Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Kirke, Sir David

(Encyclopedia)Kirke, Sir David kûrk [key], 1597–1655?, English merchant adventurer, b. France. In 1627 he and his brothers Lewis and Thomas sailed on a fleet outfitted by their father, Gervase Kirke, and Sir Wil...

Lauder, Sir Harry

(Encyclopedia)Lauder, Sir Harry lôˈdər [key], 1870–1950, Scottish baritone. His original name was MacLennan. Lauder was popular for his singing of ballads and comic songs, many of his own composition. During W...

Lawrence, Sir Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Lawrence, Sir Thomas, 1769–1830, English portrait painter, b. Bristol. He began to draw when very young and developed extraordinary talents as a draftsman; though he studied briefly at the Royal Aca...

Lean, Sir David

(Encyclopedia)Lean, Sir David, 1908–91, English film director, producer, and scriptwriter, b. Croyden, England. He entered the film industry in the 1920s, and had become one of Britain's most accomplished film ed...

Lee, Sir Sidney

(Encyclopedia)Lee, Sir Sidney, 1859–1926, English editor and author. He was editor (1891–1901) of the Dictionary of National Biography but is best known for his Life of William Shakespeare (1898, rev. ed. 1925)...

Klug, Sir Aaron

(Encyclopedia)Klug, Sir Aaron klo͞og [key], 1926–2018, British biochemist, b. Lithuania. Raised and educated in South Africa, he moved to England and completed his doctorate at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 195...

Kneller, Sir Godfrey

(Encyclopedia)Kneller, Sir Godfrey gôtˈfrēt fən knĭlˈər [key], 1646–1723, English portrait painter, b. Germany. After study in Amsterdam, Rome, and Venice, he settled in England in 1675, achieving success ...

Khama, Sir Seretse

(Encyclopedia)Khama, Sir Seretse käˈmä [key], 1921–80, Botswanan political leader, president of Botswana (1966–80); grandson of Khama III. After studying in England he returned to Bechuanaland (now Botswana...

Kidman, Sir Sidney

(Encyclopedia)Kidman, Sir Sidney,1857–1935, Australian stockman, b. near Adelaide. He worked as a stockman and a drover in the outback of New South Wales before he began a business carting supplies to miners duri...

Argall, Sir Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Argall, Sir Samuel ärˈgəl [key], d. 1626?, English ship captain, prominent in the early settlement of Virginia. He commanded a ship sent to Jamestown in 1609 and had charge of one of the ships Baro...

Browse by Subject