Luis Méndez de Haro was the chief minister and favourite of King Philip IV (reigned 1621–65), who failed to stem the decline of Spanish power and prestige. Haro’s political career advanced under the patronage of his uncle Gaspar Olivares, who was chief minister during 1621–43 and whom he succeeded

Bilingual Education Act: …a federal court ruled in Mendez v. Westminster that the segregation of Mexican American students in California schools was unlawful. More lawsuits followed, culminating in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This decision…

Aparicio Méndez was an Uruguayan lawyer, legal scholar, and politician and, from September 1976 to September 1981, served as the president of Uruguay. Méndez was professor of administrative law at the University of the Republic in Montevideo from 1930 to 1955, minister of public health from 1961 to

Spanish literature: Women poets: Concha Méndez published four major poetry collections before the Civil War drove her into exile. Drawing upon traditional popular forms and the oral tradition, Méndez’s prewar poetry—such as that in Vida a vida (1932; “Life to Life”)—exudes optimism and vitality, recalling the neopopular airs of…

baseball: Segregation: …Black pitchers, John Donaldson and Jose Mendez.

baseball: Segregation: …Black pitchers, John Donaldson and Jose Mendez.

Sylvia Mendez is an American civil rights activist and nurse who was at the centre of the court case Mendez v. Westminster, in which a federal court ruled in the mid-1940s that the school segregation of Hispanic children was unconstitutional. Mendez’s father, Gonzalo, was from Mexico, and her

Argo: …of the CIA calls in Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a specialist in creating false identities in support of espionage operations. Mendez shoots down every idea suggested to him for extracting the six houseguests of the Canadian ambassador but later has the idea of disguising them as a Canadian film crew…

Mendi, town on the island of New Guinea, central Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It lies at an elevation of 5,495 feet (1,675 m) in the Mendi River valley on a gentle volcanic slope with mountains to the west and east. The heavily populated area surrounding Mendi remains

mendicant, member of any of several Roman Catholic religious orders who assumes a vow of poverty and supports himself or herself by work and charitable contributions. The mendicant orders surviving today are the four recognized by the Second Council of Lyon (1274): Dominicans, Franciscans,

Ana Mendieta was a Cuban-born interdisciplinary artist who drew from feminism, ancient religions, sculpture, earth art, video, and performance to create what she termed “earth-body art.” The majority of her work was ephemeral but was often documented in both video and photographs. Mendieta was born

Ana Mendieta was a Cuban-born interdisciplinary artist who drew from feminism, ancient religions, sculpture, earth art, video, and performance to create what she termed “earth-body art.” The majority of her work was ephemeral but was often documented in both video and photographs. Mendieta was born

Venice: The port of Venice: …shifted to the parish of Mendigola in the west. There the main cruise liners dock, and the offices of shipping lines occupy former palaces. But the real focus of commercial shipping today is Port Marghera, developed next to the suburb of Mestre on the mainland shore west of Venice. Marco…

Mending Wall, poem by Robert Frost, published in the collection North of Boston (1914). It is written in blank verse and depicts a pair of neighbouring farmers working together on the annual chore of rebuilding their common wall. The wall serves as the symbolic fulcrum of their friendly antagonism;

Mendip, district, administrative and historic county of Somerset, southwestern England, about 20 miles (32 km) south of the city of Bristol. Shepton Mallet, in the centre of an area that produces cider apples, is the administrative centre. The district is named for the most prominent feature in the

Mendip Hills, range of hills in the geographic county of Somerset, England, extending 23 miles (37 km) northwest from the Frome valley. The Eastern Mendip is comparatively low, but the Western Mendip forms a plateau 6 miles wide and more than 800 feet (244 metres) high. Farther west the Wavering

comet: Spacecraft exploration of comets: …his adviser, Sri Lankan physicist Asoka Mendis, in 1979. As the lag deposit built up, it would effectively insulate the icy materials below it from sunlight. Calculations showed that a layer only 10–100 cm (4–39 inches) in thickness could completely turn off sublimation from the surface. Brin and Mendis predicted…

Elsie de Wolfe was an American interior decorator, hostess, and actress, best known for her innovative and anti-Victorian interiors. De Wolfe was educated privately in New York and in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lived with maternal relatives. Through that connection she was presented at Queen

Mendocino Fracture Zone, submarine fracture zone in the eastern Pacific Ocean, defined by one of the major transform faults dissecting the spreading centre of the Gorda Ridges. The Mendocino Fracture Zone extends west from immediately offshore of Cape Mendocino, California, for at least 2,500 miles

Mindaugas was a ruler of Lithuania, considered the founder of the Lithuanian state. He was also the first Lithuanian ruler to become a Christian. Mindaugas successfully asserted himself over other leading Lithuanian nobles and tribal chiefs, including his brother and his nephews, in 1236. The state

lake: Water output: 5 feet) for Lake Mendota, Wisconsin; over 210 cm (7 feet) for Lake Mead, Arizona and Nevada; about 140 cm (4.5 feet) for Lake Hefner; about 660 mm (26 inches) for the IJsselmeer, in the Netherlands; and about 109 mm (4.25 inches) for Lake Baikal.

Mindaugas was a ruler of Lithuania, considered the founder of the Lithuanian state. He was also the first Lithuanian ruler to become a Christian. Mindaugas successfully asserted himself over other leading Lithuanian nobles and tribal chiefs, including his brother and his nephews, in 1236. The state

Mendoza, city, capital of Mendoza provincia (province), western Argentina. It is situated at an elevation of 2,497 feet (761 metres) in the irrigated Mendoza River valley at the foot of the Sierra de los Paramillos, a secondary range in the Andes Mountains. The city was founded and relocated

Mendoza, provincia (province), western Argentina. The northern city of Mendoza is the provincial capital. Mendoza province extends eastward from the high peaks of the Andes Mountains, which form its boundary with Chile. A considerable part of its area is occupied by arid and semiarid sections of

Spain: Castile: There the Enríquez, the Mendoza, and the Guzmán families and others owned vast estates, sometimes covering almost half a province. They had grown rich as a result of the boom in wool exports to Flanders during the 15th-century, when there were more than 2.5 million sheep in Castile, and…

La Paz: …Peace”) by the conquistador Captain Alonso de Mendoza on the site of an Inca village, the city was renamed La Paz de Ayacucho in 1825, in commemoration of the last decisive battle in the wars of independence. The seat of national government was established there in 1898, but Sucre remains…

Antonio de Mendoza was the first and probably the most able viceroy of New Spain, who ruled the conquered Mexican territory with justice, efficiency, and a degree of compassion and established policies that endured until the colonies gained their independence. The son of a distinguished family of

Daniel Mendoza was a bareknuckle pugilist, 16th in the succession of English heavyweight champions and the first Jewish champion. He was the first important fighter to combine scientific boxing with rapid, rather than hard, punching—a great change from the mauling style used until his time. Not a

Osorno: …was refounded in 1558 by García Hurtado de Mendoza, who named it Ciudad de San Mateo de Osorno. The settlement came under attack by Araucanian Indians in 1599 and was devastated in 1602. After several unsuccessful attempts, it was repopulated in 1796 by order of Ambrosio O’Higgins (the father of…

Iñigo López de Mendoza, marquis de Santillana was a Spanish poet and Humanist who was one of the great literary and political figures of his time. As lord of the vast Mendoza estates, he led the nobles in a war against King John II of Castile and in expeditions against the Muslims; he also

Pedro de Mendoza was a Spanish soldier and explorer, the first governor of the Río de la Plata region of Argentina and founder of Buenos Aires. Born into a distinguished Spanish family, as a young man Mendoza served as an officer during the Spanish campaigns in Italy. Because the emperor Charles V

Pedro González, cardinal de Mendoza was a Spanish prelate and diplomat who influenced Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon and was called, even in his own time, “the third king of Spain.” Mendoza, the fifth son of the poet Iñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana, studied at the

Southeast Asian arts: Hindu and Buddhist candis: One of Java’s greatest monuments, Candi Mendut, is a shrine expressly created to illustrate the combined doctrine of garbha-dhatu and vajra-dhatu.

Menedemus Of Eretria was a Greek philosopher who founded the Eretrian school of philosophy. During a military expedition in Megara, he began attending the lectures of Stilpon and later joined the school founded by Phaedo at Elis. He became the leader of the school and transferred it to Eretria,

Simon Vestdijk: In his first published novel, Meneer Vissers hellevaart (1936; “Mr. Visser’s Journey Through Hell”), the influence of James Joyce is evident—from the wealth of interior monologue to the author’s preoccupation with distasteful everyday details. The brutality and mental cruelty of Mr. Visser is shown to stem from his militaristic upbringing,…

Lihue: …in one night by the menehunes (“little people”), who were said to have accomplished great construction feats. Also near Lihue is Huleia National Wildlife Refuge (closed to the public), which protects the wetlands for endangered native Hawaiian birds. Pop. (2000) 5,674; (2010) 6,455.

Waimea: A famous landmark is Menehune Ditch, a large irrigation system built of smoothed lava stone; according to legend, the structure, constructed before Polynesian settlement, was built in one night by menehunes (“little people”). Pop. (2000) 1,787; (2010) 1,855.

Lihue: At nearby Niumalu the Menehune Fishpond, dating from about 1,000 years ago, was formed by a 900-foot (275-metre) stone wall at a bend in the Huleia Stream; according to legend, the wall, 4 feet (1.2 metres) wide and 5 feet (1.5 metres) above water level, was built in one…

Judaism: Hellenism and Judaism: …extreme Hellenizing faction, which established Menelaus (died 162 bce) as high priest, occasioned a civil war in which Menelaus was supported by the wealthy aristocrats and Jason by the masses. The Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who initially granted exemptions and privileges to the Jews, intervened at the request of…

Menelaus, in Greek mythology, king of Sparta and younger son of Atreus, king of Mycenae; the abduction of his wife, Helen, led to the Trojan War. During the war Menelaus served under his elder brother Agamemnon, the commander in chief of the Greek forces. When Phrontis, one of his crewmen, was

Menelaus of Alexandria was a Greek mathematician and astronomer who first conceived and defined a spherical triangle (a triangle formed by three arcs of great circles on the surface of a sphere). Menelaus’s most important work is Sphaerica, on the geometry of the sphere, extant only in an Arabic

Menelaus of Alexandria: …on spherical trigonometry and introduces Menelaus’s theorem. The form of this theorem for plane triangles, well known to his contemporaries, was expressed as follows: if the three sides of a triangle are crossed by a straight line (one of the sides is extended beyond its vertices), then the product of…

Aksum: …Jerusalem to Aksum by King Menilek I, legendary son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (Makeda). According to tradition, the Church of St. Mary of Zion contains the Ark of the Covenant. Over the centuries, however, the church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times; the present structure dates…

Menilek II was the king of Shewa (or Shoa; 1865–89) and emperor of Ethiopia (1889–1913). One of Ethiopia’s greatest rulers, he expanded the empire almost to its present-day borders, repelled an Italian invasion in the Battle of Adwa in 1896, and carried out a wide-ranging program of modernization.

Carlos Menem was a politician and lawyer who served as president of Argentina (1989–99)—the first Peronist to be elected president of Argentina since Juan Perón in 1973. Menem, the son of Syrian immigrants, was born into the Muslim faith but converted to Roman Catholicism, the official religion of

Carlos Menem was a politician and lawyer who served as president of Argentina (1989–99)—the first Peronist to be elected president of Argentina since Juan Perón in 1973. Menem, the son of Syrian immigrants, was born into the Muslim faith but converted to Roman Catholicism, the official religion of

Aubrey Menen was a British writer whose essays and novels explore the nature of nationalism and the cultural contrast between his own Irish-Indian ancestry and his traditional British upbringing. After attending University College, London (1930–32), Menen worked as a drama critic (1934), stage

Aubrey Menen was a British writer whose essays and novels explore the nature of nationalism and the cultural contrast between his own Irish-Indian ancestry and his traditional British upbringing. After attending University College, London (1930–32), Menen worked as a drama critic (1934), stage

On August 20, 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, shooting each of them multiple times in the family’s mansion in Beverly Hills, California. In the decades since there has been little dispute about those facts. But were the killings

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spaniard who founded St. Augustine, Florida, and was a classic example of the conquistador—intrepid, energetic, loyal, and brutal. Born into the landed gentry, he ran away to sea at age 14. In 1549 he was commissioned by the Holy Roman emperor Charles V (Charles I of

Ramón Menéndez Pidal was a scholar whose work on the origins of the Spanish language, as well as critical editions of texts, generated a revival of the study of medieval Spanish poetry and chronicles. Professor of Romance philology at the University of Madrid (1899–1939), he was also director of

Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo was a Spanish literary critic and historian, remarkable for his vast erudition and his elegant and flexible prose. Although some of his judgments are no longer accepted, his studies of medieval, Renaissance, and Golden Age Spanish literature are still invaluable. The

Bob Menendez is an American politician who was appointed as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 2006 and was elected to that body later that year. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2006). Menendez was twice indicted on federal charges of corruption and

Menendez brothers: …20, 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, shooting each of them multiple times in the family’s mansion in Beverly Hills, California. In the decades since there has been little dispute about those facts. But were the killings heinous acts of cold-blooded, privileged…

Menendez brothers: On August 20, 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, shooting each of them multiple times in the family’s mansion in Beverly Hills, California. In the decades since there has been little dispute about those facts. But were the killings heinous acts of…

On August 20, 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, shooting each of them multiple times in the family’s mansion in Beverly Hills, California. In the decades since there has been little dispute about those facts. But were the killings

Falkland Islands War: The course of the conflict: Mario Menéndez, centralized his forces around the capital of Stanley to protect its vital airstrip. Instead, the British navy task-force commander, Rear Adm. John Woodward, and the land-force commander, Maj. Gen. Jeremy Moore, decided to make their initial landing near Port San Carlos, on the…

Bob Menendez is an American politician who was appointed as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 2006 and was elected to that body later that year. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2006). Menendez was twice indicted on federal charges of corruption and

Coriolanus: …army, he says little to Menenius, the trusted family friend and politician, or to Volumnia, both of whom have come to plead for Rome. His mother’s argument is long and sustained, and for more than 50 lines he listens, until his resolution is broken from within. Then, as a stage…

Coriolanus: …army, he says little to Menenius, the trusted family friend and politician, or to Volumnia, both of whom have come to plead for Rome. His mother’s argument is long and sustained, and for more than 50 lines he listens, until his resolution is broken from within. Then, as a stage…

Merneptah was a king of Egypt (c. 1213–03 bce) of the 19th dynasty (c. 1292–c. 1191) who successfully defended Egypt against a serious invasion from Libya. The 13th son of his long-lived father, Ramses II, Merneptah was nearing 60 years of age at his accession about 1213. Toward the end of his

Menes was the legendary first king of unified Egypt, who, according to tradition, joined Upper and Lower Egypt in a single centralized monarchy and established ancient Egypt’s 1st dynasty. Manetho, a 3rd-century-bce Egyptian historian, called him Menes, the 5th-century-bce Greek historian Herodotus

Synod of Diamper: …was convoked in 1599 by Aleixo de Meneses, archbishop of Goa. The synod renounced Nestorianism, the heresy that believed in two persons rather than two natures in Christ, as the Indians were suspected of being heretics by the Portuguese missionaries. The local patriarch—representing the Assyrian Church of the East, to…

Mēness, in Baltic religion, the moon, the god whose monthly renewal of strength is imparted to all growing things. The “young,” or “new,” moon, sometimes called Dievaitis (Lithuanian: “Little God” or “Prince”), is especially receptive to human prayers and is honoured by farmers. Mēness, dressed in

minstrel, (from Latin ministerium, “service”), between the 12th and 17th centuries, a professional entertainer of any kind, including jugglers, acrobats, and storytellers; more specifically, a secular musician, usually an instrumentalist. In some contexts, minstrel more particularly denoted a

Spain: Castilian institutions, society, and culture: …guarantee stability by enacting the Ordenamiento de Menestrales, which required workers to accept the same wages as before the plague. Owing to popular agitation, a great pogrom against the Jews erupted in 1391 and rapidly spread throughout the peninsula. Forced to choose Christianity or death, many Jews converted. A number…

Adenet Le Roi was a poet and musician, interesting for the detailed documentary evidence of his career as a household minstrel. He received his training in the court of Henry III, duke of Brabant, at Leuven; after his patron’s death in 1261, his fortunes wavered, owing to dynastic rivalries and the

minstrel, (from Latin ministerium, “service”), between the 12th and 17th centuries, a professional entertainer of any kind, including jugglers, acrobats, and storytellers; more specifically, a secular musician, usually an instrumentalist. In some contexts, minstrel more particularly denoted a

dance criticism: The 15th through 17th centuries: …choreographer, chronicler, and dance theorist Claude-François Ménéstrier, another Jesuit, collected libretti, described performances, and applied Aristotelian principles to rules and guidelines for ballet, which he set forth in Traité des tournois, joustes, carrousels, et autres spectacles publics (1669; “Treatise on Tournaments, Jousts, Tilts, and Other Public Spectacles”) and Des Ballets…

ground squirrel: Tropical ground squirrels: The five genera (Dremomys, Lariscus, Menetes, Rhinosciurus, and Hyosciurus) live in the forests of Southeast Asia but not in the Philippines. Although they sometimes utilize holes in the ground, these rodents usually nest in hollow tree trunks and rotting branches on the forest floor. Diet varies among species but generally…

Plato: Early dialogues of Plato: The Menexenus purports to be a funeral oration that Socrates learned from Aspasia, the mistress of Pericles (himself celebrated for the funeral oration assigned to him by Thucydides, one of the most famous set pieces of Greek antiquity). This work may be a satire on the…

Sao Tome and Principe: After independence: He was succeeded by businessman Fradique de Menezes of Independent Democratic Action (Portuguese: Acção Democrática Independente; ADI), the party with which Trovoada had been affiliated since 1994. Within months of de Menezes’s election, a power struggle erupted between the new president and the National Assembly, which was dominated by the…

Shen Kuo: …high official whose famous work Mengxi bitan (“Brush Talks from Dream Brook” [Dream Brook was the name of his estate in Jingkou]) contains the first reference to the magnetic compass, the first description of movable type, and a fairly accurate explanation of the origin of fossils. The Mengxi bitan also…

Mencius was an early Chinese philosopher whose development of orthodox Confucianism earned him the title “second sage.” Chief among his basic tenets was an emphasis on the obligation of rulers to provide for the common people. The book Mencius records his doings and sayings and contains statements

Bruce Lee: ], or The Way of the Dragon [Hong Kong English title]). Lee’s following film, Enter the Dragon (1973), was the first joint venture between Hong Kong- and U.S.-based production companies, and it became a worldwide hit, thrusting Lee into international movie stardom. Tragically, he died six days…

Narameikhla was the founder and first king (reigned 1404–34) of the Mrohaung dynasty in Arakan, the maritime country lying to the west of Lower Burma on the Bay of Bengal, which had been settled by the Burmese in the 10th century. When Arakan became the scene of a struggle between rival centres of

Meng Tian was a famous general of the Qin dynasty who built the Great Wall of China. As a general under Shihuangdi, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, Meng was sent to subdue the nomadic Central Asian tribesmen, who were overrunning northern China, and to build a wall as a defense against these

Meng Tian was a famous general of the Qin dynasty who built the Great Wall of China. As a general under Shihuangdi, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, Meng was sent to subdue the nomadic Central Asian tribesmen, who were overrunning northern China, and to build a wall as a defense against these

Canada: Diplomatic dispute with China: …in December 2018 to arrest Meng Wanzhou, a high-profile executive for Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in response to an extradition request from the United States. China immediately protested the arrest of Meng in Vancouver on U.S. charges that Huawei had committed fraud related to the iconic company’s alleged dealings with…

Mengzi, county, southern Yunnan sheng (province), China. The county seat is in Wenlan town. In the 19th century, Mengzi was a trading centre for commerce between the interior of Yunnan and the Hanoi-Haiphong area of Vietnam. Communications were inconvenient: goods were shipped to Hekou on the

Mencius, Confucian text, named for its author, that earned for the 4th-century-bce philosopher the title ya sheng (“second sage”). Though the book was not generally recognized as a classic until the 12th century, a doctoral chair was established as early as the 2nd century bce to teach the Mencius.

Mencius was an early Chinese philosopher whose development of orthodox Confucianism earned him the title “second sage.” Chief among his basic tenets was an emphasis on the obligation of rulers to provide for the common people. The book Mencius records his doings and sayings and contains statements

Mencius, Confucian text, named for its author, that earned for the 4th-century-bce philosopher the title ya sheng (“second sage”). Though the book was not generally recognized as a classic until the 12th century, a doctoral chair was established as early as the 2nd century bce to teach the Mencius.

Cao Cao was one of the greatest of the generals at the end of the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) of China. Cao’s father was the adopted son of the chief eunuch of the imperial court. Cao was initially a minor garrison commander and rose to prominence as a general when he suppressed the Yellow Turban

Willem Mengelberg was a symphonic conductor in the Romantic tradition who, during his tenure with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra (1895–1945), developed it into one of the world’s finest orchestras. Trained as a pianist at the Cologne Conservatory, he became a conductor at Luzern, Switz., in

Willem Mengelberg was a symphonic conductor in the Romantic tradition who, during his tenure with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra (1895–1945), developed it into one of the world’s finest orchestras. Trained as a pianist at the Cologne Conservatory, he became a conductor at Luzern, Switz., in

Josef Mengele was a Nazi doctor at Auschwitz extermination camp (1943–45) who selected prisoners for execution in the gas chambers and conducted medical experiments on inmates in pseudoscientific racial studies. Mengele’s father was founder of a company that produced farm machinery, Firma Karl

Carl Menger was an Austrian economist who contributed to the development of the marginal utility theory and to the formulation of a subjective theory of value. Menger received a Ph.D. from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków in 1867 and then accepted a position in the Austrian civil service. In

Menghistu Lemma was an Ethiopian writer whose poetry and plays written in Amharic (the modern language of Ethiopia) examine the difficulty of reconciling traditional values and customs with modern Western ideas. After receiving a Muslim education in Harer, Menghistu Lemma studied in Addis Ababa and

Mongol, member of a Central Asian ethnographic group of closely related tribal peoples who live mainly on the Mongolian Plateau and share a common language and nomadic tradition. Their homeland is now divided into the independent country of Mongolia (Outer Mongolia) and the Inner Mongolia

Menghistu Lemma was an Ethiopian writer whose poetry and plays written in Amharic (the modern language of Ethiopia) examine the difficulty of reconciling traditional values and customs with modern Western ideas. After receiving a Muslim education in Harer, Menghistu Lemma studied in Addis Ababa and

Menghistu Lemma was an Ethiopian writer whose poetry and plays written in Amharic (the modern language of Ethiopia) examine the difficulty of reconciling traditional values and customs with modern Western ideas. After receiving a Muslim education in Harer, Menghistu Lemma studied in Addis Ababa and

Mengistu Haile Mariam is an Ethiopian army officer and was the head of state (1974–91). He helped overthrow the centuries-old monarchy and attempted to mold Ethiopia into a communist state. Mengistu received officer training at Holeta and additional training in the United States. Rising to the rank

history of Central Asia: Mongol rule: …by the khan of Crimea, Mengli Girai, who had already placed himself under Ottoman suzerainty in 1475. Kazan fell to the troops of Ivan IV the Terrible of Moscow in 1552, and Astrakhan was annexed two years later. The khanate of Sibir (western Siberia), after a stubborn resistance, submitted to…

history of Central Asia: Mongol rule: …by the khan of Crimea, Mengli Girai, who had already placed himself under Ottoman suzerainty in 1475. Kazan fell to the troops of Ivan IV the Terrible of Moscow in 1552, and Astrakhan was annexed two years later. The khanate of Sibir (western Siberia), after a stubborn resistance, submitted to…

Bei Dao: …one of the originators of menglongshi (“misty poetry” or “shadows poetry”), which uses metaphor and cryptic language to express beauty and yearnings for freedom, while avoiding direct discussions of contemporary political and social issues. In 1978 he created, with some fellow poets, Jintian (“Today”), the first nonofficial literary magazine in…

Mangrai was the Thai founder of the city of Chiang Mai and the kingdom of Lan Na (reigned 1296–1317) in the north region of present Thailand, which remained an independent state until its capture by the Burmese in the 16th century. Mangrai succeeded his father as ruler of the principality of Chiang

Anton Raphael Mengs was a Bohemian painter who was perhaps the leading artist of early Neoclassicism. Mengs studied under his father in Dresden, Saxony, and then in Rome. He became painter to the Saxon court in Dresden in 1745 and executed a large number of portraits, most in brightly coloured

Anton Raphael Mengs was a Bohemian painter who was perhaps the leading artist of early Neoclassicism. Mengs studied under his father in Dresden, Saxony, and then in Rome. He became painter to the Saxon court in Dresden in 1745 and executed a large number of portraits, most in brightly coloured

Salghurid dynasty: …rule (1263–64), Ābish Khātūn married Mengü Temür, the son of the Il-Khanid ruler of Iran, who assumed de facto power. Following the death of Mengü Temür in 1282, the Il-Khanids assumed direct control of Fārs. Ābish Khātūn died in captivity in Tabrīz several years later, in 1286.