ProbableFloor

Alabama, European rivalry, settlement, and growth

2005-04-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

The first known European explorers were of Spanish descent and arrived at Mobile Bay in 1519. The main thrust of exploration came in 1540, when Hernando de Soto and his army of about 500 men entered the interior from the valley of the Tennessee River to search for gold. His expedition, which extensively crisscrossed the area, was important because of his discovery of the Mississippi

Straight-rail Billiards

2005-04-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

Billiard game played with three balls (one red and two white) on a table without pockets. The object is to score caroms by hitting both object balls with a cue ball. A player may use either white ball as cue ball but not one that has been placed on one of the small spots marked on the table, as at the start of the game or after one is knocked off the table. Only three caroms may be

Régnier, Henri (-françois-joseph) De

2005-04-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

Born of an old Norman family, Régnier began to prepare for a career as a diplomat, but while studying law in Paris he came under the influence of the Symbolist poets and published his first volume of poems, Lendemains (“Tomorrows”), in 1885. Other volumes followed: Les Jeux rustiques et

Amadi, Elechi

2005-04-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Amadi, an Ijo (Ijaw) who wrote in English, was educated at Government College, Umuahia, and University College, Ibadan, in physics and mathematics. He served in the Nigerian army, taught, and worked for the Ministry of Information.

Adamic, Louis

2005-04-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

Adamic immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia at age 14 and was naturalized in 1918. He wrote about what he called the failure of the American melting pot in Laughing

Kazak Language

2005-04-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kazakh, member of the Turkic language family (a subfamily of the Altaic languages), belonging to the northwestern, or Kipchak, branch. The Kazak language is spoken primarily in Kazakstan and in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang in China but is also found in Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and Afghanistan. The so-called Kipchak-Uzbek dialect is closely related to Kazak and is considered

France, History Of, Foreign affairs

2005-04-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

From the beginning of his reign Louis pursued a vigorous foreign policy. Historical opinion has traditionally held that Louis sought to dominate Europe, only to meet his just deserts at the end of his reign. More recently another interpretation has emerged, which argues that Louis pursued consistent and for the most part moderate aims and pursued them successfully

Biblical Literature, The modern period

2005-04-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

Following a line marked out earlier by the Spanish philosopher and poet Moses ibn Ezra (1060–1139), Benedict de Spinoza (1632–77) put forward a thoroughgoing reappraisal of the traditional account of the origin of the Pentateuch in his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (1679). In the following century the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) brought a fresh appreciation of the Bible as literature.

Kirkcaldy

2005-03-31T20:01:00.000-08:00

First developed by Dunfermline Abbey nearby, Kirkcaldy was a flourishing port during the later Middle Ages. It was designated a royal burgh in 1450, and the royal charter was confirmed by King Charles II in 1662. In the course of the 16th century it became an important

Minehead

2005-03-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), West Somerset district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, England. The town owes its origin and growth to its harbour. Minehead was first incorporated in 1558. Its older buildings include St. Michael's Church (1450), the almshouses (1630), the old manor office, and the 17th-century cottages along Quay Street. The present harbour was built in 1616. Minehead's trade with

A Lo Divino

2005-03-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

In Spanish literature, the recasting of a secular work as a religious work, or, more generally, a treatment of a secular theme in religious terms through the use of allegory, symbolism, and metaphor. Adaptations a lo divino were popular during the Golden Age of Spanish literature during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Foyer

2005-03-29T22:59:00.000-08:00

Intermediate area between the exterior and interior of a building, especially a theatre. Originally the term was applied only to that area in French theatres, comparable to the greenroom in English theatres, where actors relaxed when they were offstage. Because actors were accustomed to visits by friends during and after performances, such areas came to be large

Meher Baba

2005-03-28T22:22:00.000-08:00

Also called The Awakener, original name Merwan Sheriar Irani spiritual master in western India with a sizable following both in that country and abroad. Beginning on July 10, 1925, he observed silence for the last 44 years of his life, communicating with his disciples at first through an alphabet board but increasingly with gestures. He observed that he had come “not to teach but to awaken,” adding that “things

Uniti, Compagnia Degli

2005-03-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Documents

Epirrhema

2005-03-27T04:45:00.000-08:00

In ancient Greek Old Comedy, an address usually about public affairs. It was spoken by the leader of one-half of the chorus after that half of the chorus had sung an ode. It was part of the parabasis, or performance by the chorus, during an interlude in the action of the play.

Kraft Foods Inc.

2005-03-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Kraft grew out of a wholesale cheese-delivery business established in Chicago in 1903 by James L. Kraft. Three years later he and his brother Charles began processing cheese for distribution to area retailers. Two other brothers later

Hoceima, Al-

2005-03-25T03:24:00.000-08:00

Spanish Alhucemas, city, northern Morocco. The city, founded by Spaniards in 1926 as Villa Sanjurjo, still has a large Spanish population. Situated on Al-Hoceima Bay, it is a small fishing port, food-processing centre, and beach resort just northwest of the islets of the Spanish plaza (enclave) of Alhucemas. It is connected by road with Nador and Tétouan. Pop. (1982) mun., 41,662.

Bur Cucumber

2005-03-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

Any of several tropical climbing plants in the genus Sicyos, of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). One species (S. angulatus), known also as star cucumber, is native to North America. A bur cucumber has sharply lobed leaves, forked tendrils, clusters of five-petaled white flowers that are borne at the ends of long stalks that arise from the leaf axils, and clusters of

Endecott, John

2005-03-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

Little is known of Endecott before 1628, when, as one of the six grantees of the New England Company for a Plantation in Massachusetts, he was chosen manager and governor of their settlement. In that year Endecott, with about 60 fellow

Garrett, Pat

2005-03-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

Born in Alabama and reared in Louisiana, Garrett left home at about the age of 17 and headed for Texas and the life of a cowboy and buffalo hunter. In 1879 he married and settled in Lincoln County, N.M., where he became first deputy sheriff and then sheriff. In July 1881 he tracked

Radishchev, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

2005-03-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Radishchev, a nobleman, was educated in Moscow (1757–62), at the St. Petersburg Corps of Pages (1763–66), and at Leipzig, where he studied law (1766–71). His career as a civil servant brought him into contact with people from all social strata. Under the influence

Annobón

2005-03-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Also called Pagalu, volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean near the Equator; it is part of Equatorial Guinea. Located about 350 miles (565 km) southwest of continental Equatorial Guinea, it occupies an area of 7 square miles (17 square km) and rises to an elevation of 2,200 feet (671 m). Fishing and lumbering activities are centred in San Antonio, the chief settlement. Pop. (1987 est.) 2,360.

Pitney, Gene

2005-03-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

In 1961 Pitney began recording his compositions, with “I Wanna Love My Life Away” demonstrating a passionate vocal style. However, he sold more

Biblical Literature, The Hellenistic period

2005-03-22T02:24:00.000-08:00

The translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek by Alexandrian Jews in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC provided opportunities for recording interpretations that were probably current in Hellenistic Judaism. Literal translations might be misleading to Greek readers; metaphors natural in Hebrew were rendered into less figurative Greek. “Walking with God” or “walking

Blood Group

2005-03-21T00:39:00.000-08:00

Classification of blood based on inherited differences (polymorphisms) in antigens on the surfaces of the red cells. Inherited differences of white cells, platelets, and plasma proteins also constitute blood groups, but they are not included in this discussion.

Naas

2005-03-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

Irish An Nás market and garrison town (urban district) and county seat of County Kildare, Ireland. Naas was one of the royal seats of the ancient province of Leinster, and St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is said to have visited it. After the Anglo-Norman invasion (12th century and following), a castle (the north moat of which survives) was built there. Naas was an important town in the

Qatar, Agriculture

2005-03-19T14:34:00.000-08:00

The scarcity of fertile land and water imposes severe limitations on agriculture, and a large proportion of the country's food must be imported. Use of treated sewage effluent and desalinated water for irrigation have helped to expand the production of fruits, such as dates and melons, and of vegetables, such as tomatoes, squash, and eggplants. The cultivation of vegetables

Murad I

2005-03-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Murad ascended the throne in succession to his father, Orhan. Shortly after Murad's accession, his forces penetrated

Monticelli, Adolphe

2005-03-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

In full Adolphe-Joseph-Thomas Monticelli French painter whose finest works, derived from scenes by Antoine Watteau, are dreamlike images of courtly revels. Using thick daubs of paint, applied to achieve a swirling effect, he created a poetic, visionary expression with radiant lights and deep shadows. His work was much admired by Vincent van Gogh and had a greater

Aranda, Pedro Pablo Abarca De Bolea, Conde De

2005-03-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

Aranda came from the Aragonese nobility. After initially preparing for the priesthood, he entered the army, in which he became director of the artillery, introduced the Prussian system of drill in the Seven Years'

Colombian Abyssal Plain

2005-03-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

Submarine plain forming part of the floor of the south-central Caribbean Sea, and the deepest and flattest portion of the Colombian Basin. It rises to the southeast to form the Caribbean coast of Colombia, joins the Clark Basin and Central America's part of the continental shelf to the west, and stretches northward toward the island of Jamaica. The plain is separated

Gamagori

2005-03-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

City, Aichi Prefecture (ken), Honshu, Japan, facing Mikawa-wan (Mikawa Bay). The city has been well known for the manufacture of cotton textiles since the Tokugawa era (1603–1867). Mandarin orange orchards grace the mountain slopes behind Gamagori, which also serves as a seaside resort. There are hot-spring spas nearby. The city is connected by bridge to offshore Take-shima (Take Island),

Basil The Chamberlain

2005-03-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

After the death of the emperor John I, Basil the Chamberlain controlled the throne for his two grandnephews and co-emperors Constantine and Basil II. After engineering his uncle's downfall, Basil II was finally able to assume his own independent rule.

Genée, Dame Adeline

2005-03-16T02:24:00.000-08:00

At eight she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, the dancers who trained her for the ballet. Her early appearances were in Germany. From 1897 until 1907 she was prima ballerina at the Empire Theatre in London.

Hardouin, Jean

2005-03-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hardouin entered the Society of Jesus in 1666 and was professor of positive theology in the Jesuit Collège Louis-le-Grand at Paris (1683–1718) when he published his first works, editions of the classical writers

Metalogic, The axiomatic method

2005-03-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

The best known axiomatic system is that of Euclid for geometry. In a manner similar to that of Euclid, every scientific theory involves a body of meaningful concepts and a collection of true or believed assertions. The meaning of a concept can often be explained or defined in terms of other concepts, and, similarly, the truth of an assertion or the reason for believing

East Greenland Orogen

2005-03-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Also called East Greenland Geosyncline a linear orogenic (mountain) belt that developed from late Precambrian time to the middle of the Paleozoic Era (roughly 650 million to 350 million years ago) along a portion of the eastern coast of Greenland. Deformation occurred during several phases of the Caledonian orogeny (mountain-building episode) between Late Silurian and Late Devonian times (about 423 million to 354 million

Antbird

2005-03-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Family name Formicariidae, any of numerous birds of the American tropics (order Passeriformes). There are about 230 species in more than 50 genera. Like their near relatives the Furnariidae, antbirds are highly diverse; all are of small to medium size (9.5 to 37 centimetres [4 to 14 inches]), with drab, fluffy plumage (sexes usually unlike); short, rounded wings; variable

Liliidae, Phytochemistry

2005-03-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

As might be expected from so large a group, Liliidae are very diverse in their flavonoids. These compounds have systematic importance only at the generic level. The unusual steroid saponins, however, characterize Liliidae to a remarkable degree, although they are absent from several groupings—notably Lilium and its close allies as well as several genera with alkaloids

Tarascon

2005-03-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Town, Bouches-du-Rhône département, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, southeastern France, east of Nîmes. Situated on the left bank of the Rhône opposite Beaucaire, the town is associated with a legendary monster, La Tarasque, which was said to have ravaged the region until it was tamed by St. Marthe. Since the late 19th century it has also been associated with the mock-heroic

Nahariyya

2005-03-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Nahariyya was founded in 1934 as an agricultural settlement by German-Jewish refugees. It rapidly developed as a resort,

Theatre Guild

2005-03-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

A theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 for the production of high-quality, noncommercial American and foreign plays. The guild, founded by Lawrence Langner (1890–1962), departed from the usual theatre practice in that its board of directors shared the responsibility for choice of plays, management, and production. The first two seasons, which included plays by Jacinto

Moscow School

2005-03-12T02:30:00.000-08:00

Major school of late medieval Russian icon and mural painting that flourished in Moscow from about 1400 to the end of the 16th century, succeeding the Novgorod school as the dominant Russian school of painting and eventually developing the stylistic basis for a national art. Moscow began a local artistic development parallel to that of Novgorod and other centres as

Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts

2005-03-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest art academy and museum in the United States, founded 1805. Specializing in American painting and sculpture of the 18th to the 20th century, the Academy's Art Museum was built between 1872 and 1876 according to designs by architect Frank Furness (1839–1912). The building's architectural style is high Victorian. For its centennial year (1976), which coincided

Interest Group

2005-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Also called special-interest group, any aggregate of individuals that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, makes claims upon groups or society in general in order to promote its objectives.

Jewel Orchid

2005-03-09T22:03:00.000-08:00

Downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), native to eastern North America, has dark green leaves with silver and white veins. Its small white flowers are borne on a spike, as are those

Carter, Angela

2005-03-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

Carter rejected an Oxford education to work as a journalist with the Croydon Advertiser, but she later studied medieval literature at the University of Bristol (B.A., 1965). She had moderate success with

Ahmad Khan, Sir Sayyid

2005-03-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Altaf Husan Hali, Hayat-i-Javid (1901), the only comprehensive account of Sayyid Ahmad's life and work; G.F.I. Graham, The Life and Work of Syed Ahmed Khan, rev. ed. (1909); J.M.S. Baljon, The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1949); and Hadi Hussain, Syed Ahmed Khan: Pioneer of Muslim Resurgence (1970).

Race

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

Race as a categorizing term referring to human beings was first used in the English language in the late 16th century. Until the 18th century, it had a generalized meaning similar to other classifying terms such as type, sort, or kind. Occasional literature of Shakespeare's time referred to a “race of saints,” or “a race of bishops.” Some historians have speculated that the English

Fabre, Jean Henri

2005-03-08T03:33:00.000-08:00

Fabre did important research on the insect orders

Sculpture, Western, The Orientalizing period

2005-03-08T01:13:00.000-08:00

Sculpture of the Orientalizing period was profoundly affected by technical and stylistic influences from the East. In about 700 BC, the Greeks learned from their Eastern neighbours how to use molds to mass-produce clay relief plaques. Widely adopted, this technique helped to establish in Greece a stereotyped convention for figure representation, even in freestanding,

Ovett, Steve

2005-03-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Ovett first attracted international notice when he won the 800-metre race at the 1973 European junior championships in Duisburg, West

Argall, Sir Samuel

2005-03-06T22:52:00.000-08:00

Employed by the Virginia Company of London, Argall was commissioned in 1609 to discover a shorter route to Virginia and to fish for sturgeon. In 1610 he was named admiral of Virginia and commissioned to expel the French from all territory granted

Arundinaria

2005-03-05T23:51:00.000-08:00

Arundinaria gigantea—which is known as giant cane, southern cane, or canebrake bamboo—was once widely utilized as a forage plant in the southeastern

Falconiform

2005-03-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Falconiforms have no obvious evolutionary links with other birds. Currently they are placed between ducks, on the one hand, and game birds on the other; but they bear no clear resemblance to either, while fossil evidence does not indicate intermediate links. The most obvious physical specializations of falconiforms—the cutting, tearing bill and taloned feet—do

Aristides

2005-03-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Athenian philosopher, one of the earliest Christian Apologists, his Apology for the Christian Faith being one of the oldest extant Apologist documents. Known primarily through a reference by the 4th-century historian Eusebius of Caesarea, Aristides addressed his Apology either to the Roman emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–138) or to his successor Antoninus Pius

Galty Mountains

2005-03-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Galtee Mountains, mountain range, extending across the border between southwestern County Tipperary and southeastern County Limerick, southern Ireland. The range has the east–west trend characteristic of the extreme south of the country. The highest peaks are formed of sandstone, the highest point being Galtymore (3,018 feet [920 m]). The mountains bear strong evidence of glaciation, notably

Burton, Virginia Lee

2005-03-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

Burton grew up from the age of seven in Sonora, California. After graduating from high school she studied both dancing and drawing, and later she continued taking art lessons at the Boston Museum School. In 1929 she became

Wanganui

2005-03-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

City (“district”) and port, Manawatu-Wanganui local government region, southwestern North Island, New Zealand, near the mouth of the Wanganui River. The site lies within a tract bought by the New Zealand Company in 1840. The company established a settlement in 1841 and named it Petre. It was renamed in 1844, the present name deriving from a Maori term meaning “big mouth,” “big bay,” or “big

Franz, Robert

2005-03-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

Franz studied organ at Dessau from 1835 to 1837. Later he returned to Halle, where he became a friend of Wilhelm Osterwald, many of whose poems he set to music. About the time he published his first

Kuala Lipis

2005-03-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Town, central West Malaysia (Malaya), situated along the Jelai River. It is a commercial centre for nearby villages and the riverine Aboriginals who inhabit the dense jungle to the north. Some of its residents live on the slopes of the surrounding hills, while many Malay families cluster in communities of raft huts along the river. The terminus of the central Malayan

Goodall, Sir Reginald

2005-03-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Goodall studied at the Royal College of Music in London and in Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna before joining the Sadler's Wells company in 1944. The next year he conducted the first performance of Benjamin Britten's opera

Winchell, Walter

2005-03-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Winchell was raised in New York City, and when he was 13 he left school to go into vaudeville with Eddie Cantor and George Jessel. Then he teamed with

Masbate

2005-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

Island and town, central Philippines, part of the Visayas group, bordered by the Sibuyan (west), Visayan (south), and Samar (east) seas. The island, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of the southern tip of Luzon, is V-shaped, with the open end of the V forming the Asid Gulf on the south; it has an area of 1,262 square miles (3,269 square km). The discontinuous highlands that stretch along both arms of the V represent

Pollard, Fritz

2005-02-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

Byname of Frederick Douglass Pollard, Sr. pioneering African American player and coach in American collegiate and professional gridiron football. He was the first African American selected to a backfield position on Walter Camp's All-America team (1916) and the first African American head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Akron Pros

Constans Ii Pogonatus

2005-02-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

The son of the emperor Constantine III, Constans came to the throne in September 641, at age 11, after his father's death; during his minority the regency was under the control of the Senate

Gage, Thomas

2005-02-28T01:16:00.000-08:00

Gage's military career in North America began in 1754, when he sailed with his regiment to serve in the last French

Padilla, Juan De

2005-02-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Padilla was a member of an ancient noble family of Toledo. Charles, who came to the Spanish throne in 1516, had inflamed national opinion by appointing

Potsdam Conference

2005-02-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

The conferees discussed the substance and procedures of the peace settlements in Europe

Annelid, Size range and diversity of structure

2005-02-25T03:12:00.000-08:00

The length of annelids varies from a fraction of an inch to more than six metres (about 20 feet). The width may exceed 2.5 centimetres (about one inch) in the contracted state. Free-moving polychaetes and earthworms include the largest species. Leeches attain lengths of about 0.4 metre in the contracted state.

Mer

2005-02-25T02:58:00.000-08:00

Among the Cheremis and Udmurts (also called Votyaks), a district where people would gather periodically to hold religious festivals and perform sacrifices to nature gods. The word mer is derived from the Russian mir, “village community.” The people within the mer usually were of common origin; their customs were similar, and they may even have possessed names and ownership

Printmaking, Lift-ground etching (sugar-lift aquatint)

2005-02-24T02:43:00.000-08:00

In lift-ground etching, a positive image is etched on an aquatint plate by drawing with a water-soluble ground. In the conventional aquatint technique, the artist controls the image by stopping out negative areas with varnish, thus working around the positive image. But for lift-ground etching, he uses a viscous liquid (such as India ink, gamboge, or ordinary poster paint

Butler, Benjamin F(ranklin)

2005-02-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

A prominent attorney at Lowell, Mass., Butler served two terms in the state legislature (1853, 1859), where he distinguished himself by vigorously supporting the cause of labour and of naturalized citizens. Though he

National Bank

2005-02-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

The first Bank of the United States (1791–1811) and the second Bank of the United States (1816–36) had functioned as agents of the U.S. Treasury and competed with the state, or private, banks, thereby ensuring that the private banks redeemed their banknotes

Earthworm

2005-02-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Also called angleworm any one of more than 1,800 species of terrestrial worms of the class Oligochaeta (phylum Annelida)—in particular, members of the genus Lumbricus. Seventeen native species and 13 introduced species (from Europe) occur in the eastern United States, L. terrestris being the most common. Earthworms occur in virtually all soils of the world in which the moisture

Rausing, Gad Anders

2005-02-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

Swedish industrialist (b. May 19, 1922, Bromma, near Stockholm, Swed.—d. Jan. 28, 2000, Lausanne, Switz.), was the son of the developer of a sealed, laminated paperboard beverage box that did not require refrigeration and thus revolutionized the milk and juice industries. Rausing (with his younger brother, Hans) built the family business, Tetra Pak (later Tetra Laval Group), from a small Scandinavian

Carnivore, Natural history

2005-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

Canids are basically meat eaters, although some vegetable matter is taken. The gray or timber wolf (Canis lupus), the African hunting dog (Lycaon pictus), and the dhole, or wild dog of India (Cuon alpinus), are strictly carnivorous. The various foxes and jackals, coyotes, and the raccoon dog eat whatever food is abundant—small mammals, birds, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fruits,

Fabales

2005-02-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

The unique ecological role of the Fabales is in nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is an element of all proteins and is an essential component in both plant and animal metabolism. Although elemental nitrogen makes up about 80 percent of the atmosphere, it is not directly available to living organisms; nitrogen that can be metabolized by living organisms must be in the form

Aegean Civilizations, The Early Bronze Age (c. 30002200)

2005-02-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

The transition from Neolithic to Bronze Age in the Aegean was marked by changes in pottery and other aspects of material culture. These changes may reflect the arrival in Crete and the Cyclades of new people from lands farther east bringing knowledge of metalworking with them. In Crete and the islands, the changes that inaugurated the Bronze Age were more or less

Intel Corporation

2005-02-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

The company was founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon

Hatton, Sir Christopher

2005-02-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

After spending several years in halfhearted study of the law, Hatton enrolled as one of the queen's bodyguards in 1564. Handsome and accomplished, he impressed the queen with his talent for dancing and quickly won her affection. There is no evidence that they were

Off-broadway

2005-02-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

In the theatre of the United States, small professional productions that have served for years as New York City's alternative to the commercially oriented theatres of Broadway. The plays, usually produced on low budgets in small theatres, have tended to be freer in style and more imaginative than those on Broadway, where high production costs often oblige producers

Likasi

2005-02-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1966) Jadotville, city, southeastern Congo (Kinshasa). It lies along the Likasi River, 86 miles (138 km) northwest of Lubumbashi, to which it is connected by road and rail. In 1892 Belgians discovered copper deposits at Likasi and at Kambove, 15 miles (24 km) northwest. Likasi was founded in 1917 and was designated an urban district in 1943. It is now one of the nation's most important mineral-processing centres, with plants

Oscar I

2005-02-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

Oscar's early liberal outlook and progressive ideas on such issues as fiscal policy, freedom of the press, and penal reform fortuitously coincided with a period of social, political, and industrial change. After his accession

Silky Terrier

2005-02-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

Australian breed of toy dog, first shown in 1907. It originated in Sydney and was once known as the Sydney Silky. A rather low-set dog, the silky terrier stands 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25.5 centimetres) and weighs 8 to 10 pounds (3.5 to 4.5 kilograms). Its silky, fine coat is glossy blue-gray and tan, with a silver-gray or tan topknot. Developed as a companion dog, the silky is generally friendly and responsive,

Silver Processing

2005-02-18T01:45:00.000-08:00

Although some silver-bearing ores contain silver as their largest metal value, virtually none has silver as its main constituent. A typical ore might contain 0.085 percent silver, 0.5 percent lead, 0.5 percent copper, and 0.3 percent antimony. After flotation separation, the concentrate would contain 1.7 percent silver, 10 to 15 percent lead, 10 to 15 percent copper, and 6 percent antimony. Approximately

Distillation

2005-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Process involving the conversion of a liquid into vapour that is subsequently condensed back to liquid form. It is exemplified at its simplest when steam from a kettle becomes deposited as drops of distilled water on a cold surface. Distillation is used to separate liquids from nonvolatile solids, as in the separation of alcoholic liquors from fermented materials,

Francis Joseph

2005-02-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Although he had been raised to be a soldier and wore a uniform all his life, Francis Joseph was no more a strategist than he was a statesman. He made up for this deficiency by the careful study of documents, by an extraordinarily retentive memory, and by being a shrewd judge of character. Invariably well informed and familiar with the reports of his envoys, he was to his

Staffordshire Terrier

2005-02-16T03:19:00.000-08:00

Breed of terrier developed in 19th-century England for fighting other dogs in pits. The breed was created by crossing the bulldog, then a longer legged and more agile dog, with a terrier, possibly the fox terrier or one of the old breeds known as the white English and the black-and-tan terriers. Once known by such names as bull-and-terrier, half and half, and pit bull terrier,

Aerospace Industry, Airships

2005-02-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

All airships have four principal elements in common: a cigar-shaped bag, or balloon, filled with a lighter-than-air gas (usually hydrogen or helium); a passenger car, or gondola, attached beneath the bag; engines and propellers; and rudders to steer the craft. Three basic types of airships have been built. The nonrigid airship, or blimp, is basically a balloon from which the

Wang An-shih

2005-02-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Wang emerged from a rising new group of southern bureaucrats with a strong utilitarian bent, who challenged

Pacific Ocean, Physical environment

2005-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Otis W. Freeman, Geography of the Pacific (1951), surveys the physical features of the ocean; and Alan E.M. Nairn and Francis G. Stehli (eds.), The Ocean Basins and Margins, vol. 7, The Pacific Ocean, 2 vol. (1985–88), is comprehensive and highly detailed. Zvi Ben-Avraham (ed.), The Evolution of the Pacific Ocean Margins (1989); and H.W. Menard, Marine Geology of the Pacific (1964), explore marine geology and geophysics. See also Bruno Wauthy, Physical Ocean Environment in the South Pacific Commission Area (1986), a short but valuable summary of the oceanography of the central and South Pacific, prepared as a regional report under the United Nations Environment Programme.

Aehrenthal, Aloys, Count Lexa Von

2005-02-14T02:36:00.000-08:00

Entering the imperial foreign service as attaché in Paris (1877), Aehrenthal subsequently worked at

Arnold, Benedict

2005-02-14T01:19:00.000-08:00

Upon the outbreak of hostilities at Lexington, Massachusetts (April 1775), Arnold volunteered for service and participated with

Ijtihad

2005-02-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

In Islamic law, the independent or original interpretation of problems not precisely covered by the Qur'an, Hadith (traditions concerning the Prophet's life and utterances), and ijma' (scholarly consensus). In the early Muslim community every adequately qualified jurist had the right to exercise such original thinking, mainly ra'y (personal judgment) and qiyas (analogical

Liriope

2005-02-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Genus of small marine jellyfish of the class Hydrozoa (phylum Cnidaria). Its medusoid body is characteristically hemispherical and measures up to about 30 mm (1.2 inches) in diameter. Eight short tentacles hang down from the edges of the body, and a shorter stalklike structure, the manubrium, containing the mouth, extends downward from the centre. It is commonly believed

Caitanya Sect

2005-02-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Chaitanya intensely emotional form of Hinduism that has flourished from the 16th century, mainly in Bengal and eastern Orissa, India. It takes its name from the medieval saint Caitanya (Chaitanya; 1485–1533), whose fervent devotion to Lord Krishna (Krsna) inspired the movement. For Caitanya the legends of Krishna and his youthful beloved, Radha, were both symbolic of and the highest expressions

Dachshund

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

(German: “badger dog”), dog breed of hound and terrier ancestry developed in Germany to pursue badgers into their burrows. The dachshund is a long-bodied, characteristically lively dog with a deep chest, short legs, tapering muzzle, and long ears. Usually reddish brown or black-and-tan, it is bred in two sizes—standard and miniature—and in three coat types—smooth, long, and wiry.

Obbligato

2005-02-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

(Italian: “obligatory”), in music, essential but subordinate instrumental part. For example, in an 18th-century aria with trumpet obbligato, the trumpet part, although serving as accompaniment to the voice, may be as brilliant in its writing as that of the voice itself. The term obbligato accompaniment has a more specialized meaning in some 18th-century music (see accompaniment

Penelope

2005-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, a daughter of Icarius of Sparta and the nymph Periboea and wife of the hero Odysseus. In the Odyssey is told the story of how, during her husband's long absence after the Trojan War, many chieftains of Ithaca and nearby islands became her suitors. To spare herself their importunities she insists that they wait until she has woven a shroud for Laertes,