AcidBell

Ansbach

2005-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Formerly Anspach, city, Bayern Land (state), southern Germany, on the Rezat River, southwest of Nürnberg. It originated around the Benedictine monastery of Onolzbach (founded 748) and was sold to a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern line (later margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Bayreuth) in 1331. It passed to Prussia in 1791 and to Bavaria in 1806. Queen Caroline, consort of George II of Great Britain, was

Mardonius

2005-04-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Achaemenid general, a nephew of King Darius I and married to Darius' daughter Artazostra. In 492 BC he was sent to succeed the satrap (governor) Artaphernes in Ionia, with a special commission to attack Athens and Eretria. Contrary to the usual Achaemenid policy, he abolished the ruling “tyrants” and restored democracies in Ionia, thereby removing a major source

Joyce, William

2005-04-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Though his father was a naturalized U.S. citizen, Joyce lived most of his life in Ireland and England. He was active in Sir Oswald Mosley's British fascist organization and was also a cofounder

Abu Qir Bay

2005-03-27T04:27:00.000-08:00

Also called Abukir Bay , or Aboukir Bay semicircular inlet of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Abu Qir Point (southwest) and the mouth of the Rosetta Branch (northeast) of the Nile River delta, in Lower Egypt. The bay was the scene of the Battle of the Nile (1798), in which an English fleet under Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson defeated the Napoleonic fleet. A natural-gas field, developed offshore in the late 1970s, provides

Dong Hai

2005-03-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles Tung Hai , English East China Sea arm of the Pacific Ocean and part of the China Sea (q.v.).

La Rioja

2005-03-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Provincia, northwestern Argentina, extending southeastward from Chile. The provincia's southeastern half is an arid to semiarid plain, while the northwestern section is crossed north to south by alternating mountain ranges and semiarid valleys associated with the Andean cordillera. Saline marshes and lakes of the southeast are formed by intermittent streams

Welch

2005-03-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

City, seat of McDowell county, southern West Virginia, U.S., at the confluence of Elkhorn Creek and Tug Fork. Settled in 1885, it was named for I.A. Welch, an early settler. The county seat was moved there from Perryville in 1891. There were no bridges or wagons in this extremely mountainous area until the 1880s, and the principal products at that time were furs and ginseng. The arrival of the

Blood Money

2005-03-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

Among the Anglo-Saxon tribes, members of the killer's

Wu Ch'eng-en

2005-03-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Wu received a traditional Confucian education and became known for his clever composition of poetry and prose in the classical style. Throughout his life he displayed

Valencia

2005-03-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

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

Arion

2005-03-17T01:53:00.000-08:00

Semilegendary Greek poet and musician of Methymna in Lesbos. He is said to have invented the dithyramb (choral poem or chant performed at the festival of Dionysus); that is, he gave it literary form. His father's name, Cycleus, indicates the connection of the son with the cyclic or circular chorus of the dithyramb. None of his works survives, and only one story about his life

Janin

2005-03-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

The original ancient settlement is mentioned in the Amarna Letters, a series of 14th-century-BC diplomatic documents

K.c.b.

2005-03-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Knight commander of the Bath, member of the second highest rank of knightly class in a British order of knighthood. See Bath, The Most Honourable Order of the.

Afghanistan, Amanollah (191929)

2005-03-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

Amanollah launched the inconclusive Third Anglo-Afghan War in May 1919. The month-long war gained the Afghans the conduct of their own foreign affairs. The Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed on August 8, 1919, and amended in 1921. Before signing the final document with the British, the Afghans concluded a treaty of friendship with the new Bolshevik regime in the Soviet Union; Afghanistan

Marinid Dynasty,

2005-03-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Marinids were a tribe of the Zanatah group—traditional allies of the Umayyad caliphs of Córdoba. The Marinids had been established in eastern Morocco for more than a century when, in 1248, their ruler, Abu Yahya, captured Fez (Fès) and made it the

Cereal Processing, Oats

2005-03-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Oats belong to the botanical genus Avena, which includes a large number of types, the principal being A. sativa (see photograph), A. sterilisand A. strigosa. Oats are widely grown in most countries but are not suitable for Mediterranean climates. Oats are frequently grown on farms as feed for the farm's livestock. They are well balanced chemically, with fairly

Alcman

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

Alcman's work survives in fragments, the longest being a parthenion (a choir song for girls) discovered in a 1st-century papyrus in Egypt in 1855. In the Suda lexicon (late 10th century AD) Alcman is described as a man “of an extremely amorous disposition and the inventor of love poems.” He was clearly

Olympio, Sylvanus

2005-03-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

A leader of the Committee of Togolese Unity after World War II, Olympio was elected president of the first territorial assembly in 1946 and by 1947 was in open (though nonviolent) conflict

Anti-atlas

2005-03-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Lesser Atlas, mountain range in Morocco running parallel to and southward of the central range of the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Although it has a mean elevation of 5,000 feet (1,500 m), some peaks and passes exceed 6,000 feet (1,800 m). This rugged, arid region, which encloses the Sous lowland and reaches the Atlantic coast at Sidi Ifni, is linked to the Haut (High) Atlas by Mount Siroua, a volcanic peak rising

Hugh Town

2005-03-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

Village and capital of the Isles of Scilly, historic county of Cornwall, England. Located on a sandy peninsula on the southwestern side of St. Mary's Island, the village has a harbour and a roadstead where large vessels can lie at anchor. Hugh Town gave shelter to Prince Charles (later Charles II) until his escape to Jersey in 1646. The economy is centred on fishing and tourism.

Robbe-grillet, Alain

2005-03-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Trained as a statistician and agronomist, he claimed to write novels for his time, especially attentive “to the ties that exist between objects, gestures, and situations, avoiding

Religion

2005-03-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

The

Sabi River

2005-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Also called Save River, river of southeastern Africa, flowing through Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The river rises as the Sabi about 50 miles (80 km) south of Harare (formerly Salisbury) and flows southeast from the Zimbabwean highveld to its confluence with the Odzi. It then turns south, drops over the Chivirira (“Place of Boiling”) Falls, and is joined by the Lundi at the Mozambique border. The river continues

France, History Of, The juridical revolution

2005-03-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

Louis XVI's decision to convene the Estates-General in May 1789 became a turning point in French history. When he invited his subjects to express their opinions and grievances in preparation for this event—unprecedented in living memory—hundreds responded with pamphlets in which the liberal ideology of 1789 gradually began to take shape. Exactly how the Estates-General

Romanticism

2005-03-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Romanticism proper was preceded by several related developments from the mid-18th century on that can be termed Pre-Romanticism. Among such trends was a new appreciation of the medieval romance, from which the Romantic movement derives its name. The romance was a tale or ballad of chivalric adventure whose emphasis on individual heroism and on the exotic and the

Biblical Literature, Philosophical solutions

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

Solutions were also sought in philosophy. Socrates, a 5th-century-BC Greek philosopher, was largely concerned with the search for the “good,” the good life. After Plato and Aristotle, however, philosophical systems sought to supply man's longing for inward security and stability. These were sought not by an in-depth understanding of reality but by ad hoc constructions—a

Zamyatin, Yevgeny Ivanovich

2005-03-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Zamyatin also spelled Zamiatin Russian novelist, playwright, and satirist, one of the most brilliant and cultured minds of the post-revolutionary period, and creator of a peculiarly modern genre—the anti-Utopian novel. His influence as an experimental stylist and as an exponent of the cosmopolitan-humanist traditions

Christianity, The schism of 1054

2005-02-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

The greatest schism in church history occurred between the church of Constantinople and the church of Rome. While 1054 is the symbolic date of the separation, the agonizing division was six centuries in the making. The friction was ignited by several issues. The Eastern Church sharply disagreed when the Western Church introduced into the Nicene Creed the doctrine

Byzantine Rite

2005-02-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

The Byzantine rite originated in the Greek city of Antioch (in modern southern Turkey), one of the earliest and most celebrated centres of Christianity; but it was developed and perfected in Byzantium,

Güira De Melena

2005-02-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

City, southwestern La Habana province, west central Cuba. It lies amid a fertile agricultural and livestock-raising region known primarily for tobacco, although potatoes and bananas, pineapples, and other tropical fruits are also cultivated. The dairy industry is well developed, and the city contains cigar factories. Pop. (1985 est.) 25,246.

Kawaihae

2005-02-24T01:13:00.000-08:00

Kawaihae was a busy port in the 19th century for whalers and traders but declined

Mimir

2005-02-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Old Norse Mímir in Norse mythology, the wisest of the gods of the tribe Aesir; he was also believed to be a water spirit. Mimir was sent by the Aesir as a hostage to the rival gods (the Vanir), but he was decapitated and his head was returned to the Aesir. The god Odin preserved the head in herbs and gained knowledge from it. According to another story, Mimir resided by a well that stood beneath

Holiness Movement

2005-02-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

The movement

Bonaparte, Joseph

2005-02-20T02:01:00.000-08:00

Like his brothers, Joseph embraced the French republican cause and, with the victory of Corsican patriot Pasquale Paoli, was forced to leave Corsica to seek refuge in France. In 1796 he accompanied

Alphabet, The Aramaic alphabet

2005-02-20T01:54:00.000-08:00

The adaptation of the North Semitic alphabet to the Aramaic language took place at some time in the 10th century BC, when Aramaic was spoken in several petty kingdoms in northern Mesopotamia and Syria, the most important of them being Dammeshek (Damascus). The process of the reestablishment of the Assyrian Empire and its hegemony over a good part of the Middle East began

Factor

2005-02-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

In mathematics, a number or algebraic expression that divides another number or expression evenly, i.e., with no remainder. For example, 3 and 6 are factors of 12 because 12 ¸ 3 = 4 exactly and 12 ¸ 6 = 2 exactly. The other factors of 12 are 1, 2, 4, and 12. With the exception of 1, a positive integer or an algebraic expression that has only two factors (i.e., itself and 1) is termed prime; a positive integer or an algebraic

Steffens, Henrik

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

Steffens spent his early years at Copenhagen, where he attended the university. He later studied at Kiel, Jena, and Berlin and by 1799 was an established figure in German literary and philosophical circles and on friendly terms with Schelling, Goethe,

Cottonwood

2005-02-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

Several fast-growing trees of North America, members of the genus Populus, in the family Salicaceae, with triangular, toothed leaves and cottony seeds. The dangling leaves clatter in the wind. Eastern cottonwood (P. deltoides), nearly 30 metres (100 feet) tall, has thick glossy leaves. Perhaps natural hybrids between this and Eurasian black poplar (P.

Antaeus

2005-02-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, a giant of Libya, the son of the sea god Poseidon and the Earth goddess Gaea. He compelled all strangers who were passing through the country to wrestle with him. Whenever Antaeus touched the Earth (his mother), his strength was renewed, so that even if thrown to the ground, he was invincible. Heracles, in combat with him, discovered the source of his strength

'uthman Ibn 'affan

2005-02-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

'Uthman

Death Rite, Commemorative rites and services

2005-02-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

The attitude of the living toward the dead has also been conditioned by the particular belief held about the human nature and destiny. Where death is regarded as the virtual extinction of the personality, the dead should logically have no more importance beyond that which their memory might stir in those who knew them. Even in the negative eschatologies of ancient

Bond, William Cranch

2005-02-12T00:46:00.000-08:00

Largely self-educated, Bond was a watchmaker

Aranda, Pedro Pablo Abarca De Bolea, Conde De

2005-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Aranda came from the Aragonese nobility. After initially preparing for the priesthood, he entered the army, in which he became director of the artillery, introduced the Prussian system of drill in the Seven Years'

Handgun

2005-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Any firearm small enough to be held in one hand when fired. It usually fires a single projectile or bullet, and additional ammunition may be available in a revolving mechanism or magazine. Handguns may be used for target shooting, hunting small game, or personal self-defense. Automatic handguns are illegal in many countries, and private ownership of any handgun is

Xia Gui

2005-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Xia's birth and death dates are unknown. According to most Chinese sources, however, he served in the Imperial Academy (Yuhuayuan) under the emperor Ning Zong (reigned 1194/95–1224/25), eventually attaining the rank of daizhao, or “painter in attendance,” and being awarded the highest honour a court painter could receive, the Golden Belt. The earliest source of information on him, however,

Reptile, The embryo

2005-02-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

The embryo of a reptile develops a thin sac, the amnion, that envelops the embryo and becomes filled with a watery fluid. The entire structure serves to protect the embryo from desiccation and mechanical injury. A parchment-like shell, which also contributes mechanical protection, is produced by the female parent and surrounds the amnion; between the shell and the

Padmasambhava

2005-02-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, he was a native of Udyana (now Swat, Pak.), an area famed for its magicians. Padmasambhava was a Tantrist and a member of the Yogacara sect and taught at Nalanda, a centre of Buddhist studies

Spock, Benjamin

2005-02-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

Spock received his medical degree in 1929 from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and trained for six years at the New York

Xenarthran

2005-02-05T02:26:00.000-08:00

Xenarthrans are known only from the Western Hemisphere and arose in South America during the Paleocene Epoch (65 million to 54.8 million years ago). The fossil record shows that the group was both more diverse and more widely distributed as recently as the Pleistocene Epoch (1,800,000 to 10,000 years ago), when ground sloths colonized the islands of the Greater Antilles and glyptodonts,

Turbo Train

2005-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

High-speed passenger train powered by a gas-turbine engine similar to that used in jet aircraft. Unlike conventional trains, the turbo variety does not have a separate locomotive; its turbine power unit is small enough to be built into a passenger car. A typical turbo train consists of several passenger cars with power units located in each of the end cars. The cars

Buzuluk

2005-02-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

City, Orenburg oblast (province), in the southern Ural Mountains of west-central Russia. The oblast is situated along the Samara River (a tributary of the Volga), near its confluence with the Buzuluk. Founded in 1736 as a Russian fortress, it was chartered in 1781. Industries include the manufacture of heavy metallurgical and agricultural machinery. The city has four technical

Abdülaziz

2005-02-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Like his brother Abdülmecid I, whom he succeeded as sultan on June 25, 1861, Abdülaziz was an ardent admirer of the material progress in western

Swallowtail Butterfly

2005-01-31T11:57:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect subfamily Papilioninae of the cosmopolitan family Papilionidae (order Lepidoptera). The swallowtail butterflies (Papilio), found worldwide except in the Arctic, are named for the characteristic taillike extensions of the hindwings, although many species are tailless. Colour patterns vary; many species have yellow,

Alliance

2005-01-30T16:06:00.000-08:00

In international relations, a formal agreement between two or more states for mutual support in case of war. Contemporary alliances provide for combined action on the part of two or more independent states and are generally defensive in nature, obligating allies to join forces if one or more of them is attacked by another state or coalition. Although alliances

Race

2005-01-30T05:44:00.000-08:00

Although their numbers are dwindling, some scientists continue to believe that it is possible to divide Homo sapiens into discrete populations called races. They believe that the physical differences manifest in wide geographic regions are more than superficial; they reflect innate intellectual, moral, emotional, and other behavioral differences among human

Argentina, The radical regime, 191630

2005-01-27T01:46:00.000-08:00

The Radical front was a coalition of heterogeneous social groups, whose competing interests slowed the passage of reforms, despite urgent calls for economic and social change. Not surprisingly, Irigoyen preferred to concentrate on the political ills he had inherited from the conservative regime. The most urgent measure involved political patronage, which

Saarinen, Eero

2005-01-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

Finnish-born U.S. architect who was one of the leaders in a trend toward exploration and experiment in American architectural design during the 1950s.

Beijing, Museums and libraries

2005-01-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Palace Museum, housed in the main buildings of the former Imperial Palaces, contains the city's greatest collection of art treasures. Many of the halls are kept as they were in dynastic times, each constituting a museum in itself, and others are used to display some of the priceless treasures from China's past. Of special interest are its porcelains and enamels, works

Adapa

2005-01-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

In Mesopotamian mythology, legendary sage and citizen of the Sumerian city of Eridu, the ruins of which are in southern Iraq. Endowed with vast intelligence by Ea (Sumerian: Enki), the god of wisdom, Adapa became the hero of the Sumerian version of the myth of the fall of man. The myth relates that Adapa, in spite of his possession of all wisdom, was not given immortality. One

Jehoram

2005-01-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel and king (c. 849–c. 842 BC) of Israel, maintained close relations with Judah. Together with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Jehoram unsuccessfully attempted to subdue a revolt of Moab against Israel. As had his father, Jehoram later endeavoured to recover Ramoth-gilead from Hazael, king of Damascus. In this

Handa

2005-01-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

City, Aichi ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. Handa lies on the Chita Peninsula, facing Chita Bay of the Pacific Ocean. It served as an important commercial port during the Tokugawa period (1603–1867), when the local production of processed foods and cotton began. An irrigation system in the hills behind the city was opened in 1962. Vegetables, fruit, and flowers are raised in the vicinity

World Water Crisis: Is There A Way Out?

2005-01-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

Into the gloom of the future we should project a little light by considering some successes of the past. Over the past 40 years, water resources and water quality have been greatly improved in Europe and North America. Rivers in the United States no longer spontaneously burst into flame; gross pollution of lakes and rivers has been eliminated; wetlands are protected

Breeder Reactor

2005-01-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Nuclear reactor that produces more fissionable material than it consumes to generate energy. This special type of reactor is designed to extend the nuclear fuel supply for electric power generation. Whereas a conventional nuclear reactor (q.v.) can use only the readily fissionable but scarce isotope uranium-235 for fuel, a breeder reactor employs either uranium-238 or

Argentina, Transportation

2005-01-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

During the Spanish colonial period there were three principal overland transportation routes. The most important led from Buenos Aires to the wealthy mining centre in Upper Peru (now Bolivia) via the northwestern route through Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, San Miguel de Tucumán, and San Salvador de Jujuy. A second route linked Buenos Aires with Chile westward through

Balcony

2005-01-19T01:32:00.000-08:00

External extension of an upper floor of a building, enclosed up to a height of about three feet (one metre) by a solid or pierced screen, by balusters (see also balustrade), or by railings. In the medieval and Renaissance periods, balconies were supported by corbels made out of successive courses of stonework, or by large wooden or stone brackets. Since the 19th century, supports

Intercolumniation

2005-01-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

The measurement

Monadnock

2005-01-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Isolated hill of bedrock standing conspicuously above the general level of the surrounding area. Monadnocks are left as erosional remnants because of their more resistant rock composition; commonly they consist of quartzite or less jointed massive volcanic rocks. In contrast to inselbergs (island mountains), a similar tropical landform, monadnocks are formed

Garba, Joseph Nanven

2005-01-15T04:59:00.000-08:00

Nigerian military officer and diplomat (b. July 17, 1943, Langtang, Nigeria—d. June 1, 2002, Abuja, Nigeria), participated in the 1975 bloodless coup that deposed Gen. Yakubu Gowon as head of state, then served as external affairs commissioner (foreign minister) until 1978 and as Nigeria's ambassador to the UN (1984–89). Garba studied public administration at Harvard University (1982–83). A committed pan-Africanist,

Sothern, Edward Hugh

2005-01-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

The son of the English comedian Edward Askew Sothern, he made his first stage appearance with his father's company in New York City in 1879. He toured England in 1882 and 1883 and became leading comedian in John

Losey, Joseph

2005-01-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Dartmouth College (B.A., 1929) and Harvard University (M.A., 1930), Losey wrote book and theatre reviews. In 1935, while working as a European-based reporter for Variety, the

Demaratus

2005-01-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

King of Sparta, together with Cleomenes I, who frustrated Cleomenes' designs on both Athens and Aegina. He was consequently dethroned by Cleomenes on a false charge of illegitimacy, upon which he fled to Persia and was given some small cities in northwestern Asia Minor, which his descendants held in Xenophon's time. The historian Herodotus told several

Alkali Metal

2005-01-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

Any of the six chemical elements that make up Group I of the periodic table—namely, lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). (See Figure.) The alkali metals are so called because they form alkalies (i.e., strong bases capable of neutralizing acids) when they combine with other elements. Sodium and potassium are the sixth and seventh most abundant

Dabrowski, Jan Henryk

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

After service in the Saxon Army (1772–92), Dabrowski joined the Poles to serve against the Russians in 1792. In 1794 he took part in Kosciuszko's uprising, distinguished

Iamblichus

2005-01-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Though only his minor philosophical works have survived, the basic elements of Iamblichus' system can be understood from the references to his teachings in the writings of the 5th-century philosopher Proclus.

Aqhat Epic

2005-01-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

Ancient West Semitic legend probably concerned with the cause of the annual summer drought in the eastern Mediterranean. The epic records that Danel, a sage and king of the Haranamites, had no son until the god El, in response to Danel's many prayers and offerings, finally granted him a child, whom Danel named Aqhat. Some time later Danel offered hospitality to the divine

Steelyard, Merchants Of The

2005-01-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

In the later Middle Ages, members of the Hanseatic League, an association of north German towns, who resided at its London establishment, known as the Steelyard (probably from Low German stâlgard, a courtyard). German merchants from Cologne had enjoyed privileges in London from Anglo-Saxon times, and by the late 13th century had been joined there by others from east German

Interdict

2005-01-06T01:31:00.000-08:00

An exhibitory interdict, which usually involves rights over things, is an order requiring that a person or thing be produced. A restorative

Scaevola, Gaius Mucius

2005-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Legendary Roman hero who is said to have saved Rome (c. 509 BC) from conquest by the Etruscan king Lars Porsena. According to the legend, Mucius volunteered to assassinate Porsena, who was besieging Rome, but killed his victim's attendant by mistake. Brought before the Etruscan royal tribunal, he declared that he was one of 300 noble youths who had sworn to take the king's life. He demonstrated

Lan-chou

2005-01-03T03:10:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Lanzhou, conventional Lanchow city, capital of Kansu province (sheng), China. It is situated on the upper course of the Huang Ho (Yellow River), where the river emerges from the mountains. Lan-chou has been a centre since early times, being at the southern end of the route leading via the Kansu Corridor across Central Asia; it also commands the approaches to the ancient capital area of Ch'ang-an (modern Sian

Paradoxes Of Zeno

2005-01-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

Statements made by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea, a 5th-century-BC disciple of Parmenides, a fellow Eleatic, designed to show that any assertion opposite to the monistic teaching of Parmenides leads to contradiction and absurdity. Parmenides had argued from reason alone that the assertion that only Being is leads to the conclusions that Being (or all that there

Red Oak

2005-01-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

Any member of a group or subgenus (Erythrobalanus) of North American ornamental and timber shrubs and trees of the genus Quercus, in the beech family (Fagaceae), that have bristle-tipped leaves, acorns with hairy shell linings, and bitter seeds that mature in two seasons. Black oak, live oak, willow oak (including water oak, laurel oak, shingle oak), and pin

Argentina, Alfonsín's administration

2004-12-31T18:23:00.000-08:00

Soon after his inauguration in December 1983, Alfonsín reversed legislation passed under Bignone by announcing plans to prosecute several members of the defunct military government, including former presidents Videla, Viola, and Galtieri. He also repealed a law granting amnesty to those accused of crimes and human rights violations during the Dirty War, and hundreds

Aalst

2004-12-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

French Alost, municipality, East Flanders province, north-central Belgium, on the Dender River, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Brussels. The town hall (begun in the middle of the 12th century), with its 52-bell carillon, is the oldest in Belgium, and its archives include 12th-century manuscripts. Ravaged by fire in 1360, the town hall was subsequently rebuilt and its 13th-century belfry restored in the 15th century.

Sosnowiec

2004-12-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

A castle was built in Sosnowiec in

Krogh, August

2004-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Krogh studied zoology at the University of Copenhagen, becoming professor of animal physiology there in 1916. In 1906 he was awarded a prize by the Vienna Academy of Science

Bernard, Tristan

2004-12-27T01:49:00.000-08:00

Bernard's merit consisted in limiting his literary ambitions to his capabilities. His works were characterized by a tone of light cynicism and a cross fire of

Antalya

2004-12-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

Ancient Greek Attalia, city and Mediterranean port, southwestern Turkey, on the Gulf of Antalya. Attalia was founded as a seaport in the 2nd century BC by Attalus II, a king of Pergamum. It was bequeathed to the Romans by his successor, Attalus III. St. Paul and St. Barnabas embarked from the seaport on their evangelical mission to Antioch. The “Hadrian Gate,” a marble portal of three identical arches,

Wang T'ao

2004-12-25T00:31:00.000-08:00

Wang's sympathy with the long, widespread Taiping Rebellion in South China (1850–64) aroused the enmity of officials in the Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1911) government. Forced to flee to British-controlled Hong

Morgan, Karl

2004-12-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

American physicist who worked as a senior scientist on the Manhattan Project in 1943 and served as director of health physics at the Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory (1944–72); despite his position in the nuclear establishment, he warned about the dangers of nuclear radiation, testifying in several cases in the 1970s and '80s on behalf of those claiming to have suffered from radiation

Literature

2004-12-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

The predominant theme of 2001 was literature that chronicled the ordeals of political prisoners in a number of Arab countries. Works defined as “prison literature” were authored by freed political prisoners motivated to speak out by the relative freedom in the past two years in their countries. Writing in French,

Vietnamese Literature

2004-12-22T03:33:00.000-08:00

The oral poetry tradition is purely

Mathematics, History Of, Elliptic functions

2004-12-21T01:15:00.000-08:00

The theory of functions of a complex variable was also being decisively reformulated. At the start of the 19th century, complex numbers were discussed from a quasi-philosophical standpoint by several French writers, notably Jean Robert Argand. A consensus emerged that complex numbers should be thought of as pairs of real numbers, with suitable rules for their addition

Kern, Jerome (david)

2004-12-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Kern studied music in New York City and in 1903 in Heidelberg, Ger., later gaining theatrical experience in London. After his return to New York in 1905, he worked as a pianist and salesman for

Human Evolution, Examination and analysis of fossils

2004-12-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Although it appears that at the time of discovery the remains of more than 10 individuals existed at Cro-Magnon, only fragments from some five individuals were preserved and studied, among them the cranium and mandible of a male about 50 years old. Considered representative of the Cro-Magnon type, this specimen is known as the “Old Man of Cro-Magnon.” Also preserved were skull

Endocrine System, Human

2004-12-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

It is important to

Fields, Dame Gracie

2004-12-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

In music halls from childhood, Fields gained fame playing the role of Sally Perkins in a touring revue called Mr. Tower of London (1918–25). She became tremendously popular in Great Britain with an act composed of low-comedy songs, such as “The Biggest Aspidistra in the World,” and sentimental ballads,

Ito Jakuchu

2004-12-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

The son of a greengrocer, he first studied drawing with a painter of the Kano school (stressing Chinese subject matter and techniques). He also made copies of old Chinese

Hadar

2004-12-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

The Hadar remains include partial skeletons of Australopithecus afarensis, a key species in human evolution. Major archaeological work began at Hadar in the early

Anthony Melissa

2004-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Anthony, whose surname is derived from the title of his chief work, Melissa (Greek: “The Bee”), compiled an anthology based largely on two leading

Ambato

2004-12-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

City, central Ecuador. It lies along the Ambato River in an intermontane basin near the northeastern foot of Mount Chimborazo, at an elevation of about 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. It was the scene of a decisive victory in 1821 by Antonio José de Sucre, lieutenant of the liberator Simón Bolívar, against the Spanish during the wars for Latin-American independence. Ambato has frequently