Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Foster, Rube

(Encyclopedia)Foster, Rube (Andrew Bishop Foster), 1879–1930, African-American baseball player and executive, b. Calvert, Tex. Known as “the father of black baseball,” he turned professional with the Chicago ...

Howe, Gordie

(Encyclopedia)Howe, Gordie (Gordon Howe), 1928–2016, Canadian hockey player. One of the great forwards in the game's history, “Mr. Hockey” was renowned for both his offensive and defensive play as well as for...

Jágr, Jaromír

(Encyclopedia)Jágr, Jaromír, 1972–, Czech ice hockey player, b. Kladno. Jágr played professional hockey in Czechoslovakia as a teenager, and joined the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League in 1990...

Johnson, Judy

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Judy (William Julius Johnson), 1899–1989, American baseball player, b. Snow Hill, Md. His father, a boxing coach, wanted him to be a prizefighter, but he started playing semipro baseball in...

O'Brien, William

(Encyclopedia)O'Brien, William, 1852–1928, Irish journalist and political leader. He became (1881) editor of a newspaper, United Ireland, which championed the Irish agrarian cause (see Irish Land Question). Impri...

Maris, Roger Eugene

(Encyclopedia)Maris, Roger Eugene mărˈĭs [key], 1934–85, American baseball player, b. Hibbing, Minn. He played (1957–59) for Cleveland and the Kansas City Athletics before joining (1960) the New York Yankees...

Lesdiguières, François de Bonne, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Lesdiguières, François de Bonne, duc de fräNswäˈ də bôn dük də lādēgyĕrˈ [key], 1543–1626, marshal and constable of France. He fought on the Huguenot (Protestant) side in the Wars of Re...

Lemieux, Mario

(Encyclopedia)Lemieux, Mario ləmyöˈ [key], 1965–, Canadian ice hockey player, b. Montreal. A star for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was the team's first pick in the 1984 National Hockey League (NHL) draft and wa...

Weaver, Earl Sidney

(Encyclopedia)Weaver, Earl Sidney, 1930–, American baseball manager, b. St. Louis. The pint-sized (5 ft 7 in.) scrapper began his baseball career in 1948 and until 1957 played second base in the minors. He became...

Beckham, David

(Encyclopedia)Beckham, David (David Robert Joseph Beckham), 1975–, English soccer player known especially for the power and accuracy of his free kicks. After beginning to play on the Manchester United youth squad...