HighMatch

Bexley

2005-04-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Outer borough of eastern London, part of the historic county of Kent, on the south bank of the River Thames. It extends to the borough of Bromley in the south. Bexley was established in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former boroughs of Bexley and Erith, the urban district of Crayford, and part of Chislehurst and Sidcup. Within the borough are such areas as (roughly from north

Saint-jean-sur-richelieu

2005-04-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Also called Saint-Jean city, Montérégie region, southern Quebec province, Canada, on the west bank of the Richelieu River, opposite Iberville. Its site, 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Montreal city, was first occupied by Fort-Saint-Jean, built in 1666 and reconstructed in 1748 and 1775. The city became a trading centre on major roads, the Chambly Canal (linking Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence River), and Canada's first

Miner, Jack

2005-04-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Miner moved to Essex county, Ont., in 1878. In 1904, on his farm at Kingsville, he established a bird sanctuary that became widely known. Banding more than 50,000 ducks between

Ocala

2005-04-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

City, seat (1846) of Marion county, north-central Florida, U.S., about 35 miles (55 km) southeast of Gainesville. It developed around Fort King (established in 1827), an important post during the Seminole Wars. The city's name was derived from Ocali, the Timucua Indian name for the province through which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto passed in 1539; its literal meaning is unknown. After the Seminole

Wild Rye

2005-03-31T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sea lyme, or dune, grass (E. arenarius) is a Eurasian species 0.6 to 2.5 m (2 to 8 feet)

Genealogy

2005-03-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

The study of family origins and history. Genealogists compile lists of ancestors, which they arrange in pedigree charts or other written forms. The word genealogy comes from two Greek words—one meaning “race” or “family” and the other “theory” or “science.” Thus is derived “to trace ancestry,” the science of studying family history. The term pedigree comes from the Latin pes

Bohemian School

2005-03-30T02:59:00.000-08:00

School of the visual arts that flourished in and around Prague under the patronage of Charles IV, king of Bohemia from 1346 and Holy Roman emperor from 1355 to 1378. Prague, as Charles's principal residence, attracted many foreign artists and local masters. Although it was heavily exposed to the artistic traditions of France and northern Italy (mainly through the

Fagaras

2005-03-29T06:09:00.000-08:00

Hungarian Fogaras, town, Brasov judet (county), central Romania. It lies north of the Fagaras Mountains, a range of the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathian Mountains), on the Olt River. First mentioned in documents in 1291, Fagaras became a military centre during the Middle Ages. The Fagaras Castle, built during the 15th century and now restored to its original form, is one of the outstanding examples of medieval

Latin American Economic System

2005-03-28T17:45:00.000-08:00

Spanish Sistema Económico Latinoamericano (SELA) association formed to promote economic cooperation and development throughout the region of Latin America. Established in 1975 through the Panama Convention, SELA succeeded the Special Committee for Latin American Coordination (CECLA). Nearly 30 countries are members. SELA's principal organ, the Latin American Council, meets annually. Headquarters are in Caracas,

France, History Of, The formative years (18711905)

2005-03-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

The repression of the Paris Commune left its mark on the emerging republic. The various socialist factions and the newly organized labour movement were left leaderless; the resultant vacuum eventually opened the way to Marxist activists in the 1880s. Much of the working class became more deeply alienated than before, but, to the moderate and conservative elements,

Cladonia

2005-03-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Genus of lichens that includes those species commonly known as cup lichen, reindeer moss, and British soldiers (qq.v.).

Hope Diamond

2005-03-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

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

Alphabet, Arabic alphabet

2005-03-24T03:28:00.000-08:00

The Arabic script descended from the Aramaic through the Nabataean and the neo-Sinaitic alphabets. After the Latin script, it is the most widely used form of alphabetic writing in the modern world. The Arab conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries AD brought the language and the script to the vast expanse of territory extending from India to the Atlantic Ocean. The Arabic

Anderson, Maxie

2005-03-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Anderson entered the Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, Mo., at the age of eight and throughout his schooling worked summers with his father,

Durg

2005-03-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

Formerly Drug city, central Chhattisgarh state, central India, just east of the Seonath River, part of the Durg–Bhilai Nagar urban agglomeration. The city is an agricultural market and is heavily engaged in milling rice and pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan). Its name is derived from the Hindi term durga (“fort”); there are remains of an ancient fortress used by the Marathas as a base of operations in subjugating

Poison, Classification based on physical form

2005-03-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Because solids are generally not well absorbed into the blood, they must be dissolved in the aqueous liquid lining the intestinal tract if ingested or the respiratory tract if inhaled. Solids dissolve at different rates in fluids, however. For example,

Auger, Arleen

2005-03-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

U.S. opera singer (b. Sept. 13, 1939, South Gate, Calif.--d. June 10, 1993, Leusden, Neth.), projected a commanding stage presence and was especially praised for her flexible coloratura soprano voice and subtle interpretations of works by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Monteverdi, Gluck, and especially Mozart. After graduating from California State University at Long Beach (1963), she taught elementary school

Encyclopaedia, Contributors

2005-03-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

In sympathy with many of their various ends, many scholars have contributed to encyclopaedias. Not all their contributions are known because, until recently, it was not the custom to sign articles. Even today there is what amounts to partial concealment in that articles are often initialled only, and, although a key is provided, few readers look up the writer's identity.

Penderecki, Krzysztof

2005-03-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

Penderecki studied composition at the Superior School of Music in Kraków (graduated 1958), subsequently becoming a professor there. He first drew attention in 1959 at the third Warsaw Festival of Contemporary Music, where his Strophes

Low Countries, History Of

2005-03-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

For historical purposes, the name Low Countries is generally understood to include the territory of what is today The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as parts of northern France. However, Belgium, although it was not constituted as an independent kingdom until 1831, became a distinct entity after 1585, when

Silk

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

Animal fibre produced by certain insects as building material for cocoons and webs. In commercial use it is almost entirely limited to filament from cocoons produced by the caterpillars of several moth species belonging to the genus Bombyx and commonly called silkworms.

Nicephorus Ii Phocas

2005-03-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

Byzantine emperor (963–969), whose military achievements against the Muslim Arabs contributed to the resurgence of Byzantine power in the 10th century.

Mitchell, Peter Dennis

2005-03-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

Mitchell received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 1950. He served as director of the chemistry

Fuel Cell

2005-03-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of devices that convert the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electricity by electrochemical reactions. A fuel cell is much more efficient than most other types of energy converters.

Ahuachapán

2005-03-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

City, western El Salvador, on the small Molino River (with a hydroelectric station) at the foot of La Lagunita Volcano. Originally called Güeciapam by the Indians, it was renamed Agüecha before becoming the town (1823) and the city (1862) of Ahuachapán. A manufacturing and distributing centre (the most important product being coffee), it is also noted for its mineral baths, drawn from

Pematangsiantar

2005-03-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

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

Aschelminth, General form and external features

2005-03-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

The great majority of nematodes have slender, elongated cylindrical bodies, without obvious external appendages, that move in graceful curves. The external cuticle that covers the whole body is often transparent and may be smooth, but it usually has closely spaced grooves, which at high magnification can be seen encircling the body (annulation) and which give the

Abydos

2005-03-14T03:20:00.000-08:00

Ancient Anatolian town located just northeast of the modern Turkish town of Çanakkale on the east side of the Dardanelles (Hellespont). Probably originally a Thracian town, it was colonized about 670 BC by the Milesians. There Xerxes crossed the strait on his bridge of boats to invade Greece in 480 BC. Abydos is celebrated for its vigorous resistance to Philip V of Macedon (200 BC) and

Lenbach, Franz Von

2005-03-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

In 1857 Lenbach became a pupil of Karl von Piloty, with whom he traveled in Italy. The works of this first journey were painted from nature and were frequently attacked for their “trivial realism.” From 1863 to

Ecuador, Recreation

2005-03-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

The Ecuadoran calendar is replete with religious and secular holidays. Some of the more important ones are not national but, rather, associated with local urban or regional traditions, such as the holidays of Quito (December 1–6), Guayaquil (October 9), and Cuenca (November 3) and the Yamor festival in Otavalo in early September. Many shops and businesses also close on Saturday

Alembert, Jean Le Rond D'

2005-03-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

French mathematician, philosopher, and writer, who achieved fame as a mathematician and scientist before acquiring a considerable reputation as a contributor to and editor of the famous Encyclopédie.

Reproductive System, Human, The vagina

2005-03-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

The vagina (the word means “a sheath”) is the canal that extends from the cervix (outer end) of the uterus within the lesser pelvis down to the vestibule between the labia minora. The orifice of the vagina is guarded by the hymen. The vagina lies behind the bladder and urethra and in front of the rectum and anal canal. Its walls are collapsed; the anterior wall is some 7.5 centimetres

Argentina

2005-03-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

Because almost all Argentines are descendants of immigrants from Europe, their culture has a more distinctly European orientation than that of other Latin Americans; however, Argentine artists, writers, and entertainers no longer look to Europe as a sole gauge of their success. Blending Old World customs and New World inspirations, Argentina has developed a unique

Scheelite

2005-03-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

Calcium tungstate mineral, CaWO4, that is an important ore of tungsten. It acquired commercial value in the 20th century when tungsten became used in alloy steels and electric-light filaments. The mineral is named in honour of the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who obtained tungstic acid from it in 1781. Scheelite commonly occurs as compact or granular masses in contact

Colby College

2005-03-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Waterville, Maine, U.S. Colby is an undergraduate college with a curriculum based in the liberal arts and sciences. It offers study-abroad programs in France, Spain, Ireland, Mexico, England, and Russia. Campus facilities include an observatory, an arboretum, and the Bixler Art and Music Center. Total enrollment

Beijing

2005-03-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Pei-ching , conventional Peking city, province-level shi (municipality), and capital of the People's Republic of China. Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. The city has been an integral part of China's history over the past eight centuries, and nearly every major building of any age in Beijing has at least some

China, Road networks

2005-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

The first modern highway in China was built in 1913 in Hunan Province. The highways of China may be divided into three categories: (1) state, provincial, or regional highways of political, economic, or military importance; (2) local highways of secondary importance, operated by counties or communes; (3) special-purpose highways, mostly managed by factories, mines, state farms, forestry

Alabama Platform

2005-03-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

In U.S. history, Southern political leader William L. Yancey's response (1848) to the antislavery Wilmot Proviso (q.v.). The Alabama platform insisted that the U.S. government protect slavery in territories ceded to the United States by Mexico and that no territorial legislature be allowed to prohibit slavery. The Democratic Party declined to adopt Yancey's platform at the

Murad V

2005-03-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

A man of high intelligence, Murad received a good education and was widely read in both Turkish and European literature. In 1867 he accompanied Abdülaziz

Natal Grass

2005-03-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Any of several southern African grasses of the family Poaceae, and species Rhynchelytrum repens (formerly Tricholaena rosea), which in some areas is known as Natal red top. It is a tufted, perennial with glossy, purple or pink hairs on the seed heads. Natal grass is found on disturbed soils in tropical America and Australia and is cultivated as a forage and ornamental

Ear Shell

2005-03-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

Any of various marine snails of the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda) that constitute the genus Haliotis and family Haliotidae. The characteristic planispiral shell has a broad, oblique aperture, which gives it an earlike shape. A series of perforations through the shell follow the spiral form. The inside of the shell is always nacreous, often in iridescent

Uttaradit

2005-03-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Town, northern Thailand. It is a provincial capital and a farming market centre on the Nan River and the Bangkok–Chiang Mai railway. The town centre was rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire in 1967. The Pha Then Buddhist shrine is southwest of the town. Uttaradit is in one of Thailand's foremost fruit-growing regions, producing rambutans, mangosteens, durians, coconuts,

Infection, Dacryocystitis and dacryoadenitis

2005-03-06T01:12:00.000-08:00

Inflammation of the tear sac, called dacryocystitis, is a common pediatric infection. It usually occurs after a long-term obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct (a tube that connects the eye with the nose, allowing proper drainage of the eye's secretions). This infection, caused by staphylococci or streptococci, produces tender swelling in the inner corner of the eye

Synagogue Council Of America

2005-03-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

A Jewish organization founded in 1926 to provide most congregationally affiliated Jews (regardless of individual differences) with a common voice in interfaith activities, especially those involving Christians. Council membership thus includes as Orthodox constituents the Rabbinical Council of America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America;

Mole Valley

2005-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Surrey, England. The River Mole, from which the district takes its name, flows northward across it to join the Thames at Hampton Court, west of London; the river cuts through a line of chalk hills (the North Downs) in a steep-sided valley that is followed by road and rail routes. South of the Downs is a narrow lowland and then

Essaouira

2005-03-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

Formerly Mogador, Atlantic port city, western Morocco, midway between Safi and Agadir. The site was occupied by Phoenicians and then Carthaginians and was mentioned in the chronicles of the Carthaginian explorer Hanno (5th century BC). Medieval charts show it as Mogador, a corruption of a Berber word for “safe anchorage.” It stands on a peninsula 10–20 feet (3–7 m) above sea level and at times with heavy

Cord

2005-03-04T02:36:00.000-08:00

Unit of volume for measuring stacked firewood. A cord is generally equivalent to a stack 4 ´ 4 ´ 8 feet (128 cubic feet), and its principal subdivision is the cord foot, which measures 4 ´ 4 ´ 1 feet. A standard cord consists of sticks or pieces 4 feet long stacked in a 4 ´ 8-foot rick. A short cord is a 4 ´ 8-foot rick of pieces shorter than 4 feet, and a long cord is a similar rick of pieces longer than 4 feet. A face

Indiana University

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

State system of higher education consisting of the campuses in Bloomington (main), Gary (known as Northwest), South Bend, Kokomo, New Albany (known as Southeast), and Richmond (known as East), as well as schools operated in cooperation with Purdue University at Fort Wayne (known as Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne) and at Indianapolis (known as Indiana

Philadelphia

2005-03-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia has been described either as the elegant but rather jaded great lady or as the overage and sickly spinster of American cities. A more realistic look at Philadelphia, however, shows it to be a very

Ukiyo-e

2005-03-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: “pictures of the floating world”), one of the most important genres of art of the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) in Japan. The style is a mixture of the realistic narrative of the emaki (“picture scrolls”) produced in the Kamakura period and the mature decorative style of the Momoyama and Tokugawa periods. The ukiyo-e style also has about it something of both native and foreign

Cyrene

2005-03-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

Ancient Greek colony in Libya, founded c. 631 BC by a group of emigrants from the island of Thera in the Aegean. Their leader, Battus, became the first king, founding the dynasty of the Battiads, whose members, named alternately Battus and Arcesilaus, ruled Cyrene for eight generations (until c. 440 BC). Under their rule, the city prospered economically and expanded, establishing its

R Monocerotis

2005-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

(catalog number NGC 2261), stellar infrared source and nebula in the constellation Monoceros (Greek: Unicorn). The star, one of the class of dwarf stars called T Tauri variables, is immersed in a cloud of matter that changes in brightness erratically, reflecting or re-radiating energy from the star.

Auseklis

2005-03-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

Related in name to the Vedic Usas and the Greek Eos, goddesses of dawn, Auseklis is associated in Latvian solar mythology with Meness (Moon) and Saule (Sun), being subordinate to the former and along with him a rival suitor of Saule's daughter, Saules

Anthropology And Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology.

2005-03-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Cultural anthropology, the only social science traditionally dedicated to describing and understanding the diversities and commonalities of human culture and society, remained a discipline in creative ferment during 1999. Ethnographers, those who describe culture, continued searching for more effective data-collection methods as they struggled to determine

Guadalcanal, Battle Of

2005-02-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

(August 1942–February 1943), series of World War II land and sea clashes between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific. Japanese troops had landed on Guadalcanal on July 6, 1942, and had begun constructing an airfield there. On August 7, in the Allies' first major offensive in the Pacific, 6,000 U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal

Lanai

2005-02-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

Island, Maui county, Hawaii, U.S., across the Auau channel from Maui Island. Formed by the extinct volcano Palawai (3,370 feet [1,027 m]), it has an area of 140 square miles (363 square km). In 1854 a group of Mormon elders formed a colony there that failed 10 years later. Lanai was used primarily for cattle grazing until 1922, when it was purchased by the Dole Corporation for use as a pineapple plantation. In 1961, Castle

Arminius

2005-02-27T01:25:00.000-08:00

Arminius was a chief

Fibula

2005-02-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

Greek fibulae from the 7th century BC were elaborately decorated along the long catch plate: rows of animals, such as ducks, lions, and sphinxes, might be soldered on, or a frieze of animals might be worked

Kerschensteiner, Georg

2005-02-26T05:50:00.000-08:00

Kerschensteiner studied physics and mathematics in Munich and taught mathematics in Nürnberg and Schweinfurt before being named director of public schools in Munich in 1895. In that post, which he held until 1919, and as

Iraq, Recurrence of military coups, 196368

2005-02-26T02:04:00.000-08:00

The military faction that brought about the collapse of the Qasim regime preferred to remain behind the scenes rather than assume direct responsibility. The Ba'th Party, a group of young activists who advocated Arab nationalism and socialism, was entrusted with power. Ba'th leaders invited 'Abd al-Salam 'Arif to assume the presidency. A National Council for Revolutionary

Polarization

2005-02-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

Light waves are transverse: that is, the vibrating electric vector associated with each wave is perpendicular to the direction of propagation. A beam of unpolarized light consists of waves moving in the same direction

Pacific Mountain System

2005-02-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain, probably was the first European to explore the coast of California. He is thought to have sailed north in 1542, and his pilot, Bartolomé Ferrelo, may have reached as far as the present southern border of Oregon. Sir Francis Drake sailed the coast in 1579 and may have landed in Oregon. Juan Pérez landed on the

Daniels, Josephus

2005-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

In 1933 Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Dyspareunia

2005-02-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

Painful or difficult sexual intercourse in the female. Disorders are generally physical rather than psychological. Dyspareunia may be caused by inflammation or infection of the vagina, vaginismus (q.v.; voluntary or involuntary contraction of the lower vaginal muscles), remnants of the hymen, insufficient lubrication of the vagina, infection, endometriosis, tumours,

Eagles, The, The Eagles

2005-02-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Herder, Johann Gottfried Von

2005-02-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

German critic, theologian, and philosopher, who was the leading figure of the Sturm und Drang literary movement and an innovator in the philosophy of history and culture. His influence, augmented by his contacts with the young J.W. von Goethe, made him a harbinger of the Romantic movement.

Dandridge, Dorothy

2005-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

Dandridge's mother was an entertainer and comedic actress who, after settling in Los Angeles, had some success in radio and, later, television. The young Dorothy and her sister Vivian

Trianon, Treaty Of

2005-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Allies' presentation of their terms for peace with Hungary was delayed first by their reluctance to treat with Béla Kun's communist regime in that country and subsequently by the obvious

Selayar

2005-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Salayar, or Selajar, also called Kabia, largest of an island group off the southwestern tip of Celebes (Sulawesi), constituting Selayar kabupaten (regency), administered from Makasar as part of Sulawesi Selatan provinsi (“province”), Indonesia. The other islands are Pasi, Bahuluang, Pulasi, and Tambulongang. The islands are mountainous, but fertile lowlands exist on Selayar and cover 259 square miles (671 square km)

Allenby (of Megiddo And Of Felixstowe), Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount

2005-02-21T02:03:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Allenby joined the Inniskilling Dragoons in 1882 and saw active service in the Bechuanaland expedition (1884–85), in Zululand (1888), and in the South

La Rochefoucauld Family

2005-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

One of France's noblest families, traceable in Angoumois to the year 1019. Ducal titles belonging to it are: duke (duc) de La Rochefoucauld (1622); duke de La Roche-Guyon (1679); duke d'Anville (1732); duke d'Estissac; duke de Liancourt (1747); duke de Doudeauville (1780); duke (duca) di Bisaccia (Neapolitan title; 1851); and duke (duque) de Estrées (Spanish title; 1892). Its two best-known members, François VI, Duke de La Rochefoucauld,

Fu-chou

2005-02-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Fu-chou was one of the first places in Fukien to be settled. At the beginning of the 2nd

K.b.e.

2005-02-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

Knight commander of the British Empire, member of the second highest class of a British order of knighthood. See British Empire, The Most Excellent Order of the.

Wambaugh, Sarah

2005-02-19T02:58:00.000-08:00

Wambaugh graduated from Radcliffe College, Cambridge, in 1902. She remained at the college as an assistant until 1906 while pursuing advanced studies in history and government. For a decade thereafter she worked

Succinic Acid

2005-02-18T02:27:00.000-08:00

Succinic acid was first obtained as a distillation product of amber (Latin: succinum), for which it is named. The

Calanthe

2005-02-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Many species of Calanthe lack pseudobulbs (bulblike stems); those that do occur are large and usually are accompanied by large leaves.

Roland (de La Platière), Jeanne-marie

2005-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and cultured, she absorbed the democratic ideas of Jean-Jacques

Pindus Mountains

2005-02-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

In antiquity, the name Pindus applied to ranges south of the Aracynthus (Zygós) Pass west of Thessaly. Occasionally the Pindus is said to extend into Albania but also to include the Tymphrestos (Timfristós) massif and

Egypt, Railways

2005-02-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

Railways connect Cairo with Alexandria and with the Delta and canal towns and also run southward to Aswan and the High Dam. Branch lines connect Cairo with al-Fayyum and Alexandria with Matruh. A network of light railways connects the Fayyum area and the Delta villages with the main lines. Diesel-driven trains operate along the main lines; electric lines connect Cairo with

Objectivism

2005-02-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

The theory or practice of objective art or literature. The term was used by the poet William Carlos Williams in the 1930s to describe a movement in which emphasis was placed on viewing poems as objects that could be considered and analyzed in terms of mechanical features. According to Williams, this meant examining the structural aspects of the poem and considering

Mitra

2005-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

In the pantheon of Vedic Hinduism, one of the gods in the category of Adityas, or sovereign principles of the universe. He represents friendship, integrity, harmony, and all else that is important in the successful maintenance of order in human existence. He is usually paired with the god Varuna, the guardian of the cosmic order, whose powers he complements as guardian

Mother Goddess

2005-02-15T02:09:00.000-08:00

Any of a variety of feminine deities and maternal symbols of creativity, birth, fertility, sexual union, nurturing, and the cycle of growth. The term also has been applied to figures as diverse as the so-called Stone Age Venuses and the Virgin Mary. Because motherhood is one of the universal human realities, there is no culture that has not employed some maternal symbolism

Peru, Drainage

2005-02-14T23:32:00.000-08:00

Distinctive drainage patterns dissect the Costa, Sierra, and Montaña. Of the more than 50 rivers that flow west from the Andes across the Costa, most are short (usually less than 200 miles long) and precipitous, with highly seasonal rates of flow. Most have a period of peak flow (usually during the December to March rainy season) followed by a long dry period; only the largest of

Ace, Goodman

2005-02-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

From childhood Ace wanted to be a writer, and his writing was admired by his teachers. He was editor of his high school newspaper when he met

Biblical Literature, The translation of Symmachus

2005-02-14T03:07:00.000-08:00

Still another Greek translation was made toward the end of the same century by Symmachus, an otherwise unknown scholar, who made use of his predecessors. His influence was small despite the superior elegance of his work. Jerome did utilize Symmachus for his Vulgate, but other than that, his translation is known largely through fragments of the Hexapla.

Valachi, Joseph

2005-02-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

Valachi held a rank in the Mafia equivalent to that of a sergeant, with interests chiefly in the numbers rackets and other gambling from the 1930s to the '50s. In 1959 he was convicted of narcotics violations and sentenced to 15 to

Fenestella

2005-02-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

Fenestella's

Said, Edward

2005-02-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Said's father, Wadie (William) Ibrahim,

Robben Island

2005-02-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Afrikaans Robbeneiland island in Table Bay, Western Cape province, South Africa. It is 5 miles (8 km) west of the mainland and 6 miles (10 km) north of Cape Town and has an approximate area of 5 square miles (13 square km). Its name is the Dutch word for “seals,” once plentiful in the surrounding waters. The island was a common stopping point for passing ships in the 16th and early 17th centuries. After early efforts at settlement,

Parsons Table

2005-02-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

Also called T-square Table, simple, sturdy rectangular table having straight lines, overall flush surfaces, and square legs that form the four corners of the top and whose diameter is identical with the thickness of the top. It is not certain who designed the Parsons table, and it may have been the result of a class project, but prototypes exist in the early work of both the French interior designer

Houma

2005-02-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1834) of Terrebonne parish, southeastern Louisiana, U.S., situated about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of New Orleans. It lies along Bayou Terrebonne and the Intracoastal Waterway and is connected to the Gulf of Mexico by the Houma Navigation Canal, 36 miles (58 km) long. In the 1760s, Acadians originally from Nova Scotia settled in the area, which was then occupied by the Houma Indians.

Amphibole, Contact metamorphic rocks

2005-02-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Amphiboles occur in contact metamorphic aureoles around igneous intrusions. (An aureole is the zone surrounding an intrusion, which is a mass of igneous rock that solidified between other rocks located within the Earth.) The contact aureoles produced in siliceous limestones and dolomites, called skarns or calc-silicate rocks, characteristically contain metamorphic

Photometry

2005-02-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

The earliest observations of the apparent brightness of the stars were made by Greek astronomers. The system used by Hipparchus about

Saint Andrews, University Of

2005-02-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

Oldest university in Scotland, founded in 1411, located in Fife region. The university buildings, many of which date from the Middle Ages, include St. Salvator's College (1450), St. Leonard's College (1512), and the University Library, refounded by James VI in 1612. A third college, St. Mary's (1537), has been limited (since 1579) to the teaching of theology. In 1747 St. Salvator's and St. Leonard's were merged. Among the famous

Rawls, Betsy

2005-02-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

Rawls began playing golf at 17, capping her amateur career by placing second in the 1950 U.S. Women's Open behind the all-time great Babe Zaharias. Turning professional in 1951, Rawls won that year's Open, repeating her victory in 1953, 1957, and 1960. Other major professional achievements

Ash

2005-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Any tree of the genus Fraxinus of the olive family (Oleaceae). The genus includes about 70 species of trees and shrubs, mostly distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, some of which are valuable for their timber and beauty. A few species extend into the tropical forests of Mexico and Java. The leaves of ash trees are opposite, usually deciduous,

O'malley, Walter

2005-02-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

O'Malley received his law degree from Fordham University in New York City in 1930 and became a director of the Dodgers in 1932 and legal adviser in 1943. He became an owner with two other

Football

2005-02-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

For an explanation of contemporary football sports, see football (soccer); football,

Diesinking

2005-02-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

The die block is mounted on a table while a vertical-spindle milling machine with end cutters is used to shape the die. In most simple machines the movement of the cutter may be controlled by the manual operation of transverse, horizontal,