Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Bruce, James

(Encyclopedia)Bruce, James, 1730–94, Scottish explorer in Africa. He explored Roman ruins in N Africa (1755) from Tunis to Tripoli and visited Crete, Rhodes, and Asia Minor. In 1768 he traveled down the Red Sea a...

William, prince of Wied

(Encyclopedia)William, prince of Wied, 1876–1945, mpret [ruler] of Albania (1914), third son of William, prince of Wied, nephew of Elizabeth of Romania. A German army officer, he was selected by the great powers ...

Saunders, Sir Charles

(Encyclopedia)Saunders, Sir Charles, 1713?–1775, British admiral. He had seen 32 years of service in the British navy when he was selected in the French and Indian War to command the fleet that carried (1759) the...

Smith, Hamilton Othanel

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Hamilton Othanel, 1931–, American biologist, b. New York City, M.D. Johns Hopkins, 1956. A professor at the Univ. of Michigan and Johns Hopkins, Smith worked with Daniel Nathans and Werner Ar...

festoon

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Festoon festoon, sculptured or painted architectural or interior ornament consisting of a garland of leaves, flowers, or fruit, or some combination of these, held by ribbons or folds and drape...

Hambantota

(Encyclopedia)Hambantota, town, Southern prov., Sri Lanka, on the S coast 65 mi (105 km) E of Galle. The town is located in an area of salt production, which utilizes natural depressions called lewayas. Hambantota ...

Griswold v. Connecticut

(Encyclopedia)Griswold v. Connecticut, case decided in 1965 by the U.S. Supreme Court, establishing a right to privacy in striking down a Connecticut ban on the sale of contraceptives. The Court, through Justice Wi...

Gogarty, Oliver St. John

(Encyclopedia)Gogarty, Oliver St. John gōˈgərtē [key], 1878–1957, Irish author. A physician, he also served (1922–36) in the parliament of the Irish Free State. Gogarty is perhaps best known as the model fo...

Jørgensen, Anker Henrik

(Encyclopedia)Jørgensen, Anker Henrik, 1922–2016, Danish political leader, prime minister of Denmark (1972–73, 1975–82), b. Copenhagen. A trade union leader and a member of the Social Democratic party (SDP),...

Mitsotakis, Constantine

(Encyclopedia)Mitsotakis, Constantine, 1918–2017, Greek political leader. Active in the Cretan resistance against the Nazi occupation, he became a member of parliament (1946–67, 1977–2004). He was arrested (1...

Browse by Subject