Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Marcel, Gabriel

(Encyclopedia)Marcel, Gabriel märsĕlˈ [key] 1889–1973, French philosopher, dramatist, and critic, b. Paris. A leading Christian existentialist, he became a Roman Catholic in 1929. He called himself a “concr...

O'Higgins, Ambrosio

(Encyclopedia)O'Higgins, Ambrosio ōhĭgˈĭnz, Span. ämbrōˈsyō ōēˈgēns [key], 1720?–1801, Spanish colonial administrator, b. Ballinary, Co. Sligo, Ireland. Educated at Cádiz, Spain, under the care of hi...

Éboli, Ana de Mendoza de la Cerda, princesa de

(Encyclopedia)Éboli, Ana de Mendoza de la Cerda, princesa de äˈnä ᵺā māndōˈthä ᵺā lä thārˈdä prēnthāˈsä ᵺā āˈbōlē [key], 1540–92, Spanish noblewoman. After the death (1573) of her hus...

Seine-Maritime

(Encyclopedia)Seine-Maritime –ăNfārēûrˈ [key], department (1990 pop. 1,226,200), N France, on the English Channel, mainly in Normandy. Cities include Rouen (the capital) and Le Havre (see Havre, Le). ...

Avranches

(Encyclopedia)Avranches ävräNshˈ [key], town, Manche dept., NW France, in Normandy, on the English Channel. Because of its proximity to the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel, Avranch...

Modiano, Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Modiano, Patrick (Jean Patrick Modiano) zhäN pätrēkˈ mōdyänōˈ [key], 1945–, French novelist. He has been acclaimed for his treatment of memory, loss, and the puzzle of identity in novels tha...

Diaghilev, Sergei Pavlovich

(Encyclopedia)Diaghilev, Sergei Pavlovich syĭrgāˈ pävˈləvĭch dyäˈgĭlyĭf [key], 1872–1929, Russian ballet impresario and art critic, grad. St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, 1892. In 1898 he founded ...

Ravel, Maurice

(Encyclopedia)Ravel, Maurice mōrēsˈ rävĕlˈ [key], 1875–1937, French composer, b. in the Pyrenees. He entered the Paris Conservatory in 1889, where he was later a student of Fauré. Ravel became a leading ex...

Sarthe

(Encyclopedia)Sarthe särt [key], department (1990 pop. 514,600), NW France. Le Mans is the capital. ...

Browse by Subject