Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Gioia or Gioja, Melchiorre both: mālkyôrˈrā jōˈyä [key], 1767–1829, Italian economist and political theorist. An early advocate of the unification of Italy, he was several times imprisoned, o...

(Encyclopedia) Gallitzin, Demetrius Augustine, 1770–1840, American frontier missionary; son of Dmitri Alekseyevich Gallitzin. The young prince followed his mother in joining the Roman Catholic Church and determine...

(Encyclopedia) Nightingale, Florence, 1820–1910, English nurse, the founder of modern nursing, b. Florence, Italy. Her life was dedicated to the care of the sick and war wounded and to the promotion of her vision ...

(Encyclopedia) Caro, Sir Anthony Alfred, 1924–2014, British sculptor, one of the most important and influential modernist sculptors of the late 20th cent. Educated as an engineer (grad. Cambridge, 1944), he studie...

(Encyclopedia) Fitzpatrick, Thomas, c.1799–1854, American trapper, fur trader, and guide, one of the greatest of the mountain men, b. Co. Cavan, Ireland. He emigrated early to the United States, and by 1823 he was...

(Encyclopedia) Vorster, Balthazar Johannes yōhänˈəs bältäzärˈ fôrˈstər [key], 1915–83, South African political leader. A lawyer, John Vorster became involved in the Afrikaner nationalist movement and he...

(Encyclopedia) Pocahontas pōkəhŏnˈtəs [key], c.1595–1617, Native North American woman, daughter of Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas, meaning “playful one” (her birth name was Amonute, and her family called her ...

(Encyclopedia) African literature, literary works of the African continent. African literature consists of a body of work in different languages and various genres, ranging from oral literature to literature written...

(Encyclopedia) Crapsey, Adelaide krăpˈsē [key], 1878–1914, American poet, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., grad. Vassar, 1901; daughter of Algernon Sidney Crapsey. After teaching in girls' schools she became an instructor at...

(Encyclopedia) Slave, river, c.310 mi (500 km) long, Northwest Territories, Canada. It comprises the middle sections of the Mackenzie River system. The river channels the waters of Lake Athabasca and the Peace River...