Abdülaziz was an Ottoman sultan (1861–76) who continued the Westernizing reforms that had been initiated by his predecessors until 1871, after which his reign took an absolutist turn. Like his brother Abdülmecid I, whom he succeeded as sultan on June 25, 1861, Abdülaziz was an ardent admirer of the

Abdülaziz was an Ottoman sultan (1861–76) who continued the Westernizing reforms that had been initiated by his predecessors until 1871, after which his reign took an absolutist turn. Like his brother Abdülmecid I, whom he succeeded as sultan on June 25, 1861, Abdülaziz was an ardent admirer of the

Bâkî was one of the greatest lyric poets of the classical period of Ottoman Turkish literature. The son of a muezzin, he lived in Constantinople. After an apprenticeship as a saddler, he entered a religious college, where he studied Islāmic law. He also came into contact with many famous men of

Abdülhak Hâmid was a poet and playwright, considered one of the greatest Turkish Romantic writers. He was instrumental in introducing Western influences into Turkish literature. Born into a family of famous scholars, Hâmid was educated in Istanbul and in Paris. Later in Tehrān, he studied Arabic

Abdülhak Hâmid was a poet and playwright, considered one of the greatest Turkish Romantic writers. He was instrumental in introducing Western influences into Turkish literature. Born into a family of famous scholars, Hâmid was educated in Istanbul and in Paris. Later in Tehrān, he studied Arabic

Abdülhamid I was an Ottoman sultan from 1774 to 1789 who concluded the war with Russia by signing the humiliating Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. By the terms of the treaty, Russia obtained the fortresses on the coast of the Sea of Azov, the area between the Dnieper and Bug rivers, and navigation and

Abdülhamid II was an Ottoman sultan from 1876 to 1909, under whose autocratic rule the reform movement of Tanzimat (Reorganization) reached its climax and who adopted a policy of pan-Islamism in opposition to Western intervention in Ottoman affairs. A son of Sultan Abdülmecid I, he came to the

Uzbekistan: Cultural life: The younger poets Batu, Cholpán (Abdulhamid Sulayman Yunús), and Elbek (Mashriq Yunus Oghli) offered metres and rhyme schemes quite different from the verse composed in the traditions long employed by the poets of the region. Fitrat gained fame and popularity for such prose and poetic dialogues as Munazara (1909;…

Muhammed Said Abdulla was a Tanzanian novelist generally regarded as the father of Swahili popular literature. Abdulla, after completing his formal education in 1938, began his career as an inspector in the Public Health Department. After 10 years there, however, he decided to become a journalist.

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was the king of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015. As crown prince (1982–2005), he had served as the country’s de facto ruler following the 1995 stroke of his half-brother King Fahd (reigned 1982–2005). Abdullah was one of dozens of sons born to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud’s. For

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is a Malay politician who was the prime minister of Malaysia (2003–09). In 1964 Abdullah graduated with a B.A. (with honours) in Islamic studies from the University of Malaya. He then joined the Malayan civil service. He served on the National Operation Council, which

Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir was a Malayan-born writer who, through his autobiographical and other works, played an important role as a progenitor of modern Malay literature. Of mixed Arab (Yemeni) and Tamil descent, and Malayo-Muslim culture, Abdullah was born and grew up in a Malacca newly British,

Abdullah I was a statesman who became the first ruler (1946–51) of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Abdullah, the second son of Hussein ibn Ali, the ruler of the Hejaz, was educated in Istanbul in what was then the Ottoman Empire. After the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, he represented Mecca in the

Art Blakey was an American drummer and bandleader noted for his extraordinary drum solos, which helped define the offshoot of bebop known as “hard bop” and gave the drums a significant solo status. His style was characterized by thunderous press rolls, cross beats, and drum rolls that began as

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was the king of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015. As crown prince (1982–2005), he had served as the country’s de facto ruler following the 1995 stroke of his half-brother King Fahd (reigned 1982–2005). Abdullah was one of dozens of sons born to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud’s. For

Abdullah II is the king of Jordan from 1999. He succeeded his father, Hussein, who had named Abdullah crown prince just weeks before his death. Abdullah is a member of the Hashemite dynasty, considered by pious Muslims to be direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (see Ahl al-Bayt). The

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was the king of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015. As crown prince (1982–2005), he had served as the country’s de facto ruler following the 1995 stroke of his half-brother King Fahd (reigned 1982–2005). Abdullah was one of dozens of sons born to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud’s. For

Afghanistan: The Hamid Karzai presidency, NATO takeover, and Taliban resurgence: …closest challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. With more than 2,000 complaints of fraud and intimidation, however, the United Nations-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) ordered an audit of suspect polling stations, including those that registered a turnout exceeding 100 percent, and began an investigation into fraud allegations. In mid-October the…

Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was an Egyptian militant Islamist and al-Qaeda strategist who was indicted by the United States for his role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. According to the indictment, Abdullah had served as a member of al-Qaeda’s inner circle and

Farooq Abdullah is an Indian politician and government official who twice served as president (1982–2002 and 2009– ) of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). He also was the chief minister (head of government) of Jammu and Kashmir state, northwestern India, on three occasions: 1982–84,

Farooq Abdullah is an Indian politician and government official who twice served as president (1982–2002 and 2009– ) of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). He also was the chief minister (head of government) of Jammu and Kashmir state, northwestern India, on three occasions: 1982–84,

Omar Abdullah is an Indian politician and government official and the chief minister (2024– ) of Jammu and Kashmir union territory in northwestern India. He previously served as chief minister (2009–15) of Jammu and Kashmir state before its bifurcation into Jammu and Kashmir union territory and

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was a prominent figure in India’s struggle for independence from British rule, who fought for the rights of the Kashmir region. He won a semiautonomous status for Jammu and Kashmir state within independent India, a status which the state continued to enjoy into the 21st

ʿAbd Allāh was a political and religious leader who succeeded Muḥammad Aḥmad (al-Mahdī) as head of a religious movement and state within the Sudan. ʿAbd Allāh followed his family’s vocation for religion. In about 1880 he became a disciple of Muḥammad Aḥmad, who announced that he had a divine

Usman dan Fodio: Growing leadership: …him were his younger brother, Abdullahi, who was one of his first pupils, and his son, Muhammad Bello, both distinguished teachers and writers. But his own scholarly clan was slow to come over to him. Significant support appears to have come from the Hausa peasantry. Their economic and social grievances…

Abdülmecid I was an Ottoman sultan from 1839 to 1861 who issued two major social and political reform edicts known as the Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane (Noble Edict of the Rose Chamber) in 1839 and the Hatt-ı Hümayun (Imperial Edict) in 1856, heralding the new era of Tanzimat (“Reorganization”). Well

Abdülmecid II was the last caliph and crown prince of the Ottoman dynasty of Turkey. Following Ottoman custom, Abdülmecid was confined to the palace until he was 40, during which time his father, Abdülaziz, and three of his cousins reigned. When his fourth cousin took the throne as Mehmed VI in

Abdur Rahman Khan was the emir of Afghanistan (1880–1901) who played a prominent role in the fierce and long-drawn struggle for power waged by his father and his uncle, Aʿẓam Khān, against his cousin Shīr ʿAlī, the successor of Dōst Moḥammad Khān. Abdur Rahman was the son of Afẕal Khān, whose

South Africa: Black, Coloured, and Indian political responses: Under the presidency of Abdullah Abdurahman, this body lobbied for Coloured rights and had links at times with other Black political groups. Indians in the Transvaal, led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, also resisted discriminatory legislation. Gandhi spent the years 1893 to 1914 in South Africa as a legal agent…

Abe Isoo was one of the founders of the Japanese socialist movement and titular head of the Social Mass Party (Shakai Taishūtō) from its inception in 1932 until 1940. He is also remembered for introducing the game of baseball to Japan. Abe was attracted to socialism while studying for the ministry

Abe Kōbō was a Japanese novelist and playwright noted for his use of bizarre and allegorical situations to underline the isolation of the individual. He grew up in Mukden (now Shenyang), in Manchuria, where his father, a physician, taught at the medical college. In middle school his strongest

Abe Kōbō was a Japanese novelist and playwright noted for his use of bizarre and allegorical situations to underline the isolation of the individual. He grew up in Mukden (now Shenyang), in Manchuria, where his father, a physician, taught at the medical college. In middle school his strongest

Abe Lincoln in Illinois, drama in 12 scenes by Robert E. Sherwood, first produced in 1938 and published in 1939 with extended commentary by the playwright. The play, which in 1939 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama, concerns Lincoln’s life and career—from his early, unsuccessful days as a

John Cromwell: From The Prisoner of Zenda to Caged: Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Robert E. Sherwood. The moving drama featured an Academy Award-nominated performance by Raymond Massey as the future president; Ruth Gordon was Mary Todd Lincoln, and Cromwell played John Brown.

Abe Masahiro was a statesman who negotiated the opening of Japan to trade and communication with Western nations after the arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his U.S. Navy fleet. Born into an influential noble family, Abe was only 25 years old when he was appointed head of the rōjū (senior

Shinzo Abe: Early life and first term as prime minister: …as secretary to his father, Shintaro Abe, who was Japan’s foreign minister.

Shinzo Abe was a Japanese politician, who twice served as the prime minister of Japan (2006–07 and 2012–20). His 2022 assassination sent shockwaves throughout Japan. Abe was a member of a prominent political family. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi served as Japan’s prime minister from 1957 to 1960,

A soldier in the palace guard of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, Abebe Bikila had run only two official marathons before the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. He entered the race as an unknown, but by the end of the 26 miles and 385 yards, he earned worldwide fame as well as a gold medal. Bikila not

abecedarius, a type of acrostic in which the first letter of each line of a poem or the first letter of the first word of each stanza taken in order forms the alphabet. Examples of these are some of the Psalms (in Hebrew), such as Psalms 25 and 34, where successive verses begin with the letters of

dictionary: From Classical times to 1604: …Richard Huloet’s work of 1552, Abecedarium Anglo-Latinum, for it contained a greater number of English words than had before appeared in any similar dictionary. In 1556 appeared the first edition by John Withals of A Short Dictionary for Young Beginners, which gained greater circulation (to judge by the frequency of…

abecedarius, a type of acrostic in which the first letter of each line of a poem or the first letter of the first word of each stanza taken in order forms the alphabet. Examples of these are some of the Psalms (in Hebrew), such as Psalms 25 and 34, where successive verses begin with the letters of

Abéché, town located in eastern Chad, between the wadis Chao and Sao. Historically, it was the site of the capital of the Muslim sultanate of Ouaddaï, which dominated much of the area of Chad before the French conquest in 1912. The remains of the ancient capital include a palace, tombs of former

Abedi Ayew Pelé is a Ghanaian football (soccer) player who was the only man to have won the African Player of the Year award three consecutive times (1991–93). As an attacking midfielder with Olympique de Marseille in France, Abedi Pelé was one of the first African players to have an impact on club

Bangladesh: Visual art and architecture: …behind the art movement was Zainul Abedin, who first attracted attention with his sketches of the Bengal famine of 1943. After the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947, he was able to gather around him a school of artists who experimented with various forms, both orthodox and innovative.

Cornplanter was a Seneca Indian leader who aided white expansion into Indian territory in the eastern United States. Cornplanter’s father was a white trader of English or Dutch ancestry named John O’Bail, and his mother was a Seneca Indian. Little is known of his early life. During the American

Richard Wilhelm Heinrich Abegg was a physical chemist whose work contributed to the understanding of valence (the capacity of an atom to combine with another atom) in light of the newly discovered presence of electrons within the atom. Abegg became professor of chemistry at the University of

Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), one of the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Curving from North Cape to East Point, “the Island,” as Prince Edward Islanders refer to the province, is about 140 miles (225 km) long, ranging from 2 to 40 miles (3 to 65 km) in width. It lies between 46° and 47° N latitude

Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals and for his original use of dialectics. He is also known for his poetry and for his celebrated love affair with Héloïse. The outline of Abelard’s career is well known, largely because he

Mexico: Pre-Columbian Mexico: During the Abejas phase (3400–2300 bc), use of cultivated plants increased at the expense of wild plants and, probably, at the expense of hunting. In addition, pumpkins and the common bean were introduced. Toward the end of the phase, more-permanent settlements seem to have developed as pit-house…

Abel, in the Old Testament, second son of Adam and Eve, who was slain by his older brother, Cain (Genesis 4:1–16). According to Genesis, Abel, a shepherd, offered the Lord the firstborn of his flock. The Lord respected Abel’s sacrifice but did not respect that offered by Cain. In a jealous rage,

Abel Prize, award granted annually for research in mathematics, in commemoration of the brilliant 19th-century Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. The Niels Henrik Abel Memorial Fund was established on Jan. 1, 2002, and it is administered by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.

Miguel de Unamuno: …una historia de pasión (1917; Abel Sanchez), a modern re-creation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, which centres on the painfully conflicting impulses of the character representing Cain. His other novels include Amor y pedagogía (1902; “Love and Pedagogy”), which describes a father’s attempt to raise his son…

Miguel de Unamuno: …una historia de pasión (1917; Abel Sanchez), a modern re-creation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, which centres on the painfully conflicting impulses of the character representing Cain. His other novels include Amor y pedagogía (1902; “Love and Pedagogy”), which describes a father’s attempt to raise his son…

Abel Tasman National Park, wildlife preserve in northwestern South Island, New Zealand. Established in 1942, it was named for Abel Tasman, the Dutch navigator. With an area of 55,699 acres (22,541 hectares), it extends inland for about 6 miles (10 km) from the beaches of Tasman Bay on its western

William Steig: …Steig’s two Newbery Honor Books, Abel’s Island (1976) and Doctor De Soto (1982). His other self-illustrated publications include Amos and Boris (1971), Dominic (1972), The Real Thief (1973), Gorky Rises (1980), Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa (1992), Zeke Pippin (1994), and Grown-Ups Get to Do All the Driving (1995).…

Abel’s test, in analysis (a branch of mathematics), a test for determining if an infinite series converges to some finite value. The test is named for the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–29). Starting with any known convergent series, say Σ an (i.e., a1 + a2 + a3 + ⋯), Abel proved

Niels Henrik Abel: His central result, known as Abel’s theorem, is the basis for the later theory of Abelian integrals and Abelian functions, a generalization of elliptic function theory to functions of several variables. However, Abel’s visit to Paris was unsuccessful in securing him an appointment, and the memoir he submitted to the…

Carl Friedrich Abel was a symphonist of the pre-Classical school and one of the last virtuosos of the viola da gamba. After playing in the Dresden court orchestra (1743–58), Abel went to London in 1759, where he was appointed chamber musician to Queen Charlotte in 1764. When J.C. Bach arrived in

John Jacob Abel was an American pharmacologist and physiological chemist who made important contributions to a modern understanding of the ductless, or endocrine, glands. He isolated adrenaline in the form of a chemical derivative (1897) and crystallized insulin (1926). He also invented a primitive

Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician, a pioneer in the development of several branches of modern mathematics. Abel’s father was a poor Lutheran minister who moved his family to the parish of Gjerstad, near the town of Risør in southeast Norway, soon after Niels Henrik was born. In 1815

Rudolf Abel was a Soviet intelligence officer, convicted in the United States in 1957 for conspiring to transmit military secrets to the Soviet Union. He was exchanged in 1962 for the American aviator Francis Gary Powers, who had been imprisoned as a spy in the Soviet Union since 1960. Genrich

Rudolf Abel was a Soviet intelligence officer, convicted in the United States in 1957 for conspiring to transmit military secrets to the Soviet Union. He was exchanged in 1962 for the American aviator Francis Gary Powers, who had been imprisoned as a spy in the Soviet Union since 1960. Genrich

Sir Frederick Augustus Abel was an English chemist and explosives specialist who, with the chemist Sir James Dewar, invented cordite (1889), later adopted as the standard explosive of the British army. Abel also made studies of dust explosions in coal mines, invented a device for testing the flash

Theodora Mead Abel was an American clinical psychologist and educator who combined sociology and psychology, most notably in her work with Native Americans. Abel earned a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College (1921), a Master’s degree from Columbia University (1924), and a degree in psychology from

Malta: Modern history: On January 12, 2020, Robert Abela, the son of a former president, was elected leader of the party, and he was sworn in as prime minister the following day. Although Labour under Abela’s leadership oversaw some government reform, the remainder of the parliamentary term focused primarily on navigating the…

Oceanic art and architecture: The Sepik River regions: The art of the Abelam tribe, which lived in the Prince Alexander Mountains, was tied to a vigorous ceremonial life. It thus presents a far more spectacular scene. Their pyramidal ceremonial houses, centres for cults of yam growing and initiation, were built on the grandest scale known in New…

Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals and for his original use of dialectics. He is also known for his poetry and for his celebrated love affair with Héloïse. The outline of Abelard’s career is well known, largely because he

Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals and for his original use of dialectics. He is also known for his poetry and for his celebrated love affair with Héloïse. The outline of Abelard’s career is well known, largely because he

Dutch literature: Songs, drama, and the rhetoricians: …the first extant plays—the 14th-century Abele spelen (“seemly plays”)—were entirely secular (and may have been the first of such in Europe), incorporating romantic themes from the earlier songs, there is reason to attribute the emergence of drama in the Netherlands as much to mime and song as to liturgical action.…

Caprifoliaceae: Major genera and species: The genus Abelia has about 30 species, which are native to East Asia and Mexico. Given this unusual geographical distribution, the taxonomy of the genus is contentious. Mexican abelia (A. floribunda) is cultivated as an ornamental and has bright green oval leaves and small clusters of fragrant…

Caprifoliaceae: Major genera and species: Mexican abelia (A. floribunda) is cultivated as an ornamental and has bright green oval leaves and small clusters of fragrant pinkish purple tubular flowers. It may reach 1.8 metres (6 feet) but usually is shorter. The glossy abelia (A. ×grandiflora) has pinkish white blooms and…

Caprifoliaceae: Major genera and species: The glossy abelia (A. ×grandiflora) has pinkish white blooms and is evergreen in warm climates.

modern algebra: Group theory: …group is called commutative, or Abelian; for such Abelian groups, operations are sometimes written α + β instead of αβ, using addition in place of multiplication.

Niels Henrik Abel: His central result, known as Abel’s theorem, is the basis for the later theory of Abelian integrals and Abelian functions, a generalization of elliptic function theory to functions of several variables. However, Abel’s visit to Paris was unsuccessful in securing him an appointment, and the memoir he submitted to the…

A.S. Abell was a newspaper editor and publisher, and founder, with two other investors, of the Philadelphia Public Ledger and the Baltimore Sun. Abell left school at the age of 14 to become a clerk in a store dealing in West Indian wares. He had hoped to become a printer, and in 1822 he was taken

A.S. Abell was a newspaper editor and publisher, and founder, with two other investors, of the Philadelphia Public Ledger and the Baltimore Sun. Abell left school at the age of 14 to become a clerk in a store dealing in West Indian wares. He had hoped to become a printer, and in 1822 he was taken

Kjeld Abell was a dramatist and social critic, best known outside Denmark for two plays, Melodien der blev væk (1935; English adaptation, The Melody That Got Lost, 1939) and Anna Sophie Hedvig (1939; Eng. trans., 1944), which defends the use of force by the oppressed against the oppressor. Abell

okra, (Abelmoschus esculentus), herbaceous hairy annual plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae) and its edible fruit. It is native to the tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere and is widely cultivated or naturalized in the tropics and subtropics of the Western Hemisphere. Only the tender unripe fruit is

musk mallow, (Abelmoschus moschatus), annual or biennial plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to India. Musk mallow is cultivated for its seeds, which are used in perfumes as a replacement for musk, and is a source of an essential oil that is used in traditional medicine and to flavour

musk mallow, (Abelmoschus moschatus), annual or biennial plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to India. Musk mallow is cultivated for its seeds, which are used in perfumes as a replacement for musk, and is a source of an essential oil that is used in traditional medicine and to flavour

Philip Hauge Abelson was an American physical chemist who proposed the gas diffusion process for separating uranium-235 from uranium-238 and in collaboration with the U.S. physicist Edwin Mattison McMillan discovered the element neptunium. After receiving a Ph.D. (1939) in nuclear physics from the

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

Abenaki, Algonquian-speaking North American Indigenous people that united with other peoples in the 17th century to furnish mutual protection against the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. The name refers to their location “toward the dawn.” In its earliest known form, the Abenaki Confederacy

Abenaki: …its earliest known form, the Abenaki Confederacy consisted of tribes or bands living east and northeast of present-day New York state, including the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot in present-day Maine, Malecite and Mi’kmaq (Micmac) in present-day Maritime Provinces, and

Dietrich Buxtehude: …were written for the famous Abendmusiken, concerts of mixed vocal and instrumental music held in St. Mary’s in the late afternoons on five Sundays in the year. These performances, instituted by Buxtehude in 1673, became the pride of Lübeck, and their tradition was continued into the 19th century.

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: Die Abendstunde eines Linsiedlers (1780; “The Evening Hour of a Hermit”) outlines his fundamental theory that education must be “according to nature” and that security in the home is the foundation of man’s happiness. His novel Lienhard und Gertrud (1781–87; Leonard and Gertrude, 1801), written…

Abengourou, town, eastern Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), on the road from Abidjan (the national capital) to Ghana. The major trading centre for a productive forest region, it is also the residence of the Anyi (Agni) paramount chief, who is the present king of Indénié (an Anyi kingdom founded in the

Tom Kristensen: …the complete autobiography appeared as Åbenhjertige fortielser: Erindringsglimt (“Candid Concealments: Flashes of Memory”).

Shinzo Abe: Second term and Abenomics: The program, quickly dubbed “Abenomics,” included measures such as raising the inflation rate, allowing the value of the yen to fall against the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies, and increasing the money supply and government spending on major public works projects. The Abe government received a big political…

Åbenrå, city, southeastern Jutland, Denmark, at the head of Åbenrå Fjord. First mentioned in the 12th century when attacked by the Wends, it was granted a charter (1335) and grew from a fishing village into a thriving port in the 17th and 18th centuries. Medieval landmarks include the St. Nicholas

Simplicissimus, novel by Hans Jacob Christoph von Grimmelshausen, the first part of which was published in 1669 as Der abentheurliche Simplicissimus Teutsch (“The Adventurous Simplicissimus Teutsch”). Considered one of the most significant works of German literature, it contains a satirical and

Abenteuerroman, in German literature, a form of the picaresque novel. The Abenteuerroman is an entertaining story recounting the adventures of the hero, but it often incorporates a serious aspect. An example of the genre is the 17th-century Der Abentheurliche Simplicissimus (Adventurous

Abeokuta, town, capital of Ogun state, southwestern Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, around a group of rocky outcroppings that rise above the surrounding wooded savanna. It lies on the main railway (1899) from Lagos, 48 miles (78 km) south, and on the older trunk road

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: …school, she helped organize the Abeokuta Ladies Club (ALC), initially a civic and charitable group of mostly Western-educated Christian women. The organization gradually became more political and feminist in its orientation, and in 1944 it formally admitted market women (women vendors in Abeokuta’s open-air markets), who were generally impoverished, illiterate,…

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: …school, she helped organize the Abeokuta Ladies Club (ALC), initially a civic and charitable group of mostly Western-educated Christian women. The organization gradually became more political and feminist in its orientation, and in 1944 it formally admitted market women (women vendors in Abeokuta’s open-air markets), who were generally impoverished, illiterate,…

Hill and Range: The King’s Publishers: Jean and Julian Aberbach formed their Hill and Range publishing company in 1945, the name they chose made it clear which songwriters they were after—the country-and-western writers who had been long overlooked by the established publishers affiliated with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and…

Hill and Range: The King’s Publishers: …Austrian immigrant brothers Jean and Julian Aberbach formed their Hill and Range publishing company in 1945, the name they chose made it clear which songwriters they were after—the country-and-western writers who had been long overlooked by the established publishers affiliated with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).…

Shamva, town, northeastern Zimbabwe. It was originally called Abercorn, and its present name was derived from a Shona word meaning “to become friendly.” Located at the site of a sandstone reef that once yielded large quantities of gold, the town is overshadowed by giant mine dumps at the foot of

Abercrombie & Fitch, American clothing retailer marketing casual wear to preteens, teens, and young adults. Headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. Abercrombie & Fitch was founded by David Abercrombie in 1892 as Abercrombie Co. A retail sporting goods concern based in New York City, it was famed for

James Abercrombie was a general in the French and Indian War who commanded British forces in their failed attack on the French in the Battle of Carillon at what was later renamed Fort Ticonderoga in New York. A lieutenant colonel of the Royal Scots early in his military career, Abercrombie was