Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Pertini, Sandro

(Encyclopedia)Pertini, Sandro (Alessandro Pertini), 1896–1990, Italian political leader and journalist, president of Italy (1978–1985). He served in World War I, then became a founding member of the Socialist p...

Malmstrom Air Force Base

(Encyclopedia)Malmstrom Air Force Base mälmˈstrəm, mălmˈ– [key], U.S. military installation, 3,573 acres (1,446 hectares), W central Mont., E of Great Falls; est. 1942. During World War II, it was the takeof...

Lindemann, Frederick Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Lindemann, Frederick Alexander (Viscount Cherwell) lĭnˈdəmən, chärˈwĕl [key], 1886–1957, British physicist and government official. He studied with W. H. Nernst and developed with him the Ner...

Landshut

(Encyclopedia)Landshut läntsˈho͞ot [key], city (1994 pop. 59,640), Bavaria, SE Germany, on the Isar River. Once the capital of Lower Bavaria, it is now a transportation and industrial center. Manufactures includ...

Gdynia

(Encyclopedia)Gdynia gədĭnˈyə [key], Ger. Gdingen, city (1994 est. pop. 252,100), Pomorskie prov., N Poland, a port on the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Danzig. It is the port of a larger urban area that includes ...

Wirth, Karl Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Wirth, Karl Joseph kärl yōˈzĕf vĭrt [key], 1879–1956, German statesman. A leader of the Catholic Center party, he succeeded (1920) Matthias Erzberger as minister of finance. In 1921, Wirth beca...

Henry II, Spanish king of Castile and León

(Encyclopedia)Henry II or Henry of Trastámara trăstəmărˈə [key], 1333?–1379, Spanish king of Castile and León (1369–79), illegitimate son of Alfonso XI. After taking part in several unsuccessful revolts ...

torpedo boat

(Encyclopedia)torpedo boat, small fast warship built specially for using the torpedo as a means of attack. The first modern torpedo boat was the Lightning, built for the British navy in 1877 by the shipyards of Sir...

Samarai

(Encyclopedia)Samarai sămˈărī [key], small island (59 acres/23.9 hectares), at the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, New Guinea island. It is a commercial and shipping center and a port of entry. An importa...

Browse by Subject