Spalding, Mother Catherine

Spalding was taken to frontier Kentucky by her widowed mother about 1799. She was later orphaned and reared by relatives. In December 1812 the Reverend (later Bishop)

Strabo

Greek geographer and historian whose Geography is the only extant work covering the whole range of peoples and countries known to both Greeks and Romans during the reign of Augustus (27 BC–AD 14). Its numerous quotations from technical literature, moreover, provide a remarkable account of the state of Greek geographical science, as well as of the history of

Crocodile Bird

(Pluvianus aegyptius; see photograph), shorebird belonging to the family Glareolidae (order Charadriiformes). The crocodile bird is a plover-like courser that derives its name from its frequent association with the Nile crocodile, from whose hide it picks parasites for food. By their cries, the birds also serve to warn crocodiles of approaching

Harald Iii Sigurdsson

The son of Sigurd Sow (Syr), a chieftain in eastern Norway, and of Estrid, mother of the Norwegian king Olaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf), Harald fought at the age of 15 against the Danes

Acanthus

In architecture and decorative arts, a stylized ornamental motif based on a characteristic Mediterranean plant with jagged leaves, Acanthus spinosus (for illustration, see order). It was first used by the Greeks in the 5th century BC on temple roof ornaments, on wall friezes, and on the capital of the Corinthian column. One of the best examples of its use in the Corinthian

Spaak, Paul-henri

Belgium's foremost statesman in the decades following World War II and a leading advocate of European cooperation. He played a major role in forming the European Economic Community (EEC; now European Community), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Benelux, the customs union of Belgium, The Netherlands,

Düsseldorf

Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), west-central North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), western Germany. Düsseldorf is bordered by The Netherlands to the west and the Regierungsbezirke of Münster to the northeast, Arnsberg to the east, and Köln to the south. The district occupies an area of 2,042 square miles (5,288 square km) and consists of the northern portion of the larger

Aegospotami, Battle Of

(405 BC), naval victory of Sparta over Athens, final battle of the Peloponnesian War. The fleets of the two Greek rival powers faced each other in the Hellespont for four days without battle, until on the fifth day the Spartans under Lysander surprised the Athenians in their anchorage off Aegospotami. Conon, the Athenian commander, escaped with only 20 of his 180 ships, and the 3,000–4,000 Athenians

Computers, The Atanasoff-Berry Computer

It was generally believed that the first electronic digital computers were the Colossus, built in England in 1943, and the ENIAC, built in the United States in 1945. However, the first special-purpose electronic computer may actually have been invented by John Vincent Atanasoff, a physicist and mathematician at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), during 1937–42. (Atanasoff

Toamasina

Formerly  Tamatave,   town, eastern Madagascar. The town lies along the Indian Ocean. It was rebuilt after destruction by hurricane in 1927, with the modern sector centring on the tree-lined avenue Poincaré. Toamasina is Madagascar's commercial hub and foremost port, handling much of the island's foreign trade. It exports coffee, vanilla, pepper, cloves, and graphite and imports machinery, textiles,

Hamilton, Alexander

Lashed by criticism, tired and anxious to repair his private fortune, Hamilton left the cabinet on January 31, 1795. His influence, as an unofficial adviser, however, continued as strong as ever. Washington and his cabinet consulted him on almost all matters of policy. When Washington decided to retire, he turned to Hamilton, asking his opinion as to the best time to publish his