CleanCat

Estate Agent Fitzrovia

2006-10-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Robert Irving Burns specialise in London Commercial and Residential property services. They are a specialist in estate agent fitzrovia, amongst other London areas such as Soho and Oxford Circus.

Zetterling, Mai Elisabeth

2005-03-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

Swedish actress and director (b. May 24, 1925, Vasteras, Sweden--d. March 15?, 1994, London, England), was a popular stage and screen actress in post-World War II Britain; in the 1960s she became a successful film director. Zetterling grew up in poverty and was largely self-educated. Her stage debut at age 16 earned her an invitation to join the Royal Dramatic Theatre School in Stockholm. She gained international

Douglass, Frederick

2005-03-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

Separated as an infant from his slave mother

Dangerfield, Thomas

2005-03-29T17:43:00.000-08:00

As a young man, Dangerfield robbed his father, a farmer, and was imprisoned several

Cynghanedd

2005-03-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

(Welsh: “harmony”), Welsh poetic device, a complicated system of alliteration and internal rhyme, obligatory in the 24 strict metres of Welsh bardic verse. Cynghanedd had developed by the 13th century from the prosodic devices of the early bards and was formally codified at the Caerwys Eisteddfod (Assembly of Bards) of 1524. The device became an obligatory adornment of poems in

Romains, Jules

2005-03-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

Romains studied science and philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. After teaching philosophy

Margai, Sir Milton (augustus Striery)

2005-03-27T03:37:00.000-08:00

The grandson of a paramount chief and the

Owo

2005-03-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Town, Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria, at the southern edge of the Yoruba Hills (elevation 1,130 feet [344 m]) and at the intersection of roads from Akure, Kabba, Benin City, and Siluko. A major collecting point for cocoa, it also serves as a market centre (yams, cassava, corn [maize], rice, palm oil and kernels, pumpkins, okra). Cotton and teak are cultivated in the surrounding area, which was

Anatom

2005-03-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

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

Holberg, Ludvig, Friherre Holberg

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

Gerald S. Argetsinger, Ludvig Holberg's Comedies (1983); F.J. Billeskov Jansen, Ludvig Holberg (1974); and Sven Hakon Rossel (ed.), Ludvig Holberg—A European Writer: A Study in Influence and Reception (1994).

Ireland

2005-03-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

The Irish economic boom that peaked in 1999–2000 finally petered out in 2002, which would be remembered as the year in which readjustments had to be made in light of new realities. Budget surpluses became a memory; spending for health and education was cut back; and infrastructure developments were scaled down or deferred. It became clear that in framing a budget for 2003, the government

Sha'ir

2005-03-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “poet”), in Arabic literature, poet who in pre-Islamic times was a tribal dignitary whose poetic utterances were deemed supernaturally inspired by such spirits as jinn and shaitans. As such, his word was needed to insure the success of certain tribal activities, particularly war, grazing, and the invocation of the gods. In times of intertribal strife, the satire

Jackson, John

2005-03-24T05:02:00.000-08:00

American blues guitarist (b. Feb. 25, 1924, Woodville, Va.—d. Jan. 20, 2002, Fairfax, Va.), was considered a master of the Piedmont blues tradition. While playing guitar for friends at a gas station in Fairfax, Va., in 1964, Jackson was discovered by University of Virginia folklorist Charles L. Perdue, who subsequently arranged for Jackson to go on tour and introduced him to record company executives.

Sha'ir

2005-03-22T22:38:00.000-08:00

In full European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats , formerly (1953–79) Christian Democrat Group transnational parliamentary group representing the interests of allied conservative parties in the European Parliament of the European Union (EU). The EPP was formed in 1953 as the Christian Democrat Group, which acted as a transnational political party in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). It is now composed of some 50 parties from EU

Itami

2005-03-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

City, Hyogo ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies along the Fukuchiyama railway line, 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Osaka. Itami was a castle town from the 13th to the 16th century and became a major sake-brewing centre in the Tokugawa period (1603–1867). The opening of the railway and the construction of company-owned housing made Itami a residential suburb of the Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area. The

Roman De Fauvel

2005-03-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

A manuscript of the poem dated

Ajanta Caves

2005-03-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

The group of some 30 caves was excavated

Vitalism

2005-03-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

School of scientific thought—the germ of which dates from Aristotle—that attempts (in opposition to mechanism and organicism) to explain the nature of life as resulting from a vital force peculiar to living organisms and different from all other forces found outside living things. This force is held to control form and development and to direct the activities

Skamander

2005-03-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Group of young Polish poets who were united in their desire to forge a new poetic language that would accurately reflect the experience of modern life. Founded in Warsaw about 1918, the Skamander group took its name, and the name of its monthly publication, from a river of ancient Troy. The group was founded by Julian Tuwim and other poets. Tuwim, a lyrical poet of emotional

Ashikaga Yoshimasa

2005-03-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

Shogun (hereditary military dictator) who helped promote one of Japan's greatest cultural eras. His attempts to select an heir, however, brought on a dispute that caused the great Onin War (1467–77). This conflict not only laid waste the area around the capital at Kyoto and destroyed many of its great architectural treasures but also eliminated the fiction

Cohen, Hermann

2005-03-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

Cohen was the son of a cantor, and he studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau and at the University of Berlin before receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Halle in

Magnoliales

2005-03-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Magnolia order of dicotyledonous flowering plants, a division of the subclass Magnoliidae. The order, which is generally regarded as including the most primitive angiosperms, contains 10 families, 181 genera, and about 3,050 species. All are woody shrubs, climbers, or trees. The families are Winteraceae, Degeneriaceae, Himantandraceae, Eupomatiaceae, Austrobaileyaceae, Magnoliaceae,

Scandinavian Literature, Romances

2005-03-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

Romances were also translated or adapted from continental romances. Interest in romance began in Norway and soon took root in Iceland. The earliest romance was probably the Tristrams saga (1226), derived from the Anglo-Norman poet Thomas. This was followed by the Karlamagnús saga (“Saga of Charlemagne”), a collection of prose renderings of French chansons de geste, including

Mercator Projection

2005-03-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

Type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. It is often described as a cylindrical projection, but it must be derived mathematically. The meridians are equally spaced, parallel vertical lines, and the parallels of latitude are parallel, horizontal straight lines, spaced farther and farther apart as their distance from the Equator increases. This

Wafd

2005-03-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

In full Al-wafd Al-misri (Arabic: “Egyptian Delegation”), nationalist political party that was instrumental in gaining Egyptian independence from Britain. Organized by Sa'd Zaghlul on Nov. 13, 1918, as a permanent delegation of the Egyptian people, it demanded a voice in London and at the peace conferences following World War I. In March 1919 the British temporarily exiled its leaders Sa'd Zaghlul, Isma'il Sidq

Interior Design

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

The art of interior design encompasses all of the fixed and movable ornamental objects that form an integral part of the inside of any human habitation. It is essential to remember that much of what today is classified as art and exhibited in galleries and museums was originally used to furnish interiors. Paintings were usually ordered by size and frequently by

Tasmania, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

2005-03-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

Less than a third of Tasmania's area is agricultural land; almost all of it is used for grazing; just under half is sown pasture, and the rest is used for rough grazing or is open forest. Crops occupy only 4 percent of agricultural land but contribute one-third of the total value of agricultural production. Seasonal irrigation, mainly spray for crops and some pasture, is

Holder, Alfred Theophil

2005-03-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

One of Holder's first major efforts was a two-volume edition of Horace (1864–69), prepared in collaboration with the German

Aksobhya

2005-03-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

In Mahayana and Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism, one of the five “self-born” Buddhas. See Dhyani-Buddha.

Balakovo

2005-03-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

City, Saratov oblast (province), southwestern Russia, on the left bank of the Volga River. Founded in 1762, it long remained a small agricultural town. Its growth was greatly stimulated by the construction in 1967–70 of the Saratov hydroelectric station on the Volga. Balakovo is also the site of construction of a nuclear power station. A major chemical industry, developed in the 1960s

Bukhara

2005-03-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Buchara , or Bokhara oblast (province), central Uzbekistan, with an area of 15,200 square miles (39,400 square km). The oblast was constituted in 1938, but in 1982 much of its territory in the north and east was transferred to a newly formed Navoi oblast. Bukhara oblast mainly comprises the Kimirekkum Desert, with the lower reaches of the Zeravshan River in the southwest. The climate is continental, with cold winters

A-kuei

2005-03-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

The scion of a noble family, A-kuei directed Chinese military expeditions that quelled uprisings in the western provinces of Szechwan and Kansu. He also conquered Ili and Chinese Turkistan, areas on China's northwestern frontier that are today part of the Uighur Autonomous

Doris

2005-03-12T00:45:00.000-08:00

The alleged mother country of the Dorian conquerors of the Peloponnese. It was a small district in central Greece, lying between Mounts Oeta (modern Oiti) and Parnassus and consisting of a narrow valley nowhere exceeding 4 miles (6 km) in breadth, with only four small townships. Doris had some importance because it commanded the road from Heraclea in Trachis to Amphissa,

Asansol

2005-03-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

City, West Bengal state, northeastern India. Situated in the heart of the Raniganj coalfield, it is the centre of the Kulti-Burnpur industrial complex. Asansol is connected by the Grand Trunk Road and by rail with Calcutta, Durgapur, and Burdwan. The city is an important coal-trading and railway centre, with large railway workshops and a railway colony. Its major industries

Ear, Human

2005-03-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

Hearing is the process by which the ear transforms sound vibrations in the external environment into nerve impulses that are conveyed to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds. Sounds are produced when vibrating objects, such as the plucked string of a guitar, produce pressure pulses of vibrating air molecules, better known as sound waves. The ear can distinguish

Chromium Processing

2005-03-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Chromium (Cr) is a brilliant, hard, refractory metal that melts at 1,857° C (3,375° F) and boils at 2,672° C (4,842° F). In the pure state, it is resistant to ordinary corrosion, resulting in its application as an electroplated protective coating for other metals. It dissolves in nonoxidizing mineral acids but not in aqua regia or nitric acid, which passivate

Italian Literature, The return to order

2005-03-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

The end of World War I saw a longing for the revival of tradition, summed up in the aims of the review La Ronda, founded in 1919 by the poet Vincenzo Cardarelli and others, which advocated a return to classical stylistic values. This led to an excessive cult of form in the narrow sense—as exemplified by the elegant but somewhat bloodless essays (elzeviri) published in Italian

Lowe, Sir Hudson

2005-03-10T03:43:00.000-08:00

Lowe held several important commands in the war with France from 1793. He was knighted in 1814. He arrived on the island of St. Helena, Napoleon's last place of exile, in April 1816. Many persons,

Italy

2005-03-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Officially Italian Republic , Italian Italia or Repubblica Italiana country of south-central Europe, occupying a peninsula that juts deep into the Mediterranean Sea. It has a shape that has been likened frequently to a high-heeled boot about to prod its triangular subject island of Sicily. Another important island, Sardinia, lies some 160 miles (260 kilometres) west of Italy's “shin.” The magnificent mountain barrier of the Alps forms a northern

Dome Of The Rock

2005-03-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Arabic Qubbat as-Sakhrah shrine in Jerusalem that is the oldest extant Islamic monument. The rock over which the shrine was built is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. The Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, is traditionally believed to have ascended into heaven from the site. In Jewish tradition, it is here that Abraham, the progenitor and first patriarch of the Hebrew people, is said to have prepared

Yalta

2005-03-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Jalta, city, Crimea, southern Ukraine. It faces the Black Sea on the southern shore of the Crimean Peninsula. Settlement on the site dates from prehistoric times, but modern Yalta developed only in the early 19th century, becoming a town in 1838. Its favourable climate with mild winters and its scenic location between sea and mountains make Yalta one of the most popular holiday and

Anne Boleyn

2005-03-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

Anne's father was Sir Thomas Boleyn, later Earl of Wiltshire and Ormonde.

Gray, Dolores

2005-03-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

American singer and actress (b. June 7, 1924, Chicago, Ill.—d. June 26, 2002, New York, N.Y.), had a rich contralto voice that gained her success in motion pictures and, especially, stage musicals. Her first, and perhaps greatest, triumph came in the London production of Annie Get Your Gun, which opened in 1947 and ran for nearly three years, playing to an audience that totaled more than 2.5 million. She followed

Estelí

2005-03-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

City, northwestern Nicaragua. It lies along the Estelí River in the central highlands, at an elevation of 2,674 feet (815 m). A Spanish settlement founded near prehistoric carved-stone figures, it was a scene of heavy fighting between Sandinista guerrillas and government troops in 1978–79 that left much of the centre of the city in ruins. Estelí is an agricultural and commercial centre,

Radescu, Nicolae

2005-03-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

During World War I, Radescu fought in the Romanian army and in the 1920s served as military attaché in London. He resigned from the army in 1933 to protest the dictatorial policies of King Carol II. Under the pro-Axis regime of General Ion Antonescu during World War II, he incurred

Earth Exploration

2005-03-06T03:23:00.000-08:00

Geophysical

Arts, Islamic, Palaces

2005-03-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

There are basically three kinds of these princely structures. The first type consists of 10 large rural princely complexes found in Syria, Palestine, and Transjordan dating from around 710 to 750: ar-Rusafah, Qasr al-Hayr East, Qasr al-Hayr West, Jabal Says, Khirbat Minyah, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Mshatta, Qasr 'Amrah, Qasr al-Kharanah, and Qasr at-Tubah. Apparently these examples of princely architecture

Constans I

2005-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

The youngest son of Constantine the Great (reigned 306–337), Constans was proclaimed caesar by his father on December 25, 333. When Constantine died on September 9, 337, Constans and his two brothers, Constantius II and Constantine II, each adopted the title of Augustus and divided the empire among themselves. Constans took control of Italy, Africa, and Illyricum

Race

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

Although they are easily and often confused, race and racism must be distinguished from ethnicity and ethnocentrism. While extreme ethnocentrism may take the same offensive form and may have the same dire consequences as extreme racism, there are significant differences between the two concepts. Ethnicity, which relates to culturally contingent features,

Mcqueen, Steve

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

McQueen drifted through odd jobs and three years of service in the marines before he began performing at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in 1952. He did occasional theatre work, making his screen

Gnosticism

2005-03-03T00:16:00.000-08:00

The designation Gnosticism, derived from the Greek gn

Calendar, The French republican calendar

2005-03-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

In late 18th-century France, with the approach of the French Revolution, demands began to be made for a radical change in the civil calendar that would divorce it completely from any ecclesiastical connections. The first attacks on the Gregorian calendar and proposals for reform came in 1785 and 1788, the changes being primarily designed to divest the calendar of all its Christian

China, The foreign presence

2005-03-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

As a result of several wars and many treaties with China since 1842, foreign powers had acquired a variety of unusual privileges for their nationals. These were specified in the “unequal treaties,” which patriotic Chinese bitterly opposed. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and vast areas in Siberia and Central Asia had been detached from China. Dependencies such as Korea, Outer Mongolia,

Alaska, Government

2005-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Alaska's economy has been dominated by government since territorial days. From 1940 to 1960 the federal government invested nearly $2 billion in the development of military bases in Alaska. Nothing else in Alaska's history has produced such long-term results, bringing thousands of residents into the territory and creating jobs and a vast array of transportation and communications

Fabry's Disease

2005-03-01T04:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Angiokeratoma Corporis Diffusum, sex-linked hereditary disease in which a deficiency in the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A results in abnormal deposits of a glycosphingolipid (ceramide trihexoside) in the blood vessels. These deposits in turn produce heart and kidney disturbances resulting in a marked reduction in life expectancy. Distinctive clusters of dark red granules in the skin on the

Borel, émile

2005-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

The son of a Protestant pastor, Borel exhibited his mathematical talent from a young

Lena River

2005-02-28T03:15:00.000-08:00

Among the peoples living in the Lena basin, mainly on the banks of the river and its tributaries, Russians are most numerous, followed by the Sakha (Yakut; a Turkic-speaking people), Evenk, and Yukaghir. There are several industrial and cultural centres and farming communities. Most of the Lena River basin lies within Sakha (Yakutia) republic of northeastern Siberia, whose

Outcault, Richard Felton

2005-02-28T00:38:00.000-08:00

Outcault studied art in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Paris and later contributed to Judge and Life, humour magazines that had begun publication in the early 1880s. By 1885 he was drawing comic cartoons based

Lima

2005-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

Department of central Peru and site of the national capital of Lima. The department stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes in the east. There is little rainfall along its coastal section, and irrigation is possible only where rivers descend from the Andes. Fog often blankets the coast, especially from June to October;

Faience Blanche

2005-02-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

(French: “white faience”), type of French pottery of the late 16th and early 17th centuries; it copied bianchi di Faenza, a sparsely decorated Faenza majolica (tin-glazed earthenware), which appeared about 1570 as a reaction to an overornamented pictorial style. In the simpler form, much of the white area was left exposed, the decoration being merely a central figure or a coat of arms

Densitometer

2005-02-26T00:13:00.000-08:00

Device that measures the density, or the degree of darkening, of a photographic film or plate by recording photometrically its transparency (fraction of incident light transmitted). In visual methods, two beams of equal intensity are used. One is directed through the plate, while the intensity of the other is adjusted by an optical wedge, by an iris diaphragm, or by moving

Lewis, Ray Anthony

2005-02-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

One year

Egypt, Ancient, The 7th and 8th dynasties (c. 2150c. 2130 BC)

2005-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Pepi II was followed by several ephemeral rulers, who were in turn succeeded by the short-lived 7th dynasty of Manetho's history (from which no king's name is known) and the 8th, one of whose kings, Ibi, built a small pyramid at southern Saqqarah. Several 8th-dynasty kings are known from inscriptions found in the temple of Min at Qift in the south; this suggests that their rule was

Hardinge (of Lahore And Kings Newton), Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount

2005-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hardinge entered the army in 1799 and, during the Napoleonic Wars, served with distinction as a staff officer in the Peninsular War (1808–14). In the Hundred Days (1815), he was a brigadier general with the Prussian army at the Battle of Ligny and

Gum

2005-02-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Gingiva, plural Gingivae, in anatomy, mucous membrane attached to and surrounding the necks of the teeth and adjacent alveolar bone. Before the erupting teeth enter the mouth cavity, gum pads develop; these are slight elevations of the overlying oral mucous membrane. When tooth eruption is complete, the gum embraces the neck region of each tooth. As well as being attached to adjacent alveolar

Palladius

2005-02-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

Palladius took up the ascetical life himself, first at the Mount of Olives, the scene of Christ's Passion outside Jerusalem,

Faience Blanche

2005-02-23T04:34:00.000-08:00

International organization established by one of the Treaties of Rome in 1958 to form a common market for the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The original members were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. It subsequently has come to include all members of the European Union. Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined

Viedma

2005-02-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Río Negro provincia, south-central Argentina. It lies along the western bank of the Negro River 20 miles (32 km) from the river's mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, opposite Carmen de Patagones in Buenos Aires province. A fort called Mercedes de Patagones, built there in 1779 by the explorer Francisco de Viedma, was the capital of the Patagonian territory until the Río

Caldas Da Rainha

2005-02-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

Town, Leiria district, west-central Portugal, north of Lisbon. Its name, meaning “the queen's hot springs,” recalls Queen Leonor, who founded a hospital there in 1485. By the end of the 19th century the town had become a popular spa. A tourist centre, Caldas da Rainha is also known for its glazed ceramic pottery. The church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, in early 16th-century Manueline style,

Pug

2005-02-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

Breed of toy dog that probably originated in China and was introduced to England near the end of the 17th century by Dutch traders. The pug has a short muzzle and a tightly curled tail. It is a squarely built, muscular dog, with a large head, prominent dark eyes, and small, drooping ears. At maturity, it stands 10 to 11 inches (25.5 to 28 centimetres) and weighs about 13 to 18 pounds (6 to 8 kilograms). Its

Computers, Control programs

2005-02-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

An operating

Distribution Theory

2005-02-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

The theory of distribution involves three distinguishable sets of questions.

Mold

2005-02-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

Also spelled mould, in biology, a conspicuous mass of mycelium (masses of vegetative filaments, or hyphae) and fruiting structures produced by various fungi (division Mycota). Fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Rhizopus form mold and are associated with food spoilage and plant diseases.

Andersen's Disease

2005-02-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Also called Glycogenosis Type Iv, extremely rare hereditary metabolic disorder produced by absence of the enzyme amylo-1:4,1:6-transglucosidase, which is an essential mediator of the synthesis of glycogen. An abnormal form of glycogen, amylopectin, is produced and accumulates in body tissues, particularly in the liver and heart. Affected children appear normal at birth but fail to thrive and later lose

Alalakh

2005-02-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

Excavations also revealed a towered

Armilus

2005-02-18T02:42:00.000-08:00

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

Böhm, Karl

2005-02-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

Böhm studied law but also studied music in Vienna with Eusebius Mandyczewski and Guido Adler. His debut at the Graz Opera House in 1917 was followed three years later

Austenite

2005-02-17T01:40:00.000-08:00

Solid solution of carbon and other constituents in a particular form of iron known as g (gamma) iron. This is a face-centred cubic structure formed when iron is heated above 910° C (1,670° F); gamma iron becomes unstable at temperatures above 1,390° C (2,530° F). Austenite is an ingredient of a kind of stainless steel used for making cutlery, hospital and food-service equipment, and tableware.

Ka

2005-02-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Koi, in ancient Egyptian religion, with ba and akh, a principal aspect of the soul of a human being or of a god. The exact significance of ka remains a matter of controversy, chiefly for lack of an Egyptian definition; the usual translation “double” is incorrect. Written by a hieroglyph of uplifted arms, it seemed originally to have designated the protecting divine spirit of

Calas, Jean

2005-02-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

On Oct. 13, 1761, Calas's eldest son, MarcAntoine, was found hanged in his father's textile shop in Toulouse. Anti-Huguenot hysteria broke out among the local Roman Catholic populace,

Differential Equation

2005-02-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

Mathematical statement containing one or more derivatives, that is, terms representing the relationships between the rates of change of continuously varying quantities. Differential equations are very common in science and engineering, other fields of quantitative study. The solution of a differential equation is, in general, an algebraic equation expressing

Prix Renaudot

2005-02-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

French literary prize awarded to the author of an outstanding original novel published during the previous year. Named for Théophraste Renaudot (1586?–1653), who founded La Gazette (later La Gazette de France), an influential weekly newspaper, the prize was established in 1925 and first awarded in 1926. Like the Prix Goncourt, with which it competes, the Prix Renaudot is awarded annually

Ovenbird

2005-02-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of small birds, named for building a domed nest with a side entrance, especially Seiurus aurocapillus, a wood warbler (family Parulidae, order Passeriformes) of North America east of the Rockies; it winters south to Colombia. Brownish-olive above, with a streaked breast, white eye ring, and black-edged orange crown, the bird looks like a small thrush.

Khan

2005-02-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cham, historically, the ruler or monarch of a Mongol tribe (ulus). At the time of Genghis Khan (early 13th century) a distinction was made between the title of khan and that of khakan, which was the title Genghis assumed as Great Khan, or supreme ruler of the Mongols. The term khan was subsequently adopted by many Muslim societies. Among the Seljuqs and the Khwarezm-Shahs of Central and

Cumberland

2005-02-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

County, south-central Pennsylvania, U.S. It consists of a hilly region in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley physiographic province bounded to the north by Blue Mountain, to the east by the Susquehanna River, to the southeast by Yellow Breeches Creek, and to the south by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Conodoguinet Creek and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail cross the

Stadium

2005-02-12T06:12:00.000-08:00

Enclosure that combines broad space for athletic games and other exhibitions with large seating capacity for spectators. The name derives from the Greek unit of measurement, the stade, the distance covered in the original Greek footraces (about 600 feet [180 metres]). The course for the footrace in the ancient Olympic Games at Olympia was exactly a stade in length, and the

Largo Caballero, Francisco

2005-02-12T00:55:00.000-08:00

Largo Caballero worked in Madrid as a plasterer before joining the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español; PSOE) in 1894. He soon became an official in the party's

Colosseum

2005-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Originally called Flavian Amphitheatre giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. Construction of the Colosseum was begun sometime between AD 70 and 72 during the reign of Vespasian; the structure was officially dedicated in AD 80 by Titus in a ceremony that included 100 days of games. Later, in AD 82, Domitian completed the work by adding the uppermost story. Unlike earlier amphitheatres, which were nearly

France, History Of, Republican factions

2005-02-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

With the republican regime apparently safe from outside attack, rival factions developed among the republicans. During the 1880s the labels Radical and Opportunist began to be attached to the two wings of the republican movement. On the left, the Radicals saw themselves as heirs to the Jacobin tradition: they stood for a strong centralized regime, intransigent anticlericalism,

Molecular Beam

2005-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Any stream or ray of molecules moving in the same general direction, usually in a vacuum—i.e., inside an evacuated chamber. In this context the word molecule includes atoms as a special case. Most commonly, the molecules comprising the beam are at a low density; that is, they are far enough apart to move independently of each other. Because of the one-directional motion of

Gulf Series

2005-02-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Major division of Upper Cretaceous rocks (66.4 to 97.5 million years old) in the Gulf coastal region of the United States. The Gulf Series has been divided into several groups of rocks. The lowermost groups of limestone and clay are overlain by the Eagleford Shale, about 145 m (475 feet) of clayey shales, which in turn is overlain by the Austin Chalk, about 130 m (420 feet) of chalks and marls. The Taylor

Agoult, Marie (-catherine-sophie) De Flavigny, Comtesse D'

2005-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

Mme d'Agoult was the daughter of the émigré Comte de Flavigny. In 1827 she married Col. Charles d'Agoult, 20 years her senior. She had early shown strength of will and enthusiasm for justice and freedom, and her marriage disappointed

Ahmet Pasa Bursali

2005-02-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

Born into a prominent family, Ahmet Pasa received a classical Islamic education and was appointed as a teacher in the madrasah (religious college) in the city of Bursa. In 1451 he became judge of the city of Edirne. With the accession of Sultan Mehmet II (1451–81), he became qadi 'asker (“military

Posada, José Guadalupe

2005-02-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

As a child Posada worked as a farm labourer and in a pottery factory. He taught school for a short time and then began to draw, inspired largely by posters for the Rea Circus. Gradually he was attracted

Shimazu Family

2005-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Powerful warrior clan that controlled the southern tip of the Japanese island of Kyushu from the 12th to the 19th century. Ensconced in their isolated stronghold on the frontier of Japan, the Shimazu were the only feudal family to play a leading role in Japanese history in both medieval and modern times. During the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867), the family's Satsuma fief was the

Vigée-lebrun, élisabeth

2005-02-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

Her father was Louis Vigée, a pastel portraitist and her first teacher. She studied later with a number of well-known painters, among them J.-B. Greuze and Joseph Vernet. In 1776 she married a picture dealer,

San Cristóbal Island

2005-02-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Spanish Isla San Cristóbal , also called Chatham Island one of the easternmost of the Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean. San Cristóbal Island lies approximately 600 miles (965 km) west of Ecuador. It was originally named by English pirates for William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. With an area of 195 square miles (505 square km), San Cristóbal is the most populated and fertile island of the archipelago. Volcanic in origin, with its highest

Hessonite

2005-02-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

Also called Essonite, or Cinnamon Stone, translucent, semiprecious, reddish-brown variety of grossular (q.v.), a garnet mineral.

Ai

2005-02-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ancient Canaanite town destroyed by the Israelites under their leader Joshua (Joshua 7–8). Biblical references agree in locating Ai (Hebrew: ha-'Ay, “The Ruin”) just east of Bethel (modern Baytin in the West Bank). This would make it identical with the large early Bronze Age site now called At-Tall. Excavations there in 1933–35 by a French expedition uncovered a large temple and other remains

Dublin

2005-02-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Irish Baile Átha Cliath county in the province of Leinster, Ireland, bounded by County Meath (north), by the Irish Sea (east), by County Wicklow (south), and by Counties Kildare and Meath (west). County Dublin is one of the smallest counties in Ireland and, including Dublin city, is one of the most populous. Its central and northern parts are low-lying, whereas low mountains occupy the southern border

CleanCat

Estate Agent Fitzrovia

Zetterling, Mai Elisabeth

Douglass, Frederick

Dangerfield, Thomas

Cynghanedd

Romains, Jules

Margai, Sir Milton (augustus Striery)

Owo

Anatom

Holberg, Ludvig, Friherre Holberg

Ireland

Sha'ir

Jackson, John

Sha'ir

Itami

Roman De Fauvel

Ajanta Caves

Vitalism

Skamander

Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Cohen, Hermann

Magnoliales

Scandinavian Literature, Romances

Mercator Projection

Wafd

Interior Design

Tasmania, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Holder, Alfred Theophil

Aksobhya

Balakovo

Bukhara

A-kuei

Doris

Asansol

Ear, Human

Chromium Processing

Italian Literature, The return to order

Lowe, Sir Hudson

Italy

Dome Of The Rock

Yalta

Anne Boleyn

Gray, Dolores

Estelí

Radescu, Nicolae

Earth Exploration

Arts, Islamic, Palaces

Constans I

Race

Mcqueen, Steve

Gnosticism

Calendar, The French republican calendar

China, The foreign presence

Alaska, Government

Fabry's Disease

Borel, émile

Lena River

Outcault, Richard Felton

Lima

Faience Blanche

Densitometer

Lewis, Ray Anthony

Egypt, Ancient, The 7th and 8th dynasties (c. 2150c. 2130 BC)

Hardinge (of Lahore And Kings Newton), Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount

Gum

Palladius

Faience Blanche

Viedma

Caldas Da Rainha

Pug

Computers, Control programs

Distribution Theory

Mold

Andersen's Disease

Alalakh

Armilus

Böhm, Karl

Austenite

Ka

Italian Literature, The return to order

Egypt, Ancient, The 7th and 8th dynasties (c. 2150c. 2130 BC)