of 7 square miles (18 square km). There is some fishing and limited cultivation of grain; cassava and corn (maize) are imported. The Universities' Mission to Central Africa (Church of England) established a station there in 1885 as a base for

San Bernardino Mountains

2005-03-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges, extending southeastward for 55 mi (90 km) from Cajon Pass to San Gorgonio Pass in southern California, U.S. The two main peaks, San Bernardino (10,630 ft [3,240 m]) and San Gorgonio (11,502 ft; highest point in southern California), lie east of the city of San Bernardino. Much of the range is embraced by a division of the San Bernardino National Forest, where the main

Furniture, France and England: 17th and 18th centuries

2005-03-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

The French Rococo chair in its most mature form—that is, as developed in Paris around 1750—spread over most of Europe and has been imitated or copied into the mid-20th century. The model owes its popularity to a combination of comfort and elegance. The seat conforms to the human body and permits a relaxed sitting position. The back is bow-shaped, the legs curved. Normally the seat

Pitted Shell Turtle

2005-03-20T04:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Fly River Turtle, or New Guinea Plateless Turtle (species Carettochelys insculpta), any member of a single species in the turtle family Carettochelyidae. The species lives in rivers in southern New Guinea and in a limited region in northern Australia. A combination of characteristics separates C. insculpta from other turtles, including a leathery shell with no scutes and sea turtlelike flippers. Little is known

Furniture, Early Middle Ages

2005-03-20T03:08:00.000-08:00

With the collapse of the Roman Empire during the 4th–5th centuries, Europe sank into a period in which little furniture, except the most basic, was used: chairs, stools, benches, and primitive chests were the most common items. Several centuries were to pass before the invading Teutonic peoples evolved forms of furniture that approached the Roman standard of domestic

Air Warfare, Air superiority

2005-03-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

Airspeeds of the new fighters jumped to more than 400 miles per hour, and some planes could operate at altitudes of 30,000 feet. Wing-mounted machine guns and aerial cannon were lethal at 600 yards, and pilots communicated with one another and the ground via the radio telephone. These developments—especially the greater speeds—led Germans participating in the Spanish Civil

Flórez, Enrique

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

In 1718 Flórez entered the Augustinian order and studied philosophy with the priests of Piedrahita, moving a year later

Jacksonville

2005-03-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

City, Morgan county, west-central Illinois, U.S. Laid out in 1825 as the county seat and named in honour of Andrew Jackson, it soon acquired a distinctive educational, institutional, and religious character, which it largely retains. Illinois College (founded there in 1829 and affiliated with the United Church of Christ) was the first in the state to graduate a college class. Other

Andrea Da Firenze

2005-03-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Andrea studied at the Arte dei Medici e degli Speziali in Florence. At the end of 1365 he was commissioned to decorate the chapter house of the church of Sta. Maria Novella. Also attributed to him are the decorations in the Spanish chapel and

Torchon Lace

2005-03-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

Coarse bobbin-made lace (see bobbin lace) made by peasants in most European countries in which simple geometric patterns are carried out. With other simple kinds of lace it was the mainstay of the lace makers of the Austrian Tirol. It is the type of lace on which apprentices generally begin learning the craft.

Moreau, Gustave

2005-03-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

The only influence that really affected Moreau's development was that of his master, Théodore Chassériau (1819–56), an eclectic painter whose depictions of enigmatic sea goddesses deeply impressed his student. In the Salon of 1853 he exhibited “Scene

Gongbi

2005-03-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization kung-pi in Chinese painting, meticulous brush technique that delimits details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. It is often highly coloured and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects. The term gongbi is also used to refer to paintings that are generally more descriptive than interpretive. Gongbi paintings are considered to be

Endive

2005-03-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

(Cichorium endivia), edible annual leafy plant of the family Asteraceae, variously believed to have originated in Egypt and Indonesia and cultivated in Europe since the 16th century. Its many varieties form two groups, the curly-leaved, or narrow-leaved, endive (crispa), and the Batavian, or broad-leaved, endive (latifolia). The former is mostly used for salads, the latter for

Haakon Vii

2005-03-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

The second son of the future king Frederick VIII of Denmark, he was originally called Prince Charles (Carl) of Denmark. He was trained for a naval career. In 1896 he married Princess Maud, daughter of England's Edward VII. He was offered the Norwegian crown in

Arbeau, Thoinot

2005-03-14T01:44:00.000-08:00

Orchésographie is

Byng Of Vimy (of Thorpe-le-soken), Julian Hedworth George Byng, Viscount

2005-03-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

A career soldier from 1883, Byng was promoted to major general in 1909. As commander of the Canadian Corps in France (from May 1916), he was responsible for one of the most famous Canadian victories in either world war, the capture of Vimy Ridge, north of Arras (April 9, 1917). As commander of

China, Armed forces

2005-03-13T05:28:00.000-08:00

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the unified organization of all Chinese land, sea, and air forces. The history of the PLA is officially traced to the Nan-ch'ang Uprising of Aug. 1, 1927, which is celebrated annually as PLA Day. The PLA is one of the world's largest military forces, with approximately 3,000,000 members. Military service is compulsory for all men who attain the age of 18; women

Condorcet, Marie-jean-antoine-nicolas De Caritat, Marquis De

2005-03-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

He was descended from the ancient family of Caritat, who took their title from Condorcet, a town in Dauphiné. He was educated

Brialmont, Henri-alexis

2005-03-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Brussels military school, Brialmont entered the Belgian army in 1843 and rose to the rank of major general (1874) and the post of inspector general of fortifications (1875). Brialmont's innovations developed out of his plans to fortify Antwerp and

Biblical Literature, Genesis

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

This book is called Bereshit in the Hebrew original, after its first word (and the first word of the Bible), meaning “In the beginning.” It tells of the beginnings of the world and man and of those acclaimed as ancestors of the Hebrew people—all under the shaping action and purpose of God. The book falls into two main parts: chapters 1–11, dealing with the primeval history, and chapters

Coin Collecting

2005-03-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

The history of coin collecting begins with the Italian Renaissance, and the 14th-century poet Petrarch was characteristic of his time in forming a series of ancient classical coins. During the 15th and 16th centuries many collections were made by princely or noble

China, The Southeast Mountains

2005-03-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Southeastern China is bordered by a rocky shoreline backed by picturesque mountains. In general, there is a distinct structural and topographic trend from northeast to southwest. The higher peaks may reach altitudes of 5,000 to 6,500 feet. The rivers are short and fast-flowing and have cut steep-sided valleys. The chief areas of settlement are on narrow strips of coastal plain

Insurance, Other provisions

2005-03-10T04:51:00.000-08:00

Life insurance policies contain various clauses that protect the rights of beneficiaries and the insured. Perhaps the best-known is the incontestable clause, which provides that if a policy has been in force for two years the insurer may not afterward refuse to pay the proceeds or cancel the contract for any reason except nonpayment of premiums. Thus, if the insured

Mare's-tail

2005-03-09T01:12:00.000-08:00

The aquatic plant Hippuris vulgaris or either of two other species of its genus, which constitute the water milfoil family (Hippuridaceae). Mare's-tail grows from submerged, stout rootstocks along the margins of lakes and ponds in temperate regions throughout the world. It resembles the unrelated horsetail (Equisetum species) in having whorls of small, linear leaves

Esterhazy

2005-03-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

Town, southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It lies in the Qu'Appelle River valley, 132 miles (212 km) east of Regina. It is named after Count Paul Otto d'Esterházy (1830–1912), a French-Hungarian nobleman who promoted settlement in the area. Esterhazy is a marketing town for a mixed-farming (especially wheat) and stock-raising region and has flour-milling and dairying industries. Since 1962, however,

Requena

2005-03-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

City, Valencia provincia and comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), eastern Spain. Overlooking the left bank of the Magro River, the city, 2,270 feet (692 metres) above sea level, commands the Utiel plain. Settlement of Requena's site dates from antiquity; there are remains of Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Muslim occupation. During the 12th and 13th centuries the city was a battleground

Cadillac, Antoine Laumet De La Mothe

2005-03-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

With permission

General Store

2005-03-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Retail store in a small town or rural community that carries a wide variety of goods, including groceries. In the United States the general store was the successor of the early trading post, which served the pioneers and early settlers. Located at a crossroads or in a village, it served the surrounding community and farmers from the neighbouring countryside and carried

Kabila, Laurent

2005-03-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Kabila was born into the Luba tribe in the southern province of Katanga. He studied political philosophy

Vologeses I

2005-03-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Vologeses gave the kingdom of Media Atropatene to his brother Pacorus and occupied Armenia for another brother, Tiridates. Parthian control of Armenia, however, led to a long war with the Romans (AD 54–63). A peace was finally concluded by which Tiridates was acknowledged as a Roman client

Henie, Sonja

2005-03-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

Henie began skating when she was six years old. At age 10 she won the Norwegian national figure-skating championship, and

Davies (of Hereford), John

2005-03-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

Davies settled in Oxford and became known as the best penman of his day. As well as other religious verse treatises, he wrote Wittes Pilgrimage . . . (c. 1610), a collection of love sonnets; and Humours Heav'n on Earth; with the Civile Warres

Greville, Fulke, 1st Baron Brooke

2005-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Greville's Life of the Renowned Sir Philip Sidney (1652) is a valuable commentary

Giraldus Cambrensis

2005-03-03T23:58:00.000-08:00

Of noble

Bagirmi, Kingdom Of

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

Bagirmi also spelled Baguirmi, historic African state founded in the 16th century in the region just southeast of Lake Chad. Europeans first learned about the existence of Bagirmi and the other powerful states of central Africa (Wadai Bornu-Kanem) when Dixon Denham penetrated the Lake Chad region in 1823. Details became known particularly from written records of the later explorers Heinrich Barth

Indian Evidence Act

2005-03-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Act passed by the British Parliament in 1872 that set forth the rules of evidence admissible in Indian courts and that had far-reaching consequences for the traditional systems of caste government in India. Since ancient times, the way of resolving intracaste disputes had been by discussing the grievances in open meetings of the caste council. All information that

Aleutian Basin

2005-03-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Submarine depression forming the floor of the southwestern section of the Bering Sea in the Pacific Ocean. On the west it rises to meet Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula; on the northeast, the continental shelf of North America off southwestern Alaska; and on the south, the Aleutian Islands. The basin extends about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) north-south and 600 miles (1,000 km) east-west and is

Cape Tulip

2005-03-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

A few species have white flowers. Some species are variously known as Natal paintbrush, Catherine wheel, giant paintbrush, and

China, San-kuo (Three Kingdoms; AD 220280)

2005-03-01T04:22:00.000-08:00

By the end of the 2nd century AD the Han Empire had virtually ceased to exist. The repression of the Taoist rebellions of the Yellow Turbans and related sects marked the beginning of a period of unbridled warlordism and political chaos, from which three independent centres of political power emerged. In the north all authority had passed into the hands of the generalissimo

World War I

2005-03-01T03:16:00.000-08:00

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

Eijkman, Christiaan

2005-02-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

Eijkman received a medical degree from the University of Amsterdam (1883) and served as a medical officer in the Dutch East

Ramenskoye

2005-02-28T00:39:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ramenskoje , or Ramenskoe city and centre of a rayon (sector), Moscow oblast (province), western Russia. It lies southeast of the city of Moscow. In the 1820s Ramenskoye became the site of one of Russia's first cotton factories and soon developed as an industrial village. Incorporated in 1926, the city is now a textile and engineering centre as well as a residential suburb of Moscow. It has a medical school and

Ando Shoeki

2005-02-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Ando was a native of Akita. He practiced medicine at Hachinohe, in the present Aomori prefecture, but became prominent as a social thinker in the 1750s. Ando was critical of the feudal society

Fort Stanwix, Treaties Of

2005-02-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

(1768, 1784), cession by the Iroquois Confederacy of land in what are now western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New York, opening vast tracts of territory west of the Appalachian Mountains to white exploitation and settlement. Soon after the Proclamation of 1763 (see 1763, Proclamation of), which followed the last French and Indian War, British authorities recognized that

Biplane

2005-02-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

Airplane with two wings, one above the other. In the 1890s this configuration was adopted for some successful piloted gliders. The Wright brothers' biplanes (1903–09) opened the era of powered flight. Biplanes predominated in military and commercial aviation from World War I through the early 1930s, but the biplane's greater maneuverability could not offset the speed advantage of

Probability Theory, Bayes's theorem

2005-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Consider now the defining relation (4) for the conditional probability P(An|B), where the Ai are mutually exclusive and their union is the entire sample space. Substitution of P(An)P(B|An) in the numerator of (4) and substitution of the right-hand side of the law of total probability in the denominator yields a result known as Bayes's theorem (after the 18th-century English clergyman Thomas Bayes)

Katz, Sir Bernard

2005-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

German-born British biophysicist (b. March 26, 1911, Leipzig, Ger.—d. April 20, 2003, London, Eng.), shared (with American biochemist Julius Axelrod and Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler) the 1970 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discoveries concerning the chemistry of nerve transmission. Katz was singled out for his studies on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the mechanism

Hunt, Helen

2005-02-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

It seemed that everyone was mad about Helen Hunt in 1998. The year began with the American actress winning a Golden Globe for her performance as a lonely waitress in the surprise hit film As Good as It Gets (1997). A Screen Actors Guild Award soon followed, and in March she received an Academy Award, which completed her sweep of the major American film honours for best actress. Her

Goodall, Sir Reginald

2005-02-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Goodall studied at the Royal College of Music in London and in Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna before joining the Sadler's Wells company in 1944. The next year he conducted the first performance of Benjamin Britten's opera

Switzerland, Economic expansion

2005-02-24T03:14:00.000-08:00

The unification of the Swiss economy both promoted and was promoted by the rail network that rapidly expanded as soon as the new constitution had been adopted. In 1847 the first railroad had opened between Zürich and Baden. The railways were built not according to central planning but through competition among private entrepreneurs. The result was an extensive network

Vientiane

2005-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Viangchan, largest city and capital of Laos, situated on a plain just northeast of the Mekong River. The city's central river port location in a country relying heavily on its rivers for transportation and its surrounding hinterland of intensive rice cultivation have made Vientiane the major economic centre of Laos. The city has a tropical monsoon climate, every month having

Puelche

2005-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Little is known of the Puelche prior to the

Antananarivo

2005-02-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Formerly Tananarive, town and national capital of Madagascar, central Madagascar island. It was founded in the 17th century and was the capital of the Hova chiefs. It stands on a high hill. Avenues and flights of steps lead up to a rocky ridge (4,694 feet [1,431 m]) on which stands the Royal Estate, with towered palaces built by the Imerina kings who captured the town in 1794 and ruled until the end of the 19th century.

Holarctic Region

2005-02-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

One of the six major land areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life. It is part of the Megagaean realm; it encompasses all the nontropical parts of Europe and Asia, Africa north of the Sahara, and North America south to the Mexican desert region. This vast region is often subdivided into the Palaearctic (Old World) and Nearctic (New World)

Earth Sciences, Charles Lyell and uniformitarianism

2005-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

In opposition to the catastrophist school of thought, the British geologist Charles Lyell proposed a uniformitarian interpretation of geologic history in his Principles of Geology (3 vols., 1830–33). His system was based on two propositions: the causes of geologic change operating include all the causes that have acted from the earliest time; and these causes have always

Allport, Gordon W(illard)

2005-02-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

Appointed a social science instructor at Harvard University in 1924, he became professor of psychology six years later and, in the last year of his life, professor of social ethics. He consistently related his approach to the study of personality to

Hanks, Tom

2005-02-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

After a nomadic childhood, Hanks majored in drama at California State University and performed in summer stock

Water Rat

2005-02-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Any of 18 species of amphibious carnivorous rodents. They exhibit many adaptations associated with hunting in water for food and burrowing along streams, rivers, and lakes. The eyes are small, the nostrils can be closed to keep water out, and the external portion of the ears is either small and furry or absent. Highly sensitive whiskers are abundant on the fleshy blunt

Jerusalem, Siegfried

2005-02-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

Siegfried Jerusalem's name and voice were both well suited to a Wagnerian heldentenor. Strong, clear, and expressive, with a slight vibrato to give it richness, his voice was, Jerusalem believed, perfect for the role of Siegmund in Die Walküre. He also was praised for his effortless phrasing and seductive tone. In addition, Jerusalem had the good looks and athletic build

Amnesty International

2005-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

(AI), international organization headquartered in London that seeks to inform public opinion about violations of human rights, especially the abridgments of freedom of speech and of religion and the imprisonment and torture of political dissidents, and which actively seeks the release of political prisoners and the relief, when necessary, of their families. In

Raymond Iii

2005-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

Raymond succeeded to the countship after the assassination of his father, Raymond II, in 1152. In his campaigns against the Muslims he was taken prisoner by their leader Nureddin in 1164 but was released in 1172. When the new king of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV, took the throne

Philippe And Mathilde, Prince And Princess Of Belgium

2005-02-17T00:20:00.000-08:00

The social event of the decade in Belgium was the marriage of Crown Prince Philippe to Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz on Dec. 4, 1999. The 39-year-old prince had kept his relationship with the 26-year-old speech therapist private until their engagement was announced in September 1999. In three months' time, Mathilde went from a life of relative anonymity to becoming one of Belgium's most well-known

Anne Of Cleves

2005-02-16T23:02:00.000-08:00

Fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Henry married Anne because he believed that he needed to form a political alliance with her brother William, duke of Cleves, who was a leader of the Protestants of western Germany. He thought the alliance was necessary because in 1539 it appeared that the two major Roman Catholic powers, France and the Holy Roman

Ramses Ii

2005-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

One measure of Egypt's prosperity is the amount of temple building the kings could afford to carry out, and on that basis the reign of Ramses II is the most notable in Egyptian history, even making allowance for its great length. It was that, combined with his prowess in war as depicted in the temples, that led the Egyptologists of the 19th century to dub him “the Great,” and that,

Holbæk

2005-02-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

City and port, Vestsjælland amtskommune (county commune), northern Sjælland (Zealand), Denmark, on Holbæk Fjord. An old-established market town chartered in 1250, it is a rail junction with small industries and a modern harbour that supports fishing and shipbuilding. The local museum comprises farmsteads, workshops, and merchants' houses of former times. Pop. (1986 est.) city, 21,512; (1988 est.)

Sucking

2005-02-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

Drawing of fluids into the mouth by creating a vacuum pressure in the oral cavity. Mammalian infants rely on this method of food ingestion until they are capable of eating more solid substances. A partial vacuum is created in the oral cavity by retracting the tongue to the back of the mouth. The rear portion of the tongue seals against the roof of the mouth, allowing

Nabighah, An-

2005-02-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

Nabighah belonged to the tribe of Dhubyan. The origin of his name is uncertain, as are details of his early life. He lived in luxury and favour for many years at the court of the Lakhmid Arab kings of al-Hirah in Iraq, incurring the jealousy of the other courtiers. According to one story, which seems to

Skate Sailing

2005-02-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

The skate sail is generally rectangular or triangular in shape and about 50 to 60 square feet (5 to 6 square m) in area. It is stretched to

Induan Stage

2005-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Lowermost of two divisions of the Lower Triassic Series, representing those rocks deposited worldwide during Induan time (from 248 million to 245 million years ago) in the Triassic Period. The stage name is derived from the Indus River in the Salt Range of Pakistan. The stratotype for the Induan, as originally defined, is the strata above the Chhideru beds and below the Upper

Saint-barthélemy

2005-02-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

Also called Saint Bart's, island at the northern end of the Windward group of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It constitutes a commune and, together with Saint Martin, forms an arrondissement of Guadeloupe, an overseas département of France. The island is 120 miles (200 km) north of Guadeloupe island. It is 11 miles (17.5 km) long and 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, with an area of 8 square miles (21 square km). The island is both

China, Foreign policy

2005-02-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

While taking their principal cues in their foreign policies from domestic developments and generally adhering to the initial pro-Soviet line, the Chinese began to act—on the basis of several important lessons gained during the Korean struggle—to reduce Peking's militant and isolationist attitudes in international affairs. Peking had recognized that the great

Acclimatization

2005-02-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

The numerous sudden changes that evoke rapid and short-term responses via the nervous and hormonal systems are not examples of acclimatization. An individual

Defence Of India Act

2005-02-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

By 1918 there were about 800 internees

Madagascar, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

2005-02-10T03:35:00.000-08:00

Slash-and-burn

Van Devanter, Willis

2005-02-09T22:03:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1881, he initially worked for his father's law firm; but in 1884, he moved to Cheyenne, Wyo., to become a railroad attorney. There he became involved in territorial politics, serving on a commission to codify the Wyoming statutes in 1886, as city attorney

Gadara

2005-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

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