SadPin

Inkster, Juli

2005-03-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

On Sept. 26, 1999, American golfer Juli Inkster became the 17th member of the Ladies' Professional Golf Association Hall of Fame when she won the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship by six strokes. The victory climaxed an outstanding year for Inkster, who earlier had won four other tournaments, including two majors—the McDonald's LPGA championship and the U.S. Women's Open championship.

Maunick, édouard J.

2005-03-16T00:44:00.000-08:00

Maunick grew up on Mauritius Island, where, as a métis (mulatto), he experienced social discrimination from both blacks and whites. After working briefly as a librarian in Port-Louis, he settled in Paris in 1960, writing, lecturing, and directing for Coopération Radiophonique. He published frequently in Présence Africaine

Race

2005-03-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

The idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences. Genetic studies in the late 20th century denied the existence of biogenetically distinct races, and scholars now argue that “races” are cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different

Ta'liq Script

2005-03-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

In Arabic calligraphy, cursive style of lettering developed in Iran in the 10th century. It is thought to have been the creation of Hasan ibn Husayn 'Ali of Fars, but, because Khwajah 'Abd al-Malik Buk made such vast improvements, the invention is often attributed to him. The rounded forms and exaggerated horizontal strokes that characterize the ta'liq letters were derived primarily

Israel, Transportation

2005-03-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Israel has developed a modern, well-marked highway system, and road transport is more significant to the country's commercial and passenger services than transport by rail. Bus companies provide efficient service within and between all cities and towns, supplemented by private taxis and sheruts—privately owned and operated shuttles—which run on urban and interurban

Kabarega Falls

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

Also spelled Kabalega, also called Murchison Falls, waterfall on the lower Victoria Nile River in northwestern Uganda, 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Albert. The Victoria Nile passes through many miles of rapids before narrowing to a width of about 20 feet (6 m) and dropping about 400 feet (120 m) in a series of three cascades. The initial fall of 130 feet (40 m) is generally recognized as Kabarega (Murchison) Falls. The cataract forms the central feature

English Literature, Secular prose

2005-03-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

Secular compositions and translations in prose also came into prominence in the last quarter of the 14th century, though their stylistic accomplishment does not always match that of the religious tradition. Chaucer's “Tale of Melibeus” and his two astronomical translations, the Treatise on the Astrolabe and the Equatorie of the Planetis, were relatively modest

Shadhiliyah

2005-03-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Shaziliyah, widespread brotherhood of Muslim mystics (Sufis), founded on the teachings of Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili (d. 1258) in Alexandria. Shadhili teachings stress five points: fear of God, living the sunna (practices) of the Prophet, disdain of mankind, fatalism, and turning to God in times of happiness and distress. The order, which spread throughout North Africa and the Sudan and into Arabia, was

Cincinnati

2005-03-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hamilton county, southwestern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (bridged) opposite Covington and Newport, Kentucky, 15 miles (24 km) east of the Indiana border. Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, after Cleveland and Columbus. Picturesquely situated between the Little Miami and Great Miami rivers at their influx into the Ohio, it is encircled by hills rising

Sea Turtle

2005-03-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Any of the marine turtles of the families Dermochelyidae (leatherback turtle) and Cheloniidae (green turtle, loggerhead, hawksbill, and ridley). Sea turtles, in adaptation to an aquatic life, have limbs modified into flippers for efficient swimming. They generally leave the water only during the breeding season, when the female emerges to dig

Rabin, Yitzhak

2005-02-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Israeli soldier, politician, and statesman (b. March 1, 1922, Jerusalem--d. Nov. 4, 1995, Tel Aviv, Israel), was for some five decades a central figure in shaping his country's history while serving as both a brilliant military strategist and a peace-seeking prime minister. In one of the more memorable moments in recent history, Rabin, at the urging of U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton, shook the hand of Palestine

Subtropical High

2005-02-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

One of several regions of semipermanent high atmospheric pressure located over the oceans near 35° latitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth. The highs, which are apparently of dynamic rather than thermal origin, are most intense and closest to the poles in summer. The circulation around the highs is clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

Merchants Staplers

2005-02-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

Formally Company of the Merchants of the Staple company of English merchants who controlled the export of English wool from the late 13th century through the 16th century. English wool exports were concentrated in one town (called the staple) in order to minimize the problems of collecting the export duties. The location of the staple varied, but in the 14th century it was fixed at Calais, then held by England. The crown

Melanchthon, Philipp

2005-02-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

Melanchthon was present when the protest, from which the term Protestant originated, was lodged in the name of freedom of conscience against the Roman Catholic majority at the Second Diet of Speyer (1529). At the Diet of Augsburg (1530) Melanchthon was the leading representative of the Reformation, and it was he who prepared the Augsburg Confession, which influenced every subsequent

Chattahoochee River

2005-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

River having its source in several headstreams in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northeastern Georgia, U.S. It flows southwestward across northern Georgia to West Point, south of which its course marks the Georgia-Alabama and Georgia-Florida boundaries until it joins the Flint River at Chattahoochee, Fla., after a course of about 436 miles (702 km), where it forms the Apalachicola

Hugh Town

2005-02-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

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.

Ramadier, Paul

2005-02-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

After receiving his doctorate in law from the University of Paris, Ramadier became an advocate at the Paris Court of Appeals. He became mayor of Decazeville in 1919 and represented Villefranche-de-Rouergue in the Chamber of Deputies from 1928 to 1940. In 1936–37 Ramadier served in the public

Balaghat

2005-02-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

Town, south-central Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The town lies just east of the Wainganga River and is about 95 miles (155 km) south of Jabalpur. A major road and rail junction, Balaghat is an agricultural trade and manganese-mining centre. Sugar milling is an important industry. The town has two colleges affiliated with the University of Saugar. Balaghat was formerly called

Butler, Benjamin F(ranklin)

2005-02-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

A prominent attorney at Lowell, Mass., Butler served two terms in the state legislature (1853, 1859), where he distinguished himself by vigorously supporting the cause of labour and of naturalized citizens. Though he

Tsvetayeva, Marina Ivanovna

2005-02-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

Tsvetayeva spent her youth predominantly in Moscow, where her father

Cabrera, Lydia

2005-02-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

The daughter of Cuban historian Raimundo Cabrera, Lydia Cabrera was told African folk legends by her nanny and the household servants during her childhood.

Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos

2005-02-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

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

Smith College

2005-02-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

Liberal arts college for women in Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S. One of the Seven Sisters schools, it is among the largest privately endowed colleges for women in the United States. Bachelor's degrees are granted in 29 departmental and 8 interdepartmental programs, and undergraduates are urged to study in seven fields of knowledge: literature, historical studies,

China, Expulsion of Communists from the KMT

2005-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

The climax of the conflict came after Nationalist armies had taken Shanghai and Nanking in March. Nanking was captured on March 23, and the following morning Nationalist troops looted foreign properties, attacked the British, U.S., and Japanese consulates, and killed seven foreigners. In Shanghai a general strike led by Communists aroused fears that Chinese might

Levallois-perret

2005-02-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

City, Hauts-de-Seine département, Paris région, France. The city is a northwestern industrial and residential suburb of Paris and is located on the right bank of the Seine River, 4 miles (6.5 km) northwest of Notre Dame cathedral. With an area of less than 1 square mile (2.5 square km), it is connected to Paris by subway and has important automobile-manufacturing plants. Most of the garages

Koganei

2005-02-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

City, Tokyo to (metropolis), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the Chuo Main Line railway, west of Tokyo city. During the mid-Tokugawa period (1603–1867) several settlements were established in the area. The opening of the Musashi-Koganei Line railway station in 1926 prompted increased construction of housing and educational facilities. After World War II the population increased rapidly, and

Hinsley, Arthur

2005-02-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

Educated at the English College, Rome, where he was ordained in 1893, Hinsley subsequently held various academic posts in England, at Ushaw College, Durham (1893–97), and at St. Bede's

Macaroni

2005-02-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

Small tubular form of pasta (q.v.).

Franca

2005-02-08T23:58:00.000-08:00

City, in the highlands of northeastern São Paulo estado (“state”), Brazil. It lies at 3,314 feet (1,010 m) above sea level. Known variously as Vila Franca del Rei and Vila Franca do Imperador, it was given town status in 1824 and was made the seat of a municipality in 1856. The city has one of the largest sugar refineries in Brazil; coffee, rice, corn (maize), cotton, and feijão (beans) are also grown locally.

Trieste

2005-02-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

Bathyscaphe (q.v.) launched by Auguste Piccard in 1953.

Rime Suffisante

2005-02-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Plural rimes suffisantes in French and English prosody, end rhyme produced by agreement in sound of an accented final vowel and following final consonant or consonants, if any. Examples of rimes suffisantes in English include the rhymes ship/dip and flee/see. It is distinguished from rime riche.

Biblical Literature, Prayer of Manasseh

2005-02-06T03:16:00.000-08:00

In some manuscripts of the Septuagint and in two later Christian writings, a pseudepigraphic Prayer of Manasseh is contained. This prayer was composed with reference to II Chron. 33:11–18, according to which the wicked Judaean king Manasseh repented and prayed. In the present form the prayer is Greek in origin, but it may have existed in a Hebrew version, of which the Greek is

Johannes Von Tepl

2005-02-05T00:39:00.000-08:00

After taking a degree at Prague University, he was appointed, probably before 1378, a notary in Saaz (Zatec), and he became headmaster of the grammar school there in 1383. In

Taeuber, Conrad; And Barnes Taeuber, Irene

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

Conrad Taeuber was educated at the University of Minnesota (Ph.D., 1931). He held a number of positions in

Scorpius

2005-02-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

In astrology,

Baikonur

2005-02-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Baykonur, Baykonyr, or Bajkonur, also called Tyuratam, or Turatam, former Soviet and current Russian space centre in south-central Kazakstan. Baikonur was a Soviet code name for the centre, but American analysts often called it Tyuratam, after the railroad station at Tyuratam (Leninsk), the nearest large city. Baikonur lies on the north bank of the Syr Darya, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Qyzylorda. The Soviet Union's secretiveness about

Xenon

2005-01-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

(Xe), chemical element, heavy and extremely rare gas of Group 0 (noble gases) of the periodic table. It was the first noble gas found to form true chemical compounds. More than 4 1/2 times heavier than air, xenon is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. Solid xenon belongs to the face-centred cubic crystal system, which implies that its molecules, which consist of single atoms, behave

Argenson, René-louis De Voyer De Paulmy, Marquis D'

2005-01-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

French minister of foreign affairs under King Louis XV from 1744 to 1747. The son of a lawyer, he received legal training and, from 1720 to 1724, served as intendant (royal agent) in Hainaut. As patron of the Club de l'Entresol in Paris, he discussed the political concepts of the Enlightenment with Voltaire and other philosophes. In November 1744, several months after France

China, Vietnam

2005-01-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

In 1802 a new dynasty was founded in Vietnam (Dai Viet) by Nguyen Phuc Anh, a member of the royal family of Nguyen at Hue, who had expelled the short-lived Tay Son regime and had unified the country. The Ch'ing, under the Chia-ch'ing emperor, recognized the new dynasty as a fait accompli, but a controversy arose as to a name for the new country. Nguyen Phuc Anh demanded the name Nam Viet,

Quiché Language

2005-01-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

An American Indian language of the Mayan family, spoken in the western highlands of Guatemala. It is most closely related to the Cakchiquel, Tzutujil, Sacapultee, and Sipacapa languages of central Guatemala and more distantly related to Uspantec, Pocomam, Pocomchí, Kekchí, and other languages of the Eastern Mayan group (see Maya languages). The name Achí is sometimes

Adaptation

2005-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

In biology, process by which an animal or plant becomes fitted to its environment; it is the result of natural selection acting upon heritable variation. Even the simpler organisms must be adapted in a great variety of ways: in their structure, physiology, and genetics; in their locomotion or dispersal; in their means of defense and attack; in their reproduction and

Shahi Family

2005-01-27T06:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Shahiya, dynasty of some 60 rulers who governed the Kabul valley (in Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara from the decline of the Kushan empire in the 3rd century AD. The word Shahi, the title of the rulers, is related to the old Kushan form shao, or “king.” The dynasty probably descended from the Kushans, or Turks (Tarushkas). Nothing is recorded of the history of the long line until the last

Italian Socialist Party

2005-01-25T00:20:00.000-08:00

The original basis of the party lay among trade unions, socialist circles, and cooperative

Entente Cordiale

2005-01-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

(April 8, 1904), Anglo-French agreement that, by settling a number of controversial matters, ended antagonisms between Great Britain and France and paved the way for their diplomatic cooperation against German pressures in the decade preceding World War I (1914–18). The agreement in no sense created an alliance and did not entangle Great Britain with a French commitment to Russia

Celestite

2005-01-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Mineral that is a naturally occurring form of strontium sulfate (SrSO4). It resembles barite, barium sulfate, but is much less common. Barium is interchangeable with strontium in the crystal structure; there is a gradation between celestite and barite. Celestite occurs in sedimentary rocks, particularly dolomites and dolomitic limestones, throughout the world

Sibyl

2005-01-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

The daughter of Amalric I, Sibyl succeeded to the throne upon the death of her brother, Baldwin IV (1185). Baldwin had intended for the throne to pass directly to Sibyl's son Baldwin V, but Sibyl and her husband, Guy de Lusignan, conspired to seize the throne for themselves, embroiling the kingdom in a disastrous war with Saladin.

Laima

2005-01-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

Also called Laima-dalia (from Lithuanian laime, “happiness,” “luck”), in Baltic religion, the goddess of fate, generally associated with the linden tree. Together with Dievs, the sky, and Saule, the sun, Laima determines the length and fortune of human life. In the course of each life she helps arrange marriages, oversees weddings, protects pregnant women, and appears at childbirth to pronounce each

Shensi, Administration and social conditions

2005-01-20T00:57:00.000-08:00

The province has three prefecture-level municipalities (shih) directly subordinated to the provincial government. One of these municipalities includes the provincial capital, Sian. The rest of the province is organized into seven prefectures (ti-ch'ü); the northern plateau area is divided between the Yü-lin Prefecture in the far north and the Yen-an Prefecture farther

Arizona, Cultural life

2005-01-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

Although traditionally a centre for Indian folk arts and crafts, Arizona has had no circles of painters and writers comparable to those of neighbouring New Mexico. Interest in painting, crafts, drama, music, and publishing, however, has increased with population growth. Architecture and the graphic arts have been particularly influenced by Southwestern regional

Pachomius, Saint

2005-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Of Egyptian origin, Pachomius encountered Coptic, or Egyptian, Christianity among his cohorts in the Roman emperor Constantine's North African army and, on leaving the military about 314, withdrew alone into

China, Administration of the state

2005-01-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

The T'ang unification had been far more prolonged and bloody than the Sui conquest. That the T'ang regime lasted for nearly three centuries rather than three decades, as with the Sui, was largely the result of the system of government imposed on the conquered territories. The emperor Kao-tsu's role in the T'ang conquest was understated in the traditional histories compiled

Pidyon Ha-ben

2005-01-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

Plural Pidyon Ha-bonin, or Pidyon Ha-bens, Jewish ceremony in which the father redeems his wife's firstborn son by offering to a cohen (a male Jew descended from the first priest, Aaron) the equivalent of five silver shekels (ancient coins). The ceremony, which normally takes place 30 days after the child's birth, dates from Old Testament times, when the firstborn sons of the Israelites were spared from death on the

Melchizedek

2005-01-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Melchisedech, in the Old Testament, a figure of importance in biblical tradition because he was both king and priest, was connected with Jerusalem, and was revered by Abraham, who paid a tithe to him. He appears as a person only in an interpolated vignette (Gen. 14:18–20) of the story of Abraham rescuing his kidnapped nephew, Lot, by defeating a coalition of Mesopotamian kings under

Janissary

2005-01-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Janizary, Turkish Yeniçeri (New Soldier, or Troop), member of an elite corps in the standing army of the Ottoman Empire from the late 14th century to 1826. Highly respected for their military prowess in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Janissaries became a powerful political force within the Ottoman state. The Janissary corps was originally staffed by Christian

Allspice

2005-01-12T01:08:00.000-08:00

Tropical evergreen tree (Pimenta diocia, formerly P. officinalis) of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native to the West Indies and Central America and valued for its berries, the source of a highly aromatic spice. Allspice was so named because the flavour of the dried berry resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is widely used in baking

Gauss Elimination

2005-01-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

In linear and multilinear algebra, a process for finding the solutions of a system of simultaneous linear equations by first solving one of the equations for the first variable (in terms of all the others) and then substituting this expression into the remaining equations. The result is a new system in which the number of equations and variables is one less than in

Metallgesellschaft Ag

2005-01-10T01:24:00.000-08:00

Established in 1881 by Wilhelm Merton (1848–1916), the company originally confined its activities

Ellwangen

2005-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

City, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southern Germany, on the Jagst River, north of Aalen. It originated around a Benedictine abbey, founded in 764 and transformed into a college of secular canons in 1460. Chartered in 1229, the town passed to Württemberg in 1802. Its castle, seat of the prince-abbots and priors, existed in 1266 and was rebuilt in Renaissance style about 1608. The Romanesque Collegiate

Lomas De Zamora

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

Cabecera (county seat) and partido (county) of Gran (Greater) Buenos Aires, Arg. It lies immediately south of the city of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires provincia. The name and origin of the partido and cabecera date from the late 16th century, when Juan de Zamora, one of the founders of Buenos Aires, was granted a large landholding on the lomas (“slopes”) in the vicinity. In 1861 the partido

Dye-transfer Process

2005-01-05T23:11:00.000-08:00

In photography, technique for preparing coloured photographic prints in which the colours of the subject are resolved by optical filters into three components, each of which is recorded on a separate gelatin negative. The three negatives are converted into relief positives in which the depth of the gelatin is related to the intensity of the colour component;

Novecento Movement

2005-01-03T04:31:00.000-08:00

Group of Italian artists, formed in 1922 in Milan, that advocated a return to the great Italian representational art of the past. The nationalism of the Novecento (20th-century) movement led to a commitment to fascism. Members included the sculptors Marino Marini and Arturo Martini and the painters Ottone Rosai, Massimo Campigli, Carlo Carrà, Mario Sironi, and Felice

Grayling

2005-01-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

(Thymallus), any of several troutlike game fishes, family Salmonidae, found in cold, clear streams of Eurasia and northern North America. Graylings are handsome, silvery-purple fishes, which reach a length of about 40 cm (16 inches). They have rather large scales, large eyes, a small mouth with feeble teeth, and a saillike, brightly coloured dorsal fin, with 20 to 24 rays. They feed primarily

Anderson, Poul William

2004-12-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

American science-fiction writer (b. Nov. 25, 1926, Bristol, Pa.—d. July 31, 2001, Orinda, Calif.), was the prolific author of more than 100 books of science fiction and fantasy. Over a period of about half a century, he tapped his knowledge of both science and Scandinavian folklore and mythology to create powerfully imaginative depictions of the future, writing in such varied styles as farce, adventure

Ursins, Marie-anne De La Trémoille, Princesse Des

2004-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ursins moved to Italy with her first husband, and after his death she married an Italian duke, who died in 1698. She remained in Rome until 1701, where her salon became a centre of French

Hip Roof

2004-12-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Also called hipped roof roof that slopes upward from all sides of a structure, having no vertical ends. The hip is the external angle at which adjacent sloping sides of a roof meet. The degree of such an angle is referred to as the hip bevel. The triangular sloping surface formed by hips that meet at a roof's ridge is called a hip end. A pyramidal hipped roof, also known as a pavilion roof, is hipped

Powhatan War

2004-12-25T22:33:00.000-08:00

(1622–44), relentless struggle between the Powhatan Indian confederacy and early English settlers in the tidewater section of Virginia and southern Maryland. The conflict resulted in the destruction of the Indian power. English colonists who had settled in Jamestown (1607) were at first strongly motivated by their need of native corn (maize) to keep peace with the Powhatans

Franceville

2004-12-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

Franceville is now an active trading centre in a mining region. The exploitation of manganese at Mouanda and uranium at Mounana, both to the northwest,

Accentor

2004-12-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

Accentors breed chiefly in mountains but winter at lower elevations. A widespread lowland species is

Averno, Lake Of

2004-12-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

Italian Lago D'averno, Latin Lacus Avernus, crater lake in Napoli province, Campania region, southern Italy, in the Campi Flegrei volcanic region, west of Naples. It is 7 ft (2 m) above sea level, 118 ft deep, and nearly 2 mi (more than 3 km) in circumference, with no natural outlet. Its Greek name, Aornos, was interpreted as meaning “without birds,” giving rise to the legend that no bird could fly across it and live because of its poisonous

Medina, Bartolomé De

2004-12-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

Medina developed the patio process, an intricate amalgamation process utilizing mercury, while mining in Pachuca, Mex., in 1557. The process proved especially useful in America, where fuel and waterpower were scarce. It was introduced into

Interlingua

2004-12-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Latino Sine Flexione, simplified form of Latin intended for use as an international second language. Interlingua was originally developed in 1903 by the Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano, but lack of clarity as to what parts of Latin were to be retained and what were to be discarded led to numerous “dialects” of Interlingua, confusion, and its dying out among enthusiasts. In the late 1940s and

Metamorphic Rock, Pyroxene-hornfels facies

2004-12-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

Rocks of the pyroxene-hornfels facies are characteristically formed near larger granitic or gabbroic bodies at depths of a few kilometres or at pressures of a few hundred bars. The mineral assemblages are again largely anhydrous, but, unlike the sanidinite facies, the minerals reflect distinctly lower temperatures. One of the classic descriptions of such rocks

Wahhabi

2004-12-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

The political fortunes of the Wahhabi were immediately allied to those of the Sa'udi dynasty. By the end of the 18th century, they had brought all of Najd under their control, attacked Karbala', Iraq, a holy city of the Shi'ite branch

Leonard, Sugar Ray

2004-12-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

By his mid-teens Leonard proved adept at boxing, and, as an amateur, he won 145 of 150 bouts and garnered two National Golden Glove

Anderson, Leroy

2004-12-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

The son of Swedish immigrants, Anderson studied composition under Walter Piston and Georges Enesco at Harvard University (B.A., 1929; M.A., 1930), where

Abedi Ayew Pelé

2004-12-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Having been given the nickname "Pelé" in recognition of his superior

Germany

2004-12-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

On a visit to Bonn in early January, UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali appealed for Germany to find a way around its constitutional restrictions and play a full part in international security missions. German medical troops were already involved in a UN humanitarian mission in Cambodia, and the German air force was taking part in mercy flights to Sarajevo,

Bregenzerwald

2004-11-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

English Bregenz Forest forested mountain range in Bundesland (federal province) Vorarlberg, western Austria. The range, part of the Allgäuer Alps, is drained by the Bregenzer Ache (stream) and has been partly deforested. Its hilly Vorderwald (foothill area toward Bregenz) supports pasture and dairy farming, while winter-sports centres and climatic health resorts in its Hinterwald (mountainous

Arts, Islamic, Decline of the Arabic language

2004-11-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ibn Khaldun, who had served in his youth as ambassador to Pedro I the Cruel, of Castile, and in his old age as emissary to Timur, died in Cairo. After the fall of Baghdad in 1258, this city had become the centre of Muslim learning. Historians there recorded every detail of the daily life and the policies of the Mamluk sultans; theologians and philologists worked under the patronage

San José De Las Lajas

2004-11-26T03:59:00.000-08:00

City, north-central La Habana provincia, west-central Cuba. It is known primarily as a commercial and manufacturing centre for the surrounding agricultural and pastoral lands, which feature dairying and sugarcane growing, but thermal springs have made it a health resort as well. A rail junction, it is also accessible by highway from Havana, which lies 20 miles (32 km) to the

Tswana

2004-11-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

The Tswana live in a grassland environment where they practice animal

Skeleton

2004-11-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

The supportive framework of an animal body. The skeleton of invertebrates, which may be either external or internal, is composed of a variety of hard nonbony substances. The more complex skeletal system of vertebrates is internal and is composed of several different types of tissues that are known collectively as connective tissues. This designation includes

Indian Ocean, Ocean basins

2004-11-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

Ocean basins are characterized by smooth, flat plains of thick sediment with abyssal hills (i.e., less than 3,300 feet high) at the bottom flanks of the oceanic ridges. The Indian Ocean's complex ridge topography led to the formation of many basins that range in width from 200 to 5,600 miles. From roughly north to south they include the Arabian, Somali, Mascarene, Madagascar, Mozambique,

Kuba Carpet

2004-11-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Any of several types of antique floor coverings of the Caucasus, many of which are of considerable length, but narrow. Rather than the town of Kuba (now Quba, Azerbaijan), which was founded about 1750 in Dagestan, the original source was probably the districts of Karabakh and Shirvan in Southern Caucasia, where rug workshops were operated under the sponsorship of the Iranian

Ryder, Albert Pinkham

2004-11-10T01:26:00.000-08:00

About 1870 Ryder settled permanently in New York City, where he briefly studied painting. His formal training, however, did little to affect his early work, consisting largely of naive and idyllic landscapes. He made several short trips

Acre River

2004-11-08T17:43:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Acre, river, chiefly in western Brazil, rising on the Peruvian border, along which it continues eastward to form part of the Brazil–Bolivia border. Turning north at Brasiléia, the remainder of its 400-mi (645-km) course flows in a north-northeasterly direction, through the Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas, to join the Rio Purus, a tributary of the Amazon, at Bôca do Acre. It was formerly

Abrahams, Harold

2004-11-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

Abrahams was born into an athletic family; his older brother Sidney represented Great Britain in the Olympics in 1912. Abrahams participated in the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp but did not win a gold medal. Competing for Cambridge University from 1920 to 1924, he won a series

Kyogen

2004-11-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

Brief farce or comic interlude played during a Japanese No (lyric drama) cycle, expressed in the vernacular of the second half of the 16th century. Its effect is to relieve the tension of the drama. It is performed in ordinary dress and without masks (unless these are used in parody). There are normally four kyogen interspersed among the usual five No pieces.

Peninsular

2004-11-03T03:29:00.000-08:00

Spanish peninsular , plural peninsulares , also called gachupín , or chapetón any of the colonial residents of Latin America from the 16th through the early 19th century who had been born in Spain. The name refers to the Iberian Peninsula. Among the American-born in Mexico the peninsulars were contemptuously called gachupines (“those with spurs”) and in South America, chapetones (“tenderfeet”). They enjoyed the special favour of the Spanish crown and

Art, African, Ekoi

2004-10-31T01:46:00.000-08:00

The Ekoi peoples (Anyang, Boki, Ejagham, Keaka, and Yako) are best known for their large, skin-covered masks, which have two or even three faces, and for their smaller headpieces, which represent a head or an entire figure. The headpieces and masks have metal teeth, inlaid eyes, and frequently pegs to represent hair, which, alternatively, may be carved in elaborate coils. They

Welland Canal

2004-10-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

Waterway in southern Ontario, Can., that provides navigation for large vessels between Lake Erie to the south and Lake Ontario to the north and forms an important link in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The canal was necessary because the Niagara River, the natural connection between Lakes Erie and Ontario, has impassable falls and rapids. The modern Welland Canal extends

Caucasian Languages, The Lezgian languages

2004-10-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

This language group includes Lezgi (with 240,000 speakers in Dagestan and about 170,000 in Azerbaijan); Tabasaran (about 90,000); Agul (about 12,000); Rutul (about 15,000); Tsakhur (about 11,000); Archi (fewer than 1,000); Kryz (about 6,000); Budukh (about 2,000); Khinalug (about 1,500); and Udi (about 3,700). The majority of Lezgi languages are spoken in southern Dagestan, but some of them (Kryz, Budukh, Khinalug, Udi) are spoken chiefly in Azerbaijan; and one village

Omagh

2004-10-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Irish An Ómaigh town and seat of Omagh district, Northern Ireland. Situated on the River Strule, Omagh is a market, shopping, and light-manufacturing centre for the district. Traditional crafts (such as table linens and crochet lace) continue to be produced in the town. Tourism is important, and Omagh's numerous festivals and events attract many visitors; the town's West Tyrone Feis annually

Akkadian Language

2004-10-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

Akkadian spread across an area extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf during the time of Sargon (Akkadian Sharrum-kin) of the Akkad dynasty, who reigned from about 2334 to about 2279 BC. By about 2000 Akkadian had supplanted Sumerian as the spoken language

Pereskia

2004-10-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

P. pititache, the native Mexican

Black Forest

2004-10-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

German Schwarzwald, mountain region, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany, source of the Danube and Neckar rivers. It occupies an area of 2,320 sq mi (6,009 sq km) and extends toward the northeast for about 100 mi (160 km) from Säckingen on the Upper Rhine River (at the Swiss border) to Durlach (east of Karlsruhe). Its width varies from 10 to 25 mi. Structurally and topographically it forms the counterpart

Ryan, T. Claude

2004-10-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ryan learned to fly in 1917, trained with the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1919 at Marsh Field, California, and served with the U.S. Aerial Forest Patrol until 1922. Ryan established a flight school and a business

Béziers

2004-10-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

City, Hérault département, Languedoc-Roussillon région, southern France, 9 miles (14 km) from the Mediterranean Sea, on a hilly site overlooking the Orb River where it is intersected by the Canal of the Midi, southwest of Montpellier. There are remains of an arena from the Roman colony Beterrae. In the 12th century it was a stronghold of the viscounts of Carcassonne. In 1209 Simon

Philaret

2004-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Upon his graduation from the Trinity Monastery, near Moscow, in 1803, Philaret was appointed as a teacher there and,

Mckean

2004-10-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

The county was formed in