Chess, Women in chess
Separation of the sexes in chess is a relatively recent phenomenon. Literature abounds with examples of men and women playing one another before 1800. (For example, Shakespeare's only chess scene depicts Miranda playing Ferdinand in the last act of The Tempest.) But women were often barred from the coffeehouses and taverns where chess clubs developed in the 19th century.
Rio De Janeiro
Estado (�state�) of southeastern Brazil, bounded by the states of Esp�rito Santo (north), Minas Gerais (west), and S�o Paulo (southwest), while to the east lies the Atlantic Ocean. It is named for the city of Rio de Janeiro, the state capital, which was the capital of Brazil from 1763 to 1960 and remains the nation's main centre for cultural events, leisure, and tourism. It is Brazil's second largest
Isabella I
Byname �Isabella the Catholic�, Spanish �Isabel la Cat�lica� queen of Castile (1474 - 1504) and of Aragon (1479 - 1504), ruling the two kingdoms jointly from 1479 with her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon (Ferdinand V of Castile). Their rule effected the permanent union of Spain and the beginning of an overseas empire in the New World, led by Christopher Columbus under Isabella's
Claude Of France
In 1504 Claude's mother, eager to keep Brittany out of French hands, caused the Treaty of Blois to be concluded, which assured the hand of Claude to Charles of Austria (the future emperor Charles V) and promised him Brittany, Burgundy,
Monmouth
City, seat (1836) of Warren county, western Illinois, U.S. Established in 1831, it was named to commemorate the American Revolutionary War battle fought at Monmouth, N.J. (June 28, 1778). Its economy has an agricultural base: livestock, corn (maize), processed meats, and pet foods, with some light manufacturing, chiefly pottery. Monmouth College was founded in 1853. Wyatt Earp, the well-known gunfighter,
Andreas-salom�, Lou
Salom� was the daughter of a Russian army officer of French Huguenot descent. She studied theology at the University of Z�rich. In 1882 the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche fell in love with her, but she rejected his proposal of marriage.
Socialism, Other early socialists
The 1840s saw the rise of a number of other socialist doctrines, particularly in France. Louis-Auguste Blanqui evolved a radical socialist - or, as he called it, communist - doctrine based on a democratic populism and on the belief that capitalism as an inherently unstable order would soon be replaced by cooperative associations. Impatient with theorizing, given to a strong
Catalog Verse
Verse that presents a list of people, objects, or abstract qualities. Such verse exists in almost all literatures and is of ancient origin. The genealogical lists in the Bible and the lists of heroes in epics such as Homer's Iliad are types of catalog verse, as are more modern poems such as Gerard Manley Hopkins's �Pied Beauty,� which begins: Glory be to God for dappled
Eurythmics
Eurythmics was developed about 1905 by the Swiss musician �mile Jaques-Dalcroze, a professor of harmony at the Geneva Conservatory, who was convinced that the conventional system of
Gamma Function
To extend the factorial to any real number x > 0 (whether or not x is a whole number), the gamma function
Gamma Function
To extend the factorial to any real number x > 0 (whether or not x is a whole number), the gamma function
Andaman And Nicobar Islands, History
The name Nicobar probably is derived from Nakkavaram (�Land of the Naked�). As with the Andamans, the Nicobars are located along a line of ancient trade routes. At various periods beginning in the 17th century, France, Denmark, Austria, and Great Britain all had obscure rights to the islands. In 1869 the Danes relinquished their claims to the British, who subsequently governed
Arrastra
Crude drag-stone mill for pulverizing ores such as those containing silver or gold or their compounds. See patio process.
Hindemith, Paul
One of the principal German composers of the first half of the 20th century and a leading musical theorist. He sought to revitalize tonality, the system underlying Western music for three centuries, which had begun to disintegrate, and also pioneered in the writing of Gebrauchsmusik, or �utility music,� compositions
Aguilar, Grace
Aguilar was the daughter of Sephardic Jews. She was tutored in the classics at home and (even in adulthood) was not permitted to move outside
Ear Disease, Acute middle-ear infection
Fortunately, acute middle-ear infections, called acute otitis media, are nearly always due to microorganisms that respond quickly to antibiotics. As a result, acute infection of the mastoid air cells resulting in a dangerous mastoid abscess with the possibility of meningitis, brain abscess, septicemia, infection of the labyrinth, or facial nerve paralysis, complicating
Thierry
Also called �Thierry Of Alsace, �French �Thierry D'alsace, �Dutch �Diederik Van Den Elzas� count of Flanders (1128 - 68), son of Thierry II, duke of Upper Lorraine, and Gertrude, daughter of Robert I the Frisian, count of Flanders. He contested the county of Flanders with William Clito on the death of Charles the Good in 1127. He was recognized by Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres and consolidated his position when William was killed at Alost in 1128. He married the
Brazil, Minerals
Brazil contains extremely rich mineral reserves that are only partly exploited, including iron ore, tin, copper, pyrochlore (from which ferroniobium is derived), and bauxite. There are also significant amounts of granite, manganese, asbestos, gold, gemstones, quartz, tantalum, and kaolin (china clay). Most industrial minerals are concentrated in Minas Gerais and
Baram River
River in northwestern Borneo. Rising in the Iran Mountains, it flows 250 miles (400 km) west and northwest, mostly through primary rain forest to the South China Sea at Baram Point. Above the lowest 100 miles, gorges and rapids make upstream navigation difficult. The Baram is Sarawak's second longest river; its tributaries include the Bakong, Apoh, Palutan, and Patah.
Mountain, The Alpine-Himalayan, or Tethyan, System
The interconnected system of mountain ranges and intermontane plateaus that lies between the stable areas of Africa, Arabia, and India on the south and Europe and Asia on the north owes its existence to the collisions of different continental fragments during the past 100,000,000 years. Some 150,000,000 years ago, India and much of what is now Iran and Afghanistan lay many thousands of
Kazakhstan, Flag Of
The Kazakhs are (in part) descended from the �Blue Horde� - Turkic-Mongol peoples who, centuries ago, flew the �Blue Banner� in Central Asia. The colour also stands for the great skies under which these traditionally nomadic peoples have lived. Light blue was chosen as the background for the national flag of Kazakhstan officially adopted in June 1992. The designer of the flag
Cinecitt�
The studios were rebuilt after the war,
Vitamin
Any of several organic substances that usually are separated into water-soluble (e.g., the B vitamins, vitamin C) and fat-soluble (e.g., vitamins A, D, E, K) groups; small quantities (from 0.00002 percent to 0.005 percent of a diet) are necessary for normal health and growth in higher forms of animal life. The substances commonly known as vitamins are diverse in chemical structure and function.
Dagestan Rug
Dagestan rugs are relatively finely woven, with short pile in wool, the warp being of wool and the weft frequently of cotton. Their designs are highly geometric and fragmented, producing the effect of brightly coloured mosaics. There is a wide diversity of patterns,
Indian Hemp
Also called �Hemp Dogbane� (species Apocynum cannabinum), North American plant of the dogbane family Apocynaceae (order Gentianales). It is a branched perennial that grows up to 1.5 m (5 feet) tall and has smooth opposite leaves and small greenish white flowers. Indians used the fibres from the stem to make bags, mats, nets, and cordage. Its milky juice, or latex, yields rubber, and the dried roots of Indian
Carlos Mar�a Isidro De Borb�n, Conde De Molina
Don Carlos was imprisoned in Napoleonic France from 1808 to 1814. During the period of liberal rule (1820 - 23) he was involved in a number of conspiracies against the regime, and in the decade that followed
Hypoglycemia
Reduction of the concentration of glucose in the blood serum below normal levels, commonly occurring as a complication of treatment for diabetes mellitus. Even brief falls in serum glucose levels can produce severe brain dysfunction. In healthy individuals, an intricate glucoregulatory system acts rapidly to counter hypoglycemia by reducing insulin production
