Kusanagi
(Japanese: �Grass-Mower�), in Japanese mythology, the miraculous sword that the sun goddess Amaterasu gave to her grandson Ninigi when he descended to earth to become ruler of Japan, thus establishing the divine link between the imperial house and the sun. The sword, along with the mirror and jeweled necklace, still forms one of the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. The
Xavier, Saint Francis
Spanish �San Francisco Javier, or Xavier � the greatest Roman Catholic missionary of modern times, who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan. In Paris in 1534 he pronounced vows as one of the first seven members of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits
La Baule-escoublac
Also called �La Baule, � fashionable resort, Loire-Atlantique d�partement, Bretagne r�gion, France. It lies along the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Loire River, west of Saint-Nazaire. Facing south and protected from the north wind by 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of dune-stabilizing maritime pines, it is on a crescent-shaped bay in the centre of a fine sand beach 5 miles (8 km) long. Headlands at each end of
Cleveland
Region and former administrative county, northeastern England, along the River Tees and the North Sea. The region comprises parts of the historic counties of Durham and Yorkshire to the north and south of the Tees, respectively. It is divided administratively into the following unitary authorities: Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, and Redcar and
Spratly Islands
Before 1970 the main significance attached to the islands
Eye For An Eye
In law and custom, the principle of retaliation for injuries or damages. In ancient Babylonian, biblical, Roman, and Islamic law, it was a principle operative in private and familial settlements, intended to limit retaliation, and often satisfied by a money payment or other equivalent. See also talion.
Nebraska, Plant and animal life
A wide variety of grasses originally covered Nebraska's prairies, and the slopes of the river valleys were well covered with deciduous trees. Cottonwood, elm, and some oak and walnut are found along the bluffs of eastern Nebraska, while conifers grow in the Wild Cat and Pine Ridge highlands and the Niobrara valley. The Nebraska National Forest in west central Nebraska
Amontons, Guillaume
Amontons is often credited with having discovered the laws of friction (1699), though in fact his work dealt solely with static friction - i.e., the friction of objects at rest. It was only after the English physicist Sir Isaac
Bertillon, Alphonse
The younger brother of the statistician and demographer Jacques Bertillon, Alphonse Bertillon in 1882 introduced his system
Akron, University Of
Public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Akron, Ohio, U.S. While the university is known for its research in polymer engineering and science, it also offers a curriculum of liberal arts, business, and education courses, including master's degree programs. Doctorate degrees are available in sociology, urban studies, polymer science and engineering,
Ulanova, Galina
The daughter of dancers Sergey Ulanov and Marie Romanova of the Mariinsky Ballet (called the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet during the Soviet period), Ulanova was trained in the
Devrient, Max
Grandnephew of the great Romantic actor Ludwig Devrient and son of the noted character actor Karl August
Insurance, Theft insurance
Theft generally covers all acts of stealing. There are three major types of insurance contracts for burglary, robbery, and other theft. Burglary is defined to mean the unlawful taking of property within premises that have been closed and in which there are visible marks evidencing forcible entry. Such narrow definition is necessary to restrict burglary coverage
Argus
The first true aircraft carrier. Construction of the Argus began in 1914, and initially it was an Italian liner; it was purchased in 1916 by the British Royal Navy and converted, work being completed in September 1918. The Argus had an unobstructed flight deck about 560 feet (170.7 m) long and a hangar that could accommodate 20 aircraft. It was armed with six four-inch guns and could reach a speed
Radar, Transmitter power and antenna size
The maximum range of a radar system depends in large part on the average power of its transmitter and the physical size of its antenna. (In technical terms, this is the power-aperture product.) There are practical limits to each. As noted before, some radar systems have an average power of roughly one megawatt. Phased-array radars about 100 feet in diameter are not uncommon;
Nagai Kafu
Rebellious as a youth, Kafu failed to finish his university studies and was sent abroad from 1903 to 1908. Before he left, he had produced three novels, which were influenced by French naturalism. After he returned to Japan he continued to be a student and translator
Mcnally, David Arthur
American professional baseball player (b. Oct. 31, 1942, Billings, Mont. - d. Dec. 1, 2002, Billings), was a phenomenal left-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles; he completed four consecutive 20-win seasons between 1968 and 1971, appeared in three All-Star games (1969, 1970, and 1972), and helped his team win World Series titles in 1966 and 1970. McNally also took part in the landmark 1975 arbitration case that ended baseball's �reserve
Arts, Central Asian, Arctic regions
In the arctic zone of Central Asia, the prehistoric age extends from the 3rd millennium BC to the arrival of Europeans around AD 1800. Knowledge of the region's arts is still very limited, for it is wholly dependent upon the sculptures produced by Eskimos living on the shores and in the hinterland of Siberia and the Bering Strait. These sculptures are mostly in walrus tusk, though
Interior Design, Middle Ages
From the fall of Rome, when the city was finally sacked by Odoacer in 476, to the 15th century, when the Renaissance was already well advanced, information about the decoration of interiors is scarce. Its history has to be pieced together from surviving objects and illuminated manuscripts.
Costa, L�
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
Costa, L�
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
Jackson, Charles Thomas
Jackson received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1829. He continued his medical studies at the University of Paris, also attending lectures on geology at the Royal School of Mines. He returned to Boston in 1832 and started a private medical practice but abandoned
Space Exploration
Germany's ROSAT, carrying an X-ray telescope,
Andrew Of Carniola
From the scant data available on Andrew's life, it appears that he was
Dachshund
(German: �badger dog�), dog breed of hound and terrier ancestry developed in Germany to pursue badgers into their burrows. The dachshund is a long-bodied, characteristically lively dog with a deep chest, short legs, tapering muzzle, and long ears. Usually reddish brown or black-and-tan, it is bred in two sizes - standard and miniature - and in three coat types - smooth, long, and wiry.
Jourdan, Jean-baptiste, Count
After being a soldier in King Louis XVI's army and serving in the West Indies (1778 - 84), Jourdan retired and became a draper in Limoges. He supported the Revolution, however; and, having been elected
Talbot, William Henry Fox
English chemist, linguist, archaeologist, and pioneer photographer. He is best known for his development of the calotype (q.v.), an early photographic process that was an improvement over the daguerreotype of the French inventor L.-J.-M. Daguerre. Talbot's calotypes involved the use of a photographic
Hoffmann, Josef
Hoffman studied under Otto Wagner in Vienna and in 1899 joined in the founding of the Vienna Sezession, which, although influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, was more modernist than Wagner's approach. Beginning
Syria, From the 9th to the 12th century
As the 'Abbasid caliphate disintegrated in its turn, Syria drifted out of the sphere of influence of Baghdad. In 877 it was annexed by the Tulunid dynasty of Egypt, and this began a political connection that was to last with intervals for more than six centuries. In northern Syria the Tulunids were succeeded by a local Arab dynasty, the Hamdanids of Aleppo, founded by Sayf ad-Dawlah
Jackson, Andrew
(For an additional writing by Jackson, see First Annual Message to Congress.)
