Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Peter the Hermit

(Encyclopedia)Peter the Hermit, c.1050–1115, French religious leader. In 1095 he was a very successful preacher of the First Crusade (see Crusades), and he led one of its bands. In 1096 he reached Constantinople ...

Asbjørnsen, Peter Christian

(Encyclopedia)Asbjørnsen, Peter Christian pāˈtər krēsˈtyän äsˈbyörnsən [key], 1812–85, Norwegian folklorist, writer, and naturalist. Norwegian Folk Stories (4 vol., 1841–44), which he collected with ...

Sellars, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Sellars, Peter, 1957–, American director, b. Pittsburgh, grad. Harvard (1981). A highly innovative director, he began his career with the Boston Shakespeare Co. (1983–84) and Washington's American...

Force, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Force, Peter, 1790–1868, American journalist and historian, b. near Paterson, N.J. He served in the War of 1812 and afterward established himself in Washington, D.C., as a printer. Entering local po...

Voulkos, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Voulkos, Peter, 1924–2002, American ceramist and sculptor who helped establish ceramics as a fine art, b. Bozeman, Mont., B.S. Montana State College (now Montana State Univ.), 1951, M.F.A California...

Martins, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Martins, Peter, 1946–, Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. He studied at the School of the Royal Danish Ballet and performed with its company (1965–69). In 1969 he joined the New York City Bal...

Fabergé, Peter Carl

(Encyclopedia)Fabergé, Peter Carl fäbĕrzhāˈ [key], 1846–1920, Russian goldsmith and jeweler, b. St. Petersburg. Sometimes described as a latter-day Cellini, he was descended from Huguenots and inherited (187...

O'Neill, Peter Charles Paire

(Encyclopedia)O'Neill, Peter Charles Paire, 1965–, Papua New Guinea political leader, grad. Univ. of Papua New Guinea, 1986. A businessman before he was first elected to parliament in 2002, he became leader of th...

Browse by Subject