Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Berenice, c.273–21 b.c., queen of ancient Cyrene and Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Berenice, c.273–21 b.c., queen of ancient Cyrene and Egypt. She was the daughter and successor of King Magas of Cyrene. In 247 b.c. she married Ptolemy III, thereby effectively annexing Cyrene to Eg...

Canrobert, François Certain

(Encyclopedia)Canrobert, François Certain fräNswäˈ sĕrtăNˈ käNrôbĕrˈ [key], 1809–95, marshal of France. After brilliant service in Africa, he returned to Paris and aided Louis Napoleon (later Napoleon ...

Bradwardine, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Bradwardine, Thomas brădˈwərdēn [key], c.1295–1349, English mathematician, natural philosopher, and theologian. He was chaplain to Edward III (c.1338) and later archbishop of Canterbury. As a ma...

North, Frederick North, 8th Baron

(Encyclopedia)North, Frederick North, 8th Baron, 1732–92, British statesman, best known as Lord North. He entered Parliament in 1754 and became a junior lord of the treasury (1759), privy councilor (1766), and ch...

Leo I, Saint, pope

(Encyclopedia)Leo I, Saint (Saint Leo the Great), c.400–461, pope (440–61), an Italian; successor of St. Sixtus III. A Doctor of the Church, he was one of the greatest pontiffs of the early years of the church....

Leisler, Jacob

(Encyclopedia)Leisler, Jacob līsˈlər [key], 1640–91, leader of an insurrection (1689–91) in colonial New York, b. Frankfurt, Germany. He immigrated to America in 1660 as a penniless soldier, married a wealth...

Manuel I, Byzantine emperor

(Encyclopedia)Manuel I (Manuel Comnenus) kŏmnēˈnəs [key], c.1120–1180, Byzantine emperor (1143–80), son and successor of John II. He began his reign with a war against the Seljuk Turks, the subjugation of R...

Grand Alliance, War of the

(Encyclopedia)Grand Alliance, War of the, 1688–97, war between France and a coalition of European powers, known as the League of Augsburg (and, after 1689, as the Grand Alliance). Louis XIV of France took advanta...

Hanover, house of

(Encyclopedia)Hanover, house of, ruling dynasty of Hanover (see Hanover, province), which was descended from the Guelphs and which in 1714 acceded to the British throne in the person of George I. George was the gra...

Basil I

(Encyclopedia)Basil I (Basil the Macedonian) băzˈəl, bāˈzəl [key], c.813–886, Byzantine emperor (867–86). His ancestors probably were Armenians or Slavs who settled in Macedonia. He became (c.856) the fav...