Ellice Islands See Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Tuvalu
ellipse Closed curve, one of the conic sections of analytic geometry, con¬ sisting of all points whose distances from each of two fixed points (foci) add up to the same value. The midpoint between the foci is the center.
One property of an ellipse is that the reflection off its boundary of a line from one focus will pass through the other. In an elliptical room, a per¬ son whispering at one focus is easily heard by someone at the other. An oval may or may not fit the definition of an ellipse.
elliptic geometry Non-Euclidean geometry that rejects Euclid’s fifth postulate (the parallel postulate) and modifies his second postulate. It is also known as Riemannian geometry, after Bernhard Riemann. It asserts that no line passing through a point not on a given line is parallel to that line. It also states that while any straight line of finite length can be extended indefinitely, all straight lines are the same length. Though many of elliptic geometry’s theorems are identical to those of Euclidean geom¬ etry, others differ (e.g., the angles in a triangle add up to more than 180°). It can most easily be pictured as geometry done on the surface of a sphere where all lines are great circles.
Ellis Island Island, Upper New York Bay, southeastern New York, U.S. It lies southwest of Manhattan island and has an area of about 27 acres (11 hectares). In 1808 the state of New York sold the island to the fed¬ eral government. It served as the nation’s major immigration station from 1892 until 1924, when immigrant processing was moved to New York City proper. It became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965; its restored main hall is the site of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
Ellison, Ralph (Waldo) (b. March 1, 1914, Oklahoma City, Okla., U.S.—d. April 16, 1994, New York, N.Y.) U.S. writer. Ellison studied music at Tuskegee Institute before joining the Federal Writers’ Project. He won eminence for his novel Invisible Man (1952); narrated by a name¬ less young black man, it reflects bitterly on American race relations. It is regarded as among the most distinguished works of American fiction since World War II. He later published two essay collections. Shadow and Act (1964) and Going to the Territory (1986) and lectured and taught widely. In 1999 an edition of his unfinished second novel was published by his literary executor, John Callahan, with the title Juneteenth.
Ellsworth, Oliver (b. April 29, 1745, Windsor, Conn.—d. Nov. 26, 1807, Windsor) U.S. politician, diplomat, and jurist. He served in the Continental Congress (1777-83) and coauthored the Connecticut Com¬ promise (1787), which resolved the issue of representation in Congress. In 1789 he became one of Connecticut’s first U.S. senators. He was the chief author of the Judiciary Act (1789), which established the federal court system. He was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1796; ill health forced his resignation in 1800.
elm Any of about 18 species of for¬ est and ornamental shade trees that make up the genus Ulmus (family
Ulmaceae), native mostly to northern Leaves and f ruit 0 f an American elm temperate areas. Many are grown for f ree their height and attractive foliage, kitty kahout/root resources The leaves are doubly toothed and
Ellis, (Henry) Havelock (b. Feb. 2, 1859, Croydon, Surrey, Eng.—d. July 8, 1939, Washbrook, Suffolk)
British sexuality researcher. A medi¬ cal doctor, he gave up his practice to devote himself to scientific and liter¬ ary work. His major work, the seven- volume Studies in the Psychology of Sex (1897-1928), was a comprehen¬ sive, groundbreaking encyclopaedia of human sexual biology, behaviour, and attitudes whose topics included homosexuality, masturbation, and the physiology of sexual behaviour.
Sale of the first volume led to a trial when the salesman was arrested on obscenity charges; the later volumes had to be published in the U.S. and were legally available only to the Havelock Ellis medical profession until 1935. Ellis the mansell collection viewed sexual activity as a natural
expression of love and sought to dispel the widespread fear and ignorance surrounding it. He was also known as a champion of women’s rights.
Ellington, Duke orig. Edward Kennedy Ellington (b. April 29, 1899, Washington, D.C., U.S.—d.
May 24, 1974, New York, N.Y.) U.S. pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. He formed his band in 1924 in Washington, D.C.; by 1927 it was performing regularly at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Until the end of his life his band would enjoy the highest professional and artistic reputation in jazz. First known for his distinctive “jungle” sound—a description derived from the use of growling muted brass and sinister harmonies—Ellington increasingly integrated blues elements into his music. He composed with the idio¬ syncratic sounds of his instrumental¬ ists in mind. Many of his players spent most of their careers with the band; they included saxophonists Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney, bassist Jimmy Blanton, trombonists Tricky Sam Nanton and Lawrence Brown, and trumpeters Bubber Miley and Cootie Williams. Pianist Billy Strayhorn was Ellington’s frequent col¬ laborator. Ellington composed a massive body of work, including music for dancing, popular songs, large-scale concert works, musical theatre, and film scores. His best-known compositions include “Mood Indigo,” “Satin Doll,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and “Sophisticated Lady.”
Duke Ellington.
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616 i Elman ► embargo
often lopsided at the base. The flowers, which lack petals, appear before the leaves and are borne in clusters. Seeds are borne in a samara (dry, winged fruit). The American elm ( U. . americana ) has dark gray, ridged bark and elliptical leaves. Many species are susceptible to Dutch elm dis¬ ease. Elm wood is important for boats and farm buildings because it is durable in water; it is also used for furniture. See also slippery elm.
Elman, Mischa (b. Jan. 20, 1891, Talnoye, Ukraine, Russian Empire —d. April 5, 1967, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Ukrainian-born U.S. violinist. He studied with Leopold Auer (1845-1930) in St. Petersburg from age 10 and made his professional debut in Berlin at 13. Tours of Germany and England followed, and he first played in the U.S. in 1908. With Jascha Heifetz and Efrem Zimbalist (1889-1985), he established the “Russian school” of violin playing. Admired for his full tone and passionate style, he had many pieces written for him by eminent composers.
Elsevier family See Elzevir family
Elsheimer Vels-.hl-msrV, Adam (baptized March 18, 1578, Frankfurt am Main—d. December 1610, Rome, Papal States) German painter and printmaker. After studying in Frankfurt, he went to Rome in 1600 and began producing images of Italian Classical subjects, nocturnal scenes, and landscapes. He painted on small copper plates and executed drawings and etchings. He frequently depicted illumination by firelight, candlelight, and moonlight. His Flight into Egypt{ 1609) was the first painting to depict the constellations accurately. An important figure in the development of 17th-century landscape painting, he greatly influenced Dutch, Italian, and French artists. He died at age 32.
Elssler, Fanny (b. June 23, 1810, Vienna, Austria—d. Nov. 27, 1884, Vienna) Austrian ballerina. She studied in Vienna and toured in Europe before making her Paris Opera debut in 1834. Her warm, spirited style, contrasting with the cool, academic style of the then-reigning Marie Tagli- oni, made her an immediate success. She introduced theatricalized folk dance (character dance) into ballet. During 1840-42 Elssler toured the U.S., earning wild adulation. She returned to Europe and toured until her retirement to Vienna in 1851.