Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Dalberg, Karl Theodor, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Dalberg, Karl Theodor, Freiherr von kärl tāˈədôrˌ frīˈhĕr fôn dälˈbĕrk [key], 1744–1817, German statesman, of an ancient noble family prominent in imperial service. He was archbishop-el...

Sarsfield, Patrick, earl of Lucan

(Encyclopedia)Sarsfield, Patrick, earl of Lucan särsˈfēld, lo͞oˈkən [key], d. 1693, Irish Jacobite general. A firm supporter of James II, he went with him into exile. He commanded James's forces in Ireland an...

Ritter, Tex

(Encyclopedia)Ritter, Tex (Woodward Maurice Ritter), 1905–74, American country singer, b. Murvaul, Tex. He moved (1930) to New York, where he performed in musicals and on the radio. Settling (1936) in California,...

Spada, Lionello

(Encyclopedia)Spada, Lionello lyōnĕlˈlō späˈdä [key], 1576–1622, Italian painter, active mainly in Emilia. His signature was an L placed across a sword [Ital. spada=sword]. His work shows influence of the ...

Köprülü

(Encyclopedia)Köprülü köprülüˈ [key], family of humble Albanian origin, several members of which served as grand vizier (chief executive officer) in the Ottoman Empire. The name is also spelled Kiuprili, Kop...

Francis I, Holy Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Francis I, 1708–65, Holy Roman emperor (1745–65), duke of Lorraine (1729–37) as Francis Stephen, grand duke of Tuscany (1737–65), husband of Archduchess Maria Theresa. He succeeded his father ...

Sovetsk

(Encyclopedia)Sovetsk tĭlˈzĭt [key], town (1989 pop. 41,900), NW European Russia, on the Neman River at the mouth of the Tilse. It is a rail junction, a river port, and an industrial and commercial center in an ...

ash, in botany

(Encyclopedia)ash, in botany, any plant of the genus Fraxinus of the family Oleaceae (olive family), trees and shrubs mainly of north temperate regions. The ashes are characterized by small clusters of greenish flo...

Eocene epoch

(Encyclopedia)Eocene epoch ēˈəsēnˌ [key], second epoch of the Tertiary period in the Cenozoic era of geologic time, from approximately 54.9 to 38 million years ago. The Eocene in North America was marked by th...

Red River, rivers, United States and Canada

(Encyclopedia)Red River. 1 River, 1,222 mi (1,967 km) long, southernmost of the large tributaries of the Mississippi River. It rises in two branches in the Texas Panhandle and flows SE between Texas and Oklahoma an...