Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Keith, Minor Cooper

(Encyclopedia)Keith, Minor Cooper, 1848–1929, American magnate, a founder of the United Fruit Company, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. In the face of incredible hardships he built (1871–90) a railroad from the port of Limón...

Guardia, Tomás

(Encyclopedia)Guardia, Tomás tōmäsˈ gwärˈdēä [key], 1832–82, president of Costa Rica. An army general, he led a revolt that eventually placed him in control and enabled him to rule the country from 1870 t...

minor planet

(Encyclopedia)minor planet: see asteroid.

Asia Minor

(Encyclopedia)Asia Minor, great peninsula, c.250,000 sq mi (647,500 sq km), extreme W Asia, generally coterminous with Asian Turkey, also called Anatolia. It is washed by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterrane...

Canis Minor

(Encyclopedia)Canis Minor [Lat.,=lesser dog], small constellation ying near the celestial equator, E of Orion and NE of Canis Major, the Large Dog. Known as the Small Dog, Canis Minor is traditionally identified as...

Cooper, Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Alexander: see under Cooper, Samuel. ...

Cooper, Gary

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Gary, 1901–61, American film actor, b. Helena, Mont., as Frank James Cooper. His first important starring role in A Farewell to Arms (1933) was followed by such films as Mr. Deeds Goes to To...

Cooper, Myles

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Myles, 1737?–1785, 2d president of King's College (now Columbia Univ.), b. England, educated at Oxford. He was ordained a priest in 1761 and went to King's College (1762) as professor of mor...

Cooper, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Peter, 1791–1883, American inventor, industrialist, and philanthropist, b. New York City. After achieving success in the glue business, Cooper, with two partners, erected (1829) the Canton I...

Cooper, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Cooper, Samuel, 1609–72, one of the greatest English miniaturists. A student of Hoskins, he worked in London from c.1642. He painted portraits of numerous celebrated Englishmen. His draftsmanship an...