Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Marion, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Marion, Francis mârˈēən [key], c.1732–1795, American Revolutionary soldier, known as the Swamp Fox, b. near Georgetown, S.C. He was a planter and Indian fighter before joining (1775) William Mou...

Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre

(Encyclopedia)Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, formerly Lake Eyre, shallow salt lake, central South Australia state, Australia. The lake, in fact two lakes connected by a channel, is the continent's lowest point (49 ft/15 ...

Harper, Stephen

(Encyclopedia)Harper, Stephen, 1959–, prime minister (2006–15) of Canada. A founding member of the conservative Reform party (later the Canadian Alliance), he won a seat in the federal parliament in 1993, but b...

D'Alema, Massimo

(Encyclopedia)D'Alema, Massimo mäsˈsēmōˌ dälāˈmä [key], 1949–, Italian politician, premier (1998–2000) of Italy. A member of the Italian Communist party (PCI) since 1968, he worked as a journalist and ...

Fairfax of Cameron, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Baron

(Encyclopedia)Fairfax of Cameron, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Baron, 1693–1781, proprietor of the Northern Neck of Virginia, b. England. He inherited the Northern Neck, comprising the land between the Rappahannock and Po...

Segal, Jr., George

(Encyclopedia) Segal, George, Jr., 1934-2021, American actor, b. New York City, Columbia Univ. (B.A., 1955). Raised in Great Neck, Long Island, Segal began his caree...

Renzi, Matteo

(Encyclopedia)Renzi, Matteo, 1975–, Italian political leader. Renzi was a member of the Italian People's party, which merged (2002) with other parties to form Democracy Is Freedom—The Daisy, which then merged (...

Babangida, Ibrahim

(Encyclopedia)Babangida, Ibrahim ēbräˈhēm bäbänˈgēdä [key], 1941–, Nigerian military and political leader. After graduating (1963) from Nigeria's military college, he joined the army and received further...

Wilmot Proviso

(Encyclopedia)Wilmot Proviso, 1846, amendment to a bill put before the U.S. House of Representatives during the Mexican War; it provided an appropriation of $2 million to enable President Polk to negotiate a territ...

Bozeman, John M.

(Encyclopedia)Bozeman, John M. bōzˈmən [key], 1835–67, American pioneer. A Georgian, he went to the gold fields of Colorado (1861) and Montana (1862). In the winter of 1862–63 he traveled with a companion fr...

Browse by Subject