NaturalMoon

Katsuta

2005-04-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

City, Ibaraki ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies along the Naka River, northeast of Mito, the prefectural capital. The city developed rapidly as an industrial site for the Hitachi Company, Ltd., after 1940, mainly producing electric locomotives and other electric machinery. Pop. (1992 est.) 112,650.

Cinna, Gaius Helvius

2005-04-02T02:57:00.000-08:00

Roman poet who wrote a mythological epic poem Smyrna. He was a friend of the poet Catullus. The early Christian-era historians Suetonius, Valerius Maximus, Appian, and Dio Cassius all state that at Caesar's funeral (44 BC) a certain Helvius Cinna was killed by mistake for Cornelius Cinna, the conspirator. The last three writers identify him as a tribune of the people,

Fisher, Sir Ronald Aylmer

2005-04-02T01:35:00.000-08:00

In 1909 Fisher was awarded a scholarship to study mathematics at the University of Cambridge, from which he graduated in 1912 with a B.A. in astronomy. He remained at Cambridge for another

Ch'iang-t'ang

2005-03-31T23:56:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Qiangtang , Tibetan Byang Thang enormous alpine basin in the northern part of the Tibetan autonomous ch'ü (region), China. With an average elevation of more than 16,500 feet (5,000 m) above sea level, it lies between the Kunlun Mountains to the north and the T'ang-ku-la Mountains and A-ling Mountains to the south and stretches 800 miles (1,300 km) from the mountain complex called the Pamir Knot in the west to the region of the Tsaidam

Ruthenian

2005-03-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Ruthene any of those Ukrainians who were formerly Polish or Austrian and Austro-Hungarian subjects. The name is a Latinized form of the word Russian, but the Ruthenians are Ukrainians who, by accidents of history in the late Middle Ages, were absorbed into the territory of Lithuania, which in turn was united with Poland. The term Little Russians has also been applied to them.

Kazakstan, Drainage

2005-03-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Kazakstan's east and southeast possess extensive watercourses: most of the country's 7,000 streams form part of the inland drainage systems of the Aral and Caspian seas and Lakes Balkhash and Tengiz. The major exceptions are the great Irtysh, Ishim (Esil), and Tobol rivers, which run northwest from the highlands in the southeast and, crossing Russia, ultimately drain into

Tiger Beetle

2005-03-30T05:04:00.000-08:00

Any member of the approximately 2,000 species of the insect family Cicindelidae (order Coleoptera). The name derives from their voracious eating habits. The larva lives in a vertical burrow, which is sometimes as much as 0.67 m (2 feet) deep. It waits at the top of the burrow for prey (insects), which it grasps with sicklelike mandibles (jaws). A pair of hooks on the abdomen anchor the larva,

Kitami-sammyaku

2005-03-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: Kitami Range), mountain range, northeastern Hokkaido, Japan, extending 180 mi (290 km) along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. The range is basically an upwarped block except in the west, where it drops abruptly to the Teshio-gawa (Teshio River) valley. Elevations are generally between 2,500 and 3,100 ft (750 and 950 m). In the south central part of the range, however, the Wenshiri horst (block of

Russell, Pee Wee

2005-03-26T15:59:00.000-08:00

Reluctantly trained in violin as a child, Russell also tried piano and drums before settling on the clarinet, on which he became a distinctive stylist. Russell developed a quirky, chance-taking style that employed a generally plaintive tone punctuated by growls, squeaks, and breathy mutterings.

Mckinley, Mount

2005-03-25T05:18:00.000-08:00

Pozzuoli

2005-03-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

The town was founded about 529 BC by Greek emigrants who called it Dicaearchia (“City of Justice”). Captured by Rome in the Samnite wars, it was vainly besieged by the Carthaginian general

Bérégovoy, Pierre

2005-03-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

In 1941, at the age of 15, Bérégovoy left school to work as a machinist. He later worked for the national railways and joined the French Resistance. In 1950 he took a job at Gaz de France, the national gas utility. He remained with this company for 31 years, eventually rising to an executive

Wyler, William

2005-03-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

The son of a Swiss-born merchant in Alsace, Wyler attended the École Supérieure de Commerce in Lausanne, Switz., and the

Rhiannon

2005-03-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

In Celtic religion, the Welsh manifestation of the Gaulish horse goddess Epona and the Irish goddess Macha. She is best-known from The Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales, in which she makes her first appearance on a pale, mysterious steed and meets King Pwyll, whom she marries. Later she was unjustly accused of killing her infant son, and in punishment she

Suffolk

2005-03-19T01:21:00.000-08:00

Administrative and historic county in East Anglia, eastern England, bounded to the north by Norfolk, to the west by Cambridgeshire, to the south by Essex, and to the east by the North Sea. The administrative county comprises seven districts: Forest Heath and the borough of Saint Edmundsbury in the west, Mid Suffolk in the middle, Babergh and the borough of Ipswich in the

Sabinian

2005-03-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Under Pope Gregory I the Great, he served as papal ambassador at Constantinople, trying to reconcile the Roman Church with Patriarch John IV the Faster, whose claim to the title of ecumenical patriarch was regarded by Gregory to be a threat to Christian unity. Elected in 604 as Gregory's successor, Sabinian seems to have been markedly

Poison, Drugs of abuse

2005-03-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

Mind-altering drugs commonly abused include amphetamines, cocaine, phencyclidine, heroin, and methaqualone. These drugs are primarily toxic to the central nervous system; amphetamine and cocaine cause stimulation of the system (hallucinations and delirium), and heroin causes the depression of the system (depressed respiration and coma). In contrast, phencyclidine

Lighthouse, Oil lamps

2005-03-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

In 1782 a Swiss scientist, Aimé Argand, invented an oil lamp whose steady smokeless flame revolutionized lighthouse illumination. The basis of his invention was a circular wick with a glass chimney that ensured an adequate current of air up the centre and the outside of the wick for even and proper combustion of the oil. Eventually, Argand lamps with as many as 10 concentric

Mondale, Walter F.

2005-03-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Mondale, a “flexible liberal,” won election to the Senate in 1966 and reelection in 1972. He served on the Senate Finance and Budget committees and the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Elected vice president as Carter's running mate in 1976, he was a key participant in the negotiations between Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin that resulted in the Camp David Accords. The Carter-Mondale ticket was defeated for reelection in 1980 by Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Mondale captured the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and chose Geraldine A. Ferraro as his running mate, the first woman vice presidential candidate for a major party. They lost the election overwhelmingly to Reagan-Bush. Afterward Mondale practiced law until he was appointed ambassador to Japan (1993–96) by President William J. Clinton. In 2002 Paul Wellstone, the Democratic senator from Minnesota, was killed in a plane crash while campaigning to retain his seat, and the Democratic Party nominated Mondale to take Wellstone's place on the ballot. Mondale accepted the nomination but was narrowly defeated by Republican Norm Coleman.

Kediri

2005-03-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ancient Kadiri traditional region and modern kabupaten (regency) of eastern Java, Indonesia. From the 11th to the early 13th century, Kediri was the dominant kingdom in eastern Java, renowned for its naval and commercial strength and for its achievements in literature. It was absorbed into the later kingdoms of Singasari and Majapahit and then by the central Java kingdom of Mataram.

Kleve

2005-03-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cleve , English Cleves , Dutch Kleef city, North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. It lies less than 5 miles (8 km) south of the Dutch border and is connected with the Rhine River by a canal. The seat of the counts of Cleves from the 11th century, it was chartered in 1242. The county passed to the counts of La Marck in 1368; it was made a duchy in 1417 and acquired the duchies of Jülich and Berg in 1521. Anne of Cleves (d. 1557), daughter of

Low Countries

2005-03-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Also called Benelux Countries coastal region of northwestern Europe, consisting of Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg (qq.v.). These are together known as the Benelux countries, from the initial letters of their names. The Low Countries are bordered by Germany to the east and France to the south. In 1947 the three nations formed the Benelux Customs Union, which broadened over the years into what a

Ramesseum

2005-03-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Funerary temple of Ramses II (1279–13 BC), erected on the west bank of the Nile River at Thebes in Upper Egypt. The temple, famous for its 57-foot (17-metre) seated statue of Ramses II (of which only fragments are left), was dedicated to the god Amon and the deceased king. The walls of the Ramesseum, which is only about half preserved, are decorated with reliefs, including scenes depicting the

Gabinius, Aulus

2005-03-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

As tribune in 67 BC Gabinius proposed a law that gave Pompey command of the Mediterranean and all the land within 50 miles (81 km) of its coast as a means of controlling the depredations of pirates. Another Gabinian measure checked the lending of money to foreign ambassadors at Rome. Its

Nizhegorod

2005-03-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Formerly (1932–90) Gorky, oblast (province) in western Russia, in the middle of the Volga River basin. Nizhegorod oblast is bisected by the Volga River. The northern half of the oblast is a low plain, mostly in dense coniferous forest of spruce, pine, and fir, while lower parts are often swampy. Its soils are infertile. The southern half comprises rolling morainic hills, with deciduous trees, especially

Persian Gulf, Transportation

2005-03-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

For centuries a considerable sea trade has been carried on by local craft between the Persian Gulf and Africa and India; this has become completely dominated by an incessant traffic of large tankers that carry oil from the large marine terminals at Khark Island (Iran), Kuwait, Dhahran (Az-Zahran, in Saudi Arabia), Bahrain, Das Island (United Arab Emirates), and other locations

Caecilius Of Calacte

2005-03-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Only fragments of Caecilius' works are extant, among which may be mentioned: On the Style of the Ten Orators; On the Sublime, which was attacked by the so-called Longinus in a more famous work of the same title; History of the Servile Wars, or slave

Alaric

2005-03-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

A nobleman by birth, Alaric served for a time as commander of Gothic troops in the Roman army, but shortly after the death of the emperor Theodosius I in 395, he left the

Ibn Ezra, Abraham Ben Meir

2005-03-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

As a young man, he lived in Muslim Spain. Not much is known about his early life. He was on friendly terms with the eminent poet and philosopher Judah

Widor, Charles-marie

2005-03-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

The son and grandson of organ builders, Widor began his studies under his father and at the age of 11 became organist at the secondary school of Lyon. After studies in organ and composition in Brussels, he returned to Lyon (1860) to succeed his father as organist at Saint-François, where he remained for a decade.

Basidiomycetes

2005-03-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

A large and diverse class of fungi (division Mycota) including jelly and shelf, or bracket, fungi; mushrooms, puffballs, and stinkhorns; and the rusts and smuts. The club-shaped spore-bearing organ (basidium) usually produces four sexual spores (basidiospores). Basidia are borne on fruiting bodies (basidiocarps), which are large and conspicuous in

Essen

2005-03-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

City, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), western Germany, between the Rhine-Herne Canal and the Ruhr River. It was originally the seat of an aristocratic convent (founded 852), still represented by the cathedral (the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop), completed in the 15th century. In the suburb of Werden, the abbey church was founded in 796 as part of a monastery. The convent and the

Haleakala

2005-03-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

The name Haleakala (Hawaiian: “House of the

Obihiro

2005-03-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

City, southern Hokkaido, Japan, on the Tokachi River. Founded in 1883, it became the administrative capital of Tokachi subprefecture in 1897. The arrival of two railway lines in the early 1900s made Obihiro a trade centre of agricultural products grown in the surrounding Tokachi Plain. Obihiro's industries are based on food processing; the city contains one of the largest beet-sugar

Wellington

2005-03-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

Local government region, extreme southern North Island, New Zealand. It includes the cities of Wellington (the national capital) and Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, and Masterton. The broad Hutt River valley, once the locale of dairy farms and market gardens, has absorbed much of Wellington city's urban expansion since the 1950s. There is still much open farmland to the north,

Residual Landform

2005-03-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

Also called Relict Landform, landform that was produced as the remains of an ancient landscape, escaping burial or destruction to remain as part of the present landscape. Residual landforms are often the result of changed climatic conditions, but they may be due to volcanism or to crustal uplift and downwarping. Examples of residual landforms are extinct volcanic cones, inactive stone rivers

Hoop Skirt

2005-03-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

Also called Hoop Petticoat, garment with a frame of whalebone or of wicker or osier basketwork. Reminiscent of the farthingale (q.v.), the petticoat was reintroduced in England and France around 1710 and remained in favour until 1780. The French name panier (“basket”) was used for skirts distended at the sides rather than all the way around. They could be as wide as 18 feet (5 metres), and satirists talked of hoops 7 or

Bruant, Libéral

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

Libéral Bruant was the most notable of a family that produced a series of architects active in France from the 16th to the 18th century. He was the son of Sébastien and brother of Jacques, who designed the Hall of the Corporation des Drapiers,

Lower Burma

2005-03-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Historical and geographic division of Burma (Myanmar), referring to the southern coastal and delta region on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea (as opposed to Upper Burma). It was the centre of the Mon kingdoms based at Pegu and was acquired by the British Indian government in 1826 and 1852. Under the British, Lower Burma rapidly developed into the country's principal rice-growing

Puerperal Fever

2005-03-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Also called childbed fever infection of some part of the female reproductive organs following childbirth or abortion. Cases of fever of 100.4° F (38° C) and higher during the first 10 days following delivery or miscarriage are notifiable to the civil authority in most developed countries, and the notifying physician clarifies the diagnosis later, if possible. Puerperal infection is most commonly of

Biblical Literature, Critical scholarship

2005-03-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

Textual criticism of the Greek New Testament attempts to come as near as possible to the original manuscripts (which did not survive), based on reconstructions from extant manuscripts of various ages and locales. Assessment of the individual manuscripts and their relationships to each other can produce a fairly reliable text from various readings that may have

Pauraque

2005-03-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Parauque, also called Cuejo (Nyctidromus albicollis), nocturnal bird of brushlands from southern Texas to northern Argentina. It is a relative of the nightjar (q.v.), belonging to the family Caprimulgidae. The pauraque is about 30 cm (about 12 inches) long, with rounded wings and a longish tail. It is mottled brown with a bold white bar on each wing; in the male the outer tail feathers are white.

Agrippina The Elder

2005-02-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

Agrippina was married to Germanicus Caesar (great-nephew of Augustus and nephew and adopted son of Tiberius). She accompanied her husband to Germany and to the East, where he died

Allosteric Control

2005-02-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

In enzymology, inhibition or activation of an enzyme by a small regulatory molecule that interacts at a site (allosteric site) other than the active site (at which catalytic activity occurs). The interaction changes the shape of the enzyme so as to affect the formation at the active site of the usual complex between the enzyme and its substrate (the compound upon which

Tepic

2005-02-27T02:31:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Nayarit estado (“state”), west-central Mexico, lying at 3,002 feet (915 m) above sea level along the Tepic River, at the foot of extinct Sangangüey volcano. Founded in 1542, much of the city retains its colonial atmosphere. The cathedral, municipal palace, and Amado Nervo Theatre especially reflect Spanish influence. Shops offer Indian handicrafts, and Huichol and Cora

Yerkes, Robert M.

2005-02-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Ursinus College, Yerkes took his Ph.D. degree at Harvard University in 1902 and then served first as instructor and then as professor of psychology at Harvard until 1917. His early studies of the behaviour

Burgesses, House Of

2005-02-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

Representative assembly in colonial Virginia; the first elective governing body in a British overseas possession. The assembly was one division of the legislature established by Gov. George Yeardley at Jamestown, July 30, 1619; the other included the governor himself and a council, all appointed by the colonial proprietor (the Virginia Company). Because each Virginia

Cariban Languages

2005-02-25T05:44:00.000-08:00

A group of South American Indian languages that were spoken before the Spanish conquest from what is now the Greater Antilles to the central Mato Grosso in Brazil; most of the languages, however, were spoken north of the Amazon River in what is now northern Brazil, the inland areas of the Guianas and Venezuela, and lowland Colombia. West Indian Cariban is extinct, and

Joveyni, 'ata Malek

2005-02-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

Born into a well-known and highly respected family of governors and civil servants,

Arnauld D'andilly, Robert

2005-02-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

Brother and follower of the prominent Jansenist theologian Antoine Arnauld. See Arnauld family.

Quimper

2005-02-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

Breton Kemper town, capital of Finistère département, Bretagne region, France, and a port at the estuarine confluence of the Odet and Steir rivers. Once the ancient capital of the countship Cornouaille, it is associated with the legendary (5th century) king Gradlon, who came from Cornwall in Britain. The countship was united with the duchy of Brittany in the 11th century; but the town suffered

Chronology

2005-02-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Chinese legendary history can be traced back to 2697 BC, the first year of Huang Ti (Chinese: Yellow Emperor), who was followed by many successors and by the three dynasties, the Hsia, the Shang, and the Chou. Recent archaeological findings, however, have established an authentic chronology beginning with the Shang dynasty, though the exact date of its end remains a controversial

Nags Head

2005-02-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

Resort town, Dare county, eastern North Carolina, U.S. It is situated on Bodie Island (one of the Outer Banks barrier islands) between Roanoke Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, just south of Kitty Hawk. It was so named, according to legend, because unscrupulous shipwreckers tied lanterns to the necks of ponies (“nags”) and marched them along the high dunes to simulate the lights

Chagres River

2005-02-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Chagres stream in Panama forming part of the Panama Canal system. It rises in the Cordillera de San Blas, flows south-southwest, and broadens to form Madden Lake (22 square miles [57 square km]) at Madden Dam, which was built in 1935 for navigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power. Below the dam it continues southwest to Gamboa, where it joins the Panama Canal at the north end of the Gaillard

Breed Association

2005-02-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Organization that promotes the respective breeds of horses and registers horses that meet certain qualifications. A new association may admit horses that meet certain qualifications but whose parents are not registered; this is called an open association. The qualifications may be type, colour, or speed. Standardbred horses, for example, are admitted to the registry

Cancer

2005-02-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Group of more than 100 distinct diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer affects one in every three persons born in developed countries and is a major cause of sickness and death throughout the world. Though it has been known since antiquity, significant improvements in cancer treatment have been made since the middle

Faber, Frederick William

2005-02-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Faber was elected fellow of University College, Oxford, in 1837. Originally a Calvinist, he became a disciple of John Henry Newman (later cardinal) and, in 1843, was appointed rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire. He converted

Halfdan

2005-02-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

After participating in raids on Anglo-Saxon lands to the south, Halfdan and his followers invaded the mouth of the Tyne (874) and engaged in warfare with both Picts and the Britons of Strathclyde. In 876 he distributed the large region of York among his men and may then

Leadwork

2005-02-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

Sculpture, ornamental objects, and architectural coverings and fittings made of lead. Although the ease with which lead is smelted from lead ores ensured its early discovery, the softness of the metal restricted its use until Roman times. The earliest known use of lead dates from about 3000 BC in Egypt and Asia Minor, when it was used in making small statuettes and votive

Cancer

2005-02-17T06:15:00.000-08:00

Perception that occurs independently of the known sensory processes. Usually included in this category of phenomena are telepathy, or thought transference between persons; clairvoyance, or supernormal awareness of objects or events not necessarily known to others; and precognition, or knowledge of the future. Scientific investigation of these and similar

Zionist Church

2005-02-17T05:29:00.000-08:00

The use of the term Zion derives from the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion, founded in Chicago in 1896 and having missionaries in South Africa by

Term

2005-02-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

In the visual arts, element consisting of a sculptured figure or bust at the top of a stone pillar or column that usually tapers downward to a quadrangular base. Often the pillar replaces the body of the figure, with feet sometimes indicated at its base. The pillar itself may be a separate object (i.e., a pedestal for the head or other sculpture), in which case it is called a

Bulgarian Catholic Church

2005-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Christians since 864, the Bulgarians were conquered by the Byzantines early in the 11th century and followed Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the break with Rome (1054). In 1767, after more than four centuries of Ottoman rule in Bulgaria, which had placed Bulgarian Christians under the direct administration

Early American Furniture

2005-02-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Furniture made in the last half of the 17th century by American colonists. Furniture made by the earliest settlers, none of which is known to have survived, was probably crude and makeshift. The earliest known American-made furniture dates from the mid-17th century, when life in the colonies was becoming more settled. Many of these early pieces were massive in size and were

Canaanite Inscriptions

2005-02-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

A group of 11 inscriptions recovered from bowls and other utensils found in several archaeological sites in Palestine dating from approximately the 16th to 13th century BC. Because they have not as yet been satisfactorily deciphered, it is unclear whether or not the writing system used in these inscriptions is related to the North Semitic alphabet, which has been positively

Ranaivo, Flavien

2005-02-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Lycae Gallieri in Tananarive (now Antananarivo), Ranaivo worked in the information service

Interior Design, Special subjects

2005-02-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Johannes Itten, Kunst der Farbe (1961; Eng. trans., The Art of Color, 1961); Faber Birren, Color for Interiors, Historical and Modern (1963); Leslie Larson, Lighting and Its Design (1964); John F. Pile (ed.), Drawings of Architectural Interiors (1967); Mario G. Salvadori and Robert Heller, Structure in Architecture (1963), a very readable introduction to structural principles understandable to laymen, but written on a professional level; Mario Dal Fabbro, Modern Furniture, 2nd ed. (1958). Edward Lucie-Smith, The Story of Craft: The Craftsman's Role in Society (1981), explores the unifying and the distinctive features of craft and fine arts.

Resonance

2005-02-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

In physics, relatively large selective response of an object or a system that vibrates in step or phase, with an externally applied oscillatory force. Resonance was first investigated in acoustical systems such as musical instruments and the human voice. An example of acoustical resonance is the vibration induced in a violin or piano string of a given pitch when

Azerbaijan, Flag Of

2005-02-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Prior to the Russian Revolution, when Azerbaijan was part of the tsar's domain, the leading Azerbaijani nationalist, 'Ali bay Huseynzada, exhorted his followers to “Turkify, Islamicize, Europeanize” in order to emphasize ethnic pride, religious devotion, and modernization. The colours associated with those principles were light blue (a traditional Turkish flag colour),

Resonance

2005-02-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

After clipping out pieces of leaves with their jaws, the fragments

Van Doren, Carl (clinton)

2005-02-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

Educated at Columbia University (Ph.D., 1911), Van Doren taught there until 1930. In that period he was one of a group of academicians who helped to establish American literature and history as an integral part of university programs.

Macarius

2005-02-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

A monk of the monastery of St. Paphnutius in Borovsk, southwest of Moscow, Macarius became archbishop of Novgorod in 1526. After his elevation in 1542 as metropolitan of Moscow and of all Russia, Macarius gathered a

Ray

2005-02-07T03:11:00.000-08:00

Rays are distinguished from sharks by a flattened, disklike body, with the five gill openings and the mouth generally located on the underside. Rays are further distinguished from sharks by their greatly

Ear, Human, Eustachian tube

2005-02-07T02:15:00.000-08:00

The eustachian tube, about 45 millimetres (1.75 inches) long, leads downward and inward from the tympanum to the nasopharynx, the space that is behind and continuous with the nasal passages and is above the soft palate. At its upper end the tube is narrow and surrounded by bone. Nearer the pharynx it widens and becomes cartilaginous. Its mucous lining, which is continuous with

Shields, Carol

2005-02-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

Shields grew up in the United States and in 1957 graduated from Hanover College in Indiana. That same year she married and moved to Canada. After taking a course in creative

Heschel, Abraham Joshua

2005-02-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

After a traditional Jewish education, Heschel went on to higher studies

Antarctica

2005-02-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Antarctica, as defined by the 42-nation Antarctic Treaty that entered into effect in 1961, comprises all lands and waters south of latitude 60° S. The land area is about 14.2 million sq km (5.3 million sq mi), principally the Antarctic continent itself and adjoining islands. Ice averaging 2,160 m (7,085 ft) in thickness covers 98% of the continent. There is no capital or permanent human habitation; scientific

Biblical Literature, Swiss versions

2005-02-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

Four parts of Luther's version were reprinted in the Swyzerdeutsch dialect in Zürich in 1524–25. The Prophets and Apocrypha appeared in 1529. A year later, the first Swiss Bible was issued with the Prophets and Apocrypha independently translated. The Swiss Bible underwent frequent revision between 1660 and 1882. A fresh translation from the original languages was made between 1907 and 1931.

Turbine

2005-02-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Any of various devices that convert the energy in a stream of fluid into mechanical energy. The conversion is generally accomplished by passing the fluid through a system of stationary passages or vanes that alternate with passages consisting of finlike blades attached to a rotor. By arranging the flow so that a tangential force, or torque, is exerted on the rotor

Lenin, Order Of

2005-02-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

Highest civilian award of the U.S.S.R. It was established in 1930 by the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and awarded to individuals, collectives, institutions, or organizations for outstanding achievements in research, art, technology, or economics or for the solution of tasks vital to the state. The order had one class. It was awarded automatically to “Heroes

Protestantism, Origins

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

Puritanism first emerged as a distinct movement in a controversy over clerical vestments and liturgical practices during the reign of Elizabeth. Immediately following the Elizabethan Settlement, Protestant clergy could, within reason, choose what to wear while leading worship. Many preachers took this opportunity to do away with the formal attire as well

Pematangsiantar

2005-02-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

City, Sumatera Utara provinsi (“province”), Sumatra, Indonesia. It is about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Medan, the provincial capital, with which it is connected by a major road and railway. The second most populous city in the province, after Medan, Pematangsiantar is inhabited mainly by Batak; there are also Chinese and Indians who are mostly traders, merchants, and businessmen.

Biblical Literature, The conquest of Canaan

2005-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

As told by the Deuteronomist, the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and the Israelite tribes was swift and decisive. No conquest of central Canaan (in the region of Shechem), however, is mentioned in the book; and some scholars interpret this to mean that the central hill country was already occupied either by ancestors of the later Israelite tribes prior to the time of Moses

Gwinnett, Button

2005-01-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

Gwinnett emigrated from England to Georgia

Babits, Mihály

2005-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Babits studied Hungarian and classical literature at the University of Budapest and was a teacher in provincial secondary schools until forced

China, The Shih-liu kuo (Sixteen Kingdoms) in the north (303439)

2005-01-30T04:27:00.000-08:00

The term Sixteen Kingdoms traditionally denotes the plethora of short-lived non-Chinese dynasties that from 303 came to rule the whole or parts of northern China. Many ethnic groups were involved, including ancestors of the Turks (such as the Hsiung-nu, possibly related to the Huns of late Roman history, and the Chieh), the Mongolians (Hsien-pei), and the Tibetans (Ti and Ch'iang).

Oath

2005-01-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Sacred or solemn voluntary promise usually involving the penalty of divine retribution for intentional falsity and often used in legal procedures. It is not certain that the oath was always considered a religious act; such ancient peoples as the Germanic tribes, Greeks, Romans, and Scythians swore by their swords or other weapons. These peoples, however, were actually

Moray Firth

2005-01-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Triangular-shaped inlet of the North Sea in northeastern Scotland. It reaches a maximum width of 16 miles (29 km), from Tarbat Ness on its northern shore to Burghead on its southern shore. Two smaller inlets, the Cromarty Firth and the Beauly Firth, extend inland from the inner reaches of the Moray Firth. The city of Inverness lies at the head of the Moray Firth, and the town of

Joyce, William

2005-01-26T22:23:00.000-08:00

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

Arabian Religion, North and central Arabia

2005-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

There are various populations to consider, differing in their languages and systems of writing, in their pantheons, and above all in their ways of life. Sedentary populations of merchants and farmers were settled in towns and oases, which were centres of developed civil and religious institutions. In sharp contrast with them were the breeders of sheep and

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Old Testament

2005-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

The Old Testament, including its prophetic books, has a core of historical record focusing on the trials of the tribes of Israel. In their own view an elect nation, the Israelites believe their history spells out a providential design. The Prophets understand the earliest texts, Genesis and Exodus, in terms of this providential scheme. Hebraic texts are interpreted

Pittsburg

2005-01-26T02:27:00.000-08:00

City, Crawford county, southeastern Kansas, U.S., near the Missouri border. Laid out in 1876, it developed as a zinc- and coal-mining town and railroad centre and was named after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Besides strip coal-mining operations, it has large plants that produce coal-preparation equipment and ammonium nitrate. Pittsburg State University was founded in 1903. The city

Colette

2005-01-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

Colette

Aisling

2005-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

In Irish literature, a poetic or dramatic description or representation of a vision. The Vision of Adamnán is one of the best-known examples. In the 18th century the aisling became popular as a means of expressing support for the exiled Roman Catholic king James II of England and Ireland and for the restoration of the Roman Catholic Stuart line to the throne. The word

Eames, Charles; And Eames, Ray

2005-01-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

Charles Eames, who was also an architect, was for several years

Henze, Hans Werner

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

Henze was a pupil of the noted German composer Wolfgang Fortner and of René Leibowitz, the leading French composer of 12-tone music. One of Henze's early works, the Violin Concerto (1947), demonstrated his mastery

Brentano, Lujo

2005-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

Brentano received his Ph.D. in economics in 1867 from the University of Göttingen and was professor of political theory from 1871 to 1931, successively, at the Universities

Phocion

2005-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Phocion was a pupil of Plato and in later life a close friend of the Platonic philosopher Xenocrates. After serving Persia as a mercenary, he was drawn into Athens' efforts to remain

Romans-sur-isère

2005-01-23T00:53:00.000-08:00

Town, Drôme département, Rhône-Alpes region, southeastern France. It lies along the north bank of the Isère River, northeast of Valence. Founded in the 9th century, Romans-sur-Isère was the scene of the transfer of Dauphiné to France by the dauphin Humbert II (1349) and of the last meeting of the Estates of Dauphiné (December 1788), on the eve of the French Revolution. Its 12th-century Romanesque

Ba Jin

2005-01-21T03:09:00.000-08:00

Born to a wealthy gentry family, Ba received a traditional