Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Gaul, Alfred Robert

(Encyclopedia)Gaul, Alfred Robert gôl [key], 1837–1913, English composer. He wrote numerous cantatas, of which The Holy City (1882) is most famous. ...

Estrades, Godefroy, comte d'

(Encyclopedia)Estrades, Godefroy, comte d' gōdfrwäˈ kôNt dĕsträdˈ [key], 1607–86, French diplomat, marshal of France. An accomplished soldier, he negotiated (1662) the purchase of Dunkirk from the English....

Paz Estenssoro, Victor

(Encyclopedia)Paz Estenssoro, Victor vēktōrˈ päs āstānsōˈrō [key], 1907–2001, president of Bolivia (1952–56, 1960–64, 1985–89). An attorney and economist born into a land-owning family, he was a fo...

Austin, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Austin, Alfred, 1835–1913, English author, b. Leeds. Originally trained for a legal career, he eventually turned to writing and politics. From 1883–95 he edited the National Review. Although in 18...

Victor Amadeus III

(Encyclopedia)Victor Amadeus III, 1726–96, king of Sardinia (1773–96), son and successor of Charles Emmanuel III. He declared war on France in 1792 after French Revolutionary troops had occupied Savoy and Nice....

Werner, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Werner, Alfred, 1866–1919, French-born Swiss chemist, Ph.D. Univ. of Zürich, 1890. Werner was a professor at the Univ. of Zürich from 1893 until his death in 1919. He was awarded the Nobel Prize i...

Broglie, Maurice, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Broglie, Maurice, duc de, 1875–1960, French physicist; brother of Louis Victor, duc de Broglie. His contributions include notable work on X rays and in atomic physics, radioactivity, and electricity...

Kastler, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Kastler, Alfred, 1902–84, German-born French physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Bordeaux, 1936. Kastler was a lecturer at Clermont-Ferrand Univ. (1936–38), professor at the Univ. of Bordeaux (1938–41), p...

Cornu, Marie Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Cornu, Marie Alfred märēˈ älfrĕdˈ kôrnüˈ [key], 1841–1902, French physicist. From 1867 he was professor at the École polytechnique, Paris. He measured the velocity of light and made import...

Bonnivard, François de

(Encyclopedia)Bonnivard or Bonivard, François de both: fräNswäˈ də bônēvärˈ [key], c.1493–1570, Swiss patriot and historian. The prior of St. Victor, near Geneva, he supported the revolt of Geneva agains...

Browse by Subject