CertainRoof

Ikot Ekpene

2005-04-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Town, Akwa Ibom state, southern Nigeria. The town lies along the coastal highway, between Calabar and Aba. It is the chief trade centre (yams, cassava, taro, corn [maize], and palm produce) for a densely populated area known for its export of palm oil and kernels. It is mainly inhabited by the Anang branch of the Ibibio people, who are noted for their cane furniture and basket handicrafts.

Ear Disease, Eczema

2005-04-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

Eczema of the skin of the outer ear, like eczema elsewhere, is an itching, scaling redness, sometimes with weeping of the affected skin. It is often the result of an allergy to a food or substance such as hair spray that comes in contact with the skin. The best treatment is discovery and avoidance of the allergen. Cortisone ointment applied topically may temporarily relieve

Shahi Family

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

Also called Shahiya, dynasty of some 60 rulers who governed the Kabul valley (in Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara from the decline of the Kushan empire in the 3rd century AD. The word Shahi, the title of the rulers, is related to the old Kushan form shao, or “king.” The dynasty probably descended from the Kushans, or Turks (Tarushkas). Nothing is recorded of the history of the long line until the last

Maugham, W. Somerset

2005-03-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Maugham was orphaned at the age of 10; he was brought up by an uncle and educated at King's School, Canterbury. After a year at Heidelberg, he entered St. Thomas' medical school,

Bloc Québécois

2005-03-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Lucien Bouchard, a Progressive

Zanthoxylum

2005-03-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

The prickly ash genus of the rue family (Rutaceae), comprising about 200 species of aromatic trees and shrubs native to the middle latitudes of North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. There are both deciduous and evergreen species. They have small, greenish flowers and fruits that consist of groups of two-valved capsules, each containing a single shiny

Mikan, George

2005-03-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Mikan received his undergraduate and legal education at

Eliot, John

2005-03-22T04:47:00.000-08:00

Eliot graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1622 and emigrated to Boston in 1631. From 1632 to his death he was pastor of the church at nearby Roxbury.

Vega, Lope De

2005-03-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Outstanding dramatist of the Spanish Golden Age, author of as many as 1,800 plays and several hundred shorter dramatic pieces, of which 431 plays and 50 shorter pieces are extant.

Fibula

2005-03-18T04:32:00.000-08:00

Greek fibulae from the 7th century BC were elaborately decorated along the long catch plate: rows of animals, such as ducks, lions, and sphinxes, might be soldered on, or a frieze of animals might be worked

Biblical Literature, Background

2005-03-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

The historical background of the New Testament and its times must be viewed in conjunction with the Jewish matrix from which it evolved and the Hellenistic (Greek cultural) world into which it expanded during a period of Jewish religious propaganda. It is difficult, however, to separate the phenomena of the Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds, because the Judaism

Gulf Oil Corporation

2005-03-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

Gulf Oil was originally incorporated in 1907 but had beginnings going back to the tapping in 1901 of an enormous oil gusher on Spindletop Hill, near Beaumont, Texas. The development of this well was funded by the Mellon family of Pittsburgh banking fame. Following the discovery, Thomas Mellon built

Iceberg

2005-03-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

In the open ocean most ice is seen by radar at ranges depending on fragment size, but smaller icebergs or growlers can be detected only when the sea surface is calm, and then only at ranges of about two kilometres. During slight wind conditions, in particular in heavy seas, the echoes from the waves, known as sea return, may completely mask the echoes of large, potentially

Stranitzky, Joseph Anton

2005-03-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Stranitzky began his career as an itinerant puppeteer. After his arrival in Vienna (c. 1705) he formed his own company, which performed burlesques and farces in German, often based on Italian libretti. By 1711 he and his troupe had become

Eberhard I

2005-03-13T04:21:00.000-08:00

Eberhard expanded his territories and in 1482 established primogeniture and settled the succession to his holdings. The towns of Stuttgart and Tübingen received charters, and Eberhard reformed

Calcarenite

2005-03-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

Sedimentary rock formed of calcareous particles ranging in diameter from 0.06 to 2 mm (0.002 to 0.08 inch) that have been deposited mechanically rather than from solution. The particles, which consist of fossil materials, pebbles and granules of carbonate rock, and oölites (spherical nodules with concentric structure), are transported and sorted by flowing water. When formed almost

Shellfish Poisoning

2005-03-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Illness in humans resulting from the eating of certain mussels and clams. The source of the poison has been traced to the plankton upon which shellfish feed during parts of the year. Symptoms often begin within 10 minutes after eating the shellfish. Initially, there is tingling and numbness about the lips and prickly feelings in the fingertips. The throat is often dry.

Multinational And Regional Organizations

2005-03-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

On May 31, 1997, the foreign ministers of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and announced that they would embrace Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Cambodia as full members at the group's 30th anniversary meeting in July. The announcement was controversial because, in the words of Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu

Shellfish Poisoning

2005-03-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

American symphony orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes in 1918 and was one of the last major American orchestras to be created. Nikolai Sokoloff (1918–33), the first music director, was succeeded by Artur Rodzinski (1933–43), Erich Leinsdorf (1943–46, mostly in absentia; he was serving concurrently in the U.S. armed forces), George Szell (1946–70), Pierre Boulez (1970–72), Lorin Maazel

Ecuador

2005-03-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Ecuador, Spanish República del Ecuador, country of northwestern South America. It straddles part of the Andes Mountains and occupies part of the Amazon basin. Lying on the Equator, from which its name derives, it borders Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west; it includes the Pacific island group of the Galápagos Islands, or the Archipiélago de Colón. It is a relatively

China, Tung (Eastern) Han

2005-03-06T00:22:00.000-08:00

The Han house was restored by Liu Hsiu, better known as Kuang-wu ti, who reigned from AD 25 to 57/58. His claim had been contested by another member of the Liu house, Liu Hsüan—better known as Liu Keng-shih—who had been actually enthroned for two years, until his death in the course of turbulent civil fighting. Ch'ang-an had been virtually destroyed by warfare, and Kuang-wu ti established

Fabry, Charles

2005-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Fabry joined the staff of Marseilles University in 1894. His early studies centred on light interference, in which a primary research instrument

Arabia, The Persian Gulf lowland

2005-03-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

A low-lying region follows the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf from Kuwait around to the Al-Hajar mountains of Oman at the mouth of the gulf. The gravel plain of Ad-Dibdibah lies inland southwest of Kuwait. Adjacent to Ad-Dahna' is the low plateau of As-Summan; between it and the coast scattered hills rise a few hundred feet. Broad patches of sand occur here and there, and salt

Cimon Of Cleonae

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

Although Cimon has been dated to the 8th century BC, the fact would seem

Tlemcen

2005-03-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

Also spelled (after 1981) Tilimsen, town, northwestern Algeria. It lies near the Moroccan border. Tlemcen is backed by the cliffs of the well-watered Tlemcen Mountains and overlooks the fertile Hennaya and Maghnia plains. Lying at an elevation of 2,648 feet (807 m), Tlemcen is located sufficiently inland to avoid the humidity of the Mediterranean coast but is near enough to receive cooling sea breezes in summer.

Kesey, Ken

2005-02-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

Kesey was educated at the University of Oregon and Stanford University. At a Veterans Administration hospital in Menlo Park, California, he was a paid volunteer experimental subject, taking mind-altering drugs

Arabia, History Of, The life of Muhammad

2005-02-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Muhammad was born in 570 of the Hashimite (Banu Hashim) branch of the noble house of 'Abd Manaf; though orphaned at an early age and, in consequence, with little influence, he never lacked protection by his clan. Marriage to a wealthy widow improved his position as a merchant, but he began to make his mark in Mecca by preaching the oneness of Allah. Rejected by the Quraysh lords, Muhammad

Pithom

2005-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Egyptian Per-Atum , or Per Tum (“Estate of Atum”) , probably modern Tall al-Maskhutah ancient Egyptian city located near Ismailia in al-Isma'iliyah muhafazah (governorate). Mentioned in the Bible (Exodus 1:11) as one of the treasure cities built for the pharaoh by the Hebrews, it was known to have been enlarged by the Ramesside pharaohs, especially by Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 BC), in whose reign the Exodus of the Hebrews may have taken place. The site has yielded sphinxes and

Scaevola, Publius Mucius

2005-02-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

In 133, Scaevola

'atbarah

2005-02-25T01:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Atbara town, northeastern Sudan. It lies on the right (east) bank of the Nile River at the mouth of the seasonal Atbara River. The junction of two major road and railway lines to Khartoum, it has become an important commercial and agricultural centre. The Sudan government railways' administrative headquarters and workshops are located there, and the town also has an airport.

Sokolow, Nahum

2005-02-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

The descendant of an ancient Polish rabbinical family, Sokolow became well known for his contributions to the Jewish press in Hebrew and other languages. At 24 he became assistant editor of the Hebrew scientific weekly ha-Zefirah in Warsaw; later, as its editor, he transformed

Avijja

2005-02-23T03:51:00.000-08:00

(Pali), in the Buddhist chain of dependent origination, the ignorance that fetters man to transmigration. See pratitya-samutpada.

Lane, Harriet

2005-02-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

She died of cancer in 1903 and was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery in Baltimore.

Epistemology, Substance

2005-02-20T22:53:00.000-08:00

One of the cornerstones of philosophy from Plato to Berkeley was the notion of substance, that which exists in itself and does not depend upon anything else for its existence. Substance is contrasted with accident or modes of being, which exist in substances and depend on them for their existence. A dog is a substance, and its colour, shape, weight, and bark exist in the

Zonda

2005-02-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

The name zonda in Argentina also refers to a hot, humid wind that blows from the north over the plains and precedes a low-pressure centre.

Hatif

2005-02-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

In Arab folklore, a mysterious nocturnal voice that is sometimes prophetic. A hatif is mentioned in the Bible (Ezekiel 21:2 and 7; Amos 7:16) as a prophet's voice, and it seems to have presaged Muhammad's prophetic mission. It is said that the hatif can rise from within a calf sacrificed to an idol or from the idol itself. The Bedouin believe that it most often announces the death of some

Czetwertynski Family

2005-02-17T05:50:00.000-08:00

Also called Swietopelk-Czetwertynski Polish princely family descended from the Kievan grand prince Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich (d. 1113) of the house of Rurik. Among its prominent members was Antoni Czetwertynski (1748–94), the castellan of Przemysl and last leader of the pro-Russian Confederation of Targowica that opposed the Polish constitution of 1791; he was finally hanged as a traitor to Poland during Tadeusz Kosciuszko's

Rommel, Erwin

2005-02-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Less than a year later, in February 1941, Rommel was appointed commander of the German troops dispatched to aid the all but defeated Italian army in Libya. The deserts of North Africa became the scene of his greatest successes—and of his defeat at the hands of a vastly superior enemy. In the North African theatre of war, the “Desert Fox,” as he came to be called by both friend and

Raabe, Wilhelm

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

After leaving school in Wolfenbüttel in 1849, Raabe was apprenticed for four years to a Magdeburg book dealer, during which time he read widely. Although he attended lectures at Berlin University, the important product of his time

Japanese Cedar

2005-02-15T02:48:00.000-08:00

The Japanese

Zanzibar Treaty

2005-02-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

The

Harmony, Rise of the intervals of the third and the sixth

2005-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Until the late 14th century the attitude toward consonance, especially among continental composers, adhered largely to the Pythagorean ideal, which accepted as consonances only intervals expressible in the simplest numerical ratios—fourths, fifths, and octaves. But in England the interval of the third (as from C to E) had been in common use for some time, although it

Kanik, Orhan Veli

2005-02-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Faculty of Literature of Istanbul University, he worked briefly as a teaching assistant before joining the Turkish postal administration in Ankara (1936–42). From 1942 to 1945 he served as a reserve officer in the Turkish Army. Because he had a good command

Togo, Transportation

2005-02-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

The government-owned national railway consists of four lines, all of which emanate from Lomé. One line connects Kpalimé with the capital; other lines run to Ané

Business And Industry Review

2005-02-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

The high production and plant-operating rates seen in 1995 continued to mark most of the world's chemical industry in 1996. The high and rising sales levels reflected the generally healthy economies of countries around the globe. The high volume of products sold, however, did not always translate into record profits, particularly for the makers of big-volume petrochemicals.

Bottrop

2005-02-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

City, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), northwestern Germany. It lies at the northern edge of the Ruhr industrial region, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, northwest of Essen. Although mentioned in the Middle Ages, it remained a small peasant community until coal was discovered there in the latter part of the 19th century. Most of its churches and public buildings date from after

Bedreddin

2005-02-08T10:37:00.000-08:00

A convert to Sufism (Islamic mysticism), in 1383 Bedreddin undertook the pilgrimage to Mecca, and, upon his return to Cairo, he was appointed tutor to the Mamluk crown prince of Egypt. He

Tipperary

2005-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Irish Tiobraid Árann (“House of the Well of Ara”) town and urban district, County Tipperary, Ireland. The town grew up around a castle erected by Prince John (later King John) when he was lord of Ireland; the outline of the bailey remains. A chancel arch from a 13th-century Augustinian abbey still stands. In 1339 the town was burned by the O'Briens. New Tipperary was founded in 1890, but it was later abandoned. There is a monument to the

Profumo Affair

2005-02-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

At a party at the country estate of Lord Astor on July

Parallax

2005-02-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

The parallax can be derived from the apparent magnitude of the star if there are any means of knowing the absolute magnitude of the star—i.e., the magnitude the star would have at the

Mcmurtry, Larry

2005-02-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

McMurtry was educated at North Texas State College (now University; B.A., 1958) and Rice University (M.A., 1960). He was an instructor at Texas Christian University (1961–62), a lecturer in English and creative writing

Wright, Frank Lloyd

2005-02-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Original name Frank Lincoln Wright architect and writer, the most abundantly creative genius of American architecture. His “Prairie style” became the basis of 20th-century residential design in the United States.

Turda

2005-02-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

City, Cluj judet (county), west-central Romania, on the Aries River. Turda was first a Dacian settlement (Dierna) and later a Roman castrum (Potaissa), around which grew a municipium and later a colony. On the outskirts of the city are the salt mines worked in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, Turda was the meeting place of the Transylvanian Diet. The city is now an important industrial

Mcmurtry, Larry

2005-01-31T05:15:00.000-08:00

Arusha

2005-01-31T04:05:00.000-08:00

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

Arnhem

2005-01-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

German Arnheim, gemeente (municipality) and capital (1794), Gelderland provincie (province), eastern Netherlands, on the north bank of the Lower Rhine (Neder Rijn) River. Possibly the site of the Roman settlement of Arenacum, it was first mentioned in 893. Chartered and fortified in 1233 by Otto II, count of Geldern, it joined the Hanseatic League in 1443. As the residence of the dukes of Geldern, it was often

Durmitor

2005-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mountain massif in Montenegro, Yugoslavia, part of the Dinaric ranges and a national park region that includes 15 peaks of more than 6,600 ft (2,000 m) in height, the highest, Bobotov Kuk, reaching 8,274 ft (2,522 m). Between the peaks are deep valleys and glacial lakes; dense pine and fir forests surround the lakes. The highest settlement in Yugoslavia, Zabljak, is a tourist centre; winter sports are

Rupat Island

2005-01-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

Indonesian Pulau Rupat , Rupat also spelled Roepat island in the Strait of Malacca, Riau provinsi (province), Indonesia. It lies just off the eastern coast of Sumatra across a 3-mile- (5-kilometre-) wide channel, opposite Melaka, Malaysia. The island is very low and swampy and circular in shape, with a diameter of about 30 miles (48 km). The climate is hot and humid, and rainfall is heavy most of the year. Rupat Island is sparsely inhabited,

Hacienda

2005-01-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

In Spanish America, a large landed estate, one of the traditional institutions of rural life. Originating in the colonial period, the hacienda survived in many places late into the 20th century. Labourers, ordinarily Indians, who worked for hacendados (landowners) were theoretically free wage earners, but in practice their employers were able to bind them to the land,

Alligator Rivers

2005-01-26T02:33:00.000-08:00

Three perennial rivers, northeastern Northern Territory, Australia, that empty into Van Diemen Gulf, an inlet of the Timor Sea. They were explored in 1818–20 by Captain Phillip Parker King, who named them in the belief that the crocodiles infesting their lower swampy, jungle-fringed reaches were alligators (actually, Australia has no alligators). The South Alligator rises

Yang Kuei-fei

2005-01-25T08:32:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Yang Guifei notorious beauty and concubine of the great T'ang emperor Hsüan Tsung (reigned 712–756). Because of her the Emperor is said to have neglected his duties, and the T'ang dynasty (618–907) was greatly weakened by a rebellion that ensued. Her story has been the subject of many outstanding Chinese poems and dramas. The daughter of a high official, she was one of the few obese women

Baader, Franz Xaver Von

2005-01-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Abandoning a profitable career as a mining engineer in 1820, he turned his attention to a study of politics and religion. His earlier efforts to achieve ecumenical and political unity contributed to the formation in 1815 of the Holy Alliance, a

Salem

2005-01-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1851) of Dent county, southeast-central Missouri, U.S., situated in the Ozark Mountains between the Current and Meramec rivers. Established in 1845 on the site of an inn and trading post, it was named for Salem, N.C. The town was occupied by Federal forces during the American Civil War, except briefly in 1864, when raiders burned the courthouse and jail. In a battle that was fought

Aylesbury Vale

2005-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

District in the northern part of the administrative and historic county of Buckinghamshire, southern England. The name comes from the rich clay Vale of Aylesbury, which is situated between the ridges of the Cotswolds and the Chiltern Hills. The district includes both Aylesbury and Buckingham, 16 miles (26 km) farther north, and their surrounding rural countryside. Area

France, History Of, Wartime France

2005-01-21T03:24:00.000-08:00

The German victory left the French groping for a new policy and new leadership. Some 30 prominent politicians—among them Édouard Daladier and Pierre Mendès-France—left for North Africa to set up a government-in-exile there; but Pétain blocked that enterprise by ordering their arrest on arrival in Morocco. The undersecretary of war in the fallen Reynaud Cabinet, General

Tegal

2005-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

Kotamadya (municipality) and port Jawa Tengah provinsi (“province”), central Java, Indonesia, located on the Java Sea about 160 miles (257 km) east-southeast of Jakarta. Roads and railway link it with Cirebon on the west, Semarang on the east, and Kroya and Yogyakarta on the south and southeast. Its population is mostly Javanese, and Islam is the dominant religion. Tegal is a centre for

Domestic Violence

2005-01-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

Social and legal concept that, in the broadest sense, refers to any abuse that takes place among people living in the same household, although the term is often used specifically to refer to assaults upon women by their male partners. Estimated annual figures for the number of women in the United States who are subjected to psychological, verbal, emotional, or physical

Affenkapelle Ware

2005-01-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

(German: “Monkey Orchestra”), a series of figures created by the Meissen porcelain factory in Saxony (now in Germany) about 1747 and imitated later. Believed to be a parody of the Dresden Court Orchestra, the set was modeled by the German sculptors Johann Joachim Kändler and Peter Reinicke after fanciful singerie (monkeys in human costume) engravings by the French artists

Theatre, Western

2005-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

For a discussion of drama as a literary form, see dramatic literature, and the articles on individual national literatures. For detailed information on the arts of theatrical performance and stagecraft, see theatre, directing, acting, and theatrical production.

Kea

2005-01-15T00:09:00.000-08:00

New Zealand parrot species of the subfamily Nestorinae. See parrot.

Rush, William

2005-01-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

Rush trained to make ornamental ship carvings and figureheads. During the American Revolution he served as an officer in Philadelphia's militia and campaigned with George Washington in the city's defense. Shortly after

Prince, Harold

2005-01-14T00:35:00.000-08:00

The son of a New York stockbroker, Prince majored in English at the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1948) and began his theatrical career as an apprentice and stage manager for the noted producer

Chiavari

2005-01-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

Town, Genova provincia, Liguria regione, northwestern Italy. It lies on the Riviera di Levante at the mouth of the Entella River, east of Genoa. The town grew up on the traces of a Roman camp on the Via Aurelia. A pre-Roman necropolis dating from the 8th to 7th century BC has been uncovered there. The old town contains numerous arcades and buildings from the 13th century, including

Godard, Benjamin (-louis-paul)

2005-01-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

Godard was a child prodigy on the violin, studied composition, and in his youth composed symphonies, chamber works, concerti, and piano music. His best-known opera, Jocelyn (1881), is remembered for its famous “Berceuse.” Other works included the operas Pédro de Zalaméa (1884) and La Vivandière (1895) and his Symphonie

Cincinnati Zoo And Botanical Garden

2005-01-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

Zoological park owned by the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., and administered in conjunction with the Zoological Society of Cincinnati. It maintains one of the largest animal collections in the United States, with more than 17,000 specimens representing in excess of 750 species. Often called the “gorilla capital of the world,” the zoo held the record for the most births of lowland

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Blending of rival systems: the Middle Ages

2005-01-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

At the time of the birth of Christ, ideological conditions within the Mediterranean world accelerated the mingling of Hellenic and Hebraic traditions. Philo Judaeus laid the groundwork; Clement of Alexandria and Origen followed him. The craft of allegorical syncretism—that is, making rival systems accommodate one another through the transformation of their

Hai Ben Sherira

2005-01-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

Though the office of gaon was not necessarily hereditary, Hai, whose family traced its origin back to the Davidic

Einsteinium

2005-01-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

(Es), synthetic chemical element of the actinide series in Group IIIb of the periodic table, atomic number 99. Not occurring in nature, einsteinium (as the isotope einsteinium-253), produced by intense neutron irradiation of uranium-238, was identified in December 1952 by Albert Ghiorso and co-workers at Berkeley, Calif., in debris taken from the first thermonuclear or hydrogen-bomb

Cooper, Gary

2005-01-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

The son of a Montana Supreme Court justice, Cooper left Grinnell College, Iowa, in 1924 and went to Hollywood, where he earned a living

Kennelly, Arthur Edwin

2005-01-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

After working as an office boy for a London engineering society, as an electrician, and on a cable-engineering ship, in 1887 Kennelly joined Thomas Edison's

Villon, François

2005-01-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

The criminal history of Villon's life can all too easily obscure the scholar, trained in the rigorous intellectual disciplines of the medieval schools. While it is true that his poetry makes a direct unsentimental appeal to our emotions, it is also true that it displays a remarkable control of rhyme and reveals a disciplined composition that suggests a deep concern

Motion Picture, History Of The, Germany

2005-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Germany's catastrophic defeat in World War II and the subsequent partitioning of the country virtually destroyed its film industry, which had already been corrupted by the Nazis. Rebuilt during the 1950s, the West German industry became the fifth largest producer in the world, but the majority of its output consisted of low-quality Heimatfilme (“homeland films”) for the

Sprague, Kate Chase

2005-01-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

Educated by her father and in private schools, Kate Chase became the emotional focus of her father's life after the deaths of

Aleut

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

The Aleuts hunted seals, sea otters, whales,

Argentina, Military government, 196673

2004-12-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

Adalbert Krieger Vasena, minister of economy and labour, attempted to stabilize the economy by again devaluing the currency and then undertaking programs in electric power, steel, roads, and housing. In May 1969 disturbances and riots in the cities of Corrientes, Rosario, and particularly Córdoba rose out of student and labour conflicts; these incidents, later known

Eretna Dynasty

2004-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

The dynasty's founder, Eretna, was an officer of Uighur (Uyghur) origin in the service of Demirtas, the Il-Khanid governor of Anatolia, who revolted (1326) against the Il-Khanid ruler Abu Sa'id and escaped to Egypt. Eretna then became governor of Anatolia under the suzerainty of Hasan

Paleocene Epoch

2004-12-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Palaeocene Epoch, major worldwide division of Early Tertiary rocks and time that began 66.4 million years ago and ended 57.8 million years ago. The earliest division of the Tertiary Period, it precedes the Eocene Epoch and follows the Cretaceous Period. Because marine rocks of the Paleocene Epoch are limited in occurrence, much of the information about the Paleocene comes from terrestrial

Yuki

2004-12-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

Four groups of North American Indians who lived in the Coast Ranges and along the coast of northwestern California, U.S. They spoke distinctive languages unaffiliated with any other known language. The four Yuki groups were the Yuki proper, who lived along the upper reaches of the Eel River and its tributaries; the Huchnom, who dwelt in the Redwood Valley to the west;

Gastronomy, The Italian influence on France

2004-12-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

Italy has been called the mother of the Western cuisines, and perhaps its greatest contribution was its influence on France. The crucial event was the arrival of Catherine de Médicis in France in the 16th century. The great-granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Catherine married the young man who later was to become Henry II of France. She brought with her a retinue

Tara Brooch

2004-12-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

Fine example of a Celtic ring brooch, found on the seashore at Bettystown, south of Drogheda, and now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. The Tara brooch, probably dating from the 8th century, is of white bronze and consists of a large circle with about half of the centre empty and the other half filled in with sunken panels ornamented in extremely delicate

Earth, Determining the form of the geoid with Stokes's formula

2004-12-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Where g is the local value of the acceleration due to gravity. The effect of mass

Cohen, Stanley

2004-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Cohen was educated at Brooklyn College (B.A., 1943), Oberlin College (M.A., 1945), and at the University of Michigan, where he received a Ph.D. in

Pamirs, Animal life

2004-12-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

The high tablelands of the eastern Pamirs are the prime breeding area of the mountain goat and the argali (Marco Polo) wild sheep; occasional sightings of blue sheep and urial are reported. Ibex are common where human activity is minimal, and markhor inhabit the lower ranges between the Panj and Vakhsh rivers. Brown bear feed on the abundant marmots, as do wolves. Relatively

Luther, Martin, Augustinian Order at Erfurt

2004-12-22T00:53:00.000-08:00

In joining the eremitical order of St. Augustine, Luther had joined an important mendicant order, which by the middle of the 15th century had over 2,000 chapters. As a result of reforms carried through in 1473, the house at Erfurt, to which Luther went, accepted the strict, observant interpretation of the rule. Under Johann von Staupitz, Luther's mentor and vicar general to the order,

Sibling Rivalry

2004-12-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Intense competition among siblings for recognition and the attention of their parents. Sibling rivalry normally begins when a baby is introduced to a family and the older sibling fears the baby will replace him or her. The older child may become extremely jealous and display aggressive behaviour toward the baby or such regressive acts as bed-wetting or baby talk.

Ulaanbaatar

2004-12-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ulan Bator, formerly Urga, or Niislel Khureheh, capital and largest city of Mongolia. It is situated on the Tuul River on a windswept plateau at an elevation of 4,430 feet (1,350 m). The city originated as a seasonal migratory abode of the Mongolian princes and in 1639 finally attained permanence on the present site with the construction of Da Khure Monastery. This building became the residence of the bodgo-gegen, high priest of the

Ibn Zuhr

2004-12-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

An intensely practical man, Ibn Zuhr disliked medical speculation; for that reason, he opposed the teachings of the Persian master physician Avicenna. In his Taysir fi al-mudawat wa al-tadbir (“Practical Manual of Treatments and Diet”), later translated

Mercury

2004-12-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

Mercury's orbit is inside the orbit of the Earth, and this creates two important astronomical effects. First, Mercury is never more than 27°45¢ of angle away from the Sun and is thus seen as a “morning” star just before sunrise or an “evening” star just after sunset. Second, Mercury exhibits

Melchior, Johann Peter

2004-12-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

Modeller in porcelain, best known of the artists associated with the great German porcelain factory at Höchst. As a child he showed an interest in drawing, painting, and sculpture, and a relative apprenticed him to a sculptor in Düsseldorf. He became sufficiently well known to be named Modellmeister at the

Ghent, State University Of

2004-12-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

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.