Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

galactic coordinate system

(Encyclopedia)galactic coordinate system, astronomical coordinate system in which the principal axis is the galactic equator (the intersection of the plane of the Milky Way with the celestial sphere) and the refere...

Buenaventura

(Encyclopedia)Buenaventura bwāˌnävānto͞oˈrä [key], city (2020 est. pop. 451,000), W Colombia, a port on the Pacific ...

Charles Mound

(Encyclopedia)Charles Mound, hill, an ancient burial mound 1,241 ft (378 m) high, NW Ill., near the Wis. line; highest point in the state.

Montt, Jorge

(Encyclopedia)Montt, Jorge hôrˈhā mōnt [key], 1846–1922, Chilean vice admiral, president of Chile (1891–96). He was a distant relative of Manuel and Pedro Montt. A leader in the ruinous civil war against Ba...

LaLanne, Jack

(Encyclopedia)LaLanne, Jack ləlānˈ [key], 1914–2011, American fitness advocate and television personality, b. San Francisco as François Henri LaLanne. Widely regarded as the founder of the modern fitness move...

Kováč, Michal

(Encyclopedia)Kováč, Michal mēˈkäl kōˈväch [key], 1929–2016, Slovak political leader, first president of independent Slovakia (1993–98). An economist, he worked in the banking sector, served as Czechosl...

Richberg, Donald Randall

(Encyclopedia)Richberg, Donald Randall, 1881–1960, American public official, b. Knoxville, Tenn. He practiced law in Chicago, served as attorney for the city and for Illinois, and became nationally known after sp...

Government Publishing Office, United States

(Encyclopedia)Government Publishing Office, United States (GPO), federal bureau originally authorized in 1860 that performs printing and binding for Congress and federal departments and agencies, distributes govern...

expert system

(Encyclopedia)expert system, a computer system or program that uses artificial intelligence techniques to solve problems that ordinarily require a knowledgeable human. The method used to construct such systems, kno...

Amanullah

(Encyclopedia)Amanullah ăməno͝olˈə [key], 1892–1960, emir (1919–26) and king (1926–29) of Afghanistan. To win popular support for his rule he invaded India in an attempt to free Afghanistan from British-...