Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Casimir-Perier, Jean Paul Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Casimir-Perier, Jean Paul Pierre zhäN pōl pyĕr käzēmērˈ-pĕryāˈ [key], 1847–1907, French president (June, 1894–Jan., 1895). He held several cabinet posts before serving as premier in 1893...

Boisbaudran, Paul Émile Lecoq de

(Encyclopedia)Boisbaudran, Paul Émile Lecoq de pôl āmēlˈ ləkôkˈ də bwäbōdräNˈ [key], 1838–1912, French discoverer of the elements gallium, samarium, and dysprosium. He also made contributions in the ...

Vidal de la Blache, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Vidal de la Blache, Paul pōl vēdälˈ də lä bläsh [key], French geographer, 1845–1918, the father of French human geography. He was educated at the École Normale Supérieure, Paris, and had an...

Atbarah

(Encyclopedia)Atbarah or Atbara both: ătbäˈrə [key], town, E Sudan, at the junction of the Atbara and Nile rivers. An important rail junction, it is also the headquarters of Sudan's...

Kay, John

(Encyclopedia)Kay, John, 1704–64, English inventor. He patented (1733) the fly shuttle, operated by pulling a cord that drove the shuttle to either side, freeing one hand of the weaver to press home the weft. Wor...

East Chicago

(Encyclopedia)East Chicago, city (2020 pop. 26,370), Lake co., extreme NW Ind., on Lake Michigan, in the industrialized Calumet region, ad...

Coos Bay

(Encyclopedia)Coos Bay ko͞os [key], city (2020 pop. 15,985), Coos co., SW Oreg., a port of entry on Coos B...

Biko, Steve

(Encyclopedia)Biko, Steve (Steven Biko) bēˈkō [key], 1946–77, South African political leader. A medical student, ...

Gephardt, Dick

(Encyclopedia)Gephardt, Dick (Richard Andrew Gephardt) gĕpˈhärt [key], 1941–, U.S. congressman (1977–2005), b. St. Louis. A lawyer, he was first elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Mis...

Fair Employment Practices Committee

(Encyclopedia)Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC), established (1941) within the Office of Production Management by executive order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was created to promote the fulle...

Browse by Subject