Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

astronaut

(Encyclopedia)astronaut, crew member on a U.S. manned spaceflight mission; the Soviet term is cosmonaut. Candidates for manned spaceflight are carefully screened to meet the highest physical and mental standards, a...

Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1818–93, American politician and Union general in the Civil War

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Benjamin Franklin, 1818–93, American politician and Union general in the Civil War, b. Deerfield, N.H. He moved to Lowell, Mass., as a youth and later practiced law there and in Boston. He w...

Deerfield, towns, United States

(Encyclopedia)Deerfield. 1 Village (2020 pop. 18,456), Cook and Lake counties, NE Ill., a residential suburb of Chicago; inc. 1903. The huge Sara Lee Bakery, which ...

Ercole de' Roberti

(Encyclopedia)Ercole de' Roberti ārkôˈlā dā rōbĕrˈtē [key], 1456?–1496, Italian painter of the Ferrarese school. He probably began his career by assisting Francesco Cossa in the decoration of the Schifan...

Nootka Sound

(Encyclopedia)Nootka Sound, inlet of the Pacific Ocean and natural harbor on the west coast of Vancouver Island, SW British Columbia, Canada, lying between the mainland and Nootka Island (206 sq mi/534 sq km). The ...

La Grange

(Encyclopedia)La Grange lə grānj [key]. 1 City (1990 pop. 25,597), seat of Troupe co., W central Ga., inc. 1828. It is an industrial center that produces lumber, plastics, textiles, and transportation equipment. ...

Hopkins, Mark, American educator

(Encyclopedia)Hopkins, Mark, 1802–87, American educator, b. Stockbridge, Mass., grad. Williams, 1824, and Berkshire Medical School, 1829. After a few months of medical practice he returned (1830) to Williams as p...

Byrd, Robert Carlyle

(Encyclopedia)Byrd, Robert Carlyle, 1917–2010, U.S. senator from West Virginia (1959–2010), b. North Wilkesboro, N.C., as Cornelius Calvin Sale, Jr. A Democrat, he served (1947–52) in the West Virginia legisl...

Timrod, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Timrod, Henry, 1828–67, American poet, b. Charleston, S.C., studied at the Univ. of Georgia. He was known as “the laureate of the Confederacy.” Timrod became editor of the Columbia South Carolin...

Booth, Junius Brutus

(Encyclopedia)Booth, Junius Brutus, 1796–1852, Anglo-American actor. After experience in the provinces, he appeared at Covent Garden. In 1817, with his portrayal of Richard III, he established himself as a rival ...