Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Thant, U

(Encyclopedia)Thant, U o͞o thänt [key], 1909–74, Burmese diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations (1962–72). Educated at University College, Yangon, he later held positions in education, the press, a...

ebony

(Encyclopedia)ebony, common name for members of the Ebenaceae, a family of trees and shrubs widely distributed in warmer climates and in the tropics. The principal genus, Diospyros, includes both ebony and persimmo...

Yamuna

(Encyclopedia)Yamuna jŭmˈnə [key], river, c.850 mi (1,370 km) long, rising in the Himalayas, N India, and flowing generally SE, through the Shiwalik Range, past Delhi, to the Ganges River at Prayagraj (formerly ...

brasses, ornamental

(Encyclopedia)brasses, ornamental. Brass, a copper-zinc alloy produced since imperial Roman times, is closely associated in art with bronze, a copper-tin alloy (see bronze sculpture). Brass was generally fashioned ...

Cruyff, Johan

(Encyclopedia)Cruyff, Johan, 1947–2016, Dutch soccer player. He played forward (1964–73) for the Dutch League's Amsterdam Ajax team, assuming a key role in their six league championships, four Dutch Cups, and t...

Goyen, Jan Josephszoon van

(Encyclopedia)Goyen, Jan Josephszoon van yän yōˈzəfsōn vän gōˈyən [key], 1596–1656, Dutch landscape painter. He studied at Leiden and Haarlem. In 1631 he settled at The Hague. His typically Dutch landsca...

Neer, Aert van der

(Encyclopedia)Neer, Aert van der ärt vän dĕr nār [key], c.1603–77, Dutch landscape painter. Working mostly in Amsterdam, he excelled in painting unusual light effects, such as moonlight, sunsets, conflagratio...

William III, king of the Netherlands

(Encyclopedia)William III, 1817–90, king of the Netherlands and grand duke of Luxembourg (1849–90), son and successor of William II. William III ruled as a constitutional monarch, and his long reign was unmarre...

Vondel, Joost van den

(Encyclopedia)Vondel, Joost van den yōst vän dĕn vônˈdəl [key], 1587–1679, Dutch poet and dramatist, b. Cologne. He is generally considered the greatest Dutch writer. During the emergence of the Dutch natio...

Delhi

(Encyclopedia)Delhi dĕlˈē [key], union territory and city, N central India. The union territory, officia...