HealthyButton

China, Health and welfare

2005-04-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Chinese government faces a mammoth task in trying to provide medical and welfare services adequate to meet the basic needs of the immense number of Chinese people whose per capita income and caloric intake are far below the world's average. The medical system, moreover, labours under the tension of whether to stress quality of care or to spread scarce medical

Hope Diamond

2005-04-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

Sapphire-blue gemstone from India, one of the largest blue diamonds known. It is thought to have been cut from a 112-carat stone brought to France by the jewel trader Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and purchased by Louis XIV in 1668 as part of the French crown jewels. This stone, later called the French Blue, was recut into a 67-carat heart in 1673 and disappeared after the crown-jewel robbery

Schechter, Solomon

2005-03-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

Schechter studied the Talmud, the authoritative rabbinical compendium of Jewish law, lore, and commentary, in Vienna, Berlin, and London. In 1890 he became lecturer in Talmudic

Furniture, Egypt

2005-03-28T02:11:00.000-08:00

Beds, stools, throne chairs, and boxes were the chief forms of furniture in ancient Egypt. Although only a few important examples of actual furniture survive, stone carvings, fresco paintings, and models made as funerary offerings present rich documentary evidence. The bed may have been the earliest form; it was constructed of wood and consisted of a simple framework

Forensic Medicine

2005-03-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

The primary tool of forensic medicine has always

Anderson, Lindsay Gordon

2005-03-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

British stage and film director (b. April 17, 1923, Bangalore, India--d. Aug. 30, 1994, near Angoulême, France), as one of the original Angry Young Men, made his distaste for conformity and England's class consciousness the constant theme of his often anarchic works. While attending Wadham College, Oxford, Anderson cofounded and coedited the film magazine Sequence, and he later wrote for such

La Follette, Robert M

2005-03-23T22:46:00.000-08:00

Biographies and analyses of La Follette and the Progressive movement include Belle Case La Follette and Fola La Follette, Robert M. La Follette, June 14, 1855–June 18, 1925, 2 vol. (1953, reissued 1971); David P. Thelen, The Early Life of Robert M. La Follette, 1855–1884 (1966), and Robert M. La Follette and the Insurgent Spirit (1976, reissued 1985); Robert S. Maxwell, La Follette and the Rise of the Progressives in Wisconsin (1956, reprinted 1973); Fred Greenbaum, Robert Marion La Follette (1975); and Patrick J. Maney, “Young Bob” La Follette (1978).

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

2005-03-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Laura Ingalls grew up in a family that moved frequently from one part of the American frontier to another. Her father took the family by covered wagon to Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Indian Territory, and Dakota Territory. At age 15 she began teaching

Vitale Da Bologna,

2005-03-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

The first official record of Vitale was in Bologna, where he painted the Odofredi Chapel in the Church of San Francesco. During this period he is credited with painting the “Last Supper” (1340; Pinacoteca, Bologna)

Hugh Of Cluny, Saint

2005-03-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hugh de Semur took monastic vows at

Avignon

2005-03-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Vaucluse département, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, southeastern France, at a point on the east bank of the Rhône River where the narrow valley opens into a broad delta plain, northwest of Nîmes. A stronghold of the Gallic tribe of Cavares that became the Roman city of Avennio, it was a much-fought-over prize, although never of primary importance until

Alba Iulia

2005-03-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

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

Floral Decoration

2005-03-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

Plant materials are customarily arranged in containers, woven into garlands, and worn or carried for personal adornment. Flower bouquets that are carried include the nosegay and corsage. In the mid-19th century, the nosegay, or posy (a small bunch of mixed flowers), was much in fashion. No well-dressed Victorian lady appeared at a social gathering without carrying one,

Nixon, Pat

2005-03-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

Richard Nixon was forced to resign as president for his involvement in the Watergate affair, and on August 9, 1974, the Nixons retired, first to California and then to New Jersey. She died of lung cancer in 1993 at her New Jersey home and was buried at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California.

International Trade, The Association of South East Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) originated in 1961 as the Association of South East Asia (ASA), which had been founded by the Philippines, Thailand, and the Federation of Malaya (now part of Malaysia). In 1967 ASEAN was established by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to accelerate economic growth and social development

John

2005-03-11T01:51:00.000-08:00

After his father's death in 1486, John ruled the lands of the Ernestine branch of the Wettin

Tecomán

2005-03-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

City, southeastern Colima estado (“state”), west-central Mexico. It is situated on the Pacific lowlands near the Armería River, at 260 feet (80 m) above sea level. Located in the state's major agricultural region, Tecomán's surrounding area yields coconuts, cotton, various tropical fruits, corn (maize), and beans. Lemon oil and cottonseed oil are the city's principal manufactures.

Ellwangen

2005-03-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

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

Nahua

2005-03-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

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

Livestock Farming

2005-03-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

Probably first domesticated in the East, perhaps during prehistoric times, the goat has long been used as a source of milk, cheese, mohair, and meat. Its skin has been valued as a source for leather. In China, Great Britain, Europe, and North America, the goat is primarily a milk producer. By good management its limited (six months per year) breeding season and the consequent

Sidqi, Isma'il

2005-03-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Sidqi earned his diploma at the Collège des Frères and won honours at the Khedivial Law school. He joined the public prosecutor's office but in 1899 became administrative secretary of the Alexandria municipal commission. In 1914 he was appointed minister of agriculture and then

Midgard

2005-03-04T03:03:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Midgardr (Old Norse: Middle Abode) , also called Manna-Heim (“Home of Man”) in Norse mythology, the Middle Earth, the abode of mankind, made from the body of the first created being, the giant Aurgelmir (Ymir). According to legend, the gods killed Aurgelmir, rolled his body into the central void of the universe, and began fashioning the Midgard. Aurgelmir's flesh became the land, his blood the oceans, his bones the mountains, his teeth the cliffs, his

Turing, Alan M.

2005-03-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

In full Alan Mathison Turing British mathematician and logician who made major contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis, logic, philosophy, and biology and to the new areas later named computer science, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and artificial life.

Arnold, Henry Harley

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

Arnold graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., (1907), and in 1911 received flying instruction from Orville Wright. He rose in the ranks of the Air Corps;

France, History Of, The Resistance

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

Vichy's decline was paralleled by the rise of the anti-German underground. Within weeks of the 1940 collapse, tiny groups of French citizens had begun to resist. Some collected military intelligence for transmission to London; some organized escape routes for British airmen who had been shot down; some circulated anti-German leaflets; some engaged in sabotage of railways

Waihi

2005-03-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

Town, Waikato local government region, northern North Island, New Zealand, on the Ohinemuri River (tributary of the Waihou). Situated at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula on the northern end of the Waihi Plains, Waihi, whose name is Maori for “rising waters,” was founded three years after gold and silver were discovered just north of the site in 1875. Gold mining continued

France, History Of, The cultural scene

2005-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Paris after World War II quickly regained its stature as one of the world's great centres of intellectual creativity. A cluster of brilliant thinkers and writers competed for influence, attracting acolytes both in France and abroad. The first postwar wave was led by Jean-Paul Sartre, whose influence made existentialism the leading ideology of the time. Sartre saw

Racemate

2005-02-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

A mixture of equal quantities of two enantiomorphs, or substances that have dissymmetric molecular structures that are mirror images of one another. Each enantiomorph rotates the plane of polarization of plane-polarized light through a characteristic angle, but, because the rotatory effect of each component exactly cancels that of the other, the racemic mixture

Schleiermacher, Friedrich (ernst Daniel)

2005-02-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

German theologian, preacher, and classical philologist, generally recognized as the founder of modern Protestant theology. His major work, Der christliche Glaube (1821–22; 2nd ed. 1831; The Christian Faith), is a systematic interpretation of Christian dogmatics.

Argyll, Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess And 8th Earl Of, Lord Campbell, Lord Lorne, Lord Of Kintyre

2005-02-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

Argyll's career is recounted in John Willcock, The Great Marquess (1903).

Biblical Literature, Apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings

2005-02-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

The importance of the discovery is very great; the scrolls of books of the Old Testament caused a new evaluation of the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible; fragments of the Apocrypha (Sirach and Tobit) and of already known and unknown Pseudepigrapha enlarge knowledge about Jewish literature of the intertestamental period, and the properly sectarian scrolls

Environmental Works, Groundwater sources

2005-02-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

The value of an aquifer as a source of groundwater is a function of the porosity of the geologic stratum, or layer, of which it is formed. Water is withdrawn from an aquifer by pumping it out of a well or infiltration gallery. An infiltration gallery typically includes several horizontal perforated pipes radiating outward from the bottom of a large-diameter vertical

Saxony

2005-02-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

German Sachsen , French Saxe any of several major territories in German history. It has been applied: (1) before AD 1180, to an extensive far-north German region including Holstein but lying mainly west and southwest of the estuary and lower course of the Elbe River; (2) between 1180 and 1423, to two much smaller and widely separated areas, one on the right (east) bank of the lower Elbe southeast of Holstein, the other on the

Progeria

2005-02-20T23:52:00.000-08:00

Human disorder with many characteristics of premature aging. Affected persons have parchment-like skin, become bald or gray-haired early in life, and tend to develop diseases related to aging decades before they occur in normal individuals. Initially, progeria was studied as a model of normal aging, but because not all organs are affected, this is no longer thought

Islam, Pillars Of

2005-02-20T02:44:00.000-08:00

Arabic Arkan al-Islam the five duties incumbent on every Muslim: shahadah, the Muslim profession of faith; salat, or ritual prayer, performed in a prescribed manner five times each day; zakat, the alms tax levied to benefit the poor and the needy; sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan; and hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca.

Euripides

2005-02-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

It is possible to reconstruct only the sketchiest biography of Euripides. His mother's name was Cleito; his father's name was Mnesarchus or Mnesarchides. One tradition states that his mother was a greengrocer who sold herbs in the marketplace. Aristophanes joked about this in comedy after comedy; but there is better indirect evidence that Euripides came of a well-off

Pyrethrum

2005-02-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Any of certain plant species of the genus Chrysanthemum, native to southwestern Asia, whose aromatic flower heads, when powdered, constitute the active ingredient in the insecticide called pyrethrin, or pyrethrum. The plants were formerly considered a separate genus, Pyrethrum. The typical species, the perennial C. coccineum, is the florists' pyrethrum, commonly

Bouraoui, Hédi (andré)

2005-02-17T23:32:00.000-08:00

Bouraoui specialized in English literature at the University of Toulouse in France and then, in the United States, received degrees in English and American literature at Indiana University and in romance

Tibet, Relief

2005-02-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Tibet is on a high plateau—the Plateau of Tibet—surrounded by enormous mountain masses. The relatively level northern part of the plateau is called the Ch'iang-t'ang; it extends more than 800 miles (1,300 kilometres) from west to east at an average elevation of 15,000 feet (4,500 metres) above sea level. The Ch'iang-t'ang is dotted with brackish lakes, the largest of these being Lakes Ch'i-lin and

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

2005-02-15T03:03:00.000-08:00

Of pure Arab stock, Ibn Hanbal belonged to the tribe of Shayban through both parents. He was still an infant when his father died at 30. When Ibn Hanbal was 15 he began to study the Traditions (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad. Seeking to learn from the great masters of his day, he travelled to the cities of Kufah and Basra in Iraq; Mecca, Hejaz, and Medina in Arabia; and to the lands of Yemen and

Salaberry-de-valleyfield

2005-02-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

English Valleyfield city and port, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada. It lies on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, at the east end of Lake Saint-François (St. Francis), which is a widening of the river. The settlement was built on a group of small islands in the river 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Montreal after a paper mill was established there in 1870. The abundant water and hydroelectric

Medicine

2005-02-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

The remarkable developments in medicine that have been brought about in the 20th century, especially since World War II, have been based on research either in the basic sciences related to medicine or in the clinical field. Advances in the use of radiation, nuclear energy, and space research have played an important part in this progress. Some laypersons often think

La Romana

2005-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

City and port, southeastern Dominican Republic, on the Caribbean Sea opposite Catalina Island. Founded near the end of the 19th century, La Romana grew rapidly after the establishment of a large sugar mill in 1911. In addition to sugarcane, the surrounding region produces coffee, tobacco, beeswax, cattle, and hides. The city has food-processing and soap, shoe, and furniture plants.

Sarasota

2005-02-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1921) of Sarasota county, west-central Florida, U.S. It lies along Sarasota Bay (an arm of the Gulf of Mexico), about 60 miles (95 km) south of Tampa. Sarasota, variously spelled Sara Zota, Sarazota, and Sarasote, appeared on maps in the 1700s, but the origin of the place-name is uncertain; one explanation is that it may have been derived from a Spanish term meaning “a place of dancing.” The

Pinochle

2005-02-11T02:12:00.000-08:00

Card game derived from bezique and most often played in North America. One popular version is auction pinochle, a three-handed game using two packs of 24 cards ranking ace, 10, king, queen, jack, and 9 of each suit. Each player is dealt 15 cards, 3 at a time; after the first 3 have been dealt, 3 are dealt to the table to form the widow. Bidding goes clockwise from the dealer's left. The lowest bid

Bottom Water

2005-02-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Dense, lowermost layer of ocean water that can be distinguished clearly from overlying waters by its characteristic temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. Most bottom waters of the South Pacific, southern Indian Ocean, South Atlantic, and portions of the North Atlantic are formed near Antarctica during the southern winter. The partial freezing of seawater

Peradeniya Botanic Gardens

2005-02-07T04:43:00.000-08:00

Botanical garden in Peradeniya, near Kandy, Sri Lanka, noted for its rich and varied collections of tropical woody plants. Occupying 59 hectares (146 acres), it has about 4,000 species of plants. The most important specimens of the garden include palms, some of which are planted in impressive avenues. Significant, too, are the collections of orchids, gymnosperms, and flowering

Ubangi River

2005-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Oubangui, largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River, marking the border between Congo (Kinshasa) and Congo (Brazzaville). The Ubangi is formed by the union (near Yakoma, Congo [Kinshasa], on the border of the Central African Republic) of the Bomu and Uele (Welle) rivers, and it then flows west for about 350 miles (560 km). It bends northeast of Bangui and flows a somewhat longer distance southwest.

Altair

2005-02-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

Also called Alpha Aquilae one of the 15 brightest stars, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, with an apparent visual magnitude of 0.77. Its distance from the Earth is about 16 light-years. It is a hot white star somewhat larger and more massive than the Sun and giving out about 10 times as much light. The name probably derives from Arabic words meaning “the eagle,” applied to the constellation.

Exercise, Overall conditioning

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

Much emphasis has been given in the foregoing discussion to aerobic fitness, because this form of conditioning is extremely important. It should be noted, however, that other types of conditioning also have benefits. A total exercise program should include strengthening exercises, to maintain body mass and appropriate levels of strength for daily functioning,

Scandinavian Literature, Swedish poetry and prose

2005-02-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

In the first half of the 17th century, Swedish literature remained limited in scope and quantity. A unique contribution, however, was made by Lars Wivallius, whose lyrics revealed a feeling for nature new to Swedish poetry. With its intervention in the Thirty Years' War, Sweden established itself as a European power, and this led to a development of national pride and culture,

Cultured Pearl

2005-01-31T17:05:00.000-08:00

Natural but cultivated pearl produced by a mollusk after the intentional introduction of a foreign object inside the creature's shell. The discovery that such pearls could be cultivated in freshwater mussels is said to have been made in 13th-century China, and the Chinese have been adept for hundreds of years at cultivating pearls by opening the mussel's shell and

Anchieta, José De

2005-01-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Anchieta came from a prominent Portuguese family and was even thought to be related to the founder of the Jesuit

Arabia, Geology

2005-01-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

The bulk of Arabia consists of two main geomorphological areas: the Arabian shield in the west; and sedimentary areas dipping away from the shield to the northeast, east, and southeast into the great basin consisting of lower Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and the eastern part of the Rub' al-Khali (the Empty Quarter) desert. The eastern edge of the shield curves eastward from the

Frederick Louis, Prince Of Wales

2005-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

After his grandfather became king of Great Britain as George I in 1714, Frederick was betrothed to Wilhelmina Sophia Dorothea,

Entomology

2005-01-27T01:09:00.000-08:00

Branch of zoology dealing with the scientific study of insects. The Greek word entomon, meaning “notched,” refers to the segmented body plan of the insect. The zoological categories of taxonomy, morphology, physiology, and ecology are included in this field of study. Also included are the applied aspects of economic entomology, which encompasses the harmful and beneficial

Kofu

2005-01-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

Capital, Yamanashi ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. Kofu lies in the fertile Kofu Basin, west of Tokyo. Long a centre of sericulture, the city adjusted to the decline in silk demand by producing other textiles, increasing viticulture, and developing nearby hot springs. Locally mined rock crystal became the basis of a jewelry industry, but most rock crystal is now imported.

Kakongo

2005-01-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

Former African state, founded about the 15th century on the Atlantic coast between the kingdoms of Loango (north) and Ngoy (south). It extended from what is now central Cabinda eastward into Congo (Kinshasa). The main town was Malemba, a port that grew in importance after 1700 as a centre for the export of slaves; port facilities were expanded from that time to handle increasing

Bruce Peninsula

2005-01-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Saugeen Peninsula, extension of the Niagara Escarpment, southeastern Ontario, Canada. The peninsula juts northwestward for 60 miles (100 km) into Lake Huron, separating that lake from Georgian Bay. After rising abruptly from its rugged east coast to heights of 200–500 feet (60–150 m) above the lake, the peninsula slopes gradually to its western coast. Although it is poor agriculturally, it is a popular vacation

Rio Arriba

2005-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

County, northern New Mexico, U.S., bordered on the north by Colorado. The Continental Divide separates the county's two geographic provinces. Eastern Rio Arriba county is high in the Southern Rocky Mountains, with pine-covered mountains of more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation, topped by Trampas Peak (12,175 feet [3,710 m]). Rushing mountain streams feed into the Rio Chama, which empties into

China, The rise of monarchy

2005-01-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

In the state of Chin the influence of kinsmen of the ruling house had

Saratov

2005-01-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

Most of the right(west)-bank area is occupied by the Volga Upland, which is greatly dissected by river valleys and erosion gullies; the left (east) bank is a low, rolling plain

Auric, Georges

2005-01-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

Auric studied under Vincent d'Indy and Albert Roussel in Paris, and in 1920 the critic Henri Collet included him in “Les Six,” the group of young French composers under the informal patronage

Burn

2005-01-19T01:34:00.000-08:00

The use of topical antibacterial agents has reduced the incidence of post-burn infection, but infection remains one of the most serious complications of burns. Burn surgeons often obtain cultures of the burn wound and of sputum and other body secretions; these are examined for signs of infection. Early detection and prompt treatment of infection with antibiotics

Beardsley, Aubrey

2005-01-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Drawing was a strong interest from early childhood, and Beardsley practiced it while earning his living as a clerk. Beardsley's meeting with the English artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Czech Language

2005-01-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Formerly Bohemian , Czech Ceština West Slavic language closely related to Slovak, Polish, and the Sorbian languages of eastern Germany. It is spoken in the historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and southwestern Silesia in the Czech Republic, where it is the official language. Czech is written in the Roman (Latin) alphabet. The oldest records in the language are Czech glosses appearing in Latin and

Camaieu

2005-01-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

Plural Camaieux, painting technique by which an image is executed either entirely in shades of a single colour or in several tints unnatural to the object, figure, or scene represented. When a picture is monochromatically rendered in gray, it is called grisaille; when in yellow, cirage. Originating in the ancient world, camaieu was used in miniature painting to simulate cameos and

Spectroscopy, Interference

2005-01-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

A third class of devices for dispersing spectra are known as interferometers. These instruments divide the light with semitransparent surfaces, producing two or more beams that travel different paths and then recombine. In spectroscopy, the principal interferometers are those developed by the American physicist A.A. Michelson (1881) in an attempt to find the luminiferous

Jansen, Daniel

2005-01-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Jansen grew up in a family of skating enthusiasts and competed in his first meets at the age of four. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), he was the youngest skater

Biblical Literature, Judges: background and purpose

2005-01-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

The Book of Judges, the third of the series of five books that reflect the theological viewpoint of the Deuteronomic historian, covers the history of the Israelite tribes from the death of Joshua to the rise of the monarchy, a period comprising nearly 200 years (c. 1200–c. 1020 BCE). Though the internal chronology of Judges points to a period of about 400 years, the editor may have arbitrarily

Monazite

2005-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Phosphate mineral, cerium and lanthanum phosphate [(Ce, La)PO4], that is the major commercial source of cerium. Occurring as small, brown, resinous, rather heavy crystals in granitic and gneissic rocks and their detritus (called monazite sands), monazite frequently contains 10–12 percent thorium dioxide (ThO2) and thus represents a major commercial source of thorium as well.

Craig, Sir James (henry)

2005-01-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Craig entered the British army at the age of 15 and was made captain in 1771. In his Revolutionary War service he was wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775). He

Oates, Titus

2005-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

The son of a Baptist preacher, Oates was expelled from the Merchant Taylors School, London, in 1665. Although he managed to

Sirtica

2005-01-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Sandy desert region that is essentially a northward extension of the Sahara (desert), north-central Libya; it is the site of one of the world's largest oil fields. The region fronts the Mediterranean Sea for about 300 miles (480 km) along the southern part of the Gulf of Sidra and extends generally southeastward through the Sirte (Surt) Basin. It is bordered on the west by the

Biplane

2005-01-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

Airplane with two wings, one above the other. In the 1890s this configuration was adopted for some successful piloted gliders. The Wright brothers' biplanes (1903–09) opened the era of powered flight. Biplanes predominated in military and commercial aviation from World War I through the early 1930s, but the biplane's greater maneuverability could not offset the speed advantage of

Bara, Theda

2005-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Theodosia Goodman attended the University of Cincinnati in 1903–05. In New York City she tried briefly

Computers, Lady Lovelace: The first programmer

2005-01-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Augusta Ada King, the countess of Lovelace, was the daughter of the poet Lord George Gordon

Ascham, Roger

2005-01-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

As a boy of 14, Ascham entered the University of Cambridge, where he later took his M.A. and was elected a fellow of St. John's and appointed reader in Greek. The new Renaissance enthusiasm for the classics, especially

Yap Ah Loy

2005-01-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

Yap Ah Loy arrived in the Malay state of Selangor in 1856 at the age of 19. He spent his first years in the peninsula as a miner and petty trader, but in 1862 his fortunes

Allingham, Margery (louise)

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

Campion's career was begun with a group of ingenious, popular thrillers: The Crime at Black Dudley (1928; U.S. title, The Black Dudley

Coleopteran

2005-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect order Coleoptera, which includes the beetles and weevils. It is the largest order of insects, representing about 40 percent of the known insect species. Among the approximately 250,000 species of Coleoptera are many of the largest and most conspicuous insects, some of which also have brilliant metallic colours, showy patterns, or striking form. Beetles

Wellesley College

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

Private women's college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S., one of the Seven Sisters schools. A liberal arts college, Wellesley grants bachelor's degrees in humanities, including Chinese, Japanese, and Russian languages; in social science, including Africana studies, religion, and economics; and in science and mathematics, including computer science. More than a dozen

Yersin, Alexandre

2004-12-31T22:19:00.000-08:00

Yersin studied medicine at the universities of Marburg and Paris and bacteriology with Émile Roux in Paris and Robert Koch in Berlin. In 1888 he and

Gehry, Frank O.

2004-12-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

Gehry's family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1947. He studied architecture at the University of Southern California (1949–51; 1954) and city planning at Harvard University (1956–57). After working for several architectural firms, he established his

Quagga

2004-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Also called bonte quagga , or Burchell's zebra African species of zebra (q.v.).

Sunderland

2004-12-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

In the year 674 a monastery was founded in an area on the north riverbank known later as Monkwearmouth. St. Bede the Venerable (672/673–735), noted chronicler of Anglo-Saxon affairs, was born in the area and studied there.

Cynognathus

2004-12-29T01:18:00.000-08:00

Cynognathus was approximately as large as a modern

Salem

2004-12-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

Capital of Oregon, U.S., and the seat (1849) of Marion county. It lies along the Willamette River, 43 miles (69 km) southwest of Portland. Methodist missionaries, led by Jason Lee, settled the site in 1840. Its Kalapuya Indian name, Chemeketa, meaning “place of rest,” was translated into the biblical name of Salem (from Hebrew shalom, “peace”). A settlement was laid out in 1844, and home sites were sold by the

Mountain

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

Landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined summit area, and considerable local relief. Mountains generally are understood to be larger than hills, but the term has no standardized geological meaning. Very rarely do mountains occur individually. In most cases, they are found in elongated ranges

Andorra

2004-12-27T03:36:00.000-08:00

Andorra's independence is traditionally ascribed to Charlemagne, who recovered the

Palaungic Languages

2004-12-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

Armoured North American dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous Period (99 million to 65 million years ago). Like its close relative Ankylosaurus and the more distantly related Nodosaurus, Euoplocephalus was a massive animal that likely weighed more than two tons. Euoplocephalus differed from these and most other ankylosaurs in having a bone that protected the eyelid. The

T'aebaek Mountains

2004-12-26T00:51:00.000-08:00

Korean T'aebaek-sanmaek main ridge of the Korean Peninsula, stretching along the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea), north to Hwangnyong Mountain (4,160 feet [1,268 m]), North Korea, and continuing south as the Kyongsang Range to Tadae-p'o, a suburb of Pusan, South Korea. The T'aebaek range is 300 miles (500 km) long and averages 2,600– 3,300 feet (1,000 m) in height. Peaks include Kumgang (5,374 feet [1,638 m]), Sorak (5,604 feet [1,708 m]), Odae (5,128 feet [1,563 m]), and T'aebaek (5,121 feet [1,561 m]). The eastern

Alice Springs

2004-12-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Town, Northern Territory, Australia. It is the main focus of the Centre, a name given to approximately 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km) of central Australia that includes large areas of desert and rocky ridges. Alice Springs lies on the intermittent Todd River and the Stuart Highway, 1,028 road miles (1,654 km) north of Adelaide and 954 miles (1,535 km) south of Darwin. The town originated in 1871 as a station

Density Current

2004-12-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

Density currents in nature are exemplified by those currents

Peter I

2004-12-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

King of Aragon from June 1094. The son of Sancho Ramírez, the third in order of the historic kings of Aragon, Peter belonged to times anterior to the authentic written history of his kingdom; and little is known of him save that he conquered Huesca (1096) and Barbastro (1100) from the Moors of Saragossa. He was twice married but left no children and was succeeded by his brother Alfonso

Cambon, Jules

2004-12-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

Educated in law, Cambon entered the prefectorial administration after service in the Franco-German War (1870–71). In June 1878 he was

Ambush Bug

2004-12-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Any member of the insect family Phymatidae (order Heteroptera), which contains about 200 species, generally in the tropical Americas and Asia. As its common name indicates, the ambush bug hides on a flower or plant; when prey approaches closely enough, the ambush bug grasps it with its front legs. The upper section (tibia) of each foreleg has teethlike structures that mesh

Concordat

2004-12-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

A pact, with the force of international law, concluded between the ecclesiastical authority and the secular authority on matters of mutual concern; most especially a pact between the pope, as head of the Roman Catholic church, and a temporal head of state for the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs in the territory of the latter. Matters often dealt with in concordats

Malwa Plateau

2004-12-21T00:45:00.000-08:00

Plateau in north central India, bounded by the Gujarat Plains on the west, the Vindhya Range on the south, the Madhya Bharat Plateau and Bundelkhand Upland on the north, and the Vindhya Range on the east. Of volcanic origin, the plateau comprises central Madhya Pradesh state and southeastern Rajasthan state. The name Malwa is derived from the Sanskrit term Malav and means

Affirmation

2004-12-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

In law, a promise by a witness concerning testimony allowed in place of an oath to those who cannot, because of conscience, swear an oath. For example, members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), Jehovah's Witnesses, and other persons who have objections against taking an oath are allowed to make affirmation in any manner they may declare to be binding upon their consciences