CommonCat

organic bed linen

2006-10-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

Livs range of soft luxurious bed linenis sourced ethically from India and using a fair trade policy. Liv also provide duvet cover set and bath towel set.

Death Rite, Forms of final determination

2005-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Those religions that have taught the possibility of a happy afterlife have also devised forms of postmortem testing of merit for eternal bliss. Ancient Egypt has the distinction of conceiving of a judgment of the dead of an essentially moral kind. This conception finds graphic expression in the vignettes that illustrate the Book of the Dead. The heart of the deceased

Lipchitz, Jacques

2005-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

As a youth Lipchitz studied engineering in Vilnius, Lithuania. When he moved to Paris in 1909, however, he was wonder struck by French avant-garde art, especially

Husayn Shah 'ala' Ad-din

2005-04-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

The details of 'Ala' ad-Din's early life are obscured by myth and legend. His father is said to have been a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad and an Arab who emigrated to Bengal. After completing his studies,

Macbride, Seán

2005-04-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

MacBride was the son of the Irish actress and patriot Maud Gonne and her husband, Major John MacBride, who was executed in 1916 for his part in the Easter Rising of that year against the British. Educated in Paris and Ireland, Seán MacBride,

Cordeliers, Club Of The

2005-04-02T01:07:00.000-08:00

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

Conti, Louis-armand I De Bourbon, Prince De

2005-04-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Eldest surviving son of Armand I de Bourbon, prince of Conti; he succeeded his father in 1666. His marriage (1680) to Marie-Anne de Bourbon (1666–1739), daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière, was the first union between a prince of the blood and one of the King's bastards. He served with distinction in Flanders in 1683 and, against the wish of the king, went to

Chemical Warfare

2005-03-31T21:25:00.000-08:00

Biological warfare agents are infectious microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, intended for use in warfare because of their pathogenic effects on people, animals, or plants. The development, production, and stockpiling of weapons based on them were outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, to which more than 100 states were party, including all five

Nevado De Toluca National Park

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

Park in Mexico estado (“state”), central Mexico. It is situated in the municipality of Zinacantepec, on the Mexico–Toluca–Guadalajara highway west of Mexico City. Established in 1936, it has an area of 259 square miles (671 square km). The park lies in the Nevado de Toluca (or Zinantecatl) Mountains, which rise above 15,025 feet (4,580 m). Among the park's chief features are an extinct, snowcapped volcano

Thang-ka

2005-03-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

Thang-kas are essentially aids for meditation, though they may be hung in temples or at family altars, carried in religious processions, or used to illustrate sermons. Thang-kas are not free

Tyrant Flycatcher

2005-03-29T03:15:00.000-08:00

Also called New World Flycatcher, any of about 367 species of aggressive, insect-eating New World birds of the family Tyrannidae (order Passeriformes). About one-third of the species are not flycatcher-like in habit and bear names derived from their habitats (e.g., bush tyrant, marsh tyrant) or from their similarity to the songbird groups (tit-tyrant, shrike-tyrant). A few are

Spooner Amendment

2005-03-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

Filipinos fought the imposition of American rule, and it was believed in the United States that their

John I

2005-03-28T03:28:00.000-08:00

Also called John The Redhead, French Jean Le Roux duke of Brittany (from 1237), son of Peter I. Like his father, he sought to limit the temporal power of the clergy; consequently he was excommunicated, upon which he journeyed to Rome to win absolution. Subsequently, he and his wife, Blanche of Champagne, traveled with St. Louis on the crusade to Tunisia (1270).

Denon, Dominique Vivant, Baron

2005-03-26T23:46:00.000-08:00

Denon studied law in Paris but turned to the theatre, writing a successful comedy at age 23. He drew and painted and was commissioned by Louis XV to arrange a cabinet of carved gems. Between 1772 and 1787 he carried

Pluvial Regime

2005-03-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

Averaged zonally, regions of excessive precipitation, in which annual precipitation exceeds annual evaporation, exist in the tropics and at latitudes poleward of 40° in both hemispheres. In the subtropics, dominated by high atmospheric pressure, annual

Animal, Support and movement

2005-03-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

A skeleton can support an animal, act as an antagonist to muscle contraction, or, most commonly, do both. Because muscles can only contract, they require some other structure to stretch them to their noncontracted (relaxed) state. Another set of muscles or the skeleton itself can act as an antagonist to muscle contraction. Only elastic skeletons can act without an antagonist;

Lemur

2005-03-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Generally, any of the more primitive primates except the tree shrews. In this sense, the term covers not only the typical lemurs (family Lemuridae) but also the avahi, indri, sifaka, aye-aye, loris, potto, and galago (qq.v.). All these animals are characterized by a naked, moist tip to the muzzle; comblike, forward-directed lower front teeth; and a clawlike nail on the second toe of

Rabbula

2005-03-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

Reforming bishop of Edessa and theologian who was a leading figure in the Christian church in Syria. He advocated the orthodox Alexandrian (Egypt) position in the 5th-century controversy with the Antiochian (Syria) school of Nestorianism, a heretical teaching that denied that the person of Christ possessed both a divine and

Armstrong, Lance

2005-03-24T04:21:00.000-08:00

Armstrong entered sports at a young age, excelling in both swimming and cycling, and, by the time he was a teenager, he was competing in triathlons and swimming competitions. Before his high-school graduation, the Junior National Cycling Team, part of the U.S. Cycling

Aesthetics

2005-03-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

Many attempts have been made to develop a specifically Marxist aesthetics, one that would incorporate the Marxian theory of history and class consciousness and the critique of bourgeois ideology, so as to generate principles of analysis and evaluation and show the place of art in the theory and practice of revolution. William Morris in En-gland and Georgy V. Plekhanov

Anchovy Pear

2005-03-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

(Grias cauliflora), evergreen tree of the family Lecythidaceae, native to the West Indies. The name is also applied to its edible fruit, for which the tree is cultivated. The plant grows to about 15 m (50 feet) tall and bears spear-shaped, glossy leaves about 90 cm long that are produced in palmlike tufts. The fragrant yellow flowers are about 5 cm across. The fruit, which contains one

Lamarr, Hedy

2005-03-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

The daughter of a prosperous Viennese banker, Lamarr was privately tutored from age four; by the time she was

M16 Rifle

2005-03-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

Also called Ar-15, assault rifle adopted as a standard weapon by the U.S. Army in 1967. The M16 superseded the M14 rifle. It is gas-operated and has both semiautomatic (i.e., autoloading) and fully automatic capabilities. Weighing less than 3.6 kg (8 pounds) and equipped with a 20-round or 30-round magazine, the M16 is 99 cm (39 inches) long and fires 5.56-millimetre (.223-calibre) ammunition at the rate of 700–950 rounds per minute. Both U.S. and

Mussato, Albertino

2005-03-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

Mussato earned his living as a copyist while studying for the profession of notary. He was knighted in 1296 and, after becoming a member of the Council of Padua, was sent in 1302 as ambassador to Pope Boniface VIII. In 1311 he

Dacier, André

2005-03-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dacier studied at Saumur with the Humanist Tanneguy Lefèbvre, whose daughter Anne he married in 1683. He was made keeper of the library of the Louvre and, elected to the French Academy in 1695, became

Domestic System

2005-03-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Also called Putting-out System production system widespread in 17th-century western Europe in which merchant-employers “put out” materials to rural producers who usually worked in their homes but sometimes laboured in workshops or in turn put out work to others. Finished products were returned to the employers for payment on a piecework or wage basis. The domestic system differed from the handicraft

Frederick Iii

2005-03-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Frederick adopted Lutheranism in 1546 and Calvinism somewhat later. His Calvinism and his opposition to the Habsburg emperors made his electoral position insecure,

Lippisch, Alexander M(artin)

2005-03-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

Lippisch designed the world's first successful rocket-propelled airplane (a tailless glider fitted with two solid-fuel rockets, flown June 11, 1928, in the Rhön Mountains,

Tiel

2005-03-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

Formerly Thiel, gemeente (commune), Gelderland provincie, central Netherlands, on the Waal River, west-southwest of Arnhem. Chartered in 1200, Tiel developed as a medieval port and market town and became a member of the Hanseatic League. The town now has a horticultural school, serves a fruit-growing (cherries, apples, and pears) region, and has some light industries. Pop. (1992 est.) 32,643.

Peter I

2005-03-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Married by his cousin King Philip II Augustus of France to Alix, heiress to Brittany, Peter did homage for the province in 1213 and assumed the title of duke, though he was considered merely a count

Arguin Island

2005-03-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

Island off the coast of Mauritania; it lies about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Cape Blanc, in a sheltered Atlantic inlet (Arguin Bay). The island (4 by 2.5 miles [6 by 4 km]) was incorporated into the newly independent Mauritania in 1960. Aridity and poor anchorage have prevented the establishment of permanent settlements on it, but the coastal reefs, known as the Arguin Banks, are major fishing

Argentina

2005-03-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

Argentina's economy, which is one of the more powerful in the region, has been dominated by manufacturing and agriculture since the 19th century, but its service sector has grown increasingly important. Argentina produces more grain and raises more cattle than any nation in Latin America except Brazil, and its receipts from tourism are second in the region only to

Botrytis Blight

2005-03-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

Also called botrytis rot , or gray mold blight disease of plants growing in humid areas that is usually caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Most vegetables, fruits, flowers, and woody plants are susceptible; injured, old, and dead plant parts become infected first. Soft, tan to brown spots or blotches become covered with a dusty mold in moist weather. Seedlings, young shoots, or leaves may wither and collapse; buds

Taifa

2005-03-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

, Arabic ta'ifah , plural tawa'if a faction or party, as applied to the followers of any of the petty kings who appeared in Muslim Spain in a period of great political fragmentation early in the 11th century after the dissolution of the central authority of the Umayyad caliphate of Córdoba. After the dictatorship of al-Muzaffar (reigned 1002–08), civil war reduced the caliphate to a puppet institution and allowed

Ammann, Othmar Herman

2005-03-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

In 1904 Ammann immigrated to the United States, where he helped design railroad bridges. Joining the Pennsylvania Steel Company the following

Dominican Republic

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

Spanish República Dominicana country of the West Indies that occupies the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, the second largest island of the Greater Antilles chain in the Caribbean Sea. Haiti, also an independent republic, occupies the western third of the island. The Dominican Republic's shores are washed by the Caribbean to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Between the eastern tip

National Anthem

2005-03-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hymn or song expressing patriotic sentiment and either governmentally authorized as an official national hymn or holding that position in popular feeling. The oldest national anthem is Great Britain's “God Save the Queen,” which was described as a national anthem in 1825, although it had been popular as a patriotic song and used on occasions of royal ceremonial since

Cyprus, Greek immigration

2005-03-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

The immigration of settlers from Greece, which began at least by 1200, led to the foundation of Greek kingdoms covering most of the island, and since the start of the 1st millennium BC the Greek language has been predominant in Cyprus; the fact that the dialectal form in which it first appears is known as Arcado-Cypriot confirms traditions of the Peloponnesian origin—and specifically

Yale University

2005-03-12T00:50:00.000-08:00

Private university in New Haven, Conn., one of the Ivy League schools. It was founded in 1701 and is the third oldest university in the United States. Yale was originally chartered by the colonial legislature of Connecticut as the Collegiate School and was held at Killingworth and other locations. In 1716 the school was moved to New Haven, and in 1718 it was renamed Yale College in honour

Adanson, Michel

2005-03-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

In 1749 Adanson left for Senegal to spend four years as an employee with the Compagnie des Indes, a trading company. He returned with a large collection of plant specimens,

Hong Gai

2005-03-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Hon Gai, port city, northeastern Vietnam. Hong Gai lies along Ha Long Bay of the Gulf of Tonkin, about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Haiphong. It is an export centre for coal mined at nearby Quang Yen, the site of anthracite deposits that are the largest in Southeast Asia. Other economic activities in the area are rice farming and fishing. Ha Long Bay is noted for its many strangely shaped

Arecidae, The leaf

2005-03-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Leaf structure is different and distinctive in each of the six families of the subclass. In Acoraceae both the leaves and the scapes are ensiform (sword-shaped). Leaves in Araceae usually have a basal sheath, a petiole, and a flat blade. The blade is lanceolate to broadly ovate or rarely linear or strap-shaped. The base of the blade may be heart-shaped (cordate), arrowhead-shaped

Arethusa

2005-03-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

The river god Alpheus fell in love with Arethusa, who was in the retinue of Artemis. Arethusa fled to Ortygia, where she was changed into a spring. Alpheus, however, made his way beneath the sea and united his waters with those of the spring. According to Ovid's

Mitchell, William

2005-03-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

Byname Billy Mitchell U.S. Army officer who early advocated a separate U.S. air force and greater preparedness in military aviation. He was court-martialed for his outspoken views and did not live to see the fulfillment during World War II of many of his prophecies: strategic bombing, mass airborne operations, and the eclipse of the battleship by the bomb-carrying

Dahn, (julius Sophus) Felix

2005-03-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

Dahn's most substantial

Wakayama

2005-03-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

City, Wakayama ken (prefecture), south-central Honshu, Japan. It is situated at the mouth of the Kino River, on the Kii Peninsula, and lies along the Kii Strait, which leads from the Pacific Ocean into the Inland Sea. It is the capital and largest city of Wakayama prefecture. The settlement's growth began in 1585 with the construction of a castle there by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Wakayama

Alice

2005-03-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Town, Eastern province, South Africa. It lies on the southwestern bank of the Tyume River, west-northwest of East London, at an elevation of 1,720 feet (524 m). Alice began as a mission station established by the Glasgow Missionary Society for the Xhosa people in 1824. It was named after Princess Alice (a daughter of Queen Victoria) and became the seat of a magistracy in 1847 and a town in 1852. Livestock,

'abd Allah, Khawr

2005-03-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Estuary (khawr) separating Kuwait and Iraq, probably a drowned river mouth of the Shatt (stream) al-Arab, whose mouth is now farther north and forms the southeastern part of the border between Iraq and Iran. It extends into Iraqi territory in the form of the Khawr az-Zubayr, on which the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr is located and which is linked by canal northwestward to the

Essex

2005-03-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

One of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England; i.e., that of the East Saxons. An area of early settlement, it probably originally included the territory of the modern county of Middlesex; London was its chief town. Essex sometimes had joint kings, and from 664 they were subject to the rulers of the midland kingdom of Mercia. From 825 Essex was controlled by Wessex, first as a subkingdom

Chad

2005-03-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Although

Distilled Spirit

2005-03-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

The production of distilled spirits is based upon fermentation, the natural

Rzhev

2005-03-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Rzev city, Tver oblast (province), northwestern Russia. It lies along the upper Volga River at the crossing of the Moscow-Riga and St. Petersburg–Bryansk trunk railways. First mentioned in 1216 as an independent princedom, Rzhev has always been a route centre on the western approaches to Moscow. The city has had a stormy history. It was held at various times by the princes of Tver

Anquetil-duperron, A(braham)-h(yacinthe)

2005-03-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

At the University of Paris, Anquetil mastered Hebrew as his first Eastern language; later, he added Persian and

Frundsberg, Georg Von

2005-03-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

In 1499 Frundsberg took part in Maximilian's struggle against the Swiss, and, in the same year, he was among the imperial troops sent to assist Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan,

Volkswagen Ag

2005-03-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a Nazi organization; and Ferdinand Porsche was brought in to design the car. Production was interrupted by World War II, and by the

Appleton

2005-03-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1851) of Outagamie county, east-central Wisconsin, U.S. The city lies along the Fox River near its outflow from Lake Winnebago, 31 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay. The settlement of the area was encouraged by the presence of Lawrence College (chartered 1847, now a university), founded by Amos A. Lawrence of Boston, and of abundant waterpower. First called Grand Chute, the settlement

Watch Fob

2005-03-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

Short ribbon or chain attached to a watch and hanging out of the pocket in which the watch is kept; the term can also refer to ornaments hung at the end of such a ribbon or chain. Until World War I and the development of the wristwatch, most watches designed for men had to be carried in the pocket. About 1772 the fashion of carrying a watch in each waistcoat fob pocket was introduced

Bekker, August Immanuel

2005-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Bekker studied classics at the University of Halle and was appointed professor of philosophy at Friedrich-Wilhelm University, Berlin, in 1810. He traveled over the next decade in France, Italy, England, and Germany,

Kellogg Company

2005-02-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

The company was founded as the Sanitas Food Company in 1900 by W.K. Kellogg and his brother Dr. John H. Kellogg, who together had developed a

Gyumri

2005-02-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kumayri , (1924–90) Leninakan , or (until 1924) Alexandropol city, western Armenia. It is believed to have been founded by the Greeks in 401 BC, but it did not have a continuous existence. A fortress was constructed on the site by the Russians in 1837, and in 1840 the town of Alexandropol was founded nearby. Alexandropol was a trading and administrative centre but subsequently underwent industrial development and was renamed Leninakan for

Iowa City

2005-02-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1839) of Johnson county, east-central Iowa, U.S., on the Iowa River, 27 miles (43 km) south of Cedar Rapids. Founded as territorial capital of Iowa in 1839, it lost the state capital to Des Moines in 1857 but retained the University of Iowa (1847). With the arrival of the railroad (1855), Iowa City became an important dispersal point for westward immigrants. Coralville, just to the west, was the starting

Flaxman, John

2005-02-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a youth, Flaxman worked in his father's plaster-casting studio in London while studying Classical literature, which was to be a continual source of inspiration. In 1770 he entered the Royal Academy schools. After 1775 he began to work for the potter

Palanpur

2005-02-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

City, Gujarat state, west-central India. It lies in the lowlands between the Aravalli Range and the Kathiawar Peninsula. The former capital of the princely state of Palanpur, the city is now a trade and processing centre for agricultural produce and a rail and road junction. Palanpur is also known for its handicrafts. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 80,620.

Fu

2005-02-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization fu type of Chinese bronze vessel used as a food container, it was produced largely from the middle Zhou period (c. 900–c. 600 BC) through the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Rectangular in shape and divided into two parts, the vessel was supported by angular feet at each corner; the lid was almost a duplicate of the bottom (in principle much like the dui). In ancient documents the vessel was also

Vaganova, Agrippina (yakovlevna)

2005-02-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

Ballerina and teacher who developed a technique and system of instruction based on the classic style of the Imperial Russian Ballet but which also incorporated aspects of the more vigorous, acrobatic Soviet ballet developed after the Revolution. Her pupils included such outstanding dancers as Marina

Sanger, John And George

2005-02-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

The brothers were assistants in their father's touring peep show and formed their own show in 1853. By 1871 they had leased Astley's Amphitheatre

Croatia, Flag Of

2005-02-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

Croatia was under Hungarian rule in the mid-19th century, but Croatian nationalists attempted to revolt in 1848, at which time they chose a flag to symbolize their cause. The red-white-blue colours of the flag were inspired by the flag of imperial Russia, which was an opponent of Austria-Hungary and hence a potential Croatian ally. Although Croatians were unable to establish

Port-royal

2005-02-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

In 1609 the young abbess Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld began a much-needed reform. In 1625–26, because

Neo-confucianism

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

In China, a rationalistic revival of Confucian philosophy in the 11th century AD that exercised profound influence on Chinese thought for the next 800 years. See Confucianism.

Military Aircraft, Mach 2

2005-02-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

A fourth generation of fighters began to appear in the 1960s, capable of maximum speeds ranging from about Mach 1.5 to 2.3. Top speeds varied with the intended mission, and increasing engine power, aerodynamic sophistication, and more compact and capable radars and avionics began to blur the differences between two-seat, all-weather fighters and single-seat air-superiority

Amphibolite Facies

2005-02-23T01:53:00.000-08:00

One of the major divisions of the mineral-facies classification of metamorphic rocks, the rocks of which formed under conditions of moderate to high temperatures (500° C, or about 950° F, maximum) and pressures. Less intense temperatures and pressures form rocks of the epidote-amphibolite facies, and more intense temperatures and pressures form rocks of the granulite facies.

Rous, Peyton

2005-02-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Rous was educated at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and at the University of Michigan. He joined the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University)

Interior Design, Residential interiors

2005-02-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

Residential interiors are obviously much freer and much more personal for both the interior designer and the occupants than other types of interiors. In fact, homes that have been designed unconsciously by creative occupants without any standard decorative rules are often the most beautiful ones. Certain planning and functional considerations are constant

Mountain, Tectonic processes that destroy elevated terrains

2005-02-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Besides erosion, which is the principal agent that destroys mountain belts, two tectonic processes help to reduce high elevations. Horizontal crustal extension and associated crustal thinning can reduce and eliminate crustal roots. When this happens, mountain belts widen and their mean elevation diminishes. Similarly, the cooling and associated thermal

Agnus Dei

2005-02-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

(Latin), English Lamb of God designation of Jesus Christ in Christian liturgical usage. It is based on the saying of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). In the Roman Catholic liturgy the Agnus Dei is employed in the following text: “Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us! Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy

Russell, Bertrand

2005-02-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

In full Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell of Kingston Russell, Viscount Amberley of Amberley and of Ardsalla English logician and philosopher, best known for his work in mathematical logic and for his social and political campaigns, including his advocacy of both pacifism and nuclear disarmament. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

John Ii

2005-02-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

John was a younger son of Ferdinand of Antequera, elected king of Aragon (as Ferdinand I) in 1412. John and his brothers retained their positions and revenues in Castile,

Tool

2005-02-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

An instrument for making material changes on other objects, as by cutting, shearing, striking, rubbing, grinding, squeezing, measuring, or other process. A hand tool is a small manual instrument traditionally operated by the muscular strength of the user; a machine tool is a power-driven mechanism used to cut, shape, or form materials such as wood and metal. Tools are the

Ray

2005-02-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

Rays are distinguished from sharks by a flattened, disklike body, with the five gill openings and the mouth generally located on the underside. Rays are further distinguished from sharks by their greatly

Aramaic Alphabet

2005-02-18T05:35:00.000-08:00

The Aramaic language and script were used as a lingua franca over all of the Middle

Romanche Gap

2005-02-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Romanche Gap is one of the

Bafatá

2005-02-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

Town, east-central Guinea-Bissau. It lies along the Gêba River, which is navigable to that point. Bafatá is an important trading centre for the interior regions of Guinea-Bissau. There also is intensive agriculture around the town. The town produces peanuts (groundnuts) for export and livestock for domestic consumption. Roads connect Bafatá with Senegal to the north

Koenig, Marie-pierre (-joseph-françois)

2005-02-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

After active duty during World War I and later in North Africa, Koenig campaigned in Norway and France during the early part of World War II. Evacuated to England in June 1940, he joined de Gaulle's movement and rose

Sukhoy

2005-02-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Sukhoy design bureau has three

Accomplice

2005-02-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

An abettor is one who is present actually or constructively at the commission

Sarandon, Susan

2005-02-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

Original name Susan Abigail Tomalin American film actress who transcended the early roles of her career, when she often played characters who were highly sensual but little else, to become a performer of considerable versatility and emotional depth. In 1995 she won an Academy Award for her unglamorous yet engaging performance as a nun counseling death-row prisoners in Dead Man

Baranya

2005-02-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

Megye (county), southern Hungary, bounded to the south by the Drava River, and by the Mecsek Mountains in its northwestern area. Its area of 1,732 square miles (4,487 square km) is hilly, forested terrain. With adjacent Somogy megye, it is the most sparsely populated part of Hungary. The climate is semi-Mediterranean, and peaches, plums, sour cherries, grains, and vegetables are grown. Pigs

Grace & Co.

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

The company grew out of a Peruvian land and resource enterprise formed by William R. Grace in 1854. In 1865 Grace moved the business headquarters to New York City, where the company expanded into shipping. The firm was incorporated

Nicaea, Empire Of

2005-02-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

Theodore fled to Anatolia with other Byzantine leaders after the Latin crusaders' conquest of Constantinople in 1204, establishing

Saarinen, Eero

2005-02-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Mich. (1948–56); Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, Mo. (1948–64); Milwaukee County War Memorial, Milwaukee (1953–57); Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind. (1953–58); Kresge Auditorium and chapel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. (1955); U.S. Embassy, Oslo (1955–59); U.S. Embassy, London (1955–60); Law School, University of Chicago (1956–60); Trans World Airlines terminal, John F. Kennedy Airport, New York City (1956–62); Thomas J. Watson Research Centre, IBM, Yorktown, N.Y. (1957–61); Deere & Company, Moline, Ill. (1957–63); Ingalls Hockey Rink, Yale University (1958); Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Va., serving Washington, D.C. (1958–62); North Christian Church, Columbus, Ind. (1959–63); Ezra Stiles and Morse College, Yale University (1962); Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York City (1962–63); CBS Headquarters, New York City (completed 1964).

Elgar, Sir Edward

2005-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

The son of an organist and music dealer, Elgar left school at age 15 and worked briefly in

Burdwan

2005-02-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

Also called Bardhaman, or Barddhaman, city, central West Bengal state, northeastern India. The city is a major communications centre lying astride the Banka River just north of the Damodar River. Rice and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing are the chief industries. Of historic interest are the Rajbari (the maharaja's palace and gardens), several ancient Muslim tombs, and 108 Siva linga,

Kabane

2005-02-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

The imperial Japanese Yamato line arose as the most powerful members of this kabane system,

Developments In The States, 1998

2005-02-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

California voters narrowly turned down an initiative prohibiting the use of union dues money for political purposes without direct permission from the union members. After ironing out differences with state interests, Congress approved the Internet Tax Freedom Act, effectively barring new or special state taxes on Internet commercial transactions. Proponents

Aurochs

2005-02-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Auroch (species Bos primigenius), extinct wild ox of Europe, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), from which cattle are probably descended. The aurochs survived in central Poland until 1627. The aurochs was black, stood 1.8 m (6 feet) high at the shoulder, and had spreading, forward-curving horns. Some German breeders claim that since 1945 they have re-created this race by crossing Spanish fighting

Cummings, E.e.

2005-02-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

In full Edward Estlin Cummings American poet and painter who first attracted attention, in an age of literary experimentation, for his eccentric punctuation and phrasing. The spirit of New England dissent and of Emersonian “Self-Reliance” underlies the urbanized Yankee colloquialism of Cummings' verse. Cummings' name is often styled “e.e. cummings” in the

Biblical Literature, Redemption and revelation

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

Significant in the early chapters is God's special concern for the Hebrew slaves, his reference to them as “my people,” and his revelation to Moses, the rebel courtier whom he has picked to be their leader, that he is YHWH, the God of their fathers, an abiding presence that will rescue them from their misery and bring them into Canaan, the land of promise. This assurance is repeated

Cambrai, Battle Of

2005-02-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Carried out by the 3rd Army under General Sir Julian Byng in order to relieve pressure on the French front, the offensive consisted of an assault against the Germans' Hindenburg line along a 10-mile (16-kilometre) front some 8 miles

Payroll Tax

2005-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Taxes on payrolls are seldom used as a source of general revenues, although in some developing countries the income tax base may actually include little beyond wages and salaries, the equivalent of the payroll

Gamma Function

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

To extend the factorial to any real number x > 0 (whether or not x is a whole number), the gamma function