(Encyclopedia) Williams, Robert R., Jr., 1886–1965, American chemist, b. India, grad. Univ. of Chicago (B.S., 1907); brother of Roger John Williams. Research undertaken in 1910, while he was chemist…
(Encyclopedia) SafaqisSafaqissäfäˈkĭs [key] or SfaxSafaqissfäks [key], city (1994 pop. 230,900), E Tunisia, on the Gulf of Qabis (Gabès), an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It is Tunisia's second…
Sneakers go back a long way. In the late 18th century, people wore rubber soled shoes called plimsolls, but they were pretty crude—for one thing, there was no right foot or left foot. Around 1892…
(Encyclopedia) Case, Karl Edwin, American economist, b. New York City, 1946, Ph.D. Harvard, 1976. As a professor at Wellesley College (1976–2010), Case focused on urban economics, real estate markets…
(Encyclopedia) rebate, partial refund of the total price paid for goods or services. In the United States, rebates were historically given by railroads to favored shippers as a return on…
(Encyclopedia) cost of living, amount of money needed to buy the goods and services necessary to maintain a specified standard of living. The cost of living is closely tied to rates of inflation and…
(Encyclopedia) Gierek, EdwardGierek, Edwardgyĕˈrĕk [key], 1913–2001, Polish politician, b. Porąbka. His family emigrated to France, where he was raised. He joined the French Communist party in 1931…
(Encyclopedia) Veblen, ThorsteinVeblen, Thorsteinthôrˈstīn vĕbˈlən [key], 1857–1929, American economist and social critic, b. Cato Township, Wis. Of Norwegian parentage, he spent his first 17 years…