Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lee, Ann

(Encyclopedia)Lee, Ann, 1736–84, English religious visionary, founder of the Shakers in America. Born in Manchester, she worked there in the cotton factories and then became a cook. In 1762 she was married to Abr...

Rutledge, Ann

(Encyclopedia)Rutledge, Ann, 1813?–1835, American historical figure, alleged fiancée of Abraham Lincoln. Her father kept the inn at New Salem, Ill., where Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. Ann's sudden death from...

Hagar

(Encyclopedia)Hagar āˈgər [key], according to the Book of Genesis, servant of Abraham's wife Sarah and mother of his eldest son, Ishmael. She and her son were sent out into the wilderness because of Sarah's jeal...

Buch, Christian Leopold, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Buch, Christian Leopold, Freiherr von krĭsˈtyän lāˈōpôlt frīˈhĕr fən bo͞okh [key], 1774–1853, German geologist and paleontologist, graduate of the mining academy, Freiberg, Germany, and ...

Maaseiah

(Encyclopedia)Maaseiah māˌəsēˈyə [key], in the Bible. 1 Musician under David. 2 Captain who aided the restoration of Joash. 3 Officer of King Uzziah. 4 Son of King Ahaz. 5 Man charged by Josiah with repairing...

apocalypse

(Encyclopedia)apocalypse əpŏkˈəlĭps [key] [Gr.,=uncovering], genre represented in early Jewish and in Christian literature in which the secrets of the heavenly world or of the world to come are revealed by ang...

Roderick

(Encyclopedia)Roderick rŏdˈərĭk [key], d. 711?, last Visigothic king in Spain (710–711?). After the death of King Witiza, a group of nobles chose Roderick, duke of Baetica, as successor to the king. Having de...

Fahd bin Abdul Aziz

(Encyclopedia)Fahd bin Abdul Aziz fäd ĭbˈən ăbdo͝olˈ ăzēzˈ [key], 1923–2005, king of Saudi Arabia (1982–2005). A son of Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, Fahd served as education minister (1953�...

Miller, Glenn

(Encyclopedia)Miller, Glenn (Alton Glenn Miller), 1904–44, American jazz trombonist, bandleader, and composer, b. Clarinda, Iowa. Playing in Ben Pollack's band by 1927, he was a freelance musician in New York Cit...

Chandler, Zachariah

(Encyclopedia)Chandler, Zachariah, 1813–79, U.S. Senator from Michigan (1857–75, 1879) and Secretary of the Interior (1875–77), b. Bedford, N.H. He moved to Detroit in 1833 and through merchandising, land spe...