Rhys, Ernest Percival

Although ill health interrupted his education, Rhys showed early promise and an innate love of books. In 1886 he became a poet and free-lance critic and editor in London.

Zittel, Karl Alfred, Ritter (knight) Von

In 1863 Zittel became an assistant to the royal mineral cabinet of Vienna and professor of mineralogy, geognosy, and paleontology at the Karlsruhe Polytechnic. In 1866 he became professor of geology and paleontology at the University

Koch, Rudolf

Koch's father was on the staff of the Bavarian industrial museum in Nürnberg, and Koch went to high school in that city. As a youth he studied art in the evening while serving as an apprentice in metalworking at Hanau. After an unsuccessful effort to become an art teacher, he moved to Leipzig,

Indian Mutiny

To regard the rebellion merely as a sepoy mutiny is to underestimate the increasing pace of Westernization after the establishment of British

Melbourne

City, capital of the state of Victoria, Australia. It is located at the head of Port Phillip Bay, on the southeastern coast. Although the central city is the home of fewer than 100,000 people, it is the core of an extensive metropolitan area—the world's most southerly with a population of more than 1,000,000. In Australia it is second only to Sydney in population, and there is a good-natured

Biblical Literature, Allegorical interpretation

Allegorical interpretation places on biblical literature a meaning that, with rare exceptions, it was never intended to convey. Yet at times this interpretation seemed imperative. If the literal sense, on which heretics, such as the 2nd-century biblical critic Marcion, and anti-Christian polemicists, such as the 2nd-century philosopher Celsus, insisted, was unacceptable,

Qaeda, Al-

Al-Qaeda began as a logistical network to support Muslims fighting against the Soviet Union during the Afghan War; members were recruited throughout the Islamic world. When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the organization dispersed but continued to oppose what its leaders

Tea And Coffee Service

Set of vessels and implements for making and serving tea and coffee, the items often of matched design. Elaborate 18th-century examples had tea and coffee pots, a milk or cream jug, a pair of tea caddies, a sugar bowl and pair of tongs, teaspoons and a small tray for them, a tea strainer, and cups and saucers. All of these were normally placed on a tray, while an urn or kettle on a separate

Koechlin, Charles

Influenced by Jules Massenet, Gabriel Fauré, and André Gédalge, under whom he studied, Koechlin experimented with the techniques of polytonality (the use of two or

New York City, Greater New York

The Democratic machine reigned, its excesses became apparent, reformers arose and were temporarily triumphant, and then voters restored a chastened Tammany to power. A generation after Tweed fell, the Croker regime was successfully challenged by reformers who elected Mayor William Strong. Once consolidation won voter support, the

Time Warner Inc.

The largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world. Time Warner's products encompass magazines, hardcover books, comic books, recorded music, motion pictures, online services, and broadcast and cable television programming and distribution. Its headquarters are in New York City.

Epistemology, Occurrent versus dispositional conceptions of knowledge

A distinction closely related to the previous one is that between occurrent and dispositional conceptions of knowledge. The difference between occurrences and dispositions can be illustrated with respect to sugar. A sugar cube will dissolve if put into water. One can thus say that, even if the cube is not now dissolving as it sits on the table, it will do so under certain

Mufaddaliyat, Al-

(Arabic: “The Examination of al-Mufaddal”), an anthology of ancient Arabic poems, compiled by al-Mufaddal ibn Muhammad ibn Ya'lah between 762 and 784. It is of the highest importance as a record of the thought and poetic art of Arabia in the last two pre-Islamic centuries. Not more than five or six of the 126 poems appear to have been composed by poets born under Islam, and, though a certain number

Aerospace Industry, Mergers and divestitures

With a decline in defense funding and a narrowing of commercial markets in the decades following World War II, the number of business opportunities shrank, and competition for each project became more intense. In response, aerospace companies sought mergers as a way to integrate strengths, to combine talent and other resources, and to reduce costs by eliminating