Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) De Soto, Hernando dĭsōˈtō, Span. ĕrnänˈdō dā sōˈtō [key], c.1500–1542, Spanish explorer. After serving under Pedro Arias de Ávila in Central America and under Francisco Pizarro in Peru,...

(Encyclopedia) Charles Martel märtĕlˈ [key] [O.Fr.,=Charles the Hammer], 688?–741, Frankish ruler, illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and grandfather of Charlemagne. After the death of his father (714) he se...

(Encyclopedia) Laudonnière, René Goulaine de rənāˈ go͞olĕnˈ də lōdônyĕrˈ [key], fl. 1562–82, French colonizer in Florida. After accompanying Jean Ribaut on the first French expedition to Florida (1562...

(Encyclopedia) Macintosh, Charles măkˈəntŏshˌ [key], 1766–1843, Scottish chemist and inventor. In 1823 he developed a waterproof fabric used to make raincoats that were named for him. His other research inclu...

(Encyclopedia) Bent, Charles, 1799–1847, American frontiersman, b. St. Louis. He entered the fur trade of the Missouri River and became one of the mountain men. His interests turned to the Southwest, and he led ex...

(Encyclopedia) Saint Charles. 1 City (1990 pop. 22,501), Kane co., NE Ill., on the Fox River, a suburb of Chicago; inc. 1850. Located in an agricultural area (corn and soybeans), the city has food-processing, alumin...

(Encyclopedia) Wilkes, Charles, 1798–1877, American naval officer and explorer, b. New York City, educated by his father. In 1815 he entered the merchant service and received (1818) an appointment as a midshipman....

(Encyclopedia) Pathé, Charles păthāˈ, Fr. shärl pätāˈ [key], 1873–1957, French photographer. He was the first to present (c.1909) the newsreel as a regular attraction at a theater in Paris. In 1910 he intr...

(Encyclopedia) Charles, Thomas, 1755–1814, Welsh nonconformist clergyman. He was brought up under Methodist influence, attended Oxford (1775–78), and was ordained in the Church of England. He held curacies in So...

(Encyclopedia) Whittingham, Charles hwĭtˈĭnjəm, –ĭng-əm [key], 1767–1840, English printer. He established a printery in London in 1789, removing to Chiswick and founding the Chiswick Press in 1810. He was ...