Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Cuban Missile Crisis

(Encyclopedia)Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, major cold war confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. In response to the Bay of Pigs Invasion and other American actions against Cuba as well as to P...

cruise missile

(Encyclopedia)cruise missile, low-flying, continuously powered offensive missile designed to evade defense systems. A cruise missile typically uses an aircraft engine rather than a rocket engine to fly at subsonic ...

missile, guided

(Encyclopedia)missile, guided: see guided missile. ...

ballistic missile

(Encyclopedia)ballistic missile: see guided missile. ...

antiballistic missile

(Encyclopedia)antiballistic missile: see guided missile. ...

guided missile

(Encyclopedia)guided missile, self-propelled, unmanned space or air vehicle carrying an explosive warhead. Its path can be adjusted during flight, either by automatic self-contained controls or remote human control...

crisis, economic

(Encyclopedia)crisis, economic: see depression. ...

intercontinental ballistic missile

(Encyclopedia)intercontinental ballistic missile: see guided missile. ...

intermediate range ballistic missile

(Encyclopedia)intermediate range ballistic missile: see guided missile. ...

Iran hostage crisis

(Encyclopedia)Iran hostage crisis, in U.S. history, events following the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students on Nov. 4, 1979. The overthrow of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran by an Isla...