Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) de Blasio, Bill, 1961–, American politician, b. New York City as Warren Wilhelm, Jr., B.A New York Univ., 1984, M.A. Columbia, 1987. A liberal Democrat, de Blasio worked in the New York City governm...

(Encyclopedia) Sousa, Martim Afonso de mərtēmˈ əfônˈzō dĭ sōˈzə [key], 1500?–1564, Portuguese colonial administrator. A military man, he was commissioned in 1530 to drive the French corsairs from the Br...

(Encyclopedia) Olivares, Gaspar de Guzmán, conde-duque de gäspärˈ dā go͞othmänˈ kōnˈdā-do͞oˈkā dā ōlēväˈrās [key], 1587–1645, Spanish statesman. He was appointed chief minister on the accession...

(Encyclopedia) Apuleius, Lucius ăˌpyo͝olēˈəs [key], c.124–c.170, Latin writer, satirist, rhetorician, b. Hippo (now Bône, Algeria). His narrative romance The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses is the only Latin wo...

(Encyclopedia) Hauts-de-Seine ōt-də-sĕn [key], department, N central France, W of Paris. Nanterre is the capital. ...

(Encyclopedia) Guadalupe, Sierra de syārˈrä ᵺā gwäᵺälo͞oˈpā [key], mountain range, W Spain, in Extremadura, between the Tagus and Guadiana rivers. The highest elevation is 4,734 ft (1,443 m). ...

(Encyclopedia) Machaut, Guillaume de gēyōmˈ də mäshōˈ [key], c.1300–1377, French poet and composer. Variants of his name include Machault, de Machaudio, and de Mascaudio. He studied theology and took holy o...

(Encyclopedia) De Palma, Brian, 1940–, American film director, b. Newark, N.J. Heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock, he is especially known for bloody, shocking, and suspenseful thrillers. Sometimes accused of v...

(Encyclopedia) Gondomar, Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de gŏnˈdəmär, Span. dyāˈgō särmyānˈtō ᵺā äko͞oˈnyä kōnˈdā ᵺā gōndōmärˈ [key], 1567?–1626, Spanish ambassador to England (1613�...

(Encyclopedia) Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León, Diego de dyāˈgō dā värˈgäs thäpäˈtä ē lo͞ohänˈ pōnˈ thā dā lāōnˈ [key], c.1643–1704, Spanish governor and captain general of New Mexico, ...