Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Haile Gebrselassie

(Encyclopedia)Haile Gebrselassie, 1973–, Ethiopian track athlete. Adept at both indoor and outdoor distance events as well as long-distance cross-country and marathon running, Haile won major races in distances r...

Guri Dam

(Encyclopedia)Guri Dam, 24,364 ft (7,426 m) long and 531 ft (162 m) high, on the Caroní River, Bolívar state, SW Venezuela. Built in phases between 1963 and 1986, the dam consists of a central concrete gravity da...

Andromeda, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Andromeda ăndrŏmˈĭdə [key], in Greek mythology, princess of Ethiopia, daughter of King Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, and Cassiopeia. According to most legends Cassiopeia angered Poseidon by saying t...

Grybauskaite, Dalia

(Encyclopedia)Grybauskaite, Dalia, 1956–, Lithuanian politician, president of Lithuania (2009–14). A member of the Communist party of the Soviet Union (1983–89) and the Communist party of Lithuania (1989–90...

Jacobi, Abraham

(Encyclopedia)Jacobi, Abraham jəkōˈbē [key], 1830–1919, American pediatrician, founder of pediatrics in the United States, b. Westphalia, Germany, M.D. Bonn, 1851. He was imprisoned for participating in the R...

Diori, Hamani

(Encyclopedia)Diori, Hamani, 1916–89, Nigerien political leader. A teacher in Niger and Paris, and then a school headmaster in Niamey, Niger, he helped found (1946) the Niger Progressive party (PPN). After servin...

Dehaene, Jean-Luc

(Encyclopedia)Dehaene, Jean-Luc, 1940–2014, Belgian political leader, b. Montepellier, France. A member of the Flemish Christian People's (after 2001, Christian Democratic) party, he held numerous administrative ...

Allouez, Claude Jean

(Encyclopedia)Allouez, Claude Jean klōd zhäN älwāˈ [key], 1622–89, French Jesuit missionary in Canada and the American Midwest. After arriving (1658) in Canada he served at posts in the St. Lawrence region u...

Schinkel, Karl Friedrich

(Encyclopedia)Schinkel, Karl Friedrich kärl frēˈdrĭkh shĭngˈkəl [key], 1781–1841, German architect and painter. A member of the Berlin Academy, he became a professor in 1820. He also worked in lithography,...

Proctor, Redfield

(Encyclopedia)Proctor, Redfield, 1831–1908, American industrialist and political leader, b. Proctorsville, Vt. He studied law, practiced in Boston, and served in the Union army in the Civil War. After he returned...