Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

affirmative action

(Encyclopedia)affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women....

Zoellick, Robert Bruce

(Encyclopedia)Zoellick, Robert Bruce zĕlˈlĭk [key], 1953–, U.S. government official and finance executive, b. Evergreen Park, Ill., grad. Swarthmore College (B.A., 1975), Harvard (J.D., M.P.P. 1981). As an ass...

Three Mile Island

(Encyclopedia)Three Mile Island, site of a nuclear power plant 10 mi (16 km) south of Harrisburg, Pa. On Mar. 28, 1979, failure of the cooling system of the No. 2 nuclear reactor led to overheating and partial melt...

Milken, Michael Robert

(Encyclopedia)Milken, Michael Robert mĭlˈkən [key], 1946–, American financial executive, b. Van Nuys, Calif. Nicknamed the “junk bond king,” he was an executive at Drexel Burnham Lambert, Inc., where he tr...

Yankton, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Yankton, city (1990 pop. 12,703), seat of Yankton co., extreme SE S.Dak., on the Missouri River; inc. 1869. A railroad and trade center in an agricultural region, it has grain elevators, creameries, a...

Huron, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Huron hyo͝orˈänˌ [key], city (2020 pop. 14,263), seat of Beadle co., E central S.Dak., on ...

Treasury, United States Department of the

(Encyclopedia)Treasury, United States Department of the, federal executive department established in 1789. It is charged with advising the president on fiscal policy and acting as fiscal agent for the federal gover...

Centralia

(Encyclopedia)Centralia sĕntrāˈlēə [key]. 1 City (2020 pop. 12,182), Clinton and Marion counties, S Il...

Amtrak

(Encyclopedia)Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more ...

Lagos, city, Nigeria

(Encyclopedia)Lagos lāˈgŏs, läˈgôs [key], city (1991 est. pop. 1,274,000), SW Nigeria, on the Gulf of Guinea. It comprises the island of Lagos and three former neighboring islands (now connected by landfill t...