Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lemonnier, Pierre Charles

(Encyclopedia)Lemonnier, Pierre Charles pyĕr shärl ləmônyāˈ [key], 1715–99, French astronomer. For many years he was professor of physics at the Collège de France. He studied the moon and the influence of ...

Le Nain

(Encyclopedia)Le Nain lə năN [key], family of French painters consisting of three brothers: Antoine Le Nain, 1588?–1648, Louis Le Nain, 1593?–1648, and Mathieu Le Nain, 1607–77. They went to Paris from Laon...

Williams, Eleazer

(Encyclopedia)Williams, Eleazer ĕlēāˈzər [key], c.1787–1858, missionary among Native North Americans. He was the son of Thomas Williams, a St. Regis Native American chief, and a white woman; he was educated ...

Soult, Nicolas Jean de Dieu

(Encyclopedia)Soult, Nicolas Jean de Dieu nēkôläˈ zhäN də dyö so͞olt [key], 1769–1851, marshal of France. Having won distinction in the Napoleonic Wars, especially at the battle of Austerlitz, he was crea...

Bristol, George Digby, 2d earl of

(Encyclopedia)Bristol, George Digby, 2d earl of, 1612–77, English courtier; son of John Digby, 1st earl of Bristol. At first a member of the parliamentary opposition to Charles I, he later fought for the king in ...

Barère de Vieuzac, Bertrand

(Encyclopedia)Barère de Vieuzac, Bertrand bĕrträNˈ bärĕrˈ də vyözäkˈ [key], 1755–1841, French revolutionary. A member of the Revolutionary National Assembly and of the Convention, he moved from a moder...

Battenberg

(Encyclopedia)Battenberg bătˈənbûrg [key], German princely family, issued from the morganatic union of Alexander, a younger son of Louis II, grand duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Countess Julia von Hauke, who was ...

Ali, Muhammad

(Encyclopedia)Ali, Muhammad məhămˈəd älēˈ [key], 1942–2016, American boxer, b. Louisville, Ky. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, he was a 1960 Olympic gold medalist. Shortly after upsetting Sonny Liston in 1964...

Ismail, sultan of Morocco

(Encyclopedia)Ismail, 1646?–1727, sultan of Morocco (1672–1727). He organized corps of Sudanese to subdue the revolts that followed his accession. He attacked Christian strongholds in Morocco, regaining Larache...

Auerstedt

(Encyclopedia)Auerstedt ouˈərshtĕt [key], village, Thuringia, S central Germany. At Auerstedt on Oct. 14, 1806 (the same day Napoleon I triumphed at Jena), French Marshal Louis Nicholas Davout defeated the Pruss...

Browse by Subject