LooseHook

organic cotton goods

2006-10-30T00:55:00.000-08:00

Liv organic cotton goods are soft luxurious nad affordable and they have a huge range of organic clothing.

Bearberry

2005-04-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Also called Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), flowering, prostrate, evergreen shrubs, of the heath family (Ericaceae), occurring widely throughout North America in rocky and sandy woods and open areas. It has woody stems that are often 1.5–1.8 metres (5–6 feet) long. Roots develop from the stem joints, and the plant spreads, forming a broad, massive ground cover. The foliage turns

Fields, Dame Gracie

2005-04-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

In music halls from childhood, Fields gained fame playing the role of Sally Perkins in a touring revue called Mr. Tower of London (1918–25). She became tremendously popular in Great Britain with an act composed of low-comedy songs, such as “The Biggest Aspidistra in the World,” and sentimental ballads,

Advocates, Faculty Of

2005-04-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

The members of the bar of Scotland. Barristers are the comparable group in England. The faculty grew out of the Scots Act of 1532, which established the Court of Session in Scotland. The advocates had, and still have, the sole right of audience in the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary. They constitute a self-governing faculty under annually elected officers. When

Breckland

2005-04-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

The name Breckland was first applied in 1894 by the Norfolk naturalist W.G.

Gipon

2005-04-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Later in the century the gipon became shorter, and it was replaced by the doublet in the 15th and 16th centuries. For a time it was called a pourpoint.

Fabricius, Johannes

2005-04-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Dutch astronomer who may have been the first observer of sunspots (1610/1611) and was the first to publish information on such observations. He did so in his Narratio de maculis in sole observatis et apparente earum cum sole conversione (1611; “Account of Spots Observed on the Sun and of Their Apparent Rotation with the Sun”). The son of the astronomer David Fabricius,

African Games

2005-03-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

Also called Pan-African Games or All-Africa Games international athletics (track-and-field) competition sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and contested by athletes representing the nations of Africa. The African Games were first held in 1965, in Brazzaville, Congo, and consisted of contests in athletic sports exclusively. Attempts to hold such African games date back to the

Gadamer, Hans-georg

2005-03-31T03:28:00.000-08:00

German philosopher (b. Feb. 11, 1900, Marburg, Ger.—d. March 14, 2002, Heidelberg, Ger.), was a principal figure in 20th-century philosophical hermeneutics. His conception of language as a historical phenomenon had great influence in postmodernist and poststructuralist thought. Gadamer studied philosophy in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Pol.), Munich, and Marburg, where he completed a doctorate (1922) on

Selebi-phikwe

2005-03-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Selebi-pikwe, mining town, eastern Botswana. Selebi-Phikwe is located 62 miles (100 km) southeast of Francistown. Situated in the centre of a large copper-nickel mine and a smelter complex, it was one of the fastest-growing towns in the country in the late 20th century. The copper and nickel operation, in which the government of Botswana had a 15 percent share, began production in 1974. Laid out as a fully

Arfvedsonite

2005-03-29T18:48:00.000-08:00

Amphibole mineral, an iron-rich sodium silicate. Lithium and magnesium replace iron in the structure to form eckermannite. Both minerals characteristically occur as dark-green crystals in alkali igneous rocks and their associated pegmatites. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see amphibole (table).

Scherrer, Paul

2005-03-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

Scherrer spent most of his life in Zürich, where he was professor of physics (1916–60) and director (1920–60) of the Physics

'olam Ha-ba

2005-03-29T02:40:00.000-08:00

In Jewish theology, either “the world after death” or the new creation or restoration of the world that is to follow the messianic millennium. Because this latter interpretation stemmed from the teachings and exhortations of the prophets, it was especially prevalent during the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem (516 BC–AD 70). Whatever the interpretation of 'olam ha-ba, it

Frederick William Ii

2005-03-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

The son of Frederick the Great's brother Augustus William, he became heir presumptive on his father's death in 1758. He was intellectually receptive and devoted to the

Zanjan

2005-03-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Zenjan, city, northwestern Iran. It lies in an open valley about halfway along the Tehran–Tabriz railway line. It is the principal city of the Zanjan region. It was ravaged by Mongols in the 13th century. Once the seat of a lively caravan trade, the city is now the centre of an agricultural area with abundant harvests of grain. Prior to the Iranian Revolution, the city witnessed fighting

Osage Orange

2005-03-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

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

Protist, Section I. Chromobionts (heterokonts or Chromophyta sensu lato)

2005-03-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Predominantly golden-brown, yellow-green, and brown algae plus some lower fungal groups and 3 nonpigmented zooflagellate taxa; tubular mitochondrial cristae; pigmented moiety with chlorophylls a, c, and d and chloroplasts located within rough endoplasmic reticulum, tubular mastigonemes on anterior flagellum, and food reserves stored outside plastids; ubiquitous;

Xanthus

2005-03-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Modern Kinik principal city of ancient Lycia. It is situated on a cliff above the mouth of the Koca (Xanthus) River in what is now western Turkey. The early history of Xanthus is unclear: although it is mentioned in early Lycian inscriptions, no Bronze Age remains have been found within the city. According to the Iliad, the Lycians, led by the hero Sarpedon, were the most prominent allies

Salat

2005-03-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Salah, Arabic Salat, the daily ritual prayer enjoined upon all Muslims as one of the five Pillars of Islam (arkan al-Islam). There is disagreement among Islamic scholars as to whether some passages about prayer in the Muslim sacred scripture, the Qur'an, are actually references to the salat. Within Muhammad's lifetime five ritual prayers, each preceded by ablution, were observed: salat al-fajr (dawn),

Cantus Firmus

2005-03-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

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

Earnshaw, Thomas

2005-03-22T01:01:00.000-08:00

Earnshaw became an apprentice at the age of 14 and later set up a shop in London. He made significant improvements in the transit clock at the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, London, and,

Chang Ping-lin

2005-03-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Chang received a traditional education during which he was influenced by Ming dynasty (1368–1644) loyalist writers who had refused to serve the foreign Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1911/12) established by the Manchu tribes of Manchuria.

Asturias, Miguel ángel

2005-03-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

In 1923, after receiving

Wells-barnett, Ida Bell

2005-03-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

Ida Wells was the daughter of slaves. She was educated at Rust University, a freedmen's school in her native Holly Springs, Mississippi, and at age 14 began teaching in a country school. She continued to teach after moving to Memphis, Tennessee,

Hackl, Georg

2005-03-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hackl was born and raised in the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden, just four miles from the Königssee luge

Naas

2005-03-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

Irish An Nás market and garrison town (urban district) and county seat of County Kildare, Ireland. Naas was one of the royal seats of the ancient province of Leinster, and St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is said to have visited it. After the Anglo-Norman invasion (12th century and following), a castle (the north moat of which survives) was built there. Naas was an important town in the

Frederick I

2005-03-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

Byname Frederick Barbarossa (Italian: Redbeard) duke of Swabia (as Frederick III, 1147–90) and German king and Holy Roman emperor (1152–90), who challenged papal authority and sought to establish German predominance in western Europe. He engaged in a long struggle with the cities of northern Italy (1154–83), sending six major expeditions southward. He died while on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land.

Malakula

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

Also spelled Malekula, French Mallicolo, second largest island (781 square miles [2,023 square km]) of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it is 55 miles (90 km) long by 23 miles (37 km) wide and lies 20 miles (32 km) south of Espiritu Santo, across the Malo (Bougainville) Strait. Its central mountain range rises to Mount Penot, 2,884 feet (879 m). Harbours on the fertile eastern coast include Port Stanley, Bushman's Bay (former British

López Mateos, Adolfo

2005-03-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

A librarian and teacher of Spanish-American literature, López began his public career with an assignment to the UN. He was elected federal senator (1946–52) and later appointed secretary-general of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). As

Façon De Venise

2005-03-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

(French: “Venetian fashion”), style of glass made in the 16th and 17th centuries at places other than Venice itself but using the techniques that had been perfected there. It may be outwardly so similar as to be difficult to distinguish from Venetian glass (q.v.) proper. The prestige of Venetian glass was so great in the rest of Europe that French, German, Bohemian,

Moses Of Khoren

2005-03-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

Armenian Movses Khorenatzi author known as the father of Armenian literature. Traditionally believed to have lived in the 5th century, Moses has also been dated as late as the 9th century. Nothing is known of his life apart from alleged autobiographical details contained in the History of Armenia, which bears his name as author. His claims to have been the disciple of Isaac the Great (Sahak) and Mesrop

Graves, Robert James

2005-03-16T04:18:00.000-08:00

Graves received his degree from the University of Dublin in 1818. After studying in London and on the European continent, he returned

Teach, Edward

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

Thought to have been active as a privateer for the British during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–13), Teach was first heard of as a pirate late in 1716. The following year he converted a

Ahhiyawa

2005-03-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Ahhiya ancient kingdom lying to the west of the Hittite empire. The exact location of Ahhiyawa is not definitely known but may have been western Anatolia or one of the islands in the Aegean Sea. The most commonly held theory is that the people of Ahhiyawa were the Achaeans of Homer, early Mycenaean Greeks. Another theory represents them as ancestors of the Trojans. In any case,

Carlism

2005-03-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

Spanish Carlismo a Spanish political movement of traditionalist character, originating in the 1820s in the apostólico or extreme clerical party and mobilized in 1827 in the form of paramilitary Royalist Volunteers. This opposition to liberalism crystallized in the 1830s around the person of Carlos María Isidro de Borbón (Don Carlos), younger brother of King Ferdinand VII, and afterward conde

Babel, Tower Of

2005-03-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

In biblical literature, structure built in the land of Shinar (Babylonia) some time after the Deluge. The story of its construction, given in Genesis 11:1–9, appears to be an attempt to explain the existence of diverse human languages. According to Genesis, the Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower “with its top in the heavens.” God

Alexander

2005-03-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

The only child of Prince (later King) Milan (reigned 1868–89) and his consort, Natalie, Alexander ascended the Serbian throne on March 6 (Feb. 22), 1889, after his father had abdicated and named a regency

Aepinus, Franz Maria Ulrich Theodor Hoch

2005-03-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

Aepinus studied medicine before turning to physics and mathematics. His work in these new fields resulted

Ice Skating

2005-03-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Rintje Ritsma of The Netherlands coped with hazardous weather conditions to claim the overall title in the men's world championships at the small Italian mountain resort of Baselga di Pinè on February 11-12. Keiji Shirahata of Japan finished second, and Roberto Sighel of Italy was third. Gunda Niemann of Germany captured the women's crown at Savalen, Norway, on March 4-5, ahead

Oadby And Wigston

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

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Leicestershire, England. Both Oadby and Wigston, formerly villages lying outside the city of Leicester, have in recent years been engulfed by the outward spread of the city's suburbs. They lie to the southeast and south, respectively, of the city's centre. Oadby is almost entirely residential, while Wigston is

Johannesen, Knut

2005-03-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

In addition to numerous Olympic medals and world records, Johannesen won acclaim for regaining Norway's dominance in speed skating and for being the first skater ever to complete 10,000 metres in less than 16 minutes. He accomplished the latter feat

Schally, Andrew V.

2005-03-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

In full Andrew Victor Schally Polish-born American endocrinologist and corecipient, with Roger Guillemin and Rosalyn Yalow, of the 1977 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. He was noted for isolating and synthesizing three hormones that are produced by the region of the brain known as the hypothalamus; these hormones control the activities of other

Ricca, Paul

2005-03-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

Ricca grew up in Naples and was convicted of murder there

Priapea

2005-03-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Priapeia poems in honour of the the god of fertility Priapus. Although there are ancient Greek poems addressed to him, the name Priapea is mainly applied to a collection of 85 or 86 short Latin poems composed in various metres and dealing with the fertility god who, with his sickle, protected gardens and vineyards against thieves and from whose axe-hewn image of figwood or willow

Minch, The

2005-03-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Also called North Minch, Atlantic sea channel between the Outer Hebrides island group on the west and the mainland of Scotland on the east. The channel varies in width between 25 and 45 miles (40 and 70 km) and has both great depth and a rapid current. The Little Minch, its southerly extension, lies between the island groups of the Outer and Inner Hebrides, separating the islands of Harris and North Uist

Ahaggar

2005-03-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Hoggar, large plateau in the north centre of the Sahara, on the Tropic of Cancer, North Africa. Its height is above 3,000 feet (900 m), culminating in Mount Tahat (9,573 feet [2,918 m]) in southeastern Algeria. The plateau, about 965 miles (1,550 km) north to south and 1,300 miles (2,100 km) east to west, is rocky desert composed of black volcanic (basalt) necks and of flows rising above a pink granite massif. The main caravan route to

Guatemala, Flag Of

2005-03-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Following brief rule by Mexico (1821–23), the Central American provinces united in a federation, but by 1840 disagreements between Liberals and Conservatives resulted in civil war and the separation of the five countries. Thus Guatemala hoisted a new flag on November 14, 1843, which included the volcanoes found in the coat of arms of Antigua Guatemala, the former capital of Guatemala,

Turkic Languages

2005-03-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

Group of closely related languages that form a subfamily of the Altaic languages. The Turkic languages show close similarities to each other in phonology, morphology, and syntax, though Chuvash, Khalaj, and Sakha differ considerably from the rest. The earliest linguistic records are Old Turkic inscriptions, found near the Orhon River in Mongolia and the Yenisey

Germanic Peoples

2005-03-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

No trace of autocracy can be found among the Germans whom Caesar describes. The leading men of the pagi (kindred groups) would try to patch up disputes as they arose, but they acted only in those disputes that broke out between members of their own pagus. There appears to have been no mediatory body at this date. In fact, in peacetime there appears to have been no central

Koerber, Ernest Von

2005-03-07T02:36:00.000-08:00

Entering the Austrian administration in 1874, Koerber rose steadily

Graziani, Rodolfo, Marquess Di Neghelli

2005-03-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

After service in Eritrea and Libya before World War I and in Macedonia and Tripolitania subsequently, Graziani became commander in chief of Italian forces in Libya (1930–34), governor of Italian Somaliland (1935–36), viceroy of Ethiopia (1936–37), and honorary governor of Italian East Africa

Galactic Halo

2005-03-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, nearly spherical volume of thinly scattered stars, globular clusters of stars, and tenuous gas observed surrounding spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way—the galaxy in which the Earth is located. The roughly spherical halo of the Milky Way is thought to have a radius of some 50,000 light-years (about 5 ´ 1017 kilometres), and its gas is a source of radio emission, particularly

Affective Disorder

2005-03-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Mental disorder characterized by dramatic changes or extremes of mood. Affective disorders may include manic (elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with hyperactivity, pressured speech, and inflated self-esteem) or depressive (dejected mood with disinterest in life, sleep disturbance, agitation, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt) episodes, and often combinations

Requests, Court Of

2005-03-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

Called the Court of Poor Men's Causes until 1529, it was a popular court because of the limited expense of bringing suit before it. Modeled after the French Chambre

Acta

2005-03-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

The Acta Senatus, or Commentarii Senatus, were the minutes of the proceedings of the Senate. The emperor Augustus continued to keep them but forbade their publication. From the reign of his successor, Tiberius, in the

East Germanic Languages

2005-03-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

Group of long extinct Germanic languages once spoken by Germanic tribes located between the middle Oder and the Vistula.

Bradford, Roark (whitney Wickliffe)

2005-03-03T01:36:00.000-08:00

Bradford had little formal education; instead, he found the substance for his career in the people around him. When he began work as a reporter in 1920, he met the colourful characters of various Southern

Mures

2005-03-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Judet (county), north-central Romania, occupying an area of 2,585 square miles (6,696 square km). The eastern Carpathian Mountains, including the Calim and Gurghiu ranges, rise above settlement areas in the valleys. The Mures River and its tributaries flow southwestward through the district. Târgu Mures, a cultural and industrial centre, is the county capital. Its manufactures include

Gailhard, John

2005-03-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

In his

Mahayana

2005-03-02T01:56:00.000-08:00

(Sanskrit: Greater Vehicle), one of the two major Buddhist traditions and the form most widely adhered to in China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet. Mahayana Buddhism emerged in about the 1st century AD from the ancient Buddhist schools as a more liberal and innovative interpretation of the Buddha's teachings. Mahayanists distinguished themselves from the more orthodox conservative

China, Literature

2005-03-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Chinese literature also shows conservative tendencies. Poetry composition remained a favourite pastime of the educated class, including the Sinicized scholars of Mongol, Central Asian, and western Asian origins, but no great works or stylistic innovations were created. During the last chaotic decades of the Yüan, some notable poets emerged, such as the versatile

Black-figure Pottery

2005-02-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

Type of Greek pottery that originated in Corinth c. 700 BC and continued to be popular until the advent of red-figure pottery c. 530 BC. In black-figure painting, figures and ornamentation were drawn on the natural clay surface of a vase in glossy black pigment; the finishing details were incised into the black. The first significant use of the black-figure technique was on the

Aerospace Industry, Satellite, launch vehicle, and missile manufacture

2005-02-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

The manufacturing processes for aircraft are largely paralleled in the production of satellites, their launch vehicles, and missiles. Because minimum weight is critical for all three kinds of products, the use of composites has grown such that it can include the entire structure for satellites and smaller missiles. For these vehicles, electronics production

China, Taoism

2005-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

The suppression of the Yellow Turbans and other Taoist religious movements in AD 184 had left the Taoist church decapitated. With the elimination of its highest leadership, the movement had fallen apart into many small religious communities or parishes, each led by a local Taoist master (tao-shih), assisted by a council of wealthy Taoist laity. Under such circumstances,

Fuchs, Ruth

2005-02-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

In 1972, just 35 minutes after Polish athlete Ewa Gryziecka had set a record for the women's javelin throw, Fuchs threw the javelin more than 2.3 m (7 feet 6 inches) farther, a total of 65.06 m (213 feet 5 1/2 inches), her first world record. She went on to set a

Kafr Ash-shaykh

2005-02-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kafr El-sheikh muhafazah (governorate) in the central Nile Delta, Lower Egypt, with the Rosetta Branch of the river to the west and ad-Daqahliyah governorate to the east. It was created in 1949 out of al-Gharbiyah muhafazah, just south, and named Fu'adiyah muduiyah (province) after Fu'ad I, sultan (1917–22) and king (1922–36) of Egypt. After the Egyptian monarchy was overthrown in 1952, the area was renamed in 1955. Buhayrat al-Burullus, which

Bredero, Gerbrand Adriaenszoon

2005-02-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

The conflict between Bredero's experiences of the medieval, full-blooded life of the backstreets of Amsterdam and the sophistication of the Renaissance intelligentsia was most evident in his earliest poetry, which is collected

Jyväskylä

2005-02-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Keski-Suomen lääni (province), south-central Finland. It lies at the north end of Lake Päijänne, southwest of Kuopio. The town, chartered in 1837, has three historic educational institutions: the first Finnish teachers' training college (founded 1863; replaced in 1934 by a pedagogical institute [designed by the architect Alvar Aalto] that in 1966 became a university); the Lyceum,

Tsushima, Battle Of

2005-02-25T09:25:00.001-08:00

The Japanese had been unable to secure the complete command of the sea because the Russian naval squadrons at Port Arthur and Vladivostok made sorties and both sides suffered losses in the ensuing engagements. Meanwhile, the Russian government decided

Jewfish

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

Any of several large fishes of the sea bass (q.v.) family (Serranidae), especially Epinephelus itajara, found on the Atlantic coast of tropical America. This species sometimes attains a length of 2.5 metres (8 feet) and a weight of about 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The adult is dull olive-brown with faint spots and bands. Adult jewfish are usually solitary and typically remain in the same

Han-chung

2005-02-24T04:22:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Hanzhong city in southern Shensi Province (sheng), China. It is a county-level municipality (shih) and the administrative centre of Han-chung Prefecture (ti-ch'ü). Han-chung is situated in a long, narrow, and fertile basin along the Han Shui (river), between the Tsinling Shan (mountains) and Mi-ts'ang Shan. To the north one of the few routes across the Tsinling Shan joins it to Pao-chi in Shensi,

Tall Tale

2005-02-24T02:36:00.000-08:00

Narrative that depicts the wild adventures of extravagantly exaggerated folk heroes. The tall tale is essentially an oral form of entertainment; the audience appreciates the imaginative invention rather than the literal meaning of the tales. Associated with the lore of the American frontier, tall tales often explain the origins of lakes, mountains, and canyons;

Philetaerus

2005-02-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Philetaerus initiated the policies that made Pergamum a leading centre of Greek civilization in the East. He served under Antigonus I Monophthalmus, successor to Alexander

Awdl

2005-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

Plural Awdlau, in Welsh verse, a long ode written in cynghanedd (a complex system of alliteration and internal rhyme) and in one or more of the 24 strict bardic metres, though only 4 bardic metres are commonly used. The awdl was, by the 15th century, the vehicle for many outstanding Welsh poems. It remains the predominant form in the annual national eisteddfod (bard and minstrel competition);

Lorca

2005-02-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

Town, Murcia province and autonomous community (region), southeastern Spain. It is situated along the Río Guadalentín in a semiarid and steppelike area that is surrounded by rugged mountains. The town, which sits on both banks of the river, was the Ilurco (Ilukro) of the Romans and the Lurka of the Moors. It was the scene of numerous battles between Christian and Moorish

San Clemente

2005-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

City, Orange county, southern California, U.S. It lies along the Pacific Ocean, midway between San Diego and Los Angeles. Founded in 1925 as a real-estate development, the site was named for offshore San Clemente Island, which was named by the Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno to honour St. Clement. Chiefly residential, the city gained national prominence in 1969 when President

Auseklis

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

Related in name to the Vedic Usas and the Greek Eos, goddesses of dawn, Auseklis is associated in Latvian solar mythology with Meness (Moon) and Saule (Sun), being subordinate to the former and along with him a rival suitor of Saule's daughter, Saules

Wade, Sir Thomas Francis

2005-02-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

The elder son of an English army officer, Wade graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge (1837), and entered the army. Sent to China in 1842, he began an earnest study of Chinese and eventually became an official interpreter,

Nordenskiöld, Erland

2005-02-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

Son of the scientist-explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld and cousin of explorer-geographer

Performing Arts, France.

2005-02-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

World War II was recalled in several films. In Laissez-passer, his film à clef, Bertrand Tavernier re-created the atmosphere of filmmaking in occupied France. Gérard Jugnot directed and starred in the accomplished Monsieur Batignole, about a Gentile butcher who saves a Jewish boy from the Gestapo. The American documentarist Frederick Wiseman filmed Catherine

Anteater

2005-02-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Also known as the two-toed, pygmy, or dwarf anteater, the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is the smallest and least-known member of the family. Silky anteaters are found from southern Mexico southward to Bolivia and Brazil. They are not rare but are difficult to spot, as they are nocturnal and live high in the trees. The silky anteater is also exquisitely

Rayleigh Scattering

2005-02-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

The angle through which sunlight in the atmosphere is scattered by molecules of the constituent gases varies inversely as

Defecation

2005-02-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

Also called bowel movement the act of eliminating solid or semisolid waste materials (feces) from the digestive tract. In human beings, wastes are usually removed once or twice daily, but the frequency can vary from several times daily to three times weekly and remain within normal limits. Muscular contractions (peristaltic waves) in the walls of the colon move fecal material through the digestive

Bufotenine

2005-02-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Structurally, bufotenine is an indole hallucinogen that is capable of blocking

Antarctica, Sea life

2005-02-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

The prolific zooplankton of Antarctic waters feed on the copious phytoplankton and, in turn, form the basic diet of whales, seals, fish, squid, and seabirds. The Antarctic waters, because of their upwelled nutrients, are more than seven times as productive as subantarctic waters. The most important organism in the higher food chain is the small, shrimplike krill, Euphausia

Serlio, Sebastiano

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

Trained by his father as a painter, Serlio went to Rome in 1514, where he studied architecture under Baldassarre Peruzzi, one of the initiators of the Mannerist style of architecture. With the sack of Rome

Insurance, Eastern Europe

2005-02-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, countries in eastern Europe developed insurance systems of considerable variety, ranging from highly centralized and state-controlled systems to Western-style ones. Because of recent political and economic upheavals in these countries, it seems likely that the trend will be toward decentralized, Western-style

Adams, Charles Francis

2005-02-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Adams was the son of the lawyer and historian Charles Francis Adams (1835–1915), as well as great-grandson of the sixth U.S. president and great-great-grandson of the second.

France, History Of, The Revolution of 1830

2005-02-15T21:44:00.000-08:00

The July Revolution was a monument to the ineptitude of Charles X and his advisers. At the outset, few of the king's critics imagined it possible to overthrow the regime; they hoped merely to get rid of Polignac. As for the king, he naively ignored the possibility of serious trouble. No steps were taken to reinforce the army garrison in Paris; no contingency plans were prepared.

Saigo Takamori

2005-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

Original name Kichibe , or Kichinosuke , literary name Nanshu a leader in the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate who later rebelled against the weaknesses he saw in the Imperial government that he had helped to restore. Although his participation in the restoration made him a legendary hero, it also, to his mortification, relegated his samurai class to impotence.

Hvar

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

Italian Lesina island in the Adriatic Sea, part of Croatia. At 116 square miles (300 square km) in area and 43 miles (69 km) in length, it is the longest island in the Adriatic. A rocky island, it reaches 2,054 feet (626 m) in elevation at Mount Sveti Nikola and is separated from the island of Brac by a narrow channel. The Mediterranean climate is favourable to the production of various fruits, honey, lavender, rosemary,

Pease, Edward Reynolds

2005-02-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

Born to a prosperous family, Pease left a business career and joined with Frank Podmore, a spiritualist and socialist writer, to found the Fabian Society in London in January 1884. The Fabians sought a gradualist approach to socialism in Britain. Early members

Triggerfish

2005-02-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Any of about 30 species of shallow-water marine fishes of the family Balistidae, found worldwide in tropical seas. Triggerfishes are rather deep-bodied, usually colourful fishes with large scales, small mouths, and high-set eyes. Their common name refers to the triggering mechanism in the first two of their three dorsal fin spines. The first spine can

Aukrust, Olav

2005-02-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

Born in a narrow, often sunless valley flanked by steep mountains, Aukrust was raised by pietistic parents and was early on much interested in religious questions.

Skaraborg

2005-02-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Former län (county) of south-central Sweden, located between Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Founded as a county in 1634, it was merged with the counties of Älvsborg and Göteborg och Bohus in 1998 to form the county of Västra Götaland.

Obasanjo, Olusegun

2005-02-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

On March 1, 1999, retired general Olusegun Obasanjo was declared the winner of the presidential election in Nigeria after 16 years of military dictatorships. Less than a year earlier, Obasanjo had been serving a 15-year jail term, having been imprisoned in 1995 for his outspoken views of Gen. Sani Abacha's repressive regime. Following Abacha's unexpected death in June 1998, Obasanjo was

Tibet, Tibet in the 20th century

2005-02-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

In the mid-19th century the Tibetans repeatedly rebuffed overtures from the British, who at first saw Tibet as a trade route to China and later as countenancing Russian advances that might endanger India. Eventually, in 1903, after failure to get China to control its unruly vassal, a political mission was dispatched from India to secure understandings on frontier and trade

Este, House Of

2005-02-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

Princely family of Lombard origin that played a great part in the history of medieval and Renaissance Italy. It first came to the front in the wars between the Guelfs and Ghibellines during the 13th century. As leaders of the Guelfs, Estensi princes received at different times Ferrara, Modena, Reggio, and other fiefs and territories. Members of the family ruled in Ferrara

Kokkola

2005-02-11T01:04:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1620, Kokkola became the major seaport and trade centre of Ostrobothnia during the 18th century. In 1854 the British tried unsuccessfully to capture the city. Notable buildings include a 15th-century stone church of Kaarlela, the town hall (1845), and the Renlund

North Germanic Languages, Faroese

2005-02-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

Prior to modern times literary activity in the Faroe Islands was minimal, but the local dialects continued to develop, though Danish was the official language. The Danish language scholar Rasmus Rask, who wrote the first Faroese grammar (1811), described the language as a dialect of Icelandic, but it is actually an independent language, intermediate between West Norwegian