LongBasin

Benbow, John

2005-11-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

The son of a tanner of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Benbow served in the navy and merchant marine from 1678 and became captain of a naval vessel in 1689. As master of the fleet under Admiral Edward Russell, he helped destroy the French fleet

Eisenach

2005-10-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

City, Thuringia Land (state), central Germany. It lies on the northwestern slopes of the Thüringer Wald, at the confluence of the Hörsel and Nesse rivers, west of the city of Erfurt. Founded by the landgraves of Thuringia c. 1150, Eisenach fell to the Saxon house of Wettin in 1264 and was chartered in 1283. It was intermittently the seat of a separate Saxon duchy between 1596 and 1741, when it fell to

Arraiolos Rug

2005-07-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Embroidered floor covering made at Arraiolos, north of Évora in Portugal. The technique is herringbone or cross-stitch on a linen cloth foundation. Early Arraiolos rugs utilized designs derived from the Persians, from whom the Portuguese learned the craft. Portuguese artisans soon replaced these Persian designs with Portuguese folk-art patterns in more limited

Beverley

2005-07-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

Town, unitary authority of East Riding of Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, England, just north of Kingston upon Hull. The town of Beverley grew in close association with a monastery established in the 7th century. Destroyed by the Danes in 806, the monastery was refounded by the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan (reigned 925–939). The great Beverley Minster that dominates the town

Mason Ware

2005-07-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

A sturdy English pottery known as Mason's Patent Ironstone China. It was first produced by C.J. Mason & Company in 1813 to provide a cheap substitute for Chinese porcelain, especially the larger vases. The decoration was a kind of chinoiserie, or hybrid Oriental. Mason specialties were vases, some more than 3 feet (1 m) high, with flowers in high relief and handles and knobs shaped

Arrhenius Theory

2005-07-07T03:25:00.000-07:00

Theory, introduced in 1887 by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius, that acids are substances that dissociate in water to yield electrically charged atoms or molecules, called ions, one of which is a hydrogen ion (H+), and that bases ionize in water to yield hydroxide ions (OH-). It is now known that the hydrogen ion cannot exist alone in water solution; rather, it exists in a combined

Biblical Literature, The Book of Jubilees

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

The book is written in the form of a revealed history of Israel from the creation until the dwelling of Moses on Mt. Sinai, where the content of the book was

Pendleton, George (hunt)

2005-06-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Admitted to the bar in 1847, Pendleton, a Democrat, practiced law in Cincinnati and in 1853 was elected to the state senate. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1857–65), he opposed

Protein, Results of X-ray diffraction studies

2005-06-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Most knowledge concerning secondary and tertiary structure of globular proteins has been obtained by the examination of their crystals using X-ray diffraction. In this technique X rays are allowed to strike the crystal; the X rays are diffracted by the crystal and impinge on a photographic plate, forming a pattern of spots. The measured intensity of the diffraction

Saratov

2005-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

City and administrative centre of Saratov oblast (province), western Russia. The city lies along the middle course of the Volga River and was founded in 1590 as a fortress to protect the trade route along the Volga River from nomadic raiders. Its site was twice moved: in 1616 and again to the present location in 1674 after the fortress had been destroyed in a revolt. In the 19th century

Pacific Mountain System

2005-05-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

The geography and geology of the Pacific mountain system are treated in James G. Ashbaugh (ed.), The Pacific Northwest: Geographical Perspectives (1994), covering climate, vegetation, agriculture, and the economy; Stewart T. Schultz, The Northwest Coast (1990), a popular, comprehensive view of the people, economy, and landforms of the region; Paul E. Hammond, Guide to Geology of the Cascade Range (1988), a well-written work; John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, and Sam C. Sargent, Cataclysms on the Columbia (1986), a fine overall exploration of the Missoula floods; and A. Jon Kimmerling and Philip L. Jackson, Atlas of the Pacific Northwest, 7th ed. (1985). A good explanation of how the ocean has shaped the Oregon coast, producing different landforms between California and Washington, may be found in Paul D. Komar, “Ocean Processes and Hazards Along the Oregon Coast,” Oregon Geology, 54(1):3–19 (January 1992).

Tigereye

2005-05-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Also spelled Tiger's-eye, semiprecious quartz gem displaying chatoyancy, a vertical luminescent band like that of a cat's eye. Veins of parallel, blue asbestos (crocidolite) fibres are first altered to iron oxides and then replaced by silica. The gem has a rich yellow to yellow-brown or brown colour and, when polished, a fine golden lustre. The best stones come from Griqualand West, S.Af. Hawk's-eye

Kyaikkami

2005-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Formerly Amherst, resort town, southeastern Myanmar (Burma). It is situated on a peninsula about 30 miles (48 km) south of the town of Moulmein. Originally a settlement of the Mon peoples, modern Kyaikkami was founded by the British during the annexation of Tenasserim and Arakan states after the First Burmese War (1824–26) and was named for William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst, then governor-general

Ch�telet, Gabrielle-�milie Le Tonnelier De Breteuil, Marquise Du

2005-03-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

She was married at 19 to the Marquis Florent du Ch�telet, governor of Semur-en-Auxois, with whom she had three children. The marquis then took up a military career and thereafter saw his wife only infrequently. Mme du Ch�telet returned to Paris and its dazzling social

Zeuxis

2005-03-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

Zeuxis was, in one ancient account, a pupil of Demophilus of Himera in Sicily; other sources refer to him as a pupil of Neseus of Thasos (an island in the northern Aegean Sea). He seems to have been a panel

English Literature, Other poets of the early Romantic period

2005-03-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

Several of the lesser poets of this generation were more popular in their own time. The somewhat insipid Fourteen Sonnets (1789) of William Lisle Bowles were received with enthusiasm by Coleridge and Wordsworth. Thomas Campbell is now chiefly remembered for his patriotic lyrics such as �Ye Mariners of England� and �The Battle of Hohenlinden� (1807) and for the critical preface

Mercer, David

2005-03-05T04:40:00.000-08:00

Mercer left school at the age of 14 and became a medical laboratory technician. He eventually joined the Royal Navy and, after his discharge in 1948, studied painting at King's College, Newcastle

Beardmore Glacier

2005-03-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

Glacier in central Antarctica, descending about 7,200 ft (2,200 m) from the South Polar Plateau to Ross Ice Shelf, dividing the Transantarctic Mountains of Queen Maud and Queen Alexandra. One of the world's largest known valley glaciers, it is 125 mi (200 km) long and is 25 mi in width. The British explorers Ernest Henry Shackleton (1908) and Robert Scott (1911) discovered the glacier on their route to the

Disease

2005-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

A harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism. A diseased organism commonly exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its abnormal state. Thus, the normal condition of an organism must be understood in order to recognize the hallmarks of disease. Nevertheless, a sharp demarcation between disease and health is not always

Ahmadnagar

2005-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Ahmednagar, � town, west-central Maharashtra state, western India. It lies along the Sina River, 130 miles (210 km) east of Bombay. Known as Bhinar in early Yadava times, it was conquered by Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah, founder of the Ahmadnagar dynasty, in 1490. The city was later taken by the Mughals, Marathas, and British. Chief among its historical sites are Ahmad Nizam Shah's fort, in which Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned

Ibsen, Henrik (johan)

2005-02-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

Ibsen was born at Skien, a small

Oastler, Richard

2005-02-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

In 1830 Oastler, who was managing a large Yorkshire agricultural estate, learned of the evils of child labour in factories and immediately

General Santos

2005-02-26T02:43:00.000-08:00

Formerly �(1954) Buayan, � city, southern Mindanao, Philippines. The city is named for General Paulino Santos, who directed the pioneer settlement (mostly by Christian Filipino migrants) and development of the Koronadal Valley that began in the mid-1930s. General Santos city is located at the head of Sarangani Bay of the Celebes Sea along the southern shore of Mindanao. The city is a principal shipping

Vaughan, Frankie

2005-02-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

British theatre and cabaret singer who was one of the most popular romantic crooners of the 1950s through the '90s; darkly handsome and elegantly dressed, �Mr. Moonlight� (as he was known from his signature tune, �Give Me the Moonlight�) also appeared on television in Britain, the U.S., and across Europe and in motion pictures, notably in a musical number with Marilyn Monroe in Let's

Amylase

2005-02-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

Alpha-amylase is widespread

Kochi

2005-02-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

Ken (prefecture), southern Shikoku, Japan, stretching in an arc around Tosa Bay of the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest prefecture on the island, with an area of 2,744 square miles (7,107 square km). The population is concentrated on the Tosa plain, which, except on the south, is surrounded by mountains. Although it is isolated by poor communications, there is a railway from Kochi, the prefectural

Biblical Literature, Proverbs

2005-02-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Proverbs is probably the oldest extant document of the Hebrew wisdom movement, of which King Solomon was the founder and patron. Wisdom literature flourished throughout the ancient Near East, with Egyptian examples dating back to before the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE. It revolved around the professional sages, or wise men, and scribes in the service of the court,

Ufj Holdings, Inc.

2005-02-21T03:43:00.000-08:00

Japanese bank holding company that became one of the world's largest banking institutions through the merger of Sanwa Bank, Tokai Bank, and Toyo Trust in 2001. With headquarters in Osaka, UFJ operates banks, issues credit cards, provides venture capital funding, and offers other banking and financial management services.

Dandruff

2005-02-20T17:55:00.000-08:00

Skin disorder, a form of seborrheic dermatitis (q.v.) that affects the scalp.

Jack

2005-02-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous species of fishes belonging to the family Carangidae (order Perciformes). The name jack is also applied collectively to the family. Representatives can be found in temperate and tropical portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans and occasionally in fresh or brackish water. Although body size and shape vary greatly among jacks, many of the

Sokod�

2005-02-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

Town, central Togo. A historically important trading centre because of its location in a gap of the Togo Mountains, Sokod� is Togo's second largest town and a major centre for commercial trade. Industrial activities there include cotton ginning and sugar processing. Sokod� has road links with Kara to the north and Lom�, the national capital, to the south. The Tem (Cotocoli),

Ito Jinsai

2005-02-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

Sinologist, philosopher, and educator who helped found the Kogaku (�Study of Antiquity�), which opposed the official Neo-Confucianism of Tokugawa Japan (derived essentially from the writings of the Chinese thinker Chu Hsi). He advocated a return to classical Confucian teaching. Through his hundreds of students, he exerted a powerful influence

Infection, Pancreatitis

2005-02-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

Inflammation of the pancreas, or pancreatitis, may follow abdominal trauma or the formation of gallstones that obstruct the common bile duct. It can be associated with excessive ingestion of alcohol; with disorders such as cystic fibrosis or Reye's syndrome; or with scorpion stings. Infectious causes of pancreatitis include mycoplasmas, Epstein-Barr viruses

Paraguay River

2005-02-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

The source and upper course of the Paraguay River are in Brazil, where it demarcates

Brunei

2005-02-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

Officially �State of Brunei, Abode of Peace, �Malay �Negara Brunei Darussalam, � independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It has an area of 2,226 square miles (5,765 square kilometres) and is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into two enclaves of unequal size. The western enclave is the larger of the two and contains the capital

Antelami, Benedetto

2005-02-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

Little is known of his life. It is believed that he served his apprenticeship in sculpture at Saint-Troph�me in Arles, Fr., and that this service may have influenced his sensitivity to French (particularly Proven�al) stylistic developments. It is

Esterh�zy Family

2005-02-10T02:36:00.000-08:00

By the 18th century the Esterh�zys had become the largest landowners in Hungary, and they came to possess a private fortune even larger than that of the Habsburg emperors whose supporters they were. The various members of the family continued to hold important

Oshkosh

2005-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1847) of Winnebago county, east-central Wisconsin, U.S. It lies on the west shore of Lake Winnebago at the mouth of the upper Fox River, 80 miles (130 km) north-northwest of Milwaukee. The French were active in the area from the late 17th century, and the lake and river formed an important link in a main route from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. Permanent settlement did

Prodi, Romano

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

Prodi graduated from Catholic University in Milan in 1961 and did postdoctoral work at the London School of Economics. After serving as a professor of economics at the University of Bologna, he entered government as minister of industry in 1978. In 1996, after two productive stints

Yhwh

2005-02-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

In Hebrew, the name of God as revealed to Moses. Because of its four letters, it is also known as the Tetragrammaton. See Yahweh.

Ahmadu Seku

2005-02-05T02:52:00.000-08:00

Succeeding his father, al-Hajj 'Umar, in 1864, Ahmadu ruled over a great empire centred on the ancient Bambara kingdom of Segu, in present Mali. By the Treaty of Nango (1881) he granted France most-favoured-nation status. After the advance of the

Syvash

2005-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Sivash, or Siva

Calarasi

2005-02-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

Judet (county), southwestern Romania, occupying an area of 1,835 sq mi (4,754 sq km). The county, consisting mostly of lowlands, was formed in 1981 from portions of Ialomita and Ilfov districts. The Danube River, flowing northeastward, marks the county's eastern border; and the Borcea, Barza, and D�mbovita rivers, tributaries of the Danube, drain southward. The Mostistea and Galatui lakes lie in the

Conti, Louis-armand I De Bourbon, Prince De

2005-02-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

Eldest surviving son of Armand I de Bourbon, prince of Conti; he succeeded his father in 1666. His marriage (1680) to Marie-Anne de Bourbon (1666 - 1739), daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Valli�re, was the first union between a prince of the blood and one of the King's bastards. He served with distinction in Flanders in 1683 and, against the wish of the king, went to

Canals And Inland Waterways, Bridges, aqueducts, and tunnels for waterways

2005-02-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

Canals must frequently cross over or under roads and railways, rivers, and other canals. These crossings are made by a variety of bridges, sometimes carrying the road or railroad, sometimes carrying the canal. Most are fixed, though movable bridges are also used. On the Weaver River in England, four movable bridges, carrying main roads across the waterway, swing on

Saint

2005-01-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

A holy person believed to have a special relationship to the sacred as well as moral perfection or exceptional teaching abilities. The phenomenon is widespread in the religions of the world, both ancient and contemporary. Various types of religious personages have been recognized as saints, both by popular acclaim and official pronouncement, and their influence

Harrison, Caroline

2005-01-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

Four years later her husband married Mary Dimmick. Rumours circulated about when the romance had begun, and when Benjamin died in 1901 his children, who were never reconciled to the second marriage, buried him beside Caroline.

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint

2005-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Solti, Sir Georg

2005-01-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

Solti studied at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with B�la Bart�k and Zolt�n Kod�ly.

Vieira Da Silva, Maria Elena

2005-01-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

Vieira da Silva studied sculpture first with Antoine Bourdelle at Paris in 1928 and later with Charles Despiau. Her interest in painting flowered under the tutelage of Fernand L�ger and Stanley William Hayter.

Malakbel

2005-01-26T02:05:00.000-08:00

West Semitic sun god and messenger god, worshiped primarily in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra; he was variously identified by the Greeks with Zeus and with Hermes and by the Romans with Sol. His name may have been of Babylonian origin, and he was considered the equivalent of the Babylonian sun god Shamash. Engravings on the four sides of a marble altar from Palmyra

Lop Buri

2005-01-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Lopburi, � town, south-central Thailand, north of Bangkok. Lop Buri is a rice-collecting centre situated on the Lop Buri River and on the country's main north-south highway and railway. Founded as Lavo in the 5th - 7th century, it was incorporated into the Khmer empire of Angkor in the 10th or 11th century and became an important provincial capital. It later became an active centre within

�vila

2005-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

In full� �vila De Los Caballeros, � city and capital of �vila province, in the Castile-Le�n comunidad aut�noma (�autonomous community�), central Spain. The city of �vila is situated on the Adaja River at 3,715 feet (1,132 m) above sea level and is surrounded by the lofty Sierra de Gredos (south) and the Sierra de Guadarrama (east). The city lies 54 miles (87 km) west of Madrid. A pre-Roman settlement on the site became part of Roman Lusitania

Alcaic

2005-01-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

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Pacific Islands, Aboriginal groupings

2005-01-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Natives of the Pacific tend to identify themselves by their home island or their mother tongue, saying, for example, that they are from Nauru or that they speak Fijian. Occasionally, however, they may invoke another, and larger, identity, claiming to be Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian. As a geographic designation this representation has value, but as a mark of racial,

Guadalajara

2005-01-21T23:37:00.000-08:00

Guadalajara was founded in 1531 and was relocated several times in the following decade, under pressure from Indians. During the 16th century

Ta'mim, At-

2005-01-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Muhafazah (governorate), in northeastern Iraq, created from the northern part of Kirkuk muhafazah. It has an area of 3,729 sq mi (9,659 sq km) and encompasses the eastern part of the alluvial plain of the Tigris River and the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. Its economy is based on petroleum and dry-farm agriculture, which produces wheat, barley, and fruits; sheep are grazed. Its capital, Kirk

Spanish Fork

2005-01-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

City, Utah county, northern Utah, U.S. The city takes its name from the Spanish Fork River, along which the Spanish missionary-explorers Dom�nguez and Escalante traveled in their 1776 survey of the region. In 1854 Mormon settlers established a fort alongside the river, around which a town grew. Prosperous farms and food-production industries provided the economic basis for

Davenport, Edward Loomis

2005-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

In spite of family opposition, Davenport went on the stage, making his debut in 1836 under the stage name Mr. E. Dee, playing Parson

Respiratory Disease

2005-01-17T02:22:00.000-08:00

Diseases of the respiratory system may affect any of the structures and organs that have to do with breathing - the nasal cavities, the throat (pharynx), the larynx, the windpipe (trachea), the airways (bronchi), and the lung tissue. In addition, respiration is dependent on normal functioning of the muscles

Giraudoux, (hyppolyte-) Jean

2005-01-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

Giraudoux was educated at the �cole Normale Superi�ure and made the diplomatic service his career. He became known as an avant-garde writer with a group of early poetic novels, such as Suzanne et le

Haakon Sigurdsson

2005-01-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

The son of the Norwegian earl of Lade, who was killed by Harald II Graycloak, Haakon

Wells, Carolyn

2005-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Wells supplemented her formal education with an early-formed habit of voracious reading. After completing her schooling she worked as a librarian for the Rahway Library Association for some years. Her love of puzzles

M�le Saint-nicolas

2005-01-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Village, just northeast of Cap Saint-Nicolas, on the northwestern coast of Haiti. Situated on an inlet of the Windward Passage (a strait between Haiti and Cuba), it was the site where Christopher Columbus first landed (Dec. 6, 1492) on the island, which he named La Isla Espa�ola (taken into English as Hispaniola). Saint-Nicolas was named for the saint on whose day it was discovered.

Ideology

2005-01-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

French� Id�ologie,� French philosophic movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that reduced epistemological problems (concerning the nature or grounds of knowledge) to those of psychology (as in the work of �tienne Condillac), before advancing to ethical and political problems. The Id�ologues, by analysis of ideas, viewed the simple sensory elements of Condillac's sensationalism

West Bengal, Agriculture

2005-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Agriculture dominates both the landscape and the economy. West Bengal exceeds all other states in its proportion of agricultural land (65 percent). Rice, which requires extensive irrigation, is the leading crop in every district except Darjiling, where it is surpassed by millet. Despite the small area of the state, West Bengal plants 14 percent of the nation's rice area and

Tenkalai

2005-01-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

One of two Hindu subsects of the Srivaisnava, the other being the Vadakalai. Though the two sects use both Sanskrit and Tamil scriptures and centre their worship on Vishnu, the Tenkalai places greater reliance on the Tamil language and the Nalayira Prabandham, a collection of hymns by the Alvars, a group of South Indian mystics. The Tenkalai grew apart from the Vadakalai in the 14th

Aquarium

2005-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

The first containers specifically designed for aquatic specimens were the strictly functional open-air tanks used by the Romans to preserve and fatten fish for market. It was not until the 18th century that the importation of goldfish into France from the Orient for aesthetic enjoyment created the demand for small aquariums; ceramic bowls, occasionally fitted

Humanism, The English humanists

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

Though continental humanists had held court positions since the days of Humphrey

Dewas

2005-01-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

City, western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is located on the Malwa Plateau at the foot of the conical Chamunda Hill, which rises to a Devivasini shrine. Jaina and Hindu temple ruins lie just south of the city, in Nagara. The surrounding area consists chiefly of level plains of the Malwa Plateau, watered by the Narmada, Sipra, and Kali Sindh rivers. Wheat, sorghum, rice, cotton,

Siberia

2005-01-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

All but the extreme southwestern area of Siberia lies in Russia. In Russian usage the

Abu Ali Mustafa

2005-01-05T01:16:00.000-08:00

Palestinian nationalist (b. 1938, Arabeh, Palestine - d. Aug. 27, 2001, Ram Allah, West Bank), was a cofounder and, from July 2000, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a radical faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He was born Mustafa az-Zibri and later took the nom de guerre Abu Ali Mustafa. As a young man he joined George Habash's Arab National

Biblical Literature, The role of Samson

2005-01-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

The exploits of the great Israelite strongman judge, Samson (a member of the tribe of Dan), are related in chapters 13 - 16. Dedicated from birth by his mother to Yahweh, Samson became a member of the Nazirites, an anti-Canaanite reform movement. As a Nazirite, he was required never to cut his hair, drink wine, or eat ritually unclean food. He married a Philistine woman whom he then

Leacock, Stephen (butler)

2005-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Leacock immigrated to Canada with his parents at the age of six. He attended Upper Canada College (1882 - 87) and later received a B.A. degree from the University of Toronto (1891). After teaching for eight

Base

2005-01-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Also called �Radix, � in mathematics, an arbitrarily chosen number in terms of which any number can be expressed. See number system.

Murchison River

2005-01-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Ephemeral river in Western Australia, rising north of Meekatharra on Peak Hill in the Robinson Ranges and fed by its tributaries, the Sandford and Roderick. It flows sporadically (chiefly in winter) west, south, and again west to enter the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri, north of Geraldton, after a course of 440 miles (710 km). The explorer George Grey reached the river in 1839 on a forced march

Yang Kuei-fei

2004-12-31T04:52:00.000-08:00

Pinyin �Yang Guifei � notorious beauty and concubine of the great T'ang emperor Hs�an Tsung (reigned 712 - 756). Because of her the Emperor is said to have neglected his duties, and the T'ang dynasty (618 - 907) was greatly weakened by a rebellion that ensued. Her story has been the subject of many outstanding Chinese poems and dramas. The daughter of a high official, she was one of the few obese women

Thompson, Lucky

2004-12-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thompson played tenor saxophone in the early 1940s with Lionel Hampton, the legendary Billy Eckstine band, and Count Basie before a highly active period in Los Angeles working with Dizzy

Insurance, Contract law

2004-12-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

To meet the requirement of legal purpose, the insurance contract must

American Literature, Drama

2004-12-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

Two post-World War II playwrights established reputations comparable to O'Neill's. Arthur Miller wrote eloquent essays defending his modern, democratic concept of tragedy; despite its abstract, allegorical quality and portentous language, Death of a Salesman (1949) came close to vindicating his views. Miller's intense family dramas were rooted in the works of the socially

Spotswood, Alexander

2004-12-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

After service under the 1st duke of Marlborough in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 14), he was appointed lieutenant governor of Virginia (1710). In this post he recommended the establishment of a Virginia company to carry

Flocculation

2004-12-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

In physical chemistry, separation of solid particles from a liquid to form loose aggregations or soft flakes. These flocculates are easily disrupted, being held together only by a force analogous to the surface tension of a liquid. In industrial processes, flocculation may be a desired or an undesirable phenomenon, and various methods may be used to cause or eliminate

Yessentuki

2004-12-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Jessentuki�, or �Essentuki� city, Stavropol kray (region), southwestern Russia, in the valley of the Podkumok River. It was founded in 1798, developed as a fortress in the 1830s, and became a city in 1917. It is located at mineral springs at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. The city is composed of an old Cossack village in the southern sector and a newer city in the north. It is a major health resort, with sanatoriums

Malapropism

2004-12-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

Verbal blunder in which one word is replaced by another similar in sound but different in meaning. Although William Shakespeare had used the device for comic effect, the term derives from Richard Brinsley Sheridan's character Mrs. Malaprop, in his play The Rivals (1775). Her name is taken from the term malapropos (French: �inappropriate�) and is typical of Sheridan's practice

Outcaste

2004-12-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

In the Hindu caste system, an individual or group that has been thrown out of caste, usually for some ritual offense. The outcasting may be temporary or permanent. In the 19th century, a Hindu faced excommunication for going abroad, where it was presumed he would be forced to break caste restrictions and, as a result, become polluted. Such an offender would be reinstated

World War I, The Balkan front, 1918

2004-12-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

At Salonika the Allies' politically ambitious but militarily ineffective commander in chief, General Sarrail, was replaced at the end of 1917 by General Guillaumat, who was in turn succeeded in July 1918 by General L.-F.-F. Franchet d'Esperey, who launched a major offensive in September with six Serbian and two French divisions against a seven-mile front held by only one Bulgarian

Port Arthur

2004-12-20T03:32:00.000-08:00

City, Jefferson county, southeastern Texas, U.S., 90 miles (145 km) east of Houston. It is a major deepwater port on Sabine Lake and the Sabine-Neches and Gulf Intracoastal waterways, 9 miles (14 km) from the Gulf of Mexico. With Beaumont and Orange, it forms the �Golden Triangle,� an important petrochemical complex. Atakapa Indians occupied the region before 1800. Several early settlements,

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

2004-12-19T22:06:00.000-08:00

In 1739 he read his first paper to the Academy of Sciences, of which he became a member in 1741. In 1743, at the age of 26, he published his important Trait� de dynamique, a fundamental treatise on dynamics containing the famous �d'Alembert's principle,� which states that Newton's third law of motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) is true for bodies that are free to

Yermolova, Maria Nikolayevna

2004-12-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

Yermolova was trained at the Moscow Theatre School and made her debut at age 17 in the title role of Gotthold Lessing's Emilia Galotti at the Maly Theatre (1870). Her interpretation of Emilia as

India, Nationalism in the Muslim community

2004-12-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

While the Congress was calling for swaraj in Calcutta, the Muslim League held its first meeting in Dacca. Though the Muslim quarter of India's population lagged behind the Hindu majority in uniting to articulate nationalist political demands, Islam had, since the founding of the Delhi sultanate in 1206, provided Indian Muslims with sufficient doctrinal mortar to unite

Binder

2004-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Machine for cutting grain and binding it into bundles, once widely used to cut small grain such as wheat. The first patent was issued on a self-tie binder in 1850. The horse-drawn twine binder, first marketed in 1880, remained the chief method of harvesting small grain during the early decades of the 20th century. The mechanical twine knotter was patented in 1892 in the United States. Along

Hadad

2004-12-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Had, �Hadda�, or �Haddu� the Old Testament Rimmon, West Semitic god of storms, thunder, and rain, the consort of the goddess Atargatis. His attributes were identical with those of Adad of the Assyro-Babylonian pantheon. He was the chief baal (�lord�) of the West Semites (including both sedentary and nomadic Aramaeans) in north Syria, along the Phoenician coast, and along the Euphrates River. As Baal-Hadad

Bruckner, Anton

2004-12-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

In full� Josef Anton Bruckner � Austrian composer of a number of highly original and monumental symphonies. He was also an organist and teacher who composed much sacred and secular choral music.

Indian Ocean, Upwelling

2004-12-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

Upwelling is a seasonal phenomenon in the Indian Ocean because of the monsoon regime. During the southwest monsoon, upwelling occurs off the Somali and Arabian coasts and south of Java. It is most intense between 5� and 11� N, with replacement of warmer surface water by water of about 57� F (14� C). During the northeast monsoon, strong upwelling occurs along the western coast of India.

Interior Design, Historical developments

2004-12-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

On Islamic art, an excellent work is David Talbot Rice, Islamic Art (1965); a more detailed survey is Maurice S. Dimand, A Handbook of Muhammadan Art, 3rd ed. rev. (1958). A.U. Pope and Phyllis Ackerman, A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present, 14 vol. (1938 - 67), should be consulted for this aspect. Franz Boas, Primitive Art, new ed. (1955), discusses the principles behind the decoration of a wide variety of art of this kind, with special attention to the North Pacific Coast of North America. Eric Larrabee and Massimo Vignelli, Knoll Design (1981), is a history of modern commercial interior design.

Philip V

2004-12-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

King of Macedonia from 221 to 179, whose attempt to extend Macedonian influence throughout Greece resulted in his defeat by Rome. His career is significant mainly as an episode in Rome's expansion. The son of Demetrius II and his wife Phthia (Chryseis), the young prince was adopted, after his father's death in 229, by his half-cousin Antigonus Doson, who took

Amberjack

2004-12-10T02:32:00.000-08:00

Any of several popular sport fishes. See jack.

Amberjack

2004-12-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

The tree has a straight but often buttressed stem (i.e., thickened at the base), a spreading crown, and four-sided branchlets with large quadrangular pith. The leaves are opposite

Gandhi, Rajiv

2004-12-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Rajiv and his younger brother Sanjay (1946 - 80), the sons of Feroze and Indira Gandhi, were educated at the prestigious Doon School in Dehradun. Rajiv then

Jungfrau

2004-12-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well-known Swiss peak (13,642 feet [4,158 m]) dominating the Lauterbrunnen valley and lying 11 miles (18 km) south-southeast of the resort of Interlaken. The scenic mountain separates the cantons of Bern and Valais and is in the Bernese Alps, two other peaks of which (the Finsteraarhorn [14,022 feet] and the Aletschhorn [13,763 feet]) surpass it in height. The first ascent was made in 1811 on the eastern or Valais