Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Queensberry, James Douglas, 2d duke of

(Encyclopedia)Queensberry, James Douglas, 2d duke of, 1662–1711, Scottish statesman. One of the early supporters of William III in Scotland, he held offices under him and Queen Anne, rising to become commissioner...

Seven Years War

(Encyclopedia)Seven Years War, 1756–63, worldwide war fought in Europe, North America, and India between France, Austria, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and (after 1762) Spain on the one side and Prussia, Great Britain,...

Henrietta of England

(Encyclopedia)Henrietta of England (Henrietta Anne), 1644–70, duchesse d'Orléans, called Madame; sister-in-law of King Louis XIV of France. The daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria of England, sh...

Deak, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Deak, Francis, Hung. Deák Ferenc dĕˈäk fĕˈrĕnts [key], 1803–76, Hungarian politician. A landed proprietor and lawyer, he entered the Hungarian diet in 1833 and became minister of justice afte...

Warwick, Richard de Beauchamp, earl of

(Encyclopedia)Warwick, Richard de Beauchamp, earl of, 1382–1439, English nobleman; son of Thomas de Beauchamp, earl of Warwick. He fought for Henry IV against Owen Glendower in Wales and the Percys at Shrewsbury ...

Dunes, Battle of the

(Encyclopedia)Dunes, Battle of the, 1658, decisive engagement fought near Dunkirk in the struggle between France and Spain that had resulted from Spanish intervention in the Fronde. The Spanish under the command of...

Rudolf

(Encyclopedia)Rudolf, 1858–89, Austrian archduke, crown prince of Austria and Hungary; only son of Emperor Francis Joseph and Empress Elizabeth. Upon his mysterious death at Mayerling near Vienna (officially decl...

Ötztal Alps

(Encyclopedia)Ötztal Alps ötsˈtäl [key], mountain group, in the Tyrol, W Austria, S of the Inn River and extending into northern Italy. It rises to 12,380 ft (3,773 m) in the Wildspitze, the highest peak in the...

Philip II, king of Spain, Naples, and Sicily

(Encyclopedia)Philip II, 1527–98, king of Spain (1556–98), king of Naples and Sicily (1554–98), and, as Philip I, king of Portugal (1580–98). Philip was not the bloodthirsty tyrant portrayed by his enemi...

Alberoni, Giulio

(Encyclopedia)Alberoni, Giulio jo͞oˈlyō älbārōˈnē [key], 1664–1752, Italian statesman in Spanish service, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Appointed (1713) representative of the duke of Parma at the...

Browse by Subject