Miranda \mi-'ran-d3. Carmen orig. Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (b. Feb. 9, 1909, Lisbon, Port.—d. Aug. 5, 1955, Beverly Hills, Calif., U.S.) Brazilian singer and actress. In the 1930s she was the most popular recording artist in Brazil, where she appeared in five films. Recruited by a Broadway producer, she starred in The Streets of Paris (1939), then made her U.S. film debut in Down Argentine Way (1940). Typecast as the “Brazilian Bombshell” and given such caricatural roles as “The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat” in The Gang’s All Here (1943), she became the highest-paid female performer in the U.S. during World War II. Her final U.S. film was Scared Stiff ( 1953).
Miranda \me-'ran-da\, Francisco de (b. March 28, 1750, Caracas—d. July 14, 1816, Cadiz, Spain) Venezuelan revolutionary who helped pave the way for his country’s independence. He joined the Span¬ ish army but fled to the U.S. in 1783, where he met leaders of the Ameri¬ can Revolution and formed plans for the liberation of South America, which he envisioned ruled by an Incan emperor and a bicameral legisla¬ ture. He launched an unsuccessful invasion of Venezuela in 1806 and returned at the request of Simon Bolivar to fight again in 1810. He assumed dictatorial powers in 1811 when independence was declared but suc¬ cumbed to a Spanish counterattack and signed an armistice. Fellow revo¬ lutionaries, viewing his surrender as traitorous, thwarted his attempt to escape. He died in a Spanish prison cell.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966) U.S. Supreme Court decision that speci¬ fied a code of conduct for police during interrogations of criminal sus¬ pects. Miranda established that the police are required to inform arrested persons that they have the right to remain silent, that anything they say may be used against them, and that they have the right to an attorney. The case involved a claim by the plaintiff that the state of Arizona, by obtain¬ ing a confession from him without having informed him of his right to have a lawyer present, had violated his rights under the Fifth Amendment regarding self-incrimination. The 5-to-4 decision shocked the law- enforcement community; several later decisions limited the scope of the Miranda safeguards. See also rights of the accused.
Mirim \me-'rem\ Lagoon Spanish Laguna Merin \ma-'ren\ Tide¬ water lake separating eastern Uruguay from the extreme southern tip of Brazil. It is about 118 mi (190 km) long and 30 mi (48 km) across at its
widest point, covering an area of 1,542 sq mi (3,994 sq km). A low, marshy bar 10-35 mi (17-59 km) wide and containing small lagoons separates it from the Atlantic Ocean. It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels.
Miro \me-'ro\, Joan (b. April 20, 1893, Barcelona, Spain—d. Dec. 25, 1983, Palma de Mallorca) Spanish (Catalan) artist. He attended a com¬ mercial school and worked as an office clerk until a mental breakdown persuaded his artisan father to permit him to study art. From the beginning he sought to express concepts of nature metaphorically. From 1919 on he lived alternately in Spain and Paris, where he came under the influ¬ ence of Dadaism and Surrealism. The influence of Paul Klee is apparent in his “dream pictures” and “imaginary landscapes” of the late 1920s, in which linear configurations and patches of colour look almost as though they had been set down ran¬ domly. His mature style evolved from the tension between this fanci¬ ful, poetic impulse and his vision of the harshness of modern life. He worked extensively in lithography and produced numerous murals, tapestries, and sculptures for public spaces.
MIRV \'marv\ in full multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle Any of several nuclear warheads carried on the front end of a ballistic missile. The technique allows separately targeted nuclear war¬ heads to be released from the missile on different trajectories, thus attack¬ ing several targets from only one launcher. MIRVed ballistic missiles were first deployed by the U.S. and then the Soviet Union in the 1970s, fol¬ lowed by Britain and France in the 1980s and possibly China in the 1990s. Because multiple warheads represent a significant increase in firepower, they have often been an issue in arms control negotations. The Strategic Arms Reduction Talks commit both the U.S. and Russia to limit the num¬ ber of MIRVs on some missiles.
miscarriage or spontaneous abortion Spontaneous expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus before it can live outside the mother. More than 60% are caused by an inherited defect in the fetus, which might result in a fatal abnormality. Other causes may include acute infectious disease, especially if it reduces the fetus’s oxygen supply; abnormalities of the uterus that have physical or hormonal origins; and death of the fetus from umbilical-cord knotting. The main sign of impending miscarriage is vaginal bleeding.
misdemeanour See felony and misdemeanour
Mises Vme-zes\, Ludwig (Edler) von (b. Sept. 29, 1881, Lemberg, Austria-Hungary—d. Oct. 10, 1973, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Austrian-U.S. economist whose theories followed those of the Austrian school of eco¬ nomics. He taught at the University of Vienna (1913-38) before immi¬ grating to the U.S. and joining the New York University faculty (1945— 69). In The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality (1956), an examination of U.S. socialism, he dealt with the opposition to the free market by intellectu¬ als, who, in his view, bear an unwarranted resentment toward mass demand, which is the basis of prosperity in big business.
Mishima \'me-she-ma\ Yukio orig. Hiraoka Kimitake (b. Jan. 14, 1925, Tokyo, Japan—d. Nov. 25, 1970, Tokyo) Japanese writer. Having failed to qualify physically for military service in World War II, Mishima worked in a Tokyo factory and after the war studied law. He won acclaim with his first novel. Confessions of a Mask (1949). Many of his charac¬ ters are obsessed with unattainable ideals and erotic desires, as in The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (1956). His epic The Sea of Fertility, 4 vol. (1965-70), is perhaps his most lasting achievement. He strongly opposed Japan’s close ties to the West in the postwar era (notably the new constitution that forbade rearmament) and yearned to preserve Japan’s martial spirit and reverence for the emperor. In a symbolic gesture of these beliefs, he died by committing seppuku (ritual disembowelment) after seiz¬ ing a military headquarters. He is often considered one of Japan’s most important 20th-century novelists.
Joan Miro, photograph by Yousuf Karsh, 1966.
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Mishna ► Mississippi I 1267
Mishna or Mishnah \mesh-'na, 'mish-noN Oldest authoritative collec¬ tion of Jewish oral law, supplementing the written laws in the Hebrew Scriptures. It was compiled by a series of scholars over two centuries and was given final form in the 3rd century ad by Judah ha-Nasi. Annotations by later scholars in Palestine and Babylonia resulted in the Gemara; the Mishna and Gemara are usually said to make up the Talmud. The Mishna has six major sections, on daily prayer and agriculture, Sabbath and other religious ritual, married life, civil and criminal law, the Temple of Jeru¬ salem, and ritual purification.
Mishne Torah Vmesh-'ne-to-'raV Extensive commentary on the Talmud, composed in the 12th century by Moses Maimonides. Its 14 volumes deal with laws covering such subjects as ethical conduct, civil affairs, torts, marriage and divorce, and gifts to the poor. Maimonides intended the Mishne Torah to combine religious law and philosophy and to serve as a vehicle for teaching rather than merely to prescribe conduct.
Miskito Coast See Mosquito Coast
Miskolc \'mish- 1 kolts\City (pop., 2001: 184,125), northeastern Hungary. It lies on the eastern margin of the Avas Hills. Caves in the limestone hills, inhabited from prehistoric times, now serve as cellars for the wine¬ making industry. Settled by Germanic tribes, Sarmatians and Avars, the town was conquered by the Hungarians in the 10th century. It was invaded by the Mongols in the 13th century. It became a free city in the 15th cen¬ tury. A major industrial centre, it produces iron and steel. Historic build¬ ings include a 13th-century Gothic church.