Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

420 results found

Harlingen

(Encyclopedia)Harlingen härˈlĭnjən [key], city (2020 pop. 71,829), Cameron co., extreme S Tex.; inc. 1910. It ...

Rochefort

(Encyclopedia)Rochefort –sür-mĕr [key], city (1990 pop. 26,949), Charente-Maritime dept., W France, on the Charente River near the Bay of Biscay. It is a fishing port with shipyards and aircraft and machine ind...

Shanksville

(Encyclopedia)Shanksville, borough (1990 pop. 235), Somerset co., SW Pa., on the Stonycreek River, which is spanned by an 1881 covered bridge. It is situated in an agricultural area where corn, oats, and livestock ...

U-2 incident

(Encyclopedia)U-2 incident, in U.S. and Soviet history, the events following the Soviet downing of an American U-2 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft over Soviet territory on May 1, 1960. The incident led to the...

Yakima, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Yakima yăkˈəmô, –mə [key], city (1990 pop. 54,827), seat of Yakima co., S central Wash., on the Yakima River just below its confluence with the Naches; inc. 1886. It is the trade and shipping c...

White, Robert Michael

(Encyclopedia)White, Robert Michael, 1924–2010, American aviator, b. New York City. A fighter pilot during World War II, he was shot down over Germany and held in a prisoner-of-war camp (Feb.–Apr, 1945); he was...

Kalisz

(Encyclopedia)Kalisz käˈlēsh [key], Ger. Kalisch, city (1993 est. pop. 106,600), Wielkopolskie prov., central Poland. An industrial center, it has factories producing textiles, clothing, chemicals, aircraft comp...

Federal Aviation Administration

(Encyclopedia)Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates...

Saint Elmo's fire

(Encyclopedia)Saint Elmo's fire, luminous discharge of electricity extending into the atmosphere from some projecting or elevated object. It is usually observed (often during a snowstorm or a dust storm) as brushli...

Oshkosh

(Encyclopedia)Oshkosh ŏshˈkŏshˌ [key], city (1990 pop. 55,006), seat of Winnebago co., E Wis., on Lake Winnebago where the Upper Fox River enters; inc. 1846. Its manufactures include automobile parts, wood prod...