Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lexington and Concord, battles of

(Encyclopedia)Lexington and Concord, battles of, opening engagements of the American Revolution, Apr. 19, 1775. After the passage (1774) of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament, unrest in the colonies inc...

Newfoundland, island and province, Canada

(Encyclopedia)Newfoundland, island and province, Canada: see Newfoundland and Labrador, province. ...

Life of Adam and Eve

(Encyclopedia)Life of Adam and Eve: see Adam and Eve, Life of. ...

Dipper, Big, and Little Dipper

(Encyclopedia)Dipper, Big, and Little Dipper: see Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. ...

Watts Towers

(Encyclopedia)Watts Towers, group of folk-art towers in the Watts section of Los Angeles. The complex was built (1921–54) single-handedly by the self-taught Italian immigrant Simon Rodia (also spelled Rodilla, 18...

Campbell, Glen Travis

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, Glen Travis, 1936–2017, American country singer-songwriter, b. Billstown, Ark. A performing musician by age 14, he moved in 1960 to Los Angeles, where he worked in rock and roll bands and ...

Belt, Great, and Little Belt

(Encyclopedia)Belt, Great, and Little Belt, straits: see Store Bælt and Lille Bælt, straits, Denmark. ...

formula, in mathematics and physics

(Encyclopedia)formula, in mathematics and physics, equation expressing a definite fixed relationship between certain quantities. The quantities are usually expressed by letters, and their relationship is indicated ...

ether, in physics and astronomy

(Encyclopedia)ether or aether, in physics and astronomy, a hypothetical medium for transmitting light and heat (radiation), filling all unoccupied space; it is also called luminiferous ether. In Newtonian physics a...

Ishim, river, Russia and Kazakhstan

(Encyclopedia)Ishim, river, c.1,130 mi (1,819 km) long, W Siberian Russia and Kazakhstan. It rises N of Qaraghandy in Kazakhstan (where it is known as the Esil), flows W past Atbasar, N past Petropavl, and then joi...