ViolentSail

Tacitus

2005-04-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

In the 40 years before Tacitus assumed power the empire was ruled by a succession of usurpers and emperors who had been career army officers. On the murder of the emperor Aurelian in 275, the army council invited the Senate to select a nobleman as head of state. The Senate delayed six months before choosing (September

Bahr Az-zaraf

2005-04-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

From 1946 the CSU has held the government of Bavaria continuously with only one exception, in 1954–57, though it was forced to

Gippsland

2005-04-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Region of southeastern Victoria, Australia, extending northeast from Western Port (near Melbourne) to the New South Wales border and south from the Eastern Highlands to the coast, with an area of 13,600 square miles (35,200 square km). Fertile and well watered (34 inches [860 mm] annually), Gippsland is the focus of the state's dairy industry, supplying most of Melbourne's liquid milk. Lignite

Ksar El-boukhari

2005-04-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Also called Boghari, town, north-central Algeria. Lying along the Chelif River at the junction of the High Plateau and the Atlas Mountains, the town is almost totally surrounded by wooded mountain ridges. The old walled quarter (ksar) is on a hill, overlooking the modern town. Ksar el-Boukhari is a commercial centre for pastoral peoples of the interior, who trade in wool, livestock, and cereals.

Azhari, Isma'il Al-

2005-04-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Educated at Gordon Memorial College at Khartoum and at the American University of Beirut, al-Azhari became president of the Graduates' General Congress in 1940. At first concerned primarily with educational and social reforms, the

Mcphatter, Clyde

2005-04-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

One of the most dramatic vocalists of his generation, McPhatter grew up in a devout Christian family that moved from North Carolina to New Jersey in the mid-1940s. There, together with some high school friends (including two of author James

Gene Flow

2005-04-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

Also called gene migration the introduction of genetic material (by interbreeding) from one population of a species to another, thereby changing the composition of the gene pool of the receiving population. The introduction of new alleles through gene flow increases variability within the population and makes possible new combinations of traits. In human beings gene flow usually comes

Andersen, Hans Christian

2005-04-01T00:19:00.000-08:00

Elias Bredsdorff, Hans Christian Andersen: The Story of His Life and Work, 1805–75 (1975, reissued 1994); Bo Grønbech, Hans Christian Andersen (1980); Sven Hakon Rossel (ed.), Hans Christian Andersen: Danish Writer and Citizen of the World (1996); and Jackie Wullschläger, Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller (2000).

Rourke, Constance Mayfield

2005-03-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

After earning an A.B. from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., (1907) and studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, Rourke taught English at Vassar. In 1915 she resigned, thereafter working as a research historian and free-lance writer devoted to defining the historical aspects

Cabot Family

2005-03-30T04:54:00.000-08:00

John and his son Joseph were highly successful merchants, trading in rum and slaves and also operating a fleet of privateers. Joseph's son George Cabot furthered the family fortune, but he is best remembered for

Thompson, Edward Herbert

2005-03-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Though lacking formal training in archaeology, Thompson was an enthusiastic antiquarian. In 1879 he published a paper suggesting that Mayan civilization may have originated

Canada Act

2005-03-29T06:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Constitution Act 1982, Canada's constitution approved by the British Parliament on March 25, 1982, and proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II on April 17, 1982, making Canada wholly independent. The document contains the original statute that established the Canadian Confederation in 1867 (the British North America Act), the amendments made to it by the British Parliament over the years, and new material resulting

Hand, Learned

2005-03-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

In full Billings Learned Hand American jurist whose tough and sometimes profound mind, philosophical skepticism, and faith in the United States were employed throughout a record tenure as a federal judge (52 years, from April 10, 1909, until his death). Although he was never a justice of the Supreme Court, he is generally considered to have been a greater judge than all but a

Scandinavian Literature, National Romanticism

2005-03-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

The literature of the mid-19th century, known as Norway's “national Romanticism,” continued to reflect the country's larger aspirations. The compilation and publication, between 1841 and 1844, of Norske folkeeventyr (“Norwegian Folk Tales”) by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe—and the 1853 collection by Magnus Brostrup Landstad, Norske folkeviser (“Norwegian Folk

Indiana

2005-03-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

Constituent state of the United States of America. The state sits, as its motto claims, at “the crossroads of America.” It borders Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan on the north, Ohio on the east, Kentucky on the south, and Illinois on the west, making it an integral part of the Midwest. Indiana's 36,185 square miles (93,720 square kilometres) also make it, except for Hawaii, the smallest

Sha'rani, Ash-

2005-03-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Throughout his life Sha'rani was influenced by the pattern of his education. His introduction and exposure to Islamic learning were limited; his formal education was concerned with the 'ulum al-wahb (“gifted knowledge of the mystic”), as opposed to a traditional and rigorous study of Islamic sciences.

Paradzhanov, Sergey Yosifovich

2005-03-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

Paradzhanov studied music at the Tbilisi Conservatory and cinema at the State Institute of Cinematography. In 1952 he joined the Kiev Dovzhenko Studios, but the early motion pictures that he

Aleijadinho

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

Aleijadinho was born deformed (his sobriquet means “Little Cripple”). He eventually lost the use of his hands and finally became blind,

Tiwi

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

Resort town, southeastern Luzon, Philippines. It is situated along Lagonoy Gulf of the Philippine Sea. The town lies in a bed of volcanic vents over an active geothermal area; through the vents, sulfurous live steam pours continuously. Tiwi Hot Springs National Park is nearby; there tourists can boil food in the steaming water. There are local handicraft industries

Abaza Language

2005-03-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

Language spoken primarily in the western part of the Caucasus Mountains and in northeastern Turkey. Abaza is related to Abkhaz, Adyghian, Kabardian (Circassian), and Ubykh, which constitute the Abkhazo-Adyghian, or Northwest Caucasian, language group. These languages are noted for the great number of distinctive consonants and the limited number of distinctive

Aluminum Company Of America

2005-03-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

(Alcoa), American corporation founded in 1888 (as the Pittsburgh Reduction Company) and now a leading producer of aluminum. Its operations range from mining bauxite and other ores to smelting and processing aluminum, fabricating aluminum products, and marketing and shipping. It has majority ownership of Alcoa of Australia Limited, a leading producer of aluminum oxide

Anazarbus

2005-03-23T02:23:00.000-08:00

In full Caesarea ad Anazarbus , modern Agaçli , formerly Çeçenanavarza former city of the ancient province of Cilicia in Anatolia that was important in the Roman and Byzantine periods. It was located in what is now south-central Turkey. The original native settlement was refounded by the Romans in 19 BC, following a visit by Augustus. It rivaled Tarsus, the Cilician capital, in the 3rd century AD, and under Diocletian became the seat of the separate

Nara

2005-03-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

City, Nara ken (prefecture), southern Honshu, Japan. The city of Nara, the prefectural capital, is located in the hilly northeastern edge of the Nara Basin, 25 miles (40 km) east of Osaka. It was the national capital of Japan from 710 to 784—when it was called Heijo-kyo—and retains the atmosphere of ancient Japan. The city is most noted for the many ancient Japanese Buddhist buildings and artifacts

Nabokov, Vladimir

2005-03-22T03:26:00.000-08:00

Nabokov was born into an old aristocratic family. His father, V.D. Nabokov, was a leader of the pre-Revolutionary liberal

Sorites

2005-03-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

In syllogistic, or traditional, logic, a chain of successive syllogisms—or units of argument that pass from two premises (a major and then a minor) to a conclusion—in the first figure (i.e., with the middle, or repeated, term as the subject of the major and the predicate of the minor premise)—so related that either the conclusion of each (except the last) is the minor premise of

New Albany

2005-03-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1819) of Floyd county, southeastern Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (bridged) opposite Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1813 by Joel, Abner, and Nathaniel Scribner, who named the settlement for their hometown, Albany, New York. By the 1840s and early '50s, New Albany had become the largest city in Indiana and an important steamboat-building centre (the famous riverboats

Dis Pater

2005-03-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

(Latin: Rich Father), in Roman religion, god of the infernal regions, the equivalent of the Greek Hades (q.v.), or Pluto (Rich One). Also known to the Romans as Orcus, he was believed to be the brother of Jupiter and was greatly feared. His wife, Proserpina (a Roman corruption of the Greek Persephone [q.v.]), was identified with vegetation, being regarded as a goddess of death during her

Game

2005-03-20T01:05:00.000-08:00

In gastronomy, the flesh of any wild animal or bird. Game is usually classified according to three categories: (1) small birds, such as the thrush and quail; (2) game proper, a category that can be subdivided into winged game, such as the goose, duck, woodcock, grouse or partridge, and pheasant; and ground game, such as the squirrel, hare, and rabbit; (3) big game, predominantly venison, including

Hoover Dam

2005-03-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

Formerly called Boulder Dam, dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River, at the Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. Constructed between 1930 and 1936 and originally named Boulder Dam, it was renamed in 1947 to honour President Herbert Hoover. Hoover Dam is the highest concrete arch dam in the United States. It impounds Lake Mead, which extends for 115 miles (185 km) upstream and is one of the largest manmade lakes in the world. The dam

Peters, Carl

2005-03-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

After visiting London to study British principles of colonization, Peters founded the Society for German Colonization in 1884 and later that year, in the Usambara Mountains area

Lancewood

2005-03-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Tough, heavy, elastic, straight-grained wood obtained from several different trees of the custard-apple family (Annonaceae). True lancewood, Oxandra lanceolata, of the West Indies and Guianas, furnishes most of the lancewood of commerce in the form of spars about 13 feet (4 m) in length and 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter at the small end. Lancewood was formerly used by carriage builders

Alfonso Viii

2005-03-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

Before Alfonso came of age his reign was troubled by internal strife and the intervention of the kingdom of Navarre in Castilian affairs. Throughout his reign he maintained a close alliance with the kingdom of Aragon, and in 1179 he concluded the Pact of Cazorla, which settled

Dwight, John

2005-03-18T01:27:00.000-08:00

After taking the degree of bachelor of civil law at Christ Church, Oxford, Dwight was appointed registrar and scribe to the diocese of Chester. In 1665 he moved to Wigan and sometime between 1671 and 1674 moved to Fulham, London. In 1671 Dwight took out a patent for “transparent earthenware, commonly knowne

A Priori Knowledge

2005-03-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

In Western philosophy since the time of Immanuel Kant, knowledge that is independent of all particular experiences, as opposed to a posteriori knowledge, which derives from experience alone. The Latin phrases a priori (“from what is before”) and a posteriori (“from what is after”) were used in philosophy originally to distinguish between arguments from causes and arguments

Syrinx

2005-03-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

The vocal organ of birds, located at the base of the windpipe (trachea), where the trachea divides into the bronchi (tubes that connect the trachea with the lungs). The syrinx is lacking in the New World vultures (Cathartidae), which can only hiss and grunt, but reaches great complexity in the songbirds, in which it consists of paired specialized cartilages and membranes

île-de-france

2005-03-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

Région encompassing the north-central French départements of Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, and Yvelines and roughly coextensive with the historical region of the Île-de-France. The capital is Paris. The région is bounded by the départements of Eure to the northwest, Oise and Aisne to the north, Marne, Aube, and Yonne

Performing Arts, Britain.

2005-03-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

Some of the best films of the year

'abbas Mirza

2005-03-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Although he was not the eldest son of Fath 'Ali Shah (1797–1834), 'Abbas Mirza was named crown prince and appointed governor of the province of Azerbaijan in 1798 or 1799. When war broke out between Russia and Iran in 1804, he was made commander of the Iranian expeditionary

Arno River

2005-03-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Italian Fiume Arno, Latin Arnus, principal stream of the Toscana (Tuscany) region, in central Italy. Rising on the slopes of Monte Falterona in the Tuscan Apennines, it flows for 150 mi (240 km) to the Ligurian Sea, receiving the Sieve, Pesa, Elsa, and Era rivers. Its drainage basin covers 3,184 sq mi (8,247 sq km). Navigation on the river is negligible. In its upper course the Arno flows generally south through the former lake basin

Durham

2005-03-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Town (township), Strafford county, southeastern New Hampshire, U.S., on the Oyster River just southwest of Dover. Settled in 1635, it was known as the parish of Oyster River until it was incorporated in 1732 and named for Durham, England. A series of savage Indian attacks began in 1675; in 1694 the town was burned, and more than 100 residents were killed or captured. During the American

Tarboosh

2005-03-13T03:17:00.000-08:00

The tarboosh, which is of

Louis, Victor

2005-03-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

After at least seven unsuccessful attempts, Louis won the Prix de Rome in 1755. While in Rome (1756–59), he offended the director of the Academy there, Charles Joseph Natoire, and this social misstep resulted in his subsequent exclusion from

Tibet, Settlement patterns

2005-03-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

Tibet was traditionally divided into three regions, or Chol-kha-gsum (Chol-kha means “region”; gsum means “three”). The Dbus-Gtsang region stretches from Mnga'-ris skor-gsum at the border of Jammu and Kashmir to Sog-la skya-bo near the town of Sog. The Khams, or Mdo-stod, region consists of the territory between Sog-la skya-bo and the upper bend of the Huang Ho (Yellow River), now located

Henequen

2005-03-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

(Agave fourcroydes), plant of the family agave (Agavaceae) and its fibre, third in importance among the leaf fibre (q.v.) group. Varieties of A. fourcroydes include ixtli, longifolia, minima, and rigida. The henequen plant is native to Mexico, where it has been a source of textile fibre since pre-Columbian times. It was introduced to Cuba in the 19th century, becoming the country's

Menderes River

2005-03-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

Turkish Büyük Menderes Nehri , historically Maeander river, southwestern Turkey. It rises on the Anatolian plateau south and west of Afyon and flows westward through a narrow valley and canyon. At Sarayköy it expands into a broad, flat-bottomed valley with a typical Mediterranean landscape, dotted with fig trees, olive groves, and vineyards. Near the town of Aydin the river turns southwest, emptying into the Aegean Sea

China, Food production

2005-03-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

The primary Neolithic crops, domesticated by the 5th millennium BC, were drought-resistant millet (usually Setaria italica), grown on the eolian or alluvial loess soils of the northwest and the north, and glutenous rice (Oryza sativa), grown in the wetlands of the southeast. These staples were supplemented by a variety of fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and aquatic plants.

Bantock, Sir Granville

2005-03-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

After preparing for the Indian civil service, Bantock studied at Trinity College of Music, London, and the Royal Academy of Music, London. He was active as a conductor, founded and edited the New Quarterly Music Review (1893–96), and succeeded Sir Edward Elgar as professor

Italian Literature, The Hermetic movement

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

Poetry in the fascist period underwent a process of involution, partly influenced by French Symbolism, with its faith in the mystical power of words, and partly under the stress of changed political conditions after World War I, during which literature had declined. Many poets of the wartime generation, weary of tradition and rhetoric, had been seeking new expression:

Ashbery, John

2005-03-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

Ashbery graduated from Harvard University in 1949 and received a master's degree from Columbia University (N.Y.) in 1951. After working as a copywriter in New York City (1951–55), he lived in Paris until 1965, contributing art criticism to the Paris edition of the New York Herald-Tribune and to

Clifford (of Chudleigh), Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron

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

Clifford matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, in 1647 and entered the Middle Temple in 1648. In Parliament in 1660–61 he became a steady supporter of Henry Bennett (who became Lord Arlington in 1665) in opposition to the chancellor, the Earl of Clarendon. Knighted in 1664 and appointed

East Hertfordshire

2005-03-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

East Hertfordshire district is largely undulating and rural, characterized by medieval manor houses and thatched cottages. The River Lea, navigable to barge traffic from the London docks to the town of Hertford, drains the

Furniture, Japan

2005-03-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Thin

Hale, Nathan

2005-03-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Yale University (1773) and a schoolteacher, Hale joined a Connecticut regiment in 1775, served in the siege of Boston, and was commissioned a captain (1776). He went to New York with William Heath's brigade and is said to have participated in

Alexander Iii

2005-03-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

Original name Rolando Bandinelli pope from 1159 to 1181, a vigorous exponent of papal authority, which he defended against challenges by the Holy Roman emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England.

Roman Curia

2005-03-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Latin Curia Romana, the group of various Vatican bureaus that assist the pope in the day-to-day exercise of his primatial jurisdiction over the Roman Catholic church. The result of a long evolution from the early centuries of Christianity, the Curia was given its modern form by Pope Sixtus V late in the 16th century. The work of the Curia has traditionally been associated with the members

Aurora

2005-03-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

City, Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties, north-central Colorado, U.S. An eastern suburb of Denver, Aurora was the third most populous city in Colorado at the start of the 21st century and, occupying 280 square miles (725 square km), the state's largest city in area. Founded during the silver boom of 1891 and named Fletcher after its Canadian-born founder, Donald Fletcher, it flourished

Permafrost, Structures on piles

2005-03-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Piles are used to support many, if not most, structures built on ice-rich permafrost. In regions of cold winters, many pile foundations are in ground subject to seasonal freezing and, therefore, possibly subject to the damaging effect of frost heaving, which tends to displace the pile upward and thus to disturb the foundation of the structure. The displacement of piling

Tasmania, Demographic trends

2005-03-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Tasmania continues to have a higher birth rate than most other states, but, as in Australia generally, crude birth rates have tended to fall, average birth rates declining in the middle and late 20th century. Birth rates are lower in the cities than in the smaller towns and rural areas. Death rates remain fairly constant. Infant mortality rates are among the lowest in

San Lucas, Cape

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

Spanish Cabo San Lucas, extreme southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The rocky headland forms the southern extremity of the Sierra de San Lazaro and includes the western shore of San Lucas Bay. The isolated town of San Lucas lies 2 miles (3 km) north of the cape.

Ecorse

2005-03-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

City, Wayne county, Michigan, U.S. It lies along the Detroit River and is one of several contiguous southwest suburbs of Detroit known as downriver communities. Settled about 1815 on the site of an Indian camp and burial ground, it was called Grandport and developed in the early 20th century with the growth of the Ford Motor Company in nearby Dearborn. Its name was derived from

Nebula, Ultracompact H II region

2005-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Recently “ultracompact” H II regions have been discovered inside the molecular clouds in which they were formed. These nebulae are observed only at the wavelengths of radio and far-infrared radiation, which are able to penetrate the thick dust in the clouds. They are extremely bright at wavelengths of 50 micrometres, and the most luminous ones were detected throughout

Religion

2005-03-02T04:11:00.000-08:00

Human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. Religion is commonly regarded as consisting of a person's relation to God or to gods or spirits. Worship is probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in religious institutions are generally also constituent elements of the religious

Dowson, Ernest (christopher)

2005-03-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

As a boy Dowson lived an unsettled life. In 1886 he entered Queen's College, Oxford, but left in 1888 when a decline in his father's fortunes obliged him to work at his father's dock in the Limehouse district in London. Dowson was an active member of the Rhymers' Club,

Tall Oil

2005-03-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

Dark, odorous liquid by-product of the sulfate (kraft) process of paper manufacture, used after refining to make coatings, sizing for paper, paint, varnish, linoleum, drying oils, emulsions, lubricants, and soaps. Tall oil is principally a mixture of resin acids, such as abietic acid, and fatty acids, such as oleic and linoleic acids, with some sterols and other compounds. It

Sanitary Landfill

2005-02-28T01:24:00.000-08:00

Method of controlled disposal of refuse on land. The method was introduced in England in 1912 (where it is called controlled tipping) and involves natural fermentation brought about by microorganisms. Usually the refuse is deposited in shallow layers, compacted, and covered within 24 hours with earth or other chemically inert material to form an effective seal. Mechanical

Mab

2005-02-27T23:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Queen Mab in English folklore, the queen of the fairies. Mab is a mischievous but basically benevolent figure. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, she is referred to as the fairies' midwife, who delivers sleeping men of their innermost wishes in the form of dreams. In Michael Drayton's mock-epic fairy poem Nymphidia (1627), she is the wife of the fairy king Oberon and is the queen

Oglesby, Richard (james)

2005-02-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

Oglesby was born into a farming family, and his father was a member of the Kentucky legislature. Orphaned in 1833, he was taken to Decatur, Ill., by an uncle. In 1845 Oglesby was admitted to the bar; he practiced law until the Mexican War (April 1846–February 1848) broke out, at which time he served with the 4th Illinois

Corbusier, Le

2005-02-27T02:30:00.000-08:00

Byname of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret internationally influential Swiss architect and city planner, whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He belonged to the first generation of the so-called International school of architecture and was their most able propagandist

Wyre

2005-02-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Lancashire, northwestern England, bordering on the Irish Sea north and east of the resort of Blackpool. The borough, named for the River Wyre, which crosses and drains it, is generally a low coastal plain. Formerly occupied by pockets of marshland, much of the plain has been reclaimed and is now intensively cultivated.

Asclepiad

2005-02-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

A Greek lyric verse later used by Latin poets such as Catullus, Horace, and Seneca. The asclepiad consisted of an aeolic nucleus, a choriamb to which were added more choriambs and iambic or trochaic elements at the end of each line. A version with four choriambs is known as the greater asclepiad; a version with three choriambs, the lesser choriamb. The form was named for

Hyatt, Anna Vaughn

2005-02-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Anna Hyatt was the daughter of noted Harvard paleontologist Alpheus Hyatt. She was educated privately and began her study of sculpture with Henry H. Kitson in Boston. She later attended the Art Students

Choiseul, étienne-françois De Choiseul, Duc De (duke Of )

2005-02-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

Choiseul, the son of François-Joseph de Choiseul, Marquis de Stainville, adopted the title Count de Stainville, entered the French army, and served with distinction against the British and Austrians in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48). At the end of the conflict,

Dge-lugs-pa

2005-02-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

The Dge-lugs-pa sect was founded in the late 14th century by Tsong-kha-pa, who was himself a member of the austere Bka'-gdams-pa school. Tsong-kha-pa's reforms represented a return to tradition. He enforced strict monastic discipline, restored celibacy and the prohibition

Profile Records

2005-02-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Hip-hop was scorned by the established music industry as a novelty idiom until 1986, when Run-D.M.C. enrolled Aerosmith's vocalist, Steven Tyler, and guitarist, Joe Perry, to take part in a revival of the hard rockers' hit “Walk This Way” from 10 years earlier. Released on the Profile label, the resultant record was accepted by many radio formats and became the first rap hit to make the

Bharatpur

2005-02-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Former state of India ruled by Hindu princes of the Jat clan, or caste, situated in east Rajputana, India, lying to the south of Delhi and bordering on the Mathura and Agra districts of British India. In the 19th and 20th centuries its area was nearly 2,000 square miles (5,200 square km), and its population was something less than 1,000,000. The dominant castes were the Jats, who were sturdy cultivators, and

Chafarinas Islands

2005-02-23T05:07:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Zafarin, or Djaferin, three small rocky islets of the Spanish plaza (enclave) of Melilla, located off northeastern Morocco, 7 mi (11 km) northwest of the mouth of the Oued Moulouya. Probably the tres insulae (three islands) of the 3rd-century Roman roadbook Itinerarium Antonini, they have been occupied by Spain since 1847. Waterless and uncultivated, they form the best anchorage along the Moroccan Mediterranean

Performing Arts, Africa.

2005-02-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

In Senegal, Joseph Gaï Ramaka's Karmen Geï translated Prosper Merimée's Carmen to modern Africa and a sexually more complex society, while Moussa Sene Absa's Madame Brouette was a lively music-driven story of independent women in revolt against feckless and self-serving men. From Chad, Mahamet Saleh Haroun's Abouna (Our Father) related the optimistic saga of two young

Dge-lugs-pa

2005-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

Public broadcasting service over AM and FM radio networks and television networks in English and French, two national cable television channels, and shortwave radio, among other media in Canada. Advertising sales and, primarily, annual appropriations from Parliament finance the CBC's operations. It is especially noted for the high quality of its news and public

Gravimeter

2005-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

Also called gravity meter sensitive device for measuring variations in the Earth's gravitational field, useful in prospecting for oil and minerals. In one form, it consists of a weight suspended from a spring; variations in gravity cause variations in the extension of the spring. A number of different mechanical and optical schemes have been developed to measure this deflection, which in

Arts, Central Asian, Buddhist morality plays

2005-02-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

The last performing-arts genre to develop in Central Asia was the Buddhist morality play, called a-che-lha-mo. The plays are based on the lives of legendary and historical figures, and through costume and masks the ethnic origin and ethical character of the players are revealed. Folktales, as well as historical and Buddhist canonical literature, are sources for the

Rockwell International Corporation

2005-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

The main company was incorporated in 1928 as North American Aviation, Inc., a holding company for a number of aviation companies, but it switched to aircraft manufacturing when it received a contract

John

2005-02-19T23:22:00.000-08:00

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

Poland, Partitions Of

2005-02-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

The First Partition occurred after Russia became involved in a war against the Ottoman Turks (1768) and won such impressive victories, particularly in the Danubian principalities,

Canadian National Railway Company

2005-02-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

In its early years Canadian National

Falkland Current

2005-02-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

Branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southern Hemisphere, flowing northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of Argentina to about latitude 30° to 40° S, where it is deflected eastward after meeting the southward-flowing Brazil Current. Characterized by cold temperatures varying from 41° to 66° F (5° to 19° C), the current has a relatively low salinity averaging

Moree

2005-02-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

Town, northern New South Wales, Australia, on the Gwydir River, in the Western Slopes district. Originating in 1848 as a livestock station, it became a village in 1852, a town in 1862, and a municipality in 1890. Its name comes from an Aboriginal word for “rising sun,” “long spring,” or “water hole.” At the junction of the Gwydir and Newell highways, with regular air and rail service to Sydney (319 mi [513 km] southeast),

Rockwell International Corporation

2005-02-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Also called Dinitrogen Monoxide , or Laughing Gas, one of several oxides of nitrogen, a colourless gas with pleasant, sweetish odour and taste, which when inhaled produces insensibility to pain preceded by mild hysteria, sometimes laughter. Nitrous oxide was discovered by the English chemist Joseph Priestley in 1772; another English chemist, Humphry Davy, later named it nitrous oxide and showed its physiological effect.

Bendix Corporation

2005-02-16T04:27:00.000-08:00

The company's founder, Vincent Bendix, himself an inventor, joined with French inventor Henri Perrot

Argentina, The branches of government

2005-02-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

Executive power resides in the office of the president, who is elected with a vice president to a four-year term (only two terms can be consecutive). The president is commander in chief of the armed forces and appoints all civil, military, and federal judicial officers, as well as the chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, the body that oversees the general administration

Tipperary

2005-02-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Irish Tiobraid Árann (“House of the Well of Ara”) town and urban district, County Tipperary, Ireland. The town grew up around a castle erected by Prince John (later King John) when he was lord of Ireland; the outline of the bailey remains. A chancel arch from a 13th-century Augustinian abbey still stands. In 1339 the town was burned by the O'Briens. New Tipperary was founded in 1890, but it was later abandoned. There is a monument to the

Raymond Iii

2005-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Raymond succeeded to the countship after the assassination of his father, Raymond II, in 1152. In his campaigns against the Muslims he was taken prisoner by their leader Nureddin in 1164 but was released in 1172. When the new king of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV, took the throne

Gravure Printing

2005-02-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

Photomechanical intaglio process in which the image to be printed consists of depressions or recesses on the surface of the printing plate. The process is the reverse of relief printing, in which the image is raised from the surface of the plate. The printer forms the image by cutting into the plate by hand or by using acids or other chemicals to etch the plate along

Ayacucho, Battle Of

2005-02-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

(Dec. 9, 1824), in the Latin-American wars of independence, revolutionary victory over royalists on the high plateau near Ayacucho, Peru. It freed Peru and ensured the independence of the nascent South American republics from Spain. The revolutionary forces, numbering about 6,000 men—among them Venezuelans, Colombians, Argentines, and Chileans, as well as Peruvians—were under the

Thököly, Imre

2005-02-13T05:04:00.000-08:00

The scion of a rich Protestant family, Thököly moved to Transylvania after his father was executed for having had a role in the Hungarian magnates' conspiracy against the Habsburg emperor Leopold

Processionary Caterpillar

2005-02-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

Larval stage characteristic of the small insect family Thaumetopoeidae (order Lepidoptera), sometimes classified as part of the prominent moth family (Notodontidae). These hairy caterpillars live in communal webs and march in columns to their food source. During the movement each larva lays down a silken thread. The large adults have

Pembroke, William Herbert, 1st Earl Of, Baron Herbert Of Cardiff

2005-02-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Also called (until 1551) Sir William Herbert the Earl of Pembroke of the second Herbert creation, a leading figure in the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I of England. His father, Sir Richard Herbert, was an illegitimate son of William, the 1st Earl of Pembroke of the first creation. Sir William's first wife, Anne Parr, was a sister of Catherine Parr, who married Henry VIII

Duran, Simeon Ben Zemah

2005-02-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Also called (by acronym) Rashbaz first Spanish Jewish rabbi to be paid a regular salary by the community and author of an important commentary on Avot (“Fathers”), a popular ethical tractate in the Talmud, the rabbinical compendium of law, lore, and commentary. Before the 14th century, the rabbinical post had been almost invariably honorary; Duran

Shiga Kiyoshi

2005-02-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

Shiga graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1896. Two years earlier he had begun work with Kitasato Shibasaburo, who had discovered the tetanus bacillus. In 1899 Shiga was appointed laboratory director at the Institute for

Uxmal

2005-02-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

The site is the most important representative of the Puuc architectural style, which flourished in the Late Classic Period (AD 600–900). Characteristics

Welk, Lawrence

2005-02-10T00:57:00.000-08:00

Welk, who was raised in a German-speaking hamlet in North Dakota, did not learn English until he was 21, developing an accent that