Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Maginot Line

(Encyclopedia)Maginot Line măzhˈĭnō, Fr. mäzhēnōˈ [key], system of fortifications along the eastern frontier of France, extending from the Swiss border to the Belgian. It was named for André Maginot, who w...

Knolles, Sir Robert

(Encyclopedia)Knolles or Knollys, Sir Robert both: nōlz [key], d. 1407, English military commander in the Hundred Years War. He became a leader of a company of mercenaries, fought against Bertrand Du Guesclin, who...

Koop, C. Everett

(Encyclopedia)Koop, C. Everett (Charles Everett Koop), 1916–2013, American physician, U.S. surgeon general (1982–89), b. Brooklyn, N.Y., grad. Dartmouth (B.S., 1937), Cornell Medical College (M.D., 1941), Univ....

Martinelli, Ricardo

(Encyclopedia)Martinelli, Ricardo (Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal) 1952–, Panamanian business executive and political leader. The son of Italian immigrants, he became the head of a successful supermarket cha...

Mason, John, c.1600–1672, American colonial military commander

(Encyclopedia)Mason, John, c.1600–1672, American colonial military commander, b. England. He was an army officer before emigrating (c.1630) to Massachusetts and then (1635) to Windsor, Conn. When the Pequot threa...

Rugova, Ibrahim

(Encyclopedia)Rugova, Ibrahim ēbrähēmˈ ro͞ogōˈvā [key] 1944–2006, ethnic Albanian leader in Kosovo. A scholar and author, he studied at Kosovo's Priština Univ. and the Sorbonne, Paris, and became preside...

Igor, 1151–1202, Russian prince

(Encyclopedia)Igor (Igor Sviatoslavich) ēˈgər svyäˌtəsläˈvĭch [key], 1151–1202, Russian prince. In 1185 he was defeated by the Cumans in an expedition that was immortalized in the epic Slovo o polku Igor...

Taylor, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Taylor, Richard, 1826–79, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. near Louisville, Ky.; son of Zachary Taylor. A Louisiana planter, he attained some political prominence and was a member o...

Beauharnais, Eugène de

(Encyclopedia)Beauharnais, Eugène de də bōärnāˈ [key], 1781–1824, French general; son of Alexandre and Josephine de Beauharnais (Empress Josephine). He served ably in the campaigns of his stepfather, Napol...

Rizzio, David

(Encyclopedia)Rizzio, David rĭtˈsēō [key], 1533?–1566, favorite of Mary Queen of Scots. He was a Piedmontese musician (also called Riccio) who arrived (1561) in Scotland with the ambassador from Savoy. He cam...