DependentStore

Irkutsk

2005-10-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

City and administrative centre of Irkutsk oblast (province), east-central Russia. The city lies along the Angara River at its confluence with the Irkut River. It was founded as a wintering camp in 1652, during the first Russian colonization of the area; a fort was built in 1661, and Irkutsk rapidly became the main centre of Cisbaikalia and of the Russian trade route to China and

Polanyi, John C.

2005-08-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Born to an expatriate Hungarian family, Polanyi was reared in England and attended Manchester University (Ph.D., 1952; D.Sc., 1964). He accepted a research position with the National Research Council

Shimabara

2005-07-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Shimabara

John

2005-07-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

The son of Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy, and Margaret of Flanders, John was born in the ducal castle at Rouvres, where he spent the greater part of his childhood. In 1385 he married Margaret of Bavaria, and in the following decade

Maxwell, James Clerk

2005-07-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

In 1865 Maxwell resigned his professorship at King's College and retired to the family estate in Glenlair. He continued to visit London every spring and served as external examiner for the Mathematical Tripos (exams) at Cambridge. In the spring and early summer of 1867 he toured Italy. But most of his energy during this period was devoted to writing his famous treatise on electricity

Eagles, The, Don Henley

2005-07-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

Malachowski, Stanislaw

2005-07-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

The son of Jan Malachowski, the royal grand chancellor, Malachowski was named marshal (speaker) of the Sejm (Diet) in 1788. He was the prime force behind a constitution, adopted in 1791, that embodied such modern western European

Switzerland, Science

2005-06-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Swiss scientists have included Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), who in the 16th century brought chemistry into the field of medicine; the Bernoulli family of Basel, who made significant contributions to mathematics over three generations; the innovative mathematician Leonhard Euler; the naturalist and pioneer Alpine scholar Horace Bénédict

Andes Mountains

2005-06-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

Wichita Orogeny

2005-06-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

A period of block faulting in the southern part of the Wichita–Arbuckle System in western Oklahoma and northern Texas. The uplift is dated from the Late Carboniferous epoch (formerly the Pennsylvanian period; the Late Carboniferous epoch occurred from 320 to 286 million years ago). The Apishipa–Sierra Grande uplift in eastern Colorado and northern New Mexico is of similar

Gonaïves

2005-06-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

Capital of L'Artibonite département, western Haiti, on the northeastern shore of the Golfe de la Gonâve (Gulf of Gonaïves). Originally an Indian village called Gonaibo, it is now the commercial centre and port of the fertile Artibonite Plain, with a natural harbour; coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, mangoes, and cabinet woods are exported. In 1802 the French captured the revolutionary

Aroostook War

2005-06-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

(1838–39), bloodless conflict over the disputed boundary between the U.S. state of Maine and the British Canadian province of New Brunswick. The peace treaty of 1783 ending the American Revolution had left unclear the location of a supposed “highlands,” or watershed, dividing the two areas. Negotiators from Britain and the United States in subsequent years failed to come to an agreement,

Páez, José Antonio

2005-05-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

Páez was a part-Indian llanero, one of the horsemen of the plains. Beginning as a ranch hand, he quickly

Ea

2005-05-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

(Akkadian), Sumerian Enki Mesopotamian god of water and a member of the triad of deities completed by Anu (Sumerian: An) and Enlil. From a local deity worshiped in the city of Eridu, Ea evolved into a major god, Lord of Apsu (also spelled Abzu), the fresh waters beneath the earth (although Enki means literally “lord of the earth”). In the Sumerian myth “Enki and the World Order,” Enki is said to have fixed national

Granmont, Louis

2005-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Granmont first distinguished himself in service in the French royal marines, but, having illegally gambled away a captured prize cargo in Hispaniola (Haiti), he dared not return to France and took to buccaneering. His first grand exploit

Dacke War

2005-03-15T02:05:00.000-08:00

Led by Nils Dacke, an outlaw, the peasants of the province of Sm�land took up arms against the King in the spring of 1542 in protest against the royal

Lenin, Vladimir Ilich

2005-03-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Original name �Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov� founder of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), inspirer and leader of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917), and the architect, builder, and first head (1917 - 24) of the Soviet state. He was the founder of the organization known as Comintern (Communist International) and the posthumous source of �Leninism,

Alexander I, Saint

2005-03-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Fifth pope after St. Peter and successor to St. Evaristus. His 10-year rule (105 - 115 or 109 - 119) is attested by Pope St. Eusebius (309/310). Some Catholic writers ascribe to him the introduction of holy water and the custom of mixing sacramental wine with water, and he may have made additions to the liturgy. It is believed he suffered martyrdom, possibly by decapitation, under the

Cabanatuan

2005-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Chartered city, Nueva Ecija province, central Luzon, Philippines, on the Pampanga River. Formerly the capital of the province, it is the commercial centre for the eastern portion of Luzon's central plain, which is heavily farmed in rice. An important highway junction, it is also the terminus of a rail spur line. Cabanatuan is the site of Central Luzon Polytechnic College.

Orbit

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

The orbit of a planet is, if unaffected

Astley, Philip

2005-03-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

A horseman with a British dragoon regiment from about 1759, Astley was at first the sole performer in the Amphitheatre, specializing in riding with one foot on the saddle and one on the horse's

Astley, Philip

2005-03-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

A horseman with a British dragoon regiment from about 1759, Astley was at first the sole performer in the Amphitheatre, specializing in riding with one foot on the saddle and one on the horse's

Offenbach, Jacques

2005-02-27T05:41:00.000-08:00

He was the son of a cantor at the Cologne Synagogue, Isaac Juda Eberst, who had been born at Offenbach am Main. The father was known as �Der Offenbacher,� and the composer was known only

Taejon

2005-02-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Daejeon, � city and provincial capital, Ch'ungch'ong-nam do (province), southeastern South Korea. Taejon has the status of a special city, with administrative status equal to that of a province. Until the end of the Yi dynasty (1392 - 1910) it was a poor village located on the Taejon River. Development began after the juncture of rail lines in 1905 and 1914. It is connected with Seoul (104 miles [167 km] to the north-northeast),

Texas, Settlement

2005-02-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

By the 1730s the Spanish had sent more than 30 expeditions into Texas. San Antonio, which by 1718 housed a military post and a mission, had become the administrative centre. Missions, with military support, were established in Nacogdoches in East Texas, Goliad in the south, and near El Paso in the far west. The French also explored Texas. The explorations of Robert Cavelier, Lord de

Ramla

2005-02-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

City in Israel, on the coastal plain southeast of Tel Aviv - Yafo. Ramla is the only city founded by the Arabs in Palestine. It was established in 716 by the caliph Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik (reigned 715 - 717), who made it the administrative capital of Palestine, replacing nearby Lod (Lydda). He built marketplaces, fortifications, and, above all, the White Mosque (Al-Jami' al-Abyad). Only ruins of

S�o Leopoldo

2005-02-22T02:58:00.000-08:00

S�o Leopoldo serves an agricultural region producing

Cushing, Caleb

2005-02-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

After serving in the state legislature and the U.S. Congress (1835 - 43), Cushing was appointed U.S. commissioner to China. There he negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia (1844) establishing the principle of extraterritoriality. In 1852 he became an associate

Schacht, Hjalmar

2005-02-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

Appointed vice director of the Dresdner Bank in 1908, Schacht served

Morava River

2005-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

German �March, � tributary of the Danube rising in eastern Czech Republic; in its lower course, the river divides the Czech Republic from Slovakia and then Slovakia from Austria. It gives its name to Moravia, an ancient region that covers most of the river's drainage basin, which is 15,000 square miles (38,900 square km) in area. Its western tributaries drain from the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands; the

Fairbanks

2005-02-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

City, east central Alaska, U.S., on the Chena River (tributary of the Tanana). Founded in 1902 during a gold strike, it was named for Sen. (later Vice Pres.) Charles Warren Fairbanks. It lies on the 800-mi (1,300-km) north - south trans-Alaskan oil pipeline midway from the Prudhoe Bay fields to the Valdez terminal. As the northern terminus of the Alaska and Richardson highways and Alaska Railroad

China, The end of the radical period

2005-02-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

Thus in 1968 the society began to return to business, though not as usual. China's regular schools began to reopen, although the number of students in higher institutions represented only a small percentage of those three years before. In July yet another of Mao's �latest instructions� approved science and engineering education and called for the �return to

Visconti, Gian Galeazzo

2005-02-16T05:03:00.000-08:00

The son of Galeazzo II Visconti, who shared the rule of Milan with his brother Bernab�, Gian Galeazzo was married in 1360 to Isabella of Valois, daughter of the king of France. After his father's death

Yonezawa

2005-02-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

City, Yamagata Prefecture (ken), Honshu, Japan, on the Ou Line (railway). From the Muromachi period (1338 - 1573) to the Meiji Restoration (1868) it was a castle town of the Uesugi daimyo family (see Uesugi family). The ruling family initiated agrarian reforms by constructing irrigation systems and allowing samurai (warriors) to cultivate the fields and manufacture silk. Industrialization

Jari River

2005-02-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

Also spelled �Jary, � river, northern Brazil, rising on the southern slopes of the Tumuc-Humac Mountains and flowing in a generally southeasterly direction for about 350 miles (560 km) to join the Amazon River at B�ca do Jari, opposite Grande de Gurup� Island. The Jari forms the border between Par� and Amap� states, and its lower course is navigable. An American entrepreneur, Daniel Ludwig, began

Giotto Di Bondone

2005-02-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

In January 1330, King Robert of Naples promoted Giotto to the rank of �familiar� (member of the royal household), which implies that he had been in Naples for some while, possibly since 1329, and he remained there until 1332 - 33. All the works he executed there have been lost, but traces of his style may be distinguished in the local school. On April 12, 1334, he was appointed capomastro, or surveyor, of

Carnivore, Form and function

2005-02-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

The teeth of the omnivorous bears are unspecialized. The first three premolars are usually either missing or extremely small. The carnassials are poorly developed, and the molars have broad, flat crowns. Except for variability as to the presence of premolars, the ursid dental formula is that of the Carnivora generally. The sloth bear lacks one pair of upper incisors.

Resist Printing

2005-02-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Any of various methods of colouring cloth in a pattern by pretreating designed areas to resist penetration by the dye. To obtain a two-colour pattern on goods already dyed in one colour, a dye paste is applied in the desired design; the paste contains a substance resistant to a second dye, which is then applied to the cloth, developing colour only in the areas not covered

Gao Xingjian

2005-02-10T17:43:00.000-08:00

Gao was educated in state schools and from 1957 to 1962 attended the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute,

Smith, Joseph

2005-02-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

Smith grew up in western New York at a time of intense religious revivalism. He was a literate but unschooled lad from a large family, and his neighbours at Palmyra,

Furniture, Italy

2005-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

Though it was in Italian architecture, painting, and sculpture that the Baroque style was evolved, Italy was not the first to apply this style to furniture. But by the mid-17th century Italy was producing flamboyantly carved, painted, and gilded furniture, decorated with such typical motifs as cupids, acanthus, shells, and boldly drawn scrolls, and was further enriching

Johnson, Kelly

2005-02-07T02:09:00.000-08:00

Johnson received his B.S. (1932) and M.S. (1933) degrees from the University of Michigan before beginning his career with the Lockheed Corporation in 1933. As head of the �Skunk Works,� Lockheed's secret development unit, he helped design more than 40 airplanes. Among them were the P-38 Lightning

Middlesex

2005-02-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

County, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., west and northwest of Boston and bordered on the north by New Hampshire. The county consists of an upland region drained by the Merrimack, Nashua, Assabet, Concord, Sudbury, and Shawsheen rivers. Other waterways include Whitehall and Cambridge reservoirs, Lake Cochituate, and historic Walden Pond. Parklands include more than

Davies, Arthur B.

2005-02-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

Trained in Utica, New York City, and Chicago, Davies at first painted atmospheric landscapes

Kieta

2005-02-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

Town, southeast coast of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. It is situated on Arawa Bay (Rawa Harbour) and is a port of call with a long wharf for coastal and Australian shipping. The town trades chiefly in copra, cocoa, and small amounts of gold. Two new settlements, Toniva and Nairovi, located just outside of Kieta, are considered part of that town. They grew after an increase

Quang Ngai

2005-02-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

Town, central Vietnam, on the South China Sea coast. It is a minor port on the south bank of the Tra Khuc River estuary, 125 miles (200 km) southeast of Hue. The town has lighter (barge) facilities, a hospital, and a commercial airport. Across the river at Sin Tinh a highway penetrates the interior to a short distance beyond Phuoc Lam; the highway to Cong Tum in the central highlands begins

Sun

2005-02-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Sun is classified as a G2 V star, with G2 standing for the

China, Attempts to end the war

2005-02-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

Peace negotiations continued in Chungking between Nationalist and Communist officials after Japan's surrender. An agreement reached on Oct. 10, 1945, called for the convening of a multiparty Political Consultative Council to plan a liberalized postwar government and to draft a constitution for submission to a national congress. Still, the sides were far apart over

China, Attempts to end the war

2005-01-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

Wright, Richard

2005-01-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

Wright's grandparents had been slaves. His father

Itching

2005-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Also called �Pruritus,� a stimulation of free nerve endings, usually at the junction of the dermis and epidermis of the skin, that evokes a desire to scratch. It has been suggested that an itch is a subthreshold sensation of pain; however, although both itch and pain sensations share common nerve pathways, they are generally considered distinct sensory types. Itching evokes a range of sensations,

Itching

2005-01-28T04:13:00.000-08:00

East Dereham

2005-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

Also called �Dereham � town, Breckland district, administrative and historic county of Norfolk, England, 16 miles (26 km) west-northwest of Norwich. The site of a 7th-century Christian convent, it was destroyed by invading Danes. The parish church, dating from the 12th century, contains painted Perpendicular-style ceilings, the former tomb of the church's presumed 7th-century founder, St. Withburga (in

Clifford, Sir Hugh Charles

2005-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

A descendant of Clifford of the Cabal under Charles II, and a grandson of the 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, Hugh Clifford was expected to follow his father, a distinguished general, into the British Army but decided instead to join

Goode, G(eorge) Brown

2005-01-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

After graduating from Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., he spent a year at Harvard University studying natural history under Louis Agassiz. Goode took charge

Silkworm Moth

2005-01-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

(Bombyx), insect and source of commercial silk and an important member of the family Bombycidae (order Lepidoptera). Because of its centuries-old role in sericulture (silk production), the native Chinese silkworm has been introduced throughout the world and approaches complete domestication. The adult attains a wingspan of 40 to 50 millimetres (about 2 inches) and

Race, The problem of labour in the New World

2005-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest problems faced by settlers in the New World, particularly in the southern colonies, was the shortage of labour. Within a few decades after the settlement of Jamestown, planters had established indentured servitude as the main form of labour. Under this system, young men (and some women) worked for masters, to whom they were indebted for their transportation,

Ventidius, Publius

2005-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

In his youth, Ventidius was captured by the forces of the Roman general Pompeius Strabo in his native town of Asculum Picenum, which had joined the revolt (90 - 88) of Rome's Italian

Fargo, William George

2005-01-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Fargo began his long association with Henry Wells (q.v.) when he served as an agent for Livingston, Wells, and Pomeroy's Express in 1843. The following year, together with Wells and Daniel Dunning, he founded Wells and Company, the first express company to operate west of Buffalo,

Diffraction

2005-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

The spreading of waves around obstacles. Diffraction takes place with sound; with electromagnetic radiation, such as light, X-rays, and gamma rays; and with very small moving particles such as atoms, neutrons, and electrons, which show wavelike properties. One consequence of diffraction is that sharp shadows are not produced. The phenomenon is the result of interference

Ekoi

2005-01-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

Group of peoples situated in extreme southeastern Nigeria and extending eastward into neighbouring Cameroon. Ekoid Bantu languages are spoken by many groups, including the Atam, Boki, Mbembe, Ufia, and Yako. The Ekoi live in proximity to the Efiks of southeastern Nigeria and claim to have migrated from the north to that area. The inhabitants of Kwa, located near Calabar,

Alabama, The Civil War and its aftermath

2005-01-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

In 1861 Alabama seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America, which established its first capital in Montgomery. The state legislature conscripted soldiers and appropriated several million dollars for military operations and for the support of the families of soldiers. Some 35,000 of the 122,000 Alabamians who served in the war died. Following the collapse

Spanish Riding School Of Vienna

2005-01-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Also called �Imperial Spanish Riding School, �German �Spanische Reitschule Wien, or Spanische Hofreitschule, � school of classical horsemanship in Vienna, probably founded in the late 16th century. It is the only remaining institution where haute �cole (�high school�) riding and training methods are exclusively practiced, much as they were in the 18th century. The school is particularly noted for its white Lipizzaner (q.v.) horses, bred especially for haute �cole performance. The horses

Montalembert, Marc-ren�, Marquis De

2005-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Montalembert entered the French army in 1732 and served in the War of the Polish Succession

Hawthorne, Nathaniel

2005-01-15T02:02:00.000-08:00

American novelist and short-story writer who was a master of the allegorical and symbolic tale. One of the greatest fiction writers in American literature, he is best-known for The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851).

Sacasa, Juan Bautista

2005-01-14T06:15:00.000-08:00

Sacasa studied in the United States from 1889 to 1901, earning an M.D. from Columbia University. In 1924 he was elected vice president of Nicaragua as leader of the Liberal Party in a coalition government. The following year a coup d'�tat installed General Emiliano Chamorro

Talladega Mountain

2005-01-13T02:14:00.000-08:00

Low-lying segment of the Appalachian Mountains, extending northeastward along the border of Clay and Talladega counties and into Cleburne county in east-central Alabama, U.S. Rising to Cheaha Mountain (2,407 feet [734 metres]), the highest point in Alabama, the pine- and hardwood-covered mountain mass is mainly within the eastern division of the Talladega National Forest. In

Arnobius The Elder

2005-01-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

Arnobius was born a pagan but had become a Christian by AD 300. He taught rhetoric at Sicca Veneria in Africa during the reign (284 - 305) of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Because of his former paganism, Arnobius was suspected, notably by the local bishop,

Arnobius The Elder

2005-01-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

Plover

2005-01-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous species of plump-breasted birds of the shorebird family Charadriidae (order Charadriiformes). There are about three dozen species of plovers, 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) long, with long wings, moderately long legs, short necks, and straight bills that are shorter than their heads. Many species are plain brown, gray, or sandy above and whitish

Philip I

2005-01-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

Philip was the son of the future Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg and Mary of Burgundy. At his mother's death (1482) he succeeded to her Netherlands dominions, with Maximilian acting as regent for him during his minority. When Philip

Jammu And Kashmir, Resources and agriculture

2005-01-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

The state has limited mineral and fossil-fuel resources, and much of these are concentrated in the Jammu region. Small reserves of natural gas are found near Jammu, and bauxite and gypsum deposits occur in the Udhampur district. Other minerals include limestone, coal, zinc, and copper. The pressure of population on land is everywhere apparent, and all available resources

Laveran, Alphonse

2005-01-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Strasbourg faculty of medicine, he served as an army surgeon in the Franco-German War (1870 - 71) and practiced and taught

Ilex

2005-01-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Genus of plants commonly known collectively as holly (q.v.).

She Chi

2005-01-05T03:55:00.000-08:00

Pinyin �She Ji� (Chinese: �Earth and Millet�), ancient Chinese compound patron deity of the soil and harvests. China's earliest legendary emperors are said to have worshiped She (Earth), for they alone had responsibility for the entire earth and country. This worship was meant to include the five spirits of the earth that resided in mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, tidelands and

She Chi

2005-01-04T02:08:00.000-08:00

In the United Kingdom, television network consisting of a consortium of private companies in competition with the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, which was originally the Independent Television Authority. The ITV network was authorized by act of Parliament in 1954, when the BBC's monopoly over radio

Arnica

2005-01-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

One of the most important species (A. montana) is a perennial herb of northern and central European

William Of Tyre

2005-01-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Probably born to a French family that had settled in Frankish Syria during the 12th century, William was educated in France and Italy and knew Latin, Greek, and Arabic. He returned to

North American Indian Languages

2005-01-01T00:52:00.000-08:00

The first comprehensive classification into families of the North American Indian languages was made in 1891 by the American John Wesley Powell, who based his study on impressionistic resemblances in vocabulary. A principle of nomenclature adopted by Powell has been widely used ever since: families are named by adding -an to the name of one prominent member; e.g., Caddoan

Allah

2004-12-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: �God�), the one and only God in the religion of Islam. Etymologically, the name Allah is probably a contraction of the Arabic al-Ilah, �the God.� The name's origin can be traced back to the earliest Semitic writings in which the word for god was Il or El, the latter being an Old Testament synonym for Yahweh. Allah is the standard Arabic word for �God� and is used by Arab Christians

Italian Popular Party

2004-12-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

In January 1919 a Sicilian priest, Luigi Sturzo, founded the original Italian Popular Party.

Ligurian Sea

2004-12-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Latin �Mare Ligusticum, �Italian �Mare Ligure, �French �Mer Ligurienne, � arm of the Mediterranean Sea indenting the northwestern coast of Italy. It extends between Liguria and Tuscany (north and east) and the French island of Corsica (south). It receives many rivers that originate in the Apennines, and it reaches a depth of more than 9,300 feet (2,850 m) northwest of Corsica. The sea includes the Gulf of Genoa in the north and is connected through the Tuscan

Rickey, Branch

2004-12-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Rickey started his professional playing career while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, spent two seasons (1906 - 07) in the American

Glaucoma

2004-12-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous humour, a watery fluid produced by the ciliary body. (The ciliary body is a ring of tissue directly behind the outer rim of the iris; besides being the source of aqueous humour, it contains the muscle that flattens the curvature of the lens for far vision.) The normal flow

Nabis

2004-12-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

Last ruler (207 - 192) of an independent Sparta. Nabis carried on the revolutionary tradition of Kings Agis IV and Cleomenes III. Since ancient accounts of him are mainly abusive, the details of his laws remain obscure, but it is certain that he confiscated a great deal of property and enfranchised many helots (Spartan serfs). He undoubtedly was not the monster depicted by the

Argentina

2004-12-25T06:33:00.000-08:00

Because almost all Argentines are descendants of immigrants from Europe, their culture has a more distinctly European orientation than that of other Latin Americans; however, Argentine artists, writers, and entertainers no longer look to Europe as a sole gauge of their success. Blending Old World customs and New World inspirations, Argentina has developed a unique

Essex, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl Of, Viscount Hereford, Lord Ferrers, Lord Bourchier

2004-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Devereux

Waikato River

2004-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

River, the longest in New Zealand, in central North Island. Rising on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park as the Tongariro River, it flows north through Lake Taupo and, issuing from the lake's northeastern corner, tumbles over Huka Falls and flows northwest to enter the Tasman Sea south of Auckland. The river is 264 miles (425 km) long. It has a gentle gradient

Athabasca River

2004-12-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

River in northern Alberta, Canada, forming the southernmost part of the Mackenzie River system. From its source in the Columbia Icefield (Canadian Rocky Mountains) near the Continental Divide, the river flows through Jasper National Park, site of the spectacular Athabasca Falls, northeastward across Alberta to its mouth and delta on Lake Athabasca. Its 765-mi (1,231-km) course

Childhood Disease And Disorder, Respiratory disorders

2004-12-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

Tonsillitis (acute infection of the tonsils) is more properly considered a part of the acute-pharyngitis (throat-inflammation) syndrome. Enlargement

Cabriolet

2004-12-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

Originally a two-wheeled, doorless, hooded, one-horse carriage, first used in 18th-century France and often let out for hire. The name is thought to derive from cabriole (French: �caper�) because of the vehicle's light, bounding motion. Later cabriolets were built with four wheels. When used as hacks, cabriolets often had a jump seat or a side seat for the driver. Later, the word cabriolet,

Byrd, William

2004-12-18T02:43:00.000-08:00

English organist and composer of the Shakespearean age who is best known for his development of the English madrigal. He also wrote virginal and organ music that elevated the English keyboard style.

Navas De Tolosa, Battle Of Las

2004-12-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

Immobilized for several years by his crushing defeat at Alarcos (1195) at the hands

Navas De Tolosa, Battle Of Las

2004-12-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

Immobilized for several years by his crushing defeat at Alarcos (1195) at the hands

Black Powder

2004-12-15T00:59:00.000-08:00

First type of explosive mixture invented for use in firearms and for blasting (see gunpowder).

Ili River

2004-12-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Ili also spelled �I-li,� Kazak� Ile,� Chinese� (Wade-Giles) I-li Ho,� or �(Pinyin) Yili He,� river in western Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, China. It is 870 miles (1,400 km) long and drains the basin between the Tien Shan (�Celestial Mountains�) to the south and the P'o-lo-k'o-nu Mountains to the north. Both ranges are extremely high. The drainage basin of the Ili and its principal tributaries - the K'a-shih, K'ung-chi-ssu, and T'e-k'o-ssu rivers - is rugged and mountainous, the axes

Ili River

2004-12-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Bruegel, Pieter, The Elder

2004-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

Byname �Peasant Bruegel, �Dutch �Pieter Bruegel De Oudere, or Boeren Bruegel, Bruegel �also spelled �Brueghel, or Breughel � the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century, whose landscapes and vigorous, often witty scenes of peasant life are particularly renowned (see photograph). Since Bruegel signed and dated many of his works, his artistic evolution can be traced from the early landscapes,

Ramananda

2004-12-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

Ramananda left home as a youth and became a sannyasin (ascetic) before settling in Varanasi (Benares) to study Vedic texts, Ramanuja's philosophy,

Ramananda

2004-12-10T04:08:00.000-08:00

Ramananda left home as a youth and became a sannyasin (ascetic) before settling in Varanasi (Benares) to study Vedic texts, Ramanuja's philosophy,