DeadPump

Organic Underwear

2006-10-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

Natural soft Organic Clothinggoods are hard to find as they can often be a little course. Liv Organic Cotton Goodsare soft and luxurious and their Organic Underwear is to die for.

Rhine, Confederation Of The

2005-04-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

French Confédération du Rhin German Rheinbund union (1806–13) of all the states of Germany, except Austria and Prussia, under the aegis of Napoleon I, which enabled the French to unify and dominate the country until Napoleon's downfall. The formation of the confederation was preceded by French encroachment in Germany beginning in 1792: all territory west of the Rhine River was annexed outright, and the first steps toward consolidation

Genda Minoru

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

Genda, a graduate of the Japanese Naval Academy (1924), was a fighter

Botanical Gardens And Zoos

2005-04-03T03:11:00.000-07:00

The most important event of 1993--indeed of the past decade--was the publication of World Zoo Conservation Strategy. This 76-page document was conceived by the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG) and the Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural

Olympic Games, Lake Placid, New York, U.S., 1932

2005-04-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Controversies surrounding the speed skating

Rackham, Arthur

2005-04-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Reared in London, Rackham enrolled in evening classes at the Lambeth School of Art in 1884 and spent seven years studying there while also working full-time in an insurance office. While a staff artist for a newspaper, the Westminster

Ka

2005-03-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Koi, in ancient Egyptian religion, with ba and akh, a principal aspect of the soul of a human being or of a god. The exact significance of ka remains a matter of controversy, chiefly for lack of an Egyptian definition; the usual translation “double” is incorrect. Written by a hieroglyph of uplifted arms, it seemed originally to have designated the protecting divine spirit of

Jacksonville

2005-03-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

City, Morgan county, west-central Illinois, U.S. Laid out in 1825 as the county seat and named in honour of Andrew Jackson, it soon acquired a distinctive educational, institutional, and religious character, which it largely retains. Illinois College (founded there in 1829 and affiliated with the United Church of Christ) was the first in the state to graduate a college class. Other

Shi

2005-03-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

Also called dan the basic unit of weight in ancient China. The shi was created by Shi Huang Di, who became the first emperor of China in 221 BC and who is celebrated for his unification of regulations fixing the basic units. He fixed the shi at about 60 kg (132 pounds). The modern shi is equivalent to 71.68 kg (157.89 pounds).

Computers, Apple Computer

2005-03-29T07:04:00.000-08:00

Like the founding of the early chip companies and the invention of the microprocessor, the story of Apple Computer is a key part of Silicon Valley folklore. Two whiz kids, Stephen G. Wozniak and Steven P. Jobs, shared an interest in electronics. Wozniak was an early and regular participant at Homebrew Computer Club meetings (see the earlier section The Altair), which Jobs

Arabia, History Of

2005-03-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

Some time after the rise of Islam in the first quarter of the 7th century AD and the emergence of the Arabian Muslims as the founders of one of the great empires of history, the name “'Arab” came to be used by these Muslims themselves and by the nations with whom they came in contact to indicate all people of Arabian

Hesperus

2005-03-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

Greek Hesperos, also called Vesper, in Greco-Roman mythology, the evening star, son or brother of Atlas. He was later identified with the morning star, Phosphorus, or Eosphorus (Latin: Lucifer), the bringer of light. Hesperus is variously described by different authors as the father of the Hesperides (the guardians of the golden apples) or of their mother, Hesperis.

Loisy, Alfred Firmin

2005-03-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Loisy trained at the Institut Catholique in Paris, where he was influenced by the historian L.-M.-O. Duchesne,

Olympic Games, Flag Of The

2005-03-26T01:05:00.000-08:00

In 1914, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held its 20th anniversary meeting in Paris, the Olympic flag was displayed for the first time. The design had been conceived by the French educator Pierre, baron de Coubertin, who developed the modern Olympic movement. It has been claimed that Coubertin found the design of five interlocked rings on an ancient altar in

Caruso, Enrico

2005-03-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

Caruso was of a poor family and was the 18th of 20 children. Although he was a musical child who sang Neapolitan folk songs everywhere and joined his parish choir at the age of nine, he received no formal

Qala'un Mosque

2005-03-25T05:06:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Qalawun building complex, including a mausoleum, a madrasah, and a hospital, built in 1283–85 on the site of present-day Cairo by the fifth Mamluk sultan, Qala'un. The hospital, now in ruins, was one of the most remarkable buildings of the Mamluk era. The mausoleum and madrasah both open from a central corridor. The madrasah has a unique three-part basilica-like eyvan, or vaulted niche, on the richly

Yanbu'

2005-03-25T00:43:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Yenbo town, western Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea north of Jidda. It serves as the country's second Red Sea port, after Jidda, and is the main port for Medina, 100 miles (160 km) to the east. The economy of Yanbu' was traditionally based on the pilgrim trade and the export of agricultural products, especially dates. Its harbour is being enlarged and improved to ease the pressure on Jidda, and

Cymbidium

2005-03-23T00:04:00.000-08:00

Cymbidium species grow in soil or on other plants and are popular as florists' plants and ornamentals. Most have short pseudobulbs

Pampa

2005-03-22T04:49:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1902) of Gray county, northern Texas, U.S., 55 miles (88 km) northeast of Amarillo. It was founded in 1888 on the Santa Fe Railroad; it was known first as Glasgow, then Sutton, and finally, in 1892 it was named for the resemblance of the surrounding prairie lands to the Argentine Pampas. Located in the Texas Panhandle, the city serves as the centre of an oil-producing, wheat-growing, and cattle-raising

Nation

2005-03-22T04:31:00.000-08:00

In medieval universities, a group of students from a particular region or country who banded together for mutual protection and cooperation in a strange land. In some universities nations were responsible for educating and examining students. Each one was governed by its own proctor, who was elected for terms varying from one month (at the University of Paris) to

Frame, Janet

2005-03-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

Frame's early years were traumatic. Her childhood was marked by poverty and the drowning deaths of two sisters, and in 1945, while studying to be a teacher, she suffered a breakdown. Misdiagnosed

Oradea

2005-03-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

One of the first feudal states in the area, a principality ruled by Prince Menumorut in the 9th–10th centuries, was centred on a citadel

Jubba River

2005-03-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Fed by rainfall in its source area, where the main rainy season coincides with the dry season

Switzerland, Tourism

2005-03-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

International tourist receipts amount to a considerable sum in Switzerland, but expenditures by Swiss abroad are also significant. Whatever surplus occurs is used to cover any deficit in the Swiss balance of payments. During the Middle Ages healing spas such as Baden, Bad Pfäfers, Leukerbad, and Rheinfelden flourished, while mountain-pass hospices such as those

Sesostris Ii

2005-03-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Following the established practice of his dynasty, Sesostris spent three years as his father's coregent. In year 1 of this period, a

Tabari, At-

2005-03-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Obviously, at-Tabari could not sustain his preference for reports originating with the Prophet and the pious scholars of the early community known as as-salaf. His judgment of a report's reliability was now based upon the largely theoretical criterion that it should originate with either an eyewitness or a contemporary informant. This posed a problem for which at-Tabar

Caucasian Languages, Abkhazo-Adyghian languages

2005-03-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Abkhazo-Adyghian group consists of the Abkhaz, Abaza, Adyghian, Kabardian, and Ubykh languages. Adyghians and Kabardians are often considered members of a larger, Circassian group. Abkhaz, with about 90,000 speakers, is spoken in Abkhazia (the southern slopes of the western Greater Caucasus, Georgia). The other languages are spread over the northern slopes of the western

Clare Of Assisi, Saint

2005-03-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

Deeply influenced by St. Francis of Assisi, she refused to marry as her parents wished and fled (March 18, 1212) to the Porziuncola Chapel below Assisi, where Francis received her vows, thus marking the beginning of the Second Order of St. Francis. Many joined

Andrew, Saint

2005-03-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Peter and Andrew—whose Greek name means “Manly”—were called from their fishing by Jesus to follow him, promising that he would make them fishers of men. With Saints Peter, James, and John,

Scaevola, Publius Mucius

2005-03-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

In 133, Scaevola

Bartoli, Daniello

2005-03-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Bartoli entered the Society of Jesus in 1623 and wrote the well-known and frequently translated L'uomo di lettere difeso ed emendato (1645; The Learned Man Defended and Reformed). In addition to writing a history of the Jesuits in Italian, Istoria della Compagnia

Dielectric

2005-03-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Insulating material or a very poor conductor of electric current. When dielectrics are placed in an electric field, practically no current flows in them because, unlike metals, they have no loosely bound, or free, electrons that may drift through the material. Instead, electric polarization occurs. The positive charges within the dielectric are displaced minutely

Welch, Elisabeth Margaret

2005-03-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

American-born British musical theatre and cabaret singer (b. Feb. 27, 1904, New York, N.Y.—d. July 15, 2003, Northolt, Middlesex, Eng.), was known for her show-stopping performances in plays by Cole Porter, Ivor Novello, and Noël Coward. Welch began her career in New York City, where she created a sensation in 1931 with her rendition of Porter's “Love for Sale.” She was a cabaret singer in Paris before becoming

Lupus Erythematosus

2005-03-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Discoid lupus affects only the skin and does not usually involve internal organs. The term discoid refers to a rash of distinct reddened patches covered with grayish brown scales that may appear on the

Quaker

2005-03-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

Byname of Friend, member of a Christian group (the Society of Friends, or Friends church) that stresses the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that rejects outward rites and an ordained ministry, and that has a long tradition of actively working for peace and opposing war. George Fox, founder of the society in England, recorded that in 1650 “Justice Bennet of Derby first called us Quakers because

Nuclear Family

2005-03-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Also called elementary family in sociology and anthropology, a group of persons united by ties of marriage and parenthood or adoption and consisting of a man, a woman, and their socially recognized children. This unit was once widely held to be the most basic and universal form of social organization. Anthropological research, however, has illuminated so much variability of this form that it is

Fisher, Bud

2005-03-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

After attending the University of Chicago, Fisher worked as a journalist in San Francisco, where for the San Francisco Chronicle he originated “Mr. Mutt” in 1907. Soon he added Jeff, the short one of the pair and usually the loser in their encounters. Originally a sports cartoonist,

Priesthood, Christianity

2005-03-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

At this critical juncture in Judaism, Christianity, with its own particular conception of priesthood and sacrificial redemption, began in Palestine and rapidly spread throughout the surrounding regions in the Greco-Roman world. In the New Testament the imminent destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and its worship is predicted, and the culmination of its high

Ant

2005-03-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Any member of the approximately 8,000 species of the insect family Formicidae (order Hymenoptera). Ants occur worldwide but are especially common in hot climates. All ants are social in habit; i.e., they live together in organized colonies, and they range in size from 2 to about 25 millimetres (about 0.08 to 1 inch). Their colour is usually yellow, brown, red, or black. A few genera

Weissenfels

2005-03-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

City, Saxony-Anhalt Land (state), eastern Germany. It lies on the right bank of the Saale River, south of Halle. A German town on the site of an old Slav settlement, it was chartered in 1185, when it belonged to the Saxon House of Wettin. It was the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Weissenfels from 1656 to 1746 and passed to Prussia in 1815. The Baroque castle (1660–93) is preserved, and the town museum has a notable

Kuang-hsü

2005-03-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

When the previous emperor died, his mother, the empress dowager Tz'u-hsi, chose her four-year-old nephew

Shamanism, American Indians

2005-03-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Among many North American tribes shamanism constitutes the most important aspect of the religious life. The shaman is characterized by the supernatural power he acquires as the result of a direct personal experience. This power is obtained either spontaneously or after a voluntary quest, but in either case the future shaman has to undergo certain initiatory

Fructose

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

A member of a group of carbohydrates known as simple sugars, or monosaccharides. Fructose, along with glucose, occurs in fruits, honey, and syrups; it also occurs in certain vegetables. It is a component, along with glucose, of the disaccharide sucrose, or common table sugar. Phosphate derivatives of fructose (e.g., fructose-1-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate) are important

Agricola, Martin

2005-03-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Agricola was self-taught, called to music “from the plough,” as his chosen surname suggests. He worked

Arts, Central Asian, Folk music

2005-03-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Generally characterized by a scarcity of musicians and musical instruments, folk music of this region is predominantly a matter of solo playing and singing, small ensembles, and a complete lack of musical notation or codified musical theory. In their general types, the musical instruments are closely related to those of Persia and the Middle East, but specific

Papinian

2005-03-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

Papinian held high public office under the emperor Septimius Severus (reigned AD 193–211) and became vice president of the Consilium Principis,

Dacang Jing

2005-03-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Ta-ts'ang Ching Japanese Daizo-kyo the total body of Buddhist literature deemed canonical in China and Japan and comprising works of the most varied character numbering more than 2,000 in the standard Chinese edition and more than 3,000 in the latest Japanese edition. Unlike canons of the southern Buddhist schools, this vast “storehouse” continued to expand for many centuries. It began with translations of

Badarian Culture

2005-03-07T03:41:00.000-08:00

Although the Badarians apparently continued the agricultural and pastoral practices of the Tasians (see Tasian

Disasters

2005-03-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

January 2-3, Fiji. Deadly Cyclone Kina ripped across the islands and caused widespread damage with winds swirling to 185 km/h (115 mph); at least 12 persons were known dead, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and three major bridges were washed

Pribilof Islands

2005-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Also called Fur Seal Islands, islands of Alaska, U.S., including St. Paul (35 square miles [91 square km]), St. George (27 square miles), and two islets lying in the Bering Sea, about 300 miles (500 km) west of the mainland and 180 miles north of the Aleutian Islands. The islands were first visited in 1786 by Gavril Pribylov, a Russian sea captain, who discovered their fur seal rookeries. Control of the islands was transferred from Russia

Kume Masao

2005-03-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

As a student, Kume was associated with the writers Akutagawa Ryunosuke and Kikuchi Kan on the famous school literary journal Shinshicho (“New Currents of Thought”). He had started writing haiku in high school and published a book of poetry in 1914, but before graduating from

Athenry

2005-03-04T03:15:00.000-08:00

Irish Baile Átha An Rí (“Town of the King's Ford”) market town, County Galway, Ireland. It was founded in the 13th century during the Anglo-Norman colonization. Much of the medieval town wall (1211) survives, together with the keep of the castle (1235) and part of the Dominican priory (founded 1241), which was specifically exempted from Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. Pop. (1986) 1,642.

Cohen, Hermann

2005-03-04T00:26:00.000-08:00

Cohen was the son of a cantor, and he studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau and at the University of Berlin before receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Halle in

Blondin

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

When he was five years old he was sent to the École de Gymnase at Lyon, and after six months' training as an acrobat he made his first public appearance as “the Little

Lauterbrunnen

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

Town, Bern canton, south-central Switzerland, in the Bernese Oberland, on the Lütschine River, south of Interlaken. The river valley is bounded by impressive cliffs of 1,000–1,500 feet (300–450 m) and is noted for its Alpine streams and waterfalls, from which the name Lauterbrunnen (“Clear Fountains”) is derived. The most notable falls are the Staubbach and the Trümmelbach. The town is a year-round

International Law, Antarctica

2005-03-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

The Antarctic Treaty (1959) prevents militarization of the Antarctic continent and suspends territorial claims by states for the life of the treaty. Because it provides no mechanism for its termination, however, a continuing and open-ended regime has been created. There also are various agreements that protect Antarctica's environment.

East Devon

2005-03-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Devon, southwestern England, in the southeastern part of the county and bordering Lyme Bay of the English Channel to the south. East Devon is historically known for its handmade lace and carpet-making industries in the eastern interior market towns of Honiton and Axminster. High-quality limestone has been quarried

Palace

2005-03-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

After the Middle Ages the ornate homes of the nobility of all ranks in England, France,

Smith, Alfred E(manuel)

2005-03-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

When his father died, young Smith interrupted his schooling and went to work for seven years at the Fulton fish market in New York City to help support his family. His political career was launched in 1895, when Tammany Hall—the

Nahman Ben Simhah Of Bratslav

2005-02-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

The great-grandson of the Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement, Nahman was an ascetic from childhood. Married at age 13, he became a self-appointed religious leader and teacher at about age 20. After studying (1798–99) in Tiberius,

Finland, Justice

2005-02-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

The Finnish judiciary is independent of the legislature and executive; judges are removable only by judicial sentence. There are municipal and rural district courts, held in cities and towns by the chief judge (oikeuspormestari) and assistants and in the country by a judge and jurors. Appeal from these courts lies to courts of appeal in Helsinki, Turku, Vaasa, Kuopio,

Insurance, Group life insurance

2005-02-27T21:48:00.000-08:00

Under group life insurance an employer signs a master contract with the insurance company outlining the provisions of the plan. Each employee receives a certificate that gives evidence of participation in the plan. The amount of insurance depends on the employee's salary or job classification; usually the employer pays a portion of the premium and the employee

Prickly Poppy

2005-02-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

Also called Argemony any of approximately 30 species of the genus Argemone, North American and West Indian plants belonging to the poppy family (Papaveraceae). Most have spiny leaves, yellow or orange sap, and prickly fruits. Some species have become naturalized in arid regions of South America, Asia, and Africa. Prickly poppies are cultivated as garden ornamentals but frequently become

Goa

2005-02-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

Goa, with a coastline of 65 miles, is hilly and includes a portion of the Western Ghats rising to nearly 4,000 feet. The two largest rivers are the Mandavi and Zuari, between the mouths of which lies the island of Goa (Ilhas). The island is triangular, the apex (called the cape) being a rocky headland separating the harbour of Goa into two anchorages. There are three principal cities in

Con Son

2005-02-26T02:55:00.000-08:00

The

Pigweed

2005-02-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

Any of several coarse annual plants of cosmopolitan distribution that are often troublesome weeds. Several of them belong to the genus Amaranthus, of the family Amaranthaceae. Prostrate pigweed, or mat amaranth (A. graecizans), grows along the ground surface with stems rising at the tips; spiny pigweed, or spiny amaranth (A. spinosus), has spines at the base of the leafstalks;

Earth Sciences, Seismology and the structure of the Earth

2005-02-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Earthquake study was institutionalized in 1880 with the formation of the Seismological Society of Japan under the leadership of the English geologist John Milne. Milne and his associates invented the first accurate seismographs, including the instrument later known as the Milne seismograph. Seismology has revealed much about the structure of the Earth's core,

Ameghino, Florentino

2005-02-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

Ameghino's family immigrated to Argentina when he was a small child. He began collecting fossils as a youth and soon developed an interest

Dipteran, Annotated classification

2005-02-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Characterized by large squamae (calypters that join base of wing to thorax); Scatophagidae

Augustus, Caesar

2005-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Augustus was one of the great administrative geniuses of history. The gigantic work of reorganization that he carried out in every field of Roman life and throughout the entire empire not only transformed the decaying republic into a new, monarchic regime with many centuries of life ahead of it but also created a durable Roman peace, based on easy communications

Burbank

2005-02-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

City, Los Angeles county, California, U.S., in the San Fernando Valley. Part of Rancho San Rafael and La Providencia, it was laid out in 1887 by the Providencia Land, Water and Development Company and named for David Burbank, a Los Angeles dentist who had established a sheep ranch there in 1867. An early truck-manufacturing and motion-picture centre, its growth was rapid during the

Gartok

2005-02-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Wade-Giles) Ka-erh-tu, Ka-ta-k'o, or (Pinyin) Garyarsa, town in the Tibetan autonomous ch'ü (region), western China. It is located at an elevation of 14,630 feet (4,460 m) at the foot of the Kailas Range on the Gar (Ka-erh) River, which is one of the headwaters of the Yin-tu (Indus) River. Gartok is an important route centre on the main road through the southern Tibetan region from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, to Jammu and Kashmir. Historically Gartok

Sabre-toothed Cat

2005-02-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

Any of the extinct carnivores forming the subfamily Machairodontinae of the cat family, Felidae. Sabre-toothed cats are named for the pair of elongated, bladelike canine teeth they possessed in the upper jaw. They are often called sabre-toothed tigers or sabre-toothed lions, although the lion and tiger are of a different subfamily of felids, the true cats

Botta, Paul-émile

2005-02-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

The son of a distinguished historian, Carlo Botta, he was educated as a physician. In 1842 he secured an appointment

Gabbai

2005-02-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Plural Gabbaim, or Gabbais, treasurer or honorary official of a Jewish Orthodox congregation, often placed in charge of funds used for charity. The office is a carry-over from former times, when men whose reputations were above reproach collected funds for charity. These gabba'e tzedaqa were so esteemed that no financial reports were ever asked for. The Talmud, nonetheless, insisted that they

Earth Sciences, Water vapour in the atmosphere

2005-02-20T03:44:00.000-08:00

After 1760 the analytical chemists at last demonstrated that water and air are not the same substance in different guises. Long before this development, however, investigators had begun to draw a distinction between water vapour and air. Otto von Guericke, a German physicist and engineer, produced artificial clouds by releasing air from one flask into another one from

Haratin

2005-02-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Scholars speculate that the Haratin came into being as a result of ancient interbreeding between indigenous blacks and Indo-Europeans, possibly Berbers. In the 17th century they were forcibly recruited

Abominable Snowman

2005-02-19T02:47:00.000-08:00

Tibetan Yeti mythical monster supposed to inhabit the Himalayas at about the level of the snow line. Though reports of actual sightings of such a creature are rare, certain mysterious markings in the snow have traditionally been attributed to it. Those not caused by lumps of snow or stones falling from higher regions and bouncing across the lower slopes have probably been produced

Aiken

2005-02-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Aiken county, western South Carolina, U.S. Aiken lies 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Augusta, Georgia. It was chartered in 1835 and named for the railroad entrepreneur William Aiken. The city was originally a health resort. During the American Civil War the Confederate forces of General Joseph Wheeler defeated General Hugh J. Kilpatrick's Union troops in the town's main

Gmunden

2005-02-18T02:41:00.000-08:00

Town, Oberösterreich Bundesland (“federal state”), north-central Austria, where the Traun River flows out of the Traunsee, a mountain lake. The site of Celtic and Roman settlements, Gmunden was fortified in the 12th century and chartered in the 13th. Its Baroque parish church on 13th-century foundations was consecrated in 1723, and the town hall dates from 1659. Once an important centre

Andaman And Nicobar Islands, The people

2005-02-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

The Nicobarese probably descend from both Malay and Myanmar (Mon or Talaing) peoples. Their dialects belong to the Mon-Khmer language group; English, Burmese, and Hindustani also are spoken. Most of the population is Hindu, although Christianity has been widely adopted and there is also a significant Muslim minority. The coconut and betel nut are major crops, and yams

Van Horne, Sir William Cornelius

2005-02-17T04:36:00.000-08:00

Van Horne worked as a telegraph operator on the Illinois Central Railroad. By 1880 he was general superintendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad system. In 1881 he became general manager of the Canadian Pacific

Allée

2005-02-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

The allée normally passed through a planted boscage (a small wood); in the 17th century the boscage was square-trimmed at the sides and on top; later the sides were

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation

2005-02-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Burlington Northern, Inc., arose out of the merger of the Great Northern Railway Company, the Northern Pacific Railway Company, and the Chicago,

Suppiluliumas I

2005-02-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

Suppiluliumas'

Esref Dynasty

2005-02-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

The dynasty traced its origins to a Turkmen tribe that was settled by the Seljuqs of Anatolia on the western frontier. The family's founder, Esref oglu Sayfeddin Süleyman I, was a Seljuq emir who played an important role in Seljuq dynastic struggles during the reign (1283–98) of the Seljuq sultan Mas'ud

Japanese Spaniel

2005-02-14T03:48:00.000-08:00

Also called Japanese Chin, breed of toy dog that originated in China and was introduced to Japan, where it was kept by royalty. The breed became known in the West when Commodore Matthew Perry returned from Japan in 1853 with several dogs that had been presented to him. The Japanese spaniel is a compact, dainty-looking dog with large, dark eyes, a short muzzle, and a heavily plumed tail that curls over its

Sill

2005-02-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

Also called sheet tabular igneous intrusion emplaced parallel to the bedding of the enclosing rock. Although they may have vertical to horizontal orientations, nearly horizontal sills are the most common. Sills may be a fraction of an inch to hundreds of feet thick and up to hundreds of miles long. Rock compositions of all types are found in sills; the famous basic sills have received

Dadra And Nagar Haveli

2005-02-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

Dadra and Nagar Haveli came under

Kubrick, Stanley

2005-02-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

Having become interested in photography in high school, Kubrick became a staff photographer

Wang T'ao

2005-02-12T03:38:00.000-08:00

Wang's sympathy with the long, widespread Taiping Rebellion in South China (1850–64) aroused the enmity of officials in the Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1911) government. Forced to flee to British-controlled Hong

Mela, Pomponius

2005-02-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Author of the only ancient treatise on geography in classical Latin, De situ orbis (“A Description of the World”), also known as De chorographia (“Concerning Chorography”). Written about AD 43 or 44, it remained influential until the beginning of the age of exploration, 13 centuries later. Though probably intended for the general reader, Mela's geography was cited by Pliny the Elder

Ruyter, Michiel Adriaanszoon De

2005-02-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

Employed at sea at the age of nine, de Ruyter by 1635 had become a merchant captain. After serving as

Susanoo

2005-02-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Susanoo descended into the land of Izumo in western Japan

Denbighshire

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

Welsh Sir Ddinbych county of northern Wales extending inland from the Irish Sea coast. The present county of Denbighshire includes the Vale of Clwyd along the River Clwyd and an inland area between the Clwydian Range in the east and the Clocaenog Forest in the west that ascends to the Berwyn mountains in the south. The lower Vale of Clywd and the seacoast are part of the historic county

Sevilla

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

City, Cauca departamento, western Colombia, on an abutment of the Cordillera Central. Founded as San Luis in 1903 by Heraclio Uribe Uribe, the city was renamed for Sevilla, Spain, when it became a municipality in 1914. Gold, silver, and platinum mines are nearby, and agricultural products (beef, coffee, sugar, tobacco, cacao, bananas, cassava, and cereals) are marketed. Pop. (1993) 51,081; (1999 est.) 62,316.

Biblical Literature, Haggai

2005-02-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Book of Haggai, the 10th book of the Twelve (Minor) Prophets, is a brief work of only two chapters. Written about 520 BCE by the prophet Haggai, the book contains four oracles. The first oracle calls for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judaea, and Joshua, the high priest, to rebuild the Temple (chapter 1, verses 1–11). A drought and poor harvests, according to Haggai, had been caused because the

Breckinridge, John C(abell)

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

His formal expulsion from the Senate in December was a meaningless gesture because he had already been commissioned a brigadier general in the Confederate Army in November. After the Battle of Shiloh (April 6–7, 1862), in which he commanded the reserve, he was promoted to the rank of major general and thereafter took part in many campaigns, including Vicksburg (June 1863), the Wilderness (May 1864), and Shenandoah Valley (1864–65). In the final months of the war, Breckinridge served as Confederate secretary of war, and at the end of the hostilities he fled to England. After a self-imposed exile of three years, he returned to resume his law practice in Lexington, where he died seven years later.

Gruffydd, William John

2005-02-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

Educated at the University of Oxford, Gruffydd was appointed professor of Celtic at University College in Cardiff, Wales, a position

Tunisia, Transportation

2005-02-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

The network of roads and railways is sufficiently dense so that all cities of any importance are linked with the interior. Tunisia is connected by both road and rail to Algeria and Morocco but only by road to Libya (Tripoli), and to Egypt (Cairo), since the railway ends at Qabis. Work is underway to modernize and extend the railway network. The principal port is Tunis-Halq