Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Winton, Sir Nicholas George

(Encyclopedia)Winton, Sir Nicholas George, 1909–2015, British stockbroker who saved the lives of several hundred Czech children on the eve of World War II, b. London as Nicholas George Wertheim (later Wortham); h...

Arundel, Thomas Howard, earl of

(Encyclopedia)Arundel, Thomas Howard, earl of, 1585–1646, first great English art collector and patron of arts. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he married a goddaughter of Queen Elizabeth and was always c...

Markham, Sir Clements Robert

(Encyclopedia)Markham, Sir Clements Robert märˈkəm [key], 1830–1916, English geographer and writer. While in the navy he served on a British expedition (1850–51) to the Arctic to search for the explorer Sir ...

Anquetil-Duperron, Abraham Hyacinthe

(Encyclopedia)Anquetil-Duperron, Abraham Hyacinthe düpĕrôNˈ [key], 1731–1805, French Orientalist. He gave up studying for the priesthood to pursue his deep interest in Eastern languages. In India (1755–61) ...

Woolley, Sir Charles Leonard

(Encyclopedia)Woolley, Sir Charles Leonard, 1880–1960, English archaeologist. His early work included excavations at Carchemish (1912–14) and the Egyptian site of Tell el Amarna (1921–22). He was then chosen ...

Brisbane, Sir Thomas Makdougall

(Encyclopedia)Brisbane, Sir Thomas Makdougall brĭzˈbən, –bān [key], 1773–1860, British soldier, astronomer, and colonial administrator in Australia, b. Scotland. From 1793 to 1814 he served in the army in F...

booby

(Encyclopedia)booby, common name for some members of the family Sulidae, large, streamlined sea birds. Tropical and subtropical members of the family are called boobies; those of northern waters are called gannets....

Laval, François Xavier de

(Encyclopedia)Laval, François Xavier de fräNswäˈ zävyāˈ də lävälˈ [key], 1623–1708, French prelate in Canada, first bishop of Quebec. Of noble family (his family name in full was Laval-Montmorency), he...

Béjart

(Encyclopedia)Béjart or Béjard both: bāzhärˈ [key], French family of actors associated with Molière, who joined their amateur company, Les Enfants de Famille. Their professional debut in Paris (1643) was as t...

Browse by Subject