PhysicalAngle

Ammons, A.r.

2005-04-05T03:18:00.000-07:00

A 1949 graduate of Wake Forest College (now University), Ammons worked as an elementary school principal and as a glass company executive before turning his full attention to literature. From 1964 to 1998 he taught

Aaron

2005-04-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

Scholars have long been aware that the figure of Aaron as it is now found in the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Old Testament, is built up from several sources or layers of traditions. According to Julius Wellhausen, a German biblical scholar, and his followers, the Yahwist source was the oldest one, followed in order by the Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly

Ulanova, Galina

2005-03-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

The daughter of dancers Sergey Ulanov and Marie Romanova of the Mariinsky Ballet (called the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet during the Soviet period), Ulanova was trained in the

Boise State University

2005-03-28T00:26:00.000-08:00

Public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Boise, Idaho, U.S. The university comprises eight colleges, including the Larry G. Selland College of Applied Technology, which provides applied science degrees in fields such as information technology, horticulture, and culinary arts. Boise State University offers a range of associate and bachelor's degree

Amorphous Solid, Polymeric structural materials

2005-03-25T00:15:00.000-08:00

Polystyrene, the organic polymer listed in the Table, is a prototypical example of a polymeric glass. These glasses, whose atomic-scale structure has been discussed in connection with Figure 7B, make up a broad class of lightweight structural materials important in the automotive, aerospace, and construction industries. These materials are also ubiquitous in everyday

Argyrodite

2005-03-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Heavy, dark sulfosalt mineral, a silver and germanium sulfide (Ag8GeS6), in which the element germanium was discovered (1886). It is a relatively scarce mineral found in sulfide veins in Germany and in Bolivia. It forms a solid solution series with canfieldite in which tin replaces germanium in the crystal structure, which belongs to the isometric system. For detailed physical

Estate Tax

2005-03-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Levy on the value of property changing hands at the death of the owner, fixed mainly by reference to its total value. Estate tax is generally applied only to estates evaluated above a statutory amount and is applied at graduated rates. Estate tax is usually easier to administer than inheritance tax (q.v.) levied on beneficiaries because only the value of the entire estate

Iowa, Cultural life

2005-03-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

A widely dispersed population with small urban centres makes it difficult for Iowans to support many of the cultural amenities that exist in large urban settings. Traveling shows, including theatre and dance, symphonies, and guest artists visit many places in the state each year. The major cultural centres are the universities and colleges. The fine arts are notably

Chisholm, Shirley

2005-03-19T06:03:00.000-08:00

Shirley St. Hill was the daughter of immigrants; her father was from British Guiana (now Guyana) and her mother from Barbados. She grew up in Barbados and in her native Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Brooklyn College

Hafiz Ibrahim, Muhammad

2005-03-17T00:40:00.000-08:00

Hafiz was a lawyer and later a lieutenant in the Egyptian army, from which he retired in 1901. During the next 10 years he wrote his well-known odes denouncing imperialism and wrote his nationalistic poems. His superb skill as a reciter of poetry won him a prominent place in society, and he became director of literature

Resist Printing

2005-03-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

Any of various methods of colouring cloth in a pattern by pretreating designed areas to resist penetration by the dye. To obtain a two-colour pattern on goods already dyed in one colour, a dye paste is applied in the desired design; the paste contains a substance resistant to a second dye, which is then applied to the cloth, developing colour only in the areas not covered

Znaniecki, Florian (witold)

2005-03-16T02:37:00.000-08:00

Znaniecki's earliest work was as a poet. After being expelled from

Jones, Bobby

2005-03-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Byname of Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. U.S. amateur golfer, the first man to achieve the Grand Slam—winning in a single year the four major tournaments of the time. In 1930 he won the British and U.S. Opens and Amateur championships. From 1923 through 1930 he won 13 championships in those four annual tournaments, a feat unequalled until 1973, when Jack Nicklaus surpassed that total in U.S. and British

Dyula

2005-03-13T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Dyula were active gold traders as long ago as the time of the ancient African kingdom of Ghana. They flourished under the empire of Mali, when they provided a link between the gold-producing forestlands in

Switzerland

2005-03-13T01:02:00.000-08:00

With political maneuvering for the next general elections--scheduled

Earth, Relative measurements

2005-03-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

For studying Earth structures, instruments that will measure the differences in g from points where g is known are required. They have to be rugged enough to be taken into the field and capable of providing a reading in a matter of a few minutes. Instruments suitable for measuring g on ships at sea also are needed. As long ago as 1849, Sir John Herschel of England proposed an instrument

Tlalnepantla

2005-03-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

In full Tlalnepantla De Comonfort, city, northeastern México state, central Mexico. At an altitude of 7,474 ft (2,278 m) above sea level on the Río Tlalnepantla, it was founded by the Otomi Indians and conquered by the Aztecs; archaeological remains have been found on the site, and two Aztec pyramids are nearby. The city's church was begun in 1583. Originally an agricultural and livestock-raising centre, Tlalnepantla has

Hadley, Henry (kimball)

2005-03-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hadley studied in Boston and Vienna and in 1904 went to Germany, where in 1909 he conducted his one-act opera Safié. He conducted the Seattle Symphony Orchestra (1909–11), the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (1911–15), and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra (1929–32) and was associate conductor of the New York

Cheb

2005-03-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

German Eger, city, Západoceský kraj (region), extreme western Czech Republic. Cheb lies along the Ohre River, near the German border. Its history has been full of violence, for it guards the easiest approach to Bohemia from the northwest. The city passed in the 13th century from Swabian rulers to Otakar I, king of Bohemia, and it was battered in the Hussite wars (1419–36), the Thirty Years' War (1618–48), and the

Sunda Islands

2005-03-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

Group of islands extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas southeast of the Asiatic mainland toward New Guinea. They include the Greater Sundas (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, and adjacent smaller islands) and the Lesser Sundas (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, and Flores, Timor, Alor, and adjacent smaller islands). With the exception of Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and

Coimbra, Pedro, 1o Duque De

2005-03-06T02:45:00.000-08:00

The second of the “illustrious generation,” comprising the sons of John I and Philippa of Lancaster, Pedro was present at the conquest of Ceuta from the Muslims in 1415 and later traveled abroad in Europe,

Yahrzeit

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

Also spelled yortzeit , or jahrzeit in Judaism, the anniversary of the death of a parent or close relative, most commonly observed by burning a candle for an entire day. On the anniversary, a male (or female, in Reform and Conservative congregations) usually recites the Qaddish (doxology) in the synagogue at all three services, and males may be called up (aliyah) for the public reading of the Torah. If the anniversary

Kyburg

2005-03-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kiburg, countship prominent in medieval Swiss history. The first line of counts of Kyburg, with their seat in the castle of Kyburg just southeast of Winterthur (in the modern canton of Zürich), were influential in German politics from the 1020s; but their male line became extinct in 1078, and their possessions passed to a branch of the Swabian counts of Dillingen. This new line of counts

Cabra

2005-03-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Cabra has a ruined Moorish castle, and its parish church (the former cathedral) was originally a mosque. Called Baebro or Aegabro in ancient times, it was

Alaska

2005-03-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Clarence C. Hulley, Alaska: Past and Present, 3rd ed. (1970, reprinted 1981), provides a general history from the Russian days to the 1960s. William R. Hunt, Alaska: A Bicentennial History (1976), is another overview. Claus-M. Naske and Herman E. Slotnick, Alaska: A History of the 49th State, 2nd ed. (1987), includes chapters on native land claims, conservation, and the oil boom. Current research is reported in Alaska History (semiannual).

Bushbuck

2005-03-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

Also called Harnessed Antelope (Tragelaphus scriptus), African antelope of the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), found in sub-Saharan forests and brush. It is nocturnal, shy, and usually solitary. The bushbuck stands about 1 m (39 inches) at the shoulder and ranges in colour from reddish brown to almost black, depending on the subspecies. Its markings vary but include white patches

Middle American Indian

2005-03-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

The physical spine of Middle America is the broad mountain chain extending from the southern end of the Rockies to the northern tip of the Andes, with Middle America in the area from northern Mexico to Nicaragua. The mountain chain marks off the area into four major regions.

Alba Iulia

2005-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

German Karlsburg, Hungarian Gyulafehérvár, city, capital of Alba judet (county), west-central Romania. It lies along the Mures River, 170 miles (270 km) northwest of Bucharest. One of the oldest settlements in Romania, the site was selected by the Romans for a military camp. The remains of Apulum, an important city in Roman Dacia mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century BC, are 6 miles (10 km) from Alba Iulia, and the Regional Museum has a rich

Shigemitsu Mamoru

2005-02-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Shigemitsu, a graduate of Tokyo University, joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1911. By 1918 he held a position in the embassy in Poland and, while in Europe, attended the Paris

Vâlcea

2005-02-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Vîlcea, judet (county), south-central Romania. The Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians) and the sub-Carpathians rise above settlement areas in the valleys, and the Olt and Cerna rivers drain southward through the county. Râmnicu Vâlcea (q.v.; the county capital), Babeni, and Berzoi are timber production centres. Chemical factories operate in Govora, and building materials

Steeplechase

2005-02-25T04:03:00.000-08:00

In horse racing, a race over jumps or obstacles. Although dating back to Xenophon (4th century BC), it derives its name from impromptu races by fox hunters in 18th-century Ireland over natural country in which church steeples served as course landmarks. It differs from hurdle racing, in which the barriers or hurdles are portable. Steeplechasing was long a favourite sport

Canute (i)

2005-02-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

Neither the place nor date of Canute's birth is known. As a youth he accompanied his father, Sweyn I Forkbeard, king of Denmark, on his invasion of England in 1013. Canute was left in charge of the fleet at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire,

China, Ming dynasty

2005-02-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

The last Ming years and the struggles of post-Mingloyalists are dealt with in James B. Parsons, The Peasant Rebellions of the Late Ming Dynasty (1970); Lynn A. Struve, The Southern Ming, 1644–1662 (1984); and Jonathan D. Spence and John E. Wills, Jr. (eds.), From Ming to Ch'ing: Conquest, Region, and Continuity in Seventeenth-Century China (1979). Studies in Ming intellectual and religious history are found in Wm. Theodore De Bary et al., Self and Society in Ming Thought (1970), and The Unfolding of Neo-Confucianism (1975).

Swains Island

2005-02-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

Coral atoll, American Samoa, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 280 miles (450 km) north of Tutuila. The atoll is 15–25 feet (5–8 m) above sea level; it is circular in shape, with 8 miles (13 km) of shoreline, and encloses a freshwater lagoon. It has an area of about 1 square mile (2.6 square km). Probably first known to Europeans in the 19th century, the atoll was named for a whaling captain. It is not geographically a

Anicca

2005-02-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

Sanskrit Anitya, in Buddhism, the doctrine of impermanence, one of the basic characteristics of all existence. Anicca, anatta (the absence of a self), and dukkha (“suffering”) together make up the ti-lakkhana, or three characteristics of all phenomenal existence. That the human body is subject to change is empirically observable in the universal states of childhood, youth, maturity, and old

Kochian Stage

2005-02-18T01:13:00.000-08:00

Lowermost and oldest major division of the Lower Cretaceous rocks and time in Japan (the Cretaceous Period began about 136,000,000 years ago and lasted about 71,000,000 years). The Kochian Stage precedes the Aritan Stage and is correlated with the lower portions of the Neocomian Stage, the worldwide standard lowermost Cretaceous stage. It is characterized by fossil ammonite

Jacobi, Lotte

2005-02-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

Born into a family of photographers (her great-grandfather began as a professional daguerreotypist in 1840), Jacobi studied art history and literature at the Academy of Posen (1912–16) and attended the Bavarian State Academy of Photography in Munich and

Table

2005-02-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

Egyptian tables were made of wood, Assyrian of metal, and Grecian usually of bronze. Roman tables took on quite elaborate forms, the legs carved in the shapes of animals, sphinxes, or grotesque

Antarctica, Physical geography

2005-02-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

W.N. Bonner and D.W.H. Walton (eds.), Antarctica (1985); and R.M. Laws (ed.), Antarctic Ecology, 2 vol. (1984), discusses the continent's physical environment, fauna, flora, land and sea ecology, conservation, and exploitation. I.B. Campbell and G.G.C. Claridge, Antarctica: Soils, Weathering Processes, and Environment (1987), provides a summary of recent research.

United States, Bank Of The

2005-02-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Central bank chartered in 1791 by the U.S. Congress at the urging of Alexander Hamilton and over the objections of Thomas Jefferson. Extended debate over its constitutionality contributed significantly to the evolution of pro- and anti-bank factions into the first American political parties—respectively, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Antagonism

Fuchs, Leonhard

2005-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

Fuchs obtained a humanistic education under Catholic guidance

Ant Bear

2005-02-11T01:22:00.000-08:00

Common name sometimes used for the giant anteater and for the aardvark. See anteater; aardvark.

Cuba, Flag Of

2005-02-09T04:27:00.000-08:00

In the 19th century in New York City, anti-Spanish Cuban exiles under the leadership of Narciso López adopted a flag suggested by the poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón. His design, which later became the national flag, incorporated three blue stripes representing the three military districts of Spanish-dominated Cuba and two white stripes symbolizing the purity of the patriot

Annamese Cordillera

2005-02-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

French Chaîne Annamitique , Vietnamese Giai Truong Son principal mountain range of Indochina and the watershed between the Mekong River and the South China Sea. It extends parallel to the coast in a gentle curve generally northwest-southeast, forming the boundary between Laos and Vietnam. A fairly continuous range for about 700 miles (1,100 km), its rather precipitous eastern slopes leave a narrow coastal plain. Although its

Qatar, Health and welfare

2005-02-08T01:06:00.000-08:00

Health care and medical services are provided free to all residents through government programs. The government also funds recreational and cultural clubs and facilities for young people as part of its extensive “youth welfare” campaign.

Zanesville

2005-02-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

City, Muskingum county, east central Ohio, U.S., at the juncture of the Muskingum and Licking rivers (there spanned by the “Y” Bridge [1902]), 52 miles (84 km) east of Columbus. The town was founded (1797) by Ebenezer Zane on land awarded him by the U.S. Congress for clearing a road (Zane's Trace) through the forest to Limestone (now Maysville), Ky. Zane sold the land to his son-in-law, John McIntire, who laid

Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos

2005-02-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos Byzantine historian and litterateur whose stylistic prose and poetry exemplify the developing Byzantine humanism of the 13th and 14th centuries and whose 23-volume Ecclesiasticae historiae (“Church History”), of which only the first 18 volumes survive, constitutes a significant documentary source for material on primitive Christianity, its doctrinal controversies

Zoe

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

Also called Brotherhood of Theologians in Eastern Orthodoxy, a semimonastic Greek association patterned on Western religious orders. Founded in 1907 by Eusebius Matthopoulos, Zoe (Greek: “Life”) brought together groups of more than 100 unmarried and highly disciplined members, bound by the monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; approximately half of the brothers were ordained priests, and the rest

Pullman, George M(ortimer)

2005-02-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

Pullman moved to Chicago in 1855, accumulated some capital as a contractor, and began to devise a sleeping car. The first real Pullman car, the “Pioneer,” invented jointly with Pullman's friend Ben Field, appeared in 1865. It contained folding upper berths and seat

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

2005-02-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

Japanese Zen Nippon Kuyu, the largest domestic air carrier in Japan, and one of the largest in the world. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Tokyo. Under the Japanese government's strict regulation of civil aviation, All Nippon Airways was basically restricted to carrying passengers and freight on Japan's major domestic routes, while Japan Air Lines basically monopolized

Nahua

2005-02-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

The modern Nahua are an agricultural people; their staple crops are corn (maize), beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, and squash. Also common

Yrjö-koskinen, Sakari

2005-01-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

Forsman—later, when he was made a baron, named Yrjö-Koskinen—was a nationalist scholar and a member of the mid-19th-century Fennoman Party,

Kantor, Mackinlay

2005-01-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

After finishing high school, Kantor became a reporter for The Webster City Daily News, of which his

Nepos, Julius

2005-01-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

Born of a distinguished family, Nepos was sent by the Eastern ruler Leo I to govern Italy as augustus (emperor). He at once deposed the Western emperor, Glycerius, whom Leo regarded as a usurper. Nepos proclaimed himself emperor in June 474. A year later he was obliged to recognize the independence of the Visigothic kingdom

Alençon

2005-01-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

Town, Orne département, Basse-Normandie région, northwestern France. Alençon lies at the juncture of the Sarthe and Briante rivers, in the centre of a plain ringed by wooded hills. It is known for its tulle and lace (especially point d'Alençon), introduced from Venice in the mid-17th century. Incorporated in the duchy of Normandy in 911, it was capital of the county and duchy of

Adelaide River

2005-01-26T02:02:00.000-08:00

River in northwestern Northern Territory, Australia, rising in the hills west of Brock's Creek and flowing (with marked summer increases in volume) for 110 miles (180 km) northeastward to Adam Bay, an inlet of the Timor Sea on Clarence Strait. From its mouth, 32 miles (50 km) northeast of Darwin, it is navigable for 80 miles (130 km). The river was reached in 1839 by L.R. Fitzmaurice of the ship HMS Beagle

Cyclosilicate

2005-01-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

Compound with a structure in which silicate tetrahedrons (a central silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the corners of a tetrahedron) are arranged in rings. Each tetrahedron shares two of its oxygen atoms with other tetrahedrons; the rings formed may have three (e.g., benitoite), four (e.g., axinite), or six members (e.g., beryl). The cyclosilicates have chemical formulas

Nat

2005-01-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

In Burmese folk religion, any of a group of spirits that are the objects of an extensive, probably pre-Buddhist cult; in Thailand a similar spirit is called phi. Most important of the nats are a group collectively called the “thirty-seven,” made up of spirits of human beings who have died violent deaths. They are capable of protecting the believer when kept properly propitiated

Arts, Islamic, Turkish

2005-01-23T01:13:00.000-08:00

In Turkey, the adoption of Western forms began in the 1920s. Of major importance in modern Turkish literature was Orhan Veli Kanik, who combined perfect technique with “Istanbulian” charm. His work is sometimes melancholy, sometimes frivolous, but always convincing. He strongly influenced a group of poets whose names are connected with the avant-garde literary magazine

Benaud, Richie

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

Byname of Richard Benaud cricketer who is best remembered as one of Australia's most imaginative captains. Benaud made his debut in first-class cricket at the age of 18 and first appeared in Test (international) matches in 1951. He was appointed captain of the Australian national team in 1958. With his leadership and shrewd knowledge of the game, Benaud led Australia to victory

Papaloapan River

2005-01-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Papaloapan, river in Veracruz estado (“state”), southeastern Mexico. It is formed by the junction of several rivers in Oaxaca estado, near the Veracruz-Oaxaca border, and meanders generally northeastward for 76 miles (122 km) to Alvarado Lagoon, just south of Alvarado. Its chief headstreams include the Santo Domingo, Tonto, and Valle Nacional, which rise in the Sierra Madre Oriental. Since

Photometry

2005-01-21T04:39:00.000-08:00

The earliest observations of the apparent brightness of the stars were made by Greek astronomers. The system used by Hipparchus about

Vahana

2005-01-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Some scholars understand the concept as a way of incorporating

Mu'tazilah

2005-01-18T04:24:00.000-08:00

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

Florence

2005-01-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

The

Ch'i-chia Culture

2005-01-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Evidence of the culture was first unearthed in the small village of Ch'i-chia-p'ing, in the northwestern Chinese

Commercial Fishing, Shellfish

2005-01-15T01:07:00.000-08:00

The crustaceans include lobsters, crabs, crayfish, and both shrimp and the closely related but larger prawns. The shells consist mainly of a hard, inedible substance called chitin. Crustaceans molt frequently

Madiun

2005-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Madioen kotamadya (municipality) and kabupaten (regency) in Jawa Timur provinsi (“province”), eastern Java, Indonesia. The city lies on the east bank of the Madiun River. The population is mostly Indonesian and Chinese. The city was the scene of a short-lived communist rebellion, the so-called Madiun Affair, in 1948, and it maintains a site at which hundreds of soldiers killed in the Indonesian

Dubbing

2005-01-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

In filmmaking, the process of adding new dialogue or other sounds to the sound track of a motion picture that has already been shot. Dubbing is most familiar to audiences as a means of translating foreign-language films into the audience's language. When a foreign language is dubbed, the translation of the original dialogue is carefully matched to the lip movements

Wilkes-barre

2005-01-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Its permanent settlement began in 1769 when Major John Durkee, a veteran of the French and Indian War, settled a band

Mormon

2005-01-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

Mormon doctrine diverges from the orthodoxy of established Christianity, particularly in its polytheism, in affirming that God has evolved from man and that men might evolve into gods, that the Persons of the Trinity are distinct beings, and that human souls have preexisted. Mormons accept that Christ came to earth so that all might be saved and raised from the dead

Oberfranken

2005-01-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

English Upper Franconia Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), northeastern Bavaria Land (state), east-central Germany. Oberfranken is bordered by Thuringia and Saxony Länder to the north, the Czech Republic to the east, and the Regierungsbezirke of Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) to the southeast, Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) to the south, and Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) to the

Sackler, Arthur M.

2005-01-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Sackler studied at New York University (B.S., 1933; M.D., 1937) and worked as a psychiatrist at Creedmore State Hospital in Queens, New York (1944–46), where in 1949 he founded the Creedmore Institute of Psychobiological Studies, a field in

Yurt

2005-01-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

Also spelled yurta , Mongol ger tentlike Central Asian nomad's dwelling, erected on wooden poles and covered with skin, felt, or handwoven textiles in bright colours. The interior is simply furnished with brightly coloured rugs (red often predominating) decorated with geometric or stylized animal patterns. The knotted pile rug, first known from a nomad burial at the foot of the Altai Mountains

Ekelöf, Gunnar

2005-01-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ekelöf exerted great influence on his contemporaries. His radically modern style was influenced by such poets as Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot. In such poetry from the 1930s as Sent på jorden (1932; “Late on Earth”), Ekelöf was drawn to the Surrealist technique of automatism

East Hertfordshire

2005-01-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

East Hertfordshire district is largely undulating and rural, characterized by medieval manor houses and thatched cottages. The River Lea, navigable to barge traffic from the London docks to the town of Hertford, drains the

Wyoming

2005-01-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

Constituent state of the United States of America. It is the ninth largest state, with an area of 97,809 square miles (253,326 square kilometres). It shares boundaries with six other Great Plains and Mountain states: South Dakota and Nebraska on the east, Colorado on the south, Utah on the southwest, Idaho on the west, and Montana on the northwest and north. Cheyenne, the state capital, is

Chaucer, Geoffrey

2005-01-04T00:56:00.000-08:00

The outstanding English poet before Shakespeare and “the first finder of our language.” His The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the greatest poetic works in English. He also contributed importantly in the second half of the 14th century to the management of public affairs as courtier, diplomat, and civil servant. In that career he was trusted and

Teda

2005-01-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Toda, Todaga, Todga, Tuda , or Tudaga people of the eastern and central Sahara (Chad, Niger, and Libya). Their language, also called Teda (or Tedaga), is closely related to the Kanuri and Zaghawa languages, and it belongs to the Saharan group of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Teda has northern and southern groups, and the term Teda is sometimes used for the northern grouping only, with Daza (Dasa) used especially

Shilling Shocker

2005-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

A novel of crime or violence especially popular in late Victorian England and originally costing one shilling. Shilling shockers were usually characterized by sensational incidents and lurid writing. Compare dime novel; penny dreadful.

Kirkcaldy (of Grange), Sir William

2005-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Kirkcaldy was one of the Protestant conspirators who murdered the powerful cardinal David Beaton at St. Andrews Castle in May 1546. From 1550 to 1556 he served in France as a secret agent for England. He returned to Scotland in 1557 and two years later joined the Protestant lords

O'carolan, Turlough

2004-12-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

The son of an iron founder, O'Carolan became blind from smallpox at the age of 18. He was befriended by Mrs. MacDermott Roe, the wife of his father's employer, who apprenticed

Peter Chrysologus, Saint

2004-12-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

About 433 he became archbishop of Ravenna, where, with the aid of Galla

Smilodon

2004-12-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of large carnivores known collectively by the common name sabre-toothed cat (q.v.).

Peter Chrysologus, Saint

2004-12-27T22:02:00.000-08:00

Specifically, any of six species of toothed whales distinguishable from dolphins by their more compact build, generally smaller size (maximum length about 2 metres, or 6.6 feet), and curved, blunt snouts with spatulate rather than conical teeth. In North America the name is sometimes applied to dolphins. The porpoise family consists of three genera:

Euclidean Geometry, Axioms of betweenness

2004-12-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

The symbol [ABC] shall mean that the points A, B, C are in the relation of betweenness. Two axioms can be assumed for this relation (see Box 2, items 22, 23). If geometry has already been constructed, the reader may interpret [ABC] to mean, say, AB, BC are perpendicular, or B is the midpoint of AC, or A, C are on a circle the centre of which is B, and consider which of these statements is true. An intuitive interpretation

Aquitaine

2004-12-25T09:19:00.000-08:00

In Julius Caesar's description of Gaul, “Aquitania” was an area extending from the Pyrenees to the Garonne River. The Roman

Vagina

2004-12-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

In humans the vagina is about 9 cm (3.5 inches) long; it is located in front of the rectum and behind the bladder. The cervix of the uterus connects to the upper region

Jhelum River

2004-12-24T02:12:00.000-08:00

The Jhelum rises from a deep spring at Vernag, in the Indian-held sector of Jammu and Kashmir state. The river meanders northwestward from the northern slope of the Pir Panjal Range through the Vale of Kashmir to Wular Lake, which controls its flow. Emerging from the

Czernin, Ottokar, Count

2004-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Czernin, born into the Czech aristocracy, entered the Austro-Hungarian diplomatic service in the

Berakah

2004-12-22T22:38:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Berakha, or Berachah (Hebrew: “blessing”), plural Berakoth, Berakot, Berachoth, or Berachot, in Judaism, a benediction (expression of praise or thanks directed to God) that is recited at specific points of the synagogue liturgy, during private prayer, or on other occasions (e.g., before performing a commandment or for being spared from harm in the face of danger). Most berakoth begin with the words Barukh Attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha-Olam (“Blessed art Thou, O Lord

Porbeagle

2004-12-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

Species of mackerel shark (q.v.).

Uterine Cervix

2004-12-20T05:06:00.000-08:00

Lowest region of the uterus; it attaches the uterus to the vagina and provides a passage between the vaginal cavity and the uterine cavity. The cervix, only about 4 centimetres (1.6 inches) long, projects about 2 centimetres into the upper vaginal cavity. The cervical opening into the vagina is called the external os; the cavity running the length of the cervix is the endocervical

Amalthea

2004-12-19T03:36:00.000-08:00

Small, inner satellite of Jupiter discovered in 1892 by the American astronomer E.E. Barnard. It circles Jupiter once every 11 h 57 min at a distance of 181,000 km (112,220 miles) in a nearly circular, uninclined orbit. Photographs transmitted by the U.S. probes Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1979 show that Amalthea is an irregular body measuring 270 ´ 166 ´ 150 km (167 ´ 103 ´ 93 miles); the long axis always points toward Jupiter. Amalthea has a very

Switzerland, Police and armed forces

2004-12-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Police authority is generally exercised by the cantons, but larger cities also maintain municipal police forces. A small federal police corps enforces special federal laws concerning such crimes as treason and forgery (mainly in collaboration with cantonal police). However, there is growing support for enlarging the role of the federal police, particularly

Hackney

2004-12-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

Hackneys are heavily muscled, with wide chests, deep bodies, and arched necks; they average 14.2 to 15.2 hands

Syria, Flag Of

2004-12-16T01:30:00.000-08:00

In 1917 Husayn ibn 'Ali, king of the Hejaz (now in Saudi Arabia), adopted the Arab Revolt Flag, intended to represent all Arab lands. It consisted of three horizontal stripes of black, green, and white with a red triangle at the hoist. The four colours recalled the major dynasties of Arab history—the 'Abbasids, Fatimids, Umayyads, and Hashimites. In March 1918 the Arab Revolt Flag was raised in

Port-royal

2004-12-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

In 1609 the young abbess Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld began a much-needed reform. In 1625–26, because

'atbarah

2004-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

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

Hettner, Alfred

2004-12-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

While completing work on his doctorate at the University of Strasbourg (now in France), Hettner became increasingly absorbed in philosophy.