Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Whitney, William Collins

(Encyclopedia)Whitney, William Collins, 1841–1904, American financier and political leader, b. Conway, Mass. After attending (1863–64) Harvard law school, he moved to New York City, became successful as a corpo...

Acominatus, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Acominatus, Michael kōnēāˈtēz [key], c.1140–1220, Byzantine writer and metropolitan of Athens. Acominatus' speeches, poems, and letters give much information about medieval Athens, which he, a ...

Michael, archangel

(Encyclopedia)Michael mīˈkəl [key] [Heb.,=who is like God?], archangel prominent in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. In the Bible and early Jewish literature, Michael is one of the angels of God's prese...

Foster, Stephen Collins

(Encyclopedia)Foster, Stephen Collins, 1826–64, American songwriter and composer, b. Lawrenceville, Pa. His pioneer family was aware of his talent for music, but not understanding it they provided him with little...

Haydn, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Haydn, Michael hīˈdən [key], 1737–1806, Austrian composer, younger brother of Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn, largely self-taught, was noted especially for his sacred music. He was a friend of Mozart...

Praetorius, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Praetorius, Michael prētôrˈēəs [key], 1571–1621, German composer and musicographer, whose name originally was Schultheiss. He was a prolific composer, his Musae Sioniae (9 vol., 1605–11) alon...

Hainisch, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Hainisch, Michael mĭˈkhäĕl hīˈnĭsh [key], 1858–1940, president of Austria (1920–28). He was a leading agriculturist and a noted writer. Politically acceptable to all major parties, he was e...

Browse by Subject