AutomaticNut

La Salle, René-robert Cavelier, Sieur (lord) De

2005-04-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

French explorer in North America, who led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed all the region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries for Louis XIV of France, naming the region “Louisiana.” A few years later, in a luckless expedition seeking the mouth of the Mississippi, he

Hancock, Thomas

2005-04-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

English inventor and manufacturer who founded the British rubber industry. His chief invention, the “masticator,” worked rubber scraps into a shredded mass of rubber that could be formed into blocks or rolled into sheets. This process, perfected in 1821, led to a partnership with the Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof

Latter Rain Revival

2005-04-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Early name for the Pentecostal movement within U.S. Protestantism; it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Tennessee and North Carolina and took its name from the “latter rain” referred to in Joel 2:23. The Bible passage states that the former (fall) rain and latter (spring) rain were poured down from God. These rains marked the beginning and end of the Jewish harvest.

Mindel Glacial Stage

2005-04-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

Major division of Pleistocene time and deposits in Alpine Europe (the Pleistocene epoch began about 1,600,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago). The Mindel Glacial Stage is part of the early geologic scheme (c. 1900) that first recognized the importance of multiple episodes of Pleistocene glaciation. The Mindel Glacial Stage, representing a period of relatively severe climatic

Ecuador, Domination of Velasco Ibarra (post-World War II)

2005-04-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Politics and government after World War II presented contradictions. Ecuador enjoyed a long period of constitutional government and relatively free elections following the presidency of the Radical Liberal leader Galo Plaza (1948–52). There were also two long interludes of military government (1963–66; 1972–79), but the period was dominated by one of Latin America's great caudillos,

Beijing, The early empires

2005-04-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

With but few interruptions, Beijing has been the capital of China for some eight centuries, and in number of years as the imperial capital it is exceeded only by Xi'an (Chang'an) in Shaanxi province and Luoyang in Henan province. In prehistoric times the area around Beijing was inhabited by some of the earliest-known human beings. Between 1918 and 1939 the fossil remains of Peking

Venice, Gulf Of

2005-04-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Italian Golfo Di Venezia, northern section of the Adriatic Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea), extending eastward for 60 miles (95 km) from the Po River delta, Italy, to the coast of Istria, in Slovenia and Croatia. It receives the Po, Adige, Piave, and Tagliamento rivers. Marshes, lagoons, and sandspits border the gulf's shores as far as Trieste, Italy, where the low plateau of the Istrian Peninsula begins.

Langeais

2005-03-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

Town, west-central France, Indre-et-Loire département, on the right bank of Loire River. It has a 15th-century château, notable as a fine example of pre-Renaissance architecture. The ruins of a keep first built there by Fulk III Nerra, count of Anjou, still stands in the park. The château was built for Jean Bourré, minister of Louis XI, and Charles VIII of France and Anne of Brittany

Amrouche, Marguerite Taos

2005-03-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Amrouche was the daughter of Fadhma Aïth Mansour Amrouche; she was the only sister in a family of six sons and was born after the family had moved to Tunisia to escape persecution after their conversion to Roman Catholicism. Despite this exile, both she and her brother Jean returned to Algeria

Sea Lily

2005-03-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

Sea lilies occur chiefly in deep waters, where they feed

Venice, Gulf Of

2005-03-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

Major European aerospace company that builds commercial and military aircraft, space systems, propulsion systems, missiles, and other defense products. It was formed in 2000 from the merger of three leading European aerospace firms: Aerospatiale Matra of France, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) of Germany, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. (CASA) of Spain. Headquarters

Charadriiform

2005-03-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

The earliest known Charadrii are represented by miscellaneous bones from the Upper Cretaceous rock layers of Wyoming, considered to constitute a family, the Cimolopterygidae, of the Charadrii. These bones, comprising two genera and four species, show closest resemblance to the avocets. Of similar age, but extending into middle Eocene times, are the Paleotringinae

Zionist Church

2005-03-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

The use of the term Zion derives from the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion, founded in Chicago in 1896 and having missionaries in South Africa by

Nebula, Supergiant nebulae

2005-03-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

The most energetic diffuse nebulae in the Galaxy are revealed only by radio telescope—they are so heavily obscured by dust that they are inconspicuous optically. These nebulae have over 100 times more ionizations per second than does the Orion Nebula, too many to be provided by a single star (unless there are stars more luminous than any known within the Galaxy). Indeed,

Este, House Of

2005-03-26T06:05:00.000-08:00

Princely family of Lombard origin that played a great part in the history of medieval and Renaissance Italy. It first came to the front in the wars between the Guelfs and Ghibellines during the 13th century. As leaders of the Guelfs, Estensi princes received at different times Ferrara, Modena, Reggio, and other fiefs and territories. Members of the family ruled in Ferrara

Johnson, Leon William

2005-03-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

General (ret.), U.S. Air Force (b. Sept. 13, 1904, Columbia, Mo.--d. Nov. 10, 1997, Fairfax, Va.), was awarded (1943) the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest decoration, for his World War II heroic role in the attack on the oil fields at Ploesti, Rom., an action that effectively destroyed enemy fuel supplies. Following graduation (1926) from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., he served in the infantry before transferring

Gainsborough Chair

2005-03-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

Type of English armchair made in the mid-18th century. A wide chair with a high back, it was normally upholstered in leather. The sides are open, and the short, upholstered arms are set well back from the seat, to which they are connected by a concave curving support. The arm supports and front legs are usually fluted or carved on the front face. The contemporary name was “French

Myanmar, World War II and after

2005-03-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

When World War II broke out in Europe in 1939, the Burmese leaders wanted to bargain with the government before giving their support to the British. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Aung San, but he escaped to China, where he attempted to contact radical groups for support. Japanese assistance was offered instead. Aung San returned to Burma in secret, recruited 29 young

Oblate

2005-03-23T01:44:00.000-08:00

(from Latin oblatus, “one offered up”), in Roman Catholicism, a lay person connected with a religious order or institution and living according to its regulations; a minor dedicated by his parents to become a monk according to the Benedictine Rule; or a member of either the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) or the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (O.S.F.S.).

Porsangen

2005-03-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Fjord, indenting the coast of Finmark fylke (county), extreme northern Norway on the Arctic Ocean. An inlet of the Barents Sea, the fjord is approximately 80 mi (130 km) long and lies well north of the Arctic Circle. Adjacent to the mouth of the fjord is a largely uninhabited area, Sværholtklubben, which serves as home to thousands of seabirds. Many islands are found in Porsangen;

Themistocles

2005-03-22T04:09:00.000-08:00

Athenian politician and naval strategist who was the creator of Athenian sea power and the chief saviour of Greece from subjection to the Persian Empire at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC.

Babylonia

2005-03-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

Ancient cultural region occupying southeastern Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (modern southern Iraq from around Baghdad to the Persian Gulf). Because the city of Babylon was the capital of this area for so many centuries, the term Babylonia has come to refer to the entire culture that developed in the area from the time it was first settled,

Nabbes, Thomas

2005-03-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Nabbes attended Exeter College, Oxford, in 1621, but he left the university without taking a degree. He began his writing career in London in about 1630. His first comedy, Covent Garden, was dedicated to Sir John

Ganymede

2005-03-19T03:36:00.000-08:00

Greek Ganymedes, Latin Ganymedes, or Catamitus, in Greek legend, the son of Tros (or Laomedon), king of Troy. Because of his unusual beauty, he was carried off either by the gods or by Zeus, disguised as an eagle, or, according to a Cretan account, by Minos, to serve as cupbearer. In compensation, Zeus gave Ganymede's father a stud of immortal horses (or a golden vine). From early times it was believed that Ganymede's kidnapper had

Howard, Jean

2005-03-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

American actress and celebrity photographer (b. Oct. 13, 1910, Longview, Texas—d. March 20, 2000, Beverly Hills, Calif.), was an actress in films of the 1930s and '40s and later became a prominent socialite and a noted photographer of Hollywood's glamour set. She started in show business as a chorus girl, appearing in Florenz Ziegfeld's Broadway musical Whoopee in 1930 and Ziegfeld's last Follies (1931). A screen

Darshan

2005-03-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

Sanskrit Darsana (“auspicious viewing”), in Hindu worship, the beholding of an auspicious deity, person, or object. The experience results in a blessing of the viewer. The rathayatras (car festivals), in which images of gods are taken in procession through the streets, enable even those who in former days were not allowed to enter the temple to have darshan of the deity. The capability of darshan

Arts, Islamic, Arabic: language of the Qur'an

2005-03-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

The area of Islamic culture extends from western Africa to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines; but its heartland is Arabia, and the prime importance and special authority of the Arabic language was to remain largely unquestioned after the spread of Islam. The Arabic poetry of pre-Islamic Arabia was regarded for centuries afterward as the standard model for all

Breda, Treaty Of

2005-03-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

(July 31, 1667), treaty between England, the Dutch Republic, France, and Denmark, which brought to an inconclusive end the second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–67), in which France and Denmark had supported the Dutch. The Dutch had the military advantage during the war (fought mostly at sea) but were compelled to make peace quickly to deal with Louis XIV's invasion of the Spanish Netherlands in the

Felsic Rock

2005-03-17T01:52:00.000-08:00

Igneous rock dominated by the light-coloured, silicon- and aluminum-rich minerals feldspar and quartz (qq.v.). The presence of these minerals gives felsic rock its characteristic light gray colour. The silica (SiO2) content of felsic rock is greater than about 60 percent by weight. Slight colour variations result from the presence of small amounts of mafic minerals (i.e., dark

General Council Of Congregational Christian Churches

2005-03-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

The Congregational churches developed from the churches established by the settlers at Plymouth,

Auber, Daniel-françois-esprit

2005-03-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

Composer who was prominent in the development of opera containing spoken as well as sung passages (opéra comique). The great contemporary success of his works was due in part to the expertly tailored librettos of Eugène Scribe and in part to Auber's spirited musical settings, which were influenced by Rossini and well suited to French taste. One

Yeshiva

2005-03-16T02:18:00.000-08:00

Also spelled yeshivah , or yeshibah (Hebrew “sitting”) , plural yeshivas, yeshivot, yeshivoth , or yeshibot any of numerous Jewish academies of Talmudic learning, whose biblical and legal exegesis and application of Scripture have defined and regulated Jewish religious life for centuries. The early history of the yeshiva as an institution is known only through indirect evidence, and the word itself did not come into current use until the 1st century AD. Rabbinic literature

Wanamaker, John

2005-03-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

Wanamaker began work at age 14 as an errand boy for a bookstore and served as secretary of the Philadelphia YMCA from 1857 to 1861. In 1861 he established with Nathan Brown the clothing firm of Brown and Wanamaker, a partnership that ended with Brown's death in 1868. In 1869 he founded

Hancock, Joy Bright

2005-03-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Joy Bright enlisted in the Naval Reserve after graduating from the Pierce School of Business Administration in Philadelphia in 1918. From 1919 she worked as a civilian for the U.S. Navy at various stations and at the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C.

Sanitary Landfill

2005-03-14T01:06:00.000-08:00

Method of controlled disposal of refuse on land. The method was introduced in England in 1912 (where it is called controlled tipping) and involves natural fermentation brought about by microorganisms. Usually the refuse is deposited in shallow layers, compacted, and covered within 24 hours with earth or other chemically inert material to form an effective seal. Mechanical

Pitt, William, The Younger

2005-03-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

British prime minister (1783–1801, 1804–06) during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He had considerable influence in strengthening the office of the prime minister.

Baptist, Growth outside the United States

2005-03-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

While Baptists have been troubled by divisive tendencies during the 20th century, there has also been a tendency toward greater unity and cohesiveness through the Baptist World Alliance. The 19th century was a period of great Baptist missionary activity. The endeavour in Asia was led by William Carey in India, Adoniram Judson in Burma, and Timothy Richard and Lottie

Spontaneous Generation

2005-03-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Abiogenesis, the hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonliving matter; also, the archaic theory that utilizes this process to explain the origin of life. Pieces of cheese and bread wrapped in rags and left in a dark corner, for example, were thus thought to produce mice, according to this theory, because after several weeks, there were mice in the rags. Many

Pavlova, Anna

2005-03-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

Pavlova studied at the Imperial School of Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre from 1891, joined the Imperial Ballet in 1899, and became a prima ballerina in 1906. In 1909 she went to Paris on the historic tour of the Ballets Russes. After 1913 she danced independently with her own

Rushmoor

2005-03-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Hampshire, southern England. It occupies part of the extreme northeastern corner of the county. Rushmoor is situated at the southern edge of the Thames River basin, and its rural areas are sandy heathland. The chalk uplands of the North Downs border the district on the south, and the Basingstoke Canal bisects

China, Posts and telecommunications

2005-03-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Posts and telecommunications were established rapidly in the 1950s and '60s. By 1952 the principal posts and telecommunications network centred on Peking, and links to all large cities had been established. Great progress was made in improving the postal service under the First Five-Year Plan. Postal service was also developed in the rural areas. Besides extending rural postal

Anthracene

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

A tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon found in coal tar and used as a starting material for the manufacture of dyestuffs and in scintillation counters. Crude anthracene crystallizes from a high-boiling coal-tar fraction. It is purified by recrystallization and sublimation. Oxidation yields anthraquinone (q.v.), an intermediate in the production of dyes and pigments.

Campa

2005-03-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

Campa is often mentioned in early Buddhist literature as a city of importance and was one

Dahna', Ad-

2005-03-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “desert”), great arc of reddish sandy desert, central Saudi Arabia, extending about 800 miles (1,300 km) southward from the northeastern edge of an-Nafud (desert) to the northwestern borders of the desert Rub' al-Khali (the Empty Quarter). Thus, ad-Dahna' links the great deserts of Saudi Arabia. It consists of seven major sand ridges, which are separated from one another by plains. It

Hamasah

2005-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

The anthology consists of 10 books, containing,

Alaca Hüyük

2005-03-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ancient Anatolian site northeast of the old Hittite capital of Hattusa at Bogazköy, north-central Turkey. Its excavation was begun by Makridi Bey in 1907 and resumed in 1935 by the Turkish Historical Society. Inside a sphinx gate, traces of a large Hittite building were discovered. Below the Hittite remains was a royal necropolis of 13 tombs dating from about 2500 BC. Although material

Molcho, Solomon

2005-03-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

The son of Marrano parents (Portuguese or Spanish Jews forced to become Christians), Pires attained the position of royal secretary in a Portuguese high court of justice. When an Arabian adventurer, David Reubeni, arrived in Portugal, Pires became possessed by mystic

Alunogen

2005-03-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

A sulfate mineral formed by sulfate solutions that attack aluminous minerals; alunogen is hydrated aluminum sulfate, formulated Al2(SO4)3×18H2O. It typically occurs as an efflorescence or crevice filling in pyrite-containing coal formations, shales, or slates, as well as in the gossan (weathered capping) of sulfide ore deposits and in volcanic fumarole deposits. In older

Rackett

2005-03-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

Finger holes were provided. The sound was reedy, low-pitched, and muffled.

Encephalartos

2005-03-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

A genus of 20 or more species of palmlike cycads (plants of the family Cycadaceae), native to southern Africa and grown elsewhere as conservatory and house plants. The genus includes both tuberous and columnar varieties; they sometimes have spiny foliage. A breadlike food is prepared from the starchy centre of the stem of the Kaffir bread, or bread

Utrecht School

2005-03-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Principally a group of three Dutch painters—Dirck van Baburen (c. 1590–1624), Gerrit van Honthorst (1590–1656; see photograph), and Hendrik Terbrugghen (1588–1629)—who went to Rome and fell fully under the pervasive influence of Caravaggio's art before returning to Utrecht. Although none of them ever actually met Caravaggio (d. 1610), each had access to his paintings, knew his former patrons, and was influenced

Uruguay River

2005-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Uruguai, Spanish Río Uruguay, river in southern South America that rises in the coastal range of southern Brazil. Its chief headstream, the Pelotas River, rises just 40 miles (64 km) from the Atlantic coast at Alto do Bispo in Santa Catarina state, Brazil, and takes the name Uruguay after it is joined by the Canoas River near Piratuba. Flowing west through the coastal range of Brazil (separating Santa Catarina

Oscar I

2005-03-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Oscar's early liberal outlook and progressive ideas on such issues as fiscal policy, freedom of the press, and penal reform fortuitously coincided with a period of social, political, and industrial change. After his accession

Armenian Literature

2005-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Body of writings in the Armenian language. There is evidence that a pagan oral literature existed in Armenia before the invention of the Armenian alphabet in the 5th century AD, but, owing to the zeal of the early Christian priests, little of this was preserved. For about a century after their conversion to Christianity (c. 300), the Armenians had to rely on Greek and Syriac versions

Condé, Louis-henri-joseph, 9e Prince De (9th Prince Of), Duc (duke) De Bourbon

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

The 9th Prince of Condé was married in 1770 to Louise-Marie-Thérèse d'Orléans (1750–1822), who bore him a son, Louis-Antoine, duc d'Enghien, in 1772, but from whom he parted in 1780. Emigrating with his father and son

Tombstone

2005-03-02T23:54:00.000-08:00

City, Cochise county, southeastern Arizona, U.S. The site was ironically named by Ed Schieffelin, who discovered silver there in 1877 after being told that all he would find would be his tombstone. (An alternative account holds that the townsite was named for the granite rocks of the nearby Dragoon Mountains, which stand out against the landscape like tombstones.) By 1881 a silver

Gaekwar Dynasty

2005-03-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

The founder of the dynasty was Damaji I who had risen to power by 1740. The last Gaekwar, Sayaji Rao III, died in 1939.

Outwash

2005-03-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Deposit of sand and gravel carried by running water from the melting ice of a glacier and laid down in stratified deposits. An outwash may attain a thickness of 100 m (328 feet) at the edge of a glacier, although the thickness is usually much less; it may also extend many kilometres in length. For example, outwash deposits from the Wisconsin Glaciation can be traced to the mouth

Ear Disease, Leprosy

2005-03-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Leprosy, seen rarely outside the tropics today, was another scourge of ancient times that sometimes affected the outer ear. It is caused by the leprosy bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae, which causes a painless, slowly progressing thickening and distortion of the affected tissues. The diagnosis is made by examining a bit of the infected tissue under a microscope and

Lent

2005-02-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

In the Christian church, a period of penitential preparation for Easter. In Western churches it begins on Ash Wednesday, 6 1/2 weeks before Easter, and provides for a 40-day fast (Sundays are excluded), in imitation of Jesus Christ's fasting in the wilderness. In Eastern churches Lent begins on the Monday of the seventh week before Easter and ends on the Friday that is 9 days before

Botswana, Resources

2005-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

Diamonds, the major economic resource of the country, have been exploited on a large scale since 1970. They are mined from some of the world's largest diamond pipes at Orapa and Letlhakane, south of the Makgadikgadi pans, and at Jwaneng in the southeastern sandveld. Nickel and copper have been mined at Selebi-Phikwe near the Motloutse River since 1974. Coal is mined for power generation

Farinelli

2005-02-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

He studied in Naples under Nicola Porpora, one of the leading 18th-century opera composers and the outstanding voice teacher of the century. At 16 he

Claude Of France

2005-02-27T03:34:00.000-08:00

In 1504 Claude's mother, eager to keep Brittany out of French hands, caused the Treaty of Blois to be concluded, which assured the hand of Claude to Charles of Austria (the future emperor Charles V) and promised him Brittany, Burgundy,

Augusta

2005-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

Capital (1831) of Maine, U.S., seat (1799) of Kennebec county, at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, 57 miles (92 km) northeast of Portland. The city's establishment and early prosperity, which began with the arrival of traders from the Plymouth colony of Massachusetts in 1628, can be attributed to its location on navigable tidewater 39 miles (63 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. A trading post was

Kiriath-sepher

2005-02-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

Also called Debir , or Lo-debar , modern Tall Bayt Mirsham ancient town of Palestine, located near Hebron (in the Israeli-occupied West Bank). According to the Bible, the town was taken from the Canaanites either by Caleb's son-in-law Othniel or by Joshua himself. Tall Bayt Mirsham (Tell Beit Mirsim) was excavated (1926–32) by W.F. Albright, who uncovered exceptionally clear stratification from which he was able to give the first comprehensive

Ruzicka, Leopold

2005-02-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

While working as an assistant to the German chemist Hermann

Dammam, Al-

2005-02-25T02:39:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Damman city, eastern Saudi Arabia. It lies on the Persian Gulf northwest of Bahrain Island and forms a larger metropolitan and industrial complex with Al-Khubar, Al-Qatif, and Al-Zahran. The discovery of immense oil reserves in the locality in 1938 led to the radical transformation of the once small coastal settlement into a boomtown that is now a major seaport, a petroleum and natural

Mu'tazilah

2005-02-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

The name first appears in early Islamic history in the dispute over 'Ali's leadership of the Muslim community after the murder of the third caliph, 'Uthman (656). Those who would neither

Deerfield Beach

2005-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

City, Broward county, southeastern Florida, U.S., on the Atlantic Ocean, just south of Boca Raton. The site, once a pineapple- and vegetable-growing area, was first settled about 1890; in 1896 the Florida East Coast Railway came through the community, which was named Deerfield for the deer that roamed along the Hillsboro River. It developed as a shipping centre for fruits and vegetables.

R.e.m.

2005-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), provides provocative discussions of R.E.M.'s albums from Chronic Town (“every so often a chaotic undertow suggests there's more to their romanticism than Spanish moss”) to Green. Christgau struggles with the lack of literary specificity in the band's lyrics, promotes some understanding of their Southern origins, slightly underrates Fables of the Reconstruction while noting that the album “clinches it: their formal frame of reference is folk-rock,” and uses the crucial word to explain R.E.M.'s appeal for a certain sort of rock-based fan and commentator: “reassuring.” Patricia Romanowski, Holly George-Warren, and Jon Pareles (eds.), The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, revised and updated ed. (1995), pp. 826–827, presents a focused and informed narrative of the band's formation, development, and recording history through the Monster album. Mike Mills, “Our Town,” in Clinton Heylin (ed.), The Penguin Book of Rock & Roll Writing (1992), pp. 401–408, is an essay about Athens written in 1985 by R.E.M.'s bassist. The first sentence—“When you mention ‘the Athens scene' to anyone who's been here for four or five years, they get weird”—accurately establishes both the tone and ambition of the piece.

Mohammed, Warith Deen

2005-02-22T02:17:00.000-08:00

The seventh son of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Mohammed was marked for leadership of the society even before his birth. The founder

Silistra

2005-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Town, extreme northeastern Bulgaria, on the Danube River opposite Romania. To the south and southeast are the remains of the old fortifications. The Romans founded a fortified camp at Durostorum in the early 2nd century AD. The Turks gained possession of the town in the early 15th century, and it became a trade centre and a major Turkish fortress. It was fought over several

Baseball

2005-02-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

Pocket-billiards game, named for the similarity in its scoring system to the American game played with bat and ball, in which players attempt to score runs by pocketing 21 consecutively numbered object balls, the number of runs scored corresponding to the total of the numbers on the balls pocketed. Players are allowed nine innings, in each of which they play until they

Schawlow, Arthur L.

2005-02-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

As a child, Schawlow moved with his family to Canada. He attended the University of Toronto, receiving his

Valencia

2005-02-20T04:58:00.000-08:00

County, central New Mexico, U.S., in the Mexican Highland section of the Basin and Range Province. The Manzano Mountains lie at its eastern border, and mesas rise in the west. Between mountains and mesas are the southward-flowing Rio Puerco and the Rio Grande. The Isleta (Pueblo) Indian Reservation is in the north, and other areas of interest are Cibola National Forest, Manzano

Atbasar

2005-02-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

City, north-central Kazakstan, on the Zhabay River. Founded as a Cossack settlement in 1846, it became known for its annual fair. Atbasar is now a railway junction and a centre for processing local grain and livestock. Pop. (1991 est.) 40,000.

Algebra, Commerce and abacists in the European Renaissance

2005-02-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

Greek and Islamic mathematics were basically “academic” enterprises, having little interaction with day-to-day matters involving building, transportation, and commerce. This situation first began to change in Italy in the 13th and 14th centuries. In particular, the rise of Italian mercantile companies and their use of modern financial instruments for trade with the

Biblical Literature, Form and content of John

2005-02-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

In John there is a mixture of long meditational discourses on definite themes and concrete events recalling the structure of Matthew (with events plus discourses); and, although the source problem is complex and research is still grappling with it, there can be little doubt that John depended on a distinct source for his seven miracles (the sign [or semeia] source): (1) turning

Ribaut, Jean

2005-02-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Jean Ribaut began his naval career as a youth, rising through the ranks to become one of the most dependable officers serving under Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. In 1558 Ribaut was commander of a French supply vessel at the successful capture of Calais from the English, and the following year

Malankarese Catholic Church

2005-02-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

The Syrian Orthodox Church came into existence in 1653, when the Christians of St. Thomas—as the Indian Christians of Malabar (now Kerala) called themselves—broke with Rome after severe Latinization by Portuguese

Macau

2005-02-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Macao , Chinese (Pinyin romanization) Aomen or (Wade-Giles romanization) Ao-men special administrative region (Pinyin tebie xingzhengqu; Wade-Giles t'e-pieh hsing-cheng-ch'ü) of China, on the country's southern coast. Macau is located on the western side of the Pearl River (Chu Chiang) estuary (at the head of which is the port of Canton) and stands about 40 miles (64 km) opposite the special administrative region of Hong Kong, which is on the eastern side of the

Gaultier, Denys

2005-02-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

Gaultier came from a renowned family of lutenists that also included Jacques and Ennemond Gaultier. Little is known of his life except that he resided for many years in Paris. He was the last great representative of the Parisian school of

Mcmanus, Rachel Louise

2005-02-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

McManus graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, before earning a nursing degree from the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing. Her long association with Columbia

Vai

2005-02-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Vai behaviour in all aspects of life is strongly influenced by secret societies

Canada West

2005-02-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

Canada West was settled primarily by English-speaking immigrants. The inhabitants nevertheless sought confederation with Canada East (which was populated largely

Sardanapalus

2005-02-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

According to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, Sardanapalus was the last of a line of 30 kings of Assyria, who exceeded all his predecessors

Catanduanes

2005-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Island, east-central Philippines, in the Philippine Sea, separated from southeastern Luzon (Rungus Point) by the shallow Maqueda Channel. The island has an area of 550 square miles (1,425 square km). Farming is diversified (rice, corn [maize], copra, abaca) on the hilly, rolling land. Virac, the chief port, is on the southern coast in a lowland area. The island is known for its stone churches.

Ricardo, David

2005-02-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ricardo was the

Hippolytus Of Rome, Saint

2005-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hippolytus was a leader of the Roman church during the pontificate (c. 199–217) of St. Zephyrinus, whom he attacked as being a modalist (one who conceives that the entire Trinity dwells in Christ and who maintains that the names Father and Son are only different designations

Alaska Peninsula

2005-02-13T03:44:00.000-08:00

Stretch of land extending southwest from mainland Alaska, U.S., for 500 miles (800 km) between the Pacific (southeast) and Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea. The volcanic Aleutian Range runs along its entire length. It is the site of the Katmai National Park and Preserve, the Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (qq.v.), and the Becharof, Alaska Peninsula, and Izembek National

North Germanic Languages, Norwegian

2005-02-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Old Norwegian writing traditions gradually died out in the 15th century after the union of Norway with Denmark and the removal of the central government to Copenhagen. After independence was achieved in 1814, the linguistic union with Danish persisted, but educational problems due to the linguistic distance between Danish and spoken Norwegian and socio-political

Switzerland, Internal political difficulties; external threats to neutrality

2005-02-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, this era of material prosperity was not free from political problems. The Mediation Act had disappeared with Napoleon, its place taken by a new Federal Pact that once again established Switzerland as a confederation of sovereign states united only for common defense and the maintenance of internal order. Thus, the formulation and execution of

Sicilian Octave

2005-02-12T01:08:00.000-08:00

An Italian stanza or poem having eight lines of 11 syllables (hendecasyllables) rhyming abababab. The form may have originated in Tuscany about the 13th century, though little is known about its origins. The Sicilian octave was in use until the 16th century, when the madrigal overtook it in popularity.

K.b.e.

2005-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Knight commander of the British Empire, member of the second highest class of a British order of knighthood. See British Empire, The Most Excellent Order of the.

Cadalso Y Vázquez, José De

2005-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

Cadalso also spelled Cadahlso Spanish writer famous for his Cartas marruecas (1793; “Moroccan Letters”), in which a Moorish traveler in Spain makes penetrating criticisms of Spanish life. Educated in Madrid, Cadalso traveled widely and, although he hated war, enlisted in the army against the Portuguese during the Seven Years' War. His prose satire Los eruditos a la

Shah Jahan Period Architecture

2005-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Indian building style that flourished under the patronage of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–58); its crowning achievement is the magnificent mausoleum at Agra, the Taj Mahal (q.v.). Among the other landmarks of the style are several mosques at the emperor's first capital, Agra, and another great mosque and a huge fortress-palace complex at his second capital, Delhi. The use

Mason, Charlotte

2005-02-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Mason was born into a wealthy family. She married a prominent physician and socialized with dignitaries and dilettantes.

Stead, William Thomas

2005-02-08T04:59:00.000-08:00

Stead was educated at home by his father, a clergyman, until he was 12 years old and then attended Silcoates School at Wakefield. He became an apprentice in a merchant's countinghouse and in about 1870 began to contribute

Thun Und Hohenstein, Franz Anton, Prince (fürst) Zu

2005-02-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

Franz Anton was the son of Friedrich, Count von Thun und Hohenstein, and he shared the moderate pro-Czech

Feng Tao

2005-02-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Feng Dao Chinese Confucian minister generally given credit for instigating the first printing of the Confucian Classics, in 932. As a result, Confucian texts became cheap and accessible, the number of scholars and the knowledge of literature greatly increased throughout the nation, and the number of people able to compete in the