Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

210 results found

Masson, Frédéric

(Encyclopedia)Masson, Frédéric, 1847–1923, French historian, an authority on Napoleon I and his family. His work is uncritically laudatory with regard to Napoleon himself; his admiration, however, did not deter...

Hindu music

(Encyclopedia)Hindu music. The music of India is entirely monodic. To Westerners it is the most accessible of all Asian musical cultures. Its tonal system divides the octave into 22 segments called srutis, not all ...

Gibson, Josh

(Encyclopedia)Gibson, Josh (Joshua Gibson) 1911–47, American baseball player, b. Buena Vista, Ga. A catcher and the long-time batterymate of Satchel Paige, Gibson was called “the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues....

Huntingdon

(Encyclopedia)Huntingdon, town, Cambridgeshire, E central England, on the Ouse River. Seat of the Huntingdonshire dist., the town has light industries and an agricult...

Grau San Martín, Ramón

(Encyclopedia)Grau San Martín, Ramón rämōnˈ grou sän märtēnˈ [key], 1887–1969, president of Cuba (1933–34, 1944–48). Professor of medicine at the Univ. of Havana, Grau San Martín opposed Gerardo Mac...

Sefid Rud

(Encyclopedia)Sefid Rud sä– [key], river, c.450 mi (720 km) long, rising in NW Iran and flowing generally east to meet the Caspian Sea at Rasht. A storage dam on the river was completed in 1962. The Sefid Rud ha...

Philby, Harry St. John Bridger

(Encyclopedia)Philby, Harry St. John Bridger, 1885–1960, British explorer, official, and author. He joined (1917) the British foreign service, was sent on a special mission to Arabia, and became the first Europea...

Safra

(Encyclopedia)Safra, family of Brazilian bankers with Sephardic Jewish roots. They began as merchant bankers in Syria and Lebanon, financing caravans throughout the Middle East. The Safras are also noted philanthro...

Elizabeth Farnese

(Encyclopedia)Elizabeth Farnese färnāˈsā [key], 1692–1766, queen of Spain, second consort of Philip V; niece of Antonio Farnese, duke of Parma. Soon after her marriage (1714), arranged by Cardinal Alberoni an...

Ituzaingó, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Ituzaingó, battle of ēˌto͞osīn-gōˈ [key], fought in S Uruguay, Feb. 20, 1827. A combined Argentine-Uruguayan force under Carlos María de Alvear decisively defeated Brazil. The United Provinces...