HappyPocket

All-union Council Of Evangelical Christians And Baptists

2005-04-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Voluntary association of Baptist churches in Russia that was formed (in the Soviet Union) in 1944 by uniting the Union of Evangelical Christians and the Russian Baptist Union. The Baptists in Russia grew from religious revival movements that began in the 1860s and '70s. In Ukraine, groups of Russians influenced by German Mennonite settlers gathered for Bible study and eventually

D'urfey, Thomas

2005-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Patronized by King Charles II, whom he entertained as a jester

Mer

2005-04-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

Among the Cheremis and Udmurts (also called Votyaks), a district where people would gather periodically to hold religious festivals and perform sacrifices to nature gods. The word mer is derived from the Russian mir, “village community.” The people within the mer usually were of common origin; their customs were similar, and they may even have possessed names and ownership

Biblical Literature, The primeval history

2005-04-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

The Bible begins with the creation of the universe. It tells the story with images borrowed from Babylonian mythology, transformed to express its own distinctive view of God and man. Out of primary chaos, darkness, void, depths, and waters God creates the heaven and the earth and all that dwell therein—a coherent order of things—by his will and word alone. He says, “Let there

Chancroid

2005-04-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

Acute, localized, chiefly sexually transmitted disease, usually of the genital area, caused by the bacillus Haemophilus ducreyi. It is characterized by the appearance, 3–5 days after exposure, of a painful, shallow ulcer at the site of infection. Such an ulcer is termed a soft chancre, as opposed to a hard chancre, which is the characteristic lesion of the primary stage of

Tigranes Ii The Great

2005-04-02T03:06:00.000-08:00

Tigranes was the son or brother of Artavasdes I and a member of the dynasty founded in the early 2nd century by Artaxias. He was given as a hostage to the Parthian king Mithradates II, but later he purchased his freedom by ceding 70 valleys bordering on Media, in northwestern

Neoprioniodiform

2005-03-31T08:14:00.000-08:00

Conodont, or small toothlike phosphatic fossil of uncertain affinity, that is characterized by a main terminal cusp, varying numbers of subsidiary cusps or denticles that may be completely fused, and an underside region that is deeply grooved. Several genera are included in the neoprioniodiforms, including excellent guide fossils for the Ordovician

Insurance, Classes of benefits

2005-03-31T01:12:00.000-08:00

Four classes of benefits are provided by compulsory insurance, and, except for certain diseases, a right to them is acquired without any qualifying period of previous employment. First is a medical benefit, which includes all necessary treatment and the supply of artificial limbs. If its duration is limited, the maximum is likely to be one year. Second is a temporary

Stagnelius, Erik Johan

2005-03-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

Both his works

Defoe, Daniel

2005-03-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

English novelist, pamphleteer, and journalist, author of Robinson Crusoe (1719–22) and Moll Flanders (1722).

Argentina, Industry

2005-03-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

Manufacturing, which accounts for one-fifth of the GDP and nearly one-sixth of the workforce, is the mainstay of the Argentine economy.

Východní Slovensko

2005-03-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

Czech Východoslovenský kraj (region), eastern Slovakia. It is bordered by Strední Slovensko kraj to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, and Hungary to the south. The Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras) and Nízke Beskydy Mountains extend across the northern part of Východní Slovensko kraj, and the Nízke Tatry (Low Tatras) give way to the Slovenské Rudo (“Slovak Ore”) Mountains in the west. A major

Marechera, Dambudzo

2005-03-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Marechera grew up in poverty. He reacted against his upbringing and adopted an increasingly self-destructive lifestyle. He studied at the

Mountain, Crustal shortening

2005-03-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

In most mountain belts, terrains have been elevated as a result of crustal shortening by the thrusting of one block or slice of crust over another and/or by the folding of layers of rock. The topography of mountain ranges and mountain belts depends in part on the amount of displacement on such faults, on the angles at which faults dip, on the degree to which crustal shortening

Hasa, Al-

2005-03-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

Arabic Al-Ahsa' oasis and region in eastern Saudi Arabia. Al-Hasa oasis, the largest oasis in Saudi Arabia, lies about 40 miles (65 km) west of the Persian Gulf. It has about 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of palm groves and other crops that are irrigated by the flow of 60 or more artesian springs. Many varieties of dates are grown on the more than 3 million trees in the oasis. The oasis's population consists of almost

I-ch'un

2005-03-25T22:35:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Yichun, city, central Heilungkiang sheng (province), China. I-ch'un is situated in the densely forested area of the Hsiao hsing-an (Lesser Khingan) Range, at the intersection of the I-ch'un River, from which it takes its name, and the T'ang-wang, a tributary of the Sungari River. Until 1949 it was a minor market town under T'ang-yuan hsien (county). Since 1949 it has grown at an astonishing rate as a major

Furo

2005-03-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

Japanese-style bath, typically using water heated to 110° F (43.3° C) or hotter. It is claimed that, because the bather may linger in the wooden or metal tub, the furo may have properties for the therapeutic relaxation of tensions. To achieve cleanliness, the bather washes before entering the tub. In bathrooms in private Japanese homes and in public bathhouses, the bathing facilities

Gyroscope

2005-03-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

Any device consisting of a rapidly spinning wheel set in a framework that permits it to tilt freely in any direction—i.e., to rotate about any axis. The momentum of such a wheel causes it to retain its attitude when the framework is tilted; from this characteristic derive a number of valuable applications. Gyroscopes are used in such instruments as compasses and automatic

Cat

2005-03-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

The history of the cat family can be traced through the fossil record to the Late Eocene Epoch (43.6 to 36.6 million

Ligurian Sea

2005-03-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

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

Canada, Anglican Church Of

2005-03-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

Self-governing Anglican church that dates from the Church of England congregations established in Canada during the 18th century. In 1750 Canada's first Anglican church was built in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Additional congregations were formed as settlers came from England and as many American colonists who remained loyal to England resettled in Canada during and after

Program Music

2005-03-20T03:11:00.000-08:00

Instrumental music that carries some extramusical meaning, some “program” of literary idea, legend, scenic description, or personal drama. It is contrasted with so-called absolute, or abstract, music, in which artistic interest is supposedly confined to abstract constructions in sound. It has been stated that the concept of program music does not represent a genre

Costa, Lúcio

2005-03-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the National School of Fine Arts, Rio de Janeiro, in 1924, Costa entered into a partnership with Gregori Warchavchick, a Russian-born architect and early advocate of modern architecture in

Manchu

2005-03-19T17:32:00.000-08:00

Also called Man, people who lived for many centuries in Manchuria and adjacent areas and who in the 17th century conquered China and ruled that country for more than 250 years. The term Manchu dates from the 16th century, but it is certain that the Manchu are descended from a group of peoples collectively called the Tungus (the Even and Evenk [Evenki] are also descended from that group). The Manchu,

Wichita

2005-03-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

North American Indian people of Caddoan linguistic stock who in their early history lived near the Arkansas River in present-day Kansas. They were encountered by the Spanish in the mid-16th century and became the object of the earliest missionary work done among the Plains Indians. Like most Caddoans, the Wichita subsisted largely by farming (corn [maize], pumpkins,

Dagan

2005-03-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Dagon West Semitic god of crop fertility, worshiped extensively throughout the ancient Middle East. Dagan was the Hebrew and Ugaritic common noun for “grain,” and the god Dagan was the legendary inventor of the plow. His cult is attested as early as about 2500 BC, and, according to texts found at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), he was the father of the god Baal. Dagan had an important temple

Hackney

2005-03-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

Hackneys are heavily muscled, with wide chests, deep bodies, and arched necks; they average 14.2 to 15.2 hands

Skaraborg

2005-03-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

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.

Biblical Literature, Exegetical problems

2005-03-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

This third category does not involve any consonantal alteration but results solely from the different possibilities inherent in the consonantal spelling. Thus, the lack of vowel signs may permit the word DBR to be read as a verb DiBeR (“he spoke,” as in the Masoretic text of Hosea) or as a noun DeBaR (“the word of,” as in the Septuagint). The absence of word dividers could lead

Câmara, Hélder Pessoa

2005-03-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

Câmara was ordained a priest in 1931. In close collaboration with Monsignor Giovanni

Burano

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

Northeastern suburb of Venice, Venezia province, northeastern Italy, comprising four islets in the Laguna Veneta (Venice Lagoon). The settlement is thought to have been founded in the 5th century by refugees from nearby Altino, fleeing in the path of Attila. The 16th-century church of S. Martino has paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. In the 16th century, lacemaking was

Sun

2005-03-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

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

Arochukwu

2005-03-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Arochuku, town, Abia state, southern Nigeria. It lies along the road from Calabar to Umuahia. Arochukwu was the headquarters of the Aro, an Igbo (Ibo) subgroup that dominated southeastern Nigeria in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was the seat of the sacred Chuku shrine, the source of a much-feared oracle (called Long Juju by the Europeans) that acted as a judge for the Igbo supreme deity

Mckenzie, Sir John

2005-03-14T02:49:00.000-08:00

McKenzie's deep antagonism toward land monopolists was rooted in his boyhood in Scotland, where he witnessed the dispossession of small farmers by Highland landlords. After

Indian Ocean

2005-03-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

Body of salt water, covering approximately one-fifth of the total ocean area of the world. It is the smallest, youngest, and physically most complex of the world's three major oceans. It stretches for more than 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometres) between the southern tips of Africa and Australia and, without its marginal seas, has an area of about 28,360,000 square miles (73,440,000 square kilometres). The Indian

Baz, 'abd Al-aziz Ibn Abdallah Ibn

2005-03-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Saudi Muslim cleric who as the grand mufti (from 1993) and traditionalist head of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars (from the early 1960s) was revered by millions and exerted a powerful influence on the legal system in Saudi Arabia; the blind cleric's religious edicts, or fatwas, included prohibitions on fortune tellers, women driving cars, and the import of short veils that

Ibarra

2005-03-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

In full San Antonio De Ibarra, city, north-central Ecuador, situated in an Andean valley at an elevation of 7,300 feet (2,200 m), within the Ecuadorian Lake District. It was founded in 1606 by the soldier Cristóbal Torre, a representative of Miguel de Ibarra, the president of the royal audiencia of Quito (a judicial–legislative body), and was named for him. Though largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1868, it has retained much

Malwa Plateau

2005-03-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

Plateau in north central India, bounded by the Gujarat Plains on the west, the Vindhya Range on the south, the Madhya Bharat Plateau and Bundelkhand Upland on the north, and the Vindhya Range on the east. Of volcanic origin, the plateau comprises central Madhya Pradesh state and southeastern Rajasthan state. The name Malwa is derived from the Sanskrit term Malav and means

Ngoy

2005-03-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

Former kingdom on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, just north of the Congo River, in an area that is now part of southern Cabinda (an exclave of Angola) and western Congo (Kinshasa). It was founded by Bantu-speaking people about the 15th century. The domestic and foreign slave trade rapidly became a major feature of the economy, with the port of Cabinda serving as the locus

Mithradates I

2005-03-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

Before 160 Mithradates I seized Media from the Seleucid ruler Timarchus. Turning to the east, he won two provinces, Tapuria and Traxiana, from the Bactrian king Eucratides. Mithradates then captured the province of Elymais (ancient Elam) and invaded Babylonia (142 or 141). The Seleucid king Demetrius II

Aetolia And Acarnania

2005-03-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

Most of Acarnania

Soga

2005-03-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

An Interlacustrine Bantu-speaking people inhabiting the area east of the Nile River between Lakes Victoria and Kyoga. They are the fourth largest ethnic group in Uganda. Culturally, they are very similar to the Ganda, who inhabit the region immediately to the west. Prosperous by national standards, the Soga are primarily agriculturists, growing bananas and millet

Ashbee, Charles Robert

2005-03-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

After education at Wellington College and King's College, Cambridge, and while actively involved in the social work of Toynbee Hall, Ashbee was articled to the architect

Ma Yuan

2005-03-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Wade-Giles romanization Ma Yüan influential Chinese landscape painter whose work, together with that of Xia Gui, formed the basis of the Ma-Xia school of painting. Ma occasionally painted flowers, but his genius lay in landscape painting, his lyrical and romantic interpretation becoming the model for later painters. He was a master of “one-corner” painting,

Hashimiyah

2005-03-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Rawandiyah, Islamic religiopolitical sect of the 8th–9th century AD, instrumental in the 'Abbasid overthrow of the Umayyad caliphate. The movement appeared in the Iraqi city of Kufah in the early 700s among supporters (called Shi'ites) of the fourth caliph 'Ali, who believed that succession to 'Ali's position of imam, or leader, of the Muslim community had devolved on Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyah (d. c. 700), one

China, Soils

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

Because of its vast and diverse climatic conditions, China has a wide variety of soils. Indeed, all the soils of the Eurasian continent, except the soils of the tundra and the highly leached podzolic-gley soils of the northern taiga, are found in China. As a result of the climatic differences between the drier and cooler North and the wetter and hotter South, soils may

Ibex

2005-03-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Any of several surefooted, sturdy wild goats of the genus Capra, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), found in the mountains of Europe, Asia, and northeastern Africa. The European, or Alpine, ibex (C. ibex ibex) is typical. It stands about 90 cm (3 feet) at the shoulder and has brownish gray fur, darker on the underparts. The male has a beard and large, semicircular horns with broad, transversely

Abu Muslim

2005-03-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

There are numerous versions of Abu Muslim's background, but it seems most likely that he was descended from a slave of Persian origin and was therefore a mawali (non-Arab

Bulfinch, Charles

2005-03-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

After studying at Harvard University (1778–81), Bulfinch toured Europe (1785–87) and, on the advice of Thomas Jefferson, whom he met in Paris, visited many of the major architectural works of France and Italy. In London he became

Harvard University Library

2005-03-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Largest university library and the first institutional library in what became the United States, established when John Harvard, a young Puritan minister, left his collection of 260 volumes to the new Harvard College in Cambridge, Mass., in 1638. The core of the collection now contains 10,000,000 volumes, housed in three adjacent buildings. There are works for advanced study and research,

Qatar, Education

2005-03-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Qatar spends generously on education, having one of the highest per-pupil expenditures in the world. Its system has expanded

Beast Epic

2005-03-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

The earliest European beast epics were in Latin, but vernacular epics

Devonshire, William Cavendish, 1st Earl Of, Baron Cavendish Of Hardwick

2005-03-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

The son of Sir William Cavendish and his third wife, Elizabeth Hardwick (afterward the Countess of Shrewsbury), the young Cavendish was educated at Eton College and Gray's Inn and was knighted in 1580 and created a baron in 1605. In 1608 he inherited a rich estate from his mother and later became

Leveler

2005-03-04T01:09:00.000-08:00

The Leveler movement originated in 1645–46 among radical supporters of Parliament in and around London. The Civil War had been waged in the name

Davies, Robertson

2005-03-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Educated in England at the University of Oxford, Davies had training in acting, directing, and stage management as a member of the Old Vic Repertory Company. He edited the Peterborough Examiner (1942–63), a newspaper owned

Tacuarembó

2005-03-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Formerly San Fructuoso, city, north-central Uruguay. The Haedo Mountains dominate the adjoining area. Orchids and hardwoods, including quebracho, algarrobo, urunday, and guayabo, grow there. Founded in 1831 by Bernabé Rivera, it was first called Villa de San Fructuoso; later, it adopted the Guaraní Indian name Tacuarembó (from a firm, slender reed endemic to the region). The city's Indian and gaucho

Skara

2005-03-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Town, Västra Götaland län (county), south-central Sweden, southeast of Lake Vänern. One of Sweden's oldest towns, it was a religious centre both before and after the arrival of Christianity. In 1015 it became the seat of Sweden's first bishop. The cathedral was built in the 12th century and has been restored several times. One of Sweden's earliest secondary schools was established

Arqalyq

2005-03-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

Russian Arkalyk, city, north-central Kazakstan, about 75 miles (120 km) west of Lake Tengiz. Settlement of the site began in 1956 in connection with the exploitation of the Torghay bauxite deposits, and it became a city in 1965. Arqalyq is linked to the Astana-Tobyl railway by a branch line from Yesil. In the late 20th century a major construction program was under way to provide the city with various urban

Denpasar

2005-02-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Bali propinsi (province), south central Bali, Indonesia, 40 miles (70 km) south of Singaraja. The largest city on the island of Bali, it is also the capital of the Badung kabupaten (regency). Denpasar was the site of a suicidal battle of the rajas of Badung against the Dutch Militia in 1906. A large open square in the centre of the city, named Puputan Square, commemorates

Animal Behaviour, Habituation

2005-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

Habituation is learning to disregard stimuli that are without significance to the animal. In many respects it is the simplest form of learning, and it is sometimes regarded as a fundamental property of all living matter. Most animals inherit a response to be frightened by sudden and strong stimuli such as loud sounds, flashes of light, and the sudden intrusion of

Anderlecht

2005-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

A natural clearing in the primitive forest where foundations of a Roman villa and Frankish cemeteries have been found, Anderlecht is believed to be the original site of what is now

Atherosclerosis

2005-02-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

An arteriosclerosis characterized by the deposition of fatty substances in and fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries. See arteriosclerosis.

Norway, Conflict of church and state

2005-02-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Following the rule of Magnus III's sons, the increasing power of the church and the monarch contributed to a century of civil war. During the early 12th century the kings expanded their direct rule over the various provinces, and the family aristocracy in Norway grew discontented. With the accession of Harald IV (ruled 1130–36), interest groups within Norwegian society began

Sweatshop

2005-02-26T23:04:00.000-08:00

Workplace in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy or oppressive conditions. In England, the word “sweater” was used as early as 1850 to describe an employer or middleman who exacted monotonous work at very low wages. Sweating first became widespread in the United States during the 1880s, when immigrants from eastern and southern Europe

Vajra

2005-02-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Vajra, in Sanskrit, has both the meanings of “thunderbolt” and “diamond.” Like the thunderbolt, the vajra cleaves through ignorance. The thunderbolt was originally the symbol of the Hindu rain god Indra (who became the Buddhist Sakra)

Ghazan, Mahmud

2005-02-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

Most prominent of the Il-Khans (subordinate khans) to rule the Mongol dynasty in Iran. Reigning from 1295 to 1304, he is best known for the conversion of his state to Islam and his wars against Egypt.

Fustian

2005-02-25T01:25:00.000-08:00

Fustian probably originated in Al-Fustat, now part of Cairo, about AD 200, and eventually spread to Spain and Italy,

Arnim, Harry, Graf (count) Von

2005-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

After studying

Aracari

2005-02-24T01:59:00.000-08:00

Any of certain toucan species. See toucan.

Seabury, Samuel

2005-02-23T00:58:00.000-08:00

Seabury was educated in medicine at Yale University and the University of Edinburgh. After he became a priest in 1753, he served parishes in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in Jamaica, New York, and in Westchester, New York; he also practiced

Jackson

2005-02-23T00:38:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1821) of Madison county, western Tennessee, U.S. It lies about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Memphis. The area was settled about 1819 as a port on the Forked Deer River and developed as a cotton depot and railroad junction. First called Alexandria, the community was renamed in 1822 to honour General (later President) Andrew Jackson. It was used as a supply point by both Confederate and

Durand-ruel, Paul

2005-02-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Durand-Ruel began his career in his father's art gallery, which he inherited in 1865. At the outset he concentrated on buying the work of Barbizon artists—particularly Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Jules Dupré—and for

Yako

2005-02-22T00:29:00.000-08:00

The Yako are mainly yam farmers; subsidiary crops include cocoyams (taro), corn (maize), okra, and pumpkin. The main cash crop is palm oil. The Yako occupy compact villages divided into wards, each containing several patrilineal clans. Patrilineal

Estado Novo

2005-02-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

In the election campaign of 1937 Vargas warned of a threatened Communist coup d'état and declared a 90-day state of emergency, issuing the Estado Novo. The

John Bull

2005-02-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

In literature and political caricature, a conventional personification of England or of English character. Bull was invented by the Scottish mathematician and physician John Arbuthnot as a character in an extended allegory that appeared in a series of five pamphlets in 1712 and later in the same year published collectively as The History of John Bull; he appeared

Hale, Nathan

2005-02-21T04:52:00.000-08:00

A graduate of Yale University (1773) and a schoolteacher, Hale joined a Connecticut regiment in 1775, served in the siege of Boston, and was commissioned a captain (1776). He went to New York with William Heath's brigade and is said to have participated in

Biblical Literature, Moral interpretation

2005-02-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Moral interpretation is necessitated by the belief that the Bible is the rule not only of faith but also of conduct. The Jewish teachers of the late pre-Christian and early Christian Era, who found “in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth” (Rom. 2:20), were faced with the necessity of adapting the requirements of the Pentateuchal codes to the changed social conditions

Utraquist

2005-02-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

Also called Calixtin, or Calixtine, any of the spiritual descendants of Jan Hus who believed that the laity, like the clergy, should receive the Eucharist under the forms of both bread and wine (Latin utraque, “each of two”; calix, “chalice”). Unlike the militant Taborites (also followers of Hus), the Utraquists were moderates and maintained amicable relations with the Roman Catholic Church. As a consequence,

Asceticism

2005-02-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

In all strictly ascetic movements, celibacy (q.v.) has been regarded as the first commandment. Virgins and celibates emerged among the earliest Christian communities and came to occupy a prominent status. Among the earliest Mesopotamian Christian communities, only the celibates were accepted as full members of the church, and in some religions only celibates have

Afonso I

2005-02-18T05:44:00.000-08:00

Nzinga Mbemba, who became the sixth manikongo (lord of the Kongo) in 1506 or 1507, encouraged the penetration of his country by the Portuguese that had begun under his predecessor, Nzinga Nkuwa. Becoming a Christian and adopting

Siberut Island

2005-02-18T02:01:00.000-08:00

Indonesian Pulau Siberut , also spelled Siberoet largest island in the Mentawai group of islands, Sumatera Barat provinsi (province), Indonesia. Siberut lies off the western coast of Sumatra, about 90 miles (145 km) west-southwest of and across the Mentawai Strait from Padang city. The island is 25 miles (40 km) wide and 70 miles (110 km) long. Its terrain is generally low, rising to about 1,260 feet (384 m) in the western portion. Rainfall is heavy, and the

Sundsvall

2005-02-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

Town and seaport in Västernorrland län (county), northern Sweden. It lies at the mouth of the Selånger River on the Gulf of Bothnia. It was chartered in 1624 by Gustavus II Adolphus. In 1721 it was burned by the Russians and in 1803 and 1888 it suffered further disastrous fires. The town centre, therefore, dates largely from the 1890s, when it was entirely rebuilt in brick and stone. Lying between

Abu Al-qasim

2005-02-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Abu al-Qasim was court physician to the Spanish caliph 'Abd ar-Rahman III an-Nasir and wrote At-Tasrif liman 'ajaz'an at-Ta'alif, or At-Tasrif (“The Method”), a medical work in

Ptolemy I Soter

2005-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Ptolemy was the son of the nobleman Lagus, a native of the Macedonian district of Eordaea whose family was undistinguished until Ptolemy's time, and of Arsinoe, who was related to the Macedonian Argead dynasty. He was probably educated as a page at the royal court of Macedonia, where he became closely associated with Alexander. He was exiled in 337, along with other companions

Strangles

2005-02-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

Horse disease caused by Streptococcus equi, a bacterium that invades nasal and throat passages and forms abscesses in lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It is one of a group of diseases called distemper of horses. Young horses are most susceptible to it, and outbreaks of the disease usually occur where a number of horses are stabled. Mortality is low. Treatment

Aaron

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

F.S. North, “Aaron's Rise in Prestige,” in Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 66:191–199 (1954), is a short study of Aaron's position. Roland De Vaux, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (1961, reissued 1973; originally published in French, 2 vol., 1958–60); and Aelred Cody, A History of Old Testament Priesthood (1969), include discussions of Aaron and his place in ancient Israelite life and cult. Walter Beyerlin, Origins and History of the Oldest Sinaitic Traditions (1965; originally published in German, 1961), focuses on the traditions behind the story of Moses and Aaron. H.H. Rowley, Worship in Ancient Israel: Its Form and Meaning (1967, reissued 1976), surveys the religious life in Israel, including Aaron and his role. Bertil E. Gärtner, The Temple and the Community in Qumran and the New Testament (1965), treats the religious cult in the Qumran society, in which “Aaron” was synonymous with the chief priest. Heinrich Valentin, Aaron: eine Studie zur vorpriesterlichen Aaron-Überlieferung (1978), analyzes the various interpretations of the biblical references about Aaron.

Costa Rica

2005-02-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Coast Rica, Spanish República de Costa Rica, country of Central America, covering an area of 19,730 square miles (51,100 square kilometres). Extending from northwest to southeast, Costa Rica is bounded on the north by Nicaragua, along its 630-mile (1,015-kilometre) southwestern coastline by the Pacific Ocean, on the southeast by Panama, and along its 185-mile northeastern coastline by the Caribbean Sea. At the narrowest point, the distance

Haworth, Sir Norman

2005-02-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

Haworth graduated from the University of Manchester in 1906 and received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Göttingen in 1910. He taught at the University

Amistad Mutiny

2005-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

(July 2, 1839), slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship Amistad near the coast of Cuba and had important political and legal repercussions in the American abolition movement. The mutineers were captured and tried in the United States, and a surprising victory for the country's antislavery forces resulted in 1841 when the U.S. Supreme Court freed the rebels. A committee

Orléans, Ferdinand-louis-philippe-charles-henri, Duc D' (duke Of)

2005-02-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

He was a noted soldier and served in Algeria from 1834 to 1836. In 1837 he married Princess Helena of Mecklenburg. In 1839 he again went to Algeria, but the fatigues of the campaign were too much for him. He died at Neuilly at the age of 31. His sons refused

Freiburg, Albert Ludwig University Of

2005-02-12T02:07:00.000-08:00

German in full Albert-ludwigs-universität Freiburg Im Breisgau, academically autonomous coeducational institution of higher learning at Freiburg im Breisgau, Ger., financially supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1457 by Archduke Albrecht of Austria and confirmed by the Holy Roman emperor and the pope, the university was at first named after its founder, but at the beginning of the 19th century added “Ludwig” to the

Gisbornian Stage

2005-02-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Time division of the Ordovician Period in Australia and New Zealand. The Gisbornian Stage precedes the Eastonian Stage and follows the Darriwilian Stage; it is characterized by the presence of a graptolite fauna in which the genera Nemagraptus and Climacograptus are prominent.

Einstein's Massenergy Relation

2005-02-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

In physical theories prior to that of special relativity, mass and energy were viewed as distinct entities. Furthermore, the energy of a body at rest could be assigned an arbitrary

Muhly

2005-02-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Most muhlys are perennials, and all species have only one floret on each branch,

New Brunswick

2005-02-10T04:48:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Middlesex county, eastern New Jersey, U.S. It lies on the Raritan River, at the terminus of the old Delaware and Raritan Canal, 21 miles (33 km) south-southwest of Newark. The site, first known as Prigmore's Swamp, was settled in 1681 by John Inian. Called Inian's Ferry (1713), it was renamed about 1724 for George I of England, who was also the duke of Brunswick. George II granted it a town charter

China, Population growth

2005-02-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

Historical records show that, as long ago as 800 BC, in the early years of the Chou dynasty, China was already inhabited by about 13,700,000 people. Until the last years of the Hsi (Western) Han dynasty, about AD 2, comparatively accurate and complete registers of population were kept, and the total population in that year was given as 59,600,000. This first Chinese census was intended mainly as a preparatory

National Association Of Evangelicals

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

Fellowship of Evangelical Protestant groups in the United States, founded in 1942 by 147 Evangelical leaders. It embraces some 50 denominations, many independent religious organizations, local churches, groups of churches, and individual Christians. All members must subscribe to a Statement of Faith that requires belief in the Bible “as the inspired, the only infallible,

Rathbone, Basil

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

Upon graduating from Repton school in England in 1910, Rathbone made his stage debut in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in 1911. A number of other Shakespearean roles followed, as well as a part in a London production

Fleming, Victor

2005-02-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

Fleming started in the industry as a stunt car driver in 1910, later doing camera work for D.W. Griffith. Serving in the photographic section during World War I, he acted as

Saicho

2005-02-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

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