(Encyclopedia) buckthorn, common name for some members of the Rhamnaceae, a family of woody shrubs, small trees, and climbing vines widely distributed throughout the world. The buckthorns (several…
(Encyclopedia) ÆthelredÆthelredĕˈthəlrĕd, ăˈ– [key], d.871, king of Wessex (865–71), son of Æthelwulf and brother of Alfred. He succeeded his brother Æthelbert as king of Wessex and as overlord of…
(Encyclopedia) Du Pont, Pierre Samuel, 1870–1954, American industrialist, b. Wilmington, Del., grad. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1890. Du Pont worked as a chemist with the family's company…
(Encyclopedia) Athelney, Isle ofAthelney, Isle ofăthˈəlnē [key], small area formerly surrounded by marshland, Somerset, SW England. King Alfred took refuge from the Danes there in 878 and founded a…
(Encyclopedia) Godiva, LadyGodiva, Ladygōdīˈvə [key], fl. c.1040–80, wife of Leofric, earl of Mercia; famous for her legendary ride through the city of Coventry. She was a benefactor of several…
Linguist / WriterBorn: 3 January 1891Died: 2 September 1973 (Natural causes)Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South AfricaBest known as: The author of The Lord of the RingsName at birth: John Ronald Reuel…
(Encyclopedia) La BaieLa Baielə bī [key], city (1991 pop. 20,995), S Que., Canada, on Ha! Ha! Bay, an arm of the Saguenay River. Formed by the amalgamation of Bagotville, Port Alfred, and the…
(Encyclopedia) Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel: see under Nobel Prize; for a table of the winners of the prize, see Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in…
Droplet to Drop … How Rain HappensWeatherBring on the RainDroplet to Drop … How Rain HappensTypes of PrecipitationFooling the CloudsSo Why Does It Rain? In "Partly to Mostly Cloudy," we discussed…
(Encyclopedia) NechoNechonēˈkō [key], fl. 670 b.c., lord of Saïs, Egypt. He was confirmed in his holding after the Assyrian conquest in 670; he was later taken to Nineveh in chains for plotting to…