- Rare but Not Forgotten
Explore other Botanize! episodes and read about conservation and endangered species. Melissa Petruzzello: Welcome to Encyclopædia Britannica’s Botanize! I’m your host, Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica’s plant and environmental science editor. As you may know, there are some plants that are found
- rare disease
therapeutics: Indications for use: A rare disease presents a unique problem in treatment because the number of patients with the disease is so small that it is not worthwhile for companies to go through the lengthy and expensive process required for approval and marketing. In the United States, drugs produced…
- Rare earth metals: What are they, and are they a solid investment?
The topic of rare earth metals (or rare earth elements) may not be the hottest on Wall Street, but it seems to be popping up with greater frequency in the post-pandemic economy. The reason is simple: Rare earths are critical to the production of existing and emerging technologies, and currently,
- rare gas (chemical elements)
noble gas, any of the seven chemical elements that make up Group 18 (VIIIa) of the periodic table. The elements are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), radon (Rn), and oganesson (Og). The noble gases are colourless, odourless, tasteless, nonflammable gases. They
- rare-earth element
rare-earth element, any member of the group of chemical elements consisting of three elements in Group 3 (scandium [Sc], yttrium [Y], and lanthanum [La]) and the first extended row of elements below the main body of the periodic table (cerium [Ce] through lutetium [Lu]). The elements cerium through
- rare-earth metal
rare-earth element, any member of the group of chemical elements consisting of three elements in Group 3 (scandium [Sc], yttrium [Y], and lanthanum [La]) and the first extended row of elements below the main body of the periodic table (cerium [Ce] through lutetium [Lu]). The elements cerium through
- rare-metal pegmatite (rock)
mineral deposit: Pegmatite deposits: Such small igneous bodies, called rare-metal pegmatites, are sometimes exceedingly coarse-grained, with individual grains of mica, feldspar, and beryl up to one metre across. Pegmatites have been discovered on all continents, providing an important fraction of the world’s lithium, beryllium, cesium, niobium, and tantalum. Pegmatites also are the major source…
- rarefaction (physics)
rarefaction, in the physics of sound, segment of one cycle of a longitudinal wave during its travel or motion, the other segment being compression. If the prong of a tuning fork vibrates in the air, for example, the layer of air adjacent to the prong undergoes compression when the prong moves so as
- rarefaction wave (physics)
longitudinal wave, wave consisting of a periodic disturbance or vibration that takes place in the same direction as the advance of the wave. A coiled spring that is compressed at one end and then released experiences a wave of compression that travels its length, followed by a stretching; a point
- Rarh (region, India)
Murshidabad: …surrounding region consists of the Rarh, a high, undulating continuation of the Chota Nagpur plateau to the west, and the Bagri, a fertile, low-lying alluvial tract, part of the Ganges (Ganga)-Brahmaputra delta, to the east. Rice, jute, legumes, oilseeds, wheat, barley, and mangoes are the chief crops in the east;…
- Raritan River (river, New Jersey, United States)
Raritan River, largest stream lying wholly within New Jersey, U.S., formed by the confluence of the North Branch Raritan and the South Branch Raritan rivers in western Somerset county. It flows about 75 miles (120 km) generally southeast past Somerville, Bound Brook, and New Brunswick into Raritan
- Raritan township (New Jersey, United States)
Edison, township (town), northern Middlesex county, New Jersey, U.S., just northeast of New Brunswick. It is the site of Menlo Park, where the inventor Thomas A. Edison established his research laboratory in 1876. Part of Woodbridge and Piscataway townships before 1870, it was known as Raritan
- Raron, lords of (Swiss history)
Toggenburg Succession: …countship was assigned to the lords of Raron (in distant Valais); but the dependencies nearest to Lake Zürich and a tract to the east of them were promptly invaded by the men of Schwyz—to the fierce resentment of Zürich, which wanted at least to control the shore of the lake.…
- Rarotonga (island, Cook Islands)
Rarotonga, largest island in the southern group of the Cook Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean about 2,100 miles (3,400 km) northeast of New Zealand. The island is volcanic in origin and has a rugged interior rising to 2,139 feet (652 metres) at Te Manga. Surrounding its mountainous core is a
- Rarotongan flycatcher (bird)
Cook Islands: Plant and animal life: The kakerori, or Rarotongan flycatcher, an attractive tiny bird unique to Rarotonga, had been reduced by the early 1990s to about 30 breeding pairs. By the early 21st century, however, efforts by a small group of conservationists and landowners had succeeded in increasing the kakerori population…
- RAS (British science society)
Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), British scientific society founded in 1820 to promote astronomical research. Its headquarters are located in Burlington House, near Piccadilly Circus, London, England. First named the Astronomical Society of London, it received its royal charter on March 7, 1831.
- Ras al-Khaimah (city, United Arab Emirates)
Ras al-Khaimah: …most significant urban settlement is Ras al-Khaimah city.
- Ras al-Khaimah (emirate, United Arab Emirates)
Ras al-Khaimah, constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States, or Trucial Oman). It consists of two irregularly shaped tracts on the Musandam Peninsula, oriented north-south. The northern section shares the Ruʾūs al-Jibāl peninsula with the sultanate of Oman and has a
- Ras Algethi (star)
Ras Algethi, red supergiant star, whose diameter is nearly twice that of Earth’s orbit. It lies in the constellation Hercules and is of about third magnitude, its brightness varying by about a magnitude every 128 days. It is 380 light-years from Earth. The name comes from an Arabic phrase meaning
- Ras Dashen (mountain, Ethiopia)
Amhara Plateau: The highest point is Ras Dejen (or Dashen; 14,872 feet [4,533 metres])—the highest peak in Ethiopia—which is situated within the Simien National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site). The plateau is drained westward by the Tekezē and Blue Nile rivers and their tributaries.
- Ras Dejen (mountain, Ethiopia)
Amhara Plateau: The highest point is Ras Dejen (or Dashen; 14,872 feet [4,533 metres])—the highest peak in Ethiopia—which is situated within the Simien National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site). The plateau is drained westward by the Tekezē and Blue Nile rivers and their tributaries.
- Ras Dejen, Mount (mountain, Ethiopia)
Amhara Plateau: The highest point is Ras Dejen (or Dashen; 14,872 feet [4,533 metres])—the highest peak in Ethiopia—which is situated within the Simien National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site). The plateau is drained westward by the Tekezē and Blue Nile rivers and their tributaries.
- ras el hanout (spice blend)
ras el hanout, versatile and aromatic spice blend used in North African cuisine. Recipes vary widely, but the mixture can consist of dozens of spices in varying amounts to strike a balance between earthy, bitter, spicy, and sweet flavors. Blends commonly include anise, cardamom, cinnamon, clove,
- RAS oncogene (biology)
oncogene: , MYC and RAS). The origin or location of the gene is indicated by the prefix of “v-” for virus or “c-” for cell or chromosome; additional prefixes, suffixes, and superscripts provide further delineation. More than 70 human oncogenes have been identified. Breast cancer has been linked to…
- Ras Shamra (ancient city, Syria)
Ugarit, ancient city lying in a large artificial mound called Ras Shamra (Raʾs Shamrah), 6 miles (10 km) north of Latakia (Al-Lādhiqiyyah) on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria. Its ruins, about half a mile from the shore, were first uncovered by the plow of a peasant at Al-Bayḍā Bay.
- Ras Tafari (emperor of Ethiopia)
Haile Selassie I was the emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 who sought to modernize his country and who steered it into the mainstream of post-World War II African politics. He brought Ethiopia into the League of Nations and the United Nations and made Addis Ababa the major centre for the
- Ras Tafari (political and religious movement)
Rastafari, religious and political movement, begun in Jamaica in the 1930s and adopted by many groups around the globe, that combines Protestant Christianity, mysticism, and a pan-African political consciousness. Rastas, as members of the movement are called, see their past, present, and future in
- Ras Tannura (Saudi Arabia)
Ras Tanura, port on the Persian Gulf, in eastern Saudi Arabia, at the tip of a small peninsula. Developed by the Arabian American Oil Company (now Saudi Aramco) after the discovery of nearby petroleum deposits in the 1930s, it is now a principal Persian Gulf terminal of the pipelines and has a
- Ras Tanura (Saudi Arabia)
Ras Tanura, port on the Persian Gulf, in eastern Saudi Arabia, at the tip of a small peninsula. Developed by the Arabian American Oil Company (now Saudi Aramco) after the discovery of nearby petroleum deposits in the 1930s, it is now a principal Persian Gulf terminal of the pipelines and has a
- rasa (Indian aesthetic theory)
rasa, Indian concept of aesthetic flavour, an essential element of any work of visual, literary, or performing art that can only be suggested, not described. It is a kind of contemplative abstraction in which the inwardness of human feelings suffuses the surrounding world of embodied forms. The
- Rasarnava (alchemical treatise)
alchemy: Indian alchemy: …alchemical (such as the 12th-century Rasārṇava, or “Treatise on Metallic Preparations”).
- rasāʾil (literature essay)
Arabic literature: Varieties of adab: compilations, anthologies, and manuals: There were also rasāʾil (essays) devoted to particular topics. In addition to his works on animals and misers, for example, al-Jāḥiẓ also took singing girls as his topic in Risālat al-qiyān (The Epistle on Singing-Girls of Jāḥiẓ). Other topics ranged from complex discussions of theology and philosophy to…
- Rasāʾil ikhwān aṣ-ṣafāʾ wa khillān al-wafāʾ (Islamic philosophical encyclopaedia)
encyclopaedia: The Arab world: …the 10th century, published the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ wa khillān al-wafāʾ (“Epistles of the Brethren of Purity and Loyal Friends”), a remarkable work that consisted of 52 pamphlets written by five authors, comprising all the knowledge available in their milieu. The work included (1) mathematics, geography, music, logic, and ethics;…
- rasbora (tropical fish)
rasbora, (genus Rasbora), any of a group of about 45 species of schooling freshwater tropical fishes in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Most species are found in Southeast Asia, but a few are native to Africa. The fishes are active, generally slender, and have a protruding lower jaw. Several species
- Rasbora (tropical fish)
rasbora, (genus Rasbora), any of a group of about 45 species of schooling freshwater tropical fishes in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Most species are found in Southeast Asia, but a few are native to Africa. The fishes are active, generally slender, and have a protruding lower jaw. Several species
- Rasbora heteromorpha (tropical fish)
rasbora: …the most popular being the harlequin fish, or rasbora (R. heteromorpha), a reddish fish 4–5 cm (1.5–2 inches) long with a wedge-shaped black spot on each side.
- Rascal Flatts (American music group)
Rascal Flatts, American country music trio that achieved success with a crossover sound that appealed to the pop market. The members were lead vocalist Gary LeVox (original name Gary Wayne Vernon, Jr.; b. July 10, 1970, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.), bassist Jay DeMarcus (in full Stanley Wayne DeMarcus,
- Rascals, the (American rock group)
the Rascals, American pop group who, along with the Righteous Brothers, were the preeminent practitioners in the 1960s of blue-eyed soul (music created by white recording artists who faithfully imitated soul music). The Rascals’ music was an eclectic mix of influences and styles, including soul,
- Rasch, Albertina (American dancer)
Albertina Rasch was an Austrian-born American dancer, choreographer, and teacher whose troupes became well known during the 1920s and ’30s for their appearances in Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Rasch, a student of the Vienna Opera ballet school, became leading ballerina at the Hippodrome
- raschel knit (textile)
knitting: Raschel knits have a lacelike, open construction, with a heavy, textured yarn held in place by a much finer yarn. Raschels can be made in a variety of types, ranging from fragile to coarse, and usually have limited stretch. Milanese is made with two sets…
- Raschel machine (knitting)
textile: Raschel: Coarser yarns are generally used for raschel knitting, and there has recently been interest in knitting staple yarns on these machines. In the Raschel machine, the needles move in a ground steel plate, called the trick plate. The top of this plate, the verge,…
- Raschig process (chemistry)
ammonia: Hydrazine: …is best prepared by the Raschig process, which involves the reaction of an aqueous alkaline ammonia solution with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). 2NH3 + NaOCl → N2H4 + NaCl + H2O This reaction is known to occur in two main steps. Ammonia reacts rapidly and quantitatively with the hypochlorite ion, OCl−,…
- Răscoala (work by Rebreanu)
Romanian literature: Between the wars: …redistribution of land; Răscoala (1932; The Uprising) described the Romanian peasant uprising of 1907. His best work, Pădurea spînzuraƫilor (1922; The Forest of the Hanged), was inspired by his brother’s fate during World War I. In it, he describes the tragedy of a Romanian soldier forced to turn against his…
- Rasenna (people)
Etruscan, member of an ancient people of Etruria, Italy, between the Tiber and Arno rivers west and south of the Apennines, whose urban civilization reached its height in the 6th century bce. Many features of Etruscan culture were adopted by the Romans, their successors to power in the peninsula. A
- Rasgrad (Bulgaria)
Razgrad, town, northeastern Bulgaria, on the Beli Lom River. It is the largest producer of antibiotics in Bulgaria and also manufactures concrete, porcelain, and glass and is an agricultural centre for grain, vegetables, and timber. Between the 15th and the 19th century, Razgrad was Turkish.
- rash (skin condition)
herpangina: …most distinctive symptom is a rash on the mucous membranes inside the mouth. The lesions in the mouth are round macules (non-raised spots) about 2 mm (0.1 inch) in diameter, occurring predominantly on the soft palate and tonsils. Herpangina is related to hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is caused…
- Rashad, Phylicia (American actress)
Phylicia Rashad is an American actress who first gained fame for her work in the television series The Cosby Show (1984–92) and later became the first African American woman to win (2004) a Tony Award for best actress; she won the honour for her performance in the play A Raisin in the Sun. Allen
- Rashaida (people)
Eritrea: Ethnic groups and languages: The Rashaida are a group of Arabic-speaking nomads who traverse the northern hills. On the southern part of the coastal region live Afar nomads. The Afars—who also live across the borders in Djibouti and Ethiopia—are known to surrounding peoples as the Danakil, after the region that…
- Rashba (Spanish rabbi)
Solomon ben Abraham Adret was an outstanding spiritual leader of Spanish Jewry of his time (known as El Rab de España [the Rabbi of Spain]); he is remembered partly for his controversial decree of 1305 threatening to excommunicate all Jews less than 25 years old (except medical students) who
- Rashbaz (Spanish theologian)
Simeon ben Zemah Duran was the first Spanish Jewish rabbi to be paid a regular salary by the community and author of an important commentary on Avot (“Fathers”), a popular ethical tractate in the Talmud, the rabbinical compendium of law, lore, and commentary. Before the 14th century, the rabbinical
- Rashdall, Hastings (British philosopher)
rationalism: Ethical rationalism: utilitarianism of the British moralists Hastings Rashdall (1858–1924) and G.E. Moore (1873–1958). Both were teleologists (from the Greek telos, “end”) inasmuch as they held that what makes an act objectively right is its results (or end) in intrinsic goods or evils. To determine what is right, reason is required in…
- Rashi (French religious scholar)
Rashi was a renowned medieval French commentator on the Bible and the Talmud (the authoritative Jewish compendium of law, lore, and commentary). Rashi combined the two basic methods of interpretation, literal and nonliteral, in his influential Bible commentary. His commentary on the Talmud was a
- Rashīd (Egypt)
Rosetta, town, northern Al-Buḥayrah muḥāfaẓah (governorate), in the northwestern Nile River delta, Lower Egypt. It lies on the left bank of the Rosetta (ancient Bolbitinic) Branch of the Nile River, 8 miles (13 km) southeast of its entrance into the Mediterranean and 35 miles (56 km) northeast of
- Rashīd ad-Dīn (Islamic leader)
Rashīd ad-Dīn was the leader of the Syrian branch of the Assassins (an Ismāʿīlī Shīʿī Muslim sect) at the time of the Third Crusade. He had his headquarters at a fortress in Maşyāf, in northern Syria, and was known to Westerners as the Old Man of the Mountain. Feared for his practice of sending his
- Rashīd ad-Dīn as-Sinān (Islamic leader)
Rashīd ad-Dīn was the leader of the Syrian branch of the Assassins (an Ismāʿīlī Shīʿī Muslim sect) at the time of the Third Crusade. He had his headquarters at a fortress in Maşyāf, in northern Syria, and was known to Westerners as the Old Man of the Mountain. Feared for his practice of sending his
- Rashīd al-Dīn (Persian statesman)
Rashīd al-Dīn was a Persian statesman and historian who was the author of a universal history, Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh (“Collector of Chronicles”). Rashīd al-Dīn belonged to a Jewish family of Hamadan, but he was converted to Islam and, as a physician, joined the court of the Mongol ruler of Persia, the
- Rashīd family (Arabian dynasty)
Saudi Arabia: The Rashīdīs: Saud II died in 1875, and, after a brief interval of chaos, Abdullah (as Abdullah II) returned to the throne the following year only to find himself powerless against the Rashīdī emirs of Jabal Shammar, with their capital at Ḥāʾil. The Rashīdīs had ruled…
- Rashīd Riḍā (Islamic scholar)
Rashīd Riḍā was an Islamic scholar who formulated an intellectual response to the pressures of the modern Western world on traditional Islam. Rashīd Riḍā was educated according to traditional forms of Muslim learning—the sciences of the Islamic religion and the Arabic language. He was profoundly
- Rashīd Riḍā, Muḥammad (Islamic scholar)
Rashīd Riḍā was an Islamic scholar who formulated an intellectual response to the pressures of the modern Western world on traditional Islam. Rashīd Riḍā was educated according to traditional forms of Muslim learning—the sciences of the Islamic religion and the Arabic language. He was profoundly
- Rashīd Street (Baghdad, Iraq)
Baghdad: Districts: Rashīd Street in downtown Baghdad is the heart of this area and contains the city’s financial district, many government buildings, and the copper, textile, and gold bazaars. South of Rashīd Street a commercial area with shops, cinemas, and business offices has spread along Saʿdūn Street.…
- Rashīd, Al- (Syria)
Al-Raqqah, town, northern Syria, on the Euphrates River just west of its confluence with the Balīkh River. Al-Raqqah is on the site of an ancient Greek city, Nicephorium, and a later Roman fortress and market town, Callinicus. It flourished again in early Arab times when the ʿAbbāsid caliph Hārūn
- Rashīd, al- (ʿAlawī ruler of Morocco)
al-Rashīd was the founder (1666) of the reigning ʿAlawī (Filālī) dynasty of Morocco. By force of arms he filled a power vacuum that, with the collapse of the Saʿdī dynasty, had allowed half a century of provincial and religious warfare between rival Sufi (see Sufism) marabouts, or holy men, and the
- Rashīd, Hārūn al- (ʿAbbāsid caliph)
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth caliph of the ʿAbbāsid dynasty (786–809), who ruled Islam at the zenith of its empire with a luxury in Baghdad memorialized in The Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights Entertainment). Hārūn al-Rashīd was the son of al-Mahdī, the third ʿAbbāsid caliph (ruled
- Rashīd, Hārūn ar- (ʿAbbāsid caliph)
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth caliph of the ʿAbbāsid dynasty (786–809), who ruled Islam at the zenith of its empire with a luxury in Baghdad memorialized in The Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights Entertainment). Hārūn al-Rashīd was the son of al-Mahdī, the third ʿAbbāsid caliph (ruled
- Rashīd, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al- (Arab ruler)
Ibn Saud: Revival of the Saud dynasty in Riyadh: …out by their rivals, the Rashīdīs, and became penniless exiles in Kuwait. In 1901 Ibn Saud, then in his 20s, set out from Kuwait with 40 followers in a bold attempt to regain his family’s lands.
- Rashīdī dynasty (Arabian dynasty)
Saudi Arabia: The Rashīdīs: Saud II died in 1875, and, after a brief interval of chaos, Abdullah (as Abdullah II) returned to the throne the following year only to find himself powerless against the Rashīdī emirs of Jabal Shammar, with their capital at Ḥāʾil. The Rashīdīs had ruled…
- Rashīdīyeh (academy, Tabrīz, Iran)
Islamic arts: Mongol Iran: Il-Khanid and Timurid periods: At Tabrīz, for example, the Rashīdīyeh (a sort of academy of sciences and arts to which books, scholars, and ideas from all over the world were collected) was established in the early 14th century.
- Rashidun (caliphs)
Rashidun, (Arabic: “Rightly Guided,” or “Perfect”), the first four caliphs of the Islamic community, known in Muslim history as the orthodox or patriarchal caliphs: Abū Bakr (reigned 632–634), ʿUmar (reigned 634–644), ʿUthmān (reigned 644–656), and ʿAlī (reigned 656–661). The 29-year rule of the
- Rashka (Serbia)
Novi Pazar, town, southwestern Serbia. It lies in the Raška River valley, in rough and hilly country near the site of Ras, which was the capital city of the medieval Serbian state in the 12th–14th century. Roman baths are in the vicinity of the town, as is the Church of St. Peter (7th or 8th
- Rashnu (Zoroastrian deity)
Rashnu, in Zoroastrianism, the deity of justice, who with Mithra, the god of truth, and Sraosha, the god of religious obedience, determines the fates of the souls of the dead. Rashnu is praised in a yasht, or hymn, of the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism; the 18th day of the month is
- Rashōmon (work by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke)
Rashōmon, short story by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, published in Japanese in 1915 in a university literary magazine. The story, set in 12th-century Kyōto, reveals in spare and elegant language the thoughts of a man on the edge of a life of crime and the incident that pushes him over the brink. Combined
- Rashomon (film by Kurosawa [1951])
Rashōmon: …director Kurosawa Akira’s classic film Rashōmon (1950).
- Rasht (Iran)
Rasht, city, capital of Gīlān province, north-central Iran. It lies about 15 miles (24 km) south of the Caspian Sea on a branch of the Sefīd River, where the higher ground merges into the marshlands fringing the Mordāb, or Anzalī (formerly Pahlavī), lagoon. Rasht’s importance as the main city of
- Rashtrakuta dynasty (Indian dynasty)
Rashtrakuta dynasty, Hindu dynasty that ruled the Deccan and neighbouring areas of India from about 755 to 975 ce. Probably originally Dravidian farmers, they were the royal family of Lattalur (Latur, near Osmanabad). They spoke Kannada but also knew the northern Deccan language. Under Rashtrakuta,
- Rashtrapati Bhavan (official residence of the president of India, New Delhi, India)
Rashtrapati Bhavan, official residence of the president of India. It is located on Raisina Hill in New Delhi. It was originally known as Viceroy’s House and served as the official residence of the British viceroy to India during the British Raj. It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens
- Rashtriya Janata Dal (political party, India)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), regional political party in Bihar state, eastern India. It also had a presence in national politics in New Delhi. The RJD was formed in July 1997 in New Delhi by Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had broken away from the Janata Dal (People’s Party). Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and
- Rashtriya Seva Sangh (Hindu organization)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), organization founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1889–1940), a physician living in the Maharashtra region of India, as part of the movement against British rule and as a response to rioting between Hindus and Muslims. Hedgewar was heavily influenced by the
- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindu organization)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), organization founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1889–1940), a physician living in the Maharashtra region of India, as part of the movement against British rule and as a response to rioting between Hindus and Muslims. Hedgewar was heavily influenced by the
- Rasikapriya (work by Keshavadasa)
Indo-Aryan literature: The Rasikapriya (“Beloved of the Connoisseur”) of Keshavadasa is a good example of this kind of tour de force.
- Rašín, Alois (Czech statesman)
Alois Rašín was a Czech statesman, one of the founders and first finance minister of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. A leader of the Czech revolutionary organization Omladina, Rašín was arrested and imprisoned for conspiring against the Austrian authorities after nationalistic rioting in Prague in
- Rask, Rasmus (Danish language scholar)
Rasmus Rask was a Danish language scholar and a principal founder of the science of comparative linguistics. In 1818, he first showed that, in their consonant sounds, words in the Germanic languages vary with a certain regularity from their equivalents in the other Indo-European languages, e.g.,
- Rask, Rasmus Kristian (Danish language scholar)
Rasmus Rask was a Danish language scholar and a principal founder of the science of comparative linguistics. In 1818, he first showed that, in their consonant sounds, words in the Germanic languages vary with a certain regularity from their equivalents in the other Indo-European languages, e.g.,
- Rask, Tuukka (Finnish ice-hockey player)
Boston Bruins: …Blues) behind outstanding goaltending by Tuukka Rask.
- Raška (Serbia)
Novi Pazar, town, southwestern Serbia. It lies in the Raška River valley, in rough and hilly country near the site of Ras, which was the capital city of the medieval Serbian state in the 12th–14th century. Roman baths are in the vicinity of the town, as is the Church of St. Peter (7th or 8th
- Raska (historical principality, Serbia)
Nemanjić Dynasty: …century developed the principality of Raška into a large empire.
- Raška school (Serbian art)
Serbia: The Golden Age: The frescoes of the Raška school, in particular, are known for their capacity to blend secular authority with a deep sense of devotion. Literary work extended beyond copying manuscripts to include pieces of independent creative merit, such as the biography of Stefan Nemanja prepared by St. Sava and his…
- Raskob, John Jakob (American financier)
John Jakob Raskob was an American financier who played a major role in the early 20th-century expansion of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and of General Motors Corporation. From 1898 to 1900, Raskob served as secretary in three firms, ending up serving Pierre Samuel du Pont, president of Johnson
- Raskol (Russian Orthodoxy)
Raskol, division in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century over reforms in liturgy and forms of worship. Over the centuries, many features of Russian religious practice had been inadvertently altered by unlettered priests and laity, removing Russian Orthodoxy ever further from its Greek
- Raskolniki (Russian religious group)
Old Believer, member of a group of Russian religious dissenters who refused to accept the liturgical reforms imposed upon the Russian Orthodox Church by the patriarch of Moscow Nikon (1652–58). Numbering millions of faithful in the 17th century, the Old Believers split into a number of different
- Raskolnikov, Rodion (fictional character)
Rodion Raskolnikov, fictional character who is the protagonist of the novel Crime and Punishment (1866) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. An impoverished student who murders a pawnbroker and her stepsister, Raskolnikov embodies the author’s belief that salvation is possible only through
- rāslīlā (dance)
rāslīlā, folk dance drama of northern India, mainly Uttar Pradesh, based on scenes from the life of Krishna. Solo and group dancing are combined with singing, chanted recitation, and instrumental accompaniment. The audience joins in singing refrains and marks the beat by clapping hands. The
- Rasmussen, Anders (prime minister of Denmark)
Anders Rasmussen is a Danish politician who served as prime minister of Denmark (2001–09), leader of the country’s Liberal Party (1998–2009), and secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2009–14). Rasmussen became involved with Denmark’s Liberal Party at an early age, founding
- Rasmussen, Anders Fogh (prime minister of Denmark)
Anders Rasmussen is a Danish politician who served as prime minister of Denmark (2001–09), leader of the country’s Liberal Party (1998–2009), and secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2009–14). Rasmussen became involved with Denmark’s Liberal Party at an early age, founding
- Rasmussen, Halfdan (Danish poet)
Halfdan Rasmussen was a Danish poet of social protest, as well as an excellent writer of nonsense verse. Rasmussen belonged to the generation of the 1940s. In his early poetry, Soldat eller menneske (1941; “Soldier or Human Being”) and Digte under Besaettelsen (1945; “Poems During the Occupation”),
- Rasmussen, Knud (Greenlander polar explorer)
Knud Rasmussen was a Danish-Inuit explorer and ethnologist who, in the course of completing the longest dog-sledge journey to that time, across the American Arctic, made a scientific study of virtually every tribe in that vast region. Partly of Inuit descent himself and equipped with a thorough
- Rasmussen, Knud Johan Victor (Greenlander polar explorer)
Knud Rasmussen was a Danish-Inuit explorer and ethnologist who, in the course of completing the longest dog-sledge journey to that time, across the American Arctic, made a scientific study of virtually every tribe in that vast region. Partly of Inuit descent himself and equipped with a thorough
- Rasmussen, Lars Lokke (prime minister of Denmark)
Anders Rasmussen: …minister; he was succeeded by Lars Løkke Rasmussen (no relation) of the Liberal Party. Anders Rasmussen assumed his post at NATO in August 2009; he served as secretary-general until 2014.
- Rasmussen, Poul Nyrup (prime minister of Denmark)
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is a Danish economist and politician, leader of the Social Democrats from 1992 to 2002, who was prime minister of Denmark from 1993 to 2001. After receiving a degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen in 1971, Rasmussen worked for the Danish Trade Union Council
- Rasmussen, William (American entrepreneur)
ESPN, Inc.: William Rasmussen founded ESPN to broadcast New England Whalers hockey games and University of Connecticut sports events. It was purchased by the Getty Oil Company before it began broadcasting in 1979, the year it began signing large advertising contracts. In 1984 it was sold to…
- Raso Island (island, Cabo Verde)
Cabo Verde: Land: …together with the islets of Raso and Branco. The Sotavento Islands include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava and the three islets called the Rombos—Grande, Luís