Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Heaney, Seamus

(Encyclopedia)Heaney, Seamus (Seamus Justin Heaney) shāˈməs, hēˈnē [key], 1939–2013, Irish poet, one of the finest contemporary English poets, b. Londonderry (now Derry), Northern Ireland, grad. Queen's Uni...

Mortensen, Dale Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Mortensen, Dale Thomas, 1939–2014, American economist, b. Enterprise, Oreg., Ph.D. Carnegie-Mellon Univ., 1967. Mortensen a professor at Northwestern Univ. for his entire academic career. His work f...

Mino da Fiesole

(Encyclopedia)Mino da Fiesole dē jōvänˈnē [key], 1429–84, Florentine sculptor of the early Renaissance. He produced many tombs and sculptures for churches. Among the best are the altar in the cathedral at Fi...

Merry del Val, Rafael

(Encyclopedia)Merry del Val, Rafael räfäĕlˈ māˈrē dĕl väl [key], 1865–1930, Spanish prelate, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, b. London. He was educated for the priesthood and ordained at Rome (188...

Marryat, Frederick

(Encyclopedia)Marryat, Frederick mărˈēăt [key], 1792–1848, English novelist. He is famous for his thrilling tales of sea adventure. His 24 years of service in the British navy in various parts of the world pr...

John V, king of Portugal

(Encyclopedia)John V (John the Magnanimous), 1689–1750, king of Portugal (1706–50), son and successor of Peter II. Before his accession the Methuen Treaty (1703) with England had brought Portugal into the War o...

Moultrie, William

(Encyclopedia)Moultrie, William mo͞olˈtrē [key], 1730–1805, American Revolutionary general, b. Charleston, S.C. He had fought against the Native Americans (1761) and served in the colonial assembly before the ...

Fust, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Fust yōˈhän foust [key], d. 1466?, printer at Mainz. Johann Gutenberg borrowed substantial sums of money from Fust, a goldsmith, lawyer, and money lender. When Gutenberg was unable to repay these s...

Ingermanland

(Encyclopedia)Ingermanland ĭngˈgrēə [key], Finnish Ingerinta, historic region, NW European Russia, along the Neva River and on the east bank of the Gulf of Finland. Its name derives from the ancient Finnic inha...

Jommelli, Niccolò

(Encyclopedia)Jommelli, Niccolò nēk-kōlôˈ yōm-mĕlˈlē [key], 1714–74, Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school, who worked variously in Vienna, Rome, Stuttgart, and eventually Naples, successfully ...