FirstLip

Polio Vaccine

2005-04-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

Preparation of poliomyelitis virus given to prevent infection with the disease. The virus is grown in kidney tissue from rhesus monkeys. There are two types of vaccine: one with killed virus, which is injected, and the other with live, attenuated (weakened) virus, which is given orally. Vaccines, whether killed or live, must contain strains of all of the three poliovirus

External Auditory Canal

2005-04-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Also called External Auditory Meatus, or External Acoustic Meatus, passageway that leads from the outside of the head to the tympanic membrane, or eardrum membrane, of each ear. The structure of the external auditory canal is the same in all mammals. In appearance it is a slightly curved tube that extends inward from the floor of the auricle, or protruding portion of the outer ear, and ends blindly at the eardrum membrane, which separates

Aesthetics

2005-04-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

Thomas Munro, Oriental Aesthetics (1965), includes a comparison of Eastern and Western attitudes and beliefs (with many bibliographic notes). Other informative studies are Indian Aesthetics and Art Activity (1968); Mai-Mai Sze, The Tao of Painting, 2nd ed. with corrections, 2 vol. (1963); and Makoto Ueda, Literary and Art Theories in Japan (1967, reissued 1991).

K.c.m.g.

2005-04-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Knight commander of St. Michael and St. George, member of the second highest rank of a British order of knighthood. See Saint Michael and Saint George, The Most Distinguished Order of.

Vieuxtemps, Henry

2005-03-30T23:57:00.000-08:00

As a prodigy, Vieuxtemps was taken by his father on a number of European tours, during which he studied violin with Charles de Bériot in Brussels (1829–31), harmony with Simon Sechter in Vienna (1833–34), and composition with

Switzerland, Remaining challenges

2005-03-30T23:48:00.000-08:00

At the end of the 20th century, growing doubts about Switzerland's past and future emerged. Many Swiss questioned the country's traditional “bunker mentality” in a Europe at peace and with open borders. Particularly troubling for Switzerland was an international debate during the 1990s about “dormant accounts”—assets left by foreign Jews in Swiss banks during the Nazi era

Francis, Sam

2005-03-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

Francis studied medicine at the University of California at Berkeley in 1941–43 and began painting while in a hospital after being wounded in World War II. He painted his first abstract compositions in 1947. From 1950 to 1957 he lived and worked in Paris,

Carnivore, Natural history

2005-03-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

The family Mustelidae contains a variety of animals unmatched by any other family in the Carnivora except the civets (Viverridae). The family includes the weasels, ferrets, mink (see photograph), marten, fisher, skunks (see photograph), wolverine (see photograph), otters (see photograph), badgers (see

Sculpture, Western, Romanesque

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

The term Romanesque—coined in 1818 —denotes in art the medieval synthesis of the widespread Roman architectural and artistic heritage and various regional influences, such as Teutonic, Scandinavian, Byzantine, and Muslim. Although derived primarily from the remains of a highly centralized imperial culture, the Romanesque flowered during a period of fragmented

Dulles, Allen W.

2005-03-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

The younger brother of U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles received an M.A. from Princeton in 1916 and then served in various diplomatic posts until 1922, when he was named chief

Akihito

2005-03-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

Akihito was the fifth child and eldest son of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako. During his early years he was reared in the traditional imperial manner, beginning his education

Tung Chung-shu

2005-03-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

As a chief minister to the emperor Wu (c. 140–87) of the Han dynasty, Tung was chiefly responsible for the

Scandinavian Literature, Developments in Finno-Swedish literature

2005-03-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

The second flourishing of Finno-Swedish literature occurred in the 1920s, with the development of modernism in lyric poetry. This trend was initiated by Edith Södergran, whose visionary, dreamlike poems proved influential throughout much of Scandinavia. After her came such poets as Gunnar Björling, noted for his impressionistic pictures of nature; Rabbe

Manasses, Constantine

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

Byzantine chronicler, metropolitan of Naupactus, and the author of a verse chronicle (Synopsis historike; “Historical Synopsis”) from the Creation to 1081. Written at the request of Emperor Manuel I's sister-in-law, Irene, the poem is in the so-called political (i.e., 15-syllable) metre. His romance on Aristander and Calithea, also in “political” verse, survives in fragments only. He wrote

Thomas, W(illiam) I(saac)

2005-03-18T22:54:00.000-08:00

Thomas taught sociology at the University of Chicago (1895–1918), the New School for Social Research, New York City (1923–28), and Harvard University (1936–37). His Sex and

Paraguaçu River

2005-03-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Rio Paraguaçu, river, in central and eastern Bahia estado (“state”), eastern Brazil. It rises in the Diamantina Upland and flows northward and then eastward for approximately 300 miles (500 km). The river empties into Todos os Santos Bay, just below Maragogipe. It is navigable from its mouth for only about 25 miles (40 km) as far as Cachoeira. The region around its upper course yields black industrial

Salford

2005-03-18T03:06:00.000-08:00

Flemish weavers first settled in Salford about 1360, and the town became an important centre of domestic textile production. Beginning in the late 18th century, the town's cottage

Anselm Of Saint Mary

2005-03-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

Anselm entered the order of the Discalced Hermits of St. Augustine in 1644 and, remaining in their monastery (Couvent des Petits Pères), devoted his entire life to genealogical studies. Among his early works are Le Palais

Paul, The Apostle, Saint

2005-03-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Converted only a few years after the death of Jesus, he became the leading Apostle (missionary) of the new movement and played a decisive part in extending it beyond the limits of Judaism to become a worldwide

Trichomoniasis

2005-03-16T05:14:00.000-08:00

The pear-shaped species T.

Qatar

2005-03-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Officially State of Qatar , Arabic Dawlat Qatar independent emirate on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. It occupies a small desert peninsula that extends from the larger Arabian Peninsula north of eastern Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It has an area of 4,416 square miles (11,437 square km), the total including a number of nearby small islands and the Hawar Islands (which are also claimed by Bahrain) in the Persian

Venkataraman, Ramaswamy

2005-03-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

Venkataraman studied law at the University of Madras and began his legal practice in 1935. He became involved in India's independence struggle and was consequently jailed by the British (1942–44). After his release he continued to practice law,

Fu-shun

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

Pinyin Fushun, city in central Liaoning sheng (province), northeastern China. It is situated some 25 miles (40 km) east of Shen-yang (Mukden) on the Hun River. In earlier times this area was on the frontier of Chinese settlement. It was the site of a customs station under the T'ang dynasty (618–907) in the 8th century, and again under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when it received the name Fu-shun. It was not until 1902 that settlement

Carlini, Armando

2005-03-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Educated at

San Justo

2005-03-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Cabecera (principal built-up area) of La Matanza partido (political subdivision), Gran (Greater) Buenos Aires, Arg. It lies directly southwest of the city of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires province. In 1856 the poblador (person granted land as an incentive to settle an area) of San Justo, José Gorsch, donated the land for the founding of the town on behalf of the Justo Villegas family.

Quinto Real

2005-03-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

(Spanish: “royal fifth”), in colonial Spanish America, a tax levied by the crown on mineral products; it was the principal source of profit derived by Spain from its colonies. The percentage was fixed at one-fifth in 1504, to be paid for 10 years, but the rate remained at generally that level until the 18th century. In 1723 the quinto was almost uniformly reduced to the diezmo (one-tenth); in 1777 the

Arapaho

2005-03-11T01:30:00.000-08:00

North American Plains Indian people of Algonquian linguistic stock who lived along the Platte and Arkansas rivers during the 19th century. Their early tradition suggests that they once had permanent villages in the eastern woodlands, where they engaged in agriculture. After a gradual westward movement, they split into northern and southern groups after 1830, the southern

Essy, Amara

2005-03-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

On July 9, 2002, Amara Essy of Côte d' Ivoire became secretary-general of the newly established 53-country African Union (AU), which replaced the 39-year-old Organization of African Unity (OAU). Essy, a career diplomat, was charged with leading the new body, a difficult task given the continent's ethnic, religious, economic, and political differences and the fact that the AU was granted

Stagnelius, Erik Johan

2005-03-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Both his works

Venericardia

2005-03-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Genus of pelecypods (clams) abundant during the Eocene Epoch (the Eocene Epoch began 57.8 million years ago and ended 36.6 million years ago). The shell, composed of two halves (valves), is distinctive in form and generally large. Transverse ribs radiate from the apex of the valves and are broken by a series of concentric growth rings. Internally, the valves

Paradoxides Series

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

Rocks deposited during the Middle Cambrian Period in western Europe and Scandinavia and in eastern North America (the Middle Cambrian Period lasted from 520 to 512 million years ago). The Paradoxides Series is characterized by the fossil occurrence of trilobites of the family Paradoxididae and other trilobites, such as the genera Agnostus and Eodiscus.

Clovis

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

City, seat (1909) of Curry county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., in the High Plains (4,260 feet [1,298 metres] above sea level) near the Texas state line. It was founded in 1906 as a division point for the Santa Fe Railway. Centre of an irrigated farm and ranch area, it has extensive livestock-auction and cattle-feeding facilities and also markets sugar beets, sorghum, wheat, cotton, vegetables, poultry, and

Cella

2005-03-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

Greek Naos, in Classical architecture, the body of a temple (as distinct from the portico) in which the image of the deity is housed. In early Greek and Roman architecture it was a simple room, usually rectangular, with the entrance at one end and with the side walls often being extended to form a porch. In larger temples, where the cella is open to the sky, a small temple was sometimes

Cello

2005-03-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

The earliest cellos were developed during the 16th century

Sanibel Island

2005-03-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

Sanibel Island

Wu, Chien-shiung

2005-03-05T02:01:00.000-08:00

Wu graduated from the National Central University in Nanking, China, in 1936 and then traveled to the United States to pursue graduate studies in physics

Nestlé Sa

2005-03-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Multinational manufacturer of food products. It is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and operates factories in more than 80 countries. Nestlé's chief products are condensed and powdered milk, baby foods, chocolate products, candies, instant coffees and teas, soups, seasonings and condiments, frozen foods, ice cream, and bottled water. The company also produces

Dandridge, Dorothy

2005-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

Dandridge's mother was an entertainer and comedic actress who, after settling in Los Angeles, had some success in radio and, later, television. The young Dorothy and her sister Vivian

Rainmaking

2005-03-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Any process of increasing the amount of precipitation discharged from a cloud. Primitive methods, such as rain dances or the throwing of pebbles into water, failed to produce rain, but modern techniques of seeding supercooled clouds with frozen carbon dioxide or silver iodide offer some possibility of increasing rainfall amounts substantially.

Anath

2005-03-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

Considered a beautiful young girl, she was often designated “the Virgin” in ancient texts. Probably one of the best-known of the Canaanite deities, she was famous for her youthful vigour and ferocity in battle; in that respect she was adopted as a special favourite by the Egyptian king Ramses

Bharhut

2005-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

The stupa was probably begun in the time

Economic Affairs

2005-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

For the American

Wiesenthal, Simon

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

Wiesenthal received a degree in architectural engineering from the Technical University of Prague

Bar Kokhba

2005-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

During his tour of the Eastern Empire in 131, the Roman emperor Hadrian decided upon a policy of Hellenization to integrate the Jews into the empire. Circumcision was proscribed, a Roman colony (Aelia) was founded in Jerusalem, and a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus was erected over

Urticaceae

2005-02-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

The nettle family comprising about 45 genera of herbs, shrubs, small trees, and a few vines, distributed primarily in tropical regions. The family is typical of the nettle order (Urticales). Many species, especially the nettles (Urtica; see photograph) and Australian nettle trees (Laportea), have stinging hairs on the stems and leaves. The leaves are varied and

Sorin, Edward Frederick

2005-02-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

Sorin was ordained a priest in 1838, and two years later he joined the Congregation of Holy Cross, a group of priests and brothers organized at Le Mans, Fr. Sorin and six brothers went to Vincennes, Ind., in 1841 at the invitation of Bishop Célestine

Veneti

2005-02-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

The chief Venetic settlement was Este (later the Roman colony of Ateste), which was

Ba'al Shem Tov

2005-02-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

During his lifetime, the Besht brought about a great social and religious upheaval and permanently altered many traditional values. In an atmosphere marked by joy, new rituals, and ecstasy, he created a new religious climate in small houses of prayer outside the synagogues. The changes that had occurred were further emphasized by the wearing of distinctive garb

Enugu

2005-02-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

State, south-central Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the eastern two-thirds of Anambra state. Enugu is bounded by the states of Kogi and Benue to the north, Cross River to the east, Abia to the south, and Anambra to the west. It includes most of the Udi-Nsukka Plateau, which rises to more than 1,000 feet (300 m). Enugu state is covered by open grassland, with occasional woodlands and clusters

Power, Balance Of

2005-02-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

In international relations, the posture and policy of a nation or group of nations protecting itself against another nation or group of nations by matching its power against the power of the other side. States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways: by increasing their own power, as when engaging in an armaments race or in the competitive acquisition of

Târgu-neamt

2005-02-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Tîrgu-neamt, town, Neamt judet (county), northeastern Romania, on the Neamt River. It has long been a local market centre and a major focus of culture in Moldavia. West of the town is Neamt Monastery, founded by Stephen (Stefan) the Great in 1497. On the north bank of the Neamt River stands the ruins of the Fortress of Neamt, founded in the late 14th century. To the west is Agapia Monastery, founded in 1585. Textiles

Lucas, George

2005-02-23T02:53:00.000-08:00

Lucas became interested in filmmaking while in high school. He received encouragement from the cinematographer Haskell Wexler and gained admission to the film department of the University of Southern California

Sweat

2005-02-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

The moisture excreted in visible quantities through the openings of the sweat glands. See perspiration.

Confession

2005-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

A confession admits the entire criminal charge, whereas an admission covers

Kilkeel

2005-02-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Irish Cill Chaoil fishing port and seaside resort, at the mouth of the River Kilkeel, Newry and Mourne district (established 1973), formerly in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, and the quarrying and dressing of Mourne granite is a local industry. A good harbour serves a large fishing fleet. The River Kilkeel rises to the north in the Silent Valley, where

Microtonal Music

2005-02-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Much of the world's music, however, of both past and present times, uses intervals greater or smaller than 100 cents.

Saicho

2005-02-19T01:30:00.000-08:00

A priest at the age of 13, Saicho was sent to China to study in 804 and returned with the highly eclectic Tendai (T'ien-t'ai in Chinese) teachings. Unlike other Buddhist sects then in existence in Japan, the Tendai sect taught that there could be meaning and value in

Kharg Island

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

Persian Jazireh-ye Khark, Arabic Jazirat Kharg, small Iranian island in the northern Persian Gulf, 34 miles (55 km) northwest of the port of Bushire (Bushehr). In the 15th century the Dutch established a factory (trading station) on the island, but in 1766 Kharg was taken by pirates based at Bandar-e Rig, a small Persian port north of Bushire. The island was virtually uninhabited for long periods thereafter, but, with Iran's 20th-century mineral

Alderman

2005-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Member of the legislative body of a municipal corporation in England and the United States. In Anglo-Saxon England, ealdormen, or aldermen, were high-ranking officials of the crown who exercised judicial, administrative, or military functions. Earls, the governors of shires (counties), and other persons of distinction were among those who received the title of alderman.

Insurance, Property covered

2005-02-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Homeowner's forms are written to cover damage to or loss of not only an owner's dwelling but also structures (such as garages and fences), trees and shrubs, personal property (excluding certain listed items), property away from the premises (such as boats), money and securities (subject to dollar limits), and losses due to forgery. They also cover removal of debris following

Nordhausen

2005-02-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

City, Thuringia Land (state), central Germany, lying on the Zorge River, at the southern slopes of the Harz Mountains, in the fertile lowland known as the Goldene Aue (“Golden Meadow”). First mentioned in 927 as the site of a royal castle near the older Frankish settlement of Northusen (Nordhusa), it was made a free imperial city in 1290 and accepted the Reformation in 1522. It lost its independence

Protist

2005-02-15T23:39:00.000-08:00

The protists include all unicellular organisms not included with the prokaryotes. Protists also embrace a number of forms of syncytial (coenocytic) or multicellular composition, generally manifest as filaments, colonies, coenobia (a type of colony with a fixed number of interconnected cells embedded in a common matrix before release from the parental colony),

William Clito

2005-02-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Son of Duke Robert II Curthose (and grandson of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders), William Clito was supported by Louis VI of France in claiming the duchy when his father

Episcopal Church In Scotland

2005-02-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

The development of Protestantism in Scotland went through confusing periods, with control alternating between the Presbyterian Party (those who believed in the presbyterian form of church government) and the Episcopal Party (those who

Wyndham

2005-02-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

Most northerly seaport of Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the King River, on the West Arm of Cambridge Gulf (an inlet of Joseph Bonaparte Gulf of the Timor Sea). Founded in 1885 as a port for the Kimberley goldfield, it was named after the son of Sir Napier Broome, governor at the time. In 1919 the state government selected Wyndham as the site of a meatworks, which now serves

Outjo

2005-02-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thomas Lambert, the first European settler, arrived there in 1880, and German colonial authorities established a military post at Outjo in 1895. It became

Biblical Literature, Late-2nd-century canons

2005-02-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

By the end of the 2nd century, Irenaeus used the four canonical Gospels, 13 letters of Paul, I Peter, I and II John, Revelation, Shepherd of Hermas (a work later excluded from the canon), and Acts. Justin Martyr (died c. 165), a Christian apologist, wrote of the reading of the Gospels, “the memoirs of the Apostles,” in the services, in which they were the basis for sermons. In his writings he quoted

Geneva

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

Town, Adams county, eastern Indiana, U.S., on the Wabash River, 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Muncie. Platted in 1853, it was called Buffalo until presumably renamed for the Swiss city. A rural community with many Old Order Amish families, it lies in the “Limberlost Country,” a timber-swampland made famous by the novelist Gene Stratton Porter in such novels as Freckles (1904) and A Girl of the

Puglia

2005-02-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Also called Apulia, regione, southeastern Italy. It extends from the Fortore River in the northwest to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca at the tip of the Salentine Peninsula (the “heel” of Italy) and comprises the provincie of Foggia, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, and Lecce. The northern third of the region is centred on the Puglia Tableland, which is flanked on the north by the limestone massif of Gargano

Kagame, (abbé) Alexis

2005-02-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Kagame, the son of a deputy chief of the Tutsi people, was baptized in 1928 and ordained a priest in 1941. His considerable activity before and after taking his doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University

Half-way Covenant

2005-02-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

Religious-political solution adopted by 17th-century New England Congregationalists, also called Puritans, that allowed the children of baptized but unconverted church members to be baptized and thus become church members and have political rights. Early Congregationalists had become members of the church after they could report an experience of conversion.

Lochner, Stefan

2005-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Little is known of his early life, but he is thought to have studied in the Netherlands, possibly under Robert Campin (tentatively identified with the

Turin Papyrus

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

Also called Turin Papyrus Of Kings, or Turin Canon, hieratic manuscript of the 19th dynasty of Egypt, listing the kings of Egypt from earliest times to the reign of Ramses II (1279–13 BC), under whom it was written. Although the papyrus, now in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy, is in very fragmentary condition, it is still considered the most detailed and reliable of the existing Egyptian king lists. It lists not only names but also

Switzerland, Dry areas

2005-02-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

In the mountains of the interior, distinct dry pockets occur, the best-known being the Rhône valley in the Valais, closely encircled by the highest (13,000 feet) mountain groups. Though precipitation is slight on the slopes near the cantonal capital of Sion (at 1,581 feet), extensive irrigation is possible since the valley is surrounded by large snowfields and by glaciers that extend

Surabaya

2005-02-08T02:55:00.000-08:00

Surabaya has been the chief trading centre of eastern Java since the 14th century.

Annam

2005-02-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

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

Clisson, Olivier De

2005-02-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

Brought up in England, Clisson fought on the English side for the Breton duke John IV (or V; John of Montfort) against the French-supported Charles of Blois

Downey, June Etta

2005-02-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Downey graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1895. After a year of teaching school in Laramie, she resumed her education at the University of Chicago, where in 1898 she took a master's degree in philosophy and

Bel Canto

2005-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

(Italian: “beautiful singing”), style of operatic singing that originated in Italian singing of polyphonic (multipart) music and Italian courtly solo singing during the late 16th century and that was developed in Italian opera in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. Using a relatively small dynamic range, bel canto singing was based on an exact control of the intensity of

Saptamatrka

2005-02-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

Representations of the goddesses are found in shrines throughout

Clisson, Olivier De

2005-02-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Judicial organ established in 1959 that is charged with supervising the enforcement of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950; commonly known as the European Convention on Human Rights), which was drawn up by the Council of Europe. The convention obligates signatories to guarantee various civil and political freedoms, including

Buldana

2005-02-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Buldhana, city, northern Maharashtra state, western India, on the Penganga River. Buldana is situated in the Buldana-Yeotmal plateau of the Deccan, at an elevation of 2,119 feet (646 m). Its climate is considerably cooler than that of most of the other communities of the Berar region. Primarily a regional administrative centre with little industry, it has several colleges affiliated with the

Annabergite

2005-02-05T02:41:00.000-08:00

Hydrated nickel arsenate mineral that is very similar to erythrite (q.v.).

China, The National Government from 1928 to 1937

2005-02-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

The most serious immediate problem facing the new government was the continuance of military separatism. The government had no authority over the vast area of western China, and even regions in eastern China were under the rule of independent regimes that had lately been part of the Nationalist coalition. After an unsuccessful attempt at negotiations, Chiang

Calatrava, Order Of

2005-02-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

In full Military Order of Calatrava, Spanish Orden Militar de Calatrava, major military and religious order in Spain. The order was originated in 1158 when King Sancho III of Castile ceded the fortress of Calatrava to Raymond, abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Fitero, with instructions to defend it against the Moors. The order of knights and monks who defended the fort was formally recognized by the pope in 1164, and it became closely affiliated

Silbermann, Gottfried

2005-02-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Gottfried worked in Strasbourg in the shop of his brother Andreas, also a noted builder, before moving to Freiberg in 1710. There he made spinets, clavichords, and harpsichords and experimented in

Tala

2005-02-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

In the music of India and Pakistan, a metric cycle with a specific number of beats—from 3 to 128—that recur in the same pattern throughout a musical performance. Tala might generally be equated with rhythm or metre, although the tala procedure has no precise counterpart in Western music. Within the pattern the beats are not necessarily grouped in identical subunits, as in

Olmütz, Punctation Of

2005-02-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

German Olmützer Punktation (Nov. 29, 1850), agreement signed at Olmütz (Olomouc, Moravia, in modern Czech Republic) between Prussia and Austria that regulated those two powers' relations. The development leading up to the punctation was triggered when the elector of Hesse in the autumn of 1850 appealed for help against his rebellious subjects; both Austria and Prussia sent troops in response, and these threatened

Peredvizhniki

2005-02-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

(Russian: The Wanderers), group of Russian painters who in the second half of the 19th century rejected the restrictive and foreign-inspired classicism of the Russian Academy to form a new realist and nationalist art that would serve the common man. Believing that art should be useful, a vehicle for expressing humanitarian and social ideals, they produced realistic

Gagliano, Marco Da

2005-01-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

Gagliano worked in Florence (c. 1608–25) as organist to Cosimo II de' Medici. He staged his first opera, Dafne, at Mantua in 1608. Il Medoro, composed with Jacopo Peri (1619), is lost; La Flora was produced in 1628. Gagliano followed the monodic recitative (melodic, half-spoken, half-sung) style of the Florentine

Houdon, Jean-antoine

2005-01-31T05:31:00.000-08:00

Houdon began sculpturing at the age of nine and underwent the

Egypt, Ancient, Ramses IV

2005-01-30T02:46:00.000-08:00

Ramses III was succeeded by his son Ramses IV (ruled 1156–50 BC). In an act of piety that also reinforced his legitimacy, Ramses IV saw to the compilation of a long papyrus in which the deceased Ramses III confirmed the temple holdings throughout Egypt; Ramses III had provided the largest benefactions to the Theban temples, in terms of donations of both land and personnel. Most

English Literature, Locke

2005-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

One other late 17th-century figure with a formidable influence in the 18th century demands consideration: the philosopher John Locke. His Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) rejects a belief in innate ideas and argues that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa. Experience of the world can only be accumulated through the senses, which are themselves prone to unreliability.

Forckenbeck, Maximilian Franz August Von

2005-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

Elected to the Prussian Chamber of Deputies in 1858, Forckenbeck subsequently helped found the left-liberal German Progressive Party (1861), which after 1862 spearheaded the continuing constitutional struggle over the state military budget with the

Wylie, Elinor

2005-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Elinor Hoyt grew up from age 12 in Washington, D.C., where her father served as assistant U.S. attorney general and later as solicitor general. In 1904 she graduated from

Wright, Mickey

2005-01-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Wright had begun playing golf by age 12. In 1952 she won the U.S. Golfing Association junior girls' championship. She attended Stanford University for one year before deciding to devote full time to golf. She was the 1954 World Amateur champion and also was

Ear Disease, Keloid of the ear

2005-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

In dark-skinned people, overgrowth of scar tissue from any skin incision or injury can cause a thickened elevation on the scar called a keloid. Having the earlobes pierced for earrings sometimes results in a large, painless nodular keloid enlargement of the earlobe, harmless but unsightly. Keloids are removed surgically (see also skin disease).

Tyre

2005-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

Tyre, built on an island and on the neighbouring mainland, was probably originally founded as a colony of Sidon. Mentioned in Egyptian records of the

Tabby

2005-01-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

Type of dark-striped coat colouring found in both wild and domestic cats. One of the most common coat colours, the tabby pattern dates back to domestic cats in ancient Egypt. It is a recognized colour variety in purebred cats and is frequently seen in cats of mixed ancestry. Tabby colouring is highly variable but, for show cats, should consist of the following dark markings:

East Dorset

2005-01-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

District, administrative county of Dorset, southern England, in the northeastern corner of the county directly north of the English Channel resorts of Bournemouth and Poole. Most of the district is part of the historic county of Dorset, but its easternmost section, including St. Leonards, is in the historic county of Hampshire. East Dorset district is a low-lying plain