Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Armistead, Lewis Addison

(Encyclopedia)Armistead, Lewis Addison, 1817–63, Confederate general, b. New Bern, N.C. He was commissioned (1839) in the U.S. army from Virginia but resigned when that state seceded. In the Gettysburg campaign, ...

Lance, Bert

(Encyclopedia)Lance, Bert (Thomas Bertram Lance), 1931–2013, American banker and public official, b. Gainesville, Ga. He was one of Jimmy Carter's closest advisers during the 1976 presidential campaign. After the...

Wilson, Pete

(Encyclopedia)Wilson, Pete (Peter Barton Wilson), 1933–, American politician, b. Lake Forest, Ill. A lawyer and moderate Republican, he began his career in local politics. He was a campaign aide in Richard Nixon'...

Yamashita, Tomoyuki

(Encyclopedia)Yamashita, Tomoyuki tōmōˈyo͞okē yämäˈshētä [key], 1888–1946, Japanese general. He studied military science in Germany. He commanded (1941) the Malayan campaign and forced Singapore to surr...

Wolcott, Oliver, signer of the Declaration of Independence

(Encyclopedia)Wolcott, Oliver, 1726–97, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. South Windsor (then in Windsor), Conn.; son of Roger Wolcott. He fought in King G...

Bülow, Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Bülow, Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von fən büˈlō [key], 1755–1816, Prussian general in the Napoleonic Wars. After his victories (1813) over the French at Gross Beeren and at Dennewitz he was c...

Thompson, William Hale

(Encyclopedia)Thompson, William Hale, 1869–1944, American politician, b. Boston. His family moved to Chicago when he was nine years old, and there he later entered politics as an alderman (1900–1902). He became...

McClellan, George Brinton

(Encyclopedia)McClellan, George Brinton, 1826–85, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Philadelphia. After graduating (1846) from West Point, he served with distinction in the Mexican War and later worked ...

Alfonso XI, Spanish king of Castile and León

(Encyclopedia)Alfonso XI, 1311–50, Spanish king of Castile and León (1312–50), son and successor of Ferdinand IV. His vigorous campaign against Granada provoked an invasion by the Moors from Morocco; they took...

Decapolis

(Encyclopedia)Decapolis dēkăpˈəlĭs [key] [Gr.,=ten cities], confederacy of 10 ancient cities, all E of the Jordan, except Scythopolis. The others were (according to Pliny) Dion, Pella, Gadara, Hippos, Gerasa, ...