(Encyclopedia) cat's-eye, gemstone that displays a thin band of reflected light on its surface when cut as a cabochon. Its name is derived from its supposed resemblance to the eye of a cat. The…
U.S. News | Business/Science News Here are the key events in world news for the month of February, 2009. Iceland Swears in First Female Prime Minister (Feb. 1): Johanna…
WHY DO HINDU PILGRIMS GATHER AT VARANASI? HOW ARE HIKERS DAMAGING THE HIMALAYAS? WHY IS BANGLADESH PRONE TO FLOODING? WHICH ISOLATED COUNTRY IS RULED BY THE DRAGON KING? WHAT IS CITY LIFE LIKE IN…
(Encyclopedia) Lipton, Sir Thomas Johnstone, 1850–1931, Scottish merchant and yachting enthusiast. After spending several years in the United States he returned (1869) to his native Glasgow and…
(Encyclopedia) amethystamethystămˈəthĭst [key] [Gr.,=non-drunkenness], variety of quartz, violet to purple in color, used as a gem. It is the most highly valued of the semiprecious quartzes. It is…
(Encyclopedia) strychninestrychninestrĭkˈnĭn [key], bitter alkaloid drug derived from the seeds of a tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, native to Sri Lanka, Australia, and India. It has been used as a rat…
(Encyclopedia) Diego Garcia, coral island, 11 sq mi (28 sq km). Indian Ocean, largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, SW of Sri Lanka. Part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the island was…
(Encyclopedia) nux vomicanux vomicanŭks vŏmˈəkə [key], bitter-tasting drug obtained from the poisonous seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica, a tree that grows in Sri Lanka, India, and N Australia. The dried…
Born: 1925Birthplace: near Portland, Oregon X-Y position indicator for a display system: the mouse—Douglas Engelbart envisioned a computer that would work in the modern office and made it a…
(Encyclopedia) Senanayake, Don StephenSenanayake, Don Stephensĕnənäˈyəkə [key], 1884–1952, prime minister (1947–52) of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka). He entered politics in 1922 and became a prominent…
