Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

472 results found

Clinton, Sir Henry

(Encyclopedia)Clinton, Sir Henry, 1738?–1795, British general in the American Revolution, b. Newfoundland; son of George Clinton (1686?–1761). He was an officer in the New York militia and then in the Coldstrea...

Velasco Alvarado, Juan

(Encyclopedia)Velasco Alvarado, Juan hwän vāläsˈkō älväräˈᵺō [key], 1910–77, president of Peru (1968–75). Born of working class parents, he entered the army (1929) and rose to the rank of general. A...

Gielgud, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Gielgud, Sir John (Arthur John Gielgud) gĭlˈgo͝od [key], 1904–2000, English actor, director, and producer. A grandnephew of Ellen Terry, Gielgud made his debut at the Old Vic in 1921. His intelli...

Jewsbury, Geraldine Endsor

(Encyclopedia)Jewsbury, Geraldine Endsor jo͞ozˈbərē [key], 1812–80, English novelist. She is remembered as much for her friendship with the Carlyles and other literary people as for her novels, which include ...

Metuchen

(Encyclopedia)Metuchen mətŭchˈən [key], borough (1990 pop. 12,804), Middlesex co., NE N.J.; settled before 1700, inc. 1900. Although chiefly residential, it manufactures metal products, packaging equipment, mac...

Æthelred, king of Wessex

(Encyclopedia)Æthelred ĕˈthəlrĕd, ăˈ– [key], d.871, king of Wessex (865–71), son of Æthelwulf and brother of Alfred. He succeeded his brother Æthelbert as king of Wessex and as overlord of Kent and pos...

Du Pont, Pierre Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Du Pont, Pierre Samuel, 1870–1954, American industrialist, b. Wilmington, Del., grad. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1890. Du Pont worked as a chemist with the family's company, helping to d...

Singer, Isaac Merrit

(Encyclopedia)Singer, Isaac Merrit, 1811–75, American inventor, b. Rensselaer co., N.Y. As a child he lived in Oswego, N.Y. He patented in 1851 a practical sewing machine that could do continuous stitching. Altho...

Flaxman, John

(Encyclopedia)Flaxman, John, 1755–1826, English sculptor and draftsman. At 20 he went to work for Josiah Wedgwood, designing the cameolike decorations for Wedgwood's pottery. Later, in Rome, he devoted himself to...

Browse by Subject