Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lakshmi Bai

(Encyclopedia)Lakshmi Bai or Laxmibai, c.1828–58, maharani of Jhansi. Born into a Brahmin family of Benares (now Varanasi) and named Manakarnika, she had an unconventional childhood, receiving an education and ma...

Marshall, James Wilson

(Encyclopedia)Marshall, James Wilson, 1810–85, American pioneer, discoverer of gold in California, b. Hunterdon co., N.J. Migrating to California for his health, he arrived at Sutter's Fort (site of present Sacra...

Ironside, William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron

(Encyclopedia)Ironside, William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron, 1880–1959, British general. After serving with distinction in the South African War and World War I, he was chosen (1918) to command the Allied forces a...

Contreras

(Encyclopedia)Contreras kōntrāˈräs [key], village, central Mexico, near Mexico City, site of an important battle (Aug. 19–20, 1847) of the Mexican War. Gen. Winfield Scott, continuing his advance after the ba...

Fadeyev, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich

(Encyclopedia)Fadeyev, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich əlyĭksänˈdər əlyĭksänˈdrəvĭch fŭdyāˈəf [key], 1901–56, Russian author. An active Communist, he fought in the Revolution of 1917. His first novel, Raz...

Pleven

(Encyclopedia)Pleven plĕvˈnə [key], city (1993 pop. 130,354), N Bulgaria. A commercial center for a fertile agricultural region, it has food-processing industries and manufactures cotton textiles, cement, and wo...

Balmaceda, José

(Encyclopedia)Balmaceda, José hōsāˈ bälmäsāˈᵺä [key], 1840–91, president of Chile (1886–91). A leader of a liberal, anticlerical group, he was sent as minister (1878) to Argentina, where he successfu...

Ramiro I

(Encyclopedia)Ramiro I rämēˈrō [key], d. 1063, first king of Aragón (1035–63), illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre, from whom he inherited Aragón. After the death of his half-brother Gonzalo he annexe...

Williams, Betty

(Encyclopedia)Williams, Betty, 1943–2020, Northern Irish peace activist, b. Belfast as Elizabeth Smyth. In Aug., 1976, Williams, a receptionist, witnessed the death of three children when a car driven by an Irish...

Tallmadge, Benjamin

(Encyclopedia)Tallmadge, Benjamin tălˈmĭj [key], 1754–1835, American Revolutionary soldier, b. Brookhaven, N.Y. Joining a Connecticut regiment, he served throughout the Revolution, fighting at Brandywine, Germ...