Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Crespi, Juan

(Encyclopedia)Crespi, Juan krāsˈpē [key], 1721–82, Spanish explorer in the Southwest, a Franciscan. He came to America in 1749, and in 1767 he went to the peninsula of California in charge of Mission Purísim...

Cúcuta

(Encyclopedia)Cúcuta ko͞oˈko͞otä [key], city, capital of Norte de Santander dept., NE Colombia, near the ...

Coptos

(Encyclopedia)Coptos kŏpˈtəs [key], ancient city of Egypt, on the right bank of the Nile, c.27 mi (43 km) N of modern Luxor. Remains of the Temple of Min, patron god of Coptos, have been found there as well as r...

Dean, James

(Encyclopedia)Dean, James (James Byron Dean), 1931–55, American film actor, b. Marion, Ind. After a few stage and television roles, Dean was chosen to play the moody, rebellious son in the film East of Eden (1953...

Ciardi, John

(Encyclopedia)Ciardi, John chēärˈdē [key], 1916–86, American poet, b. Boston, grad. Tufts College, B.A., 1938, Univ. of Michigan, M.A., 1939. His poetry, noted for its wit and perception, includes Homeward to...

circumpolar star

(Encyclopedia)circumpolar star, star whose diurnal circle lies completely above or completely below an observer's horizon. A star whose diurnal circle lies above the horizon never sets, even though it cannot be see...

Clarke, James Freeman

(Encyclopedia)Clarke, James Freeman, 1810–88, American Unitarian clergyman and author, b. Hanover, N.H. While in charge of the Unitarian church in Louisville, Ky. (1833–40), he was for three years editor of the...

Cherokee Strip

(Encyclopedia)Cherokee Strip or Cherokee Outlet, a narrow piece of land in N Oklahoma. Bounded on the north by the Kansas border, it has an area of more than 6 million acres (2.4 million hectares). Measuring some 5...

English springer spaniel

(Encyclopedia)English springer spaniel, breed of medium-sized sporting dog developed in England from the broader and very old category of “springing spaniels” that produced many of the present-day land spaniels...

Franklin, State of

(Encyclopedia)Franklin, State of, government (1784–88) formed by the inhabitants of Washington, Sullivan, and Greene counties in present-day E Tennessee after North Carolina ceded (June, 1784) its western lands t...

Browse by Subject