Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Vasa

(Encyclopedia)Vasa väˈzə [key], Pol. Waza, royal dynasty of Sweden (1523–1654) and Poland (1587–1668). Gustavus I, founder of the dynasty in Sweden, was succeeded by his sons Eric XIV (reigned 1560–68) and...

Jagiello

(Encyclopedia)Jagiello yägĕˈlō [key], dynasty that ruled Poland and Lithuania from 1386 to 1572, Hungary from 1440 to 1444 and again from 1490 to 1526, and Bohemia from 1471 to 1526. It took its name from Ladis...

Zamojski, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Zamojski or Zamoyski, Jan both: yän zämoiˈskē [key], 1542–1605, Polish statesman, general, and author. He championed the rights of the lesser nobility; after the extinction (1572) of the Jagiell...

Schultze, Max Johann Sigismund

(Encyclopedia)Schultze, Max Johann Sigismund mäks yōˈhän zēˈgĭsmo͝ond sho͝olˈtsə [key], 1825–74, German biologist, director of the Anatomical Institute at Bonn from 1859. He established that the cells ...

Marenzio, Luca

(Encyclopedia)Marenzio, Luca lo͞oˈkä märĕnˈtsēō [key], 1553–1599, Italian composer, in whose works the Renaissance madrigal reached its peak of development. He served the Gonzaga family in Mantua, the Med...

Oliva, Peace of

(Encyclopedia)Oliva, Peace of ōlēˈvə, –vä [key], 1660, treaty signed at Oliva (now a suburb of Gdańsk) by Poland and Sweden. John II of Poland renounced the theoretical claim of his line to the Swedish crow...

Stephen Báthory

(Encyclopedia)Stephen Báthory bäˈtôrĭ [key], Pol. Stefan Batory, 1533–86, king of Poland (1575–86), prince of Transylvania (1571–75), son of Stephen Báthory (1477–1534). He was elected to succeed John...

Edward III

(Encyclopedia)Edward III, 1312–77, king of England (1327–77), son of Edward II and Isabella. Edward's long reign saw many constitutional developments. Most important of these was the emergence of the Commons ...

Darius III

(Encyclopedia)Darius III (Darius Codomannus) kŏdəmănˈəs [key], d. 330 b.c., king of ancient Persia (336–330 b.c.). A cousin of Artaxerxes III, he was raised to the throne by the eunuch Bagoas, who had murder...

Alexius III

(Encyclopedia)Alexius III (Alexius Angelus) ănˈjələs [key], d. after 1210, Byzantine emperor (1195–1203). He acceded to power by deposing and blinding his brother Isaac II. This act served as pretext for the ...