Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Tobias, Philip Valentine

(Encyclopedia)Tobias, Philip Valentine, 1925–2012, South African paleoanthropologist, b. Durban. He graduated from the Univ. of Witwatersrand (Ph.D., 1953) and taught there for five decades. Tobias entered paleoa...

Northampton, Henry Howard, earl of

(Encyclopedia)Northampton, Henry Howard, earl of nôrthămpˈtən [key], 1540–1614, English courtier; son of the poet, Henry Howard, earl of Surrey; member of the powerful Howard family. His public career under E...

Catholic Apostolic Church

(Encyclopedia)Catholic Apostolic Church, religious community originating in England c.1831 and extending later to Germany and the United States (1848). It was founded under the influence of Edward Irving; its membe...

Stuart, Esmé, 1st duke of Lennox

(Encyclopedia)Stuart or Stewart, Esmé, 1st duke of Lennox ĕzˈmē [key], 1542?–1583, Scottish nobleman; cousin to James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). Born and reared in France, he succeeded his fat...

Terre Haute

(Encyclopedia)Terre Haute tĕrˈə hōt, tĕrˈē hŭt [key], city (1990 pop. 51,483), seat of Vigo co., W Ind., on the Wabash River; inc. 1816. The commercial and trade center of a farm and coal-mining region, its...

Burns, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Burns, Robert, 1759–96, Scottish poet. Burns's art is at its best in songs such as “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton,” “My Heart's in the Highlands,” and “John Anderson My Jo.” Two collections...

litany

(Encyclopedia)litany lĭtˈənē [key] [Gr.,=prayer], solemn prayer characterized by varying petitions with set responses. The term is mainly used for Christian forms. Litanies were developed in Christendom for use...

Lewes, George Henry

(Encyclopedia)Lewes, George Henry lo͞oˈĭs [key], 1817–78, English critic and author. As editor of the Leader (1850–54) and of the Fortnightly Review (1865–66), Lewes distinguished himself as a critic. Infl...

Long Beach

(Encyclopedia)Long Beach. 1 City (1990 pop. 429,433), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on San Pedro Bay; est. 1882 as Willmore City, inc. 1888 as Long Beach. Having an excellent harbor, it serves as one of Los Angeles's ...

mandorla

(Encyclopedia)mandorla mänˈdôrlä [key], [Ital.,=almond], a medieval Christian artistic convention by which an oval or almond-shaped area or series of lines surrounds a deity, most commonly Jesus. The mandorla i...