University of Memphis, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. It is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee and offers a comprehensive selection of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The university

Permian Basin, large sedimentary basin in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, U.S., noted for its rich petroleum, natural gas, and potassium deposits. Owing to its economic importance, it is one of the most well-studied geologic regions of the world. Deposits of the Permian Basin are

Yellowstone Lake: …amount flowing in from the West Thumb Geyser Basin), the lake’s water remains cold throughout the year. Ice begins to form on its surface in late December or early January, and it remains frozen until late May or early June.

Thurrock: At West Tilbury, Elizabeth I made her well-known speech to her troops in 1588 at the time of the threatened invasion by the Spanish Armada. The Tilbury Docks, at nearby Tilbury, were built (1884–86) on what had been uninhabited marsh.

Sylvain Lévi: …the dates of texts in Tocharian B and published Fragments de textes koutchéens . . . (1933; “Fragments of Texts from Kucha”).

Turkistan, in Asian history, the regions of Central Asia lying between Siberia on the north; Tibet, India, Afghanistan, and Iran on the south; the Gobi (desert) on the east; and the Caspian Sea on the west. The term was intended to indicate the areas inhabited by Turkic peoples, but the regions

Turkic languages: Classification: …Kuman are antecedents of modern West Kipchak.

West Vancouver, district municipality forming a suburb of Vancouver, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It lies on the north side of the entrance to Burrard Inlet, across from the city of Vancouver. West Vancouver is an almost exclusively residential community adjacent to North Vancouver and is

West Virginia, constituent state of the United States of America. Admitted to the union as the 35th state in 1863, it is a relatively small state. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland and Virginia to the east, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. The state capital

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 14, 1943, that compelling children in public schools to salute the U.S. flag was an unconstitutional violation of their freedom of speech and religion. On the heels of Minersville School District

West Virginia: Education: …University (1837) at Huntington, and West Virginia State University (1891), a historically black university located in Institute. There are, in addition, several state colleges, community colleges, specialized technical institutions, and a number of private and sectarian colleges. The Division of Technical and Adult Education Services, part of the state’s Department…

West Virginia University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning, one of the state universities of West Virginia, U.S., and a land-grant institution. West Virginia University is located on two campuses in Morgantown. It was established in 1867 as the Agricultural College of West

Arlington Central School District Board of Education v. Murphy: Majority and dissenting opinions: …the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia University Hospitals v. Casey (1991)—the conference-committee report on the amendment that added the recovery provision to the IDEA stated that “the conferees intend that the term ‘attorneys’ fees as part of the costs’ include reasonable expenses and fees of expert witnesses.” The footnote…

U.S. state flag consisting of a white field (background) bordered in blue and featuring a coat of arms in the centre.Around the coat of arms is a wreath of the big laurel (Rhododendron maximum), which was designated the state flower in 1903. The following year the big laurel was featured on the

Siegfried Line, system of pillboxes and strongpoints built along the German western frontier in the 1930s and greatly expanded in 1944. In 1944, during World War II, German troops retreating from France found it an effective barrier for a respite against the pursuing Americans. This respite helped

The Station nightclub fire: …destroyed The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S., and killed 100 people.

West Wiltshire, former district, administrative and historic county of Wiltshire, southern England, in the west-central part of the county, some 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Bristol. West Wiltshire consists of chalk uplands at elevations of more than 600 feet (185 metres). The eastern edge of the

Antarctic Circumpolar Current, wind-driven surface oceanic current encircling Antarctica and flowing from west to east. Affected by adjacent landmasses, submarine topography, and prevailing winds, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is irregular in width and course. Its motion is further complicated

The West Wing, American television serial drama that offered an extensive portrayal of the U.S. presidency and was broadcast on the National Broadcasting Co., Inc. (NBC), television network from 1999 to 2006. A total of 156 episodes of the program aired on NBC. The West Wing was later released on

Beryl Markham: …best known for her memoir, West with the Night (1942; reissued 1983). She was also the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west.

West Wyalong, town, south-central New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in the fertile Riverina district. Founded as a gold-mining settlement in 1895, it was originally known as Main Camp to distinguish it from Wyalong (3 miles [5 km] away). Proclaimed a town in 1900, it became a shire in

West Yorkshire, metropolitan county of northern England, comprising five metropolitan boroughs: Calderdale, Kirklees, and the city of Bradford in the west and the cities of Leeds and Wakefield in the east. From 1974 to 1986 West Yorkshire was an administrative unit. In 1986 the metropolitan county

Batman: Batman in the Silver Age: Adam West and Burt Ward. Batman bubbled with flashy costumes and sets (at a time when colour television was relatively new), Pop art sound-effect graphics, and a rotating roster of scenery-chewing villains. Cesar Romero (as the Joker), Burgess Meredith (the Penguin), Frank Gorshin (the Riddler),…

Alcatraz escape of June 1962: …the plot were supplied by Allen West, an inmate who was an active participant but had failed to get out of his cell in time to join the others. West helped build both the raft and rubber life jackets, using a makeshift workshop on the cellblock roof, which he had…

Tea Party movement: The 2012 election and the government shutdown of 2013: …Party representatives such as Florida’s Allen West and Joe Walsh of Illinois were turned out in their reelection bids, and Tea Party icon Michele Bachmann narrowly survived a Democratic challenge for her U.S. congressional seat in Minnesota. In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown, who had alienated some of his Tea Party…

Army of Tennessee, primary Confederate army of the Western Theatre during the American Civil War (1861–65). Although the army fought in numerous engagements, it won few victories. In addition to facing some of the Union’s most capable generals, the army was plagued by problems of command, supply,

Benjamin West was an American-born painter of historical, religious, and mythological subjects who had a profound influence on the development of historical painting in Britain. He was the historical painter to George III (1772–1801) and a founder of the Royal Academy (1768), of which in 1792 he

tap dance: Vaudeville: Buster West tap-danced in “slap shoes”—oversized clown-style shoes that, because of their extended length, slapped audibly on the floor during a routine—and did break dancing decades before it had a name. Will Mahoney tap-danced on a giant xylophone.

Cornel West is an American philosopher, scholar of African American studies, and political activist. His influential book Race Matters (1993) lamented what he saw as the spiritual impoverishment of the African American underclass and critically examined the “crisis” of Black leadership in the

Rebecca West was a British journalist, novelist, and critic, who was perhaps best known for her reports on the Nürnberg trials of Nazi war criminals (1945–46). West was the daughter of an army officer and was educated in Edinburgh after her father’s death in 1902. She later trained in London as an

Dorothy West was an American writer who explored the aspirations and conflicts of middle-class African Americans in many of her works and was one of the last surviving members of the prominent group of black artists, writers, and musicians who flourished in New York City’s Harlem district during

Kenny Rogers: …of other country singers, notably Dottie West on “Every Time Two Fools Collide” (1978), “All I Ever Need Is You” (1979), and “What Are We Doin’ in Love” (1981) and Dolly Parton on the number-one crossover hit “Islands in the Stream” (1983). He teamed up with Parton again for a…

Gladys West is an American mathematician known for her work contributing to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Gladys Mae Brown was born in rural Virginia, where her parents owned a small farm in an area populated mostly by sharecroppers. Growing up, when not in school, she

Jerry West was an American basketball player, coach, and general manager who spent four noteworthy decades with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). West is widely considered one of the sport’s greatest players and later was hugely influential as a coach and

Jerry West was an American basketball player, coach, and general manager who spent four noteworthy decades with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). West is widely considered one of the sport’s greatest players and later was hugely influential as a coach and

Jessamyn West was an American writer, a master of the short story and an accomplished novelist, who wrote with particular sensitivity about mother-daughter relationships. She is perhaps best remembered for The Friendly Persuasion (1945), which gathered stories that reflect her Quaker heritage.

Australia: Culture: John West’s History of Tasmania (1852) was a work of remarkable scope and insight.

Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, and fashion designer who parlayed his production success in the late 1990s and early 2000s into a career as a popular, critically acclaimed solo artist. One of the most controversial and influential celebrities of his generation, West attracted notoriety

Mae West was an American stage and film actress, a sex symbol whose frank sensuality, languid postures, and blasé wisecracking became her trademarks. She usually portrayed women who accepted their lives of dubious virtue with flippant good humour. West made her debut with a Brooklyn stock company

Mae West was an American stage and film actress, a sex symbol whose frank sensuality, languid postures, and blasé wisecracking became her trademarks. She usually portrayed women who accepted their lives of dubious virtue with flippant good humour. West made her debut with a Brooklyn stock company

Jessamyn West was an American writer, a master of the short story and an accomplished novelist, who wrote with particular sensitivity about mother-daughter relationships. She is perhaps best remembered for The Friendly Persuasion (1945), which gathered stories that reflect her Quaker heritage.

Morris West was an Australian novelist noted for such best-sellers as The Devil’s Advocate (1959) and The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963). Educated at the University of Melbourne, West taught modern languages and mathematics as a member of the Christian Brothers order in New South Wales and Tasmania

Morris West was an Australian novelist noted for such best-sellers as The Devil’s Advocate (1959) and The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963). Educated at the University of Melbourne, West taught modern languages and mathematics as a member of the Christian Brothers order in New South Wales and Tasmania

Nathanael West was an American writer best known for satiric novels of the 1930s. Of middle-class Jewish immigrant parentage, he attended high school in New York City and graduated from Brown University in 1924. During a 15-month stay in Paris, he completed his first novel, The Dream Life of Balso

Rebecca West was a British journalist, novelist, and critic, who was perhaps best known for her reports on the Nürnberg trials of Nazi war criminals (1945–46). West was the daughter of an army officer and was educated in Edinburgh after her father’s death in 1902. She later trained in London as an

Kool & the Gang: The group’s first charting single, “Kool and the Gang,” a horn-driven, highly rhythmic instrumental dance track, was followed by a steady string of similar…

Joan Jett: The Runaways: …meeting, Fowley introduced Jett to Sandy West, a drummer. Eventually, three more musicians were recruited: guitarist Lita Ford, bassist Jackie Fox, and singer Cherie Currie. They named their new band the Runaways, and Fowley served as their manager and producer. Jett played rhythm and lead guitar and sang back-up vocals.…

Pavement: …initially recorded, was replaced by Steve West (b. 1967, Richmond, Virginia) in 1993. Percussionist Bob Nastanovich (b. August 27, 1967, Rochester, New York) and bassist Mark Ibold (b. 1962, Cincinnati, Ohio) joined in 1991 and 1990, respectively.

fundamentalism: Islamic fundamentalism: …great deal of attention in the West after the Iranian Revolution of 1978–79—which deposed Iran’s ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919–80), and established an Islamic republic—and especially after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 by al-Qaeda, an international Islamist terrorist network. The spectacular nature of these…

the West, region, western U.S., mostly west of the Great Plains and including, by federal government definition, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Virtually every part of the United States except the Eastern Seaboard has

Thomas West, 12th Baron De La Warr was one of the English founders of Virginia, for whom Delaware Bay, the Delaware River, and the state of Delaware were named. The son of Thomas West, the 11th Baron (c. 1556–1602), the younger West fought in the Netherlands and in Ireland under Robert Devereux,

Daniel Barenboim: …literary scholar Edward Said) the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which featured Arab and Israeli musicians. In 2009 he performed for the first time in Egypt, conducting the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. Barenboim wrote several books, including the autobiography A Life in Music (1991) and Music Quickens Time (2008), a collection of essays.…

West Indies, crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north. From the peninsula of Florida on the mainland of the United States, the islands stretch

Dutch West India Company, Dutch trading company, founded in 1621 mainly to carry on economic warfare against Spain and Portugal by striking at their colonies in the West Indies and South America and on the west coast of Africa. While attaining its greatest success against the Portuguese in Brazil

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Napoleonic period (1805–16) of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Poems of the East and West). Goethe was fleeing from the upheavals of his own time. But in 1816 he was cruelly reminded that he could not flee present reality entirely. His wife died in June, probably of epilepsy. He abandoned a third visit to…

Belgium: …northern and northeastern provinces (West Flanders, East Flanders [West-Vlaanderen, Oost-Vlaanderen], Flemish Brabant, Antwerp, and Limburg). Just north of the boundary between Walloon Brabant (Brabant Walloon) and Flemish (Vlaams) Brabant lies the officially bilingual

telegraph: The end of the telegraph era: In 1974 the Westar satellite, providing enormous capacity for all types of telecommunication, was placed in operation by Western Union. These new transmission channels were complemented by new electronic technology including transistors, integrated circuits, and various microelectronics devices that reduced costs and improved performance. With the advent of…

Westboro Baptist Church, church in Topeka, Kansas, that became well known for its strident opposition to homosexuality and the gay rights movement, as expressed on picket signs carried by church members at funerals and other events. The church also demonstrated against other religions, most notably

Zanesville, city, Muskingum county, east-central Ohio, U.S., at the juncture of the Muskingum and Licking rivers (there spanned by the Y Bridge [1902]), about 50 miles (80 km) east of Columbus. The town was founded (1797) by Ebenezer Zane on land awarded him by the U.S. Congress for clearing a road

Peter Westbrook was an American fencer who, at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, won a bronze medal, becoming the first African American to win an Olympic medal in the sport. He competed for the U.S. fencing team at the Olympics from 1976 through 1996, and he also won 13 national sabre

Russell Westbrook is an American basketball player known for his obsessive work ethic and ferocious competitive intensity on the court. In 2016–17 Westbrook became the second player in NBA history, after Oscar Robertson, to average a triple-double (double figures in major categories, most commonly

Russell Westbrook is an American basketball player known for his obsessive work ethic and ferocious competitive intensity on the court. In 2016–17 Westbrook became the second player in NBA history, after Oscar Robertson, to average a triple-double (double figures in major categories, most commonly

Westbury, town (parish), administrative and historic county of Wiltshire, southwestern England. The town lies in the western part of the county, just south-southeast of Trowbridge. It was noted as “Westberie a royal manor” in Domesday Book (1086), the record of the land survey ordered by William I

Westbury: The nearby Westbury White Horse—a figure, of unknown origin, of a giant horse cut in a chalk hillside—was reshaped in 1873. All Saints’ Church in the town is Norman, with later additions. Westbury is a railway junction. Its industries include the manufacture of cloth, gloves, and leather.…

Westchester, county, southeastern New York state, U.S., lying just north of New York City. It consists of a hilly region bounded to the east by Connecticut, to the southeast by Long Island Sound, and to the west by the Hudson River. The original inhabitants of Westchester, Algonquian-speaking

polo: International competition.: …leaders in polo, for the Westchester Cup. England defended the Cup successfully in 1902, but the United States won in 1909. The Cup was contested nine additional times (the last in 1939), with the Americans winning each time except in 1914. The next international meeting was in 1971, when the…

road: The parkway: …Parkway (1934–40), which continued the Westchester Parkway System across Connecticut as a toll road providing divided roadways and limited access.

Brooke Foss Westcott was an Anglican bishop of Durham, England, and a biblical scholar who collaborated with Fenton J.A. Hort on an influential critical edition of the Greek text of the New Testament. Westcott took a degree at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1848 and was elected a fellow of the

Edward Noyes Westcott was an American novelist and banker whose posthumously published novel David Harum: A Story of American Life (1898) was immensely popular. Westcott attended schools in Syracuse until age 16, when he became a junior clerk in a local bank. He devoted the next 30 years of his

Katherine Augusta Westcott Tingley was an American theosophist, a woman of forceful personality, who introduced charitable works and educational endeavours into the mission of the Theosophical Society in America during her leadership of that group. Katherine Westcott was educated in public schools

Children of Paul’s: …under the direction (1577–82) of Sebastian Westcott. The Children of Paul’s frequently performed at court, often in plays written exclusively for their production. The troupe’s repertoire included John Marston’s What You Will, George Chapman’s Bussy d’Ambois, and John Lyly’s Sapho and Phao. The Children of Paul’s also staged plays in…

Cologne: Cultural life: …the concert hall of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR; “West German Radio”), the high reputation of the latter being largely due to the WDR’s encouragement of contemporary music. A full repertoire is offered in theatre and opera as well, and the municipal theatre has its own ballet ensemble.

Germany, country of north-central Europe, traversing the continent’s main physical divisions, from the outer ranges of the Alps northward across the varied landscape of the Central German Uplands and then across the North German Plain. One of Europe’s largest countries, Germany encompasses a wide

Frederiksted, town on the west coast of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Christiansted. Historically, the town was a mercantile centre for the sugar-based economy of St. Croix because of its deep-sea port and warehouse facilities. Innovations in cargo handling, the

Westerwald, mountainous region in western Germany lying northeast of Koblenz and east-southeast of Bonn. It is on the right (east) bank of the Rhine and extends eastward for about 50 miles (80 km), between the Lahn River or the Taunus (south) and the Sieg River or Bergisches Land (north), and

the Replacements:

Westerbork, small refugee camp and transit camp for Jews during World War II, located near the village of Westerbork in the rural northeastern Netherlands. The Dutch government originally set up the camp in 1939 to accommodate Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, but, after German forces conquered

radio telescope: Radio telescope arrays: …Research in Astronomy operates the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, which is an east-west array of 14 antennas, each 25 metres (82 feet) in diameter and extending over 2.7 km (1.7 miles). In Australia the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization maintains the six-element Australian Telescope Compact Array at Narrabri, New…

Hendrick de Keyser: …and his greatest building, the Westerkerk (1620–38; “West Church”).

Atlantic Ocean: The North Atlantic: …two air currents generates prevailing westerly winds across the North Atlantic and over western Europe. In winter these winds meander at altitudes of about 10,000 to 40,000 feet (3,000 to 12,200 metres) over North America in such a way that a northward bulge (ridge) is generated by and over the…

Westerly, town (township), Washington county, southwestern Rhode Island, U.S. It lies along the Pawcatuck River across from Pawcatuck, Connecticut. The state’s westernmost town—hence the name—it includes the villages of Westerly, Bradford, White Rock, and Potter Hill and the resorts of Weekapaug,

Diedrich Westermann was a German scholar of African languages and culture who refined and extended the work of Carl Meinhof, his teacher. Westermann specialized in the languages of an enormously complex linguistic region extending from the Sénégal River eastward to the upper reaches of the Nile

Diedrich Westermann was a German scholar of African languages and culture who refined and extended the work of Carl Meinhof, his teacher. Westermann specialized in the languages of an enormously complex linguistic region extending from the Sénégal River eastward to the upper reaches of the Nile

discus throw: 04-foot) throw; German Lisel Westermann, the first woman to break the 200-foot mark; and Russian Faina Melnik, who broke the 70-meter mark in women’s competition.

Edward Westermarck was a Finnish sociologist, philosopher, and anthropologist who denied the widely held view that early humans had lived in a state of promiscuity and instead theorized that the original form of human sexual attachment had been monogamy. He asserted that primitive marriage was

Edward Westermarck was a Finnish sociologist, philosopher, and anthropologist who denied the widely held view that early humans had lived in a state of promiscuity and instead theorized that the original form of human sexual attachment had been monogamy. He asserted that primitive marriage was

western, a genre of novels and short stories, motion pictures, and television and radio shows that are set in the American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century. Though basically an American creation, the western had its counterparts in the gaucho literature of

Copperbelt, province, central Zambia, east-central Africa. It is bounded by North-Western (to the west) and Central (south) provinces and by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (to the north and east). Ndola, in the east, is the capital of the province. The region lies on the eastern Central

western Africa, region of the western African continent comprising the countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Western Africa

20th-century international relations: Great Britain and decolonization: … for a new approach to West Africa as well. It aimed at preparing tropical Africa for self-rule by gradually transferring local authority from tribal chiefs to members of the Western-educated elite. Accordingly, the Colonial Office drafted elaborate constitutions, most of which had little relevance to real conditions in primitive countries…

Trans World Airlines, Inc.: …the amalgamation of divisions of Western Air Express (founded 1925) and Transcontinental Air Transport (founded 1928). Western Air Express had flown both mail and passengers in its first year of service between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, Utah (1926), and in 1930 TWA inaugurated coast-to-coast service—Newark, New Jersey, to…

Western Air Lines, Inc., former American airline that was first incorporated in 1925 as Western Air Express, Inc., reincorporated in 1928 as Western Air Express Corp., and renamed Western Air Lines in 1941. The airline was acquired by Delta Air Lines, Inc. (q.v.), in 1987. Less than a month after

Clint Eastwood: Early life and career: …westerns (popularly known as “spaghetti westerns”) directed by Sergio Leone: Per un pugno di dollari (1964; A Fistful of Dollars), Per qualche dollari in più (1965; For a Few Dollars More), and Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).

Alps: Physiography: The Western Alps trend north from the coast through southeastern France and northwestern Italy to Lake Geneva and the Rhône valley in Switzerland. Their forms include the low-lying arid limestones of the Maritime Alps near the Mediterranean, the deep cleft of the Verdon Canyon in France,…

biogeographic region: Western and Central Asian region: Centred on the desert steppes of Central Asia and Mongolia, this floristic zone consists of 200 or more endemic genera and extends from the Caucasus to the Plateau of Tibet, with arid zone plants of the family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot) and…

Apache: Early history: …Lipan, and Kiowa Apache, and Western Apache, which include the Cibecue, Mimbreño, Coyotero, and Northern and Southern Tonto or Mogollon Apache. With the exception of the Kiowa Apache, who joined the Kiowa tribal circle (adopting Kiowa customs and allegiance), the Apache traditionally functioned without a centralized tribal organization. Instead, the…

Howard Nemerov: (1967), Gnomes and Occasions (1973), The Western Approaches (1975), Sentences (1980), Inside the Onion (1984), and War Stories (1987). As a social critic, he produced powerfully satiric poems.

Western red cedar, (Thuja plicata), an ornamental and timber evergreenconifer of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), native to the Pacific coast of North America. Western red cedar trees and shrubs are pyramidal in form. The trees may grow up to 60 metres (about 200 feet) tall and 6 metres in

Western architecture, history of Western architecture from prehistoric Mediterranean cultures to the 21st century. The history of Western architecture is marked by a series of new solutions to structural problems. During the period from the beginning of civilization through ancient Greek culture,

shooting star: Major species: Western Arctic shooting star (P. frigida) is a small delicate species found in Arctic and subarctic regions of North America and far eastern Russia.