Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, 5th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, 5th earl of, 1771–1820, Scottish philanthropist, founder of the Red River Settlement. Emigration to America seemed to him the best solution for the poverty of his countrymen...

Boys Town

(Encyclopedia)Boys Town, village, Douglas co., E Nebr.; inc. 1936. The noted community was founded in 1917 by Father Edward J. Flanagan (1886–1948) for homeless or abandoned boys. The village is governed by the b...

Kindelberger, Dutch

(Encyclopedia)Kindelberger, Dutch (James Howard Kindelberger), 1895–1962, b. Wheeling, W.Va., American aerospace pioneer. In 1917 he joined the army and went into the signal corps, serving as a pilot instructor. ...

Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, 8th marquess of

(Encyclopedia)Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, 8th marquess of, 1844–1900, British nobleman, originator of the code of rules that governs modern boxing. He served in the British army and navy and later was a mem...

popular sovereignty

(Encyclopedia)popular sovereignty, in U.S. history, doctrine under which the status of slavery in the territories was to be determined by the settlers themselves. Although the doctrine won wide support as a means o...

Stuart, James, earl of Arran

(Encyclopedia)Stuart or Stewart, James, earl of Arran ârˈən [key], d. 1595, Scottish nobleman. He spent his early years as a soldier of fortune fighting in the Dutch revolt against Spain, returned to Scotland in...

Kitimat

(Encyclopedia)Kitimat kĭtˈĭmătˌ [key], town (1991 pop. 11,305), W British Columbia, Canada, at the head of Douglas Channel. It is the site of a huge aluminum smelter (opened 1954), pulp and paper mills, and a ...

Robert III, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Robert III, 1340?–1406, king of Scotland (1390–1406), eldest son and successor of Robert II. Known before his accession as John, earl of Carrick, he ruled for his father until 1389, when, having b...

Eddystone

(Encyclopedia)Eddystone ĕdˈĭstən [key], lighthouse, 135 ft (41 m) high, on dangerous rocks in the English Channel, S of Plymouth, SW England. It is the fourth lighthouse on the site (the first was begun in 1696...

Cairns

(Encyclopedia)Cairns, city and region, Queensland, NE Australia, on Trinity Bay. It is a principal sugar port of Australia; lumber and other agricultural products are...