Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Jones, James

(Encyclopedia)Jones, James, 1921–77, American novelist, b. Robinson, Ill. Written in the tradition of naturalism, his novels often celebrate the endurance of man. From Here to Eternity (1951), his best-known work...

Armory Show

(Encyclopedia)Armory Show, international exhibition of modern art held in 1913 at the 69th-regiment armory in New York City. It was a sensational introduction of modern art into the United States. The estimated 1,6...

Leonov, Aleksei Arkhipovich

(Encyclopedia)Leonov, Aleksei Arkhipovich ŭlˌyĭksyāˈ ärkhˌyĭpôˈvyĭch [key], 1934–2019, Soviet-Russian cosmonaut and military officer. While serving as copilot of Voskhod 2 (Mar. 18–19, 1964), he beca...

Yacine, Kateb

(Encyclopedia)Yacine, Kateb käˈtāb yäˈsēn [key], 1929–89, Algerian author. In 1945 he moved to Paris and afterward traveled in Europe and Asia. His most famous work is the novel Nedjma (1957, tr. 1961, new ...

Wainwright, Jonathan Mayhew

(Encyclopedia)Wainwright, Jonathan Mayhew, 1883–1953, American general, b. Walla Walla, Wash. Commissioned in the army in 1906, he reached the rank of brigadier general in 1938. In World War II he was stationed i...

Weinberger, Jaromir

(Encyclopedia)Weinberger, Jaromir Czech yäˈrômēr wīnˈbĕrgĕr [key], 1896–1967, Czech composer. Weinberger studied at the conservatories of Prague and Leipzig. In 1939, after extensive travels, he settled i...

Burns, George

(Encyclopedia)Burns, George, 1896–1996, b. New York City as Nathan Birnbaum, and his wife Gracie Allen, 1906–64, b. San Francisco, American comedy team (1923–58). In vaudeville in the 1920s, on radio (1932–...

Vambery, Arminius

(Encyclopedia)Vambery, Arminius or Hermann ärˈmĭn [key], 1832–1913, Hungarian philologist and traveler. In Constantinople (1857–63) he learned several languages and dialects of Asia Minor and then traveled t...

Seely, John Edward Bernard, 1st baron of Mottistone

(Encyclopedia)Seely, John Edward Bernard, 1st baron of Mottistone, 1868–1947, British politician. He served in the South African War and entered Parliament as a Conservative in 1900. Having switched to the Libera...

Ruth

(Encyclopedia)Ruth, book of the Bible. It tells a story, set in the days of the judges, of the fidelity of a Moabite widow (Ruth) to her widowed mother-in-law (Naomi). After the death of her husband in Moab, Ruth r...

Browse by Subject