BlackSponge

Amnesty International

2005-04-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

(AI), international organization headquartered in London that seeks to inform public opinion about violations of human rights, especially the abridgments of freedom of speech and of religion and the imprisonment and torture of political dissidents, and which actively seeks the release of political prisoners and the relief, when necessary, of their families. In

Telegraph, Printing telegraphs

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

In 1903 the British inventor Donald Murray, following the ideas of Baudot, devised a time-division multiplex system for the British Post Office. The transmitter used a typewriter keyboard that punched tape, and the receiver printed text. He modified the Baudot Code by assigning code combinations with the fewest punched holes to the most frequently encountered letters

Usul Al-fiqh

2005-04-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

In classical Islamic theory, the four major sources from which law is derived: the Qur'an; the sunna, or sunnah (practice of the Prophet as transmitted through his sayings); ijma' (consensus of scholars); and qiyas (analogical deductions from these three). The usul, systematized under ash-Shafi'i (767–820), were the result of an Islamization of law that began about the 2nd century of the Muslim era

Kourouma, Ahmadou

2005-04-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Kourouma spent his early years in Guinea and attended secondary school in Bamako, Mali, until he was expelled and was drafted into the army by the French. He was sent to Indochina and served in Saigon. Later he continued

Amorphous Solid, Vapour condensation techniques

2005-04-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

In the gold-silicon system of Figure 5, at compositions far from the cusp, glasses cannot be formed by melt quenching—even by the rapid splat-quench technique of

Régnier, Henri (-françois-joseph) De

2005-04-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

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

Japan, Fauna

2005-03-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

Despite the country's large human population, the land mammals of Japan are relatively numerous in the remote, heavily forested mountain regions. These animals include bears, wild boars, raccoon dogs (tanuki), foxes, deer, antelope, hares, and weasels; some species are distinct from those of the neighbouring Asian continent. Wild monkeys (the Japanese macaque) inhabit

Encyclopaedia, Contributors

2005-03-31T01:53:00.000-08:00

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

Antarctica, Early scientific progress

2005-03-31T01:23:00.000-08:00

The period from the 1760s to about 1900 was one dominated by exploitation of Antarctic and subantarctic seas, particularly along Scotia Ridge. Sealing vessels of many nations, principally American and British but including Argentine, Australian, South African, New Zealand, German, and Norwegian, participated in hunting that eventually led to near extinction of the southern

Chancelade Skeleton

2005-03-30T02:45:00.000-08:00

Human fossil remains discovered in a rock shelter at Chancelade in southwestern France in 1888. The skeleton was found in a curled posture—an indication of a deliberate burial—below the lower Magdalenian occupation floors of the shelter; it is assumed to be of Magdalenian age (about 17,000 years old). The Chancelade skull was studied by the French anatomist Jean-Léo Testut, who

Bulbocavernosus Muscle

2005-03-30T02:32:00.000-08:00

Also called Bulbospongiosus, a muscle of the perineum, the area between the anus and the genitals. In the male, it surrounds the bulb (the enlarged inner end of the structure that surrounds the urethra) of the penis and can be contracted to expel the last drops of urine or semen. In the female it is divided into halves that extend from just behind the clitoris to the central tendon of the perineum and

Alaungpaya

2005-03-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Of humble origins, Alaungpaya was a village headman from the

Spadefish

2005-03-28T04:17:00.000-08:00

(family Ephippidae), any of about 17 species of marine fishes (order Perciformes), predominantly tropical though also found in temperate regions. In appearance the spadefishes are deep-bodied and laterally compressed, with five or six vertical black bands on a silvery body. The vertical bars may disappear with age, the adults being solid white, black, or, more commonly,

Encamp

2005-03-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

Village, Andorra, on a headstream of the Riu (river) Valira. Its agricultural economy is supplemented by tourism, especially skiing. Encamp has a broadcasting transmitter of Radio Andorra. Above the village is Engolasters Lake, accessible by cable car. There are facilities for generating hydroelectric power. In the locality is the Pic (peak) des Pessons (9,400 ft [2,865 m]). Pop. (1990) 7,489.

Rabih Az-zubayr

2005-03-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

Rabih was enslaved as a child and later enrolled in the military service of az-Zubayr Pasha, a Sudanese prince. Rabih was loyal and capable, and he rose to a position of command. When in 1878 az-Zubayr rebelled against the Egyptian administration of the Sudan,

Benin, Bight Of

2005-03-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Also called Bight Of Bonny, bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. Paul (Ghana) to the Nun outlet of the Niger River (Nigeria). It lies within the Gulf of Guinea and is bordered by southeastern Ghana, Togo, Benin, and southwestern Nigeria. The bay receives a portion of the Niger River delta and also the Sio, Haho, Mono, Couffo, Ouémé, Benin,

Great Bear Lake

2005-03-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

Allobroges

2005-03-25T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ancient Celtic tribe living in the northeast of Gallia Narbonensis (i.e., Narbonne Gaul, in the part of southeastern France bounded by the Rhône and Isère rivers) and in the area around Geneva. The Allobroges were first mentioned in history when Hannibal passed through their territory in 218 BC. Later, they were attacked by the Romans and finally conquered (121 BC) at the junction

Siliceous Sponge

2005-03-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

Any sponge in which the main skeletal component is silica as opposed to calcium carbonate or fibrous organic materials only. More than 95 percent of all known sponge species have a siliceous skeleton and belong to the class Demospongiae (phylum Porifera). The siliceous skeleton is usually composed of discrete elements known as spicules that vary greatly in size

Lockport

2005-03-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1822) of Niagara county, western New York, U.S. It lies 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Buffalo. It was founded in 1821 and grew around the series of five double locks (1847) of the Erie Canal built to overcome a difference of about 60 feet (18 metres) between the levels of Lake Erie and the Genesee River. Two modern locks (1918) of the New York State Canal System replaced one of the sets of five locks; the

Cranbrook Academy Of Art

2005-03-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., U.S. The school and its associated museum were designed largely by Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen. Cranbrook Academy of Art is devoted solely to graduate study in the arts, offering master's degree programs in fine arts and architecture. Areas of study include architecture,

Channel Islands

2005-03-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

Also called Santa Barbara Islands island chain extending some 150 miles (240 km) along, and about 12–70 miles (20–115 km) off, the Pacific coast of southern California. The islands form two groups. The Santa Barbara group, to the north, is separated from the mainland by the Santa Barbara Channel and includes San Miguel Island, Santa Rosa Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Anacapa, a group of three small islets. The Santa Catalina group

Pendle

2005-03-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative county of Lancashire, England, on the eastern boundary of the county. Most of the borough—including its largest towns Burnley, Nelson, and Colne—lies in the historic county of Lancashire, but an area in the northeast, including the towns of Barnoldswick and Earby, belongs to the historic county of Yorkshire. The borough takes its name

Illinois Institute Of Technology

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

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Chicago, Ill., U.S. It comprises the Armour College of Engineering and Science, the Lewis College of Liberal Arts, the Institute of Design, the Stuart School of Business, the Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Graduate School, and the College of Architecture. In addition to undergraduate studies, the institute offers

Annam

2005-03-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

The central section of Vietnam known to the French as Annam is largely a highland

Cosmogony

2005-03-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, study of the evolutionary behaviour of the universe and the origin of its characteristic features. For scientific theories on the unsolved problem of the origin of the solar system, see planetesimal; protoplanet; solar nebula. For an outline of the development of astronomical ideas regarding the structure of the universe, see cosmology; for theories

Harburg

2005-03-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Southern industrial district of the city and Land (state) of Hamburg, Germany. The district lies on the left bank of the southern arm of the Elbe River. It was first mentioned in 1142 as Horeburg, was united with the commune of Wilhelmsburg in 1927, and was incorporated into Hamburg in 1937. The district has port facilities and an electrical power station. Pop. (1992 est.) 5,814.

Cyprus, Flag Of

2005-03-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

For centuries Cyprus was part of the Ottoman Empire and flew Turkish flags. By agreement with the Turkish sovereign, however, the British assumed administrative control of the island in 1878 and subsequently flew the Union Jack there. During World War I the island was annexed by the British, and other colonial flags were then introduced. For example, to the British Red

Grijalva River

2005-03-18T00:34:00.000-08:00

Spanish Río Grijalva, river in southeastern Mexico. Its headstreams, the largest of which is the Cuilco, rise in the Sierra Madre of Guatemala and the Sierra de Soconusco of Mexico. The Grijalva flows generally northwestward through Chiapas state, where it is known locally as the Río Grande de Chiapa, or the Río Chiapa. After leaving a lake created by the Malpaso Dam, it turns northward and

Sabine River

2005-03-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

River in the southwestern United States, rising in northeastern Texas and flowing southeast and south, broadening near its mouth to form Sabine Lake, and continuing from Port Arthur through Sabine Pass, a dredged navigable channel, to the Gulf of Mexico after a course of 578 mi (930 km). It drains 10,400 sq mi (26,950 sq km), entirely in Texas and the Louisiana Coastal Plain. The Sabine has successively

Lima

2005-03-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1831) of Allen county, northwestern Ohio, U.S. The city is situated on the Ottawa River, 88 miles (142 km) northwest of Columbus. Laid out in 1831, its name (from Lima, Peru) was chosen by lot by being drawn from a hat. Oil was discovered nearby in 1885, and by the turn of the century Lima was the centre of oil fields, which are now, for the most part, exhausted; the city remains, however, an important

Kidney Failure

2005-03-16T01:44:00.000-08:00

Acute kidney failure results in reduced output of urine, abnormally high levels of nitrogenous substances, potassium, sulfates, and phosphates in the blood, and abnormally low blood levels of sodium, calcium, and carbon dioxide (see uremia). Ordinarily

Aranyakas

2005-03-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: “Books of the Forest”), a later development of the Brahmanas, or expositions of the Vedas, which were composed in India in about 700 BC. The Aranyakas are distinguished from the Brahmanas in that they may contain information on secret rites to be carried out only by certain persons, and more philosophic speculation. Thus they were intended to be studied only by the initiated,

Seven Against Thebes

2005-03-15T01:21:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, the seven champions who were killed fighting against Thebes after the fall of Oedipus, the king of that city. The twins Eteocles and Polyneices, who had been cursed by their father, Oedipus, failed to agree on which of them was to succeed to the Theban throne and decided to rule in alternate years. As Eteocles' turn came first, Polyneices withdrew to

Bar Association

2005-03-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

Also called Legal Association, group of attorneys, whether local, national, or international, that is organized primarily to deal with issues affecting the legal profession. In general, bar associations are concerned with furthering the best interests of lawyers. This may mean the advocacy of reforms in the legal system, the sponsoring of research projects, or the actual regulation of professional

Schadow, Gottfried

2005-03-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

Schadow was trained under the court sculptor Jean-Pierre-Antoine Tassaert and in Rome (1785–87), where he studied under Antonio Canova. In 1788 he succeeded Tassaert as director of the Prussian royal school of sculpture in Berlin. His first monumental work

Quaestor

2005-03-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

With the advent of the republic in the year 509 BC, each of the two consuls, who at first were called praetors, appointed a quaestor to be the

Building Construction, Concrete

2005-03-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Reinforced concrete is also a major structural material in these buildings. Indeed, outside of North America and western Europe, it is the dominant industrialized building material. Its component parts are readily available throughout the world at fairly low cost. Portland cement is easily manufactured by burning shale and limestone; aggregates such as sand

Defoe, Daniel

2005-03-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

English novelist, pamphleteer, and journalist, author of Robinson Crusoe (1719–22) and Moll Flanders (1722).

Duby, Georges

2005-03-12T04:02:00.000-08:00

Although a Parisian by birth, Duby became enthralled at an early age with the history and culture of southern France. Educated

Craigie, Sir William Alexander

2005-03-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Craigie attended St. Andrews University, studied Scandinavian languages in Copenhagen, and taught at St. Andrews

Newfoundland And Labrador, Transportation

2005-03-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Until the end of the 19th century, virtually all communication among the coastal settlements was by sea; St. John's remains one of the country's major Atlantic harbours. A narrow-gauge railway was built during the 1880s from St. John's to Channel-Port-aux-Basques along a route that touched the major bays. Subsequently, branch lines were developed to serve population centres

West Flanders

2005-03-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

Drained

Davangere

2005-03-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

Town, central Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, southern India. A major road and rail junction, it supports a large-scale textile industry and is a trading centre for cotton and grain. The surrounding villages produce handloomed cotton and wool. Several colleges affiliated with the University of Mysore are situated at Davangere. Pop. (1981) 196,621.

Byte

2005-03-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

The basic unit of information in computer storage and processing. A byte consists of 8 adjacent binary digits (bits), each of which consists of a 0 or 1. The string of bits making up a byte is processed as a unit by a computer; bytes are the smallest operable units of storage in computer technology. A byte can represent the equivalent of a single character, such as the letter B,

Uxmal

2005-03-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

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

Kiribati

2005-03-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Kiribati continued its

Traill, Catherine Parr

2005-03-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Traill, a writer of children's books in England, emigrated to the wilderness of Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1832 with her husband and her sister, the writer Susanna Strickland Moodie.

Paeroa

2005-03-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Borough, northern North Island, New Zealand, situated along the Ohinemuri River near its junction with the Waihou. Paeroa (from a Maori word meaning “long ridge”) was founded in the early 1880s as a port for the Ohinemuri goldfield, 5 mi (8 km) southeast. Mining was shifted to the underground Komata Reefs (6 mi northeast) from 1891 to the 1930s. Gazetted a borough in 1915, Paeroa was regularly served

Naberezhnye Chelny

2005-03-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1930) Chelny , from 1982 to 1988 Brezhnev city, Tatarstan, west-central Russia, on the left bank of the Kama River. The city is best known for its Kama truck plant, the world's largest. Also located at Naberezhnye Chelny is the Lower Kama hydroelectric station. Because of these developments, Naberezhnye Chelny experienced rapid growth beginning in the 1970s. Pop. (1991 est.) 513,100.

Beijing, The Ming and Qing dynasties

2005-03-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

In the mid-14th century Zhu Yuanzhang headed a peasant revolt that overthrew the Mongol dynasty and, as the Hongwu emperor, established the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). He moved the capital to Jinling in Jiangsu province and called it Nanjing; Dadu was renamed Beiping (“Northern Peace”) and was placed under his son's rule. On Zhu's death (1398) the throne passed to his grandson in Nanjing, but his

Cheke, Sir John

2005-03-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Cheke also spelled Cheek English humanist and supporter of the Protestant Reformation who, as the poet John Milton said, “taught Cambridge and King Edward Greek” and who, with his friend Sir Thomas Smith, discovered the proper pronunciation of ancient Greek. Through his teaching he made the University of Cambridge the centre of the “new learning” and the Reformed religion.

Saar River

2005-03-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

French Sarre, right-bank tributary of the Moselle (German Mosel) River. It flows for 153 mi (246 km) across northeastern France into Germany and drains an area of 2,800 sq mi (7,300 sq km). Rising at the foot of Donon (mountain) in the northern Vosges (mountains), the river flows generally northward to its confluence with the Mosel at Konz, 6 mi southwest of Trier. Within Germany the Saar flows in meanders (which

Qashqa'i Rug

2005-03-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

Qashqa'i also spelled Kashgai, floor covering handwoven by the Qashqa'i tribe, known as the best rug from the Shiraz district of Iran. They are the brightest in colouring, with rich blues and reds and some use of golden yellow. Usually their designs are geometric, perhaps with a row of three diamond medallions against a background replete with tiny forms of all kinds, including stylized animals and

Sábato, Ernesto

2005-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Educated as a physicist and mathematician, Sábato attended the National University of La

Audubon, John James

2005-03-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

The illegitimate son of a French merchant, planter, and slave trader and a Creole woman of Saint-Domingue, Audubon and his illegitimate half-sister (who was also born

Asma'i, Al-

2005-03-04T02:18:00.000-08:00

A gifted student of Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', the founder of the Basra school, al-Asma'i joined the court of the 'Abbasid caliph Harun ar-Rashid in Baghdad. Renowned for his piety and plain living, he was a tutor to the caliph's son and a favourite of the Barmakid

Accidental

2005-03-03T00:33:00.000-08:00

In music, sign placed immediately to the left of a note to show that the note must be changed in pitch. A sharp () raises a note by a semitone; a flat () lowers it by a semitone; a natural ({natural}) restores it to the original pitch. Double sharps (´) and double flats () indicate that the note is raised or lowered by two semitones. A single natural cancels a double sharp or flat; a natural next

Tachycardia

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

In physiology and medicine, a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia occurs normally during and after exercise or during stress and represents no danger to healthy individuals. In some cases, however, tachycardia occurs without apparent cause and is an arrhythmia, i.e., a pathological deviation from the normal heartbeat rhythm. Most arrhythmias are

Dragon Rug

2005-03-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Early examples are narrow for their length, with a single-stripe

Heterophony

2005-03-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

In music, texture resulting from simultaneous performances of melodic variants of the same tune, typical of Middle Eastern practices as well as of a vast array of folk music. Balkan Slavic epic singers, for example, accompany themselves heterophonically on the gusle (fiddle). In Persian art music, instrumentalists are expected to vary the singers' improvised lines.

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952

2005-02-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

The regime of Rosas in Buenos Aires enjoyed far broader support than any of its predecessors. Special interest groups, landholders, and export-import merchants (along with the British diplomatic contingent that was identified with these interests) all fell behind the new governor. Practically all the influential sectors in the province identified Rosas's triumph

Gun War

2005-02-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

(1880–81), southern African war that ended 10 years of rule by the British Cape Colony over Basutoland (Lesotho). Cape magistrates had interfered with the chiefs' authority and with the traditional laws of the Sotho people; part of southern Lesotho was demarcated for white use, and a 1879 Disarmament Act was to be enforced in 1880. The Sotho refused to give up their guns. Fighting from defensive

Fukasaku, Kinji

2005-02-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Japanese filmmaker (b. July 3, 1930, Mito, Japan—d. Jan. 12, 2003, Tokyo, Japan), created a series of increasingly violent and well-received yakuza (gangster) movies. His first movie was Hakuchu no buraikan (1961; Greed in Broad Daylight). Standouts among the more than 60 films that he directed were Kurotokage (1968; Black Lizard), Gunki hatameku motoni (1972; Under the Flag of the Rising Sun), and Jingi naki

Antarctica, Post-IGY research

2005-02-28T02:56:00.000-08:00

In order to continue and coordinate the international Antarctic scientific effort in the post-IGY period, ICSU in September 1957 organized the Special Committee on Antarctic Research, or SCAR. (In 1961 the word Scientific was substituted for Special.) The foundations for the committee were laid at its first meeting in The Hague in 1958. SCAR, a nonpolitical body, coordinates not

John (xx)

2005-02-27T06:31:00.000-08:00

Nonexistent pope. A confusion in the numbering of popes named John after John XIV resulted because Marianus Scotus and other 11th-century historians mistakenly believed that there had been a pope named John between antipope Boniface VII and the true John XV. Therefore they mistakenly numbered the real popes John XV to XIX as John XVI to XX. These popes have since customarily

Sculpture

2005-02-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

A form of aesthetic expression in which hard or plastic materials are worked (as by carving, molding, or welding) into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments ranging from tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator. An enormous variety of media may be used, including clay, wax,

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952

2005-02-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

The massive body measured nearly 9 metres (30 feet) long and must have weighed four to five

Abu'l-wafa'

2005-02-25T05:48:00.000-08:00

Abu'l-Wafa' worked in a private observatory in Baghdad, where he made observations to determine, among other astronomical parameters, the obliquity of the ecliptic, the length of the seasons, and the latitude of the city.

Subatomic Particle

2005-02-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

Subatomic particles are, literally, particles that are smaller than atoms. The physical study of such particles

Nepal

2005-02-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

Officially Kingdom of Nepal , Nepali Nepal Adhirajya country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory, which has an area of 56,827 square miles (147,181 square kilometres), extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. The

Anteater

2005-02-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

The giant anteater and tamanduas constitute the family Myrmecophagidae, which means “ant-eating” in Latin, whereas the silky anteater is classified in a family of its own, Cyclopedidae. Together the two families make up the anteater suborder Vermilingua (literally “worm-tongue” in Latin). Anteaters, along with sloths, are placed within the mammalian order Pilosa of

Cramp

2005-02-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

Painful, involuntary, and sustained contraction of muscle, most common in the limbs but also affecting certain internal organs. Examples of cramping include menstrual cramps and spasms of the circular muscles of the bowel (irritable colon), blood vessels (vasospasm), and pylorus of the stomach (pylorospasm; the pylorus is the opening from the stomach to the

Anteater

2005-02-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

Radioactive chemical element of the actinide series in Group IIIb of the periodic table, atomic number 94. It is the most important transuranium element because of its use as fuel in certain types of nuclear reactors and as an ingredient in nuclear weapons. Plutonium, warm because of energy released in alpha decay, is a silvery metal that takes on a yellow tarnish in

Arras

2005-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Pas-de-Calais département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, former capital of Artois, northern France, on the Scarpe River, southwest of Lille. Of Gallo-Roman origin, it was the chief town (Nemetacum or Nemetocenna) of the Atrebates, one of the last Gallic peoples to surrender to Caesar. The woollen industry dates from the 4th century. The Middle Ages was a period

Distinguished Service Order

2005-02-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

British military decoration awarded to officers who have performed meritorious or distinguished service in war. The decoration, instituted by Queen Victoria in 1886, entitles recipients to add D.S.O. after their names. Foreign officers associated with British forces can become holders of the award as “honorary members.” The badge of the order is a white and gold cross

Shichi-fuku-jin

2005-02-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Shichi-fuku-jin are a favourite

Interior Design, Renaissance to the end of the 18th century

2005-02-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Renaissance was a revival of the old classical styles, and it is not surprising that it first showed itself to a marked degree in Italy. The Gothic style had made comparatively little headway in Italy, where it was regarded as barbarous except in some of the more northerly towns, such as Milan and Venice. The style had more or less coincided with a period of primitive

Andes Mountains

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

The Andes consist of a vast series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometres)—from the southern tip of South America to the continent's northernmost coast on the Caribbean. They separate a narrow

Great Mother Of The Gods

2005-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

Legends agree in locating the rise of the worship of the Great Mother in the general area of Phrygia in

Obolus

2005-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Genus of extinct brachiopod, or lamp shell, of the Cambrian Period (from 540 to 505 million years ago). Obolus was a small animal with a spherical shape; one valve, or shell, was larger than the other. Unlike the shells of its relatives, the lingulids, the obolus shells were composed of calcium carbonate. Obolus inhabited shallow marine waters.

Château-thierry

2005-02-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

Town, northeast France, Aisne département, Picardie region, east-northeast of Paris. It is situated on the Marne River on the slopes of a hill, at the top of which are the ruins of an old castle, said to have been built in about 720 by the Frankish ruler Charles Martel for his puppet Thierry IV (the Merovingian king Theodoric). Close to the castle walls stands the 16th-century mansion

Muhammad, Elijah

2005-02-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

The son of sharecroppers and former slaves, Muhammad moved to Detroit in 1923 where, around 1930, he became assistant minister to the founder of the sect, Wallace D. Fard, at Temple No. 1. When Fard disappeared in 1934 Muhammad

Halepa, Pact Of

2005-02-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Treaty Of Halepa, Halepa also spelled Khalépa, convention signed in October 1878 at Khalépa, a suburb of Canea, by which the Turkish sultan Abdülhamid II (ruled 1876–1909) granted a large degree of self-government to Greeks in Crete as a means to quell their insurrection against Turkish overlords. It supplemented previous concessions to the Cretans—e.g., the Organic Law Constitution (1868) and the Cyprus Convention (July 4, 1878), which had been

Arabia

2005-02-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Roman province created out of the former kingdom of the Nabataeans and the adjacent Syrian cities of Gerasa and Philadelphia (modern Jarash and 'Amman, Jordan, respectively), after the formal annexation of the Nabataean kingdom by the Roman emperor Trajan in AD 105. The province was bounded by the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula, the present Syrian-Lebanese border to

Field Archery

2005-02-17T02:47:00.000-08:00

Also called roving form of archery in which targets of different sizes or shapes are placed at varying distances in uneven, often wooded, terrain in an attempt to simulate hunting conditions. As an organized sport it dates from the formation in 1939 of the National Field Archery Association of the United States. In 1969 a field event was included for the first time in the world archery championships

National Assembly

2005-02-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

French Assemblée Nationale, any of various historical French parliaments or houses of parliament. From June 17 to July 9, 1789, it was the name of the revolutionary assembly formed by representatives of the Third Estate; thereafter (until replaced by the Legislative Assembly on Sept. 30, 1791) its formal name was National Constituent Assembly (Assemblée Nationale Constituante), though popularly the shorter

Bonnie And Clyde

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

Barrow had been a criminal long before he met Parker in January 1930. After 20 months in prison

Hasa, Al-

2005-02-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

Arabic Al-Ahsa' oasis and region in eastern Saudi Arabia. Al-Hasa oasis, the largest oasis in Saudi Arabia, lies about 40 miles (65 km) west of the Persian Gulf. It has about 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of palm groves and other crops that are irrigated by the flow of 60 or more artesian springs. Many varieties of dates are grown on the more than 3 million trees in the oasis. The oasis's population consists of almost

Aquifoliaceae

2005-02-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

The Aquifoliaceae differ from other

Afram River

2005-02-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

River, in southern Ghana, western Africa. It rises 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Mampong and flows southeast into Lake Volta (formerly the Afram was a tributary of the Volta River). The Afram is about 55 miles (90 km) long. The river is important for fishing, despite its running dry from October to March, and it collects nearly all the drainage of the Kwahu Plateau. In the river valley the

Adams, John

2005-02-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

(For additional writings by Adams, see The Meaning of the American Revolution; On the Importance of Property for the Suffrage; and Party Divisions in America.)

Abc

2005-02-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

Tabloid daily newspaper published in Madrid and long regarded as one of Spain's leading papers. It was founded as a weekly in 1903 by a distinguished journalist, Torcuato Luca de Tena y Alvarez-Ossorio, who later (1929) was made the Marqués de Luca de Tena by King Alfonso XIII in recognition of his accomplishments with ABC. The paper became a daily in 1905 and after 1929 published a Seville

Cpd

2005-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Abbreviation of Cape Photographic Durchmusterung (q.v.), an astronomical catalog.

Canberra

2005-02-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

A small squatters' settlement of stockmen called Canberry, or Canbury (a derivation of an Aboriginal

Alexander Of Aphrodisias

2005-02-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of the 2nd century, Alexander became head of the Lyceum at Athens, an academy then dominated by the syncretistic philosophy of Ammonius Saccas, who blended the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle. Alexander's commentaries were intended

Nigeria

2005-02-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

The first national conventions of the five political parties that had been granted legal status were held in November 1996. The parties elected their leaders as follows:

Blood Brotherhood

2005-02-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Special alliance or tie that binds persons together in a fashion analogous to, but distinct from, kinship ties. The relationship derives its name from the ritual commingling of the blood of the participants. The nature of the alliance thus formed typically enjoins the members to mutual support, loyalty, or affection. When practiced between groups, blood brotherhood

Korean War, Air warfare

2005-02-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

Air power gave the UNC its greatest hope to offset Chinese manpower and increasing firepower. The FEAF clearly won the battle for air superiority, pitting fewer than 100 F-86s against far more numerous Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean MiG-15s. Pilots from all the U.S. armed forces downed at least 500 MiGs at a loss of 78 F-86s. The Soviets rotated squadrons of their air defense force to Korea,

Yeh-lü Ta-shih

2005-02-09T03:14:00.000-08:00

Yeh-lü was a member of the imperial family of the Liao dynasty (907–1125), which had been established by the Khitan tribes and ruled much of Mongolia, Manchuria, and Northeast China. When the Liao dynasty was overthrown by the Juchen, who established the Chin dynasty, Yeh-lü fled west to Turkestan, where he

BlackSponge

Amnesty International

Telegraph, Printing telegraphs

Usul Al-fiqh

Kourouma, Ahmadou

Amorphous Solid, Vapour condensation techniques

Régnier, Henri (-françois-joseph) De

Japan, Fauna

Encyclopaedia, Contributors

Antarctica, Early scientific progress

Chancelade Skeleton

Bulbocavernosus Muscle

Alaungpaya

Spadefish

Encamp

Rabih Az-zubayr

Benin, Bight Of

Great Bear Lake

Allobroges

Siliceous Sponge

Lockport

Cranbrook Academy Of Art

Channel Islands

Pendle

Illinois Institute Of Technology

Annam

Cosmogony

Harburg

Cyprus, Flag Of

Grijalva River

Sabine River

Lima

Kidney Failure

Aranyakas

Seven Against Thebes

Bar Association

Schadow, Gottfried

Quaestor

Building Construction, Concrete

Defoe, Daniel

Duby, Georges

Craigie, Sir William Alexander

Newfoundland And Labrador, Transportation

West Flanders

Davangere

Byte

Uxmal

Kiribati

Traill, Catherine Parr

Paeroa

Naberezhnye Chelny

Beijing, The Ming and Qing dynasties

Cheke, Sir John

Saar River

Qashqa'i Rug

Sábato, Ernesto

Audubon, John James

Asma'i, Al-

Accidental

Tachycardia

Dragon Rug

Heterophony

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952

Gun War

Fukasaku, Kinji

Antarctica, Post-IGY research

John (xx)

Sculpture

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952

Abu'l-wafa'

Subatomic Particle

Nepal

Anteater

Cramp

Anteater

Arras

Distinguished Service Order

Shichi-fuku-jin

Interior Design, Renaissance to the end of the 18th century

Andes Mountains

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952

Argentina, Confederation under Rosas, 182952