Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Gierek, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Gierek, Edward gyĕˈrĕk [key], 1913–2001, Polish politician, b. Porąbka. His family emigrated to France, where he was raised. He joined the French Communist party in 1931 and was later deported t...

Christie, Perry Gladstone

(Encyclopedia)Christie, Perry Gladstone, 1943–, Bahamian political leader. A member of the Progressive Liberal party, he practiced law for several years before serving (1977–2017; as an independent from 1987 to...

Julian, George Washington

(Encyclopedia)Julian, George Washington jo͞olˈyən [key], 1817–99, American abolitionist, U.S. Representative from Indiana (1849–51, 1861–71), b. Wayne co., Ind. Elected to the Indiana legislature as a Whig...

Fälldin, Thorbjörn

(Encyclopedia)Fälldin, Thorbjörn (Nils Olof Thorbjörn Fälldin), 1926–2016, Swedish political leader, prime minister of Sweden (1976–78, 1979–82). A member of the Center party, he was first elected to the ...

Minseito

(Encyclopedia)Minseito mēnˌsāˈtō [key], Japanese political party. It is usually called the Liberal party in English. Founded by Shigenobu Okuma in 1882 as the Kaishinto, or Progressive party, it was dissolved ...

Lévesque, René

(Encyclopedia)Lévesque, René lāvĕkˈ [key], 1922–87, Canadian political leader and Quebec separatist. After a career in journalism and television, he served in the Quebec National Assembly (1961–67) as a me...

Gandhi, Rahul

(Encyclopedia)Gandhi, Rahul gänˈdē [key], 1970–, Indian political leader, B.A. Rollins College, 1994, M.Phil. Cambridge, 1995. Son of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he entered politics in 2004, winning electi...

Hu Yaobang

(Encyclopedia)Hu Yaobang ho͞oˈ youˈbängˈ [key], 1915–89, Chinese Communist political leader, b. Hunan prov. A protegé of Deng Xiaoping, Hu became general secretary of the Communist party in 1980 and party c...

Pereira, Aristides Maria

(Encyclopedia)Pereira, Aristides Maria ärĭshˈtēdĭsh märēˈä pərāˈrä [key], 1923–2011, first president of Cape Verde. In the late 1940s he became an activist in the struggle against Portuguese colonial...

Tsipras, Alexis

(Encyclopedia)Tsipras, Alexis, 1974–, Greek political leader. A civil engineer by training, he was the head (2008–13) of Snyaspismos, a leftist party that was part of the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza);...