Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Bayard, Pierre Terrail, seigneur de

(Encyclopedia)Bayard, Pierre Terrail, seigneur de bāˈərd; pyĕr tĕrīˈyə sānyörˈ də bäyärˈ [key], c.1474–1524, French military hero, called le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche [the knight without...

Vansittart, Nicholas, 1st Baron Bexley

(Encyclopedia)Vansittart, Nicholas, 1st Baron Bexley vănˈsĭtärt [key], 1766–1851, British politician. He entered Parliament in 1796, was joint secretary of the treasury (1801–4, 1806–7) and briefly secret...

Thornton, Matthew

(Encyclopedia)Thornton, Matthew, 1714–1803, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Ireland. Taken to America as a child, he studied medicine and in 1740 began p...

ship of the line

(Encyclopedia)ship of the line, large, square-rigged warship, carrying from 70 to 140 guns on two or more completely armed gun decks. In the great naval wars of the 17th, 18th, and early 19th cent., ships of the li...

Siauliai

(Encyclopedia)Siauliai shēouˈlyī [key], Ger. Schaulen, Rus. Shavli, city (1993 pop. 147,800), N Lithuania. It is a rail hub and has railroad repair shops. Siauliai is also a major tanning, shoe-manufacturing, an...

San Ildefonso, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)San Ildefonso, Treaty of, any of several treaties signed at the royal residence of San Ildefonso, Spain. 1 The Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1796 was an alliance of France with Spain against Great Britai...

Barclay de Tolly, Mikhail, Prince

(Encyclopedia)Barclay de Tolly, Mikhail, Prince mēkhəyēlˈ, bərklīˈ də tôˈlyē [key], 1761–1818, Russian field marshal, of Scottish descent. He gained prominence in the Napoleonic Wars, became minister o...

Castilla, Ramón

(Encyclopedia)Castilla, Ramón rämōnˈ kästēˈyä [key], 1797–1867, president of Peru (1845–51, 1855–62). He fought under Antonio José de Sucre in the revolution against Spain (1821–24) in Peru and too...

Pontefract

(Encyclopedia)Pontefract pŏnˈtĭfrăkt, pŭmˈfrĭt [key], town (1991 pop. 28,621), Wakefield metropolitan district, N England. It is an industrial city; furniture, iron products, and textiles are made. Pomfret c...

Oudinot, Nicolas Charles

(Encyclopedia)Oudinot, Nicolas Charles nēkôläˈ shärl o͞odēnōˈ [key], 1767–1847, French soldier. A veteran of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, he was created marshal of France (1809) and duke...