Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

150 results found

stability

(Encyclopedia)stability: see equilibrium.

Mendieta y Montefur, Carlos

(Encyclopedia)Mendieta y Montefur, Carlos kärˈlōs māndyāˈtä ē mōntāfo͞orˈ [key], 1873–1960, Cuban political leader. He was one of the chief opponents of Gerardo Machado. Mendieta, installed as provisi...

Rozelle, Pete

(Encyclopedia)Rozelle, Pete (Alvin Rozelle), 1926–96, American football executive, b. South Gate, Calif. As commissioner of the National Football League (NFL; 1960–89), he guided the league through expansion fr...

polyester

(Encyclopedia)polyester, synthetic fiber, produced by the polymerization of the product formed when an alcohol and organic acid react. The outstanding characteristic of polyesters is their ability to resist wrinkli...

Jensen, Johannes Hans Daniel

(Encyclopedia)Jensen, Johannes Hans Daniel, 1907–73, German physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Hamburg, 1932. Jensen was a professor at the Technical Univ. of Hanover from 1941 to 1949, when he joined the faculty at Heide...

Masire, Sir Ketumile

(Encyclopedia)Masire, Sir Ketumile (Quett Ketumile Joni Masire), 1925–2017, Botswanan political leader, president of Botswana (1980–98). He was a teacher and a farmer before taking up journalism and helping to ...

Orlon

(Encyclopedia)Orlon, trademark for an acrylic fiber available in filaments (long single strands) or staples (bundles of short fibers). Orlon is resistant to sunlight and atmospheric gases, which makes it ideal for ...

Goeppert-Mayer, Maria

(Encyclopedia)Goeppert-Mayer, Maria, 1906–72, German-American nuclear physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Göttingen, 1930. She was a researcher at Johns Hopkins (1931–39), Columbia (1939–46), Argonne National Laborato...

Ubico, Jorge

(Encyclopedia)Ubico, Jorge hôrˈhā o͞obēˈkō [key], 1878–1946, president of Guatemala (1931–44). An army general, Ubico as president established financial stability and political order. He built an extensi...

Arista, Mariano

(Encyclopedia)Arista, Mariano märyäˈnō ärēˈstä [key], 1802–55, Mexican general and president (1851–53). A royalist in the revolt against Spain, he later joined Agustín de Iturbide. He fought in the Mex...