Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Whitehorse

(Encyclopedia)Whitehorse, city (1991 pop. 17,925), S Yukon, Canada, on the Yukon River. Since 1952 it has been the territorial capital. Whitehorse is on the Alaska Highway and was the terminus of the White Pass and...

Leonard, Benny

(Encyclopedia)Leonard, Benny, 1896–1947, American boxer, originally named Benjamin Leiner, b. New York City. Leonard, a master boxer and hard puncher, fought in 209 professional bouts, losing only 5. He was light...

Declaration of Independence

(Encyclopedia)Declaration of Independence, full and formal declaration adopted July 4, 1776, by representatives of the Thirteen Colonies in North America announcing the separation of those colonies from Great Brita...

Mother Lode

(Encyclopedia)Mother Lode, belt of gold-bearing quartz veins, central Calif., along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The term is sometimes limited to a strip c.70 mi (110 km) long and from 1 to 61⁄2 mi...

Mackay, John William

(Encyclopedia)Mackay, John William măkˈē [key], 1831–1902, American financier, b. Dublin, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States in 1840. In 1859 he joined the rush to Nevada, where silver had been discov...

Gregg, Josiah

(Encyclopedia)Gregg, Josiah, 1806–50, American trader and historian of the Santa Fe Trail, b. Overton co., Tenn. He moved with his family to Illinois (1809) and then to Missouri (1812). He gained wide knowledge f...

Perth, city, Australia

(Encyclopedia)Perth, city (2016 pop. 21,797, Greater Perth 2016 pop. 1,943,858), capital of Western Australia, SW Australia, on the Swan River estuary. Fremantle is Perth's port. Perth is a communications and trans...

Bismarck

(Encyclopedia)Bismarck, city (2020 pop. 73,622), state capital and seat of Burleigh co., S central N.Dak., on hills overlooking the Missouri River; inc. 1873. The tra...

Fowler, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Fowler, Sir John, 1817–98, English engineer. With Benjamin Baker, he designed and built the Forth Bridge (1882–90) in Scotland, the first major structure made of steel. He also designed much of th...

Bela

(Encyclopedia)Bela bēˈlə [key], in the Bible. 1 First king of Edom. 2 Benjamin's first son. An alternative spelling is Belah. 3 City later called Zoar. ...