Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

John, three epistles of the New Testament

(Encyclopedia)John, three letters of the New Testament. Traditionally, they are ascribed to John son of Zebedee, the disciple of Jesus. All three letters probably date to the end of the 1st cent. a.d., and may have...

Clarke, Walter

(Encyclopedia)Clarke, Walter, c.1638–1714, colonial governor of Rhode Island, b. Newport, R.I. He was deputy governor (1679–86, 1700–1714) and was three times governor (1676–77, 1686, 1696–98) of Rhode Is...

Thoroughbred horse

(Encyclopedia)Thoroughbred horse, breed of light horse more properly known as the English running horse. As its name implies, it was the first pedigreed, or “thoroughbred” horse. It originated in England from c...

Spokane, river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Spokane, river, c.100 mi (160 km) long, rising in Coeur d'Alene Lake, N Idaho, and flowing through NE Washington to the Columbia River. Dams on the river include Nine Mile, Long Lake, and Little Falls...

skywriting

(Encyclopedia)skywriting, advertising medium in which aircraft spell out trade names and sales slogans in the sky by means of the controlled emission of thick smoke. The technique was first developed (1922) by J. C...

Manitoulin Islands

(Encyclopedia)Manitoulin Islands mănəto͞oˈlĭn [key], archipelago consisting of three large islands and several smaller ones, in N Lake Huron, NW of Georgian Bay. The islands, in a noted fishing region, are pop...

Harrisburg

(Encyclopedia)Harrisburg. <1> City (2020 pop. 8,219), seat of Saline co., SE Ill; founded c. 1852. In the mid-19th century, it was a center of woolen and ...

transcontinental railroad

(Encyclopedia)transcontinental railroad, in U.S. history, rail connection with the Pacific coast. In 1845, Asa Whitney presented to Congress a plan for the federal government to subsidize the building of a railroad...

nuclear reactor

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Power reactor system nuclear reactor, device for producing controlled release of nuclear energy. Reactors can be used for research or for power production. A research reactor is designed to pr...

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

(Encyclopedia)Ashmore and Cartier Islands ăshˈmōr, cärˌtē-āˈ [key], unhabited tropical islands, 2 sq mi (5 sq km), E Indian Ocean, a dependency of Australia located 190 mi (300 km) NW of N Western Australia...