Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Nye, Edgar Wilson

(Encyclopedia)Nye, Edgar Wilson nī [key], known as Bill Nye, 1850–96, American humorist and journalist, b. Shirley Mills, Maine. He lived in Wisconsin from 1852 to 1876, when he went to Wyoming. There he was adm...

Gretzky, Wayne

(Encyclopedia)Gretzky, Wayne (Wayne Douglas Gretzky), 1961–, Canadian ice hockey player, b. Brantford, Ont. He played with the Edmonton Oilers (1978–88), Los Angeles Kings (1988–96), St. Louis Blues (1996), a...

Croly, Jane Cunningham

(Encyclopedia)Croly, Jane Cunningham krōˈlē [key], pseud. Jennie June, 1829–1901, American journalist and feminist, b. England. She came to the United States at the age of 12 and in 1857 married author and edi...

Vries, David Pietersen de

(Encyclopedia)Vries, David Pietersen de də vrēs [key], b. c.1593, Dutch merchant captain and colonizer. An experienced mariner, Vries, in partnership with directors of the Dutch West India Company, founded (1631...

Barnes, Julian Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Barnes, Julian Patrick, English author, 1946–. During the 1970s and 80s he was a critic and editor for the New Statesman and New Review, a correspondent for The New Yorker, and a writer and editor f...

Universalist Church of America

(Encyclopedia)Universalist Church of America, Protestant denomination originating in the 18th cent. and represented almost entirely in the United States. Universalism is the belief that it is God's purpose to save ...

Burckhardt, Jacob Christoph

(Encyclopedia)Burckhardt, Jacob or Jakob Christoph yäˈkôp krĭsˈtôf bo͝orkˈhärt [key], 1818–97, Swiss historian, one of the founders of the cultural interpretation of history. He studied under Ranke at th...

Manning, Peyton Williams

(Encyclopedia)Manning, Peyton Williams, 1976–, American football player, b. New Orleans. Part of a National Football League quarterback dynasty (his father, Archie, led the New Orleans Saints; his brother Eli pla...

Hoar, George Frisbie

(Encyclopedia)Hoar, George Frisbie, 1826–1904, American legislator, b. Concord, Mass. He practiced law, became a Republican in politics, and was U.S. Representative (1869–77) and U.S. Senator (1877–1904). Hoa...

Americana

(Encyclopedia)Americana, term used to describe material printed in or about the Americas, or written by Americans; usually restricted to the formative period in the history of the two continents. Thus the letter wr...