Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ellesmere, Thomas Egerton, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Ellesmere, Thomas Egerton, Baron, 1540?–1617, jurist and statesman. A distinguished early career at law brought him appointment (1581) as solicitor general, and he became a favorite and adviser of Q...

Ford, John, American film director

(Encyclopedia)Ford, John, 1895–1973, American film director, b. Cape Elizabeth, Maine, as John Martin Feeney. Ford began directing in 1917 after an apprenticeship with his brother Francis. Over the next 50 years,...

Callao

(Encyclopedia)Callao käyouˈ [key], city, capital of the constitutional prov. of Callao, W Peru, on Callao...

Welch, Jack

(Encyclopedia)Welch, Jack (John Francis Welch, Jr.), 1935–2020, American business executive, b. Salem, Mass., grad. Univ. of Massachusetts (1957); Univ. of Illinois (M.S., 1958; Ph.D., chemical engineering, 1960)...

Zita

(Encyclopedia)Zita zēˈtə, Ger. tsēˈtä [key], 1892–1989, last empress of Austria and queen of Hungary. The daughter of Duke Robert of Parma, she was married (1911) to Archduke Charles Francis, who in 1916 be...

Windischgrätz, Alfred, Fürst zu

(Encyclopedia)Windischgrätz or Windisch-Grätz, Alfred, Fürst zu älˈfrāt fürst tso͞o vĭnˈdĭshgrĕtsˈ [key], 1787–1862, Austrian field marshal. He was military governor of Bohemia when the revolutions o...

positivism

(Encyclopedia)positivism pŏˈzĭtĭvĭzəm [key], philosophical doctrine that denies any validity to speculation or metaphysics. Sometimes associated with empiricism, positivism maintains that metaphysical questio...

Point Reyes National Seashore

(Encyclopedia)Point Reyes National Seashore rāˈĭs [key], 71,068 acres (28,772 hectares), W Calif.; est. 1962. Included in the area are steep bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, lagoons, and esteros enclosed by...

Preston

(Encyclopedia)Preston, city and district (1991 pop. 166,675), county seat of Lancashire, N England, on the Ribble River. Preston has an active port and is a center of cotton and rayon manufacturing. Some mills have...

Schwarzenberg, Felix, Fürst zu

(Encyclopedia)Schwarzenberg, Felix, Fürst zu fāˈlĭks fürst tso͞o shvärˈtsənbĕrk [key], 1800–1852, Austrian premier; nephew of Karl Philipp zu Schwarzenberg. A soldier and diplomat, he was named (Nov., 1...
 

Browse by Subject