Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

World Health Organization

(Encyclopedia)World Health Organization (WHO), specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1948, with its headquarters at Geneva. WHO admits all sovereign states (including those not belonging to the U...

Opelika

(Encyclopedia)Opelika ōpəlīˈkə [key], city (1990 pop. 22,122), seat of Lee co., E Ala., near the Chattahoochee River, in a farm area; inc. 1854. It is a trade center, with industries that produce textiles, lum...

perennial

(Encyclopedia)perennial, any plant that under natural conditions lives for several to many growing seasons, as contrasted to an annual or a biennial. Botanically, the term perennial applies to both woody and herbac...

East Lyme

(Encyclopedia)East Lyme līm [key], town (1990 est. pop. 14,000), New London co., SE Conn., on Long Island Sound; settled c.1660, inc. 1839. The town has diversified light industry. Its many colonial buildings incl...

Peninsular campaign

(Encyclopedia)Peninsular campaign, in the American Civil War, the unsuccessful Union attempt (Apr.–July, 1862) to capture Richmond, Va., by way of the peninsula between the York and James rivers. Late in May...

White, Elijah

(Encyclopedia)White, Elijah, 1806–79, American missionary in the Oregon country. A physician, he left Boston in 1836 to join the Methodist mission established by Jason Lee. After friction with his associates, he ...

Grant, Ulysses Simpson

(Encyclopedia)Grant, Ulysses Simpson, 1822–85, commander in chief of the Union army in the Civil War and 18th President (1869–77) of the United States, b. Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was originally named Hiram Uly...

Tralee

(Encyclopedia)Tralee trəlēˈ, trā– [key], town (1991 pop. 17,862), seat of Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland, on the Lee River. It is a seaport linked with Blennerville on Tralee Bay by a 1-mi-long (1.6-km) ca...

Cork, city, Ireland

(Encyclopedia)Cork, city, county town of Co. Cork, S Republic of Ireland, on the Lee River near its mouth on Cork Harbour. The oldest part of the town rests on an isl...

Wilkinson, Jemima

(Encyclopedia)Wilkinson, Jemima, 1752–1819, American religious leader, b. Cumberland, R.I. As a girl she was powerfully impressed by the sermons of George Whitefield and also aspired to emulate the example of Ann...