Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Dinwiddie, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Dinwiddie, Robert, 1693–1770, colonial governor of Virginia (1751–58), b. near Glasgow, Scotland. He was collector of customs (1727–38) for Bermuda and surveyor general (1738–51) for the Baham...

Nicholson, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Nicholson, Samuel, 1743–1811, American naval officer, b. Maryland. The brother of James Nicholson, he served in the Continental navy during the American Revolution, making many successful captures. ...

Latini, Brunetto

(Encyclopedia)Latini, Brunetto bro͞onĕtˈtō lätēˈnē [key], d. 1294?, Italian man of letters, a diplomat. He introduced French literature to Italy and wrote, in French, Li livres dou tresor, the first vernacu...

Saint-Gelays, Mellin de

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Gelays or Saint-Gelais, Mellin de mĕlăN də săN-zhəlāˈ [key], c.1490–1558, French poet. He lived in Italy for many years, and he helped to introduce the Italian sonnet form as well as th...

Spanish Succession, War of the

(Encyclopedia)Spanish Succession, War of the, 1701–14, last of the general European wars caused by the efforts of King Louis XIV to extend French power. The conflict in America corresponding to the period of the ...

Braddock, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Braddock, Edward, 1695–1755, British general in the French and Indian War (see under French and Indian Wars). Although he had seen little active campaigning before 1754, Braddock was reputed to have...

Desargues, Gérard

(Encyclopedia)Desargues, Gérard zhārärˈ dəzärgˈ [key], 1591–1661, French mathematician and engineer, a founder of modern geometry. He discovered the theorems on involutions and transversals known by his na...

David, John Baptist Mary

(Encyclopedia)David, John Baptist Mary, 1761–1841, French missionary in the United States, b. Brittany. He was educated at Nantes, joined the Sulpicians, and because of the French Revolution emigrated to the Unit...

Cochin, Charles Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Cochin, Charles Nicolas shärl nēkôläˈ kôshăNˈ [key], 1715–90, French engraver, designer, writer on art, and painter to the French court. His works, more than 1,500 in number, include histori...

King Horn

(Encyclopedia)King Horn, probably the earliest English-language romance, written c.1250 and containing about 1,500 lines. It is by an anonymous author and is based on an earlier work in French. Emphasizing action a...