Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Solomon's-seal

(Encyclopedia)Solomon's-seal, any plant of the genus Polygonatum, north-temperate perennial herbs of the family Liliaceae (lily family). The hairy Solomon's-seal (P. pubescens) and the smooth Solomon's-seal (P. bif...

Seminole War

(Encyclopedia)Seminole War, in U.S. history, armed conflict between the U.S. government and the Seminoles. In 1832 the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Seminoles, who lived in Florida, providing for their r...

Pleiades, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Pleiades plēˈədēz, plīˈ– [key], in astronomy, famous open star cluster in the constellation Taurus; cataloged as M45. The cluster consists of some 500 stars, has a diameter of 35 light-years, ...

Sargasso Sea

(Encyclopedia)Sargasso Sea särgăsˈō [key], part of the N Atlantic Ocean, lying roughly between the West Indies and the Azores and from about lat. 20°N to lat. 35°N, in the horse latitudes. The relatively stil...

Rorem, Ned

(Encyclopedia)Rorem, Ned, 1923–, American composer and author, b. Richmond, Ind., grad. Juilliard (B.A. 1946, M.A. 1948). He is basically romantic in approach, determinedly tonal, and often lyrical. Although he c...

Ah Cheng

(Encyclopedia)Ah Cheng äˈjûng [key], pseud. of Zhong Acheng, 1949–, Chinese writer and painter. His father, the film critic Zhong Dianfei, was forced by the Communist government to sell his library of Chinese ...

Baliol, Edward de

(Encyclopedia)Baliol, Edward de bālˈyəl [key], d. 1363, king of Scotland, son of John de Baliol (d. 1315). Having secured English support for his claim to the Scottish throne, he invaded Scotland in 1332 and was...

Pickford, Mary

(Encyclopedia)Pickford, Mary, 1893–1979, American movie actress, b. Toronto, Ont. In 1909 she began working with D. W. Griffith. Specializing in playing young girls, she was dubbed “America's Sweetheart.” Her...

Ride, Sally Kristen

(Encyclopedia)Ride, Sally Kristen 1951–2012, American astrophysicist and astronaut, b. Encino, Calif. With an M.A. in physics (1975) and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Stanford Univ., she joined NASA in 1978, where...

Aznavour, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Aznavour, Charles, 1924–2018, French singer, songwriter, and actor, b. Paris as Shahnourh Varinag Aznavourian. The son of ethnic Armenian refugees, he began performing while a child. Edith Piaf made...