DependentSheep

Stratemeyer, Edward

2005-04-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

Stratemeyer worked as a store clerk and, on the side, began writing stories in imitation of those of Horatio

Slavery, Legal relationships between slave owners

2005-04-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

There was more uniformity across systems regarding legal relationships between slave owners. All societies had provisions for the recovery of runaways, and most imposed sanctions on owners who stole others' slaves (a capital offense in some systems) or helped them to flee. There also were relatively uniform laws about passing slaves from one generation to

Adamnan, Saint

2005-04-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Nothing is known of Adamnan's early life. In 679 he was elected abbot of Iona, the ninth in succession from St. Columba, the founder. While on a visit to Northumbria, he adopted the Roman rules on the tonsure and for determining the date of Easter that had been accepted

Kidney Stone

2005-04-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Also called Renal Calculus, plural Renal Calculi, concretion of minerals and organic matter that forms in the kidneys. Such stones may become so large as to impair normal renal function. Urine contains many salts in solution and if the concentration of mineral salts becomes excessive, the excess salt precipitates as solid particles called stones. Kidney stones are classified as primary if they form without apparent

Arnica

2005-04-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

One of the most important species (A. montana) is a perennial herb of northern and central European

Kirkuk

2005-04-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

City, northeastern Iraq. The city is 145 miles (233 km) north of Baghdad, the national capital, with which it is linked by road and railway. Kirkuk is located near the foot of the Zagros Mountains in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The oldest part of the town is clustered around a citadel built on an ancient tell, or mound. During the period of Assyrian prominence (9th–10th century BC) the city

Futabatei Shimei

2005-03-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

Although Futabatei wrote three novels and translated many stories,

Aubagne

2005-03-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

Town, Bouches-du-Rhône département, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région, southeastern France. Aubagne lies about 10 miles (16 km) east of Marseille. It was the site of the Gallo-Roman Pagus Lucreti and derived its name from its health springs (Ad Bainea). Aubagne sits amidst an agricultural region that is centred around market gardening and fruit and vegetable production. It

Chaillu Massif

2005-03-30T00:21:00.000-08:00

Mountain range in south-central Gabon, rising to more than 3,300 feet (1,000 m) between the Ngounié and the Ogooué rivers; it forms the country's main watershed. The range contains Mount Milondo (3,346 feet [1,020 m]), the highest peak in Gabon, 53 miles (85 km) southwest of Koula-Moutou. Other high points in the range are Mount Iboundji (3,215 feet [980 m]) and Mount Mimongo (2,822 feet [860 m]). The granite massif is named for the explorer

Down

2005-03-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

Down had an area of 952 sq mi (2,466 sq km), and it had three areas of high ground. In the south, the Mourne Mountains (Slieve Donard, 2,796 ft [852 m]) are composed of Eocene (38,000,000-year-old) granite;

Radiolarian

2005-03-28T02:59:00.000-08:00

Any protozoan of the class Polycystinea (superclass Actinopoda), found in the upper layers of all oceans. Radiolarians, which are mostly spherically symmetrical, are known for their complex and beautifully sculptured, though minute, skeletons, referred to as tests. Usually composed of silica, the test is elaborately perforated in a variety of patterns, forming a

Melitopol

2005-03-28T01:18:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Melitopol ', city, Zaporozhye oblast (province), Ukraine, on the Molochnaya River. The settlement of Novo-Aleksandrovka grew up in the late 18th century, and in 1841 it became the city of Melitopol. The centre of a fruit-growing area, modern Melitopol has engineering plants and light industries. Pop. (1993 est.) 178,000.

Columbus, Christopher, Early career and preparation for the first voyage

2005-03-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Little is known of Columbus's early life. The vast majority of scholars, citing Columbus's testament of 1498 and archival documents from Genoa and Savona, believe that he was born in Genoa to a Christian household; however, it has been claimed that he was a converted Jew or that he was born in Spain, Portugal, or elsewhere. Columbus was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, a Genoese

Ear, Human, Transmission of sound waves in the cochlea

2005-03-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

The mechanical vibrations of the stapes footplate at the oval window creates pressure waves in the perilymph of the scala vestibuli of the cochlea. These waves move around the tip of the cochlea through the helicotrema into the scala tympani and dissipate as they hit the round window (Figure 8). The wave motion is transmitted to the endolymph inside the cochlear duct.

Elf Aquitaine

2005-03-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

In full Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (French: “Elf Aquitaine National Society”), French corporate group formed on Sept. 1, 1976, in the reorganization and consolidation of petrochemical, mining, and several other industries. Until 1994, a French-government company, the Enterprise de Recherches et d'Activités Pétrolières (ERAP; “Enterprise for Petroleum Search and Activity”), held a majority interest in Elf Aquitaine.

Vaitown

2005-03-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Bomi Hills, city, western Liberia, West Africa. Located in the Bomi Hills former iron-mining district, it is associated with the Liberian Mining Company (LMC; a subsidiary of Republic Steel Corporation), which closed down mining operations in the late 1970s. The firm, first in Liberia to export iron ore, completed a 43-mile (69-kilometre) narrow-gauge railway to the port at Monrovia in 1951. Iron interests

Alcalá, Calle De

2005-03-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

One of the main thoroughfares of Madrid. It originates at the eastern edge of the Puerta del Sol (the focal point and principal square of the city) and runs northeast approximately 4 mi (6 km) through the Plaza de la Independencia and the Puerta de Alcalá (a gateway originally built in 1599 and rebuilt in 1778). A broad, tree-lined avenue, it contains government offices and banks and is

Juba I

2005-03-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

Succeeding his father, Hiempsal II, sometime between 63 and 50, Juba became bitterly hostile toward Caesar because of a personal insult (probably in 63). In addition, one of Caesar's supporters, the tribune Curio, in 50 unsuccessfully proposed

Azulejo

2005-03-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

(from Arabic az-zulayj, “little stone”), Spanish and later principally Portuguese tiles produced from the 14th century onward. At first the term was used to denote only North African mosaics, but it became the accepted word for an entirely decorated tile about 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 centimetres) square. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal imported azulejo tiles from Spain, and their

Obraztsov, Sergey Vladimirovich

2005-03-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

The son of a schoolteacher and a railroad engineer, Obraztsov studied painting at the Higher Art and Technical Studios. He became an actor at the Moscow Nemirovich-Danchenko

Trevelyan, G(eorge) M(acaulay)

2005-03-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

The third son of Sir George Otto Trevelyan, he was educated

Nahuel Huapí National Park

2005-03-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

Spanish Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapí, national park in Río Negro and Neuquén provinces, southwestern Argentina; it encompasses Lake Nahuel Huapí in the Andes adjacent to the Chilean border. It originated as a reserve in 1903 with a private donation of 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares). It became Argentina's first national park in 1934 and has an area of 2,927 square miles (7,581 square km). The park and adjacent nature reserve include a region

Bohemian Glass

2005-03-21T05:33:00.000-08:00

Decorative glass made in Bohemia and Silesia from the 13th century. Especially notable is the cut and engraved glass in high Baroque style made from 1685 to 1750. Early in the 17th century, Caspar Lehmann, gem cutter to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, adapted to glass the technique of gem engraving with copper and bronze wheels. Although intaglio (Tiefschnitt, “deep cut”) and high relief

Epi

2005-03-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

Formerly Tasiko, or Volcano, island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it is 27 mi (43 km) long and 11 mi wide, with an area of 171 sq mi (444 sq km), and rises to 2,733 ft (833 m). Although it is fertile, Epi's copra plantations are deteriorating. There is a Presbyterian hospital at Vaémali, on the north coast. Pop. (1979 prelim.) 2,304.

Alliance For Progress

2005-03-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

International economic development program established by the United States and 22 Latin American countries in the Charter of Punta del Este (Uruguay) in August 1961. Objectives stated in the charter centred on the maintenance of democratic government and the achievement of economic and social development; specific goals included a sustained growth in per capita

Beecher, Lyman

2005-03-20T04:41:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Yale in 1797, he held pastorates at Litchfield, Conn., and at Boston, during which he opposed rationalism, Catholicism, and the liquor traffic. Turning his attention to evangelizing the West, he became president of the newly founded Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati,

Paper Pulp

2005-03-19T03:04:00.000-08:00

Rags and other fibres, such as straw, grasses, and bark of the mitsumata and paper mulberry (kozo), have been used as paper pulp. Except for certain special papers (e.g., asbestos paper), nearly all papers are made of cellulosic

Aquarium

2005-03-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

The design of a large aquarium must take into account the requirements of the specimens, especially since exhibits at modern aquariums include all types of aquatic organisms: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates as well as fishes. Among the many factors that must be considered are traffic flow patterns of visitors, reflections off glass, acoustics,

Earth Sciences, Prospecting for groundwater

2005-03-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

Although the origin of the water in the Earth that seeps or springs from the ground was long the subject of much fanciful speculation, the arts of finding and managing groundwater were already highly developed in the 8th century BC. The construction of long, hand-dug underground aqueducts (qanats) in Armenia and Persia represents one of the great hydrologic achievements

African Hunting Dog

2005-03-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Cape Hunting Dog, or Hyena Dog (Lycaon pictus), wild African carnivore that differs from the rest of the members of the dog family (Canidae) in having only four toes on each foot. Its coat is short, sparse, and irregularly blotched with yellow, black, and white. The African hunting dog is about 76–102 cm (30–41 inches) long, exclusive of its 31–41-centimetre tail, stands about 60 cm (24 inches) at the shoulder, and weighs

Vietnamese Language

2005-03-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Official language of Vietnam, spoken in the late 20th century by more than 66 million people. It belongs to the Viet-Muong subbranch of the Vietic branch of the Mon-Khmer family, which is itself a part of the Austroasiatic stock. Except for a group of divergent rural dialects spoken between Hue and Vinh, most of the dialects of Vietnamese differ from each other to about the

Computers And Information Systems, E-Commerce.

2005-03-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

E-commerce continued the downward slide that had begun in early 2000. In the first half of 2001, U.S. Internet advertising revenues declined 7.8% from the same period a year earlier. The on-line ad sales decline compared with revenue growth of 78% in 2000 and marked the end of several years of substantial growth in on-line ad revenues. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade group, said the

Amazonas

2005-03-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

Departamento (formed 1832), Nor Oriental del Marañón región, northern Peru, bounded on the north by Ecuador. It consists mostly of rain forest in the north, while in the south the Marañón River and its tributaries dissect the Cordillera Central. The Marañón forms part of the western boundary with Cajamarca departamento before flowing northeastward into the Amazon River

Robert The Strong

2005-03-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Count of various regions between the Seine and Loire rivers, Robert served the Carolingian king of France Charles II the Bald and, by his bold and inspiring military leadership, succeeded in checking the depredations of the Northmen who were laying waste the settlements near the Loire. A great victory

China, The development of the Republic (191220)

2005-03-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

The first half of the 20th century saw the gradual disintegration of the old order in China and the turbulent preparation for a new society. Foreign political philosophies undermined the traditional governmental system, nationalism became the strongest activating force, and civil wars and Japanese invasion tore the vast country and retarded its modernization.

Hadhramaut

2005-03-14T23:51:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Hadramout, Arabic Hadramawt, region in east-central Yemen, on the Gulf of Aden. The region comprises a hilly area near the coast and an inland valley occupied by a seasonal watercourse, the Wadi Hadramawt, that runs parallel to the coast before turning southeastward to reach the sea. In its lower reaches this watercourse achieves a year-round flow and is called Wadi Masilah. At higher elevations in

Madox, Thomas

2005-03-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

Madox studied common law (though not called to the bar) and was clerk in the office of the Exchequer, later working in the augmentation

Submarine Mine

2005-03-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

Underwater weapon designed to explode when a target presents itself. See mine.

Babylon

2005-03-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Babylonian Bab-ilu , Old Babylonian Bab-ilim , Hebrew Bavel or Babel , Arabic Atlal Babil one of the most famous cities of antiquity. It was the capital of southern Mesopotamia (Babylonia) from the early 2nd millennium to the early 1st millennium BC and capital of the Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) empire in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, when it was at the height of its splendour. Its extensive ruins, on the Euphrates River about 55 miles (88 km) south of Baghdad, lie near the modern

Ferdinand I

2005-03-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Because his elder brother, Henry III, was an invalid, Ferdinand took the battlefield against the Muslims of Granada. When Henry III died in 1406, his son John II was an infant and the regency was divided between Henry's widow, Queen Catherine of Lancaster,

Anders, Wladyslaw

2005-03-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

After service in the Russian army during World War I, Anders entered the armed forces of the newly reconstituted Polish

Arias Sánchez, Oscar

2005-03-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Born into one of the wealthiest coffee-growing families in Costa Rica, Arias studied economics at the University of Costa Rica and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Essex in England. In the 1960s he began working for the moderate socialist

Solar Compass

2005-03-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Also called Sun Compass, type of navigational instrument that uses the position of the Sun to establish bearing. The solar compass operates somewhat like a sundial. It indicates direction by employing the angle of the shadow cast by the Sun in conjunction with a compass card, a flat disk marked with points and degrees of direction. The solar compass is useful for navigation in the high latitudes,

Earth Sciences, Prospecting for groundwater

2005-03-10T23:53:00.000-08:00

Earth, Characteristics of the Earth's magnetic field

2005-03-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

To a first approximation the magnetic field observed at the surface of the Earth is like that of a magnet aligned with the planet's rotation axis. Figure 6 shows such a field for a bar magnet located at the centre of a sphere. If the sphere is taken to be the Earth with the north geographic pole at the top of the diagram, the magnet must be oriented with its north magnetic pole

Mon Language

2005-03-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

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

Lorengau

2005-03-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

Town, northeastern Manus Island, in the Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea. It lies on Seeadler Harbour. Captured by the Japanese in 1942, the settlement was retaken by Allied forces in 1944 and eventually became part of a large U.S. naval and air base. As a port, the town handles the local copra production. Pop. (1990 prelim.) 4,547.

Cummingtonite

2005-03-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

An amphibole mineral, an iron and magnesium silicate that occurs in metamorphic rocks. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see amphibole (table).

Saruhan Dynasty

2005-03-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

The dynasty was founded by Saruhan, a tribal chief and frontier prince in the service of the Seljuqs of Anatolia who traced his descent to the Khwarezm-Shahs of Central Asia; after its conquest of Manisa (1313), the dynasty's principality extended its territories to the Aegean Sea. Surrounded by the Turkmen

Liechtenstein

2005-03-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

With the theme "Small Is Beautiful," Liechtenstein in 1998 began preparations to serve as host of the eighth Games of the Small States of Europe, scheduled for May 24-29, 1999, in Vaduz. A new stadium at Schaan opened in August for the track and field trials. Trials for judo took

Cable

2005-03-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Cables made of optical fibres first came into operation in the mid-1970s. In a fibre-optic cable, light signals are transmitted through thin fibres of plastic or glass from light-emitting diodes or semiconductor lasers by means of internal reflection. The advantages of fibre-optic cables over conventional coaxial cables include low material cost, high transmission

åbenrå

2005-03-05T23:20:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aabenraa city, seat of Sønderjylland amtskommune (county commune), southeastern Jutland, Denmark, at the head of Åbenrå Fjord. First mentioned in the 12th century when attacked by the Wends, it was granted a charter (1335) and grew from a fishing village into a thriving port in the 17th and 18th centuries. Medieval landmarks include the St. Nicholas Church (a 13th-century church; restored 1949–56) and

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Fable

2005-03-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

Fable and parable are short, simple forms of naive allegory. The fable is usually a tale about animals who are personified and behave as though they were humans (see photograph). The device of personification is also extended to trees, winds, streams, stones, and other natural objects. The earliest of these tales also included humans and gods as characters, but fable tends

Gyllensten, Lars (johan Wictor)

2005-03-05T02:53:00.000-08:00

Gyllensten was reared and educated in Stockholm and was a professor of medicine at the Karolinska Institute for 18 years. He served on the Nobel Committee for Literature from 1968 and was made permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy in 1977. The Swedish Foundation

Sea Squirt

2005-03-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

Also called ascidian any member of the invertebrate class Ascidiacea (subphylum Urochordata, also called Tunicata), marine animals with some primitive vertebrate features. Sea squirts are fixed growing organisms resembling potatoes more than animals; they are found in all seas, from the intertidal zone to the greatest depths. All adult forms are sessile (permanently fixed to a surface).

Biblical Literature, Major themes and characteristics

2005-03-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

The great biblical themes are about God, his revealed works of creation, provision, judgment, deliverance,

Kerygma And Catechesis

2005-03-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

In Christian theology, respectively, the initial proclamation of the gospel message and the oral instruction given before baptism to those who have accepted the message. Kerygma refers primarily to the preaching of the Apostles as recorded in the New Testament. Their message was that Jesus Christ, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, was sent

Economic System

2005-03-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Way in which humankind has arranged for its material provisioning. One would think that there would be a great variety of such systems, corresponding to the many cultural arrangements that have characterized human society. Surprisingly, that is not the case. Although a wide range of institutions and social customs have been associated with the economic activities

Kocaeli

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

Il (province), of northwestern Turkey, with an area of 1,428 sq mi (3,698 sq km), bounded on the north by the Black Sea and on the west by the Sea of Marmara. It is drained by the lower course of the Sakarya River. It was once part of the kingdom of Bithynia (3rd century BC), and Hannibal was buried there (at modern Gebze) in 183 BC. The area was taken from the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Turks in the 14th century.

Augite

2005-03-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

The most common pyroxene mineral (a silicate of calcium, magnesium, iron, titanium, and aluminum). It occurs chiefly as thick, tabular crystals in basalts, gabbros, andesites, and various other dark-coloured igneous rocks. It also is a common constituent of lunar basalts and meteorites rich in basaltic material. Augites with a composition similar to that of diopside

Allégret, Yves

2005-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Allégret began his film career working as an assistant to his older brother, the director Marc Allégret, and for Augusto Genina and Jean Renoir. Entering films during the 1930s and working with directors involved in the avant-garde

Sicily

2005-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Italian Sicilia island of Italy, the largest and one of the most densely populated in the Mediterranean Sea. Together with the Egadi, Lipari, Pelagie, and Panteleria islands, Sicily forms an autonomous region of Italy. It lies about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Tunisia (northern Africa). The island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina (2 miles [3 km] wide in the north and 10 miles [16

Thompson, Dorothy

2005-03-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

The daughter of a Methodist minister, Thompson attended the Lewis Institute in Chicago and Syracuse University in New York (A.B., 1914), where she became ardently committed to woman suffrage. After World War I she went to Europe as a freelance correspondent

Ashta Pradhan

2005-02-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Asta Pradhad (Marathi: “Council of Eight”), administrative and advisory council set up by the Indian Hindu Maratha leader Sivaji (d. 1680), which contributed to his successful military attacks on the Muslim Mughal Empire and to the good government of the territory over which he established his rule. The council's senior member, the peshwa, or mukhya pradhan, was in charge of general administration

Classical Scholarship, The early Middle Ages

2005-02-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

The period during which the Merovingian dynasty founded by Clovis (c. 466–511) was in power was a dark age for learning, but there was no complete breach with the past. Under the influence of the church the barbarian invaders wished to base their civilization on the Latin model, and since it was the language of the church, Latin continued to be the language of literature. Although

Scandinavian Literature, The impact of the reformation on Swedish letters

2005-02-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Two dates mark the beginning of modern Swedish history: 1523—the breach with Denmark and Gustav I Vasa's accession; and 1527—the breach with Rome and the establishment of a national Lutheran Church. The political revolution that eventually brought Sweden to the position of a European power had no considerable effect on literature until a century later, but the Reformation

Daigak Guksa

2005-02-27T06:57:00.000-08:00

A son of the Koryo king Munjong, Uich'on became a Buddhist monk at age 11, and in 1084 he went to the Sung court of China and stayed a year and a half studying and collecting Buddhist literature. When Uich'on returned home to Korea, he brought with him the doctrines of the Chinese T'ien T'ai (Korean pronunciation

Maso Di Banco

2005-02-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

Florentine painter who was the most talented of Giotto's pupils. Maso's work displays a style that effectively and intelligently incorporated the teachings of the master. It was the work of Maso that Ghiberti singled out in the 15th century for praise. Maso is mentioned in connection with the Bardi family in a document of 1341. It was a member of this family that provided

Dieulafoy, Marcel-auguste

2005-02-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Dieulafoy's published works include L'Art antique de la Perse, 5 vol. (1884–89; “The Ancient

Allergen

2005-02-25T02:53:00.000-08:00

Substance that in some persons induces the hypersensitive state of allergy and stimulates the formation of reaginic antibodies. Allergens may be naturally occurring or of synthetic origin and include pollen, mold spores, dust, animal dander, insect debris, foods, blood serum, and drugs. Identification of allergens is made by studying both the site of symptoms (e.g.,

Castelnau, Michel De, Sieur (lord) De La Mauvissière

2005-02-24T03:48:00.000-08:00

As a young man, Castelnau served under local commanders in Piedmont and in Picardy. After the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559), he entered the king's service and was sent on diplomatic missions in 1560 to England, Germany, Savoy, and Rome. After

Jackson, Andrew

2005-02-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

Jackson approached the problems of the presidency as he had approached all other problems in life. He met each issue as it arose, and he exhibited the same vigour and determination in carrying out decisions that had characterized his conduct as commander of an army. He made it clear from the outset that he would be the master of his own administration, and, at times, he was so strong-willed and decisive that his enemies referred to him as “King Andrew I.” In making decisions and policy, Jackson relied on an informal group of newspaper editors and politicians who had helped elect him; they came to be known as his "kitchen cabinet."

Alaska, Government

2005-02-23T04:26:00.000-08:00

Alaska's economy has been dominated by government since territorial days. From 1940 to 1960 the federal government invested nearly $2 billion in the development of military bases in Alaska. Nothing else in Alaska's history has produced such long-term results, bringing thousands of residents into the territory and creating jobs and a vast array of transportation and communications

Porringer

2005-02-23T02:01:00.000-08:00

A shallow, round bowl with one or two flat, horizontal handles set on opposite sides of the rim and, usually, a shallow lid. In recent usage, the word has also been used to refer to late 16th- and early 17th-century English silver vessels of cylindrical form with two vertical scroll handles. The precise purpose of porringers, or écuelles, as they are known in France, is in dispute;

Judah Ha-levi

2005-02-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hebrew in full Yehuda Ben Shemuel ha-Levi Jewish poet and religious philosopher. His works were the culmination of the development of Hebrew poetry within the Arabic cultural sphere. Among his major works are the poems collected in Diwan, the “Zionide” poems celebrating Zion, and the Sefer ha-Kuzari (“Book of the Khazar”), presenting his philosophy of Judaism in dialogue

Gradus

2005-02-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

A dictionary of Greek or Latin prosody and poetic phrases used as an aid in the writing of verse in Greek or Latin. The term is derived from the Gradus ad Parnassum (“A Step to Parnassus”), a 17th-century prosody dictionary long used in British schools.

Shamanism, American Indians

2005-02-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Among many North American tribes shamanism constitutes the most important aspect of the religious life. The shaman is characterized by the supernatural power he acquires as the result of a direct personal experience. This power is obtained either spontaneously or after a voluntary quest, but in either case the future shaman has to undergo certain initiatory

Karabagh Rug

2005-02-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

Karabagh also spelled Karabakh, floor covering handmade in the district of Karabakh (Azerbaijan), just north of the present Iranian border. As might be expected, Karabagh designs and colour schemes tend to be more like those of Persian rugs than do those made in other parts of the Caucasus, and it is difficult to distinguish Karabagh runners from those of Karzdagh, in Iran, to the south. Certain Karabagh

Sabre

2005-02-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Saber, heavy military sword with a long cutting edge and, often, a curved blade, derived from a Hungarian cavalry sword introduced from the Orient in the 18th century; also a light fencing weapon developed in Italy in the 19th century for duelling. The military sabre had been relegated to a ceremonial role by the 20th century, while the fencing sabre had become one of the sport's standard

Coleridge, Sara

2005-02-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

During her childhood, her father was seldom at home, and his brother-in-law Robert Southey chiefly influenced Sara's early years. She did not see her father from 1812 to 1822, when she visited him at Highgate

Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan

2005-02-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

Chandrasekhar was the nephew of Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930. Chandrasekhar

Alencar, José (martiniano) De

2005-02-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Journalist, novelist, and playwright whose novel O Guarani (1857; “The Guarani Indian”) initiated the vogue of the Brazilian Indianista novel (romantic tales of indigenous life incorporating vocabulary of Amerindian origin referring to flora, fauna, and tribal customs). O Guarani, which was subsequently utilized as the libretto

Mammeri, Mouloud

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

Mammeri was reared in the Kabylian mountains but was educated in Morocco, Paris, and Algiers, after which he was drafted into the French army to fight in World War II. He later became a professor at the University of

Pontevedra

2005-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

Provincia, northwestern Spain, smallest of the four provinces of the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Galicia. It is mountainous, with an Atlantic coastline deeply indented by the picturesque rías bajas (inlets) of Arosa, Pontevedra, and Vigo. Numerous traditional fiestas held throughout the province contribute, with the scenic beauty and fine beaches,

Gray, Horace

2005-02-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

Admitted to the bar in 1851, Gray practiced law in Massachusetts and was active in Free-Soil and, later, Republican party affairs. In 1860 he ran unsuccessfully for state attorney general. He served with distinction for many years at the Massachusetts Supreme Court, first as court reporter (1854–61) and later as associate

La Chétardie, Jacques-joachim Trotti, Marquis De

2005-02-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

La Chétardie entered French military service at an early age and rose through the ranks, becoming lieutenant (1721), major (1730), and colonel (1734). He performed well and received assignments to Holland and Prussia and in 1739 became ambassador to Russia. In order

Penates

2005-02-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Formally Di Penates household gods of the Romans and other Latin peoples. In the narrow sense, they were gods of the penus (“household provision”), but by extension their protection reached the entire household. They are associated with other deities of the house, such as Vesta, and the name was sometimes used interchangeably with that of the Lares, any of various tutelary deities. The Penates

Vivarini, Antonio

2005-02-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

From 1444 Vivarini collaborated with his brother-in-law Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450); later he worked with his younger brother, Bartolomeo. Surviving altarpieces executed

Chiang Ching-kuo

2005-02-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

The son of Chiang

Cynegils

2005-02-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

With his son Cwichelm (d. 636), Cynegils defeated the advancing Britons at Bampton in Oxfordshire in 614, and Cwichelm sought to arrest the growing power of the Northumbrian king Eadwine by procuring his assassination. The attempt, however, failed, and in 626 the West Saxons were defeated

Ch'an

2005-02-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Form of Mahayana Buddhism that arose in China and reached its culmination in the Zen school of Japan. See Zen.

La Salle, Saint Jean-baptiste De

2005-02-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

Of noble birth, La Salle was ordained priest in 1678 and devoted himself to education of the poor. He helped to establish

National Alliance

2005-02-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

The MSI was formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian leader Benito Mussolini from elements of the defunct Uomo Qualunque (Average Man) Party that had appeared in 1945. It first contested elections in 1948, when it won six seats in the Chamber of Deputies. From the 1950s

401(k)

2005-02-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

In the United States, a retirement savings program organized by employers but funded primarily by workers through paycheck deductions. Because employees generally do not make withdrawals from the fund until after they have retired, the 401(k) is considered a deferred compensation plan. As a result, the worker is not taxed on any earnings or gains made in the account

Sylacauga

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

City, Talladega county, central Alabama, U.S. It is located at the southwestern corner of Talladega National Forest (eastern section) in the Coosa River valley, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Birmingham. The area was visited by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540 and was inhabited by the Creek until they were removed by the federal government in 1836. The arrival of the Anniston

Ovid

2005-02-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Latin in full Publius Ovidius Naso Roman poet noted especially for his Ars amatoria and Metamorphoses. His verse had immense influence both by its imaginative interpretations of classical myth and as an example of supreme technical accomplishment.

Jahwarid Dynasty

2005-02-11T01:21:00.000-08:00

Muslim Arab dynasty that ruled Córdoba, Spain, after the dissolution of the Umayyad caliphate of Córdoba (1031), one of the party kingdoms (ta'ifahs). Years of civil war following the breakdown of central caliphal authority in 1008 prompted the Cordoban council of notables, led by a prominent aristocrat, Abu al-Hazm Jahwar ibn Jahwar, to abolish the institution of the caliphate and

Australia

2005-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

The Australian mainland extends from west to east for nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) and

Agrippina The Younger

2005-02-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Agrippina was the daughter of the elder Agrippina, sister of the emperor Gaius, or Caligula (37–41), and wife of the emperor Claudius (41–54). She had been exiled in 39 for taking part in a conspiracy against Gaius but was allowed to return to Rome in 41. Her first husband, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus,

Amnion

2005-02-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

In development, the amnion arises by a folding of a mass of extra-embryonic tissue called the somatopleure. Lined with ectoderm and covered with mesoderm (both are

DependentSheep

Stratemeyer, Edward

Slavery, Legal relationships between slave owners

Adamnan, Saint

Kidney Stone

Arnica

Kirkuk

Futabatei Shimei

Aubagne

Chaillu Massif

Down

Radiolarian

Melitopol

Columbus, Christopher, Early career and preparation for the first voyage

Ear, Human, Transmission of sound waves in the cochlea

Elf Aquitaine

Vaitown

Alcalá, Calle De

Juba I

Azulejo

Obraztsov, Sergey Vladimirovich

Trevelyan, G(eorge) M(acaulay)

Nahuel Huapí National Park

Bohemian Glass

Epi

Alliance For Progress

Beecher, Lyman

Paper Pulp

Aquarium

Earth Sciences, Prospecting for groundwater

African Hunting Dog

Vietnamese Language

Computers And Information Systems, E-Commerce.

Amazonas

Robert The Strong

China, The development of the Republic (191220)

Hadhramaut

Madox, Thomas

Submarine Mine

Babylon

Ferdinand I

Anders, Wladyslaw

Arias Sánchez, Oscar

Solar Compass

Earth Sciences, Prospecting for groundwater

Earth, Characteristics of the Earth's magnetic field

Mon Language

Lorengau

Cummingtonite

Saruhan Dynasty

Liechtenstein

Cable

åbenrå

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Fable

Gyllensten, Lars (johan Wictor)

Sea Squirt

Biblical Literature, Major themes and characteristics

Kerygma And Catechesis

Economic System

Kocaeli

Augite

Allégret, Yves

Sicily

Thompson, Dorothy

Ashta Pradhan

Classical Scholarship, The early Middle Ages

Scandinavian Literature, The impact of the reformation on Swedish letters

Daigak Guksa

Maso Di Banco

Dieulafoy, Marcel-auguste

Allergen

Castelnau, Michel De, Sieur (lord) De La Mauvissière

Jackson, Andrew

Alaska, Government

Porringer

Judah Ha-levi

Gradus

Shamanism, American Indians

Karabagh Rug

Sabre

China, The development of the Republic (191220)