Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

158 results found

Peregrinus, Petrus

(Encyclopedia)Peregrinus, Petrus (Peter the Pilgrim) pēˈtrəs pĕrəgrĭnˈəs [key], c.1220–?, medieval scholar and soldier. The tutor of Roger Bacon, he wrote the first important study of magnetism, Epistola ...

Davies, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Davies, Samuel dāˈvēz [key], 1723–61, American Presbyterian clergyman, b. New Castle co., Del. Ordained as an evangelist, he went in 1747 to Hanover co., Va., where he was soon the center of a re...

Penzance

(Encyclopedia)Penzance pĕnzănsˈ [key], town (1991 pop. 18,501), Cornwall, SW England, at the head of Mounts Bay. Penzance is a resort and a port for the Scilly Islands. It also has flour mills. Penzance Library ...

Kiribati

(Encyclopedia)Kiribati kĭrˌĭbăsˈ [key], officially Republic of Kiribati (2015 est. pop. 112,000), 342 sq mi (886 sq km), consisting of 33 islands scattered across 2,400 mi (3,860 km) of the Pacific Ocean near ...

Spruance, Raymond Ames

(Encyclopedia)Spruance, Raymond Ames spro͞oˈəns [key], 1886–1969, American admiral, b. Baltimore. Commissioned in the navy in 1908, he reached the rank of rear admiral in 1939. In World War II he distinguished...

Stafford

(Encyclopedia)Stafford, city (1991 pop. 60,915) and district, Staffordshire, W central England, on the Sow River, above its junction with the Trent. Stafford's chief industry is the manufacture of electrical goods;...

Doncaster

(Encyclopedia)Doncaster dŏngˈkəstər [key], metropolitan borough, N central England, on the Don River. D...

Halsey, William Frederick, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Halsey, William Frederick, Jr. (Bull Halsey) hôlˈsē [key], 1882–1959, American admiral, b. Elizabeth, N.J., grad. Annapolis, 1904. In World War II he led (Jan., 1942) a spectacular carrier raid a...

Layton, Jack

(Encyclopedia)Layton, Jack (John Gilbert Layton), 1950–2011, Canadian political leader, grad. McGill Univ. (B.A., 1970), York Univ. (M.A., 1971; Ph.D., 1983). A social democrat from a political family, he served ...

Browse by Subject