Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Esther

(Encyclopedia)Esther ĕsˈtər [key], book of the Bible. It is the tale of the beautiful Jewish woman Esther [Heb.,= Hadassah], who is chosen as queen by the Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I or II) after he has rep...

Henry, Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Henry, Alexander, two fur traders, uncle and nephew, of the Old Northwest, each of whom left a valuable journal of his travels and experiences. Alexander Henry, the elder, 1739–1824, b. New Brunswic...

Echeverría Álvarez, Luis

(Encyclopedia)Echeverría Álvarez, Luis lo͞oēsˈ āchāvār-rēˈä älˈvärās [key], 1922–, president of Mexico (1970–76). A lawyer, he was formerly a law professor. As a member of the ruling Institutiona...

Karadžić, Radovan

(Encyclopedia)Karadžić, Radovan räˈdōvän käˈräjĭch [key], 1945–, Bosnian Serb physician, author, and political leader, b. Savnik, Montenegro, Yugoslavia. The son of a Serb nationalist and World War II r...

Khíos

(Encyclopedia)Khíos kīˈŏs [key], island (1991 pop. 51,060), c.350 sq mi (910 sq km), E Greece, in the Aegean Sea, just W of Asia Minor. It is mountainous and is famous for its scenic beauty and good climate. Th...

Wyoming Valley

(Encyclopedia)Wyoming Valley, c.20 mi (30 km) long and 3 to 4 mi (4.8–6.4 km) wide, in Luzerne co., NE Pa., through which flows the Susquehanna River. Wilkes-Barre is the major city of this once-rich anthracite c...

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

(Encyclopedia)Canyon de Chelly National Monument də shāˈ [key] [De Chelly, Sp. corruption of Navajo Tsegi = rock canyon], 83,840 acres (33,955 hectares), NE Ariz.; est. 1931. The area contains the ruins of sever...

Caracalla

(Encyclopedia)Caracalla kărəkălˈə [key], 188–217, Roman emperor (211–17); son of Septimius Severus. His real name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and he received his nickname from the caracalla, a Gallic tu...

Neagle, John

(Encyclopedia)Neagle, John nēˈgəl [key], 1796–1865, American portrait painter, b. Boston. He was reared in Philadelphia, where he was apprentice to a coach painter. After travel in the West, he settled in Phil...

Morton, William Thomas Green

(Encyclopedia)Morton, William Thomas Green, 1819–68, American dentist and physician, b. Charlton, Mass., studied at Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. He practiced dentistry in Boston, for a time with Horace We...

Browse by Subject