ThickMuscle

Magdalena

2005-11-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Magdalena Contreras, or Contreras, delegación (district), west-central Federal District, central Mexico. It lies along the Magdalena River near Cerro Ajusco. Although once simply the commercial centre for the cereals, beans, fruits, and livestock produced in the surrounding area, Magdalena gained prominence as the site of a battle (Aug. 19–20, 1847) in the Mexican War (1846–48) that enabled the U.S. general Winfield Scott to

Talish Mountains

2005-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Persian Kuhha-ye Tavalesh, Russian Talyshinskiye Gory, mountain chain, northwestern Iran, in the northwest section of the Elburz Mountains, extending southeastward from the Azerbaijan border to the lower part of the Safid Rud (Safid River). Few peaks rise above 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The humid subtropical coastal lowlands along the Caspian Sea lie at the eastern base of the mountains.

Diesinking

2005-07-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

The die block is mounted on a table while a vertical-spindle milling machine with end cutters is used to shape the die. In most simple machines the movement of the cutter may be controlled by the manual operation of transverse, horizontal,

Lamarr, Hedy

2005-07-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Austrian-born American actress (b. Nov. 9, 1913, Vienna, Austria—d. Jan. 19, 2000, Orlando, Fla.), possessed such a combination of exotic glamour and sex appeal that she was labeled the movie world's most beautiful woman. Although she appeared opposite many of Hollywood's most famous male stars, her films were not highly regarded, and she never came to be considered to have much acting ability;

Newton

2005-07-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

City, seat (1872) of Harvey county, central Kansas, U.S. Founded in 1871 and named for Newton, Massachusetts, it was a railhead for the Chisholm Trail cattle drives from 1871 to 1873, when it was designated a division point of the Santa Fe Railroad. In the 1870s Russian Mennonite settlers began raising Turkey Red hard winter wheat brought from their homeland, and this variety became Kansas's principal

Earthenware

2005-06-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

Pottery that has not been fired to the point of vitrification and is thus slightly porous and coarser than stoneware and porcelain. The body can be covered completely or decorated with slip (a liquid clay mixture applied before firing) or it can be glazed. For both practical and decorative reasons, earthenware is usually glazed. To overcome its porosity

North Germanic Languages, The advent of Christianity

2005-06-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

The establishment of the Roman Catholic church during the 10th and 11th centuries had considerable linguistic significance. It helped to consolidate the existing kingdoms, brought the North into the sphere of classical and medieval European culture, and introduced the writing on parchment of Latin letters. Runic writing continued in use for epigraphic purposes

Uhlenbeck, George Eugene

2005-06-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

In 1925, while working on his Ph.D. at the University of Leiden, Neth. (1927), he and Goudsmit put forth their idea of electron spin after ascertaining that electrons rotate about an axis. Uhlenbeck joined the physics department at the

Tala

2005-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

In the music of India and Pakistan, a metric cycle with a specific number of beats—from 3 to 128—that recur in the same pattern throughout a musical performance. Tala might generally be equated with rhythm or metre, although the tala procedure has no precise counterpart in Western music. Within the pattern the beats are not necessarily grouped in identical subunits, as in

Chad, Flag Of

2005-05-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

When French West Africa was under colonial rule, little was done to develop a sense of nationality; emphasis was on the culture and political and economic systems of France. The independence movement in Africa in the mid-20th century therefore found Chad, like most other territories, with few precedents for establishing its own symbols. When the Republic of Chad was

2005-05-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

Rwanda, Flag Of

2005-05-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Under the Belgian colonial regime, the elite Tutsi minority ruled the social, political, and economic life of Rwanda. The majority Hutu eventually organized a revolt against this feudal system, which culminated in a civil war that began on November 1, 1959. On March 23, 1960, the new Provisional Special Council, which was established by the Belgians and dominated by Hutu members,

Self-fertilization

2005-03-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

Fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells) produced by the same individual. Self-fertilization occurs in bisexual organisms, including most flowering plants, numerous protozoans, and many invertebrates. Autogamy, the production of gametes by the division of a single parent cell, is frequently found in unicellular organisms such as the protozoan Paramecium

Cennini, Cennino (di Drea)

2005-03-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

Late Gothic Florentine painter who perpetuated the traditions of Giotto, which he received from his teacher Agnolo Gaddi. He is best known for writing Il libro dell'arte (1437; The Craftsman's Handbook), the most informative source on the methods, techniques, and attitudes of medieval artists. Painting, according to Cennini, holds a high place

Table Mountain

2005-03-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Afrikaans �Tafelberg, � flat-topped mountain, overlooking Cape Town and Table Bay, South Africa, dominating the northern end of the high, rocky Cape Peninsula. Its tabular shape results from nearly horizontal layers of sandstone, exposed by vigorous wind and water erosion. The stark, scarred, 2-mi- (3-km-) long northern face contrasts with the fertile summit plateau broken by small valleys and streams.

Nithard

2005-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

A son of Charlemagne's daughter Bertha and the renowned poet and imperial chancellor Angilbert, Nithard was reared at court. On the death of the

Japan, Fauna

2005-03-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Despite the country's large human population, the land mammals of Japan are relatively numerous in the remote, heavily forested mountain regions. These animals include bears, wild boars, raccoon dogs (tanuki), foxes, deer, antelope, hares, and weasels; some species are distinct from those of the neighbouring Asian continent. Wild monkeys (the Japanese macaque) inhabit

Danbury Hatters' Case

2005-03-05T05:38:00.000-08:00

Formally �Loewe v. Lawlor (208 U.S. 274)� U.S. Supreme Court case in which unions were held to be subject to the antitrust laws. In 1902 the United Hatters of North America, having failed to organize the firm of D.E. Loewe in Danbury, Conn., called for a nationwide boycott of the firm's products. The firm brought suit under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and in 1908 the union was assessed triple damages. The case was a severe setback

Zoji

2005-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Pass across the Himalayas in the Indian-held part of Jammu and Kashmir state, in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. Situated at an elevation of 11,580 feet (3,529 m), Zoji Pass carries the only road leading from the Vale of Kashmir eastward to Leh, in Ladakh district, and on to Tibet. Heavily forested, the pass is the lowest in the western axis of the Himalayas but is extremely

Kernicterus

2005-03-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Severe brain damage caused by an abnormal concentration of the bile pigment bilirubin in brain tissues at or shortly after birth. Kernicterus may occur because of Rh blood-group incompatibility between mother and child, as in erythroblastosis fetalis, where the mother's immune system destroys fetal blood cells, resulting in severe anemia and jaundice in the

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

2005-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

For bibliography and information pertaining to Ibn Hanbal's works, see Fuat Sezgin, Geschichte des arabischen Schrifttums, vol. 1 (1967); for his life and works generally, see W.M. Patton, Ahmed ibn Hanbal and the Mihna (1897); and H. Laoust, �Le Hanbalisme sous le califat de Bagdad,� in Revue des �tudes Islamiques (1959); and the Encyclopaedia of Islam, vol. 1 (1960). On Sufism in the Hanbali school of thought, see G. Makdisi, �L'Isnad initiatique soufi de Muwaffaq ad-Din Ibn Qudama,� in L'Herne: Louis Massignon (1970).

Chr�tien, Jean

2005-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

The 18th of 19 children of a working-class family, Chr�tien studied law at Laval University and was called to the bar in Quebec in 1958. Long interested in politics, he was first elected to the House of Commons in 1963 and was reelected thereafter through

Kaffeklubben Island

2005-02-28T08:14:00.000-08:00

Island and one of the world's northernmost points of land, in the Arctic Ocean, 37 km (20 nautical miles) east of Cape Morris Jesup, Greenland. Kaffeklubben (Danish: �Coffee Club�) was discovered in 1900 by Robert E. Peary, the American Arctic explorer. The island was visited in 1921 by the Danish explorer Lauge Koch, who named it for the Kaffeklub at the Mineralogical Museum in Copenhagen.

Sri Indraditya

2005-02-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

Bang Klang Hao headed a petty Tai principality near Sukhothai when, about 1245, he joined with another Tai leader, Pha Muang, to rebel against the governor of Sukhothai, who was a deputy of the Khmer kings of Angkor. The two seized nearby Sawankhalok, and Bang Klang Hao defeated the Khmer governor

Manala

2005-02-25T00:25:00.000-08:00

The Finnish underworld and related concepts among other Finno-Ugric peoples, such as the yabme-aimo of the Sami, are the

Eureka

2005-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Byname of �European Research Agency,� European cooperative organization inaugurated in April 1985 by 18 European nations and formally established with a secretariat in Brussels in 1986. Its purpose is to promote European high-technology industries by linking the efforts of various companies and channeling moneys for their research. The original 18 member nations are the 12 European Community nations (Belgium,

Colette

2005-02-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

Colette

Gabriel, Peter

2005-02-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

Gabriel left Genesis in 1975 and developed a deep interest in world music rhythms and textures, reflected in four eponymous albums (the last, released in 1982, was titled Security

Val�ry, Paul

2005-02-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

In full �Ambroise-Paul-Toussaint-Jules Val�ry� French poet, essayist, and critic. His greatest poem is considered La Jeune Parque (1917; �The Young Fate�), which was followed by Album de vers anciens 1890 - 1900 (1920) and Charmes ou po�mes (1922), containing �Le Cimeti�re marin� (�The Graveyard by the Sea�). He later wrote a large number of essays and occasional papers on literary topics and took a great interest in scientific discoveries

Cremona

2005-02-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Cremona provincia, Lombardia (Lombardy) regione, northern Italy, on the north bank of the Po River southeast of Milan. It was founded by the Romans in 218 BC on the site of an earlier Gallic village of the Cenomani. Virgil, the Roman poet, went to school there. With the decline of the Roman Empire, Cremona was repeatedly sacked by the Goths and the Huns before being

North Little Rock

2005-02-19T01:24:00.000-08:00

City, Pulaski county, central Arkansas, U.S., on the Arkansas River opposite Little Rock. It was settled in 1812 as De Cantillon, became Huntersville in 1853, and was later renamed Argenta for the Hotel Argenta, built there in the late 1850s. The community developed after the arrival of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad in 1853 and later became the site of the freight classification yards

Term

2005-02-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

In logic, the subject or predicate of a categorical proposition (q.v.), or statement. Aristotle so used the Greek word horos (�limit�), apparently by an analogy between the terms of a proportion and those of a syllogism. Terminus is the Latin translation of this word, used, for example, by the 5th-century Roman philosopher Boethius. Hence in medieval logic the word came to be used

Earth Sciences, Properties and structure of the atmosphere

2005-02-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Less than a year after the space age began with the launching of the Soviet Sputnik I in 1957, the U.S. satellite Explorer I was sent into orbit with a Geiger counter for measuring the intensity of cosmic radiation at different levels above the ground. At altitudes around 1,000 kilometres this instrument ceased to function due to saturation by charged particles. This and subsequent

Insurance

2005-02-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

International insurance is surveyed in Paul P. Rogers, Bruno Sch�nfelder, and Ehrenfried Sch�tte, Insurance in Socialist East Europe (1988); Bernard Wasow and Raymond D. Hill (eds.), The Insurance Industry in Economic Development (1986); Robert M. Crowe (ed.), Insurance in the World's Economies (1982); Michael E. Hogue and Douglas G. Olson (eds.), World Insurance Outlook (1982); Wenlee Ting, Multinational Risk Assessment and Management: Strategies for Investment and Marketing Decisions (1988); Werner Pfenningstorf and Donald G. Gifford, A Comparative Study of Liability Law and Compensation Schemes in Ten Countries and the United States (1991); and Norman A. Baglini, Global Risk Management: How U.S. International Corporations Manage Foreign Risks (1983).

Nepali Language

2005-02-14T00:27:00.000-08:00

Eastern Pahari dialect spoken in Nepal. See Pahari languages.

Pyrobitumen

2005-02-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Pyrobitumens may be either asphaltic or nonasphaltic. The asphaltic pyrobitumens are derived from petroleum, are relatively hard, and have

Kraft Foods Inc.

2005-02-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

Kraft grew out of a wholesale cheese-delivery business established in Chicago in 1903 by James L. Kraft. Three years later he and his brother Charles began processing cheese for distribution to area retailers. Two other brothers later

Havana, The city site

2005-02-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

The low hills on which the city lies rise gently from the

Stone, Jesse

2005-02-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

American musician, songwriter, and rhythm-and-blues pioneer who, with his songs �Shake, Rattle and Roll� and �Money Honey,� figured largely in the birth of rock and roll; he also wrote the jazz standard �Idaho� (b. Nov. 16, 1901, Atchison, Kan. - d. April 1, 1999, Altamonte Springs, Fla.).

Devonport

2005-02-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Town, northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies near the mouth of the River Mersey, which empties into Bass Strait. One of the state's largest communities, it was formed through the amalgamation in 1893 of the villages of Torquay (east bank) and Formby (west), both of which had been founded in the 1850s. A major service centre with port facilities, Devonport is on the Bass Highway and a rail

Calas, Jean

2005-02-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

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

Paulinus Of Nola, Saint

2005-02-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

Paulinus became successively a Roman senator, consul, and governor of Campania, a region of southern Italy. Returning to Aquitaine he married and in 389 retired with his wife to Spain. The death of their only child, in 392, influenced

Pacific Islands

2005-02-06T02:26:00.000-08:00

Ron Crocombe, The South Pacific (1983); and Frederica M. Bunge and Melinda W. Cooke (eds.), Oceania, a Regional Study, 2nd ed. (1985), provide comprehensive information. Large-scale maps are found in Atlas of the South Pacific, 2nd ed. (1986), published by the New Zealand government. Herold J. Wiens, Atoll Environment and Ecology (1962), explores the physical characteristics of Pacific Islands environments. The classic demographic study is Norma McArthur, Island Populations of the Pacific (1967, reprinted 1983); see also Vern Carroll (ed.), Pacific Atoll Populations (1975). On physical anthropology, see William Howells, The Pacific Islanders (1973). F.R. Fosberg (ed.), Man's Place in the Island Ecosystem (1963); and Douglas L. Oliver, Oceania: The Native Cultures of Australia and the Pacific Islands, 2 vol. (1989), survey aspects of Pacific Islands societies. University of the South Pacific, Institute of Pacific Studies, Pacific Tourism, as Islanders See It (1980), analyzes the impact of tourism. Current writings about the area are found in Pacific Islands Business (monthly, Fiji); Pacific Magazine (bimonthly, Hawaii); and Pacific Islands Monthly (Australia). John Carter (ed.), Pacific Islands Yearbook, 15th ed. (1984), is a detailed reference work on contemporary conditions and events. For further research, see C.R.H. Taylor, A Pacific Bibliography: Printed Matter Relating to the Native Peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, 2nd ed. (1965); and Bibliographie de l'Oc�anie, published irregularly by the Soci�t� des Oc�anistes in Paris.

Aranyakas

2005-02-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: �Books of the Forest�), a later development of the Brahmanas, or expositions of the Vedas, which were composed in India in about 700 BC. The Aranyakas are distinguished from the Brahmanas in that they may contain information on secret rites to be carried out only by certain persons, and more philosophic speculation. Thus they were intended to be studied only by the initiated,

M16 Rifle

2005-02-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

Also called �Ar-15, � assault rifle adopted as a standard weapon by the U.S. Army in 1967. The M16 superseded the M14 rifle. It is gas-operated and has both semiautomatic (i.e., autoloading) and fully automatic capabilities. Weighing less than 3.6 kg (8 pounds) and equipped with a 20-round or 30-round magazine, the M16 is 99 cm (39 inches) long and fires 5.56-millimetre (.223-calibre) ammunition at the rate of 700 - 950 rounds per minute. Both U.S. and

Bashan

2005-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

Country frequently cited in the Old Testament and later important in the Roman Empire; it is located in what is now Syria. Bashan was the northernmost of the three ancient divisions of eastern Palestine, and in the Old Testament it was proverbial for its rich pastures and thick forests. In New Testament times, Bashan numbered as one of the great granaries of the Roman

Aerobatics

2005-02-02T00:49:00.000-08:00

For a historical overview of the sport, see Annette Carson, Flight Fantastic: The Illustrated History of Aerobatics (1986). Information on aerobatic techniques may be found in Geza Szurovy and Michael Goulian, Advanced Aerobatics (1997); and Peter Mallinson, The Handbook of Glider Aerobatics (1999). Detailed information on the latest competition events and their formats may be obtained by contacting the International Aerobatics Commission of the F�d�ration A�ronautique Internationale in Paris.

Basic English

2005-02-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

Basic English derives its vocabulary and grammar from English but reduces both to a remarkable extent: there

Arnhem

2005-01-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

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

Indigo

2005-01-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

The naturally occurring precursor

Cromarty

2005-01-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Small burgh (town) and seaport, Highland council area, historic county of Cromartyshire, historic region of Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, on a landlocked harbour. During the 17th century Cromarty became the chief burgh of the patchwork county of Cromartyshire, comprising the amalgamated estates of the earls of Cromarty, which included enclaves surrounded by Ross-shire

Nagauta

2005-01-27T05:31:00.000-08:00

The standard complete instrumentation of a nagauta piece consists of singers; players of the three-stringed, plucked samisen; and performers

Talhouni, Bahjat At-

2005-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Jordanian politician (b. 1913, Ma'an, vilayet of Syria, Ottoman Empire [now Ma'an, Jordan]--d. Jan. 30, 1994), was a loyal monarchist and close personal adviser to King Hussein of Jordan throughout a long career in public service; he was called upon to serve as prime minister four separate times between 1960 and 1970. Talhouni trained as a lawyer at the University of Damascus (LL.B.; 1936). He was appointed a judge

X-ray Source

2005-01-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

Advances in instrumentation and improved observational techniques have

Picasso, Pablo, Catalogs

2005-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Catalogs addressing specific themes, often in conjunction with museum exhibitions, include William Rubin (ed.), Pablo Picasso: A Retrospective (1980); Christian Geelhaar et al., Pablo Picasso: Das Sp�twerk: Themen 1964 - 1972 (1981); Douglas Cooper and Gary Tinterow, The Essential Cubism, 1907 - 1920: Braque, Picasso

Neuropteran

2005-01-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect order Neuroptera. At one time the term neuropteran referred to many groups of insects that are now placed in other orders, so that, in a strict sense, the order Neuroptera now includes only the lacewings. Frequently, however, two other closely related insect groups are included as neuropterans. These are the snakeflies (Raphidiodea), so-called

Alunite

2005-01-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

Also called �Alum Stone, � a widespread rock-forming sulfate mineral that occupies pockets or seams in volcanic rocks such as rhyolites, trachytes, and andesites, where it presumably formed through their chemical reaction with escaping sulfurous vapours. It has been used as a source of potash (during World War I) and as a source of alumina (during World War II); in Europe it was once used extensively

Mountain, The Alpine-Himalayan, or Tethyan, System

2005-01-21T02:49:00.000-08:00

The interconnected system of mountain ranges and intermontane plateaus that lies between the stable areas of Africa, Arabia, and India on the south and Europe and Asia on the north owes its existence to the collisions of different continental fragments during the past 100,000,000 years. Some 150,000,000 years ago, India and much of what is now Iran and Afghanistan lay many thousands of

Coase, Ronald

2005-01-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

Coase attended the London School of Economics, where he received a bachelor of commerce degree in 1932 and a Ph.D. in economics in 1951. He was employed at various universities, including the London School of Economics (1935 - 51), the University of Buffalo, New York

Robbery

2005-01-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

In criminal law, an aggravated form of theft that involves violence or the threat of violence against a victim in his presence. Many criminologists have long regarded statistics on robbery to be one of the most accurate gauges of the overall crime rate.

Spongillafly

2005-01-18T00:07:00.000-08:00

Any insect of the parasitic neuropteran family Sisyridae. The adult, a smoky brown insect, deposits clusters of eggs under a silky web near or on the water. The larva lives as a parasite on a freshwater sponge. It leaves the water when fully grown and spins a double-walled, lacelike cocoon in which it passes the pupal stage. Spongillaflies are found throughout the world

C�spedes, Pablo De

2005-01-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

C�spedes was educated at Alcal� de Henares, where he studied theology and Oriental languages. On leaving the university he went to Rome. In 1560, while in Rome, proceedings were taken against him by the Inquisition at Valladolid, but they were dropped. He returned to Spain a little before 1577 and received

Boulemane

2005-01-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Boulman, � town, north-central Morocco. The town, located at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above sea level in the Middle (Moyen) Atlas mountains, is a market centre serving Berber seminomads and is connected by road with F�s city (northwest) and er-Rachidia town (south). Pop. (1982) 3,295.

Wyoming Massacre

2005-01-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

In early June, Colonel John Butler led a force of 1,000 loyalists and Iroquois allies against the 5,000 inhabitants of the valley - mostly American women and children gathered at Forty Fort. About

Koch, Marita

2005-01-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

An injury forced Koch to withdraw from the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where she had been a favoured competitor. She set the first of her indoor records the

Porphyrin

2005-01-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of water-soluble, nitrogenous biological pigments (biochromes), derivatives of which include the hemoproteins (porphyrins combined with metals and protein). Examples of hemoproteins are the green, photosynthetic chlorophylls of higher plants; the hemoglobins in the blood of many animals; the cytochromes, enzymes that occur in minute quantities

Permafrost, Offshore structures

2005-01-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

One of the most active and exciting areas of permafrost engineering is in subsea permafrost. Knowledge of the distribution, type, and water or ice content of subsea permafrost is critical for planning petroleum exploration, locating production structures, burying pipelines, and driving tunnels beneath the seabed. Furthermore, the temperature of the seabed must

Colchis

2005-01-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ancient region at the eastern end of the Black Sea south of the Caucasus, in the western part of modern Georgia. It consisted of the valley of the Phasis (modern Riuni) River. In Greek mythology Colchis was the home of Medea and the destination of the Argonauts, a land of fabulous wealth and the domain of sorcery. Historically, Colchis was colonized by Milesian Greeks to

Chastelard, Pierre De Bocosel De

2005-01-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Grandson of Pierre Terrail, chevalier de Bayard, Chastelard became page to the constable Montmorency and frequented the court of Francis II of France, where he fell in love with the queen consort, Mary, who is said to have encouraged his passion.

Charadriiform, Molt

2005-01-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

Most Charadriiformes have two molts between breeding periods, which are on an annual cycle in all except some populations of the sooty tern (Sterna fuscata). A partial body molt generally precedes breeding, and a complete molt follows breeding. In some species flight feathers of the wing and tail are molted before the fall migration; in others they are retained through

Argentina, Trade

2005-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

In the 19th century Argentine beef and grain helped feed Britain's rapidly rising urban population, and

Atheriniform

2005-01-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Any member of the order Atheriniformes, containing 15 families of marine and freshwater spiny-finned fishes, including the flying fishes (see photograph), needlefishes, silversides, and cyprinodonts. The last group, the Cyprinodontidae, is an abundant tropical and subtropical family that includes the guppies, mollies, swordtails, and many

Mycosis

2005-01-05T04:25:00.000-08:00

Plural �Mycoses,� in humans and domestic animals, a disease caused by any fungus that invades the tissues, causing superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic disease. Superficial fungal infections, also called dermatophytosis, are confined to the skin and are caused by Microsporum, Trichophyton, or Epidermophyton; athlete's foot, for example, is caused by Trichophyton or Epidermophyton

Obreg�n, �lvaro

2005-01-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Though Obreg�n had little formal education, he learned a great deal about the needs and desires of poor Mexicans from his work as a farmer and labourer. He did not take part in

Itelmen

2005-01-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

Their Luorawetlan language of

Kabyle

2005-01-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

Berber people of Algeria inhabiting a partially mountainous region stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the southern slopes of the Great Kabylie mountains and from Dellys to Cape Aokas. Numbering about 2,000,000 in the late 20th century, they are mainly Muslims with a few Christians and are predominantly agricultural, growing grains and olives and herding goats. Their

Anderson, Maxwell

2005-01-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Anderson was educated at the University of North Dakota and Stanford University. He collaborated with Laurence Stallings in the World War I comedy What Price Glory? (1924), his first hit, a realistically ribald and profane view of World War I. Saturday's

Elijah

2004-12-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Elijah was from Tishbe in Gilead. The narrative in 1 Kings relates how he suddenly appears during Ahab's reign to proclaim a drought in punishment of the cult of Baal that Jezebel was promoting in Israel at Yahweh's expense. Later Elijah meets 450 prophets of Baal in a contest of strength on Mount Carmel to determine which deity is the true God of Israel. Sacrifices are placed

Anjou, (hercule-) Fran�ois, Duke (duc) D'

2004-12-29T02:12:00.000-08:00

Catherine de M�dicis gave him Alen�on in 1566, and he bore the title of Duke d'Alen�on until 1576. Small and swarthy, ambitious

Mitscher, Marc A.

2004-12-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

Early

J�cama

2004-12-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Also called �Yam Bean� (species Pachyrhizus erosus, or P. tuberosus), leguminous vine native to Mexico and Central and South America, grown for its edible tuberous root. The plant's irregularly globular, brown-skinned tubers are white-fleshed, crisp, and juicy; some varieties (j�cama de aqua) have clear juices, and some (j�cama de leche) have milky juice. Both types of tubers are mild-flavoured and

Bridger, Jim

2004-12-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

In 1812, Bridger's father, a surveyor and an innkeeper, moved his family to an Illinois farm near St. Louis, Mo. The young Bridger joined his first fur-trapping expedition in 1822 (that of William H. Ashley and Andrew Henry, up the Missouri River), and for the next 20 years

Babbitt, Milton

2004-12-25T03:45:00.000-08:00

Babbitt attended public schools in Jackson, Miss., and later studied at New

Abraha

2004-12-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Abraha was viceroy of the principality of Saba' in Yemen for the (Christian) emperors of Ethiopia. A zealous Christian himself, he is said to have built a great church at San'a' and to have repaired the principal irrigation dam at the Sabaean capital of Ma'rib. Abraha is chiefly famous, however, for the military

New England Glass Company

2004-12-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

American glass company that was situated in East Cambridge, Mass., from about 1818 until 1888. In the latter year the company's owner, Edward D. Libbey, met a strike of his workers by moving the factory to Toledo, Ohio, where it is still active as the Libbey-Owens-Ford Company. The New England Glass Company made a large variety of wares ranging from pocket bottles and tumblers to attractive

Feld, Eliot

2004-12-22T03:58:00.000-08:00

Feld performed in the original stage and

Wyong

2004-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern New South Wales, Australia, on the Wyong River, immediately west of the Tuggerah Lakes (coastal lagoons). The district was settled in 1823 for the purpose of exploiting its cedar trees. As the forests were removed, agricultural activities increased, with citrus groves being planted after 1887. The town, proclaimed in 1888, derived its name from an Aboriginal word meaning

Eleazar Ben Azariah

2004-12-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Eleazar was a wealthy, learned, and highly esteemed resident of Jabneh who traced his descent through Ezra, the legendary spiritual leader of Palestine. He served

Caccia

2004-12-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

(Italian: �hunt,� or �chase�), one of the principal Italian musical forms of the 14th century. It consisted of two voices in strict canon at the unison (i.e., in strict melodic imitation at the same pitch), and often of a non-canonic third part, composed of long notes that underlay the canonic voices, followed by a ritornello. Caccia texts were typically realistic, animated scenes such

Asvamedha

2004-12-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Aswamedha, Ashvamedha, or Ashwamedha, � grandest of the Vedic religious rites of ancient India, performed by a king to celebrate his paramountcy. The ceremony is described in detail in various Vedic writings, particularly the Satapatha Brahmana. An especially fine stallion was selected and was allowed to roam freely for a year under the protection of a royal guard. If the horse entered a foreign country, its

Saba'

2004-12-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

Biblical �Sheba� kingdom in pre-Islamic southwestern Arabia, frequently mentioned in the Bible (notably in the story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba) and variously cited by ancient Assyrian, Greek, and Roman writers from about the 8th century BC to about the 5th century AD. Its capital, at least in the middle period, was Ma'rib (q.v.), which lies 75 miles (120 km) east of present-day San'a', in Yemen. A second

Chorion

2004-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

In vertebrates, the chorion is covered with ectoderm lined with mesoderm (both are germ layers) and is separated from other embryonic membranes by an extraembryonic body cavity,

Ford, Henry, Ii

2004-12-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

In 1940 Ford left Yale University without graduating to join the firm founded by his grandfather, Henry Ford, and at the time run by his father, Edsel Ford. A year later he joined the U.S. Navy; but in 1943, following the unexpected death

China, The bureaucratic style

2004-12-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Regular posts in the Nan Sung civil service numbered about 20,000 without counting numerous sinecures, temporary commissions, and a slightly larger number of military officers. Besides eliminating most patronage privileges, by which high officials were entitled to obtain an official title for a son or other family member, the court occasionally considered a general

Ayers Rock

2004-12-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

Also called �Uluru� giant monolith, one of the tors (isolated masses of weathered rock) in southwestern Northern Territory, Australia. It is perhaps the world's largest monolith. The monolith, which the Aboriginals of the region call Uluru, is composed of arkosic sandstone, which changes colour according to the attitude of the Sun. The rock is most impressive at sunset, when it is coloured

Wesleyan University

2004-12-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. It comprises the College of Letters and the College of Social Studies and departments in the sciences, mathematics, humanities, arts, and social and behavioral sciences. Altogether it offers 50 major fields of study for undergraduate students, 11 master's degree programs, and doctoral

Yacht

2004-12-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

Sailboat races are held over two kinds of courses: point-to-point and closed. Most ocean racing is point-to-point, as in transoceanic races, global circumnavigation, the Bermuda Race (q.v.; first raced in 1906 from Newport to Bermuda), and the Transpacific Race (q.v.; first raced in 1906 from California to Hawaii). Such offshore races as the America's Cup and the Fastnet Cup (qq.v.) are closed

Lowie, Robert H(arry)

2004-12-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Lowie studied under Franz Boas at Columbia University,

Paralysis

2004-12-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Also called �palsy� loss or impairment of voluntary muscular movement caused by structural abnormalities of nervous or muscular tissue or by metabolic disturbances in neuromuscular function. Paralysis can affect the legs and lower part of the body (paraplegia) or both arms and both legs (quadriplegia). Sometimes the muscles of the lower face, arm, and leg on only one side of the body

Tyus, Wyomia

2004-12-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

Tyus attracted national attention as a high-school runner and as an athlete at Tennessee State University (B.A, 1967). She made her Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, capturing the gold medal in the 100-metre race and