Joseph Aoun is the president of Lebanon (2025– ) and was previously the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; 2017–25). Having overseen the army amid popular unrest in 2019 and during Israel’s invasion in 2024, he is generally considered a neutral and trusted figure within Lebanon’s

Michel Aoun is a commander of the Lebanese Army (1984–88) who was appointed prime minister in 1988 (though the legitimacy of this appointment was contested) and later served as president (2016–22) of Lebanon. Although a Maronite Christian, he opposed sectarianism during the multi-confessional

Aozou Strip, northernmost part of Chad, a narrow strip of territory that extends along the country’s entire border with Libya. The Aozou Strip has an area of about 44,000 square miles (114,000 square km) and consists almost entirely of the Sahara desert. The Tibesti Mountains interrupt the desert

Grateful Dead: … (1967) to the jaggedly exploratory Aoxomoxoa (1969) to the lilting folk of American Beauty (1970), the Dead’s strengths—and weaknesses—came most to the fore onstage. Their most artistically successful albums, Live/Dead (1969) and Grateful Dead Live (1971), were live recordings. A popular bumper sticker read, “There is nothing like a Grateful…

Aozou Strip, northernmost part of Chad, a narrow strip of territory that extends along the country’s entire border with Libya. The Aozou Strip has an area of about 44,000 square miles (114,000 square km) and consists almost entirely of the Sahara desert. The Tibesti Mountains interrupt the desert

Associated Press (AP), cooperative 24-hour news agency (wire service), the oldest and largest of those in the United States and long the largest and one of the preeminent news agencies in the world. Headquarters are in New York, N.Y. Its beginnings can be traced to 1846, when four New York City

Popular Party, Spanish conservative political party. The Popular Party (PP) traces its origins to the Popular Alliance, a union of seven conservative political parties formed in the 1970s by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a prominent cabinet member under Spain’s longtime dictator Francisco Franco. In March

Mac: …Hiberno-Norman Fitz and the Welsh Ap (formerly Map). Just as the latter has become initial P, as in the modern names Price or Pritchard, Mac has in some names become initial C and even K—e.g., Cody, Costigan, Keegan.

American Psychological Association (APA), professional organization of psychologists in the United States founded in 1892. It is the largest organization of psychologists in the United States as well as in the world. The American Psychological Association (APA) promotes the knowledge of psychology

American Protective Association (APA), in U.S. history, an anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant group that briefly acquired a membership greater than 2,000,000 during the 1890s. A successor in spirit and outlook to the pre-Civil War Know-Nothing Party, the American Protective Association was founded by

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: In 1980 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) replaced these terms with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Then in 1987 the APA linked ADD with hyperactivity, a condition that sometimes accompanies attention disorders but may exist independently. The new syndrome was named attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Administrative Procedure Act (APA), U.S. law, enacted in 1946, that stipulates the ways in which federal agencies may make and enforce regulations. The APA was the product of concern about the rapid increase in the number of powerful federal agencies in the first half of the 20th century,

Australian Patriotic Association (APA), (1835–42), group of influential Australians of New South Wales that sought a grant of representative government to the colony from the British House of Commons. Their efforts aided significantly in the passage of the Constitution Act of 1842 and the

Apa River, river rising in the Amambaí Mountains in southwestern Brazil, forming the Brazil-Paraguay border. It flows for about 160 miles (260 km) in a northwesterly direction to join the Paraguay River at the city of

Apa Sherpa is a Nepali mountaineer and guide who set a record for most ascents of Mount Everest (21) that was later equaled by other Sherpas before being surpassed in 2018. Apa was raised in the small village of Thami (or Thame) in the Khumbu valley of far northern Nepal, just west of Mount

Uzbekistan: Cultural life: 1921), whose Socialist Realist novel Apä singillär (Sisters; original and translation published during the 1950s), has been translated into English and other languages. Mukhtar, along with others of his generation, effectively encouraged the creative efforts of younger Uzbek poets and authors, a group far less burdened than their elders by…

Apa Tani, tribal people of Arunāchal Pradesh (former North East Frontier Agency), a mountainous state in the extreme northeast of India. They speak a Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan family and numbered about 13,100 in the 1970s. Unlike other tribes in the area, the Apa Tani practice a

Ismat Chughtai was an Indian writer of Urdu fiction and nonfiction, whose writing both questioned and broke traditions. Best known for her short story “Lihaaf” (1942; “The Quilt”) and the autobiographical novel Terhi Lakeer (1944; The Crooked Line), she is one of the pioneers of modern Urdu

Apa River, river rising in the Amambaí Mountains in southwestern Brazil, forming the Brazil-Paraguay border. It flows for about 160 miles (260 km) in a northwesterly direction to join the Paraguay River at the city of

Apabhramsha language, literary language of the final phase of the Middle Indo-Aryan languages. When the Prakrit languages were formalized by literary use, their variations came to be known as Apabhramsha. Despite this close relationship, scholars generally treat Apabhramsha and the nonliterary

Apabhramsha language, literary language of the final phase of the Middle Indo-Aryan languages. When the Prakrit languages were formalized by literary use, their variations came to be known as Apabhramsha. Despite this close relationship, scholars generally treat Apabhramsha and the nonliterary

Apache, an open-source Web server created by American software developer Robert McCool. Apache was released in 1995. In the early 2020s, Apache servers deployed about 30 percent of the Internet’s content, second only to Nginx. As a Web server, Apache is responsible for accepting directory (HTTP)

Robert Aldrich: Early work: …studio was the box-office hit Apache (1954), with Burt Lancaster as a Geronimo-like protagonist. Aldrich’s success continued with the western Vera Cruz (1954), which starred Lancaster and Gary Cooper as soldiers of fortune in 1860s Mexico. None of these movies, however, could have prepared critics and moviegoers for Kiss

Apache, an Indigenous North American group which, under such leaders as Cochise, Mangas Coloradas, Geronimo, and Victorio, figured largely in the history of the Southwest during the latter half of the 19th century. The Apache name is probably derived from a Spanish transliteration of ápachu, the

the Shadows: …Shadows’ hits, which included “Apache,” “F.B.I.,” and “Wonderful Land”; many went on to buy their own Stratocasters as the British “beat boom” took off. The era of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones made the Shadows’ music obsolete, and the group officially disbanded in 1968.

military aircraft: Assault and attack helicopters: …HueyCobra was the McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache, a heavily armoured antiarmour helicopter with less speed and range than the Hind but with sophisticated navigation, ECM, and fire-control systems. The Apache became operational in 1986 and proved highly effective in the Persian Gulf War (1990–91).

bhangra: …when British musicians such as Apache Indian, with his album No Reservations (1993), and the group Fun-Da-Mental, with Seize the Time (1995), began to use their music as a vehicle for poignant social commentary. Not only did these and other artists address such issues as racial conflict and the HIV/AIDS…

Native American music: Southwest: …what is known as the Apache violin, a traditional one- or two-stringed solo instrument. Important contexts for Navajo and Apache musics include life-cycle ceremonials, such as the Girl’s Puberty ceremony, and elaborate curing ceremonies that include many components and last for several days.

Navajo: Traditional culture: The Navajo language is an Apachean language in the Athabaskan language family. At some point in prehistory the Navajo and Apache migrated to the Southwest from Canada, where most other Athabaskan-speaking peoples still live; although the exact timing of the relocation is unknown, it is thought to have been between…

Amazon River: The length of the Amazon: …was actually another stream, nearby Apacheta Creek. (The Carruhasanta and Apacheta streams form the Lloqueta River, an extension of the Apurímac.)

Hungarian literature: The 17th century: …of the 17th century was János Apáczai Csere. His chief work was a Hungarian encyclopaedia in which he endeavoured to sum up the knowledge of his time. The work, published at Utrecht in 1653, marked a development in technical vocabulary.

Apadāna, collection of legends about Buddhist saints, one of the latest books in the latest section (the Khuddaka Nikāya) of the Sutta Piṭaka (“Basket of Discourse”) of the Pāli canon. This work, which is entirely in verse, presents stories about 547 monks and 40 nuns. For each personage there are

Iranian art and architecture: Architecture: …called by the Persians an apadana. Other features are the Tomb of Cyrus, a gabled stone building on a stepped plinth, and a Zoroastrian fire temple (Zendan), a towerlike structure with a plan recalling that of the standard Urartian temple. Replicas of the Zendan were built later at Naqsh-e Rostam…

Transylvania: …and made the obedient Mihály Apafi its prince (1662). Shortly afterward the Turks were defeated before Vienna (1683). The Transylvanians, their land overrun by the troops of the Habsburg emperor, then recognized the suzerainty of the emperor Leopold I (1687); Transylvania was officially attached to Habsburg-controlled Hungary and subjected to…

Abaiang Atoll, coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Comprising six islets in the northern Gilberts, the atoll has a lagoon (16 miles by 5 miles [26 km by 8 km]) that provides sheltered anchorage. The islets of Abaiang are Teirio, Nuotaea,

African dance: Rhythm: The Yoruba Apala dance allows individuals to move on a free-flow floor pattern. Each dancer competes with his fellows in the interpretation of the rhythm and in his swift response to change. The leading drummer leaves the ensemble to join an outstanding dancer in a rhythmic exchange…

Apalachee, tribe of North American Indians who spoke a Muskogean language and inhabited the area in northwestern Florida between the Aucilla and Apalachicola rivers above Apalachee Bay. In the 16th century the Spanish explorers Pánfilo de Narváez (in 1528) and Hernando de Soto (in 1539) led

Apalachee Bay, arm of the Gulf of Mexico indenting the coast of northern Florida, U.S., 25 miles (40 km) south of Tallahassee. It receives the Ochlockonee, St. Marks, Econfina, and Aucilla rivers, and its marshy coast forms St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. In 1528 five boats were built in the

Apalachicola, city, seat (1832) of Franklin county, northwestern Florida, U.S. It lies on Apalachicola Bay (bridged) at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, on the Intracoastal Waterway, about 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Tallahassee. Founded about 1820 as West Point (renamed Apalachicola in

Apalachicola: The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, established in 1979, covers more than 385 square miles (1,000 square km) and encompasses both land and water areas of the bay and river. Inc. town, 1829; city, 1838. Pop. (2000) 2,334; (2010) 2,231.

Apalachicola: …at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, on the Intracoastal Waterway, about 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Tallahassee.

Xavier Zubiri was a Spanish Christian Existential philosopher who was known for his analysis of reality in terms of the interrelations of philosophy, science, and religion. Zubiri studied theology in Rome, philosophy in Madrid (under José Ortega y Gasset) and in Freiburg, Ger., and physics and

Zoroastrianism: God: …(non-Gāthic) an ahura; so is Apām Napāt, a fire or brightness in the waters, corresponding to the Vedic Apam Napat. As for Verethraghna (the entity or spirit of victory), it seems that since he took over the function of Indra, who was a daeva, he could not be called an…

Seleucus I Nicator: Early life and ascent to power: On this occasion Seleucus married Apama, the daughter of Spitamenes, the ruler of Bactria. Of all the Macedonian nobles, he was the only one who did not repudiate his wife after Alexander’s death.

Abemama Atoll, coral atoll of the northern Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Capt. Charles Bishop, who reached the atoll in 1799, named it Roger Simpson Island for one of his associates. Seat of the area’s ruling family in the 19th century, the atoll was the site

Apamea Cibotus, city in Hellenistic Phrygia, partly covered by the modern town of Dinar, Tur. Founded by Antiochus I Soter in the 3rd century bc, it superseded the ancient Celaenae and placed it in a commanding position on the great east–west trade route of the Seleucid Empire. In the 2nd century

Apamea Cibotus, city in Hellenistic Phrygia, partly covered by the modern town of Dinar, Tur. Founded by Antiochus I Soter in the 3rd century bc, it superseded the ancient Celaenae and placed it in a commanding position on the great east–west trade route of the Seleucid Empire. In the 2nd century

Anatolia: Anatolia in the Hellenistic Age (334–c. 30 bce): …to accept the peace of Apamea (188), which made Rome the predominant power in the Hellenistic East. Rome reorganized the Anatolian states: Lycia and Caria were allotted to Rhodes, though when this period of Rhodian domination ended in 167, Lycia became a Roman protectorate; Antiochus III was forced to surrender…

Apamea Cibotus, city in Hellenistic Phrygia, partly covered by the modern town of Dinar, Tur. Founded by Antiochus I Soter in the 3rd century bc, it superseded the ancient Celaenae and placed it in a commanding position on the great east–west trade route of the Seleucid Empire. In the 2nd century

Lake Apanás, reservoir in northern Nicaragua. Formed by damming the Tuma River just north of Jinotega city, Lake Apanás has an area of 20 square miles (51 square km). It supplies the Asturias hydroelectric station, the largest in the country and the focus of a power grid serving much of the more

Lake Apanás, reservoir in northern Nicaragua. Formed by damming the Tuma River just north of Jinotega city, Lake Apanás has an area of 20 square miles (51 square km). It supplies the Asturias hydroelectric station, the largest in the country and the focus of a power grid serving much of the more

Lake Apanás, reservoir in northern Nicaragua. Formed by damming the Tuma River just north of Jinotega city, Lake Apanás has an area of 20 square miles (51 square km). It supplies the Asturias hydroelectric station, the largest in the country and the focus of a power grid serving much of the more

Lake Apanás, reservoir in northern Nicaragua. Formed by damming the Tuma River just north of Jinotega city, Lake Apanás has an area of 20 square miles (51 square km). It supplies the Asturias hydroelectric station, the largest in the country and the focus of a power grid serving much of the more

braconid wasp: Major biological control species: Apanteles congregatus parasitizes the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata).

braconid wasp: Major biological control species: Apanteles glomeratus, for example, parasitizes the larvae of the cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) and the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), important pests of a number of Brassica crops. Apanteles congregatus parasitizes the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata).

Lagos: …port of Lagos consists of Apapa Quay, on the mainland, which serves as the principal outlet for Nigeria’s exports. The creeks and lagoons are plied by small coastal craft. The city is the western terminus of the country’s road and railway networks, and the airport at Ikeja provides local and…

apapane, (Himatione sanguinea), Hawaiian songbird, common on larger islands, a nectar-feeding member of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family, Drepanididae (order Passeriformes). About 13 centimetres (5 inches) long, it is red, except for its dark wings and tail and its white vent. Its bill is fairly

Apapocuva, a Guarani-speaking South American Indian people living in small, scattered villages throughout the Mato Grosso, Paraná, and São Paulo states of southeastern Brazil. In the second half of the 20th century, the Apapocuva probably numbered fewer than 500 individuals. Traditionally, the

äppäräs, in Sami religion and folklore, the ghost of a dead child that haunts the place of its death because it did not receive proper burial rites. The äppäräs is only one of several of the anomalous dead figures in Finno-Ugric mythology that serve as warnings for the living to observe the norms

Satyajit Ray: The Apu Trilogy: …two films of the trilogy: Aparajito (1956; The Unvanquished) and Apur Sansar (1959; The World of Apu). Pather Panchali and its sequels tell the story of Apu, the poor son of a Brahman priest, as he grows from childhood to manhood in a setting that shifts from a small village…

Konkan, coastal plain of western India, lying between the Arabian Sea (west) and the Western Ghats (east). The plain stretches approximately 330 miles (530 km) from the Daman Ganga River north of Mumbai (Bombay) to the Terekhol River between Maharashtra and Goa states and Daman and Diu union

Vergílio Ferreira: …among others—the best known is Aparição, which explores the relationship of a teacher with his students in an almost essayistic manner; lengthy philosophical monologues and dialogues characterize this quasi-existentialist work, which widely influenced contemporary Portuguese fiction.

Luis Aparicio is a Venezuelan baseball player who became known for his outstanding fielding, speed on the base paths, and durability. During a career that lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s, Aparicio appeared in 2,581 games at shortstop, a record in American professional baseball that stood for

Mahatma Gandhi: The religious quest: One was aparigraha (“nonpossession”), which implies that people have to jettison the material goods that cramp the life of the spirit and to shake off the bonds of money and property. The other was samabhava (“equability”), which enjoins people to remain unruffled by pain or pleasure, victory…

Aparimitayus-sutra-shastra, in Buddhism, a short treatise (shastra) on the Aparimitayus-sutra, one of the major Pure Land sutras, by the Indian monk Vasubandhu (flourished 5th century ce). It expresses the author’s personal devotion to Amitabha, the celestial Buddha of Infinite Light, and his

Aparimitayus-sutra-shastra, in Buddhism, a short treatise (shastra) on the Aparimitayus-sutra, one of the major Pure Land sutras, by the Indian monk Vasubandhu (flourished 5th century ce). It expresses the author’s personal devotion to Amitabha, the celestial Buddha of Infinite Light, and his

Parni, one of three nomadic or seminomadic tribes in the confederacy of the Dahae living east of the Caspian Sea; its members founded the Parthian empire. After the death of Alexander the Great (323 bc) the Parni apparently moved southward into the region of Parthia and perhaps eastward into

Aparri, town, northeastern Luzon, Philippines. It lies along the Babuyan Channel of the Philippine Sea, near the mouth of the Cagayan River. Aparri is the interisland port for much of northeastern Luzon. Anti-Spanish insurgents landed there in 1898 under Colonel Daniel Tirona, and civil government

apartheid, policy that governed relations between South Africa’s white minority and nonwhite majority for much of the latter half of the 20th century, sanctioning racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against nonwhites. Although the legislation that formed the foundation of

apartment house, building containing more than one dwelling unit, most of which are designed for domestic use, but sometimes including shops and other nonresidential features. Apartment buildings have existed for centuries. In the great cities of the Roman Empire, because of urban congestion, the

apartment house, building containing more than one dwelling unit, most of which are designed for domestic use, but sometimes including shops and other nonresidential features. Apartment buildings have existed for centuries. In the great cities of the Roman Empire, because of urban congestion, the

George Seaton: Miracle on 34th Street and The Country Girl: Apartment for Peggy (1948) was a light romance, with Jeanne Crain and William Holden as campus newlyweds; Gwenn was notable as a suicidal professor whose depression lifts after he rents out his attic to the couple. Next was Chicken Every Sunday (1949), a lighthearted period…

apartment house, building containing more than one dwelling unit, most of which are designed for domestic use, but sometimes including shops and other nonresidential features. Apartment buildings have existed for centuries. In the great cities of the Roman Empire, because of urban congestion, the

Colin Firth: Early life and start of acting career: …films from this period included Apartment Zero (1988), Valmont (1989), and Circle of Friends (1995).

Danielle Steel: Novels: Her later novels include The Apartment (2016), Beauchamp Hall (2018), Lost and Found (2019), Invisible (2022), and Resurrection (2024).

Billy Wilder: Films of the 1960s of Billy Wilder: …daring in its way was The Apartment (1960), in which Lemmon played a milquetoast business executive who, hoping for a promotion, lets his tyrannical boss (MacMurray, cast against type, again with splendid results) use his apartment to conduct an extramarital affair with neurotic elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine) and then comes…

Tree hollows are sought-after refuges for a succession of creatures, from termites to primates. Tree hollows make safe nests and dens where mothers can raise their young protected from predators and where roosting birds and various mammals can take shelter during the day. The creation of a tree

Laja River: It joins the Apaseo River, a tributary of the Lerma River, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Celaya. A portion of the Mexico City–Piedras Negras railroad parallels the river’s lower course. The Laja is about 85 miles (135 km) long.

apathy, in Stoic philosophy, condition of being totally free from the pathē, which roughly are the emotions and passions, notably pain, fear, desire, and pleasure. Although remote origins of the doctrine can probably be found in the Cynics (second half of the 4th century bc), it was Zeno of Citium

apathy, in Stoic philosophy, condition of being totally free from the pathē, which roughly are the emotions and passions, notably pain, fear, desire, and pleasure. Although remote origins of the doctrine can probably be found in the Cynics (second half of the 4th century bc), it was Zeno of Citium

apatite, any member of a series of phosphate minerals, the world’s major source of phosphorus, found as variously coloured glassy crystals, masses, or nodules. If not for its softness (Mohs hardness 5, compared with the 7 to 9 of most gems), apatite would be a popular gemstone; much of the material

bird: Fossil birds: that included Ichthyornis and Apatornis. Although not related to gulls, these birds resembled them superficially and may well have been their ecological counterparts. It was long believed that Ichthyornis had teeth, like Hesperornis, but it is now thought that the toothed jaws formerly thought to belong to Ichthyornis were…

Apatosaurus, (genus Apatosaurus), genus of at least two species of giant herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs that lived between about 156 million and 151 million years ago, during the late Jurassic Period. Its fossil remains are found in North America and Europe. Although the genus has subsumed

brontosaurus: …Brontosaurus contains only one species, B. excelsus.

Judd Apatow is an American writer, director, and producer known for creating offbeat comedies featuring unconventional protagonists. Apatow was a self-described awkward, undersized child who was always picked last for school sports teams. He was deeply scarred as a youth by his parents’ divorce,

Apaturia, Greek religious festival that was held annually in nearly all the Ionian towns. At Athens it took place in the month of Pyanopsion (October–November) and lasted three days, on which occasion the various phratries (clans) of Attica met to discuss their affairs. The name probably means the

Apatzingán, city, west-central Michoacán estado (state), west-central Mexico. It lies along the Apatzingán (Acahuato) River, 176 miles (283 km) southwest of Morelia, the state capital. Its name commemorates the signing there in 1814 of the Constitution of Apatzingán by the congress called by the

Apatzingán, city, west-central Michoacán estado (state), west-central Mexico. It lies along the Apatzingán (Acahuato) River, 176 miles (283 km) southwest of Morelia, the state capital. Its name commemorates the signing there in 1814 of the Constitution of Apatzingán by the congress called by the

Apatzingán: …there in 1814 of the Constitution of Apatzingán by the congress called by the revolutionary leader José María Morelos to declare Mexican independence. The city links the sparsely inhabited southern and densely populated central portions of Michoacán. Although the climate is hot and semiarid, the agricultural and pastoral hinterland is…

Apausha, in ancient Iranian religion, a demonic star who in an important myth does battle with Tishtrya over

moksha, in Indian philosophy and religion, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). Derived from the Sanskrit word muc (“to free”), the term moksha literally means freedom from samsara. This concept of liberation or release is shared by a wide spectrum of religious traditions,

baseball: Fantasy baseball: …entrepreneur Dick Seitz, known as APBA (American Professional Baseball Association). A similar game called Strat-o-matic first appeared in the 1960s. Having purchased the APBA or Strat-o-matic board game, players annually ordered cards that listed the statistical data for the ballplayers from the prior season. A combination of data given on…

tumour suppressor gene: …in the tumour suppressor gene APC.

Sierra Leone: Constitutional framework: …one-party republic based on the All People’s Congress; the head of state, or executive president, was elected by delegates of the All People’s Congress, and there was a parliament. Mounting political pressures and violence resulted in the adoption of a new constitution in 1991 that established a multiparty system. However,…

prostate cancer: Treatment: …based on the collection of antigen-presenting cells (APCs; a type of immune cell) from the patient’s blood using a procedure known as leukapheresis (the separation of leukocytes, or white blood cells, from other blood components). The APCs are then cultured in a laboratory, where they are grown in the presence…

All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigerian political party formed in 2013 via a merger of prominent opposition parties. It has been the country’s ruling party since 2015. The All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed in a political environment in Nigeria that had been dominated, since the county’s

Paraguay: Continued rule by the Colorado Party: …Lugo of the centre-left coalition Patriotic Alliance for Change (Alianza Patriótica para el Cambio; APC) defeated Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado Party, ending that party’s 62 years of continuous rule.

mobile telephone: Airborne cellular systems: …known by the generic name aeronautical public correspondence (APC) systems, are of two types: terrestrial-based, in which telephone calls are placed directly from an aircraft to an en route ground station; and satellite-based, in which telephone calls are relayed via satellite to a ground station. In the United States the…

telecommunications media: Optoelectronic receivers: …positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) photodiode and the avalanche photodiode (APD). These optical receivers extract the baseband signal from a modulated optical carrier signal by converting incident optical power into electric current. The PIN photodiode has low gain but very fast response; the APD has high gain but slower response.

artillery: Antitank guns: In 1944 Britain perfected “discarding-sabot” projectiles, in which a tungsten core was supported in a conventional gun by a light metal sabot that split and fell free after leaving the muzzle, allowing the core to fly on at extremely high velocity.