Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Jawlensky, Aleksey von

(Encyclopedia)Jawlensky, Aleksey von əlyĭksyāˈ vôn youlĕnˈskē [key], 1864–1941, Russian painter. He went to Munich in 1896 and met Kandinsky, with whom he was associated in avant-garde groups. A hint of f...

Kimball, Sumner Increase

(Encyclopedia)Kimball, Sumner Increase, 1834–1923, organizer of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, b. Lebanon, Maine. A lawyer, he became (1871) head of the revenue marine service of the Treasury Dept., and his invest...

Artevelde, Philip van

(Encyclopedia)Artevelde, Philip van, 1340–82, Flemish popular leader, captain general of Ghent; son of Jacob van Artevelde. In the struggle between the so-called Goods (the propertied classes supported by the cou...

Heyden, Jan van der

(Encyclopedia)Heyden, Jan van der yän vän dər hīˈdən [key], 1637–1712, Dutch architectural and landscape painter. He worked chiefly in Amsterdam. His charming pictures of towns, buildings, and public square...

Inn, river, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany

(Encyclopedia)Inn ĭn [key], river, c.320 mi (515 km) long, rising near the Lake of Sils, SE Switzerland. It flows NE through the Engadine valley, then through W Austria, past Innsbruck and Solbad Hall (the head of...

Hunter, William

(Encyclopedia)Hunter, William, 1718–83, Scottish physician. He was famous as a lecturer, as London's leading obstetrician, as professor of anatomy and later president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and as head of ...

brown recluse spider

(Encyclopedia)brown recluse spider or violin spider, poisonous nocturnal spider, Loxoceles reclusa, most common in the SE and S central United States. Adults are 3⁄8 in. (10 mm) long and are light brown with a da...

Burns, Otway

(Encyclopedia)Burns, Otway, c.1775–1850, American privateer, b. Onslow co., N.C. At the outbreak of the War of 1812, he outfitted the Baltimore clipper Snap-Dragon as a privateer and began one of the most spectac...

Traverse City

(Encyclopedia)Traverse City, city (1990 pop. 15,155), seat of Grand Traverse co., N Mich., at the head of the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay, in a resort and cherry-growing region; inc. 1881. Tourism and food proce...

Tsiranana, Philibert

(Encyclopedia)Tsiranana, Philibert fēlēbârˈ tsēränäˈnä [key], 1910–78, president of the Malagasy Republic (now Madagascar; 1960–72). He served in the legislature of Madagascar and represented the islan...

Browse by Subject