Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ai Weiwei

(Encyclopedia)Ai Weiwei īˈ wāwā [key], 1957–, Chinese artist, architect, filmmaker, and political activist. He is the son of poet Ai Ch'ing, who was internally exiled (1958–76) to work camps with his family...

Lee, Robert Edward

(Encyclopedia)Lee, Robert Edward, 1807–70, general in chief of the Confederate armies in the American Civil War, b. Jan. 19, 1807, at Stratford, Westmoreland co., Va.; son of Henry (“Light-Horse Harry”) Lee. ...

San Diego

(Encyclopedia)San Diego săn dēāˈgō [key], city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Vall...

elephant seal

(Encyclopedia)elephant seal or sea elephant, a true seal of the genus Mirounga. It is the largest of the fin-footed mammals, or pinnipeds, exceeding the walrus in size. There is a northern species, Mirounga angusti...

Alcatraz

(Encyclopedia)Alcatraz ălˈkətrăzˌ [key] [Sp. Álcatraces=pelicans], rocky island in San Francisco Bay, W Calif, about one mile (1.61 km) north of San Francisco. Alcatraz was first sighted by the Spanish in 177...

Chávez, César Estrada

(Encyclopedia)Chávez, César Estrada sāˈsär āsträˈᵺä shäˈvĕz [key], 1927–93, American agrarian labor leader, b. near Yuma, Ariz. A migrant worker, he became involved (1952) in the self-help Community...

assassin bug

(Encyclopedia)assassin bug, common name for members of the family Reduviidae, one of the largest and most varied groups belonging to the order Hemiptera (suborder Heteroptera). Assassin bugs are generally brownish ...

López Obrador, Andrés Manuel

(Encyclopedia)López Obrador, Andrés Manuel ändrāsˈ mänwĕlˈ lōˈpĕs ōbrädôrˈ [key], 1954–, Mexican politician, president of Mexico (2018–). A lawyer, he was active in the Institutional Revolutionar...

Zedillo Ponce de León, Ernesto

(Encyclopedia)Zedillo Ponce de León, Ernesto ĕrnĕsˈtō zĕdēˈyō pōnˈsā ᵺā lāônˈ [key], 1951–, Mexican politician, president of Mexico (1994–2000). Educated as an economist in Mexico and the Unit...

Browse by Subject