Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Montreux Jazz Festival

(Encyclopedia)Montreux Jazz Festival, international music festival held in Montreux, Switzerland, founded in 1967 by Chuck Nobs. Held annually for two weeks in July, it began as a purely jazz event and has evolved ...

National Museum of African American History and Culture

(Encyclopedia)National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C., a division of the Smithsonian Institution. Devoted to the collection, presentation, and preservation of the culture of Africa...

mutton

(Encyclopedia)mutton, flesh of mature sheep prepared as food (as opposed to the flesh of young sheep, which is known as lamb). Mutton is deep red with firm, white fat. In Middle Eastern countries it is a staple mea...

goatsucker

(Encyclopedia)goatsucker, common name for nocturnal or crepuscular birds of the order Caprimulgiformes, which includes the frogmouth, the oilbird, potoos, and nightjars. Goatsuckers are medium in size and are found...

Carter, Ashton Baldwin

(Encyclopedia)Carter, Ashton Baldwin, 1954–, U.S. political scientist and government official, b. Philadephia, Pa. Trained as a theoretical physicist, he shifted to the study of ballistic missiles and internation...

Seuss, Dr.

(Encyclopedia)Seuss, Dr., pseud. of Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904–91, American author and illustrator of children's books, b. Springfield, Mass, grad. Dartmouth College, studied Lincoln College, Oxford. After workin...

del Toro, Guillermo

(Encyclopedia)del Toro, Guillermo (Guillermo del Toro Gómez), 1964–, Mexican film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked in special effects and makeup before becoming a writer and director. Del Toro has...

beef

(Encyclopedia)beef, flesh of cattle prepared for food. It has become one of the chief products of the meatpacking industry and is sold either chilled, frozen, or cured. The leading beef consumers, as well as export...

Belichick, Bill

(Encyclopedia)Belichick, Bill (William Stephen Belichick), 1952–, American professional football coach, b. Nashville, Tenn. The son of a college coach, he played football at Wesleyan Univ. He held various coachin...

Diddley, Bo

(Encyclopedia)Diddley, Bo, 1928–2008, African-American singer, guitarist, and songwriter who was one of the founders of rock and roll, b. near McComb, Miss., as Otha Ellas Bates. He and his cousin, Gussie McDanie...