Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Macklin, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Macklin, Charles măkˈlĭn [key], 1697?–1797, English actor and dramatist, whose original name was Charles McLaughlin, b. Ireland. He began his career as a strolling player. His style of acting was...

Macintosh, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Macintosh, Charles măkˈəntŏshˌ [key], 1766–1843, Scottish chemist and inventor. In 1823 he developed a waterproof fabric used to make raincoats that were named for him. His other research inclu...

Alexander I, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)Alexander I, 1078?–1124, king of Scotland (1107–24), son of Malcolm III and St. Margaret of Scotland. He succeeded his brother Edgar, who had divided the kingdom so that Alexander ruled only N of ...

Lake Charles

(Encyclopedia)Lake Charles, city (1990 pop. 70,580), seat of Calcasieu parish, SW La.; inc. 1867. It is located on Lake Charles at the mouth of the Calcasieu River in a rice, timber, oil, and natural gas region. Th...

Eames, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Eames, Charles āmz [key], 1907–78, American designer, b. St. Louis, Mo. He opened his own architectural practice in 1930 and in the late 30s studied with Eliel Saarinen at the Cranbrook Academy, Bl...

Ginner, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Ginner, Charles jĭnˈər [key], 1878–1952, English painter. After study in Paris, Ginner settled in London, becoming a founder of the neorealist school. During both world wars he was an official go...

Pyrrhus, Molossian king of Epirus

(Encyclopedia)Pyrrhus pĭrˈəs [key], c.318–272 b.c., Molossian king of Epirus. He fought at Ipsus in Asia Minor in the service of Demetrius Poliorcetes (later Demetrius I) of Macedon, and by the aid of Ptolemy ...

Amboise, conspiracy of

(Encyclopedia)Amboise, conspiracy of, 1560, plot of the Huguenots (French Protestants) and the house of Bourbon to usurp the power of the Guise family, which virtually ruled France during the reign of the young Fra...

Cher, river, France

(Encyclopedia)Cher, river, c.200 mi (320 km) long, rising in the Massif Central and flowing generally NW across central France to join the Loire below Tours. The Berry Canal parallels part of the river. ...

Browse by Subject