Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Larsen, Peter Laurentius

(Encyclopedia)Larsen, Peter Laurentius lourĕntˈsēəs [key], 1833–1915, American educator, b. Norway. He emigrated to the United States in 1857 as a Lutheran missionary. From 1859 to 1861 he was professor of th...

Arlen, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Arlen, Michael, 1895–1956, English novelist, b. Bulgaria as Dikran Kuyumjian. The son of Armenian parents, he was brought to England as a child. In 1922 he became a British subject and changed his n...

Knudsen, William Signius

(Encyclopedia)Knudsen, William Signius no͞odˈsən [key], 1879–1948, American industrialist and U.S. government official, b. Copenhagen, Denmark. He emigrated to the United States at age 20, worked in various fa...

Kane, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Kane, Paul, 1810–71, Canadian painter, b. Ireland. Kane went to Toronto as a child. He studied art in the United States (1836–41) and in Europe (1841–45). After his return to Canada (1845) he ma...

Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint gädälēˈ dĕkhäkhwēˈᵺschwa;, –dālēˈ dāgäkwēˈtä [key] or Saint Catherine Tekakwitha, 1656–80, Native American holy woman known as the Lily of the Mohawks, b...

Lampedusa, Giuseppe di

(Encyclopedia)Lampedusa, Giuseppe di jo͞ozĕpˈpā dē lämpādo͞oˈzä [key], 1896–1957, Italian novelist. A wealthy Sicilian prince, Lampedusa drew on his family's history for his internationally acclaimed wo...

Pascin, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Pascin, Jules zhül päskăNˈ [key], 1885–1930, American painter, b. Bulgaria. Born Julius Pincas, he moved to Paris in 1905. He acquired American citizenship in 1914. Essentially a draftsman, belo...

Roentgen, Wilhelm Conrad

(Encyclopedia)Roentgen or Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad both: rĕntˈgĭn, rŭntˈ–, Ger. vĭlˈhĕlm kônˈrät röntˈgən [key], 1845–1923, German physicist. His notable research in many fields of physics, especi...

Wooden, John

(Encyclopedia)Wooden, John, 1910–2010, American basketball coach, b. Martinsville, Ind. He was the first athlete to be honored in the basketball Hall of Fame as both player and coach. An All-American guard at Pur...

Wright, James

(Encyclopedia)Wright, James, 1927–80, American poet, b. Ohio. He studied at Kenyon College and the Univ. of Washington. Wright was the master of an elegant, beautifully controlled style. His early poems contained...

Browse by Subject