Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

interval

(Encyclopedia)interval, in music, the difference in pitch between two tones. Intervals may be measured acoustically in terms of their vibration numbers. They are more generally named according to the number of step...

Gatineau, city, Canada

(Encyclopedia)Gatineau gătˈĭnō [key], city, SW Que., Canada, at the junction of the Gatineau and Ottawa ...

Meles Zenawi

(Encyclopedia)Meles Zenawi mĕˈlĕs zĕnäˈwē [key], 1955–2012, Ethiopian political leader, prime minister of Ethiopia (1995–2012), b. Adwa. After two years of medical studies at the Univ. of Addis Ababa, he...

Early, Jubal Anderson

(Encyclopedia)Early, Jubal Anderson, 1816–94, Confederate general, b. Franklin co., Va., grad. West Point, 1837. After fighting against the Seminole in Florida he resigned from the army (1838), studied law, and p...

Williams, William Sherley

(Encyclopedia)Williams, William Sherley, 1787–1849, American trader and trapper, known as Old Bill Williams, b. Rutherford co., N.C. Much of his early life was spent in Missouri, where he was a traveling preacher...

Hammerfest

(Encyclopedia)Hammerfest häˈmərfĕst [key], town, Finnmark co., N Norway, on Kvaløy island. It is the n...

Kühlmann, Richard von

(Encyclopedia)Kühlmann, Richard von rĭkhˈärt fən külˈmän [key], 1873–1948, German diplomat. Appointed foreign secretary in Aug., 1917, he led the delegation that negotiated (Mar., 1918) the Treaty of Bres...

Aldrin, Buzz

(Encyclopedia)Aldrin, Buzz ôlˈdrĭn [key] (Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.), 1930–, American astronaut, b. Montclair, N.J. After graduating from West Point (1951), Aldrin joined the U.S. air force and flew 66 combat m...

Geoffrey

(Encyclopedia)Geoffrey jĕfˈrē [key], 1158–86, duke of Brittany (1171–86); fourth son of Henry II of England. Betrothed (1166) to Constance, heiress of Brittany, he was recognized as heir to the duchy in 1169...

Napata

(Encyclopedia)Napata nəpāˈtə, –päˈ– [key], ancient city of Nubia, just below the Fourth Cataract of the Nile. From about the 8th cent. b.c., Napata was the capital of the kingdom of Cush. Many great templ...