Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

McDowell, Irvin

(Encyclopedia)McDowell, Irvin, 1818–85, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Columbus, Ohio. He taught at West Point (1841–45) and was made captain for his service in the Mexican War. In the Civil War, M...

Návpaktos

(Encyclopedia)Návpaktos nôpăkˈtəs [key], town, central Greece, a port on the strait (Strait of Ríon or Lepanto) between the gulfs of Corinth and Pátrai; also called Lepanto. The town was captured by Athens i...

Olaf I

(Encyclopedia)Olaf I (Olaf Tryggvason) ōˈläf trügˈväsōn [key], c.963–1000, king of Norway (995–1000), great-grandson of Harold I. His early life of exile and slavery is surrounded with romantic legend, a...

Keegan, Sir John Desmond Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Keegan, Sir John Desmond Patrick, 1934–2012, British military historian, b. London. The foremost British military historian of his era, he attended Oxford and after graduation went to the United Sta...

Bourbon, Charles, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Bourbon, Charles, duc de bo͞orbôNˈ [key], 1490–1527, constable of France and governor of Milan. He distinguished himself at the battle of Marignano (1515) in the Italian Wars between King Franci...

Aetius, Roman general

(Encyclopedia)Aetius, c.396–454, Roman general. At first unfriendly to Valentinian III, he later made his peace with Valentinian's mother, Galla Placidia, and was given a command in Gaul. An ambitious general, he...

Bull Run

(Encyclopedia)Bull Run, small stream, NE Va., c.30 mi (50 km) SW of Washington, D.C. Two important battles of the Civil War were fought there: the first on July 21, 1861, and the second Aug. 29–30, 1862. Both bat...

Langside

(Encyclopedia)Langside, district of Glasgow, S central Scotland. At the battle of Langside (1568) the 1st earl of Murray defeated the forces of Mary Queen of Scots led by Archibald Campbell, 5th earl of Argyll. As ...

Flodden

(Encyclopedia)Flodden, field, Northumberland, N England, just across the border from Coldstream, Scotland. It was the scene of the battle of Flodden Field (1513), in which the English under Thomas Howard, 2d duke o...

Arcole

(Encyclopedia)Arcole ärˈkōlā [key], village (1987 est. pop. 4,500), Venetia, N Italy. There, in Nov., 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrians in a three-day battle. ...