GreatBrush

Pacific Mountain System, Physiography

2005-04-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

The arrangement of the ranges in the system can be visualized as being in the shape of an extremely elongated H with a closed base. From north to south the west side of the H is made up of the ranges of the Queen Charlotte Islands and Vancouver Island, the Olympic Mountains, and the Washington, Oregon, and California Coast Ranges. From north to south the east side of the H

Confessing Church

2005-04-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

German Bekennende Kirche, movement for revival within the German Protestant churches that developed during the 1930s from their resistance to Adolf Hitler's attempt to make the churches an instrument of National Socialist (Nazi) propaganda and politics. The German Protestant tradition of close cooperation between church and state, as well as dislike for the Weimar Republic that governed

Metabolism, The nature of the respiratory chain

2005-04-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

The carriers are NAD+ and, less frequently, NADP+; the flavoproteins FAD and FMN (flavin mononucleotide);

Johansson, Ingemar

2005-04-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

As an amateur boxer Johansson was a member of the European Golden Gloves team in 1951 and the Swedish Olympic Games team in 1952. He won the European

Narcissus

2005-04-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Any member of a genus (Narcissus) of bulbous, often fragrant, ornamental plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The genus contains about 40 species, native primarily to Europe. Daffodil, or narcissus (N. pseudonarcissus), jonquil (N. jonquilla), and poet's narcissus (N. poeticus) are popular garden flowers. The central crown of each yellow, white, or pink flower ranges in shape from

Korsakoff Syndrome

2005-04-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Korsakoff psychosis , or Korsakoff disease neurological disorder characterized by severe amnesia (memory loss). Many cases result from severe chronic alcoholism, while others are due to a variety of brain disorders, severe head injury, or a thiamine deficiency. Patients with Korsakoff syndrome typically are unable to remember events in the recent or even the immediate past, and some can store information

Radetzky, Joseph, Count (graf)

2005-04-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

Radetzky joined the Austrian army in 1784 and served in the Turkish War of 1787–92 and in the Low Countries in the first years of the French Revolutionary Wars. His courage and enterprise were conspicuous

Iligan

2005-03-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

City, northern Mindanao, Philippines. On the southeastern shore of Iligan Bay, it is the island's major industrial city and an important port at the mouth of the Iligan River. Its growth has stemmed largely from the proximity of the Agus River, with its great hydropower potential harnessed at Maria Cristina Falls. Industries include steel, calcium-carbide, and ferroalloy

Tiger Moth

2005-03-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

The fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) is a serious pest. These

Perception

2005-03-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

In humans, the process whereby sensory stimulation is translated into organized experience. That experience, or percept, is the joint product of the stimulation and of the process itself. Relations found between various types of stimulation (e.g., light waves and sound waves) and their associated percepts suggest inferences that can be made about the properties

Toponymy

2005-03-29T01:03:00.000-08:00

Taxonomic study of place-names, based on etymological, historical, and geographical information. A place-name is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. A habitation name denotes a locality that is peopled

Hippo

2005-03-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hippo, later called Hippo Regius, located near the modern town of Annaba (formerly Bône) in Algeria, was probably first settled by Carthaginians in the 4th century BC. It later became the home of Numidian rulers. Under Roman control it was first made a municipium (a community that exercised partial rights of Roman citizenship)

Mercury Poisoning

2005-03-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

Harmful effects of various mercury compounds on body tissues and functions. Certain modern industrial and biological processes concentrate mercury compounds to dangerous levels. Mercury is used on a substantial scale in numerous industries, such as the manufacture of chemicals, paints and various household items, pesticides, and fungicides. In addition to

Soga Iruka

2005-03-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

In 587, after defeating the rival Mononobe clan, the Soga family completely dominated the imperial court. Soga Umako, Iruka's grandfather, was content to remain in the background

Wa-fang-tien

2005-03-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

Formerly Fu-hsien, Pinyin Wafangdian, or Fu Xian, city in Liaoning sheng (province), China. The city is situated in the centre of the Liaotung Peninsula and is an important market centre for the agriculture and fruit industry of the area, which specializes in growing apples, pears, and grapes. It has developed industries producing various industrial chemicals as well as fertilizers and insecticides. It also has a

Spanish Literature, The novel

2005-03-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

In Ramón Pérez de Ayala, the novel was at once a polished art form and a forum for philosophical discussion. Belarmino y Apolonio (1921; Belarmino and Apolonio), a projection of the old debate between faith and reason, made its characters almost symbolic, as did Tigre Juan (1926; Tiger Juan), on the traditional theme of honour. Gabriel Miró's perfect descriptive prose retarded the

Ascot

2005-03-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

Locality, Windsor and Maidenhead unitary authority, geographic and historic county of Berkshire, England, known for its racecourse on Ascot Heath. The Royal Ascot meeting (initiated in 1711 by Queen Anne) lasts four days each June and is traditionally attended by the British sovereign. A major social and fashion event, it has lent its name to the ascot, a type of broad neck

France, History Of, Domestic policy and reform efforts

2005-03-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

As stated above, in the context of 17th-century absolutism, Louis XIV had already initiated many rationalizing reforms. The crown had worked selectively to replace corporatist, traditionalist institutions with meritocratic associations. In 1648, for example, Cardinal Mazarin had already sponsored a Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (because it lent itself better

Wichita

2005-03-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Sedgwick County, south central Kansas, U.S., on the Arkansas River near the mouth of the Little Arkansas. Founded in 1864 as a trading post on the site of a village of the Wichita Indians, it owed its early development to the Texas cattle trade along the Chisholm Trail and to the rapid spread of agricultural settlement along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway,

Foyer

2005-03-24T01:13:00.000-08:00

Intermediate area between the exterior and interior of a building, especially a theatre. Originally the term was applied only to that area in French theatres, comparable to the greenroom in English theatres, where actors relaxed when they were offstage. Because actors were accustomed to visits by friends during and after performances, such areas came to be large

Nagarjuna

2005-03-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

Indian Buddhist monk-philosopher and founder of the Madhyamika (“Middle Path”) school whose clarification of the concept of sunyata (“emptiness”) is regarded as an intellectual and spiritual achievement of the highest order. He is recognized as a patriarch by several later Buddhist schools. The two basic works that are substantially his and that have remained available

Arts, Central Asian, Shamanic ritual

2005-03-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Teachings that spirits are responsible for unexplainable phenomena, such as disease and death, and that these spirits can be controlled by an individual with special powers, such as a shaman, evolved in many primitive societies throughout the world, including those of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia. The roles of the shaman include oracle, healer, sacrificer,

Interlaken

2005-03-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

Town, Bern canton, central Switzerland. It lies along the Aare River, in the Bernese Highland. Its name is derived from its position on the flat plain (Bödeli), 1,864 feet (568 m) above sea level, between Lakes (inter lacus) Brienz to the east and Thun to the west. The town grew up around a convent of Augustinian canons (1130–1528). It is one of Switzerland's oldest and most frequented summer tourist

Francis I

2005-03-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Duke of Brittany (from 1442), son of John V (or VI). He had his brother Gilles thrown into prison and put to death for allegedly spying for the English, with whom he warred (1449–50). The king of France intervened and expelled the English from Normandy.

Rurik Dynasty

2005-03-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Rurik's successor Oleg (d. 912) conquered Kiev (c. 882) and established control of the trade route extending from

Danieli, Cecilia

2005-03-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Italian industrialist who, as managing director of the Danieli Group, a company founded by her grandfather, revolutionized steelmaking throughout the world when she developed small, flexible steel mills, or minimills, that could produce high-quality steel more cheaply and efficiently than traditional mills could (b. 1943, Udine, Italy—d. June 17, 1999, Aviano, Italy).

Maundy Thursday

2005-03-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Also called Holy Thursday the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ's institution of the Eucharist. The name is taken from an anthem sung in Roman Catholic churches on that day: “Mandatum novum do vobis” (“a new commandment I give to you”; John 13:34). In the early Christian church the day was celebrated with a general communion of clergy and people. At a special mass the bishop

Welfare State

2005-03-18T02:09:00.000-08:00

Concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover

Arts, Central Asian

2005-03-18T00:32:00.000-08:00

Music in Central Asia flowered along centuries-old caravan routes linking the Middle East with China and India via what is often referred to as Turkistan, the vast region extending from the Caspian Sea to Sinkiang province in China. Musical instruments diffused from one region to another, and many of the musical styles still display foreign influence. The variety

Glaucoma

2005-03-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

Disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous humour, a watery fluid produced by the ciliary body. (The ciliary body is a ring of tissue directly behind the outer rim of the iris; besides being the source of aqueous humour, it contains the muscle that flattens the curvature of the lens for far vision.) The normal flow

Cloud Chamber

2005-03-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

Radiation detector, originally developed between 1896 and 1912 by the Scottish physicist C.T.R. Wilson, that has as the detecting medium a supersaturated vapour that condenses to tiny liquid droplets around ions produced by the passage of energetic charged particles, such as alpha particles, beta particles, or protons. In a Wilson cloud chamber, supersaturation is caused

Maudslay, Henry

2005-03-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

The son of a workman at the Woolwich Arsenal, Maudslay was apprenticed to Joseph Bramah, who manufactured locks. Maudslay soon became Bramah's foreman, but, when refused an increase in pay, he left to go into business for himself. His first job was construction of machinery

Lustenau

2005-03-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

Town, Vorarlberg Bundesland (federal state), western Austria, on the Rhine River, just west of Dornbirn. First mentioned in 887, it later became an imperial free city (until 1803) and passed to Austria in 1814. A customs station on the Swiss border, Lustenau has a well-known embroidery industry and manufactures textiles and metal products. Pop. (1991) 18,579.

Ptolemy Xii Auletes

2005-03-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

Following the sudden, violent deaths of the last two fully legitimate members of the Ptolemaic family in Egypt, the people of Alexandria in 80 invited Ptolemy

Rackets

2005-03-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Racquets, game played with a ball and a strung racket in an enclosed court, all four walls of which are used in play. Rackets is played with a hard ball in a relatively large court, usually about 18 m (60 ft) long by 9 m wide—unlike the related game of squash rackets (q.v.), which is played with a soft ball on a smaller court.

Saccopastore Skulls

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

The strong development of the brow ridges (responsible for the so-called beetle-browed look) and the low, flat crown, large jaw, and

Patristic Literature, The schools of Edessa and Nisibis

2005-03-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

Parallel with its richer and better-known Greek and Latin counterparts, an independent Syriac Christian literature flourished inside, and later outside (in Persia), the frontiers of the Roman Empire from the early 4th century onward. Aphraates, an ascetic cleric under whose name 23 treatises written between 336 and 345 have survived, is considered the first Syriac Father.

Spitz, Mark

2005-03-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

Like many other outstanding American swimmers, Spitz trained for several years at the Santa Clara (California) Swim Club. He served as captain of the intercollegiate swimming team at Indiana University, Bloomington (graduated 1972). At the 1968 Olympic

New Castle

2005-03-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1822) of Henry county, eastern Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Blue River, 50 miles (80 km) east of Indianapolis. Founded in 1819 and named by Ezekiel Leavell for his hometown in Kentucky, it was incorporated in 1839. In 1900 a decade of expansion began when automobile and piano manufacturing, as well as other industries, were started there. During this same period, the large-scale commercial

Celestius

2005-03-12T00:18:00.000-08:00

When the Goths menaced Rome about 409, the

X Ray

2005-03-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

Early experiments with X rays presented evidence that is difficult to explain unless one thinks of X rays as consisting of waves. Other experiments, however, indicated that X rays consist of particles. This dual nature is not restricted to X rays; indeed, it is a general property of all forms of energy and matter. X rays (and the other forms of electromagnetic radiation)

Stifter, Adalbert

2005-03-10T03:49:00.000-08:00

Stifter was educated at the Kremsmünster abbey school. He enrolled

Consort

2005-03-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Though the authenticity of such terms is doubtful, some researchers have suggested that there were “whole” consorts, in which all the instruments were of one family (typically, stringed or wind instruments),

Dengue

2005-03-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

The carrier incriminated

Cullinan Diamond

2005-03-09T03:08:00.000-08:00

World's largest gem diamond, which weighed about 3,106 carats in rough form when found in 1905 at the Premier mine in Transvaal, S.Af. Named for Sir Thomas Cullinan, who had discovered the mine three years earlier, the colourless stone was purchased by the Transvaal government and was presented (1907) to the reigning British monarch, King Edward VII. It was cut into 9 large stones and about

Leaf Fibre

2005-03-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hard, coarse fibre obtained from leaves of monocotyledonous plants (flowering plants that usually have parallel-veined leaves, such as grasses, lilies, orchids, and palms), used mainly for cordage. Such fibres, usually long and stiff, are also called “hard” fibres, distinguishing them from the generally softer and more flexible fibres of the bast, or “soft,” fibre group. Commercially

Pox Disease

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

Any of a complex of viral diseases in human beings and domestic animals, marked chiefly by eruptions of the skin and mucous membranes. Sheep pox and rabbit pox are spread by airborne infectious particles that are inhaled. Horse pox, fowl pox, and mouse pox usually are spread by skin contact. Cowpox (vaccinia) and pseudo-cowpox (paravaccinia), localized on the udder and

Kublai Khan

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

Kublai also spelled Khubilai , or Kubla Mongolian general and statesman, grandson of Genghis Khan. He conquered China and became the first emperor of its Yüan, or Mongol, dynasty. He was thus at one and the same time the overlord of all the Mongol dominions—which included areas as diverse as that of the Golden Horde in southern Russia, the Il-Khanate of Persia, and the steppe heartlands where Mongol princes

Ironstone China

2005-03-08T01:31:00.000-08:00

Type of stoneware introduced in England early in the 19th century by Staffordshire potters who sought to develop a porcelain substitute that could be mass-produced. The result of their experiments was a dense, hard, durable stoneware that came to be known by several names—e.g., semiporcelain, opaque porcelain, English porcelain, stone china, new stone—all of which were

France, Anatole

2005-03-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

The son of a bookseller, he spent most of his life around books. At school he received the foundations of a solid humanist culture

Amazonstone

2005-03-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Amazonite, a gemstone variety of green microcline (q.v.), a feldspar mineral. Frequently confused with jade, amazonstone varies in colour from yellow-green to blue-green and may also exhibit fine white streaks; it is usually opaque and therefore is cut en cabochon (with a rounded and convex polished surface). Although its name is derived from the Amazon River, no deposits have been

Andaman And Nicobar Islands, History

2005-03-04T23:29:00.000-08:00

Located on the trade routes from India to East Asia, the Andamans have been known from earliest times. The 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk I-ching, the Arab travelers of the 9th century, and Marco Polo are among those who mention the islands. The name Andaman most likely comes from the Malay Handuman, derived from the monkey god of Hindu mythology, Hanuman. Writings of later

Endotoxin

2005-03-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

Toxic substance bound to the bacterial cell wall and released when the bacterium ruptures or disintegrates. Endotoxins consist of lipopolysaccharide and lipoprotein complexes. The protein component determines its foreign (antigenic) nature; the polysaccharide component determines the antibody type that can react with the endotoxin molecule to produce

Alaska, Fishing, forestry, and furs

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

Alaska's most constant source of revenue is derived from fishing. Fish are found mostly in waters off the southern coasts, salmon being of especial importance. The centre of the world's salmon-packing industry is at Ketchikan, on Kodiak Island, and at Bristol Bay ports in the southern Bering Sea. Fleets also bring in quantities of herring, cod, pollack, and halibut, as well

Abandonment

2005-03-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

In Anglo-American property law, the relinquishment of possession of property with an intent to terminate all ownership interests in that property. Abandonment may occur by throwing away the property, by losing it and making no attempt to retrieve it, by vacating the property with no intention of returning to it, or by any other act manifesting a complete disclaimer

Medicine

2005-03-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

Developments in modern medical science have made it possible to detect morbid conditions before a person actually feels the effects of the condition. Examples are many: they include certain forms of cancer; high blood pressure; heart and lung disease; various familial and congenital conditions; disorders of metabolism, like diabetes; and acquired immune deficiency

Catalonia

2005-03-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Spanish Cataluña , Catalan Catalunya comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) and historic region of Spain encompassing the northeastern Spanish provincias of Gerona, Barcelona, Tarragona, and Lérida and established by the statute of autonomy of Dec. 18, 1979. The autonomous community of Catalonia, which has an area of 12,328 square miles (31,930 square km), is the richest and most highly industrialized part of Spain. The

Smith Act

2005-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Formally Alien Registration Act of 1940 U.S. federal law passed in 1940 that made it a criminal offense to advocate violent overthrow of the government or to organize or be a member of any group or society devoted to such advocacy. After World War II this statute was made the basis of a series of prosecutions against leaders of the Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party. The conviction of the principal

Ear Disease, External otitis

2005-03-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Infection of the outer-ear canal by molds or various microorganisms occurs especially in warm, humid climates and among swimmers. The ear canal itches and becomes tender; a small amount of thin, often foul-smelling material drains from it. If the canal becomes clogged by the swelling and drainage, hearing will be impaired. Careful and thorough cleaning of the outer-ear

Hull, Isaac

2005-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

Already having been master of a ship at age 19, Hull was commissioned a lieutenant aboard

Los Angeles Philharmonic

2005-02-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

The

Smith Act

2005-02-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

Originally based in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, the UDA was responsible for political murders of Roman Catholics and prominent Republicans, though it claimed responsibility for most killings

Waka

2005-02-27T05:01:00.000-08:00

The choka, “long poem,” is of indefinite length, formed of alternating lines of five and

Asano Soichiro

2005-02-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

The son of a physician, Asano chose a career in business, but his first company failed. In 1871 he became a coal merchant in Tokyo. Five years later he developed methods for utilizing coke, until then a waste by-product of gas manufacture, in cement production, and this

Anhwei, Relief

2005-02-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

The northern portion of Anhwei Province is occupied by the North China Plain—an immense level surface that has periodically been flooded by its dominant rivers. The southern section of the province, the Yangtze Valley, is separated from the northern plain by a series of mountains that stretch roughly from west to east. The Ta-pieh Mountains—an extension of the

Indre River

2005-02-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

River, west-central France, a left-bank tributary of the Loire River. Rising on the northern flanks of the Massif Central, it flows 165 miles (265 km) northwestward through Indre and Indre-et-Loire départements, joining the Loire northwest of Chinon and draining a basin of about 5,200 square miles (13,500 square km). It flows exclusively through agricultural regions, crossing La Châtre, and

Faidherbe, Louis

2005-02-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

In full Louis-léon-césar Faidherbe governor of French Senegal in 1854–61 and 1863–65 and a major founder of France's colonial empire in Africa. He founded Dakar, the future capital of French West Africa.

Computers, IBM's Personal Computer

2005-02-25T04:55:00.000-08:00

The entry of International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) did more to legitimize personal computers than any event in the industry's history. By 1980 the personal computer field was starting to interest the large computer companies. Hewlett-Packard, which had earlier turned down Stephen G. Wozniak's proposal to enter the personal computer field, was now ready to

Novi Pazar

2005-02-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Serbia, Yugoslavia. It lies in the Raška River valley, in rough and hilly country near the site of Ras, which was the capital city of the medieval Serbian state in the 12th–14th century. In the vicinity are Roman baths, and the Church of St. Peter, one of the oldest in Yugoslavia (7th or 8th century), is an interesting example of early Slav architecture. A few miles west is

Antiferromagnetism

2005-02-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

Type of magnetism in solids such as manganese oxide (MnO) in which adjacent ions that behave as tiny magnets (in this case manganese ions, Mn2+) spontaneously align themselves at relatively low temperatures into opposite, or antiparallel, arrangements throughout the material so that it exhibits almost no gross external magnetism. In antiferromagnetic materials,

Axis Powers

2005-02-23T04:28:00.000-08:00

The coalition headed by Germany, Italy, and Japan that opposed the Allied Powers in World War II. The alliance originated in a series of agreements between Germany and Italy, followed by the proclamation of an “axis” binding Rome and Berlin (Oct. 25, 1936) and then by the German-Japanese Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union (Nov. 25, 1936). The connection was strengthened by a full

Mindon

2005-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

Mindon was a brother of Pagan (reigned 1846–53), who had ruled during the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852. As soon as he became king, Mindon sued for peace and began negotiations

Bahía Blanca

2005-02-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Explorers in the 18th century named the area Bahía Blanca (“White Bay”), but the settlement that grew up around a military outpost,

House, Edward M.

2005-02-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

Independently wealthy, House turned from business to politics and between 1892 and 1904 served as an adviser to Texas governors, one of whom gave him the honorary title of colonel. Thereafter

Field, Cyrus W(est)

2005-02-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

After an early career in the paper business, Field became interested in a proposal to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable. He was one of the founders

Carlowitz, Treaty Of

2005-02-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

In the late summer of 1697, the Ottoman

Roberts, Kate

2005-02-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Roberts set her works in the quarrying districts of North Wales and in the mining villages of South Wales, where poverty is usually the harsh determinant

Amsterdam

2005-02-20T03:18:00.000-08:00

To the scores of tourists who visit each year, Amsterdam is known for its historical attractions, for its collections of great art, and for the distinctive colour and flavour of its old

O'shea, William Henry; And O'shea, Katharine

2005-02-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

William

Saracoglu, Sükrü

2005-02-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Having studied economics and political science in Geneva, Saracoglu returned to Turkey in 1918 following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I (1914–18). He joined the movement of Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk) to resist the Allied occupation

Brugnon, Jacques

2005-02-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

Brugnon won the French singles championship in 1921, but he was most famous for his supremacy in doubles. He won four Wimbledon doubles championships (1926, 1928, 1932, 1933), twice with

Biblical Literature, Jonah

2005-02-18T03:59:00.000-08:00

The Book of Jonah, containing the well-known story of Jonah in the stomach of a fish for three days, is actually a narrative about a reluctant prophet. This fifth book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets contains no oracles and is thus unique among prophetic books. In II Kings, chapter 14, verses 25–27, there is a reference to a prophet Jonah who lived during the early part of the reign of

Peter Rabbit

2005-02-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

In 1993 children of all ages celebrated the 100th birthday of the world's best-known and most beloved lagomorph. The guest of honour was not only long in the tooth, he was also long in the ears. Peter Rabbit, who began his public life in Edwardian times and retained his best-seller status in the postmodern era, proved to be a contemporary centenarian. A nontrendy vegetarian, the

Arabian Desert, Transportation

2005-02-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Travel today in the Arabian Desert is easy and rapid. Instead of the slow camel caravan, automobiles now roar across desert terrains. Jets fly overhead, and the railroad from Al-Dammam on the Persian Gulf to Riyadh covers the distance in a few hours. Paved, multilane highways cross the desert and link the chief Saudi cities, while narrower roads connect almost all towns

Cambrai, Treaty Of

2005-02-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

Also called Paix Des Dames (French: “Peace of the Ladies”; Aug. 3, 1529), agreement ending one phase of the wars between Francis I of France and the Habsburg Holy Roman emperor Charles V; it temporarily confirmed Spanish (Habsburg) hegemony in Italy. After a series of successes, Charles had defeated the French forces at Pavia in Italy in 1525 and forced Francis to sign the punitive Treaty of Madrid. Fearful of Charles's

Biblical Literature, The prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah

2005-02-15T22:54:00.000-08:00

Second Isaiah contains the very expressive so-called Servant Songs—chapter 42, verses 1–4; chapter 49, verses 1–6; chapter 50, verses 4–9; chapter 52, verse 13; and chapter 53, verse 12. Writing from Babylon, the author begins with a message of comfort and hope and faith in Yahweh. The people are to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, which has paid “double for all her sins.” As creator and Lord of history,

Anderson, Patrick

2005-02-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford and Columbia University, Anderson settled in Montreal as a teacher and professor at McGill University

Lentulus Spinther, Publius Cornelius

2005-02-15T04:01:00.000-08:00

As curule aedile, Lentulus in 63 helped Cicero suppress Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was praetor in 60 and with Caesar's aid became governor of the province of Nearer Spain in 59. After serving as consul in 57, he governed Cilicia from 56 to 53. Despite

Mithradates I

2005-02-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

Before 160 Mithradates I seized Media from the Seleucid ruler Timarchus. Turning to the east, he won two provinces, Tapuria and Traxiana, from the Bactrian king Eucratides. Mithradates then captured the province of Elymais (ancient Elam) and invaded Babylonia (142 or 141). The Seleucid king Demetrius II

Check

2005-02-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cheque, bill of exchange drawn on a bank and payable on demand; it has become the chief form of money in the domestic commerce of developed countries. As a written order to pay money, it may be transferred from one person to another by endorsement and delivery or, in certain cases, by delivery alone. Negotiability can be qualified by appropriate words, as with restrictive endorsements,

Jackson, Shirley

2005-02-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Jackson graduated from Syracuse University in 1940 and married the American literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman. They settled in North Bennington in 1945. Life Among the Savages (1953) and Raising Demons (1957) are witty and humorous fictionalized memoirs

Ducis, Jean-françois

2005-02-12T04:06:00.000-08:00

French dramatist who made the first sustained effort to present William Shakespeare's tragedies on the French stage. Although he remodeled the tragedies to the French taste for witty, epigrammatic style and attempted to confine the plays within the “classical unities” (of time, place, and action), such critics as Voltaire still

Turkey, The southern folded zone

2005-02-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

The southern folded zone occupies the southern third of the country from the Aegean to the Gulf of Iskenderun, from which it extends to the northeast and east around the northern side of the Arabian platform. Over most of its length, the Mediterranean coastal plain is narrow, but there are two major lowland embayments. The Antalya Plain extends inland some 20 miles from

Ying-k'ou

2005-02-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Yingkou , conventional Newchwang city and port in Liaoning sheng (province), China. Ying-k'ou is situated near the mouth of the Hun River, some 11 miles (18 km) from the mouth of the Liao River. Ying-k'ou began to develop as a river port in the second quarter of the 19th century, replacing Niu-chuang and T'ien-chuang-t'ai farther upstream. At first the new port was called Mo-kou-ying (Mo-kou Encampment) after the garrison of

China, The Shih-kuo (Ten Kingdoms)

2005-02-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

From the time of the T'ang dynasty until the Ch'ing dynasty, which arose in the 17th century, China consisted of two parts: the north, militarily strong, and the south, economically and culturally wealthy. Between 907 and 960, 10 independent kingdoms emerged in China, mainly in the south: the Wu (902–937), the Nan (Southern) T'ang (937–975/976), the Nan P'ing (924/925–963), the Ch'u (927–951), the Ch'ien (Former) Shu (907–925), the Hou (Later) Shu (934–965), the Min (909–945/946), the

Mare

2005-02-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

Plural Maria, any flat, dark plain of lower elevation on the Moon. The term, which in Latin means “sea,” was erroneously applied to such a feature of the lunar surface by telescopic observers of the 17th century. In actuality, maria are huge lava flows marked by ridges, graben, rilles, and faults and are devoid of any water. There are 14 surficial areas of this type, and all of them occur on the side

Benivieni, Girolamo

2005-02-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

As a member of the Florentine Medici circle, Benivieni was well acquainted with the Renaissance

Drachma

2005-02-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

Silver coin of ancient Greece and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. Its name derives from the Greek verb “to grasp,” and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows. The early drachma had different weights in different regions. From the 5th century BC, Athens gained commercial preeminence, and the Athenian drachma became the foremost currency.

Amur River

2005-02-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Pinyin) Heilong Jiang or (Wade-Giles) Hei-lung Chiang, Mongol Kharamuren river of East Asia. It is the longest river of the Russian Far East, and it ranks behind only the Yangtze and Huang Ho (Yellow River) among China's longest rivers. Its headwaters rise in Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China in the mountains northwest and southeast of the point where their borders meet. The main river flows generally

Chianciano Terme

2005-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Town and mineral spa, Siena provincia, Toscana (Tuscany) regione, central Italy. It lies at an elevation of 1,500 feet (450 m), just southeast of Montepulciano. The mineral springs, which have been frequented since Etruscan times, are located about 1.25 miles (2 km) from the town; they are a popular tourist attraction, and there are numerous hotels for the accommodation of visitors. The town