Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Robert II, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Robert II, 1316–90, king of Scotland (1371–90), nephew and successor of David II. He was the first sovereign of the house of Stuart, or Stewart (see Stuart, family), which eventually succeeded to ...

Robert III, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Robert III, 1340?–1406, king of Scotland (1390–1406), eldest son and successor of Robert II. Known before his accession as John, earl of Carrick, he ruled for his father until 1389, when, having b...

English units of measurement

(Encyclopedia)English units of measurement, principal system of weights and measures used in a few nations, the only major industrial one being the United States. It actually consists of two related systems—the U...

Yazoo City

(Encyclopedia)Yazoo City, city (1990 pop. 12,427), seat of Yazoo co., W central Miss., on the Yazoo River; inc. 1830. It is a trade, processing, and industrial center in a cotton, cattle, and soybean area. There is...

Orangeburg

(Encyclopedia)Orangeburg, city (1990 pop. 13,739), seat of Orangeburg co., central S.C., on the North Fork of the Edisto River; settled 1732, inc. as a city 1883. It is the trade and processing center of a cotton a...

Lorient

(Encyclopedia)Lorient lôryăNˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 61,630), Morbihan dept., NW France, a port and naval station on the Atlantic Ocean. A great shipbuilding center, Lorient also produces textiles, furniture, an...

Woolson, Constance Fenimore

(Encyclopedia)Woolson, Constance Fenimore, 1840–94, American novelist, b. Claremont, N.H.; grandniece of James Fenimore Cooper, and author of a number of well-written and popular works, including the novels Anne ...

weights and measures

(Encyclopedia)CE5 weights and measures, units and standards for expressing the amount of some quantity, such as length, capacity, or weight; the science of measurement standards and methods is known as metrology...

Rodgers, John, 1812–82, American naval officer

(Encyclopedia)Rodgers, John, 1812–82, American naval officer, b. Harford co., Md.; son of John Rodgers. He became (1828) a midshipman and saw varied service. He conducted (1852–56) exploring expeditions in the ...

Payton, Walter Jerry

(Encyclopedia)Payton, Walter Jerry, 1954–99, American football player, b. Columbia, Miss. He played at Jackson State College (now Jackson State Univ.) in Mississippi before being drafted as a running back by the ...

Browse by Subject