Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Smoot, Reed

(Encyclopedia)Smoot, Reed smo͞ot [key], 1862–1941, U.S. senator (1903–33), b. Salt Lake City, Utah. He became successful as a banker and was prominent in the affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter...

Agassiz, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Agassiz, Lake ăgˈəsē [key], glacial lake of the Pleistocene epoch, c.700 mi (1,130 km) long, 250 mi (400 km) wide, formed by the melting of the continental ice sheet beginning some 14,000 years ag...

Godwin

(Encyclopedia)Godwin or Godwine both: gŏdˈwĭn [key], d. 1053, earl of Wessex. He became chief adviser to King Canute, was created (c.1018) an earl, and was given great wealth and lands. After Canute's death (103...

James I, king of Scotland

(Encyclopedia)James I, 1394–1437, king of Scotland (1406–37), son and successor of Robert III. King Robert feared for the safety of James because the king's brother, Robert Stuart, 1st duke of Albany, who was v...

sandwich, food

(Encyclopedia)sandwich, a piece of meat or other food placed between two slices of bread. Although food in this form has long been used, the term sandwich originated in the 18th cent. It is named for John Montagu, ...

communistic settlements

(Encyclopedia)communistic settlements, communities practicing common ownership of goods. Communistic settlements were known in ancient and medieval times, but the flowering of such groups occurred in the 19th cent....

Newtownards

(Encyclopedia)Newtownards nyo͞otənärdzˈ [key], town (1991 pop. 20,531), Ards dist., E Northern Ireland, near the head of Strangford Lough. There are textile and other industries in Newtownards. The ruins of a D...

Edgehill

(Encyclopedia)Edgehill or Edge Hill, ridge on the border of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, central England, NW of Banbury. A tower built in 1760 marks the scene of the first great battle of the English civil war, Oc...

Liebling, A. J.

(Encyclopedia)Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph Liebling), 1904–63, American journalist, b. New York City. He left Dartmouth, attended the Columbia School of Journalism, and wrote for the Providence, R.I. Evening Bu...

Randolph, Thomas, English diplomat

(Encyclopedia)Randolph, Thomas, 1523–90, English diplomat. He was graduated from Oxford (1545) and served as principal of Broadgates Hall (later Pembroke College), Oxford, until forced because of his Protestant s...

Browse by Subject