Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Sagan, Carl Edward

(Encyclopedia) Sagan, Carl Edward sāˈgən [key], 1934–96, American astronomer and popularizer of science, b. New York City. Early in his career he investigated radio emissions from Venus and concluded that the c...

Mander, Karel van

(Encyclopedia) Mander, Karel van käˈrəl vän mänˈdər [key], 1548–1606, Flemish painter and humanist. He wrote plays on biblical themes and translated from the classics. He is known primarily for his biograph...

Coehoorn, Menno van

(Encyclopedia) Coehoorn, Menno van mĕˈnō vän ko͞oˈhôrn [key], 1641–1704, Dutch military engineer and nobleman. He invented a portable bronze siege mortar called the coehorn. He was considered in his day a r...

Eeden, Frederik van

(Encyclopedia) Eeden, Frederik van frāˈdərĭk vän āˈdən [key], 1860–1932, Dutch novelist and poet, a practicing physician. He founded a cooperative farm colony (1898). His work is pervaded by deep mysticism...

Ostade, Adriaen van

(Encyclopedia) Ostade, Adriaen van äˈdrēän vän ôˈstädə [key], 1610–85, Dutch genre painter, b. Haarlem. Trained in the studio of Frans Hals, he was strongly influenced by his fellow student Adriaen Brouwe...

Van Halen, Eddie

(Encyclopedia) Van Halen, Eddie (Edward Lodewijk Van Halen), 1955–2020, American rock musician and song writer, b. Amsterdam, Netherlands; his family moved to California when he was young. He and brother Alex form...