Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lortzing, Gustav Albert

(Encyclopedia)Lortzing, Gustav Albert go͝osˈtäf älˈbĕrt lôrˈtsĭng [key], 1801–51, German opera composer. Lortzing's first opera was written in 1824. Among his best-known works are the comic operas Zar un...

White, Bouck

(Encyclopedia)White, Bouck bouk [key], 1874–1951, American clergyman and author, b. Middleburg, N.Y. He was ordained as a Congregational minister in 1904 but was dismissed from his post at Trinity House, Brooklyn...

Rizzio, David

(Encyclopedia)Rizzio, David rĭtˈsēō [key], 1533?–1566, favorite of Mary Queen of Scots. He was a Piedmontese musician (also called Riccio) who arrived (1561) in Scotland with the ambassador from Savoy. He cam...

Wesker, Arnold

(Encyclopedia)Wesker, Arnold, 1932–, English playwright, b. London. At various times he has been a carpenter's mate, a seed sorter, and a pastry cook. His plays Chicken Soup with Barley (1958), Roots (1958), and ...

Sarazen, Gene

(Encyclopedia)Sarazen, Gene säˈrəzən [key], 1902–99, American golfer, b. Harrison, N.Y. The son of an Italian immigrant carpenter, he entered golf as a caddie at Rye, N.Y. In 1922—at the age of 20—Sarazen...

Arnim, Mary Annette (Beauchamp), Countess von

(Encyclopedia)Arnim, Mary Annette (Beauchamp), Countess von: see Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess. ...

Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess

(Encyclopedia)Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess, pseud. Elizabeth, 1866–1941, English novelist, b. Sydney, Australia; cousin of Katherine Mansfield. In 1890 she married Count Henning von Arnim a...

wedge

(Encyclopedia)wedge, piece of wood or metal thick at one end and sloping to a thin edge at the other; an application of the inclined plane. It is employed in separating two objects from each other or in separating ...

Darnley, Henry Stuart, Lord

(Encyclopedia)Darnley, Henry Stuart or Stewart, Lord, 1545–67, second husband of Mary Queen of Scots and father of James I of England (James VI of Scotland). His mother was Margaret Douglas, the daughter of Archi...

Ave Maria

(Encyclopedia)Ave Maria äˈvā märēˈä [key] [Lat.,=hail, Mary], prayer to the Virgin Mary universal among Roman Catholics, also called the Ave, the Hail Mary, and the Angelic Salutation. The words in English a...