Tyrone Vtl-ronV, Hugh O'Neill, 2nd earl of (b. c. 1540—d. July 20, 1616, Rome, Papal States) Irish rebel. Born into the powerful O’Neill family of Ulster, he grew up in London, then returned to Ireland (1568) to assume his grandfather’s title of earl of Tyrone. As chieftain of the O’Neills from 1593, he led skirmishes against the English and won the Battle of the Yellow Ford on the River Blackwater, Ulster, which sparked a countrywide revolt (1598). He received aid and troops from Spain (1601) but was defeated by the English at Kinsale and forced to surren¬ der (1603). In 1607 he fled with about 100 chieftains and lived in Rome the rest of his life. The so-called “flight of the earls” brought an end to Gaelic Ulster, and the province was rapidly Anglicized.
tyrosine Vtl-ro-.senV One of the amino acids, not essential for humans unless they have the hereditary disorder phenylketonuria. It is the bio¬ chemical precursor of many important catecholamines. It is found in small amounts in most proteins, especially insulin and papain (found in papaya). It is used in biochemical research and as a dietary supplement.
Tyrrhenian Sea \t3-'re-ne-on\ Italian Mare Tirreno
Vma-ra-te-'re-noV Arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located between the western coast of Italy and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily. It is connected with the Ligurian Sea on the northwest through the Tuscan Archipelago and with the Ionian Sea on the southeast through the Strait of Messina. Chief inlets include the Bay of Naples.
Tyson, Mike in full Michael Gerald Tyson (b. June 30, 1966, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. boxer. A member of street gangs in his youth, Tyson was sent to reform school, where his boxing talent was discovered. He turned professional in 1985 and won the heavyweight title in 1986 by defeating Trevor Berbick, becoming, at age 20, the youngest heavyweight champion in history. He defended the title against Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, and eight others before losing in an upset to James (“Buster”) Douglas in 1990. In 1992 he was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison; he was released on parole in 1995. In 1996 he challenged but lost to Evander Holyfield; in a 1997 rematch he was disqualified for biting off a piece of Holyfield’s ear, and his license was revoked. In 1999 Tyson regained his boxing license and returned to the ring. In his bout against British heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 2002, Lewis twice knocked Tyson to the canvas before knocking him out in the eighth round.
tzaddiq Vtsa-dik, tsa-'dek\ or zaddik One who embodies the religious ideals of Judaism. The term is used repeatedly in the Old Testament and in the Talmud, which asserts that the continued existence of the world is due to the merits of 36 righteous men. In Hasidism it came to refer to a religious leader who was viewed as a mediator between humankind and God. Initially the zaddikim traveled widely and engaged in social activi¬ ties to strengthen the community’s spiritual life. Toward the end of the 18th century, they ceased this practice and became available at home for those seeking advice.
Tzeltal \tsel-'tal\ Mayan Indian group of central Chiapas state in south¬ ern Mexico. Traditionally an agricultural people, they cultivate com (maize), beans, chiles, squash, manioc, and peanuts with digging sticks and hoes. Their major crafts are pottery, weaving, and basketry. They pro¬ fess Roman Catholicism, though pre-Columbian rituals are also practiced.
Tzotzil \tsot-'sel\ Mayan Indian group of central Chiapas state in south¬ ern Mexico. They live at high elevations where the climate is cool and precipitation is heavy during the rainy season. They raise sheep, prima¬ rily for wool, which they weave into ponchos for men and shawls for women. They practice shifting cultivation and grow peaches and other crops for the market. Some make pottery, leather, and fibre products or practice carpentry or stonework. Christian and native beliefs are inter¬ twined in all Tzotzil areas.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1958 I U-2 Affair ► Uganda
U-2 Affair (1960) Confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On May 1, 1960, the Soviet Union shot down a U.S. U-2 recon¬ naissance plane and called the flight an “aggressive act.” The U.S. denied Soviet claims that the pilot, F. Gary Powers, had stated that his mission was to collect Soviet intelligence data. Nikita Khrushchev declared that the Soviet Union would not take part in a scheduled summit conference with the U.S., Britain, and France unless the U.S. immediately stopped flights over Soviet territory, apologized, and punished those responsible. Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed only to the first stipulation, and the confer¬ ence was adjourned. Powers was tried in the Soviet Union and sentenced to 10 years in prison; in 1962 he was exchanged for the Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
U-boat German Unterseeboot ("undersea boat") German submarine. The first German sub¬ marine, the U-l, was built in 1905. During World War I Germany became the first country to employ subma¬ rines in war, and during World War II its U-boats domi¬ nated the Battle of the Atlantic until the Allies developed new antisubmarine tactics. The principal German U-boat was the type VII; the VIIC variant was 220.25 ft (66 m) long, displaced 769 tons on the surface, carried one 90-mm deck gun and five torpedo tubes, and was manned by a crew of 44. Modem German U-boats are built for the German navy and navies of allied countries; their sophisticated structures, electonics, and propulsion systems allow them to be used for intelligence gathering and special operations in addition to defending sea lanes and threatening enemy forces.
Uaxactun \,wa-shak-'tun\ Ancient Maya ruins, north-central Guatemala. One of the oldest known centres of Maya civilization, it was occupied in the 1st millennium bc; by c. 300 bc-c. ad 100 a num¬ ber of ceremonial buildings had been erected, including a temple remi¬ niscent of the more ancient Olmec civilization. Major remains predate the Classic period (ad 100-900). In the 9th century it declined, as did other southern lowland Maya centres, and was abandoned in the 10th century.
Ubangi \ii-'bai]-ge\ River River, central Africa. Formed by the Bomu River and the Uele River on the northern border of the Democratic Repub¬ lic of the Congo, it flows west and south, forming part of the boundary with the Central African Republic and with the Republic of the Congo. It then empties into the Congo River. It is 700 mi (1,126 km) long; with its longest headstream, it is double that length.
Ubasti See Bastet
UC See University of California
Ucayali \,u-ka-'ya-le\ River River, central and northern Peru. The chief headstream of the Amazon River, it is formed by the junction of the Apuri- mac and Urubamba rivers. It then meanders north to unite with the Maranon River and form the Amazon. It is navigable for about two-thirds of its 1,000-mi (1,610-km) length.
Uccello \u-'che-lo\, Paolo orig. Paolo di Dono (b. 1397, Pratovec- chio, near Florence—d. Dec. 10, 1475, Florence) Italian painter. Though apprenticed to the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, he is not known to have worked in sculpture, and at 18 he was admitted to the painters’ guild in Florence. The Deluge , one of his frescoes in the Chiostro Verde of Santa Maria Novella, demonstrates his intense study of perspective. He became so firmly identified with perspective that John Ruskin thought he had invented it. His three panels depicting the Battle of San Romano, like all the extant works of his mature years, combine the decorative late Gothic style with the new heroic style of the early Renaissance.
UCLA See University of California
‘Gd \iid\ Stringed instrument prominent in medieval and modem Islamic music, forerunner of the European lute. Dating from the 7th century, it has a pear-shaped body, a fretless fingerboard, a short neck, and a bent-back pegbox with the tuning pegs set in the sides. The gut strings, of which there are often four pairs, are plucked with a plectrum.
Udall Vyii-dol, 'yu-.doP, Nicholas (b. December 1505?, Southampton, Hampshire, Eng.—d. December 1556, Westminster) English playwright, translator, and schoolmaster. The headmaster of Eton College from 1534 and of Westminster from 1555, Udall was well known as a translator. He is credited with writing many plays, of which only one is extant, Ralph