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Raeder, Erich

(Encyclopedia)Raeder, Erich āˈrĭkh rāˈdər [key], 1876–1960, German admiral. As chief of staff to Admiral Franz von Hipper in World War I, he took part in the battles of Dogger Bank (1915) and Jutland (1916)...

Shanhaiguan

(Encyclopedia)Shanhaiguan or Shanhaikwan both: shän-hī-gwän [key] [Chin.,=mountain sea door], city, NE Hebei prov., China, on the Bohai. Strategically situated where the Great Wall meets the sea and on the narro...

Goria, Giovanni

(Encyclopedia)Goria, Giovanni, 1943–94, Italian political leader, premier of Italy (1987–88). A Christian Democrat, he was first elected to parliament in 1976. Goria served as treasury minister (1982–87), bud...

Valkyries

(Encyclopedia)Valkyries vălkērˈēz [key], in Germanic mythology, warrior maidens of Odin. They presided over battles, chose those who were to die, and brought the souls of the dead heroes back to Valhalla. Chief...

Phigalia

(Encyclopedia)Phigalia fĭgāˈlēə [key], ancient city of Greece, in SW Arcadia (now Arkadhía). It gives its name to the Phigalian Marbles, a frieze c.100 ft (30 m) long and 2 ft (61 cm) high, in high relief, re...

Pillow, Gideon Johnson

(Encyclopedia)Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806–78, American general, b. Williamson co., Tenn. In the Mexican War he was appointed brigadier general of Tennessee volunteers by his former law partner, President James K...

Colorado tick fever

(Encyclopedia)Colorado tick fever or mountain tick fever, acute disease caused by infection with a double-stranded RNA virus (a Coltvirus) that is transmitted to humans by Rocky Mountain wood ticks (Dermacentor and...

Stanford, Sir Charles Villiers

(Encyclopedia)Stanford, Sir Charles Villiers, 1852–1924, English composer and teacher, b. Dublin, studied in Cambridge, and Leipzig. In 1883 he became professor of music at the Royal College of Music, and in 1887...

degree-day

(Encyclopedia)degree-day, a unit of measure used to estimate the fuel and power requirements in heating and cooling a building; it is equal to a difference of 1 degree between the outdoor daily average temperature ...

megachurch

(Encyclopedia)megachurch, large Protestant church with an average weekly attendance of 2,000 or more; relatively uncommon until after 1970. In the United States, where most megachurches are located, there were more...