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United States Naval Observatory

(Encyclopedia)United States Naval Observatory, a federal astronomical observatory, located in Washington, D. C. It evolved from the Navy's oldest scientific institution, the Depot of Charts and Instruments, founded...

Porter, David

(Encyclopedia)Porter, David, 1780–1843, American naval officer, b. Boston. Appointed a midshipman in 1798, he served in the West Indies and in the war with Tripoli. In 1803 his ship, the Philadelphia, was capture...

sloop

(Encyclopedia)sloop, fore-and-aft-rigged, single-masted sailing vessel with a single headsail jib. A sloop differs from a cutter in that it has a jibstay—a support leading from the bow to the masthead on which th...

Colonial Conference, British

(Encyclopedia)Colonial Conference, British: see Imperial Conference. ...

Anne, British princess

(Encyclopedia)Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), 1950–, British princess, only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh. She was educated at Benenden School. In 1973 she married a Brit...

British East Africa

(Encyclopedia)British East Africa, inclusive historical term for several former British dependencies, especially Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, and Zanzibar. ...

British North Borneo

(Encyclopedia)British North Borneo: see Sabah, Malaysia. ...

British thermal unit

(Encyclopedia)British thermal unit, abbr. Btu, unit for measuring heat quantity in the customary system of English units of measurement, equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of...

British Virgin Islands

(Encyclopedia)British Virgin Islands: see under Virgin Islands. ...

British West Africa

(Encyclopedia)British West Africa, former inclusive term for the British colonies of Cameroons, Gambia, Gold Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togoland. ...