ReadyWindow

Organic Underwear

2006-10-29T06:05:00.000-08:00

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

Anthony, Katharine (susan)

2005-04-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

A college teacher of geometry, Anthony was deeply interested in psychiatry. Eventually this interest came to shape her approach to biography,

Ireland

2005-04-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

Even before September the slowdown in the U.S. had begun to have an impact on Ireland. As

Onoe Shoroku Ii

2005-04-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yutaka Fujima made his debut at the age of five as Ushiwakamaru at the Teikoku Theatre in the kabuki drama Shusse Kagekiyo, about the 12th-century hero Taira no Kagekiyo. After starring in Neiboku

Philastre, Paul-louis-félix

2005-04-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

French administrator and diplomat who, in the formative years of colonialism in French Indochina, played a crucial role in mitigating relations between the European colonialists and the French administration, on the one hand, and the indigenous population and its royal court at Hue, in central Vietnam. He was considered

Widmann, Joseph Viktor

2005-04-01T22:47:00.000-08:00

As literary editor of the Bern daily newspaper Der Bund from 1880 to 1910, Widmann occupied an authoritative position in Swiss letters and promoted many talented writers. He was himself an accomplished though not a strikingly original writer, and he handled such

Fabricius, Johann Christian

2005-04-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

Danish entomologist known for his extensive taxonomic research based upon the structure of insect mouthparts rather than upon their wings. He also advanced theoretical propositions that were progressive for his time, particularly his view that new species and varieties could arise through hybridization and by environmental influence

Cordeliers, Club Of The

2005-03-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Formally Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , French Club des Cordeliers , or Société des Amis des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen one of the popular clubs of the French Revolution, founded in 1790 to prevent the abuse of power and “infractions of the rights of man.” The club's popular name was derived from its original meeting place in Paris, the nationalized monastery of the Cordeliers (Franciscans). It became a political force under the leadership of such men as Jean-Paul Marat and Georges Danton. After

National Botanical Garden Of Belgium

2005-03-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

French Jardin Botanique National de Belgique , Flemish Nationale Plantentuin van België botanical garden consisting of the plant collections at Meise, on the outskirts of Brussels, Belgium. The garden has about 18,000 different species of plants. Originally founded in 1870 on a 17-acre (7-hectare) site in the heart of Brussels, the botanical garden was gradually transferred after the mid-1960s to a magnificent estate at Meise, the Domaine de Bouchout. The world's largest greenhouse,

Kâmil Pasa, Mehmed

2005-03-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

Trained as a military officer in Cairo, Kâmil held a succession of government posts until he became grand vizier in 1885–91 and again in 1895. Sultan Abdülhamid II dismissed him because he proposed a cabinet responsible to Parliament, and he then served as governor of Smyrna

Eurodollar

2005-03-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

A United States dollar that has been deposited outside the United States, especially in Europe. Foreign banks holding Eurodollars are obligated to pay in U.S. dollars when the deposits are withdrawn. Dollars form the largest component of all currencies in which such deposits are held and which are generally known as Eurocurrency. The name originated in the early

Azay-le-rideau

2005-03-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

Town and château, Indre-et-Loire département, Centre région, central France. The town lies along the Indre River a few miles upstream from its confluence with the Loire River, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Tours. Originally the site of a Roman villa, the town was known in the 12th century as Azayum. When the French dauphin (later Charles VII) was insulted by the Burgundian guard

Sketch

2005-03-28T01:14:00.000-08:00

In a traditional sketch, the emphasis usually is laid on the general design and composition of the work and

Saint Martin

2005-03-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

The island was named by Christopher Columbus in honour of the saint on whose feast day he sighted it. Valued for its natural lakes

Laguna District

2005-03-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

The land, once used only for grazing, belonged to

Szymborska, Wislawa

2005-03-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

Szymborska's father was the steward on a count's family estate. When she was eight, the family moved to Kraków, and she attended high school there. Between 1945 and 1948 she studied literature and sociology

Ten Days Of Penitence

2005-03-25T04:35:00.000-08:00

Hebrew Aseret Yeme Teshuva, the first 10 days of the Jewish religious year. See yamim nora'im.

Euler, Ulf Von

2005-03-24T01:40:00.000-08:00

Euler was the son of 1929 Nobel laureate Hans von Euler-Chelpin. After his graduation

Epictetus

2005-03-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

Epictetus is most frequently mentioned in connection with a series of medallions on plates in the British Museum in London and the Cabinet des Médailles in Paris. The medallion paintings

Ambo

2005-03-23T23:57:00.000-08:00

In the Christian liturgy, a raised stand formerly used for reading the Gospel or the Epistle, first used in early basilicas. Originally, the ambo took the form of a portable lectern. By the 6th century it had evolved into a stationary church furnishing, which reflected the development and codification of the Christian liturgy. By the Byzantine and early Romanesque

Edinburgh Review, The, Or The Critical Journal

2005-03-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

Scottish magazine that was published from 1802 to 1929, and which contributed to the development of the modern periodical and to modern standards of literary criticism. The Edinburgh Review was founded by Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, and Henry Brougham as a quarterly publication, with Jeffrey as its first and longtime editor. It was intended as an outlet for liberal views

Fisher, Clara

2005-03-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

Fisher made her stage debut in 1817, at the age of six, in a children's adaptation of David Garrick's Lilliput at the Drury Lane Theatre. Her performance in that and in an afterpiece of excerpts from Richard III captivated

Fürth

2005-03-20T23:56:00.000-08:00

City, Bavaria Land (state), south-central Germany, situated at the junction of the Pegnitz and Rednitz rivers (which there form the Regnitz), just northwest of Nürnberg. It was originally a Franconian settlement dating from the mid-8th century. The royal palace of Furti (the “Furt”) was first mentioned in 1007, when the village was assigned to the newly formed bishopric of Bamberg.

Economic Affairs

2005-03-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

The year 2002 was a strange, tumultuous one that held few moments of rest for weary investors and companies. The recession seemed to continue unabated; many sectors were rife with bankruptcies; and executives were hauled before judges and congressional investigators. (For the 10 Largest U.S. Bankruptcies Filed Since 1980, see Table.) Behind the chaos lurked the possibility of

Epistemology, Innate versus learned

2005-03-20T03:32:00.000-08:00

The puzzle about origins of knowledge has led historically to two different kinds of issues. One of these is the question of whether knowledge (or at least certain kinds of knowledge) is innate, meaning that it is not acquired or learned through experience but in some important sense is present in the human psyche at birth. The matter is still a live issue today, not only

Hypochondriasis

2005-03-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Mental disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with one's own health and a tendency to fear or believe that one has a serious disease based on the presence of insignificant physical signs or symptoms. A hypochondriac may become convinced that he is ill even though such physical signs are completely absent, or he may exaggerate the medical significance

Ars Antiqua

2005-03-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

(Medieval Latin: “Ancient Art”), in music history, period of musical activity in 13th-century France, characterized by increasingly sophisticated counterpoint (the art of combining simultaneous voice parts), that culminated in the innovations of the 14th-century Ars Nova (q.v.). The term Ars Antiqua originated, in fact, with the Ars Nova theorists, some of whom spoke of the “Ancient

Lussy, Melchior

2005-03-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Representative of the Catholic cantons at the Council of Trent and at the courts of four popes—Paul IV, Pius IV, Gregory XIII, and Gregory XIV—Lussy devoted much of his life

Venango

2005-03-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Venango county was formed in 1800; its name was derived from an Iroquoian Indian word probably meaning “bull thistle.” In August 1859 Edwin L. Drake triggered Pennsylvania's oil boom

China, Changes under Kublai Khan and his successors

2005-03-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

Kublai Khan's ascendancy in 1260 marked a definite change in Mongol government practice; Kublai moved the seat of Mongol government from Karakorum in Mongolia to Shang-tu (Upper Capital) near modern To-lun in Inner Mongolia. In 1267 the official capital was transferred to Chung-tu, where Kublai ordered the construction of a new walled city, replete with grand palaces and official

Byrom, John

2005-03-17T02:23:00.000-08:00

Byrom was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was elected fellow in 1714. He then went abroad, ostensibly to study medicine; in view of his Jacobite leanings his journey may have been political. On his return to London in 1718, he taught his own method of shorthand

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint

2005-03-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Thomas was born to parents who were in possession of a modest feudal domain on a boundary constantly disputed by the emperor and the pope. His father was of Lombard origin; his mother was of the later invading Norman strain. His people were distinguished in the service of Emperor Frederick II during the civil strife in southern Italy between the papal and imperial

Wansbeck

2005-03-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

District, administrative and historic county of Northumberland, northern England, along the North Sea in the southeastern part of the county. Wansbeck spans a narrow coastal plain edging the Northumberland uplands to the west. Its three principal towns (Ashington, Bedlington, and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea) suffered economic decline in the 1960s and '70s because of the loss of

Clan

2005-03-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

Kinship group of fundamental importance in the structure of many societies. Membership of a clan is socially defined in terms of actual or purported descent from a common ancestor. This descent is unilineal—i.e., derived only through the male (patriclan) or the female (matriclan). Normally, but not always, the clans are exogamous, marriage within the clan being forbidden

Spaak, Paul-henri

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

Belgium's foremost statesman in the decades following World War II and a leading advocate of European cooperation. He played a major role in forming the European Economic Community (EEC; now European Community), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Benelux, the customs union of Belgium, The Netherlands,

Madhya Pradesh, Industry

2005-03-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

Overall, Madhya Pradesh remains an industrially underdeveloped state. In 1981 the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. was established to improve the infrastructure in the state's identified growth centres. Before this planned development took place, western Madhya Pradesh was the main industrial area—primarily producing consumer goods—but

Vaisheshika

2005-03-14T03:02:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Vaisesika, Sanskrit Vaisesika (“Particular”), one of the six orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy, significant for its naturalism, a feature that is not characteristic of most Indian thought. The Sanskrit philosopher Kanada Kasyapa (2nd–3rd century AD?) expounded its theories and is credited with founding the school. Important later commentaries were written by Prasastapada, Udayana, and Sridhara.

Soil

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

The biologically active, porous medium that has developed in the uppermost layer of the Earth's crust. Soil is one of the principal substrata of life on Earth, serving as a reservoir of water and nutrients, as a medium for the filtration and breakdown of injurious wastes, and as a participant in the cycling of carbon and other elements through the global ecosystem. It

Czardas

2005-03-13T03:40:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Csardas , Hungarian Csárdás national dance of Hungary. A courting dance for couples, it begins with a slow section (lassu), followed by an exhilarating fast section (friss). The individual dancers carry themselves proudly and improvise on a simple fundamental step, their feet snapping inward and outward, the couples whirling. The music, often played by a Gypsy orchestra, is in 2/4 or 4/4 time with compelling,

Jainism, Late medievalearly modern developments (11001800)

2005-03-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

In the period of their greatest influence (6th–late 12th century), Jain monks of both sects, perhaps influenced by intense lay patronage, turned from living as wandering ascetics to permanent residence in temples or monasteries. A legacy of this transformation is the contemporary Digambara practice of the bhattaraka, through which a cleric takes monastic initiation

Boryokudan

2005-03-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

(Japanese: “tough gang”), any of various Japanese criminal gangs of centuries-long tradition, which combined in the 20th century into Mafia-like organizations. Members, often called yakuza (“good-for-nothing”), or gyangu (“gangster”), adopt samurai-like rituals and often bear elaborate body tattoos. They engage in extortion, blackmail, smuggling, prostitution, drugs, gambling,

Craggs, James

2005-03-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

English politician implicated in the South Sea Bubble (1720), a widespread speculation in shares of the South Sea Company, which had taken over most of the British national debt. The company persuaded investors to exchange their state annuities for the greatly overvalued stock, which rose as high as 1,000 during the summer of 1720 and fell to 124 in December.

Armilus

2005-03-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

In Jewish legends, an enemy who will conquer Jerusalem and persecute Jews until his final defeat at the hands of God or the true Messiah. His inevitable destruction symbolizes the ultimate victory of good over evil in the messianic era. Some sources depict Armilus as partially deaf and partially maimed, the frightful offspring of Satan or evil creatures. Parallel

Molle Islands

2005-03-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

Group of four small formations on the Great Barrier Reef, in Whitsunday Passage in the Coral Sea, 3 miles (5 km) off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia. In 1815 the patch of water behind the group was named Port Molle for Colonel George Molle. The name was later applied to the islands and to the deepwater passage between them and the mainland. The islands are coral-fringed,

Alabama Agricultural And Mechanical University

2005-03-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Byname Alabama A&M University public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Normal, Alabama, U.S., a historically black school. The university comprises the schools of Graduate Studies and Extended Education, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Engineering and Technology. It offers a range of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree

Furniture, Mirrors

2005-03-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

The use of mirror glass in furnishings arose during the 17th century. The discoloration of the melted glass because of silvering and, not least, the prohibitive cost and difficulty of manufacturing mirror glass of considerable size restricted the possibilities of large-scale application. The mirror gallery at Versailles was thus an outstanding technical achievement

Aerospace Industry

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

Technological progress is the basis for competitiveness and advancement in the aerospace industry. The industry is, as a result, a world leader in advancing science and technology. Aerospace systems have a very high value per unit weight and are among the most complex, as measured by the number of components in finished products. Consequently, it is economically

Lord's Prayer

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

Latin Oratio Dominica, also called Pater Noster (Latin: “Our Father”), prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples, and the principal prayer used by all Christians in common worship. It appears in two forms in the New Testament, the shorter version in Luke 11:2–4 and the longer version, part of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6:9–13. In both contexts it is offered as a model of how to pray. Many scholars believe the version in Luke to be closer

United States Court Of Appeals For The Armed Forces

2005-03-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

Originally consisting of three civil judges, the court since 1990 has consisted of five judges appointed by the president and

Radio

2005-03-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

Transmission and detection of communication signals consisting of electromagnetic waves that travel through the air in a straight line or by reflection from the ionosphere or from a communications satellite.

Cimmerian

2005-03-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Member of an ancient people living north of the Caucasus and the Sea of Azov, driven by the Scythians out of southern Russia, over the Caucasus, and into Anatolia toward the end of the 8th century BC. Ancient writers sometimes confused them with the Scythians. Most scholars now believe that the Cimmerians assaulted Urartu (Armenia) about 714 BC, but in 705, after being repulsed by Sargon

American Academy Of Arts And Sciences

2005-03-06T02:06:00.000-08:00

Honorary society incorporated on May 4, 1780, in Boston, Mass., U.S., for the purpose of cultivating “every art and science.” Its membership—some 3,300 fellows in the United States and about 550 foreign honorary fellows (all scholars and national leaders)—is divided into four classes: the physical sciences, the biological sciences, the social arts and sciences, and the humanities and fine

Ghent

2005-03-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

One of Belgium's oldest cities and the historic capital of Flanders, Ghent was powerful, well-organized in its wealthy trade

Gattamelata

2005-03-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Also called Equestrian monument of Erasmo da Narni bronze statue of the Venetian condottiere Erasmo da Narni, (popularly known as Gattamelata, meaning “honeyed cat”) by the 15th-century Italian Early Renaissance sculptor Donatello. It was completed between 1447 and 1450 but was not installed on its pedestal in the Piazza del Santo in front of the Basilica of Sant'Antonio in Padua, Italy, until 1453. The statue established a prototype

Gerry, Elbridge

2005-03-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

In 1812 Gerry, an ardent supporter of war with Great Britain in the War of 1812, was elected vice president of the United States on the Jeffersonian Republican ticket with Madison. In 1813, while presiding over the Senate, Gerry, who along with Madison was in ill health, refused to yield his chair at the close of the legislative session, thus preventing William Giles, a senator from Virginia and an advocate of peace with Britain, from becoming president pro tempore of the Senate and thereby second in line (after the vice president) to succeed the president under the Presidential Succession Act of 1792. Gerry suffered a hemorrhage of the lungs on his way to the Senate and died in 1814.

Polytheism, Functional deities

2005-03-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

In addition to the various forces operating in nature, various social and other functions are divinized. Thus, the god Brahma in the Vedic tradition, besides being creator, contains and expresses in personal form the power implicit in the Brahmin class. Again, there are gods of healing, such as Asclepius in Greece, and of seafaring, agriculture, and so on. The most elaborate

Quintana, Manuel José

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

After studying law at the University of Salamanca, he went to Madrid to begin his

T'ung-chih

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

Ascending the throne at the age of six, the young ruler assumed the reign title of T'ung-chih (“Union for Order”). He ruled under the regency of a triumvirate that was headed by his

Disciples Of Christ

2005-03-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Churches of Christ emphasize rigorous adherence to the New Testament as the model for Christian faith, practice, and fellowship. They

Dowlaiswaram

2005-03-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Town, East Godavari district, northeastern Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, on the Godavari River Delta. Dowlaiswaram is located at the source of the great delta, and a dam 2 mi (3.2 km) long crosses the river at this point, supplying canals that irrigate 1,000,000 ac (400,000 ha). Rice fields, gardens, and villages are scattered over the deltaic region that surrounds the mainly agricultural

Clairon, Mlle

2005-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

She began her career as a soubrette but made her debut at the Comédie-Française in 1743 as Phèdre in the tragedy by Racine. She also portrayed Corneille's heroines, who combined nobility of

Transpacific Race

2005-02-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

Also called Honolulu Race, one of the world's oldest major ocean races for sailing yachts, a 2,225-mile (3,580-kilometre) event run from various California harbours to Honolulu, Hawaii. It was first held in 1906 and made a biennial event in 1939 to alternate with the Bermuda Race. Since 1941 the race has been from San Pedro, Calif. (Los Angeles' harbour), to Diamond Head Buoy, off Honolulu. Since the course is mostly downwind and

Cantus Firmus

2005-02-28T01:57:00.000-08:00

Plural Cantus Firmi, preexistent melody, such as a plainchant excerpt, underlying a polyphonic musical composition (one consisting of several independent voices or parts). The 11th- and 12th-century organum added a simple second melody (duplum) to an existing plainchant melody (the vox principalis, or principal voice), which by the end of the 12th century was stretched so as to accommodate a melody.

Clairvaux

2005-02-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

Village, northeastern France, in Aube département, Champagne-Ardenne région, east-southeast of Troyes. Its abbey, founded in 1115 by the French churchman and mystic St. Bernard of Clairvaux, became a centre of the Cistercian order. All that remains of the original abbey is a large 12th-century storehouse and other vestiges, which have been incorporated in an 18th-century monastery.

Argyrodite

2005-02-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Heavy, dark sulfosalt mineral, a silver and germanium sulfide (Ag8GeS6), in which the element germanium was discovered (1886). It is a relatively scarce mineral found in sulfide veins in Germany and in Bolivia. It forms a solid solution series with canfieldite in which tin replaces germanium in the crystal structure, which belongs to the isometric system. For detailed physical

Osage Orange

2005-02-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

Also called Bowwood, French Bois D'arc (Maclura pomifera), thorny tree with large, yellow-green, wrinkled fruit and a milky sap that can produce dermatitis in humans. It is the only species of its genus in the mulberry family (Moraceae). It is native to the south-central United States but has been planted extensively farther north in the Mississippi River valley and at points east of

Anatom

2005-02-26T02:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Aneityum, southernmost island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it has a circumference of 35 miles (56 km) and an area of 25 square miles (65 square km) and rises from a fertile coastal plain and valleys to a height of 2,795 feet (852 m). Anatom was a centre of sandalwooders, whalers, and missionaries in the New Hebrides in the 19th century; its valuable stands of kauri pine were

Mental Disorder, Major affective disorders

2005-02-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

The DSM-III defines two major, or severe, affective disorders: bipolar disorder and major depression. A person with bipolar disorder, which has traditionally been called manic-depressive psychosis, typically experiences discrete episodes of depression and then of mania lasting for a few weeks or months, with intervening periods of complete normality. The sequence

Pretoria

2005-02-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

City in Gauteng province and administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria stretches along both sides of the Apies River and extends into the western foothills of the Magaliesberg on the east. Founded in 1855 by Marthinus, son of Andries Pretorius, the Boer statesman for whom the city was named, it became the capital of the Transvaal in 1860, administrative

Fable, Parable, And Allegory, Influence of Jean de La Fontaine

2005-02-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

The fable has normally been of limited length, however, and the form reached its zenith in 17th-century France, at the court of Louis XIV, especially in the work of Jean de La Fontaine. He published his Fables in two segments: the first, his initial volume of 1668, and the second, an accretion of “Books” of fables appearing over the next 25 years. The 1668 Fables follow the Aesopian pattern,

Pre-columbian Civilizations, Deities

2005-02-24T04:37:00.000-08:00

The ancient tribes of central Mexico had worshiped fertility gods for many centuries when the Aztec invaded the valley. The cult of these gods remained extremely important in Aztec religion. Tlaloc, the giver of rain but also the wrathful deity of lightning, was the leader of a group of rain gods, the Tlaloques, who dwelt on mountaintops. Chalchiuhtlicue (“One Who Wears

Arabia, Ethnic groups

2005-02-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

In ethnographic terms, Arabs belong to the Mediterranean local race, a subgroup of the Caucasoid geographic race. According to tradition, Arabs are descended from a southern Arabian ancestor, Qahtan, forebear of the “pure” or “genuine” Arabs (known as al-'Arab al-'Aribah), and a northern Arabian ancestor, 'Adnan, forebear of the “Arabicized” Arabs (al-'Arab al-Musta'ribah). A tradition,

Pacific Islands, Transportation and communication

2005-02-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

Most islanders, by resorting to some combination of road, canoe, motorboat, interisland freighter, local air service, or international airline, can travel within a week or two to such distant cities as Sydney, Auckland, San Francisco, Vancouver, Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong, or Singapore. Because of infrequent or irregular travel schedules, inhabitants of more remote islands

Alto

2005-02-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

Alto derives from the term contratenor altus, which in Renaissance music referred to the part immediately above the tenor

Ghavam El-saltaneh, Ahmad

2005-02-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ghavam entered the court of the Qajar monarch Mozaffar al-Din Shah as a scribe in 1898. He rose to the position of minister of justice in 1909 and became minister of the interior the following year. In 1918 he was appointed governor of Khorasan province and three years later was nominated prime

Myanmar (burma)

2005-02-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

Myanmar's ruling military junta in 1993 ignored calls from the U.S., the European

Cradle

2005-02-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

In furniture, infant's bed of wood, wicker, or iron, having enclosed sides and suspended from a bar, slung upon pivots, or mounted on rockers. The rocking motion of the cradle is intended to lull the infant to sleep. The cradle is an ancient type of furniture, and its origins are unknown. Early cradles developed from hollowed-out tree trunks to oblong, lidless wood boxes, originally

Carter, Don

2005-02-20T00:20:00.000-08:00

A charter member and first president of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA; founded in 1958), Carter began bowling as a boy while working as a pinsetter, built his own lane in the basement of the family home, and joined the St. Louis Budweiser team in 1953. Carter was six times bowler of the

Aeolis

2005-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

Also called Aeolia, group of ancient cities on the west coast of Anatolia, which were founded at the end of the 2nd millennium BC by Greeks speaking an Aeolic dialect. The earliest settlements, located on the islands of Lesbos and Tenedos and on the mainland between Troas and Ionia, resulted from migrations during 1130–1000 BC. A second group of Aeolian settlements was colonized in the 7th century BC. At the

Houston

2005-02-19T03:20:00.000-08:00

The first settlement in the area, Harrisburg (1826), was

Katipunan

2005-02-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

In full Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang Na Katipunan Nang Manga Anak Nang Bayan (“Supreme Worshipful Association of the Sons of the People”), Filipino nationalist organization founded in 1892 to oppose Spanish rule. The organization numbered anywhere from 100,000 to 400,000 members. The Filipino nationalist Emilio Aguinaldo was the leader of this group, which successfully fought the Spanish. Most of the members were Tagalogs.

Wyong

2005-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Town, eastern New South Wales, Australia, on the Wyong River, immediately west of the Tuggerah Lakes (coastal lagoons). The district was settled in 1823 for the purpose of exploiting its cedar trees. As the forests were removed, agricultural activities increased, with citrus groves being planted after 1887. The town, proclaimed in 1888, derived its name from an Aboriginal word meaning

Ogooué River

2005-02-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ogowe, stream of west-central Africa, flowing in Gabon for almost its entire course and draining an area of almost 86,000 square miles (222,700 square km). It rises in Congo (Brazzaville) on the eastern slopes of the Massif du Chaillu and flows northwest through Gabon past Franceville and Lastoursville; it then turns west and southwest past Booué, Ndjolé, and Lambaréné, collecting water from

Ma'at

2005-02-17T04:43:00.000-08:00

The ceremony of judgment of the dead (called the “Judgment of Osiris,” named for Osiris, the god of the dead) was believed to focus upon the weighing of the heart of the deceased in a scale balanced by Ma'at (or her

Ancient Rome, Barbarian kingdoms

2005-02-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

Several barbarian kingdoms were then set up: in Africa, Gaiseric's kingdom of the Vandals; in Spain and in Gaul as far as the Loire, the Visigothic kingdom; and farther to the north, the kingdoms of the Salian Franks and the Alemanni. The barbarians were everywhere a small minority. They established themselves on the great estates and divided the land to the benefit of

Albania

2005-02-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

The government has made a conscious effort to encourage and preserve the nation's rich folk life. There are some 4,300 cultural institutions of various sorts in the country. The National Library, as well as the State Choir and the Opera and Ballet Theatre, are located in Tiranë. Albania's best-known writer is Ismail Kadare, a novelist and poet whose writings have been translated

Durfort Family

2005-02-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

The family, which can be traced back to the 11th century, claims as a member Guy Aldonce I de Durfort (1605–65), Marquis de Duras, who raised three famous sons: Jacques Henri I (1625–1704), marshal of France (1675) and Duke de Duras (1689); Guy Aldonce II (1630–1702), marshal of France (1676) and Duke de Quintin (1691); and Louis (1638–1709), who went to England and became 2nd Earl of Feversham

Carnivore, Importance to humans

2005-02-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

Of all mammalian families, the Mustelidae contains the greatest variety of valuable mammals utilized by the fur trade. Fur coats that command the highest prices are usually those made from these luxuriant furbearers, especially mink, ermine (short-tailed weasel), and sable (a name applied by the fur trade to several species of Martes, especially the Eurasian M.

Gauss

2005-02-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Unit of magnetic induction in the centimetre-gram-second system of physical units. One gauss corresponds to the magnetic flux density that will induce an electromotive force of one abvolt (10-8 volt) in each linear centimetre of a wire moving laterally at one centimetre per second at right angles to a magnetic flux. One gauss corresponds to 10-4 tesla (T), the International

Nigeria, Relief

2005-02-14T02:26:00.000-08:00

In general, the topography of Nigeria consists of plains in the north and south interrupted by plateaus and hills in the centre of the country. The Sokoto Plains are in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner surround the Lake Chad region. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and

Aucassin Et Nicolette

2005-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Early 13th-century French chantefable (a story told in alternating sections of verse and prose, the former sung, the latter recited). Aucassin, “endowed with all good qualities,” is the son of the Count of Beaucaire and falls in love with Nicolette, a captive Saracen turned Christian. The lovers are imprisoned but manage to escape and, after many vicissitudes (including flight,

Calendar Of 2002

2005-02-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

A fire starts in the Angeles National Forest in California and rapidly consumes about 4,450 ha (11,000 ac), forcing the immediate evacuation

Ahmad Khan, Sir Sayyid

2005-02-12T23:48:00.000-08:00

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).

China

2005-02-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

The year 2002 was a critical one for China. Domestically, it was a year of political transition to a new generation of leaders; internationally, significant changes in geopolitical alignments had major repercussions for the country. The 16th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), after some delay, was convened in early November. China's “Three Represents” doctrine

Lajvard Ware

2005-02-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Also called Lajvardina Ware, type of vase from Kashan, Iran, mentioned in Abu al-Qasim's treatise on ceramics (1301). Vases were executed in simple red, white, black, and gold leaf designs on a turquoise or dark blue matte glaze. The designs were almost exclusively abstract and floral. Lajvard (Persian: “lapis lazuli,” referring to the blue glaze used) may date from the late 12th century; output increased about the mid-14th

Caddisfly

2005-02-11T03:49:00.000-08:00

Any of the mothlike aquatic insects that constitute the order Trichoptera. The adult, attracted to light at night, often lives near lakes or rivers. Because fish feed on immature, aquatic stages and trout take flying adults, caddisflies are used as models for fishermen's “flies.”

Smith, Cyril Stanley

2005-02-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

Obtaining his education in England and the United States, Smith became a research associate (1926–27) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Marquette

2005-02-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1851) of Marquette county, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, U.S., on Lake Superior, overlooked by Sugar Loaf Mountain (north), 66 mi (106 km) north-northwest of Escanaba. Founded in 1849 as Worcester and renamed for Jacques Marquette, it became an important iron ore and lumber port. Manufactures include foundry and wood products and mining machinery. Other economic factors are the

Consciousness

2005-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

A psychological condition defined by the English philosopher John Locke as “the perception of what passes in a man's own mind.”

Tyrrell, George

2005-02-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

Tyrrell was raised in the Anglican church but converted to Roman Catholicism in 1879 and joined the Society of Jesus the