Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Goeppert-Mayer, Maria, 1906–72, German-American nuclear physicist, Ph.D. Univ. of Göttingen, 1930. She was a researcher at Johns Hopkins (1931–39), Columbia (1939–46), Argonne National Laborato...

(Encyclopedia) Tallchief, Maria, 1925–2013, American ballerina, b. Fairfax, Okla., as Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief. Tallchief, of Osage descent, was trained both as a pianist and a dancer. Deciding on a career in ba...

(Encyclopedia) Heredia, José María de, 1842–1905, French poet, a leading exponent of the poetic ideals of the Parnassians, b. Cuba. His reputation rests on Les Trophées (1893), containing 118 masterful sonnets ...

(Encyclopedia) Machado de Assis, Joaquim Maria zhwäkēmˈ mərēˈə məshäˈdo͝o dĭ əsēzˈ [key], 1839–1908, Brazilian novelist, b. Rio de Janeiro. The grandson of African slaves, he was educated by a pries...

(Encyclopedia) Aznar López, José María hōzāˈ märēˈə äsˈnär lōˈpās [key], 1953–, Spanish politician, prime minister of Spain (1996–2004), b. Madrid. Originally a lawyer and tax inspector, he joine...

(Encyclopedia) Gil Robles, José María hōsāˈ märēˈä hēl rōˈblās [key], 1898–1980, Spanish politician. In 1931, after the proclamation of the Second Republic, he became leader of the newly organized rig...

(Encyclopedia) Fornés, María Irene, 1930–2018, Cuban-American playwright and director; she emigrated from Cuba with her family after her father's death in 1945. An early experimental work, Promenade (1965), a mu...

(Encyclopedia) Morelos y Pavón, José María hōsāˈ märēˈä mōrāˈlōs ē pävōnˈ [key], 1765–1815, Mexican leader in the revolution against Spain, a national hero. He was, like Hidalgo y Costilla, a lib...

(Encyclopedia) Szydło, Beata Maria, 1963–, Polish political leader, grad. Jagiellonian Univ., 1989. A member of the conservative Law and Justice party, she was first elected to the Sejm, Poland's lower house of p...

(Encyclopedia) Maria Christina märēˈä krēstēˈnä [key], 1858–1929, queen of Spain, consort of Alfonso XII. An Austrian archduchess, she was married to Alfonso in 1879. After his death, she was regent (1886�...