Daphne \'daf-ne\ In Greek mythology, the personification of the laurel tree. The beautiful daughter of a river god, Daphne lived a pastoral exist¬ ence and rejected every lover. When Apollo pursued her, she prayed to Gaea or to her father to save her, whereupon she was transformed into a laurel. Apollo took its leaves to weave garlands that were thenceforth awarded to prize-winning poets. Daphne’s other pursuer was Leucippus, who was killed because of Apollo’s jealousy.
Daphnephoria \,daf-ne-'for-e-3\ In Greek religion, a festival held every ninth year at Thebes in Boeotia in honor of Apollo Ismenius or Apollo Chalazius. It consisted of a procession and the dedication of a bronze tri¬ pod in Apollo’s temple. The festival was said to have originated in a vision of the Theban general Polematas, who was promised victory over the Aeolians and Pelasgians if the Daphnephoria was instituted.
Dapsang See K2
DAR See Daughters of the American Revolution
Dar es Salaam \ l dai*- l es-sa-'lam\ Largest city (pop., 1995 est.: 1,747,000), capital, and major port of Tanzania. Founded in 1862 by the sultan of Zanzibar, it came under the German East Africa Co. in 1887. It served as the capital of German East Africa (1891-1916), of Tanganyika (1961-64), and subsequently of Tanzania. It is an industrial centre, and its harbour is the major outlet for Tanzania’s agricultural and mineral exports. It is the site of the University of Dar es Salaam (1961).
Darby, Abraham (b. 1678?, near Dudley, Worcestershire, Eng.—d. March 8, 1717, Madeley Court, Worcestershire) British ironmaster. In 1709 Darby’s Bristol Iron Co. became the first to successfully smelt iron ore with coke (see smelting). He demonstrated the superiority of coke in cost and efficiency by building much larger furnaces than were possible with charcoal as fuel. The quality of his iron made it possible to manu¬ facture thin castings that rivaled brass for pots and other hollowware. Iron from his establishment was used for the cylinders of Thomas Newcomen’s engines, for a cast-iron bridge, and for the first locomotive with a high- pressure boiler. See also Dud Dudley.
D'Arcy, William Knox (b. Oct. 11, 1849, Newton Abbot, Devonshire, Eng.—d. May 1, 1917, Stanmore, Middlesex) British businessman. After earning a fortune as a gold miner in Australia, D’Arcy secured a 60-year oil-mining concession in Iran in 1901. The concession, obtained with British government assistance, covered an area of 500,000 sq mi (1.3 mil¬ lion sq km). An oil strike on these lands led to the formation of the Anglo- Persian Oil Co. in 1909. See also BP PLC.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
512 I Dardanelles ► Darrow
Dardanelles \,dar-d 3 n-'elz\ ancient Hellespont Vhe-l3-,spant\ Nar¬ row strait between the peninsula of Gallipoli in Europe and the mainland of Turkey in Asia. Some 38 mi (61 km) long and 0.75-4 mi (1-6 km) wide, it links the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Strategically important from antiquity, the Dardanelles was defended by Troy from its position on the Asian side. In 480 bc the Persian Xerxes I crossed the strait to invade Greece; Alexander the Great also crossed it in 334 bc on his expedition against Persia. Held by the Roman Republic and Empire and the Byzantine Empire and later by the Ottoman Empire, it is of great stra¬ tegic and economic importance as the gateway from the Black Sea to Istanbul and the Mediterranean Sea.
Dardanelles Campaign or Gallipoli \g3-'li-p3-le\ Campaign (1915-16) Unsuccessful British-led operation against Turkey in World War I, intended to invade the Dardanelles strait, conquer the Gallipoli peninsula, and occupy Constantinople (Istanbul). In response to a Russian appeal to relieve pressure against its troops on the Caucasus front, Brit¬ ain agreed to a naval action against Turkey at the Dardanelles. When bombardment alone failed, British and Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915, where they met strong resistance from Turkish forces under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. After six months of standoff, the campaign was halted and Allied troops were skillfully withdrawn under difficult conditions. Allied casu¬ alties numbered about 250,000. The failed campaign gave the impression that the Allies were militarily inept, prompting the resignation of Win¬ ston Churchill, the chief promoter of the venture, as first lord of the admi¬ ralty.
Dare, Virginia (b. Aug. 18, 1587, Roanoke Island, Va.) First child born to English parents in America. Her parents were among the 120 settlers who landed at Roanoke Isiand, Va., in 1587. Her grandfather, John White, was the colony’s governor; he left to collect supplies in England nine days after her birth. A relief expedition that finally reached the colony in 1590 found only the word croatoan carved on a post; the infant Virginia had vanished along with all the other colonists.
Darfur \dar-'fiir\ Historical region and former province, western Sudan. It was an independent kingdom from c. 2500 bc. Its first traditional rul¬ ers, the Daju, probably traded with ancient Egypt; they were succeeded by the Tunjur. Darfur’s Christian period (c. 900-1200) was ended by the advance of Islam with the empire of Kanem-Bornu. In the 1870s Darfur came under Egyptian rule, and in 1916 it became a province of Sudan.
Darien \,dar-e-'en\ Traditional region, eastern Panama. Extending into northwestern Colombia, it forms the link between Central America and South America. A hot, humid area of tropical rainforests, it has always been sparsely populated. The first European settlement in South America, Santa Maria de la Antigua del Darien, was attempted there in 1510. From this failing colony Vasco Nunez de Balboa made his famous march to the Pacific Ocean in 1513.
Dario \da-'re-o\, Ruben pseudonym of Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento (b. Jan. 18, 1867, Metapa, Nic.—d. Feb. 6, 1916, Leon) Nicaraguan poet, journalist, and diplomat. At age 19 he began the travels in Europe and the Americas that would continue throughout his life. The diverse collection Azul (1888), written in an innovative simple, direct style, is his first major work. As a diplomat in Buenos Aires (from 1893), he became the centre of the new Modernismo movement. His Profane Hymns (1896) was influenced by the French Symbolists. As a journalist in Europe he became increasingly concerned with issues of imperialism and nationalism. Songs of Life and Hope (1905) represents the culmina¬ tion of his technical experimentation and artistic resourcefulness. In addi¬ tion to his poetry, he wrote about 100 short stories.
Darius \da-'ri-9s\ I known as Darius the Great (b. 550—d. 486 bc) King of Persia (522^1-86 bc). He was the son of Hystaspes, satrap of Parthia. Much of what is known of him is through his own inscriptions. He took the throne by force, killing Bardiya, a son of Cyrus the Great, calling him an impostor who had usurped power. He continued the con¬ quests of his predecessors, subduing Thrace, Macedonia, some Aegean islands, and land stretching to the Indus valley. He failed in his great expedition against the Scythians (513) but put down the Ionian revolt (499), which had been supported by Eretria and Athens. After that he twice tried to conquer Greece, but a storm destroyed his fleet in 492 and the Athenians defeated him at the Battle of Marathon in 490. He died before a third expedition could be launched. Among the greatest of the Achae-
menian dynasty, he was noted for his administrative genius and his build¬ ing projects, especially those at Per- sepous.