(1880–1964) U.S. general who commanded the Southwest Pacific Theater in
World War II, administered Japan during the Allied occupation that followed
the end of World War II, and led United Nations forces during the first nine
months of the Korean War.
(Farmer in the Sky)
MacGregor
Scottish clan who were once numerous in Balquhidder and Menteith, and also
in Glenorchy, which appears to have been their original seat. King David II
gave Glenorchy to clan Campbell, sparking years of conflict between the clans
as the more powerful Campbells inexorably drove the MacGregors out of their
ancestral lands and turned the government in Edinburgh against their rivals.
Clan MacGregor was proscribed in the early 17th century, its members scattered
and often forced to take new names to hide their lineage. The proscription was
repealed by Charles II in gratitude for the support that clan members gave to
the Royalist cause, but was reimposed by William of Orange and Mary II. The
proscription was permanently lifted in 1774.
(The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress)
Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469–1527) Florentine writer, statesman, and political theorist whose
principal work was The Prince. In the book, he describes the two
principal types of governments: monarchies and republics, but writes primarily
about monarchies. His assertion that a ruler must pretend to be virtuous but
that certain vices are necessary to survival of both the prince and the
government has earned him a reputation for hypocrisy and cynicism;
Machiavellian has come to mean ruthlessly ambitious and deceitful.
(The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress)
R.H. Macy & Company, Inc
American department store chain headquartered in New York City. The
company grew out of a partnership founded in lower Manhattan in 1858 by
Rowland H. Macy and his cousin Margaret Getchell. The store prospered after
the Civil War by building a reputation for value and advertising extensively.
In 1887 Nathan and Isidor Straus acquired part interest in the company; by
1896 they had assumed full control. Macy's fortunes suffered during the
recession of the 1980s, and in 1992 it declared bankruptcy. In 1994, the
company merged with Federated Department Stores.
("The Menace from Earth")
Republic of Madagascar
Nation occupying the island of Madagascar, the world's fourth largest
island, off the southeast coast of Africa in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
The capital is Antananarivo.
(Beyond This Horizon)
"Madelon"
Song written in 1918 by Camille Robert, which was popular with French
soldiers. The English subtitle is "I'll Be True to the Whole Regiment".
(Starship Troopers)
"Mademoiselle From Armentieres"
English song attributed to Edward Rowland (1915); it was popular with the
Allied soldiers during World War I.
(The Number of the Beast, Starship Troopers)
James Madison
(1751–1836) Fourth president of the United States (1809–17) and a primary
author of the United States Constitution. He collaborated with Alexander
Hamilton and John Jay on the Federalist Papers, a series of essays setting
forth the arguments in favor of reshaping the federal government according to
the draft Constitution. As a member of the House of Representatives, he
sponsored the first ten amendments, called the Bill of Rights.
(The Red Planet)
Ferdinand Magellan
(1480–1521) Portuguese navigator and explorer whose ships accomplished the
first circumnavigation around the globe, although Magellan himself was killed
in the Philippines. His route took him westward across the Atlantic Ocean, and
then around the tip of South America, where the Strait of Magellan between the
mainland and the southernmost islands is named for him.
(Time for the Stars)
Ramón Magsaysay
(1907–1957) President of the Philippines (1953–57), best known for
defeating Communist insurgents. Though most Philippine political leaders were
of Spanish descent, Magsaysay was of Malay stock, like most of the common
people. He was a guerrilla leader on Luzon during World War II, and was
appointed military governor of his home province, Zambales, when the United
States recaptured the Philippines. As president, Magsaysay attempted economic
and social reforms, but was thwarted by the conservative majority in the
Philippine congress. Nevertheless, he remained extremely popular and had a
well-deserved reputation for incorruptibility.
(Starship Troopers)
Molly Maguires
Secret organization of coal miners allegedly responsible for sabotage and
other violent acts in the coalfields of Pennsylvania and West Virginia from
1862 to 1876. The group named itself after a widow who led a group of Irish
anti-landlord agitators in the 1840s.
(I Will Fear No Evil)
Simon Magus
First-century magician who, according to the Acts of the Apostles
(8:9–24), became a Christian and subsequently offered to purchase from the
Apostles Peter and John the supernatural power of transmitting the Holy
Spirit. This story gave rise to the term simony for the buying or
selling of sacred things or ecclesiastical office.
(Stranger in a Strange Land)
Pál Maléter
Head of the Hungarian armed forces in 1956. He joined Imre Nagy's
government as Minister of Defense, and supported the rebellion against Soviet
domination of Hungary. Agreeing to lead a delegation to negotiate with the
Soviet commanders, he was arrested upon meeting with them and summarily
executed.
(Starship Troopers)
Thomas Robert Malthus
(1766–1834) English economist who developed the theory that population
growth will always exceed the food supply and will inevitably lead to famine
and a net decrease in the population. Thus, permanent improvement in the human
condition is impossible without strict limits on reproduction.
(Stranger in a Strange Land)
Manchuria
Historical region of northeastern China. Strictly speaking, it consists of
the modern provinces of Liaoning (south), Kirin (central), and Heilungkiang
(north); often, however, the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia is also
included. Manchuria is bounded by Russia (northwest, north, and east), North
Korea (south), and the province of Hopeh (southwest).
(Friday)
Manhattan
Borough of New York City, coextensive with New York county. The borough,
most of which is on Manhattan Island, extends into Marble Hill on the mainland
and includes a number of islets in the East River. It is bounded by the Hudson
River (west), Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek (northeast), East River
(east), and Upper New York Bay (south). In 1626 Peter Minuit, the first
director general of New Netherland province, is said to have purchased the
island from the local Manhattan tribe. The island was incorporated as the city
of New Amsterdam in 1653. The English took possession in 1664, and renamed the
city New York.
(The Day After Tomorrow, The Door Into Summer, The Puppet
Masters, Tunnel in the Sky)
manna
In the Biblical books of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, the
food provided for the Israelites during their years wandering in the desert.
The substance "was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with
honey".
(Stranger in a Strange Land)
Horace Mann
(1796–1859) The first major American advocate of public education. Largely
self-educated in his early years, as secretary of the Massachusetts state
board of education he developed a comprehensive philosophy that stressed the
importance of universal nonsectarian education for the survival of democratic
government. He ended his career as president of Antioch College in Yellow
Springs, Ohio, an institution committed to nonsectarian education for all
people regardless of gender or race.
(Have Space Suit — Will Travel, Job: A Comedy of Justice)
Mannheim
1. City in the state of
Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine
River opposite Ludwigshafen, at the mouth of the Neckar River. Mannheim was
mentioned as a village as early as 764; it was chartered in 1607.
2. Karl Mannheim: (1893–1947)
German-born English sociologist who developed a "sociology of knowledge";
studied science as a social organization; and researched the problems of
leadership and consensus. In Mannheim's view, social conflict is caused by the
diversity of individual ways of thought and personal criteria of truth, which
differences are more basic than economic disparity and class consciousness.
(Starship Troopers)
Marais des Cygnes
River in east central and southeast Kansas. it rises near Eskridge in
Wabaunsee County, Kansas and flows east and south to join the Little Osage in
Bates County, Missouri. [French, "marsh of the swans"]
(To Sail Beyond the Sunset)
Marathon
Plain in northeastern Attica where the Athenians, in a single afternoon,
repulsed the first Persian invasion of Greece (September 490 BCE). According
to legend, a messenger was sent from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about
25 miles (40 km), to announce the Persian defeat. He gasped out his message
just before dying of exhaustion. The marathon race commemorates the
messenger's feat.
(Starship Troopers)
"March of the Gladiators"
Music from the soundtrack of the Disney animated film Dumbo.
(Time for the Stars)
Mardi Gras
French festival celebrated before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the
Christian season of Lent. In the United States, it is celebrated in New
Orleans, Louisiana with an elaborate parade and uninhibited street parties.
(Double Star)
Mare Crisium
Dark feature on the near side of the moon, 376 miles (627 km) wide, at
38.9 degrees south latitude and 93.0 degrees east longitude. [Latin, "sea of
crises"]
(The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress)
Mare Undarum
Basalt "sea" on the near side of the moon, at 6.8 north latitude and 68.4
east longitude, within the Crisium basin. [Latin, "sea of waves"]
(The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress)
"Margie"
Song written in 1919 by jazz pianist J. Russel Robinson.
(I Will Fear No Evil)
Francis Marion
(1732–1795) American soldier in the U.S. War of Independence, nicknamed
The Swamp Fox by the British for his elusive tactics. Marion used
guerrilla tactics against the British troops, often winning victories against
much larger forces by the surprise and rapidity of their movements over swampy
terrain. He was appointed a Brigadier general in 1781. After the war, he
served in the South Carolina senate (1782–90).
(Starship Troopers)
Mark Hopkins
Four-star hotel in San Francisco, built in 1926 at the prestigious address
of Number One Nob Hill and considered a landmark today.
Marne
River in northern France, which flows from the Langres Plateau in a
meandering path roughly north-northwest into the Seine River near Paris. It
was the site of two major battles during World War I, which were both Allied
victories.
(Starship Troopers)
Mars
Fourth planet from the Sun, and seventh largest. It orbits the Sun once
every 687 Earth days and spins on its axis once every 24 hours and 37 minutes.
Mars' red coloring is visible even to the naked eye. Although it has a thin
atmosphere and noticeable seasons, all evidence indicates that it is devoid of
life.
"Marsellaise"
French national anthem, composed in 1792 by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle,
a captain of the engineers and amateur musician. Originally entitled "Chant de
guerre de l'armée du Rhin" ("War Song of the Army of the Rhine"), the anthem
came to be called "La Marseillaise" because of its popularity with volunteer
army units from Marseille.
(Starship Troopers)
St. Mary Magdalene
One of the disciples of Jesus, described in the Book of Mark as being one
of the three women who were the first person to see Jesus upon his
resurrection after the crucifixion. She is mentioned several times in the
Gospels: Jesus cleansed her of seven demons (Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9); she
accompanied Jesus when he preached in Galilee (Luke 8:1–2); and she witnessed
the crucifixion (all four Gospels). She is frequently identified in Christian
legends as a penitent prostitute.
(Time Enough for Love)
MasterCard
Major brand of credit card available through many banks and other
financial institutions. An interbank federation was formed in 1966 to provide
credit cards that could be accepted by any institution. In 1969, the name
Master Charge was adopted for these universal credit cards; the name was
changed to MasterCard in 1979.
(Friday)
Mathematical Recreations and
Essays
Book by Walter William Rouse (1850–1925). Published in London, England, by
Macmillan and Co. Numerous editions have published since the first edition in
1900. [Library of Congress call number QA95.B2]
(Farnham's Freehold)
James Clerk Maxwell
(1831–1879) Scottish physicist famous for his formulation of
electromagnetic theory. His publications include Theory of Heat (1870)
and Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism (1873). The electromagnetic
unit of magnetic flux in the centimeter-gram-second system of units was named
the maxwell in his honor.
(Friday)
Mayflower
Square-rigged sailing ship on which the Pilgrims sailed from England to
Plymouth, Massachusetts, where they established the first permanent European
colony in New England, in 1620. The ship was chartered to the Pilgrims by
English merchants called the London Adventurers.
Luxury hotel on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., 4 blocks from the
White House. The hotel has hosted the inaugural balls for all presidents the
United States since Calvin Coolidge in 1925, the year it opened.
(Stranger in a Strange Land)
Mazatlán
Seaport and tourist resort in Sinaloa state in western north-central
Mexico. It occupies a peninsula overlooking Olas Altas Bay, on the Gulf of
California. It is Mexico's largest Pacific Ocean port, and its island-studded
harbor is noted for its sandy beaches.
(Job: A Comedy of Justice)
William Gibbs McAdoo
(1863–1941) U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1913–1918); candidate for the
Democratic presidential nomination in 1920 and 1924; and senator from
California (1933–1939).
(To Sail Beyond the Sunset)
McGill
English-language university in Montreal, which was founded by a bequest
from Montreal merchant James McGill and received a royal charter in 1821.
Faculties of medicine and arts were first to be established. Originally, only
men were admitted; in 1899, Royal Victoria College was opened for women. Royal
Victoria and McGill eventually merged into one coeducational university.
Macdonald College at Sainte-Anne de Bellevue, founded in 1907, and
specializing in the agricultural sciences, was incorporated into McGill, and
three theological colleges are also affiliated with the university.
(Friday)
William McKinley
(1843–1901) 25th president of the United States (1897–1901). Under
McKinley's leadership, the United States went to war against Spain in 1898;
claiming Spanish territory through military victory and thus acquiring a
global empire including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. McKinley was
assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz.
(To Sail Beyond the Sunset)
Paul McNutt
(1891–1955) U.S. lawyer and politician; he was U.S. high commissioner of
the Philippines, 1937–1939.
"Meadowland"
Musical composition by Russian composer Lev Konstantinovich Knipper
(1898–1974). He originally wrote it as part of his Fourth Symphony.
(Starship Troopers)
Megiddo
Town in ancient Palestine, near the Plain of Esdraelon (Valley of Jezreel)
about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Haifa in northern Israel. It controlled a
commonly used pass on the trading route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, and it
also stood along the northwest-southeast route that connected the Phoenician
cities with Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley. Armageddon, the term
for the final battle between good and evil, is derived from Megiddo, since the
prefix har means "hill" in Hebrew.
(Job: A Comedy of Justice)
Melbourne
Capital of the Australian state of Victoria, situated at the head of Port
Phillip Bay on the southeastern coast. It was the national capital from 1901
until 1927. Port Phillip Bay was discovered by Europeans in 1802, but
permanent settlement was delayed until 1835. In 1837 the new settlement was
named for the current British prime minister, Lord Melbourne. Melbourne became
a town in 1842 and a city in 1847.
(Citizen of the Galaxy)
Men Against the Sea
Second volume in the Bounty trilogy by Charles Nordhoff (1887–1947).
(Volume 1 is Mutiny on the Bounty, and Volume 2 is Pitcairn's
Island.) It was published by Little, Brown & Company in 1940. [Library
of Congress call number PZ3.N764Bo2]
(Farnham's Freehold)
Gregor Mendel
(1822–1884, original name Johann Mendel) Austrian botanist and plant
experimenter, the first to lay the mathematical foundation of the science of
genetics, in what came to be called Mendelism.
(Beyond This Horizon, Friday)
Mercury
In Roman myth, god of merchandise and merchants. He was commonly
identified with the Greek god Hermes, fleet-footed messenger of the gods.
(I Will Fear No Evil)
Merlin
In Arthurian legends, a wizard and sage, the adviser to King Arthur. He is
often identified with characters in ancient Celtic myth, especially with the
Welsh Myrddin.
(Stranger in a Strange Land)
Mermaid Tavern
London meeting place of the literary Friday Street Club, whose members
included William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, John Donne, and Ben Jonson
were notable members. It stood to the east of St. Paul's Cathedral, with
entrances in Bread Street and Friday Street.
(Time Enough for Love)
Merrimac
A Union battleship that was captured by the Confederacy during the Civil
War. It was converted to an ironclad (armored) ship in 1862 and renamed the
U.S.S. Virginia (though historical accounts generally use her original name).
(I Will Fear No Evil)
The Merry Widow
Operetta produced in 1905 by Hungarian composer Franz Lehar (1870–1948),
with a libretto by Viktor Léon and Leo Stein. It tells the story of a young
and attractive woman whose rich, elderly husband has died just one week after
their wedding, leaving her with the world at her feet. The Merry Widow
was one of the most popular of all operettas, and made Franz Lehar
internationally famous.
(Citizen of the Galaxy)
Methodist Episcopal Church
Protestant denomination, founded in 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland. It was an
offshoot of the Methodist Church that followed the teachings of reformer John
Wesley. The word "episcopal" referred to the denomination's hierarchical
structure, specifically administration by bishops.
(Job: A Comedy of Justice)
Mexico
Officially, United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos).
Northernmost and third largest country of Latin America. It is situated in the
southwestern part of mainland North America, sharing its northern border with
the United States of America. Mexico has a vast wealth of mineral resources, a
limited amount of agricultural land, and a rapidly growing population. More
than half of the people live in the central core, while vast areas of the arid
north and the tropical south are sparsely settled. Culturally, Mexico combines
the heritage of the Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec empires with its history as a
Spanish colony.
(Friday)
Midway
Small island group near the western end of the Hawaiian archipelago, which
was formally annexed as United States territory in 1867. The Allied victory in
the Battle of Midway (1942) marked the turning point of the Pacific phase of
World War II.
(Friday)
Milky Way
Spiral galaxy in which our own sun is located. It is named for the
irregular luminous band of stars and gas clouds that stretches across Earth's
sky.
(Beyond This Horizon)
Minerva
Roman goddess of handicrafts, the professions, the arts, and, later, war;
she was commonly identified with the Greek Athena.
(Time Enough for Love)
Mining Journal
Weekly newspaper founded in 1835 to report on all aspects of the mining
industry from "exploration through financing and development to production and
marketing".
(To Sail Beyond the Sunset)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seat of Hennepin County in eastern Minnesota, at the head of the
Mississippi River. Its name is derived from the Dakota word minne
(water) and the Greek polis (city). The Franciscan missionary Father
Louis Hennepin visited the area in 1680 and named the Falls of St. Anthony.
The village of St. Anthony, on the east side of the falls, was incorporated in
1855. Settlers soon occupied the U.S. military reservation on the west bank of
the river; in 1855 the government declared the settlement legal, and the
village of Minneapolis was incorporated in 1856.
("If This Goes On—", The Puppet Masters)
Marvin Minsky
(1927– ) Electrical engineer, mathematician, and pioneering researcher in
the fields of cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He is a leading
contributor to the development of robots and computers.
(The Number of the Beast)
misericorde
A narrow dagger used to deliver the death stroke to a seriously wounded knight. In Medieval Latin, the word misericordia denoted various merciful things, and these senses were borrowed into English. Since the medicine of the time was inadequate to save a seriously wounded person's life or ease the suffering until death, this quick death was considered an act of mercy. [Middle English, pity, from Old French, from Latin misericordia, merciful.]
(Glory Road)
Missouri
Constituent state of the United States of America; it is named for a
native tribe. The capital is Jefferson City. Except for Tennessee, Missouri
has more neighboring states than any other U.S. state. It abuts Iowa (north);
Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee (east); Arkansas (south); and Oklahoma,
Kansas, and Nebraska (west). It is also the center of diverse geographical
regions: eastern timberland, western prairie, southern cotton fields, and
northern cornfields.
(Starman Jones, Time Enough for Love, To Sail Beyond the
Sunset)
Missouri Savings Bank
Financial institution founded in Kansas City, Missouri, by Watt Webb in
1891. It is now called the Bank and Trust company.
(Time Enough for Love, To Sail Beyond the Sunset)
Billy Mitchell
(1879–1936) U.S. Army officer who advocated a separate U.S. air force and
greater preparedness in military aviation. He was court-martialled for
publicly criticizing the War and Navy departments, but was posthumously
awarded a special medal when the U.S. Air Force was created.
("The Menace from Earth")
Mithra
(Also Mithras) In Indo-Iranian myth, the god of light. His worship spread
to Persia and then throughout the Hellenic world. Mithra was especially
popular with Roman soldiers, and was the chief rival to the new Christian
religion.
(Tunnel in the Sky)
Sir Modred
(Also spelled Mordred) In Arthurian legend, the illegitimate son of King
Arthur and the witch Morgause (he is sometimes described as Arthur's nephew
rather than his son). He contributed to the downfall of Camelot by sowing
dissension among the knights of the Round Table with rumors of Queen
Guinevere's love affair with Sir Lancelot. In some legends, it was Mordred who
fatally wounded Arthur during the final battle among the knights.
(The Number of the Beast)
Admiral William Adger Moffett
(1869–1933) A leader in developing the Navy's aviation program. A
supporter of the use of dirigibles, both in Naval operations and generally, he
died in the crash of the airship Akron.
(Job: A Comedy of Justice)
Mojave Desert
Desert in southeastern California and portions of Nevada, Arizona, and
Utah. It extends from the Sierra Nevada range to the Colorado Plateau, merges
with the Great Basin Desert to the north and the Sonoran Desert to the south
and southeast, and abuts the San Gabriel–San Bernardino mountains in the
southwest.
(Farmer in the Sky)
"Molly Malone"
(Also called "Cockles and Mussels") Traditional Irish song about a
fishmonger who dies of a fever; it is sometimes considered the unofficial
anthem of the city of Dublin, the setting for the song.
(The Rolling Stones, Starman Jones)
Moloch
Hebrew name for a deity to whom children were sacrificed throughout the
ancient Middle East. The deity is mentioned in the Biblical book of Leviticus
(18:21) and the Second book of Kings (16:3, 21:6, and 23:10).
(Job: A Comedy of Justice)
monism
In philosophy, the theory that all of reality is one unified entity, and
the perception of separation and diversity is only an illusion created by the
human mind.
(Tunnel in the Sky)
"The Monkey Wrapped His Tail Around the
Flagpole"
Novelty-song lyrics written to the tune of "National Emblem" a march
composed in 1907 by Edwin Eugene Bagley (1857–1922).
(The Number of the Beast)
Monte Carlo
Resort in the southern European principality of Monaco, on the Riviera
just northeast of Nice, France. In 1856 Prince Charles III of Monaco granted a
charter allowing a joint stock company to build a casino. The city has become
a playground for the rich, with the gambling casinos (open only to visitors,
not to residents) providing its main attraction.
(Methuselah's Children)
Montevideo, Uruguay
Capital of Uruguay in South America, and its principle city. It lies on
the north shore of the Río de la Plata Estuary. Montevideo was founded in 1726
to counteract the Portuguese advance into the area from Brazil.
(I Will Fear No Evil)
Montezuma II
(1466–1520, ruled 1502–1520; also spelled Moctezuma) Ninth Aztec emperor
of Mexico, during whose reign the conquistador Hernán Cortés began the Spanish
conquest of Mexico. Montezuma tried to buy off Cortés and then to entrap him
by inviting him to the capital city, Tenochtitlán. Instead of succumbing to
the trap, however, Cortés took Montezuma prisoner. According to Spanish
accounts, Montezuma's submission to the Spaniards eroded his authority, and
his people stoned him to death.
Mexican government.
Bernard Law Montgomery
(1887–1976) British field marshal, one of the outstanding Allied
commanders in World War II. He commanded the British Army of the Rhine after
the war, and was deputy commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
1951–58. Montgomery was knighted (K.C.B.) in 1942, named a Knight of the
Garter following World War II, and made Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and
Hindhead in 1946.
(Starship Troopers)
Montgomery Ward
First mail-order company for general merchandise, established in 1872 and
named for its founder, U.S. merchant Aaron Montgomery Ward (1844–1913). The
first Montgomery Ward retail stores were opened in 1926; the mail-order
business was ended in 1985.
(Friday)
morning glory
(Ipomoea purpurea) A flowering vine native to North America, that
features heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in colors ranging from
pinkish-purple to blue.
("Nothing Ever Happens on the Moon")
morning star
The planet Venus, when visible in the sky after dawn.
("Logic of Empire")
Moscow
(Russian Moskva) Capital of Russia. The city is situated in western
Russia about 400 miles (640 km) southeast of St. Petersburg and 600 miles (970
km) east of the Polish border, in the valley of the Moskva River. First
mentioned in chronicles of 1147 CE, the city has been the historical center of
Russian history and culture, and the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox
Church.
(Starship Troopers)
The Mote in God's Eye
Science-fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, about
space-faring humans' encounter with an ancient alien race that has not yet
achieved interstellar travel.
(The Number of the Beast)
Forest Ray Moulton
(1872–1952) Astronomer who spent most of his career at the University of
Chicago, where he taught theoretical astronomy and mathematics. He was the
author of An Introduction to Celestial Mechanics (1902), The Nature
of the World and Man (1926), and Consider the Heavens (1935). He
was the permanent secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science from 1937 until 1948.
("Requiem")
Mount Etna
(Also spelled Aetna) Volcano on the east coast of the island of Sicily;
the highest active volcano in Europe. Numerous eruptions have been recorded
from 1500 BCE through the present. In Greek myth, Etna was the workshop of
Hephaestus and the Cyclops; a variant myth said that the giant Typhon lay
beneath the mountain, and the Earth trembled when he turned over. [Greek
Aitne, derived from aitho, "I burn"]
(Between Planets)
Audie Murphy
(1924–1971) The most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II.
Beginning his service as an Army private, Audie quickly rose to the enlisted
rank of Staff Sergeant, was given a "battle field" commission as 2nd
Lieutenant, was wounded three times, fought in 9 major campaigns across the
European Theater, and survived the war. He received a total 33 awards for
valor, at least one of every award the U.S. issues plus 5 decorations from
France and Belgium.
The Heinlein
Society was founded by Virginia Heinlein on behalf of her husband, science
fiction author Robert Anson Heinlein, to "pay forward" the legacy of Robert A. Heinlein to future generations of "Heinlein's Children."
